British (English) society from an immigrant’s (mine actually) perspective, part 2

When a foreigner (like myself) has a chat with white British, usually, what he or she hears? Well, I quite often hear: “Oh, your English is very good”. And then I hear national sense of guilt: “We don’t learn foreign languages”. 

Well, it is not exactly true. I know some white British who managed to learn a foreign language – usually, when living abroad for some time. Which is quite an achievement actually – because the whole world wants to learn English. If you are British and you have some basic qualifications you can teach English while staying abroad. The truth is, you British, you don’t have to learn foreign languages. Wherever you are going to travel you can get by just fine with your own native English.

However, going deeper into British/English national psyche one can notice more fundamental issues. 

Living in a diverse multicultural society white British are politically correct and very conscious not to be judgemental. It may be influence of post-colonial ‘white guilt’. Not to be accused for being intolerant or for some kind of “phobia” (e.g. islamophobia) remain one of the fears. In other words there is a culture of what you cannot say in public sphere – unless you are a Pat Condell; and what you say privately between friends.

In my opinion, West has lost its confidence in itself. Several hundred years ago when British were building their empire they knew they were spreading civilisation and they were proud of it. Today people try to avoid controversial subjects (for example some aspects of immigration) in a fear of offending someone. On the other hand I understand that it could be dangerous discussing openly certain issues but I believe problems should not be kept under the carpet of political correctness. There is no need to shy away from noticing that what has been left from agrarian, feudal, tribal cultures around the world can be interesting but it has nothing to offer for western secular democratic society - nothing equal, nothing better, nothing worth to copy.

It appears British are aware of that in the same way they are aware sometimes individuals from ethnic minorities take advantage of the system - like abusing benefits or accusing their employers for racism in case of running into trouble. But they will not call spade a spade. Because you just not suppose to say things like that publicly. Someone could say you are judgemental or call you a racist.

One of the illnesses of multiculturalism is this: it does not necessary help to integrate people into society. In fact, it creates many living independently groups and establishing faith schools does not help. Pakistanis who came to this country some decades ago had to send their children to British schools and their children had better chance for integration than a child send these days and attending an ‘ethnic’ faith school.

British (English) society from an immigrant’s (mine actually) perspective, part 1

British society seems to be more stratified socially than in my native Poland. Demography is also much more diverse. Big cities like London or Birmingham seem to be dominated by immigrants, migrants, naturalised British and their descendants.  That ethnic and cultural mosaic has different economical, social and political flavours – depending where you look. 

Generally, in terms of income, most migrants – especially perform low-paid and unskilled jobs but there are also quite a few working professionals and shop/restaurant owners.  Migrants/ immigrants and their descendants tend to be more religious than native British, sometimes with strong social and political views; for example, Islamic Londonistan would serve as an infamous example of attempts to introduce Islamic Sharia Law - recently through bullying 'Sharia law zone' stickers. In fact Sharia courts already exist throughout England as a clrear parallel judiciary system in civil (for now) cases. Another negative phenomenon is ghettoisation resulting in whole areas dominated by particular ethnic group and pressure to create more faith schools.


It must be said however, radicals who do not want to integrate remain a minority within minority. Most immigrants try to integrate and get along with others around. 

While integration seems to be a vocal political problem within muslim communities it remains a social one for most ethinc groups. Immigrants who work with other immigrants in some cases have almost none contact with English language - there are many people who have been living in UK for years but they still don't speak English. I am not surprised: low-educated economical refugees often in their forties from small towns and villages across, let's say, eastern Europe; working long hours and performing low paid jobs among others like them - their contact with English is none. When they come back home they have enough energy to watch TV in their national language, eat something and go to bed.   

Old, industrial, and low-skilled white British working class has been severely affected by deindustrialisation and some communities have disintegrated leaving thousands of those who have never worked and have always lived on benefits. Additionally, those people were neither able to compete with more committed and mobile workforce coming from abroad nor motivated to it by easily accessible system of benefits. And then they become the Poor. In my perception this group is especially prone to various social diseases: addictions, junk food, petty crimes and clearly visible poor sense of fashion – or rather, a complete lack of it. They are uneducated and tend to have heavy local accents. By the way, addictions to drugs and alcohol affect heavily people from across social stratum, not just lower not-working anymore class, and often degrading people to living on benefits and supporting housing. Many people who end like this come from dysfunctional families but not always. Sometimes they were doing fine or coming from good families but they lost everything after affair with drugs followed by episodes of living on the street and crime to feed addiction. 

English working class and middle class are people who work, have families, have a car or even two, have morgage. Small business, office workers, technicians, engineers. 

Upper middle class – working professionals, business owners.

Upper class and royalty – aristocrats, prince William, the queen. 

Being in England for a while I am pretty much able to tell the difference based for example on hearing the language: Spoken English of the Poor is totally different than English spoken by educated upper classes. By the way, anybody wanting to train himself or herself in ‘the proper’ English, can take elocution lessons, which are quite expensive. Another way to tell who is who, or who aspires to become (or experience) who, is to see where those people do their shopping and what they wear. A scarf in Primark can cost £4 while in a posh shop in Cheltenham a similar one costs £40. 

To see a chart with a little bit different and more detailed social class specification, click here. 

MG

How long we can keep up?

I just have watched an interesting Geoffrey West’s presentation: “The surprising math of cities and corporations” on TED Conference (click to watch it here). He points out that complex systems are governed by certain laws and those laws can be statistically measured and analysed. Gathered data forms similar patterns whether we talk about animal kingdom, forests, cities, corporations. 

Organisms have their life spans and they live as long as they keep up. What about our civilisation? The common consensus is we live faster and faster. Science, technology, social development, and pretty much everything seems to be accelerating. We have to adapt faster and faster. Geoffrey West says: “The image is we are not only on a treadmill which is going faster and faster but we have to change treadmill faster and faster”. The question is how long we are going to keep up?

MG

Gina Carano deals impact

Watch how muscular, tough and/but attractive Gina Carano deals brutal blows as a lead role in “Haywire”, a new action thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh. As far as I can judge just after watching 2.35 minutes long trailer (Click here to watch), the film looks quite promising. It appears Gina has what it takes: attractiveness, an interesting voice, acting skills, and of course last but not least, she has impressive fighting background. 

Certainly, the fact of Carano being a former #3-ranked in Women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) adds to the realism of fighting scenes. It does not mean every fighting always has to look realistic to serve its purpose – watch how brutally and hilariously Jessica Alba dispatches several gangsters in the “Machete” – but then it was a pastiche, a parody. Nobody expects that Jessica Alba would be able to knock out somebody for real. Similarly, watching Angelina Jolie as Laura Croft may be entertaining but I doubt anybody could inagine Angelina fighting for real. No such problem with Gina Carano. The fighter and now actress once said: "Everyone has their own niche in life; I just seem to gravitate towards physical violence." Certainly, nobody who saw her fighting would doubt about her ability to kick ass.

Moving from kicking people’s asses to more important issues: If Gina Carano would be successful as a worldwide known actress what impact she may have in the male dominated society? I am not referring to teaching girls how to fight or about promoting sport – although Carano may be able to do for women’s mixed martial arts the same what Arnold Schwarzenegger did for bodybuilding. Carano’s consistent image of a successful and confident badass woman can facilitate some positive changes maybe even around the world. Maybe it will be not a direct corelation but some people, some girls might get inspired. After all, Gina Carano breaks some traditional norms of what is expected from women in the society. Her example may inspire and help women to fight for their rights. 

MG

The world of self-help by Oliver Burkeman

Written word holds its unique power of convincing people that what has been written in a book or in a newspaper is true – which is not always a case. Sometimes written word can be, unintentionally or not and for whatever reason – misleading or even harmful. When subject of enquiry is practical then the question becomes urgent.

Millions of people seek advice in various self-help books every day. In his book Oliver Burkeman takes his readers into a journey to the fertile land of self-help genre and tries to sieve good, genuinely helpful tips from bad ones. HELP!: How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done is an impressive work, written with personal passion, journalistic inquisitiveness and scientific scepticism and respect for experimental data. The position with no doubt worth to read – you may find information you need, and the book itself may set you free - if you happened tobe dependant from influence of some questionable self-help gurus and their ideas. 
MG

Binge drinking

The Regional Lifetstyles Survey, 2005

It is quite scary to see hundreds of drunk people on the main streets of British cities on Friday and Saturday nights - especially young people. Certainly, for people holding more conservative and traditional views it must be completley despicable.

Of course, this custom harms the society in many ways. Association of a good time with consumption of alcohol certainly results in higher risk of addiction and other alcohol related problems. And costs are enormous. According to wikipedia, "binge drinking costs the UK economy approximately £20 billion a year; 17 million working days are estimated to be lost due to hangovers and drink-related illness each year. The cost of binge drinking to employers is estimated to be £6.4 billion and the cost per year of alcohol harm is estimated to cost the National Health Service £2.7 billion." 

MG

Paradox

Human race try to preserve its sense of existence through myths, beliefs, religions and ideologies. Whole societies and their particular members give themselves identities through holding various ideas, various beliefs.  Since the dawn of humanity people tell themselves stories about spirits, immortal soul, about going to heaven after death. All of that in order to gain identity, to gain meaning, to preserve sense of existence, to deny death. And yet the same ideas, the same memes often prompt violence and bring death. And that is a paradox

MG

Contemplating self

Interestingly enough we rarely contemplate certain conditions of our existence. The obvious reason:  we are mortal beings and we try to preserve ourselves. But we do not fear just death. We find uneasy confronting our very selves.

Have you ever thought about your own consciousness as an artificial, existing only in your own mind concept? Which has started emerging gradually when you were a small child? Which has been changing ever since?

Although we think we are who we are (whatever it means) we are different from whom we were a year, a month or a day ago. Who we are at any given moment depends from many factors including things like: where we are, with whom and what we are doing. Even what we have eaten matters.

That is a source of our loneliness – our idea of ourselves lives in our own minds and we are only able to share just a part of it with other people – often in a vague manner.

Often we are able to spot nervous attempts of our minds to do something, to think about something during meditation.

The phenomenon of experiencing our own existence is the source of our culture with all our myths and beliefs; it is a reason for our civilisation and is a source of our personal dramas.  

MG

The four Horsemen of New Atheism

What is New Atheism? According to wiki: 

“...a 21st century movement in atheism. (...) supporters of the New Atheism movement are hardline critics of religion. They state that atheism, backed by recent scientific advancement, has reached the point where it is time to take a far less accommodating attitude toward religion, superstition, and religious fanaticism than had been extended by some atheists and secularists. According to CNN, "What the New Atheists share is a belief that religion should not simply be tolerated but should be countered, criticized and exposed by rational argument wherever its influence arises."

Richard Dawkins

Well known scientist and militiant atheist

Religion is bad and outdated - we all should become militant atheists (at least people who know better - scientists)

Creationism has nothing to offer, nothing even close to the beauty of Darwinian Theory of Evolution

Children should be protected from brainwashing.

Richard smites religion in many of his bestselling books

Christopher Hitchens

God is not great – in fact, religion poisons everything

The real axis of evil is Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – the tree desert dogmas

Organized religion is the main source of hatred in the world;

Religion tends to be violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children

Sam Harris

Let’s take morality from religion

Religions offer answers to moral questions but often they have wrong answers

Science can answer moral questions

We don’t scrutinise religion enough - acceptance and respect for 'moderate' beliefs provide cover for fundamentalists and fanatics who blow themselves up

Besides, let's don't call ourselves atheists: nobody calls himself non-astrologer to distinguish himself from astrologers, so why do we call ourselves a-theists?

Sam is a spiritual atheist – “Compassion, awe, devotion and feelings of oneness are surely among the most valuable experiences a person can have”; he studied meditation with Hindu and Buddhist teachers, he organises retreats for scientists

Daniel Dennett

Religion is an excuse to many people to stop thinking- and that is a real danger

Of course, it is rather rude to say to grandma there is no god

Should we be upfront? I’d rather disagree on this point with Richard Dawkins

Some people need help to be moral and let's don't deny it to them. They need religion as a moral Viagra.

Daniel is a cognitive scientist whose research centres on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science.

The above description is far from being complete. All four horsemen are authors of influential books who took part in many public debates. There is much more to it - look it up on the net.

MG

The mechanical beast from Nantes

The mechanical animal, currently the main atraction of The Machines of the Isle of Nantes (Les Machines de l'île) resembles rather a mumakil from Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" than an elaphant. Weighting 45 tons of wood and steel, measuring 12 meters high and 8 meters wide, it can take up to 49 passangers for a 45-minute walk. It can not charge like a mumakil - it walks rather slowly, but it still provides great fun for kids, roaring and spreading some water from its trunk. 

More is coming to the Isle of Nantes. Soon the ambitious project of an enourmous The Marine World Carrousel will feature 35 different fantasitc creatures and marine vehicles - and you will be able to ride on/insinde of them and even operate some of their movements. All inspired by the imaginary of a famous Nantais Jules Verne, and the mechanical genius of Leonardo da Vinci.

MG

Going camping

OR

?

If you watch a lot of movies but you have never been camping, you may be afraid of taking a wrong turn and being chased and hunted down in the forest by cannibalistic serial murderers. 

The truth is different though. Clayton and Jackie regularly organise camping and so far nobody has been eaten and everybody safely came back. Moreover, going camping turns out to be a great experience and a lot of fun. Without a doubt it proves Jackie and Clayton have always been taking right turns – at least so far. 

Camping is different. People who went camping often say they did not expect it would be actually that good. In these days people live next to each other but barely know their neighbours. Going camping changes that. People enjoy conversations they had never thought they would enjoy. Strangers living next to you turn out to be friends giving you a helpful hand. 

Camping turns out to be a memorable, good experience. Never been camping and want a piece of advice? Here you are: You don’t have to be a scout. Don’t be a pussy. Go camping.

MG

Three ways of understanding the world

In order to survive we humans had to create models explaining world around us and we have at least three ways of doing it:

• Through beliefs - creating mythical explanations, something to believe in without logical and critical thinking – for example various myths, legends, prophecies, religions and faiths
• Through paradigms, philosophy, analogy to things that exist; an attempt to create a plausible explanation how things might be working through some sort of rather logical thinking, sometimes clearly providing models which seems to be not provable experimentally or cannot be called science and which may be an expression of some sort of convictions or assumptions about the reality through the prism of existing culture – for example in the past mechanistic paradigm of the universe, or more recent concept of Spiral Dynamics which gives some sort of roadmap to humankind development.
• Through science, through scientific method – where concepts are scrutinised and facts needs to be proven scientifically; the highest achievement which have changed the world we are living in.

MG

It’s Organic!

‘It’s truly organic’ says Gary answering to my question. ‘I used just a little salt against pests but there is nothing chemical here – maybe apart of rain. Rain – only that could be chemical’ he laughs.

I am having a quickie interview with Gary for the Magazine in regard of his role as a Garden’s Guardian and Gardener. We are both looking at the lavish, promising plants. In a few months dark and neglected, bushy and full of nettles backyard changed its appearance into a neat and clear pampered garden with a place for BBQ. Definitely, it’s a “Wow!” moment for me. Apparently, vegetables do not originate from supermarkets but grow in fields and gardens. I have a feeling of approaching a mystery of nature, which, myself being a city boy, I might be never able to fully fathom.

‘When did you start this garden?’ I ask

‘Well, it started in February with Mark who had lived here. I had been helping him.’ Gary explains. ‘When he moved out I took it over. And now – look!’ He beams proudly.

‘It’s wonderful! Did you have some help from the staff?’ I want to know.

‘Yes, Steve helped quite a lot. At the beginning he was running this project, I mean, he was responsible for it as a staff member.’

‘What about other clients?

‘Some of them helped me as well. For example, together with John we weeded the garden.’

‘Great. So what do we have here?’ I ask

‘Tomatoes, carrots, Brassica oleracea, baobab…’
'Brassica oleracea?'
'Yes, Brassica oleracea, you know, cabbage'

I decide it is a time for a joke. ‘And where do you grow marihuana?’ I ask.

‘Oh no, there is nothing like that here’ Gary smiles. ‘Only good, legal stuff; I mean, plants.’

‘You put quite a bit of effort into this garden. How do you feel about it? ‘

‘You know, it was the first time in my life when I have done something like that. It’s very therapeutic. It feels different when you take care of garden and watch how it grows. And it is not just for me but also for others. We had a barbecue here already at least once. It feels great and it has been very helpful, very therapeutic.’

MG

The last Harry Potter is not pagan after all

Attention: Spoilers ahead!

After watching “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” I came to the conclusion that the last Harry Potter is not a pagan book - assuming the movie follows the book closely. It looks like J.K Rowling followed C.S. Lewis with at least one of the main Christian themes: sacrificial death and resurrection. 

In the New Testament it happens to Jesus, in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” it happens to Aslan, in “Deathly Hallows” part 2 it happens to Harry Potter himself. Let’s add those deaths happen not accidentally – they are fulfilment of spiritual rules of the game, of old prophecies; they were pre-planned necessity.

To defeat Voldemort who symbolises evil and death Harry Potter must die. Only through this ordeal he can save his friends and defeat Valdemort. Harry goes to meet his bitter end in the forest and dies from Voldemort’s hand. Being dead Harry finds himself in a limbo – a white place somehow resembling the King’s Cross station and he has a choice (compare with Neo being stuck between the worlds at the beginning of “The Matrix: Revolutions”). It turns out a part of Valdemort’s soul lived within Harry Potter. Through his death Harry can be purified and then resurrected which leads to final defeat of Valdemort who has lost his powers. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” is mature, powerful, very well acted and definitely worth watching. 

MG

Take on a 30-day challenge!

Ordinary things practiced consistently produce extraordinary results

Do you know that feeling of disappointment and guilt that comes from setting a goal and giving up on it after a couple of days or weeks? When you wanted to change but after some time you relapsed and failed? Sustaining motivation for a long-term goal is hard to achieve, and yet the best goals can usually only be accomplished in a few months or even years. 

However, instead of focusing on your final goal, focus on creating a sustainable habit that will lead and help you to achieve your goal. Focus on the process, focus on everyday action and develop new habits. 30-day challenge is great to get you into the habit of everyday practice. Ordinary things practiced consistently produce extraordinary results. So just keep doing them!

30-day challenge - how to do it

1. Set your task for the next 30 days. Think of something you want to do. 
2. Nothing too big or too complicated: start simple and take baby steps. Be specific. Know exactly what you want to do everyday during this challenge.
3. Make it a positive. If you want to change a negative habit (quit an addiction), then replace it with a positive action like e.g. “running for stress relief” etc. Otherwise you would be focusing on a negative. If you were about 'to do' not drinking and not smoking, then certainly drinking and smoking would be on your mind. To avoid this focus on a positive action. Formulate your task in a positive, affirmative way. This will help you to neutralise your urge. To put is simply, it is much easier to avoid doing something by doing something else. Be ready to put your new positive habit in action in situations, times and places you used to do otherwise. Plan how you are going to beat your urges. Formulate your task in a positive way.
4. Tell yourself you are going to do this for the next 30 days – without a fail. Commit yourself completely. No might, no should, no trying. Take it serious. Practice until you succeed. If you fail, do not beat yourself. Start a new 30-day challenge. Practice until you succeed.
5. Tell your friends and colleagues – this positive public pressure will be motivating. You can set up a reward after completing successfully every seven days’ period within first 30 days. Make sure these are good, motivating rewards, helping you to stay on the track.
6. Mark your progress. Use a log, diary or a chart to measure your success.
7. Always stay positive and remember – you can do this! 

You may use this method to develop a new habit and change your life. You can get healthier, more successful, you may learn foreign language, become a writer, save money, quit addiction, become more productive, and develop a new hobby. 

30-day challenge! You can do this		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
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Some ideas for 30-day challenge:

• Have a conversation with a stranger
• Ask somebody new for a date (unless your success ratio is below 3% you will get at least one date and maybe you will meet your future spouse)
• If you are in a relationship offer your partner a massage everyday (it will be 30) or agree with your partner to alternate (so each of you will get 15)
• Meditate
• Read something on a subject you are interested in
• Read a book for 30 minutes
• Take a long walk
• Exercise (or go to the gym)
• Write a page of your novel, blog, diary, or write a poem
• Take a picture (and post it on the Internet)
• Learn a new word everyday
• Juggle for 15 minutes
• Draw or paint something
• Go 30 days without TV (you need to come out with a set of positive tasks to fill your time)
• Eat healthy food everyday – including fresh fruits and vegetables (give up junk food)
• Learn a language (of course 30 days will be not enough to master a foreign language)
• Spend 30 minutes on learning something new
• Go out to different places everyday and do something fun
• Get up early
• Do something completely new (and write about it).
• You may also prepare a special program for yourself with different tasks for every day.

I assume you are about to start your 30-day challenge now and you will carry on for at least 30 days. You may take different approaches – depending what you want to do or what you want to achieve. 30-day challenge may be aimed at things like: health, fitness, relationships, your personal and professional life, creativity, developing a new hobby, starting doing something completely new, appreciating life more, helping your community, etc. 30-day challenge technique is perfect to improve and to develop a new habit. Ordinary things practiced consistently produce extraordinary results. Just keep doing it and enjoy the process.

Of course, after accomplishing your 30-day challenge you are free to go back to your old habits. Actually, this is a refreshing thought – you have to keep doing something just for 30 days and then you can quit. Keep clean your place for 30 days, and then you can slack off. Read for an hour a day for 30 days, and then go back to watching TV if you want. It is easier to keep going if you know that all you have to do is to accomplish your 30 days. By the way, this idea may help you to stay clean. Chances are that after 30 days you will feel strong enough to take another 30 days of challenge!

You can choose to do a simple activity, or you can choose a set of different tasks. You can create a program of activities – each different for each day. Remember to be specific. If this is reading or writing decide how long or how many pages you are going to read or write every day.

Ordinary things practiced consistently produce extraordinary results
Make them happen 

After 30 how you can not do 31 and set a new personal record?

 
Oh, and by the way, shower/bath/shave everyday.

 I know YOU don’t need this one, so please pass it along to someone who does.

 

MG