1. Firework Supermarkets
What is it with these things? In the south you seem to find them every couple of miles on the interstate, whereas in the UK you can only buy them in the lead up to one day of the year.
2. Discovering new fast food outlets
I’m with the guy who wrote Fast Food Nation (?) I know the stuff is really bad for me, but it tastes so damned good. There’s so many new chains and I confess I do like to visit them – often you have no choice (see above) but I also like to try and eat something new every day in the states, be that a new type of soft drink, cheese or whatever.
3. Politics
I love politics full stop, and American politics and politicians shapes the world. So you can put me in front of 60 minutes, Public Radio, C-Span or anything like that for as long as you like – I’m like a pig in shit.
4. TV news
Just the best way to see how a country views itself and its place in the world. The American networks are no exception. And if you need a laugh because there’s a gap in the cable schedules from wall to wall Simpsons and Friends, you can always watch Fox News – that’s always good for a laugh.
5. Wal Mart
The supermarket chain from which everyone else follows. The hunting and oral hygiene sections always holds a particular fascination for me, as does things like the giant trampolines etc. here’s a chain which does nothing in small measures.
6. Technology
Again, where the US leads the rest of the world often follows – my first real exposure to PPV, TiVO, HDTV and a whole load of other stuff was in the States.
7. The people
Typically friendly, easy to talk to and fascinating to share a conversation with. You may not agree with a thing they say, but they’re always good for a chat.
8. Theme parks
Not for me – no desire to go upside down, regurgitate my lunch, wet myself or generally scare myself so silly that I lose control of bodily functions. Yet every state in the US seems to have about a dozen, and they’re always really busy. Can’t understand why.
9. Pornography
Way more mainstream and acceptable in the US than it is in the UK – the sex film industry makes more money than Hollywood in the US, in the UK we still associate it with the dirty mac brigade and are still getting over the fact that our parents had to have sex in order to produce us.
10. Pay Phones
I use them when I have to and I can never work them out. It usually takes me about 20 mins to make a single call. Now I’m now the most stupid man in the world, so why do I find it so difficult. Thank God for my Tracphone, else otherwise I’d waste a disproportionate amount of time on try to make collect calls.
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