Differences and other things…

We’ve had fun noticing the differences in language and culture. Here is a list of things we’ve noticed so far, and we’ll continually update it when we find something new!

1. Instead of saying “exit” they say “way out”
2. The subway is called the Underground, the Tube or the Subway
3. Street signs are posted on building corners, not on poles
4. Fries are called “chips”
5. Restrooms are called “toilets” (on signs)
6. Chicken fingers are really little strips of fried chicken
7. Bacon isn’t in strips – it’s in big ol’ slabs (which is awesome!)
8. Black pudding (if you don’t know what that is….click the link)
9. Theaters are called cinemas
10. Vacation is called a holiday
11. TV is called the “telly”
12. The check for your food is called a bill
13. You don’t tip at most restaraunts /pubs…we came across a few that you do but even then it’s only like 12%)
14. When walking down a two-way sidewalk you walk on the left, not the right (like how they drive here) However, on escalators or stairs you are asked the stand to the right to let people pass, which is like what we are used to.
15. The U.K. airport only allows you ONE bag total through security, that has size and weight restrictions.
16. We’ve had to pay a few times to use public toilets
17. There are no Walgreens. However, in London the popular chain seemed to be “Boots”. We’ve seen no chain pharmacy in Dublin.
18. There ARE Starbucks all over (not quite as much as in America though)
19. Ham is called “gammon”
20. Butter is put on sandwiches in place of mayonnaise (and it’s very tasty!)
21. It’s standard to put butter and jam on your already-high-fat croissant (so tasty though!)

update
22. Street signs in Irish cities – there are very few or none at all!!!!!!!
23. We’ve stayed in four different places so far and none have had clocks in the room
24. At the B & B we stayed at last night the sink had the hot and cold taps come out of different faucets so that there was no way to get warm water – just cold or very hot
25. You’ll get a yellow light before the light turns green in addition to before it turns red
26. Light switches are pressed down to turn on and up to turn off (backwards!)
27. (Phil’s input) an EEE PC costs 320 euros where as it cost $299 in the US
28. Update about food: it is all about the same price no matter whether restaraunt, fast food or pub and it is really quite reasonable in euros but very expensive in US dollars. I won’t even tell you how much we paid for McDonald’s today…..

Some random other cool things we’ve found:
1. Our key card for our hotel room here in Dublin is neat! You just wave it in front of the light on the handle and it unlocks. And the card just looks like a blank, white card.
2. Our room comes with a water boiler for tea instead of a coffee maker, along with a tea cup, saucer, cream, sugar and a stirring spoon
3. Carlsberg lager is a very tasty beer
3. Most pubs stopped serving food at 8 pm or sooner (not so cool, actually very sad :( )
4. London and Dublin are both VERY international – so many people from all over the world all the time!!