Getting natural -- Steve

Coming from Utah has been a bit of a cultural shock for the kids. They have come from the land where statues by Da Vinci are covered to keep them modest, to where nudity is displayed in the subways in both art and fashion advertisements. The drinking age in Austria is 15 for beer and wine and so we pass kids on the street younger than Nathan standing around having a beer. It seems like about one in three people smoke--even kids much younger than Nathan. Apparently they don't have much problem with public drunkenness and the kids mostly stay out of trouble. However, we run into puke on the sidewalks every so often which sort of take some of the charm of the old city away. However, people care about the streets and it is quickly cleaned and made right.

Emily seems the most surprised by it all, but she is adjusting. We've told her its important not to see the people through the lens of our own culture and its values. They are still good people, just like everywhere, they just have different perspectives. She is starting to get used to big differences although there are often surprises. Navigating these difference as been interesting and fun. Where as we are surprised to see young kids drinking beer, they would be horrified at the violence of games like Halo. Their movie advice puts things rated R for nudity, sex and swearing in our country, as recommended as For older than age 12 whereas violent movies, like the 1960's Bonnie and Clyde, that have neither sex nor swearing as For older than age 18 and above because of the explicit violence.

I'm thrilled that there are recycling bins everywhere. Global warming is recognized a real (America is the only county in the world where a substantial number of people still disbelieve in it.) Public transportation is amazing. The U-bahn, trolleys and Bus connect everything. It is widely used and we have been able to get anywhere! It is wonderful. We won't need a car to get anywhere at all in the city or even in Europe. The Europeans have done some amazing things in this area.

Last night was New Years Eve and for hours they set of flash-bangs and fireworks. Huge building rattling explosions where going off all around us. Luckily we had been warned. It was unbelievable. At midnight these things were going off in frequency like a string of Black Cat Firecrackers except with the power of flash bangs. I've never heard anything like it. Emily came running into the room and Nathan came in too. Lori woke for a second and then fell back asleep. The fact that it woke her up at all is the amazing thing because she has slept through a house fire alarm that went off for 10 minutes. That gives you a sense of how powerful these explosions were.