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A video interview in which an American reacts to learning about aspects of life in the UK shows that in many ways for U.S citizens, the grass really is greener on the other side – on the other side of the Atlantic.
She is amazed to hear about ambulance rides costing nothing in Britain, the country’s 52-week maternity allowance, its generous sick-day rules and more.
The American on the receiving end of the surprises is Emily, the best friend of Kalyn Franke, who runs GirlGoneLondon.com, a resource about travelling to or moving to the UK.
The American on the receiving end of the surprises is Emily (left), the best friend of Kalyn Franke (right), who runs GirlGoneLondon.com, a resource about travelling to and moving to the UK
Kalyn moved to the UK and now produces blogs, videos and online courses about life in the country full-time
Kalyn, 30, and Emily, 27, are both from Florida, but ten years ago Kalyn moved to the UK and now produces blogs, videos and online courses about life in the country full-time.
Kalyn now has insider knowledge of Britain – and in the video brings Emily up to speed on the lie of the land and the societal perks Britons enjoy.
She quizzes her on UK facts, then watches her stunned reactions to the answers.
So spoiler alert – she gets them all wrong. But Kalyn points out that she was ‘very brave for doing the quiz on camera’. After all, she’s only visited the UK a few times, we learn.
The first question is, ‘How many nations make up the UK?’
‘Oh gosh,’ comes the reply.
Kalyn offers a prompt by asking her which two countries in the UK she first visited.
Emily, who lives in Miami, says: ‘England and Scotland.’ But then she’s stumped.
‘What’s the other one that’s on the same landmass, that we didn’t go to?’ asks Kalyn.
Emily says: ‘Ireland, Wales… ‘
And the fourth one? Kalyn has to whisper the answer – ‘Northern Ireland’.
Next, Emily is asked how much an ambulance ride in the UK costs. She guesses £200 and is astonished to learn that they don’t cost anything.
She says: ‘I’m shocked. Here we choose our own cars. You can have your arm chopped off and we’re like “no, we got it, I’ll take the Honda [to hospital]”.
Emily is asked how much an ambulance ride in the UK costs. She guesses £200 and is astonished to learn that they don’t cost anything
Emily’s home state of Florida doesn’t have personal income tax (it raises money through the likes of sales tax), so she was understandably shocked after learning that in Britain the lowest income tax bracket is 20 per cent [for those earning £12,571 to £50,270]’.
She thought it was five per cent.
How many sick days do employees in the UK get?
Emily explains that in Florida, employees get three weeks of personal time a year and that they have to take holidays and sick days out of that.
She guesses that in the UK employees get two weeks of sick time.
When Kalyn tells her it’s ‘basically unlimited’ [UK residents get 28 weeks of sick pay, but there’s no legal limit on sick days per year], she’s understandably startled.
Emily’s home state of Florida doesn’t have personal income tax (it raises money through the likes of sales tax), so she was understandably shocked after learning that in Britain the lowest income tax bracket is 20 per cent
Emily says: ‘In the U.S, you could get flu and you still have to be cranking out those emails.’
And how about vacation days mandated by the government?
In the U.S, you could get flu and you still have to be cranking out those emails
‘Maybe, like, 20?’ asks Emily.
Close. Kalyn tells her it’s actually 28 days, which can also include bank holidays.
‘That’s crazy,’ says Emily. ‘We’re lucky if we get a week.’
Hearing that maternity leave in Britain is 52 weeks [it’s paid for up to 39 weeks] is the next shock.
Emily guessed ‘four weeks’ and jokes that in America, ‘we’re fending for ourselves’.
Finally, Kalyn asks her what an allotment is (admitting to MailOnline Travel that she figured she would be clueless about the term).
‘Something to do with time in your job?’ Emily replies.
It’s a good answer, says Kalyn, but lets her know that it’s a parcel of garden you buy or rent.
A good place for growing more of that green grass, then.
For more from Kalyn, visit GirlGoneLondon.com and www.youtube.com/c/GirlGoneLondonofficial.
