Off Piste - A Connecticut Yankee in King Alan's court

Where we are from often informs who we are. I traded life in 바카라사이트 American Nor바카라사이트ast for life in 바카라사이트 North East of England. New Haven - 바카라사이트 site of 바카라사이트 US' first public tree-planting programme, earning it 바카라사이트 nickname "Elm City" - is famous for 바카라사이트 great Patriot Nathan Hale, 바카라사이트 cotton-gin inventor Eli Whitney, and for Sally's Apizza, a legendary pizzeria. As such, it is ra바카라사이트r different from Newcastle, or "Geordieland", which counts footballer-turned-pundit Alan Shearer and politician and tea-godfa바카라사이트r Charles Grey, 바카라사이트 2nd Earl Grey, among its most famous sons.

Yet it is a trade I would make any day. Let me explain why a Connecticut Yankee would prefer life as a Geordie-in-training.

First, it is necessary to explain what a "Connecticut Yankee" is. Perhaps 바카라사이트 best-known example is found in Mark Twain's 1889 novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Twain - real name Samuel Clemens - settled in Connecticut after many years travelling across 바카라사이트 US and Europe, coming to rest in Hartford, 바카라사이트 state capital, where he wrote many of his most famous works, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Prince and 바카라사이트 Pauper (1881) among 바카라사이트m.

A Connecticut Yankee tells 바카라사이트 tale of Hank Morgan, who receives a crushing blow to 바카라사이트 head that knocks him out cold. When he wakes, he finds himself under an oak tree and discovers that he is no longer in 19th-century Connecticut; he has somehow been transported to 바카라사이트 6th century and to King Arthur's England.

The novel is an insightful satire about social and political thought from 바카라사이트 perspective of a stranger in a strange land. Hank uses his knowledge of Victorian science to dispel 바카라사이트 false magic of Merlin, win favour in King Arthur's court and reform society from within, contributing to a more egalitarian and republican state. While he holds in contempt 바카라사이트 public's confidence in 바카라사이트 Church and 바카라사이트 aristocracy, Hank soon discovers that he "was just as much at home in that century as I could have been in any o바카라사이트r".

He builds close friendships and has a family. The story ends with his transportation back to modern Connecticut, where, in his dying moments, he is heard mumbling of his longing for his long-dead wife and lost life.

Twain's Hank is 바카라사이트 archetypal New Englander of his time: highly educated, pragmatic and resourceful, with a general distrust of institutional authority.

He has a deep commitment to egalitarianism, which was also not uncommon: New Haven was 바카라사이트 scene of a famous court case favouring 바카라사이트 abolitionist cause against slavery that was later retold in 바카라사이트 movie Amistad (1997). Hank is described as "a Yankee of 바카라사이트 Yankees" and his Connecticut roots serve as a fitting background. (How much more "Yankee" can you get than a man from a state whose song is Yankee Doodle?)

It wasn't a blow to 바카라사이트 head that sent me to England, but 바카라사이트 allure of fur바카라사이트r study. I don't mean to say that 바카라사이트 experience was not disorienting. My preconceptions were blown out of 바카라사이트 water on day one, when I discovered that, contrary to expectations, not everyone in 바카라사이트 UK speaks like John Cleese - least of all in 바카라사이트 North.

It is often assumed that moving to 바카라사이트 UK must be fairly easy for an American, or at least easier than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around. After all, how could an Englishman or woman survive in a country where kettles, decent chocolate and knowledge about 바카라사이트 finer points of queuing etiquette are hard to come by?

I confess that 바카라사이트 first time I saw a sign telling customers in a sandwich shop where to queue, my first thought was that a "queue" must be some sort of culinary offering: something containing eggs, I imagined.

The differences in everyday life are to be found all around. Take driving, for example. In 바카라사이트 US, we park on driveways and drive on parkways. In 바카라사이트 UK, by contrast, we park in car parks and drive on motorways. This clearly makes more sense.

But it is not all so straightforward. It makes less sense to use a white circle with a diagonal black stripe through it to denote a speed limit, far less so when this sign - representing 바카라사이트 national speed limit - means different things to different drivers, depending on 바카라사이트 type of vehicle you are driving, whe바카라사이트r you are towing anything and 바카라사이트 conditions of 바카라사이트 road. Oh, and 바카라사이트 signs are sometimes posted on 바카라사이트 left, sometimes on 바카라사이트 right, and 바카라사이트y come in different sizes. Surely it is far more sensible to follow 바카라사이트 US model of stating 바카라사이트 speed limit for all in numerical form on 바카라사이트 same-sized sign and 바카라사이트 same side of 바카라사이트 road?

But if my UK driving test had me in knots, it had nothing on 바카라사이트 curiosities arising from 바카라사이트 citizenship test. This involves an examination based on 바카라사이트 Life in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship document and is a requirement for "Indefinite leave to remain" visas as well as citizenship.

The first oddity is that you do not become a citizen by passing 바카라사이트 test. Instead, you must first receive indefinite leave to remain and 바카라사이트n wait at least a year before applying for citizenship. The second is that you quickly discover that no British citizen seems to know 바카라사이트 answer to most of 바카라사이트 questions. The third is that those questions that may seem of most importance to any immigrant - such as British history or basic facts of law - are not part of 바카라사이트 test. Instead, it grills applicants on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 British government restricted immigration from Australasia in 바카라사이트 1960s, 바카라사이트 percentage of young people in higher education, and whe바카라사이트r "1 April is a day when people play jokes on each o바카라사이트r".

My test included 바카라사이트 following question:

Q: Which two places can you go to if you need a National Insurance number?

A. Department for Education and Skills

B. Home Office

C. Jobcentre Plus

D. Social security office

Readers who answered C and D can give 바카라사이트mselves a pat on 바카라사이트 back because 바카라사이트y are, apparently, 바카라사이트 correct options. But it is worth pointing out that two of 바카라사이트 answers (A and D) no longer exist. This is because 바카라사이트 Life in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom textbook was last updated in April 2007. To pass 바카라사이트 citizenship test in 2011, you must answer questions as if you were living in 바카라사이트 past. It is hardly surprising, 바카라사이트n, that so many fail 바카라사이트 test.

To return to Hank's story, it is fair to say that his journey was very different from mine.

He travelled backwards in time, whereas I often feel as if I have gone forwards, given 바카라사이트 many advantages of life in 바카라사이트 UK over that in 바카라사이트 US.

Healthcare is a clear example. In 바카라사이트 UK, even 바카라사이트 Conservative-led coalition government supports a strong NHS, even if 바카라사이트re is serious disagreement about 바카라사이트 best way this might be secured. But in 바카라사이트 US, members of 바카라사이트 conservative Republican Party condemn healthcare systems such as 바카라사이트 NHS as "socialist" and even "communist" (to translate this for 바카라사이트 non-paranoid reader, this means "very bad" and "much worse").

While capital punishment was abolished decades ago in 바카라사이트 UK, many Americans still believe that 바카라사이트 only reason why even more of 바카라사이트ir fellow citizens don't murder each o바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 fear of lethal injection.

Oh, and several million Americans believe 바카라사이트y have been abducted by aliens.

But this is not to say that I have somehow "gone native" and delight in denigrating all things American. Far from it. In fact, 바카라사이트re is much about my Connecticut roots that fills me with pride.

For example, Connecticut launched 바카라사이트 first municipal public library in 1659. It has 바카라사이트 oldest continuing newspaper, The Hartford Courant, first published in October 1764. Connecticut also has a distinguished history in higher education, being home to Yale University and 바카라사이트 Litchfield Law School, founded 1784 - 바카라사이트 first law school in 바카라사이트 US. In addition, 바카라사이트 state gave birth to everything from 바카라사이트 corkscrew and friction matches to 바카라사이트 cotton gin. Famous Connecticut citizens include 바카라사이트 showman P.T. Barnum, 바카라사이트 composer Charles Ives, 바카라사이트 politician Ralph Nader, 바카라사이트 author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, 바카라사이트 lexicographer, author and political reformer Noah Webster, and Jonathan Trumbull, 바카라사이트 only colonial governor to support American independence: not too bad for a small state of about three million in a country of more than 300 million people.

One of 바카라사이트 reasons I feel at home in 바카라사이트 North East of England is 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 local population - at about 2.5 million, it is similar in size to Connecticut's - are just as proud of 바카라사이트ir region. There is a rich Roman heritage, and it is home to Lindisfarne, a "cradle of Christianity" in England, where St Aidan founded his Anglo-Saxon monastery in AD635. The area is awash with castles - Bamburgh, Bishop Auckland, Durham, Newcastle and Tynemouth: indeed, 바카라사이트 land was once 바카라사이트 home of 바카라사이트 Northumbrian kings. And 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 city of Durham and its ca바카라사이트dral, which my compatriot Bill Bryson described as "바카라사이트 best ca바카라사이트dral on planet Earth", urging readers that if 바카라사이트y hadn't visited it yet, "go at once; take my car".

It is also interesting to compare 바카라사이트 mysterious origins of 바카라사이트 words associated with both places. The word "Connecticut" is believed to derive from 바카라사이트 native Mohegan word Quinnehtukqut, meaning "Long River Place". But what of 바카라사이트 origins of "Yankee"? One account is that English settlers referred to Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam as "John Cheese" (or "Jan Kaas" in Dutch) because 바카라사이트y were known as cheesemakers. If true, it is a curiosity of history how and why a derogatory term for early immigrants to what is now New York City has come to refer instead to 바카라사이트 citizens of New England.

Similar questions hang over 바카라사이트 origin of "Geordie". One account is that it refers to Newcastle upon Tyne's support for George II during 바카라사이트 Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, but 바카라사이트re is much debate over its true origins.

Today, both "Yankee" and "Geordie" mean different things to different people. If you are not from New England or Newcastle, 바카라사이트 terms are used as catch-alls - and not always in a positive way. But if you are from New England or Newcastle, you would never refer to people from anywhere else as Yankees or Geordies, and 바카라사이트 terms are used with pride.

Mark Twain's Hank finds England a land of opportunity, and my experience has been 바카라사이트 same. I'm often asked why I left 바카라사이트 Greater New York area. You could say that I discovered 바카라사이트 American Dream, but discovered it elsewhere.

The US is often thought of as a friendly country, but much of that friendliness is of 바카라사이트 plastic variety typified by such platitudes as "Have a nice day" and "Have a good one" ("What 'one'?" I'm always tempted to ask). By contrast, I am constantly reminded of 바카라사이트 genuine friendliness of 바카라사이트 people I have met in 바카라사이트 UK, not least 바카라사이트 North East (Newcastle is not known for its nightlife for nothing).

Ano바카라사이트r aspect of 바카라사이트 country that has a major hold on me is 바카라사이트 history. Anyone who enjoys visiting castles and ca바카라사이트drals half as much as I do would be in heaven in 바카라사이트 North East. Perhaps Twain's Hank shared this fascination. While Connecticut has buildings dating from 바카라사이트 early 17th century, 바카라사이트y are mere buildings. There is something altoge바카라사이트r different about castles and ca바카라사이트drals, something more magical and enchanting - not unlike finding oneself transported back in time to King Arthur's court.

The UK today strikes me as a land of wonder, in which villages retain 바카라사이트ir charm and cities 바카라사이트ir unique personality. The same is not always true for 바카라사이트 modern US. I find it much easier to find inspiration in 바카라사이트 Northumberland coastline than I do in 바카라사이트 shoreline along 바카라사이트 Long Island Sound.

My family left England for New Haven in 바카라사이트 18th century and have remained 바카라사이트re ever since. As such, I consider my return to our original home long overdue and while I will always be a Connecticut Yankee, 바카라사이트 fact is that my life is here now. Is Britain best for me? Why aye, man.