On my Netflix, I almost exclusively rent British television series. And when I say "almost exclusively" I mean "exclusively." I have gone a little nuts with it lately, especially since Bubba has woken up several nights in a row and listening to British television seems to soothe him back to sleep and make my own sleep deprivation a little more bearable (does this make me a bad mother?)But I am here today to tell you that there is more to British culture than I ever knew. It slowly dawned on me after the umpteenth mystery show where someone visiting someone else in hospital ("in hospital" --see how culturally savvy I am?) brings grapes along. The first time I was all, oh, that detective brought grapes to his deputy who took a bullet for him, that was nice. The next time I was all, are they grapes in that bag the detective's secretary is bringing him? Then, THEN, when the lady who has been concealing her advanced lung cancer from everyone and collapses in the taxi and the detective goes to visit her and she says, where's my grapes, I started to wonder if there was a THEME going on here. If indeed I had stumbled upon a CUSTOM. Then when the mean and therefore dispensable detective who has been mauled by a crazed townsperson signals his return to life by asking his visiting co-detectives, why are you eating my grapes, I knew it was time for action.
So being of a sharp scientific mind (oh that? that's just Jeff howling with laughter in the next room) I figured I better take this one to the people. So I checked with both my friend Google and my British friend Rachel and have confirmed that yes, bringing grapes to someone in hospital is indeed a tradition. Aren't I clever? It only took seventeen or so cultural references, but I got it. I'm one step closer to peeling back the cultural layers of the onion of my spiritual home, to being really at the heart of things.Just passing along the knowledge as I get it. I consider it my duty.
20 comments:
Can you imagine if you'd brought someone flowers or a fruit basket? Or a fruit basket WITHOUT grapes??? -How embarrassing.
"And seriously, history, rain, a monarchy, chocolate, and a national health care system? What else could one possibly want?"
Winters with more than an hour of sunshine a week, a health care system that actually works, and people who sometimes smile. THat's just for starters, though...
(Not so much an anglophile after living there.)
I did not know that. Thanks.
I had no idea about the grapes. I wonder if they have some sort of anti-oxidant healing power?
I have obviously read too many Brit novels - I thought that brining grapes to someone in the hospital was normal (or is that because I live in a commonwealth country? Now I am confused...)
Now I feel like an episode of Inspector Morse...
Well, next time I am visiting a friend in hospital in Britain, I'll know just what to bring :)
Let them eat grapes.
Oh, and do you favour the British spelling of words like neighbour and honour?
I KNOW. We were watching a British film (can't remember which) last year and I FINALLY put it together. Grapes!?! Isn't that funny?
I suppose it's no more arbitrary than, say, giving people extruded marshmallow turds on Easter but, still.
FYI: You are now the #1 hit when Googling "The British bring grapes to the hospital." Well played, old chap.
Way to go, Agatha! ;) Very refined of you to end with a cup of tea too... :D
yes, and then there's this small matter of the cultural superiority and happiness one feels when one is around the English. just yesterday, i was at a farm with my children--all very rural, you know--and then there's burly Graham, who in his charming, country way is explaining to me how he imported his old Land Rover 100 from Africa just 4 years ago. next to the Barbour coats and the wellies in the mudroom while drinking a Newcastle...well, it was so very too too.
Grapes are custom in Scandinavia, too. In case you ever make it further east....(didn't think so).
Heidi :)
Grapes. How odd. Is 'odd' more Brit than weird or strange? Flat and lift -- see? The Matron knows two English words.
I used to imagine I was Princess Diana's long lost...niece, or something. Oh, the daydreams of a ten year old girl. And yet I've never known about the grapes?!!
I loved this! And the grape connection...genius.
I remember vividly staying up all night to watch the wedding...oh, THE wedding. Magic.
I love visiting. LOVE it, but don't think I could live there for the very reasons you mentioned...well, I could tolerate the chocolate on a daily basis...
I always wonder why we put a 'the' in front of hospital and university. It's a little overdone if you ask me.
You are observant. What an interesting custom. Here we just bring banana bread to new neighbors.
My mom is British yet I have never heard of the grape custom.
Do you watch Dr. Who, too?
I spent 14 years living in London ( 11- 25) and I never fail to get a chuckle out of the word play and cultural references that Americans don't get. How can they? There's a lot of American word play the Brits don't get either, only it's usually not of the elevated-thinking, fancy-pants, wry humor sort.
I just published a book called Mothers Need Time Outs, Too and it's distributed internationally, including in the UK. We had a major article in the Telegraph, and it was a really good one.
Afetr reading it, instead of saying it was good, a friend said, "And did you see how they kept saying MUM? Isn't that so SWEET?"
So sometimes the poor English come across as twee rather than hoity toity. You win some you lose some.
Katrin
www.momstimeouts.com
omigosh--I can *so* see me speaking about grapes and British hospitals with authority the next time I'm out in the world! Thanks : )
as i don't have a tele to watch ;-) i am just now catching up on all the brit detective series, and noticed that same thing! morse, frost, dalziel and pascoe, and more, all with the grapes! was gratified to find all the other perplexed fans. on one site they said it was because the brits are terrified of constipation and it is an inside, haha, joke. tah
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