It rains every day in London. The locals hate Americans. The food is terrible. The city is so expensive.
When I decided to study abroad in London, I didn't know what to expect. I heard all of these stereotypes but wasn't sure whom I should believe.
I've come a long way from that pathetic American girl close to tears dragging her luggage from the airport. For one thing, I have a lot less money. I wish I could write a column sharing everything I have learned here, but it would be too long and, I'm sure, awfully boring. So, I decided to hit you with some of the highlights:
You can spot an American from a mile away. I can walk into a shop and not say a word, yet I might as well have an American flag draped across my body. And if Europeans don't know you are American by looking at you, the sheer decibel of your voice will definitely clue them in. No joke, Americans are the loudest humans on the planet.
Boys are very relationship-oriented on this side of the world. In America, it is like pulling teeth to get a boy to ask for your number. Here everybody wants to go on dates. Well, not necessarily with me, but you get the picture.
I heart cider. I've given up on drinking beer because Strongbow is where it's at.
Never, ever, under any circumstances butt in line (queue) in front of a British person. Trust me, it is not worth the life of your firstborn child, which is exactly what the crowd with pitchforks will demand.
If you want to get along with a British person, tell him you hate the French. Or better yet, mention the battle of Waterloo. His eyes will light up, and he will talk for hours. Of all the military victories during the last millennium, it is this battle that unifies the entire country. They have named so many things after Waterloo that it is absurd, from streets to tube stations. There are even murals of the battle at Parliament, conveniently equipped with hooks to enable the painting to be covered when French heads of state visit.
I've picked up some other tidbits here and there, but these were key.
Four very short months later, my semester in London is almost finished. Some of the stereotypes were right and some were very wrong, but all jokes aside, this experience has changed me for the better. Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I've made at the University, and I would strongly encourage anyone to take the plunge and meet the British up close and personal. Just make sure you tell them you are Canadian. (Only kidding!)
Bailey's column ran biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at stephens@cavalierdaily.com.
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