"Oh Britannia Britannia rules the waves..."
Growing up I have had something extra special, an English mother. As in my Mum is from England, she grew up in Wimbledon. However, the Wimbledon my mother grew up in is very different the Wimbledon of today.
What is it like growing up with an English mother? Well, here is a list of things that most people have asked me when I tell them about the other side of my heritage.
1. Tea
Whenever I tell people my Mum is English/British the first question they ask is, "do you drink lots of tea?" My answer is, of course, yes. Drinking tea is not a stereotype. I went to England in 2015 and tea is to England what coffee is to America.
Every morning growing up I would start my day with a "cuppa" in my favorite mug. My favorite teas are earl grey, lady grey, and chamomile. Contrary to popular belief, I always went with a normal tea to start my day, no flavoring, just straight up tea with milk (never half-and-half, that's disgusting; England does not even have half-and-half) and sugar.
The best kinds of plain tea to drink are the ones from England such as Tetley, not Lipton. Never Lipton. Only Lipton when you are desperate.
Tea is a go-to for many things. First breakup? My Mum made me a hot cuppa and we talked about it. Reading a book? Something about drinking tea makes it an even better book. Sick? Drink tea.
2. The Food
It is hard to talk about food that is unique to England because it is so integrated now that America will take credit for it even though they did not originally make it.
Something I have learned, though, is that England loves toast. Beans on toast. Mushy peas on toast. Spaghetti on toast. Marmite on toast.
The food in England is very delicious, those that say that England has no flavor have not gone to the right places. You have not had a good fish n chips until you have visited the seaside in England and tried them for yourself. Pigs in a blanket is just a smaller version of its English counterpart toad in the hole.
My experience with English food however is different because I grew up in America. To truly experience a proper English breakfast, one must have it made by a true Brit (as in my mother).
3. Accents
Another thing that people ask when I tell them I have an British mum is if I would call her so that they can hear her accent, as well as asking me to do an English accent.
Let me tell you, the only time my accent has been fully English was after watching the One Direction movie. So I usually tell them that they will just have to listen for it.
Or even worse, they fake an English accent and try talking to me with it. At this point, I usually come up with a new and creative way to tell them that their attempt is not anywhere close to the real thing.
What I have learnt from my mother is that British people really hate it when Americans fake their accent as if there is only one. Just like the America, different areas of England have different accents. Believe it or not there is a wrong way of faking an English accent and most people (even actors sometimes) fake an English accent the wrong way. Basic advice from me is this: don't even try.
4. Television
Yet another conversation I have had is:
Me: "yeah, my mum's from England"
Person I've just met: "So you watch 'Doctor Who' and 'Sherlock?'"
No, I do not watch those shows, definitely not! I mean, it's not like I have grown up with "Doctor Who" and knew about it before half of America did, and I definitely did not watch the first season of Sherlock when it came to the States no. Nope.
I hope you know that the above paragraph is sarcasm, a language well spoken by the British and in my household.
But I will say that there are probably many English people that dislike both of those TV shows. So perhaps do not assume that every English person you meet watches those shows--they are only the most obvious ones to Americans.
I love "Doctor Who." I also love many other British TV shows. I have as well seen the Eurovision Song Contest. All in all I am biased in saying that British TV is best. But am I? I am half British after all.
5. British Humor
If you were to sit at the dinner table with my family I would probably warn you ahead of time about how much we laugh and about how you will probably not entirely get why. English humor is the birthplace of sarcasm, the art of laughing at oneself, and the ability to laugh at even the smallest thing.
"Monty Python" is the best example of British humor. My confession is that I have only seen one episode of "Flying Circus," but I can quote my favorite part of it to you upon demand.
Why are the British so funny? Well, I do believe it is due to our eloquent use of language. It is very easy to miss a witty side comment from someone who says it to you in a proper sentence.
These are only just five things that I have learned to appreciate about being half British. I did not even get to the fact that the British invasion did not end in the 60's. How the joke, "well, America won the Revolution" was old 233 years ago. How good it is to eat in a pub. As well as the time my Aunt thought I was telling her a story about how drunk I was when I used the word 'pissed'.
I am proud of both my English and American sides. I could say that I have the best of both worlds with one foot in American soil and the other across the pond in British soil. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go make myself a cuppa and watch some "Miranda" or Graham Norton while planning world domination.
