So what are the best things and the worst things about Hong Kong? Before I answer this question, I do love Hong Kong, but just like any other cities, no city is perfect, but Hong Kong comes close to being perfect. First, let me tell you about the best things about Hong Kong. When you talk about a city, you think about the urban landscape composed of tall skyscrapers just like what you see in New York City. And Hong Kong did not disappoint me. It has skyscrapers all over the place. Not just modern skyscrapers but a lot of tall old buildings. For me, even though Los Angeles is a city, it does not feel like a city for me since its tall buildings are just concentrated mostly in the downtown area. San Francisco, despite its small population, feels more like a city for me. That’s the reason I like San Francisco much more than Los Angeles. Well, except for its foggy weather, but that is not a deal breaker for me. I do love a mild climate. Second, Hong Kong is what is defined as a cosmopolitan city. It has everything you expect from a cosmopolitan city. It has the best of arts and culture, different kinds of food, a great nightlife, shopping, etc. These are the reasons why a person like me wants to live in the city instead of the countryside or the suburbs. As a filmmaker and an avid film lover, it also has some great indie cinemas. And the art scene is quite impressive too. Third, I love its public transportation. Though in Los Angeles, I do drive. I would have preferred to take the public transportation instead of driving a car, but unfortunately, LA’s public transportation system sucks. San Francisco’s public transportation is so much better. And that’s the reason why I prefer San Francisco more than Los Angeles. In Hong Kong, its subway system can take you almost anywhere. In addition, its bus system is also the best. As for the taxi, even though, Hong Kong is considered the most expensive city to live in, its taxicab fare is actually not as expensive as in the US. I am not sure about their rideshare such as Uber since I never had the chance to use it. That is if they have one. Fourth, you would think Hong Kong is just a concrete jungle, but it is not. It is surrounded by nature. It has beaches, mountains and islands. And that’s what I love the most since I love going to the beach, to go hiking, to have a picnic, to go camping. It keeps me well balanced. Now time to talk about the worst things about Hong Kong. I guess only two words come to my mind. High cost of living and tiny apartments. I will definitely write a separate blog about this. And yeah, there is not a lot of cafes in Hong Kong, and if they do, they are usually the big chain one like Starbucks. For the boutique cafes, you have to look for them, and for the most part, it does not feel like you can stay there for so long as as when doing some work on your laptop. They do have a lot of co-working spaces, but for the most part, they’re quite expensive. So that’s about it, so there is not a lot of things I hate about Hong Kong. In some ways, the pros outweigh the cons.
Why I Love China
I never really expected to go and live in China, and then it happened. I was given an opportunity to work there, and I took it despite being warned about it by people who don’t know shit about China but only from what they see on the news about it. Even some told me that it would be dangerous for me to live and work over there, but actually before I lived over there, I’ve never felt safer anywhere else until I got there other than maybe South Korea. Over there, I would walk around 3 AM in the morning with no people around and yet did not feel threatened, and I did for countless nights either with someone or just by myself. Actually before I worked over there, I never thought that a foreigner like me could work over there. I thought a foreigner was not allowed to work over there unless they work for foreign company which is based over there. I guess we all have this preconceived notion about some country, which is most of the time created by what the media feeds us and people who also have this preconception. On the other hand, it wasn’t like I didn’t know anything about China before I went there. I had a lot of knowledge about China from Chinese movies. No, not just the Hong Kong movies, which are quite different from Mainland Chinese movies. Before coming to China, I was already fascinated by its culture from watching all these Chinese movies and already knew some knowledge about its culture, but of course, not as much as until I got to live there. So when the chance came for me to live and work there, it was almost a dream come true. And I was not disappointed at all. It was the best experience of my life, which I will never forget. At first, I thought that living in France was a great experience, but compared to China, there’s a wide gap between the two. Of course, France was a pretty good experience too. Thanks to my ex-wife who was French. But she was not the typical French just because she was born and raised in Milan, Italy, so she was a lot warmer than the typical French. Nevertheless, I still do love the French culture too, but even though, I made some French friends, for the most part, most French are not that friendly and warm. But then again, this assumption is based on my experience, so I could be wrong. Sorry to digress, but maybe later on, I will write about my experience in France. But for now, time to go back to China. Now why do I love China? The country itself is quite beautiful, so that’s one of the reasons. But one thing that really made me fall in love with China is its people. Before I came to China, some people told me that the Chinese are these and that, but it was completely different. The Chinese people were so welcoming and helpful. While over there, I made so many close friends, and I consider my friends for life. When I need something, more than one Chinese friend is willing to help. I felt like I belong to a community, and having left China two years ago, I am really missing that camaraderie. And I still keep in touch with most of my friends in China, and it is so sweet to get a message from them that I am always welcome to go back to China. I feel quite stable in China, but since I am a foreigner who has to renew his visa every year, it can be quite daunting. I wish I could become a permanent resident, but that is not possible. So in a way, I am torn between staying for good in China and should I consider other countries where I could settle in for good. I definitely want to have a business somewhere in order to keep me grounded in one place, and China would be good, but based on what I heard, as a foreigner, it can be unstable. Probably it would be more stable if I marry a Chinese woman, but when you marry a Chinese, the only visa you get is the right for you to visit her. But of course, the foreigners who married a Chinese woman always find a way to stay and work. I don’t know how, but maybe there is some kind of loophole that they have to go through, which I never really had the chance to find out. Anyway to a lot of people outside of China, they see China in a different way, but life in China is as normal as anywhere else. I do hear some horror stories, but as long as you stay clean and follow the rules just like in any country, anyone definitely can adapt. The way I see it, there is no perfect country, and every country has its positive sides and negative sides. Just look at the US right now. Everyone thinks it is an almost perfect country, but with the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, it exposes its dark side some more and its underlying problems such racism, corruption, lack of unity, terrible healthcare system, etc. Before everybody thinks that its government is the most ideal system in the world but not really. It also has problems. Anyway going back to China, I feel like over there, there is a sense of community and social harmony. And that is something I really love. Of course, just like any other countries, it is also not perfect. It also has some problems, but it is not the way the Western media portrays it to be. Well, hopefully I am able to go back there. I am now working on my paperwork to get my working and resident visa. Once that is completed, hopefully it will open its borders so I could enter. For three years that I was over there, I never really did any blog or vlog about China, but this time, I would do it just to show the world that China is not as bad as what the Western media portrays it to be. But anyway for now, I will be in Hong Kong, which is also part of China but as a Special Autonomous Region.
Why I Love Malaysia
What do I love about Malaysia? First, I love it because it is a multicultural society just like in the Singapore and of course, the US. Its population is composed of Malays, Chinese and Indians with three major religions: Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. Of course, there are Christians too. Because of this, it feels like being in three countries at the same time. That’s why its tourist slogan is “Malaysia Truly Asia.” With this mixture of different cultures, it means they have choices of three different cuisines: Malay, Chinese and Indian food. In addition, they also have Western food, Middle Eastern food and other Asian food such as Korean and Japanese food. And you can tell that they respect each other’s religion since sometimes the mosque, the Buddhist temple and the Hindu temple are right next to each other. Based on my observation, they seem to get along fine, but I read they do have some race problems too, but hopefully it is not as bad as in the US. What else do I love about Malaysia? Second, I guess, its infrastructure. For example, its public transportation is quite good. Almost as good as Hong Kong. Its subway trains, elevated trains and monorail are quite impressive. Though I have never tried using the city bus system in Kuala Lumpur, I did use it in Penang Island, and it was quite easy. And I know that some of the buses are free. Not sure for foreigners, but at least for Malaysians. As for taking the bus from one city to another, it is quite easy, and the bus terminals are like airports with gates and timetable boards for all the bus’ departures and arrivals. As for the bus themselves, they are very comfortable with an air conditioner which they tend to operate at very low temperatures. As for the taxi, I’ve never taken them, but I’ve taken GRAB, which is the UBER of Southeast Asia. Actually GRAB originated from here. Definitely it is the best. I just love it, and the price is quite reasonable. In addition, you can order food through GRAB, which I did while I was in a lockdown in Penang, another city in Malaysia, for more than three months. Also in addition, you can use it to pay some stuff such as at a convenience store, restaurant or a cafe. The app reminds me of WeChat from China, but WeChat does a lot more, but I won’t be surprised that more additional services will be added to the GRAB app. Third, being a foodie, I definitely love to eat different kinds of food and to try new ones all the time, so as I just mentioned, with this mix of different cultures, you get the best of everything. If I compare Malaysia to China, in China, Chinese food are of course everywhere, and other kinds of food are only in selected places such as the shopping mall or certain districts, but of course, China is a big country, so even Chinese food are different from each other. There are Sichuan style restaurants, Hangzhou style restaurants, Beijing style restaurants. These different kinds of Chinese food come from different parts o China. Sorry to digress, but my point is in Malaysia, Indian restaurants, Chinese restaurants and Malay restaurants are all over the place, and most of the time, they are right next to each other. And I think, for me, that’s a good thing. And of course, there are other kinds of food too such as Japanese food, Korean food and Western food, but you just have to find them, and most of them are at a shopping mall or certain districts too. And I just love that a lot of regular restaurants here are open air. It reminds me of Vietnamese restaurants which are mostly open air. Fourth, most Malaysians can speak very good English, so it is easy to communicate with the people here. Same with Singapore and Hong Kong. Compared to other Asian countries such as Mainland China, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia, it is quite hard to find anyone who can speak English, so in these countries, you really need to know at least some basic phrases in their language. Fifth, based on two major cities I’ve stayed in for a long period of time due to the lockdown necessitated by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, I feel the cities here were well planned. Everything seems very easy to navigate. Most of the streets have a pretty spacious sidewalks compared to other Asian cities such as Bangkok and Vietnam where some streets don’t have any sidewalks. And the roads here are quite spacious, not narrow, unlike some other Southeast Asian cities. Also compared to most apartments here in Asia (I am talking about the whole Asia, not just Southeast Asia), the apartments here are quite spacious, and I love that. Compare that to an apartment in Hong Kong where it is almost like living in a box. So those are the reasons why I love Malaysia. I am sure I will have more reasons why I love this country as I continue to stay here. For sure, after I leave Malaysia to go wherever I might end up going to (it could be Hong Kong, Mainland China, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan or Japan), I will still definitely come back here again for a vacation. Actually I am even considering this country as the place for me to retire. Not that I want to retire since I still want to continue what I love to do: photography, writing, filmmaking and media. It would be nice to establish a business here too.
Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Visit Malaysia
What are the ten reasons why you should visit Malaysia? Well, there are so many reasons why. First, it is a multicultural society which is composed of different kinds of people with different cultures and religions. So this country is composed of the Malays, who are predominantly Muslim, the Chinese, who are mostly Buddhist and the Indians, who are mostly Hindus and Muslims. And of course, there are Christians here too. So just like the US, it is a melting pot. So in a way, it is unique among other Asian countries. Yes, China has some ethnic groups too, but they are not as involved into the affairs of the country as much as in Malaysia from what I observe. In the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia, there are Chinese too, but they’re a very small minority. Second, because of this mixture of different cultures, you get different kinds of food: Chinese food, Malay food and Indian food. Definitely Nasi Lemak is my most favorite not because it is supposed to be the national Malaysian dish but because it is not something you can find anywhere else except Malaysia. It is not like Chinese food or Japanese food which is pretty much available in most parts of the world. In the US, I don’t think I’ve seen any Malaysian food restaurant. Maybe they do exist, but you probably need to look for them, and they are not everywhere. Third, its infrastructure is one of the best in Asia. The public transportation: subway, monorail, bus, taxis, and Grab (the Uber of Southeast Asia) are all easy to use and not too expensive, so it is easy to get around its cities and around the country. For example, if you go to its bus stations, it looks more like an airport rather than a bus station. It is definitely much better than in Thailand and Vietnam. And Kuala Lumpur’s transport rail system, such as the subway and monorail, is definitely comparable to Hong Kong, and everybody knows Hong Kong has the one of the best public transportation system in the world. Fourth, the apartments here are much bigger than most of the apartments in other Asian countries. They are definitely more spacious. I think they’re even more spacious than most of the apartments in Los Angeles, California, so definitely this is a big plus. Fifth, based on my experience, most Malaysians can speak English, and the Malay language is composed of Roman letters, not some other characters such as Chinese, Korean and Thai. And most words are quite easy to pronounce. There are no tones to deal with in contrast with Chinese, Cantonese and Vietnamese. Also since this country is a multicultural society, Malay is not the only language spoken here. The Chinese population speaks Mandarin and other Chinese dialects as well as Malay; on the other hand, the Indian population speaks Tamil as well as Malay. And it seems some or a lot of Malays not only can speak Malay but also the Arabic language since I see some Arabic characters in a lot of places too. Sixth, the country’s landscape is quite stunning. It has mountains and beaches. Even in Kuala Lumpur, it is very green. And their parks are quite big and beautiful. For sure, there are still a lot of places I should visit over here. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, I have to be wary of traveling to other parts of Malaysia due to the possibility of a second wave of infection. I am not an alarmist, but based on my research and findings about this virus, I have to be vigilant. Maybe once I get to China or any other country where I will, for sure, settle down for a while or for good, then maybe I can relax just a tiny bit and travel domestically in that country. But for now, I need to be healthy in order to get the visa. With what’s going on in the US, definitely I don’t have a plan to go back home. It is just my mother I am concerned about, but for me to go back there, it is not going to help her. First of all, as I travel, I can get the virus on the way over there and get her infected. Second, a lot of people are losing jobs over there, so it is not like I have any other opportunities left for me over there, but here in Asia, I still have more opportunities available for me. Third, racism is on the rise, so besides worrying about the virus, I don’t want to be worrying about this too. Fourth, a lot of people are not taking this pandemic seriously over there due to politics, conspiracy theories and distrust of the scientists and doctors. Fifth, the President happens to be leading the country in the wrong way. Seventh, the people are quite friendly and helpful. No, this is not like Thailand, the Land of Smiles, so you don’t really see people smile at you as you greet them, but that does not mean that they are not friendly nor helpful, but they are. Especially once you get to know them. Anyway Thailand seems to be changing. I don’t feel like it is the “The Land of Smiles” anymore. Maybe because there are too many foreigners living and visiting over there, so it is not the way it used to be. Well, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong. Eight, it is a country that is underrated, so it is not overrun by tourists and expats from what I see in contrast with Thailand. Maybe because this country is a lot more laid back and not as crazy as Thailand where it seems like anything goes. And for me, I like it. I mean, I am not really into partying that much anymore. Ninth, for Americans, the government gives a 90 day social visit visa, which is much better than a 30 day visa they give in Thailand. So for the long term travelers, this is a great thing. Tenth, the country, like most Asian countries, really cares about its people and took the Covid-19 coronavirus seriously and did a great job controlling its spread. Having been stranded here for four months now, I feel glad that this was where I got stuck. At least I feel safer and at the same time, the government was nice enough to extend my visa. Now hoping that the country extends my visa some more at least until Hong Kong or any other safe Asian countries opens its borders. For sure, just like what I said before, I don’t want to go back to the US. So now you know the top ten reasons why I think Malaysia is a great country to visit. And I do believe that since it is a multicultural country like the US, Canada and UK, they can definitely learn a lot from this country.
In American Politics, There are Two Sides: the Right and the Left.
In America, there are two sides to politics. The Right and the Left. I am neither. Both sides have its bad and its good. I just choose the less evil, but looking at both sides of the issues, it seems the left side makes more sense than the other side. Looking at both sides of the issues, it seems this side makes more sense than the other side. The other side only deals with the conspiracy theories, "my rights" versus the "the common good," distractions from real issues by talking about topics that don't pertain to the real issues, focuses more on specific negative stories that pushes their narrative rather than looking at the big picture with both sides of the issues. It is quite sad when people are so deep into the "cult" that they are so blinded that they can't see the reality of the situation anymore. And why do I feel the other side is like a multi-level marketing business, with people trying to convince you to be on their side by sending you text messages with links to conspiracy theories with nice graphics which anyone can do but no real sources 🙄 Yeah, and I am supposed to believe something because the copy and graphics were nicely done. And they always have this nice tag. Read it before it is taken down. But few weeks later, it is still there LOL 😁 It is done to instill fears and mistrust of everything outside the "Fox News" narrative.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10164154548950525&id=741590524
What is “Gaslighting”?
Gaslighting is a tactic used by a dictator to manipulate his people. And his people is so brainwashed to believe that, for example, "that all grapes are green" so that even if you show them some purple grapes, they're so blinded and so deep in the shithole that they would still say that "they're green." And once they belong to that group of people who believe the same thing, it even makes them more convinced that it is the truth. If you don't know what “gaslighting” is, you can Google it. This is just my observation and opinion. I am not into politics, but it is quite sad that some of my relatives are in this shithole, but then it is not something I hadn't expected. These are the same people who are easily convinced to join a multi-level marketing business and are convinced that with multi-level business, it will make them a millionaire. Multi-level marketing business is almost like a cult too. Oh yeah, some of them unfriended me already just because they couldn't convince me to believe one of their conspiracy theories. And that is quite dumb.
Why Do I Want to Go Back to Hong Kong and Mainland China?
Why do I want to go back to Hong Kong and Mainland China? Because having lived in Mainland China for three years and a few months in Hong Kong, I feel like I belong there. In addition to having made a lot of great friends and having experienced the generosity of the Chinese people, I just feel at home over there. I’ve been in a lot of countries, but the truth is that I’ve never experienced what I had in China. And I remember before coming to China, I heard that the Chinese are rude and are not friendly and other stereotypes about the Chinese people. Some of these even came from Chinese-American people. Something I definitely have learned, don’t believe everything you hear about other people until you’ve met them in person and had some interaction with them. Then again, every person’s experience is different. Maybe I was just lucky that I’ve met a lot of nice Chinese people. On the other hand, there is also this stereotype about Thai people as being very friendly and always smiling. That’s why Thailand is called the Land of Smiles, but not to say that the Thais are not friendly and always smiling, but most of my experience over there with Thai people is not that friendly at all. I did meet a lot of nice Thai people, but it is just not the same experience I had with the Chinese people. It is not to say that I prefer the Chinese more than the Thai people, but I just feel like I have more connection to China and the Chinese people. And I do feel it is my destiny to go back there. Though I try to find my place somewhere here in Asia outside of China, it seems like the path always leads me to China. Definitely I see the signs as I try to veer off course. No matter what I do, my path naturally takes me back to China. And now with this Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic going on and with the negativity that is going on in the US, I just feel that being back in China is where I feel safer and more stable. Now I am just hoping to get back there as soon as possible.
The Brainwashing of America
BEING BRAINWASHED is almost being obsessively and deeply in love. You are so in love that suddenly logical reasoning and common sense don't apply to you. You just see this object of your affection as being perfect. You're like on heaven. Whatever she says sounds like poetry to you. Anything that doesn't support this object of your affection becomes an enemy. Even a close friend who cares about you and just wants to warn you about her, knowing she would just take advantage of you. You're now ready to defend her no matter what because she's the love of your life. You will try to find a lot of reasons why she is right for you. Maybe you'll even think God sent her to you to be your soulmate. You thank Him for her. You are now in this bubble with her. It is just you and her against the world. It is a great feeling. How dare anyone wants to break your relationship with her? And the bad thing about it, probably she doesn't love you at all, but she's not complaining. She wants the attention from you. Who would not want that? It is good for anyone's ego. And maybe she'll probably pretend to love you, so she can use that undivided attention from you to her advantage and wrap you around her finger, knowing that she could do anything, and you'd still be enthralled by her. She can make a mistake, even more, but she knows you would not care. Why? Because she knows you're so in love with her that all you'll see are the great things about her. She'll even lie some more, telling you all what you want to hear. Like how much she loves you. How much you mean to her. And that is sad. This is what most cult leaders and dictators have done to influence their people.
Photography Isn't Just About Capturing a Beautiful Subject With your Camera
Photography isn’t just about capturing a beautiful subject with your camera, but for the most part, that is what most people with a camera or even a phone camera does.. If the world is perfect, that would be the case, but it also about capturing what is considered “not beautiful” or for the lack of a better word, “ugly.” Why not show two sides of the coin. In the ideal world, everything is beautiful. That’s the reason why fashion photography, advertising photography and magazine editorials try to focus on beauty, to try to show what is ideal. And then you have the opposite of this, that is the documentary and photojournalism. These genres focus on the reality of life in all its glory. In some ways, with these genres, photography is about storytelling. It tells the reality of what the subject of the picture is or a series of pictures. Well, it is not to say that fashion and advertising photography is not about storytelling. But the storytelling that comes with fashion and advertising photography is a manufactured one, just like a Hollywood film. So when doing photography, think of it as a way to tell a story. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Why not create a photograph (for fashion photography or advertising photography) or not capture a photograph (for documentary or photojournalism) that tells a thousand words. And with a series of photographs around one subject or theme, this could be a million words. Photography is a tool for telling a story the same way a computer is used by a novelist write her story.
Why I Am Glad to be in Malaysia During the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
When I came to Malaysia again, my goal was to stay in a safe country until the problem with the Covid-19 coronavirus problem ends. Seeing what was happening around the world with each country slowly getting some cases, I knew I had to lay low somewhere, and since my visa in Thailand was about to expire, I chose Malaysia. At least I get three months visa over here, so this would be plenty of time for me to just chill until everything goes back to normal, but I would have never thought that it would become a full blown pandemic and that a lot of countries are going to in a lockdown. Well, anyway I am glad that I got stranded here rather than another country which was not good enough to handle this kind of problem. By the way, a few days before the lockdown, I did get an alert email message from the US Embassy telling me to get back to the US as soon as possible due to the increasing number of cases in Malaysia. And yes, it was increasing. But good thing, I decided to stay. Now look at the stats. Right now as I write this (July 6, 2020), Malaysia only has 8668 cases and 121 deaths in contrast with US, which has 2.93 million cases and more than 132,000 deaths. So my decision was right on. And with Donald Trump as the president, the US is not doing well with the pandemic as of this moment. Actually just within the last 24 hours, the US just got more than 40,000 new Covid-19 coronavirus cases. To add fuel to the fire, there is also a battle going on between the Republicans/Conservatives and Democrats/Liberal, the Left Wing versus the Right Wing. Furthermore, also protests started happening due to the killing of George Floyd by a cop, exposing the racism that’s been hidden for so long. Well, not hidden. But more like ignored. This even created tensions between the Republicans and the Democrats. From what I could see, there seems to be more racist people on the Republican side. Well, I am not gonna talk about that for now. Then with conspiracy theories, the question of whether to mask or unmask, etc., it even made the situation much worse. For sure, I am grateful to the Malaysian government for granting me along with other foreigners who got stranded here an extended visa at least until August 31. Now that travel is not feasible anymore, my goal now is to settle down in one country and just stay put. In a way, I need to get myself established in just one place, and this pandemic gave me an excuse to do that. Would I travel again? Of course, but for now, it is on hold. If I do travel, maybe it won’t be an extended travel for a while. More like a few days or two weeks here an there.
Asian Countries Don't Play around when It Comes to Safety from the Coronaviru
Lots of Asian countries don't play around when it comes to safety from the coronavirus. These happened in South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and other countries too. You obey the social distancing safety rules or else you get your working visa revoked or tourist visa cancelled and get deported. That's why a lot of locals are complaining about foreigners not adhering to the safety rules. Even here in Malaysia, I see a lot of foreigners not wearing a mask. It is just plain stupid. When in Rome, do what the Romans do. Respect is the key.
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/6-people-robertson-quay-gathering-get-work-passes-revoked-among-140-who-breached-law
Posting About An Issue On Social Media
Posting something like a meme or a link to an article or a video or a podcast without your extensive opinion about it from different sides of the issue is like giving us fast food without telling us why this fast-food is good for us, without any mention about its nutritious benefits and the research behind these findings. For the most part, the only people who will LIKE or make a nice comment about it are the same people who already made up their minds about the same issue and are not willing to look at it from different sides. Pretty much, they're just followers or just pandering. An independent thinker and a decent human being is more likely to look at the issue not just from her own point of view but also will also step back and look at it from different point of views and also with extensive research, before she decides if what she sees is a valid point or not.
Respect and Empathy: Two Things Missing in This World Right Now That Lead to What's Going On in the US Right Now
Respect and empathy are two things which are lacking right now and why this thing in the US is going on. It is a social contract human beings are supposed to abide by as one human race, but obviously it was broken. Because it was broken, then there's no equality. Respect can only be given if it is reciprocal. And sometimes respect can only be earned if you fight back when there's no other choice, when your back is against the wall. And based on my own experience, it worked on my case. If you take something lying down, the disrespect will continue, but if you take a stand, for the most part, it works. It is better to be defeated while standing up, rather than be defeated lying on the ground.
Put Yourself in Other People's Shoes Before You Start Talking Shit About Them
Don't make a comment about other people unless you're in their shoes, experiencing what they've experienced and continued to experience. Especially if you live a privileged life, living in a nice house or apartment in a nice neighborhood. I bet you've never experienced being in the other neighborhood or interacted with other kinds of people other than your own kind. I am so glad that I've experienced interacting and even living with the richest and the poorest margins of the society and how it is on both sides of the fence. To be able to live in different countries and to get to know the locals. To be friends with different races. To be friends with people from different faiths: Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Taoist, non-believers, etc. To be friends with people from different countries: France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Italy, Sweden, UK, Ireland, Mexico, Cuba, etc. It made me realize that we don't know SHIT about them unless we interact with them on a personal level rather hear or read about them in the news or some documentary or an article. But all I know based on my experience, everyone is the same deep inside. Same human beings with the same aspirations, to be respected and be loved and to just be happy and have a comfortable life.
2020 Just Put Everything in Focus What The Underlying Problems We Have in Our Society
2020 is definitely not the best year. Come to think of it, 20/20 is sort of a numerical symbol, that of seeing everything in sharp focus. Well, I guess it just put all the underlying problems that have been hidden for so long in sharp focus. The divisiveness of the society which should unite together in times like this: the pandemic, the racial inequality, the selfish behaviour of some people instead of fighting for social harmony and sense of community, materialism over human values, etc. Well, hopefully something positive will come out of this, but based on history, history repeats itself. Just look at the LA riots. That didn't change anything. And look at the Spanish Flu of 1918. That also didn't change anything.
One of My Most Favorite Film Krystoff Kieslowski's Red (French Movie)
Wow, it is great to see my most favorite French film again. The movie is called Red. One of Krysfoff Kieslowski’s Trilogy films based on the French Flag. It is now showing on Mubi. Check the link below and subscribe to see it and other great movies you don’t find on Netflix.
First Time Eating at a Restaurant Since the Lockdown Began Ten Weeks Ago
After writing my name and phone number down for contact tracing and getting my temperature read, finally I was able to eat at a restaurant over here for the first time in ten weeks since the lockdown began. The food definitely tastes much better than when it is delivered at home. I love the food here. The varieties of food here are just incredible. I will definitely miss the food here when I leave. Anyway still only a few restaurants are open and only a few people are going out here in Malaysia since the lockdown was gradually eased to let some busineses to open and to let people go out on May 4, but now it seems like it is picking up a little. I now see quite a lot more people going out and businesses opening up, but it is not the same as before the lockdown. Let's see how it goes, when the lockdown is fully lifted on June 9.
Is Individual Freedom More Important than the Welfare of the Whole Society?
The welfare of the society, which is comprised of different races, all ages, all countries, and all socioeconomic backgrounds supersedes individual freedom. Freedom is a privilege especially in a society in which you're interconnected with other human beings. You can't just have it at the expense of other people's lives. But on the other hand, if you live on an island by yourself, then by all means, do whatever you want. At least what you do there won't affect other people's lives. But in a society, you have to be responsible not only for yourself but also for other people's lives.
Who Believes These Conspiracy Theories?
Was I just called a smart ass by a family member because I said that I didn't believe the conspiracy theory that he had sent to me via FB message? In the message, the conspiracy theorist is saying that the virus was spread around the world so that people would be so scared that they won't have a choice but to get vaccinated, and this vaccine has a tiny microchip in it that is going to track you and know everything about you. What the fuck? So all these governments got together and decided to do this 😁 conspiracy. Even the ones who are sworn enemies. Anyway they don't need microchips to put in your body to know about you. The governments can just use your phone, Facebook, your Google searches, your medical records, your criminal background check, etc to know a lot of things about you. And what else do the governments or maybe pharmaceutical companies who produce the vaccines with microchips need to know about us? Maybe to find out how dumb some of us are. And I was told I wasn't using common sense 🙄by not believing this.
Glad to Be Stranded in Malaysia During the Lockdown and Travel Bans
Glad to be stranded in Malaysia. One of the safest countries to be in during the pandemic (7417 cases and just 115 deaths). I've been stuck (but in a good way) here for 9 weeks now since the lockdown and travel bans started (not including one month in KL before the lockdown). Lockdown has been lifted with rules since May 4, but people haven't really gone out in droves and not all busineses have opened; even though, they're allowed to, but of course, with safety measures in place. Now hoping that with the letter from the US Embassy here, the immigration extends my visa here at least until one of the countries I am planning to go to and settle down in at least until the end of the pandemic opens up its borders to foreigners coming in from less risk countries. I've been friends in different countries when their countries will open up its borders, and no one knows. My life is now quite unpredictable. I wonder where I'll end up in. No traveling for a while, except domestic travel within the country where I'll end up in, but it will be more of a nature trip.