1 - For a beginner becoming more experienced, yes orientation matters but you shouldn't be concerned with it until your an intermediate player wanting to become an expert. We have plenty of resources here to direct you to if you think you can handle it
. My philosophy for beginners is always, get a feel for the housing blocks and if something doesn't work either change the block, or try something new, or experiment and investigate why it doesn't work and if you cant work it out, feel free to ask us and we'll be happy to help. And tell us about it anyway, you might find something we don't know about or if you enjoy a certain solution, we might be able to help and make it even better.
2 - again, try watching the city and check why the import isn't working. When a trader comes in, do they head to the docks or storage yards you expect? When they drop things off, are you trying to import too much from the 1 city? Or is your trading too inefficient to import enough? Or is the problem with letting the Overseer set the level? Like Brugle's said, if there's anything specific you encounter, feel free to ask. But I always think a detailed eye for what's happening is best (and maybe a good use of search terms in this forum). It might just be the case that we've experienced it before so we know what to look for.
Eagles may soar, but weasels do not get sucked into jet engines
Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, Proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too