When you imagine culture shock in Britain, a handful of stereotypes probably spring to mind. The British are cold and ironic, the weather is cold and wet. They love pubs and football and tea. These steadfast clichés are how we imagine the rest of the world views us, but in reality, it’s the small things that usually go unremarked that can seem the most abrasive to outsiders.

“Here everyone eats at their desks. It’s depressing.” That’s how one friend, an Italian who moved to London seven years ago, described the major difference between our cultures.

He wasn’t coming from the place of a stereotypical Italian, either. There are no long lunches around tables piled high with pasta; instead, my friend’s preferred lunch is a packed sandwich on a park bench while listening to podcasts about violent crime.