/stupidly trying to learn The Disappearence of Hatsune Miku @__@

[hellzabeth]

So after running for the bus I arrived at college, ready to do some work! (YEAH I'M A GOOD STUDENT.) Only to find a queue of people coming out of the UCAS help centre, stretching around the block.

"Ah." I said. "I forgot. Oxbridge deadline is today."

It should be noted that while Oxford Brookes is indeed in Oxford, they're separate Unis. It just means that the students of Brookes can proclaim they "went to Oxford! Brookes." So while I was not concerned that I wouldn't be able to get my forms in on time, I was a little irked that I couldn't get to the computers.

So, I turned around and headed for the LRC building, ascending the stairs with a due sense of nostalgic dread at the noise of 5 printers going at it hard upstairs, and a hundred clattering keyboards. To the surprise of absolutely no-one, the LRC was packed full of people, and the library people put the ropes up to deny any more entry because all of the computers were taken.

Then I saw Sarah.

"Hey!" I shouted, barely audible over the clattering of keys. She looked up and came over. "Why is everyone in the history of ever in here?"

"It's Biology deadline day, and I've got insane amounts to do." she said, looking stressed with her hair all messed up. But then, her hair is always (frustratingly) messed up so it wasn't a real indicator at all. "Why, what are you doing here?"

"Trying to get to UCAS but there's a queue longer than the one at Expo so I can't be bothered."

"Oh." she said. "Well, gotta get back to work and actually be a student, bye!"

So I went back down stairs, and walked all the way to Costa, to discover that the internet in there was still down, so I sat and read gisho's newly de-anon'd England/Wales fanfic, Cellar Door, that I already had on my computer just so I could read it on the bus. (Shut up I have weird ships.)

Then, instead of reading fic on the bus back home, I contemplated how much of a massive douche England was/is and why I have any sort of national pride at all and whether I should grovel to my teacher who happens to be Welsh in apology.

Then I decided that was melodramatic and started thinking about the Americanization of England and how Wales Scotland and Ireland would probably have to save his ass at some point because they're a lot better at dealing with oppressive dipshits taking over their land than England is. Moreover, England tries to adapt and take on bits and pieces of his invaders to make them a part of him (with mixed results), while the rest of his family strive to keep their identities in their own, more secretive ways.

Idk, when it comes down to a cultural take over rather than a physical take over I begin to wonder if England would be able to keep his sense of self. I know Wales, and Scotland, and Ireland would. But England... I'm not so sure.

Away from such meta topics, I spent the rest of the afternoon squeeing over "Giving Day", the (LIVE) Vocaloid concert. Japan, you will never stop amazing me. A concert for computer vocalists... WITH EPIC HOLOGRAMS.

Anyway this ramble has gone on long enough that I'm going to put it under a cut to save your flists.

Comments

[petitebabby.livejournal.com]

There's also the fact that, you know, America isn't invading England. America is currently the major power in just about everything, internationally, and that means having a large cultural influence even over countries he doesn't invade. The same thing happened with France and England, back when they were major powers. Everyone wanted to be wearing the latest fashions from Paris, everyone in the art world had to go to Paris to make it as an artist, people on the other side of the world were wearing corsets and ruffles because it's just the latest thing in London, darling, don't you know? Everyone spoke French, and then everyone spoke English once Britain got stronger, etc. Now it's America's turn. Because of stuff like the internet and other forms of mass media today, the cultural impact is much stronger than it would have been a hundred years ago, so everyone watches American TV, people start to pick up an American accent, there's a McDonalds on every street corner, etc.

This isn't just happening in England, it's true all over the world, but we're still not simply turning into America, anymore than England turned into France in the eleventh century. Yes, we're changing, adapting to the new world, but that kind of thing is inevitable. But if England wants to preserve himself and maintain his identity as separate from America, it'd have to be something he did himself. In Hetalia turns, Ireland may be able to grab the remote off him or whatever, but there's really nothing they can do in Real World terms. That said, I'm pretty sure England's not about to become the 51st state or whatever, he may be changing, but everyone is. It's just how the world works.

That said I haven't been to England in years, it's entirely possible the situation is far more drastic than I thought. But you still have the most ridiculous English accent I've heard in some time, which you think sounds American, so I think you might be okay. Americanisation is an issue, but it's not something that's unique to England and it's nearly 1 am it's possible I'm not making sense or thinking shit.

[hellzabeth.livejournal.com]

That. Is a much longer comment than what I expected to get for something I was simply day-dreaming about. o_o

I suppose what you say is correct; we're definitely not the only country experiencing Americanization. Never said we were. I just get worried about my own country because I love it for what it is, flawed and all. It's really both myself and the media getting paranoid over nothing. More kids are growing up with American inflections to their words and it's making the nationalists and the old folks nervous that English-ness will eventually die etc etc and all that hyperbole. I'm sure back in the 11th century the old folks grumbled about French aristocratic influence as well (especially on fashion and words. Long tunics? SCANDAL.)

And my accent is not ridiculous, what ho.

[petitebabby.livejournal.com]

I was very bored.

Mm, I get what you mean and everything. I'm not sure what exactly my point was, it was not a thinking hour. I just felt like rambling on the subject.

Your accent is bloody ridiculous, chap, eh wot?

[petitebabby.livejournal.com]

ANOTHER POINT what is English-ness? How would you define it and how it's being lost? Is being English having tea at the set tea time? Complaining about the weather? Cleaning chimneys?

[hellzabeth.livejournal.com]

Dude lol nobody's had a legit chimney sweep since 1950. There aren't enough houses with chimneys like that, you just get a house cleaner to do it or do it yourself.

I don't know if there's one thing I'd define as being English. It's lots of little things. It's shrugging and rolling our eyes at rain in August. It's being a bit disdainful and yet wildly jealous of other countries and their languages and culture. It's being able to tell who's from the next town over just from the way they pronounce "harvester" or whether or not it's "Pompey" or "Portsmouth". It's knocking off from work and going straight to the pub. It's calling everyone you meet "mate", if both of you are between the ages of 16 and 30. It's being able to spot a chav from 500 yards. It's standing in the freezing cold clutching a pasty and a plastic cup full of tea because the trains are running two hours late because there are leaves on the track and fuck it, if you wait five more minutes it'll probably turn up. It's giving people a long, loaded stare if they cut in front of you in a queue because you don't fucking do that, queuing is important and polite and without it civilisation as we know it would collapse!!!11!one

I could go on forever about all these tiny little things. But I will now stop gushing and drowning you in horrifically displayed patriotism. Do excuse me. /covers it up again

[millesettecento.livejournal.com]

I'll go get some fucking water to spit out because that was my fucking prompt.

[tuulensisko.livejournal.com]

Hey, remember that Ireland, Scotland and Wales used to have their own languages. Now they mostly just speak English and they're still Irish, Welsh and Scottish. So I don't think you have anything to worry about if a couple of people pronounce words a little American. x)

Not that I don't understand your worry... Especially when people in Finland use increasingly more English and "Finglish" and watch American TV shows and American movies and so on and so on... But then again, there's not much you can do about that... it's so natural for people and cultures to change. Though it doesn't have to mean that they stop existing. But I have to admit that it depresses me so much when languages die... And I keep being worried about all those small Finno-Ugric languages that are only spoken by tiny populations in Russia and we know how Russia is about other cultures... >__> (Russia: Become one with me~ ^J^ Kolkol)