Excellent post, but I have always wondered about the extent to which British cynicism is largely feigned, as a kind of guard against disappointed expectations etc.
An excellent examination of what comprises a country by Rebecca Lowe. It reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness, "How does one hate a country, or love one?"
Le Guin and Lowe are both exploring that the country is not the border, the boundary, or the land. It is the social contracts between people, and the organizations they create.
I am working on a piece about the forms of government humans will develop in space - subscribe so you don't miss it! What values will off-Earth people enshrine, and will they be foreign to what some hold now?
Hey Rebecca, great read, so weird because I was just reflecting on the same thoughts having been in California and now Texas for over a month and I do usually spend around 10% of my time here now.
Totally agree on the positive attitude here, it's a huge plus. As are the roads, the amount of space everywhere and despite the politics in the news, it really doesn't flow into every day life here, the people are genuinely lovely here and there's a real sense of community and friendliness. There's so much I love about the culture here.
However, I could never live here, I concluded that I love it but 1 month a year is plenty. Whilst I love the food here, what it contains terrifies me! I go home feeling the need to eat nothing but salads for a month. Walking anywhere is hard as everything is huge and designed for cars only. In Texas the religion and how in your face it can be, also wears me down after a while, as does the cringey advertising and then the fact that you go to a friends & family BBQ and people are carrying hand guns holstered on their belts. Then there's the Texas weather, it's just too hot. Sorry, I'll take the British rain over the Texas heat...
So I love being here, I do love America and especially the people here... but just in short bursts! Glad you're having a great time.
david! i missed this comment the other day somehow! totally agree re how the politics doesn't flow into every day life -- i find that even living near DC! but i'm done with british rain — I think the trick is living in a state where the weather is v good but not crazy hot.. ditto i am lucky to live in an unusually walkable area.. with a fantastic metro.. and I rarely see a gun! For me, it's gotta be American optimism for the win :)
Excellent post, but I have always wondered about the extent to which British cynicism is largely feigned, as a kind of guard against disappointed expectations etc.
i think that can come from a kind of pseudo self modesty. whatever its cause or depth, though, the cynical culture is pervasive and I don't like it!
Would be great if you were to write about it in the interests of cross-cultural understanding!
ha one day -- i’ve been meaning to!
An excellent examination of what comprises a country by Rebecca Lowe. It reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness, "How does one hate a country, or love one?"
Le Guin and Lowe are both exploring that the country is not the border, the boundary, or the land. It is the social contracts between people, and the organizations they create.
I am working on a piece about the forms of government humans will develop in space - subscribe so you don't miss it! What values will off-Earth people enshrine, and will they be foreign to what some hold now?
Hey Rebecca, great read, so weird because I was just reflecting on the same thoughts having been in California and now Texas for over a month and I do usually spend around 10% of my time here now.
Totally agree on the positive attitude here, it's a huge plus. As are the roads, the amount of space everywhere and despite the politics in the news, it really doesn't flow into every day life here, the people are genuinely lovely here and there's a real sense of community and friendliness. There's so much I love about the culture here.
However, I could never live here, I concluded that I love it but 1 month a year is plenty. Whilst I love the food here, what it contains terrifies me! I go home feeling the need to eat nothing but salads for a month. Walking anywhere is hard as everything is huge and designed for cars only. In Texas the religion and how in your face it can be, also wears me down after a while, as does the cringey advertising and then the fact that you go to a friends & family BBQ and people are carrying hand guns holstered on their belts. Then there's the Texas weather, it's just too hot. Sorry, I'll take the British rain over the Texas heat...
So I love being here, I do love America and especially the people here... but just in short bursts! Glad you're having a great time.
david! i missed this comment the other day somehow! totally agree re how the politics doesn't flow into every day life -- i find that even living near DC! but i'm done with british rain — I think the trick is living in a state where the weather is v good but not crazy hot.. ditto i am lucky to live in an unusually walkable area.. with a fantastic metro.. and I rarely see a gun! For me, it's gotta be American optimism for the win :)
And we have baseball!
We like having you here!