Living in Britain

10 things I dislike about living in Britain:

1. Everything is very expensive! - housing, food, petrol electricity and gas etc. Britain has probably one of the highest living costs in the Western world!

2. Carpets. They are everywhere, in peoples bathrooms, in offices, in pubs, etc. They are filthy, disgusting and very unhygienic.

3. Anti-social behaviour (hoodies, yobs and chavs).

4. Small houses - no wardrobes storage rooms and most with no basements. Also, even the detached houses are built very close together.

5. Congested roads, parking on pavement etc

6. Awful customer service.

7. Football hooligans

8. Litter - everywhere. No bins in central London

9. Separate hot and cold water taps. This drives me crazy.

10. Public rail network - very expensive and so unreliable. Prices keep rising but the standard is getting worse.

10 things I love about living in Britain:

1. Temperate climate - it rarely gets extremely hot (hence no air conditioning in houses) or very cold (I'm from Sweden, so this is especially appreciated).

2.. lots of surveillance,CCTV, especially in central London (Britain is supposedly one of the most watched nations in the world!) and it actually makes me feel quite safe, although I know the average British person really dislikes it

3. There is history everywhere you look - ancient buildings, cathedrals and castles!

4. NHS - it's nowhere near perfect but medical care is available to everyone and you never get a bill.

5. Afternoon tea with tea and scones – So typically British, I love it!

6. Love the monarchy, they are a real life soap opera! (they can have the 60 odd pence a year it cost me to have them)

7. London (everything from the cultural attractions such as museums, galleries, theatre, to the 6000 black cabs who must be the friendliest and most reliable in the world!)

8. Stunning scenery - the beautiful countryside (I’m a fan of Midsomer Murders which is being filmed in the beautiful counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey) , houses with thatched roofs, tall hedges alongside twisting country lanes, lakes/mountains, and narrow boats on canals.

9. Pubs ( preferably gastropubs, and public houses) - not just a place for a drink but a friendly place to meet and eat pub food; welcoming convivial atmosphere - cozy in the winter (many have an open fire) and pub gardens to sit outside in during the summer.

10. Its got an extreme diverse population with people of different values and beliefs to mine and I love it. I love that I get to have some sort of cultural exchange on a near-daily basis.