Chris,
I'll reserve my comments about RMAF, as I saw so very little of it. Lamentable, but there was no time for an exhibitor to wander around. I was very happy with the Aspen/Ellis presence there; we did well. I saw AVA/Salk with Frank and Jim, Wayne of Bolder Cables, AudioKinesis (Atmasphere, a fave of mine), Nelson Pass's room, Bastani, a huge tube amp and speaks from Texas, and Ayre's room with Vandersteen. I dined with Ed West, Lyn Olson, and John Attwood, luminaries in their fields. Oh, and Steve Harrison showed me an impressive room from a local Denver high end guy. That was it, and what I saw was impressive.
Now, other impressions. Here we go. I loved America passionately. It has a friendliness, scale and landscape which staggered me, I love the country and wish I'd been there thirty years ago. The Rocky Mountains were stupendous; at 11,300 feet my breath was all but taken away!!
At just 16 I travelled all over Australia by air, and came to see the grandeur of my own country, which is very different, based as it is upon ancient desert landscape, a very few tropical areas, severe water shortages, and a dazzling array of burned colors. The US is very different, with almost the entire country arable and water plentiful. That makes a huge difference. Marty and I hired a car and drove 500 miles to Aspen and back to have a good look. I was grateful that although I drove on the wrong side of the road the entire distance no one hit me......
You really do see the States by car, and it was awe-inspiring. I found the people very friendly and willing to talk. There is a natural reserve in Australia, people don't like to talk to strangers, we mind our own business perhaps a little too much!! I am extremely talkative, and many is the time Marty walked away from me, embarassed that I'd engaged a bag lady in a long chat about nothing much on a street corner. I find I can really discover things about a society this way. But in the States, people were very happy to talk, and as soon as they heard my accent, they were fascinated because Australians seem to have good press these days. Most did think I was a Pom, which is regrettable, but hey, we are none of us perfect..........
I had conversations with all kinds of people, in shops, cafes, streetcorners, airplanes, gas stations, bookshops, parks, you name it. (If only I'd been like this as a young man, hmmm,
) The sheer numbers of people compared to my own tiny country made it a smorgasbord for me; everyone has a story and I had a ball. Paul and his wife Nancy made my NYC stay a tourist dream; sadly, however, I did not get about as much as I should have, but then I'm nearly sixty and my energy was limited anyway. The three of us covered just about every restaurant of note in the Brooklyn district, and man, that's a big town!!
Of course there are problems in all societies. In the US I saw very tough survival for most of the population, particularly if you should get sick. There are quite a few beggars on streetcorners, many of them mentally ill and most of them black. This is very different to Australia, where we have a benevolent approach and society's unfortunates are generally better cared for. But this has its problems too, and our vitality and drive does not compare to yours, with a consequent effect on our psyche. Your society is intensely driven and creative and people are endlessly resourceful, and I can see why the world's best technology originates in the US of A. This feature can be argued; many European countries are outstanding in this area, notably Germany and Scandinavia, but the US leads the world in consumer technology in my opinion.
I was struck by the sincere courtesy I received at all times during my visit. I can count on the fingers of one hand instances where people were rude. I recall a conversation with an old black woman on a bus hurtling down a major street in Manhattan as Paul and I searched for a good camera store. She was a beautiful old lady, and just charming, with no trace of prejudice towards me at all. I struck up a conversation with a beautifully dressed, professional business woman, a thirty something black lady in Denver, and was deeply impressed by her intelligence, and her grasp and acceptance of the racial issues within her society. I met a Hispanic man on an airplane who was another wonderful person, visiting a dying close friend in Miami who was critically ill with liver disease and pneumonia. He was a very accomplished man, too, a fully certificated engine and airframe fitter for US Airlines. We spoke of the racial mix of US society, and patterns of immigration, always a hot topic and for me, a fascinating one. I would say that levels of politeness and community spirit are stronger in the US than in my own country; I'm very impressed by this and am saddened by the way Australia is going.
OTOH, I was appalled by the waste of oil I saw in the States. The country is not taking depleting oil reserves and green house heating very seriously. I come from a rural background of large diesel engines and broadacre farming. I know about this stuff, and the pickup truck culture with it's huge gas guzzling motors does need to change soon. Mind you, I love this technology with a passion, and it would be tempting if I were a US citizen to buy a Lincoln Navigator (or even Toyota Tundra!!), but over consumption could bring the country to its knees and more than anything I want to see the US survive and prosper.
I was disappointed I saw so very few motorcycles. I love them with a passion, perhaps I should have spent time in California!!
In closing, I now know why New York city is the greatest Megopolis in the world. I fell in love with the city, it is stupendous. A walk in Central park, a frantic shopping spree on the corner of W 75th St and Amsterdam, a stroll by the brownstones near the park, a ride on the subway, a visit to B&H audio/video store, an aimless wander through the Museum of Natural History - these were powerful memories for me and I shall never forget them. I really want to go back, I loved the energy and vibes, and was very impressed by the clean air and good condition of the city. The history speaks to me in a way no Australian city can match; very, very impressive.
Hope this tells you something of my thoughts, Chris, there is so much more I could say......... and thank you for asking!!
Cheers,
Hugh
