One of the first places I visited in London was Kensington Palace. I loved being able to tell my friends back home that I had gone to class, gone shopping, and taken a tour of a palace. Since visiting a home of royalty is an everyday part of life here in London! At the palace, they were featuring an exhibit called The Last Debutante. It was about life in the upper middle class during the fifties and sixties. The museum had dresses, makeup, pictures, and other memorabilia from the day. It even had a room to teach the visitor how to curtsy and walk with correct posture! The young men and women featured in the exhibit described a life of posh parties, some of which even the queen attended. This was the first glimpse I got of the apparent class system in England.
During our BLC lecture about the class system, the speaker said that it was difficult to move up in the social structure already in place in this country. This type of lifestyle is opposite from how we are raised in the US, in which we are told from a very young age that we can achieve anything we put our mind to. In England, a person normally stays in the social class that they are born into. Our first speaker made the comment that no matter how hard she works, she knows that she can never be queen.
In the video we watched in class "Mrs. Minerva", one of the purposes for making the movie was to show a dissolving class system in England. In the movie, Mrs. Minerva socialized, and even became a relative of an upper class woman. This theme was meant to cause Americans to sympathize with the British and see that the class system is not as prominent as once thought.
While the English still claim that there is a distinct class system, I have yet to encounter it in my experiences in London so far. Other than not being able to meet the Queen, my middle to lower class standing has not had much of an effect on my stay.
Wednesday 25 February 2009
"Dolce et Decorum Est"
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares2 we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest3 began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots4
Of tired, outstripped5 Five-Nines6 that dropped behind.
Gas!7 Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets8 just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime9 . . .
Dim, through the misty panes10 and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering,11 choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud12
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest13
To children ardent14 for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.
This is one of the most Famous world war 1 poems written by Wilfred Owen. The poem is an anti-war piece of literature which describes in poetic detail the experience of a soldier. The poem was written during a period of extreme nationalism. The poem stood out against patriotic literature of its time.
The first line "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks" describes how the trenches cause otherwise healthy young men to behave like old people. It continues on to illustrate the horrors soldiers encountered in the trenches. Owen, a soldier himself, could adequately portray these images having experienced the trenches. The last line, a latin phrase, means "It is sweet and right to die for your country". This was a popular quote during the war, and Owen uses it at the end of his poem to emphasize his anti war stance. This account portrays a gruesome and tragic part of the war in which the government preferred to gloss over.
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares2 we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest3 began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots4
Of tired, outstripped5 Five-Nines6 that dropped behind.
Gas!7 Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets8 just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime9 . . .
Dim, through the misty panes10 and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering,11 choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud12
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest13
To children ardent14 for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.
This is one of the most Famous world war 1 poems written by Wilfred Owen. The poem is an anti-war piece of literature which describes in poetic detail the experience of a soldier. The poem was written during a period of extreme nationalism. The poem stood out against patriotic literature of its time.
The first line "Bent double, like old beggars under sacks" describes how the trenches cause otherwise healthy young men to behave like old people. It continues on to illustrate the horrors soldiers encountered in the trenches. Owen, a soldier himself, could adequately portray these images having experienced the trenches. The last line, a latin phrase, means "It is sweet and right to die for your country". This was a popular quote during the war, and Owen uses it at the end of his poem to emphasize his anti war stance. This account portrays a gruesome and tragic part of the war in which the government preferred to gloss over.
Muslims in Britain
One of the most educational places that I have been so far in London was to the Central Mosque. The Muslim religion is the one of the main three (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) that I know the least about. Since I have grown up in a Christian church and have a good friend who is Jewish, I have been exposed to those religions and know a lot about their traditions and beliefs. In London, however, there is a very large Muslim population, which has made me more aware of their culture.
Something that I was unsure of before visiting the mosque was whether or not Muslims believed in the same God as Christians and Jews. I was intrigued to find out that they do! It surprises me that all three of these religions can worship the same God, yet still have so many conflicts. Muslims even believe in many of the same stories as found in the Torah and Old Testament. Even though London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, because of terrorist activities here, people are sometimes prejudice towards Mulsims. When our guide through the mosque mentioned this occurrence, he brushed it off as though prejudice was something he was accustomed to. This lifestyle of knowing that people may be scared of you but simply not caring was eye opening.
Their custom of going to the mosque five times a day is very different from ours in which we only go to church on Sundays. Also, when they pray, they do it in groups in order to build community, whereas for Christians prayer is more of a private event. The way in which the women are viewed is quite a culture shock as well. The women must cover themselves and be separated from the men during times of prayer in order to give the women more respect, and prevent the men from sexual temptation. This culture is quite a bit different from American culture where women aim to dress provocatively and be viewed as sexy.
Despite the discriminations toward them and the amount of time and dedication required, there are over 2 million practicing Muslims in the UK. Since they take up such a large population of London I am grateful for being able to learn about their culture during my trip to the Mosque.
Something that I was unsure of before visiting the mosque was whether or not Muslims believed in the same God as Christians and Jews. I was intrigued to find out that they do! It surprises me that all three of these religions can worship the same God, yet still have so many conflicts. Muslims even believe in many of the same stories as found in the Torah and Old Testament. Even though London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, because of terrorist activities here, people are sometimes prejudice towards Mulsims. When our guide through the mosque mentioned this occurrence, he brushed it off as though prejudice was something he was accustomed to. This lifestyle of knowing that people may be scared of you but simply not caring was eye opening.
Their custom of going to the mosque five times a day is very different from ours in which we only go to church on Sundays. Also, when they pray, they do it in groups in order to build community, whereas for Christians prayer is more of a private event. The way in which the women are viewed is quite a culture shock as well. The women must cover themselves and be separated from the men during times of prayer in order to give the women more respect, and prevent the men from sexual temptation. This culture is quite a bit different from American culture where women aim to dress provocatively and be viewed as sexy.
Despite the discriminations toward them and the amount of time and dedication required, there are over 2 million practicing Muslims in the UK. Since they take up such a large population of London I am grateful for being able to learn about their culture during my trip to the Mosque.
A Secular Europe
Historically England is seen as a fairly religious state. There is no separation between church and government, which allows prayers to publicly be read and religion to be included in education. In public schools where, in America , one can not hang the Ten Commandments, in England America America religions views are an important part of a candidate’s campaign, but in Britain UK
Tuesday 10 February 2009
Differences
I've had a fun past few weeks here in London. I can't believe I've been here for more than a month! So far I've been to several of the tourist attractions here in London and even taken a trip to Paris! Life is quite different from what I'm used to back home, London is huge and culturally different from my small town in Tennessee.
A big difference I have noticed is in grocery prices. I prepared myself to expect most things in London to be quite a bit more expensive than I am used to. I didn't expect, however, for some things to be cheaper! Bread, milk, produce, snacks and cereal are all for the most part cheaper than at home. For example, Mayfields milk (sorry for all you Missouri people who can't experience the wonders of Mayfields) is more than five dollars for a gallon, here two quarts of milk is around a pound fifty. While meats and prepared foods are still more expensive, I am glad to find that we Americans get a break on some prices here in the UK.
Also I have noticed a major difference is the transportation. This might be a bigger deal to me, coming from a small town in TN, than it would to someone who lives in a city, but I've never had to walk so much! At Carson Newman it only takes ten minutes, if that, to walk across campus. I've had to adjust to waking up thirty minutes earlier to account for the walk to class! All of this walking is good for my health, but not for my feet. High heels used to be a large part of my wardrobe, one which I have had to give up for warmer, more comfortable flats.
All in all, adjusting to life in London has been a fun experience. While there are too many differences to mention, change is a good and healthy thing. I'm sure there will be countless more differences to come, and I am looking forward to dealing with those too!
A big difference I have noticed is in grocery prices. I prepared myself to expect most things in London to be quite a bit more expensive than I am used to. I didn't expect, however, for some things to be cheaper! Bread, milk, produce, snacks and cereal are all for the most part cheaper than at home. For example, Mayfields milk (sorry for all you Missouri people who can't experience the wonders of Mayfields) is more than five dollars for a gallon, here two quarts of milk is around a pound fifty. While meats and prepared foods are still more expensive, I am glad to find that we Americans get a break on some prices here in the UK.
Also I have noticed a major difference is the transportation. This might be a bigger deal to me, coming from a small town in TN, than it would to someone who lives in a city, but I've never had to walk so much! At Carson Newman it only takes ten minutes, if that, to walk across campus. I've had to adjust to waking up thirty minutes earlier to account for the walk to class! All of this walking is good for my health, but not for my feet. High heels used to be a large part of my wardrobe, one which I have had to give up for warmer, more comfortable flats.
All in all, adjusting to life in London has been a fun experience. While there are too many differences to mention, change is a good and healthy thing. I'm sure there will be countless more differences to come, and I am looking forward to dealing with those too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)