Re: The things you hear.
 

Change to Tesco. You won't have to see it anymore there.
They're hiding the covers.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Thank you for this thread. I am not a Brit, DH is. We are moving to England in 2 weeks time after close to 10 years in Dubai. I lived in England only for 2 years and that was 12 years ago. Very nervous but excited at the same time about starting all over again. Most of the Brits I know here are not keen to go back and they seem to have one negative story to share after another. I know that I need to allocate adequate time to adjust. There will be struggle for sure but at least I know that I don't have to believe everything I read on the Daily Fail ;-)

Re: The things you hear.
 

For me, once you've been gone, England is difficult to re-acclimate to (both climate and culture). I honestly don't think I could stomach going back permanently. That's not happening.

There are some people that find relief in returning, but most don't.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Read its weather reports. Seriously, they are better than the funny pages.

Re: The things you hear.
 

I absolutely agree. If there is any one thing wrong with Britain, it is its tabloid press.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Is the Mail much worse than this one?

Aktuelle Nachrichten - Bild.de

Re: The things you hear.
 

Actually, I don't know! I've never read Bild. They seem to have Beyoncé summed up neatly.

Apart from its soft-porn and s'leb content, does Bild promote racism and paranoid national chauvinism? If so, it probably is as bad as the Daily Fail.

Re: The things you hear.
 

No. I think you'd need actual words to do that.

Re: The things you hear.
 

:rofl:

Re: The things you hear.
 

Do you have some evidence for that statement?

Re: The things you hear.
 

They have those articles and surveys on the BE home page which always have overwhelming numbers of people in favour of moving (sponsored by moving companies and the like).

http://www.theexpatsurvey.com/wp-con...06/Page-15.pdf

Re: The things you hear.
 

and they call it 'the current news', its the UK 'Daily Star & the US 'National Enquirer' all rolled into one

Its an interesting paper, it is....

including the ad on the front page, something that would never appear in the DM

'Find high-class partner for discrete Intimacy'

Re: The things you hear.
 

Does Bild have the same grip on the national psyche though?

Re: The things you hear.
 

Only the stupidest parts, a bit like the US Fox TV.

My point, to the extent that I have one, is that most people in every country are as thick as two short ones.

This truth is manifested slightly differently in different countries.

Re: The things you hear.
 

I don't know if the DM "has a grip on the national psyche". It's circulation is only 1.8 million (less than the Sun at 2.2 million) and I imagine at least 1 million of those readers are more concerned with the side ok Kim Kardashian's butt than politics. It's a convenient whipping boy for these of a more moderate disposition.

Stupidity in the population is a concern, however. You only need listen to some of the phone-in shows on LBC to realise that not everyone has mastered the command of logic and reason. It is a bit if a concern if an EU referendum emerges as there are many that are incapable of understanding the complex issues that underlie such a decision. Just how many is the question.

Re: The things you hear.
 

I really think it does have that grip.

The "ain't it awful/Britain going to the dogs/foreigners milking benefits" stuff is constantly fuelled by it.

Re: The things you hear.
 

In the US, it manifests as overpowering belief in the greatness of their country, in the UK the opposite seems to be the case. I haven't been in Germany for so long, I don't know how it plays out there.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Yeah Brits tend to have a fairly negative view of their country, I guess it comes down to not being insecure so not needing to 'sell' the country to others. A huge number of Brits return to the UK and go on to be very happy with their choice, others don't but that's OK as nowhere is for everyone. My advice would be totally discount 50% of the stories expats tell you and take the other 50% with a grain of salt :)

Re: The things you hear.
 

It's not just about circulation though.

The rubbish printed is visible on the front page to anyone in a newsagent or somewhere that papers are sold. There are shared copies at work and what people say to each other.

"Did you see that in the paper today?"
"No, what was it?"

People who appear to believe "Christmas" has been banned and that there are floods of immigrants and all the rest of it number an awful lot more than circulation figures.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Yes, that's a fair comment, but I really wonder how large the contingent of influenced people are? It's only a newspaper, and at worst it's exaggerating issues, but the issues exist. The current immigration issue is a case in point. Many of the outlandish things the DM was saying two years ago are now become more mainstream issues that the politicians are accepting as genuine issues.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Most likely a minority but a big enough minority to make a difference.

Like football hooligans/violent demonstrators etc are just a minority but enough to discredit the whole.

Or like a minor political party enabling government :eek:

Re: The things you hear.
 

Ok. I accept that.

The root of problem lies in education and social policy though.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Tap tap on my shoulder on a very quiet, tiny, village street.

"Excuse me Signora but what language are you speaking in to those lovely kiddies?"

I look over my shoulder and think, 'Shit! It's a priest!' I limit myself to saying, 'English.'

The nice, polite voice disappears and I hear a disgruntled,
"Ohhhah, Protestant then!"

I took a moment to gather myself and then replied:

'Excuse me. Don't you for one minute think that everyone growing up in England grows up protestant ..... just like not all Italians are good catholics!'
Father Whatever turned on his polished heels and never stopped me again.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Bloody religion, no wonder I hate it.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Why would he jump to conclusions so quickly when you could quite easily be Catholic (maybe you are). And then after you said your piece, he should have even more reason to confirm whether you are or not? Maybe he just meant foreigner. Anyway, very good come back.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Who knows? Old man? Maybe because he doesn't see me in church? Because my kids don't go to catechism classes? Not very educated? Just too damn Italian?

I actually was brought up Catholic. I think he was shocked to get such a curt reply from me. He's probably used to being bowed to and called "Don".


A lady stopped us the other day:
"Ohhh" she said, "I love the German language. What part of Germany are you from?"

- 'Yorkshire in England.' :rofl:

Re: The things you hear.
 

E by gum, Signora, Inglaterra !

Re: The things you hear.
 

I'm an atheist and was brought up atheist. I'm used to people assuming I'm Christian. I've chosen to live in rural areas in England and it goes with the territory. Even so, sometimes I'm amused by my own tolerance. I'm always at pains to explain that I believe in tolerating other people's faiths, even though it is a tolerance that isn't often shown to me. My dear old mum, on the other hand, simply tells Christians that she thinks they are potty.

At a coffee morning a few weeks ago, an elderly woman told me that she couldn't understand how atheists explained death to children. I told her that my mum had told me that death was nothing to be afraid of, since I wouldn't know anything about it.

Re: The things you hear.
 

I have a very low tolerance for religion, we were watching a show last night about chaplains in a Children's Hospital. They would go around during the hospital visiting the kids and laughing and joking with them which is all well and good and commendable BUT they then ask the parents if they mind if they were to say a prayer for the child. The way I see it is if the child recovers, thank god, if the child doesn't recover then I assume god has a different plan for them. I just don't get it.

Re: The things you hear.
 

I'm a fairly devout atheist these days. I'm tolerant outwardly, and don't engage people on religion unless they engage me first (which thankfully is rare). I wouldn't have a problem for someone saying a prayer for someone else, I think good wishes, however made, are always in short supply. The problem I have is when schools and churches (etc.) seek to brainwash the children. I'm also fairly uncomfortable with atheists that send their children to faith schools (where others are available) it's quite a hypocrisy in my view.

Re: The things you hear.
 

There was some research on prayer for the ill a few years ago. They found that the only prayer worthwhile was prayer for yourself. In their sample, in fact, the people who were prayed for by someone else seemed to get worse.

I don't understand prayer. It seems like special pleading to me. If I wanted a god to believe in, I'd want my deity to be fair and just , not callous but inclined to grant special favours like an ancient despot.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Praying is the height of arrogance, expecting personal attention (especially on minor prayers) when there is so much real tragedy and pain that going on in the world. But then again, it's not supposed to make sense is it. Just self delusion.

Having said that, I can understand its value for children, while they are young and find the world quite scary.

Re: The things you hear.
 

Daughter speaks great English - reads and writes pretty well but has never had a proper grammar lesson from me or a life of English spellings. Her life is full on enough with all her Italian homework and revising for tests. She was however seriously pissed off last year when she kept getting just 6 or 7 in marks from the so called English teacher and her Italian classmates were getting 8 or 9 with many more mistakes. It was the time of parents' night so I went to see this English teacher, shook her hand and said,
"Pleased to meet you. I am Chloe's mother but io parlo anche Italiano."

- Thank goodness - she said. Let's speak in Italian. I'm sure your Italian is better than my English. What a great start I thought. She can't even introduce herself in English.

"What does my daughter have to do to get an 8 or 9 from you?"

Ah but, Signora, she is a mother tongue so I have to treat her differently and mark her down.

"She isn't a mother tongue. I am the mother tongue. My daughter was born here, learnt to read and write in Italian first of all and just because she speaks good English doesn't mean that she also doesn't need to learn the irregular verbs.

It makes me mad sometimes when I have to go in and explain why you are punishing my kids unfairly.

Re: The things you hear.
 

My thoughts exactly, it's almost as if the god has made you sick but if we all pray he might make you better. I especially hate when someone has been cared for by multiple health workers (doctors, nurses etc) and when they recover they thank god.

Re: The things you hear.
 

This is true. I'm Canadian and I can't get warm to save my life. And I've lived everywhere in Canada. Winters of -40 in Northwest Territories...in danger of freezing to death but not of shivering to death!

I have no idea why it is so but it is true. If anyone finds the answer, please let me know....I'm turning blue!! :nod:

P.S. But this is where I want to be!! :thumbsup:

Re: The things you hear.
 

Humidity. This small island is surrounded by cold sea.

Re: The things you hear.
 

I am cold today but was in shorts up until last week.

Re: The things you hear.
 

It's been a decent autumn. So far only three frosts. Definitely some shorts weather in October.

Re: The things you hear.
 

I wore shorts right through October and halfway into November. I'm no southern softie :)

Re: The things you hear.
 

You are now. :p