Wish list

Like many others, I have been frustrated at what's been happenning here at home - in our country. After much reflection in my sickbed, my thoughts turned to outside, to concerns that are beyond my capacity to witness except through the internet. Such is the beauty of technology that allows us to be united with the world and its citizens, in concerns other than the immediate issues that hound you day to day. And so, here are the things that I wish and hope for too:

That my hero Lance Armstong may win his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory (after having been abandoned in the last stage by his teammates, he recaptured the overall leader's yellow jersey by blowing away his main rivals Tuesday on this year's first Alpine stage - this is from Yahoo News, thanks). But if he will not win this Tour, he will still be the best in the books for me.

That London will recover from the Underground Bomb Attacks, its victims may heal and the suspects arrested and brought to justice. And that cities and countries may be prepared next time for attacks such as these since it's not likely going to stop.

That Paris and its officials change their mind and bid again for the 2016 Olympics... That Germany will host a trouble-free 2006 World Cup as well as Beijing in the 2008 Olympics and other global sports events...

That the perpretrators of Europe's worst atrocity since World War II be brought to justice and the families of the victims of the 8,000 Bosnian Muslims massacred in Srebrenica's be healed, given closure and allowed to move on; (Time's Belgrade stringer Dejan Anastasijevic says "... although the (10th - July 11) anniversary finds most of Serbia, in whose name it was committed, still avoiding a true accounting of what was perpetrated at Srebrenica and by whom, there are encouraging signs that the façade of denial may have suffered irreparable cracks.")

That the Group of Eight powers meeting in Scotland heed the call of Live 8 - to make poverty history in Africa (and hoping too, also in Asia and other regions). And that they not only say it but act decisively on the issues they discuss in the meetings, like the issue on global warming (CNN quoting a Reuters report, says that the G8 nations have "declared Friday that global warming required urgent action, but set no measurable targets for reducing the greenhouse gases that trigger it.")

Well, that's it for my international wishlist. These are like prayers too and I hope someone reciprocrates for we know that our country needs all the prayers that it needs. For now, it's time to crash back to mother earth in the Philippines and confront the far bigger and pressing issues here.