England "Self-important and irritating" according to guide book

Blame the loons. Nobody wants to be associated with a bunch of BNP thugs (no matter how much they secretly feel like them). They gave flag waving a bad name.

Local authorities simply take this to absurd levels of political correctness, as they are wont to do.

As long as we are self-aware of our weaknesses, we can try to compensate.

 

We should be be conservative and heavy handed?

"Welcome to Britain - leave your religion at the door, and if you're a paki: there's the exit"?

We live in a very open country. Is it losing it's self-image of identity? Perhaps. I don't care. What we lose in the "loss" of an imagined identity that we never really had - we gain in being surrounded by other cultures. I adore walking through even a city as crappy and small as Inverness and seeing and hearing people from all over the world. I love the fact that I can get good foreign cuisine in every town and city of the UK - it's a melting pot in the way that the US perhaps was at one time and it's awesome. Anyone else, from around the world, who sees the UK and thinks "I want to go and work there, live there, make my life there and become a part of that country", well that's OK by me. By them doing that, I can experience their culture, and they can experience mine, and by mixing cultures - by picking out the best bits and making them even better - we improve as a race.

 

http://www.kontraband.com/show/show.asp?ID=11812&genre=0&page=1 - just to lower the level of the topic a bit

 

For me being British means most of us are immigrants, we accept that and we move on. I like to think of the UK as one of the most open societies in the world.

 

QFT. "National identity" is a myth, and a crutch for people who have no personal sense of self-worth. And no taste in food.

 

I just have to say: Tonight I met with some friends in a kitchen garden on the outskirts of Korolev, Russia. We dined on pork shashlik, and radishes with sour cream, garnished with dill picked from the garden a few feet away. I watched as my Russian friend picked garlic sprouts from his garden, washed them in a bucket, trimmed the roots, and handed them to us to eat. Delicious. We enjoyed a spicy Ukiranian vodka with a chile pepper in the bottle, and drank tea that he brewed from various leaves picked from the garden only moments before.

I have to admit, I'd never get that back home.

I'm a very picky eater, and before I left my wife begged me to try some of the local food. I'll admit it: when she's right, she's right. Last night I ate traditional Georgian mutton soup with khachapuri (a type of cheese bread). I was hoping to lose a couple pounds on this trip; unfortunately, I may end up eating more than usual.

-monkey

 

You know, I think we're onto something here. Though we may refute it, and it may not be something everyone likes, Britain has become the very first society in which so many different creeds, colours and cultures have co-existed so integrally. Though each social group has their own characteristics, ultimately, it contributes to society in its own way.

specofdust is right. We should be proud that there are people out there in the world who envy our way of life, whose dearest wish is to come to our country to live with us, contribute to our economy, and invest in our commerce. We should be proud that we live in a society looked highly upon by others. WE might see the misgivings of living here. We might criticise the Royal Mail and the NHS, and the occasional frenchie might as well, but to these people moving here, our land is a land of wonder; a land of pure golden opportunity, where they can express themselves freely, and be respected for it.

I suppose England has transcended the idea that a country is a piece of land, with a border, and a man on a mahogany chair running it. England is a place where society has developed in such a way that you can experience the whole world, just by opening your eyes next time you go into town. England is a place where it is possible to be a model member of society, simply by living here and being yourself. We don't need a beefy man to line us up, tell us to recite the national anthem and salute, to maintain national stability, but rather, we are a place where the gems of society can be made, simply by living here, and opening our minds and learning as much as we can, from everyone we can.

And THAT, my friends, I consider to be more magical than any salute, to any flag.

 

I think this helps sum it up

 

God, you sound like an American now. Don't buy into the hype, because it is still nationalism. This is not the Melting Pot, nor the land of golden opportunity (unless you are very rich). This is just another post-colonialist Western industrialised nation in an increasing shrinking, globalised world. People come here because of old colonial ties, because they perceive that life is better than in their poor third-world dump (we remind them at every opportunity, after all), because they hope that they may be able to nibble some crumbs of the big pie and because we are geographically closer or easier to get to than the US or Australia. While here they face the usual racism, intolerance and prejudice. About half of them collect their earnings and leave for their homeland again at the nearest opportunity. Britain is not the first country to have this happen in either. The story of immigration and cultural exchange is as old as the human race.

 

Nothing like a bit of melo-drama to liven up a thread

 

lol. It was a bit 'hollywood' wasn't it.... Need more testosterone. Brb. I'm off to shoot someone on ET:Quake Wars.

 

OK, I may be totally brainwashed by the news and unable to think for myself, but what culture is there in england beyond great food (as discussed already in this thread), binge drinking, chavs, emos and teenage gangs?

 

Yeh well if we all went to private school we would. I just see our country as a land of mostly idiotic chavs. Although, here's an interesting one, chavs seem to have less racial preconceptions than the middle and upper classes.

 

Amen to that brother!

 

going from the original post i beleive london to be like this it is essentially very different to what i define as england.

i see England as being outside of London where as London is more of an overcrowded european supercity where people ignore each other and beleive that anyhting outside is unimportnant.

each time i go down to london i always leave feeling jeez how do people live like this in constant annonimity.

i cant really blame them for the arrogance and self importance they all appear to have

i know this is a very general opinion and not everyone is the same but the next tiem you walk through picadilly try not to think this

 

yes in the cities but where im from i can go a good couple of days without seeing a black person there is very little (to no) eastern euopean influence and aside from the local chippy no asian influence either.

now please dont take this next statement as racist because it really is not intended in that way,

but i would really like it to stay that way.
now to qualify that statement i have no issue with people moving into the area i just dont want the local shops, restuarants and atmosphere changing as they have in many areas of the UK take bradford for example.

 

Yup, the review sounds about right, barring the bit about being overweight, perhaps. As part of a college program, I and 24 classmates (Americans) spent three months in London. I absolutely loved it - I'd kill for a public transportation system like that - as did most of my friends. Although every so often we'd run into 'old-school British' people who treated us politely - until we opened our mouths and revealed American accents. Then they were incredibly snobby. Silly brits! I would just grin and remember that I'm Scandinavian by decent - my ancestors thrashed their ancestors on a regular basis.

It did take our group a while to get used to the public drunkenness. We had a couple of girls who couldn't go out on the street - in the middle of the day - without getting hassled by a drunk. I have very rarely seen drunks in public in the US, and then it's always been late at night in the drinking areas of town. It's just not done - and if it is, the police throw you into the detox center for the night.

@ yakyb: Yeah, I get what you mean. I have nothing against other culture groups - but I like my culture, too, and would like to hang on to it.

 

After getting well and truely screwed over at the Heathrow my idea of England is rather negative. My visit lasted for three hours and that was enough of that country... If I want to get rude service and meet people that aren't willing to help then I'll just stay in Finland! Damn if someone works at the airport then you would THINK he/she might help a tourist who obviously is lost and asks for help.

 

never been to england, but dad is from there, and mum's family immigrated generations ago, but personally, i think the americans take patriotism too far. sure, i'm all for patriotism, but when it gets to a point where you say something bad about their country and they label you a terrorist, its too much

 

And just how does Americans being patriotes belong into rude England-thread?