Even the most laid back and egalitarian among us can be insufferable snobs when it comes to coffee, music, cars, beer, or any other pet obsession where things have to be just so. What are you snobbish about?
“Hello Peacock butterfly, hello, you are not talking to me?”
“If I have to, but I am just here to be admired. I do not usually stoop to talk to a human.”
“Oh I see. I was just taking a photo to show everyone on my blog.”
“In that case, go ahead. After all I am the most beautiful in the garden.”
I suppose she is right, she is the most beautiful, but not very long. Her beautiful days are numbered. It is now Autumn and she is one of the last. That was probably the reason she was sitting quietly for me to take a photo. Otherwise she flutters around with no time to spare for a photo. She is not a snob, she was just born that way.
And me a snob? Mr. Swiss found I do not know the meaning of the word, although I have my tastes. When you grow up in a family where it was normal to live on a weekly wage, you have no real chance to become snobbish, because you would never have what the others have, unless it fell off the back of a lorry or had origins which are better not known, like the two bottles of Navy rum dad brought home once from work. A day later they were reported in a TV programme being part of a robbery. They were stolen goods. Mum washed the labels off the bottles and emptied the contents into another bottle.
And now to my snobbishness: I am not snobbish about my clothes, how can I be a clothes snob when I can be glad if they fit. Designer shoes are no longer my thing; it is a question of balance in the high heels.
I am a tea snob. I only drink Twinings tea. Perhaps it is the pretty box, but I am convinced that it is the best tea available. I do not like hand-me-downs or second quality. I would rather refrain from buying something I want if it was not A1 quality. I like new. I am convinced that the stork dropped me at the wrong door. He should have flown further to the Mayfair area of London, known for its wealth, or perhaps even dropped me off at Buckingham Palace, the queen’s joint. I was sure it was not my destiny to by flopped into the East End of London, renowned for its poverty and poor housing (slums).
However there must have been something worthwhile in my genes as I managed to qualify for a grammar school and make my way in the world. Was it snobbish that I left London for Switzerland? Perhaps in the back of my mind I wanted to achieve the unachievable.
My next plan is a new computer of the Apple kind. On the other hand it is expensive and I will not buy it until I master its internal workings. I learnt to be careful with my money. I have also decided I want/need a new Kindle for my books. I have one of the first generation not even a paperwhite with built in lighting effects. I read via an app on my iPad. A new model will be introduced next month and that is the one for me, with 3g of course to enable me to upload my books all over the world (I do not really go all over the world). Is that snobbism, probably is, but I cannot take it with me when I go and I want it now. I can tell everyone I have one, although they will probably not be interested.
I am not really a food snob, I eat almost everything, but I like to know the origins. I am not a happy restaurant eater. It is nice to be invited, but I am suspicious about what is served. Where did it come from, how did they prepare it in the kitchen?
I am not a grammar snob, I cannot afford to be a grammar snob. My English is tinged with a European German touch. English people even remark I have a European accent when I speak English, although I have to discover what that is. I am unique. There are not many cockneys that speak with a European accent. On the other hand when I speak German, people try to guess. Is she dutch, or is it a strange new Swiss German dialect that she is speaking? I do not know where the dutch touch originates, but probably because no one really thinks than an English person can chat away in a language that is not English.
I am a lazy writer. I write as it comes into my polyglot brain, so put up with it. I have a snobbish brain.
My daily prize suspicious blog now comes to an end. Do not despair, I will return tomorrow with wise words and gems of intelligence. I am unbeatable in blogging (is that being snobbish?).
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 
We are all intellectual rather snobbish. Garry put it well. He said “Stupid people have rights. I just don’t want them around ME.” My sentiments exactly. I think dumb people deserve equal protection of law, all the civil rights they can eat. Living wages and health care. I just don’t want to hang out with them.
As for the new Kindles: I just ordered (pre-ordered) one for Garry. I have a Fire from last year and a PaperWhite. Garry’s is an old keyboard model, 2nd generation and it is definitely time to move on, though I must admit that his still works very well as a reader (only). And I bought that super-expensive cover with the built-in light.
But it’s heavy and clunky and you can’t play an audiobook on it. The new ones are so much less expensive than even the one I bought last year … well … too tempting. AND they are offering payment of $20/month, no interest from Amazon. So Garry gets a Kindle Fire 6. Small, lightweight, adorable. In cobalt blue 🙂
LikeLike
I am after a Kindle Voyager +3g (costs extra). I saw a review today. They are the lightest up to now. they are available from beginning November. I am not in a hurry and can wait, but it is top of my non bucket list. The Kindle I have is one of the first. No touch screen, more papergrey than white and in a dark room you cannot read it.
LikeLike
I have the old Kindle as well. It is very useful when attending the hospital , dentist, doctors and opticians which are the paces my life revolves around nowadays. Just slips into my handbag but I agree with you, impossible to read without a light on. I use my iPad for reading in bed, I like the way you can turn the pages as if they were real paper.
LikeLike
Next to coffee, my favorite drink is tea, though I am not quite as particular… Though, I (personally) find Stash Tea to be my favorite, along with Wiskotzsy Tea.
LikeLike
I like a cup of english breakfast in the morning and a cup of Lady Grey after dinner. I can no longer drink coffee as it has a very negative effect on my digestion, so I avoid it. Tea is fine with me, no sugar and no milk, pure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to giggle; my dad was a lorry driver and the amount of things which ‘fell off the back’ of his lorry would have painted him the worst roper in the business! (He wasn’t and I reckon I could still sheet a load today from all his lessons) Some of the things I remember were a crying Tiny Tears doll, those little weather vanes in glass domes that went round in the sun and let’s not forget the joyous day he was driving for Rowntrees…. bliss to every pre-teen on my street 😀
LikeLike
I can imagine – I think life in the East End revolved on fell off the back of a lorry when I was young or you knew a bloke that knew a bloke. I think all our furniture was somehow obtained on the cheap.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My family knew a man from whom you ordered whatever you wanted and a few days later it appeared. I thought he had a shop but we never found it. The twin tub did have a dent in it so perhaps it did fall off the back of a lorry.
LikeLike
Tea and hand-me-downs 🙂 yes and yes.
LikeLike
It was a way of life
LikeLike
Like this one Pat. Of course I am a snob where only the best will do. A bit hard when one is on a beer income with champagne tastes though. lol
LikeLike
As I don’t drink alcohol I stay with my tea, but the snobby teas are not really my thing. I tried Lapsong souchong once, but it was like drinking fried bacon.
LikeLike
Designer shoes, question of balance! Love it! I will drink Twinings today, and remember Angloswiss and bottles of rum! 🙂
LikeLike
Enjoy the tea but remember I like it stirred and not shaken.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! Too funny!
LikeLike