Simply Complicated

It's always the little stuff, the little differences, that make adjusting to a new culture so difficult. Sure, driving on the other side of the road is weird, but you expect that when you come to the UK. Just as you expect hearing a different language in other cultures, or people who look different from you, shopping at different stores, etc.

Here, there are a few little things that I just find complicated:

1) The computer keyboard. The keyboard on my work laptop is a UK keyboard, but the settings are set so they keys are US (i.e. the 3 key on the UK keyboard is for the pound symbol, but when I press it, I get the # sign).

2) Paper size. A4, just a bit longer, so none of it fits into any US sized binders or folders.
2a) Binders. While their paper size is a bit longer, all their binders are 2-ring binders, and not 3-ring.

3) Dates. In the UK (and Europe in general) it's day/month/year versus the US month/day/year. So for someone with a birthday like mine, I have no idea if the 02 or the 01 comes first!

4) Refrigerator size. Much smaller here. You might think that's because Brits are healthier and don't eat as much. Perhaps. But it's also because all their food is fresh, little to no preservatives. Therefore, when you go to the grocery, the expiration date on almost anything you buy is at most 3 days away. You cannot go and stock up for 2 weeks. You really need to go once a week for "non-perishables" and then go almost daily for things for lunch and dinner.