Category: cultures

How wide is the culture divide?

Ian HunterLeave a comment

I mostly live “off the grid” in terms of the news

Social media bubbles along without my participation

I have also chosen not to consult the news media

My self imposed news exile lowers my stress level

I believe that people will tell me if something important happens

I am blessed with the means to travel frequently

To view the world from a different perspective

Sample other cultures away from home

See how others live their lives

Break bread at the table of others

Get their opinion of my own homeland

I recently came back refreshed from a long voyage

Attending a Super Bowl party on my first day back

It was strange to see commercial TV

I normally only stream non-commercial programs 

The commercials were less entertaining than I expected

What really struck me was the content

Almost exclusively for fast food and boozy alcoholic drinks

Perhaps not surprising for a nation that worships consumption

But something was different this year

In addition to the “lets all eat and drink ourselves stupid” mantra

Commercials appeared for weight loss by injecting drugs

Corporate America is tapping into the overweight guilt

Its OK to eat pizza and guzzle endless amounts of beer

Now you can buy expensive drugs to curb your appetite

Its a big fork in the road for many Americans

Stay addicted to fast food and booze

Or switch your addiction to GLP-1 injections

I suspect the more wealthy individuals will get a lot thinner

While those of lesser means will become more rounded

In both cases the drug companies will earn huge profits

Overweight folks with have more health issues and require medication

Slimmed down folks will keep paying for the “keep me thin” drugs

I observed that people in Europe simply eat much less

They appreciate the flavors more than the portion size

The culture divide is wider than the Atlantic Ocean

Eat well and eat responsibly like a good cheeky monkey

Things I like about the places I have lived…

Ian HunterLeave a comment

UK: pubs, beer, football, pubs, walking paths, canals, pubs, Sunday roast dinners,  jokes about the weather, pubs, fish n Chips, football, single malt Scotch whiskey,  stiff upper lips, bangers and mash, fishing, village greens, cricket, English gardens, pubs, craft beer,  ploughman’s lunches, hiking in the rain, pubs, sports cars, Scottish mountains, Indian food, Ireland, Guinness, pubs, English breakfasts, football, Welsh valleys, pubs and warm beer

France: Architecture, language, cognac, culture, gourmet food, produce markets, vineyards, cafes, garlic, beautiful villages, snobby wine waiters, tiny cars, baguettes, Paris, lavender fields, cheese and wine

America: Open spaces, opportunities, freedom, cosmopolitan cities, diversity, great food, friendly people, long road trips, entertainment, big cars, big roads, big cities, big parks, big houses, big hearted people, technical innovation, cycling paths, volunteerism, sports, education, beautiful scenery and cold beer

I am an EDWIFTHLIMPAEMIC

Ian HunterLeave a comment
Photo by Aaditya Arora on Pexels.com

I was born and educated in England where I started my career

Always considering myself to be British, more specifically English

My dad was born in Scotland so I do claim to be Scottish by heritage

Especially on Robert Burns’ birthday each year when I wear the family tartan in full highland dress

When I moved to France for work, I had a European passport

I considered myself a European back then

For the last 22 years I have lived in the US and been a US citizen for most of that time

Whilst living in the US, I witnessed Britain leaving the European Union

My European passport was replaced by a British passport

So what do I consider myself to be now?

A dual citizen of the UK and USA?

A British/American?

An English/American?

An Anglo/American?

A Scottish/American?

Pan Atlantic?

An Ex-Euro American?

A European refugee perhaps?

A Mid- Atlantic Mutt?

Or maybe just ‘International’ because that sounds so more James Bondish

Come to think of it, why do I need to have a country label at all?

I initially viewed countries as places where you were born and stayed all your life

Having been on this planet for almost seven decades

My view of countries has evolved significantly

Counties are just arbitrary lines drawn on a map to define places to either defend or go to war against

Next time I am asked to introduce myself at a social gathering

I shall proudly declare “I am an EDWIFTHLIMPAEMIC”

My detailed explanation will be

I am an Earth Dweller Who Is Fortunate To Have Lived In Many Places And Experienced Many Interesting Cultures

What do you consider yourself to be?

Nature will outlive us all

Ian HunterLeave a comment

if you look at what is happening in the world

its easy to get depressed and anxious about the future

climate change and global warming

pandemics and monkeypox virus scares

raging inflation and economic uncertainty

supply chain issues and staff shortages everywhere

the war in Ukraine and the terrible tragedies there

political extremism on the left and right sides

rising crime rates in big cities

gun violence and mass shootings

the list is almost endless

I woke up around 3am one morning

my head was swimming in all these issues

then I looked out of the window

I saw the moonshining bright in the sky

Jupiter and Mars at her side

it was a very quiet night

apart from the hooting of the owls in the woods

then it struck me like a thunderbolt

nature is there despite all the woes of human civilization

she will still be there however we shape our future

the Moon will never invade Mars

Jupiter will never be at war with the other planets

birds do not stay awake all night worrying about their food chain

animals have no access to weapons to perform mass shootings

there are no politics played out in the woods

nature does a pretty good job of keep things balanced

so sad that humans are much worse at maintaining equilibrium

we came from the natural world 

but we have forgotten our roots

we have become too disconnected from nature

not stopping often enough to smell the roses

or to feel the breeze and watch the sunrise

people are too engrossed in watching TV to step outside and look at the stars

nature must be looking at humans with disdain

wondering however we evolved into what we are now

if the human race ever does become extinct

the world will continue fueled by nature

Isle of Man weather forecasting

Ian Hunter2 Comments

sitting in the Irish Sea

the Isle of Man

a ferry ride from Liverpool

famous for motorcycle TT races

around the island twisty roads

lots of accidents and deaths

but the TT racers still race

and the spectators still flock

residents are known as Manxmen

they speak in ancient Manx tongue

a Gaelic language that almost died out

recently revived and taught in schools

Manx cats have no tails

Manxmen have many tales to tell

of their triskelion coat of arms

the island is sometimes visible from the UK mainland

they say if you cannot see the Isle of Man then its raining

if you can see the Isle of Man then its going to rain soon

What dishwashing planet are you from?

Ian Hunter5 Comments

my wife and I are from different planets

different dishwashing planets

she is from planet dishwashing America

I am from planet dishwashing England

planet dishwashing England does not use much hot water at all

we fill only one bowl with hot water and add detergent

every dish and spoon gets washed there

whether its a small dinner party or 398 plates

it all goes through that solitary bowl of soapy water

which gets progressively more greasy

then it gets laid out for drying

no rinsing required at all

the dishes just lie there covered in soapy bubbles 

then they are dried using an ancient but very sentimental dishwashing towel

…………………………

planet dishwashing America has a different approach

before even starting to wash the dishes

the hot water is run for two years

just to be sure its really scalding hot

then the bowl is filled with hot water and detergent

each dish, cup or fork is washed individually

meticulously over and over until its sparkling

the hot water is kept running down the sink at full tilt

when a dish is deemed to be washed clean of grease and grime

it is held under the hot water stream for rinsing

this can take up to an hour per item

until every micro bubble of detergent is rinsed off

the bowl of soapy water is replenished every three seconds

756 million gallons of hot water later,  the planet America dishwashing is complete

everything is air dried for at least four days to be sure they are really dry

……………………………..

we take turns washing the dishes

when she washes, I put the sparking dishes away

they are always clean crisp and totally dry

I never complain or find an issue

when I wash the dishes its a different story

she has X ray sensors that can detect greasy marks from four light years away

without even looking she can condemn a whole load as unclean

………………………………………………..

its such an extraordinary talent, she has been recruited by the CIA

hunting down terrorists in far away places

they tell her to focus intensely

showing her a map of the world

describing in detail a meal enjoyed by distant bad guys

who have very bad planet terrorist dishwashing skills

she listens to the description of their meal

then she puts a pin in the map

locating their badly washed dishes

curtains for the planet terrorist dishwashers

I feel safe now

but my planet England dishes still get rewashed every time