Into the World:
The Random Thoughts in My Mind

The aftermath of the Japanese legislative elections this past week has only cemented an almost concerted narrative among international media outlets that the country is on the cusp of change, probably for the worse. The first time in post-WWII history that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost its majority in both houses of the legislature, and the very likely resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the coming weeks, are seen in the context of greater instability, despite the much-needed conclusion of trade-deal negotiations with the US. 

I do not normally comment on Japanese politics. It is not because I am not interested in politics or the country. But it is much more because, for much of the past decades, it has not been a source of change or inspiration. As the country struggled with deflation, economic stagnancy, and depopulation, politicians had little to say about solutions, preferring to muddle on with a combination of quantitative easing and pensioning off the growing cohort of old people, buying political capital in a land where the youth are largely characterized by political apathy .

Got into a top American university? Congrats, you may have just finished the easy part. For aspiring international high schoolers aiming for the best that global higher education can offer, an acceptance letter may no longer be enough to start the journey. Those who secure interviews at their nearest US embassies and consulates now face the meeting with anxiety. What used to be a formality, a stamp of approval preordained by acknowledgement of intellectual excellence from elite universities, has now become a brand-new, entirely separate hurdle to go through.

Let's see, six meetings today...five more tomorrow...I need to reschedule one to Saturday...maybe I can get up at 6am because that's the only time slot that works with his time zone. These are some of the monologues that are going through my mind as I scan my time schedule for my coming days. As an educational consultant, having meetings with students is my main job, but in the quest to make myself available for more students more frequently, I often quickly realize just how unscalable the work can be, no matter how much I try to be efficiently ubiquitous and responsive.

When the Russo-Ukrainian War first broke out, the battlefield success of Ukrainian drones in blowing up Russian armored vehicles made me wonder whether columns of armored vehicles still have their place in modern warfare. Three years since then, the power of the drone has proven to be far more potent and game-changing in the blood-soaked fields of Donbas. Ukrainians have managed to smuggle them into Siberia, launching them against Russian strategic bombers located thousands of miles from the frontlines. And in exchange, Russians have pummeled Ukrainian cities, even without established air superiority.

My wife recently started an Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/info.catsinmalta/ . Appreciate it if you could follow and like the videos!) In a locale more known for picture-perfect shots of historical stone buildings against the azure Mediterranean waters, she is trying to show another side of the country, just as beautiful. Through shots of stray cats lounging on the smallhold farms, elderly fishermen casting nets from wooden boats, and the small backstreets with rundown restaurants, she reminds us that a truly attractive place is attractive in the everyday, not just hotspots.

Israel's latest attack on Iran was entirely unprovoked. Even as American and Iranian diplomats prepared for the next round of nuclear weapons negotiations in Oman, Israeli airstrikes lit up the night sky across the country, hitting not just suspected nuclear weapons facilities, but also government and residential compounds, in a bid to simultaneously damage military hardware but also take out its military, political, and scientific leadership in one fell swoop. The surprise attack was followed by Israeli government announcements that, confusingly, also called on the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow the regime.