I had the following question from a reader:
”I enjoyed your journey from communist Czech to Israel, London, Canada, and USA. I would love for you to compare the quality of life from country to country. What do you miss the most from each country?”
To answer in depth would be beyond the scope of just one Substack piece but I’ll try to make it brief.
I was only 15 when I left CZ, so can’t talk about it at length…Prague is enchanting and mysterious. It has a profound sense of its own history. It’s a bustling city but unlike, say, Paris, small enough to walk almost anywhere. The architecture will take your breath away and of course, I grew up there, so I’m partial to certain dishes you can’t get elsewhere
People are people everywhere. Every place I have lived has its share of polite, pleasant people and an equal share of a-holes. That’s just the human condition. Quality of life is tough to measure but I would say Iceland wins in that category: clean air, clean water, brisk ocean breezes, clean food and a very high standard of living. Their lifespans are 4-5 years longer than in the U.S. and our “lifestyle diseases” are almost unknown
London is best summed up in the words of Dr. Samuel Johnson (and he said them in the 18th century: “If you’re bored of London, you’re bored of life” The cultural possibilities are endless. What I also liked about the Brits is that they love their eccentrics and they are taught to mind their own business. It’s hard to make friends, beyond meeting “down the boozer” for a pint.
Israel is really five countries in one: the European Jewish population, the North African and/or Arab countries origination Jewish population, the Orthodox, the non-religious and the Arab population. Each community is very distinct. Jerusalem is the spiritual center of the country, Tel Aviv is a sub-tropical New York, pulsating to a crazy beat 24/7. Lots of music and life is fast and LOUD. Way too loud for me - but my main reason for leaving was I needed to get away from my toxic parents.
Toronto is like London, only MUCH colder. A huge metropolis of 6 million people. I loved the city, hated the weather to a point where I couldn’t take it any longer. People are similar to the UK. Reserved, tough to make close friends. High standard of living and everything is super expensive. Toronto has the best culinary scene of any city, including L.A. and New York. It’s astounding and I miss the variety and quality of food.
Finally the US. I have always wanted to live here - really all my life but it took me 60 years to get here. I’ve been to 23 states, so still many to visit! Life here is definitely more crazy than anywhere I’ve been and everything is bigger, including the people…and I don’t mean tall:) Americans - at least in the South - are the easiest folks to make friends with, which I love and admire. I love living in Florida but really, there is something intangible about where you want to live. There are a myriad things that are better elsewhere but to me, this is where I should be. America is still the best place to be yourself and to realize your full potential
What I miss the most -
Prague: the beer and the city views
Tel Aviv: Mediterranean beaches and eating falafel at 3am (but I was 18)
London: availability of concerts - rock, jazz, classical + the theater
Toronto: the vibrancy of the music scene and the amazing culinary choices
Iceland: I don’t miss anything but have bitter sweet memories, that’s for sure
You life is an amazing story to tell. Thank you for sharing your heart felt experiences. I look forward to listening to more.
George, I love this. I'm going to have to write one of my own.