ADIAPHORA Things Indifferent.

The embassy’s statement makes downtown Berlin sound a bit like Falluja or the Gaza Strip, but DW-WORLD has learned the potential threats run far deeper. Many of the viewers at the so-called fan miles, it turns out, are hopped up on a liquid intoxicant known as “beer.” This substance has been known to lead to outbreaks of mirth, loss of equilibrium and unintended and later regretted coupling among users.

In addition, soccer fiends have been reported to consume things called “bratwurst,” which, depending on quality, can emit streams of hot fluid, known in street lingo as “grease,” when improperly chomped upon. In the face of such manifold soccer perils, all American tourists can do is follow their embassy’s advice and “exercise caution…and be aware of their surroundings at all times.”

And those planning vacations for the future might well consider staying home. After all, there’s nothing like the absolute safety of places like Detroit, South Central L.A. or the Nevada Nuclear Test Site — where any unruly European sports fans can be dealt with quickly, before they threaten American lives.

[DW-World]

“The progress of making things is much faster here because somehow you tend to hurry before the storm hits. Summers are more playful, and we do not take work too seriously. You may see a sign on an office door reading “Due to very nice weather, we are taking the rest of the day off.” Very nice weather, meaning more than 68 degrees. I think many creative people fill their heads during summer. Winters are more for sitting down at your table, taking those things you gathered in your mind during the summer, and making something from them.”

Gudrún Lilja Gunnlaugsdóttir at Reykjavík, Iceland - Travel - dwell.com

heather-rivers:

I love traveling, meeting people from all over the world, and comparing and contrasting our respective life experiences. It’s a fun and fascinating process and I’ve made some very good friends along the way.

But this year, being the only American in most situations, I’ve grown so weary of apologizing for where I was born. In particular, whenever I find myself in a group of Western Europeans, some of them really seem to make a mission of reminding me how ashamed I should feel of my citizenship.

You know what? I do feel that way a lot, but the more misdirected anger I accept, the more I secretly think I’m not the only one who should be ashamed.