A quick global perspective

It does feel like Geneva is unaffected by climate change. This past week, temperatures were down around 9°C. Coming from Canada, global warming seems to have big effects, for example I have seen (images of) what happens to the arctic ice shelf, and I know about the albedo factor from a college course and we've heard of Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth, even if you haven't seen it. I can literally see Mont Blanc out of my window, and I feel strongly rooted on the Earth. I know however that the magazines like The Economist are showing a trend towards urbanisation, and (from my and my friends' experience) places like Beijing, Delhi, Sydney, Jerusalem, Rome, London and New York may only get hotter. On the other hand, humanity does not stay still either, and we are approaching a time when such important decisions can be made by informed people.

Back in Switzerland

Now I'm back, and fully rested. I've temorarily lost that zeal for things on the horizon; partly because no one location can compare to the vibrant colours of New York, and partly because of the peace and cool weather here. I can look forward to being restless yet strangely satisfied for a while. Orderly, predictable Geneva: a previledge few may experience, and often then not for decades. New York is a Holywood movie and Geneva a painting, if you must draw distinction.

cooling off

As the temperatures stay near 90 Fahrenheit (28 centigrade) I go away from the center to cool off a bit, in, well, Harlem. As you may have heard, Harlem is now a dynamic, charming part of the city, where former President Bill Clinton has made his home. Busy main streets give way to well-built, orderly side streets with proud Victorian-style townhouses. This is my last day in the Big Apple, after which I will return to my clean, outer-city central European home.

starting from the end: NYC

Hello. All the traditions of Europe (and indeed the world) are here NYC, but as seen from the "future", the Head, the meeting place. So far I've found the locals to be friendly, the air clean enough, and plenty of sights to see and walks to take. Oh, and the food is good too: if you can, go a step up for a $15-20 meal, they're the trendiest and most universally acceptable from a dietary point of view.

cheers