Pen of Passion

One month from now, China will celebrate the first Olympics on its home soil. Given China’s horrific human rights record, should the international community boycott Beijing 2008? If yes, to what extent should we boycott the Olympics? Explain the pros and cons.

China’s Human Rights Record:

1) The country’s one-child policy is blamed for having caused millions of infanticides, forced abortions, and abandonment of newborns.
2) Extreme censorship of the press and brutal treatment of activists.
3) Engage in torture and religious oppression.
4) Supporting repressive regimes around the world including Sudan (Darfur) and Zimbabwe.

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~vintage 12/2007

Memories are indisputably our most precious possessions. A person without memories is like a kite without a flying line. Memories, however, can be a double-edged sword. They can bring meanings and joys to one’s life, but they can also bring sadness and despairs. During the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami, there were images of children gathering at a Red Cross facility hoping for any news of their parents - only to later learn that their loved ones had perished in raging waters. I was so touched by the story that I decided to keep a tap out for any follow-up stories.

A few months later, I found a news report that mentioned how there was an unexpected spike in the number of missing “tsunami” orphans. Apparently, many “tsunami” kids had decided to run away from the orphanages where they had been staying. The news, as depressed as it was, did not take me by surprise. There is an obvious reason for this.

Most of the kids, living in orphanages, are children who have been abandoned by their parents at an early age. Most of them do not have any memories of their parents. As a result, these orphans treat the orphanages - where they are being raised - as their homes and other kids at the facilities as parts of their family.

On the other hand, orphans whose parents died in accidents or disasters have spent most of their lives in the loving and care of their parents. They are likely to have a hard time making the transition. Every time they hear laughter, they would likely be reminded of all the good times they shared with their parents. Every time they hear someone crying, they would be reminded of their many tantrums and how their parents pacified them with hugs and kisses. Every time they lie on bed, they would be reminded of the many bedtime stories their parents had told them.

From time to time, some guests would visit the orphanages. These guests would hear about their stories and subsequently cast a sympathetic eye upon them. Unknown to the guests is the fact that these orphans absolutely despise their petty pity. They just want to be treated like everyone else. All they want to do is to run away from the painful memories, start a new life, and be free. In due course, some of them would do just that.

By day, these kids would wander the streets begging for money. By night, they would become “phantoms of the night” preying on bystanders’ wallets. On occasion, they would lurk outside the local ice-cream store stalking a family of three — sharing a big glass of ice cream sundae together. For a brief moment, they would see visions of the good times they shared with their deceased parents. But the experience is brief lasting only seconds; they are soon on their way.

At the end of the day, they would seek refuge under a bridge somewhere. There aren’t any beds or pillows for them to lie on. But it is just what they have always wanted. All the activities, during the day, have made their legs sore and their backs ache. Within minutes, they are soundly asleep. May be in their dreams, these poor orphans will finally escape the memories that have been haunting them. Sweet dreams…..little ones.

~Simon N.
~Image Credits: abc.net.au

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~vintage 12/2007

There are many different types of heroes. There are superheroes who roam the realm of the comics, battling all sorts of villains and destroying every object they stumble upon. There are extraordinary heroes who devote their entire lives to eradicating poverty & social injustice. There are also exceptional people who exhibit great courage under the most difficult of circumstances. Many of these heroes are well-known to the masses — they gain admirations far and wide for their works. Others are content with their obscurity and demand nothing in return.

The largest pool of heroes falls under the category of “ordinary heroes”. Every one of us can be an ordinary hero. All we need to do is to do our job and do it well. If you are a parent, you should take good care of your kids and serve as an exemplary model to them. If you are a teacher, you should dedicate yourself to seeking ways to inspire your pupils. If you are a firefighter, you should not hesitate from jumping into raging flames to rescue the entrapped. Of course, the list goes on and on.

No discussion of heroes, however, can be completed without a discussion about anti-heroes. An anti-hero is a person, whom everyone absolutely loves to hate. Yet, anti-heroes usually end up triumphant at the end despite their loathsome acts and corrupted persona. In the world that we live in, anti-heroes hardly exist. We are constrained by a “good versus evil” mindset. There are only absolute heroes and absolute villains - nothing exists in between.

One important type of heroes that most people often forget about is what I would call accidental heroes. These heroes are people who become heroes, just by being at the right time and place. One famous example of accidental heroism occurred during the Vietnam War. On an October day in 1962, the world awoke to the horrific image of a young Buddhist monk setting himself ablaze on the street of Saigon to protest South Vietnam’s suppression of Buddhism. The act sent shockwaves around the world and eventually led to the demise of the S. Vietnam’s regime.

Recently, an untold twist to the story was revealed. The incident was actually preplanned by a group of activists. The toughest part of the planning was to find a monk who was willing to burn himself for the cause. A young monk was ultimately chosen to carry out the mission. Unfortunately, the guy was not told of what type of mission he was about to carry out.

When he found out exactly what his mission was, the young monk apparently had second thoughts about it. Unfortunately, it was too late for the activists to back out of their plan since all necessary preparations had been completed. Reluctantly, the activists had no choice but to tie the guy up and set him on fire. Following the incident, the young monk became a national icon. His pictures were everywhere. He was elevated to “bodhisattva” status, and was worshiped by many people. I guess the end justifies the means.

~Simon N.

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~Part 1

In the 1920s, the city of Chicago was terrorized by the notorious Al Capone and his ferocious mobsters. The gang ruled the city with an iron fist — killings and illegal dealings were rampant. Anyone who dared to stand up against the gang was quickly disposed of.

Not only Capone had tremendous wealth and loyal men at his disposal, he also had the service of one of the best attorneys in the country named Eddie. The attorney was a master of oratory; his amazing rhetorical skills got Capone through a lot of serious legal troubles. Eddie earned so much money from working for Capone that he was able to build a dream mansion — one that was so large that it covered several street blocks.

Even though Eddie worked for Capone, he was never fond of the guy. Like many people, he was disgusted by Capone’s atrocious crimes. Yet, he often equated working for Capone to a typical lawyer defending his client. He was just doing his job — Eddie argued. He thought that once Capone and his men had the city at their fingertips, they would scale back on their crimes. Unfortunately, Capone would instead become even more emboldened; his disregard for justice and human lives had only increased. Eddie was very troubled by this but chose to continue his silence, until one fateful afternoon.

While Eddie was working in his private office, he saw his teenage son coming home from school with bruises all over his body. When Eddie pressed his son on the cause of the injuries, the son remained silent refusing to disclose what had happened. The next day, his son came home from school with yet more bruises; but he would remain steadfast in his silence. Even when Eddie transferred his son to another school, the result was the same. Perturbed, Eddie decided to secretly follow his son to school to find out the truth behind all this.

Immediately upon entering the school’s entrance, his son was confronted by a group of teenagers who grabbed him to the side and gave him a good beating. What was so puzzling was the fact that Eddie’s son, who was by no mean a coward, did not fight back. It appeared as though the son actually wanted the group to beat him up. Just as Eddie was about to intervene, he overheard one of the group members revealing an explanation as to why they were beating his son.

“Capone has done so many evil things. Yet, your dad is helping him getting away with it. Every time we see you, we are being reminded of our murdered fathers, uncles, and friends. Someone must pay for it.”

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~Part 2

These words were like multiple arrows piercing through Eddie’s heart. Until now, he was not aware of how much a stain his association with Capone put on his family. Eddie was determined to right his wrongs and he knew exactly what to do. In the next 3 years, Eddie secretly gathered evidences of Capone’s wrongdoings. Capone was arrested in 1933, convicted of tax evasion. Eddie’s undercover work for federal authorities was later revealed. Learning this, Capone was completely enraged; he swiftly ordered his men to exact revenge on the ungraceful traitor.

The next day, Eddie was on his way home when his car was ambushed by gunmen at an open field. Numerous shots were fired. Eddie’s car windows were completely shattered; his body was covered with blood. Convinced that their victim had died, the men quickly left the scene. But their victim had not yet died, however. Summoning his remaining strength, Eddie got out of his car and slowly crawled towards a telephone booth nearby.

All he wanted to do at that moment was to be able to talk to his wife and son — for the very last time. But before Eddie could get to the booth, numbness had taken over his whole body; he could no longer move. Blood streamed out from his wounds like violent flood waters; his breathing was rapidly losing strength. A young girl, who was playing nearby at the time, witnessed the whole incident – sad and confused.

Chicago’s police later discovered Eddie lying dead near his car. They found in his pocket a crucifix, a poem clipped from a newspaper, and a small notebook. What was particular interesting is the fact that the notebook had not been updated since a particular date in 1930 — but Eddie still kept it with him until his death.

On an autumn day in 1949, thousands of people gathered at the newly built international airport in Chicago to celebrate the dedication of the facility to a fallen WWII hero (the son). Among them was a young woman who held tightly in her hand an old notebook. Long after the ceremony ended, the lady remained sitting on one of the seats. She was busy filling up the last page of the notebook — with a happy ending? One could only hope.

Everyday in our life, we face a fine line between right and wrong. Do we have the courage to do the right thing?

~Simon N. 2007

Luke, a devoted fan of Shakespeare, had been embarking on a desperate search for his dream woman — a modern reincarnation of “Juliet”. Despite earnest efforts, he never seemed to come across the perfect woman. Three failed marriages later, he was still at square one. Each of his three ex-wives possessed a certain quality he was searching for. None of them, however, encompassed all the traits. When Luke was about to give up on the quest for his true love, he stumbled upon Flora.

Immediately upon meeting her, he was enchanted by her beauty, tempting smile, and heavenly charm. After a persistent and passionate courting, Flora finally agreed to marry Luke; he was the happiest man on the face of the earth. Unfortunately, their marriage was plagued with turmoil and turbulence. Luke’s personality sharply contrasted hers. He was a quiet man who enjoyed reading the classics and listening to works of Mozart and Bach. She was an energetic woman who loved rock and liked to hang out late.

It wasn’t long before the marriage fell apart. Luke was once again confined to his perennial state of loneliness. But having learned a great deal from his unsuccessful marriages, he came to realize that the perfect woman he envisioned may not actually exist. What followed was a shift in his focus. Setting past dreams aside, he was now looking for a loving wife whom he would like to share the rest of his life with.

Luke had always heard how ideal a wife Japanese woman is. Determined to get it right this time, he moved to Tokyo and married a local Japanese woman named Eri. Luke’s wife was a wonderful human being. She was a superb housewife and a terrific cook. Unlike his last wife, Eri was rather timid and very accommodating. The best part about her was her willingness to listen. In fact, the couple never once had an argument.

Yet, there was something missing in their relationship. Conversations between Luke and Eri were almost nonexistent – she always seemed to agree with him in everything. Although Luke really loved his wife, Eri’s submissiveness irritated him quite a bit. He did not want his wife to be a Barbie doll. He wanted her to stand up for herself and to show some impassioned emotions (for better or for worst.)

After much thought, Luke finally came up with a plan he hoped would help arouse some boldness and passion in his wife. First, he asked a female colleague to pretend to be his mistress. Next, he brought her home for dinner — with his wife present. But Eri displayed absolutely no signs of jealousy when confronting her husband’s female friend. Even when the two exchanged gestures of intimacy, she remained impassive — much to Luke’s dismay.

After dinner, Erin was nowhere to be found. She was later found in the bedroom setting up the bed. When he asked why she was doing that, Eri gave the most shocking of answers. She was preparing the bed so his “mistress” can stay with him for the night. Luke, as well as his friend, was utterly stunned and speechless. The couple would divorce shortly after.

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Simon N.