I decided that I'd blog about the state of the food in this country. And yes, you guessed it. It's not exactly the healthiest in the world.
The first thing which struck me when I went to Hannafords (the local supermarket) was the sheer lack of choice. If you want to look for food which isn't processed in some way, it's actually very difficult. I really am not joking. In a place where you can buy fried dough and make smores on a camp fire (a sandwich consisting of marshmallows, chocolate and crackers), it's no wonder that quite a few guests have trouble fitting themselves in to the seat belts of some rides.
Obesity really is a problem here, yet I can't see much of an effort to change things. This is super size country, a place where a small ice cream will be two large scoops. Many Americans I talk to freely acknowledge "this is why Americans are fat".
The one different thing I have noticed is the availability of organic foods - at a premium of course. Whereas in the UK the organic market is quite niche, it seems to be marketed over here as a real alternative to the processed crap.
I honestly worry about the state of the food that I'm eating, and the damage it is doing to me. Given how cheap petrol is, combined with the fact that people drive everywhere, and the poor quality food - it really is no wonder why so many people are "supersize"
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Adventures in America Part 3:Things that Americans just can't get right...
It's now been a few weeks that I've been living in America and I've begun to pick up on the subtle differences here between the UK and the USA. So, I decided to compile it into a handy list to warn people who may end up here!
1. All Americans drive on the wrong side of the road
Yep, it's exactly what it says on the tin - I nearly got run over in Boston because I walked out into a road whilst looking the other way and unlike New Hampshire, Boston drivers aren't as likely to stop for jaywalkers
2. Baked beans suck over here
Also true, Heinz doesn't exist and it's quite annoying. I can't have beans on toast because they aren't the familiar ones in the UK with the lovely tomato sauce covering them. Bleh, I will have to start eating American foods like bagels or smores!
3. Dollar bills
Coming from someone who is so used to pound coins, the concept of dollar bills is so odd. Having a wallet full of paper notes can get quite irritating when I'm trying to find the bigger notes. Yet most Americans fiercely love their dollar bills.
4. TV without advert breaks
Cable really is king over here. Prime time shows usually have breaks every 10 minutes which can get quite irritating. What's more annoying is that their equivalent of the BBC (called PBS) has adverts too...telling you to donate to PBS. I also really object to the amount of medical adverts on here. It's quite creepy - there are always adverts telling you to ask your doctor for a certain pill. Barry was right!
5. Healthy foods
Yes, it's true. I've found it difficult to find foods that aren't processed. Everything has absurdly high levels of fat and other crap in it - and it's no wonder that so many people are obese here when they combine this with driving around. The only exception to the rule is "organic" food which is quite big at the local Hannafords (supermarket)
1. All Americans drive on the wrong side of the road
Yep, it's exactly what it says on the tin - I nearly got run over in Boston because I walked out into a road whilst looking the other way and unlike New Hampshire, Boston drivers aren't as likely to stop for jaywalkers
2. Baked beans suck over here
Also true, Heinz doesn't exist and it's quite annoying. I can't have beans on toast because they aren't the familiar ones in the UK with the lovely tomato sauce covering them. Bleh, I will have to start eating American foods like bagels or smores!
3. Dollar bills
Coming from someone who is so used to pound coins, the concept of dollar bills is so odd. Having a wallet full of paper notes can get quite irritating when I'm trying to find the bigger notes. Yet most Americans fiercely love their dollar bills.
4. TV without advert breaks
Cable really is king over here. Prime time shows usually have breaks every 10 minutes which can get quite irritating. What's more annoying is that their equivalent of the BBC (called PBS) has adverts too...telling you to donate to PBS. I also really object to the amount of medical adverts on here. It's quite creepy - there are always adverts telling you to ask your doctor for a certain pill. Barry was right!
5. Healthy foods
Yes, it's true. I've found it difficult to find foods that aren't processed. Everything has absurdly high levels of fat and other crap in it - and it's no wonder that so many people are obese here when they combine this with driving around. The only exception to the rule is "organic" food which is quite big at the local Hannafords (supermarket)
Monday, 30 May 2011
Adventures in America Part 2: Life in the mountains
I've been living in the mountains for a few days now, and I have to say that mountain life is rather fun. It's great to wake up every morning to the sound of birdsong, the wind and a few cars.
For the past few days, I've had nothing much to do - in fact training doesn't start until Wednesday, so I've got yet ANOTHER day off to relax tomorrow. I've pretty much explored the area as much as I can by bike. I've been to Jackson up the road, and down the road to just past Glen.
As can be expected, there's nothing but trees and mountains here and I love it. There's so much more wilderness out here than in the UK, and the scale of the place is vast. You could fit the UK in the USA 39 times and still have room to spare. It really is that big.
At the moment, there's students from all over the world here. There's 1 from Canada, 2 from Jamaica, 2 from Ukraine, 2 from Serbia and there's around 30 students left to turn up. We've developed some really good friendships already and we have some great banter in the evenings.
Last night, I took them to Jackson Falls, and we made a campfire as well as taking our shoes off and going paddling at the base of the falls. I felt like a proper American, if only I had some marshmallows to toast like I did on the first night when I got here.
One thing I have noticed already is the reliance on the car. People drive literally everywhere. In fact, they were staring at me when I was walking down the road carrying shopping...as if my car had broken down. Petrol here is ridiculously cheap, and the place is so vast that you really are stuck if you don't have a car. Luckily there's a bike for me to get around on, but I really do think I would be isolated if I was walking everywhere.
Finally, American people are very friendly. From the lovely airline people I met in Boston, to the workers here, to the average American in the street. Everyone has the time to stop and talk to you, they all tell you to have a lovely day and everyone's smiling here. It's a world away from some places in the UK
For the past few days, I've had nothing much to do - in fact training doesn't start until Wednesday, so I've got yet ANOTHER day off to relax tomorrow. I've pretty much explored the area as much as I can by bike. I've been to Jackson up the road, and down the road to just past Glen.
As can be expected, there's nothing but trees and mountains here and I love it. There's so much more wilderness out here than in the UK, and the scale of the place is vast. You could fit the UK in the USA 39 times and still have room to spare. It really is that big.At the moment, there's students from all over the world here. There's 1 from Canada, 2 from Jamaica, 2 from Ukraine, 2 from Serbia and there's around 30 students left to turn up. We've developed some really good friendships already and we have some great banter in the evenings.
Last night, I took them to Jackson Falls, and we made a campfire as well as taking our shoes off and going paddling at the base of the falls. I felt like a proper American, if only I had some marshmallows to toast like I did on the first night when I got here.One thing I have noticed already is the reliance on the car. People drive literally everywhere. In fact, they were staring at me when I was walking down the road carrying shopping...as if my car had broken down. Petrol here is ridiculously cheap, and the place is so vast that you really are stuck if you don't have a car. Luckily there's a bike for me to get around on, but I really do think I would be isolated if I was walking everywhere.
Finally, American people are very friendly. From the lovely airline people I met in Boston, to the workers here, to the average American in the street. Everyone has the time to stop and talk to you, they all tell you to have a lovely day and everyone's smiling here. It's a world away from some places in the UK
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