Second Class Citizens

Well folks, in case we haven't reminded you enough, England is a very expensive country. Everything is much pricier here, making it quite difficult to enjoy the things that middle class americans take for granted. Restaurants are terribly costly, the taxes are horrible (especially the local ones, uuugggghhhh), and rent is through the roof. We are undoubtedly, second class citizens. Despite what would be an extremely comfortable salary in the US, Braudia lives paycheck to paycheck, trying to make ends meet.

But if that's not bad enough, we get constant reminders of our second classness, so to speak. For example, the train. In every train, there is a first class car, while the rest are 'second class.' Further, in the stations, there is frequently a 'First Class Lounge' which us untouchables cannot contaminate. I find this all quite weird. Class is a big deal here in the UK, bigger than it is in America. Braudia does not fully understand the concept of 'poshness,' which we vaguely assume to be wealth, but not really because it seems there is an arrogant attitude that goes along with it. On the flip-side, you've got 'chavs'...which we have been told is something like 'white trash'...which brings me to my tale...

When I first arrived in the UK, I had very little clothes, as I could only bring 2 suitcases weighing 49 lbs each. So, first on my list, was to get some exercise clothes, as it was quite cold and I wanted to go jogging.

So I bought a Lonsdale tracksuit.

Lonsdale is a common brand that I had seen around quite a bit. The tracksuit was cheap and baby blue, so I was quite pleased with my buy.

But as I wore it more and more, I noticed that people were looking at me a bit funnily. I wasn't sure why, but I started noticing people's clothing. You see, if you go work out in England, you change out of your clothes immediately after you finish. You do not walk around in a tracksuit, unless...

I started to notice the kinds of people who did walk around in Lonsdale tracksuits. girls with huge hoop earrings, girls with bad English, pregnant girls smoking and drinking beer, girls who couldn't be more than 17 pushing strollers...

Finally, I learned- I was wearing the chav uniform! Wearing workout clothes in England does not mean you work out, it means you live in a Council House!!!

I have stopped wearing my Lonsdale tracksuit out in public. Going out in 'scrubby clothes' has a lot more significance here than it does in the US!