3-28-11 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
My friends and I decided to take advantage of our four-day weekend and travel to Amsterdam. I was a little skeptical at first, thinking it would be too seedy or dirty, but I must say that my attitude has been completely changed. First off, Amsterdam is one of the most unique and beautiful cities I have ever visited. The slanted buildings, unique architecture, and endless canals give this city a charm that is simply unbeatable. Second, the Dutch are amazing, happy, and tolerant people. They have excellent customer service and go out of their way to make you feel welcome as an outsider. Everyone spoke good English and there was never any struggles of overcoming a language barrier. As a consumer-based city, the competition between the bars, restaurants, and shops made it really fun. Owners would come outside to help draw you in, show you pictures of their menu items, etc.
I know the subject on everyone's mind is about how I felt about the Red Light district so I'll describe it now. Most surprising to me was how relaxed I felt in this area despite the traditional vices like drugs and prostitution being very, VERY, prevalent. It is amazing how one's attitude can change just by acknowledging the fact that these things are legal. Competition between store owners and between the prostitutes has made everything feel "cleaner" some way. I think it is because none of it comes from off the street. People know what they are buying or getting into. These businesses are market-regulated as well as state-regulated.
Prostitutes: Red Light prostitutes are, for the most part, pretty attractive in that trashy way only whores can pull off. There were definitely girls there that would qualify as being a 10/10 in terms of looks. I'm glad I was traveling with one female friend because it made walking down in the red light seem less perverse. In fact, I'll admit to even having fun seeing all the girls and how all the people down there conduct business. In case you are wondering, no, I didn't engage in any "services."
Drugs: Marijuana, mushrooms, peyote, and some other plant-based drugs and things are available in coffee shops in Amsterdam and they are not all confined to one area. People would smoke pot outside, in the streets, in bars, in coffee shops, in the park, etc. Ill effect on society? I didn't see any. Most everyone was really friendly, relaxed, and happy. The weather was nice and you just got the feeling that people were just trying to chill, forget their problems for a while, and have fun. Nothing wrong with that.
Absinthe: This was probably the highlight of my trip to Amsterdam. I love herbal/anise flavored liquor so I was definitely excited about drinking some legit absinthe. The whole ordeal of lighting the sugar, lighting the drink, mixing it, watching the flames, and adding the water is super cool. I like that there is a drink that takes some effort and theatrics to enjoy. I drank the 140 proof absinthe and it pretty much just tasted like strong pastis/ricard/raki/ouzo. Very good though! Nice , relaxing feeling were enjoyed thoroughly.
In summary, Amsterdam is a beautiful city with lovely and unique architecture and sights. The canals are charming and the people are warm. While the red light district is what comes to mind when people think of Amsterdam, the city has much more to offer than just sex and drugs. It is a fun place, a tolerant place, and should be a model to other cities in terms of drug and sex laws. Crime was minimal and I felt genuinely safe walking around different parts of the city. Lesson learned from this visit? Just chill.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Cool Concert in Paris
4-15-11 (Paris, France)
Went to the Espace B venue tonight to see a band from Portland, Oregon called Blind Pilot. Definitely some very chill music with a lineup that included a trumpet player. I would say that over half the crowd were Americans or other English speakers. It was really nice to be surrounded by US culture and music for an evening. It kind of reminded me of seeing live music back in Austin, Texas. I also met a nice couple from the Northeast part of the US (Vermont and Philadelphia). Good times were had by all and there were some very nice looking American girls to boot ;)
3 Rounds and a Sound by Blind Pilot
Went to the Espace B venue tonight to see a band from Portland, Oregon called Blind Pilot. Definitely some very chill music with a lineup that included a trumpet player. I would say that over half the crowd were Americans or other English speakers. It was really nice to be surrounded by US culture and music for an evening. It kind of reminded me of seeing live music back in Austin, Texas. I also met a nice couple from the Northeast part of the US (Vermont and Philadelphia). Good times were had by all and there were some very nice looking American girls to boot ;)
3 Rounds and a Sound by Blind Pilot
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Booked my flight and first night in DUBLIN!
3-10-11 (RM, France)
Our April break is coming up soon and I am really excited about my trip to Dublin, Ireland. Being in an English-speaking country with a pub-centric culture will be a refreshing change from French life. Extra cool news is that my brother, Michael, will also be joining me on holiday there.
Here are a few things that I want to do while I'm visiting Dublin:
1) Take part in a good old fashioned pub crawl
2) Visit and drink Guinness at historic pubs
3) Meet interesting people while staying at a hostel
4) Take the tour and drink a beer at the Guinness Storehouse
5) See the Jameson Whiskey distillery
6) Maybe some non-pub related activities???
Our April break is coming up soon and I am really excited about my trip to Dublin, Ireland. Being in an English-speaking country with a pub-centric culture will be a refreshing change from French life. Extra cool news is that my brother, Michael, will also be joining me on holiday there.
Here are a few things that I want to do while I'm visiting Dublin:
1) Take part in a good old fashioned pub crawl
2) Visit and drink Guinness at historic pubs
3) Meet interesting people while staying at a hostel
4) Take the tour and drink a beer at the Guinness Storehouse
5) See the Jameson Whiskey distillery
6) Maybe some non-pub related activities???
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The End of Polite Society in France (not really, but it grabs your attention)
3-3-11 (RM, France)
You would think that all the stereotypes about the rude or boorish American would put me off this subject, but I felt that something needed to be said about the inconsiderate nature of some young people in France and their reaction to random acts of polite behavior. Here are two scenarios which will highlight some of these points:
Scenario One: I was walking with a group of my classmates and we were about to enter the building. I grabbed the door and opened it, standing beside the door to let all my friend in before me. Rather than thanking me however, two of my friends stopped to ask me why I had done such a thing. They told me that I was already elected class representative and I didn't need to "campaign" anymore. I told them that I was simply being polite and holding the door open so that everyone didn't have to stop and open it for themselves. I also told them that, in fact, this was a common courtesy that I performed on a regular basis back in the US.
Scenario Two: Our class was invited to hear a short series of lectures at the International Energy Agency a few days ago. The room was arranged in a large circle with multiple TV screens showing the power point presentation in the middle of the room. Being in a circle, it was easy for everyone to see the lecturer and for the lecturer to see everyone else. To my surprise, many students thought it was appropriate to talk, laugh, and banter back and forth during each of the presentations. I thought that this behavior was extremely unprofessional, rude, and immature. I mentioned something after the presentation to a few of my friends about what I expected from master's level students in terms of their behavior. Instead of agreeing with me, my friend asked me why I felt the need to be so polite all the time. I told him that it was because we were in a professional setting and that I was trying to make myself and my class look good. Not only this, but it was just common courtesy to yield the floor to a speaker who is taking time out of their day to spend with students.
Stephen Fry: Most Polite Man in Britain
You would think that all the stereotypes about the rude or boorish American would put me off this subject, but I felt that something needed to be said about the inconsiderate nature of some young people in France and their reaction to random acts of polite behavior. Here are two scenarios which will highlight some of these points:
Scenario One: I was walking with a group of my classmates and we were about to enter the building. I grabbed the door and opened it, standing beside the door to let all my friend in before me. Rather than thanking me however, two of my friends stopped to ask me why I had done such a thing. They told me that I was already elected class representative and I didn't need to "campaign" anymore. I told them that I was simply being polite and holding the door open so that everyone didn't have to stop and open it for themselves. I also told them that, in fact, this was a common courtesy that I performed on a regular basis back in the US.
Scenario Two: Our class was invited to hear a short series of lectures at the International Energy Agency a few days ago. The room was arranged in a large circle with multiple TV screens showing the power point presentation in the middle of the room. Being in a circle, it was easy for everyone to see the lecturer and for the lecturer to see everyone else. To my surprise, many students thought it was appropriate to talk, laugh, and banter back and forth during each of the presentations. I thought that this behavior was extremely unprofessional, rude, and immature. I mentioned something after the presentation to a few of my friends about what I expected from master's level students in terms of their behavior. Instead of agreeing with me, my friend asked me why I felt the need to be so polite all the time. I told him that it was because we were in a professional setting and that I was trying to make myself and my class look good. Not only this, but it was just common courtesy to yield the floor to a speaker who is taking time out of their day to spend with students.
Stephen Fry: Most Polite Man in Britain
Saturday, February 26, 2011
I Hard but Obvious Truth about US Public Education
2-26-11 (RM, France)
Living abroad has given me the opportunity to discuss US education policy without the fear of angering someone who is sympathetic to or a member of a US teacher's union. One thing is clear from my discussions: US public education is among the worst in the Western and developed world. I'm completely dumbfounded by the level of stupidity exhibited by Americans when foreign people visit the US. For example, a girl last night told me that someone in the United States asked her if France had electricity. In my mind, the problems with our system are as follows.
1) Spending per pupil has significantly increased while performance and test scores have remained stagnant of fallen. Too much money is siphoned off by bureaucrats and administrative hacks and not enough actually reaches the classroom. Poorly aligned school financial incentives are to blame. Also, since when do sports count as an "in-classroom" expenditure. This needs to change.
2) Federalized education programs have politicized lesson plans, distracted from actual education, and have imposed a one-size-fits-all approach to education.
3) A group of self-interested State employees have used political force in order to secure their financial interests and job security at the expense of competition and flexibility within the system.
4) Students are expected to being mastering concepts in soft social sciences before they have mastered the ability to read, write, and do basic math. Instead, they are asked to memorize useless facts at a young age that really have no bearing on their ability to think critically or get a handle on the basic skills truly necessary for furthering their education.
5) Almost all, except for a few, school districts and States refuse to allow experimentation and competition within their education system. Children unfortunate to live in low-income areas are trapped in a failing school system and are legally prevented from seeking out other public schools in the area.
6) Education is not synonymous with public school. This mentality has stifled creativity, innovation, and experimentation in terms of the way we educate our young people. In fact many unionized public school employees actively seek out the force of the State to make home-schooling and private schooling less attractive options for families.
7) Lack of proper nutrition and exercise within public schools. Although this is not a simple solution, it is my belief that children today are severely lacking in the proper nutritional building blocks to improve their early-years brain activity and function. Fatty meats, simple carbs, sugary soda and candy, and a lack of essential fatty acids are pretty much a school lunch recipe for disaster in terms of student performance and overall behavior. In fact, one study conducted in a Federal Prison showed that removing simple carbs and adding lean meats and vegetables helped improve inmate behavior by reducing insulin spikes and mood swings.
8) This goes along with 7 but I think the lack of proper exercise and breaks are hurting our student's ability to focus throughout the day. Kids are not adults, they don't have the attention span of adults, and they need breaks with physical activity.
9) Parents. Although I understand that it is difficult for some working parents to spend adequate time with their children, it is still their responsibility at the end of the day to educate their child. This is called personal responsibility for your family. Far too often, I hear or see parents act as if education is solely the responsibility of the State school. Wrong. Buy some activity books, buy some books to read at night, and spend time with your child. Read to them. Work with them. Instill the value of a higher education in them.
10) Kids themselves. I'm sorry kids but it isn't cool to be stupid. It isn't "selling out" or "betraying your community" when someone strives to be the best in academics. I have first-hand experience in seeing young black students being ridiculed by their peers for "acting white" when they succeed in academics. Since when did wanting to secure your financial future with a better education became a race-based quality? This mentality is just too sick to describe with words. There are other problems with children spending too much time in front trash tv, playing video games, or surfing the web for mindless imagery. Although all of these things are ok in moderation, kids need to experience life outside electronic mediums.
I am tired of the "dumb American" stereotype that persists in many European countries. The hard but obvious truth here is that this stereotype exists for a reason. Please educate yourselves and your children. Kids, please take the initiative to learn and explore things for yourself. It is ok to be curious and to want to pursue knowledge. Now get out there my fellow Americans and prove these Europeans wrong! ;)
Song of the Day: American Idiot by Green Day
Living abroad has given me the opportunity to discuss US education policy without the fear of angering someone who is sympathetic to or a member of a US teacher's union. One thing is clear from my discussions: US public education is among the worst in the Western and developed world. I'm completely dumbfounded by the level of stupidity exhibited by Americans when foreign people visit the US. For example, a girl last night told me that someone in the United States asked her if France had electricity. In my mind, the problems with our system are as follows.
1) Spending per pupil has significantly increased while performance and test scores have remained stagnant of fallen. Too much money is siphoned off by bureaucrats and administrative hacks and not enough actually reaches the classroom. Poorly aligned school financial incentives are to blame. Also, since when do sports count as an "in-classroom" expenditure. This needs to change.
2) Federalized education programs have politicized lesson plans, distracted from actual education, and have imposed a one-size-fits-all approach to education.
3) A group of self-interested State employees have used political force in order to secure their financial interests and job security at the expense of competition and flexibility within the system.
4) Students are expected to being mastering concepts in soft social sciences before they have mastered the ability to read, write, and do basic math. Instead, they are asked to memorize useless facts at a young age that really have no bearing on their ability to think critically or get a handle on the basic skills truly necessary for furthering their education.
5) Almost all, except for a few, school districts and States refuse to allow experimentation and competition within their education system. Children unfortunate to live in low-income areas are trapped in a failing school system and are legally prevented from seeking out other public schools in the area.
6) Education is not synonymous with public school. This mentality has stifled creativity, innovation, and experimentation in terms of the way we educate our young people. In fact many unionized public school employees actively seek out the force of the State to make home-schooling and private schooling less attractive options for families.
7) Lack of proper nutrition and exercise within public schools. Although this is not a simple solution, it is my belief that children today are severely lacking in the proper nutritional building blocks to improve their early-years brain activity and function. Fatty meats, simple carbs, sugary soda and candy, and a lack of essential fatty acids are pretty much a school lunch recipe for disaster in terms of student performance and overall behavior. In fact, one study conducted in a Federal Prison showed that removing simple carbs and adding lean meats and vegetables helped improve inmate behavior by reducing insulin spikes and mood swings.
8) This goes along with 7 but I think the lack of proper exercise and breaks are hurting our student's ability to focus throughout the day. Kids are not adults, they don't have the attention span of adults, and they need breaks with physical activity.
9) Parents. Although I understand that it is difficult for some working parents to spend adequate time with their children, it is still their responsibility at the end of the day to educate their child. This is called personal responsibility for your family. Far too often, I hear or see parents act as if education is solely the responsibility of the State school. Wrong. Buy some activity books, buy some books to read at night, and spend time with your child. Read to them. Work with them. Instill the value of a higher education in them.
10) Kids themselves. I'm sorry kids but it isn't cool to be stupid. It isn't "selling out" or "betraying your community" when someone strives to be the best in academics. I have first-hand experience in seeing young black students being ridiculed by their peers for "acting white" when they succeed in academics. Since when did wanting to secure your financial future with a better education became a race-based quality? This mentality is just too sick to describe with words. There are other problems with children spending too much time in front trash tv, playing video games, or surfing the web for mindless imagery. Although all of these things are ok in moderation, kids need to experience life outside electronic mediums.
I am tired of the "dumb American" stereotype that persists in many European countries. The hard but obvious truth here is that this stereotype exists for a reason. Please educate yourselves and your children. Kids, please take the initiative to learn and explore things for yourself. It is ok to be curious and to want to pursue knowledge. Now get out there my fellow Americans and prove these Europeans wrong! ;)
Song of the Day: American Idiot by Green Day
Monday, February 21, 2011
The age of the twenty-somethings and the purpose of discovery
2-21-11 (RM, France)
A recent WSJ article highlights the fact that many women are getting tired of seeing twenty-something men in what is termed "an extended adolescence" or "pre-adulthood." To this I say, get your cultural conservative values out of my life. It seems the author of this particular article prefers that men act according to an antiquated male gender role.
The joys of living in an economic and politically free society have afforded women the opportunity to shed off traditional marriage and gender roles based on the division of labor within the family unit. Men were defined by their role as the economic breadwinner while women were defined in their role within the household. I, for one, am glad that these cultural institutions have been and are continuing to be challenged.
As a methodological individualist, it is exciting for me to see individual men being able to define themselves based on what brings them personal happiness rather than defining themselves based on a culturally imposed model. It is also culturally interesting to see the phenomenon where men and women are actually starting to seek out mates that share passions, hobbies, and interests. This is a far cry from the days where marriages were arranged or just expected for various social, political, or economic reasons.
Perhaps our generation's new found freedom in terms of gender roles highlights a deeper divide of what generally brings men and women joy in their lives. It is not surprising to me, for instance, that the video game industry is one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment on the planet with revenues in the billions. However, rather than complaining about how individuals may differ in what makes them happy, maybe it would just be easier to adopt a live and let live mentality. For example, I will never, ever, not in a million years, care about make-up or clothes. I recognized the fact however, that my previous girlfriend did and would sometimes listen to her talk about how she bought this or that or liked certain colors, etc. I didn't care about the hobby itself, but I was glad that she had found something that brought her some joy. She was nice enough to listen to me sometimes when I wanted to talk about games, sports, or other things that I had interest in. There was a nice balance.
I have been told many times in my life that I take things too seriously, think too much, etc. As of late, I have been really taking this criticism to heart and trying to reverse my outlook on life. One of my reasons for being in Paris is to find a new side of myself that is more able to enjoy the small, fun things in life. I have been going out more, meeting people, dancing, having mindless conversations about random things, and having fun. While I still find discussion and debate a worthy form of entertainment which brings me joy, I have also discovered other things that I am able to incorporate into my life and to help me re-define who I am.
My previous girlfriend once told me that growing up and gaining more responsibility was just part of life, but we choose whether or not to adopt an "adult" mentality. By this I think she meant that many people often lose parts of their lives that bring them joy. It is a great unspoken tragedy I think that most people would prefer to hang on to youthful activities that make them happy but they feel that they would somehow stand out in a negative way. An Abilene Paradox to be sure.
Why should I give up playing video or tabletop games, reading comics and science fiction, listening to punk rock, or anything else just because some person might find it childish? Please. I will wait for someone who loves me for my personality, my interest, and my passions and not because I fit some sociological norm or gender role standard.
A recent WSJ article highlights the fact that many women are getting tired of seeing twenty-something men in what is termed "an extended adolescence" or "pre-adulthood." To this I say, get your cultural conservative values out of my life. It seems the author of this particular article prefers that men act according to an antiquated male gender role.
The joys of living in an economic and politically free society have afforded women the opportunity to shed off traditional marriage and gender roles based on the division of labor within the family unit. Men were defined by their role as the economic breadwinner while women were defined in their role within the household. I, for one, am glad that these cultural institutions have been and are continuing to be challenged.
As a methodological individualist, it is exciting for me to see individual men being able to define themselves based on what brings them personal happiness rather than defining themselves based on a culturally imposed model. It is also culturally interesting to see the phenomenon where men and women are actually starting to seek out mates that share passions, hobbies, and interests. This is a far cry from the days where marriages were arranged or just expected for various social, political, or economic reasons.
Perhaps our generation's new found freedom in terms of gender roles highlights a deeper divide of what generally brings men and women joy in their lives. It is not surprising to me, for instance, that the video game industry is one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment on the planet with revenues in the billions. However, rather than complaining about how individuals may differ in what makes them happy, maybe it would just be easier to adopt a live and let live mentality. For example, I will never, ever, not in a million years, care about make-up or clothes. I recognized the fact however, that my previous girlfriend did and would sometimes listen to her talk about how she bought this or that or liked certain colors, etc. I didn't care about the hobby itself, but I was glad that she had found something that brought her some joy. She was nice enough to listen to me sometimes when I wanted to talk about games, sports, or other things that I had interest in. There was a nice balance.
I have been told many times in my life that I take things too seriously, think too much, etc. As of late, I have been really taking this criticism to heart and trying to reverse my outlook on life. One of my reasons for being in Paris is to find a new side of myself that is more able to enjoy the small, fun things in life. I have been going out more, meeting people, dancing, having mindless conversations about random things, and having fun. While I still find discussion and debate a worthy form of entertainment which brings me joy, I have also discovered other things that I am able to incorporate into my life and to help me re-define who I am.
My previous girlfriend once told me that growing up and gaining more responsibility was just part of life, but we choose whether or not to adopt an "adult" mentality. By this I think she meant that many people often lose parts of their lives that bring them joy. It is a great unspoken tragedy I think that most people would prefer to hang on to youthful activities that make them happy but they feel that they would somehow stand out in a negative way. An Abilene Paradox to be sure.
Why should I give up playing video or tabletop games, reading comics and science fiction, listening to punk rock, or anything else just because some person might find it childish? Please. I will wait for someone who loves me for my personality, my interest, and my passions and not because I fit some sociological norm or gender role standard.
Friday, February 18, 2011
A now from something completely different....
2-18-11 (Paris, France)
I'm getting ready to go to my first live rock concert in Paris. And what better way to see live music than with a beautiful date by my side. I've not heard of the bands, but they all sound like pretty mellow indie rock groups. Shouldn't be too bad of a show, especially live. I'm definitely pining for my old concert-going days in Austin. Also, for some reason, I really miss my blue hair from college. Maybe I just have a spring in my step as of late, as pointed out by some classmates today.
Updates about the concert/date forthcoming...
Song of the evening: Float On by Modest Mouse
Talk about an unexpected evening. No tickets left at the concert, good times at the bar, new friends to be found. Fun times :)
-C-
I'm getting ready to go to my first live rock concert in Paris. And what better way to see live music than with a beautiful date by my side. I've not heard of the bands, but they all sound like pretty mellow indie rock groups. Shouldn't be too bad of a show, especially live. I'm definitely pining for my old concert-going days in Austin. Also, for some reason, I really miss my blue hair from college. Maybe I just have a spring in my step as of late, as pointed out by some classmates today.
Updates about the concert/date forthcoming...
Song of the evening: Float On by Modest Mouse
Talk about an unexpected evening. No tickets left at the concert, good times at the bar, new friends to be found. Fun times :)
-C-
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