Check out one of the highlights of 2009, my Dwarf interview with The View. Pete – funniest Scottish Lad ever! Had the best time and got some golden quotes. It could have been twice as long he was so forthcoming. http://www.thedwarf.com.au/nd/interviews/the_view_oh_what_a_view So Happy New Years Eve, Eve! Be safe, have fun, see you in 2010 with many more words about the things I love. with love, Belle xxx
This lecture was given at the Swedish Association of International Affairs, Stockholm, 9th December, 2009
China’s rise is the decade’s most read news story. Google shows different maps to the Indians and Chinese. The media is full of headlines that “India is shining” and “China is rising”, suggesting that both are emerging as major world powers. Whether it is post-modernist spin, exploiting the power of words to shape reality or reality itself is a matter of discussion. Personally, I am interested in these headlines with a specific question, i.e. whether the rising and shining neighbors of Nepal are helping or hindering the country’s ongoing transformation toward democracy. In any case, what can be the democratic way forward for Nepal?
Nepal’s old political order has changed drastically since the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections in April 2008. The CA declared Nepal as a republic in May 28, 2008, and internal political weakness in the country provides opportunities for the external actors to intervene in its domestic affairs, where the state restructuring is at stake and political leaders are lacking in terms of meaningful thinking on foreign policy. Officially, both China and India insist that they do not interfere in the internal affairs of Nepal. At the same time, the Indian government openly implied that it did not like the idea of a Maoist-led government in Nepal and the Chinese leaders wonder why the Maoist government did not last long enough.
Some damaging agreements have been signed by Nepal with its neighbors during the times of fluid political transitions, e.g. the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty with India, on unequal terms, came about when Nepal first adhered to the principles of democracy, and the 1965 defense pact with India was concluded when Nepal’s democratic process was derailed with an undemocratic system. When Nepal reestablished its democratic system in 1990, India proposed a major agreement to close the loop-holes of the 1950 Treaty, aiming to strengthen its interest. Now, after the end of monarchy, China is calibrating a new Nepal policy, proposing to enhance the 1960 Treaty between the two countries. This makes India more involved in the internal politics of Nepal. In recent years, the Maoists are increasingly becoming active in Mahatma Gandhi’s India than in Mao’s China. The Indian government may blame Nepal’s Maoist supporting the Indian Maoists, but does not utter a word against China. Both China and India remain internally divided nations, perhaps more so than Nepal’s current situation.
My critical approach towards the Chinese and Indian foreign policies is not aimed at whipping up nationalistic sentiment in Nepal. Rather, it is about solidarity for democracy with the peoples in the respecting countries, as well as taking a stand from the vantage point of small powers against the powerful, distinguishing between just and unjust actions. It must be realized that China and India are the symbol of anti-colonial struggles and victims of colonial empires. A crucial message here is that the powerful states’ exercise of hegemony towards the small powers in the region is contrary to what they stand for during the time of their national independence.
Undoubtedly, China and India have been the largest contributors of Nepal’s development. The economic progress is being made in China and India in many areas, thanks to the internet technology. The bottom line by which to judge their economic development is that there is no trickle-down effect bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, contrary to what is often claimed to happen under free market capitalism. The gulf between the rich and the poor continues to widen in the one party communist state turned state-capitalist China, or in a multiparty centrally planned economy replaced by the capitalist republic of India. Both are nuclear powers having the world’s largest armies. But the people don’t eat nuclear weapons and the army does not grow food; and thousands of Indian farmers committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure.
Can the two neighbors’ system of governance be a model for Nepal, given that they have failed to make their internal transformation toward democracy and social justice? My answer to the question is negative, when looked from the critical approach. The Chinese-Indian policies toward Nepal’s democratization can be seen with and judged from different perspectives. Here, I am using the “apples and arms” and “guns and ambulances” metaphors.
Just as with the “Marpha apples”, Nepal’s quest for democracy, in my view, is constrained by north-south relations, ignoring Nepal’s own in-plantation of democracy. Currently, the “Chinese apples” are being sold in all Nepali cities, replacing the market of “Indian apples”. Marpha apples have grown as an institution in Nepal, but apple farmers in districts of Mustang Jomsom and Jumla, due to lack of motivation and transportation services, fail to compete with the Chinese and Indian apples in their own market.
Since India and China compete to secure their arms market in Nepal, “guns” metaphor is equivalent to ideological and material support to the neighbors’ respective allies in Nepal—alliances which change over time, until recently the now-defunct monarchy, and presently all major political parties are trying to please the neighbors—and in some cases helping to suppress the opposition. “Ambulances” signifies the pretension of economic aid, not necessarily the commitment to help Nepal’s democracy building. The two metaphors can be seen from and analyzed with the Sino-India security perception embedded in the geo-political competition and intertwined with which is economic aid, water resource development and arms sale to Nepal, as well as land-locked Nepal’s trade and transit related issues.
The military buildup is ongoing at the borders on both sides of the Himalayas by China and India despite decades of initiatives to normalize relations between the two countries. The Indian fighter airplanes are flying over the sky of Nepal, according to some Nepali news media. Nepal’s rulers are helpless and hesitant either to confirm or confront such flagrant violations of its sovereignty. The past record suggests that the China-India military competition and conflict has paved the way – if not played the role – pushing Nepal’s democracy backward nearly thirty years. In the 1950s and 1960s, China was pro-Soviet Union while India was counting on the US support against China during the 1962 war, but received none. Prior to the 1962 China-India war, Nepal’s first democratically elected government was replaced with the Panchayat regime by the then king Mahindra, lasting until 1990 and disrupting democratic development for nearly three decades. After the China-India war, there was a cozy relation between the regimes in Nepal and China. The Chinese supported the king’s rule. India was concerned about democracy after the dissolution of the first elected government in Nepal, but democracy was no longer important after the Chinese military assaults on India. Mahindra used short term tactics with the two neighbors for his regime’s survival. Notable among such tactics at the cost of the long-term national interest was the signing of the1965 defense pact with India, which limited Nepal’s right to buy arms from any country.
Mahindra’s successor Birendra bought some anti-aircraft guns from China in the late 1980s, which was opposed by India, blockading Nepal nearly one year (1989-1990).The Panchayat regime ended in 1990 as a result of the internal demand for democracy, coinciding with arms import from China. India supported Nepal’s democratic movement in 1990 for its own interest, but derailed the democratic development being involved in the frequent change of governments in Nepal. The political leadership failed practicing democracy, the Maoist war 1996-2005 was a cause as well as consequence of it. Nepal’s leaders served the interest of the neighbors to remain in power.
Nearly thirty million people of Nepal have become a large and safe market for Chinese apples, garments and electronic equipment. Nepal has also been a market as well as a resource for the Indian economy, ranging from water resource to the outsourcing of the Gorkha army. Given the land-locked position of Nepal, the trade and transit situation to and from India have had significant impacts on the economic as well as democratic development. On the one hand, there exists a special regime of border relations between Nepal and India, which allow free entry and exit to the citizens of the two countries. On the other hand, there is a tacit regime of Nepal’s trade and transit, including the right of access to the sea through India. Nepal’s trade and transit treaties need to be renegotiated with India every five years, which usually leads to increased demands from India.
Nepal’s political parties are constantly making and breaking alliances for the purpose of political appointments and/or forming the government. Major political parties perceive India’s role as crucial and they get advantage by being closer to the Southern neighbor. China is trying to re-calibrate a new Nepal policy exntending supports to Nepal’s Maoists, who seem to have good working relation with the Indian government. Nepal’s internal institutional capacity in large part will determine how the external challenges can be met. An alternative democratic way forward for Nepal is the Scandinavian model. There are two reasons: The first reason is that Scandinavian democracies are comparatively successful in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor; and the second reason is that Nepal’s geo-political situation is somewhat similar to Scandinavia’s, when looked from the point of view of the inter-war and post-WW II periods. Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland faced various difficult situations during the war period, and the lesson to learn for Nepal’s political leadership is the Scandinavian strategies for their independence during the World Wars, and their quest for peace, democracy and social justice. Norway is playing a behind-the-scene role by working with group of ambassadors in Nepal to bring the parties to a common platform in order to assist the peace process and democracy building. However, if the Scandinavians also use the “guns and ambulance” policy towards Nepal— as China, India and others do—finding a way to democracy would be difficult, if not impossible.
Super Junior traded the cute look for sexiness in 2009’s Sorry Sorry, a hit track that launched the thirteen-member group to the top of charts last spring. Music-wise, the boys have mostly been on the DL as individual members have been working on their own activities, but it looks like the boys will be reuniting soon for another album!
Members Leeteuk, Shindong, Siwon, Eunhyuk and Donghae traveled to Thailand recently to make an appearance on KPN Awards, an American-Idol-esque reality show for aspiring singers. During their guest appearance, the boys were interviewed and revealed their recent experiences in Thailand through a translator. When the MC told the boys that one of the contestants covered SuJu’s track It’s You in a recent episode, leader Leeteuk complimented the contestant for singing in a foreign language.
However, the tidbit that was by far the most interesting for kpop and ELFs alike was when Leeteuk went on to reveal that Super Junior would be releasing a fourth album very soon.
Super Junior will also be returning to Thailand for the Bangkok Motor Show, an international auto show scheduled from March 26 to April 6 this year.
- allkpop
Photo & Article credit: allkpop
Video credit: as tagged
A sure-fire way to make a bad first impression in face-to-face networking or in-person interviewing is to offend the olfactory senses of the person you are meeting for the first time.
What I am referring to is having too strong of a scent from the cologne/perfume that you may wear. Even if you love the fragrance and don’t think that it’s too much, this is one of those situations in which you really need to be considerate of the other person.
I once had a woman come in to interview with me to be a volunteer with the organization I represented. We sat down to start talking, and I noticed her strong scent right away. Given that I am not generally allergic to perfumes, I didn’t think it would be an issue. Within 5-10 minutes, the vapors were so strong that my eyes were burning. She was a nice enough person, but it was all I could do to keep from running to the restroom to put some dampened towels over my eyes.
Except for the perfume issues, the interview went well and everything checked out with her, so we accepted her application as a volunteer. However, I also took a moment to talk with her about not wearing her perfume when working with a client because of unknown allergy issues the client may have.
Here is an interesting article that talks about the proper application of various fragrances.
If you are not sure how much to bring it down, don’t wear any at all. Better to have the person you are meeting at the interview or networking event remember you for your enthusiasm and great ideas than your overpowering scent.
What experiences have you had on either side of the scent issue?
Actress Kym Marsh and fiance Jamie Lomas appear in this week’s OK! whilst on holiday in Disneyland Paris with Kym’s daughter Emily May, 12,(she is also mum to David Ryan, 14 — who was present but didn’t take part in the shoot.) and Jamie’s son Billy, 4. 2009 was a very difficult year for the pair as their son Archie Jay was born 18 weeks premature and sadly passed away moments after his birth. Together they talk openly about that difficult year and how they’re coping now.
On 2009:
Jamie: We had one of the toughest years we’ve ever lived through, but at the end of the day, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and we’re stronger now.
To read more of the interview including how Jamie gets on with Emily and Kim’s son David, 14 (who chose not to be photographed) and if they’d like to try for another child click
On how they’re coping now:
Kym: The thing is, Jamie and I have other children who we have to try and be there for, and it has been really difficult, but we’ll keep soldiering on.
J: We had a party on New Year’s Eve, because we really wanted to see the back of 2009 and start 2010 on a big high.
K: Sometimes you hear about things that happen to other people and you think, how do they cope? And then it happens to you, and it is hard. You start to lose faith in anything good. But you just have to keep going.
On if they’ll try for another child:
K: I think we will try again when the time is right, when I’m feeling a bit braver. We have to be prepared for the whole thing and any complications that could happen. It wouldn’t be something we would do just on a whim. I had David early, so that’s two premature babies now. I’ve got to be looked after carefully.
On the documentary Kym did about premature babies a couple of months after losing Archie:
K: I found it very cathartic and I met a lot of people who have been through the same thing. I really wanted to do something to make people aware of what a serious issue it is and how little there is being done about it. I’ve had so many letters from people who want to make donations to Tommy’s, the charity that funds research in to miscarriages, stillbirths and premature babies. When you’ve been through something yourself, it makes all the difference to other people.
On how Kym felt winning Mum of The Year 2009:
K: I was really delighted by that, especially because of the year we’ve had. It was nice because it was voted for by other parents. Just to think that people think you’re doing a good job with your kids is lovely.
On how Jamie gets on with Kym’s children David and Emily:
J: We get on great. I love them to bits.
K: He winds our Emily up something rotton, though. He says she’s very ’spirited’ — which is better than saying she’s a cheeky madam!
J: She’s just like her mum. She’s always singing. She’s going to be a proper little star.
K: She’s doing drama now as well, and she’s ready to go for auditions. I know I’d be a hypocrite if I tried to discourage her. She is really talented, you can see she’s got something special, but it’s scary.
If you would like to know more about Tommy’s — the charity Kym talks about in the interview or to make a donation please visit. www.tommys.org
Source: OK! Magazine, Issue: 707 January 12th 2010. Photos by Edd Watts
Most of the time, people take me for a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of lady. I smile, talk to strangers, and appreciate the beauty of the world around me. If I didn’t mention it, all by those closest to me would be fooled by my mask of “having it all together.” Of course, below the surface, we’re all fallen. Our masks are all cracked–some more than others. Still, few would peg me as one of those depressed, anxious, traumatized types. Passionate, yes. Driven, yes. Intelligent, yes. Terrified, sad, feigning enjoyment, no.
Herein lies the rub, I want to be honest with people about my struggles–from my swollen arthritic knees to my seasonal affect disorder, but I don’t want people to judge me by what’s wrong with me. I don’t want others to question my ability or my talent because some days I *don’t* have it all together. So, how does one maintain professional integrity while writing from the heart? I suppose I could craft a secret identity, like Spider-Man, and engage others with my angst all the while wearing red spandex (figuratively, not literally. Believe me, no one wants to see me sporting red spandex.) Or I could be guarded separating my thoughts into two spaces–a personal blog (Atypical Musings) and a professional blog (Backseat Writer). Still, how open do I want to be on Atypical Musings? Surely, everything I share here will be connected to my other work. Do I want that? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
The truth is–I don’t know. I think back to my interview with Bebo Norman, who was so forthcoming in sharing his struggles with pre-performance anxiety (read interview, “Bebo Norman:: From the Ruins“). I remember meeting him face to face before a show for the first time a few months later. As I briefly chatted with Bebo, I wondered if he was OK. I wanted to tell him that if he needed to do some deep breathing, I was here for him. We could try some relaxation techniques together. He seemed fine. Fine for someone I don’t know. His performance was wonderful–no sign of anxiety at all. Was his mask cracked or had he worked through the anxiety entirely? (During the interview, he told me he had been treating his anxiety and making great progress.)
Another mystery to ponder. It really doesn’t matter what Bebo was feeling at the time because he came across as a professional, while admitting that anxiety was a huge struggle for at least part of his touring life. He even said it was easier to talk about since the symptoms of his anxiety had greatly diminished, yet he couldn’t talk about it during the worst episodes. But he wondered if he should have been “more real” about it. Frankly, that interview, which was to promote his newly released album has been one of the most encouraging conversations of my life.
It’s hard to be open about depression, anxiety, and the like, especially as a woman (since the fairer sex seems to judged on its emotionality). I’ll keep asking God for wisdom in writing as I continue on this journey called “life.”
With songs like Deas * 3 and A Blind Cocktail veering effortlessly from crunching punk tones to high fragility, in recent months Enemies have shown themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Part of the developing rock movement based in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, the band have caused a stir on the post-rock scene with their Alpha Waves EP. As they ready for a tour in Japan with TOE, Drop-d collared guitarist Lewis for a quick low-down to know our Enemies….
Drop-d: Guitarist Eoin is in Kidd Blunt and runs The Hive studio with KB bassist James. Are the remaining members of Enemies affiliated with other musical projects? Lewis: They are indeed. As well as Kidd Blunt, Eoin also has another band Soldiers Take Half and both bands have albums on the way.
Our bassist Mark plays in a band called RAN and those guys will be releasing a mini-album sometime this year. Oisin, our drummer, plays in More Tiny Giants who are demoing a new album… But my only love is Enemies and for the foreseeable future there will be no other band for me!
Drop-d: How have you been getting on lately? Enemies were one of the support acts at the recent May Bank Holiday weekend Club AC30. Brilliant night! Lewis: Yeah, we just played two dates with And So I Watch You From Afar and that was our first time playing with Maybeshewill, we had a great time. ASIWYFA are really nice guys , incredible live, we look forward to playing with them again.
Drop-d: You played your last Dublin show for a while at the Lower Deck on 28th May, it seemed like something of a pit-stop before you were off again. How are you feeling about going to Japan? Lewis: Yeah it was really nice that we got to play to our friends before we head on tour, it’s a good way of testing out our set. We are all really excited about Japan…I guess its hard to know what to expect but it’s a chance in a lifetime for us, we’re going to make the most of it!
Drop-d: You’ve been signed over there to Toe’s label Machu Picchu and they’re set to give Alpha Waves its Japanese release with a bonus track. What do you think of the Japanese rock circuit? It seems a bit randomly hit-and-miss sometimes. Lewis: To be honest I don’t really know much about the rock circuit in Japan. We are touring with Toe there and they seem to do pretty well for themselves so…we’re happy to ride along on their success!
Drop-d: You’ve already got quite a few Japanese fans. I heard you got signed as a result of this kind of intense interest from people? It’s almost amazing for an Irish band to be noticed in such a way. Lewis: Ah I wouldn’t say intense interest but I guess it kicked off for us last year when we got a distribution deal there from a label called Stiff Slack. From there we got signed by MachuPicchu so we’ve just been building our fan base as much as we can. We are still so very overwhelmed by all of this.
Drop-d: It’s just kinda strange because here in Ireland, you’ve seemed to come from nowhere in the last six months even though your EP was released last year. Not that there’s a hugely saturated post-rock circuit here. Were you keeping a lower profile or had other music priorities? Lewis: Nah we haven’t really been keeping a low profile…it’s just that everyone else in Enemies has other projects. So it’s not a case of prioritising any band over the other, we just have other bands to look after as well. Drop-d: No pressure like but eh…can we expect a new Enemies EP or album any time soon? Lewis: We’re currently writing songs for a full-length album, it’s due to be released next year. We’ll have more info up on our MySpace soon.
Drop-d: Speaking of musical projects, you recently fell foul of a distribution label and missed out on releasing a 7″ of Feed Me Seedless/Bits of Parrots. The distro company took your cash and folded? Fuckers. Will you still release the vinyl or are there other plans now? Lewis: Yeah, the company was called Media Sourcing Ltd. and yes, we hope they all die a slow death. The company liquidated and had never had any intention on making our records, so unfortunately we will not be releasing it on vinyl. There’s a limited-edition CD being sold in Japan but for everyone else, it’s up for free digital download on richtercollective.com.
Alpha Waves is out now. Enemies play Kyoto, Japan on 12 June, the first of a 9-date tour. For more information and to wish them luck, visit the band’s MySpace profile.
A sure-fire way to make a bad first impression in face-to-face networking or in-person interviewing is to offend the olfactory senses of the person you are meeting for the first time.
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Actress Kym Marsh and fiance Jamie Lomas appear in this week’s OK! whilst on holiday in Disneyland Paris with Kym’s daughter Emily May, 12,(she is also mum to David Ryan, 14 — who was present but didn’t take part in the shoot.) and Jamie’s son Billy, 4. 2009 was a very difficult year for the pair as their son Archie Jay was born 18 weeks premature and sadly passed away moments after his birth. Together they talk openly about that difficult year and how they’re coping now.
