Enough already! That's what I told myself on Thursday, while considering what to blog next. However, I felt like jumping off the diving platform without hitting the water by doing so. Thank goodness! BBC online news yesterday reported that Zimbabwe President Mugabe rewarded Olympic gold medalist Kirsty Coventry US$ 100,000.00 for a job well-done at the Beijing Olympics.
"Kidding me!" I said to myself as my jaw dropped. Here's a country, which has a widespread shortage of food and fuel, its inflation is currently at 11,000,000% that one has to bring "wads and pads of paper bills" and joining a long line just to buy a loaf of bread, yet it can afford to reward an Olympian, who now lives in glory in the old-glory of USofA (pun intended). The BBC report took me back to my question: Is Olympics an individual or a state (publicity) competition?
Mugabe's action surely answered it. Certainly, Kirsty Coventry brought honor to the country. She's the only Olympian who won all, but a couple, for Zimbabwe. Of course, she is worthy of her labor and hard work, no question about that. Nevertheless, I cannot understand how a president can afford to reward (in US dollar) an Olympian in the midst of a serious economic crises. If the Olympic Games is an individual or a team competition, every country should not be giving away thousands or millions of money as an incentive for its athletes to excel. I probably would admire President Mugabe (and not consider the reward a show-off), if the amount was a little less, but with a huge Zimbabwe law (call it Coventry Law)that IN HONOR OF KIRSTY COVENTRY'S OLYMPIC TRIUMPHS, HE AND HIS CRONIES WILL RETURN ALL THE WHITE-OWNED FARMS THAT THEY REPOSSESSED FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS. After all, Kirsty is Caucasian.
I know. I know. Zimbabwe is not the only country that glorifies victorious Olympians. Hey, I heard my own country, The Philippines, which is also experiencing economic crises (oh well, which country isn't. Even the old USofA is), promised to give 3,000,000.00 Philippine pesos for a Filipino gold medalist in Beijing. Unfortunately, there wasn't any, except in a "washu", which was just an exhibition game.
So now, those Kenyans and Bulgarians, who competed for Quatar and other countries even though they cannot speak the host's language and understand the culture, are also now out of the question. I still am pinching myself (for me to believe) that the IOC find such action legitimate, because it adheres to the Olympic charter that the Games is an individual and team competition. There, you have it. Clear as mud! Make my mind spin 360 to understand the politics in the Olympic Games!
Peace! Unity! Understanding! Oh, well, let's just keep the 5 continents together and expect the best for the Winter Olympics.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Toilet Problem
Winding up my blog on the Olympics was suppose to be my topic this mid-week; however, the report on the toilet problem, which I read on Weekend Balita (Aug. 23-26 issue)caught my attention.
The Associated Foreign Press report on the toilet problem was from the World Water Week forum, which was participated by 2,500 sanitation experts, recently held in Stockholm, Sweden.
Checking the internet on the issue, I also found the following: 1) It was reported by World Health Organization that nearly two million people die every year from diseased related to bad sanitation and 2.6 billion people around the world do not have access to proper restroom. 2) The United Nation launched The International Year of Sanitation 2008, in November of last year, primarily to bring international attention to this problem. 3) In response, the World Toilet Association (hmmm... didn't know before that such association exists) has been working towards providing toilet facilities particularly in developing countries. (CNN.com)
Despite humanitarian endeavor to solve this problem, the recently held conference in Stockholm reported that there is still an estimated 1.2 billion people, primarily in Asia and Africa, still do not use toilets (even if it is available) to defecate. The paper further said that the best method to make this effort a success has been to shame people.
Even though shaming may be the best method to encourage the use of toilets in India or Bangladesh, this must be used with extra caution when applying it globally. The culture of some people groups around the world might not welcome such strategy, that toilet advocates might be endangered. I just wanted to voice my concern, because some selfless and determined outsiders, may they be change agents or technocrats, might apply this strategy without considering the culture of the target population. There were many introduced change that were considered beneficial to the target population, but did not succeed just because the change agents failed (or ignored)to study the web of culture and the environment.
(Several years ago, I was invited to visit the Masahua Indian Development Program in Mexico by its executive director, my co-fellow at Haggai Institute in Singapore. I was happy to see that almost all programs were beneficial to the community, until I heard about this one project. Glass Etching. What on earth happened here? Many Masahua Indians live in small houses made of mud bricks that I can barely see the point of giving them the skill in glass etching! Anyway glass etching was no "biggie" than the state-sponsored swine program in the past, which was a complete failure.)
I see the need to aggressively advocate the use of toilet. Nevertheless, before a change agent introduces it, he or she must consider the culture and the environment. So many economic resources, many of these were money loaned from World Bank, have been wasted already.
I never will forget my time with the Ata Manobo in southern Philippines. I was a young, very ambitious and mission-minded change agent then. I was successful in advocating almost all the planned changes, but was minimally successful in toilet advocacy. Don't get me wrong. I practiced very good toilet training (LOL). Seriously, I was very good, if not excellent, role model. Unlike the villagers, I shunned using the open field or the river to defecate. I have my outhouse.
Shaming an Ata Manobo as a strategy would never work, because to shame somebody, in their culture, is tantamount to killing somebody. One cannot even laugh, while looking at an Ata Manobo passerby, because it always is taken seriously as an action done to shame him/her. Shame oftentimes triggers raiding and murder. Hence, a change agent cannot apply a "shame strategy" with them.
I tried my best to incorporate health and sanitation in the literacy and health programs, however, to encourage them to use an outhouse was difficult to hurdle.
Pit latrine was accepted lightly, because digging a two-meter pit in the village will turn into a water well. The water in the pit latrine became a breeding ground of the malarious anopheles mosquitoes. Further, the villagers cannot stand getting wet by the splashing of water while using the pit latrine. Furthermore, they cannot stand the stink, which they believe made them sicker.
The best solution to counteract the village refusal to use toilets was to encourage digging a shallow hole every time they defecate in the field. This was acceptable.
I just hope toilet advocates would try to find specific strategy to combat intestinal diseases based on the culture and environment, rather than resorting outright to shaming the target population. In short, don't consider that what is good for the gander is also good for the goose. So, just be careful out there. Good luck.
(NOTE: You can read more of my change advocacy among the Ata Manobo in my book, KOILAWAN: Letters and Poems of a Jungle Dad-Mom, now available in many online book outlets in 21 countries.)
The Associated Foreign Press report on the toilet problem was from the World Water Week forum, which was participated by 2,500 sanitation experts, recently held in Stockholm, Sweden.
Checking the internet on the issue, I also found the following: 1) It was reported by World Health Organization that nearly two million people die every year from diseased related to bad sanitation and 2.6 billion people around the world do not have access to proper restroom. 2) The United Nation launched The International Year of Sanitation 2008, in November of last year, primarily to bring international attention to this problem. 3) In response, the World Toilet Association (hmmm... didn't know before that such association exists) has been working towards providing toilet facilities particularly in developing countries. (CNN.com)
Despite humanitarian endeavor to solve this problem, the recently held conference in Stockholm reported that there is still an estimated 1.2 billion people, primarily in Asia and Africa, still do not use toilets (even if it is available) to defecate. The paper further said that the best method to make this effort a success has been to shame people.
Even though shaming may be the best method to encourage the use of toilets in India or Bangladesh, this must be used with extra caution when applying it globally. The culture of some people groups around the world might not welcome such strategy, that toilet advocates might be endangered. I just wanted to voice my concern, because some selfless and determined outsiders, may they be change agents or technocrats, might apply this strategy without considering the culture of the target population. There were many introduced change that were considered beneficial to the target population, but did not succeed just because the change agents failed (or ignored)to study the web of culture and the environment.
(Several years ago, I was invited to visit the Masahua Indian Development Program in Mexico by its executive director, my co-fellow at Haggai Institute in Singapore. I was happy to see that almost all programs were beneficial to the community, until I heard about this one project. Glass Etching. What on earth happened here? Many Masahua Indians live in small houses made of mud bricks that I can barely see the point of giving them the skill in glass etching! Anyway glass etching was no "biggie" than the state-sponsored swine program in the past, which was a complete failure.)
I see the need to aggressively advocate the use of toilet. Nevertheless, before a change agent introduces it, he or she must consider the culture and the environment. So many economic resources, many of these were money loaned from World Bank, have been wasted already.
I never will forget my time with the Ata Manobo in southern Philippines. I was a young, very ambitious and mission-minded change agent then. I was successful in advocating almost all the planned changes, but was minimally successful in toilet advocacy. Don't get me wrong. I practiced very good toilet training (LOL). Seriously, I was very good, if not excellent, role model. Unlike the villagers, I shunned using the open field or the river to defecate. I have my outhouse.
Shaming an Ata Manobo as a strategy would never work, because to shame somebody, in their culture, is tantamount to killing somebody. One cannot even laugh, while looking at an Ata Manobo passerby, because it always is taken seriously as an action done to shame him/her. Shame oftentimes triggers raiding and murder. Hence, a change agent cannot apply a "shame strategy" with them.
I tried my best to incorporate health and sanitation in the literacy and health programs, however, to encourage them to use an outhouse was difficult to hurdle.
Pit latrine was accepted lightly, because digging a two-meter pit in the village will turn into a water well. The water in the pit latrine became a breeding ground of the malarious anopheles mosquitoes. Further, the villagers cannot stand getting wet by the splashing of water while using the pit latrine. Furthermore, they cannot stand the stink, which they believe made them sicker.
The best solution to counteract the village refusal to use toilets was to encourage digging a shallow hole every time they defecate in the field. This was acceptable.
I just hope toilet advocates would try to find specific strategy to combat intestinal diseases based on the culture and environment, rather than resorting outright to shaming the target population. In short, don't consider that what is good for the gander is also good for the goose. So, just be careful out there. Good luck.
(NOTE: You can read more of my change advocacy among the Ata Manobo in my book, KOILAWAN: Letters and Poems of a Jungle Dad-Mom, now available in many online book outlets in 21 countries.)
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The Gymnastic Controversy
Yesterday, the first paragraph of the Los Angeles Times headline reads: The International Olympics Committee(IOC) asked the International Gymnastics Federation (IGF) to reexamine whether gold-medal-winning gymnasts He Kexin and two of her teammates were too young to compete in the Beijing Games.
Certainly, this controversy will not just die without all stones unturned. I commend IOC for trying to protect the integrity of the Olympics by acting to thoroughly investigate the issue.
I would like to see IGF to go beyond passport and birth certificates. Why? I tell you why. Passport and birth certificate can be fabricated easily, especially if the nation would like to showcase its power for all the world to see. IGF must muster the help of other professionals, like auxologists and pedagogues, to check possibly on the development of jawbone and the academic knowledge of these gymnasts, respectively. Development of jawbone helps check the growth of permanent teeth, as education level, more or less, to the age of an individual.
Certainly, this controversy will not just die without all stones unturned. I commend IOC for trying to protect the integrity of the Olympics by acting to thoroughly investigate the issue.
I would like to see IGF to go beyond passport and birth certificates. Why? I tell you why. Passport and birth certificate can be fabricated easily, especially if the nation would like to showcase its power for all the world to see. IGF must muster the help of other professionals, like auxologists and pedagogues, to check possibly on the development of jawbone and the academic knowledge of these gymnasts, respectively. Development of jawbone helps check the growth of permanent teeth, as education level, more or less, to the age of an individual.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
California Prisoners: Mr. Kelso's VIPs?
So, I blogged about the incarcerated men in the USofA on June 25. Big time! I thought of not writing another one on the topic, but I am appalled with the news (Pasadena Star News, Aug. 14) that Clark Kelso, the Federal Court Overseer, asked a judge to seize $8 billion from California treasury to improve the medical care at state's prisons. To make it more shocking, Mr. Kelso also asked the court to hold Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state comptroller in contempt of court if they don't allocate the money soon.
California is cash-strapped. In fact, couple of weeks ago, hundreds of state employees were in Sacramento, the state capital, to protest against the plan of the governor to lower their salaries to minimum wage rate, because there's very little money to disburse.
What is Mr. Kelso thinking? While the law-abiding constituents are having problem getting medical emergency care (with closures of many E.Rs, most have to travel many miles and wait for at least 4 hours, before they could be seen by E.R. doctors), having problem refilling their prescribed medication (many have to even cross the border to get cheaper refills), having problem convincing the state not to cut more on the educational budget and not to lower their salaries to minimum wage, he has the nerve to ask a judge for such drastic and preposterous action.
Certainly, those people at the pen needs medical care, but they should not be treated special. They are at the pen to be punished. They are there to be deterred from committing more crimes. They are there to be incapacitated. They are there to be rehabilitated. To give them best services is incongruous to these four objectives of the criminal justice system. Why not just provide them their basic needs and use that $8 billion to Californians, who are outside the pen? Thousands of law-abiding citizens can barely make both ends meet. Consequently, more and more of those outside the pen are now resorting to OTC (over-the-counter) medication, just taking analgesics for undiagnosed pain, because they are uninsured and cannot stand the travel to and long wait in emergency rooms.
Mr. Kelso should have asked the court to seize that money for the sake of Californians, who are outside the state prison. They are the ones who really need help so that they can continue paying taxes to keep felons off the street. Yes, felons in these 33 state prisons have constitutional rights for better medical services; however, the law-abiding citizens have more rights to be served better.
California is cash-strapped. In fact, couple of weeks ago, hundreds of state employees were in Sacramento, the state capital, to protest against the plan of the governor to lower their salaries to minimum wage rate, because there's very little money to disburse.
What is Mr. Kelso thinking? While the law-abiding constituents are having problem getting medical emergency care (with closures of many E.Rs, most have to travel many miles and wait for at least 4 hours, before they could be seen by E.R. doctors), having problem refilling their prescribed medication (many have to even cross the border to get cheaper refills), having problem convincing the state not to cut more on the educational budget and not to lower their salaries to minimum wage, he has the nerve to ask a judge for such drastic and preposterous action.
Certainly, those people at the pen needs medical care, but they should not be treated special. They are at the pen to be punished. They are there to be deterred from committing more crimes. They are there to be incapacitated. They are there to be rehabilitated. To give them best services is incongruous to these four objectives of the criminal justice system. Why not just provide them their basic needs and use that $8 billion to Californians, who are outside the pen? Thousands of law-abiding citizens can barely make both ends meet. Consequently, more and more of those outside the pen are now resorting to OTC (over-the-counter) medication, just taking analgesics for undiagnosed pain, because they are uninsured and cannot stand the travel to and long wait in emergency rooms.
Mr. Kelso should have asked the court to seize that money for the sake of Californians, who are outside the state prison. They are the ones who really need help so that they can continue paying taxes to keep felons off the street. Yes, felons in these 33 state prisons have constitutional rights for better medical services; however, the law-abiding citizens have more rights to be served better.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Hurrah & Duh!: Beijing Olympics
So, I was wrong. Still have not seen athletes fainting. Have not seen lots of masks, either. Well, the rain, natural or artificial, helped lower the air pollution.
But, told you; there's lots of celebration and controversy at the Beijing Olympics. Hurrah for Michael Phelps. He's won his seventh gold in swimming, equaling the medal of fellow American swimmer, Mark Spitz. Let us wait later today if he could win gold in his last relay event. If he could, he'd be the most decorated Olympian. In fact, Mark Spitz said when interviewed by NBC an hour after Michael won his seventh gold, "...An EPIC!", which may mean he's the greatest.
Some celebration, though, have been clouded with controversy. Some skeleton in the closet are coming out now.
Spectacular pageantry during the opening ceremony? The gold medalist in the women's(or girl's) team competition? Duh! It's like lead in children's toys.
It now has been known that the voice of that little girl, who sang at the opening ceremony, was by another girl. She was replaced because her face was not as pretty as her voice. Those kids. who wore ethnic costumes, were not a bona fide members of the ethnic groups that they represented. Hence, many are questioning what's behind all these pompous display of wealth, artistry, and athleticism.
So, the suspicion trickled to the gymnasts. One rule in Olympic gymnastics is that the athletes must be at least 16 years old on or before the game. Unfortunately, those innocent faces of some of the women (or girls) who showed powerful tumblings, and extraordinary courage and balance made many question the veracity of their ages. Being Asian, I don't believe that all of the gymnasts are 16-year olds. As I watched them, my mind kept on bringing me back to my high school years. I haven't seen Filipino Chinese in high school as young as those gymnasts. (There were two that I really was suspecting.) Finally, somebody leaked the bad news. One of those gymnasts is just 14 years old. Duh!
So, what do you do now, Mr. and Ms. IOC (International Olympic Committee)? Don't you plan to strip off the gold medal from them? The Little League Baseball World Series organization strip off the championship medal of the Philippine Little League Baseball team in 1992 for not following the age requirement and abode of those young boys (or men). Why can't you?
Anyways, this Beijing Olympics is just not halfway over yet. Expect more controversy, because lying is pretty normal to human beings. US sociobiologist, Edward Wilson (1975) stressed that "...true spite is a common place in human societies, undoubtedly because human beings are keenly aware of their own blood lines and have the intelligence to plot intrigue. Human being are unique in the degree of their capacity to lie to other members of their own species."
But, told you; there's lots of celebration and controversy at the Beijing Olympics. Hurrah for Michael Phelps. He's won his seventh gold in swimming, equaling the medal of fellow American swimmer, Mark Spitz. Let us wait later today if he could win gold in his last relay event. If he could, he'd be the most decorated Olympian. In fact, Mark Spitz said when interviewed by NBC an hour after Michael won his seventh gold, "...An EPIC!", which may mean he's the greatest.
Some celebration, though, have been clouded with controversy. Some skeleton in the closet are coming out now.
Spectacular pageantry during the opening ceremony? The gold medalist in the women's(or girl's) team competition? Duh! It's like lead in children's toys.
It now has been known that the voice of that little girl, who sang at the opening ceremony, was by another girl. She was replaced because her face was not as pretty as her voice. Those kids. who wore ethnic costumes, were not a bona fide members of the ethnic groups that they represented. Hence, many are questioning what's behind all these pompous display of wealth, artistry, and athleticism.
So, the suspicion trickled to the gymnasts. One rule in Olympic gymnastics is that the athletes must be at least 16 years old on or before the game. Unfortunately, those innocent faces of some of the women (or girls) who showed powerful tumblings, and extraordinary courage and balance made many question the veracity of their ages. Being Asian, I don't believe that all of the gymnasts are 16-year olds. As I watched them, my mind kept on bringing me back to my high school years. I haven't seen Filipino Chinese in high school as young as those gymnasts. (There were two that I really was suspecting.) Finally, somebody leaked the bad news. One of those gymnasts is just 14 years old. Duh!
So, what do you do now, Mr. and Ms. IOC (International Olympic Committee)? Don't you plan to strip off the gold medal from them? The Little League Baseball World Series organization strip off the championship medal of the Philippine Little League Baseball team in 1992 for not following the age requirement and abode of those young boys (or men). Why can't you?
Anyways, this Beijing Olympics is just not halfway over yet. Expect more controversy, because lying is pretty normal to human beings. US sociobiologist, Edward Wilson (1975) stressed that "...true spite is a common place in human societies, undoubtedly because human beings are keenly aware of their own blood lines and have the intelligence to plot intrigue. Human being are unique in the degree of their capacity to lie to other members of their own species."
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
WAR: Ugly!
Lots of good and controversial stuff to talk about the Olympics; almost all ears are concentrated in China. However, allow me to skip China for this mid-week blog. Let me talk about the problem going on between Georgia and Russia, because one of my Russian friends asked me to join an online group about stopping genocide in Georgia.
An attempt to annihilate a people group in the planet is despicable. No one has the right to curtail the existence of anybody.
While I have been following the news, I got interested to know how the affected population look at the conflict.
Here are some words I gathered on BBC Online News (Aug. 13):
For many Russians, they were alleging that Georgians are trying to wipe out the Ossetians. Dmitry Petrov, an architectural administrator said, "The Georgian military has used...Grad mortar rockets...to destroy the city of Tskhinval and some Ossetian villages where there were many civilians."
For Georgians, they were blaming Russia and the Ossetian separatist for the conflict. Mikheil Sukhitashvili of Tbilisi, after realizing that the Russians are bombong outside South Ossetian said, "...We are just a small country and Russia is a superpower. Why are they bombin so far outside South Ossetia?...We(Georgian) do not have anything against the ordinary Ossetians. There are many of them in the capital...and they live peacefully with Georgians."
For Ossetians, they were glad that the Russians are helping them push the Georgian military away from their land. An Ossetian English professor said, "...We (Georgians and Ossetians) are a very different people." And they are hoping that Russia will continue to protect them.
Culling statements from all the people directly affected by the conflict tell us that Ossetians wants to have independence from Georgia (because they are different from them). Oftentimes, a conflict happens upon the initiation of a group dissatisfied of a status quo; hence, the group wants change. Since the news also said that most Ossetians are holding Russian passports (and not Georgian's), it could be interpreted again that they are not happy how the Georgian government is treating them. It therefore could be true that the Ossetian separatist asked the help of the Russians.
The problem with the action of the Russians is that it failed to respect the sovereignty of Georgia. Russia should have acted as a mediator between the Ossetian separatists and Georgian government, and not as an invader. Now, like any others, I believe Russian is more to be blamed for the escalating conflict. I just hope that the 5-Point Peace Plan that the Russian and the Georgian have agreed upon will be carried out by both government, because war to me is ugly, pure and simple.
THE UGLINESS OF WAR
(A Tercet)
The booming of heavy mortars
And the popping of bullets
Made everybody jumped over bars.
Running away from the hamlets
Scampering from obvious harm
From arms that left walls with pellets.
Bullets peppered mud walls in swarm
See e’en traces of shrapnel’s
Some when touched are still awfully warm.
Holes are even in tin barrels
Feel them, they are like Braille.
They’re so ugly like walnut kernels.
On paper, they look like a trail.
When read, it surely tells us:
War is ugly; it must not prevail.
Edmund Melig Industan (c) 2007
Note: Tercet or Terzet is a rhyming 3-line poetry form where the first and the third lines of the first stanza rhymes, the second line rhymes with the first and the third lines of the second stanza. The Ugliness of War is included in my upcoming book, 100 + 1 Poems on THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG (Hey Poems)and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology.
An attempt to annihilate a people group in the planet is despicable. No one has the right to curtail the existence of anybody.
While I have been following the news, I got interested to know how the affected population look at the conflict.
Here are some words I gathered on BBC Online News (Aug. 13):
For many Russians, they were alleging that Georgians are trying to wipe out the Ossetians. Dmitry Petrov, an architectural administrator said, "The Georgian military has used...Grad mortar rockets...to destroy the city of Tskhinval and some Ossetian villages where there were many civilians."
For Georgians, they were blaming Russia and the Ossetian separatist for the conflict. Mikheil Sukhitashvili of Tbilisi, after realizing that the Russians are bombong outside South Ossetian said, "...We are just a small country and Russia is a superpower. Why are they bombin so far outside South Ossetia?...We(Georgian) do not have anything against the ordinary Ossetians. There are many of them in the capital...and they live peacefully with Georgians."
For Ossetians, they were glad that the Russians are helping them push the Georgian military away from their land. An Ossetian English professor said, "...We (Georgians and Ossetians) are a very different people." And they are hoping that Russia will continue to protect them.
Culling statements from all the people directly affected by the conflict tell us that Ossetians wants to have independence from Georgia (because they are different from them). Oftentimes, a conflict happens upon the initiation of a group dissatisfied of a status quo; hence, the group wants change. Since the news also said that most Ossetians are holding Russian passports (and not Georgian's), it could be interpreted again that they are not happy how the Georgian government is treating them. It therefore could be true that the Ossetian separatist asked the help of the Russians.
The problem with the action of the Russians is that it failed to respect the sovereignty of Georgia. Russia should have acted as a mediator between the Ossetian separatists and Georgian government, and not as an invader. Now, like any others, I believe Russian is more to be blamed for the escalating conflict. I just hope that the 5-Point Peace Plan that the Russian and the Georgian have agreed upon will be carried out by both government, because war to me is ugly, pure and simple.
THE UGLINESS OF WAR
(A Tercet)
The booming of heavy mortars
And the popping of bullets
Made everybody jumped over bars.
Running away from the hamlets
Scampering from obvious harm
From arms that left walls with pellets.
Bullets peppered mud walls in swarm
See e’en traces of shrapnel’s
Some when touched are still awfully warm.
Holes are even in tin barrels
Feel them, they are like Braille.
They’re so ugly like walnut kernels.
On paper, they look like a trail.
When read, it surely tells us:
War is ugly; it must not prevail.
Edmund Melig Industan (c) 2007
Note: Tercet or Terzet is a rhyming 3-line poetry form where the first and the third lines of the first stanza rhymes, the second line rhymes with the first and the third lines of the second stanza. The Ugliness of War is included in my upcoming book, 100 + 1 Poems on THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG (Hey Poems)and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Olympic Games: Competition between Countries or Not?
I told you in my last blog; the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic will be SPECTACULAR! Millions of fireworks soaring high around the city and magnificent pageantry of technology until the very end. I forgot that I have been avoiding into buying products that are made in China, because I found them to easily break. Definitely, the opening ceremony was the BEST of all Olympic ceremonies that I watched.
During the ceremony, I thought about the goal of having an Olympic Games. Is it a competition between athletes or countries?
Chapter 1, Article 6 of the Olympic Charter states, 'the Olympic Games are competition between athletes or team team events and not between countries.' The statement doesn't hold up to what I have been seeing during the games. Why? I tell you why.
1. Medal standing are tallied by countries
2. The country's National Anthem of the gold medalist is played during the medal ceremony, and
3. Many countries have now been recruiting foreign athletes with the hope of bringing glory to their land.
Qatar and Bahrain are states in the SW Asia that recruit Kenyan long distance runner and Bulgarian weightlifters. Israel has recruited world-class athletes, too. So does Australia and a few European countries. Is this not against Chapter 1, Article 6? It seems that countries are doing this, because of their want to earn a medal during the game.
"What we don't like is athletes lured by large incentives by other countries and giving them a passport when they arrive at the airport," Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said just before the Athens Olympics, four years ago. However, if we really look at what is going on, these recruited athletes are lured to compete for these countries for money. Their lack of proficiency in the language of the host culture is just comparative to have given them a passport when they arrive at the airport.
What's your take on this issue, my friend?
During the ceremony, I thought about the goal of having an Olympic Games. Is it a competition between athletes or countries?
Chapter 1, Article 6 of the Olympic Charter states, 'the Olympic Games are competition between athletes or team team events and not between countries.' The statement doesn't hold up to what I have been seeing during the games. Why? I tell you why.
1. Medal standing are tallied by countries
2. The country's National Anthem of the gold medalist is played during the medal ceremony, and
3. Many countries have now been recruiting foreign athletes with the hope of bringing glory to their land.
Qatar and Bahrain are states in the SW Asia that recruit Kenyan long distance runner and Bulgarian weightlifters. Israel has recruited world-class athletes, too. So does Australia and a few European countries. Is this not against Chapter 1, Article 6? It seems that countries are doing this, because of their want to earn a medal during the game.
"What we don't like is athletes lured by large incentives by other countries and giving them a passport when they arrive at the airport," Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said just before the Athens Olympics, four years ago. However, if we really look at what is going on, these recruited athletes are lured to compete for these countries for money. Their lack of proficiency in the language of the host culture is just comparative to have given them a passport when they arrive at the airport.
What's your take on this issue, my friend?
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Lighter Side of the Olympics
Ryan, one medal hopeful for the Olympic marathon trained the hardest for the past 4 years, right after them Olympics in Athens. His coach modified his diet, monitored his nightly life even his time with his wife. He even was not allowed to go to a smoking tolerant bar. When he and his coach left for Beijing last week, a TV reporter asked him if he was 100 percent ready to win a medal. He said, "With the complete training package I've done, I am very confident that I could win a medal."
During the athletes long distance dry run on Monday, the reporter was surprised to see him gasping and cramping halfway of his 16-mile run. (A full marathon is 26.2-mile route.) The reporter followed him to his hotel and asked, "Ryan, I thought you have the best coach and the best training, the most complete training package to prepare for the Beijing marathon? What was the problem?"
Ryan replied, "My coach forgot to train me with a mask on while running."
...........
Yes, coaches and athletes, except those Chinese contingent, are so worried about the effect of pollution to their performance next week. I saw them on TV already wearing masks right after they landed in China. Probably we would be witnessing many track athletes fainting and cramping for they would tend to hold their breath, as if they are all sprinters, for health sake. Probably we would see China contingent winning the highest number of medals.
Surely, we would be witnessing the most spectacular opening ceremony on Friday, both in field demonstration and fireworks display. Oh, yes, China spent 20 billion British pounds in the games. Most of that money went to the infrastructure, which would help China economy in the long run. Nevertheless, a big chunk of that money was also used to produce millions of fireworks for the opening ceremony. Why not? It would be an added pollutant to a highly polluted air.
Hey, athletes, did you bring your sunglasses, too? Too much smog will affect your eyes. If you do, just remember not to wear it, while wearing your black masks. Otherwise, you would be deported, suspected as terrorists. Hmmm.... another plus for China's medal standing.
Anyway, do your very best. I, a sport fanatic, will make night into day as I watch you all on NBC. Hats off to all of you.
During the athletes long distance dry run on Monday, the reporter was surprised to see him gasping and cramping halfway of his 16-mile run. (A full marathon is 26.2-mile route.) The reporter followed him to his hotel and asked, "Ryan, I thought you have the best coach and the best training, the most complete training package to prepare for the Beijing marathon? What was the problem?"
Ryan replied, "My coach forgot to train me with a mask on while running."
...........
Yes, coaches and athletes, except those Chinese contingent, are so worried about the effect of pollution to their performance next week. I saw them on TV already wearing masks right after they landed in China. Probably we would be witnessing many track athletes fainting and cramping for they would tend to hold their breath, as if they are all sprinters, for health sake. Probably we would see China contingent winning the highest number of medals.
Surely, we would be witnessing the most spectacular opening ceremony on Friday, both in field demonstration and fireworks display. Oh, yes, China spent 20 billion British pounds in the games. Most of that money went to the infrastructure, which would help China economy in the long run. Nevertheless, a big chunk of that money was also used to produce millions of fireworks for the opening ceremony. Why not? It would be an added pollutant to a highly polluted air.
Hey, athletes, did you bring your sunglasses, too? Too much smog will affect your eyes. If you do, just remember not to wear it, while wearing your black masks. Otherwise, you would be deported, suspected as terrorists. Hmmm.... another plus for China's medal standing.
Anyway, do your very best. I, a sport fanatic, will make night into day as I watch you all on NBC. Hats off to all of you.
Friday, August 1, 2008
A Blog on Elected or to-be Elected Officials
It's election year in USofA. Rhetorical battle between the Presidential candidates has been heating up, while the outgoing president has been trying to do something to be remembered positively.
Yes, government officials come and go. Some walk their talk; others just talk and talk. Selfless over-performers receive peoples accolade; egoistic under-performers receive insult and ridicule.
I never will forget an elected governor in the early 60s in Mindanao, Philippines. I learned that he wasn't a good governor; however, he was (and will continue to be) remembered. It's not because of his accomplishments, but because of his "carabao" English that he used to impress people with.
So, here I am perpetuating his government service by etching his "carabao" English in a Kyoka.
Kyoka is a Japanese poetry form considered as a crazy poem. It makes fun of politicians or leaders, and of a certain event that took place. Syllable structure is similar to Tanka: 5,7,5,7,7
The Governor's "Carabao" English
"Good morning this noon.
I’m here running for office.
Voting is here soon
You should vote for me, at least,
Because I’m the very best.
If you’d vote for me,
I’d invite one and all
And cows would kill me
And I’d surely eat you all
…Before we raise the flagpole."
Men in Mindanao
Let’s think twice before we vote
A change we need now
Put to office those we thought
Who are worthy of your vote.
Don’t forget the past.
Men spoke English to impress
Let’s act real fast
Lest you want to hear them say,
‘Let’s sing the flag ceremony!’
Edmund Melig Industan (copyright, 2007)
This Kyoka reflects a terrible English of this under-performing official in Mindanao, Philippines, but it also might have happened (or still happening) in other parts of the world.
So, elected officials, please do your best and put your words into action; otherwise, you only would be remembered from generation to generation by your high faluting words and unsatisfactory performance.
Notes: 1) One of the poems included in my upcoming book, 101+1 Poems on THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology.
2) Carabao is a Philippine English term for a water buffalo
Yes, government officials come and go. Some walk their talk; others just talk and talk. Selfless over-performers receive peoples accolade; egoistic under-performers receive insult and ridicule.
I never will forget an elected governor in the early 60s in Mindanao, Philippines. I learned that he wasn't a good governor; however, he was (and will continue to be) remembered. It's not because of his accomplishments, but because of his "carabao" English that he used to impress people with.
So, here I am perpetuating his government service by etching his "carabao" English in a Kyoka.
Kyoka is a Japanese poetry form considered as a crazy poem. It makes fun of politicians or leaders, and of a certain event that took place. Syllable structure is similar to Tanka: 5,7,5,7,7
The Governor's "Carabao" English
"Good morning this noon.
I’m here running for office.
Voting is here soon
You should vote for me, at least,
Because I’m the very best.
If you’d vote for me,
I’d invite one and all
And cows would kill me
And I’d surely eat you all
…Before we raise the flagpole."
Men in Mindanao
Let’s think twice before we vote
A change we need now
Put to office those we thought
Who are worthy of your vote.
Don’t forget the past.
Men spoke English to impress
Let’s act real fast
Lest you want to hear them say,
‘Let’s sing the flag ceremony!’
Edmund Melig Industan (copyright, 2007)
This Kyoka reflects a terrible English of this under-performing official in Mindanao, Philippines, but it also might have happened (or still happening) in other parts of the world.
So, elected officials, please do your best and put your words into action; otherwise, you only would be remembered from generation to generation by your high faluting words and unsatisfactory performance.
Notes: 1) One of the poems included in my upcoming book, 101+1 Poems on THE EXPERIMENTAL DASANG and 45 OTHER POETRY FORMS: An Anthology.
2) Carabao is a Philippine English term for a water buffalo
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