A Few Facts About Life in the U.S.

The internet is a weird and wonderful place and occasionally I find myself irrationally irritated by opinions I encounter while scrolling through. Ridiculous, I know. My current source of irritation is the long list of ill-informed opinions about what life is like for the average American. Now, I am not here to address any of the big politically driven issues that are in the news these days. I am here to discuss such things as electric kettles and cheese.

The New York Times recently published an article reviewing electric kettles and the internet took that to mean that Americans had never heard of them before. (The New York Times also reviewed cake pans but so far no one has decided we don’t know what they are.) Then the internet ran with that and decided no one in America is capable of making a proper cup of tea. Specifically, there seems to be a belief that we all just microwave the water. No, just no. I mean, I am sure there are people who do that, there are people who do all kinds of horrid things, but I don’t know any. Stovetop kettles are very common and electric kettles are relatively common. Apparently, the different electrical system means our electric kettles don’t boil as quickly as they do in other countries but they are still fast. Mine boils in just a couple of minutes. And, yes, you can buy good tea here. You can also buy horrible tea here and if you order tea in a restaurant it is unlikely to be very good though that seems to be slowly improving. We also drink a lot of iced tea. Some drink it sweetened (I hate that) some don’t. Iced tea is delicious though.

I once got in a discussion online with someone who tried to convince me that the United States does not have any good cheese. They said all we eat is American cheese and spray cheese. I insisted they were wrong; they insisted I didn’t know what I was talking about. So, to clear this up; spray cheese does exist. I have never eaten it and know no one who keeps it in their house. American cheese is very good on a grilled burger. Wisconsin and Vermont are known for their cheesemaking and make very good artisan cheeses as well as basic cheddars. Grocery stores sell a wide variety of cheeses from all over the world. Good cheese is readily available as is bad cheese.

I do believe there are issues with the food sold in the U.S. I am in no way saying that isn’t true. There are too many chemicals, too much sugar, and too many preservatives in much of it. But to then decide that no one living here has ever eaten good bread, cheese, sausage, or whatever is simply ridiculous.

Next, Americans are not all lazy because we drive everywhere. We drive everywhere because most of us do not live in walkable cities. Yes, that is truly unfortunate and a result of inferior urban planning and a lack of public transportation. But I can’t change that and neither can anyone else I know. So, we get in our cars and drive. I currently live in a location where I can walk to work, the grocery store, and various other necessary spots but this is the first time in my life that it has been possible to do that. Where I lived before it would have taken me over two hours to walk to the nearest Target and that would have meant walking down a busy road with no sidewalks. It would have been much, much further to a mall, doctors, etc.

No, Americans are not stupid and annoying because they use the English language differently. It is a different country. The language has evolved differently here. No language is static and the English we use two hundred years from now will be very different. Enjoy the differences. They aren’t hurting you.

Yes, we use cups to measure when we bake. Many of us also use scales sometimes. No, that is not just any cup you pull out of your cabinet. They are a specific baking set you buy. Yes, scales are more accurate. No, all your baked goods are not going to fail if you use cups. Many of my favorite baked goods recipes are in cup measurements and they are delicious. On a related note, our butter is sold in half-cup sticks with tablespoon measurements on the wrapper. Yes, I realize that is irritating if you are trying to use an American recipe you found online.

Yes, it is true that many Americans have never left the country. No, that is not always from lack of interest. Sometimes it is a lack of money and time. It can cost a lot to fly out of the country and many, many people do not live close enough to Canada or Mexico to easily drive there. Also, Americans get much less vacation time compared to other countries which makes it harder to have the time to travel outside the country. I process passport applications as part of my job and we have been regularly booked for appointments. There are obviously a lot of people getting passports. Unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to do that.

No, we do not all wear our shoes in the house. Most people I know take them off at the door but do not absolutely require that of their guests. Don’t base your view of everyday American life on what you see in the movies.

And finally, yes, I am feeling a little cantankerous this morning. Why do you ask?