Englishness...

The Dominican Volunteers' handbook has a rather apt reflection that re-entry into one's home culture may be more gruelling than initial culture-shock when venturing abroad as a volunteer. I have, to some degree, found that to be the case.

Returning to England, having been away for 16 months, has been rather fascinating as I discover anew and re-integrate myself among the English. Thankfully, there are aids for people like me who have an ever curious mind and who wish to understand things from an 'academic' perspective. I have long been a 'fan' of anthropology and I recently discovered a wonderful book called "Watching the English" by Kate Fox. The writer is a professional ethnographer as well as English and she writes with panache and wit on the topic of English-ness.

She also insightfully comments on how English-ness (and indeed any other cultural mores) can be adopted by foreigners with great success and she also comments on how one may pick up bits of American-ness, French-ness etc as one travels and lives in different countries; one then adopts and drops these cultural traits at will. Coming from my rather global perspective and diverse background and experience, I totally identify with that.

It also helps me understand why a friend in University, commented over a glass of sherry on a Sunday afternoon, that I was more English than he, a Somerset lad. Indeed, Ms Fox notes that her most 'English' friends are 1st generation immigrants from India and Poland.

This book is an engaging read and is in any case, a worthwhile diversion on my more 'heavy' reading on Christianity and world religions!!