I finally dragged myself down for blood testing at around 10.30. There was a bit of a wait but I was till only number six in the queue. They were moving though us rapidly and I was in and out in just under 15 minutes. It would have been quicker but I couldn’t stop bleeding. The pills must be working, though part of it was probably that I had managed to fit in two cups of tea before going to hospital. When they have trouble they often blame it on my lack of liquid intake in the morning.
So far I’ve had no panic phone call so it looks like I might be OK.
Last night I did several of the Citizenship Tests posted on the internet, to see if I knew enough about the UK to be allowed to live here. Well, fortunately I passed. I did four tests and got six questions wrong out of a hundred. As I’ve lived here for over sixty years I feel I could have done better. I’m sound on Magna Carta, Tudors and Stuarts and electoral law, but can’t see that the first two are very useful today. There was a distinct lack of questions on queuing, recent history and the law as it applies to motor vehicles. All three of these are more important in 2022 than the date of Magna Carta and the Spanish Armada.
And in case you are wondering, yes, this is what they mean by “displacement activity“. It meant I didn’t need to fail to write any publishable poetry.
Anyway, why you would want to be a citizen of a country that demands you know such things?
The picture is one of Mrs Botham’s pork pies. There were no questions on British cuisine in the citizenship test. Not even fish and chips.
Fish and Chips – more British than Magna Carta.Â
I’ve taken the US citizenship test before and after they changed it and nailed it. Mostly it’s about some history and how government functions with a few questions about the Constitution thrown in. I was a little alarmed that people were saying they flunked it as natives, because it was stuff people should know. The UK test–doubt I’d do better than 60% back beyond Victoria, unless it’s multiple choice…I’d be good with 20th C, but…
It is multiple choice, so you have a 1 in 4 chance of qualifying. 🙂 I’d let you in anyway because we have a shared history until 1776, watch the same TV and most Americans can learn to speak English with a little help. 🙂
LOL. My ancestors were in London in the 1600’s (a tailor) and went from Jurby in the Isle of Man to Liverpool to sail to Philadelphia in 1752, from whence they followed the Appalachian mountains down into Virginia and places south. On my mother’s side they came from England and Wales and one of my not so sure how many greats grandfathers was born in Philadelphia in April 1776. I bet it was a crazy time for his folks!
Adventurous times indeed. It’s still not too late to come home . . .
At my son Michael’s 50th birthday party the only person who could answer all the questions in New Zealander Tess’s Citizen’s Test from earlier that day was daughter in law Tess.
🙂 🙂 😉 Isn’t it always the way?
Where there any questions about what constitutes a party? That seems quite important these days.
It’s simple. Two ordinary voters and it’s an illegal party. Two politicians and it’s a business meeting. One Special Advisor and family and it’s an eye test.
Testing is not always useful…
True. 🙂
You should be required to know food, tv and movies that are relevant to life as one knows it
That’s me doomed – I know nothing about movies. 🙂
😆
This is funny as my son and wife have applied and passed a few questions by us-felt like there wasn’t a fair amount on the things I did know. sheesh! Who makes up the questions? It’s like trivia when they don’t ask questions about the things you actually do know! That said, not sure about the US citizenship test. (Yikes!) Ah well, I’ve got the papers.
There are two sorts of question – hard (you don’t know the answer) and easy (you do know the answer). I was once subject to a searching interrogation by South African authorities – literally a piece of paper asking if I was a member of a terrorist organisation and if I was carrying illegal drugs. I felt that they maybe set the bar a little low and were only going to catch the dimmest criminals. 🙂
Good one!!
Do you think I should be kicked out for not knowing the date of Magna Carta or the Spanish Armada?
I think the question setter should be given a reality check. Apart from answering quiz questions I can’t think of any reason for knowing these things. Somebody in the shop said “You’re clever.” to me in the shop, but as I said I wasn’t, I just know lots of stuff. If I was clever I would be making money from this knowledge. 🙂
Money and clever don’t go together. Unless you mean a certain kind of cleverness, eg the one exhibited by lying politicians.
🙂