Flags

Re: not so - sort of true Joke

Powdered monkey gland? English women? Koala bear liver pate? Now then, That trip to the ballearics!
 
Re: not so - sort of true Joke

With the way the wind blows, or doesn't most of the time in the med, we will be stinkies most of the way! But boy am I looking forward to it, I'll probably only do three overnighters, which will be plenty, then I can stop a few more times for crew rest and recreation!! Gib, and two stops on the mainland and then IBIZA! Yahoo!!
 
Some french, some brits

My experience of frenchies is only as visitor of max 3weeks at a time. But I wonder, colin, if the pride and patriotism that you claim is perhaps the very same characteristic that you actually dislike seeing in the French?

The "surly" waiter syndrome is my favourite. Brits go out to eat rarely. It's a celebration. But French eat out much more, and in restaurants the process of serving food is taken seriously, and not seen as "servile". Being a waiter isn't a "filler" job as it it for Brits on their way in or out of further education. Then, some Brits turn up, and expect to be explained the menu in a foreign language (imagine someone in Plymouith or scotland doing the same in french - unless they're French). Brits also expect the waiting staff to "smile" as though it's a theme park and the waiters job is to make diners "happy", and get annoyed when they don't. Many brits don't much care for the "funny" french food, even though lots of it comes directly from the UK.
 
Re: The essence of Englishness

There is something in what you say, about the insecurity.
I live and work here in Norway. Here every house, shop, office, building as a flag pole. Here they have a National day 17th May which is day off. All flags are flown, bands play and parades are marched and the populace turns out in its national costume (85% women 60% men wear it) Why because there was a time when they could not fly their flag.
I flow The Jack at half mast on the day of the Queen Mum funeral and I will fly the Red Cross of St George on St Georges day and they will respect that. Has I will fly the Norwegian Flag on their Day.
Its embrassing because they do ask what we English do on our National Day and they are more then surprised when I say we dont have one.
 
Re: Some french, some brits

Well, to be honest I enjoy french food, some of it, I've also had some diabolical food, in various parts of france. My experience comes mainly from working with the french in France and various other french dependencies or former colonies (they never actually let go of anywhere) French waiters, well yes I do understand that its more of a prper job, as it is in holland belgium etc, But it's also true that the belgiums eat out a lot, but their waiters are infinitely more friendly and genial, they want you to enjoy, not just the food but the experience. I eat out a lot, as I'm single and have eaten in many palces all over the world, I can';t say I've had any particular bad experiences with waiters anywhere, I can read most french menus, it's not really that difficult , with a minor smattering of what different animals and veggies are called! National pride, doesn't come into the french hating everything english, it's a national phobia with them! They think we are all uneducated pigs, with no taste buds and a crap language. It's not our fault English is the second language of the world, blame the americans for that. But I don't really care, I've met soime wonderful french cruising couples. But I sometimes wish they would not forget so very quickly how many British and American troops died to pull their fat out of the fire, I know quite a few french died aswell, but not in vichy france. Enough! Sorry for the tirade!
 
Having finally got back into some sort of routine after our trip to Florida Gulf Coast, (more of which when I have time). I can't tell you how many stars and stripes they have flying there, outside supermarkets, petrol stations, car sales rooms by the dozen, government buildings, banks and many houses, let alone the cars, across the back, on clever thingies that stick out the drivers window, all very patriotic. American and proud, but very overwhelming for our British tastes
 
September 11th fever, but at least nobody is trying to take their flag away, because it upsets somebody for something that happened in the middle ages! Can you imagine how far something like this could go. The mind boggles!
 
not rewritng history

Agreed that it wd be much better if they perhaps majored on their nice countryside etc. A lot of French do go on about "the glory of France" when in fact their performance over the last 200 years has been anything but glorious.

Totally disagreed, though, regarding deaths of people in France. Uk declared war as a result of agreements with attack on Poland, and subsequent defence of the UK, long before an invasion of France although General (then Colonel) de Gaulle who opporttunistically jumped in a plane in June 1940 as Germans arrived in France might like to have thought that the whole operation was indeed a special mission to rescue France. Dunkirk included rescue of 1,000's of french who fought on allied sides.

Lots of french people died in the resistance within Vichy France, although the Petain govt itself signed allegiance to nazi germany. Post-war, some of the vichy government were executed, others imprisoned, by the French, not allies. Amongst dead french include the inhabitants of Oradour, near Limoges, whose entire population was killed by germans as retribution of the actions of resistance fighters in June 1944 delaying the rapid movemet of germans northwards - to attack allies. I have had lots of discussions with french people who tearfully recognise the war effort of the brits as going far beyond those of any other nation, a fact that has sadly passed by T Blair who thinks that the yanks were onside in the blitz and the french did nothing other than as depicted in allo allo. The contribution of Brits in WW2 is now over 2 generations old, and altho the lessons must not be forgotten, it's a shame if they are used to claim that brits are superior. This is racism: to attribute the characteristics of some of a group or nation to that whole group.

France remains arguably the most civilised nation on earth, but there'll be plenty of individual exceptions, including at least some of the 16% of the population who somehow voted for a president who would chuck out immigrants largely on the basis of their skin colour. Let's hope that a re-vote in a couple of weeks will show that most of them were tactically voting against an olde worlde socialist do-nothing prime minister whose ideas have little credence in a modern world.
 
Re: Why do you want to have a day off in

honour of some turkish bloke.?I am all for day off at every available excuse but arn t you supposed to celebrate somebody with something remotely to do with this country?Who was it who said "I am all for waving the flag I just want to know who is waving it and why"

Hard work never did anyone any good.You die from it.
 
Re: not rewritng history

Toatlly agree about Le Pen, but the "most civilised nation on earth" there would be quitre a few people who would disagree with you on that one. Not to mention quite a few countries, we all have skeletons in our national cupboards, think about Algeria, Morocco, west Africa, Polynesia!! to name a few. I did not even insinuate (spelling) that the brits were superior due to the war, to do so would be crass stupidity. France is a lovely country(side) but so is Britain, it's just that they never visit to find out and slag us "ros biffs'" all the time. I just want to vist, enjoy, not slag them off. Most of the vichy were not executed, I bring to your attention the fairly recent scandal in France where somebody fairly high ranking was found to be from the vichy government, or am I mistaken? Theres an awful lot more went on in vichy than you or I will ever find out, it is fairly well hidden, or the fact that three regiments sent to Indo China were made up of exclusively ex SS troops of the foriegn legion, even down to there officers, These "Partisan jagers" fought with distinction in the battles in Indo china actually, but they had nowhere else to go. But I don't consider myself a racist, just want fair treatment for all. But we could go on like this for ever, I would love to sit with you and discuss this, but sorry, it will have to wait.
 
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