Different to Home

Ever since my first experience in NY, leaving JFK in a taxi that has a touch screen tv for the passenger seat full of useful information, news and entertainment, I knew this city was going to be nothing like what I was used to.  Sensory overload.  I thought I would keep a record to share with you the little things that are so different here and when all added up make me really feel a million miles from home.

• Taps turn different way
• Keys turn opposite way to open/lock
• light switches are up for on and down for off (seriously!)
• Food portions are huge
• A can of coke is $1, cheaper than water which can be up to $6 in bars/restaurants
• Bagels for sale everywhere including most street corners
• They don't know what a toasted sandwich is.  Toasting something means warming in an oven.
• Tampons are generally applicator only
• The chocolate kind of sucks - my favourite so far is Hersheys Cookies and Crème.  Apparently they have Mars Bars here, but I've not found where...
• Spanish is almost as common as English
• The Ben and Jerry's rocks - I'm still working my way through flavours I'd never heard of.  Really is worthy of own blog, stay tuned!
• Bacon - is only what we call the rind and is best served really really crispy.  By chance we found some 'Canadian Bacon' hidden at the back of a supermarket which is more what we are used to but at $9 for 5 pieces it is a weekend treat.
• Still sorting out the phone numbers - sometimes you put a 1 in front, sometimes you don't, very trial and error.  I asked the locals who couldn''t explain it, they just learn to know when you use a 1.
• Banking - checks are still common way to pay for bills etc
• Cell phones - you get charged to receive texts and calls by the min
• They call it ham, but we really know it as spam

Lastly,  the environment - huh??
I've never considered myself to be a 'greenie' but I guess in Australia we have slowly changed our ways to be subconsciously aware of certain environmental issues.  Water conservation. Recycling. Phasing out supermarket plastic bags.  In Manhattan, an island of 8 million people there is no such consciousness.  A plastic bag (usually twice the size of what you are carrying) is given away for every purchase, even the smallest toiletry, a can of drink or sandwich for lunch.  Clearly no need for water conservation, where we were living in the East Village, the taps had to run for 5 mins before the hot water reached us.  And recycling is few and far between.  At my office in Sydney I was used to recycled paper, double sided printing, and recycling bins at every desk.  The office I'm in now has one recycling bin near the printer that I think I'm the only one who uses it (it is conveniently placed behind my desk) and the amount of one sided printing frightens me - maybe I am a closet greenie!

I am trying my best to embrace these differences, not to complain but it has been really difficult... I guess when I stop noticing these things I will have become a true local - there's clearly a long way to go yet!