Francisco

Hi there. This is my first post, its a long, so you may need to go for dinner and come back later. Please bear with me, and advance apologies to anyone I may inadvertently offend. I am also taking bets on how long it takes for this thread to be
a) highjacked by a passive-aggressive, secretly obsessed interloper
b) completely, thoroughly and intentionally misunderstood
c) criticised for high levels of "I" and "S" ( I would type those words but I know I'm being watched).

Anyway, I am typing this from a place somewhere in between Reading, Newbury and Basingstoke. I believe I saw Newbury on someone's post?
My husband has a new job (already commuting!) in mid-town Manhattan, so we are looking to buy a property in North New Jersey, in between Madison and Maplewood on the commuter line (Chatham, Summit, Millburn etc).
We have just returned from 2 weeks out there looking around and there are some lovely ( and expensive!) houses. Our house here is on the market but its very slow at the moment.
We are hoping to place our 6 yr old son in a local public school, most of which in that area appear to be pretty good (he is currently in a Reading private school). So if anyone know those areas any comments gratefully received.

And now for my two-penneth (think he'll know what that means? Yeah, 'course he will). I have browsed various expat sites/chatrooms, and am most impressed with the entertainment level on this one of late. Everyone (well almost everyone) seems helpful, amusing, sarcastic and ironic etc which is great and completely normal. Without wishing to sound too (insert "S" word), I am now getting slightly disturbed that a certain contributor persists in (as others have said), scanning all threads for signs of "anti-Americanism", then really doing nothing much but say "aren't you lot nasty" etc. There have been a few useful and informative bits but vastly out weighed by criticising the community here.

I haven't had time to read all threads, but haven't read anything out of the ordinary for British expats discussing their host country, as they would do wherever they are living. Think about the recent London bombings - undertaken not by outsiders coming to blow us up then leave, but by people who live (and many born) here, secretly dispising us (which is up to them) BUT THEN PROCEED TO BLOW INNOCENT PEOPLE UP. Thats anti-British. 9/11 was anti-American. A few Brits having a moan about stuff they don't like is not by any stretch of the imagination anti-American.

So to any American who dislikes the things they read on this site (to repeat earlier and repeated advice): Don't visit the site; I don't need your input; its not useful or constructive to me; its extremely repetitive, one-dimensional and hasn't helped me one jot so far.

Brits would use this site for extremely obvious reasons; part of the character of a Brit is to use irony and sarcasm and to moan to let off steam. Long shall I continue to do so. But similarly to when I converse with British people who have no sense of humour; don't like sarcasm; are politically correct or sensitive about particular issues, I moderate how I interact with them, as others on this site have said.
I don't imagine Fig Newton or anyone like him, if living in Britain, would behave in an inappropriate manner whilst at a dinner party surrounded by Brits. But that doesn't mean when solely in the company of other Americans he wouldn't ever criticise things or people or systems around him, because that would be wholly unnatural, unless of course he was simply delighted with every aspect of British life. He and his friends would of course be entitled to their views, and to express them within the safety of his companions. Which is exactly how I see people behaving here. If you don't like the heat GET OUT THE KITCHEN.
Sorry if that was too long but I needed to express myself!

krizzy

My husband used to work in Basingstoke.....nice to meet you.....

Pigtails

[QUOTE=Francisco] If you don't like the heat GET OUT THE KITCHEN.
QUOTE]

Try taking your own advice!

fatbrit

Hi Francisco and welcome!

He's gone, I'm told. So you can speak freely now.

Bob

Welcome to the forum and have fun

Cant' help with the school thing though...

peacelover

Welcome Francisco

snowbunny

Nice to meet you, and you'll find that the majority of Americans here do NOT agree with Figgy.

ladyofthelake

Welcome to the site.
A good person to ask about schools and New Jersey in general would be Englishmum. She's been away for a while touring europe though, not sure when she'll return.

snowbunny

I think mandpete is there?

ladyofthelake

ah yep, them too...

Francisco

Thanks for the welcome, I have really enjoyed reading the various threads.

Duncan Roberts

But how do you know? Do you speak for all Americans? You need to travel and talk to some Americans, they are always friendly and welcome complete strangers coming up to them and starting a conversation. I can't believe how un American you are being, if that is your attitude you need to go back to where you came from.



My wife's cousin lives in Jersey and her and her husband work in Manhattan, I'll see if they have any suggestions.

snowbunny

I'm American. There's no return address on me.

Wintersong

Hi Francisco and welcome

Very amusing and well written first post. You should fit right in here with the "wolf pack"

Good luck with the move - it must be pretty difficult for you at the moment, with your husband commuting and trying to sell your house etc etc. Hope everything goes according to plan and you can soon be starting your new life out here. Sorry I can't offer any advice on the area you are moving to, but I'm way over on the other coast.

In order to aid assimilation in your new home, do make sure you fly the stars and stripes, refer to your neighbours as "y'all", pretend that the bacon is actually less than 60% fat and never attempt to use the S and I words. Particularly with your dentist. Believe me, he has you at his mercy and will not appreciate the inherent humour in "No, really - I don't think that $600 is too much to pay for 1/2 hour's work."

Duncan Roberts

Hey, Mr. Newton never let a small detail like that get in his way!