The UK is NOT the US

There is still a lot to learn here in London.  Each day that passes, D and I have learned something new about this foreign place that we now call home.  As we said our goodbyes, our friends and family wished us well and consoled us with the reminder that London is an English speaking country. "At least you aren't going to (insert random country) or China," they'd say, as if language is everything. It's important, sure, but I got around perfectly well in Italy without knowing a lick of Italian.
My point is, just because a form of English is spoken here in London, it does not mean that being in the UK is the same as being in the US. Soo much is different...even Starbucks!!!!!!!

D and I went to the 'bucks for breakfast (never again).  My go-to in NYC is a skim latte with an egg white and turkey bacon sandwich on a multi-grain english muffin.  What I received was a whole milk latte with egg salad, mushroom, and (essentially raw) bacon on ciabatta bread.  Call me naive, but I honestly thought that Starbucks would be my safe haven in this daunting move to the UK. The only thing US-like about this Starbucks is the free wifi, which I guess still counts for something, right?

Who doesn't want a 'loin of (raw) bacon'?!?! If all breakfast options are this blah I'd rather not 'have it three times a day'.  Thanks for the free wifi, Starbucks.  My apologies, but the appreciation ends there. 

I saw a quote a couple of days ago on a bag at Peter Jones department store and it struck a chord.  I really have been finding myself smiling when someone says something I don't understand, or smiling when handing my not-so-egg-breakfast sandwich to the barista for a warm-up, or when I look the wrong way crossing a street and almost get hit by a car...oops!

And I for sure smiled and acted as if I meant to order this "grilled cheese."  Apparently it's literal here. Grilled. Cheese. No bread?!? No bueno!

No, the UK is not the US, but slowly we will learn to "fit in" and to understand the "London Way." In the meantime, I'll live by the words that I saw on this bag .... and I'll SMILE!

And one can only hope that my smile will stick even once I figure this place out :)