Since moving to the island, I have compiled a list of various things that were different here than what I saw in Arizona. People who have lived in different states in the US may not find a few of these different though.
*Movie theaters have beer. I've never seen a beer at the movie theaters in the states. There is actually beer here everywhere. You can go get it out of the fridge like a soda.
*You can drive drunk here. Its only a small fine... if you get caught. No DIU charges.
*Every year, you get a new color license plate. When we bought our car it was orange (2015), then it was a blue green (2016), and this year it's white (2017). This is how they do their road taxes instead of getting a new sticker with the year.
*Speed limits are not enforced on the island. All streets are one lane, and if you are stopped behind the bus you can cross over into the other lane going the opposite direction and pass the stopped car/bus. People just stop in the middle of the road and visit with people. Whether this is allowed or not, I do not know but people do it.
*You hail a bus and have to call and "order" a taxi. This actually is not too different. At least from Arizona in the Phoenix area. Usually if you need a taxi in Arizona you call them up and let them know you need one. You do that here too. However, the buses is different. In the metropolitan area, you have to stop at a bus stop for the bus to pick you up. Here you can wait along the side of the road anywhere. When you see the bus you can put up your hand and stop them. Bus fair is about $2.50 per area.
* There are a few grocery stores here, were you are required to tip the bagger boys. They are not hired on with the company, they work for tips only.
*You do not have to get out of your car to get gas, someone else fills it up for you. Aaron served his mission in New Jersey and said this is the norm there, but in Arizona you always get your own gas. Its really nice to just sit and not have to get out of the car. I think this is something Arizona should adapt.
*No carpet. This, I'm sure, is a given. Carpet is warm, and easily retains dirt and sand. The humidity makes things very musty too. They do have rugs here though. Which is perfect, because then you can switch them out, for a fraction of the cost of regular carpet.
*In Arizona, you can ask for just a cup of water, no charge, 10 cents at most. Here if you want a water, you have to buy a water bottle.
*Water at restaurants is more than soda. If you want a water, the cheapest way to get a water here is to tell them you want tap water. If you say "I'll take a water, they will bring a water in a glass bottle out and fill up your cups. This will cost more than a soda. At one restaurant we went to, it cost $12 dollars per bottle of water that was brought out to our table. We were surprised when we got our check.
*You will not find many restaurants that have fountain drinks. If you want a fountain drink, you have to go to a fast food restaurant or the movie theater.
*Honking is polite. At least, that is what I have been told. I am not sure if I believe it just yet.
*When school is out, you will find young boys waiting outside the store to help you with groceries and take your cart back to the store. It is always for a tip. One time, we were leaving the store, and a young man just came and held on to our cart all the way to the car. Aaron and I were kind of surprised and not quite sure what to do. We ended up just telling him we did not need any help.
*There is no sales tax. You can walk in to a store, and buy one item for $2.33 and walk out paying $2.33. This one isn't different if you are in Oregon or any other state that doesn't require sales tax. In Arizona though, it is required. Everything here is duty free.
* There is only one stop light on the whole island. Growing up in Snowflake, Arizona we didn't have a stop light for years. We have one now, and 2 in Taylor so this isn't completely foreign to me. I think they could use a few more during rush hour though.
*Electricity is certainly different here. If you are friends with me on social media, you've seen me complain a time or two about the power outages we face. There is only one power company for the Dutch side of the island. We often have the power go off and on through out the day. Luckily, the extended stay hotel we live at has a generator so we are not one of many who face black outs for hours at a time. This can happen 3 or 4 times a week. Sometimes in one day it will happen 5 or 6 times.
*In the states you can go to Wal Mart or Target and get everything you need. Medicine, house hold items, clothes, shoes, cleaning supplies, sports equipment, car repair equipment, and the list goes on. Stores aren't like that here. They have food, and a few cleaning supplies, and house hold items. Otherwise you have to go to stores that are specifically for what you are looking for. It makes trip to the stores a little more difficult. Everything here is imported as well. What you find in one store, you may not find in another. To get everything on my shopping list, I usually got to two or three different stores.
*In Arizona we have central air, here the AC sits on our wall like a big huge fan. It is not loud though. Usually the area around the AC is cooler than the area not around the AC.
*Island time is a real thing here. Things run much slower than they would in the states. No one is in a hurry here.
*There are security guards every where here. We find them at stores, hotels, and housing complexes. There is not a store I have been into here, that does not have a security guard. Anywhere that has anything of value there is a security guard for.
