Expat Interview: An American's View of England

Many people think that because of the common language, the differences between Britain and the U.S. are minor compared to other countries. That was not quite the experience that Jen H., an American teacher who had moved to England, had during her time living the Surrey suburbs outside of London. In fact, her family was supportive and not worried about the move due to that perception that the differences between the two countries are minimal, she found the reality to be very different.

Jen was surprised by how well traveled the British are compared to Americans, "It's not just that they have been all over Europe, which is compact and easy to do, but they have been much further afield to more exotic and distant places such as the Maldives, the Canary Islands, etc." She realized that so many people in the U.S. have a very limited view of the world as a result of the fact they don't travel as much, "In England they have their 13th year, which is called their 'gap year' and can travel more easily and experience different cultures by a young age. I teach 18 year olds here (in Pennsylvania) who have a much more limited view of the world. People in the U.S. have more stereotypes of people in other countries because they have less experience." Jen explodes the stereotype that Americans have of the Brits as being "stuffy, snooty and unfriendly" and says, "In reality it was the polar opposite in my opinion. They can be that way to obnoxious tourists, but so would I! In fact, I didn't want people to know I was American when I saw Americans being rude. When traveling I would have meals at the local pubs and found the British to be very funny with a very dry sense of humor." When comparing Americans and Brits by gender she found that British women were more outspoken than she expected, as well as being more outdoorsy, "American women work out, but British women go horseback riding and rambling (walking)." She observed British men to be more polite. In turn she found out that British people thought that all Americans had perfect teeth. She remembers being surprised that the English people she met could identify what part of the U.S. she was from, even though she is originally from an area without a strong regional accent. Jen was amused when she brought "Seven Layer Dip" to a potluck and was asked if it was a food representative of her region in the United States.

The pub is a unique British institution she came to know well. Initially she thought that pubs would be like bars in the U.S. with people sitting around just to drink, but she eventually discovered that their function was quite different. The pubs were more places that people would go to talk, drinking was an afterthought. Unlike the U.S., people bring their families to pubs, including the children. Jen even pointed out another difference, "The drunks in British pubs were nicer than drunks in American bars. They were very jolly and I don't remember anyone yelling or falling over. Instead of being obnoxious people might just sing if they got a little over inebriated."

A stereotype that did turn out to be more accurate relates to British food, "The food was kind of bland, and it wasn't always what I wanted, but that was just all part of the experience. It was also a little personally challenging because I don't eat red meat." She did however acquire an appetite for some peculiar snacks. Potato chips are called "crisps" in Britain and Jen was intrigued by some of the exotic flavors available there, which included "shrimp flavored." A British dish she favored was fish and chips, or "chippies" as they are called there, and enjoyed the freshness of the fish and the way it was presented wrapped in newspaper. Even ordering food in a pub was an unfamiliar process as they give patrons a number and then call out the numbers when ready. She admitted that she found customer service lacking and described an experience she had in a pub ordering a vegetarian pot pie and being brought one with meat. When she mentioned the problem to the manager, he insisted that was what she had ordered, although she pointed out that she was a vegetarian, and refused to give her money back. The most concession he would make was to make another pie which would take a long time to cook inconveniencing her plans for the evening. The service concept of the customer always being right appears to be an American concept of service.

Although customer service wasn't as good as the U.S., there are two hot issues in the U.S. in which Britain favorably compares; healthcare and transportation. Jen compared her experience in the British healthcare system to the U.S. healthcare system this way, "I went to the doctor and dentists a few times. I even had to go to the emergency room once when I sprained my ankle. There were some forms, but overall it didn't seem to be so difficult, health care was just a way of life. It was comforting to know that if anything happened I would be taken care of." As gas prices climb ever higher in the U.S. Jen commented, "Public transport is more convenient in England and it was much easier to not need or use a car and pretty inexpensive - there is nothing like it over here. New York city, for example, has an extensive public transportation system, but it seems inefficient, dirty and sometimes scary compared to England."

A lot has been said about the differences between American and British English. Jen illustrates an example of these linguistic challenges when she mentions an incident that happened when she was talking to the head of the dormitory and told him that she liked his suspenders. He let her know that in British English she had just complimented him on his "garters" and that what he was wearing were called braces in England. She pointed out that in the U.S. braces are something you wear to straighten your teeth. Jen warns that if you travel in England and wear a little bag around your waist to hold keys, money, passport etc. whatever you do, do not call it a fanny pack, call it a bum bag. She would not elaborate further except to point out that the first term would cause a lot of embarrassment. She started keeping a list of these words and their equivalents and still has it.

One of her favorite aspects of life in Britain included the holidays and witnessing traditions that are much older than ours in the U.S. Buying and wearing "poppies" to commemorate war veterans, Robbie Burns night and the consumption of haggis and finally Christmas with crackers which are not a foodstuff but an item that you pull, sometimes stuffed with notes or gifts, that gets its name from sound it makes when you tug on it.

As with most expats, she is clear that the experience of living in another country changed her. "Living overseas gave me a lot more courage to try something new or go in a different direction. It was scary at first, but it was also a very freeing experience. My self-confidence grew from navigating train stations and maps and learning how to drive on the opposite side of the road. If I hadn't gone overseas, I would be a very different person; I wouldn't have the same friends as a result. I feel more in touch with the world. When I came back home I wasn't necessarily in a better financial state than when I left, but personally I was in better shape for having had this experience."