There and back again...

Dear stragglers of the wired world,

I do admit, it's been a while since I've updated...let's just say, I didn't want to bore you to tears!
My manifestos will continue to circulate once I've rationalized the irrational and reconstructed the destructed constructs of our unstable existence.

Anyways, I've been busy juggling the exploration of three different languages---Chinese Mandarin (I'm trying to improve my composition), Taiwanese (also known as Hokkien, Minan dialect) and Mongolian. Needless to say, the efforts are merely so---I hope to improve vastly in the next few weeks.

On the conscription front: news, or rather, an update. As it turns out, the government is promoting a new program to draw young people like me who studied extensively overseas, back to the country. As an alternative to rifle toting, grenade tossing and saluting, this program is geared to exploit the specialities (especially language skills) of these 小留學生 rather than having them go to waste so to speak, in the barracks. With some hope, I should be able to join up and serve my country by teaching English to elementary school students in remote areas. Sounds good.

Today, was the one year anniversary of the March 19th shooting incident in Taiwan. For those who need a refresher, somebody shot the president and VP on the day before the presidential election, which some say, unfairly shifted the results to favor the incumbent, Mr. Chen Shui-bian. To this day, there is no credible evidence to pinpoint the suspect, and the government refuses to appoint an independent panel to investigate the incident. I remember this day last year and the following turmoil vividly. While the protests galvanized half of the country, another half was left aliented. Today, tens of thousands of supporters retook to the streets to demand the truth, but their protests come at a time when Taiwan needs solidarity. We need the juxtaposition of rationalism and patriotism, not the conglomoration of division and hate. /end pseudo-political speech/