To Go The Distance

Friends and relatives back in Asia do remind me of their relative convenience when accessing food they want at any time. It is often a maximum of driving out for only 30 minutes one way, before they are already physically in their eatery. Piping hot, freshly made and with appetite to be fulfilled. Staying in a large metropolitan area in Australia can mean very different circumstances. Getting to do anything in the course of daily life can mean the no choice but to commute for long distances. Whether it is to get to the latest shopping buzz, hyped restaurant, art gallery, preferred medical provider, niche grocery, not to be missed live concert, international flight, seasonal international cricket game, beloved relative or latest sensational bakery, one has to make effort and allocate time in travel before arriving at the destination and then again, before arriving back home. Several people I know with kids and elderly present book into accommodation close to their purposed venue - instead of having to drive several hours all in one day. Vehicle parking availability is increasingly a growing problem as well when one arrives at the destination. Australian mainstream populations continue to love their sense of spaciousnes, even if it can get increasingly expensive and not so practical to do so. New housing continues to spread out on the fringes of metropolitan areas. Those who live in units in the high rises in more densely packed city suburbs can on the other hand just take their elevators down to drop by the cafe or eatery that are commercial tenants in the same building. These same individuals can now also hop on to nearby street light rail ( even in Canberra) or sparkling underground Metro stations ( only in Melbourne and Sydney) to commute to all the fun out there. The two dominant supermarkets operating across Australia have branches in many suburbs. Such is their commercial power that it is easier to locate a Woolies or Coles than to find a post box, bank branch, butcher, pub or taxi stand. I must reiterate that I can find a refreshing and well maintained Nature's park in any Australian suburb, more easy than walking past a duopolistic supermarket. I am grateful that I can walk to several parks, small or large, near a forest or by the sea, within a 2km radius of my abode. It is important to carefully select the suitable kind of local community for your or family needs. Is it more significant that you do not need to use your private vehicle to travel to fulfil your variety of needs and daily use? Do you enjoy driving long distances or commuting for hours just to do things in your social profile? Do you make the long journey locally only once in a while and not on a regular basis? Levels of mobility, purpose of trip and easier means of travel do figure a lot in your decision making on these matters. Or do you commute only for work purposes? I know of individuals wh0 never venture beyond their residential precinct, except when going overseas for holiday or on a family reunion. More and more of today's population transact on line and in a virtual world, physically confining themselves to a particular site - getting food delivered to the door, obtaining stimulation through artificial intelligence and earning money on clicks and clacks. They do not have to commute much, except when they occasionally relocate internationally for better jobs, influencer nomadity and because of falling in love. #yongkevthoughts

Lowered Expectations

We are brought up mostly to see and think of the best in other human beings. My expectations on this has made me experience good encounters, but not entirely. In the current turn of the contemporary society and world, I now begin to mindfully lower my expectations in how people, community, society, government, authorities and well funded powers behave - this is especially towards the disenfranchised, the public and those who do not count in the larger scheme of things. Concurrently running along the seeming path to more meanness is the strong observations of individuals, businesses, politicians and organisations increasing self centredness. Commerce may have led the way, in the messages of only ensuring their own well being and having less concerns about the customer who buys and brings in the cash flow. Many large corporates have people at the top who do not even appreciate or understand the view points and experience of customers in the various stages in the journey of buying from such businesses. The falling emphasis in less human contact and rising use of device screen methods to sell or service has added to the lost art of consideration, civility and character when dealing with each other. In the process of dealing with residents, consumers and others who are the linchpin of how an economy works, the top down approach adopted by more and more operators seem to be to avoid meeting with them, send mass messages online, reduce communication access and enhance the importance of investors and highly paid management. In the process, such powers that are and can be, dehumanise the majority in human societal structures. This is especially evident when institutions and corporates dominate the market in an overwhelming manner, for example in New Zealand and Australia, with less competition and choice. Taking customers ( in the broadest sense of the word) for granted looks like the forte and rationale of increasingly more modern society structures, modus operandi and institutions. Why so? Because they can do so. So that is why it is significant that many people ( and not just me aha) are lowering our expectations. And that is critical - by lowering our expectations, we also begin to lose our attachment to such bodies. Do we really need to interact or buy from bad service and product providers? There in lies a potential solution. By decreasing our attachment to many useless things, irrelevant humans, aggressive businesses and impertinent structures, we allow our energies, time and hard earned monies go to more worthwhile causes and activities that truly do enrich our soul and inner joy. Life is a journey of change. When we change our expectations and attachment, we do not absorb the negative energy from parties who just want to take advantage of us - and who are not worth our energy to bother about. And the bottom line I must say, is that it is more meaningful and rewardinv to raise expectations of our own selves - not for the sake of others, but in our own personal journey. #yongkevthoughts

Spring has Sprung

China has 24 distinct solar terms recognised, emphatically for agricultural guidance and echoing historical and cultural significance and sophistication. The fourth of February in 2026 marked the arrival of Spring or Li Chun. In Japan, this same day is called Risshun. The Japanese celebrate Shunbun No Hi in March, also to signify the start of the Sakura or Cherry Blossom flowering season, first starting in Kyushu and spreading north to Hokkaido. Li Chun day has a touch of fun when it is said eggs can be placed standing up, but only on that particular date. Have you tried doing this? Zurich youngsters traditionally publicly burned the Boogg, an eleven foot straw effigy to mark the day of the Spring Equinox (21st March) in Switzerland. The widely used English word "bogeyman" comes from this effigy. Indians celebrate the arrival of Spring as Holi, a colourful riot of celebration marked by street festivities and the use of dyed powders. Persians celebrate Nowruz, a significant feature of Zoroastrainism, when an intensive and purposeful home spring cleaning exercise called Khaneh Tekani is carried out before the important date. Druids and Pagans gathered at Stonehenge in England. The Great Sphinx, ever mysterious south of Cairo in all its stone splendour through the ages, has the setting sun behind her right shoulder on the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Human groups and cultures instinctively welcome the transition to warmer temperatures, especially from this current winter with blizzards and record snowfall in Canada, Siberia, northern Europe, western Russia, northern China and north eastern USA. The Festival of Scrambled Eggs takes place in Bosnia to mark the change to a warmer season. A bit later than in most nations, Canadians have a Tulip Festival to remember the gift of the Dutch flowers to Canada at the end of World War 2. Indigenous practice is to welcome the Serpent of the Light in equatorial Mexico on the day of the Northern Hemisphere Spring Equinox. Easter indicates rebirth and renewal. Bulgarians tap hard boiled eggs against each other in a game like atmosphere, but these have colourfully painted egg shells in the practice of Orthodoxy. Romanian and Maldovians exchange gifts of bright red strings craftfully tied up in a bow. Smigus-Dyngus or Wet Monday involves splashing of water in an affectionate and cleansing way by Poles to herald the arrival of Spring. It reminds me of the perhaps more boisterous water splashing in April on the streets of Thailand to celebrate Songkran. Meanwhile the largest ever annual festive migration of humans occurs in the two weeks before and after the Chinese New Year, not just in China but amongst the diaspora especiallly across South East Asia. Reminding me of salmons who swim back to where they were born in Canada, Scandinavia or New Zealand, the importance of family reunion is echoed in the massive movements of human beings on planes, trains and on the roads. The aim is to sit down and have a meal together as a family on that most sentimental of evenings - New Year's Eve. Chinese New Year is referred to as the Lunar New Year in Western media, as the same festival is also celebrated in Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and in Central Asian republics. When Chinese New festivities end on the 15th night of the celebrations, the Chinese farming calender indicates a change into another solar term - Yu Shiu or the period of Rain. #yongkevthoughts

Sundays Are Not the Same Anymore

Sunday mornings often offered a regime that sparkled. The schedule started with reading on paper, tangible sheer natural product that stimulated our fingers, coupled with the sheer pleasure of leafing through various content that contained more than just adverts or petty news in a thick weekend edition of a newspaper. The newspapers came to our front door early, often at dawn. If we went to the newsagent, its shelves were stacked with a sufficient stack of magazines. Today, Australian newsagents can be a sad shade of lotto gambling, limited stationery and a range of knick knacks. Going outdoors early in the day - or for that matter, anytime - was a sheer pleasure, whether as a pedestrain along footpaths or soaking in the freshness of a park. Although public spaces are to share, these days human walkers along footpaths do experience higher risks of confronting with dangers seen and unforseen. Battery powered e bikes are ridden fast whizzing past close to pedestrains by riders who do not have to register their vehicles or be licensed to operate. Human walkers these days notice more pet poo left deposited on public realms. Across Australia, there are rising casualties and fatalties reported of pedestrains unfortunate enough to have been hit by moving oversized vehicles with hyped up frontages. Even if I am just minding my own business, the other day I was vehemently told off by an obvious mental racist or mental case to walk on the left side along a public pavement. There were just two of us on a wide pavement in north west of Greater Sydney. Many public places are still relatively well kept in Australian suburbs. Occasionally, I still come across the illegal dump on an unassuming creek, a hidden bushy corner or in the wrong type of garbage bin. Beaches along the Illawarra are provided with complimentary pet poo plastic bags. Massive playing fields and public grassed areas are kept mowed and looking attractive by various Councils. The state of toilets for use by the public across Greater Sydney continue to cause concern. Bosses of eateries can drop the importance of ensuring washroom cleanliness when the going gets tough with the lack of workers, problems of ingredient supply, rising rents and financial pressure. The maintenance of toilets at T and M stations across the Sydney Rail network seems to have improved. Sunday mornings can be oppprtunities for pleasurely drives. These days operating your private vehicle on highways or suburban roads can be exasperatimg experiences instead of witnessing how oversized and self centred egos can transform driving into acts of putting others down in aggressive behaviour. If a Sunday happens to be a part of a long weekend, in Australia, be prepared to pay more when eating out - these can be to compensate eatery staff more on a weekend or public holiday, on top of whatever surcharges when taping a card. Busy dates at popular restaurants can also mean limited seating time when dining. Weekends were times to encourage greater socialisation in communities and generally across society. Now there can be greater congestion on the roads, less dependability and regularity of public transport schedules and a greater reluctance to go out on Sundays. So that is why I have sentiments for those beautiful Sundays many years ago. #yongkevthoughts

Personal Boundaries

The Obvious Cannot be Hidden by the Silence, the Silence Cannot be Hidden by the Obvious. Every detail, every sweep and every nook are so clearly revealed when the tide goes down. When you always take, you get some - give and you receive much more. That is the Law of the Universe. When greed permeates a human being, every new comfort is never enough - and that person is trapped in a spiral of attachment. It is not worth an iota to waste energy on a person who cannot rise beyond the fog embedded hopelessly inside. There are individuals who can see when injustice is inflicted on them - but not when they carry out the act of injustice on to others ( or they pretend about it). Those who can sleep soundly after stepping on you deserve to be ignored. Step back from the noise, hype and distraction. The world will carry on no matter what - but honestly, are you going to remain silent in the face of obvious incivility? What you do not practice can be lost forever. Time is not like money. There is no return on more time stowed away, it simply passes and that time is literally lost. So value your own time and the people who give up on their time for you. One can be polite, but not at the expense of our integrity. #yongkevthoughts

Apparently Weird

 The Seemingly Weird Things I Observe

Individuals with agitated facial expressions talking loud to themselves in public - as they cleverly hide their ear pods, they are really chatting loud on their mobile phones.

High tech wifi service that breaks down more often than landline telephones from 40 years ago.

So called annual flora breeds that go umderground each cold season and rise again in the warm season.

Prices of shares and other investments which cause a media uproar with a violent rise or fall but really keep on growing in value over the long term.

People who remarkably recall what I uttered many years ago, but in a good way.

To be in the right place at the right moment - and catch up with someone truly missed.

To hear or witness governments or authorities express regret over unresolved matters when any one could already see the proverbial train wreck coming.

To see the delusion of addiction of several things in society being encouraged in media - and to continue to see the spiral such addicts find themselves in without care by society.

To observe the over the top obsession with weather forecasts in some cultures.

To not realise the best things in life are already right infront of us every day.

To not be mindful that when an aircraft crashes, it does not matter which class of seating one is in.

Individuals who emphatically must use a particular seat on public transport.

#yongkevthoughts

News Over Load

 It took a while for me to realise the futility of the 24 hours round the clock availability of news.  Whether news is read, formatted on a website or chanelled otherwise,  I am mindful what that "news" is - truth, misinformation, propaganda, cherry picked agendas, opinion, advertising or lies?

You may very well know that anything said regularly to an audience -  even if unverified - can become what the reading or listening audience takes as kosher.   Mass hysteria, lemming group think or orchestrated tricks add to the useful techniques used.

News used to take ages to arrive at the ear.   Challenges in travelling distance, communication methods and practically of dissemination all stood in the way.  By the time in the past it reached its audience, the context and perspective of the information so received with delay had a higher opportunity of enhanced understanding and reflection.

The instantaneous nature of receipt of news these days can elicit knee jerk reactions, speculative hype and making conclusions without enough time of context and reflection.

Is it necessary to know what happens every minute?   Is it vital to be informed constantly what powerful and controlling individuals say and do?   Will the world continue despite we not caring about what happens outside our own bubble and routine?

The efficient ability to transmit images around the world can add to the attractiveness of news channeling, but it can also be manipulated to evoke and elicit emotions and reaction.

Our human sensitivities can be overwhelmed with over information constantly over time.   Such a reality can aggravate physiology and pyschological mechansims in human bodies to be highly strung - whether with addictive longing, negative or positive vibes.

Commercialisation, politicisation and exploitation of news feeds are examples of the pressure on living in contemporary times.

#yongkevthoughts

Tourism Today

 What makes specific countries successful as visit destinations, in an age of easier mobility, more financially able people looking for more kicks and when relative peace still rules over noisy geopolitics?

Physical tourism is enhanced by no entry visa fees, uniqueness of the destination, long standing welcoming reputation, good infrastructure, strategic locations, low cost of currency, appetising food and a variety of attractions.

Medical tourism venues are growing, due to the divergence in quality of care, level of fees charged and patients not being able to afford paying high charges in their country of origin.

Investment tourism has grown due to the greater ability to move huge sums of spare funds across borders by institutions, brokers, individuals and financial structures.   These can be not necessarily legal, as long as the players at each stage of the process are willing to do so.  Funds transferred usually move to accounts paying higher returns, are flexible or derive payback from properties.   Individuals investing in such transactions can holiday in their properties overseas.  They can make physical visits to islands of tax havens.  Funds for investments no longer require to be in traditional forms.

Sentimental tourism arise upon cultural vibes arising from emigrants still having strong attachments to places where they were born in, or grew up in.  These individuals no longer reside in the abode of their ethnicity - but are also financially able to spend on repeated visits to their country of origin, especially when they get older.

Examples of such diaspora are from the Anglo-Saxon culture, which has a wide choice of holidaying in Canada, New Zealand, USA, United Kingdom and Australia.   Ever since China opened up in the 1990s and progressed especially in techology, economics, trade and finance,
the descendants of her past emigrants have been going back in droves to holiday in their perceived Motherland.

Family reunion tourism has spiked as a result of many adult young moving overseas to study and then settling in the foreign nation of their graduation.  The migration of working age adults to other countries has caused empty nest syndromes in the abode of their parents.   The airline, visa brokerage and tour agent sectors have vastly benefitted from these developments.

Economic tourism is my term involving people who enter foreign nations on a tourist visa, but continue to over stay by working illegally, even if under paid and not going back to their country of origin.  Specific sectors thrive to use such individuals, especially in roles that others refuse fo undertake.    Strictly speaking, such individuals are not tourists anymore but have used tourism to enter the foreign country and then make use of opportunities.

Another form of economic tourism occurs when individuals illegally set up a variety of low level businesses in a foreign nation  to service fellow country men and women touring from overseas.

Prostitution tourism has been the bane of lesser developed economies when visitors are richer and tour another country for a variety of sex related transactions, including depraved acts that somehow miss the monitoring radar of authorities.

Military tourism has historically been a tradition since Roman Empire days.   I recall Thailand being utilised for R and R during the heydays of the Vietnam War in the second half of the 20th century.   Troops require relief and it does not take long to connect the points between military and prostitution tourism.

Influencer tourism arose on the heels of widening social media.    The agendas of such individuals posting online vary, ranging from self glorification, promoting commercial products or services, personally fighting for ecological causes, sharing photography work or writing as authors of old used to do.

Retirement tourism  focuses on the elderly moving to another place permanently or for part of the year.    The impetus for doing so can be financial, economic, preference for another climate, varying costs of living, tax induced or having a partner or spouse who grew up in a different nation.    Reasons are as diverse as the number of nationalities involved.  Whether these foreign originated retirees mix with locals or just hang around their group of expats is another question.

Geopolitical tourism refers to some tourists continuing to tour selected countries primarily because of their strong convictions and belief in their preferred political systems.

Ecological tourism is growing due to the commitments of such tourists to taking more care of Nature and Earth.

Sports tourism has been popular with Europeans and Americans.   The holding of more spectacular and successful events especially by FIFA, tennis Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympics come to mind, but more viable are the visits to foreign countries by tourists for social skiing, water sports and regularly held marathons.   Access on television and other screens for sports like cricket, rugby, cycling and beach volleyball are not enough - enthisiasts need to be there, even if just as observers.

Religion linked tourism goes back for so long, whether fulfilling the Haj,  completing the pilgrim's track to Jerusalem, or visiting Buddhist holy sites in northern India.

While tourists mostly inject spending into places in dire need of regular cash inflows, there can be a dark side when visitor numbers overwhelm the local demographics.    There truly can be too much of a good thing.

Over populated numbers of tourists can result in lack of reasonable housing costs for residents.   The strain of too many plane and ship arrivals has often unspoken challenges in environmental pollution, hyped up food prices and discrimination in treatment of tourists and locals.

It is never reliable to dominate your city or island's economy perilously dependant on tourism and its trappings.   Pandemics like Covid 19 and outbreaks of war wipe out the ability of tourists to arrive.  Rates of street crime and increased perceptions of personal danger can cause a dent into the presumed rising rates of arrivals.   The attitude towards earth quake risk areas - even if otherwise busy vacation sites - can impact on tourist attractions.  

Where cold climate seasons provide a reprieve for the locals from the hordes of tourists, it is a welcome break -  for example, think of contemporary Xin Jiang,  Scandinavia, Nepal, Canada, the Antarctic and the Tierra del Fuego.   For other more benign climate territories, the disadvantages can be endless -  I reflect on Spain, Thailand, southern China, Malaysia and Singapore.

The ugly face of unwanted tourism vibes to me is when I witness thousands of cruise ship passengers disembark from a giant liner at port.   These passengers seem to be comparable to ants from floating versions of hives.   Hordes have booked on ro a land based tour for the next eight hours after the cruise ship docks.  And there are several cruise ships creating the buzz, the hype and the money.

Repeating visits to the same place can arouse the curiosity of some.  Many families can check into the same hotel year after year to soak in a week or two of almost doing nothing, with meals arranged, children taken care of by hotel activities and having a new routine enjoying the sun.  Some cities have transformed much within a short space of time, like in China.   Others have not progressed much or even deteriorated.

The boom in travel has also ridden on the heels of foodie experiences.   Hubs in cities like Barcelona, Melbourne, Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Vienna, Milano and Palermo have created a buzz to visitors than just sight seeing.

Schoolie and sports related fan group heavy tourism, effused by energetic youth, can at times go out of control, creating shudders in the spines of police and local residents.   They come at pre fixed times of the year.

Letting the hair down behaviour can also be witnessed during Halloween nights, eve of Christmas beaches, full moon nights on remote isles and narrow city lane celebrations.   Such touristy actions can work against the basic principle for foreign visitors - foremost of all, to respect the place one is in.

#yongkevthoughts

The Life Force in Old Things

The Japanese and some south east Asians believe even non animate things have a spiritual presence.  I generally refer to it as a lifeforce.   Antiques and non antiques can absorb the influence of past human individual or groups who used such objects, especially when they use it on a regular basis, intimately or did develop a fondness with a specific tool, utlity, furniture or ornament.

Objects can remind the human heart or memory of various degrees of experience.  Such inanimate objects, still as they seem, are viewed by some as witness sentinels to happy events, arguments, upsetting differences or significant moments.

Whether such vibes are benign, positive or otherwise, overall we humans develop a respect for such crafted things, whether metal, wood, paper or fabric.

When we walk into a room laden with old things, it is more than aesthetic presence we feel.  The visual impression may strike us first in design and layout, but we also can be sensitive to the feel of their surfaces, the sounds of opening and closing drawers, the changing of colour at sunrise or at noon and the working of tools.

Some of us can sense the love of previous owners for the furniture or sculpture.  How certain objects have been polished, dusted, admired, moved or caressed can exude from its appearance.

Traders may
emphasis on the financial value of so called old things and collections,  rather than what is referred to above.  Values traded by collectors are saddled with history, fact, legends and hype. Rarity and upkeep loom large as to how prices are set and sold.

Reusing old things can be environmentally friendly. When an abode is to be demolished, there can be interesting salvages of door frames, carved windows, floor tiles, screens, floor boards and more.  Such items taken from soon to be destructed houses can then take a separate and secondary life of their own.

It is truly in what is in the eye of the beholder for so called things.  And may I add, the purpose for such items going forward in the future.

If they are decided to be of no future use or benefit, they can be dumped on the street side once the human owner passes away - they become fodder for landfill and forgotten burial.

I reckon each of us having or keeping such old things must take the responsibility to decide letting it go or preserve their use when we are still alive.   Once such items become the responsibility of third parties, the sentiment attached to such objects are mostly lost and forgetten.

Is there any difference in how we view objects landing in a polished glass display at a musuem or gallery - or gathering dust in a unkempt antiques shop?

#yongkevthoughts

Northern Hemisphere Still Holds the Key

 "There will be great trouble in the North", so goes the quote attributed to Nostradamus, who occasionally is brought up in the media as one from the past who made predictions about a future world.

Even as populations have increased and economic activities have been enhanced in the past 200 years across the Southern Hemisphere of Earth, societies here are relatively behind and still seemingly trapped in seemingly colonial platitudes, industries of the past with surprisingly low value add and with immature political structures.

South America and southern Africa have not shaken off the quagmire of governance and social revulsions, pulsating along a political spectrum of rule by socialist, dictatorial and right wing governments.

Australian governments are still content with exploitation of their raw resources, providing a key supplier of energy and mineral needs of nations pumping away in growth but located north of the Equator.

Australia, with one of the largest land masses for territory, has still not emerged to assert her own strategic interests and continue to perpetuate a mentality of being dependent on another Western nation.   She has not seized the oppprtunity to realise the huge advantages of her geographical location near the world's fastest growng area. 

New Zealand likewise has to break away from plucking the easier and low hanging fruit of tourism and agriculture.

No matter, both Antipodean countries do still attract migration from Asia, in waves from different countries due to a variety of economic, political and social factors.

The Northern Hemisphere however remains where the most relevant action occurs.

Innovation and research hubs remain in both Bay areas on both sides of the Pacific -  San Jose- San Francisco California and the Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macau-Shenzen region.   London, Washington-Baltimore, New York, Boston-Cambridge, Seattle, Chicago and Los Angeles shine for Anglo nations.

In north east Asia, Tokyo-Yokohama, Seoul, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nan Jing, Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto and Beijing propel like the bright city lights they exude in vibrancy of relentless growth.

Most growth centres encompass a profile of being financial, advanced technology, higher education and business investment hot spots.

It is no surprise that China and the USA lead in this respect.

Contemporary world events have also cast these two very same large nations in the speculation, dynamics and tensions for conflict.   Is it a clash of civillisations and ideology? Is it a time of the dominant old having to give way to a rising new?  Whatever it is, whatever the constant noise emitted, underlying reality and whatever the public is not told, in the end outcomes speak for themselves.

The "great trouble in the North" in so many ways can refer to a future drawn out conflict by the USA with Russia and China.  The world wars of the 20th century saw great divides between two groups of countries - for example, the Allies against the Axis powers and nations joining one side or the other accelerated the geographical spread of battles and destruction.

After the traumatic experience of massive, intense and widespread loss of lives and damage, there arose a non- aligned movement in the 1950s in which mostly African, Asian and South American nations chose not to be involved with the Western club of war winners from the European and Asia Pacific theatres of war.

As the 21st century approached, the momentum of this Non-Aligned Movement seemed to fizzle out.

Roll forward to 2025, eighty years after the Nazis and Japanese Imperial Army surrendered - and the world is once again regrouping into two sides - those who follow the lead of the USA and another who do not.

Significant changes since 1945 highlight great technology advances in societies once downtrodden and vulnerable; falling standards and quality of life in others once deemed superior; the greater mobility of migrants to enter nations once closed off;  the dearth of manufacturing in places that started the Industrial Revolution due to comparative labour costs; and rising educational levels which increased social and economic expectations and reality in so called previous "third world" countries.

Europe in the Northern Hemisphere has always been on the move from the Renaissance to its current nurturing of the European Union.

Geographically, continental Europe is relatively a smaller place than the expanse of land one travels through in the USA, China or Russia.  Unity and social cohesion remains a challenge for the various cultures and states of Europe.  Europe led in world affairs, colonised the rest of the world and had a confident heritage until the Second World War.

The lands lying between Europe, India, Africa and Central Asia have witnessed tumultous change of empires, birth of important religions and throbbed through aggressive cultures.  Several political entities here have been blessed with the world's dependency on petroleum - but this can come along with interference by foreign powers, violent disorders and instability for the unprotected. 

South east Asia and India have geopolitically entered a new era that is way past colonialism but are still riding the waves of political and ethnic nationalism.   Their populations for a variety of reasons contribute a large share of migrants to other parts of the world.  Politics here can be a mixed bag, attracting various versions of democracy, dictatorship, communism, royalty and socialism.

Standards of living, business dynamism and future growth do face risks from geopolitical turmoil.   Wartime means the further bloom in arnament sales but destruction and holding back of peace time share markets, inter cultural understanding, quality of life, supplies, public infrastructure networks, freer trade and economic returns.

Are conflicts fought over access to natural resources and food supplies?   Do troubles break out due to excess hormonic tribal pulses, in the name and push to uphold history, religion or culture?   Are battles fought with sacrifice of lives just because we are on the opposing sides of some imagined political spectrum or deeply rooted religious passion?

Are internal matters of a society interfered by outside parties instead of being allowed to be resolved without the manipulation by others?

Social upheaval can arise from ethnic tensions, divisions in multi-racial economies and changing governance arrangements.  Orders of the old world like royalty are diminishing.  On the other hand, when there is too much personal freedom, human instincts can long for being under personal political control.  History can repeat or rhyme for human societies.  New generations can forget, yearn for the past or experiment with drastic radical politics.

The British exported their language, government institutions, philosophy, religions and technology when they colonised the world.  Having superior technology in trade, science, arnaments, leadership and historical opportunity can embolden nationalism, cultural imperatives and the course of human civilisation.

The Northern Hemisphere has been saddled with the course of human progress, discord, capacity and impact.  The so called South may have been on the receiving end of initiatives and impact of incursions from the Northern Hemisphere, emphatically for Indigenous groups, but is not without her uniqueness and advantages.

The Southern Hemisphere seems to be an abode of relative remoteness, less pollution and a chance to restart and do things differently.  

Where negatively utilised, like in conducting nuclear testing, sourcing of slave labour and greedy exploitation of resources, these echo the dark sides of human behaviour.

Where positively shown, the Southern Hemisphere has been a refuge for the economically, religious and politically weary populations of Earth, where the atmosphere is relatively unpolluted and where one can still clearly see the stars of the Universe at night.

#yongkevthoughts

Delusions of Society Revealed?

As Earth populates as never before,

Expectations continue to rise and roar,

But not for those in the wrong place and time,

When even basic needs are withdrawn to the nines.

The false hype is that things will forever expand and grow,

When in reality the Universe and Nature of Earth is to be transformed in a gradual glow.

As human made channels congest and stress,

There is value and calm in wanting less.

Do we need to greed for more and chase after things that we do not truly need,

Just for our ego, pride and selfishness to feed.

Is there more inner joy to share and give,

Compared to accumulating more than we can ever need.

The contemporary world nourishes from more kindness, encouragement, smiles and consideration, 

Than obsession with competition, selfishness and aggeessive obsession.

Societies collapse from blatant corruption, ideology and discrimination,

Instead of being nourished by merit, ethics, humanity, proactivity and positive determination.

To shine a true light into the path of individual and collective destiny,

One can see beyond the limitations of supression, confusion, devastation and emnity.

#yongkevthoughts

Days and Nights of Early Hope and Optimism

 I could recite the newly introduced Federal Government National Principles of the Nation ( written by bureaucrats),  thoroughly enjoying the efforts  to unite a society of various origins, beliefs and backgrounds, ostensibly through common values of love for a young country formed from the end of colonialism.

I even won a primary schools award for some competition in the declared national language, even if I cherished the so many other languages to speak and write in, at home, with extended family of relatives, socially and when communicating with people and passer-bys on the road.

In my childhood, I was less conscious of racial differences and already enjoyed the variety of food and culture from residing in a land blessed with the contributions of migrants originating from different places. I was not told much at school or outside school hours of the Peninsular's Indigenous inhabitants, with low numbers living in remote rural corners, not even having an opportunity to see or meet them in real life.

I was born after the British colonists left.   Their influence and heritage were still embedded in everyday matters of life, in the building architecture, place names, significance of rule of law and in the discourse of education.

English language was inherently taken granted by me as an international language of technology, geopolitics, art, science and economic growth.  I  still could not realise the role that Mandarin language escalated to in these contemporary times.  My social networks were on a emphasis of Western civilisation not anticipating the rejuvenation of things Eastern.

American entertainment, news, philosophy and propanganda dominated my growing up years.   The glory of the British Empire, even if she had already dismantled, refused to leave the pyschology and adoration of the adults I encountered.  Overseas, there were strong stirrings of the impact of the Cold War on a stage pitting democracy against communism, of left wing versus right wing, of human rights freedoms versus extremism, of domino collapse theories and surging nationalism.

One evening, the perceived sense of orderliness and improvement in my society was shattered by riots, violence, gas lighting and abhorrent display of divisiveness in a few urban hubs of the country I was born in.

My eldest brother had been on a train to the capital city to attend university.  Police had to escort him and his fellow passengers at the destination rail station for safety from the rampaging mobs.  Rumours, fear, uncertainty and disbelief rose in the hearts and pulse of those who stayed home to keep away from the violence reported happening on the streets.  My sense of innocence about the world and my society was shattered.

How would my society react to this landmark episode?

Would this be grabbed by the horns to resolve the underlying issues, fractures and problems?

Some say the colonists, before granting independence, had already embedded the divisiveness and nurtured the flames of dissatisfaction amongst the different races they ruled over for so long.

If the fissures and cracks were already there, could they have not been repaired?  Or those in power in the newly formed Federation very likely had different ambitions and plans.

And as they say, the rest is history.

My aspirations, love and sentiment for the country of my birth took an inevitable beating in due course.

Cikgu Othman at Francis Light School nurtured my handling of the national language - and I still have find memories of him as my teacher at an important stage of life.

I still recall how happily I rode the bicycle to the Penang Free School each day, with a classmate whose father worked at the nearby naval base.   Green Lane did not have the congested traffic one experiences today.

And my nation of birth is not the same one as in my childhood, changed beyond what I can fathom.

Note - Independence was granted by Britain to Malaya on 31.8.57.  Malaya, with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, created the Federation of Malaysia on 16 9.63.   Singapore left this Federation on 9.8.65 and became an island republic.

#yongkevthoughts

Alternate Routines in the Daily Life

 At times, I do wonder whether my daily regime would be the same if I did reside in another city, another country.

Melbourne

The streets of more suburbs here seem to be oozing with more character, better architecture and more historical nuances.  The bay area would be facing the winds from the Southern Ocean - and wind chill would be more pronounced in as many months.

Wardrobe layering is de rigour. Dressed up, I would visit more venues of culture, collection and culinary.  The skies can often be more gray and cloudy.  I would take more hot beverages, examine more murals, appreciate more of the design of the trams and take in more of the temperate climate.

Singapore

I feel the geographical smallness of the island nation - and at the same time, the boundless determination to overcome any perception of limitation.

I would not give up the Kaya toast, half boiled egg and coffee at each MRT station.  I now see and realise the commercialisation of Orchard Road, but still do not get fatigued by exhibits at various institutions.

I would still minimise the sweat from outdoor afternoons and quietly seek air conditioned places.   I would observe the locals from the ubiqutious food courts.   I am still fascinated at places where foreigners and locals do retail.

I still relish in visiting suburbs around the Republic, each with its unique character and sameness.   I would seek out the pockets of greenery and Nature which the Government has planned and developed.

Some places may seem artificial and contrived.  Others are what this city state tries to maintain and grow, even if it has been given up or taken for granted in other societies.

I would not take for granted the appreciated high level of personal and public safety here.  I am grateful for the orderliness, signage and organisation.  

I look at the high rises of residence.  I notice the discipline of putting away trays of food after people finish their meals at food courts.  I am aware of the natural need to queue and the apparent fear of missing out in public behaviour.

I do realise the pressure to both communalise and yet differentiate on a personal level. There are not many private vehicles on Singapore roads relative to the population.  There is intense level of competition in keeping up with the Joneses - and the Government is ever conscious of developing and enhancing the sense and reality of a united society.

Penang

I miss the compactness of my childhood island, but the increased number of vehicles running on road networks that have not sufficiently increased is a significant matter still not resolved.

Public transport remains outdated for a population easily over a million on the island itself.

The island is ideal for a metropolitan hop on hop off train line, but faces challenges in building underground lines.  Flat land mostly is available on to her eastern and southern coasts, with a hilly centre and a narrow strip with cliffs and beaches on her northern shore.

I miss pleasure road drives on to the other side of Penang Island, with a more contrasting rural scenery than urban set ups in her more populated parts.  The high altitude highway transversing the middle part of the island gives you a view of the Malacca Straits and the southern Andaman Sea.

Three categories in Penang exist for the foodie.   World famous hawker food beckon both visitors and locals alike in taste, variety and pricing - and this is sorely missed across Greater Sydney, especially with demanding prices for essentially street food.

The diversity of migrants in Australian capital cities also mean the diversity of cuisines made available.  Fresh produce in Australia can be of better quality, but cooking ingredients can be more expensive to source, together with higher venue rentals, labour payments and limited hours of operation.

Hong Kong

I would climb up and down more sloping streets.  I would wriggle in and out of more crowds. I would not take the harbour for granted.  I would take in my stride the humidity in summer and moderate coolness at the start of a new year.

I would enjoy the hikes along hills and bays in parts of the territory seemingly far away from the maddening crowd.   I would enjoy the soybean, fresh seafood, noodles and other delicacies of a mature Cantonese cooking style.

I would take the opportunities growing from economy, trade and finance in a strengthening Bay area.   The China of today is at her door step, exciting, growing, promising and yet reality already.  The call of the future and the vibrancy of the present has over written and over ridden her past.

Klang Valley, Selangor

Distance in driving around is what I have still not got used to here.   The number of multi laned highways and how they interconnect with endless traffic can be both fascinating and mind boggling.  

I would enjoy dawn walks in the several large parks scattered around this valley.  Their shopping centres are less attractive as I grow older, for most of them tend to have similar retail and look the same.

I would enjoy the "kopi tiam" regime of so many people seemingly not home cooking and eating out at any time of the day or night.  I would not enjoy as much the challenges of vehicle parking in suburbs.   I would immerse in the vibrancy of so many small businesses expressing themselves in the various communities.

There are things not spoken off on the streets of jarring politics - and yet I feel the vibes of ordinary people over coming things in this quiet way.

#yongkevthoughts

Breakfast In The Morning

 The alluring aroma of onions on toast with poached egg is what drives me to make them at home first thing in the early morning.

But I still miss the variety of options of breaking fast in my childhood days - there were light fluffy south Indian pancakes (Roti Canai), stir fried Chinese radish cubes with garlic and bean sprouts ( Cai Tau Kueh), or modest packets of coconut milk flavoured steamed long grain rice with appetising  condiments ( Nasi Lemak).

Piping hot long black coffee with various blends did the necessary awakening for sleepy heads. There was no touch of Italian varieties, no Matcha or soy milk additives - in fact, fresh diary was and still is expensive in an equatorial land.

Personally I do not miss bacon, but ham slices are a pleasure to have, especially in a well prepared sandwich or focaccia, especially with beetroot and an avocado smash spread, together with some fresh rocket leaves.

 Nicely sauteed mushrooms added to the presentation transmits me to the border with brunch time.   A bagel is a welcome  change from the usual sourdough or Turkish.

Fresh juices made from tomato seem to be offered less these days than the ubiqutious orange juice.   Eggs in whatever way you fancy are popular - but fresh fruit cuts can be so refreshing.  I love local fruits offered when overseas - examples are passion fruits, papayas, grapes of different varieties, kiwifruits or Chinese gooseberries, rambutans, mangoes or cherries.

And nothing spoothes the body or appetite on a cold morning like pumpkin soup with a slight dash of cream.

In East Asia, there is the reassuring  delight of steamed fluffy buns or Bao, with fillings of well marinated and finely cut meat, or just simply with red bean or custard fillings.  For many days in southern China provinces, light rice congee assured the welcome of another day of adventure on tour.

Baguettes are essential in European sojourns.  They form the basis of crunch, texture and body to energise and inspire, together with top ups and relishes, sweet or savoury.  Coffee in its various forms are de rigour in the Mediterranean cultures, usually taken with strong blends and in small cups.

The differences between Continental and English breakfast varieties have been promoted in countless international hotel settings for so many years.   Across Asia, cooked breakfasts are often accessible as opposed to just cereal, breads and milk.

Most of the former colonised nations as a matter of course provide both local and European items in impressive spreads from 7am, echoing history, variety and internationalism.  Breakfasts in hotels across Australia and New Zealand tend to still limit themselves to British and American familiarities, despite the nature of their societies getting more diversified.

Fast food chains across the globe have embedded breakfast options long ago - although they do not sell them after 1030am.  

At Singapore MRT stations, one offering, the combo of Kaya toast, half boiled egg and coffee stands out as a cultural imprint.  Japan has the miso soup and noodles as a common thread to expect in the mornings.  Thais start with spice even in breakfasts.

Lentils, ground into a healthy mush, plus grain based fibre strong grains like oats, can be more healthy to be taken on a daily basis, improving gut health and bowel maintenance.

Sweet based dishes like waffles, pancakes and cakes now have moved from teatimes to early mornings in many cafes. Preserves and fruit based jams have always been spread on buttered scones, breads and wheat based bakes.

Breakfast dishes are packed in takeaways for an increasingly busy market.

And tea, milkshakes, juices and more compete with coffee in the beverage scene first thing in the morning.

And finally there is the increasing concept of "all day breakfasts".

#yongkevthoughts

Navigating Through The Fog

Each of us come across various numbers of people each day.

They can be acquaintances, colleagues, passer-bys, vehicle drivers on the road, silent fellow passengers on public transport, food providers, delivery personnel, health workers, politicians, friends, relatives, neighbours, commercial workers, influencers, school mates, hobby enthusiasts, club members, cruise passengers and more.

Most times, we only have transactional conversations with them in the way contemporary society is structured.  Increasingly, no voice interaction is even experienced, as finger driven text messages provide the communication channel.

Of course, we get to know particular persons better and in more intensity depending on the relationship involved.

There are individuals who also get to understand and know you better, or purposefully in a restrained and limited way.  There is a logic, rationale and purpose behind family and friendship.

How close or far relationships become can be tied to cultural norms, the sharing of various interests, the geographical factors underpinning viability to keep in touch, the over riding benefits or challenges in emotions and bonding of the parties involved and the opportunities to actually meet up in person.

Do individuals outside of an immediate family scenario persist to keep in touch despite having busy schedules?  

Do viable friendships make it so easy to catch up even after not having not caught up for a long time?

Do friendships wilt and ride off in the proverbial sunset as no effort is made to continue the previous vibes?

Whether or not we actually keep in touch in person is now supplemented by the parameters of social media, but not everyone takes part in this on screen availability.

Relationships used to be facilitated by residing in the same village.   These days we can be still be distant with people physically residing near by - but be more close with our special someones living far away.

Unresolved matters can degrade relationships with family, colleagues and others.  Whether things work out with past or present contacts obviously depend upon individual attitudes, the degree of intensity to maintain or improve a relationship, compatibility in needs or wants and the dovetailing or dispersal of common values or practices.

In a world facilitated by easier travel and mobility, are relationships threatened or enhanced by this?  Can virtual on screen meetings  be as effective as living nearby?

When populations migrate tp such an extent as we see today, are neighbours or friends in the same locality more dependable than family living overseas?

Individuals have varying levels of behaviour and pyschological make up.  We truly cannot change anyone, even as a spouse.  People develop their character and personality independent of our influence.

The most significant skill is to recognise what drives a specific person in day to day interactions with us.

Do they whinge to get attention, not wanting to increase their level of accountability or responsibility?

Do they behave like easy knock overs, never learning to say no and always ready to help when they need not to?

Do they swirl around in negativity and not even take a break to consider the bright side as encouraged by others?

Do they only need others to listen to their thoughts and have already made up their mind?

Do they just need to bully and bulldoze their way when dealing with others - and do not realise their ridiculousness as the proverbial Little Napolenons in their sickening little turfs?

Are they truly modest, humble and generous in consistent behaviour and approach, always considering the interests of the group above themselves?

Are they not able to appreciate the level of elegance, sophistication and refinement expected by so called high society?

Do they behave in a particular way and we cannot figure them out as we do not fully know their full story?

Do they have a consistent purpose in their own journey of life?

Are they easily influenced by others and tend to follow strong personalities?

Do their expectations entrap them in attachments which they may not even be aware of?

Do they interact with us only because they have something to sell to us, even if we are not interested in what they offer?

Do they drop us quickly like a stone once they have no use of us?

Do they break and not uphold well respected family and community values due to their twisted egos?

Do we judge people by a single mistake or act of unbecoming behaviour?

Do we not assume the burdens of negative and toxic individuals, as it is truly not our business to do so?

Do we not only help others to the best of our ability, without expecting anything in return?

Do we not realise that we have limitations in our own capacity and capability in helping others?

#yongkevthoughts

Happy 60th, Singapore

 Happy 60th, Singapore. 9 August 1965 to today.

A nation whose leader seriously reckoned would not last on its formation.

An island republic which has no natural resources, but gritly utilised innovative planning, its strategic advantages, technology, human skills and social harmony as imperatives.

An island that virtually imports most of its food.

An island that learns from her past but more emphatically prepares for the future.

An island with so much humidity but relies on energy sucking air conditioning.

An island that has thrived on free market trade and projections of financial governance.

An island that treasures cultures of her denizens - and values contributions of all, more on merit than on divisions.

Is this an island that already has become so costly in terms of paying for accommodation, health care and other aspects in life?

An island that values public transport for all over the trappings of a private car.

An island republic that treasures every inch of its small territory.

An island with a national airline that sets and maintains standards in a sector which is one of her national pillars.

An island that sees herself as a beacon to attract others on investment, educational and technology fronts.

A republic that does not sit still.

#yongkevthoughts

Snippets of War Observations

The USA government has so far never officially apologised for the nuclear bombs dropped on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August 1945.

No Anglo nation has been extensively firebombed in contemporary times from the 20th century to now, except for the United Kingdom.  Pearl Harbour was attacked, but not the mainland of the United States.  Darwin in northern Australia suffered more damage from the Imperial Japanese forces than Pearl Harbour, but not the rest of the Australian continental island.

Most of Europe incurred massive grief, destruction, personal loss and division in the reign of the Nazis under Hitler.

The ensuing battles and efforts to bring Hitler down in mid 1940s Europe ensured further deaths of many civillians caught up in the meeting of Allied and Axis armies.

The Japanese Government has never apologised for the Nanjing massacre in Central China in 1937.

A significant number of residents of colonies of the world wide British Empire in the 20th century fought for the United Kingdom in both the two World Wars. These included residents of India, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Malaya, Canada, Hong Kong and the Caribbean.

American born Japanese volunteered in enough numbers to form the Nissei regiment which saw service in Europe fighting against the Nazis.

Germany has officially and profusely apologised for the gassing by Nazis of innocents in the death camps echoed by Auschwitz.   Not only Jews, but European Gypsies, gays and various nationalities whom Hitler wanted exterminated were gassed.

The extermination of many Armenians in the early 20th century is often under recognised, together with other genocides those in current power refuse to emphasise.

The executions of overseas Chinese in Malaya, the Phillippines and Singapore by the Japanese Imperial Army, when they invaded parts of South east Asia in the early 1940s, illustrated the intense revenge sentiment and behaviour of payback.  These overseas Chinese had sent funds and volunteers to fight against the invasion by Imperial Japan of eastern China from the 1930s.

Many Nazis escaped to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay after the end of World War 2.

Jews fleeing from Europe did find refuge in Shanghai in rhe 1930s.  The invasion of China by Japan caused them to flee again, this time to New Zealand and eastern Australia.

No south eastern Asian nation permanently accepted boat refugees from Vietnam in the 1980s.  They languished in temporary camps mainly in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore until the Western countries offered permanent settlement.

Australia and New Zealand sent troops to Malaya to help British colonists fight communist insurgents in the 1950s.

The extreme cruelty of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia extensively scarred an ancient society and culture of a nation already damaged by the American war in next door Vietnam.

Afghanistan remains a land which has fought off foreign armies, whether those led by Alexander the Great, the Soviet Union or the United States of America.

The rich resources of petroleum, religious tribalism and political interference in the Arab and Persian lands have proved to be two edged swords.

Southern and Eastern Europe continue to be frontiers where and when Islam, Christianity and Judaism met in fraught and intense historical experiences. 

Did Winston Churchill send Anzac troops to Gallipolli in Turkey in the First World War, preferring to save British troops from a rather hopeless encounter?

The most number of civillians and troops died for Russia in the battles against the Nazis in the second World War.

Commemorations continue to be held in France to remember the sacrifices by the Anglo nations in both World Wars of the 20th century.

Thailand and Japan were the only Asian nations which collaborated against the Allied countries in World War 2, together with Nazi Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

The Australian Federal Government in Canberra for a few years hid the fact of Darwin being bombed by the Japanese. Australia prioritised the attack of Pearl Harbour as being more important in communicating with her own residents during World War 2.

Many surviving Caucasians trapped in South east Asia, as British, Dutch and French colonies were over run by the Japanese Imperial Army in the first half of the 1940s, suffered traumatic experiences as prisoners of war.

South west China became a hub of resistance, defence and preparation for the Chinese besieged by the Japanese Imperial Army in the 1930s and first half of the 1940s.

The invasion by the Japanese Imperial Army in the 1940s sparked off the urge for national independence by several colonies after the end of World War 2.

#yongkevthoughts

Universities Today

 There are 166 universities in the United Kingdom -  currently there are 3 Vice Chancellors in a British university with a South Asian background.

1.  Leceister Uni  - Nishan Canagarajah.

2.  Kings College London - Shitij Kapur.

3.  Canterbury Christ Church University  - Rama Thirunamachandran

The only VC in Britain with an East Asian background is Max Lu of the University of Surrey, who has recently been appointed by the University of Wollongong NSW in Australia as its new VC.

There are 43 universities in Australia.  No one with a South Indian background has been appointed a VC in this Antipodes nation.

No non ethnic Malays have served as VC of any university in Malaysia.

No non ethnic Chinese currently serve as a University VC in Singapore.

There are eight universities in New Zealand with no VCs of Asian origin.
Damon Salesa of Samoan origin is the current VC of the Auckland University of Technology.

In Canada, Mohamed Lachemi serves as VC of the Toronto Metropolitan Univsrsity.
Deep Saini is VC of McGill University and is of Punjabi origin.  There are around 100 universities across Canada.

Across the Australian university sector, there is an obvious under representation of females as Vice-Chancellors.

Are VC roles supposed to reflect the mores and uniqueness of each society?
Or are they increasingly chosen for abilities in corporate management, strategic leadership and financial
prowess, as higher educational instutitions become more of competitive
behemoths obsessed with research rankings, easy student revenues and corporate growth?

Universities do not pay tax and are inherently community entities to start with, originally meant to serve the ideals of education, inspiring thinking, academic growth and embedding benefits from society ideals.   They have now grown to be jaggernauts which can prioritise high level commercialisation over those of teaching, learning and student experience.

Universities are not accountable to shareholders and yet now operate like commercial entities.   The equivalent of a corporate Board can be in University Councils, whose members should be a broad based demographic but increasingly stacked with political aspirations and corporatised vibes.

There are universities burdened and yet enriched with historical traditions.   There are universities which carry the torch of enlightenment and innovativeness in ages of oppression, extremism and backwardness.   Universities are best when they develop the minds and behaviours of progress and reform for the larger society outside their campuses.
Our contemporary age has never seen so many numbers attending university.

Yet universities can be held captive by the overwhelming control of geopolitics.   Donations for such institutions are significantly important, whether in knowledge, finance or human effort.   Universities do not stand alone well by themselves, but are best to serve when they have a collective will and purpose to advance the course of continuing human civilisation.

#yongkevthoughts

The Southern Hemisphere

 Living in the Antipodes has its quirks and pecularities.

Most of the action is dominated by the Northern Hemisphere.  South of the Equator seems to imply something less, suggestive of secondary.   We have lesser populations, especially across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.   Even our land masses are perceived to have just mountains and forests like in the Andes and in parts of Africa.  The mystery loved by adventurers hangs around thick and alluring in South America and Africa.   Two of the most risky capes to sail past in the age of colonialism were the Cape of Good Hope and the Tierra de Fuego.

Geopolitics, technology advances,
finance, trade, arnaments and medical fields can be dominated by the big players in the European Union, Russia, China and the United States.  All north of the Equator.  

The critical air links and shipping routes all compete more in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Malacca Straits, South China Sea, Panama Canal, the Carribean, the Baltic and the North Atlantic.   The vastness and large distances of the South Pacific between Chile and New Zealand already prove to be barriers.   And I dare not reflect the  challenges in the wide ocean between Perth and Durban - I can only think of the secret USA military base at Diego Garcia.

South America in the past 100 years gives me the perception and impression of being a hotbed of revolution, dictatorship and violent change of ruling governments. I must not generalise, for each society and its history do have circumstances and conditions that create their own geopolitical path.

South Africa was strongly condemned by the United Nations as an apartheid state before the arrival of Mandela.   Australia has a whites first policy before it was dismantled by Gough Whitlam. 

The vast waters in the Southern Hemisphere  do provide so much for sea creatures, weather patterns and romanticised cruise travel.   On the negative side, the South Pacific attracted French government nuclear testing - as did the Australian mainland, by British and USA interests.

Time differences are not caused by being in the south or north.  These human measurement systems agreed internationally to bring order to the human world do mean that while London is starting a new day, Sydney is going to bed.  Events in the USA happen a day before New Zealand regarding calendar date.   However, Cape Town is the same time zone as Berlin - and Rio is only an hour ahead of New York.

Air routes tend to be more over oceans, rather than land, when you venture below the Equator.   There are more islands as you cross over the Indonesian Archipelago.  There is more emptiness seemingly as you fly over the oceans.   On the other hand, one can be captivated by the dry deserts over Australia, the lush forests or grasslands of Africa and the high peaks of the Andes.

Institutions of higher education below the Equator are generally ranked below the top universities sited above that geographical line.

The Indigenous of Southern lands and waters have had tumultous historical times since the arrival of the sailing ships from Europe.   Almost the whole non- European world was colonised in rapid succession from the 16th to 20th centuries ( exceptions were Japan, huge parts of inland China, Thailand and Ethopia).  The Australian continental island with around 200 Aboriginal nations was declared "terra nullius" by the first British stepping foot at Sydney Cove.

The Maoris in Aotearoa fought back against the colonists in a most vehement manner.   Natives across southern Africa were challenged by the technical superiority, agricultural transformations and better weaponry of the European arrivals.  The allure of gold, a falling Inca Empire and the resources in South America spurred on the Spanish conquerors.

The lands of the Southern Hemisphere all had gold mining rushes, echoing the richness of its topography which can still provide hidden resources.  European dictated agricultural practices were imposed in Australia to the disregard of native traditions.

People from Europe brought infections and diseases to the Southern Hemisphere in the period of colonisation.  

Flora and fauna come foremost to mind in the Southern Hemisphere. A striking example is the variety as studied by Joseph Banks as he sailed on the Cook voyages.

The ways of best managing the environment  in the Antipodes were challenged by the mindset of the colonisers to bring and implement their previous template and practices to their new world.  Australia, New Zealand and Argentina were strongly viewed to serve aa food growing resources.  Foreign plants and animals were introduced with short sighted reasons

The Koala population is strongly decimated in Nww South Wales.  

Quietness, especially at night, can bring forth a rather special charm when one is in the country areas outside cities and towns across the Southern Hemisphere.  I reckon this can be experienced as well in the depths of the Eurasian continent, the Canadian Tundra and in the forests of Europe.

So far, the horror of war conflict, civillian collateral damage and destructive arnaments has not been as much as in the Northern Hemisphere - bar around the South Pacific in the 1940s, where the USA navy gained stature in Australian eyes.  New Guinea was also a scene of intense physically close fighting between the troops of the Japanese Imperial Army and those of the Allies.  South America was spared much of the horrors of the two World Wars in the 20th century - but then became the refuge of Nazi escapees from war torn Europe.

Clearer skies at night are a delight and privilege in the Southern Hemisphere.
Due to less population and fewer of bright cities, it is easier to see a passing comet or let our eyes better appreciate the millions of sparkling stars of the Universe.
The atmosphere can be more refreshingly felt due to less pollution and more natural winds.

When societal disruption broke out in the Northern Hemisphere, due to war, discrimination and displacements of people, South America, Australia and New Zealand became places of refuge and attraction to start a life all over again.
Such migrants brought their unique cultures, philosophies, culinary and systems to their newly adopted countries.

Australia seems to still be a land where her migrants of various religions and background come from over 200 separate foreign nations.  Her Indigenous are also the world's oldest continuing civilisation.

#yongkevthoughts

Looking at War

 Which countries have always waged war for a long time now since the middle of the 20th century? 

The United States of America has chalked up the most in number of wars participated, starting with the Korean Peninsular War in the early 1950s.  An ironic fact is that such military episodes have never taken place on homesoil in mainland America. 

The USA military and government have mostly dabbled themselves and their arnaments in the Middle East - Libya, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Yemen and Lebanon come to mind.    The cauldron of aggression, conflict, geopolitical tensions and social disorder sparked off by the establishment of the state of Israel have seen fights with her neighbours.  And the USA government is a dominant supporter of Israel.

The Cold War turned out to be varying degrees of heightened tensions, a game of high stakes who will blink first  and almost shaving near close encounters of military outbreaks.   The main protagonists were the Soviet Union and the USA, with the circle of accompanying allies.

The break up of the Federation of Yugoslavia in the 1990s arose from long brewing domestic differences.  United Nations sent personnel to be involved in the intracacies and complexities, thereby causing foreign troops to step in a stage beset with the divide between Eastern and Western Europe.

The Falklands Isles in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean witnessed the determination of Margaret Thatcher and Britain to not let a strategic colonial outpost be lost.  The confrontation with Argentina could have been the last fought battle of the British Empire's military tradition.

New Zealand has not experienced military mayhem domestically since the wars of attrition between the Maoris and the British colonists in thd early 19th century, leading to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Contemporary India and Pakistan have had limited skirmishes - and so have India and China on the Himalayan border, plus that between Vietnam and China.  China's last major war participation has been in the Korean Peninsular in a proxy conflict between Communists and capitalists.

Which European nations have not gone into battle since the end of World War 2?
Amazingly, most of the European continent has undergone peaceful political processes under the advent of the EU.  The Ukraine question escalated in the third decade of the 21st century with still an unresolved and continuing military conflict.  Historical fears and sentiment still run through the instinctive geopolitics of the European continent.

Most continents have never been invaded by foreign powers since the end of the colonialism period.   " Invasion"  these days can be more in the form of commercialism, soft power, financial domination, technology advancement and trade prowess, rather than in physical military wars.  However, colonies, albeit of small size, still exist around the world - we reflect on the possesions by the French in the South Pacific.  On the other hand, large nations like Canada and Australia still have Governor-Generals representing the ultimate authority of the British Monarch over their lands.

Which contemporary nations have somehow retained their viable independence amidst the rolling waves of human tribal conflict and war?  Thailand and Ethopia were never colonised when most of the world were.

Which nation has often joined others in warfare, and in the name of the another country leading the war, despite of almost never being attacked before?  Australia, India, New Zealand and Canada had sacrificed many in the war effort led by Britain and the USA since the beginning of the 20th century.

Which region of the world has attracted the most invaders in modern times since 1945?   Perhaps it is the Middle East.
Evolving disorders have broken out domestically in societies there  as a consequence of dictatorships, religious based groups, people's revolutions and interference by foreign governments.

Central Africa had its share of turbulence
due to economic inequity, warlord dominancs, burgeoning populatons and claims over resources.   War has even been declared between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969 over the results of a football match in Central America.

All nations in South east Asia have been attacked and invaded by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War 2.  Which nations in present day ASEAN have managed to experience predominant lack of warfare since then?

Singapore, Brunei, the Phillippines, the Federation of Malaysia and Thailand have been fortunate to not have serious epispdes of warfare in recent history.   Indonesia had battles in Irian Jaya (western half of Papua New Guinea) and when fighting the Portuguese ruled Timor-Leste in the latter's war for independence.

Indo-China was quagmired in atrocious warfare as the Communists fought intense nationalistic struggles in Vietnam and Laos.  Kampuchea was taken over by a cruel regime under Pol Pot.  Myanmar continues under military rule and its central government fights the armies of several different ethnic groups in major portions of the country, apart from facing rebellions within the Burmese cohort.

What lies for the near future in the 21st century?   Will ideology continue to stir up the masses?  Are democratic styled elections a sham subject to manipulation, misinformation and huge monies controlled by a few individuals?  Will conflicts still arise because of significant fights over trade and resources?  Will the ideal human values overwhelm the human tribal instinct to fight?

The quality of specific leaders who hold the upper hand in world affairs can be so important.   Do politicians choose between the welfare of their human denizens and the tempting short term way to massive business opportunities and wealth?  The core generation of voters can decide the path but powerful people can pull the puppet strings.   War has always been waged by older politicians making use of younger people to do the actual fighting.

#yongkevthoughts