How much does America care about world news?

How many times has an average European been told about the badly informed, uninterested in the world news Americans? Hehehe... those ignorant Americans, so blase about all that happens and all that is in foreign lands ... If I am anything to go by, and I do count myself within the ranks of average Europeans, the answer is: this picture of Americans has been almost engraved on my mind.
Now that I am here, in the land of the ignorant, I started reflecting on this phenomenon. And the thing is: it can be a challenge to get good quality international news, if one is to watch and read what is generally/easily available. Of course, as with all things, upon further digging one comes across the unexpected. PBS news, the New York Times International section, and even the BBC America can fill in the void and satisfy the longing for information about the world. But because there is some significant effort involved in those searches, one can safely assume that an average American does not become overly exposed to international news.
Are we to commiserate those under-enlightened, self-absorbed people?  Right now I am no longer so quick to judge, or indeed commiserate them. And, forgive me o ye European brethren, I even started commiserating you.
First of all, I am afraid that our/European judgement passed on the Americans has its deeper source, at least partly, in a little chip we carry on our shoulder. Because, let's face it, when we say that Americans are not curious about the world news, we really mean that they are not curious about us. And how can this be? Is Europe not the centre of the world? We would be surprised to see that there is quite a lot spoken of South America and Asia. To an average American, Europe is just as un/important as their southern and, much further away, western neighbours. And, frankly, I personally have a feeling that they see us as 'those weird Europeans'. Something like what the French are to, well, the rest of the world. Quite often I see, or at least sense, a slight smirk on the faces of reporters giving us a gist of some event in Europe. The latest strikes in Greece, demonstrations in France, the strikes in Italy (where strikes are not really 'latest' but rather constant) are the best example. How can Americans keep straight faces at the sight of someone demonstrating at having to work until they are, well, 62? Or English students breaking into government buildings at a suggestion that they would need to pay more for their own education? Or Mr Berlusconi's recent adventures at the Italian Parliament. Or Poland's continuing struggles with conspiracy theories about who 'really' brought down the plane with our president on it, and who created an artificial fog when the plane was landing. Or even Europe's quite serious problems with the Euro? They bring smiles to the faces of quite balanced and sophisticated newscasters. So my conclusion here would be - an American perspective on the world news is far from similar to ours.
And another reason why I feel we Europeans have not got a whole lot to be proud of, is when I compare American local news with what an average European is receiving. Yes, we in Europe may be well informed about what the German Chancellor said the day before, but do we know what has happened in our own cities, in our neighbourhoods? I am sorry to say that American local news puts their European counterpart to shame. I have lived in quite a few European countries - never observed anything like what I see here in Atlanta.
Local news starts at 4:30 (!) in the morning, and lasts till 9am. Then there is the lunchtime and the 2-hour dinner slot as well. And the late evening show concludes the day. What could they possibly talk about? Oh, I cannot help but feel amazed at the contents. True to fact, local crime, disasters and corruption play the key part. It is an intense, chilling drama of human emotions. But you can bet on the fact that if there is anything of importance happening in your 'hood, the news people will be there. Helicopter shots of accidents and road problems, a microphone straight in the face of a corrupt local official, an interview with a firefighter who has just finished saving a local store, all create a newscast which is difficult to miss. A visit by a famous someone, an event at a local school, a book or film festival, a new restaurant, and more... Not only are the news people there when it happens, they also often are the source of the news: they discover and uncover more than one would want to see. I will never forget the face of a local Atlanta reporter who wanted to show how bad the rain and wind were - we've had some localised tornadoes that day. His was soaking wet. His hair in thick dark streaks was stuck to his forehead. The rain and wind were getting into his open mouth when he spoke. But the determination on his face! And did we know exactly how bad it was out there? Yes we did.
To all you skeptics who shoot 'humbug' straight back at me, and point out the relative lack of any point in such 'news', I say - humbug yourselves! There is more to this news coverage than meets the eye. It shows local/unimportant people caring about local/unimportant events. And it makes one feel a member of a community. To risk being overly dramatic: it is democracy in action, if ever I saw democracy in action. It is dialogue about issues, transparency, full open (often too open for my taste) information. Americans - self-absorbed? Yes! Well-informed and involved in their communities? Also yes! I, a European, feel jealous.
Back to watching local news now.

Winter is coming!

Europe has been covered with a think white cover since Tuesday, and my Polish compatriots are bracing themselves for a -20 Celsius night. Still, one always feels for the English of course - they traditionally appear so cutely amazed and terrified at the slightest sight of white-coloured precipitation. So - my warmest thoughts go to all my friends stuck somewhere in cold buses (London Underground was on strike this week), and in cold houses. I remember my cottage in the Cotswolds - so gorgeous but so impossibly, bone-breakingly cold! 

We also have our own cold streak here, and today Atlanta even saw some small tornadoes! Top that, Brits! It still did not deter me from starting my Christmas shopping. Malls are a great invention - probably an American invention. If not, Americans took them on and perfected the idea. Spent half an hour being pampered by a half-Italian, half-Russian make-up salesman. Of course I bought some - mea culpa. 

TV watching - one of the great pleasures of early pregnancy... or not?

As I have become temporarily house-trapped by my morning sickness, I explored the joys of day-time American TV. What else can a girl do when the only way to be comfortable is on her back, and the only direction is horizontal? I thought I became accustomed to the media of 1990s and the present – so different to the experiences of my childhood in Poland. But here I am, all old-fashioned, black and white, and irritated. 

Why am I being shouted at? TV hosts, advertisers, even serious journalists tend to raise their voices to the level which my hormonally-affected head cannot tolerate. It is a peculiar phenomenon, where people seem to think that the louder they talk, the more important we the viewers would perceive their message to be.

And to continue with my list of complaints: I am missing news from Europe! US is a large country, to be sure. Thus, unless there is a major (minimum 50-ish victims) disaster somewhere across the Ocean, or some lesson (normally a 'what not to do' lesson) to be learnt, Europe does not seem to be much on a radar. 

Should I stop complaining? Perhaps... Voltaire wrote a story of a man sent by a god to explore a city and determine whether it was worthy of survival, or as the god intended it ought to be destroyed. The man first encounters the loud, the outrageous, the despicable – what Voltaire rightly observes is often the most visible in any nation or society. Only after deeper observation, almost as if he were peeling an onion, does the man see the worthy, the good: which tends to be quiet, modest and thus less visible. Perhaps I have not peeled the American TV onion yet. Still searching... 

Weather is improving...

This is how different the South is to everything my life in Europe got me used to. Only a few months ago the phrase 'weather is improving' would mean one thing to me: it is getting warmer! In Atlanta, though, it is exactly the opposite. September here is nothing short of delightful. With the cooler air, still warm and even hot during the day, and the humidity which finally reached tolerable proportions, we can spend most of our days outside without fear of being boiled (or steamed...?) alive. Oh, how delightful the mornings are on our deck, with gentle breeze, chirping birds, the green wilderness behind our fence... And afternoons are also full of attractions: just watching the completely mad squirrels chasing one another up and down the tall pine and oak trees which surround our house could take one's attention for a while. Add a glass of wine (or water for those of us who do not do alcohol) and some jazz, and you are in Southern heaven my friend.
And did I mention Atlanta itself, and even our little Decatur? The place is coming to life. It is as if it suddenly became populated again. 'So there are people inside these buildings...', I think to myself when driving by the now colourful and lively streets of Decatur, Midtown, or Virginia Highlands. The cultural events are so plentiful that one would need a group of assistants to attend them all. Just a few examples of what the people of Atlanta have been up to:

• The Decatur Book Festival in early September, which is apparently the largest independent book festival in the country, with the opening speech by Jonathan Franzen - author of 'The Corrections' and now also 'Freedom', and plenty of events: book fairs and meetings. The organisers seem to have wanted to cover as many aspects of literary work as possible, even including the previously unexplored aspects of language and literature: the first Experimental Writers Asylum. Overall - impressive event.
• The Midtown Art Festival, with artist markets, art auctions, live concerts, and lots of beer and wine, and food of course.

Zombie walks, runs, culinary celebrations,... Exhausting, this Atlanta life.

Back from Texas

And so we are finally back from our Texas road trip. Did not go exactly how we planned it. We did plan: Hill Country, Dude Ranch and some 'cowboy' experience. We got: a severe tropical storm named, mystically, Hermione and so much rain you could swim in it. Records were broken, we were soaked. So instead of Hill Country we did San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and we ended the trip in New Orleans.

San Antonio: the River Walk is definitely overrated, though there are true architectual gems to be observed in some not-so-well-trodden places. Example - look left.

Austin is a fun city - a real working city as opposed to San Antonio which felt like an artificial tourist trap. We had a great dinner at Perry's Steakhouse, which is in an interesting historic Norwood Tower, right in the heart of Austin. They have an impressive wine cellar (which one can actually admire while eating - shelves upon shelves of red and white, some even pink or bubbly, goodness. Our favourite place in Austin, though, was the State Capitol - what an impressive building! The things which impressed me most:

• its Renaissance Revival style
• the Capitol Building (which hosts the State Legislature (House and Senate), the State Governor, as well as the Supreme Court) is centred around a rotunda. Not only is the rotunda gorgeous to look at and a pleasure to stroll up and down, it also has portraits of all the Governors (yes, including the certain Mr Bush) in chronological order: so if you want to see the first one you must climb all the way to the top. They move them all, one by one, one position higher, with each outgoing Governor. It seems that one day they will run out of space.    

This is me, very thoughtful in the Supreme Court room:

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  And yet another detail in the 'what impressed me most' series: the Capital Building is most increduously open and accessible to the public. I have visited a good few buildings of this type, including the European Commission and European Parliament, and some other European parliaments and courts, and have been screened and screened and screened... Plus, noone would even think of letting me in if I was not invited by 'someone on the inside'. Yes, official tours and such, but accessing the library, the Governor's official meeting room, even eating at the canteen with the members of State Senate? I like democracy Texas-style.

New Orleans and I probably did not get the best of introductions: it was college football night, and Bourbon Street swarmed with drunk football fans: strolling with drinks in hand, standing on balconies, screaming to people below, throwing things from balconies. Man, the place stunk! You think you understand? Let me illustrate. Imagine: you are in a crowded bus, next to a dude who's evidently had a few too many the night before and probably forgot to shower. When he yawns, you are on the receiving end of the sniff of last night's beer and cigarettes, perhaps even some remnants of kebab. Unforgettable experience. After a drink or two the smell somehow stops being a nuisance and starts 'setting the mojo, man'. But the rest of New Orleans, though hot and swampy, was interesting, charming, old, artsy, and green. Architecture lives up to the legends about it, the cemeteries are full of somber-looking, imposing tombs (no wonder the Interview with a Vampire was filmed there), and the voodoo, colourful, jazzy groove is scintillating.

The Garden District was my favourite part of New Orleans. We passed by the house of Anne Rice - the author of Interview with a Vampire, and so many gorgeous historic houses that I lost count. On our way back we returned to Bourbon Street - much quieter this time (Sunday morning), and had an oyster and beer tour - not sure how many oysters and beer we've had: my best guess is 48 and 4 respectively. I am glad to say that no serious stomach perturbations followed and we are now safely home.

On contributing to economy and rationalising the irrationalisable

I thought about this some more: buying the 'necessary' stuff when getting into new sports. Was I rationalising something which cannot be rationalised? Was it really necessary to obtain the complete attire in order to play? Or perhaps the two noble games do not require all these? Some clubs, and a tennis racket - that's all? Am I a sucker?

I hate to generalise (well, not really...), but it seems to me that: a. I am indeed a sucker, and b. I am not the only one. It is tempting to get into the 'need to get equipped' mood. I personally know quite a few gadget people. Stocking up on the gadgets makes getting into a new activity real, brings it home. We can look into the mirror and say: see how serious I am? We are seducing ourself thinking: even though my swing is wobbly, I might at least look good while I wobble. Just look at my curves accentuated by the cute skirt, and how elegant my hand looks in the leather glove, I am so glad I got the blue racket and not the yellow one - it reflects my eyes ... Been there, done that, and will continue.

On taking up new sports and contributing to economy

I have just taken up two new sports: tennis and golf. Love both, completely, for life, and with no reservations. I would like to say that where I came from they are only pursued by the wealthy, but I think the Poland I left during mid-90s is quite different to the Poland of today. To the point, however: I have some reflections concerning the taking up of new sports which do not quite have much to do with sports as health-inducing activities.

Having just spent, in order to obtain all the necessary pieces of equipment one cannot play golf without, an amount of money which would sustain an average middle class family for... well, a while, I am in two minds about the whole thing.

The shoes (oh, the shoes....), the socks, the sexy glove, the seven (for now!) clubs, the bag which holds them, the polo tee, the cute skirt, and I am now fully equipped. Hit my first few balls today. Very gracious, elegant way of twisting one's body and walking. Riding the golf carts is fun too, and do not let anyone tell you otherwise. But why oh why the fuss? I am no socialist - noone who grew up in Eastern Europe should be. But could we make do with three or four clubs and perhaps even (forgive me, o ye golfers) go glove-less? Could we be less 'elitist', for lack of a better word (perhaps pre-selective is a better one)? I say 'we', because for all my complaining I adore golf, and tennis which also costs an arm and a leg to get into, and have been completely sold (irony is not accidental here) on the idea of pursuing both.

One thing that makes me feel good is that I have contributed to the economy, which in today's times cannot be a bad thing.