Infrequent forays....

There is a lot in life to laugh about. Some are funny (the 3 Stooges), some are unfunny (Mr Bean), but , to me, the most things that make me laugh are the real life ones. For example, my "Classify this" post.

I was in the physics chatroom the other day (and what a laugh that is at face value, as Phil Collins would say), when someone who claimed to have time-travelled back to the death of his wife in 1997 said to me: "America rules the World".

Harrumph! Between my giggles, I managed to type out "Yeah, and America just got its Southern Ass kicked by a girl!", before I set the geyser on "ignore".

The point I am making here is that for the all-powerful nation America seems to be, right now to any outside country it appears that the US are more interested in watching over other countries, than watching over their own people.

That may be an unfair comment, and I admit that it may be so, but I am just an observer, and this is in no way my opinion. I am just saying it may be the opinion of many.

Is this a case of "What goes around, comes around"?

Memorial Day Blues

One of my colleagues here, Mr Rice, a venerable mountain of information, had a "discussion" today with a certain Miss Ethel Olsen, the same protagonists of my post a few posts ago.

It got ugly but needless to say, it ended fairly peacefully.

But at the time, it was not very pleasant to hear, especially for those younger colleagues, and I regarded both as not being very professional, even though Mr Rice said I supported him.

I remained neutral, as both are my friends.

Let me put the record straight by saying truthfully that I fully support you, Ethel. I regard Mr Rice as being out of line. Sometimes he lets his outspokenness get the better of him.

Please do not let this ruin the good cameraderie we have, anyone!

East Sea Of Japan

In my life as a person hailing from Japan and studying in Korea, I have come across various forms of what other people might call racism. Far be it for a lowly Japanese subject to say but, hey! We are not all political you know!

The group of islands called "Dokdo" in the East Sea of Japan is a point I would like to make. Are they Korean or are they Japanese? As a Japanese citizen who spent time in Korea I have to say that I have neutral views. I HAVE to have neutral views.

Why don't our nations both embrace the spirit of Japan/Korea friendship year, along with the World Cup Spirit of 2002, and share them? Or am I being too naive?

Maybe not.........

Several Koreans I have met do not even give Japan a capital letter when writing the name of my country.

Although I hate this, I just keep quiet. After all, I do not want to sink as low as these people.

In a world that is somewhat enlightened now, I was of the opinion that this sort of puerile behaviour was outdated.

Sadly, it seems I was wrong. There are always unelightened people out there, however much a different accent they have, Pakistani or otherwise.