A Chinese Obamanon!

What better way to celebrate my first blog post from Beijing than to dedicate it to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama!

The election of our new U.S. president has galvanized people of all colors and backgrounds throughout the world, creating a sense of shared humanity rarely experienced in our cynical, divided human experience. Exhibit A: I spent the morning and afternoon of November 5th at a Tex Mex pub, the Saddle Cantina, surrounded by American Obama-philes in liver-soaked jubilation (thanks to Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, champagne, vino and strawberry margaritas), and in the company of new Aussie, Mexican and Slovakian friends, all overcome with the enormity of the moment as CNN projected that Barack Obama would become the next President of the United States. Such a moment is indescribable, especially in light of the not-so-distant memory of segregation. We wanted this change. We NEEDED this change. Now we have it!

It means so much to us, but for the rest of the world, this moment is also victorious. Just witness an Australian tear up as people of many nationalities embrace, cheer, stand up on tables and proclaim joy for your country, chanting "YES WE CAN," and you will understand how great the United States of America can be and how proud you can feel to be an American.

We have all earned the new puppy we're bringing to the White House on January 20th, 2009.