For Yanks in UK & Brits in US

Honeybee- the article you wrote about really got to me.  Its one thing when individuals have opinions about other groups of people, but when its right there in the media. . . and people that have never been to America read it, they're likely to believe it.  I have this argument with DH all the time about Michael Moore's books and movies. 

I personally don't like president bush, but I don't want the world to have even more ammunition against our country. Especially when there are people who take great pleasure in hating us already!

I think that all of us that have lived in the UK for any length of time realise that for every ignorant Brit, there is another great Brit. Likewise, in America, for every ignorant American, there is a really great American.  For every obnoxious, rude, American kid, there is one just as rude and obnoxious in GB.  If you don't believe me, ride the metro in Newcastle!

The first thing(s) people notice about others are the things they don't like about themselves. For example, my most possessive/high maintenance friend used to say that she didn''t like me hanging out with another friend because she was too possessive/high maintenance.  The same applies to countries. . . I'm guilty of it too. . . I notice things about England all the time, and think (well, in America this wouldn't happen) and then when I go home, the same things happen.   

I've gotten many rude comments since I've been here too.  But, I would hate it if DH took every comment he got in America personally (and held it against all Americans), so I try to be strong for him and realise, not every Brit feels that way about Americans. 

I almost killed one of my old, drunk, rude relatives when we were there at a x-mas party. . . it was the first time anyone had met DH (he wasn't my H yet then)  and he went out to get a beer out of a cooler kept on the porch.  When he went out there,  he kept the door open (since he was just going to grab a beer and it would take 1 second) and PA (the old,drunk, rude man) yelled 'HEY!  SHUT THAT DOOR! I don't know what you guys do over there in England, but we close doors here in America! ' 

As if that even made sense.  If it wasn't so inappropriate to attack an 80-year old on Christmas Eve, I would have.  I'm fired up all over again just writing about it! 

People are wierd all over.  My N. Irish husband has been in the US for 3 years now and mostly he has been treated with a kind of fasination by most of the people he meets.  He gets exausted telling everyone the story of why he's here and how he likes it.  Only a few notible instances were really negative.  Once a drunk man in a bar approached him and demanded to know why he talked like a "Gay" ?  A few other derogitory remarks were unfortunatly from my family who thought they were being funny.  You gotta love family after Thanksgiving dinner when the drinks are passed out! 

And my two favorites which were not a negative remarks at all:
#1 A man who asked him what part of America is Ireland in!!!
#2 A woman who learning he was from Ireland wanted to know how long it took him to learn English!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a rather amusing - if a bit scary - anti american experience.  I was sitting in a park in islington with a guy friend, and a group of 15 year olds came up to us.  Later on, we were told that they'll insult the woman, try to get the man to go for them, and steal peoples bags and bikes in the scuffle.
The girls seperated me out, and started pulling my hair and such.  The ringleader was this scrappy little thing who couldn't stop screeching about how much america sucked and to get the hell out.

The best of it was that she was wearing an american flag t-shirt.  I couldn't help but to laugh.

They didn't get our bags, by the way.  We'd befriended some other kids earlier, who managed to get the bags back as the nasties ran off with them.

On the whole, however, I've gotten some nasty comments...but always with "But YOU arent so bad.."
My husband's aunt came up with a nasty one..the TV was making a bit of a screeching, whining noise, and I commented on it.  She comes out with "I thought that was just an american accent I heard."  Thanks.

The first thing(s) people notice about others are the things they don't like about themselves.

BINGO!!!

And my two favorites which were not a negative remarks at all:
#1 A man who asked him what part of America is Ireland in!!!
#2 A woman who learning he was from Ireland wanted to know how long it took him to learn English!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG!  That's FUNNY!  Sad, but funny.  That's what I would call impressive stupidity.  Some people!

I guess I try and find the good in people too much, but sometimes I think that coments are made out of the following things, rather than with malicious intent:

1--they honestly think they are being "funny" and that kidding you is a great ice breaker
2--they are so uncomfortable with a "new" person and with nothing to say, pop off with something to "get the conversation going"
3--ignorance, not knowing that those things, joking or otherwise, can be hurtful
4--they are just trying to open the floor to a debate of culture

I know that some people are just nasty and all, regardless, but they are the ones that will attack anyone for anything....American or not.

The first thing(s) people notice about others are the things they don't like about themselves.

  Yeppers,and we are basically all the same good and bad 

Think that's bad

When we saw the movie "Perl Harbor", my wife, who till then I had the upmost respect and tought she knew her country quite well (she is american) .. turns to me and says...

"Haaa .. so Perl Harbor was on HAWAII ??!!" 

I did what any respectable husban would do ... I use it against her on any chance I can 

Null

my mother got along for fifty years thinking Pearl was in the Phillipines

Only once had a problem in the UK at a football macth. Won't get into the ordeal but the guy was a jerk and there are jerks allover the world... Doent matter where you are. Other then that, never had a problem. Fun jokes about my accent; no problem.

My British fiancee has never once had a problem here. We live in NY; people don't bat an eye when you have an 'accent'-- everyone is from somewhere else here!

There are ignorant people in American, Britain... ANYWHERE. Not everyone is as educated as the next person. Not everyone is as open-minded as you would like to believe. What can you do?! I smile. it gets me by.

Sorry to hear your man has had problems. 

Just yesterday, I was standing in a very long queue, and this student guy next to me started to say "I f*ckin hate Americans, man. I can't *stand* them, I wish they'd all f*ck off!" to the people behind him and proceded to make fun of the way we talk and was laughing about it. He obviously didn't know I happened to be American because I didn't say a single word the entire time; I just stood there silently, listening to him go on and on, already pretty annoyed at how long I had been waiting in line. It was only when we got to the very end of the queue nearly an hour later that he finally said hello to me and asked where I lived, in casual conversation. I said "I'm from America", and suddenly it clicked with him and he kind of smiled stupidly. I calmly said "I heard what you said" and smiled politely. He looked pretty embarassed, but proceded to say shamelessly, "well I like you, of course... I hate Americans, but I guess not you... I just f*ckin hate America." I asked him if he had ever actually been, and he said "well.... no".  I hope that was at least a humbling experience for him, if nothing else.

I guess when you decide to live in a different country, you really have to grow a thick skin, otherwise you can end up feeling very alone. 

Geez Honeybee, hats off to you for keeping your cool!

When I first moved into this house we had to have a new TV ariel installed. I was home alone with my 2 year old and this man came to my house that I swear could have been Bin Ladens twin brother. When he finished his work he came in to collect payment and realized I was American. He started shouting about how he hates Americans and the American government. I was really really scared. Then my pain in the a$$ next door neighbor just happened to pop over to ask me to move my car and the ariel guy runs to the door and says "ILL HANDLE HIM!" Finally I gave the guy a very generous tip, which neither of us were expecting,and told him he had to leave. I was worried for weeks that he would pop over sometime.
I think after that little episode I decided to try to hide my American-ness in public. If I would go out alone I wouldnt say a word to anyone. It took me about two years to feel comfortable speaking in public again.

Honeybee, Good for you. You handeled that situation wonderfully. Im not sure what I would have done but Ill remember what you did, for sure. 

I, who am usually an extremely outspoken person on things that matter to me, have been doing the same things, Pebbles.  I rarely say a word when we are out in public and, when I do, it's very quiet.  As outspoken as I am, I also have a fear of people...so, I tend to hide, as well.  I know, I'm a very strange dichotomy.

I try to remind people that not everyone in a particular country or group is the same...is ever person from your state the same?  Is everyone who is a Brit the same?  Of course not...so you might be able to hate an ideology, a form of government or a particular person, but how can you hate a "people"?  It's basically saying that you also hate yourself as you might find someone just like you, with thoughts like you, within that group that you have just condemned.  I am proud of who I am.  I also happen to have been born in America.  Am I proud of everything that has been done in our country?  Not particularly.  Do I like what's happening in our government?  Not really.  But am I still an American.  Yup.  And if I ask those same questions of any person from any nation, and they can say that they love EVERY thing that is done in the name of their country, then they have the issues.  Not me.  Maybe I'm lucky that I've never been attacked for who I am...but I refuse to hide myself too.  I can't help where I was born...nor can I help my color, my gender, etc.