An Actual Musing...On my way to sunny Bristol last Friday, I was listening in horror to the debate on Radio Wales that afternoon. Basically, the Welsh boys in team GB didn't sing the national anthem 'Good Save the Queen' - and they we being hauled over the coals for it.Some were saying that it's an insult to the Welsh to even ask them to sing it in the first place. "She's an English Queen, why should we sing that song - it has nothing to do with the Welsh".Well - I nearly crashed my car in indignation. What a ridiculously petty thing to argue about. I'm sorry, but I have never met anyone as nationalistic as the Welsh. And that isn't a compliment. I have lived in Wales for the majority of my life. I may have been born in England but I speak Welsh fluently and consider myself Welsh - but my god I am first and foremost British, and the Queen is MY Queen.
Wales is part of the United Kingdom, yes they are a separate country, but they doesn't make it any less of a part of the greater being. This ridiculous call of separation bemuses me.
The Queen is the the sovereign of the Commonwealth,which bloody well includes Wales, does it not? When our boys in the Army go out and serve for Queen and Country, does anyone complain then? Are we not proud of our soldiers for fighting on behalf of Britain? Then surely we can be proud of our athletes, and footballers, and whoever for competing on behalf of Britain, no matter whether they are Welsh, English Scottish or Irish.The same goes for the Union Flag. The Welsh dragon does not appear on the flag because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England from the 13th century. This meant that Wales a Principality instead of a Kingdom and as such could not be included. So, sorry Wales, you missed out there.
But the Union Flag represents Britain. The world does not look at it and think "Oh, that's the flag of England, Scotland and Ireland - but NOT Wales." It's only the Welsh that feel they're unrepresented and they will never be happy until they've gotten a hack-saw and floated off to hang out with Ireland. Dreadfully unpatriotic and petty start to the Olympics. Shame on you Wales...
This Week's Web Browsing...
- How to survive when everything sucks. Such a great post.
- Have you seen Sarah's blog redesign?
- How people around you affect your success.
- Really excited about starting this sometime soon.
This Week I Have...
Made some huge decisions and implemented a ma-hoosive life change up. I had a hard time of it last Winter when I was going to and from work, as at 6am the roads are still in pretty poor condition and very bendy. Perhaps you remember this post. As I considered moving home, I realised that if I was going to bother moving, then why restrict myself to where I happen to work.
So! I applied for a job, found myself a potential place to live - and I'm not just waiting to hear back on this interview, which went awesomely - so I have high hopes. (Now watch them reject me, haha!)
Wish me luck boys and girls?
Officially started my distance learning course. It's pretty much exactly how I thought it would be. A big file with lots of work for me to do in it. I'm being forced to study Thomas Hardy, whom I declared my undying loathing for in this post. Karma, eh?
Lapsed into drinking caffeinated tea. I ran out of peppermint tea at work, and just couldn't be bothered to buy more. My bad. Must get on that. Anyone know if Chai is de-caf?
