Kosovo update

Kosovo is on the news. Our five fellows have moved forward with travel to Belgrade, regardless of the American Embassy fire and riots. They will have a van and body guard for the whole time and will not travel in evenings and not broadly. I am a bit envious of their experience; and eager to hear about their experience.

Thoughts on macro and Bucharest

I was struck with a few things so far. Americans are looked up to throughout Europe. Europeans love to talk about our presidential election (tight race between McCain and Obama so far in my informal poll). We are looked at as the case example of how to build an economy, permit and attract immigration, and have babies (low birth rates are prevalent throughout western Europe). We know much less about our partners in the world than they know about us (this is a huge imbalance). Europe is diverse and fractured; the US is more unified and vanilla.

The drive from Bucharest Airport to the hotel took one hour. I saw over 30 stray dogs (one eating a dead animal). I saw probably over 300 luxury vehicles. There was an IKEA. There was slums. There was McDonalds everywhere. The sidewalks were non existent to terrible. There are manufacturing plants and people working everywhere. There is poverty everywhere.

It is a country in transition from communism to capitalism. The magazine in my hotel room was titled "Only for the Rich"

I am excited to experience this city. It reminds me of rural China, or Beijing, poverty and capitalism. This is not Germany or Rome; this is the new world emerging...

Rome - chaos and beauty

Sorry for the delay in blogging. I ran into the perfect storm; Rome and expensive internet access. I just landed in Bucharest (amazing observations for later) from five days in Rome. The point of the Marshall fellowship is to give Americans a view of Europe, North, South. I will say that Brussels is the "new Rome" with an international city that speaks a multitude of languages with a history and a split government; Hamburg was orderly, introspective in its' history; clean, and sophisticated.

Rome is rough, chaotic, beautiful, and struggling to compete in the new world. The agenda was varied; a meeting at the Chamber of Deputies (the Italian House of Representatives); meeting with the a Deputy Foreign Affairs Officer; a meeting at ENI (sixth largest privately held oil company in the world); a half day at a 1000 year old vineyard; a meeting at the Bank of Italy with the research office; a meeting with officials dealing with immigration; and finally meetings with former EMMF (European fellows).

Off the top of my head; my view of Italy has changed, or deepened, significantly. Italy is struggling in the world globalization rate. They are highly dependent on specialized manufacturing (clothes, furniture), and tourism. The birth rate in Italy is the lowest in Europe. Currently the government does not exist because of a lack of confidence vote. And they think highly of Americans, regardless of Iraq and Bush.

I was struck with the chaos of Rome. It is a fast city, with fast talking Italians. Traffic moves quickly and without rules. People are very emotional, with men and women enjoying each other everywhere. I was overwhelmed with this city. I'm overwhelmed in Anchorage sometimes. We stayed one block from the Pantheon, 1/2 a mile from the Coleseum, and 2 miles from the Vatican City.

Everywhere you walk is antiquities, everywhere. It is almost numbing and unbelievable. My touchstone for Rome was a few trips of Vegas; Rome almost looked staged because it was so massive and prevalent with the history.

The food was of course the best; pasta, pasta, and pizza. Vino. Sparkling water. Bread. Cheese. Pasta. Pasta. Olive oil. I love the food.

I will post some pictures and more later. The internet in Bucharest is slow, but effective. I think video will be difficult.

Kosovo

Kosovo has declared independence. This is huge news in Europe. This is the first real test of the European Union to challenge Russia and move forward with their own agenda. The world will be watching this as it may engage the US into another support role in Kosovo,

We have five fellows traveling to Serbia on Thursday. Based on security, it may not happen; they may go elsewhere that is more safe. I will be in Bucharest, Romania.

Fellows at Lubeck

Dinner with a German host

Hamburg 2

Hamburg has the feel cosmopolitan Europe. Nice cars are everywhere; people have substantive conversations about import issues; housing is expensive; people are pleasant. It is reminds me of Seattle on the docks. It has a cold air that penatrates; and when it is sunny, the cold is colder. The transportation system is first class, with movement to anywhere in the city a few blocks walk to a subway station. Art is important. Politics are important. International relations are important. Hamburg has more shipping than any other European port, save Rotterdam. Chinese are liked, at a suspicious distance.

It is more liberal than other parts of Germany, more affluent, and the people take pride in their tough geographic location. Elections are taking place next Sunday (how innovative to have elections on a day that people have time) and all ballots will be had counted because of suspicion of electronic voting machines. This points to a patience that Germans have that would not be tolerable in the state. Races are called with 40% of the votes in. But it is confusing to understand from a two party system.

Today I go to a concentration camp, and have a farewell dinner with the Seitz people. Tomorrow I go to Rome. I will miss Hamburg.