Politico Mumbo Jumbo

Well, is anybody sick of the political campaigns yet? That's me nodding and raising my hand. I just need to ask; Does anyone tell the truth anymore? Have all of you actually responded to these surveys they keep quoting about who you hate and who you hate more? Does anyone take accountability (can anyone even spell it)? Is it possible not to spin something? Does the press all take holiday when there is no political campaign, mass murder or severe weather to report?

Okay, now that I'm off my soapbox (and no, I'm not handing out buttons or putting signs in your yard) let's move on to a more pleasant subject. How about all the recent vacations or those currently underway as we speak (figuratively of course). We have the aunt and uncle on the Mediterranean cruise that I spoke of yesterday, we have the daughter and friend on the road to Morrocco that I also spoke of yesterday, we have friends cruising down the Yangtzee River in China (the last trip before it is dammed as opposed to damned), I have a sister who just got back from Reno, my boss and his wife recently returned from a biking trip in France, I have a stepdaughter who just got back from New York City, my daughter has friends who just got back from a month in Italy (that one is especially painful...envy, envy) and a sister and niece who recently returned from three weeks in Thailand. Who says the average Joe isn't a world traveler?

In point of fact, for all the traveling we do as Americans, you would think some of that cultural exposure would rub off and our level of tolerance would increase commensurately. However, it seems that we shed all that we learned once we are back home; we lose the appreciation we gained as we learned about the people who live in those places we visit. Now why it that?

In trying to get to the bottom of this, I decided to recount a typical day in my life to see why it might be difficult to retain and apply all that you learn on these trips. So, here goes:

• 5:30 AM - get up
  
• 5:30 - 7:00 - get ready for work
• 7:00 - 7:30 - drive to work
• 7:30 - 8:00 - organize for the day/review the calendar
• 8:00 - 8:30 - return 3-5 voice mails/respond to 20-30 e-mails
• 8:30 - 9:30 - meeting
  
• 9:30 - 10:30 - meeting
• 10:30 - 11:00 - respond to 10-15 more e-mails and voice mails
• 11:00 - 12:00 - miscellaneous meeting
• 12:00 - 1:00 - eat lunch at desk/respond to more e-mails & voice mails
• 1:00 - 2:00 - meeting
• 2:00 - 3:00 - meeting
• 3:00 - 4:00 - meeting
• 4:00 - 5:00 - respond to more e-mails & voice mails
• 5:00 - 5:40 - drive home (possible carpool with daughter)
  
• 5:40 - 6:00 - read mail/change into workout clothes/listen to voice mail
  
• 6:00 - 7:00 - work out/watch movie
  
• 7:00 - 8:00 - respond to more work e-mails/voice mails
• 8:00 - 8:30 - eat something
• 8:30 - 9:30 - blog/read home e-mail
• 9:30 - 10:30 - do more work if assignments due
  
• 10:30 - 11:00 - read to fall asleep
• 11:00 PM - 5:30 AM - try to reenergize to get up and start all over again

Okay, maybe I can see how the vacation time becomes a distant memory very quickly. Regardless, I think we all need to work harder to retain those learnings and to recall them whenever we are challenged by the differences in the cultures of others. At least, I know I do.

The one thing I'm really wondering is just how different are the laws of driving in different cultures. That's probably the area where I struggle most on a day-to-day basis, let's just say it's a good thing there is no loudspeaker to the outside within my car. Although, you can't always blame it on a non-U.S. citizen. Sometimes I've decided there must be other factors, not remotely obvious to me, causing what I see, things like:

• Not using a blinker...EVER
• Not even looking in either mirror or heaven forbid, turning their head before they change lanes
  
• Driving 10-15 mph under the speed limit while looking for something then suddenly stopping in the middle of the street
• Driving so close to your back bumper you can smell their breath because they just know they can get there faster than you
• People driving in rush hour traffic who aren't used to it...enough said.
  
• Sitting at a side street, watching you drive toward them, THEN deciding to pull out in front of you when you're almost there
• Here's a good one, they pull up behind you in an intersection when the light is turning yellow and you are already at the end of the block putting them in the interesection. Then, they start honking at you, apparently certain that if you just try harder you could actually drive under the car in front of you to get out of their way!
  
• Seeing that you are waiting for a parking spot then pulling into it in front of you (TYWANDA! - quote from Kathy Bates in "Fried Green Tomatoes" for those who aren't following)
• Slamming their door open into your car in a parking lot OR scraping the entire side of your car in a parking lot with, of course, no note left behind...I hope they like red!

These are just a few of the pleasures of driving that as I've thought through them, undoubtedly have nothing to do with culture or country of origin. I feel better already and I'm not even driving. Tomorrow I'm sure I'll be much more patient...NOT.