A few English oddities...
1. Nobody seems to understand what I am saying half the time: Despite the fact that we speak the same language, most of what I say seems to be misunderstood. For example, last night I tried to order a vodka and orange juice at a pub. The man asked me four times what I was saying before I finally picked up a little bottle of juice to use as a visual aid. It turned out to be a bottle of tonic.... but whatever, at least I got mix. Later the same night, I asked a guy if he had seen my coat. His reply, 'It doesn't matter, the pub's closed, you won't have time to drink it'.
2. Electric showers: It seems to me that this would be a bad combination....
3. Carpet in the bathroom: It's just scuzzy. And the orange shade of our carpet doesn't make it any less revolting.
4. Birthday cakes: When it is your birthday YOU are expected to provide the sweets. Why should I have to bring my own birthday cake for everyone else to enjoy???
5. Rounds: Where I come from, there are three reasons why someone buys you a drink - (a) it's your birthday; (b) they owe you money so pay in drinks instead; or (c) they want to sleep with you. Here people just buy all their friends drinks. Unfortunately this means that you are also expected to provide drinks for everyone.
6. Sweets: They do not sell Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I think this is just an atrocity to human kind. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups should be available globally.
7. Closing Time: Shops close at 6pm almost every day of the week (except they close earlier on Sundays and are sometimes open late Thursdays or on special occasions). This doesn't make a lot of sense because people who have jobs, and can thus afford the goods being sold at said shops, are usually at work during opening hours.... I'm lucky if I'm home by 6 most days, which sucks if I need anything from say, Superdrug or The Gap. And it's not like I even come from a booming Canadian metropolis. The shops in my hometown were open later than in London, one of the biggest cities in the world.
8. Americano: Regular coffee here is referred to as Americano. I refuse to call it by this name because (a) American's did not invent coffee and (b) I know they are thinking 'Oh how cute the American girl is buying American coffee. If that's the case, it should be called Canadiano.
9. American Television: Maybe this has something to do with copyright laws or something, I don't know... but most American television shows are aired here, just MONTHS after they originally air in the U.S. This means that I now have to catch up on my favourites (AHEM LOST) via You Tube (or invest in satellite television). However, American Idol 2008, can air here 2 days after it is broadcast in the U.S.
10. The Kerb: I don't understand this, because it's the same pronunciation phonetically, but CURB is spelt 'kerb'.
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