Greetings from the American west coast! For those of you who have been following my blog so far this year, you'll know that we've taken a year off of work to travel and to step back from the routine and reassess where we stand in our lives and reflect on our future. The first part of this year, we were primarily in Southeast Asia. This six-month voyage opened our eyes to the exotic wonders of a beautiful, if often traveled, part of our planet.
Now that we've finished with Asia (for now), we're taking some time to explore parts of the world closer to home. Part of that, for me, is to explore my own home country and discover different sides of this exceptional nation and why American uniqueness is both widely misunderstood and greatly cherished around the world.
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| Some bridge that everyone goes to for whatever reason. |
First off, I think it's important to point out that this trip is being cut a bit short. Normally, I was going to spend three to four weeks out west and really explore the region. However, I had yet another issue with my teeth causing me to have to cut this trip short. If you're curious, the day before departing out to San Francisco from Nashville, I lost a sizable chunk of a molar while eating. Fearing the worst, my parents and I were able to get an appointment at a dentist the day of my departure. As it would be discovered, another one of my Belgian fillings had come out. This means that I'll need to get a crown for the third time this year. While not at all happy about this, I was given the green light to travel but will have to return earlier than planned to get the work taken care of before heading back to Europe for a few weeks in late October.
Right, with that out of the way, let's get to it:
Same-Same But Different
One of the most fascinating aspects of the United States is her paradox of unified diversity. Geographically, the United States is huge. With an enormous, 300-year influx of immigrants from each corner of the planet, it's staggeringly impressive how, with a few small exceptions, the country has been able to unite under one common culture. If I were to guess, a lot of this has to do with the need to rally our ethnic differences under one flag. Additionally, the English language in the United States has surprisingly been immune to vast linguistic variations. Sure, there are different accents across the country and slightly different vocabulary depending on where you are, but the fact that I can communicate with people in the same country, 3,500 km/2,500 miles from where I started, speaks a lot to national unity.
Contrast this with the UK, where, in 800 miles/1,200 km, the variation in English (Yorkshire dialect anyone?) or even in Flanders in Belgium where the dialect varies so much in an 120 mile/200 km area that the TV news has to be subtitled, in Dutch (the local language) so that all can follow. It's truly a feat to see how the US has managed to keep it's linguistic unity despite it's expansive territory.
Moving past the linguistic aspects, there are other subtleties that stick out. First and foremost, the driving style is different than in Tennessee. For one, they use their turn signals. Another is that they also acknowledge and stop for pedestrians. Not that they don't in Tennessee, it's just that it seems like second nature here, just like you'd find in most parts of urban Europe. Flowing into that, despite the hilly terrain, San Francisco is easy to walk and bike in which, in my experience with suburban America is a rarity. Nathalie and I spent one day walking from the charming albeit uber-touristy touristy pier-district (a.k.a. fisherman's wharf) back to our friends' place on Sunset (near the beach). It took us four hours to do 10 miles/16 km, but it was completely worth the effort.
Throughout my time in Southeast Asia, I became an even bigger advocate of biking and our hosts graciously lent us their bicycles for a day which we used to explore the town even further culminating in an epic trek across the Golden Gate Bridge. On top of being able to see huge swathes of the city (although still a mere drop in the bucket in comparison to the entirety of the Bay area), we were also introduced to the lasting effects of San Francisco's role as the Gateway to the Orient.
Contrast this with the UK, where, in 800 miles/1,200 km, the variation in English (Yorkshire dialect anyone?) or even in Flanders in Belgium where the dialect varies so much in an 120 mile/200 km area that the TV news has to be subtitled, in Dutch (the local language) so that all can follow. It's truly a feat to see how the US has managed to keep it's linguistic unity despite it's expansive territory.
Moving past the linguistic aspects, there are other subtleties that stick out. First and foremost, the driving style is different than in Tennessee. For one, they use their turn signals. Another is that they also acknowledge and stop for pedestrians. Not that they don't in Tennessee, it's just that it seems like second nature here, just like you'd find in most parts of urban Europe. Flowing into that, despite the hilly terrain, San Francisco is easy to walk and bike in which, in my experience with suburban America is a rarity. Nathalie and I spent one day walking from the charming albeit uber-touristy touristy pier-district (a.k.a. fisherman's wharf) back to our friends' place on Sunset (near the beach). It took us four hours to do 10 miles/16 km, but it was completely worth the effort.
Throughout my time in Southeast Asia, I became an even bigger advocate of biking and our hosts graciously lent us their bicycles for a day which we used to explore the town even further culminating in an epic trek across the Golden Gate Bridge. On top of being able to see huge swathes of the city (although still a mere drop in the bucket in comparison to the entirety of the Bay area), we were also introduced to the lasting effects of San Francisco's role as the Gateway to the Orient.
East-West Connection
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| Official notification from the city government only in Chinese |
Growing up in the Eastern half of the United States and identifying with both the South (via Nashville) and the nation's capital, I've always witnessed the close relation Europe and her immigrants played on the development of the United States. Spending over a decade in Europe also helped form my opinion on these close ties. However, Europe wasn't the only source of mass migrants in America's history.
Propelled by the Californian gold rush of the mid 19th century, San Francisco quickly became the western capital of the United States. Through the civil war, the Union recognized it's strategic importance and while California was thousands of miles from the battles raging in the east, it was still nonetheless fortified and defended against possible confederate aggression. Post American civil-war, two defining events took place in addition to Southern reconstruction:
- Americans, propelled by the Monroe doctrine to justify hegemony over both ends of the American continent and driven by the principles of Manifest Destiny, the prospect of open land and the potential of amassing great wealth, began moving west in mass numbers*;
- In order to connect California, and by extension the west coast with the east, Chinese laborers were brought in by the thousands
While the first point certainly contributed to the population growth of California, the second point played a marked role in shaping the American makeup. After the work on the transcontinental railroad was finished, many Chinese remained in the country. Based out of northern California, they settled in the area but kept many parts of their culture. As America's role in the Pacific slowly but steadily grew postbellum, San Francisco solidified it's place as not only the launching ground for America's endeavors in the orient but also as a hub for Asian immigration.
This influence is on full display and I was completely taken back by how many people of East and Southeast Asian descent live in the area. Immediately, Nathalie and I started experiencing (pleasant) flashbacks from the first six months of the year. Chinese is spoken widely (to the extent that announcements on the bus are made in Mandarin) and cuisine of every region across the Pacific is well represented. Nathalie and I even went out for Thai food one afternoon and while it didn't taste exactly like what we had in Thailand earlier this year, it was still pretty damn close.
In any case, the most profound effect this realization has had on me is that it has shown me another side of this nation; one that has played a huge role in this nation's fabric even if it's not as apparent on the other coast. I'm genuinely intrigued by this anthropological facet of American society and am very curious to explore and experience it more.
Public Transport, I Love You
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| A vintage streetcar rolling parallel to the wharf |
I've enjoyed my time in Nashville so far (even if I've been largely recuperating and enjoying family time), but I've definitely missed the freedom of both public transport and well built walking infrastructure. I find being dependent on a car an annoying curse (at least in an urban and suburban area) and it's inadvertently caused me to be a bit lazy. Not so in San Francisco. The Bart (Bay Area Regional Transport) coupled with SF's MUNI (the bus and tram system inside the city), has made getting out and about effortless.
I've been spoiled by living in western Europe where public transport is taken for granted (even if in Belgium it's invariably late) and to have such an excellent network at my disposal has definitely made "what to do" decisions that much easier. In a break from Europe and in a nod towards America's culture of supreme client service, drivers will immediately explain any delay within 30 seconds of a disruption. They provide regular updates and apologies until the issue is resolved and the vehicles start moving again. If only they were that polite back home...
This Country Really Is Beautiful
I've been to a lot of places this year; all of them charming in their own right, but there's something particular about how this continent, and by extension, country, was thrown together. Rolling, arid hills rising sharply from the dark green waters of the bay give relief to the crisp blue sky above. Dotting out at all corners of San Francisco lies some glimpse of the glorious fruits of the land and the sea. The city itself has at least two major parks coupled with a stunning beach at it's western edge. The air outside the city is crisp with a wonderful, sweet perfume hanging in the breeze.
On that note, Nathalie and I are about to explore Yosemite national park and some of the amazing natural wonders that are on display. We'll be back in San Francisco towards the end of the tip and will give a final synopsis then. For now, we're gearing up for a week full of exploring and trekking. I'll let you know how it turns out.
On that note, Nathalie and I are about to explore Yosemite national park and some of the amazing natural wonders that are on display. We'll be back in San Francisco towards the end of the tip and will give a final synopsis then. For now, we're gearing up for a week full of exploring and trekking. I'll let you know how it turns out.
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| The Pacific Ocean |
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