Anyone NOT miss Britain?

[anonymosity]

I sometimes think about sound of crows hovvering and then landing in a field in suffolk on a misty morning, or the sound of church bells, or the smell and heat of a really good sushi place in Soho on a winter's day, but otherwise I just don't feel anything at all about the UK other than the fact that loved ones are still there. Anyone else ambivalent?

i find it really hard to compare, as i don't work here in the US whereas i had a v stressful job that i ended up hating in the uk. but the uk just seems 'rougher' in many ways - more swearing, dirtier, more crowded, more expensive.

we live in a v nice area, so i don't 'see' social problems as easily, but it is a shock to go home to the uk & even in a nice place (royal tunbridge wells, no less) the car park has all the glass broken in the doorways (and it's been like that forever) a tramp who lives in the stair well, puke on the pavements from friday night binging, empty shops boarded up. even the pay machines have a voice that talks to you telling you to hide valuable as they will be stolen, and it's done in a horrid 'rhyme' in the style of matt lucas. it's just trashy.

that's in the town centre, where people go for a day out of 'posh' shopping.

here in the US, we're close to detroit, which is all but falling apart because of the economy, but people still manage to be a bit more 'let's get the job done' and try to be polite, keep the town clean etc etc.

See, there are a lot of beggars where I live but even the rough areas of town are much nicer. There isn't much graffiti, but there are a fair few empty shops. People don't seem to attack them here, though. Maybe it's because there is such a lot for young people to do? Maybe they have more respect for other people's property? It's certainly a lovely environment to bring children up in.

(I never realised how close Detroit was to Canada till I was watching that police show the other night!)

Don't miss the TV everyone. If you subscribe to a VPN you can watch it all on the Internet. I will have a look for the link and return

tadvent - yes, v close to canada, just across the bridge. we should go sometime, but think i'll wait til spring. we're only about 5 hours to niagra.

thought of you this morning - sam smiths is now in our local supermarket, and they have tadcaster porter (or some such)

I know - we get it here too. And the funny thing is that you can't get it in the UK more than 50 miles out of Tad I don't think! The brewery is very nice and delivers its beer round the town using an old-fashioned dray. The trouble is is that it is also the major landlord in the town and won't let certain types of businesses in. Consequently there were lots of empty shops before we left. Such a shame as it could be quite a vibrant little place. Taddy Porter is very nice, btw.