Venus Williams just defended her Wimbledon title and I couldn’t be happier. Last year Wimbledon finally decided to pay the men and women players equally. After over 130 years, this happened just last year! And it was due largely because of Venus.
She met with Wimbledon officials to reason with them. When that didn’t work she wrote a widely publicized editorial that easily toppled all their excuses. This led to British Prime Minister Blair and Parliament to vote to censure Wimbledon. Even UNESCO and the World Tennis Association pushed for sports gender equality in general and asked Venus to spearhead the movement.
Soon enough Venus’s tireless efforts provided enough public awareness and pressure to shame Wimbledon into modern civilization. A day later, the French Open, the only other major tournament with unequal pay, followed suit. I guess the French couldn’t stand the thought of being the only sexist tournament.
And just to make it sweeter, Venus won Wimbledon last year, and became the first recipient of equal prize money. I guess you could argue it’s just millionaire women athletes getting a little more money. But the message of a men’s and women’s tournament being played side by side in the game’s most prestigious tournament, in England (self-styled bastion of high civilization), and the men being monetarily valued more, sent a powerful message that unequal treatment was acceptable at sport’s highest levels. (And that was a terribly structured sentence but you get the picture.)
I wish more powerful athletes would use their power, celebrity and influence to effect positive change. Do you think if Tiger Woods pressured Augusta National Golf Course, where the Masters is played, to accept female members and more than one African-American, they’d do that? Or if they didn’t stop discriminating, and he pressured the PGA to hold the Masters at a golf course that accepted standards that met basic human rights, they’d do that? Uh yeah. But Tiger doesn’t and what a shame.
Many believe that athletes like him and Michael Jordan avoid political issues because they don’t want to sully their marketing potential. This is nonsense. It would add so much more to their legacies, and create an aura of a true hero, a champion of justice. Who wouldn’t want to buy their shoe then? (Insert sarcasm here.)
That’s why I respect athletes like Venus all the more. In American sports history, I’d also add, Mohammed Ali, who protested the Vietnam War, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is politically active in many areas. So thank you Venus, for bringing a little more justice into the world, and also for your breathtaking athleticism.
For the 6th year in a row, I’ve spent the Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day, outside the US. As you can imagine, it’s uneventful outside the 50 states. I almost forgot about it today until someone at work reminded me. I immediately went into an impromptu, semi-sarcastic, quasi-nostalgic, rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner”. As usual I forgot a few lines and mangled some others, and even slipped in a little “O Canada” in there just for fun. It wasn’t pretty, but I did my patriotic duty.
Picnics, Fireworks and Perfect Weather
The Fourth is one of the best holidays in the US. It’s never been about patriotism for most of the people I know. It’s a day off work to get out and have a barbecue, drink some beer and hang out with friends and family somewhere outdoors. At night, there’s fireworks. I don’t remember a rainy Fourth of July, ever. The weather has always been perfect. And everyone is chilled out, happy to be relaxing with people they like.
Some of my July Fourth memories include:
• Climbing Cucamonga Peak that overlooks the Los Angeles basin and watching over 50 fireworks shows going off simultaneously, like tiny distant supernovas.
• Hanging out with friends at a Eugene Emeralds game (a minor league baseball team). I think there were a dozen home runs during that game. And then lying on the outfield watching the fireworks.
• Looking forward to my allergies magically disappearing. My theory is that all the fireworks burns off the pollen in the air.
• Picnics, picnics everywhere. On beaches, along rivers, in backyards, in the forest. And always some live music.
Views of America
For every year I’ve spent away from the US, I’ve grown to appreciate a little more of some of the good things about America, and being American. This has been no easy task mind you. I’ve spent most of my life critical about my country. Still am, actually. But being away, in the rest of the world, I’ve developed a wider perspective. Okay it’s not really the whole rest of the world. It’s some parts of Western Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia. And these are some of my observations of the good things about America.
America is More Evolved in Terms of Race Relations
For all the terrible racism that exists in the US, it’s a lot worse elsewhere. America has evolved to the point where if you have racist views, you are roundly criticized if you voice them. A popular sports radio personality, for example, was recently fired because he said some ignorant things on air. Elsewhere, people just shrug their shoulders and wonder what’s the big deal. In the US, there’s heated debate and discussion at the very least.
I experienced more racist comments directed at me on the streets of England in two years than I have in all my life in the US. It was unbelievable. In fact, what would be considered highly offensive racist and sexist comments in the US, are casually spoken on TV, by politicians, and in the newspapers. There was virtually no awareness of or debate about the institutional barriers to opportunities for women or people of color. This was remarkable especially in academia.
American Cultural Influence Extends Beyond Starbucks
People outside the US separate the US government and the American people. The government is roundly ridiculed, but the culture and people are admired. Rap, movies, TV shows, books, academic journals, dance, basketball, the anti-smoking movement. I hadn’t realized the extent of the spread of American culture beyond the platitudes of fast food and malls. It’s genuinely admired by most people I’ve talked to on the street.
America Accepts Everyone
I took for granted that almost anyone can come to the US and get citizenship eventually. This is just not the case elsewhere. Most countries make it very very difficult to impossible to naturalize.
America is the Most Diverse Country on Earth
It’s no contest. Growing up in California especially, the most diverse State in the Union, I was surrounded by people from all corners of the world. Even in the middle parts of the country, it’s a myth that there are only white people there. It’s just not true.
The US is the European Union Evolved
I find it increasingly useful to think of the US as a continent, rather than a country. Geographically and population-wise, it’s comparable to Europe. Just like you wouldn’t generalize Scots and Greeks, French and Germans, or even Catalonians and Basque within Spain, you wouldn’t generalize between New Yorkers and Californians, or even Los Angelenos and San Franciscans within California. Heck, there are huge cultural differences even between cities separated by a highway.
There are Few Places Freer
Liberties have been badly eroded in the US over the past decade by the Bush Administration and by increasing corporatization of the mass media. But the press is largely unfettered. And joining the political process is much easier than in France, where all the political elites graduate from one university, or in Japan, where the one party system rotates power among a handful of families.
America is far from perfect. However, most of the destructive, negative tendencies are magnified because of it’s continental size. The same destructive, negative tendencies exist in most countries but on a smaller, less-scrutinized scale. That continental size could contribute to a powerful positive global influence. Let’s hope that happens during the next presidency.
In the meantime, I close with THE best version of the “Star-Spangled Banner”. Formerly, it was Marvin Gaye, singing a transcendent version back in the 70’s. Now, it’s this version, of his daughter Nona Gaye harmonizing with him on that version.
On the edge of the Ebisu Garden Place is the coolest little café in my neighborhood. I walked past the Rue Favart for years and was always intrigued by the glimpse of the sumptuous poppies painted on the ceiling. I don’t know why I never went in. It was always on my way back home or to some place. I also liked that there were places I’ve never entered but would like to. What’s more delicious than an unopened present?
Today T and I opened the present and it was indeed delicious. One of my favorite things about Japan is the lunch special. For about a 1,000 yen, almost all restaurants serve a choice of main dishes, and a drink. The lunch specials in Rue Favart, at 1260 yen is a little more than average, but it also includes a salad and dessert. I paid an extra 100 yen for wine. And it includes all you can eat fresh-baked foccacia. The food was quite good. The pumpkin custard was excellent. And the wine appeared to be a nice mellow Bordeaux.
The theme of the café is rustic French, rural Italian. The second floor is casually charming with dark wood, ironic iconic art and weathered leather chairs. The 3rd floor, with plush blue chairs, had a brighter bistro feel.
We got there early for the lunch special around 11:30 and got to sit anywhere. We picked the counter facing the window. It got pretty busy by 12:15. From 3 to 5pm there’s a light meal and dessert set. I imagine there are fewer people then if you want to do some reading or writing.
There’s no elevator and the stairs are steep, so it’s not wheelchair-accessible, but I have seen tables on the first floor and outside on occasion.
Other People
The clientele was mostly young office workers, nearly all women, with the usual pockets of housewives and madams that often take over cafes in the afternoons. Claimed by hipsters in the evenings.
Recommended Company
It’s a beautiful place to relax with an old friend who you’ve traveled with, and imagine yourselves stranded in a Provencal village, killing time before the next train arrives.
Recommended Reading
Baudelaire or e.e. cummings.
Notebook Activity
Sketching summer flowers with watercolors.
Directions
From Ebisu Station, take the East Exit and get on the walkway to the Ebisu Garden Place. At the end of the walkway go left along the street. At the end of the block you’ll see it diagonally across the street from the police substation.
