Todd Sandel's Blog from Macau

My letter to US senators from the state of Texas where I am now registered to vote: I am writing to you concerning the Trump tariffs on Canada and Mexico. These are economically, politically, and strategically misguided. Canada and Mexico are our closest allies, our neighbors, and our friends. I urge you to speak out publicly against these tariffs. They are hurting our economy and security. As the stock market falls, I have personally lost thousands of dollars in my savings and investment accounts. And the damage will not end until Trump publicly and permanently renounces these tariffs. I urge you to use your position as an elected senator from the great state of Texas, to do what is right and end these tariffs.

Where are you now Superman? “I’m fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American way.” In the 1978 film, Superman: The Movie , a memorable scene is when Lois Lane asks Superman , “Why are you here?” Superman responds, “I’m fighting for truth, justice, and the American way.” I’m old enough to remember seeing this film when it played in the movie theater, and remember the thrill that I felt when Superman (played by Christopher Reeve) said this. As Americans, we were experiencing difficult times. Inflation was high, the economy was not growing, energy prices were surging, we still felt strongly about losing the Vietnam war, many former colonies in Africa were aligning with the Communist bloc, and we feared that we were losing the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Our President, Jimmy Carter, who began his term on a wave of optimism, was struggling to find solutions, and in his brutally honest way of communicating, emphasized the “challenges” and “difficulties” ahead more than the solutions. ...

 Happy Year of the Snake!  We mark the beginning of a new year in Macao, and also in Taiwan where I'm spending the holiday with Donna and family. The weather is bright and sunny here after a cold night. Let's hope that this is a sign for the days to come, that after a cold start, things get better. The last time I posted anything on this blog was on Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021. I thought that the days of the orange-felon-cheat-etc. were behind us. Unfortunately, he was able to convince enough people that four years of chaos wasn't enough, and they chose to experience four more. Donna and I went on a short drive to see a nearby park, trees, and flowers. It was too crowded to stop, so we just drove slowly and enjoyed the sights as we passed by. As we came close to home, I was driving in a four-lane highway that had some traffic, but not too bad. A car came up on me very fast, passing cars in the slow lane, and I moved to the inner lane, out of the way, to let it pass...

 " To heal, we must remember ." 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. 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, Stacey Abrams , and the more than 80 million who voted for Joe Biden.

 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.  I 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  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 m...

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. 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. Here is the link Ju, Bei, Sandel, Todd L., & Fitzgerald, Richard (2019). Understanding Chines...

Chris Webber asks, "If not now, when?" 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. My Personal Bubble Story  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 ho...

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,  The Interpretation of Cultures . In Chapter 10, titled, " The Integrative revolution: Primordial sentiments and civil politics in the new states ,"  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 Americ...

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 resume classes in May , and my wife can start teaching private art classes. Both of them are very happy!  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 more than two weeks .  ...

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 ...

Today, April 4, 2020 is Tomb Sweeping Day, or better known in Chinese as Qing Ming Jie 清明節 , “Clear and Bright Holiday.” 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. 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 fr...

Here 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 some international media . 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 11 hotels 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 19 March 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 th...

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. But then, the world began to come back. On Friday the 13th, it was reported that a group of students fled Portugal and returned to Macau. Then a few days later it was reported that  another person returning from Portugal tested positive for covid-19. This was followed by news of more cases, including a student returning from the UK , a Filipina worker , and an Indonesian woman . The government responded by postponing the resumption of classes and closing the border to non-residents . Hopes for a return to "normal" were dashed, with no end date in sight. While these events are disappointing and disheartening to us in Macau, reports of what is happening in the rest of the world (outside of...

Lessons from Macau The Other Side (Hopefully) of COVID-19 This is the week COVID-19 b ecame real to people in America . 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. 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 f...

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. The University ...

I 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. 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! Here are some thoughts worth sharing. 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...

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. I a past post I made the point that he is like a Chinese, Daoist god , in n  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. 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. First, we know from his claim that he has " one of the greatest memories of all time " (except when he is trying to recall his meeting with George Papadapoulos ) that he is omniscient. So that satisfies one of the omnis. Second, we know that Trump is everywhere and at all time. For instance, when exercising in the gym at the Univer...

I'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. 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 tak...

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, both from watching news of the fighting in Iraq , and from one of the slides Neil showed us, is that ancient Nineveh, the city Jonah was told by God to preach to, today is Mosul . 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. While we can feel sad in the abstract about what is happening in far...

Donald Trump sees himself as god/king!! Trevor Noah of the Daily Show did an excellent job analyzing the performance of Stephen Miller on the Sunday shows in the US. Toward the end, at 5:20 of the clip, Noah explained: "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: Congratulations Stephen Miller - on representing me this morning on the various Sunday morning shows. Great job!" 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...