- Apart from the obvious......weather, cost of living, etc etc, here is a list of 10 things I won't miss about England.
- Not having a power point in the bathroom. You are not by law allowed a power point in the bathroom so I have to blow dry my hair in the bedroom without a mirror. I hate it. The only point you are allowed is for an electric razor. Oh and you have to have a pull down light switch as well which I hate.
- Having to pack your own groceries into shopping bags. I can't stand it especially when your struggling with a baby. Now that the Aussies use the recycled bags a lot more, they probably have to pack their own now as well but the supermarkets here never ever pack for you recycled bags or not and they will even sit there and wait for you to finish unpacking your groceries on to the conveyer belt bfeore they start scanning so they don't have to help.
- Driving a manual car. I hate it but most cars here are manual. I can't wait to get back to driving an automatic and I don't have to have a panic attack everytime I need to do a hill start. I did learn in a manual but the city driving in Sydney convinced to me to convert to an automatic.
- Having a small house with small rooms. Most houses here are older then Australia so understandably, the rooms are very small. We are lucky to have parking, most in my area don't have off street parking so I am looking forward to having bigger open plan rooms and a garage. I even think hubby is secretly looking forward to having a garage.
- The horrible bins or lack there of that the local council provide us for rubbish collection. Up until now, we were given a half a years supply of black garbage bags to use. Now we get nothing. It sucks big time and I can't wait to get my wheelie bin back.
- Going to a Westfield shopping centre or similar and having everything under the one roof. Here, everything is on the main streets outdoors so if it is cold or raining, then it is not very appealing to go out. The other thing that a big shopping centre provides is a food hall, oh I love those. Everyone can eat what they want and all sit together.
- Swimming indoors even in summer. The pools are always indoors and always heated. I can't wait to go for a swim in an outdoor unheated swimming pool or better still in the sea. I have only managed to get in the sea here in England 2 times (both in the same day). I forced myself to go in this summer as it will be our last and even though it was a hot day, the sea was so cold.
- Not having a laundry room. Most houses here have the washing machine in the kitchen which is horrendous. So there is no where to do your hand washing, it really is a nuisance.
- Driving on fast motor ways. I know the highways can get fast but the police don't enforce speed here as much as they do in the Australia and people do drive at least 5 miles faster over the speed limit.
- Working in pounds, miles, stone really get up my goat and I am always trying to convert into what I know - kilometres, kilograms, and dollars!!!
The 10 things I will miss about England is posing a little bit more of a problem, but I will get there. I promise
16 comments:
Wow! It's really getting close now, how exciting!
My mum complains all the time about the lack of a powerpoints in the bathroom and laundry room in the house, since she moved to Scotland. We've started using the self checkout at Woolies though, where you pack your own groceries...
I hate manual cars too, but I have to say I prefer going to a high street to do my shopping rather than a mall ... perhaps that would wear off after a while, though!
How exciting, it's so close.
I always wondered why they never had powerpoints in the bathrooms and when I went to Madrid for the weekend, our bathroom had one and I could have wept. I had perfect hair that weekend!
I agree with all of your points. One I thought of was queues. That's all I ever did - queue at the post office, bank, pub etc.
I bet you'll miss Monsoon though! I know I did x
I just stumbled accross your blog, and have had fun going back thru your posts, but i am unable to find where in Australia you are planning to move or what you hubby does for living.
And you will get a wheelie bin and you can swap ice coverd roads for the eventual bush fire, an indoor heated pool for an outdoor pool that the council can not justify filling up this summer, shark attacks in our beaches, westfield shopping centres popping up everywhere.
On the up side you can rest assured that (well at least in Victoria) unless you are shopping at ADLI the supermarkets will pack your groceries in to your green shopping bags.
Simone it really is funny what different people like, I much prefer to pack my own shopping bags. At least I know that things that should go together will because even if I put it up in the right order they somehow manage to pack it completely arse about!
And you are right, I would be lost without the powerpoint in the bathroom
We also have the no powerpoints in bathroom thing! Grrrr.
Enjoyed reading your list, cemented it in my mind and will NEVER move to the UK. ;)
Jo - I swear they had/have Monsoon stores in Sydney. There used to be one in Chatswood but now it's a sushi bar...okay I'm rambling.
Wow - now that you mention it, I can remember the no powerpoint in bathroom thing! I had forgotten about it (spent 7 weeks in England a long time ago!)
wow that list is quite impressive - think I will show it to my hubby who wants to move to UK for awhile lol
I have always wondered why with the freezing weather, all English shops are on the street!
No powerpoint in the bathroom? That would do my head in too! I guess every country has it's pros and cons though!
Carpet in the bathroom was one thing I didn't miss when I came home from my UK sojurn.
HI Simone.
TOtally can't believe I have found your blog. I e-mailed you xxx
The wonders of blog land. Australia welcomes you, it must feel so nice to be coming home. Can't believe we have all been married THREE YEARS.
Can't wait to catch up.
Danielle
(I-do Brides - Jan 07)
Ergh...yep, I wouldn't miss any of those either!
Wow that's a pretty impressive list!
Definitely time to come back me thinks!!
I'm annoyed about the lack of powerpoints in the bathrooms too, and the lack of drains in the bathroom floors.
However, when we eventually move back home I will actually miss the queues, they are so orderly, and so British. I swear the English can make a queue of one!
That bathroom thing would really annoy me! I thought it was just a hotel issue.
Hello. I found your blog through mamamia.com and have just had fun reading through the pro's and con's of living in the UK. You pretty much have written the perfect con's list, with exception to speed limits! I love fast highways, and find it hard when I go back to visit Sydney driving so slow!
And...so glad to hear about the power point thing - I thought maybe we were the only ones with carpet in our bathroom and no power point!
Hope you're having fun back in oz!
Post a Comment