Spoiled Americans | Imamother

amother

Seashell

Sun, Jun 18 2023, 11:38 pm

amother OP wrote:

Lol, I'm saying this as an American!! What triggered this post: I'm at the sending to camp stage and I am going crazy from all the "requirements". Where else do kids go to beautiful grounds for a month or two and have 24/7 fun and entertainment, have tens of outfits, get packages from their parents etc etc etc. And the astronomical amount of money being spent for this ??? It's just insane.

This has nothing to do with spoiled Americans. It has all to do with the crazy standards in frum communities.

amother

Bergamot

Sun, Jun 18 2023, 11:46 pm

Im american, married to a non american. We dont live in america. The first time my husband visited america when we were engaged, he was blown away at how everything was bigger and so many choices. He said it was beyond overwhelming and he was so glad we dont live there.
And I agree with him. Im not sure its spoiled per say, but there is beyond excessive consumption in america. Im also glad we chose not to live there. We live where he is from.

amother

Bluebonnet

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 1:30 am

Honestly, I don't think Americans can fully understand the differences in their culture to other places.

My cousin said to me "can you imagie so and so has piles of dishes in her sink after shabbos because she doesn't have a dish washer to place them in to hide the mess"!!!

Most people where I live couldn't dream of owning a dish washer.

amother

Crimson

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 1:32 am

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

I'm American, living in America, and I don't have a dishwasher.
Lots of generalizations on this thread.

amother

Heather

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 1:47 am

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

I live in America
Dont have a dishwasher, and dont plan on ever having one
My sink is never full of dishes because I wash them!

What a statement

essie14

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 1:50 am

I truly do not understand the point of this thread. Yes, America has a lot of abundance, but as someone wrote above, Healthcare costs are astronomical, jewish day school tuition is crazy and maternity leave is terrible, if it exists at all at your workplace.
If you enjoy living there, great. Enjoy.
And if you don't, what are you complaining about?

amother

Cherry

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 1:54 am

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

I don't think this is specific to America vs other countries.

I'm in the USA and didn't have a dishwasher for the first decade of my marriage. I have one now despite my tiny kitchen because it was a big priority for me (I hate washing dishes).

In general people get used to certain luxuries and they become necessities to the point that they cannot imagine someone living without them. I remember one time a poster decrying terrible poverty that a neighbor didn't let her children eat the tomatoes because they were for Shabbos. In my house they are for Shabbos too.

amother

Seafoam

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 2:06 am

I’m American living in Europe and here’s what I miss about America:

Wide streets
Big parking spaces
Laundry room
Closets in the bedrooms
Central AC (or AC at all.. many of my neighbors don’t have still.)
Coat closet
Downstairs toilet -normal size, not a cramped under the steps situation, or even toilet downstairs- we don’t have

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 2:53 am

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

I think this is more to do with ones financial situation eather than where one lives. We are in israel and in our circles most have one dishwasher and some have 2. And nobody is rich, just regular middle class.

Bnei Berak 10

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 2:57 am

amother Seafoam wrote:

Small side note: I live in Israel there AC is almost mandatory. Two friends of mine who had central AC in their houses swapped to individual AC units.

amother

Magenta

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 3:05 am

amother Crimson wrote:

I'm American, living in America, and I don't have a dishwasher.
Lots of generalizations on this thread.

Same! We also went without air conditioning for years! This OP is complaining about the insane standards in frum America that many of us simply cannot contribute to

amother

Bluebonnet

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 3:11 am

amother Crimson wrote:

I'm American, living in America, and I don't have a dishwasher.
Lots of generalizations on this thread.

Uch, I hate such responses.

Of course not everyone has dishwasher!

I never said that.

But the percentage of Americans that have dishwashers are way way higher than in Europe or Israel. Some of my American family have more than one. And it's not only dependant on how comfortable they are, it's just seen as more necessary. Also, there is more space for it in out of the city housing such as some Monsey and Lakewood houses.

Just because it's more likely for Americans to have one doesn't mean you have one or people you know. And yes, sometimes, generalisations are true.

amother

Bluebonnet

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 3:13 am

amother Heather wrote:

I live in America
Dont have a dishwasher, and dont plan on ever having one
My sink is never full of dishes because I wash them!

What a statement

My sink if full of dishes on Motzei sh because I don't wash dishes on shabbos for chol.

Otherwise, I wash them too.

Raisin

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 3:44 am

amother Seafoam wrote:

lol I guess you didn't live in Brooklyn.

A/C depends if you live in a hot climate. Not so necessary in some parts of Europe.

Most of those things are normal for affluent suburbs. Pretty common in Ranaana, Sydney, Joburg or parts of London I bet.

amother

Mustard

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 3:44 am

amother Bluebonnet wrote:

My sink if full of dishes on Motzei sh because I don't wash dishes on shabbos for chol.

Otherwise, I wash them too.

My house has a treif dishwasher. Its is so useful to store the dirty dishes on shabbos! Smile

amother

Burntblack

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 4:09 am

amother Crimson wrote:

I'm American, living in America, and I don't have a dishwasher.
Lots of generalizations on this thread.

Same here. We dont even own microwave or convection oven

amother

Tuberose

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 5:16 am

Raisin wrote:

Have you ever been to Ranaana or affluent suburbs of London ( not frum areas)? Because I have

It is full of beautiful homes, but looks absolutely nothing like affluent suburban New Jersey where I am from. America does have a higher standard of housing compared to the rest of the world - that is just the reality of living in a country with a robust economy and a HUGE amount of available land.

As for the A/C - Londoners never needed A/C until the past few years when they where hit by heatwaves and everyone who can afford it has been putting them in. Sure - there are areas of Scandinavia that don't need A/C, but the majority of Europe does at this point

amother

Begonia

Mon, Jun 19 2023, 6:46 am

amother Tuberose wrote:

This is true.
Even among the wealthy in London, hardly any have huge houses and grounds like is the norm in the frum communites in the US. A pool? Unheard of. There's no space for that.

(Yes I know in NY many live in tiny apartments, but no one here has houses the size that people have in Lakewood etc. Just doesn't exist. Aside from the few streets of mansions, but those are for the SUPER wealthy.)