Tracym

Re heat - My fiance says he plans to live on the sandbar in Lake Michigan - or inside the deep freeze.

Texas Mom

Deep freeze is a good idea! It's a hot one today and still only March!
Where is your fiance from?

Tracym

He's in Scotland. Which is why he's so HOT over here.

If he's so hot in Michigan, I'd love to see him in Texas

cruickies

We did consider Australia but we have no family there at all. Most of my family live in the US - we have family in Austin and my brother and family will end up there when they have finished his assigment in Beijing. My folks will move to Austin from San Jose if we go. So from a family point of view Austin is a way better bet.

Australia would be a good option for loads of reasons - culturally more like SA that anywhere in the US is ever gonna be! But family wise Austin wins hands down!

Personally I prefer a winter Xmas - its harder to pig out when it 30C outside.

snowbunny

It can be warm here at Christmas but 70 degree F warm not 30C. And it can be colder -- winters are wildly variable in temp.

If your folks have a house in SJ that they'll be selling they'll get a far better house for the $ here. The climate is better in SJ (more moderate) but just stick to the air con in summer and you'll all be fine if a bit sweaty!

loopylorns

If you have children you should be aware that a basic USA high school diploma is equivalent to only 5 GCSE at C and above.

This is the thing that has caused us much grief.

My eldest daughter is 15, a higher acheiver and had just started the study for 11 GCSE when we moved here.

The school here could not put her into any classes other than core subjects untill Sept this year (we moved Oct 06).

She could not go into AP courses as she did not have enough credits/marks and they could not give her the classes to get marks in.

In the end I did not want her leaving school at 18 with half of what she would at 16 in the UK so she is living in England with my mum.

AP courses give the equivalent of A levels at the age of 18.

If a child leaves the US high school with the basic diploma they can not go to uni in the UK without first doing A Level.

TouristTrap

You'll probably have all of those there excepting the entertaining at people's houses.....Americans in general do not socialize like we did.

snowbunny

This is true; however the public high schools in Austin generally offer a wide variety of AP classes.

If I could pick one ideal tracking it would be Highland Park -> Murchison -> Anderson; unless your child wants to do the magnet route which is <elementary of your choice> -> Kealing -> LBJ.

Texas Mom

Cool, where in Scotland does he come from? We're from East Kilbride.
Have you ever been across to Scotland?
Tell me to shut up and mind my own business, I should really go fold laundry but my back is broken after helping the OH construct a trampoline for our little lad's birthday so sitting here being nosey suits me better

nethead

That's probably dependent on the area you live and your neighbourhood. Just yesterday after a neighbourhood Easter egg hunt at the local play park, my neighbour had an impromptu BBQ. Everyone raided their freezer and brought something to grill. The adults mostly hung out in the kitchen drinking and the kids played out in the garden. That happens several times during the spring/summer/fall.

Tracym

Oh no don't "mind your own business" that would be no fun

He is in Glasgow at the moment, he's lived a few places. I think he said he grew up near the highlands, one town is fairly near Perth I think. (bad me doesn't know the geography very well).

I haven't seen Scotland yet - I would love to, and I'm sure I will one day. I'm tied down with a bunch of big hairy dogs lol, although the main reason I don't travel right now is my oldest doggy is quite elderly, and it would be hard to find someone to care for him - he's a bit of a project.

Oh my, kid's toys can certainly kill ya off, that's for sure. I hope your back is feeling better.

TouristTrap

That isn't the norm now is it? And it was a neighborhood thing. You wouldn't arrive at a friend's house for a cup of tea announced, or gawd forbid, drop by for dinner without having the date pencilled in. Many consider it very rude to drop in unannounced.

Most Americans meet with you at a restaurant, they do not invite you over for dinner and when they do, it is once in a while and they make a huge production of it, most of the the time.

One of the reasons that Americans don't entertain at their homes all the time like we did, is because they're so busy with outside activities with their families, that they have to pencil in time with friends, often weeks/months in advance.

Tracym

I think it depends. Lots of people drop by for coffee, in some places. I often have dinner at people's houses, or mine, on short notice.

And I very rarely go out with friends to dinner, most of us like to cook and go to each other's houses.

So I'd still say it depends upon the area, and the people. People do get busy with kids activities though, that is more so in recent years - I'd agree there.

Elvira

Yes, definitely depends where you live.

Here people generally entertain at home - though it's usually potlucks, which took me some time to get used to.

But no one would just drop by, be it for a drink or any other reason. I find my neighour, if she needs to talk to me for some reason, actually phones instead of knocking on my door.

I wish the magazine subscription and Boy Scout cookie sellers would do the same

TouristTrap

We're talking the south here. People consider it extremely rude to drop in unannounced. They will not go around for a cup of tea without calling ahead first. And dinner is either out or pencilled in at least a week or more in advance and like Elvira said, mostly pot lucks where everyone brings something. If you want to BBQ, you have to plan a date ahead of time.

I've got the most fab friend, but we see each other once a month, or every six weeks if we're lucky, due to the lack of time. In fact, I called her two weeks ago to come over for dinner and they could only make it next week Friday. My best friend for the last 20 years (a S.A. who moved over here a month after I did 10 years ago and I) get together maybe once every 3 months - whereas in S.A. we'd see each every weekend at least, and often for tea or dinner at each other's homes during the week. We're just too busy with kids' activities - school.

As mentioned before, kids here are so busy with different activities that most people don't have the time or are keen to entertain - they're running around from soccer to gymastics, to baseball, to cheerleading, etc....most weekends. They don't play sport at school, like they do in S.Africa - they do it in the late afternoons/evenings and weekends are taken up with whatever sports activity they have.

In the bigger cities, NYC, Chicago, Boston, etc.it might be different, but in the majority of the rest of the country, what I'm describing is the norm. Us South Africans, of which there are a few thousand in my little city alone, all bemoan the lack of socialization like we are used to back home - when they first arrive that is - I'm used to it