What I Know About Britain

I will spend 8 months somewhere in Great Britain, so I guess - and hope - that I will learn a lot of things about this country. I already know some things though, since it will not be my first time in the UK!

I know that in Britain, people like to do everything topsy-turvy (though you might argue that WE are the ones who do everything topsy-turvy...). They drive on the left. But actually, there is a reason why they drive on the left. In the Middle Ages, jousting knights (on horses) hold their spear under their right arm and would pass on each other's right. That's kind of logical if you think about it. Ok, today we drive cars, and not horses, but I think it's a nice way to remember feudal times!


You have to be careful with British front doors. They lock automatically (well the ones I had to deal with at least did). Forgot the key inside? Looking stupid eh? So be careful...

It also seems that some people still haven't understood the oh-so-practical-single-tap system. In the bathrooms I used, there was: a tap for cold water, and another tap for hot water. What if you want tepid water?

About food. I have never eaten bad food in England. I say England, because when I was in Edinburgh, food was really weird. Not exactly yucky, but not really good either. Anyway, I almost always had good food and I like sausages, baked beans and mashed peas, too, so no problem there. Also, they make delicious cookies and muffins and cupcakes and they have plenty of Indian restaurants, nom nom nom! One thing I hate about food in Britain is that they don't have nice bread (at least not in supermarkets) and not enough good chocolate. Ok don't get me wrong, Cadbury is not bad but it's really not worth the nice and tasty Swiss chocolate. Oh and 6pm is early to eat dinner! Apart from that, I guess I'll be culinary happy =P


About the weather. It's not always raining. Ok, it's not always raining in the summer. I don't really know about the rest. And in the North, it's windy. The thing about Britain is that it's an island, so the weather changes quickly (at least in the London area). I had really nice sunny and warm weather when I was in Cambridge and London, but that was during the summer.

One thing I love about Britain is the currency. I know it might sound stupid but I love the way British pounds look like, and feel like. I'm happy they don't have Euros because somehow, it makes them special. I think currency is an important part of a country's culture and I wouldn't want Switzerland to adopt Euros; I love my Swiss francs! =P

The accent. I simply love it. The way they talk... aaah it's music to my ears! And I love their expressions too! Well ok, this has more to do with the language than with the country but still, I love the English language so much! Examples:

• Till the cows come home
• To drink like a fish
• To see the elephant
• Cheers!
• To have a cuppa
  

And many others. I also love their interjections and swearing words, but let's forget about that XD. So I hope I'll learn a lot more English idioms!

Of course, as I am a literature student, I'm interested in English literature. Harry Potter, for example. No no, kidding. Yes, I do like Harry Potter, that's a fact, but I love other things, too! I love Nick Hornby. He wrote About a Boy, High Fidelity, How to be Good, and other great books. I like Mark Haddon, too, who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and A Spot of Bother, which are two really nice and touching novels. Mmh what else. Well we have the classics! Shakespeare (I like his comedies and plan on reading A Midsummer Night's Dream after my exams), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Emilie Brontë, Frankenstein, Alice in Wonderland, Oscar Wilde (I love him), and gosh, so many more! Those are the ones which come to my mind at the moment.


And music. I like English music! It's happy, it has a good beat and it's melodious. Mika (he's actually half-Lebanese half-American, but has spent most of his life in London), Lily Allen, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Gorillaz, James Morrison, Marina & The Diamonds, Queen, ... Films. Musicals. Actors: Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Orlando Bloom (XD), Jude Law, Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, ...

I love the fact that they always drink tea. I love tea. And I love tea with nice and warm scones. Yummy. And tea with Mc Vitie's the Original Digestives. Yummmmy. I like the fact that queue is sacred for the British. It's polite, and I like politeness. British people are generally polite and cordial (from what I've experienced). I like pubs. I hate beer, but I like pubs. It's cosy. Typical ones really are. I like Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer and Tesco. Oh! also Boots, WHSmith and Borders. And of course, Paperchase!


Finally (and trust me, I'd have a lot more to say!) I like the country itself. The places I've visited (Cambridge, London, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Oxford, Brighton, Manchester, Chester, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Llandudno) were all really nice. Nice atmosphere, interesting things to see, beautiful scenery. Next week (if Mr Volcanic Ash Cloud is nice) I'll be visiting the Lake District and I'm really looking forward to it!!

Ok that's all for now. I've finished praising the UK. But it's a nice way to kill time. Nicer than writing a linguistic paper anyway XD. I'm really looking forward to learning more about this country!!

Here is a funny Facebook group about the UK (I'm not sure about its truthfulness though mwa ha ha).