Anyone in Alabama?

[Laura+Tom 2]

Hey is there anyone in Alabama here? My OH is being posted there with the USAF and depending when my Visa is approved I'll be following. He can't wait and wants to stay there for quite a few years, but I have my reservations. Just want to know what it's like as I think my head is full of stereotypes.

[keltic 1]

Hey is there anyone in Alabama here? My OH is being posted there with the USAF and depending when my Visa is approved I'll be following. He can't wait and wants to stay there for quite a few years, but I have my reservations. Just want to know what it's like as I think my head is full of stereotypes.

I lived in Birmingham, Alabama for the first 27 years of my life. I currently live in NJ. I want to go home.

I hope you like it.

ETA: I am sure you will run into some of those stereotypes. But, I am just as sure that you will meet many folks who will surprise you. All southerners are not married to their first cousins and illiterate.

Edited July 26, 2008 by keltic

[Welshcookie 17]

My hubby is from Mobile,AL and we have a house there, I visited once but a day later Katrina hit so we moved on to Florida as there was no electricity and my hubby thought I might die in the heat without the A/C So I never really got to see anything All I really can say is that it was damn hot there!

Edited July 26, 2008 by Welshcookie

[T and M 1]

Hey is there anyone in Alabama here? My OH is being posted there with the USAF and depending when my Visa is approved I'll be following. He can't wait and wants to stay there for quite a few years, but I have my reservations. Just want to know what it's like as I think my head is full of stereotypes.

Hi Laura,

Wow. I cannot seem to write a response to your inquiry without being bothered by the fact that - in asking it - you appear to already have your mind made up. If I - a native Southerner - came to England expecting self-righteous yobs and violent chavs, I'm not sure it would have suited me. If I had moved to Italy expecting misogynistic mafiosos, would I have succeeding in obtaining my degree there? Washington, DC, is believed to be overrun by violent crackheads, but I lived there for 5 happy years. You say that your head is full of stereotypes, but isn't that - in essence - the problem?

Further, you don't even specify what you have heard? Should I assume that you saw the Ali G episode in Alabama, and defend my region by saying "No, Laura, we aren't a bunch of homophobic asses. But make fun of our football by dancing around on the field and you WILL get killed." Or maybe you saw Top Gear and think Southerners are violently pro-Bush, in which case I would say that around 40% of Alabamians voted for Kerry and Gore. Maybe the stereotype you heard was completely different - that we are all self-righteous snobs, perhaps. Should I then say, "No, Laura, we are actually very down to earth and would love to have a beer with anyone from any background, including yours....oh, despite the fact that we have heard so many awful stereotypes about Brits."

We really shouldn't take stereotypes too seriously, even if they are - as they tend to be - half true.

Thomas

[Laura+Tom 2]

Hey is there anyone in Alabama here? My OH is being posted there with the USAF and depending when my Visa is approved I'll be following. He can't wait and wants to stay there for quite a few years, but I have my reservations. Just want to know what it's like as I think my head is full of stereotypes.

Hi Laura,

Wow. I cannot seem to write a response to your inquiry without being bothered by the fact that - in asking it - you appear to already have your mind made up. If I - a native Southerner - came to England expecting self-righteous yobs and violent chavs, I'm not sure it would have suited me. If I had moved to Italy expecting misogynistic mafiosos, would I have succeeding in obtaining my degree there? Washington, DC, is believed to be overrun by violent crackheads, but I lived there for 5 happy years. You say that your head is full of stereotypes, but isn't that - in essence - the problem?

Further, you don't even specify what you have heard? Should I assume that you saw the Ali G episode in Alabama, and defend my region by saying "No, Laura, we aren't a bunch of homophobic asses. But make fun of our football by dancing around on the field and you WILL get killed." Or maybe you saw Top Gear and think Southerners are violently pro-Bush, in which case I would say that around 40% of Alabamians voted for Kerry and Gore. Maybe the stereotype you heard was completely different - that we are all self-righteous snobs, perhaps. Should I then say, "No, Laura, we are actually very down to earth and would love to have a beer with anyone from any background, including yours....oh, despite the fact that we have heard so many awful stereotypes about Brits."

We really shouldn't take stereotypes too seriously, even if they are - as they tend to be - half true.

Thomas

I apologise if my comment offended you, I honestly didn't mean it to. No, I haven't seen Ali G or that episode of Top Gear. Just some things that I heard from people who have been there and from my OH who knows people there. Also when you tell people you are going to Alabama they come out with all sorts of stuff and I think it fuels your thoughts even more. I know these are just excuses but after reading your response I am quite ashamed about my manner of thought. I think it all comes down to the fact I will be moving somewhere totally different and am just scared that I'm not going to like it.

[T and M 1]

Hey is there anyone in Alabama here? My OH is being posted there with the USAF and depending when my Visa is approved I'll be following. He can't wait and wants to stay there for quite a few years, but I have my reservations. Just want to know what it's like as I think my head is full of stereotypes.

Hi Laura,

Wow. I cannot seem to write a response to your inquiry without being bothered by the fact that - in asking it - you appear to already have your mind made up. If I - a native Southerner - came to England expecting self-righteous yobs and violent chavs, I'm not sure it would have suited me. If I had moved to Italy expecting misogynistic mafiosos, would I have succeeding in obtaining my degree there? Washington, DC, is believed to be overrun by violent crackheads, but I lived there for 5 happy years. You say that your head is full of stereotypes, but isn't that - in essence - the problem?

Further, you don't even specify what you have heard? Should I assume that you saw the Ali G episode in Alabama, and defend my region by saying "No, Laura, we aren't a bunch of homophobic asses. But make fun of our football by dancing around on the field and you WILL get killed." Or maybe you saw Top Gear and think Southerners are violently pro-Bush, in which case I would say that around 40% of Alabamians voted for Kerry and Gore. Maybe the stereotype you heard was completely different - that we are all self-righteous snobs, perhaps. Should I then say, "No, Laura, we are actually very down to earth and would love to have a beer with anyone from any background, including yours....oh, despite the fact that we have heard so many awful stereotypes about Brits."

We really shouldn't take stereotypes too seriously, even if they are - as they tend to be - half true.

Thomas

I apologise if my comment offended you, I honestly didn't mean it to. No, I haven't seen Ali G or that episode of Top Gear. Just some things that I heard from people who have been there and from my OH who knows people there. Also when you tell people you are going to Alabama they come out with all sorts of stuff and I think it fuels your thoughts even more. I know these are just excuses but after reading your response I am quite ashamed about my manner of thought. I think it all comes down to the fact I will be moving somewhere totally different and am just scared that I'm not going to like it.

I hope that you will take my intemperate response as more of a friendly chiding than a reflection of any real offense I might have taken. Just remember that ignorance and stereotyping often does more harm to the person holding the stereotype than to the person being stereotyped. It takes away from the good time we can have if we drop the stereotypes! If you go to Alabama, enjoy the sweet tea, the amazing food, the unbelievably friendly people. Ignore the #######, especially the ignorant close-minded ones. That's what I try to do in England.

Hey is there anyone in Alabama here? My OH is being posted there with the USAF and depending when my Visa is approved I'll be following. He can't wait and wants to stay there for quite a few years, but I have my reservations. Just want to know what it's like as I think my head is full of stereotypes.

Hi Laura,

Wow. I cannot seem to write a response to your inquiry without being bothered by the fact that - in asking it - you appear to already have your mind made up. If I - a native Southerner - came to England expecting self-righteous yobs and violent chavs, I'm not sure it would have suited me. If I had moved to Italy expecting misogynistic mafiosos, would I have succeeding in obtaining my degree there? Washington, DC, is believed to be overrun by violent crackheads, but I lived there for 5 happy years. You say that your head is full of stereotypes, but isn't that - in essence - the problem?

Further, you don't even specify what you have heard? Should I assume that you saw the Ali G episode in Alabama, and defend my region by saying "No, Laura, we aren't a bunch of homophobic asses. But make fun of our football by dancing around on the field and you WILL get killed." Or maybe you saw Top Gear and think Southerners are violently pro-Bush, in which case I would say that around 40% of Alabamians voted for Kerry and Gore. Maybe the stereotype you heard was completely different - that we are all self-righteous snobs, perhaps. Should I then say, "No, Laura, we are actually very down to earth and would love to have a beer with anyone from any background, including yours....oh, despite the fact that we have heard so many awful stereotypes about Brits."

We really shouldn't take stereotypes too seriously, even if they are - as they tend to be - half true.

Thomas

I apologise if my comment offended you, I honestly didn't mean it to. No, I haven't seen Ali G or that episode of Top Gear. Just some things that I heard from people who have been there and from my OH who knows people there. Also when you tell people you are going to Alabama they come out with all sorts of stuff and I think it fuels your thoughts even more. I know these are just excuses but after reading your response I am quite ashamed about my manner of thought. I think it all comes down to the fact I will be moving somewhere totally different and am just scared that I'm not going to like it.

I hope that you will take my intemperate response as more of a friendly chiding than a reflection of any real offense I might have taken. Just remember that ignorance and stereotyping often does more harm to the person holding the stereotype than to the person being stereotyped. It takes away from the good time we can have if we drop the stereotypes! If you go to Alabama, enjoy the sweet tea, the amazing food, the unbelievably friendly people. Ignore the #######, especially the ignorant close-minded ones. That's what I try to do in England.

I just realized I was censored! This MUST be an American site! Maybe even a Southern site! Puritanistic fools! (Obviously joking, but I must say that I will miss hearing #### so much on TV!!! God bless the BBC!)

[Laura+Tom 2]

I'm gonna miss the BBC that's for sure.

To be honest the more I read up on Alabama, I've done a lot of reading since my original post, the more I think I'm going to like it. There's a fair bit of history, open spaces, and I did read today the food was good. I still have niggling doubts, but who doesn't?

Welshcookie - Don't mean to be rude but did your husband serve at RAF Molesworth? My OH thinks he recognises a badge he's wearing.

[T and M 1]

I'm gonna miss the BBC that's for sure.

To be honest the more I read up on Alabama, I've done a lot of reading since my original post, the more I think I'm going to like it. There's a fair bit of history, open spaces, and I did read today the food was good. I still have niggling doubts, but who doesn't?

Welshcookie - Don't mean to be rude but did your husband serve at RAF Molesworth? My OH thinks he recognises a badge he's wearing.

Doubts are normal. I have my doubts about the South and am not sure if my wife and I will settle here in the end! But there is a lot to learn from the South, just like I learned a lot in London. The history thing is fascinating...scary sometimes, uplifting others. But you should just go with the flow and I think you will be surprised at how much fun you have.

Good luck if you end up in Alabama!

[Welshcookie 17]

I'm gonna miss the BBC that's for sure.

To be honest the more I read up on Alabama, I've done a lot of reading since my original post, the more I think I'm going to like it. There's a fair bit of history, open spaces, and I did read today the food was good. I still have niggling doubts, but who doesn't?

Welshcookie - Don't mean to be rude but did your husband serve at RAF Molesworth? My OH thinks he recognises a badge he's wearing.

Yes...he still does...we leave in Sept

[Welshcookie 17]

BTW Laura...you will be fine...wherever you would be going you would have these thoughts.....I had a mini melt down myself last night and I have been knowing about this move for 3 years and now it is 6/7 weeks away it really hit me...I think I shocked my husband because his usual "bally ho" and unemotional wife was reduced to a puddle on the floor.

Although I feel a little harsh ( ) Thomas hit the nail on the head.....it is the fear of the unknown, and because it is the unknown we focus only of the things we "think" we know about about a place...the reason for my meltdown last night? everything bad you can imagine about living in Orlando I thought might happen to me ... but I lived in London for years, I think I can handle Orlando really

Oh and Thomas....my husband said those exact words the other night "I must say that I will miss hearing #### so much on TV!!!" God bless the BBC!)

[bislig2alabama 1]

Hello friend,

I am born and raised ALABAMA. My wife is Filipina. Our sons are dual citizens. We live in Birmingham. Rose loves the people here. We have never had any problems here. When we returned to the Philippines for two months our neighbors check our home every day, fed our cat, collected out mail and even drove our cars. We have keys and codes for our neighbors homes and take care of there home when they are away. Our neighbors are great.

Rose and I have not encounter any problems because of our marriage. The only problem that we sometimes have is when people ask me about my grandchildren. The "grandchildren" are my children. I am 64 and our sons are; James, three-years and John, three months. Rose is 38.

Remember that the South is known for strong religious beliefs and hospitality.

I am not certain what part of Alabama you will be assigned. Mobile is an international port and has people of many cultures. Huntsville is the center of America's space research. Engineers are everywhere and from everywhere. M.I.C.O.M. is located there. Fort Rucker is the center of America's helicopter school. These places are inhabited by people from all over the world. Alabama has four automobile manufacturing cites here. The old South is NO more.

But what remains is a strong very strong religious culture. Several time Alabama has by wide margins voted against a lottery and all other types of gaming. Every state around Alabama has a lottery. I think that really describes the moral values of Alabama.

You will discover a world of friendly people and economic boom.

Of course there is the climate. Rose waited almost four years to see snow. This last winter was her first. The summers are hot. Alabama has rivers everywhere and many lake. The Gulf coastal region has beautiful beaches.

You will love Alabama if your are seeking a life of solid moral values where your neighbor is part of the family.

The greatest problem in Alabama is the lack of funds for the public school system. Most schools are funded from a property tax and out property tax is very low.

Wrote too much but have no fears about life in the South.

[Welshcookie 17]

Hello friend,

I am born and raised ALABAMA. My wife is Filipina. Our sons are dual citizens. We live in Birmingham. Rose loves the people here. We have never had any problems here. When we returned to the Philippines for two months our neighbors check our home every day, fed our cat, collected out mail and even drove our cars. We have keys and codes for our neighbors homes and take care of there home when they are away. Our neighbors are great.

Rose and I have not encounter any problems because of our marriage. The only problem that we sometimes have is when people ask me about my grandchildren. The "grandchildren" are my children. I am 64 and our sons are; James, three-years and John, three months. Rose is 38.

Remember that the South is known for strong religious beliefs and hospitality.

I am not certain what part of Alabama you will be assigned. Mobile is an international port and has people of many cultures. Huntsville is the center of America's space research. Engineers are everywhere and from everywhere. M.I.C.O.M. is located there. Fort Rucker is the center of America's helicopter school. These places are inhabited by people from all over the world. Alabama has four automobile manufacturing cites here. The old South is NO more.

But what remains is a strong very strong religious culture. Several time Alabama has by wide margins voted against a lottery and all other types of gaming. Every state around Alabama has a lottery. I think that really describes the moral values of Alabama.

You will discover a world of friendly people and economic boom.

Of course there is the climate. Rose waited almost four years to see snow. This last winter was her first. The summers are hot. Alabama has rivers everywhere and many lake. The Gulf coastal region has beautiful beaches.

You will love Alabama if your are seeking a life of solid moral values where your neighbor is part of the family.

The greatest problem in Alabama is the lack of funds for the public school system. Most schools are funded from a property tax and out property tax is very low.

Wrote too much but have no fears about life in the South.

Interesting post In fact the reason we have decided not to settle in AL at the moment is because my husband doesn't want my son in the school system there....and as he was born and raised there I have to trust his judgement on that....the gulf coast is pretty awesome for sure....

[truffles 2]

Thomas, I totally "get" what your saying but then you go and say this :

"We really shouldn't take stereotypes too seriously, even if they are - as they tend to be - half true."

Thomas

Which kind of renders the stereotype image as half valid. Are you saying half the population of Alabama live up to the stereo type?

[T and M 1]

Thomas, I totally "get" what your saying but then you go and say this :

"We really shouldn't take stereotypes too seriously, even if they are - as they tend to be - half true."

Thomas

Which kind of renders the stereotype image as half valid. Are you saying half the population of Alabama live up to the stereo type?

Ha. Or maybe ALL of them live up to it halfway!

No. I was and am 100% joking. Alabama is a lovely place. As is Georgia (my native state...just next door, where my wife has just seen for the first time.) My comment that the negative stereotypes about us might be "half true" was meant to express that we should not take any stereotype too seriously even if (and perhaps especially if) they are directed against us.

[Laura+Tom 2]

I'm gonna miss the BBC that's for sure.

To be honest the more I read up on Alabama, I've done a lot of reading since my original post, the more I think I'm going to like it. There's a fair bit of history, open spaces, and I did read today the food was good. I still have niggling doubts, but who doesn't?

Welshcookie - Don't mean to be rude but did your husband serve at RAF Molesworth? My OH thinks he recognises a badge he's wearing.

Yes...he still does...we leave in Sept

Cool, I live in the area and worked there for a period last year.