A poll, in today's Times newspaper, states that 42% of Britain's would emigrate if the chance came up.
That is a large percentage of the population clambering aboard planes and ships and waving goodbye with the most popular destinations being France, Spain, USA, Australia and Switzerland.
I plan to up-sticks and emigrate when i retire or lose my job due to an incident possibly involving my size fives and a department heads delicates and my first choice would be Sweden but i would give France and Canada serious consideration.
Hot countries like Spain and Australia i would give a wide berth to, i whinge about a British summer so would turn into a basket case in places that have thermometers where the mercury regularly goes above 30C.
Although we all moan about Britain, and it has many faults, there is much i would miss about the place.
I love the unreliable weather and the way you can get all 4 seasons in one day. This morning i left for work in rain, went out lunchtime in snow and drove home this evening in brilliant sunshine. Where else can you get that?
I love the British sense of humour. I haven't managed to find any other country where they laugh at the same things that makes us Brits laugh. We make jokes about ourselves, about everyone else and even tragedy.
Within minutes of a celebrity dying, we are sending each other jokes. Princess Diana jokes were being repeated before most people even knew she had died. Comedians such as Sean Lock or Jimmy Carr could only ever be a success in Britain, they would be lynched anywhere else.
I love the way we play down everything. If someone does something good we are the first to applaud them. The next time they mention it we collectively tell them to stop showing off. Drive a big car? Show off. Boast about how much you earn? Tosser. Bragging about your qualifications? Ooo, get her. As Shania Twain almost said, that don't impress us much.
I love our multi-culturism and the way we have absorbed other nations ideas and cultures into our own. I like it that religion is politely ignored and that our policemen don't carry guns.
There is much wrong that needs to be addressed but there is so much more that i would miss about Britain that you just wouldn't experience anywhere else.
14 comments:
Brilliant post, Lucy. It's not often on the blogosphere that you can read someone quietly celebrating where they live, without having them, in the next breath, denigrating some other place that they think suffers by comparison.
I share your enjoyment of a lot of things Britain has to offer - and would add things like the history, culture, the wealth of things to see/do, how easy the rest of Europe is to get to, etc, etc.
I'm not overly nationalistic about the two countries I have closest ties to, so I don't exactly feel 'national pride'. Pride isn't the right word, because I feel more lucky.
I feel the same way about Chicago, but I don't think that I would mind terribly, leaving for the winter. Just 4 months away would be perfect. Since I am commenting, instead of going outside to clean up ANOTHER foot of snow. I love procrastination.
I'm struggling with the same debate myself. I firmly believe that the United States is done, no longer even paying lip service to the notion that the good of the people has a place in the national consciousness.
But, that said, were I to actually do the deed, there's a lot I would miss. In addition, knowing that my ancestors came to the New World in 1628, I would feel an abstract sense of shame at having abandoned a land that once held so much promise.
Kvatch, be very careful when leaving comments that are critical of America on this blog.
The Mindless Mafia will attack you!
Kvatch: I think you can rest easy. I've criticised many aspects of America on this blog, particularly some of the actions of its government... just as I've criticised my own government on many occasions. And I've never been 'attacked' by anyone, and I've only encountered one person who I'd describe as truly 'mindless'.
Jeez, maybe I've just been lucky?
Or... hang on... Maybe it's because I've avoided trying to antagonise people with sweeping statements about their presumed intelligence, or said that anyone who disagreed with me must be 'indoctrinated'.
It's also known as "being a reasonable human being", or possibly "not having such a sad life that I have to try and piss people off who I don't even know".
Yeah, I reckon that might be the secret to my success.
You sound like you've got a brain on you though, Kvatch, so, like me, you'll probably be OK.
Dave: Amazon link, old son?
We seem to have no problem pointing out what we think is wrong with Britain Cheezy but we do have a lot of things right as well, just that we don't realise it.
When i hear Chicago i think Due South Cody, sorry. If you DID have mounties like Benton Fraser running around in your City i wouldn't want to leave either.
It is maybe easy to think that the grass is greener elsewhere Kvatch and it may well be but that emotional bond to your own country can be surprisngly strong.
I think you may be a bit harsh on the Americans who visit here David, i have taken more than a few kicks at their country over the years and made some very controversial remarks over the guns/religion/Bush/Obama thing but i haven't managed to fall out with any of them.
I guess you didn't fall out with the M.M. because you never tried to push issues with them, Lucy.
Perhaps soon, when the world becomes involved in a nuclear war because of greedy, racist American imperialism, you may wish that you had!
Anyway, with relief, I'll leave you with them.
Goodbye and good luck!
I put the over/under for Daniel returning at 3 months. Get your wagers in please.
Wonderful post. "The grass is always greener on the other side" as they say, but I hear it's actually pretty green in Britain. It takes art to appreciate one's home when there are so many ideally presented foreign lands around.
-Nog
Gawd, just what i need, more pressure. Now i have to be responsible for prevent a nuclear war as well as making sure there is petrol in the car and remember to set the recorder for Popstar to Operastar.
P.S. Each one of us is responsible for what happens in the world, Lucy. Some people take that responsibility seriously.
And some don't!
Cheers.
Cody: The unders won. Damn, I should've let my money follow my instinct.
Don't worry Cheezy, I'm sure that there will be a return/tantrum/pout session in our future that we can wageron.
Post a Comment