Wrestling with the American Postal Service

I mean this literally. Today I had to post a letter. First job, find a post box. They are dark blue so much less conspicuous and I think much less frequent than our bright red pillar boxes, but perhaps they were just much less conspicuous. Anyway, I found one. Which is where the wrestling began. Picture a tall confused woman trying to work out where to put her letter in. There was no hole. And as far as I could see no way of getting the thing open. I did try, quite vigorously but before I was arrested for attacking a piece of public property I moved on, bewildered. I found another post box and tried again. This time I discovered that under the top lip there is a handle which pulls down to reveal a tray to put your post in. Why is everything different and confusing and why do I have to humiliate myself in public in this way on a regular basis?

Tips on emigration to the US

Here are some thoughts/tips that I've learned since I got here and that might make other people's lives easier if they are planning a similar move. I will probably update this post as other stuff comes up - and if anything is factually incorrect, please let me know.

1. Social Security numbers. A SSN is the key to much of life in the USA. Everyone expects you to have one and if you don't it can cause problems. Tom is on an H1B visa and unfortunately when the application was made the box that gets you one before you arrive wasn't ticked. If you're applying - make sure that it is ticked. It will save a lot of time and hassle later. For example, technically you are supposed to apply for a driving license within 10 days of becoming resident in California but you need a SSN to do so and Tom didn't get one for at least 3 weeks. This hasn't been a problem but it's an example. Also you can't open a bank account easily here unless you have one. If like me you're not allowed one, you need to know that this will limit some things for you. Which brings me to

2. Banking. Think about this before you get here. We managed to open an American account through HSBC before we arrived which has made life much much easier. Banks here will want some proof of income, credit history (which you won't have) as well as an SSN which you may not have. If you're not going to get an SSN there's a chance that the bank won't let you have your own account. Banks also charge for bank accounts even when you are in credit and that includes paying to buy cheque books. That is unless you have a premium account which will rely on your having plenty of funds in the account. And while we're at it, ATMs charge you at least $2.50 for each withdrawal if you don't bank with them. There's no agreement between the banks allowing free withdrawals like there is in the UK. This is one of the downsides of banking with HSBC as they are not very common over here. It is outweighed by the fact that we easily got the account sorted but it is an everyday pain.

3. Lack of credit history. Bring money. And bring paperwork for things like savings accounts, mortgage payments. But even with the latter you will still have no credit history. I am not sure how this works in the UK for a new resident but I'm pretty sure that the power companies don't sting you for a massive deposit. We have paid a deposit of over $500 dollars for that account. We have also paid over $750 deposit for our mobile phone account. We also had to pay an extra month's rent as deposit - so two month's rent as deposit not the standard one - despite providing lots of proof we were reliable including references from our previous landlord and mortgage statements. This will give us a nice little lump sum back into our accounts in a year's time but at the time, we had to find the cash. I realise that many of you will have your moving expenses paid for and even the move organised - we certainly had help. But having ready access to money is important and makes life much much easier. The lack of a credit history will also have an impact on your credit limit on any credit card. Ours isn't very high (about 25% what we had access to in the UK) currently for that reason and sometimes (like when buying a flat's worth of furniture) we've had to use other accounts to get the bill paid.

4. Medical stuff. If you have kids bring what medical records you can for them. In the UK this means making sure their little red book (how very Maoist of the NHS!) is up to date particularly with regard to immunizations. If you are sending your children to public school in the US (i.e. state) then they require a medical form to be completed by a US doctor and proof that the child has had the required immunizations. I don't know what rules there are if you're going private but bring the records anyway.

5. See a tax expert soon. The US doesn't do PAYE, or at least not in the way we know it. You are responsible for your tax and declare to your employer what deductions/allowances you are going to claim so they can adjust your salary each month. So in the sense that tax is deducted each month from your salary it is the same. But trust me, you need someone who understands this stuff to explain it to you, so that you claim for the right amount and don't end up over- or under-paying. You will also probably need an accountant at the end of the year. Oh, and while we're at it, make sure you bring your UK income and tax records with you as you are required to declare it even though you weren't resident yet in the US - leastways that's what we've been told. I.e. we arrived at the start of November so have 10 UK based months to account for first and then the 2 US months. It won't mean extra tax but it still has to be accounted for. Confused? Get an accountant. We certainly are.

That's all for now.

Day Three Homeward bound

I'm still feeling pretty awful and there's nothing worse than feeling ill when you're supposed to be out and active and enjoying yourself. So this morning has seen bad temper from me and from Tom, and tears just from me. The plan originally was to go tobogganing up at Badger Pass taking the shuttle bus there and back. But I'm just not up to the trip especially as buses are my least favourite way to travel, making me feel sick. So now Tom and the girls have decided to stay down in the valley, go ice skating again (not Lottie obviously), go for a walk and so on before heading back to the city a bit earlier.

I am feeling guilty about this but not a little relieved and grateful as feeling rubbish on your own for a few hours and still faced with a 4 hour journey home was not an attractive prospect. I'm just hoping Tom will forgive me one day.

Update:

We spent the day ice skating again or watching, visiting the falls which were stunning, and building snow people - very very small snow people but lots of them. Below are some more improbably gorgeous photographs of the landscape. The sky was that blue - I know it looks fake but it honestly wasn't or perhaps only a tiny bit "enhanced" by the camera. But not much. Really.

Tobogganing update:
Turns out we could have driven up easily and then left when we wanted. Well at least we know now. And we will definitely be going back some time.

Day Two Yosemite Valley

Today did not start well for me. The room was spinning and I felt awful. And before you ask I had one glass of wine last night so I'm pretty sure that if it was the wine, it was the quality not the quantity that did it.

So Tom and the girls had breakfast and I didn't. Then we packed, checked out and headed into the Park on Highway 120. We drove through pine forests some of which had been damaged by fire, skirting around high valleys, passing snow covered hills and some that were completely bare. Then we rounded a corner and stopped at a viewpoint to see our first sight of Half Dome.



This is the iconic image of Yosemite and is at the head of the valley. We passed through a tunnel or maybe two and emerged into the valley.

Wow. High cliffs of rock surround a flat river valley with meadows currently snow covered, and woods. It is dramatic and gorgeous and like nowhere I've been before. It is also surprisingly built up with many roads, paved paths, bus stops for the shuttles and several resorts to stay at. It's odd because we've driven up and up along high roads with precipitous drops, feeling more and more remote from civilisation and suddenly you emerge somewhere with pizzerias, car parks and some mobile reception. On the one hand, wilderness, on the other hand, public loos and organised activities. Sort of Butlins with bears.

We met up with our friends and spent the afternoon ice skating at the rink (Emilia enjoyed her first time, Lottie loathed it vocally all the way round and isn't going again "until I've stopped being small"). We also built a snowman or two and took lots of pictures. I leave you with a few.

New Year's Day: Yosemite here we come!

Apart from the fact that two of us have streaming colds (selfishly I am glad that I'm not one of them), we are devilishly well prepared for this trip. Or at least we have the kit. We have a super-sized SUV having been upgraded from the standard one. It is very large and very comfortable and very lovely and it is very very bad of me to like it quite so much. But I salve my conscience by knowing that "the Beast" as Tom calls it, will be going home to Hertz on Monday.



We also have lots of cold weather clothing and I now know that bringing my thermals to the US was a good idea.

So earlyish this morning and a lot earlier than most other people got up, we loaded the Beast and headed east. The road took us over the Bay Bridge and out east through some rather deadly looking suburbs, all modern identikit estates and shopping malls set in mildly rolling but very dull green hills. Then things got a bit more interesting as we headed through some hills, past a wind farm and down into what I think is the central valley. This is farming country and we drove for miles through flat country covered in groves of apple and nut trees. I guess that many of the trees were almonds as California produces most of the world's almonds. It must be gorgeous during blossom time. Gradually the landscape got hillier and felt more remote. We saw our first non-ironic Stetson in Oakdale, and I think it and its owner were heading into the Poker joint.

Then the road began to climb. The landscape got more interesting, the names more evocative - Chinese Camp, Moccasin - and soon we were really climbing. The road to Groveland was very wiggly with nearly sheer drops on our side and we rose and rose passing signs that said 2000 feet, 3000 feet, and so on.



Then the satnav decided to have its merry way with us. The one bit of our trip that wasn't planned was the maps. We hadn't got any and were rather relying on electronic hardware, satellites and sheer luck to get us to our first destination. Having turned us off onto a side road from Highway 120, Jane - the English guide, calm, authoritative if not a bit bossy - tried to get us up a private drive. My faith was rather shaken in her last week when she attempted to get us to drive into a cliff on the way to Muir Woods. Today, I knew almost at once she was wrong but as we had no map we couldn't really tell. Luckily we finally decided to ignore her, despite her telling us repeatedly to turn around, and headed back to the 120 which is much easier driving.

At least the route she took us was very picturesque and we saw a deer very close to the road. We bought maps at the first store we passed (and were told by the lady there that you should never follow satnavs up here as they think every track and trail is a proper road) and so found Evergreen Lodge very easily after that.

So here we are. I'm sitting in the second upgrade of the day. We had booked a small cabin, all in one room but now have a sitting room and two bedrooms. It's lovely and very civilised, set in pine forest, with lots of paths winding between lots of cabins. There isn't much snow but there was enough to make a couple of snow angels and a small snowman.



Tomorrow, we head into Yosemite Park itself where we are staying at Curry Village in a less plush cabin but I imagine more dramatic surroundings. And with more snow.

Oh, and lastly, Tom and I had our first burgers and fries tonight. We've been here two months and somehow managed to avoid them. Very good they were too.

Last week of 2009

We got back from St Helena on Monday having taken the scenic route over the hills to Santa Rosa which reminded us a lot of the lanes in Wales. Lots of trees and moss and small farms though these often had vineyards and there were not sheep. I miss sheep. Also I think they would improve the look of a lot of the green hills around here. Perhaps they just aren't practical though I always thought sheep were pretty adaptable. Funny what you miss.

We also tried to visit Muir Woods Park which is just north of SF and is one of the last remaining areas with coastal redwoods. I say tried because after driving round and round the car parks for 40 minutes looking for a space, I lost patience, we left and then we all had a huge row about it. We've decided to head back one weekend early, taking breakfast with us. We did stop at the Golden Gate bridge on the way back into town.



Since then we had a big big shop at REI which is a huge outdoor activities shop here in San Francisco. The bill at the end was also huge and the checkout guy handed us our till receipt saying "here's your novel". Very droll. But we are now kitted out with snow gear so Yosemite had better be good because this is turning into the most expensive weekend ever. Still if it is good we can always go again or to Tahoe.

We have also handed back our hire car and are carless. At least we are until this afternoon when Tom picks up an SUV for the Yosemite trip. We're playing it safe. The rules are that you have to carry snow chains in the winter whether they are needed or not but SUV's only have to put them on the car in the most severe conditions. We will get some as the park rangers can check if you have them with you but we have decided that if it gets that bad we won't be driving anyway. Also the hire companies generally won't let you use them. So far the forecast is for good weather this weekend. Sunny during the day, and crisp and cold at night.

We have no idea at all what it will be like. We're just not used to places like this in the snow. I have never done winter sports and Tom hasn't been skiing since we met. Snow in the UK is of the "2-inches-for-an-afternoon-but-screws-up-the-entire-country-for-a-week-kind". Also this will be our longest American journey. We're still adjusting to the idea that you drive a couple of hours to have lunch with people and that 4 hours away is close.

Meanwhile, yesterday Tom was back at work, going in on the BART/Caltrain which takes an hour and was quiet. I suppose this is the holidays but apparently he should be able to get a seat most of the time, which to anyone having commuted in London, is of course novel and welcome.

The girls and I had a lovely day. We took the J line down to 18th to visit a wool shop and furnish Lottie with needles and yarn. We bought Emilia some in St Helena and she's taken to knitting this time around. And of course little sister wants some too. Not sure if she's quite ready but woe betide me for not being entirely fair! The shop is gorgeous and I will go back some time when they are in school.

Then we had ice creams at Bi-rite (salted caramel for me again because it is delicious). Then on through the Mission to a butchers/wet fish shop for chicken breast and large prawns. And a produce shop for the makings of a pseudo-Mexican meal. Large tortillas, refried beans, avocados, coriander/cilantro, limes, tomatoes and so on. It may not be authentic, and it certainly wasn't spicy enough but it was delicious.

Were we in Tuscany?

No we weren't. But we were at the Castello di Amoroso just south of Calistoga in Napa Valley. And the owners would like us to think we're in Tuscany. To that end they have built a Tuscan castle which is surrounded by olive trees and vineyards. Of course being a late 20th century Tuscan castle, this one includes a large car park within its walls and inconveniences like spiral staircases have been straightened out.

The problem for a European visiting a place like this, or at least this European, is that I've been to Tuscany, and I've seen countless castles all over Europe. I liked the castle. The courtyard was beautiful. I could have taken it a bit more seriously if the tour guides weren't so determined that we take it seriously. "The floor in this hall is a genuine Austrian floor from an Austrian castle. After the war, Austria was poor so it sold off all its castles. The fireplace is from a farmhouse in Tuscany, Italy. All the frescoes are authentic apart from the one over the fireplace."

I think it's probably best to think of this place as an enthusiastic folly (in the architectural sense of the word). I'm pretty sure it's not a masterpiece but it is fun and clearly a labour of love. And the frescoes. Well, Michelangelo they ain't. I particularly liked this angel who looks like she's about 7 months gone.


And this couple.


They also make wine. The wine is a lot better than the frescoes. They are European in style and we tasted five of them, finally buying a Merlot and a sweet Gewurztraminer. The girls had grape juice and were supposed to stand a yard or so from the bar (a Californian law apparently) so we got them to take the pictures.

Christmas

Our first Christmas as a family of four alone without relatives, was quiet. Well, quiet if you don't count the excitement which started very very early in the morning, and went on and on until it ended with quite a lot of tears and sulking some time in the afternoon. Every year I am surprised at just how excited my children get - which is because I have a very short memory. Everything was a success - they have scooters which are in the process of being mastered and will hopefully speed up the walk to and from school. And they have a remote control helicopter as Lottie is currently obsessed with all flying things and Tom wanted one too.

Lunch was plentiful and delicious although as usual I completely forgot about gravy.



And I forgot about the brandy and matches after all that effort finding the Christmas pudding. But luckily not everyone takes Christmas so seriously and several shops were open so Tom found some which meant we had a proper Christmas after all.

Of course before the pudding we had to climb a hill. So we tackled Bernal Heights which we can see from our sitting room. The weather was perfect, a bit warm in fact and so very unChristmassy. We even saw some people in a hot tub on the way down the hill. A hot tub in December! The views from the top are incredible. The whole of the city is laid out before you and you can even see Golden Gate Bridge peeping over the top.

If I was clever and could be bothered I would stitch these four pictures together, but I'm useless with i-Photo or maybe i-Photo is useless for this kind of stuff so I won't. Just imagine this is a panoramic shot, looking from west through north to east and taking in Twin Peaks, the Golden Gate Bridge, Downtown and the East Bay.