From the Diary of An Anglophile

My Love Affair With All Things British

Image: London, St James’ Street, John Atkinson Grimshaw

Courtesy of Artvee

I can’t pinpoint the exact moment my fascination for all things associated with England and the UK began. It was during my youth – as a moody, angsty teenager with really bad social anxiety, battling her way through middle and high school in 1990s USA – when I lived for the moment the bell that ended the last class of the school day sounded, allowing me to rush home, complete the school work assigned for that day and then proceed to spend the rest of the afternoon in my bedroom listening to music, dosing and daydreaming… This was my ritual everyday and since I was all but the joiner back then, I rarely had extracurricular activities – other than Honour Society and a couple of other clubs I was inducted into because of my academic achievements – that interrupted it.

If I wasn’t losing myself in the distorted guitar melodies of whatever band from Seattle was dominating the air waves and MTV at the time, I was bobbing my head to the likes of Biggie, Snoop, Dre and Pac because, like for most who grew up in the last decade of the previous millenium, grunge and gangsta rap ruled my world! Some days I would turn on my music and churn out all these fictional short stories that were rotating in my head. When I wrote, I preferred listening to female artists – Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Björk and TLC always got the juices of inspiration flowing!

But then came something completely new from across the pond - Britrock/-pop! It was kind of a tamer version of the Beatlemania of the 60s revived to the backdrop of youth culture in the 90s… I was hooked from the beginning and very much consumed by the Oasis/Blur rivalry (becoming a huge fan of both groups), I dabbled in the artistry of some of the more “bubble gum” acts emerging from the scene at the time (This will be my first and last ever public admission to actually purchasing a Spice Girls album in 1996) and continuously delved deeper into the phenomenon that would become known as “Cool Britannia”, a cultural movement that celebrated British music, fashion, television and film on a global scale throughout the mid- and second half of the 90s.

More upbeat Brit bands like Supergrass, Pulp and Suede began to replace the gloomy, heavy, American alternative formations that had built the bulk of my listening pleasure up until then and for the moments my episodic melancholy still overcame me, I had Massive Attack, PJ Harvey and Portishead! My obsession for all things British just flourished from there…

The death of Princess Diana in 1997 marked another significant cornerstone of my growing interest for all things related to Great Britain. Having been raised in and being a citizen of two federal republics, monarchies seemed like outdated remnants from times long overhauled in progressive, modern societies to me and I never understood why a number of European nations, including the UK, clung to these institutions, but Lady Di’s passing triggered an increased curiosity in the entire tradition within me and somewhat shifted my perception of it.

I began reading countless books on the topic and learned (as well as recognised) why the British Monarchy has such a vital impact on the way Britons distinguish themselves politically and culturally. Examining the subject more intricately didn’t make me a staunch royalist in the sense, but it did lead me to comprehend (and respect) on a fundamental level why the Monarchy, to this day, shapes the core of British identity… And, like so many, I developed a fascination for this establishment and admittedly found myself being sucked in by the saucy intrigues, extravagant weddings and not to mention the very public pregnancies/births/divorces/feuds within the British Royal Family that still garner the pages of the international yellow press today, despite all these things never particularly moving me when they occur in my own immediate circle!

It would take until 2010 before I finally had the opportunity to properly travel to the UK for the first time. I required two attempts due to a volcano with an unpronounceable name in Iceland erupting and inevitably ceasing air travel across Europe for weeks with its fiery ash. What was initially planned as a birthday trip/present for my mum in April – a fellow self-proclaimed Anglophile… Maybe it’s in my DNA?! – ended up ensuing 6 weeks later in May. It consisted of a little over a week in London, including a detour to Brighton, with very unusually warm temperatures for Spring in England of about 25 degrees Celsius, during which my love for everything British was permenantly cemented!

I was completely overwhelmed by the endless culinary options to indulge in (Yes, you read that correctly – the cities in the UK have great restaurants that offer menus that go way beyond fish and chips and rare cooked steaks, the cuisine in many areas being heavily influenced by their multi-cultural populations). I couldn’t get enough of the many Caribbean eateries, not to mention the huge selection of places to dine conjuring up dishes from pretty much every country and region of Asia. Then, of course, there is the British tea time tradition that, if you engage in properly, encompasses an innate ceremonial character that isn‘t comparable to any other dining rituals I‘ve ever experienced in my home countries.

Regularly travelling to various districts all around the UK over the course of the next 10 years also allowed me to experience and grow fond of the myriad of accents and dialects spoken across these territories! Coming to terms with the fact that the accent most foreigners hear and adore in Hugh Grant movies (Side Note: I‘ll have to elaborate on my love for Bridget Jones in a separate post) is indeed nothing more than standard British “Oxford” English and often hardly resembles the “speak” you‘re confronted with in different cities while exploring the country was both enlightening and amusing. During my travel breaks back home, it became a favourite hobby of mine to watch YouTube videos of native Brits teaching the basics of their regional accents and providing instructions on how to mock them. I can now proudly assert that I have internalised quite a few and, though I can‘t and wouldn’t ever try to mimic any (British) accent, I am able to at least recognise a number of them!

The style of dress I have coveted and perfected throughout the better part of my 30s also became vastly inspired by British fashion trends and, needless to say, scouring the often very quirky shops, British retail chains (many of which are unique to the UK and Ireland) as well as the countless vintage and secondhand vendors in most larger cities were one of the things I looked forward to most when I was in Britain.

I became an avid devotee of the brands that stood for the so eminent “British understatement” while, on occassion and especially during warmer months, still harbouring a deep admiration for vibrant, more colourful looks as well as the bold accessories and statement jewellery that graced the racks and shelves of so many independent shop owners across the UK. I increasingly integrated both into my wardrobe, which today can best be described as a cross between the aforementioned and, particularly in Autumn and Winter, the clean, minimalist “Scandi girl” style that is a staple in Northern European countries…

After going through a difficult phase in my life which culminated in the decision to resign from my job while proceeding to embark on an extensive journey of self-development, reassessing my goals/ambitions and reevaluating what constitutes a purposeful, fulfilled life, it was logical that I would choose the UK as my refuge – free from the noise, opinions and pressures I so often felt suffocated by in my usual environment. Having command of the language on a native speaker level and knowing that no matter where I am, I’ll never be more than a 2 hour drive from the sea, ultimately sold me on the idea!

Growing up alternately in two different countries on two continents throughout my childhood and youth might have played a pivotal role in my never fully acclimatising to my direct surroundings, regardless of where I lived, as well as not feeling deeply rooted in either of the nations listed in my passports. Still, I think many people have countries, cities or regions that they have no direct ties to (other than the occassional holiday there) that give them this inexplicable sense of solace and comfort. The UK, especially England, has come to embody that for me over the years. What started as a fixation sparked by the adolescent culture in a different part of the world during my formative teenage years, has become my safe space… And while no country is without problems or deficiencies, I find it easier to withdraw from them here and can more easily control the anxiety the news headlines amplifying all the chaos, mayhem and corrupt politics in the world on a daily basis often trigger.

Spending time here has allowed me to focus on myself and I have grown remarkably through it. I’m excited to see where it will all take me… And will probably enjoy a few more meals consisting of fish and chips along the way!