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6/8/2009 5:00 PM

After spending the weekend in Leeds, UK I’ve learned quite a bit about Northern England culture. First of all, while they still speak English the dialect is different from the dialect in London. When I hear them speak it sounds to me like an Irish dialect. Also, this is the area where fish and chips were born but it’s really quite different from the way we eat fish and chips in the US. I ordered take out fish and chips from a place in town and they didn’t even have tartar sauce. I was amazed because all my life, all I’ve known was that you eat tartar sauce with fish and chips. They did offer salt and vinegar and ketchup though. So I ventured out to the local convenience store assuming that they would have tartar sauce there. I walk in the store, looking around, but NO TARTAR SAUCE. I walk up to the lady and ask her if they sell it and she just gives me a puzzled look and says no they don’t. Very weird, I say, and leave out the door.

Overall it was a good experience. It was definitely a change from the hustle and bustle of London. The people are friendlier and address you with “Love”, “Lovie”, “Sweetie” and “Dearie”. Where I stayed at was a village that had been around for centuries and the houses were all built with brick. After having a great time with some great people, I’m at the airport now awaiting my flight to Amsterdam. Goodbye, England! Cheers!