When you think of the United Kingdom, most people imagine the U.S., except they drive on the wrong side of the road, have funny accents, and drink a lot of tea. Over the weekend, I got to visit London and I noticed how many differences there are between the two countries.
You probably already know that the cars there drive on the left side of the road instead of the right. But did you know this means that foot traffic is on the left too? This means walking on the left side of the sidewalk, going up the left side of a staircase, and first looking to the right instead of the left when crossing a road. In popular places like London, there are even markings on the ground telling you which way to look when crossing a road.
Another major difference between the two countries is the food. In the United States, Hershey is one of the leading brands in chocolate. However, in the U.K., Hershey’s actually has to be sold as “chocolate flavoured candy” instead of regular chocolate because there is actually only 12% cocoa in Hershey's chocolate, and Britain requires at least 20% cocoa. The U.K. also has different water choices; if you ask for water at a restaurant, there are usually three options: sparkling, still, and tap. Sparkling is just fizzy water, still is bottled water, and tap is, well, tap water.
The restaurants in the U.K. are also different. Instead of eating and leaving right away, they are relaxed and let you take your time. The waiters are a lot slower to take your orders, the food takes a little bit longer to come out, and they always ask if you want dessert. This especially irritated my dad when it came to waiting for our check. There also weren’t many chain restaurants; I only really saw one or two Starbucks, McDonald's, and Burger Kings while I was there. However, there were a lot of “Caffe Neros” that seemed very similar to Starbucks or Dunkin’.
My visit to London made me realize the small differences that exist between the U.S. and Britain. There are numerous small details that I never would have realized if I hadn't been given the opportunity to visit the country myself. From different charging outlets to unique accents, there are many characteristics that make Britain what it is today.
Hey, Kadison! This is so interesting, I actually also went to London when I was 11 and I know exactly what you are talking about! Fish and chips were offered at every possible restaurant- even for breakfast! I also noticed how many more people were smoking than here in the U.S; not my favorite part of the trip :)
ReplyDeleteThis was fascinating. I've never been there myself, so it was nice to learn about some of the different customs (especially the walking on the opposite side of the sidewalks... that must be so unusual the first time you experience it!)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed your "trip for the weekend" to London lol. It's really cool to visit foreign countries and identify their cultures and ways of life and compare that to the United States. Hopefully if everything works out the way it should, my family and I are going to visit London in summer of 2020.
ReplyDeleteI am excited you got to experience a different culture so early in life, especially that of London. I went to London once when I was really young to visit my uncle and remember nothing of the trip. I find that foot traffic follows how the cars drive very interesting and probably would mess that up a few time before finally I got it.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed your trip. It’s cool to see someone else’s perspective on another country. I had a similar experience in Jamaica as they also drive on the left side of the road. It definitely an odd change.
ReplyDeleteI found your description of how Americans see London in their minds very amusing and even more accurate haha. It's true, a lot of the things you mentioned did surprise me, even though a lot of them made a lot of sense. I'm glad you had a good time on your trip!
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