There is one thing very annoying about the British - they like to side with people when places or events were discussed, even when their 'similar experiences' are actually badly mis-matched in time, or bear no resemblance at all.
When I told people that I came from Hong Kong, a very common response would be 'I was there as well...x years ago, and I stayed there for y days', where 'x' would usually be 5 or more, and 'y' 3 or less. Then they would discuss at length about their experience in Hong Kong, and eager to seek my approval.
Once their account of schedules and encounters in Hong Kong had been delivered, they would swiftly move on to commenting on various aspects of life in Hong Kong and the surrounding geographies (China, Taiwan, Singapore etc), as though they had been keen observers of the region for years. Given the values of 'x' and 'y', their opinions could hardly be unbiased and all-rounded. Nonetheless they would take great pride in being able to pass judgements, and certainly did not expect to be corrected even in the slightest sense.
To be honest, I usually find this behaviour offensive, and a mainfestation of arrogance of the British. More so, it also suggested that the British were unwilling to discuss, but more interested in expressing - why exchange opinion when one is correct? I have learned not to argue or supplement their observations, lest they turn into heated debates which I have no hope of winning.
When I made the above comments, I wrote as a first-hand observer in the UK. The experiences have been tried and tested repeatedly, and my 'x' and 'y' are counted in years. Moreover, I welcome comments. Please feel free to leave one so that we can all improve.
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