Why a Course in Asian Studies Matter

A few weeks ago I had a discussion with one of our Humanities instructors and I pointed out that with the center of economic power moving to Asia, our students would benefit from a course on Asian culture and history.
Yesterday I heard the following story on my favorite radio show Marketplace about China's presence in Bolivia, and how most Latin American countries are importing more goods directly from China. The point that impressed me about the story was how the Bolivians are conducting this trade. Small Bolivian business owners are learning Chinese so they can go directly to China. Just imagine how many of our students could possibly benefit from learning about East Asia and the possible business opportunities that await them.

Bariloche

I am in Bariloche now. I got a little depressed in Mendoza because of the poverty. It was difficult for me to eat at a restaurant while there were beggars coming up to my table. Here in Bariloche it is more affluent, so eating does not come with a guilt trip. The town was set up by Germans and Swiss immigrants so the town has an European feel to it. Bariloche is the highlight of this trip. Since I do not wish to drive, I have signed up for various tours as I did in Mendoza. I will post the pictures after my return.
Yesterday our tour guide could speak English. She was Argentinian but her ancestry included German and Irish. My friend asked ´how do Argentinians feel about foreigners?´
She replied with¨We like them. Except when they buy up land here.¨ She told us about Ted Turner and how he bought a big piece of land near here. However, in another story she told us how she wished her grandmother would sell a small piece of her land so they can go visit Germany. This was contradictory for me as an economist. She could not see that Ted Turner by buying up land had pushed up the price she could ask for her grandmother´s land. Also we met a lawyer/Lobbyist for GE capital. She was a nervous wreck. She had been on vacation for a month but yet you could sense how wound up she was. She had paid for the more expensive tour on the boat but stayed on the bus with us because there were too many people on the boat. She had quit her job after 9 years and is only a consultant now. My friend and her discussed the mortgage and credit markets.

Leaving For Mendoza

I will leave for Mendoza mañana (that is tomorrow) (I can not spell in English let alone in Spanish). My plan was to go to Bariloche but it is the high season now. All of Buenos Aires is out on vacation in the Pampas. They either go to the beaches south or to the mountains.
I will spend a few days in Mendoza and head down to Bariloche once the crowds go back to Beunos Aires.
Today I rode the train to Tigre. This is where all of the fruits from South America come into Argentina and get sent to Buenos Aires. It is a tourist trap these days and there are no fruits.
I took a picture of a McDonald for my classes to illustrate the Big Mac Index.
I will post again later if I am not hung over and if I can find an internet access.

¿Habla Espanol? Poquito? maybe--

I am in Buenos Aires and my feet are killing me. This is my first trip out of good old USA in over 6 years. I decided to try and learn some Spanish but that upside down question mark has convinced me that I don´t want to study.
Instead I am drinking lots of Cerveza and begining to understand all of the Hablaing around me. Slowly I am begining to habla too.

Ludicrous Laws

From the BBC, they have taken a poll on the most ludicrous laws both in the United Kingdom and in the world. Some of them are very amusing. Here is a sample (voting percentages are provided):

From the UK

1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27%)
2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British king or queen's image upside-down (7%)
3. It is illegal for a woman to be topless in Liverpool except as a clerk in a tropical fish store (6%)

4. Eating mince pies on Christmas Day is banned(5%)
5. If someone knocks on your door in Scotland and requires the use of your toilet, you are required to let them enter (4%)
6. In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet (4%)

From Worldwide

1. In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk (9%)
2. In Indonesia, the penalty for masturbation is decapitation (8%)
3. A male doctor in Bahrain can only examine the genitals of a woman in the reflection of a mirror (7%)
4. In Switzerland, a man may not relieve himself standing up after 10pm (6%)
5. It is illegal to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle in Alabama (6%)
6. In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on a Sunday could be jailed (6%)

I guess my days of providing booze to fish in Ohio are over. Though the laws may seem fake, the link is from BBC News, not exactly a fly by night organization. Enjoy.