tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81812660980443601152024-03-04T20:20:09.946-08:00Todd Sandel's Blog from MacauThoughts and reflections from an academic in MacauTodd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-30855641274031926352021-01-20T02:48:00.002-08:002021-01-20T02:48:47.364-08:00Waiting for Joe<p> "<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/19/politics/biden-covid-victims-memorial/index.html" target="_blank">To heal, we must remember</a>." Joe Biden uttered these poignant words on the eve of his inauguration, as he paid tribute to those who died because of Covid-19. I distinctly remember the horror that I felt the night that the would-be-tyrant won the election. I was terrified of what would happen to the country, and the world. And as this terrible man departs the people's house, many of those fears have been tragically realized. History will not look kindly on this man. And I hope that in the coming weeks, months, and years, those who supported him realize the gravity of their error.</p><p>But now is a time to look forward with hope to a man who has a heart, who has compassion, and has the will to heal the nation. Thanks be to God, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/stacey-abrams-georgia.html" target="_blank">Stacey Abrams</a>, and the more than <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/24/politics/joe-biden-80-million-votes/index.html" target="_blank">80 million</a> who voted for Joe Biden.</p>Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-67043115944731970352021-01-01T00:54:00.003-08:002021-01-01T00:59:45.390-08:002021: A Long Awaited New Year!<p> The year 2020 is finally and thankfully past. A year ago I started reading news about this mystery virus in China. At first we were told that it was linked to a wet market in Wuhan, and that it did not spread easily. But then, ... the rest is a global story. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dx2_bsq1QcIZ0zfJ1un7bOUo8OsLw-qrH8NG5niYaVS36OLkoaGF02GYh9n-L45oDhkBkwVGrrDl1dGWMXQy78hbs1VivsUA4sNiCRTcPHICw-r-dP4KE9w8yJ3ZotLflodXwfgMIA4/s1024/a6f64b0d-b6b6-43a9-a867-5ef52ec6f4eb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dx2_bsq1QcIZ0zfJ1un7bOUo8OsLw-qrH8NG5niYaVS36OLkoaGF02GYh9n-L45oDhkBkwVGrrDl1dGWMXQy78hbs1VivsUA4sNiCRTcPHICw-r-dP4KE9w8yJ3ZotLflodXwfgMIA4/s320/a6f64b0d-b6b6-43a9-a867-5ef52ec6f4eb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I</span>t's also a local story. Here in Macau, after making it through the frightful and locked-down months of February and March, by April things looked much better. And then when it was clear that the virus was </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">under control, as long as the borders were kept secure, life for the most part resumed its normal rhythms. Apart from the habit of mask-wearing, we could do almost all the things that we used to enjoy--shopping, going out to restaurants, meeting with friends, and even having church services. Then the university made the decision to begin in-class instruction in September. We met without fear of infection, although I found that mask-wearing meant that it was hard for me to recognize the individual identities of my 60 plus students.</div></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">On the other hand, life is still not "normal" for us in Macau. We cannot easily travel outside of our borders. Nor is it easy for people to travel from outside and come here. This is very bad for Macau's economy, which is heavily dependent upon tourists who come to spend money at the casinos, hotels, and shops. Many of our friends who were in Macau on contracts as "foreign skilled labor" have been let go, and had to leave Macau. Other "local" friends have had their working hours and pay reduced. All of us look forward to the day when the borders open, allowing travel in both directions. And we are grateful that we live in a place that is comparatively well-managed, especially in contrast with the other and much bigger SAR--Hong Kong. While we might complain, we look at the world outside and with gratitude exclaim that it is much better here than in most other parts of the world.</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;">As we have finally made it through the year 2020, I wish all of you a much safer, healthier, and prosperous 2021. May you be vaccinated soon. And may you find love, blessing, and happiness in ways big and small in this new year.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Todd</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaSgZDgQ7340Iq506EYSHB0pSvOyrAEFajkFC0lLDn8gvel_WRwT13fhm5HHdPXr4W_lY0gxS_uENrmgEWmbAAX6zdyXOAYWlwjgM7TNdysUHTxyHIu_TYlBdQZSBc-tGZBkG1xAi6Zg/s2048/IMG_1179.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaSgZDgQ7340Iq506EYSHB0pSvOyrAEFajkFC0lLDn8gvel_WRwT13fhm5HHdPXr4W_lY0gxS_uENrmgEWmbAAX6zdyXOAYWlwjgM7TNdysUHTxyHIu_TYlBdQZSBc-tGZBkG1xAi6Zg/s320/IMG_1179.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKY2dvH4RkbqT7iMfCkQV8qtnPvrSm8-vH_knLWTTL_XY_L_PTi_XN_gzxNad4lWP9NLOm62IbhuZ-pXz_ynpPZVGEBMFAAfPalLxbhkfg21YGru4XfCbCXZ_ifuYwTllHrkjqVfsLK8/s2048/IMG_1193.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKY2dvH4RkbqT7iMfCkQV8qtnPvrSm8-vH_knLWTTL_XY_L_PTi_XN_gzxNad4lWP9NLOm62IbhuZ-pXz_ynpPZVGEBMFAAfPalLxbhkfg21YGru4XfCbCXZ_ifuYwTllHrkjqVfsLK8/s320/IMG_1193.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagIC_DbEmYJIbD40V-638Nc9GTD8rcIx9mPU1hayB5OFSKOhuZ09KvFb_BbgKfWB81HChbvAtmsvOoVu2B6tTVQXp5YvovPtQQh0_qxp__XFr8kSww02rntxzRmd_PlsiAcZF78NX-Zs/s2048/IMG_1202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagIC_DbEmYJIbD40V-638Nc9GTD8rcIx9mPU1hayB5OFSKOhuZ09KvFb_BbgKfWB81HChbvAtmsvOoVu2B6tTVQXp5YvovPtQQh0_qxp__XFr8kSww02rntxzRmd_PlsiAcZF78NX-Zs/s320/IMG_1202.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p>Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-12375436773646687802020-09-18T20:06:00.004-07:002020-09-18T20:06:44.412-07:00RBG and the Madman's attack on a Free Internet<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, I mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was an amazing woman and changed society in so many ways. When my mother was married in the 1950s, women in the US could not open bank accounts in their own names. Women were treated like children. But RBG, even before she was a justice, fought against this and made life so much better. May she continue to live on in our thoughts and prayers. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Second, I wish to draw attention to the actions of the madman, who banned the apps WeChat and Tiktok in the US. This is done to make him look "tough" against China. But the reality is that he is doing the same as China, and justifying a censored internet, not the open platform as it was designed and imagined by Americans and many others decades ago. If you are interested in learning more about the Chinese internet, and WeChat, see the chapter that we published about this. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.academia.edu/44117938/Ju_Sandel_Fitzgerald_2019_Chinese_Internet?fbclid=IwAR3bI6d0fWmNsVJ_Wo2_JBtcZ7C7LRZQJ9gHeWTozNK4k5LyWxfwtFgtW60" target="_blank">Here is the link</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">Ju, Bei, Sandel,
Todd L., & Fitzgerald, Richard (2019). Understanding Chinese internet and social
media: The innovative and creative affordances of technology, language and
culture. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">In Marcel Burger (Ed.) </span><i style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121;">Se Mettre en Scène en Ligne: </span><span style="background: white;">La communication digitale,</span></i><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> vol 2. </span><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">[Presenting oneself online:
Digital communication] </span><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">(pp.
161-177).</span><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Cahiers de
l’Institut de linguistique et des sciences du langage, No. 59. Lausanne,
Switzerland: UNIL, University of Lausanne.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-73030937761741246862020-08-26T20:01:00.003-07:002020-08-26T20:08:12.956-07:00Life inside the Bubble: If not now, when?<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JUuOW_sUM8" target="_blank">Chris Webber</a> asks, "If not now, when?"</p><p>I'm back in the "bubble" of quarantine. This is my personal story. But I've also been watching the NBA (through a subscription to NBA global that lets me watch all the games online), and have been following their "bubble." My personal story is important to me, but mundane. The NBA story, which has little impact on me personally, in light of the struggle for justice, is not mundane.</p><p><b>My Personal Bubble Story </b></p><p>After having surgery in Hong Kong on my right hip, a procedure called "Birmingham hip resurfacing," I returned to Macau on August 24th, and was assigned a hotel room to observe a second period of 14 days of quarantine. While I would rather be at home, or not have to be in quarantine, it is not all that bad. The Macau government is paying for my hotel room - a one-bedroom suite - and providing three meals a day. I have great high speed internet in my room, two flat screen televisions that I can hook up to my computer and/or iPad to watch videos, or use as an extra monitor. This is a much better set up than my initial 14 days of quarantine that I did in Hong Kong the first part of August, at a hotel that I paid for. This also gives me some time to write and reflect on recent events.</p><p>How did I get here? Starting about four years ago, I felt some discomfort in my right hip. At first it was something that I could manage by stretching. But by September of 2017, when attending a conference in Portsmouth, UK, I knew that I had a problem. I was enjoying the scenery there and going on long runs along the coast. But after the runs ended, I was in a lot of pain, and could only sleep with the aid of Ibuprophen. I decided that I had to cut back on the running! So, I reduced my daily runs, and began using the elliptical and stationary bike for exercise, and did a lot more stretching and core strengthening. My hope was that the pain was caused by a muscle problem and would eventually improve.</p><p>Well, it's now 2020 and you can see the problem did not go away. I managed the pain for several years, and kept hoping that it would improve. Then in February 2020, due to covid, the exercise room was shut down, and the only ways to exercise were stretching/strengthening, and walking. I saw it as an opportunity to fully rest the hip/muscle problem. But after things improved in Macau, and we were able to use the exercise facilities (starting in May I believe), I still had pain. At that time I thought that I should see a doctor. And since our summer flights to the US were canceled due to covid, this was the time to address the problem.</p><p>I first went to a physical therapist, who after her initial diagnosis believed that I had osteoarthritis of the hip. She said that I should have an x-ray and MRI for further diagnosis. I then went to Kiangwu Hospital in Macau, and had these tests done. The orthopedic doctor there said that I had osteoarthritis. He was concerned that if it was untreated I could have bone necrosis, and gave me an anti-inflammatory medicine and told me to reduce all activity and use crutches. The anti-inflammatory medicine helped and I had less pain than I had felt in years. But it was very difficult for me to reduce all activity. </p><p>So I asked a doctor friend here for a recommendation, and he suggested that I contact the best hip specialist in Asia, <a href="https://www.asiamedicalspecialists.hk/en/team/2/Dr-Jason-BROCKWELL-Orthopaedic" target="_blank">Dr. Jason Brockwell</a>, who has his practice in Hong Kong. Due to covid we did an initial diagnosis online. But I was able to send him the x-ray and MRIs done at Kiangwu, and he said that I had osteoarthritis, and recommended <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHhVamcIKzc" target="_blank">Birmingham hip resurfacing surgery</a>. He said that after the surgery and post-operative rest, I would be able to resume an active lifestyle, and be able to run again. This was great news! The bad news was that due to covid, I would have to observe 14 days of quarantine in Hong Kong before the surgery, and another 14 days after, upon returning to Macau. So I am back in quarantine. However, I do have metal caps over my hip bone and socket, meaning that after I recover I will no longer have osteoarthritis. The projected "recovery" date is November 21, which I have marked in my calendar, and is when I hope to go on my first post-op run!</p><p><b>The NBA's Bubble Story</b></p><p>Those who follow the NBA know that because of covid, the league shut down in March. Then after four months, games were resumed by creating a covid-free "bubble" at the Disney campus in Orlando, Florida. The resumption of their games has coincided with my personal quarantine, and I have enjoyed watching many of the games. I'm hoping that my favorite team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, are able to advance in the playoffs and defeat the Houston Rockets. But I also enjoy watching the other players and teams. Lebron James and the Lakers finally look to be playing at a high level. Giannis, the "Greek Freak" is amazing. I watched Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz and Jamal Murray (and Nikola Jokic) play at an incredibly high level. And of course, I watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0uz5aWuaLw" target="_blank">Luka Doncic's</a> amazing performance to defeat the LA Clippers, with a game-winning 3-point shot. This has been a lot of fun.</p><p>However, the NBA players, coaches, owners, and their broadcast partners, have decided that they cannot simply "play ball" and ignore the problems of racial injustice in the US. They have prominently displayed the message of "<a href="https://blacklivesmatter.com/" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter</a>" and freely spoken about the importance of this cause. I strongly support this. Then in Kenosha, Wisconsin, an African American man, Jacob Blake, 29 years old, was shot in the back seven times by a police officer.</p><p>I don't know where this is going. But comments made by LA Clippers coach <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahPuQSsiagw">Doc Rivers</a>, former players and now media broadcasters, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6L0ryXGjHc" target="_blank">Charles Barkley,</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JUuOW_sUM8" target="_blank">Chris Webber</a>, Kenny Smith, and others, have made powerful and eloquent statements about the issue of race in the US. And what makes this even worse are the words and actions of the most racist US President, probably since Woodrow Wilson, who spews forth his vile comments on Twitter, television and all forms of media. And if polls are accurate, approximately 40 percent of the American public support this man. </p><p>Chris Webber asks, "If not now, when?" This is the question that demands an answer. </p><p> </p>Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-78820666075556341552020-06-07T01:41:00.002-07:002020-06-07T01:42:24.698-07:00Trump's Primordial Sentiments on Display at the Battle of Lafayette Square<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">While
reading on the topic of national identity, I came across a reference to a
passage from the American anthropologist, Clifford Geertz. The passage comes
from Geertz's well-known book, a collection of his writings, published in
1973, <i>The Interpretation of Cultures</i>. In Chapter 10, titled, "<i>The
Integrative revolution: Primordial sentiments and civil politics in the new
states</i><b>," </b>Geertz reflects on the problems faced by newly
emergent nations that seek to form a civil society. That is, in the 1960s and
1970s, as colonial rule came to an end across Africa and Asia, what ties can
hold these nations together? Now that the external force of colonial government
is lifted, will nations violently split apart, like India and Pakistan at the
time of partition? How can people who speak different languages, follow
different religions, have different kinship and tribal allegiances, build a
nation that with a common, peaceful purpose? In other words, Geertz is asking
if the American idea of a nation that is based not upon a state religion,
national language, or same-blooded, ancestral kin, form a "more perfect
union" that can become a prosperous nation.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1-FhRE2eK_Np4HJHxZaQ0_GjKIU_WsV00OZ5vMq_5wmpKTihvt4KAnEB3suVNLln0Okchz9BSfZRw3AHjIczcwNaJXQAjmmOgUptLPs-FbWE_NWBRa0AcP9sQcE-qBgVp5uGZFRZMsE/s414/Lafayette.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="414" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1-FhRE2eK_Np4HJHxZaQ0_GjKIU_WsV00OZ5vMq_5wmpKTihvt4KAnEB3suVNLln0Okchz9BSfZRw3AHjIczcwNaJXQAjmmOgUptLPs-FbWE_NWBRa0AcP9sQcE-qBgVp5uGZFRZMsE/w200-h103/Lafayette.PNG" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
challenge that he identifies are the conflicts that can emerge from both
"Primordial" and "Civil Sentiments." The former, are what
Geertz claims are variously called "tribalism, parochialism, communalism,
and so on." They are "very serious and intractable" problems
that threaten the task of integration. The latter, are "civil
sentiments," built upon such ties as "class, party, business, union,
[or] profession." Civil sentiments are less threatening, "because
they do not involve alternative definitions of the nation is, of what its scope
of references is." However, Geertz cautions that civil sentiments can
threaten the state if they become "infused with primordial
sentiments." Such sentiments find an "outlet in the seizing, legally
or illegally, of the state apparatus." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Bringing
this back to the current conditions in the US under Trump, what I see in
Geertz's writings is a reading of Trump's appeals to his "base" as an
appeal to Americans' "primordial sentiments." Trump has little interest
in building a "civil polity" or government comprised of all the
people. Instead, he appeals to the "primordial sentiments" of some
Americans, to their "disaffections" based upon race, religion, or
culture. And in the process he has co-opted the Republican Party to become not
a civil group, with "civil sentiments," but a tribal group, with
"primordial sentiments." And in the process, the Republican Party's
outlet for expressing its discontent by the "seizing, legally or
illegally, of the state apparatus," has merged with the primordial sentiment
to undermine the state itself, to take off the proverbial head. This
is most dangerous.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8I5snQOM7gBR21NhGbsjlUHIbJphu3PH8RSVtTnNfejOiP17ZDwqMhjpvLr71OHabia34BRkjFTxDsBkUwpSyr3zn-m3XDOS84YgK8I9Fv6MqYqKN3bJfxsRBMqwYr2Oa7xJ7bLyn2I/s390/Lafayette3.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="390" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8I5snQOM7gBR21NhGbsjlUHIbJphu3PH8RSVtTnNfejOiP17ZDwqMhjpvLr71OHabia34BRkjFTxDsBkUwpSyr3zn-m3XDOS84YgK8I9Fv6MqYqKN3bJfxsRBMqwYr2Oa7xJ7bLyn2I/w200-h93/Lafayette3.PNG" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I copy
the passage from Geertz here:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>It is this crystallization of a direct
conflict between primordial and civil sentiments—this “longing not to belong to
any other group”—that gives to the problem variously called tribalism, parochialism,
communalism, and so on, a more ominous and deeply threatening quality than most
of the other, also very serious and intractable, problems the new states face.
Here we have not just competing loyalties, but competing loyalties of the same general
order, on the same level of integration. There are many other competing loyalties
in the new states, as in any state—ties to class, party, business, union,
profession, or whatever. But groups formed of such ties are virtually never
considered as possible self-standing, maximal social units, as candidates for
nationhood. Conflicts among them occur only within a more or less fully
accepted terminal community whose political integrity they do not, as a rule,
put into question. No matter how severe they become, they do not threaten, at
least not intentionally, its existence as such. They threaten governments, or
even forms of government, but they rarely at best—and then usually when they have
become infused with primordial sentiments—threaten to undermine the nation itself,
because they do not involve alternative definitions of what the nation is, of
what its scope of references is. Economic or class or intellectual disaffection
threatens revolution, but disaffection based on race, language, or culture
threatens partition, irredentism, or merger, a redrawing of the very limits of
the state, a new definition of its domain. Civil discontent finds its natural
outlet in the seizing, legally or illegally, of the state apparatus. Primordial
discontent strives more deeply and is satisfied less easily. If severe enough,
it wants not Sukarno’s or Nehru’s or Moulay Hassan’s head, it wants Indonesia’s
or India’s or Morocco’s. (p. 261)</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"><!--[if supportFields]><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>BIBLIOGRAPHY <span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>\l 1033 <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Geertz, C.
(1973/2000). <i>The interpretation of cultures.</i> New York: Basic Books
(Original work published 1973).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<!--[if supportFields]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:
DengXian;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]--><div><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-57218007771257436532020-04-25T02:34:00.003-07:002020-04-25T02:34:46.939-07:00The Hammer and the Dance vs Send in the Clowns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtsBpCGti1aDS4xjkDEQI1GH7Y_bBJjw2ll7QUF8GDB9mAQmFSnKpqjEAjfcAiff3LZiC9BS-4hqaGcWSVgdogEyBovLQfdC6zTmPOtzkCk5SOP_g5XN_Xp5ftTS3Mn2hol60NPZHA54/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtsBpCGti1aDS4xjkDEQI1GH7Y_bBJjw2ll7QUF8GDB9mAQmFSnKpqjEAjfcAiff3LZiC9BS-4hqaGcWSVgdogEyBovLQfdC6zTmPOtzkCk5SOP_g5XN_Xp5ftTS3Mn2hol60NPZHA54/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here in Macau we are seeing some kind of light, or at least an opening of what a "normal" life looks like and resembles what we did way back in January. My daughter's international school will <a href="https://macaunews.mo/planned-resumption-of-classes-will-be-phased/" target="_blank">resume classes in May</a>, and my wife can start teaching private art classes. Both of them are very happy! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here at the university, we are not resuming in-person classes, but we can soon have in-person MA and PhD thesis defenses (after returning students are quarantined). Two of my MA students who finished writing their theses are trying to arrange their defenses. And some of the students - namely last semester, graduating undergraduate students - are back to take exams and attend their graduation ceremony. This past week it was almost a shock to see students walking on a campus that has been mostly empty for more than two months. These are all great signs that we have turned a corner here in Macau, a place that has not had even one new case of Covid-19 in <a href="https://macaunews.mo/macau-16-days-without-new-covid-19-case/" target="_blank">more than two weeks</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet this good news is tempered by the realization that our little land of peace and safety is connected to a much bigger world that still has many challenges. There is an increasing number of infections and deaths across the world. Indonesia, a place I have visited many times, is on lock down. And as they enter Ramadan, people there are <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/04/23/govt-temporarily-bans-passenger-travel-to-prevent-mudik.html?src=mostviewed&pg=/" target="_blank">not able to travel to their hometowns</a> as they normally would. Brazil, a place that I have never visited, but is the home of one of my colleagues here, is led by President Bolsonaro, who has not taken the virus seriously, and is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/world/americas/brazil-bolsonaro-moro.html?searchResultPosition=2" target="_blank">being abandoned</a> by competent officials around him. And, most sadly, the President of the United States has shown himself to be a dangerous clown, who at a press conference this week openly wondered if <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-floats-another-bogus-coronavirus-cure--and-his-administration-scrambles-to-stop-people-from-injecting-disinfectants/2020/04/24/77759238-8644-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html" target="_blank">injecting patients with cleaning fluids</a> or shining ultraviolet radiation inside the body of covid patients, would be an effective treatment. Many here see this man as acting like a clown. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The truth of the matter is that the road to recovery will be long and difficult. In a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/podcasts/the-daily/coronavirus-how-long-lockdowns.html?showTranscript=1" target="_blank">recent NY Times Daily podcast</a>, the Science reporter for the New York Times, Donald G. McNeil, said that the best way to describe what we will face is called "The Hammer and the Dance." It is worth quoting what he said: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-size-adjust: 100%; text-transform: capitalize; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Donald G. McNeil Jr.</span></div>
<br />
<dd class="css-12tddc8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px 0px 33px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="css-8hvvyd" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.9375rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was on March 19, by Tomas Pueyo, a writer in San
Francisco. And it was called “The Hammer and the Dance.” And the hammer is the
lockdown. There was no question of social distancing light. It was more like,
bam, everybody has to go into their houses. But then, once you get the deaths
down to a minimum, then you begin the dance. And the dance is dancing a little
bit out, and opening up some of the restrictions and seeing, you know, how far
can you let people go. And then you see what that does to death rates. And once
the death rates go up, you have to go back and leave the dance floor and go
into lockdown again. And it repeats again and again. And it’s dance in, dance
out, dance in, dance out. And basically that’s what the epidemiological models
show we have to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="css-8hvvyd" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.9375rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So we are facing a future that can go in one of two directions. One direction is to go slow, to be careful, to follow the best known practices of public health, and dance forward and backward as shown by the conditions of the virus. The other is to be led by the clowns who put their own interests above that of their people. It is my hope that we follow the former direction rather than the latter. </span></div>
</dd>Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-40739860277356915612020-04-11T23:21:00.003-07:002020-04-12T05:13:04.880-07:00A Return to Normal? Easter Reflections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZRGpEb2zRF8OA2Pxk0yaw1iojshfynqgEPCBKzneEwjod5gBiNVE0n4Ia7oAJqhxifdvNS_4Dh2joQyp0Q9aISLA4WNOGog9UYBE7l4S5-nKZdRaBfg_1RB0HjR8SFSTDx6D76TDhhc/s1600/IMG_3178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZRGpEb2zRF8OA2Pxk0yaw1iojshfynqgEPCBKzneEwjod5gBiNVE0n4Ia7oAJqhxifdvNS_4Dh2joQyp0Q9aISLA4WNOGog9UYBE7l4S5-nKZdRaBfg_1RB0HjR8SFSTDx6D76TDhhc/s320/IMG_3178.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Back to normal? Apart from watching the increasing number of deaths and confirmed cases, when we can back to "normal" seems to be the biggest question on everyone's mind. How much longer until I can get back to the life that I had on January 24th, the last day that I picked up my daughter from school, and I didn't have to wear a face mask when out in a crowded area? Will a "normal" life resume on May 1? That looks highly unlikely. Will it be on June 25th, the day of our scheduled flight from Macau to the US? The odds for that happening are decreasing. Will it be on August 19, the first scheduled day of classes at the University of Macau? Even that day seems too soon. The consensus emerging from experts in public health, and something that I said in January when I saw how rapidly covid-19 was spreading in China, is that "normal" cannot resume until a vaccine is developed and widely available. And even then, everyone will still have to be careful to avoid contracting or spreading this disease. If not, we could see another spike in cases resulting in thousands or millions of deaths.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All of these reflections are not pleasant to contemplate. The mood of this time is akin to a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantalus" target="_blank">Tantalean punishment</a>" named after the myth of the Greek god, Tantalus. He could see good things in front of him, but could never reach or enjoy them. We can see an end to the restrictions of covid-19, and in our minds imagine a different kind of life, but we can never reach them. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So how do we cope? How do we get through the coming days, weeks, months, and perhaps years until covid-19 is under control? Writing this on Easter Sunday brings to mind the story of this day, that in the city of Jerusalem a man who died as a convicted criminal, hung on a cross, was buried in a tomb; on the third day he was not in the grave. His followers, the disciples, could not find him. But they and others, beyond anything that they could imagine or hope for, met him as one beyond the grave, a man who had conquered death. They then went on to spread news of this man, and what he did, and it changed the world. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkBYB4T272bsiZcFC8EHI0f26jRxDKxJM3Ff9u-ydEwPvT38nkhkFzuJ5djeVkrYoee0HKbCcZ5ZmwqDHd4oHfp0sCP_fCo57M4uxdDaLF77ZtkEvOFqyB0x7P2X1zoWPjNUxsh9UOMk/s1600/IMG_3075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1600" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkBYB4T272bsiZcFC8EHI0f26jRxDKxJM3Ff9u-ydEwPvT38nkhkFzuJ5djeVkrYoee0HKbCcZ5ZmwqDHd4oHfp0sCP_fCo57M4uxdDaLF77ZtkEvOFqyB0x7P2X1zoWPjNUxsh9UOMk/s320/IMG_3075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Easter is the ultimate story of hope. While we are in the "grave" of covid-19, there will someday come a time when we are released from this grave, to experience a different life. This new life will NOT be like the old. We will always remember this time, and be much more careful in our daily interactions, washing our hands frequently, keeping a supply of masks at hand, aware of our social distance, monitoring our temperature, and the health of those around us. We can imagine that these new behaviors will stay with us for years, decades to come. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But maybe, we will become better people. This is the first "social media" pandemic in human history. We can go online, watch the news, and see video, text, images, reports of people across the globe who are experiencing the challenge of this same illness. While it is unfortunate that the poorest people suffer the most, and underlying health problems lead to serious illness and death at higher rates than others. It is also the case that wealth, nationality, age, social status, gender, race or ethnicity, do not fully protect anyone from getting sick. This virus attacks all human beings. So we are all in this together. Let's keep this important truth in mind when we someday do return to normal.</div>
Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-16751829527865156922020-04-04T01:43:00.001-07:002020-04-04T01:43:09.415-07:00Thoughts on Tomb Sweeping Day 清明節<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HWeJd04rcL46V2KGKCm-BuLbPLr27yDNn30qlNXkEIfnOaG6JUguh_9NiIrSZ0P3kEG-TIbmS4E2d767SIG6VjSqq23hEu9gknj3CVxWnUUEteQdT3SavmzSsoHXFqCJi9y04vWqkII/s1600/Tombsweeping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="1524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HWeJd04rcL46V2KGKCm-BuLbPLr27yDNn30qlNXkEIfnOaG6JUguh_9NiIrSZ0P3kEG-TIbmS4E2d767SIG6VjSqq23hEu9gknj3CVxWnUUEteQdT3SavmzSsoHXFqCJi9y04vWqkII/s320/Tombsweeping.JPG" width="314" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Today,
April 4, 2020 is Tomb Sweeping Day, or better known in Chinese as <i>Qing Ming
Jie </i></span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-family: "PMingLiU",serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">清明節</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, “Clear and
Bright Holiday.” </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">In a tradition dating back millennia,
this is the day in the spring when families go to the tombs of their ancestors,
“sweep” them clean, and have a ceremony of remembrance. In typical Chinese
fashion the ceremony represents the search for balance in life. On this day in
the spring, a season of new growth and hope for the harvest of a new year, you
take time to look back, and remember the lives of those who have preceded you,
and now have a time of rest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Since moving here to Macao
I have not done anything special on this day as I do not have any ancestors
here. But in the past I have been in Taiwan during this holiday, and
participated in remembrances with Donna and her family. I find it to be a
moving and deeply meaningful ceremony, as it is a time for the whole family to
be connected, both the living and the dead, and reminds you not only of where
you came from, but of your future destiny.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsQ1QJM254Kp5uS2ESY3Sh0OdsSbaQfpoAd6ORHaf6_L1lpATDjj71_uyCG16-rLIM-jA38q2pSqYqnTA1wPTWJZTK8a-53BsHJA7DWY5jCf9rzllpJ3Mzbejv-aJlnBD23Ql_nmNQMs/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsQ1QJM254Kp5uS2ESY3Sh0OdsSbaQfpoAd6ORHaf6_L1lpATDjj71_uyCG16-rLIM-jA38q2pSqYqnTA1wPTWJZTK8a-53BsHJA7DWY5jCf9rzllpJ3Mzbejv-aJlnBD23Ql_nmNQMs/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" width="240" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">This year’s Qing Ming festival
comes when we here in Macao, as well as people across the globe, are facing a
global pandemic, and fear of sickness and death from covid-19. This day has
been declared a national day of mourning, with flags at half-staff, and three
minutes of prayer and reflection at 10:00. As we watch the news, and look at social
media feeds for news of people we know, the situation looks grim. We know that
there will be a time when the world is no longer facing this plague. But we don’t
know when. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Thankfully the situation in
Macao is under control. There continues to be no community-wide spread of the
virus. The only new cases are detected in recent returnees, who have left hot
spots in the US, UK, and elsewhere. The university now has a plan to partially
open the campus to students, which I hope will soon be extended to include local primary and
secondary schools, so that my daughter can go back to school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Unfortunately, the relative
safety we experience in Macao is not to be found in the world outside. The
number of cases in the US continues to rise at a terrifying rate or more than
20,000 per day. Deaths continue to rise, with a peak weeks away. As time passes—78
days since I last had a face-to-face class with my students on January 17—with the
list of canceled or delayed events continuing to rise, it is hard to have a
positive mood. We all wish for a Resurrection, the end of death, the end of
this virus, when we can “return” to a life that is easy to remember, but hard
to imagine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: DengXian; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">Covid-19, go away. Be swept
away. No one will mourn your passing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-11904510016423227162020-03-28T00:34:00.003-07:002020-03-28T00:41:05.782-07:00Wartime Lessons for COVID-19Here in Macau we are safe and well. There is no community-based transmission of covid-19! The government has a clear and effective strategy for keeping us safe, even catching the attention of <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/2020-03-24/macau-how-a-densely-populated-chinese-territory-is-keeping-coronavirus-at-bay?src=usn_fb&fbclid=IwAR1doqgf8eYRgIlL53oN6MejStMzRIV9bM7jyowp2kAYxhChagPLs2hb3fU" target="_blank">some international media</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHX_GfoGMTzTGkBpJNv_lTMcNCfJF7avrk7vPwIx49rFvi1ASxSjdz_OpXu1fdMClQOJI3sLLC-15YiZ06gBo9nhJl_ggR8uqve4vNdQ2Xv7ttsq8YYAX97V5hKe1ha7RniqzNVynUJ0/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHX_GfoGMTzTGkBpJNv_lTMcNCfJF7avrk7vPwIx49rFvi1ASxSjdz_OpXu1fdMClQOJI3sLLC-15YiZ06gBo9nhJl_ggR8uqve4vNdQ2Xv7ttsq8YYAX97V5hKe1ha7RniqzNVynUJ0/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
But each day there are reports of recent returnees who test positive for covid-19. All who return must first go into quarantine for 14 days. Now there are a total of <a href="https://macaunews.mo/macau-announces-jai-alai-hotel-as-11th-hotel-for-quarantine/" target="_blank">11 hotels</a> set up to receive those in quarantine, providing more than 2,500 rooms. These "accommodations" are free for Macau residents. Those without Macau ID--mainly non-resident workers--have to pay 5,600 MOP (about 700 USD). But since <a href="https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2020/03/19/macau-bans-all-foreign-non-resident-workers-entering-macau/" target="_blank">19 March</a> such persons can no longer enter Macau. Nor can we leave Macau, as the ferries have been shut down, the airport has only one or two flights per day to cities in China, and the only link to Hong Kong is the HK-Macao-Zhuhai bridge. The bridge is limited to Hong Kong residents, and Macau residents. But Macau residents cannot use the bridge for transit through Hong Kong airport; they must first receive permission to travel to Hong Kong, and then be quarantined in Hong Kong for 14 days, before being free to move about. We are truly shut down and must wait for the virus to pass.<br />
<br />
In light of this situation, with an unknown end-date, and impacts not only on public health, but also on the economy and international trade, what is a good course of action? Some (<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/herd-immunity-why-britain-is-actually-letting-the-coronavirus-spread-20200315-p54a5h.html" target="_blank">Boris Johnson's UK government, prior to 16 March</a>) have argued that we should just let the virus pass through, so that people develop "herd immunity." Donald Trump famously said he wants the country <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-easter.html" target="_blank">open by Easter</a>. And the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/texas-lieutenant-governor-us-back-work-69764597" target="_blank">Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick</a>, suggested that grandparents like him should be willing to sacrifice their lives so that the economy would not be harmed.<br />
<br />
These positions are not without merit. We are facing the challenge of a global pandemic. This means that even if it is stopped in one country or region (such as Macau), as long as the virus is unchecked and spreading in some other place, we cannot return to "normal." Barriers to the free flow of persons and trade must remain in place. Many businesses will have to close, people lose their jobs, governments run out of money. And relationships can be strengthened or broken. Both <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/will-coronavirus-intimacy-lead-to-a-baby-boom-or-adivorce-tsunami/2020/03/23/9583aeda-6cfa-11ea-a3ec-70d7479d83f0_story.html" target="_blank">divorces and the number of babies</a> are expected to rise in the coming months. For me personally, it seems less likely that I will be able to travel to the U.S. this summer and see my children, parents, and family who live there. Fighting the virus is costing a lot, with no end in sight.<br />
<br />
But are the only options either to surrender and let the virus run free, or to do a China-like total shutdown? Or are there other alternatives?<br />
<br />
While I do not claim to be wise enough, nor have sufficient knowledge to know what is best, I do have some ideas. We can look to the past for examples of leaders who have fought and won wars, and that may have lessons for us today. One example from history that comes to mind is how the Athenian General and leader, <a href="https://www.ancient.eu/Themistocles/" target="_blank">Themistocles</a> (BCE 524 - 460) led the Athenians to a great victory over the Persians.<br />
<br />
As recorded by the historian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus" target="_blank">Herodotus</a>, the Greeks and Persians fought <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Persian_Wars" target="_blank">two major wars</a>. The first was led by the Persian king, Darius, who wanted to conquer Greece as punishment for a revolt of Greek city-states in Asia Minor (today's Turkey). However, on the fields of the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Persian_Wars#Battle_of_Marathon" target="_blank">Battle of Marathon</a>, an alliance of Greek city-states defeated the might Persian army in 490. This was followed by ten years of peace, when Athens grew in wealth and power. Themistocles came to prominence at that time and built Athens' navy.<br />
<br />
The Persians, however, did not forget their defeat, and led by King Xerxes, in 480 invaded once again. After crossing the straits of Bosphorous, Xerxes successfully conquered Greek city-states and marched south and west along the coast. City-states had the option of either surrendering and hoping for good terms, or fighting with the risk of total annihilation. Many city-states chose the former option. Themistocles, however, had other plans.<br />
<br />
After the Persians defeated the Greek alliance at the pass of Thermopylae (the well known battle where <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_I" target="_blank">King Leonidas and his bodyguard of 300 Spartans died</a>), the Persians were free to advance and take all of Attica, that is, the territory controlled by Athens. Rather than stay and fight within the walls of the city, Themistocles emptied the city, taking his troops and most of the population south to the island of Salamis. The Persians entered the city, and after defeating a small rear guard on the Acropolis, sacked the city.<br />
<br />
Archaeological evidence of the destruction of Athens is abundant. When I spent a semester in Athens in 1985, I recall my art history and monuments teachers talking about the many ruins and artifacts that were buried then, and have since been recovered in digs around the city. The destruction of the city was complete. Themistocles left the beautiful buildings, works of art, wealth, and riches of Athens in order to save the people.<br />
<br />
What happened next is one of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Salamis" target="_blank">most famous naval battles of all time</a>. Off the coast of Salamis, Themistocles and the allied Greek forces lured the Persian navy into narrow straits. There, the smaller and more maneuverable Greek triremes scored a decisive victory over the larger Persian navy, while King Xerxes watched the battle from a nearby mountain peak. Xerxes retreated to Persia. But he left his General and the bulk of his army in Greece (living off conquered lands), and a year later met the allied Greeks in another famous battle, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Plataea" target="_blank">Battle of Plataea</a>, where the Greeks were victorious and finally forced the Persians to leave. Following these victories, the city-state of Athens entered what is known as the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth-century_Athens" target="_blank">Golden Age of Athens</a>," a period of 30 years when led by Pericles, Athens had its greatest achievements.<br />
<br />
Okay, so what does this history lesson teach us?<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>First, save the people!</b> When the line of defense at Thermopylae was broken, Themistocles believed that the best option was to abandon the city, retreat, and save the people. The lesson to those like Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is that the people's lives come first. You can sacrifice the city and the economy now, as long as you save the people. After the war is won, the economy can be rebuilt, just as Athens was rebuilt.<br />
<br />
<b>Second, be prepared! </b>After defeating Persian King Darius the first time, Themistocles knew that the Persian threat remained. He spent money and treasure on building up the Athenian navy, knowing that this was their strongest weapon against a superior foe. Unfortunately, it is quite apparent that the US was not prepared this time to face a pandemic. <a href="https://apnews.com/ce014d94b64e98b7203b873e56f80e9a" target="_blank">The pandemic task force was disbanded</a>, and stockpiles of hospital equipment were not built to meet the demands of this crisis. This contrasts with what some countries in Asia did after SARS, <a href="https://world.wng.org/2020/03/how_taiwan_fended_off_the_coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR1U81S243kywzjiCNeRXjK5mw5NAk78Irilr2caMsqHJ8Z1s5h2xz2bcKM" target="_blank">such as Taiwan</a>, which created its National Health Command Center to respond to the "next" epidemic.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizykhjy7l3K5h4NErrud_lzGegtvfVWqLpzWZ1P_UH9QIZDm9sItX3zHBb6-Lq579jDKq6imFsYMmWjpST7t5dKhtiwgvmlT2rpM8YhOwkycADD24mXo_gt0NDr9XOPNZlXYhAuR8FI6Y/s1600/IMG_9867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizykhjy7l3K5h4NErrud_lzGegtvfVWqLpzWZ1P_UH9QIZDm9sItX3zHBb6-Lq579jDKq6imFsYMmWjpST7t5dKhtiwgvmlT2rpM8YhOwkycADD24mXo_gt0NDr9XOPNZlXYhAuR8FI6Y/s320/IMG_9867.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
I believe that the Macau government was better prepared because it learned a lesson from what happened in 2017, when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Hato" target="_blank">Typhoon Hato</a> caused death and destruction. I lived through that typhoon and know that Macau was not prepared. But when another <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Mangkhut" target="_blank">typhoon arrived in 2018</a>, we were prepared, and no one died, and the recovery was much quicker. The Macau government knew that it had to be prepared and it had to protect the people. And so this lesson seems to have paid off as we face a different kind of threat. There has been no panic here, and trust in the government is high.<br />
<br />
<b>Third, build alliances!</b> One part of the history that I did not explain is that another reason for the success of Themistocles and the Athenians was the fact that the Greek city-states were allied. The Persians were successful when the city-states were isolated. But when facing an allied foe, as happened at the Battle of Plataea, the Persians were defeated. Unfortunately, history shows that when these alliances broke down, so did Athens, as happened at the end of the age of Pericles when Athens and Sparta fought a protracted and bloody war. Likewise, to defeat covid-19 will require international alliances. As long as there is an outbreak in one nation or part of the world, the rest of the world is not safe. All nations must be united to achieve victory.<br />
<br />
<b>Last, be creative!</b> Themistocles cleverly used the features of the water off the coast of Salamis to his advantage. He knew that his smaller, but more maneuverable ships, had the advantage over the larger and slower Persian ones. Likewise, the strategies for defeating covid-19 today will have to build upon local circumstances. Places such as Taiwan that are islands can more readily control the flow of visitors. Macau is not an island like Taiwan, but is small and has a clearly defined border that helps control the flow of people. But other nations and places have different features, and must use what it is at hand to develop effective strategies to defeat the virus.<br />
<br />
My apologies for the long post this time. But I have been thinking about this and want to write it down. Feel free to disagree or suggest better alternatives. We are all in this together!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-817412987916655652020-03-21T23:01:00.000-07:002020-03-21T23:01:14.374-07:00The Road to Normal: How Long?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8l6X6nGfTAoaiYzr1YpFiNGcrdjvHw6Jlk7EGidUoyQgozUIW0VoALGELqxvioj1ojiv-SLb4BNLVtzjkALgzihtKIem9TsUnneIRCYQ20NikvNyv_Ds_lqF6f0nleKpWbGVa_I3Mtg/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8l6X6nGfTAoaiYzr1YpFiNGcrdjvHw6Jlk7EGidUoyQgozUIW0VoALGELqxvioj1ojiv-SLb4BNLVtzjkALgzihtKIem9TsUnneIRCYQ20NikvNyv_Ds_lqF6f0nleKpWbGVa_I3Mtg/s320/IMG_0059.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_104782210"></span><span id="goog_104782211"></span>A week ago, things were looking up. We had not had a new case of covid-19 for 39 consecutive days, there was a plan to resume classes, people were out shopping, visiting scenic places, and feeling "normal." Life within the small bubble that is Macau was looking pretty good.<br />
<br />
But then, the world began to come back. On Friday the 13th, it was reported that a group of students <a href="https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/25-macau-students-flee-from-portugal.html" target="_blank">fled Portugal</a> and returned to Macau. Then a few days later it was reported that <a href="https://www.casino.org/news/macau-has-new-coronavirus-case-first-in-almost-40-days/" target="_blank">another person returning from Portugal</a> tested positive for covid-19. This was followed by news of more cases, including a <a href="https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/macau-detects-13th-coronavirus-case-in-student-returnee.html" target="_blank">student returning from the UK</a>, a <a href="https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/15th-coronavirus-case-in-filipino-worker.html" target="_blank">Filipina worker</a>, and an <a href="https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/indonesian-woman-is-the-14th-recorded-case-of-covid-19.html" target="_blank">Indonesian woman</a>. The government responded by <a href="https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/education-regulator-cancels-school-resumption-plans.html" target="_blank">postponing the resumption of classes</a> and <a href="https://www.plataformamedia.com/en-uk/news/politics/borders-closed-to-non-residents-after-two-new-covid-19-cases-this-week-11941036.html" target="_blank">closing the border to non-residents</a>. Hopes for a return to "normal" were dashed, with no end date in sight.<br />
<br />
While these events are disappointing and disheartening to us in Macau, reports of what is happening in the rest of the world (outside of China and neighboring regions of Asia) are also adding to the sense of gloom. The situation in Europe, with Italy as the "leader" in reported cases and deaths, is horrifying. And the west's nation that dominates global news, the United States, is now experiencing its own crisis. Burdened with a President who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/us-intelligence-reports-from-january-and-february-warned-about-a-likely-pandemic/2020/03/20/299d8cda-6ad5-11ea-b5f1-a5a804158597_story.html" target="_blank">neglected or discounted the warning signs</a>, the US is experiencing the rapid growth in cases with an unprepared health care system, and a large segment of the population that has been misled by "State TV" to distrust science and the "safe state" of competent and hard working people. Reading and watching the news is a way to vicariously experience the fears of early February all over again.<br />
<br />
When will this end? No one knows. Not only will it take many months, perhaps more than a year, to find a health care solution to the virus, the economic damage will be deep and long-lasting. We do not know how many people will lose their jobs, businesses will go under, and the global supply chains that have developed in recent decades will break.<br />
<br />
On a personal level, like millions of other people, I was used to the ease and speed of international travel, and felt that a flight to the US was in some ways easier than the 700 mile (1000+ km) drive that I often make between Oklahoma and Alabama. In January I took a flight from here to Jakarta, just for the weekend, to see friends and attend their wedding celebration. And we booked our tickets to the US in December, assuming that our normal summer break would happen as before.<br />
<br />
However, I can say that with each passing day we are one day closer to the end, whatever that may be. Humanity has suffered through global pandemics in the past. And after much suffering, each has come to an end. This brings to mind what a wise man once wrote:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="X-NONE"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4dBU7iUwa6GRn8y49DcLTPnmrxKtTf5d9NM3ZppU0OusbmiqO-c-eBZ6cILIOg_MxfF74M7rQq0FyT2F0TmgAmCO37iMkSz_o2x9RjOSKmmEmOxZvEJ_rBBQtz0H9lnhH7xw6fY8ovE/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4dBU7iUwa6GRn8y49DcLTPnmrxKtTf5d9NM3ZppU0OusbmiqO-c-eBZ6cILIOg_MxfF74M7rQq0FyT2F0TmgAmCO37iMkSz_o2x9RjOSKmmEmOxZvEJ_rBBQtz0H9lnhH7xw6fY8ovE/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the
Teacher. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE">“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
What do people gain from all their labors</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="X-NONE"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
at which they toil under the sun?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Generations come and generations go,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but the earth remains forever.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The sun rises and the sun sets,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and hurries back to where it rises.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The wind blows to the south</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and turns to the north;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
round and round it goes,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ever returning on its course.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All streams flow into the sea,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
yet the sea is never full.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>What has been will be again,</b></div>
<span lang="X-NONE"><div style="text-align: center;">
<b> what has been done will be done again;</b></div>
<b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b> there is nothing new under the sun.</b></div>
</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
Let us hope that some day we will look back upon this time and be able to say that there is nothing new under the sun.</div>
Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-27194908429221956012020-03-13T22:40:00.002-07:002020-03-13T22:46:29.079-07:00Lessons from Macau: The Other Side (Hopefully) of COVID-19<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Lessons from Macau</b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Other Side (Hopefully) of</b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>COVID-19</b></h2>
<br />
This is the week COVID-19 b<a href="https://www.ccn.com/coronavirus-just-got-real-for-americans-as-tom-hanks-nba-player-test-positive/" target="_blank">ecame real to people in America</a>. These past months images of people wearing masks, streets empty of people, hospitals overcrowded--they have all been in "foreign" countries. Some Americans (not all) believed (falsely) that a wall could keep all this away. But alas, this did not work. Viruses observe no borders, nationalities, ages, incomes, genders, or political preferences. The only way to slow the virus is to follow the guidance of health experts: observe good personal hygiene, social distance, and most importantly, test to find out who may have the virus.<br />
<br />
Here in Macau the virus became very real to us on February 4. Only a few days before then I returned here from a short Chinese New Year visit to Taiwan to visit family there. While there we were being observant of the situation, watching the news of what was happening in mainland China, and stocking up on masks. It started to feel "real," but remained somewhat distant from us. Then we came back to Macau and the situation was feeling more precarious by the day, but not yet dangerous. Schools, including the University of Macau, were closed indefinitely, with instruction to be offered online. All large gatherings, defined as more than 5 persons, were to be canceled and discouraged. Anyone who had been in mainland China over the holiday was to self-quarantine for 14 days at home. And all persons were to wear masks. The government then provided distribution points for the purchase of masks, which were sufficient to meet the needs of the populace.<br />
<br />
Then, on February 4 even these measures were not enough. A casino worker tested positive for covid-19. The very next day, the Macau government took the unimaginable, but in hindsight correct step, of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/04/business/coronavirus-macau-gambling.html" target="_blank">shutting all of Macau's casinos</a>. That is when I knew on a deeply felt, personal and tangible level, that the situation was serious.<br />
<br />
Initially there was some panic in Macau. People went to the grocery stores to stock up on supplies, fill up on gasoline, and do the kinds of things that we do when a strong typhoon is approaching. But that passed quickly. The Macau government held daily press briefings, explained in an honest way what was happening, and announced the steps they were taking to protect the public and deal with the situation. Public confidence was restored, and we accepted without protest the increased measures taken to monitor public health, such as frequent temperature checks, and here on the campus registering our comings and goings. The government also promised that food would continue to be delivered.<br />
<br />
Then on February 14 the government <a href="https://macauhub.com.mo/2020/02/14/pt-governo-de-macau-anuncia-medidas-de-apoio-a-empresas-e-a-residentes/" target="_blank">announced </a>a series of fiscal measures: relief from taxes for small businesses and residents, waiving fees for electricity, gas, and water in the coming months, moving forward the time when Macau residents would receive their annual payout, and 3,000 MOP (about 375 USD) vouchers to be given to all residents for small purchases, to be distributed after the abatement of the virus.<br />
<br />
The situation here is slowly returning to "normal." On March 6 the last coronavirus patient was <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3074025/macau-discharges-last-recovered-coronavirus" target="_blank">released from the hospital</a>. The government resumed full services the last week of February. And just recently, a timeline for the resumption of classes has been announced for primary and secondary students. (No official word has been given from the University of Macau. But it should come soon.)<br />
<br />
Macau's handling of covid-19 thus far can be called a success. The government has performed admirably, even compared with Hong Kong which is normally the "good" place, but in recent times has shown itself to not be well managed. The freedom of movement has been limited. Businesses and schools have been impacted. And the economy has suffered major losses, with revenues <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/03/02/coronavirus-sends-macau-casino-revenue-plunging-88.aspx" target="_blank">down 88% year-on-year</a>, for February 2020. That is a major hit! But we here have confidence that in the long run, this situation will improve. And the government is willing to spend at this moment.<br />
<br />
What lessons can be learned from little Macau? First, good government matters. When faced with a crisis, it is essential that a government be honest, open, and implement the best policies available. Second, and this follows from the first, the public must be informed and engaged. Here in Macau panic was very quickly abated. People felt confident that the leadership could be trusted, and did what was asked of them. Third, know that the future is unpredictable. I thought that 2019 was a difficult year for many reasons. (I'm writing this one year since the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-shooting-hatecrime/one-year-after-mosque-massacre-new-zealand-is-fighting-rising-hate-idUSKBN20Y0JZ" target="_blank">tragic shooting in New Zealand</a>.) And there were many tragedies. But everything that happened in 2019 in retrospect looks like the "normal" litany of bad things. Covid-19 has changed the world, and it will be a long time until it feels normal again.<br />
<br />
So America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the other parts of Asia, look to the rest of the world, even little Macau, for lessons that can be learned. We are stronger when we work together.Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-59409219418057191182020-03-09T05:12:00.001-07:002020-03-09T05:12:14.232-07:00Life in Macau during COVID-19<div style="text-align: justify;">
We are now entering our second month since COVID-19 began to impact us here in Macau. After the Christmas holiday, we resumed classes the beginning of January and then had two weeks of instruction before a two-week recess for Chinese New Year. It was in the latter part of January when we began to hear about this Coronavirus in Wuhan. Then, the last week of January we as a family went to Taiwan for CNY, the first time we've been in Taiwan for CNY since 2008. We had a wonderful time visiting family there, and enjoying my brother-in-law's new home in Changhua. But we were also following news of an increasing number of cases of the virus. Masks were hard to find, but then Donna's sister told us of a factory in their hometown that makes masks. We went there and bought a supply just in time. The day after we bought ours, the Taiwan government announced that all manufacturers were to send their supply of masks for the government for a centralized distribution.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgFeXprA3k5Fdp7bDzDczcAe77GOgl3E4dB3zjTUlu_qtbhc6PKS0le96waagKIQbP8MkqEYi7zp9GQKZnGYLnnr2n6mM82hmgIfjhFEYifrXjm1CF_8w6iphylLfbRFnGmNehCiIBMw/s1600/IMG_9820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgFeXprA3k5Fdp7bDzDczcAe77GOgl3E4dB3zjTUlu_qtbhc6PKS0le96waagKIQbP8MkqEYi7zp9GQKZnGYLnnr2n6mM82hmgIfjhFEYifrXjm1CF_8w6iphylLfbRFnGmNehCiIBMw/s320/IMG_9820.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The University of Macau then began to send urgent messages, instructing students in mainland China to remain there. They instructed academic staff (professors) to return immediately, and if they were spent time in Hubei Province, to self-quarantine on campus for two weeks. We returned from Taiwan as scheduled by February 1.<br />
<br />
The first week after we returned was close to normal. While there were no classes, activities were not greatly limited. But then a case of COVID-19 was found in a casino worker, and the casinos shut down. That was perhaps the most dangerous time for the virus.<br />
<br />
Since then the situation has slowly improved. The last person infected was recently released from the hospital. The government resumed full administrative services last week, and the university admin staff also resumed their duties. We're still teaching classes online. But this is now running more smoothly. And we look forward to the day (hopefully soon) when life gets back to normal.<br />
<br />
But, and this is the big problem, the world outside Macau looks increasingly fraught. The virus has now spread widely, with many more countries impacted by this virus. There will not be a return to "normal" here or any place in the world for the forseeable future.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVLgsdncDm7Sn0U6JK0OTKY0kwxFs0LwYx-PGaGjgy-6nsW1abvC5MmHJK-6Alz_JvgH7_slwvsSjilkZ0lVX4BeANz9906iHtqzHI5_N-lXutunpETswNr_aFyuoNxvEiTgL-0CdDT0/s1600/Cherry1-crop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="1600" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVLgsdncDm7Sn0U6JK0OTKY0kwxFs0LwYx-PGaGjgy-6nsW1abvC5MmHJK-6Alz_JvgH7_slwvsSjilkZ0lVX4BeANz9906iHtqzHI5_N-lXutunpETswNr_aFyuoNxvEiTgL-0CdDT0/s200/Cherry1-crop.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Meanwhile signs of spring emerge. The air quality has been great for all of February and March - something that I never experienced in previous years here. The azaleas are in bloom, and the birds are singing lustily.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-a4LE-a__i0ysLpKsZZwAUlPHk_2Frjt_cN8OCZRjJfHy3CJxmN7p5z3EM8qrEm7iu2etwkzDX964VI02kjYwilWwv6PUKU2SE_vj-0Xd07lAhkY8klXUaqXDTSRIZL7pN44xySw6r1Q/s1600/IMG_9948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-a4LE-a__i0ysLpKsZZwAUlPHk_2Frjt_cN8OCZRjJfHy3CJxmN7p5z3EM8qrEm7iu2etwkzDX964VI02kjYwilWwv6PUKU2SE_vj-0Xd07lAhkY8klXUaqXDTSRIZL7pN44xySw6r1Q/s320/IMG_9948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Wishing all of you good health in the time of COVID-19!Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-9587750455934274222018-08-30T19:57:00.000-07:002018-08-30T19:57:13.831-07:00Indonesia MusingsI just received an email from this account asking if I still want to keep this blog as I haven't posted anything in a while. So, I'll add a short post here.<br />
<br />
Over the summer I've been reading a lot about Indonesia, and now have a much better understanding of its history, dating back from 1200 to the present. I'm currently reading through an excellent book about Chinese emigration, including to Indonesia, by Philip Kuhn, "Chinese Among Others: Emigration in Modern Times." I've written several hundred pages of notes and comments, and soon need to compile these into the book proposal, for a planned, co-authored book about Chinese Indonesians with Sunny Lie. I feel as though I'm writing a second dissertation!<br />
<br />
Here are some thoughts worth sharing.<br />
<br />
1. Dutch Colonialism was very bad! The Dutch East India Company went to the "East Indies" in the 1500s with the intent of monopolizing the spice island trade. They were quite good at that. But to do so meant engaging in some battles with other European powers in the region--Portugal and England. And they also practiced slavery on a wide-scale, using workers on their plantations. They also engaged in a number of massacres, including the first recorded massacre of thousands of Chinese who were living in Batavia, or today's Jakarta, in 1740.<br />
2. The Dutch led to the creation of the idea of Indonesia, which emerged as a nation in the 20th century. This comes from another excellent book by R. E. Elson, The Idea of Indonesia: A History.<br />
3. The contemporary, post-colonial "problem" of the Chinese population, that has been in Indonesia at least since the 1400s, is an outcome of the Dutch colonial practices. The Dutch designated Chinese as a "second class" population, below Europeans, but above all local, non-Chinese, whom they called <i>inboorling</i>, a term that came to be understood as "savages." The Chinese served in the middle, with many becoming wealthy by operating "tax farms" on behalf of both the Dutch and local rulers, especially on Java. But this also led to both a bitter resentment and sense of distinction, that became manifest in the anti-Chinese policies of both Soekarno and Suharto, and continues in discourses today.<br />
4. As seen from the experience of Chinese Indonesians, assimilation versus acculturation is a complex, fraught issue. Suharto wanted the Chinese to "assimilate," and erase all of their Chineseness. But at the same time Chinese were not allowed to identify as anything but Chinese. Some benefitted economically, under the so-called "Ali-Baba" system, whereby a "local" Indonesian fronted a Chinese in a business venture. But not all, such as in Singkawang.<br />
<br />
Just some preliminary thoughts. More to come.<br />
ToddTodd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-25306229345024463372017-11-04T05:25:00.001-07:002017-11-04T05:33:55.279-07:00Donald Trump is God?At lunch this past week I was having a friendly conversation with a colleague, and we came to the conclusion that Donald Trump may be God. <a href="http://toddsandel.blogspot.com/2017/02/donald-trump-sees-himself-as-godking.html" target="_blank">I a past post I made the point that he is like a Chinese, Daoist god</a>, in<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8181266098044360115#editor/target=post;postID=8548325050596965871;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=postname" target="_blank">n</a> that he expects all to direct their attention to him. So this point has been firmly established. But this new question is to consider if Trump has expanded his "godship" to also become the christian god. Let's consider the evidence.<br />
<br />
When I was growing up, in Sunday School I was taught that God has three omnis: omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. Let's consider each of these attributes as they apply to Trump.<br />
<br />
First, we know from his claim that he has "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/10/27/president-trump-has-one-of-the-greatest-memories-of-all-time/?utm_term=.4f5212d47a79" target="_blank">one of the greatest memories of all time</a>" (except when he is trying to recall his meeting with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/11/03/trump-i-dont-remember-much-about-meeting-with-papadopoulos-campaign-adviser-who-has-pleaded-guilty/?utm_term=.7cec70ef1a58" target="_blank">George Papadapoulos</a>) that he is omniscient. So that satisfies one of the omnis.<br />
<br />
Second, we know that Trump is everywhere and at all time. For instance, when exercising in the gym at the University of Macau, I will see the television news broadcast on, and there he is. I cannot escape him. And he recently said that all he has to do is go "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/10/20/bing-bing-bing-trump-reveals-his-thinking-behind-firing-off-all-those-tweets/?utm_term=.b3a2c396db30" target="_blank">bing bing bing</a>" on Twitter, and then his words go out to everyone in the universe. So clearly Trump is omnipresent.<br />
<br />
Third, Trump wants to make judgment on all manner of cases of law, thus demonstrating his omnipotence. But here is where he is having problems. Just recently he expressed frustration at not being able to tell the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/us/politics/trump-says-justice-dept-and-fbi-must-do-what-is-right-and-investigate-democrats.html?_r=0" target="_blank">US Department of Justice what cases to prosecute.</a> This really frustrates him! And now I understand why. This is because it is the last "omni" preventing him from truly becoming god. Let's hope for Trump's sake that <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/05/a-match-made-in-heaven/521409/" target="_blank">Christians keep pushing DOJ</a> to see the light, because this is the only attribute preventing him from becoming god over all. He must be allowed to decide on all questions of justice! Once he clears this hurdle, we then can conclude, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Donald J Trump is god.<br />
<br />
God help us all!!<br />
<br />
<br />Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-88943230223036276342017-06-04T19:57:00.000-07:002017-06-04T19:57:19.142-07:00Reflections from JakartaI'm back in Jakarta, Indonesia--my fourth visit. I am glad to report that the city shows signs of improvement. It is possible to walk (mostly) unimpeded along major roads, the traffic flows better, and the bus system is improved. If anyone has ever visited Jakarta in the past, you can appreciate how important this is, and how bad the traffic has been in the past.<br />
<br />
For this visit I have come during the month of Ramadan, while Muslims observe daylight fasting. It is my first time to be in a Muslim country during Ramadan, and it is interesting to see how it is observed. Life goes on much as before with people working and carrying out their daily routine. Yet street-side vendors who offer food and drink during the day do not have much business. (The non-Muslim population here, comprised primarily of Chinese Indonesians, does not observe Ramadan.) At 6 pm the daylight fast is over, and people go out to eat and drink. The last meal can be taken around 3 am, when people may awaken to take some nourishment, before fasting begins again at 4 am. Here in the hotel where I am staying I have been awoken a couple of nights after 3 am, as people are returning after taking their last meal. This is all new to me, and helps me understand--in a small way--what is Ramadan and how it is observed.<br />
<br />
My overall impression is that Jakarta and its people are doing well. The economy is growing. The city is better managed. Society is fairly open and free. This, however, must be understood against the backdrop of the recent election when the Chinese Indonesian man who was in charge of Jakarta and who many claim is responsible for these improvements, A-Hok, lost the recent election and is now in jail on a charge of blasphemy, for comments he made about Muslim extremists. So problems continue and persist.<br />
<br />
Yet as I look at my own country of origin, USA, I cannot help but feel great sadness. A great country, the leader of the world, has abdicated its responsibility to lead the world in a positive direction by choosing a man who has no moral virtue, no experience or knowledge of government, no understanding of how the wof orld should work cooperatively to meet and address its problems. The results--almost daily "Twitter rage", withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, disputes with allies in Europe, admiration for un-elected governments and dictators--are most disheartening. Sure, the world is complicated. There are real problems with many very bad people, groups, factions, governments contributing to them. Yet solutions are not to be gained by hurling insults at people, by appealing to base instincts hatred and enmity. We need people and leaders who appeal to what is best in all of us. We need to heed the message of peace, compassion, and harmony, that is at the root of all the world's great religions, and is what the overwhelming majority of the earth's inhabitants want.<br />
<br />
I am glad for Indonesia, as it has had a very difficult recent past, and seems to be doing better. But I am sad for the United States, where the damage caused by number 45 is great and increasing. Let us hope and pray for a better future.<br />
<br />
Todd from Jakarta, June 5, 2017<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08QHK2QMCwTCUlcWq1ybO3GeCrm-LUtA4GUDRE5UZnJUioEWUfBZ8TfWX0YkqWJOSUQAikp5oXA7LZ1vztzwX9Ao0-2vfFd8jezPcT1QJyr8nGGKepMOENAW4aSeC10G96koND0RVbbY/s1600/IMG_2748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08QHK2QMCwTCUlcWq1ybO3GeCrm-LUtA4GUDRE5UZnJUioEWUfBZ8TfWX0YkqWJOSUQAikp5oXA7LZ1vztzwX9Ao0-2vfFd8jezPcT1QJyr8nGGKepMOENAW4aSeC10G96koND0RVbbY/s320/IMG_2748.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-58168642886754344522017-03-07T04:08:00.000-08:002017-03-07T04:45:39.229-08:00Some reflections on Mosul, Nineveh, and the Prophet Jonah<div class="MsoNormal">
This past Sunday, Neil, the pastor at Oasis church, gave the first of what will be a series of messages
on the book of Jonah. I enjoyed it, as the story of the travails of the most
reluctant prophet, Jonah, is one of my favorite books of the Bible. But one
thing that I have learned recently, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2017/03/world/return-to-mosul/index.html" target="_blank">both from watching news of the fighting in Iraq</a>, and from one of the slides Neil showed us, is that <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mosul,+Iraq/@36.3577408,43.1508899,972m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x40079464db1a88b9:0x9745d74edd0f0930!8m2!3d36.3566484!4d43.1640004" target="_blank">ancient Nineveh, the city Jonah was told by God to preach to, today is Mosul</a>. For the past several
months a battle has been waged in Mosul, as Iraqi and allied forces are
fighting to retake the city from the Islamic State (IS), a truly horrible and
repressive regime. The battle is going “well,” although as in every war,
unfortunately too many innocent lives are lost and there is much heartache and destruction.
We must all pray for the people of Mosul, that they will soon be freed from
this awful regime and the scourge of war.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While we can feel sad in the abstract about what is
happening in far-away Iraq, Neil said one important thing that brings the
lesson of this book near: God may call me to go and preach to the most evil
people, even the evil Islamic State! Consider what is written in verse 2: “Go
to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has
come up before me.” In the past when I read this book, it was hard for me to
identify with Jonah and his disobedience. I would think, “If God spoke so
clearly to me, surely I would obey him. How could I do otherwise?” But when we realize
that today’s Nineveh is the city of Mosul, a place that for the past couple of
years has been ruled by what I see as a place of “wickedness,” would I obey
God, go there and preach to them? It seems crazy. If I went there now, and
walked through the city telling the people to repent, it would mean certain
death. My guess is that Jonah must have felt the same way. He probably thought
that going to such a city to preach against it would mean his death. So he did
what was logical, and ran the other way. I now can better understand why Jonah
ran away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am thankful that I am not called to
go to Mosul, or some other city where there is “wickedness,” and preach against
it. But I believe that God does call me to preach to the people of Macao, to share God’s good
news with them, and for me to be salt and light. This is what it means to be a
follower of Christ. This is not something that is conditional, as some people on the Christian right may say, and who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/07/15/how-the-prosperity-gospel-explains-donald-trumps-popularity-with-christian-voters/?utm_term=.394c74fe5ea2" target="_blank">are enamored with the allure of wealth and power</a>, on whether the other person is good or bad, or will repent and accept
God’s message. God did not tell Jonah what would happen after he preached to
the people of Nineveh. All God said was go and preach against it. In the same
way, to be a follower of Christ means to be a disciple and witness for Christ.
As I think of this now, in light of the book of Jonah, and the current
condition of the city of Mosul, I find this to be a “hard teaching.” May God
give me, and us all, the grace and power to obey his teachings.<o:p></o:p></div>
Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-85483250505969658712017-02-14T18:47:00.003-08:002017-02-14T18:47:56.459-08:00<b>Donald Trump sees himself as god/king!!</b><br />
<br />
Trevor Noah of the Daily Show did an excellent job <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxd8YX5itRQ" target="_blank">analyzing the performance of Stephen Miller </a>on the Sunday shows in the US. Toward the end, at 5:20 of the clip, Noah explained:<br />
<br />
"His [Miller's] Sunday show appearance wasn't designed to persuade anyone or argue about facts, it was about pledging allegiance to an audience of One! And it worked. Because immediately after his appearance, Don Trump tweeted:<br />
<br />
Congratulations Stephen Miller - on representing me this morning on the various Sunday morning shows. Great job!"<br />
<br />
It is not a stretch to see how Trump sees himself--as king of the US. Truth, service to the American people, morality--none of these matter to Donald Trump. The only thing that matters is fealty to him, his image, and his desires. This is what a king wants. Or more accurately, I should say that this is what the despotic king wants. The good king (and there are still good kings in this world--the King of Bhutan for one) would never act like this. But the despotic king desires such praise, adulation, and blind obedience.<br />
<br />
To understand how Trump sees himself as god, I need to explain how gods are understand in Chinese folk religion. In Macau, Hong Kong, and across Taiwan, many temples hold annual performances on important days, such as the birthday of a deity. I recently saw one such performance in Taipa Village, Macau, in front of the "North God" 北地公 temple. It was a Chinese opera (Cantonese), performed by actors dressed in vibrant, beautiful costumes, depicting stories that have been passed down for generations. I have seen many other such performances in Taiwan. If done well, they will be watched and enjoyed by many people in the community.<br />
<br />
But as explained in documentary on Chinese folk religion, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URC4RoLdNJ8" target="_blank">The Long Search: Taoism, A Question of Balance</a>, produced by the BBC decades ago, the primary audience of such performances is not the people who watch them. Rather, these are performed for the god. If performed well, the deity of the temple may be pleased, and then it is believed this god will bless the community and devotees of the temple.<br />
<br />
With this in mind, you can now see how Donald Trump sees himself. When "his people" perform, they are doing it in order to please him--the deity Donald Trump. If Trump is pleased by the performance, he then will bless his followers, those who please him, or perhaps it is not a stretch to say those who worship him.<br />
<br />
This is a true perversion of the norms of American democracy. I do hope and pray that the American people wake up and see the deception and lies of this evil man. Stop treating him as god/king!Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-11609491433447145772017-02-03T21:37:00.005-08:002017-02-04T00:16:43.144-08:00Don't be a Sucker!! An attack on any immigrant or minority group must be resisted!!!<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-background-themecolor: background1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This 1947 war department film,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://archive.org/details/DontBeaS1947" target="_blank">Don't Be a Sucker!</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>terrifyingly resonates with the
situation in America (and Europe) today. All must watch this 16 minute film!!!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
From Wikipedia: "Don't Be a Sucker! is a short film produced by the US War
Department in 1943 and re-released in 1947. It has anti-racist and anti-fascist
themes. The film was made to make the case for the desegregation of the United
States armed forces. An American who has been listening to a racist and bigoted
rabble-rouser is warned off by a naturalized Hungarian immigrant, who explains
to him how racist and bigoted demagogy allowed the Nazis to rise to power in
Germany, and warns Americans not to fall for similar demagogy propagated by
American racists and bigots."</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
This film argues that the Nazis effectively split German society into competing
groups, based upon religion, national origin, and race. This was left
unchallenged; then it spread and gained in power and influence, until the world
finally had to take notice. The estimated deaths of WWII range from 50 to 80
million, including 6 million Jews in Europe--specifically targeted by Hitler
for annihilation.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The narrator rightfully explains that an attack
on any minority group, because of race, religion, or affiliation, must be
resisted. The same must be stated clearly again today: an attack on
people because of religion, national origin, sexual orientation, race, gender,
etc., must be resisted. The demagoguery of Trump, Bannon, Sessions, and too
many of their supporters must be opposed. The freedoms of Americans are at
stake. And the idea and ideals of freedom, the protection of minorities, and
human rights--protecting people from persecution and discrimination due to
ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin--are at stake world
wide. </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
Finally, this film accurately shows how the promises of Trump will ultimately
lead to failure. See what happened to those who enthusiastically supported
Hitler and the promises of the Nazis.The film shows what was their final
end. This must be explained clearly, loudly, and repeatedly. We cannot let the
sickness of the Trump Presidency run its full course. The consequences are too
horrifying to even imagine.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-64196339889264050082017-01-29T23:43:00.000-08:002017-01-30T17:57:11.091-08:00Reflections on Being a Stranger in a Foreign Land<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>Reflections on Being a Stranger in a Foreign Land<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Todd L. Sandel, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 1944 the scholar, Alfred Schütz, known for his writings
in sociology and phenomenology, published an essay, “The stranger: An essay in
social psychology.” He claimed that while most people operate according to the
“cultural pattern” of a standardized scheme, with common sense “recipes” for
how to act and how to interpret others’ actions, the stranger experiences the
world differently. Such a person has moved from the familiar to the unfamiliar,
and thus experiences a “crisis”: the stranger “has to place in question nearly
everything that seems to be unquestionable to the members of the approached
group” (p. 502). What is seen by “in-group” members as an objective,
standardized way of navigating the world, to the stranger is experienced as a
“subjective chance” that depends more on “personal circumstances and faculties”
than an objective, impersonal system open to all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is not difficult to see how Schütz’s essay was motivated
and informed by his personal experience. A Jew and native of Austria,
facing the threat of Hitler’s rise in Germany, in 1939 Schütz moved to the
United States and joined the faculty of The New School. When he wrote “The
stranger” he had lived in the U. S. three years, and was experiencing life as a
stranger. (The manuscript was completed the end of 1942, see Grathoff, 1989.) In an America where anti-Semitism was
widespread, and impacted both public policy and private actions, he too was affected.
He followed news of the war in Europe, seeing that the outcome was uncertain
and unknowable, and that the chance of him returning to Austria, the country
where he had lived most of his life, was lessening. He was the stranger in
America—an exile and refugee—seeing the cultural patterning of life there from
the perspective of the questioning outsider. And he must have felt the
“doubtful loyalty of the stranger” both due to the prejudice of the inside
group, and his own unwillingness to blindly and unquestioningly adopt the
cultural pattern of the host. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Schütz’s concept of the stranger provides a lens for
understanding my own experience in Macao (Special Administrative Region of
China), both personally and professionally. His work points to an understanding
of the stranger as both a person: who crosses from one context to another, and
a perspective: someone who does not understand the unwritten and unquestioned
rules and patterns of the in-group, and must learn and adapt. This piece is my
attempt to describe the opportunities, challenges, and rewards associated with
serving as a Communication scholar and professor overseas, outside the United
States. In Schütz’s essay I find resonances—both personally and professionally—in
what he wrote many decades ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a stranger I perceive that the cultural patterning of
life that other in-group members may unquestioningly accept is something that I
find novel at best, problematic at worst. I could give many examples to
illustrate, most quotidian. For instance, when greeting people in the morning,
most people (who are Chinese or “Asian” looking), see my face and don’t say
anything. They are not sure if I could understand what they say, just as I am
not sure if I should acknowledge their presence, by saying “good morning” in
English, Mandarin, or Cantonese. Many times we just ignore each other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Less quotidian examples involve encounters with Macao’s
complex bureaucracy. One challenge that I faced soon after arriving was to
receive permission for my spouse to join me. Macao requires proof of a spousal
relationship not only via a wedding certificate, but also official
documentation that a spousal relationship still exists. (Macao’s land area is
very small, and while it is open to millions of tourist visitors, it strictly
limits the number who can live and work within its borders.) Since my spouse
and I were married in Taiwan and not the U.S., we had to make a trip to Taiwan,
visit a government office with a record of our marriage more than 20 years ago,
and ask the clerk to produce a document stating that we were still married, and
that our names, listed in Chinese on the wedding certificate, were the same as
the English names on our U.S. passports. With the document in hand we returned
to Macao, uncertain if this would work. Our anxious experience—albeit far more
benign—echoed the “passology of exile” that Schütz and others faced when trying
to secure visas to remain in the U.S. in the 1930s and 40s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another example comes from my role as chair of the
University of Macau’s Ethics Panel (this university’s IRB). As a place
administered by the Portuguese for over 400 years, and only since 1999
administered by China, Macao has developed laws and bureaucratic procedures
based upon both systems. When I was working with colleagues to write a template
for an Informed Consent Document, it was pointed out by a colleague from the
Faculty of Law that the language I used to describe a minor as “a person under
the age of 18” was incorrect. Following Portuguese law, Macao considers persons
age 14 to 17 to be “consenting minors.” Therefore, such persons are legally
able to grant consent. However, other nearby administrative regions where many
scholars conduct research (e.g., China, Taiwan, Hong Kong), do not have this
category of consenting minor. How could we write a document that simply states what
is the age of consent? I have yet to find a simple solution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just as Schütz said the stranger’s loyalties may be seen as
suspect, so too do I sometimes experience this in my position. While there are
other “foreign” scholars who play important administrative roles at this
university, such as department head or associate dean, there is an unstated preference
for appointing Chinese scholars to leadership positions. Despite my efforts to
adapt and learn local cultural ways, I can never be accepted as a full-fledged
member of the in-group. I am a foreigner here—albeit a privileged and well paid
one. It is necessary at times to exercise self-censorship, and not discuss or
explore certain “political” topics, cognizant of the fact that during the
height of the “Occupy Central” protests in Hong Kong, one colleague who
encouraged students to observe closely, lost his position. Thus, when asked to
comment or vote on a proposal that has come down from “upper management,” I do
not protest too loudly. I have adopted the attitude, as expressed to me by a
colleague who is also a stranger to Macau: “This is not my country.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet despite these and other challenges, I do not regret my
decision to leave the U.S. As a young university (established in 1981), located
in a dynamic and growing economy, this institution is expanding, innovating,
and attracting scholars from across the globe. For example, in the Department
of Communication, with 22 full-time academic instructors, my colleagues hold
passports and/or identities from many nations and regions: China, Taiwan, Hong
Kong, Macao, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, UK, and US. Their terminal degrees
were obtained from universities across the globe: US, UK, China, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Macao. My department is not unique, as
the University of Macau receives the highest score for the internationalization
of its faculty from global ranking services. I am not the only stranger here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The diversity in the department and across the university
means that a hybrid system has emerged. On one hand, we follow elements of the
British system of higher education, as the university is led by a Rector and
academic units are divided into faculties (colleges in the U.S.). On the other,
most of the leadership of this university received their degrees and
established careers in the U.S. This hybrid structure can be seen in how some
programs (spelled “programmes”) are structured. For example, Ph.D. students
must take and complete courses their first year of study, following an American
pattern. But following the British system, Ph.D. students are admitted not to a
department or program, but admitted by and assigned to a supervisor. From day
one a Ph.D. student works with an individual professor, and it is difficult for
a student to change this relationship. Furthermore, professors who work with
doctoral students bring to bear different styles of supervision, as some employ
a more “hands on” approach with students, while others let students work on
their own, and see them infrequently. Therefore, the cultural patterning of the
University of Macau system may be called “American” by those familiar with a
British system, and “British” by those more familiar with an American one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When considering the practices of universities across this
region, we can see that other institutions have recruited faculty members internationally.
Based upon my own incomplete survey of nearby institutions, I have found many
have recruited scholars from the U.S. and other countries outside Greater
China. (Greater China refers to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.) Hong Kong
Baptist University’s Departments of Communication and Journalism have four such
scholars; the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Journalism has three;
and the two best known programs in Singapore, National University Singapore and
Nanyang Technological University, have 10 and 21 such scholars respectively. It
should be pointed out, however, that while there are U.S. and other
“non-native” scholars working at institutions across East Asia (e.g., China,
Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, and Korea) they are proportionally fewer in number.
This is most likely due to issues of language and remuneration. That is, at
these other institutions the language of instruction in communication programs
is generally not in English, and the compensation is not as high. Thus, foreign
scholars are more likely to be found at institutions where English is the language
of instruction, and the salary is better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While working in a department where colleagues come from across
the globe is a draw, a more important concern, however, is the resources
available for scholarly work. Unfortunately, across the U.S. many state
governments are underfunding higher education, and adversely impacting the
quality and quantity of resources available for scholars. The situation at my
institution, and at many other institutions across Asia, however, is different.
I may apply for internal grants to cover the expense of attending conferences, and
travel for research. The latter is important to me as I am a scholar who
believes that communication is situated in a context, necessitating field trips
to gather and interpret data. I am also at an institution with a well-funded
library that purchases subscriptions to the databases that I need. (It should
be noted that unlike China, internet access in Macao is <i>not</i> censored.) The library has an extensive and expanding
collection of books and work in communication, and purchases almost every new
title that I recommend. Hence, I have found that when looking for recent books
in communication and related subjects, the University of Macau library has more
volumes than my former institution, the University of Oklahoma. And it must be
noted that the internet has made a tremendous difference in terms of access to
journals and other scholarly information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another area of concern for the scholar abroad is the
quality of teaching and interaction with students. As can be expected, my
experience here at the University of Macau is qualitatively different. English
is the language of instruction for all the courses I teach. However, as most
students were educated either in Macao or China, for many English is their
second (or third) language. Thus, I may modify my teaching style and speak more
slowly; sometimes when lecturing—usually to a year one class—I may break the
unwritten rule of “English only” in the classroom and explain concepts by
speaking alternately in English and Chinese. I also tend to assign less
reading, and spend more time helping students edit and improve their writing. These
are all challenges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yet there are benefits to teaching in this environment. One
is to assign students to read my work, which comes primarily from Chinese
contexts, and hear and read their responses. Students will often point me in
new directions, showing what and where to conduct future research. I also find
it interesting that when I assign readings from “standard” American
textbooks—used selectively—I must explain and discuss cultural biases evident
in such work. The cultural frame of reference is shifted when teaching in Macao,
and I find it interesting to present and critically examine work that is
published by U.S. scholars who do not realize their own cultural biases. Thus, I find the teaching experience creates
what Bakhtin might call a “surplus of vision,” meaning that I can see and
understand more when using scholarship produced in the U.S., than I would if I were
presenting these same materials to students in the U.S. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A related personal benefit for teaching in this context is
the opportunity to work with graduate students, at both the MA and Ph.D. level,
who develop interesting and innovative research topics. Over the past five
years I have supervised and completed 11 MA theses, and am currently supervising
four Ph.D. students. Each has developed an interesting research project. For
example, one MA thesis was a study of the romantic relationships between Westerners
and Chinese living in Macao, another studied the impact of social media on the
experiences of Mainland students in Macao, a third studied the acculturation
and identity of Macao’s “new immigrants,” a fourth studied how young people
mixed Cantonese and Standard Chinese in messages posted on WeChat, a fifth was
an in-depth ethnographic study of Chinese immigrants to Sevilla, Spain, and a
sixth studied the concept of the “Leftover Women” of China. Each student offers
the possibility to study a topic few outside this context know even exists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In sum, just as is true of any position, there are
advantages and disadvantages to working here. But as I write this recent events
in the U.S. have brought me even closer to understanding Alfred Schütz’s
perspective when he wrote his essay in 1942. Just as from afar—a place of
relative safety—he watched his land of birth torn asunder by the horrors of
war, I sadly watch from afar—a place of relative safety—my land of birth
disrupted by the rancor and policies of the Trump Presidency. The twentieth
century was the “American century” when many prominent and budding scholars, from
Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, left their homes to take up
positions and establish careers in institutions across the U.S. Now, at what
may be the end of the American century, will we see a reversal? Will there be a wave of scholars who leave the U.S. for
opportunities elsewhere? No one can know for certain; each decision to remain
or leave is fundamentally personal. Yet I imagine that more American scholars
will reassess their situation, and embark on a career as a stranger abroad, following
a path Schütz described many years ago.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">References<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<!--[if supportFields]><span
style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>BIBLIOGRAPHY
<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>\l 1033 <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grathoff, R. (Ed.). (1989). <i>Philosophers in exile:
The correspondence of Alfred Schutz and Aron Gurwitsch.</i> (J. C. Evans,
Trans.) Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Schuetz, A. (1944). The stranger: An essay in social
psychology. <i>American Journal of Sociology, 49</i>(6), 499-507. Retrieved
from www.jstor.org/stable/2771547<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Todd Lyle Sandel is Associate Professor of Communication at
the University of Macau. He is Editor-in-Chief of the<i> Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, </i>associate
editor of <i>The International Encyclopedia
of Language and Social Interaction, </i>and author of <i>Brides on Sale: Taiwanese Cross Border Marriages in a Globalizing Asia,
</i>for which he received the 2016 Outstanding Book Award from the
International & Intercultural Division of the National Communication
Association. His research has appeared in <i>Language
in Society, Research on Language & Social Interaction, Journal of
Intercultural Communication Research, Journal of Contemporary China, China
Media Research,</i> and elsewhere.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimszftgkgdvQussoWSuTC9JeXWWkbKh5nayoX_aeIPTMsQWjrAo-zps-oymkpJ-B4urjnMOcmhSKeMiTlX-FGLWilutVTa3wbPvLWg48Adr9OHtFx5C5GHUqB9zftrS3mRgZKUQEaYACk/s1600/Sandel2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimszftgkgdvQussoWSuTC9JeXWWkbKh5nayoX_aeIPTMsQWjrAo-zps-oymkpJ-B4urjnMOcmhSKeMiTlX-FGLWilutVTa3wbPvLWg48Adr9OHtFx5C5GHUqB9zftrS3mRgZKUQEaYACk/s200/Sandel2017.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-47364153281749343562017-01-28T22:54:00.001-08:002017-01-28T22:54:14.650-08:00America's Wall BuilderThe freely elected leader (do I call him President?) of the United States of America has "fulfilled" a campaign promise and begun to build his wall. This first wall is not a physical structure, but a political one, in the form of a directive that keeps certain people from entering the US. Fortunately, within 24 hours protests broke out, supported by lawyers and the ACLU, and a judge temporarily and partially blocked the directive. As I write this it is impossible to know what will happen next. But I fear that it will not be good.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A couple months ago, and after the election of November 2016, I wrote an <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17513057.2017.1264460" target="_blank">introductory piece</a> as incoming Editor-in-Chief of the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rjii20/current" target="_blank">Journal of International & Intercultural Communication</a>. This is the 10th year of the journal, and in this short piece I looked both forward and backward in time, reflecting on what is the aim of this journal, and what I see it to be in coming years. I framed the piece by reflecting on two November 9 (11-9) events, the first in 1989 when one wall--the Berlin Wall--came down; the second was in 2016 when another wall--DJT declared President-elect--went up. It seems that the backlash to decades of neoliberal economics, and the forces of globalism are now coming to fruition. How we respond in this year--the Year of the Rooster 雞年--is looking to be very important.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4xox4LZfXGQlkA2ARfoBxH2et6ZGBSyFHmGzqpAX8VqpqDLoZqNq8QdmC5lJmvzljP08qRffkdRadoWxMN5tMnTK6h5dLUMw2mCa5Hd_y8a9xUMOLT1unKGqfb0S5BWBTS8cawJqA5I/s1600/IMG_1086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4xox4LZfXGQlkA2ARfoBxH2et6ZGBSyFHmGzqpAX8VqpqDLoZqNq8QdmC5lJmvzljP08qRffkdRadoWxMN5tMnTK6h5dLUMw2mCa5Hd_y8a9xUMOLT1unKGqfb0S5BWBTS8cawJqA5I/s320/IMG_1086.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-48073766142273520982017-01-23T00:37:00.001-08:002017-01-23T00:37:42.029-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Happy New Year!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DCIQt5i-0E6WAr1MlyCLgO6uZafFTkZKfmRGbhRLwDuYnTgBZoDC0gSdC7iRM8P7c4k3r_mjP6aOXau0-ZOaOxymxjJTSPJEbA8kn9ZcPU66o0YlANpM3BgtKSqoSsoupZiu87mTj8o/s1600/IMG_1758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DCIQt5i-0E6WAr1MlyCLgO6uZafFTkZKfmRGbhRLwDuYnTgBZoDC0gSdC7iRM8P7c4k3r_mjP6aOXau0-ZOaOxymxjJTSPJEbA8kn9ZcPU66o0YlANpM3BgtKSqoSsoupZiu87mTj8o/s320/IMG_1758.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
As 2016 became 2017, we as a family got to celebrate it together. For us this takes some effort as we live and work in multiple places: Donna, Pearl and me in Macau, Sarah in Houston/Rochester, and Robbie in Norman, Oklahoma. But as this picture attests, we got to have a "happy time" together here in this part of the world. And as we approach another "new year" that of the Rooster, I hope and pray that the future takes us to a better time and place.<br />
<br />
More thoughts coming soon!<br />
<br />
<br />Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-26447912632238502722015-02-02T03:53:00.003-08:002015-02-02T03:53:24.934-08:00I have not posted anything in a long time. But it has been a busy year. I'm working on the final proofs of my book, Brides on Sale, and it will come out soon.<br />
<br />
Here's a link to my updated CV:<br />
<br />
Todd Sandel <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0bAEDftOAvSemFsS09BUnNPRk0&authuser=0" target="_blank">CV 2015</a><br />
<br />
One of the problems I have with my UM webpage is that I do not have access to it. Will post more later.Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-46554857260557838662014-02-17T17:30:00.002-08:002014-02-17T17:30:54.315-08:00Environmental Problems in Macau!<br />
<br />
This morning, after taking my daughter to school, I returned by climbing the trail up to Taipa Park 大潭山. As I was walking along the section that is closest to the chimneys of the Incinerator, I came across dead frogs (toads?) on the trail. I did not count the exact number, but estimate around 20. All were fully grown and were healthy until recently. But they were all face down, dead, with excreted fluid coming out of their mouths. Here's a picture of one:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFrUn77lWZxrotlUsDrPxJRIBqyJ2KwIBMUPN7Pc6wszWMfowFhCkyYgLFRCJHQNJ7DL7orOuGNzQ6mmPSEzDBrOXIleko2kaej-4IbWxbjl8h7KKOclyC2F-JGwrG0XNR5dDmXvLPN8/s1600/2014-02-18+08.38.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFrUn77lWZxrotlUsDrPxJRIBqyJ2KwIBMUPN7Pc6wszWMfowFhCkyYgLFRCJHQNJ7DL7orOuGNzQ6mmPSEzDBrOXIleko2kaej-4IbWxbjl8h7KKOclyC2F-JGwrG0XNR5dDmXvLPN8/s1600/2014-02-18+08.38.08.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Other pictures <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sc/hsp3ghrabn5pkza/_EfIa_sE9B" target="_blank">can be found here</a><br />
<br />
As I walked further down the trail, about 100 meters from where I saw the first frog/toad, I didn't see anymore.<br />
<br />
If anyone knows why they died, or what could have caused their deaths, it would be appreciated.<br />
<br />Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-43150634468104200212014-02-05T02:32:00.000-08:002014-02-05T02:43:38.903-08:00<b>Brides on Sale Chapter Preview</b><br />
<br />
It's been very warm here in Macau, although the weather started to cool off today. Based upon records that I could find from WeatherUnderground, we had record high temperatures three days in a row. While parts of the US are cold, here in Asia we are experiencing a warm winter.<br />
<br />
I just finished writing four chapters for my book: Foreign Brides on Sale. These chapters have been sent to a publisher for review, and hopefully a contract will be forthcoming. For those interested in a preview, here are links to the <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108235554/Publications-Sandel/Introduction-Brides%20on%20Sale%20Sandel%202014.pdf" target="_blank">Introduction </a>and <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108235554/Publications-Sandel/Chapter%201%20Advertized-Public.pdf" target="_blank">Chapter One</a>. Feedback is appreciated!<br />
<br />
Happy New Year to Everyone!<br />
<br />
新年快樂!Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8181266098044360115.post-10024825589794896552013-12-29T03:55:00.002-08:002013-12-29T03:56:37.921-08:00Bangkok Musings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS83gekH64yts08ujCe-6ur433zS0tzbEqcmKU-gwVjeukapU0QVA3rB3PInkxw9ubmPxx2kC-q2OrGSSjHOoRPNQBKSdcHDuV_W13wK3VyZpVlb8E2vFExrLb8V6eKdtGDi5yELCk-ZA/s1600/Todd+and+donna.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS83gekH64yts08ujCe-6ur433zS0tzbEqcmKU-gwVjeukapU0QVA3rB3PInkxw9ubmPxx2kC-q2OrGSSjHOoRPNQBKSdcHDuV_W13wK3VyZpVlb8E2vFExrLb8V6eKdtGDi5yELCk-ZA/s320/Todd+and+donna.JPG" style="clear: both; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a> I have not posted in sometime. Those interested in a Holiday/Christmas greeting and pictures may see it <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108235554/Happy%20Holidays%20and%20Merry%20Christmas%20from%20the%20Sandel%20Family%20in%202013.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>. The three of us went to Bangkok last week. It was an enjoyable trip. However, there was an electrical failure of the "skytrain" system on Tuesday that made getting around the city difficult. We were also advised not to go into areas of the city where protests were occurring. Yet we were able to get to the places we wanted to see. The National Palace in Bangkok is magnificent! We also enjoyed the aquarium. A disappointment was a trip to see the "floating market" and elephant ride. We paid for a private taxi driver who took us to places that charged too much, and the venues were of very poor quality. After spending a few unhappy hours there, we returned to Bangkok early. We then went to the market near the MoChin stop and found an excellent shopping area. Donna is already looking at a return visit--and a trip to the Huahin beach--suitable for families.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow afternoon we leave for a short trip to Taiwan to see family and friends. Will post pictures on Facebook later.<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: LEFT;">
<a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div>
Todd Sandelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08138471525633496465noreply@blogger.com0