A Study in Contrasts.

This last week, I traveled from Portland to Los Angeles.  Flying home with the sun setting into the ocean, I was captivated by the bird's eye view.  The changes in the landscape below me was an ongoing study in contrasts.

All different.  And all the same.  

Buildings, houses, schools and shopping malls began and ended the flight.  In between, were large expanses of green fields growing food.  There were wide rivers, flowing lakes and forests.  Brown mountains stretched for miles and miles looking like sculpted, brushed copper in the setting sun. Then came greener and greener mounds as I flew closer to Portland.  I was struck by the expanse of the world below me that I only get to see in bits and pieces in my daily life.  

Oregonians vs Californians.    

California and Oregon may share the same ocean but that's probably about all.  Our two states are very different in many ways. And while that's fine, it's sometimes really funny.

Freeway driving speeds:

Portland:55

LA: 75

Freeway turn signals mean:

Portland:  "Hi, there!  I'd like to change lanes, please."  

LA:  "Look out! I'm moving over!!"

Going out to dinner:

Portland:  Let's walk to the local pub.

LA: Take two freeways, 1 hour by car, wait 20 minutes for a table.

TGIF:

Portland = Thank God It's Friday

LA = Thank God I'm Fabulous

What can I say?  I'm who I am and they are who they are.  It's not good or bad.  Now it's time for something completely different. And that contrast is what makes the world the wonderfully creative place for all of us.  

East vs West- Rain and Flow.

​It's raining today.  It was raining last week on our last day in New York City. But, it's just rain, or is it?

When we woke up last Thursday in the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan, the streets were wet.  We had planned to go on a cruise to the Statue of Liberty, but without rain gear, treking 40 blocks to the dock and huddling with masses in a small covered area to click a few far away shots of the statue didn't feel like a good time.  Changing our plans, we headed out toward MoMA to see Van Gogh, Matisse and Monet instead.  Our maid warned us about the terrible weather and to make sure we picked up an umbrella at the front desk.  

We smiled and shrugged.  We are from the west coast, after all.

East coast calls it rain.

 

East coast New Yorkers all carry umbrellas and use them at the slightest drop of rain.  They avoid puddles in a like ducklings in a line afraid of dissolving in water.  This behavior causes more crowding and fast-paced dodging at crosswalks as they all try to hurry along without getting their feet wet.  They have umbrella stands inside every door of every building and they are full to the brim with folded up, wet umbrellas.

West coast calls it mist.

West coast Portlanders never carry umbrellas unless it's a torrential downpour and we're dressed up for an event.  We walk through puddles like the ducks, talking away and smiling at each other.  There are very few umbrella stands around and in the event of umbrella usage, we just put them under our seats, in our backpacks or carry them, if necessary. 

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) was packed to the brim because of the wet streets.

East coast museum viewers stand in front of everyone.

They were rushing from room to room, footsteps echoeing through the building, crowding around the paintings unwilling to let anyone else in closer.  The natives just walked right in front of the crowds viewing the paintings, stopping briefly to see the work.  They push their faces within inches of the paintings.

West coast museum viewers wait their turns.

We move calmly from room to room, no hard heels clicking the floors and only the sounds of hushed voices.  We walk around each other, allowing everyone to get a view.  We stand back from the paintings. If we go in for a closer look, we look around first to make sure we're not blocking anyone else's view.

I'm not critizing.  I'm not advocating one way of being vs another.  I'm not doing the East vs West coast thing.  I'm just observing that the energy and attitudes are completely different.

The differences in rain reactions here and in New York City as as different as the culture.  As I look outside, I see the flow of rain as a great illustration of the flow of life on two coasts, east and west, fast and slow, harried and relaxed.