Professors of Americana

Nearly 6 months after the move home, and things are finally settling down here.  While I will devote an upcoming entry to the 6-month phenomenon that is curiously a near-universal experience amongst expats (both coming and going), I'm pleased as punch to say that our old neighbors from our Nuremberg apartment building, A&C, just relocated to Portland this week.  A&C are Brits, and while I think they will have an easier time settling in than, say, Germans, moving to any country is a process-- and let's face it, the good ol' USA counts as a sensory overload.  So while they will have some access to a dedicated relocation agent to get some of the basics taken care of (bank accounts, cell phone carriers), the trials of moving to a permanent place, figuring out where to eat and shop, and a myriad of other issues will soon surface.  Actually, we're sort of looking forward to helping-- for a start, it will help us to reacquaint ourselves with Portland, and it's always a gas to look at things through a newbie's eyes.  Plus we can help them to blend in quicker-- English or not, they need to know pronto that nobody in Portland carries an umbrella (Gore-Tex baby!), that a quick way to spot a tourista is they pay to use public transit, and that Pabst Blue Ribbon is considered a serious beer here-- really, you can find it at the best restaurants (irony rules here in Rip City).  We also plan to introduce our friends to the wonders of trash TV-- sure, we never miss an episode of Downton Abbey (and isn't O'Brien the worst person ever?), but we have Survivor, The Bachelor, and Toddlers & Tiaras to warp their minds with.  As with all things immersion, we plan to take this slow, but we're going to have a fun time doing it.