Let's Talk About American Culture Shocks
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2024
- The rumours are true! I bumped into Scottish UA-cam sensation @shaunvlog in Chicago. Here's our chat about American Culture shocks and the American things that bring us joy.
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The biggest culture shock I’ve seen is probably people from Europe not realizing just how big the country is. I met someone once who didn’t do his research, flew into New York, and thought he would be able to drive the country and see everything on his two week vacation. People question why we don’t leave the country, and it’s partly because there’s more here than we’d be able to see in one lifetime.
Exactly. I think the Scottish man here has seen more of the U.S. than I have and yet I was born and raised here, and have lived in four states (one of them was as a baby, though, so I suppose it doesn't count). My family did do a road trip move from Alaska to Louisiana, though, so I've been through many more but usually we stayed on the interstate and only ate McDonald's or Burger King, lol.
@@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley My friend went to college in Scotland and one of his friends was visiting New York and asked if he wanted to meet up.
.... we're in California
@@Madwonk 😂😂😂 That's probably one of the furthest two points from one side of America to the other, within the continental U.S, lol. That's no quick daytrip.
I had someone say they were going to visit all these cities all over the US in 2 weeks and swore they knew how big it was. We told her it takes a whole day to get across the US so it doesn't make sense to waste time. She genuinely didn't realize we meant it takes a whole day FLYING.
@@pcbassoon3892 It probably doesn’t help that our states are easily the size of their larger countries. They go to visit America and they don’t realize that they’re really visiting a continent.
America really gets a bad rap from foreign media....even our own media, really. I'm really glad you point out how warm and genuinely friendly everyone is. Obviously not literally everyone, but MOST everyone.
The number one thing I hear from foreigners here for the first time (generally for work) is they are shocked at how friendly and polite people are here. Opening doors, helping find a place, even just friendly conversation while stuck in a line.
Especially our own 'mainstream legacy media'. It's that way the over the whole world, sadly.
@@itneverends7 As Americans we have always been critical of ourselves and our actions. Imo it's why we've done so well. We are not afraid to fail, and we are not afraid to look at where we fall short and try and do better. It's not a modern thing, and it's not a weakness.
@@Ocrilat I think the same thing! I always say that I'm proud of my country for talking honestly about the dark parts of our history and our society. We could stand to look at the nicer parts too though - like our friendliness.
The attitude they usually show in the media is the Karens and snooty people that think they are above others, and a huge majority of people in the world, let alone here, do not like it, and these Karens of the world fails to see that they're in the wrong.
I love the saying that England conquered the world for spices and then decided not to use them 😂
I have heard this so often. I wonder why that is??
😂😂😂😂😂😂
I love telling Brits that they are responsible for more "Independence Days" across the world than any other culture.
To be fair, black pepper used to be one of the most highly sought after and expensive spices in the world. Nowadays, it's seen as "basic" or even "bland."
I also think the "fetishization," as I like to call it, of sauces and spices is a very American thing. We're notorious for drenching our food in sauce and I feel like eating spicy food is kind of turning into a way Americans show off how "cultured" they are. Like "wow, I'm a pasty white American but I can handle Indian spicy! Look at me! I'm not like the other white people!" I definitely think there's an element of that, aside from the American palette just opening up to spicier foods.
The Dutch got most of the spices but England got sugar, tobacco, rice, cotton, tea, and slaves and they were plenty profitable.
I lived in Scotland for four years.
Upon arrival, I could understand about 1/4 of what they said. By the time I left, I could understand nearly half.
I was quite proud of that achievement.
I’m not convinced that even Scottish people understand most of what their fellow scots say loo
LOL, true that!
"I was quite proud of that achievement".
Luv-vit!
You adapt to the accents. When I first worked with people who came from, Iraq, Sudan, Cuba it drove me absolutely wild for a bit. Before long though, you don't really even notice it.
I have a friend who live there for a year-she said it was like a whole other language. They could barely understand anything. Lol
Ahhh LOVE THIS and so excited to see this video out! Hello all! I have many videos to share from my US road trip and, yes, Laurence appears in a few of them for more crossover episodes, but they’d re still quite far out! Can’t wait to share and thanks for showing us around Chicago 😀
Great intro to this channel! Also, so glad that you stopped at Buckee’s while in Texas. It’s an experience for those of us who’ve stop many times before!
wish you could've gotten hold of the bears or colts to go into one of their training camps! would've been great to see how they train for the nfl.
Shaun I am thrilled you are back in the US after the crazy past years. I’ll be looking for your vids. Have fun exploring!
Glad to see you enjoyed Chicago! It's been the news media's punching bag lately and people who have never visited Chicago need to see just how beautiful and underrated this city is!
I'm glad you got a very nice day out. The summer thunderstorms can be something else. Nice seeing both of you in one place, too.
Shaun explaining chicken fried steak to Lawrence was so wholesome.
That was my favorite part 🤣☺️ I love how they stopped walking to seriously discuss this “phenomenon” and then began walking again once Shaun agrees to send the address of the diner to Lawrence 😆 Way too cute
Absolutely wholesome. :)
Go watch both their review videos! Love watching folks experience tasty goodness
That was awesome. "Send me the address!" as though there aren't thousands of diners which offer that particular delicacy.
Lol "send me the address!"
Let me see...ok the address is:
Everywhere south of a line drawn from Baltimore to Bakersfield.
My French pen pal came to visit us in Connecticut and she was all "Oh, I'd love to visit California, NYC, Florida..." And we were like, NYC we can do, but CA is on the other side of the country. We took her to Niagara Falls, Hershey Park, some place in CT and NYC. She couldn't believe how massive just New England is. Now she lives in CA!
Ha, my English grandparents came to visit us in SF. Wanted to visit Texas and Washington DC as a couple day trips. It all stems from the way English think of themselves as (once) masters of the universe (sun never set on the British Empire). Back when atlas' were a thing, an English atlas would show the UK on the same amount of pages as the US, Canada or Russia. They never looked at the scale, so they never internalized the relative scale. In England, you're never more than 80 miles from the sea - now try and envision a country that's 2,500 miles between San Francisco and NYC.
That’s super trippy because I vaguely remember seeing a comment literally IDENTICAL to this but it’s my first time seeing this video. Yeah Europeans have an entirely different much smaller concept of size, I always just consider it as the US is the size of all of Europe and European countries are more like us states. I imagine an American going to Africa may be similar because sure Africa looks huge but it’s still so much larger than it looks probably like 4-5x the US.
Europeans think 100 miles is a long distance, Americans think 100 years is a long time.
-- read somewhere.
@@veramae4098 also 100 miles is commute distance for a large minority of Americans
@@veramae4098 Humans have a finite lifespan smaller than that, this has political implications, meanwhile Europe has made the jump from horses to cars and driving 100 miles takes like 2 hours and costs as much as you earn in probably an hour.
As an American, "confusing but good" is an accurate description of our food.
In Washington DC I overheard 4 people speaking among each other. After listening I asked my best friend if she knew which language they were speaking. They overheard me and replied “English, we’re from Scotland”. They cleared their words and sounded like Shaun. We had a fun couple hours together.
To be fair, in DC, it could have been anything, including the language of the fork tongued lizard creature - Politician.
@@Salty_Balls To be politicians are fork tongued without being lizards anyway.
Yeah, and I didn't understand many of the words Shaun said here. Sometimes I don't understand a single word Scottish people say.
@Dee Santer Actually English is the main language spoken in Scotland, and has been for at least a century. (Scottish Gaelic is probably the next.) It is just that the accent is SO strong and they speak fast, that it takes a little while to understand someone from Scotland speaking English, if you aren't used to it.
I rarely have problems with a Scots accent, but the last time I was in Scotland I was standing in a queue in front of a Glaswegian who was about 3 sheets to the wind, and I gotta tell you, it was absolute GIBBERISH.
The smallest and dumbest thing that shocked me when I moved back the states was ordering a large drink at the fast food place. I had forgotten that "large" meant appropriate for a buffalo.
Do you remember Super Size me? Trough size 😂
Most of it is ice.
@@williamjordan5554 You can literally ask for it without ice or just make the drink yourself if you order inside. But who the hell doesn't want ice?
@@willvr4 True. But that's not the default setting.
@@williamjordan5554 I feel ya. I have a family friend who owns a few McDonalds and he told me they make all their money off of drinks because the profit margin is through the roof. A single drink costs them like 8 cents. They basically break even on the value menu and hope to sell drinks.
My wife is Korean, the first time she flew to the CONUS we then had to fly from L.A. to Charlotte, NC for a layover to head north. She had no idea it would take at about 5-6 hours of flying to get from one coast to the other coast. She was like me as a kid in the backseat of my parents' station wagon by asking "Are we there yet?"
Living in the US you just kind of get use to the “bigness” of everything. My family hosted two students from Japan and they also commented on it. My favorite was seeing them go to McDonalds and ordering a small drink, one girl tried to take it back to the cash register thinking it was a mistake lol
One of my BFF’s sponsored a Japanese exchange student when we were in high school. I can’t remember her name, but she LOVED McDonalds, but God bless her, she just could NOT pronounce “McDonalds”.
To this day, we still call it “Maka-Doe-Donnaydoe’s”.
And like you mentioned, she was constantly floored by how insanely large the portion sizes are. The idea of leftovers or doggy bags from restaurants was incomprehensible to her.
And the thing about that is, the portions have gotten smaller in the last 20 years. Lol Remember Super size in the 90s?
@@pcbassoon3892 "Fun" fact about that, did you know the guy in that was a functioning alcoholic during filming?
@@TheTheninjagummybear It's the kind of thing that I didn't know but it's absolutely not surprising in retrospect lol. I hope he's doing better for himself.
Take them to Whataburger, order a large drink. Then sit back and watch.
I love these guys. They are kind when exploring the United States, never putting us down. Thank you gentlemen.
I'm not from US but I love that too. :)
Agree. Most of us know we/our country is far from perfect but there at least some redeeming qualities. It’s refreshing to hear foreign perspectives willing to deviate from the same old stereotypes
It actually hurts my feelings a bit when I see it. Ok maybe that’s an exaggeration, but still, it’s not very nice. So, I appreciate their kindness as well.
I agree, Betty. I'm a human being like anyone else born on this planet into a country and I happened to be born in America. I'm not better or worse as a human being than anyone because of it, nor is anyone else, whatever country they may come from. I don't judge anyone's character based on their nationality or make assumptions about their character because of their nationality. It's nice to see people doing the same. Clumping people into groups and making broad, sweeping judgements about "them" I don't think is ever helpful. It's only a way to stop yourself from genuinely seeing people for who they actually are and all we have in common with one another as human beings.
I moved to US 52 years ago and I still get people complimenting me on my accent. I love the fact that so many people talk to me just to hear me talk. I am from London and I just love the people here. Very generous, interested, kind people.
Trust me--the feeling is mutual. The people of the U.K. are family.
brothers from across the pond
Delighted to have you old chap
I was very well treated in England. The only rude people in London were not British, but from middle east.
You must not live in California if you describe you're area like that
For anyone wondering what a chicken fried steak is, it is beef/steak breaded and fried like a fried chicken cutlet.
Edit: country fried steak and chicken fried steak are different though the only really noticeable difference is country fried steak has brown gravy and chicken fried steak has white gravy
I love chicken fried steak ! Usually served with white gravy that has sausage bits in it. I'd always take the white over the brown mystery gravy. Yummy and satisfying @
Steak cuts for chicken fried steak is cube steak (perforated)
People mirroring other's accents is a really weird, unconscious thing. I definitely feel myself doing it with people with other accents after hanging around them for awhile.
Yeah. I noticed that as i watch more British accents i start talking like a brit.
I'm American, but had lots of Aussie friends growing up. No joke, I can basically "code switch" to an Aussie accent and dialect because they taught me a bunch of slang too. When I played video games, I liked to speak in an Aussie accent since I was always in Aussie servers and most were none the wiser.
It’s totally normal, too - as social animals, we do it so we won’t stand out as “other” in groups settings - it’s safer to fit in. 😊
I was spending a lot of time in Canada, my kid was living and playing hockey there, and I found myself saying things with an adopted accent from time to time. It was a bit like living in a foreign country and picking up some fluency in that native language.
Can I just say how refreshing it is for someone not to make fun of how we feel about our ancestry but rather see how much it matters to us?
What I hate is Starbucks using an English word for the small size drink, then a foreign word for the larger sizes, and insisting on calling the small size tall, sounds so pretentious. I call the smallest size small
@@rachelgarber1423 What I hate is Starbucks
@@rachelgarber1423 How does that relate to people's ancestry? Statement above?
I know . That was so nice to hear Shaun say how it is to see people into it. On so many social media people rag on Americans for their pride in their ancestors and heritage. Oh and I think he's an official honorary Texan.
@@rachelgarber1423 That's what you get for going to Starbucks.
I was stationed in Germany as an US Army soldier, and I took some leave and visited England. Now, in London, I didn't have too much of a problem understanding people... then I traveled towards Wales. I got on a bus somewhere in Wales, and asked the driver a question and to this day I have no idea what he said.. it was english (I think), so I just thanked him and sat down....
Same here. Only different accent. Moved to Houma, Louisiana. Was lost to I pulled into a fire station to ask for directions. I knew he definitely spoke English, when he spoke to me, I was like what the heck did he just say. 😂Very heavy Cajun accent. I thanked him, then went to another store to get directions. 😂😂
I did pretty much the same thing. I was stationed in Germany for 19 months, and took 45 days of leave to "play tourist" over my stay. Too many people were partying their checks away, or buying electronics, or vehicles, or something else. I bought some things, but didn't know when I would be back, so I also traveled. When I could go with someone, I did. When I couldn't find anybody, I went anyway. I tried to look like a local (no white athletic shoes, no American style t-shirts, no baseball caps, etc.) and had a great time. It was cool when I looked British enough for a Brit to ask me for directions in the tube. After the Covid stuff settles down, I want to take the wife to Ireland...
I think it helped taking French in school, being stationed in Central America where I was taught Spanish, and then in Germany where I was taught German. Between (American) English, French and German, I could communicate with most people.
@jonferdig, don't worry, most of England don't really understand the Welsh either! lol.
@@macD723 facts hahaha
That's okay. i have a friend from very rural Georgia who now lives here in Upstate New York and whenever I see him, I understand about 2/3rds of what he says. Which is an improvement from before.
"I'm not sure why they love the Alamo so much if they lost." Texan here, The Alamo is looked at as the ultimate display of bravery. 200 men from multiple nations fought a futile battle against 2000-4000 mexican troops. The fact they were shown no quarter and were put to death to the very last man, that sparked a battle cry that ultimately led to the Texians winning the war. It's not the battle itself, it's the bravery of the defenders that we celebrate down here in San Antonio. Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!
@CW Harper It occurs to me that Texas is essentially the Scotland of the United States in its independent and rugged spirit-the Alamo is its Culloden.
Can’t forget Goliad.
The real story is not as glamorous so Texas prefers to go with the fictitious version.
@@bigmonmagoomba9634 Indeed! Many of the Alamo defenders were there to promote slavery and land grabbing (land speculators), including Bowie and many of the defenders. They were illegally attempting to get the US to side with them over false and selfish charges/issues (which the US nearly did with Andrew Jackson - He who attempted to destroy multiple tribal nations and supported slavery). The idea that they were brave defenders is fallacious Texas fantasy - they were self centered, self motivated thieves who stole Texas from it's rightful owner (Mexico) - as was the US a decade late during the Mexican War. Not revisionist history, just the way it really went down - without the Texas BS added by later generations.
@@bigmonmagoomba9634
Sounds like every winner of a war or battle throughout the entirety of history.
Wow what a suprising revalation, the winners sugarcoat the past.
Ever hear about the german soldiers kill en masse after ww2? How about the genocide of russians in ukraine?
How about the treatment of locals by the americans during ww2? Any one of the countless genocides swept away under the rug. Even the native americans were slaughtering each other and fighting over land long before any western settler arrived.
Its great to call to light problems with the telling of history, but the majority of people just call out the things they themselves have issues with, while ignoring the rest.
A weird problem I have learned about Americans, growing up IN America myself, is a lot of people IN America, don't appreciate, understand or care about history!!
A great example of this is back years ago, I took a trip with my, then second wife, to Pittsburg to see her oldest brother! And while we were there, he suggested we take a train to the next town over, for a 4th of July parade that was happening! I forget the name of the actually TOWN we were in, BUT as we were walking down the street, I turned to look at my wife, who was to my left side and quickly noticed the "historical marker" sign, that told about the house sitting right next to her!! SHE continued to walk away as I stood there reading the sign, that read "Home of John Adams", which John Adams was The Second U.S. President!!! And when I finally caught up to my wife and told her what I read, she was like "So what?" AND left me standing there stunned by her lack of concern or caring!!
Even when I lived in Winston Salem North Carolina, I found it so incredible how few people KNEW any history about their own town!! I am from a small farming town in upstate New York, so learning the history of a city like Winston Salem NC was very interesting to me!! But nobody living there seemed to know anything about anything when I lived there for 4 years!!
That's a shame. To be fair though, there are ignorami everywhere, but yeah, the US does seem to be a hotbed for that. As they say, you can't move forward if you ignore the past. History is damn important.
I was surprised as an exchange student in Finland decades ago, at how Europeans didn't really grasp how big the United States is. One person was surprised that I would fly from one city to another within the same country.
Or, they talk about how they're gonna rent a car and go to Miami. New York City, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Grand canyon, San Francisco, LA.....length of their visit? 10 days. If they did nothing but drive they wouldn't make all those places
I live in Alaska and people in the Lower 48 don’t get how big Alaska is!
I see their public education system Geography classes are as bad as ours, although most Finns could probably find the US on a world map. I doubt most Americans could find Finland.
I can fly from one city to another and not even leave the state of Texas.
@@debblouin I've been to Alaska several times and it's an incredibly beautiful place, but if we're being fair about it most of the State is uninhabited wilderness. So there isn't much reason to gauge distance there. You're pretty much going to fly between any two populated areas there, especially if you're just being a tourist. Unlike pretty much any of the lower 48 states, there are some serious dangers involved in driving long distances in Alaska, where you can easily find yourself in the middle of nowhere and out of fuel. I guess you can drive between Anchorage and Fairbanks in the summer or something, but longer drives are probably a no-no for most people. Of course, I still want to try driving from the lower 48 into Alaska someday.
Laurence, I must say your videos are an absolute breath of fresh air. Being an American on the internet can be quite a demoralizing experience, what with all the negative stereotypes that circle around. It’s extremely relieving and uplifting to see someone who’s genuinely fascinated with every aspect of American life and culture, and who loves living here.
Don't be down.....there are stupid people everywhere
I will say he does bring up good things that I've forgotten about the US. I'm always thinking of the negative stuff, so yeah it's nice.
Only people that hate on Americans outside the US are insane Leftists.
@@debbylou5729 I mean it's fine to criticize things as long as you also see the good sides too, but if you're only hating on something constantly then yeah I agree that's pretty stupid.
A lot of what people in other countries see about America is either negative news stuff or phony Hollywood stuff. As you say - stereotypes. The rest of us ordinary people don't make the news. Ordinary doesn't make the news. Ordinary doesn't generate clicks. The vast majority of Americans are...ordinary.
This makes me so emotional. I love my country and I am so thankful to see you guys appreciating it. Thank you much love ❤️
Mum and I were in New York years ago - three ladies we met asked us to keep talking because they loved our Northern Irish accents (and the fact we lived so near Liam Neeson’s home town) 😂
I’ve been subscribed to both of these channels for a few years now and I can’t tell you how happy this makes me that these two met up I did a video, both of these two gentlemen also talk about the good things America has to offer the positivity which as Americans take very much pride in.
Yeah, me too! What a wonderful surprise & collaboration.
Same here too.
😀
Wonderful collaborating!
Great to see so many familiar faces 😀
my experience has been the same. i couldn't agree with you more !:-)
💜🙏⚡️
LOL, he said "gas station" instead of petrol station. Guess he been in the US long enough.
*Shaun talking about Buc-ee's
Buc-ee's is an extravaganza! Calling a Buc-ee's a "gas station" is an extreme understatement!!!
and then there are 'fuel stations" for diesel trucks.
LOL - Buc-ee’s is a local corner gas station for me. It feels weird to hear it get national attention. (Like somebody being star struck over a celebrity, but it’s your second cousin.)
I moved from California to Texas, and Buc-ees was a shock to me
Noticed that too. Stuck out.
I know some buc-ee’s locations are bigger than some small towns.
Years ago, back in like 03/04, an online friend of mine that lived in Rotterdam said she was coming to NYC for a weekend and wanted to go to Miami. I told her it was only possible if she caught a flight because the drive would take a day and a half; about the same as taking the train because of all the stops it makes and she couldn't understand because the map she had made it look like the distance was from Rotterdam to Paris.
Extremely niche trivia: Kent, WA and Aberdeen, WA are named after UK cities *because* the climate is the same (i.e., same climate = can grow the same crops). They were started as hops-farming communities, so they are named after the biggest hops distributors of the time
Related trivia: Kent is not a city, but a county in south-east England.
There is an Aberdeen NC and nearby is Scotland County but then the capital of NC is Raleigh, yes, that Sir Walter Raleigh.
We are loaded with UK names.
Knowing the rules of baseball doesn't make it less boring. But it's fun occasionally being at the stadium with a hot dog and a watery beer and some friends and waiting for the occasional exciting moments
Baseball is definitely a social sport. The game on the field is only part of the experience.
I like to explain to my students and expat friends that the real enjoyment in baseball isn't in the action, but the anticipation. Every at-bat is a chance for something to happen, a strike-out, a home run, a double-play, a rumble... you never really know what will happen next. American football, too. Honestly, it has a ton of down time as well, but the plays themselves provide a never-ending variety of _potential_ events.
It's also possibly why soccer never became that popular here as a spectator sport. I've tried to watch a few games, and while there's a lot of action, you eventually realize that there isn't really that much _action_ in the action. 90% of the game involves the players pointlessly passing the ball around in the center of the field. Only when someone manages to get within goal-scoring range is there much of a chance for anything really exciting happening.
To see what I mean, find yourself the clip of The Simpsons Soccer Riot and enjoy.
And sitting in the sun, if its not too hot!
I'm not English, I'm Vietnamese. My biggest culture shock was the touching. Especially hugging. Like coworkers offering hugs, acquaintances trying to hug goodbye.
I once collapsed on the ground to avoid a hug shortly after we moved here permanently. I have gotten better about it since. I don't want to make people feel bad or like they are violating me. I'm just from a culture where you don't grip and grab at each other.
As an American, neither do I. Just say you "aren't a hugger" or "don't like hugs" or go stiff and hope they take the hint.
Do you live in the south? I live in the South. I actually hate my personal space being violated. Just say, please, no hugs. We typically are ok with that.
That's rough I know. I'm American but from a family that wasn't "touchy feely" as it's been described
I hugged a sheriff in Peru after he helped me. The shock on his face 😆. And I’m not sure he enjoyed it.
Lol. I’m a hugger from the US. Thanks for the reminder that not all cultures hug.
We've had many holidays to the USA and have always enjoyed the trips enormously. Americans are always very warm, welcoming and friendly. The food is fantastic. Service in stores and restaurants is usually far better than in the UK , although the UK is much better than it used to be. The States is full of history, amazing museums and art galleries. The scenery, mountains and lakes with amazing National Parks. Food portions in restaurants are always very generous. Fantastic country to visit as a tourist and everyone speaks English. At least where we've visited.
Love New York, all of New England, Seattle is great. California and up to Lake Tahoe. Beautiful. North and South Carolina full of history. Florida and the Keys full of sunshine.
So glad you had a positive experience! Thank you for your comment!
Th Alamo was so significant because of the way they lost. Santa Anna wouldn't let anyone out. Then, he proceeded to massacre everyone in the building. This gave Texas a rallying cry, "Remember the Alamo". Which reignited their fervor, spurring them on to eventual victory. And is still used today.
You're referring to a battle where Texans stole land from Mexico. This is a bad thing, forget the Alamo.
@@RealRonaldoR9 how is it "bad" exactly?
My brother's mother-in-law was from Inverness, Scotland and came to the US in 1953. She never lost her accent and I loved to hear her talk.
My grandmother came here in1925 at 16 from Edinburgh and had difficulty getting around because nobody could understand her. She lost most of her accent by the time I knew her in the 1950's.
I talked to an almost 100 year old woman who moved here from Scotland, I don't know how many decades ago. She was a very nice woman to talk to and still sharp as a tack. Just a real charming lady.
Enjoyed this interview very much. It’s so interesting to hear what people from other countries think about the US. It’s discouraging, yet understandable, when others think we are less than. This man of Scottish heritage was very complimentary. Our country is not perfect. It’s often discouraging. The political climate is so divisive and frightening. The violence, mass shootings, is so destructive. Much needs repair. My thanks to your guest who said kind things about our country and its citizens. I appreciated it. Nice to think someone found the good in our country. It is here along with the not so good.
I don't think things are as bad as the media and personalities are invested in making us think it is. I admit I fall prey to thinking people are terrible and its all going to shit and then I go out among people and you know they are mostly good. Sure there's jerks and I think people are stressed and behaving worse than normal but I hope we dont judge people based on snapshot of them on a bad day instead of the cumulative life they 8ve
Oddly enough when I was in Scotland several times my group was overheard with our American accents and spoken to just based on that.
I had no idea anyone would care or want to talk to Americans.
I wish ya'll could do a show together. The chemistry is great. 1 season in the U.S., next season in Europe!
"LA: seventy-two suburbs in search of a city" Dorothy Parker
Off subject, but the best description of the infamous Santa Ana winds was by Raymond Chandler:
"There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge"
Raymond Chandler, Red Wind: A Collection of Short Stories
Love love love your sharing these quotes ! THANK YOU !
Dorothy could have said that about the cities and towns of Broward County Florida
Dorothy Parker was spot on!
Parker and Chandler? What's not to love?!
I grew up in Westminster, and rode my bike to school. It was a bitch getting home, riding against that life sucking wind for several miles. One of the exciting things we did in school was watch the flag as the ocean breeze pushed back and eventually the flag would reverse itself to the proper direction.
Another exciting thing was watching people surf in the soccer field after 4 straight days of rain.
I get asked to "do" my southern accent whenever I venture north of the Mason-Dixon line, especially in Canada, where I usually drop as much of it as I can. When cornered, I just pick one; there are numerous southern accents to choose from; it's hard to pick which one to do, but I usually go for the aristocratic sounding Virginia tidewater accent. LOL
From Birmingham, Alabama.
I have a Tidewater accent lol
I didn't really realize I had an accent.. I'm in FL.. till I was doing data entry and told the man to "call back if ya'll need anything" he laughed and loved it.. then I realized WHY he laughed and thought how I must sound like I'm from another country to him.
@@virginiarobbins7539 Florida is probably the least Southern state in the South , but they have a few decent places left there.
I worked in an office where Americans were the minority (mostly various African nationalities). My co-workers appreciated my slow, low-country drawl.
@@MeadeSkeltonMusic I am also proud of my Tidewater accent, even though I haven't lived there in 35 years. It's pronounced "Naw-fuk" not "Nor-folk"!!
Chicken fried steak being a new thing is so novel for me. 😂I loved that comment especially being from Arkansas mostly. It’s on so many menus here. Lol, I really believe that travel is essential. You never learn how hard it is to be an immigrant without that fish out of water experience. Your compassion for others is so dependent on personal experience. I think that’s why I fight for immigrant rights so hard and why I have the job I have now. We’re all just people, and the differences are the best part.
"We enjoyed watching the baseball game. The crowd would begin cheering, even though the score didn't seem to increase at all."
That's how we feel about soccer 😂
Basketball is just about the only sport where the cheering matches the scoring, and even then it's not, I just think that's how sports work, you cheer when your team does good things, including when they score
What an astounding coincidence that Shaun ran into you! How did that ever happen?
Chicken-fried steak is a tough cut of beef (like round steak) that's been pounded to tenderize it, then dipped in seasoned flour and egg and deep fried. It's usually served with gravy. It's not healthful, but it sure tastes great!
I'm glad Shaun drove down the California coast. It really is beautiful, and it gets you out of the cities to see some rural areas. I'm looking forward to seeing this part of his trip on his channel.
Wrigley Field is known as "The Friendly Confines." It's a very old ballpark without a lot of amenities, but the atmosphere there can't be beat.
It's not... chicken????? :(
@@Bigbadwhitecracker "Chicken fried steak" is a tenderized cut of beefsteak that's battered and fried like fried chicken, but not to be confused with "chicken fried chicken" which is a chicken breast fillet that's breaded and fried like fried chicken but isn't the same as "fried chicken" which is chicken pieces (legs, wings, breasts) that are battered and fried.
@@Bigbadwhitecracker there is also chicken fried chicken done in the same manner with a pulverized chicken breast. At least I’ve had this here in Indiana where I am. Both are good!
@@Bigbadwhitecracker No, it's deep fried like fried chicken. I have also seen it made with pork tenderloin pounded thin.
How can someone live in the United States for several years and never have chicken fried steak? Even Denny's sells it. It and chicken fried chicken are amazing. By the way, chicken fried chicken is more like chicken fried steak than fried chicken. It's made from chicken, but it's a boneless chicken patty, like a steak, and you usually put gravy on it. Man, if I hadn't already eaten this evening...
I love that when people from the UK come to Seattle, it feels familiar to them. People call our social distance "The Seattle Freeze" but it's more about being polite. Not getting involved in other people's business. Not being obtrusive and in the way of others. Covid isolation was pretty easy for a lot of us because we tend to stay away from each other in public spaces anyways. Once you're in a friend group, though? You're in for life. We're coldly polite to strangers but cling tightly to the friendships we make.
This comment is extremely gratifying to read. I have tried and tried to drill it into my friends from other parts of the country that the Pacific Northwest's basic ethos is "mind your own business, politely" I often wonder why this is such a factor in our culture but I never lament it.
Thank you for validating my stand-offisih-ness!
@@randybugger3006 My grandmother told me it's because of the high population of Scandinavian immigrants in the area (our family included). The be polite but don't get involved mentality. I can see that in areas like Ballard but it doesn't explain the whole region also doing this. It's ingrained in me to give a polite smile and nod of the head when I walk past strangers but never really stop and talk to them. Unless there's a common event/locational thing happening, then small talk about whatever it is, some light jokes, and we go our separate ways. It's not that we don't want to be friends, it's that we mind our own business. But my east coast friends are absolutely baffled. Especially my sister from NYC. She said she had never before walked down a street with construction workers and *not* get catcalled. I didn't even know catcalling was a real thing, not just something in movies, because it's just so rare in Seattle!
It's difficult to study one's own culture. Without the perspective of people from another culture it's hard to figure out what makes it unique. Thanks guys!
It’s refreshing to hear so many nice references to America. As a born American, I appreciate what we have here, as due a MAJORITY of Americans. It’s that very limited group of people in this country, who now have a loud voice because of social media, who paint a bad picture of this beautiful God-given country. I also own a home in Italy, and we travel there several times a year. Along my travels I run into many British folks, who would become good friends. They all say the same thing, they want to see America and experience it. it is a beautiful place with a majority of great people. Thank you for making that point.
Laurence, thank you for not only bringing Shaun into your UA-cam world but showing off Chicago (and specifically Lincoln Park) so beautifully! As a born and raised Chicagoan, I really appreciate how you bring us all together in my hometown! ❤️
P.S.: Go to what some people call a "family restaurant" (they have menus with "everything but the kitchen sink") or a "pancake house" (they usually close by 3pm each day) to try Country Fried Steak.
LOL funny you say that. There's actually a "Family" restaurant in the far west suburbs (St. Charles) called "Colonial Ice Cream" and they actually have a sundae called: "The Kitchen Sink!" It's actually served IN a kitchen sink too! They make all their own ice creams.
I used to babysit for the Anderson family who began the creamery.
Chicken fried steak is a Southern thing. Most "family restaurants" are Greek in nature .I'm in SE Wisconsin. If you want chicken fried steak you need to find a Cracker Barrel restaurant
Yeah, as a Southerner I grew up loving Country Fried Steak (or Chicken Fried Steak -- though, yes, there's no chicken in it, it's just fried like chicken is). It's basically similar to either Milanese Steak or even Schnitzel and it's soooo good (especially topped with the traditional white-pepper gravy).
Nah he needs to come to Texas for that, not Chicago. That’s like eating Cajun food in Minnesota. I’m down to see some Lawrence vlogs down south. Once it’s cooler of course, can’t have him melt
Ah yes, the Chicagoland "Family Restaurant." That used to be essentially a euphemism for "Greek," I guess from back before Americans culture was really ready for "Greek" food, and they thus developed a pretty standard menu of "American" dishes. Today, many are more openly Greek and others have been sold to new owners of varying ethnic heritage. They all follow a very similar pattern - usually a pie-heavy dessert selection on display behind glass, and you pay at a cash register instead of through the waitstaff.
Great job Laurence. This is a little out of your wheelhouse conducting a bit of an interview but you did it splendidly. Shaun loves USA and he’s always excited about it. Thank you both.
and edited beautifully
Can’t help but agree - I LOVE LOVE LOVE Scottish accents!!
Gentlemen we are so happy you are here and for sure you are welcome. God bless you and your loved ones.
Shaun should come to Canada if he wants to see the Scottish influence and friendliness, particularly Nova Scotia & Newfoundland.
I loved watching you guys chat. So many Americans, especially those who are into genealogy, enjoy imagining what the lives of their ancestors in and from the Old Country were like. We love feeling a connection to other people that remain in our ancestral homes. Thank you for helping us, whose ancestors settled this country way before it WAS a country, appreciate what we have with fresh eyes.
It's cool but some people take it overboard and they think that it's their complete identity. Like... my great grandparents immigrated here from Ireland, they were mixed Irish/Danish, and it wasn't so long ago. I can directly trace my roots to where they came from but most people can't because their ancestors lived/immigrated here way, way before my great-grandparents came. The blood is so diluted and yet people get so... obsessed over it when it's not a big deal. As far as I am concerned the people who try imagining where their ancestors came from are American because they've settled here for so long. I've legit had people argue with me, "Well, my ancestors came X years ago that makes me X nationality," and they don't realize that it isn't true and that they're American born and bred, same as me.
@@JoshuaGraves113 yes, all of my ancestors, from what I can tell, arrived well before the American Revolution. What studying my ancestry allows me to do is to have an "in" to countries and cultures, to allow me to read more about them and imagine how my ancestors might have lived and what kind of people they might have been. It makes me wonder how many of them could've been friends - or enemies.
I watch both your channels, really love and appreciate you and your commentary. The US is a big place. The big cities got some cool attractions but I personally think that it is the state/national parks and small towns that really define our country and hold the most beauty.
Glad you have had a good trip Shaun. Cool to see the collaboration you guys put up.
This was SUCH FUN-thank you both!!
Honestly, I think there are historical monuments in the US that we Americans are underwhelmed with might stem from the fact that in the course of human history, they aren't very old; or frankly all that grand. I was in northern Europe in 2019 and drank beer in a brewery that was founded before Columbus made his way across the ocean, walked through Cathedrals that hosted important historical figures and people hundreds of years ago, and felt a little small due to it. Our history is really short in comparison.
I mean, there was a lot of history, but it and its keepers were… you know.
@@ihavecooties yup, 90%+ already dead due to the disease pandemics from the columbian exchange, with the colonists mainly interacting with the post-apocalyptic remnants of societies.
(The stereotypical great Plains tribes riding Eurasian horses are essentially equivalent to mad Max nomads roaming the ashes of the Mississippian civilization)
My sister met a British bloke and they discussed history. He said Oh you have that here? 😄
The chapel Joan of Arc prayed in before going to battle is in Wisconsin. It's vaguely terrifying in an SCP sort of way but it's there.
Native American culture is super long and ancient and distinct though, it's interesting to study.
I love seeing my country through the eyes of others. We take for granted the wonderful things we have around us. Thanks for a different perspective.
As an American, lots of women love an English accent. A lot of men love a Scottish accent, not because it's attractive but because it's pleasantly amusing to hear.
There are some great museums in Chicago, especially the Museum of Science and Industry. The place is huge and can take two days to see everything.
This is a dream collaboration for people who are subscribed to both channels!!!! This was a great interview!!! Thank you to both gentlemen!!!
I loved this video, I wish I could like it twice. Having lived in Illinois for my first 42 years, it always cracks me up when people say they visit Illinois but only go to Chicago (really the only interesting place). I love Chicago, but Chicago and downstate are basically entirely different states. I lived smack in the middle with a corn field on one side and soybeans on the other. 🏡
I feel that! I lived in southern Illinois for almost 4 years and it’s practically jungle (compared to the north) with ragged cliffs and large forests.
IKR, I’m a Hoosier
i was at a game at Wrigley about like ten years ago and saw two English guys (didn't know they were English at the time) in Alan Partridge masks. I knew the show and kept yelling "DAN!" at them until they acknowledged me. This was in the days when the movie was still just a rumour. Long story short, they told me they were looking to take pictures of themselves in those card board cut out masks all across the States and they gave me one, just because i knew who Alan Patridge was. Damn nicest guys you could meet.
14:31 made me laugh so hard "People cheering every 5 minutes even though the score didn't seem to increase"
Shaun and Lawrence in the same place at the same time 👍👍👍👍
Best crossover ever!
Great channel. The world would be a better place if we learned to have fun with our differences like you do in your videos. Thanks for putting good-natured media out there.
The foreign exchange students at my high school always commented on how big the US is. Some used to say that before they came here they thought they'd be able to drive from NYC to Miami in a few hours up until it took them 3 hours to get from the east coast to the heartland by plane and then on top of that they would get to their host city and they'd find out it would take 2 hours of driving just to get out of the state. I never thought anything of the size of the US until I found out it's the size of all of Europe
Since I was stationed in Germany for several years, I think the European food that chicken fried steak reminds me most of is schnitzel. Chicken fried steak however is made with tenderized round beef steak instead of veal or pork. The cheapest cut of beef you can get. It is put through a mechanical bladed tenderizer, dipped in milk or buttermilk, and then battered and fried as you would fry chicken, thus the name. It can be served with a white flour gravy or a brown gravy. I have even seen it served with a very close approximation of Jager Sause with mushrooms. I highly recommend you try it if you ever find yourself in an area known for good "Soul Food". Preferably in the deep south. From Texas to Georgia, I know it is very common, although it seems to be a staple in many German communities, in northern Louisiana and north-east Texas especially. If you come to this area and don't try it, well you know. You missed out. Great video guys.
Yes, it is very much like schnitzel, but it's not always as thinly pounded.
@@jwb52z9 You're right there, about the size. It seems on average to be about the size of a schnitzel's thickness plus another half schnitzel thick, but they are not as big around as some schnitzel that is pounded out generally, but I have had chicken fried steak that is almost identical to schnitzel as far as size goes in a couple of places. you could hurt yourself trying to finish off a plate like that by yourself, but it's so good it's hard for me to stop with anything left on the plate. It's probably best to split one of those with someone else, but good luck with that. 🤣
The early German settlers in places like TX adapted their schnitzel recipes for the new beef they were raising, and that is what created "chicken fried steak" - it is literally the offspring of schnitzel
“Chicken Fried Steak” is nowhere near schnitzel. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s like comparing a chicken nugget to a chicken tender.
The best 'chicken fried steak' is at Cracker Barrel with the sawmill gravy.....except they call it 'country fried steak'....they also have a 'chicken fried chicken' which is like a schnitzel. I lived in Germany for over three years and had lots of schnitzel.
Greetings from Tennessee, Lawrence. Sometimes, I forget just how diverse my country is. Thanks for the perspective. Outstanding job. Brilliant, again. Cheers.
No, Lawrence.
You were completely correct in referencing to Chicago as the Motherland.
What a fun video. Thank you for being so enthusiastic about our country. There are so many different aspects of it and Yes! It is a huge country! I hope you two do more together.
This collab makes me so happy! 🥹
I review weed products on my UA-cam channel lol… i did a Mukbang inside of Lowes too lmao…
Just thought I'd let you know, Country fried steak is a very Southern dish. Its delicious! Just subscribed to Shaun. My heritage is primarily Scots, but a bit of England and Wales as well. And a smidge of French for good measure. 😊
Little fyi country fried steak and chicken fried steak are slightly different.
Country fried steak has brown gravy with onions and Chicken fried steak is served with white gravy. That's the main difference.
How neat, Shaun! I watch you both. Loved this vlog! Wonderful! Love watching you both❤️😉👍
I'm born and raised in Connecticut and even though I'm about to turn 33 it still surprises me how many towns, cities and villages named after places in the UK there is. It almost seems like the majority of places are named that way. I'm probably wrong about that though since there's more towns and stuff than I realize in CT. The town I live in is older than the United States is and has things dedicated to Shakespeare cause it's named Stratford. We have Andover, Ashford, Avon, Berkshire, Bolton, Bristol, Canterbury, Cheshire, Chester, Chesterfield, Colchester, Colebrook, Cornwall, Coventry, Danbury, Derby, Durham, East Hampton, East Windsor, Easton, Ellington, Enfield, Essex, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Greenwich, Guilford, Hampton, Hartford, Kent, Killingworth, Litchfield, Manchester, Marlborough, Meriden, Middlesex County, Milford, New Britain, New London, Newington, Norfolk, Norwich, Oxford, Plymouth, Portland, Preston, Salisbury, Stafford, Stamford, Stratford, Tolland, Torrington, Wallingford, Waterford, Weston, Westport, Willington, Wilton, Winchester, Windsor, Windsor Locks and Woodstock.
Don't forget niantic
There's a reason they call it New England... 😉
My jaw dropped when Shawn walked into camera view! What a collab!! I love you two together!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Thank you very much 😀
I get asked by my American friends to say things all the time. My accent generally is quite soft as my parents grew up in England but it comes across when I say place names like "Culloden" so I am very excited to see you do a video together! My friends study at UCR and so it is where my books make the most profit. Hard to explain to people in the UK how enthusiastic American's are.
These occasional crossover videos make for a fun interview! We enjoy you all and when you pop on each other’s channels to say hi and have a chat… it not only expands your viewership, but gives you guys the chance to develop a friendship and probably an offer to visit each other for more meetups in the future.
I really appreciate your videos man. It's so nice to hear kind things about my people. I feel like recently everything you hear online about our culture is negative. I seriously appreciate it man. Thank you.
Oh, My Stars. My two favorite U.K. Vloggers united. I can't love or like both your channels and this episode enough! It's delightful listening to your interpretations of U.S. culture.
So happy to see this! Wonderful collab! Thank you both so much!
This works in reverse too.. my team and I visited Wales a few years ago. Literally 3 or 4 totally different couples and people sitting around us at dinner ended up joining our table and eting with us just because we all sounded so American - a guy from New Jersey, a few midwesterners and me from the south. I never felt so peoud to sound this southern 😅❤
2 great guys.. Thanks for the respect.. Respect back at ya! Hello from NC ❤
This question is for both of you. What was your first reaction to cottonwood flurries?
I enjoyed this video. I also appreciate Shaun saying that he used a “softer accent” when speaking when he isn’t in Scotland. One might find it hard to understand us when not from here. Also, we have culture shocks within the states. You don’t have to be from another country to experience different cultures/way of life, etc. Spend some time in the Missouri Ozarks sometime.
Hey now...I am an Ozark homesteader. But I understand what you mean. I moved here from Florida. As far as I'm concerned, the weather is better. Not as hot and humid and without hurricanes. Win-win!
That's true. You can just go from one state to another to experience culture shock. It doesn't even have to be as dramatic as going to the Ozarks or Appalachians when you're not a mountain person.
@@RutabegaNG you're right! As a person who threw up in Oklahoma and now live in Pittsburgh (sort of) the two states are drastically different and it was definitely a culture shock for me when I came here. Put an Oklahoma accent next to a Pittsburghez "yinzer" accent and you're probably going to really wonder what the conversation is all about. "Yinzer: "don't you touch that chair, that's my parking spot!" Okie: "bless your little heart and your cute little yellow towel too!"
My niece is half Scottish and now serving in the British Air Force. We went to her wedding awhile back in the UK and I was in a room 1/2 filled with Scottish and I had a heck of a time understanding the Scottish.
I lived in Chicago for 12 yrs & loved it! I'm glad you like it. Going to Wrigley Field is quite an experience. Chicagoans call it the Worlds largest outdoor cocktail party! Lot's of beer drinking going on! The food in Chicago is on a different level & is the best I have ever eaten & I am 72.
Wonderful to see you both at once. Mark Twain said the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. Very accurate. LA is very temperate. The true California heat is inland from the coast. Keep up the great videos you two. My favorite accents!
Don't I know it, Heather. I live in Chico, and our weathermen forecast that it'll be 100 or hotter all next week.
Truth. I am in the I.E. It was triple digits last week and very close to it the week before.
I’m just an hour or so from Yosemite. It gets hot there too 😉 which surprises people.
Right! We live in Sacramento and summers are so intense here, I love tkaing a day trip to the city to cool down. Makes me so happy to get a cold break easy.
I live Karl the Fog and the Bay Area’s traditional weather!
From a San Francisco travel page: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." This astute statement has often been attributed to legendary American storyteller Mark Twain, with his characteristic hyperbole.
You two together are hilarious.
I'm only half-way through and I'm already having a blast. You guys are a great combo. I love it!
YAY! My favorite UK vloggers together! I've been loving Sean's Adventures in America! But to combine it with Laurence Brown! So much awesomeness!
We had a Scottish Quartermaster's Mate on the USS Dixon (AS-37). It was always a treat when he gave the morning time check from the Pilot House.
His accent was crisp, but very clear and intelligible; being able communicate clearly is quite important when passing important messages.
I consider that UK food tends to be rich, and it sticks to one's ribs. I'm a big fan of things like Bubble and Squeak, and Toad-in-a-Hole. Honestly, a good stew should NOT be highly spiced, unless you're making Chile or Chile con Carne.
Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible sportscar is as American an experience as one can possibly have.
This was absolutely wonderful!! I love watching both of your channels, so this was a real treat! Cheers, my good fellows! 🍻🥂
"People know how to use seasoning." I don't know why but that makes me happy.
I still remember the first time I visited The Alamo. I remember being shocked that it was in the middle of San Antonio. "Remember the Alamo!" was one of the battle cries for the Texians.
Thanks for introducing us to Shaun, I look forward to checking out his channel; one that's new to me. Watching you two chat was just delightful; as was hearing your observations on this wide, wonderful and somewhat weird nation of ours. You both reminded me that in spite of how dire things might sometimes feel, there's still a great many thoughtful people who make America what it is. There's far more that unites us than divides us, IMHO.
FWIW, I hope you and he can do something like this again in future.
Thank you sir - we are so happy to be here and looking forward to meeting as many people as possible
Yes! You two are great! Did you go to Crater Lake in Oregon? Absolutely beautiful. Btw, Cracker Barrel has a good country fried steak.
I did indeed see Crater Lake and it will appear in a video very soon 😊
Cracker barrels chicken fried steaks are what we okies call pre-fabricated ( already breaded and frozen) if you're in oklahoma you want to go to del Ranchos and get yourself a steak sandwich supreme. Theyare breaded and fried to order. You'd never want anybody else's afterwards.
Love Crater Lake with its “old man” spooky 👻
Thanks for this Laurence, your friend Shaun has a new sub. What a nice man!
You guys both cracked me up and made me homesick. I'm a Yank (a real one, from New England), living in England. Some of the culture shocks you describe also exist for a transplant like me... the size of things, food like Chicken Fried Steak (steak tenderised and breaded then fried)... anyway. Really enjoy your perspective.
I'm a southerner (from the US) and I grew up on all that famous food. While I can say I think we have one of the best regional cuisines in the country (especially Louisiana Creole, and Gullah/Geechee from the Carolina coast) I think Chicago had the best Italian American food. Also, the Chicago char dog is in my top teir regional hot dogs running neck and neck with the Sonoran depending on my mood that day 😅
I had a 5 hour wait there between trains once. That's it. That's the entirety of my experience with Chicago, but I loved it so much I've been wanting to go back and really enjoy it ever since.
It's not famous. Sorry.
Chicken Fried is a style of Frying... so Chicken Fried Steak is a steak that been breaded and fries in the same fashion one would normally fry chicken.
I loved this video! Thanks for sharing so candidly!
Thanks! This is such a fun and interesting channel.