Ten things I appreciate about the USA
Posted by: Lydia in Seattle, USA, tags: North America, USAWe spent last night at a university pub, watching the vice-presidential debate, cheering Biden and yelling at Palin. I realised that I had probably been a little too harsh during my last post. So, in order to be fair and balanced, I present ten aspects of the United States of America that make me happy:
1. Technological innovation. I live in the home of Microsoft and Boeing. This is the country that brought me the internet, Roomba, and my iPhone. I was able to go to the Apple keynote and see Steve Jobs in person bring out the MacBook Air.
2. Online shopping. These days, if I go shopping in a mall, it’s for fun. For all the non-fun purchases, I have safeway.com, spud.com, drugstore.com, etsy.com, ebay.com, and of course my beloved neighbour amazon.com with free super saver shipping.
3. Ice-cream. Ben and Jerry’s is available everywhere, so whenever I need a hit of chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream, a pint is always waiting for me in the freezer section.
4. Natural beauty. On many days of the year, the first thing I see as I step outside is Mt Rainier, towering over the Seattle skyline. The USA has stunning landscapes ranging from sandstone formations to lush forests to immense glaciers.
5. Movies and Television. I must say, I get excited every time I get to watch Gossip Girl and Grey’s Anatomy and Dexter. I loved Bring It On, Clueless, Veronica Mars and of course Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Daily Show over breakfast is a great way to start the day. And there is Disneyland on the west coast, and Disney World on the east coast.
6. The Constitution. The US constitution contains such progressive ideals as the separation of church and state, all individuals (well, men) being equal, the right to a fair trial, freedom of speech, requirement of probable cause before arrest, no cruel or unusual punishment. Of course, the right to bear arms was not such a great idea, and it did take the 19th amendment in 1920 to give women the right to vote.
7. Squirrels and Chipmunks. These creatures are so cute! I get to see a squirrel nearly every day, and they never cease to fascinate me. I love the way that they hold food with two hands, and glide fluidly across the path. Chipmunks come out begging when we hike, and perch up on rocks with their stripes and bright eyes.
8. Philanthropy. When many Americans become billionaires, they pour a lot of that wealth back into the community. From Bill Gates to Warren Buffet to Rockefeller, many of those who have succeeded in America’s capitalist environment have made significant charitable contributions to the world.
9. Halloween. What a fun holiday. Dressing up and eating chocolate. I wish we had this in Australia while I was growing up.
10. NASA. From Teflon to the Moon to Spirit and Opportunity to the Phoenix Lander, NASA has brought us into the space age. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has made space-exploring robots a reality.
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Ooh, Leuven! I’ve yet to go to Leuven but you’ll be pretty close to me in Gent! What takes you there? The university? I was wondering if you’ve commented before or just on that one post of mine, cause I try to contact anyone who lives in the US and is moviing to Belgium, if they comment. Anyway, I totally see both sides of your argument. Sadly enough, a lot of the great things about AMerica are also the things in life that are expendable. I miss America because I miss being comfortable with language, having the rights and ease of being a citizen in a country, having things open all the time and typically very convenient, and most of all I miss my family. Thing is, of that list, all of it can be overcome with time and patience except missing my family. That is the only reason I think we’d consider moving back to the US. Oh, that and Starbucks. I miss Starbucks like a crackwhore misses her pipe.
I find the American obsession with Starbucks very strange. Driving all the way to Brussels Airport for a sip of a low-fat soy carmel latte? I must be one of the few people who lives in Seattle but doesn’t drink coffee. Having spent the past two years in the USA as an alien, away from my family and friends in Australia, I think that I have already overcome that burden.
The language issue, however, will be quite challenging.