Saturday, May 01, 2010

There's something about U.K.

There's something about U.K. that resonates deep with me. Maybe it is the unpretending attitudes of people. Perhaps the spirit of understatement. In any case, although I come from a totally different culture originally, I find many things that are assumed and carried out here dear to me.

The newspapers, for example. This morning I was reading the Guardian over breakfast, having heard on the BBC news that they are now endorsing the Liberal Democrats.

Irrespective of the particular political point of view that one may adapt, the way the facts are presented, arguments are developed, and the tacit assumption of intellectual honesty and (for the want of a better word) "brutality" is something that I share deep in my heart. I suspect that it is something that are often "hidden" and "suppressed" in other cultures.

This morning, I would have liked to give a detailed account of my encounter with Mr. Ben Pridmore, the current World Memory Champion. Unfortunately, I could not finish the narrative. Please watch this space for some insights into how Mr. Pridmore has come to realize his enormous memory power.

Today I move to Cambridge.

4 comments:

Johan Nystrom said...

Dear Dr Mogi,

The UK is an interesting place indeed, and maybe there are some things to be said for the journalism. The Economist is one British newspaper that has caught my attention in a big way, for example. The Guardian is not bad. But then there is the opposite end of the spectrum, tabloids such as The Sun and the Daily Mail, which sometimes seem to scrape the very bottom of what is possible journalistically :-)

I read somewhere once that the U.K. and Japan have much in common since they both are island nations whose relationship with the outside world have been very important in their histories. Could this be true?

I hope that you will have a happy stay in Cambridge. Best regards.

Yuzu said...

Dear:Mr.Mogi
I like British people, too. They are generally modest, but inside of them are passionate. Those are very comfortable human nature for me. Now I'm trying to remember that when I was there. I remember about sky. It is tenderly and thick. I like England sky.

(ma)gog said...

I share the same feeling about England with you.

Before I came to Germany, I had been trying to move to England.
All the official documents were ready, and I was just waiting for the right timing to move.

As the life is full of contingency like you always say, my destiny has brought me to Germany instead.

I can still remember how I missed "something about U.K." in my first year here.

Although I look at Germany with much affection now, "there's always something special about U.K." for me, and it will never change.

fukumint said...

Dear Dr. Mogi,

Everyone who see me in the photos taken in the U.K. says, "You look different. You look so happy." Yes. There is something about U.K. which we cannot tell clearly but attracts us even without knowing so.

I stayed in London in 1984-88 and went back there almost every year until 4 years ago. Your descriptions about the U.K. and the people there always bring me a quiet sense of nostalgy and and a strong urge to go back there.

Your writing in the Qualia Diary about the meeting with Prof. Horace Barlow today was especially beautiful. It is a beauty in Prof. Barlow, the town of Cambridge and youself.

Please enjoy the rest of the stay there and I hope your schedule will go on as planned.

Kind regards.