One of the main goals of the Fulbright program is cultural exchange. The program, founded by Senator J. William Fulbright, was created in 1946, following the end of World War II. Senator Fulbright started the program because he wanted to increase understanding between the United States and the rest of the world, especially in light of the conflict that had just ended. While the programs are based in intellectual or performance pursuits, the underlying goal is to create cultural ambassadors that can better the relationship between two countries.
You might be thinking, is there really a huge cultural difference between the US and UK?
Let me assure you, there definitely is. On the surface, it appears Americans and Brits speak the same language, but the longer I live here the more I think we really don't. It provides me with a great source of entertainment.
A favorite pastime of my new British friends is making fun of me, both the way I say things and the way I do things. Side note: apparently it's unheard of to eat apples with peanut butter, which is something I do all the time. By the end of the year I'm going to get them to try it and they're going to love it. Cultural exchange at its finest.
Most of the differences are quite amusing to me. A lot of the words Americans use are just simplified versions of the words that Brits use. My favorite example is French press. The word perfectly describes what a French press is (i.e. a way to make coffee where you literally press the living daylight out of coffee beans), but over here they call it a cafetiere (really just using the French word, I think). When I first told my friends we said French press, they had a good laugh. What can I say, Americans like things to be simple, descriptive, and easy to understand. The same issue arises with eggplant, which they call aubergine (again, using the French word). A part of me thinks they use these words just to sound extra fancy.
Another thing I have found amusing is the speed at which everyone speaks. In America, people from the Midwest are known to talk really fast, so I should be fine, right? Here, they somehow talk even faster. That, combined with the accent, made a lot of my conversations the first few weeks consist of me saying "What?" after anyone said anything. Luckily, I think I've made it through the worst.
While there are some things that I will never agree with, such as using "pavement" instead of "sidewalk" (both the road and sidewalk are pavement, there needs to be a distinction), I'm really enjoying being here and learning about those differences. When I went to the first Fulbright orientation, they mentioned that making friends here might be different than back in America, as the British tend to be more reserved and it can take longer to draw people out of their shell. However, I have found that everyone here has been more than welcoming and are making my time here extremely enjoyable, even if they do like to tease. Hopefully I'm getting this whole cultural exchange thing right!
