Eurocup is over - at least almost - and the final won't involve Germany. Disappointing but football is just a game after all....
The Eurocup has certainly illustrated the huge difference between Americans and Europeans for me. It's weird but even Europeans who have lived here for years have been following and even the most open-minded and liberal Americans have not really been able to get into it, to share the same amount of enthusiasm. The funniest question I got when carrying the German flag to one of the games was: oh which club are you rooting for? I really should have said that the German flag was my high school colors... ;-) Oh well, can you blame them? The foundation of the US was all about getting away from Europe after all. Funny though that Europe seems to fashionable and hip and the word European is almost used synonymously with stylish and classy - at least in New York. Not sure whether Europe enjoys the same kind of reputation in other parts of the country...
So this is why the Americans started enjoying fundamentally different games, such as American football or baseball while the rest of the world is all hyped about soccer. Actually after losing today maybe it's not such a bad thing not to be too close to the media going on and on about it, overanalyzing the reasons for this defeat etc. Still not sure if I want to watch the Italy vs Spain game on Sunday - if I do I'll have to root for Spain after Italy killed us today.
Just to round up a pretty frustrating day, I ended up getting on the wrong subway and something happened to the air conditioning - was leaking and dripping on me. Another passenger shared my pain and just commented: "One of these days, huh?" Thank God I don't have to commute every day. Some people spend more than 2 hours one way on a train - I really don't know how they do it. I guess in the end you get used to everything but it's an enormous waste of your time - I suppose you can read or sleep but there would be nicer places for both. But unfortunately not all people choose to commute either - since the city is so expensive, a lot of the lower income housing has been forced out of the city... I just read an article about Munich rents being at an all time high this year and was thinking whether there is such a measurement in NYC. The must be topping the previous year every year. And i suppose we wouldn't be doing too badly in an international comparison either. But we were talking about it today during the rather frustrating game - the city is such a great place. After having been here for a while, you really have trouble finding something to top it. The secret is probably not to compare but rather look for something different once you are done with NYC. But I haven't even started exploring it properly - two things on my list for this weekend: helping refurbish a garden/park on the Lower Eastside, one of the still less gentrified areas of Manhattan and see the photo exhibit in Brooklyn I definitely need to see more of Brooklyn anyway. Am already becoming one of those New Yorkers who never goes to other boroughs. Really want to try some exotic foods in queens as well.
Too many plans, too little time. And I'm supposed to be studying anyway... I might sneak in one or two episodes of brothers & sisters too. Or maybe a few more. Am so hooked on this show - portraying an American family of 5 brothers and sisters after their father has passed away and they discovered he had a 20-year affair and an illegitimate daughter. Ok, sounds pretty boring - but once you're part of it's hard to get out.... And now there's no more soccer distracting me :-)
But there was some good news today as well. And I just realized that quite a lot happened today. Obamacare got sustained by the Supreme Court. To Europeans it may sound outrageous but there were serious concerns about the highest court in the US ruling the healthcare reform that Obama has introduced as unconstitutional! It was supposed to be violating the individual freedom as it will be making health insurance mandatory and impose a fine on those who choose not to purchase it. So much to my surprise this was and continues to be a highly controversial issue in this country. And actually there are quite a few people who believe firmly that there should not be mandatory health insurance. Frankly, they are taking the individualism to an extreme that I can't seem to understand. But I guess, again, in politics you sometimes need to agree to disagree. I am very glad however, that the conservative Chief justice seems to have come to his senses and has backed the movement to uphold the reform which is supposed to take effect in 2014. Really hope this will have helped Obama in his re-election campaign as well. Too bad I won't be allowed to vote....
And more good news: Next week we have a HOLIDAY- yay, believe it or not we actually get a holiday when Europe doesn't! This is why I will be swapping my German flag for an American one - starting now! Curious to see what July 4 will be like.- fireworks, lots of national pride and God knows what else. Bring it on...
The Eurocup has certainly illustrated the huge difference between Americans and Europeans for me. It's weird but even Europeans who have lived here for years have been following and even the most open-minded and liberal Americans have not really been able to get into it, to share the same amount of enthusiasm. The funniest question I got when carrying the German flag to one of the games was: oh which club are you rooting for? I really should have said that the German flag was my high school colors... ;-) Oh well, can you blame them? The foundation of the US was all about getting away from Europe after all. Funny though that Europe seems to fashionable and hip and the word European is almost used synonymously with stylish and classy - at least in New York. Not sure whether Europe enjoys the same kind of reputation in other parts of the country...
So this is why the Americans started enjoying fundamentally different games, such as American football or baseball while the rest of the world is all hyped about soccer. Actually after losing today maybe it's not such a bad thing not to be too close to the media going on and on about it, overanalyzing the reasons for this defeat etc. Still not sure if I want to watch the Italy vs Spain game on Sunday - if I do I'll have to root for Spain after Italy killed us today.
Just to round up a pretty frustrating day, I ended up getting on the wrong subway and something happened to the air conditioning - was leaking and dripping on me. Another passenger shared my pain and just commented: "One of these days, huh?" Thank God I don't have to commute every day. Some people spend more than 2 hours one way on a train - I really don't know how they do it. I guess in the end you get used to everything but it's an enormous waste of your time - I suppose you can read or sleep but there would be nicer places for both. But unfortunately not all people choose to commute either - since the city is so expensive, a lot of the lower income housing has been forced out of the city... I just read an article about Munich rents being at an all time high this year and was thinking whether there is such a measurement in NYC. The must be topping the previous year every year. And i suppose we wouldn't be doing too badly in an international comparison either. But we were talking about it today during the rather frustrating game - the city is such a great place. After having been here for a while, you really have trouble finding something to top it. The secret is probably not to compare but rather look for something different once you are done with NYC. But I haven't even started exploring it properly - two things on my list for this weekend: helping refurbish a garden/park on the Lower Eastside, one of the still less gentrified areas of Manhattan and see the photo exhibit in Brooklyn I definitely need to see more of Brooklyn anyway. Am already becoming one of those New Yorkers who never goes to other boroughs. Really want to try some exotic foods in queens as well.
Too many plans, too little time. And I'm supposed to be studying anyway... I might sneak in one or two episodes of brothers & sisters too. Or maybe a few more. Am so hooked on this show - portraying an American family of 5 brothers and sisters after their father has passed away and they discovered he had a 20-year affair and an illegitimate daughter. Ok, sounds pretty boring - but once you're part of it's hard to get out.... And now there's no more soccer distracting me :-)
But there was some good news today as well. And I just realized that quite a lot happened today. Obamacare got sustained by the Supreme Court. To Europeans it may sound outrageous but there were serious concerns about the highest court in the US ruling the healthcare reform that Obama has introduced as unconstitutional! It was supposed to be violating the individual freedom as it will be making health insurance mandatory and impose a fine on those who choose not to purchase it. So much to my surprise this was and continues to be a highly controversial issue in this country. And actually there are quite a few people who believe firmly that there should not be mandatory health insurance. Frankly, they are taking the individualism to an extreme that I can't seem to understand. But I guess, again, in politics you sometimes need to agree to disagree. I am very glad however, that the conservative Chief justice seems to have come to his senses and has backed the movement to uphold the reform which is supposed to take effect in 2014. Really hope this will have helped Obama in his re-election campaign as well. Too bad I won't be allowed to vote....
And more good news: Next week we have a HOLIDAY- yay, believe it or not we actually get a holiday when Europe doesn't! This is why I will be swapping my German flag for an American one - starting now! Curious to see what July 4 will be like.- fireworks, lots of national pride and God knows what else. Bring it on...
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