angelica

Hi All

since I've been back in UK, theres something I hadnt really noticed before which stands out a mile:

us Brits moan a lot!! (not me of course!!)

Its something which is encouraged mainly by the media, especially the tabloids, on BBC1 just now theres a series called Brassed Off Britain which scours the country for the worst of whatever so it can moan & put down Britain for half an hour every week.

Im trying to justify all the negative vibes by saying to myself 'it doesnt affect my family directly' ie we arent tripping over asylum seekers in the street, our car doesnt get nicked every time we park up, our kids havent been offered drugs at school, etc.

So why do we have to be so negative about the UK? Have all the migration series on the telly really convinced everyone that other countries are so much better than here? Or is this forum reinforcing everyones idea of an idyllic life overseas versus a scummy future to look forward to in UK?

Dont get me wrong, I love living in UK & dont want to be anywhere else, just sometimes I think Im the only one who does.

janeyray

You see it differently because you've seen and tasted life on both sides. You know what it's like to live in 'paradise' but most of the Brits that are moaning don't .

Maybe we were like that before sampling something different? I know I won't moan half as much as I did, you just realise that it's not worth it and everywhere is the same!!

angelica

Thats so true Janey. Living in another country certainly puts a different perspective on your attitude to UK.

Im naturally optimistic anyway so try to see the good in most things but it gets hard sometimes when it feels like most people hate the place!

Probably spending too much time on here!! I need a job! Have to wait til my youngest starts school in September.

Which reminds me, time to go & get the litlle angels! See you later

honeymommy

Made me laugh to read your post...

Here's something that happened to me.........

My birthday.... now age 38... called a relative in UK.... someone really close.....

She said.... "Don't you feel old now".
I said....... "No, not at all, don't feel much different tha I did when I was 21 actually".

She said..... " Well, I supose you haven't had anything really bad happen to you yet".

I said..... " Well I did have cancer for 3 yrs on and off, I think thats pretty bad. But from that it gave me a good outlook on life."

She said.... " Oh yes, I know you had that, but you survived. I meant something that is really bad, like losing a leg or something!".

I said.... " Oh...
Then no I haven't had that..."


ROFLMAO!!!!!!

How's that for negativity then........

I come from a small village in UK. The women used to get together when we were little and have a dam good moan and bitch about allsorts... Her down the road, the price of bread... basically anything to get thier juices flowing.... LOL

Me..... I did find myself like that, and thank god I realised, and changed...
Life is too short to moan and groan constantly....

Well... just glad I still have 2 legs........

angelica

It is so contagious though, being negative. The main thing is to be able to recognise it & keep it all in perspective.

Same with smiling people look so much better with a smile on their face, even if I look simple half the time with a big grin

Keep on smiling & be glad you have 2 legs!!

Keelie

Honeymommy....that made me laugh!
You must be in North America..(the Mommy bit.)

Now if only I had some writing talent I'd put
together a Monty-Pythonesque T.V. show, exposing the absurdity of British negativity...and I'd definitely include your relative in it!

Encouraging to hear that 'Cancer can be beaten' Hope you continue in good health...and yes, laughter helps.

janeyray

Blimey, you should count your lucky stars then!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol


I've decided if anyone gives out negative vibes when we get back I'll just humour them and get on with it.

Pants

Ditto Janeyray

You know I see and hear many negative Aussies over here......so it's worldwide isn't it.

I must say most of my mates back home don't have rosy lives but they are always positive and happy..they are able to see the best that is around them!!!brilliant buddies can't wait to see them all.!!

paddythepilot

Well, I live in Hong Kong and I can tell you that the Chinese moan too!

They moan about the Government, the weather, the high cost of living etc.......sound familiar?

And another thing, my Wife is Japanese......now they moan even more! (I'd better not go into this one, or I'll be in trouble!).

As you can see, it's not an exclusive British thing, but there is something else about the UK which drive people to want to leave......can't quite work out what it is?

Cheers.

madscientist

As an outsider, I have noticed that the British media does seem very ready to slam Britain for ratings, and the tabloid newspapers make the UK sound like a third-world country, which it certainly is not.

I haven't run into the problems profiled on Brassed Off Britain either (the last one I saw was on junk mail). I'm not tripping over asylum seekers, I've been burgled once since I've been here (I never was in the US), my car has never been stolen, and my bank has never screwed up my account. There's a first time for everything, I suppose...but I'm not expecting any of it to happen.

madscientist

Maybe it's the weather! When people here hear that I'm going back to the USA, they say, "Oh, can't take the weather here? It's bloody awful." Actually, the weather here doesn't really bother me! It never gets all that hot, which is fine with me; it snows in winter, which I like. I just miss thunderstorms.

There are lots of little reasons to move, but really the number one reason we're leaving is that I've never felt at home here in the UK. I guess I just really am an American girl, and I'm probably better off with my own kind!

lairdside

Yeah, lack of sunshine

Btw, I lived in NW Wales before I moved here. No lack of thunderstorms there I can promise you!

Sometimes, just sometimes, I miss rain......

mickj

Have said this before, i'll say it again.....its the ones that have nothing going for them personally, that complain the most, they think the immigrants are getting all what they should be getting.

The immigrants are just as pleased to be sweeping the streets and doing other jobs that no one wants to do, on top of this, most go to night school and get an education.

Whilst all this is going, Enoch Powell next door is sitting on his/her arse complaining about everything. When the immigrants starts to drive a BMW, the whingers start to gossip.....I told you they were all crooks !

To be honest, if i was still there, even when i was there, all this nonsense about immigration never bothered me one iota, because i knew what i wanted for myself in life, and i was working hard towards it.

I think all the whingers should be put in the image below and sent off somewhere by Royal Mail ( if they are not busy nicking people's letters ) :-)

Bella

I used to think that us Brits had a gene that forced us to be moaning old b******s! A mate of mine lived in USA for a long time & said they had a much more positive outlook on life.
I do think Brits tend to be more glass is empty rather than glass is full but then look at us lot, we're all happy & chirpy aren't we so we must be the exception that proves the rule!! LOL

madscientist

I don't think the Brits moan any more than any other nationality, and I don't think that Americans necessarily have a sunnier outlook! The Brits, though increasingly likely to sue, aren't nearly as litigious as us Americans...and the British aren't nearly as nationalistic as we Americans, so I think they're more likely to be critical of what they see as their society's failings. You see the same kinds of criticism in the US with one important difference; the person doing the criticizing is blaming someone ELSE for it.

Here's how I see it. The British say, "What's wrong with US?" We Americans say, "What's wrong with YOU?" I hope that makes sense.