So You Think You Know Britain Part 1

There are loads of things that took some time getting used to after we moved to London. Some of these things are well known but others you might not have heard of before.

Remembering which way to look when crossing the street took a long time to get used to. Luckily, it is written on just about every crosswalk.

You have to hail a bus if you want it to stop. I've gotten left at a bus stop before because it was crowded and I wasn't able to flag the bus in time. In the photo below you can see the guy to the left in the photo sticking his arm out to get the bus to stop. 

Seating is very limited here so sharing a table with strangers is really common. Here is Warren sharing a table with another group of people in Winchester at a Christmas Market. This table sharing is also common in restaurants. 

The ground floor here is what the US calls the first floor. When someone says they live in a ground floor flat they mean it is at street level. This sign in the photo below is from a department store.

Showers are strange here for several reasons. They are usually really high up and it can be tricky getting in and out of them. They also have very short glass panels instead of shower curtains. The glass doesn't cover very much and there is usually water on the floor after you shower.

People sit outside at restaurants even when it is cold outside. A lot of restaurants have outdoor heating lamps and provide blankets for patrons. 

Advertising laws are different here than in the US. So when an American food brand is sold here they have to cover up any claims on the box that do not meet the UK requirements. Notice in the top right corner of the box of Reese's Puffs the white label covering up the nutrition information.

 This box of Colossal Crunch has a red label over information in the top right and again below the brand name. 

 This next photo is my favourite example. One of the labels wasn't put on in the correct place so you can see what it was supposed to be covering up. 

Just before the stoplight turns from red to green the red and yellow light are on simultaneously. This is convenient as a pedestrian because I know if I have a few seconds before their light turns green. I've also noticed that no one runs red lights here. I think because the other drivers are given advance warning and most of them start going on the red/yellow light.  

In the US you are always encouraged to keep right when walking in a public place but here it is the opposite. 

I had a really hard time finding mailboxes when I was out in the city until I realised that they can be anywhere, including inside a stone wall. 

TV and movie ratings are quite a bit different here. Coming from the US it was really surprising to me the language that is allowed during prime time tv. I went to watch one of my favourite shows, The Undateables, and was surprised to see this warning. In the US something with full frontal nudity would never be shown in prime time and rated G!