Third Month Anniversary

After spending 90 days in UK..there're things i'm still getting used to..

1. The way time is read here..how would u tell the time in the following case :

a) 5.15 b) 9.50 c) 12.30

The correct answers(over here anyway) :

a) quarter past five (not 'five-fifteen')

b) ten to ten (not 'nine-fifty')

c) half past twelve (not twelve-thirty)


2. There are very few dustbins in London..even fewer after the July bombings(for fear of bombs being dropped in them). Which means if u're out on the streets & u have finished a packet of drink & u want to throw it, u'll probably need to carry it for 27 mins & 4.8 miles before u spot a dustbin..


3. Plastic bags here have holes punched in them..u know those kind of NTUC 'zua long' back in Sg? 9 out of 10 bags used by retailers here have holes in them(scared children suffocate wor)..this is esp irritating when u use them for trash bags..& u kinda forget & u happily pour away ur leftover gravy..this action is usually followed by a string of expletives while mopping the floor..


4. There IS a need to slang..sometimes. The other day, i was having lunch at a cafe & the waitress came over for my order..i wasn't quite ready & so i said in my typical sporean accent(some of u would call it monotone) 'could u give me another minute please?'..only to have the waitress stare back blankly at me & say 'sorry, i can't speak ur language' @.@


5. Summer in the UK is still cold..at least to someone from the tropics..esp at night when the temp drops to about 12-14 degrees..i always go to bed feeling nice & warm(ie. kicking the blanket to one side)only to wake up in the middle of the night grappling in the dark for the blanket..


6. Travelling alone means if i buy a loaf of bread/pack of biscuits, i will have to eat it for breakfast, lunch & dinner so tat i can finish them before the expiry date..not tat i can't finish them lah..but sometimes u just feel like having variety in ur meals mah..


7. Roundabouts. There are at least a gazillion roundabouts on UK roads..& i hate them all..i must have driven past 100 roundabouts in my 3 days of driving here(& gone on full circles on at least 10 of them cos i got confused abt my exit) The most ultimate roundabouts are those double roundabouts..where u exit from one only to find yourself right smacked in another roundabout..


8. Related to driving here..the people here really drive a lot faster..i can be cruising along on the motorways(or wat we call highways) at 80mph(130km/h) & i will still be overtaken by vans/motorcycles/coaches...


9. My diet/lifestyle. I dunno if i'm really eating a lot more..or cos of the fact i'm exercising less..but i do know tat i'm putting on A LOT of weight..so much so tat i can barely squeeze into the jeans i brought over..& most of u would know..my jeans were never tight..& i could fit into them perfectly when i first came over..fastforward to 2 mths later..i have to hold my breath just to zip them up..


10. The cost of living here is DAMN high..i know i blogged about this before but tat doesn't mean i've gotten used to it..i still cannot get over the fact tat i have to pay 60penny for a packet of Ribena..& i'm toking about one packet, not one pack of 6 packets..


Case closed.