I mostly hear a lot of individuals speak about how they assume the United Kingdom will be full of white people. That is not the case though, because the UK is very diverse. The UK has many different ethnicities and cultures that fulfill its community. Many people in the UK speak multiple languages and are of different ethnicities, but most people from the UK speak broken English. The US has a more ethnic and diverse population because of many reasons. Walking around and communicating with multiple people from the UK has made me realize that even though America is more diverse, the biggest difference is the culture.

There are a lot of restaurants located throughout the UK that are based on different cultures. For example, they have Caribbean, Mediterranean, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. All these different restaurants symbolize how much the UK respects the culture of other ethnicities in the community. The best thing about learning cultural appropriation is trying all the different cuisines worldwide. Food is a big thing in my culture, so learning how it is important to other cultures is inspiring. Today we had food from a Vietnamese restaurant and I tried their version of pho. It was different from the pho I usually eat in the US. Recognizing the differences between the US and UK food choices demonstrates the progress in my understanding of other cultures. The chemicals used in US food really affect the way the food tastes and how it impacts our health.

Culture influences how people see the world, interact with each other, and interpret their experiences. It encompasses the behaviors and the ways of thinking that people in social groups learn, create, and share. It’s a collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others. Without the knowledge of other cultures, you do not fully grasp the concept of other individual’s culture. That can lead to a lot of discrimination

The healthcare field in the UK has a publicly funded healthcare system called the National Health Service (NHS), which provides most healthcare free at the point of use. The US healthcare system is largely private, with government programs like Medicare and Medicaid serving specific groups but most people use private health insurance. A lot of individuals are limited to healthcare in the US because it is not accessible,

In education, both countries place a high value on education but have different systems in place. The UK’s education system is more uniform nationwide, whereas the US education system can vary significantly from state to state. University education in the UK typically lasts three years for an undergraduate degree, while in the US, it usually lasts four. I would loveeee to go to school for three years, get my degree, and start my career. That sounds so unbelievable, there has to be something to it.

We also visited the place where Shakespeare is from. It was called Stratford-Upon-Avion and it was very beautiful. That was also the cleanest I have ever seen in the UK thus far. I did not really care about the Shakespeare tour because I am not a fan since the US made us read almost all his famous plays in high school. I can not wait for tomorrow and see how BCU looks.