You Get What You Pay For...Hopefully

I just happened to notice the tuition fees at St. John's International School, an American-styped private school here in Waterloo.  This is the school where I helped out a couple of years ago in their youth production of The Canterbury Tales.  By all appearances, it is an excellent school with great facilities and staff.  And well it should be.
This year's tuition, for a high-schooler, is just over $40,000 per year.  If you'd like to tack on a bus ride to and from school every day, just within the town of Waterloo proper, it's another $3,780.  I wonder what Harvard and Yale are charging these days.  For parents with graduating seniors here in Waterloo, either of these might suddenly seem like a bargain.

Little Place; Big Differences

Just returned from a quick business trip to a small town in central Denmark.  It got me to thinking about what it must be like, being a Dane, and how very different our two nations are.  The most obvious difference, of course, is language.  Then there is size:  Denmark would handily fit inside all but the 8 smallest American states and its entire population is far less than the New York City metro area.
Let's face facts: Denmark doesn't have a lot to make it famous.  Today, there are no rock stars, athletic greats, politicians (alright, their former prime minister is now the Secretary General of NATO, but that's a stretch), writers, painters, or business leaders.  Actors Viggo Mortensen and Brigitte Nielsen; that might be it among folks still living.
On the larger political stage, it's more interesting.  Here I was, in a nation that no one often notices, expects to either be the world's policeman, or the whipping boy for trying to be the world's policeman.  Terrorism is an almost non-existent threat.  Militarily, Denmark is supportive of NATO and so, indirectly the U.S., but it's clout is, shall we say, rather dwarf-like. 
In short, the world has few expectations of Denmark, and I have to believe the Danes are quite satisfied with that arrangement.  They have a lovely country, with loads of wide open spaces, unspoiled nature, and a serious attitude toward everything involving the environnment.  Trying to put yourself, as an American, in the shoes of a Dane is not easy.  It's odd; it's very different; its...rather refreshing.

Autumn In Upper Bavaria

Taken in Garmisch and Oberammergau, about a week ago.

Looking For Work? Forget About Bulgaria!

Several European countries are debating their minimum wage laws these days, but the rates they are debating are certainly different than in the U.S.!  If you want to move to Europe and are looking for a career in, say, the fast food field, I'd strongly recommend you settle in Luxembourg (find it on the map; it's worth it!).  Minimum wage there: $14.25 per hour.  Sounds like a good time to bone up on the French and/or German skills; how much do you really need to know to work at McDonalds??
Now, there are several nations all with wages around the same, to include Germany, France, and Holland.
On the other hand, I'd strongly urge you to stay away from southeastern Europe, where things change dramatically.  In Slovakia, for example, the minimum wage is around $2.65.  But it gets worse.  Rounding out the list of European nations is Bulgaria.  I've been there and have actually seen a McDonalds in downtown Sofia, so I know that there must be some jobs offering minimum wage.  How much will you make?  A whopping $0.98 per hour.  It may not sound like much, but just think how much you'd get back from the IRS every year...