[Carol]

OMG Carol they don't sing that one in school do they????????????????:uhoh


Oh - there are WORSE ones than that!!
;)

[Moorf]

Didn't they recently have some upset about the proposal to ban a kids song - something about fish and chips and it being about unhealthy food so should be banned :roll

[Croft]

I'm glad this thread has been resurected. I can clearly see some of my feelings expressed by others. It's a dififcult and interesting question for me.

I spent my entire childhood, until I went to University, moving around Western Europe and North America as my Dad went from one assignment to another with his company. Despite being British my first language was French, I learnt English in Louisiana and consequently had a broad southern American accent for years. I currently have a very RP English accent, though when I would for a few months in the States a colleague from Louisiana said some of my Louisiana accent was coming out!

My first time I recall having issues about my national identity was when I was 9, living in New Jersey and being taught in school about what the Americans call the "American Revolutionary War", and all the myths and propaganda that surrounds it. I came in for a lot of abuse ad bullying at the time because I was the Limey (though at the time I would have had a broad Southern accent, and have only visited the UK once since I was born!). This was a particularly unpleasant period in my childhood.

From 10 years old I went to various British Schools abroad and boarding school back in the UK for a couple of years. We went to Church of England churches too. I guess with us moving every couple of years or so, I enever reall identified with the country I was living in - learnt some of the language and culture, but always regarded myself as a British Expat. Having said that we lived in Brussels for far longer than any other place, and going back there always feels like going back 'home', though I would never consider myself to be a Belgian. It wasn't just being about a British Expat though, there were so many different nationalities that you were part of the Expat Community - typically as a child you identified with your School more than you nationality (eg in Brussels it was whether you went to the British, EU, International American etc Schools).

I returned to the UK for University, and eventually joined up. Why did I return to the UK, despite having spent most of my life up to that point abroad? I suppose it was the easiest decision to make at the time, and despite having lived outside the UK I had sufficiently been immersed in its culture to regard myself as British. Had I not joined up straight after University though, I think I would have been lost.

I continue to live and work in the UK, pending our leaving for NZ permanently next year. I will get NZ citizenship when I can, but will always keep my UK passport, if only for ease of travel. What will I regard myself as? I'm proud of my British 'heritage', but I look forward to livng and working in NZ, and I'll probably always be regarded as a Pom (and proud of it!) by the Kiwis.

I guess I may see myself mre as a Commonwealth Citizen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_citizen). I like the sound of that!

[Diny]

I wish patriotism was still alive and kicking and that flying the flag for your country, or country of adoption or whatever the situ wasn't seen as sticking your fingers up at anothers...

Patriotism is VERY much alive and kicking with me. And I'm constantly knocked for it.

Diny

[wilson182]

Patriotism is VERY much alive and kicking with me. And I'm constantly knocked for it.

Diny

Your patriotism is fantastic Diny, there is no question of that. In any good debate there are going to be two different points of view (and boy we have some good debates on here) , and I think thats were we all end up banging heads. I think for ALL of us, if we didn't love the UK we wouldn't bother debating or being concerned at all.

[able]

I am a patriotic Brit but it doesn't stop me recognising that the UK has changed enormously in the last few years. I for one don't like what I see.

The last few years have seen Brits leaving these islands in record numbers. The level of anger amongst many people I know means that trend is only going to accelerate.

I don't think people are knocking you Diny so much as knocking what they see happening to a country they once loved - you just happen to keep arguing with anyone who says anything negative about the UK. Put yourself in their shoes though. They are angry about how their country has changed for the worse and they're saying it. Far worse things are said about the UK on the BBC's comment section than anything you'll read here. Maybe you need to get stuck in and defend what's happened to the UK there too? ;)

[StevieD]

Can you imagine kids in a multi-cultural British school singing "British kids are the best"??


Nope, definitely be frowned upon here. And I know it is the Daily Express, but the headline today? Muslims tell us how to run our schools! No un-Muslim activites or will have to be passed via special Muslim advisers.

Imagine this in NZ? I can't :no :no

[Diny]

I don't think people are knocking you Diny so much as knocking what they see happening to a country they once loved - you just happen to keep arguing with anyone who says anything negative about the UK. Put yourself in their shoes though. They are angry about how their country has changed for the worse and they're saying it. Far worse things are said about the UK on the BBC's comment section than anything you'll read here. Maybe you need to get stuck in and defend what's happened to the UK there too? ;)


I don't intentionally argue with anybody - in fact I enjoy the fact that this forum has some discussions going on that very rarely develop into arguements.

I know exactly what's going on in the UK - I don't live under a stone you know.

I'm sorry that I don't agree with alot of the anti UK comments, I don't have any bad experiences after living there the vast majority of my life. I'm not about to change my life history just to fit in with the majority (although I know nobody is asking me to).

I totally appreciate the fact that a huge amount of people are disgruntled with the UK and want to leave. Just because I left the UK for different reasons doesn't mean I'm out of touch, doesn't mean I'm arguing, doesn't mean that I live with my head buried in the sand, it just means that my experiences are different to others.

Like Avalon said earlier, I was/am always aware of the crime going on because I read about it in the papers and saw it on the news but I was NEVER effected by it myself. I'm only putting my opinions and experiences forward. Just because they don't go with the general flow of 'lets slate the UK' doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Anyway, please feel free to chip in with any amount of sarcy comments, whether by posting them here, sending them by PM or giving me bad rep, but I'm not going to fudge up some tales of UK woe just to fit in with the general line of thought.

It'll more than likely kill me but I really do think that's MY last word on this thread (but we'll see).

Diny

[anna_c]

I can't say I really consider myself as either a 'Brit' or a 'Kiwi'. That's not to say I don't love living in New Zealand, or that there aren't some things about the UK I'm attached to, I just don't see a national identity applying to me or being meaningful in my life.

[Trigirl]

I can't say I really consider myself as either a 'Brit' or a 'Kiwi'. That's not to say I don't love living in New Zealand, or that there aren't some things about the UK I'm attached to, I just don't see a national identity applying to me or being meaningful in my life.
exactly :clap :clap :clap

[able]

sending them by PM or giving me bad rep, but I'm not going to fudge up some tales of UK woe just to fit in with the general line of thought.


Well, this certainly isn't me. Are you really getting sarcy PM's and bad rep for what you've been saying in the last few days?

[Diny]

Well, this certainly isn't me. Are you really getting sarcy PM's and bad rep for what you've been saying in the last few days?


No no no - I wasn't suggesting you've sent me anything. Please don't think that.

Diny

[able]

phew, thanks for clarifying that. But other people have been doing this? :uhoh

[Moorf]

What does fudge up mean?

Edit: I see it means "to fabricate or to make up"

Diny, are you saying that those of us who aren't happy with the UK are making things up to embellish a point?

If so I take great offence and am pee'd off that you've bought this thread down to that level :mad:

If you meant it in another way then please clarify cos I for one am mad as hell.....

[Trigirl]

moorf - i see what you are saying having reread diny's post but that wasn't how i read it initially.

i read it as she wasn't going to make up things that hadn't happened to her just to fit in with other people (who actually had had those experiences). not that she thought other people were making them up?

edited to add: not trying to put words into diny's mouth here! just trying to say there may be another interpretation....

[Moorf]

I hope so Trigirl, the usual probs with reading (and not hearing) someone elses views....

[Diny]

Oh God !!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO - there's no way I meant that at all. Tri-girl picked up on my correct meaning.

I meant that I ME MYSELF won't fudge anything up.

I appreciate everybody's opinions - and find them all interesting. Please don't think I'm suggesting anybody is 'making things up' - I cetainly DO NOT think that.

Hope this clears up the misunderstanding.

Diny

[Moorf]

No worries, cheers Diny. :yes

[Diny]

Anyway - I'm off into town to pay my speeding fine now.

And watch out folks - here comes a pro NZ comment .......

At least you don't get penalty points on your licence over here!!!!

Just a walloping $80 fine for going 13kmh over the limit.

Diny

[K&CS]

I thought you could get demerit points for speeding, but not if you're caught by a camera. Sorry, haven't actually read the rest of this thread, so maybe that's already been mentioned!

[jubjub]

I thought you could get demerit points for speeding, but not if you're caught by a camera. Sorry, haven't actually read the rest of this thread, so maybe that's already been mentioned!

Yup Kate you are right, if the police actually stop you, demerits are handed out, but if its a camera, there is no proof that its actually you, so its the owner of the car that cops the fine.

[Carol]

Yup Kate you are right, if the police actually stop you, demerits are handed out, but if its a camera, there is no proof that its actually you, so its the owner of the car that cops the fine.



Aye...... tis true.

:o :wah :exit

[Diny]

Ahhh - I see. Well I was 'got' by a camera, not stopped, so just a fine (this time) for me.

Thanks for the info folks.

Diny

[marcia]

Still trying to get the last word in Diny eh????!!!

PS - where did the camera catch you? Not that i speed anyway (and i do mean that very rarely do i go above the limit and I'm always telling Kev off especially if he is driving my car when he does it!)

[stu70]

Still trying to get the last word in Diny eh????!!!



HUH??

[Diny]

PS - where did the camera catch you? Not that i speed anyway


Would love to tell you petal but I'd be accused of getting the last word in again.

Ooops.

Diny

[willsken]

Very good! :D