so, i think i might finally be back in the Czech Republic, both mind and body. my internal clock finally decided to cooperate. after staying awake until 9 a.m. yesterday, i slept until one in the afternoon. i then stayed awake until 9 p.m., to a point at which i simply absolutely positively could not for the life of me keep my eyes open. so i slept until 6 this morning. i woke up and finished the last 100 or so pages of Johnny Tremain, had some breakfast, and watched some episodes of the second season of Quantum Leap on dvd. an all together unremarkable day today, i guess. plus, my class tomorrow morning was cancelled. so my preparations for waking up early tomorrow are all for naught.
anyway, now to the point of this post:
may this year be better than last... it certainly can't be as big of a disappointment as last year (see November 3rd for further reference), and it has the potential to be phenomenal (Iraqi and Palestinian elections come off without a hitch) or phenomenally awful (hitches).
last year ended on a horrific note, so let's hope that the aid that has so far been pledged to southeast asia actually materializes. it's not terribly well-known that the U.S. (GWB, in particular) pledged around a billion dollars (i think) to help Africa way back in 2002. they have yet to see a penny. i also read somewhere that a majority of americans think around 24% of the national budget goes to foreign aid, when in reality it is less than one tenth of one percent. maybe it's time for a reality check.
then again, maybe i'm too idealistic thinking that the entire world should be on equal footing - everybody should have equal opportunities. but this (human) world has always operated in a caste system and, for now, it seems it might always do so. i'll hope for that not happening.
it's time to put food on people's tables. it's time to learn about the world and there are many places available online to do so. sure, i mostly read entertainment websites, but i also devour news wherever i can get it. whether it's trivial "odd news" bits on yahoo as i close my e-mail account or in The Economist, to which my school has a subscription, for in depth international affairs coverage, i like to be informed. i just wish that more people (and americans, in particular) shared that trait.
for example, i cannot count the number of times i've been asked if Prague is in Czechoslovakia while home on the few vacations i've taken there - Czechoslovakia doesn't exist any more, it's two separate countries: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. it has been that way since 1993. but that's just a minor complaint, really. it's just that, it kind of makes me ashamed that people are uninformed - don't get me wrong. i don't hold the Czechoslovakia thing against anyone. heck, i was in their shoes a few years ago.
living abroad has opened my eyes to the world at large. but one shouldn't have to live abroad to take a few minutes everyday to peruse the international news section of any newspaper or website. all you really need to do is read the headlines and small notes - just a glance will tell you a lot.
please, inform yourself. take interest in the world around you. to me, it's an obligation.
and again, happy new year! may the energy it takes to care for the world be better used - starting with me.
Posted by iain at January 2, 2005 02:28 PM