Annotations
to opt
– to choose something
purchase
ŋ act oI buying
something
myriad
– innumerable
3. Sales Tax
This one catches a lot of Brits by surprise. You’re in a shop (store)
and you see a pair of trousers (pants) on sale for $15. You, with just
three $5 bills, think this is terrific news and opt* to buy them. The
checkout assistant scans the item and, shock of all shocks, those $15
trousers are now $16.78. This is because on most store purchases
*
sales tax is added at the point of sale. So always remember to budget
for this, especially if you are hard up for money (short on finances).
4. Terminology
As mentioned in part 2, there exist numerous linguistic variations
within the world of cars. However, the United States and Britain are
rife with other terminological differences. In Sports, football becomes
soccer; in Food and Drink, chips become fries; in Banking, a cash
machine becomes an ATM; in legal circles, solicitor becomes attor-
ney; in education, pupil becomes student. The list of differences is
almost inexhaustible and, in order to avoid the confusion experienced
by many British expats, it is a good idea to become familiar with as
many of these variances prior to your move.
5. The Landscape
As mentioned in part 1, the USA is a very big place, with land wind-
ing on for hundreds of miles – often without so much as a single
house gracing the landscape. For the British traveller, this can be
both an exciting and overwhelming characteristic of American life.
Furthermore, the natural features that make up the landscape are as
varied as most Brits can imagine. In the Midwest, much of the land
is flat with a seemingly endless myriad* of crop fields dominating
the terrain; The Rocky Mountains stretch 3,000 miles from Canada
to New Mexico, while the Appalachian Trail is a hiker’s dream; much
of the south west – such as Arizona and Nevada – is home to some of
America’s most famous deserts; the East Coast – especially Vermont
– is notable for its large forests; and many South-Eastern states are
graced with shimmering wetlands. If you are one of those travellers
who plans to experience more than just one state, be prepared to be
awe-inspired, to be overwhelmed and, yes, to feel small for a while.
From http //www expatsblog com/contests/
/ culture shocksbritish expats in america
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