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15 Oct. 2022

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How life is arranged in Great Britain: key features that Ukrainians will have to get used to

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How life is arranged in Great Britain: key features that Ukrainians will have to get used to

An insurance policy is a guarantee of your safety and peaceful stay outside of Ukraine
An insurance policy is a guarantee of your safety and peaceful stay outside of Ukraine
BUY


What is the first thing that comes to mind when you are asked what you know about life in the UK? Gloomy weather, English restraint and conservatism, love of tradition, tea with milk and oatmeal for breakfast. Today, we will try to figure out which of these stereotypes is true and how life is arranged in Britain in general, because many Ukrainians have found refuge in this country since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.


Character traits and lifestyle of the British


All English people are very neat and meticulous - this is part of their culture. Almost every house, every closet, is in perfect order. Cleanliness and comfort occupy the first place in the way of life of the English people. Everything should be flawless and shine with purity.


The British do not like spontaneous meetings that spoil all plans and disrupt a pre-made to-do list. They are quite polite and skillfully hide their emotions. They do not start loud scandals on the street, do not enter into arguments. Even if the interlocutor is not interesting to them, the meeting will end with a polite farewell. Also, another interesting feature about which there are legends is the English sense of humor.


An exaggerated apology is traditional for Britain. The English automatically apologize in any situation, even when they are not at fault. Also, they do not complain at all and do not like when others do it. Usually, the British immediately do something to eliminate the cause of suffering.


Life in Great Britain is organized according to the principles of size and lack of fuss. The British value their time, so they quite often look for work near home so as not to spend more than 15-20 minutes on the road.


Of course, the English value traditions very much - they will never miss lunch at 12:00 or dinner at 18:00.


To get a good job, you should not only be educated, but also look good, because the British like to "meet by clothes". Men are especially careful about their appearance. They like to sew classic suits to order, on average, every Briton has about 5 suits. They visit a hairdresser regularly, some get a haircut every week.


An Englishman's favorite pastime is watching a movie at home or taking care of the house or garden. On weekends, the British go shopping, spend time with family, and meet friends.


Residents of Misty Albion have a great respect for the history of their country, so we do not advise you to speak disapprovingly about any of its periods. Also, don't discuss the financial side of life, because income and wages are very personal for the English.


Education and training of children


From birth, the British harden their babies. No one wraps a child in several blankets and puts on two sweaters. The English believe that the child should be adapted to life in the conditions of the humid British climate, because many of their generations have already done so. Therefore, Ukrainians can be amazed by how lightly dressed the British are on a cold day.


A child is admitted to a state kindergarten at the age of 3. Until now, some children attend private kindergartens, but they are very expensive. In London, the cost can reach $2,400 per month.


At the age of 4, children go to school, to preparatory classes. Public school education is free. There is a rating of schools. In order to get into a better school, it is not enough for the child to be prepared, it is also necessary to live in the district to which this school belongs. Therefore, in order for the child to go to the chosen school, the family can specially move to a certain area, sometimes this happens right after the baby is born.


Also, in schools, it is not allowed to give gifts to teachers that cost more than $26. A teacher can simply refuse a more expensive souvenir, because according to the rules, it must be declared to the school administration. Otherwise, it will be considered a bribe and the teacher will be severely punished. Therefore, we advise you to take this into account before the holidays.


In order to get a higher education, many people take out a bank loan to pay for their education.

Weather


Wet weather is a hallmark of Britain, it rains more than half of the days a year. In houses, people use dehumidifiers instead of the humidifiers we are used to.


Also, the topic of weather is a kind of cult for the British - it doesn't matter whether it is good or bad, the British are very fond of talking about this topic.


Tea party


Tea is the most revered drink in the UK and is usually drunk with milk. It is customary to drink several types of tea during one tea party. British people drink tea for breakfast, during a break at work, before bed, during meetings or just to relax. Of course, another attribute of the tea party is sweet cookies, which are soaked in tea before consumption.


Pubs


The British love to visit pubs. Most English people go to the same establishments all the time and often know all the employees and visitors there. You can't deny friends or colleagues a trip to the pub. It is worth noting that people go to pubs not only for beer, but also to play darts, watch sports or taste special cuisine.


Pubs also have their own traditions. One of them is the purchase of drinks "in a circle". That is, you order and pay for a drink not only for yourself, but for all your friends. Someone else from the company pays for the next beer. However, you should not be afraid of this tradition - usually the English remember who paid for them and will treat you even during the next meeting.


Great Britain is one of the most developed countries where you can immediately feel safe. The country has a very complex bureaucratic system, but almost all government services are available online. We will remind you that we talked about the rules of entry and residence in Great Britain earlier in our material at the link.