Travel experiences

[Cypress]

No, I knew that was the party line, but my parents were well traveled and insistent on open mindedness. By that age they had taught me to look deeper than the cultural narrative for truth.

You still have a lot of Rightwingers gloating at grainy film from the 1970s of shabbily dressed babushkas standing in bread lines.

In 21st century urban Russia, they generally dress better than Americans, drive decent cars, and take vacations in Greece and Turkey.

I know people from Moscow and Saint Petersburg who think American cities, outside of New York City, are sleepy, cultural wastelands.

[Jarod]

You still have a lot of Rightwingers gloating at grainy film from the 1970s of shabbily dressed babushkas standing in bread lines.

In 21st century urban Russia, they generally dress better than Americans, drive decent cars, and take vacations in Greece and Turkey.

I know people from Moscow and Saint Petersburg who think American cities, outside of New York City, are sleepy, cultural wastelands.

A lot of them are. I saw my share of babushka’s in Moscow back in the 80s, but that was a choice not a necessity.

[ThatOwlWoman]

That’s so interesting, I never realized that they were told the same things about us as we were told about them.

It helped to discourage their citizens from trying to escape to America, no doubt, and to be content with their own lack of plenty.

[ThatOwlWoman]

15, 14, 10

Old enough to remember the trip forever.

[ThatOwlWoman]

I feel like travel is so helpful to understanding a realistic worldview. Seeing the differences and similarities from outside really shows how the truth of other people is incredibly subjective. I really think it helps my kids to not have such a self centered view of the world and themselves.

I agree 100%. Nationalism and ethnocentrism are the enemies of peace.

[Jarod]

Old enough to remember the trip forever.

I hope so

[Jarod]

I agree 100%. Nationalism and ethnocentrism are the enemies of peace.

I agree, I also think they are the enemies of a personal understanding of oneself. They are the enemies of a deeper knowledge of who one is and where they come from. To me, on a personal level The more one understands their place in the world the more deeply One can take advantage of time here on earth as individuals.

[ThatOwlWoman]

I agree, I also think they are the enemies of a personal understanding of oneself. They are the enemies of a deeper knowledge of who one is and where they come from. To me, on a personal level The more one understands their place in the world the more deeply One can take advantage of time here on earth as individuals.

Your children are lucky to have such a thoughtful, insightful dad.

[cawacko]

Random but I'll share. I preface by saying in getting on and off elevators I've always believed proper etiquette was you let people get off elevators before you enter. San Francisco and the Bay Area in general has a very large Asian population. At my office building in particular there was a large number of Asians and every time I'd try and get off the elevator these folks would rush on. It's was strange and my co-workers and I were always like WTF?!

Years later I go to China for work. Never seen a mass of humanity like I saw there. Makes NYC look like a quaint suburb. Trying to get on trains or elevators in China was eye opening. There are so many people you just have to fend for yourself. There is no waiting for someone else to get off. There is no etiquette of letting women go in front of you. With that many people you just freaking go.

So having witnessed that environment it totally made sense why folks would do that in the U.S. So yes, seeing other cultures can be an eye opener and is definitely a good thing.

[Doc Dutch]

I’d love to go to Cairo. That’s for sure on my list. I’m on a South America kick these days, Medellin and parts of Peru. Argentina this summer, you can get an airline pass that operates like The trains used to work in Europe, the whole Continent is cheap.

I'm sure it's better these days than under a dictatorship but I haven't followed it that closely. Israel is very clean, nice, secure and lots to see.

Cool on South America. I've been to Rio, sailed around the Horn up to Acapulco and then San Diego. I traveled extensively in Mexico from 2002 to about 2017. All business travel but the food was great everywhere.

[Doc Dutch]

I agree 100%. Nationalism and ethnocentrism are the enemies of peace.

Agreed.

Both, IMO, are driven by fear and ignorance.

[Doc Dutch]

My son on his fist cruise and port of call in the Navy was in Italy- he called me when they docked , he said he and his buddy's were going to get something to eat, when I spoke to him the next day I asked him where they went to eat, (me thinking a small trattoria) nope, they went to McDonald

When I was in the Marine Corps on Okinawa there were Marines in my squadron who never left the base except in a helicopter. Yes, they went to McDonald's on MCAS Futenma if they tired of the chow hall.

I hit the town with friends and even on my own once or twice a week.

[Jarod]

Your children are lucky to have such a thoughtful, insightful dad.

Thanks, you are kind. I am sure I've done other things they will be explaining to a therapist many years from now.

[Jarod]

I'm sure it's better these days than under a dictatorship but I haven't followed it that closely. Israel is very clean, nice, secure and lots to see.

Cool on South America. I've been to Rio, sailed around the Horn up to Acapulco and then San Diego. I traveled extensively in Mexico from 2002 to about 2017. All business travel but the food was great everywhere.

What kind of work took you to those places? Sounds exciting.

[Doc Dutch]

What kind of work took you to those places? Sounds exciting.

Airline flights. Mostly to the business centers such as Aguascalientes, Leon, Puebla, Monterrey, Chihuahua, San Luis Potosi, Querétaro and a few others.

The food was great everywhere but easier to access depending up on which city and hotel we were assigned. Chihuahua and San Luis Potosi were favorites of mine for that reason.