The United Kingdom: One of Us, or in a League of Their Own?

         

      What else could we talk about these days? About the fact that on Friday morning, apart from the fact that I fell out of bed (true story), the first news I heard on the radio was an equally big blow: that the majority of the UK population had voted in favour of Brexit. Not all votes had been counted yet, but apparently it was still not enough for those against Brexit to reach a numeric advantage.

         I didn't see that one coming. The difference amongst the two sides was not big, but still, it counted. I have numerous British friends and aquaintances, but none of them declared himself in favour of Brexit. It's true that all of these people are well educated and from higher social spheres, and therefore they are open minded enough to see EU membership as an advantage, not as a threat. And yes, some of these people are past the age of 60. On the contrary, statistics have shown that the less educated segments of the population were those voting for Britain to leave the EU. Or, at least, they were those people who were (rightfully or not) nostalgic for a more traditional Britain or fearful for their national identity (again, rightfully or not). 

          On multiple occasions, the UK has shown the tendency to be 'in a league of its own', as opposed to an EU member who conforms. They were those (apart from Malta), who drove on the left side of the road, or who still held their ancient measurement units. Clothes and shoes sizes differ from the rest of Europe, many brand names also differ (although they are still recognizable thanks to the logos and packaging). In short, all these small things which made their society less accessible, unless you had a solid knowledge of it, or if you were willing to embrace all these differences.

     On the other hand, what about their already-existing multicultural society? Perhaps, after all the arrivals from former Commonwealth countries which made the UK (and especially London), such a mixture of different communities and cultures, this time they were really scared of further globalization. I remember, from the times when I was living there, and Romania was not in the EU yet, that they had lots of regulations regarding non-EU immigrants, apart from needing a visa and a work permit in case you wanted to work full-time. And my inner (or not) reaction was always something like: 'For God's sake, you're full of all nations possible and imaginable, and you make such a fuss over a 20 year' old Romanian student wanting to gain some relevant work experience, preferably not in a bar or in a shop? However, I believe that with or without the EU, these things are becoming part of life anyway. So, is it really something to be so afraid of?

            What will be the consequences, for the UK and for the rest of the EU?  Did they make a mistake? Most likely, yes, but I am not a political or economic analyst, nor can I predict the future. The basic things that I can foresee are some complications regarding their freedom to travel to other EU countries, as well as for working or doing business on EU territory, and viceversa, for EU citizens wanting to head off towards the UK. But we cannot foresee how things will unfold. I feel sorry for my friends who are now suffering, and perhaps a way to feel the consequences less could be found.

            

               

A Romanian in the UK: My First Migration Experience as an Adult

         

    Around this time, 15 years ago, I was having an experience which changed my life, and which actually taught me about what it means to be immersed in another country's culture. Moving to the UK for studies was a turning point, and actually, my first migration experience as an adult. Well, as probably you know, my family and I did move to Italy for the first time when I was two years old, but this is something different. It was not my first time in the UK though, as a few years prior I first went there as part of a school programme, and stayed with a really nice family from Derby, with whom I am still in contact, and I returned there two or three times afterwards, until the big move. 

          Whereas Italy is my second home, and I got used to it with far bigger ease, the UK was an adult decision which belonged to me, with all its consequences. Was it going to be merely about discovery, or building a new life to last forever? At the beginning I didn't know: I left with the idea that it would be the second option, but in the end it turned out to be the first one. In fact, after graduation I returned to Romania, and since then I've only returned about twice, last time in 2008.

         Sooo, London calling! (Can you hear The Clash in the background? ;) ) I was going to study Media, and become a journalist, or a television professional, or anything related. For a while, so I did, but that's another story, and we'll talk about it another time. For the numerous people who fascinatedly ask me how it was, I will offer you a list of do's and don't's, and likes and dislikes, but keep in mind that everything listed here is subjective, as perceived through the eyes of a girl in her late teens to early 20s, from a very-very-very different cultural background. Perhaps some things have changed, or perhaps I would see them differently these days. 

... Big like: The friendliness and approachable nature of people. People of all ages would come to talk to you at any time, and in any place, even if they only make remarks about the weather (yes, it's not a myth). And yes, it often happens to be approached by a random guy in the street, in the bar or at the club, and be asked out, or asked for your number. Sometimes it's creepy (depends how pushy they are), and sometimes it's funny. But of course you don't have to accept if you don't want. Shop assistants, bartenders, bus drivers - they are very helpful, and the good old "please" and "thank you" are never missing. At university or at work, it is easy to socialize with your mates, and also with your neighbours. And before you ask: no, I haven't encountered discrimination towards foreigners, at least not on an individual level (with institutional level, it's something else, but we'll get there later). And they say the Brits are cold! As if! ;) What I also like about the people is their modesty and simplicity: they don't pretend to be something they're not, no hidden "dark sides", no hypocrisy or snobbery. "What you see is what you get". And I hope these traits have not changed.

... Do choose London if you want multiculturalism. London is full of a wide variety of cultures, not just British: you'll meet many people of Indian, African, Caribbean, Oriental backgrounds, from the former Commonwealth countries, but also the biggest concentration of more recent foreign immigrants. Most of them actually gravitate around specific city areas. In other words, you'll get the chance to get a glimpse of several cultures, you will make friends with people from all parts of the world, and eventually you'd find people you fit in with, learn about cultural differences, but also find shared values.

           

... Do choose London also if you want a city that never sleeps and an active social life. Apart from the famous tourist attractions which we all know, you can go partying in Leicester Square, shopping in Oxford Street, seeing your favourite bands live at Wembley Arena or a famous musical in the West End, or being a rocker in Camden Town, or being in the audience of a live TV show. I did them all, by the way. Are these your pint of beer... ehm... cup of tea? ;) Well, then London is definitely for you. On one condition: that you have all the energy you can possibly get, because resting is not really an option, and I often found myself saying "enough!" (but it was never really enough, as one thing leads to another, and then another, and then another...)

                  

... Don't choose London, however, if you need a more relaxed atmosphere, a more typically British setting, or closeness with nature. Instead do choose a smaller town, there are many charming ones to choose from. My favourites are Bournemouth (photo), Cambridge, Oxford, Derby, Brighton or York. The order is arbitrary and each of them has its particular good points. But in my opinion, such cities are more reflective of the real England, as opposed to cosmopolitan London.

... Big like: Community spirit and active citizenship. From this point of view, the Brits have a lot to teach Romanians. Even in a big city like London, communities are very well defined around city areas, as the city is very smartly divided into boroughs, each of them with its local council. Therefore, in your area you will have local institutions and local organizations which carry out a wide variety of activities: charity events, environmental activities, sporting events, socializing evenings, etc. Volunteering with them is a great opportunity to do something useful for the neigbourhood you live in, but also to make new friends. 

...  Big dislike: binge drinking, with all its consequences. Sometimes, it makes nice people turn nasty, and it makes attractive guys turn unattractive (at least for me). Plus, it removes people's responsibility for their actions: "Oops, did I call you a crazy b**ch last night? I'm sorry, I was drunk!", "Did I start telling people about your personal matters? Oops, sorry, I was drunk!" (true story). And for a non-drinker like myself, seeing people finding fun in that and almost forcing you to drink more and more and more, was a cultural shock, and I often felt like a "fish out of water". Some people didn't go this far, though, or at least knew their own limit, and I preferred to socialize with those. Let's call it "cultural uncompatibility". ;) To all those with this fabulous habit: please guys, take care of your health! Besides, you're all so much nicer when you're sober! ;)

... Like: the university system, with very well structured programmes. No filling up the timetable with useless subjects (apart from maybe one or two, or perhaps the curricula was wrong, not the idea), focused placed mostly on creativity and analytical thinking rather than a reproduction of theory, clear instructions on assigments, marks given fairly, generally efficient administrative services, and helpful staff. The relationship with teachers is informal, and you call them by their first name. Cool, ain't it? ;)

... Dislike: high prices, especially for houses / rents, and especially in London.

                   

... Like: mix of traditional and modern. For example, people with modern lifestyles and life values, combined with traditional settings, such as those charming houses in Victorian or Tudor style, with small rooms, classical furniture and separate taps for hot and cold water. 

... Like: Maintaining national identity is a good thing, and the Brits should pay extra attention, with all the cosmopolitan arrivals in their country, which they are constantly exposed to. I'm not asking them to be discriminating, but at least keep what makes them different. Even measurement units, clothes sizes and driving on the left side. 

                                                       

... Tricky: food. I say tricky because what is tasty is fattening: traditional cakes and desserts, pies, Cadbury chocolate, baked potatoes with various fillings, lots of rich sauces etc. Lots of international restaurants and take-aways. Food in canteens and even some pubs and caffetterias is not good, especially the so-called healthy dishes, therefore you turn to the tasty-yet-fattening stuff. Therefore, when I came back to Romania, I came with an unexpected baggage of 11 extra kilos, which I quickly got rid of once I was back home, getting back to my initial weight, and never saw those kilos again. :D My tip would be to try to eat at home as often as you can, but not heat-and-serve microwavable food, because that is high in calories too. Try preparing things by yourself instead. Also try to limit "pub food", fish and chips, or pastries. A little bit of moderation goes a long way. ;)  

... Dislike: Bureaucracy. The Brits don't generally have ID cards, using mainly passports, student cards and driving licenses for identification, and to demonstrate at the pub that they're over 18. :) However, for every registration somewhere, they require lots of irrelevant information. Plus, keep in mind that when I was living there, Romania was not part of the EU yet. And therefore, I had to suffer extra because of even more regulations and restrictions, not to mention higher university fees. We didn't have problems getting or extending the visa, but what came afterwards, as residents, often made me feel like being controlled, starting with a series of dumb questions at the airport passport control point. I also believe there is work discrimination, masked as "equal opportunities monitoring", and many British friends agree with me. When applying for a job, you have a section in the form, which asks about your nationality, race, religion, and even sexual orientation. I mean, really? I understand nationality, in order to figure out if you need a work permit or not, but the others... why should they care?? Does it have anything to do with professional skills? Ehm... no! I'd rather call it "reasons to discriminate form". 'Nuff said! :P 

... Big like: this one is for us, ladies, as a dessert, 'cause I'm sending you shopping. You know that no matter what country I'm in, I'm in favour of purchasing local brands. For clothes and shoes, I would advise you to go for New Look, Miss Selfridge, Oasis and Topshop. For cosmetics, The Body Shop and Boots are a must. Plus, there is a very nice shopping center in Kingston, on the outskirts of London. Try it, and salute the place on my behalf! ;) 

         So, that's the long and short of it, and I believe I've been exhaustive. As you see, it was an experience full of good and bad, like in every country, but an experience from which I really learned a lot. And looking in retrospective, it didn't do me any unrepairable damage. Do I miss England? Some things yes, others definitely not. I miss most of the friends I met there, and if they read this, I'm sending them a hug. Would I return to live there? I have no idea. I wouldn't mind taking a longer trip through various cities, just to refresh my memory on places, people and activities. I still find myself culturally different, but perhaps nowadays I'd be more prepared on what to expect, or I would look at things with a different perspective, that of a 30 year' old. As far as work is concerned, although in theory there is an abundance of opportunities, I'm afraid all work-related obstacles would be the same. But, who knows... ?

Immigration and Offensive Stereotypes - a Case against British Broadcaster Channel 4

      As it looks like, the beginning of this year really seems to be about culture and identity in relation to the media. This time, the gaffe was made by British television channel Channel 4, which recently produced the documentary series "The Romanians Are Coming". The end of the year 2013 marked the abolishment of all restrictions on the immigration procedures for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens in the European Union, the United Kingdom included.  Consequently, this translated into a higher exodus of Romanian migrants towards the UK. 

     Shock! Horror! Panic! Should the Brits be scared or not? Well, according to Channel 4's documentary, they should. The producers decided to present Romanians as some sort of low value people, of bad manners and poor social skills, and also with criminal records. Now, I am not saying that these people do not exist, but they are certainly not the majority, and most surely they are not what Romania and Romanians are all about. 

     While I was living in the UK, most of the people I met there were fundamentally good people. However, in many cases I have to admit that their knowledge about other countries and cultures left a lot to be desired, with the exception of intellectuals. Some of them were willing to learn more. But some of them were often asking questions such as "Do you have showers in Romania?" or "Are there universities in Romania? Ah, there are? And why did you come here?" All true stories, by the way. 

       But is it not a vicious circle? Stereoptypes and erroneous knowledge are fed by the media, and the average person would take it at face value, without being minimally interested to verify what they are being fed. And who suffers the most?  Of course, those highly-qualified, upper-class Romanians who have come to the UK in order to complete their studies or build a career. 

         As for Channel 4, I remember that even during my stay there, at the beginning of the years 2000, they have made some similarly outrageous documentaries, which we were apalled by. Now, to be honest, such media "professionals" could do some thorough research if they wanted to. They surely have the means, and it is their job. But they do not want to. As a journalistic term says, "bad news is good news". Why not create scandal? Plus, what can you expect from a channel which produces tacky shows such as Big Brother? How desperate should Channel 4 be in order to go to such lengths and insult an enitre nation, for the sake of attracting audience? 

             Action was taken by the Romanian Ambassador in the UK through an open letter to the producers, and also by the Romanian population through an online petition. What was being requested was either a positive and negative balanced approached, either to stop broadcasting the documentary. And this afternoon a peaceful protest will take place by Romanian immigrants at the Channel 4 headquarters. At least if they reached the expected result! 

             As for my British friends and aquaintances, I know they are able to learn, and to develop curiosity. Then, why not find out the truth about other cultures, and fight against stereotyping? The media is not the most ideal platform for developping that knowldege, so why not start packing and take a nice holiday in our BEAUTIFUL Romania? :)

Community Spirit and Social Cohesion: Part of a Country's Culture?

 

  Recent events on the Romanian political scene gave me some food for thought about an aspect of society which varies from country to country or community to community, and which some people regard as necessary, whilst others remain indifferent to its presence.  I'm not talking about political views, but about things like solidarity between people, social cohesion, or community spirit, and which, for the first time since the 1989 Revolution against communism, seemed to regain their place in the lives of Romanian people. This was an isolated event, but what about day-to-day life? 

    To tell you the truth, I always considered Romania a highly individualistic country. People rarely trust each other, or often keep communication to a minimum necessary, generally tending to stay within their circle of family members and long-term friends. In living or work environments, although relationships are cordial or civil, it is rare that people are interested in becoming a team if circumstances don't specifically require it, or simply becoming friends with the people they come into contact with every day. Of course, there are exceptions, but unfortunately, they don't represent the majority. Or at least, I refer to the capital city, Bucharest, and I'm not sure about smaller cities or the country-side. I am not sure whether it's about the current historical period vs. the past, or about the social environment.  For example, I grew up in a popular, not-so-high-brow neighbourhood of the city. My neighbours were not particularly rich, but they were friendly, trustworthy, we all knew each other, and supported each other in times of need. In the early '90s, though, we moved to a posh area, where our new neigbours were not half as friendly,  I always felt like a bit of an outsider, and it took me ages to fit in. 

      By the same token, in Italy there are similar discourses regarding contradictions between the North and South of the country. However, as you know from my previous post, or personally from myself if you know me, even as an immigrant in Milano, I would still give Northern Italians pretty high marks in that department. Maybe they don't have that "in your face", intrusive attitude, but still, needing help with something and being able to ask your neighbour without being given strange looks was important to me. Or, in a neighbourhood full of small businesses, shops and caffeterias where people know each other and greet each other even from afar, the atmosphere is just perfect. 
     And speaking of big cities, one big surprise for me was London. A huge city, indeed! But, being divided into numerous boroughs, it often feels like a conglomerate of residential areas that look like small cities (apart from the city center). Having separate administrative institutions, and everything close, life gathers around the same spots. People not only carry out their daily errands, but also socialize in these self-contained communities. It is impossible not to get to know a fair amount of people within the first month of living in the same neigbourhood. Not to mention that neighbour who invited everyone in our (small) appartment building for a getting-to-know-each-other dinner. You definitely don't get that everywhere!
       What about your countries, or your cities? Do you live and carry out your activities in a friendly environment? Is it easy to make friends, or everyone sticks to what they have to do and this is enough? Do you think it is a cultural thing, like a tradition belonging to particular parts of the world more than others? And, most of all, do you think that community spirit is a good thing or a bad thing? 

(photo: www.geekandjock.com)