Since our fateful split with the monarchy in 1776, the UK and the US seem to have diverged substantially. Though we may speak the same language and share some of the same customs, the UK still feels very foreign.
1. Driving.
This is an obvious one— not only do UK drivers drive on the left side of the street (pretty strange in and of itself), but they also seem to be more aggressive than US drivers. I thought the Philly drivers were bad, until I was repeatedly almost run over by London’s “cabbies.” It’s also impossible to tell when to cross since all the lights face the wrong way.
2. Coffee.
An avid coffee drinker, I was excited to experience all the hype of European coffee firsthand. Sadly, however, I have been thoroughly disappointed so far. Maybe I’m not going to the right places, but it seems that regular, black drip coffee does not exist in the UK. There’s only espresso.
3. Portion sizes.
Portion sizes in the UK seem to be made for very, very little people: They're insanely small. Really, it’s quite a tragedy, since you either end up starving yourself, or spending an exorbitant amount of money.
4. Brits have ridiculous nicknames for everything.
The British seem to have some odd vernacular, in which many commonplace terms are replaced with their quaint, little diminutives. Even though the UK speaks English, you almost need a translation guide to get around. For example:
Rocket = Arugula (I was pretty weirded out by a goat cheese and rocket salad at first).
Jumper = Sweater
Shoe-liner = socks
Loo = bathroom
Rubbish = trash
Chips = fries
Lemon = Hollandaise sauce
The list goes on and on, so don’t even get me started.
5. Money.
Apart from being significantly more expensive (the pound is approximately 1.4 times the worth of the dollar), British money uses a lot of coins. The smallest note is a five pound bill, and anything smaller than that is done in coins. Kind of a pain in the butt if you ask me, though.
6. Public transportation.
Some cities in the US have mastered public transportation (the subway in NYC is pretty awesome), but the UK takes public transportation to a whole other level. The London “Tube” is a masterpiece of coordination, planning, and precision.
7. Student discounts.
If you are a student anywhere in the UK you can probably find at least a 10 percent discount somewhere. Discounts are available at many different types of stores— everything from a Barnes & Noble to Topshop.
8. Smoking.
As in anywhere in Europe, smoking is a lot more prevalent in the UK than in the US. Very much a commonplace thing, it’s not weird to ask someone casually if they have a light.
9. Public spaces.
The Brits might do a lot of things funny, but I've got to hand it to them -- they know how to do parks. Park-life in the UK is incredible, and puts any US park or garden to shame. Not only does London have beautiful parks, but it also has lots of them. They're great for a place to stop and do a little bit of reading, enjoy a lunch, or to run through.
10. Pret A Manger.
Pret is roughly the US equivalent of Starbucks, in that you can find them on nearly every corner (the UK does still, however, have Starbucks). Pret is the go-to lunch spot for prepared foods, and has everything from warm "toasties" (paninis), to salad, to even kale and cauliflower mac and cheese.
