2 months in America
It’s been 2 months living in the US.
Right now the leaves are beautiful shades of red, orange, green, golden brown, and yellow. Fall is gorgeous!Watching the leaves sway to the ground reminds me of my childhood days when the wind blew the leaves off the trees, they would sprinkle down and I would run out and try to catch them, it was so much fun.
It’s nippy. The cold winds are blowing less subtly, the chill sips into your bones in a manner that one can’t ignore, a reminder that winter is round the corner, time to pull out those heavy jackets and boots. Granted, on occasion you'll spot some people still walking around in flip flops and shorts but for an indigenous African like myself, this is as good as winter.
Settling has been smoother than I anticipated, I credit that to prayers we made and those made on our behalf by friends and family.
One of the requirements on preselection in the DV process is providing an address and contact for when one first arrives in the country, so Moses and Mercy were happy to stand in the gap. Our plan was to spend a week with them, then move into an extended stay hotel. But just when we were about to move in, a couple friend opened their home to us. We are saving our resources and thankfully it's stretching out for a longer period - I call that, God’s small mercies, a blessing beyond words!
One needs a car in DC, public transport is limited, it doesn’t take you everywhere and is almost nonexistent over the weekends. In the ideal situation, one would buy a car (especially with children in the picture), but we are holding off until either of us gets a job. We ride with our host to church and grocery shopping - another small mercy.
We received our green cards 3 weeks after we arrived. I don’t know why they are called green cards, they are not green by any stretch of the imagination. It is our official ID, it shows our status in the country, a photo and date of expiry – its valid for 10 years. It’s a lot easier to gain employment with this identification but without a social security number, you can’t get no dimes. Since a month had gone by without receiving our “socials” in the mail, we headed to the nearest office to apply in person. Within a week, we had our numbers. With the cards and socials, we are good to go.
And now I’m concerned with getting a drivers license, credit cards and opening a bank account. The drivers license shouldn’t be too complicated, I need to read the drivers manual and when I’m ready, go for the written test. If I ace that, then I can do the driving test. I’m wrapping my head around driving on the right not the left and the numerous road signs. I don’t know how Ugandans manage but lets just say driving tests back home are a joke! Okay, so we have 3 road signs (pun intended) but how many drivers actually know what they mean? We live by grace!
I have never owned a credit card, that means I don’t have a credit score and that means when I apply for one I will be considered like a college student making my first acquaintance with money. To prove that I’m responsible and worthy of credit, I have to get a credit card - kind of ironic, to get one you need to have one. Department stores are eager to give credit cards, so I guess that’s a good place to start. To open a bank account, I need 2 forms of ID and my social security number. Then I have to decide whether to have a Checkings or Savings account. Still have a way to go.
Job search continues, I have had some interesting experiences which I will share in another post, otherwise family is well.
Right now the leaves are beautiful shades of red, orange, green, golden brown, and yellow. Fall is gorgeous!Watching the leaves sway to the ground reminds me of my childhood days when the wind blew the leaves off the trees, they would sprinkle down and I would run out and try to catch them, it was so much fun.
It’s nippy. The cold winds are blowing less subtly, the chill sips into your bones in a manner that one can’t ignore, a reminder that winter is round the corner, time to pull out those heavy jackets and boots. Granted, on occasion you'll spot some people still walking around in flip flops and shorts but for an indigenous African like myself, this is as good as winter.
Settling has been smoother than I anticipated, I credit that to prayers we made and those made on our behalf by friends and family.
One of the requirements on preselection in the DV process is providing an address and contact for when one first arrives in the country, so Moses and Mercy were happy to stand in the gap. Our plan was to spend a week with them, then move into an extended stay hotel. But just when we were about to move in, a couple friend opened their home to us. We are saving our resources and thankfully it's stretching out for a longer period - I call that, God’s small mercies, a blessing beyond words!
One needs a car in DC, public transport is limited, it doesn’t take you everywhere and is almost nonexistent over the weekends. In the ideal situation, one would buy a car (especially with children in the picture), but we are holding off until either of us gets a job. We ride with our host to church and grocery shopping - another small mercy.
We received our green cards 3 weeks after we arrived. I don’t know why they are called green cards, they are not green by any stretch of the imagination. It is our official ID, it shows our status in the country, a photo and date of expiry – its valid for 10 years. It’s a lot easier to gain employment with this identification but without a social security number, you can’t get no dimes. Since a month had gone by without receiving our “socials” in the mail, we headed to the nearest office to apply in person. Within a week, we had our numbers. With the cards and socials, we are good to go.
And now I’m concerned with getting a drivers license, credit cards and opening a bank account. The drivers license shouldn’t be too complicated, I need to read the drivers manual and when I’m ready, go for the written test. If I ace that, then I can do the driving test. I’m wrapping my head around driving on the right not the left and the numerous road signs. I don’t know how Ugandans manage but lets just say driving tests back home are a joke! Okay, so we have 3 road signs (pun intended) but how many drivers actually know what they mean? We live by grace!
I have never owned a credit card, that means I don’t have a credit score and that means when I apply for one I will be considered like a college student making my first acquaintance with money. To prove that I’m responsible and worthy of credit, I have to get a credit card - kind of ironic, to get one you need to have one. Department stores are eager to give credit cards, so I guess that’s a good place to start. To open a bank account, I need 2 forms of ID and my social security number. Then I have to decide whether to have a Checkings or Savings account. Still have a way to go.
Job search continues, I have had some interesting experiences which I will share in another post, otherwise family is well.
Taken me on a trip down memory lane. Pray you keep finding God's favor as you settle in.
ReplyDeletePS: The Redskins lost tonight! Heard a story from a work colleague who traveled to DC, of this Ethiopian immigrant cab driver that picked him from the airport in DC. He'd been in the country all of a month and was already fanatical about the Redskins. Its all he talked about on the drive to his hotel. Just sayin'
Thanks Wendal!
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