Day 13?!: North Korea, faith, and Brazilian food

Have I been here 13 days already? Absurd :)

First thing on my mind: North Korea. They just launched what experts call the Taepodong 2, or a long-range ballistic missile that could possibly reach Hawaii and Alaska. It failed, landing in the Pacific Ocean, but the implication is another nuisance that should be seriously checked. Kim Jong Il is transitioning his power, likely very soon. What's more important is that UN resolutions will not accomplish much if the U.S. can't get the North back on the table for the six-party talks. Japan's agitated and has antimissile rockets stationed in the North. Lee Myung Bak is the type that won't tolerate Kim Jong Il's illegitamate demands, but it seems he has no choice if pressured enough by the U.S. and Japan.

Obama quoted, "pragmatism" to set the tone for discussions, saying it must resume diplomacy talks. I don't know too much about Stephen Bosworth, but I hope he can do better than Christopher Hill or Gallucci. They did what they could. Still, the North needs fuel, food, and it wants a seat in Washington. It doesn't help to have both China and Russia's veto power in the Security Council either, but if China gets pressured enough by the Western powers, it may have no choice but to concede to yet another resolution on paper.

Dean Gallucci got back to me and agreed to have a meeting with me when I'm in D.C. He may do that for everyone, but I probably got his attention with Secretary Locke, Congressman Honda and Senator Shin. Especially since Secretary Locke is a rockstar in China, his ties will prove crucial for U.S./China relations in the upcoming Obama years. I didn't know this, but Sarkozy met with Lula in Brazil for a possible spot on the UN Security Council. I heard this, but it wouldn't surprise me since Brazil has the resources and future alternative energy investments.

There're more leftists than I though in Latin and South America. It's good we have Obama over McCain; a dove over a hawk is always better at the bargaining table. I wonder why Che is so popular in Latin America? ;) Is the world becoming leftist or centrist?

I had a conversation with with Olivier, a French student from the London School of Economics planning his J.D. at Northwestern. The French are Centrist under Sarkozy (which is extremely liberal for us), the Israelis are Centrist-right under Netanyahu's Likud party, and even Obama is more Centrist (which isn't a surprise, thanks Doris Kearns Goodwin!) that orignally thought.

On Israel though, Resolutions 242 and 338, passed by the UN Security Council after the 6-days war in 1967 and after the Yom Kippur War in 1973, respectively, doesn't seem like it will be implemented further under Clinton and Obama. Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, and Iraq is a handful, and who hates the Jews anymore? Realistically though, much of the Arab war does want a peace plan and Israel's legitimacey is yesterday's news. So what's holding us up? AIPAC and other Jewish lobbies are very strong, yes. Hezbollah and Hamas are hated by Western powers but are legitimate in much of the Arab world. I think with Obama's full agenda within the Middle East, Israel is on the backburner as long as they keep out of attackiing innocents again.

So what have I accomplished in 13 days in Rio? Not as much as I intended :) Sorry Ashley. I will spend the next two weeks in the apartment I share with Christiano, the editor for the "Rio for Partygoers" guide. It's ironic that the partygoer king lives with a 21 year old, non-partygoer. Don't mistake me, I like to enjoy my days out, but I'll save it for the weekend. Oh, this weekend is Easter?

I went to a Portuegese mass today at 5pm. It was packed and since it was palm Sunday, there were commemorative palms for each churchgoer. I wonder how I would be if I didn't have faith? I probably would've come out earlier and would have had lots of sex by now. I still believe sex should be shared by two people in love within a committed, God-fearing relationship. Would Christians accept me if said out loud that homosexuals could be God-fearing and committed too? It may be too early to hope for that but I guess hope is what we wish for with things to come. Oh, what's the answer? I say yes.

What's more, I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what I'm doing here on earth, with God that seems so elusive to me now, more than ever before. Can I really say my faith has gotten stronger? My prayers are more concise and less ostentacious. What do I mean? I mean that I don't pray for everyone's salvation in the same way I used to. Why? I asked my mother once, "if you were born in a Muslim household in the Middle East, what would you be?" Then she said something that surprised me, though it makes sense now. She said she'd be Muslim, but quickly added, "thank God I'm not." Is my mom wrong or was I wrong asking that question? I would say that it is understandable and realistic my mother would answer that way. It's also a legitimate question that humans should ask themselves. What matters though, that us, as humans are not God, and that question of salvation belongs to Him alone. I'm comfortable enough to say that :)

I bought some funny postcards. You reading the blog should anticipate the card coming in the mail. If you forgot to email me your address, please don so in the comment box. What do I love about Rio? Beggers don't inundate me since they think Chinese people are stingy, there are dozens of varieties of fruit I have left to try. Fruta de Conde (aka Custard Apple Ugly), coconut water, mamao (papaya), acaia (smoothie with proteins, Vitamin E, fiber, minerals and a natural cholesterol controller), watermelon, and mangos are staples now.

One word: PRATO FREITO. The daily dish of rice, beans, chicken, potatoes and salad is the BOMB. Eaten by 150 million Brazilians for lunch everyday, this healthy dish is a good balance of fiber, carb, protein, and fat.

Since it's Sunday, I decided to take a break from my literature reviews and took a dive in the trash-infested waters of Ipanema (it's not that bad) and got a nice tan/sunburn in my black speedos.

Stay tuned bloggers and friends and leave a comment or two if you feel like it......