Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Where are you and where are you going?
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Chris
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Chris »

I love reading "first contact" experiences. Welcome to the alien American world where people move around on gasoline-powered wheelchairs and margarine comes in the form of breath spray. Pro tip: spray the buttery flavoring directly into your mouth before eating the popcorn; saves your fingers from getting greasy (-;

Mustard is cheap because... of course? It's mustard seed and vinegar. Kosciusko spicy brown beer mustard is good stuff if you can find it.

Apples aren't in season. In-season, there are around 10-20 varieties available, depending on region.

You really don't want to try a Twinkie. You really don't. Of all the junk food.... not that. Almost anything besides that.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

Yeah, Twinkies are archaic. Much more representative of the American junk food of my childhood in the 70s than what the kids eat today. Unfortunately, in spite of the seemingly vast selection, you can't rely on the average grocery store to necessarily meet your standards in all things. Ask a few different people where they shop for produce. The outlets that carry decent produce will generally also carry some other decent quality foodstuffs, but you will pay more.

OTOH, if you are willing to throw personal preferences and health concerns to the wind, you could try to survive as a Freegan while you are in the U.S. It's very easy if you are dating ;)

Astra
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Astra »

Gotcha, no twinkies then!

I went to a Whole Foods the other day - lots of expensive things, especially ready-made stuff and the lunch bar, but some basic items, produce and eggs are priced reasonably for the quality.

I continue my exploration of the American lifestyle, this week with some observations on climatization and heat tolerance. I must admit I kinda shrugged it off when I read Jacob’s blog entry on dealing with heatwaves. These behaviors and methods seem so common sense, they should be self-evident for anyone with a remote understanding of biology and physics – right? Turns out, they’re not. In America, the abundance of AC has eliminated all needs for common sense behavior during a heat wave. Why should your personal fashion expression be influenced by the weather? Why air out your apartment in the morning if you can just push a button once it gets stuffy around noon? Why go for a run in the shaded park when you can pay a monthly fee to run on a tread mill in a cool gym? Americans put a lot of effort into avoiding the heat at all cost, rather than adapting to it. Sweating seems to be regarded as antiquated animal behavior. Indoor areas are cooled to a crisp 18*C (65F), a sharp contrast to the outdoors around 36*C (97F). Here’s three reasons I heard why people avoid going outside: 1. The sweat will ruin my makeup and I will look like I melted. 2. I’m wearing antitranspirant and will drop dead if exposed to the sun too long. 3. I’ll get all sticky and tired from the heat. :roll: A 3-year old could come up with solutions to these "problems". Mind you, I wasn’t proposing hours of manual labor in the sun, rather I asked if someone wanted to go on a 10 min walk to the shop. Personally, I adapt pretty well to the heat, once adapted and suitably clothed I find it rather enjoyable (similar with cold). I grew up with no AC anywhere, so you just deal with it through nutrition, clothes, activity levels. What messes me up here is the change between AC and outside. I now carry a sweater with me to survive the arctic freeze of shops and offices. Brrr! Note that I met some people feeling the same way about overcranked AC here – mostly foreigners – but we are a minority and must submit to the iron rule of the AC-bourgeoisie!

Perhaps related, the Americans have an obsession with cold drinks - water, soda and coffee-cream-syrup concoctions are served with ice, consumed at temperatures which result in sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia (also known as brain freeze). While I understand the instinct to "cool off" by consuming cold liquids, it is actually quite counterproductive. Drinking a large amount of cold water will lower your core temperature around the stomach by a few degrees (remember water has excellent heat capacity). However most temp-sensing nerves are on the surface, which is still warm, so you don't even feel very cooling off. Low core temp is perceived as a severe threat by the body, activating the regio praeoptica of the hypothalamus, starting to actively burn energy to heat up the body! In the long run you will actually be hotter than before, having to either consume more cold drinks. On the other hand, lukewarm or hot beverages do not trigger the bodys heating system, are much more readily absorbed and provide fluids for ample sweating. Bedouins living for generations in the hottest deserts on earth have a culture of drinking hot tea, often with spices that help open the pores. The turks drink hot coffee, and most of Aisa drinks varieties of warm tea in the summer (but it's slowly changing now with western influence). During a heat wave, enjoy some warm clear broth for the same effect, plus recharging your electrolyte levels and providing a light meal.

Kriegsspiel
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Kriegsspiel »

Drinking ice water cools me down on a hot day. Maybe my regio praeoptica is broken?

DutchGirl
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by DutchGirl »

@Kriegsspiel

Maybe you should try the lukewarm drinks during one hot day. Perhaps you'll find that they cool you down as well as the ice water, or even better. If you want to approach a scientific method, note the amount you drink, when you drink it, what the temperature of your environment is, and whether you feel hot or not. (you can't make it a double blind experiment, alas).

@Astra

Good to read that you're doing well. And indeed, where I live in Europe, it's notoriously hard to find public toilets; and public free water too. Just yesterday I had to pop into a supermarket to buy some water after I had finished my flask of water that I had brought from home, and call a friend to crash his place to visit the toilet (because I needed to go and couldn't hold up until I was at home).

Astra
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Astra »

ER-lifestyle vs being taken advantage of

My attempt to live an ER-lifestyle (aka being a greedy penny-pincher) in an unfamiliar environment has put me in a series of bad situations. Without getting too much into details this was due to these lifestyle decisions:

1. Forfeiting a classic cell phone plan and opting for FreedomPop instead. As discussed elsewhere, this SIM lets you text, call and surf up to a low (but sufficient) limit for the low low price of $0 a month (just don’t go over the limit!!!). After some delivery issues, namely the SIM being stolen twice from my mailbox, I got started and at first it worked fine. The connection started crapping out on me on a regular basis thereafter. This is especially annoying when trying to set up new life arrangements and everyone insists on calling you instead of e-mailing. I’m still sticking with FreedomPop, but it has caused me much annoyance. I guess for that price one can’t really complain.

2. Since dorms are reserved for “paying students” and the Uni being unwilling to help me with housing, I took to Craigslist to find cheap accommodations for my 6 month stay in US. Search profile: shared house/apt with 2-4 roommates, close to Uni, access to kitchen, furnished (I don’t want to buy stuff, don’t have transportation to pick up large free stuff). Unfortunately, it did not go well. Perhaps looking for very cheap accommodation puts one at the mercy of greedy landlords (aka slumlords). Being perceived as financially weak might invite people to take advantage of you. Maybe it’s about being a foreigner – I’m new to this country, don’t know my rights well and might not take legal action if pressured (we don’t have a big “sue them” culture in Europe). Perhaps it is about being desperate, needing a place to stay asap and only for a short time instead of 1 year lease. Perhaps it's me lacking contacts, relatives, or influence here, therefore I am less likely to have other means than money to deal with problematic situations. Perhaps it is about being a young woman and appearing vulnerable and unlikely to fight back if treated unfairly. Again, no details, but I have been taken advantage of in my living situation (by the owners, not the roommates) and I’m currently working on getting out of my second lease and into the third new place within 2 months. It’s been terrible to live like this and less than suboptimal on my financial, physiological and professional standing. However, I’m working it out now.

3. Having walking as my primary mode of transport, I like to explore new cities by aimlessly wandering wherever my feet carry me. I was not aware that there are still areas in the city that should be avoided, especially if you are a white female. Passing through these areas should only be attempted in the safety of a steel vehicle (or so I was told later). Apparently, this fact and where these areas are is common knowledge here – one that I would have gladly received before walking through these areas. I’ve had similar situations in southern Chicago before (picture me blissfully riding my loaned bicycle thought the ghetto). This might sound naïve to some of you, but consider I have never experienced this in any developed country before and have no way of knowing which areas are sketchy by just looking at the map. Apparently I am exceptionally dumb on this particular area of common knowledge.

All of these issues could have been avoided by throwing money at the problem in the first place (going for a $40/mo phone plan, going for a >$400/mo room or apt, renting car/uber). Alternatively, more time would have helped (figuring out how to use phone in a less pressing situation, having enough time to search for that perfect room for a good price, staying longer, talking to more people before exploring the city on foot). As always in life, you can have things done well, cheaply, or fast (pick 2). I chose cheap and fast, perhaps creating more trouble than it was worth.

I just want to leave this here as a warning. Be aware that a “simple” lifestyle might be perceived as impoverishment, that you do not have any alternative options and are an easy target. I am not sure how to remedy this… spending more money is not a good solution, but neither is making people aware that you do this on purpose and you actually have money. Gathering more information and being more aware of potential trouble seem the only viable options.

[Edit for clarity and link]

7Wannabe5
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

I think the experience of many of the females on this forum would confirm that generally we have to spend more money to obtain simple security. Obvious reasons being that you have less muscle/size, are perceived as being less aggressive, and you are continually carrying about something on your person that other people might want to snatch (Don't have to believe me, just ask the POTUS.) That's one of the reasons why I prefer to mooch or barter for housing off of affluent others in order to stay within budget, rather than attempt the sort of rental situation you describe. I am rather surprised that the university or your colleagues couldn't help you out a bit.

Astra
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Astra »

Interesting point...
In Europe I would hitchhike, couchsurf, camp in the wilderness and go on all kinds of crazy adventures as a solo female. I never had reason to be scared. Here in the US, I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe this is just me being paranoid in an unfamiliar environment, or things are really more dangerous, maybe due to higher inequality.
I'm all for subletting a place in exchange for help around the house and/or rent. Unfortunately, I lack the contacts or the time to find such an arrangement.
Yeah I was a bit taken aback by the Uni not offering any aid. I contacted the "International Services" repeatedly asking for help, resulting in them basically telling me housing's my own business (I'm neither a student nor an employee, since I have my own fellowship). However, that might have just been certain individuals at that office. I now reached out to the research department and there's some movement now, perhaps them realizing how badly it reflects on them having a invited researcher in such a bad situation. I'll see how fast the bureaucratic machinery moves, I'm still very desperate to get out of this situation.

7Wannabe5
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

A lot of it just has to do with poor urban design and extensive use of automobiles (See Jane Jacobs.) Neighborhoods you have to drive through in a locked steel vehicle exist, BECAUSE virtually everybody owns a locked steel vehicle. For instance, in metro Detroit, the worst neighborhoods are completely bypassed by the expressway system and/or the neighborhoods that were completely bypassed by the highway system became the worst.

For many obvious reasons having to do with history and population demographics, these sorts of problems would occur with less frequency in Europe.

Frugalchicos
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Frugalchicos »

Hi There,

Good luck in America (Spaniard living in the US for the last 7 years).

For phone plan, I would recommend Lycamobile. I have been using it for the last 2 years. It works just fine, you have unlimited calls and texts and about 500gb of data for $19/month.

I don't remember where you moved in the US, are you in Chicago? I live in Chicago and could give you some recommendations for accommodation.

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Chris
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Chris »

Sorry to hear you've had sort of a rotten time )-:

On the positive side, you've gained experience. Just think, you could have gone the good + fast route, and now be sitting in your $600/mo apartment surfing the web on your $40/mo phone plan, and come across a room renting for $400. And you'd be cursing yourself for wasting money on your expensive apartment. But now you know the non-monetary cost of extra aggravation that comes with life on the low end.

Astra
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Astra »

@7Wannabe5: Urban development is still sort of an enigma to me. But now I understand why part of the gentrification of former-ghetto neighborhood Over The Rhine here in Cincinnati involved building a hugely controversial streetcar line through it. Even so, public transport is still very sad here.

@Frugalchicos: Thank you! It is quite an adjustment from Europe, isn't it? I've heard of Lycamobile, it's really not a bad deal, but I wanted to give FreedomPop a try. I would prefer a straight-forward prepaid system (= only pay when you use it). I always have a hard time deciding how long to stick with it and when it's time to quit and finally spend some money. In the end I usually don't spend, but instead just simmer in internal rage. The problem is less the shaky coverage and more people's need to reach you always anytime anywhere. Ah and I'm in Cincinnati, OH.

@Chris: Thanks, just bad luck I suppose. I still want to believe most people are decent here (if perhaps a bit self-centered). You are right about the experience, one can never know one's limits by staying in the comfort zone. Gaining experience is, after all, while I came to America. The extra aggravation is a form of free self-entertainment and a cultural learning experience, I suppose.

Astra
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Astra »

Budget USA
Living in the USA on a research fellowship gives me the opportunity to build a simple life from scratch from a clean slate while knowing exactly what goes in and out of my bank account. Ideal conditions to lead a self-examined life! My Euro-based investment portfolios are self-contained system, it’s earnings flow back into new investments. In addition to travel and conference costs, my grant allots “living expenses” in to the generous amount of $3708 per month (or rather a lump sum of $22’250, the Science Foundation seems to trust it’s fellows to budget responsibly). This is rather high, as it is both tax-free and not subject to deductions (social care, unemployment insurance, medicare/-aid). On the other hand, I am not technically employed and do not benefit from perks like IRA matching, unemployment insurance, health insurance, free gyms, holiday pay or bonuses. Based on my first 2 months projections, here’s how I will allocate my monthly allowance of $3708:

Rent…………………………….360
Electricity…………………….30
Health insurance………….143
Bus……………………………….14
Going out……………………..100
Groceries………………………200
Gym………………………………0
Phone……………………………0
Fun………………………………50
Eating at work……………..20
Rent home………………….200
Savings ……………………….750
Tax pre………………………..400
Investing……………………..1441
Total ………………..3708

Rent: This is ignoring my previous unfortunate events in renting and looking forward to my new arrangement starting Sept 1st. Semi-furnished room in shared apt, includes water, garbage, internet and heating.
Electricity: split between roommates, depends to be seen how crazy they go on the A/C.
Health insurance: got German travel health insurance (Hansemerkur) and pay a bit extra for including USA, but got a little discount for paying upfront in a lump sum. Upon arrival I was notified there were cheaper local student insurances available approx. $100/month (would have been nice to know upfront), however they have co-pay and coverage limits, so I’m sticking with the German one, part laziness, part worst case scenario.
Bus: covers one round trip per week downtown if I don’t feel like walking through the ghetto. Visits to free concert in Washington park and Fountain square, 2 free Art museums, the Public Library, walks on riverfront or just enjoying the skyline from the Kentucky side
Going out: $25 per week to try a special beer at a microbrewery, invite someone interesting to coffee, or attend one of the various “free” events held in a bar (board game night, go night, trivia night)
Groceries: $50 per month is absolutely doable in America, especially perusing the sales flyer before shopping. So far, lack of kitchen dictates mostly salad and homemade wraps (whatever’s-on-sale-style), sometimes rice or pasta prepared in lab microwave. It’s too hot for cooking anyway.
Gym: I was pondering for a while to spend the $47/mo to use the Campus rec center (which includes a huge gym, indoor track, rock-climbing hall, pool and sauna). Still considering, but right now I’m fine with body-weight exercise at home and jogging in Burnett Woods park.
Phone: FreedomPop is free, as long as I stay under the limits. It’s not ideal, but works sometimes. I hate talking on the phone anyway ;)
Fun: includes admission to various museums, perhaps the zoo in the future, drawing supplies, makeup and Greyhound trips to meet other frugal weirdos in Chicago.
Eating at work: This is assuming I forget or fail to bring lunch one a week and opt for a $5 salad
Rent home: I support my partner back home by helping with rent. We also have one room rented out.
Savings: Automatic transfer to savings account – no take-backsies till after the PhD (I consider buying an RV to live in)
Tax pre: I usually pre-pay my taxes monthly, in order to avoid a big bill. Since I’m not technically taxable in my home country anymore, I will get this back in the future (with interest) and it will go straight to investments.
Investing: Manual transfer to my investment account and will be fed into ETF or stocks when I see something worth buying.
No extra budget for: Clothes (have everything), entertainment (included in internet, going out and fun; no books or media shall be bought!), furniture or décor (pick up free as I go), body care (I got free samples of soap, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste which should last me until I return home) Note that one-time expenses are not accounted for (laptop, replacing my 10-year old shoes, repairs, emergencies), and generally paid out of my cash buffer. Travel (1 return trip to USA) and conference costs (registration, accommodation and travel) are covered separately by the grant.

Stats
Fixed cost utilities…………………….943……..26% (includes rent in 2 places)
Investments……………………………..1831….…50% (includes tax rebate)
Savings……………………………………..750….…..20%
Guilt-free Spending…………………..170……….5%

I feel this budget is rather generous (spending is on roughly 2 Jacobs). It allows for some paid entertainment and transportation, while focusing on free or self-reliant activities. I feel food cost could be pushed lower if kitchen or garden was available. Rent could be lower if I lived further away from Uni (cost of working, eh?) or in worse neighborhood. Some points aren’t necessary (bus, food at work, fun) but improve my quality of life. Some expenses are out of social convention (going out occasionally, having a beer during board game night, helping pay rent at home with my partner). I refuse to feel bad about those.

All in all, I feel as this budget allows me to experience US life and culture, yet also save a bunch during my time here, both taxes and deductions and general life cost. The States are not a bad place to live frugal.

Kriegsspiel
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Kriegsspiel »

University gyms are really nice, and that isn't a bad price. But Cincinnati also has the community rec centers. I've used the one in Corryville and it's solid. You can join the fitness center for $20/3 mo, or $70/year.

Astra
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Astra »

It has been a while since my last post and a lot has happened. I’ve concluded my 2018 research stay in Cincinnati, then spent the first half of 2019 traveling around for business and science. Living in the States has been an eye-opening experience both for my minimalism and from a cultural standpoint.

Essentially from June 2018 to June 2019, I have been living out of two suitcases in a very similar setup to what was described in this post. While I was initially supposed to return home after 6 months, circumstances had me continue traveling and I've only recently returned. Carrying few possessions suited my somewhat nomadic lifestyle very well, as I lived in 9 different places on two continents during this time. I could not imagine doing this with more possessions. I did, however, rely on some help from local friends, who for example loaned me some of their spare blankets during the exceptionally cold Midwestern winter. Nevertheless, this allowed me to live quite comfortably for between 100, 200, or 350 dollars a month depending on the location, and move fairly-hassle free. In retrospect, I definitely could do with less sets of clothes (shirt + pants, or dress), and more socks and underwear. I might also add some form of lunch container. The travel was covered (by grants/ speaker invitations / uni), and I did not lead a detailed budget for the entire travel time, but given the low cost of living in many of the visited countries, nothing broke the bank.

I have now returned to Europe and since earned my PhD. Life as a doctor doesn’t feel much different, but writing my thesis was interesting: immersing myself deep in the literature and summarizing my work of the past 4 years was deeply satisfying, as was getting feedback from my PhD committee. Having the title also comes with a not insignificant pay bump, as I am now employed as a post-doc, even though I am still performing the same type of work at the lab until end of October, when I am quitting.

2Birds1Stone
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

What's on the menu in November?

Your past year sounds like a tremendous experience on many levels. What was your favorite and least favorite experience in the USA?
Last edited by 2Birds1Stone on Sun Sep 15, 2019 12:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Astra
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Astra »

Thanks for reading!
Yes it's been a ride - not the easiest, but I still had amazing opportunities along the way. I think having to fight for something makes one appreciate it more (education, financial independence, freedom of information/travel/decision).

Best and worst in USA?

I'd say the best was definitely how open and friendly people are. You can have a perfectly nice chat while waiting in line at the grocery store. People were happy to share their life and perspective, I was invited to many private events over the course of my stay, including 4th of July, Thanksgiving dinner, multi-day Christmas and Easter celebrations, BBQs, cabin outings and hikes, board game nights, or fantastic potlucks. In Europe and my home country, it's definitely harder to meet people and get to that level of openness and friendship. Being a foreigner might be a factor - people want to share the US culture and show their country from the best side, and there's nothing wrong with that! Plus, Midwesterners do have a reputation of being super friendly, and I can say it was certainly true from my experience.
One other thing I really liked is playing pub trivia. Meet up with your friends every week and nerd out together. There's something about guessing an answer sans Google that is super fun and collaborative and 90ies. Yes, it usually takes place at a bar, which means spending money on 1-2 drinks, but it's so much fun it's worth it to me.

Worst? Apart from the somewhat bad luck I've had (housing problems and strange Craigslist situations, having to lawyer up in my second month, traffic accident in the third month, overall difficulties in my research), for which I don't blame the country, I've had some issues with the general mindset and dependency on money. This is something described in the ERE book and I thought it was somewhat over-exaggerated until I came to the US. The best I can described it as lack of creativity, solutions always take the form of throwing money at a problem. Something broke? Have it repaired by a professional or just buy new off Amazon. Hungry? Stop by a drive-tru or order takeout. Bored? Hit the cinema, go to a concert, play a video game on your expensive home entertainment system. Need to go somewhere for work, fun, socializing? You absolutely need a car. Want to hang with friends and have a beer? To the bar it is (you can't drink in Parks etc, which is something we do in Europe)!

Despite the abundance of free resources (beautiful parks, free museums, library, free shuttle bus from campus to downtown, free lunch events on campus, free tutorial videos on fixing stuff), which is another great thing btw, not once has one of my American friends suggested using them. The opposite is true for the numerous expats communities: my Philipino, Indian, Chinese and Southamerican friends know and utilize these resources abundantly, sometimes even planning their evenings and weekends around them. It appears that growing up in US instills a behavior that is geared towards spending money. This consumerist mindset is something that's often talked about, but for me it really had to be seen to be believed. It gives me a new appreciation for the US people who manage to break free and pursue FI or even ERE (gasp!) Your family, friends, and acquaintances must believe you're completely crazy! ;)

I might follow this up with other observations about American life that aren't necessarily bad, but rather quirky and amusing.

horsewoman
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by horsewoman »

Astra wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2019 6:34 am
This consumerist mindset is something that's often talked about, but for me it really had to be seen to be believed.
Hi there, fellow German here! I know what you mean! I thought I was totally informed about the American way of life by dint of reading American blogs for years but once there I was blown away by culture shock (even though I stayed with German expats in Boston, which is supposedly "very European").

I very much enjoyed reading your journal. My sister is at the moment in the process of earning her PhD at TUM, so this part was very interesting to me (with no experience in science/academica myself).
Last edited by horsewoman on Fri Sep 20, 2019 2:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Jason

Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Jason »

Citizenship in the US is obviously under debate. But the discussion is mainly focused on "who is a citizen" not "what is a citizen." For all our focus on the topic, there has been a noticeable lack of discourse on citizenship beyond status, such as what makes a good citizen, what are our individual and collective civic responsibilities as citizens. My two cents on the topic is that its a result of Americans first and foremost think of themselves as consumers not citizens, or at best, conflate the two. It started in the 19th century but really went haywire after WW II where the country was fooled into thinking that driving your family in a Chevrolet to McDonald's is nothing less than an act of patriotism.

Astra
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Re: Ad Astra per Aspera [Journal]

Post by Astra »

@horsewoman: Nothing really prepares you for the real thing! I will continue to try my best to not get drawn into the more negative aspects and enjoy the positive. After all, visiting the States has given me a new appreciation for my home country and allowed me to identify certain things that really add to life quality (walk-ability of neighborhoods, having a decent bakery nearby, knowing the people in your building, spending weekends outdoors). Being more aware that these factors matter allows me to implement them when I go back to the US and bring the best of the European life with me (rather than trying to go along with all the US things and being unhappy with them). I hope you managed to feel comfortable in Boston eventually - and best of success to your sister, München is a lovely place to study and live!

@Jason: you make a salient point. It is ironic how the US media and history lessons love to demonize the propaganda and brainwashing utilized by the US's enemies, but did exactly the same thing during WWII, and especially the Cold War era to push their own agenda. If you look at the ads of the time, they are blatantly manipulative. Some of these ideas are still deeply lodged in people's minds - just bring up universal healthcare or free college and some generally nice folks will start seeing Red. The US is convinced they "won" the Cold War - but at what cost? The majority of the population swimming in debt and lacking the tools to escape it? On the other hand, imagine what could be achieved if discourse could change the meaning of civic responsibilities and what makes a good citizen. Especially if that power could be used to tackle not an enemy state ideology, but a threat like climate change... Or does bringing up terms like "civic responsibility" and "common good" sound too much like socialism?

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