Pearls of Wisdom

Well, it's been another month in the Land of the Angles, and I like to think I've come out wiser than at the beginning. I've learned a thing or two about paleontology, of course, and I've learned that the bulleted list is far and away the best way of presenting random thoughts. With that in mind, here's a list of some of the stereotypes that Americans have about Britain and what I've learned about their veracity in the last month.

-British weather is like Seattle's weather - gray and rainy: After last week's cold snap, I was beginning to fear that this was a misconception. Fortunately, the last few days and the upcoming weather report prove otherwise. This is a maritime climate after all!
-Fries=chips and chips=crisps: Not completely true. Chips are known as crisps, but fried potatoes are known both as chips (thick slices) and fries (thin slices).
-The English are aloof (I): The English hate Europe: Well, they don't hate Europe as such. They certainly think of themselves as a separate entity (hence the adherence to the pound rather than the Euro). Also, there does seem to be a fair amount of disregard for the French and the Welsh. Conversely, of course, no one in Europe much likes the English (again, especially the French and Welsh), so at least it's a two way street.
-The English are aloof (II): The English hate Americans: Not at all true. They hate George Bush, to be sure, and they don't much like what we've done with what they consider to be their language, but I've not noticed even a modicum of animosity towards Americans individually. In fact, there is something of a strange national obsession with America (witness the American Museum in Bath). Canadians ("colonials"), on the other hand...
-Britons are more cultured than Americans: They can put on a good show of sophistication, but a glance at almost any newspaper or a trip to a pub will quickly show you that England has just as seedy an underbelly as the US.
-British food is bland: Bland might be a little harsh. If you like meat and potatoes, it's practically heaven!

With this knowledge to fortify me, I now begin another month (well, half month) in England. A few notes about what's new with me: tomorrow is the annual St. Barbara's Day (the patron saint of geologists) quiz night. I had been without a team, but fortunately (for me) Sarda can't make it, and I'll be taking her spot on the paleontology PhD team! Should be fun. Also, I just got my tickets to return to England after Christmas arranged, and I'll be stopping over for a couple of days in Copenhagen! Scandinavia, here I come!