Things I will miss about England

Having spent the better part of a month here in this fine land I've found a number of unusual things I will miss about it. You know about the beer and the cheese, then there are the usual suspects of pubs and fish and chips. Once you scratch the superficial surface you notice things that have really come to define what it means to be English. Community is certainly one of them. For instance having the proprietor of a sandwich shop come out from behind the stove, looking at an order for a large bacon, sausage, egg, mayo, raw onion and salt and pepper on white breadcake and say, 'I thought it was you.' Having the owner of the local fish and chip shop recognise you in the street and say hello. Having the landlord ask you 'how are you today' as if you've been a regular in these parts for years and really mean it as a matter of urgent enquiry. Looking out from an attic based bedroom and recognise people, the old man on his super charged mobility bike proudly sporting the England Flag (not that he'll need that anymore), the old woman and her daily fish and chips order around 10pm (lets face it, when you get to her age all notions of healthy eating must surely go out of the window – and if she wants to drink a bottle of sherry a night to go with it that's her affair [not that I've seen her with these, she conceals well]), kids being dropped off at school creating a fifteen minute traffic jam (no yellow buses this side of the Atlantic) at 8.45am and then again at 3.30pm. Being called 'love' by burly bus drivers who couldn't possibly realise I was from the South, a hairdresser who remembers the clipper size (despite having left the country two years previous) – 'you moved to the States didn't you?' or neighbours I have never met sending us money for Wedding gifts. It also surprises me just how easy it is – despite having emigrated, to fit right back into the routine.

Thank goodness we lost to the Portuguese yesterday – I'd have never wanted to return home to Rochester.

That said there are, of course, things I am missing about the US. I miss the obvious – my cat, my job (sad man that I am), my American family. But some not so obvious – chipmunks (who seem to have top speeds in excess of 60mph within about 2 seconds and brake-horse power to die for), the drive to work down Crittenden Road (canal end), Spin coffee in the morning, friendly yellow school buses that peep their horns at me when they've stopped on the other side of the road, PapaJohns online ordering (Pizzahut wont let you order online here), Wegmans stuffed Hot Peppers, The American Flag (in my office especially), EZEE Pass, health warnings on television ads, free credit report dot com [offer only applies with enrolment to triple advantage], Andrea's Pairs, weather on the 9's, e-harmony, my yearly Garbage Plate (to which my father made me promise I would never again subject him to), Bugaboo steaks, Aladin's, Quimby's and all you can eat (but wished you hadn't) China Buffet! In all seriousness – community is just as strong though it takes on a different form. I consider myself extremely fortunate that I can dip in and out of both. I have great American neighbours who will spend 5 minutes asking me about my day, I have a wine merchant who understands my personal preferences (Gin) and sold me our wedding favours at cost, a concierge in Rustic who tries to recruit me into ballroom dancing, three hairdressers who seem obsessed with hearing me speak (anything – just talk Neil), a best mate who is a BIG biker and surrogate father for my cat, work colleagues who are also my best friends, a big sister (Deborah!) and most importantly of all – the thing I miss the most – I give you – Air Conditioning as standard. Off to thrash the cat – it's 30'c here and I am wasting away in the heat.

Dr Hair is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the E Philip Saunders College of Business at RIT.

© 2006, Dr Neil Hair. All rights reserved.