What makes you proud to be .......

Bothwell · Post by **Bothwell** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:55 am

On the heels of the "any Brits out there "thread I thought I would pose these questions.

What makes you (insert country here)

What makes you proud to be an (Insert country here)

What things Define (Insert country here)

What makes you mad about (insert country here)

I'll go first

I think the general characteristics of us Brits or more correctly in my case English, are repressed, polite, pretty tolerant, basically honest, ability to queue, loathing of any foregn language, reserved, calm in a crisis.

I'm proud of our democracy (for all it's faults it is still a democracy), our services, our literature, music, parks, museums history (good and bad)

Enland is defined by, The Royal Family, The royle family, fish and chips, beer, Chicken Tikka Massala, pubs, football, Industrial towns, rolling countryside, cold wet beaches, Blackpool pleasure beach, Stratford upon Avon etc etc

Annoyed about, Trains, what bloody trains, Traffic jams, Call centres in Bombay, Reality TV, Self assesment tax forms, fosters lager, pubs that have turned into gastro pubs (ie a restaurant)

minks · Post by **minks** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 8:56 am

Bothwell wrote: On the heels of the "any Brits out there "thread I thought I would pose these questions.

What makes you (insert country here)

What makes you proud to be an (Insert country here)

What things Define (Insert country here)

What makes you mad about (insert country here)

I'll go first

I think the general characteristics of us Brits or more correctly in my case English, are repressed, polite, pretty tolerant, basically honest, ability to queue, loathing of any foregn language, reserved, calm in a crisis.

I'm proud of our democracy (for all it's faults it is still a democracy), our services, our literature, music, parks, museums history (good and bad)

Enland is defined by, The Royal Family, The royle family, fish and chips, beer, Chicken Tikka Massala, pubs, football, Industrial towns, rolling countryside, cold wet beaches, Blackpool pleasure beach, Stratford upon Avon etc etc

Annoyed about, Trains, what bloody trains, Traffic jams, Call centres in Bombay, Reality TV, Self assesment tax forms, fosters lager, pubs that have turned into gastro pubs (ie a restaurant)

Nicely Put Bothwell let me see if I can do my country proud

What makes me Canadian or Us Canadian, ... we are tolerant, kind and peaceful, we say eh and sorry alot. We are culturally rich and rich in Natural resources. We have loads of free space to roam

What makes me proud to be a Canadian, the fact that we do not support war. The fact that we still have a great deal of our natural resources and the fact that we have gun control. As well as it is in my blood I am a second generation Canadian and darn proud of that.

Oh see above for what defines us.

What makes me Mad about being Canadian....the fact we depend on the USA too much.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 8:59 am

I want to on vacation in Bagdad, and then i'll fill in the blanks.

twosteaks · Post by **twosteaks** » Tue May 17, 2005 7:13 pm

Bothwell wrote: On the heels of the "any Brits out there "thread I thought I would pose these questions.

What makes you (insert country here)

What makes you proud to be an (Insert country here)

What things Define (Insert country here)

What makes you mad about (insert country here)

I'll go first

I think the general characteristics of us Brits or more correctly in my case English, are repressed, polite, pretty tolerant, basically honest, ability to queue, loathing of any foregn language, reserved, calm in a crisis.

I'm proud of our democracy (for all it's faults it is still a democracy), our services, our literature, music, parks, museums history (good and bad)

Enland is defined by, The Royal Family, The royle family, fish and chips, beer, Chicken Tikka Massala, pubs, football, Industrial towns, rolling countryside, cold wet beaches, Blackpool pleasure beach, Stratford upon Avon etc etc

Annoyed about, Trains, what bloody trains, Traffic jams, Call centres in Bombay, Reality TV, Self assesment tax forms, fosters lager, pubs that have turned into gastro pubs (ie a restaurant)I am proud to be English, however i now live in Spain, as England is one big toilet!

Bothwell · Post by **Bothwell** » Wed May 18, 2005 1:00 am

I am proud to be English, however i now live in Spain, as England is one big toilet!

So you are proud of a toilet??

IMO you don't get a say anymore, you don't live here. But I expect you moan about Spain just the same, Oh the waters no good for tea, can't get proper English sausages etc.

How can you answer yes you are proud to be English and then the only item you refer to is a toilet?

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Wed May 18, 2005 1:51 am

What makes me British; Standing in a queue, apologising for someone bumping into me! reading the news of the world but never owning up to doing it, owning 6 umbrella's.

What makes me proud to be British; The Queen, the NHS, our culture, freedom of speech.

What things define Britain; The yorkshire moors, heathcliffe, the chippy, Big Ben, victorian terraced houses, lucious green grass, Guinness, mild beer with a big head, traffic wardens (grrr) more indian restraunts than India.

What makes me mad about Britain; Police stations that shut up shop at 6pm, traffic wardens, the breakdown of the immigration system, people that moan about Britain, say they are proud to be British yet bugger off & live in another country but still fly the union jack.

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Wed May 18, 2005 2:06 am

Abbey i am not British, but your words really touched me..i am going to be moving there as you know, and i have loved your beautiful country all my life, its history, its beauty, its charm and its literature. England has given us the greatest writings of all time. yeah, you colonized the entire planet, but i can live with that. i am sure it has its problems. so do we over here. but what a spirit! the war, Churchill, such greatness!! i am proud to be loved by an Englishman and will be honoured to be a part of your lovely corner of the world. which makes me love America no less! :yh_flag oh, and let us not forget Blackadder! :yh_bigsmi

persephone · Post by **persephone** » Wed May 18, 2005 2:41 am

lady cop wrote: Abbey i am not British, but your words really touched me..i am going to be moving there as you know, and i have loved your beautiful country all my life, its history, its beauty, its charm and its literature. England has given us the greatest writings of all time. yeah, you colonized the entire planet, but i can live with that. i am sure it has its problems. so do we over here. but what a spirit! the war, Churchill, such greatness!! i am proud to be loved by an Englishman and will be honoured to be a part of your lovely corner of the world. which makes me love America no less! :yh_flag oh, and let us not forget Blackadder! :yh_bigsmi LC, while there are a few who are still proud there's also a lot more who aren't, don't come here thinking the country is still like it was way back during the war, you'll be disapointed, in half the areas British people are the minority nowadays.

Sorry don't mean to put a downer on it, just thought your 'what spirit!' would be best with a '?' on the end and things really have changed since the time of Churchill.

Bothwell · Post by **Bothwell** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:36 am

half the areas British people are the minority nowadays

The 2001 census has the following statistic :

Total Population 58 Million

White born in UK 53.3million

I would grant you that in some cities (but only a handful) there may be a large ratio of non white population but it is a long way from half

persephone · Post by **persephone** » Wed May 18, 2005 3:42 am

Okay then, half of the main areas (meaning cities). :yh_eyebro

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Wed May 18, 2005 5:51 am

lady cop wrote: Abbey i am not British, but your words really touched me..i am going to be moving there as you know, and i have loved your beautiful country all my life, its history, its beauty, its charm and its literature. England has given us the greatest writings of all time. yeah, you colonized the entire planet, but i can live with that. i am sure it has its problems. so do we over here. but what a spirit! the war, Churchill, such greatness!! i am proud to be loved by an Englishman and will be honoured to be a part of your lovely corner of the world. which makes me love America no less! :yh_flag oh, and let us not forget Blackadder! :yh_bigsmi Well i'll be proud to welcome you as an honarary Brit x.

Attached files

john8pies · Post by **john8pies** » Wed May 18, 2005 6:17 am

Bothwell, not only did you `take the words right out of my mouth` (I agree with ALL your points, unreservedly) but I had to check to see if I had actually written that post!!!

Wolverine · Post by **Wolverine** » Wed May 18, 2005 6:40 am

I am amazed and proud of the American "can do" attitude. At least, it is alive and well here in the little po-dunk towns of Iowa.

I am thankful that I did not have to go thru whatever hardships and horrors those millions had to go thru to get to this country.

I am proud of the Constitution!!! With out that little piece of paper, much of the world would not be where it is today.

twosteaks · Post by **twosteaks** » Wed May 18, 2005 7:58 am

Bothwell wrote: So you are proud of a toilet??

IMO you don't get a say anymore, you don't live here. But I expect you moan about Spain just the same, Oh the waters no good for tea, can't get proper English sausages etc.

How can you answer yes you are proud to be English and then the only item you refer to is a toilet?
Yes, i am proud to be English, i didn't say i was proud of England., no country is perfect, i just find the Spanish way of life is more my style and more enjoyable to live in, i don't miss english sausages, i don't moan about the water.

I speak to a great deal of tourists out here, and the only one thing they all have in common is, the say England is becoming a horrible place to live, out of say 100 families i talk to in a three month period, most if not all say the can't stand the way England has gone. I think you know what i am talking about.

I moved away 9yrs ago, the last time i went back was 6yrs ago, and that was bad enough!

TMC · Post by **TMC** » Wed May 18, 2005 8:26 am

twosteaks wrote:

I speak to a great deal of tourists out here, and the only one thing they all have in common is, the say England is becoming a horrible place to live, out of say 100 families i talk to in a three month period, most if not all say the can't stand the way England has gone. I think you know what i am talking about.

I wonder if the Spanish are thinking what you're thinking.

twosteaks · Post by **twosteaks** » Wed May 18, 2005 9:41 am

TMC wrote: I wonder if the Spanish are thinking what you're thinking.
Of course they are.

Bothwell · Post by **Bothwell** » Fri May 20, 2005 12:44 am

So your objective view is formed by one visit in nine years and talking to tourists!. you are proud to be English yet you do not call the country you use as the source of your pride home, I don't understand, what exactly are you proud of! Just the simple fact that you can claim English parentage.

I am not sure what you think England has become, countries evolve all the time, the population shifts and mixes with the times, as you have, anyone can now move freely in Europe and you have exercised that right, the only thing I am not sure about is why you would not be taking up Spanish nationality.

I would be interested in what your tourists think of the EU, I have had the rather bizarre experience of talking to expats who left these areas in part because of a perceived selling out to europe, the fact that their own emigration was assisted by EU law did not seem to trouble them.

I will state my position, I am proud to be English and I am proud of my country, IMO the two are inseperable, oh and I live here.

venus · Post by **venus** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:20 am

Abbey love the pic....

I am very proubto be British and love my country, however like most people there are parts of society that l wish did not exist and there are people who make me embaressed to say Im proud to be British..

Unfortunately because of certain elements if you say proud to be British it is assumed by mant that you are racist:-5

Couldnt be further from the truth

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:37 am

TWOSTEAKS,

I agree with Bothwell and John8pies(glad to see you back). You remind me of the person who doesn't vote then bitches about the results. I think you need to think before you write.

Thank God all Brits don't share your views. I would rather be a part of the solution to make it better, than part of the problem.

I'm proud to be an AMERICAN It is the land of the FREE, and the home of the BRAVE... in every sence of the word. My entire family both sides fought for this country Army, Navy and Marines. I live in a Military town and damn proud of it. This is my country and I love it. :-4

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:47 am

Sorry guys im a true cockney brit but im ashamed to say im british .the uk is a laughing stock ive just recently come back from holiday to cyprus and a local just about summed it up for me he said - the uk is full of bast***s its an international salad- sorry i cant wait to get out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

scotty · Post by **scotty** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:56 am

twosteaks wrote: I am proud to be English, however i now live in Spain, as England is one big toilet!
You may be right there, but Scotlands ok :wah:

mominiowa · Post by **mominiowa** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 1:08 pm

I am proud to be an American.....I love the land - the simpleness - I wish IOWA was the Capitol Hee hee...

I believe in what we are fighting for - I believe in the countries that are there with us....I am disappointed that our young soilders are fighting for something that should have nothing to do with us if we would have stayed out of everyones business to begin with..Am I confusing everyone....LOL What I am trying to say - I am proud to be standing behind our country - BUT if it would not have been in the history of the US domineering other countries then maybe we would not be fighting this war...I could live like an Amish - off our own country and land - make do with what we have - not wanting everything everybody else has...

Also what makes me sad about the USA - Our own children starving on the streets, the drug companies cashing in, the goverment worring about every other country but ours..and spending millions of dollars on sick bastards court hearings that kill our children and not just putting one of LC's bullets through thier careless heart.......

pina · Post by **pina** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 1:14 pm

mominiowa wrote: I am proud to be an American.....I love the land - the simpleness - I wish IOWA was the Capitol Hee hee...

I believe in what we are fighting for - I believe in the countries that are there with us....I am disappointed that our young soilders are fighting for something that should have nothing to do with us if we would have stayed out of everyones business to begin with..Am I confusing everyone....LOL What I am trying to say - I am proud to be standing behind our country - BUT if it would not have been in the history of the US domineering other countries then maybe we would not be fighting this war...I could live like an Amish - off our own country and land - make do with what we have - not wanting everything everybody else has...

Also what makes me sad about the USA - Our own children starving on the streets, the drug companies cashing in, the goverment worring about every other country but ours..and spending millions of dollars on sick bastards court hearings that kill our children and not just putting one of LC's bullets through thier careless heart.......

Spot on there Mom..... it's exactly the way I see it, but couldn't have put it in words as good.

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 1:50 pm

when i stand on the rugged coastline of scotland and breathe in the air, every fibre of my being is filled with joy & peace, there is no-where more beautiful than my country, i wouldent change a thing :-4