I find it absolutely surreal that I’ve been at the University of Nottingham for nearly three weeks now. I’m used to three weeks feeling like an eternity in any other circumstances. Though I’m becoming accustomed to living in the city of Nottingham and its beautiful university campus, I’m discovering new British quirks every day, from various accents (because apparently there is not just ONE British accent), extremely clever expressions, and similar but wildly different products. I think it’s safe to say at this point I’ll be coming home with a very multicultural outlook. Here are some facets of British life I’ve encountered so far that are bound to shock Canadian collegiettes studying abroad in the United Kingdom or anywhere else.
1. If French Fries = Chips, then Chips = Crisps (In other words, be careful when ordering food)I cannot stress this enough. If you’re lucky, like I was, you’ll find out in advance that several of the most delicious and important foods are called by different names here, and you will not make the embarrassing mistake of ordering the wrong thing at the cafeteria (like I unfortunately have). However, it’s impossible to fully learn all the terminology before actually living in the UK: in fact, most of the fancy British words or expressions that I’ve heard of, food-related or not, I’ve learned from the people I’ve met here. Having a food ordering slip-up is inevitable in your first few days especially, but have faith that one day, the confusion will subside and you will learn what they really mean.
2. Don’t be fooled by food – it’s not the same as it is at home!When you’re in the process of trying new foods that do not compare to the delicacies of home in any way, seeing a sign for Starbucks or even Kit Kat bar in your way can feel like seeing an oasis of water in the middle of a desert. However, always keep in mind that even though these brands are found worldwide, they’re not necessarily the same food you get at home. For example, the Kit Kats here are oddly sweeter than they are in Canada, and the menus for restaurants like Starbucks and McDonald’s vary from country to country.
3. Snow is a temporary natural phenomenon hereI am a true Canadian who has faced many days where merely going to school has been like hiking through the Arctic. So coming to England at the end of January and seeing no snow on the ground felt incredible: with temperatures around four degrees Celsius and stretches of green land all around, it was like I had skipped a whole season. However, nearly 48 hours into being here, it started to snow, and everyone freaked out. I first saw the snow coming on my way out of class, and within seconds, tons of students ran over to the window to get pictures of the snow, gasping and pressing their phones to the glass as if it had never snowed before and it would never snow again. I was more astounded by how everyone else was reacting to the snow, which melted within 24 hours, thanks to the consistently warm temperatures here.
4. British people really like to get straight to the pointOne thing I’ve found with the ways in which British people speak and act is that they really tend to be direct with you. There’s no moseying around with a long, drawn out, “Hi, how are you? Oh, I’m good and you?” For them, “hello” and “how are you” are combined when they greet you with “You alright?” (Pronounced like one word). They have also found a way to say goodbye and thank you simultaneously that is definitely more pleasant sounding: I’ve found everyone from cashiers to fellow students sending me off with “Cheers!” or “Cheerio!” I’m a big fan of this daily practice of concision here in England because I find that in North America, we sometimes struggle to get to the heart of what we’re saying in our writing and daily lingo. See, I just did it by saying “sometimes”: we fill so much free space with uncertainties, with words like “maybe” and “sometimes” or we repeat simple questions in complex ways so we are diverted from our main inquiries. I hope that this little language trick from the Brits can teach us something ever bigger about language and about life in general.
Keep a lookout for more blogs about my adventures in the UK!
Images obtained from:
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