HomeTravelI’m an American expat — I’m constantly shocked by strange UK culture 

I’m an American expat — I’m constantly shocked by strange UK culture 

August 15, 2023

It’s a fish (and chips) out-of-water experience.

An American expat in the UK has become an unexpected star on TikTok after sharing aspects of English living that would baffle the average Yankee.

Andrea Celeste, a Californian who relocated to London in 2015, has clocked up 184,000 followers on the social media app with comedic clips of the cultural differences she’s encountered.

One video, titled “Things that are socially acceptable in England that would confuse Americans,” has garnered almost 300,000 views and features the intrepid expat revealing some of the quirks she quickly noticed.

“Service workers like cashiers and retail workers don’t typically start conversations with people to the extent that they do in America,” she said, saying Brits were less likely to engage in small talk.

She subsequently explained she was startled by some of the foods beloved by the English, including baked beans on toast and black pudding.


Andrea Celeste, a Californian who relocated to London in 2015, has clocked up 184,000 followers on the social media app with comedic clips of the cultural differences she's encountered.
Andrea Celeste, a Californian who relocated to London in 2015, has clocked up 184,000 followers on the social media app with comedic clips of the cultural differences she’s encountered.
tiktok/@anndreacelleste

“To be fair, it looks terrible in the photos but it is actually a really good snack during university when you are trying to save money,” she declared of baked beans on toast.

Celeste also explained the ingredients in black pudding, saying: “It’s dried pig’s blood that tastes amazing, but I’ve freaked out my American friends saying that though.”

Elsewhere, the expat said US citizens would be surprised to see Brits jaywalking and drinking alcohol on the street — both of which aren’t outlawed in the United Kingdom.


"Service workers like cashiers and retail workers don't typically start conversations with people to the extent that they do in America," she said, saying Brits were less likely to engage in small talk.
“Service workers like cashiers and retail workers don’t typically start conversations with people to the extent that they do in America,” she said, explaining that Brits were less likely to engage in small talk.
tiktok/@anndreacelleste

In other videos, Celeste pokes fun at her native America by creating skits that contrast things like the cost of healthcare and portion sizes offered in the US vs. the UK.

In one clip, Celeste emphasizes the differences between American citizens and English people when it comes to taking vacations from work.

Pretending to be an overworked American returning to the office after a two-day break, she states: “We got a hotel in Vermont and it was good because the internet was really fast, so I got a lot of work done.”

The clip then cuts to Celeste imitating a Brit returning from a much longer two-week getaway, where it “was so nice to do absolutely nothing.”

Many viewers concurred with the sentiment, with one writing: “Americans don’t realize how overworked and underpaid they are until they look at other countries.”

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