h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"We do have some good musicians."

Arvo Pärt

He's the best. Well, composer.

You'd all better know that I partook in a journalistic educational week in Estonia - three og four years ago (? Hati).

Two main subjects were Eestii connections to NATO and EU. Well, my main subject was to visit Hati and her kids .

Hati arranged two very appropriate seminars with a pig farmer and a Danish manager of a wood factory - and a lunch at her place, her giving a very qualified talk of how to be a freelance journalist and a single mother in Estonia.

I still have the photos in my mind's eye, and teenager G. and almost teeenager C. I'll never forget how much we laughed, you, me and your lovely kids -

Tartaronne, even though you are struggling right now, it seems to me as if you have your head in the right place.

I could very well be an alcholic, for the reason Hyp gave, and because I actually like the taste of bourbon. I have to temper my drinking because of those two factors. The bourbon doesn't do to me what it does to Hyp, but I stay away from every thing else.

Please know that everyone here is "rooting" for you. It's nice to have a place where we can "lay down our burdens" without fear of being thought strange, demented, or whiny.

Hyp is more neutral than I am. I have a tendency to "lose it" pretty easily. I can cry at the drop of a hat and throw the hat down to get to cry. Husband has finally gotten used to that (after nearly 45 years) and takes it in stride. On the other hand, I laugh the same way. I'm not sure where all these emotions came from--our Mother is not an up and down kind of person, and our Dad hid his feelings. I have a hunch that Hyp's demeanor is a lot like Dad's in that respect. So all that being said, where on earth did I get this roller coaster of emotions?????

Where indeed, Lady C. ? From being alive, lovely and kicking, I expect. .

Since I got into this place, my prejudices about USians have suffered strange and evil deaths.

Hypatia, you are the one person, in a continent and of a culture so far away from me, I feel related to. US is really something different. So strange.

Historically Milla is a neighbour, Hati a second cousin, Teuchter a cultural sister. USians are relatives, but really strange relatives.

To Danes, Usians are like Australians. The same colour, the same language, the same reason to emigrate (criminal or poverty records) - somewhat different from 'proper' europeans.

I did say prejudices, right?

Allthough now I know how beautifull US is, how different people are, the nation is still too vast for me - too bland/indifferent. Because US dictates world politics. So predictably boring.

Really life and the world would be more interesting if Slovenians, Bukino Farisians, or Burmese people were to impress the world with their point of view.

But all we have is the official USian point of view. And a Hollywood version of it. And, as far as we know, USians think that Denmark is the capital of Sweden, and couldn't they care less, as long as they have the weapons to dominate the world?

You USians have unfortunately sponsored guys like Pinochet and Saddam Hussein to mention a very few of the baddies, who excelled in torturing people. Humanly so very strange, but as my son points out, it is capitalism and liberalism and economical professors cannot be wrong.

I'm totally oppossed to his standpoints - and as he lives by and of a socialistic wellfare atate he cannot live up to his points of view. To me there is nothing nastier than a capitalist and liberalist - but I have to love my son nevertheless - for some years.

Having different cultural backgrounds does make it hard for us to relate to one another sometimes. And we misunderstand each other's intentions sometimes I think, since we don't have the same frame of reference. But we also share a lot of experiences. I'm sure if we all lived near one another we'd be good friends.

As to the politics, there is a lot the US should be ashamed of but isn't. Not all of us agree with our government's positions and are embarrassed by them. I am also embarrassed by the way many Americans act when they travel. They are demanding and arrogant and find something to criticize about every place they visit. The stereotypical Ugly Americans. I try very hard not to be like that when I travel, to let people know that we aren't all unpleasant bores.

Having said that, there is a lot of good that has come out of the US, too. It is a shame that we are so totally loathed by everyone. The average American is just trying to make a living and get through the day like people everywhere else.

I like friends

>> The average American is just trying to make a living and get through the day like people everywhere else <<

This is what I have learned.

But it is not what your politicians want us to know. Why not, I wonder.

"Mister Piano Thief, I followed your link but was not sure what to do with what, where and when?"

Try listening to it being played:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p43idNrhvxE

The words to the song: http://www.richardthompson-music.com/song_o_matic.asp?id=184

"Since I've grown old I'm really a sucker for a good cry."
From my point of view, it gets harder to aspire for being happy as time in life passes by. Of course there are things to be happy about from time to time... but there are also a hell of a lot of things to cry about... parents getting old and helpless...children... your own life and shortcomings...
Cry...be mad... it may not change the world... but it needs to get out.



Izz.

My father was a closet alcoholic or something like that - thank Bob, it never hurt our family but put some strain on things from time to time I could sense at a time where I wasn't quite old enough to interpret or take in these things fully.

Still, it has left a little nagging in me of being careful - I am so much like him in so many ways. At odd times, I can think "a beer would be nice right now" and lucikly then stop and quiz myself a bit on the time and the place and the whathaveyous and make a sensible decision whether to have or have not.

I guess I'm not a very outwar emotional person - originally I wasn't at all! But thanks a very big bunch to a few friends in high school who, sometimes close to literally, hammered into me that it is worth it showing the world who you are and not always and stubbornly carry the facade of who you want them to see. I can still tell exactly where very good girl friend P sat me down to read me that lesson. And I am grateful

tartaronne, may I hope for you that you may do the same - let them see you as you are and, I'm sure, appreciate that as much or more? I know that you do here - this journal post points to that. And as others said, a very good one it is, too.

I don't have anything to add to what Hyp said about Americans, but it's like the class of school children who all get punished for the deeds of one or two. In our case, it's the ones who are most visible who cause the world to view us all as "Ugly Americans".

Lady C and Hyp - we all know that, when we sit down and think about it. For what it's worth, all the Americans I've ever met have been lovely people. You hear stories about stupidity, arrogance, and so on, but I've never met anyone like that.

Tartaronne - . I had no idea you were struggling with all this. I don't know what to tell you except that everyone here will always be very willing to read and respond when you need to vent. Chin up, ok?

Hang in there, tartaronne. I may need a shoulder some day.

Thank you all for support, suggestions, lyrics, quotes, music and rooting. You've got a point about age, Izzy, but somehow I'm still like a teenager inside, expecting to grow up and make a whole new shiny life come through.

Well, I landed yesterday morning and spent the day with my mother who wasn't sure who I was. She introduced me to the care person as her sister, her niece or someone.

I felt horrible mentally and physically and spent most of the day trying to drink away the hangover with litres of water.

I got some articles done during the Tuesday (only one grammatical fault), spent a lot of money on delicatesses for my mother, dinner for me, train and a taxi as I missed the bus - how I could manage all the practical things in my condition - and even write in reasonably English, albeit not too diplomatical and nuanced when airing my frustrations about my son and took it out on the USians. I'm really sorry about that.

I postphoned my entry as the manager of a radio station for today. Left home at 6.30 and began with writing the news, listening in on an interview with an EU politician, was presented to all the digital machinery and programs, had a meeting with a volunteer, prepared some articles for magazines and ended with a three hour meeting with the tax authorities, a service for newly registered selfemployed people, and got home at 21.30. Water works wonders! (..and fresh air and pickled herrings, my olderst daughter claims). Sig. S. swears to a tub bath with a lot of salt to draw the poison.

Otherwise my two daughters talked me through, and on the Wednesday the younger of them told me about her plans for arranging her life - and she had some very good inputs, I can use. There is still hope. .

You are a good person. Remember that.