Yes it's true, I traded Villas for Castles, brown desert sand for lots of green grass and camels for sheep! While I can honestly say I am LOVING it, some things are a little harder.
I can't seem to trade my coffee for tea. It's just not the same! It has to be in a proper tea cup; it has to be served with sugar cubes and don't even think about bringing out powdered creamer!!! And did you know you need "tea" spoons?? Real tea spoons; not the kind we have in the US. These are tiny little tea spoons that obviously work best with a proper, small tea cup.
Driving on the wrong (left side) of the road has me screaming everytime I see a driver that looks like he's 8 years old, only to find he's the "passenger" who is sitting on the wrong side of the car!
The roads here have made it perfectly clear that I am definitely a "city" girl!!! Driving here is like riding a roller coaster; narrow hills and dips and turns that never end! Not to mention that street signs are non-existent on country back roads and if there are, they can't be seen by all the overgrown bushes. Even the locals use their GPS - almost always!!
Oh, and the speed limit on these tiny little roads is 60 mph!!! That's right - 60 mph!!! Often, the road is so narrow one car usually has to stop and pull over to the side while the oncoming car passes. Courtesy is a MUST and that they are! You even have to stop for sheep or cattle crossing the road; that's right - they have the right away and no one honks or minds; you simply wait until they all cross safely.
As with all languauges, you have your "proper" english they sometimes call the Queen's english. Although I laughed when her husband was caught on video dropping the F bomb! Not so proper! LOL And then there's the slang. A "quid" is a pound (dollar). If you steal or take something, you "nicked" it.
A cookie is a biscuit. A pitcher is a jug. A napkin is a serviette. a truck is a lorry and a restroom is a toilet! You can also call it the Loo, which I prefer because toilet just sounds so crude! Eggplant is aubergine and zuchinni is courgette. A highway is a motorway or dual-carriage road and stop signs are rarely seen. It's all about the roundabouts here!
They like to shorten things here so for instance, the town Knaresbrough is pronounced "Nasbrow".
When you walk into a store or meet someone on the street, they will say, "Are you alright?" The first time that happened, I thought, "Yes, Why??? Do I not look alright?"Or they will say, "Now then...." and I'm like, "Now then what????" It actually just means, "Hello, how are you?"
A thrift shop is a Charity Shop and the Stray is not an animal; it's a beautiful piece of land (a park) that cannot be developed and usually runs in the center of town. It's is beautifully manicured and it's for everyone to enjoy!
A pub is a bar with food and dogs are almost always welcome!!! Every small neighborhood or village has one and it's basically a bar like "Cheers" where everyone knows your name!
And speaking of Cheers, they say "Cheers" instead "Good bye!" or "See you later"! This I like! I'ts like - Cheers to you! Cheers to our time together! Cheers to a happy day!!!
I have to admit that I love, love hearing them talk; I don't always understand them, but I like hearing them. I then come home and practice when I'm by myself because one day I will get the Yorkshire accent down! I have come to find that I have not always been a "proper" lady so I love learning about the "proper" way to do things. But the best thing about the Brits is their humor! They are quick and witty and they can laugh at themselves; even when others laugh at them. I have a lot to learn from them and I'm enjoying every minute!
Blessings and Cheers to all!!
I can't seem to trade my coffee for tea. It's just not the same! It has to be in a proper tea cup; it has to be served with sugar cubes and don't even think about bringing out powdered creamer!!! And did you know you need "tea" spoons?? Real tea spoons; not the kind we have in the US. These are tiny little tea spoons that obviously work best with a proper, small tea cup.
Driving on the wrong (left side) of the road has me screaming everytime I see a driver that looks like he's 8 years old, only to find he's the "passenger" who is sitting on the wrong side of the car!
The roads here have made it perfectly clear that I am definitely a "city" girl!!! Driving here is like riding a roller coaster; narrow hills and dips and turns that never end! Not to mention that street signs are non-existent on country back roads and if there are, they can't be seen by all the overgrown bushes. Even the locals use their GPS - almost always!!
Oh, and the speed limit on these tiny little roads is 60 mph!!! That's right - 60 mph!!! Often, the road is so narrow one car usually has to stop and pull over to the side while the oncoming car passes. Courtesy is a MUST and that they are! You even have to stop for sheep or cattle crossing the road; that's right - they have the right away and no one honks or minds; you simply wait until they all cross safely.
As with all languauges, you have your "proper" english they sometimes call the Queen's english. Although I laughed when her husband was caught on video dropping the F bomb! Not so proper! LOL And then there's the slang. A "quid" is a pound (dollar). If you steal or take something, you "nicked" it.
A cookie is a biscuit. A pitcher is a jug. A napkin is a serviette. a truck is a lorry and a restroom is a toilet! You can also call it the Loo, which I prefer because toilet just sounds so crude! Eggplant is aubergine and zuchinni is courgette. A highway is a motorway or dual-carriage road and stop signs are rarely seen. It's all about the roundabouts here!
They like to shorten things here so for instance, the town Knaresbrough is pronounced "Nasbrow".
When you walk into a store or meet someone on the street, they will say, "Are you alright?" The first time that happened, I thought, "Yes, Why??? Do I not look alright?"Or they will say, "Now then...." and I'm like, "Now then what????" It actually just means, "Hello, how are you?"
A thrift shop is a Charity Shop and the Stray is not an animal; it's a beautiful piece of land (a park) that cannot be developed and usually runs in the center of town. It's is beautifully manicured and it's for everyone to enjoy!
A pub is a bar with food and dogs are almost always welcome!!! Every small neighborhood or village has one and it's basically a bar like "Cheers" where everyone knows your name!
And speaking of Cheers, they say "Cheers" instead "Good bye!" or "See you later"! This I like! I'ts like - Cheers to you! Cheers to our time together! Cheers to a happy day!!!
I have to admit that I love, love hearing them talk; I don't always understand them, but I like hearing them. I then come home and practice when I'm by myself because one day I will get the Yorkshire accent down! I have come to find that I have not always been a "proper" lady so I love learning about the "proper" way to do things. But the best thing about the Brits is their humor! They are quick and witty and they can laugh at themselves; even when others laugh at them. I have a lot to learn from them and I'm enjoying every minute!
Blessings and Cheers to all!!
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