From the Brama Board: "If a Ukrainian citizen tells you that your destination is a short distance away, expect to walk a few kilometers."

Oh yes, I remember that well.  My wife would say "It's close, just around the corner" which I learned meant something like 2 blocks to the corner and then 10 blocks up.  With me, like a kid, walking along saying "Are we there yet? Are we there?"

So, the other day I'm at my wife's office and told her to go across the street and shop while I was messing with her PC.  Now, many times while visiting my wife's office on a weekend, I've walked across the street to get a sandwich or go to the bank ATM for some cash, etc.  My wife has been driving for over a year, but would not hesitate to comment upon how no one ever seems to walk (the "soft Americans" innuendo).

But, upon her return, I find out she actually drove the car!  Just to cross the street! I asked her why, wasn't she being hypocritical?  "Oh, I don't know..." she says, "I didn't think about walking, it just seemed easier to drive."

Times they are a changin' peoples.

... in response to Re: Times they are a changin' peoples. , posted by Mike on May 6, 2003

It is an easy mistake to make to attribute ones
excellent personal qualities to some sort of
moral superiority.  Or, conversly, to look at
someone not as fortunate as oneself, and lay
the misfortune at the feet of some supposed
character defect (or genetics, or whatever.)
But often it is just bad luck.  Live long enough
and probably the same bad luck will take a
swipe at you!  It is the lack of sufficent time
to have been blindsided by fate that makes this
error so common in the newly minted.

Americans probably have the worst food environment
on the planet.  Yes, you can get good food here.
But there is every inducment to chow down on junk.
Try and count the number of times during the day
that the radio, TV, or some sign or print ad
suggests that you eat or drink or keep a stock of:

soda, ice cream, candy, chocolate
beer, wine, or other booze
something with "lite" or "diet" on the label
breakfast cerials, granola bars, etc
power bars, sports drinks
things that can be chugged
things that can be slammed
chips, dips, sauces, toppings
pizza, burgers, or any take out
and the list goes on

pretty much everything you need to eat is
in the vegetable section of the grocery store.
What the heck is all that other stuff?

And then there is the structure of our towns.
Lots of places you have to drive to someplace
where you can take a walk!

So what's this rant all about?  Americans are fat
because our environment encourages it.  Our food
environment, physical environment, and information
environment all work to keep us stuffing our faces
with junk food all the time.

When people come here and put on the "American 10kg"
it is not because they have suddenly lost their
moral compass -- they've been poisoned!  The poison
comes in through the eyes and ears and drives them
to the high-profit easy to manufacture heavily
advertised processed foods.

The physical environment is poisoned too -- given over
to cars and the use of cars, rather then the legs.
Most places, if you walk, you are the only one.
It's lonely and depressing to be the only one walking,
with everyone else whizzing past.  There you are,
stumping along with no chance in hell that you'll meet
anyone you want to know or talk to.

... in response to Oh yah, my wife can't bear the thought o..., posted by Stevo on May 6, 2003

hey, not so fast

Us American city folk are used to walking a lot and taking subways rather than driving. However... I'm a pretty serious hiker, and when the first Russian woman I became serious about agreed to meet me in Florence, I was stunned at her ability to walk all day. We must have put in 10 miles a day visiting all the churches and surrounding vineyards. Not a peep out of her, in fact I'm certain it was so routine for her that she didn't even know how much she impressed me!

... in response to Hey Mark, posted by thesearch on May 7, 2003

Search:

She used a travel agency and had no problem getting a tourist visa. She has a daughter that she left behind so perhaps that was in her favor. Also, I think she was "officially" a part of a tour group although she only saw them on her flight to Italy and again on her flight back.

They hassled her going through customs, however... the Florentine customs agents repeatedly asked her if she was a prostitute. This contrasts sharply with me, when I went through customs I said that I was an American and they waved me through without even asking to see my passport. (hehe, no jokes about the astronomical odds of me being mistaken for a prostitute)

There was an event during my trip that I keep going back to in my mind. One night, I had picked out a restaurant from my guidebook that had excellent reviews. As we approached the entrance, Irina grabbed my elbow and kept telling me "you can't go in there, too many brown men." There is a large Arab population, mostly Paki I believe, in Florence, and evidently this was a hot spot for them.

I conceded and we went to another restaurant, but I lectured her during our walk about how I didn't discriminate based on any person's nationality, etc. (this was a year before 9/11).

To this day I wonder if she was simply uncomfortable or if she was trying to protect me. I guess I'll never know.

... in response to so, posted by thesearch on May 7, 2003

Hi Greg,

No I don't correspond with her anymore, unfortunately I lost my job on 9/11 and was out of work for almost a year. During this time she received a marriage proposal and accepted. As disappointed as I was, my situation at the time was very uncertain and in a way it was a load off my shoulders not having to worry about her.

I've been working since last August and have jumped back into the fray. I'm currently writing to 3-4 women that I really like. One thing I've noticed since coming back is that the number of scammers has gone through the roof... And from the other side of the table, it seems as if many of the women I contact are a bit cynical about the process, having been "played" by guys who weren't serious.