Question for any of our English residents or frequent visitors?... (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Hewell]

As far as empires go, the Brits did a hell of a lot better job than the other European powers.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I mistyped I meant to write: "But it took a Limey and a Yank to nail down DNA structure." Thanks for the correction.

 

[andrew markworthy]

In our defence, it's the only empire where the ex-subject nations have more or less voluntarily remained in an allied group (i.e. the Commonwealth). And when the British Empire was formed, what was being done was thought to be perfectly fair and civililsed (at least in Europe). But Brits also created grossly unfair economic practices that retarded growth in many of their colonies, and although we abolished slavery the first amongst the European powers (and contrary to older historical opinion, the current evidence is strong that this hurt us financially), we still operated 'near slavery' in many parts of the world, particularly India (the excuse that we simply took over the existing practices doesn't really gel with the concurrent claim that we were 'civilising' the colonised countries).

But having said all of this, I have Indian and African friends, who whilst deeply critical of British handling of events, also feel that what happened was a force of historical circumstances, and that blaming current Britain for past misdeeds is ludicrous. It's also fair to note that Brit history taught in schools makes kids aware that our colonial past was a mixed blessing.

 

[Jason L.]

Gosh Andrew, I make some trivial comments about the state of cuisine in the UK and you launch into vitriol against the USA. Control that temper.

 

[JeremyErwin]

Paul Krugman on British Food

The long and the short of it is:

Quite recently (within the past ten or fifteen years), british food has improved immensely. However, you have to know where to find it, and you may have to pay a good deal.

Though my parents live in Britain, I've only been in the UK twice, once in the mid eighties, and once in the early naughties. The first time round, the only thing that was really decent was the "full english breakfast," minus the sausages, which weren't to my boyish tastes. When I went back, the "full english" was gone, replaced by the continental for cost cutting reasons. But in general, the food was spicier, fresher, and prepared with more care. Even the British Airways Chicken Korma was surprisingly good.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Heh, from my perspective on the sidelines, I'd say if you want to dish it out, be prepared to get some in return...

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Well here's an article about breakfast in the UK written by an "impartial newspaper". You can't blame the Yanks for bias in this reporting.

Why the great British breakfast is a killer - Times Online

 

[miranda_y]

I just returned from London last week...first visit. I was forewarned by "everyone" that it would be terribly expensive. I wasted precious hours fretting over what things would cost. But honestly, I found that just like any American location, London locations offer every price point. I stayed at a hotel in Kensington (Millenium Gloucester) that served the largest, most phenomenal breakfast I'd ever eaten. We were still full during the day so there was no room (or money spent on ) lunch. One great thing about London is that most restaurants post their menus (w/prices) outside of the establishment. This was great! We always knew what was on the menu and the price that we would spend. There was a very expensive (and highly recommended by the hotel staff) Indian restaurant right next to my hotel. However, we walked a few blocks down the street and found wonderful, authentic Indian cuisine for about 1/4 the price of the expensive one.

I say, when travelling, enjoy the experience and dont sweat every dime. Fretting over every penny (or pound) is a sure way to strip the joy from your trip. I would much rather spend my money on the experiences and memories I will get from travelling to a new place rather than on a jacket or shoes that will be thrown out in 2 years.

 

[Yee-Ming]

I agree. I was going to say "good advice", but some do have to watch out for their budgets. I must admit, I usually get sucked into the "I'm on holiday so I don't care" mindset and pay much more for something that I wouldn't pay that much for back home (assuming the same or similar is available). But counting pennies does detract from the enjoyment: back in the day as an impoverished student, when backpacking through Europe I had no choice but to count pennies, and whilst I did enjoy myself, the budgeting aspect did put a gloss on it. Nowadays fortunately I don't have to watch it that carefully any more, and holidays are a lot more stress-free.

 

[andrew markworthy]

It's worth pointing out that in any case, nobody eats a full English breakfast these days outside a hotel. The standard Brit breakfast is cereal, a cup of coffee or tea, and if you're really pushing the boat out, a glass of fruit juice as well.

 

[Cees Alons]

Cees