Sunday, June 07, 2009

Things America taught me

1. Life can have brighter and stronger colors than any film.
2. Happiness can be a big, empty, depressing room.
3. Politeness is a big blanket you can hide many things under - stupidity, darkness, hostility, anger, love.
4. Success is not just a sum of items. It is a formula with a time factor. a+b+c at 10am does not equal a+b+c at 11am.
5. Too much knowledge can take you away from the goals that knowledge was aquired for in the first place.
6. Get off your fat behind. Now.
7. Lots of variety and endless selection does not allow you to make better choices, on the contrary.
8. 'We catch on quickly'.
9. Endless needless remarks CAN make up a conversation. Who said otherwise?
10. Brown water is not coffee. Calling it Espresso will only make me more angry.
11. It doesnt matter where you come from, home is way more exotic here. I wasnt aware Krav Maga and the secrets of the Israely special forces can be mine for 39.99$ a month.
12. Latest additions to the American-English dictionary: Superfoods, Metcon, Kewl (I wasnt aware it was back, or is it just Parafina?!), Cert (short for Certificate), Greens.
13. Some people still believe in 9-5 existance. Daring to dream of something brighter is supposedly dangerous...
14. I shouldnt loose my Israely accent. It is an asset.
15. America is a beautiful place. If I'll stop traveling outside of it from now on, I will still have endless and different sights to see until the day I die.
16. A hug is not a miometric movement. (concentric-eccentric) It is Isometric and can go up to 45 seconds sometimes! Just ask anyone. In Berkley.
17. Competition can take the fun out of anything. Sometimes there is no going back. People should be careful when implementing it.
18. America is big on Quantity. Quality? ok, but only in large quantities.
19. Quality Originality is a Rarity.
20. If you are born and grow up inside the box, it is very difficult to see the box and to think outside of it. If you come from another box on the other hand..
21. When parking one should never use the Hand-Break!!! (Also known in Israel as 'Ambrex'...) Apparently that is a dangerous habit. Americans! The damn thing exists for a reason! Give me a break...
22. I wouldnt let anyone else run this world besides America.

Ido.

20 comments:

Karen said...

(deleted and reposted d/t a typo)

Loved this! As a 32 year old white woman born and raised in Los Angeles, Ca(aka the Center of the Universe to some...), this list at times made me laugh out loud while saying "so true so TRUE!"

I really enjoy hearing about our country from people from other countries...whether it's good stuff or bad stuff!

America does have many very, very beautiful places. The rock formations in Utah, Big Sur Ca...I feel grateful everyday to have been born here...but I can't wait to travel!

Parafina said...

Kewl, man.

Chip said...

"A hug is not a miometric movement. (concentric-eccentric) It is Isometric and can go up to 45 seconds sometimes! Just ask anyone. In Berkley."

Wonderful. Keep us updated as to your return to the states.

Robb Wolf said...

I heard about your near-death-experience in Berkely. Make no sudden movements around hippies...

Big love to you brother...sorry we did not catch up this trip.

Ed X said...

Ido,

No.2 could you please elaborate on that?

I mean to me it comes off as you don't need other people, for yourself, to be happy. Which I think is true.

Ed

Ido Portal said...

Karen,
Traveling is a primal activity. That is one of the reasons people get so much pleasure out of it. Of course the further you go back in history, you will see it performed in smaller and smaller scales, but it is the principle which is important.

Ido Portal said...

Chip,
Thank you, my friend.
Next time I am in town I want to take your class also.. I have heared it is quite challanging.
How is prject 'flat-line' going?

Ido Portal said...

Robb,
you didnt warn me about that, brother! I was a sitting target there and now I will suffer the trauma for the rest of my natural life.
Hope to see you soon, irmao.

Ido Portal said...

Ed,
No, you got it wrong. (although that is an interesting point also)

What I ment was that I have seen many Americans in this trip who declare: 'I am happy!', but actualy they have no idea what the word means. When you look deeper into them you discover they are hiding a boring, unsatisfying, empty lives and their use of the phrase 'I am happy' is further preventing them from reaching.... Being happy.

Yuval Ayalon said...

cool!!!

1. I'm curious...am I considered an American? (in your scale?)

2. well, I have to tell you that you can find plenty of huggers in Tel Aviv, Karkur, Pardes Hana... etc no need to go all the way to Berkeley for a warm hug.

3. You forgot the tendency of the American not to use the arm break (Umbrex) while in PARK... I'm still trying to figure out the meaning behind this...

smiles,

Yuval

Ido Portal said...

Yuv,

1. You are not! Herelle made sure of that. Even the most hardcore American would be demolished by a relationship with a foreign woman. (Israely, French, Russian are the best)

2. The 'Berkley Embrace' is no ordinery hug. Apples and oranges.

3. I added it, thanks. Forgot about that one.

Ana said...

great list! fantastic blog too! i showed my little brother some of your vids. and he was amazed.

and i forgive you for not including boston in your whirlwind tour of america. :)

Rolf Nilsen said...

Ido,

I would be interested in hearing your definition of happy. The topic is very interesting today where people spend so little time actually thinking and doing things with their lifes.

Aristotle wrote on the subject of happiness, but what does Ido think? Myself I have no clue (yet).

Unknown said...

For me happiness is not a goal, was never a goal and will never be a goal. (In nature)
It is one emotion we are capable of exeriencing, and to fulfill your purpose (which is bigger for me than just being happy - if one believes in humans as part of nature) you should explore a wider arrey of emotions, feelings, etc.
So, instead of trying to 'bleach' your emotional capacity by trying to hold on to one feeling only - happiness, you should except there are other states of mind, and enjoy and explore them. Fear is one I explore often, and enjoy it and grow from it. It is not 'fun'. I am afraid. Just an example.

We are not the sum of our emotions. We experience them.

It is just my own view of things, I do not hold the gospel truth. yet.

Rolf Nilsen said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Ido.

I like your thinking and the fact that you take a clear position. So few do and that is a great loss.

I think you would like the writings of Aristotle on the subject.

Unknown said...

I am a 18 years old boy from Hungary. I practise capoeira in Group Senzala for over 3-4 years now.

I saw a video on YouTube and later I found your blog. You have a really good way of moving and by this you are able to express yourself very well in capoeira. I also sympathize with your view of life.

I would like to get to America somewhen, but my first and main aim now is to get to Rio de Janeiro =)

All the bests!!

Arquinho

Ido Portal said...

Arquinho,
nice to hear from you, man.

Good luck in your capoeira training,
Ido.

EdOpines said...

I'm not sure how often you visit America but I'm impressed with your observations. I was from a different box but I've been in this one so long that it's hard to come up with those things.

Unknown said...

Great observations! I have yet to visit many of the sites around the US, even though I live in them.

I especially agree with #7.

Salve, Ido.

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