I
was just watching StarNewsAsia (one of three English TV stations that
I receive in my room), and one and a half weeks after the U.S.
Presidential Election, the lead story is still about the United
States' uncertainty about its future leadership. It is fascinating to
me that the whole world is watching this "hoopla" down in Florida.
Now, the entire world seems to know where West Palm Beach and Boca
Raton are located. I get nightly questioning at dinner from the
British contingent as to my desire as an American to rejoin the U.K.
if we "can't figure out this 'democracy' thing." I remind them that
they still have a monarch and a royal family that provides plenty of
entertainment to the rest of the world. So, it seems at this point
that decisions are being made on a daily basis by the judges in
Florida and Atlanta. I guess only time will tell what the future
holds for the American people. I am scheduled to give a "talk" in
three weeks to Robert Black College (which will also be open to the
public) about American politics and the effects of the Presidential
election on U.S. foreign policy. Hopefully, some finality will come
to this process by that time. Although, it is my opinion, that
although this process has taken some time away from everyone watching
educational programming, such as Friends and Sportscenter, this is
history in the making. For generations to come, students will study
this election, and all Americans are finally figuring out the meaning
of the Electoral College. As President Clinton has said (and I said
the day of the election--one day before the President), no American
can ever use the excuse that his/her vote doesn't count as a reason
for not voting in the future. They are taking an active interest in
the politics of their nation (maybe I am getting a little too
hopeful), but in any case, people are paying attention to this.
People all around the world are seeing that even with discrepancies,
Americans are not taking up arms to storm the Capitol or the White
House, and that this process is the true meaning of democracy and of
a peaceful and legal transition. Whoever takes up the reins of the
horse we call the Presidency, America will need to come together as
Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans or Greenies (what does one
call a Nader supporter besides foolish), in order to move forward.
The rest of the world is now watching. And although many Americans
feel that it is not our responsibility or our concern what the rest
of the world is doing, our future depends on the interaction of the
strongest nation of the world and those of all levels down to the
most fragile nation in the world. The best way to live together is
through communication. Maybe this could solve the issue now present
in the election...Communication. Vice-President Al Gore and Governor
Bush need to lead their respective supporters away from divisive
rhetoric and toward a finality of unity. So, from Hong Kong, I call
on the two candidates to meet in a room in middle America and come to
a conclusion through discussion. Of course, in reality that is not
going to happen. In which case, they should be put in a cage like Mad
Max: Beyond Thunderdome. As Tina Turner chanted, "Two men enter, one
man leaves." I think Gore can take Bush. Now, that would be exciting
(but only as a last resort and only between the two candidates).
Nothing too violent. Just a good old, fifteen round boxing match. I
am thinking Pay-Per-View. Think about it.
Article One
I
will now continue with your regularly scheduled Journal update. The
past few weeks have been filled with increased amounts of work for my
Masters program. Since the semester is coming to a close, I am
attempting to prepare research papers in all four of my courses. I
have had to prepare two different debates, and the reading list has
increased in its magnitude. Now, I am not complaining. The material
is pretty interesting, but the workload has forced me to drop my
Mandarin course (which I was taking in my free-time), at least for
now. The Mandarin professor prepared audio tapes of all of the
lessons for me, however, so I can continue to practice. I shall
continue, and I shall hopefully resume lessons in February after my
journeys outside of Hong Kong come to a conclusion. I am planning a
five-week adventure through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam,
and anywhere else the "way of the traveler" takes me.
Article Two
Let's see. A few weeks back, I journeyed with about
seven other people to Lamma Island, which is about thirty minutes by
ferry from Hong Kong Island. It is relatively remote, but well known
for its line of fresh seafood restaurants on the edge of the water.
We ended up at Sammy Chan's place, complete with tanks of seafood in
front of the kitchen that hold that nights dinner, depending on what
you choose. My friend, Park, did the ordering, and we ended up with
an unbelievable meal complete with ten different types of fresh
seafood (some of which I won't eat again and some that was fantastic)
and a few bottles of champagne and wine. It was a wonderful evening.
I have also gone out for Shanghai-nese, which is similar to what
Americans consider Chinese, yet still with that authentic flare of
flavor, disgust, mystery, and intrigue that you just can't get at the
Golden Crown (a famous Northbrook Chinese joint). Also on the topic
of culinary delights was a new Mexican restaurant/tequila bar that a
bunch of us dared to try two weeks ago. The food wasn't bad, and they
had a huge selection of tequila. Unfortunately, it doesn't compare to
anything you can get in the States. The problem with many places in
Hong Kong is that the owners and chefs are most often Chinese. Now, I
believe that in order to give that authentic flavor there has to be a
dash of love and a spoonful of your own ethnicity and/or history. I
guess that is why the United States, a nation of immigrants, has so
many unbelievable restaurants. Note that I wrote "ethnicity and/or
history" because I believe that I could create a mean deep-dish pizza
due to the fact that pizza is probably on the top five most eaten
foods list during my 23 years. Others on the list include deliciously
barbecued chicken, salmon patties, flavorful meatloaf, and salad. I'm
hungry.
Article Three
One
thing that fascinates me about Hong Kong is the unreal skyline. Both
Hong Kong Island and Kowloon (mainland side) have skyscrapers,
complete with reflective metals, glass, and neon lights. The
architecture is some of the best in the world. And, there is always
something new being built. These buildings are some of the most
high-tech in Asia and probably throughout the world. The greatest
thing about the buildings, though, is that every one, whether it is a
world financial center or a housing complex, is built using
scaffolding made out of bamboo, wire, and tarps. There are workers
seventy (70) stories high standing on bamboo! Truly unbelievable. I
can't imagine the courage that these workers have in order to work in
those conditions on a daily basis. From what I heard, the reason that
they continue to use bamboo is that the building inspectors won't go
up on the bamboo scaffolding, so in essence they may be cutting
corners. Makes me glad that I am on the first floor of Robert Black
College Click to see pics
of RBC!
Article Four
Speaking of the skyline reminds me of an amazing
afternoon walk I took a couple of Saturdays ago. My friends, Nate and
Wendy (a different Wendy than that of previous High Holiday dinners),
and I ventured up to the Peak. Like I have described before, Hong
Kong Island is pretty much just a large mountain. From Robert Black
College, we cruised along the numerous trails that provide ridiculous
views of the Harbor and the skyline. As the sun went down, we were
treated to a magnificently colored sunset. Soon after, the lights of
the city came up. I had never realized how gorgeous the Hong Kong
skyline truly was, until I saw it from above. Many of the buildings
are complimented with multi-colored lights, which add to the modern
look that goes along with the image I always had of Hong Kong. Truly
very cool. We continued up to the Peak, which was fascinating. At the
top of a mountain, there is a complete mall, with numerous
restaurants and activities. Imagine Navy Pier or Chelsea Piers, and
all of the activities that go along with them, on top of a mountain.
Somewhat out of place, but really pretty wild. We ate at a restaurant
called Marche, which looked out onto the skyline. Marche is a
combination of food from all over the world, with a per plate charge
system. Basically, you go up to the stand that you prefer and choose
what you want to eat. They stamp your card, and then you pay at the
end. Not necessarily a novel idea, but still fun to do.
Article Five
I
will conclude by describing how I spent November 8th (which was the
night of election day in the U.S.). I awoke early on Wednesday to
head over to the Ritz-Carlton, where numerous American organizations
were holding a party to watch the election returns as they came in.
Complete with a buffet for breakfast and lunch, about fifteen
large-screen televisions playing CNN, numerous live bands/choirs, and
a mock election, the event hosted about 1,000 people. As the results
came in, cheers filled the room. There were supporters of both
candidates. As CNN called states and then retracted, the tension in
the room mounted. Needless to say, I didn't make it back for my
afternoon class. At about one in the afternoon, with Florida still
undecided, the Ritz closed shop to make room for a previously
scheduled wedding. So, along with a few old and new friends, I headed
to the Foreign Correspondents' Club with Michael Ceurvorst, chairman
of Democrats Abroad (Hong Kong). Surrounded by reporters, we caught
the premature announcement that Bush had won. Our hopes were shot,
but as the afternoon wore on, we regained hopes. It was a roller
coaster ride. By the end of the night, I was emotionally drained.
Over the last week and a half, I have been barraged with questions
from people from all over the world as to the intricacies of our
election process. Part of me feels proud that the world is paying
attention to the United States, yet part of me is a bit embarrassed
that in such a highly advanced society, with all of the technology
that has been produced in it, the United States still has such a
flawed voting system. But, I guess the best thing that will come out
of this is that there can only be improvements made to the system,
which highlights the beauty of our society which allows, and
requires, continual upkeep. That is the brilliance of our form of
government. That is enough of my philosophical, civics lesson.
Article Six
At
the Ritz event, I met a guy named Russell Davidson through a friend.
Russell invited me over to his and his wife's home for dinner last
Friday night. Along with our mutual friend, Jonathan Lieberman, and
Jonathan's family, Russell's family and I had an unbelievable
home-cooked dinner. Obviously, the main topic of conversation was the
pending election, as it has been at almost every meal I have had
since that fateful election day. In any case, I was treated to an
extraordinary meal, once again. A wonderful thing about the transient
nature of Hong Kong is that Jewish families, and families of all
faiths, are willing to accept people into their homes, whether they
are here for a year or only a few days, regardless of their level of
religious involvement or beliefs. I have been to Shabbat dinners with
people of all religious faiths since arriving in Hong Kong. Pretty
amazing. Or, maybe it is a sign of the general warmth of the people
who surround me. Either way, I am enjoying my surroundings.
Wish
everyone the best. Take care of yourselves...
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