I was not going to write a blog about my experiences in the UK. I am not the type of person to wax poetic about every experience that I have been through or every person that I have met. There are, however, times in every person’s life when they have a story to tell, and no matter how much they may not want to tell the story it is begging to be told. So I am going to write a story about my experiences, if for nothing else but to purge myself of the words that are waiting to come out.
"In learning to know other things, and other minds, we become more
intimately acquainted with ourselves, and are to ourselves better worth
knowing." ~ Philip Gilbert Hamilton~
Monday, February 14, 2011
Southern Hospitality
In the Southern United States people are often known for their “Southern Hospitality.”Now whether every person in the South is hospitable or not I don’t know, if I were to venture a guess I would say no, but the fact of the matter is that the area is known for being hospitable and welcoming people in their homes and providing them with comfort.But hospitality is not limited to the South and while over here I have experienced hospitality at its best.Every weekend I attend Sunday lunch with a couple that I met through a friend of mine within the first couple of weeks of being in the UK.This is not unlike the Sunday lunches/dinners that happens after church in the US, although generally their guest list is a bit longer than I am used to.They open their doors every Sunday to students and friends and prepare an amazing feast because that is what they feel is their ministry and what they are called to do.They are amazing people and ask for nothing in return and have shown me nothing but goodness and hospitality.
One of the original Eleanor's Crosses- Memorial of one of the places where the funeral procession stopped for the night when bringing her body back to London to be buried at Westminster Abbey. There are 12, only 3 originals remain.
The front view of the Host UK house near Kettering
The back side of the Host UK house in Kettering
In addition to the Sunday lunch, I was able to experience hospitality in the UK a couple of weekends ago.There is a program called Host UK which matches university students with families in the UK within a certain area for a weekend.I was able to visit a family in the Midlands of England near a village called Kettering.They welcomed me with open arms into their home that had been in the husband’s family for over 250 years.It was an old English farmhouse, complete with a Great Hall, and it was a history nerd’s dream come true.The family, which consisted of the parents and two teenagers- a boy and a girl, were kind and gracious, taking me to see different sites around the Midlands so that I was able to explore the different areas.One of the places I was shown was a roadside memorial to American troops from World War II.Apparently wherever American troops were either stationed or flew out of during the war the UK erected a memorial for their assistance.This is not unlike our war memorials, but it was significant because it was for American troops in a foreign country, as recognition that we were appreciated.That Saturday evening they hosted a game night.They had some games that I was familiar with, such as Boggle and Sequence, and some games that I have never seen before, such as Articulate, and everyone had a good time just visiting and playing games.It struck me during the game night that this is not dissimilar to something that would occur within the US where big groups of people will get together and share food, laughter, and fun.Although there are differences, I have also been struck by the similarities that you would not expect to find such as a game night.Another time I was trying to explain to a girl from Turkey about Family Feud because I wanted to show her a clip that my brother had shared on Facebook and as I was trying to explain the premise of the game she said “Oh yeah, we have that, it is called…” She told me what it is called in Turkish, and while I have been learning Turkish words I am not that good yet.Regardless of where we come from there are little nuances that resonate worldwide.Now this is not to say that we are not different, because we are, and those differences are what make us unique but there are similarities that we all share regardless of where we come from.One of those that I have seen is what we call in the states Southern Hospitality.And I am attaching the Family Feud clip that I showed the Turkish girl, I would recommend watching it.
"Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it." ~ Hebrews 13:2
In addition to the Sunday lunch, I was able to experience hospitality in the UK a couple of weekends ago. There is a program called Host UK which matches university students with families in the UK within a certain area for a weekend. I was able to visit a family in the Midlands of England near a village called Kettering. They welcomed me with open arms into their home that had been in the husband’s family for over 250 years. It was an old English farmhouse, complete with a Great Hall, and it was a history nerd’s dream come true. The family, which consisted of the parents and two teenagers- a boy and a girl, were kind and gracious, taking me to see different sites around the Midlands so that I was able to explore the different areas. One of the places I was shown was a roadside memorial to American troops from World War II. Apparently wherever American troops were either stationed or flew out of during the war the UK erected a memorial for their assistance. This is not unlike our war memorials, but it was significant because it was for American troops in a foreign country, as recognition that we were appreciated. That Saturday evening they hosted a game night. They had some games that I was familiar with, such as Boggle and Sequence, and some games that I have never seen before, such as Articulate, and everyone had a good time just visiting and playing games. It struck me during the game night that this is not dissimilar to something that would occur within the US where big groups of people will get together and share food, laughter, and fun. Although there are differences, I have also been struck by the similarities that you would not expect to find such as a game night. Another time I was trying to explain to a girl from Turkey about Family Feud because I wanted to show her a clip that my brother had shared on Facebook and as I was trying to explain the premise of the game she said “Oh yeah, we have that, it is called…” She told me what it is called in Turkish, and while I have been learning Turkish words I am not that good yet. Regardless of where we come from there are little nuances that resonate worldwide. Now this is not to say that we are not different, because we are, and those differences are what make us unique but there are similarities that we all share regardless of where we come from. One of those that I have seen is what we call in the states Southern Hospitality. And I am attaching the Family Feud clip that I showed the Turkish girl, I would recommend watching it. 
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