
From Europe to Silicon Valley - things I do/don't like about USA - evahenson
http://filipmolcan.com/blog/2012/12/17/from-europe-to-silicon-valley-20-things-i-dodont-like-about-usa
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jmduke
I think one of the big points that this article misses (I love these kinds of
posts, though) is that the United States are _crazy_ diverse. The post talks
about it a little with regards to safety on the streets, but I mean in a
broader context: Silicon Valley is hardly a microcosm of the entire country.
States, regions, and cities have broadly differing cultures and atmospheres,
sometimes even to the same extent as going from one country to the other (
_especially_ when it comes to climate.)

Given that the author said he had spent time in a great number of states, I
was quite surprised by a lot of his points being seemingly so specific. I
think that's one of the US's biggest advantages: five years in one city will
leave you a different person than five years in another.

(Also, if you think people are friendly in SF, spend a weekend in South
Carolina. You'll forget how not to smile.)

~~~
Svip
I also think it is a bit unfair to the Czech Republic to be compared to such a
large country.

When he talks about the traffic lights being placed across the intersection,
he should come visit Denmark; that's how we do it here! And it's not that far
from Czech Republic, and we also like good beer (unlike the Americans who just
drink flavoured water).

~~~
dagw
_unlike the Americans who just drink flavoured water_

Or beer that is hopped to up to crazy levels without any consideration for
things like flavor balance and finesse.

~~~
levosmetalo
You can always opt to drink only Mexican beers there. Last time I was in the
US, some of these beers were up to the level of European beer quality, some
better, some worse, but in the same league.

~~~
vetinari
Even in Europe, not every beer is good. There is a term "Eurobeer", and it is
an insult, usually targeted at Heineken or SABMiller products (or beers from
other breweries with similar quality).

Having better beer than Eurobeers is no problem then. Good beers, on the other
hand, are really good.

~~~
levosmetalo
Fair point. I considered only good European beers and good Mexican beers, not
some products with high marketing and low quality. Unfortunately, when I was
in US I didn't have a luck to try good US beer, and moved on to Mexican beers
as soon as I discovered them.

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kylec
The USA is so vast and so diverse that it's very hard to make general
statements that apply to all of it. While the author of this post claims to
have seen quite a bit of America, a lot of what he says doesn't mesh with my
experience on the east coast. I have never paid half price for food if I'm
kept waiting, for example, and the weather here is humid and hot in the summer
and bitter cold in the winter. Most roads are OK in urban areas but I've seen
some truly dreadful roads in more rural areas. Most houses (excluding condos)
here aren't glued together, either.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but things aren't quite as rosy here
as they are on the west coast, especially in the Valley.

~~~
BlobbleBlab
Not true. Vast yes, but diverse, not so much, unless you're specifically
referring to wildlife and not to people. Coast to coast you'll find the same
language, the same religion, the same sports, chains, food, traditions,
holidays, it's all the same. To you, the differences between a Texan and a New
Yorker may be huge, but to outsiders they're the same thing.

Travel the same distance in any direction in the old world and you'll find
dozens or even hundreds of languages, completely unrelated cultures, cuisines,
traditions.

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mturmon
Europeans often comment on flimsy US house construction. Perhaps it's because
of the relative newness of most US housing stock. And also the propensity of
Americans to tear it down and start over. There's less reason to build for
forever in this case.

Another factor is seismic conditions (the OP was clearly most influenced by
the Bay Area). Masonry or stone construction is incompatible with earthquakes.

~~~
henrikschroder
> Perhaps it's because of the relative newness of most US housing stock.

No, brand new houses and apartment buildings in at least the Bay Area are of
shoddy quality compared to brand new houses built to Northern European
standards. Same goes for older houses. Doesn't matter if it's brick or wood or
concrete, there's just a huge quality gap.

Some of it is explained by the climate, it always amuses me to see housing ads
proudly proclaiming "double glazing!". Meanwhile, over here, triple glazing
has been the legal minimum for decades, and older houses were required to
retrofit it.

Some of it is explained by the british heritage, they can't build houses on
the british isles either.

The rest, I don't know how to explain. I guess people simply don't know how
good houses they could be having, and therefore don't crave it?

~~~
mturmon
Maybe lowering the cost of construction by setting the quality bar lower is
one of the factors behind the higher rate of home ownership in the US?

(I have relatives who, last I heard, live in trailers, err, manufactured
homes, which I believe are pretty much unheard of as dwellings in northern
Europe.)

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rayj
So you are a straight European dude in your 20s-30s in one of the most
lucrative and in-demand industries in the USA in SV/SF. This might give you a
slight case of rose colored glasses. You might have seen in your travels to
other parts of the country that many Americans do not have this standard of
living. To be blunt, it is likely that minority women in the deep south would
have a slightly different expierence.

The realitiy of living in the USA is : 1\. Don't get sick. We don't want to
pay for you to go see the doctor, even if it would save $millions in medical
bills for diabetes/cancer/chronic disease. There is the legal obligation for
any emergency room to stabilize you, but then they kick you out if you can't
pay.

2\. Don't have kids. Kids cost a fuckton, and the governmnet doesn't really
want to pay for it, but they partially do through a clusterfuck of programs
(WIC/CHIP et al). There is no legally-mandated Parental leave or anything,
that is for those lazy Frenchmen.

3\. Don't be a woman. People will make rape jokes about you all the time
(hello microsoft, E3) and that would be just the start of it. Never mind
access to affordible healthcare like cancer screening and abortion.

4\. Be christian, or if that isn't possible be Jewish. Just don't be
Athiest/Muslim/Hindu/Bhuddist/....

 __If you aren 't Protestat Christian there is no chance you will be
president, JFK excepted. __

5\. Belive that USA = #1. Keep that flag flying and that coolaid flowing.

Disclaimer: I'm just a white guy trying to get a PHD/marketable skills so I
can leave this country and move 140 miles north to Vancouver. Yes I know
Vancouver has a bit of a heroin/prostitution/housing problem, but it's better
than the current situation.

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wybo
I'd like to add a few points from my own experience:

Cars: In America/Golden Gate Park, people take their car into the park! They
even park it right there, right next to where they have their picnic. Odd but
understandable. In Europe cars are antithetical to nature and relaxation,
something industrial you hide out of sight, while in the US they are
(apparently) integral to it.

Hours. In the US/SF people 'like' to be in the office. It is practically their
home when they are not commuting or sleeping. While on the weekends they go on
trips to be away from home/the office (I could not imagine raising, rather
than merely producing, a family in the US).

(all you say about the weather is true, unless you live in West SF. National
parks are fabulous indeed!)

Poverty. Without being a Republican who believes the poor / racial minorities
are to blame for their own d*mned fate, it is not possible to enjoy central
San Francisco. Never seen so many homeless people in such horrible states of
existence (and I am not a Republican but a social democrat, so I was not
comfortable with US society...).

(the US is this odd mix between rich and modern and a 3rd world country...
also with regard to infrastructure)

Traffic lights (and a lot of traffic) at almost every corner in the city.
Perhaps nice if you are driving, but very annoying when you want to enjoy an
uninterrupted walk.

Grid-pattern (mostly responsible for the former). Cities look like they were
built on a chess-board. Nice if you want to go straight, but not good when you
want to go diagonal (in Paris they solved this with diagonal avenues). And
forget building diversity or atmosphere, especially in the suburbs (which are
97% of the city).

Houses are indeed quite flimsy. But in East SF there are at least some lovely
pre-war houses that have atmosphere (I lived in a room in one, loved it...).

Business / startup opportunities; indeed, nothing beats California (never seen
so many things bordering on the silly, fully funded...).

On balance, after a year in the US, I chose to go back to the old world when a
great opportunity came up there. I'm a European again :)

~~~
Gormo
How do traffic lights hinder your walk?

~~~
wybo
By being red at least 50% of the time (and making cars drive past fast & and
making it an offence to cross the street even if there is no traffic (so in
addition to watching the traffic one needs to scan the street for police...)).

Also, in many older (& also modern Dutch & UK inner cities) we have a thing
called Woonerf
([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woonerf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woonerf)),
which means a ~15 miles per hour maximum speed off the main roads inside
residential areas, so pedestrians and kids can actually enjoy/play on the
roads...

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ww520
Weather - always sunny. I think OP spending too much time in the SF Bay Area.
Bay Area is among a few places in the world that has the best weather year
round.

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vacri
_I am able to accept that there might be wolves in woods but not that I will
be robed on street._

Some typos are too good to pass up.

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mcrider
Not sure why you'd want head on your beer, thats just wasted space...

~~~
agilebyte
:) It dissipates after a while and some of it turns into liquid so if done
properly you should get the "liquid amount" ordered up to the little needle
mark on the glass. A different culture. Here in the UK I always get an ale
that spills on my fingers when I carry it as it is 100% full...

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rvschuilenburg
This has always been confusing to me: "I have to drink my beer from a paper
bag, so there is nothing to be seen. What do you think everybody drinks from
their paper bags? Coca-cola?"

~~~
Gormo
That's another thing that varies from state to state. In some states, like
Nevada and Louisiana, public consumption of alcohol is quite legal, and often
commonplace.

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hondje
I wonder why Europeans feel physically unsafe here while simultaneously
finding us extremely friendly. Is it just a normal reaction to being a
stranger in a strange land?

~~~
nikatwork
Ozzie here. It's not just being a stranger in a strange land, your country has
some dangerous edges. My experience in California:

* The police are like military. I saw a couple of incidents, and concluded that if the police pull you up, it's best to drop to the ground and obey. Pretty scary.

* I didn't realise that nobody walks when I first arrived. It's pretty easy to end up in the wrong neighbourhood if you go for a long walk. Ie, packs of young rugged looking dudes eyeing you off.

* Bums in San Fran. I've never seen first world poverty like that. Very confronting.

* The missus visited LA, turned off one exit too early and ended up in Inglewood. Her descriptions of the neighbourhood were... colourful.

On the plus side, the nightlife was really safe. In Australia I'm used to
constant fistfights and violence around clubs/pubs. On the flipside, I got the
feeling that everyone was being so polite and respectful because ya never know
who's got a gun. That's not really a relaxing feeling.

~~~
dyno12345
I wouldn't worry about people carrying guns in bars... not something I've ever
seen happen. I've spent a good deal of time in Oz and the bar brawling culture
there is just not something we have here. It happens sometimes, but usually
when it looks like something's going to break out a half dozen people spring
up and try to diffuse the situation. 98% of the time it never gets past the
shouting-of-threats stage. In Oz it always went from zero to bloodspray in
short order.

~~~
vacri
Depends where you are in Oz. In Melbourne, you don't have bar brawls. There is
some violence late at night outside the nightclubs when they close, but the
'bar brawl' is largely myth here.

~~~
dyno12345
I can confirm I don't recall ever seeing a fight in Melbourne. Pretty much
everywhere else, though...

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fierycatnet
As non American living in US, I can agree with most points.

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gcb0
Wow, if he likes the corn tasting steaks from usa... I'm sorry for the cows in
Europe.

~~~
nnq
In central and eastern Europe (I mean outside France, Germany, UK) _beef
tastes like shit_ , no matter how the steak is prepared, unless you're happy
to end up in a place with "american (style) steaks" (that are usually made
from beef imported from UK or USA) or good French cuisine. It's basically a
whole different animal, not a metaphor: the cattle are never the famous and
tasty american Back Angus or anything similar, their meat has a _totally_
different texture and flavor, and by different I mean _horrible_ (usually...
I'm sure a French cook can make a dead rotten rat taste divine with all those
marinading and sauces, but that's a different story...).

...now about lamb and pork steaks, it's different story, but beef steak in any
"non beef loving country" is always _crap._

~~~
vetinari
The cattle in Central and Eastern Europe is grown for the milk, not for the
meat. That is the reason, why it tastes like shit. If you want a good steak
there, get an Argentinian.

Of course, there are exceptions. In Prague, you can have good Czech-grown
steak from cattle-frown-for-meat (go to Cestr).

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nano111
I wish I could down-vote...

~~~
mmanfrin
Don't worry, I'll happily give you one for your pointless no-content snark.

~~~
nano111
thanks

