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The finest weird people in the world live here, and we're proud of it

Brit retro games chap Richard Aplin on life in San Francisco

The expat files Richard Aplin's a 45-year-old who hails from Bristol, but long ago made the move to San Francisco, where he now lives in the infamous-as-hippie-ground-zero Haight/Ashbury district.

Richard's not going back to Blighty. He likes the weather and the clusters of weird people he doesn't think you'll find elsewhere in America. He's even managed to come to grips with California-style AWESOME positivity, which he says you too can grok if you leave your sarcasm in the arrivals hall.

Over to you, Richard!

The Register: What kind of work do you do and with which technologies?

Richard Aplin: Contract gigs, alternating low-level device firmware (eg, wireless headphones, Bluetooth audio, etc) and cloud server stuff (mobile app servers) - opposite ends of the spectrum, which keeps it interesting. Just when you get sick of working on big machines you can work on small ones and vice versa. I spent years doing video games in the UK from mid-'80s to '99*.

The Register: Why did you decide to move to the US?

Richard Aplin: Through a friend I was offered a job doing early PS2 stuff with Sony in LA. I had trouble getting a visa for that but I had a friend in the Bay Area and another company (in San Francisco) who sorted me out. I was very happy to make the move because after living in London for a few years the West Coast sounded great. And it is.

The Register: How have you managed to stay for so long?

Richard Aplin: Eventually I fell in love and married a local (and got a Green Card, which is a straightforward consequence of marriage). Note that until you get a Green Card you're basically a slave for the company that got you a work visa. Focus on getting a Green Card if you like it here; you may have to really push your employer to do the paperwork but otherwise there's a sword hanging over you - if they fire you or go bust, you have 30 days to pack your bags and go home, and pretty much no options.

The Register: Pay: up or down?

Richard Aplin: Significantly up: there's lots of competition for geeks in San Francisco. I don't know how much people get paid in the UK for IT work nowadays but I'm reasonably sure salaries are higher here. If you get lucky with stock options you can obviously get quite wealthy. Didn't happen to me yet but Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter (+long list) are why house prices are so insane.

The Register: How do workplaces differ between the UK and San Francisco?

Richard Aplin: Working in a regular office, it can vary. If you're unfortunate you'll end up in a cube farm at the end of a long commute.

For nearly a decade now I've done contract work from home (Haight/Ashbury in SF), which is a pretty nice arrangement. The commute doesn't suck at all. I have a home office/lab piled high with electronics.

You don't get much paid holiday at all (many places you'll be working on December 24th and 26-31st, Jan 2nd, etc). No paid sick days, maybe three weeks a year holiday. Obviously some tech companies have famously good working conditions... others not so much. You will generally be expected to work hard.

In terms of getting on with people at the job I've never had a problem, my experiences have almost always been friendly, frank, refreshingly straightforward. There's generally a culture of saying what you mean and letting people know what is expected of them. Never had any anti-English stuff. People come here from all over the world; the US really is a melting pot.

The Register: Will your expat gig be good for your career?

Richard Aplin: It has been so far. SF is literally Geek Mecca. You get used to practically every new internet/technology product being made somewhere within a few miles of here, and as you'd expect there's a hell of a lot of jobs in tech. Because I've chosen to do contracting, I am required to maintain a network of contacts. Most gigs come though people I know, most last from six to 12 months. I may go back to a "real job" at some point but this way I write my own schedule.

The Register: What's cheaper in the US? What's more expensive?

Richard Aplin: In SF many things are expensive, easily on a par with London - and have been getting much more so in last 10 years. Housing is beyond belief, but many buildings are rent controlled (max ~1 per cent increase a year), which is vital to keeping this city interesting, but still it's changed a lot since I've been here. Many fun arty people have been forced out.

Any vision of buying somewhere to live will have to wait until I hit some startup equity jackpot though, can't get anything at all for under $1m any more, even a smallish apartment. With a 1.1 per cent property tax you can end up spending the equivalent what you used to spend on rent just on property tax, never mind the actual mortgage.

Eating out can be reasonably priced or expensive - plenty of choice in every way, just scout around. Walmart, Target or Amazon are the place to go for most household things; in terms of groceries SF has a lot of very well-stocked but rather pricey smaller stores.

All medical care is daylight robbery, even with insurance, and some things aren't covered by that. Be damn sure you're "in network" (ie, the place you're visiting is covered by your insurance) when you go somewhere - nobody will warn you until you get a bill for astronomical amounts of money (eg, tens of thousands of dollars). Dental work is fantastically expensive. Makes you really appreciate the NHS. The quality is good, but the price...

Not tipping when expected is an insult. In bars it's usually $1 per drink, taxis (about 10 per cent or better, sign up for Uber/Lyft) and most of all restaurants (15-20 per cent of the total). Restaurants are allowed to pay below the legal minimum wage with the expectation that it's made up in tips.

After a while you just figure it into the cost of things and on the plus side you usually get really good service in return. It's exceedingly rare to have anyone be grumpy or negligent in a job that pays tips - quite a change from the UK. In some bars they'll give you a free drink after a few if you've been tipping reasonably. You don't tip in regular stores, only for food/drink/taxis. It's optional in coffee shops (however after years of tipping at my daily coffee shop I now get a substantial discount on my drinks from the appreciative employees).

The Register: America looks great on TV: has there been anything you assumed to see or experience that turned out to be wrong/different/just weird?

Richard Aplin: You can't generalise about the US.

English people say things like "Americans think {X}" but the diversity of lifestyles and opinions across the country makes a mockery of that. There's literally every type of person here; It'd be like saying "Europeans think {X}".

You do tend to find that people clump together geographically with other like-minded folk, in terms of religion, politics, etc. It does lead to some monocultures (eg, strongly religious, gun-totin', etc) especially outside cities. As for weird, yes: that's why I'm in the Bay Area - some of the finest weird people in the world live here, and we're proud of it.

I really like living in the Bay, but I don't think I'd enjoy other parts of the country so much, would probably feel more like an Englishman abroad. Here I fit right in.

The Register: How do you cope with American English, especially the "we're world-leading market-making exponents of disruptive ..."

Richard Aplin: My favourite thing is the lack of sarcasm here on the West Coast. I really don't miss it at all. When I first arrived my natural English sarcasm was misinterpreted as just being negative or unpleasant... and I've come around to that way of thinking. It doesn't get anyone anywhere and behind the sarcasm is often insecurity or a kind of pack-hunting.

Californians may be derided for their "AWESOME!!" positivity but I've grown to appreciate it. People really are positive here - you can get stuff done, you can find collaborators, investment and vision both in business and fun projects.

The Register: You stayed. Why?

Richard Aplin: It's AWESOME DUDE! OK seriously? Well the weather's very nice here. It rarely rains, often beautifully sunny throughout "winter". I'm a couple of miles from a long sandy beach, I'm four hours drive from the Sierras where snowboarding is (usually, not this year) readily available and very convenient. I'm an hour or two from redwood forests, natural coastlines, hot springs, and on and on. Practically every technology company has a base here - lots of jobs, lots of interesting people. San Francisco itself is beautiful and small enough to walk around easily. Public transport is pretty good.

SF is a pretty safe city. You're very unlikely to get mugged or attacked unless you're being a total idiot.

Here's another thing: they don't have bouncers in the bars - none of them, ever. Maybe sometimes they have someone on the door to check your ID (must be 21+) but the concept of fighting in a bar is utterly alien around here. The thinking is "why would you do that? You're out to have fun!" Once in a blue moon someone really wasted might throw a punch and everyone else in the bar throws them out instantly. Similarly, getting totally blotto is uncommon. Bars are open till 2am, there's no rush. Antisocial behaviour is not acceptable and you very rarely see it. I find that a very agreeable way to live.

I'd like to mention that Burning Man is terrible and nobody should come. I've been every year for the last 14 years and it's miserable. What is a big problem now is the number of tourists from around the world (yes, I mean you) who fly in and don't contribute anything to the event. It's not a sideshow for your amusement, it's a collaborative effort. Either bring something wonderful and imaginative to share or stay at home. The slogan is "No Spectators" for a reason.

The Register: What will you miss about the US if you go home to the UK?

Richard Aplin: All of the above. No plans to go back. I have (local) wife and a kid here, so this is "home". Several of my UK friends moved to various parts of the US and only a tiny fraction of them ever moved back.

The Register: Is it possible to stay in touch with proper British sports? Or get a game of rugby or cricket?

Richard Aplin: Some guy just over the bridge here invented this thing called "Bit Torrent" a while back - it's quite the thing for catching up on foreign TV shows. Also there's some English pubs that have stuff like Speckled Hen and satellite sports. The local brews are many, varied and tasty. In SF nobody drinks "Bud".

There are a few British pubs, and "The Toronado" on Lower Haight has more beers than you can believe, including some proper muddy/flat/warm cask ales.

I expect a few local rugby and cricket games are likely available if you look (eg, on Craigslist)

The Register: What's your top tip to help new arrivals settle in?

Richard Aplin: I can't really speak for the rest of the US but SF is easy to feel at home in. Main advice is probably "drop the sarcasm", it's misinterpreted and people will just think you're a rude asshole.

People are very friendly and talkative, and an English accent actually gets you positive discrimination. Speak a bit slower than you would in the UK, and in stores etc say something like "Hi there!" or "How you doing?" before making your request so people can lock in on your accent, otherwise you'll be repeating yourself all day long.

Be chill and low-key. One thing I noticed is that never see anyone walking around in a Google/Facebook/ Apple etc T-shirt. Obviously the city is crawling with such employees of all ranks and wealth levels but the unspoken rule is that you don't flaunt it, and your job doesn't define you.

Generally there's very little flashiness and conspicuous consumption here (eg, flashy cars). Certainly there's people here with more money than you can ever imagine, but we like to keep it relaxed. The (in)famous Google/Apple/Facebook buses that ferry workers down to Mountain View, Cupertino etc are all anonymous. The only people tacky enough to plaster their buses with branding are Electronic Arts.

Don't do anything properly illegal; they'll simply permanently deport you. (For those that care, weed is not considered illegal in any meaningful way - it's much more socially acceptable than smoking tobacco.)

Don't mess with the cops. They're nice but very firm-handed if you annoy them.

Don't underestimate Americans in general. Contrary to popular belief in the UK, a lot of them are pretty smart and they work really hard.

Don't Call It "Frisco" (there's actually a laundrette named that), or even "San Fran". We call it "The City" (as if there aren't any others).

The Register: What advice would you offer someone considering the same move?

Richard Aplin: Make sure your visa situation is sorted - you don't want to be here illegally. Cash-in-hand jobs are hard to find and you'll barely scrape by, and if you overstay a tourist visa you won't be able to re-enter the country for 10 years(!). You absolutely must have health insurance, all the stories are true - you can be instantly bankrupted by the cost of medical care otherwise, even if an accident wasn't your fault.

Basically, line up a workable life before you get here because you won't be able to wing it.

It can be hard to bring a UK spouse with you on a work visa. They're not allowed to work and this gets disheartening in the long term. I've seen a number of marriages fail when one half works long hours at their new job and the other is stuck with empty days and no employment.

The Register: A fellow Reg reader lands in San Francisco with a weekend to kill. Using your local knowledge and your preferred weekend activities, what should they do (beyond the usual tourist trail?)

Richard Aplin: A few recommendations:
  1. Beers at the Toronado in Lower Haight and check out the Noc Noc next door. If you're missing football ("soccer"), cross the street to the Mad Dog In The Fog, which also has proper crisps.
  2. Go to Taqueria Cancun on 18th/Mission and order a Super Quesadilla with Al Pastor, washed down with a Mexican Coke (made with real sugar) or a Negra Modelo beer. Perfection.
  3. Walk through the Golden Gate park from Haight down to the beach (about seven miles, lovely walk), maybe stop at the de Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden or whatever floats your boat (there's a boating lake too), then get the "N Judah" back. On Sunday's there a roller disco, archery, there's a field of buffalo - it's very varied.
  4. Smile at people. It's OK, you'll get used to it. Don't be afraid of the homeless people - they're almost entirely harmless - but I suggest you don't give them money either.
  5. Get a ferry across the bay to Sausalito and back, or in some way get out on the bay (assuming it's a nice-ish day). Don't bother going to Fisherman's Wharf except on the way through. However, if you're there, you should get a burger at In'N'Out.
  6. Walking from Market Street up through Chinatown up to North Beach is interesting - it's a terrific city to walk around.

If you're here in summer, carry layers of clothing; the temperature can vary dramatically in the space of one mile or one hour. We laugh at the tourists in their shorts who shiver in the summer fog.

Especially good year-round events [include] Bay To Breakers, The Folsom Street Faire, Gay Pride and (especially) Halloween - all times that the whole city goes nuts.

Where have you washed up during your globe-trotting career? Share your story by pinging me a mail and we'll make you a star. A G-list star. ®

*And is very modest about it: Aplin had a lot to do with Game Genie.

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