Last Days in America

I've been busy. I really have. Today I'm all excuses.

Mid-December I embarked on my adventure up north to Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls. There I finally saw some snow (we still don't have it in southern Wisconsin). I stayed with Karen and Kyle, the most heart-warmingly friendly hosts you could hope for. Yet again, I got pulled into the Recall Walker protests (not against my will, mind you), and I even managed to get a few signatures on a petition sheet. Instead of a petition, some people decided to give me the finger from their SUVs.

Chippewa Falls

One night I went to Eau Claire to catch this local band play - Bon Iver, or whatever they are called. No big deal. Just one of the best shows I've ever seen. Electrified audience, no big speeches, all the songs I wanted to hear (except "Wisconsin"), terrible sound, and all that basic stuff.

 Done. No, wait for the encore!

After my Big Northern Adventure it was time to get back to reality, which in this case means finals. Plenty of papers to write and stay up until 5am for. Nothing special. Keep reading.

After the final push, which wasn't as easy as it might seem based on the previous paragraph, I was of to Las Vegas. The day after finals. 4am. What happens in Vegas sta... wait, scrap that. I'm going to lay it down as clear as I can.

Vegas is nothing but a big shiny facade. The only thing that is original about Vegas is the sheer amount of fakeness they can cram into one city. 1/2-scale Eiffel Tower, miniature New York, in-door Venice with gondolas and Gucci stores, pyramids and Disney(c) castles. (I'll try to include pictures later). Streets covered with cards of naked women with pricetags. The homeless. The crazy ("Laugh or say something and I'll smack your face!"). The hotel I stayed in, even though it was on the Strip seemed like Stockholm-Helsinki cruise ship with more slot machines. I seriously have no idea what the parents who took their kids there were thinking. Probably not too much. 

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy myself, it was a good time. Something I had to see for myself. For maximum contrast, I headed to Stone Bank, WI (don't even ask) for Christmas. Nothing's fake here. Staying at a wood-heated lake house with the water cut off. Chopping wood outside in my muddy Vans. Seeing people open their presents. Smiling. Laughing. The awkwardness of a family trying to get the little girl play the flute. Eating an American Christmas dinner (read: massive). Eating some more. Going to the chapel on Holy Hill. Playing tag in the playground.

Tomorrow morning I'm taking the train from Milwaukee to Chicago. Stay there for the night and head home on Wednesday. Home, it's been such a long time.

I guess I'm out of excuses.

Superficial Me

As a highly superficial and European person I have been traumatised by things I've seen here in America. It's not the laws, it's not the politics, it's not the food (well, I'm lying a bit here). But clothes. Yes, clothes. The pieces of cloth stiched together that you wear to make a statement about who you are. To show how much money you have. To show how superficial you are. To show how you feel. To express your very purpose on this planet. Um, anyway.

This may or may not come as a newsflash, but a lot of Americans have no style. None. There, I said it. To offer you, dear reader, some entertainment and insight into the American culture or, alternatively, a crash course in things that most Europeans laugh at, I compiled a list of things that defy any notion of what we call style.

Lets get started.

1. Flip flops with jeans - Not cool.

2. Sandals with socks - I guess this is universal, but still not cool.

3. Shorts and a dozen of sweatshirts - If it's December and you have to wear layers and layers of long sleeves, you might also want to consider giving up the shorts. Just sayin'.

4. Tie dyes - Another exchange student thought that the promotional video for University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was ancient because everyone was wearing tie dye t-shirts. To her shock and surprise, tie dyes never go out of fashion in America. Woodstock 4eva!

5. High heels with a backback - A rarity, but you don't know whether to laugh or cry when you see it.

6. Sweatpants and sweatshirts - This is no joke. This is what I have to deal with everyday, in every class. EVERY CLASS.

7. Pyjamas - Wake up. Go to class. Don't change your clothes. Win.

8. Overdressing - The one day Americans don't wear sweatshirts and sweatpants they take it to the next level. Or the next next next next level. Wearing a suit at a presentation is a bit over the top if you ask me.

9. Packers/Badgers/University of Wisconsin-Whatever clothes - I have nothing against the Packers or supporting a sports team, but where are the cool prints and band shirts?

 10. Combination of any/all of these - Americans can be creative when it comes to combining items that defy style.Gotta catch 'em all.

There. Good night, I'm tired.

(Disclaimer: All the pictures (except the tie dye one) are stolen from the internet, sorry. I didn't feel like taking pictures of people saying: "Hey, you have no style man, can I take a picture and make you famous?")