Angel Delight.

Its interesting having left the UK 5 years ago what seemed normal now seems very strange, or rather having an external view on behaviours is quite amusing.

They say the british are a bunch of whingers but really everyone whines. Where the UK is world class is at whining about stuff that a)doesnt matter or b)doesnt affect them. Its as if being indignant about immigration, politics, other peoples business, tv you dont watch, musicians you dont listen to, cars you dont drive, other road users that dont actually bother your journey but offend you by the mere status of being on the road at the same time as you or something read in The Sun is deemed so annoying its worth having a heart attack about. Its as if no one in Britain asks themselves 'does it really matter'.

Brits abroad are just bloody amusing. Its crazy you can tell a brit from a mile off - popped collar, too much hair gel, white socks with big white trainers, cheap chunky gold chain and walking round in 45 degree, cancer ridden heat with no shirt on, no muscle tone and a beer in their hand. at 11am.

Since getting Aussie Citizenship when on holiday people ask where you're from and say Australia - they love it - smiles, had beers boughts, lots of jokes and very friendly. Say you're British and you might as well have abused their daughter. Say you're English and you might as well have abused their dog.

However, no one does tv and radio like the british, great sense of humour, real intellect and the women are easy.

p.s no one knows who Cliff Richard is abroad so no need to be worried.

p.p.s if you think the brits abroad are bad - look out for the aussies in bali. like cavemen rapists with cash. terrible.

Im from a different part of the commonwealth and can see most of these problems where I am too, save for the government/big brother issue- thankfully we are too backward for that to have happened yet.

some that especially ring true are the computer generation, the hectic lifestyle, and 'I want it now' culture. I think the internet has really fostered the instananeous lifestyle.

The standard of media these days is also something to be embarrassed about. In the last few years it has really sunk and is now quantity over quality with far less time spent researching and presenting.

I've spent some time over the last few years travelling around Europe and more recently to the US. There's a general perception that the English have an arrogance about them thats baseless in the modern world. Idle pub banter about what we actually do nowadays given the amount of volume we create is noticed around the world, and some of that is ignorance on both sides. Now the one thing that stands out is that the Brits get irony, so I can see thats my own arrogance creeping in as well

I thought the Americans were an arrogant bunch, but they've got nowt on ze Germans. I was in Hamburg in December, it was windy and the street signs were bending. I commented to one of the guys that the sign might go over. His answer...'Never, that was made by a German'.

In business, the Europeans (with the exception of the French and Spanish) are fairly calculated and quiet. You dont generally hear or see much but it's all going on behind the scenes. The Oirish will generally do anything if it's friendly and involves drinking, and the Nordics are very fair and polite. In the US it's like an outpouring of a mind, complete with Uh's, You Know's and other timefillers while they think things through out loud.

Our seeming inability to laud success.
The (largely media driven) polarisation and over-simplification of important issues such as our legal system, immigration, etc.
The general public's support of the death penalty.
The short-termisim in politics.

With the exception of the first point, none of these are issues unique to the UK.

Pronouncing letters & words correctly.

Text messages, deliberate dumbing down & so difficult to understand. It would take code breakers at Bletchley Park to crack it!

Speaking a new language. We are so far behind other countries, mainly because if you go abroad many of the indigenous folk speak English. Which leaves us lazy as a nation.

People who allow the media to wind them up into a mob mentality over issues they can't be bothered to understand. The media, for deliberately winding up idiots in order to sell papers or gain viewers. Politicians, especially opposition politicians, who do the same thing for cheap political advantage.

I'm a football fan and a thirty odd year old parent of small children, I therefore apologise for causing all the country's negative points!

I'm sorry I thought you said a melon.......