British Expatriate Network

Just got back from spending just under a month in the UK and I must say everything was better than I remembered. There really is a deep community spirit. They don't have to bleat on about it, its there, they know it there and it is reflected in the way they live.

The depth of anti-Americanism was surprising but said most of it was well reasoned and argued. And you got the impression that many felt really sorry for North Americans.

The weather was lovely, between 17c and 26c, with mild breezes. The kids were going back to school, not loaded down with giant competive sized backpacks but with warm and intelligent smiles. When I am ready to have kids I’ll have to have them back there, PERSONALLY I don’t think it would be fair to them bring them up in North America. Education in North America is like social home schooling to me. And, not being able to take them to see Spurs on a regular basis would not be fair to me. ?

The fish and chips were much better than I rememebred, and the standard of pub food ranged from very good to gastro genius. And what scenic beauty! England has that soft gentle beauty whereas North America has a dramatic, stark and a somewhat brittle landscape.

Now I am living in Canada, what struck me most, was the lack of obesisity, selfishness and crassness. People behaved in an intelligent and civilized and modest manner. I suppose the infancy of a culture can produce a parochial eagerness that comes across immature and shallow.

I visited many schools there, and the level of sophistication of the conversation was outstanding, but given the advanced and polished curriculum, its not surprising.

The best bit were the new Heinz Mean beans.

A great trip . . . And not so good to be back to this yelling and obscene consumption.

I feel sorry for the average Native Murrikan. Not the feather kind of Native Murrikan but the kind that thinks the mullet is an appropriate haircut and Faux News speaketh the truth.

The Southwest has the sexiest landscape on the face of the earth. I like dramatic and stark. It makes me feel like I'm in a John Ford western.

One of the things I really miss about the UK is the deep rich colours of its landscape. This was a reassuring read.

Yeah, I found it pretty uplifting too.

Best Moo, non-comedic post ever?

But he was pissed when he wrote it !

A bit jet lagged yeah, pissed up no.

Must admit a few Stellas were drunk over there. :

Must admit I do miss the subtleties of the british countryside, but i love it here, when you leave the interstate and get right up to your eyeballs into it.
There's nothing wrong with spectacular landscape, its good to have that breathless feeling once in a while. i'm looking forward to being home in the uk for a month or so, will be interesting to see how my perspective is once im not here, and how different it will be.
Will i miss it here, i wonder? ???

This was not meant to be an objective and qualitative comparison but a few reflections about home.

I miss the countryside around where I used to work in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. I miss the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills.

To be fair there is some fine countryside around western NY. I like it in autumn around here there are some beautiful places which highlight the changing of the seasons. I still miss walking down the Lickey Hills and looking at the countryside in north Worcestershire. sad

The thing that's really surprised me is the amount of obese people - obviously it's statistical but it seems like there are far more obese people here. Not to mention 12 year old fag-huffing mothers.

Of course it’s all hyper-contextual, and my view of Canadians is heavenly influenced and thus skewed by Cookie and Melvin Fish.

But I did think the kids especially looked like a healthy weighted bunch.

Probably a result of having to actually use their legs to walk places and not being transported from every place to place.