The Last Time

I'm home now, and while I'm happy to be home, it makes me sad to have left the United Kingdom. For my last post I wanted to make a list of things that are different over there than here; some of them were things that were hard to get used to, or that I just thought were fun or interesting.

*Marshmallows are a big deal over there; they are advertised big deal if they are in something.

*In houses you need to go into a different room to wash your hands after using the bathroom

*Some public toilets cost money (if you can find one!)

*Instead of exit, it's the way out

*People don't talk on their mobiles as much in public

*They are called mobiles

*Everyone smokes

*Prices aren't consistent, you have to shop around a lot

*TJ Maxx is called TK Maxx (never found out why)

*No one talks on the Tube

*There are no drinking fountains, which is really annoying

*Street musicians are called buskers and they are really good! They were my favorite part of riding the Tube. Plus they play the coolest things: harps, plastic buckets, the xylophone, and I even saw a guy pushing his piano down the street

*"At weekends"

*They aren't purses, but handbags. "You're in the mother country now!"

*Everything is under construction!

*Baby nappy changer units

*Surname instead of last name

*Coaches instead of buses

*The cars; I don't think I saw one that was boxy, but all had smooth curves

*Need to turn the outlets on "which is actually a really good idea"

*Rubbish/litter bins

*Social propriety, there is more nudity, sex, and swearing that is acceptable

*No programs at concerts and plays unless you want to pay for them

*Plasters instead of band-aids

*American food is ethnic

*Free newspapers, more than just fluff

*Free museums

*Hen part instead of bachelorette

*To let or For Hire instead of for rent (to let is used for buildings, for hire is objects)

*Ice Cream sold at interval of every play

*Spellings of words; ie, programme, colour

*Toy boy instead of boy toy

*Crisps are chips, chips are french fries

*Pants are underwear, trousers are pants

*Jumper instead of sweater

*Sweets instead of candy

*Poems and scriptures on the Tube

*Interval instead of Intermission

*Pubs instead of bars

*Lollies instead of suckers

*Tanktops are called vests

*Toilet not bathroom (though they do call it a lot of different things; lavatory, loo, toilet)

*Out door markets!

*Car park instead of parking lots, not that there were very many of them

*Boot/bonnet=trunk/hood

*Magdelan is pronounced "maudlin" at Cambridge and Oxford

*Smoothies are not smoothies, just blended juice

There are more, but I can't remember too many right now. I love you all, and I'm happy to be able to see you all soon.