5 Reasons Why I Love Britain

So...

In honour of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee (here I go again, sounding all patriotic, WHEN I’M NOT EVEN BRITISH) I’ve decided to make a list of

5 REASONS WHY I LOVE BRITAIN

Go Britannia, woohoo!

  

 

 Pic is from the web

Reason#1 History

Britain has a lot of history

It’s just so awesome to live in a place that is full of history. It’s not just, oh, you know, us Brits have history, in the books… It’s ‘Oh, where did you buy that table? It’s so charming’. And then, the reply usually goes ‘Oh, got this at the flea market the other day, 18^th century’.

You see!!!! People here don’t have to buy their furniture from just Ikea, or God forbid, COURTS Mammoth. They can freaking go to the Sunday flea market and get old, historical furniture at really cheap prices! (or jewellery/accessories/clothing)

Real life example: Me.

Just last week at Tynemouth Flea Market, I saw a golden flat case, that looked something like this:

This was going on etsy.com, for $285 (USD). The one I saw as less elaborate but was a golden colour, metal, and had a simple white repetitive flower pattern. I fell in love. Looking at it instantly brought this tune up to my mind. Ever watch The Shining? Yea, that exact tune, the one that plays at the end when they show you that creepy scene of *Spoiler* Jack in the picture.

I asked the lady seller: What is this?

Lady Seller: It’s a cigarette case. Circa 1940s.

Me: Oh, thank you *and casually puts it down*.

Inside I am screaming, what a find!!!!!!! It’s been around since the 1940s, which means, it’s probably seen a world war, and was maybe carried by some rich English or maybe French tai-tai, and she’s wearing that 1940s slinky dress.

And she’s smoking this long thin cigarette.

Wait, is that 1940s or 1920s? Doesn’t matter. It’s now in my hands!

And it was going for GBP 10! On etsy, it’s $285. In Tynemouth, GBP 10! And that’s before haggling. 

I didn’t buy it because I wouldn’t know what to do with it. It’s a cigarette case for 1940s cigarettes for heaven’s sake. I was thinking I could maybe use it as a ‘tissue paper holder’ but that would be so impractical. Tissue paper would

just fly out every time I open the case.

This is my historical Victorian warehouse WHICH IS NOW MY HOUSE by the way. And that is what one of the flats look like (I can’t put my real flat, privacy issues).

Reason#2 The High Street

Britain has the High Street retailers (and so does Europe) but I am in Britain, and I think it’s a major plus point when compared to Malaysia. All we have is.. only some.

They have H&M (we don’t have H&M). H&M is like the coolest high street retailer there is. They stock all these lovely clothes for relatively affordable prices. And they have Primark, where you can buy almost anything for very very low prices. Of course, these items will break down in a couple of months. But who cares? These stores capitalise on the modern day consumer capitalist individual’s need to consume! So we, these modern day consumer capitalists, go buy more stuff!

Now in Malaysia, the fashions come late. And things are more expensive. And it’s hard to find tops that you really like. So if you want to be unique and dress only a certain way, that’s going to be really hard. Because Malaysia is not a shopping mecca like Britain is.

Reason#3 Four Seasons

Britain has four seasons. So do a lot of countries, but again, I am in Britain. So this is a plus point for me.

Hello? Is that Spring I hear? Come hither my lovely flowery clothing items, light scarves, light jackets, pinkish things, because it is now spring and I have an excuse to wear flowery stuff.

Hello? Spring is over, but Summer is here! Come here my denim shorts and flip flops because it’s summer and I have an excuse to wear shorts! (I don’t actually wear shorts but this would be what many Brit girls think in Summer) it’s an excuse to wear shorts. Even if the temperature’s at 10 degrees Celsius…. But I kid you not. You just wanna tell them to put some coats on. The Brit shorts, I don’t know what fashion this is, but you can see their bums when they wear it. Thankfully, only teenage girls do this. Oh yes, and there’s a lot of fake tan going on too.

Oh, Summer’s gone already? (Summer can never go too slowly. Unfortunately, in Britain, it always seems to go so fast). Oh Hellow my lovely Autumn! Time to put on my scarves again. And oh, my boots, and yes, my fingerless gloves! And won’t I look stunning in this cardigan?

And then, Winter! Time for heavier scarves called snoods! And my leather winter jacket, my ear muffs, thicker gloves, and my Ugg boots!

So, I don’t own any of those. But if I did, that is what I would be thinking.

You can’t do this in Malaysia. You just can’t. If you do, you officially brand yourself an outcast. Because a person, wearing a scarf? And boots? And strutting around in KL? In this hot humid Malaysian weather? Can you imagine what onlookers would think?

Makcik di tepi jalan: “Tengok kat sana tu... Itulah.. wannabe nama orang ni… Ingat masih kat Britain. Denial la tu.”

Trendy English educated teenage girl at Pavillion: “Eew, what a wannabe. Hello? It’s Malaysia. Put some shorts on.”

Lala Luis: (In Cantonese) “Omg! New fashion ah? I must try oso!”

Reason#4 English Culture

Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Douglas Adams, Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, Sylvia Plath, Phillip Larkin, JK Rowling, Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton to name a few...

Freddie Mercury, Paul McCartney, RIngo Starr, John Lennon, Florence Welch, Elton John, Sid Vicious, err... Thomas Tallis? You can tell, I read more than I listen to music.

Alexander McQueen and err... Sarah Burton? (I know even less about fashion)

Queen Elizabeth.
 

What do all these people have in common??????

Yes, they are British! Is it cool to be British or what? I can honestly say that Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton formed my childhood. Without them, I wouldn't have had the sweet memories I now have, of cuddling up next to my giant toy English Bulldog (which I didn’t know was English, I only knew it as ‘bulldog’) and reading all these lovely books. I am so sentimental about them. I could cry. If my house was on fire, after saving all the necessary items, I would save my books.

So thank you Dame Christie and Mrs Blyton (although you were portrayed as a mean person in a movie made about you). You have given me…. My childhood.

And to you Sir Pratchett, you gave me… my teenage years.

And to you Ms Austen and Ms Brontes…. You gave me… a way to fill up my time when I was bored.

And to you Mr Hawking and Mr Dawkins… You gave me… for Hawking, a very interesting piece of work, and for Dawkins… it was fun watching you debate with Archbishop Rowan Williams in Cambridge. I watched the recorded stream. I wasn’t actually there.

And to you, Phillip Larkin...You gave me...  A philosophy.

I love you guys. . All of you (writers only).

Reason#5 Britain is near Europe

Feeling peckish for some lapin stew? No worries, hop onto the next Ryanair flight and in one hour, you’re in Paris.

Want to see der opera which dee Wagner has written? No worries, Ryanair flight will take you to Berlin in two hours.

Want to eat some Godiva chocolates? No worries, order from Belgium and the van will drive all the way up to Britain to send it to you.

Want some patatas bravas and to see the Sagrada Familia? Ryanair to Barcelona… two hours.

And finally, my favouritest city in the whole world… want to listen to a Mozart salon concert played by some excellent violinists in a very old concert room? Ryanair takes you to Vienna…. Must be less than three hours. I travelled from Munich by train, so I don’t know how long exactly by air.

Get what I’m saying? Europe, at your doorstep!

Therefore, everybody... Visit Britain!

HM Government should be paying me something for the promotion I’m doing with this blog post.