It's amazing how America has come to me since I've been back. Me and my friend Bryan were walking down the main street of my town and came across a billboard advertising Tex-Mex food at KFC! OK, so KFC is an American fast food chain, what's so amazing about that? Well, for me it was the fact that they were specifically doing Tex-Mex. So that means, fried chicken and Tex-Mex - only the two fundamental foods in any 'Southern' American diet! When I say 'south' I really mean everywhere from the Carolinas right the way through to Texas until you hit the borders of Mexico. Southern cuisine is really delicious and all I've ever eaten in the States.
Recently McDonald's have also seemed to be bringing in new menus with more authentic tasting American fast food. Each week there would be a different burger recipe from a different state of America! Pretty cool stuff!
Having tried the real meal deal in the States, it's almost like my eyes have been opened to places like Pizza Hut, KFC and McDonalds. I have to say that although they try to make their menus consistent worldwide, it just feels different going into one here in the UK and I wouldn't say that I'd go out of my way to go either. We tend to go for the 'healthier' option nowadays and most brits will frequent places like Greggs or a pasty shop instead of a greasy 'Maccy D's'.
All this food talk makes me miss real Tex-Mex though. Simple but delicious. Chips and dip, guacamole, sour cream, queso, tortillas. Mix and match everything at once in a huge platter like they do at La Hacienda Ranch, that's the way to power snack!
Yes, I have tried looking for real Tex-Mex here, in fact it was one of the first things on my to-do list when I got back to the UK earlier this year. We had a go at making *beef* Enchiladas (sadly didn't opt for chicken) and even had a go at bean Burritos. You can buy pre-packaged 'kits', which seem to be a convenient way of doing things, but I was absolutely amazed at how different the taste was to what you'd get in America. Not to say it was worse, I actually really enjoyed the sour cream and guacamole we bought here, but it definitely didn't taste anything like what you'd get at somewhere like Taco Bell, Anamias or Chipotle.
This word caused much controversy when I was in the States last year. Depending on where you are in the world, you could really be describing three totally different sports with this word. Most of my friends tried to accommodate my vocabulary and used ‘football’ in the way I understood, although it was always evident when they were doing so. Between themselves they always referred to it as 'soccer'. Really, this is just one of many examples of words that are shared but have totally different meanings. For instance 'emo', 'packet', 'pants', 'jersey' – all have different meaning, depending on where you are. That's when I realised I was actually going to be learning a new language, not only new words, but new pronunciations for words I grew up to say a certain. I soon learned the words to stay away from as well (as they would always invoke an amusing response): ‘rubbish’, ‘lorry’ and ‘trolley’ to name just a few. The reverse was also true, they would come out with statements like “where’s it at?” or “I’m going to give it a going over with the sweeper later” and sometimes I just had to put two and two together, putting words with actions to figure it out for myself. Sometimes I would just be sitting there having ‘eureka’ moments.
I was taken to two different pubs, as a ‘treat’, both very different. I was instantly in denial when I saw the neon-lit enterprise we pulled up to but the disbelief wore off when we got inside. The one was supposedly 'British', but I saw that any similarities were only decorative: a few pictures on the wall depicting scenes from fox hunting and some dart boards beside the slot machines. I must say, it was a little strange drinking a pint of Boddingtons and eating a chicken and mushroom pie (which they refer to as a ‘pot pie’) in an American ‘pub’ – but I valued the novelty. I tried to haggle a free drink on the house because I was the only true Brit in the building, but it didn’t fly.
The second one I was taken to was an Irish pub in Colorado. I was talked into trying their fish & chips, when really what I wanted was a good ½ pounder burger! Actually, come to think of it, that is what I got, but I tried the haddock from a friend’s plate. I mean, why would I want to eat British cuisine when I came to the States to try something a bit different? Even here in the UK, I see a good beef burger as a bit of a treat. The great thing about this place was that they served Guinness on tap! I've always seen Irish-style pubs in the big cities throughout my US travels. I do enjoy American food though. There’s an imitation steak ranch in my town called ‘Smith & Western’, where we’d go to celebrate birthdays and special occasions, one of which was a parting gift from my parents just before my first trip to the US.
Back to the subject of sport, there are a few no-go areas in conversation. Firstly, most Americans have never heard of Snooker or Cricket and if they have, they would not be able to tell you the first thing about either one of them. If you try say to them that their football is more like our rugby, you’ll have a hard time explaining differences in rugby’s rules, for example, only being allowed to pass back, line-outs, scrums, rucks, drop-kicks etc... but the idea of a touchdown being like scoring a try and the way tackles are usually executed are similar in both sports.
I won't say that I'm not a fan of American football, but I won't go as far as to say I support any particular team (which is also true of my stance towards British football). Having said that, I enjoyed the sense of unity that the game brought to the communities I lived in. My first Superbowl experience was in Atlanta when I was staying with a family who enjoyed celebrating the Superbowl each year. I think sport is celebrated by British and Americans alike, albeit very differently. For example, it is seldom a family celebration in the UK, usually a group of guys watching the game at the pub. I also see the Superbowl as their way of compensating for not having as many holidays *cough* I mean.. vacations, as we do here.
The two teams in the final were the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts. I believe it was the Colts who won, although the end result to me was only a small part of what made the Superbowl memorable. The advertisements, sorry, commercials, that came on were sometimes just as entertaining as the game itself! Back then, in 2007, Doritos were hosting the campaign and many independant entrants sumbitted their videos. Our favourite was this one:
Whenever I watch Superbowl now, I support the Cowboys - not only because I have learned about their team and have become fond of their quarterback, Tony Romo, and enjoyed seeing them play in the semi-finals last year.
Topshop (and Topman) are known for their smart-casual style and are highly popular amongst teens and students. The same goes for America's equivalent, 'Urban Outfitters'. Both tend to be a bit pricier than the average highstreet retailer but its usually an enjoyable experience.
Recently I made a trip to London and ended up in Oxford Street. What was the first store to catch my eye? Urban Outfitters! Last year I remember a guy who worked at an Urban Outfitters in Dallas telling me that the store was going to be coming to the UK at some point in the near future. Well, here it is!
Here's an 'urban outfit' I got from Dallas!
Check out Urban Outfitters at http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/ or http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/ for the Oxford Street branch.
.jpg)
Yes, I have tried looking for real Tex-Mex here, in fact it was one of the first things on my to-do list when I got back to the UK earlier this year. We had a go at making *beef* Enchiladas (sadly didn't opt for chicken) and even had a go at bean Burritos. You can buy pre-packaged 'kits', which seem to be a convenient way of doing things, but I was absolutely amazed at how different the taste was to what you'd get in America. Not to say it was worse, I actually really enjoyed the sour cream and guacamole we bought here, but it definitely didn't taste anything like what you'd get at somewhere like Taco Bell, Anamias or Chipotle.
