Things to learn from Europeans

I guess only when you are not at the place you used to be, or with the people you are used to be around, you see the differences or feel how important those are in your life, as well as be able to see things in different perspective.

First thing that strikes me about Europeans (well at least French) is saving energy. Since gasoline is really expensive in Europe, cars are really tiny, especially compare to American highway overflowing with SUVs. In Paris, I even saw cars that only two people fit in. In public bathroom, each compartment has separate light switch and people turn it off after they use it even the main light of the bathroom. For few days, I always had to go back in to turn the lights off.

In the dorm hallway, at night all the lights are off, and if you need to go out to the hall way, there are several switches through out the hall and you can push the switch, which then the light will stay on for few minutes. Also in the lab, all the lights are turned of when the last person leaves. Even in the whole building, most lights are off at night.

This is a bit of painful part, but in the dorms, there are no air conditioning. So days like this... at night it is quite hot..... but I guess you get use to it. Even in some apartments or houses, they do not have air conditioning. It is ironic that in some places in America, you have to wear long sleeves even during the summer because it is much too well air-conditioned.

At some grocery stores, you have to buy plastic bags so it is common to see people dragging the fabric grocery cart.

Maybe in America, since there is reserved oil, people don't see the need of doing this so much... but in my own county where there's really no natural energy source, increasing number of SUVs and premium size cars, too much air-conditioned buildings as well as all the light take makes up beautiful night scene of Seoul is something to think about. When I'm in America, air-conditioned apartment in hot spring, summer days of Atlanta and plenty of plastic bag for free at the stores are nice and convenient. But I guess I'm alive here so far, without all that. So I'm pretty sure 90% of other people as well will survive without it......