Easter Snow

February Frost

Xenophobia is a Symptom of a Falling Country


It is the current presidential election in Taiwan that made me start this entry. But the same sentiment of xenophobia is, in general, increasingly strong following this trend of globalization, in the UK, in EU, and in all over the world. Concerning about this issue, the situation in Taiwan is slightly different from the rest of the world (or perhaps not absolutely) in that Taiwan has a specific target to resist.

One of the arguments between the two presidential candidates in Taiwan is whether to establish a closer economic tie with mainland China. Protesting voices claimed that such a move will eventually allow China to engulf Taiwan in both aspects of economy and politics.

It is such a narrow-minded view, I have to say.

Of course, I don't disagree that any policies like this need careful considerations so that they do not compromise any benefits that they promise.

Thoughtful consideration, however, is not equivalent to mere resistance. Resistance is surrender, here I quote Zizek. Any attempt to voice a nation's own identity and to participate in global affairs is doomed to fail if from the outset it is already contaminated with a prior prejudice against certain political bodies, and if such discrimination is derived from a defective conscience against advancement.
There are unfortunate witnesses of such both in the world history and today.

Xenophobia is only a symptom, and it can be tackled before history repeats itself in resorting to national closure.

Photo: in the Central Park, New York

A Small Friend's Visit

M is in York for her holiday, her first return to York after she and her family moved back to their country almost a year ago. We had tea together this afternoon. We knew each other when she was only 3 years old, and now she is 5! She showed her small fingers proudly to say how she is a big girl now! She is a sweet heart, smart, and smiling as she used to. Now she is even adapting herself into good manners: she uses napkins when she has meals and cleans up the table after she is done. That really surprises me. She does not rely on baby cart any longer! : )

We waved at each other when parting. Bye bye M! See you next time!

The photo: M is taking photo of all of us using her own camera.

There is a slope near the house. I always have difficulties in cycling up on the way to the university. But cycling down has been a very much different feeling. It is a mixture of fear and excitement: the fear of falling off my bike as I did once, and the excitement that is brought forth by high speed.

It is usually quite dark at night. Tonight, on my bike I sailed down, and I saw lights approaching at the bottom of the slope. A car it was. I wondered whether to clutch the brakes.

Underneath

Roses are amazingly enduring.

It's been 3 weeks since the day of purchase.
These flowers remained rosy in color even if the silky petals were wrinkled with time, and the crowns of the blossoms were touched by the impatiently burning hands of death.

But the stems underneath were still vigorous, unexpectedly.

Bubbles were glittering with oxygen, clustering around the lengthy and graceful stems, and stretching the last moment of life.