Or, when here, get involved in a book swap program (there are many online) and then you can read english fiction to your heart's content. Having a U.S. address will help with that. I would appreciate any advice about travelling and living in the US. I'm interested to hear anything from price of food to legal stuff. Anything that comes to your minds really.
Hope this helps!
[This message has been edited by snapper (edited May 30, 2010).]
Also, I remember a while ago you were talking about a dearth of fantasy novels where you were. I'm sure you'll have quite a sampling in the libraries and bookstores in Huston.
I lived in Texas for a couple of years many, many moons ago. My memory of that experience ranged widely. On the one hand it was like being on another planet (everything's different, from flora and fauna to people's attitudes, accents, or expectations). On the other hand, I made some of the best friends I've ever had while there, and miss the place and the people dearly.
In the end I'd only advise to take things as they come, be friendly and, as they say, do as the Romans do. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've found at various times when travelling that people can be quite accommodating of foreigners who don't know the local customs.
Do you have any specific questions?
Also, Texas jokes!
http://www.ahajokes.com/texas_jokes.html
http://www.texasrebelradio.com/texas_jokes.htm
[This message has been edited by Teraen (edited May 31, 2010).]
Let me ask something more specific: airports. I've heard that there are different limitations for luggage in different parts of the world. Since I'll be living there quite some time, a simple bag might not be enough. Any restrictions and/or rules I should be aware of? If this is posted somewhere, send the link.
Stay away from Spirit airlines if you don't want to be charged for your carryon. Also - liquids. You can't bring liquids on except in containers that are less than three ounces, and all of your containers combined must fit in a one-gallon plastic bag. Wear shoes to the airport that are easily slipped on and off for security, and get your laptop out of your bag before you get to the scanner if you want to avoid annoying those behind you (it has to go through the xray machine separately).
The TSA site has a good list of all the prohibited items and such, though they're mostly common sense (no guns, no knives, etc).
You should check with the American Embassy where you are right now about any regulations regarding visas, permission to work, etc.
Make sure you make photocopies of all of your important documents and leave them behind with a family member or friend at home (carry another copy with you, but apart from your own travel documents in case anything gets lost or stolen.)
Once in the U.S., I predict you will find everything wickedly expensive. Presumably your soon-to-be-wife will be traveling with a business account of some sort. Find out the details, read the fine print. Sometimes a resourceful person/couple can find ways to benefit better from an international assignment (e.g., using housing allowance creatively by finding a cheaper place to live.) Start building a budget so you can figure out how much room you have for buy books. Or, when here, get involved in a book swap program (there are many online) and then you can read english fiction to your heart's content. Having a U.S. address will help with that.
Everything is really far apart here, definitely. Houston is also kind of ...forgive me, Texans, in the middle of nowhere. It's down on the southern coast of the U.S., in about the center of the country. You'll be in driving distance to New Orleans, San Antonio, Austin. Worth visiting, when you guys have the time. If you can also go elsewhere in the U.S., I recommend San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., and anywhere else on the East Coast you can get. That would give you a good overview of this very strange and very large country.
It's going to be a great time, you'll love it here!
Oh, and for air travel within the U.S., you are limited to one carry-on bag (there are maximum dimensions, you can check ual.com or americanairlines.com for the rules - those are two of the biggest US Airlines--there are lower cost carriers too, but those two are the biggest.) You can usually carry on a small handbag (e.g., a woman's purse or a small laptop computer bag) too. There are rules about liquids. The FAA is our governing body for air travel, I'm sure there's a website like faa.gov to check the rules on.
Remember your electronics from home may not work here, we run on lower voltage (? someone who actually knows what they're talking about can tell you more) here - 120v instead of 220. Unless things like hairdriers, alarm clocks, etc. have a converter, you'll either need a converter or it might make more sense to just buy inexpensive things here and leave them behind/sell them when you leave. Wal-Mart is your low-cost friend (it's a large store that sells everything from grocery items to furniture to blenders to clothing to fishing gear, just about anything you might need and all at low costs.)
Best of luck to you!
One addition to what everyone has been stating about the U.S. and Texas in particular. Our international airports are like cities unto themselves. Within them there are moving sidewalks and shuttles to get from one place to another within the airport. It can be quite overwhelming for the lightly travelled.
Also, I would recommend you not make too many purchases in the airport - You will have all kinds of opportunities to spend money when you get out and a lot less expensive too.
quote:
Remember your electronics from home may not work here, we run on lower voltage
This is KEY!! A lot of electronics (computers, especially) have power cords designed to run on both 110 and 220 voltage, but most other appliances do not. (I fried a heating pad that way, once.) A converter is good, but since you're going to be living in the US for so long, and there are baggage restrictions, you might want to just buy stuff here.
Re: flying internationally - you're usually allowed two "checked" bags per person, though there are weight restrictions. You can also pay extra to bring on a third bag, an amount which is more or less equivalent to paying for overseas shipping. I lived out of two suitcases for a year - it's very doable, especially if you can rent someplace that's already furnished.
Not sure if this is a universal vice, or just an American one, but either way: YOU DO NOT NEED AS MUCH CLOTHING AS YOU THINK YOU DO. Seriously. It's amazing how much you can reduce the amount of crap you're packing if you just wash your clothing more often.
Also, when you're packing to go overseas, try to leave a little extra room in your suitcases - you'll buy stuff and have more to bring home with you than you left with.
If you're buying furniture, etc. once you reach the US, check out craigslist and IKEA for used and cheap but serviceable furniture (respectively).
You are limited to one carry-on but that does not include a small personal bag like a laptop carrier, briefcase or purse.
And yeah, buy as little as possible in the airports, they're outrageously expensive. Also, don't plan on buying popcorn and sodas at the movies. It is even more outrageously expensive. A $20 bill will disappear on two sodas and a medium popcorn. Eat beforehand or carry a backpack or have your wife (soon to be - Congrats on that) carry a large purse and smuggle it in. Expect similar pricing at concert and sports venues. They will check your bags so try cargo pants and smaller foods.
Also, with regards to your important documents. You might consider scanning them and e-mailing them to yourself. That way, even if you lost everything, as long as you can get to the internet you can have access to them. I've also sent myself my credit card numbers split into different e-mails and reversed. On a side note, there's a company called, Duluth Trading Co. (they're online)that sells a 'Smuggler's Belt'. It has a zippered space on the inside of the belt where you can hide money, and passport copies. You just have to be good at folding. It's great for travel.
If you have any big city experience, use it here. Common sense. Don't look like a target. But this is true of any big city. If something seems shady, assume it is until you know better.
I know these are a bunch of warnings and cautions, but we're really a pretty decent bunch here in the States. I hope you like it.
There are what are called "barrier" islands that run along the Gulf Coast, though, as snapper has pointed out, they may not have been much of a barrier to the oil spill, so you may not want to visit them. The beach we would go do was on Padre Island.
As soon as you can, you really ought to visit the Aransas Wild Life Refuge, which is also near the coast. Alligators, big wild pigs, wild turkeys, little wild pigs called "javelinas" (pronounced "have-a-leen-a"), and maybe even whooping cranes. A very cool place.
The people of Texas are great--very friendly. I missed them when we moved away, but I certainly didn't miss the heat and humidity.
The dirt looks nice and dark and fertile, but when it gets wet, it turns into what is called "Texas gumbo," and if you walk in it you may never be able to get it off of your shoes--it also sticks to itself and can make your shoes much higher.
There are trees around Houston called "live oaks" which have little fingerprint-sized leaves on them. You'll see some pine trees and some palm trees as well (a combination that still boggles my mind). The live oaks often have something hanging from them that looks like old-lady hair and is called "Spanish moss." It's actually pretty cool to see.
You'll also see a lot of medium-sized black birds in large groups, and I was told they were called "graeckles."
If you like fish, I recommend that you try flounder. You can actually hunt for it (or you could when we were there), with a long spear called a "gig," but you have to be careful that you don't stick your spear into a stingray by accident. I love the taste of a well-cooked flounder and I hope you can experience it.
Be sure to try the barbecued meat as well, and the Tex-Mex food, though watch out for the jalapeno (pronounced "hallah-pane-yo") peppers. The first time I had one, I thought it was an okra (well, when they're cut up, they don't look all that different), and I was very surprised. Okras are a mild vegetable eaten most often in a batter--deep-fried--or in a soup. Texans like to batter and deep-fry lots of food, including wads of cornmeal (called "hush-puppies").
In the spring, the bluebonnets (Texas state flower) are all over the fields, and they're very pretty. The grass they plant for lawns is called "carpet grass," but it doesn't feel like carpet. The blades are quite thick and almost feel like astro-turf (synthetic or imitation grass). But the grass tolerates the heat and humidity quite well.
There are four kinds of poisonous snakes (or so I was told): water mocassins, rattlesnakes, coppermouths, and coral snakes--we lived there for two years, and only saw one snake, which we thought was a baby rattlesnake and which we killed because they are more dangerous than the adults.
There are also two sizes of mosquitoes--regular and B-52s (and they seem huge). There are two other kinds of insects to be aware of: chiggers and fire-ants. Chiggers are very small, and hard to see, and can cause what looks like a rash but is supposed to be a bunch of tiny bites. Fire-ants are also very tiny with a very nasty bite, so you need to watch where you stand for any length of time, because if you stand on a nest, you will regret it.
They usually have a pretty good idea if there is a chance of tornadoes, so you should have plenty of warning. A tornado sounds sort of like a train going full blast, but they are not considered "official" tornadoes unless they are actually seen. While we lived there, we heard about a few things that happened that were probably caused by a quick "touch-down" of a tornado: the corner of a motel's second story was clipped off, a semi-truck-trailer was flipped onto its side, and the brick wall of a building was pulled over during the night (neighbors heard a freight-train sound).
Also, if you are driving on the highway in Texas, and cars coming toward you have their headlights on, it's a signal that you are heading toward a highway patrol car and you might want to make sure you stay close to the speed limit. (I have driven in Europe, and was told before I went that you could drive as fast as you wanted on the Autobahn. I didn't find that to be the case, always, but in the US they are a bit stricter about speeds and speed limits.) They aren't as strict about the far left lane, however, and sometimes a slower driver will get in that lane and stay there (I was told it was illegal to do that on the Autobahn). Some highways have a special restricted far left lane for carpools (vehicles with more than one rider), motorcycles, busses, and people who pay a special fee to use them. Everyone else has to stay out of them or risk being fined (they're called HOV--high occupancy vehicle--lanes where I live now).
You'll find out more from those wonderfully friendly Texans when you get there, but I hope some of this helps. And sorry for the long post.
Ok, next topic: food. Are there any restrictions about bringing your own food (preserved, for example) through airports?
Here in Slovenia (no, that's not a former Soviet state. Wikipedia can clear it up.) we usually cook our own meals and go eat outside only for special occasions. Of course you can find a McDonalds in most cities as well. I've heard that Americans tend to eat outside more often. Take for example Italian food. Here this means pasta with a myriad of sauces. When you go out for Italian food, does that mean a classy or an ordinary meal?
Any particular things I should be aware of when buying groceries, especially dairy products? What about drinking water? Is it safe to drink tap water (here it usually is)?
[This message has been edited by MartinV (edited May 31, 2010).]
Galleria is still around. It has an ice rink in it. 
The museum district (next to the medical district with like 20 something hospitals in a few miles) isn't bad. Most of the museums have a free night once a week- Fine art is Th and Science is Tuesday. LBJ (space station) is worth doing once- though we get free parking and various discounts since my husband has a NASA badge. If you want planned tourist place, the Kemah Boardwalk is expensive, overhyped and has a bunch of rides. We were supposed to get the pres heads, but the company defaulted on their mortgage, so the heads are gone.
If you have room in your luggage to bring preserved (in sealed containers) food, you can probably bring them. You might want to check the TSA website and google US Customs to see what they say to be sure. Fresh fruits and vegetables are not usually permitted.
Lots of people here eat at home--restaurant food can be expensive. And there is quite a range in kinds and classiness of restaurants. You can find a "fast food" Italian restaurant almost as easily as you can find a "classy" Italian restaurant. But you can also go to a grocery store and buy anything you might want to prepare at home, and never eat out at all. I can't remember what grocery stores we went to when we lived in Texas. The names vary from region to region.
In a large city like Houston, you may also be able to find international grocery stores that sell imported goods which you may find more familiar. I've been able to find such stores in smaller cities, so I'm confident you'll find them in Houston.
By the way, "Italian food" in the US can mean pasta with sauces, but the kinds of pasta are probably more varied than the kinds of sauces. It can also mean pizza (talk about myriad kinds!) and it can mean Italian flavor variations on all kinds of foods (including fish).
Americans like lots of different kinds of foods, but most of them are Americanized versions of those foods. (I love the Greek, Mexican, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese (sushi), Indian (not Native American), Israeli, Belgian, English, French, and German food I have had the privilege of trying--some in the actual country when I have visited there.)
Elizabeth Moon told us once at a science fiction convention that you can only learn to love a place if you can love the smells and tastes. I hope you will come to at least like the US.
Dairy products- nothing special I can think of. I find milk is fresher at HEB versus other places. If you don't like hormones and stuff, organic is available everywhere for about twice the cost. If you hit a farmer's market (be warned- they generally are super small and disappointing) you can get a variety of locally made cheeses. Drinking water is safe, but we run ours through the Brita for taste. I can't think of anyone out here who doesn't do some sort of home water purifier (though as I said, it isn't for health really).
The other imported plague of the southern US is kudzu--a Japanese ornamental vine that "knew its place" in relatively cold Japan, but which has tried to take over in the US. If you pass huge mounds of green leaves as you drive along the highway, it may be kudzu eating a forest.
If the tap water tastes strange to you, MartinV, it can still be safe to drink, but different parts of the US have vastly different tastes in the water. I like it where I live, with the somewhat hard taste (from the minerals in Rocky Mountain spring water), but others don't.
quote:
Any particular things I should be aware of when buying groceries, especially dairy products?
If you've been used to drinking raw milk, you might want to be careful when you first try American pasteurized & homogenized milk. I don't remember all the mumbo-jumbo speak why (something to do with all the processing we do to it here), I just know that I have a mild intolerance to American milk, but I've never had a problem with milk overseas.
In addition to full (4%) fat, 2%, 1% and skim milk, you can get ultra-pasteurized or normal pasteurized (the first is worse, if you're going to have issues with pasteurization), so check the bottle to see which you've got. If you end up having issues, there are all sorts of options to get different types of milk (I knew a guy once who had a part share in a cow on a local farm!) so look around and you should be able to find an alternate source.
Oh! And you'll need a ten-gallon hat. Don't buy the ones in the airport. They only hold a gallon and half.
snapper, you should know that people living in Central Europe might not like it when you call them Eastern Europeans.
quote:
trust me, the air in Houston is heavy
I'll vouch for that. I've only ever been in Houston for about an hour, all of it at the airport. Walking between the airport and the plane (not across the tarmac, either), just about knocked me over. But then, I've never done well with humidity.
quote:
A lot of useful info here though I don't think I will go buy myself a weapon.
Regarding Customs, if you don't come in with your luggage, you'll have to fill out some extra forms.
You can hire a Customs broker in Houston, and I can recommend one, or you can find the Customs house and bring them your papers and a 3299 form filled out. Won't cost you if you go yourself. A broker may charge $100 - $200.
Plus, don't forget the ISF form! Egads...
Seriously, if your luggage is coming separately, e-mail me. I'll send you the rest of the info.
Axe
Brace yourselves!