Seriously, though.
Let’s get this straight: Yes, I have officially encountered the meaning of
“culture shock” in the UK, and, yes, there are exactly six words beginning with
the letter T that quickly define my experience in the UK.
DISCLAIMER: You WILL
want to drink tea. Also, “tea” is not real tea… But you’ll thank me later!
Let’s start with
perhaps the most obvious T-word:
Time. Before I flew across the pond, a six-hour time change didn’t seem
all that intimidating.
What was I thinking?!? I’ll tell you what: It’s not easy. Talking to
the ‘rents and (wait for it…) even the
significant others is far from an easy task.
Picture this: It’s 8 o’clock in the morning in England. The sun has
just barely risen, shimmering her golden rays onto our fresh faces, as the
roomie and I trot our way through the snow and up the hill into the refectory
to eat a tired breakfast before Monday morning’s lecture begins…
Meanwhile, it’s 2am back in the States, and mom’s rolling over in
bed to tell dad, once again, to “stop that snoring!!!”
Oh, the sentiment! The good news is that you don’t have to hear from
mom at 2 in the morning.
Toilets. Ah, my personal
favorite: toilets. What would we do without ‘em? Studying abroad certainly
answered that one for me! Oddly enough, finding a bathroom (eh hem, toilet) has truly transformed into a
full-time job, especially in the public setting.
Now, I will be straightforward in admitting that I have a
water-drinking problem, so it is possible that I need to use the Ladies more
often than the average human. Regardless, there are definitely less toilets in
the UK, and I would know!
Upon my first-time arrival in London, it was only fitting to
immediately find a bathroom. Relieved when finally spotting a “toilet” sign in
The Tube, I ran to the entrance, only to be greeted by… a toll? There was a fee
to pee! Of course this was an interesting experience because I still didn’t
know the difference between a pence
and a pound.
Speaking of prices… On
a lighter note, we have
Tips. …or do we? Whether or not to tip the waiter,
waitress, or bartender and, if so, how
much seemed to be a continuously floating question for a while. However,
thankfully, due to the Brits’ pretty hefty minimum wage, tipping is completely unnecessary.
Yep, that’s right! And, of course, this could mean only one thing:
Drink more!
.
. . Tea? You
know what they say about the Brits? Me neither. But I do know that the British habit
of fast-talking is most likely to make up for the lost time we spend drinking!
And, by now, you’ve hopefully caught on that I’m not just talking tea, people.
Speaking
of booze, it’s expensive. Which brings me
to the “GBP” part of the equation, more commonly referred to as the British
Pound.
I may be a mathematical genius (as clearly demonstrated by the very
title of this post), but currency
conversion is an entirely different story.
According to XE.com’s nifty currency exchange rate app, I can tell
you that one British Pound is equivalent to one US Dollar and fifty-two cents.
But check back in 10 minutes, and it may be different! The exchange
rate system is something that still often catches me off-guard. At least I know
that a pence is like the British version of a penny… Right?? Right.
Talk
(& Telephone, if you’re lucky).
“Talk is cheap.”
– a beautiful quote, written by someone who has yet
to encounter an International cellphone plan.
Can Wireless Internet fall under this category, too? Facebook and
Skype are supposedly the ways to go about Study-Abroad communication, but no
one mentioned the scarcity of a free Internet connection! This is when our American-beloved
Micky D’s and Starbucks come in clutch. They are often the only public settings
to offer wi-fi service, free of charge.
Aaaand we’re back to the Pound!
Trust.
Fear not, parents! You can trust these
tea-drinking Brits with your wee ones… When Sally leaves a pound or two extra
on the pub counter as a tip (or maybe even her Passport and credit card… Yep,
guilty…), you can at least be sure that the kind, young bartender will run
after her in order to safely secure the “misplaced” change.
Indeed, I will be the first to admit that it is not uncommon to feel
a bit misplaced, here, in my new home. However, waking up to an alarm clock is particularly
less painful when I look out my dorm window, only to gaze upon the dewy English
hillside, accompanied by the old, yet powerful, beauty of castle-structured
Harlaxton Manor.
Yes, it is undoubtedly during such moments that I realize the rare
privilege I have received by spending a semester abroad.
Sure, a few extra pounds may have been sacrificed, but this culture-shocking
experience is a priceless one, for sure.
Jasmine
Maletta
University of Evansville, Harlaxton College
BFA Theatre Performance '17
Harlaxton Manor
Assistant, Special Projects & Events
jm590@evansville.edu
Business Contact:
jmaletta@harlaxton.ac.uk
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