Because right this moment,

I'm just a girl.

The country's in the midst of election fever the past few weeks and the question of one's party of choice never fails to come up in every single conversation. It might be too early to say, but in my constituency, I felt the choice was pretty clear. I have no impression, none whatsoever, of the opposition party. One would have thought that if you're going up against the PM, the least you could do was put up a good fight? Haha. I have to admit that I am not a staunch supporter of any party but neither am I anti-PAP. I simply voted for who I thought could better serve the needs of the constituency/country. In a nutshell, while I understand the arguments brought up by the Opposition, I did not hear any credible solutions to these problems that they found with the current government. It just seems like there was a lot of appeal to populist sentiments. I have to say that I believe and have more faith in PAP's policies, but also strongly believe that they can do so much better . And while there is indeed a need for opposition parties in parliament to act as checks against the PAP, at the end of the day, it's my view that they are still better equipped to run this country. 

Well, whichever party eventually comes into power, let's hope that improving the financial standings of the working folks and closing the widening chasm between rich and poor are some of the top few priorities.

On an entirely different note, it's 17 weeks to law school, to England, to a new chapter (: While I am extremely psyched for school, I am also very ... afraid. I know I shouldn't be and I'm in the process of overcoming this hurdle, but it's slow coming. Haha.. Anyway, I just bought my first 3 law texts for school yesterday! Interesting stuff and can't wait to get down to it once it arrives (: 

I think this change is gonna be good for me. Not just because I'm going to finally be able to do what I have been gunning for all these years, but also because I feel like it's a break that I desperately need. A time to be a lot more independent, to really stand on my own two feet. And for that, I'm excited. (:

One another note, it would also be good for me to meet new people. To let my heart be at ease, to concentrate on my studies, and not get sucked back into this mess that we sometimes call a casual...ship. Especially in the last few weeks where things between us have been swinging from one end to the other with barely time for me to catch hold of what's happening. You've been throwing me curveballs one after the next and while I threw some good ones back, I can't catch up. 

I woke up one Wednesday morning and wished so very hard, that things between us weren't so complicated. It kills the butterflies that I like, so very much, and it makes my insides clench and hurt. You asked me a question and I couldn't give you an answer. You wanted to know why but I said goodnight. I'm afraid to tell you what I really want because I somehow know that you'd only turn and run. I guess I've always known that at the end of the day, I'll never be what you really want. I would rather not take the risk of whatever it is that we have, falling apart. I would rather later, than sooner.

I wish there were a rulebook for intimacy. Some kind of guide to tell you when you've crossed the line. It would be nice if you could see it coming, and I don't know how you fit it on a map. You take it where you can get it, and keep it as long as you can. And as for rules, maybe there are none. Maybe the rules of intimacy are something you have to define for yourself.

Today's swedish phrase is a mushy one. Haha.

I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.

Jag är bara en flicka, som står framför en pojke och ber honom att älska henne.

Blairite

Overshadowed.

Random snippet of the day: I met a woman who wanted to divorce her husband because he was annoying. When asked to elaborate, she said he talked too much. In fact, he wouldn't stop talking. Mmhmm.

Hearing bits and pieces of updates on the budget speech - Budget for growth, yet borrowing has spiked and inflation continues to soarrrrr. Seems like it's only a matter of time now before BoE increases interest rates too. Best to get my pounds, stat. Don't wanna be paying triple for my school fees during my 2nd year!

You know, speaking of the Brits, I've alwaysss had a soft spot for Tony Blair. Haha. I was so sad when he had to step down as Prime Minister! I remember first seeing him on BBC giving a Labour speech and thinking, "There's something about this guy...". He spoke, not in a flat and serious monotone that you often hear politicians speak in, but with a charisma that drew you in and made you want to sit your ass down and listen. Then I discovered the PMQs and it was like finding my own secret stash of weed that I could indulge in whenever I wanted. The manner in which he handled himself during these weekly sessions was honestly something to behold - the heat generated during these forums could get really intense but he always handled it with such ease and grace.

In his 10 years as Prime Minister, while he might not have lived up to everyone's expectations, I thought he did a fairly awesome job, from increasing public spending on health and education, independence to BoE, his role in climate change, to his work in Northern Ireland. Yet whenever one speaks of Blair now, people always think of the war in Iraq - a blemish that has tainted his stint as the longest serving Labour PM. Once he decided to stand by the US and enter the war, there was no turning back. When no weapons were eventually found, he lost the public trust that he had painstakingly gained through his years in office, just like that. The post-Iraq heat resulted in an anti-Blair rage that eventually played a huge role in his stepping down. Despite the protests and calls that he should be tried as a war-criminal, he never backed down or apologised for the decision he made though. To the critics, he said,

"I know there's a bit of us that would like me to do a Hugh Grant in "Love Actually" and tell America where to get off. But the difference between a good film and real life is that in real life there's the next day, the next year, the next lifetime to contemplate the ruinous consequences of easy applause."

Despite the outcome in Iraq, one thing can't be denied - that Blair had served his country well. He wasn't perfect, but he had done well. Unlike Bush, he was articulate and charismatic and unlike many other politicians (who shall not be named) he was also a family man with a strong moral streak (I know many would beg to differ, but it's my blog damnit.). In his resignation speech, he summed up,

"Politics may be the art of the possible but, at least in life, give the impossible a go. So, of course, the vision is painted in the colors of the rainbow, and the reality is sketched in the duller tones of black, white, and gray. But I ask you to accept one thing - hand on heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong. That's your call. But believe one thing if nothing else - I did what I thought was right for our country."

Having already left office for 4 years, he remains fairly active in the scene. While he didn't get the coveted role as President of the EC, he became more involved in the Mid-East region and also his Faith Foundation. He has certainly left some decent sized shoes to fill for the tag-team of Cameron/Clegg. It has been a bit of a bumpy beginning and the jury's still out on this coalition.

PS: Blair was a lawyer too!

Swedish word:

Juridik - justice/law

Rättshjälp - legal aid

Leva på min egen - to live on my own

Land of The .... Free?

Led by their noses.

I feel like I have been doused with a bit too much of American politics coverage to last me a few months at least. Haha. Can't say the midterm result was very surprising but here's my short take on the recent Republican/Democrats big bang: -

The Americans are a weird bunch. Haha.

It appears that many of them have the delusion of Obama being God, whose touch will heal all crises immediately. (2 years might seem a long time but hasn't their economy been in the reds since.... uh forever?) I've been asked countless number of times whether I liked Obama and my reply had always been, "Compared to the alternative, yes." I am not his biggest fan but I respect his intelligence and genuine desire (I believe.) to want to alleviate the dire state of the economy. 

In his 2 years in office, he might not have lived up to his over-hyped reputation, and he might have made a fair number of wrong moves. His policies and the due processes are slow, painful and harsh. So very harsh. The health care bill was a huge achievement in his book although I'm not so sure with regards to specific details, for example the effectiveness of the individual mandate: Paying an annual $695 penalty or couple of hundreds/month for insurance? Doesn't seem too difficult a choice. It also seems more like a regressive form of taxation on the normal working class, rather than the progressive taxation that it claims to be, with the 2.5% clause. Nevertheless, he has started to lay some sort of foundation for the rebuilding process to begin. Not to mention that he did this against some crazy uncooperative attitude from the Republicans.

To be honest, I doubt there is any man out there who can bring America out of the hole it dug itself into, painlessly. There's no going around the harsh way of fixing their blistering economy. It really is a "No pain no gain" route. So you have to give him credit, he might not have lived up to everyone's expectations, but it does not override the fact that he is, quite a brilliant man and a man better fit as President than Cain or Bush :p 

So will he last beyond 2012? I ..... believe and I hope so. Unless there's a Roosevelt or Clinton in the making? Heh. I'll end this off with something Scotty posted on my wall,

Annnd since it is the Deepavali weekend, 2 Swedish phrases ... en indisk högtid, which means an Indian festival :) and en riktig långhelg means a really long weekend.