My ancestors on my father's side were from Scotland, and I've always had a fascination with the country and with Britain in general (from history to mythology, etc). I intend to visit in the near future. Apart from that, British humor seems to resonate with me, so I like that. There's a lot of good music there, and good books. Tea with milk. I could do without haggis, blood pudding, or other such foodstuffs.
I'm no Anglophile, but the history of England is incredibly fascinating, and it's such a beautiful country. Plus, most of my favorite bands (Beatles, Stones, etc) have come from there.
Gigi, i didn't know you liked history. Well in anyc ase i like the British since they were an intelligent people who preservered throughout history ill say more in the morning. Im sleepy and it is 12:40 where i am.
I don't understand how anyone can be a true "Anglophile"; sure we have plenty to be respected, but how anyone can love this country is beyond me. As soon as I can, I'm leaving this place and not coming back... After all, the grass is greener on the other side, and even if its not, I'd still rather be on the other side, I've grown to find Britain so altogether distasteful that I could never live my entire life in this country.
I adore the idea of London; y'know, the way tourist shops paints it. All tweeds, red buses, Big Ben, Picadilly Circus...I adore it. I find the rest of England romantic in a rough sense, especially when I'm listening to Morrissey or The Smiths. When I read about England, or even Britain, I fall for it hook line and sinker. I friggin' love being a Brit and being a part of this culture. But living here is different. The reality, I find, is sometimes vile and depressing. Mostly vile and depressing, in fact. Yes, I'm a tea-guzzling-book-worm-Bridget-Jones character on the surface, but the area I live in has become dangerous and almost the total opposite of the good old Thames-seaside-cockney-coconut-shys-and-fishandchips-cliché. However, I still love the idea of foreigners seeing that beautiful dream of Britain. I still feel that way myself, sometimes; even the rough parts are romantic in their own ways. It's a love-hate relationship for me, I guess...I hate where I live because it's mostly -barring the seafront at good hours- a craphole, but it's also my beloved craphole, and anyone who can admire it for the good parts wouldn't be snubbed by me. I think it's nice that some people love Britain/England (I know sometimes people confuse the two) but I just hope their eventual experience of the place doesn't shatter their dreams of it.
Well, I'll just ignore the bad and stick with the good. =] To be honest, I envy you lot. You have a long, rich history that I find inspiring. Sometimes I want to live in Britain instead. Hey, I love this country too; it's just that I'd like to be able to go to Britain and not just go to the typical touristy attraction then jump onto the next plane back to the USA. Just live there for a while, see the sights.
The city I keep thinking of living in is Dover, Kent, England. It's a port city, close to the French coast. Only downside is, it's somewhat chilly and for a guy like me who lives in the sub-tropics where it's hot most of the year, it takes getting used to.
That's partially what I like about Britain too, the long history we have. Perhaps a warmer area of Kent, that's still near Dover, then.