Raynaputi

I don't see anything wrong with eating with your hands as long as you wash them before and after eating.

You have a point about noticing every little thing. I've noticed a lot more differences and bad habits here, but the ones I mentioned were the major ones that really bother me because of the impact they've had or are still having on my life. All the other little things can keep happening for all I care.

Imagine

Thanks for the info on the number of doors between the kitchen and the toilets. I always appreciate new knowledge.

As for washing your backside with water, everyone I know who does it uses soap, then washes their hands again afterward. Believe me, if the people you witnessed didn't use soap, it would be really hard for you to not notice the smell coming from their hands. Just as you find it disgusting that we wash with soap and water, I find it disgusting that people here don't. If, by some fluke of nature, you had poo on your arm, would you just wipe it dry with toilet roll and call it clean? No, you'd wash your arm with soap and water too. Why then do you consider it more unhygienic for someone to wash his bottom with soap than to simply wipe the area dry?

People here pee everywhere too, especially after a night out. Just last night, I opened the door for my husband as he came home from a night out with office guests. He barred me from coming out as one of the guys was peeing around the corner, even though he had told the guy he could use our toilet. I've rinsed the area with a bucket of water lest the neighbors think we've been peeing outside our own house.

I do love the people in the UK, and don't get me wrong, I'm happy most of the time. The only times I really, really miss home are when I have to say a prayer before eating a tainted meal and when my food's been thrown away again without my permission. It sucks to feel that there's no one on your side, and you're all alone in a continent far from everyone you know.

RicIre
Bravo for not really reading what the post was about, then coming in twice to make nasty comments. *slow clap*

Arthur Little

Thank you for your kind words. I thought I had mentioned my name before, but that might have been years ago. I'm Denise, and I had enough time last night to compose a really long rant.

Fred

No offence taken! I'm sure I'm glad you didn't marry me either!

Terpe

Thank you. What really confused me about some of the behaviors and attitudes I'd observed was that whenever I (tactfully) asked about any of them, I was told that it was just the way things were done here. I do find it hard to believe that the UK could be a nation of slobs and mamas' boys, but not getting the bigger context didn't help.

Michael Parnham

I'll take that as a compliment, Michael. Thank you! Sorry if you felt that you suddenly had one more woman ranting at you.

Les_taxi

I've never lambasted anyone for making valid complaints about the Philippines and Filipinos. Please, if you have complaints or questions, I'd love to discuss them with you.

The Philippines is a poor country where the most desperately needed aid includes soap and toothpaste. Unfortunately, expecting that malls can afford to have their toilet rolls and hand soap stolen all the time is a little unrealistic. As for not washing their hands, I've never actually been to any malls where the people don't wash their hands after pooing. Where exactly have you been hanging out?

You're certainly entitled to feel squeamish about our food, but I understand that after the Great Depression and after the two world wars, people here in the UK also ate fish heads and offal. That practice, although now embraced in most of the world as "eating local delicacies", originated from a lack of resources and maybe to a certain extent, desperation for food. It sounds like you've never had a lack of resources in your life as you seem to never have had to eat anything other than top shelf material. All I can say is that if the food is prepared in a sanitary way, then I have no qualms eating it.

I did mention in my post that I really needed input and I wasn't just having a crack at your country, right? *checks original post* Yep, I did.