- When I first came to Lancaster I was used to being a few minutes late whenever I went places. However, one day I arrived 30 minutes late to archery practice. The captain responded with “Is this what you consider 7:00 AM.” In other words, he was not so subtly pointing out the fact that I was late. He wasn’t trying to be rude really, but I’ve noticed that being late is highly frowned upon in the UK. In the USA, I’m late quite often and usually no mention is made of it. Of course, it’s a different matter for school or work. But when meeting for clubs or with friends, I don’t usually consider it a problem to be a little late. Here in the UK, I’ve found that it is.
- Frankly, the UK’s timely manner is not something I really like. While I appreciate a punctual culture, I as an individual am incredibly unpunctual. It was a struggle to get to places on time even when I really tried. It was much more relaxing for me personally to know it’s okay if I’m a little late. As long as I was there within the hour!
- Looking at my experience from the perspective of someone from the UK, they would probably see me as slightly rude. Being late seems to signify a disrespect in the UK. They would also think I should put in more effort towards being on time, otherwise I risk insulting the people/group I’m meeting with. I think the fact that I put in an effort to be on time from that moment forward would make them happy. Often times, people just want to see that you’ve tried. For example, even though I was late sometimes after my original experience, I would apologize for it and I wouldn’t be that late to start with. Since I didn’t hear about my tardiness again from the captain, I suppose they were pleased that I learned my lesson. Either that or they gave up on me…
- I believe my experiences in the UK will help me in preparing to respond to future cultural misunderstandings. The reflection above helped me consider that every culture has its own norms and customs. And that I should take care to be considerate of those norms whether I am a host or a visitor. For example, if I was going to meet someone from the UK for a business meeting in America, I would still arrive early. I would do this knowing that even though they’re in the USA, I should still respect their culture. On the other hand, if I was in the UK, as I was this term. I would make an effort to be on time to any event I’m attending. If I am late, I’d apologize. In other words, better understanding the UK’s culture has helped me to better get along with its people. I can do this with other countries as well. If I’m meeting with someone from Japan, a quick google search can tell me what their culture is like. From there, I can adjust my actions accordingly. Hopefully, taking these actions will allow me to make good connections in the future!
Bye Lancaster!
