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If anyone wants great sushi......real sushi, not the baby stuff, Nama is the place. We met a local lady while we were shopping in downtown Knoxville and she said the locals all go to Nama's for their sushi. Boy was she right. The restaurant was very tiny and packed but the food was to die for. The "Soy Joy" was my favorite.
We also tried Hana Japanese Restaurant in Maryville (much better than Lemon Grass IMO) and they were good too but Nama was really worth the drive.
I moved here 16 years ago with no expectations - the man I was dating and was going to marry had moved here for his career - and I knew nothing about the area. I felt very unaccepted here, and I didn't have any snooty expectations - for Heaven's sake, this is the largest city I've ever lived in - I moved from a small town of 6000. Ah, but it was a small town from the North. A native co-worker who became a friend shared the mindset with me, "we don't mind if you Northerners visit, we just don't want you to stay." Another person, told me "we don't like people who don't act, dress, and talk like the rest of us". I was actually called to the office of the president of the company I worked for and asked why I dressed the way I did - suit and heels - and I said, because this is how I've always dressed for work??? When I gained weight and did not replace my corporate wardrobe, but started wearing jeans instead like everyone else - the same president asked me "why I dressed like that".
I think the mindset here desires everyone to be just like them - their way or the highway. I also learned that the area takes care of its own first and foremost, thus the problem for 'outsiders' in finding employment. Try finding a job right now if you get laid off! And women are definitely not paid the same money for the same job as men. There is a good ole boy mentality an network alive and well running the show.
Accents? I think some people here have an accent and I was surprised to hear that some thought I had an accent too. But, it makes sense. People in Seattle sound different to me also. It's not good or bad, it just is.
There is a bit of defensiveness here. Good advice to outsiders - "When in Rome, do as the Romans".
This is a very beautiful area, and from my perspective it has a lot to offer in terms of shopping, dining, and social & cultural events. It's a great place for outdoor enthusiasts. Housing is plentiful, whether you want a mobile home or a million dollar mansion. The weather is probably as good as it gets in the Country - we have beautiful seasons here, especially the Fall. It's hot and humid in the summer and the winters are mild. I think it is one of the safest places weather-wise. Knoxville is pretty isolated from the catastrophic weather systems that cause havoc in other parts of the Country.
As you've all said, there is good and bad in any location - and a lot has to do with the perspective of the newcomer.....and there is something to be said for the open-mindedness of the natives. Without new blood bringing in different ideas, different experiences, different thoughts - a 'place' would become pretty stagnant.
My husband can retire now - finally - I've waited so long for this so we can go home - and then I woke up one day and realized - this is home.
In Kindergarten we should have learned about inviting the new person into the group so they don't feel left out. It's challenging to be the new kid in school. Opening our minds and hearts to accept new and different people into our lives allows for what I call cultural diversity and that is healthy and enriches our lives.
Thank you for the opportunity to say what I've carried inside me for so long.... it has been my experience.
What a great post. Thanks for your honesty. It's a shame that some people can be so closed minded and unwelcoming. What floors me is that TN natives are the most friendly people when you are visiting. Is it all just an act I wonder?
Did you experience this in other places besides work?
What a great post. Thanks for your honesty. It's a shame that some people can be so closed minded and unwelcoming. What floors me is that TN natives are the most friendly people when you are visiting. Is it all just an act I wonder?
Did you experience this in other places besides work?
I agree, dehmar's post is excellent. Lots of insight there. I'm moving to Knoxville next year, and that is a concern in the back of my mind, meeting native Tennesseans that prejudge "outsiders" by which state they grew up in, as if we had a choice! I got a little taste of that when I was looking at acreage to buy, and during the conversation with the owner of one of the pieces of land I was interested in, he asked me where I was from. I said, "New Jersey". Well, there was an uneasy silence for a few seconds, and then he replied in a none too enthusiastic tone, "New Jersey, huh?" I really don't understand it. No section of the country is all good or all bad, in terms of the people that live in those areas. There are good people and bad people in all areas. I see people as individuals, and base them on things like character, honesty, integrity, their belief system, etc. I couldn't care less what state they are from, that doesn't determine these traits. I would love to understand the actucal root cause for this predjudice, that way, if I ever am faced with it, I can react to it in the best way possible.
I agree, dehmar's post is excellent. Lots of insight there. I'm moving to Knoxville next year, and that is a concern in the back of my mind, meeting native Tennesseans that prejudge "outsiders" by which state they grew up in, as if we had a choice! I got a little taste of that when I was looking at acreage to buy, and during the conversation with the owner of one of the pieces of land I was interested in, he asked me where I was from. I said, "New Jersey". Well, there was an uneasy silence for a few seconds, and then he replied in a none too enthusiastic tone, "New Jersey, huh?" I really don't understand it. No section of the country is all good or all bad, in terms of the people that live in those areas. There are good people and bad people in all areas. I see people as individuals, and base them on things like character, honesty, integrity, their belief system, etc. I couldn't care less what state they are from, that doesn't determine these traits. I would love to understand the actucal root cause for this predjudice, that way, if I ever am faced with it, I can react to it in the best way possible.
Oh come on. People up North make fun of Southerners all the time. All I have to do is tell someone I'm from Tennessee and immediately come the snide remarks about whether or not I wear shoes, have indoor plumbing, or if I date my cousins.
Obviously not everyone does it. But it seems that by making sweeping judgements of Tennesseans, some people in this forum are just as guilty of stereotyping as they claim Tennesseans are.
Oh come on. People up North make fun of Southerners all the time. All I have to do is tell someone I'm from Tennessee and immediately come the snide remarks about whether or not I wear shoes, have indoor plumbing, or if I date my cousins.
Obviously not everyone does it. But it seems that by making sweeping judgements of Tennesseans, some people in this forum are just as guilty of stereotyping as they claim Tennesseans are.
Oh come on what? Where did I say "all" Tennesseans? I said "native Tennesseans that prejudge. That phrase does NOT mean all Tennesseans, it refers to the ones that do prejudge. Do you understand where I'm coming from now?
Did any of those northerners every tell you to get out of their state?
I agree, dehmar's post is excellent. Lots of insight there. I'm moving to Knoxville next year, and that is a concern in the back of my mind, meeting native Tennesseans that prejudge "outsiders" by which state they grew up in, as if we had a choice! I got a little taste of that when I was looking at acreage to buy, and during the conversation with the owner of one of the pieces of land I was interested in, he asked me where I was from. I said, "New Jersey". Well, there was an uneasy silence for a few seconds, and then he replied in a none too enthusiastic tone, "New Jersey, huh?" I really don't understand it. No section of the country is all good or all bad, in terms of the people that live in those areas. There are good people and bad people in all areas. I see people as individuals, and base them on things like character, honesty, integrity, their belief system, etc. I couldn't care less what state they are from, that doesn't determine these traits. I would love to understand the actucal root cause for this predjudice, that way, if I ever am faced with it, I can react to it in the best way possible.
It just pains me to think that people may be using their life saving (us included), up rooting their families and bringing them to an area where they will receive treatment like demar has experienced. Is there an initiation period or something that we have to go through to be accepted?
Sign me up now so I can get on with the butt whippin before I get there. Maybe my hind parts will be calloused by then.
It just pains me to think that people may be using their life saving (us included), up rooting their families and bringing them to an area where they will receive treatment like demar has experienced. Is there an initiation period or something that we have to go through to be accepted?
Sign me up now so I can get on with the butt whippin before I get there. Maybe my hind parts will be calloused by then.
There are a lot more posts in this forum about people who moved to Tennessee and were welcomed with open arms than there are about people who moved to Tennessee and were shunned. Why are you choosing to believe the worst about Tennesseans than the best?
Tennessee's two-term governor, a Democrat in a Republican state, is very well liked and is from the North. The governor before him was also from the North. Clearly people in Tennessee have no problem with Northerners per se or else we wouldn't keep voting them into office as the leader of our state for 16 years in a row.
There are individuals with attitude problems, and that's the case anywhere. If you want to believe that people in Tennessee don't like Northerners, then yeah you'll probably find it. If you want to believe that people in Tennessee will embrace you, then yeah you'll probably find it.
And yes, dave1961, I was told by a couple of people in Boston to go home to Tennessee. And so what? I'm not going to sit here in fear that every time I go to Boston they're going to be rude to me or make fun of my hillbilly accent. I'm a really nice guy, and I've found that 99% of the people I meet are really nice to me in return, all over the planet.
JMT, I'm sorry to hear about the treatment you received by some during your trips up north. Trust me when I say that I am not like that at all, that's not how I roll. I treat people the same way I want to be treated. I've made quite a few trips to the Knoxville area, and everyone that I've come in contact with has been nothing but friendly and nice to me. That is one of the reasons why I want to move to TN, the people.
What a great post. Thanks for your honesty. It's a shame that some people can be so closed minded and unwelcoming. What floors me is that TN natives are the most friendly people when you are visiting. Is it all just an act I wonder?
Did you experience this in other places besides work?
Well I have lived in several States including in the South.
The attitude in ALL of them has been.
"Hope you enjoyed your visit, now please leave."
Friendly to visitors, but distant to those who decide to stay. Does that wear off over time? Yep, in most places. Small close net communities are more closed than larger cities that see a continual in and out flow of residents.
Nor are all native "---- (fill in the blank)" unfriendly to new comers. But many are. This is a common reaction on the part of anyone who has not been exposed on a regular basis to new people, ideas, things, etc. Those who live in more cosmopolitan (larger) cities have no choice as so many come and go that the melting pot effect takes hold real quickly.
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