On the perils of high heels...

I chat with my daughter from time to time about popular culture, and the messages that are often left hidden, unsaid, or implied.

Just the other day, we're chitchatting about high heels, what's all the fuss about, the state of it in the midst of high fashion and popular culture, and the perils of it. So then, it's timely when I read the article about the low opinion on high heels.

I'm sure most, if not all, girls go through that same stage when they want to grow up in a hurry. Dressing up, wearing make-up and mommy's high heels, are probably some of the rite of passage that girls would go through, as part of the growing up. I went through that stage myself, and I still remember how that's like.

What started the conversation with my daughter the other day was, I saw her slipping into a pair of high heels slippers that I put aside, ready for donation to Salvation Army. That pair of high heels, being the last pair in my closet, are the remnants from a bygone era. My daughter was intrigued since she never saw me wear any high heels. In fact, I haven't worn heels (or tight, pointy shoes) higher than two inches since before she's born. She slips them on and wobbles in it a bit. She finds it funny to have the clack-clack-clack of the heels hitting the hardwood floor. She thinks it looks adult; even pretty.

I never wore much make-up or stockings since I hate the sensation of being "wrapped" in something. (In fact, if I can help it, I don't wear regular socks either; but I need them when I wear sneakers. I'm the bare-foot type of person.  And I hate pantyhose.) But yes, back then, I sported long straight hair (which garnered much compliment back then). I took to the liking of jewelry and accessory. I like fashionable clothing which at the time must have made me looked like I'm at least 10-15 years more mature than I really was. And I had a soft spot for shoes; lots of them, a lot of them were high heels.

The trouble of the shoes fetish is that, it has long term consequences. To me, the most obvious one is that, the tight, pointy high heels left me the legacy of an enlarged bunion on both feet. They give me constant low-grade pain. I used to have really bad callus on my heels and in other part of my feet too. Since I stop wearing high heels or tight shoes, the callus has gone away. But the bunions - and the pain - stay.

I actually don't dislike high heels; some of them look pretty classy and smart-looking. But I increasingly find it very confining for women. Why do we allow ourselves to be defined by what the fashion industry says is pretty (or not pretty) on us? (To be sure, the same goes with everything, including make-up, fashion, how thin girls need to be, how women should walk or talk, yada yada.) For hundreds of years, Chinese women had had their feet crushed and bound, all for the enjoyment of men. It is perhaps a triumphant moment to have women liberated from those ancient traditions. And here we are, all the girls and women, young and old, willingly subjecting themselves to the whims of the fashion industry. When they see celebrity and models wear high heels, they wear high heels. And so, the fashion trends begin.

My daughter, being not even 10 years of age yet, could not have known or comprehended all the history and background of it. All she sees is what people on the street, or in movies, or in books, etc; and she sees them wearing high heels. She thinks people believe that's what beauty is. That's stage one of brainwash.

When I start explaining to her how it's like, hundreds of years ago, of what women had to endure, to literally crush the bones of their own feet when they're just a toddler, in order to achieve the feat of constricting their feet to a very desirable length of under 3 inches, that's the kind of twisted reality that women used to be subject to. My daughter immediately checks out my feet - being a very healthy, size 7.5, and some 9 inches in length - she cannot comprehend how my feet (or any adult's feet) can be reduced to less than 3 inches. So, we get on the web and search on bound feet. Sure enough, wikipedia has pretty detailed depiction of the custom, including pictures of what a 3-inch bound feet would look like. She does a very big "eeeewww!!" That's right, that's supposed to be what one should have exclaimed, when fashion designers begin pushing 10-inch heels on runways, heels so high that even the models would take them off and refuse them to wear them when they're parading down the aisle. As the article rightly points out, if these models can't even walk in them - and a number of them slipped and tripped, as a result - and they're paid to do so, why would retail consumers think they would fare better?

(I must've sounded like a feminist, but I don't consider myself one. Or maybe I'm not the overt, militant style feminist as those of yore. But I'm all for women's ability to make their own decisions, rather than having decisions be imposed on them. That's why I find the whole contraception debate with the GOP so very condescending; but that's a story for another day.)

Women - and men alike, I'm sure - take time to mature and find their way. For me, it starts in my 30s. That's the age when I know what I like (and don't like); and when I realize I can do what I like (and not what others tell me to). That's the age when I get comfortable in my own skin, and I would live my life in the way I want it (and not what others want me to). It's also the time when I have sufficient confidence to say, yes I've tried this (eg. high heels) and I don't like it and I'm not going to do it anymore.

I suppose one would have to go through those rite of passage, having tried it and realized what it's like, so that I can confidently tell my daughter, high heels would give her health problems (eg. bunion), and once it's there, it's something she'll have to live with for the rest of her life, and it's no fun. I suppose too, that she would still give those things a try, like make-up and nail polish and some such. I can only hope, for the benefit of my daughters, that it would not take her too long to find her own (dis)liking, and gain the necessary confidence to declare her own liberation from all these invisible bondage from the pop culture.

On the brain drain of doctors from third world to advanced countries...

It's not unusual to read about brain drain from third world countries, in pursuit of better and more lucrative opportunities in the more advanced countries. What is unusual, of the article today in New York Times on brain drain of doctors, is the guilt that these doctors feel.

It's a tough decision, tucked and pulled by the love of their home country, and the lure of a better and more comfortable life for themselves and more opportunities for their children. I can imagine the kind of betrayal their home country must have felt, having invested lots of time and resources in the education of these young doctors, only to see them leaving the country for greener pasture elsewhere. There are talks to the extent of "looting," or "thief," for the advanced countries to ply their medical doctors from poor countries to work for better pay.

Even as a reader, I can feel the dilemma. I wonder out loud, of what I would do in the shoes of these doctors, and of those who need their medical care in their home countries. Unfortunately, I must admit truthfully that I probably would have done what a good number of them did, which is to leave for better opportunities elsewhere. It's politically incorrect, even unseemly, to even admit it; but truth can often come across that way.

I feel sorry for those poor countries, yet there are enough times when I wonder why countries like those in Africa are forever mired in military conflicts and remain war torn for years, if not decades. Why do these people, particularly those rise (or fight) to the top, always resort to guns? It's easy to put the blame on western countries, even weapons dealers, in fanning the fire and profit from these regional and internal conflicts. Can these people ever emerge from such lows, to become more civilized like Nelson Mandela ever does to South Africa? Are they capable of doing so?

My knowledge and connections to the continent of Africa are causal to minimal, at best. No doubt situations are more complex than the main stream media news reporting would have it. It's time to read up some more on this topic...

On some inconsequential thoughts of Israel...

I was never immersed in the history of the Middle East. For someone who grew up in Asia, the history coverage in the region extends only as far as the end of World War II. After that, it's almost blank. So, you can imagine how ignorant I've been, all these times on this topic. As I grow older, I become more curious and start seeking. It's a curious journey.

I remember when I was little, one time we were watching the Miss Universe beauty pageant on TV. That year, Miss Venezuela was very popular among the local press, though she didn't win. The Miss Universe winner of that year was Miss Israel. I distinctly remember this odd question in my head: Why does the Miss Israel look so white when she's from the Middle East. (In my little head, I see people from Middle East as chocolate-brown. It's nothing racist about it; it's just a child's world view to see different nationalities.) Well, at least back then, even though I was so young, I knew the map and remember where Israel is. No one seems to be able to tell me the answer; not even my teacher. But then, no one seems to care. It's Israel and the Middle East, and it's so far away. Who in Asia cares, really?

That question has never had any immediate concerns to me, and it never bothers me much. It wasn't until I move to America that my curiosity starts to tickle me again. As I become more aware of politics, I start to wonder why America is so closely aligned with Israel. And though Jews seem to control quite some wealth and upper echelon in society, they always seem to be a love-hate feelings among some parts of public. I thought, there must be more to its history that would explain it.

Quite recently, my son has reached the development stage when he's into everything that's World War II related. He reads everything about the numerous battles, weaponry, generals, countries involved and their history, how the War came about and its ramifications, and so on. I start reading some of the books with him. That's when I start reading up on more history books about the birth of Israel after World War II, and more. Even though I knew about Hitler's hatred of the Jews, an easy scapegoat for everything ill before his rise to power, and I knew about the Holocast, I have not realized the huge burden of the weight of these history has that carries into the modern day.

I don't pretend to fully understand everything still. The learning is still a work-in-progress afterall. Sometimes, looking at the on-again-off-again peace process in the Middle East, and all the entanglement that comes with it, it's almost like a hopeless cause. I'm sure, in every nation, public opinion runs the full spectrum, from the peace activists to the war-mongers. As I read the news today, about the uproar resulting from an Arab justice on the Israel Supreme Court not participating in the singing of its national anthem, it prompts me to jog down this inconsequential thoughts of mine, about this young nation and all the baggage that it carries.

I don't think it'll ever heal. For a nation that seems to be forever at war with its belligerent neighbors, how could it not? What amazes me still, is the determination and discipline of its people in general. The only other peoples with that kind of determination and disciplines that I can think of, are Germans, Brits, and Japanese. Nobody comes close; not even the Americans or Chinese.

The only thing that continues to amaze me, is how traditions continue to bind Israel and its people. How else could explain a people that refuse to forget its identity through millennia? It's truly remarkable. Although I'm not a very religious person, perhaps there's truth in it, when they believe that they are the chosen people.

So then, when it comes to this news story, it strikes me as odd, of how people want to be inclusive of the Arabs into its nation. As the article rightly points out, the democracy in Israel is paper-thin. Even though I understand full well, that for Israel to survive as a nation (physically), it has to become more inclusive of the Arabs, and to treat Israel like a nationality. But it's odd to me, as an outsider, looking at all its history, to see Israel trying to treat itself as a nationality since it's more like a race to me. In a way, it's not unlike the Japanese, trying to maintain its "pure blood" and to maintain Japan not only as a nationality, but also as a race. Well, we all know how Japan is going down now, with its aging population and declining power as a nation. Will Israel, the chosen one, go down that same path? Will God treat Israel any differently?

On sexism and Australia's first female PM...

I don't know if you are familiar with or aware of the politics in Australia. I do, because I'm an Australian expat, watching how the politics played out Downunder, from afar. Although I still read Australian newspapers everyday, that kind of views are largely shaped by the newspapers' reporting.

Last year, when I traveled back to Australia for a family visit, I was able to get a first-hand feel for how voters on the ground and people in general truly think. And I was in for a few surprises.

Perhaps the first surprise was the amount of contempt that voters across the board, regardless of whether they consider themselves Labor or Liberal voters. The economy in Australia has been largely spared of the Great Recession that US and Europe has suffered (and are still suffering), and it's still going quite strong, given the strong demands for commodities from emerging markets like China. One would have thought that general public should feel quite good about themselves, shouldn't they. But no, they are generally more prone to complaints, like the inflation and outrageous property market that is still in a rage. By jove, when people ridicule the more than US$4 dollar a cup of coffee from Starbucks, one should be made aware of the fact that a A$3.50 a cup of just plain vanilla coffee in Sydney is the norm.

The media really does their best too, to play the voters' general belief of rampant inflation, into the carbon tax that Julia Gillard has helped introduced - a reneg on a campaign promise that some considered as cardinal sin. But is it really? Public opinion has it that, the carbon tax is going to make inflation worse, all thanks to Gillard.

And then there is the issue of Kevin Rudd who's been hanging over her head since the day she deposed him in a Labor leadership challenge. Rudd has never been able to settle with being a foreign minister after getting unseated from the top job as prime minster (PM). So now, he's doing the same thing to Gillard, mounting a leadership challenge to her. While his failure again in reclaiming the PM mantel, it only serves to fan the dissent.

While I don't have any love lost with Gillard as the PM, I do get the feeling that some of the blame that aren't really deserving. True to form, sexism has played a part as well. In particular, I don't understand why so many of the Aussie folks I talked to brought up the personal life or the outward appearance of Gillard as sticky issues. I must admit that, to a certain extent, I almost feel like Australia has moved backwards in that sense.

I have considered Australia to be a progressive country that is open (and open-minded enough). But talks after talks, people have criticized Gillard for having a unmarried, live-in partner, or the fact that she has no children ("she could not have understood family issues or values"), or the way in which she talks ("she doesn't talk as if she shows any emotions"), and the like. I thought, why are these general public playing into the hands of the media, and regurgitate the lines that the media has pumped into them? To be honest, I feel almost offended as I heard more of the same type of non-arguments.

The way that it's going, even though Gillard survives the leadership challenge from Rudd within her own Labor Party, her days are numbered since no one expects her to be able to win in a general election (unless some miracle happens). As a woman voter, I feel dismayed that Australia seems to be going backwards. While I don't normally judge any candidate based on their gender or race, I can't help but feel that most Australian voters are not in my camp. Afterall, Julia Gillard is not Hillary Clinton (who is still a galvanizing force within the Democratic Party in US and is held in very high regard).

Although I would love to see Australia moving in that progressive direction, I'm having serious doubts that I would see this happening in my lifetime. Afterall, Australians in general seem to be still in love with traditions (hello, British royal family) and everything that comes with it. I doubt if Australians can handle a Margaret Thatcher within their midst.

On DropBox a life-saver...

Once every year or two, I get new laptops from work. When you have to do development with tools and utilities needing ever increasing horsepower to run, you need that kind of upgrade. Most people love new machines since it means new toys, more capability to do stuffs that they might otherwise not be able to do with older machine with less powerful machines.

While that's all well and good, I can't tell you how much I drag that possibility. Don't get me wrong, I like machines with more horsepower. Who can't resist that anyways. But I hate the idea of having to reconfigure and set up a brand new environment every time that happens. True, I can get the machine imaged to load up company-censured apps, but I would still need to set up the stuffs that I need for my environment. Even just as mundane as copying files across from one environment to another environment is a royal pain. I have to remember what files to copy, and make sure the copy would happen. It's really mundane, but it has to be done.

But that's not the worst. At least with machine upgrade, it'll only happen once. My worst nightmare is the sync'ing of different machines and laptop that I use for work and personal purposes. With dev stuffs, it's easier since I can always use source control as the ultimate repository for files of importance. Everything else, it's not so fortunate. There's been a while when I would use Google Docs to hold the latest version of files (particularly personal stuffs) that I need. But I can tell you it's still a major hassle. At the end of a long working day, I can't always be sure to upload the files with changes since I just want to get away from the machine so badly.

And then, something magical happens. It's called DropBox.

I can't believe it I haven't discovered it sooner. Well, you see, I've got a new laptop (again) - I love the horsepower - but I have to do the configuration and copying all over again. Every damn time I switch machines, I would invariably lose some files along the way. It's when I decide to give it a try, given the word of mouth and how easy it is to use.

Indeed, if you think of it, the functionality of DropBox is actually not that revolutionary, but it's so easy to use and it looks to be fairly robust. It's essentially a little utility that lets you to drive mapping; but instead of mapping network drive from, say, your local machine, you're doing the mapping with DropBox's server in the cloud. (Well, you should know by now that the cloud is just another much hyped-up glam name for services delivered over the web. Yep, you get it, like it's a "big deal," IMHO.)

But the DropBox functionality is so focused yet it's something that's so fundamental and essential. So, I install the utility, create my account with them (free basic first, in case it doesn't work out), then designate what folders and files to sync and share. Not that I have any compelling reason to share my machine or life with anyone, the fact that I can now sync at least the portion of the environment(s) on different machines save me so much time and angst, that I can't thank DropBox often enough.

I know, I know, I almost sound like religion. I wish DropBox would pay me to do advertisement since I'd love to be their case study. :) But, no, I just have to write the little note in my journal, for how far cloud service has come along; by that, I mean truly meaningful services and not just time-wasting stuffs. I don't give a horse-shit about social networking (which is for those with too much time on their hands), but the DropBox functionality has made my day.

On microlending gone awry...

I've always looked at microlending with admiration, which borne out of Grameen Bank, in the hope to helping lift the very poor out of abject poverty by providing much needed financing in small amounts.

What went wrong since then, when microfinancing shifts from non-profit to for-profit, with investors rushing in to cash on this business, is a lesson for all. I'm disgusted and dismayed to hear and read about the kind of abuses of borrowers - to the extremes of publicly humiliating borrowers, to abetment of suicides - who are too poor to fend for themselves. It's equally disgusting, though I'm not surprised at all, to read the investigative report that shows SKS (the now publicly traded company) repeatedly ignores the abuses. Instead of correcting the unscrupulous practice, as the then founder/CEO had tried to do on numerous occasions, the company, backed by the board, decides to look the other way, and pushes out the whistle-blowers.

This is but another prime example to show those who thinks that free market capitalism can solve all ills, with no role of government or non-profit.

To be sure, I'm realistic enough to understand that, whoever might take up the cause to help the poor, there will be certain level of malfeasance as a result. The important thing is the checks and controls in place to ensure that the abuses are caught and corrected. In the drive to profit-taking, I do not have as much confidence in a for-profit organization, a public company no less, driven not only by the profit-making goals, but also the relentless hunger for revenue and profit growth by Wall Street.

Some things are best handled by non-profit organizations, with government oversight. The case study of microlending is a cautionary tale. If microlending has largely stayed as a humanitarian project, would the likes of the unscrupulous SKS loan officers (who push the borrowers for laon repayment, driving them to suicide) and sales (who pushes loans to borrowers that are unlikely to have the ability to repay or the skills to make good use of the funds) have been made largely redundant? Surely the subject is arguable on certain level. I do truly believe that the abuses would not have been this bad.

On reality shows with kids...

Don't get me started on how much I despise reality shows; worse yet are those with kids, one of which was Jon & Kate Plus 8.

I sometimes wonder about what the appeal is, though I have no doubt that the voyeuristic look into someone's life is appealing to a lot of people. It's not just about walking through someone else's house with the camera, following them in lock-steps their daily chores; more importantly, there must be this appeal to see not just how happy those people are, but what they mess up and how they bitch and moan about it.

Truth be told, I never watch a full episode of any reality show in my life since I can find better use of my time. By jove, I don't even own (or have a need for) a TV. Back then, with all the rage about the J&K Plus 8 shows, I did wonder if there might be some exception in this show. Since I have a few moments to spare this evening, I check out the snippets of the episodes on YouTube. After some 9 minutes of it, I told myself I'm done with this. It's nothing new afterall.

But of course, we know now how the story of this family unfolded publicly - perhaps too publicly, for the kids. The wife's bitching and moaning got worse on the show, till eventually the husband walked out. For whatever very public bitching on both parties, life seems to go on with the guy. While he still expresses care for the kids, they're staying with the mom. And what next? The mom tries different things (hello, Dancing With The Stars), none of which works out. With her 15-minutes up, her go-solo show with the kids got canceled, she's resolved to staying in the limelight by declaring to the world with teary eyes that, "I'm so lonely." She blames her chances of meeting another guy to near zero, all because she's a "mother of eight." For however stupid the audience might be, the thousands of readers' comments are telling, with the majority saying, it's not the kids' problems. This woman doesn't even realize that guys have problems with bitch like HER. Sad huh? When there's success, it's Kate's success (never mind the 8 cute kids); when there's failure, it's because of the kids.

I feel bad for the kids since they did not sign up for this. The same is true with the Octomom thing. The kids didn't even ask to be born. Thanks for fertility treatment, individuals like these are able to suddenly get a big handful of babies, get some news headline, and their 15-minutes' worth of fame. Whatever happens to the kids after that, how the kids are reared; I doubt any reality shows would show interest in tracking how the kids would do after the light of the shows (with them in it) go dark. I feel bad for them. I really do.

Sometimes I seriously doubt the authenticity of these reality shows. The adults, in particular, know full well when the camera is on her/him. (Just ask Sarah Palin.) So, whatever persona that these individuals let on in front of the camera is really the persona that they want the world to know them of. The kids, on the other hand, could be a different matter; in particular, the very young kids who are doubtful to be able to experience a normal, regular childhood since they are always being followed by the camera crew. Why would anyone consider reality show to be real "reality," is quite beyond me.

I don't think the trend of reality shows is healthy for a civil society. As a bystander, I can only do my part by not participating or showing any kind of support to such initiative. Watching that 9-minute clip of this Plus 8 show is as far as I'll go. I don't want or have any need to see another mother trying to be the super-mom, getting everything perfect, and still can squeeze the time to take care of her dye and 'do, or another facelift or breast augmentation.

I sure hope that my silent vote is going to make a difference...though the prognosis does not look good so far.