After a long day of airplanes, bus rides, and walking, it feels good to be settled down in Birmigham! Although the day was super busy, I have many first impressions and noticed a lot of similarities and differences comparing here to back home in Pittsburgh, and I think they’re definitely worth sharing!
First Impressions: Differences
Right when we landed, I immidiately starting picking up on small, but interesting details that I’m not used to back home. The first, and most obvious one, was that the cars drive on the left side of the road and their steering wheels are on the right! I already knew this from before, but one thing I did notice as gazed out the bus window was that most of the drivers were driving manuel cars! In Pittsburgh, I only know 2 people who drive a manuel car, but I just found out that over 70% of the cars here are manuel! Speaking of the cars, I also noticed that most were small and compact, and specifically Volkswagen golfs. There was also alot of brands I had never even heard of!
Another difference I picked up on was the overall layout of the city. Pittsburgh, as well as other cities in the US tend to have skyscrapers and big skylines. However, I noticed that Birmingham is a lot more pedestrian friendly and walkable. We did a walking tour when we first arrived and I was suprised with how much we were able to see! We saw canals, government buildings, the train station, and so much more! Although I know Pittsburgh pretty well, it feels like you need a car or uber to get anywhere! We even found some old telephone booth’s, which is a first for me!
Lastly, I just noticed some small, language differences (as expected). For example, when we arrived at our hotel, we took the “lift” up to the rooms instead of saying elevator, and got in a “que” for food as opposed to a line. These do seem like small differences, but I may end up taking some back home with me by the end of the program!
First Impressions: Similarities
Although there are many glaring differences that stick out to me, I can still see some things that remind me of the United States. One example of this was the activites and night life. It seems like around every corner there is a different bar, restaurant, arcade, or museum to explore! In Pittsburgh and other cities back home, there is also a lot to do, so I’m really excited to see all the Birmingham has to offer!
Going off of restaurants, I also saw a few familiar fast food places that we have in the US. The most aboundant was definitely subway, but I also saw a Five Guys, KFC , and a good amount of Mcdonalds! I did not get a chance to look at the menus but I’ve heard that they slightly differ than what we are used to. While I want to try a lot of the diverse food options here, it’s good to know I have a few safety nets incase I’m out of ideas!
Looking Ahead….
Overall, I’m super excited to finally be in the UK! As I mentioned before, there are so many places to explore, so I know we’ll keep busy. I’m also excited to start working with Birmingham City University to start seeing how their education and healhcare differ from what I’m used to in the US. That’s all for now, stay tuned for more!