Do you feel proud to your contry?

[JamesU]

one thing brits should not be proud of
1.black pudding

 

[arildno]

one thing brits should not be proud of
1.black pudding

Are you talking about their plum pudding served around Christmas??
It is absolutely delicious!

 

[Lisa!]

I'm usually proud to be English. When I see something genuinely good that we've done for the world, it gives me a fuzzy warm glow; those Navy boys who rescued that sunken Russian sub today make me proud, apparently there were adult British men just crying their hearts out when the sub popped back up! Lovely. And yeah, who can argue against cricket?! 2 runs baby, 2 runs!

However, I have had a number of moments when I've felt nothing but shame to be a Brit. I was on a flight to Barcelona once where the aeroplane was full of drunk, rowdy Geordies, abusing everyone who went past. I just sunk in my seat, I didn't want anyone to know that I was from the same half of the same country! It was horrible to think that these twats were about to take over such a beautiful and heavily-cultured city for a week just to get pissed, abuse the locals, get sunburnt, and speak English as loudly as possible just because they can.

Can I ask a question? You should promise not to be offended.

 

[JamesU]

Are you talking about their plum pudding served around Christmas??
It is absolutely delicious!

no, I mean black pudding

 

[Chi Meson]

I'm toally proud to have been born in the country of Benjamin Franklin, truly the greates American.

I'm dismayed however that it is the same country that thought Reagan was a greater American. Not to slight Ronnie (too much) but better than Ben? Come ON!

 

[arildno]

Shudder!
I'm not proud; in some outlying, primitive provinces in Norway, they eat something similar.

Even worse, however, is the "delicacy" you might encounter in Western Norway:
"Smalahovud" (Fried sheep's head)
This is served whole; from what I've heard, the eyes are considered particularly tasty..

 

[JamesU]

no more detail, please

 

[russ_watters]

I'm dismayed however that it is the same country that thought Reagan was a greater American. Not to slight Ronnie (too much) but better than Ben? Come ON!

That's just a matter of attention span.

 

[FredGarvin]

That's just a matter of attention span.

Exactly. Remember...those posted were AOL members too.

I am always proud of my country. I am not always proud of my fellow Americans.

 

[Moonbear]

14. Without Chinese inventions, no papers, no bombs and no compasses now.

We really could have done without the second of those three. The world probably would have been better off without gunpowder.

Otherwise, it's normal to be proud of your home country (and if you aren't, you probably should be looking to move).

As for the comment against nationalism, there's a difference between loving your own country and using that as a basis to dislike other countries. I can love many things about the US (plenty have been mentioned already), but still recognize we have some flaws, and also recognize there are other places in the world with great things about them too. It doesn't mean I want to move or don't like my country any less to recognize there are plenty of other countries that have good things going for them too.

Things Brits should not be proud of:
1. Yorkshire pudding
2. Worcester sauce
3. The big Queen Victoria statue close to the University of London
4. Fish&chips
5. Guiness
6. Camilla Parker-Bowles

No, no, no! How can you diss Worchestershire sauce, fish and chips (especially doused heavily with malt vinegar!), and Guinness?! Everyone has a big ugly statue of someone famous somewhere, so that's not such a big deal. They can keep the Yorkshire pudding and the entire royal family too (not just Camilla; she hardly seems the worst of the lot there).

 

[arildno]

Guiness is disgusting.
A pint of bitter is divine.

 

[Danger]

Guiness is disgusting.
A pint of bitter is divine.

I always made point of ordering a half of Guinness when it was available because it looks so great, even though it tastes as if it's been filtered through a moose. A new pub (actually named 'The Public House') opened up recently, and I stopped in. They had the stuff on tap, so I ordered a pint (they don't sell halves). Although there was a bit of a creamy head on it, there was no cascade . I wasn't sure what was going on until I picked up the glass and realized that they keep the keg in the same cooler as the other draught! Although it didn't look right, I actually very much liked it chilled. (Brewnog's going to disown me... I just know it... )

 

[arildno]

That's the worst about Guiness, that it is supposed to be served luke-warm!

 

[BobG]

Originally Posted by yu_wing_sin
14. Without Chinese inventions, no papers, no bombs and no compasses now.

We really could have done without the second of those three. The world probably would have been better off without gunpowder.

Could have done without the first as well. Oh, wait, I thought he said paperwork.

No, no, no! How can you diss Worchestershire sauce, fish and chips (especially doused heavily with malt vinegar!), and Guinness?! Everyone has a big ugly statue of someone famous somewhere, so that's not such a big deal. They can keep the Yorkshire pudding and the entire royal family too (not just Camilla; she hardly seems the worst of the lot there).

I agree 100%. Worchestershire sauce is great. Much better than A-1 or those other steak sauces. And fish and chips (especially in vinegar!) ... And Guiness? ... did I really say 100%. What a way to ruin perfectly good used motor oil!

 

[Townsend]

We built mount rushmore!

Just a nit...

Carving stone is not the same a building something. I will in Rapid City the weekend after next. If anyone wants me to, I'll take some pictures of Mt. Rushmore.

Regards

 

[brewnog]

Things Brits should not be proud of:
1. Yorkshire pudding
2. Worcester sauce
4. Fish&chips
5. Guiness

Are you out of your TREE? Yorkshire pudding is BEAUTIFUL! And Worcestershire sauce is pretty good too, best on cheese on toast. Fish & Chips are nothing without heaps of salt and vinegar, and mushy peas help too. And Guinness... mmmmmmmmmmm!

Yomamma; Black Pudding is a dubious one. I'm proud that our country could come up with something so vile which tastes so nice, but it's easy to see where the lack of appeal originates.

Can I ask a question? You should promise not to be offended.

Of course you can, and I promise, almost.

 

[brewnog]

Oh, and Danger, I can forgive the Guinness quirks. It's so variable, I've had more disgusting pints of Guinness than nice ones, it's a bit of a risk unless you're in Ireland. If it didn't take quarter of an hour to pour, it's not the real stuff. However, (and I'm being a bit of a traitor here), the Extra Cold draught stuff which is available these days is pretty reasonable, and I love bottled Guinness from the fridge!

 

[Jonny_trigonometry]

If I'm proud of anything or anyone, it's other living things and especially humans. I believe that love is stronger than pride, and pride in something is ok, and pride in someone is a much better thing. To be proud of only one thing or person can cloud one's mind. I'm proud to be a human rather than an anteater or a platypus, although that wouldn't be all that bad... Then again I think I would be more proud to be an alien that can travel across the universe. I love the amazing ability of our frontal lobes. I'm not knocking the concept of pride because I feel that it's needed in some way. I've done a lot of thinking about pride, and I find it's got a bad side and a good side. The bad side of pride causes a person to defend what their proud of (even murder other people if they feel threatened), and that's what I mean when I say it can cloud a person's mind. If a person is proud of their land because they find it beautiful, and they think others want to take it or something, then they won't let others bask in the beauty of the land and even murder them due to their paranoia. It's good to have pride in someone or something, ideally everybody and everything, but to limit our pride to small things like only ourselves (or only our country) or only one other person or thing can lead to obsessive behavior.

 

[Evo]

I *love* yorkshire pudding! My grandmother used to cook roast beef and yorkshire pudding every sunday. (for those of you that don't know, yorkshire pudding is a bread, not a pudding)

This is how my grandmother's looked, she'd cook it in the roasting pan after the roast was done.

http://www.bpic.co.uk/bookrevs/yorkshire_pudding.gif

 

[Moonbear]

I *love* yorkshire pudding! My grandmother used to cook roast beef and yorkshire pudding every sunday. (for those of you that don't know, yorkshire pudding is a bread, not a pudding)

This is how my grandmother's looked, she'd cook it in the roasting pan after the roast was done.

http://www.bpic.co.uk/bookrevs/yorkshire_pudding.gif

[/URL]
Oh, wait, I think I was thinking of something else. What's with the British and calling everything "pudding," even when it isn't pudding?

I think that's something I've had and liked, a lot! But it looked more like the one on this site:
http://www.britannia.com/cooking/recipes/yorkshirepudding.html

I looked up the recipe and I know I've had something that looks just like what's in those muffin tins (but not with any beef drippings).

 

[brewnog]

Bakewell pudding? Pastry with jam and almondy egg based filling? Yummo!

Ahhhhhhh, black pudding, that'll be it. I was telling you about it a while back, it's a sausage made from congealed pigs' blood. Read up the post for yomamma's thoughts!

 

[Evo]

Bakewell pudding? Pastry with jam and almondy egg based filling? Yummo!

Ahhhhhhh, black pudding, that'll be it. I was telling you about it a while back, it's a sausage made from congealed pigs' blood. Read up the post for yomamma's thoughts!

Black pudding, aka blood sausage. My mother used to buy the blood sausage with tongue in it...YUMMY!

Yorkshire pudding is cooked in the drippings of the roast (my grandmother skimmed out most of the fat). Pour gravy over it :!) :!) :!)

I've seen the little ones baked in the tins, I like the big puffy ones baked in the roasting pan better.

 

[JamesU]

isn't pudding normally a desert?

or have I just been buying the JELLO brand crap too long?

 

[fourier jr]

yeah how can someone dis guiness (isn't that irish anyway?) or fish & chips? my favourite place to eat in london was the stockpot, a cheap non-touristy fish & chip (etc) place off haymarket. where else would someone go to eat fish & chips other than great britain? i also liked the sticky-toffee pudding. every british person should be proud of that stuff

what would a Canadian be proud of? well...
-- birthplace of hockey
-- wilderness all over
-- john charles fields & his medal
-- leslie neilsen, jim carrey, mike macdonald, etc
-- the tragically hip, neil young
-- nahanni national park reserve, 1st UNESCO world heritage site (well we didn't build it but snagged it when we had the chance)
-- cn tower, world's biggest phallic symbol
-- strippers get nekkid
-- Canada's so liberal (ie 2nd country to legalize gay marriage, considering decriminalizing pot, etc etc)
-- tommy douglas, led first communist government elected in the western hemisphere

what WOULDN'T a Canadian be proud of? everything written about in RT naylor's http://www.web.net/blackrosebooks/histcanb.htm & what it led to. & brian mulroney especially. that is all

 

[brewnog]

Yes yomamma, that was Moonbear's point I think. Pudding is usually a desert, I suppose, but Yorkshire pudding works best with onion gravy, and black pudding works best with a Full English! Mmmm!

There are few things better than a massive, well-cooked Yorkshire pudding, with a few nice slices of rare roast Aberdeen Angus which was soaked in red wine the night before, covered in onion gravy, with a good dollop of horseradish, and some nice Dijon mustard (something France can be proud of). Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

 

[cragwolf]

I'm proud of a few individuals in my country. Not necessarily everything about them, because everyone has their warts. But proud of my country? No, I leave such primitive emotions for the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei and other völkisch movements of their ilk that have plagued modern history. I don't know why boys get attracted to that nonsense. If you can't find a girlfriend or you're dissatisfied with your current partner, there are far more interesting and worthwhile hobbies to take up, like physics, mountain climbing and nudism. And if you really feel the need to sacrifice your individuality to group-think, join an amateur football club. Just stay out of politics, for the sake of everyone!

 

[Smurf]

-- Canada's so liberal (ie 2nd country to legalize gay marriage, considering decriminalizing pot, etc etc)

4th. Netherlands, Belgium and Spain beat us (Spain only by 17 days!).

what WOULDN'T a Canadian be proud of? everything written about in RT naylor's http://www.web.net/blackrosebooks/histcanb.htm & what it led to. & brian mulroney especially. that is all

Brian Mulroney is every Canadian's secret shame.

 

[Lisa!]

Of course you can, and I promise, almost.

Thanks but there's a big problem. I've promised to be nice and polite with Mr wolram! What do you think of your country when everyone around here knows Mr wolram is your countryman?

 

[brewnog]

Thanks but there's a big problem. I've promised to be nice and polite with Mr wolram! What do you think of your country when everyone around here knows Mr wolram is your countryman?

Where there's muck, there's brass.
Or, to say it properly, 'weer t'zmuk t'sprass'.

 

[Lisa!]

Where there's muck, there's brass.
Or, to say it properly, 'weer t'zmuk t'sprass'.

I'm not allowed to but I can't control myself! So

 

[Entropy]

I'm proud not to be involved in any form of nationalism. Why should I be anymore proud of an American than a non-American?

 

[Evo]

Yes yomamma, that was Moonbear's point I think. Pudding is usually a desert, I suppose, but Yorkshire pudding works best with onion gravy, and black pudding works best with a Full English! Mmmm!

There are few things better than a massive, well-cooked Yorkshire pudding, with a few nice slices of rare roast Aberdeen Angus which was soaked in red wine the night before, covered in onion gravy, with a good dollop of horseradish, and some nice Dijon mustard (something France can be proud of). Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Brewnog...MARRY ME. Well, only if you can feed me what you've just described.

 

[Moonbear]

Ahhhhhhh, black pudding, that'll be it. I was telling you about it a while back, it's a sausage made from congealed pigs' blood. Read up the post for yomamma's thoughts!

Yeah, I've been reading this thread out of order. Sausage made out of blood clots. I can give you lots of clotted sheep's blood if you want it, we just throw the clots away after we get the serum off it. (Pardon me while I go vomit at the thought of eating that.)

But is it any wonder we're all confused about what pudding is? First I thought pudding was, well, pudding, you know, custard type stuff. Then I visited Britain and realized it applied to the entire dessert menu, but now it also includes bread you eat with or before your main course, and some nasty sausage you eat as breakfast food! Is there any rhyme or reason to it?

 

[yu_wing_sin]

Could have done without the first as well. Oh, wait, I thought he said paperwork.

You don't acquaint to Chinese culture and history much. The world's first bomb was came from China, in about 1200 years ago, in Tang dynasty period. Since that, bombs transmitted to Eastern Asian, then Europe, last Americas. If there is no Chinese bombs, no Renaissance and no the break of feudalism of Europe.

 

[Kazza_765]

Whaaat, no one from Australia has contributed yet.

Ok, now Mt Rushmore is nice and all, but its nothing compared to the giant Merino, Bananna, Mandarin, Rocking Horse, Barra, Cigarette, Lobster, Golden Guitar... et al. But seriously,

1. We are a nation descended from convicts.
2. We are a very old country geologically, which I think explains a few things like the kangaroo and platypus. Obviously God was testing out a few crazy ideas here first, before making the rest of the world.
3. On Australia Day, the whole country takes the day off work, spends the day on the beach with an esky full of beer, and then goes home for a barbie.
4. Aussie Rules Football.
5. Words like bonza, beaut, strewth, bloody oath, sheila, blue and fair dinkum.
6. Paul Hogan, Angus Young, Shane Warne, Cold Chisel, Steve Irwin (err, scratch that last one).
7. We invented the hills hoist, vegemite, boomerang, ute, cork hat, esky, panel van, wine cask
8. The Larrimah pub was built in just 1 weekend.
9. Cane Toad races
10. We invented the Bikini!
11. Thongs
12. More Aussies believe in aliens than god
13. Only 2 percent of Australians know the name of our head of state.

And of course all those boring things like the harbour bridge, opera house etc...