This week I have played some double duty. Mark, the father, has been gone on a business trip and Kylie the cute four year old has been home from school because of asthma. Needless to say my "free" time has been less which includes my computer time. After working all day with children the last thing I want to do is write a detailed account of my day to the cosmic world. I want to sit and turn off any form of my brain and zone out. I respect motherhood a lot more now, and if anything I am taking away a lot of good examples of how to raise children. It has been fun learning what it means to be a mother. If that honour ever becomes mine, I will take it and cherish it. I am okay if that doesn't happen for awhile though...kids are a handful.
What else should I talk about...how about some of the differences I have seen between the countries of England and the US...
Greetings:
US: "hi, how's it going?" or "What's up" or "how are you?"
England: "you 'ight" (are you alright?) or "hi ya" (like a karate sound).
Schooling for children:
US: Children start school in Kindergarten usually at the age of five and some places it is not all day long school. All day school does not necessary start till you are six.
England: Kylie is four and she is in all day school. It is called Reception. Devin is six and he is in second grade or year two as they call it (I was 8/9 when I was in second grade).
Higher Education:
US: Our university system is usually a four year long program and then on to masters, etc.
England: The A levels are after "high school" for two years when children are 16 and 17. They can then go on to university which is usually three years or they can do college (more like our community college system, but not quiet).
US: A professor at a university can be fired or let go if they are not tenured (I don't know much about that to be honest).
England: There is no concept of tenurship here (is that a word?). There is instead a hierarchy. You are first a lecturer, senior lecturer and then a you can become a professor. This is all dependant on the amount of education you have and experience. When hired you have a year where the university watches you, if you do well, you stay until you die. You can not be fired or demoted. You can change universities if you want.
Sports:
US: In the fall, people like to watch the end of baseball and the beginning of football.
England: Rugby and football are the main sporting events. It is funny being here and males asking me how my football works. They don't understand it. It is rather a fun change explaining to males the sport.
Food:
US: We eat chips, cookies, crystal lite, and french fries
England: They eat crisps, biscuits, squash and chips
That is all for now...I will think of other wonderful things to post later.
US: "hi, how's it going?" or "What's up" or "how are you?"
England: "you 'ight" (are you alright?) or "hi ya" (like a karate sound).
Schooling for children:
US: Children start school in Kindergarten usually at the age of five and some places it is not all day long school. All day school does not necessary start till you are six.
England: Kylie is four and she is in all day school. It is called Reception. Devin is six and he is in second grade or year two as they call it (I was 8/9 when I was in second grade).
Higher Education:
US: Our university system is usually a four year long program and then on to masters, etc.
England: The A levels are after "high school" for two years when children are 16 and 17. They can then go on to university which is usually three years or they can do college (more like our community college system, but not quiet).
US: A professor at a university can be fired or let go if they are not tenured (I don't know much about that to be honest).
England: There is no concept of tenurship here (is that a word?). There is instead a hierarchy. You are first a lecturer, senior lecturer and then a you can become a professor. This is all dependant on the amount of education you have and experience. When hired you have a year where the university watches you, if you do well, you stay until you die. You can not be fired or demoted. You can change universities if you want.
Sports:
US: In the fall, people like to watch the end of baseball and the beginning of football.
England: Rugby and football are the main sporting events. It is funny being here and males asking me how my football works. They don't understand it. It is rather a fun change explaining to males the sport.
Food:
US: We eat chips, cookies, crystal lite, and french fries
England: They eat crisps, biscuits, squash and chips
That is all for now...I will think of other wonderful things to post later.
