Talk to me about quality of life. UK vs USA

[ilovemydogandmrobama]

So, DD is 3 and DS is almost 2. I am American, living in the UK, but am thinking of moving back to California. Both DCs have dual citizenship, so no problem with visas etc.

What are the good points living in the USA? What do British people miss about the UK?

The sound of crickets at night when you are trying to sleep is NOT a good thing!

Nonsense its better than a lullaby

But I did love the glowworms!

Oh and Fireflys on a clear night

On the issue of parochiality, I was gobsmacked to see an advert for a newspaper proudly announcing: "We put West Chester ahead of the world!"

Oh and Fireflys on a clear night

Lightning bugs

Proper BBQ food
Hushpuppies
Catfish

Endless debates about what exactly constitutes proper BBQ flavour and food

BBQs are definitely better in the UK. In the US, the are just burgers and hotdogs.

In the UK, you get chicken, fish, lamb, and veggies.

I loved our 4th July street party and showing everyone up It did end up costing me a lot though.

I'm sorry, but catfish is just vile.

Thats not true you get chicken and pulled pork. What about all those fantastic ribs?

You spoil ribs by putting them on the grill. Much better from a warm oven.

Pulled pork just sounds so primitive.

Honestly, in my neighbourhood, it never went beyond hamburgers and hotdogs. My neighbours hate me for bunging up the shared grills at the pool club with all my marinades.

I think you think I mean something you do in your Garden.

I'm thinking pit BBQ which is something you usually get at a restaurant although in the South where I'm from you do get it in some people's back yard.

I don't care if it is primitive, pulled pork is BBQ at its best

nooka that's insane! I can't believe someone would make those comments. That is true, though, I've (very rarely) heard occasional racist remarks bandied about. My response is always the same- shocked silence, followed by rage the like of which most hath never seen. As explained to my "casually racist" BIL, I. Do. Not. Play. That. Sh*t. At. All. It's 2010 FGS. Who says those things?

Sigh.

But yeah, baseball and BBQ, woo hoo!

I definitely noticed racism.

For example, I asked the black woman who run the church nursery to babysit for me at home. When I mentioned this to my neighbour, she was horrified - how could I trust her (and we were talking about a grandmother, very gentle and known to everyone).

Also, my DS played on a black select soccer team. DS didn't notice but my neighbours did. They kept telling me of openings in other clubs, even though we were perfectly happy with the one we were in.

Not all Americans are racist and the ones who have those opinions are in the ignorant minority

GASP Where did you say you lived again? Wow. I just...wow.

DH and I have talked about this b/c we are going to adopt from the foster care system and we don't live in a very integrated community. (It's not all white certainly, but we are definitely the majority.) We've been discussing how to handle this in the likely event the child we adopt is of a race other than ours. My suggestion of taking a taser to anyone with the nerve to say anything about my child...was not well received. But we've got to start integrating more somewhere, it might as well be in our own home eh?

I think it varies across the different states. When we lived in PA, DH noticed a lot of right wing and racist attitudes. The company I work for was based in Boston then, and the people there all seemed much more liberal in their values - canteen conversations more likely to make you think than cringe.

Now its in San Diego, AFAIK its not too racist but that may be because most of my colleagues there originate from China, the UK or India

Most of the people who lean to the right aren't racist either

We had a lock down for one week because of race relations. I think it was around Easter in 2001. You could not go out after 10pm without a something notarised by the chief of police.

I remember it well as it was spring break week that year.

Actually, googling old news reports, the curfew started at 8pm, so quite invasive.

"Who says those things?"

One day I hope you'll never meet my exMIL and the exILs in general, CheerfulYank. ('Twill make at least two of us ) This was her main bone of contention with the integrated and very progressive municipality where we bought the house -- too many people she disapproved of for various very dubious reasons.

BTW, ribs should always be smoked, never grilled.

Sorry, I didn't want to imply that all Americans were racists at all. What we were surprised at was the casual overtness of it really. I have had people say offensive stuff to me before, but generally not when selling me a service IYSWIM.