39 posts tagged “travel”
Kun olin Seattlessa pari viikkoa sitten eräässä tapahtumassa, siellä oli muutamia suomalaisia, jotka tapasin lähtölennoilla. He olivat hyvin ystävällisiä ja näimme Yhdysvalloissa useita kertoja. Oli todella hauskaa että pystyin vaan hengailla sekä heidän että meksikolaisten kanssa, joita oli myös muutamia.
On tosi mukavaa kun voin olla vain yksi joukosta.
I was recently in the cradle of Grunge, but 15 years on, didn't really see much of it when I was there (I didn't visit the Experience Music Project then, so that's for sure a reason).
The climate, however, made me understand immediately why such a sound would find its origin there since it is pretty similar to what is found in the Nordic countries and as you may know hereabouts heavy metal, which can also be kind of depressing, is very popular.
I was very excited to visit the place of origin of bands I've liked since my teenage years, such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam & Foo Fighters, but I was not able to attend any gigs.
At least, given its flora, weather and orography, its environment definitely does. The city, however, is built in an entirely different order.
I was pretty surprised by the amount of fear I could see in the American media. I understand the shock caused by the unfortunate events of September 11th, 2001, but I think this doesn't only have to do with that.
The messages you hear in TV, in the news and in the street talk about fear: fear of terrorism, yes, but also of immigration, poverty, bad health, poor eductaion, peak oil, etc. I find it sad that such an entrepreneurial people can be held back by thinly veiled propaganda of fear. Awareness is extremely important, but frightening your audience won't take you anywhere.
Compare this:
with this:
I'd say that aesthetically the main difference between NYC & Tokyo is that NYC looks somehow less well maintained, and the architecture resembles more the 50's than the 2000's in places. Both are definitely places worth visiting.
I spent four days this week in New York City. It was the first time in almost 10 years I was outside of an airport in the US, as I've done plenty of transits but not many visits, and funnily enough last time I was in a city in the US it was NYC.
Funny way of closing circles, I guess...
I guess it's not a good idea to watch the National Geographic channel before a week on the move if they have "Air crash investigation" and "Inside 9/11" on air. Stupid me.
It's just that it was so interesting. I guess it has to do with my typical trait of being curious about how things work and why they are that way.
I was in London again for a business trip this week. In this day and age, you can travel from Helsinki, have a full day of meetings and be back on the same day.
Even though we may complain about how hard it is to get visas when needed, the amount of security checkpoints and the time it takes to get from one place to another, I am certainly of the opinion that the fact that we can travel over 2000 kilometres and still have a productive day is pretty much a miracle (as tired as it might get you).
This week I was in Barcelona in a very important trade fair. I really enjoy visiting the city, as it is beautiful, has very pleasant weather, the food is generally good (but salty) and I have many good friends living there.
One thing that always surprises me a little bit of the city is the character of the locals: Barceloneses are generally proud Catalonians who have their own language and customs different to the rest of Spain (or, as they say, FC Barcelona is more than a club for a slightly less than a country).
Regardless, visit it when you have a chance, just don't do it when there is a trade fair as the place will be absolutely full.
