People from other countries - they’re just better than us, aren’t they?

I always think of the Balkans as the problem child of Europe, apart from the difficult recent history there doesn’t seem to be any consensus as to where the region behind and ends. <Misses point of thread entirely>

They do have Le Pen and other right wing politicians...

It makes me so sad when I read the many OPs on here running down the UK.
There is so much good here, so many decent folk doing all they can to make the place better and so many people fail to notice that.

I was out volunteering with my town's litter picking group this morning. There were Town in Bloom people out and about, volunteers were running the kid's football in the park and lots of people were enjoying the sunshine with kids on scooters and dogs having fun.

Nowhere is perfect. We fail to notice the roses blooming under our window because our eye is always on the horizon.

I have a dual British and French national and I have also lived in the US.

really don't think that the UK is that bad!

In France for example I remember witnessing a lot of sexism and misogyny and people there are more openly racist and xenophobic.

The UK has a rich culture (arts, music, literature, fashion...) to be proud of and beautiful scenery. Not to mention London, one of the best cities in the world.

I do think the mainstream school system is not as good as it is in other European countries though and that we have a fair amount of lazy and entitled parents these days who simply don't raise their kids well and pass on their selfish attitude to them.

Our right wing media barons also have a lot to answer for in term of pushing division in this country.

But I still would not want to live anywhere else.

They don't have Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage abroad - so yes!

Part of it is you don't understand much of what they're saying. One of the best things about living abroad is not understanding the intricacies of what teenage boys are talking about on the bus - my Cantonese friends would tut and roll their eyes and I'd be happily oblivious.

The only thing I can agree with is customer service in shops/restaurants/bars. I can’t get over how bad this is in the UK. I’ve heard this being blamed on ‘capitalism’ but I live in the US now, a far more capitalist society, and service is generally much, much better. And it’s not just because of tipping culture, because service is better in places where you don’t tip - off-licence, supermarket, takeaway coffee shops etc.

Perhaps we think being indiscriminately nice and polite to people is beneath us, even if it’s part of our job?

More attractive for sure!

Love it!!! I had a French colleague years ago who another colleague described as ‘negotiating like a French farmer’, by which he meant kicking off and dumping a load of 💩 on everyone. We all had our doors slammed and his raised voice directed at us. I’m sure not all French people are like that !!! - but our department meetings were very different when he left …

There is plenty of modern apprenticeships in the jobs you are talking about also college courses have job placements and retail has training, it sounds like you don't really know that much about vocational jobs.

They aren’t so obsessed with owning their homes in other European countries, there is much more rental property available.

This. I’ve noticed many Americans certainly seem to think we are better behaved, more cultured people. If I’m ever on a forum with predominantly American posters I notice somehow my opinion is given more weight just on account of the fact I live in Europe and therefore have some kind of wisdom 😂 but they do seem to think highly of us.

That said I do sort of know what OP means. Our ‘chav culture’ is much worse than in comparable countries like France.

You have never heard of Apprentiships then?

I’m from another country but lived, very happily for the most part, in different bits of England for 20 years, and have also spent long periods living in France, the US, Ireland and the ME. It’s only your current mood of insane kneejerk self-castigation that is setting you apart from anywhere else.

There have definitely been better times to live in the UK in terms of national mood (I moved there in 1997), but you’ll be back. Chin up. It’s still a great place.

Yabu , and I say this as someone who is not in the UK but likes to visit.

I'm in Stevenage. The high street is far from grotty. Did you mean to say the town centre because that's actually a shit hole!?

As an immigrant to the UK, I always think the British are so unnecessarily down on themselves.
This is a beautiful country with so much to offer. Currently going through tough times, yes.

Or do I have rose tinted holiday goggles on
Of course you are wearing them
I've been to Albania few times. Incredibly beautiful in places, great service in restaurants, but no different than here. However there was a huge litter problem in the countryside, worse than here.

What about homeless, un wanted dogs wandering around streets of many countries.

Italy had a strike on Friday because part of the issue was they wanted better pay and conditions.

Its great going on holiday but you need to scratch below the surface to see what's really going on.

I think that other countries - especially Europe - have a better attitude to vocational training and having a trained workforce for all sorts of jobs. Working in shops/restaurants is not looked down on as it is in the UK. All sorts of vocational courses are included as A-level studies - hotel, restaurant, tourism, retail etc.

For example I was trying to buy a toaster in a small town Denmark and the shop assistent who approached me explained she was on her final placement for the Retail Programme so was it OK if she served me "by herself". She proceeded to give me a run down on all the toasters in the shop, functions, price, pros and cons etc. I can't imagine that in the UK.

I’m mean I’m from another country and I’m definitely not better than anyone else.

All countries and their residents have positives and negatives. If you compare you need to compare touristy to touristy, so somewhere in x country that foreign tourists go to to somewhere in the UK that foreign tourists go to.

My cousin has lived in france for many years his wife is french and all of his kids were born and brought up in france
We recently had a big family get tigether and i met his three grandsons they were lovely children but as far from angelicicly behaved as you could get.

I’m American (also British and live in the UK). Trust me, we are not better. 90% of my American friends wish they had my dual citizenship and lived in the UK. I have lived in 4 countries as an adult. Very happy to have settled in the UK and would not want to raise my children in any of the others.

The French are definitely better at rioting

I think many people are less stressed for various reasons in other European countries but I wouldnt say better

They are all so much better than us - you are in a tourist part of Sarajevo or Split, I'm in a grotty high street in Stevenage or Slough.