my last visit to the us was in november of last year, and it is strange to be back. in some respects, america no longer feels like home. in other ways, it is so familiar. here are some of the things i have noticed since we arrived that seem foreign to me now:
+++ ice water: large glasses of it, served by every restaurant and refilled automatically, without the need to even ask. heaven.
+++ cardinals: not the baseball team, but the gorgeous red bird the team was named after. i love cardinals, and we don't have them in england. i'm not sure why not.
--- drug advertisements: for everything from incontinence to heart burn to insomnia. it overwhelms me how many prescription drugs are advertised on television and in magazines in the us. the list of ailments is long, and the list of side effects even longer.
++- skunks: during our drive from new york to massachusetts we came across several skunks and the highly identifiable scent filled the car, reminding me of times past.
--- large portions: did you know that even starbucks sizes are larger here? the talls in the us are the same as grandes in the uk. everything seems super sized.
+++ massive billboards: we even passed some digital ones--enormous screens projecting advertisements for the world to see.
[written monday 30 july; posted on return from holiday 14 august]
shocking, isn't it, returning to the US?
I do love and can sympathize with the ice water part though... I'm drinking a glass right now. Our fridge in Copenhagen didn't have a freezer part so it seems like an indulgence.
Posted by: misha | August 15, 2007 at 06:39 AM