makes the world go round

My homepage is Drudge Report, a website that has international news reports from columnists and news sources all around the world wide web. It takes a little while for my Firefox to load, and usually I barely skim the headlines before logging into my Gmail account, however, today I opened my eyes as wide as I could and read some news articles concerning 'our' global recession. 'Democrats want financial aid for the auto-industry,' 'Will Europe ever have an Obama'...I felt like I was in a different universe just by reading these articles. So much of it has no direct effect on my everyday life here in Japan, and it all seems a bit surreal. Is it because I'm a fashion design student, not a political science student? Is it because I hang around with ex-patriots or seemingly aimless travelers, not salary men or corporate lawyers? Quizás, Quizás, Quizás.

I came across one article that I could empathize with. Emirates see fiscal crisis as chance to save culture. This past summer I flew with Emirates to go to Kuwait, and that's what caught my eye. Dubai is the new definition of ridiculous, in the sense that businesses are running wild with their money. Now that there is a global recession, development is slowing down, and the people of Dubai can reflect on the rapid change that has occurred during the past few years. Focus. Is most of it just a novelty for the public, obsessed with greater and grander things? What can globalization do for any country if their culture dissipates and becomes rejected by newer generations? There are parallels in modern Japanese society, no? If Japan were to have remained an isolated country, would we have Nintendo? The temples and simple harmonious rock gardens in Kyoto are only tourist attractions now, they charge you to get in. What happened to the innate culture that was Japan, and does it have any relevance now besides as a once a week judo club meeting with classmates? The traditions aren't lost, but they have been disfigured like chewing gum; blown, and popped, and eventually spit out. Can Dubai keep face?




I think not.