The Little Differences - October 3rd
"I mean, they got the same shit over there that we got over here," said John Travolta's iconic Pulp Fiction character Vincent Vega, "But it's the little differences."
There's some things over here in the UK that I love, and some that I'm not too fond of. It's taken me a little bit of time in my unemployment and limbo stage to decide what those are. Here's my list:
Love:
-The Indian food here is amazing. Indian is basically considered the national food now, more than fish and chips. Stunning. I have learned, though, that the Indian here is highly Anglo-ized. They even invented dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala - a dish that does not exist in India. Good ol' cultural appropriation.
-The way they do bedsheets is just better. They cover the comforter with a cover, rather than use an extra sheet, so that you only have to wash the comforter cover and only have to deal with one sheet on the bed. The American way of having to wash your undersheets and have a million different blankets on you is super annoying. No wonder I would always kick the bottom blanket off and just use the comforter in the States. It's in my blood.
-Appliances. Tea kettles here heat up instantly. The gas grills heat up the pan within seconds. Why hasn't the US figured out this technology?
-They're extremely eco-friendly, extremely others-centered, extremely communally-minded. In America we only care about ourselves. I never sold any appliances when I was working at Best Buy off the prospect of how it saves the environment. Here it would be a #1 selling feature. I love that.
-I love how the people listen to what you have to say and don't judge you without fully understanding the scope of your beliefs. You're not pigeon-holed in to someone else's way of thinking. What you have to say and what you feel is unique to you and is respected in that way. This is so refreshing because I've always tried to view the world that way, but always felt like I was offending one person or another, no matter what I said. No more.
-Equal opportunity employment. As a confident white male in the workforce, this does not benefit me. But I'm okay with that, because it's better for the common good. Too much of the world is run by white males anyway, so let's go back to the best qualified being the best qualified, and even promote a little diversity in the workplace!
-Public transportation! At least in comparison to Boise, it's fantastic. I can get a bus to pretty much anywhere within a somewhat efficient timetable. I don't have to drive to get around. This is amazing.
-The weather. Yes, it's cold and rainy here more often than in Boise. But it also feels chilly in that way that makes you feel alive. And it doesn't get too cold or too hot. It's perfect for me.
Dislike:
-Everything here just seems more inefficient - getting people to call you back, getting things done with customer service lines - all of it takes days, even weeks, and they act like they don't really care if they can help you or not. No one goes "above and beyond" to take care of you, basically, and that bothers me as an entitled American with 6 years of customer service experience where my sole job was to get down on my knees and please the customer. I feel like I'm put my dues in and I'm owed something, damn it!
-The roads, the driving - most people drive manuals, getting a driving license is very difficult, roads are small and windy (at least up here in the North). It seems like a nightmare that I'd rather not face.
-The sense of sameness everywhere. I can't explain it, but in the states, I feel more free to just be myself and be weird and be accepted and be unique, or at least not care if I'm not accepted. Here I feel like everyone is more or less the same, and if I was to run around town and talk loudly and be obnoxious and dumb and just let loose, people would judge me more. Probably just a cultural thing, but it's something my brother noticed when he was here too. Might be a spiritual thing also, I don't know.
-No good Mexican food. First thing I'm going to do whenever I go back to the states is hit up the closest taco truck I can find and scarf down a bazillion tacos.
My experience here has been amazing overall, but there are some things I need to figure out and work around. I have confidence though that these things won't be a big deal overall going forward. I'm excited for what God has for me.
As far as updates go, here's what's happening:
-I have my National Insurance Number.
-I have a bank account.
-I have an interview for a job with Lloyds Bank on Thursday.
-I am no longer living with Grandma, but am renting a room from a family friend named Ian. That is going very well so far.
-I am planning my move down south, but at the moment I'm seeing how it goes. At some point honestly I'll probably just have to make the jump.
And that last point is extremely important. This is what I know God is pointing me to, a theme that keeps coming up over and over in my writing - taking the leap. Jumping. Coming to England was a risk for sure, but it was a calculated risk. I didn't have a job, I had a fat check from my ex-employers, I have family to stay with and be around. I really haven't "jumped" yet. I feel like the jump is coming, and it has to do with moving to Oxford. And I'm scared. Pray that I will have the courage to do it, and that doors will open when I do.
Love you all.
Song of the day:
There's some things over here in the UK that I love, and some that I'm not too fond of. It's taken me a little bit of time in my unemployment and limbo stage to decide what those are. Here's my list:
Love:
-The Indian food here is amazing. Indian is basically considered the national food now, more than fish and chips. Stunning. I have learned, though, that the Indian here is highly Anglo-ized. They even invented dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala - a dish that does not exist in India. Good ol' cultural appropriation.
-The way they do bedsheets is just better. They cover the comforter with a cover, rather than use an extra sheet, so that you only have to wash the comforter cover and only have to deal with one sheet on the bed. The American way of having to wash your undersheets and have a million different blankets on you is super annoying. No wonder I would always kick the bottom blanket off and just use the comforter in the States. It's in my blood.
-Appliances. Tea kettles here heat up instantly. The gas grills heat up the pan within seconds. Why hasn't the US figured out this technology?
-They're extremely eco-friendly, extremely others-centered, extremely communally-minded. In America we only care about ourselves. I never sold any appliances when I was working at Best Buy off the prospect of how it saves the environment. Here it would be a #1 selling feature. I love that.
-I love how the people listen to what you have to say and don't judge you without fully understanding the scope of your beliefs. You're not pigeon-holed in to someone else's way of thinking. What you have to say and what you feel is unique to you and is respected in that way. This is so refreshing because I've always tried to view the world that way, but always felt like I was offending one person or another, no matter what I said. No more.
-Equal opportunity employment. As a confident white male in the workforce, this does not benefit me. But I'm okay with that, because it's better for the common good. Too much of the world is run by white males anyway, so let's go back to the best qualified being the best qualified, and even promote a little diversity in the workplace!
-Public transportation! At least in comparison to Boise, it's fantastic. I can get a bus to pretty much anywhere within a somewhat efficient timetable. I don't have to drive to get around. This is amazing.
-The weather. Yes, it's cold and rainy here more often than in Boise. But it also feels chilly in that way that makes you feel alive. And it doesn't get too cold or too hot. It's perfect for me.
Dislike:
-Everything here just seems more inefficient - getting people to call you back, getting things done with customer service lines - all of it takes days, even weeks, and they act like they don't really care if they can help you or not. No one goes "above and beyond" to take care of you, basically, and that bothers me as an entitled American with 6 years of customer service experience where my sole job was to get down on my knees and please the customer. I feel like I'm put my dues in and I'm owed something, damn it!
-The roads, the driving - most people drive manuals, getting a driving license is very difficult, roads are small and windy (at least up here in the North). It seems like a nightmare that I'd rather not face.
-The sense of sameness everywhere. I can't explain it, but in the states, I feel more free to just be myself and be weird and be accepted and be unique, or at least not care if I'm not accepted. Here I feel like everyone is more or less the same, and if I was to run around town and talk loudly and be obnoxious and dumb and just let loose, people would judge me more. Probably just a cultural thing, but it's something my brother noticed when he was here too. Might be a spiritual thing also, I don't know.
-No good Mexican food. First thing I'm going to do whenever I go back to the states is hit up the closest taco truck I can find and scarf down a bazillion tacos.
My experience here has been amazing overall, but there are some things I need to figure out and work around. I have confidence though that these things won't be a big deal overall going forward. I'm excited for what God has for me.
As far as updates go, here's what's happening:
-I have my National Insurance Number.
-I have a bank account.
-I have an interview for a job with Lloyds Bank on Thursday.
-I am no longer living with Grandma, but am renting a room from a family friend named Ian. That is going very well so far.
-I am planning my move down south, but at the moment I'm seeing how it goes. At some point honestly I'll probably just have to make the jump.
And that last point is extremely important. This is what I know God is pointing me to, a theme that keeps coming up over and over in my writing - taking the leap. Jumping. Coming to England was a risk for sure, but it was a calculated risk. I didn't have a job, I had a fat check from my ex-employers, I have family to stay with and be around. I really haven't "jumped" yet. I feel like the jump is coming, and it has to do with moving to Oxford. And I'm scared. Pray that I will have the courage to do it, and that doors will open when I do.
Love you all.
Song of the day:
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