Give Belgium a Break

Turkey authority stated that they had forewarned the Belgium authority about one of the suspects in the Brussels attack on March 22. The suspect traveled to Turkey and had the intention to enter Syria before the Turkish authority at the border stopped him and deported him back to the Netherlands.  Because of this Turkey blames Belgium police and intelligence for failing to keep track of the terrorist and for failure to prevent the attacks in an airport and metro station in Brussels.

I see the point of what the Turkey authority is saying but come on, we should give Belgium a break.  The country is mourning for the victims and the last thing they need is more criticisms and verbal attacks.  And besides terrorist attacks are very much unpreventable. Terrorists can attack anywhere they have their eyes on and there is no way to prevent them.

The United States is known to have the best military force and its police system is very much organized and we have plenty of police on the road and look, the San Bernardino "terrorism-inspired" attack occurred last December, killing 14 people at a government facility in California and this happened right after the Paris attack last November.  But did we blame the Americans for not having a tight security? No, because America is known for its strong military force. Then why are we criticizing the Belgium authority? They did a great job in the capture of Salah Abdeslam, one of the accomplices of the Paris attack, and they are trying their very best to protect its people and prevent further attacks.

My point is there is no way to prevent terrorist attacks.  Most of the attackers are homegrown radicals. They are not refugees or migrants coming from Syria or Iraq. They were born and raise in the country they carried out the attacks and there is no way to keep up with each one of them and make sure they are not planning any future plots.

Rather than pointing fingers, we should devote our time in educating the young people who are prone to radicalization. Most of the terrorists have a criminal background, dropped out of school, and came from a poverty background and they do not feel like they fit in the European society; basically they are considered as the "losers" and outsiders in their society.  We need to use our energy in using education to help these vulnerable young people to see the horrific truth of these so-called jihadist groups.  We need to help them understand that these terrorist groups are criminals who are using them and turning them into monsters that kill innocent lives.  The key is to make education available to the population that has the likelihood to join terrorist groups.  Education is the key to problems in the world and when we use education as the weapon to prevent terrorism, we can save thousand of lives from dying in the hands of terrorists.

Terror in Belgium

At 8AM, Brussels was hit by one of the worst terrorist attacks in its history.  Two consecutive attacks occurred in the Belgium capital within one hour, killing more than 30 people and injuring more than 200 people.  The first attack occurred at the Brussels Airport, north of the city center while the second attack occurred at the Maelbeek metro station, near the European Union institutions.  The Belgium authorities said there were three suspects involved in the attacks and they were seen on a surveillance footage minutes before the explosions at the check-in area.  Two men are thought to have been the suicide bombers while the third man, according to Belgium authority, is to be at large and is on the run.

I was driving to work in this morning and as I listened to the news on the radio, I thought I was hearing things because it didn't seem right.  Belgium just captured the last Paris attacker last Friday and now there were attacks already in Brussels. It didn't make sense to me and as I shrugged off my skepticism and continued to listen to the BBC news, it hit me that there were actual terrorist attacks and Belgium is once again on high alert.

I have been wanting to visit Europe this year again and there is this voice in me saying that, "You should not fly there, Europe is unstable right now and it is better to wait for a little while until things are settled down and calmer."  I felt in love with the continent when I first visited it last summer and I vowed to return to it once again to see what more it has to offer.  I want to see Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Barcelona, and Berlin and with the news of the recent Brussels attack, it shook me a bit as I read the horrific accounts of the eyewitnesses at the airport and the metro station and for the first time in my life, I realize that I was experiencing the fear of going to another country. It does not help any bit when I read a news article stating that a prominent ISIS supporter wrote, "What will be coming is worse" on a Twitter post and this shook me a bit further and all I wanted was to cancel my next Europe plan.

Then I remember I felt the same way last year before I visited Chicago in December as there was a terrorist-related attack in San Bernardino, California a week before I flew to the Windy City.  I almost canceled my Chicago trip as the fear was blooming bigger and bigger in me.  But I kept my original plan--I flew to Chicago, spent a few days there, and had a blast.  The only regret I had would be if I chose not to stick to my plan.

The goal of terrorists is to put fear in us and when we let the fear takes hold of us, we become numb and unable to function in our daily activities. We become fearful of going to public areas, hanging out with friends and family, driving to work, basically going anywhere.  When we let fear controls us, the terrorists win; they have implanted this fear in us and their mission is accomplished.  But when we choose to not to be fearful and continue with our daily life, the terrorists lose and we have abolished their mission.  Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "Only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  Terrorists want us to be afraid of them and to be in the mode of fear and we cannot let that happen. We have to stand up on our two feet, fight it, and know what the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.


Note: This post was written on the evening of March 22, 2016.

The Bucket List

In the movie "A Walk to Remember," Jamie Sullivan shares with the love of her life Landon Carter what she wants to accomplish before she dies.  After discovering that Jamie is sick with leukemia and is close to death, her boyfriend Landon set out to help her reach her dreams.  Jamie wanted to become friends with someone she doesn't like, build a new telescope to see the comet, make a medical discovery, and to be in two places at once and her wishes were accomplished.

Each one of us has a desire to accomplish the goals we have and each of us has an imaginary bucket list on our mind that we never really sit down and jot it down.  I find that the act of writing deepens our desire to reach our goals and the likelihood of us accomplishing our goals is at a much faster and greater rate than if we leave them in our thought process.  So today I decided to jot down what are the goals I want to accomplish in this life time--

1. Find a suitable career for myself
2. Own a business
3. Open a restaurant
4. become a mentor who changes young people's lives
5. Create an innovation (s) that change the world
6. Get a tattoo
7. Meet a future president of the United States--any president will do.
8.  Go to a Taylor Swift concert.  Miss Swift is wealthy and her songs resonate to audiences all over the world.  She is genuine in her lyrics and I would love to see her live and in person one day.
9. Travel the world.  I want to land in all continents of the world and see what there are out there.  I find that reading about places is not enough and the act of immersing ourselves in new places opens our mind to the wonder the world.

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson once said, "Be your own best advocate--you have to fight for what you want." I learned the hard way on why and how I should be my own best advocate and if it was not the people who rejected me, I would never get to where I am today.  I am grateful every single day for those who said no to me, because of them I set out to do it myself.  The bucket list is the result of me being able to distinguish other people's thoughts and my own thoughts and it is an example of  me being an advocate for myself.

Terrorist Backed Out in Paris Attack

On November 13, 2015, armed men entered a concert venue, bars, restaurants, and a sport stadium, shooting and killing a total of 130 innocent lives who just wanted to have a fun night out in the city of Paris. Eighty-nine of the victims were killed at the concert hall the Bataclan and all three killers at the site were killed at the venue, either by activating their suicide vests or was shot by the police. 

Fast forward to four months later. On March 18, 2016, Belgium police raided a flat in an impoverished Belgium city of Molenbeek, a suburb of Brussels after finding the DNA of Europe most wanted man Salah Abdeslam in another apartment that the police were raiding as well.  After the police entered a flat, a gunfight started between the police and the inhabitants of the apartment and there the police found Salah Abdeslam, though wounded on the leg during the gun battle, and the arrest was made after the long four-month search after the Paris attack. 

After the arrest, Salah Abdeslam were questioned by the French and Belgium authorities and prosecutors.  Paris prosecutor Francois Molins announced at news conference, "Salah Abdeslam today during questioning by [Belgian] investigators affirmed that, and I quote, 'he wanted to blow himself up at the Stade de France and that he had backed down.” The reason he backed out from the original plan leaves authorities and the public to guess what was the true motive of his escape.  Why did he fail to go forward with the agenda? Did he betray the other perpetrators?  Was he too afraid to die? Only time will tell us why he chose to back out and drove back to Belgium. 

But one can guess that maybe there was a sign of repentance and guilt behind his action, making him to fail in carrying out his devilish and meriless murder back in November.  Mr. Abdeslam is 26; he is at the age where most people are still searching for a stable place in life, whether that is a career, relationship, job, etc. Maybe he came to the realization that night that there are more to life than this mass murder that his friends and brother were about to carry out on the night before November 13.  Whatever the reason behind his action, we can rest assure that lives were saved because Mr. Abdeslam decided to change his mind. 

$300 Bikini vs. $40 Bikini

As summer approaches, the urge to buy a new swimming outfit made me take a quick trip to the nearby Target a few days ago and I ran across a $40 bikini outfit that I was unable to put it down. The top was orange-red with black polka dots and a small bow in the cleavage line and the bottom was a normal bikini; the garment in the waste was three inches in length and the butt cheeks could only be seen half-way when I tried it on.  So I decided to buy the bikini outfit and the receipt showed the total to be $42 with the regular price and tax included.  With that I call it a bargain. 

In late 2014, pop singer Taylor Swift released a new album called “1989”.  The album won the Grammy award for best album of the year recently and the tickets for her 1989 concert were sold out within hours after they were available to the public.  With her success, no wonder she makes millions of dollars in a year in an industry that many, who want to succeed in the entertainment arena like her, never had the opportunity.   

Recently Taylor Swift posted Instagram pictures of herself and boyfriend Calvin Harris vacationing in a tropical island.  Miss Swift wore a $307 bikini outfit as she posed for pictures with her butt cheek showing.  I could not recognize it was Taylor as she has always been elegant and feminine in her skin-covered fashion and daily outfits.  But for the first time I saw that the sexiness in her pictures as she posed in a picture with her back facing the camera while her face peaked half way looking slyly at the camera. Her bikini outfit is made of laced garments and compared to my own bikini outfit from Target, they look to have the same durable quality and the manufacturing process could have been the same.   The only difference between my bikini outfit and her outfit is the price tag. 

Taylor Swift is reported to make $1 million in a day and earned a total $284 million last year. She owned million-dollar mansions in New York City, Nashville, and even in Los Angeles.  In another word, Miss Swift has all the money in the world to buy anything she wants.  However just because a person has the money it does not mean that what he or she buys is worth it. 

We don’t need to buy a $307 bikini outfit. Miss Swift has millions of dollar in her bank account so there is no surprise that she spent so much on clothing and plus, with a handsome and successful boyfriend such as world-known DJ Calvin Harris, she has to spend on nice clothing to make good impression.  Still I believe the $307 can be spent on other more important things in life rather than the bikini outfit.  The bikini that Miss Swift wore could have cost her less than $50 if the manufacture is not a well-known brand (Miss Swift bought her bikini outfit from the brand For Love & Lemons).   

The $307 can be spent on donating to National Public Radio or the public library to promote education and the continuing of free news for the public, especially to the impoverished individuals in America; the money can be given to public universities to promote stem cell and cancer research or provide scholarships for the students who could not afford to go to college because of the outrageous tuition that American universities are known for.  However the money is spent on, there are more disadvantaged groups and more needy cause that can use the money to the fullest potential. 

Nike brand co-founder Phil Knight donated $400 millions to Stanford University in February with the purpose to prepare the next generation global leaders.  It was the biggest donation ever made to Stanford in history.  The donation's purpose was to change the world and Taylor could have done the same as well rather than to spend the the extravagant amount on a bikini outfit that she might only wear once or twice.  Benjamin Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."  When we spend money on knowledge, we get more out of it and the interest increases as we spend more on knowledge.

 

All The Weddings on Facebook

As I scrolled through my Facebook feeds, pictures of weddings and babies are popping up at every click.  My old friends are getting engaged and married right and left.  Years ago, I would feel dumbstruck and even a sense of hatred toward people who decided to tie the knot but looking back I realize that my time spending in pitying myself is nothing but waste and that there are better things to worry about.  The world is so big and wide and full of opportunities and marriage is definitely not the answer for people who are trying to find themselves and grow.  There are many ways to grow and marriage is definitely not a one-way path to get there.  Jealousy is a killer of happiness and it is nothing but waste when we spend our time smoldering over other people's happiness while we could do other things.  We can travel and learn about the world or we can go out and make friends with people around the world. The key to happiness is to accept our life and continue to seek opportunities to grow and always keep our chin up.

The World

The world is confusing but the longer we stick to it, the better chance we will understand it. Confusion is the first step to understanding.  Things will make more sense as we go about our life. Patience is the key to understanding.  

Why I Can't Stop Listening to Adele

Five years ago I heard an artist by the name Adele on the radio and paid little to no attention to her.  Radio personality announced Adele won awards and that her songs are played in almost every radio station and still, I paid no attention as I was never a fan of British singers or entertainment before--not even the Beatle could attract me.  I have watched many British movies and was never into them so I thought maybe their singers will be the same--uninteresting, mediocre, not talented.  Lame I know. Just because a singer is British, it does not mean he or she is below or is not as great as any other American singers.  Then in November 2015, I heard the song "Hello" on Adele's Youtube page and was completely hooked to this British singer.  I googled and went to Adele's Youtube page and listened to her songs.  I just could not get enough of her.  Today Adele sold millions of albums and is one of the most well-known singers in the world.

There are many reasons why I cannot stop listening to her music.  For one thing, Adele can really sing. There are millions of singers in the world coming from almost every countries but some do not have a vocal talent that would mark them as a great singer or even worth listening to.  Now I am not criticizing other singers in the world but rather I am shedding some truth in the music industry. Take American musicians for instance---some "singers" do not have the vocal ability even though they sing at concerts and special events and make millions of dollars and the public knows that but still we buy tickets to their "concerts" for the sake of entertainment and admiration of their personality.

Secondly, Adele is confident and genuine.  I can't help admiring her confidence and genuity in interviews.  I do not know if the persona she shows in interviews reflects her true self but all I can say is she makes me want to come back to her music.

Last but not least her love song is relatable.  She does not share much about the romantic aspect of her life but her lyrics gives me better light in understanding my own love life and life in general.

Michael Jackson died in 2009 and still today, the world remembers his legacy and his contribution to pop music.  People still sing and listen to his music to this very day and they remember the good time his music gave them.  Likewise, Adele will be the Michael Jackson that the world knows.  We will remember her beautiful voice and best of all the good memories that she gives each one of us from this day on and to the near future.

Why I Don't Judge Donald Trump

Mr. Donald Trump is running for the presidential position in one of the most powerful countries in the world and recently he has been taken hits from Republicans in the anti-Trump movement.  Mitt Romney, for instance, called Mr. Trump a "fraud" and "phony" and the criticisms were broadcasted throughout the media and the world. Despite the harsh words tossing at him, Trump continues to stand up and continue campaigning with his supporters, hoping to win a spot in the Oval Office this November.  He has said statements that many Republican elders look down on and many Americans have criticized him for saying such statements fearing that he might anger other world leaders and nations once he becomes the next President of the United States. And the most recent criticisms on Mr. Trump is that no one is sure where he stands in social issues.  In fact, Mr. Trump once stated that he believed waterboarding should be implemented but in less than 24 hours after a GOP debate, he does not believe that the use of waterboarding is a wise decision.  His indecisiveness leads public and the GOP leaders to come to the conclusion that he does not have what it takes to be the next US leader.

Despite his flaws and indecisive positions on social issues, here are a few reasons why I do not judge him:

1.  First of all, if we look at his work background, he has no political experience.  He is a businessman who can make millions of dollars but from all the statement he said on political issues, he seems to be uninformed and the statements seemed to be more on the whim rather than well-thought out.  The GOP candidates who are going against him are lawyers, governors, and senate members who have decades of experiences in the political arena so it is a difficult task to compare them to the businessman that Trump was brought up to be.

2.  If we don't like other people judging us, then what give us the right to judge other people?

3.  Sure, Mr. Trump had said outrageous comments that made the public and other politicians cringed, but it does not mean he meant what he said or understood the full impact of what he said.  He might be misinformed and not educated enough on the issues. We should not forgive or let this flaw slide away easily but we have to keep in mind in order to not be too condemning toward Mr. Trump.

Even though I vow to not judge him, I by no means have any intention to vote for him.  He seems like an honest person who likes to speak his mind (look at the comments he made in the past about Muslim and Mexicans) but experiences will always triumph any other personal characteristics--no matter how attractive the person is.  I would never have a surgeon who has never done any surgery to perform surgery on me and in the same way I would never want anyone without any political experience to be the next President of the United States. Still, I do not want to judge Mr.Trump as he seems to know little on what it takes to be the next President.  Whether we vote or not for Mr. Trump, we should always be objective, non-judgmental, and always look at the fact at hand.