I’ve lived in the US for 15 years now. I consider it my home in many, if not most, ways. I own a house here. My son lives here. I’m not qualified to work in the UK. I’m here for the duration as far as I can see. But much of me will always miss Britain, and many British things.
What has been really pissing me off recently is what I see from both British people and American people. British people have to be snooty about everything American, and American people have to tell me everything over here beats everything in the UK. This, of course, excludes the small subset of Americans who feel the need to tell me how everything in Britain is better than everything in the US – really no better.
I love things about both countries, and both countries have pretty major faults. What is the problem with recognizing the good and bad in both? There is nothing that makes you a worse American, whatever that means, by acknowledging that an English summers day, in the high 70’s, with a light breeze and no humidity, is more pleasant than a typical D.C. August day of 98 and 95% humidity…. And there is nothing un-British about saying that we don’t get anywhere near enough of the bloody things, because it is usually raining.
Sometimes being Mid-Atlantic really gets my goat. I don’t like feeling torn between two competitive groups, each of which seem to me to be just making dicks of themselves.
When it comes to the big stuff the Americans and British will always go to the wall for each other. A common history, language, culture and values bind us together far more than anything else pulls us apart. (That goes for the Aussies, the Kiwis and the Canucks too).
The friendly rivalry stuff is fun, and I have no problem with it. I am just finding myself getting dragged down by the non-stop petty, bickering bullshit.
Well, you appear to live in the DC area. We are all irritable this time of year due to the weather. Are you sure it’s not politics that are bugging you? Because that is a full time hobby inside the beltway.
I see this kind of thing as simple family squabbling. I do have a small problem with my friends who use a lot British slang in an effort to be cool, because, you know, the Brits have the be slang, but all in all a little sibling rivalry helps keep both countries on their toes.
I love your royalty. Your Queen is the world’s greatest head of state. I don’t like the fact that our president is both head of government and head of state. I like your pomp. I like your obsession with precision and timing. I like your accents, from Northeast England miners to London Cockney to the perfect diction of Her Majesty.
I don’t like your food. I don’t like your sitcoms.
Well if you don’t like it why not do something about it.
For starters you can tell me what to do with this jar of Branson Pickle I have in my fridge - how are you supposed to eat this stuff? It’s not that it tastes bad - I just don’t know what to put it on/in/over.
I guess my frustration, Lobsang, is that all of those things are as much “mine” now, or equally not mine.
I just ran into a classic example of what I mean on a friend’s Facebook page. A comment about “telling the Brits we saved them twice.” Even ignoring the questionable historical elements of such comments, I look at the commentator’s picture, and see he is in his 30s. Certainly doesn’t look like he was storming Omaha beach, or picking his way up Monte Cassino.
I agree. “We saved your ass” carries with it the following implication…
“You silly little country went and got yourself into some trouble, because you’re silly and stupid. We the big tough country got you out of that trouble because we’re noble and brave and the best country in the world and now you owe us”.
It’s the wrong kind of national pride. One should take pride in being a friend to other countries and being liked by them, not in being better than them.
Up until about 20 to 25 years ago, the UK had the advantage over the US in terms of the overall quality of its beer. However, due to the explosion of micro and craft brews, I would say it’s now at least even between the two countries.
I don’t know about British bread, but here in the San Francisco Bay Area I can get imported English farmhouse cheddar pretty easily. Is that real enough for you?
Do what I did, I was born in Virginia, but moved to DC. Then you can look down on everyone, because of the lack of voting rights, you are essentially in internal exile, plus it’s fun to watch the suburbanites parallel park in Georgetown.
