It’s not easy to be an American Jewish expat in Austria and if, like me, the gods that determine your fate put you in a small town, an additional layer of complication descends on your life abroad. Understanding Austrian politics is difficult if you happen to share color, religion, or basic values with your neighbors, but if you don’t, Austria becomes even more frustrating and inscrutable. I was reminded of this last night while reading of the death of Austria’s popular – and populist – Joerg Haider, a politician known for his remarks that sounded like Nazi sympathy, his willful stance against minority communities, and his good looks, among other things. Haider was drunk and going too fast on one of those windy alpine roads and now, he is no more.
Passports with Purpose
On Monday night, I headed back up to my ex-neighborhood to attend Blogsgiving, a Seattle area bloggers’ fundraiser for Northwest Harvest. Prepared to drop in and flee – my usual reaction to a room full of mostly strangers – I ended up staying for a couple of hours while talking about photography, neighborhood blogging, publishing, …