Stories about English from October, 2012
China, South Korea: Gangnam Style in Chinese Universities
South Korea PSY pop, Gangnam style has landed in China. Around 3,700 people danced the Gangnam Style together at Nanjing Hehai University and a few dozen students danced on the stage of the Peking University International Cultural Festival… But Ooops, the stage collapsed. (Via Beijing Cream)
China: Medicinal Alcohol
A netizen (Derek) has introduced the Chinese tradition of medicinal alcohol online, in particular the three-penis alcohol that apparently enhances a man's power.
Tajikistan's ‘Million Dollar Baby’ Hangs Up Her Gloves
Mavzuna Chorieva, Tajikistan's female boxer who brought the country its only medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, has married and hung up her gloves, at least for a year. While many people in the country are happy for Chorieva, some have been disappointed over her decision.
Thailand: Bangkok Launches Bike Rentals
To decongest traffic and encourage people to use public mass transport system, Bangkok has recently launched a bicycle rental program. Richard Barrow attended the launch and provided ideas on how to make the program successful in Thailand.
Philippines: Online Shame Campaign Against “Epal” Politicians
With less than a few months before the 2013 national elections, various groups have launched an online shame campaign against the common practice of Filipino politicians to attach their names to government projects that are funded or assisted by their office. These politicians are labelled “epal,” a Filipino slang term meaning “attention grabber”
India: Dengue Outbreak In Delhi Spreads Fear
Last week when India's veteran film director, scriptwriter and film producer Yash Chopra (80) died from Dengue fever, people became aware and panic spread in some parts of Delhi. Delhi has seen an increased number of dengue cases over the last one month with number of cases reported close to 1000 with several deaths.
Facebook Donations Support Volleyball in Tajikistan
A new Facebook page, Volleyball for Tajikistan, has recently been launched to raise funds for two volleyball teams created in the country's south. Within eight days after the launch, people from across the United States donated enough money to purchase uniforms for 26 young Tajikistani volleyball players, including 13 girls.
Pakistan: Increase In Crime Affects Eid Celebrations
Omair Alavi reports that increase in crime rate in Karachi marred the recent Eid-ul-Azha celebrations.
Russia: Assessing Predictions About the Coordinating Council Election
As RuNet Echo readers know well, the Coordinating Council's elections took place last week, and that body has already convened virtually through Facebook and once again in person. Weeks in advance of the vote, Global Voices offered projections based on Yandex's blogger rating index. Here, we've assessed those predictions against the actual results and another forecast model
Chile: The Day After the Municipal Elections
Last night's municipal elections were unusually interesting. First, they took place in the context of social unrest and mobilization. Second, polls aside, they were a real test of the government's popularity. Third, they were the first elections to take place under a new system of automatic registration and voluntary voting....
Cuban Government Lifts Travel Restrictions for Citizens
On October 16, the Cuban government announced plans to eliminate controversial travel restrictions on Cuban citizens. The policy will take effect in January of 2013.
Madagascar: How Much Does a Political Crisis Cost?
Since 2009, an additional 4 millions people now earn less than $1.25/day, 500,000 more children have dropped out of school and 336,000 jobs were lost because of the prolonged political crisis. Blogger Razoky summarizes [fr] the latest economic report on Madagascar.
Nepal: The Minimum Wages vs Productivity
Chandan Sapkota informs that as per trade unions demand the wages have gone up in Nepal to the highest minimum wage in South Asia, but the productivity has not increased due to several factors.
Confusion over Agreement with OIC to Establish Office in Myanmar
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has proposed the establishment of an office in Myanmar to help the Muslim minority in the country. The government initially agreed but changed its decision after protests erupted in many parts of the country.
USA: Commissioner David Stern Set to Exit NBA in 2014
One of sport's longest serving administrators, Commissioner David Stern, has announced he will be leaving his job as head of the world's most popular basketball league, the NBA (National Basketball Association). The announcement comes just a few days before the 2012-13 season start, on 31 October, 2012.
Indonesia: ‘Jokowi’ Phenomenon in Jakarta
Meet Jakarta’s new governor: Joko Widodo or Jokowi. His recent electoral victory surprised many people who now regard him as Indonesia’s most charismatic leader. His phenomenal political achievement and soaring popularity is seen by many analysts as a positive development for Indonesian democracy
Sri Lanka: Tales Of Police Torture
Chitrangi posts news of police brutality on a 20 years old unmarried youth from Rabavava, Ihala Puliyankulama, Puttalam and many more in her blog.
Caribbean: Hurricane Sandy's Wake
As Hurricane Sandy closes in on the east coast of the United States, bloggers in the Caribbean who have already experienced the storm share their experiences.
Discussing New Forms of Journalism
What distinguishes citizen media from traditional media? Is it even still possible do draw the line? Global Voices author Débora Medeiros shares her notes from a discussion on new forms of journalism, which took place during a barcamp session at the Berlin Colloquium for Internet and Society, on October 26,...
Puerto Rico: Another Way to Look Up
Puerto Rican street artist and photographer Enrique Arce, known as Aslan, has been posting photographs of airplanes on his Instagram account for over six months now as part of his "#parriba" (upwards) series. Global Voices author Alfredo Richner presents his favorite #parriba airplane photographs.
