Hallelujah

I almost cried on Tuesday. Tears of joy. The conference paper which was due next Tuesday was extended to the new deadline of June 18th. That moment Jarrad messaged me about it, I swear the clouds outside parted a bit and the sun shone through, and the angels sang Hallelujah. If it was actually due next Tuesday, don't think I could have gotten it done. Probably ask for an extension or something. But when I heard it was extended, it was like spring in me unwound. Yeah, you know you're a bit crazy when you get in the car and start smiling and laughing by yourself...

Blood, Sweat and Takeaway ep3

Just finished watching episode 3 of Blood, Sweat and Takeaway. This time the Brits went to work in the rice fields in one of the poorest regions of rice farms in Thailand. They were to first pick the young rice plants then clear out the weeds then plant them back the next day. And all this had to be done in quickly because summer was approaching and if they do not do it in time, the rice fields will dry up and they would lose potential yields. The Brits roughly managed to do this but with a lot of struggle and in very tough conditions.

They were shown three houses for living. First one did not have a bathroom and they would have to just go in the wild. And there was also cow shit all over the bottom of the stilted house. So they looked at the second one, which was nothing better than just a shed, it had no door, only four posts and a roof over the top with a wooden floor. And the bathroom was shared with a few other houses. Then the last one was the most decent with a bathroom and clean space. They picked the last one although the rent was the highest because they just thought the first two was unbearable. On their first day of work, they did not work quickly enough and more local workers had to be called in and so were only paid half the amount. This they used all of it to buy food and could not pay rent and begged to pay rent the next day. Then the next day even with their full wages, most of it went to rent which was barely enough and they basically starved for that day. And on the third day, they worked at the rice processing plant and were for once able to catch up on their rent and have a decent meal.

But after that the harvesting season was over and they had no other way of getting any money to survive. Asking the locals, they found out the only way to survive was to do odd jobs which paid even worse, or go to Bangkok to find work. Some of the kids stay with their grandparents while their parents move to Bangkok to find work. And the parents usually only get to see their kids 2 days each a year during New Year and a Thai festival. Next leg of the series would see them go to Bangkok to experience the work these poor farmers go to, for work.

There was a preview of this and it is really not the Bangkok people see on holidays. They would be living in a slum area and doing the worst jobs imaginable...

I was very humbled after seeing this episode especially. The field workers work really hard and it still is not enough. I always had the belief that if I work really hard, I would be duly rewarded. With that comes an expectation that I SHOULD be rewarded. But for these people, even if they work really hard they could only barely make it to survive, for a shelter over their head and food to eat. So in truth, what people deserve is only in their head. If it is enough for me to live comfortably, it is enough and I would count my blessings.

Also, by comparison there has been a niggling feeling in me that I could be earning so much more working in engineering industry rather than doing PhD. But now I am just happy that I do make more than I need to live by. I appreciate things like having a roof over my head and never ever going hungry. There is always a superfluous of food. And where does that come from? These poor people working for their lives. It has just grounded me really, and not take for granted anything I have. The clean air I breathe, the food I have to eat and the soft bed I have to sleep on at night.

It is good and all that I feel this now, but I find by next week the feeling usually dies off and I am pretty much back to my ignorant self. Well maybe not ignorant, but I do not feel as much affected by the issue anymore but certainly I do care. I feel the only way I can understand them is to walk a mile in their shoes. And I think after my Phd I would perhaps like to go volunteer for Engineers Without Borders and go to a developing country to help them out. But now all I can think of doing is donating more to organizations like Kiva. I think just stop buying things beyond my means. I do not think boycotting would be much help as other people will still buy these food products anyways. And that is the system in place, in those countries. Boycotting would be a negative choice of action. Donating to Kiva would provide them with the means to improve their standard of living and so better their lives independently. It hopefully would generate more wealth in their countries and create a more decent living. Hopefully I can continue to be more appreciative of what I have, and what I can give back to the world.

Is Nothing, Seriously

I have nothing to say. I am quite sleepy. But I fee like blogging. So here's the 1st of I'm sure going to be a whole bunch, of nonsense blog posts. Let's see. I'm listening to Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows. I like this song, it cheers me up. Not that I need cheering up. Just saying when I feel low, it's one of my pick me up songs. I have no idea what the song means really though. What else. I think I'll talk about my taboo discussion topics. Because I just thought of some things that I started typing then straight away deleted. Well, not that I'm super tight on censorship or whatever, just some things, I don't want to blog about now. Because they are still ongoing and I do not wish to jinx it. Not that they are touchy or anything. I just feel if I talk about it's sort of putting that energy into the universe, and that would in effect, affect the outcome. Yeah, superstitious. Say for instance, if I just had an exam or whatever, if asked how I did I'll never say I did very well even though I did well. Because I don't want to eat my words when the results come out. And also things like some resolution I made to study real hard at some set time, I don't like to talk about it. Because I may later decide to not do it, and I feel real bad about it. Well, like today, I said I'd go to uni to do some stuff (though it's Saturday, whatever). Anyways, the point is I did not go and watched the whole 3rd season of Burn Notice. Yes, great resolve Lawrence. Looks like all my concerns revolve around work. yeah, workaholic. But not working as hard as much as I like, well not producing as much as I like either, I love but, yeah, struggle some times. Ah let me shut off the work talk. Must learn to do that, don't want to get over stressed and sick again.

Ok, let me spin the wheel of nonsense and pick a nonsense topic to talk about. Wow, now the playlist playing lemon tree by fool's garden. and it's playing the part where it's singing "isolation...isolation". I must be one sad boy. The one word that keeps popping in my head is Monkey. Doctor, what's wrong with me. Do I like monkeys all that much? well, i don't know, some monkeys are really quite ugly. and mean. but i love bananas though. maybe thats why I live monkeys, we have common interests and food preferences.

What else. Oh, ok. I've decided to sleep without a pillow, cos when i wake up my shoulders are always sore. but i tried sleeping without pillow, and it was ok. so i guess that works.

I wonder why people blog. I at this moment, really have not important thing to say. just things i thought about. do people read this crap? obviously not. no comments. so why do i keep writing? dont know.. just have nothing to do and like to rant on and on about nothing. I can write about nothing all day. i head the plane outside. it's kinda loud. i hear planes now and then. i sometimes hear it, while in my bedroom start imagining. i imagine this. i close my eyes and start thinking that i am displacing myself like a ghost from my body out my window then flying. then im in the green fields of ireland or something and walking around in the green fields. wow, how awesome if i could fly then i can go anywhere. and not leave any carbon foot print for travelling. but flying so high i guess my face would be ripped off. and at such altitude. I might fly up there and faint and fall splat back to earth. well, i cant really fly. so whatever

thats like nonsense karl pilkington would say. im no round headed buffoon. i shall stop now with that. what else.

my wall's white. there are 2 hooks on it. i thought it'd be awesome to hang a huge pin up piece of wooden board on the wall. then i can draw whole lot of things and start pasting it to that piece of wood. there's be pencil drawings though. cos i kinda hate colouring. maybe because i just suck at it.

Ok, im sick of talking about myself. ill talk about something else. wait, no. Ill talk as being someone else. so the following is not representative of me.

Ok, think think, think like someone else. wow, my mind pulled blanks. ok, from this very in depth test, i deduce everyone else is an idiot. because my mind went blank, hence everyone else are blank heads, and i am the only smart person in the room. actually i am the only person in the room. well, thats besides my point. at least i know im not crazy. if i did that and there was actually an alter ego, people should be very worried right about then. but nothing happened. so its fine.

like all nonsense in the world. i stop rant now. hello. yellow dustbin.

Love, Sweat and Takeaway ep1

Watched a show entitled above, about how food is produced that we can get to buy it at such low prices in the supermarket. So the show sends a couple of UK youths to South East Asia to see how these food are produced. First episode was to send them to Indonesia to see how tuna is processed. The girls are sent to the tuna processing factory where the fish gets gutted, descaled deboned, cooked and packaged. And it's very tough working there. Their work day do not end until all the tuna caught for the day has gone through the whole process until it's packed. And they only get 1 break the whole day. And when they're working, they basically do the jobs of machines.

So the guys of the group were sent with the fisherman to see how the tuna is caught. They board the tiny ship which will go 100 miles out into the open sea. That trip takes about 12 hours. They sleep in really cramped spaces, about the size of a casket for each of the person. Then when they get there, they fish. When they have found some tuna, it take less than half an hour to fish out 7 tonnes of tuna using quite traditional methods using lines and hooks and bait. 7 tonnes! Impressive. Then after that they make for shore again and that is another 12 hour trip!! So in total that took them about 36 hours. And when they got back to shore to drop of the UK guys, the boat actually head out again for another round which would again take 36 hours! That is just so crazy, very tough.

Back to the UK girls at the factory. End of the day, and they get paid. They get the equivalent of 3 pounds each, for the entire day! So they go to the shops and buy some bread and jam, and some chocolate and sweet things. Because pretty much that is all they can afford. And bring it back to the worker's hostel and share it with the line manager which took them in for their stay there. And they also gave the line manager the extra money that they had made. And I found that moment quite touching, that those UK girls would actually do that. And when the manager got the money, she actually wept, because that money is very hard to come by even for her as the line manager at the factory. She actually lives at the hostel away from her kids who are at the other town with her mother in law. And she could only afford to visit her children once a week because the the travel fare was expensive for what she was making. Furthermore, her husband was working on another island in the mines and hardly ever see the family. So they are so poor they could not even live as a proper family. That was just way too harsh.

I watched this series just now after coming home from work. I worked from 8.30 to about 6pm and I already felt really tired. But after watching that show, I just have to count my blessings and be happy that I have a job that pays quite well! Stop complaining about how much work I have, just be happy that I DO have work and I am paid well for it.

Also, I've resolved to loan more and more often on Kiva. It's a really good cause that loans money to people in poor countries and help improve their standard of living. I mean I keep thinking that I want that nice shirt, or that cool guitar, or a nice car. But I do have these things already, maybe not as nice or shiny, but it's functional. Also, I don't have to buy so much junk food or anything, I can still make it. Eating out every day is not really necessary. I've decided that I have enough, and I don't need much more. And there are plenty of people who do not have what I have, my standard of living. So anything I can spare I would absolutely loan out at Kiva.

I applaud the makers of this show to bring some awareness to how things are. It surely made me more aware and less ignorant, and I'm sure plenty of other people also.

Planet Sustainability

Inspired by The Story of Stuff

Go read the papers and what the Greenies/environmentalists are saying, our planet is all going to shit. Why? Because we're over consuming and living beyond our means. I guess that's true. I mean I buy all this stuff I don't really need, just feels nice to have them. For instance, I got 4 guitars, do I really need 4? Not really, Seeing I'm not that good in the first place. And shoes, I got so many pairs. Do I really need that many? Not really.

So here's what I say to myself, stop buying crap!!!! I say that to myself a lot, but still I do. buy lots of crap. Well, I'll try to stop now. Cos every time I buy more crap it makes me feel even crappier, than before. Well, it's alright if stuff make me happy. But it don't it seriously don't, so I'll stop buying stuff, make do with what I have, and only buy what I need. I'd wear my clothes till it wears out, just get one or 2 nice things after this lot can't be used. I'm sick of having stuff.

So here's the thing, we need to change our culture of stuff. Have less stuff, you'll be happier. You do not 60 shirts and say to yourself, I have nothing to wear. Have 10 nice shirts, and be happy. I'll stop buying now. Because I do not need it. If there is an empty slot in the cupboard, or an empty space on my shelf, it needs not be filled with junk. I hope the amount of stuff I have gets less, and the amount of life I experience increases.

My Volition

Passion and persistence...where when one challenge circumvents from direct paths, one works hard to pursue such paths to the point these blockades are removed and the road ahead is clear. And your dreams and ambitions are attainable...

Ken Blackwell Interview with Jon Stewart

I just watched the April 28, 2010 interview of Ken Blackwell (former Republican Ohio Secretary of State) by Jon Stewart. It was for Mr. Blackwell's book; THE BLUEPRINT: Obama's Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency. Does this sound much like propaganda to anyone?

From the content of that interview, I find the responses of Ken Blackwell evasive, not to-the-point, lacking in reasonable (factual) support of his assertions and ultimately holding a double standard between the Obama and Bush administration.

Here are what I understand his arguments are. Firstly Obama is trying to organize a power grab where there is more centralized power by the Obama administration. This is carried out by legislation such as 'Obamacare'. This is not good because such universal healthcare would  'level out' healthcare. The same principles would also be applied to the economy. And as such the economy would turn into an economy driven by government through legislation and not the will of the free market. This in addition to all other legislation of the same vein would concentrate power in a centralized government. This would be achieved by Obama when all the legislation are in place, he has the power of appointing judges of the supreme court and as such would appoint people who agree with him, and so he would in this case would create a branch of government which ultimately would be authoritarian and dictatorial, it would be ran unchecked by the branches of government that are currently in place.

And Jon Stewart speaks of the following. Firstly, most of the claims put forward by Mr Blackwell, is not supported by fact, to the point of the extremity he is saying things are headed. Secondly, Obama has been elected to lead the country and so drafting legislation and what Obama believes serves best the interest of the country should be done, and that is what he is elected for. And during the last bit of the interview, Mr Blackwell says what Obama is doing is much more severe than what Bush did when in office. Which as Jon Stewart pointed out, this claim is not supported by fact.

These previous points raised by Jon Stewart are valid and cover the claims made by Mr. Blackwell. But here is the point. Mr Blackwell is claiming the Obama administration is moving into a leadership that is ultimately going to be unconstitutional and an imperialistic presidency.

I totally disagree with this point (and support Jon Stewart on his following points). Everything Obama has done is well within the democratic process and can be overturned when the people has spoken and the next election comes around. To say something is unconstitutional, would mean to say, the moves Obama are making are NOT open to negotiation and canNOT be repealed. This is absolutely not the case. There is no concentration of power, as much as Bush did when he was in office. And the main point is, when you are losing do not mistake that with tyranny, when you do not agree with the policies and decision of the current administration, that does not mean it is unconstitutional. What you do not agree with does not make it unAmerican.

Side note: I believe American politics right now, it is moving not in a bad direction, but in an absolutely ridiculous direction. This discussion between Blackwell and Stewart could have been more meaningful if Blackwell would just speak of facts. I found it extremely frustrating listening to him speak, as he sidesteps all the questions pointed at him and just goes on speaking of things to make his point. And when Stewart takes up on points that Blackwell made that are not reasonable, he then pushes on with his point and possibly move in a totally different direction. Where is the credibility when there is no fact to back up what is said. I understand from what I hear the values of both Republicans and Democrats. And I believe these parties exist for a reason,. I feel there is an increase demonization of 1 party if you support the other. And I think that is ridiculous. The debate at the level they are being done now is not honest and too much like show business. This is not show business. At the end of the day what appeals to people is honesty and transparency, and initiative to deliver what you said you would do. I do not care if it is Republican or Democrat. For the Democratic process to work better, serious, credible and focused discussions have to happen, not political angling for votes.