Category: Uncategorized

Exploring Contemporary European Man in Szalay’s _All That Man Is_

February 13, 2026

The book All That Man Is by David Szalay has short stories about European men. The stories unfold chronologically from April to December, the first story starting with the youngest man, who is 17, and each subsequent story featuring an older man, culminating in the last story, which features a man who is 73.

The book has nine stories, starting with two students sightseeing in Berlin and Prague, followed by a young Frenchman vacationing in Cyprus. The subsequent stories are about a university student and his girlfriend driving ftrom Oxford, England to Poland; a bodyguard with his boss and the boss’ wife from Budapest working in London; a Danish journalist digging up dirt on a politician in Amsterdam; an English realtor selling condos in the Swiss Alps; an Englishman living on the Croatian Riviera; a Russian oligarch trying to commit suicide on his yacht on the Mediterranean, and a retired British diplomat living in Italy.

The stories center on white, heterosexual European males traveling or living in a country other than their home in Europe. Does this group of characters represent what it means to be the typical European man today, as the book’s title suggests? I think the author is exploring whether these men collectively illustrate a modern archetype.

I really enjoyed the book. The stories are compelling with well-written plots and fascinating characters whose problems feel real. The smooth language is punctuated by dialogue, balancing longer passages introducing the characters and describing the localities.

Some events are quite funny, as in the story where a married woman in Prague tries to seduce a young, shy boy and ends up sleeping with boy’s friend. Or, when the oversized girl and Bernard put the mattress on the floor in the Cyprus hotel in order to accommodate their lovemaking. However, the author never mocks the inept subjects. Instead, he uses gentle language to describe their frailties and haplessness.

A recurring theme in the stories is the lack of, or search for, meaning in life. This led me to question whether Szalay portrays contemporary European men as lacking purpose, ambition and opportunities, focusing instead on vacations, drinking, and sex. Through these motifs, the book prompts us to ask: Is this what defines the European man today?

An interesting writing craft the author uses is leaving the stories hanging at the end, with no conclusion about what happens next. For example, when the student finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant, he assumes an abortion will solve the problem, while the girlfriend absolutely refuses to do so and wants to keep the baby. The story ends without the reader knowing what happens with the couple. Another example is the Russian oligarch who wants to commit suicide but does not know how to do it. Again, the reader is left with uncertainty about what happens in the end. I found the stories with uncertain conclusions entertaining, leaving the reader to speculate about potential ends.

The stories are realistic; the plots are familiar. The book In Praise of Older Women came to mind while reading the first two stories about young men and older women (Stephen Vizinczey, 1978). The realtor story recalled brochures for ski chalets in Canada, and the story of the Hungarian woman in London reminded me of Central European girls brought to the US for prostitution. The Danish minister’s affair with a married woman is typical of politicians’ scandals. Such familiar situations made the book feel genuine to me.

The short stories also reminded me of Alice Munro’s work, such as Runaway (2004). However, in contrast to the women who suffer in Munro’s stories, the men in Szalay’s stories end up the losers. For example, Murray, retired on the Croatian Riviera, is chasing validation of his masculinity by going after a barmaid, and when losing her to a Dutch friend, he goes after the barmaid’s mother, not upscale choices by any standard.

If Szalay’s stories attempt to define the contemporary European male, I wonder about their lasting relevance. As Europe’s demographics change, will the image of the European man in this book remain accurate or become outdated? The book was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, and I found it thought-provoking and enjoyable.

Reflecting on Daily Life: My First Journaling Experience

February 9, 2026

Digital media often invades privacy, or should I say always. Ads for shoes, books, and cars follow online searches. Banners even remind me to journal (writing down daily thoughts, feelings and experiences). I’ve never done this before but yesterday was both challenging and interesting and decided to put it to writing.

Yesterday was challenging because the garage door would not open. Both cars were locked in, leaving us immobile with no public transit nearby. It took time to discover the problem—the spring was broken. Bottom line: I couldn’t get the 2010 Mazda3 to a repair shop for an appointment. The car needed a diagnosis for a knocking noise when turning right, and the brakes were pulsating.

I tried to disengage the door from the lift engine and just push it up. Because the spring was broken, the door was too heavy for me to lift. I used an 8-foot-long 2×4 stud as a lever but still could not lift it. A neighbor came over to help me. Together, we raised the garage door and put a stud under it to keep it from closing. I managed to drive the car to the repair shop, arriving late for my appointment.

Addressing the garage door issue promptly was important, as an open garage without cars inside can jeopardize security. Once I managed to drive out, I called the repair service, and fortunately, they had time in the afternoon to come over to fix it. This was an unanticipated and unwelcome expenditure, adding to the day’s complexity; I got lost driving to the garage even with my GPS on. I took an Uber taxi home.

Yesterday’s other event that made an impression on me involved the Uber driver and the two garage door technicians—all were recent immigrants. It made me wonder: are most service workers in Canada immigrants? While my sample was small, I found it interesting that all of them I met in one day were newcomers.

In halting English, the Uber driver related that he came from Cameroon 8 months ago; he was French speaking. This was his first winter in Canada. I gathered that he had three children under 10 years of age, and that his wife worked as well; they needed two incomes for the family to live. Driving a cab gave Yves, the driver, the opportunity to get home when the children needed him.

He could not find employment in Cameroon in his field, food processing, and immigrated to Italy, where his wife was already living. There, however, he felt that Italians were too close-knit and would not embrace foreigners. For example, he said he never saw a black bus driver in Milan. So, they decided to come to Canada and arrived last summer. On this day, the temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius or minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday, a huge climatic difference from Cameroon.

I also had interesting conversations with the two technicians who came to fix the garage door in the aafternoon. The lead technician was from Punjab, India. With his Punjabi accent, he explained the meaning of ‘Punjab’ to me; it means ‘five rivers’ in Punjabi. He also talked about the partition of India while instructing the other repairman, who identified himself as a Palestinian.

Talking with the Palestinian, I learned that he grew up in Jordan but never goes to Gaza, where he has relatives, because of the Israeli road checks. In spite of carrying a Canadian passport, whenever he tried to cross into Gaza, the Israeli soldiers harassed him. So, he no longer visits. On leaving, he advised me to oil the moving parts of the garage door a few times a year and showed me the product he used, which is available at Home Depot. I never thought of oiling the garage door before, a learning experience.

Meeting three immigrants prompted me to reflect on Canada’s diversity. Statistics show that 1 in 4 Canadians is a first-generation immigrant, and another 17% are second-generation. Over 40% of the population has recent immigrant roots—it’s a remarkable diversity. I would not be surprised to find Canada to be the most diverse country in the world.

Late afternoon, I called the repair shop to check on my car. I was shocked to learn their huge estimate to make the car “safe” again. However, after discussing it with the mechanic and hearing his detailed explanation, I felt confident in his recommendation. I realized I had not had the car repaired for years, I thought it was indestructible.

I had to decide whether to choose repairs, knowing that more issues might arise soon, or consider buying a new/used one. First, I thought it was time to trade up. However, I reconsidered; the suggested repairs could extend the car’s use for another year or two. I have spent nothing on this car for years, and I liked the gearshift; they do not make gearshift cars anymore.

Reflecting on journaling, I do not expect every day to be as eventful as yesterday, worthy of journaling. Writing the journal required time and thought. It made me realize the importance of maintenance and discovered the impact of immigration on Canada via direct experience. Some days may be less striking, but journaling can still offer value.

Understanding Misinformation on U.S. Travel

January 30, 2026

Amazing how much misinformation permeates reality today. My coffee buddy told me not to enter the United States because I’ll have trouble at the border. I told him I am going to visit friends and family in the Carolinas and Florida, which triggered a long rant from him about why he does not visit the US these days. To cut a long story short, we had no trouble at all at the border. The official at the gate wished us a good trip south after a brief, friendly conversation.

Why did my friend have a negative impression of travelling south? He must have seen too many headlines about border agents harassing tourists, read too many articles on the internet about tight immigration policies into the US, and probably seen too many digital media videos on how US immigration agents manhandle travellers.

Confirming the bad publicity surrounding travel to the US, I met a Dutch fellow in the Everglades in Florida who said that travellers from Europe must hand over their cell phones to US immigration officers for a scan of their digital accounts to see if anything there reflects negaitvely on President Trump. If any such messages are found on their phones, they may be banned from visiting the US for a couple of years, he told me.

In our conversation, I learned that he has a condo in Naples that he has not been able to rent due to the significant decline in visitors this year that he attributed to the current US official position towards foreigners and visitors. I read recently that there is a proposal to launch a search program for critical views of Trump on the digital accounts of US visitors, but it is not in effect yet. This type of misinformation is pervasive and spreads by word of mouth.

Misinformation also happened in my family. When we travelled to Florida years ago, my mother, who lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, warned us against swimming off the coast of Florida for all the crocodiles there. Well, there are no crocodiles where we traveled. I do not know where my mother obtained her information.

The subject of how much people are misinformed is discussed in a recent book by Hans Rosling, entitled “Factfulness”. The author conducted numerous surveys worldwide on people’s opinions and knowledge about common topics such as population size and growth. The author concluded that people are ignorant, less than thirty percent were the correct answers in his surveys.

Rosling describes numerous reasons for people’s ignorance; for example, people tend to project the future based on straight-line projections. The world’s population doubled or grew from four to eight billion over the last fifty years. Projecting the doubling of the population over the next fifty years would bring the world’s population to sixteen billion by 1976. The author’s projection, based on economic, family formation and fertility trends, projects the world population peaking at around 11 billion people.

Rosling’s work is data driven. He cites statistics from many sources (such as those from the United Nations) supplemented by the surveys he has conducted. I am not sure that data and surveys together provide an adequate picture and would suggest that, in addition, direct observations may help shed light on reality. For example, if you watch the major TV channels today, you cannot avoid seeing the chaotic environment in Minneapolis. So, you may jump on the idea that Minneapolis is typical of the entire US. But the US is a big country, and life goes on without federal agents interfering in most places.

We traveled in December to North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee, and have not witnessed any civil disruptions. Stayed a few days in Winston-Salem, Durham, and Charlotte in North Carolina, Orlando and Everglades City in Florida, and Decatur, Tennessee, and had a great time meeting friendly people. Real-time experience defies what you see on TV.

I am not saying that my experience provides an accurate picture of what is going on in the US. What I am saying is that, in addition to what you see and read in the media, it should be complemented by other sources of information, including personal observation and common sense.

And reflecting on my view of life in the US is but a small part of reality. We traveled in a few cities, met a few people, and I’d be the first to admit that my observations are limited in number. But what I learned is that what you see in the media is just one part of the big picture, and the best way to find out what is going on is to travel, to gain a better picture of reality.

Why Standing Desks Improve Typing and Kit Assembly Experiences

January 27, 2026

The clerk at the reception desk worked standing at an elevated desk for typing. I asked her how she liked standing and typing. I had just bought a desk that moves up and down and adjusts to accommodate both sitting and standing positions. The professional advice is that typing while standing is good for your health and can improve typing speed. Apparently, one is more focused, energized and alert while standing. Blood circulation is also better, and you are likely to lose weight because standing eats up more calories than sitting. At least, that is what I read in the literature and triggered me to buy a stand-up desk.

The receptionist said she enjoyed typing while standing, so I shared my experience buying and assembling a stand-up table kit. The kit arrived with clear instructions for 17 steps, requiring screws plus extras, and perfectly aligned predrilled holes. This was a relief because I’ve struggled with other kits missing parts or with misaligned holes.

As I finished my story, the receptionist shared her own experience. In one of her previous jobs, she had the challenge of reassembling returned products in a furniture department store, often missing pieces.

I could not help but describe an earlier experience I had putting together a kit. It was Christmas time, and we bought one of our young children a large rocking horse that came in a box. On Christmas Eve, and after the children went to bed, I started assembling the rocking horse around midnight. Assisted by drinks and a few hours of struggling with instructions and pieces that either did not fit or were left over, I had the rocking horse assembled. I was ready to move the horse into the living room where the Xmas tree was. To my consternation, the fully built rocking horse was too big to fit through the door! A most unsatisfying experience that led me to swear off ever building another toy. The only available option was to take the horse apart, move it into the living room, and then reassemble it.

Come to think of it, many of my attempts at assembling products that come in large boxes leave me feeling incompetent and frustrated. They take many hours, including reading multi-step instructions in small print, often accompanied by drinks to relieve stress. The last big assembly was a BBQ that took four hours. It took a case of beer with an obliging friend who, luckily, followed instructions, to complete the assembly. In other cases, I studied all the provided pieces before assembling the products intuitively, with varying success.

I am typing this blog standing at my new table, elevated to its highest position. So far, so good. I do not feel tired. I am not sure if I am more focused, energized, or typing faster. Maybe I’m faster, but I am making more grammatical and spelling mistakes. It’s a new experience. Resting my elbows on the table feels comfortable and I think I’ll get used to it.

Exploring the Value of Personal Interaction in Today’s Digital World

January 20, 2026

At the local box store I visited, the young salesperson from Gujarat showed me a slew of laptops and described their capacities. He was very knowledgeable. In the ensuing conversation, I learned that he is a graduate student in engineering and has been seeking a permanent job while pursuing his studies. I prefer to make informed decisions, so I told him I’ll go home and review the computers he recommended online.

On driving home, I stopped at another box store and had a similar experience with another salesperson, another immigrant, this one from Africa. The computer sales personnel in both box stores were immigrants, to my surprise. Many immigrant students pursue studies in science and engineering and support themselves financially by selling technical products.

He showed me several suitable laptops: lightweight, with a terabyte of storage, lots of RAM, and a fast chip. My preferred model was only available as open box, with a 10% discount. I wanted to check online reviews and asked the salesperson to hold the open-box model overnight.

When I returned the next day to buy the model based on the good reviews, the Christmas sale was still on, but the open box model was unavailable. Instead, they found a new one and, after some discussion, offered me the same 10% discount due to their earlier promise.

While waiting to finalize the sale, I noticed a sign advertising the credit card for this box store. According to the ad, you get a 10% discount on your first purchase. Wow! I decided to get another credit card and filled out the paperwork to receive my additional 10% discount on the computer.

I thought about the process of buying a laptop, driving home. No question that I spent hours talking with numerous salespeople, a time-consuming process. But I learned from the conversations, and, more importantly, I enjoyed them. It was satisfying to speak with people rather than scan websites like Amazon and buy a laptop online.

Although a stretch, this experience contrasts with a recent coffee purchase at McDonald’s, where I just went up to the screen to order, then waited, and picked up the coffee at the counter without speaking to anyone. I found it much more satisfying to purchase merchandise by talking with people. But I understand that businesses may prefer cutting out people-to-people communication to streamline the sales process and speed up business transactions.

The other thought that crossed my mind was whether businesses like to cater to retired people who may have time on their hands to study promotions and sales.  They can be selective in their buying habits and are often more demanding customers than younger people with jobs and families.

On reflection, I found talking with people while transacting business was thoroughly satisfying. I wondered whether the trend to simplify business transactions by moving them online would have negative consequences for conversational skills and social interaction (I fail to see the digital world, or what is called social media, as a replacement for face-to-face contact, including Zoom). Remote work is gaining popularity, especially since Covid, and with consumer goods available online, one can stay home and get by without face-to-face interaction with the outside world for months. Would this trend lead to more isolation and loneliness?