[Leilana]

OKOK! My turn.

1. What people like/dislike about the Brits. I dislike that MOST of the guys here are prettyboys. They never seem to leave the house without hair gel an designer clothes! Not all of course, but a much higher majority than from home.

2. What British food everyone has always wanted to try but either never had the chance to, or has put it off accidentally on purpose, till a later date. Well, I tried Irn Bru... but lately I've had pals try to get me to eat vegetarian haggis veggies that taste like sheep in a grinder? EW!

3. What people find strange/amusing/completely hilarious about the British way of life. Everything is backwards. The lights click down to turn off, toilets flush on the wrong side, the word 'fit' means 'what' or 'sexy'. As in 'fit ye dein'? (what are you doing) or 'he was fit' (he was sexy).

4. Where anyone has always wanted to go in Britain. Wales... don't ask me why!

5. Where you or someone who know has had a particularly bad/so bad it was funny experience in Britain. You are permitted to include details! Um... OK. Over here 'pudding' means desert. So I'm waitressing and a lady says she's ready for her pudding. I think 'ok, she's ordered it already and is has finished mer mains, thus wants the pudding she ordere for desert.' So I say, Oh, you orered pudding? and she's like, no, but I'd like to. And I was like, what flavour of pudding would you like? And she was like WTF is this girl talking about! It took a while to sort out!

OK, so we all know, I have only EVER been to Scotland, so all of my 'British' experiances come from there. Hopefully my comments havn't offended anyone, and if they have... I'se very sorry! I know what its like to hate being the identity of another country because you are so close or similar! IE: My acent is Canadian, not American

[Hathor]

Fairly amusing story: I was serving some American tourists at work, who instead of asking "Do you take credit cards?" actually asked "Hey, do you have credit cards over here in Britain?"

My response? "No. We do accept all major breeds of cattle and oxen though."

I do dislike stereotypes about us Brits. Most people don't have them, though.

Anyway. I like the fact that Britain is so diverse, because you can travel ten miles and find a whole new way of life, new traditions and whatnot. It's fun. Cos I'm weird like that.

[inglor]

[Aerin]

MY general impression of the English, is, I am sorry, Get Braces! Orthodontia is so overlooked there! How can you possibly eat with a cross bite like that! I am sorry. Actually my impression of Brits including the Isles is that I like your style. I love the way you all speak, wether I can understand it or not!

Some food, was either put together, or named on a dare, Spotted Dick? I would like some Back story on that one! (I forgot to Quote Mike Meyers here, he said the food was based on a dare in So, I Married an Axe Murderer)
Some general what is it questions are Haggis, and why...and now I've forgotten the other question...

Boddingtons...is that how you spell it? I was drunk I don't remember, but it was the best drunk I ever had... and it was in Vancouver BC, so it was imported and still good!
(they called it domestic. Funny Canadians!)

I am not strong enough for Guniess. Even with my Irish genes.

I would love to go to Enland and look up at Big Ben. I would love to go riding anywere England, the Isles, and just look at the scenery. (I am not a good rider, but just sitting on a horse makes it much more fun! )

I don't really have any negitive ones, as I have min exposure!

[Robbie]

[Viv]

I finally thought of a stereotype I have of British folks (inlcuding Scots, Irish, Welsh, English), and that is Art. If you look up the total UK population and then wander on over to an entertainment news/gossip site, you start to get the feeling that everybody in the British Isles is an actor, musician, director, or writer. The percentage of folks with careers in the arts must be huge, only equalled by the percentage of folks involved with athletics or politics.

I think all the phone-answerers and accouting assistants in the world must live in Idaho.

[Forest]

Sorry if I offended anyone by saying "British" and not "English". I have just grown up with saying that the English are British so I guess it comes naturally. *hugs to all* I'm sorry!

~Forest

[Philia]

that's quite topic for me as I'm actually doing British studies at uni *lol*

1. What people like/dislike about the Brits.
I adore their sense of humour and the kindness (if you've ever been to Germany you know we're all a bit dettached). Can't think of a thing I actually dislike


2. What British food everyone has always wanted to try but either never had the chance to, or has put it off accidentally on purpose, till a later date.
Fish'n'Chips... not kidding. I've had the chance to try haggis, though!

3. What people find strange/amusing/completely hilarious about the British way of life.
Dunno... the whole queuing thing when waiting for a bus *lol*

4. Where anyone has always wanted to go in Britain
I've been to Ireland (but that's not Britain, right?) and Eastbourne ... I deffo wanna go to Scotland ... and well... anywhere in Britain is fine with me actually

5. Where you or someone who know has had a particularly bad/so bad it was funny experience in Britain. You are permitted to include details!
Had none I guess ... okay maybe except for our hotel in Eastbourne which was ... well... I saw it from the funny side but others of our class were near tears when they first saw the rooms

[Hathor]

[Aerin]

Hathor, I am glad that eating is not an issue for you! Trust me I know all about those nasty dentists, and front teeth are the bain of the dental society, becs it hurts so much to anesthetize the area, v. tender spot directly under your nose, It hurts to get a pimple there! I feel your pain!

The ortho thing is just an odd, and horrible thing that you can not avoid looking at when you are trained in the dental field. It makes me a tooth snob, I hope I didn't hurt your feelings. I did not intend to!

[Hathor]

Aerin, hun, you didn't insult me! I was just looking for an opportunity to say "Hey, I got my tongue pierced!" It's a new addition, and you gave me the perfect opening to drop it into the conversation.

[Aerin]

oh, thank you! I just hate stepping on toes! But I tend to be quite good at it, Watch out that that tongue piercing does not mess up that front tooth, I 've seen a lot of chipped front ones from the ball when people play with them too much, be careful!

[Roisin]

OK, I've only been to England once. I liked it and thought the people were very friendly and thought the food was much better than I had been led to expect.

My main beef with GB is the refusal to switch to the Euro like everyone else. It's a PITA to have to change money just to buy a newspaper during a Heathrow layover. And then have to get pounds to go to Northern Ireland.

And then there's the whole "refusal to give the rest of Ireland back" and the absolute inability to accept that the sun has damn well SET on their empire.

Although you can't include it in "Great Britain," people have mentioned Ireland and I've spent more time there. What I love about Ireland...the scenery, the unpretentious politeness and genuine friendliness of the people.

What I hate...the ROADS. And trying to drive through those tiny little towns with cars parked on both sides and a truck double-parked delivering kegs of Guinness to the local.

I have particularly bad luck in Ennistymon. I hit a parked car the first time I went through and had a near miss the second time. I go out of my way to avoid that town now.

Oh and the tourists who ride their bicycles three and four abreast on narrow bendy hilly roads where it's hard to pass. But I don't hold the Irish responsible for that. The French seem to be the biggest offenders.

Roisin

[Forest]

Aerin: I have a bit of a crossbite, but don't worry. You offended me not. Actually, the reason I'm not going to have it corrected it because I would have to have an operation in which they break my jaw under 'controlled' conditions, move it back, take a few teeth out, twist one round to accomodate them and then wear a brace for two years. The other problems is that there is a risk I will be numb in one side of my face for the rest of my life, and also I WILL look entirely different to what I do now. No one would recognise me! So, no siree, I can most certainly live with it. Besides, I like Hathor, have no problems eating whatsoever.

Back to the English thread........

Now, I'm English, and the one thing that annoys me about the English is the learner divers that go SO slow on roads. So slow in fact, they shouldn't even be on a road yet!

Then, again, I would not be without english tea! Mmmmm....scones....yummy! Btw, who here says "S-CON-S" and who says "S-COO-NES"?

~Forest

[Panneth]

Well having just spent a week sunning myself in Spain it's just so nice to be back home and in a socitey that stocks dairy-free food and doesn't treat vegetarians like weirdos. And drives with due care and attention to other road users (And as I'm saying this I'm aware I might feel the full force of Thuriniel's wrath!)

Roisin - I am a believer in keeping the pound. It's our currency and has been for many years. I happen to like our silly little 5p pieces and the strange heptagon-shaped 50p. And I want bank notes that celebrate the British people, not the stupid bridges or whatever the Germans and French have told us we have to have. Not to mention the fact that the pound is doing much better than the dollar and the euro these days so when it comes to going off on holiday we're actually much better off (at least I think I've done my maths right :s). And I think a lot of the residents of Northern Ireland actually want to stay part of the UK and it's nothing to do with our colonial past. Also having past through Gatwick today, which is London's second airport, they take euros as well as pounds, which is the same with many of the major shops and attractions in the capital, so you can't accuse us of not being willing to adapt to travellers' needs.

Yes anyway, climbing down off my patriotic high-horse - the things I love about being English (not British).

The great way we seem to invent games and then become rubbish at them, except cricket (yay!)

The fact that we're never happy with the weather and moan when it's too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry

Covert garden watering during hosepipe bans

The localised slang you get. Before I went to uni I'd never heard of scallies or balm cakes (kids that hang around on street corners and burger buns).

The fact that in the north people eat dinner and tea, but in the south they eat lunch and dinner and tea is a meal about 4pm involving drinking tea and eating cakes.

The history and culture

It's good to be back folks