oceantheorem (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oceantheorem) wrote2009-05-05 09:47 am
oceantheorem) wrote2009-05-05 09:47 am
Entry tags:
Weird things about Michigan
1. Michiganders call soda "pop". Every time anyone mentions "pop" I feel like I've been transported back to the 50s. About a month ago a girl in a Subway asked me if I wanted a pop with my sandwhich, and I almost asked Jim if she was allowed to say something so colloquial in a business before I realized that's what everyone calls it here.
2. When they talk about going to Disneyland, they actually say "Disney World". Everyone in Michigan goes to Florida ALL THE TIME, like there's some sort of direct portal between the states or something. I mean, Michiganders go to Florida like Nevadans go to California. And they NEVER GO ANYWHERE ELSE.
3. Also they think California is full of dirty hippies, but I've noticed this is common among non-California states.
4. You can't turn left. About half of the intersections here have what they call "Michigan lefts," which are the most retarded concept in the history of driving. You can either go straight through the intersection and then make a U-turn halfway down the next block at a little built-in U-turn spot (which usually has its own stoplight), then go back to the intersection and turn right, or you can turn right to begin with, go down the block halfway and make a U-turn, and go straight back through the intersection you just came from. Basically, any way you look at it, you have to stop 3 times instead of 1. I'm sorry, but this is DUMB. This does not save time, and it blatantly wastes resources.
5. There is an overt attitude here that over-educated and intelligent people are elitist. It feels like the majority of the population here actually DISCOURAGES their children from striving to be more intelligent. They still want them to go to college, but then they want them to get some sort of steady, reliable, solid job. It shouldn't be anything creative or unconventional. And heaven forbid you actually enjoy "nerdy" things like reading.
Edited to add: 6. They write their phone numbers really strangely. At first I thought it was just my boss, but then I started seeing it on all sorts of official websites. They write them like 123/456-7890. What's with the weird slash thingy? Where did that come from? The hyphen isn't good enough there? I've seen 123.456.7890 and that's at least internally consistent... the backslash method uses two DIFFERENT forms of punctuation in the same number! It's just weird. I refuse to use it.
All that said... the people here are really nice. That, at least, is a significant upgrade from New England.
And it's spring, and things are blooming, and the sun is out all day. So I'm happy.
2. When they talk about going to Disneyland, they actually say "Disney World". Everyone in Michigan goes to Florida ALL THE TIME, like there's some sort of direct portal between the states or something. I mean, Michiganders go to Florida like Nevadans go to California. And they NEVER GO ANYWHERE ELSE.
3. Also they think California is full of dirty hippies, but I've noticed this is common among non-California states.
4. You can't turn left. About half of the intersections here have what they call "Michigan lefts," which are the most retarded concept in the history of driving. You can either go straight through the intersection and then make a U-turn halfway down the next block at a little built-in U-turn spot (which usually has its own stoplight), then go back to the intersection and turn right, or you can turn right to begin with, go down the block halfway and make a U-turn, and go straight back through the intersection you just came from. Basically, any way you look at it, you have to stop 3 times instead of 1. I'm sorry, but this is DUMB. This does not save time, and it blatantly wastes resources.
5. There is an overt attitude here that over-educated and intelligent people are elitist. It feels like the majority of the population here actually DISCOURAGES their children from striving to be more intelligent. They still want them to go to college, but then they want them to get some sort of steady, reliable, solid job. It shouldn't be anything creative or unconventional. And heaven forbid you actually enjoy "nerdy" things like reading.
Edited to add: 6. They write their phone numbers really strangely. At first I thought it was just my boss, but then I started seeing it on all sorts of official websites. They write them like 123/456-7890. What's with the weird slash thingy? Where did that come from? The hyphen isn't good enough there? I've seen 123.456.7890 and that's at least internally consistent... the backslash method uses two DIFFERENT forms of punctuation in the same number! It's just weird. I refuse to use it.
All that said... the people here are really nice. That, at least, is a significant upgrade from New England.
And it's spring, and things are blooming, and the sun is out all day. So I'm happy.
no subject
The left turn thing sounds ridiculous. But I'm a dirty hippie so what do I know.
The other thing about "pop" is that they don't even say "pop". Right? They say "paaaaaap".
no subject
They do say "pop". I think the accent is more of a northern Michigan/Minnesota thing. They don't really have accents here.
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California *is* fully of dirty hippies, though. :-D Just ask my Mom, from Oakland, and my Dad, from Navato. :)
Michigan does the stupid left-turn thing too huh? I first encountered it in Pennsylvania. It was my only complaint about Philadelphia. DUMB.
It's been a while since I've seen the "/" thing in the phone number. Now I know where it comes from :)
no subject
ONLY POP.
also, your face is a weird slash thingy.
no subject
1) It's actually pop. That's the correct term. You are weird for calling it soda. Well, technically I suppose 39% of people in North America call it pop and 39% of them call it soda, while nearly 16% wrongly call it "coke", and technically, "soft drink" is the appropriate term, but I digress.
http://www.popvssoda.com/countystats/total-county.html
http://popvssoda.com:2998/stats/ALL.html
2) People in Michigan only know of two possible vacation spots: Florida, and northern Michigan. This is true, and also why 75% of the population of Florida is retired Michigan residents. We vacationed to Florida when I was younger, and thought it odd to see that more than 50% of the license plates encountered were Michigan plates.
3) I was surprised to find upon visiting California for the first time that it was actually a really nice, really awesome place. Everyone I had known had told me it was horrible, the people were obnoxious, and there were approximately 3 women who didn't have breast implants and collagen injections. Untrue!
4) Michigan lefts are stupid. We all know it. wtb roundabouts!
5) I hate that attitude, but it's everywhere around here, especially in my own family.
6) That is something I've never heard of. Phone numbers are written either as 123-456-7890 or (123)456-7890. Either way is correct. The slash is weird and dumb.
no subject
I'll just have some purified water or fruit juice, thank you very much.
no subject
Disneyland is in CA.
Once upon a time, a family member...moved out of North Carolina. It was just for a little while, but an aunt moved to Michigan. My dad went to visit her when he was 10. A kid asked if he wanted a pop, and my dad decked him. Didn't want to let the kid get the first punch in.
And it's all Coke. Really. I promise.