Argentine: Defined?

There is, apparently, a definition for the word “Argentine”, which is mostly a joke invented by other countries in Latin America, and also mostly true. It goes like this – “An Argentine is an Italian who speaks Spanish and desires to be like the French.”

Doesn’t sound south-american at all. In fact this saying sounds as if it was trying to define a mix of European nationalities. But this is also where the truth lies – Argentina, one of the latin american countries with the highest percentage of its population being caucasian, since most of its people are descendents of Italians and Spanish. There are also descendents of Russian, Jewish and other races, but the majority can rightly be said to be from Italy (especially the South) and Spain. There had been a campaign organized by the people of Chile and Argentina to kill all the indigenous people in both countries many decades ago, with the objective of spreading the Spanish language and infiltrating the land with the new-found culture, resulting in a rapid diminishing of the indigenous culture and languages. Since then, Spanish has become the national language in Argentina, spoken by everyone, including the small remaining indigenous minority. In order to trade, work, get about your daily life, Spanish is essential.

Ok, now I have covered the part about Argentines speaking Spanish. Why are they called Italians then? Although the direct descendents of Italian immigrants do not make up the entire population, Argentines in general are extremely similar to Italians in terms of their gesticulations, and mannerisms of speech. They speak loudly, gesturing always with their hands, giving you little personal space, and are flambouyant in their speech. My argentine friend sometimes even makes the mistake, when he is overseas, of assuming that some Italians he sees from afar are Argentines, and the truth is only obvious to him when he hears them speak. Fine, the Italian description makes sense then.

What about the part of them wanting to be like the French? Remember that Buenos Aires is almost always referred to as the “Paris of South America”? This is mostly attributable to its very European architecture which define the city, constructed by or under the strong influence of many European designers and architects which came here to exchange ideas, learn and teach, especially because Buenos Aires was one of the cities most open to foreign culture. Don’t forget also that 100 years ago, Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world, because it exported alot of cattle, grain and other commodities to other countries. Up till 15-20 years ago, Argentina had always aspired to be like Europe, which just by nature of being important and one of the largest economies in the world, gave it an economic and cultural model to follow. It associated more with European culture than with South American culture, and hence, other latin american countries saw Argentina as snobbish and always trying to be out of its league. In a way, the general mentality of Argentines are that they are superior to the other South American countries, and like the French, who are synonymous with arrogance and self-assumed superiority, the Argentines behave likewise. Perhaps that is beginning to change.

Some one to two decades ago, the governement and the people in general realized that it would not do for them to constantly emmulate a culture and an economy that was not theirs. In comparison, Argentina would always be the underdog compared to an economy like Europe, and so, there started to be a shift in mindset and cultural mentality. Argentina started to realize that they wanted to pay more attention and give more value to the culture which was theirs, without the influence of any foreignors. They started focusing on things which were uniquely Argentine, like Tango, gauchos, and cumbia. It was also more recently in the 1990s when there started a widespread scale of teaching Spanish as a second language to foreignors in Argentina, and even more recently that more foreignors started discovering and realizing the beauty of both its cities and natural resources. But more than that, Argentines have been adjusting their emphasis to aligning more with South American cultures, and looking to other South American economies for guidance, such as that of Brazil and to a lesser extent, Chile.

I think the definition of an Argentine might be beginning to change, but it is still only in its infancy. There are many things which Argentines still proudly retain and hold tightly as their make-up and essence. But there are also some things which they are letting go.

Spanish classes with Debora & Villa 31

Today was the second day of my Spanish classes – two hours per day, supposedly group lessons. However, because I’m the only person at my current level (Advanced C1), these group classes have shrunk and are now one-to-one classes. I’m not complaining – I’m paying the same ridiculously cheap group class rate (29 pesos/hour) for more intensive private tuition. The only thing that I feel slightly disappointed about is that I was really looking forward to making new friends with other foreignors in my Spanish group course – like the great friends that I made in Las Lilas in Singapore. Other than that however, I really like my classes so far.

The best part of the classes are the conversations that I have with my professor, Debora. We spend quite alot of time conversing only in Spanish – which is perfect because she can understand some English words so if I need to explain something too technical she helps me to translate it into Spanish, but other than that she doesn’t speak to me in English AT ALL. It’s great because I’ve realized when I was taking German classes in Mannheim that that is almost the best way to learn a completely new language; being forced to express and understand completely in the foreign language is the most accelerated manner of learning. So I’m really glad for that – I think I will be really fluent in a few weeks, not to kiss my own ass, but I really think so.

Today, we had a conversation for 1.5 hours before starting with grammar, but oh how much I learnt in those 90 minutes! We started talking about my day, but then later we somehow digressed and proceeded to talking about the slums (also known as shanty towns) in Argentina, called “Villas” – derived from the word “villages”- which is a paradox since the same word in English means nice grand house where the rich people stay in! The most peculiar thing about some of the slums in buenos aires are that they are situated next to some of the richest neighbourhoods in this Porteno city. For example “Villa 31″, proably the biggest slum in Buenos Aires, is situated across the railway tracks from Puerto Madero, which for me is one of my favourite places in the city. From Sheraton Hotel just across the Microcentro (the central business district if you may), you can see the shanty towns, a combination of houses made up of tin, clay and other scrap materials; a weird neighbourhood lacking in any proper street signage or infrastructure, without much electricity or safety. Apparently, 10-15 years ago, the area currently occupied by Villa 31 was worthless; the land on which those little houses sat was of no value to anyone, and since Puerto Madero had not yet been properly constructed and created to be such a beautiful place, the government didn’t give two dimes about who wanted to build a little tin house on that piece of land.

Now however, the tables have turned. With Puerto Madero being such an attractive tourist destination and place to relax and enjoy, the current Kirchner government wishes to reclaim the land on which Villa 31 sits. It wants to shift the entire shanty town to a place out of sight, out of mind, as far away as possible. The government doesn’t really care much for the poor; there are too many of them for the government to do very much; or maybe the government just would rather spend its money elsewhere more productive. The funny thing however is, from my knowledge, that it is the votes of the poor that helped the current government to be where they are today. However, excuse my limited political knowledge if you find this statement inaccurate or politically incorrect.

Debora did tell me however that there is currently quite a good project that the Kirchner government has executed thus far, to its credit, it has implemented a plan which tries to keep poor children off the streets (away from drugs, delinquency, robberies, and other crimes in general) by incentivizing their parents to enroll them into school, which is free up to a certain educational level. Parents, regardless of income level (I believe) are able to claim 200 pesos per child per month from the government as long as a current certificate of enrollment into a school is produced. This is quite a brilliant idea to me, as while education may not be the only way to keep kids out of crime and to give them a good future, it certainly is the most important and efficient methods to give them an understanding of the potential they can have; and it allows them a path to greater financial freedom. Parents with many mouths to feed (especially if they are poor) may find it hard to understand and see so much into the long term, particularly if they would rather see the benefits of their children working from a young age to ease the financial burden.

This is the part of Buenos Aires life that you get exposed to briefly when you see children lying on the subway platforms and their mothers begging for money; the man on the subway or the bus giving a speech about his unfortunate situation; or the youths that knock on your car window when you stop at a traffic light, demanding money in exchange for cleaning your windscreen. But, as a tourist, as a visitor, they are but another part of the city; you don’t actually realize or understand the lives that the slum-swellers suffer not because they don’t want to work; but because of the economic situation in their home towns in other smaller provinces that forced them to the capital to find jobs; but even with those meagre salaries, they have to live in badly constructed houses without any job security and without a tangibly potential career that most teenagers take for granted.

I’m just starting to understand and comprehend this city that I’m living in; so many many other things that I have yet to come across; so few that I can surely say I understand enough to explain. But thank god for spanish lessons; they come in quite handy to understanding this city. More updates another time. Maybe next time I will write about the many Chinese that are living in Argentina and their Chinese supermarkets (supermercados Chinos). But I’ll save that for another time.

Bending, not bowing, in the Economist terms

A year ago, the dollar was probably not the currency you would want to invest in; alternatives like the euro were more highly sought after.

A year later on, today, the euro has fallen and taken a hard hit since Greece and its other south European neighbours started showing signs of trouble. In a state of panic, worries abounded that the global economy will not recover as quickly because of contagion between Greece and its southern continental counterparts. The dollar, which has almost always been a safe haven in times of trouble, started rebounding, and getting stronger.

And with Tim Geithner delaying the report to condemn China as a currency manipulator, will we be seeing China bending halfway to de-peg the Yuan? The Chinese mentality must be understood for anyone to play mind games or psychoanalyze any Chinese giant, country or person. As Sun Tzu said in his very famous quote – “Know your enemy and yourself, a hundred battles, a hundred won.” In a way, this ancient Chinese proverb is extremely apt in the currency conflict between USA and China. When USA tried to throw its weight around by threatening to impose import tariffs, the last thing China would do is to bow and give in to demands which would make the Middle Country appear subservient to the Land of the Free.

In Chinese culture, (I can say this because I am of the Chinese race), the concept of “face” is of crucial importance. Anyone dealing with Chinese for anything should always heed my word of caution – If a Chinese finds himself in a situation where doing something will cause him to “lose face”, or to look like he has lost and has to give in to another, the Chinese is probably going to find every way not to do it. Even if there might be some benefits to agreeing with another party and acting out in both their interests, if there is any way outsiders would see the situation and diagnose that the Chinese is giving in to the other, defences will be up and mighty sky-high. However, if there was a way to put the suggestion across without making it seem that the Chinese guy is conceding to demands of someone else, but in a way that makes it look like the Chinese has decided to do something out of his own accord and graciousness, the chances of a deal happening increase rapidly.

A lot of time is wasted, because the final outcome reached might be the same if they Chinese had just conceded in the first instance, or if the Chinese decided to act in his generosity. Yet, many non-Chinese, and perhaps Westerners particularly, fail to understand this pertinent concept. In my experience with talking to Western colleagues and first hand experience in seeing the way they handle situations, I understand the they are generally more straightforward and don’t beat about the bush. They want something, they say it directly, whether or not it makes the other party look bad. In a completely Western society, this would be the most efficient and quickest method to getting things done. But in a society where the Chinese are increasingly powerful and don’t need to kiss anybody’s feet anymore, this attitude will lead to plenty of time wasting and sour relations, as news reports on deteriorating US-Sino relations have clearly shown.

It appears that Geithner may have done some studying of Chinese attitudes and what is important to them and their “face” – he seems to have chosen the right diplomatic tool this time. Will the Chinese now give “face”? The saga continues….

Exports, exports everywhere!

Absolute current account balance and the that as a percentage of GDP show two very interesting perspectives.
Looking at absolute current account balances, we see China scaling its own mountain (around US$400 bn) when the rest of developing Asia’s C/A balances are mostly staying within the +/- US$50 billion range. One glance at the absolute C/A balance graphs throws the attention solely on the Dragon of the East; the other developong Asian nations seem to have less newsworhthy stories. Since the early 2000s, China has set its own pace; following none other in its race to growth. Rich in natural resources, and cheap labour, its manufacturing industry blows out exports like bubbles, with their unprecendented increase propped up by heavy FX intervention to keep the RMB competitive. Surely, the Chinese do things with a aim in mind – to be fulfilled despite protests from its any trade partner or supranational.

Turn the page with me and let’s now look at the C/A balance, but as a percentage of GDP. Suddenly China drops out of the limelight and other Asian stories emerge. It’s easy to get carried away with the China growth story. Certainly, one nation cannot have the rest of the world at its mercy, simply because it has duly earned the title “Factory of the World” – or can it? But the sheer size of the 1.34 billion population nation should not be forgotten. When looking at C/A accounts in proportion to GDP, we see China (roughly 10% in 2008) coming in third behind Brunei (51%) and Malaysia (18%). The rest of the developing Asian countries don’t go much more than +3% for surpluses but do hit -16.5% for decifits, with Laos setting the record, followed by Vietnam with a deficit of 12% of GDP.

For the last 5-7 years at least, there seems to be a consistent list of obvious C/A surplus nations (Brunei, Malaysia, China, Myanmar, Thailand), and the corresponding list of C/A deficit nations (Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka). The former list is also generally made up of countries richer in the region; the latter list the opposite. Well, obviously we know from Y = C + I + G + (X-M), that net exports (X-M) are positively correlated to GDP. And as factories and companies shift operations towards the countries with the cheapest labour, exports tend to follow a natural upward curve, and so does the C/A balance, unless imports increase much faster (such as in the case of Vietnam, in which case exports have been sky-rocketing but imports have also been rapidly rising, particularly for machinery and spare parts, reflecting strong investment growth).

Now, trade surplus, and a huge one at that, is usually a highly sensitive topic, particularly so because before the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2009, the main export markets for developing Asian economies were the US and Europe. China has been the main targetboard for dart calls of letting its currency revalue, and more recently, these have intensified, as economists around the globe (well, maybe excluding the Middle Kingdom), have been pushing for rebalancing of economies. Many asian countries, pegged to some extent to the Yuan, will only allow currency appreciation if China does so first. And well, what does China say in response to calls for currency appreciation?

NO! Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in a conference over the weekend of 12-14th of March that he does not believe the RMB is undervalued, despite protests from Washington and prominent US economists like Paul Krugman that if China were to allow the RMB to depreciate, global growth would increase by around 1.5 percentage points. Yet it seems that there will be no one-off revaluation (like that in July 2005) as Wen stressed the importance of keeping the Yuan “basically stable” and that timing for any monetary policy changes must be appropriate. In this response, his tone was serious, and unyielding, making US President Obama look weak against China.

Relations between the huge chinese nation and the world’s number one economy have been deteriorating, since a long time ago. Right now, the US recent meetign with the Dalai Lama and the American arms sales to Taiwan, is what has main a strained relationship even more fragile. Wen’s deliberate comments about the declining value of dollar assets as a result of the growing US fiscal deficit rubbed a sore wound. China’s proactive policy to engage in bliateral agreements and currency swaps allowing it’s main export buyers to pay it in RMB instead of the USD and it’s slow but definite shift in weightage of foreign reserves away from the USD, is all fueling speculations of how much longer it will be before the RMB because one of the world’s reserve currencies, and when will the USD lose that power.

Much is unfolding in this current climate – all very exciting developments that will take a while to fully bloom, but still nonetheless, exciting.

Inscribing the history of today.

2010 marks the last year of the first decade of the third millennium. Indeed, it was also the decade that has been most marked in my memory, partially because I was growing up and made more aware of the events which though outside my circle of comfort, still managed to shake those, including me, inside our zone. But not only was I becoming more worldly-wise, it was also the degree of shock which emanated throughout the world as some events shook it, both psychologically and literally.

2000: My family had booked a room at the 52nd storey of Westin Stamford Hotel, in a bid to celebrate the New Year and watch from above should predictions come true that technology would be severely disrupted, as machines were not programmed to run past 1999. I remember us staying our prayers and thanking God for the new year and the years past, and then opening my eyes the moment it struck 12 midnight, looking down at the rest of the city below. Surprise and relief, as we saw the cars still lighting the streets with their pretty headlights, and the blueprint of our city still visible, lit by electrical cables which kept all technical appliances running like clockwork. All was alright again. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Suddenly the rest of the year flew by, and arrived astonishingly quickly at December, the month that Bush Jr won the elections, taking over Bill Clinton as president of the USA. Still young and not particularly keen on politics, I only remember seeing the debates on TV and that the world seemed eager to assess to the new of state as he took on the toughest job in the world.

2001: September 11 – I was studying for my ‘O’levels examinations, buried in a mound of ten-year-series and past examination papers, biting on my pen as I tried to solve the biggest Math and Physics problems in my world. Suddenly, at 10pm that night, I heard the phone ring. Apparently, my aunty had called, urgency in her voice as she told my parents to switch on the TV. Switching to the news channel, we watched as the terrorist-controlled flights crashed into the twin towers of New York City’s World Trade Center. Our eyes stayed glued to the screen as we saw three New Yorkers catapulting out from the towers, pummeling to their horrific deaths. Not long later, another plane rammed into the Pentagon, symbol of power of the USA. We watched with gaping mouths, too shocked to believe an event so unfortunate had happened. As news anchors busied themselves reporting from the disaster scenes, I remembered thinking what a huge mess they were in. As the story and intentions of the hijackers became clear over the next few weeks, the world jumped as fear’s stranglehold tightened its grip. Facing the largest and most massive adversity of his career yet, President Bush declared the war on terror, changing the way airports, international routes and immigration functioned. Flying became such a hassle afterwards; bodies were searched for terrorist clues, tensions heightened at check-in counters as darker skin color facial hair growth made many the target of searches, resulting in mounting resentment. Yet the fact that the Taliban, led by Osama Bin Laden, had outright declared its goal to destroy and wreck the United States rendered the States with no choice, and security simply became stricter with the months.

2003: Terrorist attacks continued in different parts of the world; unwanted presents that shattered lives and made travelers paranoid. The beautiful resort island of Bali, where tourists flocked to in order to bask on the sun-washed beaches and crystal waters, was bombed. An attempt to strike at the Caucasians, it left over a thousand Australian dead on their last holiday ever. Yet for that year, my greatest memory was that of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrom (SARs) epidemic. For the first time, I saw people all around wrapped in face masks, wary of any person who even sneezed or so much as rubbed their noses. Queues formed all around Asia as governments battled against this new strain of highly contagious flu. Entrances to public buildings were thronged with people, in ling to get their temperatures taken and to be given approval to pass through. Singapore, being such an open and small country, saw its GDP drop to an another low since the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Its reliance on tourism and trade exposed its vulnerability to such an epidemic which hindered tourism. Thankfully, we managed to combat the disease and eventually to quell the fears of the nation, but it made us always on the alert, and at times, too paranoid for our good.

2004: This was the year I enrolled into university, and to enjoy before I started school, I took a vacation in Bali, certain that the previous year’s unfortunate events would not repeat. It was a resplendent holiday, forever etched in our memories. Nothing terrorist in nature occurred, and after the beautiful break, I started my first semester as a sophomore. 26th December was a project group mate’s birthday, and to celebrate she had planned a summer getaway in Phuket, Thailand, where she was to stay at Patong Beach. That morning at 7am, her flight got cancelled, as news came of the disastrous Tsunami – whose effects on East Asia are still present today. The thousands of lives its unannounced arrival claimed, the scent of destruction heavy in the air; again it was hard to believe that it had struck so near home. The wreckage was nauseating to take in. That Boxing Day, my group mate gave thanks to God for being alive, yet it was with sorrow that we all said a silent prayer for those who had died and were dying.

2005: Another natural disaster came not long after. On August 29, at least 1836 people were killed by an act of god named Hurricane Katrina. The US Gulf Coast was severely damaged; its people left devastated in the trail of its fury. A month before, 4 explosions rocked the transport network in London, injuring over 700 and killing 56. Another strike of terrorism, it struck new fear in the hearts of the city. Fanatically religious people who felt it was there duty to die in “Jihad”, or holy war, and in so becoming matyrs of their faith – what were on their minds as they prepared these bombs? What was their ultimate goal? Where were they strike next? When will they stop? Would they even stop?

2008/2009: It was a period of crisis, where defaults were the main theme. Panic, fear shook the world as people watched the collapse of the likes of Lehman Brothers; as they saw their life savings disappear with the crash of the stock markets; as suicide rates increased with the amount of defaulted debt. America cried, and its wails were heard all over the globe. America was too sunken in debt; all the secrets of large, previously highly acclaimed firms starting spilling out, dirtying the financial markets in every corner of the world. The world had never before been as inter-linked as it is now. Bubbles burst, left right and center – property, equity, and many other types of assets fell, losing all their capital gains. Credit default spreads, a measure of default risk, swelled, and yield curves dropped to all time lows, and countries came one after another to announce their booming stimulus plans, blowing billions of dollars into their economies to keep them afloat. North America and Europe were in a frenzy unheard of before, and the financial crisis was continually compared to the Great Depression of the 1930s. A monumental period documented in the pages of history, yet it seems some have already started to forget. Another epidemic struck in 2009, even more severe and rampant than SARS. The latest strain of the flu virus, the H1N1 disease, also known initially as pork flu, gripped the hearts of many with fear. From Mexico, where it was originally identified, this virus made use of international immigration and spread through cars, ships and aircraft. Tourism was severely affected, and this simply added salt to the fresh wound of the financial crisis.

2010: Most recently, even before the month of January is over, Haiti, a Caribbean fourth world country was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, on 12th January. One of the poorest nations in the world, Haiti is currently suffering from the after-effects of the quake, and its people are fraught with frustration and fury at the government, the slowness of international aid, and the anguish that has enveloped and crushed their hearts as close to 200,000 are confirmed dead. Looting is everywhere, with citizens emptying coffins and stealing them to sell; leaving the bodies to rot in the streets. The stench of death clogs the air, emotions are teetering on the edge and some have even lost their reason. There are reports of identified looters being torched alive, with passers-by watching the flames engulf him till they grew numb. Oppressed by hunger and anger in a molten mix of potent rage, Haiti suffers as we watch. Only a few are courageous enough to go there and provide aid. In the heightened tensions, its citizens are now furious with the US for using its control over the international airport to prioritize the safe return of its citizens.

So much sorrow, so much terror. Was that meant to be the recurring theme of the last decade? What will the next year bring? And those following after? We can only know with time as history is currently in the making.

The Road less travelled ::Robert Frost::

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The office

So many people leaving
Even more coming
Makes you wonder as you sit
If reality has really hit

Farewells and goodbyes
Niceties and hi-s
Just a normal BAU
People forming in a queue

Corridor talk in hushed small whispers
Worried glances and uneasy candor
A chance encounter
About a concealed matter

Invisible walls forming
Barriers up and storming
A war with two ends
Never knowing where it bends

Uncertain courtesies
Insincere banter
Questions lurking around
The eyes they don’t leak a sound

Coordinated planning
Around the floor scanning
Watch out they say
Watch your back even in the day

The relationships between
Bosses and subs and peers and neighbors
This isn’t school anymore
No one to catch you if you fall

But once in a while you find
A precious gem among the blinds
An honest spark of light and spirit
Brightening the long work week

A little question a little smile
Helps you run the unending mile
These little things they warm your heart
That’s all you need to start

There is electricity in the air

What a terribly exciting month; so many things have happened in just the span of the last 5 days; the first African-American to have pushed the Americans into a land brimming with the promise on which the hopes of their forefathers banked on; candidacy that was never expeced to run among the leading; least of all to win. Yet all over the world, there has been a sigh of relief; the Asian stock markets abounded with a new life; perhaps there is hope for the economy and world politics at large?

Blame it on my lack of interest in politics in previous US elections, or blame it on my youth; but this isto me definitely a point of history in the making. Never before has globalization bonded continents across in the anticipation of one common outcome, for a country that isn’t even theirs. Africa’s heartbeat can be heard across the news wires; their celelbrations for their much supported representative Obama evident so blatant and stark; bulls reserved specially for feasting upon when Obama would eventually clear the tiles and declare a landslide victory; this was a magic moment; the one which Martin Luther King would have been so proud of he would cry tears of joy; the day of fulfilment of his dream “that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” and “that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

There is an excitement in the air; his youthful energy and charisma seems to have charmed voters and observers in the USA as well as across the shining seas. America’s economy may be down in the dumps, and may have chain-dragged everyone else (participants and passers-by) worldwide, but the extent of the ripple effect of this historic elections has proven one thing– that America is still so tremendously important that we are all banking that we made the right decision in supporting a young, inexperienced senator with what currently seems like little more than many theories and assured calmness that he will not only weather through the stormy ride but emerge victorious. In this present time; he is a symbol of hope that many are deep down praying will not be a mirage.

Further away from the political scene, November is also a month where I rejoice for my friends around. I can’t say it till I hear it for myself, but I believe wedding bells will be ringing soon; a joyous occasion is bursting to arrive. There is a spirit of festivity in the air; an electricity to light up the world that just a little while ago seemed stale and depressed. Trust me, the world is currently less preoccupied with crazy christmas shopping that will eventually manifest towards the month’s end; right now, there are more and greater things that are happening, and all I can say is, life is for the living.