Being British XIV

[babewithbrains]

Another term in current usage is "peng", but in my area I've only heard it used ironically. It's seen as quite a trashy thing to say, but people use it for a laugh. An example of its usage would be something along the lines of "Check her out! She's well peng." It felt quite weird to type that... Mind you, it's quite a faddy word, so if you are writing something set a few years in the future, it probably wouldn't still be around.

Peng seems to be something said by a lot of Londoners. Oh, and a couple of years back, we used to say "chung" a lot. Some people still say it, so it could work, but it's mainly used by people in their early/mid teens.

[BrokenPromise]

I don't know about 'peng', but I think that 'chung' might be something to do with Alexa Chung, the model. I think this goes back to something Aida said:

compare a girl favorably to an actress or singer

So yeah, swings and roundabouts...

[silverlining95]

Yeah I've heard peng used before, but mostly ironically. A lot of these terms go in and out of fashion pretty quickly so it would probably be best to stick with something like 'fit', as it's quite common and been around for years. Like Sophie said, peng etc are quite faddy, and sites like urban dictionary will provide a huge selection of words, but a huge proportion wouldn't be commonly used, and would vary in offensiveness!

Fenella x

[Lost_Robin]

Thank you guys soo much. I think I'm going to use fit.

[AidaLuthien]

A few questions:

First, it is common in the US for East Asian kids to learn to play a classical instrument, usually piano with violin coming in a close second... to the point that we joke about who hasn't at some point learned some of either. Is the same true of East Asian children in Britain? Would it make sense for (I think I'm going to make her a half-blood) Cho to have briefly studied piano or consider herself different (from other kids) for not having studied it?

Second, where are there good music conservatories in Britain? Are there any in London? Where are they in London? I'm looking for something that Cho might wander by.

Oh, I guess, third, what kind of a neighborhood might Cho move into in London? I imagine her leaving the Magical world a year or two after the Battle to start over. She's got a bit of money from her parents and some she's saved up.

[BrokenPromise]

I'm not sure on the second two, not being a Londoner, but East Asians in Britain have usually had some form of musical training, usually in Piano but as you said, often on violin or both. Some may reach grade 8 before secondary school!

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[The owl]

I'm not entirely sure about Asian children being more likely to study music than children of other ethnicities, but I think it is something of a stereotype over here. There isn't a large asian population in my area for me to judge it on.

I can give you a lot more info about Conservatoires though, seeing as I will be applying to some in the autumn. There are four conservatoires in London, to my knowledge: The Royal Academy of Music, The Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music, and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. I have written them here in what I think of as their ranking, best to worst. Academy certainly has the best reputation, and is known as something of a hothouse. It is also extremely hard to get into. I am horrible at geography, but I have visited it, and remember it being near to Baker Street Station and Madame Tussaude's. The Royal College is possibly more popular, and probably equally good really. I can't give you any more details of locations, sorry, but they all have their own websites.

There are also conservatoires in Cardiff (Royal Welsh College), Birmingham, Manchester (Royal Northern), Leeds, and Glasgow (Royal Scottish). Leeds looks pretty awful to me, but apart from that they are all good. They all produce plenty of high-standard professional musicians, at any rate, and the staff are invariably experienced. I can give you more details if you like, or direct you to websites; tell me what you need.

I don't know London, so I won't attempt to help you with the last question.

~Sophie

[Equinox Chick]

Aida - it depends how much money she has and what she wants from life in London.

The area I live in (near Wimbledon) is fairly affluent and has easy access not only to the centre of London, but also open spaces. Near me Richmond is a good area (slightly further out) Putney is by the Thames and has a fair proportion of millionaires living there but isn't ostentatious in its wealth. For stinking rich try central London like Kensington or Knightsbridge. Cool but rich ish areas include Notting Hill which also has a diverse culture (despite the Hugh Grant movie)

These are all South London. I'm not good north of the Thames

~Carole~

[welshdevondragon]

Just to clarify, Kensington, Knightsbridge and Notting Hill are all north of the river. The thing about London is you get really expensive areas right next to fairly poor ones. I live sort of in Notting Hill, but there are several council houses and council estates next to me. However, particularly early 2000s I think it would make sense for Cho to live around here- the house prices were not yet insane but it had middle-class kudos from Richard Curtis films, and was not as dodgy as it was in the 80s/ early to mid 90s.

Islington, also north of the river, is another previously working class area, that has become increasingly middle class and 'safe' recently. It's a very nice place to live--or Stoke Newington, which is just a little further north.

Alex

[AidaLuthien]

Thank you everyone!

Sophie and anyone else who can answer on conservatories:

I'm looking for a school with a good piano program. Also one that isn't so gated and far away from everything that someone wandering by on the street wouldn't be able to hear anything... I think. Do most conservatories have sound proof practice rooms these days? Do conservatories have student housing?

I'm trying to write a Cho/her future Muggle husband story for the Minor Character contest, in which they meet because she happens to over hear him playing a piece on the piano. He is in conservatory studying it (maybe teaching it, I haven't really decided much about him).


Edit: Also about Cho's neighborhood:

I don't think she has a lot of money, so she would need a place that she can live fairly cheaply, but comfortably since she was raised in the wizarding world and doesn't have a lot of experience with the Muggle world. I imagine it being near a conservatory, though I'll have to go through the list of conservatories first.