| by Victor Cherubim
It is a great poem I’ve not read since my school days, but it is also reminiscent of how many of us Sri Lankans feel, about our own home. Ask any living in England and you will hear that they all miss the easy going, “anay apay gama, apay gedera,” melancholy chant of home. There is something ethereal, possibly the beaches, the climate, and our close relationships as islanders that make us long for home.
Irrespective of all the things we spout, all the things we read that “terrorism is terrorism” (what else can it be), about the world seeming to be turning against us, our revenue fast dwindling, cost of living escalating, with the uproar of the electricity price hike, about BBS trail, about Gotha bey, about MR and the clan, about whether there will be elections in the North, about the non-stop clamour for accountability and HR and a host of other concerns. Notwithstanding the above, we still remain Sri Lankan, in our thought process, in our cultural idiosyncrasies and our identity. It is our hallmark. It can hardly change.
Likewise, whether there is a £1.2 Trillion Debt mountain piling up, none worry. England is still English. Today (23 April 2013) is celebrated as St. George’s Day, in the hearts and minds of every Englishman. They may not have the time or the money to all have a pint of beer, in celebration, they will no doubt, in their own way remember the day. This is what makes them English and the weather too was sunny and bright for them to remember this day.
To Sri Lankans in Sri Lanka, “Oh to be in England” conjures up many and creative imaginations. If only they knew what it is to be English, or who is English, or makes England, English, they would not only be fascinated, but may wonder in awe.
Who is English?
We can assess what is English by the themes popular and portrayed in English films.
First,the English are not hedonistic. They are not hell bent in the pursuit of pleasure. It seems they were not put on earth only to enjoy themselves. Everything is tinged with a sense of moderation, eating, work or play; everything is in moderation.
Secondly, to be English, is to have a sense of duty, to be industrious.
Thirdly, there is a strong belief system in the value of education for the formation of character.
What is to be English?
Individualism, Optimism, informality, competition and practicality sum up some the traits of being English. The abilities of mind which characterise an individual and his social class is
an English straight jacket.
Individualism and independence – people are seen as independent personalities with individual needs and private rights, who accomplish goals themselves. No wonder an Englishman’s home is his castle.
Englishmen believe people have equal opportunities to reach their goals. Accomplishments depend only on the person’s abilities. They would rather understate than overstate any opinion.
Optimism – English believe that it doesn’t matter what happened in the past and present and the future will be happier and better. There is no such thing as fate to guide them.
Personal Space – English are particular about the physical space and distance between each other. Personal space awareness is very important in a business context.
Competition, whether in work or sport is good motivation for any enterprise.
Practicality – English always try to be punctual, efficient and effective in decision making. Their geographical position continues to be one of the most important factors which contributes to their distinctive character to regard their country as the centre of their world.
The English many state, are considered unemotional, reserved and possess a sense of humour based on irony and subtlety. For an Englishman the best of all reasons for doing anything or even something in a certain way is precedent. It means they follow custom and practice in that it has always been “done in that way.” The English Language, idiom and literature have played an exclusive role in the formation of their “Englishness” and their identity. They are proud of that.
St George’s Day will not be complete here without the English singing the strands of Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory. For clarity I add two stanzas of:
Jerusalem
“And did those feet, in ancient time, “Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Walk upon England’s mountains green? Bring me my arrows of desire!
And was the Holy Lamb of God Bring me my spear! O clouds unfold!
On England’s pleasant pastures seen? Bring me my chariot of fire!
And did the Countenance Divine, shine I will not cease from mental fight
forth upon our clouded hills? Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
And was Jerusalem builded here, Til we have built Jerusalem
Among those dark Satanic Mill? In England’s green and pleasant land.
For those of us who still cannot fully comprehend what conjures for the British Deputy High Commissioner in Colombo to give his subtle guidelines for travel to Sri Lanka and at the same time for British Airlines recommencing flights after over 15 years to Sri Lanka, there is only one message I may venture to state. The dilemma and dichotomy in this stance is that England is England and it believes it is the “Land of Hope and Glory.”
 England has changed a great deal since the Victorian poet ...){kind=link}