Vacation spots your friends talked up but you hated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

They don't want to see any People of Color.

When I lived there in the late 90s through early 00s it was a very diverse, international city as it has been for hundreds of years.

Wrong. As I stated in a previous post, there have been "People of Color" in the UK for decades - people who love and embrace their new home and western values. The newest groups of immigrants do not love and embrace western culture. Quite the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Sad to see the hate for London, where I was born and lived for 35 years until moving here last year. As a PP said, London has always been incredibly diverse. It’s true that the nationality and ethnicity of many Londoners has changed but it has always done so, just as certain neighbourhoods change as different people start to live there. No one I know has shopped in Harrods for at least 20 years (we go to Selfridges for high end, John Lewis for everything else).
I’d say it’s also true that to some extent London has become a playground for the super wealthy, from places like Russia and Saudi Arabia. So yes, maybe Knightsbridge feels different to how it used to, but the parts of London I lived, worked and played in are as fabulous as ever. Maybe you just need to try different neighbourhoods? Happy to recommend my favourite places to anyone who wants to give it another try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hated Hawaii. Went to Kona with DH's family so no choice in destination or hotels. Had to drive 30 minutes to get to a beach, which didn't have parking available most days. I didn't quite understand that we were traveling thousands of miles to go to Hawaii and I'd get to stick my toes in the ocean once.

So you hate Hawaii because your in-laws planned poorly or are cheap. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

I don't think I saw any burquas in London and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

I don't think I saw any burquas in London and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London.

You do realize that "they don't want to assimilate" is what people say about every new wave of Immigrants, right??

I used to live in London around the Millenium. There were certainly women in burquas. And...when I would go to visit my friend in Golders Green...i would see tons of Orthodox Jews. And they don't want to assimilate either...so is it OK to hate them too??
( HINT.....NO!!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

I don't think I saw any burquas in London and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London.

You do realize that "they don't want to assimilate" is what people say about every new wave of Immigrants, right??

I used to live in London around the Millenium. There were certainly women in burquas. And...when I would go to visit my friend in Golders Green...i would see tons of Orthodox Jews. And they don't want to assimilate either...so is it OK to hate them too??
( HINT.....NO!!)

I don’t hear the PPs saying they hate anyone. But honestly people can have non-hateful preferences about what community of people they’d like surrounding them. Like some DCUMers lament the conservatives in the exurbs and are oh-so-proud of themselves for city living, other people would prefer not to be surrounded by women in burqas who obviously ascribe to very different ideas about women’s roles in public life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

I don't think I saw any burquas in London and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London.

You do realize that "they don't want to assimilate" is what people say about every new wave of Immigrants, right??

I used to live in London around the Millenium. There were certainly women in burquas. And...when I would go to visit my friend in Golders Green...i would see tons of Orthodox Jews. And they don't want to assimilate either...so is it OK to hate them too??
( HINT.....NO!!)

I don’t hear the PPs saying they hate anyone. But honestly people can have non-hateful preferences about what community of people they’d like surrounding them. Like some DCUMers lament the conservatives in the exurbs and are oh-so-proud of themselves for city living, other people would prefer not to be surrounded by women in burqas who obviously ascribe to very different ideas about women’s roles in public life.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part[/quote]

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore? [/quote]

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.[/quote]

[b]I don't think I saw any burquas in London [/b]and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London. [/quote]

You must be joking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

I don't think I saw any burquas in London and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London.

You do realize that "they don't want to assimilate" is what people say about every new wave of Immigrants, right??

I used to live in London around the Millenium. There were certainly women in burquas. And...when I would go to visit my friend in Golders Green...i would see tons of Orthodox Jews. And they don't want to assimilate either...so is it OK to hate them too??
( HINT.....NO!!)

Orthodox Jews don't hate western culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

I don't think I saw any burquas in London and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London.

You do realize that "they don't want to assimilate" is what people say about every new wave of Immigrants, right??

I used to live in London around the Millenium. There were certainly women in burquas. And...when I would go to visit my friend in Golders Green...i would see tons of Orthodox Jews. And they don't want to assimilate either...so is it OK to hate them too??
( HINT.....NO!!)

I don’t hear the PPs saying they hate anyone. But honestly people can have non-hateful preferences about what community of people they’d like surrounding them. Like some DCUMers lament the conservatives in the exurbs and are oh-so-proud of themselves for city living, other people would prefer not to be surrounded by women in burqas who obviously ascribe to very different ideas about women’s roles in public life.

+100
Well said, thank you. Apparently it's just fine for so many on DCUM to say horrible things about Americans living in small towns or "flyover country." They make it clear they'd never in a million years want to live near "such people." But then they turn around and call others "racists" if they have their own personal preferences. Such hypocrites.

[Anonymous]

I am the poster who talked about having lost interest in London (well, one of them).

I loved London in the 1980s and 1990s because it felt very much like an English city. It wasn't New York, it wasn't Paris. Oh, yes, there were certainly diversity back then and many immigrants and their descendants who added wonderful touches to the London experience, but the big difference between now and then is that the balance has shifted decisively away from being "English" to becoming just another anonymous international city with little local flavour left. The experience you get in London is now not too different from New York. And it isn't just the immigrants from the Middle East or Africa, but the introduction of freedom of movement under the EU flooded London with hundreds of thousands (millions?) of Europeans, which is fine in a sense, but it has changed the character and personality of the city. Whenever I go into restaurants and cafes I hear so many different languages spoken around me, both the waitstaff and the other customers. 20 years ago it was English people serving me and English people around me. That made it neat because I was truly in a different country! But today, the vestiges of "Englishness" in London feels artificial, ironically, put on display for the sake of tourists rather than anything intrinsic and real. And it's because the actual English of traditional British heritage are a minority in London.

I am not passing a moral judgement on the changes in London. I am just observing it has changed greatly and made it a far less interesting place for me. The museums are still there (and excellent they remain) but I used to love walking around random neighbourhoods and observing local life, and it's simply just not the same. Even the other poster acknowledged it when she conceded no one shops at Harrods anymore except tourists, and especially Middle Eastern tourists. Large swathes of central London are now primarily owned and inhabited by the global superrich (of all nationalities) and that (similar to parts of New York) has also made it a less interesting place. There have also been positive changes through massive gentrification and explosion of the dining scene and it's also quite safer today, but I still prefer the slightly shabby, more low key and old fashioned London of the 1980s. I return to Britain all the time but it isn't until I leave London for other parts of the country that I feel I've actually arrived in Britain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the poster who talked about having lost interest in London (well, one of them).

I loved London in the 1980s and 1990s because it felt very much like an English city. It wasn't New York, it wasn't Paris. Oh, yes, there were certainly diversity back then and many immigrants and their descendants who added wonderful touches to the London experience, but the big difference between now and then is that the balance has shifted decisively away from being "English" to becoming just another anonymous international city with little local flavour left. The experience you get in London is now not too different from New York. And it isn't just the immigrants from the Middle East or Africa, but the introduction of freedom of movement under the EU flooded London with hundreds of thousands (millions?) of Europeans, which is fine in a sense, but it has changed the character and personality of the city. Whenever I go into restaurants and cafes I hear so many different languages spoken around me, both the waitstaff and the other customers. 20 years ago it was English people serving me and English people around me. That made it neat because I was truly in a different country! But today, the vestiges of "Englishness" in London feels artificial, ironically, put on display for the sake of tourists rather than anything intrinsic and real. And it's because the actual English of traditional British heritage are a minority in London.

I am not passing a moral judgement on the changes in London. I am just observing it has changed greatly and made it a far less interesting place for me. The museums are still there (and excellent they remain) but I used to love walking around random neighbourhoods and observing local life, and it's simply just not the same. Even the other poster acknowledged it when she conceded no one shops at Harrods anymore except tourists, and especially Middle Eastern tourists. Large swathes of central London are now primarily owned and inhabited by the global superrich (of all nationalities) and that (similar to parts of New York) has also made it a less interesting place. There have also been positive changes through massive gentrification and explosion of the dining scene and it's also quite safer today, but I still prefer the slightly shabby, more low key and old fashioned London of the 1980s. I return to Britain all the time but it isn't until I leave London for other parts of the country that I feel I've actually arrived in Britain.

I agree with this.

I spent a week in London recently for business, and I rarely encountered actual Brits with British accents (I'm not talking about skin color; I'm talking about accent). Tons of Poles, Canadians and Americans as waitstaff and shop girls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

I don't think I saw any burquas in London and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London.

You do realize that "they don't want to assimilate" is what people say about every new wave of Immigrants, right??

I used to live in London around the Millenium. There were certainly women in burquas. And...when I would go to visit my friend in Golders Green...i would see tons of Orthodox Jews. And they don't want to assimilate either...so is it OK to hate them too??
( HINT.....NO!!)

I don’t hear the PPs saying they hate anyone. But honestly people can have non-hateful preferences about what community of people they’d like surrounding them. Like some DCUMers lament the conservatives in the exurbs and are oh-so-proud of themselves for city living, other people would prefer not to be surrounded by women in burqas who obviously ascribe to very different ideas about women’s roles in public life.

+100
Well said, thank you. Apparently it's just fine for so many on DCUM to say horrible things about Americans living in small towns or "flyover country." They make it clear they'd never in a million years want to live near "such people." But then they turn around and call others "racists" if they have their own personal preferences. Such hypocrites.

Hey I think that's BS too...I live in the exurbs, am from a lovely small town and I enjoy visiting my family in the Heartland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've been going to London regularly since the early 1980s and even lived there for a few years. London has changed so much especially in the last 10 years and not always for the better. It's just not English any more and that's the sad part

Posts like this that long for the good old days of anyplace raise an eyebrow. What exactly does it mean to be English and what about London isn't English anymore?

Do they though? That's ridiculous. I lived outside of London for ten years back in the 80's. There were tons of corner stores owned by Pakistanis, Indian restaurants owned by ethnic Indians, and plenty of other diversity within the London area. All of which was wonderful, as these immigrants eagerly embraced western culture and assimilated quickly, while at the same time bringing their distinct culture and food to the country. Nowadays, "diversity" seems to mean either hordes of protesting Muslims, women covered head-to-toe in black burquas, or billionaire sheiks, their many wives and luxury cars taking over Harrods, Knightsbridge, etc. And these recent immigrants actually despise western culture.

So go ahead and "raise an eyebrow." Call that attitude "racist." That word has ceased to mean much due to people like yourself using it incessantly, even where it doesn't apply.

Parts of England are still very charming, but the larger cities, especially London, are places I now avoid.

I don't think I saw any burquas in London and the only place I saw sheik-types was in Harrods. I doubt these rich arabs are ruining London.

You do realize that "they don't want to assimilate" is what people say about every new wave of Immigrants, right??

I used to live in London around the Millenium. There were certainly women in burquas. And...when I would go to visit my friend in Golders Green...i would see tons of Orthodox Jews. And they don't want to assimilate either...so is it OK to hate them too??
( HINT.....NO!!)

Orthodox Jews don't hate western culture.

Wait, what? What evidence do you have that Arabs "hate western culture?" Other than Fox News of course....

Or could it be...just maybe...thay they are human beings with their own human opinions and aren't a conglomerate???

I've met tons of Arabs that are freaking normal people and love living in Western countries.