We in America love to wear outrageously priced designer clothes, own expensive European cars, and take expensive vacations. For most things, we spend more than we can really afford. But when it comes to prescription drugs, we always want cheap generic brands over the prestigious and more dependable proprietary brands made by the companies whose research scientists originally developed the drugs. I have never seen anybody buying generic cigarettes. People buy "Marlboro" cigarettes. I have never seen anybody buying generic cornflakes. Everybody goes for "Kellog's" cornflakes. So why generic drugs? Isn't health supposed to be your wealth?
I am yet to figure out why many Americans pronounce the country names Iran and Iraq the way they pronounce the words "idea" or "ivory". Shouldn't Iran and Iraq be pronounced the way the Iranians and the Iraqis pronounce the name of their country? Similarly, the Indian state of Punjab is consistently misprounced even by the leading anchormen reading world news on national TV. The word "punch" in Sanskrit means five. Punjab means the land of five rivers (five tributaries of the river Indus flows through the state). So the name of the state should be pronunced in the same way as the English word "punch" is pronounced. "Poonjab" is totally wrong pronunciation.
Why do the Americans write date in a month/day/year format whereas the rest of the world writes it in day/month/year format? The only reason I can think of is to confuse the whole world.
Here are some survival tips for newcomers to America from British Commonwealth countries. What you called a biscuit in your country is known as a cookie here. The biscuit McDonald or Kentuky Fried Chicken serves is actually a type of bread. What you knew in your country as aubergine is called eggplant here. A muffler in America is a silencer of the car. What you wrap around your neck in winter to keep your neck warm is a scarf, not a muffler. What you called a longcloth (a type of cloth) in your country is known as a broadcloth here. To check the level of oil in your car, you open the hood of the car in America, not bonnet. And to carry luggage in your car you open the trunk, not the boot. Oh yes, those rubber things on the wheels of your car are tires in America, not tyres. And to pay bills in America you write checks, not cheques. If you write "colour" in America, people will think you don't know how to spell. It should be "color". I have given you a crash course on American English. So thank me for the "favor" (not "favour"). By the way, the last letter of the English alphabet which your kindergarten teacher taught you as "zed" is "zee" in America for no apparent reason!
The whole world measures distances in kilometers, lengths in meters, weight in kilograms, and temperature in Celcius (centimeter-gram-second system or metric system). Only in America we are still sticking to miles, feet or yards, pounds, and Fahrenheit to measure the same things (foot-pound-second system). Why? Because it is too hard for common people to convert from FPS system to CGS or metric system. Unbelieveable but true.
We in America prefer to say things like two one hundredths parts rather than point zero two(.02), or five ten thousandths parts rather than point zero zero zero five (.0005). We are very strong in fractions, and weak in decimals!
When we smoked in America, most of us smoked two packs (40 cigarettes) a day. All on a sudden now even 4-5 cigarettes a day is a big health hazard and people are getting cancer from passive smoking like smelling cigarette smoke coming from a distance! As a result smoking is now banned in most public places in most towns, even in open areas and barrooms in many towns. Talk about overreaction.
Everybody knows alcohol is an addictive substance and use of alcohol can cause a lot of damage to the liver or to the unborn fetus. More importantly, in the greatest car-crazed country of the world, not a single day passes when one doesn't hear about someone dying in a car crash because of drinking and driving. Alcohol related domestic violence is another thing one hears almost everyday. What has America done so far to prevent these alcohol related problems? Nothing more than introducing slogans like "Drinking and driving do not mix" or "Choose a designated driver". Alcohol kills many more people and damages more properties than cigarettes. But we are not introducing prohibition, or banning alcohol, or changing our lifestyle yet. We still celebrate an occasion by proposing a toast and raising (and drinking) a glass of champagne. No party is a party if alcohol is not served. Wake up America. Ban alcohol for the same reason you have banned cigarettes. You should have banned alcohol long before banning cigarettes!
Approximately half the population in America is either overweight or obese. But we do not attack the problem at the root. We do not teach our children to eat right. From their tender years they are brought up on hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, french fries, cookies, and ice-creams. They are never taught to drink plain water to quench their thirst. To them drink means some kind of soda (loaded with sugar and calories). Then when these children grow up to be fat adults - and when it is almost too late - they will join Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers trying to lose weight. In the meanwhile, their children will keep enjoying the hamburgers, and the french fries, and the ice-creams, and the sodas!! Because that is the American Way.
A large number of people are dying in America because of gun violence everyday. Criminals have (almost) free access to guns here - thanks to the Bill of Rights (Right To Bear Arms). But we shall not change the Bill of Rights. We shall not take away from people the right to have weapons or own a gun. Why? Because "that is what America is all about"!!!
YOU there. Don't call me anti-American or an immigrant. I am as American as you are. And that is why I am exercising my right to freedom of speech. But you know what? Inspite of all these shortcomings and peculiarities, America is still the greatest country in the world. That is why I have chosen to live in this country and I am proud to be an American. Again, don't get me wrong. America may be the greatest country in the world, but by no means it is perfect. There are areas where we can make improvements.