For those of you who have not visited the USA it is quite likely you have not sampled or even heard of the Twinkie! A Twinkie in simple terms is a “Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling” Yum Yum! The Twinkie looks innocent, almost enticing beneath its plastic silky sheen. However, strip back that veneer of gentillesse and you are confronted with a treat that is soft and sinister and guaranteed to destroy any diet pattern.
One of America’s best known and most loved snack cakes, Twinkies have been tantalizing taste buds and filling lunch boxes since 1930. Twinkies are the stuff of legends - President Clinton put one in a time capsule - and have achieved the status of cultural icon, with the American Society of Media Photographers recently mounting a photo exhibition featuring Twinkies. But to most people, they’re just fun to eat.
Whether we’re carrying a supply in the glove compartment for a quick on-the-road snack, freezing them, deep frying them, or eating them right out of the package, millions of Twinkie lovers would agree with creator Jimmy Dewar’s statement that “Twinkies was the best darn-tootin’ idea I ever had.”
Many of the 500 million Twinkies sold every year spark wonderful creative impulses, as moms, dads, school teachers and kids take to their kitchens to invent gourmet recipes, including Twinkie Shortcake, Twinkie Misu and Twinkie Sushi. And let’s not forget those amazing Twinkie Wedding Cakes.
Us British have our fair share of Sweets, Candy and Chocolate; but nothing can rival the Twinkie!
Posted in Culture, Food, Humor, Media | Tagged Culture, Food, Twinkies | 3 Comments »
America. It is God’s own country.”
A comment that did not come from me; but something a fellow Brit said to me on a telephone call the other day. “It is the place to live the dream. My dream is to visit America, because I am a Christian.” Hmm.. A strange approach but not far from the truth.
Whether it is your small community white steeple church or your large city centre worship hall; their is something FUN about religion in the States. He never explained or provided evidence to sustain his comments but it made me think. Religion in the US is a family affair. Adults and children can enjoy fun, friendship and fellowship and be drip fed the beliefs and serious meaning behind worship. Churches in the US become the focal point of a community just like the ‘Dog and Duck’ pub in the UK does in Great Britain. Religion is paramount to the upbringing of so many American families and having personally experienced the love and friendship, I feel they have got it right.
The UK is different. The young do not have the same opportunity to attend vacation bible schools or the opportunity to take a mission trip to South Carolina to help the homeless, disabled and under privleged. Church in the UK seems to be reserved for the elderly, or for Weddings, Christenings and Funerals.There is a certain taboo to religion in the UK, as it is just not cool!
From a personal point I do not think God has justified all American actions over the decades, but the opportunity to develop christian values and beliefs with a balance of fun and fellowship is spot on.
God Bless America!
Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Family, Life, Religion | Tagged Culture, News, Religion | 1 Comment »
CELEBRITY BRITS WHO HAVE MADE THE USA SWITCH
Stephen Fry - A British Icon at its best. A patriotic man with a dry sense of humor has made the US switch in recent years landing roles in Bones and the famous Doctor in House in the US. He is most well known for his hilarious portrayal of King Charles II in Blackadder.
He has filmed a six-part travel series entitled Stephen Fry in America for broadcast in 2008. A five-part companion series, More Fry in America, has been commissioned for BBC Four in the UK; it will feature in-depth essays that Fry couldn’t include in the former documentary because of time constraints.
Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Humor, Life | Tagged Culture, Entertainment, Humor, STEPHEN FRY | 2 Comments »
Although I have already written on Politeness this is an appropriate time to reiterate the values, ethics and general friendship shown in the US. Today I had a refreshing experience. When out walking the dog I was greeted with a ‘Good Morning’, ‘How are you?’, ‘Have a Great Day!’. Now Americans have often being satirised for the happy go lucky warming approach to life, but I think it is a forte that is seldom remembered in todays society. 
When I got back home I started to wonder: Does peoples behaviour have anything to do with where they are from , where they live, if they come from either a large city or small town. May be it has to do with how people were brought up. I have spent a lot of time traveling within US and I always found that Americans are so much more pleasant to interact with from the smaller quieter towns than the concrete jungles. Total strangers often tend to have small chats and interacting with strangers - pretty much about anything - anytime and anywhere.
As many of you know I have gone through a difficult time recently and appreciate the kind, heartfelt comments and emails. The blog will continue now and I hope to repay your kindness with some laughs, humour, bringing some fun to the day.
I know you will tell me if I don’t! Have a great day!…….
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Culture, Family, Life | 2 Comments »
Thank you all for the kind comments during this difficult time. As you may be aware I have been back and forward across the pond due to my father suffering from Cancer. He seems to be responding to treatment but it is a long battle.
That being said the blog will start again today!
Chris
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Ask a Brit what a Prom is and you will probably get told it is short for Promenade (what Americans know as boardwalks). For many years young American women and men have attended Proms with awkward first dates, clustered in groups in the corner and tasted their first alcoholic drink (even if underage) as they made the transition from childhood to Adulthood. Father’s paced the driveway anxiously as the clock ticked towards midnight. The financial implications of the dress, limousine and accessories in the back of their mind as they hope their daughter arrives home untouched, virginity still in place.
The Prom is an American tradition as true as Baseball or hot dogs. Today, attendees of Proms, bump and grind to P Diddy, wear scantily clad outfits, end up slumped on the side walk unsure if they are pregnant or responsible for a pregnancy. Girls burn Daddy’s credit card on a dress that will be worn only once, boys will spend a fortune on impressing their date in the hope of being repaid in an less than innocent way. Individuals will fight the eye lids to stay out all night, not only too annoy and put your parents close to cardiac arrest but to have boasting powers of who was seen at Starbucks at 5.45am. Kids will realise when they mature that it is much more fun to be home early and watching the Discovery channel. Trust me.
I hope we are still in the US in years to come so my children can enjoy the beauty of the US prom. I firmly believe it is a tradition and opportunity I want my kids to experience. I can guarantee I will be pacing the driveway, checking my watch and scouring the neighborhood at one minute past midnight.
My daughter will hit the Prom in 3 years I am sure fashion would have come full circle and the high neck and anke length dress will be the trend. In our household at least.
Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Family, Humor, Life | Tagged Culture, Entertainment, Family, Humor, Life | 7 Comments »
When I was moving to the US this was one of the first things I thought about.The opportunity to watch and brag over the latest movie release. This week I have the opportunity to see ’ The Love Guru’ 3 months prior to the Premiere hitting London and the Bright lights of Leicester Square. The opportunity to annoy UK family members, work associates back in London and act like a ‘git’ (as we say in UK: translates to annoying prat!) is immense. You can cut the atmosphere with a knife when my sister tells me she is off to see ’PS I love you’ when I reply ‘That will be nice, I saw it 4 months ago ‘ Oh did you know he dies in the first few scenes ‘Oops, Sorry!’ Waiting for a movie in the UK is similar to the feeling you have when you watch a time / tape delayed soccer game (OK, none of you watch soccer) and undertake the pain staking event of locking yourself in a cocoon for 12 hours, avoiding all contact with colleagues, the TV or radio until you can get home from work to watch it. The only difference with watching new release movies in the UK is that you need to conduct this behaviour for around 3 months. Your allies across the pond get pissed off with this, believe me.
The US and Hollywood have always led the way in multi million dollar movies. There are a lot more produced and released in Hollywood than Pinewood Studies in the UK. In the day and age we live in Brits will either have watched the illegal download version or had someone tell them the beginning, middle and end. Quite often many wont even bother to go to the Movies (Cinema!) having read or heard varying levels of criticism of the ‘Blockbuster’.
So my advice to the British public wanting to watch the next Oscar Winning classic, arrange your next US vacation in accordance with the appropriate release date, give me a call (because I cannot keep a secret) or touch up on your acting skills and hope to land the big break.
For the Brits living or vacationing in the US - Enjoy the Movie!
Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies | Tagged Culture, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies | 3 Comments »
Did your parents love you as a child or did they make you ride the school bus? My kids ride the good old icon that is the big yellow American school bus. I am proud and feel honored to have benefited from this service for the last 5 years. To all the individuals who wake up early, rise and shine and drive thousands of often unruly school kids, my hat is off to you. The convenience of having school buses in the USA is a god send. In the UK, when I was a child I did not have school buses and had to rely on parents, friends, public transport or walking. I would wait on the street corner, soaking wet from the rain as my lift failed to turn up. I would often trek for hours to reach the iron gates of the playground, tired and exhausted, the rubber on the sole of my shoes wearing thin. 
But fear not you Brits moving to the land of the free. Your kids have nothing to fear. In America a big yellow bus will pick your children up from your house and return them safely at the end of the school day (On most occasions anyway, unless you get one of those weird, incapable types that slip through the system, as illustrated here. School bus drivers, on the whole, are one of the greatest assets to your local community. The American school bus provides safe, effective, efficient and healthy transport for our children and that is something I am lucky privileged to utilise.
So my kids may suffer in years to come with various illnesses related to riding the school bus. I doubt it though and think it is a risk worth taking.
Posted in Culture, Humor, Life, Travel | Tagged Culture, Family, Life, Travel | 5 Comments »
CELEBRITY BRITS WHO HAVE MADE THE USA SWITCH
Simon Cowell- One of the main guys behind American Idol, America’s Got Talent and American Inventor, Simon Cowell has made it big in the USA. Estimated worth stands at around $50 Million dollars, showing he has come along way since his debut on the music scene, making it big for the first time by promoting the 80’s sensation Sinitta.
Posted in Entertainment, Music | Tagged American Idol, Celebrity, Entertainment, Music | No Comments »
The UK has accepted drive thru restaurants. Yes, you can now order a Burger and Coke from the comfort of your car, although you are likely to get soaked as you lower the window. The greatest chance for rainfall in the UK is between January and December. It is a risk worth taking to save yourself the agony of experiencing UK fast food restaurant customer interaction. I stop short of calling it customer service.
In the US you can experience Drive thru Banking, Drive thru Pharmacies (the legal and prescription type, although you can probably partake in drive thru cocaine and cannabis pick ups in the less desirable areas of your city if you wish), Drive thru Dry cleaning, Drive thru Starbucks, Drive thru Florists and even now Drive thru Pawn ( yes with an ‘aw’ and not ‘or’) shops for those who do not wish to leave the safety of their vehicles. The beauty of the ’stay in your car’ trend can be seen as a quintessential example of laziness or utilising the best use of time. I will proclaim the latter. 
Grabbing a white chocolate mocha at 6.30am without having to make conversation with the barista or a total stranger is underestimated. The opportunity to order through an intercom, have the drive thru window closed in your face and be on your way to work 3 minutes later with little interaction is very satisfying at that time of the day. The convenience of sitting in your car at the pharmacy at 1am without having to queue in line behind drunks looking for traces of alcohol, homeless looking for a bed and prescription drug addicts looking for free refills. You avoid the need of facing the wrath of the checkout clerk who sees you as an annoyance and an interruption as she drags herself away from ‘In Touch’ weekly. The beauty of Drive thru’s.
Remember, if you are new to America or on vacation, be careful not to get over confident with drive thru’s and do your homework before embarking into them. I would hate for Jean-Michelle or Bridgitt here on a vacation of a lifetime, to turn up looking for gas only to be asked ‘Do you want to place this in your checking or savings sir?’
Once you have experienced them you will not be able to live without.
Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Family, Humor, Life, Travel | Tagged Culture, Humor, Life, Travel | 4 Comments »
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