English Topics Things we miss about America
Alisha: Hi, everybody. Welcome back.
My name is Alisha and I’m joined today in
the studio by…
Michael: Michael.
Hey, everybody.
Alisha: And today, our topic is going to be
our favorite things that we miss when we are
outside of America.
So, let’s get right into it.
The first thing on my list for today, my list
of three items, I’ve chosen ovens.
One of the things that I really miss when
I’m outside of America is ovens.
The ovens that my family has always had in
our house are very, very big.
You can cook turkeys, you can cook casseroles,
you can cook pretty much anything you could
ever imagine in an oven.
When I’m outside of America, I often find
that oven sizes are noticeably smaller or
ovens themselves are just harder to come by
than they are in America.
So, that’s one thing that I really, really
miss when I’m outside the States.
I don’t know if this is the thing that plays
a big part in your life, but for me, it’s
a big thing.
Michael: Mmm.
Honestly, I didn’t notice until you said that
because I don’t cook.
I’m lazy.
I just go to the convenience store or I go
to whatever street vendor or something like
that which I know is more expensive but you
know, a true American, I just want convenience.
Yeah.
But, I think, most things, like you said,
I think that’s going to be a general theme
for most of us is everything’s bigger in America.
Alisha: Yeah.
Michael: Actually, that leads me to one.
That’s a good transition.
Then we pick the one.
Um, this one.
Okay.
So, speaking of everything being bigger, space.
I miss space.
You take it for granted, you don’t realize
it.
Especially, if you go to some more crowded
countries like in Asia and that’s where I’ve
been for the past, past wow.
And, yeah, most people–you have no idea.
In America, it’s pretty common, I would say,
it’s starting to change, but it’s typical
for 18-year-olds to move out and live by themselves
and that’s not true in a lot of countries.
In a lot of countries, they live with their
parents until they get married.
And so, I grew up going to house parties,
you don’t go to the bar.
You can’t drink legally until you’re 21 so
you go to people’s houses.
It’s cheaper even when you are of age, as
you should wait.
But, there are always house parties.
It’s never an issue to have space.
Also, driving, there’s tons of space, tons
of room.
Yeah, just in general, I miss space.
So, that’s probably why they don’t have ovens
in some other countries.
Alisha: Right, right.
Yeah, your point about space is so true.
Especially that point that you made about
the difference between having house parties
and parties at a bar, at a restaurant.
When I’ve been in countries, in Asia as well,
I rarely get invited to people’s houses.
You only get invited to someone’s house if
you’ve known them for a long time and you’re
pretty close friends, at least in my case,
maybe my friends are different from your friends,
I don’t know.
But, yeah, having a house party is very, very
rare, I find.
And, if you do have a house party, there are
very few people.
It’s not like big college parties in the States.
Michael: It’s not a rager.
It’s just a–it’s like a dinner party.
It’s the equivalent of an American dinner
party where it’s adults having wine, eating
food, okay, leave.
But, in the States, I think, it’s just so
common.
You rent from a friend and it doesn’t matter
if the carpet gets dirty, whatever.
There’s another house over there, there’s
plenty of space to go around.
Alisha: Yup, yup.
That’s a good point.
Okay, great.
Well, I guess I’ll go on to my next one.
You’re probably going to sense a theme going
on with mine.
But, my next one, I’ve chosen cheese.
I really like cheese and I find that it’s
more expensive, I should say, it’s more expensive
and maybe options are somewhat limited.
Well, depending on where you travel in the
world.
We’ve been talking a lot about Asia where
we have experience.
And in Asia, there’s, you know–I mean cheese
is available but it’s often much, much more
expensive than it is in the States.
So, that’s something that I really miss.
I like it from time to time and just going
to the supermarket or to a department store
in Asia and seeing something that would cost,
I don’t know, $3 or $4 in the in the States,
being $20 or $25, it’s just a little, “Ah!”
It’s one of those things that you kind of
miss about home.
A small convenience that would make life a
little bit more fun.
Michael: Hmm.
Yeah, I agree.
I love cheese.
People talk, “Oh, if I eat too much cheese,
my stomach will hurt.”
No way.
I can eat cheese until I die.
I love cheese and I miss it.
But, yeah, sometimes it’s hard to really convince
yourself to spend that extra.
You can get pretty much anything, It’s the
21st century.
You can go to Costco or whatever and get peanut
butter or whatever you miss.
But, to bring yourself to spend that ridiculous
amount of money, it’s tough.
Alisha: Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Michael: Yeah.
I’m speaking of food.
Speaking of food.
I miss this one.
I’m from Colorado and this is the best food
you’ll ever have in your life.
It’s called Chipotle and it’s from Colorado
and it’s–we have a lot of Mexicans in Colorado.
So, we have a lot of Mexican influence.
This is definitely not authentic Mexican food.
This is definitely Americanized.
It’s huge.
You know, big burritos with lots of cheese,
meats, rice, so filling.
I love it.
And, it’s hard to find that kind of stuff.
Alisha: Yeah.
Michael: Just food in general.
Some real hearty, artery-clogging, disgusting
stuff that just, oh, hits the spot.
Alisha: For sure.
Yeah, I totally agree.
I guess I’m just going to share my last one.
My other word is burritos.
Michael: Oh, yes, yes, yes.
Alisha: It’s true.
Burritos.
Maybe, I don’t know.
Maybe we’re cut from the same cloth from this
point.
Michael: Where are you from?
In which state?
Alisha: I was born in California but we moved
to Oregon.
Now, my family’s in California again and one
of the things I was recently back in the States
and I ate a lot of burritos.
I had this thing called like an extra super
burrito because I thought just the fillings
were going to be–I thought they’re going
to be a lot of fillings or was going to be
spicy.
But, it turned out to literally be like this
long.
I’m not exaggerating.
I took a picture of it.
They had these two massive tortillas to wrap
the whole thing.
And then, I couldn’t actually pick it up,
I had to like lay it down in a table.
I’m like–part of the end of it to eat it.
Yeah, yeah.
I don’t know if this is unique to our generation
or unique to people who are from like the
West Coast of America.
But, in the West-ish side of America, just
man, burritos.
There’s just nothing like them.
Michael: Hmm.
Yeah, I miss it.
It’s part of my childhood.
Not to go on too long but Mexican influence
is growing in America.
So, you don’t say, “Do you want to have
Mexican tonight?”
You say, “Let’s have burritos.
It’s taco night!
Thursday is taco night.”
It’s just a part of my culture so I would
say it’s part of American culture.
Alisha: Yeah.
Taquitos, burritos, tacos, tostadas, chimichangas,
enchiladas, anything.
Anything with meat, tortilla, cheese, something
spicy.
Yeah, yeah.
Michael: Oh, the spicy food.
Oh, men.
Alisha: I always miss those things.
Michael: True Americans.
Everything is food, food, food.
Alisha: I know.
So, okay, let’s do this one.
Another one I was thinking of is 24-hour cafes.
So, mainly for the Wi-Fi, but this is pretty
common, I think.
Especially for high school students, going
back to like parties, when you can’t drink,
you can’t do anything too exciting.
So, usually, you go with your friends and
you loiter at Denny’s or something like that.
It’s open 24 hours, you just get some coffee
and you just sit and talk and you annoy the
waiters and waitresses.
That’s like pretty, I’d say, normal American
experience.
Alisha: Yeah.
Michael: And, I miss it.
Some towns I’ve been into lately just shut
down, it’s surprising.
Especially if it’s not the weekend.
It’s just like nothing’s going on.
Again, this isn’t like just America, but it’s
definitely part of my childhood.
Alisha: Right, yeah.
When you said 24-hour café, I thought, “Oh,
there are 24-hour cafes in other countries,
in other places.”
But, I see what you mean.
There’s a certain–it’s like a diner, I think.
You can see maybe examples of them in old
movies sometimes.
You can just go in there at 2:00 in the morning
and get a coffee and a piece of pie.
There’s nothing mysterious or sketchy about
it at all.
It’s just sort of this nice, usually quiet–maybe
there’ll be some strange people in there.
You might look strange for going to a coffee
shop at 2:00 in the morning but I mean–it’s
just, yeah.
I know exactly what you mean, it’s that atmosphere.
Going there with your friends, you know after
the football game or something like that.
It’s just sort of a nostalgic sort of thing
to do.
Oh, that’s a nice one.
I like that one a lot.
Yeah, that’s a good idea.
Aw.
Michael: Now, we’re homesick.
Alisha: Great.
Michael: Well, that’s all we have today.
Alisha: Those are some really interesting.
A lot of food options but some interesting
things that we miss about America when we’re
not at home in the States.
If there’s something that you miss about your
home country or your home city, please let
us know about it in the comments.
It’s been fun, again.
Thank you very much for joining me, Michael.
Michael: You’re welcome.
Alisha: Okay.
And, thank you all for joining us again, as
well. We hope to see you again soon.
Bye.