[C Elegans]

Originally Posted by Tricky

What's the occasion? Having more political freedom than you can handle?

Yes, I feel I need a dose of religious oppression and imperialism. Been too long.

Originally Posted by Fable

What sort of other information are you looking for?

Social, cultural, political and some practical information mainly.

Originally Posted by Claudius

My advice would be to give it a chance and to smile. You might have some interesting experiences! And meet some new people.

I always smile, unless I have specific reasons not to. I know I will have very interesting experiences since the projects I'm going to work with are absolutely, overwhelmingly fantastic and I already know some people I will work with are really brilliant. That's why I'm moving there. It is however difficult to live at a place if you abhor the political and social climate.
I'm a Swedish sensitive soul, I moved from the UK because I couldn't stand the class segregation.

Originally Posted by VonDondu

I think the weather in southern California is very nice, but it is probably much warmer than you are used to. You won't see much snow at all, so you might miss it.

Climate does not matter to me at all, I am happy in the Arctics as well as the tropical rain forest, I am comfortable in -20C - 45C (-4F - 113F). I love snow and ice, but thanks to global warming, there is no snow in Stockholm either. I will only live in LA for about 1,5-2 years, so I won't have time to miss the type of biotopes and climates I like the most.

People are very "body conscious" in California, at least compared to people in Texas. That's what people who move to Texas from California say, anyway, and they are relieved that they can finally relax about their appearance, so I suppose the opposite holds true for California. I don't know how much effect that will have on you, but you might think that the people around you in California are a bit obsessive and/or superficial.

Could you elaborate on this? If "body conscious" equal "bodily health conscious", then I think it's a good thing for everybody, and for society in general. However, if "body conscious" equals "good looks" and even "fashion", then I may find it annoyingly superficial.

Something I actually like about Sweden, is the complete lack of dress code at work. Even as a doctor or professor, it's completely acceptable to walk around in worn jeans, t-shirt and sneakers here. From what I've heard, the dress code at work is more leisure at the West coast than the East, but I'm not sure how leisure. I hope I am not expected to walk around with make-up and nice clothes at the lab!

Politics in California is a strange subject. California has the image of a very liberal state, yet half of the population votes for conservative candidates, and even some of the more famous "liberals" are more like puppets of the defense/aerospace industry, which makes them conservative by nature if not by name.

This is actually something I have been wondering about. From what I've understand from some of my colleagues who have lived in California, the old "commie pinko hippie" image it completely untrue nowadays and it's a very commercial and full of rich business people.

America is supposed to be "consumer heaven", but you might feel it is more like "consumer hell". You shouldn't have any problems finding products that will meet your basic needs (clothing, shelter, furniture, food, etc.), but you might not find everything to your taste. I wish I could offer you some advice about groceries, but I don't know all that much about your native diet. You'll probably have to get used to "white bread" ("real bread" is difficult to find) and frozen fish (as opposed to fresh or pickled), but the produce and the wine in California are pretty good.

I find all consumer paradises hell, since I generally find consumerism hell. However, one needs to eat and I and also need to buy clothes (according to the above) and some cheap (the daughter is a destruction unit) furniture since I prefer to rent unfurbished. I am not picky with food at all, but I have problems with very "artificial" food. The previous 5-6 times when I've been to the US, I've found much of the food to taste very strange, like soap or some other synthetic perfumed compound. However, like DW said, I've heard from my colleagues that the food in LA is excellent, and it's probably for the same reasons - they've been there for the same reason as I, do research at university labs, so they probably associated most with people they met in that environment.

When it comes to things like health care for you and your children and education, I'm afraid you'll be taking a step backward. Connections, diligence, and ingenuity will help.

My connections in health care couldn't be better, luckily, and the universe pays health and dental insurance for the entire family, so that'll be fine. The daughter will only be 2.5 years when I leave, so education is no problem either, thankfully.

Originally Posted by Siberys

Don't move to California. The smugness of people is unbearable, and even if you could deal with it, the governator is just icing on the conformity of smug cake.

I have to, I'm a crucial link in a huge international epidemiologics and genome project. I have to do some stuff that can't be done in Sweden. But if it is unbearable, I'll do like some other people I know have done - isolate myself within the Ivory Tower. One of my best friends did that in Chicago - he almost never left campus for 5 years.

@Thantor: Thanks, I will!