I miss church

 t feels like it has been forever since I have stepped into a church. I miss it. I miss the fractals of shadows cascading from stain glass windows. I miss the stillness. I miss the goosebumps I get upon hearing the organ playing a hymn I know. I miss hearing voices unified in prayer, in song, in wishing each other peace. I miss the true sense of sanctuary, of being able to let my guard down if only for a little while in a sacred space and time.

It will be some time that I will dare venture back. What I do, where I work, I can't afford to place others at risk. To my brothers and sisters in Christ, continue to spread the good word. May we continue to rejoice, to pray, to sing, to hope, and to love. I look forward to when we can meet at the altar again, to break bread, and to exchange peace.

The unsecured demanding security

 Today we witness the premature death of the "one country two systems" in Hong Kong. In the guise of National Security, so many basic rights and civil liberties can and will be eschewed. Judge, jury, executioner all in one; from the top, no transparency required, the ends justifying any means.

In fact, no longer will there be any need for justification. Dissidents will simply be crushed in the name of security. After all, what poses more threat to a regime than the freedom of thought and expression? To oppose in any manner, to dissent is to be against party and country. If you don't stand with the party, then you are against the nation, and you are a threat to security. It is that simple.

The Hong Konger identity will be no more in perhaps a generation or so because what comes next will be the brainwashing of the young. Ah, Hong Konger, that unique moniker of a people blessed with the best of both worlds - the perfect melting pot of East and West. Alas, no longer. Traditional Chinese and Cantonese will be phased out. A vibrant voice rich in culture silenced.

The west may watch from a distance and deem what happens to HK an internal affair. But my mark my words, China will come for others next, because the truth is what is happening in Hong Kong is a litmus test and one that Western democracies have failed miserably. The silence of the west, especially when affronted with the blatant oathbreaking of The Sino British Joint Declaration has signalled to the CCP that they will not be held accountable. For indeed, who will go after the de facto loan shark of the world?

So, just a couple days shy of 23 years since the handover, and less than half the promised 50 years, Hong Kong has sunk. Oh, will it remain a fascinating city? Possibly, but it will be tainted, its spirit subdued, and all aspects henceforth contrived. #RIPHKSAR

Be a critical consumer of the news

When consuming the news it is important to isolate words that are written to trigger emotions and sensationalize an incident. You see, at the end of the day delivering the news is a business.  Each news organization has a target audience, be it geographical , political, or ideological. It must therefore find a way to continue to cater to them, to get them to bite. So, it is critical to realize what sort of reader are you so that you don’t just buy into one narrative.  Instead, develop your acumen to become a critical consumer of news. Don’t just read one narrative, learn to extract facts from different perspectives, from a myriad of sources, until you can formulate your own understanding.  Never be satisfied, always be curious. Ask yourself am I being triggered to respond in a certain way? Am I being intellectually engaged? Do I have a firm grasp of the narratives and the motives behind?  Until you do that, you will remain a hostage in a conversation hijacked by one or two views. That would be a shame because that is a road to extremism. When you as a consumer becomes consumed. When we are no longer a pluralistic society.  So make it a habit to read the news from as many sources as possible, in different languages, from different sources, local and global. Broaden your scope, expand your perspective so that you will not be so easily swayed. Be ever so hungry for facts.  That’s the way we can move pass where we are now - a nation constantly reacting.

Innocence lost

As children we are taught the ennobling qualities of certain professions. We were asked what we wanted to be when we grow up, and then we were shown role models. We were taught to trust, to know who will keep us safe.

While many of us outgrew our initial choices of professions, the truth is we have been ingrained at an early age what goodness and righteousness look like.

Now, fast-forward to the present where those to whom we entrusted our safety is suddenly turned against us. Do you get the cognitive dissonance, do you understand the disillusionment that comes from having to confront that reality?

Because that is where we are now.  The people out on the streets chanting against police brutality here, Hong Kong, and other places; they are doing it because it is more than just about equality and justice, it is about innocence lost. It is about what do we tell our children moving forward. Who can they trust? How can they be safe? How do we secure a future for them? When we can’t protect them, who can they turn to?

This isn’t a matter of race, gender, or politics. It is about accountability. It is about balance and order. The anguish that is radiating, at the core of it is the acknowledgment of what we held to be sacrosanct has been broken. The unspoken contract of making it a safer world for our young, caring for the needy, and securing a better future- that contract has been breached. That is why this is all so visceral, because it hurts when the last visage of innocence is torn away with such callousness. It hurts because at the core of it we all feel violated.

Give cities a chance

It is certainly surreal to see the cities that I have lived in going up in flames in the midst of chaos. Anyone who knows me knows that I love walking around and getting lost in each of the cities that I have lived in. I love frequenting the local mom-and-pop stores and exploring the different neighbourhoods. 

Chances are if you have ever visited with me, you know I will take you on an intimate tour that makes you forget about the "landmarks" and leaves you with vivid memories of living like a local. 

What is beautiful about cities is there is a strong sense of community, and it doesn't take much to become a familiar face at a local eatery or shop. It doesn't take much to belong. That aspect is something I feel often gets overlooked. There is this narrative that cities are cold and crime-infested; that it is better to move to the suburbs. What is often missed is that each city has communities that are resilient and look out for their own. 

I guess what I am trying to say is, sure, cities get trashed from time to time. Bad apples come through and they wreak havoc. That gets sensationalized through media because people are attracted to disasters and it drives the rating. 

What doesn't get enough press is what happens later. Because if you stay a bit longer, always, afterwards, the community comes together and rebuild. What is often overlooked is in the cities there are honest-to-God folks. who are constantly trying to stay put and make it work - the locals and the people who choose to live there. 

So, yes, the smoke rises and people loot. But that is only half the story. The story of any city though is the storied lives of its people and their quest to give character to the place they call home.

Grief - written following the riots of May 31st

What we are witnessing is grief expressed. Grief that has not been [properly] acknowledged. Grief that has been denied, bottled up, kept in the dark. 

You see, grief is energy, and it needs to be channelled however long it takes, whenever it takes. It can be in the form of crying, wailing, gnashing of teeth. It can be quiet and private. It can be raging. Regardless, grief is messy and it needs to be channelled. Yet, when that expression of grief has been belittled, discarded, or rushed because society is not comfortable with it. Because we want to move on, get on with it, we invalidate grief and the person or peoples experiencing it. 

So, what we are seeing now is grief, grief that has been repressed and contained for so long that the dam is breaking. Grief that has been belittled because the skin tone, gender, religion or creed is not the same as ours. 

We are confronted with it, and it makes us uncomfortable. But it is not about our comfort level, it is about allowing grief to be expressed, because, in the end, grief is one of the strongest emotions that is shared across humanity. 

So, during these times of trouble, I dare you to face it, bear witness to it. Instead of condemning grief expressed in the form of anguish or riots. What we need to learn from this is to acknowledge grief before it gets too pent up. Say, "I see you, I am here to grief with you, and together we will get through it."

Stand With Hong Kong

 I have watched with helplessness at what is unfolding in Hong Kong. Is it unexpected? Alas no. Absolute power, corruption, oppression, suppression and their ilk are nothing new. Their playbook hasn’t changed all that much throughout history; the rise and fall of authoritarian rule follow a certain trajectory. One reads enough history books and the patterns are easily recognizable.

The reality is any ideology, however sincere, can be morphed into something sinister by ideologues. Communism, socialism, capitalism, any theory along the spectrum when given to the right savvy political operatives and their sycophants can be turned against the populace for profit of the few. Likewise, any treaty, constitution, or declaration however elegantly written can be ignored, bypassed or broken.

There is a reason why the rebellion narrative is so attractive - it is painfully relatable to anyone who has an iota of conscience, who understands the insidious nature of human depravity. But more importantly, the narrative serves to inspire hope as it highlights the indomitable aspects of the human spirit. Always in the darkest hours, humanity shines.

There is also an implied understanding that victory is not immediate. Resistance then becomes a matter of outlasting oppression; suffering through suppression until at long last defiance ultimately triumphs. It is the tedious but ennobling task of keeping a candle flickering in the blustering storms.

So, as sadden as I maybe with current events, I do look forward with hope. Liberty, equality, and justice have never come cheap. Though bowed low by circumstances, may we all stand tall someday knowing we are amongst those who are willing to pay the price.

#hongkonger #StandWithHongKong #HongKongProtest