Archive for
November 10th, 2007
Stories
The Mobile Web and Compulsory HIV Test for Malawi
Malawi's Internet users have this year been experiencing new trends as now they can access and browse from their mobile phones and homes. This is an initiative by the fixed line service provider (Malawi Telecommunications Limited) and two mobile phone service operators, Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) and Celtel Malawi. The introduction of mobile data services in the form of mobile Internet and multimedia messaging, popularly known as MMS is bringing excitement to Malawians.
Mzuzu-based blogger known as mile has welcomed this initiative with a post titled ICT Development in Malawi.
I wrote once on my first personal website that I wanna be able to browse the internet from my home village in Mzimba. Thanks to Celtel I am able to do that now on my phone though I am still limited to checking a few pages and emails only. Still I wanna browse everything and be able to download software on my laptop when I am there so that my software development isn't limited to location. High Cost of ICT Services. I wonder why something that somewhere else is very cheap could cost so much her.
Compulsory HIV test???
Sub Saharan Africa is home to about 25 million persons living with HIV. While in many countries voluntary counselling was promoted to help check infection, new Malawian blogger Benett Kankuzi feels it is time testing for HIV became compulsory. Based in Botswana which has HIV prevalence rates, he says there are many reasons why compulsory HIV test should be pursued:
- Each citizen will know their status and therefore plan their individual lives properly. This will help individuals not to live in an “ostrich” state by pretending that they do not have the virus yet they don’t exactly know their sero-status.
- Voluntary testing has failed to entice many people to go for the test. Just ask yourself on the number of people who have gone for HIV testing voluntarily. Personally, have you already done so?
At the same time, a health journalist Kondwani Muthali updates his blog with the latest HIV and AIDS acronoyms. You might think I made a mistake above when I wrote persons living with HIV. The word ‘A' is dropped and Kondwani gives more instructions:
UNAIDS has revised the acronyms once again, so now people living with HIV are called PLHIV, and young people living with HIV are implicitly called YPLHIV. Old acronyms were PLWHA, PLWA, PLWH, PWH and YPLWH, YLWH, YLWH….With reference to those living with HIV, it is preferable to avoid certain terms: AIDS patient should only be used in amedical context (most of the time, a person with AIDS is not in the role of patient); the term AIDS victim or AIDS sufferer implies that the individual in question is powerless, with no control over his or her life. It is preferable to use ‘people living with HIV' (PLHIV), since this reflects the fact that an infected person may continue to live well and productively for many years.
Another health-related issue in this round-up has to do with the impact lack of running water has on education for pupils in Malawi. It is reported that many girls drop out as soon they reach adolescence as they cannot bear the inconvenience and embarrassment of having to do without water. Pilirani Semu Banda quotes Government statistics in Malawi that 10.5 percent of girls drop out of school each year as compared to 8.4 percent of boys. In addition to this, around 22 percent of primary school age girls do not attend school at all, while 60 percent of those enrolled do not attend regularly.
Blogging under the title Lack of Running Water Puts Girls' Education at Risk, the lady journalist writes about the challenges that girls especially face when there isn't any running water at school.
The hard-working, resolute 13-year-old attends a primary school that has no running water. All 350 pupils at Rita’s school have only two pit-latrines to share, and there is no tap where they can wash their hands after using the toilet.
Rita says she and other adolescent girls find these poor sanitation conditions even more awkward when it is time for their monthly periods: “It’s so difficult to concentrate in class when you know there is no water to clean up with at break time. I usually prefer staying home every time my menses come.”
Bahrain: Flaunting your wealth - and accounting for it
What are bloggers talking about in Bahrain this week? Financial accountability, the reasons for blogging, a childhood addiction to books, how to encourage creativity - and looking after appearances.
Show us the money!
We start this week with Mahmood, who gives his opinion on a new law requiring government officials, parliament deputies, and Shura and municipal councillors to declare their personal finances:
I didn’t see the draft law yet, but like everyone else concerned with accountability in Bahrain, I am anxious to see its contents; particularly the exceptions - if present - and what the actual penalties are and if they are sufficient for deterring corrupt officials from continuing to abuse their positions. Will this law, for instance, only limit the declarations of wealth to be “correct and acceptable” from the time it is issued, or will it have any provision to force officials to show how they got their current wealth? What is to happen to that wealth should it be considered ill-begotten? All this remains to be seen. I am not very enthusiastic as what has been reported as fines and sentences in the papers is a pittance when compared to the wealth amassed by various officials in this country. […] It is important; therefore, to understand how the law defines corruption, as when it was last attempted, the result was quite varied and officials suggested that concept is quite elastic; thus, rendering the definition and the law toothless.
Ease the pain
Panadol Extra is a new blogger who explains what got him interested in blogging:
Bookworm
Eyad tells us that he is an obsessive person, who has had a number of addictions over the years. In the first of a series which will describe each in turn, he describes his early addiction to reading:
My first addiction was long before High school, it started with reading, I was three or four years old when my parents started feeding me with books, I didn’t read about politics and rocket science when I was 4 but I had tons and tons of the baby books, then when I started to read properly my father begun to surprise me with new books every month, until the day came and discovered my aunts stash of every issue of “Majalat Majed”, Majed Magazine , at the time I didn’t start going to formal school, I use to go to Al-Bahrain Day time Nursery, and had a goal set of reading all the magazines before I go to school, I wasn’t that ambitious as a kid for the record, I was just a stubborn child who wants to proof to his youngest aunt who was 5 years older than me, that I can read as many magazines as she did in 2 years, hahah I think it was the best challenge I ever had.
I had daily access to the wooden shack in the back yard where the dusty boxes of Majalt Majed were stored, in the beginning it took me a whole day to read the magazine, and my day was from 1 am until the sun sets, in a few weeks I was eating those pages like an African wood worm, and I decided to read the weekly magazine every Wednesday so she doesn’t get an edge on me, it was a very informative year, Majalat Majed back in the day was amazing, it had topics ranging from coloring, short stories, series stories, history, 101 politics to Islam and general information, and for a kid, it looked like a game, the more I did it, the better I got.
Look – and touch
Shaima Al Watani writes about creative thinking, and the shortcomings of teaching theories with no practical work included. She refers to a story about an Egyptian graduate who despite his knowledge of physics could not assemble a simple electrical circuit:
وللأسف فإن نقطة فضول الطفل وشغفه للمس مسألة مهملة وغير مستغلة في عالمنا العربي أبداً، رغم أن جميع الدراسات التي أجريت لحياة العلماء والعباقرة تؤكد أن ابداعهم لم يكن ليظهر لولا فضول اللمس وتحريك الأصابع، فالعالم داروين على سبيل المثال كان يقضي الوقت الطويل متنقلاً بين المروج ليصطاد الحشرات ويتابع الطيور ولولا الطبيعة الحرة التي قامت بتغذية خياله لما ظهر لنا كتابه ”أصل الأنواع”.
Unfortunately a child’s curiosity and his or her passion for exploring is a disregarded matter, and is not utilised at all in the Arab world. This is despite the fact that all the studies that have been conducted on the lives of educated and creative people confirm that creativity only shows itself when there is the curiosity to touch and to use the fingers. The scholar Darwin is an example, he spent a long time travelling over the waves to catch insects and follow birds, and if it weren’t for the free nature that nurtured his imagination then ‘The Origin of Species’ wouldn’t have appeared.
All for appearance
I'll Have One of Those has something to say about materialistic thinking:
Today, I have chosen to write on the phenomenon that is the superficiality of the Arab. Those who may or may not have the means to practice what I call art of “showing off”. Why does the average gulf Arab feel the need to prove him/herself via materialism? I don't think I will ever be able to understand this. This feature is one thing Arabs have in common with rich African Americans; the need to flaunt your wealth for all to see, using yourself and any form of everyday item as a billboard or testament to your wealth. […] The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine.
She said, “I just have to have this bag!”…and I said, “but that costs $3000″
“Yeah, I don't care, it was in vogue, and there's a picture of Lindsay Lohan carrying it in Hello”At this point, all I could think was “How very sad you are darling, very sad indeed”….But if it weren't for people like her, designers would starve just like any other artist….
Farah Mattar is certainly taking care of her appearance:
I went to the salon the other day to get a long overdue color and haircut session. My hair had become sadly mop-like. Not the kind of mop leaning against your kitchen wall, but the kind that was tossed out with yesterday’s dinner, and had been chewed on diligently by cats. While my misshapen head was busy with the work-gym-home routine, I had forgotten about a woman’s need to maintain her hair, and the wonders that it does for the soul. It’s true. It really brings you back to life.
To read Farah's hilarious impressions of the other customers in the salon, see here.
More from Bahrain next week…
Japan: Pulling the Strings
Politics in Japan is not without its drama, as events of the last week [ja] amply demonstrate.
The ruckus started on Friday, when Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) met with Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ozawa Ichiro to discuss ways to resolve differences over Diet proceedings, deadlocked since the recent Upper House elections. The temptation to find common cause in a difficult political situation led party leaders to propose the formation of an LDP/DJP “grand coalition“, an idea which Ozawa's party — and, as it turns out, a majority of the general public — would have none of. The plan was thus scrapped, prompting Ozawa, in the spirit of his nickname and to the great consternation of the party faithful, to offer his resignation, taking the opportunity in the process to trash his own party. Turmoil followed, some contemplating the end of an era, but eventually Ozawa was back in the seat again, eating his words, and talk of a grand coalition returned to the backrooms [ja].
Ozawa the “Destroyer” (photo by nofrills)
Ozawa vs. Yomiuri/Nabetsune
Not quite as widely covered (at least in English) as the aftermath of the coalition negotiations was the story of the mediator in the deal-to-be, Yomiuri Shimbun editor-in-chief Watanabe Tsuneo (a.k.a Nabetsune), head of the newspaper with the largest circulation in the world and recipient of this year's Media Person of the Year Award. While he celebrated his award, some bloggers wondered about what Japan's largest media baron was doing facilitating a backroom deal [ja] between the country's two largest political parties. Was it just a coincidence that coverage differed so much between major newspapers?
Blogger pgn62934 reflects on the need for neutrality in news coverage:
今回の小沢騒動で一番驚いたのが、大連立を仕掛けた張本人があのナベツネだったことである。ほろ酔い機嫌で記者団に囲まれて、フロ野球に苦言を呈していたナベツネさんが政界にも影響力を持っていたことである。政界の人材不足露呈した形だが、連携した政界人が大勲位の中曽根元首相や自称キングメーカーの森元首相だったことも、政界の老害を示した。
ナヘツネが現役の主筆を勤める読売新聞は世界一の発行部数を誇っているが、押し込み販売などの世間の評価は高くない。ナベツネは今でも社説の骨子を書いていると言われ、社内では独裁体制を取っている。８０才代のロートルに社内を牛耳られているのは、余程読売には人材がいないようだ。今テレビで活躍しているコメンテーターに１人も読売出身者がいないのは偶然だろうか
メディアの中立性が要求される今、メディア内部から批判の声が挙がらないのは異様である。
Blogger JJ8KGZ, meanwhile, complains about the one-sided coverage of Yomiuri Shimbun:
一番嫌いな新聞は読売新聞。 今回の事で国民に、読者に謝罪しなければならない事があるんじゃないのかな〜。 ナベツネさんはもうそろそろ引っ込んで欲しいな。元共産党員の辣腕ジャーナリストが何であんな強欲爺さんになっちゃったんだろ？ ニッポン放送も今回の件で御用メディア振りを大いに発揮してくれた。読売テレビの解説員の辛坊治郎の顔はもう見たくもない。フジテレビもあれだけ民主党を非難しておいて、小沢氏が抗議したら翌日の「トクダネ」で、解説者が見苦しい言い訳をしていた。30分番組の内の15分がコマーシャルっていうのもフジテレビの特徴。今度ストップウォッチを手にして図ってみてください。
Blogger Blue Journal, finally, discusses more generally the place of media in society:
取材する側と取材される側には一定の距離が必要である。それは互いの守備範囲の違いもあるが、そもそも意識が違う。どっちがどうというのではない。取材する側が本当に相手にしているのは、目の前にいる誰かではなくて、自分の後ろにいる誰かだからだ。顔がどっちを向いているのかはともかく、心は後ろを向いているべきだ。自分の後ろにいる大勢の大衆こそ、ジャーナリズムが向き合わなければならないターゲットである。
ボクがどうして取材特権のようなものを持ち、新車に早く触れることができ、メーカーのクルマを乗っていられるのか？ それはボクの後ろにいる人たちを代表しているからに他ならない。そもそも何の国家資格があるわけでもなく、免許を持っているわけでもない。
[…]
ナベツネという人、読売新聞の渡辺恒雄という人が、政治家だったというのはだれもが知っていることだろうと思う。ただ彼は議員バッチを付けるわけでもなく、議員のカバン持ちをするわけでもない。新聞社という会社の中に言論人＝ジャーナリストとしての立場で、しかし政治家的意識を持って取り組んできたのだ。だから現在のような政治状況を憂い、大連立と呼ばれるようなウルトラＣを作り上げようというプランを押し進めようというのは、よくわかる。
わかるのではあるが、しかしそれは本来のジャーナリズムの方向性ではない。ジャーナリズムとは大衆の代わりに、代表して取材していく。その情報を当然流すわけだが、最終的な判断は大衆がするべきものだ。あくまで大衆の１代表でありつづけるべきであって、意識してアジテートしたりするべきではない。ましてや、その取材対象自体をコントロールしたりするのは、完全に違う。
China:The return of PetroChina
PetroChina, the oil company with the title “the most profitable enterprise in Asia”, finally returned to the stock market of mainland China (A-market) 7 years after its overseas exchange in New York and Hong Kong since 2000. People called it “the return of the king”, a landmark of the flourishing financial market of China.
On 5th, November, PetroChina debuted on the A-market. Before that, it had all but drained the market capital because nearly 3.3 trillion RMB swarmed to bid for the share. PetroChina soon hit the price of RMB48.60/share with its total market capitalization reaching over $1 trillion, nearly the 1/4 of the whole market. This IPO brought PetroChina the greatest market value in the world, surpassing the total amount of Mobil and General Electric that followed it. Moreover, it’s also a one-hundred-percent success of the state-owned company itself, which raised a record-breaking US$8.9 billion from the listing.
Experts suggested this giant would definitely further affected China stock market, which since 2006 has entered the age of bull market. The flourishing market has attracted millions more of Chinese people into the fanatic wealth-pursuit game. The number of stock investors might be over 80 million. Now, every stock holder in China can feel the uncertainty of the market’s next step since the index has reached its very high point after a year’s surging. Therefore, the IPO of the giant at the time invited numerous discussions.
Blogger Shuipi(水皮）felt pessimistic with PetroChina’s future performance and warned:
就目前市场这种言必称中石油的狂热，就3.3万亿资金打中石油新股的疯 狂，就人人都恨不得割肉去炒中石油的神经，中石油的股票等你能买上的时候，一定是套你的时候，或许中石油的开盘价就是最高价。
The market is now crazy about the PetroChina. Everyone talks about PetroChina;3.3 trillion RMB competed for PetroChina; people can't help but sell themselves to buy the share —— the day you manage to buy its share is the day you get bogged. Maybe the initial price is the highest price it can have.
Mengsheng(萌生）‘s comment has a touch of worry
蓝筹泡沫的破裂也是早晚的事，A股市场的平均市盈率70倍是难以支持接近6000点位置，只有下跌了风险降低了投资价值才能日益显现，再进一步的说下跌也是讲个方式的，不象某些评论家或者经济界的权威人士那样，动不动A股市场要崩溃了如何，这都是些极端的说法，再者说了管理层也不愿意看到这种情况，这就是一个度的问题了，回落到4000点完全是一个正常的股市阶段性调整，完了之后再继续牛市之路有何不可，罗马不是一天建成的
The bubble of blue chip is sure to break, later or sooner. The P/E ratio that is over 70 can hardly support the index nearly 6000. Not until the index fall can the real value of the stocks be seen and the risk be lowered. However, the index won’t fall in a way of crash so extremely as some predicted. The men in authority are not willing to see so, either. To go back to 4000 is absolutely acceptable as a periodic adjustment. And why not resuming the bull market again after that? Rome was not built in a day.
Xue Hanbo(薛汉波) thought those so-called experts are scratching their heads about the future as well:
有些股评专家认为中国的股票不算贵，认为 中国股市不存在泡沫(或者说泡沫不严重)，他们认为不能用正常的经济规律和财务分析来评判中国的股市，因为中国的股市具有中国特色，所以外国的专家是预测 不准的，好像世界上的经济学家对中国股市的分析和判断都是错误的，都是对中国有敌意的。他们可是市场经济的推动者，为什么到了关键时刻却又否认了市场经济 的正常规律。
Some experts suggested the shares in China are not expensive and there is no bubble (or not serious). They think people can’t employ the normal economics and financial methods to analyze Chinese economy because it has “Chinese characteristic”. It seems that all other foreign economists make the wrong judgments and have enmity. Though they impel the market economy, they deny the rule of it.
Besides the uncertainty shrouding the market, another focus is on that whether PetroChina is worth its great value on the paper and how it can maintain the prosperity. Is it gaining the wealth fairly?
Here is an excerption from Wikipedia:
“Although PetroChina is the most profitable company in Asia, this success is not the result of corporate management, but due to its duopoly on the wholesale and retail business of oil products with Sinopec in China.”
There is the same kind of voice from Chinese. Huashan Kanhai(华山看海）said:
中国石油的业绩靠的是中国大众的消费,油价的提升带动股价的提升,以得到自己市值炫耀,可悲!热钱进入,赚走谁的钱,中国股民? 巴菲特跑了,散户还这么不冷静.可见中石油不仅是虎,而且是个带有狐狸心机的漂亮的母虎.
PetroChina gained its profit by the benefit from Chinese citizens’ mass consumption and the rising oil price, so that it can flaunt the market value. Sigh! The hot money flowing into China has earned so much. From who? Chinese stock-holders ! Buffett has run away. Why don’t those retail investors calm down? PetroChina is not only a tiger but also a foxy and charming female tiger.
A netizen thought there is a conspiracy behind:
回想当年，我们看到有那么多股民被上市公司玩弄于掌股之上，痛苦挣扎在没有诚信，市盈率高企的国内股市。哪一只股票不是高溢价发行！在这痛苦的时候，我国的决策者们却将大批优质国企，甚至具有战略地位的垄断国企的股票（如中石油），以净资产价（1.28港元）卖给外国人。就我所知，当时凡是知道的中国股民无不痛心疾首，徒唤奈何！现在这种卖国，将使我国经济成长的成果长期持续大量瓜分外流，人民不能合理获得劳动财富，享受改革成果。这也是社会越来越不和谐的重要原因之一。这些决策者和主流经济学家们是国家的罪人.
For so many years many Chinese investors are toyed with by listed companies. No credibility, high P/E ratio and high premium. Though we have been being afflicted by these, the country nevertheless sold high-quality state-owned companies OVERSEAS, including PetroChina, the monopoly with strategic position. It is sold at the price of net assets (HKD 1.28) to the foreigners. As far as I know, every domestic investor is heart-struck then. The quislism like this makes our fruit of development outflow. That’s one of the reasons we can reach harmony——people can’t really enjoy the fruit of their effort. …… those who made decisions and those “main-stream” economists are criminals of our country!
Fu Yong(傅勇) kept a sense of crisis:
目前，埃克森美孚营业收入是中石油的四倍，而利润率只有中石油的1/2；显然，我们很难将中石油的这种盈利优势归结为其竞争力的体现。垄断通常与低效率相伴随，中石油在服务质量、社会形象、定价机制上尚有很多不尽如人意的地方。中石油“市值第一”的名号应该激起高度警觉和担忧，而不是弹冠相庆！
Presently, the Mobil earned 4 times more than PetroChina……we can’t attribute PetroChina’s advantage to its competence. ……monopoly comes with low efficiency. It has still more to improve on service, social reputation and price-deciding mechanism. The title “greatest market value” should bring us alert and anxiety, not a celebration!
The discussions around the “lord of the market” will go on. Up till now, PetroChina has finished its first week in A-market. After the high point of its debut, price of PetroChina immediately fell until Wednesday at 40 RMB. Then, it had a transient ascending, but soon fell again. Finally, it stayed at RMB38.18 on Friday, about 80 % of its initial price.
Where is and how is the future of Chinese financial market? Millions of investors are attentively staring at the computer screens and waiting anxiously for the next Monday. Can PetroChina give the answer?
Korea: Conflicts over Subway Seats
Young people respect old people. Old people take care of young people. That is one of the major traditional philosophies in East Asia. Regarding this perspective, excessive behavior is now bringing up questions about what the extent of the mannger between the elderly and young should be. Especially if you have a chance to use the subway in Korea, conflicts between young and old people toward seats that are not rare could be one representative example.
오늘 있었던 일입니다. 우선 상황은 제가 오늘 다리를 다쳐서 걸을 때마다 아프고 가만히 있을 때도 아려와서 한자리가 비어있었던 노약자석에 앉았습니다.
물론 다른 일반석은 자리가 없었던 상태이고 그냥 서서 한정거장정도 갔는데 아파서 할 수 없이 앉고 노약자분이 오시면 비키자는 생각에 앉았습니다.
옆의 두자리에는 여성 두 분이 앉아 계셨고 저는 노래를 들으면서 앉았는데 그 때 맞은 편에 서 있던 한 아저씨께서 “거기 왜 앉아? 으이구 영악하게 생겨가지고” 라며 말하는 것을 들었습니다. 처음에는 저한테 한 소리인지 노래를 듣고 있었던지라 잘 몰라서 이어폰을 빼고 보니 저에게 노약자석에 앉았다며 거긴 너 자리가 아닌데 왜 앉으냐면서 뭐라고 하셨던 겁니다. 그래서 저는 지금 여기는 비어있는 상태이고, 나도 다리를 다쳐서 아파서 앉은 것이며 노약자분이 오시면 당연히 비켜드릴 거라고 말했습니다. 그런데도 아저씨께서는 너가 거기를 왜 앉으냐며 거기는 너자리가 아니라고, 지금 여기 힘들고 아픈 사람이 한 둘이냐, 나도 아파서 병원갔다왔다며 저에게 계속 따지셨습니다…. ! 그리고 아저씨가 이런 말도 했었죠. 너가 임산부냐, 임신하고 와서 앉아라.
저도 예전에는 아무리 힘들어도 노약자석에는 절대 앉지 않았습니다(노약자는 젊은 사람이 아니라 생각했고, 예전에 박카스CF의 영향으로) 하지만 지금은 힘들면 앉고 노약자분들이 오시면 당연히 비키는 것이 융통성 있는 행동이라고 생각합니다. 왜냐하면 노약자석은 나이와 상관없이 자신보다 약자인 노인분들과 임산부, 몸이 불편한 장애인들을 위한 자리이지 젊은 사람들은 절대 앉아서는 안될 자리가 아니기 때문입니다.
제가 이렇게 생각하는 것이 잘못된건가요?
I never sat on the seat for the elderly before, but now I think if you feel tired, you can sit. When the elderly come, you can give the seat to her (or him). The seats for the elderly and weak mean those for the elderly, pregnant women, and handicapped. They don’t mean the seats that young people shouldn’t sit in.
Am I wrong?
Anyone who has taken the subway in Seoul understands these conflicts. It’s no surprise, then, that a lively debate has formed around the issue of the special seats. One netizen questions the meaning of the noyakja-seok (seats for the elderly and weak).
‘노약자석' 의 문제로 이런 저런 글들이 많이 올라오고 있기에 찬찬히 읽어보았습니다.그런데 과연 ‘노약자석'이 필요한 걸까요? 저는 글들을 읽고 이런 생각이 들었습니다.제가 생각하고 있는 ‘노약자석'의 이용자의 폭은 아주 넓습니다.
老 노인 노
弱 약할 약
者席 사람 자, 자리 석말그대로 나이드신 분과 약한 사람들을 위한 자리입니다. 흔히 생각하는 할아버지 할머니들의 자리만이 아니라, 아직은 모든 것이 신기할 때인 어린아이들도 그 대상에 당연히 들어갑니다. 그 아이들도 아직 부모의 힘 없이는 살 수 없는 이 사회의 ‘약자'들이니까요. 그리고 또한 환자들 또한 그 대상에 들어갑니다. 예외적으로는 여성들의 경우도 임산부가 거기에 들어가겠지요. 하지만, 많은 사람들이 이러한 생각은 가지고 있습니다. 노약자석은 어른들만을 위한 자석이라 젊은 것들이 앉아서는 안된다. 그건 용납할 수 없는 일이다! 이렇게 생각하는 모양입니다.
그러나 제가 생각하는 문제는 여기가 끝이 아닙니다. 일반석까지 위협당하고 있습니다.나이가 지위라도 되는 듯, 버스자리는 무조건 양보받아야된다 생각하시는 분들이 계시는 것을 보면 말입니다.
자랑은 아니지만 저도 많은 자리들은 양보해보았습니다. 학생이니까 대중교통을 많이 이용해 본 사람은 다 그렇겠지요, 노약자석은 앉지는 않지만 버스나 지하철을 이용할 때가 많으니 적어도 수십번 정도는 일반석을 양보했을 거라고 생각합니다. 거의다 노인분들이었지만, 아기를 업은 아주머니한테 양보한 적도 있었고, 자리에 앉은 동생을 빤히 보고 있는 꼬마애한테 양보하기도 하고 다리다친 어떤 오빠한테도 양보하기도 하고 짐이 많은 어른에게 양보한 적도 있고, 내릴 차례가 멀지 않았으면 그냥 일어나서 젊은 아주머니에게도 양보한 적도 적지 않습니다. 하지만 양보하고도 불쾌한 일이 한 두번이 아니었습니다. 그래도 아주머니나 젊은 분들은 양보를 하면 “아이구 미안해서 어쩌지..” 하면서 미안하다는 듯이 앉지만, 나이 드는 할머니, 할아버지들 중 3분에 1이상은 그 것이 당연하다는 듯한 태도였습니다. “자리 앉으세요” 이 말이 떨어지기가 무섭게 자리에 앉아서 “학생 고마워” 이 말 한마디 없이 할머니들끼리 수다에 열중합니다. 더군다나 제가 앉은 자리는 노약자석도 아닌 일반석 기분은 좀 상하지만 그래도 연장자니까 참은 적이 한 두번이 아닙니다. 양보는 의무가 아니라 ‘성의'인데 말입니다…
물론 대중교통을 타다보면 젊은 사람이 양보를 안하는 경우도 있고, 양보하라고 윽박지르는 사람도 있습니다. 하지만, 조금은 반대로 생각해 보는 것이 어떤가요? 양보를 많이 하는 사람도 많이 있고, 그 사람들도 아플 수도 있습니다. 버스좌석은 어른들만의 개인석이 아닙니다. 편의를 위해 만들어진 그저 그런 의자일 뿐입니다. 그 곳엔 누구나 앉을 수 있는 겁니다. 건방진 소년이 앉을 수 있고, 착한 여자애가 앉을 수도 있고, 다리 아픈 청년이 앉을 수도 있고, 산모가 앉을 수도 있고, 할머니가 앉을 수도 있는 거지요. 제가 앉아서 갈 수 있는 그런 거 보단 조금씩은 서로를 이해하고 자진해서 양보를 할 수 있고, 아픈 사람이 편하게 이용할 수 있는 곳이 되었으면 좋겠습니다.
The range of users for the seats for the elderly and weak (No-yak-ja) is wide.
No (elderly)
Yak (weak)
Ja (people)
It literally means the seats for the elderly and weak. It’s not just for grandfathers and grandmothers, but children can be included as well because they are ‘the weak’ who need parents’ helps. Patients and pregnant women will be included. But a lot of people think like this. The seats for the elderly and weak are for adults, not for young people. It’s not acceptable! They think like like this.
But it is not the end of the problem. General seats are even threatened. Like age is status, there are people who get seats without any conditions.
I offered my seats so many times. I don’t sit in the section for the elderly and the weak. When I sit down in the general seat, I concede to old people, women having babies, children, a man hurting a leg, adults having lots of carriages, and even to a young married woman. But after doing this kindness, there are many times to be not happy. Some people reply, “Oh… I apologize for it” and sit down. More then one third of old people treat it as normal. Once I say, “Please sit here,” they just sit without saying “thanks” and do their own jobs. Concession is not a duty, but sincerity….
Of course if you use public transportation, you will see young people who don’t offer the seats and people who shout at being offered the seat. But what do you think of the opposite way? There are many people who offer the seats and there are people who are sick. Seats are not just for adults. They are made for the convenience. Anyone can sit there. Arrogant boys, nice girls, young people having a painful leg, pregnant women, and old ladies can sit. I hope that sick people can conveniently use those seats, and people can understand each other and are willing to offer up their seats.
A netizen has a different opinion compared to others.
우선 님의 글에서 노약자 석에 앉아 있다가 노약자 분이 오시면 비켜드리는 융통성에 대해 말씀하셨는데 저는 그렇게 생각하지 않습니다
버스의 노약자석과 달리 지하철은 노약자 전용 좌석을 구분지어서 만들어놨습니다.원칙적으로 노약자들만 앉게 하자는 일종의 규약이죠. 그곳에 노약자가 아닌 사람이 앉아있다가 비켜줘도 무방하지 않느냐란 의견도 일견 타당해 보이지만, 제가 동의하지 않는 이유는 다음과 같습니다.
올해 30인 제가 어렸을 때만 해도 할머니 할아버지께 자리를 양보해 드리는 건 당연한 것으로 여겼었는데.. 해가 갈 수록 사람들이 바쁘고 피곤하게 살게 되면서 잘 지켜지지 않는 경우가 많아지더군요.
사람의 마음이 간사한 것이(물론 다 그렇다는 것은 아닙니다) 앉게 되면 그 편안함에 취해 막상 노인 분이 내 시야에 들어와도 선뜻 양보하기가 쉽지 않게 될 수 있습니다. 또한 양보하는 젊은이들을 별로 본 적 없는 노인은 오히려 노약자석에 젊은 사람이 앉아있는 것을 보고 으레히 양보하지 않겠구나 생각할 가능성도 있습니다. 제가 섣불리 판단하는 것이라 생각하시는 분이 있을 수 있겠지만,저는 노약자석에는 원칙적으로 앉지 않는 것이 옳바르다고 생각합니다.
Compared to the seats for the elderly and weak in the bus, the subway has a special section for them separately. Logically, it is the regulation that those people should sit in those seats.
Of course what you said makes sense, but there are reasons why I don’t agree.
I’m 30 now. When I was young, it was so natural to offer the seats to the elderly. But now people are busier and more tired, the attitude is getting weaker.
As you know, humans are cunning (I’m not saying everyone is like that). Enjoying feeling comfortable, when the elderly walks toward me, it’s not easy to give up the seat. Or, the elderly who haven’t seen a lot of young men who don’t offer the seats might think that the youngsters don’t intend to give up the seat.
Some people might think that I judge way too carelessly. But I think that not using the seat for the elderly and weak is right…
A netizen suggests a bigger hope that both sides can understand each other.
모두가 더불어 살아가는 삶이다 보니 이런일 저런일이 일어나는것 같다.조금씩 양보하고,또 이해하면서,그렇게 살아갓어면.나이가 들어간다는 것은 삶의 이용을 더더욱 많이하여 젊은이보다 아는 것이 더 많다는 증거인데,어른답지 못한 행동을 하는 간혹 몇몇의 노병들이 우리를 슬프게 하고,때론 혈기가 넘치는 젊은이들이 또한 우리를 슬프게 하는것 같다….나도 예전에 첫아이를 임신하고 버스를 탓는데,어떤 사람이 일어나라 하여 일어낫더니,나의 배를 보고 깜짝 놀라면 다시 앉어라 햇지만,결국은 자리를 양보햇다.젊다는 이유로 ,,,그런데 지금도 나는 대중차를 이용하면 자리를 잘 비껴 준다,노인들이 타면,빤히 보고 안일어나는 젊은이도 그렇지만,비껴줘도 목례도 없이 당연한듯 앉는 사람들도 좀 얌체같아 보인다.,이것 역시 자기들의 역활은 하지않고,자기들의 편의만 좇는 사람들의 이기심이 아닐까싶다. ….우리 다같이 역지사지의 마음으로 이해하면서 그렇게 살아가는 사회가 되엇어면 합니다.
Philippines: CokskiBlue leads Filipinos in vlogging
CokskiBlue is a whiff of fresh air in the Philippine blogosphere, and features videos, vlogs and vodcasts.
Here's the very first vlog post:
Links for Sat, 2007-11
Kenyan Pundit links to a video on YouTube about call centers in Kenya: “Bitange Ndemo and Nesbitt of Kencall are featured. Click here to watch”
The Armenia Election Monitor 2008 reports that as expected, the ruling Republican party has nominated the prime minister as their candidate for the presidential election to be held on 19 February 2008 in Armenia.
While you are getting your shoes cleaned in Tanzania, you may as well make a phone call: “The telecommunication leader in Tanzania Vodacom, is leveraging the network of professional shoe shiners dispatched throughout the city.”
Do people have fun in Africa?: “Using a simple search method at the New York Times, the terms “AIDS” + “Africa” brought back 250 stories published in the past year. What I didn’t say was that searching the terms “Africa” + “fun” returned 91 hits.”
Quoting news sources, TOL Georgia says that one protestor has died as a result of last week's clash between opposition supporters and Georgian police in Tbilisi.
Resistance Georgia points the finger at the Deputy Chair of Parliamentary Defence Committee for masterminding last week's suppression and violent dispersal of an opposition protest in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Incidentally, the anti-Saakashvili blog by human rights lawyer Anna Dolidze has also been quoted by the New York Times.
News24.com has become the first South African website with one million users per month: “My marketing team at 24.com are going to think that I am naughty to scoop our own press release but I could not resist. It is such a proud moment. NEWS24.com last week became the FIRST EVER South African website to achieve 1 000 000 South African unique browsers in a calendar month.”
Lúcia Hipólito [pt] amasses dozens of comments in a post to remember the anniversary the Brazilian coup d'etat: “In November 10, 1937, exactly 70 years ago, the President Getúlio Vargas, came to power via a coup d'etat, supported by the Army, and established in Brazil one of the saddest chapters of its history: the fascist Estado Novo dictatorship, which lasted from from 1937 to 1945″.
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