Miami to Portland. I dont speak spanish! (Beaverton, Beaver: sick, housing)

[sickofmiami]

I am moving from Miami, fl. where i have spent the majority of my life( i have spent three years in boarding school in cali from 13 to 16, lived in mich for a year with my uncle when i was 12, lived in tallahassee fl for school for two years when i was 18, NYC for 6 months when i was twenty.) but find that i really can't stand miami. I am NOT racist in any way but what makes me sick is that the longer i live here the longer i am feeling that i am gettting to become racist. Actually, it is more like resentment. I mean, bassically miami and all the its gov (which is completely corrupt beyond belief!) is all cuban.
I am not. I am a regular American cit,. I don't have a prob with people being cuban or any other culture but find that I am just sick of people not speaking english.
When i lived in NYC i lived in Brooklyn and a lot of the locals couldn;t speak english but when you went into a store or restaurant they knew what you were saying and did their best to help you (the customer) here they look at you with astonishment and start blabing spanish and you have to spend another five minutes trying to get what you want.

I swear to God-- there are more english speaking people in Hamburg Germany as a percentage than Miami--No joke.

Anyways, i find that i, (iam a double major in accounting and finance) am a quirky, funny guy who is not very business like and feel i picked the wrong major. But am also not judgemental to people. i know it might look like i am to the cubans here but i am not. it is rather the other way around.. they don't accept me because i am not completely part of thier culture. (i had a better time in Turkey yeah the country than i do here in Miami) But i have found that the "liberal" type people are really not all that liberal.

the liberals care about how your dressed. your age, (i am 26), if your arguement is outside the norm. (which to me is the craziest part of liberals because it defeats the entire definition.) like financially- dont forget i double majored in accounting and finance and find that most arguements either leave out the money completely or are completely wrong about it.

I had friends in college and NYC that were libs. and i always found that they were not all that liberal in the end. i am afraid that i am going to be kept an outsider if i dont conform to the LIb culture there which again is really an oxymoron but in NYC you find this alot.

The things i care about alot are Global warmings, nature and hapiness.

Am i making a mistake to move to Portland.
oh and by the way i am half spanish (from spain) and half irish -was raised irish that is why i dont speak spanish.

Please also, reply with a thoughtful response no calling me rasict or idiotic because i am not just someone who finds that they dont fit into the society they live in and want to make theh best change for themselves. I am a good person just find that in Miami ( and a lot of places) judge you before they even know who you are.

[2austin]

"The things i care about alot are Global warmings, nature and hapiness.

Am i making a mistake to move to Portland.
oh and by the way i am half spanish (from spain) and half irish -was raised irish that is why i dont speak spanish."

The things you care about are things a lot of Portlander care about so there is a great common ground to begin with.

My recommendation would be -- depending on how much you can spend on housing -- to live in a more ethnically diverse neighborhood, such as Beaverton or Bethany. I dont speak Spanish and English is not my first language either -- but I found Portland to be very welcoming.

[checar]

Portland couldn't be more different from Miami (I am from Miami) and you will most likely like it here IF you can handle the drastic change in weather from what you're used to. We get way more overcast days here with less actual rainfall. When it rains here, it's cold; it's nowhere near that warm tropical rain you get in Florida. When you go out to the beach here, you are usually wearing a jacket. The water is very cold (I've seen people swimming but not like Florida). There aren't as many sunny or partly sunny days here - and despite the arguments that take place on this board - you can count on Fall through Spring being very grey with a low overcast sky that is different from Florida overcast. It will stay that way for days and even weeks. I stress this point it can really have an impact on your mood if, like me, you are used to very sunny places.

As far as the mindset, values, and politics you would probably like it. Also, I haven't felt judged by my attire, shoes, car, etc. in Portland. I can leave my house with no makeup and sweats on if I want to and not feel funny about it.

Good luck!

[ksgator]

The liberals out here are very different than the east coast liberals. It may be just what you are looking for and you would fit in. Most people here dont put emphasis on looks so I doubt that you would be judged. I grew up in West Palm Beach so I know what you mean about people judging you. I just went home to visit and after living in Portland for over a year I felt a bit of culture shock. I started feeling insecure about what I was wearing and what I was driving and I don't feel that way in Portland. You should come visit and see if you get a good vibe from the city.

I agree with Checar that Portland is different in Miami in just about every way. Some good some bad. The weather obviously is the biggest difference. I have never lived in a cold climate but thought that I could handle it, but I can't. The lack of sun really affects my mood. This past weekend it was sunny and 75 and I was out grilling, running errands, running outside, but then it turned gloomy and I felt defeated. But the gloom does not affect everyone, some people here love it.

Good luck with whatever you decide!