"USA SURPRISES" United States of America Travelogue by dutch_anna

In Holland you say "goede morgen" (good morning) till noon, "goede middag" (good afternoon) from noon till 6.00 PM (we say 18.00, BTW) and "goedenavond" (good evening) after 6.00 PM. In the USA I first could not understand, what they said to me, when I came in a shop, or at a gas station. It was :"Hi, how is yo?r day today?", with a smile and always it gave me the idea, that I had to answer, how my day was since I woke up that morning. I now think, that "fine, thanks" is ok. A nice woman in a shop said to my sister and me "Hey, gals, having a good time?" I like this so much more than our "goedenmorgen".
Not only in the States they have this nice way to talk to you. In the UK they said "love" to me, and for hearing again that "can I help you, love?" I would like to buy a ticket for Britain tomorrow. Once I asked an old man to show me the way in an English village and he called me "lassie".
Back to the USA.

I love them. Maybe American children don't like them, because they have to do with school and who likes to go to school. But in a yellow bus....it must be different.

The first time I saw a sign along the road of "Adopt-a-Highway" I thought, that people as sponsors paid for the cleaning of a part of the road. But they do it themselves! With the collegues of the office, of the fire brigade, the elementaryschool. Organisations like the Lions, but also the friends and family of some beloved one, in his memory. They get orange jackets and plastic bags from the Adopt-a-Highway organisation and remove litter along the road for two months or more.
It started in 1985 in Texas, but the organisation works now in almost every State and also in Canada. And the roads are clean (mostly). What a wonderful idea, people coming together on a morning to clean the road, or better the part just along it. Here in my village volunteers clean the heaths in the surroundings every year. But a highway! The Adopt-a-Highway volunteers sometimes find things like a dead cat, a sixpack beer, money, or a human leg...
The fines for littering are so very high that you have to think twice before you should throw your leg out of the window of your car!

In my California pages I already sang praises of the American trucks. Their often beautiful colors, the rectangular hood. Shiny polished by their proud owner. In Europe for me a truck is just a truck but wow, I love these!

Even the birds are different from their European brothers/sisters. Yes, there is the House Sparrow, like in my own garden, but once you have seen a Hummingbird drinking while he was flying, the blue colours of the Mountain Bluebird, the yellow of the Yellow Warbler, the crest of the Steller's Jay and so many other birds in all sorts of colour you know you are 10000km from home. And their songs!
To recognize them, or at least trying to do that I bought a nice, small book. Easy to take with you in your handbag. Always hoping that the bird will stay a while when you are looking in the book!

money money money

A postcard of 25 cents costs about 26 cents. Tax is always added and not included like in Holland. We pay taxes and then try to forget it. In the USA they like to tell you constantly: Look, this is tax, you pay this and we do nice things for you with it. As a tourist you always forget about this little extra on the bill. Hotels, restaurants and shops, it is a bit more expensive than you think. Every State has his own % of tax.
And suddenly I had lots of cents in my purse! In the Netherlands we did away with the cent, as it was not much worth anymore. The coin disappeared, but when you bought something it was still on the receipt. The prices were rounded up or down, but when you payed with a creditcard or other "plastic money" you payed the exact amount. In the USA I found the "cent" again. And then, in 2002, we had our "cent" back: the Eurocent!

Very important for tourists: Restrooms (toilets) are everywhere, at least in the shopping malls and not only in the big ones. And they are free. It is really a shame, that in my country you have to pay for visiting them. In other European countries too, but not always.
In the USA I saw even clean and comfortable restrooms in supermarkets. In Holland never, maybe they think that that is not hygienic. But I think that it is a nice gesture to the customer, especially in those super cold supermarkets in the USA.

Friends of friends invited us on a Halloween party for children and adults. It was great fun. We had already seen the pumpkin fields, where pumpkins were sold. And by the end of October the lighted orange pumpkins on the doorsteps. Maybe some people will say this all is commercialized too, like Valentine's Day, but we, from a non-Halloween country (not yet) thought that it was fun, especially because it was something for both adults and children.
To see a toddler dressed up as a mummy, his mother as a very charming sorceress and eating snacks named Spiderscookies or Witches Fingers!

Every Dutchman is supposed to know the law. Nobody knows it exactly, of course, maybe some lawyers and judges. We only know the article #461 of the penal code, that is about trespassing, because you can see signs with article 461 everywhere where people don't want you on their property.
But in the USA I saw many signs referring to the Law. Don't feed the wild animals, its against the law. Keep off the grass, its against the law. No littering along the highway, its against the law. And of course trespassing is and parking on the wrong place. Well, its after all the same as in Holland, but in the States are more signs to remember you that there is that Law.

You can buy newspapers in the streets, from their boxes. Put 50c in and open the box. And take one newspaper from the pile. I wonder, if in my country people would take only one:( Not used to it, and eh...well, lets call it..frugal...You could be tempted to take more than one.

A row of mailboxes and nowhere a house. Well, behind those bushes and trees, of course. I like the artistic way many Americans paint their mailbox. I saw some painted as a house, some as a cow, others just with beautiful Picasso colours. On the Net is a ( there are more, I assume) site with pictures of very special mailboxes. I'll look for you if I can find it again.
Got it! Click here for Sam's Mailbox Picture Collection

There is aready so much said about food in the USA, the fast food, the big portions, the enormous variety of food and "cuisine", from Mexican to Cajun, from pretzels to home baked blackberry pie. The obsession for fat, or non-fat ( I saw in a shop a big sign at a display of acid drops, saying NO FAT) , the Nutrition Facts on every jar in the supermarket, but seldom an expiration date.
In restaurants I had great fish and meat, but the french fries I prefer from my own kitchen.
The ice cream, well, I think I had a bad day when I ordered that for a dessert:( I am sure they have great icecream somewhere. Now I am nagging, I know, but we promised to be honest to each other, you can say, that you don't like Dutch green pies soup or hutspot.
What about the yoghurt? They put starch in it and it tastes like that. The best yoghurt I know is the French, zero fat and a fresh, creamy taste. So let the USA import that or worm the secret out of the French.
I'll say nothing about the coffee, after all I was a guest here.
And now the good, tasty, wonderful things!
The Californian wine is as good as the French, sometimes better!
The salads, oh those American salads: great! I'm a salad eater and very critical, but wow.
The home made cakes and pies!
The honey mustard! Haven't seen it in Holland yet, someone brought it later as a gift for me from Paris. I like it, especially on ham.
Good beer everywhere!
After all we had a great time, being at American tables, talking, eating, drinking, laughing.

Picture from website: www.gslis.utexas.edu/~ce/

What I like very much is the great sense of education here. Every National Park, or other public place of interest gives detailed explanations for children. In the visitor centers many books and other stuff for children, most wonderfully illustrated and for every age. And at children's height!
Bookshops are always a delight for me, in Europe too, but those in the States are a real land of plenty.

Long ago we in Europe saw on the covers of the famous Saturday Evening Post pictures of the real life in the USA. During decades Norman Rockwell's paintings represented that everyday life. Maybe sometimes a bit sentimental, but often with humor. As a result of a speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, during WW2, Rockwell made some very known paintings, like "Freedom from Want". A family gathered on Thanksgiving Day.

Norman Rockwell.
"Breaking Home ties".

My love for this country is based on the experiences of only three holidays, of knowledge from books and many movies. Not so solid, I know that.
It was being on the right place on the right time, meeting nice people, having great conversations (far beyond Hows your day), eating all sorts of meals. In the Western States, where I was, people were helpful and hospitable.
And the marvelous sceneries, the mountains, the deserts, the villages. The space that we don't have in the Netherlands any more.
There are many things in American politics that I don't like. But this is not the place to discuss that. In the USA, I could talk with Americans about everything, also about politics.
Writing these pages intensifies my longing to go again. To sit in a plane for 12 hours and go through the not so hospitable meeting with the rather unkind customs officers. Its against the law to bring cheese or apples with you from abroad, but why should I? You can buy them.

Bryce N.P.

The states I visited were:

ARIZONA
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
IDAHO
MONTANA
NEVADA
UTAH
WYOMING
and on those pages you can read about my travels.