Patriotism - Has Expat Life Made You More Pro Your "Home" Country?

[Andy Capp]

Been thinking about this cos I was told (much to my amazement) on this thread that I had a "Condescending colonial attitude"!!

We ll that's certainly a first for me, but it got me thinking, am I more or less pro my home (as in where I was born) country - England?

I don't think I am, I actually couldn't wait to leave and I'm in no hurry to go back.

So why say I have that attitude? Is it because the British are the best people in the world? Most adept at fitting in and having a "nice cup of tea" with johnny foreigner?

I mean, let's face it, where would the world be without the British, no www, no tv, no proper roads, no tin cans, no corkscrews, no toilet paper, vacuum cleaners, the list goes on.

So basically British is best, yes there's a load of useless pen pushers and luvvies in Whitehall at the moment but it wont always be that way. Come the revolution (as Wolfy Smith used to say), and we can get rid of all the draconian dead wood, we will again go on to rule the waves, the air and the hearts and minds of all the people we invade and conquer.

So stick that in your pipe johnny.

Britain is Best!!!

[Tallulah]

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

Been thinking about this cos I was told (much to my amazement) on this thread that I had a "Condescending colonial attitude"!!

We ll that's certainly a first for me, but it got me thinking, am I more or less pro my home (as in where I was born) country - England?

I don't think I am, I actually couldn't wait to leave and I'm in no hurry to go back.

So why say I have that attitude? Is it because the British are the best people in the world? Most adept at fitting in and having a "nice cup of tea" with johnny foreigner?

I mean, let's face it, where would the world be without the British, no www, no tv, no proper roads, no tin cans, no corkscrews, no toilet paper, vacuum cleaners, the list goes on.

So basically British is best, yes there's a load of useless pen pushers and luvvies in Whitehall at the moment but it wont always be that way. Come the revolution (as Wolfy Smith used to say), and we can get rid of all the draconian dead wood, we will again go on to rule the waves, the air and the hearts and minds of all the people we invade and conquer.

So stick that in your pipe johnny.

Britain is Best!!!

Well, I'm a bit sad to admit this, but I think living abroad has made me more pro the Britain of yester-year. I miss absolutely nothing about the UK of today - love where I am and have no inclination of returning. However, I love cooking traditional English dishes, listening to radio 2/4, watching old sitcoms (especially "As Time Goes By" and anything oh so very English), drinking English tea in my best china teaset - basically granny-fying it and behaving oh so proper. The UK of today you can keep thanks.


By the way, I'm not in Expatshire either - so I'm allowed a little bit of being English now and again.

[Veronica]

I am certainly in no hurry to go back to the UK. As Tallulah says the England of yesteryear was a nice place to live but it has changed so much that I hate it now.
Every time we go to visit family I cannot wait to get back 'home' to Cyprus.
England is no longer the place I think of as home, the only thing there for me is family and I can go and visit them and they can come and visit me.
These days I feel more of foreigner in the Uk than I do here in Cyprus.

[frogblogger]

The UK? Negative words/things I associate with the place...

Cold, damp, fog, rain, insularity, misery, the food, selfishness, smugness, drunken yobs, sober yobs, dirt, decimated industry, financial not-so-whizz kids, speed cameras, poverty gap, Sky TV, traffic jams, violence, overcrowding, xenophobia, binge drinking, hospital queues, Dickensian hospitals, ghost villages, crime, tv dinners, rude kids, lack of respect, fuel prices, bureaucracy, road rage, Coronation Street, sandwiches, boring scenery, tabloids, Jordan, celebrity chefs, public schoolboys and Milton Keynes.

Good things:

Our sense of humour - we need it.

[King Silk]

Viva England!

Goodbye to my England, So long my old friend
Your days are numbered, being brought to an end
To be Scottish, Irish or Welsh that's fine
But don't say you're English, that's way out of line.
The French and the Germans may call themselves such
So may Norwegians, the Swedes and the Dutch
You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane
But don't say you're English ever again.
At Broadcasting House the word is taboo
In Brussels it's scrapped, in Parliament too
Even schools are affected, staff do as they're told
They must not teach children about England of old.
Writers like Shakespeare, Milton and Shaw
The pupils don't learn about them anymore
How about Agincourt, Hastings , Arnhem or Mons ?
When England lost hosts of her very brave sons.
We are not Europeans, how can we be?
Europe is miles away over the sea
We're the English from England, let's all be proud
Stand up and be counted - Shout it out loud !
Let's tell our Government and Brussels too
We're proud of our heritage and the Red, White and Blue
Fly the flag of Saint George or the Union Jack
Let the world know - WE WANT OUR ENGLAND BACK !!!!

[jojo]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

The UK? Negative words/things I associate with the place...

Cold, damp, fog, rain, insularity, misery, the food, selfishness, smugness, drunken yobs, sober yobs, dirt, decimated industry, financial not-so-whizz kids, speed cameras, poverty gap, Sky TV, traffic jams, violence, overcrowding, xenophobia, binge drinking, hospital queues, Dickensian hospitals, ghost villages, crime, tv dinners, rude kids, lack of respect, fuel prices, bureaucracy, road rage, Coronation Street, sandwiches, boring scenery, tabloids, Jordan, celebrity chefs, public schoolboys and Milton Keynes.

Good things:

Our sense of humour - we need it.

Sadly I agree with all this..... apart from Coronation st !! The last time I went back to the Uk for a visit, what struck me most was the loss of soul. It like the brits over there have just been completely beaten, downtrodden and have given up.

I dont ever wanna go back there, its not home anymore!

Jo xx

[Andy Capp]

Originally Posted by jojo

Sadly I agree with all this..... apart from Coronation st !! The last time I went back to the Uk for a visit, what struck me most was the loss of soul. It like the brits over there have just been completely beaten, downtrodden and have given up.

I dont ever wanna go back there, its not home anymore!

Jo xx

That's what happens when you let labour in power....

[Tallulah]

Originally Posted by King Silk

Viva England!

Goodbye to my England, So long my old friend
Your days are numbered, being brought to an end
To be Scottish, Irish or Welsh that's fine
But don't say you're English, that's way out of line.
The French and the Germans may call themselves such
So may Norwegians, the Swedes and the Dutch
You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane
But don't say you're English ever again.
At Broadcasting House the word is taboo
In Brussels it's scrapped, in Parliament too
Even schools are affected, staff do as they're told
They must not teach children about England of old.
Writers like Shakespeare, Milton and Shaw
The pupils don't learn about them anymore
How about Agincourt, Hastings , Arnhem or Mons ?
When England lost hosts of her very brave sons.
We are not Europeans, how can we be?
Europe is miles away over the sea
We're the English from England, let's all be proud
Stand up and be counted - Shout it out loud !
Let's tell our Government and Brussels too
We're proud of our heritage and the Red, White and Blue
Fly the flag of Saint George or the Union Jack
Let the world know - WE WANT OUR ENGLAND BACK !!!!

Heartwarming stuff, King Silk. You write that? BTW it was St.George's Day the other day back in old blighty - not that it's a national holiday, much to my chagrin.

Tallulah.x

[Chica]

I see Spain as my home now. I shouted for barca to win over Chelsea!!

The thing I really do miss tho is the green, green grass of........home?! I haven't returned for 6 years but would like to go soon for a little peak just to see how it's changed.

[Tallulah]

Originally Posted by Chica

I see Spain as my home now. I shouted for barca to win over Chelsea!!

The thing I really do miss tho is the green, green grass of........home?! I haven't returned for 6 years but would like to go soon for a little peak just to see how it's changed.

Haven't been back yet - been here four years now. Absolutely no desire whatsoever, but then family/friends come to stay here on a regular basis anyway (sometimes a good thing/sometimes not). It's almost as if now I don't want to tarnish the memory - or a feeling of not belonging now, somehow.

Tallulah.x