Family is thinking about moving to Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

[MacLeod]

As Roger suggested, in many places local identities trump national identities.

I know for a fact it's true in Italy, where many people have far stronger ties to their own city (the campanile of campanilism) than with Italy as a whole. And I believe the same applies to the UK, where people identify as English, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish first, and British second).

Doesn't mean the larger identity doesn't exist. But I agree it will still take a long time to establish a clear European identity. But I think we are going in that direction (well, if the economic crisis doesn't devour the Euro and the EU, of course)

Well the eurozone is different from the EU, and it's little surprise that some eurzone countries are more adversly affected by the economic downturn than others. As the one size fits all rates don't work. Unfortunatly what can happen is those ill will can raise in countries that are paying for the bailout of other countries .

But the institutions of EU are their own worse enemy, I don't feel they do a good enough job explaining what benefits it brings to the average everday citizen.

 

[Shaytan]

I have no problem having multiple, concentric cultural identities, so I think of myself a denizen of my little township, a resident of Bologna, an Italian, and an European, all at the same time and without any contradiction.

Speaking of contradiction, it really depends on the person who is asking what I'm.
For an American, I'm definitely French, the most annoying one. For other foreign people, European is enough, I don't mind.
In front of a very annoying Parisian, I'm vaguely from the north west of France but for a less annoying Parisian, I'm from Sèvres (my birth town near Paris). For a non-Parisian, I say that I'm from the Parisian suburb.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't think this is unusual. I'm an American, a Philadelphian, a transplant to Virginia (or a Washingtonian because it's the Washington DC area), plus the American thing of caring who our great-grandparents are, so I also consider myself Irish and Italian.

 

[Kestra]

I wonder how long it will be before that stops becoming a thing, and people identify as American without the European ancestry. I don't know if it's a matter of becoming completely removed from the culture throughout many layers of generations, or that "American" needs to become a sufficient identity on the same level as Italian, German, etc.

 

[RoJoHen]

I wonder how long it will be before that stops becoming a thing, and people identify as American without the European ancestry. I don't know if it's a matter of becoming completely removed from the culture throughout many layers of generations, or that "American" needs to become a sufficient identity on the same level as Italian, German, etc.

I'm an American. My parents are American. My grandparents are American. My great-grandparents are American.

I realize that at some point in history my family was not American, but it was so long ago that it's really hard for me or any of my living relatives to care.

And even then, I identify more as an Illinoisan than an American. Sometimes I identify myself as a Viking, just because it's fun, but that has nothing to do with my relatives being from Scandanavia. I'm a Viking because my grandma grew up in Minnesota.

 

[MacLeod]

I wonder how long it will be before that stops becoming a thing, and people identify as American without the European ancestry. I don't know if it's a matter of becoming completely removed from the culture throughout many layers of generations, or that "American" needs to become a sufficient identity on the same level as Italian, German, etc.

Maybe never.

 

[Kestra]

And even then, I identify more as an Illinoisan than an American.

Pfft you're practically an Iowan.

 

[RoJoHen]

And even then, I identify more as an Illinoisan than an American.

Pfft you're practically an Iowan.

But I grew up in the Chicago suburbs!

 

[Kestra]

And even then, I identify more as an Illinoisan than an American.

Pfft you're practically an Iowan.

But I grew up in the Chicago suburbs!

And how long ago was that, my dear?

 

[RoJoHen]

Pfft you're practically an Iowan.

But I grew up in the Chicago suburbs!

And how long ago was that, my dear?

Quiet you. I may live 5 minutes from Iowa now, but I almost never go there. I will always be from Illinois.

 

[SmoothieX]

Along those lines, for the first time I don't live a short drive from a state border. Probably since I grew up/lived in the small states of the northeast.

Canada is 50 miles away, while the closest state, Montana, is 3 hours with a nice tailwind. Hell, the closest major city to me is Winnipeg and the nearest interstate is 110 miles away.

 

[B.J.]

^ So what you're saying is you need to update your location in your profile.

 

[SmoothieX]

Yeah, it's a tad out of date!

 

[Kenbushway]

Have your parents visited Macedonia?

No the flight is like 30 hours and the plan ticket is $2000 for round trip. We only have enough money for the one moving trip.

 

[IndyJones]

I haven't been on in a while because of a short but filled college semester. However I've been waiting for my whole family to be told before coming here and asking has anyone been to Republic of Macedonia? Does anyone have tips when it comes to moving to European countries from America?

Not for nothing, but if you're 21 now and we're talking about a move a year from now, why are you automatically assuming you should move from the only home you're ever known?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I wonder how long it will be before that stops becoming a thing, and people identify as American without the European ancestry. I don't know if it's a matter of becoming completely removed from the culture throughout many layers of generations, or that "American" needs to become a sufficient identity on the same level as Italian, German, etc.

It's a regional thing more than anything else. Polls find that most southerners say they're "American" as opposed to Scottish (most likely) or English, etc.

I don't know if it will completely go away (the Irish are from 1840s, after all).

 

[Misfit Toy]

I'm a military brat, therefore "from" nowhere. I was born in England, lived in New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina, Nebraska and Puerto Rico all before I was 10 years old.

 

[FPAlpha]

A little bit of advice for what it's worth.

I'm Bosnian (though been living in Germany since i was 3) and i know my Balkans well enough.

Your move is highly unusual.. i'm guessing by Georgia you mean the southern US state and not the Republic of Georgia, ex Soviet Union state.

That being said.. you are making a huge mistake in my view. Apparently you haven't done some real homework much less visited the place where you plan to move to. Let me tell you that the cultural shock may knock you off your feet.. Macedonia is vastly different from the US. Hell, if you went to Germany, France, Britain the cultural shock would be far less.

But ex Balkan states like Macedonia are 2nd world, maybe even 3rd world countries with huge problems and you are not well prepared for this move.

How good is that contact of yours with whom you, i.e. your dad wants to start up a business? Do you have a financial cushion to make it over the first few months (doesn't sound like it when you don't even have the money for a return ticket).

Then come the practicalities like business licenses, housing and all the other million little things you need to live and you don't even seem to speak the local language (English won't get you that far especially if you deal with normal, local people).

So think real hard and twice why you want to do this.. to me it sounds like those people from a current popular TV show here in Germany that follows them when they leave Germany to start a live elsewhere with a dream but next to no preparation and reserves. They usually have to quit a few months later and return to Germany (after having quit their jobs and sold off everything in Germany).

 

[iguana_tonante]

How should I approach people? What kind of unusual (beyond shaking hands or waving hello) greetings could there be (I.E hugging strangers. Any different (than practiced in America) customs that I should definitely pay attention to?

Are you really sure this is your main concern about this move?

I never even heard of Macedonia until now.

Probably analogous to someone from Europe not being able to ramble off all 50 states.

But we sure have heard of them all.

Well the eurozone is different from the EU, and it's little surprise that some eurzone countries are more adversly affected by the economic downturn than others. As the one size fits all rates don't work. Unfortunatly what can happen is those ill will can raise in countries that are paying for the bailout of other countries .

Well, I don't think this is the best place to discuss EU politics and the Eurozone. I'll just say that the issue is complicated, and while there are both pros and cons to the monetary union, I still support it.

That being said.. you are making a huge mistake in my view. Apparently you haven't done some real homework much less visited the place where you plan to move to. Let me tell you that the cultural shock may knock you off your feet.. Macedonia is vastly different from the US. Hell, if you went to Germany, France, Britain the cultural shock would be far less.

But ex Balkan states like Macedonia are 2nd world, maybe even 3rd world countries with huge problems and you are not well prepared for this move.

How good is that contact of yours with whom you, i.e. your dad wants to start up a business? Do you have a financial cushion to make it over the first few months (doesn't sound like it when you don't even have the money for a return ticket).

Then come the practicalities like business licenses, housing and all the other million little things you need to live and you don't even seem to speak the local language (English won't get you that far especially if you deal with normal, local people).

So think real hard and twice why you want to do this..

This.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Have your parents visited Macedonia?

No the flight is like 30 hours and the plan ticket is $2000 for round trip. We only have enough money for the one moving trip.

That would be a very foolish thing to do, particularly if they have never had a huge cultural adjustment in their lives before this.

Are your parents adventurous with a love of trying new things? Have they been to other countries already?

You talked at one point about your parents having trouble trying and liking healthier food that you cooked them. How are they going to go when they get somewhere and literally none of the american instant processed stuff is available, when the entire diet is different? I hear this all the time in Australia where ex-pat americans express shock at how you can't buy packet mixes for everything they are used to eating, and how the brands they are emotionally loyal to (without even realizing it) are non-existent. I've had a lot to do with expat communities in the past and people can find it very hard to adjust and that's with the language being the same. It's not just about food either.

Making a plan to move there for say, two years, with options to return would be good. Saying "one way ticket" is just foolish. If you haven't got the money to VISIT Macedonia to see if you want to live there than frankly you don't have the money to move there. You're either paying a shitload to ship everything over or you are re-buying your whole life.

Don't burn your bridges, if you own a house rent it out at least so you have something to return to.