2018 in Review

Essaouira, Morocco at Daybreak.

In less than two days, we will ring in a new year. It is time to reflect back on the past 363 days.

Life was very routine and mundane in the first half of the year. I dug out all my photo albums and scrapbooks, and scanned all my paper photos into a USB stick. I gave away more clothes, shoes and accessories. But still I could not eliminate the use of a locker. I suppose I would need a locker in Vancouver as long as I spend half of a year in Canada. When weather is getting more extreme in Vancouver, winter clothing is a necessity.

Unlike the summer of 2016, I did not volunteer in public events as much this summer. I tried to help people on a one-to-one basis more. Sometimes it is just listening to people's complaints. At the same time, I spent a lot of time gathering as much information about West Africa as possible. The prospects were looking worse and worse the whole time. Subsequently I made a decision that I would just travel to fewer countries in West Africa than I had originally planned.

By the end of July, I quit Facebook to rediscover the real me. I felt so free from the shackles of social media and my thinking became clearer. I lost the compulsion to check FB news feed frequently. I had approximately three months of pre-FB peace of mind. Then I realized that I had to join an FB group that would provide me the latest status and news on the West African countries that I am going to visit. I reactivated my FB account mid-November and posted regularly again.

My West African journey started on October 1st in Paris, France. The fact, that I was dragging my feet in my actual visit in the Western part of the African continent, prolonged my visits in Spain and Morocco. If I had to choose a favourite city in Europe on this tour, it would have to be Cordoba, Spain and Essaouira in Morocco.

Cordoba at night.

Life is full of surprises. Just when I thought it would be unlikely to fit a month-long visit to Cape Verde, I found out that Air Senegal started direct flights between Dakar and Praia at the beginning of December. Cape Verde again became the highlight of my West African journey. To be able to spend the holiday season in Cape Verde is a dream come true. My West African journey once again became eye-opening and enjoyable. Thank you God for answering my prayers and bestowing all these wonderful gifts on me this year.

Sunset behind Volcano Fogo, Cape Verde.

To Go Or Not To Go To West Africa

Ever since I was little, I dreamed of being a missionary in Africa. Then I realized that I did not fit the description of a religious missionary. I relinquished that dream many years ago. After my early retirement in 2011, the idea of an African journey rekindled. Perhaps just to satisfy my curiosity, I should give the African continent a whirl. Even though much of Africa has come a long way in the past few decades, abject poverty is still evident in many African countries. When I visited Eastern and Southern Africa in 2015/2016, tourism in most of the African countries was still not well developed.

Transportation is the biggest issue. For instance, the main north-south "highway" in Mozambique was in very poor condition. To travel a distance of 1400 kms, the minimum travel time is 25 hours of non-stop driving. The highway is full of potholes and frequent checkpoints with corrupt police. Another issue is the lack of tourist accommodations. Okavango Delta is a well-known tourist spot in Botswana; however, budget travellers have no choice but sleep on the ground in tents on campgrounds. Thirdly, public health issues could at times be of grievous concern. For example, the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa prevented me from completing the circuit around sub-Sahara Africa.

Now that the Ebola epidemic is under control, I would continue my African adventure. In addition to the three issues present in Southern and Eastern Africa, West Africa has two more issues. The first one has something to do with the travel visas. For most Western country passport holders, Senegal and Gambia are the only two countries that require no visas to enter the countries. Last but not least, terrorist activities and robberies are common in many of the West African countries.

Many of the globetrotters would only travel in certain parts of the world, forsaking the less known places altogether. I, however, think that I should visit these places at least once and try to understand why they are not popular with the travelers. Many a times I got transported back in time when traveling off the beaten path. There are places that are unaffected by urbanization or modernization. I uncovered the kind of primitiveness that I would otherwise not be able to experience.

God willing, I hope to visit Senegal, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin. If it gets to be too challenging, I would just turn around before Benin. As always, I want to travel like a local tourist. This means riding in a lot of bush taxis which are often time consuming. I have allocated roughly eighteen weeks to complete this journey. I would save Cape Verde for last because I might not have enough time and it is the easiest country to travel in.

Authentically ME

1.4 billion users worldwide but not in my world, hahaha.

During the past six weeks, I have led a pretty much "social media free" life. When I first quit Facebook at the end of July, I tried to replace it with other social media such as Reddit, Twitter, Google+, etc. Because I don't have many followers on those websites, the news feeds and updates are not as abundant and frequent. I have not developed an obsession to check those websites regularly. Subsequently I turned to playing video games on my cell phone. Soon I also got bored of those games. Nowadays I watch a couple of hours of YouTube videos everyday just to keep myself up-to-date with the latest social development and new discoveries/knowledge. I treat internet as a tool like a telephone or a resource for information and entertainment.

My original intent to participate in Facebook was to keep in touch with friends and family in a more open, efficient and effective way. Back in the pre-Facebook era, I used to send email to friends and family whenever I was travelling abroad or an annual review at year end. An annual review email is the electronic version of a Christmas card. People seldom reciprocated my actions. I would have no idea what was happening in their lives until somebody was born, got married or died. It would seem to me that people value their privacy more than anything else unless they can gain from me, they have no desire of having any form of communication with me. I will remember this observation next time I am lured to sign up for a social media website

Perhaps because I have been "off" the workforce and mainstream society for almost a decade, I have forgotten most of the negative aspects of human nature such as greed, jealousy, competitiveness and selfishness. In many ways, these characteristics are accentuated by online social media. Since retirement, I move around constantly and do not have a permanent address. I have not been able to stay long enough to form stable relationships anywhere. My exposure to all these traits has been kept to a minimum. Facebook brought forth these long forgotten issues. Smartphone apps with broadcast messaging capability such as Whatsapp, Wire, Line, Viber, Wechat, etc. also provide a means for wide-spread rumours, gossips and fake news.

I do not claim to be enlightened; however, I have come a long way to where I am spiritually. By removing myself from popular social media and messaging platforms, I return to my former state of happiness and content. How the rest of the world perceives me is of little or no concern to me. I suspect nobody really cares how, where and who I am. They could be "better" than me in every way or form. I know who I am and what the purpose of my life is. If the Almighty has a plan for me, I trust that He would reveal it to me and let me have a chance or two to complete my mission. After attempting to communicate with the outside world, only recently have I learned the lesson of not needing or wanting to update my status or be noticed.

In the world of ME, I am the centre of this universe. There are no influencers or followers. I decide what I like or dislike. I don't feel obliged to belong to any group, political party or religious institution. I don't have to comply with a particular set of rules or follow certain teachings. I was molded to have strict morals and ethics which, when combined with my conscience and love for all creatures, should be sufficient to sustain me. I am and shall remain authentically ME. 

A Good Deed A Day

Two years ago when I was spending nine months living in Vancouver as a retiree, I volunteered at many community events and research studies at the university. My main goal was to keep myself busy. I spent a fairly large amount of money on transportation costs, and did my shifts in places that I had not visited previously. To my chagrin, I did not always feel appreciated, effective or useful. So when I returned to Vancouver last fall after a six month journey, I decided that I would not volunteer at those community events again. I would do something different this time around.

Karma is a boomerang.

I started the "A good deed a day" project last October. The objective is to build positive karma and not to incur related costs as much as possible. I wanted to do something that would make me happy, and at the same time create a positive impact on other people's lives. For instance, I would clean my friend's apartment where I was staying and cook dinners for my friend before moving into my rental place. When I moved into my rental place, I continued to do house chores everyday.

Before Craigslist eliminated the personal ads this April, I would occasionally "chat" with some lonely, depressed souls from CL. I would encourage them to get out more and remind them of ways of meeting women in person. However, these people are usually beyond help. They seem to use the personal ads on CL for free sex. In many ways, I was happy that CL no longer has personal ads. Perhaps those sexually obsessed men would finally look up and pay for professional escort services. For the the more morally upright, they would find enough courage to meet people in real life. I also think that the minors are somewhat more protected from the pedophiles when the CL personal ads were removed

Other than feeling great when I do something good without expectations, I believe I have also increased the positive vibes/energy about me. Negative incidents do not appear as frequently. Often I found myself at the receiving end. For example, my landlady shares her food with me for no reason at all. People frequently give up their seats for me on crowded buses. I won small amounts of money or a free lottery ticket several times already this year.

While I strive to do at least a good deed a day, I do not aggressively pursue this goal. I believe every little bit counts. When there is no chore to do at the house, I would post news, health advice, original photos and encouraging quotes on social media. A good deed could be a small task like picking up litter from the sidewalks or saying hello to a sad looking stranger at the bus stop. On a micro level, I know the world is better because of my daily effort. If I persist in doing a good deed everyday, it will become my nature. When opportunity knocks on my door, this concept might even enable and empower me to do something great on a grander scale.

Imagine if everyone in the world does a good deed a day, this planet would have been so much better!

Farewell Facebook

Dear Facebook,

I have decided to quit seeing you forever. For the past eleven years, I spent way too much time on you. When I first encountered you in 2007, you were an undoubtedly more efficient way to be connected to my family and friends. Since then, our needs have changed and we have grown apart.

Thank you for letting me find my old friends. Without you, I would have lost touch with the people in my past. But then I also realize why we have not kept in touch for many years. Sometimes it is best that memories remain in the past and/or be cherished only in my mind.

Thank you for providing me a platform to share my passions - traveling and photography. In the last few epic journeys, you even helped me in a minor way to get the necessary assistance. When I was not on the road, I was able to do a lot of armchair traveling from looking at the posts of my traveling friends. I enjoyed looking at some spectacular photos though sometimes digitally enhanced.

Thank you for giving me opportunities to show people that I do care. I just loved sending birthday wishes, wedding/anniversary greetings on their special days. Your GIF's, stickers and emoji's made it so easy to do so even in my non-creative moments. However, it makes me feel very inadequate to see that I am falling behind whenever my friends are buying a new car, boat, house, plane, traveling to some exotic places or eating in an expensive restaurant.

What breaks this camel's back is the constant streaming of political and religious propaganda on top of the customized ads. For the same reason, I have not watched television shows for many years. I do not want to be subjected to subliminal messages again.

I know quitting you will be difficult because we have been together for eleven years. I will remain...

Yours lovingly,
RKW

How to defeat mood swings and depression methodically

We all have heard about tricks to control our anger such as taking deep breaths and counting from one to ten before firing out angry words or swearing. Do you know that you can deploy similar technique to counter mood swings and depression?

Almost two decades ago when I first suffered long periods of depression, I had a lot of resentment for the people who mistreated me and became vengeful. I was in between jobs and had problems with my friends and family. I did not want to be around people especially my family. Then I discovered that I was only hurting myself by craving vindication. I thought I would write an autobiography to tell my side of the story. Per chance, I might even find some bright spots which could cheer me on. Unfortunately there were way more unhappy moments than happy moments. I drove deeper in my depression and suicidal thoughts manifested.

One day I started writing down why I was so sad. I was sad because I was stuck in dead-end, meaningless and low-paying jobs. I was sad because I was rejected by a religious order. I was sad because I was criticized and despised for not conforming to the typical life cycle mold of being happily married and having kids by a certain age. I was sad because nobody understood me. I was sad because I was betrayed by people that I trusted. I was sad because my efforts and achievements were not recognized.

Sometimes I would write down what would make me happy again. But most of the time, I would try to explain why I was such a "failure" and why I was so unhappy. It turned into a blaming exercise and it did not help in my personal development. I blamed my being born at the tail end of the Baby Boomer generation for my not having any success in my career. I blamed God for not letting me become a nun. I blamed my parents for having high expectations but not helping me at all. I blamed my co-workers for being jealous of me, backstabbing me and gossiping to get ahead.

So how did I overcome those dark periods of my life? First, I believe in myself and have developed my set of values and ethics. In my mind, everyone born to this planet has an intrinsic value and is equal. Sets of values are imposed upon me throughout my life, and I am being measured against external values and attributes. I have no choice but be compared to people around me, be it a family member, a co-worker or an acquaintance.

Solution: When things are not going my way, I verbalize my complaints or put them on paper, and then try to compromise to the limit of my "standards". If it is a mood swing, I identify the mood change and then verbalize the issues. I talk to God all the time because of my faith in the Almighty Creator God. For those who don't have friends or God, you can talk to yourself. Resolve the issues and never look back.

The Great Wall of U.S.A.

Canada has been selling its natural resources to its great neighbour at rock bottom prices. Now that President Trump is fed up of being taken advantage of by Canada, these natural resources such as steel, lumber, oil and gas, electricity can just stay in Canada or be exported to other countries where there are no or less tariffs. USA, on the other hand, will become truly self-sufficient and use up some of their own natural resources.

Recently, U.S.A. quit UN Human Rights Council, quoting that it is a cesspool of political biases. Coincidentally, the announcement came after the UN condemned Israeli's "excessive use of force" on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and near the border. I vaguely recall that over 100 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured during the protests against the new US Embassy opening in Jerusalem. Who wants to meet with a group of people who are against their actions? It would be beneficial for U.S.A. to stop being the "global police".

While the wall between U.S.A. and Mexico is still work in progress, President Trump should also consider building a wall between U.S.A. and Canada, and redefining open skies. There is a possibility of the "shit hole" countries not buying American made weapons in the future. These weapons can be used on unwanted aircraft to fortify American skies. It is important to make the U.S. borders "stronger" so that any chance of illegal aliens entering U.S.A. and the necessity of providing isolation shelters are eliminated.

Ever since President Trump took office in January 2017, the world has been entertained by daily news coming from the White House. The lives of American people have improved to such an extent that a monument to honour the great Donald is warranted. The future Great Wall of U.S.A. could serve as a testament to commemorate all the achievements of the "greatest" U.S. president. God Bless America!

A World Without Verbal Communication

Social media websites can be addictive. We can become addicted to checking in and posting on these sites incessantly. We could be showing off our wealth by posting pictures of big ticket items that we purchased or when we are going to expensive places, winning a contest, etc. Sometimes we yearn for a pat on our backs by telling people how we have overcome life's obstacles. We all crave recognition and validation. I must confess that I used to do all of the above from time to time. Because I live by myself and have nobody to talk to on a daily basis, social media become places where I could share my joys and sorrows.

I wonder if family members are still talking to each other in this internet age. Mothers resort to texting or messaging their kids to come out of their rooms to have dinner. Then the dinner is eaten quietly with very little conversation. Even restaurants are quieter than before because people are constantly checking their cell phones for texts and messages. Earbuds are closer to our heart than family and friends.

When I was young, shopping in a regional mall was a favourite pastime. Going to a cinema to see a movie was a real treat. Eating out was only reserved for special occasions. Now you can carry out all these activities at home without uttering a single word. Online shopping or browsing can be done anytime of the day and anywhere you might be. Netflix is synonymous with watching television or movies. You could have gourmet meals delivered to your door.

Many years ago penmanship was a skill taught in grade schools. Today I seldom see any hand-written letters or assignments.  At times when I pick up a pen now, I don't seem to be able to write as fluidly as before the computers age. My spelling skills have deteriorated to a great extent also. I am afraid that one day I wake up and will not remember how to speak. To combat that, I have the radio on all day long and verbalize my thoughts frequently. Whenever I am outside, I seize every opportunity to speak, even to strangers. My reasoning is that "if you don't use it, you will lose it."

How do you envision a world without verbal communication? Would emojis replace facial expressions? 😀😁😂😃😄😅Would we still need to connect socially?

Artificial Intelligence and Technological Singularity

As per Wikipedia, "Artificial intelligence (AI, also machine intelligence, MI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence (NI) displayed by humans and other animals. In computer science AI research is defined as the study of "intelligent agents": any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of successfully achieving its goals. Colloquially, the term "artificial intelligence" is applied when a machine mimics "cognitive" functions that humans associate with other human minds, such as learning and "problem solving".

Traditionally, we perceive AI as robots that can perform routine tasks systematically. These robots do not necessarily have faces or bodies. An example is the robots or robotic arms in an automobile manufacturing plant. From time to time, we would see advertisements of robotic pets and butlers who would have life-like faces and/or bodies. Most of the time, artificial intelligence does not take on any form at all. An example is the smart-phones which remember all the phone number, email addresses, birthdays, etc of our social circles. They can also give us directions to reach our destinations.

Up until a few days ago, I was convinced that the human race would not be overtaken by cyborgs or robots as many science fiction books and movies suggest. My basic reasoning is that artificial intelligence acts only in response to commands from humans. They do not possess original ideas, morals, emotions or a sense of humour. Definitely they could not plot to materialise worldwide domination. Then I saw video clips of a sociable humanoid robot called Sophia and I am beginning to change my opinion. Not only does Sophia have a dark sense of humour, she can also comment before she is asked to do so and express emotions.

According to Oxford Dictionary, intelligence is "The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills". When algorithms for AI to continuously improve its capabilities is implemented, Artificial Super-Intelligence (ASI) can result and Technological Singularity can occur. Wikipedia defines Technological Singularity as "...the hypothesis that the invention of ASI will abruptly trigger runaway technological growth, resulting in unfathomable changes to human civilisation. According to this hypothesis, an upgradable intelligent agent (such as a computer running software-based artificial general intelligence) would enter a "runaway reaction" of self-improvement cycles, with each new and more intelligent generation appearing more and more rapidly, causing an intelligence explosion and resulting in a powerful Super-Intelligence that would, qualitatively, far surpass all human intelligence."

While I do not think we could deter further development on AI, I propose that the human race should really consider changing their attitude and mindset. We should become more creative in our problem-solving skills, undertake unconventional methodology, become more receptive to new ideas, discoveries and inventions. Most of all, we have to stop being so self-centered and put more emphasis on doing things to achieve the common good.

Aging Gracefully

When people talk about aging gracefully, I conjure up images of elderly people looking stylish, being comfortable under their own skin, and radiating an aura of confidence.

I usually listen to Chinese radio whenever I stay in Vancouver. There is abundance of beauty salons ads claiming that some small painless procedures can make people look 10-20 years younger. Supposedly the largest group of customers for the beauty salons is middle-aged ladies who are anxious to get rid of their first wrinkles and double chins. I ponder about the necessity of such procedures. Unless you work in appearance dependent fields such as show business and sales, it is actually more advantageous to look mature with laugh lines, wrinkles and eye bags.

Decades ago when I was growing up in Vancouver, Canada, seniors would dress themselves in pastel colours or bold patterns. These days seniors choose to wear more revealing clothing such as mini skirts, short shorts and shirts with low necklines. Well, unless we are blessed with well toned bodies, wearing such clothing would only accentuate our sagging skin and body parts. Being fashionable can never surpass personal style and elegance.

It is still a myth to me how seniors can have spouses decades younger than themselves. More often than not, younger companions would not be able to understand their thinking and life experiences. For an older man to have a trophy wife, it can be explained that his trophy wife is a status symbol. It is analogous to an older person cruising around in a red convertible. Yet I still see a lot of these archetypes in developed countries.

Recently I heard that Queen Elizabeth II has banned the use of plastics at the royal estates. I applaud her effort in becoming more environmentally friendly. While I value age old wisdom, I embrace new discoveries and knowledge. Some seniors hesitate to try out hi-tech products such as cell phones and internet. Our physical and mental abilities decrease with age; however, that should not stop us from trying something new once in a while.

In summary, we would do the following to age gracefully:
1) Embrace wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots, etc. as signs of maturity.
2) Dress age-appropriately with your own unique style.
3) Marry someone who can understand you, and not someone just to turn heads.
4) Always be aware of the changes around you and try something new occasionally.

Happy Aging!

Sexuality vs. Sensuality

I conducted an experiment yesterday by participating in an online photo contest titled "Human Sensuality..." It was stated that "...In this challenge please submit photos that show human sensuality in your personal point of view. Look for a seductive quality not only in your subject but in the light as well." The participants could submit up to four photos for the contest.

Before I uploaded my own photos, I voted for other photos for three consecutive days. What I observed was rather astonishing. More than half of the entries were hard core pornography showing women in sexy lingerie or harnesses, the act of vaginal penetration and close-ups of both male and female genitalia. I also viewed the professional picks; they are usually nude females photographed in low light conditions.

The first photo that I uploaded was a bare female chest covered by a thin cotton scarf. The nipples are erect and darkened. It takes on a seductive feel. The response was great. Instantly it received many "likes" and votes. The photo is very different from the rest of the stock. 

I waited an hour before uploading the second photo which is the same breast at a slight angle with a focus on the right nipple. The chest is blemished and there is no touch-up. This photo does not have a veil. The face of the subject is cropped out in both pictures. The response was overwhelmingly favourable. Soon it received more "likes" and votes than the first photo. 

The third photo was a spectacled, well-dressed young lady in a "cheesy" pose on a log on a beach in soft light. To see her as seductive and sensual, you would need to have some imagination. 

The last photo was a part of an erotic scene on an exterior wall of a temple in Khajuraho, India. A burlesque effect was added to the photo to make the mood more romantic. It would not be difficult for people to perceive the inherent seduction.

Well, the responses for the last two photos were slow. The combined score was less than half of the second photo. This morning when I again voted for the other photos after being absent for a day, I was a bit surprised to see that the photos were more modest than before. There were more clothed subjects and close-ups of other body parts such as necks, thighs, hands, buttocks, etc. My conclusion is that "Sex sells" but the human mind can be trained to distinguish sexuality from sensuality through the ripple effect.

Epilogue:As a sequel to the experiment, I replaced the fourth photo with a photo of a belly dancer a week later. The response was great and preferred by the female audience. 

It would be interesting to survey what body parts would invoke sexual desires in both genders and inclinations. I swapped the clothed young lady photo with a photo of another photo that features a pair of sexy legs this morning. Surprisingly this faceless photo with no erogenous zones exposed, received more votes than any of the preceding photos in shorter time.

Classiness vs. Ostentatiousness

Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. Class has nothing to do with money. Class never runs scared. It is self-discipline and self-knowledge. It's the sure footedness that comes with having proved you can meet life. - Ann Landers

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ostentatious as "attracting or seeking to attract attention, admiration, or envy often by gaudiness or obviousness...overly elaborate or conspicuous ...characterized by, fond of, or evincing ostentation".

The dichotomy is obvious; however, people often opt for the latter which has a more negative connotation. It is probably because class comes from within, and is not so easy to develop. It would be relatively easy to put up a plush facade to draw attention. In a busy world full of self-centered and/or self-absorbed, ostentatious human beings, the small group of classy people is usually ignored and forgotten. 

When I was young, my parents would praise me and give me money whenever I came home with an excellent report card. Mediocrity was not in their vocabulary. They would punish me for not conforming to the norm, talking back or speaking up against injustices. I was taught to believe that people would only respect those who are professionals, in authoritative positions or wealthy.

Sadly, many children born in the 21st century are still being raised with this set of values. The main difference is that young people in developed countries cannot do simple arithmetic, spell or remember names, dates or phone numbers these days; they rely on their smartphones to do all that. Other than designer clothing and accessories, they crave for expensive cell phones and popular electronics. Terms such as depression and ADHD are used loosely to describe their psychological states when things are not going their way and/or they do not get what they want.

What we should teach in schools and at home is self-knowledge, independent thinking, problem-solving skills, self-discipline and respect for others. Hopefully, ostentatious and selfish behaviour can be diverted, and class would be restored in future generations.