Obama's Victory - Local Perspective

I just had to get a copy of today's newspaper.  Any American newspaper from this day would be a historical document worth saving, but a newspaper from Malaysia talking about the day is a much more perfect souvenir for my experience.  

Yesterday, after it was announced who the next president would be, I was about to explode with the news.  I first called George at work to tell him.  That didn't satisfy my urge, so I told Shanti, our maid.  She had no idea we had elections going on.  "So George is no more?"
"Well, Obama doesn't become president until January, so George will be president until then."
She asked me how I voted.  I told her that I hadn't.  I hadn't gotten around to taking the necessary steps to get that absentee ballot.  She thought people not voting or registering was a Malaysian thing.  "No," I said, "That's everywhere."

I still had more excitement to scream so I went online to see who I could see.  Facebook was filled with joyous exclamations from a good 90% or more of the people writing status updates.  There were only a few not so joyous statuses.  I wondered if they felt the same kind of defeat I felt when Bush became president.  And I wondered if this euphoria and optimism I felt was what it felt like to be a republican in the last 8 years. 

I still wanted to celebrate vigorously with anyone I could.  So, when we joined some friends in the evening for a Guy Fawke's Night celebration (our friends Debz and Dave are British), I asked, "So have you all heard our good news?"
Blank stares and head shakes.
"Obama won."
"Who is that?"
"He will be our next president."
"And that's good news?"
"YES.  It is for me!!!"

No one present (Malaysian or British) had any idea our elections were going on, who Obama was, or anything.  So strange given how widespread his media reach has been.  I've seen people perusing his books in Tokyo and in Penang.  And I'd read online that people around the globe were taking notice of this election.

Some people here know plenty about it.  George's coworkers have been grilling him about his choice of candidate and have told him that they hoped Obama would win.  Today at a play group, our Australian friend Alison asked me if I was excited and told me that some of her friends were going out to "have a beer for Obama." 

Then, this evening, I grabbed a copy of today's newspaper.  It says "New Straits Times" on the cover, but this particular issue might more aptly be titled, "All About Obama's Victory."  There must be at least a dozen articles about him.  And, indeed, he certainly shows some presence on the front page as you can see above.

So Malaysians, like Americans now ask, he can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk?