Daily Slow Chat

5 comments

1. What is the shortest amount of time you’ve stayed at a job, and why did you quit so early, and how are you doing now? (and what job was it if you dont mind answering)

2. I’ve lived within a comfortable drive from an international border several times in my life: once in Berlin (~2h from Poland), once in Grenoble (~2h from Italy) and now, LA (~2.5 hours from Mexico). For whatever reason, my parents never chose to take us to Poland – I guess they thought there were other more interesting places to travel to, plus Poland wasn’t in the EU in those days and they probably still had the Iron Curtain in their heads – but if I lived in Berlin today I’d absolutely make a day trip to a place like Kostrzyn or Szczeczin even if they’re not particularly interesting places, just because I can. When I lived in Grenoble I’d make regular trips by BlaBlaCar to Turin and back- it was cheaper, the food was better, it was generally just a more interesting city and it also served as a good hub for travelling around Italy. When I visited Strasbourg a couple of years ago I made sure to rent a bike and cycle over the Rhine to Kehl. Why? Because I could. Ditto driving from Seattle to Vancouver. There were only two times I didn’t cross an international border when I had the chance to: once from Tiraspol to Odessa (because I didn’t schedule enough time to stay in Moldova, a decision I deeply regret now that you can’t travel to Ukraine anymore) and once from Biarritz to San Sebastian (because it was 2020 and I was nervous about crossing international borders). There’s just something really satisfying about living in a place with full freedom of movement and where you can just casually stroll across international borders while barely noticing – a right your grandparents could never have dreamt of.

   So what about Mexico? Now here’s the thing – I am *desperate* to do a road trip through Baja California. Why wouldn’t I want to go for a short, easy weekend drive to a place that’s a) beautiful and b) culturally infinitely more interesting than anywhere within at least hundreds and possibly thousands of miles of where I live? But obviously I’m very concerned about my safety. Some Mexicans tell me it’s totally fine, as long as you avoid driving at night and stay on the beaten path. Other Mexicans tell me that it’s an extremely stupid idea and driving a car through Northern Mexico with US plates is an open invitation to get violently carjacked or somehow end up in crossfire between rival cartels or worse. I find it immensely frustrating that I’m having to ask these kinds of questions about travelling to a place that’s only two and a half hours’ drive away. And honestly, I find it incredibly weird and surreal that a place that’s such a short distance away is in such a completely different reality from where I am now. Last week I drove all the way down to the border wall just to see what it looked like. To see it you drive through a campsite. A *campsite*. You can literally camp a mile or two away from a borderline active warzone and be blissfully unaware of it.

   People who live in countries that border Russia, have you ever felt the desire to travel to Russia just out of pure curiosity? Does it feel weird not being able to travel to Russia?

3. European election in almost two weeks. Zero attention given to it in the media. Partially, I can understand it, given the shitshow that is the formation of our new rightwing-government.

   How are things in your country, any reporting done on the European elections?

4. I saw this question on r/cooking and thought would be cool to ask it here, too. What’s a food (in addition to foods that you normally don’t eat at any time for some reason) that you would not eat at breakfast time? 

   I usually think that breakfast food is a social construct and anything is game… But the answer is probably sugary pastries (donuts, Franzbrötchen, pain au chocolat, you name it). I can’t stomach anything that sweet first thing in the morning, and if I ate those I would be hungry again in half an hour. I would much prefer grilled fish, salad and bread or Thai green curry. 

   I am going to a garden festival today. I am going by train, so I guess I will not buy entire plants (but who knows?)

5. I was in a meeting, like an actual irl meeting where people sit in the same room around a table. People genuinely will have their phone on the table in front of them, screen side up, hear it buzz and then check the message from their smart watch. Like, my man, the phone is right in front of you.