The following are observations I have made over the past few months:
If you are lucky enough, you might be able to see a spot of sun shine on a good day in London. Most days are often consistently the same that you don't have to even check the weather to know that it will be partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Many locals often joke about the weather to lighten up the mediocracy of everyday life.
London is an extremely busy city. Where ever you go someone is always in a rush to get somewhere. You begin to realize just how many kinds of suitcases there are. While most of the suitcases are different shapes and sizes the real difference is in the wheels. There are many different types of wheels on the suitcases the most common I have noticed are designed in such a way that one can easily roll a suitcase up a staircase.
People are often times also in a rush to get up escalators for whatever reason. You can easily tell a foreigner apart from a local, when you see them standing in the middle of the escalator. This often angers the person trying to get by, and the foreigner is completely oblivious to their surroundings that they do not even notice that someone is trying to pass.
London is one of the most diverse cities I have ever been to. Whether it is by individual self-expression, or by language, you do not have to walk very far to experience a multicultural environment.
National pride is evident. There are clear distinctions between Scottish, Irish and British
Royalty is a very big deal in England. One does not simply see many things in England without at least some reference to Royalty. Take for example: Royal Mail, Royal Parks, Royal Boroughs, the currency and etc....
Queuing or getting in line is very orderly and proper. The queues are amongst the most structured I have ever seen.
Smoking is extraordinarily prevalent in society, despite very visible anti-smoking campaigns that I have not seen in America.
Grocery stores especially, the glossiness of magazines are not as in your face as you would see in America. Sure you can still find magazines, but they are not located right as you check out, often times they are down an aisle. Even then the language used on the magazines is of a different variety, taking on a more formal tone.
Pubs and bars promote a very social culture. Inside you will not see people getting drunk, rather you will see people hanging out and enjoying the ambiance. There is also something very intoxicating about being in pub while a football game is on. The amount of energy inside makes me care about the outcome of the game. Do note, I do not care for football otherwise.
The roads are extremely narrow in London to the point that two cars can barely fit. Often times when two cars try and pass each other, one car ends up going on the curb, because they were too anxious to pass by, that there is not enough room for the other car to pass.
Even with green crossing signals one must be cautious of the bikers whom seem to not think it applies to them.
The Tube can be either your best friend or your mortal enemy. Often times it is your best friend in that it is usually punctual, in that you won't have to wait more than ten minutes. Or even if you are a person like me who commutes, the trains will often arrive and leave at the same time every day. However, there are times that various factors contribute to a chaotic scene in the train stations. This is often due to signal failures or strikes by the unions whom operate the facilities.
One does not simply talk to a stranger on the tube. Rather he or she keeps to themselves, by either reading the newspaper, playing on their phone, staring into blank empty space and or staring at their shoes.
Many people do not "Mind the Gap" between the train and the platform. Many passengers stumble off, despite being reminded many times to be careful.
Hand scooters are a very popular forum of transportation around the city, for all ages.
Around every block there is a Starbucks.
London is home to many amazing parks that you can easily spend hours strolling through.
Politics is a very big deal in London. Whenever I tell someone that I am an American, they instantly jump on all these different political issues facing the US and the world abroad. However, initially when I encountered this I was very unaware of many of these issues. As the result of being prompted, constantly, I would say I have become a more globally aware citizen.
If you are lucky enough, you might be able to see a spot of sun shine on a good day in London. Most days are often consistently the same that you don't have to even check the weather to know that it will be partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Many locals often joke about the weather to lighten up the mediocracy of everyday life.
London is an extremely busy city. Where ever you go someone is always in a rush to get somewhere. You begin to realize just how many kinds of suitcases there are. While most of the suitcases are different shapes and sizes the real difference is in the wheels. There are many different types of wheels on the suitcases the most common I have noticed are designed in such a way that one can easily roll a suitcase up a staircase.
People are often times also in a rush to get up escalators for whatever reason. You can easily tell a foreigner apart from a local, when you see them standing in the middle of the escalator. This often angers the person trying to get by, and the foreigner is completely oblivious to their surroundings that they do not even notice that someone is trying to pass.
London is one of the most diverse cities I have ever been to. Whether it is by individual self-expression, or by language, you do not have to walk very far to experience a multicultural environment.
National pride is evident. There are clear distinctions between Scottish, Irish and British
Royalty is a very big deal in England. One does not simply see many things in England without at least some reference to Royalty. Take for example: Royal Mail, Royal Parks, Royal Boroughs, the currency and etc....
Queuing or getting in line is very orderly and proper. The queues are amongst the most structured I have ever seen.
Smoking is extraordinarily prevalent in society, despite very visible anti-smoking campaigns that I have not seen in America.
Grocery stores especially, the glossiness of magazines are not as in your face as you would see in America. Sure you can still find magazines, but they are not located right as you check out, often times they are down an aisle. Even then the language used on the magazines is of a different variety, taking on a more formal tone.
Pubs and bars promote a very social culture. Inside you will not see people getting drunk, rather you will see people hanging out and enjoying the ambiance. There is also something very intoxicating about being in pub while a football game is on. The amount of energy inside makes me care about the outcome of the game. Do note, I do not care for football otherwise.
The roads are extremely narrow in London to the point that two cars can barely fit. Often times when two cars try and pass each other, one car ends up going on the curb, because they were too anxious to pass by, that there is not enough room for the other car to pass.
Even with green crossing signals one must be cautious of the bikers whom seem to not think it applies to them.
The Tube can be either your best friend or your mortal enemy. Often times it is your best friend in that it is usually punctual, in that you won't have to wait more than ten minutes. Or even if you are a person like me who commutes, the trains will often arrive and leave at the same time every day. However, there are times that various factors contribute to a chaotic scene in the train stations. This is often due to signal failures or strikes by the unions whom operate the facilities.
One does not simply talk to a stranger on the tube. Rather he or she keeps to themselves, by either reading the newspaper, playing on their phone, staring into blank empty space and or staring at their shoes.
Many people do not "Mind the Gap" between the train and the platform. Many passengers stumble off, despite being reminded many times to be careful.
Hand scooters are a very popular forum of transportation around the city, for all ages.
Around every block there is a Starbucks.
London is home to many amazing parks that you can easily spend hours strolling through.
Politics is a very big deal in London. Whenever I tell someone that I am an American, they instantly jump on all these different political issues facing the US and the world abroad. However, initially when I encountered this I was very unaware of many of these issues. As the result of being prompted, constantly, I would say I have become a more globally aware citizen.
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