I don't know many Americans here. But I've met lots of people from Europe, Asia, and South America. It is always interesting to hear what they think about the United States.
Of course, some people have the Hollywood view of the United States - tall buildings, nice cars, well dressed people in furs and sunglasses. Those people really have a shock when they visit places like Illinois, Louisiana, or New Mexico.
An Eastern European I know recently came back from a trip to
California. I asked her what she thought of the US. She said she was surprised everyone looked so normal - she
imagined everyone would have been "fatter".
Excuse me?
Other people are scared of the United States, or think it's a really "messed up" place. One of my friends, who is from the UK where guns are illegal, thinks everyone in the US is a proud gun owner. He's also terrified of the lack of trains and tornadoes.
Perhaps the most accurate perception of the US came from my Israeli friend. He has never been to the US, but he imagines that everything in the US is "bigger". Judging by the size of super Wal-Marts, SUVs, hotel rooms, and even washing machines, I think he's spot on.
So now it's your turn. If you're an American, what is your perception of France? If you're a European, what's your perception of the US?
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
The Downfall of Society - Summer Returns
Summer is back, and that means the world slowly begins to fall apart here in France. With the entire French population slowly draining from the country, the rest of civilization slowly begins to crumble.
Sure, things you would expect start to happen. The trains run less frequently. The canteen closes. But then there are more irritating things...
Colleagues have long since stopped returning emails or phone calls. If you try to track them down in their office, there's a sign, quickly jotted on a post it note. "On the beach. Will return September 7th. Don't bother calling or emailing." You look at your calender, and it's July 16th. Sigh...
Then our upstairs neighbor has left, and every morning at 7 am his alarm clock goes off for an hour. And we shouldn't expect him to return to turn the dang thing off for another month...
And then there's things that begin to make you question is the end really is nigh. The internet quality is going down daily with no one around to fix the accumulating network problems. The supermarket is being remodeled. It is not being restocked, and the merchandise that is left looks like it's been through a bomb blast. And my favorite - the trash in the bathroom no longer is being removed. Fun!
It's the end of the world, and I know it...
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Moving to Groningen, Land of Bikes
Soon I'll be moving from Paris to Groningen, to start a brand new European experience. I'll be keeping this blog, and adding new labels, like windmills, bikes, and hagelslag.
To prepare for this move, we recently went to the Netherlands for a short visit. I began to see that life would be very different there than in France. As we looked at apartments, we realized that almost all of them had mini-fridges, and none of them had ovens. As one of my new coworkers said to me, "The Dutch wouldn't say it about themselves, but this is not a food-centric country." One of my friends did his graduate studies there and said, "The bureaucracy will be better, but the food will be worse. Remember this." After coming from the land of milk and honey, I mean, wine and cheese, where large portions of the culture are entirely built around food, this certainly will be a BIG shock.
I soon also realized that my new home was completely overrun by bikes. They were everywhere. We almost got hit by bikes several times, simply because we did not expect them to be, well, omnipresent.
And for a point - which of these did I NOT see in Groningen?
a. Someone text messaging on a bike.
b. Someone making a call on a bike.
c. Two people kissing while on bikes.
d. Plastic bikes.
e. Bikes with no gears.
f. A kid with Saturn on his helmet.
g. Someone carrying an umbrella while riding a bike.
h. Someone carrying a suitcase while riding a bike.
i. Someone carrying a baby on a bike.
j. Someone carrying a dresser and an armchair while riding a bike.
k. Someone riding two bikes.
l. Two people riding one bike.
m. Bikes covered by garlands of flowers.
n. Bikes that fell over like dominoes.
o. Bike parking garages.
To prepare for this move, we recently went to the Netherlands for a short visit. I began to see that life would be very different there than in France. As we looked at apartments, we realized that almost all of them had mini-fridges, and none of them had ovens. As one of my new coworkers said to me, "The Dutch wouldn't say it about themselves, but this is not a food-centric country." One of my friends did his graduate studies there and said, "The bureaucracy will be better, but the food will be worse. Remember this." After coming from the land of milk and honey, I mean, wine and cheese, where large portions of the culture are entirely built around food, this certainly will be a BIG shock.
I soon also realized that my new home was completely overrun by bikes. They were everywhere. We almost got hit by bikes several times, simply because we did not expect them to be, well, omnipresent.
And for a point - which of these did I NOT see in Groningen?
a. Someone text messaging on a bike.
b. Someone making a call on a bike.
c. Two people kissing while on bikes.
d. Plastic bikes.
e. Bikes with no gears.
f. A kid with Saturn on his helmet.
g. Someone carrying an umbrella while riding a bike.
h. Someone carrying a suitcase while riding a bike.
i. Someone carrying a baby on a bike.
j. Someone carrying a dresser and an armchair while riding a bike.
k. Someone riding two bikes.
l. Two people riding one bike.
m. Bikes covered by garlands of flowers.
n. Bikes that fell over like dominoes.
o. Bike parking garages.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Last Days In Japan
My last few days in Japan... What should I do? Visit temples! I was actually very luckily to walk into a Buddhist service, which I was able to sit in on. It was pretty neat to watch - it consisted of a "sermon" in Japanese, followed by beautiful chanting and gong ringing.
Outside of the shrine, people come to give offerings.
If you need to use the restroom while inside the temple, special "bathroom slippers" are provided.
Bathrooms had a wide range of modernity. Some were just a glorified hole in the ground.
While some had heated seats, built in bidets, and even speakers that made flushing "sounds".
Before I left that morning, the weather forecast said there was only a 10% chance of rain. The day before, they said that there was an 80% chance of rain, and not a drop fell. Figuring that I was safe and to reduce the weight in my backpack, I took my umbrella out. I later regretted that decision.
The skies turned grey and the winds began to blow. I sensed imminent danger, so I stopped at a tourist shop and bought an umbrella.
It soon begins to pour more than my small new umbrella can handle. So I, with three other people, take shelter under a Tori gate, and watch as Gion begins to flood.
10% chance of rain my foot.
Even Buddah decided to dress for the wet weather.
Finally, the rain slows enough that I can leave the shelter of the Tori gate. Dodging rain drops to take a look at the Hokan-ji Temple pagoda.
Behind some of the buildings in the shopping district of Gion.
Walking up the slope of Ninenzaka, I encounter massive crowds of Japanese school children, who fill every tourist shop, mainly buying Hello Kitty souvenirs.
Yes, Hello Kitty is ubiquitous to a level you wouldn't believe. So are bears wearing kimonos.
I dodge into a quiet restaurant for some peace, and get a nice lunch for my last full meal in Japan.
Back on the streets, the rain threatens once again. On my way up to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the rain begins.
Luckily, the rain holds off until I reach the massive temple gate, which offers shelter to me and about 100 other people.
People in the streets attempting not to get wet.
The Kiyomizu-dera Temple is at the top of this hill. It is supported by 13 meter high wooden columns, and overlooks a beautiful forest.
Looking down from the balcony over the forest.
On the grounds on the temple, there are two rocks, placed about 20 feet apart. The legend has it that if you walk with your eyes closed from one rock to the other, you will find your true love. If you need help, you will also need help in finding your true love. Many young people walked with their eyes closed from one rock to the other, as their friends shouted directions at them.
Outside the temple, I encounter monkeys!
There were also waterfalls, which you could drink from by holding a tin cup suspended on a stick and reaching out over to the water. Drinking is supposed to confer various types of luck to the drinker.
Outside the Fushimi Inari Shrine. There are many statues of foxes, Inari's messenger.
Instead of square wooden prayer cards, this temple had cards shaped like orange Tori gates! You'll soon see why.
Prayer services.
Fushimi Inari is known for thousands of Tori gates, all lined up, forming an orange tunnel through the green trees, stretching for kilometers.
Entering the tunnel.
Two Tori tunnels diverged in a green wood...
And for a point: Most of the inscriptions on the gates were in Japanese, but I could read a few of them. Which one did I see written on a Tori gate?
a. A request to bring a long lost love back
b. Prayer for children
c. Haiku worshiping Inari
d. Advertisement for a tattoo parlor
e. Description of food offered at a local restaurant.
f. Advice on how to be lucky in life.
g. The equation that describes the orbit of a planet around a star.
Gates marching!
The last place I visited was Nijo Castle. It was a very heavily fortified castle, immune to all types of attacks.
Besides a moat, the floor was made of "Nightingale boards", which consisted of nails set on an angle into the board below it. Therefore, when you walk on them, they would squeak, alerting people in the castle to your advance, making it very hard for ninjas to attack.
As I left the gardens of Nijo Castle and made my way back to France, I can say that I did what few people have done - circumnavigate the globe! But I was very happy to return to France, and especially, my husband waiting with open arms. :-)
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Along the Philosopher's Path
Next I visited the massive gate of the Nanzen-ji Temple.
It had a large threshold, that took quite a big step to get over.
This temple had an impressive, very old aqueduct system.
In front of the main temple, a large urn with burning incense sticks.
Along a small canal is the Philosopher's Path, that leads through quiet trees and passes several shrines.
Some of the blooming flowers.
Many of the temples had very interesting animal statues.
A phone booth!
Also common were "mini" shrines. They sometimes sat on street corners or buried in a niche in the forest.
The next to pictures are from the lovely garden of another temple... although I don't remember its name. (I went to so many temples that right now, they are a blur in my mind.) If you can identify it and give sources - a point to you!
Walking further down the Philosopher's Path.
As lunch-time approached, I found a quaint restaurant called "Sedona". It advertised Japanese Mexican food - so I thought I would give it a shot.
I had an interesting dish - beef, egg, curry, rice, and cheese, all melted together. It was actually quite good!
The inside of the restaurant was decorated with images of the American West - pictures from Monument Valley, Dream Catchers, and Native American Totem Poles. I talked to the owner, who told me that he and his wife take many trips to Arizona and Washington, and showed me his book on the Grand Canyon.
The clock was even shaped like a Zia!
Back on the Philosopher's Path, I encounter some wild bears.
And some bunnies in kimonos.
The last temple of the day was the Silver Pavilion. You may think - hey, the Golden Pavilion is covered in gold - is this temple coated in silver? The answer is - no - it's just wood.
It did, however, have a very impressive sand garden, with a sand mound about 3 feet tall.
In front of the Silver Pavilion.
Looking back at the Pavilion.
It had a large threshold, that took quite a big step to get over.
This temple had an impressive, very old aqueduct system.
A gong attached to a rope, used for prayers.
In front of the main temple, a large urn with burning incense sticks.
Along a small canal is the Philosopher's Path, that leads through quiet trees and passes several shrines.
Some of the blooming flowers.
Many of the temples had very interesting animal statues.
A phone booth!
Also common were "mini" shrines. They sometimes sat on street corners or buried in a niche in the forest.
The next to pictures are from the lovely garden of another temple... although I don't remember its name. (I went to so many temples that right now, they are a blur in my mind.) If you can identify it and give sources - a point to you!
Walking further down the Philosopher's Path.
As lunch-time approached, I found a quaint restaurant called "Sedona". It advertised Japanese Mexican food - so I thought I would give it a shot.
I had an interesting dish - beef, egg, curry, rice, and cheese, all melted together. It was actually quite good!
The inside of the restaurant was decorated with images of the American West - pictures from Monument Valley, Dream Catchers, and Native American Totem Poles. I talked to the owner, who told me that he and his wife take many trips to Arizona and Washington, and showed me his book on the Grand Canyon.
The clock was even shaped like a Zia!
Back on the Philosopher's Path, I encounter some wild bears.
And some bunnies in kimonos.
The last temple of the day was the Silver Pavilion. You may think - hey, the Golden Pavilion is covered in gold - is this temple coated in silver? The answer is - no - it's just wood.
It did, however, have a very impressive sand garden, with a sand mound about 3 feet tall.
 |
| It must be a pain to remake this every time it rains. |
In front of the Silver Pavilion.
Looking back at the Pavilion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)