About Life.

The world is never black and white. Neither do you see the world with rose-tainted glasses.
The world is grey. With a lot of sitting-on-the-fence approach with issues.
Neither do you cross the line nor stay behind the line, you stand ON the line.
That seems safer.There’re many double standards. Like how a man will be offended if the woman fantasizes about someone else while making love with him, yet it’s acceptable if the man masturbates to the porn of someone else in his alone time. Food for thought.

I’ve watched The Cove and its one show hard to sit through. It builds up very steadily the impending issue of dolphin slaughter. It’s very well developed and informative. Instinctively, you’ll hate the Japanese for doing these things to such beautiful intellectual creatures. God created a permanent smiling face on the dolphins (reminds you of Joker, no?), that disallows captured/tortured dolphins to show their pain (by far, I have only seen dogs showing emotions. Their eyes well up with tears if you reprimand them. ) Have you seen any other animals expressing emotions? I think my hamster showed pain when she was giving birth too. But that could be my imagination.

When I walked out of the theatre, my head cleared and emotions aside, I started taking the issue apart and analyzing it. After all, any form of media is propaganda. The Cove talks about how whale meat is a commodity in Japan. Because there is a demand for them and not enough whales, the unethical business men supplies mock whale meat. Dolphin meat. The whole film advocates the immediate halt of dolphin slaughter for its meat (that is highly toxic and therefore not nutritional at all to humans) and as entertaining performers (because dolphins in captivity do not live long). I second that.

Through the film, it has highlighted the politics that go around the World. Like how they wiped out WW II history from their textbooks, I am sure this film will never be heard in their country due to media control.

This film has created uproar around the world and people are criticizing Japan because of this. Firstly, I am not defending Japan, neither do I condone any animal/human cruelty, but people need to start seeing that such unethical incidents are not happening ONLY in Japan! Some parts of the world kill dogs and monkeys. Some parts of the world kill for fur. Some parts of the world throw male chicks alive into the machine that spins it up into a bloody mess (because they can’t produce eggs). WE eat frog porridge and drink turtle soup. Frankly, the film has made me contemplated turning vegetarian.

1) The truth is whale meat is NOT the food for common folk in Japan. It is a premium meat. Sushi is a treat for the Japanese, unlike in Singapore where we can eat sushi at the belts for $2.99 and $5.99 for the red plates. In Japan, sushi can cost USD 1200 for 5 people.

The Cove might have made a vague unfounded impression that the Japanese eat whale meat like the world eats chicken.

The film uses shock treatment to make people change their lifestyles. I hope it makes you to think more about your own lifestyle and what you can do to make the world a better place than to be focused in hating the Japanese. Then again, we have the shock tactics on our cigarette boxes too, I don’t see anyone changing.

When MJ died, I took a closer look at his lyrics. It seemed like he was crying out for help. Help for the dying world.

So if we’re going to boycott Japan because of their actions, I think we have to boycott German beer (no explanation needed), diamonds (at the expense of poverty) and not use oil (because then we fuel indirectly terrorism?) That won’t be realistic.

Still, I applaud the film makers of The Cove. They have brought an issue and discovered secrets that the world didn’t know about. I hope international pressure is enough to stop the slaughter. Every year, the massacre starts September to March. 200,000 dolphins are killed/ captured each year. I don’t think the film is really highlighting the fact that the Japanese are consuming whale meat. Rather, highlighting the fact that people are eating dolphin meat (assuming its whale) that is highly toxic and therefore hazardous to human’s health. Also to ask people to not support dolphin acts because if we buy show tickets, we show the demand and therefore the supply. The buying and selling of performing dolphins is a billion dollar industry.

I am very touched by the production team of the film. They are such fervent advocators who gave up time and money (2 most important things to man) for a cause. It makes me feel ashamed that I haven’t been able to step out of my comfort zone to do more. The world is not just about me, me and me. Perhaps we could start somewhere. Let’s write in to Resort World to say we don’t want dolphins at the new entertainment resort.We have a realistic world where needs conflict with wants. Hopes clash with necessities, morality is over-rated. This world is grey, so grey.

It’s September now, the killing has started……