Irritating BS your SO does

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Oh man, Alan, what absolutely rubbish behaviour from your children. Major condolences. How sharper than a serpent's tooth, eh?

I have to say the yobbos are one of the reasons I left the UK, and one of the reasons I am in two minds about moving back. I'd rather think about May blossoms, and the golden light as dusk creeps in on an early July night, and Scafell Pike, and the Suffolk coast; about decent food in the shops, tubs of fresh custard, REAL strawberries, gooseberry fool; Sunday afternoons in the pub with the paper and a few pints and the sometimes silent, sometimes boisterous company of friends.

[Captain Oates 911]

Oh man, Alan, what absolutely rubbish behaviour from your children. Major condolences. How sharper than a serpent's tooth, eh?

I have to say the yobbos are one of the reasons I left the UK, and one of the reasons I am in two minds about moving back. I'd rather think about May blossoms, and the golden light as dusk creeps in on an early July night, and Scafell Pike, and the Suffolk coast; about decent food in the shops, tubs of fresh custard, REAL strawberries, gooseberry fool; Sunday afternoons in the pub with the paper and a few pints and the sometimes silent, sometimes boisterous company of friends.

Yeah - anyone who is thinking of moving back needs to make sure they can try it first without commitment or burning their boats. The first time I went to Germany I was amazed that in the subway tunnels leading to the underground trains, they had jewellers shops without bars ! Me and my pal used to roll back at 2am and the windows were totally unprotected. They wouldn't last 2 minutes in the UK. I seemed to be walking on a carpet of crushed special brew cans/pizzas/dog ends/mcdonalds cartons etc in the UK cities. Rats round the lakes where I used to play as a kid coz of the litter. Only Italy can beat the UK for filth now. My kids are part of it and it seems irreversible once it starts coz they dont even know they are doing it - its just normal for the kids to toss their cans over people's hedges. The schools must not even mention it to the kids - too busy teaching PC junk and save the planet while drowning under litter and ignorance - grumble - curmudge - grumble - grrrr country going to the dogs, etc etc

[Welshcookie 17]

I hear you about the British yobbos.I can't wait for my trip back home to my quaint English village with my lovely local by the river...unfortunately even the most idyllic places are over run by drugged up neerdowells and I'm sure there is a whole new generation of them by now It has been really pleasant allowing my 14yr old to go out and about without the worry of him being set upon.

But omg, I cannot wait for a decent pint of cider and hopefully some footy watching in the pub!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I'm trying to figure out if I can manage a month in the UK later this year, both financially and psychologically. There is so much about America I still find very jarring and off-putting, and I am constantly wrong-footing it here with my language. I feel especially like a moron because my first language was American, but I seem to have forgotten a lot. I had a moment where I couldn't remember what the American was for multi-storey car park and I ended up describing it at some length before the person I was speaking to put me out of my misery. Parking garage or parking structure just seem wrong. It's a multi-storey car park!

Anyway, it's just something in my big bag of what-ifs right now. I'd probably go back and hate it and miss my midnight grocery runs and my Mustang.

[Jewel-8 21]

The schools must not even mention it to the kids - too busy teaching PC junk and save the planet while drowning under litter and ignorance - grumble - curmudge - grumble - grrrr country going to the dogs, etc etc

I read this post to the husband and he agreed somewhat with you. He said it's horrible that people in the UK aren't allowed to discipline their kids without the kids being able to pick up the phone and report them. I know some people here that it would probably help to smack their misbehaving kids when they get out of line... *cough, cough*like my sister-in-law *cough*

[Captain Oates 911]

I read this post to the husband and he agreed somewhat with you. He said it's horrible that people in the UK aren't allowed to discipline their kids without the kids being able to pick up the phone and report them. I know some people here that it would probably help to smack their misbehaving kids when they get out of line... *cough, cough*like my sister-in-law *cough*

When I was at school, about 14, I got up one SATURDAY morning as we had a school rugby game. It was 3 feet deep in snow so I thought no way they can play and so I went back to bed

Monday morning the games teacher asked me why I hadn't turned up and he said the match had been abandoned but I should have turned up anyway to be sent home. He used a tennis shoe to belt my backside several times very hard .

But then came the English civil war and they got soft after that

The collapse of English society is very noticeable though. I have been to nearly every country in Europe and it isn't noticeable. Germany /Holland etc is very need and tidy and ordered - as for Switzerland/Austria etc I think they must go out every night and polish the streets. Sydney Australia seemed pretty yobby.

oh and it rains of course.....

So basically countryside/country pubs beautiful - grub is totally outstanding

The rest of it - yuk !

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Thank you for interrupting my nostalgia moment and beating it out of me with a tennis shoe, Alan. I probably had it coming.

[Gemmie 142]

I kind of have to agree a little. Sometimes I find myself pining after England and longing to go back, walk down the old streets, pop into some shops or a local bakery or a pub, stop at a chip-shop and have amazing fish and chips (not to mention all the other food), then catch the public transport to my next destination, all while speaking the exact same language as everyone else.

But when I went back this year, I felt like my bubble had burst in a strange way. I LOVEd diving straight back into the familiarity where I knew how everything worked, and how to talk to everyone, and my confidence was restored. Then I found myself really disappointed at the frustrating road sizes (meaning everyone driving is crazy), the hooded teenagers, the litter in the streets, the constant slang usage, cramped everything, and high prices.

It will always be "home" to me, but I have to remember that I have a somewhat rose-tinted view of what England is, and give myself a slap with the glasses.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Well, I thought moving back to the States was going to solve all my problems. If you ever want to have a good Nelson-from-the-Simpsons "HA HA!" laugh at the Maven, go back to 2007 and read all my posts about how Britain was terrible and America was a latter-day Eden. 3 years over here have beat that out of me again. I had spent long enough away from here to truly believe that it was all super-dupes over here and my life would be easier. Wrong. I like both places for different reasons. Honestly, the main thing keeping me here is that it would be prohibitively expensive for me to move back without saving up for a while beforehand. Oh yeah, and the simple fact of a failing marriage, that too.

Edited May 31, 2010 by elmcitymaven

[Welshcookie 17]

It's secret that I have never settled here, I'm soooo ready to go home....it's been the longest most stressful 18 months I've ever had for sure.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

In the vein of this thread, a mixed bag: going to Six Flags with the nominal husband later. God knows what lies beneath. I know he's now running scared since we agreed I could see other men.

[Captain Oates 911]

In the vein of this thread, a mixed bag: going to Six Flags with the nominal husband later. God knows what lies beneath. I know he's now running scared since we agreed I could see other men.

Seeing is ok - 'grabbing hold of' isn't seeing - it's a legal nicety. Seeing isn't as much fun.

I mean I see Liz Hurley. I don't 'grab hold of' her coz:

A she looks/sound boring

B she only goes with billionaires

C I am not allowed (I think, though I haven't asked)

D Sick of Steve Bing's cast offs

http://www.laobserved.com/images/hurleybing.jpg

Edited June 1, 2010 by saywhat

[ValerieA 350]

Seeing is ok - 'grabbing hold of' isn't seeing - it's a legal nicety. Seeing isn't as much fun.

I mean I see Liz Hurley. I don't 'grab hold of' her coz:

A she looks/sound boring

B she only goes with billionaires

C I am not allowed (I think, though I haven't asked)

D Sick of Steve Bing's cast offs

http://www.laobserve.../hurleybing.jpg

Ah, but Miz Maven would definitely be grabbing hold of seeing someone with more class than Liz Hurley! Plus, someone who can handle their gin MUCH better.

Sorry for butting in on a UK thread, but I find this one hilarious.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I see male people.

[The_Dude 1,142]

On my way into work this morning, I saw far too many mail people.