America has chosen Barack Obama but most of the world has readily welcomed him with open arms. He brings hope!
It’s been only a day and the history made here has rippled across the world in a very positive way. There were worlwide celebrations on his victory including Israel, India, Italy, France, Iraq, Iran, China, and especially in Kenya, where Obama’s father was born, and Indonesia, where Obama went to school in his early childhood.
The New York Times released an article describing Obama as a “promise” to rest of the world. Fox News even published a story “Obama: President of the World?” wherein there are numerous mentions of joyous celebrations around the planet. The article is accompanied by a picture gallery reflecting the happiness of the inhabitants of the world. The words like “world community” or “international citizen” seems not that hypothetical anymore — at least not for our president-elect Obama.
June 12, 2008 - The Pew Global Project Attitudes [Complete Report 
]
[Source: New York Times, Fox News, Foreign Policy]
Yesterday was Halloween and children (and some adults) dressed up to celebrate this unique festival. Pirates, mermaid, Satan, monkey, or a zombie surgeon — all to honor our ancestors? Sounds silly as some of the costumes but that was the intention of the Halloween Day.
The Halloween history originates from celebration of harvest to thank god(s), the ancestors, and to ward off evil spirits. The most cited source comes from ancient Ireland.
“This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, Celts (Ireland natives 2000 years ago) celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.”
Similar practices or rituals were practiced by other farming communities around the world around this time of the year — after the harvest and before onset of winter.
Sources: History.com, Wikipedia
Today I got a call from an old man, about 70-80 years old, trying use his old digital camera he once got as a gift when he was a professor in a college. He’s a painter and intellectual but today he’s frustrated and irritated. The reason he gave me is probably the same for other people of his age.
He had a family once and now’s helpless and alone in his house. His wife has passed away and his children have moved away. The feeling of being deserted at the weakest time in your life after raising a family is probably the worst feeling.
Is this what most of us will probably go through when we get older? After having a life full of friends, family and fun, why the end has to be sad and lonely? Maybe not so lonely if there’s a loving partner and not so sad if there are some 6 figures in your bank account, but most people are just depressed because they get older.
Old age should be perceived as a symbol for various accomplishments in life. Accomplishments don’t only mean career accomplishments but also the people you loved and helped, lives you changed, and the contributions you made to the society that somehow nudged the way of life for the younger generation in a better direction. It symbolizes love, experience, good judgments, and the services you provided to the nation and the people in your youth — when you could.
So, be proud, love, be loved and respected.
Few movie flash in my mind when I talk about this. These are among my favorites: About Schmidt [2002], The Bucket List [2007], and Big Fish [2003].
