My Britain

Shocked. Appalled. Speechless. These were a few of the words that came to mind on viewing the "My Tram Experience" Youtube video.

But in some ways I wasn't surprised, not that I didn't think these kind of opinions existed or didn't exist still - more I've been on the other end of it and experienced this kind of rant before. Don't get me wrong on this one but growing up as a first generation chinese in the UK... well let's just say I've had my share.

Strangely enough I spent three or four days in London recently, and my tube experience as well as my experience on street level was that, if London is anything to go by, 'My Britain' is built up of a wide spectrum of faces. In fact, much more diverse than in my home town of Bristol.

(Interesting that isn't it? My 'home' town - my parents came over in the sixties and worked pretty much all their time in the UK, before relatively recently moving back to Hong Kong.)

I was at a festival once just a few years back, where a slightly older man turned to me and in a louder and slightly slower voice asked me "Where--are--you--from?" I said "Bristol mate". Actually to be fair, I "ain't English either", I'm not gonna lie to you - if I was to "go back where I came from" it would have to be South Wales, specifically - Pontypool.

But for me the UK is home.

I was born here, I live and work here.
When I go abroad I strangely miss the idea of a 'good cuppa'.
I feels strange emotion when the National Anthem plays.
I'm not entirely a sporty person but I still feel the anguish when I see England play international football.
I would consider a fried breakfast one of my major food groups.

For me I am British. I'm also Chinese. These aren't at either end of an extreme. It's more a case of being 'Both And". Some days I'm desperate for DimSum, others I fancy a pint and curry afterwards.

In some ways, I'm not even sure the term 'multi-cultural' really even fits in these days given that for many of us whose parents came to the UK we would consider ourselves British as well as our individual cultural histories. Some are calling it post-multiculturalism. Who knows...

I guess I know nothing about the lady's history, experience or even the kind of day she might have had. I just know My Britain is a very different one. 'My Britain' certainly isn't racist because if you look around you'd see way too much evidence, way too many people, some who were even born here, that would say this is my Britain.

Welcome to 'My Britain'. Actually scratch that cos you've probably been here a while.

C