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Via depositphotos ¦ By Klava
Moving countries is always challenging and sometimes it can be very scary. I have been living in England for over a year. During this time, I experienced things that either surprised me or confused me.
Please bear in mind, that this is my own experience and opinion and I am not trying in any possible way to criticise England. Every country has its flaws and its qualities. Moreover, everyone’s experience in a new place is different and here’s mine:
Weather: I was told that England doesn’t have a good weather which, in fact, it is true when compared to other countries in the world. During the winter, the weather is very cold but, at least where I live, it doesn’t rain as much as thought it would. During the summer, there are a few days that can be really sunny. However, most of the times it is cloudy or partly cloudy. Furthermore, it is very common to rain in the summer.
British loves talking about the weather: A year ago in the summer, I was alone at the bus stop waiting for mom to pick me up. The weather that day was really horrible. It was raining cats and dogs and it was really cold. While I was waiting, a woman on its 30s approached me and she started talking about the weather. If I am not wrong, we talked about the weather for about 15 minutes and I could see that she was utterly happy that I didn’t let the conversation die because of the topic.
Cars and roads: In Portugal and most countries in the world, the steering wheel is located on the left-hand side of the car and they drive on the right-hand side of the road. In England, it is the opposite. You have no idea how many times I sat on the driver seat and I wasn’t even going to drive. Also, I never know which side of the road I should look first before crossing. It confuses me a lot but I think I’m getting better at it now.
Sunrise and sunset: During the summer time zone, the sunrise is around 5 am, which is 2 hours earlier compared to Madeira Island, Portugal. So, in the beginning, it was really hard for me to continue sleeping because it was already too bright. During the winter time zone, the sunset in Madeira is at 6 pm whereas in England is at 4 pm. The fact that it gets dark so early really depresses me.
School and University are more practical: In Portugal, the main focus is on the theory which can be both tiring and boring. In the school I used to study, it was really rare to do experiments in Sciences and Chemistry. Also, I never had to worry about doing work experience while I was studying. On the other hand, in England, my sister has done a lot of experiments and she also has to do a work placement. I believe that the work experience will help her be prepared for the real-life and she will be more informed about career choices.
British politeness: When I first visited England, I was surprised at how many times they said Thank You, Sorry and Please. That made me realise how polite they were. However, I have been reading posts on the Internet that that’s just the way they speak and it doesn’t actually mean that they are being kind with you, they just don’t want to tell you the truth or insult you directly. Nonetheless, I cannot deny that they are well-mannered.
Queues: One of my British teachers at Uni told me that the native British loves to queue and that they hate when someone jumps the queue. Since then, I have been really cautious because even though I’m not British I also hate when someone jumps the queue.
I can't believe I have been living here for over a year. It's wasn't an easy journey but I learned so much and my English got even better. Time does really fly and I believe the longer I stay here, the more comfortable and integrated I will be to this beautiful country. At least, that's what I hope.
*I just wanted to clarify that everything I talked about for example the fact that they like to talk about the weather etc doesn't really apply to every single British citizen*
I hope you have a lovely day! (:
Jesika x
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