Sun, 27 May 2012
| Index | Last | Var.(%) |
|---|---|---|
| BEL 20 | 2119.44 | 0.28 |
| DAX | 6339.94 | 0.38 |
| IBEX 30 | 6543 | 0.13 |
| CAC 40 | 3047.94 | 0.32 |
| FTSE 100 | 5351.53 | 0.03 |
| AEX | 292.76 | 0.23 |
| DJIA | 12454.83 | -0.60 |
| Nasdaq | 2837.53 | -0.07 |
| FTSE MIB | 13154.8 | 0.36 |
| TSX Composite | 11576.47 | 0.09 |
| ASX | 4081.2 | -0.61 |
| Hang seng | 18713.41 | 0.25 |
| Straits Times | 2772.75 | -0.24 |
| ISEQ 20 | 500.94 | 1.55 |
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Regardless of who won, some Americans abroad faced a feeling of relief and yet, an unwillingness to let go.It’s been a wild ride. Since the primaries, many Americans (and others) have been in the throes of election fever, what one blogger termed, Election Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
I will admit, I caught it.
For those of you who haven’t been diagnosed, here is a little test:
In the past month or so –
Have you spent most of your waking hours cruising the Internet for the latest election news, polls, blogs and videos on the election?
Have you become a Comedy Central, David Letterman and other late night comedy junkie?
Have you not been able to fully focus on work, non-political TV shows or family and friends?
Have your emotions dipped up and down, from laughing fits to piques of rage and everything in between?
Have your sentences mostly been peppered with references to Obama, McCain, Palin and Biden?
If you answered yes to all, you’ve got it bad.
So what to do?
-- Wean your self away from your computer, one hour at a time
-- Go to the gym, get a massage, visit the sauna
-- Watch a non-political movie, TV show or read a fun book
-- Practice wiping out references to Obama/McCain from your sentences when speaking with lovers, friends and family.
In my case, it is now a matter of learning how to calm down. I welcome that as I am emotionally drained, mentally unhinged and physically exhausted. In these past weeks, I have found myself hyperventilating, holding my breath, afraid to hope, wanting to – and always on edge.
So this would mean many of us are finally relieved that an end to all this here. Right?
Wrong. To be honest, I fear for many there will be a colossal post-election hangover accompanied by listnessness and a desire to binge again. Because for how exhausting it all was, it was also thrilling, captivating and fun.
Nothing again for a long time to come is going to be so gripping and hilarious, so incomprehensible and sad, so inspiring and maddening and so dramatically climactic.
It almost sounds like a new love affair, doesn’t it.
And like such, when the obsessive whirlwind is over, there is that feeling of what now?
It seems almost boring, a return to second gear, a low after the high.
Well, I guess it is just time to get back to the business of living our lives again, as interesting or boring or routine as they are.
Still, I am looking forward to watching TV again, eating a meal slowly and tasting my food, having a real conversation, focusing on my life and most of all, getting a solid night’s sleep.
If I could just come off the high.
JB/Expatica
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