Praha

And then there was Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. I arrived in Prague hoping there were going to be minimal levels of tourists allowing me to navigate the city freely and without crowds holding me up. Dead wrong on this count. But the city still managed to charm me nonetheless. Owing to this is the fact that it went unscathed in World War II. Lucky as many believe it was the only capital city in Europe to do so.

The hostel I stayed in was filled with Americans, Brazilians, and Mexicans. With my pathetic Spanish, I communicated with many and had a wonderful time. But it was outside the rough and smelly hostel that I enjoyed myself the most.

Prague has been seeing tourism for a while, and many believe it still has not peaked yet. Hordes of people surrounded the central square of the old town to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree and observe the Astronomical Clock as it punched the hour with a small presentation of different objects popping out and back in.

As I watched so many people empty their wallets as they purchased coffee, hot wine, souvenirs, etc. in the square, I realized that Mr. Barnum was right: a sucker is born every minute. I had been warned to not purchase anything near the square as prices steeply inflate in the area.

Opting instead to venture into the lesser traveled parts of the city, I was delighted by the ingenuity of the Czechs (one bridge, which doesn't cross a river, rather a ravine, has a four lane highway on top. Below it was the subway line, which, as I stood under it, produced to most frightening sounds. I have to hand it to the Czechs, despite a slow economy (I ate like a king for under $10 with consistency, including a non-obligatory tip and a couple glasses of wine), the Czechs would seem to have the most coveted tourism destination in Europe right now.

Purchasing a copy of The Prague Post, the leading English-language paper in Prague, I read about the constant line of hundreds, often thousands of people who are applying for residency visas. They wait outside the Czech immigration office in Prague everyday, many camping out the night before to guarantee at least a start in their paperwork. What surprised me more? Many of them were Americans.

The tourism has had an interesting effect on the Czechs in Prague, though. They are happy to receive the vast amounts of new capital each year from Americans to Zambians, but their attitude would suggest otherwise. Often cold and a little irritated by the fact that they are slowly losing their own city to the world, their frustration with the massive amounts of tourism is sustained, but quiet. Just remember to speak English, don't insult them with a terribly hacked up Czech when saying hello and thank you.

What's more, while we continue to flood the city, more and more Czechs, being members of the European Union, are emigrating much like Poland's brain drain within the last few years. Better economies in other EU countries seem to suck talent away at an alarming pace. But so goes the boat of capitalism: it sinks or swims, be sure you're on the right boat.

Plans

Much to my dismay, I finally gave in and decided to visit Prague. My previous apprehension regarding the matter was generated by continual advice from others to the effect of, "Oh my god! Go see Prague!"

And thus, fearing a tourist-ridden city almost completely untouched by war and carrying with it the beauty that arguably defines Central and Eastern Europe, I bought tickets (with the knowledge that this is low-season for tourists so really, I'll have the city to myself; not fighting lines and hordes of French people--who go everywhere by the way).

I will be there for a little over three days, flying out this Tuesday. And as always, a short review will ensue upon my return.

The Differences

After a number of discussions with individuals whom I have encountered on this little trip of mine, I have come once again to some conclusions, or perhaps observations of our own country. The world is composed of an estimated 6.3 Billion people (of course, entirely depending on which statistical algorithm one chooses to adhere to). With 192-4 (depending on who's counting) countries in the world, we happen to be part of a minority of countries that enjoys a geographical isolation.

More to the point, we're very fortunate in that we were never forced into diplomacy out of necessity for many decades. We could continue our way of life as Americans without worrying about say, Russia coming over the border. Having little fear and threat from countries like Canada and Mexico, we truly found ourselves in a global oasis that is North America.

In my opinion, this did two things. Firstly, we became a dominant economic force in the world because our standard of living facilitated our attainment of disposable income. Instead of looking for safe drinking water, or saving up to emigrate from one European Union country to the other for a higher salary, we are concerned with getting the next iPod. Only in America will you see the frenzied preoccupation with an inanimate object such as a Beanie Baby [sic].

Secondly, yes, we got a little paranoid in our dealings with the rest of the world. I attribute it to our isolation and comfort. Now please understand, I'm not tearing apart America as many expatriates are so fond of doing. It's just an understanding that can only (in my mind, at least) be achieved by gazing upon the US from the outside. Pearl Harbor and then 9/11 would seem to be the harbingers of this behavior that we have adopted.

Having never been attacked and, save the Civil War and American Indian Wars, having never fought a war on our territory after the the War of 1812. When I am in Warsaw, I see it. Remnants of a city once leveled by war. The same for Hungary. This was pointed out rather poignantly when I was in Budapest, and in a museum which was having an Exhibition honoring the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising against the Russians. In the picture, a 50mm cannon was in front of a badly damaged moving theater. Walking through the streets with my host, he pointed out the very same theater, partly rebuilt, and with picture-perfect resemblance to the picture in the museum (minus the cannon).

Until 9/11, that was a foreign concept to us. And we don't ever want it to happen again. That's why we reacted the way we did. Once thing that surprised me being in Europe and Latin America is that it is extremely difficult to get into the US right now for non-citizens. Gone are the days of the thirty, sixty, and ninety day visas that allowed tourists to float throughout the country with little problem. Full visa applications are required. And if you're not American, I have been hearing reports that customs isn't very lenient anymore either.

We're trying to protect ourselves. And that's acceptable. But to what end are we harming ourselves with our obsession with security. To be frank, the rest of Europe is still not forgetting Guantanamo Bay. They are refusing to back down on receiving answers. To this end, it's apparent that we have become scared of future that could possibly bring with it a global attitude, where the US can no longer be the driver. Instead, it would seem, we will be in the back seat of a car being driven by the Indians and the Chinese, while we sit next to the European Union. Between India and China, there are over 2 Billion people. With 300 Million and a fast growing 400 Million in the US and the EU respectively, our manpower is still not enough to hold up.

On the other hand, we have the intelligence and the infrastructure to sustain happy, healthy lives, while we get out of the car to enter the backseat. The real question is, will the American government and its people takes its attention away from security, just enough, to start helping Americans get on with their lives.

Therein lies one of our larger problems. As a general rule, America was founded based on the fear of a large over-arching government. We didn't like the whims of a monarchical system and certainly detest the idea of dictatorship. So we designed a government that would be sluggish and hard to change, so our economy could anticipate changes and respond accordingly. This, while Americans could count on the fact that if they were ever held liable or accused of a criminal act, there would be due process and indeed, it would take a long time.

In my mind, though, if the US is going to survive in the "New World" that is globalization, we will have to adopt larger governments to handle what the private market has been doing so poorly at: health care. Now, I've been to Finland and I've been to Sweden. Contrary to popular belief, many people take private policies on their health care to supplement what the government provides. But if they didn't have it, they would likely receive care anyway, but just not with the expeditious time frame that would be the ideal. But I don't think we even have that in the US. We have to go to Urgent Care because our doctor can't see us for six weeks minimum.

If there's one thing to take from this little essay of mine, it's this: a bigger government is not something to be frightened of when it's big for the good of the people and controlled by the people. What warrants fear in my mind is an hyper-sensitive government willing to throw due process out the window in the name of national security.

A Return Home

I wanted to comment on another part of my time in Finland. My original desire to go was brought about by the fact that I am half-Finnish. Knowing that some of my mother's family were still in contact with our Finnish relatives, I reached out to my aunt and received information regarding two different families. I contacted them and received warm replies. We all share the same great-great grandparent, if I'm not mistaken. This makes many of them second cousins (and some once-removed).

Many within my generation or my older brother's, I thoroughly enjoyed my time. It was very exciting as the resemblance of one of my cousins to my mother was present. Indeed, it's definitely my family.

One side resides in Helsinki, and after arriving at my hostel, I soon made contact with them. Within a day I was having dinner at their hope in a suburb of Helsinki, Espoo. Eating traditional Finnish dinner, a smoked set of salmon fillets (much like an American family having steak or chicken) our discussion was one of a family history I must confess I was not terribly familiar with. Their comments and knowledge of Minnesota was very impressive as they had visited during the summer of 2001, shortly before the events that were 9/11.

The other side of the tree was a family in Tampere, a city roughly two hours outside of Helsinki to the Northwest. Taking a pleasant train ride which by European standards was somewhat slow as we hauled through the Finnish landscape at 160kmh (96mph). A university town, Tampere was also much like the second-city syndrome I have spoken of before as it was very much a cultural hub of Finland.

Again, striking resemblances and my driving interest to understand my maternal family's history yielded many new pieces of information. Much of my family stayed in Finland. My family was started from one individual who came over to Minnesota (my great-grandfather, father of my grandmother, mother of my mother). I was struck by the intellectuals that were my cousins.

More to the point, it was very interesting to find so many writers in my family, in-laws included. It would seem that writing is in my family, as well as school and higher degrees of education. This is also supposedly the case on my mother's father's side, although I did not encounter this family unfortunately.

More the reason to return to Finland again, though. But next time, it will have to be in the summer.

Tampere:

Göteborg, Svenska

As I was flying over on a no-frills European carrier, Wizz Air, I sat next to a Polish man who live South of Gothenburg. His name was Piotr (my name in Polish). And he worked for General Motors powertrain design systems (mostly servicing the Saab division). We spoke at length, his English being not fluent, but with time and clarity, certainly conversational.

Since the Gothenburg City Airport is anything but (it's at least 30 minutes outside), he gave me a ride to my hotel. That was my first encounter with Swedish hospitality. In fact, the Swedes are very nice. As I noted in the previous entry, I am visiting an old college friend, who, upon my arrival, had me over to his childhood home where his father was preparing a large dinner to entertain a number of guests.

The second largest city in Sweden (of course, behind Stockholm), it is the again like many of the second largest cities in European countries as it is arguably the cultural hub. Perhaps a working theory might be that larger metropolitan cities always contain the government of the country and become more administrative than cultural. But this is merely a theory and unproven.

Walking around, I was first delighted to see the namesake of my college, Gustaf II Adolf (Latinized, Gustavus Adolphus), who is heralded as one of the cultural proponents of the country during his reign in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. Known as the "Lion of the North," his presence in the Thirty Years Wars is purported to have shifted the balance and won the war for the Protestants. He was killed in action, however, at the Battle of Lützen in 1632. But his copper image survives today in many parts of Sweden, but I am particularly attracted to this one:


And Sweden charges on. Many of the cityscapes in Gotheburg are reminiscent of a New York avenue. It's really quite pretty:

Warsaw Fog

From the International Herald Tribune (not being used for gainful purposes):

28 November 2006 (AP) WARSAW, Poland: Heavy fog caused flight cancellations and delays at airports throughout Poland on Tuesday. Low visibility forced officials to cancel most domestic and international flights.

Only three planes had been able to land at Warsaw's Okecie airport by late afternoon, spokesman Artur Burak said. Eight flights, mainly to international destinations, had been able to take off, he said.
"According to the most recent weather reports, these conditions could last until Wednesday afternoon," he said. Other airports in the country also faced delayed departures and landings, including those in Krakow, Poznan and Katowice.

End of Story

Not really. I have been in Gothenburg, Sweden since Sunday, visiting an old college friend who happens to be Swedish. His company and hospitality have been wonderful. But mother nature's has not been, as I was just about to board the plane when the ticketing agent got over the loud speaker and said something about Warsaw in Polish. My Polish is not very good, but after the reaction from the people, it was not hard to understand: flight cancellation.

So I'm in Gothenburg until Friday (the next flight to Warsaw from here!). But the hotel does have free coffee and donuts. Looks like I'm going to adopt the Barney Fife style of living for the next few days.

But seriously, it's not that bad, I have a view of the ocean from my room. And what's more, I can now pronounce my name in Swedish!

More to come.

Suomi (Finland)

I have been to Helsinki, stayed in Matinkyla in Espoo, and tomorrow I will take a train to Tampere. Finland is nothing if not for its standard of living, hospitality, and of course, saunas that burn away all your worry.

Arriving on Monday afternoon on a direct flight from Warsaw, I was immediately struck by two things: I blended physically and secondly, people would start speaking Finnish to me when I approached them with a question.

True, I'm 50% Finnish, but unfortunately, it doesn't mean I know the language. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's next to impossible for a non-native speaker to actually learn the language if they had no exposure over the age of 12.

Part of the Finno-Ugric language family, which includes Hungarian (however, incredibly distant from Finnish), but little or no answers to the language's finalized usage are available. It has little, if any, Slavic influence from the East and very little influence from the West, Sweden. The closest relative of the language is Estonian, which indeed makes sense geographically. But Estonian sits out there like Finnish, having little traceable lineage of development.

For a large part, the Finns have historically spent much of their time as a nation staving off occupation. And if it wasn't Sweden, it was Russia. Disputed leadership of Finland signed a treaty with the Nazis around the start of World War II believing this would greatly aid in their efforts to hold back the Russians who kept massing at the border. During the conflict, 60,000 Finns died, while the Russians withstood over a Million deaths. Finnish literature produced a tongue-in-cheek joke related to this: one Finn is worth 50 Russians, but what of the 51st Russian?

Not to mention, after the US (allegedly) sent over armaments and munitions to help to Russians fight the Nazis, they turned around and used them against the Finns.

Today Finland is the home of many things global. But the highest in profile award goes to their phones, Nokia. Yes, that's not a Japanese brand for all you would-be language scholars. I'm not sure where their corporate headquarters are, because I keep seeing large buildings and corporate campuses with their name all over them. Needless to say, they are the number one phone maker in the world.

It is held by some, but unconfirmed, that in a country of just over a five Million people, only 600,000 to 800,000 still have land lines. That's right, only five Million people in Finland, that's how many people speak Finnish, and that's how many people have cellular phones in the country. And believe me, pay phones don't exist. Your cellular is everything here. I suppose this isn't too far off from the way it in the US, or soon will be.

And a Happy Turkey Day to Everyone

In consideration of the holiday that is not being celebrated here, I wanted to give my thanks to you, the readers of this travel log, the people who supported me in doing this and continue to support me in exploring Europe.

Have a wonderful holiday.

And Onward

My next trip will be from Monday through Saturday of next week. I will be in Finland. And given that I'm half Finnish, I suppose it's a little like going home for a while. At least I won't stick out like a blond sore thumb like I did in Ecuador.

After I get back on Saturday, it will be a shower, laundry, and sleep before I go to Gothenburg, Sweden to visit an old college friend of mine. That will take me through Tuesday and when I get home, November will almost be finished.

And as always, I'll have my Polish cellular on me for emergencies.

36 Hours in Athens

I arrived in Athens late on Friday afternoon. The air was filled with faint levels of cigarette smoke as so many of the airports in Europe are. This was to be my first dealing with the Euro, as my short time in France while journeying across the border from Geneva did not necessitate actually taking out cash. It was also my first time in Greece and for this, I was excited because up to this point, I've just eaten their foods elsewhere.

As the small group I was traveling with boarded the bus, I could tell the airport was far outside the city. In rush hour traffic, it took us an hour to arrive at our hotel. The bus ride was well worth it however, as seeing the activity in Athens on a Friday night was a treat.

Quickly checking into the hotel, our fist and foremost concern was securing food. Greek food. And we did. As I have told folks back home already, the Greek food tastes better in Greece. This is likely true anywhere. But when you love their food as much as I do, it's worth noting.

My full day in Greece was Saturday and with a manageable list of attractions to see, there is little question as to what was on the top of the list: the Acropolis.

Hoards of tourists, many American, were scaling the tiny mountain at the center of Athens trying to reach, feel, see, and understand the structures that in many ways, comprise the first or second chapters of any world history book.

And, after recalling a paper I had written in college for my first-term Art History class, I was struck by the beauty of the temple Athena Nike (and yes, this is likely where we get the sporting goods brand from).

It was also a pleasure to have the obligatory tourist photo taken of me in front of the Parthenon.

Wandering the Plaka and Syntagma neighborhoods of central Athens was interesting in its own right as well. According to the Athenians sitting next to me while I flew in, Athens as a metropolitan area is composed of almost 7 Million people, yet only half of them are Greek ethnically. Albanians, Romanians, Turks, Macedonians, etc. all want a piece of the action in their neighboring first-string European Union country.

And their attitudes were akin to that of Americans when considering Mexicans in the US. But I don't intend to start punching political buttons, suffice it to say, Americans are not the only ones struggling with immigration issues.

I will return someday to Athens. Its charm overwhelming, its food incomparable. But now I must keep moving onward.

The Last Days of Ecuador: Guayaquil

After we departed Cuenca, it was off on the long haul to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. Its history is actually a story of redemption and not one of the standard Latin American variety. Largely a shipping port, the city is crossed by two rivers that allow access to the ocean. Almost twenty years ago, it was a mad house. A place where it was not only expected, but perhaps guaranteed that as a tourist, you would get a knife poking your back and your wallet was being emptied.

The city began a turnaround project roughly 16 years ago and the structure of the project is now being copied all over Latin American cities because it was so successful. The secret to the success? Make the city expensive to live in. Make it look like Miami. Make petty crime hurt the criminals by enlisting a police force that has augmented powers of perpetrator handling. In essence, be like New York. Here is a picture taken on the river coast, shooting directly toward the city's central square where if you look close enough, you can see your friend and mine, in the bronze, Simon Bolivar.


And like Guliani's New York, Guayaquil became the epicenter of commercial activity in Ecuador. The youngest people live in Guayaquil because it's coastal and has a nightlife that, frankly, rocked my face off. It was a pity that we were incredibly tired by the time we reached the coast after out venture, we could have gathered more. Unfortunately, it would seem, our hotel beds were more alluring than the city lights on a couple of occasions.

I miss Ecuador. I miss the wonderful people and the freshness of the place. It will always be there, I hope. But for now, I move Eastward, after this delightful detour back to my side of the world.

And What's Next?

Tomorrow I fly to Athens for a weekend on the Mediterranean. And don't worry, I'll be sure to get the obligatory tourist photograph of me in front of the Acropolis.

I can't wait to be eating real Gyros. My parents aren't telling me something, I must be Greek. Have to be Greek.

72 Hours in Budapest

Hunting down a personal network connection I had from St. Louis Park, I arrived in Budapest last weekend to find this individual and interview him. Having lived in the city for the last 18 months, he was also eager to show someone from back home around his favorite city.

And indeed, what an amazing city. I had heard from some that Hungary was still cheap, as is the rest of Eastern Europe, especially since the Hungarian currency, the Forint, is trading with the dollar at a ratio of 200:1. Nope, Budapest is expensive, it's the rest of the country that's cheap. The cost of a beer was holding steady, however, at about 500 Forint ($2.50).

The city was alive. It had a discernible rhythm to it. The Hungarians have been protesting for the last two months now, in reaction to their Prime Minister basically caught on tape gloating about his campaign promises being unattainable, if not just untrue. The Hungarians, suffering tear-gas, rubber-bullets, etc. continue to protest in the city, demanding the resignation of their Prime Minister.

And like a typical Eastern European politician stuck in the Soviet-era way of thinking, he refuses.

This comes at a appropriate time as Hungary, mainly Budapest, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising against the Soviets, which lead to the deaths of 25,000 Hungarians, but secured a lighter version of communism for their future, similar to Poland in that respect.

I took this picture in front of Parliament on the Danube river. I thought it quite telling:

The city was beautiful, though. Overrun with British folks though. Likely a testament to the city's Eastern-European-style-but-without-the-Eastern-European-feel sentiment. This is one city I will definitely rank high on my list of favorite places I went to. My only complaint: it rained everyday I was there. But hey, that's life.

24 Hours in Krakow

A couple of weeks ago I ventured down to Krakow to see what all the tourists were talking about. In the South of Poland, Krakow was once the capital before it was moved North to Warsaw in the Middle Ages. It was a quaint, highly-manageable town of less than a million people. And its infrastructure strikingly similar to Warsaw's. Krakow's attractions include the Wawel Castle and the main market square in the city's hill.

My hostel was overrun with tourists and my being an English speaker was welcomed by all. In my room were two Aussies, a Canadian, and a Brit. And I didn't fall asleep until three as we stayed up talking about the world and our differences in culture, though we all were speaking, perhaps with the exception of the Aussies, standard English.

Though I did not make it to Auschwitz, which is less than an hour away by train (requiring me to return during my tenure in Poland at some point), Krakow was charming. Again, like Quito and Cuenca in Ecuador as you might have read, one is the administrative hulk filled with politicians and commerce while the latter is filled with culture and quieter pace of life. That is the best way to characterize the relationship between Warsaw and Krakow.

Wawel Castle (pronouced in Polish with the 'w' being a 'v' in English, hence Vavel), as I said, was not the main attraction, rather the city square in the "Old Town" of Krakow. But I thought it the most aesthetically pleasing perhaps:

Arriving in the afternoon on a train from Warsaw where I found a group of American students who had jumped on without seats using their Eurail passes (which don't work in Poland, but they were able to talk their way out of it with the train staff). They were studying for their tests and biding their time before midterms. I just couldn't help thinking to myself I get to travel around Europe and not worry about homework. What a blessing.

Information, Yeah, More...

I will be traveling to Budapest this Friday, 3 November and staying until Monday, 6 November when I arrive very early back in Warsaw.

Should be the source of some good entries. Stay tuned.

Stalin's Leftovers

Given that I'm back in Warsaw for a little while, I thought I'd write a short piece on the eyesore that is Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science.

My first encounter with the building was a rather utilitarian one. I used it as a geographical reference point in making my way around central Warsaw because it happens to be the tallest building in Warsaw and if not, just short of it.

You may recall this, I cropped it from another photograph located in an earlier entry regarding a walk around my neighborhood. As you can tell, it towers over everything in Warsaw, visible from just about any location in the city. What's more, I had no idea when I was commenting on the earlier photograph that this monstrous building had a sordid history.

The building was finished in 1955. It required 40 Million bricks.

Who commissioned it? That's right, your friend and mine, Josef Stalin. It is surmised that Stalin was jealous of the skyscrapers that New York so triumphantly built before and after World War II. As we all know most architecture is phallic and this is no exception, symbolizing power and prowess (that's why I believe financial services are often the occupants of these structures; money is power for many cultures).

Originally, Stalin wanted eight of these to be built in Moscow, corresponding to New York's major skyscrapers. When all was said and done, seven were in Moscow, and the largest of them all found itself in Warsaw. Stalin really wanted the rest of Europe to know he was just around the corner.

And then the Wall fell and the USSR, slowly afterward, was no longer flexing its occupation muscle in Eastern Europe. But the Poles had no idea what to do with the Palace. Ideas for addressing this Stalinist leftover were elicited from different architects internationally in a competition. The winner wanted to shroud the Palace in skyscrapers, crowning it or hiding it, whichever term you prefer.

The Warsaw community vociferously objected and now pre-World War II land titles are being disputed in the courts. Everything is stuck, leaving Stalin's physically manifested legacy standing.

Personally, I hope it stays a little longer, if not for its historical significance (I'm not a Pole, so I really have no authority to speak to this effect anyway), then certainly it's views of the city:

And to add insult to injury, the Poles have a favorite joke they tell tourists:

Tourist: Do you know where to find the best view of Warsaw?

Pole: Of course, the top of the Palace of Culture and Science.

Tourist: Oh, because it's the tallest building in Warsaw?

Pole: No, because from there you can't see it.

Cuenca: Was that Spanish or French?

And then there was Cuenca, located almost directly South of Quito in the Andean basin. I didn't find a town with as much charm in Ecuador. Architecturally, and to some degree even culturally, a little European pocket in Ecuador.

Cuenca was founded in 1557 by a Spanish explorer and after European coal mining interests in the region subsided, a French "footprint" on the people can be found (seriously, no pun, this is figurative) when looking at the residents. Some were as fair-skinned as I was, which struck me as a total anomaly.

The city has eight universities and a population of roughly 400,000, making it the "third city of Ecuador" behind Guayaquil and Quito. Indeed, the night life was amazing. Needless to say, I was "Gringo-Who-Can-Dance" for a night, as my Polish colleague proved otherwise on the dance floor. Thanks Shakira, these hips indeed don't lie.

Information...

Sorry for the recent silence on this page again. Busy, or at least, trying not to be, but it's a good problem to have.

For those who normally reached me via cellular, my US mobile account is suspended. I now have a Polish cellular to make life a little easier over here.

I will be going to Greece on November 10 returning the 12th for a short holiday with my host in Poland.

Thanks for all the emails, love to hear from back home, I'll try to answer them as fast as I can.

All the best.

I Ate Fluffy

This is purely for the sake of novelty (and maybe to gross people out). Actually, guinea pig is pretty good. Especially when it's right off the spit. I can no longer look my neighbor's guinea pig straight in the face (but can you ever look one straight in the face, given their physical features?). And yes, this isn't Europe, this is Ecuador, baby.

Work

To give readers an idea of what I was writing while at the United Nations, here's a piece I sent in for publication but did not eventually make the cut (I met Dr. Sengupta at a press conference and had a wonderful conversation with him):

17 October 2006—GENEVA—World Food Day, yesterday, was an occasion for me that brought to mind the current situation in the United States. Hunger remains a constant source of global malnutrition and stunted childhood development.

These are not the only problems, of course, but even in a country such as the United States, poverty persists, with the result that the US is counted along with countries with hungry citizens worldwide.

The recent report presented in Geneva by the United Nations independent expert, Dr. Arjun Sengupta, to the Human Rights Council on extreme poverty in the United States was startling.

During the two years of Sengupta’s mandate so far, many countries have received special visits, all places typically associated with extreme poverty. There was one exception that caught my eye.

For 12 days, Sengupta traveled throughout the United States, visiting New York, Washington state, New Orleans, and mining regions of Appalachia, in an attempt to show that extreme poverty exists in developed nations as well.

If poverty is defined by the United Nations as surviving on two dollars a day (not a very good global demarcation as prices vary greatly from country to country, but currently a universal standard), then extreme poverty is defined as surviving on only one dollar a day and, thus, comprises an even more needy group within the impoverished.

Sengupta reported that the US’ impoverished under the definition of extreme poverty are a racially indifferent group, composed of several ethnicities. Is essence, extreme poverty in the US is arguably colorblind. Indicative of this group is a lack of healthcare (if any at all), education, and employment.

In a press conference on September 28, 2006, Sengupta responded to questions about the US’ alleged violation of human rights in this regard. Noting that since the US is more than capable of helping these people rectify the aforementioned indications of extreme poverty, the US has in effect made a choice not to help, and is violating the human rights of the extreme poor—including their right to life.

Unfortunately for the United States government, the report makes specific reference to a glaring deficiency in the US position on human rights criticizing that it “… has not accepted economic, social, and cultural rights as legally valid rights.”

Another key to identifying the extreme poor, according to Sengupta, is social exclusion, which prevents the access to opportunity which, in theory, could alleviate extreme poverty. The US contention that such people aren’t trying hard enough would seem to be the stock response.

The US delegate Steven Hill responded to the report in the Human Rights Council saying the US was pleased that Sengupta referred to several agencies at a federal level addressing poverty. However, Hill wished more sources had been consulted, such as academic sources. Not a stunning defense, if the delegate felt one was needed.

Looking at the situation from a global perspective, one would not suspect a problem with the US’ poor. But from an outsider’s perspective, the US has a pronounced problem. Sengupta’s visit to the Appalachia region is telling, as mining has declined there and unemployment has progressively increased with the shutdown of each mine. The damage to the environment ostensibly created by the mines, along with the concomitant harm to overall health plus a lack of adequate housing, have created one of the poorest regions in the US.

Given the reportedly deteriorating conditions in New Orleans, it is time the US government took a hard look at impoverished regions both in out of the media’s scope of vision and not only acknowledge the problem, but enact change.

Quito: "Touch the Sky"

And how cheese is that slogan? That's what all the tourism materials I received from the Ecuadorian tourism boards said. And I had to laugh, because Quito really isn't touching the sky so much as touching the smog, which starts in the morning around ten and hangs in the air (the city is a lot like Burbank in that it's couched in mountains and air tends to "hang" in the basin) until the fog from the mountains rolls in twelve hours later and disposes of it.

If the Amazon was our vacation, then Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, was the administrative part that needed completion before leaving for Cuenca. Quito does retain much of its heritage and culture, despite the large number of museums and lack of night life (but we managed to get by). The famous Latin American artist who took inspiration from Che Guevara and Fidel Castro worked out of Quito. His name was Oswaldo Guayasamin and his work is, well, provocative.

I truly enjoyed many of the exhibitions, though, as much as I may gripe about being completely ADD when it comes to museums. Perhaps it's just overwhelming attempting to take it all in, and thus, I try to parse out each chunk into manageable ones, only to the detriment of my gaining the entire experience. Oh well.

Next on the list of Ecuador entries: Cuenca

No More Planes!

Back in Warsaw. I added up my flight times and decided I'm happy not to see a plane for a little while:

Minneapolis>Chicago: 1.5
Chicago>Copenhagen: 8.5
Copenhagen>Warsaw: 2.5
Warsaw>Zurich: 2.0
Zurich>Geneva: 0.5
Geneva>Madrid: 2.5
Madrid>Quito: 11.0
Banana Plantation>Guayaquil: 0.45
Guayaquil>Madrid: 10.5
Madrid>Geneva: 2.5
Geneva>Zurich: 0.5
Zurich>Warsaw: 2.5

Total flight time in six weeks: approximately 48 hours.

Back in the CH

Well, after a eleven hour flight with an extra two our flight to top off the travel back to the other side of the world, sleeping last night never had more meaning to me. I will be here until Wednesday, at which time I will return to Warsaw where hopefully, this blog will get the badly needed attention it deserves. Hope all is well back home.

And carrying three currencies around is mind-boggling. Thank god Ecuador dollarized in 2000.

Pete of the Jungle

It took us five and a half hours to travel from Quito to the Amazon. Along the drive, we stopped at a summit reaching 4,000 meters (do the math, I think that's almost, if not more 12,000 feet) and it was breathtaking, literally. As we made our way downhill, the scenery changed from this:

To this:

And so, as you can see, the clouds cleared and before us was the great Amazon. We stayed at a wonderful resort roughly 100 kilometers East of Tena on the Napo river. During our stay, we ventured into the jungle with a guide who explained many of the medicinal properties of trees and plants (he was a Shaman and indeed, carried with him wisdom that dates back two or even three thousand years).

But this is just one short piece of this entire trip. I will try to post more in the coming days.

The Whole Nine Yards

Ecuador takes its name from the equator. Yes, no duh. The Latin root of the imaginary line partitioning the Northern and Southern hemispheres is "equal." Yes, no duh. But Ecuador is amazing in that it contains three distinct climates and geographical regions (which the US does, but it has much more room to do so; Ecuador is the second smallest country in South America). Have you ever stood on both hemispheres at once? I did:

Hate to brag, but I think it was awesome. However, the actual line is on top of a small mountain to the Northeast, the French were off by a few kilometers. When the GPS system was configured and the system analysts came to the very point at which I took this picture, they found out they were off. A large search for the mathematical equator was conducted and when discovered, ruins below a farm field at the top of the mountain revealed ancient ruins. The French geographers believed the distance to the North pole from the equator was 1,000,000 kilometers. Well guess what, with modern science we found out it was about 1,000,230 kilometers (by the way, this is how the metric system was invented, dividing the distance from the equator to the pole by 10,000,000 to create meters).

Here's the best part, though, the ruins showed us that the indigenous people had it figured out a thousand years before we did. It is surmised that because of the mountains in the area, the movement of the sun along solstice and equinoxes [sic] allowed the indigenous people to discover a single area at which the Sun met, and thus, found the equator.

Back to my point, the three distinct regions from East to West (coast) are the Amazon (jungle), Andes (Mountains), and coastal. Thus far, I have been to the first two. The entries will follow accordingly. Unfortunately, I must call it a night. To give you a taste of what's to come, however, here's a picture of what I was looking at throughout the bus ride:

Where Did Time Go?

Just a quick note to let everyone know I'm still alive and well. I have not had very much free time to update this, but suffice it to say I was in paradise the first three days in Ecuador as we traveling through the mountains to the Amazon and stayed in a wonderful little resort on the Napo River. I'm back in Quito now and plan to have a full entry completed tonight. Thanks for your patience.

Don't blink too fast...

Or you might end up in another country. I made it to Quito, Ecuador, and my god, it's beautiful. More to come, just settling in. View from my hotel:

Ah, And the Disillusionment

Certainly not unfamiliar to the collegiate or post-collegiate traveler in Europe, the constant haranguing visited upon the American traveler by Europeans can be annoying, but eye-opening. Some of it is simply cultural, Europeans poking fun at things like flip flops as I mentioned, or speaking slowly and with a higher volume when a European doesn't speak English. This being tolerable and perhaps amusing at times, the serious intellectual criticisms are never far behind.

The United States as a nation is being accused of many things at the United Nations' Human Rights Council in Geneva. Chief among them, the violation of international treaty and the third Geneva Convention all routing back to Guantanamo Bay. I understand where Europeans get the impression that everyone back in the US is completely oblivious and/or apathetic to what is outside borders. And many times I can't disagree with them, as a plethora of problems plaguing the world can be attributed to the US that we don't see. Why would we?

When I encounter an individual from another European country, or even an individual from Switzerland, I usually don't bat an eye informing them I am an American. I certainly don't turn it into "I hate my country and that's why I am here" conversation. As some do out of genuine personal disposition, I believe. On the contrary, I inform the individual that I am from Minnesota, a wonderful place to call home. Indeed, I miss is very much.

Without fail, however, the individual looks at me with eyes that say only one thing: have fun back home, you're country is going down the tubes. And I know what they are referring to: the Project for the New American Century. I'm not going into it, though, because it depresses me and I'd rather be depressed when I'm in the comfort of my own home, Minnesota. That, and, I'm not sure how far into I personally subscribe my belief.

In conclusion, I'm simply manifesting in words that it's a little frustrating. My hands are about as tied as anyone else. But I'll keep reporting.

Moving Around, Again

Bonjour,

To properly update everyone, it is confirmed that I will be going to Ecuador. My flight will leave early Saturday morning 30 September 2006 (likely still Friday in the US). I will fly into Madrid and then the long haul into Quito, Ecuador. Since I'll be following the sun, I will land in Quito on Saturday afternoon and will then be in the CST zone.

Though this press junket will likely place me in many very nice hotels, I am not sure what the communications situation will be. As always, I will have my US cell with me for emergency calls. Keep in mind I cannot use it for casual calls as it's almost five dollars a minute in Ecuador (as opposed to one in Europe). Nonetheless, expecting with caution, an internet connection should be available.

On 15 October 2006, I will fly out of Guayaquil, Ecuador and back to Geneva. On 18 October 2006 I will fly out of Geneva and back to Warsaw. And after being on two continents within a month, will likely stay put for a month or until I get feisty and start scheming another trip (assuming I'm still solvent), whichever is first.

Before leaving, I'm going to find a day when it's not raining in Geneva so I can post some pictures of this beautiful city and its lake. That is all for now. Thanks.

TRIP CURVE

WARSAW>>>GENEVA>>>ECUADOR>>>GENEVA>>>WARSAW

City by the Lake (With pictures!)

Ah, yes, and now, Geneva. Some of the more scenic pictures will have to wait as I need to get back down to the lake front sometime soon and really get around. But for now, here's some of what my life looks like right now.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is my office. The United Nations' main entrance into the Palais de Nations.

The view from my room at my host's apartment. The building is on a very busy street but the amazing thing is, I can't hear the Trams at night, they're so smooth, even riding them is a pleasure.

This is another view of the UN from the museum next door, the Ariana. Take note of the mountains in the background. I get to look at those daily.

And finally, it's certainly not uncommon to see peacocks wandering the premises of the UN. Feathers are at a premium as those who work rarely leave one behind if seen walking around the premises.

More to come.

Stare Miasto II (Because I had to go back)

I don't have all my notes and information in front of me, but I still wanted to post a few pictures of Warsaw's "Old Town" before I forgot. I was able to capture these images when I returned to the area but this time, with a camera.

This is the monument to the old city that greets pedestrians upon entrance.

Above is the town square that's just beyond the statue.

Getting farther into the city, as you can see, everything is getting cleaned up and restored to its original state. Not an uncommon site anywhere you go within Warsaw in general.

For the "Old Town," this is a typical grouping of residences and businesses below.

This is one of the entrances to the "Old Town's" core. To the right is a wall which more or less forms a circumference to the core, and below it, the last remaining ditches that once comprised a moat.

Just about cried my eyes out of my head when I saw this. It's the "Monument to the Little Upriser," dedicated to all the children that participated in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. If you click on the picture, you should be able to view a larger one with more detail.

That's all I have for now. Geneva stuff to come.

City by the Lake

Mea Culpa for not posting recently. I have been very busy at, well, work. I have carved out a nice little cubicle space in one of the UN press offices. I now have my little name badge, Swiss transit pass, and a place to sleep at night. My host in Geneva has been most gracious in showing me around the city and getting me started on a couple of stories.

Geneva is a beautiful city. The first night, upon my arrival, my host took me down to the lake front. Taking in a deep breath and closing my eyes, I thought for just a second or so that I was on the shores of Lake Harriet. The people are very nice and quite patient with my broken French. And the coffee is great too.

Being at the UN is another story, but not bad altogether. It goes without saying that the United States is not looked upon very fondly in any of these rooms. The Human Rights Council reconvened shortly before my arrival and after their diligent efforts to inspect prisoner conditions in Guantanamo Bay, repeatedly were blocked out by the United States. Our country's operations there have now given rise for great concern on a human rights level. We now appear among nations such as China and Nepal as being areas of concern.

I will be Attending a press conference outlining the efforts of UN officials trying to evaluate the state of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay today and hope it generates a story. Indeed, I have little doubt it will. The United States carries a very big stick in the UN, and many of the administrators, secretaries, and officials otherwise must constantly fight with United States interests and bureaucrats when conducting their charges within the UN.

It's frustrating really, being an American and dealing with the scowls, which are soon removed at mention of my presence as a journalist. Nonetheless, I can say without question that we're much less welcome in Geneva than in Warsaw.

Hoping to write more later and include pictures of the neighborhood. Hope all is well back home.

Transient

I board a plan bound for Zurich, and subsequently, Geneva in about an hour. Consider this a disclaimer that I may not be back in touch, at least, for twenty-four hours. My apologies.

By the way, sitting in the terminal with two Orthodox Jews. I've never seen men text-message so fast in my life, and their at least three times my age. Europe has us licked on the whole SMS thing, no doubt. To a certain someone I worked with and constantly was throwing it back and forth as I checked the mail, this someone who texts really fast: eat your heart out. These guys would trash you. You should see it. It's amazing.

Sorry this wasn't one of my more thought-provoking posts. Will be posting more when I get resettled.

Cultural Values

Sorry to those reading this blog that I did not post yesterday. I took the day off, like every other person in Warsaw, and likely Europe for that matter. Today I visited "Old Town" or in Polish, "Stare Miasto." This is both the city's geographical and cultural center.

Rebuilt to reflect its historical foundation and architecture, it stands as another win in the fight against the detrimental history of Poland during World War II and after.

Leveled and left to crumble, Warsaw has seen its fair share of shelling. But as industrious as the Poles are, no amount of Shelling could stop their determination in rebuilding this culturally critical section of the city. I will post pictures later as I of course, forgot my camera when heading there today.

On another note, while riding the Tram back to the apartment I am staying in, I noticed two reliefs, flanking the entrance to a building on one of the main streets in Warsaw. Again, without my camera, I can only describe the relief, more importantly, explicate on the meaning of the reliefs.

To the right of the entrance stood tall a Polish man wearing a military uniform. Although not bearing any weapons, at least ostensibly, the look on his face was one of duty, faith, and a prerogative to protect and preserve.

To the left stood a woman with a child at her hip. The woman, holding a tablet and writing device, was minding the child at her hip. Her hair was in a bun, if I recall correctly and she was wearing a very traditional dress (almost a sun dress, really, but with shoulders and short sleeves).

Conclusions, though not unique (and that's a good thing) to Poland, it is certainly not outside of logic to assume these three cultural values: duty (honor), family (children), and education (cultural growth). Duty being entirely reflected in the soldier while the latter two resting with the woman and child.

I guess all I can really think about is how our relief, say, outside of perhaps the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis, would look? What values would we try to reflect in our relief? Would we decide to separate the man and the woman, place the child with the man instead? And would the man have to be in military garb, or should we place a standard suit on him?

It's just nice to be reminded that many cultures in the world still hold dear the values of education, family, honor, etc. And not to say we don't. I just haven't seen artwork of that nature very often.

Bonjour and Au Revoir

After a lengthy, yet wonderful conversation with my contact in Geneva, I must report that I will be missing Warsaw for the month that I am away. Though my presence as an accredited journalist in the United Nations press office will likely garner a number of stories, I nonetheless have fostered a certain affection for Poles.

It's strange. Of all the European countries, Poland would seem to have a deep-seated regard for Americans that was generated through two sources of cultural exchange. Firstly, the enormous amount of emigration to America and the successful establishment of Poles therein would indicate that we, as Americans, are very tolerant people who appreciate hard work and earnest assimilation into American life whilst those assimilating maintain certain aspects of their culture for the benefit of our cultural understanding (hence, Nye's Pollanaise's popularity in Minneapolis and the Polish deli across the street; which I will refrain from even attempting to spell).

Secondly, our support of their endeavors to rid communism and Russia from their country during and after the Cold War. This is a state still very much self-conscious of the reputation it holds worldwide. I was reading an editorial in Poland Monthly, an American publication written for both immigrants and Poles proper in which the author notes the extreme sensitivity of Poles when referencing Nazi Death Camps as "Polish Death Camps." Indeed, nuances such as these, to the ignorant, can be devastating blows to the ego of this culture.

Poles are very quick to point out that they were not the cause of, nor did they assist (as some recent historians allege) in, the concentrations camps, namely Auschwitz. The reverence bestowed on Americans is perhaps also an indication of their desire to be more American. I can't even begin to describe the behavioral similarities emerging in this country and the United States. I hear cellular phones go off all the time, their ring? American music. Cars thumping with base moving slowly down city streets blasting? American music.

Advertisements, technology, arguably right down to their landscaping, Poles want to enjoy the cultural wealth of the United States. And while our direct investment as a country is marginal compared to that of other European Union countries, we continue to ship over trade agreements and business ventures.

One of the key business ventures we have shipped over here is the very industry I was working in before arriving: insurance. Since the Polish government's version of social security and health insurance have been less than reliable, Poles have taken to purchasing copious amounts of life insurance. And given the increased state of health and hygiene within the country, underwriters are having a field day with this mostly unsubscribed market.

Many Polish companies are just as well, doing business with the United States. Key example being LOT, Poland's airline. LOT runs regular, daily, if not twice daily flights out of Chicago and other major hubs such as New York direct to Warsaw (a grueling flight by most accounts). Polish immigrants in the United States come back to visit often. Though I don't have hard data in front of me, I would guess that Polish immigration really has not slowed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Indeed, I would believe it has increased. It's not uncommon to hear someone tell you they have a relative in the United States (I believe I mentioned this earlier).

The strong cultural ties would seem to be a two-way street. Although I have a feeling that the Poles are putting more into this relationship than we are (and why that is, I'm not sure).

As a people, the Poles continue to fight for their own piece of the pie. And rightly so. Other than being the subject of a number of jokes in America poking at cultural "density" shall we say, the Poles have really done nothing but garner positive attention for being peaceful and rather graceful when challenged.

Upon my return from Geneva, I should hope to write more on Poland (and send that off as well). It is pure curiosity and the welcoming nature of these people that I cannot deny.

The Offspring of Capitalism

Ladies and gentlemen, of Minnesota, the Mall of America managed to have an illegitimate child in Poland that we're not aware of. It's called Arkadia and my god, it's huge. I believe at one point I made in inference suggesting that Poland is currently, or already has recovered economically from it's past occupation.

Arkadia stands as testament to the great power of capitalism. At least for this monument, Poland has recovered. I was about to start taking photographs inside but realized I'm still doing my best to not shout out the fact that I'm a tourist (even if I bill myself as a freelance journalist).

Suffice it to say, any pictures I took would have resembled the malls of the United States. They even had a Pizza Hut (although this was finer dining than one would imagine). In essence, you're not missing much.

I've been riding the Tram here and find it to be one of the more effective forms of transportation. Indeed, as the projections of the LRT in Minneapolis would suggest, it's a good idea. Even a know-nothing such as myself can ride around and get from place to place.

I have three more days in Warsaw before heading out on assignment in Geneva, and then, perhaps Ecuador. Intending to make the most of it, be sure to check back soon for more pictures and yes, my personal discourse on Warsaw.

All the best.

TRAVEL ADVISORY

Thanks to the generosity and wisdom of some one at home I miss very much, I now know why I received the odd looks that I did walking around yesterday. Nothing screams "American" louder than flip flops. I'd like to inform those reading in the event any of you decide to come to Europe. Leave the flops at home.

Strolling the Neighborhood

Getting more comfortable with Warsaw, I took a stroll through the neighborhood I am living in. Although I am a man of words, at least most of the time, I do think visuals are quite helpful.

This is a typical string of apartment buildings. As you can see, pastels are still very in here in Warsaw. If you'll notice, in here, and other photographs, sidewalks have a dual purpose here: parking and walking. It is not uncommon for a pedestrian to be compelled out of self-preservation to look out as cars pull up in the sidewalk and park in a gingerly fashion.

I wish I could say you're not looking at what you're looking at. Unfortunately, as with any major city, an individual with a can of spray paint can make their opinions heard without compunction.

This is a picture of the main form of public transit, the Tram. Though a subway and buses exist, within the city center this would seem to be the preferred method of public transport.

One of the more interesting things about living in a growing, recovering city, is perhaps the juxtaposition of old and new guard. In the foreground, a very trendy piece of architecture (perhaps a financial center) and behind it, an older (but it may not even be that old, relatively, for Europe) structure. The division is startling. Think about the old photograph of the Foshay tower in Minneapolis sitting in front of the gargantuan IDS Center after it was built in the early seventies.

No, that's not Hyundai's corporate headquarters in Poland, that's an apartment building. As in the United States, any building or wall is fair game for advertisers. Thinking about it though, that's kind of helpful in a way. When describing where one lives, what better marker could you have than, "I live under a gigantic Hyundai sign?"

And a little slice of home. That's a Victory motorcycle, one of the few American motorcycle companies in the United States now that Excelsior-Henderson and Indian Motorcycles went under (and that leaves Harley-Davidson and Victory, I think). Guess who owns Victory: Polaris. Where's Polaris operated and manufactured: you guessed it, Minnesota. This bike was shipped here. I wanted to touch it, but it's another man's bike.

Recovery

I am recovering from my jet lag at an alarmingly slow pace. Or perhaps not, I haven't even been in Warsaw for forty-eight hours and I expect my jet lag to be gone already. At any rate, I have been able to establish some cultural conclusions since my arrival:

1.) Many, many Poles speak English (especially those my age) if only a little, but many are very proficient which makes life that much easier when acclimating.
2.) Poles are an incredibly industrious people who are basically reaching the end of their recovery with regard to the Soviet era of occupation (if they haven't recovered already). More to the point, everything is getting rebuilt, refurbished, or recycled. From the photo below, you can see they perhaps are attempting to rival the financial cities of Zurich or Frankfurt:


3.) Much of Warsaw is confusing in infrastructure, albeit this city was around long before we had city planners who had a large field to draw their lines across and create neat little grids where the streets are alphabetical.
4.) Polish is a strange child of Slavic and Latin. As many of us learned in language classes, one can generally (with some intelligent thought) infer the meaning of words with English (given of course, the language is Latin-based). Unfortunately, in Polish, this is probably true for a fraction of the words. Thus it is, buying shaving cream and a bar of soap this morning proved challenging, but certainly not impossible as I can now rid myself of this three-day beard I have.

Here and Now

I arrived in Warsaw yesterday around dinner time. A very well-written email containing detailed instructions as to how I should arrive at the residence I am currently at never came through. After a night in a four-star hotel (Holiday Inns are very nice in Europe), I finally have my residence established. Here is a picture of my hotel room:

I also made contact with my freelance colleague in Geneva. This will likely be my first venture out of Warsaw in seeing him there. Also, there is a slight chance I could find myself in the jungles of Ecuador (an interesting opportunity has arisen), but my better sense would seem to dictate I try to conquer one continent at a time. And my wallet is hurting a little after Holiday Inn had its way with me.

Thanks to those who corresponded with me while I was in limbo. Your words of encouragement and assistance helped me through greatly. I think it's about time to sleep (jet lag's a real drag).

Bon Voyage

To all, my thanks for your support in this endevor. I will be sure to write more upon my arrival, but for now, I wanted to express my gratitude.

"Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together." Joseph Pulitzer, 1907

Jettison

Leave Date: 10 September, 2006

Wrapping up life in the US. Last day of work is 1 September, 2006. Renting storage unit, boxing up personal effects, whittling down the unnecessary. Sit tight, this kiddie's ride hasn't even started yet.