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Expats: what do you miss?

post #1 of 43
1/28/10 at 7:09am
Thread Starter 
Curious to ear what you generally miss if you're living in different country to that in which you grew up, were educated, maybe started your career etc.

Personally:
Buying Sunday papers- I hate reading stuff on the screen.
Availability of certain products like decent sliced/slicable bread, and bagels. The nearest the latter are available, to my knowledge, is Florence. Che palle! Also English English breakfast-type sausages.
Cans of draught Guinness.
The dry, if not the rainy, climate. Modena is always humid, as they say. In summer hot and humid; winter cold and humid - damp and often foggy, basically. The drier UK heat, is somewhat preferable.
BBC radio availability, not having to rely on the net.
English sense of humour.
Driving on the wrong side.
English pubs. Not the Irish-themed trash found here and all over the globe.
Supermarkets on Sunday. Not that I usually go shopping on Sundays but occasionally I need something on Sunday.

...
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post #2 of 43
1/28/10 at 7:11am
I miss nothing except the food, it's hard to get close to the good food found in a major American city.
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post #3 of 43
1/28/10 at 7:19am
Greek and Mexican food (esp Taco Trucks)
easy to find and cheap delicious microbrews (they are feckin expensive here and most are wimpy)
Waffles that are not sold in plastic wrap at the convenience store, maybe I just need a waffle iron
driving, drivers license is kinda tough to get here
cheap produce
thats really about it
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post #4 of 43
1/28/10 at 8:23am
I missed processed foods and american style bread when I was a kid, and american tv

when I was older, , lving in Europe, I missed tv and movies in a language that I could understand, being able to buy a newspaper in a language that I could understand, some foods.

when I was older, living in other countries, it was things people mentioned - sunday papers (or friday papers from Israel).

also, general comfort things - knowing the system, good government services, steady water and electricy sometimes, smells
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post #5 of 43
1/28/10 at 8:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eason View Post
I miss nothing except the food, it's hard to get close to the good food found in a major American city.

Beijing has a dearth of good Vietnamese.
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post #6 of 43
1/28/10 at 9:06am
Beer that isn't total shit
Physical space
Everything being 2x cheaper
North American sports broadcasts

Otherwise, the list of things I don't miss is about a mile long. The list of things I never knew existed but now cannot live without is almost the same length.
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post #7 of 43
1/28/10 at 9:10am
Strange trashy ghetto things.

Waffle house
Dunkin donuts
American bar food
Proper camping
Big stores (although thats more a function of living in London)

K
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post #8 of 43
1/28/10 at 10:17am
the american sports broadcasters is so true. I remember back in the late 90's i'd be watching espn asia and randomly the USA sportscenter would pop up and i'd be laughing hysterically at oberman and patrick doing obscure ice hockey highlights. But i being back in the US i have a kind of reverse ex-pat thing that i miss about sportscasters: the english/UK soccer broadcasters who covered soccer just as well as the US guys covering the NFL. now I just have the diluted US espn crap spewed out by the 2nd rate US soccer analysts. i can't believe that i ever got into watching soccer in the first place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by holymadness View Post
Beer that isn't total shit Physical space Everything being 2x cheaper North American sports broadcasts Otherwise, the list of things I don't miss is about a mile long. The list of things I never knew existed but now cannot live without is almost the same length.
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post #9 of 43
1/28/10 at 10:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Britalian View Post
Curious to ear what you generally miss if you're living in different country to that in which you grew up, were educated, maybe started your career etc.

Personally:
Buying Sunday papers- I hate reading stuff on the screen.
Availability of certain products like decent sliced/slicable bread, and bagels. The nearest the latter are available, to my knowledge, is Florence. Che palle! Also English English breakfast-type sausages.
Cans of draught Guinness.
The dry, if not the rainy, climate. Modena is always humid, as they say. In summer hot and humid; winter cold and humid - damp and often foggy, basically. The drier UK heat, is somewhat preferable.
BBC radio availability, not having to rely on the net.
English sense of humour.
Driving on the wrong side.
English pubs. Not the Irish-themed trash found here and all over the globe.
Supermarkets on Sunday. Not that I usually go shopping on Sundays but occasionally I need something on Sunday.

...

Definitely the Sunday paper
Have to agree with the sausages, but will extend it to a decent fry up
Match of the Day, I watch all the games I want but I grew up with MotD and miss the weekly roundup

I've worked out ways of making up for the other stuff or paying extra to buy the imported foods.
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post #10 of 43
1/28/10 at 11:07am
- My family (mum/dad/brother) - My Saturday ritual of going for Shanghai noodles with my brother - Best friends and the social life...I don't know anyone here and the nature of my work prevents me from making decent friends at work - Good quality produce. I miss being able to buy good cheeses, cured meats, antipasto - PROPER BREAD. You know there's something not right when the loaf of bread lasts OVER A MONTH without going mouldy. How much preservative is in there! - Melbourne had phenomenal bakeries, I miss the variety of baked goods/breads - COFFEE. Starbucks and Coffee Bean is NOT coffee. - White women. Goddamn...even as an Asian who has moved back to his birth country, Asian chicks just cannot hold a candle to Aussie girls. - People who aren't social retards (they seem to be in abundance here) There is a lot more but that's all I can think of for now...
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post #11 of 43
1/28/10 at 11:15am
Blood sausage, poutine, winter, fall, spring, lakes (the Great ones in particular), money with colours, "u" and "zed."
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post #12 of 43
1/28/10 at 11:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LabelKing View Post
Beijing has a dearth of good Vietnamese.

Shi ma? Where? Don't say east side...
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post #13 of 43
1/28/10 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
poutine
You're a closet Québécois, I've always suspected it.
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post #14 of 43
1/28/10 at 11:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Étienne View Post
You're a closet Québécois, I've always suspected it.



Hey, I never turn my nose up at tasty fair. I could have mentioned the meat pies by my Metis b-in-law makes for Xmas too. Othewise, he's a useless sack of shyte.
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post #15 of 43
1/28/10 at 11:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by holymadness View Post
Everything being 2x cheaper

+1

Though I must admit, carrying around Euros in my pocket makes me feel like a big-timer.
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