The Land You Live In

As some of you already know, I'm British. More specifically, I'm English.
I think a lot about my own country and its quirks (I mean we have all these different names meaning slightly different things: England, Wales, Scotland, Britain, Great Britain, United Kingdom)

I prefer to identify as British

And.....before the mods think about moving this to Academia (whose halls I shall never step in) I shall say this: politics aside, what makes your country unique and beautiful to you?

Possible ideas: geographical features, your individual customs etc...

I have a sweet endearing curiosity but......if despite what I've said this still disappears into Academia......(shrugs)

Well we sure have a lot of potatoes

we have a ton of snow here in Canada.

Poutine

Unless you mean where I currently live then I would say all the trees. They're everywhere and it is pretty

I'm proud of my nation's sense of humour. I think British people are the wittiest on the planet and I love that. Look at our very own Eyes on FF! Every year the funniest member ciddie nominees and winners are dominated by the inhabitants of this silly little island.

Oh, we also have the best teeth in the world, contrary to popular opinion. Go team.

I'm American. The United States is quite a large country compared to many European countries so our states are almost like countries themselves in some cultural ways.

I grew up between Texas and Wyoming. I was mostly young in Texas so I don't share the fondness for it that many Texans do. My Pre-teen and Teenage years were spent in Wyoming. This place is the moon. Or that's what I used to refer to it. It's rolling plains then beautiful mountains. But it snows a lot in the winter so it looks very moon-like to me. Yellowstone is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been to though and I highly recommend it to others.

The people in Wyoming are a bit more "Cold" Like their blizzarding windy weather. They're more direct and blunt with the way they speak to one another and they aren't that open and friendly to new people, or "Warm". It's not that they don't care, it's just they aren't like that as a culture to random new people. They have a neutral American accent. They also have an obsession with hunting.

I currently live in Southern Oklahoma. This state is actually very pretty for most of the year and is quite magical during the summers when the fireflies are blinking across the lakes. Allergies are horrible as anything can grow here so it can kill you, whoops. You also have to worry about ridiculously intense weather with the Tornados that come through here. There is nothing like that kind of weather. I find it fascinating but for many others they find it terrifying.

The people are more warm and open toward new people but they are also extremely judgemental. You can definitely feel more accepted and happier on a basic level of interaction. We're part of the "Bible Belt", though. So while they'll be nice and smile and be friendly in a basic sense, they tend to be more judgmental over things you've said or done. Many around here tend to use their religion as an excuse to be more rude like this. They will "pray for you" in regards to your sins or repent their own sins every sunday. This is not to say everyone is like this or that religious people in general are like this but a large majority in this area tend to follow that trend. I kind of like shopping on sundays though because of how religious it is here. No one is ever at the grocery store Sunday morning, it's lovely.

They also are very nosey here. There is a monthly paper that comes out that everyone loves that has all the mugshots and small descriptions of what people got arrested for in the past month. It's in every county I've been in, in this state. They make bank off it. I find this strange and a bit of an invasion of privacy but they all find it normal and are excited about it. It's strange.

Also they love playing in the mud/dirt. There's this weird culture that they have that involves large trucks and off roading and mud and rivers and lakes and dirt and I don't get it but whatever.

So yeah! That's Wyoming and Oklahoma for you! That's a bit longer than I think you wanted haha

Awesome thread Mist! Well, I love the island that I am from (Saipan). Beautiful beaches, tropical weather, delicious local food and people always celebrating with big feasts. As well as local and fire dance and arts.

America is so big and diverse that I can't really identify with the whole of it. But I am a proud Californian. Of all the states we have the best mix of smart people, creative people, laid back people, and mixes of all those. Every state has its beauty (except Arizona), but CA has the most diverse and abundant beauty of them all. We have forests, beaches, deserts, mountains, lakes, cities, rural towns. It can be snowing in one part of the state and people sunbathing in another part. We have Disneyland, Hollywood, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, the redwoods, Napa Valley, and all the major sports. I can't imagine living anywhere else.

I'm from Michigan, been here all my life. The best/coolest things about this state I'd say are craft beer, the fact that I can use my hand as a map (because of the shape, Michigan is a mitten!) and the wide variety of ethnicities round the metro-detroit area.

I'm from Florida, and while it's easy to make of fun of it, I love my home. No matter where I go, what I do, I'll always miss our soft white sand, the smell of saltwater everywhere, and hearing the seabirds.
I put it like this: Millions of people from all over the world, spend billions of dollars every year, to hang out in my backyard. That's smurfing cool, I think.
And yes, there are plenty of things to do that don't involve theme parks. Just ask a local. ;)

We sure are awesome at winter sports. Kinda makes up for our suckiness at summer sports.

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Originally Posted by Pumpkin

Poutine

Unless you mean where I currently live then I would say all the trees. They're everywhere and it is pretty

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Originally Posted by Psychotic

I think British people are the wittiest on the planet and I love that.

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Originally Posted by Freya

I'm American. The United States is quite a large country compared to many European countries so our states are almost like countries themselves in some cultural ways.

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Originally Posted by Bri

Awesome thread Mist! Well, I love the island that I am from (Saipan). Beautiful beaches, tropical weather, delicious local food and people always celebrating with big feasts. As well as local and fire dance and arts.

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

America is so big and diverse that I can't really identify with the whole of it. But I am a proud Californian. Of all the states we have the best mix of smart people, creative people, laid back people, and mixes of all those. Every state has its beauty (except Arizona), but CA has the most diverse and abundant beauty of them all. We have forests, beaches, deserts, mountains, lakes, cities, rural towns. It can be snowing in one part of the state and people sunbathing in another part. We have Disneyland, Hollywood, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, the redwoods, Napa Valley, and all the major sports. I can't imagine living anywhere else.

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Pumpkin, I like pretty trees too, would love to see great big North American Forests someday. Pine trees.....oh so beautiful pine trees

Psychotic, being British myself I'm inclined to agree. Our sense of irony is sharp, so is our sense of satire.

Freya, you write like a writer and since you're an Editor here I would expect nothing less than a detailed account :-). And you've given me some interesting points to think about. I would argue that in a much tinier way, we can also be different given that we are a United Kingdom. Scotland and Wales have cultural differences to England. Northern Ireland is more different, given they only became a part of us in the early 1920s and they aren't geographically joined to us.

Bri, if I could ever afford it I would go on holiday to your home country :-)

Del, if I could ever afford it I would also go on holiday to San Francisco. From what I've seen (on TV), even the cityscape is beautiful, not to mention the natural beauty that is the Bay, the beautiful sparkling Bay :-)

We like to do everything differently from the rest of the world, practicality be damned! We took your language, your sports, and adapted it to service... us :stare:

In Kansas though? Uhh... We have corn? Yes, corn, and mountain-less skyline. Hrm. Wheat Jesus also watches you masturbate. Yes, yes. Freya knows what I'm talking about. Hm...

Oh and we share a city with Missouri, and have tourism... for some reason. I-I don't know why anyone would visit here. I really don't.

Our food. We have a very diverse city, so we have food from practically every part of the world. Whether it's Pizza, hot dogs, steak, bbq, southern, soul, Mediterranean, it doesn't matter, it's great.

Great cups of tea! Fantastic chocolate! Great sense of humour and brilliant TV shows! We also have a lot of fantastic musicians!


Annnnnnnnnd loads of great accents everywhere - except Brum ew. My accent is the best though :)

Amazing beaches (I sincerely believe Western Australia has the best beaches in the country, and are probably only ranked behind tropical paradises like Maldives and Fiji etc.), a relaxed lifestyle, great weather (I'm appreciating that more and more with every day I spend in England) and the fresh seafood is awesome.

Having traveled to places like Los Angeles, London and New York I'm also really appreciative to live in a country/state that doesn't suffer from over population.

I live in a cold and barren wasteland, build upon what's basically an enormous rockslide. i don't consider where i am from as a very important part of who i am. i am pretty unpatriotic.

In all seriousness, I like my country quite a bit. It's nothing special, but it's home. I come from the far North East area of it, where the winters are long and super cold, and the summers are short but also scorching hot. There's a lot of evergreens, hills, and lakes, there aren't a lot of tourists and the areas outside of cities are quite densely forested, so there's a lot of wildlife roaming around. I think the area is pretty beautiful, really.

http://i.wp.pl/a/f/jpeg/34993/g_zamkowa.jpeg

http://www.junior.bialystok.pl/uploa...i/suwalki4.jpg

http://www.fotopolis.pl/media/obrazk...alszczyzna.jpg

Geographically speaking, Poland is pretty diverse. Besides lakes, we also have mountains, and then there's the Baltic sea, so it's pretty nice.

http://www.krakow-info.com/images/tatry.jpg

http://www.destination360.com/europe...-mountains.jpg

http://www.greetingsfrompoland.com/w...-seaside-s.jpg

Our folklore is also pretty diverse, with various areas having different customs that are cultivated. I'm not too in touch with it, but I did have classes about it in music school, and I do enjoy the color palette of our folk art.

http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg...dhto1_1280.jpg

And the dresses are nice. These are specifically from the Cracow area, but they're some of the most well known and best cultivated, so they are often used as a general representation of Polish folklore.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...krakowskie.jpg

I enjoy the fact that I speak a language that is pretty complex, even if it isn't spoken anywhere else. I feel that gives me an edge somehow :p

When it comes to things I'm less wild about, Poles are pretty grumpy in general. Though my generation speaks English rather well and are more open to other countries, older people will still give you weird looks. No one ever talks to anyone on the street and the default facial expression is a scowl. And yet, if you visit a Pole at their home, you can be sure you will be treated great. We're also one of the least diverse and least progressive countries in Europe. Everyone is dark blonde with either green or gray eyes, basically, though of course there are a lot of exceptions, but darker skinned people are still stigmatize as people associate them with Gypsies, stealing, etc. And yeah, homophobia is socially acceptable here, but I have high hopes for future generations, really.

Added to that, we are one of the cloudiest countries, so if you ever visit, expect to not see the Sun for a couple of weeks. It's really normal here. And our cuisine is nothing to write home about. Potatoes and meat and sauerkraut, that's basically the gist of it, though there are some really nice dishes and at least a traditional Polish dinner always comes with vegetables on the side, so that's a plus.

Overall, though, while I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as a total patriot, I do enjoy being Polish and I am proud of some of the achievements we had - Marie Curie and Frederic Chopin were two great Poles that come to mind that have been pretty influential.

Good tea. Good football. Can't complain.

I live in Wales and it basically looks like what you'd imagine it looked like in Lord of the Rings, down to all the funny place names, bad weather and starving street urchins. There are castles absolutely everywhere and rugby union is a religion forced upon you from birth. We're also obsessed with singing. I joke a lot about how much I hate the place but really, sometimes I go out into the countryside and realise I do live in quite an incredible looking place.

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(SPOILER)but seriously don't come here

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Originally Posted by Old Manus

(SPOILER)but seriously don't come here

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This is exactly what my English culture teacher told us. She went to Wales once. Got robbed and stuck in the middle of the field, with nobody but sheep around for miles and miles.

Well that's the price you pay for Being In Wales While English

Yes if I leave the house I'm a target of ridicule and muggings. I've learned to go out humming the Welsh National Anthem as I walk down the street, it acts like a confusion spell.

She was Polish, the subject was English culture (we actually covered most English-speaking countries, with focus on the UK and US) but I guess the argument still stands.

I'm not sure what the consequences are for Being In Wales While Polish. I'll have to check my handbook.

This is a fun enough game to warrant its own thread. What happens to Australians that visit Wales?!

They lose by 169 runs.

I didn't realise Wales was such a cricketing powerhouse, what with there 0 representative players on the English team roster. There's more New Zealand born players on your team than Welsh...

New Zealand

I work in the glorious city of Manchester and have lived in or around here for a long time. I'm much further out than I used to be now having moved to Wilmslow in Cheshire - the posh part. Instead of rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi in North Manchester I now rub shoulders with celebrities to which they generally reply "stop rubbing your shoulders against me, you freak."

People in the North of England are awesome, ridiculously funny and very friendly. We have an incredible musical heritage as well with some of the biggest bands of all time. Also, Manchester has two of the biggest football teams on the planet, though one is always going to be bigger than the other.

Red Dwarf was also filmed in Manchester which is the greatest television show ever made.

There's an important thing you should know about England: it isn't really one country. There's The North (cold winds, direwolves, economic deprivation, Winter Is Coming, etc.) and there's The South (ooh la di da look at me with my booming economy, let's focus all economic and infrastructure development on the parts of the country that's already wealthy rather than to the North where it's needed more that's a brilliant idea).

As a child of a northern mother (from north Cheshire) and a southern father (from deepest Hampshire), who grew up pretty much in the Midlands, I've been torn between two worlds. Ruby league or rugby union? Mushy peas or tartar sauce? Long "a" or short "a"? Coronation Street or Emmerdale? Labour or Conservative? THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!

I like Britain. Don't think I'd want to live anywhere else really. Maybe Canada or Australia.

OH, we have a similar divide here. Except it's East versus West. The West is much richer, more developed, and more liberal, while the East is poor, backwards and conservative. I live in the West now and I'm happier about that from an economic standpoint, but I do miss the rural charm of the East

I love Scotland. It is a gorgeous country, with excellent folks to populate it. The west coast is superior compared to the ponces over on the east coast, but hey, can't be perfect! Nah, I kid, Edinburgh is fine. Glasgow is where it's at though. No hometown bias or anything. Up north is great too, with the lochs and the mountains and the ~scenic places~.

Scotland (well, Glasgow mainly) gets a bit of a bad name. Understandably. High crime rates, exacerbated by "passionate" football fans. An alcohol problem to the point that you cannot buy alcohol over the counter in a shop between 10pm and 11am. Ridiculous health issues caused by our atrocious diets. But despite this, Glasgow is an amazing and beautiful city. Full of friendly and vibrant people, and a fantastic artsy scene.

If only we got more consistent good weather. :(

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Originally Posted by Shauna

The west coast is superior compared to the ponces over on the east coast, but hey, can't be perfect!

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:stare:

You heard me, ponce. :colbert:

These Kittens wont let this insult go unpunished. :mad2:

I'm from a town that is inbetween Manchester and Liverpool - but I would always identify with Liverpool, as not only was it closer to us but I just absolutely love scousers and what they're all about.

The perception of Liverpool in the UK does really grate on me, Liverpudlians are very proud people and the humour and sense of community is on another level, but they do have quite annoying accents - but I find them endearing, I sound a bit scouse at times myself. Plus, Liverpool is a beautiful city. My town in particular is famous for its rugby team and where Pilkington Glass is from. St Helens glass... has the class.

I like being British because we have an awesome sense of humour, the best musicians and how a cup of tea is a form of currency. I just wish it wouldn't rain so much.

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Originally Posted by Zeldy

My town in particular is famous for its rugby team and where Pilkington Glass is from. St Helens glass... has the class.

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Uh oh. Now I know you're from St. Helens, and support the Saints, we have to be rugby enemies. My mum's side of the family is from Warrington, so I support the Warrington Wolves.

So this happened in my town yesterday...
http://interactives.wfla.com/photomo...sparilla-2016/

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Originally Posted by Zeldy

I'm from a town that is inbetween Manchester and Liverpool - perception of Liverpool in the UK does really grate on me, Liverpudlians are very proud people and the humour and sense of community is on another level, but they do have quite annoying accents - but I find them endearing,St Helens glass... has the class.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Carnelian

Uh oh. Now I know you're from St. Helens, and support the Saints, we have to be rugby enemies. My mum's side of the family is from Warrington, so I support the Warrington Wolves.

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I went to Edge Hill University (when I was there it was still a Higher Education College, so my degree was awarded by Lancaster University) It was the best my A Level grades could afford (and no, I wont tell you what they were). There were many there who came from Warrington, and I was going through a lot of areas between Liverpool and Huddersfield on the train.

Also, my friend (whose parents are from Ghana) grew up in Warrington before moving to Huddersfield.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Carnelian

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Originally Posted by Zeldy

My town in particular is famous for its rugby team and where Pilkington Glass is from. St Helens glass... has the class.

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Uh oh. Now I know you're from St. Helens, and support the Saints, we have to be rugby enemies. My mum's side of the family is from Warrington, so I support the Warrington Wolves.

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As long as you're not from Wigan - we're okay. :shifty:

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Originally Posted by Midgar Mist

I went to Edge Hill University (when I was there it was still a Higher Education College, so my degree was awarded by Lancaster University) It was the best my A Level grades could afford (and no, I wont tell you what they were). There were many there who came from Warrington, and I was going through a lot of areas between Liverpool and Huddersfield on the train.

Also, my friend (whose parents are from Ghana) grew up in Warrington before moving to Huddersfield.

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I went to Edge Hill University in 2010-2013 XD what a small world! I lived in Ormskirk for the duration, absolutely love the place!

it would be funny if you two unknowingly met :lol:

for all i know i coulda passed by any of ya on my times in england.... sounds a bit weird now :erm:

Everyone mostly knows about America so I'll tell more specifically about North Carolina, where I live. I love it here because it is so incredibly diverse geography-wise. We have mountains, plains, beaches, rivers, lakes, etc. Basically anything you can think of, we have it here. We also actually experience all four seasons. The people here I believe are genuinely nicer to strangers than in other parts of the country I've been to. People will smile as they walk by, greet you, and not feel bad to help a stranger out. I can drive ten minutes one way and be in the city, or drive ten minutes another way and be out in the country. PLUS we have delicious sweet tea.

The land I'm from spans from desert and red rock canyons at the bottom of the state up to one of the most beautiful mountain ranges and snow caps up top.

http://www.writerscafe.org/uploads/s...98ed01cfdd.jpg

Salt Lake City has been on the rise for the past ten years and has been inventing itself into a hopping restaurant and downtown scene, and has consistently been on the Top Friendliest Gay Cities list for years, and were one of the states to mandate gay marriage before it became a federal mandate, which I never thought would happen. We need to do better with diversity regarding race inclusion, but I think that we're getting there. We have a lot of fun festivals, parades and celebrations, and the second largest comic con in the nation. Salt Lake is so nerd and geek friendly that it's almost obtuse.

I don't know how proud I am of Utah as a whole. Utah has a lot of problems that it turns a blind eye to; the state is run almost entirely on a religious basis, though I've seen some more actual separation of church and state over the last few years and hope to see more. There are a lot of problems with drugs and teen pregnancies. The suicide epidemic isn't talked about, and it needs to be. We do a pretty okay about our homeless problem, and have made revolutionary strides in aiding homeless that have inspired other states to handle them in a more humane and inclusive capacity. Utah as a whole still struggles, but seeing the progression Salt Lake has made for itself over the last decade makes me really proud.

The land I currently live in is almost everything I think I could want from a city.

http://jelanigreenidge.com/wp-conten...nd_skyline.jpg

Portland is wonderful. It's taken me a long time to find a place to live in that makes me happy and where I feel at home. I've moved constantly throughout my life and have lived in five different states, and Portland feels as close to what I would want my home to be like. Downtown reminds me of San Francisco, and I don't miss it as much. I'm less than two hours from the ocean, four hours from Seattle, and six hours from the Redwood National Forest, Canada, and from my mom in Idaho.

The bar and restaurant scene here is incredible. It's smurfing incredible. The food trucks, the ice cream shops, the bakeries, the coffee shops. I never imagined living somewhere where food was so important and good food was so freely and readily accessible for a good price. The farmer's markets are wonderful. You don't have to throw down a ton of cash to enjoy a really good meal.

We have the largest bookstore in the world, and it is a beauty to behold. We're a bunch of bleeding heart liberals, and I love living in a place where I know many of the people who are around me identify with similar politics as myself. We have amazing hikes within a twenty-minute drive, literally just stepping foot outside the city. I love the climate; I love how much rain we get. I love the dog parks. I love how everyone here is friendly and polite. I love how there is fog in the morning when I wake up. We recently made marijuana legal here, and I feel like even though I'm tired of hearing about it from stoners, it was a good move to make. We have a ridiculous plethora of theaters that do second-runs on some of the most fantastic films, and I love the idea that at any time I want, I can probably hit a theater in town somewhere and probably see Raiders of the Lost ark. I love the obsession here with video game and arcade bars, and we have plans to build more. I love the unique festivals and events that our city pulls together - The Naked Bike Ride, Baconfest, Festival of the Roses, Pirate and Gypsy festival, Lavender Weekend, our film festivals, comedy festivals, a million beerfests throughout the summer, etc.

Portland is where I discovered I wanted to do comedy, and the comedy scene here couldn't have been a better place for me to begin. It has some of the most wonderful, funny, and creative people I've ever known, and everyone is quirky enough to seem like they all belong here.

We do have problems with drug use and crime and homelessness. The homelessness here is rampant; it's unlike anything I've ever seen. It may have something to do with the liberal politics in this town, but it's almost alarming. The city is trying to come to a resolution on what to do with these problems, and we're still probably a while away from solving them. Portland also has a history of being unfortunately racist, but I think people have been trying to change that for a while now.

I love where I live. I'm happy to live here. It has everything I need and want.

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Originally Posted by Galuf

it would be funny if you two unknowingly met :lol:

for all i know i coulda passed by any of ya on my times in england.... sounds a bit weird now :erm:

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Unlikely me and Zeldy met as I was at Edge Hill 2003 - 2006 (im an old lady remember :lol:)

The land (city) I live in is hated by everyone in Canada except those of us who live here. Suck it. We have everything you could ever want, and our winters are the second most tolerable in the country (second only to BC/Vancouver). Also, this city has produced a ridiculous number of actors/comedians/musicians/authors/etc. I'm always shocked by how many people I didn't realize were even Canadian are from here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...e_from_Toronto

But if I hear "Hotline Bling" one more smurfing time...


The land I came from is essentially Canada's little bastardized Ireland/Scotland. I had to work hard to get rid of my accent and Shorty never misses an opportunity to badger me for sounding like Brad Pitt in Snatch. Here is a NSFW (cussin') video.

We have lots of snow, trees, mountains, rivers, cows, sheep and maple syrup.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Vermont