We Hate Miami :-(

[JKD_88 0]

Does anyone here live in Miami. We live in kendall here in Miami and we hate it, unfortunately there's nothing we can do to leave right now but we are saving money. Anyway, it just seems like it's on dissappointment after another, we went to register my wife for ESL classes, specifically for Listening and Speaking, and today was her first day of class, she was so dissappointed, the teacher wasn't a native speaker, she spoke with an accent, which is what we don't want. I'm sorry I just needed a place to vent, hopefully I'll find someone here who lives in Miami, maybe you can help me out.

[Kar98 0]

You are right to complain. There is nothing worse than having to learn a foreign language from a teacher who is not a native speaker, especially when you're supposed to actually live in that country.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Kar98

[BTalley 0]

I live in South Florida (Broward County), and my wife was an English teacher in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, and Krivoy Rog, Ukraine.

She has applied for her Florida teaching certificate to teach ESOL, but we are not optimistic she will be able to find a job easily, as the state is cutting teachers.

Svetlana has been very frustrated at times here as well. Getting driver's license was an ordeal. She cannot simply walk into a store and purchase (distance) eyeglasses like she could in Russia. She cannot find a job. And she really hasn't been able to make amy real friends here. And now the weather --- which was so perfect when she got here (Oct. 23) and for several months afterward --- is beginning to turn very hot and humid.

[J&D 0]

I can understand your disappointment in the teacher. Are there other reasons why you hate Miami/Kendall? My wife and I may be moving to Kendall and I want to know if it's a good or bad spot. I realize that depends on the person of course, but you can let me know the reasons why you dislike it there.

[Kar98 0]

Svetlana has been very frustrated at times here as well. Getting driver's license was an ordeal. She cannot simply walk into a store and purchase (distance) eyeglasses like she could in Russia.

Why not?

There's generic "prescription" glasses at every Walmart and Walgreens. And at the mall, there's a place called EyeMart which has an ophthalmologist in the same building.

And excuse me, but "go into Y store and simply purchase X" and "Russia" do not go together.

[Neonred 3,454]

Does anyone here live in Miami. We live in kendall here in Miami and we hate it, unfortunately there's nothing we can do to leave right now but we are saving money. Anyway, it just seems like it's on dissappointment after another, we went to register my wife for ESL classes, specifically for Listening and Speaking, and today was her first day of class, she was so dissappointed, the teacher wasn't a native speaker, she spoke with an accent, which is what we don't want. I'm sorry I just needed a place to vent, hopefully I'll find someone here who lives in Miami, maybe you can help me out.

I thought everyone on that side of the state spoke with a (Spanish) accent! Been over there and there is no way we would live there. Much different on this side.

[Neonred 3,454]

I live in South Florida (Broward County), and my wife was an English teacher in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, and Krivoy Rog, Ukraine.

She has applied for her Florida teaching certificate to teach ESOL, but we are not optimistic she will be able to find a job easily, as the state is cutting teachers.

Svetlana has been very frustrated at times here as well. Getting driver's license was an ordeal. She cannot simply walk into a store and purchase (distance) eyeglasses like she could in Russia. She cannot find a job. And she really hasn't been able to make amy real friends here. And now the weather --- which was so perfect when she got here (Oct. 23) and for several months afterward --- is beginning to turn very hot and humid.

If you get over to this side (Naples) give us a shout. We also have other friends (Russian-American couple) in Broward Co. that we visit.

[Ed+Cindy 1]

Does anyone here live in Miami. We live in kendall here in Miami and we hate it, unfortunately there's nothing we can do to leave right now but we are saving money. Anyway, it just seems like it's on dissappointment after another, we went to register my wife for ESL classes, specifically for Listening and Speaking, and today was her first day of class, she was so dissappointed, the teacher wasn't a native speaker, she spoke with an accent, which is what we don't want. I'm sorry I just needed a place to vent, hopefully I'll find someone here who lives in Miami, maybe you can help me out.

I completely understand.

I grew up in South Florida (and still have family there). I hate it to. I moved away after university 10-12 years ago and have never looked back. I don't even like visiting there (I encourage my family to visit me, or we meet at my sister's place).

[bulaklak 0]

We live in NORTH BEACH MIAMI before. the cost of living is pretty expensive. it is a tourists destination; the majority of people who are living there are Hispanic. MIAMI is completely diffferent place from the rest of America. its like you're living in outside the US.

Edited May 14, 2009 by lotus101

[BTalley 0]

There's generic "prescription" glasses at every Walmart and Walgreens. And at the mall, there's a place called EyeMart which has an ophthalmologist in the same building.

You can buy generic "prescription" reading glasses (+1, +1.5, etc.) at those places, but not prescription glasses for distance (-3.0, -3.5, etc.). They demand you have an examination and a new prescription before they will sell you anything on the minus side.

Svetlana knows what she wants (-3.5 contact lenses) but cannot get them without another exam for contacts (she had an exam for distance lenses last month). And since we have already used the one exam per year my insurance covers, additional exam/lenses would cost a lot of money.

She's just going to have a friend in Ukraine buy some (much cheaper there) and send them to her.

[flicker 5]

u probably will never find a native speaker in miami,, anyone who is native has moved cuz everyone else is spanish speaking ,,great place to visit but not to live unless you like south america,,same thing there but expensive,,,,good luck hope it all works out for you !!!

[Kajikit 65]

Half of Florida speaks English with an accent... I think DH is one of the few native-born south Floridians left! But we've lived in northern Broward (Fort Lauderdale) for almost five years now. Maybe it's just our particular area (I think we got very lucky with location because we're in a pocket of middle-class civilisation (not super-poor and not rich) and I can walk to any place I need to go) but I love it. I know there are some areas not very far away from us that feel like another planet, and I'm not just talking about where the rich folks live...

[Kar98 0]

There's generic "prescription" glasses at every Walmart and Walgreens. And at the mall, there's a place called EyeMart which has an ophthalmologist in the same building.

You can buy generic "prescription" reading glasses (+1, +1.5, etc.) at those places, but not prescription glasses for distance (-3.0, -3.5, etc.). They demand you have an examination and a new prescription before they will sell you anything on the minus side.

Svetlana knows what she wants (-3.5 contact lenses) but cannot get them without another exam for contacts (she had an exam for distance lenses last month). And since we have already used the one exam per year my insurance covers, additional exam/lenses would cost a lot of money.

She's just going to have a friend in Ukraine buy some (much cheaper there) and send them to her.

In ten years here, I paid full and in cash for a couple of exams, and it was in the $60 range each time.

Just walk in, get your eyes checked, get a prescription and walk into the store next door to get glasses. Or order contacts online.

[MissusM09 1]

There's generic "prescription" glasses at every Walmart and Walgreens. And at the mall, there's a place called EyeMart which has an ophthalmologist in the same building.

You can buy generic "prescription" reading glasses (+1, +1.5, etc.) at those places, but not prescription glasses for distance (-3.0, -3.5, etc.). They demand you have an examination and a new prescription before they will sell you anything on the minus side.

Svetlana knows what she wants (-3.5 contact lenses) but cannot get them without another exam for contacts (she had an exam for distance lenses last month). And since we have already used the one exam per year my insurance covers, additional exam/lenses would cost a lot of money.

She's just going to have a friend in Ukraine buy some (much cheaper there) and send them to her.

In ten years here, I paid full and in cash for a couple of exams, and it was in the $60 range each time.

Just walk in, get your eyes checked, get a prescription and walk into the store next door to get glasses. Or order contacts online.

not moving to miami, but I have had people tell me about it. From all of your comments, you people sound like some racist backward types. A friend of mine a USC told me that Florida had a lot of racists in it, you just proved his point. interesting

[Kar98 0]

There's generic "prescription" glasses at every Walmart and Walgreens. And at the mall, there's a place called EyeMart which has an ophthalmologist in the same building.

You can buy generic "prescription" reading glasses (+1, +1.5, etc.) at those places, but not prescription glasses for distance (-3.0, -3.5, etc.). They demand you have an examination and a new prescription before they will sell you anything on the minus side.

Svetlana knows what she wants (-3.5 contact lenses) but cannot get them without another exam for contacts (she had an exam for distance lenses last month). And since we have already used the one exam per year my insurance covers, additional exam/lenses would cost a lot of money.

She's just going to have a friend in Ukraine buy some (much cheaper there) and send them to her.

In ten years here, I paid full and in cash for a couple of exams, and it was in the $60 range each time.

Just walk in, get your eyes checked, get a prescription and walk into the store next door to get glasses. Or order contacts online.

not moving to miami, but I have had people tell me about it. From all of your comments, you people sound like some racist backward types. A friend of mine a USC told me that Florida had a lot of racists in it, you just proved his point. interesting

LOL...w...wut?

Seriously, #######?

Edited May 16, 2009 by Kar98