Day 5: A day to remember - hype, labour pain, yeast infection, tea party and a moment of borrowed pride

 

Picture above: The ginormous “mini” bus that takes us around the city for our meetings.

HYPE HYPE HOORAY

Kristin, looking slightly concerned, asked everyone on the bus ride today, “Is everyone ok? I’ve noticed that some of you look a little bit under the weather.” She was referring to Dil and I  who have been trying hard to muffle our coughs during several meeting sessions today.

I may be physically under the weather but my spirit soars far above the Metro stations. Today is one of those days that reminds me of the reasons why I should still believe in humanity. Today is a day when my heart flutters in its attempt to tell me that I’m happy to be living this moment.

We had a series of eventful and interesting meetings from 9am to 4:30pm and it culminated in a high note when we finished the day with a night tour of the White House. The icing on the cake was fresh, delectable and sweet.

Picture above: Mozelle Thompson reminds the delegates that it’s important to manage one’s hotness on Facebook. Laura Burton Capps looks on amusingly.

We first met up with Laura Burton Capps and Mozelle W. Thompson who talked about traditional  and new media strategies for a successful political campaign.

Laura has spent 15 years developing strategic communications and issue advocacy campaigns for former President Bill Clinton, late Senator Edward Kennedy, former Senator John Kerry and other notable academic and non-profit organisations.

Mozelle is on the Advisory Board of Facebook and CEO of Thompson Strategic Consulting. He provides legal and policy advice to technology companies and was a Team Leader of the Obama/Biden Transition where he led the review of the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Both presented very compelling arguments on the strengths and importance of traditional and modern media respectively but they also mutually concluded that for a campaign to be truly successful, both methods should always be adopted to complement each other.

Mozelle aptly calls the Facebook phenomenon as “a book club on steroid”. He described the effectiveness of Facebook as a campaign tool by giving an example that someone is likely to be more inclined to buy a Ford if he finds out on Facebook that his cousin has bought one.

He also imparted his wisdom on how to handle bad press/publicity. “The thing with owning a Facebook page or a blog is this, you’ll have to expect people to disagree or criticise you on your page or blog. But do you try to censure or remove these criticisms? Of course not cause here’s the thing. You can remove the comments, but that doesn’t mean they stop criticising you. You need to confront it because it will also provide you with an opportunity to rebut and to replace the bad with good publicity.”

LABOUR PAIN

Picture above: Left – Chuck Rocha and Jun Kim sharing their “union” stories. Right: Dil with the beautiful Anna Durett. Notice what she has on her dress?

We quickly moved on to our next meeting with people from the Communications Workers of America (CWA). CWA is the largest telecommunications union in the world. We were addressed by a charismatic Chuck Rocha and his amiable and down-to-earth colleagues, Jun Kim and Anna Durrett. Chuck’s introduction was  personal, human and inspiring. He shared the story of how he climbed from the bottom of a worker’s ladder to being a union leader and an effective activist for labour rights.

What was interesting about this session is how the whole argument about civil and political rights being as equally important and inter-connected with economic, social and cultural rights (the so-called “third-world rights”) can be personified in the role of a trade union. Chuck said that the sole purpose of a trade union is to defend and promote economic rights and security of workers and one of the most effective measures is to lobby for workers’ rights through legislative change.

Picture above: Denise Ferriozi sharing a light moment with some of the delegates.

A VERY GOOD KIND OF YEAST INFECTION

We then met Denise Ferriozi, Director of Women Vote! of the Emily’s List. The acronym Emily stands for Early Money is Like Yeast, signifying the yeast’s role in raising the dough.  EMILY's List is a political action committee (PAC) in the United States that aims to help elect progressive female candidates who are pro-choice to office.

I was curious to find out whether the organisation would support a female homosexual candidate and Denise affirmed that they had in fact helped Tammy Balwin to become the first openly gay woman elected to Congress in America. Here’s an interesting video promo by Emily’s List.

A TEA PARTY, ANYONE?

Our last meeting was with Phil Kerpen, Vice-President for Americans for Prosperity (a name which should never be confused for a Chinese-American movement). He shared a lot about the philosophies behind the tea party movement and surprisingly it makes a lot of sense to have what they call an “outside organisation” which plays an important role in American politics. For instance, this group is neither Republican nor Democrat and I personally see them as being in the middle. Although it was not specifically mentioned, I believe that they generally call for the decentralisation of federal government, oppose increased taxation in order to increase welfare and their main drive is to maintain the economic prosperity of hardworking Americans.

A MOMENT OF BORROWED PRIDE

Top left: Everyone in great anticipation at the entrance of the White House waiting for security clearance. Top right: At the Press Briefing room where the President delivers his press statements. Bottom: Araz  at the far left and Lindsay at the far right.

Unlike 10 Downing Street, the White House is probably one of the most iconic landmarks in the history of cinema and television drama. Although I have not watched The West Wing (which I should), I can just about imagine the thrill, honour, responsibility and glory of being in the White House. After all, most major foreign policies, whether good or bad, are being deliberated there.

When I first stepped into the White House, it felt as if I was stepping into Tengku Razaleigh’s office and resident in Kuala Lumpur; which for some bizarre reason, emulates the White House. It was a feeling of indifference. It wasn’t until when I saw the generically framed photographs capturing the daily life of President Obama lining every corner of White House walls, that I began to feel a sudden rush of pride and greatness. Being Malaysian, it was indeed a bizarre feeling and I felt guilty almost instantaneously.

As I walked along with the other ACYPL delegates, I tried to understand why being in the White House has touched me that much and these are my conclusions. As a stranger to this country, I was able to feel that sense of pride and honour as any average American would feel because the photos show a regular human being who shares an extraordinary and inspiring story. Barack Obama was a regular  man who tenaciously fought his way up to become the first African-American President. It is clearly a powerful human story and the photos depict him not only as a President but also a husband, father, son and man, help strangers like me to connect with him. (You can view the photos here)

I also think there is another possible contributing factor. To me, Lindsay Mueller and Araz, the two officers who gave us the tour, are the two best people the White House could have as “ambassadors”. It was extremely telling that they were both zealous, proud and honoured to work there. Lindsay spoke about the President, the incoming Chief of Staff, the “jumbo” (photographs) and even the infamous Colonnade with such affection and love that I feel almost envious of her.

Today is definitely one of the highlights of this trip. It almost reminded me of the day when I went to the Gandhi Smitri Museum in New Delhi quite a few years back. I went in feeling indifferent but came out inspired to be a better person for humankind. The people I met today taught me that being good at what they do is ultimately what makes the difference and change.

 

The day Michael Jackson died

The recent demise of the King of Pop sent shockwaves throughout the entire world. I couldn’t believe it myself. I was woken up by a friend’s SMS on Friday morning with the words, “Michael Jackson is dead.” In my grogginess, I thought it was some kind of a joke (this friend has a knack of waking me up early in the morning with her SMS, knowing fully well that I’m not a morning person at all).

But seriously, not to be disrespectful or anything, someone as big as MJ is bound to get into some kind of trouble when it comes to their mortality. Look at Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon and Bruce Lee. I just didn’t think that MJ would die of a cardiac arrest. Even Lady D’s death was more dramatic than the guy who had created all sorts of controversy throughout most parts of his life.

You would think that growing up with MJ’s songs would leave me with extreme fondness and sentiments upon hearing his death. Strangely enough, I felt a momentary sense of sadness and pity for the loss of a person’s life; just as I would feel for anyone. I think what had really aroused my curiosity and concern about his death was how his fans would cope with his departure, having remember the images of fans breaking down and crying whenever they saw him in concert. I remember feeling disturbed witnessing how a human being could be worshipped and idolized in that way.

On the day when all the international news channel were broadcasting the news of his death, my husband blurted out in frustration, “Why must he die in such a bad timing, dammit!”

You see, just before his death, the political riot in Iran was occupying most of the headlines. Just when all the international community was giving attention to the uprising of Iranian youths against the allegedly foul play in the recent Presidential election, it sort of sizzled off as soon as MJ died. What would appear as another landmark political revolution in Iran since 1979, suddenly didn’t seem quite as interesting as the death of the King of Pop.

The thought of writing a tribute to MJ never crossed my mind. I think his long period of silence in the past few years had sort of diluted the magnitude of his popularity and influence in the music industry. He became more of a source for gossip columns rather than his artistic ingenuity. The other thing is, I am not that teenager who wished she could dance like Michael Jackson in his Smooth Criminal video anymore and I have also lost touch with the entertainment industry for a long while now.

But when I read David Segal’s article After Michael Jackson, Fame May Never be the Same in The New York Times, I felt the need to write what I thought is untrue in regards to some of the things he wrote.

According to Segal, the main reason why there will never be another celebrity as big as MJ is due to the unlimited access to online internet sources; YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Before such technological advancement, Hollywood superstars had to rely on the Ed Sullivan Show and MTV to make an appearance to generate publicity. It was easier to compete with each other due to smaller and exclusive pool of celebrities. The path to stardom relied very much on how much air time you gained on these popular TV shows and naturally, not everyone was invited to make an appearance.

Now, literally anyone can upload videos on YouTube or write about any particular personality on blogs, making competition that much tougher. Any Tom, Dick or Harriet can generate publicity with just a click of a button on the keyboard and hey presto, news will travel from one corner of the earth to the next in a matter of seconds.

I agree with Segal that it will be extremely difficult to have someone as phenomenal as MJ and the fame he generated will never be the same again. However, I would rather attribute this to two main factors, other than what he claimed.

First of all, MJ became as big as he was simply because he had that something many other musicians didn’t. He persistently rose to fame since he was a child with the Jackson Five. He wasn’t one of those types who was a child star and then hit rock bottom at the same time as puberty. Neither was he the type whose popularity dropped as soon as he became a solo artist. His talent and if I may say so, personality, were much bigger than his other brothers or sisters, and perhaps even himself.

MJ could do almost anything as an entertainer (short of acting). He could write songs, sing, choreograph and dance and he did it better than almost anyone in the history of modern music. His music was not mundane or carried that safe monotonous signature tune most singers often stick to.

MJ managed to reinvent his musical style (well, that and his physical appearance) which made him a truly creative and innovative artist. He revolutionized pop culture for crying out loud! Many artists tried to copy his moon walk and crotch grabbing movements but those movements, HELLO! will always belong to Michael Jackson. Thus, he created an immortalized image for himself.

His music videos were just stunning and phenomenal. Unfortunately, I can’t comment about his concert since I didn’t have the privilege to see one but I can bet they were as equally, if not more, astounding.

His unique voice was another strength of his. He could sing a sentimental ballad which made your heart wants to cry out loud and at the same time, made your feet do involuntary crazy little movements you never thought you could when he rocked you with his upbeat tunes.

So, Mr. Segal, sorry to say this but MJ owed his fame to his unprecedented and extraordinary talent, unblemished and unchallenged by any other musicians of our time. I even reckon that if YouTube and Facebook have existed then, it would have made him even bigger, not smaller.

You could have posted anyone on YouTube and if he or she has the talent of William Hung, I don’t think the fame would have lasted more than a year, give or take. Unless an artist is able to come back again and again with even more extraordinary treats, none of these media tools would have helped.

The second factor is, Segal is right about the increasing competition in the entertainment world today. However, I don’t think the competition comes from the unlimited access to online social network tools. During the past few years, we have seen the production of countless numbers of competitive talent shows on American TV; American Idol, America’s Got Talent, America’s Next Top Model, etc. The popularity of these shows have grown so much that many other countries have started their own version.

So yeah, what has made showbiz more competitive now than ever before, is that almost anyone has an opportunity to become a star, if you have the right talent for it. YouTubes are handy when it comes to publicizing the talents of those who have won the hearts of viewers such as Adam Lambert and Susan Boyle. I have a friend who is completely in love with Lambert and has persistently posted dozens of videos of him on Facebook. People don’t just post someone on YouTube and expect others to take notice  unless that someone has something extraordinary to offer or has appeared in one of those talent shows.

Having said this, I still don’t think anyone could have achieved the kind of fame that Michael Jackson had, with the exceptions of a few rare ones; The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bruce Lee, Marilyn Monroe and my own personal pick, Madonna. What made these individuals truly unforgettable is how they have managed to win the hearts of the people, each in their own individual ways. It has nothing to do with the internet. I may see a certain someone with talent on my Facebook, but will it sustain my interest enough to want to see more of this person?

MJ was an identifying figure while I was growing up. Mom loved his Beat It and would rant on and on about it when she saw the video on TV. I was really scared when I watched his Thriller video when I was just nine years old and thought how crazy it was to have ghosts dancing like that on the streets.

Whose voice it was that strike your ears the most when you listen to We Are the World?  I loved dancing to the Jazz choreography of his song Billie Jean when I was taking my Jazz Dance examination at the age of 17.

We all talked about how bizarre he was when he got his skin tone altered and his facial features changed but yet were awe-stricken by his Black and White song and video. In university, we went crazy and synched our movements together when Blame It On the Boogie came on at the 70s and 80s music disco night. One of my housemates drove me insane when she kept playing You Are Not Alone over and over again.

Nobody could have made such a fantastic comeback again and again as MJ did. I bet that he would have successfully revived his career with that concert he was supposed to do before he died. Unfortunately he didn’t but I won’t be surprised if we continue to listen to his songs on the radio, TV and YouTube for many years to come. I’m only waiting to see whether my niece will one day come to me and asked, “Were you listening to Michael Jackson when you were younger?” as I have asked Mom about Elvis Presley.

Thanks to David Segal, I am able to see and understand why the world had mourned for someone like Michael Jackson on the day he died.

My encounter with an inspiring man in Timor Leste

It’s rare that I meet inspiring people despite the kind of work that I do. I’ve met some who are really intelligent, industrious, enterprising, wise, funny or kind, but not many are inspiring. I think they are like a needle in a haystack.

In 2001, I worked as a UN Volunteer for the first time in East Timor. I was working as a Civic Education Officer then. I was posted to the furthest eastern coastal district of Lautem.

I still hold the same belief that it’s the most  tranquil and heavenly place I’ve ever been to. Since then, no beaches I’ve seen have come close to the uncorrupted white sand and crystal clear blue water of the beaches in Los Palos, Tetuala and Jaco Island. It was also the first and only time when I had sighted a whale from a distance in the ocean.

Every few months, I would drive through five to six hours of unpaved roads alongside barren fields that seemed to last for an eternity, curvy, narrow and hazardous coastal cliff towards the capital, Dili, to attend trainings.

We had an Australian trainer, “KD”, who had been living in East Timor for quite some time. Words had it that he was previously a human rights activist in Australia, fighting for the Timorese’s rights way before the country became a sovereign state in 2002. So, he wasn’t just any trainer. He was a trainer with a deep cause.

KD’s method of training was rather unconventional. Since, we trained together with our Timorese counterpart, it was important that the session was conducted in 2 languages, sometimes 3; English, Tetum (official language of Timor Leste) or Bahasa Indonesia. It was equally important that these trainings took into account the level of education of our local friends. So, we engaged in a lot of group activities instead of sitting in a classroom, listening and taking notes.

Anyway, KD was the only staff who could switch from English to Tetum with such ease that it was rather surreal to watch. After that, it was just amusing looking at this white man clad in his usual T-shirt and knee-length khaki pants, speaking in a language which most of us could hardly get used to, what more mastered it.

Apart from that, he was extremely funny and witty. He was also the sort who was so down to earth that everyone warmed up to him quickly.

Our training sessions usually lasted for about three to four days. It was a time when all the district Civic Education teams got together to share experiences, brainstorm, draft action plans and receive new materials. Above all, it was a time to get to know each other and build team spirit. Every training session ended with a special lunch and dinner where everyone of us could just let our hair down and have some fun.

I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun and motivation while attending training sessions than the time I had spent in East Timor. Looking back, it was simply because KD was responsible for them.

I remember one day during one of these trainings, KD gathered us outside the training room. There were about thirty of us. Since it was held in a school, there was a big field just outside the classrooms and we were made to form a large circle. KD stood right in the middle of the circle.

He started doing all these silly movements and we were supposed to follow him. It was really funny to see all of us; different shades of black, brown, yellow and white of very different age range as well; wiggling, squatting, jumping and shaking all about. We all felt as giddy as kindergarteners and inevitably, roared with unrestrained laughter that when we finally trooped back into the room, we were filled with renewed energy and a huge dose of endorphins.

That was KD for you. He was never too proud to make a fool of himself and hence, we were never intimidated by him, just admiration and respect. He’s just like that; whether as a trainer or an individual.

He was the one who opened up my mind about how fun training can be, even if it’s for adults. He taught me how to engage people, explore different methods on adult-learning, using games and activities to awake the participants’ senses and to build team spirit. Learning isn’t the only important thing; sharing and bonding are as well.

Sometimes, KD would go on trips to visit all the Civic Education Officers stationed at the districts just to provide additional support or guidance for our activities. Once, when he came to Lautem to visit. I went to welcome him as he stepped out from his white four-wheel drive Tata, grinning from ear to ear. He has a narrow gap between his two upper front molars which made him looked goofy when he smiled. We hugged each other and he brought me chocolates!

We had a lovely time when he stayed over albeit it being a short trip. I took him for a short drive around Los Palos and it was pleasant looking at him talking to the locals amiably along the way. He even made them laughed but not before shocking them first with his fluency in Tetum.

The last time I saw KD was when he visited me in Kuala Lumpur nearly seven years ago. I usually don’t receive foreign guests when I’m home; not because I don’t want to but I’m rather shy and uncomfortable meeting people whom I haven’t seen for quite some time. I made an exception for KD because he was different from many people I’ve met. There was no air or pretention in him and he had this special knack of putting people at ease.

I’ve lost contact with him since then even though I’ve tried to get in touch with him through some mutual people we know. At some stage, he was offered a transitional justice position in Afghanistan with the UN but decided to work in Nepal instead, much to my disappointment as I was still in Afghanistan at that time.

I recently googled him and he is apparently back in Timor Leste, working as the UN’s Spokesperson. He was speaking to ABC Radio Australia on the handing over of police forces to the local authorities in Lautem, the first district in Timor Leste to have such ownership. It is strange to read about him and Lautem, the place which has linked us together.

There are people who make policies and there are those who really make a difference. KD is the second type and this is what makes him truly inspiring.