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Leaving Google

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Re: Leaving Google

#201

Post by seanmcdirmid »

twic wrote: post #197
vidoc wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being from Europe, I can only confirm that people in the Bay Area are in fact, incredibly passive-aggressive. The first few years I must admit that I felt like living on Mars. Even-though I'm coming from a "western" country whose lifestyle and tradition are somewhat similar, the cultural gap was actually much bigger than say, with Indians or Latinos. At work for example, it took me a rather long time to understand th…

As an Englishman, i have found this whole thread about the cultural differences up and down the west coast somewhat fascinating. What i'm missing is a cross-reference to the European scale of societies. I live in London, where we don't speak to our neighbours or make eye contact on the tube; would i actually be more comfortable in Seattle than San Francisco? Or would it be over the top, like being in Sweden or someth…

You'd probably like San Francisco more; I rode Caltrain daily and never had one social interaction onboard. The same wasn't true in Seattle.

Re: Leaving Google

#202

Post by mathattack »

jpollock wrote: post #132
philangist wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you expound on this? Is there really that much overt racism in SV?

Sure, here's some off the top of my head. 1) Everyone calls me "Sir", but they don't use that term with others. 2) I have a jacket that sets off store alarms. I never get questioned, but others do. 3) I've seen apartment staff be rude to other residents (and prospective residents), but they're all smiles and sunshine when I walk in. 4) My wife was talking about how she wasn't able to work because of her visa. The oth…

Is this more so than anywhere else in the US?

Re: Leaving Google

#203

Post by jpollock »

mathattack wrote: post #202
jpollock wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, here's some off the top of my head. 1) Everyone calls me "Sir", but they don't use that term with others. 2) I have a jacket that sets off store alarms. I never get questioned, but others do. 3) I've seen apartment staff be rude to other residents (and prospective residents), but they're all smiles and sunshine when I walk in. 4) My wife was talking about how she wasn't able to work because of her visa. The oth…

Is this more so than anywhere else in the US?

I don't know, I've never lived in the US as an adult. I just moved here from New Zealand.

Re: Leaving Google

#204

Post by benched »

overgryphon wrote: post #141
benched wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seattle 8 years. Sadly I have to agree wholeheartedly with this, because I've been unable to find much contrary evidence. The 'Freeze', which is deservedly famous, is very, very real, no matter how many people try to minimize its reality. Go ahead, come here - it's on display every second of every day in every cubic meter of the city. The only people who will make eye contact or speak a word to you are the homeless -…

Perhaps if all of your friendships are shallow and aloof, a change of city wouldn't solve your problem? I love Seattle, and do not find people here passive or unfriendly.

Well, there is that deep well of unjustified fear and hatred I've stored up in my heart. I wasn't going to mention it, because I was worried it might undermine my credibility.

Re: Leaving Google

#205

Post by cromwellian »

djs123sdj wrote: post #115
cromwellian wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen plenty of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indians on posters in the Bay Area. (US representative for my district is Mike Honda) I have not seen many Arabs or Sikhs, but that may be more a function of population percentage and profession, than racism towards these groups, which exploded mostly after 9/11. People who run for office are usually lawyers, and there is a definite ethnic divide in professions. Moreover,…

I can understand why the confusion may arise due to both groups wearing fabric-based head garments, but most (though not all) Sikhs are of Indian origin. Their cultural connection is much stronger to South Asia than to the Arab world. Also, many Sikhs do not not wear turbans, so to you or anyone else, they would just appear to be "Indians".

I know the difference between Sikhs (religion) and Arabs (ethnicity), I only lumped them together because most Americans do not and the original poster mentioned "turbans", hence a number of violent attacks against Sikhs after 9/11 by rednecks who didn't understand the difference.

Remember when the Hillary Clinton campaign released a photo of Barack Obama wearing a (Somalian) turban? http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/feb/26/barackobama.use...

Re: Leaving Google

#206

Post by Patrick_Devine »

robbyking wrote: post #150
Patrick_Devine wrote: post #119

As someone who moved to the Bay Area from Vancouver, it definitely was a bit of a shock. In Vancouver you're very used to seeing white people work in low income jobs, and that just doesn't happen a lot here. Calling the Bay Area congested, incestuous and overpriced compared to Vancouver is a little like the pot calling the kettle black, however. Yes, transit is a million times better in Vancouver. Yes, the cycling in…

If you don't see white people working low-income jobs in SF, you need to get out and explore. Nearly everyone working retails jobs in the Castro, Noe Valley, Hayes Valley, and a half dozen other neighborhoods is white.

Sure, but go back into the kitchen of any restaurant, or hang out and talk to the cleaning staff and I can almost guarantee you that you won't see any white people, unless you're talking to management or the chef.

Re: Leaving Google

#207

Post by Patrick_Devine »

togasystems wrote: post #143
Patrick_Devine wrote: post #119

As someone who moved to the Bay Area from Vancouver, it definitely was a bit of a shock. In Vancouver you're very used to seeing white people work in low income jobs, and that just doesn't happen a lot here. Calling the Bay Area congested, incestuous and overpriced compared to Vancouver is a little like the pot calling the kettle black, however. Yes, transit is a million times better in Vancouver. Yes, the cycling in…

I commute daily from Squamish to Vancouver. I am originally from Toronto and found commuting around that city a lot more challenging than Vancouver.

Either you ride the seabus, or you're figured out the secret to teleportation. I've sat in more traffic lineups* on Taylor Way than any sane person should ever have to endure.

The same can be said for the Massey tunnel, the Port Mann (before it was rebuilt) or half a dozen other spots in the lower mainland.

Re: Leaving Google

#208

Post by __--__ »

Patrick_Devine wrote: post #119

As someone who moved to the Bay Area from Vancouver, it definitely was a bit of a shock. In Vancouver you're very used to seeing white people work in low income jobs, and that just doesn't happen a lot here. Calling the Bay Area congested, incestuous and overpriced compared to Vancouver is a little like the pot calling the kettle black, however. Yes, transit is a million times better in Vancouver. Yes, the cycling in…

If you're a software engineer, you really ought to be living in the Bay Area. There's no other place like it.

I agree there's no other place like it, but that's not necessarily a good thing. I've been there, done that and won't go back. Then again, I prefer blunt honesty to polite lies and I need my space. Just saying, it's not for everybody, even if you're a software engineer.

Re: Leaving Google

#209

Post by potatolicious »

namelezz wrote: post #162
benched wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seattle 8 years. Sadly I have to agree wholeheartedly with this, because I've been unable to find much contrary evidence. The 'Freeze', which is deservedly famous, is very, very real, no matter how many people try to minimize its reality. Go ahead, come here - it's on display every second of every day in every cubic meter of the city. The only people who will make eye contact or speak a word to you are the homeless -…

Damn it! I am planning to move to SF, Seattle, or NYC. The OP's story and your story are too sad about SF and Seattle.

Your mileage may vary, but anecdotally I've lived in all three and NYC wins by a really wide margin.

That said, Seattle is a lot more economical - salaries are a tad lower than SF or NYC but more than made up for by lower cost of living (though this is changing).

Re: Leaving Google

#210

Post by djs123sdj »

cromwellian wrote: post #205
djs123sdj wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can understand why the confusion may arise due to both groups wearing fabric-based head garments, but most (though not all) Sikhs are of Indian origin. Their cultural connection is much stronger to South Asia than to the Arab world. Also, many Sikhs do not not wear turbans, so to you or anyone else, they would just appear to be "Indians".

I know the difference between Sikhs (religion) and Arabs (ethnicity), I only lumped them together because most Americans do not and the original poster mentioned "turbans", hence a number of violent attacks against Sikhs after 9/11 by rednecks who didn't understand the difference. Remember when the Hillary Clinton campaign released a photo of Barack Obama wearing a (Somalian) turban? http://www.theguardian.com/world/…

OK, I believe that you understand the difference, it just didn't seem that way in your original post.

I didn't remember that photo from the 08 election (or even see it in the first place). It makes the skull duggery of House of Cards seem every so slightly less fictional!

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