Any time you move to a new place, you're bound to have some questions about your new home. Where's the nearest grocery store? How late are places open on Sundays? What is a bap? Ok, maybe that last one isn't a standard question when moving to a new town, but I've had to Google a lot of weird things since moving to London. Back in June, a friend of mine posted this link on my wall: 17 Things Everyone Googles When They Move to London. (Fair warning, not everything in that list is G rated.) I'm proud to say that after living here for a month, I understand almost all of the jokes and references they make. In honor of my one month-iversary of living abroad, I've decided to make my own list of questions that I've Googled since crossing the pond.
This was the very first thing I Googled upon arriving. It's not actually hard to flush a British toilet, but there is definitely a bit of a technique to it. Pulling the lever back up is just as important as pushing it down.
I feel like on the off chance that an American has a tea kettle, it's the type that sits on a stove top and looks like Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast. Here, most kettles are electric, with a metal heating element inside the pot. I noticed the one in the kitchen here was covered in some sort of off-white, cement-like stuff. Turns out, it's mineral deposits from the water. Gross to look at, but harmless.
I still don't really understand this one. I've noticed that lots of British homes have plastic tubs inside of their kitchen sinks. Apparently, it's either to prevent knives from scratching the metal sink, prevent fragile items from breaking or chipping against the metal sink, or conserve water when washing dishes because it's smaller than the sink. To me, it just seems unnecessary.
I get it, okay? I'm pathetic. But I had never encountered one of these in the wild before. This search was quickly followed by...
Dryers aren't really a thing here. Most people do it the old fashioned way: on a clothes line. I have no idea what I'm going to do when winter hits. Maybe I'll just keep buying new shirts.
Grocery stores here do not refrigerate their eggs. Let me repeat that. EGGS ARE JUST SITTING ON THE SHELVES LIKE LOAVES OF BREAD. Why is this 100% against health code in the United States, but perfectly acceptable in England?!
Don't laugh. This was a serious question. Not only were the banks closed, like every single other business was closed as well. I guess because they don't celebrate Labor Day?
I kept hearing this word thrown around whenever people would talk about food to bring to a barbecue (and these people LOVE their BBQs). Turns out it's just a bread roll. Major letdown.
That's right, the retail giant known as TJ Maxx in the US is known as TK Maxx in the UK. This is apparently because when the store wanted to come to England, another chain called TJ Hughes took issue. They claimed the name was too similar to theirs and threatened to sue. The solution? Changing the J to a K.
There is a massive deep blue rooster statue in Trafalgar Square. It looks completely bizarre and out of place surrounded by such stately buildings as the National Gallery and Downing Street. Turns out, it's an art piece. Should've seen that coming.
This drives me absolutely insane, and it is the only question which Google has been frustratingly silent on. Envision your typical bus stop- a bench, three Plexiglas walls, and a roof. Now flip the structure backwards so that, instead of facing the street, the open side of the structure faces the buildings. WHY?! And this isn't just a random isolated bus stop either. These things are everywhere. Doesn't it completely defeat the purpose of the bus shelter if you can't be inside of it and see your bus coming? I DON'T UNDERSTAND.