Brit_far_from_home

Where are these "cool" regions of which you speak? Care to name them?

Serenity

Meh.

Some people say things out of emotion that they don't really mean. Some people really don't have knowledge of the world. Some people are proud of their country even, and this is the important bit, while critical of issues within said country

These traits are not exclusive to Americans.

Serenity

After living in a place without universal healthcare the husband and I are more than happy to have to wait if it means everyone has access to treatment. Certainly, this can be hard at times on a personal level, but beats the alternative.

scrubbedexpat099

NHS?

I was inthe UK for 3 weeks, the horror stories just seem to get worse.

I spoke to my Mother yesterday, most of the call was about problems she was having just getting a simple thing done, something to do with text message communication between the Hospital and Dentist.

One friend of mine who had what turned out to be a mild heart attack was told to go and see his Doctor, update him on his situation etc.

So he rings up for an appointment, engaged engaged engaged, when he finally gets through he is told they are all gone and to ring again the following day. This way they can meet targets on waiting times, if you can not make an appointment you can not be counted!

Ths was a bar conservation, but one of the guys there was a GP, his surgery does not work that way, but he was able to throw in a few more idiocies, stupid things they have to do to meet Gov targets. Mind you he is coining it. He bought the first round.

Not that the US system is any good.

ugacrew

May I ask, where in the US did you live and travel too? And how long have you been here?

Xebedee

The places of natural beauty are numerous. Grand Canyon, Northern California, the Mesa's in the desert, the Forests and mountains of the New England region to name but a few. As for places to live, if you like a small town/village feel there are places as obscure as Broadalbin NY, Hubberton VT, or as well known as Plimoth, MA. You cannot find an English village in America (duh), but you can find their cousins, esp. in the New England areas. There are still many towns (even still use the term Hamlets) scattered along county roads which were settled anywhere from the 1700's onwards. There are those with traditional main streets and white picket fences. Its not all perfection, as with anywhere, there are downsides. But its not all massive cities and endless surburbs. You just have to get out there and find them.

As is often said, it all depends on what you want. My point is, that despite the "WalMarts", America still has much to offer if what you are looking for is something other than garish opulence and flash. If you want that, there's always Vegas and Disneyland.

Personally, I have always shunned the LA's, Chicago's and NY's. They simply do not interest me.

Xebedee

What on earth is "Meh"??

Poppy girl

OI I like Wal-MART lol always a bargin
I agree on the big city thing I don't like Chicago and NY is not on the list either, no wish no spend time in LA either.

I have been to Japan a few times and it was OK to shop, the Japanise are very hospitable, then get my butt out of there, but live.......... horrified no thanks.

britex01

NHS 'horror stories' are, perhaps, more prevalent in densely populated areas - the inter-cities. Where I live there is no such crisis. My wife, when in need of her GP and then surgery to her hand at the hospital, could not praise enough how well she had been treated, and how lucky she was (being a Texan) to be treated under the NHS.

Quite a different story entirely - yes?

Tracym

I think that's the thing - stories vary, perhaps in different health trusts.

I'm not posting details here, but the problems I know of personally and mentioned to you (long waits with disastrous results) were not in densly populated areas, quite a small town in fact.

Xebedee

I vacationed in a town called Weaverville in the North of your state. Panned for gold in a stream and had a fantastic time dirtbiking all over the shop. Beautiful surroundings.

Its as easy to homogenize Americans as it is to lump the English into the same "type". But the truth is, Americans also view each other with curiosity if they are from 1,000 miles away, well that's what I've seen. Haven't yet figured out why they have more of a "national" sense which more frequently overrrides this than the English do. Its probably to do with the age of the place. It'd be interesting to hear from the Americans here on that.

Tracym

We are a flag-waving lot. I'm not really sure why.

Perhaps having fought and won independence from Britain, makes for a tradition of being aware, and proud of that. Also, perhaps the pride the settlers had of conquering a new land... and all of that has carried on. But I'm just guessing honestly.

Most yanks do view America as the best and most powerful country in the world. National pride there too?

I'm not the best example, not a huge flag-waver myself. But I do think it's a good place to live. Goods and bads everywhere, but overall I could sure think of worse places.

I can, I suppose, feel some national pride in the American "can-do" and "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" attitude. Not that every American has that attitude, of course, it's slipping. But has been part of our historic attitude. The American Dream and all. We do have a lot of freedoms, and a person who is determined generally has the possibility of success.

Xebedee

Mmmm. Its the subtleties which interest me these days. The flash-bang differences are pretty obvious between our two cultures, but it seems the reasons why Americans are a certain way are often a bit intangible.
You mention the settlers and the revolution. The settlers were us tho , it was the English doggedness that hacked the forests away to make way for roads and villages. I wonder if the American spirit only had its full expression in the colonial rebellion (sorry, revolution ) and the true evolution of that identity began at that point. Stating the obvious, true, but its odd that the events prior to 1776 rarely are connected to English history the way they should be. There is scant evidence of English culture present in America today, other than the language. Compared with the other immigrant nationalities, we are in the shadows, as it were.

Yet Americans, frequently claim a great affinity towards England.

Oh, bugger, that read back like a history o-level question.

Triumphrob

Yep. I hear this all the time. Mainly from Yanks who have never travelled!

Tracym

lol well sure, it was "you-all" in the first place And I suspect our national identity was formed, in the "rebellion" . At that point, those here decided NOT to be English - but to be American.

I don't think there's much evidence of any culture here but American - or rather, there's bits of all sorts of cultures laying around here.

Feeling an affinity towards England - well not myself, not at all. It's a foreign country that I've never visited. My ancestry is German and Swedish (and I've visited Germany) so if I "relate" to any other cultures, it's those.

No criticism of the UK there - just that I don't identify with it any more than any other country personally.