Tag: Weekly Lessons

Life Without ID Cards

Life Without ID Cards. For study until 28 July 2024 Subject : Life Without ID Cards Audio : On usual social media platforms.

For study until 28 July 2024

Subject: Life Without ID Cards

Audio: On usual social media platforms.

This particular bank looked the same as any other, bandage coloured wallpaper, glass rooms and an assistant who looked so young that I’m sure I have food in my freezer older than her:

“Computer says no” she said, during my latest attempt to offer ID to open a bank account.  Despite my protests and assurances that I was actually British, she wanted more, one piece of photo ID and a Utility Bill from where I live, clearly showing my name and address. The first one was no problem, I have a Passport but they clearly had me over a barrel with the second bit.

I explained twice “I’ve just moved back here from Spain – I don’t have a permanent address yet” but my appeal fell on deaf ears: “When you have ID showing an address – come back to me and we will process your application – like an Electricity Bill from the last three months for example.”  was her latest way of getting rid of me. 

She was an impressive opponent, dressed in a navy coloured business suit, she meant business. Looking her over I noticed that she had more curves than a Formula One car race track and no doubt she was twice as dangerous. Her bling jewellery was a testament that poverty is not only about cash, but a state of mind. I needed a bank account and clearly she wasn’t going to budge. I was beginning to agree with my Spanish friends, how do we cope without ID cards in the UK?

I finally found an old bank account that I had forgotten about from years before – I hadn’t used it since I left the UK. I trotted along to their branch and simply told them I needed a new bank card and where to send it. Fortunately, I remembered all of my old security passwords.

Dealing with organisations without ID cards is always rough, but trying to deal with Financial Institutions is worse still and involves an endless cycle of conversations, I think that’s the same the world over.  The problem in the UK though is not only the lack of ID cards, it’s also about our legalistic approach to the world and our lack of social structure.

If I had been living with relatives, there would have been no problem I could have asked my parents to give me a letter saying I was living there. Friendships here are never large enough to encompass those kinds of favours and that left only my Brother to turn to for help. He lives around here somewhere but I haven’t spoken to him in ten years. I wasn’t about to turn up like a long lost brother just for a favour – I’d rather shoot myself with a gun.

My Grandmother used to tell me stories about how they were given ID cards during the war to buy food and as soon as it was over, they quickly burned them. Our view of democracy means that the Government cannot hold one central list of who we all are and what we look like, but no doubt there are a number of other lists they could use if they really wanted to find me. It’s not just about  ID cards, its more about how we live, how we are, the way we all seem to live in bubbles now without social interaction.

I pay a vet to come and feed my cat twice a day when I go on holiday. (I wouldn’t trust my neighbour with a stuffed toy let alone my cat and she’s not the kind of person I would associate with). Strangely, the vet (who is female) looks like me wearing a wig, I’m sure if we talk long enough she also is going to be a relative three times removed. Business is business though and she also has a huge list of ID requirements before she takes my house key.

 With ever changing politics I have no doubt that they will be forced to give us some kind of ID card in the future, but for now I need to make sure I’m ready and armed with a Passport and utility bill with my name and address, just in case I ever need it. Well old age is coming and my free concessionary travel card will do more than give me free bus rides, it will act as a beautiful piece of evidence that I live here. At least old age is good for some things.

Affirmations

Monday – People help me to grow and encourage me with English.

Who supports you most in your learning journey and what type of encouragement do they give you?

Tuesday – Learning helps me connect with others.

Who have you met on your learning journey and how have they influenced you?

Wednesday – I reach out when I need to on my learning journey.

Describe a time when you had to accept the help of another person in your journey?

Thursday – Asking for help is not a weakness.

Describe a time when you felt insecure about an English problem you had. What did you do? Did asking for help come naturally?

Friday – Learning English is truly satisfying.

Do you believe this? If not, take a moment to think about why.

Weekly Lesson: My Mate Karim

Weekly Lesson: My Mate Karim. For study until 21 July 2024 Subject : My Mate Karim Audio : On usual social media platforms.

For study until 21 July 2024

Subject: My Mate Karim

Audio: On usual social media platforms.

Sometimes I forget how diverse British culture is because I just go with the flow. I don’t really have any hard and fast views of what a British man is supposed to look or act like.

So when my mate Karim appeared one night back in 2006 telling me his mother finally found someone for him to marry, it didn’t come as any great shock. We came from different backgrounds but we simply didn’t care. We were very good friends.

He started by telling me how he was a little bit nervous about his forthcoming marriage. He had agreed that his parents would find a bride and that the wedding  would take place in the town where his grandparents had immigrated to the UK from, back in the 1960s.  

“We are like chalk and cheese” he said referring to himself and his future wife. Then  he told me his great idea:

 “Why don’t we fly to Pakistan together and you can get married too?” he suggested.

I could see he had a look of desperation in his eyes. He didn’t want to face this alone.

“Thanks” I replied…

 “but  that’s not really workable for me”.   and nervously laughed at what I hoped was a joke.

I had seen that look before, I always thought of it as the kind of look a deer gets before it gets struck by a car in the middle of the night.

 “It really is game over” he continued.

 Karim was just as British as I am and culturally he pushed himself to enjoy everything he could, a sportsman, popular with the ladies and one of these guys who always had a friend, cousin or uncle who was ready to offer any kind of “deal” that you might be after.

I’ve had enough British Born Pakistani friends in my life to know that there was no way out of this for him and he had been preparing for this moment for some months. He considered himself lucky that he knew the girl, it was one of his cousins. Although I could never really figure out how they were related, they were cousins but 5 times removed and he barely knew her.

I considered Karim to be very fortunate because he walked between two worlds, which left his mind open in a way few people reach. By day he was very much living up to his parent’s high expectations of Islamic South East Asian living and by night he was the disco king, with a childlike determination to achieve everything Western living could offer until 1am most weekends. He was able to merge the two ways of life without going insane and without the usual crutches young white men rely on, drugs and alcohol. Mixing with Karim introduced me to a lot of places and people where alcohol was not at the forefront of people’s minds. 

I had almost the same conversation with my Chinese friend, although he came to Britain in the 1990s to study and eventually stayed. There was a moment when his parents simply advised “it was time to marry” and he went scurrying off to China. He also maintained that look of fear which he tried to hide behind a kind of masculine persona.

Karim had certain qualities that I never found in my own peer group, loyalty, friendship, brotherliness and in many ways he was more of a Brother to me than my own brother was. I often wished I was half the man he was, yet he faced discrimination, judgement, intense expectations from his kin and from the society that we live in. The difference between his life and mine was that he came from a community, a network of people who loved and supported him yet he wanted to be independent. Like most British people I was taught not to expect help from people and to make the best of what I can achieve alone.  I had independence but was seeking community.

I was invited to his British wedding celebration, he arrived on a white horse dressed in Indian Clothes with photographers, surrounded by his family and I was reminded again how different culturally we are. His wedding had 300 people, in contrast, at my wedding there were 4, me, my other half and two witnesses and even one of them I didn’t know personally.  My parents had long since passed away and there was no one else in the family I keep in touch with. In his words “Arranged Marriage isn’t that bad – you just fight for six months then you learn to live with each other”.

Karim moved to the Emirates, I moved to Spain and we kind of found what we wanted – some sense of knowing more about who we are. To be British was to be a Global Citizen in the 1990s, but by today’s standards I’m not sure that’s the message the next generation are receiving. With Borders closing, Brexit, crimes rising and attitudes changing, Karim says he was right to move to raise his family in a place where he knows they will be in a diverse atmosphere. After all, diversity is the one true thing we all have in common.

As extreme political views ebb closer to the front in Politics the gap between those of us who want a diverse mixed culture and those of us who don’t is widening. There’s obviously  people who feel that being British means something else – maybe Karim, my Chinese friend and many others never got that Email.

(Never got that Email in this case simply means “were not aware”)

Affirmations

Monday – My English keeps getting better.

Do you truly believe that statement? If not, why not.

Tuesday – My efforts are paying off.

What are you doing differently from when you first started studying English? How long did it take before you saw results. Why was there a delay?

Wednesday – Others are amazed at how quickly I learn.

Being honest…. how long did it take you to get to this point? Why was that?

Thursday – I love learning English.

Did you hesitate when you read this? Why do you think you don’t love it?

Friday – English is becoming more natural daily

What progress are you measuring?

Weekly Lesson: Government Housing-Friend or Foe?

Weekly Lesson: Government Housing-Friend or Foe?. For study until 14 July 2024 Subject : Government Housing-Friend or Foe?

For study until 14 July 2024

Subject: Government Housing-Friend or Foe?

Audio: On usual social media platforms.

The UK was a very industrial place until Margaret Thatcher came on the scene in the 1980s. For many people up until that time the daily grind involved working shifts in the local factory. In my case, my whole family worked in the local steel factory, that included my Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and even my Great Great Grandfather until he was fired for promoting Trade Unions in the early 1900s. Meanwhile the women were working (where there were not enough men) in the local thread mills, which offered  lighter work.

In the early days, going back to the 1840s my family lived in small cottages which were only big enough to hold a handful of people. Like most people of their day they raised between ten to fifteen children. By the time the 1920s came, slums had developed, there was no running water, no indoor sanitation and “rows” of houses were built around the steel work factory with simply two rooms and running water with outside toilets. In the 1930s the Government realised there were issues with sanitation and started to build housing estates known as “housing schemes” or “council estates” which they could rent to employees of local factories. This marked the beginning of organised housing – built around towns which were themselves formed to support local industry.

Moving forward 100 years to 2024, the Northern part of the UK is dominated by these estates and the Government remains one of the largest property owners. In Scotland the Government owns a quarter of all total rentable accommodation. I remember visiting my Grandparents in the 1980s and both my maternal and paternal Grandparents were happily living on Council Estates. The towns where they lived had three Council Estates. They knew all of the neighbours, people who were economically the same and were either friends or relatives. These estates tended to be full of old hardened women who clearly had battled their way into old age whose families had left home years before. In many ways they were the matriarchs of these estates, knowing exactly what “buttons to press” to ensure the Government took action when they need a repair to their homes or have someone forcibly removed. It felt strange because the people were poorer compared to today yet they were incredibly proud.

In the North of the UK today, renting an apartment or house from the Government is considered perfectly normal and accessible for everyone (because there’s little choice) whereas in the South where there was less industry and more education, fewer of these estates exist.

Since the Government owns a lot of property, they are also one of the largest employers in Scotland and Northern England. Plumbers, Electricians, maintenance people, office staff and housing managers are all required. As you would expect from the Government, the salary isn’t great even though the working conditions are better than the private sector, so they generally attract unskilled workers who are happy with a lower pay. This is a very attractive option for boys who do not want to enter further education, many of whom grew up and live on Council Estates themselves.

Things are slowly changing. The local Government here has started to demolish some of these old homes in order to build new ones for residents. The combination of an ageing population as well as houses no longer meeting basic standards of living such as energy saving and noise pollution means that they need to look at how they provide accommodation. Some of these estates historically had very bad reputations and needed to be demolished as well owing to their high crime rates and social problems.

Since the 1990s the Local Government has been proactively demolishing and rebuilding, making these properties safer to live in. Selling the ground to property developers also means many Council estates are surrounded by luxury privately owned property developments, which creates a kind of a hydrid, displacing the cold sting of poverty associated with these estates in the past.

Unlike today where we can define “home” as a mental construct, a structure of Love and Family, a place of peace we can choose to reside in, in the old days home and house was all about physicality, bricks and stone.

As the metaverse or holographic universe comes upon us, we will once again be asked to redefine dwellings as an ethereal space. The jury is out on what exactly the future will look like but it will likely offer us personal and communal spaces to live together.

_______________________________________________

Affirmations

Monday – There is a place for me in the Learning Community

Compare how learning alone compares to your experience of being in School with others. What is your learning tribe or community?

Tuesday – I can Learn at any age or point of life

Why do you think age is a barrier for some people?

Wednesday – I am flexible enough to make change

Why do we lose our mental elasticity as we get older? How do we stop that process?

Thursday – I choose to learn today because it brings me joy

What other healthy choices do you make daily to support your learning and your mental health?

Friday – I speak English and it gets better every day

How do you measure your progress? If you do not measure your progress, make a mental note to ask your teacher for ways to do this.

Weekly Lesson: Teachers, Then and Now

Weekly Lesson: Teachers, Then and Now. For study until 7 July 2024 Subject : Teachers, Then and Now Audio : On usual social media platforms.

For study until 7 July 2024

Subject: Teachers, Then and Now

Audio: On usual social media platforms.

Women in particular used to have very defined roles in society and I recall that my teachers in the 1970s and 80s were for the most part unmarried women. 

There was an expectation that they would devote their lives to education and could not be educators as well as look after a husband. Female teachers were simply not allowed to marry, culturally or legally.

 That rule had been officially lifted in 1944 yet the tradition remained, likely out of fear that a community may judge a woman unfairly. After all, in the 1970s and 80s, most of our elders were born before 1944 and they themselves were educated by unmarried teachers.  Sex, sexuality and physicality were completely repressed during the 19th century so a woman who was abstaining in order to educate children was a serious vocation. It was perhaps a throwback to a time when we would have been educated by Catholic nuns and Priests.  There were practical reasons for this as well, particularly regarding the high number of unemployed men.

 By default we often referred to teachers as “Miss” rather than “Mrs” because it showed more respect.  Female teachers here in the UK were expected to be single until 1944 and if they were found to be married then they were sacked.  Women working, was generally seen as something negative but exceptions were made of course for cooks, cleaners and general domestic roles, but even those kinds of roles were reserved for single women or spinsters who had no chance of marriage or a profession because of their age or class system.

By the time the 1970s came, times were indeed changing and more women were becoming teachers. Our social revolution of the 1960s had left its mark and women felt empowered to do anything they wanted.  The Headmaster in my School was Mr Cameron, of course the opinion was that his job as Head Teacher with all of its administrative tasks needed a man to manage it and I often wonder how he dealt with ten woman on a day to day basis. He was an older man, never having been married himself. When he was due to retire the school held special celebrations for him and wished him well. He was so taken by our Love for him that he changed his mind and decided to stay longer which perhaps gave us a glimpse into what his life was really like. Perhaps just like the rest of us, he had his own self doubts and loneliness but he was not allowed to show those publicly.

The Teachers I recall were very happy.  The older ones who were well passed their sell by date seemed very contented. They were like matriarchal figures, quick to give advice with a very blunt practical masculinity (yes they were all women) which surfaced when required.  Corporal punishment was still in place until 1981 and you really did not want to be on the receiving end of that, especially if you were in any way squeamish. It involved being belted across the hands with a trouser belt or cane until you almost bled. The weirdest part of that punishment was the ritual. The most well behaved boy in the class was sent to collect the belt from another teacher, giving the message to the other class that someone had been playing up. That belt was then carried back with great reverence to the class of the troublemaker so that everyone could see what was about to happen. A few of the teachers even cried when carrying out this brutality as I recall and on the other hand (excuse the pun) some of them enjoyed it.  Questions remain in my mind about why  a bunch of middle aged women had men’s belts hanging on the walls to punish us with?

By the mid 80s married teachers were becoming as common as single ones. In my community today  there are still a number of older teachers who choose note to marry, but they are mainly retired, morally upright woman who look like relics from another time and then of course there are also nuns. Some of them are in prison serving sentences for physical cruelty to children in the 1960s. Others are simply sweet old ladies.

Times have changed and now teachers are required to be formally educated. In the past they simply had to attend “teacher training colleges” whereas now there is an expectation that they will hold at least a Degree. Headlines appear regularly about inappropriate relations between kids and teachers as well as violent threats and lack of safety in the classroom.  Some of the teachers do not look much older than the kids.

As my colleagues and I discuss our experience of school days, one thing we all agree upon is this: We would never send our children to  British schools, we would either “home school” them or live in another country. There is an opinion that frankly speaking, children here are exposed to too many things.

I yearn for the old days but do understand things were not perfect then either,  it simply looked that way through the eyes of a child.

Monday’s Affirmation – I am a valued member of the language learning community

Reflect on your own childhood – what opinions do you hold about school? Describe your friends you learnt with and compare them to exchange partners that you have now.

Tuesday – I am making progress every day

In what ways were you successful in education? What do you regret?

Wednesday – I am a capable learner

Write a short essay on how education has changed in your country.

Thursday – I find joy in learning

What could you do to improve your joy level in learning? What would stepping outside your comfort zone mean?

Friday – Mistakes help me learn

Compare punishments – making mistakes at school and making mistakes as an adult.

Weekly Lesson: British People and Food: My Story, by Teacher Joseph

Weekly Lesson: British People and Food: My Story, by Teacher Joseph. For study until 30 June 2024 Subject : British People and Food: My Story, by Teacher Joseph Audio : On usual Social media platforms.

For study until 30 June 2024

Subject: British People and Food: My Story, by Teacher Joseph

Audio: On usual Social media platforms.

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