Life in England: Ten rants and ten raves

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10 things I dislike about living in England: 
1. Everything is very expensive! 
2. Surveillance society (Big Brother Britain): CCTV (Britain is the most watched nation in the world!) - ID cards/databases; and a plan to monitor the e-mail, telephone and internet browsing records of every person in Britain. 
3. Anti-social behavior (hoodies, yobs). 
4. Small houses - no built-in closets and most have no basements. Also, even detached houses are built very close together. If you're lucky, your house might have a utility room for the washing machine and dryer. Most houses don't though so the washing machine is in the kitchen.
5. Congested roads, parking on pavement (sidewalk). 
6. Awful customer service. 
7. Pervasive drinking culture ("Binge Britain"). 
8. Litter - everywhere. 
9. Separate hot and cold water taps. This drives me crazy. 
10. TV licence - I resent this compulsory, annual tax to support the BBC especially with the advent of iPlayer. I think it's very unfair that everyone in Britain still has to pay their TV licencefee while the rest of the world can access BBC programmes for free via iPlayer (which is supposed to be limited to the UK) simply by changing their IP address! 

10 things I love about living in England: 
1. Temperate climate - it seldom gets very hot (hence no air conditioning in houses) or very cold (I'm from Minnesota so this is especially appreciated). 
2. Gorgeous gardens! - and able to garden all year round. 
3. History everywhere you look - ancient buildings, cathedrals and castles! 
4. NHS (National Health Service) - it's not perfect but medical care is available to everyone and you never get a bill. 
5. Teashops - tea and scones! 
6. Theatre; pantomimes. 
7. Traditions like mince meat pies and crackers/paper crowns at Christmas; May Day and  Morris Dancing. 
8. Stunning scenery - the beautiful countryside, houses with thatched roofs, tall hedges alongside twisting country lanes, lakes/mountains, and narrowboats on canals. 
9. Pubs (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 a real fire) and pub gardens to sit outside in during the summer. 10. The charm of English seaside villages and towns. The seaside is never far away.

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