Foreign Affairs: A Tutorial

Full size | Make It Big in the USA Just because You Are French Continue reading →

The Instant Expat: Brettsinclair’s “How I Became An American”

Hugo Brettsinclair, a French expat to the U.S., tells his story on You Tube in two-minute increments. A year ago, I stumbled upon “Clean”, which recounts the making of a fateful passport picture. Hugo and I started a long distance conversation (he lives in WA), which eventually inspired me to ask him for my very own … Continue reading →

San Francisco. It Used to be the Holy Grail

For five years, I travelled a lot. The West Coast was always a treat, particularly San Francisco. Whenever I was done with my work day, I would get a drink at the Fairmont on Nob Hill, on the look out for Kim Novak/Madeleine Elster’s car next door, as in Vertigo. I would walk to City Lights on Columbus, … Continue reading →

Parenting the American Parent 2

Because low to upper middle class parents view parenting as a second full-time job, there’s no way they won’t “maximize” the kid’s education and schedule. That means educational videos starting at age one (remember the “Baby Einstein” craze ten years ago? I now read that kids shouldn’t allowed to even see a screen before age two… who … Continue reading →

So, You Are Not Watching the Super Bowl

Super Bowl 2012 kickoff time is 6:20 pm EST today. If you happen to catch this post now, it is likely that you are not participating in an American social ritual as significant as Thanksgiving or New Year’s Eve, only on TV. Why are you reading this? It’s not about sports of course. Super Bowl … Continue reading →

Parenting the American Parent

Children hold a special status in the United States.  They are given the responsibility of carrying the future of humankind. (“Children are our future.” Run for cover.) They are therefore either neglected or irremediably spoiled. There’s no in between. The super wealthy have other people take care of their kids. It’s the businesslike approach to … Continue reading →