Nancy Drew Town
Lauren Harris
When I think of what it means to be British, I picture Nancy Drew checkered or plaid skirts. Based on pictures that I often see of London and other popular places in Great Britain online, I see people that are dressed “trendy”—stylish trench coats, high heels, and no one would dare wear something as casual as sweatpants on a day out on the town. In a way, this influenced my outfit choices while I was packing because I wanted to fit in and look the part to what I believe the typical Londoner chooses to wear for an average day. Fashion is a major industry in Great Britain, and London more specifically. After reading and watching all of the Harry Potter books numerous times, it has led to my conclusion that everyone in London dresses in schoolgirl-looking skirts with knee-high socks.
I picture the black cabs that, in my opinion, look classier than the yellow taxis in New York City. While the men wait for the cabs or buses, they probably sit on benches with their trench coats reading newspapers. The image in my head gives off an essence of a more primitive and simpler time. Based on pictures from social media, so many celebrities travel to Great Britain for vacation, fancy galas, or other events. Great Britain is a “preppy” New York.
I am an avid Pinterest user, and when I look up Great Britain, I see girls dressed in fancy dresses and boots posing in front of red telephone booths (something that I would never see in Columbus—I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a telephone booth in Columbus). There are also tourist pictures posing in front of the London Eye, Big Ben, and other famous spots. Everyone takes pictures in front of the listed landmarks and major hotspots.
Like the United States, I assume that there will be several different variations of accents. I expect that certain regions will have differing accents from others.
I have been keeping up on the news with the Royal Family, including the new birth of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s baby boy, Archie. I assume that the news outlets in Great Britain perceive Meghan poorly, because from what I have seen so far, she has been getting a lot of criticism for being independent and not acting in the way of the other royals. I am curious to see what people in London have to say about her and whether she is well respected or shamed.
British people must be wild about soccer, or, as they would call it, football. There are probably huge rivals based on different regions. I assume there is a large rival between Manchester City and Manchester United. The news outlets portray the British as if they are all crazy about soccer and that they are all the rowdiest of any viewers in the stands.
To be British means that tea is the first choice in drink and that there are probably several rituals that must be taken as part of the etiquette.
Regardless of what was assumed, I look forward to discovering what it truly means to be British.
