kjnics .......

Oh, Belle, thanks for your concern. But without wanting to sound dramatic, what part of the world isn't on fire in some way or another right now? (Okay, maybe your corner is a bit calmer at the moment). The US has its own domestic violence.

And Mexico, as much as I get homesick, especially for my loved ones; well, let's not go there.

Poland is calm at the moment; but I don't plan on staying long-term (these half-year winters really are a drag). I hope our good UK friends' country(ies), Ireland, Germany or even Spain takes me in for a job or PhD soon (I just finished my MA); that's my own fire and challenge at the moment. If things don't work out, well, I will look at crossing the pond to the US again (or maybe I could head to your Aussi/Kiwi shores)?

I've missed you and the other Ringnuts, BTW. Updating me would cheer me up; being done with the MA, without a job yet and with the good old seasonal depression and self-doubts - another transition phase - is not easy.

As far as the belligerents here in Europe go, I reminded a friend in Paris of the citizens of Madrid's cry back in the day (rather like Gandalf's). "They shall not pass".



P.S. (One small token we could all do is place a candle or flowers at our local French consulates/embassies. It's a small gesture, but a meaningful one).

Like all places New Zealand has its share of social problems on a scale proportionate to our size and population. Thankfully it's a difficult place to get into on anything other than a tourist or student visa and even then the latter is more difficult than the former. There's probably no reason you couldn't complete your PhD here.

It remains a crying shame to me (and who knows, maybe to others too) that a Parliament no one voted for has created a virtually borderless Europe, making containment of the swarms difficult if not impossible. That said I know that Poland has managed to keep itself less abusable in terms of border crossings by migrants and good on Poland for doing so.

It's also a crying shame to me that civilised, cultured Europe is now having its generosity returned by mass slaughter of civilians. Of course Europe has had its less shiny moments through history but at least they grew out of it and allowed themselves to progress in an enlightened manner, unlike the fuzzy muzzies who seem to prefer to live by babarity even while using the technological marvels of the 21st century to enforce their ugly, ignorant, gynophobic, stone-age will. I'd go so far as to say that anyone who chops the genitals out of their children should be refused entry into any civilised place and be left to fester right where they did it - they can think of whatever happens to them as divine retribution.













Quick, play dead.

There's probably no reason you couldn't complete your PhD here.

Thanks for the thumbs up, Belle. It would be an honor. 

It remains a crying shame to me (and who knows, maybe to others too) that a Parliament no one voted for has created a virtually borderless Europe, making containment of the swarms difficult if not impossible. That said I know that Poland has managed to keep itself less abusable in terms of border crossings by migrants and good on Poland for doing so.

No disagreements on the Parliament.

But Poland, well, when I see how many of its own nationals live in the US or UK and then turn here to see local thugs dressed in full black marching downtown chanting their hate for everyone (not only refugees, trust me, but everyone, including Western Europeans, Russians, blacks, gays and anyone celebrating a bar mitzvah) on Polish Independence Night (a week ago) and after football matches, well, I start questioning how civilized or grateful some of them are themselves. (And that's not just in Poland but most of Central/Eastern Europe).

It's a mixed bag.

It's also a crying shame to me that civilised, cultured Europe is now having its generosity returned by mass slaughter of civilians.

It is indeed a shame, particularly for much of Western Europe which bears the brunt of it, and I share your indignation. There are many at fault; again, it's a mixed bag, but this gentleman seems to have some of the gist of where the trouble chiefly lies. (Namely religious extremists who influence disenfranchised youth, who happen to be born and raised in Europe, as well as their financial backers in certain Gulf States) .

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/11/15/gps-1115-nawaz-paris-radicalization.cnn

Religious fundamentalists of any species are more dangerous than a Tasmanian Devil crossed with rattlesnake whose father was part scorpion. However, when there are over a billion moderate and secular Muslims whose voices are not raised against this type of assault/slaughter it leaves me with just one impression: that the things they are doing are as per their holy instructions:

Quran (9:5) "So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them."

This is, I believe, part of why the wealthy Arab nations are not acting seriously in stopping any of these rampages through the middle east; the culprits are just doing exactly what they believe they have license to do (and about that - anyone who adheres so literally word by word to their only book has to be FITH in my view). They send delgates to all the meetings and look all pretty n stuff but actually do something? Nah. And I also think it's why those nations are not taking any refugees: they fear that the incoming Sunni numbers could exceed the Wahabis and they'll be slaughtered in their sleep and, of course, if any of that nonsense is to go in it's better that it happens in someone else's country.




Quick, play dead.

Quick Update: On a more serious note, I've not that savvy on the Quran's content, Belle. I've been listening to an audio version in English, however, and will get back to you later with my conclusions.

Hope the weather in Wellington is nicer than here. ;)

*Wave.*