Monday, July 03, 2006

England

I knew as soon as it went into extra time that it would end in penalties and I couldn't bear to watch them, so I left. I mean, for pity's sake, I could barely bear to watch them in the Germany Argentina game a few days before, so England taking penalties...no, no, no...not happening. I also knew, as chips are chips, penalties mean we lose. So I couldn't bear to watch it...just got in my car and drove home. Julia and I had been teaching Colour for Design at Crafty-Ness and I'd been watching the game on Vanessa's little TV she has upstairs. Never mind. It's only a game. Sad though.

But something else has been on my mind and I've been thinking about this for two days now...whether to blog it. However I just need to get this off my chest.

In one way I am relieved the football is over. Why? Because I am so completely and utterly fed up of my country being maligned wherever I go. And those who do it laughably seem to think it's perfectly okay for them to do so. I have had people chat to me in my local supermarket and then, upon hearing my accent, say "Oh I'd better not let my friends catch me talking to you...I'll be in trouble." All said in jest...but it had an element of truth behind it and left me feeling fairly stunned. I've had people ranting on about their English neighbours putting up Crosses of St. George (putting up their own country's flag...what are they thinking?). I've been in a school where the half-hour video they've shown for Welsh lesson was an historical account of how the medieval English laws were "stupid" whereas the Welsh ones were much more sensible and fair. I've had to listen to people blatantly going out of their way to support any team in the football (replace this word with rugby or any other sport you care to mention) who might have a good chance of beating England. I've had to listen to the local news programme talk about a soldier who was "forced" ("forced!!!" I ask you!!) to watch England with the other English squaddies he was stationed with (he wasn't forced by the way...but why use such emotive language? Husband and I were laughing our heads off at the news item...how completely ridiculous to even use such a word!). I've walked behind 9 and 10 year old boys chatting who've been ecstatic because another country has beaten England (why, at 9 years old do they hate England so much?). I've heard of teenager (a friend of a friend at church) who has "EnglandIsCrap" as her email address, and can give no good reason as to why she hates the country so much. And when I turned on the radio on the way home from Crafty-Ness on Saturday to see if, indeed, the penalties had panned out as I had expected, the first thing I heard was a Scottish listener on the phone to the Radio 1 DJ, completely jumping for joy because England had been beaten. I turned it off in disgust...not because I was upset about England losing but because everyone seemed to think that her whooping with joy was okay. That was okay to air, because it was only England after all. But...what if these people were talking about Jews? Or blacks? Everyone would throw their hands up in horror. The video in the school would never have been made, let alone shown in lessons. Law courts might even be involved.

And it has the effect of making me feel either (a) paranoid that people are always thinking such things and when someone is rude or unkind or thoughtless that it is, in fact, to do with my nationality, or (b) more and more and more patriotic because one's back is up (which then intensifies the anti-English feeling and so it goes on).

It's racism and I hate it. Whoever does it to whom.

Right. Done moaning.

Oh...and who do I want to win now? France (vous m'avez entendu, les francaises? LOL)

3 comments:

Deborah Duck said...

Here here Chrissie! I'm not English as you know, but have lived there and have English friends. I also know lots and lots of Welsh people who support Wales, and whatever team is playing against England, in whatever sport. Petty, smallminded, ignorant people. Wales couldn't survive without the support of England, we just don't make enough tax pounds to support ourselves. Plaid Cymru know this, which is why they have allied themselves with Europe, because should (heaven forbid) we ever go the whole hog and become completely independent, we would need handouts from them. This is one of my soapbox rants too, don't get me started on the Welsh Assembly - what a money pit!!! Nice job if you can get it basically.

Outside of the UK hardly anyone knows who or what Wales is anyway. When I've met people whilst either living or holidaying abroad I tell people I am English, because they just don't understand the concept of Wales LOL. That's not to say I'm not proud of my own country because I am, I'm also realistic.

It was a real treat going into Gloucester the other week to see all the flags on the cars and at windows, we should support our countries, but we are fortunate to be either English Welsh Scottish or Irish, and ALSO British. I stayed up into the small hours supporting those Scottish women hurling a few years ago, can't think of anything Irish right now, but similarly I would support them too.

Right, steps down off soap box, but not all Welsh people think like these idiots Chrissie.

Chrissie said...

I agree...it's all very very odd. We're all one nation!!

Taniwha said...

I know exactly what you mean Chrissie, it annoys the crap out of me. One of the main reasons I left NZ is because of the Auckland hate there. Auckland is the biggest city in NZ by a long shot and the rest of the country hates Auckland - for some pathetic reason or another. One of the rugby teams beat Auckland in a tournament and the fans were all on TV doing the same kind of stuff that Scotland, Wales & Ireland are up to at the moment. It made me embarrassed to be a Kiwi. NZ is such a small country but it's divided by something as stupid as a big city. It's so small minded I can't believe it. People in NZ hate me because I'm an Aucklander. Is it my fault where I was born?





So what did I do, I left and came to England! :lol: