With a little over two weeks to go, the whole move still seems surreal. However, some things are making it feel more like it's actually going to happen, like saying goodbye to close friends or finally getting my qualification and job hunting. People keep asking me what I think about the move, and frankly, I can't wait to go. Work has quickly become a chore, which is hard as a teacher as you can't have an off day and you get in trouble if you don't get the kids to do marking-worth work every now and again. I was talking with my friend Matt last night about some of the issues that I think I'll face, and thought more about this when I got home, so I wanted to make some predictions about what I think I'll find especially different/weird about being in the US:
1. Vocabulary
This will range from the silly (period and fanny will be words that I will be expected to use on a semi-regular basis) to the frustrating (math for maths, gas for petrol, cell for mobile), but I think it will be those times when I'm not paying attention and slip up that will be the worst. There are a bunch of words that I know I need to change when talking to Americans so I'm understood, but there will also be a whole bunch more that I don't know that are particular to the UK. Maybe I'll start a list to help me remember!
2. Measurements
On one of my recent teaching tests, I was asked to estimate the volume of a wheelbarrow. Fair enough says I, multiple choice question, let's have a look at the possible answers. When I saw the measurements of gallons, quarts, cups or pints, I panicked, as I know that the ones I recognise (will need more z's soon!) (will need to remember to say zee not zed!) aren't the same in both countries. I then realised that I will be teaching in feet and inches, pounds and ounces in school. Whilst (while) I know what they are and how to use them, I find the whole system cumbersome. Maybe I'll lead the metric revolution!
3. Football kick off times
As noted before, being a teacher tends to generate a lot of written work that needs to be marked and assessed to improve the kids learning. I'm ok with this, but when you end up with 30 books each taking 5 minutes to go through, it's a big time ask and one that doesn't fit into the whole teaching day. Inevitably some of them come home, and it's my treat to work in the kitchen with the football on the radio (thank god for the 7 day football calendar!). I realised to my horror that in the US, the evening games will be over by the time I get home from work. This does mean that I can probably listen to them at the end of the work day (thank god for 2.45pm finishes in the US!) but I'll need to find another source of marking accompaniment. Maybe I'll try baseball?
4. Radio habits
As a follow up to the previous point, I'm also a creature of habit with my radio listening. I hate adverts, so spend all of my time listening to the BBC in various guises throughout the day. This is all well and good until the time difference kicks in. No longer will I have PM on the way home (with the occasional radio 1 thrown in if the news is boring) or Danny Baker on Saturday mornings during the food shopping. I think there may be services which will stream the BBC to America, but unless I can get it on time delay, I may be forced to find new American favourites (favorites will always look wrong!) or maybe even podcasts.
5. Sounding different
I've been going to yoga for the last few months as a way of dealing with the stress of the move as well as a good opportunity to hang out with my friend Matt. Last night, our regular teacher was away and we had a lady with a proper broad Yorkshire accent teaching us. It wasn't until about halfway through that my brain twigged this, and even then it sounds completely normal to me. I then started paying attention to the accents at school and everyone sounds like me (just a little less plummy and a little less deep-voiced). I think it will be strange to have my accent mark me out as different, and I hope it's the conversation starter that it often is for my wife over here, rather than the opportunity for tribalism as it has sometimes been. And who knows, maybe I'll develop a decent American accent after all?
That's my thoughts so far. I may add to them in the next few weeks, but I definitely plan to review them when I'm out there. 16 days and counting!
