The British Reserve
Also known as "the stiff upper lip" by some. It's a well-known stereotype that British people are difficult to get to know or even grouchy. In contrast, there is also the "merry England" charm idea. Bill Bryson (as quoted on my Facebook wall by Laura Jones) wrote:
"And [London] has more congenial small things -- incidental civilities, you might call them -- than any other city I know: cheery red mailboxes, drivers who actually stop for you at pedestrian crossings, lovely forgotten churches with wonderful names like St. Andrew by the Wardrobe and St. Giles Cripplegate.... What other great city would trouble to put blue plaques on houses to let you know what famous person once lived there, or warn you to look left or right before stepping off the curb? I'll tell you. None."
I think both of these ideas are true to some extent. London truly is a charming city, as big cities go. Its "incidental civilities" like look left/right signs or quaint names truly are endearing (and I mean that in a very NON-condescending way). But those who expect London to have small town charm will be sorely disappointed. Make no mistake about it: London is a large cosmopolitan city with petty crime and stuck-up, hurried individuals, just like New York or Paris or any other big city. It's relatively clean compared to most cities, but one can still find trash and rancid smells. And Bryson is wrong on one point: You WILL get smashed like a bug if you cross the street at the wrong time. Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way. (But then again, jaywalking is completely legal here. You just have to be aware of what's going on around you.)
The idea of the British people being unfriendly, however, I do have a problem with. It's true that you could be standing with a confused expression on your face, looking at a map in every possible direction, and more than likely, no one will stop to offer you any help. However, the minute you ask someone for help, more than likely they will stop and have a conversation with you about where you need to go. They may even say, "Oh, I'm going that way myself. We can get on the Tube together." You just have to break through the cultural reserve. And it's true that it's "every man for himself" getting on the Tube. But I really don't think that makes Londoners mean. It's just the way Tube culture has developed. (It would be pretty impossible to get everyone on the train in time if everyone hesitated, afraid of offending someone by going in front of them...Possibly that's why Minnesota has never developed a similar system, haha.) Anyways, all of this to say that London culture is a far cry from "Minnesota nice," but I think the people are equally good-hearted.
Food
The days of British food being bland are long gone. It's very possible to get any type of food you could want here. At the same time, there are some noticeable differences. For example, sandwiches frequently have rocket on them (funny spinach that looks like dandelion leaves). The sandwich I ate today had "comfy onion marmalade" on it, which was actually incredibly tasty! They are also less squeamish about their seafood. The first night I was here, they served us prawns, which look like large shrimp WITH FACES. I was too jet-lagged to gather up enough energy to try to eat one. Today, however, I decided to be brave and eat some creepy seafood. I ate an appetizer of fish with actual scales on it. I normally love trying new food, but I really was freaked out by this fish! But I put some lemon juice on it and actually ate the whole thing. It was pretty good, especially if you made a point not to look at it. It was a little spongy/rubbery and very fishy, but I liked the taste of it. I think I was like one of five (out of 135) people to actually eat one. England also has a lot of European gourmet cheeses, and my old boss at Goodlife even thought that we don't have much cheese in America, just because we don't have fancy runny cheeses. Call me a Philistine with an unrefined palate, but I still maintain that Wisconsin cheddar cheese is the Platonic ideal of cheese.
Monarchy
In America, we sort of gently laugh at England for clinging to its monarchic system, when the queen is "just a figurehead." However, I think that is a terrible way to look at it. When I toured the Tower of London and went to see the crown jewels, there was a room with little wooden thrones, each one emblazoned with the name of an English monarch from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II (current queen). When I saw this unbroken line (except for the two decade period of Oliver Cromwell's reign), it really hit me: ENGLAND STILL HAS A MONARCH. And because of it, they are connected to their history and the mythology of their nation in a way that America isn't. Yes, we have a chain of presidents but it really isn't the same, just like the prime ministers in England don't have the same associations that the queen does. And another thing that I think is really interesting is that the British can denigrate the policies of the prime minister and Parliament but still sing, "God save the queen!" and really mean it. (Not that everyone does, I'm sure, but I've definitely met people who do still find meaning and patriotism in it.) In America, we don't sing songs about our presidents; we only sing about vague ideals like freedom and justice. And I'm certainly not trying to denigrate ideals, of course! It's just that we have no personification of all that our country is supposed to be, a person whom we can look to and uphold and honor even if we are upset with our government.
Anyways, these are just a few of my random thoughts about all things British. Feel free to disagree because, as I said, these are just my perceptions after a couple weeks here.
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