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I've had to burst many a "bubble" since coming to the States. On the other side of the coin, I have found many things about the States were not as it seemed on my TV at home ... shock, horror, do movies not portray real life?? I've decided to address some of them here and as my "pregnancy brain" disappears I'll add more as I remember them ...
Since I've been in the States (just over a year when adding this page) I have come to the conclusion that Hollywood lies and I'm terribly disappointed! Whatever happened to that famous saying "Truth, justice and the American way"?? lol So to set the record straight, here's what I have discovered since my arrival ...
Despite what we see in the movies, Americans do not as a rule sit in traffic with their hands on the horn. I can testify to this myself for Virginia, where I can't even convince hubby to let me toot it once ... horrible man! ;D Having said that, I received an email from Tom of the New York area who tells me the horn is used in New York as an expression of various emotions you wish to "share" with other drivers. Apparently there is the "thank you" honk, the "sorry" honk, the "please move" honk and if you hit the horn longer it means "get the heck out of my way now!". Okay, he didn't say "heck", but you get the idea! lol There are apparently other meanings and no doubt variations, so if the movies are showing New York they're right on target according to Tom, who I am very grateful to for enlightening me!! :D If horn honking is a "tradition" in your state, and let me know! :)
According to Mary (currently from PA, thanks Mary! :D) Tom was telling the truth, if he's from "The City". It seems double and triple parking are more popular in Albany than horns are. Mary told me I should try knocking on doors at 6am with three feet of snow on the ground, the temperature 10 degrees, running late for work, trying to find whoever is responsible for pinning me in ... no thanks! lol Albany drivers also love to wave at you but apparently with a limited number of fingers. Regarding Massachuetts, Mary says that nobody drives like Bostonians and particularly noted Boston cab drivers. She asked me "Ever heard of a "rotary"? Ever try entering one when all of the traffic is doing seventy! There was a question on the 20 question written drivers test required of ALL drivers moving into the state "When entering a rotary, who has the right of way"?" According to Mary, anyone who can get there first! lol Her final comment was "Got a death wish?? Go drive in Boston!!!!". No thanks Mary, I think I'll stick to Stuttgart, Germany, where European drivers drive in excess of 120kmph until we head back to the "hectic" life of the Washington DC area, but thanks heaps for the advice AND the laugh! lol
Regardless of how long you sit at a railway crossing, chances are you will not see hobos on a freight train as it rolls on by. I'm told they hide from the authorities now so I watched many a train for nothing ... grrrrrr!!
With respect to Virginia and Georgia, I can honestly say you are more likely to see lovely tree lined highways than you are skyscrapers when driving into "town". This I found very appealing, nicer than Australia believe it or not!
Despite what you see in the movies, everyone over here does not carry a weapon and will not mug you on sight! I've been greeted by many a nice stranger while walking the streets and have never been accosted. And yes, I've walked at night on my own and survived to tell the tale! Please do not try this yourself at home, I'm an idiot! ;D
Some of my best friends are African American (or Black American as a lot prefer to be called) Hispanics and Asians so I hope this statement doesn't offend anyone!! There are minority groups here but not as we Australians know minorities. You can find people of every race and creed everywhere here and I'm actually considered a "token white" in our area! ;) This was actually quite novel to me when I first arrived because Hollywood had "taught" me races other than caucasian lived in ghettos and were criminals! But I'm here to tell you they too work hard for a living and have made it to the "better" areas like the rest of the world! ;) And believe it or not, there's actually whites living in ghettos too ... ooooh, that's a shocker to all the racists, isn't it?!?! ;D But seriously, I have as I said a lot of friends of different races and a Native American family (having married one). Race has never bothered me and I treat them equally, as they justly deserve! In all honesty, I haven't yet met anyone I didn't like and that was an interesting discovery, especially after seeing so many "standoffish, overbearing Yanks" in the movies! ;D
Overall since moving to the States, I have been made to feel very welcome by all of hubby's family and friends, my internet friends and the people I have worked with during my time as a waitress. Yes, it occasionally becomes tiresome being the odd one out because I'm Australian, but I am feeling more and more at home in my new country thanks to their hospitality! :D I also could not have married into a nicer family, one which has welcomed me with open arms and embraced me as one of their own despite the color of my skin. Now I guess I add a bit of history to the Native Americans, because so far I haven't heard of another Australian/Native American marriage! ;)
Through all of these little discoveries, I have only found one very large "difference" which really irked me when I first arrived. Back in Oz I was just "one of the guys", but since I left Australian shores I've discovered ...
Since Paul Hogan and "Crocodile Dundee" both became Aussie icons overseas, many people have come under misconceptions about Aussie life. We are seen as carefree, happy-go-lucky barbecuers who enjoy a year round summer. We all gather around the barbie with the cook attired in a snazzy apron wielding tongs and turning shrimp and steak while kangaroo hop around our backyard. As much as I wish this were true, it's all media hype so I am here to set the record straight, sorry! ;D
Regardless of what the media have portrayed about we Aussies, we don't as a rule greet people with "Gidday Mate"! You're more likely to hear a "Hi Norm, how's life treating you?". We don't all have a true "Aussie" accent as portrayed in the movies either, some of us were educated and speak "properly"! ;) Despite being educated, however, 99.9% of us still pronounce the "er" at the end of a word as an "a" ... 'bugger' becomes 'bugga', 'another' becomes 'anotha' etc. etc. But I digress! lol Here are some general misconceptions about Aussie life ...
We have "year round" summers and endless barbecues:
It's quite amusing to hear what people from overseas think about your own country. I've been asked if Kangaroos hop down the streets and what a Koala is really like to cuddle! I'm one of the fortunate ones. I owned a property in central Victoria for about 5 years ... Kangaroos hopped around the paddocks, Koalas growled in the gums at night, Kookaburra sat on fence posts, Rosellas ate seed on our verandah and Emu strutted around our "backyard". Mind you, I farmed Emu, you don't usually see them outside your window! ;) I've also been lucky enough to cuddle a Koala at a zoo in Brisbane and believe me, their claws HURT! Ouch! But however much this sounds like returning to nature, it is not the norm in the suburbs! ;) Please take note that I did not say Koala Bear ... they are NOT bears!!!!
Australia IS a lucky country and I love it! I left my country for far off lands to find a better life, and I found it! But like Peter Allen (may he rest in peace) ...
"I Still Call Australia Home"! :D