Ah, the British

A couple of days after I finished reading Dewey I made another stop at Barnes and Noble and picked up a book that I thought might be interesting called The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British by Sarah Lyall.

At certain points in the book I was laughing hysterically at some tidbit that I had experienced firsthand during my year in England, I recommend the book to those individuals who have already been to England and just want to enjoy some of the sillier aspects of the British.

Just a few odd things I learned from her book about the British:

1) The members of Parliament amble on about anything that crosses their minds, including discussions on whether aliens exist, their involvement in our planet, and if they are coming back any time soon.
2) Apparently a great many people are drunk in England and like to travel abroad because the beer is cheaper hence the need for the British Embassies to rescue British travelers, i.e. ‘Distressed British Nationals.’
3) The British show false modesty all the time even if they have just won the Nobel Prize for the second time.

While I am sure that America’s government has never had a debate on the existence of aliens, I would say that perhaps our Congressmen/women and Senators would love to have one just to break the monotony of the workday!

America has its share of excessive drinkers though I do not know if our Embassies are nice enough to send rescue parties!!

I will disagree with Lyall’s statement about British modesty being false modesty. I do agree, however, that their modesty comes from upbringing. The idea that Americans are up in your face about their achievements may be true in some people’s cases, but I have to say, on the whole, that we are just as modesty as the British. It all comes down to how you were raised. My sister and I were not raised to brag about our achievements. I cringe at having to talk about my education and experience when asked about them; I downplay them because I feel they are not as high as others. To my family, my achievements might be the ‘greatest thing next to sliced bread,’ but to me, they were just things I wanted to do in my life. I think the British are the same way in doing they own thing in life, LOL and if they want to be modesty about it then let them be.

Overall I think Lyall’s book was a good read, especially if you’ve been to England and have experienced some of the crazier aspects of British life like waiting for a train to move after the conductor apologizes for the delay because of ‘branches falling on the tracks from every which way.’ Or reading a newspaper over a man’s shoulder and suddenly being confronted with a topless woman because apparently nudity is not such a big deal to the British unlike their American cousins who are considered prudes (They should blame it on the Puritans!)!

(sigh) It makes me miss England, LOL not the crazy newspapers, just the culture. It is hard to explain, but for me, the country was a retreat away from the fast-paced world of the U.S. I realize that such a notion is bizarre considering that both countries are relatively on par with one another in the world’s economy, etc., but life just seemed slower and somehow beautifully simplistic compared to my life in the U.S.

The town of Egham, smaller than my own hometown, was one of the nicest places I have had the pleasure of staying in. The locals were friendly despite their town being run over by students from Royal Holloway.


View of Egham during the annual Magna Carta day

So to end this rambling post: If you haven't visited England yet, you will like this book with its generalizations on British culture, and if you have been amongst the British, you'll like it for its funny insider look into the British psyche.