Inburgeren: "to get accustomed to a new place of residence" (van Dale Dutch dictionary)
More commonly interpreted as knowing and respecting the habits of your new country after emigration. Well, it's been 12 months and 19 days since I arrived so it is a time to take tally of how well I have been ingeburgerd into British society. A quick summary on some key indicators:
Five out of ten ..., not a very good score. Then again, inburgering doesn't dictate adoption of foreign habits, merely understanding and respect for them. That, for the most part, I can do. I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed about carpet in the toilet or separate faucets for hot and cold running water but it is such peculiar differences that make it interesting to live abroad.
It's hard to say here in London whether or not you have been accepted by the English. The truth is there hardly are any around. Almost everybody is a foreigner. I have met more Chinese, Germans and French than I have English. My accent, for one, still does not fool anybody into thinking I'm English though lately I have been getting "Canadian?" a lot . I'll consider that a step in the right direction from earlier accusations of sounding American.
This weekend was a clear reminder that I am far from being assimilated. Those of you Dutch like me may not know this but for the English this was a BIG weekend. It was the final of the Rugby Worldcup and England was in it. I watched the match in a pub full of rowdy fans looking at a scrum of rugged looking men having absolutely no clue what was going on on the field. Out of a sense of solidarity, mixed with an instinct for self-preservation, I decided to side with England. They lost and now the English are in mourning. I, on the other hand, am completely indifferent. My support for England was only skin deep. Maybe that is the true touchstone of inburgering.
9 comments:
To an English person, 5/10 is a very good score. Almost too good. We never expect to win, or do well at anything. We're not American for goodness sake! Looks to me like you've made the grade. Well done and welcome to the land of moaning brolly carrying tea drinkers. Nice to have you on board. Do you read crime fiction by any chance?
Crime fiction? No, can't really say I do. Why? Glad to be on board.
Calling people love and hon' -- You really do that, Thyra? :)
Trust me, in a country where even the lady at the checkout counter asks you "do you want cash back with that, love?", it's pretty hard NOT to slip into the habit. So yes, I'm afraid I do... :-) With slightly more reserve than the English still perhaps but even so.
I did not know that going out not wearing a coat in winter is typical English behavior. Why would people do that?
On normal working days they wear coats like sensible people. They only leave them at home when they go out to clubs and pubs and the reason is quite simple: they don't want to have to pay for the cloakroom! The problem is that for most clubs you have to queue to get in so in winter a lot of these girls in short skirts and tops actually get hypothermic! Not a habit I'd be keen to pick up...
There are places here where people also say such things, e.g. people from Baltimore ('Baltimorons') are famous for using hon'. Still strange. :)
To my experience not even commuters wear coats. Rain or shine men have shirts and women sandals. If it gets chilly, somebody might put a scarf around their neck. Only foreigners wear coasts.
Last weekend my flatmate went out wearing sandals and a t-shirt when the temperature was barely above +5C.
The Brittish don't wear coats. Period
Yeah, I have seen him do that! He's not 100% representative of the species though... ;-)
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