An American who moved to the UK has revealed in a video some of the things she discovered in her new home country that she had never set eyes on before.
And the list is eye-opening for Americans and Brits alike.
The revelations come from 31-year-old Kalyn Franke, who runs GirlGoneLondon.com, a resource about travelling to or moving to the UK. She moved from the suburbs of Florida to the UK 11 years ago and now produces blogs, videos and online courses about life in the country full-time.
Her video, which she posted to YouTube with the title ‘I had NEVER seen these things before MOVING to the UK from the USA!’, has garnered nearly 50,000 views. Here we reveal the list in full, from heated towel rails to electric kettles and Yorkshire puddings.
Heated towel rails
Game changer: Kalyn describes heated towel rails as a ‘genius invention’
Kalyn describes heated towel rails on the video as ‘one of the most genius inventions’ and reveals to MailOnline Travel that this is the item on her list that most surprised her when she moved to the UK.
‘I had never seen one before and had no idea there was a heating element to it, so I was more than surprised when I leaned on one and almost burned myself,’ she says.
She explains in the video for any viewers unfamiliar with them that they are ‘where you hang your towels and are usually attached to a property’s heating system’, though Britons will (probably) know that standalone electric versions are also available.
Kalyn says she would definitely need to install one in her American house if she ever moved back because ‘it is so nice to have really warm towels’ waiting for you after showering and ‘not have them all damp and mildewy’.
Letterboxes
Kalyn is not a fan of letterboxes. ‘There’s something invasive about my mail coming straight through my door,’ she says
Kalyn reveals that she grew up in the suburbs of Florida – where there is a complete absence of letterboxes, or ‘mail slots’, as Americans would call them.
She says: ‘I’d never seen a mail slot in a door. They can be found in parts of the US, but not in the suburbs of Florida. Everyone has a mailbox at the end of their driveway.’
She tells MailOnline Travel that she’s not really a fan of letterboxes and isn’t keen on them being exported across the Atlantic.
She says: ‘I definitely am happy with the UK keeping letterboxes. There’s something invasive about my mail coming straight through my door when I’m used to it coming to an external mailbox.
‘Convenient sometimes, yes, but equally you have to step through a pile of leaflets and ads they’ve posted through the door before you leave for the day. I’m not a fan.’
Roundabouts
Kalyn describes UK roundabouts as ‘an experience to drive on, an experience to be driven on’
There are some roundabouts in the US, Kalyn reveals, but she’d only ever seen one in Florida – ‘it was in a parking lot but it didn’t work because we didn’t know what to do with it’.
Kalyn describes UK roundabouts as ‘an experience to drive on, an experience to be driven on’.
Coming from the US, where roads are generally straight and intersections are controlled by stop signs and traffic lights, Kalyn found roundabouts ‘very foreign’.
Yorkshire pudding
‘There’s just something so comforting about drenching Yorkshire puddings in gravy,’ says Kalyn
Kalyn had never seen or tasted a Yorkshire pudding before arriving in the UK and told MailOnline Travel that she would love to introduce them to the US.
She said: ‘There’s just something so comforting about drenching them in gravy and eating them with a Sunday roast.’
Three-prong plugs
Kalyn admits that UK plugs stay in the wall a lot better than US two-pronged plugs
Kalyn explains that in the US the plugs have two prongs.
Her thoughts on the UK plug? ‘They hurt a lot when you step on them, but they do tend to stay in the wall a lot better.’
Cadbury Flake and Cadbury Freddo
The Cadbury Flake is ‘great’, says Kalyn, who explains to American viewers that it’s often enjoyed with ice cream
America – behold the Cadbury Freddo. It’s a delicious treat – and its price is often used to indicate the rate of inflation
Kalyn explains – to her American viewers – that the Cadbury Flake is ‘milk chocolate in a flaky texture – and is great’. She adds, quite correctly, that it’s often enjoyed with ice cream.
The Cadbury Freddo is another chocolate treat that makes the list. It’s ‘delicious’ and shaped like a frog, explains Kalyn, and is ‘typically used to measure the rate of inflation and how expensive things are getting’.
So it’s both tasty and economically vital.
Spray deodorant
Mist-ifying: Spray deodorant was a brand new experience for Kalyn
Kalyn had never seen spray deodorant in her ‘entire life’ – until she moved to the UK, that is.
She explains, to her British audience, that in the US stick deodorant is the deodorant of choice. This ‘can be difficult to find in the UK’, she reveals.
The electric kettle
Tea-loving Brits will be shocked to hear that in America the electric kettle is a rare item
Kalyn predicts in her video that her British viewers ‘will be horrified’ by the inclusion of the electric kettle on her list, as it’s often a ‘prize possession’ for Brits, something that is a priority to save in the event of a fire, ‘along with family members’.
Why? Because then you can boil water and make tea – ‘and then everything is fine’, she says.
She adds: ‘I had never seen this contraption in my life, but had seen a kettle you put on a stove to boil water. In the US we have coffee makers.’
She told MailOnline Travel: ‘More people in the US should have electric kettles, as it’s a much easier way to boil water!’
For more from Kalyn, visit GirlGoneLondon.com and www.youtube.com/c/GirlGoneLondonofficial.
Kalyn moved to the UK and now produces blogs, videos and online courses about life in the country full-time
Source link
CHECK OUT: Top Travel Destinations
READ MORE: Travel News
