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You Know You’re a Brit Abroad When…….

You can take a Brit out of Britain, but you can’t always take the Brit out of the Brit….even when a Brit no longer lives in Britain…… Here’s how you know you are a Brit Abroad:

  • One of the first things you do is find a local substitute football team to support
  • Care packages contain Fray Bentos pies, Cadbury’s creme eggs and Branston Pickle
  • You are determined to instil the laws of queuing in the country you call home, despite the odds of success being low to none
  • You spend an inexplicable amount of time sourcing ‘proper’ tea bags
  • You talk endlessly about rain, even when living in a country where little rain actually falls
  • M&S is your first port of call when back in the UK to stock up on underwear
  • Nobody around you gets your jokes because you are the master of sarcasm and have a dry sense of humour
You-Know-Youre-a-Brit-Abroad-When-1-640x960 You Know You're a Brit Abroad When.......

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10 comments

comments user
Frank Henke

People around you haven't the faintest idea what Fray Bentos pies, Branston pickle or Cadbury Creme Eggs are.
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comments user
clara@expatpartnersurvival.com

A friend of mine is coming to Pretoria next week for a conference. I have asked her to bring Marmite (they sell it here but it tastes yeuch), oxo cubes and Yorkshire tea 🙂 We are lucky with the shops though – we have Woolworths which is basically M&S. I haven't checked out their knickers yet, mind….
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comments user
Phoebe @ Lou Messugo

Your list makes me realise how very un-British and how very much a TCK I am. I love creme eggs but have never eaten a Fray Bentos pie in my life! I don't drink tea, don't talk about the rain, love cold beer and don't have strong feelings about queuing!!! But I do carry a British passport…it's just that I've lived out of UK for waaaaaaay longer than I ever lived there. Fun list Amanda, thanks for hosting the linky.
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comments user
Tiny Expats

That tea reference made me smile – I often notice this tea obsession with Brits I happen to meet 🙂 #ExpatLifeLinky
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comments user
Unknown

Ah yes, my British husband is always wanting good cups of tea and real British bacon whenever we are traveling outside of England! I have not picked this up (am vegetarian for one thing) but could care less about tea, I'm a coffee drinker. BUT I can relate because I'm always trying the source the best peanut butter, chocolate chips for baking and Mac and Cheese substitute over here. Great blog post Amanda. #ExpatLifeLinky
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comments user
Meghan Fenn

That last comment from unknown is from me, Meghan Fenn AKA Bringing Up Brits. I've changed my google profile because I changed my company which is why my profile is showing as unknown. Need to fix it!
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comments user
Christy Swagerty

This list reminds me of all my wonderful British friends in Paris! We English speakers would all clump together at work, but as soon as there were more Brits or Americans, the other side would be totally clueless about the foods and stores we missed the most! Happy to find your link-up!
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comments user
MarketGardenReader/IntegratedExpat

All more or less true, except the football. I’m more interested in where I can buy English books.

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    comments user
    Turning_Dutch

    Where you can buy English books is certainly up there too! It’s something many of us struggle with abroad but I have been super lucky in the second hand stores here in NL recently. Definitley worth exploring. Thanks for taking the time to add that gem.
    Reply
comments user
Miss Footloose

This is fun to read, and I know some of these things because I have English friends here in France. I am Dutch, and I’m thinking I should write a post “You Know You’re a Dutchie Abroad When…” Will have to think about it. I have lived in 8 different countries and not sure if I can still remember being Dutch 😉
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