Yes to Ghiradelli’s!
@Sevendown I got so worked up about abortion and religion that I forgot to answer your other questions! Yes, drinking seems heavier here. It’s difficult because I do occasionally drink, but not anywhere near the level that people seem to here. I joked to my husband that everything in the grocery store came in smaller amounts except the beer. You can easily see your priorities!
I didn’t realize there was such a difference with abandoned babies, but it could be because of a lack of social services and a safety net. Mothers may sometimes feel that they simply do not have the capabilities or resources to take care of their child.
@Roussette sorry I missed you as well! I think the example you cite is extreme, but I do feel that Americans in general are less environmentally conscious. I want to make it clear that plenty of people are. But I don’t think there are the same cultural values in that way. We don’t encourage (or scold) people to take care of the environment so much. Americans can hold a very self-centered view and one of the things I like about living here is that people seem a little more educated about what’s beyond their borders. The world feels bigger from here, and protecting it feels like a higher priority.
I’ll answer @Captainkirkssparetupee and @HaroldsSocalledBluetits (you guys are killing me with these usernames) together. I was nervous about moving because in my experiences online, I saw a lot of negativity directed towards American by British people, often seemingly unprovoked. It was as if there was some underlying resentment or general disdain and it made me feel bad. Americans make bad jokes about British people (blah blah teeth) but for the most part, we LIKE the UK and are both fond and intrigued by the people who reside here. What I had come across seemed more mean-spirited and a distinct lack of respect towards Americans.
Yes, a good portion of it is about us doing things wrong, when really it’s simply different. As a people, we’ve diverged and really, the way you spell and pronounce things don’t make sense to us half the time either.
People do also generalize a lot and it can be difficult because no, I don’t own hundreds of gun and drape myself in an American flag every night while eating Hershey’s bars.
There are two things that help me to deal with it. One is to remember that it’s a totally normal thing to do. How many times has an American referenced a “British” accent and you’ve wanted to tell them that there is not a single accent? How many jokes have been made about tea and teeth and so much else? Ignorance goes both ways, and I try to just let people know how things have been in my experience, or my opinion. How will anyone know if they don’t have that interaction with someone from another culture? How much do we rely on media to tell us about other cultures? It’s one of he reasons I thought I’d do this AMA, and I’m so pleased that other Americans have joined in. I encourage them to continue to do so. We aren’t the same and I can’t represent the wide variety of people, both wonderful and horrible.
The second thing that has helped is that in person, people are far kinder and more polite. I’ve only encountered one person rudely trashing Americans with absolutely no provocation. Her face when she realized I am American was priceless!
Overall, people are curious but kind, opinionated but also flexible. And I am learning a lot by living here!