24 Mar 2008

Proud to be a Taiwanese

Thank Buddha, Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was elected the 12th president of Taiwan ROC. And finally, Taiwan has a president whose behaviour, mentality, and mannerism truly matches what a president should be.

Mr. Ma brings us new hopes for Taiwan's future development. We, Taiwanese, have suffered from the economic and political downfall for the past 8 years. The government led by DPP only brought us difficult lives, only lowered our living quality, and the worst of all, only gave us a shaky regime. Many who support DPP and Frank Hsieh may oppose to what I said here, but if we really look at the people around us, think about our everyday life, and compare Taiwan to other developed countries, then we know what I said above are solid facts.

After 8 years of suffering, Taiwanese can no longer take it anymore. This time we used our legitimate power to show the government that we have had enough. Winning by a 16% margin, 220 million votes, KMT not only succeeds in taking back the government, but also succeeds in winning the people's heart again. Though it is a good teamwork that helps KMT win this election, we can't deny it is also Mr. Ma's charisma that completes such a difficult mission. This election is not just a dream come true for those who really concern Taiwan's future, it is also an excellent demonstration of how democratic this society is.

However, some radical supporters of DPP have shown us really bad attitudes. They have used horrible words to humiliate the people of Taiwan. It seems that only when their candidate wins the election could Taiwan maintain its democracy. How ridiculous! Didn't we all vote? Wasn't this an election that is based on people's free will? There's a woman, who has lived in Japan for most of her life, saying that she will give up being a Taiwanese because she could not stand Taiwan being "not Taiwanese" under Mr. Ma's presidency. This sounds just like a crying kid whose toys were taken away by the teacher. It is totally childish. I don't understand this logic and I am so curious about her logic. If she doesn't want to be a Taiwanese, go back to Japan and shut up! Stop giving irresponsible comments. Stop humiliating the people of Taiwan. We don't need a foreigner to tell us how to live our lives.

After the election, Mr. Shieh said that losing the election is only his and the party's failure, not the failure in Taiwan's democracy. I agree with him totally. At least, the candidate showed us a good attitude, and we should praise him for his frankness. His words highlights Taiwan's democracy.

Now we have a president that we want, and we all have a great expectation on him. This will not be an easy job, and he has to work very hard and be very careful. I have the faith that he can do it. From now on, Taiwan is different. Change has started, and we are ready to head to a prosperous future.

20 Mar 2008

Is riot necessary?

It must be really hard for Dalai Lama to say that he would consider retreating himself if the insurgents in Tibet insist on the use of violent means. After hearing his speaking with BBC and CNN, I started to think about if riot is the only way for Tibetans to seek independence.

Dalai Lama is a Buddhist monk. According to the principle of Buddhism, killing is not allowed and should be avoided. Therefore, how could he stand out for the riot which will definitely cause lots of casualties? As a religious leader, this is against his religious belief, and as a political leader, it is also against his concerns for the welfare of all Tibetans.

What China has done in Tibet is certainly wrong. The way they dominates that land is truly what Dalai Lama called "a cultural genocide". However, this dominating power is way stronger than the dominated, and it is truly useless to fight against it. Of course, due to the coming Olympic Games, China probably will not dare to start another military suppression like the one happened 20 years ago. But we should all bear in mind that China has never really cared about their human rights records. Giving a riot and using your human body to fight against machine guns is basically committing suicide. Besides, this gives China a very good reason to "destroy all possibilities that will cause any instability in China". Indeed, Tibet now is a part of China and that saying shuts people up. No other country would dare to interfere China's domestic politics.

So, as a spiritual and political leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama would never put his people, even any living being, in such a risky situation. What else can he do besides telling people not to start a riot? If Tibetans still consider Dalai Lama as their leader, they should really think about cooperating with Dalai Lama. In fact, I believe those who participate in the riot and accuse Dalai Lama of not being supportive of Tibet's independence are ignorant and unreasonable. It is these people with their aggressive behaviours that reinforce China's belief that Dalai Lama, as an exile leader, is responsible for any violent disturbance happened in Tibet.

China, in the meantime, should really start the conversation with Dalai Lama. Since he has expressed his point of view on the current situation in Tibet and has urged Tibetans not to show any unreasonable actions, the Chinese government should take this chance to communicate with him so as to seek possible solutions to Tibetan problem. This is a great chance for China to show the international society what a powerful and civilized country they are. Olympic Games is coming, and if China really starts the conversation with Dalai Lama before it, this would add good points to the reputation of China. For a country that is progressing greatly now, winning a good reputation in the international society is definitely positive to the economic development of the country. It can also bring good effects to the tense relationship between China and Taiwan, which is another big problem that waits to be solved in the future.

10 Mar 2008

原來一筊就可以了!

長這麼大、求神拜佛那麼多年了,到昨天我才知道,原來在廟裡擲筊問神明事情,只要有應一筊就可以了。求籤詩才需要請神明連續應三筊。不過媽祖廟的工作人員有說,不管是求籤或問事,都要先點香拜過,然後擲筊先問神明現在是否在廟堂大殿。如果神明應筊,才可以開始問問題或求籤;如果沒筊,那就要先等一下,不可貿然問之。其實拜拜的規矩還多的,不過我相信心誠則靈;只要帶著虔敬的心去參拜,神明都會保佑我們的。話雖如此,規矩不知道的就算了,知道的就應該要好好遵從。不管是媽祖還是菩薩,都應該不喜歡明知故犯的人吧!