UK Connections

A number of events have occurred in the past few months that have motivated me to think about my connections to the UK.  Starting with the marriage of William and Catherine, then the historic visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland, followed by President Obama's visit to the UK, and now William and Kate's visit to Canada - all these occasions, wonderful and momentous, have made me both nostalgic and reflective about the land across the pond and how it has influenced who I am today.

Even before I was born in Hong Kong, I already had a UK connection, this one through my father, who as a young man completed a master's degree program in tropical medicine and hygiene at Edinburgh university in Scotland.  From pictures taken of him living and studying there, it looked like he had a good time while pursuing his degree. Yes, I was born in Hong Kong, then a British colony, now an autonomous city in China.  I immigrated to the USA at the tender age of one.  I guess my parents could not wait to arrive in America before coming up with the idea to conceive me. 

Years later, I would travel to the UK for the first time, joining up with my parents who had already relocated there months before.  This move certainly expanded my horizons as I lived, studied and socialized with British citizens of different backgrounds.  My school experience  afforded me the opportunity to play cricket and soccer a few times.   Despite playing, I still haven't quite figured out everything there is to know in cricket.  In gym class, we did a lot of running.   During class breaks and lunches, I was often found playing handball, which came naturally to me since I had already played it here in New York as a kid.   And it was in this London school where I learned the Lord's Prayer.  We prayed and recited the words practically every day during a set time between classes.  At first I found it awkward, because I was not raised in a religious family.  I do not recall my parents taking my sister and I to church at any time during our upbringing.  Also at this time, I learned to savor the delights of custard pudding.  Dip a piece of blueberry or strawberry pie into the custard and I was transported to dessert heaven.

From time to time, my family would visit the usual tourist spots in London.  Towards the end of the school year, on a class trip, my geography class traveled to Swanage, a small, coastal town located in the south of England.  We studied the geography and history of the area through visits to historical sites and geological and natural attractions.  This was a fun trip and for many students, myself included, it was a chance to be away from our families for the first time for an extended period and experience independent living. 

I enjoyed my year in the UK so much as an adolescent, I pledged to myself that if the opportunity arose, I would return at some point.  That opportunity emerged in college.  

In college I was a history major with a focus on American, Chinese, and British history.   With an interest in returning to the UK, and since my university had a relationship with Glasgow University in Scotland, I decided I would study there for my junior year.   It turned out to be a valuable educational experience in many ways, from the classes I took, the people I met and became friends with, to the many places I visited up and down the length of Britain, from Loch Lomond and Edinburgh in Scotland to Bath on the south coast of England.  Along the way, I visited many castles, attended a Viking festival in York, saw the glory of Stonehenge and a Roman ruin.  Of course, during my time in Edinburgh, I retraced my father's footsteps and visited parts of Edinburgh University's grounds and buildings.  The one place I did not visit was Wales, and with the popularity of Torchwood, I think I will remedy that the next time I travel to the UK.   From my travels, British history came alive.  Reith Hall, my residence hall during the year, had a football team and one time I had the honor of being the starting goalkeeper in a intercollegiate match.  We lost 1-0 (my own defender accidentally screened me off on a corner kick leading to the lone goal), but I gave it the old college try and presented myself as an American who could hold his own against very capable college UK footballers.


Here are lists of some my favorites in their respective categories.  None of the lists are exhaustive and merely reflect what I can think of off the top of my head.

Literature 
Geoffrey Chaucer
Jane Austen
Charles Dickens
William Shakespeare
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
J. R.R. Tolkien


Music
Human League
Swing Out Sister
Flock of Seagulls
Led Zeppellin
Genesis
Police

Film
James Bond movies
Chariots of Fire
The King's Speech
Pride and Prejudice
Highlander
Four Weddings and a Funeral


Television
BBC news
Doctor Who
Benny Hill
Masterpiece Theatre
Torchwood

Science
Lord Kelvin
Sir Isaac Newton
Francis Bacon
Stephen Hawking
Watson and Crick
Charles Darwin

Philosophy and Social Science 
John Locke
Adam Smith
Thomas Hobbes


These days I even have followers from the UK on Twitter.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not a complete Anglophile.  I'm not crazy about fish and chips and I have not read any of the Harry Potter books.  However, I do acknowledge the power of J.K. Rowling's books to encourage young people to read, fantasize, create and write.  For that, she deserves all the recognition in the world.

The UK has given me some wonderful memories and continues to be a source of knowledge and pleasure.  To continue my connections with that land,  I look forward to returning to the UK at some point.