I always get "yelled" at by my baltimore- born boyfrind about my pa dutch..."do you want to com with?" lol
sorry about my typing, i type slower then I think and my mistypings are just my fingers trying to catch up.

WOW the food all sounds great, I am not a picky eater, but I am very into healthy things (light on the butter, no mayo please) BUT i LOVE "pee-can pie" and hushpuppies although i bet the southern verisions are way different then what we have here. Also will I get any snow or ice in charleston?
Also I love rollerblading and working out, so if anyone could reccomend a good gym in N. Charleston I wouldbe very happy, also where a nice paved spot to go rollerbading?

Sinehat gave an excellent description for the events leading up to the Civil War.

Probably next summer, someone from work will offer you fresh, homegrown tomatoes. Accept them, say thank you, and enjoy. Most everyone who gardens in the south grows tomatoes and ends up with more than they can use. Fresh, vine-rippened tomatoes are one of life's pleasures. You could make the 'southern' style tomato sandwich. Take a piece of white bread (Wonder bread, Bunny bread, etc.) put a like coating of mayo on the bread and place a thin slice of tomato on top. If you're real fancy, cut away the bread not covered by bread. Serve and enjoy.

amatters, when you live near the beach, chances are everyone you know will see you in few clothes (bathing suit) so we tend to work out a lot. Lots and lots of gyms. Go for location.

I can't remember the last time we got snow and I don't know if Charleston has ever gotten an ice storm.

I only own a couple of wool sweaters and rarely wear them. 55 degrees with humidity is a lot warmer than 55 degrees in Washington DC.

My Mom, who grew up in Tennessee used to make us "spring sandwiches," which were tomato, lettuce and mayo. I make them for my kids when I have fresh tomatos. I never realized it was a southern sandwich, but it sounds a lot like the sandwich you are describing. Interesting!
I agree with you. Sinehat's description was excellent. The Civil War had a devastating impact on the south, leaving it in a depression for over 100 years, in my opinion. People in the north did not have the same experience, as the war was not fought on their front porches, nor were they vanquished, of course!

Shane,
Too bad the trained CSA Generals, including Bobby Lee, were "fighting" the war tactics of War 1812 with the infantry tactics and weapons of pre - 1849, really brave and loyal, but mostly untrained - until, of course, the very end, when ...!!!
M

Army of the Potomac; Russel H. Beatie
Lees' Lieutenants; Douglas H. Freeman

Overwhelming resourses eventually "win"!

Next war vs religion/fundamentalist Muslims will involve NUKES.
M

thats scary. Am i correct in my thinking that most of the south is baptist? I may stand out in the crowd as the "catholic italian girl"

Also, what are the alcohol laws like in Sc? Here in Pa bars close at 2 am (last call @ 130). but you have to go to a state store to buy liquor, grocery stores and 7-11 type stores do not sell any alcohol, and beer can be bought at bars and beverage distributors.

amatters,
amica mia,
Some here are not fundamentalists, nor
... whatever your bias may think.
A few are even educated and speak many languages, travel, and own property in Italia!
M

So you suppose the "a" in "amatters" may stand for "alcohol?"

obxgirl, I disagree. amatters has been a consistent poster. Her questions are reasonable and don't intentionally provoke a negative response. Her concerns are common. I have friends here who are terrified at the idea of moving to the northeast. Too cold, unfriendly people, cost of living, muggings, quakers and unitarians, lacrosse, etc.

amatters, how friendly the people are depends on you. If you are willing to try new places and be open, you will enjoy your move. Southerners are very hospitable. People are polite and will go out of there way to help you. If you have any exposure to rural Pennsylvania or New Jersey, you get a sense what people here are like.

The civil war is still pervasive, but merely in a romanticized historical context. We are not like the Scots, the Irish or the Basques. I was amazed the first time I visited the UK and met Scots who were angry beyond words over the deaths of Mary Queen of Scots and William Wallace. Remember that the brunt of the violence of the civil war occurred in and around the Southern Atlantic states, Virgina to Georgia. It's natural these things are remembered.

Food is great. We fry everything. Fried green tomatoes may be the best, followed by deep fried snickers. Sweet tea is not that sweet. And most places now offer unsweetened. Just tell them. Remember to have biscuits and gravy. Although, I am still trying to understand wings and grits for breakfast.

I am no troll at all, the religion thing is important, its not that i have a problem with other religions, its just that in my area, "everyone is catholic" and i have spent 13 years in catholic school (inclu. k) And I dont know much about other religions (except for jeudiasm, 1/2 my family is jewish)
And i think knowing about various alcohol rules is important, I am young and do go to the bar (the a is for alision), and i know the rules vary greatly by state. so again somthing i think is important to know

Hey I am a catholic transplant.There are tons of us northerners who always thought that southerners watched church on tv and sent in money. Well, they do and they don't. There are plenty of all kinds of churches and you will be friends with more protestants than ever before! Ha ha...I am not familiar with South Carolina liquor laws so I can't help you there. I am sure you buy beer and wine at the supermarkets and liquor in an abc store. That is they way it is in VA.
I love all this chatter about the north and south. So many of us have left our neighborhoods where we grew up and moved someplace away from families. I think people are friendlier all over because of this. You will enjoy the different foods and miss some of the old. But if Mom and Dad are still North, you will get plenty of that. You will learn a ton of history about the civil war. As a Jersey girl, we spent about two weeks on that as a kid. But here, so many towns were hit hard. There is so much history right around the corner.
Oh and here are a few more things my kids now say....tennis shoes instead of sneakers, and suckers instead of lollypops! Be friendly and join some clubs. Good luck.

Troll or not (and I'm guessing she is), there are some interesting posts here.

What I felt and what my friends have told me is the most difficult thing about moving to Florida (and it could be similar in SC) is that there is an invisible closed door to many newcomers. You may think you're "one of 'um" but it is often difficult to become an insider. People will be nice to you but you're going to have to pay your dues, which generally amounts to about ten years of residency. There is a large learning curve to being a Southerner and it's not something that you can learn from a book, nor is it something anyone will tell you. And while some will listen to what you have to say, there is general belief that you don't know what you're talking about.

This attitude prevails because of the many people who come South (often from the North) thinking they know it all and Southerners don't. Southerners are too mannerly to put you in your place, as someone would in the North, and they are just devious enough to keep you in the dark until it suits them to make it clear to you that you ain't "one of um".

Don't get me wrong. I'm "one of 'um" after living here for most of my life. But I've seen it and I know it's a way of life for many people in the South. And no matter what they say, they haven't forgotten who lost the war and they don't like Northerners.

Luckily there are many Northerners who now live in the South. Find them and enjoy the company of other outsiders.

What is a troll?
amatters: The fall is the nicest season of the year in the south. In VA, the fall lasts until Christmas. A real fall with warm days and cool nights and brisk mornings.
Then in Va it gets cold. Springs are quick and pretty and then get hot fast. Summers are very humid. That takes some getting used to. Winters are mild.

If you decide to explore your other half, Charleston is home to the 4th oldest Jewish congregation in the US which is housed in the oldest continuously used synagogue in the US. The building is a historic landmark, and you might enjoy visiting it, in any case. Here is their website:

http://www.kkbe.org/

Oh boy I wish this thread had stuck to sweet tea and stuff that smells good. I apologize for suggesting you're a troll, amatters, as whether you are one or not is irrelevant since my calling you one upped the emotional ante on the discussion.


If you grew up in and were schooled in a large & close knit Catholic community and were expecting that to be your segue into

sorry...posted too soon...

Charleston, you'll probably find things a bit different from PA. Doesn't mean there aren't large and vibrant Catholic communities.

You stated elsewhere I think that you were 24. That makes you young but not falling out of the cradle. If you go with an open mind you'll do just great.

again I am not a troll, (if i was why would I have picked this topic) Anyway, I Have gotten some good advice, I am very excited and aprehensive about the move, My first day on the job is sept 13, and I hope to move in the friday before that, but visit at least once to try to find a roomate or if that dosent work out an apartment (i hope i will have some luck with roomates.com) I have alot to do before i move...(i dont even have a dresser or a lamp) Thanks again for all your help.

The problem with romanticizing the civil war/demonizing the North is that allows the South to continue to deny that it was on the wrong side of history and basic human rights. One doesn't defend the Nazi regime because the U.S. didn't have clean hands since it had segregation laws/segregated army at the time, that the rise of the Nazi regime was facilitated in part by reparations after WWI, etc.

Also, I think the real issue is not that the Civil War is not ancient history, but that the civil rights struggle is the thing that is really not too far off. Keep in mind that it was during the civil rights movement that the confederacy flag was added to state flags as a sign of defiance against desegregation.

Obviously things have changed a lot in the past few decades. Yet, still today a large part of the Republican base in the South can be traced to the reaction from Johnson signing the 1964 Civil Rights Act.