gypsygirl

How the heck do you make freinds with them??? Whenever we try they never get into a chat and seem too shallow. They all seem happy with their lot, why would they want more friends?

What are they like? is it true that you can mistake them for your best friend by their actions, when really they see you as more of an aquaintance

Are any of the women actually nice!

What are the kids like, are they very materialistic?

Plus lots more questions I cant think of, so feel free to fill in the gaps with your own comments!

Jerseygirl

'They'?

gypsygirl

Yes "they" are another species lol

Adnams

Americans as someone once said: - "lovely manners strange people" Nuff said, there is no depth to them.

Adnams

Actually having said that if you seek them out and really try you can find decent American friends. It takes a while and few hit and misses but finding people on the same wave length is not impossible here, sometimes you just gotta be choosey.

Irn-bru

You seem to make 'them' out as a different species.
You get shallow, deep people here the same as the UK.

The only difference is maybe how some US make friends/ do things but that is mostly culture.
I have had very good friends here, though I've moved a lot.

leonatlanta

ha haa hahaahhahahahaha!! "they"


an aquaintance!!!!!! this is the funniest thing i have heard all week!!!!!

"Whenever we try they never get into a chat and seem too shallow. "

"we" "they" i'm not suprised they dont want to speak with you. i bet they're like, "oh shucks, here comes that boring limey whinger, lets hide".

"Are any of the women actually nice!"

you are kidding right?

cindyabs

Well isn't it that way with anyone?

"Choose your friends like your books, few but choice."
-- American Proverb


I have many aquaintances, less in number are friends. But the friends I have are the friends of my heart.
---me--

Irn-bru

Since I can't show you the friends I've made -
There are a lot of US women here in the forum and I can assure you, you will find them 'nice'.

scrubbedexpat097

Too true.........they can drink, swear and be just as sarcastic as us stuck up snobby Brits

Irn-bru

cindyabs

YEAH.

Adnams

I think you have to break down your own preconceptions of how you make friends as a brit and just throw yourself into their fray. You might make a cock up or you might be a hit - dont know till you try. Yanks have no time for wall flowers.

penguinsix

One of the first steps in making a friend is not to look down upon them. Insisting that everyone you meet is shallow is not a good start. I can assure you they are no more shallow or phony or plastic than people in the UK who expat Americans are trying to befriend (and running into similar problems).

The second step is to be a bit realistic. There is no way you can be dropped into a society and culture foreign to your own and expect, in six months or 12 or 18 to have friends as close and as strong as those you grew up with, shared experiences and and heartaches with over the last few decades.

The third important thing to remember is how old are you? As people grow older, their social circles frequently close up. They are not as freewheeling and open as they were in Uni, or just out of school struggling and meeting others who are also trying to figure it out. Kids and families and existing friends take up more and more time such that some people just aren't really looking for more people to know.

In addition (and there is not much that can be done about this) many Americans find the accent a bit offputting at best and condescending at worst (though it still get some guys the girls. Satirical comments that may be part of the norm in any pub conversation in the UK are usually misundestood here as a sign of snobbishness or insecurity.

Although this doesn't deal with expats specifically, I find this list of steps to be incredibly helpful in assessing your progress and offering suggestions on how to make more friends.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends

Good luck.

penguinsix

Ditto, and then some.