Back to the real world

Cover letters, resumes, PlayStation 3 - this is the extent of my life right now.  Sad, I know, but it's hard to get an entry level job in the field of international development!  For one thing, much-touted job search sites like monster.ca and workopolis.com are of hardly any use at all, since they cater mainly to people who are looking for jobs that normal, responsible folks have, like nurses and cable TV technicians.  Just leave it up to UofG to turn me into some sort of counterculture idealist with delusions of employment grandeur!

Luckily, things have started to gather a bit of momentum, if not exactly fall into place.  I have a phone interview with the director of a small NGO on Monday, which I think has the potential to go very well.  From the little I know about the position, it's one that would allow me to start working in the area that I love; that's everybody's true American Dream, isn't it?  Whether it puts a tin roof over my head and a bowl of granola on the table, is far less certain.  I'll keep you posted.

So, now that I'm back in a part of the world where - for better or for worse - nothing exciting really seems to happen, I'm forced to start living vicariously through bbc.com again.  Although I suppose I should count my blessings that I'm not in a few parts of the world at the moment; here's a few tidbits that I found interesting / disturbing:

"Iran discounts 'attack by Israel'"

First of all, let me just say that this is absolute madness on a number of levels.  Firstly, I'm with Iranian officials in believing that there's absolutely no way that this happens, especially given the continuing uncertainty of the country's nuclear ambitions.  Sure, they've been pretty sneaky with the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, but there's still not a sufficient amount of evidence suggesting arsenal buildup to justify a preemptive strike.  Even if we find out that they do have the bomb (which, in all honesty, wouldn't surprise me), there's no way that the US allows Israel to start what would undoubtedly be the most destructive war of the 21st century thus far.  Not going to happen, especially - I'm somewhat sad to say - with Bush on the way out, and a new bunch of politicians trying to get into the good books of the electorate.  After all, American domestic politics does seem to have as big of an impact on international events as any brand of geopolitics.

Secondly, this is absolute madness in that if it did happen, it would undoubtedly be the most destructive war of the 21st century thus far.  I guess I got ahead of myself a little with that one, so I'll move on.  

"Mugabe condemns opposition 'lies'"

By claiming that his party isn't responsible for violence against the opposition MDC, and stating that "only God" can remove him from power, in the same breath, Mr. Mugabe is really upping his credibility.  Not.  It's obvious that he's only making passive attempts to convince an increasingly wise world that elections in the country aren't being rigged, but his claim of divine right really makes him out to be a clown.  Seriously though, the prospect of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulling himself out of the running really scares me.  If this were to happen, it would essentially constitute a defeat of people-rule at the hands of authoritarianism, and perhaps set a precedent for other struggling democracies throughout the world.

How is this situation going to be remedied, and an environment conducive to the democratic process be created?  Given the scale of the violence directed towards MDC supporters by Zanu-PF hands (see video link on website for an example), a peaceful resolution from within the country is probably not going to be reached.  Outside intervention of some kind is needed, although this is perennially easier said than done.  I'm not totally up to spec on what type of initiatives are currently in place, although I heard something about the EU issuing some sort of resolution against the Mugabe administration.  Gordon Brown (UK PM) has issued numerous statements condemning Zanu-PF, but as far as I know nothing has really come out of them.  From what I understand, South Africa is being far from assertive in encouraging a free vote, although to their credit they must be engaged in quite the balancing act between democratic ideals and regional stability at the moment.  I sure as hell know that sanctions aren't the answer; it's already evident that the ruling powers don't give a damn about the welfare of the average Zimbabwean Joe, due to the implementation of oppressive economic policies.  Inflation is through the roof, and sanctions are only going to cause more people to starve.  Despite the common flaws of multilateral intervention, I'm convinced that a UN resolution is crucial if the crisis is to be resolved.  Only when Mugabe and his thugs come under international pressure - as a result of a common resolve, which only the UN is equipped to facilitate - will he be forced to back down.  Regardless of it's failures, the UN has shown the ability to act with intentionality (i.e. 20 000+ troops headed to Darfur), and it needs to do the same here, although I'm not sure in what capacity.

I was going to comment on three stories, but that last commentary got a little out of hand.  Hopefully people have realized that the blog isn't dead post-Asia, and will offer up their comments on some of the subjects I've addressed.

Cheers

Tom

Photos up on Facebook

You'll probably have to read that a couple more times, in order to process it. So go ahead, take a minute.

Done? OK, well I assure you it's true - I've actually started uploading photos from my trip! Seeing as I have no desire to do it twice, I'm only going to post them on Facebook, and not on this blog. If you haven't added me already, the email I use for Facebook is tabel@uoguelph.ca (don't worry, I won't stalk you unless you're really good looking). If you don't have Facebook yet, give into the urging of The Man, and complete the sale of your soul. The photos will be worth it!

Cheers
Tom

Tearing up...

"Aww, isn't that sweet! Tom's getting sentimental about the fact that he's leaving a part of the world that's grown close to his heart in the last 5 months! I really love it when a guy can show his emotions like that..."

Took the words right our of your mouths, right girls? Wait, you mean the whole "sensitive man" approach isn't all that Hollywood cuts it out to be? Dang you, Toby McGuire, and numerous other not-so-manly-man-actors that I've been modeling my moves after since early adolescence! Dang you!

OK, so that was perhaps one of the more bizarre fabricated dialogues that this blog has seen. Might as well go out with a bang - this is my last installment in the Orient, after all (I've determined that the occasion also justifies my use of over-exotic colonial vocabulary). Flew into Delhi late last night, and my long, predictably grueling flight to Toronto will commence at 2 AM tonight, if all goes to plan; something that I shouldn't take for granted, however, if I allow my first impressions of Indira Gandhi International Airport to generate some broader conclusions. Piece together every tidbit I've written in the last 5 months on the general state of Indian infra structure, and use your imagination to paint a rough picture of what I'm talking about.

Luckily, my air arrival at Delhi wasn't my first impression of India (although my arrival at Chennai airport, which wasn't a whole lot better, was), and I had a whole lot of good memories rush back the second that I stepped out of the terminal. During the taxi ride to my guesthouse - with the pollution-riddled air rushing into my face, and mid-20s local dudes laughing and pointing for no apparent reason at the white dude in the back of the minibus - I really did have a bit of an emotional moment. I realized that despite my unforgettable experiences in SE Asia - Thailand, Laos and Vietnam - India remained the place that I felt closest to, most at home.

I think India has a strange way of making foreigners feel at home, compared with other countries. All of you that have traveled in India, hear me out: I assure you that this statement is not an indication that I'm currently high on opium. Sure, it might seem like an absurd claim at first, considering the fact that India can be one of the more uncomfortable places to travel, in general. The lack of western amenities, which are more readily available in places like Thailand, is an example of a factor that can occasionally alienate a foreigner from the Subcontinent. It's a country that can be really inhospitable at times, and can thus thus pose a challenge for even the most weather-beaten backpackers.

However, I regard this lack of "hospitality", in the widely understood sense, as being contributory to the "homely" feel of the country. By forcing you to adapt to the culture and grim-and-bear scenarios and conditions that you may feel a bit uncomfortable with (i.e. squat toilets), I think India is actually inviting you to become part and parcel with it, as opposed to remaining a semi-detached tourist. Kind of like being immediately invited to sit down and socialize at the kitchen table of a family you just met, as opposed to the well-groomed, but comparably impersonal, parlour room. I really get the feeling that I've experienced the "real India" more so than any of the other countries that I've been in, and not only because I've spent more time here. Looking back, I really appreciate this, and hope that this blog will inspire others to visit India, and experience the genuineness that it's people show towards tourists, if we let them. OK, so they'll show it towards them whether we "let them" or not. It's all good!

I'm going to run - I'm jonesin' a masala dosa for breakfast, and I'm going to meet up soon with a couple of Swedish guys that I've been constantly running into at random intervals throughout the trip (this type of occurrence is certainly one of the joys of backpacking). Despite my imminent departure, I won't by any means be shutting down this blog anytime soon - keep checking in the next couple of weeks for some follow up posts! Specifically, I have a feeling I'll write a little bit on my feelings towards the whole idea of "backpacking", as well as fill ya in on what Ontario will have presented me with upon my arrival.

Cheers,
Tom

Continued neglect

is what my blog has been suffering from as of late. If you were expecting some sort of opening-up regarding parental neglect, don't worry; Mom and Dad did a splendid job making me their object of constant attention. Although it would have been nice if they heeded my calls to add another morning of the week onto the sweet-cereal allowance (no doubt my inevitably suber-cyber-savvy kids will track down this blog in 2030, and use it as evidence for hypocrisy charges).

Anyways, getting back to the blog neglect issue. I have no good excuse this time around, as usual. I recently spent a week on a beautiful tropical island that's quickly embodying modern tourism's ideal synthesis of "natural paradise" and "modern convenience", so needless to say, net access was readily available. Feelings of guilt and betrayal of my sizable fan base spurred me to promise myself that I'd write another blog by the time I got to Delhi, which was originally scheduled to happen late this afternoon (Thursday, June 5th).

However, apparently even Bangkok's spankin' new Suvarnabhumi International Airport (say that five times fast!) can't perfectly handle the "76 flights an hour" it boasts ("Tom, you're such a nerd! How did you know that?!?"), as evidenced by the fact that my flight to Calcutta was cancelled. As usual, however, Jet Airways came to the rescue, and within 5 minutes of me running all panicky to the check in desk after a quick glance at the arrivals screen, they'd booked me into the also spankin' new 4 star Novotel airport hotel for the day, as well as placing me on the direct flight to Delhi tonight (which was to be my final destination anyways). I just finished ravaging the complimentary breakfast buffet (which was huge), and plan to imminently hit up the artificial jungle paradise pool complex. Dang those late flights!

Anyways, I'm out of time on the net. I'll post my final trip blog tomorrow (tear).

Cheers
Tom