sharke

jamesg1213

sharke

jamesg1213
I'd be interested to hear more pros and cons of living in the US from the two ex-pats (Rain & Sharke) - apart from TV and wine.

For me the biggest thing is the general attitude of people. Now I'm not knocking any of the British friends and family I have back home, but I find that in general that people in the States are more motivated and ambitious, and more positive about crazy ideas that you have to make money. There is more of a "go for it!" attitude in the states than there is in the UK. Of course you're going to find exceptions in both countries, but I'm talking about in general. When I first came to the states I lived in Nantucket and was immediately impressed by how many people had built their own houses, deal with their own sewage, take their own trash to the dump etc. Back home I just never saw that level of independence as the general feeling is that the government should do all of those things for you. 
 
The US is just a far more colorful, interesting place than the UK overall. There is more variety, more individualism, more color, more culture, more positive people, more ambition, more opportunity. 
 
Let me just give you a little example of attitudes which sticks in my mind. I remember a year or so before I came to the states, waiting for a bus in Newcastle City Center. It was December, but a very sunny day, so I had shades on. There was a couple of young women standing nearby and one of them says to the other, "sunglasses in winter, who does he think he is, a film star?"
 
I'm not claiming the US is perfect or not without its own serious problems. But having lived a long time in both countries, I do feel qualified to make an overall comparison. 

 
Exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to read when I asked, thanks. A good friend of mine lived in the US for many years and has given me quite an insight into living there (California, Chicago and Northern Michigan mainly) so I was interested to hear another point of view.
 
It's been interesting living in Scotland for 14 years and looking at England from a (smaller) distance. Like I said before, I do miss The Cotswolds but I suspect that if I went back it wouldn't be how I remember it (even if I could afford to go back, which would require a lottery win).
 
Nonetheless, if anyone ever asks me, I never refer to myself as 'British', I will always be English, and a Glosterman at heart.
 

 
Scotland has this romance about it though, yes? I have family on Skye and as a kid we used to drive up there every year from Newcastle, through the Highlands, and it's so spectacularly beautiful that I was deeply moved, even as a 10 year old. And I used to visit Edinburgh quite a bit in my early 20's, again a very beautiful city that just has an amazing vibe about it. However I remember visiting Edinburgh again in my late 20's and feeling a little "meh" like I just didn't feel it any more. I did also experience a bit of anti-English snobbery from some Scots - not too much, but enough to make me think that if I moved there (and I did think about moving to Edinburgh for a while, to take up a voluntary position with the Scottish Wildlife Trust - didn't happen though) that it might grate after a while. 

A lot of Scotland is absolutely stunning yes, very romantic. Glencoe for example, just awe-inspiring. Down in this South West corner there's not so much anti-English feeling as in parts of the North, it's quite a different blend. They're sometimes referred to as 'Galloway Irish' because it's only a skip across the water to Belfast.
 
You know what I miss the most? A 'local'. Pubs as I knew them in England don't exist here, there are bars and hotels, but nowhere really you can wander down to and have a chat over a pint with a few people you know. That community 'hub' doesn't seem to exist.
 
Edinburgh is a fantastic city but I think most Scots would see it as 'snobby', especially Glaswegians  I would buy a weekend flat there though (lottery win..again..)

 
Here James,
 
Argue with George. It's your issue not mine.
 
Patriotism as Orwell defined it - "devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people" - is making a comeback among members of the intelligentsia.
 
And get it straight...rather than changing words around...I got emotional about you insults...not about you stance. Don't care at all about your stance. To you for the insults....go **** yourself.

Thus proving my point spacey. This is an emotional subject to you, not an intellectual one.

"The grass is always greener..." they say.
 
(Oh yeah, and I would never want to live in New York City either.)

craigb
"The grass is always greener..." they say.
 
(Oh yeah, and I would never want to live in New York City either.)

We needed our own grass, and generally, Scottish grass is cheaper than English grass.
 
(...and I wouldn't want to live in Newcastle either )

bitflipper
An interesting thing happens when you live outside your home country for a long time, which is that you start to view your homeland through the eyes of the foreigners you've come to identify with. It's a distorted view.
 

 
I worked outside of the UK for 35 years before retiring last year. But I used to return regularly which meant I only partly found this. I certainly found that the few years I spent in the Netherlands and I must admit when I did come back to the UK I found it drab and unispiring as i thought it was going to be (it was 1983-1986).

Most of my other time was in the Middle East and getting back to the UK was always something to look forward to. But I did enjoy my years in Dubai and miss the buzz and the huge variaty of things happening on my doorstep now i am in a sleepy backwater of the UK.
 

The Coffee House has been on the WATCH list for some time! You know who you are! I Am one of the main watchderee guys. If you have been in the CH more than once and have made comments then you well nuff said
 
look over your shoulder,slowly, at least once every 5 minutes!

bayoubill
 
look over your shoulder,slowly, at least once every 5 minutes!

This isn't very helpful Bill.
(I mean, which shoulder are we supposed to look over anyway???)

In my case it's which ever way my head still will turn! Usually my left then if that doesn't work I bend over to see what's behind me but I have to remeber that everything will be upside down

ampfixer
I'm dissapointed with both of you. Why slag your native country? Does it make you feel better? If Trump gets in you'll both be on watch lists. 

For whatever its worth, I'm referring to Quebec, not Canada.
 
 
There are many things that I appreciate about my native province, but I never really identified as a Quebecer, and I certainly don't identify with Quebec's special brand of nationalism. As a Quebecer, I was also practically brainwashed into not identifying as a Canadian. I resent a lot of those things. 
 
Honestly, when I look at the news from back home, the amount of corruption, all the scandals, the escalating taxes and cuts and the deficit that keeps on getting worst, the endless cycle of referendums and the whole language debacle, it is very hard for me to feel any connection, any hope. They're caught in a loop, a very unhealthy loop. 
 
Nowadays, I proudly identify as a Canadian or a French Canadian. I have so many good friends I've met here who are also Canadian that we jokingly refer to ourselves as the Canadian mafia. I had the most amazing time celebrating Canada Day with them last year - something I'd NEVER even considered celebrating back in Quebec.
 
I also proudly identify as a resident of the United States. I love this big country, in spite of all the craziness. It's home now. If I had to move back, I'd probably move to Ontario or BC.