Happy New Year!

We spent New Year's Eve in Belgium, exploring Brussels before returning to our base in Leuven. We ended the evening in a throbbing crowd of townspeople and university students in the Oude Markt of Leuven/Louvain, at a Euro-style techno party. See our video of it here.

The most remarkable moment of the party was when they played a mix of techno-beats with Barack Obama's acceptance speech! The crowd went wild, and we were brought to tears. We listened to probably 5 minutes of the speech, layered with music, enveloped by the European crowd. What a surprise! The Europeans, and people all over the world, rejoice for the change that this New Year might bring. They cheered wildly. This can be the end of a greedy, evil presidential era. Bush was shame for America, a war criminal, and a scourge on the planet. But now comes the possibility for renewal and hope, even with the challenge of transformative change. A few quotes from President-Elect Obama:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer...

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.