Recently, I returned to the UK on a business trip with several people from my new firm. This blog has focused on the culture shock I have experienced as a Brit in California. However, the shock can be just as extreme in the other direction.
Here in the US soft drinks will generally be topped up as many times as you wish – often without even needing to ask. My colleagues were surprised that after drinking three diet cokes they were charged for three cokes. This reinforced the US idea that things are expensive in the UK, an idea briefly lifted by seeing sub £1 petrol, until I pointed out this was for a litre.
I have been reminded by the horn of a car behind that you can turn through a red light in the US. Our company president was alerted by a yelp from yours truly that turning left on a red in the middle of London was not the way things were done in the UK.
