Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Halloween 2016

Halloween has always been a strange holiday, but you have not tricked or treated until you have partied with drunk Chinese people in zombie makeup who have no idea why everyone is dressed up. Just tell them it is the tradition and they will go along. I have met plenty of Chinese people who don't understand Chinese traditions, but follow them anyway. “That's just the way we do it” is good enough.

We have had a big Halloween party every year I have been in Hong Kong. More often than not, I have no idea what kind of costume I'm going to come up with until the last minute. They are usually not very good. Probably because I only come up with them at the last minute. Unfortunately, I'm usually not the worst. Fortunately, there is always someone who put some effort into it and does something interesting. This year, I don't have to worry about it.

I was originally supposed to go back to Tel Aviv at the beginning of November, but now I'm going at the end of October. That means I will not only miss the election, but also Halloween. I'm looking forward to the election as seen through Israeli media. I'm guessing Halloween is not going to be the same.

I have been told Halloween is not very popular in Israel. They have Purim in March, which is more giving to charity than begging the neighbors for candy, but they dress up in wild costumes and party, which is pretty much what Halloween is all about if you are not a child.

I will miss Halloween this year, so no zombies, vampires or pirates for me. But if Trump wins the election, it will still be a scary year.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Party All the Time

I don't normally care that much about politics. Politicians say whatever they think will get them elected, and the higher the office, the fewer campaign promises they will ever keep. Everyone knows it, but people pick sides anyway. Party loyalty is more important than common sense in a country like the United States. It is almost like sports, except people pick their sports teams based on where they live, and they have more realistic expectations. I want the Vikings to win the Super Bowl because I am from Minnesota, but I know that is never going to happen. Political parties are handed down from generation to generation.

I did not particularly care who won in 2012. Obama's first term was disappointing and Romney was an elitist career politician completely out of touch with the people. The funny thing is, there is always at least one elitist career politician completely out of touch with the people in each election. When he is a Republican, Democrats say that is bad. When he is a Democrat, Republicans say that is bad.

Therein lies my biggest problem with politics. It is as hypocritical as any billion dollar church. All of the arguments one party uses against another in one election are reversed in another election. Clinton (D) has experience, which is great according to Democrats and bad according to Republicans. But in 2008, Obama (D) had no experience and that was great according to Democrats and bad according to Republicans.

In 2004, Kerry (D) was criticized by Republicans for going to school in Switzerland and knowing French. Those same Republicans had no problem with Romney (R) living in France and knowing French. The voters did not care either way. Or maybe they did. Both candidates lost.

Democrats always criticize rich Republicans, even though Democrats have had plenty of very wealthy candidates of their own. Bush (R) was a rich elitist in 2000 and 2004, even though his opponents were from extremely wealthy families. Gore (D) followed his father into politics just like Bush, and Kerry (D) was the richest person in the senate. Of the top 10 richest presidents, 5 were Democrats (Kennedy, Jackson, Johnson, Roosevelt, Clinton) and 2 were Republicans (Roosevelt and Hoover). The other 3 were before the Democrats or Republicans existed. Ironically, George Washington is the only president that everyone likes, and he was richer than almost all of them combined.

But the thing is, none of that matters. What their parents did, where they went to school, what they did before running is all irrelevant. Democrats will vote for the Democrat, Republicans will vote for the Republican. No matter what. Party loyalty is more important to Americans than anything else. Or at least to the few Americans who actually vote.

I'm not a member of either party. As an independent, I can vote for anyone. The two corporate parties and the media want everyone to think there are only two parties, but there are usually several in each election. I come from a state where independence is considered a good thing. People assume we are all Democrats because we vote for the Democrat in most presidential elections, but that is partly because Mondale and Humphrey were on the ballot for 20 years. Other parties do well in lower offices. We have had independent and Reform governors, independent and Farmer-Labor senators and mayors from every party imaginable.

Democrats need not fear that I'm not voting for their candidate. She will win my state by a mile. Republicans need not care that I never vote for their presidential candidates. As an absentee voter, my vote is never counted. But I vote anyway. I have every right to vote in my country's elections, no matter where I live. And I have just as much right to vote for people who are not members of the two most corrupt corporate parties the country has ever known.



Thursday, October 13, 2016

Dancing Across Asia

I'm going to Tel Aviv on Saturday. As much as I would love to stay as long as I can, this will be a short trip. I'm going for a rehearsal and then I have to come back. I always try to sneak in as much time for myself whenever I travel anywhere, but when you juggle different jobs, you can't always look around.

My next trip will be next month. I will be in Tel Aviv during the election. That should be interesting. It will not be the first time I have watched a presidential election from another country, but it will be my first time from Israel. I'm looking forward to their take on everything. Hong Kong did not seem to care whether Obama or Romney won. Israel might have an opinion on Clinton versus Trump.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Harry part 2

I went out on a second date with Harry. It was nothing special. I don't think there will be a third date. It is not so much that there is anything particularly wrong with him. There was simply no spark. We also have incompatible schedules, so even if we wanted to date, it would be a pain in the butt to find the right times.

Maybe I'm not being fair. I want someone more interesting, more exciting, and yes, more handsome. Maybe that is superficial of me. But none of my ex-boyfriends were the complete package. They had a few good things going for them, but there were always giant red flags that I ignored. Maybe I'm supposed to settle for whoever is available right now, but I don't even like the way that sounds. There is nothing wrong with being single.

We still have the Clear Water Bay house. That means more people coming over. When you have two roommates in an apartment, your friends come over from time to time. When you have a giant house with a swimming pool and hot tub, you are never alone. Through no fault of my own, I have a few phone numbers of eligible young bachelors. There is nothing I like about the idea of dating more than one guy at a time, but I don't see anything wrong with a few phone calls. Maybe having all these other guys around is affecting my decisions about Harry. Most likely.

I thought about inviting Harry to the big house, but he is really hairy. I know how terrible that makes me sound, but we are using that pool like there's no tomorrow. If he went in, it would be clogged for days.

One of my best friends has a cousin with Down syndrome. She loves that pool almost as much as I do. When one of Kevin's coworkers complained that she should not be in the pool for some stupid reason, we kicked the coworker out of the house. Since his boss is also Kevin's boss, there is a pretty good chance that this story might get back to the boss. It is theoretically possible that we might not get to use this house anymore. If that happens, so be it. We will gladly kick out an asshole over someone with Down syndrome any day.

And yet, I don't want Harry in the pool because he is too hairy. Go figure.