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The Growing Instability in French-speaking Africa and its Geopolitical Implications
At the end of August 2023, a coup occurred in Gabon, a French-speaking African country. The current president Ali Bongo was placed under house arrest by the Republican Guard. This is the second military coup in Africa in more than a month, following Niger. Looking at the past three years, starting from 2020, there have been more than ten coups and attempted coups across the African continent. Among them, five French-speaking African countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, and Gabon) encountered their own military seizures of power. The transitional area between the Sahara Desert and the southern savanna in Africa is called the “Sahel” zone, and is now also known…
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George Soros Hands Over Financial Empire Signaling End of an Era for International Currency Speculation
On September 11, 2023, a special meeting on the national foreign exchange market self-regulatory mechanism was held. The foreign exchange market self-regulatory mechanism was established in 2016, and the entities involved are mainly foreign exchange and related market participants. Judging from the name, the conference has a strong market-oriented flavor, but considering the current special international financial situation, the content discussed at the conference is undoubtedly very important. The meeting discussed the recent foreign exchange market situation and RMB exchange rate issues. When it came to maintaining the basic stability of the RMB exchange rate, the meeting mentioned that we should take action when it is time to resolutely correct…
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Exploring the Impact of Freud’s Oedipus Complex Theory on Eileen Chang and D.H. Lawrence’s Works through Their Biographies and Socio-Cultural Contexts
Freud’s theory has had a huge impact on modern Western literature. His theory has been widely spread around the world and has profoundly influenced later literary creation and literary criticism. As the founder of the school of psychoanalysis, Freud proposed theories such as “unconscious”, “libido” and “dream interpretation”, which not only created a new field of psychological research and promoted the development of psychology, but also influenced the 20 century of literary creation. Eileen Chang and Lawrence were both Chinese and Western realist writers in the early 20th century. They had certain similarities in their growth experiences and family lives, and were influenced by Freud’s theory to varying degrees. Their…
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Sono Ayako: Exploring the Life and Literary Works of an Iconic Japanese Female Writer
As the only female writer among Japan’s “third group of newcomers” after the war, Sono Ayako (1931-) led the “Era of Talented Women” in Japanese literary circles together with Ariyoshi Sawako in the 1950s and 1960s. Sono Ayako, formerly known as Machida Chihisuko, studied at the Sacred Heart Girls’ School run by the Catholic Church from the age of 5, and spent 17 years of her student life here. Affected by her living environment, she was baptized by Catholicism at the age of 17 and became a believer. During the war, Sono was forced to stop his studies and went to a munitions factory to manufacture weapons. He personally experienced…
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Midlife Crisis Movies for Women: Relaxing and Enjoyable with Scenic Views
The term “midlife crisis” has been closely associated with men in the past. For example, when I first watched “American Beauty”, I was very young and ignorant. I had no idea that this movie was actually about the existential crisis of middle-aged men, trying to find reasons for their cheating and homophobia. Men’s mid-life crisis was once a major creative theme for Hollywood filmmakers. Starting in the 1990s, middle-aged women in crisis gradually became the object of film writing. The husband, children, and middle-aged women who serve the family wholeheartedly, want to escape but have no way to escape, are certainly worthy of special mention. This holiday, I recommend a…
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Can Lovers Become Friends After a Breakup?
The stage of love is a realm brimming with ardor and enchantment. Two individuals become so deeply engrossed in their affection for one another that the notion of parting ways seems inconceivable. Yet, the evanescence of emotions remains an inevitable truth, despite our fervent desire for everlasting relationships. However, as time elapses, sentiments undergo transformation. The once fervent passion and enchantment gradually dissipate, yielding to the mundane intricacies of reality. It becomes arduous for the two individuals to harmonize, and their disparities become increasingly conspicuous. At times, these disparities become insurmountable, surpassing our endurance, and culminate in an inevitable rupture or divorce. Once an indelible connection is severed, it inflicts…
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Deaf DJ Overcomes Challenges to Achieve Musical Dreams
My appellation is Robin, and I was bestowed existence in England. My progenitor assumes the role of a disc jockey, and frequently indulges in the harmonies of disco, rock, country music, and other musical genres within the confines of our abode. My progenitors apprised me that during my tender years, whenever I chanced upon melodies performed by heavy metal ensembles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, and Michael Jackson, an involuntary inclination would seize me, compelling me to harmonize with the rhythm. At the age of 5, my family emigrated to the United States, from which point forth, my life underwent seismic transformations. For reasons unbeknownst, subsequent to settling in the United…
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Painter’s Starry Sky Dream Leads to Heartbreak and Death
The artist grasps the palette from which his masterpieces are born, gradually desiccating over the years. It was only later that people comprehended that the celestial expanse on the artist’s easel was his ultimate destination. Once upon a time, a resplendent nation underwent a gradual decline, and panic seized its inhabitants. Amidst this somber epoch, a remarkably gifted artist toiled tirelessly, aspiring to instill hope in the hearts of the populace through vivid hues. Ivory-hued apricot blossoms, snug cottages, resplendent wheat fields… the artist’s hope permeated his canvases, subsequently permeating the souls of those who beheld them. Hope coursed through the world, and a portion of it returned to the…
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The slow process of entering death
Observe Primo Levi’s depiction of the procession of ants traversing Via San Martino in Rome. In truth, he is metaphorically narrating the plight of the Jewish community during the harrowing times of World War II. “A lengthy tawny queue of ants extends along the railway track. Their countenances gently touch upon meeting, as if scrutinizing their forthcoming journey and destiny.” Subsequently, a multitude of fatalities ensues. “I am disinclined to delineate this occurrence, I am disinclined to portray this solemn march, I am disinclined to portray any tawny procession.” Occasionally, the demise of both humans and animals follows a similar trajectory: observing their departure evokes sentimentality, while rendering one powerless.…
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How Different Cultures Teach Us to Express Love in Unique Ways
Nowadays, culture is becoming increasingly global and universal, but this globality and universality can no longer be controlled. They are out of our control, and use different beliefs, opinions, dreams or experiences to differentiate and separate us. We now seem to It is time to return to something we can control, and that something is love. How to say “I love you” in different ways? This is one of the most pertinent questions of our time. We have learned a little bit about sharing pain, money, and life situations. We show generosity or kindness to more or less vague or concrete kindred spirits, those who are farthest from us are…
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Grow or Die: The Growth Mindset in the BANI Era
With the widespread dissemination of mobile Internet and the rapid ascent of AI, humanity has entered the BANI era. BANI originates from the initials of the four English words Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, and Incomprehensible. BANI embodies a form of psychological fragility, restlessness, and perplexing fixation. It encapsulates chaotic psychological attributes. This is a bewildering and anxiety-inducing period. To thrive in such an epoch, one must possess a growth mindset. What constitutes a growth mindset? This notion derives from psychologist Carol Dweck’s seminal work, “Lifelong Growth.” Broadly speaking, individuals harbor two distinctive modes of thinking: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Individuals with a fixed mindset falter under the weight…
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What Your Attitude Towards Money Says About You and Your Relationship
Renowned emotional authority John Gottman once expressed that irrespective of whether one’s savings are ample or stretched thin, finances stand as a pivotal catalyst for conflicts within romantic partnerships, with work and the pursuit of wealth assuming the role of an intrusive “third party” in intimate relationships. Numerous surveys have consistently demonstrated that money and intimacy reign supreme as the primary factors leading to the dissolution of marriages, and the crux of these two quandaries lies in the dearth of trust and feeble communication. Discussing matters of finance is widely detested, and if one aspires to be the most vexatious individual at a social gathering, inquiring about each person’s monthly…
