Comments on: 27 Banal Observations of a Recent Immigrant

By: Lotte

Lotte — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:26:51 +0000

Interesting article…

With regards the pavement – I agree the pavement shuffle is quite funny and always makes me smile. As a lot of the roads around here are single track country lanes, walking on the right [and thus facing the on coming traffic] is safer – you can see them coming whereas if you walk on the left, they are approaching from behind you.

I love the jaywalking thing. It is so natural to dodge and weave through the traffic rather than walking to the crossing! At school, 900 girls all kicking out at the same time used to cause mayhem for the cars. We crossed whether there were cars or not on the premise that they would not want the hassle of hitting us. Made me rather concerned that I would do it without thinking when I visited Germany recently as apparently it is a fine-able offense there.

Out of interest, why can’t you say “bathroom”. I’ve always said it, as have my friends. The only exceptions are when there is a shower not a bath [in which case you might say shower room or wet room] or when it is just a toilet [and sink]. But, even then, if you say “I am going to the bathroom” people know what you mean.

By: Stumptown Gal

Stumptown Gal — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:12:52 +0000

I’m hoping my company transfers me to Dublin for a year….and then this post reminded me of the ‘anti-Americanism.’ When in Barcelona for business 2 years ago the Londoners kept saying what I was an unusual American, not like the others they’d met. i kept thinking A) no, you’re not getting in my ‘pants’ and B) you should get out more, I’m as plain jane as one can get. P.S. Seattle is over, Portland is so NoPo.

By: Drake Trit

Drake Trit — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:04:35 +0000

Isn’t the skyline from Frasier is real? I better getz to Seattle to watch me some skyline. Joking.
I must commend your effort to pick out all the above. The text part as being run by 15 year olds is true to some extent.

Cheers.

By: Jules

Jules — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:45:37 +0000

I am an Australian living now in Ireland but in England for 3yrs, and I relate to absolutely everything you’ve said in this post – except the bit about weight. That being said, I didn’t drink except for the occasional glass of champagne in Australia – now I drink far too much.

The phone number thing! Yes! And the bloody SIDEWALK THING! God yes!

By: Jackie

Jackie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:37:47 +0000

Seriously, living in England makes you skinnier. I lost a stone living there for 6 months and I swear gained it back the SECOND I stepped on US soil.

By: Nigel

Nigel — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:07:27 +0000

The UK telephone number area code formats are easy to understand once you realise that you just need to look and see if the number begins 02x for (02x) xxxx xxxx numbers, or begins 011x or 01×1 for (01xx) xxx xxxx numbers, otherwise it is mainly (01xxx) xxxxxx, apart for a very small number of exceptions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_conventions_for_writing_telephone_numbers#United_Kingdom

By: rachel

rachel — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:26:56 +0000

why does it matter which side of the pavement you walk on? just walk!!!!!

By: Laura W

Laura W — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:26:43 +0000

Oh no! Please don’t tell me people other than the Germans and Dutch insist on sticking to one side of the pavement! I was amazed when a German girl asked me if British people walked on the left and then I slowly realised that Germans dutifully keep to the right even when walking. My husband got bawled out by a Dutch person for walking on the ‘wrong’ side of the street. Bizarre. All you need to do is look where you’re going rather than chugging along in a line like a bunch of Teletubbies! Much easier and far more conducive to pottering.

By: Marcus Pennell

Marcus Pennell — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:01 +0000

The issue of washing machines being in the kitchen is down to UK building regulations which prohibit having electrical sockets in the bathroom (except a low-wattage shaver socket).

By: Northern_Eagle

Northern_Eagle — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:47:05 +0000

Just a quick FYI, “paper money” is actually made from cotton.