moving

i read this journal article for my lifestyles and consumption class about an ethnography that was done in Europe and it really made me want to move there... and not just for the good food and classy people, but because the lifestyles that those people were living seemed so balanced.

some sociologists who were living with people in their homes in 5 different European countries. according to their study (and i'm pretty sure the houses they stayed at were in the nice parts of Europe) the people in Europe were:
1) environmentally conscious and willing to change their lifestyles if it would help the environment
2) centered around togetherness and felt that the family was a very important part of their lives. i think for one german family the most important meal was lunch- the dad would come home early for it, the mom would come home from work, and the kids were able to eat with them too.. and the parents didn't work crazy amounts of hours. they made sure they were home when their kids were home..
3) not stuck to their televisions. in other words, they were always out doing things and had hobbies like painting, drawing, playing some musical instrument, etc..
4) media experiences- if they did watch tv there were educational shows available for kids to watch. this one mom watched this show with her kids that portrayed daily life in other countries...
5) shopping at smaller stores, which meant more personal relationships with people they interacted with in the markets, and buying better quality of produce, which also contributed to good, healthy meals.

i think i'm gonna keep this in mind for the future because i feel that this lacks in a lot of the families today (i always get so mad when i see those sweet 16 kids on TV)..

i'm also pretty sure i wouldn't be content living in some nice country in Europe. Berkeley has made me aware of the outside world and the fact that there are so many countries that need help..