Trouble adjusting to TX (Houston, Sugar Land: for sale, rent, homes)

[mdh1]

Originally Posted by rb4browns

That's me!

That's actually funny!

[Mister Nifty]

Originally Posted by jcash

Do not get offended or think any differently about any of us. You started a thread asking if you will be able to adjust to Houston because no one will help you. The main reason for the entitlement comment I think stems from this statement.
Meaning that your issues are someone elses issues which they are not. If you said "I took my little girl to the doctors and the receptionist was terrible" I woould have to agree with you they are sometimes. If you said " I just got back from the DMV and the people are idiots what is the deal with getting a registration changed?" Most would say yeah they are a pain in the ass. To suggest that we are all mean and you are not sure you like us because you had a bad experience and we did not help you with your "issues" well.... that's just plain rude.


... just sayin

Isn't the concept of a CO-OP to share the storing of ones grain so every farm doesn't have to have it own grain elevators? I can see where there is a difference in the north and south in how people depend on each other. In the dead of winter in Houston, on the coldest night, I can run next door in my bare feet to ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar. This isn't necessarily the case up north where it can reach many degrees below zero.
I agree with the opening post. In a sense, customary politeness masking indifference is worse than just blatant insensitivity. The state of Texas needs to wake up from this contempt. Like I said, the person this state owes the most to has become the person it now most despises. The homeless prostitute.

[Mister Nifty]

Originally Posted by wstaffor

Actually, Emily West (the yellow rose of texas) was an indentured servant. She was captured by the Mexican army during a raid of the plantation she worked on, and was forced into "service" for Santa Anna. She wasn't a prostitute, she was kidnapped and raped, and for you to suggest otherwise is frankly incredibly offensive.

Not to mention the fact that that had nothing to do with winning the Battle of San Jacinto.

Excuse me? There is little difference in being worked as a prostitute and in getting kidnapped and rapped by a culture that holds you inferior. Frankly, I don't despise prostitutes. In fact, I talk to them freely treating them like human beings.
You know, the word slave derived from the word "Slav." The significance? Well, there is a long tradition spanning over 2000 years, before the time of Christ even, of superior cultures kidnapping Slavic women and selling them into prostitution.
Say what you will, tyranny viewed Emily West as a prostitute.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by Mister Nifty

Isn't the concept of a CO-OP to share the storing of ones grain so every farm doesn't have to have it own grain elevators? I can see where there is a difference in the north and south in how people depend on each other. In the dead of winter in Houston, on the coldest night, I can run next door in my bare feet to ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar. This isn't necessarily the case up north where it can reach many degrees below zero.
I agree with the opening post. In a sense, customary politeness masking indifference is worse than just blatant insensitivity. The state of Texas needs to wake up from this contempt. Like I said, the person this state owes the most to has become the person it now most despises. The homeless prostitute.

I think this just jumped the shark.

[Mister Nifty]

Originally Posted by mdh1

I'm reallly not following this post... How does this help me adjust?

Adjustment is made by having insight into anothers culture. One can't get on just any two story structure in the state of Texas and look around at everything there is to see like they can up in the little state of Rhode Island.
What is Texas? Well, starting from Houston, it is the coastal plains, it is the confluence of the Big Thicket, the most dense forest of North America, it is the piney woods grown out of the rich red soil of East Texas. North central Texas has the same dark, rich farmland that is commonly seen up in the bread basket of the Midwest which at one time grew tall grasslands that helped support the vast herds of buffalo. It has the hill country in and around Austin. It has the Red River Valley carved out as a huge limestone canyon called Palo Duro. It has 40,000 square miles of sand dunes. Apart from that, it also has part of one of the prettiest deserts called the Chihuahuan. It has lots of mountains and caves. It has the brushland of south Texas and its Valley region down at its very tip with citrus fruit and other crops are grown.
See, what I am suggesting to you is to get to know the different people. In the meantime, I will agree with you that the state is getting too arrogant.

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

I think this just jumped the shark.

My entire day has been like a scene from the Fellini film, "The Clowns", and this thread seems to be headed the same direction.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by Malvie

My entire day has been like a scene from the Fellini film, "The Clowns", and this thread seems to be headed the same direction.

Good. I thought it was just me...

[crone]

mdh1
In DHs 31 years in corporate American we moved 17 times. I moved into large cities and small towns where I did not know a living, breathing soul.
Give yourself some time. The 1st. time we moved back to the Houston, the place where I grew up, i was stunned. When the word came down to get to Dallas we practically gave our house away. In the 15 years we are away from here, it changed a lot. And, there is a huge difference between the area around Sheppard and Westheimer, my home place, and 1970's Jackrabbit road. It will take awhile to find your spot.
Accept the culture shock. A big apartment building is just like a small Texas town.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by mdh1

Hi,
Just relocated from NYC to Houston and I'm really having a hard time adjusting. All the rules of engagement and interaction seem so different. People here are much much more polite but at the sametime are not as willing to assist with resolving issues that may arise. It's kind of like "that's your problem" but expressed politely. Yes, it may be my problem but helping doesn't hurt - especially if someone is new to an area (hint really bad DMV experiences). It seems that unless someone is trying to get you to use their services or buy something, its like your issues are your issues... Am I seeing this wrong? I know I'm painting a really broad brush with a handful of experiences but its really depressing me as of late. I'm willing to have my mind changed because I really do want this to work...

Any good advice out there on how to adjust?

I think the reason you received so many curt replies was the way your question was interpreted. When I first read it a few days ago, I essentially got "There were jerks at the DMV and I met a snotty doctor's receptionist - are any of you nice when not trying to sell me something?" Kinda off-putting and not conducive to getting good feedback.

I have always just assumed that all DMV employees are horrible, that it must be some sort of prerequisite for working there or something. As to the doctor's receptionist being totally unconcerned about your daughter - you are correct, although they could not help you, it would have been a decent thing to do to help you get to the right place ASAP. She didn't - she's not a nice person - but she won't be the last self-centered prson you ever meet - here or anywhere. To say that was representative of all Houstonians is a slap to the rest of us. To add the comment about people only being nice when selling something just made it worse.

I assure you I run into very nice people everyday and they didn't try to sell me a thing. I also run into a total jerk from time to time. It takes all kinds to fill the freeways. I have learned to appreciate the nice ones and ignore the jerks, since I can't do anything about their manners, as their parents apparently couldn't.

One thing: I have a very close friend that moved from Chicago and at first would complain about the "false" niceness. I understand that the northeast people are more "in your face" about whether they like/dislike you and it confused him here. It's not "false" - it's what we were taught to do to be polite. If we don't like you, we still try to be nice. Some don't - and you will see "indifference" instead. He got used to it here - and recently complained about how "rude" people were in his home town of Chicago after going up for a vacation. LOL - guess he is a Houstonian now.

[Willsson]

I got to the fourth page and decided I was done with skimming through the responses. First, sorry to hear about the medical experience. I was a military kid so never really expected much from the medical field. They've proved themselves worthy of my expectations. I do want to say, my first reaction to events was... liability. If the Doc had come to look at the finger and pointed you to a clinic and something had gone wrong... liability. Sorry, it's a national phenomena.

Being born and raised in Texas and experiencing the standard auto responsibilities, I don't recall ever having a bad experience with the DMV. I did learn to ALWAYS go to any state agency FURTHEST from the center of any major metro. It may not be the closest but it will be less busy and as a result probably friendlier. Excepting Irving, Texas... one could just shoot himself.

As far as trusting strangers... again a national issue. Half of Texas is transplants or at least the ones we're going to meet up with in daily activities. Unless they work for the State. I think they were just born at those jobs. I don't trust anyone until that person has shown that they trust me. Just a verification process. However, my major criteria for judging ANY encounter is... >>> Action and Intent. Study that one, you'll know if they like you.

And finally, having recently relocated you must feel like you're in a twilight zone. Houston can be that way. Let things settle, get some perspective, heed some of the advice from other posters.

Good luck and Welcome to Texas.