We had thought that the Americans performed democracy well and their operation of journalism was free of restriction. But what we've learnt here is that they are not so satisfied with both their political and journalism system. They don't like Hilary. They don't believe what is reported on the news. Then is that Utopia is no where to be found or no one on earth ever feels content in what they've got? But at least their president could be faddled at and appear on souvenirs. And their note could be used in ads.
What left deep impression on me as for the typical American way is their way of spending their leisure time. At the beach we saw many families driving a long way to enjoy the tide and sunshine there. They went back to work and ordinary city life on Mondays. But they would definitely utilize every minute of the weekend or even just Sunday to embrace the Nature. We saw the same thing at the lake yesterday, too. Even the beach was that tiny and manmade. They still seemed to be having a great time with their family. Many of them bring foods for a whole day. They swim, hike, ride bicycles, fish or do what ever they want or they could imagine of. Although the lake is very far far away from their house.
The highway here is also different from that in China by having so many trees lining up the two sides. From some special angles, the view could be splendid. If my memory serves me, the twosides of the highway are nearly bare in China...
What we usually do is that staying at home, watching TV or going shopping. We seldom leave Shanghai for weekend.(One reason is that the city is amazingly big.) We are used to dirty air, fast-moving living pace and terrible traffic. Seem to be trapped in the city, always. Yup, Shanghai is on the list of Most Suitable Cities to Live in . We can get everything we want within a dozen of steps. The only thing missing is the breath of the Nature.
I didn't go hiking on the mountain partly due to my fatigue, partly due to my laziness, my habit of sitting there doing nothing. I'm thinking of going picnic with Mom and Dad in the coming autumn when we have free time. Many of the ways I live would probably be changed after this trip. I'm in love with cheese and now the Nature as well.
It seems that the Utopia lies in the nature and Americans' loving for it.
Comments (2)
better try Beachboy's Surfin Usa
Posted by tim | July 30, 2007 10:10 PM
Posted on July 30, 2007 22:10
I think the entire point of the concept of Utopia is that it is perfection, and as a result unattainable. America is not, by and large, 100% satisfied by our form of government. There are people who disagree with the political leaders in office, but this is not necessarily the same as being dissatisfied with our government and our form of government. This becomes very interesting in Political Science circles, exploring how people feel about their form of government. I think that people disliking the candidates that there are for president (like Hillary Clinton) is extremely healthy and a good sign that people are (to an extent) paying attention to what is happening in our country. However I do feel that there are plenty of political problems in the U.S. and primarily I'm concerned that one of the reasons that so many people are dissatisfied with our political leaders is because the American people are not paying attention to what is actually happening and even if they are paying attention, they just don't care. Being a citizen in a democracy means that you have a responsibility just like our political leaders have a responsibility to their constituents. The responsibility citizens have is to be informed and pay attention to the political world. The citizens are the most important part of the American political system and if we shun that responsibility then we have failed to serve as the most important check on government power in our system of checks and balances. If the citizens refuse to participate then we cannot be surprised that our political leaders should become more and more like the british monarchy we fought so hard to be free from.
Posted by Mitch | August 1, 2007 11:16 PM
Posted on August 1, 2007 23:16