As the fall semester starts coming to a close, people start planning for their winter vacation. Some go home for the winter, some stay on campus, and some choose to travel, before getting back into the grind of the spring semester. As an international student from England, I plan on going back home for the winter and catching up with relatives and friends. In my short tenure in the US, I’ve noticed a lot of Americans go to London, my hometown, for vacation. So I thought I’d take this opportunity to tell you guys about what to do/not to do in London to make the most out of the English experience.

1. Please don’t touch the guards patrolling outside Buckingham. Be near them, take pictures of them, that’s all fine. Touching them is opening yourself up to a world of physical hurt. These guards are trained military personnel, and they are authorized to use force if they feel necessary. Please don’t make them.

2. Feel free to jaywalk. In the cities, look both ways before doing so, but don’t bother looking for a cross walk to cross the street. Jaywalking isn’t a thing there.

3. If you want to avoid unnecessary conversation and awkward bureaucracy, avoid using Scottish currency if possible. Scottish Independence is forever a hot and controversial topic in England, and it’s best to not get embroiled up in political drama during your vacation.

4. Please don’t jump queues. I know it’s frowned upon in most cultures, but doing it in England is essentially heresy and nine times out of 10, it will get a fight started. We take our queues seriously.

5. Pronounce the following places like this:·

Loughborough: Luffbruh

Birmingham: Birmingum

Worcester: Wuhstuh

Hertford and Hertfordshire: Hartford(shuhr)

Berkshire: Barkshur

Derby: Darby

Islington: Izlington

6. Please don’t fake a British accent while there. It’s incredibly obvious and annoying, and faintly disrespectful, and you will get nasty looks if you do.

7. Don’t stick to just staying London and leaving. It’s fairly expensive and there’s far more to Britain than just London.

8. Leave the city area and go to the countryside. It’s quite breathtaking. Cornwall and Yorkshire especially represent the best of the British culture, with their authentic cuisine and the quintessential English village lifestyle.

10. Some people of London are very regionalistic. Calling Welsh and/or Scotsmen English may or may not result in a fistfight.

11. Have fun. Nearly everyone in England is jaded by cloudy weather and humidity, so they may seem irritable on the outside, but they’re mostly glad that people are interested to tour their country.

This list was mostly made of satire and personal experiences, and obviously individual experiences will differ. But following these do’s and don’ts will result in a great time.