THE London Olympics are drawing near, with the opening ceremony on July 27 (4am, July 28 Beijing time), and excitement is growing among sports fans around the globe for what British Prime Minister David Cameron promises will be "the greatest show on Earth."

But it's not just shiny new Olympic stadiums that are on show to the world, but all of Britain - its history, culture, the distinctive British way of life with its co-existence of classical and modern, and of course, a passion for sport.

A good sport

"While the French Revolution invented the Citizen, the English creation is the Game," said Jeremy Paxman, BBC journalist and broadcaster in his book "The English: A portrait of a People." "Certainly, sport came to occupy a central role in English culture."

In Britain, being "a good sport" is a widely-admired trait, as it describes someone who plays fair, follows the rules and does not cheat.

Vita Sackville-West, a 20th-century aristocratic English writer, provided a detailed description of a good sport. "The Englishman is seen at his best the moment that another man starts throwing a ball at him. He is then seen to be neither spiteful, nor vindictive, nor mean, nor querulous, nor desirous."

Being a good sport is still widely valued in British sport - whether in football where diving or play-acting in a bid to get an opponent into trouble is frowned upon, or in cricket, which was traditionally known as the sport of gentlemen.

Class act

The concept of ladies and gentlemen features prominently in perceptions of British life. Indeed, for many foreigners, one of the most enduring images is of a lady with hat and gloves and a gent in starched shirt and black tie in an English garden taking afternoon tea, cucumber sandwiches and cake from a three-tier cake stand.

But this idyll, popularized by novelists such as Jane Austen, is unfamiliar to many British. Expats in Shanghai told Shanghai Daily that while enjoying a "brew" is part of their national lifestyle, they never serve afternoon tea in that way.

Gavin White, an Englishman who divides his working time between Shanghai and London, says that while some people may take a "cream tea" - tea served with scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream - an elaborate afternoon tea is usually the preserve of the "leisure classes."

Class has long been a controversial feature in British, particularly English, society.

Critics argue that the school a person attends still has too much bearing on future prospects, with top "public schools" - fee-paying independent schools - producing a disproportionate number of people in top positions.

There have been numerous efforts to create greater meritocracy over the years. However, a 2010 survey by the Independent newspaper found that one-tenth of all the minsters in the British government attended just one public school: Eton. And overall, it found that two thirds of ministers were educated outside the state school system, and one in five went to one of the top public schools.

Old and new

A visitor to London will quickly notice how the capital balances old and new, classical and modern, which can be seen from its architecture, fashion and art.

Among buildings vying for the position of the city's best-known landmarks are Westminster Abbey, dating back almost 1,000 years, and 30 St Mary Axe - better known to locals as "The Gherkin" - a 180-meter skyscraper in the financial district, designed by Norman Foster and opened in 2004.

And while classic British brands such as Burberry and Dunhill are apparent in London streets and a gent can go to Savile Row for a bespoke suit, cutting-edge fashion from names such as Alexander McQueen is equally at home on London streets. Though showing that classic and cutting-edge are not always so far apart, the late McQueen learned his trade on Savile Row.

Meanwhile, art lovers in the capital can find everything from Old Masters at the National Gallery, contemporary work at the Tate Modern and names of tomorrow in small galleries in Shoreditch.

British lifestyle in Shanghai

Shanghai has had a deep connection with Britain since the British established their concession, an area around the Bund, in 1843. Britons in Shanghai were responsible for the first racecourse in China in the area of today's People's Square.

Shanghai also holds the distinction of being the first city in China to hold cricket match.

The impact of British culture can also be seen in Shanghai's dialect. For example, Shanghainese word "′óD?" (daxing), used to describe something that looks fashionable but is actually a low-quality fake, comes from the English "dashy," meaning showy.

Shanghainese word "?ì?1ê?" (hunqiangsi), which originally meant getting a chance, though now mainly refers to "giving the runaround" originates from the English word "chance."

In Huangpu District, especially the Bund area and Nanjing Road, there are still plenty examples of English architecture, such as Bund 18 and the Shanghai Art Museum.

Growing numbers of British are coming to Shanghai to live and work, bringing new traditions to co-exist with previous versions, all combined with local elements.

Here we look at aspects of British life in Shanghai: from afternoon tea to British food in general; from English riding to the gentleman's sport cricket; from British theater to a famous British department store chain and London hairstylists.

British food

Food and the weather probably bear the brunt of most jokes about Britain, but the efforts of celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay are helping convince the public that British food is not to be scoffed at.

"I'll admit that English food had a poor reputation in the past due to its simple ingredients and heavy flavors. However, many British chefs are now leading a new culinary trend featuring quality ingredients," says Gavin White, group general manager at glo London restaurant group in Shanghai.

However, that doesn't mean Britain is giving up its food traditions, instead "making a classic with a modern twist," says White. For example, he says, for national dish fish and chips, more British chefs are adding beer and herbs to the batter to provide a lighter taste.

The influence of foreign food culture also has a great impact on British food, thanks to immigrants from Asia and elsewhere. "British food absorbs exotic culture with local adaptation. Chicken tikka is representative," White explains.

Chicken tikka, a traditional Indian dish of boneless chicken marinated in spices and yogurt, is locally adapted into chicken braised in curry sauce.

But two traditional British meals are ever-popular: British cooked breakfast and Sunday roast. An authentic British breakfast includes bacon, sausage, fried egg, beans, fried tomato and mushrooms and black pudding. Sunday roast features roasted meat, vegetables, mashed or roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding - a batter pudding - and lashings of gravy.

In Shanghai, glo London provides expats and local Chinese with a taste of Blighty with the likes of fish and chips, cooked breakfast and Sunday roast.

"Our main focus is bringing local people authentic British food without any adaption, while keeping up to date with London dining trends," says White.



Venue: glo London

Tel: 6466-6565

Address: 1 Wulumuqi Rd

Afternoon tea

TEA was introduced to Britain in the 1660s and a passion for a cuppa persists to this day, with the beverage bringing its own etiquette and conventions over the years.

Afternoon tea, also known as low tea as it was traditionally served on low tables, was said to have been introduced by the Duchess of Bedford in the 1800s. Filling the gap between lunch and dinner it became associated with upper-class society. In contrast, high tea was served on a high table after the working day, accompanying a hot meal.

As the first grand hotel to serve afternoon tea, in 1865, Palm Court at The Langham in London has set the standard for afternoon tea etiquette.

While ladies are not required to wear a hat and gloves any more, gentleman must dress smart casual - jeans and T-shirts are not welcome.

Staff at the The Langham, London, share some of their tips of low tea etiquette: Tea is poured first to test the quality of the bone china. This also allows for milk to be added at the precise quantity to suit the tea drinker's taste.

When holding the tea cup, the pinkie should not be extended but rest by curving gently back toward your wrist.

When stirring tea, refrain from clinking the sides of the cup.

Dunking things into the tea is a huge social faux-pas.

If that all seems too complicated, a more common form of tea as a special occasion is "cream tea" - tea accompanied by scones, clotted cream and jam.

"Usually, we don't have time to prepare those three tiers of sandwiches and cake. Cream tea is what most British really serve for a special tea time," says Gavin White, the group general manager of glo London, who is involved in promoting English dining culture in Shanghai.

Langham Xintiandi, Shanghai, inheriting the London tea tradition, provides authentic English afternoon tea featuring English-style food, a wide variety of tea and an elegant tea setting, including a silver tray and fine bone china.

In addition to warm scones served with Devon clotted cream and strawberry jam, savories such as cheese and cucumber sandwich, smoked salmon, and dessert such as English vanilla cream tartlet and raisin cognac muffin are recommended.

The tea collection embraces both black tea, traditionally preferred by the British, mixed with Assam and Darjeeling and light English herbal tea made of lavender, rose and chamomile.

Langham also uses Wedgwood china, a favorite of Britain's royals.



Price: 250-500 yuan (US$39.3-78.6)/person

Venue: Cachet Tiffin, Langham Xintiandi

Tel: 2330-2288

Address: 99 Madang Rd

British theater

In the center of the West End in London, there's an area called Theatreland containing around 40 venues. Its boundaries are traditionally defined by Kingsway to the east, Regent Street to the west, Oxford Street to the north and The Strand to the south.

According to the BBC, West End theater enjoyed record box office sales in 2011 for an eighth consecutive year, proving the enduring appeal of theater in the capital.

"Theater is very much part of the general energy of British culture. Artists in Britain have long thought of theater as an important form of self-expression and social comment," says Paul Stebbings, artistic director of TNT Theater Britain and The American Drama Group Europe.

Stebbings has presented Shakespeare's "Macbeth" at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center (SDAC) on Anfu Road, and is staging Dickens' "Oliver Twist" at the venue.

According to Huang Yiping, marketing manger of SDAC, productions such as Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," "Othello" and "The Tempest" have attracted high attendances, proving popular among expats.

Chinese adaptations of British drama are more popular among locals, adds Huang.

"We have two ways of adaptation. One is directly translating it into Chinese, trying our best to respect the original.

"The other seems more experimental and innovative, localizing the play through using staging and language," says Huang.

For example, SDAC once localized Shakespeare's early comedy "The Taming of the Shrew," setting the story in 1930s Shanghai, adding with some Shanghai characteristic historical and cultural element.

This month, SDAC is presenting an adaption of the musical of Dickens' "Oliver Twist," directed by Stebbings.

The musical features Chinese dialogue and English subtitles.



Venue: Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center

Tel: 6473-4567

Address: 3/F, 288 Anfu Rd

English riding

British equestrian sports have long provided a distinctive arena for demonstrating riding skills. The British horse riding style is characterized by an emphasis on classical dressage and its riding attire.

"Generally, English riding is composed of jumping, horse racing and classical dressage," says Eric Zhao, the marketing director of Qing Qing Equestrian Club, a club in Shanghai which is known for providing English riding lessons.

According to Zhao, classical dressage, taking traditions and equipment from European mounted military style, emphasizes that rider and horse become partners, working together in harmony.

The horse should be trained according to its natural abilities, concerning both body and mind.

Some horses can be trained well to perform collected, medium and extended gaits, even some air above the ground movements such as "levade" - the horse holding the position around 35 degrees from the ground - and "capriole," where the horse performs a vertical leap with a backward kick of its hind legs.

Compared with the casual wear of western riding, characterized by jeans and cowboy hat, attire in the English style is more formal. An English-style rider wears a traditional hunt-style fitted jacket and shirt, breeches and tall boots.

Horse riding is becoming part of leisure among well-educated young people in Shanghai, though it is still a niche pursuit.

Qing Qing Equestrian Club, located in a large forest park is one of a few places in the city providing authentic English riding lessons, with coaches offering English language courses.

The club mainly provides individual riding lessons, with intensive one-on-one tuition.

Group lessons are also offered, but only for group members with similar levels of riding skills.

The club is also known for its horse riding lessons designed for children and teenagers.

"English riding helps kids to become caring and more tolerant due to its sporting spirit and a deep connection between animal and rider."

"And, as a real English rider, you should show enough tolerance when a horse loses its temper or occasionally fails to complete the task given by the rider," says Zhao.

The club charges both lesson and coach fee. The lesson fee ranges from 280 yuan to 400 yuan an hour. Coaching fees range from 50 yuan to 200 yuan per hour.



Venue: Qing Qing Equestrian Club

Tel: 5769-0003

Address: 388 Chenhuagong Rd, Qingpu District

Cricket

Cricket is probably the most representative English sport, synonymous with village greens, leisurely lunches and breaks for tea.

"It is a sport that relies on a unique mix of hand-eye coordination, technique, strategy, fitness, courage and patience," says Oliver Austin, chairman of Shanghai Cricket Club, one of the largest cricket clubs in China, providing services and facilities to the cricket community in the city.

Although played by people from many backgrounds, cricket is often associated with wealth and privilege - with the annual match between public schools Eton and Harrow still a fixture on English social calendars.

And cricket is often seen as a gentleman's sport, because its rules seek to ensure games are played in a respectful manner, explains Austin.

Among these, appeal is one of the most interesting and representative. This is the act of a player asking an umpire for a decision whether his opponent is out. This takes the form of "How was that?" "Howzat! or indeed "OWAZAAATTT!"

Directly asking the umpire "Is he out?" is considered to show a lack of manners. The umpire simply raises his index finger or shakes his head in answer.

The English have their own laid-back way of watching a cricket match, which can last for days.

"English just sip their beer and watch the match quietly, unlike football fans who often berate the referee," says Frank Chen, a Chinese who loved watching cricket while studying in England.

Although cricket is not a hot game in Shanghai, the Shanghai Cricket Club dedicates itself to promoting the sport. Founded in 1858, when the first game of cricket was played in China, it has more than 200 playing members, from children to seniors, and from all over the world, including England, Australia, India, New Zealand, plus an increasing number of players from China, according to Austin.

People interested in playing or watching cricket in Shanghai can get details from the SCC website at www.shanghaicricket.com.

Other British choices in Shanghai

Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer, a department store chain deeply ingrained in British life, now has two stores in Shanghai, selling various British products - from lingerie and other underwear to English tea and snacks. This month, to help celebrate the London Olympics, the store has launched a small counter devoted to British tea and snacks. The Scottish shortbread biscuit presented in a kitsch London bus tin definitely deserves a try.

Tel: 6191-3322

Address: 98 Huaihai Rd

Toni & Guy

Toni & Guy, a British-based hairdressing company has opened a chain of salon in Shanghai. It's the place to get a genuine British haircut - including the famous bob cut, in which the hair is usually cut straight around the head with a fringe at the front, plus "punk" variations on the short style.

Tel: 6279-8806

Address: Rm 209, 1357 Nanjing Rd W.