How I See Britain After 15 Years Abroad
My Newsletter: benjaminantoine.substack.com
There are many reasons why we might leave our country of birth. One thing is for sure..it's pretty much always complicated. In this Video I explore my own feelings about the UK after having lived abroad for 15 years.
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About me:
I am a Brit who lives in Germany. After completing University in the UK I moved to China where I taught English for two years. I’ve learned a thing or two about cultural integration, language learning and everything else that goes with upping sticks and moving to a foreign country. I make videos about Germany, cultural differences and tend to pose a lot of questions. Join me on my exploration of life abroad.
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Good morning and sunny greetings to all!🌞I know this is rather personal but I hope some of you can relate. What do you think?
I always wondered if you just walk around cities and film yourself all day, setting up cameras and walking towards it, hundreds of times a month?
Laudable and promising. I'll have to listen to the video again, because either you're actually mumbling at some crucial points, or I was unfocused for brief moments, *_precisely_* when you announced stuff like what lodging you've found and the time frame of your stay . No problem! The videos are beautifully edited, so watching this one once more is no harsh punishment for being distracted.
I see you are in "Pompey"! This video really resonates with me. I moved to Spain in 2007. I needed the change as my life wasn't going anywhere and I wasn't happy. I love so much about the UK and I work at Kings college every summer, love the place! My friends who live there however tell me that it's really difficult to survive there and it's not what it was. I feel a sense of familiarity and dissonance at the same time these days
@@terrylodge4846 I totally get that. I find it is rarely black and white but usually a mixed bag
Your last sentence is very much appreciated.
I lived four years in London, and I absolutely loved it. Hadn't my company moved to Switzerland, I would have gladly stayed. As a German from Berlin, I had a far harder time adapting to Switzerland than to London, mainly because of the lovely, friendly and kind people of Britain.
Lovely to hear you have a great time there
@@britingermany "Had", it's a couple of years ago. My point was actually also that, London can be a great place to live, not only to visit - apart from the fact that you have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a rathole. But: I had the first garden flat in my life there.
I had a wonderfull time in Switzerland. Perhaps they are not so cute and charming, but the life is very safe and they have a high quality of life. Country is soooo beautiful.
London has changed dramatically in the last years, you won’t find the same London if you come back….many businesses are closing down as well.
@@madameversiera This is, what everybody tells me. Especially the Londoners, I'm still in contact with.
Can relate. Lived in the UK for 12 years as a German. It’s a great place - but unless you earn very, very well or have inherited wealth, it is a tough place to live a comfortable middle class life in and around london.
Totally. As an employee, even on a "good salary" its tough
@@britingermany I think you said you have a better quality of life in Germany. It would be great to hear more about that. Is the pay better? Is housing cheaper? Are there better opportunities for leisure? You could maybe do a whole video on this. We're English and left the UK in 2005 because it was hard work and we were getting nowhere fast - except into debt. I think it’s extremely difficult for the majority of people to just get by.
It’s true, I earn a low income and my life is very hard. I work everyday and most of the income is taken by bills and rent.
Even the chances of inheriting there are obstacles. Had to sell parents home to fund their nursing home. There is tax and fines and fees for everything. I cannot afford my own freehold property, had no choice to buy a leasehold flat/apartment (feudal system), I pay full price via a mortgage, property returns to the owner after 125 years, unless I pay £0000s to extend the lease. I also pay ground rent to the owner £300 a year and services charges to maintain our building. England is a rip off and very corrupt place. Politicians are so corrupt by donated money, they do whatever folks with money says :(
Used to love the UK before they tried dividing the people and Used tax funds to commit ethnic cleansing
I love the Brits, most of my online friends are from the UK, Australia and the US, but nothing beats the British humor and their opennes towards other cultures. They are smart, empathic and loving. Much love from Berlin.
Thank you. Looks like we could use that right now 🙂
@@britingermany definitely
Back at you 😊 I've only been to Germany briefly for the world cup The people were so warm and friendly and the countryside looked beautiful. Somewhere I would like to return to visit Kind regards from England
Exceptionally cold and bad damp weather though kind if takes the shine off it imo. Summer is great in uk if you can make it 😂
@@augustusmaximus891Germany is colder and equally as damp
My husband and I were traveling England and Wales extensively maybe 6 years ago. We avoided London, as we had been there before. We loved it a lot! The thoroughly maintained landscape, the old towns, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, ... Since then I am convinced that no-one does museums better than the UK. Coming from the Southwest of Germany, where almost each small village has an "industrial zone" where they produce something or another for global markets, we started asking ourselves: Where do the people who live in the British countryside go to work?
That is a very valid question. Seeing as it’s a more services based economy usually an office job or some kind of shop/restaurant/hotel
Britain also used to have industrial areas linked to towns and villages. A lot of villages grew around mines , clay works etc, or going further back into history ,the wool trade and weaving , think of the Cotswolds. The small mining Village where I grew up ,in South Derbyshire ,was basically a mining village . It used to have various local shops a small garage . Most of the locals would have worked in the large number of local pits , pipe works ,along with the large number of Engineering companies serving them and producing a wide variety of goods . The next village to my home village had not only a pit but a small shoe factory and going back a few hundred years a foundry . Our local towns were heavily industrialised, even when I started my apprenticeship, my local large town being dominated by Brewing Ale . It had a large foundry company ,lots of small Engineering businesses , the company I did my apprenticeship at designed manufactured industrial locomotives for export all over the world . They designed bespoke machinery , manufactured large worm reduction boxes and gear boxes and was old enough to have had a hand in manufacturing parts for the very first tanks of WW1 . The variety of products and factories around my local area was astounding, especially when you consider the area is ,or was, very rural and not a large industrial city . Sadly our politicians from all of the three big political party’s,threw this all away ,with their policies over the years and decades .Before we joined the then common market we were an industrial based economy ,as Germany ,fortunately for the Germans, still is . I am an Engineer and the short sighted deliberate politically motivated industrial decline has been astounding since I served my Engineering apprenticeship ,in the late 1970s , and early 1980s . From a high skilled manufacturing,industrial based economy we are now a low skilled ,low paid ,dumbed down economy ,based on the service sector , banking,insurance, coffee shops ,retail and the new god in the economic policies of our brainless politicians, house building ,designed to fuel an ever insatiable demand in consumerism ,fuelled by mass immigration. All completely unsustainable on a collection of little islands , but that doesn’t bother our esteemed politicians, so long as they survive their term in office and line their pockets. 🇬🇧🏴
They don't work, they are rich... English countryside is for rich only says my neighbor from UK.
@@michaelhart895 A spot on summary, especially about house building and consumerism fuelling the economy. Our agricultural land is being used as the fuel for the fire, high immigration being used by politicians to drive consumption. It is totally unsustainable.
@@mynaturalperfume828 i imagine they all quote Jane Eyre whenever they have conversations 🤔
I moved to Vietnam in 2018 and started teaching English with a TEFL etc. Now 6 years later and married with a 4 year old daughter , would like to return to England and raise her with a UK education has been made impossible as the new financial threshold is out of reach for me 😢 So essentially im stuck in Vietnam, as years of mass immigration has ruined it for me , and the torys snap decision is tearing genuine families apart 😢
Would it not be possible as a teacher on England? I suppose it depends where and what kind of specialisation.
@@britingermany I live in Japan and this happened to a colleague of mine. The new threshold is 39k a year. If you can't make that, then your family can't live in the UK, which means by extension, YOU can't live in the UK.
I'm a German who loved to live and work in the UK in the mid 1990s. I then moved to Hamburg. Coming back to Germany and living in Hamburg, I realized too how much we have in common. Love your videos!
Thank you Andre. I was beginning to think I was the only one who thought this 🤣🙏
@@britingermany oh no! How could you?! However the "Hamburgers" are known to be a bit more anglophile than most other parts of Germany.
I agree 100%. Both our languages got many same words, same written, different spelling or the other way round. We like beer & pubs, listen to the same music, like football & sports , share the same religion, our home is our castle, we like fiddling with cars , computers and electronics , like a small talk with our neighbors, like fishing and hunting or playing in a band. My home is in the north of Germany in the outskirts of Hamburg . I spent 2 years in England in east Anglia (Essex), in a small town called Harlow. It was a good time for me. A flat and beer were still affordable☺ I know some english people which lives here in my area. Some are more then 20 years here. And two of them are lovely women , working as english teacher here, I met them now and then at the supermarket.
@@britingermany you are definitely not. 🙂
I had a German neighbour in Denmark. He had lived in England for some time and had a totally different opinion
I‘m german and I‘ve been going to the UK since 20 years and I absolutely love it over there. I basically spent all my vacation time in the UK, especially Scotland. Whenever I fly over it feels like my second home.
That’s great to hear 😀
@@britingermany There had been social media since 2004 ........... so to say there was none in 2008 .. that is not true , we had facebook Bebo , Myspace MSN
I left the UK 20 years ago to also live in Germany. I now hold a German passport and have become a German citizen. Seeing what is happening in the UK from outside it has become clear to me that the UK is longer my homeland i would never consider returning.
20 years is a long time and after a while you lay down roots.
Thank goodness
Can you actually get a German passport; as I thought it was EU.
@@steffanhoffmann As long as you a german citizen you can get a passport.
@@paulogrady6679 👍
I'm a British citizen who's been living in southern Germany for many years now and to be honest I feel Germany is now my home, I'm fond of the German culture, the natural beauty, (mountain biking through beautiful forests etc) but what I do miss about the UK, are the ppl, the language, a good old fashion British pub, grocery shopping on Sunday and British comfort food.
Well the good thing is that it's not far away and app can always go back for a visit
Southern Germany is indeed pretty., i think it is generally more beautiful than Northern Germany. However, the medium to large Cities in the north have a lot of authentic british pups! ;-) Especially in Hamburg. Plus, there is a certain Scandinavian influence. 😊
@@GrouchyBear411 I agree with you, I think southern Germany is more picturesque than northern Germany but I think the northerners tend to be more Anglophile.
Lived for a while near Trier so, the drive to France, Luxembourg & Belgium was super easy. At the time, nobody ever checked our Passports & border checkpoints were often unmanned. I brushed up on my German language before arriving & found that most people locally liked to demonstrate their English speaking proficiency. There for a year, only ever spoke a handful of German words. I felt really at home there. Lived 10 years in SoCal too, this is an entirely different story. Back in England now & it's totally different. English culture is now being diluted with incompatible cultures who don't even bother with the courtesy of learning the English language or customary ways . They don't integrate with UK culture & expect the UK to adapt to their customs. You're better off staying where you are. The people you remember are gone. What's left is the whipped, brainwashed masses giving their country away.
Lived in Woodbridge Suffolk for 3 years from 87/90. It’s a beautiful country and I loved the Pubs, and Fish and Chips.
I'm a Canadian who visited England twice about 25 and then 15 years ago (I'm 43 now). Those visits - to London, Oxford, Bath, Cornwall, Gloucestershire - sort of cemented this image in my mind of an almost impossibily varied, historic, and cosmopolitain capital city, wreathed by a bucolic countryside, dotted with lively villages, centered around warm pubs run by witty publicans and filled with open, friendly townsfolk with deep feelings of community. I desperately want to go back, and show my partner this side of England. Every morning I actually watch videos from a lovely gentleman, who walks slowly through costwold villages as the sun rises. But, I'll admit I'm a little worried what I might find when I go back there (I can also acknowledge that perhaps the England I saw back then was fairly idealized, and perhaps getting to see how it has changed might be a good cautionary tale to listen to).
I left the UK and returned after 25 years to visit family. There's nothing good to say. The country I grew up in died and replaced by a third world country in most parts. Everything has gone down, rundown, poverty, and destitution. I could not get home quickly enough. Depressing to see my homeland in such dire circumstances. The divide between haves and have nots is vast. My heartbreaks, knowing lots of good people, have been abandoned, especially in the northern parts. The people up north should go independent from the south.
yes you only have too open your eyes.
That would have a massive impact on both sides of the country, economically and socially, if the north separated, and probably a mostly negative one. I think it would be just as impactful if not more than brexit.
nothing good to say? have you seen manchester's regeneration over that time? the new mayors are the beginning of the independence that the north needs to thrive without london trying and failing to decide what's best for them. let's see what the next 25 brings. im quite optimistic now that there is a universal desire for evolution and change
@@dungcheeseMORK999 yup the north benefits a lot from fiscal transfers from london and greater south east. the north runs a tax deficit which is funded by a tax surplus in the richer parts of the country. no offence to the other commenter but only someone who hasn't lived here for 25 years would want independence, not people living here
@@bordedup546 lets hope so...ireland leading the way
I think that the queens death really hammered home the reality that it will never be as before and that the empire has gone. More a state of mind than a thought. A realisation of what always was feared for.
Yes I do think that was very significant
No one cares about the empire we just want a functional nation which the UK is no longer. It's quickly becoming a failed state.
very few people I grew up with were ever mentioned the empire in everyday life. The memory was fading many ytears ago. If u look at the countries that became independent, some of them have done very well but others have given a poor account of themselves.
I like your balanced and respectful approach on the nuisances of differences and the current challenges the UK and in particular England is facing, putting it into a different, personal prospective. Well done.
Thanks a lot Philipp 😀
Benidorm is screening brit visitors re Alcohol , we don't want them here, some few year ago drunken foot ball hooligans knifed the opposing supporters !
This is beautifully done! Thanks for sharing! I like that you avoided simple statements / solutions. Those last years I watched the whole Brexit scenario with ever growing confusin, disbelief and sometimes despair. What I learned is basically that simple answers don't exist. Greetings from the Ruhr district!
Thanks you Ralf. Exactly. I have learned that know one really knows what they are doing and those who cry loudly about immigration or the rich or the EU are just charismatic sophists who are oversimplifying things.
@@britingermany York is a nice city and I like it better then London
Good morning :) Thanks for these videos with their refreshingly slow way of taking the needed time to dive into a topic - and NOT boiling it down to a list of 5 pros and 5 cons.
Thanks Ingo. I was thinking it was alarmist a bit too slow but glad to hear your feedback. 🙏
I am a German woman living in Frankfurt. The UK was and is a big love of mine. I did my GAP year in the UK, studied and worked there and now have a goddaughter in the UK. For many years the British culture and history was a big part of my life - also professionally. I was educating others about British culture and history. So I am elated to find your channel here! 😊 Lately I often felt sad and estranged by the politics and Brexit, although the resentment against Europe was not new to me. I felt also a sadness as I could observe the identity crisis you talk about, but then again crisis is always a predecessor to change. Let’s hope it is positive. But I still feel a strong bond to my British friends - and to me there’s nothing more sublime than the infamous British humour. Thanks for your beautifully grafted clips and personal, balanced and deep insights, and your lovely soothing voice. 🙂
Thanks a lot for your kind comments 😀
It's all different...I think there is a no resentment against Europe as group of diverse cultures. It's the commerce and its powers in the hidden which rules everything: not only the contracts but the public opinion, just anything.
Someone who voted for Brexit here. No resentment toward Europe at all. That's a media lie. It was toward the institution of the E.U.
Totally agree ..more about loss of sovereignty in decision making ...now it seems our uk politicians have forgotten how to take serious decisions
This was a superb essay to listen to. Thank you for adding your unique perspective. I also find it very unhelpful and unproductive to think in terms of superiority/inferiority, much easier and useful to appreciate the subtle differences between peoples and cultures. I hope our beautiful and ancient culture can persevere these challenges. Best wishes to you.
Thanks a lot Nick I really appreciate it
We are not importing people from the anglosphere who apart from an accent hold our values and traditions but are creating a Tower of Babel of competing factions and one looks set to dominate . Without the indigenous British set to become a minority by 2066 but likely to be sooner , the British culture will wither on the vine and Britain will just be a name for multicultural land of no one or the latest conquered Muslim state , or there will be war , either scenario is the fault of corrupt politicians.
Hi Benikon, I am glad you said that we foreigners here in Germany tend to be the ones pointing out the positives, and why. I sometimes feel like I’m foolish for being so positive about Germany when so many Germans are knocking it. But in comparison, there is just so much here that’s absolutely fantastic. And also not in comparison, einfach so. I’m loving this British series from you. You‘ve convinced me that a trip home this year won‘t be as difficult as I‘ve been thinking. Have a lovely Sunday 🤗
Thanks so much Lauren. Yes I can highly recommend it if you get the chance. But like you said there are so many things to love about Germany. Lucky us right?! 😀
@@britingermany yes, in many ways, very lucky.
The problem is that we were taught not to be proud but instead feel guilty. We used to be a proud country.
@@Marianne-Bachmeier-Extremist I've never been taught to feel guilty. Absolutely never. I remember hinting at such a kind feeling within me receiving the immediate response from an Israeli "Why? You haven't even been born then. What's that supposed to be good for?" His family had lost almost all of their Polish relatives due to the Shoah. He pointed out that we have a responsibility obviously. However guilt is an aspect of an individual person.
@@michaelburggraf2822 All we're taught is WW2 and a bit WW1. Rarely anyone even knows about other important eras in German history and if you put your focus on these eras, you're automatically viewed as someone who is playing what happened in those 12 years down. Media, education and politics don't want proud Germans, they want to get rid of Germany.
This was a truly amazing video, I've lived abroad now for over 2 years and somewhat struggled to articulate this myself, you did it wonderfully, thank you for your thoughts!
Thanks for sharing🙏
I have loved this video, thank you for sharing. It’s given me a lot to think about and I think I will share a video but the other way around - a German living in the Uk ☺️
A very interesting view point. Thank you. As a Brit l often consider going back to the UK as l miss "my culture" and "my language". This video has helped me understand the changes England is undergoing and that perhaps my life in Germany is of a higher standard than it would be in the UK right now.
Hello there. It’s obvious dependant on individual circumstances but I think in general the standard of living is higher in Germany. For me and the U.K. it was a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder😀…and I think some relationships function best at a distance 😉
Frohe Pfingsten, lieber Benikon!🕊️ In contrast to you I would love to live in London at least for a few years! If only the cost of living weren't that astronomical ... Talking about English food - also the traditional cuisine is, I claim, much better than its reputation abroad! Steak-and-kidney pie, for example, can make me melt away!😋 Your last words in this clip are really heartwarming!😊
Awww Thanks Torsten. Yes I do love the pies😀. And I know what you mean London is just so out of reach in terms of living costs. But at least for a short trip it’s doable 😀
I think your description of London is so accurate and insightful; both nuanced and profound. I lived in London for 7 years and my daughter has lived in London for the last 15 years. Every time I go to London it simply knocks my socks off. The history, the profusion of green spaces, the architecture, the culture and entertainment options are breathtaking. When going to a West End theatre production you often find yourself sitting next to people from different sides of the planet or, as on my most recent London theatre trip, next to a businessman on a 2 day stopover in London on his travels from Singapore to the USA. And the quality of theatre productions in London are world class, only being rivalled by Broadway imho and I would say overall that London's West End edges it. I would move back to London in a heartbeat if I could afford it - any one of the houses in one of the beautiful terraces by the architect John Nash in Regent's Park would do just fine! Thank you for this wonderful video :)
The cost of living in London is almost entirely down to the cost of the roof over your head, whether rented or bought. It's primarily about land value with the building being a small factor. House prices went crazy from late 1960s when Parliament 'rectified' the situation of high quality social housing so that landlords had more 'customers'. There were ups and downs after that but, on the whole, roof over head a massive increased compared to normal income levels. That has left much left money to spend on food (we still have among the lowest food prices vs our comparator countries) and home fittings and furnishings (hence lower quality of them and lower quality of work to build houses and install fittings and furnishings)
@@cuebj You have described the main societal problem in modern Britain. Don't let go of your social housing!
You need to try some Pie & Mash... Arments more specifically, google it ;)
Beautiful video. Let‘s focus on what we have in common and stay curious about our cultural differences. Now I am so emotional after watching this video :) cultural differences are so interesting to explore, I also never get tired of it. Please keep the videos coming and enjoy the island 🇬🇧
Thank you so much. I’ll do my best
Thank you for your video. With your lovely point of view, you brought back all the good memories of the english Countryside i ve in my head since childhood. I probably need another vacation in England now.❤
Yes I can highly reccomend it. Especially with weather like this
Thank you for another insightful video! I like the way you analyze the current situation as 'identity crisis'. I also agree that broadly speaking the standard of living in Germany is higher - at least that was also true for me. It was one of the reasons why I left the UK in 2012. But then I was living in London were the cost of living was extremely high...
Thanks a lot Tom. Yeah London is just astronomical!!
I lived and worked in Germany four years: needed work urgently as my current employment terms had changed adversely and was open to any better job offer. I didn’t really expect it to be in Germany. It was a great experience and yes, I’d say you’re correct about the mutual empathy between the British and Germans…….in spite of WW11.
Thanks for sharing Ron. Glad you enjoyed your time here
British and Germans have so many historical and cultural links they are blood cousins. And like good cousins they like to wrestle from time to time.
"mutual empathy between the British and Germans…….in spite of WW11" WW11? 😀
@@vicentiumunteanu2385 WW1+1 = WW2
A very insightful commentary, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching 🙏
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings.
Thank you for commenting 🙏
Amazed how much thought provoking you can do with one video. I had a few initial thoughts. Regarding the identity crisis I'm sure we had a stronger regional / sub-regional identity in the past (I've no idea if that's good or bad) but seems to be part of the mix. Secondly, whilst I firmly believe everyone has the right to hold their own opinion on anything, I've been staggered by the lack of homework people do in forming their opinions when coupled with how seriously they think their opinions should be enacted. Finally, simplistic versions of WW2 form a worryingly imbalanced national myth. Anyway, a truly brilliant video, thank you.
Thank you very much Paul. I think we did. Maybe a silly example but I remember you used to support he football team in the town you lived....now people just go for the richest most successful club, this feeling of supporting "our local boys" seems to have gone.
Thanks for these videos! I too lived in Germany and now live in Portugal; I've also lined in NL and Belgium. Whenever I go back to UK I feel slightly overwhelmed by the pace of life, the cost and complexity of everything. The roads are a nightmare. In Germany I appreciated the greater sense of community and the reluctance to engage in the 24/7 economy. Life/work balance seems to be better outside UK which is becoming more like the USA. I hate the divisive nature of UK politics and the whole Brexit fiasco...I identify as European these days! These comments also apply for Portugal, even more so. What do I miss? The smell of the countryside, big trees, green everywhere. What don't I miss? Motorway clog and the weather!
Oh yes! Don’t get me started on the roads. That is going to be something I talk about in my next video. Just a rather unrelaxing stressful experience in the Uk
@@britingermany Thanks for getting back to me! Yes, Germany (I lived near Köln) had rush hour clog but in general, the autobahns were pretty good. In UK, you can be certain that you will meet roadworks, accidents, shear weight of traffic etc. The contrast is with Portugal where the motorways are all toll roads and are a pleasure to use...but expensive. I am tempted to say you get what you pay for but the German roads are also free and far better. There really are certain things that the Germans do better!
@@rogerhardy6306 yes the roads in the U.K. especially around the south of England are just too small for the volume of traffic. Yes I think there are many things to be thankful for in Germany
I am German and I used to visit the UK frequently, at least 3 times a year. After BREXIT I wouldn‘t set a foot on this island anymore😮
@@cassandra8620 why would Brexit affect you in that way?
Thank goodness for a comparison video that is balanced and includes nuance!
Thanks Peter! I think it is important
Thank you for these very thoughtful reflections
Thank you for commenting. That means a lot 🙏
I am currently thinking of moving from SW Germany after 15 years to the UK for a few years to work and enjoy English culture, food, countryside and flower shows.. Holding me back is a type of laziness - this area I live is very peaceful, high quality housing both modern and traditional. It easy to do anything. We cycle to supermarkets (6 within 5 minutes) We have lakes in summer, flat wide bike paths in every direction, green fields, old forest, untouched hills and sunny weather. My rent is also 1/2 of a UK equivalent and my health plan takes care very well with cardio operations almost annually. But still I think of their salt air, creamed scones, gumboots and painted timber buildings. My worry is the UK violence. Here even the criminals are oddly rare, and my children are safe
Well it sounds like you should just take a holiday for a couple of weeks there and stay where you are. You can gain a lot of insights in just a few weeks
Regarding most in common I feel the same way as a german. I've been only a few times in Britain, but everytime it was like visiting a close family member. My favourite city is actually Manchester, I can't help myself, it's just 'wunderschoen' like it is, it has a deep history, really great pubs and is charming overall. And I've to admit that I'm a fan of British beer, British breakfast and British humor. Heck, I guess that makes me almost a Brit myself - almost ;-) I still have a terrible accent. 😛 On the other hand it might be not surprising, I grew up with BFBS and a lot of British music back then when radio was still a thing and Germany not yet united. - Nice thoughtful video :)
I also love Manchester! But gritty but it has real character and the people are more friendly than in London 😀
British beer? Really?
@@elipa3 absolutely! I am German, even Bavarian and adore British beer!
@@theonlymadmac4771 is something wrong with you :) ?
@Vladimir Kuhn Must be. Saying that as a Bavarian. I am flabbergasted.
I watch your videos very often and the more nuanced your discourse, the more I enjoy it. So you left the UK in 2008 just Wien the first financial crisis hit? That must have been quite tough.
Thanks for watching Annie. Yes But I had just left Uni then and didn't have anything to loose so the financial crash passed me by.
Very interesting insights and food for thoughts. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for commenting. I appreciate it 🙏
Left the UK in 2006 after a decade in the military. Single best thing I ever did.
Funny, my lifelong dream is to escape my country to live in Blighty...
It went down hill after 1997 when Blair got into power.
@@damianbutterworth2434 100% agree. The 90s were the last good decade. Blair destroyed a nation.
@@DavidBeattty In England those are called nightmares.
Yes, mass immigration
I love this video… so thoughtful and balanced. I’ve worked for an airline for 34 years and often compare my experiences of being abroad when I get home. The UK is complex and subtle … the people almost shy. I love our thoughtfulness and politeness, and I agree the Germans do love travelling here.
Thanks a lot Peter. I do think we still have a lot in common with the Germans even after all that has happened
Left in 2004, returned in 2011 to live (stayed 3 months), went back again in 2017, got stuck for one reason and another. Finally left again in 2023. Moving back has set us back financially but emotionally was great. Have realised that what we originally left and missed is no longer there. Unfortunately the cute pubs and pub lunches with welcoming people is in demise, the shopping precincts are dead and everyone is depressed. It is so sad.
Thoughtful video - thank you
Thank you Andrew
I have briefly lived in Munich and would agree that most Germans love the English, what is interesting is your typical Brexit voter believes the opposite. I have also lived in Australia, New Zealand and currently Republic of Ireland for 9 years now. I agree that England seems to lack confidence in it's identity. While Ireland is still part of EU, it has a very strong sense of identity. Brexit was an expression of English nationalism, which has now been shown to have failed.
I think it is too early to see the full effects of Brexit. Lets not forget that the pandemic and Russian sanctions are taking their toll..it is quite frankly extremely complex but putting politics aside what I felt and experienced during my time here was a positive upbeat atmosphere...
Brexit was driven by racism, no doubt. Disgraceful, egregious, and the single biggest act of national self harm of the last fifty years.
I love Germany as a proud Englishman now living in Australia, there is a lot to be admired in the way they do things
Hi. I have visited Germay a few times. Mainly around Bonn. I absolutely loved the place . Great food ,beer,scenery and also to my surprise, humour. Something most Brits think doesn't exist in Germany !?? The question I found myself asking is why did our Grandfather's and Great Grandfather's end up bloody fighting each other ??? One good game of football and a good party after ,seemed to me ,the answer. God,I hate politicians !!!!
Remember the Christmas Truce of 1914.
Propaganda that is why Grandfathers and Great Grandfathers fought, Our Governments made us believe they were the enemy and the mugs believed they were fighting for their country, they used them to fight their wars to not lose their power of the ruling class.
@@JamesDeemons Yes. All could have been "sorted" in grandmothers (Queen Victoria's) garden ... by the King, Tsar and Kaiser ...
Most Britons are ignorant and swallow constant lies about other countries, especially Germany.
I recommend Christopher Clark 'The Sleepwalkers - How Europe Went to War in 1914'. An eye opener for me was the role of diplomacy in the prequel to.the war. And a Britain had a leading diplomatic influence.
I'm glad that you still feel at home in England. Remember what I wrote several videos (I didn't find it in a short search) ago about that topic; (paraphrased) unless England doesn't change so that it enstranges you, you will always feel at home there.
Yes thanks a lot Guido. I think that was the “do I feel at home in Germany video”. I was actually quite surprised at how at home I felt. Of course it was a holiday so totally different than if I were to live and work there but it was nice to go back😀
I am a Spanish citizen living in the Uk since 1998. I am so grateful to this country for letting me make a contribution to society and give me decent working conditions and good pay. I came to travel extensively inside England and Wales mainly and love the countryside, the towns and beaches. I am about to retire and return to Spain but I will always have Britain in my heart. I know things are tough for many but it is far worse in much of the world. It was good to hear a moderate and thoughtful opinion instead of the usual negative comments.
Thank you for watching
I actually was thankful as a German that this did not end up being a Britain Bashing or who is more pretty or stronger 😂❤. It was very refreshing to listen to your soothing and calm voice and now i know that our realities are all true and okay . We just have to be humans that respectfully can love and communicate with each other . Ty ❤😊
Exactly! Bashing gets us nowhere other than to wallow in our own misery and self pity
I so enjoyed your contribution to cultural integration, you’re uplifting, thank you.
Thank you for your comment Paul🙏 I appreciate it .
9:35 I see what you've done there. ;-) Yes, one can talk about one culture and appreciate another one. Good point, and very subtle! ;-) Enjoy your well-tempered weekend!
Thanks a lot and same to you 😀🙏
Lovely to listen to such a thoughtful and gentle man. So much more engaging than having stuff thrust in your face. I've been (mostly) in Austria, but also France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, since 2012. And I think I know how you feel. It does, incidentally, sadden me to hear what many British people think they think about German speaking people. Especially in the light of how enthusiastic they are about us. I couldn't agree more about how similar we are. And I love their language; I bet you do too. I shall watch a few more of your videos.
Thanks a lot Ian. Very glad to have you 🙏
An interesting video. Many thanks. I think that the issue that many of us feel now about the UK is that we have no illusions anymore. We have seen it for what it is and we struggle to remain positive. The things you list about the culture are fine up to a point, but they are a product of past investment. We are no longer making that investment in people, institutions nor communities. We are spending the capital instead. Finally although we share a common language, we are not really like the USA. People delude themselves when they think that. We are much more European
I'm not sure about your last point. It might be objectively accurate in that our culturally the Uk has more in common with Europe but people tend to identify with things they understand. Seeing as US culture is everywhere on our screens, phones and high streets and it takes quite a bit of effort to learn about "European culture" I would bet that the average Brit identifies more we the US than Europe...but that's just my take I could be wrong.
My favorite moment in the video is where the background music is playing JS Bach's Cmajor prelude /Well-Tempered Clavier and you are talking about feeling the 'British' spirit...❤
What a wonderful, beautifully balanced and wholesome video. You have my sub. Greetings from Munich and to all the Brits, we really do have a lot in common.
Thanks a lot and greetings back to Munich. I hope you’re loving the cool wet weather as much as I am😉
@@britingermany I am living in an attic flat - so yes I do 😅
I am in my late 40s and lived in the UK all my life, its funny how many comments say they love the Brits as I do not share this feeling and all my friends feel the same, we used to like our fellow countrymen but not anymore, many of them have become rude, entitled and selfish, whether this is a result of social media making people more narcissistic or just a natural progression with more of us disliking the way the country is going, I will never know. Pretty much everyone I know and their friends all feel the same, most dont even speak to their neighbours anymore.
Do you find your speak a form of old fashion English? I do sometimes. Each time I visit the UK, I seem to have to learn new expressions. Some I struggle with, like "hiya." I still tend to just say "Hello". I also remember a number of years ago being puzzled by CCTV signs everywhere. It took a little while to work out, they meant, what I knew as "Close circuit television." Another thing that struck as having changed, is seemingly every house having burglar alarms now.
Well everyone tells me I have a Germany accent when I speak English so yeah you could say I struggle with that 🤣. Interesting point about the burglar clams. I did not look out for that
@@britingermany In Germany I am frequently asked whether I am Dutch. I could understand it when I was younger and had blond hair, but despite my hair loss, I am still asked whether I am Dutch. I have also been occasionally told in the UK that I have a German accent, but my German friends would laugh out loud at that.
I love your channel please don’t ever quit doing your videos! Greetings from northern Germany. 😉
Thank you for the support Lola. I appreciate it
This is a great video. Thank you for making it. You’ve absolutely nailed the state of the country. Very difficult times but loads of richness and spirit that is a deep wellspring that I hope we can draw from to get us through it. You are absolutely right about standard of living and the monolithic nature of London. All things that I for one hope will change.
Thank you for watching
I guess I'm definitely more judgemental than you. But having experienced both UK (albeit mainly through London) and Germany and yet coming from a third country, it is always fascinating to compare and complain about them all 😏 As you say, UK (mainly England) is going through an identity crisis. And it's a different kind than what Germans had in the Romantic era. While the old German struggle was seeking a coherent identity of then yet non-existing country, current British one is the old sense of self identity challenged by the changing world. The image of UK I had before actually coming to the island was that of grandeur; a nation that ran the biggest empire in history, towering Victorian architectures, the glitz of monarch... and all that. I was pretty amused to find the actual life and mentality on the ground was much daintier. Houses are smaller, roads narrower, landscape more pastoral. Many seem to be perfectly happy, if they could, to sip their tea from a chintz printed cup in the assurance of their self-image as Brits. Unfortunately a national identity is neither so permanent nor so sacred as many make it out to be. It's always a subject of constant change as anything in life and often actually not very old either (as I see it, the conventional British identity is from largely Victorian and later era). My advice would be - in the Imperial time, UK went around the world and, for better or worse, changed it radically. Now, rather than complaining why the changing world should come back at them and rattle the peaceful ways of their ancient island, they should embrace and accept things as they come. That would be the only way for the nation to stay relevant as a part of the force of change rather than the follower.
Very well said👍🏻. Thank you
This may be a minority view but having lived in Germany for 8 years, I felt more at home there than I did in the USA, despite the language issue. I lived in London for a while too and as an outsider, I see what is happening in the UK now as a delayed reaction to the end of WW2. The empire was dismantled after WW2 but attitudes barely changed and the Brexit catastrophe has forced an enormous identity crisis on the UK at a time when the political tools needed to deal with this crisis are not fit for purpose. Democracies are being tested in many countries but in the UK, with its unwritten constitution, its unelected head of state, its unelected second chamber and an archaic electoral system which in 2019 rewarded 43% of the vote with an 80-seat majority, the test is rigourous indeed. I do not see the UK in its current form surviving as the people of Scotland and of Northern Irelandhave less and less incentive to remain tethered to rule from London, regardless of whatever fig leaves of devolution are on offer.
I agree that UK institutions need a radical overhaul and modernised. I don't agree about Scotland heading for independence unless something severe happens to shake people in Scotland. We just had a long period of the SNP being dominant in national politics and a leader that until very recently was highly regarded as a politician. During that 8 years there was very little movement in the polls regarding independence. It seems doubtful the SNP will find a better leader than Nicola Sturgeon. And despite Brexit, Boris Johnson and the likes of Reece-Mogg running the Tory party there has been no boost towards independence in polls. The polls don't show enough demand for independence in Scotland to justify another referendum and I don't know what would change that.
@@Ok_yes_its_me Yeah, although the scottish polls in favor of independence may change with every day the tory chaos continues, and the fallout from Brexit is reaching reality.
Who is talking about the British Empire? It's not any kind of discussion in England and hasn't been for generations. If you can drag the British Empire up as a talking point, then why not the Germans and their Nazi past, they concluded at about the same time. And arguably, the Germans also had a way more brutal Empire than the British ever did. If you mention the Empire to any English person, you'll catch them cold. They'll need a few seconds to scratch up some thoughts about it.
@@jasonallen6081 I agree, however catching an English person cold regarding the empire? I reckon we should have kept it going strong. But obviously that will upset the happy clappers 😂. Doesn't matter now anyway unfortunately.
@james3547 I'm damn proud of being English and see so much about us that it's worth being proud of, but we have to fight against this thing we're being subjected to lately. This exaggerating the negative and eradicating the positive it gets me so angry because every other nation in Europe has a dark past. In fact, they have worse and darker history's than we do. It's a concerted effort to judge us in isolation. This Englishman in Germany fella is struggling with the subject/object part of his critique. Doesn't apply them equally to both places he knows well. Germany is a good nation, but there are nowhere near as many unicorns running wild as he'd have you think. He conflates the EU with Europe, one's just a political union, and the other is a geographical fact.
Had a little tear drop on my face at the end! 🥲
Awwww😀
really good, balanced video. well done!
Love this video. I am German and used to live in the UK fro 1990 till the end of 2001. I loved it there and we had a comfortable middle-class life in London. But the dislike in the society to all things foreign just got to me: I felt I could never be “me”, it’s like society expected me to be someone who I wasn’t. When I came back to Germany I was surprised to see that the standard of living really was a lot higher but also the petty rules and regulations of everyday life in Germany got to me. I moved to Spain a few years ago for work. I have come to love Germany with all my heart but it was a long journey
It can be a long a turbulent journey but I think you learn so much through and it beats staying in one place and bemoaning the situation
How did u find it living in Spain please tell me more about your expierience of Spain i love UK and germany as well would love to stay in Germany or spain
What i love about germany the punctuality of the Germans i like order
I moved to Germany from Edinburgh nearly 20 years ago and I can honestly say it was the best decision I ever made. Even though I left a relatively good job on a newspaper to try teaching english - something I had never ever considered - my quality of life has improved significantly and I now enjoy a financial freedom I never had in the UK. Now, when I go home for a visit I always have mixed feelings. The people, for the most part, seem unhappy, poor and downtrodden; in contrast to the glaring inequality evident everywhere. It no longer feels like home in many ways. I´ve changed for sure: moving to another country allows you to reinvent yourself; and you get a different perspective. But I see that the UK has changed too. And not in a good way.
Congrats on the move😀
which germany lmao. I think you always making it worse than it is, when you live in a different country.
@@maruia-bv5iz If by ´you´ you mean expats in general then I think you´re wrong. Studies have been done that show that expats tend to be if anything more positive about their homeland than they were when they lived there. I know that when I´m talking to German people about Scotland (NOT England!) I always stress the positives - the beauty of the countryside and the warmth, generosity and friendliness of the people - in contrast to the stereotype. But I keep my other thoughts to myself.
I agree (from Glasgow) been in Luxembourg since 2004.
@@salsabil44Scotland still has a good community feel.
Lovely compelling podcast . Well done.
Thanks a lot 😀
My uncle who emigrated to Australia in the late 1980's came back to visit in 2007 and cried at how bad things had got! He couldn't believe what had happened in the neighbourhood he grew up in (it's basically a little Somalia with a hint of Baghdad now), when he left it was just a normal british suburb. I can only imagine what he would have thought if he visited England now and not 2007, i think he'd have a heart attack
You have a great bass? voice. I started noticing that the top of my desk was vibrating with your voice! There must be a name for this phenomenon, but whatever it is called...it is cool and amazing! Perhaps you might want to look into voice-overs or become a voice actor or read audio books as possible career moves. Just my two cents' worth.
Oh wow! That might have more to do with your speakers than my voice😉. Thanks a lot that would be pretty cool👍🏻
@@britingermany All I know is that only your voice does that. It's a gift. I've heard some people use the term a "golden voice". Don't let that talent go to waste.
I agree! His voice would be ideal for voice-overs.
The term you are looking for is patriotism. /s Sadly many people could not define the fundamental difference between patriotism and nationalism.
I decidedly stayed away from any of those terms on purpose as they are too emotionally loaded.
In my opinion, the line between patriotism and nationalism is very thin. Many people don't even notice when they cross that line. That's why many people here in Germany are very careful about patriotism, which I appreciate. Unfortunately, we have a history of crossing this line a few times.
The Nazi Era of course cast an enormous shadow, but we should not forget that nationalism in Germany was the fluke, or exception - a very extreme, and violent one, sure - yet brief and unusual. The Germans were a patchwork of tribes and local cultures in the two thousand years since Romans first documented them, and it reverted back to that within a generation. That local diveristy, the absense of a centralised Paris or London, that ought to be embraced as typically German.
@@Anerisian Yes. In diversity we are united, the same goes for the EU27 😊 Frohe Pfingsten
@@Anerisian Nationalism in the German people existed before Hitler, before Bismarck. You ought to look into German Romanticism. The idea of a master race was not completely of German origin. Example: Arthur de Gobineau. It was an evolution and a desire to be like France and Britain. To be sitting at the big boys' table. As for Germany after WW2, federalism in the political structure and its constitution (Verfassung) were heavily influenced by the US system. Notice the French political structure is the opposite; it's very centralized and top-down.
I grew up in Southsea. Nice to see your views of it 😊
Nice footage of the Isle of Wight at the start
Thanks. Glad someone recognised it😀. It was my first time there and I was pleasantly surprised
Average UK gdp per capita in PPP is now less than the EU average. The UK is definitely falling behind other developed countries in standard of living 🤔
Yes it's it's very complex but I would say it is struggling especially when it comes to standard of living
Yep... as you would expect with adding 10 million new inhabitants over only 25 yrs. Sure....gdp goes up....but now that's devided over 67 million folks not 57 like in 1997
@@jasbindersingh2441I think a lot of people dont quite grasp the magnitude and speed of the population growth in the UK. I was pointing out how challenging it is to absorb growth at the rate of entire nations in such a short time and the pressures on developing infrastructure and services to keep pace so rapidly....it takes quite a while to develop capacity in highly skilled people like teachers, doctors, nurses, dentists and housing, road and railway infrastructure. The population has grown, in 23 years, by the equivalent of the entire population of Sweden or Portugal. Or Denmark plus Estonia plus Slovenia. At the same time, some EU countries have lost up to 20% of their population, which no one wants to discuss how damaging that is for them either. Immigration is not bad, its a good thing, but it has to be managed responsibly, with care, planning and respect for all the impacts that occur with high levels of moving populations as well as the changes in the domestic population growth or decline. The UK was one of just 3 countries that opened its labour market in full in 2004 to new ascending states. Sweden and Ireland were the other two. Other countries had a very different approach, Germany is an example that kept its labour market fully closed for the maximum allowed 7 years. In the same time period, Germany's population has grown only slightly, about 2m I believe. The UK also never implemented the 12 week rule on unemployment and everyone was able to stay, settle, fall in love, get married and have families and this is the case for members of my family too, so I feel a little cross when the UK gets labelled as xenophobic, which we clearly are not!!!!! No 12 week rule here. No one had services and support like healthcare access withdrawn to push them to leave during periods of unemployment. Thats what we decided at the time and should absolutely honour, as we did, after leaving the EU. I also believe that opportunity in the UK should be based on being able to offer proper opportunity for a home and job. People uproot their lives to leave family and friends so there needs to be a real opportunity, its just irresponsible otherwise. Opportunity should also be on a level playing field no matter where you are from, and not privilege for some over others based on where they were born...it doesn't seem fair otherwise. It is frustrating that people dont want to have a nuanced and practical conversation about how we all reasonably plan these things to everyones benefit.
@@shelleyphilcox4743 It’s worth comparing the population of France with that of the UK. In 1960, the UK had over 5 million more people. But by the mid 1980s, France had overtaken the UK. ( The population of the UK flatlined between 1970 and the mid 1990s.) By 2004 France had over 3 million more people than the UK. In 2020 the populations of the two countries were more or less the same. Yet the pension age in France is lower than it is in the UK. It’s only now going up from 62 to 64. We (British) can only dream of that. How have they achieved this?
@@stshnie Achieved by having a massive constant debt of over 100% of GDP baked in for decades? The UKs debt situation was better, but post Covid it's pretty dire again having racked up debt on that, however, it's not as high as France. More to the point, how does Germany keep their debt to GDP at about 50 to 60% of GDP in the usual run of things, disasters like covid excluded? Spend less than 1% on defence and less on foreign aid, but retirement age is higher than France but lower than the UK. Moldovans retire at 63 for men and 59 for women, but life expectancy is about 10 years shorter too at 72 compare to around 81 or 82. The French do live longer than Brits and Germans by a years or so. The French also dont spend as much GDP on defence or foreign aid...they do spend more on health as a % of GDP and of course pensions. Im sure there are other different spending priorities as well. We used to say there was a big difference in the tax burden as well, the UK had lower taxation. I'm not sure that's the case any more!
I was living in England (as a German) for a few years, and I must admit that I love the country and the people. My impression is that the British still have this "Britannia rule the waves"-thing in mind. We Germans lost the war and from one day to another it was clear that we've f*cked up and had to start from scratch. For the British it is much more difficult because the Empire was in steady decline for how long? 50 years? 70 years? Still is? But the mentality of an Empire is still there. I guess that's why the British struggle so much with the EU. They are simply not the leader anymore, the were a very powerful member, but only a member among others. Maybe that's the chance within the aftermath of the Brexit that the British now realize "We are not an Empire anymore, we f*cked up, and now we have to start from scratch again". The British have a problem with their attitude it is not a lack of skills or that they are lazy or stupid or anything it is just that they need to adjust to a new world, and they need to realize that the Queen is long gone, and I am not talking about Elisabeth but Victoria.
Yes Germany had no choice and it was really a very sudden change. For the UK it has been a very long process and will continue to be so I think
I agree on Britain and Germany, but I wonder where France fits in? I think possibly their stubborn nature and passion has helped them avoid the slow decline from an imperial power that Britain has had, and when it comes it will be more sudden. I think a lot of it can be summed up in that Germany accepts that's it's no longer an imperial power in the old sense but seizes the opportunities that the new world provides. Britain also accepts it's no longer an old imperial power, but harks back to the good old days and blames everyone else for their current state. France though buries it's head in the sand and still thinks it's an old style imperial power. I do worry for all 3 though. Britain will continue it's decline until we realise where the world is going and start to make the most of it instead of trying to stop it. France is in for a rude awakening when they finally wake up to their position in the world today (including the EU as power shifts east). Germany needs to be careful that it doesn't gamble too much in the game of neo imperialism, since there are far better players with far less scruples (China, India and of course Russia for just 3).
This is comment is complete rubbish I'm english & I can tell you we brits don't have an imperial mindset at all, our decision to leave the EU was purely cultural, English people are island people, we are not continentals & we largely lack a european mindset, being governed by a franco-german dominated project was simply unbearable, it just didn't suit us mentally & emotionally & was an historical error that we ever joined, we're an anglophere nation, we have much more in common with americans, canadians, aussies & kiwis than we do with french, germans etc.
@@elvishprincess321 I totally agree with you. I'm English and find the comment about our feeling of loss of empire, very strange and has never once enters my head. If anything, it's the Germans that long for an empire and being in the centre of the EU, gives them that feeling. They have finally achieved what the failed to do 84 years ago.
@@elvishprincess321 I disagree. I think we have far more in common with France and Germany. We have Germanic and Norman blood.
My partner and I have given up on the Divided Kingdom, and are starting a new life in Bavaria. Thanks for the video!
Good luck with the move 🤞
@@britingermany Vielen dank!
Thank you for building bridges. :)
Thank you for your support 🙏
Nice video, I have a very different view having lived in the UK for 15 years and returning to Germany a few years back. Interesting to hear your take but I personally think Germany and Germans have a lot more in common with other European nations and not so much with the UK.
Thanks for sharing. We can agree to disagree 😉
@@britingermany no problem with that at all. I like your videos, nice to see Brits in Germany (beats seeing all those Americans coming here). While I don't agree that we have more in common with you than other Europeans, I still like you and I still consider Manchester home, partially. If our paths ever cross we can settle the disagreement the way they should be settled, over a pint! In the meantime I will make sure to hit like!
@@christiandengler6689 haha thank you 😀
Hi, I also lived in London for 5 years before moving to France in 2000 and when I return to the UK I can see the obvious decline, especially in my home town of Blackpool. Less opportunities, lower paid temp work , drug problems and more immigrants ( I get the irony as I am one myself. ) Also the widening wealth gap between generations. I believe the press is more divisive too and the Conservative government seems to have given up on the younger generation completely. There are other things like more speeding cameras (more in one town than a whole department in France!) and much more traffic. In general there is now a much greater gulf between rich and poor. It is true what they say 'You can never go home' - it changes so much that it is no longer recognisable. I would never go back. I'm thankful that my Irish heritage shielded me from much of the effects of Brexit and will allow my French kids the same freedoms that I had to travel and work anywhere in Europe including the UK.
I'm happy you found your place in France😀
Maybe being Irish, you're immune... but Isn't France also in decline for the last 2 decades? Lower wages/salaries than its neighbors (except the southerners). Debt champion of the EU? Racial tension?
Don't forget you also change, I know after many years in Germany, I've become partly German, in a cultural sense.
Its not Irony, its Hypocrisy.
@@paultrought267 It is irony! Hypocrisy is when the rich let the immigrants work for them and on a politicial level complain about them.
I always appreciate your thoughtful analyses. As a German i have been in awe of Britain...its music, culture , multiculturalism, business-entrezpreneurship, ... there are so many things...of course we live Overall in uneasy times and a certain melancholy , for Lack of a better Word, a lot of people feel...
2008 (the year you moved abroad) was key. We had a financial crash and instead of the house price correction, the prooperty prices kept going up and up, propped by cheap mortgages rates.
Myself and most people I know just don't care anymore TBH. Most zoomers/millennials hate this country, as do many people who choose to come here. There is no country, no shared culture, no shared tradition, no shared identity. Its just a geographical area. Look after yourself and your family. That's it.
I would disagree with that. I think there definitely is a shared culture and shared traditions. Millenials...thats me by the way 🤣 and zoomers are critical across the board in most countries not just the UK and well that's a whole topic for another time. I know I was only there for a few weeks but I got a very strong sense of "Britishness"
Millennials don't hate their country, but it has done little for them.
"There is no country, no shared culture, no shared tradition, no shared identity. Its just a geographical area. " - Do you speak of the UK or of Germany?
@Marge UK - subject of the video. Where I am from.
@@JD83000 Ah, thank you! I was a bit confused about that yesterday. 🙂It was a little late for me, apparently- half my brain was asleep already, I suppose.
Wir haben im Prinzip spiegelbildliche Lebensläufe. Ich habe als junger Mann DE verlassen und 20 Jahre in den USA und UK gelebt, bin jetzt wieder in DE. Mir fällt auf, dass in allen 3 Ländern „Sachen nicht mehr so gut funktionieren“ und es deshalb sehr viel Frustration gibt, die zu einem Teil den Erfolg radikaler Bewegungen erklärt. Ich habe die englische Gesellschaft gemocht, aber fand das Leben und die Kultur in den USA interessanter. Ich habe das Gefühl, das alles 3 Länder „den Plot“ etwas verloren haben. Grüße nach Frankfurt, Frank Stühmeier.
you are right. the dysfunction is similar.
& the reason may be similar - the politics of all 3 countries are very heavily influenced from Israel. For initial evidence I offer Google (or a better search engine that doesn't bias results towards what it thinks you want to think) - type in the name of a politician & the word Israel, do it again & again especially with well-known politicians, then go through the same names with any other country instead of Israel. What you find will be very suggestive of a pattern...
So interesting to hear your experiences of the UK and Germany and read the comments. I'm from the UK and having lived in Norway for a year. I can say that although Norway is a safe and beautiful/awe-inspiring country, I greatly miss the following things from the UK - the diversity, the culture, the friendliness and helpfulness of people, and the pretty countryside and towns (not all of them obviously! but most of them!)
When I come home I spend quite a bit of time in Portsmouth, it is a reminder of when I was a child and my children love it too
His English is amazing. Great video.
errm is that supposed to be funny?! Thanks anyway
@@britingermany The English always use that 'compliment' as a nonchalant, casual racist remark to remind me that they can hear it from my accent that I'm an immigrant.
Indeed the British and we Germans have a lot im common, which is historically speaking no wonder, when you take a look at the millenia of shared or at least interlooped history. But it doesn't even start there! In fact our languages are structurally (grammatically) very similar and both vocabularies have hundereds of words from the other language dotted in and while this is likely more true for german taking in english words in modern times, especially in the past you could easily stumble upon german words in the english language. Language itself is as much an expression as a builder and former of culture and the geographical and climatic closeness surely helps to form cultural and interpersonal bonds. Nowadays the northern german dialect of "Plattdeutsch" still has quite a lot of similarities in the vocabulary with english, as both languages didn't make the "second german sound shift", which transformed the germanic language into the old high german language (which no german today would understand anything of, believe me!). Still, words like wiet (wet), skiep (sheep), hüs (house), Klock (clock), wark (work), Wind (wind) or Wort (word), show the closeness of both people in everyday life, surroundings and their experiences with the world they lived in. Britain only had a somewhat remote geographical position, which stopped conquerers in their tracks most of the time, while Germany was always in the very centre of Europe and therefore in the centre of political struggles. Yet we must not forget, that we have a lot more in common than things that devide us.
Thank you so much! Very well said 🙏
@beatus72 😊 Yes, apart from a tiny correction: Nedderdüütsch/Plattdeutsch/Lower Saxon language is a language, not a dialect, and has, like every language its own dialects as well. Like Welsh, Scottish or Frisian, Nedderdüütsch/Lower Saxon language is registered at the Unesco World Heritage as a "protected minority language" 😊 About 5ish million Northern Germans are still speaking the Lower Saxon language. Hol di fuchtig met groetens ut Bremen 😊 All the best with greetings from Bremen
@@saba1030 Jo, danke, du hast natürlich Recht. Sprache, nicht Dialekt. ^^ Ich hoffe, ich habe den Rest in halbwegs verständlichem Englisch hinbekommen.
@@beatus7251 Jo, alles bestens 👍😊
@@beatus7251 Sicher, aber meine Meinung nach, sind Französisch und Englisch ähnlicher als Deutsch und Englisch.
My mum is in her late 70s and says this current era is by far the worst she’s ever lived through. Not being able to afford to put the heating on. Not being able to get a docs/dentist appointment. Price of the weekly grocery shop. State of the roads. Kids stabbing each other. Etc..
Great vlog and a very thoughtful message. I lived in London for a year and I agree that the Englush and Germans have a lot in common.
Thanks a lot 🙏
Thanks for your insightful analysis. I found myself nodding at some of your points. I am a Canadian living in Munich for the last four years. I taught ESL in Japan in the 90s because I spoke English. Toronto is Canada's London, with much of the wealth concentrated there. I lived there for four years and would never again for many reasons. I was recently back in Canada for a few months, and when the Brexit topic popped up, the majority opinion was wtf did Britain do? 😊 I think because Canada relies on trade to survive, many Canadians don't understand why Britain would leave the most extensive free trade union in the world. I suppose many Brits feel the same. I have visited Britain several times and love the place and the people, but I don't think I could live there given Britain's detachment from the EU. And I bet you're pissed that you now must pay the duty on imported British products. 😉
Actually the most annoying thing for me is having to stand in a different line at the airport and always remember to take my residence card with me…luxury problems I know
@Davidlynch9049 Do you anticipate Canada applying to the EU? Or would that be detrimental to Canadas predominant trade relationship? It certainly took a really long time to negotiate the trade agreement between Canada and the EU. Its not very nimble. The UK is not like Hungary, whose entire international trade is goods based and intra EU. The UK economy is services based, not goods based, and the EU has done very little for dealing with services trade, much on tariffs and little on non tariff barriers. Half the UKs trade is non EU. One size does not fit all. When the EU market is saturated and does not have the capacity to increase its purchases, but the RoW does, but regulation and trade agreement hampers expanding RoW export, its quite the dilemma, especially if you make significant payment to be part of a market that also hampers growth outside of it for what you have to sell, and also make your purchases from that same market disproportionate to your own sales. Thats a lot of investment for a diminishing and unbalanced return.
@@shelleyphilcox4743 You are utterly mistaken if you think your tiny island empire will get better trade deals than the EU can negotiate for itself. As it can be seen from the trade agreements with f.e. Japan and others the UK is now in a very weak position. Your whole argument is upside down.
@@FutureChaosTV Well, if the EU isnt even negotiating trade deals that include improvements in services exports and the UK can do that for itself it is an improvement. I'm certainly interested in more just trade deals, so the UK can certainly do that too. What do you think the EU actually is? It's not just a trade organisation. It is collective might in order to extract the best deal for itself over weaker entities. Its mission is to expand and gain increasing might, centrally managed. Trade is used to exert political and economic influence. The EU even created a department called 'Protecting Our European Way of Life' which had to quickly be amended to 'Promoting Our European Way of Life' It doesnt change the brief, but it sounded slightly more palatable to people. The wealthiest, whitest most Christian countries banding together to exert political, economic and cultural influence around the world, with a centralised administration and policy makers and implementers who you cannot vote for. The Commission is appointed. The President is not even a spitzenkandidat selected by the Parliament. The President of the Commission serves a term twice as long as the President of the Council...why do elected Heads have a shorter term than the appointed President of the Commission, which is supposed to be an administrative role...yet surely you see it's the leading political role in the EU? Anyway, it's interesting that you call the UK a tiny island 'empire'. What's very clear is that the UK has rejected empire by leaving the EU, because that is what the EU is. Have a think about it, read some history about how empires were created in history, especially european ones (including the British empire). Trade, territory acquisition through power either economic or military, political and economic influence and imposition of culture and centralisation of administration. You might think it's a nicer empire because it doesnt use weapons, unlike empires in history, but it is, nevertheless an empire.
To David Lynch -I completely agree with you. RS. Canada
To germans who affraid of speaking english: " Keep calm english is only a wrotten german" To englishmen who complain german is so difficult "Keep calm german language is only a wrotten english" 😂 it works both sides. And it's nice to see how the British like the Houses of "Sachsen-Coburg- Gotha" and "von Battenberg". Most off us belongs to a germanic tribe, which old Julius was fearing so much. Exclusivity is a wrong way, germany has have to learn it the hard way. Germany wealthyness is to be sourounded by friends/partners. You don't have to rule the waves, you have to learn to surf on 🏄♂️ But I am sure when the big Bullys Nigel and Boris will be forgotten farts in time, the youth will come together cause you can't stop Intelligence forever (Eric Arthur Blair: Animal Farm)
with age/experience can come reflection and ultimately a nuanced perspective. My situation is quite similar. I have lived here in the US for 25 years now. I like my home, my life, and i still love germany, my family there, etc. It is entirely possible to love 2 great places, and still be critical of the faults and shortcomings of either. I wish more people tried it.
Thanks for sharing Uli. I’m certainly glad I made the move
9:41 Where is Hovis hill (looks like it)? Is that Richmond castle's buttressed retaining walls on the right? The valley looks too wide though 🤔. Almost, but not quite, Heimweh 😊.+1 Subscribed.
Interesting video as I also live in Germany. My name here is Gypo John because of working, living and experiencing a number of different countries, cultures and languages. A working class Lancashire Lad that hates London and everything it stands for because of the harm it has done to my home land for many, many years. I agree with you about the language and also how German people feel about the English (I will say English because it is my experiences as English, not British)! I have lived in Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany (plus working in a number of other countries)and I speak German and Dutch because of this. I say speak for good reason because I write both languages so bad I try to avoid this at all costs, even though I can read both languages quite well. I moved back to Lancashire in 2004 having left it in 1979 having taken the Queens shilling and joining the Army. Even though I had returned over the years to visit, sometimes, these sometimes being often 5 years or more between visits, it had not occurred to me how very different the place had become. When I did return to live, I found it rather difficult because I was a foreigner in my home land. After 3 years I left (never to return to reside) and moved to Holland after a short stay in Belgium (again). Lived there for 5 years in Rotterdam and loved it. My Grandson was born so I decided to move back to Germany so as to see more of him. This was just over 10 years ago and I will never move anywhere else again (more to do with the fact that I am now an old fart, lol)!!! It is very easy being an English foreigner here and as you mentioned the people here really like the English. How different it was for me being a foreigner in my home land, I was disliked and not received well because I came over from Germany. It has been over 7 1/2 years since I was last there and do not think I will ever return because the country and most important the county (Lancashire) is no longer the place and culture that I left in 1979 and I do not like it. I am and always will be English because I cannot be any different no matter how many countries I have worked and lived in. I am Anglo Saxon and this means Germanic, so feel really well and very much at home in Germany.
Hello there and thanks for sharing. I think it is natural and normal for countries and cultures to change and evolve. Maybe it is because I grew up in the countryside and my parents still live in that same house but for me not a lot has changed. I think most of these changes happen in the larger cities the pace of life and rate of change in the rural countryside is a lot slower
I think there is a “meanness” that has built up within the English culture. I sense a us versus them ethos ( not in a good way ) the Tory leadership has certainly leaned this way.
Ok that is interesting. But more in politics or do you think in general society? as in men Vs. Women? locals vs. immigrants?
I worked in England in the NHS from 1987 - 1990, and I share a lot of your sentiments, it was easy then, UK being in the EU. Now I feel, despite Brexit it has so much changed in global terms. I had difficulties to find a cheese cake for desert, instead all other Continental stuff galore, croissants, capuccino, etc. I enjoyed my time in the UK a lot, travelling all over the place.
My family left in 1970 and went back 1979 for vacation, and that was different enough. Never been back since. I would like another visit.
Lived in the UK for 4 years and felt really bad for friends there when Brexit happened. In hindsight I believe this offers a lot of opportunities for the UK as long as they find their own way/agenda and don’t follow the same path and policies as the EU
I think where ever you stand Brexit has happened and we have to make the most of it. There’s no use hopping and praying for another referendum
Playing Bach during the British spirit part 😂
Interesting video. Very thought provoking. It wouldn't harm you to crack a smile though!!
Thanks Colin. I am a bit more smiley in my next video😉. Make sure to check in next Sunday at 9am
Thank u for this
Thank you for commenting 😀
I've lived in the UK for 30+ years now... is this the same place I thought it was... NO. The UK has changed and is changing in ways I now do not identify with... its sad for me to say, but If I knew back then, what I now know and see... NO! I would have chosen a different country to entrust my life with.
Sorry to hear that but I think all countries have changed a lot on the last 30 years...I think many would say the same about Germany.
@@britingermany you do have a point.
I'm German. I moved to England over 25 years ago. I lived up north for a short time, then moved to the south west. The beginning in England was very difficult. I often had to struggle with racist remarks. At first I thought it had something to do with being German. But over time I met people from other cultures and countries and they told me about similar experiences. I found then that many in England failed to recognize the fine line between patriotism and nationalism. And many see their nation's history very naively and uncritically. That died down a bit. But flared up again during the Brexit period. I was shocked to realize that many people around me voted to leave, even though they had always enjoyed the full benefits of EU membership. They voted to leave, not because they were dissatisfied with the EU or for economic reasons. No. Everyone I spoke to gave foreigners as the reason. In recent years, however, there has been a change. I have the feeling that many have woken up. Hardly anyone comments with the typical "We and they". I'm also no longer asked by anyone where I'm from. Perhaps many have also become aware that the leaders at that time were concerned with something completely different and not with what they stated. Despite the difficult times at the beginning, England has become a part of me and I feel more British than German. The last time I was in Germany I felt like a tourist. I noticed how English I've become. The last time I visited Germany I kept saying "please and thank you" and kept the door open for other people. I also often said "after you" etc. The NHS in England is a disaster and it can only get better. The roads aren't much better, but over time you'll know where the potholes are. Anyway, England is beautiful and despite everything, life is quite good here.
"The NHS in England is a disaster and it can only get better." Our far right governing Conservative Party is determined to make sure that it can only get worse. And thus speed up the process of privatisation and takeover by foreign healthcare corporations.
Benefits of the EU ? Is that the EU that morphed from a free trade zone to infiltrating every aspect of our life . The same Eu that we joined with a massive industrial base and left as a warehouse for foreign made goods ? The same Eu we paid in billions to , to improve infrastructure throughout the poor countries of the Eu where once they were up to scratch our industries moved there with EU grants , while our infrastructure fell apart ? The same Eu that gave us 8 million low skilled immigrants that decimated living conditions for the working class, who saw their wages decimated while housing , welfare and social costs spiralled out of control and you wonder why the NHS is overrun ? I could go on but you will never understand because you are a migrant and only see things through your own lens and what is best for you . Any country can and will take some migrants and they will be welcomed if they are productive, law abiding and embrace their new country but on the scale we have had in the last 30 years I see it as a true picture of our tolerance that we have let it just happen . Germany as Sweden is now is fully enjoying the fruits of uncontrolled immigration , maybe you feel less attached to Germany now because of the enrichment it has received has made it less like the country you left behind.
@Fred Amber Richard Tice stated some time ago "Brexit was about stripping down all regulations (protection of labourship, environment, banking etc) and to convert the NHS into a private health system US style". He was smiling when saying that... My London born spouse and I are living in Germany, but we have regular contact to our English friends and family living in the UK. One of our friends might need a new knee, the NHS people were telling him to go private, would cost him £25.000. All the best to you with greetings from Germany 😊
The NHS is not funded properly- this is the main issue, as well as staffing shortages. Germany and France spend 7% more on health than the UK, and it shows. The NHS is under pressure, there is no doubt, but it is nowhere near as bad as the self serving myth making by the right wing press makes out.
Live in germany over 30 years and germany has gone the same way not the country i came to in 1989 and its getting worse
I left UK 20 years ago, so was interested to see what you had to say....was very surprised when I started watching, as the place I left behind was Portsmouth! Thanks for the nostalgia, but I'm much happier away from that place :)
I wonder if you ever go back?
greetings 🙋🏻♀️ while going through your vids.. amazing how things can be just the other way around ... if you remember my comment 😉 thankful for your content.. with or without hair you seem to be a lovely human being keep it up and all the best wishes to you and all your dear ones ❤🙏🏼🧿🤲🕊⚘❤
Thank you very much 😀💈