Scotland, anyone?

[Irbis]

Um... I have asked my hone University for a student exchange program. I managed to grab a spot in UWS, University West of Scotland. Sigh.

Now, I have no idea what to do. Go there and try to finish my studies there?

First problem - it's 1000 km away. What if I don't make it (that is, don't acclimatize there)? I have received offer today, and the studies supposedly start September 20, so I'd have to make an arrangements real quick. Especially a place to live.

I have an experience of living away from home, I guess (5 years 300 km away at my current Uni), but that will be totally different. Especially in a foreign country. I'd have to re-learn my life from the start.

Second problem - I will make every effort to fill any gaps, but I have no idea if what I have learned in my home, backwards country even prepared me to pass any exams here. Sigh. Supposedly, this was second best university in country, but I wonder how it will compare, from course descriptions it seems we are so behind it isn't even funny (like F-22 vs F-14). I hope I won't end up with straight 2.0 at the end of the semester. By the way, it isn't Erasmus, with it's loose requirements, I'm supposed to take actual 4th year any student there takes :smallfrown:

Aaaand, third problem, I have no idea how British culture actually looks and feels. The internet is full of US culture and language, so that's what I had the opportunity to learn. I wonder if Brits will treat me like just another dumb immigrant, especially with the crisis going on. British is more difficult than US English, and Scottish accent is supposed to be even worse. On top of that, I have slight hearing disability, I wonder if I actually can communicate with anyone at all. Hell, I tend to prefer e-mails over phone even in my main language. Plus, here, I can train only written English, my spoken one is much worse :smallfrown:

All these inches, foots, different energy plugs, left hand driving, constant rain and water from two different taps scares me. And, if I fail, I end up with unfinished studies, debt, and a shame for the rest of my life. Hmmm, I wonder if students in Scotland can somehow both work and study at the same time.

I waited for this opportunity, but now I wonder if I should give up, finish here and go look for some job :smallfrown:

[Coidzor]

Well, KuReshtin, I believe, moved to Scotland from Sweden (or was it Norway? One of the two Scandinavian Bifurcated-Peninsula countries)... So, I hate to offer up someone as an example (sorta) of your kind of situation to bug by asking, but he seems fairly easy going about relating his experiences, so yeah...

Plenty of peeps around here who live in the UK, though I think most are Londoners or from the southern reaches of the main island.

If this UWS is near/in Glasgow, then, yeah, the accent might be an issue, considering Glasgow is known for either the thickest or least attractive brogh.

...Though I was under the impression that the UK had converted to Metric, aside from still measuring their personal weight in stone, which are 14 pounds each, for some reason. Anyway, feet and inches can be converted to, or you can just do some flashcards of their conversions and then find physical objects to drive the comparison home. Though it is probably not worth that kind of effort, so not really worth sweating.

[KuReshtin]

It's not too bad.
I moved to Scotland from Sweden, so I know about the worries about language, and it did take a few weeks to get to grips with the accent, but after that, you'll be fine.

You will most likely be able to get housing from the University. Just contact the Uni and ask them about it, and they'll sort you out.

Do you know which campus you'll attend? UWS apparently have a few different campuses, the main one being in Paisley. I have a few pals that study at UWS and a few that have previously studied there, so if you want to, I can try to find sstuff out from them.

Driving might be a bit intimidating at first, but if you've been driving for a while, you'll soon get used to it. It took me about an hour on the road before I felt comfortable and didn't have to constantly think about what side of the road I needed to drive on. Having the steering wheel on the right side of the car helps. Shifting gear with your left hand instead of your right is a bit weird for a while, though.

As far as extra curricular activities go, there will be stuff for you to do.
UWS has a football (American football) team that will start their season at the tail end of October if you're interested in that.
I'm also pretty certain that the student union will have lists of other activities for you to join.

Personally, I haven't attended the UWS, or in fact any uni over here, but if you have stuff to ask, then gimme a shout, and I'll try to find answers for you.

edit: ninja'd. :smalltongue:

edit: Edit: Also, randman is going to start at Strathclyde Uni, which is in Glasgow itself (only about 15 minutes by train), so you'll have at least two playgrounders nearby.

[dish]

Which campus would you be based at? Paisley, Hamilton, or Ayr? If you're looking at Paisley or Hamilton, you'll be close to Glasgow, which is a fun, friendly, and exciting city. It's definitely worth spending a year there. (I did my teacher training year in Glasgow, and loved every minute of the experience.) If you're looking at Ayr, that would be a bit more rural and further away from large cities.

In general, the people from the West of Scotland have a reputation for being the friendliest in the country. I suspect that if you go they'll make sure you have a great time.

I don't know about what ranking UWS has in the university league, but it does have an excellent reputation for all kinds of vocational courses. If you're doing a vocational course, then it sounds like a good opportunity. If you're worried about being behind in your studies, or finding them difficult, then take the first possible opportunity to talk to your new academic advisor and course tutors - these people are being paid to help students adapt to and make the most of their studies. Use them.

In summary, my advice is: accept the offer and go. Enjoy your new experience. It'll be fun.

[KuReshtin]

Oh, and on the subject of weights and measures and stuff, the speed limits and road signs measuring distance still use miles and if you ask someone how far it is to walk somewhere, they're very likely to tell you in miles and/or yards. Not too difficult to remember though, as a yard is just slightly less than a meter (1 yard = 0.91 meter) and a mile is 1.6 kms.

Stores and supermarkets all have weights measured in grams and kilos, but with a comparison price for pounds as well.
Milk comes in cartons of 1, 2 or 4 pints (although some brands are straight 2 litre cartons), but there's also the litre amount listed on the carton labels as well.
So it'll say "4 pints / 2.273 litres" on the label, so you'll know how much it is.

As I grew up in Sweden, I grew up with the metric system, but getting to grips with inches, feet, yards and the like isn't too difficult.

1 inch = 2.54cm
1 foot = 12 inches = 30.5cm
1 yard = 3 feet = 91.4cm
1 mile = 1609 meters



Edit again: Also, if you do accept and move over here, you can tag along to the UKitP meetup and meet a bunch of cool people. And Archie. :smallbiggrin:

[Platinum_Mongoose]

Go to Scotland. If you don't end up going to Scotland, can I go to Scotland for you?

[KenderWizard]

It's a big step, but I don't think you need to worry too much. It sounds like a really exciting opportunity. Scotland has a very good reputation, both for being a friendly and beautiful country, and in academia, so it's a really good place to spend a college year at.

With any culture, it can seem weird and different when you're outside looking in, but I don't think Scotland will be any more difficult for you to settle in to than the US. The Scottish accent as seen on TV is a bit mad, but actual Scottish people don't usually talk like that, same way Irish people don't talk like leprechauns and English people don't all talk like the Queen. If English isn't your first language, it'll take a bit to get used to, but that would apply to anywhere. No one speaks slow, clear, proper English in RP all the time, except maybe BBC news anchors. The best way to learn better spoken English is to immerse yourself in the language (by moving to Scotland!).

Changing from metric to imperial is annoying, but since a lot of English speaking countries use a weird mish-mash of both, most people in my experience have some idea of where the other scale is in relation to their own, so you'll get by once you get the basics.

Also, my father's advice for getting used to driving on the other side of the road is to follow the car in front of you. That way you're fine unless they do something stupid! :smalltongue:

[Irbis]

Um... thanks for all the replies. You guys won't mind if I PM you, right? :smallsmile:

So, looks nice, I'm not sure what campus, if any, I'll have at the start. I'll check.

Successful moving stories are also encouraging, I do imagine though people speaking Germanic language will have much less trouble transiting than I will :P

And, a pity that 150 views yielded only 5 replies. C'mon, I don't bite, give me more!

[randman22222]

Um... I have asked my hone University for a student exchange program. I managed to grab a spot in UWS, University West of Scotland. Sigh.

Now, I have no idea what to do. Go there and try to finish my studies there?

First problem - it's 1000 km away. What if I don't make it (that is, don't acclimatize there)? I have received offer today, and the studies supposedly start September 20, so I'd have to make an arrangements real quick. Especially a place to live.

I have an experience of living away from home, I guess (5 years 300 km away at my current Uni), but that will be totally different. Especially in a foreign country. I'd have to re-learn my life from the start.

Second problem - I will make every effort to fill any gaps, but I have no idea if what I have learned in my home, backwards country even prepared me to pass any exams here. Sigh. Supposedly, this was second best university in country, but I wonder how it will compare, from course descriptions it seems we are so behind it isn't even funny (like F-22 vs F-14). I hope I won't end up with straight 2.0 at the end of the semester. By the way, it isn't Erasmus, with it's loose requirements, I'm supposed to take actual 4th year any student there takes :smallfrown:

Aaaand, third problem, I have no idea how British culture actually looks and feels. The internet is full of US culture and language, so that's what I had the opportunity to learn. I wonder if Brits will treat me like just another dumb immigrant, especially with the crisis going on. British is more difficult than US English, and Scottish accent is supposed to be even worse. On top of that, I have slight hearing disability, I wonder if I actually can communicate with anyone at all. Hell, I tend to prefer e-mails over phone even in my main language. Plus, here, I can train only written English, my spoken one is much worse :smallfrown:

All these inches, foots, different energy plugs, left hand driving, constant rain and water from two different taps scares me. And, if I fail, I end up with unfinished studies, debt, and a shame for the rest of my life. Hmmm, I wonder if students in Scotland can somehow both work and study at the same time.

I waited for this opportunity, but now I wonder if I should give up, finish here and go look for some job :smallfrown:


edit: Edit: Also, randman is going to start at Strathclyde Uni, which is in Glasgow itself (only about 15 minutes by train), so you'll have at least two playgrounders nearby.

Yup. I'm moving there as well, and have only a little bit more of an idea what to expect. I went there to check out the uni I'm going to once, and it seemed like an AWESOME place. People were friendly.

So you're not the only person who'll have to figure out what the hell is going on. :smalltongue:

[KuReshtin]

Um... thanks for all the replies. You guys won't mind if I PM you, right? :smallsmile:


Sure thing. If there's anything you need to know, feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to answer any questions you might have.



So, looks nice, I'm not sure what campus, if any, I'll have at the start. I'll check.

The biggest campus would be the Paisley one, so that'll probably be where you'll be based.



Successful moving stories are also encouraging, I do imagine though people speaking Germanic language will have much less trouble transiting than I will :P

There are a lot of foreign student in and around the Paisley/Glasgow area, so I don't think you'll have any problem. As has been said before, the Scots are generally a friendly bunch.




And, a pity that 150 views yielded only 5 replies. C'mon, I don't bite, give me more!

I think I've generated a fair few of those views, to be fair. I've been in and out of this thread to see if I could come up with anything more to post, and then decided against it since it'd just be random generalisations and possibly not decent advice.

[rakkoon]

I don't really think the Germanic part is that helpful, what is your native language may I ask?

It sounds like a fabulous opportunity. I used the easy Erasmus programme so you will have to work a lot harder ( I had to do 15 hours of classes in five months time, really, took three classes just to keep busy).

A new country, a new culture, I'm quite jealous of you actually. Of course it can be daunting but it's not like you are moving into a desert with people speaking Swahili. You have proven on this board that your English is excellent and Scotland seems quite normal (except for the mountains, they seem unnatural :smallwink:).

Good idea to contact Scottish people in the Playground, shows initiative!

[Manga Shoggoth]

And, a pity that 150 views yielded only 5 replies. C'mon, I don't bite, give me more!

Well, not everybody in Britian lives in Scotland, and there are differences between, say, England and Scotland. (There are huge variations withing England, for that matter...).

The best advice I can give you is not to worry too much. Contact the University (and also the Student Union, who the University can put you in touch with) for advice on housing and other bits. You won't be the first foreign student in the place, after all.

And the locals are generally quite friendly, unless you are sassenachs in the process of invading them, and we haven't done that for a while. There are probably a few places to avoid in Glasgow, but that's true of any city.

[rakkoon]

Oh and about accents, I was taught RP English all my life and when living in England everybody had a Mancunian, Welsh or Leeds accent. Since there are so many accents in one country I'm sure Scotland will have many variations too. Yours will just be from a bit further down the road (or tunnel)

[KenderWizard]

Scotland also has excellent geology, if you're into that kind of thing. Which I totally am! :smallsmile:

[Irbis]

So... if I were to ask... which period in England was the worst one for you? Directly upon arrival? Later? Or maybe they were better than present one? :smallsmile:

[Manga Shoggoth]

So... if I were to ask... which period in England was the worst one for you? Directly upon arrival? Later? Or maybe they were better than present one? :smallsmile:

Well, we weren't altogether happy with 1066...On the other hand both the English and Scottish were quite happy with 1604.

1066: Battle of Hastings, and the last time the English lost at home. 1064: James the first of England is the first monarch of both England and Scotland

Oh yes - remember to pack warm clothing - the winters can be very cold in the north of the country. Bradford was bad enough. (YMMV, of course. If you come from a very cold country, yoiu may find it quite warm...)

[Castaras]

Welcome to the civilised side of the pond. :smallbiggrin: :smallamused: :smalltongue: Yes, that is a joke if the smilies don't tell you

My experience with foreigners? You already seem to have a good grasp on the english language, and accents don't take that long to get used to - the worst, Jordi(Geordi?) [Newcastle accent], I've had dealings with once, when someone moved south, and it took about 2 weeks to understand it. Almost certainly, by the time you leave Scotland, the people in your home country will think you sound scottish. :smalltongue:

My advice would be to get involved in everything you can. AFAIK all universities have a week for freshers to look into societies. Sign up for all the societies you are interested in. Throw yourself into the life and you'll get used to the new culture, and the people will get to know you (and have lots of fun either teasing and/or going "ooooo" over your accent).

[KuReshtin]

England? I thought we were talking about Scotland.. :smalltongue:

I've been here for 11 years now, so I've had a lot of ups and downs over the course of my stay.
Difficult to pick out one or two best or worst moments.

[Thufir]

Jordi(Geordi?) [Newcastle accent]

Geordie. But this is straying off topic. While Newcastle is pretty north, it's not in Scotland.

[Castaras]

Geordie. But this is straying off topic. While Newcastle is pretty north, it's not in Scotland.

No, but it's even more incomprehensible than Scottish. Why I was using that example (2 weeks to understand Geordie) was to to show it isn't too difficult to learn to understand different accents. :smallsmile:

[rakkoon]

I immediately joined the squash team. Good way to socialise and work out :smallsmile:

Get involved is the ticket.

[KuReshtin]

I immediately joined the squash team. Good way to socialise and work out :smallsmile:

Get involved is the ticket.

I agree completely with this.
one of the things that has kept me here for 11 years is the fact that I branched out from just work and found other social circles as well.
I started playing American Football, and since the scottish Claymores were still going strong at that point, i went to their games and met people with similar interests as me.

Over the years, i've seen so many people come here, keep to their little group of people that arrived at the same time, and then, after a while when they start dropping off one by one, the others in the group don't have anyone else to relate to, and end up leaving as well because they get home sick or feel lonely or whatever.

Finding people to hang out with outside of work/school is very, VERY important.

[Irbis]

Sigh. I'll see about that, seeing how I have troubles with socializing even here.

But then again, having so liberal views in backward region is always difficult.

Ok, I'll send papers today, maybe they won't kick me out immediately :P

[Irbis]

So... it looks like I might be catching a plane to Scotland today. Wish me luck! :P

I hope I'm not making a mistake here :P

[Coidzor]

Have a safe flight! :smallbiggrin:

[randman22222]

So... it looks like I might be catching a plane to Scotland today. Wish me luck! :P

I hope I'm not making a mistake here :P

(Slight gravedigging here, but...)

Luck wished, and if you wanna meet up some time, I think there're enough people around Glasgow for a mini-meetup. :smallsmile:

EDIT: Also, Irbis, clean up your PM box. :smalltongue:

[KuReshtin]

Yup, there should be at least a couple of us available for a mini-meet.

[rakkoon]

Has the plane arrived?

[KuReshtin]

Has the plane arrived?

It must have. I don't know any passenger planes that can keep flying for 48 hours straight.

[rakkoon]

(defensively) It could have been shot down by Scottish natives...

:smallwink:

[Irbis]

Apparently, Irbises like to sleep like dead for about 12 hours after not sleeping for 36, after walking about 25 km in said period, about third of it with 22 kg of cargo.

Yes, I'm stupid. I blame Ryanair, though, for having one damn flight from my country per week, from the other end of said country, with such flight arriving at 23.45, and Prestwick, for not having enough of the damn taxis or a train/bus after 23.00, which forced me to wait 6 hours at it with new laptop in my bag before communication started.

And then I had to sit through 6 hours of boring classes on the same day. I have no idea how I didn't fell asleep right then :smallsigh:

Eh, why the time zone change had to be backwards, not forward? If you guys moved your island about 1200 km to the right, I'd have waited 2 hours less :smallmad:

[KuReshtin]

Apparently, Irbises like to sleep like dead for about 12 hours after not sleeping for 36, after walking about 25 km in said period, about third of it with 22 kg of cargo.

Yes, I'm stupid. I blame Ryanair, though, for having one damn flight from my country per week, from the other end of said country, with such flight arriving at 23.45, and Prestwick, for not having enough of the damn taxis or a train/bus after 23.00, which forced me to wait 6 hours at it with new laptop in my bag before communication started.

And then I had to sit through 6 hours of boring classes on the same day. I have no idea how I didn't fell asleep right then :smallsigh:

Eh, why the time zone change had to be backwards, not forward? If you guys moved your island about 1200 km to the right, I'd have waited 2 hours less :smallmad:

Man, that sucks.
If I'd have known, I'd have offered to get to Prestwick and give you a lift to where you were going.

[Irbis]

Eh, thanks for the offer, but in the end, all that would have changed I'd have to spend these 6 hours someplace else.

Though, I might have been able to grab some sleep then. Still, now that I think about it, Paisley I saw at 6.00 when I arrived didn't have even these basic facilities the airport provided. Even McD was closed.

[rakkoon]

So, first impressions? Comments on the language ?
Feel free to sleep some before answering :smalltongue:

[drakir_nosslin]

So, first impressions? Comments on the language ?
Feel free to sleep some before answering :smalltongue:

Don't sleep. We all know, from LAN experience, that the most hilarious comments are uttered when one is suffering from sleep deprivation and low blood concentration in your caffeine system.

But, yes, I've lurking in this thread for quite some time now, as I'm wondering where I should go when I decide it's time to study abroad, so tell us!

[Irbis]

So, first impressions? Comments on the language ?

Impressions? Who the hell killed and forced half the people to talk like him with unholy rituals? :smallconfused:

Ok, not really, I do have a lot of impressions, but seeing as those are from the suburb only, and the poorer part of said suburb at that, well...

Let me visit the main city then we can talk :smalltongue:


Don't sleep. We all know, from LAN experience, that the most hilarious comments are uttered when one is suffering from sleep deprivation and low blood concentration in your caffeine system.

Yeah... :smallsigh:


But, yes, I've lurking in this thread for quite some time now, as I'm wondering where I should go when I decide it's time to study abroad, so tell us!

Hmmm, maybe I should change the name of the thread, then? :smallconfused:

As for where... I have no idea how teachers in my home country react to foreign students, but these in the UK seem nicer and less formal, both in behaviour and rules. In fact, the model of the studying seems to be completely different. I meant, five hour lab? Such a thing would be [I]utterly preposterous here.

Though, for all the niceness of the people, town looks like it was renovated 50 years ago. Lots of broken glass on the streets, too.

Studying abroad is definitely good experience, but only if you know the language well and have a bit of cash for start.

Come to think of it, in Poland you'd have little financial difficulties, and nice environment, I don't know how the studying would compare, though.

By the way, can someone recommend me a bank friendly to students, with good terms, preferably one present in Scotland, and even better, Paisley? PMs please, so we don't spam, I need one for University accounting :smallconfused:

[KuReshtin]

By the way, can someone recommend me a bank friendly to students, with good terms, preferably one present in Scotland, and even better, Paisley? PMs please, so we don't spam, I need one for University accounting :smallconfused:

I'll check with my student friends what they can recommend.

Edit: PM sent

[Irbis]

So, first impressions?

Sigh. I'd have to experience some more to really say something about that and not lie...

But, the general impression is - everything is old. Seriously, the buildings - some look like monuments. Many ornate walls, lights, everything - but at the same time, some things look old in a bad way. Rusty, unpainted rails and walls (which is especially egregious they happen to be at the very entrance of the Univ), sidewalks looking they saw better periods, everything...

Ech. The other thing is money - I haven't seen all the coins yet, but the contrast is rather stark. You see, back home, coins are divided in size - from smaller and least important, to largest. Lesser coins are gold-colored, then silver, then big/bi-metallic. It's intuitive system that never leaves doubt about what you hold in your hand.

The coins I have gathered in UK this week, though, look as old as everything (seriously, most are from 200x, but a fair part are from 199x and there were even some from 198x and 197x in my small sample), are yellow-silvery colours hard to differentiate (except for some coppery ones, that seem to follow different rules), similar sizes - I have to check them every time to see what I hold. Especially seeing they have multiple designs, I have counted 5-6 different sides on 1 pound alone (in a week!). Paying exact fare on the spot is difficult :smallsigh:

Note that I'm not complaining, it's just... ech, the difficulty in arriving in other country isn't language. You can learn that easily. It's cultural code. That you can't/won't learn anywhere. It's even worse seeing how similar it's supposed to be. I have no idea who the idols on TV are, who the hell this guy is, heck, even food in supermarkets is different. Dozens of foods that are completely unknown, there are dozens absent. The same ones sold in different way - back home, rice is sold in cooking bags. Here, loose. Continental foods are served in wrong way (not 'different' but in a way that makes them actually worse).

And all this is made worse by how similar the cultures look at first glance.

I'd have to PM a few people from this thread asking about these differences, so please stay tuned :P

[TheThan]

If your ever want a linguistic adventure, go drinking with a Scott, cause you can’t bloody understand them before.



Honestly since I have a Scottish ancestry, I think I’d be too enthralled and too busy seeing the sights that I wouldn’t get any actual schoolwork done.

Anyway with my very limited knowledge of British English, here’s some tips:

Bumbershoot = Umbrella
Lift = elevator
Aluminium = Aluminum
Jumper = sweater

[KuReshtin]

Sigh. I'd have to experience some more to really say something about that and not lie...

But, the general impression is - everything is old. Seriously, the buildings - some look like monuments. Many ornate walls, lights, everything - but at the same time, some things look old in a bad way. Rusty, unpainted rails and walls (which is especially egregious they happen to be at the very entrance of the Univ), sidewalks looking they saw better periods, everything...

This is, unfortunately, not totally unusual. I believe it's a combination of the councils figuring that it's too expensive and/or bothersome to do anything about it.
Houses do have a tendency to look a bit shabby after a while, as a lot of them are built in the brown sand stone that seems to attract and absorb a lot of air pollution to make it look a bit shoddy as well. It also has to do with the fact that there has still been a lot of places around here that have used coal to heat up their homes, which created more air pollution that can get soaked into the sand stone.
A bit of a shame.
Then again, a whole lot of houses are just plain old.



Ech. The other thing is money - I haven't seen all the coins yet, but the contrast is rather stark. You see, back home, coins are divided in size - from smaller and least important, to largest. Lesser coins are gold-colored, then silver, then big/bi-metallic. It's intuitive system that never leaves doubt about what you hold in your hand.

The coins I have gathered in UK this week, though, look as old as everything (seriously, most are from 200x, but a fair part are from 199x and there were even some from 198x and 197x in my small sample), are yellow-silvery colours hard to differentiate (except for some coppery ones, that seem to follow different rules), similar sizes - I have to check them every time to see what I hold. Especially seeing they have multiple designs, I have counted 5-6 different sides on 1 pound alone (in a week!). Paying exact fare on the spot is difficult :smallsigh:

The coinage isn't too difficult to learn, actually.
Small copper coin = 1 pence*
Large copper coin = 2 pence*
Small round silver coin (smallest coin available) = 5 pence**
Large round silver coin = 10 pence**
Small 7-sided coin = 20 pence
Large 7-sided coin = 50 pence
Gold coin (thickest coin available) = 1 pound
Silver/Gold dual coloured coin = 2 pounds

*Most people just grab them and put them in a jar and never actually carry any of them around, and then go to the bank once every 6 months or every year to hand them in for 'real' cash.
**To an extent, the same applies with the 5p and 10p as the 1p and 2p coins. Not a whole lot of use carrying them around. At least not a whole lot of them.



Note that I'm not complaining, it's just... ech, the difficulty in arriving in other country isn't language. You can learn that easily. It's cultural code. That you can't/won't learn anywhere. It's even worse seeing how similar it's supposed to be. I have no idea who the idols on TV are, who the hell this guy is, heck, even food in supermarkets is different. Dozens of foods that are completely unknown, there are dozens absent. The same ones sold in different way - back home, rice is sold in cooking bags. Here, loose. Continental foods are served in wrong way (not 'different' but in a way that makes them actually worse).

The foods in the local shops are generally pretty limited, but if you go to a bigger store, like Morrisons, Tesco or ASDA, you should find a better variety of stuff. It's still going to be different from what you're used to from Poland, but you'll find stuff that are similar.
For instance, there is boil-in-the-bag rice to be found. Usually, it's not placed directly beside the loose packs of rice, though, but might be on a higher shelf, or a bit further down the ailse.
I know in my local Morrisons, the Loose rice is on the bottom two shelves where as the Boil-in-the-bag rice is on the top shelf, so if you don't know that it's there, and if you don't take the time to look around, you won't find it.

Hell, it took me nearly five years to find out that they sold B-i-t-B rice. :smallwink:



And all this is made worse by how similar the cultures look at first glance.

I'd have to PM a few people from this thread asking about these differences, so please stay tuned :P

Anything you want to ask about, just let me know.

[Irbis]

Lift = elevator

Yeah, I'll have to check the list of US/UK different words someday.

Along with why, who and what side of the pond decided to delete the ground floor :smallannoyed:


Aluminium

Oh, I think it is one of the cases where they actually speak like normal people :smallbiggrin:

[KuReshtin]

Anyway with my very limited knowledge of British English, here’s some tips:

Ok...

Bumbershoot = Umbrella
What? I've never, EVER heard it called that. 'Brolly', maybe.

Lift = elevator
Yep. This is true.

Aluminium = Aluminum
I think the only country calling it 'Aluminum' is the US. As far as I know, it's called 'Aluminium' in both British English, Swedish, Norwegian and German (those are the only languages I've heard it mentioned in), so it's not really a difference in British English from anything else, except American English.

Jumper = sweater
Again, true.

Also,
Flat = Apartment
Pants = Underwear
Trousers = Pants
Boot = Trunk

[TheThan]

What? I've never, EVER heard it called that. 'Brolly', maybe.



To be fair, I’ve only ever heard it being called that in like a movie so yeah. It was the first thing to come to mind when thinking about all those things those silly brits call by the wrong name.

Also, with regards to Aluminium and Aluminum, its amazing how much a difference a single letter makes.

[rakkoon]

Interestingly the thing I remember most about British cuisine is the Indian take-outs, there were whole streets of them. Is it the same in Scotland?
And Tesco's usually have all the right stuff. Mind you I hadn't lived alone before going abroad so I didn't really shop before that. Might be different for you.

[randman22222]

Along with why, who and what side of the pond decided to delete the ground floor :smallannoyed:

I thought it was always like that in the U.S. as well, with the ground floor missing, but every once in a while, both here and there, I'll walk into a building that actually has one.

Weird.

Inconsistent. :smallconfused:


Pants = Underwear
...Oh. :smallredface:

[KuReshtin]

It was too late for me to go look for it last night, but here's a visual reference of the British coins:

http://mpeglondon.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/pictures/coins.jpg

[Amiel]

Irbis, have you tried the (in)famous haggis yet?

[KuReshtin]

Irbis, have you tried the (in)famous haggis yet?

Haggis is AWESOME!!!

Edit: Also, what kind of food is it that is weird over here in the UK compared to the European mainland?
I can't seem to think of anything off the top of my head that seems weird or 'wrong'?

[Castaras]

Bumbershoot = Umbrella
Lift = elevator
Aluminium = Aluminum
Jumper = sweater

Umbrella: Brolly. Never heard it called Bumbershoot. O.o


RE: Ground Floor. We have a Ground floor, then first floor, then second floor. IIRC. Not sure.

Umm... Coins KuResh has already done. Banks, if you can find a Natwest they're very good.

Oh, and Come to the UK meetup! :smallwink:

[factotum]

Edit: Also, what kind of food is it that is weird over here in the UK compared to the European mainland?
I can't seem to think of anything off the top of my head that seems weird or 'wrong'?

Deep fried Mars bars? That's wrong by anybody's lights (except for people in Scotland, of course :smallamused:).

[Castaras]

Deep fried Mars bars? That's wrong by anybody's lights (except for people in Scotland, of course :smallamused:).

Ugh... the heart attack in a bar. We have them down in East Anglia sometimes.

[KuReshtin]

Deep fried Mars bars? That's wrong by anybody's lights (except for people in Scotland, of course :smallamused:).

A Mars bar is not food. It's a snack. Deep fried Mars Bar is a novelty snack that's not as readily available as a lot of folk lore makes it sound, and not everyone in Scotland eats a deep fried Mars bar each day.

The original quote was:


Continental foods are served in wrong way (not 'different' but in a way that makes them actually worse).

I was just wondering what kind of foods that related to, and what made them 'worse'..

[Irbis]

Houses do have a tendency to look a bit shabby after a while, as a lot of them are built in the brown sand stone that seems to attract and absorb a lot of air pollution to make it look a bit shoddy as well.

Ech, I don't mind the walls, though they're dirty, but obvious places where neglect will only create problems that will cost more in the future. Rusting rails, falling paint, broken pavement, everything one worker with paintbrush can fix in an hour.

But you're probably correct, of course.


The coinage isn't too difficult to learn, actually.
Small copper coin = 1 pence*
Large copper coin = 2 pence*
Small round silver coin (smallest coin available) = 5 pence**
Large round silver coin = 10 pence**
Small 7-sided coin = 20 pence
Large 7-sided coin = 50 pence
Gold coin (thickest coin available) = 1 pound
Silver/Gold dual coloured coin = 2 pounds

Uhm, I was wondering why 2 and 5 were so different. And, one nitpick, they're not copper. They're copper only when new. Every 'copper' coin I have is almost black (from dirt, I presume?) with only one new.

But still, compare it to the system in my country - 1, 2, 5 grosze (cents) are small, medium, big golden coins. 10, 20, 50, the same, but silver. 1 zl is big silver, 2 zl is gold on silver, 5 zl is silver on gold (bimetalic, much like 2 pounds). Actual gold, not washed silver-yellow of pounds. I can shot a photo for comparison if you wish. Less steps, every coin in the 'step' has similar value, ulike 2 and 5 or 10 and 20 in Britain. I just find the system much more friendly, blind people friendly, too, but I might just be used to it :smalltongue:


The foods in the local shops are generally pretty limited, but if you go to a bigger store, like Morrisons, Tesco or ASDA, you should find a better variety of stuff.

Actually, I was talking about big shops. I already scouted Morrison's, Tesco, 2 big ones in Braehead, and one near train station (Cooperative?) - the small shops are another matter already :smalltongue:


For instance, there is boil-in-the-bag rice to be found. Usually, it's not placed directly beside the loose packs of rice, though, but might be on a higher shelf, or a bit further down the ailse.

Yes, actually, I gave the wrong impression that I didn't found it - well, actually, I did, but in two very expensive brands (Uncle Ben's?) so with my current finances I could afford to look at it and sigh :P

Maybe later.


I think the only country calling it 'Aluminum' is the US. As far as I know, it's called 'Aluminium' in both British English, Swedish, Norwegian and German (those are the only languages I've heard it mentioned in), so it's not really a difference in British English from anything else, except American English.

Add area from Łaba to Władywostok to that :smallwink:


Also,
Flat = Apartment
Pants = Underwear
Trousers = Pants
Boot = Trunk

Ech, thanks, but the biggest problems I have right now is food. Only today I deciphered rolls are really buns :smallsigh:

I was honestly expecting something different. Same with Sausage & Chips, what I got definitely wasn't sausage with French fries :smallyuk:

I'm not saying it was bad, it just wasn't what I expected.


Interestingly the thing I remember most about British cuisine is the Indian take-outs, there were whole streets of them. Is it the same in Scotland?

At the moment, it seems whole streets of 'to let' are all the rage :smallamused:


http://mpeglondon.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/pictures/coins.jpg

Well, it's only one (ahem) side of the coin :smalltongue:

The problem is also the other, which seems to be random. I have to double-check what I have in the wallet. Let's see, the one pound coin alone I have: Heraldry Shield (Britain? Queen?), Drake (Wales?), Crown-on-flower (???), Bridge (?), Celtic (?) Cross - and they all have a different side/rant markings. And, they're heavy and don't want to fit in the wallet.

Huh, I'm going to collect examples of pound pieces, who knows, maybe I'll hit something interesting :smallbiggrin:

If that only wasn't so expensive hobby...


Irbis, have you tried the (in)famous haggis yet?

No.
Do they give a free coffin to each one? :P


RE: Ground Floor. We have a Ground floor, then first floor, then second floor. IIRC. Not sure.

Where? :smallconfused:

I have yet to see one lift with ground floor in the UK.


Umm... Coins KuResh has already done. Banks, if you can find a Natwest they're very good.

Sigh... Too many to pick... anyway, weren't they all going bankrupt two years ago? :smallconfused:


Oh, and Come to the UK meetup! :smallwink:

Whar, matey? :smallamused:


A Mars bar is not food. It's a snack. Deep fried Mars Bar is a novelty snack that's not as readily available as a lot of folk lore makes it sound, and not everyone in Scotland eats a deep fried Mars bar each day.

Huh, I'll have to try this. Anyone knows where they serve it and how the chocolate didn't melted? :smallbiggrin:


I was just wondering what kind of foods that related to, and what made them 'worse'...

So called 'continental' meats that doesn't resemble them at all. Maybe the fault of cheap shops, though. And Italian cuisine. I have tried authentic one from Milan to Neapol, on school trip, and what lies in the stores and in the pubs never even looked at originals.

Boiled Lasagne? What? :smalleek:

[KuReshtin]

The coins in the UK are actually very 'blind-friendly', as they are all very distinct in shape and size from each other. The symbols and images on the coins doesn't matter.
They usually come put with a new print every couple of years, so bthere will be a whole lot of different ones out there.


As for boil-in-the-bag rice, both Morrisons and Tesco sell their own branded ones, and although they're not as expensive as Uncle Ben's, they're still more expensive than the loose rice. I believe that a pack of four of Morrisons own brand is about £1.50 or thereabout.


'Boiled' lasagna? I don't think I've ever heard of that over here. You do have the two styles of lasagna plates that you can buy. The 'fresh', which is bendy and 'wobbly', and then there's the dried sheets that you still don't have to pre-boil, but just put in the lasagna dish together with the other ingredients, and it will cook just fine anyways.

Also, comparing pasta you buy in a super market in the UK to the 'authentic' Italian pasta that's found in Italy is a sure way of setting yourself up for disappointment.
Same thing if you buy a frozen pizza from Tesco and expect it to look or taste like an oven-fresh stone-baked pizza from Milan. Just not going to happen.

[TheThan]

Same thing if you buy a frozen pizza from Tesco and expect it to look or taste like an oven-fresh stone-baked pizza from Milan. Just not going to happen.

i think its like that pretty much everywhere. Buying stuff from the frozen food section is going to be a let down. Not to mention sometimes buying all the ingredients yourself and making it at home can be cheaper. convince has its price.

[Irbis]

The coins in the UK are actually very 'blind-friendly', as they are all very distinct in shape and size from each other. The symbols and images on the coins doesn't matter.

Hmm, not that I disagree with you... but with Polish coins, you can easily differentiate by fingernail alone. Even the rant is distinctive. British ones wary slightly in size, more in weight, and that's that. Ok, the irregular ones I'll give you. But besides that, rants on 1 and 2 pounds are virtually identical, while some 1 pound coins have different rant.


As for boil-in-the-bag rice, both Morrisons and Tesco sell their own branded ones, and although they're not as expensive as Uncle Ben's, they're still more expensive than the loose rice. I believe that a pack of four of Morrisons own brand is about £1.50 or thereabout.

Ech, back home, bagged rice was £0.40-0.60 IIRC, which is why I said 'expensive'. My memory might be faulty, but still, the price was on the level of cheap loose rice.

Of course, UK seems to have many exotic, more expensive kinds of rice I have never tried, but I sort of doubt you can find them in no-name bags.

In the long run, it would probably be less expensive just to buy sieve and buy loose. Still, I miss my bags :smallfrown:


'Boiled' lasagna? I don't think I've ever heard of that over here. You do have the two styles of lasagna plates that you can buy. The 'fresh', which is bendy and 'wobbly', and then there's the dried sheets that you still don't have to pre-boil, but just put in the lasagna dish together with the other ingredients, and it will cook just fine anyways.

I might have got the wrong name, but it was definitely a dish that should have been baked instead of boiled. Looked terrible, too. Still, it might have been a local oddity. Will check if I find myself there again :smallsmile:


Also, comparing pasta you buy in a super market in the UK to the 'authentic' Italian pasta that's found in Italy is a sure way of setting yourself up for disappointment.

Ech, didn't mean supermaket, I meant... pubs? restaurants? eating places? whatever they called, I do expect them to have higher standard.

Especially seeing my old place, a real hole, had two restaurants with real Italian wood pizza owens. I'm probably whining now, though :smallbiggrin:

I agree, food found in supermaket 'value' dishes isn't goind to be anything like the original.

[KuReshtin]

I could easily differentiate between the different coins over here, just by using my fingers. The 1- and 2 pence coins have smooth edges, the 5- and 10 pence coins have ridged edges, the 20 and 50 pence coins are angled, and the £1 and £2 coins have partially ridged edges.



One of the main things you will need to try to get away from is comparing the prices from home to the prices over here.
It's never going to be the same, and trying to convert into your own currency is just going to make you feel as if everything is exponentially more expensive than it might be.


I can't think of any dish that would be boiled instead of baked if it's supposed to be baked, if you bought it at a restaurant or a pub.
Granted, the pub food isn't always the greatest, but that's because their main purpose isn't to sell food, and because of that, it's not always of the best quality. It's more a 'belly-filler', even if some of the dishes aren't too bad.

[Irbis]

i think its like that pretty much everywhere. Buying stuff from the frozen food section is going to be a let down. Not to mention sometimes buying all the ingredients yourself and making it at home can be cheaper. convince has its price.

Eh, you're saying it to someone who makes all his dishes (without microwave, I might add) since about 7 years ago :P

I had to resort to pubs and relying on half-made food because I haven't managed to collect everything for a good meal on my first week here.


I could easily differentiate between the different coins over here, just by using my fingers. The 1- and 2 pence coins have smooth edges, the 5- and 10 pence coins have ridged edges, the 20 and 50 pence coins are angled, and the £1 and £2 coins have partially ridged edges.

But that's the problem - the most similar coins have the same edges. Giving them different edges let's you recognize them even if all you have it's an edge. In UK coins, it's sometimes impossible.

But it's getting pretty OT :smalltongue:


One of the main things you will need to try to get away from is comparing the prices from home to the prices over here.
It's never going to be the same, and trying to convert into your own currency is just going to make you feel as if everything is exponentially more expensive than it might be.

Yeah, I don't anymore. Still, I wonder sometimes why two things in rather close places differ so much, especially when there is no reason for the to.

For all my apparent whining, I'm not saying UK is bad, it's just different. And I didn't had a chance to look at the better places yet. Who knows, maybe I'll like it more in the long run?


I can't think of any dish that would be boiled instead of baked if it's supposed to be baked, if you bought it at a restaurant or a pub.

Ech, not sure how it was because I only looked at it in the menu and at the counter - I have visited about 15-20 pubs trying to find a nice place I could visit after Uni, even if I tried I couldn't try everything yet.

So, about these PMs, can I send them yet? ;P

[KuReshtin]

So, about these PMs, can I send them yet? ;P

Go for it.

[Irbis]

[Sorry for the late replies, no i-net connection as of late]

Eh, it turns out student accounts are too good for them pesky international students. No student account for me :smallsigh:

So, thanks for all the advice, too bad I couldn't use it in the end :(

Anyway, I have to settle for some kind of worst account the usual banks have - does someone here use a basic account and can recommend any? I'm looking for something free (no monthly feels), maybe with some internet/cell banking options (thought not required), and with a good network with free cash machines (international options?) and interest rate preferably greater than 0%. Does anyone use something similar?

I thought about Lloyds TBS, but their wiki list of controversies is a bit too long, and besides, it looks like the bank might sell their Lloyds branch in Scotland. I also thought about Bank of Scotland, but they seem to be part of Lloyd as well :smallannoyed:

Sadly, bank offers on the net seem to be infuriatingly sparse, and you need to set up interviews to get any info, but I don't really have that much time :(

[Archonic Energy]

I also thought about Bank of Scotland, but they seem to be part of Lloyds as well :smallannoyed:

HBOS (Halifax Bank Of Scotland) is owned by Lloyds
RBOS (Royal Bank Of Scotland) isn't

as for accounts. the current finantial* climate means there will be very few current accounts with good interest as the BoE rate of inflation is low.

best of luck!

* i can't figure out how to spell this word correctly

[Pyrian]

...finantial*...

* i can't figure out how to spell this word correctlyIt's financial. (From finance.)

[Archonic Energy]

It's financial. (From finance.)
:smallredface:
thanks, i made 3 attempts to spell that word! that was the least objectional to my eyes

[Irbis]

Sorry, I-net still dead. Seriosuly, I expected better from them :smallsigh:

I'll respond to PMs as soon as I'm able.

Bank seems settled for now, we'll see what their respone is.

So, anyway, I intend to look into that UK meeting (though it has very unfortunate date) and I wonder if there are any Scotland GitP meeting or good FLGS (especially GW, I always wanted to see one) in Paisley/Glasgow. Anyone has examples? :smalltongue:

And, it looks like I might be settled enought next week to do some sightseeing and simple touristing, before my NI number comes and I'll lose last excuse to not take a job. Hmmm, time to dig out these folders from the airport!

[KuReshtin]

So, anyway, I intend to look into that UK meeting (though it has very unfortunate date) and I wonder if there are any Scotland GitP meeting or good FLGS (especially GW, I always wanted to see one) in Paisley/Glasgow. Anyone has examples? :smalltongue:

There haven't been any Scotland itP meetups. I don't think the Scotland-based Playgrounders haven't been numerous (or organised) enough to get anything sorted.

According to Games Workshop's home page there's a GW store at the following address in Glasgow:

81 Union Street
Glasgow
G1 3TA


There's also Static Games at the following address:

35-39 King Street
Glasgow
G1 5RA

[Archonic Energy]

So, anyway, I intend to look into that UK meeting

Join usssssss.
:smalltongue:

[Crow]

Scotland is pretty much just like the states. You'll make the adjustment pretty easily. In fact, the whole UK just reminded me of the states, but with more signs everywhere.

[KuReshtin]

Scotland is pretty much just like the states. You'll make the adjustment pretty easily. In fact, the whole UK just reminded me of the states, but with more signs everywhere.

Of course, Irbis is from Poland, so comparing the UK to the States probably won't make much sense.


Just saying... :smallwink:

[Crow]

Of course, Irbis is from Poland, so comparing the UK to the States probably won't make much sense.


Just saying... :smallwink:

Haha, true. But so many people have been to the U.S. before...

[Prime32]

Haha, true. But so many people have been to the U.S. before...I've been to Canada. Same thing, right? :smallwink:

[rakkoon]

Canada is more like Australia. /silliness

[PopcornMage]

Ech. The other thing is money - I haven't seen all the coins yet, but the contrast is rather stark. You see, back home, coins are divided in size - from smaller and least important, to largest. Lesser coins are gold-colored, then silver, then big/bi-metallic. It's intuitive system that never leaves doubt about what you hold in your hand.

Just be glad they switched to the deciminal coinage system already.

You'd be very unhappy if you had to use the currency before Decimal Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day)


Note that I'm not complaining, it's just... ech, the difficulty in arriving in other country isn't language. You can learn that easily. It's cultural code. ]That you can't/won't learn anywhere. It's even worse seeing how similar it's supposed to be. I have no idea who the idols on TV are, who the hell this guy is, heck, even food in supermarkets is different. Dozens of foods that are completely unknown, there are dozens absent. The same ones sold in different way - back home, rice is sold in cooking bags. Here, loose. Continental foods are served in wrong way (not 'different' but in a way that makes them actually worse).

Yes, these are some of the more difficult things to learn. There are ways to teach it beforehand, but some you won't learn except by experience.

And for those who think the UK is like the States, I'd point out how different the States are from each other. Just look at the Pop Vs Soda vs Coke map! (http://popvssoda.com/)

[Eldan]

Canada is more like Australia. /silliness

Yup. Home of the dreaded Drop Moose, and the poisonous Platybeaver.

[Irbis]

By the way, about these experiences a few people asked me to give - experiences from what fields of life specifically? :smalltongue:


Join usssssss.
:smalltongue:

I've looked into it, but due to shool, I'd need at least one night stay, preferably two.

And being the poor student I am I don't have any sleeping bags.


Of course, Irbis is from Poland, so comparing the UK to the States probably won't make much sense.

I'd even say comparing UK to the continent doesn't make much sense :P

You damned water taps and power plugs, I'm looking at you :smallannoyed:


Just be glad they switched to the deciminal coinage system already.

You'd be very unhappy if you had to use the currency before Decimal Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day)

Oh, I'm well aware what you had earlier. If you still had it, I'd just resort to punching the cashier until he/she resolved the matter entirely on her own :smallbiggrin:

[KuReshtin]

I've looked into it, but due to shool, I'd need at least one night stay, preferably two.

And being the poor student I am I don't have any sleeping bags.


That can be arranged. Doesn't have to be a problem. I'll provide the transportation down to Sheffield and back (going down on the Friday, coming back on the Sunday) and I'm sure some sort of arrangement could be worked out for accomodation.
All I'll ask in return for driving down is a bit of contribution towards the petrol money. After all, it'll probably be about two tanks of petrol to get down there and back, and unfortunately, petrol isn't free.



I'd even say comparing UK to the continent doesn't make much sense :P

You damned water taps and power plugs, I'm looking at you :smallannoyed:


Agreed. The seeming inability for houses to have mixer taps is quite astounding. They've started getting over that in later years, though.



Oh, I'm well aware what you had earlier. If you still had it, I'd just resort to punching the cashier until he/she resolved the matter entirely on her own :smallbiggrin:

Or just do what my grandmother did when she visited me.
She can't speak any English, and she hadn't worked out the coin system, so she just held up a handful of coins and let the cashier take what was needed.

[Archonic Energy]

Or just do what my grandmother did when she visited me.
She can't speak any English, and she hadn't worked out the coin system, so she just held up a handful of coins and let the cashier take what was needed.

one of those little pink notes will do... :smallwink:

[KuReshtin]

one of those little pink notes will do... :smallwink:

Kind of difficult to get a note from a handful of coins, though.

[Archonic Energy]

Kind of difficult to get a note from a handful of coins, though.

not with a baseball Cricket bat... :smalltongue:

[CurlyKitGirl]

one of those little pink notes will do... :smallwink:

But the shops don't accept the pink notes, so the banks rarely ever hand them out.

Iust take a couple of the purple ones.

[Irbis]

But the shops don't accept the pink notes, so the banks rarely ever hand them out.

Iust take a couple of the purple ones.

What pink notes? :smallconfused:


Haha, true. But so many people have been to the U.S. before...

Call me when US finally decides to not make Poland only one of 2-3 countries of the entire EU that require horribly expensive applications to even apply for a visa, applications that are usually denied out of hand if you look like someone who might try to work in US :smallannoyed:


Agreed. The seeming inability for houses to have mixer taps is quite astounding. They've started getting over that in later years, though.

So far, I saw 27 double-taps, one mixer-tap. In kitchen. The only place that might not actually need it :smallannoyed:

Seriously, with the amount of carbon footprint this, footprint that posters and initiatives I noticed anywhere (another novelty, such thing would be rarity in Poland) I'd expect that they fix the taps first, as they're inefficient, require filling whole sink, and cause big water losses - while change is relatively quick and painless.

I don't even want to imagine how UK loses each year economically by maintaining their plugs and left-hand driving. I mean, both of these things were painlessly changed before, I'd think with UK's problems with recession elimination of the inefficiencies would be a priority - but the island seems to be of the sort that would keep them for some strange reason costs be damned :smalltongue:

Side rant to this:

Of course, they're not nearly as bad as certain continent that tries to have any standard different from the rest of the world, and tries to both keep them and force them on the others. I have no idea what motivates people from the de-metrification groups, the whole idea is just alien to me. I mean, clinging to obsolete, illogical and hard to use system that exists only because your grandfathers haven't revolted sooner, keeping of which is spitting on the whole foundation of your country, just because someone doesn't want to spend 5 minutes learning a new, better one? What?

I hope that didn't offended anyone :P

[PopcornMage]

Quick and painless?

Plumbing work?

Shocking...wait, no that's Electricians.

[factotum]

I don't even want to imagine how UK loses each year economically by maintaining their plugs and left-hand driving. I mean, both of these things were painlessly changed before

Not in the UK, they weren't, and why would we be losing economically from driving on the left? The plugs are another issue. The reason our plugs are so big and bulky is because they have to be individually fused because of the way our houses are wired. If you change the plugs to something that doesn't have a fuse then you have to rewire all the buildings in the country as well, which I don't think would be quite as quick and painless as you appear to think!

[Archonic Energy]

and the UK's plug system is "argueably" the safest as the individual fuses allow for single point failures where as a unfused system alows for the full current draw in the event of wire failure which is downright dangerous!

i hated my trip to america & the continent as the sockets always FZZZT when you plugged something in... something i'm just not used to and as a electrical worker something that scared the bejusus out of me!

[LightsOnNo1Home]

A belated:

WELCOME TO SCOTLAND!

I hope you get over the culture shock soon, and enjoy your stay.

Also i second KuReshtins recomendation of Static Games. There is also Dragon and George a couple of doors down from Static, (if its open) but be warned: the owner WILL talk your ear off.

Oh, and try Haggis. It tastes much nicer than it sounds :smallsmile:

[Prime32]

Oh, and try Haggis. It tastes much nicer than it sounds :smallsmile:I don't get what the problem is. Sausage has all that stuff plus gristle.

I'd be more turned off by England's jellied eels.

[KuReshtin]

Oh, and try Haggis. It tastes much nicer than it sounds :smallsmile:

I suggested to wait with the haggis until Burns' Night and then try to get to a proper Burns' Dinner to get the whole spectacle of the addressing the haggis and the poems and bagpipes and stuff.


I don't get what the problem is. Sausage has all that stuff plus gristle.

I'd be more turned off by England's jellied eels.

The problem for a lot of people is that they don't know the ingredients in a sausage, whereas the ingredients of a haggis are well known, and because of that, a lot of people assume it'll be disgusting and icky.

It's the old 'what you don't know, won't hurt you' mentality.

[Prime32]

The problem for a lot of people is that they don't know the ingredients in a sausage, whereas the ingredients of a haggis are well known, and because of that, a lot of people assume it'll be disgusting and icky.

It's the old 'what you don't know, won't hurt you' mentality.I'm surprised that black pudding doesn't have more of a reputation, really. It's blood.

[KuReshtin]

I'm surprised that black pudding doesn't have more of a reputation, really. It's blood.

Agreed. Then again, black pudding is TASTY!

[Eldan]

And really not that different from a blood sausage. Which is standard around here after a large pig butchering.

[Prime32]

And really not that different from a blood sausage. Which is standard around here after a large pig butchering.According to Wikipedia... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pudding)

[Irbis]

Quick and painless?

Plumbing work?

My parent changed taps in the kitchen and toilet four times. Took less than hour, we even did it twice ourselves.

Heck, Poland in the past 20 years changed everything, from currency (twice) to the law system, and we somehow survived the experience :P


Not in the UK, they weren't, and why would we be losing economically from driving on the left?

Simply: let's start with people from the rest of the world crashing into things in the UK, and the islanders crashing in the things in the rest of the world. Damaged cars, street lights, pedestrians and drivers requiring medical attention, doctor bills, loss of work.

I have drivers licence, but I can't even imagine how hard it is to fight your instincts and muscle memory from inside a car when I have problems simply walking, always looking in the wrong direction when trying to cross the road. Stick a wheel on the wrong side, and the reference points switch multiplying problems thousandfold.

A side rant - why are your streets so unfriendly to pedestrians? When I push the button, a horribly long amount of time passes before the damned lights change :smallmad: Back home, they would have switched 3-6 times in meantime. I noticed most of the natives simply piss straight at this and walk on the red lights, while I usually wait unless I'm really sure it is safe and there are no policemen around :smallannoyed: Really, for a country with such an amount of ecology initiatives thinking about 'less than 10 minutes passing before lights switch after pressing the button' would have been simple :smallsigh:

On a plus side, most of the time drivers stop if you try to cross street without lights, but I also saw *******s without any regard for bystanders. Better overall, though.

Back to topic, there's also economic difficulties: factories having to develop two versions of the cars, out of which UK car will always be inferior due to the less attention given to small market, having to have two assembly lines, lack of opportunities to shift the stock around from UK to US/EU in case of shortages, larger stock costs, need for specialized mechanics, stiff job market (you can't import good bus drivers from Portugal, for example, without expensive training first), etc, etc. The same also concerns UK electric plugs - UK being walled off island means UK customers shoulder all the inefficiency, stiffness and small scale production costs with their own money bleeding it in a thousand different ways.


The plugs are another issue. The reason our plugs are so big and bulky is because they have to be individually fused because of the way our houses are wired. If you change the plugs to something that doesn't have a fuse then you have to rewire all the buildings in the country as well, which I don't think would be quite as quick and painless as you appear to think!

Um...


http://ifordon.pl/zdjecia/wtyczka.jpg

I'd have to research this more, but European plugs have grounding (the hole on picture) as well, some even have fuses build-in in them. The grounding works the pretty much the same way, and back home, even old, soviet-era buildings have rooms individually fused, it's better in the new ones. I've looked at schematics, and the only big difference seems to be the switch on the outlet in the wall. But, it's just a switch, it can be built in in our outlets, too.

Perhaps I'm really missing something, in which case I'll do a bit more research, but your system seems only to differ cosmetically.


and the UK's plug system is "argueably" the safest as the individual fuses allow for single point failures where as a unfused system alows for the full current draw in the event of wire failure which is downright dangerous!

Ech, in 26 years in Poland, I remember only one broken device, and even in this case, all it took was to unplug it, push a button on central fuse meant for this room, as the electricity in the room went dead the instant the short-circuit happened, and that was all.

Our systems are fused, a month before arriving I changed the outlet in my wall on my own with no problems whatsoever, in 40 year old soviet era apartment block. Flip the fuse, unscrew out outlet, pin the wires, screw new one, flip fuse, done. No points of failure.

Again, I'm no expert, but I don't remember electricity accidents happening in Poland with any regularity :P


i hated my trip to america & the continent as the sockets always FZZZT when you plugged something in... something i'm just not used to and as a electrical worker something that scared the bejusus out of me!

They do? :smallconfused:

Huh, I never noticed it. Were they of old construction? The EU ones, of course, I have no idea how it looks in the US but with their lobbies I wouldn't put anything past them :smalltongue:

Maybe you just can't hear the sound in UK plugs due to their bulk blocking it? :smallbiggrin:


I don't get what the problem is. Sausage has all that stuff plus gristle.

Ech, it's also much more finely ground, isn't packed in stomach, and cooked/smoked/baked/spiced for longer. Central Europe, the world's centre of sausaginess, yo! I have three in the fridge at this moment, fourth was for dinner.

Yup, Ku indeed suggested waiting for haggis, which is why I'm taking replacement suggestions instead :smallbiggrin:


I'd be more turned off by England's jellied eels.

Ewww. We have something similar, except it's beef/vegetables in more solid jelly, and I hate it with a passion (for the 'jelly' bit). I'd have to eat a few eels first to steel myself for the jellied version :smalleek:

[Prime32]

Ech, it's also much more finely ground, isn't packed in stomach, and cooked/smoked/baked/spiced for longer. Central Europe, the world's centre of sausaginess, yo! I have three in the fridge at this moment, fourth was for dinner.

Yup, Ku indeed suggested waiting for haggis, which is why I'm taking replacement suggestions instead :smallbiggrin:You're right, packing sausage into intestines is much better than packing haggis into stomachs. :smallamused: And "finely ground" depends on where you get it.

Just pointing out - we also use three-pronged plugs and drive on the left over here. But who cares, most people don't realise we're a separate country. :smalltongue:

[KuReshtin]

Simply: let's start with people from the rest of the world crashing into things in the UK, and the islanders crashing in the things in the rest of the world. Damaged cars, street lights, pedestrians and drivers requiring medical attention, doctor bills, loss of work.


Doesn't actually happen as often as you seem to think.



I have drivers licence, but I can't even imagine how hard it is to fight your instincts and muscle memory from inside a car when I have problems simply walking, always looking in the wrong direction when trying to cross the road. Stick a wheel on the wrong side, and the reference points switch multiplying problems thousandfold.

It's actually not really bad. It took me about 15 minutes to get accustomed to driving a car with the steering wheel on the right side.



A side rant - why are your streets so unfriendly to pedestrians? When I push the button, a horribly long amount of time passes before the damned lights change :smallmad: Back home, they would have switched 3-6 times in meantime. I noticed most of the natives simply piss straight at this and walk on the red lights, while I usually wait unless I'm really sure it is safe and there are no policemen around :smallannoyed: Really, for a country with such an amount of ecology initiatives thinking about 'less than 10 minutes passing before lights switch after pressing the button' would have been simple :smallsigh:

I've seen lots of times when pressing the button at a zebra crossing have turned the lights straight away.
It's got to do with the fact that the priorities for the zebra crossings are that before the lights change, they'll let the cars go through and wait until there's a break in the traffic. If there's no break in traffic, it'll change after a little while anyway, but it's just a priorities thing.
It might differ slighty from what you're used to, but it's something to get used to.
Not worth getting riled up about.



Back to topic, there's also economic difficulties: factories having to develop two versions of the cars, out of which UK car will always be inferior due to the less attention given to small market, having to have two assembly lines, lack of opportunities to shift the stock around from UK to US/EU in case of shortages, larger stock costs, need for specialized mechanics, stiff job market (you can't import good bus drivers from Portugal, for example, without expensive training first), etc, etc. The same also concerns UK electric plugs - UK being walled off island means UK customers shoulder all the inefficiency, stiffness and small scale production costs with their own money bleeding it in a thousand different ways.


That's just not true. There are only a few parts that are different from a right-hand drive car compared to a left-hand drive car.
When I moved over here, I didn't have to completely re-learn everything I knew because the car had the steering wheel on the other side from what I was used to.

When it comes to the comment about importing bus drivers, I'm pretty sure that even if you have a bus licence from Portugal, or Poland, or France, or the UK, you'd still need to retake the licence in Sweden before you'd be able to get a job as a bus driver.
Traffic laws differ enough between countries that you need to get a local drivers licence for you to be able to get acquainted with the local laws before you can get a job as a professional driver.




Ech, it's also much more finely ground, isn't packed in stomach, and cooked/smoked/baked/spiced for longer.

More finely ground? depends very much on the type of sausage.
Not packed in stomach? True, but traditionally, sausages are packed in the lower intestines of pigs.
Cooked/spiced/baked/smoked longer? Again, depends entirely on the different types of sausage we're talking about.



Yup, Ku indeed suggested waiting for haggis, which is why I'm taking replacement suggestions instead :smallbiggrin:


There is no 'replacement' for haggis.

[LightsOnNo1Home]

There is no 'replacement' for haggis.

This, this a thousand times this. Besides, it's highly unlikely that you will find it in a genuine sheeps stomach these days. Mostly the bag is going to be synthetic.

Irbis, you sound like you're feeling a little homesick though, which is understandable. To be fair, Paisley is not the most scenic part of this place, and it reckon it could seem quite oppressive having just landed in it like this.

You should totally take the time to travel around the place a bit if you get the opportunity. There's a lot of places worth visiting within an hour of Glasgow by train (not least of all Largs. I'm jealous by the way Ku, of you living there. I try to get down to the coast as often as possible and I love Largs and Millport, but I can't afford to move there)

Anyway tourism ambassador crap aside, I've been a resident of central Scotland all my life, so if you need info about stuff Irbis, feel free to ask, and I will do my best to answer.

[factotum]

|The same also concerns UK electric plugs - UK being walled off island means UK customers shoulder all the inefficiency, stiffness and small scale production costs with their own money bleeding it in a thousand different ways.


You appear to be under the impression that BS1363 plugs are only used in the UK. According to Wikipedia there are quite a number of countries that use it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BS1363

Even if that were not the case, there are tens of millions of the things around in the UK--how is that in any way a "small scale production"?

Oh, as for the car thing, I agree with Kureshtin--the actual number of different components required on a right hand drive car as opposed to a left hand drive one is not that great. In most cases you only need to change the steering rack and the dashboard, plus switch the wipers to the other side; I wouldn't be surprised if the changes required to make a car legal on UK roads (there are rules for the colour of indicators and lights that are different from, say, the USA) cost more. Oh, and once again there are considerably more countries in the world that drive on the left than you're giving credit for, including such tiny little unimportant countries as Australia, India and Japan!

[LightsOnNo1Home]

The plug thing is easily solved, you can buy adaptors in Maplin stores for a couple of quid. (or for some reason, larger Boots pharmacy stores also tend to stock them) quick google search should show you the nearest one.

As for driving on the left, as has already been said, doesn't make that much of a difference. You do get the odd car where the conversion from left to right hand drive has been lazy (a good way of telling is if the bonnet release catch is on the passenger side) and they can be uncomfortable to drive. It's easy enough to get a decent one though (buy a Japanese car. They drive on the correct side of the road too:smalltongue: )