Update on our NEW life in the USA - Page 2

csv8 · 21-06-2007, 08:20 PM

Last year I drove from Washington DC to York Pennsylvania (Harley Factory). Doesn't take long to get used driving on the "wrong side" of the road. Its roundabouts that took awhile to get the hang off, you gotta go right not left.

gregfx · 21-06-2007, 09:37 PM

go to macca's and have a bacon and egg buscuit for me!

huge fan of the biscuit (similar to a scone)....

sgt_doofey · 21-06-2007, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregfx

go to macca's and have a bacon and egg buscuit for me!

huge fan of the biscuit (similar to a scone)....

Depends if the Mexicans working the counter can understand your English due to the Aussie accent!

XRated · 22-06-2007, 01:40 AM

Ahh your photos of San Francisco make me nostalgic for the little time I spent there. It's a nice place with a lot of character.

I'd be interested in learning more about your job because I am finishing my IT degree this year and was planning on venturing overseas (was looking at London, but if the demand is in the US I could be swayed).

Good luck over there!

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregfx

go to macca's and have a bacon and egg buscuit for me!

huge fan of the biscuit (similar to a scone)....

Haha that's one thing I hated about the place!! Give me a normal bacon and egg muffin anyday!

MYVYSS · 22-06-2007, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Still trying to get in the car on the passenger side? Or have you adjusted to that as well? ;)

*blushes* Yes, every now and then I do happen to try to drive from the passenger seat, its quite amusing actually, and thankfully its only when its just me around the car.

Lukeyson · 22-06-2007, 08:27 AM

MYVYSS - thanks for the tour mate, nice setup you have there, very interesting to see how things run on the other side of the world, do keep us updated, its facinating. regards to your family

Bossxr8 · 22-06-2007, 06:31 PM

You moved to the US and the best car you can buy is a VW Passat. You suck dude. LOL.

Rodp · 22-06-2007, 08:01 PM

Congrats. Sounds like a sweet setup. Was in Boston last year, first time ever in the US and loved it. The people there were fascinated by the accent but surprisingly friendly which was a shock coming from Sydney.

It was marred a little by my arrival at San Fran. Change to fly into Boston and not a coffee drinker but was feeling a little jet lagged and decided I'd have an iced coffee. Iced Coffee there was black coffee with ice in it. :(

Mondie · 22-06-2007, 10:09 PM

Congrats on making the move, l LOVE California, its a cool place (LA aside - its a shithole) l get to the USA a couple of times a year with my job, one trip is to Paso Robles, a town of 20,000 on the 101 midway between SF and LA. l am guessing you are living somewhere south of SF in the Silicon Valley / San Jose area?

Anyhow, enjoy your time over there. We have been offered positions in CA a couple of times over the years but never quite felt ready to make the jump. Good on you for doing so!

Cheers Mondie

MYVYSS · 23-06-2007, 02:34 AM

Thanx and Nah we are living North of SF, I am in a place called Roseville about 30 minutes north of Sacramento...mmm warm weather...SF is too cold lol

XR8-260 · 23-06-2007, 02:50 AM

Nice pictures mate. Make sure that you get yourself a nice chevrolet corvette one day

:.

gtfpv · 23-06-2007, 02:51 AM

THANKS FOR letting us know how it is over there . wishing you and your family success. my uncle went there for a holiday last year and toured . he said americans have an amasing lifestyle .

bob^ · 23-06-2007, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey

GREEEAAATTT!!!!!! All we need is another fargon yank in this world....

GREEEAAATTT!!!!!! All we need is another ****er on this forum....

:P

My biggest thing in Europe that I had a problem with was when I wanted to cross the road. I'd always have to stop, and look both ways a couple of times, to make sure there were no cars. There was a few times I'd go to cross the road and only look right instead of left - few near misses there!

Good luck in USA mate, sounds like you have settled in quite well. How about the rest of your family?

Rodp · 23-06-2007, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob^

GREEEAAATTT!!!!!! All we need is another ****er on this forum....

:P

My biggest thing in Europe that I had a problem with was when I wanted to cross the road. I'd always have to stop, and look both ways a couple of times, to make sure there were no cars. There was a few times I'd go to cross the road and only look right instead of left - few near misses there!

Good luck in USA mate, sounds like you have settled in quite well. How about the rest of your family?

Yeah that does take a bit of getting used to. I was with a group of colleagues on a training course for 2 weeks and we designated a single driver so we didn't all have to learn how to drive on the wrong side of the road.

On a plane for 20 hours, pub across the road from the hotel and almost got skittled the 1st time crossing the road. Saturday night, 11pm and the pub was closing just as we walked in.. :(

andrewts · 23-06-2007, 10:25 AM

Wow, what a great house! Have fun in the US and A!

buickman · 23-06-2007, 06:15 PM

I agree with you on the food its to sweet & fattening its an acquied tast. I was over there in March/April this year fishing in Lake New Melones ( great for big mouth Bass , Black Crappe & Trout) not that far from were you are stationed and Lake Topaz on the back road to Yosemite. The US is a great place and plenty to see while you are over there try and see as much as you can as the Nth east going into Quebec ( Canada ) is an experience the farther east you go the less English is spoken.
I've been there 9 times in 15 years and only Nth Dakota & Alaska are the only states I've not visited. You will enjoy your stay and in the time I've been over there only New Orleans was were I really felt unsafe one night with a shooting in the street I was in.

XD427 · 23-06-2007, 07:04 PM

Hey congrats on the move, myself and my partner went over for a holiday there in january and loved it and am hoping to move there in a couple of years i just wanted to find out firstly what the average price of rent was and what other professions are needed to be able to apply for a similar visa and hard that was to get??? Go to Medieval times it was orsm

opium · 23-06-2007, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MYVYSS

OK also been to San Fran for a couple of days and brought a new Digital SLR so had to take some photos.

[img]https://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/myvyss/DaytriptoSanFran027.jpg
[IMG]

This place is Justin Herman Plaza? It was a "Mecca" for skateboarders around the globe in the early 90s.

**Full Noise** · 24-06-2007, 09:42 AM

Love the pics, don’t be shy about posting more. You wouldn’t be able to get a pic of your mate’s cop car in the Krispy Kreme drive though by any chance?

Cheers,

Ryan · 24-06-2007, 11:26 AM

So, so jealous mate. hahahaha

Nice pics. I hope you have fun, in your new home. I've always wanted to move to the American midwest, but that's a few years away yet.

XRchic · 24-06-2007, 12:33 PM

They are awesome pics mate, I love the house and the street you live in! Sounds like you took a fantastic opportunity! I think too many people let things like that pass them by. How did you find the move? Did you suffer any culture shock? How did your son go in a new school in a new country? I just ask, as I was made a very tempting offer myself recently, and have kids to consider too. I also have other family to consider as well, which is why I am saying no to the offer, but I would have loved to do it!

Please post up more pics when you have them, they are great and I really enjoyed looking at them!

Jac

MYVYSS · 24-06-2007, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRchic

They are awesome pics mate, I love the house and the street you live in! Sounds like you took a fantastic opportunity! I think too many people let things like that pass them by. How did you find the move? Did you suffer any culture shock? How did your son go in a new school in a new country? I just ask, as I was made a very tempting offer myself recently, and have kids to consider too. I also have other family to consider as well, which is why I am saying no to the offer, but I would have loved to do it!

Please post up more pics when you have them, they are great and I really enjoyed looking at them!

Jac

We ummmed and arghhh for a couple of months, and did a heap of research on the area and the states as a whole, I had NEVER been here before, and my son has some special needs in relation to education, depending on the area you are in the schooling here is so advanced and greater than Australia its not even a question, However our timing sucked getting here and its summer holidays so although we have him enrrolled he doesnt start full school for another couple of weeks, but we have him in some day classes and sports just to build some friends. If you had the opportunity to get here, I would highly recommend it, as we have been so surprised at the level of support and just how open and enjoyable it is here, we are so glad we made the move, it was and is hard leaving loved ones and family but its already paying dividends and I love this place, its so open, so fresh and mostly NEW everywhere..

Culture shock itsnt as bad as you may think, its not that much different to home, except everyone has that ANNOYING american accent...But the cost of living compared to home is much cheaper, the only thing you would need to ensure is that the company you worked for had a DECENT insurance policy for health care, apart from that its all good. (Added you to MSN Jac, hope you dont mind if you wanted to discuss or talk about anything feel free, that goes for anyone msn is myholdenss@optusnet.com.au)

**DJM83** · 24-06-2007, 04:33 PM

Thanks for the new thread mate, i had to ask and thought pm was the way. I added you to my msn. Seems like we have afew moer curious ppl in here. Looks like everything is going good and everything is ssssoooo cheap

: keep us posted

cupic · 01-07-2007, 12:34 AM

Well done in the land of excess

The Yanks live on sugar! but you will sort it out
Nice landscape

Falcon Freak · 01-07-2007, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MYVYSS

We also live in a GATED communite so there are NO safety issues here what so ever. We probably feel as safe, if not safer than we did back in Australia.

What is a GATED community?

Are obese Americans a regular sight?

FF

uranium_death · 01-07-2007, 01:44 AM

Wow...looks beaut! House, car, plans, dreams and comfort.

Glad to hear you're settling in well. Things are so cheap though!

I must admit about being disappointed about one thing...Corona! Waste of money. Better off storing your urine. It will taste stronger and have a more distinctive flavour, and you don't need to put a stupid lemon in the bottle.

But overall, congratulations on your move. Hope everything turns out well.

MYVYSS · 01-07-2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Freak

What is a GATED community?

Are obese Americans a regular sight?

FF

Basically a Gated Community, means we live in a area of several blocks with about 200 houses, and if you want to get anywhere near here, you need to either have the code for the front gates and or a remote for them, this means anyone in the neighbourhood, is either a resident and or a visitor to the community, it also means traffic is minimal and you can basically walk play and run around on the streets almost without fear or anything, there is a 5 MPH speed limit in the 8 streets of the community. Even public pedestrian access is not allowed, there is a intercom system from the front gates which rings your house phone, your Name is on a electronic display and you can open the gates if you have visitors. The entry and exit of the community are under 24 hour survellance, and there has NEVER been a case of a break and enter or a robbery in a gated community here. You can basically leave you doors open if you chose and not really worry..

Fat Big Arsed Amercans are EVERYWHERE, and its quite shocking to see, although I do laugh, they will have a whole chicken, fries, potatoe and gravy and then order a diet coke. I must admit I have probably put on about 3 KG's since being here, but now that my bike is here and I have all my stuff, I should be a lot better, as I can just go for a ride. There is a Massive recreation and bike area near our street, and also Folsom Lake is about a 15 minute drive, which has Horse trails, Jetski hire and is a big boating and recreation area.

Maidu Park

PS I live in Placer Country or the Granite Bay end of the lake, so I am NOT near Folsom Prison!!!!

cupic · 01-07-2007, 03:43 PM

The yanks crack me up ordering food for 4 but only 1 eating and then by washing down 2l of coke

MYVYSS · 01-07-2007, 03:55 PM

They now have a size here called Hugo at maccas I swear its like 2 litres of coke in a cup for 69 cents? We order medium here and its bigger than our large in Australia. You ask for a smaller serving and they look at you weird, its all about as much as you can get for as little more, LOL A medium drink is more expensive than the massive one....AND just about everywhere you go, its FREE refills, so you gulp it down with a meal, then fill it up again as you walk out, its rediculous....

Oh and Burgers at the Fast food joints are called Sandwiches? WTF is with that...LOL

Best burgers here are In and Out, its been here since the 50's and you have three choices...Burger, Cheese burger or a double cheese burger, they make it as you order it, and you basically watch your fries get made FRESH, they peel the spuds put them thru a manual cutter and frie them....and the taste is um...OMG OMG OMG.....Best I have had from a fast food place EVER....its all fresh the promise the meat has NEVER been frozen, and its all fresh real produce on the burgers, full slices of tomato and also full slices of onion if you want.

Mark351 · 01-07-2007, 04:36 PM

Yeah, when I was in the US in 2000, In and Out burger (it's only a Californian chain though yeah? At least it was back then) was the best, drive-thru queues out onto the road.

Been to KFC yet? They don't have chips, they have 'biscuits' which look like minature hard scones. Arby's was kinda weird, ate a fair bit of Taco Bell cos they have infinitely more things on the menu than what they do here.

I used to wonder if I could get a job there, but then they went through that big dot com bust and I gave up on it. Not sure what they are like for J2EE jobs (I'm more dev management than a programmer now though.)