Image of UK

[JamboP26]

I might add that I have generally seen a lot of Scotland, and tiny bits of Birmingham

[tokusatsufan]

I've only really seen around Herefordshire where I used to live,just loads of places around there like Kidderminster,Wales,Cornwall and I've been to London once. I want to go round Scotland and Ireland at some point.

[RobinMask]

Originally Posted by JasonTakeshi

My cousin is living there (been 17 years) and she said that it was really hard for her to integrate. She lives in Zaandam. I was there for 3 weeks and could feel the smell of racism in the air.

"We don't want you here."

Edit: I'm so sorry! I didn't realise that you were on about Holland, I had to google the name "Zaandam"! What you said fits totally in with what I've heard actually, but I never really realised it was that bad. - I've left my post up anyway, just because in the past there has been the assumption that the UK is racist, so it's not addressed at you personally, just those people in general, lol.

I think it depends where in the UK you are, in regards to racism. People forget it's probably just as diverse as America, with just as many accents, races, nationalities etc., despite the fact we're a tiny island . . .

I can't speak for everywhere but in my hometown we have a huge multi-cultural commuinity and a whole suburb is dedicated to Indian and Pakistan nationalities. Our largest street is filled to the brim with people from these cultures residing there and starting businesses there. My local school was probably 1/4 foriegn students or 'ethnic minorities'. I can count the times I've experienced racism on one hand, one finger even!

There are some times when it can feel racist . . . if my friend and I walk into a shop and ask for help the shop-assistants naturaly address me rather than her, even though she speaks at a native-level, and at her house I've been assumed to be a computer repairman and a childminder, no one assumed 'friend of the family', but it's never been malicious. I've yet to hear any racist terms regularly, or hear about any violent racist attacks, or anything like that. The racism here seems to be just naive assumptions, rather than anything malevolent or cruel.

[TalnSG]

I think most people have rather idealized views of any foreign country, unless it's a war zone or has a climate that is well known to be hostile.

Even though I lived in England for 4 years and visit once in a while, I tend to block out some of the more negative things I know when I think of England.

My fellow military dependants would always seek out someone who had recently lived in the country their family was about to be transferred to, because we knew our parents would focus mostly on the good side, but our peers would tell us the rest. I doubt the general public has the initiative to challenge their expectations like we had, until they are faced with the reality of living there on a long term basis.

[evanny]

well. i lived in Englan for 2 weeks. on my first day Birmingham someone stabbed some 3 people. whole street was closed down because of the long blood trail as evidence
also me and friends didn't leave the house the evening when Germans won against UK in the football since i look a bit german aka blond. like 2 min after the game all around city police sirens lit up

ive travelled my fare share and i can say that i don't "have rather idealized views of any foreign country". all the big cities are almost the same - either full with skyscrapers or with 16th century buildings that all look the same and full with drunk people on Fridays - for UK its 9pm, here its 1 am when everything starts.

P.S my god damn snuff isn't here...srsly UK? 2 weeks already...

[Ronin4hire]

Culturally, the UK is just like New Zealand/Australia.

The only difference I can think of is that everything is old and people tend to like soccer (here it's Rugby that is popular and soccer is a sport that is only popular really in school)

[tokusatsufan]

Originally Posted by evanny

well. i lived in Englan for 2 weeks. on my first day Birmingham someone stabbed some 3 people. whole street was closed down because of the long blood trail as evidence
also me and friends didn't leave the house the evening when Germans won against UK in the football since i look a bit german aka blond. like 2 min after the game all around city police sirens lit up

That's weird because I've actually got blonde hair blue eyes and I've got no German in me as far as I know. I'm just imagining a Brummie with a knife shouting "ARE YOU A BIT GERMAN?!"

When I first went to London I expected to be mugged. Nothing got nicked. Nothing happened. It was all just what I'd heard on the news. It seems strange to me now that I believed it.

What country do you live in?

[siokan]

my brain

soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer soccer
Monty Python Monty Python Monty Python Monty Python
Cause of war
Do not spend time in cooking
soccer
Top Gear
music
Detective fiction
spam(newspaper)
soccer
Pirate
Development of strange arms
soccer
UK.jpg

[termogard]

Eighteenth century :

When Britain first, at Heaven's command
Arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sang this strain:
"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
"Britons never will be slaves."

The Works of James Thomson by James Thomson,1763

Nowadays :

Before this challenge, Britain, in its own self-interest, has to play the same balance-of-power politics it used to do in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe. That means siding with the EU and no longer being US conservatism's lapdog. We cannot, for example, be part of the US national missile defence system if its purpose is to destroy the fabric of international law or join America's war against Iraq.

Guardian

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by Ronin4hire

Culturally, the UK is just like New Zealand/Australia.

The only difference I can think of is that everything is old and people tend to like soccer (here it's Rugby that is popular and soccer is a sport that is only popular really in school)

not everyone likes football--i get sick of it.