Susan, who is basically like my aunt or a second mother to me, asked me the other day what I miss from the US and I gave her a couple answers. Her response was “I should know better than to expect a serious answer from to any question that I may ask.” Now, some of these things may sound like I am being a little flip or sarcastic. But, I’m (mostly) not. So, in no particular order….
Tumble Dryers – This has to be the biggest thingk that I took for granted when living in the States. Due to space considerations and the lack of ventilation for dryer vents make it pretty much impossible to find a rental unit with a real, gas or electric heated, forced air tumble dryer. Instead, I have a combination washer/dryer, which cleans the clothes very well. However, it basically boils the water out of the clothes when you use the dryer. They are unpredictable and most of my clothes do not end up dry and they take forever to get basically hot and wet. Not that air drying clothes is bad. It is not. However, towels feel like loofas when they are air dried. Ugh.
Downy Fabric Softener – Staying in the laundry based theme, the fabric softeners here in the UK absolutely blow. Downy works, and isn’t overwhelming in the fragrance department, especially when clothes are actually dried in the tumble dryer. I never thought that these would be the two things I would miss first. If there happens to be a fabric softener that works well here in the UK, I would love to know what it is.
Soup – Yes, I know that there is soup over here. However, almost every soup is a puree or a broth. There is nothing like a bowl of chicken noodle soup with chunky pieces of chicken, large vegetables and egg noodles when you are not feeling well and it is IMPOSSIBLE to find here. You actually have to look for Cock-a-leekie, a Scottish noodle soup to get something similar. I went out for Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup which is amazing in Seattle due to the large Vietnamese population. It is not nearly as good or authentic here, but, at least it was broth, chicken, noodles and vegetables.
Mexican food – The first restaurant that I will go to when I go back to Detroit is my friend, Jeanette’s restaurant – El Rancho. I would give my left arm right now for Enchiladas Suizas, with that that spicy sweet tomatillo sauce, sour cream and seasoned chicken. Mexican food is few and far between here. Wachaca is the best that there is in town so far, but, they do mostly tacos and street food.
Macaroni and Cheese – Yes, I know I can make it myself. Yes, I also know that some recipes that I have will blow Kraft or Stouffer’s out of the water. But, macaroni cheese here does not even approach the same level of creamy cheddar cheese sauce (even if it’s the bright orange Kraft Dinner kind). I will definitely make some of this when I finally have all of my kitchen accoutrements.
Sourdough bread – This is ubiquitous on the West Coast of the US, and great sourdough bread is almost everywhere in Seattle. It happens to be my second favorite bread (right after Zingerman’s Jewish Rye from Ann Arbor), but, it is the bread I would eat most consistently.
Sirius Satellite Radio – I never thought I would write this five years ago, but I absolutely miss Howard Stern, the Broadway channel, Sirius First Wave and the Spectrum. Sirius has revolutionized radio entertainment in the US, and while I do not think it would be successful here in the UK, the quality of programming on Sirius is quite enjoyable.
Country music – I am actually a hillbilly in my core – my Memaw would be proud. But, while classic country music – Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette – is very in and hip here, you will hardly ever hear Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum. There is more to Country Music than Jolene.
Target – I am absolutely amazed that Target has not tried to enter the UK market. With their focus on affordable luxury and the convenience that they have, it would be a good fit for the suburban or even city center buyers. Maybe in a few years. Best Buy is here, even though I think they probably shouldn’t be.
Multipack Chicken Breasts from Costco – Let me be clear – I do not miss Costco as a whole. The large sized orgy of people searching for a bargain by buying a gallon of ketchup in a three pack is more than overwhelming. Being caught in a Costco line is one of my worst nightmares. However, the one thing that they have that I love is the 12 pack of chicken breasts, which, is bliss when I eat in a healthy manner. I eat a lot of chicken when I cook at home, it is relatively cheap and versatile. I prefer to only have red meat as a special occasion and those packs of chicken were very handy.
Now, the two things I absolutely do not miss –
American news coverage – The overall hype of American news focusing on non-issues as opposed to issues that the country is actually facing is abysmal. If I never heard anything about Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Katie Couric, et. al. it would be too soon. Even if it is less dramatic, the coverage from Sky and the BBC is a bit more balanced and more focused on the overall world picture as opposed to what Palin said about Obama today. I occasionally go look at my former local paper to get updates on the state and local picture, but, not the National stuff. They’re all assholes.
And last but not least – Free refills of soda – I think free refills of soda at restaurants is one of the main reasons that the United States is the fattest country in the world. Portion sizes and a never ending stream of carbonated, high fructose corn syrup is what is killing the nation that I love. I was guilty of drinking them myself – once, I drank eight large Cokes in one sitting. I am surprised I did not enter a diabetic coma. But, that is one of the things that helped me get fat. It is a good thing for everyone here that free refills do not exist.
Back to the grind….
American Expat in London 