English ≠ English

Hello all of my loyal followers (i.e. mom and matt) I personally apologize for my absence in almost 2 weeks! It had been driving me crazy that I haven't written anything in that long. I feel like everything gets backed up and then I forget about it so I have been trying to jot down some notes in between postings so that I wont forget to write about anything. That being said, sit down and get comfortable because I am about to unleash two weeks worth of adventures on you...3...2..1..

Everyone was always talking "culture shock" but I never really thought that there would be any real big differences between the UK and the US, considering that we are both two large English speaking nations. I think that was my first mistake because just because we both speak the same language actually means nothing. For one, English is not the same as American (in terms of language). It has actually taken me over three weeks to realize that everyone who was coming up to me at work and asking me "are you OK?" were not actually concerned with me not being alright, but were in fact just saying "how are you?" as we say in casual passing expecting someone to say "good, you", and I have been answering "yea", almost rudely now that I look back on it, because I wanted everyone to think I was strong and capable, ooops. Another thing i recently found out is that the police in London, DO NOT carry guns. This blew my mind! They have little night sticks and no other way of defending of offending I guess. This is clearly a large difference because most British people that I meet will ask me about guns and ask me if I know anyone with a gun or own one myself. So I learned that Americans are really perceived as "gun crazed". but really, how can your law enforcement not have guns?? Maybe its because all of their commercials are all so graphic that everyone is too scared of everyone else. There is this commercial on tv that plays ALL THE TIMEE and it is a little 6 year old boy who is all mangled and his eyes aren't focused and this man is going about his life and wherever he goes this little dead boy is there and then at the end it says "its 30 for a reason" talking about the speed limit. Its very graphic. Email me if you want to hear about more because they are pretty crazy but I wont bore everyone with all the details (everyone being the 3 people that read this). I think this all gits in with the English needing to be more informed. I thought Americans were nosy! Every announcement on the Tube explaining closers and delays tells you EXACTLY why it is closed or delayed. ("the district line in closed due to the fact that a middle aged man dropped some of his belongings on the track and jumped down to get them"......Boston wouldn't even tell you it was closed)

Other English Language Differences:
-If you say you are taking the "bus" somewhere long distance people WILL look at you funny and ask if you mean a "coach" ( I guess they are different)
-I was in the airport in security recently and asked for "a bin" to put my shoes and other things in to go through the x-ray machine and the man laughed at me...a bin means "trash can"
-Pants = underwear.....if you said you werent wearing pants people would think you meant your going comando
- the letter 'Z' does not exist. Its a "ZED" for one thing if they do use it and they rarely do. Instead they use "s". its not globalization its globalisation, and realize becomes realise...its all very strange
-they spell A LOT of things differently. its defence not defense, and everyone just thinks your dumb when you spell them "wrong"


Thats all for now...more to come soon...promise!

xoxo