Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
Last week, the government of Hessen invited me to talk to a group of German students who were going to spend a semester in America. I talked about stereotypes and the way citizens of our two countries often see each other. Other speakers talked about visa requirements and the American university system. The most interesting part, however, was when the … >>
You’ve just turned 17. You’re at your dad’s fiancée’s house, watching a basketball game. There’s a break, so you take a walk out to the local convenience store to buy some Skittles and a can of iced tea. On your way back, you notice a stranger in a car is watching you. You walk away from him, but he follows … >>
It’s the last week of the Oktoberfest, and Munich is full of partygoers. Same procedure as every year, but with two differences: 1. Nearly all the German tourists are dressed up, which gives the whole thing more dignity; and 2. They are younger than ever. Most of the visitors I’ve seen are between the ages of 16 and 18. Young … >>
Regular readers of this column will know that I don’t like to revisit a topic — at least not right away. I like to give you something new every week. However, I can’t let this one go, because I’ve told only two thirds of the story. The cities of England (in reality) and the city of San Francisco (in fiction) … >>
Dear readers, I hope you can forgive me for abandoning two of my principles. The first is not to revisit a topic too soon after having written about it. I thought I was done with tornadoes, but they kept coming. After those in North Carolina, there was the one that destroyed the airport in St. Louis, Missouri. Then a major … >>
If you’re a German student going to the United States for a year, what are the two things you need to know about most? Sex and money. A German student at an orientation I helped run said, “It seems like we talked a lot about sex and money.” A girl who had just returned from the US shot back: “Well, … >>