Charming England and How Culture Can Be ”Misleading”
My trip to England really turned out to be everything that I didn’t see coming. As there is a saying, beauty comes from the eyes of the beholder. So everything I’m about to write is coming from my perspective and experiences.
I’ve had this feeling of busy British culture. Busy developing something new and pushing their society always further not to mention all those little medieval villages with tons of murders as Miss Marple thought me, though that is probably not true at all ( at least I hope so ). Anyway back to the point, really when I think about England the first thing that comes to my mind is London. Busy London, with insane traffic that people always complain about, basic city people minding their own business, countless tourists trying to catch a red bus and suburbs full of people from all walks of life. Really everything else then simplicity, peace and calmness.
Oh but yes you caught me 100%, if it would be 120% I’d be exaggerating ha! Charming England caught me off from my feet and did its magic spells with such heart warming, welcoming people, not to forget helpful and sweet as well. Yes I may love paying attention to these kind of things but honestly you’d have to be quite an asshole not to be cheered up from all the loving people around you hahah.
Let’s go back to few weeks and to the reason why I travelled there in the first place. My sister moved to Norwich which is in Norfolk with her beautiful family of three. Since moving from country to another is slightly challenging to put it bluntly, she asked me to come there for extra helping hand and of course to spend time with my gorgeous little baby goddaughter. Obviously we spent every minute together planning on their new home and trying to put everything on their places but we also got few days off to get to know the city a bit better and to get to know the night life of Norwich city!
Really the neighborhood and house was everything that I expected from English architecture. Staying at their house was a lot more fun and closer to that ”what’s it really like experience” than staying in a hotel that is usually designed for everybody’s liking. I mean there’s something to it you know? Staying in a brick house where every corner and design is based on what’s part of their culture. These kind of point of views are something that you might not pay attention to when you’re at your own home or home country. But really when you’re traveling to new cities and country’s, the architecture is one of the most noticeable with your bare eyes when it comes to getting to know a new culture and something that you might notice different from what you’re used to.
Not to forget how absolutely helpless we were trying to figure out how the technology works in their new house but as our favor it was very different from houses that are in Finland. SO logically we called quite a lot of times to handyman and to its construction company. I think eventually they figured out who’s calling before even picking up hahah. But let me say, every single time we got very good proper help from them and they didn’t even lose their minds with us though I do think they got quite proper laughs! I believe that was the first amaze factor for noticing how genuinely open and helpful people there were around us. From construction workers to baristas and to even people you might just pass by, everyone seemed very open and always greeting with a smile. Literally all that was not something I expected. Or then there was something funny in my face or clothes but I really doubt that hahah.
Every country has its way to create a certain kind of culture around it just with its TV series, movies, politics ( don’t get started with me.. pls ) but mostly let’s concentrate on the film industry. Obviously English series and movies are famous and shown around the world. What I’m trying to say here is that you can easily create an own illusion from a culture by creating a vision from series and movies you watch. For Example, British series I’ve watched, there is a lot but I’m gonna list out few the most major factors for my thoughts about British culture, okay; Geordie Shore, Ex on the beach, Love Island okay shoot me now. Nah just kidding please don’t let’s continue, Miss Marple, the Reign, Grand Designs obviously the British seasons and not to forget all the beauty shows. SO I guess now you can understand why my idea of British culture has definitely being mislead.
As I mentioned before historical British shows has and still are one of my favorite kinds and I only dream about those medieval gorgeous villages, tea with biscuits and so damn loving grannies. But you know what? It was all there, everything I hoped was actually the reality which is in away insane right? But not be naive of course it has it’s ”Geordie shore side”, that truly came through to me from gossip magazines and even some young people that definitely dreamed about becoming a member of those trash shows ha!
Walking around the city really set me off to my own imagination and brought me back to those ideas and thoughts I had in my head about brick houses, villages, tea and biscuit times, everything. This might just sound crazy but one of the cutest things I came across with was this such a sweet old couple hand in hand at the grocery store and you know what they bought?? Salty traditional pie and biscuits for their tea. Wow that truly did sound crazy but the point is that we often either have misleading thoughts about culture or we might just miss it by not paying attention to those little things that can be a lot more louder than a drunken Geordie Shore girl screaming. But seeing this old lovely couple ( who absolutely fell in love my goddaughter ) being genuine, polite, buying their country’s traditional food really made me realize that everything I’ve dreamed about English culture turned out to be true and sometimes the culture can be so different from expected.
I’m focusing on the good side here but of course every good side has its bad side. But to be completely honest my experience was splendid and marvelous and I truly do hope you’re laughing as much as I do right now.. To wrap it all up England is great, tea and biscuits are great and I guarantee you you’re gonna love English folk, maybe be charmed by their louder culture than expected!
Cheerio Loves, yes I most definitely had to do that.
