![\"EliseMeandKatherine(andTom)\"](\"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/visitingstudents\/files\/2016\/03\/EliseMeandKatherineandTom.jpg\")
<\/a>\nI laughed before launching into a description of my newly discovered favorite food: G\u00fc puds. While the brand does not exist in the US, I\u2019m sure something similar has to be sold somewhere in the country. They look like pudding cups, but in glass jars. You place them in the oven for roughly ten minutes, and what comes out looks and tastes like a gourmet dessert from a five-star restaurant. So far, I\u2019ve tried chocolate souffl\u00e9 and chocolate lava cake.
\nAs I dug into my souffl\u00e9\u2014all light and gooey\u2014Katherine and Elise sat next to me at the little round table in the kitchen of our flat. There are seven of us total in the flat, which honestly looks more like the floor of a dorm rather than an apartment (except for the kitchen). The word jumble of tea versus dinner still fresh in my head, I looked at Elise. \u201cWhat are some common stereotypes most English people have of Americans?\u201d I tried to sound positive and carefree. I wanted her to be honest.<\/p>\n
She looked at Katherine and then up at the ceiling, deep in thought. \u201cBigger portions.\u201d
\nI laughed and nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s true for the most part.\u201d
\n\u201cAlso, very patriotic.\u201d
\n\u201cAlso true.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd humor.\u201d
\nI hesitated. \u201cHumor? What do you mean?\u201d I expected her to say that American humor was more vulgar, which I would have been inclined to agree with as well.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s hard to explain.\u201d Elise turned to Katherine for help. \u201cDo you know what I mean?\u201d
\n\u201cYeah, it\u2019s like American comedians want to raise themselves up, talking about the people who are best at things and making themselves look really smart. And British comedians lower themselves and talk about the people who are worst at things. They try to make themselves look stupid. Does that make sense?\u201d
\nI nodded. \u201cKinda.\u201d I\u2019d never really thought about that, to be honest.
\n\u201cIs it true British people have a stereotype of bad teeth?\u201d Elise asked.
\n\u201cYes,\u201d I replied immediately. I didn\u2019t tell her my mother had warned me before I left to wear my retainer while abroad, because \u201cI didn\u2019t want to turn into one of those British people with horrible teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSee, and I can\u2019t understand that!\u201d Katherine said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like we don\u2019t have dentists!\u201d
\n\u201cWell, if it makes you feel any better,\u201d I offered, \u201cyou two have great teeth.\u201d
\nWe all laughed. \u201cBut what are some more stereotypes of British people?\u201d Elise asked eagerly.
\n\u201cThat y\u2019all drink lots of tea.\u201d
\nThe girls looked down at the mugs in their hands and gave me sheepish smiles, silently conceding that point. \u201cWhat else?\u201d
\n\u201cWell, that you\u2019re all super serious.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat?!\u201d they both shrieked.
\n\u201cI think y\u2019all just disproved that stereotype.\u201d
\n\u201cBut why do Americans think that?\u201d Katherine asked. I told her I honestly didn\u2019t know.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s those bloody Posh Southerners,\u201d Elise added. \u201cThey get into all the films and everyone thinks the rest of England is like them.\u201d
\nOur conversation shifted from stereotypes to accents, and we alternated explaining the different accents of our respective countries. While Elise refused to demonstrate a New York accent for me, I gave Posh Southern British my best shot. They laughed at my \u201cy\u2019all\u201d usage and I pointed out the frustrating discontinuity of \u201ctea\u201d meaning tea, and \u201ctea\u201d meaning dinner.<\/p>\n