What was the downside then. Well, the whole thing about British culture is, that you might think highly of it. The history, great literature, great scientific discoveries – most of it is still happening. But what you don’t know about is the drinking, subtle racism, class division and a way of thinking that shows complete ignorance for other parts of the world – even Europe (which by the way rose to the surface during the Brexit referendum). It’s not that everyone I met ticked all those categories – although most British people I met at that time were in a constant state of inebriation. A lot of students had no idea what was happening in the world – unless a British person was involved. They were surprised that the whole world doesn’t know things they grew up with, as if they were lacking imagination to see other countries having their own cultures separate to the British one. Being from Poland, which in 2002 was not in the EU yet, didn’t make things easier. I had a 10-minute conversation with a post worker who didn’t seem to understand the difference between Europe and the European Union. They were still placing my country in Eastern Europe – although the political reason for this divide wasn’t valid for over a decade and we are clearly in Central Europe. Not to mention some thought I came from Czechoslovakia – country that hasn’t existed since 1993.