Remember, remember, the fifth of November.
Not for the usual reasons: happily burning Catholics alive and celebrating an attempt by religious extremists to blow up Parliament by … er … burning people in effigy and blowing shit up … (non Brits won't have the foggiest idea what I'm on about but that's never stopped me before).
Well okay, we DO celebrate that but this year there were a couple of other things worth partying for.
First up, in a land far, far away across the ocean seas, sixty-two million wonderful and intelligent people did battle with fifty-six million gun-totin' religious fundamentalists and their chums and achieved something rather splendid.
A great day for humanity and a huge step forward for civil rights.
Excellent.
Well done, you lovely Colonials.
Meanwhile, back in the mother country one of our Blogville neighbours celebrated becoming a British citizen, adding to our impoverished country her marvellous skills, her degree and doctorate and her successful career doing amazing things for our local community.
Not to mention her wonderful, warm and generous personality, her charm, wit and intelligence … yup: she's great fun and a smartypants to boot.
I give you our latest British citizen: Her Majesty, the lovely Dr. Joy Barredo!Yaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!
This is Norfolk County Hall's Council Chamber.On Wednesday evening, the fifth of November, after lots of introductions and refreshments we were seated around the chamber with the new citizens in the centre and presented with wonderfully tempting little consoles with microphones and voting buttons.
Regrettably, they were switched off.
The citizenship ceremony kicked off with some Handel and then the registration officer introduced the Chair of Norfolk County Council who gave the new citizens a welcome speech extolling the beauties and opportunities of Norfolk, all of which they already knew having been living and working here for many years but it was nice to be reminded that we live in one of the world's most beautiful places.
That's the NCC Chair on the left, wearing the bling.Lovely chap.
Before the ceremony, both him and the guy on the right had been round and chatted to us all in a very friendly and welcoming manner.
The man on the right is Richard Gurney, the Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk.
The Gurney family (other than their lapse in good taste by founding Barclay's Bank) have been excellent mayors, aldermen and dignitaries in Norwich and Norfolk since 1066 and three of the paintings in my living room, by John Sell Cotman are inscribed to this guy's great, great, great grandfather.
He is a tremendously charming and witty man and later he concluded the ceremony with a splendid address.
After Mister Bling's welcoming speech each of the new citizens (there were almost forty of them) swore an oath (or affirmed it if they didn't want to include the "God" part) of allegiance to the Parasites.
This is why I could never become a British citizen these days.
We had a good chuckle about what Joy called "swearing allegiance to the freaking Queen", but she managed to do it with a straight face.
Here's the oath:"I swear by Almighty God that on becoming a British citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her Heirs and Successors, according to law."
and the subsequent pledge of commitment:
"I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its democratic values. I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British citizen."
After this part, each new British citizen in turn was invited down to the front to be presented with their certificates of citizenship.
Joy (a proud Trekkie) liked this bit as the music they played was "Star Trek VIII, First Contact". Cheesy, but actually quite a fitting piece of music.
As each person received their presentation they were applauded by the whole chamber.
It was a surprisingly moving and dignified ceremony and I felt proud and honoured to be there.
As I pointed out to Rich yesterday, we have a different situation here with regard to immigrants than he has in the States: we have a dwindling pool of young British workers and what will very soon become an unsustainably large elderly population and we desperately need more immigrants to fill our jobs and pay the taxes that will fund our pensions.It is our turn to say: "“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
Anybody in the UK resisting immigration should be made to realise that without it they will be in for a pretty impoverished old age, plus of course a stagnant culture, starved of the vibrancy of our wonderful cosmopolitan community.
Joy, of course embodies exactly the sort of new citizen we are most desperate for: highly skilled, hard working and eager both to embrace our culture (and the lovely Thom) and to introduce us to her own, something she has been very successful at.
Here is Joy's BBF from the office, the lovely Kim, forced under torture to wear a skirt just for this ceremony.
And here they are joined by Amalia, another wonderful friend from South Africa who is doing marvellous work both there and here in the UK.She is formidably intelligent as well as being tremendous fun.
As we left County Hall, walking down the vast steps, we were greeted by fireworks as all of the Guy Fawkes Night bonfire parties around the city got into full swing.
It was a lovely touch and very apt to our celebratory mood.
After the ceremony, we all piled round to Joy and Thom's house for a celebration soirée.Here is Joy carrying out her first task as a British citizen: making a nice cup of tea.
Hee hee. We kind of forced her into it but she does make a delicious chai tea.
Yum!
We sat around chatting and munching on Joy's yummy home-made focaccia while Jong set up his chef's kitchen.Here are Thom's parents with Thom and Joy.
As usual, Jong provided a magnificent spread. Beautiful Filipino food; utterly delicious.If you want to know what everything is, check out the individual shots on Joy's post.
While Jong was prepping the meal, the girls - Kim, Joy, Marina and Amalia showed me their lovely legs. Which is about as far as Old Dive ever gets. Hey ho.Also this week, Joy interviewed Thom on her radio show.
At the point where she asked him what it was like: being in a relationship with a Filipino woman, I laughed so hard tears came to my eyes.
It's a great show.
Here's a link to the podcast so you can hear Joy's lovely voice and Thom's deep and sexy tones. He'd make a fortune from cinema ads. Hee hee.
November the fifth, 2008 was a splendid day and gave cause for celebration all over the world.We will remember it for very personal and happy reasons, too.
Many congratulations, Joy!
46 comments:
That's a splendid post, Dive! I enjoyed that. And to this day, I still don't understand the Guy Fawke's Day celebration. Why burn a fake guy at the stakes? Odd.
I had that same photo, but I didn't dare post it because of the amount of skin shown by my friends! :D
Thanks again for joining us at the celebrations!
Thanks, Joy.
As for Guy Fawkes night: we Brits (including you now) never pass up the opportunity of burning someone at the stake and setting off fireworks.
As for the leggy photo: I am particularly fond of naked female skin so I rather enjoyed posting it.
Thanks again for a great evening!
Lovely post Son...bet you enjoyed that food...... Congratulations Joy.... we need your sort, well done, and you have the most gorgeous hubby as well...look after him.....lucky Dive to have you both as friends....
It was a lovely evening, a very moving ceremony and yes, Jong's food (as always) was amazing.
As for Joy and Thom; it goes without saying, how lucky I am.
Hello Dive's Mum! Thanks for good wishes. We have Lynn to thank for Dive and I becoming friends :D Would you like to join us for lunch on the 15th? My treat!
Dive: oops - Fawkes, not Fawke's.
Welcome, Joy. Shame about the swearing allegiance but at the same time saying 'to the freakin' Queen' though. I thought the declaration was supposed to be genuine and heartfelt to obtain this honour. I have to say I do take exception a bit to that, but then I would, wouldn't I. Mind you, those digniatories would have done too, had they heard.
Very pretty shoes. Glad you all had a good evening.
Lynn: the pledge of commitment as a British Citizen is all that should be required. Swearing allegiance to a parasite is something very few of us would do; it is an anachronism and the sooner it is omitted from the proceedings the better.
It smacks of our colonial past, teaching those nice brown people whose labour is so cheap about their "great white mother over the seas".
Roll on the Republic!
Off with her freaking head.
Well yes, Dive, but that's simply your own opinion (well known and documented lol!). It's totally irrelevant to the legal requirements. That's my point. Opinion doesn't come into it at that point. Opinion happens before you sign on the dotted line and swear under oath. If you object, you don't do it. If you agree, you do. Simple.
Lynn: Unfortunately it is not yet irrelevant to the legal requirements (though it bloody well should be).
Absurd and insulting as it is to a lot of people one still has to either swear or pledge allegiance to the Queen in addition to the perfectly reasonable pledge of commitment to obtain British citizenship.
Allegiance to the Queen is as you correctly say one's personal choice.
You are loyal to her; I want to see her entire clique disenfranchised. That doesn't make me any less British than you, merely less of a royalist.
The sooner the frankly offensive clause is removed from the requirements (it can easily be left in as a choice should anyone want to do it), the better.
I congratulated Joy on her site, but I'll say it again here—congratulations! It was a memorable day all around.
No, your opinion is irrelevant to the legal requirements is what I said Dive! I know that swearing allegiance to the Queen is very relevant! he he.
Robyn: It was indeed. Splendid in so many ways.
Ltnn: Hey, at least I broke the habit of a lifetime and posted a picture of the mad German bint for you!
Hee hee.
I'm buggered if I'll ever swear allegiance to her, though. Swear, yes, allegiance, no way!
Whether it makes me more British than you because I would swear allegiance is mere opinion and not relevant.
My point is that this is a legal requirement; to swear allegiance to the Queen, to achieve this status, that's all. You have to either accept the law as it is and swear or, not do it. It offends me slightly to swear but mutter under the breath insults to the Queen. This is my point. I think, as you rightly say, if you have those feelings about the Queen, you shouldn't take the oath, since the oath is a large part of it. Like it or not, it's there in black and white. Should or shouldn't be is mere opinion.
Truth be told, Lynn, I don't think of it as an honour, nor do I think of it as a shameful thing to be naturalised. I think of myself as a global citizen - I don't like barriers and all this visa business. I don't think God came down to earth one day and said, 'Ok, this bit is yours, and this one's yours. Now you, United Kingdom, you can claim 75% of the globe and treat it as abominably as you wish.'
If at all, I think the honour should be felt by the UK government. I came here with all my skills, experience and qualifications. I have worked really hard serving the community while employed by a charity.
In the 5 years that I've been here, I have treated everyone I've encountered with dignity and respect. I can't say the same for those people who have been so racist towards me. However, I do honour my husband's heritage. I can only wish that most British men and women were like my husband and Dive.
I'll also be working towards lifting the visa requirement for Filipinos to visit the UK. Why should British people (and others) be allowed to freely visit my country, and not the other way around? The honourable thing to do, because that's what I thought the British culture and tradition is all about, is to reciprocate this privilege.
Bottom line, I do take on your board what you said, Lynn.
No-one's asking you to swear to her, Dive ; Joy did swear, whilst saying what she did and this I think was wrong.
Thanks for the pic. I like it! lol.
Thanks, Robyn! You're the sweetest :D Do you know I almost went to Ohio University to take up my PhD in literature? But as you know, the best laid plans...
Hi Lynn: I really don't recall if I did or didn't say 'freakin' but I must have done. I throw it about here and there.
Nonetheless, my allegiance is to the country - not the person who supposedly symbolizes the country on the whole.
Joy, I know, from what Dive has posted here about you that you're a lovely person, immensely qualified and everything else and I celebrate the fact that you are bringing all these things to the country and hope you'll be happy etc. etc. Of course I do; I'm delighted, who wouldn't be? It's this one small area - the freaking bit - which bothered me. I simply say that swearing allegiance to the Queen was part of the legal requirement and ceremony and should have been taken seriously or not at all. When you agree to it, you agree to its entirety, not all parts except one, surely.
I'm very happy you are here, Joy, it's not to do with that!
Lynn: you have got the wrong end of the stick.
Joy recited the oath correctly and only called the freaking queen the freaking queen while talking to me beforehand.
My point is that this offensive requirement should not be a compulsory part of the legal process but an optional part of the ceremony for anyone who is a royalist like yourself.
Unfortunately no-one gets British citizenship at the moment without obeisance to the great white mother across the seas. This is something that must be changed if we wish to be regarded as a modern nation.
Joy: Yay for you!
I totally agree.
Now ladies: please could we draw a line under this? I have work to do.
Dive I didn't get the wrong end of the stick at all! You did. See earlier comments.
I know, of course, that Joy would have said all the right words during the ceremony, otherwise had she have said 'freaking Queen' at that point, it would not have gone ahead!!
I still say if you have those feelings about the Queen, you should not swear allegiance to her (just like you said you wouldn't either - I totally agree with you), as is legally required in these circumstances. Otherwise, it's not a true declaration is it.
Yes, let's draw the line and all understand what we are saying and have said. I'm very glad you're in the country, Joy! :)
And I still maintain that offensive requirement should not be a compulsory part of the legal process.
What this country needs is a good regicide.
This we know well, Dive, your opinion and that's fine! 'Should' is the operative word here though (only an opinion). That legal requirement presently IS, and is well known before any decision to take the oath.
Congratulations to Joy! Im sure she is a fine person and she will be an asset to the UK. I would have welcomed her into the USA had she chosen that route. Bottom line, good people make good citizens and good citizens make a country better. I salute you Joy and I salute the UK. Well done.
OK Dive. One other item to address.
"sixty-two million wonderful and intelligent people did battle with fifty-six million gun-totin' religious fundamentalists and their chums"
I only tote a gun when shoot clay pidgeons at the trap range. All is well though I have also "shot from the hip" a time or two. Enjoy your weekend Dive. You keep Blogland quite interesting.
Loved the post, as well as finding Joys blog and podcasts. Fun fun! And man that food looks yummy! I love the lack of meat going on there. I'm no vegetarian but I'm not a very brave meat eater either.
Joy, you look so PRETTY (as usual). You too Dive, I mean..er..handsome. You're not pretty without the giant red wig and evening dress I'm afraid. :D
Have a splendid weekend y'all!
As far as Lynn's loyalties go. I liked Tony Blair. Which team was he on? Mine, methinks. ;) I love how witty British people get in their gov't meetings. I've watched a couple on t.v. and they trade slams so cleverly like they are attending a roast for one another. I just know I'm meant to be a Brit.
Dive what a delightful post! You've done a great job highlighting your newest citizen.
Joy you look positively radiant on your big day, especially in the photo of you with the Queen - ha ha!! (You and Thom of course make a stunning couple.) Congratulations on becoming a British citizen (even though you truly are a citizen of the world)! And just to drive Dive crazy:
Maligayang pagbati Joy! Ang England ay masuwerte sa isang maganda at matalinong mamamayan katulad mo. Sana ay magkita tayo sa Norwich o ikaw at si Thom ay magbakasyon sa San Francisco. Ang buong atensyon mo ngayon ay ang matagpuan ni Dive ang mabait na babae para sa kanya.
(I hope this makes sense!)
Hahaha Katie!!! That's absolutely awesome! Love it! May kaibigan ka bang Pinoy? Syempre naintindihan ko ang lahat ng sinabi mo. Unang wika ko ang Filipino, pangalawa lang ang Ingles. Ang galing! Paano mo sinulat ito? Sigurado ako na hindi yan galing sa Google o Babelfish :D Naku, talagang misyon ko ang hanapan si Dive ng kanyang kabiyak ng puso :D Yung pangalawa sa huling litrato tignan mo yung babaeng nakapula. Yan ang gustong makapareha ni Dive :D Kaso, medyo mahiyain si Dive! Magkita tayo sa Paris! Pwede rin sa Norwich.
Thanks, Katie, for the kind words.
Shan: Thanks again for the thoughtful and kind words. Glad you enjoyed the show from last Saturday.
Mark: I was actually supposed to move to LA to teach at UCLA. But the universe had other plans for me! Thanks for the kind words.
Lynn: I'm glad you're glad to have me here. :D
Lynn: The law is an ass and the royal family inbred parasites.
Just give me an axe and room to swing.
I have a feeling this is one of those comments-fests where I'll type the last word and come back a few days later to see you've added another last word underneath and so I'll type another last word and so it will go on until this country becomes a Republic.
Mark: "Good people make good citizens and good citizens make a country better."
What wonderful wise words. Thank you so much for that.
Sorry about the gun thang but I have my facetious and offensive standards to keep up (witness the fun we've been having with the damned queen).
Shan: thank you for listening to the podcast.
Yes, the non-meat food was utterly delicious.
And hee hee! I am about as far from handsome as I am from Patagonia (ask Sarah Palin where that is).
Tony Blair? The BLIAR? Bush's buttplug? The most appalling and disastrous British politician since records began?
Sheesh!
Listening to commons debates is a little like listening to drunk children shrieking and arguing. It's amazing how any laws get passed. Hey ho. That's democracy for you.
Katie: What a delightful comment.
Isn't Thom lush? Hee hee. He cringed when I said he had a sexy voice on radio.
Oh, crikey! Now you and Joy are going off on a Tagalog trip. That's somewhere I cannot follow, more's the pity. Japanese is proving more than enough for this wizened old brain.
Joy: Babelfish? That is a worse translator than I am!
Right. I'm off to watch Tony's band desecrate some songs.
Ciao.
Dive I'll have to check out Thom's sexy radio voice when I get home tonight. And don't worry, Joy and I aren't talking about you ... too much! (And no, I'm not using the internet to translate; heaven knows what I'd end up saying!)
Joy: Hindi ko ginamit ang Google or Babelfish; ka-trabaho ko si Nellie ang nagsalin lahat para sa akin. Pasensiya hindi ako marunong ng Filipino; pero alam mo na ngayon na makakasulat ka ng Filipino sa akin. Baka masiraan si Dive. Alam ko mahiyain si Dive, pero sigurado ako na matutulungan mo siyang makahanap ng partner. Ang babaeng nakapula ay mabait. Masaya kung magkikita tayo at Thom sa Paris!
Ewwwww! I hope I can soon get rid of that butt plug image. Gak! I knew it would be fun to Dangle the name of the ex-Prime-Minister-of -which-we-don't- speak in front of you. You know it's fun to hear both the sweeties AND the rants you are capable of. :D
Hi Katie! That's splendid - a Pinay co-worker. Please say hi to Nellie for me.
Would be nice to see you San Francisco, but we've just been September last year :D Paris on the other hand - a different matter. I have to have scrambled eggs and croissants made by a French again! :D Swing by Norwich next time though, ok? Dive and I will drive you to Sandringham - the Queen's favourite residence in the UK.
Great post, dive and the photos are fantastic. Immigration in the making. I'm all for the young helping us old farts live better when we want to lay our tired bodies down.
Yay to Joy! Beautiful moment for a beautiful person. I should say two beautiful persons and Thom is quite beautiful also.
Dive, you are definitely "fair and balanced" You post beautiful tributes to your lovely friends and at the same time manage to insult and infuriate multitudes. Must be the reason I check in as much as possible! Your blog is always a fun read.
Although no stranger to internet tiffs myself, I'm staying out of this one. Instead, I'll gingerly tip-toe over the piles royal body parts and pools of sticky blue blood to congratulate you, Joy, on finding a new home and happiness in a world where - to coin a phrase - the heart is (all to often) a lonely hunter.
Joy, congratulations on your new citizenship. So nice to see the photos, Dive. From Katie's auntie.
Neetzy: Dive does always pay beautiful tributes to his friends, doesn't he? He's really a dear.
Lucio: Yes, England is my home away from home. Yesterday, I started plans on getting to know it more. I'd like to capture its beauty with my camera as I visit places that I fell in love with a long time ago - by reading all about them as a girl growing up in Manila.
Lupine Lady: Thank you so much! How thoughtful of you to send me your good wishes.
Congratulations, Joy! You and Thom make a lovely couple.
Enjoy, Joy.
Thanks, Cali and Lucio!
Congratulations to JOY! And may I comment, too, that you have the most glorious legs I have ever seen as well as one gorgeous husband?
And...the "freakin" bit makes me like you even more...
Sorry, Lynn. I don't give allegiance to anyone so easily.
Thank you very much indeed, Maria! :D Loved everything you said :D And thanks for the compliment about my legs. Dive takes really good photos. Cheers, Dive - for making my legs look good.
Katie: I love the fact that you and Joy are talking Tagalog. Hee hee. It shames me that I cannot join in but it is great fun.
Shan: Sorry about that particular image but it's how the Bliar will be remembered here … well that and all the sleaze and bribery.
Gack, what a disaster that man was.
Joy: Hee hee hee. I'll only ever go there to gloat when we are a republic.
Rich: Thank you. I could do with laying my tired old body down right now. I think I'm coming down with something crappy. Hey ho.
Neetzy: What a lovely thought. You are too kind. I didn't set out to infuriate anyone with this post, it just happens sometimes.
Lucio: I love your imagery. Hee hee.
Hi, Lupine Lady. Thank you for popping by. It really was a lovely ceremony.
Maria: You are so right! Thank you.
Joy: The camera never lies.
And why should you, Maria? You missed my point entirely :) I agree with you. Nobody should pledge allegiance if they don't believe in it.
And why should you, Maria? You missed my point entirely :) I agree with you. Nobody should pledge allegiance if they don't believe in it.
lol sorry about duplicate!
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