Is Portland really s...so bad? (appointed, to buy, to live in)

[bler144]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

How difficult is it for you to make Russian friends? No different here.

Pretty much - it will depend on your interests and where you settle. If you like craft beer, root for the Timbers (local soccer club), and love indie music you'll likely have a big crowd of potential friends. Quite a few locals even watch international matches. Likewise, if you're a big church-goer, that's typically an easy way to meet people. Doesn't have to be the Orthodox Church - perhaps you're a Mormon or Lutheran.

If you're really into taxidermy and your favorite sport is cricket...well...you'll have slimmer pickings on the 'best friend' scene.

I wasn't necessarily recommending the Russian community as your primary outlet for socializing, but rather as a place to start to hunt for employment and perhaps a connection to someone who went through the same move you're considering and can advise you of pros/cons/things they wouldn't have done different. If you're an engineer and can work at Intel, employment less of an issue but you mentioned the possibility of teaching Russian so I was guessing you were looking at more general labor, and I'd wager they can give you some tips on job hunting here vis-a-vis your visa status.

[pdwpdx]

Portlanders seem to get a kick out of foreigners, so being that you will be somewhat of a novelty, you should do okay.

I hate to say it, but in my opinion, I don't think people in Portland are generally very friendly. However, I have visited St. Petersburg, Russia, and will say that they are DEFINITELY more friendly than the Russians! (No offense)

[pdxchef]

Portland native here. Don't let the bad experiences of one sourpuss dictate your perception of the city. Native Portlanders tend to be very civic-minded and love to show visitors or new arrivals around, especially as you're coming from abroad. There tends to be a lot more animosity towards people who move here from NYC or SF who bring a lot of pretense and tend to compare everything to those cities. Portland is rapidly getting increasingly expensive and cosmopolitan and you know how that brings out the xenophobia in natives, when I was growing up the city was a lot more accessible to all social classes but for many a lot of the change is positive.

I wouldn't broadly paint the people of any city as friendly or unfriendly.. That kind of dichotomous (and very American) attitude will do you more harm than good. Preconceived notions tend to lead to predestined outcomes.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by pdwpdx

Portlanders seem to get a kick out of foreigners, so being that you will be somewhat of a novelty, you should do okay.

I hate to say it, but in my opinion, I don't think people in Portland are generally very friendly. However, I have visited St. Petersburg, Russia, and will say that they are DEFINITELY more friendly than the Russians! (No offense)

I concur. Used to travel to Moscow and surrounding suburbs in a previous life to visit customers. Not a friendly place. HOT women though, that was pleasantly surprising.

To OP: I doubt internet answers will satisfy you on this. Take a chance and come here. It is a relatively good place.

[RedGuy]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

How difficult is it for you to make Russian friends? No different here.

Unfortunately it is not that easy. So to make Russian friend, you must either fight with him or to drink hard with him
"a friend in need is a friend indeed"

Originally Posted by pdwpdx

Portlanders seem to get a kick out of foreigners,
and will say that they are more friendly than the Russians! (No offense)

Thanks!
Ha ha! It's DEFINITELY an understatement! Russians are one of the most unfriendly people to strangers (on this planet) BUT! One of the most devoted friends:-) (it does not matter who you are by nationality, don't make doubt of your russian' friend' he would die for you)(this is why Russian "mafia" so strong and Russia is so poor)

Originally Posted by bler144

Pretty much - it will depend on your interests and where you settlecraft beer, the Orthodox Church, cricket...well...

I wasn't necessarily recommending the Russian community as your primary outlet for socializing.

Thank you again! +A
I understood the principle
Great advice, I already have Russian virtual friends in Portland

Originally Posted by pdxchef

Native Portlanders tend to be very civic-minded and love to show visitors or new arrivals around, especially as you're coming from abroad.
Preconceived notions tend to lead to predestined outcomes.

Thank you! Well said!
I agree. Someone who haven't been in the U.S may only be virtually predestined, local people who does not like portland at least have some facts(they saw)

[Nell Plotts]

Fighting and heavy drinking will not win you friends here and as a foreign visitor our law enforcement may change the date of your return flight to next available after your release from our local jail.

Is that the culture for professional Russian males?

[j_k_k]

Don't do what my Russian friend did. He detoured from Seattle to Tri-Cities via the Gorge. That itself was a great idea; ochyen prekrassni! However, being unable to control his desire to speed, he got pulled over by the OSP for doing over 100 mph (160 kph). He learned in this way that in Oregon, the fine for that is $1000. I'm just relieved he did not try to bribe the trooper, which is highly unlikely to fail, and highly likely to result in imprisonment.

The difficulty making close friends is not specific to Portland. It's true all over the Pacific Northwest. However, a ton of eastern Europeans (including many Russians) settle in Washington, Oregon and Idaho and seem to like it. One especially meets a lot of Armenians and Ukrainians. A former MiG-27 pilot used to deliver pizza to my place in Seattle (I'm pretty sure he's doing something more suited to his skillset nowadays). What is important to understand, I think, is that standard courtesy and friendliness as understood here (the region overall) tend to resemble 'I want to be your good friend' signals as understood in some other countries, probably including yours. It takes time and effort. I made a lot of very good friends in Seattle and Tri-Cities, but mainly of those into whose company I was placed by work and leisure and education.

Why, you may ask, was a former Soviet pilot delivering pizza? I asked him. "Byelyenko brings MiG-25 to Americans and gets pension and dacha. I bring A. and T. [wife and child] instead, so here I am working in pizza." Wry humor about adversity is probably one of Russians' most appealing cultural qualities. "I finally found free parking in Portland. I drove on I-5." I can just see Ilya saying that with a laugh.

The poster who mentioned Russkii magazini was quite right. They're growing more common around the Northwest. If you yearn for kvass (and I'm fond of the stuff), you can find it. The one nearest me in Boise is so Russian the staff even show a proper and complete Russian indifference to customers, even Americans who speak a little Russian (which in other contexts, I have found, tends to stun and delight any Russian visitor or resident).

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by RedGuy

Thanks!
Еxcellent! There are people who want to learn Russian? I'd like to help as a volunteer for free if it's possible.

But if even on the internet native don't want to respond! Perhaps I had asked wrong question?
In everyday life in Portland everything will be worse?
Don't people in Portland talk to strangers

Salem may be a better choice as here is a very large Ukrainian illegal population in Salem. They are easy to find and seem to hangout at Chemeketa.

I know some were looking for translation jobs and did tutoring at Chemeketa.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Salem may be a better choice as here is a very large Ukrainian illegal population in Salem. They are easy to find and seem to hangout at Chemeketa.

I know some were looking for translation jobs and did tutoring at Chemeketa.

Yes, because Ukrainians and Russians have no reason for conflict.

[EnricoV]

Saw this interesting factoid just the other day.

After English or Spanish, the most commonly spoken foreign language in Oregon is .... Russian!

Language map: What's the most popular language in your state?