My heart and I will go on!

Feb 1, 2017

Life does go on, and personally, our adventure in London continues. The past weekend was filled with interesting activities. But pretending that all is the same is completely futile.

All is not the same, my whole being is twanged with indignation and worries. If the US election result had been unfathomable and devastating, it became nightmarish and disheartening when it finally sank in that Trump did not do it alone, there are many who actually share and endorse Trump’s values. It was a painful disillusion.

The Trump camp is indeed a basket of deplorable, they are hell-bent on hate, division and getting their ways. Even before Trump took office, House Republicans attempted to gut Office of Congressional Ethics Oversight, stripping its independence and reducing its power.

Putting Trump in the White House is tantamount to putting powerful weapons in the hands of a thug cum lunatic. And indeed, since inauguration, it all went hellishly downhill fast.

Trump and his goons, now in power, are carrying on like dictators. They abuse power, employ heavy handed and abusive tactics towards those who voice dissent, play propaganda game, engineering “alternative fact” and bullying and threatening media and press to go along with their lies.

First week in office, more than a dozen executive orders were issued, repealing Obama care, building wall on Mexican border, banning citizens of 7 Muslim countries from entering USA, suspending refugee program, reversing course and allowing Keystone and Dakota pipelines to go ahead.

Trump and his cohort’s atrocities go on and on.

USA, once a beacon of hope and power engine for human rights and western values and ideals, is being dragged, kicking, into reversing its trajectory. This is a tragedy unfolding, “Democracy Has Gone Hellishly Wrong!”

How do you deal with something that is so wrong in so many ways and so many levels? Women’s March on London on Jan 21^st was a cathartic first step. I have to go on and do my bit in making the world a little better!

Saturday was a beautiful day and cherry blossoms was starting out on this one tree in the neighborhood. Perfect way to start Chinese New Year of Rooster! It was also the weekend the France Show was on. An annual event at Olympia, the France Show showcased all things French, a little bit of fashion, lots food and wine tasting, travel and language learning opportunities, lovely French music, and an exciting Can Can dance. Amazingly, 50% of the exhibit was French real estate. At the end of the day, a delicious dinner at Golden Dragon of China Town!

Sunday was reserved for Winter Wander with Walk London. Not the best day for walk, sprinkling most of the way, but luckily it did not start pouring until we had just finished the walk. This walk from Gunnersbury Station in Chiswick to Richmond was mostly along the river Thames, with a detour through High Street of Brentford and another to Syon Park. The first 2/3 of the path was not too impressive. It was prettier between Syon Park and Richmond. I can see though it’d be much better in spring and summer.

London Diary – Women’s Mach on London

Jan 21, 2017

How do you deal with something that is so wrong in so many ways and so many levels – Having Trump as the president of US? Women’s March on London was a cathartic first step.

Women’s March on London carried on from US embassy at Grosvenor’s Square to Trafalgar Square, men, women, young, old and children, and so many showed up. Mr. Sun joined in too. Inspiring!! Very proud to be part of it.

 

 

Hope floats

“Libya declares cease fire after UN vote”. My heart leaped with joy at the headline. Is it really the end to the most violent clash of the multitudes of Middle East uprising? It would be most welcoming after such a long bloody battle between the rebels and the brutal Gadhafi regime. And the world really needs some good news amidst Japan’s battle against natural disaster.

Since Tunisian revolt that ousted their President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in mid Jan. and brought about his flight to Saudi Arabia, the world has gone through tidal waves of events. Following the success of Tunisian revolt, a series of demonstrations and clashes broke out through Middle East, in Yemen in Algeria, in Egypt, in Jordan, in Syria, in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, in Iran, Bahrain and Libya. And as Gadhafi’s force advancing and cornering the rebel forces, Japan was hit by monstrous 9.0 magnitudes of earthquake and tsunami which caused hellish nuclear crisis that has hindered the so desperately needed recovery and rebuilding.

As I watched the events unfold, I rode an emotional roller coaster along the way. I was touched by people of the Middle East standing up and demanding rights, dignity and democracy, fundamental human rights that they had been deprived of for too long. There is oppression, there is revolt. In the meantime, the seeds of democracy are finally talking roots. I was heartened by their courage and bravery. I was inspired by their wisdom and intelligence, staging peaceful demonstration in large and using internet and technology to facility their movements. I hailed Egyptian military for not yielding to Mubarak regime and not taking part in slaughtering protesters. I was saddened by news of casualty and I cursed those essentially medieval regimes that abused powers and cracked down its own people. I was encouraged by the success of Egyptian revolution but depressed by Gadhafi’s madness and ruthlessness.

As the international community debated on the Libyan crisis, nature dealt Japan in the other part of the world a horrible blow. The devastation is heartbreaking. And yet the stoicism and orderly conduct Japanese have exhibited is uplifting.

Maybe, human decency will prevail after all. Dynamic and momentum of the Middle East movements are indelible. As usual, champions of democracy of the developed world such as France, Britain and US led the way, others of the international community including Arabian members lent their support and UN voted. The way ahead is yet long but once the spirits are awaken, they will not be put back to sleep.

Bandit’s Logic over looted Chinese Relics

The news of a controversy swirling around a 3 day auction at Christie’s in Paris of art works collected by late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Berge, first caught my eyes on China Daily and I started noticing it on other news media as well.

GOP’s political group suicide on Economy Stimulus Bill

I am not claiming that the Economy Stimulus Bill is a panacea or that it has no downside but what do you call the behavior of house and senate Republicans? Do they take people on the main street as fools? Do they think by assuming a united facade they can deceive people into thinking President Obama did not make bipartisan efforts?

Not a single vote on the Economy Stimulus Bill from the house GOP and only 3 votes from senate GOP. Where does the logic lay with these Republicans? After all, didn’t many of them vote for the Iraq war, the Bail out plan and their like? And not a single one of them could support the Stimulus Bill?

$800 Billion is a lot of money but did GOP republicans forget how much money they spent on the Iraq War? Who is responsible for the 50 year record high deficit and national debt? Take a look at the graph below. What hypocrites these GOP republicans are!

National Debt Graph: Bush Sets 50-Year Record
Click link to view: http://zfacts.com/p/318.html

What else could you call GOP’s behavior but putting politics above the nation and people of this country, manipulative and downright foolish?

Kudos to Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania!

As for me, I am excited about the pass of Economy Stimulus Bill, due to my confidence on President Obama and common sense. It is not perfect and I wish the same goals could be accomplished without adding to the already eye popping deficit and national debt. Or I could wish there had never been Iraq War, there had not been a record high deficit and national debt, there had not been a financial crisis or there had not been an economic recession altogether. But that is not going to work, is it. For the sake of our entire mankind, I sincerely hope it will work!

Triumph of Humanity!

Like millions of others, I was gravitated to the TV set on the evening of Election Day. Watching election result roll in was an emotional process. As the evening progressed and the vote counts were called out in chunks, my anxiety dwindled gradually. When the electoral votes reached the 207 and 138 ratios, I became cautiously optimistic. At the next call out, it advanced significantly to the watershed, NBC announced 284 electoral votes for Obama….. Finally, “Barack Obama is elected 44th president of the United States in a landslide victory……”

I voted!

I had planned to take advantage of the early voting to avoid maybe long line on the general election day and finally made it this past Fri to the poll at the main library downtown. There I found the longest line I had ever seen since I became a citizen ten years ago and started voting in every election. I stayed in line despite the two to three hour estimate because it was my only chance for early voting; and I brought my book with me. Two hours later, I cast my ballot. I was extremely relieved and gratified.

Presidential Impression

There were no major surprises from the first presidential debate regarding issues and positions, except that it did accentuate McCain’s support for the Iraq war, a stand diametrically contradicting his pro soldier and anti war rhetoric. Obviously his idea of taking care of soldiers and their families is to send soldiers to be killed or injured in a needless war.

Making History

Who make history? Kings, queens, heroes or eminent leaders of campaigns or movements? Leo Tolstoy didn’t think so. As he explained in War and Peace,

Don’t Rush to Another Disaster!

“Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged Congress to quickly pass a $700 billion financial bailout, warning that letting problems persist would have dire consequences for the national economy.” “The White House warned of severe consequence if the bail out plan is not approved by Fri.”

Head lines of this sort are all over the place. What a night mare! Doesn’t this seem a Déjà Vu to you?