Wow, what a week.
Sitting here eating some chicken rice, which is surprisingly good, and just finished watching Bill Maher; thanks to Relevant Rhino ( http://www.dailykos.com/... ). Just wanted to give a quick update from Singapore about how things look from outside. Kind of part 2 of http://www.dailykos.com/...
I’m was sitting at my desk with my laptop streaming MSNBC through my headphones listening to Keith, Chris and David talk about the electoral votes when they call Pennsylvania for Obama. The feeling can only be described as hearing the lottery numbers being called off and they just called the next to last one you need. Your heart is racing and you can’t turn away, you want them to call that last number you need to win big. Ohio represents the last number and I’m on the edge of my seat. (Of course no work is getting done.) But you know McCain can’t win without Pennsylvania so you are just as excited as if they called the last number. Then bam! They call Ohio for Obama. I threw my hands in the air and then quickly saved myself by pretending I was stretching. That was close, didn’t want to look like the crazy guy from America.
Then the polls close in California and my favorite person on MSNBC, Keith gets the honor of calling it for Obama. I hear a loud "YES!" coming from other side of the floor. I guess I wasn’t the only Obama supporter in the office.
I get calls from friends and coworkers back in SF about the win. We talk about how great it is and how I’m missing the party in SF. My wife calls and tells me that people are setting off fireworks on our block in Castro Valley. My first response is, really?.. In Castro Valley? Wow, we get the rodeo through town once a year and I’ve had my Obama sings stolen so I wasn’t expecting fireworks.
The day goes by in a blur. The office is a buzz with people talking about Obama winning. Most are Chinese, Indian and Philippines and one Australian and one Brit. The manager of the Singapore office told me that this is the first time he has ever voted and he actually went to the American consulate to vote for Obama. How’s that for dedication? And here I was getting annoyed for having to put stamps on the envelope for the absentee ballots.
So anyway, it’s time to head home so I grab a cab. The cab driver is an old quiet and grumpy looking guy so just for kicks I say, "did you hear Obama won"? Man the guy just lit up. His quick broken English was hard for me to understand but it was clear as soon as he said, "very good very good, Obama win. You happy Obama win?" "Very happy", I say.
That evening on the news, it’s nothing but Obama all night long. Videos of parties everywhere, I’m reading Dkos, Demunderground, Huffingtonpost, and MSNBC. (Can you tell I’m not a republican?)
I’m a little burnt out at this point so I head down the street to pick up some food. (Makan Place on River Valley Road has something called Chicken Masala Murtabak. It’s pretty good; try it if you ever get the chance.)
As I’m heading there, I smile a little more, nod my head and say hi here and there and everyone responds with eye contact, a head nod and smile. I see a couple sitting at a table reading the lonely planet Singapore guide and as the guy looks up, I nod and say hi and he says hi, the lady looks up and smiles and looks back at the book and I kept walking. The world looks different; people aren’t as bad as I’ve thought all these years. I must be waking up.