Yesterday I received my social security card in the post. This is the gateway to American life. It is a talisman that wards off purchasing disappointment. It is the single-most important item to have when living in the US. If you want a phone, a car, cable tv or a credit-card you will be asked for your social security number - and without one you are considered a 'problem customer' and your application will go into the round filing cabinet.
So with all that in mind I was rather surprised when I opened the envelope to find something that appeared to have been made on an $50 ink-jet printer It is a piece of flimsy card with some simple printing giving your name and number and that's it. No chip, no metal strip, no hologram or watermark - just a card that wouldn't look out of place in a Monopoly set.
Showing posts with label assimilating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label assimilating. Show all posts
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Housed!
We are in our new house!
This morning three deer wandered through our back yard while we were eating breakfast. The rustic feel is enhanced by the lack of telephone, tv or internet. That's not really a consequence of our woodsy location, just our lack of a social security number.
(Posted later when internet arrived.)
This morning three deer wandered through our back yard while we were eating breakfast. The rustic feel is enhanced by the lack of telephone, tv or internet. That's not really a consequence of our woodsy location, just our lack of a social security number.
(Posted later when internet arrived.)
Friday, January 25, 2008
Arrived!
Well here we are. On Saturday we arrived at JFK with lots of suit-cases and a container following behind on a ship. We close our house purchase on Friday if all goes to plan.
Friday, November 30, 2007
I'm sorry, but nobody says 'potarto'
I've got a new job and it's in America!
I'm from England, specifically Cambridge and I've been doing what I do from the same desk for nine years come February, so when I was offered something a little different in some-place very different I slightly bit their arm off.
It will mean moving my family across the Ocean to New York. The job is in Manhattan, and I'd like us to live in a nice-sized house (which just means bigger than we can afford in Britain) somewhere quiet, so that means New Jersey or New York state.
I was actually offered the job in July, but there was a surprising number of i's to dot, plus some extended holidays that delayed things so we only agreed everything a few weeks ago. All that left was the visas and buying a house. Visas are in the capable hands of the company lawyers, so that just leaves buying a house.
Buying a house in a foreign country. Hmm.
So this last week I've spent with my wife and young son in a Comfort Inn, outside of New York City and looking at houses, while youngest is back at Cambridge base camp being watched over by her Mother's Mother.
When I spoke to people (American people) about this move, they all said, "Get a house in New Jersey, it's cheaper." Obviously, I ignored them.
The thing is, New York - even the state, as opposed to the city - has a certain cache, it creates a frisson of excitement in me when I say it. The name's associated with Wall Street, Broadway, the Empire State Building, Robert de Niro & Martin Scorcese, King Kong and Fay Wray (and Naomi Watts). When I hear of places like Harlem, The Bronx and Tribeca little catherine wheels go off inside me. When I think about New Jersey all I think about is Bruce Springsteen. Now I know that New York state is not New York City, but it sounds the same so as far as I'm concerned it counts. Plus, the house prices are more, so there must be lots of romantic morons who agree with me.
I'm from England, specifically Cambridge and I've been doing what I do from the same desk for nine years come February, so when I was offered something a little different in some-place very different I slightly bit their arm off.
It will mean moving my family across the Ocean to New York. The job is in Manhattan, and I'd like us to live in a nice-sized house (which just means bigger than we can afford in Britain) somewhere quiet, so that means New Jersey or New York state.
I was actually offered the job in July, but there was a surprising number of i's to dot, plus some extended holidays that delayed things so we only agreed everything a few weeks ago. All that left was the visas and buying a house. Visas are in the capable hands of the company lawyers, so that just leaves buying a house.
Buying a house in a foreign country. Hmm.
So this last week I've spent with my wife and young son in a Comfort Inn, outside of New York City and looking at houses, while youngest is back at Cambridge base camp being watched over by her Mother's Mother.
When I spoke to people (American people) about this move, they all said, "Get a house in New Jersey, it's cheaper." Obviously, I ignored them.
The thing is, New York - even the state, as opposed to the city - has a certain cache, it creates a frisson of excitement in me when I say it. The name's associated with Wall Street, Broadway, the Empire State Building, Robert de Niro & Martin Scorcese, King Kong and Fay Wray (and Naomi Watts). When I hear of places like Harlem, The Bronx and Tribeca little catherine wheels go off inside me. When I think about New Jersey all I think about is Bruce Springsteen. Now I know that New York state is not New York City, but it sounds the same so as far as I'm concerned it counts. Plus, the house prices are more, so there must be lots of romantic morons who agree with me.
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