Some things I am adjusting to...
1. You can face which ever way you want when parking the car on the street. I still find this amusing... it just looks wrong!
2. You drive THROUGH the roundabouts! Yes, that's right... through them! You still give way to the right but instead of having a raised roundabout that you go around, they just paint a circle on the road, so when it's your turn to go you can cut straight through it! (They do still have big roundabouts like ours but the little ones like this are everywhere).
3. The traffic lights flash orange before they go green, and we are still not sure if you are actually meant to go on the orange or not, some people do, some don't! Most green lights are arrow shapes too.
4. You have to pack your own bags at the supermarket, and the checkout chick sits down! (Bet you would love that hey El!)
5. You never see or hear the word EFTPOS it's always 'Chip & Pin'. The first time they said to us "Is that chip & pin?" we were like "what!!?" All their cards have chips and they find it very strange when you hand over a card without one.... one place wouldn't even take it because they 'don't except signatures' anymore!!! Makes it very hard for anyone travelling with a 'normal' card!!!!
6. Everything (in the supermarkets) is SO packaged. They have most of the fruit and veg in plastic and most of it is 'ready made' as they call it here. You can buy watermelon already cut up and carrots peeled and sliced... all in plastic. The fruit and veg doesn't seem presented anywhere near as nice as at home. And to make it even worse.... both places we have lived offer a recycling service, BUT they don't take plastic.... just cans, paper and glass!!! 80% of our recyclable stuff is plastic... or cardboard (which they don't take) it's so annoying.... not to mention harmful. They have heaps of other 'ready made' items too, and you always hear that term.
7. There is alcohol in all the supermarkets, and most of the chains are open 24 hours.
8. They love their supermarkets, there are so many chains, probably 8 or more just around here. A lot of the big shops that you go in have some sort of food area included... either groceries or a cafe.
9. You don't have to wear a bike helmet. This has taken lots of getting used to... it looks so dangerous. So there are lots of bike riders around.... young and old!
10. There is a Sunday trading law where all shops have to close at 4.00pm. I think this is great, but wish they would really just not open at all. Surely people can have one day away!!!
11. There are about 5 different kinds of trolleys to choose from at the supermarket... depending on your needs! It's great!
12. It cost me 35 pounds to get my legs waxed!!!!!!!!!!! Don't think I'll be doing that anymore!!! (Nearly cheaper to fly you over Jac!!) And they 'plucked' my eyebrows instead of waxing!!
11 comments:
I am feeling soooo jealous Han, you guys are having such an awesome experience. It has made Paul and I want to plan our year on exchange sooner rather than later.... have to get teaching more first eh?
Keep the blogs coming, we are loving hearing all about it. I might even start my own blog this year... we'll see, pigs mught fly too. Love heaps, rach xoxo
Ouch about the waxing and the plucking!!! Can't believe the car parking or the roundabouts, think I would just freak out driving:) Have you had a curry yet? Aren't the currys supposed to be really good?
Oh wow - I love this!!! It's awesome hearing about how things are so different. I had heard that about the roundabouts.
So funny Han, I am more than happy for you to fly me out every month or so to attend to your waxing needs!!! Sounds like some very strange things go on over there. Keep us updated xxx
35 pounds!!!! How funny. You're bringing back many memories of my time in the UK - very observant here Han. Your new furnished house is awesome - that couch rocks! And I personally think that carpet on the bathroom floor in Winter would be quite snug. 3 stories - you are going to have the tightest butt ever :)
Well sounds.... strange. I told you you would have to pack your own groceries when you got to Europe didn't I?? Do they make you 'buy' the plastic bags as well??
As for parking - umm... WEIRDOS. And as for round abouts..... WEIRDOS... and as for the lights turning orange before green - yep, thats cool hey? I don't think your meant to go on the orange lights, it's a little like when the orange light goes on and your supposed to 'slow down' but most people 'speed up' so they catch it - I think when it goes orange before green it means 'start your engines.....1....2....3... GO!!
The parking thing is disconcerting when you turn down a road and all of the cars on both sides are facing towards you and you wonder "Is this a one way street that I am driving down the wrong way?". But so far whenever that has happened to me it was a two-way street and people were just 'parking dodgy'. One of my bosses worked in Australia - in Sydney - for a year (a long time ago), and he parked like that and got a ticket. He couldn't believe it because he thought that was normal - sucks to be unfamiliar with the local rules/customs doesn't it!
WOW - that's great that you can park like that - I mean then when you see a spot you can just whip over and get it - you don't have to do a u-turn and know that someone else coming the other way will get it..LOL. Anyway I can't wait to get there...
Great blogging Han! House looks lovely. England sounds like a strange place.. haha but sounds like you are having heaps of fun! xox
i love hearing about all this...it's so different to here, but what a great experience you must all be having- and you're doing so well at recording it all. keep it up and enjoy every bit of your adventure!
Hi Han,
I'm back on the blog! Thanks for all your posts. You're a good girl recording everything!
Your house looks wonderful. Is it hard to clean???
I'm gonna go write you an email now!
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