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Not much a bar guy and when I am it's more of a "neighborhood pub" type thing where I will stop in for a drink, I'm talking more about the population of young people and oppurtunties
Population of young people: Olympia and Bellingham. There are excellent universities in both places. There are rural areas outside of Bellingham with lakeside living. A mountain for hiking. Forest.
Oh, okay I see what you're saying now about Tacoma..
My accent, to American ears sounds pretty much British or slightly South African and I'm sure most Americans are aware of white South Africans. But it is more British and I don't go around talking about the tribulations of my youth while on line at the DMV. I know I'm not a red blooded "beer apple pie 'murican" but it is what it is . It's more of a visual thing to satisfy my own neuroses honestly because I don't like being the only person who looks like me when I walk around town. And for the most part white US culture is an extension of English culture, and my culture (english speaking white African) is an extension of English culture as well. I understand the humor and the religious / cultural values are similar mostly.
Tacoma is out and from what I read Olympia is a hippy town (...no...)
What about the "tri-cities area"? What is life like there?
EDIT: The only abuse I've ever gotten was at a bar in Manhattan where I was talking to what Americans call "a hipster" man who asked about my accent and then proceeded to call me "an apartheid monster" and I as much laughed in his face as I'm not an Afrikaner and even so I was born a couple of years before the end of apartheid in South Africa, he made it like I was a 3 year old PW Botha lol
We have a lot of white South African friends, one of whom was born in Zim before UDI. We have traveled to SA on numerous occasions, and to Zim once. My wife travels to Kenya and Uganda from time to time, and has a number of white and black Kenyan associates and friends.
I think ignorance will be the principal barrier you'll encounter - you've probably already developed the short script you'll need to explain your roots ("my story in less than 30 minutes") but you'll certainly need it in most smaller cities. I'd imagine 90% of the people you'll meet couldn't place Zim on a map if their lives depended on it, and probably the majority of those people have never heard of the place.
As for where to live, I guess I'd say that there will be a pretty strong inverse correlation between the size of the community and the ease you'll have finding work (smaller = harder.) And as for racial and/or ethnic diversity, well, coming from Queens you're likely to find most of the west coast notably less diverse, and much less contentious than the northeast or the deep south. Yes, there are tensions to be sure, most especially in the southwest over immigration, but it really doesn't play much of a role along the Pacific coast (including western Oregon and Washington.) Smaller towns, in fact, often have more pronounced issues in this regard, depending on the nature of the local economy.
For example, both Tacoma and Spokane have sizable military presences (more Tacoma than Spokane, but both) and the demographics of the US military are rather different than the national norms. In smaller towns in eastern Washington, immigration may be an issue owing to the high incidence of Hispanic seasonal agricultural workers (many of whom are no longer seasonal.) But seldom do these factors play much of a role in individual life, they're just statistics and can add some character to the communities. I see them as pluses for the most part.
I think Spokane/CDA and Tacoma would be places to investigate; I'd also throw in Portland and some of its suburbs, such as Vancouver WA. High amenity, easy access to lots of recreational resources, reasonably cosmopolitan, plenty of economic activity, terrific beer.
We have a lot of white South African friends, one of whom was born in Zim before UDI. We have traveled to SA on numerous occasions, and to Zim once. My wife travels to Kenya and Uganda from time to time, and has a number of white and black Kenyan associates and friends.
I think ignorance will be the principal barrier you'll encounter - you've probably already developed the short script you'll need to explain your roots ("my story in less than 30 minutes") but you'll certainly need it in most smaller cities. I'd imagine 90% of the people you'll meet couldn't place Zim on a map if their lives depended on it, and probably the majority of those people have never heard of the place.
As for where to live, I guess I'd say that there will be a pretty strong inverse correlation between the size of the community and the ease you'll have finding work (smaller = harder.) And as for racial and/or ethnic diversity, well, coming from Queens you're likely to find most of the west coast notably less diverse, and much less contentious than the northeast or the deep south. Yes, there are tensions to be sure, most especially in the southwest over immigration, but it really doesn't play much of a role along the Pacific coast (including western Oregon and Washington.) Smaller towns, in fact, often have more pronounced issues in this regard, depending on the nature of the local economy.
For example, both Tacoma and Spokane have sizable military presences (more Tacoma than Spokane, but both) and the demographics of the US military are rather different than the national norms. In smaller towns in eastern Washington, immigration may be an issue owing to the high incidence of Hispanic seasonal agricultural workers (many of whom are no longer seasonal.) But seldom do these factors play much of a role in individual life, they're just statistics and can add some character to the communities. I see them as pluses for the most part.
I think Spokane/CDA and Tacoma would be places to investigate; I'd also throw in Portland and some of its suburbs, such as Vancouver WA. High amenity, easy access to lots of recreational resources, reasonably cosmopolitan, plenty of economic activity, terrific beer.
I apologize in advance for spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. I am typing this reply on my mobile phone and I have turned off the automatic spellchecker because it has led to embarrassing text message errors in the past. I hope that my reply will still be understood
Thank you my friend for the advice.
As for finding work, my skills are diverse as in I can do construction, I know how to do most agricultural tasks, and I'm a pretty good server (it seems that my accent garners me nicer tips) so I know I can always do something and I have savings that could support me for a few months. However abou 40% of my income gets sent back in remittances to the family in one way or another whether it's purchasing electronics for them, giving them some hard currency, and increasingly (they are aging...) pay for them to fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town to get quality healthcare at decent private hospitals.
Funny how you said that you knew friends from Zim before UDI, that means they're from Rhodesia (for instance I'm a Zimbabwean but my parents were born in the sixties and are Rhodies at least in they minds and in popular perception)
Spokane looks as if it is it..it has everything I need. As for Portland/Vancouver it just seems as too much of a liberal and hippy place for me. If you're familiar with white Africans as you say you are you would know that generally we are a pretty much rural and religious group of people, unless you're from Sandton in Jo'burg or the Cape Town city bowl and values wise most of us stop progressing in 1960 lol. I am trying to get away from that and open my horizons but it is a bit overwhelming here in the United States where things that would cause a moral panic in my community ( a lot of the music played and the way a lot of women dress for instance) are commonplace and unremarkable. I know that's the product of living in a free society but it's a lot all at once ya know? That's why I wanted a more conservative place because here in NY it's kind of a free for all and it is a bit unsettling for me, maybe as I spend more time in America that will loosen up but I doubt I will ever be the type to join a flower power commune, haha.
And as you said for demographics, I am not a racist or anything but a lot of places in America have a culture to it that feels as if you're in Asia or Latin America. I went to Miami with friends recently and if I didn't know where I was I would've told you that we were in Cuba or Puerto Rico!! For someone like me who has always been in a tiny minority it was such a lovely change to go to a shopping centre or a cinema and not feel like the color of my skin or the language that I speak gave me a big "sigh" of relief. The easiest analogy for me to describe it to you would be *imagine you were an African American Black person living in Georgia in 1955 and always feeling conscious of the fact that you were different and hated for it, then you move to a very demographically black place like Detroit Michigan or Harlem NYC and everyone else looks like you and you don't feel "different" or like a minority*
Even here in NY I live in an area with neighbors mostly of Jewish and Italian descent and also a few people from Asia (oriental people, I've always though of Asians as people from India buy in the US it refers to oriental people from China, Korea etc.) so for the most part I fit in. But when I first immigrated I was on a strictly frugal budgetary regime and had to live in a heavily Hispanic area in the Bronx which was dangerous and also I was very conscious of the fact that I didn't fit in because I didn't speak Spanish and have blonde hair. I would like a place where I can just blend in.
I have a few additional questions
1. I'm an Anglican (episcopalian in the US) and although I'm not a zealot or anything I go to church every Sunday and that a large part of who I am. Here in NY I don't have an issue just because there is so many people and an equal amount of amenities like churches to serve them. However I have read the the Pacific NW is part of the least religious area of the US. This is fine but I am wondering wil I have trouble finding a church outside of Seattle or Portland? If people find out my religious views is it commonplace to be looked down upon, belittled, or maligned?
2. One thing I've always thought was nice about the United States is the gun laws. As a child i was very involved in shooting sports, and if it wasn't for certain issues I could've gone to a national or Olympic team. Here in New York next to impossible to own a gun or use a gun even in a recreational or sporting environment. Is this so in Washington? I would like to get a handgun and a rifle if I can obtain proper licensure. Is it an "open carry" state?
3. It looks like for various reasons at least to start off spoke Cain will be the Pleastri I start my time in Washington. Can you recommend any areas? I really like older architecture what Americans call "craftsman" style, with lots of trees and of cours safety. I don't own an automobile currently and I know that if I am to live outside of NYC I will need one. However that won't be my first purchase probably because moving is expensive and being an immigrant I is hard for me to get a loan without a large downpsyment because I haven't built much credit. For the first three months perhaps I will probably be depending on riding a bicycle or taking buses or the occasional Taxicab. I would like to know if there is an area where it's feasible to do this on a temporary basis or if this is just impossible and I should hold off until I could buy a car and drive there.
4. Online some places say Spokane is dangerous...is this true? I know there is a drug problem there but I am thinking that if it is drug crime than I won't be affected? Care to elaborate?
- I am multilingual and speak English, Afrikaans, Swahili, and Ndebele fluently and I am proficient in Tswana and Sotho..I know these are mostly inconsequential in the United States but can you think of any professions that I may benefit from this knowledge. It would be nice to settle into a career that doesn't have me on my feet sweating all day but I have been afraid that my lack of qualifications will leave me no choice but to "work with my back not my brain" for the remainder of my time
Most of my SA friends are Jewish Capetonians and while they speak Afrikaans, English was their home language.
Categorizing any west coast city, let alone region, as "hippy" is a gross overstatement and really not the case. Yes, politics lean to the left in Portland and Seattle, but Vancouver WA has a fairly conservative (Hispanic, female) Republican congressional representative.
On the racial/ethnic identity thing, there's no way I (or anyone but you) can determine where your comfort level sits. New York and Miami are NOT representative of the USA, they are very much anomalies. I would caution not to arrive in the west with preconceived notions about this.
The west, and especially the northwest, has a social/political culture that's a curious mix of populism, liberalism, and conservatism. Washington recently passed a law requiring that guns sold at gun shows and private transactions be subject to background checks. This law passed narrowly, and people are holding their collective breath awaiting the challenge in federal court. I seriously doubt if such a law could be enacted in Oregon. Washington and Colorado have legalized smoking pot, and so has Alaska, where any gun restriction law would have a very short half-life indeed.
I'm no expert in immigration law, and have no idea whether having a Green Card adds any complications to gun ownership, but plenty of people I know (Seattle Democrats all) own rifles and handguns. Washington is an open-carry state (with limitations); in Oregon it's subject to local modification. Hunting is very big all over the west.
You will have no problem finding Episcopalian/Anglican/CofE churches pretty much anywhere. Maligned? As if.
I think getting a car will be a priority. Western cities, in particular second-tier or smaller ones, are not well equipped for those without wheels. You don't want to be riding a bike in Spokane when it's 20F like today.
Spokane and CDA might be the best fit for you. The stock of Craftsman-era housing in both towns is excellent, and prices (compared to Portland/Seattle) are quite affordable.
Spokane, like any American city, will have its share of crime. But dangerous? Hardly.
Most of my SA friends are Jewish Capetonians and while they speak Afrikaans, English was their home language.
Categorizing any west coast city, let alone region, as "hippy" is a gross overstatement and really not the case. Yes, politics lean to the left in Portland and Seattle, but Vancouver WA has a fairly conservative (Hispanic, female) Republican congressional representative.
On the racial/ethnic identity thing, there's no way I (or anyone but you) can determine where your comfort level sits. New York and Miami are NOT representative of the USA, they are very much anomalies. I would caution not to arrive in the west with preconceived notions about this.
The west, and especially the northwest, has a social/political culture that's a curious mix of populism, liberalism, and conservatism. Washington recently passed a law requiring that guns sold at gun shows and private transactions be subject to background checks. This law passed narrowly, and people are holding their collective breath awaiting the challenge in federal court. I seriously doubt if such a law could be enacted in Oregon. Washington and Colorado have legalized smoking pot, and so has Alaska, where any gun restriction law would have a very short half-life indeed.
I'm no expert in immigration law, and have no idea whether having a Green Card adds any complications to gun ownership, but plenty of people I know (Seattle Democrats all) own rifles and handguns. Washington is an open-carry state (with limitations); in Oregon it's subject to local modification. Hunting is very big all over the west.
You will have no problem finding Episcopalian/Anglican/CofE churches pretty much anywhere. Maligned? As if.
I think getting a car will be a priority. Western cities, in particular second-tier or smaller ones, are not well equipped for those without wheels. You don't want to be riding a bike in Spokane when it's 20F like today.
Spokane and CDA might be the best fit for you. The stock of Craftsman-era housing in both towns is excellent, and prices (compared to Portland/Seattle) are quite affordable.
Spokane, like any American city, will have its share of crime. But dangerous? Hardly.
Hope that covers it.
You've been very helpful, thanks so much.
I'm sorry if the word "maligned" came off wrong to you. I have a palpable anxiety about doing something that garners community disapproval and being " run out of town" as they say. I realize in America that this is about as likely as me growing wings but it's just me being neurotic especially after I've read that WA, OR, and ID are the most irreligious places in the nation. Even here I once lost a friend for telling them that I'm a Christian,
Legalized pot huh? I heard about that but is it widespread? Will I smell it walking down the street in Spokane?
As for the background check thing, that doesn't matter to me I would probably just buy a firearm (with proper licensure) in a private sale...
I realize in America that this is about as likely as me growing wings but it's just me being neurotic especially after I've read that WA, OR, and ID are the most irreligious places in the nation. Even here I once lost a friend for telling them that I'm a Christian...
No disrespect intended, but I think you need to read less and see more. Words carry codes in some places, as you no doubt know from your own past experiences. I'd suggest putting a couple hundred bucks aside and taking a trip to this part of the country, and spend your time here talking to people.
Seattle has a small community of Native Zimbabweans. Music from Zimbabwe used to be very big in town. The local university taught classes in the various instruments, and there used to be several marimba ensembles that were quite good. Anyway, they're nice people. They're not radicals.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jza1993
I forgot to add one more question.
- I am multilingual and speak English, Afrikaans, Swahili, and Ndebele fluently and I am proficient in Tswana and Sotho..I know these are mostly inconsequential in the United States but can you think of any professions that I may benefit from this knowledge. It would be nice to settle into a career that doesn't have me on my feet sweating all day but I have been afraid that my lack of qualifications will leave me no choice but to "work with my back not my brain" for the remainder of my time
Consider doing translation work on the side, vocal and written documentation (for those seeking business transactions / immigration / visas) Much can be done electronically.
I would think Bellingham would be your best bet for access to BC Canada and Seattle metro for clients. (and for your future work / business interests
- I am multilingual and speak English, Afrikaans, Swahili, and Ndebele fluently and I am proficient in Tswana and Sotho..I know these are mostly inconsequential in the United States but can you think of any professions that I may benefit from this knowledge. It would be nice to settle into a career that doesn't have me on my feet sweating all day but I have been afraid that my lack of qualifications will leave me no choice but to "work with my back not my brain" for the remainder of my time
The University of Washington in Seattle used to offer Shona and Swahili through the Anthropology Dept. Even though you don't have a college degree, you might be able to get a job not as professional faculty, but as something like a native-speaker lecturer. This might be one way to help pay for a college degree, actually.
Also, to add to a comment someone made about your assumption that west coast cities are all left-leaning hippy communities: a number of northern California's coastal communities are actually quite conservative. You can't assume anything in that regard.
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