Letters to America- "The Empirical Hangover"

When I was little I watched a lot of movies. And naturally my fondness of history lead to many of them being in the genre historical fiction. Two of my favorites were The Patriot and Braveheart. Now if you’ve seen these two movies you of course know who the good guy is- Mel Gibson. And the villain? Why, Great Britain of course: the Empire of all Empires.
But why? Surely the ancestors of noble men like Lyndon Sly, Phillipa Owen and Garreth Bayliss (our teachers) couldn’t carry out the atrocities portrayed in these films. Perhaps Mel Gibson is not only Anti-Semitic, but also Anti-Britannic? Sadly, that is not the case.
The truth is there was a time when Great Britain truly was Great. Indeed, by the turn of 20th Century they had amassed the largest Empire this world has ever seen. And they, like all before them, were guilty of various imperial crimes- from apartheid to the oppression inflicted in the British Raj. But hey, that’s water under the (Waterloo) bridge.
Today the U.K. enjoys a comfortable, yet pivotal, position in the world. (They can leave it to us to repeat history). They have watched all their former colonies and possessions slowly break off one by one. With Hong Kong being the most recent to defect in 1997. The Sun used to never set on the British Empire, but now it barely even shines in London.
But how have the British people dealt with their new place in the modern world? Are they bitter? Are they proud? I’ve found it to be a little bit of both. Some will condemn the actions of their government just like any sensible citizen would. (That is at least one thing Americans and Brits share: criticizing their administration). But they can not be too critical, for their country’s past is deeply woven into their everyday lives.
Just as Americans overlook the fact that the same guy that wrote “All men are created equal…” was himself a slave owner, Brits must neglect that their revered royalty allowed such despotism to occur abroad. But it’s hard to start anew when the past is so ubiquitous. For the legacy of empire is truly evident in the British life and culture.
That was one thing that really struck me when I first came over here. You can’t walk down the street without running into some sort of war monument or memorial. Whether it’s Cleopatra’s needle or the Nelson Column, the city is riddled with vestiges to the military triumphs of the past. I think it’s still a great source of pride for the Brits. But it’s also a constant reminder of what was.
And in some ways England holds on tightly to that unraveling yarn of the past. They are proud to claim that they only ones who still drive on the “right” side of the road. The reason everyone else doesn’t is because they were told to by Napoleon when his empire had conquered most of the west. The British never were.
They have also held on to their currency, the beloved pound, even while the rest of the EU has switched to the Euro. (In retrospect, this has been a very good move as the pound is doing much better in the global market at the moment). They also make America look almost bilingual with their reliance on the English language. Granted, I bet per capita England has higher number of citizens who speak more than one language. But for a city that has the most diverse population in the world, I’ve never seen one sign that was not in English (not withstanding foreign food restaurants).
That is especially odd when you consider the number of tourists that come through it each year. I mean, you couldn’t even navigate the various museums if you don’t know English. And they know it too. To me the message is clear: get on board with English or get left behind. Luckily, the British Empire was also the biggest exporter of the language. So Americans can thank them when they find it to be used so widely.
They also hold on to some objects of the past in a much more literal sense. Those English-only museums I mentioned earlier are full of artifacts from around the world; many attained under illegitimate circumstances. The British Museum, for instance, holds a number of artifacts who’s custody is now in dispute: most notably the Rosetta Stone and the Benin Bronzes which have been claimed by Egypt and Nigeria, respectively. Both of which were at sometime or another under British control.
But the transition from the antebellum Britain to today can also be seen in a very real way. Just go and see how many ships are being made in Newcastle these days. Or how many cars they’re making in Birmingham. The outsourcing of Britain’s manufacturing economy has crippled many cities. The ironic part is that they have been replaced by some of their former colonies. For instance, India now produces twice as many cars as the U.K.
Although I have to say Brits seem to take it in stride. Of course there are those in the deep Labour Party, and those anti-Thatchers like in Billy Elliot, that do fight on behalf of domestic commerce. But for the most part the attitude seems to be ‘get over it’. Like, if we can’t build cars we’ll just do something else. I’d say most people here work to live, not live to work. So who cares what it is you actually do?
For example, I met a very nice elderly couple in Brighton that seemed quite well off- they were happy anyway. He had been a mailman all his life until he got laid off, then he drove a bus until he retired. She still worked as cashier at Sainsbury’s. Yet here they were on a Tuesday afternoon enjoying a pint together after a nice day of shopping. And they were nice enough to take time to talk to two nosy Americans.
So who cares if all the factory jobs have left the country. But is there any thought as to what is coming in? For a nation that is so proud of its tradition and history, I expected a little more resistance to the influx of foreign cultures into it’s society.
I guess it was inevitable though, after Britain’s deep ties with all these nations around the world. They are inextricably tied with many of them, and I think on some level the British people recognize this; the reverse invasion of their former colonies was to be expected.
I find it no coincidence that the most popular dish in Britain is Chicken Tikka Misala. The dish is thought to have been invented in Punjab, on the border of British-ruled India. It was then brought back by the British troops posted there. Instances like this happened all over as servicemen abroad brought back other customs and goods from around the world. And so it began.
But it goes beyond food and economics. It effects something much closer to the Englishman’s heart: Football. A game invented and perfected by the British that is now the most popular sport in the world. How bad do you think it stings when they get beaten out in group play of the World Cup by those 13 colonies they used to own. (Not to mention it took place in South Africa, their old friend.) Or when the majority of Premiere League footballers are non-British? It seems that was one imperial export that came back biting.
I truly admire the British people’s tolerance of other cultures. They seem to welcome all types from all over. Even if it means some one standing on the left side of the Underground escalators (a horrid crime I would never dream of committing after living here!) On the other hand, Americans can barely share one border with out trying to build a wall on it.
I’ve been surprised to find little fear over the loss of identity that could occur if this keeps up. Who is going to order Toad in the Hole when you can get Curry? Who is going to scout footballers in Britain when you can go to Spain or Brazil? Who is going to want to build an epic memorial for the 3rd Afghanistan war?
And English may be their language, but right now there are more people in China learning it than there are people in England. And they can only dream of having the GDP per capita of Qatar (which also happens to be hosting the 2022 World Cup.)
But you couldn’t tell any of this from living in London. They still see themselves as the center of the world. And maybe they are. Not only is it one of the most diverse cities in the world, it has long histories with more countries than any other. Some of the most important events in history have gone thought this country. And that makes it connected with almost everybody; a lowest common denominator in a way.
And if anybody is willing to take on that responsibility, it is the British. Not only because of their past role as the world empire, but also their unwavering spirit in the face of change. Nobody knows better than them that you reap what you sow. But hopefully the past doesn’t come back to haunt them. And neither will Mel Gibson.

Tour of Old Trafford (Click on the picture to watch video)

Roma, Firenze, and Venezia

For our Spring Break, 10 of us packed up and flew to that giant boot of a peninsula known as Italy.  There we hoped to find good food, rich history, and of course some good-old fashioned partying.  Needless to say, we were successful on all counts.

ROMA

Our first stop was probably the most obvious: Rome.  As the center of one of the world’s greatest empires for over 500 years, and the head of Catholicism for almost 1,500 years, it’s no wonder why there is so much to see in this great city.  Walk down any street and you’re bound to stumble upon some ancient Roman ruins.  It is, without a doubt, the most preserved of any modern city.  The Coliseum and the Pantheon (both almost two millennia old) are still standing today for millions of tourists to marvel at annually.  To this day the Pantheon still boasts the largest unsupported concrete dome in the world. While the two-thousand year-old Coliseum dwarfs most college stadiums of today.

Then it was on to Vatican City, home of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. (VC is in Rome, but is technically its own sovereign state). As the largest church in all of Christendom, it’s no wonder visitors of St. Peter’s feel quite diminished upon entering.  It’s no accident either.  The original builders wanted worshippers to feel miniscule when compared to the awesome power of the church.  Conversely, Michelangelo’s Sistine was much smaller than I had anticipated. This may have had something to do with it being packed full of people. But that doesn’t stop you from appreciating the vastness of his work, which covers the entire ceiling and every wall (See it).  This was one of the few places that photography was not allowed.  It was also weird to have the guards shush the crowd every few minutes or so.

            The most unique place we saw though was an area dubbed ‘Area Sacra’, Latin for ‘Sacred Area’.  It was just a fenced off ruin of an old Roman Temple.  Like most ancient parts of the city, it was about 20 feet below the current street level.  But the odd part was that it had been converted into one big cat sanctuary!  The few minutes we were there we spotted about 50 cats just hanging out about the ruins.  They have all been tested and vaccinated and live solely off of charity.

FIRENZE

            After a few days there, we took a train north to Florence.  Florence is regarded as not only one of the most romantic cities on the planet, but also one of the most beautiful.  And between the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, and the statue of David, I have to agree.  The Duomo is a 16^th century cathedral sporting the largest brick dome ever constructed by man (it is also painted on the inside, in my eyes giving the Sistine a run for its money.).  The Ponte Vecchio is a one-of-a-kind bridge in the heart of the city; unique because its sides are made entirely up of shops- and because all of those shops are jewelry stores.  More than one of the girls in our group found their wedding ring while there.  And although the David is now indoors, it nonetheless adds to the beauty of Florence (not to mention there are two replicas placed around the city.)  David is impressive not only because of Michelangelo’s perfection of the human form, but also because the sheer size of it.  I had always imagined it as a statue on the normal human-scale.  But, including it’s platform, it towers over you at nearly 25 feet tall!

            We also found the best pizza we had in Italy at a place called The Clubhouse (not very Italian, I know).  However, pizza in Italy is not how we Americans think of it:  cheese is used sparingly, most come in personal size servings, and they never pre-cut it for you!  You usually just have to resort to folding it over and eating it like a taco.  I also had a delicious egg, bacon, and BBQ sauce bagel for breakfast one morning.  (Not Italian I know, but just saying).

           

VENEZIA

For the last night is was off to Venice, the city on the water.  Venice has got to be the most unique city on Earth.  I don’t know of any other that claims hundreds if not thousands of bridges, a nautical public-transit system, and lacks any kind of roads whatsoever. It’s the one place where tourists don’t have to worry about crossing the street!  But for a city with such a rich history of civic pride, it was despairing to see it have fallen into such a commercial state.  A city once renowned for its Opera, mask making, and gondola boats has become some elaborate tourist attraction.  The word ‘Opera’ is used quite loosely (the one we saw had a four person cast and only featured one song!).  Literally, every other store you pass sells cheap Masquerade masks that were probably mass-produced somewhere in China.  And the romantic idea of a private gondola ride down the intimate canals has been reduced to some slimy git harassing you on the sidewalk (“La Gondola? La Gondola?”).  This was no more romantic than the Middle-Eastern street-vendors in Rome selling fake sunglasses.  But it would take more than that to ruin Venice for someone.  When all else fails, you can always just buy a bottle of wine and sit down next to the water.  However, it would have been nice if it got above 40 degrees while we were there.

3 cities, 4 hostels, and 7 days later, we were all exhausted.  Although our week-long adventure had been quite draining (physically and fiscally), it was still a great success.  But I never could have guessed how good it would feel to come back to good ole’ London.  For as unique as Italy is… there’s no place like home.