haiti  <<== Click Here to see how poor Haitians are.

On the Island between Cuba and Puerto Rico in the mid of North Atlantic Ocean, Haiti, people are suffering from starvation. They are on the verge of dying starvation. They even eat a biscuit which is made with dirt to calm down their hunger.

The main cause of the lack of food in the small island is the food-cost spiral in the world. A drought in Australia fueled the food shortage as well as the soaring oil price put pressure on the cost to pass on the customers.

In addition, the corrupted ruler of Haiti abets the crisis. As a consequence of political misconduct, people are struggling for living. The ruler of Haiti seems to be an adherent of Power. He might have Russian caviar with a Bordeaux wine for his dinner.

Tibet: the truth or the distortion

On March10, Tibetan Buddhist monks started protesting the Chinese government in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. As the tension is elevating between Tibet and China, the world is having trouble to access the truth of the on-going issue in Tibet.

 As the Chinese government insists, separatism aided by Western countries and plotted by the Dalai Llama stimulates the Tibetan mob’s anger. Otherwise, motivations such as freedom of religion, an autonomous government, and succession of Tibetan tradition might be at the heart of the protest. Despite the Dalai Lama’s strict policy of peaceful demonstration, the reason why Tibetans are getting violent is not obvious at this point in time.

According to a Chinese government spokesman, a Tibetan mob exploded with anger and committed arson, looting, and homicide. They burned police and government offices, and stores owned by Han Chinese who are the major ethnic group in mainland China while the mob was looting goods and beating the Han Chinese owners to death. The mob even allegedly killed several para-military police officers.

Other Western media say that white toilet paper is stumbling on the vacant streets of Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet, people articulate a hostile feeling against the Chinese occupation over the Tibet’s territory for over a half century. Tibetans, who are well-known as peaceful and gentle, observe a curfew while armed trucks and soldiers patrol every single streets and temples. Since the outbreak of the demonstration against the Chinese government, Tibetans are shot to death by the Chinese armed para-millitary police and they are getting impatient and violent.

The Xinhua, a government-controlled news agency, is eagerly publishing the violent scenes of Tibetan protest. It also says that regional discontent circulates among separatists who are supported by Western countries. The protest abets to destroy the unity of China and to threaten the hosting of the Olympic Games in August 2008. Furthermore, showing and emphasizing the violence of the protesters, the media conveys government propaganda to generate an anti-Tibetan sentiment throughout the nation. The strictly regulated and censored information which is released by the government-controlled media and inaccessibility for Western media might distort the truth and make us blind.

Western eyewitnesses reported that the Chinese government sent armed forces to push down the clash and closed the border to Tibet. The government said that closing the border was inevitable to protect Westerners from the exposure of potential dangers, so none of the Westerners, including journalists, can cross the border or stay closely to Tibet to collect information.

The beginning of Tibetans’ resentment goes back to the middle of 20^th century. While the Chinese Communist army occupied the Tibetan territory with guns, the Chinese Government pledged an autonomous government of Tibet and freedom of religion. Since the pledge was announced, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetans, has been exiled from his homeland and religious freedom has been taken from people as they did before by the Chinese atheistic government. In these days, the New York Times says that the government policies and subsidies for the Han have promoted immigration of the Han into Tibetan territory and polarized the economic gap between Tibetans and Hans. In addition, the increase of the Han population in Lhasa dilutes the way of Tibetan traditional life and threatens its continuation.

Preparing the Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese government promised the rest of the world to promote human rights and to give complete freedom to report on all aspects of China. However, the issue in Tibet has been spot-lighted by the West, the government closes the door to Tibet in order to make the West as well as its own people blind. The government censoring of Internet and western media keep Chinese from the issue that goes on in the Tibetan territory.

Condemning Western media for manipulating the story of Tibet, the Chinese government conceals the truth and explains it with their own view. As the government is trying to hide it and close the border, the West is getting suspicious about it. To verify what is going on in Tibet, people need accurate information to tell how the reality is, and people hope that the Chinese government keeps what they promise to the rest of the world. Opening the border to the rest of the world and allowing freedom of speech would be a stepping stone to ’One World, One Dream.’

What a beatiful swing girl~!(? if you can see her face^^) 

It is the shadow of Ms April of Zenovia Shrine Circus.

The circus will be going on until this sunday at the Seagate Convention Center in Toledo.

They perform two times per a day. One starts at 2 pm, and the other starts 6:30 pm.

During the performance, there is a 30 minutes break between a first half and a second half.

Children may ride an elephant or a pony during the break. There also are place for souvnirs, face painting etc.

The elephant riding is $7 and the pony’s $6.

It takes two and a half hour from the beginning to the end.

Enjoy~~

Probably….but… as long as you have a warranty card.

The bike in the picture is called a high-end mountain bike, Cannondale Rush Carbon 2007 Edition. Its frame made of carbon, so the bike is incredibly light and strong. It only weighs 23.7lbs.

Today, I went to ride the bike. And I just came back home. On the trail along the Maumee River, I slipped on the snow with my bike. Then, somebody passing by looked at me strangely. 

Mountain bike (MTB) riding is not so fun in winter. Riding MTB on plain road is worse than riding it in winter. Unfortunately, here in OHIO, we hardly see mountains. Thus, lots of riders buy a road bike.  

But, here is my reason for riding MTB in OHIO.

I have a dream. Someday, I will fly to Lhasa the capital city of Tibet and cross the Everest, the roof of the world, to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. From Lhasa to Kathmandu biking trail is the world longest MTB downhill course.

It must be painful journey. It requires endurance, patience, physical and mental strength. 

Pedaling over the world highest mountain area would be a great idea. 

And, definitely, I will get something from it. 

The first, most people postulate that Mr. Obama supporters are young, ill-educated, and ill-informed about political issues. This article is beating up the idea. Mr. Obama’s winnings in primary election are not because of the blind followers abided by his popularity but because of his policies, and abilities to change what people believe in their mind. Mr. Ashong proves it with his interview for CNN.

The second, Mr. Ashong also represents the way how the political matters circulate among the youth. While more than a million people are seeing the video clip of Mr Ashong on the youtube.com, his political view point affects the viewers and leads them to think about his idea. It might be better than a political advertisement on TV in terms of efficiency. It turns out that the young has a different way of showing their political views from the old.  

The video clip of his interview with CNN surprised the reporter as well as viewers like us, and made politicians pay more attention the mutual space where netizens are surfing.

Eventhough he looks young, he knows exactly whom he should vote for!

Here’s my writing about Mr. Obama.

Enjoy~!

By a notice board on the corridor of Student Union, Students and faculty are passing to and fro. A monotone picture printed on letter size paper is pinned on the notice board. Barack H. Obama, a leading candidate of Democratic Party for the US president looks enthusiastic, passionate, and convincing.

Being born in Hawaii with African-American heritage and raised by a single mother, Barak Obama struggled to find out his black identity and experimented with drugs and alcohol through his high school life. In 1983, he graduated Columbia University in New York City and worked in international firms. After 2 years, he moved to Chicago where he worked for low income families as a community organizer. He got admission from Harvard Law School in 1988 and graduated with magna cum laude in 1991. Returning to Chicago, he practiced as a civil right lawyer and taught at the University of Chicago law School. In 2004, he was elected as U.S. senator from Illinois and, in 2007, announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Unlike other candidates, Mr. Obama stands out in terms of skin color. Evoking hopes which all people deserve to have, Mr. Obama’s speech reminds that of Martin Luther King Jr. who was fighting against racial discrimination in mid-20^thcentury. In 28 August 1963, more than a million African-Americans and whites converged on the capital city of United States to listen to Dr. King’s dream about their future. “I Have a Dream”, Dr. King’s well-known speech in Washington, planted a hope in African-American’s mind.45 years later since the dream of the African-American was announced, blacks as well as whites got together to share their dreams with Mr. Obama. He is getting close to being a symbol of African-American’s dream as the first African-American president in the US history. He is planting a hope in Americans as well as minorities from over the world.

In the history of his life, Mr. Obama salvages the American dream: better life, freedom, and equal chance to pursue personal objectives.

In the history of America, immigrants from Europe surged to US for the dreams and declared independence in 1776. Since then, more people outside of the country came to the US to seek better opportunities: American Dream. When his father came from Kenya to achieve academic goal in better atmosphere for academic studies, America gave him a chance, and he could come to this blessed nation. In the vein of American dream, more than a half million foreign students visit the US to chase after their dream.Nowadays, his successful campaign through the nation demonstrates convincingly that the hope that Dr. King announced about is becoming true, and that the American dream that people enshrine in their mind. However, his achievement is not because of compassion for minority, or not because of his ethnic heritage but because of his personal ability. It is the most considerable point of American Dream that everyman should have equal chance to compete each other via his/her ability.

Plz be generous while you are exploring my blog. You will find out lots of errors in my English. I’ll be really appreciated if you correct those errors.

I also welcome any coments and feedbacks with my writings.  So, feel free to say!!