Growing up and living in America is a great thing, without question, but after traveling and experiencing other cultures, on opposite sides of the world, it is hard to say that there are not a excessive amount of improvements and upgrades that I believe would be welcome additions in the land of the free and home of the brave.
1) Listen to “Happier” music. Anyone who frequents almost any club, bar, drinking spot with musical accompaniment in America will inadvertently encounter a negative sounding song within minutes most the time. With Rap & r&b and grunge rock with rebel alternative dominating the US music charts seemingly years on end, the vibe and overall feel of the US music scene always seems to drag with it a stigma of seriousness, stress, hardship and many times anger. This transfers over to people either a) standing in bars awkwardly, drinks in hand or b) grinding on one another harder than a bear trying to scratch its back on the nearest pine tree. In Australia & New Zealand, the music carries with it more electro assistance, no question, but the music and emotions created by it also is undisputedly geared towards a happier audience. There is rap, but it’s not “hardcore” which tends to feature lyrics such as but not limited to blunt, bitches, handguns, sex positions and sick whips. Instead the majority is dominated by dance tracks that if anything else, make it almost hard to not join in dancing with every other person in the club. Furthermore, the music here forces you to actually attempt dancing, rather than the tried and tested male philosophy in the US of “Being the Pole” in which one merely has to stand within arms distance of a woman and let her do the work. In fact, after numerous attempts, I discovered the total negative opinion Australian’s have of “American Dancing”. Challenge – try to make an Australian woman “grind” with you to a song, you’d swear you had just asked her to have sex with you on the dance floor the way they react and run from such invitations, not to mention the other looks this dancing garners from everyone else in the bar.
International women just “get it”. From fashion to conversations there is no question in my mind that foreign women, primarily South American, European and Australian women to name a few, ooze an aura of confidence, and self respect that is unrivaled by their USA counterparts. No matter the size, shape or color of them, in meeting and interacting with many foreign women, from many backgrounds, never did I sense insecurities that seem so rampant in America. I don’t know if it is the culture, one that embraces beauty and sexuality almost inadvertently by not acknowledging examples of it as much, but the women in this part of the world simply carry an heir of inner peace and comfort with themselves that I have not seen in the states. They are aware and accept who & what they are physically and emotionally and it transfers into making them not only so much more inviting to converse with but also highlights their superior confidence ultimately making them just that more attractive.
Every company in service & hospitality in America needs to have Sir Richard Branson do their hiring. I’m sitting in Brisbane airport as we speak, in the Virgin Blue terminal, owned by Branson, the music, media and flight mogul and I couldn’t look any direction across the circular concourse without seeing a beautiful woman in a khaki skirt and red top. This is not a freak occurrence, I have flown Virgin Blue airlines all over this continent and all of my teammates and friends would agree, Virgin must either a) Pay off the right people to circumvent the fair hiring acts which exclude looks as a determining factor, or b) own and operate their own personal factory in which they continuously crank out tall, gorgeous women to man their kiosks and aisles. Either way, I am not arguing and only wish more American Airlines would get on board with this hiring tactic. On a more serious note, Virgin does do a magnificent job in creating an aura of pride and esteem that working for them entails, from advertising campaigns to plane paint jobs, Branson has infused the rebel edge that helped him succeed in music into his airlines culture, and this probably accounting for why they receive such overwhelming amounts of “Qualified” applicants that they do. Kudos to you sir!
There are 22 millions residents in Australia. There are probably at least another 1 million international visitors on extended visas living, traveling and working in the continent, generating excess revenue for the Australian economy in the millions annually. In every city, not only the larger metropolis’s, there is a plethora of backpacker accommodation, entertainment, and activity catering specifically towards the younger world traveler. It is no surprise that so many from all over the world flock to this massive island to make there own adventures. America does not have any such network. We don’t have the “welcoming” appeal to younger travelers to encourage them to come to the states to vacation, nor do we allow them to work temporarily with any sense of relative ease. But with affordable domestic airfare, bus lines and train services, and our natural advantage of size and economic prosperity (until recently) America already has the connectivity and network to become a very successful and attractive travel destination for this demographic of world traveler. In the hundreds of travelers I have acquainted, nearly ever one of them wants to go travel America, but the restrictions and obstacles, prices and lack of warmth by our government makes them turn to much easier, and more accessible nations such as Australia or South America consequently costing the American tourism industry millions of dollars every year.
These are merely a few ideas and observations. Of course, all are my opinion, but then again, this is my blog. Disagree? Leave a comment!
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