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!