After almost a year in the US, it would be hard not to notice the slight differences there are between the American and British cultures. While we share a love of Beyonce and play swapsies with hit TV shows, there are some other surprising things I’ve discovered that we  differ on. Here goes...

 

1) Chocolate

 

Let’s start with what matters most... When it comes to the sweet stuff, the US and UK vastly differ and no one can deny it. Whether you are a Hersheys lover or a Dairy Milk fan, you know that the tastes are crazy different and, no matter how much I love the good old US of A, I’m a UK chocolate lover for life.

 

2) Variety

 

Whether it be cereal, candy or even coffee, Americans have three flavours to our every one. In combinations you could never even imagine, the menus and supermarket shelves mark a confudling crossroads for deciding just what to get. Butterscotch fudge brownie vanilla ice cream or spicy jalapeño lemon citrus, they all exist.

 

3) Dating

 

As true gents, British guys tend to be a little more reserved and you could be waiting for months before a certain someone even hints that they might, maybe, potentially see you in some kind of intimate setting for something kind of resembling a date. Americans, on the other hand, are all about going after what they like with full force and why not?

 

4) Play dates, children’s birthday parties and gifts

 

Yes it would seem anything child related is done a little differently in some parts of America. Extravagant sweet sixteens, timetabled child social sessions and child credit cards it’s all here.

 

5) Public Holidays

 

The Brits are stereotypically subdued when it comes to celebrating the likes of St.Paddy’s, Halloween and Christmas. While we may enjoy a bank holiday and use it as an excuse to party, we don’t do it half as well as America does with their parades and street parties.

 

6) Manners 

 

Everyone knows that Brits excessively use their ‘pleases’ and ‘thank yous’ and litter the conversation with ‘beg your pardons’. Americans, however, only use them when absolutely necessary so don’t expect an 'excuse me' on the street or a 'please' when passing something, and you can forget seeing any such pleasantries when driving.

 

7) Supermarkets

 

A super market indeed. Asda and Morrisons are put to shame by the huge Targets and Walmarts in the US. Their warehouses span entire blocks and take near on a day to walk around but, it means it’s a one stop shop experience.

 

8) Streets 

 

Or blocks, or avenues or whatever you want to call them. Here in the US, they have opted for a simple grid system with numbers in many of their cities making them much easier to maneuver. The UK is a little more old school and instead has windy roads and archaic street names.

 

9) Cheese Toasties 

 

Not ranking quite as high as chocolate, the cheese toasties are wierdly not the same here. While we Brits would use a classic toastie-maker to sandwich bread and cheese into triangular sandwiches, here they are grilled in the oven. The bread is soggy rather than crisp and the cheese a little chewier and not cut into triangle shapes!

 

10) Street Food

 

Does it even exist in the UK? The carts that line New York’s streets offering pretzels and kebabs are cheap and cheery. The UK has no such alternative and the street corner newsagents just don’t measure up.

 

11) Diet

 

It’s an obvious one but, falling in line with the stereotypes, it seems that many Americans just don’t have nutrition down as well Brits. This, in part, is due to point number 9, how can you turn down all those options? The answer is you don’t, you try them all.