People often ask me why I like living in Britain. There are a number of reasons but one of the biggest only became clear to me during the Opening Ceremonies a few days ago. I’ve often remarked that the people of the British Isles, dear and lovely though they may be, are also completely bonkers. (For examples, please see here and here.)

The Opening Ceremonies reminded me that not only are the people of Britain a wee bit mental, but that here eccentricity is celebrated, or at worst, tolerated as an endearing personality quirk. There are pockets of the States where this is true, but for the most part people at home are more straightforward and the type of wit, wordplay, and creative thinking that I enjoy is viewed as shifty, wily or unstable. It’s nice to be in a place that allows that sort of thing to thrive and to flourish into the beautifully eccentric extravaganza that was the Opening Ceremonies.