From Where You'd Rather Be

London, UK

Life in London is still a novelty one month on...My interesting observations of London life from an Australian perspective:

• There are no power sockets in the bathrooms. In fact, it is illegal to install them in the bathroom. Try blow-drying your hair in your one-bedroom apartment while your partner sleeps! Or charging your electronic toothbrush or electronic razor! Trust me, I searched high and low for the sockets when i first arrived.
• They don't have letterboxes. They have slits in the door and the postman happily walks up to each and every door and pops it in. Talk about service! Talk about more security. And delivery occurs on a Saturday too-very handy!
• They can still get milk delivered in glass bottles like in the old days if they choose!
• In the pubs they do not drink from schooners and midis, they drink from pints (which is much larger than a schooner) and half-pints. Plus their alcohol is much cheaper than in Sydney. 
• They drink a yummy alcoholic beverage called Cider. Although Australians often have access to Strongbow Cider, the flavours here are endless: strawberry, pear, apple, lemon, toffee apple...
• The Sunday roast in pubs is only served on a Sunday. I happen to crave one on every other day of the week.
• In their kitchen sinks they keep a tub in the same dimensions of the sink to wash their dishes in. Um, to keep the sink clean!?
• Do not ride in the upper deck of a double-decker bus if you are susceptible to sea-sickness. You have been warned.
• Teenagers use terms such as "wicked" and "well good" to articulate how they feel.
• Lollies(AU)=sweets(UK), couch(AU)=sofa(UK), thongs(AU)=flipflops(UK) (the best way to weird out a Londoner is to talk about your thongs, and they wonder why you are being so open about your underpants!), pants(AU)=trousers(UK), underwear(AU)=pants(UK).
• The Oyster Card is a lifesaver. So too are the lettered bus stops and maps on every bus stop stand. Makes the Sydney transport system look silly in comparison.
• 'Boots' is the name of a chemist!
• There is an upper-class supermarket chain here called 'Waitrose' which allows you to go around the aisles with your own personal scanner so that you can scan while shopping and then just pay the total at the end!
• It is not compulsory to vote.
• Hugh Grant is nowhere to be found!

More to come:)