An Englishman in America

Anniversaries are great times to look back reflect and comment. Four years ago, July 20 was the date I boarded a Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow, waved off by virtually every member of my family as I headed to Newark, New Jersey my port of entry to America and traveled a short hop north of Philadelphia, my new home.
 
After four years I feel less of a stranger and more of a “local” in these here parts. Yet it has only been the last year that I have truly felt America fits more like a comfortable glove rather than my perception of “back footing” four years-ago.
 
If I asked my wife have I changed as a person since leaving Britain, the answer would be a solid no. (You may take a man out of Britain, but you cannot take Britain out of the man). Since July 2000 my personality has not changed, my surroundings have and I am more comfortable than ever with these surroundings.
 
Yet regardless where I would live in the world, I am soon to undergo a life change; in so far I am soon to be a Dad to a dear daughter, currently called “Little Blossom” within the family until we announce her given name.
 
While I have time to adapt to the role and responsibilities of being a Dad, the best I can be, this life-change would be the same regardless where I live.
 
Moving to America has opened my eyes to another culture. Four years ago, I had in comparison simply had to reconcile one fact. “that I believed I could live and wanted to live in America”. The reconciliation took many months of hard soul searching as I wrestled over the matter in my own mind, would this work, was this the right thing to do. Twenty-twenty hindsight is a wonderful thing. Since arriving nothing but good things have happened to me. This is not to dismiss the wonderful things that happened in Britain, but to move forward I had to take the road less traveled.
 
The America portrayed on popular television shows that are broadcast in Britain generally do not capture the essence of America as they are formulated to be many things to many people, just as the British shows in America do not capture the spirit of Britain.
 
Travel it is said broadens the mind, this I have found to be true.
America is a land of opportunity, this too I have found to be true.
 
On being an Englishman in America.
 
“The accent thing” I have been blessed with a London Suburban accent, to date only one complete stranger in America has focused my specific accent to within three miles of my home town. A clear accent does help, yet even after four years of intent ally slowing the speed of my speech, and unintentially changing my can dense so that my modulation drops rather that rises at the end of a sentence or phrase, I have a better “news reader” type accent than I ever had in England.
 
An English accent is a great conversation starter in America, the voicemails I leave result in polite replies, one most recently mentioned that of all the messages on their voicemail, my message brightened up their day.
 
An English accent can also result in longer than necessary taxi-trips, I have heard from other Brits, especially traveling to tourist type destinations.
 
“The humor thing” in England I was not blessed with a wit based on sarcasm. In a country where being sarcastic could be understood, in the US such behavior would be seen as rudeness and insulting that could easily get one into trouble.
 
To stereotype an American is a truly difficult thing to do, but and this is one honest generalization, graphic talk, swearing and rudeness is not tolerated. I have stopped using sarcasm as a tool of humor for fear of deeply offending somebody. Yet if I watch a British film at the cinema or on television, I recognize the sarcastic humor and laugh along with it. Case in point last night on watching the BBC America series “Little Britain”.