Ok, so what do you miss about the UK?

[NYceMummy]

We have been in New York since mid-July (-in the 'burbs since end Aug) and there are loads of things that I miss about the UK but before I make it sound like I hate the US (-which I don't!) I thought I'd see what others miss

my il's and friends.

Fresh cream chocolate eclairs and Cauldron marinated tofu.

Kingfisher, flouride free, mint free herbal toothpaste, believe it or not (although I do get me mum to send it out!)

Pork pies (though as now gluten free it's not something I can do anyway)

24/7 water and electricity. A wide range of foods. Decent kitchen equipment, bed linens, clothes, skin/bath products, magazines, books, shoes, broadband, cheap phone calls. And my other three dc's.

friends, chinese, thai and indian food........
rave, club, party and drugs....

living healthy now

The sense of humour.

My family, good clever newspapers, the BBC, LESS SEXISM, actually - have you seen the American Deal or No Deal? Or the new Shatner programme which is designed to look like a lap dancing club? No cosy old Noel Edmonds and tubby middle aged people giving each other positive vibes. (I don't know why people go on about our page 3 girls. And don't get me started on North American obsessions with vaginal cleaning!) all Marks and Spencer food, freshly squeezed orange juice that is actually freshly squeezed, not pasteurised, milk that is not over-pasteurised, proximity to Europe, fruit that isn't supersized and supersmoothed with genetic modification, good coffee in cafés, proper Maltesers, and with Christmas coming, mince pies!

And my family again. It breaks my heart every day, and it breaks my heart that it breaks their hearts every day. I wish my husband could get a job back in England, but his work is so specialised. If I have to spend another year in North America, I may actually die of sadness.

Oh, this could be a long list...

• English people - manners, accents & general 'Englishness'
• Sense of humour & sarcasm
• proper crosswords
• Decent tea
• Proper Cadbury's chocolate (not this fake Hershey's stuff)
• Clever headlines & newspaper articles
• The BBC
• Public transport
• More mixed communities (it seems very segregated here)
• Tescos, Sainsbury's
• A High street
• Metric measurements
• Fish & Chips, branston pickle
• Mince pies, christmas crackers, xmas pud
• A political system that I understand
• The NHS
• Sensible sized cars
• Good Roads
• Having a washing machine in my own home (I HATE running down 3 flights of stairs to the basement every time DS is sick!)

and of course:

• Family
• Friends

Suedonym, where are you?

Well um not much. Sorry everyone. Sadly the biggest thing is:-

Maltesers
And every so often my Mum.

But apart from that I love it here in Colorado. I've a little British shop for essentials, including mincemeat, haggis, real chocolate ( not maltesers yet), jams and teas. And the rest well guess we're just becoming American. Even made the Key Lime Pie for tomorrow. And for anyone still up and reading Happy Turkey Day for tomorrow

M&S
Online shopping
Galaxy chocolate

That's about it really. The longer I'm here the shorter my list gets really.

Friends of course. I've been here a year and I'm still sitting out in my back garden, in the heat, sipping wine, streaming the capital breakfast show on my 'lappo' thinking 'oh my god this is paradise'. I'll be even happier when my stuff arrives [shallow emoticon].

Mamama - I thought you were in Oz. Are you in the States?

Yes, arfishymeau, I'm in the US (Chicago). I'm the opposite of you - the longer I'm here the longer my list gets!

M&S food
Sainsburys
Tescos(we have but are CRAP)
Sunday newspapers on Sunday instead of Monday and with all the "bits" in
Sausages
Bacon
Fish and chips
Being able to read labels in supermarket
Magazines at "normal" prices instead of 3 times the price - but I still buy!

Family

BudaBeast

please do not steal the contents of my small brain again'

That is PRECISELY what I would have written

Can we have a moment to sing the praises of the British Sausage. God how I miss it.

I may add London to that list as well.

apart from the labels in supermarkets
but I do find them aesthetically inferior, so that is partly the same thing

lol suzywong - sorry!!!

We have a British guy here who makes English sausages but I am not keen on them. It is actually Irish sausages I miss!

Irish sausages - is the meat finer and less coarse in an Irish Sausage?

It's the casings over here that affront me, the sausages remain rigid, there's not crinkling on the skin once they go cold.

Hey ho, 31 degrees today so mustn't really grumble.

Yes - think the meat is finer - also find Irish sausages much tastier - different herbs I suppose. There is a shop here which stocks lots of things we couldn't get before (salt & vinegar crisps!) and he is trying to import Irish sausages but hasn't sorted out the transport yet.

31 sounds nice - raining here in Budapest but at least not snowing.

Actually this time 8 years ago I was in Perth - remember because sis was due first baby - he will be 8 next week. Great holiday. Went to Margaret River etc. Drove all the way down to the coast - Albany?

for me, my in laws, tea, decent shopping (m & S) and general chit chat. Just small talk with the cashier, that sort of thing. Oh, and an apology when a shop for example have f*ed up. The 'sorry for any inconvenience' just does not exist here.

That said, I love it here and would be truly devastated, esp on behalf of my kids if we ever had to leave

Ah mymama, that's a shame. Cos we can get Branston here, that's all. Am happy to send you some as a fellow expat. I feel your pain - I recently found a treasure trove of PG pyramid bags in a little local shop. I wept (well, mainly during and after paying for them) but was pathetically grateful to have them.