A friend posted this link on G+ recently. It is an overlay of a map of the UK on top of a map of the US, and you can drag the UK around to compare relative sizes.
While it may be considered a joke, it’s actually important information for both sides. I’ve met some folks here who encountered problems when they assumed they could easily drive between western US cities in a short amount of time, only to find out that it takes days to cross those states. One lady in particular told me about how while vacationing in California, she and her husband looked at a map and thought they could drive up into the mountains in a short time, but as they kept cresting hill after hill – always thinking the mountains looked so close – they were actually still hours away.
And of course, Canadians (and even Alaskans) read about Texans going on about how “big” things are in Texas and they laugh, and laugh, and grab our dogsleds and laugh and weep as we prepare to traverse the vast, arctic wasteland known as “Bank Street” in Ottawa…
(Psssst, yes, it’s totally true that all Canadians live in igloos and use dogsleds for everything. You should ask us about that. We love that.)
Anyway, on the flip side, when we were coming here and I kept telling Peo we’d walk to certain places and she’d freak out, I would remind her that a) unlike in Austin, we will not be risking heat stroke for half the year, and b) the spaces in the UK are very, very much smaller than she’s used to, having been born in Nevada and grown up mostly in Texas.
In those last few weeks in Austin, whenever we’d drive somewhere I’d note the mileage and then we’d compare that between Cambridge locations to see just how relatively itty bitty this city is.
I also kept reminding her that she had to let go of her US school indoctrination about “history” and “tradition” and how the “US invented everything good in the world”, because where we were going, the university alone is older than the US as a country.
We re-emphasized that last one at a recent trip to Bletchley Park where we told Peo how the US claims to have invented the computer, when really the UK did, but in secret because they were busy winning a war with that technology.
But in the ensuing discussion from the thread where my friend mentioned the map linked above, I came to a realization based on several of these facts:
1) England is small but mighty.
2) England is really, really old.
3) England has a history of being quite adept with fancy swords.
4) England defeated Germany where your Vater is your father.
5) England has lots of green spaces all over it.
Add that all up and there’s just one obvious conclusion:
ENGLAND IS YODA.
C’mon, they even have the same shape if you squint hard enough.
having grown up in “Engerland” (well, the first 19 years in Wales, but its almost the same place!) I had this overwhelming history experience when I went to live in India for a few years in my 30’s. History there is even more obvious and stretches back at least 2 thousand years more…….
I spent a few years in Australia too, and found myself often trapped in the overwhelming same language but different experience of “pop to the shop”. Poping out was often a 4 hour round trip and visiting friends often meant taking a bedroll and relay driving through the night.
As I get older I have become proud of England. Not its past, but what it is now – a lot of people in a very small space who manage to get on remarkably well considering…………
I think everyone needs a draggable map of where they are from, with corrections for map projection. Mostly because I can’t even remember the last time I saw an actual globe.
I like that map. Apparently, the island of Britain is about the same size as Florida. So you’re all right if you’re from the UK and going to Disney World or something, I guess.
And if England is Yoda, why don’t they have that Muppety voice? :P
The West Wing did an eye opening piece on comparative land sizes… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVX-PrBRtTY