Hi everyone and welcome back to your favorite segment Across the Pond with Anlan and James.

Hi, everyone.

Hello.

Ok. the next question is you meet someone you vaguely know at the station, only for them to announce they're getting on the same rain. Now，it's awkward because you don't know them that well and you guys are getting on the same train, and there's a possibility that they might sit next to you in terms of the UK train. What would you do in that situation？How would you respond？

It depends if I can get away. If I can make an excuse，I might go to another part of the train. I might say I'm meeting someone on the train, which is quite common in the UK or sometimes if I can't think of an excuse，I'll just have to suck it up and do it.

How long can you hold a small talk conversation with someone you barely know.

I'm British, I can do that for 2 or 3 hours.

Well, secretly feeling really cringed out. What about James?

Oh, hey, put in the ear pods. Music.

Do people feel the need in that situation in America to actually keep on talking to you even though they don't know you that well.

No, because we don't really talk on public transportation, even we know somebody. Because people kind of get annoyed if the trains or those buses or things get too loud.

Em...I see and also in America, you guys don't really take trains.

Unless you live in the east, where I'm from trains are for cargo.

Ok. The next one about a social situation again. Slightly awkward. So you received an invite from your friends to go for a drink，you happily accept. But then it turns out the invite to have a drink with your friend is actually to have a drink with this friend and his friends who you don't know. You only know your friend. What would happen in that situation？Let's have James.

Go and enjoy the free drinks.

And you have no problem with it?

No, it happens fairly regular，especially in university it happens all the times. let's go have drinks, you get there and it’s like, oh, I also going with these other friends that I know from such and such other university, Americans are like: Okay.

So when people invite you to a drink，like a friend invites you to a drink，it's not under sort of impression that it's just you and me having a drink.

Not really.

And Alan?

Suddenly get ill?

I start to feel like that's more you less British.

I think a lot of British people would probably do the same, or think of an excuse, because if that's the situation then the person would make really clear that I'm having a get-together with friends，there's a few people come in, would you like to come along？You actually kind of make it very clear.

So if I say Anlan, would you like to have a drink after work today？If I don't say anything else，the implication is just you and me out having a drink.

But, if you say，for example， we are going out for a drink，then that's fine. I probably would come along to it, but I would feel a bit uncomfortable if I got there and I suddenly realized that they were all these people I didn't know.

I see. I guess these are just the hidden rules in different cultures.

Yeah.

Okay. And the next one, you are walking across a park one winter's morning when a young man throws a snowball hard into your face，what would you do, Alan？

I would get actually very very angry.

Would you counter attack？

I wouldn't get involved in a snowball fight，but I probably...

Ah, they probably don’t have snow.

They only have sleet.

I don't know. Maybe I'll throw a rock or something like that. Yeah, in that type of situation, it really wouldn't happen. If the person actually did that, then they would apologize profusely or else it would cause a massive argument, a massive round.

I mean it was an accident and they really，really apologized，maybe that's ok. And in the America?

I'd say the very American thing to do is pull out your gun.

Taking your gun out to a snowball fight. Really?

In all seriousness, if it was a kid，you just play it off. Because if a child threw a snowball to you, you just asked，please don't do that again and played off. But there have been cases in America where snowballs are thrown and shots have been fired.

Wow.

Because technically throwing s snowball at somebody is assault.

It is assault, it's attacking someone, I guess. Yeah, remind me never to engage in a snowball fight in America.

You might not go out in America when it's snowing.

We don't always shoot people.

I don't want to take my chances. Ok, right. The next question is you are driving and then，you're stuck in traffic, alone lying on traffic. Now another car is waiting to get in the line, your line, you are late for a meeting actually. what would you do？For example，they actually have the right to get into the line. For example，it is an entrance. But he is trying. would you actually let them cut in？Let's have James first.

Yeah，actually，because in America it's called zippering, where you alternate which car that goes，so you can merge the traffic in the most smooth way because if you don't let them get in, it's actually going to jam up cars later. So if it's their turn，you let them in.

Would you say that most Americans would do this.

Yeah.

Okay，and what about British people？

I can’t commonly say much for British people because I can only speak for myself, in that situation I will be more concerned about the fact that I'm actually behind the wheel of a car.

Because oh, Alan doesn't drive.

No.

But living in London, you don't really necessarily need to drive。It's like people say living in New York you don't really drive.

If you're from where I'm from, cars are necessities.

Otherwise you never get out.

I never learnt how to drive. Because it's just so expensive in the UK and I always found something else to spend the money on.

And also it's probably also because if you have to drive then it's always drunk driving.

You can't drink.

So that's not that bad.

Ok. Actually last question. And this is a surprise question, I did not tell these two guys. This is the question. A Stranger of the opposite sex gives you a suggestive glance across the room.What would you do？I'm sorry，I know these two guys so well, this is very difficult to ask them these questions，but I would love to ask this. Let's start with James.

Well, I am a typical male，so meaning I will be completely oblivious to it.

You will not notice.

Probably not. Because men honestly are really bad at picking up science.

What if they make more advances，s like they actually come up to you and say hi, James and you know, flirt a little.

Or they French kiss you.

Let's keep it PG. let's keep this program PG.

Well, I would still play pretty oblivious.

Ah, So you then play dumb.

Because this would be coming from me personally because I am married and that would be awkward, otherwise.

Ah, I see.so let them down gently just playing dumb. I'm really curious to hear from Alan.

Well actually，first of all，I'll be the same as James. I'll be completely oblivious to it. I wouldn't know what's going on. If she made it clearer，then I would look around to make sure that there's no one within a mile of where I am that she could be doing that to. I have been in a situation where people have kind of like nodded or they give me looks across the room and they actually meant for someone else.

No.

Yeah. So I would be very very clear.

What, do they need an actual sign like, Alan, I am interested in you.

Well, first of all I have to ask，what do you mean by interested? um？Just to make it very，very clear.

You know you remind me of someone.Because it's just like, you know, I don't have the time for this.

I didn't know you become a lawyer, so what do you mean by interested？

I want to make sure.

We need a contract，we need a really detailed signed and dated and notarized.

Okay. Thank you guys for humoring me, thank you for answering all these questions. For our audience, I'm sure you've enjoyed this as much as we did. If you have any interesting answers or responses to these situations，leave us a comment in the comment section.

Especially the last question.

Yes.

Thank you guys again for coming to the show.

Thanks a lot，Lulu.

Thanks for having me.

I'll see you next time.

Bye bye.

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