To be surprised at how advanced the US were to us?

[Hownoobrooncoo]

was watching an old movie earlier set in The 50's and a character mentioned her glass of champagne her 85 calories - would anyone in the UK even have known what a calorie was back then?

The first microwave ovens appeared in the home in the 50's in the US as well, same as TV remote controls - Jesus, we were lagging behind.

But a Stone is STILL 14lbs in Britain. Look at any medical BMI chart.

A Kilogram is 1000g (or 100 x 10g...)

Either airport man was confused or taking the piss??

I think that airport guy was taking the piss
The would have been more pleased to have lost a stone if they knew it was 14lbs and not 10

We don't do kettles because we don't drink tea.

I rarely drink tea, I use my kettle to heat water for potatoes or pasta. I also use it to boil water to clean the dishwasher and I used to use it to defrost my freezer (gone fost free now)

I've just remembered pasta from the 70's - you didn't eat it you got it in school, stuck it on card, painted it and took it home.

You can fit a plug socket in a bathroom - but there is only one type and it has a lid that snaps shut with a very strong spring. Personally I think it is a good idea to only have the shaver sockets - you don't really want to mix 240V with steam and your hair would take an age to dry.

My electric shpower is OK, but no where near as good as the power shower we had as kids.

Well, right. I don't assume every single person in the UK is a tea drinker. :) I just meant that historically British people drink much more tea than we do, thus the acoutrements of tea-drinking are more wide spread.

Well as much as I love living in the states their banking is archaic.
For eg

We have to pay for check books here...18$ for 36
We cannot do direct debits without paying for each one.
We cannot do electronic transfers between banks or pay bills by direct debit without paying.
We pay to use othe cash machines.
We have to pay $15 a month just to have a checking account.
HSBC so not a little bank.
Oh and you get like 0.07 interest on your money they make money on.

The washing machines here are often top loader and really wear your c loathes down.
Aside from that and the lack of a Nhs it is rather nice here as the people are mainly so friendly and open and kind.

You can,t easily buy hot chocolate powder or cordial either.
And second hand cars are really expensive.
Thank god the people are so nice now I come to think of it.
Give me a cheerful yank any day.

You called, PitPony ? :o

We have hot chocolate powder in abundance here! What Godforsaken part of the US do you live in! And our bank doesn't do any of those things I don't think...we certainly don't pay for our checking account, etc. And do not pay for direct debits.

We got a dishwasher in the 80's I guess... but my mother was too cheap to use it! She would tell me how much it cost to run it each time we used it. Got used once a week or less!

Pitpony - you can buy Elderflower Cordial here - it's not bright red or orange though, so it might not knock your socks off (with E numbers).

We cannot do electronic transfers between banks or pay bills by direct debit without paying.

So...................... you can't use your phone to pay for things then?

Pitpony, every grocery store I've ever been in here sells hot chocolate powder, No name brand and Swiss Miss or Nestle, even comes with marshmallows already in it Just add hot water from your lovely electric kettle.
You also need to look at a Credit union for banking. Ours does free online bill paying. You can set it as a recurring payment with a set amount, or go thorough and pay each bill separately each month, you chose the date it pays on.
I have never heard of paying by using the phone sashh how does that work? Also there is a charge for any electronic transfers.

Pitpony, you need to change banks! Or even accounts, I have a US HSBC checking account but don't have to pay for it, can use any of their atms for free.

Is it possible they just stock the hot chocolate powder in a different place than in the UK?

I spent my first two years in the UK thinking they didn't have ginger ale, because it's kept with the mixers not the sodas and I could never find it

Paying by phone is what happens when i forget to transfer money to my Bills account, like this month. Bank charges are what happens when DDs get returned oops :(
(Time to ditch the Bills account too confusing)

Pitpony - I could have written the same post about banking. Drives me crazy!
We're also HSBC - no choice as when you move over here with no credit history in the US it is very, very difficult to get bank accounts.
I struggle to find sugar free hot chocolate powder. I ended up getting a friend to bring over some cadburys light.
As for crodial - couldn't find it either (really miss Robinsons No Sugar Added) but I now use the little sachets of powder to flavour water or the Miso (sp??) liquid and they're fine.

Sash.....no I would rather not use my phone to pay for things with a newborn and a toddler and I would rather not have to remember to pay every bill every month thanks....like being stuck in she 80 s here with their banking.
Paying bills in the uk was so much easier......and cheaper.

Dreaming are you in the uk or the us? HSBC make you pay 15 a month here for your account...they introduced it a year ago so if you missed the letter you may have not noticed it but it is standard here to pay for check books, which of course we need to pay rent to save ourselves the 20 odd bucks they want to do a direct debit each month to our landlord.
So we have to physically go into the bank every month to pay rent.....it is do strange they are so behind here.

California.....thanks will check out credit unions.....we are going to change banks after recently paying for a check book. Unbelievable.

Fresh n easy is our local supermarket.....they have one rubbish watery hot chocolate......
Oh I forgot all the big supermarkets have these stupid loyalty card systems so if you do not have the card you have to pay double often for an item.....like if you just pop in to a supermarket.......you can pay a small fortune for a handful of goods. That is why we go to fresh n easy as they do not have this stupid two tier pricing system.

This thread has made me think of the things that are indeed less good here, but the people really are fantastic generally.
At the doctors yesterday my son was crying in pain and I had so many people offering to help with him or the baby. Not one miserable look even though he was disturbing the peace. Not sure that would happen in the uk.
I do recall more misery in the uk amongst its people in most contexts!

I was speaking to my brother about this today and he reminded me of the time our Canadian cousins came over and asked us if you could get tuna from a can in Scotland too.

If we had been funny and intelligent children, we might have said that we fished it, with our bare hands, from a distant loch yonder, but sadly we were rather dull-witted and we just went "yes, obviously".

Sugar free hot choc powder is cocoa powder. You will find in in the baking items aisle in most supermarkets, Nestle, Toll House and Ghirardelli being the major brands, all available in 8 oz containers.

You can boil a mug of milk in the microwave, add a teaspoonful or so of cocoa and sugar to taste, then stir.

You can find cordial or squash in the Polish section of supermarkets, or find an Eastern European or Irish shop if you crave Ribena or other flavours.

Pitpony, you need to change your bank. You can accomplish everything you want for free at many other banks, including large national ones. Some require a minimum balance, direct deposit of a paycheque, or a minimum number of transactions per month in order to avoid a monthly charge but this is usually easily accomplished. HSBC is fleecing you.

And get yourself a loyalty card!! That way you can avail of sale prices. The cards are free and you can attach them to your keyring. All you need to do to get one is provide your name and address, phone number and email address, and you can then set their emails to spam. Why haven't you got one?

"Sugar free hot choc powder is cocoa powder"

I think whoever it was is looking for sugar free hot chocolate powder which you just add water to, nothing like cocoa powder. I know I have sent it over to friends in the US before so don't think it's widely available.

Here's a recipe for sugar free hot chocolate powder using splenda (sucralose), powdered milk and baking cocoa, all available in supermarkets.

Swiss Miss also does a sugar free mix (contains nonfat dry milk, sucralose and cocoa) to which you add boiling water, and you can find fancy organic ones too.

Here you go Pitpony, go to Walmart www.walmart.com/ip/Swiss-Miss-No-Sugar-Added-Hot-Cocoa-Mix-24pk/15686584
Or Target.
www.target.com/p/swiss-miss-sensible-sweets-no-sugar-added-hot-cocoa-mix-packets-8-ct/-/A-13376468

We have sugar free and I've always lived in teeny towns.

Anyway, yes, do check out a credit union! Maybe that's why I'm so baffled, that's what I've always used!

Thanks for the sugar free hot choc suggestions. Yes, it's the powder you simply add boiling water (from a kettle ) that I'm looking for. My local supermarkets don't stock any but I'll have a look in Target or Walmart when I'm next there.
Pitpony - get yourself the loyalty cards, they will save you so much money. Initially I was like you and refused them as I thought they were a bit like Sainsburys or Boots cards i.e. collecting points. I often forget my cards but as long as you have registered a phone number you just give that to the cashier and they're able to find your card details.

Thanks Math- yes I agree HSBC are fleecing us we only just realised when charged for a check book.

we will change banks but friends tell me it is standard here to pay for check books and direct debits.Which bank are you with Math that does not charge you-we are looking at changing to Chase.

As for the loyalty cards- i resent the supermarket using a stategy that forces me to have piece of plastic on me- or on my keyring.I often leave my keys in the car as I am dashing in, juggling kids....why on earth should I have to remember to have some stupid loyalty card for every different supermarket crowding my wallet and thus causing me inconvenience....or having to get the card from my husband as he has it on him- we do have a selection but nearly every ruddy store has them here so you end up with a really packed wallet- so irritating having to find the card before you pick up a few things if you use an unfamiliar store. I HATE IT SO MUCH!

So we generally do not shop at a supermarket that has that stupid system unless we get caught out , like when we are on a day trip or on holiday......it is really irritating.Fresh and Easy do not have a two tier price system which franlkly is confusing anyway, so we do our weekly ship there or trader joes which is amazing.
I just resent places making my life more inconvenient when I am giving them my money- so they don't get my money which is why we will change banks......but it is not as convenient as the uk and of course that is surprisng when we think of the US as being at the frontline of many things.
Still love it here, despite the archaic aspects.

Thanks California- walmart too far to be convenient-yes the target one I know but it is horrible- maybe I should have said- good hot chocolate is not available in all food stores as it is in the UK.
Yes rubbish watery ones are available in some stores- but I appreciate the link!;))The fast food is marvelous and good quality here though and the gas is cheap too, but you cannot beat a UK supermarket like Tesco for being able to get it all in one shop.

I'm with you on missing UK supermarkets. The thing I miss most about then is that you can buy alcohol in UK supermarkets. I get so frustrated at having to go to a liquor store for my wine, it was so much easier when I could add it on to my online shop with Sainsburys.