Sunday, February 5, 2012

First visit to the UK



I am in England as of Friday, and it has been quite an adjustment from being in Spain. 

In the first place, I have caught myself more than once speaking Spanish instead of English. I said "hola" to the guy who sat down next to me on the bus from London to Birmingham. I said "perdón" instead of "sorry" when I bumped into someone. and once when I fell asleep in the van, I said "Yo quedé dormida" when I woke up ("I fell asleep"). 

But the thing that has absolutely confused me is this business of driving on the left! I keep feeling disoriented and surprised...going into the roundabout, you move to the left...left-hand turns are the ones that don't require you to cross any lanes...and the oncoming traffic is to your right! Ah! 

So the first day I was here, I was in the van with the girls to go back to the house. The girl in the driver's seat got out of the van to unload my suitcases. Then the van went forward. I gasped internally. "We're moving and the driver is gone!" I thought. But no... the driver is on the right here! So the girl who got out was actually in the passenger seat! 

It's funny...I knew these things...I knew they drive on the opposite side here...but I keep getting surprised as if I didn't know it. 

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