Unit 12 Visiting Britain
Dear Aunt Mei,
I can't believe I've been in London for 6 months already! I certainly owe you an apology for not writing more often. I've just been so busy studying and trying to absorb all the new things around me — I think I'm still experiencing culture shock. There is so much here that is different from home. But you'll soon experience it all yourself! I wish your visit wasn't going to be so brief but there's a lot we can do and see in a week. I'm just so glad you can afford to visit me and I refuse to let you pay for anything while you're here!
I don't know what your expectations are of London, but knowing that you've never travelled outside of Asia, I thought I'd tell you a bit about what you can expect to find.
First of all, the food. When I first got here, I was amazed to find that London is such an international city. There are people from all over the world living here and as a result, there are many international restaurants. Do you know that almost every town in Britain has at least one Chinese restaurant? But British people hardly ever eat Chinese food for breakfast. You're going to have to get used to bacon and eggs with a few slices of toast for breakfast over here, Aunt Mei.
And a word of advice. To avoid getting confused about the British tipping system, you need to check your bill to see if a tip is included or not. If it isn't, I suggest leaving 10% of the bill for the waiter or waitress — even a bit more if the service is good. Talking of money — it's really easy to exchange traveller's cheques at banks or hotels so I advise you to get some of those before you come.
I think we should consider staying in the English countryside for a few nights as I know you enjoy hiking. We can wander through the fields and even pick a few mushrooms to have with our breakfast! I have learnt which ones are tasty and safe to eat so we won't risk getting sick! And don't forget a warm coat! It can get pretty cold and foggy in this country.
One last thing, I didn't understand British humour at all when I first got here. The British find the strangest things funny! We're certainly more used to Chinese humour so don't be surprised if you hear laughter when you don't think anything's funny. They're not laughing at you! But even though some British people are quite strange, the majority of them are really friendly and I've made some good friends.
Anyhow, I'd better get back to work. I am so looking forward to your visit, Aunt Mei!
Love Xiaojin