Can I bake problems off?

Several my Facebook friends have posted frustrated lately. And quite many on the contrary have posted extremely passionate and involved. Currently there is so much going on globally that I cannot create any holistic view. I bet many feels the same.

In Europe summer news were full of financial crisis, Greece mainly. News weren’t particularly positive in Asia either. Past one month has been in blur – in the news sense. Also China was dropping, a few of days there was nothing, but the whole world is collapsing due to China’s stock market dipping. And as suddenly it hopped to headlines, it was forgotten. Asian financial situation is relatively stable, a bit of growing, business friendly compared to Europe. Also USA announced yesterday it has been able to turn its financial crisis from minus to positive curve. Business cycles are awfully short nowadays, it would be thrilling to hear at least a few of companies to look forward more than a quarter (or a week or a month).

At the moment news are shooting too many saddening and soon to burst into cry issues. Masses of refugees in Hungary trying to reach Northern European countries. There has been such a lot of speculations from where the refugees originally are. Does it really matter, if human beings feel unsafe, totally hopeless, that they are willing to leave everything to behind, even to die, knowing nothing what the future might offer them? Why the world so often waits for too long before reacting, doing something? We are used to click support, but usually clicking online is not enough. It was more or less predictable, how some Finnish will react. I was surprised, how strong fear and resistance in the end were. On the counterbalance there was also strong empathy and welcoming.

Refugee problem is global, and dichotomy in the globe probably will shoot up. In Asia-Pacific many countries face refugee issue, and there are usually very one-way, straight procedure to manage it. Somehow it was ironic that former Australian PM Abbott emphasized Europe must act humanly even though Australian immigration policy is not dirty free. And Europe has answered Asia to take care of their own refugee problems, especially Rohingya refugee issue. It is easier, when it is in the backyard of someone else. On Asian news almost daily it is at least one new about illegal immigrants, too many too ill to survive and too many dying on the trip. Some very inhuman actions both in Europe and Asian have been announced by the governments, civil servants, but it is heart warming that some individuals still try to help. One shocking policy (well, for me) is that refugees should not be saved by local fishermen or other locals either. How many of us could watch dozens of people floating in tiny boat and just wave to them or return to ashore without helping? Not so many I believe.

And what is not the news – it is just too easy to combine financial situation and refugee problem. There are myriad of problems, and because they are problems, most of them are solvable, to mention the most obvious ones: continuing wars, female repression, the problem of clean water or huge issue of education. I am idealistic now, I know, but I also want to be problem solving person, doer, not just dreamer. Fortunately there are many organizations, which tirelessly struggle for better conditions (for instance Unicef, Amnesty). And also many persons, who want share their going forward views. Many African leaders tend to blame THE WEST has itself caused refugee problem, especially from Africa. But there are some, who say that African governments have to work harder too stabilize living conditions, so not so many feel the need to leave their own homelands (for instance Former Mozambique PM Luisa Diogo, BBC documentary Africa Surprising – Signs of Change, Episode 2).

The list of issues, problems, questions is long, too long. Refugee issue has touched me deeply in past weeks, but however, I have not ignored haze problem in South East Asia, floods in Japan, drought in general and its causes to environment, sinking of too many boats, ivory issue etc. Two past years full of elections, to change something, maybe. Last Friday Singaporeans polled and re-elected PAP as a major party for parliament. India, the largest democracy it is said, polled along the spring 2014; Indonesia elected new president last autumn – both countries have now been under spyglass. Myanmar will have its election in November, it will be a very interesting. Thailand and Vietnam  will hold general elections next year. Loads of expectations, how much eventually to be changed.

I have been addicted to news since I was young, pre-teen probably. I have no children of my own, but it really aches me, when I think all those thousands of children having no choice, not any chance to decide, whether they want to adopt hatred, fear, being biased, who have to leave their homes without understanding why, who die because we adult cannot communicate, solve the problems. Refugee problem is tightly linked with trafficking in human beings, and usually children are those, who suffer the most. They really do not deserve that. I am not political person, and I am biased referring my feelings and aches. Lately news have been too effusive and I have tried to blind my eyes. Sometimes succeeding, frequently not. It is not a solution keep my eyes and ears shut, but sometimes it is necessary to re-consider, how lucky I am with all my aches and problems, but they are not even close to real nor elementary troubles. And how I solve the confusion – by baking. I bake buns, sourdough bread, Finnish rye bread. It doesn’t actually help anyone else, but eases selfishly my feelings for a moment.

My recommendations of the week:

FOOD: simply bread

BOOK: Yan Lianke: The Four Books

PLACE: under beloved’s arm

SOMETHING ELSE: feel empathy