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Without fail, I encounter things when I travel that I cannot understand why they have not made it state-side and vice versa. Of course, this is an age old phenomenon. It's probably why Marco Polo traveled back to the West because the things he found in the far-East like spaghetti, paper, and feng shui. Mark Twain wrote about the efficiencies of German stoves and their failure to diffuse. What with the internets and iPhones today, there is absolutely no logic to it. I am going to compile a list, and then get rich on arbitraging a few of the items when I head home:
Needed There (The United States)
Towel warmers / heaters - New England homes commonly have water boilers but I cannot think of a time when I saw towel warmers connected to one of them
Beer glasses of different sizes - Here it is Fleisja and Glaasja (frankly, ordering a beer is still a bit confusing) at the bar. Au contraire! These small glasses are not just for the ladies! Sometimes I can only drink five and a third pints of beer and that's when the economy of the smaller glass comes in handy.
Bike lanes with bike signals - In most places I have seen these in the U.S. they are inconvenient, often double-parked, going one way, next to car parking, etc.. In the Netherlands and Germany they are often separated from the road and well-signed. I read that bikes carry forty percent of the people traffic in dutch cities. I feel like I am in first grade because I cannot wait to get a bike.
Pay bathrooms - I will gladly pay to have clean, public bathrooms
Convection ovens - Seemingly standard here judging by the apartments we saw
Tilt Windows - Most buildings have these nifty, double-glaze windows that open two ways (1) like a door (2) tilting in to form a "V" with the frame
Needed Here (The Netherlands)
Tap water - Would it be so much trouble to have a glass of water with my 15 euro cheese burger in a restaurant? And... yes. I know. I'll risk sterility...
Free museums and buildings - I admit it. I am spoiled after having lived in DC where virtually all the great museums and public buildings are free to tour (except for the Newseum). We went on a one hour dutch-only tour (sorry. no English tours available) of the Binenhof for 6 euros each (approximately 30 USD at current exchange rates ;^) ). That is not the best value in the world.
Free public libraries - There is an annual subscription and a price for just about everything including new books, audiobooks, reserved items, and even VHS cassettes (really?!). Free health care though.
Target - Actually, there is a store called Hema that is close to Target. Unfortunately it is 1/3 cafeteria. I think Target beats Carre Four and Tesco too.
Send me yours. If I take it to market, you can ride on my yacht when I make my fortune
4 comments:
The toilets in the Netherlands seemed to be backwards (literally oriented in the wrong direction), which causes issues. They also need the American style, 16 gallons per flush, high horsepower models. God knows they have plenty of water.
Agreed. I think those are the strangest thing. It is like ceramics factory had a misprint. Next time I am tipsy I will ask a local what the deal is.
If you think heated towels are great, you would love the heated toilet seats in Japan. Why this invention hasn't caught on elsewhere, I don't know. I looked into importing one, but because the toilet has to be plugged in it requires not only a converter but an extension cord.
It's been two years since I went to Japan, but I've never forgotten that glorious feeling. Every morning the cold seat is a slap in the cheeks.
GE are you reading this? Help a sister out.
Good one. I have heard about these magical toilet seats. We'll start an import business and I will use my electrical engineering expertise to solve the extension cord/converter problem. :o)
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