Well Weathered<\/h1><\/div>Travel Survival Notes & Other Curious Observations<\/h2><\/div>Monthly Travel Column by Paul W. Gioffi
\nEdition 17<\/p><\/h3><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nDisclaimer:\u00a0<\/span>While travel can be exciting and rewarding there are unforeseen dangers that may arise. The Information presented in Paul’s articles is the author’s personal opinion and what may have worked for him yesterday may not work for someone else today or tomorrow. Therefore, you agree to use any and all information provided by the author at your own risk and agree that you will hold the author and ISR harmless in regard to any and all instances that may arise or result from use of this material.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Following, you’ll find travel tip 38 from Paul W. Gioffi. To read the introduction to this column which began in February of 2006 please see\u00a0Edition 1.<\/a>\u00a0To access other previous editions please see the\u00a0Index.<\/a><\/p><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>Entry 38: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not<\/h2><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>As an American abroad, I\u2019ve run into all types. Many interesting conversations, on many different continents with people of varied cultures and languages. Some dialogues, of course, were more interesting than others. One pervasive element in all of these jaw sessions has been the foreigner’s love-hate relationship with me and the United States. The table-top script usually moves from origins, to food and wine, to service and customs, to politics, then to who knows what, then back to politics and, ultimately, to the questions shot at me like bolts from a crossbow. \u201cWhy do Americans think they are the best? Why does the United States think they can get involved in every other country\u2019s business?\u201d There\u2019s a few more but I\u2019ll stop with these. Of course, I have my own political views and opinions on international relations but is it appropriate for a stranger to suddenly ordain me the attach\u00e9 of political-economic-sociological-caf\u00e9-relations for the United States? I suddenly become the United States\u2019 spokesperson for the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the devaluation of the Yen, the Oklahoma City bombing, the amount of calories in a Big Mac, and any other terrorist activity or accidental train derailment that happens to color CNN\u2019s pallet that week. In subsequent breaths, even before we\u2019ve ordered another round, the same foreigner will tell me how they\u2019re working hard to procure their visa so they can go and study at an American university. Or how they need to get to the nearby bank before 3:00 PM to exchange their local currency for U.S. dollars. Or how much they enjoy watching MTV. They\u2019ll ask, \u201cHow do my new Levi\u2019s jeans look with my New York Yankees baseball cap?\u201d In a single sitting I can witness someone berate the United States and then try to emulate it, and many of its most popular attributes. The United States is a diverse place with an interesting history. Political views within our own borders vary and fluctuate. Our constitution protects such variety and individuality. One citizen with a backpack stopping off at a caf\u00e9 for a beverage can not necessarily be held accountable for the breadth of activities, past and present, of the American nation. Do you love me today? Will you love me tomorrow?<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Well Weathered Article Index<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/paul_authorsmall.jpg\")
<\/a>I hope you have enjoyed this month’s edition of Well-Weathered Travel Survival Notes & Other Curious Observations. Check back next month for a new entry.\u00a0Until then, safe travels.
\n<\/span><\/span>Contact me at Well_Weathered@yahoo.com<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/h3>\nLearn more about Paul Gioffi<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":2102,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9303"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9303\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Travel Survival Notes & Other Curious Observations<\/h2><\/div>Monthly Travel Column by Paul W. Gioffi
\nEdition 17<\/p><\/h3><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nDisclaimer:\u00a0<\/span>While travel can be exciting and rewarding there are unforeseen dangers that may arise. The Information presented in Paul’s articles is the author’s personal opinion and what may have worked for him yesterday may not work for someone else today or tomorrow. Therefore, you agree to use any and all information provided by the author at your own risk and agree that you will hold the author and ISR harmless in regard to any and all instances that may arise or result from use of this material.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Following, you’ll find travel tip 38 from Paul W. Gioffi. To read the introduction to this column which began in February of 2006 please see\u00a0Edition 1.<\/a>\u00a0To access other previous editions please see the\u00a0Index.<\/a><\/p><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>Entry 38: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not<\/h2><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>As an American abroad, I\u2019ve run into all types. Many interesting conversations, on many different continents with people of varied cultures and languages. Some dialogues, of course, were more interesting than others. One pervasive element in all of these jaw sessions has been the foreigner’s love-hate relationship with me and the United States. The table-top script usually moves from origins, to food and wine, to service and customs, to politics, then to who knows what, then back to politics and, ultimately, to the questions shot at me like bolts from a crossbow. \u201cWhy do Americans think they are the best? Why does the United States think they can get involved in every other country\u2019s business?\u201d There\u2019s a few more but I\u2019ll stop with these. Of course, I have my own political views and opinions on international relations but is it appropriate for a stranger to suddenly ordain me the attach\u00e9 of political-economic-sociological-caf\u00e9-relations for the United States? I suddenly become the United States\u2019 spokesperson for the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the devaluation of the Yen, the Oklahoma City bombing, the amount of calories in a Big Mac, and any other terrorist activity or accidental train derailment that happens to color CNN\u2019s pallet that week. In subsequent breaths, even before we\u2019ve ordered another round, the same foreigner will tell me how they\u2019re working hard to procure their visa so they can go and study at an American university. Or how they need to get to the nearby bank before 3:00 PM to exchange their local currency for U.S. dollars. Or how much they enjoy watching MTV. They\u2019ll ask, \u201cHow do my new Levi\u2019s jeans look with my New York Yankees baseball cap?\u201d In a single sitting I can witness someone berate the United States and then try to emulate it, and many of its most popular attributes. The United States is a diverse place with an interesting history. Political views within our own borders vary and fluctuate. Our constitution protects such variety and individuality. One citizen with a backpack stopping off at a caf\u00e9 for a beverage can not necessarily be held accountable for the breadth of activities, past and present, of the American nation. Do you love me today? Will you love me tomorrow?<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Well Weathered Article Index<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/a>I hope you have enjoyed this month’s edition of Well-Weathered Travel Survival Notes & Other Curious Observations. Check back next month for a new entry.\u00a0Until then, safe travels.
\n<\/span><\/span>Contact me at Well_Weathered@yahoo.com<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/h3>\nLearn more about Paul Gioffi<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":2102,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9303"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9303\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Monthly Travel Column by Paul W. Gioffi
\nEdition 17<\/p><\/h3><\/div>
\nDisclaimer:\u00a0<\/span>While travel can be exciting and rewarding there are unforeseen dangers that may arise. The Information presented in Paul’s articles is the author’s personal opinion and what may have worked for him yesterday may not work for someone else today or tomorrow. Therefore, you agree to use any and all information provided by the author at your own risk and agree that you will hold the author and ISR harmless in regard to any and all instances that may arise or result from use of this material.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Following, you’ll find travel tip 38 from Paul W. Gioffi. To read the introduction to this column which began in February of 2006 please see\u00a0Edition 1.<\/a>\u00a0To access other previous editions please see the\u00a0Index.<\/a><\/p><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>Entry 38: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not<\/h2><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>As an American abroad, I\u2019ve run into all types. Many interesting conversations, on many different continents with people of varied cultures and languages. Some dialogues, of course, were more interesting than others. One pervasive element in all of these jaw sessions has been the foreigner’s love-hate relationship with me and the United States. The table-top script usually moves from origins, to food and wine, to service and customs, to politics, then to who knows what, then back to politics and, ultimately, to the questions shot at me like bolts from a crossbow. \u201cWhy do Americans think they are the best? Why does the United States think they can get involved in every other country\u2019s business?\u201d There\u2019s a few more but I\u2019ll stop with these. Of course, I have my own political views and opinions on international relations but is it appropriate for a stranger to suddenly ordain me the attach\u00e9 of political-economic-sociological-caf\u00e9-relations for the United States? I suddenly become the United States\u2019 spokesperson for the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the devaluation of the Yen, the Oklahoma City bombing, the amount of calories in a Big Mac, and any other terrorist activity or accidental train derailment that happens to color CNN\u2019s pallet that week. In subsequent breaths, even before we\u2019ve ordered another round, the same foreigner will tell me how they\u2019re working hard to procure their visa so they can go and study at an American university. Or how they need to get to the nearby bank before 3:00 PM to exchange their local currency for U.S. dollars. Or how much they enjoy watching MTV. They\u2019ll ask, \u201cHow do my new Levi\u2019s jeans look with my New York Yankees baseball cap?\u201d In a single sitting I can witness someone berate the United States and then try to emulate it, and many of its most popular attributes. The United States is a diverse place with an interesting history. Political views within our own borders vary and fluctuate. Our constitution protects such variety and individuality. One citizen with a backpack stopping off at a caf\u00e9 for a beverage can not necessarily be held accountable for the breadth of activities, past and present, of the American nation. Do you love me today? Will you love me tomorrow?<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Well Weathered Article Index<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/a>I hope you have enjoyed this month’s edition of Well-Weathered Travel Survival Notes & Other Curious Observations. Check back next month for a new entry.\u00a0Until then, safe travels.
\n<\/span><\/span>Contact me at Well_Weathered@yahoo.com<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/h3>\nLearn more about Paul Gioffi<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":2102,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9303"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9303\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.internationalschoolsreview.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Disclaimer:\u00a0<\/span>While travel can be exciting and rewarding there are unforeseen dangers that may arise. The Information presented in Paul’s articles is the author’s personal opinion and what may have worked for him yesterday may not work for someone else today or tomorrow. Therefore, you agree to use any and all information provided by the author at your own risk and agree that you will hold the author and ISR harmless in regard to any and all instances that may arise or result from use of this material.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/h3><\/div> Following, you’ll find travel tip 38 from Paul W. Gioffi. To read the introduction to this column which began in February of 2006 please see\u00a0Edition 1.<\/a>\u00a0To access other previous editions please see the\u00a0Index.<\/a><\/p><\/h3><\/div>Entry 38: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not<\/h2><\/span>
As an American abroad, I\u2019ve run into all types. Many interesting conversations, on many different continents with people of varied cultures and languages. Some dialogues, of course, were more interesting than others. One pervasive element in all of these jaw sessions has been the foreigner’s love-hate relationship with me and the United States. The table-top script usually moves from origins, to food and wine, to service and customs, to politics, then to who knows what, then back to politics and, ultimately, to the questions shot at me like bolts from a crossbow. \u201cWhy do Americans think they are the best? Why does the United States think they can get involved in every other country\u2019s business?\u201d There\u2019s a few more but I\u2019ll stop with these. Of course, I have my own political views and opinions on international relations but is it appropriate for a stranger to suddenly ordain me the attach\u00e9 of political-economic-sociological-caf\u00e9-relations for the United States? I suddenly become the United States\u2019 spokesperson for the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the devaluation of the Yen, the Oklahoma City bombing, the amount of calories in a Big Mac, and any other terrorist activity or accidental train derailment that happens to color CNN\u2019s pallet that week. In subsequent breaths, even before we\u2019ve ordered another round, the same foreigner will tell me how they\u2019re working hard to procure their visa so they can go and study at an American university. Or how they need to get to the nearby bank before 3:00 PM to exchange their local currency for U.S. dollars. Or how much they enjoy watching MTV. They\u2019ll ask, \u201cHow do my new Levi\u2019s jeans look with my New York Yankees baseball cap?\u201d In a single sitting I can witness someone berate the United States and then try to emulate it, and many of its most popular attributes. The United States is a diverse place with an interesting history. Political views within our own borders vary and fluctuate. Our constitution protects such variety and individuality. One citizen with a backpack stopping off at a caf\u00e9 for a beverage can not necessarily be held accountable for the breadth of activities, past and present, of the American nation. Do you love me today? Will you love me tomorrow?<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\n
<\/a>I hope you have enjoyed this month’s edition of Well-Weathered Travel Survival Notes & Other Curious Observations. Check back next month for a new entry.\u00a0Until then, safe travels.
\n<\/span><\/span>Contact me at Well_Weathered@yahoo.com<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/h3>\nLearn more about Paul Gioffi<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote><\/h3><\/div>