Odd things about living in the UK

[Gadge 4,294]

Thinking about what Joe Boss said about us having castles and creepy graveyards to visit, i thought, we just dont bother even though there are hundreds ( i did do a re-enactment at Tutbury Castle this weekend though.

 

Anyway i thought about the odd things about being in the UK, feel free to add to the list.

 

1.  You are never more than 75 miles away form the coast *wherever* you are in Britain but you consider going to the seaside something you have to 'plan'

 

2. we drive on the other side of the road to nearly the entire world but we still think everyone else does it wrong.

 

3. we can decide which set of measurements to use and pick and mix at random from imperial and metric.   For example my car speed is measured in miles per hour but i'll go for a 5k run at the gym.

 

4. We're obsessed with talking about the weather.  We get about a week of 'real summer' every year and then we complain about it being too hot.

 

 

[Tyres Kem 144]

I know!

I have friends who complained all winter about the cold and wet. Then when it was bright hot sunshine they complained it was too hot.

Brits are weird.

Which doesn't include me because people in Britain think I'm strange because I'm not like them.

[DariusAPB 6,925]

I kinda miss it, but glad I am not there for the current government.

Edited May 30, 2016 by DariusAPB

[Bojanglez 2,158]

The only thing I miss is the sense of humor inherent in Brits. I haven't lived there since '94 and have lived in a bunch of different countries but no where have I seen a nation who have dark humor as such a cornerstone of the society.

[Bojanglez 2,158]

I kinda miss it, but glad I am not their for the current government.

there hasn't been an English government I HAVE wanted to be a citizen of since 1977. I was too young to have been aware of anything prior to that so it might be fair to say "never"

[Drasnighta 26,832]

 

2. we drive on the other side of the road to nearly the entire world but we still think everyone else does it wrong.

 

 

Australia's got your back!

[DariusAPB 6,925]

 

I kinda miss it, but glad I am not there for the current government.

there hasn't been an English government I HAVE wanted to be a citizen of since 1977. I was too young to have been aware of anything prior to that so it might be fair to say "never"

 

Yeah but this one is actually somehow worse.

[Dagonet 7,246]

You can't get much worse than Thatcher.

Not unless you go back to Cromwell I suppose.

[Bojanglez 2,158]

You can't get much worse than Thatcher.

Not unless you go back to Cromwell I suppose.

This. So much of this.

[Hobojebus 11,341]

I kinda miss it, but glad I am not there for the current government.

I know I had a nasty shock when my isp stopped me seeing naughty pictures, got it fixed but it was an inconvenience I should never of had to deal with, **** Tories!

And don't get me started on the immigration mess or the project fear they run in the anti brexit campaign, of course if the **** blairites hadn't joined us in the first place we wouldn't have this issue at all **** Labour!

And the lib dems suck!

[Cununculus 661]

2. we drive on the other side of the road to nearly the entire world but we still think everyone else does it wrong.

Actually....everyone drove on the left hand side, or better, rode his horse on the left hand side. Apperantly, reason for this is you carry your sword in your right hand.

Rumor has it some guys on the other side of the ocean with a wish for independence started to ride on the opposite side to spite the Brits and continental Europe followed suit.

Not been able to verify this reliably ;-)

[Dagonet 7,246]

Nah, it was Napoleon who changed the laws in the countries he conquered.

[The Inquisitor 346]

Having lived away from the UK for ten years now, mostly what I miss are fish and chips, decent kebabs and the NHS. 

[Gadge 4,294]

 

2. we drive on the other side of the road to nearly the entire world but we still think everyone else does it wrong.

Actually....everyone drove on the left hand side, or better, rode his horse on the left hand side. Apperantly, reason for this is you carry your sword in your right hand.

Rumor has it some guys on the other side of the ocean with a wish for independence started to ride on the opposite side to spite the Brits and continental Europe followed suit.

Not been able to verify this reliably ;-)

 

Well its the reason 'american english' exists.  Most of Noah Websters changes were to give the new nation a sense of identity, a few of them make sense and are quite valid like taking the 'u' out of colour, armour etc etc but some of them like putting a 'z' instead of an 's' in a lot of words make no sense to me and are not consistent.  I mean you don't say 'exercize' do you?

 

Not a dig at American English, like i say i think a lot of it makes perfect sense, just not all of it.  Some of it seems like change for changes sake.  Which, like i say, was the intention or so i have read.

[Robin Graves 6,054]

 

2. we drive on the other side of the road to nearly the entire world but we still think everyone else does it wrong.

Actually....everyone drove on the left hand side, or better, rode his horse on the left hand side. Apperantly, reason for this is you carry your sword in your right hand.

Rumor has it some guys on the other side of the ocean with a wish for independence started to ride on the opposite side to spite the Brits and continental Europe followed suit.

Not been able to verify this reliably ;-)

 

 

I heard that sword theory to. But nothing conclusive tough...

[Gadge 4,294]

The sword thing is the reason why you should always walk on the right side of a lady and have your right arm free to defend her iirc.

 

It also the reason why most spiral staircases in castles and the like go in the direction they do so they are harder to attack up if you're right handed.

[Cununculus 661]

And to get back to the original post; there are lots of great castles in the UK!

[bahourmat 75]

As a Portuguese who recently moved to the UK (going on 2.5 yrs now) I didn't expect to find so much little things that "bug" me...Nor did I expect to actually miss the "old country" as much as I do.

[DariusAPB 6,925]

I always loved Warwick castle, and the first date I took my now wife to was a joust at Kenilworth Castle.

[Stoneface 3,750]

2. we drive on the other side of the road to nearly the entire world but we still think everyone else does it wrong.

Actually....everyone drove on the left hand side, or better, rode his horse on the left hand side. Apperantly, reason for this is you carry your sword in your right hand.

Rumor has it some guys on the other side of the ocean with a wish for independence started to ride on the opposite side to spite the Brits and continental Europe followed suit.

Not been able to verify this reliably ;-)

If you watch any old American westerns, all the drivers of wagons and stage coaches were seated on the right. This excludes buggys. The brake pedal was always on the right.

[heychadwick 11,357]

When I was there for 5 months in the 90's, I would've sworn that your toilets are designed for splash-back.  Maybe it's because I didn't go to any posh places while there, but I am not a fan of your toilets!  

 

The buttons to turn on and off the lights are also odd.  I'm used to a switch.  

 

You put eye stickers on your vacuum cleaners (hoovers), which I think is great!  Still odd, though.  

 

The level of fights that happen are pretty high on a Friday/Saturday night.  That just doesn't happen in the US because people are too worried about someone with a gun.  You guys are a lot quicker to get into a fight than the US, which I found odd.  I thought the US would be more aggressive, but you guys are so much more.

 

I absolutely miss chips and a good donner kabob.

Edited May 31, 2016 by heychadwick

[DariusAPB 6,925]

My god I would actually kill for a chicken kebab with chilli sauce...

 

Or chips, Saveloy, fish and curry sauce wrapped in grease paper from a seaside town.

[DariusAPB 6,925]

Or Three Cooks or Greggs sausage rolls.

Or Scotch eggs, the little ones...

Pepperamis (especially the hot ones)

A good indian curry.

 

I'll be returning for a visit in 2017. Sad to say I won't be bringing the frigate.

[heychadwick 11,357]

The amount of curry you guys put in EVERYTHING is a little odd, too.  I remember going to a Chinese place and everything was covered in curry!  It was like Indian Chinese food.  It's an issue because I don't like curry.  

Edited May 31, 2016 by heychadwick

[Gosric 696]

Bugger. This is making me seriously homesick