Picture this, right
I am sitting having a normal day and I got a direct message from the embassy to the UK of
The United States of America. I'm thinking to myself what have I done wrong Who am I offended?
Am I going to be extradited or something? right the Embassy of america embassy to the UK sends me a message
We would like to meet you and talk about a potential trip to United States of America -my first ever trip to America
Wow, it was exciting I went for that meeting and and I was accepted for a cultural exchange
Experience with the United States Embassy to the kingdom for my first ever trip to America
And so what you guys asked about this, here is my top ten first crazy
Impressions the United States of America when I went there for the first time
Hello everybody. How are you doing and welcome to today's episode
Hope you're well. My name is Shaun and I'm a vlogger from Edinburgh right here in Scotland and in today's episode
we're talking all about kind of cultural exchange between
America and
Scotland - there's a wee announcement at the end of today's video
right
But one of the things I just love about YouTube one of the amazing things is this awesome community that I've been able to help
Build with you guys, like it's just phenomenal. i've built like really awesome friendships from people are in the world
America's played a big part in the last couple years of my development as a vlog or I've been lucky enough to go there two
or three times now and I
Absolutely love it. And a lot of people especially people who are new to this channel have asked me
I want to know your thoughts about America as a first timer when you came as a Scottish person
What did you think about America when you came here? So followed answer that question in today's vlog definitively
What did I as a Scottish person think about America? What were my first impressions?
So I put together a wee list of 10 things. I think it's important to talk about know America
I need to talk about this because a lot of people
See this whenever I talk about America in my vlogs I of course know when I'm saying America
I actually mean the United States of America. America could be construed as ambiguous. A lot of people are pointing that out
That is what I'm going to be using for the purposes of today's episode
The country that I fell in love with when I first visited just over a year ago now anyway guys listen
Thank you so much for joining in with today's video
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I think the thing is growing up in the UK or pretty much anywhere in the world American culture permeates
Whatever you are, and I certainly grew up on
American culture whether that was on TV with like the Simpsons or friends or whatever
We just looked on in America as a cool place almost like our favorite uncle
here's my 10 first impressions
I had as a Scottish person when I first went to the United States of America number one
Y'all are just super helpful and friendly people
I find a lot of people said Americans that you know, it might be kind of rude or whatever
But I don't find it that we are told I was amazed by just how friendly people I want to tell your story, right?
I was in New York of all places because New York in particular people always say New Yorkers are so unfriendly, right?
But I experience does not match that one of my first times in New York
We arrived there and we just got off the air train which takes you from the airport
JFK to Jamaica station or something like that right and kid, you not
We were sat at Jamaica station looking at a map trying to figure things out because it's a complicated metro system there
We were looking up at this map maybe for a minute or two it this man came over to me my wife
He said listen, I can see you're lost. I'm gonna help you guys
This guy had a suit on, he was obviously on a busy working being and I kid, you know
He spent 15 or 20 minutes
Figuring out where we were staying and what we needed to do on the metro to get to a tourist and he basically held us
B
by the hand to make sure that we got the right metro line. I was shocked. that won't happen in the UK anywhere here
So I found people in New York it was a great first experience
I just found people in New York really friendly
But I find people all around the united states really helpful and friendly as well to another thing
I thought was a little bit crazy is you're quite
How can I say this enthusiastic is not the right word?
You all have got really really heavy state pride. on my first trip to America
I went to DC I went to Florida. I went to Texas - Texas represent - and the level of pride
I saw any state and how people were kind of almost - and I've said this before in the vlog
Almost like in a state first, country second, but state was like a very much a part of their identity
For me like I found out about odd
I don't know why I thought it would be odd because when I think of America
I just think of this one homogeneous country when actually it's a huge place with a lot of different very different states
Right, and if I think about it, we have got a number of countries which make up these islands of Great Britain
Right, and I would definitely say Scotland for me. I am Scottish, So it sure really surprised me but I guess it did
Speaking of state pride you guys obviously know I've got this Texas shirt on when I got when I was there a lot of people
Who watch this walk sending the other pieces of match for example this t-shirt from Detroit?
Which I've never been to before but I will go there one day
thank you very much for sending this also receive this cap from a viewer and
This is the Appalachian adventure company
Appilachian, is that how you say it? I think I've been sayingit wrong
So I do apologize to any of you guys from North Carolina, which is part of my announcements
at the end of this episode. I've got an announcement. Thank you very much for this and
If any you guys want to send any of your state merch
I'll put an address down below. number three ya'll love your food
I was blown away by the variety of food you guys have yes, of course, right?
But also just the amount of food that we can expect when you go to some places like home-cooked food
It's so good so filling
But they give you so much when I went to barbecue in some real kind of backwater country place in Florida
Well off the beaten tracks Wow
Like the amount of food that they put on your place was
Incredible passion that went into that food was something that I'd not seen anywhere that was in, Florida
I also went a really awesome barbecue place in Texas it was
Incredible and basically every place I've been in America. I have tried the different foods like I just find it incredible
I was not expecting that. You know number four, right? Y'all are very extra. How can I say this
I'm not meaning this in an offensive way whatsoever. Because people say Scottish people we are out there
We are a bit wacky and nuts
and of course we are we are out there friendly and just a bit crazy sometimes and that's definitely one of the
attractions of our people and people like us right, but when I went to United States of America
It was another level of being out there what I liked about America
I think people just come up to you and say their mind they're not afraid of it
They don't pussyfoot around like we do in the UK
we are very much like kind of have a
Roundabout way of getting to the point of saying something to someone like in America you'll just come over
Oh, they are loud and proud and see what you're thinking. I like that
And like how can I quantify this really another program or what's quite a lot storage wars
And if you really compare right storage wars in the United States overseas storage wars UK version
There is a massive difference right storage wars u.s. People are just absolutely out there an
Extra absolutely, and I just love it. I love that about your culture
I kind of find it infectious and I want to be more a part of that
I think British people we can be too prude
We can be too
Cautious and conservative about what we say, and how we feel when it's love that you guys are just out there in length in front
number five
You're very extraordinarily proud or your flag and national anthem. Like of course every country's proud of the national anthem the flag and stuff
We sing in the rugby match. He's in the football matches and stuff like that
But I'd never experienced anything like it until I went to the United States of America now
It's a football match like when the national anthem was playing people were like crying and stuff
I also went to Arlington National Cemetery and people were like wow
The flag was everything and I just think is really cool that pride. I never really seen anything like that before but
Definitely something I noticed Americans are
very very proud of country or flag of national anthem
It was kind of crazy for me to see that at first but like I get it number six, right? Of course
America is the home of fast food and you've exported around the world wherever you walk around and Scotland, for example
You'll find a McDonald's within about a mile of each other. But listen, you guys have got so many better options than us
I mean it's only within the last year or so that we've had five guys here you guys have had that for donkey's years you
Also have like shake Shack's in that and then honestly, I was in America in the good city of Dallas
We went to an in-n-out burger. Oh my god, that thing was
Incredible, I think it might you two guys just have so many options of these fast-food places
Like why do we know how many? No it's a best burger
I think I've ever had feel like this is their cultural experience of the day
It was very very good. Actually really enjoyed that. Oh, I want to come back an eat that burger.
No seven. I need to talk about...
point number eight
right around this kind of theme it's a security, the levels of security because a trip in particular my first trip to America and
We went a lot of public buildings
We met a lot of public officials and went a lot of departments police departments and like level security by the way
I had never seen anything like it why airport security in like office buildings. It was quite bizarre. I can see why it's necessary
It's that I did feel a bit crazy. I think tied to that was security in general
So you've got these public building security stuff
But actually at the airports your security guys are on point the people who work for the security
Agency in America. Don't take Bull from anyone
Ok, they'll tell you what they want like a drill sergeant in the army and you better comply because they ain't messin around
That's what I learned number 9 something
I found really kind of crazy when I first went to America is y'all have seasoned states that are just so different from each other?
I know this might seem quite simplistic
But actually to me when I first went there, it was quite a shock because we don't really have that year
Of course cause culture is different from English culture big times. We're talking about the UK context, right?
Definitely. We have our own unique identity in Scotland, but really I've just come back from London
I was there a couple of days ago about really our cities like London to here
They have so many similarities like like everything is just quite similar, right but in America like the differences between states
I found really quite shocking in the beginning and obviously the cities as well and I think that's really cool
Like especially for somebody's visit in the same different states you get to see all these different
Cultures like free to you the states you guys have they all have their own story to tell right?
They're all I have their own history. There's totally unique from each other
You all have your own local government to that
Each state has its own different kind of pop culture,
You have your own politics in each state?
accents and then also geography but the thing is and this is what I don't really appreciate the United States of America is
Flippin massive it is a big big place, right?
It's a continent if you compare it to what we have here in Europe
And that is what I need to understand because actually the countries in Europe
We're also very very different from each other so many living cultures and countries mashed up into a small area
Probably about the size the United States of America
So it should really be that surprising but it's just something as a first timer to America. I was like, okay
Wow, this is different number 10. All right, this is something I found really
Surprising shocking and actually interesting is that y'all are very very connected to your heritage. I don't really mean American heritage
I mean your heritage as in USA, if you look back in your genealogy way back into your family lines
we're actually do you come from and that for so many people in America seem to identify as being American but
something American and for me that's one of the awesome things about doing this channel and having this connection to you guys is the fact
I'm connected to a lot of people who are Scottish Americans and also Irish Americans
But that's like such a strong thing for you guys
You guys feel really connected to this
This history and I think a lot of it stems down to the fact that you know
Three four five hundred years ago in Scotland. So many people emigrate the United States of America to help build the colony, right?
That's how it started also obscure people were being persecuted the Highlanders
We all had to flee Scotland made a new home for ourselves over in eight states America. That's how the country was built
So you guys are quite proud of those people who came over and I can totally get it
That's why you guys identify as being you know Scottish American Irish American or whatever because of this
Emigration of these people who went to to actually star your country and a lot of people in America have like Scottish names
I just think it's awesome. Right something
I'm really fascinated to build more of this kind of culture in connection with the cause
Actually the thing I wanted to tell you guys a movie bit of an announcement
I am going to the United States of America this year
2019 hopefully a couple of times
I'm trying to work a couple of things out right to make it happen really soon for an event now
I want to talk to you about later on right but one thing I'm definitely going to is a cultural event in, North Carolina
Later this year very very excited about it. I think it's going to be awesome
But like it's an event that celebrates this connection of people who have the Scotch American heritage
Obviously a lot of the thing has stemmed down to this Lee and a love affair
a lot of people are in the world love outlander which has kind of really told the story of
Scottish people who left here and went to start a new home in America so, North Carolina when a Scottish Festival later this year
I'm so excited about it
I can't wait and its really want to learn about the people who really identify as having Scotch heritage as a score's person
I'm fascinated by this how our culture is celebrated. So strongly in America and actually
Celebrate it even more so than we celebrate right? I find that fascinating. I want to learn from that
I want to take that learning back to Scotland with me as well. So that is my announcement
It's gonna happen and I will be telling you more about that later on but so cool
Anyway, that was my video today
A lot of people been asking for are my opinions as a first-timer in America when I went there as a Scottish guy
So here it is and I thank you so much all for watching till the end in great speaking to you
I've got a lot of other kind of related videos
about my time in America
I'm going to couple of links up above up here actually and also kind of other cool and quirky stories related videos. For example
Scottish accents my Edinburgh accent comparing that to someone from the west coast Glasgow. There's a video all about on my channel
Anyway, that is it for today's episode. Thank you so much for tuning in
It's been great to speak to you until the next episode until the next adventure
I hope you have a good night morning evening afternoon or whatever time it is wherever you are in the world. Take care