Here in London... How a Brazilian girl sees this lovely city and people!

Following Olivier's idea of sharing his perception about Brazil, I decided to write my feelings about London, England and British people. They are not true, they're only the point of view of a Brazilian girl who lived one year in this lovely city.

1. Here in London you can drink tap water. Actually, you can even order a glass in a restaurant and you'll be served and (of course) won't be charged. 
2. Here in London in pubs and some restaurants you have to order you food at the till, pay for it and wait in your table to be served. But first you have to find your table and get the number on it (That's a difficult thing to do when you're alone in a busy restaurant).
3. Here in London when you enter a restaurant, you have to wait at the door to be sited in a table.
4. Here in London there is always a festival happening everywhere: art, music, food, films, plays... enjoy them!
5. Here in London people don't look at each other on the tube. Actually, they'll always avoid eye contact if you don't know them.
6. Here in London many people share houses, not only students. I think that only people who live with their families don't do that.
7. Here in London you have to pay annual TV license to have the rights of watching TV. This is not optional and is extended to some online channels.
8. Here in London there are not metal detectors at bank doors and ATM are everywhere on the streets.
9. Here in London banks have an integrated system that allows you to withdraw money from your account using an ATM from another bank without paying fees. You can also transfer money between different banks only with the sort code (equivalent to agency in Brazil) and account number. That's amazing!
10. Here in London the atmosphere is cosmopolitan. If you've never seen a woman wearing veil before, you'll see in your first day. If go to a multicultural event, you'll meet somebody who comes from a country you don't know where it is. Open your mind!
11. Here in London not all people are blond and have blue eyes. There are a lot of Londoners whose families have origin in other countries, but have settled down in the country a few generations ago. They're British but not necessarily like you imagine them.
12. Here in London there some "standards" in the dressing art. If you go to a night club, do not put on trainer shoes. If you are not going to the gym, do not dress yourself like that.
13. Here in London people don't care about what you are dressing. Yes, I agree that it contradicts the previous item, but that's true. You can wear a pikachu costume to go to the supermarket (never try it in Brazil!) and people don't judge you, don't even look at you.
14. Here in London toilet paper should go to the toilet. The bins are for tampons or other trash.
15. Here in London you'll have to get used to hand driers after using the toilet. I used to hate them, now I don't care.
16. Here in London there is fire alarm in all buildings and you'll have to leave your basket at the supermarket if it sounds.
17. Here in London people love fish and chips. And chips (not french fries, which is not the same). And potatoes. Potatoes are the main staple food and are served with almost every meal.
18. Here in London the "a" sound in "potatoes" is the same as in "a" sound in Portuguese.
19. Here in London the dinner is more important than lunch, so that dinner is also more expensive in many restaurants.
20. Here in London it can rain any day, even if when you go out is the cleanest sky you've ever seen. Be prepared.
21. Here in London people are unfriendly, if you compare to Brazilians, but only with strangers, in a first moment. They won't talk to you if you've been waiting for a long time in a queue, not even to complain about the weather. If you do manage to find some British friend, he/she would be very friendly though.
22. Here in London people are polite. If you step on someone's foot, the person'll say "I'm sorry". But of course, you are supposed to say the same.
23. Here in London many people have bad manners. They don't bother looking for a bin to throw their daily newspaper after reading it.
24. Here in London people wait the first years of their lives for their university time. This normally means a new life for them, with independence, a new city (or country), a temporary job, and a lot, a lot of alcohol. 
25. Here in London people start their careers in temporary jobs, like waiters, receptionists, call centres. That's not shameful.
26. Here in London people don't want to stay their whole lives at the same job. They are not that afraid of getting fired as we are. They save money, leave their jobs after some time and just go travelling or start their own business in something they are passionate about.
27. Here in London people can have a gap year between high school and university. They are in no hurry to start their academic and adult lives.
28. Here in London people don't like the very same transportation system we do love. They complain about the service delays, disruption, fares. They don't know how we find it amazing to have all the information about underground and buses in a website, name on the bus stops, plenty of maps and timetable for the bus.
29. Here in London there are taxis and minicabs. Avoid the taxis, call a minicab agency and save a lot of money.
30. Here in London you don't need to go to the supermarket to buy your groceries. You can do it online. It's common, it's practical, it's cheap and it works.
31. Here in London - if you do go to a supermarket - you can pay your groceries in a self-service machine. Just scan your products, put on a bag, pay and go. 
32. Here in London people you'll ask if you need plastic bags. Reuse them or have your ecobag. 
33. Here in London you pay different prices if you are having your coffee at the establishment table or are taking it to go. Eat in is normally more expensive.
34. Here in London only rich people employ someone in their houses. People clean their own houses and children stay at school while their parents are working.
35. Here in London things work and when they don't, there is an alternative plan. If there is no service on the underground, there is a replacement bus. If there is no bus, well... then I don't know.
36. Here in London crowds are dispersed peacefully. When a football match is over, the crowd is conducted by the police to the tube stations, which refrains people along the way to avoid overcrowding inside. While people wait, policemen just stand in front of them, sometimes chatting, laughing and with no violence at all.
37. Here in London futebol is football (not soccer) and subway is a path under some road or the fast food restaurant, do not confuse it with underground.
38. Here in London you go to restaurants to eat. If you only want to drink, go to a pub. Never go to a restaurant and ask for a glass of wine while watching your friends dinning. 
39. Here in London shops close at the closing time. If it closes at 5, they will sell to you until this time. Some minutes before, a salesperson will politely advise you to hurry up! At the same way, don't enter the bank 2 minutes before they close.
40. Here in London you will receive your one penny coin as change. Don't discard or stock them. Use them to pay your next purchase or donate them to the charity.
41. Here in London it's difficult to get lost. If you are stupid enough to do so, try to find the closest tube station and then go to your safe zone. Maps are everywhere.
42. Here in London punctuality means respect. If you arrive late to a lecture, you might offend the lecturer. If your friends said you'll meet at 8, you're expected to arrive on time. If you'll be more than 5 minutes late, warn them some minutes before that and apologise when you arrive.
43. Here in London yes means yes. Don't say you are going to a meeting if you do not have the intention to go.
44. Here in London people drink a lot and constantly. People drink beer at lunchtime and pubs will be crowded on Fridays, after 5pm.
45. Here in London people love sun and heat. If you are lucky to have sunshine and  20ºC, you'll find it difficult to get a seat in one of the many parks.
46. Here in London they have beaches even if they don't have sea. They created beaches near the river and ponds, with sand, deck chairs and people posing on swimwear.
47. Here in London you can see the year going through. You'll enjoy the autumn leaves on the floor, complain about the cold weather, get amazed with the flowers and boil in a bus having a cooler drink. If you are staying for one year or more, photograph it!
48. Here in London you can see at least one airplane every five minutes and, most of the time, long trails being left behind them.
49. Here in London there is a website which gives you a lot of different routes for walking, around all the city. If you follow some of them, you'll know a London that most people don't know.
50. Here in London I'm sure you'll have one of the best times of your life as I've just had.