In England they call it queing up. In America its called a line. But its the same at the end of the day.
Wow look at that queue.... but we'll still stand in it anyway. Because its the queue to our future and sometimes its worth the wait.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Queuing Up
Whether it be at airport security, at Walmart, or on Blackfriday - no-one likes to line up. But in England its not calling lining up its called a queue. Although now that I think about it, I remember my English teacher (whose name I won't mention) he would get very strict and particular that we were all in a line. If the line was not perfectly straight, either he would go off at us, or we would have to re-line up. He seriously had an obsession with everyone lining up really straight. Was he preparing us for the world? For the lines that would await us in the future. The line that we take when we drive to work everyday. The line that we wait in when we make a purchase, go to the bank, or pick up the kids at school. The line that becomes part of everyday life. The line that people don't like to wait in. Have you noticed that when there's a traffic jam, there's always at least one person who thinks that they shouldn't have to wait in the line (like the rest of us) and they try to go on the extra emergency lane or they try to cut everyone else off so they can get perhaps an inch further. How about the lines at the theme parks in the blazing sun. The lines that we all wait in just to get on a ride for about 3 minutes, for those few minutes of thrill and excitement. Has anyone ever calculated what percent of our line we spend lining up.
In England they call it queing up. In America its called a line. But its the same at the end of the day.
Wow look at that queue.... but we'll still stand in it anyway. Because its the queue to our future and sometimes its worth the wait.
In England they call it queing up. In America its called a line. But its the same at the end of the day.
Wow look at that queue.... but we'll still stand in it anyway. Because its the queue to our future and sometimes its worth the wait.
Sweet Tooth
I don't think the subject of candy can be written about too much. I know I've stressed about the absence of Cadbury's in the US (although you can find a small selection at an outrageous price in select store in the US) but the subject of this post refers to some other matters of the sweet kind.
I asked my niece the other day if she wanted a biscuit and she looked at me like I was crazy. Well perhaps... but.... she had no idea what that was. In America biscuits are actually called cookies. It doesn't matter what the shape of these are or what they contain. In America biscuits are actually those things you can get from McDonalds or Dunkin donuts that you have for breakfast (see below)
But in London if you ask for a biscuit... you will actually get what Americans call a cookie (see below)
Continuing with the discussion of sweet treats....
US Candy = UK sweets
so skittles are candy in America but in UK you would call them sweets.
I asked my niece the other day if she wanted a biscuit and she looked at me like I was crazy. Well perhaps... but.... she had no idea what that was. In America biscuits are actually called cookies. It doesn't matter what the shape of these are or what they contain. In America biscuits are actually those things you can get from McDonalds or Dunkin donuts that you have for breakfast (see below)
But in London if you ask for a biscuit... you will actually get what Americans call a cookie (see below)
Continuing with the discussion of sweet treats....
US Candy = UK sweets
so skittles are candy in America but in UK you would call them sweets.
Big Hats
Amidst the news of the Royal Wedding was of course the subject of big hats. I've always seen big hats being worn in England especially on auspicious occasions such as weddings etc. but now living in America I was seeing the hats in a different light. I tried to google some reasons why big hats were worn and to so much pomp and animation in the UK but this just appears to be a tradition that arose. Big hats are worn to racing events and weddings. So lets not argue... just watch and enjoy.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Vegetarian please
I am barely vegetarian but I have a lot of friends and family members who are either vegetarians or just eat halal meat. In London it was not much of an issue. It was easy to get vegetarian options. Only when I need to be vegetarian or am around friends and family who are vegetarian have I noticed the difference in Florida. I'm sure it is not so prevelant in other states, like New York where there is a more diverse population. Orlando is a big tourist spot, especially the theme park, outlets, shopping malls etc offer very little vegetarian choices. Each place will most likely offer a cheese pizza and if you're likely pasta with tomato sauce but that is usually the extent of the vegetarian choices and unless you want to engage in a diet of pizza and pasta you have very little other choices. I know that non vegetarian is the majority but if would be nice, especially in a tourist area, and attractions to appeal to everyone and offer choices that would be suitable to people of vegetarian and non vegetarian diets.
blouse, shirt, sweater, cardigans, jacket = all the same right?
The difference in terminology for the upper garment clothing made shopping with my cousin challenging to say the least lol. We survived.
Blouse (UK) = shirt (US)
Shirt (US) = T-shirt (UK)
Confused yet?
If its a nice top, its called a blouse in England. But in America we call that a shirt. But what's called a shirt in London is actually a T shirt. So when I yelled at her to come and look at a 'shirt' she was wondering why I was calling a blouse a shirt.
Similiarly in England a jacket is a heavy thick thing that people wear in extreme cold, but what we call a jacket is a light full length zip up hoodie that I may grab to take to the movies with me (see picture)
So if you like to shop make sure you know the differences when you visit!!
Blouse (UK) = shirt (US)
Shirt (US) = T-shirt (UK)
Confused yet?
If its a nice top, its called a blouse in England. But in America we call that a shirt. But what's called a shirt in London is actually a T shirt. So when I yelled at her to come and look at a 'shirt' she was wondering why I was calling a blouse a shirt.
Similiarly in England a jacket is a heavy thick thing that people wear in extreme cold, but what we call a jacket is a light full length zip up hoodie that I may grab to take to the movies with me (see picture)
So if you like to shop make sure you know the differences when you visit!!
R u mad?
One of my cousins in England wrote to me and said that he thought that this was an important difference. Said that when he visited America he noticed that when Americans used the phrase mad - they were referring to someone being crazy, but in the UK when someone says mad - they mean angry.
I haven't seen that too much actually or encountered a problem with offending someone or meaning something else and it being interpreted differently.
I haven't seen that too much actually or encountered a problem with offending someone or meaning something else and it being interpreted differently.
It's boiling
I love the phrase - It's boiling. I can't believe that I almost forgot it from living in the UK. I've recently begun to adopt it and the staff where I work sometimes look at me like I'm crazy but I think they're starting to understand what I mind.
People generally think of the term 'boiling' to refer to something in a pot that is boiling away, like water etc.
In London, the term 'its boiling' refers to the weather. Its just another way of saying 'its hot'. But I think the term 'its boiling' does a better job of expressing how you feel especially when it is super hot and you feel like you are actually boiling.
People generally think of the term 'boiling' to refer to something in a pot that is boiling away, like water etc.
In London, the term 'its boiling' refers to the weather. Its just another way of saying 'its hot'. But I think the term 'its boiling' does a better job of expressing how you feel especially when it is super hot and you feel like you are actually boiling.
The driving game
It seems like people in the UK seem to spend a large portion of their time reversing, whereas that is not true in the US. I actually began learning to drive in England. And almost every single lesson there was an exercise where I had to reverse around the corner. It was prettlucy tedious and exhaustive especially because 90% of the time there was usually cars waiting to move past me and were really aggravated with the extended amount of time it took me to reverse around the corner.
In addition, people also reverse park in London. On occassion I've seen people (mostly just my parents) who reverse park (back into a driving space) but this is not common in Florida. I think that the biggest reason why it is done so much in London is because the parking spaces are smaller and also there is more traffic.
Roundabouts luckily for me are not present much in Florida but they are everywhere in England. I wonder why. The lack of roundabouts makes it easier for people who come to America to drive, because they are less likely to drive on the wrong side of the road. Are roundabouts that helpful at the end of the day?
Of course I can't comment on all the US states just on the ones I happen to reside at.
To be honest - I'm kinda glad about not having roundabouts here... I never did like them.
And lastly.... in London if you are learning to drive you have to display a L plate which is prominently displayed on your car. And when you pass you have to display a P plate. But that isn't seen in Florida. I know that at school they offer drivers ed classes but usually most people learn how to drive from a family or friend member and they usually just have someone sitting next to them while they drive around. But I have never seen any indication on a car that it is a driver in training. Maybe that would explain all these crazy drivers I see on the road.
In addition, people also reverse park in London. On occassion I've seen people (mostly just my parents) who reverse park (back into a driving space) but this is not common in Florida. I think that the biggest reason why it is done so much in London is because the parking spaces are smaller and also there is more traffic.
Roundabouts luckily for me are not present much in Florida but they are everywhere in England. I wonder why. The lack of roundabouts makes it easier for people who come to America to drive, because they are less likely to drive on the wrong side of the road. Are roundabouts that helpful at the end of the day?
Of course I can't comment on all the US states just on the ones I happen to reside at.
To be honest - I'm kinda glad about not having roundabouts here... I never did like them.
And lastly.... in London if you are learning to drive you have to display a L plate which is prominently displayed on your car. And when you pass you have to display a P plate. But that isn't seen in Florida. I know that at school they offer drivers ed classes but usually most people learn how to drive from a family or friend member and they usually just have someone sitting next to them while they drive around. But I have never seen any indication on a car that it is a driver in training. Maybe that would explain all these crazy drivers I see on the road.
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