Going Places: Day Three

Today is the first day that it's rained. And rather on and off the whole day only in a light sprinkle. The sky was overcast all day, but it was still rather humid. All the shops in Belfast were extremely hot because many of them don't have or didn't put on air conditioning since warm weather isn't vedy common. Their coffee shop, Costa, that's in the Belfast mall, ran out of ice for their iced drinks because everyone was ordering cold drinks.

But again, another shopping day in Belfast. A few new differences I noted today are:

1) In general, all the young people dress exactly alike. While many of the young propel are dressed in a way that would be considered stylish or fashionable, they're all wearing the exact same styles so there's little diversity, and there isn't much personal style. I've seen maybe 4-5 different styles of shoes, and more high-waisted jeans/pants/trousers and crop tops than ever before.

2) To get a bag in a store, you have to pay 5 pence: aka 5 cents. So, when you buy something, the cashier will ask you if you want a bag. If you say yes, 5 pence is added to your bill. The only exception is grocery stores. But, if you're ever shopping in N. Ireland, make sure to bring shopping bags with you!

3) Customer service is almost non-existent here. It's not expected, and so the workers don't put in the effort. Mrs. Hudy's cousin, Helen, was telling me that the customer service standard was one of the key things she brought back from America when she visited a while back. It was a bit odd coming here and not having people greeting you upon entering shops or asking how your shopping was when checking out. So, be grateful for the effort the nice workers put in at stores! Cause it's not something you'll find everywhere.

Dinner tonight is shepperd's pie, and muesli bread and candy for dessert.

Word difference of the day:

USA: movie theater

N. Ireland: movie house/cinema

Trying on hats in Belfast.