When in Oxford do as an Oxonian

One thing I've learned in the few weeks I've been here is that in order to be better served and better respected you can not act American. It's not that the Brits dislike the Americans because they don't, we come over here and spend a ton of money on their cheap and tacky trinkets. But you won't be treated the same if you a blazing American.

Case in point: While in Stratford this past week, Audry and myself went into a pizza place for dinner. Now it was clear we were Americans because as soon as we opened our mouths our accents gave us away, but we had decent service, a tad slow but the pizza place was quite crowed. The other group of four girls had terrible service because they were louder and came off as the typically Americans. The lesson here is you NEED to act like you belong here, even if you don't sound the same...although I've been told I have a pretty decent British accent sounding like someone from Kent where ever that may be.

So what are some things you can do to not look like the typically American tourist?

1.) Do not wear a baseball cap, it's a dead giveaway that you aren't from here. If you feel the need to wear one do not have a Texas A&M one with a giant longhorn on the front of it as this one girl on our trip does (she's the biggest stereotypical American I've ever met).

2.) Say cheers instead of thank you, people like it better I'm finding out.

3.) Use British words, it's not a freeway it's a motorway, it's not a cell phone it's a mobile, it's not a mall it's a shopping centre, and it's not under any circumstances soccer it's football. I'm trying to use these words and it's working, I'm starting to pick them up.

4.) It's pronounced "zed" not "zee" when you are saying the letter z. Especially when talking with car guys, a 350Z should be spoken like "three fifty zed".

5.) Expect small portions, if you complain to a Brit you'll look very American.

6.) Do not let rain bother you, these people grew up with lots of rain so just go about doing your normal activities when there is a shower. I've already gone for long walks in the rain and it doesn't phase me anymore.

7.) Mind the Gap, only tourist stand right on the edge of subway because they want to run onto the train for some reason. I think if I had a choice between standing because you didn't get a seat or having a passing train suck you into it's moving parts because you were to close to the side, I think I would have to choose minding the gap.

There are other things one should remember but if I told you all of them you wouldn't have anything to learn if you ever come to the UK. I'm by no means the expert on this subject but these are things that have made my life much easier since arriving here.