I'm a Brit.

There are some stereotypically 'british' activities/personality traits out there, so why not check how much of a Brit I really am? 

I found a pretty good list here, which I am going to use as a reference.

1. Queuing:

I never realised that this was a 'British' thing to do until I went to Austria and just getting to the checkout was like my first experience of a mosh pit. I don't understand what's so wrong with queuing? It's polite, and it's fair and although it's a pain in the arse sometimes its so much easier. I on't particularly want to mosh every time I want to buy a pack of gum. Or tea.

Although on several occasions I have found myself standing behind people thinking I was in a queue for something when I, in fact was not. There's then the walk of shame where people turn and wonder why you've been standing behind them for ten minutes.

I went to the Tate Modern in London last year and there was a display on, from what I remember you were supposed to look through some peep-hole and see something miraculous behind it. It was like a telescope but it was 'art'. My friends and I walked through the archway and saw this thing people were looking into and when they moved away, we went over to check it out too. Only then (while Zoe had looked and was saying 'what, I don't see anything. I don't get it'), did I notice the rather large security lady sitting on a stool glaring at us. Looking to my left, I noticed the line of people (to which I could see no end), also glaring. That, my friends, is the importance of queuing in Britain, especially where art nerds who are easily offended are involved.


2. Quiet/Shy/Reserved:

Yes, we thank drivers for waiting for us to pass even though it is our right of way anyway. Yes, we thank people for everything, and apologise at almost nothing. We do this, we're polite. So?

If I was sitting on the tube,  or a train or the bus and someone sparked up a conversation with me, I would want to run. When I'm going about my own life and some stranger decides to interrupt it by talking to me, I am going to feel awkward, and I am going to want to end the conversation as soon as possible.

This is us in a nutshell...

3. Weather:

This one first occurred to me while reading a Bill Bryson book. If there is nothing to talk about, we resort to talking about the weather. If there's an awkward silence, we talk about the weather. If it's sunny in summer or snowy in winter we like to complain about it, or express delight. Either way, we do it. And it is good.


4. Tea:

I'm not the greatest tea-fan, you know. I do get the odd hankering for a cuppa Earl Grey, but your bog-standard PG-Tips or Tetley just won't cut it in my opinion.

5. Humour:

Sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit, but it is damn funny in Ol' Blighty. I don't think I could even socialise in a culture that doesn't have any understanding or appreciation of this beauty. Sarcasm is my only form of humour, and I'm pretty good at it - how can you live without it?

So basically I have confirmed that although I am in some ways ashamed of my Brit-ness, I am pretty much the stereotype, and actually, I'm OK with that.