Suggestion Before Reading

To get the most out of this blog, I highly suggest you start from the oldest post. You will gain a greater understanding of the text this way. Thank you for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy.

Works Cited: Happiness is Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

Gho. Photograph. Thimphu. Dooars to Bhutan. Web. 26 Nov. 2010.

Gothic. Photograph. London. Classic Art. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Iceland. Photograph. Reykjavik. Iceland Explorer. Web. 27 Nov. 2010.

Island. Photograph. Thailand. Koh Samaui. Web. 27 Nov. 2010.

London. Photograph. London. Orangesmile. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Miami Oceanfront. Photograph. Miami. Sunny Realty. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Netherlands. Photograph. Rotterdam. Hotels.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2010.

Qatar. Photograph. Avilian. Web. 26 Nov. 2010.

Saint Paul Cathedral. Photograph. Netherlands. Open Churches. Web. 24 Nov. 2010.

Smile. Photograph. Concord. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Sri Sri Ashram. Photograph. Bangalore. Anandway. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Swiss Streets. Photograph. Switzerland. Expat Travels. Victoria. Web. 25 Nov. 2010.

Swiss Train. Photograph. Switzerland. Train Travel. Web. 25 Nov. 2010.

Wahhabism. Photograph. Thimphu. Tres Sugar. Web. 26 Nov. 2010.

Weiner, Eric. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World. New York: Twelve, 2008. Print.

Response Questions: Happiness is Understanding

How did you experience the book? It's not always helpful to talk about whether or not you liked the book, but rather how you felt as you were reading it? Were you pulled effortlessly into the book...or did you have difficulty getting into it? Why?
This book was a pleasure to read. From the very first paragraph Eric Weiner drew me in with shocking comparisons that made you need, not want, to keep reading. He knows how to keep the reader interested while revealing important facts that could be considered boring if just presented on a sheet of paper. His gift with metaphors and similes makes it easy to relate to these far away countries problems.
Were you happy about your book choice? Why or why not?
I was extremely happy with my book choice. How could I not be happy with a book that seeks to show the reader, essentially, happiness itself. This novel was masterfully written and brought me to the heart of many countries. That was especially enjoyable for me because I love learning about the cultures and lifestyles of various places.
Which place discussed in the book did you find the most intriguing? Why do you think that was the case?
I was the most intrigued with Iceland in the book. I believe this is partially because it appears that Eric Weiner, himself, is most interested in this chilly country. I am also amazed that the people in Iceland do not mind failure. I cannot fathom this really. I have always truly been afraid of failure and it is often a huge source of my own unhappiness. I am so glad this chapter was included because it caused me to take a deeper look at me own insecurities and imperfections. Hopefully, I will learn from what I read here and realize that sometimes failure is an option and it is just the trying that counts.
What central ideas might the author be exploring-the novel's themes? Consider ideas about the nature of love, the requirements of goodness, the meaning of justice, the burden of the past...basic human issues that are at stake in the book.
Eric Weiner is exploring the idea of money as a source of happiness. This appears in almost every chapter in the book and is most certainly a basic human issue. He comes to find that money has no relevance when it comes to happiness beyond providing our basic needs. In fact, too much money can even cause unhappiness as Weiner discovers in Qatar.
What do you feel you learned from this project? Please consider the book, the technology involved with producing the project, or any other aspect regarding the project.
During this project I learned a great deal about myself and how happy and lucky I am. I am so glad that I live in America, and although it may not be one of the happiest places in the world, I am grateful I have my freedom and do not live in a war-torn country such as Moldova. I also learned a great deal of blogging through a process of a lot of trial and error. I learned how to post videos, edit layouts, and get music onto my page.
What was the most enjoyable part of the project? Please explain why you felt this way.
The most enjoyable part of my project was the actual reading of the book. I have always been an avid reader and adored the way Eric Weiner kept me interested in the book with his quirky stories.
What was the most difficult part of the project? Please explain why you felt this way.
For me, the most difficult part of the project was getting a video onto the page. I did not know how to embed the code for a youtube video so the video would appear on the page itself. It took a great deal of time and the help of my brother to understand and learn how to do this properly.

Happiness is Music

The first song on this blog is by a British band know as The Beatles, Here Comes the Sun, and is extremely uplifting. The second is by an American artist, Bobby McFerrin, called Don't Worry Be Happy which truly captures the American way of life.

Happy Now?

When I visited the WDH, I was an empty soul searching for something that cannot simply be found by analyzing endless self-help books to take a look “at my inner self”. I was attempting to uncover the secret to happiness. I searched country after country and found bits and pieces of what made people content. In the Netherlands, I found that strong facts are necessary to build foundations and keep one firm in their beliefs. In Switzerland, I learned that maybe a little bit of down time is not a bad thing at all. In Bhutan I began to imagine what the world would be like if all the government cared about was the happiness of its people. Qatar taught me that even though money can make someone feel safe, too much of a good thing often leads to despair. In Iceland I found that failure is an option, and an encouraging one at that. In Moldova I was brought back to reality and became thankful for what I had. In Thailand I realized that no matter how much I contemplate the universe it will only make me less content and maybe I should just be happy with what I do know instead of always needing more. In Great Britain I learned that the American way is not always the right way. America taught me that to find happiness I do not need to travel the entire globe, I just need to look inside of myself and draw on my support systems around me. This experience has by no means left me at a ten on the happiness scale, but I have certainly grown as a person and am glad I embarked on this journey.

America: Happiness is Home

The famous Miami beach

The Miami skyline

Although I live in Washington, I decided that to re-enter America I needed to do it with a bang. My wife and I decided that Miami would be perfect to do this (and we had always wanted to travel there). The second we stepped out of the airport we were struck with a wall of heat and humidity, but not miserable like the heat in Qatar; it was a delicious tropical heat. I assumed that America would be a happiness superpower, just as it is within foreign affairs. My research at the WDH said otherwise, however. America is by no means the happiest place in the world. Eighty-four percent of Americans reported being very happy- but that is not even close to how many Americans are considered wealthy by worldly standards. Despite many Americans' beliefs, money cannot buy happiness; it is found within yourself and brought out by the people around you. This is what I have learned above all else on my journey- happiness is a state of mind. Perhaps Miami and its paradise-like qualities have put me in that state of mind for I feel happier than I have in years. I think I might just move here, to the land of the Cuban Americans and wonderful coffee. To me, this place is bliss. Who knew I’d find it here.

India: Happiness is a Contradiction

India's famous Taj Mahal

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's ashram

India holds significant sentimental value in my heart as this was the first country I was assigned to as a youthful, enthusiastic national correspondent. The India I lived in was overflowing with outbreaks of bubonic plague, questions of nuclear weapons, and economic tribulations. I was always vaguely aware that there was a whole other side to India, but I made the decision to pay no heed to the land of gurus and miracles. I decided to return to India to pay this mystifying “other half” homage and explore how, exactly, contentment and desolation could contradict one another and exist side-by-side, forming two separate worlds that seldom cross each other’s course. When I first arrived in India I went to visit a popular guru named Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I took a taxi to his ashram in India’s Silicon Valley near Bangalore. The ashram had a breathtaking garden with just the right amount of quiet in contrast to world outside its gates. I went to a speech the guru gave explaining success without stress. When I first saw him he was wearing a graceful white robe and a colossal necklace made entirely of flowers. He told us that a baby smiles four hundred times a day while an adult only smiles seventeen times a day. This is a result of stress. Perhaps stress causes much of the world’s unhappiness and this is why youth are happier than adults. I liked where this idea was going but it was time to head back home. America here I come.

This is a video of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and him talking about his secrets to happiness.