Reason to See the World Number 1012

To see how other countries do Television.

Yes, the BBC is infinitely more classy, less sensational when it comes to the news than it's US counterparts. But watch out when you watch the other stuff.

Just last night, while trying to chill out and make myself rest for a bit, I watched a documentary called, "Brother's and Sisters In Love." Fascinating. I've also seen more than I'd like to admit of a night time soap opera called Coronation Street. Bad...but oh, so good. It's the kind of show you can pick up and watch at any point and instantly know what is going on. Next time you are in the UK, check it out. You really can't miss it, cuz it is on almost every night, as a far as I can tell.

Then there are the quiz shows, countless variations. My favorite is the one where normal folks are pitted against celebrities and they compete doing all sorts of crazy stuff....kind of like fear factor, only there are only two contestants and one of them is famous. The episode I saw had Martina Navratilova vying for athletic supremacy against some giggly young jock girl. I stuck it out for one inane stunt where they had to balance on a very large disc, then rotate the disc by running on it without falling off. The person who completed the most rotations of the disc won that particular challenge. Martina did not win. Humiliating.

But my favorite show so far is one that has this real estate agent who picks houses out for people who want to move from the city to the country. She finds out what they are looking for, picks four properties that the people (and the audience) see via a cyber tour, then they choose two to go to personally. We follow them along while they critique and wiegh the pros and cons of each property "privately". Then they sit down with the agent and discuss which house they want to buy. They always say they are gonna make an offer. And then the post-script inevitably tells us, the viewers at home, that the buyer decided not to buy any of the houses we saw. Instead they fell in love with some mystery home, one we did not get introduced to. I do not get it. Where is the satisfaction for the viewer at home. We want to see house and buyer united. I've seen this show something like three times, and never do the buyers buy. Strange. That would never happen in the US.

Reason to See the World Number 712

To discover that a notion you'd held onto since childhood about a place is nothing compared to the actual beauty of a place once you really go there.

Reason to See the World Number 9

Finding yourself standing someplace that you have read and dreamed about for years and hearing yourself say (outloud), "I'm here. I'm really here."

Reason to See the World Number 312

To discover that $4 a gallon for gasoline in Seattle is cheap compared to the almost $15/gallon they cough up in Ireland! Of course this is probably why their public transportation systems are so good....

Reason Number 922 to See the World

How else would you discover that there are such things as wall calenders with hunky young Roman Catholic Priests of the Month sold at souvenier shops in Rome.

Seriously, people. I just want to know who this is catering to?

Reason Number 627 to See the World

To see how the world sees you. I am still walking around in my same body, with my same life, and the same personality, but out here there is a whole new set of eyes, a new batch of teachers. Every moment, every nod with a passing stranger gives me a slightly new perspective of myself, of the other people who live on this planet, and how I might live on it differently and with them. Tiny little lessons, each step, each glance is a moment to see something new.

Reason Number 12 to See the World

The people are unbelievably beautiful. The women, the men, the babies. This may just be Paris, but as soon as I can upload pictures....watch out. They arent great pictures; but the people are exquisite!!!!

PS Polite Notice (as the English say) I will continue to overuse the exclamation point as long as I am in Paris, so you better get used to it!!!!

Reason Number 329 to See the World

Strong ankles. I have been traveling a week and my ankles and calves are strong-like-bull from all the walking!

I seem to think this means that I can eat whatever I want-I am sticking to this concept until my clothes tell me otherwise. Or at least till I leave France and Italy.

PS I am getting better at this French keyboard, so longer posts will follow soon.

Reason Number 547 to See the World....if you are from anywhere that doesn't bank in US Dollars

I was shopping today at H & M in Harrold Square in NYC, trying to find a couple of cute tops to coordinate with my slacks for ease of travel. I was shopping in New York because once I cross the pond everything is going to become twice as expensive. While standing in line for the fitting room, I met three sisters from Cork Ireland. They had flown over for the weekend (two nights, three days) to shop for clothes. Apparently, the dollar is so weak that it is cheaper for them to fly from Ireland to NYC to shop at H & M and Macy's than it is to go to London or Dublin. Not that I don't think you can put two and two together, but that means it is cheaper for them to buy three plane tickets from Ireland to America, hotel rooms, and three days worth of food in one of the most expensive cities in the USA than it is for them to take the train into Dublin for the day to buy clothes. WOW!

I took a deep breath, found my shirts, and resolved to buy memories and not things when I set off for Europe next week.

Reason Number 1,236 to See The World & Reason Number 11 to Stay Home

The Italians are offering travel incentives to us poor Americans whose pocket books have been ravaged by the Bush administration!

Reason Number 412 to See The World

This undid me...I'm not sure you could doubt animal's have souls and loving hearts after you watch this!