Hello--

It's your list moderator here, stepping in to moderate.

First of all, please don't insult each other, use foul language and
so on. I'm not going to draw up a list of words you can and cannot
say. I think we all know when we are stepping over the line and
getting heated. Instead of posting, take some time, cool down, then
respond politely or don't respond at all.

This is the Americans In Britain list. It is primarily meant to help
Americans looking for advice about living in Britain. That doesn't
mean it is just for Americans. Indeed, there are plenty of Brits and
others with great advice that they are willing to share. Similarly,
many Brits living in the US will be reading, because there are
Americans and others on this list that can provide helpful advice to
them.

Personally, I'm in a dual situation -- my wife is a Brit, and I'm a
Yank. When we lived in the US, I appreciated any advice that would
make life easier for her. Similarly, she appreciates anything that
makes me more comfortable in the UK.

As for living in the UK, I'd rather be in the US. That doesn't mean I
hate Britain, that Britain sucks or that British people are horrible.
It simply means I was born and raised in Southern California, and
that's home to me. I'd love to be back there.

Of course, my wife prefers Britain. That doesn't mean she hates
America, that America sucks or that Americans are horrible. It simply
means that she grew up in Britain, this is home to her, and we
ultimately decided that we'd come back so she'd be closer to her
family.

I say these things not to create further debate but to underscore
that complaints about living in one or the other country really
should not be taken so personally. People are often simply adjusting
or looking to make things a little more like they are used to.
There's nothing wrong with that, in my view.

cheers,
danny