onwards!

Moving towards yet another year, almost a decade into this new millennium already? Wow.

I must say I was saddened by the news that US shoppers stampeded through a shop so wildly that they led to the death of a worker, because they stepped all over him. Bloody capitalism. It's times like this that I wonder about the system.

I feel like receding into my memories. This time lets follow me back to the start of 2006, when I was living in Hong Kong.



I am sitting on my tile floor, looking at the steep hill outside my window. I hear cars and people beyond. I am sipping on some vitasoy lemon tea (my favorite). I woke up sometime ago, but not sure when. If I have no work my days tend to blend into awake and not awake times. I go out of my room. Past the old security guard who is listening to old Japanese pop music on the radio. The security door snaps shut behind me. A wave of pleasant city business hits me. The mixed spice of Hong Kong city life wafts into my nose. I walk down towards the station, walking past the giant frogs in the market waiting to be served as dinner. Maybe I'll get a cheap Hong Kong movie on VCD and watch it, in the last month I have watched over 50 or so. I change my mind. I step into the 7/11 convenience store. I find my favorite melty cheese tuna sandwich, and some more vitasoy lemon tea. Luckily here in Hong Kong the microwaves are self service so there is little conversation with the clerks besides the one way announcement of price. (Unlike in Japan where foreigners must know how to request or answer a question about the heating of purchased items.) But today has been slow, and the clerk throws a wrench in to the turbine and asks me a perky question in Cantonese. I look at her. From her smile, and tone I gather it's simply a conversational question. I scan backwards mentally and grasp the only word I can get with my broken Cantonese. I nod. She said something something something good? And so I reply with a half smile, "Good." She doesn't seem upset or confused by this answer so I turn around and microwave my stuff before heading off up a slanted sidewalk leading to a park and a swing set. The weather is great, wind blowing in my hair, and it's perfect for a small ride on some swings while eating a kickass sandwhich--- and drinking vitasoy lemon tea of course.

the future

As many of you might have noticed, I try to avoid political, too personal, and things about work on my blog. But just like last time when work bubbled into the core of what it meant to be me, I will post some thoughts. I am really really happy for America today. While in American college I had endless debates with classmates about what was wrong with American politics. I argued quite simply that politicians are supposed to represent America, but how can it be equal representation when most all politicians are rich old white men? Being a good politician of course transcends personal race and what not, but the fact of the matter is 99% of all presidents were protestant, and until now 100% affiliated themselves as Caucasian-Americans. Diversity, in all things, is strength. I see Obama as the example of a true American, his diverse family background and his strong political savvy make him a near perfect president for a twenty first century America. And on a final more controversial note, McCain and others claimed that Obama was out to "spread the wealth around" which was twisting one sentence Obama said in order to try to spread fear. But I never understood why that was a smear? What's wrong with spreading the wealth around a little bit? If the rich had a little less and the poor had a little more, wouldn't that make a better America and a better world? In any case, I look forward to seeing how this presidential term unfolds.