Style, Food, and Going Green
After having spent two weeks in London with a long weekend spent in Scotland, my views on what it means to be ‘British’ have drastically changed.
‘British’ people do not wear the clothes I expected them to wear. I always pictured them wear stuffy old suits and proper old-fashioned dresses. This is not the case. ‘British’ people dress like normal 21st century people from Columbus, Ohio. Work clothes and casual clothes are almost exactly like the clothes in the United States. From riding the Tube and walking the streets of London, I have learned how trendy ‘British’ clothes can be. However, Scotland did contain a more unique sense of style that could be considered old-fashioned. I discovered that traditional kilts are popular to this day. I saw many, many people wearing them. Bagpipe players wore them, men casually wore them walking around Edinburgh, and I saw grooms (Yes, multiple grooms) wearing them as part of their wedding attire.
Contrary to my original belief, being ‘British’ does not mean constantly working on and worrying about your social status as a Jane Austen character would. Nobody is duking it out on a ballroom dance floor to acquire the most suitable and wealthy husband. Any British city is far too large for anyone to show off their social status. The only high society people anyone talks about is the royal family.
Due to people not being concerned about their social standing, ‘British’ people do not worry about being proper and polite. In fact, I have learned most ‘British’ people are reserved and come off as a little pushy and rude. On the tube, I accidentally bumped into a fellow passenger. I apologized, however the person I bumped into did not show any emotion or attitude. They continued about their day as if nothing happened and as if I did not exist. ‘British’ drivers have no tolerance for people crossing on their time. No one is afraid to tell you to get out of the way with a nice long honk of their horn.
I perceived ‘British’ as a type of person who consumed fancy and formal food for every meal. Yes, there can be fancy restaurants, but most meals do not normally consist of fancy tea sets and three courses. ‘British’ people consume quick and easy meals from Pret a Manger, McDonald’s, and Eat. After going to lunch after class, I saw that people liked to pick up food like packaged sandwiches, baked goods, and fruit cups for lunch. It was not a proper sit-down meal. Being ‘British’ does not mean consuming only fancy meals. My experience at Pret a Manger also showed me that the typical ‘British’ foods are not the only foods consumed. People do not eat fish n’ chips and Yorkshire pudding for every meal.
‘British’ people curse. I expected ‘British’ cursing to be reserved and polite. However, I have heard a lot of “vulgar” profanity. While riding the train to Scotland, a group of men sitting near me were discussing alcohol that gets you “shit-faced”. I did not expect to hear any profanity besides “hell”. I was shocked to hear the ‘British’ use curse words that my friends use all the time. I have also heard the “f-word” on multiple occasions. I hear it in passing while walking in London and it makes me smile to hear such an infamous word in British accents.
Being ‘British’ also means caring for the environment. ‘British’ people are very eco-friendly. When I go to pubs and bars, the drinks are served with paper-made straws. At grocery stores, such as ALDI, you are charged for getting a plastic bag. It is also extremely difficult to find trash cans around the city. Only recycling bins are easily accessible. Paper towels are not provided in public restrooms, only hand dryers. Restrooms also have toilets with two buttons for flushing different bodily wastes. Less water can be wasted when you do not provide the toilet with solid waste and only need to flush with the small button.
I have discovered that being ‘British’ is quite different than what I expected.
