This is about my first impressions of Manchester, the UK, English people and stuff.
Everything appears to be on the wrong side. I think it's because of this driving on the left. Ok, cars are on the left, fine - but then trams are also on the wrong side of the street (and trams are silent killers, they approach you unnoticed and suddenly they are right in front of you, ready to kill you!), and people, if they want to avoid contact with you on the street, go to the wrong side as well!
Before I came here, everyone insisted, 'yes, you'll get used to this rather quickly, this would be fine'. No, it is not fine. I look on wrong side when crossing the streets, I miss approaching trams (nah, they go the other direction, except they don't), and when trying to step aside, I still do it the 'European way'. I wonder all the time about the buses being entered in a funny way. Etc., etc.
It seems to me that there's CCTV everywhere. 'For your own safety' it says, but I don't like it. I am not as ready as people here to give up my privacy.
As mentioned already, I understand only about half of what people tell me. Which is very funny; sometimes I must look like a stupid person, because someone starts talking at me, and the only reaction they get is either 'eeuh' or 'yes'.
In Manchester, the trams are yellow, and they make noises when turning. In Prague, we have this special tram which lubricates the track so that the trams make less noises; awesome idea. In Manchester, they could use five such trams, but they are nowhere to be seen. The noise is terrible.
Apart from making squeaking noises, the trams are very high, with the door approx. 1.20 m above the ground. However (and this is not that stupid!), they are effectively low-floor because the platforms are also about 1.20 m high - and of course have ramps, so you can enter with a pushchair or wheelchair without a problem.
For those further interested in the trams: they have doors on both sides. Sometimes two cars are connected and sometimes not. The cars are somehow too long for the streets, so the trams can bend (they have the articulated part in the middle). I think that to increase or decrease speed, the drivers use left hand, but I am not sure about this. And at some places, the trams have a single track only for both directions. They make quite funny noises when you step in their way - it's not the usual bell / ringing, but a funny noise.
Someone keeps messing with the directions in this city. I usually think that I am heading somewhere, but then I find that actually I go somewhere else; I can be mistaken by as much as 180 degrees. O_o How this is possible, I have no idea. (I suspect that some demon is just turning the streets as I walk, I have no better explanation.)
I think this is getting little bit better over time, today it happened just maybe twice, but still I find this disturbing.
People do not care very much about the red light when they want to cross the street. I like this.
I would really like to know what 'fair enough' means. From how people use it, it seems to me that it can mean anything from agreement to disagreement to surprise, or it can be used to express that they don't quite know what to say, or that whatever you say, they find it funny, or that you are being too naive, or that you are talking stuff that makes no sense... Well, it seems to me that this can mean almost anything in the world.
Some things are better here in the UK, and some are better in the Czech Republic. As mentioned already, I am not at all satisfied with banks, and with real estate agents. I have no idea why I should wait 30 minutes for getting an appointment to set a bank account - it should the the bank trying to get my money, not me begging to be able to give them! I also have no idea why I should pay some £300 to a real estate person who did exactly nothing to help me to find a place to stay. Every time I call these people about a property, they are like 'no, that is no longer available, bye', and that's that. Hey, guys, how about offering something? Trying to find something for me? Or, at least, being willing to call me back? Well, this is a joke.
On the other hand, I liked my NIN appointment very much. The guy at the interview showed really a professional attitude (he even asked me how to pronounce my funny surname, and then got my name right); most authorities in Czech Republic are not even close to this. I also liked very much the recruitment people who helped me to find job here, again, I know no Czech HR/recruitment agency which would be at least half this good.
People on the streets appear to be very friendly and helpful. Every time I look lost here (which is basically all the time), someone is ready to help and/or tell me how to find stuff. Also, if someone steps in your way, he apologizes; if someone does something not very nice, he apologizes as well. People are willing to let you enter places first. If you drop something, someone is usually willing to help you. And so on, and so on. Incredible! Everyone seems so polite here.
What I find funny and strange is that our local Tesco sells no local beers. They have Pilsner Urquell (the golden standard!) in the fridge, Heineken (I guess they have to), some German beers (incl. Franziskaner Weissbier, not bad), some Japanese stuff (far from home!), two Italian brands (?!) and French (Alsatian) stuff (?!?!), but nothing local.
So the good news is that I can drink Pilsner here. The bad news is that I did not travel across the Channel to do so.
I like "fair enough" a lot! At first it was only in my passive lexicon, but now I'm using it more and more and it is slowly becoming one of my favourite expressions (right after "indeed" and "crucial" :)). I think the core meaning is "OK, you're right" - admitting and agreeing (often after initial disagreement). But as you've said, it depends a lot on the situation. :)
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