The Bostonian Abroad

-- The people who laid the foundations of this country were afraid that a political group might quickly gain control of the government and enact laws that would fly in the face of what a democracy stands for. For this reason, the framers of our government designed a system which intentionally moves very slowly. Often, the citizens become frustrated with the pace of change, and think that the system is antiquated because it does not move as quickly as the pace of life in a modern-day technological age such as ours. Because the pace of life is so much faster than the government-as-designed, people argue that we must do something to quicken it up, to meet the needs of today. I believe this to be a potentially dangerous idea. The main problem with this is, just as was feared 200+ years ago, that a group could sweep too quickly into power, before it has had time to mature in the public consciousness. Very often, in this country there are movements that spark to life, become very p...

-- As a part of the sincere effort I have been making of late to improve the state of my general mood and view on life, I have returned to taking grog, or kava, tablets on a daily basis. Although it has been somewhat of a success, and I am satisfied with the results of this new regimen thus far, the very fact of taking kava again has brought back some very pleasant memories of much happier times. Kava is a drink to be truly savored, not for its taste, for that would be nearly impossible for all but a few connoisseurs whose skin is most likely quite shiny and patterned like tiles, ready to flake off at the slightest hint of a breeze, but for its heuristic and social properties; here, it remains unmatched in its abilities. One of my fondest memories of drinking kava, or as we called it in Fiji, "yaqona" (pronounced "yahn-go-nah"), was on some nondescript night during the summer, probably around January or so. I can remember sitting there in the pale anemic l...

- What does it mean to be an atheist? Does it mean to not believe in a particular god? Does it mean that you don't believe in any god at all? And what is the connection between god and religion? Can one believe in a god without a religion? What about being non-theistic? Is that the same as being an atheist? Having grown up in a religion, I had the typical foundation in christianity in that I was filled with guilt and fear. Being of a particular religion that deemed itself as having the truth, I also believed that everyone around me was going to die in armageddon, and that the wonderful end of the world was coming at any moment. Everyone in school either hated me, pitied me or thought I was a nut-job. Imagine a 7 year-old screaming out in class that christmas was all a big conspiracy, built on pagan traditions and full of idolatry! I told all my friends that santa was a lie perpetrated by their parents. You can imagine how that one went over. Yeah, religion did...

-- This being the fourth anniversary of our arrival in this error, I have endeavored to regain a perspective on the whole. This has not been easy, and is still ongoing, however, I feel slightly more confident than I have felt in a long while - though it is going to be a long struggle and, it seems, one without end. One would think after such a length of time as four years, acclimatization would have been achieved long ago, but this, it turns out, is not the case. Acculturation requires willingness on both the side of the newcomer as well as the "local". I remember telling my students in Boston, students who came from all over the globe to live and work and raise families in this country, that they are welcome here. I told them that they are the latest in a long line of new peoples to settle in this place, my home. I told them that they have every right to be here that we have, and that our ancestors had. (Here, I refer to: "your poor, your huddled masses y...