Stories about Arts & Culture from January, 2014
New Year's Eve is Past but Debates Continue in Tajikistan
Although the New Year's Eve is past, social media users in Tajikistan continue debating over the appropriateness of the holiday which many Tajiks see as a remnant of the “alien” Russian culture. On NewEurasia.net, Loki suggests that the very discussion about whether the New Year's Eve should or should not...
PHOTOS: Over 5,000 Children Break Guinness Record Painting Panama Canal
The Canal's centennial celebrations kicked off with a world record for people painting simultaneously. The event's festive atmosphere diverted the attention from a dispute threatening to halt the Canal's expansion.
Traditional Puerto Rican Saint Sebastian Street Festival Fills Every Corner of Old San Juan
The festival has lost much of its religious character, and has transformed more into a city festivity that attracts more than 300,000 people annually.
Kazakh Rapper Asks Fans for Money to Finish a “Political” Song
Kazakh rapper Takezhan (Oteghaliev) has reached out to his fans to help fund the production of a new song. In a video [ru] posted on his blog, the rapper sings for his fans and asks them for financial help to finish a “political rap [song]” he is working on. Takezhan,...
Cartoon Character ‘Meena’ Changes South Asian Attitudes Towards Girls
"Since her inception 14 years ago she has shown millions of women and girls what can be achieved."
Lunar New Year Ad From A Desperate Chinese Mom
The letter said: To my son Peng, I’ve made many calls to you, but you never picked up. This ad is probably the only thing that can reach you. Mom and dad won’t force you to get married any more. Please go back home for Spring Festival this year! Loving...
Trinidad & Tobago: The Faces of Heroes
Samuel ‘Boy’ Walrond is the most remarkable artist in Trinidad and Tobago that you probably do not know exists. That he has never been nationally recognised for his ability, or…the epic span of his life’s work, is an example of society’s failure to identify and honour its heroes. Repeating Islands...
One Million Yuan to Hire a Girlfriend for Chinese New Year
"I'm too busy with work, mom is pressuring me to get married, so I sincerely plan to hire a girlfriend to take home."
Photos: Chinese New Year Holiday Travel Rush
The Spring Festival, or lunar new year, is China's most important holiday for family reunions. According to The Ministry of Transportation, around 258 million train trips are estimated to be made during this year's Spring Festival, which runs from January 16 to February 24. China's news website iFeng.com shows images of people...
Dr. House Hits Sore Spot with Russians
British actor Hugh Laurie caused quite a stir on the RuNet this weekend, when he reacted vehemently to a Guardian article describing Vladimir Putin's views on homosexuality
Chinese Rock Star Cui Jian Refuses to Sing Under Censorship
Rocker Cui Jian, whose song “Nothing to My Name” became an anthem for Tiananmen Square protesters, won't perform at China’s spring gala if required to censor his lyrics.
Suriname Gets “An Eye For Art”
Srananart's Blog highlights an exciting new initiative, An Eye For Art: Every fortnight, an esteemed art critic discusses a piece of work from a Surinamese gallery's collection.
Preserving The Hidden History Of Old Dhaka
Writer and blogger Jenny Gustafsson highlights the works of The Urban Study Group, a non-profit voluntary organization, which is campaigning for the conservation of the rich architectural /urban heritage of old Dhaka.
Creating Japanese Food With Ingredients from Crete
Five prominent Japanese chefs and five of their Greek counterparts got together at a hotel in Crete on January 14, 2014 to create ten dishes representative of the respective origins using local products. At the culinary event dubbed “CRETE delicious” [el], Japanese chefs demonstrated how Cretan products can be incorporated...
Chinese Mum Buys Ad to Urge Her Son to Come Home for New Year
Chinese New Year is a time for family reunion. For many Chinese singles, returning home during Chinese New Year can be a real headache as the attention and pressure surrounding personal matters from the whole family is simply unbearable. Earlier this week, a Chinese mom bought a whole page of ad...
Intonaspacio: a New Digital Musical Instrument Made in Portugal
Mailis Rodrigues, a young talented Portuguese women has invented a new musical instrument and now needs help to show it to the world in an annual event to find the world’s best new ideas in musical instrument design: Hi, I was selected as one of the 20 semi-finalists of the...
Video: Music Parody about Food in China
“Rice, Rice baby” is a recent parody about the food culture in China from the expats’ point of view. The video is about how expats in China love the food but also are a little nervous of its effects. The lyrics says: “Love it or leave it, you better...
China's Viral Sex Education Videos
A small team has released a collection of one-minute childhood sex education videos on China's youku, China's YouTube. The videos, involving topics such as “Why Are Boys Different from Girls” and “Where Do Babies Come From?”, have become the second most popular search on Baidu and have drawn over one...
Virtual Secret Santas – the Global Voices Way
So how do you keep someone virtually in suspense for a whole month, sending messages without revealing your identity? Here are a few tips from those who tried and succeeded!
Where Soca Music Begins and Ends
The success of the carnival song, Differentology, by the Trinidadian artist Bunji Garlin has spurred public debate about what exactly constitutes soca music.
Hockey, Diving for Crosses and Other Christmas-in-January Traditions
While Christians in the Western hemisphere celebrate Christmas in December, most Orthodox and Coptic Christians mark the birth of Christ in early January, from Eastern Europe to North Africa.
