It wasn’t necessarily culture shock, but more of slight readjustments from what I’m used to in
California. From food to social interactions, there are many things that I appreciate along with
studying at the University of Sussex.
My first restaurant experience with my friends was at an Indian restaurant in Brighton. When we
were asked what we wanted to drink, we said out of habit, “Water, please!” The waiter nodded
and came back with a liter of water in a glass bottle. Throughout the meal, we were thirsty
again, so we asked for another glass. When we received the check at the end of the meal, we
were surprised to see, “2 Bottled Water – £ 4.50 each.” This was equivalent to about $12 total!
We later learned that we needed to ask for “tap water” for water to be free. Also, a side note: ice
isn’t usually provided as well!
As for the food, I’m not sure if it was because I was hungry or not, but it seemed like the
portions served were smaller than in the US. When I went on a run with a friend along the
Brighton Pier on a sunny day, I came across a food truck that was serving free tea in the
mornings. As I was sweating under the blistering sun (which was only the weather for around
ten days during my 8-week stay), I asked if the tea also came cold.
The waitress tilted her head and looked at me with a confused look, “It’s tea.”
“Ian,” my friend informed me. “We’re in the UK, tea is only served hot.”
Interacting with store staff, university faculty and staff, locals, and people in line, I’ve picked up
on some of their quips: “Hiya,” instead of “Hi,” “Cheers” as a replacement for “Thanks,” “Naught”
instead of “zero” (“naught point one” for 0.1), “Toilet” instead of “Bathroom/Restroom,” “Lovely,”
“Oh my days,” and “Really?” (say this one in a British accent).
On the road, streetlights will turn yellow first before turning green, as well as red. I find this
time-saving because cars would release their brakes and prepare to accelerate when the lights
turn green. Additionally, there are no stop signs, only roundabouts, minimizing the need for
unnecessary stopping. Driving on the left side of the road also applies to walking on the
sidewalk. When walking in the opposite direction towards another person, I find that people tend
to pass on their left side. Small, but made an impression on my mind.
Lastly, I appreciated the ease of transportation without a car. A trip to the grocery store would
take longer using a bus, but going to London or another city is as easy as boarding a train and
transferring one or two times.
