The day when the wall came down

Twenty years ago, this was the historical moment. The Berlin wall came down after more than twenty years of isolation and persistent fight for freedom. It was not widenly reported in China, as it was post 4th June period,and it was politically sensitive time.

I visited Berlin five years ago, thoroughly instrigued by the history. The small museum at check point de Charlie tells many heartfelt stories, most of them with tears and blood.

It set a landmark closure to the cold war, and once again, history proves that nothing could stop people from communicating and connecting with each other, however difficult it might be.

It was the time East Germany said Goodbye to Lenin and embrace the unity of Germany.

And for the domino effect on Easter Europe and the rest of the world, a big party for the 20th anniversary sounds like a great idea, especially now Germany has officially come out of recession.

Windy city suffers the defeat

Chicago lost its bid for 2016 Olympics, I was disappointed, but not too surprised. I only lived in the city for one year, arrived in steamy hot summer and survived the long harsh winter. The weather is not the best, but it is quite a vibrant city and has its own charm, especially the lake front and jazz festivals in the summer. I also enjoyed the shops along Michigan Ave, almost as good as the shops in London, with the exception of course I think London is a more trendy place than Chicago. I probably won’t put Chicago on my favourite cities list, but as a city in the mid west in America, Chicago is as good as it could get, and in a lot of ways it deserves an Olympics.
I admire the fact Obama and his wife made a personal push for their city, the city they still see as home. They did their best, the first lady speech showed class, integrity, and strong, determined character. The message was personal, intimate but utterly convincing at the same time.
America was voted out, almost humiliatingly in the first round. It was political vote in many ways, it shows an united front of countries that are anti America, using this as a perfect forum to stage their protest. And Chicago became the victim of this.
It seems to me there is a bit taste of “sour grape” in the world arena, when one country has been super power for too long, especially if the country who has adopted an aggressive foreign policy, it causes resentment and hatred. I start to wonder when China becomes the next super power, if the same fate could also happen to us. Being the biggest, strongest are not necessarily a blessing, it could be a curse sometimes as well.