2008 Woodie Awards
Britain, U.S. Have Different 'Flavours'
John Bailey
Issue date: 6/9/08 Section: Focus
I'm in London for a few weeks. It's somewhat nice. London is a beautiful city. It's is also a little strange. It's sort of like America, because everyone still speaks English and worries about heart conditions, but it's definitely a foreign version of America-sort of like an evil twin, with a bowler hat and a bad haircut. Being essentially our cultural forefathers, Britain would probably resent that comparison, but whatever - they can complain once they've put the first man on the moon.
There are the big differences, like the accents and eating gross stuff on toast, but there are lots of little differences, too, the ones you don't pick up on from the "Harry Potter" movies. And I wouldn't say they hurt the London experience, really - they just give it a bit of flavor, perhaps flavour with a "u." Sometimes it's a palatable tang and sometimes it just makes you a little queasy. Let's see:
Mexican Food
There is simply no Mexican food here. London's certainly a multicultural, cosmopolitan city. Indian take-aways (as opposed to "take-out")? Tons of them. Three-course Chinese feasts, trendy "fusion" sushi on little conveyor belts, Thai bars full of wrinkly businessmen, sure. All of that. I've even spotted a bunch of Spanish tapas places. But I've seen only a single Mexican restaurant so far in my ground-pounding. The Brits seem to love KFC - they're almost as ubiquitous as Dunkin' Donuts in New York - but there's certainly no Taco Bell. The grocery stores have maybe one bag of tortillas, and you get the sense that nobody is really sure what to do with them. Both pinto and black beans are nonexistent. They actually have flavorless, salt-only Doritos, which should give you an idea of how severe the Mexican food vacuum is. I'll trade immigration problems for a bean burrito any day.
Street Signs
London Underground Notice: "Mind the gap, please." New York Subway Notice: "I hope a hobo shoves you onto the tracks and you die."
Outside my flat, there's a sign that says "Please refrain from using this area for your cigarette breaks." If you translate that into Americanese, you get "No Smoking," and maybe there's a big guy that hits you and takes your money. Every sign here is wonderfully cheerful, even on the trash cans: "I eat rubbish!" they proclaim happily. "Polite Notice," began one sign about illegal bike parking, in case you were getting worried. Personally, I hope this trend continues, because even a polite city like London is still a bit grumpy. Street signs should read "Hooray! This is a good road!" I'd feel much better about public transportation if the bus stops suggested that "It's fun to ride the bus!" We can learn a lot from our British cousins.
There are the big differences, like the accents and eating gross stuff on toast, but there are lots of little differences, too, the ones you don't pick up on from the "Harry Potter" movies. And I wouldn't say they hurt the London experience, really - they just give it a bit of flavor, perhaps flavour with a "u." Sometimes it's a palatable tang and sometimes it just makes you a little queasy. Let's see:
Mexican Food
There is simply no Mexican food here. London's certainly a multicultural, cosmopolitan city. Indian take-aways (as opposed to "take-out")? Tons of them. Three-course Chinese feasts, trendy "fusion" sushi on little conveyor belts, Thai bars full of wrinkly businessmen, sure. All of that. I've even spotted a bunch of Spanish tapas places. But I've seen only a single Mexican restaurant so far in my ground-pounding. The Brits seem to love KFC - they're almost as ubiquitous as Dunkin' Donuts in New York - but there's certainly no Taco Bell. The grocery stores have maybe one bag of tortillas, and you get the sense that nobody is really sure what to do with them. Both pinto and black beans are nonexistent. They actually have flavorless, salt-only Doritos, which should give you an idea of how severe the Mexican food vacuum is. I'll trade immigration problems for a bean burrito any day.
Street Signs
London Underground Notice: "Mind the gap, please." New York Subway Notice: "I hope a hobo shoves you onto the tracks and you die."
Outside my flat, there's a sign that says "Please refrain from using this area for your cigarette breaks." If you translate that into Americanese, you get "No Smoking," and maybe there's a big guy that hits you and takes your money. Every sign here is wonderfully cheerful, even on the trash cans: "I eat rubbish!" they proclaim happily. "Polite Notice," began one sign about illegal bike parking, in case you were getting worried. Personally, I hope this trend continues, because even a polite city like London is still a bit grumpy. Street signs should read "Hooray! This is a good road!" I'd feel much better about public transportation if the bus stops suggested that "It's fun to ride the bus!" We can learn a lot from our British cousins.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Matt
posted 7/08/08 @ 4:25 PM EST
Wouldn't it be boring if every country was the same? Imagine going half way around the world, only to find Taco Bell!
I think you're also forgetting the great British cup of tea - that pretty much explains why coffee isn't so popular - it isn't required!
You're spot on with the pies though - they truly can be amazing. (Continued…)
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