Sm1smom
Super Moderator
.......... quite hilarious! Actually when it comes to water, you Brits sound like you're saying "war-er". When I moved from London to Canada, my kids got funny looks when they asked for a 'glass of war-er' in the public.
2013 DV Australian winners
- Thread starter Annabelle Nyst
- Start date
.......... quite hilarious! Actually when it comes to water, you Brits sound like you're saying "war-er". When I moved from London to Canada, my kids got funny looks when they asked for a 'glass of war-er' in the public.
Britsimon
Super Moderator
LOL - yep most Brits would pronounce it war-er - but I am stuffy, prim and proper so I pronounce the T.
I don't think my 5 year old will have any problem at all though - oddly, she has started talking with an American accent with words like "mom". I think she picked it up from too much Scooby Doo....
Anyway this has "nuffink" to do with immigration - apologies for the diversion...
Yeah I'm used to the "deer in headlights" look from people - I know I'll have to repeat my order at restaurants and stuff more than once so I just don't explain much the first time, I just say enough to let them get over the "shock" factor, THEN really get into ordering haha. It's quite annoying really. Maybe it depends where you go, I mean people in LA or NY and stuff would HAVE to be used to tourists and accents, but it's probably a huge rare experience to people in small towns in Arkansas that I usually get huge "deer in lights" looks from haha.
I used to get the "water" thing a lot in Canada. I was working with a childrens carnival, some of the other guys working asked me to grab water for everyone, so I went over to the boss and asked where the water was. He stared at me, "the what?" ...water? "...what? you mean w-AHt-ter?" it was horribly embarrassing, I didn't realize he was joking around with me. I just wanted some damn water haha. He used to do the "that's not a knife.. this is a knife!" thing a lot to me as well...
I can remember when I worked in Texas a while back, we had a conf call with a few colleagues in Europe. One of them was a Brit. The Texans around me stared literally at the phone when my British co-worker started to speak. It was a long speech, lasting 6 or 7 minutes. When he finished, I asked a few questions, he answered and we hung up. Then, everybody around the table looked at me (pretty much like the 'deer in headlights'), and someone asked me: "Who was this guy? Is he French or German? Well, he has a different accent than yours - I'm French -, so he must be German, right?". They almost did not believe me when I told them he was a Brit (actually he is Welsh). This guy has been transferred to Houston, and it has been 8 years now. Believe me, he masters today the prononciation of 'water'. He doesn't like Coke, and hates Ice Tea.
I have also difficulties to pronounce the word 'water', so I usually order 'wine'. But that's me. I must be very French
I have also difficulties to pronounce the word 'water', so I usually order 'wine'. But that's me. I must be very French
Qewty
Registered Users (C)
Hi Jess
Popped on the forums after being away for what seems like forever to see if you made it, and SOOOO glad to see you have arrived I'm sure it's amazing right now sorting out your new life in your new surroundings.
I will probably not return to the forums unless there is another lottery this year, or later down the track if we look at another way to the US. I am now intent on finishing my degree in Australia first (much more sensible and cost effective).
All the best
Qewty
Popped on the forums after being away for what seems like forever to see if you made it, and SOOOO glad to see you have arrived
I'm sure it's amazing right now sorting out your new life in your new surroundings.I will probably not return to the forums unless there is another lottery this year, or later down the track if we look at another way to the US. I am now intent on finishing my degree in Australia first (much more sensible and cost effective).
All the best
Qewty
OnTheGo
Registered Users (C)
That makes absolute sense! Even if you were given the green card today, I'd finish the studies and just ensure to not lose the GC by traveling over once a year until you are ready.
Vichel
Registered Users (C)
Drop by once in a while anyway. It's lovely to have your positive, sunny disposition here as it can sometimes get a bit grim ;-) All the best for Plans A, B, C, D, ....
Hi Jess
Popped on the forums after being away for what seems like forever to see if you made it, and SOOOO glad to see you have arrived
I will probably not return to the forums unless there is another lottery this year, or later down the track if we look at another way to the US. I am now intent on finishing my degree in Australia first (much more sensible and cost effective).
All the best
Qewty
Hey Q!
Glad to see you're set on finishing the studies, you'll still make it here eventually
You've got options still! Hope to see you pop back up on here soon, hopefully there will continue to be lotteries too! It's pretty crazy here getting everything done. I didn't think I'd get a car so fast so that's a huge bonus, not that i've driven it more than once, too nervous. Still need to get a license too & proper auto insurance once I get a US license, then I'll head off to Nebraska and start the not-so-fun rental house hunting
All the best to you
NicoleMack
Registered Users (C)
Hi all,
So glad you have made it over safely, Jess, and that you're getting all the important details sorted out.
I've had a nice chuckle reading all the accent problems everyone has had over the years. I'm definitely in the 'water' boat as well. Far too many blank looks. And my Aussie accent isn't particularly broad. I do pronounce my T's, so I really have never understood why it's so hard for them to understand me.
Another bad one for me was trying to order Coke. I do NOT know why. I often had to repeat myself 3 times, with the 3rd time pronouncing it with a terrible American accent. then the waiter/waitress would be all "oooohhh, Coke!" I was just like, DUH!
The best story I tell is from one of my flights over. The flight attendant handed me the I-94 form, and I realised my pen was in my bag in the overhead bin, and I couldn't be bothered pulling the whole bag out for that. So I asked the attendant for a pen. And she looked at me strangely, and I repeated, "Do you have a pen?" and did the writing hand-motion to go with it. I'm sure I asked a third time, and she finally understood, and then has the gall to tell me, "Ohhh, you mean a PEN. You said PIN." I felt like slapping her. I thought, "No idiot, I know what I meant, why would I ask for a pin to write on the freaking card?" I couldn't believe that she was correcting me on what I said. And a Flight Attendant of all people. You'd think she'd be used to all kinds of accents!
LA and NY definitely have a much better comfort level with accents. Though I did find little pockets in LA that were very suburban, places only the locals would go, and I'd get the 'you're not from around here' reactions. Funny thing was that because I was living there, I'd started to forget I had an accent, so I was like, Oh yeah, that's right, I sound different, don't I?
Oh and Jess, re: bank accounts - I found Chase to be quite good. They have fee free for students, and fee-free if you have a regular deposit every month (e.g get income deposited). Just offering an alternate option. They have tons of branches in NY and CA, but not sure about other states.
Well, this week is the first of my last semester at uni. Classes are done at the end of October, and then the working my butt off/planning properly for LA move can begin! Can't wait to join you all there
So glad you have made it over safely, Jess, and that you're getting all the important details sorted out.
I've had a nice chuckle reading all the accent problems everyone has had over the years. I'm definitely in the 'water' boat as well. Far too many blank looks. And my Aussie accent isn't particularly broad. I do pronounce my T's, so I really have never understood why it's so hard for them to understand me.
Another bad one for me was trying to order Coke. I do NOT know why. I often had to repeat myself 3 times, with the 3rd time pronouncing it with a terrible American accent. then the waiter/waitress would be all "oooohhh, Coke!" I was just like, DUH!
The best story I tell is from one of my flights over. The flight attendant handed me the I-94 form, and I realised my pen was in my bag in the overhead bin, and I couldn't be bothered pulling the whole bag out for that. So I asked the attendant for a pen. And she looked at me strangely, and I repeated, "Do you have a pen?" and did the writing hand-motion to go with it. I'm sure I asked a third time, and she finally understood, and then has the gall to tell me, "Ohhh, you mean a PEN. You said PIN." I felt like slapping her. I thought, "No idiot, I know what I meant, why would I ask for a pin to write on the freaking card?" I couldn't believe that she was correcting me on what I said. And a Flight Attendant of all people. You'd think she'd be used to all kinds of accents!
LA and NY definitely have a much better comfort level with accents. Though I did find little pockets in LA that were very suburban, places only the locals would go, and I'd get the 'you're not from around here' reactions. Funny thing was that because I was living there, I'd started to forget I had an accent, so I was like, Oh yeah, that's right, I sound different, don't I?
Oh and Jess, re: bank accounts - I found Chase to be quite good. They have fee free for students, and fee-free if you have a regular deposit every month (e.g get income deposited). Just offering an alternate option. They have tons of branches in NY and CA, but not sure about other states.
Well, this week is the first of my last semester at uni. Classes are done at the end of October, and then the working my butt off/planning properly for LA move can begin! Can't wait to join you all there
Hi all,
So glad you have made it over safely, Jess, and that you're getting all the important details sorted out.
I've had a nice chuckle reading all the accent problems everyone has had over the years. I'm definitely in the 'water' boat as well. Far too many blank looks. And my Aussie accent isn't particularly broad. I do pronounce my T's, so I really have never understood why it's so hard for them to understand me.
Another bad one for me was trying to order Coke. I do NOT know why. I often had to repeat myself 3 times, with the 3rd time pronouncing it with a terrible American accent. then the waiter/waitress would be all "oooohhh, Coke!" I was just like, DUH!
The best story I tell is from one of my flights over. The flight attendant handed me the I-94 form, and I realised my pen was in my bag in the overhead bin, and I couldn't be bothered pulling the whole bag out for that. So I asked the attendant for a pen. And she looked at me strangely, and I repeated, "Do you have a pen?" and did the writing hand-motion to go with it. I'm sure I asked a third time, and she finally understood, and then has the gall to tell me, "Ohhh, you mean a PEN. You said PIN." I felt like slapping her. I thought, "No idiot, I know what I meant, why would I ask for a pin to write on the freaking card?" I couldn't believe that she was correcting me on what I said. And a Flight Attendant of all people. You'd think she'd be used to all kinds of accents!
LA and NY definitely have a much better comfort level with accents. Though I did find little pockets in LA that were very suburban, places only the locals would go, and I'd get the 'you're not from around here' reactions. Funny thing was that because I was living there, I'd started to forget I had an accent, so I was like, Oh yeah, that's right, I sound different, don't I?
Oh and Jess, re: bank accounts - I found Chase to be quite good. They have fee free for students, and fee-free if you have a regular deposit every month (e.g get income deposited). Just offering an alternate option. They have tons of branches in NY and CA, but not sure about other states.
Well, this week is the first of my last semester at uni. Classes are done at the end of October, and then the working my butt off/planning properly for LA move can begin! Can't wait to join you all there
Hi
I've been getting some interesting accent comments lately, today thought I was just from "way down south US" ... not another country. Haha.
I'm having a lot of issues with getting a license & car insurance! I went to the DMV today to swap my license over, surrender my Aussie one etc. No good. Turns out I HAVE to do a test. Tests in this town are only 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. So next is 6th August, but I need to be gone well before then to sort out accommodation in Nebraska! I can go to the larger town about 40 mins away & do a test any day.. except the test is much more proper there than in this small town, where they basically just drive around the block. In the bigger town, I've been told ill have to do a parallel park... I can't do that. I haven't parallel parked since my P's test in 2008! I refuse to do them, if I see a spot like that I just keep driving lol. I can't do that in a test, not here either. Not sure what to do now..
OnTheGo
Registered Users (C)
Hi All, I'd love to hear your answers to these questions that we should all be asking ourselves - as many times we just focus on the "end goal" (of getting a green card) and we discuss each and every aspect of the process to get there...yet it would be interesting to share our reasons as to why we are even doing this!
Here it comes:
1-What is the primary reason for you to consider leaving AUS for the USA?
2-Do you think you will be leaving AUS behind for good, or intend to return down the track?
3-What are the negatives of living in the US versus AUS that you know of or have experienced?
The reason I'd love some feedback is that my wife and I will have to decide whether we want to return to Australia or take our chances and move to the US if successful in the DV2014!
This is our situation in a nutshell:
We left Australia less than two years ago, to return to Europe where we had come from some ten years earlier! (we are now dual EU/AUS citizens). We soon realized that we did not like living in Europe, at all and intended to return to Australia by the end of this year (right in time to swap miserable European winter days for an Aussie summer).
However, then we were selected for the DV2014 processing and another option came into our lives. Due to the high CN, we will not even have our interview before Aug, 2014! So we have to decide what we really want! Wait another year, living where we don't really like to be ... or just keeping it together with the US green card in sight?
Perhaps we should be putting our ever shrinking household into storage in EU, move to AUS for a year or two while getting our US green cards is not dependent on where we live. Or maybe that's too much hassle...it would also mean for my wife to give up her current job, dealing with high rental costs in AUS or long commutes...both we don't have to face here right now. Then again...there is no 100% guarantee that we will in fact be ending up with a green card...due to the medium high CN - and waiting here another year to realize we really 'wasted' it, would be the ultimate slap in the face.
Then I started doing some more in-depth research about life in the US...as obviously there is no point in staying here in the EU to wait for a green card if this might not be what we really want in the end.
For me, there are a couple of things I do actually dislike about moving to the US, compared to living in AUS:
High cost of health insurance!
-being self-employed makes this particularly difficult to even take up!
= high cost and danger of not being covered
High cost of medical assistance!
-most health covers have very high deductibles to be affordable!
= costs are prohibitive in the US! It's perhaps reflective of the mentality?
Self-employment tax equivalent to FICA (up to annual limits which are typically in the range of those starting out in business)
+ plus: State income tax (if applicable)
+ plus: Federal income tax
= lots of taxation burden! What else might there be to make it hard to start a living as a self-employed?
Crime!
-no doubt living in US cities is way more dangerous than in AUS! The gun culture seems crazy from a EU or AUS perspective!
As many states and communities are broke, they are cutting down on ... police force. Ex: Oakland (near San Francisco saw a 25% increase of murders and rape within a short period of time of laying police officers).
--> This is a great site for research: http://www.city-data.com/
Economy/prospects:
-Just let this sink in: 20% of US households are on food stamps, that's 23 Mio households! There is a 16 Trillion Dollar unresolved debt crisis and I will let you decide what that means medium to long term.)
Job market/work conditions:
-First of all...you usually only get 2wks paid leave compared to 4wks in AUS (or up to 6wks in EU)!
-Then, what shocked me is when I read in various places that often people do not even take all or any of their leave entitlements...for fear of losing their jobs! Apparently, it is frowned upon by your co-workers to take a couple of extended weekends off while they are slaving away at their desks...
-My wife made some attempts at getting relocated to the US affiliated office from her EU based employer recently ... to shorten our wait for the green card! Yet - the way she has been treated by email alone was ridiculous! There were only three email exchanges...and every single email was like: "Do you expect the business to pay for your relocation?" ... next: "Do you expect the business to pay for your sponsorship?" ... "Do you expect ..this...and that..?" -- A*s$&$!@ Only in the end he arrogantly stated that they have a great pool of local candidates, so "why would they hire someone at a higher cost".
You can imagine that this left us with a taste of what salaries and work conditions must be like in the US...
Which city to move to?
-We want to be living near the sea! This is what we have not had all our lives up until we had moved to Australia!
-But if you want to have it sunny and warm, at the same time...I think choices are limited in the US, too:
--> Florida (stinking hot like Brisbane, lol!)
--> L.A. (but that is what a friend of mine recently called a big 'ant hill' and I think she's right...it's a monsterous city with not much soul except if you can afford to live on the nice hillside suburbs or close to the ocean front)
--> S.F. (not really that sunny and warm I keep hearing!)
--> Texas ... Texas? Not my thing...way too hot and ... flat (like Fla. - lol!!)
How about putting Sydney where L.A. is...? Similar climate, better 'shape' - hahahaha.
So currently ... we are really in two minds...I actually LOVE Sydney! We lived there from 2001 to 2003, after that we had moved to Brisbane. The only worry with Sydney is ... real estate prices and rents are completely insane! I mean...how could prices hold further, even go further up recently? I really thought the housing market would tumble eventually, as it's very unhealthy...when most people cannot afford to spend 75% of their earnings on rent...they are not spending anything elsewhere...hence retail should be suffering...hence....add the China slowdown and mining downturn to the equation......
Here it comes:
1-What is the primary reason for you to consider leaving AUS for the USA?
2-Do you think you will be leaving AUS behind for good, or intend to return down the track?
3-What are the negatives of living in the US versus AUS that you know of or have experienced?
The reason I'd love some feedback is that my wife and I will have to decide whether we want to return to Australia or take our chances and move to the US if successful in the DV2014!
This is our situation in a nutshell:
We left Australia less than two years ago, to return to Europe where we had come from some ten years earlier! (we are now dual EU/AUS citizens). We soon realized that we did not like living in Europe, at all and intended to return to Australia by the end of this year (right in time to swap miserable European winter days for an Aussie summer).
However, then we were selected for the DV2014 processing and another option came into our lives. Due to the high CN, we will not even have our interview before Aug, 2014! So we have to decide what we really want! Wait another year, living where we don't really like to be ... or just keeping it together with the US green card in sight?
Perhaps we should be putting our ever shrinking household into storage in EU, move to AUS for a year or two while getting our US green cards is not dependent on where we live. Or maybe that's too much hassle...it would also mean for my wife to give up her current job, dealing with high rental costs in AUS or long commutes...both we don't have to face here right now. Then again...there is no 100% guarantee that we will in fact be ending up with a green card...due to the medium high CN - and waiting here another year to realize we really 'wasted' it, would be the ultimate slap in the face.
Then I started doing some more in-depth research about life in the US...as obviously there is no point in staying here in the EU to wait for a green card if this might not be what we really want in the end.
For me, there are a couple of things I do actually dislike about moving to the US, compared to living in AUS:
High cost of health insurance!
-being self-employed makes this particularly difficult to even take up!
= high cost and danger of not being covered
High cost of medical assistance!
-most health covers have very high deductibles to be affordable!
= costs are prohibitive in the US! It's perhaps reflective of the mentality?
Self-employment tax equivalent to FICA (up to annual limits which are typically in the range of those starting out in business)
+ plus: State income tax (if applicable)
+ plus: Federal income tax
= lots of taxation burden! What else might there be to make it hard to start a living as a self-employed?
Crime!
-no doubt living in US cities is way more dangerous than in AUS! The gun culture seems crazy from a EU or AUS perspective!
As many states and communities are broke, they are cutting down on ... police force. Ex: Oakland (near San Francisco saw a 25% increase of murders and rape within a short period of time of laying police officers).
--> This is a great site for research: http://www.city-data.com/
Economy/prospects:
-Just let this sink in: 20% of US households are on food stamps, that's 23 Mio households! There is a 16 Trillion Dollar unresolved debt crisis and I will let you decide what that means medium to long term.)
Job market/work conditions:
-First of all...you usually only get 2wks paid leave compared to 4wks in AUS (or up to 6wks in EU)!
-Then, what shocked me is when I read in various places that often people do not even take all or any of their leave entitlements...for fear of losing their jobs! Apparently, it is frowned upon by your co-workers to take a couple of extended weekends off while they are slaving away at their desks...
-My wife made some attempts at getting relocated to the US affiliated office from her EU based employer recently ... to shorten our wait for the green card! Yet - the way she has been treated by email alone was ridiculous! There were only three email exchanges...and every single email was like: "Do you expect the business to pay for your relocation?" ... next: "Do you expect the business to pay for your sponsorship?" ... "Do you expect ..this...and that..?" -- A*s$&$!@ Only in the end he arrogantly stated that they have a great pool of local candidates, so "why would they hire someone at a higher cost".
You can imagine that this left us with a taste of what salaries and work conditions must be like in the US...
Which city to move to?
-We want to be living near the sea! This is what we have not had all our lives up until we had moved to Australia!
-But if you want to have it sunny and warm, at the same time...I think choices are limited in the US, too:
--> Florida (stinking hot like Brisbane, lol!)
--> L.A. (but that is what a friend of mine recently called a big 'ant hill' and I think she's right...it's a monsterous city with not much soul except if you can afford to live on the nice hillside suburbs or close to the ocean front)
--> S.F. (not really that sunny and warm I keep hearing!)
--> Texas ... Texas? Not my thing...way too hot and ... flat (like Fla. - lol!!)
How about putting Sydney where L.A. is...? Similar climate, better 'shape' - hahahaha.
So currently ... we are really in two minds...I actually LOVE Sydney! We lived there from 2001 to 2003, after that we had moved to Brisbane. The only worry with Sydney is ... real estate prices and rents are completely insane! I mean...how could prices hold further, even go further up recently? I really thought the housing market would tumble eventually, as it's very unhealthy...when most people cannot afford to spend 75% of their earnings on rent...they are not spending anything elsewhere...hence retail should be suffering...hence....add the China slowdown and mining downturn to the equation......
Vichel
Registered Users (C)
Moving to Oz, then potentially to the US next year would be a lot of hassle, expense, disruption and stress. And I speak from experience. We moved from Oz to Canada, not believing for a second we'd get selected in DV2013 because my husband got selected, then disqualified in that DV2012 mess. Surprise, surprise!
We paid twice for shipping our goods and went through two rounds of getting settled in a new country with all the administrative red-tape and expense that that entails. We're comfortable financially but would rather have spent that money on something fun like travel. If I were in your situation, I would stay in Europe, see what happens. With all your holidays, you should be able to jet off someplace warm in winter ;-)
We've both loved the US all our lives, traveled there extensively and lived there for 5 months recently. So when the surprise opportunity came up, we decided to take it. We're quite nomadic anyway and we believe in grabbing opportunities when they come up. Some people are happy to live in one country their whole lives, and that's perfectly fine. We both love the idea of experiencing different countries (and not just on holidays). We'd like to live in Europe one day too.
Do we think we've left Oz behind for good? No. We're open to going back for whatever reasons. Or not. We'll see. You never know what will happen in life.
Disadvantages to the US vs. Oz:
- Healthcare for sure. Australia's hybrid system of universal healthcare plus affordable private health insurance is far better than the US (or Canada's). It's not exactly cheap in Oz either but you get much more for what you pay for, much lower deductibles and without the overly-complex mess of the US system. Frankly, from I've heard of this new healthcare system they're trying to bring in here, I have little faith in it. It seems like another overly-complex mess.
- Crime - I think it's sensationalized with a lot of focus on gun-crime in the US. If you stay away from no-go zones and ghettos, I doubt you'd get gunned down. Of course, there's the odd terrible shooting but proportionately, your chances of being a victim are rather slim. Besides, Oz isn't exactly a crime-free paradise. There's far more physical aggression there than in the US. No guns in the average person's hand, but lots of fists wielded by aggressive drunks. Surely you heard of all the King-Hit deaths in Australia? And glassings. There's a lot of aggro in Oz. Far more road-rage too. Big Bogan culture there. I don't miss the vandalism or the idiots hooning around neighbourhoods in their noisy V8s in Australia - an extensive problem there.
Culturally, I don't miss the obsession with sports in Australia. Having to hear about cricket and footie endlessly, ad nauseum, in minute obsessive detail, over and over and over ... enough to drive me mad. I also don't miss the heavy drinking culture. Fantastic wines though. I just wish most Australians would stop thinking they have to drink an entire bottle in one sitting.
Good luck with your decisions!
We paid twice for shipping our goods and went through two rounds of getting settled in a new country with all the administrative red-tape and expense that that entails. We're comfortable financially but would rather have spent that money on something fun like travel. If I were in your situation, I would stay in Europe, see what happens. With all your holidays, you should be able to jet off someplace warm in winter ;-)
We've both loved the US all our lives, traveled there extensively and lived there for 5 months recently. So when the surprise opportunity came up, we decided to take it. We're quite nomadic anyway and we believe in grabbing opportunities when they come up. Some people are happy to live in one country their whole lives, and that's perfectly fine. We both love the idea of experiencing different countries (and not just on holidays). We'd like to live in Europe one day too.
Do we think we've left Oz behind for good? No. We're open to going back for whatever reasons. Or not. We'll see. You never know what will happen in life.
Disadvantages to the US vs. Oz:
- Healthcare for sure. Australia's hybrid system of universal healthcare plus affordable private health insurance is far better than the US (or Canada's). It's not exactly cheap in Oz either but you get much more for what you pay for, much lower deductibles and without the overly-complex mess of the US system. Frankly, from I've heard of this new healthcare system they're trying to bring in here, I have little faith in it. It seems like another overly-complex mess.
- Crime - I think it's sensationalized with a lot of focus on gun-crime in the US. If you stay away from no-go zones and ghettos, I doubt you'd get gunned down. Of course, there's the odd terrible shooting but proportionately, your chances of being a victim are rather slim. Besides, Oz isn't exactly a crime-free paradise. There's far more physical aggression there than in the US. No guns in the average person's hand, but lots of fists wielded by aggressive drunks. Surely you heard of all the King-Hit deaths in Australia? And glassings. There's a lot of aggro in Oz. Far more road-rage too. Big Bogan culture there. I don't miss the vandalism or the idiots hooning around neighbourhoods in their noisy V8s in Australia - an extensive problem there.
Culturally, I don't miss the obsession with sports in Australia. Having to hear about cricket and footie endlessly, ad nauseum, in minute obsessive detail, over and over and over ... enough to drive me mad. I also don't miss the heavy drinking culture. Fantastic wines though. I just wish most Australians would stop thinking they have to drink an entire bottle in one sitting.
Good luck with your decisions!
OnTheGo
Registered Users (C)
Hi Vichel, I really appreciate your reply! I feel we are at a cross road and thought I can do with some perspective from those who are going or have already gone through the process, just like yourself. It was particularly helpful to hear about your experience with moving via another country. Cheers.
Last edited by a moderator:
Hello again everyone!
Jess! So glad to hear your move went well!!!!
I have one month left until I go! So excited and terrified!!!!!! Ahh!
Starting to cross jobs off my list and organise everything.. looking at banks/insurance/accommodation etc. Getting a little stressful but looking forward to the big change..
Has anyone else had issues with paying their USCIS fee? I created an account and after finally finding the 'Immigrant fee' drop down box, when I click 'apply online', it says 'Problem with Account' and 'Forbidden Unfortunately, you do not have access to this service. Please check your url for errors and try again.'
It's done this many times now..?
Jess! So glad to hear your move went well!!!!
I have one month left until I go! So excited and terrified!!!!!! Ahh!
Starting to cross jobs off my list and organise everything.. looking at banks/insurance/accommodation etc. Getting a little stressful but looking forward to the big change..
Has anyone else had issues with paying their USCIS fee? I created an account and after finally finding the 'Immigrant fee' drop down box, when I click 'apply online', it says 'Problem with Account' and 'Forbidden Unfortunately, you do not have access to this service. Please check your url for errors and try again.'
It's done this many times now..?
That's definitely something I don't miss. All the alcohol related violence problems, road rage, and hooning. Maybe it's cause car insurance is so expensive here no one wants to take any risks haha. I've definitely noticed people are a lot calmer on the roads here, which I like a lot. I haven't heard anyone beep at anyone yet for anything, I mean I've witnessed heaps of situations where in Australia people would RAGE and hand on the horn at people, but here people just stop for the persons dumb move, and move on with it. I'm doing well as well with the driving - no ones beeped at me yet for anything! Although it kind of has me wondering if cause people are so much calmer on the roads, maybe I have done a few things wrong but no ones beeped to tell me off... Haha.
Driving here also feels oddly natural now after driving from Arkansas to Nebraska by myself, and all around town here the past two days. Situations I should be anxious and freaking out in, I'm not too bothered by it. The only issue I have with driving here is parking haha. For some reason I can't seem to get my car properly in the parking spaces here.... Probably just being on the other side of the car and it being a new car, trying to line it all up.... Failing at that. Better figure it out before my driving test...
YAY! Not long now! It really is stressful... it's a lot of work and things to do but it is do-able. Still trying to sort out the licensing stuff, then hopefully work on lowering my car insurance somehow... It's high. I'm struggling hard right now to find a place to rent here in Nebraska for school.. The places I found online that I was really interested in are in pretty dodgy areas.. So that was a let down, this is my second night in a hotel, first night we slept in the car at a campground but it was sooo cold. Can't afford another night here at the hotel, back to the campground. I better get blankets haha. This is the most stressful part I think, and doing it with the dog... Thankfully he's co-operating really well given the circumstances, not begging me too much to play, I think it's a lot for him to take in just all the driving around daily looking at houses, so he just goes straight to sleep when we stop driving haha. You've got somewhere lined up to stay don't you? It'll all work out just fine anyways, it always seems to
despite the stress!Can't help with the USCIS fee either unfortunately, my mum did mine when she did hers haha.
Vichel
Registered Users (C)
Hey mushy, great to hear from you! Yeah, I know what you mean about the stress. Been there, done that! Yuk! But it'll be over soon. All the best!
Re the USCIS fee, I had no issues paying mine back in May. Can't recall the procedure though, just that it went well. I think there are problems with it now, based on other people's experiences:
http://forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?557649-USCIS-Immigrant-Fee-How-to-pay
Does that sound like what you're going through? Maybe worth a phone call.
Yes, I find the drivers here far more calmer and courteous overall. There will always be exceptions, especially in bigger cities but there certainly doesn't seem to be as much of that agro and plain nastiness that you get in Oz. Pedestrians are treated with much more respect here. In Oz, it's like they're out to run you down, no way are they letting you cross the road at the intersection, despite that being the law.
Parking takes practice. I don't know what it was like where you lived in Oz, but in Perth there were rarely any parking spots where you needed to parallel park, so I lost the skill after becoming really good at it Canada. Now, I have to get back into it here! And it's hard, like I've never done it before
YAY! Not long now! It really is stressful... it's a lot of work and things to do but it is do-able. Still trying to sort out the licensing stuff, then hopefully work on lowering my car insurance somehow... It's high. I'm struggling hard right now to find a place to rent here in Nebraska for school.. The places I found online that I was really interested in are in pretty dodgy areas.. So that was a let down, this is my second night in a hotel, first night we slept in the car at a campground but it was sooo cold. Can't afford another night here at the hotel, back to the campground. I better get blankets haha. This is the most stressful part I think, and doing it with the dog... Thankfully he's co-operating really well given the circumstances, not begging me too much to play, I think it's a lot for him to take in just all the driving around daily looking at houses, so he just goes straight to sleep when we stop driving haha. You've got somewhere lined up to stay don't you? It'll all work out just fine anyways, it always seems to
Awwww! You poor thing, sleeping in your car?? Gee, what a struggle you must be having. But I'm sure it'll work itself out soon, just keep trying. Yes, it's always harder to rent with a dog. So many people don't want tenants with pets. We ran across that too when we rented in Canada but ended up finding the perfect place after a lot of looking. It's just the way it is for pet owners unfortunately. All the best! Keep us posted.
Parking takes practice. I don't know what it was like where you lived in Oz, but in Perth there were rarely any parking spots where you needed to parallel park, so I lost the skill after becoming really good at it Canada. Now, I have to get back into it here! And it's hard, like I've never done it before
I've never had to parallel park except in my driving test, I mean, even if I saw a spot I'd have to parallel park into.. I'd just keep going haha. Really hoping I can avoid that in the driving test here.... Can't really practice anyways, just hope for the best! I can't go for the test though until I find a place to live to have an address... Tough.
First night was in the car, past two nights were in a hotel but now I'm out of $$ and back at the camp ground, but I actually set up the tent this time haha. It's not comfortable, I don't have anything to lay on except the floor... Oh well. I really didn't think this part through very well, I usually really over prepare, and I kind of did that this time, but at the same time I'm winging it... Haha. Yeah the size of dogs here is a big thing, if people are gonna accept dogs, they'll only accept small tiny ones... Frustrating. I'm sure I'd find something with ages of looking of course, but I don't have that time. Supposed to be thunderstorms the rest of this week! I'm the only person here in a tent.. Everyone else is in camper vans/RVs, they're giving me weird looks, they know the storms are coming haha. Fingers crossed. Going to look at a place tomorrow, finally. Hope they'll take my dog :|
YAY! Not long now! It really is stressful... it's a lot of work and things to do but it is do-able. Still trying to sort out the licensing stuff, then hopefully work on lowering my car insurance somehow... It's high. I'm struggling hard right now to find a place to rent here in Nebraska for school.. The places I found online that I was really interested in are in pretty dodgy areas.. So that was a let down, this is my second night in a hotel, first night we slept in the car at a campground but it was sooo cold. Can't afford another night here at the hotel, back to the campground. I better get blankets haha. This is the most stressful part I think, and doing it with the dog... Thankfully he's co-operating really well given the circumstances, not begging me too much to play, I think it's a lot for him to take in just all the driving around daily looking at houses, so he just goes straight to sleep when we stop driving haha. You've got somewhere lined up to stay don't you? It'll all work out just fine anyways, it always seems to
Can't help with the USCIS fee either unfortunately, my mum did mine when she did hers haha.
Aw, I hope you find the perfect place really soon! I'm so glad your dog got there safely
I don't have anywhere lined up in terms of accommodation :/ I've been trying to research places in Los Angeles but there's only so much I can do without actually being there
It's tough. I think my biggest concerns are finding a place to stay + money in general. Just having enough of it!!! The pain about California is that you have to get your license sorted out very quickly once you're a resident. My dad is travelling over with me for a little trip so I think I'll let him do the driving (since he's a tourist, he can get by on his Australian license for a while!) until I get mine sorted. My insurance will be sky high too.. I haven't been driving for long. I'm still on my P's!
Thank you!! So happy to know you're all settled in Florida! Very jealous of your weather right now!!! Haha
I've been thinking how funny it is that I'm leaving the Australian winter only to get to the States where they'll be heading towards Winter!! I guess I will be in California though, that's hardly Winter at all, is it? Hahahha
Thanks for the link, I had a read and then tried the site again and it miraculously worked!! (I saw that they did site maintenance yesterday so that must have done the trick!) So I'm literally all ready to go (legally, not mentally! Still too much to do!!!!!)
Although what really helps me is when I get a bit overwhelmed with how much I have to do or I'm thinking how much I'm going to miss home, is coming on here and realizing that we are so incredibly lucky to have this opportunity at all. Counting my lucky stars
OnTheGo
Registered Users (C)
So you emigrated to the US with hardly any savings and need to sleep in your car or a tent with your dog? I wouldn't call that a successful start...not judging but how do you pay for all the other things? Do you have health insurance cover? Didn't you save at least 10 to 20 grand in Australia before coming...or do you have a job lined up that you had organized beforehand? Where are you heading to, or where do you intend to settle? - I wish you all the best.