Last month's trip was one of the longest I had. It reminded me that you can't understand Israelis without visiting Israel. This time it felt like people are in an ever-going party. I had my ten minutes of glory as the Klezmer at Noa's wedding. The post-war baby-boom is very noticeable. And there is more freedom - car signaling is now voluntary.
Then I spent a week in London. I realized you need to visit England to really understand Americans. Many places in Canada are named after places in England (e.g. London, Ontario). A lot has been said about how Europeans see America, less about how Americans see Europe. A Canadian student who never been to Europe told me she heard that in Europe, every time you cross a border you arrive a totally different place. I said there are no real borders in America. She claimed that if you cross the border from California to Nevada it does feel different. I've never been to Nevada. But now other major cities become similar to America.
Europe has something that will take Americans centuries to create: history. That is why Americans are obsessed with shaping the future. There is American history, but it is the history of the land, not the history of most people. For historical reasons, London is located under a permanent cloud. That explains why the BBC has weather report every 15 minutes. Since the weather is the same they change the weather girl every day. Like in the old days, they don't have commercials. England also has a real culture and a real language (American English is just a simplified communication protocol). But London is not only historical. I was very impressed by the Oyster system, which lets you in the tube and busses by placing your wallet without pulling the card out. English people also have a unique dressing style
Then I spent a week in Marseille. It helps to understand where the French-Canadians came from. Their parking skills are very impressive, millimeters from the car in front. How do they drive out? The weather is close to Israel, and signaling is optional too. Shops have their unique style
(it is just a toy shop).
It was really a long trip, going by subway, tube, train and metro, airplanes, basses, escalators, and successfully navigating through several modern airport labyrinths. After a month I returned to the same point, realizing I just missed the Canadian general elections.
