By: Adrian
My family and I recently moved from London, UK to Palo Alto, USA about a year ago for my dad’s work. Some differences that I have noticed living in both countries are sports, food, and school.
Sports is the main difference I have noticed in both countries. Some of the main sports in the US are football, baseball, and basketball, while the main sports in the UK are rugby, cricket, and soccer. I used to play cricket during recess in the UK but in the US, I play knockout, which is a basketball game. The main sport that kids across the UK play after school and on weekends is soccer, which we call football there.
Another difference I noticed is the food. There are so many fast food options in the US. I have had a chance to try a few of them and my favorite fast food is In-N-Out. Typical fast food in the UK is fish and chips, but in the US, it is burgers and fries. They both have potatoes in common! When it comes to desserts, in the UK most pies and cakes are topped with custard. Custard is basically a creamy milk sauce that has brown sugar, but in the US, I have noticed that desserts are topped with whipped cream.
There are a few differences that I have noticed with school in the UK versus the US. In the UK lunch is provided, but here in the US you have to pack your lunch. Students also have longer lunch breaks in the UK but here it is shorter. We used to live very close to school in London and always walked to school but here we drive even though we are up the street. I noticed that during my walks in London there were always lots of flats but in Palo Alto there are more houses with big front yards.
I am excited to be living in the US and hope to visit and learn more about California and other parts of the US.