Book # 6 "The Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner

I actually finished this book a few days ago, but have been so enraptured with the John Adams HBO miniseries that David and I have been watching I haven't found time to post. I heartily recommend them both: John Adams and "The Geography of Bliss."

The author, Mr. Weiner, helpfully clarifies the pronunciation of his last name as "whiner", but I wonder whether Whiner really sounds better than Weiner? Anyway . . . Mr. Whatever-his-name-is goes on a trip around the world to find out who is happy and what happiness entails for different nations. He also goes to Moldova to find out why the citizens there are so unhappy. (That was my favorite part.)

More than his search for happiness, I enjoyed the the observations Mr. Weiner made about living and traveling overseas. In the introduction, the author writes, "Culture is the sea we swim in--so pervasive, so all-consuming, that we fail to notice its existence until we step out of it. It matters more than we think (3)." Anyone who has ever traveled to a foreign country has had that "duck out of water" moment--everything feels strange and different. Some people embrace the experience and immerse themselves in the foreign culture, while other people find themselves yearning for something that seems "like home."

Traveling or living abroad requires a delicate balance of trying to be accepted, yet holding on to one's own identity. Everyone has seen the foreigner decked out in native dress, attempting to fit in, but only managing to look more ridiculous. Likewise, the boorish tourist trying to order a hamburger and fries at an ethnic restaurant is equally embarassing. The middle place between the two extremes is often very lonely. Weiner explains:

The term "gone native" is almost always used disparagingly by those who have not. Yes, we diplomats and journalists are supposed to learn the local language, eat the local food, know the lay of the land. But only up to a point. We're expected to maintain a certain professional distance. The gone-natives are seen as weak souls, traitors of a sort, who should have known better. (178)

Fortunately, the author doesn't put much stock in introspection and continues merrily on his journey, through such disparate places as Iceland and Bhutan. It's a good read.