In a struggle to be happy and free

Drystone Wall

Category: int'l affairs

In Your Ass, China

The Dalai Lama is in Canada and when he makes it to Ottawa, he and Prime Minister Martin will meet. China is not pleased.

The Chinese embassy here in Ottawa likens the Dalai Lama to the separatists in Quebec and strongly oppose the planned meeting. I’d point out Canada didn’t invade a sovereign Quebec and take over, seeking to purposefully obliterate their culture and religion. Because of the gall of China for publicly disapproving of the meeting, I’m thrilled Martin will meet with Dalai Lama.

Stick it, China.

Before and after

I wrote these three paragraphs on August 28.

Again it’s been almost a week since my last entry. Maybe I need a laptop so I can write while away … yea, that’s the ticket! Of course I’m joking. The week hasn’t been very good. I’ve been concerned about money again and even though it should work out fine I still worry. Heck, I’ve done everything asked of me and either I get a cheque in the mail in a few weeks if everything goes as I’ve been told it will, or bad things will happen. Either way, there’s not a whole lot I can do about it.

Normally, I tend not to worry very much because most things that cause worry are largely out of our control anyway. It’s a very good habit to have as it cuts down on stress a great deal, but when the subject of the worry is of great importance it’s a lot harder not to worry! Tomorrow I have to go down to the rental office in my building and ask for an extension so I can pay September’s rent a week or two into the month. I know that they’ll charge me interest as a late penalty, and I’m fine with that. I’m just mortified at even the thought of asking for this because it’s something I’ve never done before. I might not be the super saver that my parents would like me to be, but I know enough not to spend the money earmarked for my rent and other bills!

I’ll just do my best to think happy thoughts for a few weeks and all should be well. Of course that’s easy to say.

Checking the dates, you can see that my plan for thinking happy thoughts didn’t altogether work. It was almost a week since the entry before and nearly two weeks until I would write another. Sometimes shit really does happen. I’m glad to be posting again, as it restores some normalcy to the day.

Yesterday’s national memorial on Parliament Hill.

My thoughts still frequently wander towards New York City, Washington DC, and where the future will take us. CNN showed footage of the first flight out of the newly re-opened Logan International, and as soon as I saw an aircraft flying across the screen, I turned away before what the announcer was saying had the time to sink in. I didn’t want to see either of those collisions again.

I was pleased to see that the Federal Government set up a web site called Canada Mourns. Canadians can read and/or leave a message to our American neighbours regarding the terrorist attacks this Tuesday. The site will be available for viewing for at least the next few months.


Memorial photo by Ottawa Citizen — Pat McGrath (AP)

Memorial

The Canadian memorial service was held at noon today on Parliament Hill. It’s estimated that a hundred-thousand carpeted the lawn of the hill to see Prime Minister Chretien, U.S. Ambassador Paul Celucci, and Governor General Adrienne Clarkson speak about the tragedy, the terrible loss, and how despite the terrorist’s best efforts, we’re far from broken. Quite the contrary. I especially appreciated Ambassador Celucci’s heartfelt words describing the closeness he feels the U.S. and Canada share.

When the Governor General called for everyone to stand and observe three minutes of silence, I stood without thinking and joined the thousands downtown in spirit despite being alone in my apartment. After watching the Canadian memorial and then some of the American memorial ceremony, I switched to Space and took in the afternoon Trek line-up. I feel like I’m somehow betraying the dead and the rescuers, if I turn away. Still though, I have to do it. The continual barrage of news about this disaster pounds down my psyche and too much could lead to a really depressed mood.

Interestingly enough, I read a blurb in today’s IMDb Movie/TV News that discusses something very similar to this:

In Thailand, a psychiatrist working for the country’s Department of Mental Health, urged TV stations to stop repeating the footage of the attack on the World Trade Center, saying that it was causing stress and shock to many local people. “The stress and shock may make them forget that the incident took place far away from Thailand and that we would not be directly affected, psychiatrist Thanu Chathananon told the Bangkok Post.

I don’t think that watching makes me forget where it took place, but at the same time I’m a lot closer to it than Thailand. I mean closer in both a physical sense, and a cultural sense. Since the U.S. and Canada have cultural similarities, it would follow I’m more at risk because the attacks were based on the supposed depraved capitalist culture.

As much as it still bothers me to watch fluff on television now, I have to do it if I’m to continue functioning normally.

Aftermath

Still, I haven’t been able to completely accept that the Manhattan Island skyline changed tragically on Tuesday. I was there with a high school field trip in the mid-80s and we paid special attention to all the buildings and the way the island was laid out because it was urban geography that we went to study, and what better place than New York City?

Manhattan Island, from the south. Taken by your friendly author in 1985 or thereabouts.

We went up the Empire State Building our first night there and I took long exposures of the city lights, and the twin towers off to the south. Later in the trip we went inside the south tower and up onto the observation deck on the roof. I was speechless in complete wonder at both the view and that the view was from the top of a solid structure. As one of the newscasters on location reporting Tuesday’s disaster said, the WTC towers were such an icon, he expected to turn and see them standing where they have been for thirty-odd years. While I’m not there, and only visited the city twice, it’s not going to be the same without them.

That’s not to say that the city is less for their loss though. The only irreplaceable loss are the precious lives taken in the aircraft, and in and around the towers. Certainly no sane person would wish this, but the selflessness, generosity, and togetherness that has erupted since Tuesday is inspiring.

The morning the towers fell

Many older people have commented that they can remember clearly what they were doing the instant they heard that John F. Kennedy was shot. Even my mother can describe the exact moment despite being a Canadian. I always thought this was an exaggeration because of the many years that have passed. Today I can understand, from my own experience, how a single event can cause that kind of impact.

I’d slept in and just got out of bed when Marylou called. Still groggy, I picked up the phone.

Are you watching TV?

No, I just got up.

Turn the TV on.

What channel?

Any channel.

That woke me up. It’s not hard to figure out that something serious is up when someone says such a thing. The screen came to life and the first thing I saw were the blackened smoking tops of the World Trade Centre twin towers. “Holy fuck,” I said, “The World Trade Centre’s on fire?” There was a pause and she replied, “You’re seeing old footage. They’ve collapsed.” At that point it was just too much. I was barely awake and my mind was assaulted with events that I couldn’t even imagine. I’ve been in one of the World Trade Centre towers … I’ve been on the roof … it can’t be gone. But as I was about to see, of course I was wrong.

I’m stunned. I can’t stop watching CNN even though it’s making me feel ill.

Later that afternoon, our Prime Minister issued a statement expressing the sorrow of all Canadians over the tragedy. He also offered any assistance that we could provide, and I hope we’re taken up on it. We might disagree with the US, and even squabble at times, but when it comes right down to it, we’re friends and neighbours. We share your pain and outrage, and stand with you against the animals responsible for this.


Photo ©2001 The Associated Press

Page 6 of 6

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén