While in London, I felt almost instantly assimilated to British culture. I was not expecting this, but was happily surprised when I did not feel out of place as an American tourist. Traveling around the city, I observed instances that both reaffirmed and disproved certain stereotypes of British and American culture. I believed the British to be direct and standoffish with a sharp, dry sense of humor while Americans are laid back, loud, and, at times, lazy. The British characteristic that broke the mold of their stereotype was their kind but quiet demeanor, while their wry wit upheld their common stereotype. I also noticed that Americans tend to stick out in a crowd and the way we are received to the local Brits. This interaction can be compared to extroverts and introverts, the Americans as the boisterous foreigners and the Brits as the unimpressed, quiet observers.
On the Tube, London’s underground railway, all kinds of Britons went about their days: young millenials going out with friends, older professionals commuting to work, and families traveling for a fun outing. Each of these groups kept to themselves, hustling to arrive on time and keep up with the flow of the foot traffic. They were seldom affected by our American presence, offering little more than a glance in our group’s direction, but less standoffish than I had expected as they simply sped around our moseying American group. Most times I expected a scoff or an unkind word but I heard neither.
When they choose to speak to the visiting Americans, British humor shines through at the most perfect moments. At a cafe near Trafalgar Square I purchased a small coffee only to have the employee tell me that I owed another pound since one of my coins had expired as of October. The day before, I had bought a water at St. James Park, where the cashier gave me the expired pound probably assuming that I wouldn’t know the difference. Seeing my shock and answering a few of my following questions, the coffee clerk told me to look on the bright side. “At least now you have something to throw into the fountain.” We both laughed at my misfortune and wished each other well. This example of an unfortunate situation turned into a situation met with humor indicated that Britons are not as cold as I had expected them to be. It harkened back to the “keep calm and carry on” sentiment of WWII England. I may have lost a pound but was able to move on with the aid of a local Brit to cheer me up.
I took note of the British perception of Americans outside of the Tower of London. My friends Phoebe, Emily, Brittany, and I were talking about the Royal Family, comparing the extent of our knowledge in anticipation of the wedding of Prince Harry in one week. At one point we realized that we should probably lower our voices for two reasons. First, we are quite giggly and noisy American girls. Second, we remembered that many Britons have sensitive feelings towards the Crown (both good and bad) and would not appreciate four American girls speculating on the topic. Americans are known to romanticize the idea of a royal family despite living in a democratic republic, while British culture remains somewhat divided between those who revere the Crown and those who view the family as figureheads. I wanted to remain respectful to their culture and conscious of what I was saying as a foreigner. I realized the difference between the American and British perceptions of each other within England and the States. While Americans have some negative ideas of the British through British aristocracy and the stereotypes of their blunt and cold nature, the British also have stereotypes of Americans. I unfortunately supplied evidence of their stereotypes of Americans both on the Tube and outside the Tower of London, being a bit obnoxious and bopping around the city. While I was unable to prove them wrong, I tried my best to remind myself to remain quieter and aware of what I was speaking about. The British, on the other hand, broke some of the expectations I held for them in our small interactions along the way, proving themselves to be much more pleasant yet reserved in dealing with the foreigners in their city.
I loved my experiences in London and can even see myself returning to live for an extended period of time. Being able to compare the stereotypes I held about British culture from an outside perspective to how they actually acted in their country made me realize that the Brits are lovely and lively people. I learned about how Brits perceive Americans and how Americans receive them in return, but in the end I believe my positive experience reflected the best of both cultures.