Things I have Noticed

I have made notes of a few things I have noticed about the cultures we have visited.

To me, it is interesting how different places who speak English speak different styles of English. For example rubbish bin or trash can. Lorry or truck. Chips or French fries. Crisps and chips. Biscuit and cookie. Salad on your burger or tomato and lettuce on your burger. Dish soap or washing up liquid. If you ask for a bathroom they tell you where a bath and shower are and not where the bathroom is. You have to ask for a toilet. The boot is the trunk of a car and the bonnet is the hood. Gasoline is called petrol.

Gas is more expensive here (even in Norway which is one of the most gas producing countries in the world). It is about $6 per gallon and people are happy because it is low right now.

In the UK, they drive on the wrong side of the road. They drive on the wrong side of the car and it feels like the passenger should drive or brake! Most people walk, bike, train, boat or bus and do not drive their own car. They take taxis. We are going to do a lot of walking because we can stop and explore that way. We have been guessing who is going to wear out their shoes first!

Most people do not even have cars because parking is scarce and gas and cars are very expensive. In London, they have congestion tax and if you are driving during rush hour you get taxed because they are trying to keep the roads less crowded and open for public transportation to help with pollution.

The grocery stores are tiny, tiny, tiny and the entire store is about the size of the produce section at our store. There are very few aisles.

There is a lot more of smoking even though there are warnings of the packages. There are HUGE words on the packages that say things like “Smokers die younger” and “You have an increased chance of cancer” and things like that. There are cigarette butts everywhere on the ground.

People are very nice. They like talking to you even if they don’t know you. They ask us where we are from.

People wear a lot duller colors and they do not have as many flowers, characters or lace on their clothes, they are much more bland.  They are more dressed up also.

Another blog coming very soon. I have to finish editing it.