Random Ramblings: Part 1

In which I babble about our differences... 

CULTURE

Sidewalk Happy Hours

Everyone at every pub takes their drinks (pint glass and all) out to the open sidewalk. US cops would flip.

Pop-Up Urinals

Walking home one night, my eyes just about jump out of my head when I see a bunch of guys just whipping it out on the sidewalk. Apparently these outdoor urinals are a better alternative to guys just pissing on the street (and not down an alley either). Gross.

Restaurant Service 

First off, most places add 12.5 to the bill and don't leave you room to add more. So our math skills will be shot by the time we get home.

And at the end of a meal, you can't just say you're done or all good or whatever. You have to ask for the check, or you might sit there forever.

Pin-and-Chip Credit Cards 

The US is switching soon enough, but Europe is way ahead of us on credit card safety. No one signs anything anymore. All cards have a chip instead of a magnetic strip, and you enter a pin instead of signing. Chris and I are mostly trying to use a regular ol' swipe card because we get better points on it. But, we've realized that this is like paying with a check in the US. We are most likely annoying the crap out of people. Oh well, we have free flights to earn.

WORDS

I'm remembering all sorts of British words (like rubbish and lift and lorry) and learning some new ones. A few observations...

Luxury

We've seen things like Luxury Gelato and Luxury Granola. In the states, we'd only use that word for something really expensive, like a car or a vacation or a housing development.

St. John 

It's pronounced Sin-Gin. 

Cocktails in Translation

A bartender presented Chris with a "Martin-ez" Cocktail (pronounced like the first name Martin with an "ez" at the end, not "Mart-een-ez," like the city in California.)

When the bartender asked Chris if he'd ever had one before, Chris shook his head, "No."

I couldn't resist correcting: "Yes, we have—just in an American accent." 

FOOD

Dairy

There's no half-and-half. And milk and cream spoil three days after opening.

Bacon

British bacon is almost like Canadian bacon — more pork loin, less belly. The more American-style belly bacon is called "streaky bacon." Apparently, it's still less fatty than ours. An expat friend of ours says that it requires cooking oil not to stick to the pan.