Heightened suspense
I've been stuporously languid in recent weeks, attempting to sort out that more permanent family posting here by way of occupation and tending to Dani while mommy's out of home. From amid the half-productive languor, I've at least this strident determination to make, that Dani's Chinese name be 'Qing4 Ling2' (庆龄). Yes, her namesake being that second (in geneology but indubitable first in stature) Soong sister who went on to change an entire nation even after her husband, for better or worse. For after all, my own blood sister's already Mei3 Ling2, that other historical Soong sister that abetted the Generalissimo CKS in founding the other China.
The wave of democratic indignation convulsing (the media can't possibly under-prostitute themselves with this verb) the Middle East and North Africa was given its own full shrift in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem exactly a week ago on 6 August 2011. In the Israeli subscript, the younger generation (largely 20s-30s) thronged Kaplan Street and Kikar HaBima (in the absence of Kikar Rabin now undergoing massively...cosmetic rehabilitation) only to yammer equally languid and vague slogans against unaffordable housing and the Great Israeli Economic Malaise in broad lines (rising living costs pacman-ing out stagnating real wages), now given tailwind by cognate events in the Eurozone and sinking American sovereign debt. Just under 350,000 people in both cities turned out on the streets, far beyond expectations, matching the last great street demonstrations in 1995 following Rabin's assassination by Yigal-eyed Amir. Many countries west of Asia like those east of it are barrel-lurching towards the right, towards the xenophobic anti-immigrant right, and Israel's no exception. The Israeli Left may no longer be any sort of coherent force to reckon with because genuine peace is no longer exciting nor fashionable, but a sizeable bulk of the ex-Soviet and in particular Russian-complexioned constituencies have decided that this polity should be managed just like post-Soviet Russia, with two strong iron and knuckledustered fists.
With 4-5 delicate months before we move into our new apartment farther out in the subs, we've still got the designing and decking out of parts to look at and of course, the incoming furniture! In the meantime, I've been stopped, approached and propositioned towards various businesses, brokering, stones and even acting.
Can there be a greater obstacle to ambition than full-bodied inertia?