Living Like a Londoner
I think the most interesting discussions about identity occurred in Edinburgh, Scotland. After talking with my tour guide about why Scotland was interested in separating from England, it made me think about how people categorize themselves. She talked about the confusion in identity that many Scottish people were starting to deal with in the last several years, and how they classified themselves. Politics and economic-related topics aside, she explained that in this age, many people in Scotland are struggling to accept the connections with England, and some even question why they honor the Royals, who are of English descent. It was a really interesting discussion because it made me think of what it means to be British and that the values that typical Londoners hold may be very different than several groups in Scotland. It seems that times are changing and being British isn't something that Scotland wants to be a part of anymore. Whether there is a split in the future or not, it was very evident that to some people in Scotland, our tour guide being one of them, it is more important to think of what it means to be Scottish and how that differs from what people feel and identify with today.
A major point in my perception paper discussion was revolved around the fashion and the trends of London and Great Britain as a whole. I do believe that for the most part, I was “spot on” when it came to clothes. I have seen a lot of trench coats, women in business professional attire, and lots of heels. Something I noticed specifically was that out of the few weeks we have already been here, I have seen only 2 people in tennis shoes—one of them very clearly being a tourist. I thought that the tennis shoe observation was interesting because with all of the hills and tough roads, I expected people to dress more comfortably for the terrain. I believe that my observations with the style might have been linked to the wealth and status of the area that we lived in throughout the trip. I can't assume that people dress that way everywhere, but from my observations in the places we travelled, I did notice that majority of the people walking around had business professional attire, regardless of the day.
As I continue with the discussion of hills, I had not expected such steep sidewalks. In my head, I had pictured typical narrow European streets and people hailing taxis everywhere. So far, I haven’t even seen a single person hail a taxi.
In my first entry, I briefly discussed that I assumed there would be several variations of the British accent; however, everywhere I have gone, I have heard not just different accents, but many different languages.
I spent a day on Portobello Road and almost everyone in the neighborhood area spoke Spanish. In general, I really had not expected there to be so many languages. On the tube ride to Portobello Road, I swear it was the most diverse group that I had been a part of because there were so many different languages being spoken simultaneously. I had no idea that being British could be different for so many people. In a sense, to be British is different for any person who takes on that identity. One may be British and speak Spanish, another speak French, etc. The variations in language were all from locals, and I could tell because they all had a sense of where they were going. It was pretty obvious to spot a tourist, whether I heard another American or Canadian accent or if the group seemed lost or confused.
I expected that the Royal Family would be talked about more and the new arrival of Archie, but besides talks with the other students, I haven’t seen or heard many people talking about them. In Windsor, of course, there were Meghan Markle souvenirs everywhere, but in London, I haven’t seen anything about the Royal Family. In my mind, I figured that every British person was obsessed with the new baby and the weddings. I guess it could get exhausting to have to always talk about them, and maybe that is what the typical British person believes unless there is a major event. After visiting Windsor and seeing all of the souvenir shops containing pictures of the royal's faces, it was clear that for tourists it may be exciting, but for locals, it is likely that seeing their faces everywhere may get old.
In all, I don't believe there is a simple answer to the question of what it means to be British, because after my experiences with Scotland as well as visiting areas outside of London, there are so many diverse languages, style, people, and beliefs that all represent the identity in different ways. So far, I believe that to be British means that one dresses in a modest, yet fashionable sense regardless of hills or rain. Being British means that one uses the tube as major transportation around the various areas (in London). Being British means that one most likely speaks more than one language. Lastly, it means that there may be various views about “Brexit” as well as possible separations between England and Scotland. Again, this identity varies for each person.
