Amy & Adam's European Highlights

After living in Germany for over a month, both Adam and I can attest to various aspects of life in Europe we far prefer to life in America. Some of these things are obvious if you know us, such as the wonderful train system, the walking and biking paths, small automobiles, inexpensive, unprocessed, healthful food, cheap wine, seemingly endless new dark chocolate and marzipan combinations to try, funky, inventive uses of small spaces and a general feeling of age and history which serves to ground and humble us. The aspect of European life, however, that we've become not only accustomed to but evangelical about is far less obvious, however; our love of the metric system.

What do Liberia, Myanmar and the United States have in common? We are the only three countries who haven't adopted The International System of Units (SI). (Yes, my footnote here is wikipedia). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_system

When at Volksfest, Pete and Adam confirmed that 1 kilogram of water weights as much as 1 liter of water at 4 degrees Celsius, they were astounded. Having my food quantities now be measured in grams instead of ounces and pounds feels so much more damn logical. Trust me, once you start to use the metric system, I find that I don't even have to think about it any more. I must confess, however, that I have yet to develop comfort with measuring the weather. Celsius still doesn't speak to me.

If anyone is aware of a movement currently underway in the States about converting from our own archaic system of measurement to joining the rest of the world (sans Liberia and Myanmar), with SI let me know. If not, I'm getting ready to write to my Congresspeople.