You're back from Europe. You had a great time. You noticed that the Europeans do something much better than we do it in the U.S. What is it?
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Twoflower, driving standards and road courtesy better in Europe? Oh, I wish!!! I can't even begin to count the number of times we've been cut off by drivers not looking where they're going, or how many times I've nearly been run down by Euro drivers who refuse to acknowledge pedestrian rights of way. Really, European drivers aren't any better or worse than Americans, just different.
Yesterday I was thinking about this thread (and its corollary) and found that I no longer think in terms of better or worse, because in the end, the overall quality of life can be just as good in either the U.S. or Europe, depending on how you look at it. However, I'm beginning to think that expats like myself have been in Europe too long if:
1. CNN's Richard Quest strikes you as informative and even funny, instead of annoying and grating beyond belief
2. You need more than three hours to wash and dry a single load of laundry and it doesn't bother you
3. Homes with built in closets and attached garages are nice, but hardly necessary. Homes with walk-in closets and two car garages are nearly unheard of luxuries.
4. When visiting the U.S., you get nervous and antsy if the shopping isn't done by 6 pm, when all the stores close back home in Europe.
5. You make purchases very carefully because returning stuff in Europe is not easy and often a nightmare.
6. Your pharmacist is a trusted skin and hair care adviser.
7. It's hard to think of anyplace that you can't get to by mass transit (except in the UK).
8. It's perfectly normal to have a 3 course lunch with wine (and pay less than $15 for it).
Yesterday I was thinking about this thread (and its corollary) and found that I no longer think in terms of better or worse, because in the end, the overall quality of life can be just as good in either the U.S. or Europe, depending on how you look at it. However, I'm beginning to think that expats like myself have been in Europe too long if:
1. CNN's Richard Quest strikes you as informative and even funny, instead of annoying and grating beyond belief
2. You need more than three hours to wash and dry a single load of laundry and it doesn't bother you
3. Homes with built in closets and attached garages are nice, but hardly necessary. Homes with walk-in closets and two car garages are nearly unheard of luxuries.
4. When visiting the U.S., you get nervous and antsy if the shopping isn't done by 6 pm, when all the stores close back home in Europe.
5. You make purchases very carefully because returning stuff in Europe is not easy and often a nightmare.
6. Your pharmacist is a trusted skin and hair care adviser.
7. It's hard to think of anyplace that you can't get to by mass transit (except in the UK).
8. It's perfectly normal to have a 3 course lunch with wine (and pay less than $15 for it).
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9. Showers that don't have a hand-held attachment seem weirdly unsanitary
10. You think Americans pay ridiculously low taxes
11. You stop longing for window screens and get used to a few bugs buzzing around the apartment
12. You don't think of a Toyota Corolla as a "small" car. SUVs look like behemoths, not normal family transportation.
13. Over Saturday morning coffee, your husband idly asks, "should we go to Germany or France for lunch?"
10. You think Americans pay ridiculously low taxes
11. You stop longing for window screens and get used to a few bugs buzzing around the apartment
12. You don't think of a Toyota Corolla as a "small" car. SUVs look like behemoths, not normal family transportation.
13. Over Saturday morning coffee, your husband idly asks, "should we go to Germany or France for lunch?"
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phillyboy
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Jul 11th, 2011 04:34 PM