This post will probably come as quite a shock to many of you reading it - especially if you live in Australia, NZ or England and have never been to the America.
Well, here's the shocker: over here, in the US of A, they are still using kettles to heat up water! What's wrong with that you may ask? Well, I'm not talking about the electric kettles that every house in the abovementioned (and most other countries) have, I'm talking about those things we used back before we had electric kettles - the ones that sit on the stove and make that whistling noise when the water is boiled - which depending on the stove can take anywhere between 7 and 15 minutes to boil. No siree, the Americans do not use electric kettles. Having said that, they do sell a Breville and another brand I think at some homeware stores where they are neatly displayed in their boxes on the bottom shelves of the appliance department. And if you mention electric kettles to Americans, they kinda look at you funny.
In fact, before we were married, my husband was visiting Australia and one day made me a cup of tea (notice I said "one day" because making a cup of tea for most Americans is quite a challenge in itself) and he was so impressed by the electric kettle that he said: "I'm going to buy the company!" Well, he didn't actually, but he did say: "when we get married, we MUST get one of these!". And while I can only imagine that the reason the electric kettle is not a mandatory item is because of their love for percolated coffee (and every American home has a percolator), I have noticed that on more and more American TV shows, they are drinking "tea", but still using the old kettles.
Now I understand that most Americans love their coffee, but what really bothers me about the whole thing is that tourists are completely forgotten when they come to America. As you know, in every hotel room in Australia, there is coffee and tea making facilities. Every room has an electric kettle and a coffee plunger. But not here. If you want a cup of tea, you have to heat up the water in the microwave (if you're lucky, you'll get a china cup, but generally, you're given a paper one), and then they give you these ridiculous super skinny "sticks" or thin "straws" to somehow get your teabag out of the boiling water (which as I've discovered is a health hazard) and then use that same "stick" or "straw" to stir your sugar/milk etc. Whoever invented those sticks and straws should be shot! They are up there with those motorised leaf blowers in terms of uselessness and downright annoying.
Anyway, enough about kettles, because I can now talk about another strange American phenomenon: the upright vacuum cleaner. Didn't we do away with them back in the 60s or 70s? Well, they are alive and well in the US. I know!!! Can you imagine? My husband has one, or rather had one, until I bought a Dyson. Again, you can buy the normal vacuum cleaners, but they are few and far between compared with the choice of uprights. The thing about the uprights is that they are sooo heavy and difficult to negotiate. How do you vacuum stairs with an upright?
And lastly, but not least - and this probably doesn't rate in the category of "appliance", but they don't sell GHDs here. At this point, I've probably lost all you blokes, but every girl will be going "whaaaattttt???" Because there isn't a girl in Australia who doesn't own a GHD. Isn't that right girls? And of course, we now have one better - the "Cloud 9" which I bought before I left Australia because I knew I wouldn't be able to get a GHD or Cloud 9 here. They do have hair straighteners here, and they seem to favour one called a "Chi", but I've heard this is terrible for your hair. If its anything like the Vidal Sassoon one I tried for a period of time, I can relate. There is nothing quite like a GHD or Cloud 9 (except for the Stefan one which I think is as good).
So ladies, if you're planning a trip to the US and you love drinking your cup of tea in the morning with straight hair, I suggest you bring a travel kettle - and your GHD!
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