We all are passionate about something or else, but when it comes to Americans; there are some things that look weird from an outsider’s perspective.
In this post, I have tried to note down a few of these things that I find weird but interesting about Americans.
Fact #1 Medicine and Law advertisements
I don’t remember if I had ever seen any advertisement for a Law firm before coming to America. Here, every other advertisement is either from a Law firm telling you to choose them in case of any accident or social disability; or it could be a Medicine ad, where they will tell you all the bad things that a particular medicine can do, explaining for about whole 10 minutes, with some elderly person laughing or swimming, in the background.
So, if you have a skin rash, take this ABC medicine which has these 10 serious side effects, and an x% failure rate but still you should go to your doctor and tell him to prescribe it for you.
Seriously, what are doctors for, if you are going to do all the work?
But, a big thanks to all these ads, now I know all the medicines I have to take, if I will get Arthritis, or a Heart attack, or a severe skin rash; or which lawyer I have to choose if I want some disability benefits, or want to sue my neighbor
Fact #2 Cheese and Pickle
What is their fixation about pickles, I could never understand?
If you are eating outside and have ordered something, there is a big chance that you will get pickles as a side.
Every grocery store is stuffed with pickles, every recipe will have pickles as serving side dish suggestion; pickles, pickles everywhere.
Oh, I totally forgot about cheese.
This one too is used excessively, with every dish having cheese in it. That too, they have many types of cheese just to get you confused.
Go to a Subway and they will give you an option to select out of 10 cheese varieties, literally. How hard it is to eat outside?
Fact #3 Being Civilized
This whole civilized thing is actually really good but sometimes it does look boring. I am not saying that Americans are boring but they look too civilized to lose control, ever.
Traffic discipline is just one of many things that they follow religiously, but they also have lots of patience.
So much so, that even their kids can spend hours just sitting, on one chair coloring in their picture books. By that time, other kids could have colored all the walls and broken all the toys.
Americans also love to stand in lines. Long lines. They always prefer to stand in a queue and wait their time, while shopping, or at a doctor’s clinic; or at a grocery store; actually everywhere.
When they are in a queue they will keep a distance of almost two hands with each other.
It’s not that I am complaining, but this is a very high standard for me to match up to.
Who has all this time and patience?
Fact #4 Weekend Outing
As far as I know, America has the least number of public holidays.
So, one may think that they are all work and no play. But, wait for it…. come the weekend, you will not see a single soul in their home.
Where do they all go?
Weekdays are like, by 8 am every car is gone from the parking, and back exactly at 6 of the evening.
All of them go to work on time and come back on time. Eat their dinner by 6 and sleep by 8.
But, come Friday evening, they will be leaving with their backpacks, some with kayaks, or bikes; and they will be gone for the whole weekend.
If they stay at home, either they will visit or invite friends over.
Every weekend an outing? When do they take a rest?
Fact #5 Crime and Supernatural Fixation
Earlier, I told you about their commercials, which are focused solely on medicines and law firms. However, when it comes to their shows, you’ll see a complete turnaround from reality.
Most of their shows are either crime-based or delve into the supernatural and the ghostly, featuring themes like vampires or witches
I bet you if you open local TV just now, you will see an episode of Law & Order coming on one of the channels. How to Get Away with Murder?, Breaking Bad, Gotham, Orange is the New Black, Criminal Minds, Bones, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, and Being Human are just to name a few.
Do share if you have some more points to add to this list. I would love to hear from you. Till then, enjoy the world around you
