madscientist

We're hoping to settle in Raleigh-Durham. Anyone here in Raleigh-Durham? We'll need tour guides when we come over in a few months.

NC Penguin

I live in Durham (please note that Durham and Raleigh are separate cities. Add Chapel Hill and you've got what is known as "The Triangle").

RDU International Airport is great because it has a non-stop direct flight to Gatwick (one flight a day) so it's convenient for Brits to visit the UK.

I've been living in the Triangle for just over 2 years now. I'm no expert on the place but if you have general questions, I probably can give you pointers.

madscientist

I know. :-)

Yep, I've been through there a few times.

Well, I'm really curious about the atmosphere and the people. How hot does it get in summer? I know it's hotter than the UK, but it is unbearably hot? Do you have problems with killer bees and fire ants? I'm originally from further south in the US, and we had both. How have people there responded to you? Have you faced any anti-British discrimination? Have you had good luck finding work and buying a home? How are the schools? Restaurants? Communities?

NC Penguin

Since about two weeks ago the temps have been over 90F, not daily but it can get that hot. This is typical for this time of year. Come the summer it'll be over 100F in the daytime and this can be unbearable (I used to walk to the shops- a 30 mins round trip).

You say you're from the South so I would think N. Carolinians are at least as friendly as folks from where you're from. However, N. Carolina has attracted a lot of transplanted Northerners which has changed the community (housing in places like Cary, N. Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Durham to a lesser extent. Also, restaurants, kind of foods you can get in grocery stores).

I think there are fire ants in NC but I haven't personally had problems with them and I don't think you'd find killer bees in this part of NC. Raccoons, squirrels, some snakes, mozzies and possums are the kind of pests round here.

Unlike other parts of the US I've visited, initially people in NC had trouble understanding a British accent but I put that down to not having had much exposure to it (even from the TV). I've experienced little anti-British discrimination face to face and this leads nicely to looking for work.

Despite having many international (non-American) employers, mostly in Research Triangle Park (RTP), the average employer in Durham and Raleigh has probably not encountered job candidates from the UK. Canada and Mexico probably but not the UK. I say this 'cos it took about 8 months to me to find a job.

The Triangle as a whole is still

For your UK husband, please have him prepare an American CV or resume, suitable for his industry. Please see previous posts in this forum on writing a resume/CV. It's not as straightforward as an American writing his/her CV since Brits have academic and professional qualifications and employment that is not comprehensible to even HR staff.

Re: buying a home. Look on the listings on www.realtor.com. Since you're American, it shouldn't be too difficult to get your head round the American way of buying a home.

Both Durham and Wake county websites should provide a description of neighborhoods/communities.

If you have additional questions, please send me a Private Message (PM).

madscientist

Ah, that's no big deal.

I grew up in Texas and we had the same situation; some people were complete a$$es, but you learn to ignore that. :-)

We had all of those except mozzies...what's a mozzie? Possums weren't really a problem if you had a gun. You don't want to shoot skunks, though; they stink up the place. :-)

Good. I've faced a lot of anti-Americanism here, especially in the wake of 9/11, and my husband is afraid of facing similar prejudice in the US.

NC Penguin

Mozzie= mosquito

Virtually all possums I've seen in NC have been dead, roadkill. The exception was the weeny baby possum my colleague brought into work one day (she took it to the animal shelter at lunchtime).


Hostility would come about based on what you say and who you say it to. I keep my political views to myself and between people I know well (or fellow Brits).

There are several local newspapers and I think all are online. News & Observer (based in Raleigh), The Herald Sun (based in Durham) and the Independent (another Durham paper). The views of locals comes across strongly in each of the papers.

If you're a churchgoer, you're in luck. There's plenty of churches around here, mostly Baptist. Traffic is minimal pre midday on a Sunday since most people are at church. Some stores don't open till midday on a Sunday for this reason.

madscientist

Ah yes, of course! I'd actually forgotten about mosquitos. I never heard them called "mozzies" before. :-)




That's a good policy in the US regardless of nationality. Arguing about politics seems to have become the national sport.

I'll check those out.

I'm actually atheist, but the religious don't bother me unless they interrupt my weekend American football game-viewing to talk to me about Jesus. Then, I get a bit rude. SAVE IT FOR LATER...THE COWBOYS ARE ON!