Summer Sojourns, Part 2: 6 Ways England is Different from America

America and England are two very different places. In some ways, the differences are less noticeable than with other countries. We have the same language (for the most part), the same modern technology, even some of the same fast food chains. (For example, I saw 6 Starbucks in London within a 15 minute walk, and a KFC in Oxford city centre.) Even so, the two cultures are very unique, and so here are a few of the main differences I noticed.

1: Bikes and Buses - I was in Oxford for 5 weeks and didn't have to drive at all (it was glorious!). There were bike paths and lanes everywhere you went, and bike racks on almost every street. For those who don't like biking, buses were always an option, available not only within the city, but also to places like London and Bath. Basically, if I lived in Oxford, I would never drive again.

2: Store hours - Stores closed much earlier than in America. Most shops closed around 4 or 5, and rarely opened before 9. One of the girls I was with tried to get an early start to her day and went for coffee at 8. The only place she could find open was a Starbucks in one of the college buildings. And there were no 24 hour stores that I saw.

3: Ice - Ice is not a thing in England (or many other places in Europe). Doesn't matter what you ask for, restaurants just aren't in the habit of giving you ice. Once, one of my friends asked specifically for ice in her water, and the waiter gave her one cube. So before going to England, get used to less cold drinks.

4: Polite vs. Friendly - Something interesting about British culture is that everyone is polite. When I turned a corner and found myself biking on the wrong side of the road, I was yelled at twice, and both times the person shouting referred to me as "ma'am". Yet, people aren't very friendly for the most part. Whenever I would walk down the street, I noticed that people don't make eye contact, and even when they do, there would be no nod or wave of acknowledgement. If I said good morning to a stranger or smiled in greeting, the response would be kind but rather confused.

5: Language - British has a very different vocabulary than American. Some of my favorite differences are:
a) Garden = Instead of yards, everyone has a 'garden', which I think is lovely.
b) Pudding= All dessert is pudding, even if it isn't pudding. (Which made me think of Americans who call all soda 'coke'.)
c) Take-away= You don't get to-go containers for your food, you get take-aways. (I once asked a waitress for a to-go box for my fries and received a very lost stare. Chips and take-aways, chips and take-aways.)

6: Tea- Tea in Oxford is a much bigger deal than coffee, which made my day every day.  Everywhere I went, I could get hot tea, and they would often bring it in my own personal tea pot with my cup and creamer. Also, sugar cubes are amazing, just saying.
           - On a side note, iced tea is not very common, and when I did get iced tea, it was rarely sweet. I did see lemonade a good bit though.

So  there you have it, 6 of my favorite quirks of England. What are some of your favorite cultural differences?