It's been over six years since I left the US and although by now, I've stopped getting pissed off every time it takes me a half a day to do a load of laundry (a full day if you count the drying time) and words like nappy instead of diaper and bin opposed to trash can have entered my everyday vocabulary, there are still things that I just cannot become accustomed to.
For instance, the faucets (taps to the Brits) here are not equipped with 1 small part that would make my life a whole lot less frustrating - American faucets have a piece of mesh where the water comes out which keeps the water flowing in such a way that when you put your hands or a dish under it, it doesn't splash out and make a huge mess. As someone who was raised in a world where you can run the water at a strength higher than a dribble, after six years it still hasn't accrued to me to stop doing it. Don't get me wrong, I don't run the water at full blast, just a normal flow and each and every time I wash my hands or do the dishes, I end up with a very wet shirt. It angers me to no end every time I do it and yet, I cannot learn to just stop doing it.
Another thing that I get annoyed over each and every year when spring finally arrives, is that lack of screens in the windows. It's such a simple concept to keep things out that should get in and keep in what shouldn't get out! The weather has started to get warm. After a long dark winter, enthusiastic about letting some fresh air in, I went from room to room the other day and opened the windows. Later that day, I went to the top floor of our 3 story townhouse and found the cat half way out the window. A fall like that would mean the end of my cat (whether or not he landed on his feet). I froze in horror and screamed his name until he came back in and jumped down from the window. Since then, I have remembered not to open the windows wide enough for the cats to fit out. This is not too much of a problem until the weather gets hot and I am stuck with no air conditioning and windows I can't open without putting both my son and my pets in danger! This begs the question - What do they do about this on this side of the pond? Do they just keep the windows closed and sweat through the summer months or do they throw caution to the wind and just hope their children and pets don't go near the windows?? I wish someone would shed some light on this for me because it's not hot yet and I'm already annoyed just thinking about it!
For instance, the faucets (taps to the Brits) here are not equipped with 1 small part that would make my life a whole lot less frustrating - American faucets have a piece of mesh where the water comes out which keeps the water flowing in such a way that when you put your hands or a dish under it, it doesn't splash out and make a huge mess. As someone who was raised in a world where you can run the water at a strength higher than a dribble, after six years it still hasn't accrued to me to stop doing it. Don't get me wrong, I don't run the water at full blast, just a normal flow and each and every time I wash my hands or do the dishes, I end up with a very wet shirt. It angers me to no end every time I do it and yet, I cannot learn to just stop doing it.
Another thing that I get annoyed over each and every year when spring finally arrives, is that lack of screens in the windows. It's such a simple concept to keep things out that should get in and keep in what shouldn't get out! The weather has started to get warm. After a long dark winter, enthusiastic about letting some fresh air in, I went from room to room the other day and opened the windows. Later that day, I went to the top floor of our 3 story townhouse and found the cat half way out the window. A fall like that would mean the end of my cat (whether or not he landed on his feet). I froze in horror and screamed his name until he came back in and jumped down from the window. Since then, I have remembered not to open the windows wide enough for the cats to fit out. This is not too much of a problem until the weather gets hot and I am stuck with no air conditioning and windows I can't open without putting both my son and my pets in danger! This begs the question - What do they do about this on this side of the pond? Do they just keep the windows closed and sweat through the summer months or do they throw caution to the wind and just hope their children and pets don't go near the windows?? I wish someone would shed some light on this for me because it's not hot yet and I'm already annoyed just thinking about it!
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