The Beginning

15/1/11
Having been to the UK twice before, I wasn't really concerned about the culture shock. But I soon found out that the things that I thought were familiar weren't actually all that familiar.

Things that are the same:

• Starbucks – Self-explanatory, they made my Carmel Macchiato, and it tasted like America.

• Hipsters – I thought I’d escape them, but it seems that they are just as prevalent as in California. They go speeding by on their fixed gear bicycle’s.

• The Music – the club music is American, and it’s music that would be found on the past five ‘Now’ CD’s. If it’s not the same version it’s a remix (and I use remix very loosely, remix in the sense that the only difference is that the beat is sped up).

Things that are Different:

• The Language – they may speak English in the UK, but it sure isn’t American English. While at Starbucks, I had to do the ever so common “Beg your pardon?” and then “What?” and then “Huh??” and finally the “Oohh, yeah” but if after that final inquiry I still can’t understand then the smile and nod comes in handy.

• The Cars – they are ruthless! It’s like they come out of nowhere and try to get as close as possible to pedestrians without actually clipping them. The buses come about two inches from pedestrians walking on the sidewalk.

• No Street Signs – it took me an hour to find the hotel that was literally a block and a half from my hostel because I was wandering aimlessly without any sort of directional help, and I only found the hotel because I happened upon it.

• Everything is Narrower – what seems like a pedestrians only alley is anything but that. Cars seem to magically fit between buildings, Knight Bus style.

• It gets dark at 4pm and sunrise is at 8am aka DARKNESS – self explanatory and very strange for me.

• Bartenders only put about three ice cubs in a drink. It’s part awesome and part not uncool;I feel like it so much more for my drinks without all that excess ice, even though the shots are smaller than in America so it doesn’t really matter, but I still like to pretend I’m getting more for my money. BUT the pints are 20oz so it makes up for the lackluster shots.