There's a little black spot...

There's a little black spot on sun today,
it's the same old thing that is yesterday.
-King of Pain the Police revisited by Alanis Morisette

Chairman Mao and George Bush. Can we draw a comparison? Dare I draw a comparison? Only in so far as the two of them evoke fear in me. Americans lost another right yesterday. They lost the freedom to bet against what they thought to be bad domestic investments for the betterment of their own capital gains. Only during the week that the bottom fell out of the Wall Street world and the land of the free became the land of one of the world's worst economies and a government promised the rich would be safe thanks to the work of the everyday person. Hoorah for the American machine! Turn in your brother if you suspect him of a terrorist plot and with no evidence he can enjoy Guantanamo style incarceration. Turn the tidings of history to favour your victory. Sell your enemies weapons so that you profit from a war no one wanted or cared for in the first place. Oh, the home of the brave.

Settle down!

Okay. Sure. All I really have to do is watch the National on CBC and see how Canada's major television networks chose who will speak first in the English version of the candidates debate. They drew names out of a hat in front of the media and has some lady scrawl on a large pad of flip-chart paper the lucky winners. Hip, hip, hooray for Elizabeth May. Now is she with the Green Party or the Green Shift Party. I must admit I'm a bit confused as to who is the most environmentally friendly these days. I could of sworn it used to be the NDP.

Today's black spot on the sun is actually realizing that I will have to miss voting one more time as I just don't think I have enough time or the means to vote from here in Daqing. I suppose another election will comes my way and I may even have the time, the circumstances and the logistics in my favour so that I can vote. At 31 (almost 32) years of age there has not been one election that I have managed to be able to swing a vote (that is swing myself to a voting station not provide direction to the final result). I feel like less of a Canadian, like less of an adult (actually doing 'Small as a Mouse, Tall as a tree, Wide as a house' with my 6 year old Chinese students makes me feel like less of an adult).

A candle and a laptop. A peaceful and serene end to a long day of festivities. (my power is almost used up and i need to conserve electricity hence the candle-lit blogging, I do enjoy my petty vices) Classes and cannons. The department store below the school had its grand opening today. Firecrackers, cannons, confetti, karaoke, dancing, balloons, the ribbon models made an appearance. It was off the hook so to speak. Cheese to describe cheese only seems fitting. I will post some great pictures tomorrow. Tonight I just wanted to get something down.

I took a moment to read up on Chairman Mao who ruled ... (pause to reflect on this verb) ... the People's Republic of China for a few frightening years. No wonder my mother fears the place. There has been so much TO fear. So much to despise about how these great people have been treated. In some and many ways the way they continue to be treated. I have some burning questions to ask but I will search for and seek out the right time and individual to ask. The younger people don't know because they are not provided the opportunity to know. The older people I fear asking because I don't want to offend them or bring up painful memories. I can't imagine having lived through what was China in the '60s.

A final hoorah for better days and a simpler maze.