Why can't the Americans

[automatic_jon]

America is a fascinating country. They showed so much promise 50 years ago but seem to have squandered it since then.

The American dream, that anyone can rise to the top regardless of class or social status is admirable. When the boss drives past American workers they look at him and say "if I work hard one day I'll be like him", when he drives past British workers they look at him and say "Lucky bugger, I bet he was born in to money and privilege". And I love the ideas that freedom of speech and such like is enshrined in law but I'm not sure they really mean it any longer.


When I went to LA a few years ago for work I expected it to be just like London (where I was living at the time) but with a funny accent, having seen American programmes on television all my life. But it really wasn't, everyone was so eager to please and seemed to be acting like someone was about to check up on them all the time.
I parked my hire car on the ultra-quiet suburban road outside the house in which I was staying, facing the wrong way on the street so I could just jump in it and go when I'd got changed. Something which is illegal in the UK but I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for it. In the time it took me to wriggle into some leather trousers everyone in the house had gathered at the front window and was looking worried, they told me that although they had never seen a policeman down their road before I shouldn't park on the street like that, just in case. To use that as an isolated example.
I know the UK is a surveillance society, more so now that it was then, but people in the states seemed to me to be genuinely scared of being caught doing something they shouldn't. Like a child is.

I met some great people out there, some of whom I wish I'd kept in touch but over all it was a very strange experience.

 

[Arch]

To be fair, I've been driven over the Hardknott and Wrynose, and had to grip the interior door handle quite hard...

We had American students on our department's fieldschool, and some of them were intelligent and some were dim - just like the British students I suppose.

I think when they do have limited experience of the outside world, maybe it stands out more (perhaps because we expect it, so it fulfills our stereotype).

The thing I found odd was when we took them over to Ireland for two weeks, from Fishguard. None of them had ever been on a ferry. Most of us have I suppose, because for a long time it was the only cheap way to get abroad - I suppose in the States there isn't much call for car ferries like we have - you drive short distances, or fly.

Some of them were asking how we got on on the minibus, so I told them about the front opening up. They said 'but what happens at sea?" I told them that they do shut the door before we sail.

Well, usually....

 

[buggi]

did you see that Louis Theroux programme about the families being on medication... including the kids and DOG!!! apparently the dog was anxious too!