LeedsGirl

So that's why my parents were so proud

Lord Lionheart

My favorite is "Our residence halls were home to some of the biggest pranksters London has met since Guy Fawkes"
That funny guy that tried to pull the hilarious prank of blowing up the Houses of Paliament, just for a laugh of course, kinda like a 17th century version of that modern day prankster - Osama Ben Laden, hehehehe.

CarlM

I can imagine tears in their eyes as you take the Academic world by storm..

Ive always been a straight 'C' student myself.. I have been told i can get all A's if i turn up to class from now on.

LeedsGirl

I should have turned up more myself, figuring out daughters 4th Grade homework is a bitch

kevntrace

Seems to me you're all being a bit harsh on the gal. Even though she spent time outside the US (which the majority of Americans don't) and she came away with a new perspective of her country, she still spent the majority of her time in London. And London is not the "real" England. In fact, London is just about the only city in the UK thats on a par with the major American cities.

So she made a lot of observations that might be typical in London, but certainly are not typical of most of the UK. At least she got a new perspective and realises that America portrays herself as superior to every other country (economically, militarily and morally) to outsiders, even if its not done intentionally. Now the lass knows. I'd say thats one down and about 260 million to go.

And where I grew up, Marks and Sparks is definitely posh (especially the food).

Winterwords

LOL, I think her hearts in the right place, that visiting Europe has taken her out of her box - it's just a shame she's so American (I mean dumb ). But from what I've seen recently on TV there are parts of America that are more like a third world nation than anywhere in the EU.

"In England, the grocery store might be near empty for days, and nothing will be done about it." - What stores has she be going to?? Does empty mean they don't sell "Combos" and other American goodies?

BritGuyTN

Yes - she should not be let outside the house without a helmet on

the only poverty worse than what I saw in Missisippi when I went there last year was on the banks of the river Nile in Egypt

grocery stores empty for day? WTF did she go for crying out loud?

All I know is that sainsburys and M & S don;t have openly rotten and mouldy food on display like in my local Krogers

fait play for leaving her state - but maybe she needs to see a bit more of America before saying the UK is backward, when it is pretty much more advanced in every way I think possible

CarlM

Perhaps she really went to Moscow but spelt it L-O-N-D-O-N. Thats where the confusion is..!

Celsius

Those crazy upstate New Yorkers (site is owned by University at Buffalo)...

Hiro11

fighting...urge...to...respond...to...thread....

I should preface this by saying that I'm not an expat, and I did read threads like this so I understand where this site is coming from. I know my place and I should probably just keep my pie hole shut...but I can't.

Suffice it to say, ladies and gentlemen, you now have insight into how I (and I'm sure other Americans I've found who lurk here) feel about the vast majority of the threads we see here. Examples:

"Why can't I find English sausage/bread/beer etc here?"

"American Football is boring even though I haven't a clue as to how it's played!"

"I saw an American do X, therefore all Americans do X!"

To me, the shallow, generalized "observations" and petty complaints that comprise the vast majority of threads here are just as misguided and absurd as what you've read. In other words, this forum is made up almost entirely of exactly the same sort of stuff you're blasting this sheltered girl for now.

I know you're probably just having a laugh, but this slots too neatly into the infuriating stereotype of "ignorant America" that seems to have entranced the entire world these days. After hearing it repeated daily in seemingly every newspaper/media outlet around the world daily, these (completely false or at least over simplified) criticisms have started to sting.

Take a look in the mirror before judging.

Celsius

I know a better one than that. An American I know has a sister who went, during her undergrad days funnily enough, to Paris (where they drive on the right, as in the US) and she got hit by a car crossing the road. No major injuries but she did sustain some bruises.

AmerLisa

Where do you find these things?

The only thing I could agree on, is that yep, the drivers will surely run you a$$ down. But I've heard tell they'll do that in New York as well.

Celsius

Speaker must be thinking of another Guy Fawkes...

Lord Lionheart

I just looked in the mirror................. and you're still a bell-end
I think we are just having a laugh, God only knows what I would've have wrote at 21 :scared: Tits, booze, more tits, tits tits etc.
Why are Yanks so uptight?

Winterwords

And in the States, even writing that, you would still be an A grade honors student