runphilrun said:

. I've read Portland, OR. has tons of options for Vegans/Vegetarians, so you won't have any problem as far as eating out. When you go to L.A. make sure you check out all the options here on www.quarrygirl.com . I believe the blogger is orignally from the U.K. as well. L.A. btw has the largest expatriots outside the U.K.

Yep, I already have been travelling to Portland 3-4 times a year for the last couple of years. And Quarrygirl is a friend of mine, been reading her blog for a long time! It's the first place I check when I go to a new city, to see if she recommends anything there.

Welcome! Please excuse the mess.

Lammastide said:

Militant said:

Oregon.

MrSmoketoomuch - I've NEVER found the US to be anywhere NEAR as miserable as England. People are generally much friendlier, there's more stuff going on, living costs are cheaper and it's generally just way more fun. The ONLY place in the UK I can tolerate living is London... and it's like, 3x more expensive to live in London than anywhere else.

Anyway, thanks everyone! Serious - I so agree. If it weren't for visas I would have moved there years ago!

Sweet. Portland, Ore., is awesome.

eh, it's okay... i live there. i'll just say it, as a black woman living in the northwest it ain't that easy, and not always fun. i can give you TONS of examples why. but i think militant will enjoy it here... it will be nice to meet in person at some point. frankly, it will be nice to chat with someone about studio technique and such. HA!

congratulations, man...

MJJstudent said:

Lammastide said:

Sweet. Portland, Ore., is awesome.

eh, it's okay... i live there. i'll just say it, as a black woman living in the northwest it ain't that easy, and not always fun. i can give you TONS of examples why. but i think militant will enjoy it here... it will be nice to meet in person at some point. frankly, it will be nice to chat with someone about studio technique and such. HA!

Interesting. Does it feel isolating? I will say there didn't seem to be much of a visible Black community in the city proper. And I bet more of the sociopolitical mind there is taken up by attention to, say, environmental concern than marginalized populations.

MJJstudent said:

Lammastide said:

Sweet. Portland, Ore., is awesome.

eh, it's okay... i live there. i'll just say it, as a black woman living in the northwest it ain't that easy, and not always fun. i can give you TONS of examples why. but i think militant will enjoy it here... it will be nice to meet in person at some point. frankly, it will be nice to chat with someone about studio technique and such. HA!

Thanks, and yeah we can hang out at some point. Didn't really get to speak to you last time we met as I had to rush off

Lammastide said:

MJJstudent said:

eh, it's okay... i live there. i'll just say it, as a black woman living in the northwest it ain't that easy, and not always fun. i can give you TONS of examples why. but i think militant will enjoy it here... it will be nice to meet in person at some point. frankly, it will be nice to chat with someone about studio technique and such. HA!

Interesting. Does it feel isolating? I will say there didn't seem to be much of a visible Black community in the city proper. And I bet more of the sociopolitical mind there is taken up by attention to, say, environmental concern than marginalized populations.

yes... people do focus on saving people from far-away lands, but do not look at, say, police misconduct and murder of "people of color" here... big example is there was a missing white kid here recently, kyron, and that got SOOOOOO MUCH coverage locally (and nationally). a girl named yashawnee vaughn (who was black) came up missing, the police (and media) treated it as a joke. they actually said they were not focusing so much on the case since it was a 'runaway' case. then she ended up dead.

it does feel isolating here, ESPECIALLY in comparison to NYC, where i am from. the black population is 6.3%, making it the smallest black population in a 'metropolitan' area in the states. but i've chosen to spend my energy and time on things and with people who i feel carry pro-active qualities. this is the only way i could even be here.

[Edited 4/9/11 13:43pm]

Militant said:

MJJstudent said:

eh, it's okay... i live there. i'll just say it, as a black woman living in the northwest it ain't that easy, and not always fun. i can give you TONS of examples why. but i think militant will enjoy it here... it will be nice to meet in person at some point. frankly, it will be nice to chat with someone about studio technique and such. HA!

Thanks, and yeah we can hang out at some point. Didn't really get to speak to you last time we met as I had to rush off

yay! travel safe... and i'll see you when you get here.

MJJstudent said:

Lammastide said:

Sweet. Portland, Ore., is awesome.

eh, it's okay... i live there. i'll just say it, as a black woman living in the northwest it ain't that easy, and not always fun. i can give you TONS of examples why. but i think militant will enjoy it here... it will be nice to meet in person at some point. frankly, it will be nice to chat with someone about studio technique and such. HA!

I visited Bend, Oregon a few years back for my friend's wedding. The nature was beautiful. I felt like I was in a western movie as I travelled through some locations. However, I don't know if I would return. The number of people attempting to pick fights with me was absurd . As I was walking downtown, their were numerous times where a car full of people would zoom by yelling obscenities. I thought it was just because I was black, but my white friends were experiencing it too. I think they knew we weren't locals.

[Edited 4/10/11 9:26am]

Shawnt27 said:

MJJstudent said:

eh, it's okay... i live there. i'll just say it, as a black woman living in the northwest it ain't that easy, and not always fun. i can give you TONS of examples why. but i think militant will enjoy it here... it will be nice to meet in person at some point. frankly, it will be nice to chat with someone about studio technique and such. HA!

I visited Bend, Oregon a few years back for my friend's wedding. The nature was beautiful. I felt like I was in a western movie as I travelled through some locations. However, I don't know if I would return. The number of people attempting to pick fights with me was absurb . As I was walking downtown, their were numerous times where a car full of people would zoom by yelling obscenities. I thought it was just because I was black, but my white friends were experiencing it too. I think they knew we weren't locals.

one thing i do notice about the northwest- it can be territorial... i mean, much of the northwest comprised of prarie towns... i lived in bellingham, washington for four years (not for college) and people would not speak to me if i was not in their clique. at the same time, i had people poking at me, touching my hair and asking me how (and if) i washed my hair... people used to say blatantly racist things to me, and others would excuse it, telling me that those people didn't know any better, or they were just being nice. people would ask me questions as if i represented the worldwide black community or something... when i took issue, i'd consistently get told i was 'too sensitive', or i was 'reading too much into things', etc. this is what happens when you don't have real diversity.

when i moved to portland similar things happened, where people would tell me chocolate jokes, think i knew about every single issue in the motherland, etc.

ironically, the founder of centralia, washington was a black man named george bush...

why do you want to go to america?

StillGotIt said:

why do you want to go to america?

i would make it more specific and say 'the u.s.', since canada and mexico are also america. and for all intents and purposes, puerto rico and guam.

Milk the accent.

jbchavez said:

Typically, UK citizens can enter the US on the visa waiver program. The admission is limited to 90 days. Did you get approved for a nonimmigrant visa? What classification is it?

I know that. I've been going back and forth to the US for years on the visa waiver.

My wife is American, so I'm moving there permanently to be with her. She was here in the UK for a while but we both decided we'd rather be in the US, so she moved back and we began to file the paperwork last summer.

Militant said:

jbchavez said:

Typically, UK citizens can enter the US on the visa waiver program. The admission is limited to 90 days. Did you get approved for a nonimmigrant visa? What classification is it?

I know that. I've been going back and forth to the US for years on the visa waiver.

My wife is American, so I'm moving there permanently to be with her. She was here in the UK for a while but we both decided we'd rather be in the US, so she moved back and we began to file the paperwork last summer.

I know how visa stuff can be. Congratulations! All the best with your move. How exciting!

Fauxie said:

Militant said:

I know that. I've been going back and forth to the US for years on the visa waiver.

My wife is American, so I'm moving there permanently to be with her. She was here in the UK for a while but we both decided we'd rather be in the US, so she moved back and we began to file the paperwork last summer.

I know how visa stuff can be. Congratulations! All the best with your move. How exciting!

Thanks Fauxie! I can't wait I have been waiting for this for years!

Speaking as one of the Northwest members of the ORG: welcome.

we should have a party for you and your wife when you get here!!! i'm not really into parties, but, you know... maybe there could be some thing in coordination with when dave does the prince/michael thing!!!

Militant said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

where you moving to?

Portland

Welcome 2 America.

Thanks all

Jamilah, my wife ain't into parties too much either, so it's all good. One of my friends is coming over with me for a couple months as he's never been to the US before. We're hoping to take a road trip down the west coast to the Bay, LA and maybe Vegas. So that'll be the welcoming party If Dave's doing any more gigs on the west coast around that time then we'll definitely go to one... whether that be in Portland, Seattle, San Fran... if our plans match up.

Anjali's been asking me to come on her radio show for a long time (she's been playing my bands music on her show and her club nights for years before I even knew her), so maybe I'll do that and we can all get some food somewhere near the station perhaps.

Militant said:

Thanks all

Jamilah, my wife ain't into parties too much either, so it's all good. One of my friends is coming over with me for a couple months as he's never been to the US before. We're hoping to take a road trip down the west coast to the Bay, LA and maybe Vegas. So that'll be the welcoming party If Dave's doing any more gigs on the west coast around that time then we'll definitely go to one... whether that be in Portland, Seattle, San Fran... if our plans match up.

Anjali's been asking me to come on her radio show for a long time (she's been playing my bands music on her show and her club nights for years before I even knew her), so maybe I'll do that and we can all get some food somewhere near the station perhaps.

you should TOTALLY go on anjali and stephen's show!!! i love them, and i love their show... they are awesome!

Militant said:

jbchavez said:

Typically, UK citizens can enter the US on the visa waiver program. The admission is limited to 90 days. Did you get approved for a nonimmigrant visa? What classification is it?

I know that. I've been going back and forth to the US for years on the visa waiver.

My wife is American, so I'm moving there permanently to be with her. She was here in the UK for a while but we both decided we'd rather be in the US, so she moved back and we began to file the paperwork last summer.

At least you'll be able to see the wedding before you leave