Where do you want to live for the rest of your life?

I don’t feel old. Nevertheless, if I was in States I’d probably start receiving mailers from AARP as of next year (I’m in my mid 50s). Thanks to training in powerlifting for the past 8 years I’m a fair bit stronger now than I was in my 20s or 30s. I’m not a senior citizen […]

Return of the prodigal Hamburger

People with German ancestry are the single largest ethnic group in US. Yet, it’s a testament to their ubiquity that it’s often not understood by Americans themselves just how subtly German popular culture has influenced their own. My mother’s family are typical German-Americans as they live in Midwest in a semi-rural setting. German-americans largely live […]

Coming to America…and then leaving.

In the mid-80s I was finishing my somewhat checkered high-school career in a 3rd, no, scratch that, 4th world country somewhere in Latin America. I lived with my mother who is a highly educated, brilliant woman who, nevertheless, was not paid very much at that point in her career. Anybody familiar with 3rd world countries […]

Down the Youtube rabbit hole

Over the last few years I have realized that I tend to watch more Youtube content than I do mainstream TV. My habit began when I realized that YouTube contains some fairly solid powerlifting content. Then I discovered a number of good cooking resources, some excellent podcasts, alternative journalism and down the rabbit hole I […]

5 hard-earned tips for alleviating culture shock

As a seasoned traveler and a person who has lived in 12 fairly different countries, I tend to embrace a bit of culture shock and see it as a positive experience. I embrace it precisely because years of experience has taught me the potential pitfalls and also the hidden joys of being immersed in a […]