OK, first things first. Anything I might say here should be taken lightly. Yes I may pick on certain aspects of culture but I mean it with a light heart and never really mean it seriously.
It has been nearly a month since I first arrived and it has been an experience so far. Since I have visited a few times the "culture shock" has not been that severe. I can only imagine people who take a company transfer but have never spent much time here would feel. It has been overwhelming for me in some situations but patience and perseverance wins out. There are things that might be simple to people who live here since they experience it daily but even things like finding the right bus, having a National Insurance Number, knowing the difference between a P45 and a P46, or that there are just some words that are completely misused like the word "pension" and that you don't have a "checking account" you have a "current account" (though you can still right cheques out of it). As a matter of principle over here everybody also wants direct debit capabilities on your account or they make you pay more!! (Don't you trust me! I pay everyone on time!) So I already have three companies leeching my "current account". On the plus side it is based on the actual account number and not the card so I don't have to worry if I change the card or lose it as they are not linked to that 16 digit number like they are in the US. In speak of finances and most things in general I have noticed a very protectionist system here. Companies that operate in the UK pretty much are forced to incorporate here independent of their main location and seem to act as their own entity. This has made financial things quite an issue as American Express US cannot interact with American Express UK etc. This seems to be the norm. here.
Gas. What can I say. Glad I don't have to buy it!! Two thirds of the cost is taxes! If that happened in the US we would be lynching members of congress and state legislators. I don't understand how the tolerate it. I was talking to someone who just happened to say "we" (meaning the English) don't like paying taxes. I just smirked and then he remembered where I was from.
So enough of that. How about the people? They are actually nice enough. I assume that my nationality has some effect but I do see that they are a bit friendlier than your average Bostonian. Smiling is kind of rare from people and I have gotten some odd looks from people as I go about my business. I have gotten a few "how dare you be happy" glares as I made my way down the street. I have a tendency to whistle when I am in a good mood and people don't seem to respond well to it. Though there are a lot of pluses. It does get crowded in some areas and people do make a best effort to make sure all are as comfortable and accommodate as possible. People tend to also apologize a lot. Particularly if they bump into you or step in your way. They are also very thankful when you help them and very praising when you show ingenuity. The funniest social interaction though is the response I get when I tell people I moved here. It essentially boils down to the "why the hell would you want to live here" response. Which is a bit shocking really. As and American we tend to really be welcoming. (Unless you are an illegal.) If anyone from anywhere (even the countries we are supposed to hate) moves to the US we at large tend to welcome them wholeheartedly and graciously. It's quite a different response.
Someone did make my day today. I was in "Homebase". It's like a cross between Home Depot and Home Good. The workers were restocking the shelves and President Obama came up as a subject. To which one of the men exclaimed. "Oh, he's an idiot. What do we want to talk about him for." Lol!!!
I know a big one is food. People keep telling me it is horrible. It's not really. You just need a sense of adventure and a few pinches of salt. They tend to not add it while they are cooking and leaves food a bit blander than the US but that is OK with me as I use less than most. A fondness for "offal" would be useful; liver, tripe and kidney are easily found in stores and on menus and are often blended into many dishes. Given that this is an island accessibility to food is different. Beef is expensive due to its import and chicken and turkey are moderate in price. Given that Wales has more sheep than people lamb is cheap. I can buy lamb chops cheaper than sirloin here. Duck is also a winner. A food item that surprised me is apples. They are tiny, they average the size of a plum and are expensive for what you are buying. Somehow the world of apple horticulture passed them by despite the perfect climate for producing them. I could only imagine their reaction to seeing apples in the US that are sometimes larger than oranges and grapefruits. Oddly though, raisins and dried fruits are dirt cheap. So aren't nuts and cheeses. Imagine spending 9 dollars for nearly two pounds of cashews or 2 dollars for a massive slice of brie. As you can see I have been spending some time exploring the grocery store.(It took me a while of walking around before I remembered that both cookies and crackers are classified as "biscuits" here. Though the selection is impressive.) As I have also commented on Facebook in the past the bread is amazing!! Cheap, fresh, and out of this world in both quality and variety.
One last thing about food and it is a big one!! I know that the French generally have a dislike for the English, but hey, the French hate everyone except people that are French and even that involves a certain percentage of self loathing. It's the Italians should be the ones that are really angry. I have yet to find a good tomato sauce (gravy). Even in the grocery store the "best" jarred offering is Prego. Yuck. This is a huge surprise as you can get fresh basil and oregano for about .79p a bunch. There should be no excuses for bad tomato sauce. I'd remedy it for myself but I am feeding only one person and to make a vat of sauce would be a waste of space and resources. So for now I guess I will avoid tomato sauces unless I can find a viable solution. I will have to forget lasagna also. It's just not made the same. It has mostly the right ingredients just in different proportions and the "sweet italian sausage" is nonexistent here.
Living. Of course space is small. From what I have seen it can be crowded. I live a place about 14 x 14 in dimensions. Perfect for me but I have seen other living places where 5 people are living in less space. So I consider it pretty damn good for the price. It's really a trade here. Right now I can walk to town in 5 minutes. Be at the airport in 15 or to work in Brentford in 35. If I would move further out I could get even more space for possible less but could incur more travel time. Fiding that "happy medium" is key. For now I have a 6 month lease and am OK with what I have now. I will explore my options as become more comfortable. But for now I am doing very well. I have a bank account, a pension, a UK amex card, a safe and affordable place to live, easy access to most amenities, internet, cable, a nice TV, a new gym membership, and most importantly a new job that I am liking with colleagues that are bright, challenging, and opening new doors in both career and culture.
Until next time. I am heading to Dubai next week and I will be doing my first run of Symm. Configuration Management. It's tough. I've got a lot of it now but it is a challenge to take what's in your head and explain it to someone else. We will see.
- Cheers
