Many retail and dining places have signs on their door stating that firearms are banned in their establishment. Of course I have never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world. Instead of making me feel safer, it's a frequent reminder of the prevalence of guns here.

I've given up on telephone services in which a machine asks "in a few words, tell us why you called so we can put you through to the right department." Mind you, humans on the other end of the line struggle enough that I put an English accent on so that I am understandable. 

I find having an Amazon Echo very useful for converting metric/imperial units (which need to do all the time), converting currencies and setting timers/alarms, but it does tend to struggle with my Australian accent, whereas my Google Voice Assistant on my phone is generally flawless with Aussie accents, from the strong, "broad" Strine Australian accent (think Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin) to Standard Australian and Cultivated Australian (the Australian equivalent of the mid-Atlantic accent Kelsey Grammar as Frasier Crane used). I tend towards the latter in the US so people and machines can understand me.

Still, it could be worse. I could be Scottish, some of whom try as they might were totally unintelligible to me.

​The random wake up word detections results are weird though. I'm not sure if it's just my strong Aussie vowels, but every now and then we'll be having a conversation and the Echo will behave as if summoned and will think we asked it something. Weird questions get answered and songs randomly start. Today the topic of 'poop' came up in conversation and Alexa loudly interrupted, declaring "I'm not equipped to do that."
I mean, I had assumed, but still, thank god.

Sometimes I have to concentrate harder to remember or swap words or grammar, both when listening and speaking, just as I used to have to in the UK. It took a couple years to stop getting confused and confusing people in the UK, and I have had to restart the process here.

Just this week I asked someone "how did you find X"?
Them: "Where did I find it?"
Me: "No, how do you LIKE it."
This sequence happened TWICE in the same conversation with the same person. Apparently I need to learn.

I have friends in the US who happen to have lived in both the US and UK and are aware I use weird Australian definitions  for words, and know not to accept at face value my usage of words like "cookie", "cracker", "biscuit" and "yes honey, I promise."

Another Aussie in Scotland said

And a friend who runs a small business in Australia said

This reminds me of when I MC events, during the warm-up I ask:

And on that note, if you could post in the comments how you found this blog, both how you like it, and how you came about it, that would be much appreciated. 

Fees are rare as retailers and restaurants build that expense into their prices. Credit card rewards here are the most generous of any place I have been, and while flying miles are popular, 1.5% cashback is also common, which is sometimes increased to 5% at supermarkets/restaurants. There are often excellent temporary rewards, like 15% cashback at Macy's Online Dept Store, or 30% off your first purchase at other online stores. Three-month price protection and extra warranties also make credit cards a money saver. 

So if you're choosing to pay by cash, cheque/check or debit card, or you're not eligible for a credit card at all because you have a insufficient credit score (e.g. you're a new resident), you're effectively paying more for everything. It's also another tax on the poor, not unique to this country, but far more than the other countries.

It took months of living here to build up enough credit history to have a credit card, and because furnished rentals aren't really a thing here, the expense of setting up a new home was compounded by the lack of a credit card at the time.
Incidentally, I have also one of those people I never thought I would be. I have joined the hordes of people who are proud of their expensive couch. I've become one of those people.

Gone are the days of direct debiting my bills, only having a debit card, or even using normal checks (not that I ever have.) This is because once someone knows your US bank account number, you're susceptible to fraud. My first few months here I used cash and paid my rent by cashiers cheque. I literally walked down to the bank and had them issue me a fresh paper cheque of their own which I then walked over to my landlord. For bills, cashiers cheques can also be ordered online and automatically printed and posted to your bill provider, which I think takes days. (At least that's how I think it works?)

​Eventually I built up enough credit history to get a credit card, so I use that and no longer need to carry cash, but many Americans do not or can not. This is why those big stores having their credit card systems being hacked is such a big deal - debit cards have inferior fraud protection, and debit card consumers may be out of pocket for months as fraudulent transactions are is resolved.

Mind you, this is better than card-wary, cash-loving Japan, where ATMs close at night and on holidays. My recent trip to Berlin was also frustrating, as card payment is not as common as one might expect. Mind you, I'm not from a country that used to be fascist or experienced economic turmoil on the scales these countries have. 

Having said that, I can pay by credit card everywhere, even the tiniest food trucks, and there is almost never any minimum spend, and extra fees for paying by credit are rare. Split billing at restaurants, usually refused in Western Australia, is also normal here, and very efficient.

Once again, this place, like all others, has both pros and cons.

It's no secret that Hershey's is the dominant chocolate manufacturer in the US with a 45% market share. In 1988 Hershey paid $300m for Cadbury's operations and right to manufacture Cadbury brands in the US. Hershey also makes Nestle's KitKats under license here. It's also well known that Hershey are unique for using use soured milk in their recipe. Close your eyes and Hershey's and it smells like puke for a reason.

So I spend more on Lindt (with a 9% market share) and local niche brands (Theo's), and ask visiting Brits and Aussies to supply me with the good stuff (Tim Tams, Kinder Bueno, Tunnock's Caramel Bars).

I think I'm known as the person with an amazing imported sweets bowl.
​
Oh my god, I am becoming my grandmother!

It took 9 months to settle into Tokyo. I was struggling in almost every way, culturally, socially, in practical ways, financially, and then I had to go home for a funeral. People in Australia at the time would ask how my move to Japan was going, and I would answer honestly - not well, I'm not happy there, but I'm definitely going back because I am determined to have made it worth it. It was a turning point for me, and by the time I left Japan at the end of that year, I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. But I knew I was leaving at the peak, as many expats hit their 2 year anniversary in Japan and become miserable. Those who stay longer are generally fine, but sometimes you’d meet embittered long-timer expat (or, *ghasp*, immigrant). I understood their grouchiness by a thousand frustrations, from the constant reminders that you’ll never be considered one of the Japanese, the spectacular bureaucracy and the toxic corporate culture – it just hadn’t gotten to me yet. I like to think I made the right decision leaving when I did.

Hanoi was different, and I instantly had a lot of fun there, but I definitely think the cycle is much shorter there. Quicker honeymoon period, but it will wear thin on you much quicker. I quite enjoyed one small book by a jaded expat.

Edinburgh was similar to Japan, probably owing to the fact that I moved there in Autumn, just as events where one can make friends are winding down, but the following spring my social life and happiness blossomed, and did so permanently.

It took 5 months to find my happiness in Seattle. I have a wonderful home, social circles, and I’m even the fittest I have been since I was a teenager, but I wonder if this is my new normal level of happiness, or just the honeymoon period and I'll turn into a grizzled expat or immigrant like in Japan. I don’t think it’s the same here because the culture is less alien and the cons are very different. Unhealthy food, violence, and expensive healthcare are the first cons that come to my mind, not monoculture, toxic work culture and impermeable social barriers. Furthermore, this is my fifth country I have lived in in five years. I learned every place has its pros and cons, and I have the experience that allows me to truly appreciate the great things here.
Whether this is my home for a couple decades , or the rest of my days, I think I’ll be very happy here.

I can watch Game of Thrones live at the comfortable time of 6pm Sunday, and not have to avoid the internet for a day for fear of OH MY GOD THEY JUST KILLED OFF ARYA STARK!!!!

As for movies, a popular past-time for people (locals and ex-pats) in Japan is to complain about how much later a popular movie is going to be released there, usually 3-6 months. I've even had friends post angry Facebook screenshots of release schedules. Apparently it's so they can market a movie as ""Number 1 in the USA!" You can read more about the reasons here.
Australia, in my youth, used to be the same, but has since gotten much better. 

Movie tickets are also much cheaper in the US. According to WorldAtlas.com, USA is $8.13, the UK $10.90, Japan $12.77, and Australia $12.95. However, these are national averages. I lived in Edinburgh, Tokyo and Perth, all expensive capital  cities, and are therefore even more expensive. I also currently pay even less in the US because I use Moviepass which is $10/month for unlimited movies. Yet another reason I love living in the US - experimental business models.