Thursday, 2003-01-02
thanks scotland
Scotland isn't only breathtakingly beautiful (that alone would have been enough to satisfy me). It is also a non-biased macroscope which enabled me to see my country and home in a different light.
Here's a very basic list of ten of the many things I learned during my stay:
- Electrical outlets are configured differently.
- Smoking is common. Very common. I honestly witnessed a 12 year old (based on my own guesstimation) requesting a cigarette.
- Cars are smaller.
- Petrol (a.k.a. gasoline in the States) costs almost three and a half times the amount it does in the States.
- I could have legally drank at the age of 18. Probably earlier.
- American beers are imported to the UK. What tha?
- Mel Gibson has been found on many occasions to be William Wallace's model for the creation of statues and t-shirts. This "What tha?" definitely trumps the previously mentioned one.
- British news is better than bloodthirsty state-side news (British Pop does still suck, however; work on that).
- Europeans think that we Americans are all gun-toting non-voters. Guess what? They're right.
- The United States is truly The New World, comparatively.
Scotland has been a welcoming host and teacher. And I am extremely grateful to the many people who have shown this American both kindness and good times. Cheers!