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!