TV Licenses. Yes, that’s right, we have to have a license to have a TV. Yes, it costs money (its £135.50 a year for a colour telly.) (hey, look at me speaking Brit!). You only need one per household, not per TV, but you still need it. Or they threaten to send big men around to ‘collect’ it. Not really, but you do get letters telling you you need to buy one or you’ll pay a fine.
What is it for? To pay for the BBC, mostly. This would *never* happen in the US. Public Television is paid for by the public, by donations, not by forced participation. We even needed a TV License at NISP, to pay for the reception TV that shows BBC on occasion, although usually it is just a display device for our Science Park Promo.
The money was difficult for me as well. For a long time I wouldn’t use change because I just couldn’t remember which coin was which. Of course, now I used it with confidence, but it took me about a year. Many people find this strange as UK money is pretty obvious, with the 5p being smaller than the 10p and the 20p being a different shape and so is the 50p. But I still had a hard time wrapping my brain around it. And don’t get me started on the 2p coin! I do like £1 and £2 coins, that is something I wish the US would do, switch to coins for $1 bills. So much more convenient.
I still haven’t gotten used to the driving on the left part of living in the UK. I don’t actually drive here (and *that* was a big adjustment, considering I’ve had my own car in the US since I was about 17) because it still confuses me. I still get confused crossing the street and look both ways multiple times before I cross.
I am sure there are other things I will think of that were an adjustment, but those were the hardest things for me to wrap my head around.
Ah, but isn’t £135 worth it for Dr Who and the boyfriend 😉 😉
Yes but in the States I’d get both for free!