Them English
Firstly: AARRGH! My unblemished November record, dashed and thwarted by a power blackout. Very, very annoying - but I couldn't get the modem thingy to work last night. I had written something, I just couldn't post it. I'll do two entries today to make up for it - not the same, but what else can I do?
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The nation from which I come is about to commence an epic battle against the nation in which I currently reside. I thought it apt, therefore, that I spend this week sharing my observations of the various strengths and weaknesses of our traditional foe.
There are many things I love about living here, the people in particular as some of the recent stories demonstrate. There are also many aspects of English life and culture that annoy the daylights out of me. I’ve been keeping a bit of a rolling list of the best and worst aspects of Britland and will discuss some of them with you over the next few days.
To stick with the sporting theme for the moment (at least to start with, I absolutely guarantee it won’t continue), something that intrigues me about English people and this Ashes series is that the public seem reasonably convinced that their team is rubbish and doomed to fail.
That in itself is no real surprise (they’re used to it by now) – but what I find interesting is how that contrasts with their general attitude about themselves as a people.
I have been conducting a wee survey, and I believe this tells everyone as much as they ever need to know about the layer of smugly nationalistic pride that runs just below the surface of many English folk. Nice as they may be – and let me assure you, plenty of them are very nice indeed, and modest, and self-deprecating, and so on – we’re still within a generation of Empire and I find it amusing and a little endearing that so many Brits still seem to believe deep down inside that the sun probably shouldn’t have set. Sometimes I feel like giving them a little hug.
When asked who would emerge victorious in a fist fight between Indiana Jones and James Bond – no gadgets, no tricks, just hand-to-hand combat – nine out of ten English people picked James Bond.
The tenth person said it would depend on the Bond.
Which I thought was a very good answer. Wrong, but quite good nonetheless.
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The nation from which I come is about to commence an epic battle against the nation in which I currently reside. I thought it apt, therefore, that I spend this week sharing my observations of the various strengths and weaknesses of our traditional foe.
There are many things I love about living here, the people in particular as some of the recent stories demonstrate. There are also many aspects of English life and culture that annoy the daylights out of me. I’ve been keeping a bit of a rolling list of the best and worst aspects of Britland and will discuss some of them with you over the next few days.
To stick with the sporting theme for the moment (at least to start with, I absolutely guarantee it won’t continue), something that intrigues me about English people and this Ashes series is that the public seem reasonably convinced that their team is rubbish and doomed to fail.
That in itself is no real surprise (they’re used to it by now) – but what I find interesting is how that contrasts with their general attitude about themselves as a people.
I have been conducting a wee survey, and I believe this tells everyone as much as they ever need to know about the layer of smugly nationalistic pride that runs just below the surface of many English folk. Nice as they may be – and let me assure you, plenty of them are very nice indeed, and modest, and self-deprecating, and so on – we’re still within a generation of Empire and I find it amusing and a little endearing that so many Brits still seem to believe deep down inside that the sun probably shouldn’t have set. Sometimes I feel like giving them a little hug.
When asked who would emerge victorious in a fist fight between Indiana Jones and James Bond – no gadgets, no tricks, just hand-to-hand combat – nine out of ten English people picked James Bond.
The tenth person said it would depend on the Bond.
Which I thought was a very good answer. Wrong, but quite good nonetheless.
posted by jLo at 8:28 AM
5 Comments:
Lazenby would eat Jones for breakfast.
Somehow I had a feeling you might disagree with my analysis, Ed...
Have you seen the new one yet?
Oh don't tell us what happens. It would ruin the incredibly original storyline.
BTW - I tend to agree with the English person. Does that make me an imperialist powermonger?
The new one is still on a boat somewhere between the Motherland and the antipodes.
What about Bond/ Jones vs. Russell Coight?
J,The: Yes, yes it does.
Ed: Coight, an interesting proposition. I suspect he might mystify them both into submission.
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