In a few hours 2024 will be complete and I have decided to record a few of my thoughts.
I have now resided in Arizona for over a year and thus I will make a couple of comments. It is of course very hot in the summer here in Tempe. I am glad the AC works. On the other hand today I sat on my balcony in a short sleeved shirt while I contemplated what I would write. The Phoenix metro area is an interesting area. The Tempe-Mesa area near where I live has some interesting markets including an H-Mart. I knew of H-Mart because there was one not too far from where I previously lived in San Jose. A few days ago I went to the H-Mart near me for a specific item. I am more of a coffee person not a tea person with exception of good Japanese green tea. I usually by the Yama Moto Yama Organic Matcha Sencha tea bags so I gave have it when I am in the mood and I pack some in my luggage when I travel. So I was in H-Mart for that item and I typically wander in the store because it is interesting. H-Mart advertises itself as a Korean market however it has items from other parts of Asia and well as items one would expect in a general supermarket. I put the package of tea bags in my basket along with the Haio brand roasted seaweed snack and wandered a bit. I walked by a display of potato chips. (aka crisps) and stopped to take a look. These were Lays brand which is common in the USA however these were imported from China and a variety of flavors. The one marked Cucumber flavor looked interesting so into the basket in went. I have previously seen chips of various flavors imported from China and when I lived in San Jose there as an Indian market near me which had chips of various flavors imported from India under a brand name which starred in the USA and then became international. When I got home I was looking at the chips and considering that the package of chips the writing was all in Chinese except for the words "Lays" and "Cucumber Flavor" and the sticker added to the back with nutritional information. On the front was also "-50%" followed by more Chinese. I pulled out my Google Pixel phone, brought the Google Translate app, set it for Chinese to English and it translated what was on the package. It confirmed my guess that the package was advertising the 50 percent reduction in fat. I was was eight years old when Sputnik was launched and to the extent the eight year old brain thought about the future and change it was about large things such as space because that was the thing in the news. Sometimes it is difficult to anticipate (particularly as an eight year old) the smaller things which are the result of a variety of changes and innovation. I wonder what an eight year old in 1957 would think if told that they would drive in an electric car to a supermarket with many items from Asia and other places in the world, be able to pull a device from their pocket and have it translate Chinese to English. And add that this was not something for the elite but for a common middle class person. Then to explain to the eight year old about supply chains, shipping containers, Internet, mobile phones and much more and say yes the future is about space but also it is about cucumber flavored potato chips from China begin sold and eaten in Arizona.
On the international theme I spent most of the month of August in the UK. I went first to Glasgow which is a fine city with much to see and do. Also 2024 Worldcon (World Science Fiction Convention) was held in Glasgow and I have a great time. Also went to the Rick Steves Tour from Inverness to Edinburgh. This was the first time I had been on a Rick Steves tour. It had a very good tour guide, was well organized and well worth the money. Then I went to Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool all interesting. Of those three I think I found Manchester slightly more interesting however that opinion is based on just two or three days in each. I was also able to make a short visit to Portmeirion where the TV show The Prisoner was set.
The election in the USA occurred. I find it a bit depressing to write the election and the current political situation. I am concerned that there will be policy changes which have negative impacts. Policy ideas such as tariff increase proposals or attempts at censorship are just a couple of the things which cause me concern. There have already been restrictions on books in school and public libraries over books which deal with topics such as gender, sexuality and race.
I was going to write a bit more and cover some additional topics however this year I had a health issue recur and one of the many side effects of the medication is fatigue. So I am going to end my review of 2024 now even if it is incomplete both in scope and detail.
