Minsk to Mist

In my previous post, I shared some of the things that were quite a cultural shock to me after my relocation to London. Regardless of whether they make me tick or ick, I’ve chosen to embrace the ways of my new home whenever possible. This post has a few more things that I have managed to remember from my first few months in the UK, although I’m far from claiming that it was a total recall on my part!

1. Post box toppers

OK, you hardly ever get to see these in London, but OMG, whenever you leave the Big Smoke for a few days or even for a few hours, you are likely to run into a wonderful crocheted post box topper! I honestly don’t know how someone could come up with that idea, and that just gives me pride in being a part of the humankind that can be so creative! Just look at this!

And these!

Photo credit: Facebook group ‘UK Post Box Toppers and More’

Not to mention this beauty I spotted in Southend-on-Sea!

My personal attitude: crocheting post-toppers is already on my retirement to-do list! (or at least it was, before they announced the introduction of those with solar panels…)

2. People being very sporty (and no sexist attitude towards girls)

Years ago, during one of my business trips to London, I went for a run in a park in pouring rain. If I did so in Belarus, I would be considered a lunatic at best. In London, other people just kept running. Because ‘just do it!’

Even before my big move I knew that the British are a very sporty nation, but I think I underestimated the extent of it! All the born-and-bred Brits that I know used to do at least some sports during their school years – football, rugby, hockey, sailing, rowing, etc. It did not necessarily translate in interest (or having the time and money) to continue with these sports as a grown-up, but I can see it built up the character of the people and helped them develop great qualities that are helpful in day-to-day life, such as being a team player, stamina, work ethics and perseverance.

Another thing that stands out for me as an expat is that… it’s absolutely fine for a girl to play football! This type of sport was considered to be ‘not-a-girl-kind-of-thing’ in former Soviet countries, and if a girl wanted to paly football back there, it would have been frowned upon, to say the least. I wonder if my compatriots could be inspired by how successful and admirable Lionesses are?

My personal attitude: go Lionesses!

3. Don’t you dare smiling at other peoples’ dogs!

According to Statista, dogs tend to be more popular than cats in the UK households (at least as of 2024). And even a brief walk around any major UK city can bring you plenty of opportunities to see dog parents walking their four-legged friends.

What struck me at first, though, is that admiring someone else’s dog, melting at them and – God forbid – petting them is close to an offense. Not that I would touch anyone’s dog without a permission anyway, and some of them are terrifying enough to make me keep my hands to myself. But if I’m out for a run (how British of me!) and a doggy approaches me to say ‘hi’, I’d at least want an opportunity to greet him or her back, say ‘awww, what a cutie you are!’ and inquire about the name with the owner. And that’s coming from me, a cat person!

Turns out, it’s very much not encouraged. Might be because people tend to be quite reserved (I’m an introvert myself, so totally respect that), or because dog theft rates are incredibly upsetting (about 5 furry friends are kidnapped in the country every day), which makes their parents wary of strangers.

My personal attitude: a bit disappointing and requires a lot of self-restrain on my part, but I get there might be many reasons for that.

4. Bringing children with you to a pub

OK, Belarus hardly has any pubs per se, and even those venues that position themselves as such in reality sit somewhere between a gastropub and a bar. While it’s perfectly fine to pop in with a child there during lunchtime for a quick bite, bringing an under-aged to a Belarusian ‘pub’ in the evening and drinking in front of them is massively frowned-upon. You can imagine what a cultural shock it was when I saw a family of five with a dog at a pub some time around 8 o’clock on a Saturday night for the first time. Turned out, it’s absolutely normal – as long as your child clears the venue by 10 pm. And you don’t end up puking in front of them.

My personal attitude: parenting must never be an obstacle to enjoying your life, so totally in for that!

5. Not removing the dish soap before you put the dishes on a dryer

This might be a bit of a stretch compared to other points on the list, but to be honest, to this day, it is freaking me out! In the former Soviet Union, assuming people don’t have a dishwasher at home, we tend to be quite OCD about removing all the dish soap with hot water before we dry the dishes or wipe them. Rumour has it that, if you don’t do that, some soap will remain on a dish anyway, and you will end up consuming it (which doesn’t sound appealing). Still not sure if it’s true or not, but I do prefer to remove as much soap as I can from my dishes before using them again.

My personal attitude: hell no!

What surprised you the most when you first moved to your new country? What you loved to learn about and what are you struggling with to this day? Share your thoughts in the comments!