I will be still

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today...The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14


All my fears that hold me back
Every worry on my mind
When I’m trapped and breaking down
Free me Lord

Every doubt that fills my life
I’m a prisoner of my own mind<
When I feel I can’t go on
Free me Lord

Let's not go into politics

But let's talk about human decency. Or the lack thereof.

One year on, still no apology, still no compensation, still no closure for the victims and families of the victims of the 8.23 manila hostage crisis.

"It is too much really to issue an apology," says Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

On top of that, apparently the government is not even "minded to do" that at this point.

"Too much"?! How is an apology "too much"?!! Yes, the actual murdering of those 8 innocent hostages was the act of one man, I agree. But what about the events surrounding the incident, what about the complete lack of professionalism on the part of the Philippines police? What about the fact that the chief of police went for lunch during the hostage crisis? What about the fact that they managed to let the media broadcast the whole thing live, when they knew that the gunman had a TV on the bus and that he knew exactly where the police were? And what about the half-hearted so called "inquiry" at the end of all this?

If they were half-decent there would've been a formal apology long before the 1 year anniversary of this tragedy. Long before all the families of the victims had to make, for them, what must be such a difficult journey back to Manila to demand compensation and justice to be served.

Com'on, Aquino. It really isn't too much at all to apologise. Nor is it too late. Salvage some decency while you still can.

Danger zone

1 month after I visit New York - 911.

7 months after I leave Japan - Tohoku Earthquake.

2 weeks after a wedding in Oslo - the shootings.

4 weeks after my London trip - violent riots.

1 week after being away from Hong Kong - stock markets plunge.

RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIVVVVVESSSSSSSSSSSSS

Cynical, in China

I'm not going to lie. I did for a split-second think that I might actually die, as the Shenzhen Airlines aircraft rattled through the thick cloud and fog as it made its descent to Yichang, Hubei.

There would, however, be more than the one cause of death-by-crash-landing.

I thought I would die of boredom.

Or that I would die of overworking.

Or that someone would eventually kill me for my lack of tolerance to certain cultural practices and behaviours in this country.

OK, perhaps to say that I'd die is a bit of an over-exaggeration.

But rational thought was running on the low side after
- being told I was going to China for a "2 to 3 week" business trip with less than 24 hours;
- frantically packing til 12am last night;
- getting up at 4:30am this morning;
- being driven over the border and straight to Shenzhen Airport,
- waiting behind a massive queue to check in while loud Chinese people push and shove and yell their way across the terminal;
- waiting behind yet another queue for security check
- waiting at more queues - queue to get to your gate, queue to get on the bus, queue to get off the bus, queue to get on the plane...
- waiting in the plane on the tarmac, delay unknown but typical

I was also served two boxes as a "snack" on the plane. The first box contained a strawberry-milk-flavoured drink, a small packet of pineapple short-cake, a wet tissue and a fork. I opened the second box, and found a slab of congealed thin-flat noodles which looked and tasted like plastic (it probably was...), with mince-meat-like bits and mixed-veg-bits swimming in (or rather, stuck in) this gooey dark brown "sauce" that seemed to ooze radioactivity and rat-diarrhea.

Call me cynical, but....well there really is no but. I am quite a cynical person, and being in China just brings out the worst (or best?) of that.