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Topic: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known  (Read 174501 times)

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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #75 on: March 12, 2005, 12:08:36 PM »
One thing that threw me off --

In my typical Texas way, when I pass a body on the street, I usually nod and say "Mornin'" if we make eye contact. That's just how we say it in Texas, "Mornin'"

I never, ever, ever EVER got anyone to say anything back to me, until one day, riding on the cycle path in the dark of an early winter morn, a gent who passed me by smiled and said:

"MORN-iiiiiiiiiinnnnng!"

so now that is my usuall greeting and it never fails. I guess a Texas accent can come off as cruel and grouchy to those on this island who have never associated it with a friendly face. So now I do as the English do:

MORN-iiiiiiinnnnng!

It helps if you end with a 'hard G' sound as well. Let 'em know you love 'em!

--

PS -- I hate those 'double tap' faucets! Though I guess it must wreak some real havoc on the little bacterium I hope to kill when I wash my hands to constantly go from "Ow, hot!" to "So cold!" (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, lathering your hands and quickly passing them under both taps)
ouchy


Re: LIST: Things about England you wish you had kn
« Reply #76 on: April 30, 2005, 07:29:26 PM »
(and no kaopectate here, either!)


No, but we have kaolin & morphine, which is much better and gets you high as well!   :)


Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had kno
« Reply #77 on: April 30, 2005, 07:47:40 PM »
juice = soda/pop  (maybe this is a Scotland thing?)


It's an Edinburgh/ central belt thing.
In Glasgow, 'juice' or coke, or soda is called 'ginger' or 'skoosh'.


Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had kno
« Reply #78 on: April 30, 2005, 07:54:10 PM »
No medicine cabinets in the bathrooms (my meds, and plasters are stored in a tupperware container on top of the kitchen cupboard)

No mirrors in the bathroom, unless you buy your own and put it up, and then there is usually a window in front of the sink, so you end up putting it above the toilet.


If you havent got one, and you want one... you can go to Ikea, B&Q or Homebase, where there are several varieties, sold at reasonable prices.


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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #79 on: May 12, 2005, 12:38:42 AM »
 ::) OH LORD when i saw this ihad to laugh. It had provided me with much needed laughter for today.

Let me start out by saying I REALLY feel like a snob  when i go to the UK.. I hate that feeling because we are so "accustomed" to things we have here you know.

I will say THANK GOD myhusband does NOT like dirty dishes! and his family rinses the dishes properly. WHO wants to get sick?eww

 I have been to England for good stay 2 times. Moving there in June or July! YEHAW!
First time was 5 days.
 When i first got there, i had some photos my hubby had taken of where he lived. I had seen the house in photos. Very CUTE. and i thought the little thing under the sink was a dishwasher. ITS THE WASHINGMACHINE! and not only is it JUST the washing machine,, but u have to take ur clothes out on a line to dry them. OH GOSH  . for someone who DETESTS washing  clothes this is going to be hard for me.

 My tummy was on US  time, ( califonia time to be exact! 8 hours behind  Enaland) OH i was so hungry! and there is NO place to get food at 3am. not even at the grocery store. and i got sick too and i didnt get to get any cough  meds till the next day.

I forgot how diffrent the weather is. I froze my BEUTOX off my first  trip. It was COOOOLD and it was April. When i left LA it was like 86 degreese.. when i got tlo london it was 57 degreees and that was the HIGH for the day OMG!  i dont mind cold but not in L. A. CLOTHES!

 I wasnt feeling the butter on the sandwiches at first.  I had that the first time this fall when visiting for 3 months. My  now FIL made sandwiches for dinner. OMG i was liek why is ther butter on this, this tastes buttery. I hated making a scowl but i was like this isnt right.   I hate being rude with food. NOW I LOVE  BUTTER ON SANDWICHES i just wont order it at Subway and was so glad subway didnt put no butter on my sandwich either.
  I was a lil confused bout closet space. I am glad to know thats in every house not just my hubby's house. I have only been in two homes  since i have visited.
    For the most part i found people freindly. I did get the occasional stare for smiling and walking by and nodding to people  or saying hello. but i cant help it, thats just me.
 Is it me, or do the phones ring diffrentlythere?
 and the dial tone is two beeps instead of one. WHich i knew about from calling my then boyfriend, but I thought it was just my connection from the US that made it beep like that.
  The Kettles in the house. We dont have kettles, if you want hot water u better put it in a pot and make it hot or  put a cup of water in the microwave I sure like the Kettles.

Do people barbecue like we do here? i hadn't smelled any summer barbecue  and it made me  sad. I  dread to think of Fourth of July ( FIL birthday) and no barbecue or Fireworks :(
  OH and my favorite observation...  BANK HOLIDAY. its a big deal everytime they have it. Its not just one time its liek EVERYTIME i have had it, there is a carnival near my husband's familis house ( we will go next time for sure) Its liek okay WHAT IS BANK HOLIDAY and why is it sucha big deal? and I know we have plenty of holidays in the US but can we have this too?

OH ALL THE TVS ARE HUGE!!!! the  chanels come in clearer too. did anyone notice the picture is clearer on regular tv?

and YEAH what's with these soaps at night! who watches SOAPs at NITE! we got Desperate Houswives, thats a TV SHOW , NOT A SOAP!  ( amazing how u get hooked when u talke about something so badly. i was like .. ooh neighbours is coming on) LOL.

Oh and i didnt know there were only 5 basic chanels. I was liek OH how do ya'll live. but they acutally seem to get out more and do things there than we do here. WHich i think is GREAT let me at the fun

Okay this is making me sad and missing London. LOL

:)
shala
Married to the most wonderful man in the world. Patrick Mulcrone. March 21,2005.  :) Temporarily back in the USA! Missing him! If you need advice I am here for you!


Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #80 on: August 04, 2005, 08:25:40 PM »
I don't think this has been mentioned yet.

My DF is from north yorkshire.  His mother is always yelling at his 15 year old brother to "PACK IT IN."  At first I was wondering if she wanted him to start packing up his room or something.  But then my DF told me that she just means for him to stop whatever he's going that's irritating.  I thought that was something really different that I've never heard before. 


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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #81 on: August 09, 2005, 02:40:26 PM »
I wish I would have known how shite Hull is.


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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #82 on: August 10, 2005, 12:16:46 AM »
Missed this before, so rather a late response I'm afraid!

When i first got there, i had some photos my hubby had taken of where he lived. I had seen the house in photos. Very CUTE. and i thought the little thing under the sink was a dishwasher. ITS THE WASHINGMACHINE! and not only is it JUST the washing machine,, but u have to take ur clothes out on a line to dry them.

A lot of people dry on an outside line, but we do have dryers as well.   Finding somewhere to put one might be the biggest problem, but there's always the option of buying a combination washer/dryer.    Running the power-hungry dryer on "Economy 7" electricity (cheaper night tariff) is the best way.

Quote
Is it me, or do the phones ring diffrentlythere?

They do.   

Standard ring is the double burst:  0.4 sec. on, 0.2 off,  0.4 on, 2 secs off, then repeat, compared to the American ring which is usually 2 secs. ringing followed by a 4-sec. pause.

Quote
and the dial tone is two beeps instead of one. WHich i knew about from calling my then boyfriend, but I thought it was just my connection from the US that made it beep like that.

I think you mean the ring tone, not dial tone.   Yes, it mirrors the actual ringing cadence.     You used to have double and even triple rings plus other odd combinations in America too back in the days of party lines.   :)

Quote
  The Kettles in the house. We dont have kettles, if you want hot water u better put it in a pot and make it hot or  put a cup of water in the microwave I sure like the Kettles.

I suppose there might be a British kitchen somewhere without a kettle, but I wouldn't bet on it!   ;D

Quote
OH ALL THE TVS ARE HUGE!!!! the  chanels come in clearer too. did anyone notice the picture is clearer on regular tv?

It depends very much upon the signal strength, how well the set has been adjusted, and so on.  You can find examples of excellent through attrocious in both countries. 

« Last Edit: August 10, 2005, 12:20:03 AM by Paul_1966 »
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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #83 on: August 10, 2005, 10:33:30 AM »
Here are some things you MIGHT experience in the UK that you probably wouldn't expect, that you should be aware of. (I emphasize "might" in case people get mad at me... and please, nobody tell me I'm wrong because this is what I have experienced after being here a total of about 2.5 years, including 6 months spent in England. Please don't be offended by the negative points, I am really not trying to hurt anyone... these are just my observations. Oh, and I'm not saying these things don't exist in the US, but the UK is a smaller country and not as varied so these things are more common here.)

1. It DOES matter how you dress here, moreso than most parts of the US. People seem to be very brand conscious, and dress dressier. It's not unusual to feel frumpy and unkempt when walking down the high street... people dress sexier here and like to show more skin. Clothes shopping on the high street is VERY expensive, with T-shirts in some shops costing £18 (about $36.) I suggest sticking to TK Maxx!

2. Many more people smoke here.

3. Drinking is an acceptable part of everyday life. What would be considered a "drinking problem" in the US is considered normal here. I'll raise a glass to that.

4. There is alot of litter, vandalism and graphiti, even outside the cities... which is unfortunate.

5. Which leads me to my next point: chav culture is very widespread. Unless of course you live in a posh area. If so, you're lucky.

6. Teen motherhood seems to be rampant. The UK has the highest percentage of teen pregnancy in Europe. You should get used to seeing teenagers pushing prams. Often these mums sign on and jump the queue for their own council house as almost a reward for having a baby early and out of wedlock.

7. Unemployment is VERY high. It is very hard to find work unless you are in certain fields where there are shortages, unless you live near London. A huge number of people are out of work and signing on to government funds (or as people say, sucking Tony Blair's teet), including many immigrants.

8. The average house price in the UK is almost half a million US dollars, even in not-so-nice areas.  :( Because of this, young people often don't leave home until after 30.

9. Public transportation is fairly well distributed here, for the most part. But it is an extreme rip-off. For an all-day ticket, it costs me £2.40, times five days a week. For that money, the service is horrible, at least on my route. The drivers don't care about being on time. If you own a car, that's expensive too... petrol is NOT cheap.

10. Alot of people here are celebrity-obsessed. Many more woman's magazines are devoted to celebrities than anything else. Warning: They are addictive.

11. In general, it's a lot more expensive to live here, and in many cases you earn less for the same job.

12. Pop music here today is just god awful. I suggest bringing your own CD's or downloading your old favorites. Unless you like prefabricated cheesy pop music with flavor-of-the-moment artists. Or at least listen to some of the British non-pop groups, which are definitely decent.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2005, 10:37:27 AM by Honeybee »
Plans on hold 'cuz Brexit


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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #84 on: August 10, 2005, 06:16:35 PM »
1. It DOES matter how you dress here, moreso than most parts of the US. People seem to be very brand conscious, and dress dressier.

That depends on where you live in the UK. Dress style is not universal over here, just as it's not universal in the US. Where I live, people are very casual.

2. Many more people smoke here.

Again, I see no difference between the US and the UK. There are plenty of smoking bans proposed over here, so it's a movement that's gaining popularity on both sides of the Atlantic.

4. There is alot of litter, vandalism and graphiti, even outside the cities... which is unfortunate.

Again, it depends on where you are. There is no graffiti at all where I live or most other non-urban places I've visited. I lived in a city in the US with a much worse graffiti problem. Also, I'm amazed at how clean the roads are over here. No litter anywhere -- especially on the sides of the motorway. You'd never see that on I-95 in the US! Plus, you don't have people here with broken down washing machines in their front yards!

5. Which leads me to my next point: chav culture is very widespread. Unless of course you live in a posh area. If so, you're lucky.

I think the non-chav culture is the dominant one. Maybe you've just settled in Chav-ville, Honeybee! Besides, there's really no difference between chavs and whatever you want to call them in the US ... trailer trash? White trash? At least "Chav" is a nicer word for it!

6. Teen motherhood seems to be rampant. The UK has the highest percentage of teen pregnancy in Europe. You should get used to seeing teenagers pushing prams. Often these mums sign on and jump the queue for their own council house as almost a reward for having a baby early and out of wedlock.

But it's still not as high as the teen pregnancy rate in the US.  http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/teen/overview/overview.htm

I won't continue ... but you get the point. Saf, I'm glad you're excited about moving here! It has its good points and its bad points, but I don't think you can make a list of generalisations about the country as a whole. We may not be as big as the US, but that doesn't mean that there aren't drastic differences from one area to another.
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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #85 on: August 10, 2005, 06:21:54 PM »
1. It DOES matter how you dress here, moreso than most parts of the US. People seem to be very brand conscious, and dress dressier. It's not unusual to feel frumpy and unkempt when walking down the high street... people dress sexier here and like to show more skin. Clothes shopping on the high street is VERY expensive, with T-shirts in some shops costing £18 (about $36.) I suggest sticking to TK Maxx!


I think this really only applies to the young... im in my 40's and love the fact that i can go to my office job wearing something 'close, but not quite', (not really matching, or not terribly fashionable) and no one will give it a second glance.


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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #86 on: August 11, 2005, 05:41:32 AM »
I've only visited England twice, but really wish I had known about the "To Let" signs! It would have saved me a lot of trauma and I could have avoided being teased for the rest of my life about my desperate search for a toilet that almost brought me to tears! Also, what's up with the toilets? It's hit or miss if I can get the thing to flush, everytime I think I have mastered it, the next time it won't work!! Frustrating!
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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #87 on: August 11, 2005, 10:51:56 AM »
Quote
really wish I had known about the "To Let" signs!

 ;D


Quote
Also, what's up with the toilets? It's hit or miss if I can get the thing to flush, everytime I think I have mastered it, the next time it won't work!!

The toilets work on a rather different principle than American types (it's not just that the water level in the bowl is much lower).     

If you happen to get one which has a worn seal on the diaphragm, it can take just the right knack with the handle to get it to flush properly. 
From
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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #88 on: August 11, 2005, 03:57:55 PM »
If you happen to get one which has a worn seal on the diaphragm, it can take just the right knack with the handle to get it to flush properly. 

I'm just baffled to learn that toilets have diaphragms!!  ;)
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Re: LIST: Things about The UK you wish you had known
« Reply #89 on: August 11, 2005, 08:01:22 PM »
I wish I had known that Asian means someone from Pakistan or India.  I had no idea.  I was reading a case file and was telling Azroomie about my day and she pointed this out to me.  Then we had a laugh because if no one told me, I would never have known. 


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