ndmckinney|net

Metro (WMATA) is proposing another fare increase, although this one is a bit more modest than earlier proposals. According to WMATA, the fare increase is necessary to make up for a projected budget shortfall. It doesn’t matter how much the fares increase on Metro; no fare increase can alter the fundamental fact that Metro is one of the worst designed mass transit systems in the country, if not the world.

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It’s cliché, but true; you can never really go back home after all.
I flew home from Amsterdam last Friday (01/06/07) via London Heathrow. Coming back to the US after 5 months of being away certainly opened my eyes to my own lifestyle, not to mention those of my fellow Americans. The stereotype of the US as fat, lazy, and arrogant is somewhat well deserved.

Before I left, I used to think that Washington, DC was one of the most sophisticated cities in the U.S. To some extent, I still think that’s true. But having been in Europe, and lived among the Europeans, I noticed that DC is really not any different from the rest of the US. Certainly, as I was told by my international friends who have visited Washington, it is the most European-like city, but it is a far cry from Paris or Den Haag.

Since my return, I’ve had an interesting time readjusting to being home. In some ways, it feels like I never left; in other ways, however, I feel completely detached from society. I’ve certainly never been one for popular culture or trends, and having been away from US culture for a while, I feel even less in touch with the general culture. I’m not sure exactly where I fit in, but I’m not so sure it’s here anymore.

I’m certainly not claiming to want everything to be European. I think that the European approach to life is very nice, but it is radically different from the US, and I do not think that it would do well here. In some ways, European attitudes are quite backwards from those in the US (for example, European life still revolves very much around the home, and many public arenas are closed quite early), although the US is not exactly leading the way in every area (we are quite conservative socially, as a general rule).

Overall, I would like to say that I had a great experience. I’m now to the last stage of my study abroad experience: reflection. Maybe after a few more weeks, I’ll be able to make more out of the entire trip.

It’s always sad when these things happen in your neighborhood.

Via Washingtonpost. Video available at NBC4.

Yesterday, I went on a long bike ride on the Capital Crescent Trail, an 11-mile trail built on the abandoned Georgetown Branch of the B&O Railroad that runs parallel to the Potomac River and C&O Canal. It’s a beautiful trail, well maintained, and quite popular with runners and cyclists alike. It has quite a bit of traffic on the weekend, but that’s okay.

As much as I like the trail, there are some things that annoy me about the trail. Because I have my own forum, I feel I can vent about the things that annoy me. Read the rest of this entry »