Old habits
Oct 5th 2012, 12:43 pm
#20
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,532
Re: Old habits
I've been here 22 years and, when I approach the car in a parking lot, I still have to squint in through the back window to figure out which is the driver side and which the passenger. Once driving, I usually drive on the correct side of the road.
Oct 5th 2012, 2:20 pm
#21
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 615
Re: Old habits
Oct 5th 2012, 2:36 pm
#23
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,532
Re: Old habits
Oct 5th 2012, 3:40 pm
#25
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Temecula, CA
Posts: 4,759
Re: Old habits
A work colleague was approaching his car when he saw a gaggle of pretty ladies, who happened to be looking his way. Winking at them he smoothly slid into his sleek 4x4, shut the door... opened the door again, walked forward to the front doors and meekly and quickly jumped into the driver's seat. 
Oct 5th 2012, 3:44 pm
#26
Joined: Apr 2012
Location: CT
Posts: 33,489
Re: Old habits
A work colleague was approaching his car when he saw a gaggle of pretty ladies, who happened to be looking his way. Winking at them he smoothly slid into his sleek 4x4, shut the door... opened the door again, walked forward to the front doors and meekly and quickly jumped into the driver's seat.
Oct 7th 2012, 7:27 am
#27
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 4,525
Re: Old habits
LOL glad to hear that I am not the only one with the date issue... 10 years in and I still have to think about it whenever I write it.
Oct 7th 2012, 12:10 pm
#28
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,005
Re: Old habits
As Bink said, if/when you go back to the UK, your head will feel like it's screwed on backwards.
I always have to think before:
Getting in the car
Writing the date
Writing, period (sorry, full stop)
Especially as I do a lot of writing for both UK and US outlets, I'm constantly having to switch heads from UK to US spelling. My MS Word spellchecker gets dizzy from being switched back and forth depending on what document I'm working on.
I do find though, that a lot of people in the UK use or understand many Americanisms (period, 24-7, math, etc.) - but thank God they don't say "That's so cute! Say something else American!".
They seem to have a problem with me driving on the right (i.e., wrong) side of the road, for some reason.
Being middle-aged and prematurely absent-minded doesn't help, either.
I always have to think before:
Getting in the car
Writing the date
Writing, period (sorry, full stop)
Especially as I do a lot of writing for both UK and US outlets, I'm constantly having to switch heads from UK to US spelling. My MS Word spellchecker gets dizzy from being switched back and forth depending on what document I'm working on.
I do find though, that a lot of people in the UK use or understand many Americanisms (period, 24-7, math, etc.) - but thank God they don't say "That's so cute! Say something else American!".
They seem to have a problem with me driving on the right (i.e., wrong) side of the road, for some reason.
Being middle-aged and prematurely absent-minded doesn't help, either.
Oct 7th 2012, 12:35 pm
#29
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,532
Re: Old habits
Hmm I guess the driving on the left or right is the only thing that is non-negotiable. Plus, not nuanced; there are only two sides of the road after all.
The other things are confusing because not black and white. Date, for instance; I'm sure twenty or thirty years ago, it was simple. UK do it this way, US the other. Now, with so many things globalised, the UK date format is getting more common over here I think. Spelling too. If you read technical or academic publications, you have to be used to British or international spellings because a high proportion of publications come from UK or Western Europe.
The other things are confusing because not black and white. Date, for instance; I'm sure twenty or thirty years ago, it was simple. UK do it this way, US the other. Now, with so many things globalised, the UK date format is getting more common over here I think. Spelling too. If you read technical or academic publications, you have to be used to British or international spellings because a high proportion of publications come from UK or Western Europe.
Oct 7th 2012, 5:45 pm
#30
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Dancing round my handbag
Posts: 2,673
Re: Old habits
After I'd been here for about 15 years and I realized I writing out the date in full so I got it right, I made myself learn to do it the American way. But since then, every time I write the date, a little voice in my head says "Are you sure that's right? What if they think you were born on the 4th of March and not the 3rd of April? Why do they do it this way? Why do they have to be so contrary? Bl..dy Americans." It happens in less than a second but seems to cause me grief every time. I should have just stuck to my original way.
The thing I've never been able to get used to ..... only one door between the Ladies and the restaurant.