Election Minutiae
Shanghai is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard. The election parties I was missing in New York occurred at the same time as our Chinese Economy class 9 AM - 12 PM November 5th. Throughout the class, half the laptop had election websites up a we followed the counts coming in. Obama was heavy in the lead as we went to lunch. At 12:40 I checked my computer to read about McCain conceding. Hi-fives followed.
Both as a Democrat and as somebody living outside the states I am excited about Obama. It' a strong signal to the rest of the world that many Americans are just as unhappy about Bush as they are. It's also nice that its not another white guy.
I am a little bit offended, though that this should result in better treatment of us as individuals. I do not condone the former-I'm-Canadian-set's excitement over now longer having to be ashamed to be an American. We as individuals did not change on November 4th. Our country - yes. But I am no different between Monday and today and neither are the other American expats. The US is a democracy and while we vote to elect our leaders it is natural that a lot of us vote for the other guy and don't necessarily support all the policy decisions of the current administration. I don't think we should be OK being judged as individual on the basis of who our president is.
Above rant inspired by:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081105/world/an_american_abroad_1
Last night at a nightclub here in Shanghai the DJ interrupted a song with a loud "Barrack Obama" and many cheers went up. It was interesting to see how how much our election resonates all over the world. That was the extent of it though - no parties in the street or anything of that sort.
Both as a Democrat and as somebody living outside the states I am excited about Obama. It' a strong signal to the rest of the world that many Americans are just as unhappy about Bush as they are. It's also nice that its not another white guy.
I am a little bit offended, though that this should result in better treatment of us as individuals. I do not condone the former-I'm-Canadian-set's excitement over now longer having to be ashamed to be an American. We as individuals did not change on November 4th. Our country - yes. But I am no different between Monday and today and neither are the other American expats. The US is a democracy and while we vote to elect our leaders it is natural that a lot of us vote for the other guy and don't necessarily support all the policy decisions of the current administration. I don't think we should be OK being judged as individual on the basis of who our president is.
Above rant inspired by:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081105/world/an_american_abroad_1
Last night at a nightclub here in Shanghai the DJ interrupted a song with a loud "Barrack Obama" and many cheers went up. It was interesting to see how how much our election resonates all over the world. That was the extent of it though - no parties in the street or anything of that sort.