There are Some Quirks

Reflector coats.  Turns out if you live in the English countryside, you do all of your romantic Jane Austin Frolicking in a huge orange or yellow reflector coat.  The streets out her have no lights – literally.  No street lights AT ALL unless you are in a city.  So when the sun sets at 3:30 –I know…a little depressing, but it is getting better- all the little villages go pitch black with the exception of the bit of light that spills out from living rooms and pubs.  So these construction-worker-looking coats are everywhere.  It seems that they are only sold in size-XXL.  Size huge fits all.  But the village folk do get about.  I’ve seen more people out walking their dogs and mothers pushing strollers on Sunday mornings. 

Turns out bed bugs are a “usual” thing to have in these parts.  No, there are no bed bugs here at the dorms, but I did get attacked while staying in London.  I itched for WEEKS after and my pinkie swelled up like a sausage about to explode from the bites. 

The toilet paper in public bathrooms (that you have to pay to use, by the way) is usually not on a roll, but more like a tissue box screwed to the wall.  It feels strange to have to pull one or two Kleenexes out to finish my business rather than being liberal with a spinning roll of toilet paper.  The tissue pulling makes me far too aware of just how much paper I’m using in the toilet.

Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash, Roast of the day, Sunday Carvery, Shepherds pie - regular meals all of the time....and 10 time out of 10 they will come with peas. Mushy peas, baked peas, boiled peas, and even cold peas.  Peas, peas, peas. 

I’m cold – let me rephrase that – I’m FREEZING all the time.  When I started telling people I was moving here for a time, they told me that it was quite cold and I thought I was prepared: blankets, wool socks, and even thermal underwear. But this cold is far different than any I have ever experienced. This cold goes straight to the bone!

I’m really having fun discovering all these silly little quirks of a different country!