One Whole Year

So our (specifically my) first year anniversary of living in the USA is here.  I can't believe it was a whole year ago that me and the cats boarded the plane at Heathrow and flew into Philly (hubby had already been here 4 weeks by then).  It seems to have gone by so quickly.  And yet, when I look back, we've seen and done so much in that time.

On the adventurous side (for us, at least) we've travelled near and far, exploring some of local Lancaster and also going further afield to see the sights of Boston, Baltimore, Washington DC and Florida.  We've made like tourists and visited local places of interest, and enjoyed glimpses into the lives of the local Amish people.

On the practical side, we've navigated the challenges of paperwork and processes and queues in order to get IDs, social security numbers and work visas.  We've re-taken our driving tests after twenty years.  We've found doctors and vets and dentists, learnt new insurance language, missed having a credit history, and appreciated even more the benefits and simplicity of the NHS compared to insurance providers.

We have got used to driving on the right (wrong) side of the road.  We collect our post from the mailbox down the street.  We order appetisers and entrées and think nothing of tipping 20%.  Walking the cats every evening has become part of our regular routine.  We listen to the noisy ciccadas and watch the magical fireflies on balmy summer evenings.

We notice (and sometimes look forward to) the not-so-subtle changes of the seasons (compared to the regular grey rain, mist and occasional drizzle we're used to).  From the ice and snow and sub-zero temperatures of winter, to the green lushness and fertile landscapes of the local farms in spring, to the humidity and sunshine and fierce heat and freezing air-conditioning of summer, to the cooler climes and autumn colours and endless (endless!) leaves of "fall".

Do we miss our family and friends back home?  Of course we do, but email and skype and visits and good 'ol snail mail help to make the transition easier.  Do I still want to return home at some stage?  Yes, I do, eventually, but for the time-being we're enjoying the benefits of a different lifestyle here in the US, and life is pretty good...

Corn Cobs

Corn seems to be the prevalent crop in the area where we live, and corn fields are *everywhere*; almost all the farms have swathes of them, and patches are even seemingly squeezed into (albeit relatively large) gaps between urban houses and in fields next to the numerous churches around here.  They almost change the landscape from season to season.  

Apparently one of our neighbours grew his own little corn plantation in a corner of his back yard last year.  Unsurprising, then, that sweetcorn is confirmed as Pennsylvania's largest vegetable crop.  

Sweetcorn season is from early July to the end of September, and you'll often see "corn countdown" signs by the roadside market stands in early summer, counting down the days until the fresh corn is available.  I guess the warm, wet springs and humid summers make perfect growing weather, and it seems the corn grows from tiny stubs to tall (over 6 feet) crackling fields of green in a matter of weeks.  And it's grown really closely together - not like in the movies where you see people tramping (or frequently running) between the rows - you'd be hard-pushed to get more than a foot in between these stalks!

The fresh produce stands are great - we have several within a few miles drive of the house, but have only recently properly discovered them.  Corn is relatively inexpensive, and often sold in bulk (ie ears sold still in their husks, by the dozen), although we haven't yet found a good place to store it when the temperatures are so warm, so we try to stick to small amounts. You can still get pre-packaged corn in the supermarkets like we're used to at home, but they also sell it loose in husks too - providing big black bins next to the shelves where you can strip the green leaves off yourself and pay less weight-wise!

Fresh corn is a treat, boiled or steamed on the cob and served simply with butter, but it's also lovely on the barbeque, slightly char-grilled.  There are also plenty of authentic Pennsylvanian Dutch recipes for chicken and corn soup dishes.  According to The Project Gutenberg EBook of Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking, by Unknown:

"One of the favorite summer soups in the Pennsylvania Dutch country is Chicken Corn Soup. Few Sunday School picnic suppers would be considered complete without gallons of this hearty soup."

Their traditional recipe:

Not yet tried it, but maybe a nice warming dish to cook up in the autumn!

Habitat for Humanity

Last weekend we spent a tiring, but satisfying, day plaster-boarding (aka "dry-walling" over here).  No we hadn't suddenly been overcome with the urge to remodel the rental... we were taking part in a York "Habitat for Humanity" day with Hubby's work.

 

 

Habitat for Humanity is a voluntary charitable organisation that builds affordable homes in partnership with lower-income residents in the area.  It's funded mainly by private donations, and offers interest-free, 30 year mortgages to qualified families.  Much of the materials are donated from local contractors and suppliers, and the rest of the build depends on local community fund raisers and donations.

 

The ground-breaking for this house took place back in March this year (when there was still snow on the ground), and is due to be completed in November, with a deserving family already lined up to move in.

 

 

It was an early start - 7:45am, and already warm, with the promise of hot, muggy temperatures later in the day.  After a quick briefing (sustained by the obligatory coffee and doughnuts), we were split into smaller groups and designated an experienced construction volunteer and a room to work in.

 

Being a complete novice at dry-walling didn't seem to be a problem, and our little team of 4 was soon measuring, cutting, gluing and screw-gunning huge boards into place on the ceiling and walls like we knew what we were doing.  And then making adjustments to take into account the fact that timber-built houses are never square...

 

We did well, and although we weren't able to quite finish the room in the time allocated, we got close.  Sadly no in-progress photos - we were too busy working!  However, I have developed a new-found respect for those DIY programmes where they build complete houses from scratch in a few days!

 

 

By mid afternoon we were done.  We may have been filthy, exhausted and sweaty, but we left with a happy satisfaction that we'd made a small contribution to a future home for another family.

10 more random observations on life in the US

1. Every time you say thank you for something, it has to be acknowledged with an overly enthusiastic "you're welcome!" or a non-committal "mmhmm".  It makes me overly conscious of how often I say thank you. 

And they really do say "have a nice day" - there's even a whole Wikipedia page on how this developed!.




It's chocolate-dipped bacon, before you ask...

2.  Chocolate-dipped bacon is a thing here.  It's kind of nice, in a weirdly crispy salty bacon-y sweet soft chocolate-y way...






3.  You can't buy alcohol in supermarkets.  Which means you have to make a separate visit first to the state-owned wine / spirits shop and then to the beer shop (where you can only buy the minimum of a case of beer).  Sometimes I miss the convenience of Tesco!  PA apparently has some of the strictest alcohol rules in the USA.  This seems to have changed very recently, and suddenly "beer cafes" are cropping up in supermarkets where you can buy small amounts of alcohol.   




4.  What the heck's a "biscuit"?  Still can't get a straight answer on this one.  Not a biscuit as the British know it (obviously that's a cookie), but seems to be somewhere between a bread roll and a (savoury?) scone.  Regularly served with fried chicken meal deals, along with gravy. 
No idea why.



5. True story - me, in [popular sandwich franchise], having ordered my chicken & bacon flatbread:  "And could I have some ranch sauce with that, please?"
Blank look from server: "Ranch?"
Me:  "yes please"
Server:  "Ranch?  I don't know what you mean - what is that?"
Me:  "the green one" (helpfully pointing)
Server (loudly):  "oh, you mean raaaayyyyanch!  Didn't understand your accent there!"
*sigh*


6.  Yard work is a full-time, year-round activity.  At any given point during the day, at least one of our neighbours (or their designated gardening contractor) is out doing "yard work".  If they're not mowing the grass in the spring / summer, then they're hovering up the leaves with their leaf vacuum / blower in the autumn, or they're clearing snow with their snow blower in the winter.  (Hubby is desperate to buy a sit-on mower, but luckily the landlord is responsible for cutting the grass...)  Lawns are closely manicured, beds are deeply mulched, shrubbery is trimmed and paths are swept to within an inch of their lives - sometimes it reminds me of the "Mr Fussy" Mr Men book where he combs the grass straight!


 
7.  Yard sales are big here - the US equivalent of boot sales, but where you sell your stuff from your own front garden.  Devoted yard sales fans are known to get up at the crack of dawn and scour local neighbourhoods for good sales, often diving into people's garages as they're trying to set up (much like they dive into your car in the UK when you're trying to set up at a boot sale).



8.  Drug adverts prevail here - and they're quite different from the UK.  They often openly compare their drug's benefits against named competitors, and they all advocate that you take their wonder drug but to be aware of...  (cue long list of random possible side effects, including death).  In magazines, they're often 2-3 pages long.  Oh - and they usually include a reminder not to take the drug if you're allergic to it... (but how do you know?)




9.  "Slated" in newspaper headlines means "scheduled" - this confused me at first, and I thought the reporters were being a little harsh...










* plus 6c

10.  VAT is added at the till - which means the ticket price isn't the final price you'll pay.  This caught me out a few times at the beginning (especially in the dollar store), but now you just get used to the fact that 6% is added on to your final bill.  (And you get better at your six times tables).

Strasburg Rail Road

 

Last weekend we took a trip on a steam train, and in the Presidents' Car, no less!  We visited Strasburg Rail Road, just south east of Lancaster, which offers 45 minute round-trip train rides through some beautiful Lancaster countryside on restored steam trains.

Strasburg Rail Road was founded in 1832 and was used for both passenger and freight transport, becoming a key freight interchange point with the Pennsylvania Railroad.  When its use decreased with the growing efficiency of highways, it eventually fell into disrepair.  The idea to make it a tourist attraction was formed in the 1950s, and a group of railroad enthusiasts worked to repair the tracks and buy up historic locomotives and passenger cars.

 

 

 

There are still sidings filled with rusting engines and carriages, presumably waiting for repair or being used for parts.  Some of the restored locomotives and cars have been featured in films such as Hello Dolly and Wild Wild West (Will Smith).  On certain days, you can meet Thomas the Tank Engine, take a Steam Punk ride, or participate in a Murder Mystery Dinner.

We rode on Reading Car 10 - originally built in the early 1900s at a cost of $55,000.  It was referred to as a "business car" - ie built for company presidents and other high level officials to travel in style.  Beautiful handcrafted inlaid and carved woodwork (mahogany and maple), cut glass crystal, flushing toilets and showers and even air-conditioning - these carriages were designed for the higher echelons of society.

 

 

Sadly, the train was mothballed and auctioned off in the 1960s due to declining rail company revenues, but was eventually restored and renovated to it's current glory in 2002. 

Obviously we travelled in style, partaking of a beverage and nibbles to complement the experience!

Later, we took a tour of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, where they have a large warehouse stacked to the rafters with historic steam and electric locomotives, rail cars and carriages.



A lovely way to spend a few hours on a weekend, with a lovely drive through Amish countryside at either end, too.

4th July Concert

Last weekend was Independence Day, 4th July, which apart from meaning an extra day off work, almost passed us by.  The Saturday itself was horrible weather, which didn't help (think it was the first full day and night of rain since early Spring), but Sunday was better, luckily, as we had hoped to be able to go to an outdoor concert at nearby Longs Park.

This was the annual Independence Day concert held by the Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation, and part of the free weekly outdoor concerts they hold during the summer months.  Families are encouraged to bring blankets and camping chairs and coolers to enjoy different types of music each week.

For the 4th July event, crowds of 25,000 were expected, and it was certainly busy when we arrived an hour and a half before the start!  But we managed to squeeze our camping chairs into a small gap in the crowds in front of the amphitheatre and settled in with our picnic and people-watching whilst we waited for things to start.  It was very warm - about 80 degrees, and it didn't really cool down much into the evening.

This concert featured the US Army's Concert Band, and included a number of US orchestral numbers  with the general theme of independence and celebration.  However, the high point was their version of the 1812 overture, timed just as the light fell, and including 16 civil-war era cannons.

You can see my video of the finale of the piece here.


This was then followed by a great fireworks display.

 

An amazing finish to a great evening, only slightly spoiled by the fact that it then took us 55 minutes to get out of the car park, which is 5 minutes from home!