a few observations from Europe

[gopiscrap]

First of all, I make sure everyone I come into contact with knows right off the bat that my wife and I DID NOT vote for trump!!!

People seem more polite and more relaxed than we uptight Americans have become. And why shouldn't they. They have cradle to grave protection. If you can academically do it, you have college paid for. In fact in Finland while you are in college you receive a stipend. They have medical universal health care. Every one we spoke with said that the claim that you have to wait forever for an operation etc is false. There are so many more things that they have that we don't. We went to a philharmonic concert in Oslo. Tickets for this world class concert were a total of 42.64 US dollars, because the government subsidizes it. Transportation transportation is also subsidized.

In sum, part of is I guess, people have learned to live together in much closer proximity, they have been invaded and re-invaded by each other from the beginning of time. They have learned that war and aggression doesn't pay, and that your money can go to better things.

The attitudes towards sex is more relaxed also. We were at a Lutheran Advent service and same sex couples in the school that was putting on the service were openly displaying affection for one another with out an issue what so ever.

As a German national who came to the US, I have often felt differently than my American companions...I can see where I get it from.

In sum,. I strongly recommend that every one at adulthood if possible, spend a little bit of time off of the North American continent in a non English speaking nation.

More later btw Helsinki is amazing, we are on to Frankfurt in a few minutes.
I am excited. It will be the first time in 47 years that I will be in Frankfurt for Christmas. I have never been there directly on Christmas Eve or Christmas day as an adult. It might seem dumb, but when you live so far away from where you are born, it makes it special for me.

So far we have been in New York, Reykjavik, Oslo, Helsinki and now to Frankfurt

then onto to Dubai, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Ivory Coast and then Philadelphia before going home to Tacoma.

[smirkymonkey]

1. Thank you for reporting in!

I love hearing about your travels and observations. I hope you will continue to keep us posted as you continue on with your trip.

Is this just a vacation or is part of your trip for business as well?

[gopiscrap]

3. I am singing for a state funeral in the nation of Eritrea

on December 28th it's for a very dear friend who I have done consulting work with. He grew up there as the son of Presbyterian missionaries. Him and I did a bunch of work for Eritrean refugees. Our families became close friends and he passed away 18 months ago with the wish that he be brought back to his homeland. I understand that because I am actually from Germany.

[sharedvalues]

2. Enjoy!

[gopiscrap]

4. thank you

[MLAA]

5. Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful adventure with us. Keep us posted!

[Honeycombe8]

6. I can't afford to travel. Besides, I've always thought it was sad...

What little I've traveled in the U.S., has made me sad. It's sad to go home, because where I've lived never did compare to most of the places I had to travel to for work: New York, Boston, Chicago, the beauty of Tennessee, Georgia. I didn't think much of Austin, TX or Florida, though.

If I went to France or anywhere across the ocean, I would probably cry all the way home.

[Merlot]

17. I had a name for it: post-vacation-depression

I used to work in the airlines...back in the 90's when it was somewhat normal. I wasn't flight crew, but got to vacay whereever I wanted in the world. Coming home was always hard, and I live in a nice city in a nice state. It was hard becasue people were so different, and treated each other with so much more consideration. It was how the society was set up.

One time, traveling with a friend who got sick. We were both flabergasted when she came back from the doctors office and the visit and medication were free. Not having to worry about medical bills alone will make a countries citizens more civil.

[Honeycombe8]

28. That's an interesting observation, about the medical bills. I wish. nt

[47of74]

7. I've been there a few times and am going back soon

The maliase that seems to hang over everything here was entirely missing over there. And I had very mixed feelings about coming back home after my trips to Europe.

[Ohiogal]

8. I firmly believe that

Travel is the best education!

It's eye-opening to see what they have in European countries in comparison to what we have here. One of my biggest pet peeves is right wingers who use European government models as something to be avoided. I was lucky enough to travel in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Austria many years ago, and it was wonderful back then. One thing I am envious of is their clean and efficient public transportation systems. Right wingers here loathe that idea, and instead push for us to all buy an American car that gets 18 miles to the gallon so we can clog our cities with traffic and pollute our air that we breathe. But, yeah, look at the health care systems and education systems over there. Much better than ours. We could learn a thing or two by studying what works over there. But of course, we are Americans, and we are "exceptional" (snark)

I am enjoying your posts about your trip and hope you keep them going!

[CurtEastPoint]

9. AMEN! 2019 I am making my 24th and 25th trips to Europe: Ireland and France

You learn so much about humanity by observing and interacting with others who are not the same as you. I have ALWAYS been treated politely when traveling. Now, I am a europhile (if that is a word) and haven't been as many places as you but I have traveled to England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden.

I encourage EVERYONE, as you said, to spend some time off our continent and in another one.

[DFW]

10. I have lived in Europe for many years and speak 9 European languages

I know first hand it is not the paradise it might seem to be when viewed on a vacation.

However, one thing is not up for debate as far as I am concerned, and that is that EVERYONE, preferably while in high school, should spend a semester living on their own in another country. Learn another language, feel another culture, get it in your head permanently that there are a couple of hundred other countries out there. They all have different languages and cultures. Many people in crowded continents like Europe and Africa consider it not only normal but downright necessary to speak at LEAST two languages, often four. No one begrudges you a desire to live in your home country, or even thinks it's wrong or ignorant to do so. However, to think that your country is is some way superior to others is a notion many are happily disabused of, and for the better. Indeed, you will find no greater critics on earth of France than the French, themselves. However, most of them wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The same goes for Germany and the Germans, one of whom happens to be my wife.

That is what so many Republicans seem unable to grasp--wanting to make the USA a better place does NOT mean you aren't a patriot. It only means you care about your country and the people in it (talk about things Republicans can't grasp!).

[gopiscrap]

11. thank you couldn't have siad it better myself

by the time I was 5 I spoke 6 languages. I couldn't understand kids when I came to the US and how they didn't speak more than one language. I do understand that Europe isn't a paradise and that there are problems there also. No place with more than one place is problem free. However on the whole I think they have it better put together than the US.

[ancianita]

12. +1000 for all those who see travel as the best education

[George II]

13. I do the same thing every time I go up to Canada, I tell everyone I come across...

...that I'm not a trump "fan". In fact, depending upon the person I apologize for trump.

Same as back in 2003 when I went to the UK for a week - I apologized for bush. The thing is back then (although I didn't realize it at the time) it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as these days.

Curiously though, when I went up to Toronto back in September, with all the concerns about "the border", I was afraid I'd get backed up for a while crossing (I cross at Niagara Falls). But, in both directions it was the easiest and quickest crossings I can remember in a long time. If course I'm a 70-year old white man, not the "demographic" that they're looking to scrutinize.

[mickswalkabout41]

14. I lived in Europe in the 80s

Opened my eyes to how backward America was back then. Know......we are less than a 3rd world country.

[thucythucy]

15. The last time my partner and I traveled

to Europe was the morning after the 2004"election."

We wore "Kerry for President" buttons on our jackets everywhere we went, so people would know we didn't vote for the Shrub. On our first leg of the journey a Lufthansa flight attendant came up to us and said, "We wept last night when we saw that Bush had won."

Thank you for taking the time to share some of your experiences.

BTW I loved both Oslo and Reykjavik. Like you, I traveled to both cities in winter. Not only was it cheaper, but the cold and snow added to the experience of both cities.

Best wishes and happy travels.

[GetRidOfThem]

16. gut..

Gut geschrieben, guter Ratschlag!

(Translation for those non-German speakers:"well written, good advice!&quot )

[Scarsdale]

18. I have family in the UK.

I was born and raised in Liverpool. The National Health Service pays for hearing aides, plus dental care. Imagine that! Their Social Security is called "The Old Age Pension" and starts at 60 years of age. Pensioners are issued a pass that covers travel on buses, trains and ferry boats from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. free. Nobody in my family has EVER had to be on a waiting list for an operation. If the government can make $5 Billion appear for tRump's wall, why can't the money to fund a universal health care plan be found? Too much money flows from lobbyists for big pharma and health insurers to politicians.

[oberliner]

19. You can see a performance of the Albany Philharmonic for $25

Good seats too.

[dlk]

20. American Could Learn Much From Other Countries and How to Live Better Together

I'm afraid the greed, avarice and racism get in our way.

[lambchopp59]

21. Oh, the MAGAT's greatest fear

That their submission to corporatist greed pales in comparison to successful "liberalism"
I see it with most every trip I make through the western deserts, rest areas and businesses that should be thriving
all gated off, boarded up, even with tons of traffic flying by.
And I can tell you what happened, grip your stomach. Years of contract work at those remote hospitals were simply astounding:
at how many "hard luck" cases from the circa 2010 depression are now strung out on methamphetamines in astonishing numbers.
They now wear "MAGA" hats and fall for every bamboozlement to blame their predicament on... anything.
This is your legacy, George W Bush. Your example of neanderthal greed, consumptive excess of the few, the monied.
This is your legacy, Ronnie Ray Gun. Puppet of the oil cartels, purveyor of mass destructive implements while stoking fear of the "cadillac welfare queen". Now we have massive 16:30-1900 pollution smoldering parking lots that once were called "freeways" where updated, massive and ecologically friendly (socially advantageous) and even luxurious, super fast rail systems belong.
This is the legacy of dragging our political stance rightward continuously since the advent of f*cking patridiot- Fox Noise "liberal" bashing.
Fox noise still spouting bullshit at the MAGA's about "the greatest" systems anywhere to dipshits who haven't been, spoken to, researched or even put an ounce of grey matter beyond goofball revival of 1950's-esque pseudo-prosperity.

In those glorious 1950's there were diabolical Skinner style experiments on monkeys that were embarrassingly revealing of some human behaviors. Side by side monkey cages where lever dispensed food pellets to one monkey, would share the food with his neighbor who had none. Once placed on a token economy, where the lever dispensed wooden tokens good for one food pellet from a vending machine, the monkey in the levered cage allowed the monkey without food to starve, choosing to hoard the tokens.
One grisly step beyond that were the monkeys with low-voltage stimulators placed in the limbic areas of the brain, who become total zombies, repeatedly pressing the lever for more pleasurable sensations to the exclusion of food, water, exercise, anything. Die with that lever (meth pipe) in hand.

[Basic LA]

22. Wonderful account of your trip for us armchair travelers.

Of the countries on your itinerary, the only one I've been to is Iceland, having once been stationed on the Nato base there for a year.

[gopiscrap]

26. what did you think? any observations?

[aikoaiko]

23. Travel is transformative.

I love the way we are all the same, but take different paths.

There are some wonderful things about Europe, but remember that Russia is essentially Europe.

Racism and nationalism always seem a surface scratch away.

[Thyla]

24. More than just travel I think one....

.....
needs to spend some actual time living somewhere different, experience the day to day life that you would at home and the responsibility that comes with adulting and having roots put down somewhere. I mean no matter how great or different a place may seem at the end of the day the routine is the same, people need to eat, go to school or work, the house wont clean itself sort of thing. Same shit different place as my old man would say.

It totally does tune you in to the little things that are done differently for better or worse. Being from Australia my years abroad have really highlighted just how poorly Australia copes with things that are second nature in Europe and it also has highlighted the things that Australia has that Europe never will so swings and roundabouts.

Still both EU and Australia has decent health and education systems that are mostly publicly funded and I suppose we do take that for granted at times.

[gopiscrap]

25. exactly I have lived in Germany, France, Pakistan, Hong Kong and the US

[moondust]

27. But how many billionaires do they have?

Isn't that the real measure of success?



(Republicans seem to think so.)