Well, I think it's safe to say, America and England are not the same thing. While England is very "westernized," there are some extremely significant differences here. I'm learning this very quickly and in many different ways.
First and formost, I need to remember that they drive on the opposite side of the road. This could be one of my most fatal errors because I keep catching myself looking the wrong way and thinking it's safe to cross. Most of the time, I am wrong. While I haven't gotten hit yet (knock on wood!), I need to start being more careful! Crossing the road isn't something that I thought I'd ever have to seriously think about, but it is now..
I ate at a McDonalds today! I figured it was a safe bet for a quick, cheap bite to eat. And it was pretty cheap -- like £3 aka $5 -- but it definitely was not the same as in America. The McDonalds was like chique. The chairs were all fancy and brightly colored. There are farrrr few choices to choose from and from what I saw, no such thing as a "value meal." The burgers are less greasy and the fries/chips were waaaay more salty. They must be like obsessed with salt here or something (see last post for the size of the salt container I bought) because those fries were saltyyyyy!
T-K-Maxx -- What is that you ask? The equivalent of TJ Maxx. Kind of cool right? The store was almost the exact same, but with British brands that I really didn't know anyway so I couldn't really tell what was a "bargain" and where I was getting ripped off so I didn't buy anything. Look at me being a conscious shopper haha!
American kiosks? When we went to the the Fishergate shopping center my eyes totally lit up when I saw "American Food" It was this little bitty kiosk that sold all of this American candy like different flavors of M&M's and KitKats for £3 ($5). They had Kool-Aid and different flavored pop-tarts and even Lucky Charms for £12 ($18) which is a little too expensive for my current taste. That will probably change the longer I'm here! But who knows, maybe I'll start to like eating healthier .. okay let's be real here that's not gonna happen!
Beef Paste - Jong, one of the exchange students from Korea, made me JUMP out of my comfort zone last night. He had this little tube of red stuff and was eating it like it was candy. When I asked him about it, he told me it was pepper-beef paste from Korea. He put it on some cauliflower and made me try it. It was a little spicy, but overall not horrrrible. He said he brought literally 6 tubes of it. I guess it's kind of like his "ketchup" because he puts it on everything according to his flatmates.
Mushy Peas - they're exactly what they sound like, which is what is so great about Great Britain - they just say it how it is. In America we would attempt to make this average side to a meal sound classy and call it mashed peas or puree'ed peas, not in England. They're literally peas that have been smushed and put on the side of a fish and chips meal. Bon Apetit, I guess..
Peanut Butter - an obvious staple to any American college student. Not the same in England, that's for sure! since I've been here I've been craving oreos or animal crackers or anything really, in peanut butter. Finally at and Pound World I found a little tiny jar of it! Hallelujah! But when I came back to my flat and was all excited about it, all my flatmates looked at me like I was the crazy American (that I probably am). Hannah thought I was crazy because she said she doesn't like it and Lucy told me that it wasn't really a big deal here. NOT A BIG DEAL!?!? It's peanut butter! No worries, I will teach them the ways of a true American college student!
Losing pounds is not a good thing .. in America if you say you've lost 20 lbs people get really excited and will likely say "Great Job!" Not the case in the UK. If you lose £20, you're just s.o.l. ...
Biscuits v. Scones - the everlasting debate. What we call in America as biscuits (like biscuits and gravy, a concept which no one understands and if you think about trying to explain it - sausage fat, flour and milk on top of biscuits - to someone who has never had it, doesn't sound too appetizing) they would call scones. When they say biscuits they mean like cookies. Weird, right?
Some things are the same, most things are different, but I'm still the same person. Just adjusting to a new life. And trying to stay positive and love every minute of it.
This really is the chance of a lifetime, so why waste it, right?
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