Best Posts in Thread: How welcome these days??

Have not really seen it myself. I think you just need to be careful what you say and do, mindful of the locals' sensitivities.

I also think it's about balance - you might come across some negativity as to your origins (as you say, not uncommon anywhere in the world) - but I also personally feel that there's a genuine 'niceness' with a lot of folk here. Where else would you regularly have light banter with a store or mall security guard and actually feel that it was genuine customer care? Not all places are like that, of course, but I've found if you approach with the right attitude it can happen often. Maybe I'm looking at it from a Brit perspective, as most shop workers and other 'service' related employees can be quite indifferent, but it's a genuine indifference (other Brits will know what I mean).

I'm probably lucky to have a wife that keeps me in check too. I can moan as much as I like between the two of us and she just ignores it, but if we are in the company of other locals, she'd soon give me a killer look if I'm starting to sound off a bit too much, mindful that I could give a negative impression and hurt the 'pride'.