What's wrong with us?

So I spent a few days in the UK last week -- mostly East Anglia and a bit of time in London proper.

Anyway, everybody was great! OK, most people in London deserved to have the shit knocked out of them for being so pushy and rude to each other, but half of those guys are probably Auslanders anyway. But for the most part it was an extremely enjoyable experience.

It's funny, I realised as I got off the plan at Stanstead that this was my first time in an English-speaking country in nearly 2 years. It honestly felt weird. And yes, some of the accents were killing me. I heard people talking and my brain knew it was English but it honestly took me about an hour to get to where it sounded like something I could understand. I think it's just that I've heard nothing but German English and Toytowner English for the past year.

It was a really refreshing trip. First of all that whole area around Chelsmford, Wivenhoe, the coast and all is great. It's pretty much a dead ringer for Mass, Conn, and RI in the US. Even the architecture and place names are the same -- those guys really did build themselves a "New" England when they got to America.

I have to say it was an overall enjoyable trip with tons of lovely people from the bus driver (who insisted on chatting with his new American 'Mate') to the Air Berlin clerks boarding the flight back. But the whole thing made me wonder what the hell is up with all of us here?

Everyone was so chill, so relaxed, and nice. What this made me realise is that somehow as expats we have all created some sort of sketchy artificial environment.

It doesn't matter if you're a Brit, American (of both maple leafy and eagley varieties), Aussie, irish, Kiwi or what. Expats here are so freaking wound up. It feels to me like we create some sort of shield all the time in trying not to be the stereotype of what we think people believe to be true of our countrymen. We over correct our accents, have to defend our own shares of the English speaking culture, and seem to insist on the fact that we are not all basically just one falvour or another of british.

What is up with this? I do it too. I don't know that it's on purpose. I think it's just a role you fall into when you enter the expat world. I don't know about most of you, but my first experience as an expat (and my most common experience) is that of having to defend myself for being American.

This is the silliest thing. We attack each other, become super defensive of our own people, and end up looking like a bunch of pompous asses I'm sure (I'd say most of the anti-american anti-brit threads on here are examples of this).

Ya know, if we all just drop all the bullshit, we're way cooler than anybody else! (Rodney king quote) Can't we all just get along?

Is nice to see someone else apart from me type something about Essex. Glad you enjoyed your trip and hope you saw Maldon too.
Oh I miss the sea badly.

So only Ausländers are rude and pushy?


No, cause a lot of people have more issues than just being a plain vanilla expat. They have issues with themselves, their relationships etc etc. Don't take anything personally and don't get upset at obnoxious people whether they are expats or not. It doesn't pay. My two cents.

Everything we need to know is summed up in the first few words there fellah. You are just experiencing "new-place-is-fun" syndrome. This is the same as "new-shag-is-fun-syndrome".

The effects can last from days, to weeks, to months sometimes but once you are 100% integrated into your "new" experience and it is no longer shiney new, and you are no longer the new
flavour of the month you will see the full reality, in the cold light of day, warts and all.

I remember when I first went to the drinks market and the rubbish tip over here - it was good fun. Now it is just a tedious pain in the arse.

Trust me - London and the population is/are just as fucked up as anywhere else.

p.s. I do actually also get the same "buzz" about popping back home to London. I suspect I would get the same buzz however visiting Milan, Barcelona, New York or any other major city. Frankly
speaking where I live coming up to "Munich" is a buzz.

Ah the memories of holidays sailing on the Norfolk Broads (in the Northern part of East Anglia).


Don't worry - when I am on the West coast of the USA I have great difficulty in understanding the people - in restaurents etc...

Yeah I just went to scotland and england and had a bit of fun too. Although I did realize that it wasn't a place that I could live. which is funny because I was there with the girlfriend just over a year ago and I almost moved there. The second time back I was very glad I didn't make the move. Although Edinburgh is a fantastic town I just couldn't live there. I'm kinda stuck in germland for right now actually.

Oh I could've shown you around Colchester!!!. love wivenhoe too

Actually was in Colchester...nice little town. Looks like it could be a nice place tp relax for a weekend or so. I was surprised by the number of restaurants and pubs.

yeah everytime anything closes they turn it in to a pub

Summed up perfectly - that's the problem in a nutshell

You see? That's just another shining example of the kind of degrading sexist remarks so rampant on theses boards of late. Women as sex objects; sailing them, riding them, humping them. Is there no end?

I don't know about the newness thing guys. I'm not saying the place was perfect...more wondering why everyone here tend to be such douches to each other!

I am a stereotypical fish


I feel sick, the proper word is fucker ie such fuckers to each other.

I resent being called "a stream of water, often containing medicinal or cleansing agents, that is applied to a body part or cavity for hygienic or therapeutic purposes."

how about "enigmatic enema"

I never feel the urge to defend my flavour of Englishness over here. Methinks maybe a little bit of the yank-baiting has got to you.

Also bear in mind that familiarity breeds contempt. So the English are always very polite on first acquaintance whilst we go through the polite rituals and weigh up your ability to take the humour. For instance I had 4 UK bikers that I only knew online over for a 5 day trip last month. All started off as "Could you please possibly pass the salt?" on the first evening, but of course within 48 hours it was the more normal "it's your round you tight little fucker".

Absolutely - my standard greeting to anybody whose name I already know is 'Hello you old/little/fat/tight cunt'.

funny, on a recent trip back to munich, we realised how uptight everyone/thing is and how much we actually enjoy our relaxed, laid back corner of scotland. there is definitely something to be said for being a bit less organised and efficient.

I think 10% of ex-pats are cnuts

Not as much as there is to be said for showing up when you say you will, doing what you said you would and actually getting things done without the person who is paying you for your work chasing you down to actually do what you're being paid to do. I'd take a little bit of uptightness to not have to follow-up every single person I've asked to get some work done.

fair point, but i can think of a number of ex-colleagues in munich who fit that description too. fire the bstrds.

@Showem - not talking about any solicitors there by any chance???

ahahahaa

that made me laugh- I spent two years in munich chasing every single person i worked with to actually do some/any work, it seenmed they were mostly too busy having their hair done or buying a porsche

ditto or having their nails done, surfing on the net or talking on the phone.

Jimbo and rest. No, I'm talking about tradespeople for the most part.