For me, however, there have been two really important breaking points between me and England. :). In my case in Prague, some of these romantic ideas just never materialized the way I thought they would, or my perception has changed. You see, I actually love the pace in London. I was in Madeira when I saw the results for Brexit. It feels to me that you voted Brexit because you don't want more British nationals to come to Europe and not because you had the UK's interest at heart. Yes, it does rain here a lot, but given water shortages will be one of the biggest threats to world peace, I would take a bit more rain over a dry country any day of the week. It gets to you when you need to ride your bike home whilst getting wet to the bones. It wasn't all bells and whistles because it took me jumping through a lot of hoops to be able to obtain what back then was called a Yellow Card. [22] The widespread use of the "chav" stereotype has been criticised. It was kind of sad, even more so when I look back in it. Do you honestly think ALlL Brits think Britain is great and we are living in some utopia? They live off of their UK pension. Thanks to the withdrawal agreement my degree is worth less in the EU compare to what it used to be. Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in NORMAL area 1.696 I was getting a little agitated reading the political part of this post as it puts anyone who voted brexit into one racist/moronic box. Garlicky paprika chicken stews and bakes. I've yet to witness anti-social behaviour here. I love how you touched on just how expensive it is to travel in the UK too, especially by train (not that they ever run on schedule anyways!). This way people can live everywhere and not depend on the city which is too expensive. You say your family is with you, if nothing else, I hope that offers you the comfort you need to have a decent life. I truly do hope you come back, just as much as I hope the UK I fell in love with as a boy returns with time. Lol, they have direct access to private healthcare through their kids' corporate jobs. These problems in the UK will change perhaps in 300 years, we cannot wait. The freedom, no constraints, no obligations and no stress. The non-whites you do have in YOUR government are actively working against their own people's interests (Patel and Sunak come to mind) and they are highly xenophobic. Did you like this article? There was a culture years ago and no denying that there are some very creative people that have come from England. One . I think he'd be interested in staying if Scotland becomes independent. Ive been to India, and well to be honest its also a shithole to quote you! I didn't read the whole thing - but as someone who was born here 42 years ago, and regularly goes abroad to escape when everything gets 'too british', I have just returned from a 2 month stint in New York, and I'm finding it really difficult to adjust to the country again. Suddenly this opened up my world to the whole other side of the UK that I had been ignoring for my whole life. The Weather There are a lot of benefits to having so much rain in the UK. We would love to visit Toronto and Vancouver. Dear Cory, I think this is the most precious article on living in a country on the entire Internet. " Chav " ( / tv / ), also " charver ", " scally " and " roadman " in parts of England, is a British term, usually used in a pejorative way. To be a global citizen shouldn't be a bane of existence. Since Thatcher, weve moved away from this, making education a major financial burden in a marked departure from the policies of other, more far-sighted Northern countries. I knew from day one, that a vote for out was going to win. No offence, but millennials tend to romanticise the far left. The food is good in places if you know where to eat. I also lived and worked in Greater London. I think the part which shocked me the most was how friendly everyone seemed, how customer-oriented the service was tailored and the sheer amount of prospects anyone could benefit from. It is no wonder people feel miserable. People speak various languages. I've been an expat but tbh happy to call myself immigrant too (as I once was to Britain as a 2yr old!). Great read, I stayed for a year in the UK and like reading your honest perspective on things after 10 years. And frightening. Ridiculously so in comparison to other countries, and that is the problem. This is what British society has lost. Ever since I lived in mainland Europe (and you know, happy EU countries) we bought seasonal clothes and enjoyed 4 seasons. (Regardless of inequality, private health, everyone inc. Brits, dreams of the US). If that happened in the UK, there would be an international outcry. I am super excited to learn that you liked Romania. Hope you will make it to Canada someday. I'm not quite at the point where I'm ready to leave yet, but I do know I don't want to "settle" there, and I can definitely understand your urge to leave. Have actually watched any of the TV? For all these things we really really really love the UK: low taxation, laissez faire and flexibility/open-mindness of the British (especially the English ) people in business and life is refreshing. We're able to save a lot of money every month and are homeowners. Lots of things cost the same in Canadian dollars here that they do in pounds in the UK! It seems like a majority but if you look at the facts behind the polls, it was mostly the older generation who voted leave, the people who were blind-sided by promises of more money for the NHS and better help for the elderly and infirm. im sorry you and your husband had to go through what you did and now I see it (albeit from a different angle) how bad this country can be to people who are deemed different. Dear Renee, you can't please everyone. That's not on the membership, it's on the UK's political priorities and mistakes, which are then, in turn, blamed on the EU. We've left Germany for good a couple of months ago and we're now back living in England. I needed to work as a student as I didn't have rich parents to support me. Education is in a terrible state in the UK. We thought we needed to give them some respect and have decided to trademark our sweets. Is it because you're desperately trying to get away, and you can't? Wow Cory! Foreigners cant even buy a house in New Zealand anymore. You can rent a PO box for your business and move it there. Your remark about the EU being a dictatorship shows a bizarre disconnect from the ugly reality of the current world. just told me that I will never be English (nor I would like to be). You've explained very honestly what I've been feeling for some time now - I'm now in a position where I feel that the values of my birthplace no longer align with my own. Imagine not having power for your computer. It was also the uneducated, the "lower class" if you will (I can say that because on paper that's me haha). Do you see? James, how much did university education cost before 2010? I went from happy to lucky travel blog writer that loved adventure and spontaneity to not wanting to get up in the morning. I must admit, being a foreigner here in Denmark I often ask myself the same questions and face the same challenges. I wouldn't return if you paid me to. But the vast majority of people in the UK seem to be relatively well off. What do you describe in terms of the hate towards foreigners and outright xenophobia you have faced its home to me now in a way I fully understand. Have fun singing in the rain on your island. The governments have decided to further cut budgets for education, science and academics. There are cheap things too but expect to get what you pay for. The current North/South divide was very much a product of Thatchers efforts to limit worker rights. Because they read too much of the Daily Mail and have come to believe that Mohammad who owns the corner shop and Sunita who works in the local Indian aren't law-abiding, hard-working citizens but terrorists, despite having lived here longer than some of us have been alive! Countries in Europe are becoming less and less accepting and open. The largest group of expats now globally are probably professional Indians, to the UK or other countries. They don't care for the virtuous and preachy nonsense that London obsesses with whilst the roads get more clogged, economy tanks etc. They have Netflix, the internet, consumerism, vacations abroad etc just as we do. I'm British. If Britain has one problem is that it strives to be so much more than it should. I hope you find your reality somewhere and leave us racist, poor, thick bits to struggle on without you. So what went wrong? These are the people who if we invite here and we teach them how to adapt, are going to work hard to pay taxes, and maintain the lifestyle which every born and bred British citizen believes they deserve. Also it does rain here a lot, but given water shortages will be one of the biggest threats to world peace, I would take a bit more rain over a dry country any day of the week. But reallyREALLYunless you compare Britain to Scandinavian countries, I hope you do realise you live on a cold, wet island. In case you dont know much about Balkan food (clearly you dont), we have kebabs (mici in Romania, cevapi in ex-Yugoslavia countries), spicy vegetable spreads and dips, apple, cherry and pumpkin pies and strudels, sour noodle soups, SEASONINGS (so shocking for British palates I know) such as paprika, chilli sauces, garlic dips, shawarmas (thats another kebab for you), cheesy or jam filled doughnuts, the cabbage rolls you mentioned are filled with meat, rice and spices! I know many foreigners who are happy in the UK and live well. I think people like this author who want to attack the UK and the British people should LEAVE PERMANENTLY as their self centred bigotry will never change. The responses are more illuminating, reminding me, a Brit, of how and why I want out.good luck with what comes your way I am glad you had the courage to leave it all behind and become the fulfilled and happy person you are today. It's not as simple though that everyone voting leave agrees with Farage and Boris. Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield all contribute to this high level of crime, and violence and sexual offenses are prevalent crimes, with over 100,000 crimes reported each year. I am an Indian national who came here 3 years ago (came on Tier-1 visa) and supported a media company with investments and expanded to clients across in USA & EU. Britain is a small island and we value our green space, which has been eroded over the years through over development. I've lived in 6 different countries, and in my opinion, the UK offer the worst quality of life. Sure there are a few who give a bad name to people coming here to live, a few who are just in it for the benefits. The good news is that we live in a time when remote working is becoming more and more accessible. A very interesting and substantial read. That is very sweet of you. Until next time, I do hope you find it within yourself to open up and really point out what was ill-informed about the article. Plus, all the great writers and scientists coming from here made me think the educational system would be wonderful. So I feel fair to comment on this. Wishing you all the luck in the world. Dickhead. Were not all like that though! The referendum changed everything for me. People now are insular and small minded, dogmatic and unfriendly. 2. The shed is accessed by removing two loose boards at the rear. I don't think the British people who don't like the EU are racists. My partner whom I love much doesn't seem to understand this. Well, if you are going to Japan things won't be easy there is much more difficult to integrate in Japan than UK, you are really targeting difficult countries, but is your choice. Same elsewhere. Please do not come back. I will always be a foreigner to the world and a slave to the number of days/weeks/years I can stay according to visas. Overcrowded and filling rapidly with alien cultures hostile to their host. Szilvi, Szilvi, I hope you find your corner of nature and love. You honestly think Scotland is the best thing about the UK? No democratic decision is bad, only a lack of democracy is bad. I'm sure you will find your (almost) perfect city/country! You, Philip de Bose, are a piece of sh*t. Ah, yeah and we probably have more teeth than you, you snivelling little turd. Great post. In the 90's we managed to claw that back from the fascists and say as a society this is not who we are. I would imagine that I am like Hermione and have studied and can do it all! You're so much better than those who dared to vote Leave or god forbid for Trump, aren't you? Its a hard working and ambitious country, which is not for everyone. Rain makes this country green heaven, which is ideal for keeping those beautiful rolling hills everyone loves. Even the EU will effectively stop migration from the UK, we are becoming the equivalent of India and Africa with illegal migrants from the UK trying to slip into far better countries. P.S. Why would you think the UK ought to be like Communist Hungry or Caucesescu Romania? All the best and happy travels to you too. Since 2008, Britain has culturally been in a self-inflicted spiral decline of crisis. Its not what I remember as a child. Germany had low morale and wanted a change in 1940's which allowed Hitler to come to power who blamed, you guessed it, Jews for all of Deutschland's problems. Good luck, Cory. You are from Romania but you don't want to live there? Great article :-), Dear Elise, thank you for your comment. I always felt like if I moved there I would be able to achieve ultimate happiness in my life. I hope things get better here but I dont think they will any time soon. I miss who I was when I was abroad. This is one of the oldest political strategies. I came back due to family, but Im itching to get the hell out of here and go travelling again, and head back to Australia. We're also seeing increasing radicalisation in right wing politics because this process is a feedback loop. I hope we will find our way soon. Neah, I think both Sarah and I just hate the wet island. Just because the UK was unable to tighten the system in regards to NHS and benefits access. Now living in Egypt is not without its problems but look at these prices: Cinema: 2, Restaurant: 5, Cultural Events: many are free, Internal travel: very cheap along with accommodation, gas and electricity being much cheaper than the UK or the EU and dont forget the Red Sea for a holiday. It sucks that you can't wear a dress unless you go on holiday. In this groundbreaking investigation, Owen Jones . Another of my favorite things of England are the diversity that you can see on in the people who lives her. I dont feel like Im at home here. I quit my job 2 years ago and became fully location independent about 7 months ago. America has visionaries like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel advising Trump. "The culture in Britain has moved from brilliant to that of hate, racism and ignorance." I had to work lots of overtime to buy food and pay for my transport to work, I was working 65+ hours a week just to survive. Thank you for addressing that question bravely, truthfully and directly and may you and your partner have lots of luck and joy in finding your place in this world. Even if it is just a coincidence, I definitely get you when you say you feel as though you're treated differently. We are excited to have started our adventure, and we don't regret leaving the UK. Image: ANGLIA PRESS AGENCY LTD) The Lancashire town hold the dubious honour of being crown the least offensive borough on list. We gave more money in international aid to poor countries than the all the EU combined and only second in the world after the US, and yet people still complain we are mean spirited and vote us at the lowest in Eurovision Britain is a beacon for generosity and immigrants. Paris is wetter than London..south of England gets more sunshine than the Low Countries..what were you expecting when you moved here wall to wall sunshine?! If the UK was so good, they would allow you to live there and not run away from your problems. You've knackered the only horse in town. The society in Britain has grown to become more hostile to immigrants and foreigners, nevertheless, wouldn't say it is racist, but I would say that there is a significant proportion of the population that are bigots (and I don't intend to offend anyone). Hi Lena, it took a lot of courage to say all these things. I miss how it made me feel. I remember went to a restaurant asking for water(with an American accent) and the guy at work corrected me with British accent. I want to take this opportunity to wish you well, wherever you two decide to settle. The term is used to describe an anti-social lower-class youth dressed in sportswear. Because why would they?! Bye. I really like your article. In London, a global city! Countries lived as part of the EU for so many years, yet each country remains entirely different but united. What country is perfect, aye? But hey, thanks for stopping by to say hi. Dear awesome British people out there. What a load of rubbish. Rent prices are high, and when you add utilities, the internet, council tax and all the rest, you end up with most of your salary gone. Macron says the French would vote to leave the EU if they had the chance and Italy is more anti-EU than the UK. Sorry Brandon but I think you are missing the point because Cory is talking about how immigrants are treated . 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