British Transport

UNIT 13

30. BRITISH TRANSPORT

The British are enthusiastic about mobility. They regard the opportunity to travel far

and frequently as a right. Some commuters spend up to two or three hours each day getting

to work in London or some other big city and back home to their suburban or country

homes in the evening. Most people do not spend quite so long each day traveling, but it is

taken for granted that few people live near enough to their work or secondary school to get

there on foot.

As elsewhere in Europe, transport in modern Britain is dominated by the motor car

and there are the attendant problems of traffic congestion and pollution. These problems

are, in fact, more acute than they are in many other countries both because Britain is

densely populated and also because a very high proportion of goods are transported by

road. There is an additional reason for congestion in Britain. While the British want the

freedom to move around easily, they do not like living near big roads or railways. Any

proposed new road or rail project leads to 'housing blight'. The value of houses along or

near the proposed route goes down. Every such project is attended by an energetic

campaign to stop construction. Partly for this reason, Britain has, in proportion to its

population, fewer kilometers of main road and railway than any other country in northern

Europe.

Transport policy is a matter of continual debate. During the 1980s the government's

attitude was that public transport should pay for itself (and should not be given subsidies)

and road building was given priority. However, the opposite point of view, which argues in

favour of public transport, has become stronger during the 1990s, partly as a result of

pressure from environmental groups. It is now generally accepted that transport policy

should attempt to more than merely accommodate the predicted doubling in the number of

cars in the next thirty years, but should consider wider issues.

On the road

Nearly three-quarters of households in Britain have regular use of a car and about a

quarter have more than one car. The widespread enthusiasm for cars is, as elsewhere,

partly a result of people using them to project an image of themselves. Apart from the

obvious status indicators such as size and speed, the British system of vehicle registration

introduces another. Registration plates, known as 'number plates', give a clear indication of

the age of cars. There is a different letter of the alphabet for each year. In summer there are

a lot of advertisements for cars on television and in the newspapers because the new

registration 'year' begins in August.

Another possible reason for the British being so attached to their cars is the

opportunity which they provide to indulge the national passion for privacy. Being in a car

is like taking your 'castle' with you wherever you go. Perhaps this is why the occasional

attempts to persuade people to 'car pool' (to share the use of a car to and from work) have

met with little success.

The privacy factor may also be the reason why British drivers are less

'communicative' than the drivers of many other countries. They use their horns very little,

are not in the habit of signaling their displeasure at the behaviour of other road users with

their hands and are a little more tolerant of both other drivers and pedestrians. They are

also a little more safety conscious. Britain has the best road safety record in Europe. The

speed limit on motorways is a little lower than in most other countries (70 mph = 112 kph)

and people go over this limit to a somewhat lesser extent. In addition, there are frequent

and costly government campaigns to encourage road safety. Before Christmas 1992, for

instance, £2.3 million was spent on such a campaign.

Another indication that the car is perceived as a private space is that Britain was one

of the last countries in western Europe to introduce the compulsory wearing of seat belts

(in spite of British concern for safety). This measure was, and still is, considered by many

to be a bit of an infringement of personal liberty.

The British are not very keen on mopeds or motorcycles. They exist, of course, but

they are not private enough for British tastes. Every year twenty times as many new cars as

two-wheeled motor vehicles are registered. Millions of bicycles are used, especially by

younger people, but except in certain university towns such as Cambridge, they are not as

common as they are in other parts of north-western Europe. Britain has been rather slow to

organize special cycle lanes. The comparative safety of the roads means that parents are

not too worried about their children cycling on the road along with cars and lorries.

(Britain, James O’Driscoll, Oxford University Press, 1995)

31. ROAD TO FREEDOM

Berry Ritchie and his wife. Carole, did it: they packed their bags, rented out their

home and travelled the globe.

We fled our semi-detached nest in safe, suburban Richmond some 18 months ago.

We bought round-the-world air tickets and left London early in October.

Our journey took us in leisurely stages to New York and California, over the Pacific

to Australia, through Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore, Thailand and Southern India and back

through Europe.

We visited some of the most exotic places in the world and some of the least. We stayed

with friends in some places, and in hotels, motels and guest15 houses. We travelled in

taxis, buses, cars, vans, jeeps, rickshaws, trains and planes. We ate well and we ate badly.

And all the time we were together. After more than twenty-five years. Just each other.

Alone at last.

I will pass over the day that we were supposed to fly to New York and didn't because

my wife lost her passport. We discovered this on the way to the air port. Several hours

passed before we found it, stored for safe keeping along with her diaries in my mother's

attic. It was something that could have happened to anyone.

At the end of the first fortnight we felt desolate. We both missed our daughter. My

wife, Carole, suffered from homesickness and missed her friends and colleagues.

We were also consumed with misgivings about giving up our jobs, though the desire

to make a break from routine had been one of the motives behind the trip. Our feelings

came to a head one morning in the rather shabby room we were renting in Brooklyn. We

looked each other in the eye. 'Shall we go home?' we said together. It was a rhetorical

question, as we had let our house for the year and in any case the moment passed. It

recurred, but with less and less intensity, though we never did stop missing our near and

dear ones.

Less emotional and more predictable was the problem of living out of suitcases. My

theory that we could buy disposable clothes as we went along was wrong, at least from the

perspective of a style-conscious Englishwoman. The truth is that you get what you pay for,

which in the Far East is often not much.

Another pressure point was accommodation. It is hard to say which is worse, a hotel

room or one belonging to friends. The former lacks home comforts, the latter imposes

behavioural constraints.

We learned that floor space, a view and a private bathroom were vital for a stay of

any length. Usually we found all three, though sometimes not before a search. We wouldn't

recommend you staying in the Transit Hotel in Jakarta.

We didn't miss television but books were a problem, solved by begging, borrowing

and stealing. Books were also a major contribution to the weight of our luggage.

Much of our reading was escapist, but we did discover that books about their history

and culture added to our appreciation of the countries we visited. We expected, of course,

to be ill. Nothing serious, you understand, because we'd been inoculated against

everything. But we confidently feared food poisoning, snake bites, insect stings and a

variety of alien fevers. In the event I caught a cold and Carole had to have a filling

replaced in Melbourne, the home of dentistry. One reason for our good health was that as

our journey progressed we gradually became fitter. Neither of us was in very good shape

when we left home. We hadn't had time to get fit, what with all the stresses and strains of

preparing to go.

As the days turned into weeks the people we stayed with commented on how well we

looked, and how young. We felt it. We also felt something else. We felt free.

It couldn't last, of course. As months and continents passed, the pull of home and

loved ones strengthened. Again there came a moment when we asked each other 'Shall we

go home?'. This time, though, it was because we'd had enough, not because we were afraid.

We arrived back a year and a week after we left. After a month we recognised that

being lack home really had been hard!

(The Times, November, 1995)

UNIT 14

32. HOLIDAY DO’S AND DON’TS

Hot tips on how to avoid the holiday from Hell

Don’t wait until the last minute to buy your holiday swimsuit. The last one left will

come complete with gold belt and head-sized detachable styrofoam cups.

Do accept that while a capsule wardrobe (a swimsuit doubling as glam all-in-one)

sounds great, it'll never work. Are you really going to climb back into that soggy, sweaty,

sandy cossie for a night on the tiles? No, didn't think so.

Don’t be tempted into packing that thong — no matter how much buttock-clenching

you've been doing. You'll never live down your kids chortling and shrieking: 'Look at

Mum's bum!' up and down the beach.

Do pray the electricity board isn't planning to cut off the power supply in your

absence. There's nothing like a freezer full of rotting food to turn a golden tan white.

Don’t squeeze your glitzy ball gown and tiara into the suitcase. That spangly Gala

Evening proclaimed in the brochure will turn out to be a drunken knees-up at the bar.

Do ask yourself why the nine-year-old next door is so eager to look after your

hamsters while you're away. Could it be his eagerness to try out his state-of-the-art water

pistol on moving targets?

Don’t get your credit card out during airport delays. It's all too easy to convince

yourself you really need five inflatable pillows, 15 Jumbo Toblerones and an alarm clock

that warbles the time for every corner of the globe.

Do remember to double-check the locks on your suitcase — unless, of course, you get

a kick out of seeing your undies, diarrhoea tablets and panty liners strewn across the

luggage carousel.

Don’t plan to catch up on sleep during the flight. The stranger next to you will always

interpret your eyes closing as a signal to make an urgent toilet trip.

Do accept that the foreign coach driver will look away snorting and sniggering

whenever your hotel is mentioned. Strange that...

Don’t ask your holiday rep if there's a problem you should know about. She's the one

who looks 12, seems frightened out of her wits and is wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with

'Don't ask me, I'm just as lost as you.'

Do feel free to balance on a chair and poke your head out of the tiny window near the

bathroom ceiling to enjoy the promised 'sea view'.

Don’t tell the restaurant owner that someone has stolen his toilet, leaving only a hole

in the ground.

Do prepare yourself to see 'Phew, what a scorcher' headlines on British newspapers for

the duration of your holiday.

Don’t forget to use the decimal point when working out the exchange rate. You don't

want a repeat performance of last year's indignant outburst in the supermarket. ("£17.50 for

a packet of teabags? I'd rather die of thirst!")

Do choose the table furthest away from the 'evening entertainment' — unless you

want your conversation interrupted by endless renditions of You And Your Spanish Eyes

on an electric organ.

Don’t forget to enjoy every minute of it.

Bella, July, 2000

33. HOLIDAYS IN THE U.S.A.

Each of the 50 states establishes its own legal holidays. The federal government,

through the President and Congress, can legally set holidays only for federal employees

and for the District of Columbia. Most states, however, accept the federal legal holidays.

Holidays for all federal offices, most state and local government offices, and many (but not

all!) businesses are:

New Year's Day (January 1)

Martin Luther King's Birthday (third Monday in January)

Washington's Birthday, sometimes called “Presidents’ Day” (third Monday in

February)

Memorial Day (last Monday in May)

Independence Day (July 4)

Labor Day (first Monday in September)

Columbus Day (second Monday in October)

Veterans' Day (November 11)

Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)

Christmas Day (December 25)

Most states have holidays which are "observed," but are not necessarily "legal." The

name of the holiday (e.g. Confederate Memorial Day) goes on the calendar (last Monday in

April) for a state (Alabama, Mississippi), yet this does not mean that businesses are always

closed or children let out of school. There are also special days in most states (e.g.

Volunteer Fireman Day, second Sunday in January, in New Jersey) which are proclaimed,

but have no effect otherwise. This is also true at the national level. The President or

Congress might proclaim a special day or week (e.g. National Employ the Handicapped

Week, first week in October) in order to bring attention to a certain concern, interest group,

or problem.

The many religious holidays such as Good Friday, Hanukkah, or Ramadan are

observed, of course, by the religious, but they have no national, or official legal status.

Rather, each state sets its own laws, and whether or not an employee is given time off also

depends on labor agreements.

There are many traditional holidays, observed by a large number of Americans, which

are also neither legal nor official. Among these are Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, St.

Patrick's Day (not just people with Irish ancestry will "wear the green" on March 17),

Mother's Day, and Halloween (the last day of October).

The three holidays which were first observed in the U.S. but have now spread

elsewhere are Labor Day (usually observed on May 1 elsewhere), Thanksgiving (in

Canada), and Mother's Day (wherever there are florists, greeting-card companies, candy

manufacturers, and mothers).

Perhaps the two "most American" of the holidays are the Fourth of July -

Independence Day - and Thanksgiving. The Fourth of July is like a big, nationwide

birthday party. Yet, it's a party that takes place in neighborhoods, on beaches or in parks, or

on suburban lawns throughout the country. Some towns and cities have parades with bands

and flags, and most politicians will try to give a patriotic speech or two, should anyone be

willing to listen. But what makes the Fourth of July is the atmosphere and enjoyment of,

for instance, the family beach party, with hot dogs and hamburgers, volleyball and softball,

the fireworks and rockets at night (and, often, a sunburn and a headache the next morning).

The nation's birthday is also the nation's greatest annual summer party.

American Life and Institutions by D.K. Stevenson

34. THE TRUE THANKSGIVING STORY

by Dennis Rupert

It seems that every year we are treated to articles attempting to disprove the "myth of

Thanksgiving." In these articles we are told that:

- the Pilgrims weren't the first people in America to hold a thanksgiving

- the first thanksgiving had no religious significance at all, but was merely a harvest

festival

- our traditional Thanksgiving dinner has nothing in common with the Pilgrim's meal.

Some of these accusations are not a serious concern. After all, who cares if the

Pilgrims served cranberries or not? But what seems to lie behind some of these articles is a

desire to devalue the religious nature of our present Thanksgiving holiday. This is

unfortunate since Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays on the America calendar that is

not swept away with commercialism or mixed with pagan elements.

So here is "The True Thanksgiving Story." We have included references to primary

sources which you can read for yourself. After reading I believe that you will still be able

to eat your turkey with a happy stomach and a grateful heart to God.

Who observed the first Thanksgiving?

Okay, it wasn't the Pilgrims and it didn't involve feasting. But the first thanksgiving

observance in America was entirely religious. On December 4, 1619, a group of 38 English

settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation in what is now Charles City, Virginia. The group's

charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God.

Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. Here is the section of the Charter

of Berkley Plantation which specifies the thanksgiving service:

"Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in

the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of thanksgiving to

Almighty god."

In addition to 1619, the colonists perhaps held service in 1620 and 1621. The colony

was wiped out in 1622. It was a private event, limited to the Berkeley settlement.

What about the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving?

In a book called The First Thanksgiving, the author, Jean Craighead George says, the

Pilgrims left Europe "to seek their fortune in the New World." That would have come as

news to the Pilgrims themselves. Pilgrim leader William Bradford wrote in his diary that

the voyage was motivated by "a great hope for advancing the kingdom of Christ."

The Pilgrims set aground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter

was devastating. Weakened by the seven-week crossing and the need to establish housing,

they came down with pneumonia and consumption. They began to die -- one per day, then

two, and sometimes three. They dug the graves at night, so that the Indians would not see

how their numbers were dwindling. At one point, there were only seven persons able to

fetch wood, make fires, and care for the sick. By the spring, they had lost 46 of the original

102 who sailed on the Mayflower.

But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to

celebrate with a feast. The author of The First Thanksgiving states, "This was not a day of

Pilgrim thanksgiving." Instead, she writes, "This was pure celebration."

It is quite true that the word "thanksgiving" is not used in referring to the feast. But

the letter that we have telling us about the first Thanksgiving makes reference to God's

blessing on the harvest, the "goodness of God" in providing for them, and it says that the

feast was held so that they "might after a special manner rejoice together." That sounds like

a Thanksgiving feast to me!

The event occurred between September 21 and November 11, 1621, with the most

likely time being around Michaelmas (September 29), the traditional time for English

harvest homes. The settlers asked their Indian ally Chief Massasoit to dine with them. He

arrived accompanied by 90 warriors. The feast lasted three days. The Pilgrims and Indians

ate outdoors at large tables and competed together in tests of skill and strength.

Governor William Bradford sent "four men fowling" after wild ducks, geese, and

turkey. The warriors brought five deer. The feast probably consisted of the following items

(constructed from original sources and historical research by the Plymouth Plantation):

Seethed [boiled] Lobster; - Roasted Goose; - Boiled Turkey; - Fricassee of Coney; -

Pudding of Indian Corn; - Meal with dried Whortleberries; - Seethed

Cod; Roasted Duck; - Stewed Pumpkin; - Roasted Venison with

Mustard Sauce; - Savory Pudding of Hominy Fruit; - Holland Cheese.

Were there other thanksgiving feasts held by the Pilgrims?

The Pilgrim's first thanksgiving feast was not repeated the

following year. In the third year, when many of them had become

preoccupied with cultivating more land, and building on to their

houses, and planting extra corn for trading with the Indians, they were

stricken by a prolonged drought. Week followed week with no rain, until even the Indians

had no recollection of such a thing ever happening before. The sun-blasted corn withered

on its stalks and became tinder dry, and beneath it the ground cracked open and was so

powdery that any normal rain would be of little use. And still the heavens were as brass.

Finally, in July, Governor Bradford called a council of the chief men. It was obvious that

God was withholding the rain for a reason, and they had better find out why. Bradford

declared a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, and they gathered in their blockhouse

church and began to search their hearts. It turned out that even these 'saints', had things to

repent for -- spiritual pride, jealousy, vindictiveness, and greed, as well as a number of

broken relationships. One after another, as they became convicted, they asked God's

forgiveness and that of their fellow Pilgrims.

A tender, peaceful spirit grew among them and was enhanced as each hour passed.

Late in the afternoon, as they emerged from the blockhouse, the sky which that morning

had been hard and clear (as it had been every morning for nearly two months), was now

covered with clouds all around them. The following morning, it began to rain -- a gentle

rain that continued on and off for fourteen days straight. Writing of it, Bradford said:

"It came, without either wind, or thunder, or any violence, and by degrees in

abundance, as that ye earth was thorowly wete and soked therwith. Which did so

apparently revive & quicken ye decayed corne & other fruits, as was wonderfull to see, and

made ye Indeans astonished to behold; and afterwards the Lord sent them shuch seasonable

showers, with enterchange of faire warme weather, as, through his blessing, caused a

fruitfull & liberall harvest, to their no small comforte and rejoycing."

Their harvest that fall, was so abundant that they ended up with a surplus -- to the

benefit of Indians to the north who had not had a good growing season. To everyone's

delight, the Governor "sett apart a day of thanksgiving" and apparently once again invited

Chief Massasoit and his braves to eat with them.

In June of 1676 another Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed. The governing council

of Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express thanks for

the victories in "War with the Heathen Natives of this land" and the good fortune that had

seen their community securely established. By unanimous vote they instructed Edward

Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving. The following is part of

that proclamation:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant

June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and

Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who

are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that

the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the

Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this

Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being persuaded by

the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and souls as a

living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ."

Was Thanksgiving practiced during colonial times?

October of 1777 marked the first time that all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving

celebration. It lasted eight days. It also commemorated the patriotic victory over the British

at Saratoga. It was a one-time affair.

George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. He called

for a day of prayer and giving thanks to God. It was to be celebrated by all religious

denominations, but discord among the colonies prevented it from being practiced by all the

states. Many felt the hardships of a few Pilgrims did not warrant a national holiday. And

later, President Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the idea of having a day of thanksgiving.

How did Thanksgiving become a yearly national practice?

It was Sarah Joseph Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we

recognize as Thanksgiving. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her

Boston Ladies' Magazine, and later, in Godey's Lady's Book. She was fired with the

determination of having the whole nation join together in setting apart a national day for

giving thanks "unto Him from who all blessings flow."

In 1830, New York proclaimed an official state "Thanksgiving Day." Other states

soon followed its example. In 1852, her campaign succeeded in uniting 29 states in

marking the last Thursday of November as "Thanksgiving Day."

Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and

presidents, Hale' s passion became a reality. In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last

Thursday in November as a national day "of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent

Father." Here is the text of Lincoln's proclamation:

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been

preserved, the many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth

and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have

forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and

strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all

these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the

necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to God that made us! It

behoves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national

sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

April 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation for a National Day of

Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer

Since then, the date was changed only once, by Franklin Roosevelt, who moved it up

one week to the third Thursday of November in order to create a longer Christmas

shopping season. Public uproar against this decision caused the Congress to move

Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later.

35. THE ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

Next to Christmas, Halloween is the most commercialized celebration in the United States

and Canada. This ancient festival originated far from North America however, and

centuries before the first European set foot on the continent.

The ancient Druids who inhabited what we now call Great Britain placed great importance

on the passing of one season to the next, holding "Fire Festivals" which were celebrated for

three days (two days on either side of the day itself).

One of these festivals was called Samhain (pronounced Sha-Von) and it took place on

October 31 through to November 1. During this period, it was believed that the boundaries

between our world and the world of the dead were weakened, allowing spirits of the

recently dead to cross over and possess the living.

In order to make themselves and their homes less inviting to these wayward spirits, the

ancient Celts would douse all their fires. There was also a secondary purpose to this, after

extinguishing all their fires, they would re-light them from a common source, the Druidic

fire that was kept burning at Usinach, in the Middle of Ireland.

Samhain was considered to be a gateway not only from the land of the dead to the land of

the living, but also between Summer and Fall/Winter. For the Druids, this was the last gasp

of summer (it was also the Celtic New Year), so therefore they made sure it went out with

a bang before they had to button down for the winter ahead.

They would dress up in bizarre costumes and parade through their villages causing

destruction in order to scare off any recently departed souls who might be prowling for

bodies to inhabit, in addition to burning animals and other offerings to the Druidic deities.

It is also a popular belief that they would burn people who they believed to be possessed,

but this has largely been debunked as myth.

This yearly festival was adopted by the Roman invaders, who helped to propagate it

throughout the rest of the world (and at that time, the Roman Empire was the world). The

word "Halloween" itself actually comes from a contraction of All Hallows Eve, or All

Saint's Day (November 1), which is a Catholic day of observance in honour of saints.

This tradition was later brought to the North American continent by Irish immigrants who

were escaping the Potato Famine in their homeland. In addition to the festival itself, the

immigrants brought several customs with them, including one of the symbols most

commonly associated with Halloween -- the Jack 'O Lantern.

According to Irish folklore, there once lived a man named Jack who was known for being a

drunk and a prankster. One night Jack tricked the devil into climbing a tree, and quickly

carved an image of a cross on the trunk, trapping the devil. Jack then made him promise

that, in exchange for letting him out of the tree, the Devil would never tempt him to sin

again. He reluctantly agreed, but was able to exact his revenge upon Jack's death. Because

of his mischevious ways in life, Jack was barred from entering heaven and because of his

earlier trick, he was also barred from hell. So he was doomed to wander the earth until the

end of time, with only a single ember (carried in a hollowed out turnip) to warm him and

light his way.

In Ireland, they originally also used turnips for their "Jack Lanterns", but upon arriving in

the new world, they discovered that pumpkins were abundant and easier to carve out.

SBB, October 1999

36. HOLIDAYS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS IN THE U.K.

Britain is a country governed by routine. It has fewer public holidays than any other

country in Europe and fewer than North America (Northern Ireland has two extra ones,

however). Even New Year's Day was not an official public holiday in England and Wales

until quite recently (but so many people gave themselves a holiday anyway that it was

thought it might as well become official!). There are almost no semi-official holidays

either. Most official holidays occur either just before or just after a weekend, so that the

practice of making a 'bridge' is almost unknown. Moreover, there are no traditional extra

local holidays in particular places. Although the origin of the word 'holiday' is ‘holy day’,

not all public holidays (usually known as 'bank holidays') are connected with religious

celebrations.

The British also seem to do comparatively badly with regard to annual holidays.

These are not as long as they are in many other countries. Although the average employee

gets four weeks' paid holiday a year, in no town or city in the country would a visitor ever

get the impression that the place had 'shut down' for the summer break. (In fact, about 40%

of the population do not go away anywhere for their holidays.)

Modern holidays

Both of the traditional types of holiday (camp holiday and seaside holiday) have

become less popular in the last quarter of the twentieth century. The increase in car owner-

ship has encouraged many people to take caravan holidays. But the greatest cause of the

decline of the traditional holiday is foreign tourism. Before the 1960s, only the rich took

holidays abroad. By 1971, the British were taking 7 million foreign holidays and by 1987,

20 million. These days, millions of British people take their cars across the channel every

year and nearly half of all the nights spent on holidays away from home are spent abroad.

Most foreign holidays are package holidays, in which transport and accommodation

are booked and paid for through a travel agent. These holidays are often booked a long

time in advance. In the middle of winter the television companies run programmes which

give information about the packages being offered. People need cheering up at this time of

the year! In many British homes it has become traditional to get the holiday brochures out

and start talking about where to go in the summer on Boxing Day ( see the Calendar of

special occasions). Spain is by far the most popular package-holiday destination.

Half of all the holidays taken within Britain are now for three days or less. Every

bank-holiday weekend there are long traffic jams along the routes to the most popular

holiday areas. The traditional seaside resorts have survived by adjusting themselves to this

trend. (Only the rich have second houses or cottages in the countryside to which they can

escape at weekends.) But there are also many other types of holiday. Hiking in the country

and sleeping at youth hostels has long been popular and so, among an enthusiastic

minority, has pot-holing (the exploration of underground caves). There are also a wide

range of 'activity' holidays available, giving full expression to British individualism. You

can, for example, take part in a "murder weekend', and find yourself living out the plot of

detective story.

An increasing number of people now go on 'working' holidays, during which they

might help to repair an ancient stone wall or take part in an archaeological dig. This is an

echo of another traditional type of 'holiday' — fruit picking. It used to be the habit of poor

people from the east end of London, for example, to go to Kent at the end of the summer to

help with the hop harvest (hops are used for making beer).

Calendar of special occasions

New Year's Day (public holiday) - 1 January

2 January is also a public holiday in Scotland.

St Valentine's Day (14 February)

Shrove Tuesday (Forty-seven days before Easter)

St Patrick's Day (17 March). This is a public holiday in Northern Ireland.

Mother's Day (The fourth Sunday in Lent). £50 million worth of flowers are bought

for this day. Cards are also sent.

April Fools' Day (1 April). It is traditional for people to play tricks or practical jokes

on each other on this day. Children are the most enthusiastic about this custom, but even

the BBC and serious newspapers sometimes have 'joke' (i.e. not genuine) features on this

day.

Good Friday (public holiday). The strange name in English for the day

commemorating Christ's crucifixion.

Easter Monday (public holiday) - The day after Easter Sunday

May Day (public holiday) - The first Monday in May. In Britain this day is associated

more with ancient folklore than with the workers. In some villages the custom of dancing

round the maypole is acted out.

Spring Bank Holiday (public holiday) - The last Monday in May.

Father's Day (The third Sunday in June). This is probably just a commercial

invention - and not a very successful one either. Millions of British fathers don't even

know they have a special day.

Queen's Official Birthday (The second or third Saturday in June). It is 'official'

because it is not her real one. Certain public ceremonies are performed on this day.

Orangemen's Day (12 July). This is a public holiday in Northern Ireland only. In this

way, the holiday associated with the Catholic part of the community (St Patrick's Day) is

balanced by one associated with the other part, the Protestants.

Summer Bank Holiday (public holiday)- The last Monday in August.

Halloween (31 October). This is the day before All Saints' Day in the Christian

calendar, and is associated with the supernatural. Some people hold Halloween parties,

which are fancy-dress parties (people dress up as witches, ghosts etc.). However, this day

is observed much more energetically in the USA than it is in Britain.

Guy Fawkes’ Day (5 November)

Remembrance Sunday (Second Sunday in November). This day commemorates the

dead of both World Wars and of more recent conflicts. On and before this day, money is

collected in the street on behalf of charities for ex-servicemen and women. The people who

donate money are given paper poppies to pin to their clothes. No politician would be seen

on this day without a poppy!

Christmas Eve (24 December)

Christmas Day (public holiday) - 25 December

Boxing Day (public holiday) - 26 December. Explanations for the origin of this name

vary. One is that it was the day on which landowners and householders would present their

tenants and servants with gifts (in boxes), another is that it was the day on which the

collecting boxes in churches were opened and the contents distributed to the poor.

New Year's Eve (31 December)

Britain by James O’Driscoll – adapted

37. ST. PATRICK’S DAY TRICKS DAY

St. Patrick's Day is Ireland's greatest national holiday as well

as a holy day. The date marks the anniversary of the death of the

missionary who became the patron saint of Ireland. It is a happy

holiday for the Irish wherever they may be - in Dublin, New York

City, Boston, or San Francisco. The day celebrated with parades,

speeches, festive dinners, and dances. Green is the color of the

day, with thousands of little cloth shamrocks worn even by those

whose forefathers never touched the shores of Ireland.

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy

parents near the end of the fourth century. At the age of sixteen,

Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's

estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this

time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he

turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian.

The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States.

Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March

17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their

Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army. Suddenly, annual St.

Patrick's Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as a must-

attend event for a slew of political candidates. In 1948, President Truman attended New

York City 's St. Patrick's Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors

had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in America.

Leprechauns

Leprechauns are the little old men who are shoemakers for the fairies. They usually

stand about 2 feet tall. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of

his shoemaker's hammer. The legend is that if you catch one you can force him to tell you

where he hides his gold.

The Leprechaun

By Robert Dwyer Joyce (1830-83)

In a shady nook one moonlit night,

A leprahaun I spied

In scarlet coat and cap of green,

A cruiskeen by his side.

'Twas tick, tack, tick, his hammer went,

Upon a weeny shoe,

And I laughed to think of a purse of gold,

But the fairy was laughing too.

With tip-toe step and beating heart,

Quite softly I drew night.

There was mischief in his merry face,

A twinkle in his eye;

He hammered and sang with tiny voice,

And sipped the mountain dew;

Oh! I laughed to think he was caught at last,

But the fairy was laughing, too.

As quick as thought I grasped the elf,

"Your fairy purse," I cried,

"My purse?" said he, "'tis in her hand,

That lady by your side."

I turned to look, the elf was off,

And what was I to do?

Oh! I laughed to think what a fool I'd been,

And, the fairy was laughing too.

The Jig's Up

The leprechauns are laughing

For their day is finally here

The legends and the folklore

Seep through the atmosphere

The dancers are all ready

An Irish jig is in the air

The walls of the pubs are bursting

There is not an empty chair

As the night becomes the morning,

The barman leads the song

From Danny Boy to Irish Eyes

The serenade goes on.

Then a husky voice is heard to say

Make this your final stein

For St. Patrick's day is over

At it's time Gentlemen it's time.

Blarney Stone

The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village

of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive

eloquence. The legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king

who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king

the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. It's difficult reach the stone. Kissers have to

lie on their back and bend backward or downward, holding iron bars for support.

St. Patrick's Day Pinch

School children have started a little tradition of their own. They pinch classmates who

don't wear green on this holiday. Wearing green is strictly a U.S. custom, as the color green

is not popular in Ireland. Green is connected to the old green flag and a time when Ireland

was not free. Green is also a color connected with hope and nature.

The Luck Of The Irish

Finding a four-leaf clover

The wearing of the green

Kissing the blarney stone

Irish Blessings

May Christ and His saints stand

between you and harm.

May and her Son

St. Patrick with his staff.

Martin with his mantle.

Bridget with her vail.

Michael with his shield.

And God over all with His strong right hand.

If a fairy, or a man, or a woman

Hath overlooked thee.

There are three greater in heaven

Who will cast all evil from thee

Into the great and terrible sea.

Pray to them, and to the seven angels of God,

And they will watch over thee.

Four corners to her bed

Four angels at her head

Mark, Matthew, Luke and John;

God bless the bed that she lies on.

New moom, new moom, God bless me

God bless this house and family.

Toasts

Here's to absent friends and here's twice to absent enemies.

Here's to the light heart and the heavy hand.

Thirst is a shameless disease so here's to a shameful cure.

Here's to a wet night and a dry morning.

May we always have a clean shirt, a clean conscience, and a bob in the pocket.

May you be across Heaven's threshold before the old boy knows you're dead.

Superstitions

Moon, moon tell unto me,

When my true love I shall see?

What fine clothes am I to wear?

How many children will I bear?

For if my love comes not to me,

Dark and dismal my life will be.

This verse, recited by a maiden as she gathered special herbs by the light of the first

full moon of the new year, could reveal a future husband and cause the girl to have a true

dream about the man--if she first complied with certain requirements. With a black-

handled knife she had to cut out three pieces of earth, bring them home, tie them in her left

stocking, and secure the bundle with her right garter. The completed package then had to

be placed upon her pillow.

When yawning, make the sign of the cross instantly over your mouth, or the evil spirit

will make a rush down and take up his abode with you.

It is unlucky to offer your right hand in salutation, for thee is an old say, "A curse with

the left hand to those we hate, but the right hand to those we honor."

If the palm of your hand itches you will be getting money; if the elbow, you will be

changing beds.

Breaking a mirror brought seven years of bad luck, while two people washing hands in

the same basin at the same time courted disaster.

Sayings

A man that can't laugh at himself should be given a mirror.

A man takes a drink; the drink takes a drink; the drink takes the man.

A narrow neck keeps the bottle from being emptied in one swig.

Morning is the time to pity the sober. The way they're feeling then is the best they're

going to feel all day.

You can lead the horse to the well, but you can't make him drink.

Better the coldness of a friend than the sweetness of an enemy.

Be nice to them on the way up. You might meet them all on the way down.

If a man fools me once, shame on him. If he fools me twice, shame on me.

Let your anger set the sun and not rise again with it.

Irish Tradition

Many people will be eating Irish food such as Irish Stew and Corned Beef and

cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. Corned Beef is not an Irish dish. It is what Americans think

the Irish eat. A more traditional meal would be ham and cabbage or bacon and cabbage.

Some say that in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day the traditional green beer is prominent.

However, in Ireland, many years ago, St. Patrick's Day is considered a holy day and Pubs

were not open for business. There were no parades, no drinking or wearing green. Green

was considered an unlucky color.

Irish Coffee

1 shot Irish Whiskey

1 tbsp Sugar

6 oz. Coffee

Whipped Cream for garnish

Pre-warm a stemmed glass.

Add the whiskey.

Add the sugar and stir in the coffee.

Float the whipped cream on top.

Drink the coffee through the cream.

Do not stir after adding the cream.

Irish Humor

What do you call an Irishman who knows how to control his wife?

A bachelor.

***

Definition of an Irish husband:

He hasn't kissed his wife for twenty years, but he will kill any man who does.

Courtship is a time during which the girl decides whether she can do better or not.

***

Dinny was standing in the street the other day when an English chap came up to him

and said,

"I say old chap, could you show me the way to the nearest boozer?"

Says Dinny, hopefully,

You're looking at him."

***

An Irishman who had a little to much to drink is driving home from the city one night

and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road. A cop pulls him over.

“So," says the cop to the driver, "where have you been?"

“Why, I've been to the pub of course" slurs the drunk.

“Well," says the cop, "it looks like you've had quite a few to drink this evening".

“I did all right," the drunk says with a smile.

“Did you know," says the cop, standing straight and folding his arms across his chest,

"that a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?"

“Oh, thank heavens," sighs the drunk. "For a minute there, I thought I'd gone deaf."

British Sayings and Humour

Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone.

*

A penny saved is a penny earned.

*

You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

*

When poverty comes in the door, love flies out the window.

*

One of the embarrassments of being a gentleman is that you are not permitted to be

violent in asserting your rights.

*

The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents and the second by our children.

*

Families with babies and families without babies are sorry for each other.

*

The teacher said, "Today we will review our tenses. Now, if I say I am beautiful, what

tense is it?". A student replied, "Obviously past tense".

*

A man recently appointed general in the army was in his new office when a new

soldier walked in. Wishing to impress the new soldier, the general picked up the telephone

and said, "Yes, Mr. President. I'm glad you like my suggestions. I'll come by and give you

a more detailed report at the White House a little later this week." After hanging up the

receiver, the general asked, "Now, soldier, what can I do for you?". "Nothing much, sir",

said the soldier. "I just came in to connect your telephone".

*

"My boyfriend is wonderful", said Helen.

"He is rather nice, I must say", said Kate.

"He tells everyone that he is going to marry the most beautiful girl in the world", said

Helen.

"I'm so sorry", said Kate. "Perhaps he will change his mind and marry you after all".

*

The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is

generally interrupted by someone doing it.

*

Distant relatives are the best kind, and the further the better.

*

Don’t knock the weather; nine tenth of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it

didn’t change once in a while.

*

The only way to entertain some folks is to listen to them.

*

The richer a relative is, the less he bothers you.

A teacher was giving a naughty student five strokes with a stick. The teacher said

"This hurts me more than you". The student replied, "Is that really true, sir?" The teacher

said, "Yes, it is". The student then said, "In that case, please give me five more."

*

A man was driving his truck down a hill. He said to his helper sitting beside him, "I

think the breaks are gone". The helper said, "Oh, no, what are we going to do? "The driver

said, "Don’t worry, there's a stop sign at the bottom of the hill."

*

Passenger: There are six clocks in this station, and they all tell different times.

Porter: And who needs six clocks if they all tell the same time?

porter = a man who moves luggage and does other work at a railway station.

*

A gentleman was sitting quietly in a first-class compartment. Two ladies got in. one of

them saw that the window was open, and she shut it before sitting down.

"Open it again", said the second lady. "I'll die of suffocation if there is no fresh air."

"I won't open it", said the first lady. "I'll die of cold if the window is open."

A quarrel started, and it continued until the gentlemen spoke: "Let's have the window

shut until this lady has died of suffocation, and then we can have it open until this lady had

died of cold. After that it will be nice and quiet in here again.

*

The passenger was very angry with the guard because the train was losing more and

more time. At last the guard was angry too.

"If you don’t like the train, you can always get out and walk, sir", he said.

"I am in a hurry", the passenger said, "but I'm not in so much of a hurry as that."

*

In Crewe station buffet:

Passenger: This coffee tastes like soap!

Waitress: Then I'm afraid there has been a mistake. It must be tea. The coffee tastes

like burnt paper.

38. CHRISTMAS / XMAS

December 24th is Christmas Eve, when Christians throughout the world celebrate the

birth of Jesus Christ in a stable, in far-off Bethlehem. Long before this date streets and

shop windows are brightly decorated, people send Christmas cards an buy Christmas

presents.

In England Christmas is a dearly cherished holiday, possibly the most important

holiday of the year, an occasion for family reunion and rejoicing.

At Christmas, busy London streets like Oxford Street offer a fairy-tale like,

breathtaking show: about two miles of Christmas gifts attractively displayed in shop

windows, dazzling garlands of electric lighting, bright red holly and cotton wool snow. Not

far from the two main streets, in Trafalgar Square, near Admiral Nelson's statue passers-by

stop to admire a huge Christmas tree ablaze with coloured lights and decorations. It is an

annual gift from the Norwegian people and it seems that hey try to make each year's gift a

foot higher than it predecessor.

Christmas Eve is a busy day for all the members of the family, a day of preparation.

The Christmas tree must be trimmed with tinsel, candles, crackers, colored lamps and

balls. The house must also be decorated with branches of holly and mistletoe - remember

that you may kiss anyone standing under the mistletoe! After helping decorate the house

and the tree, children go out with their friends to sing carols in the neighborhood. The

carol-singers receive money and sweets and then, happy and contented, they go home.

Before they go to bed, children hang up their stockings for Father Christmas - or Santa

Claus as he is also called - to fill with presents when he comes down the chimney during

the night. Some people go to church in the evening.

December 25th is Christmas Day. Although they don't have to go to school, children

wake up earlier than usual to see what Father Christmas has brought them. Adults also

exchange presents, in some families after breakfast, in others they open their gifts round

the Christmas tree later in the day. Some people also go to church in the morning.

After the excitement caused by the presents has calmed down a little, everybody

looks forward to the next big event: Christmas dinner. Some English families have the

traditional Christmas dinner at midday, other in the evening. It usually consists of roast

turkey with potatoes and vegetables, mince pies, fruit, nuts and, most important of all,

Christmas pudding. The latter contains a lot of dried fruit, a little flour, sugar, lemon peel,

spices and eggs. It is served hot, usually alight with brandy and with a rich sauce made of

butter, brandy and sugar. It is traditional to put a few silver coins in the pudding. Those

who fin one of the coins in their pudding are supposed to have a lucky year.

December 26th is Boxing Day. According to custom it is the day of presents given to

people like postmen, delivery boys, servants, to express thanks for service rendered

throughout the year. Mainly it is another day to celebrate and have fun with relatives and

friends.

Although the days are short and cold, there is an atmosphere of togetherness, warmth

and cheerfulness in the air, so that everyone agrees to the words of the old rhyme:

"Christmas come but once a year/ And when it comes it brings good cheer."

Here are some formulas to write on Christmas cards:

Informal

Merry Christmas and lots of joy in the New Year!

Formal

Hearty greetings for Christmas and good wishes for the coming year!

A joyous Christmas and peaceful New Year!

39. A CHRISTMAS MEMORY

Truman Capote was born in New Orleans in 1925 and raised in various parts of the

south, he and his family spending winters in New Orleans and summers in Alabama and

New Georgia. Capote's highly acclaimed books include 'A Tree of Night and Other Stories'

(1949), 'The Grass Harp' (1951), 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'(1958), 'In Cold Blood' (1965),

'Music for Chameleons' (1980) and 'Answered Prayers' (1986). He died in August 1984.

'Buddy, are you awake?' It is my friend, calling from her room, which is next to mine;

and an instant later she is sitting on my bed holding a candle. 'Well, I can't sleep a hoot',

she declares. 'My mind's jumping like a jackrabbit. Buddy, do you think Mrs. Roosevelt

will serve our cake at dinner?' We huddle in the bed, and she squeezes my hand I-love-you.

'Seems like you hand used to be so much smaller. I guess I hate to see you grow up. When

you're grown up, will we still be friends?' I say always. 'But I feel so bad, Buddy. I wanted

so bad to give you a bike. I tried to sell my cameo Papa gave me. Buddy' - she hesitates, as

though embarrassed - 'I made you another kite'. Then I confess I made her one too; and we

laugh. The candle burns too short to hold. Out it goes, exposing the starlight, the stars

spinning at the window like a visible carolling that slowly, slowly, daybreak silences.

Possibly we doze; but the beginnings of dawn splash us like cold water: we're up, wide-

eyed and wandering while we wait for others to waken. Quite deliberately my friend drops

the kettle on the kitchen floor. I tap-dance in front of closed doors. One by one the

household emerges, looking as though they'd like to kill us both; but it's Christmas, so the

can't. First, a gorgeous breakfast: just everything you can imagine - from flapjacks and

fried squirrel to hominy grits and honey-in-the-comb. Which puts everyone in a good

humour except my friend and me. Frankly, we're so impatient to get at the presents we

can't eat a mouthful.

Well, I'm disappointed. Who wouldn't be? With socks, a Sunday-school shirt, some

handkerchiefs, a hand-me-down sweater, and a year's subscription to a religious magazine

for children, The Little Shepherd. It makes me boil. It really does.

My friend has a better haul. A sack of Satsumas, that's her best present. She is

proudest, however, of a white wool shawl knitted by her married sister. But she says her

favourite gift is the kite I built her. And it is very beautiful; though not as beautiful as the

one she made me, which is blue and scattered with gold and green Good Conduct stars;

moreover, my name is painted on it, 'Buddy'.

'Buddy, the wind is blowing.'

The wind is blowing, and nothing will do till we've run to a pasture below the house

where Queenie has scooted to bury her bone (and where, a winter hence, Queenie will be

buried, too). There, plunging through the healthy waist-high grass, we unreel our kite, feel

them twitching at the string like sky fish as they swim into the wind. Satisfied, sun-

warmed, we sprawl in the grass and peel Satsumas and watch out kites cavort. Soon I

forget the socks and hand-me-down sweater. I'm as happy as if we'd already won the fifty-

thousand-dollar Grand Prize in that coffee-naming contest.

Truman Capote - Breakfast at Tiffany's

(abridged from the story A Christmas Memory)

40. ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

St. Valentine's Day, the 14th of February, is lovers' day. People give presents to the

persons they love and send Valentine cards to them. This is a very romantic custom. The

cards have a tender massage, a short love poem, or simply "Will you be my Valentine?"

printed on them. Usually a Valentine card is not signed. So, if you are shy and do not have

the courage to tell a person that you love him or her, you can send a card and let it disclose

your feelings. Hopefully, the other person will know who has sent it, and will do

something to show you that the feeling is mutual. On the other hand, he or she may not

share your love and give you the cold shoulder to make you understand it. Although it

hurts, at least you do not go on nourishing vain hopes and you can try to find someone who

will be thrilled to receive your Valentine cards.

Apparently, no one knows for certain where the custom of celebrating St. Valentine's

Day comes from, or when it actually started. It is believed that it was brought to Britain by

the Romans. Anyway, it was certainly celebrated in early 17 th century England, as

Shakespeare's Ophelia, dazed with grief and madness sings about it:

"Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's day

All in the morning bedtime,

And I, a maid at your window,

To be your Valentine."

Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

The custom was probably taken to America by the English settler, as St. Valentine's

Day is very popular there as well.

The custom of sending Valentine cards is also mentioned by the Beatles in one of

their famous songs:

When I grow older, losing my hair

Many years from now,

Will you still be sending me a Valentine,

Birthday presents, bottle of wine?"

"When I'm 64"

Why not send a Valentine card to the person you love this year? Here are some

examples of the kinds of poems usually printed on Valentine cards:

"Honest to goodness "Roses are red,

Just betcha it's true Violets are blue,

No Valentine ever I am so happy

Was nicer than you!" or Because I love you."

Of course you may select your Valentine text from any literary piece which you find

suitable. Shakespeare is always a perfect choice:

"Doubt thou the stars are fire;

Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love."

Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2

You may also use the lyrics of a song, old or new. What can express more than a

single line does: "Nothing compares to you…"

Certainly, the selection of the writer or of the song will make it easier for the person to

guess your identity, but may be exactly what you want.

So, it is up to you!

41. LISTENING AND READING:

ST. VALENTINE’S CARD

St. Valentine’s Day is February the 14 th, and for a very long time young English

people have been sending St. Valentine’s Cards to each other every year. The idea is to tell

the other persons that you love them, but you never put your name on the card.

One day, last February, Jillian went into the card shop, near her home, the shop

which sells many different cards. There were cards for birthdays, get well cards for people

who were ill, cards saying « congratulations » or « people, just had a baby », or « I’ve

passed an examination », and Valentine cards.

The assistant went across the shop to a cashier. « I’ve been selling Valentine cards all

day, she said . «People ‘ve been coming in and taking two or three. I don’t know whom

they’ve been buying them for, but the cards ‘ve been going very quickly. But that young

lady over there» , she said wathing Jillian onto the corner of her eye, hasn’t been spending

much money. She can’t decide what she wants. She’s been looking at the cards for half an

hour. She’s been reading them two or three times. She’s been picking them up and putting

them down again. Most of the best ones have gone now…

« Most of the best cards’ve gone no…», Jillian thought. « I’ve been trying to find a good

one for Martin for half an hour, but I can’t decide. »

Then suddenly she felt that somebody was watching her. She turned round, but the

assistant and the cashier were talking together across the shop. She looked at the big

window, and there, outside, in the street, was Susan, Martin’s young sister. « Damn », said

Jillian to herself, « how long has she been standing there ? While I’ve been trying to find

the right card for Martin, she’s been watching me ! »

She looked down at the Valentine card in her hand. It said  : « Roses are red , violets

are blue, grass is green, and I love you. » « Bah ! », said Jillian, throwing the card down

again onto the counter, and walking across the shop to the get well card. That minute,

Susan came into the shop, went to the Valentine cards, took one to the assistant, and paid

for it.

« Hello », she said, walking up to Jillian, «what have you been buying ? » But

without waiting for an answer, she said in a little voice «  I’ve just been buying a Valentine

card for my favourite  man. You’ve been getting one, too, haven’t you ? » « Horrible

child », Jillian thought to herself, but she said : « No, Susan, I’ve been looking for a card

for a friend who is ill. Here it is. «  And she picked up the nearest get well card , and took it

to the assistant.

« May I have this one, please », she said. « And get me a Valentine card, too, please, but

do it when that little girl isn’t looking. »

« She’s been reading them all carefully », the assistant told the cashier, « and now

she’s asked me to decide ! »

On February the 14th, Jillian went to Martin’s house. « Somebody’s been thinking

about me », he said laughing. « Do you know, I’ve got two cards this morning ! And it’s

St. Valentine’s Day! » 

« Two cards ? ! » Jillian said, beginning to feel jealous. »Who is sending the second

card ? » she thought. « Two cards, Martin ? » she said. « May I see them ? »

« Yeah, » , Martin said, and Jillian took them. The first was a Valentine card saying :

«  Roses are red, violets are blue, grass is green, and I love you. »

« But I didn’t sent this », she thought, and looked quickly at the second card. It was the get

well card she bought from the card shop. « I’ve been wanting one of those for a long

time », Martin said laughing, « but who would you think sent it ?  Perhaps it’s my boss, he

thinks I haven’t been working very hard lately. Excuse me, I go and get some coffee.»

While Martin was in the kitchen, Jillian quickly looked in her handbag. There, next to

her lipstick, was her Valentine card for Martin. « And I’ve sent him the wrong one ! » she

thought.

Susan came into the room, and looked into Jillian’s handbag onto the corner of her

eye.« You sent Martin the wrong card, didn’t you ? » she said. « Shall tell him the

Valentine was for me ? » But before Jillian could answer Susan saw the lipstick. « Oh,

what a nice lipstick ! I’ve been wanting one like that for a long time. Jillian looked from

Susan to the Valentine card, then from the card to her lipstick. Suddenly she took it, and

gave it to Susan. « Here », she said, « I’ve been going to give it to you, I bought a new one,

and… we shan’t tell Martin about the cards, shall we ? »

42. NEW AMERICAN ATTITUDES

Where are Americans now? They have moved back to tempered confidence, a back-to-

basics attitude, and core values. The chart below summarizes this new attitude.

Daily E-Commerce

E-commerce sales are higher on weekdays compares to weekends. Below is a chart

showing sales by day.

Multigenerational Relationships

Because people now live longer, relationships among the generations within a family

have become longer and, as a result, more important. The chart below shows today's five

types of relationships between older parents and their adult children.

While income level, age or gender of the adult child does not affect this breakdown,

race and ethnicity do. Blacks and Hispanics are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to

have Obligatory relationships with mothers, and blacks are less likely than whites to have

Detached relationships with mothers.

Census Shows Changes in Family Structure

Between 1990 and 2000, the number of less-traditional families grew at a faster pace

than the number of married couples and the population as a whole. The following chart

gives the percentage changes.

Generations Have Different Work Priorities

From the Matures to Generation Y, differences abound in how Americans view their

current work situation and opportunities for improvement. The chart below shows

priorities by generation.

Working On Vacation

American workers are finding it hard to get away from it all. Last summer, an

overwhelming majority (83%) stayed in contact with their office when vacationing for

seven or more days. Not all of them did so willingly; see below for details.

Because professionals are so overworked, 18% do not use all their vacation days, 34%

have no downtime at work, 32% eat lunch while working, 32% do not go outside the office

all day, and 17% say that work causes them to lose sleep.

Lose Trust; Lose Business

The majority of consumers (82%) have stopped using a company's products or

services when their trust in the company was broken. During 2000, 59% of consumers

report that they stopped buying products or services from a company, 46% bought a

competitor's products and service, and 25% told family and friends not to buy from a

company. Only 15% of consumers wrote a company about their dissatisfaction.

Employers Want Out of Healthcare

A majority (54%) of companies that provide health coverage to their workers say they

would support legislation to provide tax credits to individuals for the purchase of

insurance. One in five companies (22%) are currently considering a defined contribution

strategy. The main reasons for favoring this strategy include controlling costs (85%),

giving control of healthcare to employees (70%), and limiting legal liability (30%).

Taste Over Health Benefits

Fewer food shoppers are willing to compromise taste for health benefits these days.

They are instead, opting for good tasting foods and nutrients that help their bodies function

better. The percentage of people who believe that healthful foods taste better fell eight

points in the past decade to 27%. Those who "rarely" or "never" give up good taste for

health benefits grew 12 points to reach 45%. Manufacturers are finding higher demand for

foods for which they advertise the positive nutritional benefits; foods that focus on the

negatives of nutrition (low fat, fat-free) are losing ground.

Profile of the Typical Internet User

On average, an internet user has five sessions per week spending a total of nearly three

hours online. See the chart below for details on how the typical user spends his or her

connection time.

Survivors Get Serious About Health

According to Health Care News, most survivors of serious illness become more

focused on staying healthy. Majorities get regular preventive care (79%), eat a healthy diet

(70%), and obtain information about specific diseases (67%). Many are also better at

getting regular exercise (42%), drinking or smoking less (39%), and controlling their

weight (36%).

Bullets

The total value of trade delivered by truck between the United States and Canada

during 1999 was $242,000,000,000. The number of trucks that crossed the border in

both directions that year was 3,428,151.

For teenagers with new driver’s licenses, the crash rate per 100 drivers is 5.9 in the

first month and 3.4 in the second month. During the subsequent 10 months, the rate

ranges from 1.3 to 3.0.

American shoplifters steal more than $25 million worth of goods from retailers each

day. On average, they are caught once every 49 times they steal.

Football is Americans’ favorite (28%) spectator sport. It is followed by basketball

(16%), baseball (12%), auto racing (6%), golf (4%) and figure skating (4%).

U.S. businesses spent $26.9 billion on merchandise and travel items for motivational

purposes during 2000. Incentive programs for sales personnel and dealers accounted

for nearly two thirds; 16% was for consumer award programs.

Eight percent of adults and 12% of teens use the internet for spiritual purposes.

Households headed by blue-collar workers are the fastest-growing online segment.

The number jumped 52% to 9.5 million between March 2000 and March 2001. The

second fastest segment, households headed by homemakers, grew 49% to reach 2.4

million.

Jury awards for product liability suits rose 44% between 1998 and 1999. They have

jumped a total of 228% since 1997.

Consumers will spend 11% more for the same product when they shop in a

landscaped area than when they shop in a venue without greenery.

One in four Americans (26%) can speak a language other than English well enough

to carry on a conversation. Spanish (55%) is the most popular language, followed by

French (17%), German (10%), Italian (3%) and Chinese (2%).

Three out of four adults (75%) will stop to pick up a penny they find on the street.

The National Sleep Foundation estimates that drowsy workers cost U.S. businesses

$18 billion annually in missed workdays and lowered productivity. Each year,

fatigued drivers cause 100,000 highway accidents.

The percentage of people who think they can prevent cancer by taking the right

actions dropped from 47% in 1990 to 39% in 2000.

Most Americans (83%) want to see zones established for green space, farming and

forest outside of existing cities and suburbs that would be off limits to developers. In

comparison only 14% oppose this idea. The majority (77%) also want to see

government use tax dollars to buy land for more parks and open space and to protect

wildlife.

The proportion of American households’ budgets going towards transportation rose

8% from 1990 to 1998. The average American household now spends 18 cents of

every dollar on transportation; 98% of this goes to purchase, operate and maintain

automobiles.

Adult per-capita spirits consumption grew 2% in 1999 to reach 6.71 liters. This is the

first rise in per-capita consumption since 1978.

The average American eats out 1.8 times a week. Around 25% say they never eat out

during a typical week.

In 1957, 19% of Americans said they had ever been stopped for speeding. A poll

conducted during 2000 shows over one-half (58%) have received a speeding ticket.

Hispanics account for 38% of spending on international long distance calls. Fifty-two

percent of Hispanics make international calls, compared to just 13% of the rest of the

population.

The average American eats chicken 2.25 times each week or about 117 times per

year.

Eighteen million adults ages 18 to 34 live with their parents today. This is up from

12.5 million in 1970.

Almost two-thirds (62%) of American adults have taken a trip to a small town or

village in the U.S. during the past three years. Most trips (86%) were for leisure

purposes. Activities included dining (70%); shopping (58%); visiting beaches, lakes

or rivers (44%); and visiting historic sites (41%).

Ninety-seven million Americans (75% of adults) go online to find healthcare

information. This is up from 54 million in 1998. Only 16% go online “often” and

most (30%) seek information “sometimes” or “hardly ever.”

Americans spend an average of one hour per day (or two weeks each year) in the

bathroom. Half (53%) spend some time reading, 47% engage in deep thought, and

33% talk on the telephone.

Americans receive an average of 13 vacation days per year. Countries with more

generous vacation policies include Japan (25), Canada (26), Great Britain (28),

Brazil (34), Germany (35), France (37), and Italy (42).

Around 43% of American adults purchased fine or costume jewelry last year,

spending nearly $40 billion. Total shoppers by gender were 48% women and 36%

men.

Households with pets now number 63.4 million, up from 61.2 million in 1998. In

total, there are over 350 million household pets in the U.S.

Spending for prescription drugs increased 18.8% between 1999 and 2000 to reach

$131.9 billion. Twenty-three of the “best sellers” accounted for 50.7% of the

increase.

Alcoholism affects 13% of Americans at some time in their lives. More than 50% of

adults have had direct family experience with alcohol problems.

During 1999, 600,000 Americans (29% of all who died that year) died while

receiving hospice care, up from 540,000 in 1998.

The American Heart Association estimates that one in five Americans (60.8 million

people) has one or more types of cardiovascular disease.

The average annual values of online purchases by category are $263 for electronics,

$236 for clothing, $197 for food and beverages, $168 for toys, and $138 for health

and beauty.

One-third of adults age 18+ play computer games. Most (70%) play them at home;

14% do so at work.

Seventy-five percent of mothers and 53% of fathers who own cellphones use them

almost entirely for personal use.

According to a Purdue University study, women are more likely to seek religious

consolation when dealing with non-serious chronic conditions or with cancer. Men

tend to seek religious consolation when trying to cope with a wide range of heath and

situational problems such as depression and unemployment.

Leisure travel accounts for 79% of online travel bookings. According to

PhoCusWright, this segment of travel revenues will reach $20.2 billion by the end of

the year, up from $13 billion in 2000.

Almost all company web sites (98.0%) are used for sales and marketing. The most

common uses are to motivate customers to contact the company offline (69.0%), take

orders online (55.6%), and generate sales leads for staff (51.9%).