…which I wouldn’t mention, except the Slowtwitch race report called her something else. And I wouldn’t stress it but, speaking as a Scot: we have this weird inferiority/superiority complex which many nations might find hard to understand - unless you’re Canadian, Bavarian, Catalan, Saami, Native North American of many kinds, maybe Belgian - since the situation of having a strong national identity overshadowed by one’s magnificent neighbour is not all that common in the world. I love the English to pieces, and think Shakespeare is only one of many great Englishmen who greatly exceed their Scottish counterparts in quality of acheivement - including Simon Lessing - but not Bella Comerford, who is a phenomenon - the Liz McColgan of long distance triathlon (though I admit they are both overshadowed in my mind by women called Paula, in their respective fields!). Here endeth the rant. j
And I wouldn’t stress it but, speaking as a Scot: we have this weird inferiority/superiority complex which many nations might find hard to understand - unless you’re Canadian, Bavarian, Catalan, Saami, Native North American of many kinds, maybe Belgian - since the situation of having a strong national identity overshadowed by one’s magnificent neighbour is not all that common in the world.
Kiwis are right there with you. But it’s ok, we’re used to being left off the list.
• great britain representation since 1998
• british women’s long distance triathlete of the year 2003 and 2004
• british triathlon association long distance triathlete of the year 2005
accordingly, please renounce the treaties of edinburgh-northampton and berwick, find yourselves a 21st century robert the bruce (sean connery, perhaps) and get thee back thy independence. and, don’t complain to me, instead demand bella rescind her representation in the BTA. otherwise, i’m sorry, but her website and mine speak for themselves
British=either Scottish, English, Welsh or Northern Ireland. Bella is British, but is neither English, Welsh nor from Northern Ireland: She’s a Scot, admittedly one who lives in Switzerland. British and English are not equivalent. As a triathlete, though, I think she’s she Queen of Florida, a state that really owns no monarchy, is American, but not Mississippian, nor Georgian, nor etc. etc. j
“She’s a Scot, admittedly one who lives in Switzerland.”
i changed it for you. i would imagine i’m going to have to go back and change the french canadians’ national references as well (a quebecan representing canada).
perhaps in the interim you might do me a favor (for future reference) and find out for me whether she’s a pict, a dane, a celt, an angle, saxon, norman, or some admixture, so that i can properly identify her
There was a recent radio interview in England with Alan Hansen (former interantional football player for Scotland and now turned pundit) which gave a true view into the Scottish pysche when he was quoted as saying:
" that’s the difference, you English quite like us but we hate you"!
It’s actually a little known fact outside of the UK, but England is actually a Scottish colony; we Scots have our own Parliament, but still send MP’s to Westminster to legislate over the Sassenachs (note the reverse does not apply). The Queen is more Scottish than anything else, the Prime Minister is Scottish, the Chancellor (finance minister) is Scottish and most of rest of the Cabinet are Jocks as well. It’s also worth noting that being Scottish means that we can support two rugby and football teams: Scotland, and whoever’s playing England. Not that anyone playing England at Twickenham has needed much support lately - go Pumas, you mighty rugby powerhouses! In fact, given how dismal the English have been lately, the hatred that Hansen describes is rapidly being replaced by a sort of amused and pitying condescension…
Thanks. Good point about Quebec, especially in the light of the Canadian PM’s recent announcement that Quebec is ‘a nation within Canada’. I’m pretty sure Bella’s a mixture of all the ethnicities you mentioned, like me, like most Scots. I’m rather on the side of mixtures, if I had to espouse the virtues of any ‘race’ - a concept that is good for making off-colour jokes (lots!) some kinds of diagnoses, but otherwise, to quote a Parisian friend: pfffffffffffff.j
…
i changed it for you. i would imagine i’m going to have to go back and change the french canadians’ national references as well (a quebecan representing canada).
perhaps in the interim you might do me a favor (for future reference) and find out for me whether she’s a pict, a dane, a celt, an angle, saxon, norman, or some admixture, so that i can properly identify her
“i changed it for you. i would imagine i’m going to have to go back and change the french canadians’ national references as well (a quebecan representing canada).”
Please don’t go there Dan! We hear enough of their “we’re not really Canadian” rants from the Bloc party already
I think it’s just the blood: people with blood brood, but if they are Scots they may also broom (especially in Canada), and if they are young enough they can bloom too.j
.
My sister says that my siblings and and I can contribute our occasionally broodish moods to the Scottish blood in us. Is that true?
we have this weird inferiority/superiority complex which many nations might find hard to understand - unless you’re Canadian, Bavarian, Catalan, Saami, Texan, Native North American of many kinds, maybe Belgian - since the situation of having a strong national identity overshadowed by one’s magnificent neighbour is not all that common in the world.
I added one you left off
How strange that all your examples, even the laughably false ones, live outside of Scotland like yourself. If it’s that great why aren’t you all living there?
How sad that you can only acheive happiness through others misfortune, you must have had a very troubled childhood. I feel sorry for you.
