Moving in with an expat taught me that what we prefer in our homes is culture, not nature The first time I saw a tumble dryer was on an episode of Baywatch, when the clothes of a would-be drowning victim were put through the wash. To a European kid, this thoroughly unremarkable scene was unthinkable?the clothes came out dry! My family had all the standard home appliances, but dryers aren?t very common in Europe. The idea that you could wash an outfit and wear it again the very same day seemed impossible.

Having lived my whole life in Europe, I?ve never considered air-drying my laundry to be a problem, or even much of an inconvenience. But this winter, my life went through a home-technology revolution: I now live with a tumble dryer. The appliance came with an American called Luke Abrams, who first moved to London four years ago. He went through a rite of passage that every U.S. expat must endure: an encounter with the typical British combo washer-dryer?a two-in-one appliance. It appears to be a stroke of genius until you realize that the dryer part doesn?t really work?and everyone who lives here knows this. I point this out to Luke as he describes his initial frustrations with this particular European quirk. His eyes widen: ?No shit it doesn?t work! But when you come from the land of functional appliances, you don't expect that!? Luke?s exasperated, and I can?t help but laugh?it?s a national conspiracy, but not an intentional one.
Americans and Euro...