Hatoyama Should Go

首相を辞めたら政界引退とまで言っていた鳩山由紀夫氏だが、友愛の精神を忘れたかのように、自らの失策の結果として誕生した現政権に対する批判がうるさい。「地域主権」と「新しい公共」という政策課題が「一丁目一番地が三丁目の夕日になった」とか、中国漁船船長の逮捕と釈放については「私なら温家宝首相とホットラインで話せた」など。「国民のみなはん」に「思い」を長々と意味不明の語句を羅列して話し、目線の泳いだぶらさがり会見やしどろもどろに近い沖縄県知事へのあいさつが深く印象づけられている。小生のこの人への信用はすでに消滅している。当初の思い通り、引退されるべきだろう。これ以上にうるさくなると嘲笑の対象としての存在がさらに大きくなる。みなはんを再び裏切ってはいかん。

*

"Years of Upheaval": The Nixon Administration is in disarray over how to approach the Soviets in its negotiations for SALT II partly because Nixon is beside himself over the Watergate scandal, which is about to explode.

Kyo no Chazuke & Nagatanien

１年にわたって「京の茶漬」（桂米朝）を繰り返し見たせいで、とうとう永谷園の「お茶づけ海苔」と「さけ茶づけ」を買ってしまった。「お茶がよろしいなぁ」とも、まともな漬物が見つからない当地なので「お漬もんは京都でやす」とはうらやましいが、まぁしゃあないか。チューブわさびをちょっと入れて、ごはんにしよう。「飾りのない普通の」和食をカネをかけずに食いたい……。でまた、「YouTube」に「味の招待席」をアップロードしてくれた人がいて、うれしいような情けないような、何とかしてくれ～という気分。

The Persistent Image: Is It My Own Fault?

I had to get up early today to meet someone from Tokyo at 7:00 am at a Bencoolen hotel lobby. As often happens, I couldn’t sleep because I was already thinking about waking up when I was trying to sleep. In this state, the recently persistent image came back, making putting myself to sleep even more difficult. At the same time, I know that some part of me was actively trying to remember what it looks like. The image which I’m not sure what I should call is troubling me. Or more likely I’m giving trouble to it. I’m old enough to know better.

It appears I have almost recovered my health though feeling some throat irritation.

Feeling Weak

Last Saturday night, I visited one of the clinics around Tiong Bahru MRT station, which was open. I got my nose blocked and runny at the same time (though my nose cannot even walk) and my throat was quite irritating. I was sneezing too. After half an hour of waiting, I met the doctor, who, after rather cursory questions, temp measurement (“36.9, no fever”) and throat examination, prescribed two kinds of tablets for my blocked and runny nose and lozenges for the throat. It was only a matter of a few minutes. Yesterday, I was not feeling very well still. I decided to reinforce the effect of medication with Panadol FluMax. It might not be a wise decision considering potentially adverse chemical mix, but I couldn’t resist doing so as the tablets given didn’t seem to be working fast enough. Last night with this condition, I had to finish a job and I did. Now my condition seems better though I’m still feeling very weak. 36.9 is a borderline temp as at 37.0 and above one is considered having a fever in my country, but not here where the benchmark is 37.5.

*

At around 6:30 am, Friday (or Saturday: memories are going) and after so many interruptions, I came to the last line of the last page of “White House Years.” In January, 1973, Kissinger concluded the negotiations with Hanoi in Paris to end the war in Vietnam, after a breakthrough in October of the previous year, when the Hanoi government demonstrated its willingness to end the war as rapidly as possible. The subsequent stonewalling and cunning tactics of North Vietnam and South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu’s resistance to an agreement with Hanoi greatly unnerved the whole US negotiating team and President Nixon, who resorted a B-52 Christmas bombing to force the North to come back to serious negotiations. It is easy to forget the fact that Nixon and Kissinger inherited the US escalated involvement in Vietnam, which was started by Eisenhower whose Vice President was Nixon ironically. The Nixon Administration seems to have wanted to get out of Vietnam soon in a way that could preserve the honour of America. A near certain fund cutoff by the new Congress strengthened the resolve.

In the second volume, “Years of Upheaval,” Kissinger visits Hanoi, a distressing experience for him. It was clear that, only two weeks after the signing of the Agreement, the North was violating its major clauses. The issues of the neutrality of Laos and Cambodia and the troop withdrawals by North Vietnam from these countries remained unresolved.

Mid West Towns in Taiwan

朝日新聞電子版に掲載中の「クリックディープ旅」（台湾編）に、「僕らもこの電車に２時間乗って嘉義（かぎ）、さらに１時間乗って彰化（しょうか）に着いた」「翌朝戻った彰化駅にもセブン―イレブン。つい入ってしまう」とあった。彰化は2000年初めに２カ月滞在した町だし、嘉義（そして員林）もなじみ深い。彰化駅には、便利商店セブン―イレブンか……。町もずいぶんと変わったことだろう。員林駅前の「黒猫」はまだあるだろうか。

A Job Completed, Visa Renewal and My "Lovely" Vein

On Friday, the 3-week interpretation job completed. Unexpectedly, the last day was the hardest as the explanation continued for an hour and a half. Having said so, the training has been very informative.

*

Because of mismanagement by my accountancy and possibly by MOM that apparently did not acknowledge my original application on 30 July, the process for my visa renewal was delayed. It was finally approved, in principle pending the result of medical exam, on 30 August, three days before the expiry date. On the early morning of 31th, I went to a blood test and chest X-ray before going to the client’s training centre. Again, on the early morning, I picked up the exam result and went on to the Employment Pass Service Centre to submit the in-principle approval letter and the result. A good thing is that it is going to be a 3-year visa this time.

The doctor looking at my vein: “Lovely”
Some years ago, at another clinic, “beautiful” was the adjective for my vein.