From my initial comfort at the Harlaxton Manor house to my initial dislike of London, and all experiences leading up to my ability to navigate successfully via Brit rail and the London tube, England provided me the opportunity to live within British society in a small town, as well as in a world-class capital of millions. As with any trip abroad, it wasn't until I got back that I had the distance to start to process everything that had happened and that I had experienced. To sum it up, this has been my British summer.
So what has it included to date (update: it IS only the middle of July--update 2: oops, and now it's October!)?
-a stay in Great Britain, including Scotland and England
-rainy cool, and at times, downright cold, weather, but mostly pleasant
-a breakfast fry-up nearly every day at Harlaxton and in London
-being called "love/luv" by the taxi drivers, and quite enjoying it
-wild bluebells of the sensitive English variety
-an unbelievable system of museums-no charge- much like Washington DC
-the V&A, and my ability to get there and back on my own, and while there, to be able to fall in love with David Bowie all over and feeling like a teenager again. This crush continues :), though it has receded to a normal fan-level.
-England's contributions to rock and roll, related to the Bowie exhibit, followed up by a re-examination of British music in general upon my return.
-wonder at driving on the left. It nearly always seemed that we would veer into oncoming traffic, causing a bit of an adrenaline rush.
-the universally polite people, apologizing for the slightest hint of causing any discomfort to anyone. This certainly is a training ground for gentlemen and gentlewomen.
Even an excursion to Berlin for a free weekend couldn't escape a British twinge, as one of the students wanted to make a pilgrimage to David Bowie's former apartment there.
Planning my regular visit with Kristen to NYC including a show, I could hardly decided between two, and decided that since we wouldn't be paying for a hotel (she is house sitting for Ryan D.), that we could compensate by seeing two shows: "Kinky Boots" and "Matilda." Tickets in hand, and listening to the soundtracks in anticipation, it dawns on me that these two plays are both very British. OK, the music for KB is strictly Cyndi Lauper in all her glorious 80's aesthetic, but it IS about a (real) shoe factory in England that reinvents itself as a producer of kinky boots for the niche market of drag queens when the men's shoe market bottoms out. Roald Dahl's Matilda is about a small English girl's school experiences, a kind of finding kindness and a silver lining in the worst of situations, as well as finding a quiet space for oneself in the madness of life. So, two (excellent) British-themed shows.
One final coincidence is that Kristen and I stayed in the East village and shopped in the surrounding area, which I learned after the fact is the general location of David Bowie's NYC home. after getting to know the area a bit, I am sure it provides him and his family comfortable anonymity.
My summer reading also followed the theme: the new Terry Eagleton book, "Across the Pond" 😊 as well as two recent le Carre novels ("A Delicate Truth" and "Our Kind of Traitor") Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane." Ken Follett's "World Without End" is waiting.
What was it not?
First, I did not include any pub visits in England! This was not on purpose, it just didn't happen. The closest I came was one hour or so with the students in the manor bistro! watching them win the pub quiz in grand style. Other than that, the closest I came to public communal drinking was one whisky along with lunch in a pub/restaurant in Edinburgh. This was mainlyfor medicinal purposes due to the extreme wetness of body and feet along with cold temperatures, which necessitated preventative measures. This event reinforced my understanding the unique role whisky has in Scottish cultural history, one that I have learned to appreciate even more now that I have been able to experience the need in person.
Post script:
Now that summer has stretched into autumn, I realize that my awareness of British life, including the influence the UK has had on American life and society, has been heightened. One small example is that I have discovered BBC6, which I can stream live, and which has reawakened my love of radio, as well as the way in BBC6 entertains and teaches its listeners. As with so many experiences, the "Wissenslücke" has been filled a bit, and is waiting for more information. Thus, I will continue to operate as Briton Douglas Adam's suggests:
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