England: It's like a whole other country
April 27 , 2007

I just got back from a two-week trip to England and the Netherlands. Although I love Texas, it's nice to get away, to step back from the things you take for granted and see how other people do things. A couple of weeks away from American television doesn't hurt, either.

England is a great place to see how the other half lives, as it is similar to the United States in many ways, yet at the same time very different.

The first big difference I noticed was tea, and no mention of English cuisine and culture is complete without touching on it. Tea is a national obsession there - like "American Idol" is here, except you're not ashamed to admit you like it. It's a beverage but more than that, it's also a sort of a social lubricant and potable cure-all; no matter what the occasion, the first response is to make a pot of tea. Doesn't matter what; the neighbors could have popped in for visit, or a nuclear bomb could have wiped out Parliament and the response would be the same: "I'll just put the kettle on, then."

English food is different, too. It has an undeserved reputation for being bad, but everything I ate (and I'll try almost anything) was wonderful. One specialty I tried was Toad in the Hole; this is sausages baked in a batter and served with onion gravy. It is delicious. Another English delicacy is Bubble and Squeak -- typically mashed potatoes and cabbage fried up and served as a side dish. Despite the odd name, it's delightful. There's also a dish called Spotted Dick, and ... well, I did say almost anything.

The English are also well known, and rightfully so, for their exquisite manners. And it's not just the upper-class folks who are polite, either; it's everyone - cabbies, shopkeepers, bartenders, absolutely everyone. In fact, I got robbed walking around Soho one night, and the mugger actually I said "please" and "thank you."

The driving-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-road thing takes bit of getting used to. In England everyone drives on the left-hand side of the road; everyone except London cabbies, that is, who drive wherever they please. And this may be just rumor, but I heard that the brakes on London cabs never have to be repaired, because they're never used. Horns, on the other hand, are replaced weekly.

Speaking of cabbies, we didn't take taxis often but I swear we got the same driver every time. Or perhaps London cabbies are drawn from the same pool. Whatever the explanation, every cabbie we came into contact with was an expert on everything and talked like Dick Van Dyke's character in "Mary Poppins."