Stories about Arts & Culture from August, 2013
Taiwan: Online Dictionary for Aboriginal Peoples
The first online dictionary of the native language used by the aboriginal peoples [zh] in Taiwan had its debut on August 5, 2013. The first stage of this online dictionary includes the native language of the the Bunun people, the Tao people, the Truku people, the Saisiyat people, the Thao...
The Politics of Language in St. Lucia
Should politicians in St. Lucia be fluent in creole? The election of Allan Chastanet as political leader of the opposition is stirring up discussion about language, culture and class.
Syrian Pianist Malek Jandali: “We Need Freedom for True Art”
Dictators fear the soft power that can transform people’s mind, which is why they target artists and intellectuals. Syrian musician Malek Jandali speaks out
Tchip: The “Shaking My Head” Meme from Africa
Nadéra Bouazza explains what being “tchippée” [fr] means for french speaking black communities. Tchip is the sound one makes when he/she disapproves of the behavior/action of someone else (roughly similar to the “shaking my head” internet slang). The “Tchip” sound is used across most black communities and has become an internet meme:
Japanese Users Break Tweets Per Second Record
Japan's netizens broke the world record for tweets per second on August 2, 2013, flooding Twitter with the magic word “balse” [バルス] from the 1986 anime film Castle In the Sky as the movie was broadcast on television in Japan on August 2, 2013. Users set a new record of 143,199 tweets...
16 Passengers Travel in One Rickshaw In Rural India
Blogger and entrepreneur Kiruba Shankar writes how in rural India an auto rickshaw built to take four passengers, now transports 16 people: Here’s how the math works. Three in the front (including the driver). Four in the back seat. Three in the small wooden seat opposite the rear seat. Two...
From Heartfelt to Hysterical, Twitter Parenting Poems Go Viral in Japan
"However tired I look, you smile at me. Then, you touch my hair encouragingly and softly daub it with porridge."
