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want to live in the uk

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GrandTuringSedan
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05 Mar 2014, 3:50 pm

El_presidente wrote:
GrandTuringSedan wrote:
El_presidente wrote:

I live in the UK, London to be precise.

Cons:
-Weather, rarely hot in summer and rarely properly cold in winter. In summer I want heat and in winter I want snow so for me this is a negative.

-Housing: the cost of housing, to rent and to buy is obscene and keeps getting worse.

-People: People are a***holes wherever you go. Don't buy into the myth of the English being ultra-polite, tea-sipping eccentric intellectuals. It simply isn't true. Britain has more than its fair share of drunk, neanderthal, bigoted layabouts.

Pros:

Travel: Being part of Europe there is a lot to explore


Things you could never find in the US: QI, Intelligence squared debates, (i.e. anything Stephen Fry would be involved in.) Relatively objective network news. Good curry. People who don't take a fast-food commercial as a dare. Warm ale. National health. Premier League. Wall-to-wall comedy panel shows. More black men put in college than in prison.


I need to correct you there. Ale should never be served warm, but cellar temperature which is noticeably cooler than room temperature but not ice cold.


Is that really a correction or a refinement. (My above remarks were not meant as a dissertation.) Here, if any beer-like product is warm enough to allow it to be tasted, nobody will drink it. It must be cold enough to stun the taste buds into inactivity.

El_presidente wrote:
Also more black people are jailed proportionally in the UK than in the US. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/oct/11/black-prison-population-increase-england


From the article:

"Based on the figures above, America jails 3% of its black population, and England and Wales 1%. This means that a black person in the US is three times as likely to be imprisoned as in England and Wales."

Turns out the college vs prison stat is likely unreliable. We could agree that, if you're brown, it's s**t everywhere. But here it's a completely different skillet of s**t. Long-standing, shame-based doubling-down on institutionally practiced hatred. And if you refuse to hate, you are hated even more for being a race-traitor. Also, somehow if you have a Spanish last name, you are not of European descent?! I went trout fishing near my home and came upon a KKK fishing encampment. They brought with them a 20 foot long confederate flag to fly on the banks of the stream. You can justify anything here if it's faith-based, and if you call them out on it, you're an anti-religious bigot. More or less likely in UK?



GrandTuringSedan
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05 Mar 2014, 4:16 pm

MegaBass wrote:
You get scummy parents here who shout and swear at their children in public.

People in small shops try to overcharge you all the time but nobody notices unless you know how to add.

There are stupid offers and sales everywhere in shops because again, nobody bothers or knows how to add up.

Transport is very expensive out of London too.

People are very much against immigrants and people on benefits and won't stop at a chance to slag them off. There is a real hate culture growing and it isn't nice.

In general though people are friendly!


It's genuinely hard to tell which problems are worse. So much of the same stuff happening. Still it's the insane religious culture here that scares me. I will be making a living in the sciences and want to live in a place where someone isn't as likely to be demonized for it. Also a place that doesn't rely so much on 'belief'. Where questioning something isn't as likely to be considered a sign of a lack of character. Where not having a faith is less likely to green light someone as amoral and undesirable.

The rest of it seems to be unavoidable anywhere you go.



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05 Mar 2014, 4:23 pm

GrandTuringSedan wrote:
MegaBass wrote:
You get scummy parents here who shout and swear at their children in public.

People in small shops try to overcharge you all the time but nobody notices unless you know how to add.

There are stupid offers and sales everywhere in shops because again, nobody bothers or knows how to add up.

Transport is very expensive out of London too.

People are very much against immigrants and people on benefits and won't stop at a chance to slag them off. There is a real hate culture growing and it isn't nice.

In general though people are friendly!


It's genuinely hard to tell which problems are worse. So much of the same stuff happening. Still it's the insane religious culture here that scares me. I will be making a living in the sciences and want to live in a place where someone isn't as likely to be demonized for it. Also a place that doesn't rely so much on 'belief'. Where questioning something isn't as likely to be considered a sign of a lack of character. Where not having a faith is less likely to green light someone as amoral and undesirable.

The rest of it seems to be unavoidable anywhere you go.


Regarding religion; it is generally irrelevant in most parts of England. The unusual people are those who ARE religious or profess to be religious or attend church. Nobody will care if you say you are atheist or agnostic - no more than if you declare you don't like anchovies on pizza. You are more likely to be found weird if you actually talk about religion or participate it in any way.


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GrandTuringSedan
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05 Mar 2014, 4:47 pm

TallyMan wrote:
GrandTuringSedan wrote:
MegaBass wrote:
You get scummy parents here who shout and swear at their children in public.

People in small shops try to overcharge you all the time but nobody notices unless you know how to add.

There are stupid offers and sales everywhere in shops because again, nobody bothers or knows how to add up.

Transport is very expensive out of London too.

People are very much against immigrants and people on benefits and won't stop at a chance to slag them off. There is a real hate culture growing and it isn't nice.

In general though people are friendly!


It's genuinely hard to tell which problems are worse. So much of the same stuff happening. Still it's the insane religious culture here that scares me. I will be making a living in the sciences and want to live in a place where someone isn't as likely to be demonized for it. Also a place that doesn't rely so much on 'belief'. Where questioning something isn't as likely to be considered a sign of a lack of character. Where not having a faith is less likely to green light someone as amoral and undesirable.

The rest of it seems to be unavoidable anywhere you go.


Regarding religion; it is generally irrelevant in most parts of England. The unusual people are those who ARE religious or profess to be religious or attend church. Nobody will care if you say you are atheist or agnostic - no more than if you declare you don't like anchovies on pizza. You are more likely to be found weird if you actually talk about religion or participate it in any way.


I know it's not typical, but that difference would be more important to me than money, taxation, transportation, or any number of other cultural differences. That would be sweet freedom. I may not be able to change my rigidity on the subject, so I would like to be in a place where it doesn't matter to anyone else. Taxes, surveillance, we all have to fight against something, I'd just rather it not be someone else's imaginary friend.



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05 Mar 2014, 4:59 pm

GrandTuringSedan wrote:
TallyMan wrote:
Regarding religion; it is generally irrelevant in most parts of England. The unusual people are those who ARE religious or profess to be religious or attend church. Nobody will care if you say you are atheist or agnostic - no more than if you declare you don't like anchovies on pizza. You are more likely to be found weird if you actually talk about religion or participate it in any way.


I know it's not typical, but that difference would be more important to me than money, taxation, transportation, or any number of other cultural differences. That would be sweet freedom. I may not be able to change my rigidity on the subject, so I would like to be in a place where it doesn't matter to anyone else. Taxes, surveillance, we all have to fight against something, I'd just rather it not be someone else's imaginary friend.


The worst that will happen in England is that once every six months you may get the Jehovah's Witnesses knock on your door but they are easily got rid off. Religion is generally regarded as an eccentric hobby, largely participated in by a few old people. Religion is irrelevant to most people's lives. Churches are crumbling into ruin or being converted into offices, markets and even homes. The only time people attend a church is for the occasional white wedding or funeral, but even there most people now get married in registry offices or other non-religious buildings; similarly funerals are usually by cremation and with a simple civil send off in the crematorium itself.


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GrandTuringSedan
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05 Mar 2014, 5:07 pm

TallyMan wrote:
GrandTuringSedan wrote:
TallyMan wrote:
Regarding religion; it is generally irrelevant in most parts of England. The unusual people are those who ARE religious or profess to be religious or attend church. Nobody will care if you say you are atheist or agnostic - no more than if you declare you don't like anchovies on pizza. You are more likely to be found weird if you actually talk about religion or participate it in any way.


I know it's not typical, but that difference would be more important to me than money, taxation, transportation, or any number of other cultural differences. That would be sweet freedom. I may not be able to change my rigidity on the subject, so I would like to be in a place where it doesn't matter to anyone else. Taxes, surveillance, we all have to fight against something, I'd just rather it not be someone else's imaginary friend.


The worst that will happen in England is that once every six months you may get the Jehovah's Witnesses knock on your door but they are easily got rid off. Religion is generally regarded as an eccentric hobby, largely participated in by a few old people. Religion is irrelevant to most people's lives. Churches are crumbling into ruin or being converted into offices, markets and even homes. The only time people attend a church is for the occasional white wedding or funeral, but even there most people now get married in registry offices or other non-religious buildings; similarly funerals are usually by cremation and with a simple civil send off in the crematorium itself.


It's sounding better and better.



GrandTuringSedan
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05 Mar 2014, 5:10 pm

TallyMan wrote:
GrandTuringSedan wrote:
TallyMan wrote:
Regarding religion; it is generally irrelevant in most parts of England. The unusual people are those who ARE religious or profess to be religious or attend church. Nobody will care if you say you are atheist or agnostic - no more than if you declare you don't like anchovies on pizza. You are more likely to be found weird if you actually talk about religion or participate it in any way.


I know it's not typical, but that difference would be more important to me than money, taxation, transportation, or any number of other cultural differences. That would be sweet freedom. I may not be able to change my rigidity on the subject, so I would like to be in a place where it doesn't matter to anyone else. Taxes, surveillance, we all have to fight against something, I'd just rather it not be someone else's imaginary friend.


The worst that will happen in England is that once every six months you may get the Jehovah's Witnesses knock on your door but they are easily got rid off. Religion is generally regarded as an eccentric hobby, largely participated in by a few old people. Religion is irrelevant to most people's lives. Churches are crumbling into ruin or being converted into offices, markets and even homes. The only time people attend a church is for the occasional white wedding or funeral, but even there most people now get married in registry offices or other non-religious buildings; similarly funerals are usually by cremation and with a simple civil send off in the crematorium itself.


It's almost March 14th.



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05 Mar 2014, 5:22 pm

GrandTuringSedan wrote:
It's almost March 14th.


? Does that date have some significance for you?


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GrandTuringSedan
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05 Mar 2014, 5:26 pm

TallyMan wrote:
GrandTuringSedan wrote:
It's almost March 14th.


? Does that date have some significance for you?


It's pi day. 3.14



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05 Mar 2014, 5:29 pm

^^Oh! :lol: It took me a while then^^


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05 Mar 2014, 5:30 pm

:lol: Great I love PIE :P :wink:


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05 Mar 2014, 5:31 pm

Pi Day Im guessing

I want to move to Canada. Britain has too much crime and hate in them, and their weird customs like having tea for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.


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05 Mar 2014, 5:33 pm

TallyMan wrote:
:lol: Great I love PIE :P :wink:


You can have pie and mash for your tea if you come to England.

I like to have cornflakes for my supper.

I don't mean our Cornflake off here. :lol:


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05 Mar 2014, 5:34 pm

modernmax wrote:
Pi Day Im guessing

I want to move to Canada. Britain has too much crime and hate in them, and their weird customs like having tea for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.


Tea isn't compulsory; I have coffee mid-morning and mid-afternoon and erm tea with breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. :oops:


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05 Mar 2014, 5:35 pm

TallyMan wrote:
modernmax wrote:
Pi Day Im guessing

I want to move to Canada. Britain has too much crime and hate in them, and their weird customs like having tea for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.


Tea isn't compulsory; I have coffee mid-morning and mid-afternoon and erm tea with breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. :oops:


Dessert! Do you mean pudding?


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05 Mar 2014, 5:49 pm

babybird wrote:
TallyMan wrote:
modernmax wrote:
Pi Day Im guessing

I want to move to Canada. Britain has too much crime and hate in them, and their weird customs like having tea for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.


Tea isn't compulsory; I have coffee mid-morning and mid-afternoon and erm tea with breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. :oops:


Dessert! Do you mean pudding?


Mmmmm, treacle pudding with custard. :D Not allowed to have much or often though nowadays due to diabetes. :(


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