TRaVELMAN LoNDON: Learning to Speak Like an Englishman in Oxford, UK

I spent two nights in Oxford, England. I felt a kinship with the town being that I studied in Oxford- ...Oxford, Ohio.

My college, Miami of Ohio, was located in the small, southwestern Ohio town of Oxford. I always thought that was funny. Both towns are beautiful, the English version may get top ranking though, at least in my book. (Yeah, that’s right, I keep a book ranking everything I come across, songs, girlfriends, spoons, ice-cream, best spoons for ice-cream, best ice-cream eaten with girlfriends. It’s an exhaustive listing and a lot of work, but it’s important! Future civilizations will thank me.)

The first day in town was partly sunny and beautiful, the second was English weather- chilly and a bit rainy.

While there I came to realize that when the English put the word “free” on signs, it doesn’t mean the same as it does in America. For example, when ATMs say free cash, they don’t mean they’re giving it away. I found this quite disappointing. You also still have to pay when staying in a free room or drinking in a free ale house. Bloody hell!

It’s okay, I was able to work everything out with the police at the station and was permitted to remain in the country. I mean, c’mon it was an honest mistake, they said free!

I also came to realize that in restaurants and stores they don’t greet you with “Can I help you?” Or “Can I get you something?” Instead, they say, “You alright?”

The first time I heard it I couldn’t help but be taken aback, it felt a bit accusatory. I felt like, “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just at your counter because I want a coffee. Why? Do people not ask for coffee at the coffee counter here? ...Does it look like something’s wrong? People always say I look troubled. Do I look troubled?” Ordering coffee gave me small anxiety attacks the first two days.

I’ve also learned that “Nice one” is a common phrase in place of both “Thank you”, “You’re welcome.”, and “Gotcha.”

“You alright?”

“I’d like a large coffee.”

“Nice one. Paying with a card? Nice one. Brilliant”

“Thank you. I thought it was a good idea as well.”

I met a woman in the hostel, she’s going around the U.K. planting trees. The company she’s with puts her and the rest of the crew up in hostels and they go out and plant trees all day. When she asked what my work was, I said “I go around England cutting down trees.” We were a match made in heaven.

She recommended I visit Snowdonia Wales. I ended up taking her up on that (my adventures there in posts to come.)

In the morning I met a guy from Minnesota who teaches English to adults in Japan. He had a fold up bicycle. He works part of the year and travels for a few months. ....Hmmm.

The pic below is the remains of Oxford Castle. The pic below that is a mound of dirt. When I asked people what it was, they kept saying “Oxford Castle.” I guess something used to be on top of that mound as far as I could figure.

The pic below here is of a proper English Breakfast. I know this because it was very polite, reserved in flavor, and kept saying “sorry” everytime I tasted it.

!steemitworldmap 51.5721 lat 1.2619 long Learning to speak like an Englishman in Oxford, d3scr