Cultural Differences Part I

I have now been in the UK for ten days, and I have witnessed and experienced many cultural differences between the UK and "The States".

First of all, let's start with safety.  One way to stick out as a tourist in the UK is to look left first when you are looking to cross the street; and be careful: they will not stop.  Plenty of times I have looked left, saw it was clear to walk, then feel a breeze as the car flew by me coming the other way.  Thankfully I look both ways but it is very hard to adjust to cars driving on the opposite side of the road.  It is also hard to not be confused when it looks like there is no one in the driver's seat, but that is because the driver's seat is on the right side of the car instead of the left.  One stereotype I have heard about America is that everyone owns a gun.  While that is obviously untrue, I was shocked to see that policemen do not even carry guns!  They wear a vest; it is not bulletproof, however it is used to protect them from getting stabbed.  It is even illegal to carry pepper spray!

In terms of music, there is not a big difference between the USA and the UK, as most of the music Brits listen to comes from the states.  I was surprised to hear so many songs I recognized at various bars/clubs, but I'm not complaining about that!

Something I might have a reason to complain about is the food.  Someone told me that "It [the food] doesn't taste very good, but it's enough to keep you alive" and I couldn't agree more.  My first meal was Steak and Kidney Pie, which tastes about as good as it sounds.  In the cafeteria, I learned the hard way that it is not all-you-can-eat like in the States.  When I said I wanted both chicken and fish, the cafeteria lady said I could only have one.  I also got yelled at for trying to grab a fruit salad, an apple and a banana in the same meal.  No wonder they are so skinny here... they eat smaller portions of everything.  To my delight, the beer is and always has been chilled, which is the perfect temperature in my opinion.  I am not sure who said they drink warm beer over here, because that is not true unless you consider anything less than frigid American beer as warm. I did find one excellent food in England, and yes, you guessed it. Fish and chips are amazing.  They are even better with Salad Cream, a mayonnaise-like condiment that goes excellent with chips or burgers.  I hope I remember to bring some back to the States!

I will be making a Cultural Differences Part II soon!
Cheers!

York

Click on this link to view the entire York album.

York... No, not New York, the ORIGINAL York!  York is less than two hours by train from Manchester, to the northeast.  The first thing in York I had to see was the York Minster (first picture).  Wow, was it beautiful.  It is one of the largest cathedrals in northern Europe, and there it is amazing how detailed every part of it is.  I spent a while just walking around it, taking pictures, and just enjoying its sheer beauty.  Nearby was a statue of Constantine, which was also very cool to see and be able to take a picture with.

The next picture is a picture of The Shambles, which is a tiny path in which there are a few shops.  As you can see in the picture, the buildings are leaning towards each other and almost meet at the top!  The whole area and surrounding streets were filling with cobblestone roads, many small shops, and lots of walkers.  York is a  tremendous walking city, and plus you are able to thoroughly enjoy the York culture while walking.  While in York, I had a lamb sandwich (not my favorite, but okay) and also grabbed a local beer from the pub The Last Drop Inn.  They had one of the best beers I have ever tried, fitting since it also had the coolest name...Constantine.  It was a local beer brewed in York, and it was delicious.

Lastly, I saw Clifford's Tower, which is the castle-looking building in the third picture.  Albeit small, it was very cool as I have never seen a castle before, especially one in England!  The tower was on a steep hill, even with the stairs.  I couldn't imagine what it was like for people trying to attack the tower coming up the hill while getting shot at.  I would suppose they did not have much success in those endeavors, but I may be wrong.  Anyways, York is great city to visit and walking through the city really gave me a chance to embrace and experience more of the British culture.

Cheers!

Arrival/First Day

I have arrived! After an hour and a half flight we landed in Atlanta where there was snow (snow!) on the ground, and then had a 3 hour overlay before the Manchester flight.  During the Manchester flight, I got a tiny pillow and a thin blanket to sleep, in which I was able to catch at most 5 hours of sleep on the flight.  Combine that with the 5 hour time difference, it goes without saying that I was very tired today.  That didn’t stop me from having an eventful day today, either.

            I went on a tour of the University of Manchester, and it was wonderful seeing the campus and the different buildings and architecture.  The talked to the tour guide for a few seconds before he asked me was where I was from, in which I responded, “the States”.  He responded, “I should have known from your accent”.  Here I was thinking listen to his accent, and he says I have an accent!  Definitely one of the weirdest moments of my life, but that was the moment where it hit me that I wasn’t in America anymore.  The other big thing that reminded me I’m not in America anymore are the roads.  My goodness are they confusing!  Every time I look at a car I think that no one is driving it because the steering wheel is on the other side!  Also I have to pay a lot more attention to crossing the road, because I have to look right instead of left.  I am still confused with the roads, so I just make sure I look both ways.  Anyways, there is more to talk about but I will cover that later.  Cheers!

Departure Day

Finally, the day has come!  My first flight from Detroit to Atlanta is scheduled for 3:50pm, and then a three hour layover until my flight from Atlanta to Manchester.  With no unexpected delays, I should arrive at approximately 10 or 10:30AM (Manchester time), which is 5 or 5:30AM local time.  I could not be more excited, and I am really looking forward to the flights (I love flying!). This will be my first international flight, so I will be experiencing something new even before I arrive in England!  I think it is only fitting, however, that it is raining in Michigan the day I am leaving for more rain in Manchester.  The 5 day forecast for Manchester right now has Sunny Intervals, Mist, Grey Cloud, White Cloud, and Mist, with temperatures in the 30's and 40's and humidity levels over 90% the entire 5 days, something I will have to get used to in the UK.  I am leaving for the airport soon, gotta go!!

Pre Departure Test

These are photos from 3 days before departure, getting ready to go to Manchester.  Six months worth of clothes in one suitcase is more difficult than I imagined. Darn airline restrictions!

10 Days Before Departure!

There are 10 days left until I leave for England, and it is approaching quickly.  I have started to pack, as well as get all of my documents ready.  I am very excited to get on my way, and it hasn't hit me yet that I will be leaving so soon.  It is a weird feeling saying bye to people that you won't see for almost seven months, but not knowing anyone in the UK will be an exciting challenge to meet new people.  Having gone to a high school that is 10 minutes away and a university that is 20 minutes away, I have never known what it is like to be a person coming from a different place.  While I have met many people from all over the country and the world, they were the ones who were in a totally new setting, but I am excited to experience that for myself.