Are you really an ex-pat?

D) complains about every American way of doing anything (like people pouncing on you in a store to ask if you need help, or the over familiarity with anyone who has ever even visited Britain)

This drove me nuts the last time I was home.  Waitresses who are too chummy... like they're your best mate when they are a complete stranger.   

I agree with KatGold's post.

B) Yells at every news programme going because it is just so insular, thoughtless, racist, pointless and the news readers all look like they have plastic surgeons on retainer

Haha, I've noticed that now when I go back... especially the plastic surgeon bit. I comment every time a woman newsreader comes on that her plastic surgery is painfully obvious.

A) Hates American accents (even though I have one)

It's the bloody volume that gets to me.  I work at a university where there are loads of American students, and they usually announce themselves well in advance of view by decibel level  .  And then there's the giggling, particularly among the young females.  Drives me right round the twist!  I want to ask them, 'What is so f***ing funny, that they let you out?'  And then when they're in the presence of a British bloke, that flirty, girly voice.  Boak!  Oh, yes, it's so novel to be w/ a British fella, yep.  Winston Churchill's mother did it 130 years before you.  Get over it! 

It's the bloody volume that gets to me.  I work at a university where there are loads of American students, and they usually announce themselves well in advance of view by decibel level  .  And then there's the giggling, particularly among the young females.  Drives me right round the twist!  I want to ask them, 'What is so f***ing funny, that they let you out?'  

I'm actually the opposite of the typical loud American student... I'm really shy and quiet in class. But I've seen other American study abroad students only here for a semester who act that way, and I'm pretty embarassed! 

What university do you work at btw?

I'm actually the opposite of the typical loud American student... I'm really shy and quiet in class. But I've seen other American study abroad students only here for a semester who act that way, and I'm pretty embarassed! 

I think a lot of them chose Edinburgh b/c they haven't heard of Glasgow.  Sad, but true. 

They're always shocked when they run into me, as if they're the only American to have ever thought of going abroad.  'Oh, what are you studying here?'  'Patience.  I'm doing a postgrad degree in patience.  I'm failing miserably, btw.'  Or they see photos of my husband and say, 'He doesn't look American.'  Gees, I wonder why!  You should hear him speak!

Reminds me of an ex-bf who I just HAD to tell I was getting married  .  His first response was, 'Is he Scottish?'  'Well, wtf type of man do you think I'm going to meet here?'

I think it's fair to say that there are good and bad tourists/expats from any country. Unfortunately it's the bad ones you always notice. Being an expat rather than a tourist is, of course, another story but in some defense of the ones who are unhappy... there are quite a few who frequent this board and other boards who came here only for love. And doing that is a completely different kettle of fish than deliberately planning a move to another country for some other reason (work, school, adventure). It's not necessarily an excuse, but I think it's safe to say that the rose tinted glasses of love can blind you to all the other hurdles involved in an international move.

I'm actually the opposite of the typical loud American student... I'm really shy and quiet in class. But I've seen other American study abroad students only here for a semester who act that way, and I'm pretty embarassed! 

I'm pretty quiet in a class environment until I get to know people better. That said, when at Reading Uni, I sat in on loads of undergrad lectures and was utterly dismayed by the complete lack of response by the British students. They were too quiet as far as I was concerend. Totally different to anything I'd ever experienced at in many, many places in the US. It's one of the reasons I worry about teaching here rather than back in the US. Encouraging class participation seem like pulling teeth. This was brought home to the UK teachers at my Dept when a group of American  undergrad students came to visit. The Dept staff delivered many of the same lectures the deliver to their Uk students and the response and feedback from the Americans blew them away.

But hey, that's just my personal experience!

Yeah I try to be the quiet American at university.... there was this Coronation street sounding woman ( Manchester accent I guessing)  there that just absolutely dominated the class...everyone got annoyed at her...especially when she would ask the lecturer a question and then answer it immediately before giving the lecturer the opportunity to explain an answer..."why'd ya ask the question in the first place..pr*ck"

I've had the uber socialist that acted so superior and we should all be honored to be in his presence lecturer....every fault of society was the work of the capitalist pigs of America...I remember sitting in class with a can of coke and he went into a rant about the many evils of the Coca cola company...I just said if you feel so strongly about their conglomerate tentacles...why then have you not brought this to the university that happily accepts their money to sponsor athletic/music and other events...as well it's happily being sold in the cafeteria /pub that you frequent....he didn't say anything in reply.

I have to agree it is slightly embarrassing when you see fellow countrymen acting like pr*ts but I get the same feeling when I see anyone acting like a pr*t...was it Foxworthy that used to say "here's your sign"

C) Laughs at how bad people's dress sense is

Not sure where  you go back to in the states..  nor where  you live in the UK..  But I have to disagree..   I am from the west coast and don't see this at all..  I also think people in the UK  don't always dress appropriately for their  jobs.. in corporate offices  to look like you are ready  for  a night out  at a club  just seems  ridiculous.. even DH is embarrassed by how many women wear flip flops in offices here..

For goodness sake....some of the folks on this site should just rip up their US passports.  Thread after thread....there is so much American bashing. 

Its one thing to love your new country but to constantly to bash your home country is pretty sad. 

Jules

Not sure where  you go back to in the states..  nor where  you live in the UK..  But I have to disagree..   I am from the west coast and don't see this at all..  I also think people in the UK  don't always dress appropriately for their  jobs.. in corporate offices  to look like you are ready  for  a night out  at a club  just seems  ridiculous.. even DH is embarrassed by how many women wear flip flops in offices here..

After living in Denver, American capital of fleece and Birks w/socks, I have to agree w/KatGold's original point.  I'd much rather see people looking like they're about to go out and have some fun than schlepping around in sloppy sweatsuits with trainers.  Ugggh.  

I've had the uber socialist that acted so superior and we should all be honored to be in his presence lecturer....every fault of society was the work of the capitalist pigs of America.

That sounds just like one of my experiences at the place I went. It's so hypocritical and snobby of them to talk like that... the UK is just as "guilty" as America, yet we always get the blame for being capitalist pigs!   Can't we just get along and stop playing the blame game?

ETA: the sad thing was, I wasn't even on a sociology course -- this was graphic design! The only thing I really learned in that class was how judgmental some people can be.

For goodness sake....some of the folks on this site should just rip up their US passports.  Thread after thread....there is so much American bashing. 

Its one thing to love your new country but to constantly to bash your home country is pretty sad. 

Jules

Bashing.  Ah, yes, another thing I don't miss, people taking everything way, way too personally and seriously.  'I'm offended' 'How insensitive' 'That's not funny'.    

I don't like Pepsi.  That's not the same as 'bashing' it - even if it does taste like crap  .

In regards to dress sense:

I do like the nice Savile Row business suited male then when they are on the tube you can see some Wallace and Gromit socks sticking out of their silken slacks..that makes me smile. Some women on the way to work do look fantastic and other just look like "Next" suit clones ....

I think you find differences in dress styles anywhere you go -- whether it's in the US or the UK, it's going to depend on the region of the country you're in, whether it's an urban or rural setting, etc.