Hi everyone,
I've been writing my blog for a week now and I notice there are a lot of things I don't talk about, like normal things: food and weather and general impressions. So I though I might chat a bit while on the way to Flagstaff (keep saying Falstaff;), driving on the Interstate in an open, flat land with flat rocks in the distance, no landscape I have to have my camera ready.
As far as America we've only been to (NY and) New England so that's where we compare things with.
First: no American flags as far as the eye can see. The people in the North East really went all the way: two large flags at the entrance of their garden, the driveway lined with little ones and the wrap around deck adorned with red white blue garlands. Not here: the police station (if there is one) and the courthouse (id) and that's about it.
Gone too are the radio health and wealth preachers and that's a pity. We loved listening to them and knew exactly when they were going to ask for money, for more money and for a lifelong dedication to the evangelists' denomination plus all your money (but then Guaranteed Entry to Heaven).
We haven't found a station yet where they just talk, let alone provide us with some news or a weather forecast. So no radio for us at the moment.
The first days in Nevada we picked up the news on tv from SF News and CNN (by far the most informative network over here), but now it's mostly commercials, tell sell channels and a sitcom in between. And they're absolutely all alike, so we stopped checking the tv as well.
Must say it's a special feeling, for news addicts like us. But so far it works :)
The motels provide very large tv's. Plus a microwave, a fridge, an ironing board, a coffee maker and a hairdryer. That's pretty much standard, as is the size of the rooms, 4x6m at least, ex bathroom and pantry. In the rooms two immense beds plus bureau plus two easy chairs plus table. Price anywhere between $35 and $65, prices rise when nearing a tourist hotspot.
We find the Americans very kind, pleasant, good humoured and polite.
I can't draw conclusions of course since I've been here way too short but the people in SF appear to be in general more shy and softspoken than in Nevada: over here they are sturdier, more direct, more curious too.
Where in New England absolutely no one was interested in us here everyone says hello, waits expectantly for our reply and then starts chatting, and advising upon the upcoming events. They're really enthusiastic and open folks, beaming when we go to great lenghts telling them how much we enjoy ourselves.
Another stark difference with New England is their housing. Reading on you might detect a tone of surprise, even a hint of disappoval.
In New England houses, gardens and streets are extremely clean and neat and well cared for.
Over here - we're talking Arizona - you enter a city (everything from 25 houses up is called a city) and in the residential parts you very often see large plots of land with in the middle a tiny house, cabin or trailer, surrounded by 5 or 6 cars, 3 or 4 of them wrecked and in different stages of disintegration.
An additional broken-down caravan, trailer or minivan might be added to the scenery.
The rest of the plot is filled with piles of old tyres, empty cans, plastic containers, metal parts, broken agricultural devises - it's very often a complete and utter mess. And a mess you don't get - who would want to live like this?
The cars are not towed away or demolished but simply left to rot.
Everything they don't use anymore - tyres, cans, fridges, even matrasses - they just throw in the garden and they leave it there.
Or they dump it outside the city. Very often you see a city coming by the increasing amount of metal debris (fridges, cars, even trucks) in the fields.
These people often live in places of stunning and exceptional beauty.
I so wonder why they act like that, but unfortunately I can't go ask them (...)
The poorer the city, the more junk. And just about all the solitary houses and farms have these junk jards.
Anyone ideas? Explanations?
ps this chattin' was supposed to be only text, but I found some examples of junk jards on my camera. Please note: the pictures are all taken from a driving car!!
I've been writing my blog for a week now and I notice there are a lot of things I don't talk about, like normal things: food and weather and general impressions. So I though I might chat a bit while on the way to Flagstaff (keep saying Falstaff;), driving on the Interstate in an open, flat land with flat rocks in the distance, no landscape I have to have my camera ready.
As far as America we've only been to (NY and) New England so that's where we compare things with.
First: no American flags as far as the eye can see. The people in the North East really went all the way: two large flags at the entrance of their garden, the driveway lined with little ones and the wrap around deck adorned with red white blue garlands. Not here: the police station (if there is one) and the courthouse (id) and that's about it.
Gone too are the radio health and wealth preachers and that's a pity. We loved listening to them and knew exactly when they were going to ask for money, for more money and for a lifelong dedication to the evangelists' denomination plus all your money (but then Guaranteed Entry to Heaven).
We haven't found a station yet where they just talk, let alone provide us with some news or a weather forecast. So no radio for us at the moment.
The first days in Nevada we picked up the news on tv from SF News and CNN (by far the most informative network over here), but now it's mostly commercials, tell sell channels and a sitcom in between. And they're absolutely all alike, so we stopped checking the tv as well.
Must say it's a special feeling, for news addicts like us. But so far it works :)
The motels provide very large tv's. Plus a microwave, a fridge, an ironing board, a coffee maker and a hairdryer. That's pretty much standard, as is the size of the rooms, 4x6m at least, ex bathroom and pantry. In the rooms two immense beds plus bureau plus two easy chairs plus table. Price anywhere between $35 and $65, prices rise when nearing a tourist hotspot.
We find the Americans very kind, pleasant, good humoured and polite.
I can't draw conclusions of course since I've been here way too short but the people in SF appear to be in general more shy and softspoken than in Nevada: over here they are sturdier, more direct, more curious too.
Where in New England absolutely no one was interested in us here everyone says hello, waits expectantly for our reply and then starts chatting, and advising upon the upcoming events. They're really enthusiastic and open folks, beaming when we go to great lenghts telling them how much we enjoy ourselves.
Another stark difference with New England is their housing. Reading on you might detect a tone of surprise, even a hint of disappoval.
In New England houses, gardens and streets are extremely clean and neat and well cared for.
Over here - we're talking Arizona - you enter a city (everything from 25 houses up is called a city) and in the residential parts you very often see large plots of land with in the middle a tiny house, cabin or trailer, surrounded by 5 or 6 cars, 3 or 4 of them wrecked and in different stages of disintegration.
An additional broken-down caravan, trailer or minivan might be added to the scenery.
The rest of the plot is filled with piles of old tyres, empty cans, plastic containers, metal parts, broken agricultural devises - it's very often a complete and utter mess. And a mess you don't get - who would want to live like this?
The cars are not towed away or demolished but simply left to rot.
Everything they don't use anymore - tyres, cans, fridges, even matrasses - they just throw in the garden and they leave it there.
Or they dump it outside the city. Very often you see a city coming by the increasing amount of metal debris (fridges, cars, even trucks) in the fields.
These people often live in places of stunning and exceptional beauty.
I so wonder why they act like that, but unfortunately I can't go ask them (...)
The poorer the city, the more junk. And just about all the solitary houses and farms have these junk jards.
Anyone ideas? Explanations?
ps this chattin' was supposed to be only text, but I found some examples of junk jards on my camera. Please note: the pictures are all taken from a driving car!!
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