“I think it has something to do with being British. We don’t take ourselves as seriously as other countries do.” – Joan Collins....
COVER STORY
Of minimalism and sense…
“I think it has something to do with being British. We don’t take ourselves as seriously as other countries do.” – Joan Collins.
There’s an oft-repeated phrase that there are only two classes in the UK: The rich which includes only the royal family, and the middle class, which includes everyone else. The taxation system of the country does a pretty good job of maintaining the middle class status of the rest, and may also sometimes force some people to leave the country (New Zealand, Canada, Australia). But this absence of vividly palpable classes makes things really interesting in the UK. It’s almost for a lesson in minimalism.
One can say they don’t have much choice given the size of their houses, but let’s not go on the snarky side here. I once went to the tennis court where my instructor was waiting for me, all armed with numerous shopping bags dangling at both my sides. She looked at them, and thinking, just asked, “Do you really need them?” It was a moment of introspection; think The Alchemist! I’m also sure she said something about South Asians and their fetish for brands instead of needs, but I was too busy by then to place my luggage somewhere.
Trivia: To sponsor its welfare schemes, the UK has a stern taxation policy. With its progressive taxation, you have to pay more if you earn more. So much so that the top earners in the country have to pay about 40 percent of their gross income in taxes. There are no greener pastures, there are only pastures.
I noticed this trend elsewhere also, and have also observed this idea being inculcated in the kids of my family being raised there. People don’t waste money to buy things that may only be good for showing-off, and instead plan their finances to make space for the more important things in life: travelling, chilling, investing.
So many people survived in the one snow coat they had, and wouldn’t think about buying another one unless this one opened up at eerie places to let the snow in. I know it sounds a bit unreal, but here we make a more augmented, exhibitionist vista of our lives – often at stupid expense. The Brits often have a more essential, basic outlook on life. They buy what they need, and use the money discreetly. Probably that is one reason they’re so happily engaged with their books and music while on the go. Which brings me to another question. Is Spotify subscription a capitalist curse, because everyone in England has it. Give your views in the comments section.
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Of governance and woes…
“No one says the word ‘quirky’ much in England. I guess because people are more naturally eccentric.” Alexa Chung.
I have this habit of buying a book to know better about any country I go to. From the UK, I got Stig Abell’s “How Britain Really Works”. I left reading it midway because by then it was clear that neither Abell nor I was going anywhere with this, which is just as well. With the Brexit weakening the foundations of the European Union, London’s foremost problems now an axe at the mayor’s throat – the NHS in hot waters, the welfare mechanism being critiqued by some – it is anyway clear that Britain works in eccentric ways. But the point is, it still works. It’s not perfect, of course. There’s crime – in fact, my first welcome in London was a woman running to us – warning us to take our possessions out of the car because someone at the other end of the street was busy smashing windows to snatch anything that glittered on the seats. There are loopholes - not the least of them including clandestine shopkeepers selling cigarettes illegally to underage boys. There’s racism – I’m sure. But then again, things work.
Trivia: To retain the character and appeal of the cities, the building regulations in the UK are quite tough. Even if you buy a property, you cannot change its looks or structures before gaining the necessary permissions first. The permissions rarely come, so no point trying for these. Those red bricks are not all there just by default.
All those centuries of trial and error of the governance systems have given the UK this practice of governance that still makes things work even if it is seen to be faltering from the outside. There’s freedom of movement and speech, there’s confidence in the government and the public bodies, there’s ownership of the country, and there’s promise. The system is distinctly British, others may have a hard time getting the full idea of it, and it’s functional. The harshest realisation of this comes when the sun has set (unlike the old times, it sets now) and you need to contact someone in charge. No one will be available.
Ask a guy who lost all his luggage and was stranded penniless in London for one night. But the sun rises again the next morning, and things are put into motion. Waking the small island from its state of rest, and putting it through the ordeals and surprises of yet another day, exposing its beauty and strangeness to people who have come from far off places, and will return. With learnings and lessons that they might take up in their lives and try to replicate. Ask a guy who survived the night, and continued his journey the next morning.
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