1. People on motorcycles are mad in the UK. They have ABSOLUTELY no regard for their lives. On a busy road where you are flying down at 100 KM/H, they will straddle the white line and navigate between you and oncoming traffic. And the police? They do not care (at least I have never seen anyone pulled over). It is mad and I would wager that if someone were to look at motorcycle fatalities they would realize the impact.

2. The schools work the kids really hard but give them a break every couple months. Our boys are on a mid-term break for 10 days right now. They are very happy.

3. People don’t really celebrate Halloween in the UK, but retailers are trying hard to bring it to the UK. I spent a load at Costco stocking up (and have eaten a bag of chocolate bars already).

4. The UK does celebrate Guy Fawkes Day (Bonfire night) on November 5th. They burn effigies of Guy, light bonfires and set off fireworks to celebrate:

The tradition of Guy Fawkes-related bonfires actually began the very same year as the failed coup. The Plot was foiled in the night between the 4th and 5th of November 1605. Already on the 5th, agitated Londoners who knew little more than that their King had been saved, joyfully lit bonfires in thanksgiving. As years progressed, however, the ritual became more elaborate.

Soon, people began placing effigies onto bonfires, and fireworks were added to the celebrations. Effigies of Guy Fawkes, and sometimes those of the Pope, graced the pyres. Still today, some communities throw dummies of both Guy Fawkes and the Pope on the bonfire (and even those of a contemporary politician or two), although the gesture is seen by most as a quirky tradition, rather than an expression of hostility towards the Pope.

Preparations for Bonfire Night celebrations include making a dummy of Guy Fawkes, which is called "the Guy". Some children even keep up an old tradition of walking in the streets, carrying "the Guy" they have just made, and beg passersby for "a penny for the Guy." The kids use the money to buy fireworks for the evening festivities.

On the night itself, Guy is placed on top of the bonfire, which is then set alight; and fireworks displays fill the sky.

The extent of the celebrations and the size of the bonfire varies from one community to the next. Lewes, in the South East of England, is famous for its Bonfire Night festivities and consistently attracts thousands of people each year to participate.

Bonfire Night is not only celebrated in Britain. The tradition crossed the oceans and established itself in the British colonies during the centuries. It was actively celebrated in New England as "Pope Day" as late as the 18th century. Today, November 5th bonfires still light up in far out places like New Zealand and Newfoundland in Canada.

5. Pharmacies are weird. They call them the ‘chemist’. When you go into them, most drugs are behind this plastic or glass barrier and require supervised assistance. For example, I wanted Ibuprofen – which is a pretty common drug. It was behind the glass case and required assistance. Where did the assistance come from? A pharmacist or registered nurse? Nope. A 16 year old high school student. Now that makes sense. When I started quizzing her on what training she had to give me that drug, she just looked at me with a blank look (LOL). 

The adventure continues.