AIBU to feel the UK is really a bit crap?

[clogdance]

We have a German exchange child staying with us. He has been learning English at school for 2 years, and is apparently not top of the class in it. He spent supper talking to me about the rights and wrongs of vegetarianism and veganism.
He also mentioned that he lives in an old house but that new houses in Germany are larger and more solidly built. Just like here then .
His family are very very pleased that they unlike us are staying in the EU. And that they, unlike us, are welcoming a very large number of Syrian refugees.
Being English feels pretty depressing.

[Imaginingdragonsagain]

Surely new build houses are bigger in Germany because Germany is bigger?

[clogdance]

The German child wasn't being rude at all. Just talked about housing in Germany, not knowing that it is different here. The comments about being pleased to stay in the EU and about the immigration policy were made by adult family members, not him. No-one has tried to bash the UK, they are just very relieved that they are staying in the EU themselves. I asked them how things were going with immigration from Syria and they were very positive about it - did not criticise the UK though for taking so few in.

[Orlantina]

Very few continental Europeans go to private school. May be something in that

I would love to know more about schools in other countries. There must be similar concerns about schools and the quality of education. We have league tables, OFSTED, competition for over subscribed schools, SATs,tests and more tests.

But what do other countries have? UK kids seem to be very stressed out and unhappy compared to other countries.

[LastGirlOnTheLeft]

OP please wise up - you are listening to a child coming to the UK so he can benefit himself - his family obviously thinks he has much to learn from the U.K. yet you are being a ridiculous host! He is A CHILD! Stop deferring to him on matters of politics and see that he is in YOUR COUNTRY TO LEARN FROM YOU!!

[UrsulaPandress]

I can barely type for laughing.

[UppityHumpty]

@Lastgirlontheleft - you hit the nail on the head! Also, I think if this Op's lying through the teeth about living in other countries. Wouldn't need to take a child's word for it if they did!

[AntigoneJones]

Possibly it is because even at this age, Germans are so convinced of their all round superiority, that they say it in such a way, that we are all falling over ourselves agreeing with them, in case they think we are little Englanders.
I bet he does that very German curled lip thing when he talking about the UK doesn't he OP?

[Pentapus]

Interesting stats here: www.destatis.de/Europa/EN/Country/Comparison/GER_EU_Compared.html

There really isn't much between Germany and the UK in many key areas.
Sounds like you have a case of "the grass is greener", inspired by a teenager.

Or is your post just a ruse for Brexit virtue signalling?

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

PMSL at an English person accusing a German of having a superiority complex

[clogdance]

Perhaps I haven't explained myself properly. All the child said was that he lives in an old house but many people he knows live in modern houses, which are bigger and more solidly built than old houses. From which I understood what several people have confirmed here - that the Germans build larger and better quality modern houses than we do.
How you go from there to his feeling superior, wanting to talk the UK down, my being taken in by a child, etc etc, is completely beyond me.
As I've already explained, the points about being pleased to stay in the EU and being happy to take in Syrian refugees came to me direct from adult members of his family, whom I've obviously chatted with. Don't you talk about things like that with your continental European friends and acquaintances? If not, why not?
I hope that's cleared that up for some of you.
I have in fact lived in France for several years, though not recently, and have travelled quite widely in Europe and beyond, and spent time living in Asia. I also speak multiple languages, for what that's worth. Not sure why you think I'm lying about any of that.

[Orlantina]

If the UK was issued a report, I think it would say "Doing ok but lets itself down in certain areas and could try harder".

It's not in the requires improvement stage but it's in Good with occasional examples of Outstanding and a bit of Satisfactory.

Would it be an over subscribed school?

[AntigoneJones]

ohtoblazes...I am not English...

[DrDreReturns]

DW has lived in France for a couple of years. She says people (in general) are much more narrow minded and racist there. The grass isn't always greener imo.

[Orlantina]

From which I understood what several people have confirmed here - that the Germans build larger and better quality modern houses than we do

Probably more environmentally friendly and energy efficient as well - if the German attitude towards the environment is anything to go by

[LastnightaDJ]

Yanbu op

[user1490465531]

I'd love to move abroad. Getting old here would be incredibly depressing.

[Huldra]

OP so what was the point of your OP?

So far all I can see is that an exchange student said some things. Yes, people do that.

[AntigoneJones]

" the German attitude towards the environment "

ahhh yes of course, the original Greens weren't they? recycling probably started in Germany, lets be honest.

[clogdance]

I also think that some of these posts are really racist. What's this German curled lip thing you're referring to Antigone? Care to explain that to us?
The child is on an exchange holiday because he wants to improve his English, bearing in mind that English is the international language of business etc. He's not here to learn from our expertise in building houses, creating a society in which all live harmoniously together, or anything else.

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

Hahaha I knew you would SAY that Antigone. Your post was not 100% clear but certainly pointed in the direction of you being English. Whether you actually ARE English or not we will never know.

[Blimey01]

It depends who you talk to. Your young German friend is only commenting on his narrow experience. The whole country can't be judged on it. My DS friend is German. His mother has expressed concerns about growing racism and intolerance in her country several times to me.
Of course the U.K isn't perfect but I thank my lucky stars I was born into such a liberal country. I had a permanent visa to move to Oz and choose to stay here for loads of reasons I'm not going to go into because I've drank to much wine but and it's time to sleep but 3 cheers for the U.K 👏👍
I will say that our weather is bloody fantastic....beautiful seasons, no hurricanes, managable winters, no searing, relentless heat where you have to hide in acc. Goodnight 💤

[LastGirlOnTheLeft]

How you go from there to his feeling superior, wanting to talk the UK down, my being taken in by a child, etc etc, is completely beyond me.

So states the poster who gives her thread the title, 'AIBU to feel the U.K. is really a bit crap?'

He IS feeling superior, you BOTH are talking the U.K. down and you ARE being taken in by a child, or your wouldn't have started this thread! If some kid was talking MY country down (NI) whilst being a guest in MY home, I certainly wouldn't be nodding my head in agreement and starting an idiotic thread on Mumsnet!

[LastnightaDJ]

OP, it's interesting how racism towards the Germans is still tolerated, isn't it?

As for the hostility towards you... Well...truth hurts and some people lash out!

[clogdance]

The conversations with the child and his family are obviously recent and therefore uppermost in my mind and led me to start this thread. I'm not seeking to pretend that all I know about Germany, the Germans, the UK, the British, etc came from one conversation with a 12 year old.
Stop nit-picking and discuss the issues, or head off to one of the Rule Britannia let's start another British Empire threads.

[theresamustgo]

I am st back from a stint in North Germany. I do agree with the OP. The quality I feel life there feels so much better, and the society seems more equal. It is greener and not full of fat slobs like we have here. We had someone visit us a few years ago from east Germany. He said that even under the worst days of the Communist no one would be condemned to live in such awful circumstances as we lived, in our pretty averages SE England flat. And in the West the standards are even higher. Everything I see just rather solid and clean there and there is a functioning. Civil society.