So what is life REALLY like here in Texas? Well, after 9 ½ weeks living Texas we are not sure how well we can answer that question but we will try and give you some of our thoughts so far!
Size….before we left the UK we were told that everything in Texas is BIG and it sure is! For a start the state is bigger than the several European countries, let alone England, Scotland and Wales. The roads are wide – the phrase dual carriageway could be applied to most of them. I could list many examples but everything out here is bigger!
Weather….being British how could we fail to talk about this. The first month we were here felt like a record breaking Mediterranean summer with daily highs in the 30s. The last month or so the weather has been somewhat schizophrenic. We have a few days of winter with chilly winds, frosts and temperatures around 5 ⁰C and are giving our winter clothes a brief outing. Then after a few days summer returns and we’re back wearing shorts! In December!
Food….returning to the conversation on size, portions here are HUGE. If eating out is your thing there is plenty of variety and every imaginable type. We have been known to share a main course as there is sooo much food. Supermarkets can either be a surprising find or a big disappointment. There is plenty of poor quality, cheap food available. However, good quality, local, seasonal and organic food is more of a challenge, but is available if you know where to look. Texas is just starting to get into the idea of Farmers’ markets but for once this is something that is small. Houston Farmers’ market would be put to shame by most of those held in British market towns, but much of that maybe because the area around Houston does not seem to be a big food production area. However, there are a few good stalls selling local eggs, honey, meat and vegetables. We also have two excellent supermarkets in central Houston which sell excellent food and are worth the journey. Luckily for two marmite addicts we can buy the all important Marmite even if it is rather pricey! Obtaining suet to make the Christmas pudding and mincemeat was rather more complex. Thank goodness for online shopping!
Language…who would have thought that communicating in an English speaking country would pose such a challenge. Well it has done. The locals frequently look at us blankly as if we are speaking a foreign language. We often get asked whereabouts in Australia we have come from….have these people ever heard an antipodean accent! The pronunciation, speed of speech and vocabulary seem to baffle them completely. Particularly on the telephone. But all this gives us much amusement. We have learnt to speak more slowly and to repeat things several times. A few important things we have learnt are that water is wadder, butter is budder, mobile phones are mobuls or cell phones, brake disc s are rotars, and there is no such thing as a gear box. The best thing to think is that in the USA they speak a foreign language and we are just very lucky that a lot of the words sound and look a bit like English ones.
So, a different country and a different culture. We may still be very much in the western world but Texas is definitely different. These are just a few insights into life here but hopefully gives you more of an idea of what life is like in America’s last republic.
More soon
Adam & Claire xxx
