UK - Underrated Kingdom?
#17
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Joined: Jul 2008
Location: South Australia
Posts: 503
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
I would definitely be a cheerleader for Britain after 13 years of living away, enough to silence all those whinging Brits who say "Britain is crap/gone to the dogs etc". Yes,I can feel a job application to the English Tourist Board coming on...
#18
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Still in Cyprus, for now!
Posts: 395
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
Yip Britain is truely "Great"
#19
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 15,019
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
yesterday i was talking to a friend in the UK and explaining that my son couldn't come visit the UK for Xmas due to not much annual leave and she was gob smacked when I told her the crap annual leave allowance here to which she replied, "oh, I though the USA got much more than we do" I asked, "why" <knowing she'd never lived abroad> and back came the reply, "well we hear that from the news" omg so there I go off on my orange box again
yes English Tourist Board here i come
#20
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Joined: Dec 2005
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 1,219
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
....they are desperate, and I don't use that word accidentally, to consider themselves different. I don't believe that the Brits have a chip on their shoulder, I think it's the Aussies. They don't have a firm enough national identity as a result of their history and development so they are constantly trying to manufacture one and shove it down everyone elses' throats while they're at it.
#21
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Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 1,252
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
I have enjoyed reading all of these posts but the one thing that i am concerned with is the talk of those countries that we have all moved to. Whether it be Australia, Canada or the US. What are these countries doing that is making you guys so frustrated?
I must admit if it was all a level playing field financially i would be back in England sipping on my tea going for a nice country walk on the south downs or something along those lines. But i actually don't dislike Canada for it. I believe i am now understanding and agreeing with a lot of things in the Canadian 'culture'. Such as the no sick pay, the low annual leave allowance. Sure these things bug me at the same time as all i need to do is go back a couple of years where i had at least 5 weeks a year and probably 10 sick days lol...But that what actually gets on British peoples nerves more than anything else. Who here has heard the line 'so and so is sick AGAIN today' or 'How much leave do you have?'
I believe that when you look at Canada and England together on a level playing field england really takes the biscuit but i am still enjoying Canada and i don't believe i have any rights to say how horrible it is here in comparison as there are so many who love their country and i have no right calling the people or the culture lackluster for them believing that they do live in a great country.
I must admit if it was all a level playing field financially i would be back in England sipping on my tea going for a nice country walk on the south downs or something along those lines. But i actually don't dislike Canada for it. I believe i am now understanding and agreeing with a lot of things in the Canadian 'culture'. Such as the no sick pay, the low annual leave allowance. Sure these things bug me at the same time as all i need to do is go back a couple of years where i had at least 5 weeks a year and probably 10 sick days lol...But that what actually gets on British peoples nerves more than anything else. Who here has heard the line 'so and so is sick AGAIN today' or 'How much leave do you have?'
I believe that when you look at Canada and England together on a level playing field england really takes the biscuit but i am still enjoying Canada and i don't believe i have any rights to say how horrible it is here in comparison as there are so many who love their country and i have no right calling the people or the culture lackluster for them believing that they do live in a great country.
#22
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 176
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
I have enjoyed reading all of these posts but the one thing that i am concerned with is the talk of those countries that we have all moved to. Whether it be Australia, Canada or the US. What are these countries doing that is making you guys so frustrated?
I must admit if it was all a level playing field financially i would be back in England sipping on my tea going for a nice country walk on the south downs or something along those lines. But i actually don't dislike Canada for it. I believe i am now understanding and agreeing with a lot of things in the Canadian 'culture'. Such as the no sick pay, the low annual leave allowance. Sure these things bug me at the same time as all i need to do is go back a couple of years where i had at least 5 weeks a year and probably 10 sick days lol...But that what actually gets on British peoples nerves more than anything else. Who here has heard the line 'so and so is sick AGAIN today' or 'How much leave do you have?'
I believe that when you look at Canada and England together on a level playing field england really takes the biscuit but i am still enjoying Canada and i don't believe i have any rights to say how horrible it is here in comparison as there are so many who love their country and i have no right calling the people or the culture lackluster for them believing that they do live in a great country.
I must admit if it was all a level playing field financially i would be back in England sipping on my tea going for a nice country walk on the south downs or something along those lines. But i actually don't dislike Canada for it. I believe i am now understanding and agreeing with a lot of things in the Canadian 'culture'. Such as the no sick pay, the low annual leave allowance. Sure these things bug me at the same time as all i need to do is go back a couple of years where i had at least 5 weeks a year and probably 10 sick days lol...But that what actually gets on British peoples nerves more than anything else. Who here has heard the line 'so and so is sick AGAIN today' or 'How much leave do you have?'
I believe that when you look at Canada and England together on a level playing field england really takes the biscuit but i am still enjoying Canada and i don't believe i have any rights to say how horrible it is here in comparison as there are so many who love their country and i have no right calling the people or the culture lackluster for them believing that they do live in a great country.
Errr, mmmm, err, I'm not entirely aware anyone has been slagging off Canada, or Australia or indeed anywhere. Not really.
If anything people have been discussing (as was my intention in posting) the fact that THE UNITED KINGDOM comes in for a lot of criticism which it doesn't, in all truthful reality, deserve.
#23
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 176
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
A few people have commented, in a fairly balanced and moderate way, that some countries in this world are a little bit more used to giving themselves a big pat on the back than we Brits are used to. It can be a little irritating and seem slightly misinformed if you come from Britain where we tend to like to think things through quite carefully before deciding we're great; the result of a guilty imperialistic past.
That's about as 'bad' as it's got.
That's about as 'bad' as it's got.
#24
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Still in Cyprus, for now!
Posts: 395
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
Oz, US and Canada are very different from where I am. For me, its a small minded country that won't think outside the box.
Its a very frustrating country. Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, but I haven't seen any changes for the better. They adopt the laws they want to, but forget about the rest.
What country's president would pardon a lawyer who was convicted of drunk driving with no license, insurance or tax? Cyprus
What country with a water shortage wouldn't put a hose pipe ban in place? Cyprus
What country knowingly allows the sale of properties that are illegally built? Cyprus
I could fill about 10 pages, but I won't bore you!!
#26
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Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 1,252
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
Errr, mmmm, err, I'm not entirely aware anyone has been slagging off Canada, or Australia or indeed anywhere. Not really.
If anything people have been discussing (as was my intention in posting) the fact that THE UNITED KINGDOM comes in for a lot of criticism which it doesn't, in all truthful reality, deserve.
If anything people have been discussing (as was my intention in posting) the fact that THE UNITED KINGDOM comes in for a lot of criticism which it doesn't, in all truthful reality, deserve.
Whether it be from the people, the politicians or the media?
#27
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
In 40 plus years of trying to get would be emigrants to their shores look at the population figures for all these Commonwealth countries. Remember they used to pay you to go to Aus. In any local British paper now they are holding expos to lure people to a new life. They have been doing this for years now. I personally think they do not release the true figures of people who leave their shores. Last some past posters have said people in Britain dont know how good they have got it.
#28
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Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Essex UK
Posts: 314
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
Been here 2 years and miss so much about England its unreal and yet we do remember why we came and what we hated in the first place that fuelled our emigration.
Wanted to find out why you returned to the UK, what you did here in canada, how long were you here etc
We just think the UK has much more to offer us and more importantly we miss our families plain and simple.
Life here is pretty lonely being just us and we have struggled with jobs.
I know there is a lot wrong with the UK but at least we know what those things are and we can go back with new eyes or appreciation of all the good things there are that dont get publicised.
Thanks
#29
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
Hi Elaine B noticed you were back from Toronto -we are cuurrently down in the Niagara region and thinking of coming back to the UK.
Been here 2 years and miss so much about England its unreal and yet we do remember why we came and what we hated in the first place that fuelled our emigration.
Wanted to find out why you returned to the UK, what you did here in canada, how long were you here etc
We just think the UK has much more to offer us and more importantly we miss our families plain and simple.
Life here is pretty lonely being just us and we have struggled with jobs.
I know there is a lot wrong with the UK but at least we know what those things are and we can go back with new eyes or appreciation of all the good things there are that dont get publicised.
Thanks
Been here 2 years and miss so much about England its unreal and yet we do remember why we came and what we hated in the first place that fuelled our emigration.
Wanted to find out why you returned to the UK, what you did here in canada, how long were you here etc
We just think the UK has much more to offer us and more importantly we miss our families plain and simple.
Life here is pretty lonely being just us and we have struggled with jobs.
I know there is a lot wrong with the UK but at least we know what those things are and we can go back with new eyes or appreciation of all the good things there are that dont get publicised.
Thanks
#30
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Joined: Dec 2005
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 1,219
Re: UK - Underrated Kingdom?
I think Brits are spoiled in general with the west-coast oceanic climate and don't really appreciate how benign the "winter" season is in England.
The winters are bothersome anywhere east of BC. December, January, are fine. Februrary starts to rub. March you start scratching like a cat to go out and sit outside. April, it seems like spring never comes, then May arrives and all the pollen is released at once, nice smell shame about the allergies. But the summers are great.
In the UK you have spring festivals in FEBRUARY, right? The rule in Canada is, you are safe to plant on or after Victoria Day weekend...
Really -- to make the most out of central/eastern canada, you have to be able to enjoy some winter sports.
Last edited by neill; Oct 8th 2008 at 4:57 am.