Hi friends,
Greetings from Boston!
Here's What I Want To Share
Back Home. After 1yr abroad, I am back on US soil 🇺🇸. I’m visiting my Grandma for a few days in Boston and then flying to Cincinnati (where my family currently resides). Fun fact: My younger brother of 6 years has grown 6 inches since I last saw him and he’s now 6ft.
Google Maps Fnatic. At last, I collected the “Level 8 Local Guide” badge on Google Maps. Why review 233 places? IDK, it’s a fun mini-game. Generally, the more critical I am, the more people appreciate me (as measured in “Helpful Votes”). Whereas the friendlier I am, the more businesses like me (as measured in replies).
Finding a Job. In my undying quest to earn an income, my friend offered me a job last month 🙏. Unfortunately, I was fired after 3 days for “not being passionate enough”. I’m not upset; the action saved our friendship. Since I’d like to stand on my own two feet, I’ll be applying to (software / creator economy) jobs soon…
Central Europe Trip
My goal is to show you every part of the world. So far I’ve explored Japan, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Africa, LATAM, Oceania, and Western Europe. The only places remaining are the Middle East, India, and Eastern Europe. Here are some photos from my recent trip to Central Europe (Austria, Slovakia, Hungary).
Vienna, Austria
Three words I'd use to describe Vienna are "white, spacious, and palace". Whereas Soviet planners painted buildings drab gray (to save maintenance costs), Viennese architects preferred lighter shades: pure, white, and dare I say, bland.
Austria is the epicenter of classical music. Composers include: Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Liszt, Strauss, etc. Flanked by German musicians (Bach, Beethoven) in the West and Russian musicians (Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff) in the East. Pretty much everyone performed in Vienna.
The largest cathedral I have ever seen:
Inside:
A green dome:
Another green dome:
A sneaky green dome:
I can’t tell if this dome is green but it’s a dome nonetheless:
A trash can:
A street:
Sachertorte:
The best Apfelstrudel I ever had. (At the cafe where Freud, Hitler, and Stalin dined).
The full moon gives me werewolf vibes:
Bratislava, Slovakia
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. The locals call it "the center of Europe". It’s only a 1hr (€9) train ride from Vienna. I arrived in a drizzle.
Bratislava feels qualitatively different than Vienna. It’s hard to describe. I suppose it’s more drab and quiet.
During my two night-stay, I wanted to soak in the culture, so I ate at two traditional Slovak restaurants.
On Day 2, I signed up for a free walking tour. I learned some facts:
For 1,000 years, Slovakia was a part of Hungary. Then, Slovakia became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Lastly, it was combined with Czechia to form Czechoslovakia before separating in 1993.
Slovakia was a Soviet satellite state. Post cold war (1989), nobody wanted to learn Russian, so now children learn English starting at the age of 6.
Slovakia has few Jews relative to neighboring countries. Bratislava’s 15,000 Jews were among the first to be deported in WWII. Now they have <500.
Slovakia is often mixed up with neighboring Slovenia. “Slovensko” and “Slovinsko” differ by one letter. Embassies on both sides have dedicated staff re-routing the 1-2k misdirected letters per year.
Slovak is a Slavic language so it sounds like Russian. The three major European language families are Romance (Spanish, French), Germanic (English, German), and Slavic (Slovak, Ukrainian, Russian).
The region has had a fluid geopolitical history. Countries merged, split apart, and new lines were drawn. For example, the cuisines are nearly identical but with different words for the same dish. Might this be why the flags are so similar?
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest feels like Barcelona. Big, sprawling, and touristy.
The Hungarian Parliament Building:
A building on the Danube:
TikTok Recommendation #1: The “For Sale Pub”
TikTok Recommendation #2: Szimpla Kert - A Ruin Bar
What I'm Reading
📕 1Q84. Rated the #1 fiction novel in Japan during the Heisei era (1989-2019). Slow-paced, introspective notes with a hint of surrealism. You’ll feel like warm and soft mud. 3.8/5.
✍️ Brrr South Pole. Written by an anonymous IT technician at the McMurdo research post in Antarctica. Notable blog posts include: the 2min shower limit, 3 days to warm ice cream to serving temperature, and space-station-esque photos.
📺 Babylon Berlin. History teachers skimp over the Weimar Republic as the interlude between two World Wars. Points include: hyperinflation, the Flapper movement, democracy, the rise of communism (Trotsky vs Stalin), and Nazism. Set in 1920/30’s Berlin, the €40M production (most expensive) brings the magnificent yet tragic era to life. Watch my favorite music scene.
Thanks for reading!
Leo A
...dude you need a badge for a 3 day firing...expert level...
Welcome Home, Leo! If you'll be in Cincinnati for a bit, I am only an hour away in Louisville. Let's get together, my man!