One of the greatest parts of any travel or study abroad experience is learning about the similarities and differences between cultures, and coming to appreciate them. For example:
One thing I have often struggled with in the US is that everything is go, go, go. Time is money and money can't be wasted. Workdays are now 24/7 and it's just nutty! In the UK, and much of Europe in general, is that they're much more laid back in certain aspects.
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This is great if I'm late to class. All I have to do is cite a tube delay or issue in my flat, and the professor understands. At home, I would need to explain this to my teacher, then hear exactly why I shouldn't miss class.
However, it's not as great when your flat hasn't had hot water in 4 days. Luckily for us, a total lack of hot water and heat in general isn't as bad as it would have been at home; it's a mild 48 degrees today. Still, the flat's quite chilly and we've all had to take icy showers, or boil water in the kettle to wash our hair, for 3 days now.
And since our handyman Adam Sandler (he looks just like him, I swear) is so laid back, we didn't learn that this was a gas, not water, problem until yesterday. And so we wait for a gas man to come check things out. More likely than not, our landlord will call and say someone's headed over while we're all in class. Ahh, don't you love the way the world works?
Have you ever experience mega culture shock? Have any travel memories that are funny now but weren't at the time? Let us know below!
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