Habits of Americans That Make Me Sick

I came across a list of comments foreigners had to say about American habits. It reminded me of why I dislike living in America sometimes.

1) Americans eat a LOT of food. We have HUGE portion sizes. From IHOP to Claim Jumper, we have portions that are so large that most people have to take some home every time. Problem is, people think that they actually need to eat that much food, so they do. “Soup or salad” options are bullshit. If you have soup, you have soup. If you have a reasonably sized steak with one side, that should be enough food!

2) There is sugar in everything. Everything. Bread, oh my God, bread. There is so much sugar in American bread, that people will just sit and eat a basket rolls at restaurants. Sometimes, people ask for more. Other times, the waiter is really pushy about it. I made my own bread this weekend, and when I first bit into it, I thought I had made a mistake. The bread was lacking something. When I thought about it, though, my “white-ish” bread tasted more like gourmet bread, because it didn’t have a lot of sugar in it!

3) Pop. Why the fuck do people order large sodas at fast food places? There are free refills, and your soda does NOT need to be an “on the road” beverage. Take water in your car, order a small soda, and drink soda while you are IN the restaurant. Leave it behind when you leave. Also, when the server brings you a soda when you still have a half of a glass left, IGNORE IT. It’s a trap. One that will taste amazing, and leave you feeling bad for hours afterwards.

4) “Low prices”. Companies are so determined to make their food look “cheaper” there are no (zero) tax labels on shelves. In pretty much every other country in the world, taxes are included in the shelf price. That way people know what they are paying. Prices on food in restaurants also include tips in those countries. You don’t have to think about how to split your food and/or tip. It’s just there. You know how much you are going to pay. End of story.

5)  Vegetables. Jenny is always giving me crap about not eating vegetables. Part of why I have a hard time eating them is that American produce is disgusting. The “carrots” we buy for the Boy are just water soaked fiber, with little nutritional value. Tomatoes in the stores taste like acid, not like fruit. Guess “what?” Real tomatoes taste like fruit, and you can eat them whole, a bit like apples. And salad? I could kill for good salad. American salads are gross. Do you know why? People feel like they have to eat them all the time to be healthy, so companies produce super cheap produce to keep costs down.

6) Bathroom privacy. We are stuck somewhere between Asia and Europe. In Asia, there is no shame in the bathroom. There are no doors on the stalls, and sometimes, there aren’t even stalls. It’s awesome, but a little uncomfortable for Americans. In Europe, you can’t see into a stall. Stalls have privacy. They even have little red labels to tell you the stall is occupied if the door is locked.

7) Cheese. In other countries, cheese is something you have by itself. It doesn’t go on everything. Granted, in Italy, you are likely to find rich, cheese-filled foods. But it’s not in everything, and most of the time you don’t put it in your SOUP!

8) Last thing: Food coloring. Meat has chemicals in it to make it “the right color”. Fresh meat looks “bloody” even though butchered meat doesn’t have blood in it anymore. Soda, soup, drinks, and pretty much anything that comes pre-packaged has so much food coloring in it that you can TASTE the fake colors, and the preservatives that make those colors last.

Comments? Questions? Emotional outbursts? Let me know what you think!