Top 10 Quirky Things About London

We have been in London for exactly one month today! It really is starting to feel like "home for now" here. We figured since we've been here a whole month (and because our options of things to do are limited lately with the snow), we would post the top 10 quirky things we've discovered about London! And just so you know, Jordan is helping on this one!

Here goes, in no particular order...

1. Everyone here wears scarves. This is true of both men and women, old or young. Jordan first pointed this out, although it didn't seem that strange to me since I love scarves! :)

2. Pubs and restaurants all close at 11pm. This may be a generalization, but most places close down a lot earlier than we thought they would for such a big city.

3. Either we are slow walkers, or everyone else walks REALLY FAST! Okay, we think it's probably the latter. Since most people walk everywhere in London they have probably just learned to walk fast... at least that's what we keep telling ourselves. We have started high-fiving each other when we pass anyone on the sidewalk. Yes, this includes elderly people and children. Don't judge us. :)

4. The term "sport" is liberally used. This has been killing Jordan. He is used to turning on ESPN and watching basketball or football, but the sports here are not really up to par. We have seen cricket, "professional" botchee ball, and darts on TV. Darts, people!!! 

5. Fashion is part of the culture here. As a whole, people over here dress really well. They say that London is 6 months to a year (or more) ahead of us in fashion. The first time we walked over to the gym to work out, we were pretty sure we were the first people EVER to wear sweats out in public in London's history.

6. Punctuality is a more relaxed term. Jordan has found that it is not unlikely for his professors to stroll into class 15 minutes late, and proceed with class as if nothing is wrong. This is quite the change from his classes at Gonzaga, where they have a rule that the students are allowed to leave after 5 minutes if the professor isn't there. Or maybe this was just Jordan's personal rule?! :)

7. You have to get over having your "personal space." Especially on the tube, we've found that your "space bubble" is pretty much non-existent. There have literally been times where you are completely smashed into a standing-room-only space for 10-20 minutes, and you pretty much just have to deal with it!

8. Not very many people drive, but those who do drive expensive cars! We have seen more Mercedes, Land Rovers, Audis, Porsches, and even Ferraris than we have ever seen in our lives. It's hilarious because even the garbage trucks over here are Mercedes! Not kidding.

9. A traditional English breakfast is not what you'd expect! It consists of fried eggs, toast, sausage links, baked beans, and fried tomatoes. And tea, of course. A far cry from waffles with strawberries and whipped cream! :)

10. Everyone is constantly saying "Cheers!" The funny part is, we still haven't quite figured out if this means "thank you" or "you're welcome" or "goodbye." Hopefully we'll figure this out in the next 4 months!