OT:
Russ, that's a pretty accurate portrait of Seattle, at least from one perspective. I've remarked to people before how I'm just as likely to talk with a neighbor somewhere else in town (rare) as on the street, and that behavior of people in this area extends to restaurants. If you want a boisterous bistro-atmosphere restaurant with good food, try Ciao Bella on NE 45th. But you are right, you won't get interaction with others at all. I've been elsewhere in the country and had that experience, and in general, the smaller the town the more likely, e.g at my sister's in Georgia or my brother's in Montesano (of course, 1/4 of the restaurant knew him and some remembered me too). Seattle has "nice people" -- polite and friendly, but not close and not warm as strangers. Just about everywhere else I go in the US, people are more open to strangers.
But I've never been anywhere in the US like you describe, except when something very unusual happens that rattles our little cocoons, e.g. a huge wind storm, 9-11, etc, or places dominated by foreigners, e.g. Old Faithful Inn. And then after a short period, people reenter their shells.
Yes, we are a fat butt culture now. I work near the U and can attest that in the past 20 years, the trend is fatter even for college students, and worse, they are proud of it (low cut jeans, high cut top, roll of fat spilling out for all to admire). A big recession may help that department.
Sex... we are freaks -- just look at how cinema is rated: a few murders warrants PG-13; a bit of sex, R. Anything resembling real sex, NC-17. A thousand murders, just R.
BTW, Broadway at night is the only place that would even remotely resemble your description of Brazil... but it's really a counter culture. |
