Stories about East Asia from April, 2006
China: Truth penetrates firewall
In ‘China Good News Vol. 3‘, the Laowiseass blogger posts a letter from a reader: “I just saw a PBS documentary about what happened in Beijing in the summer of 1989 with my roommates. The three of us were shocked by not only the bloody, barbarian event, but also the...
China: Blogger still held
With help from her father and friends, Nina Wu—older sister of illegally-detained Beijing or Bust blogger Hao Wu—has become a one-woman lobbying force as seen in today's post ‘contact‘.
East Timor: Update from the streets
Things have quietened down in Dili, the East Timor capital. Blogger at Dili-gence drives around the streets of central Dili to look at the damage. A largely peaceful protest by sacked soldiers turned violent on Friday when gangs of unemployed youths joined in started looting.
Riots and panic in East Timor
Violence broke out in East Timor's capital Dili earlier today. Dili-gence says The usual press outlets have already reported 2 dead and 21 injured. We received a phone call from a Timorese in the current hot area Comorro. People are scared and people have seen smoke rising from the general...
Hong Kong: Incentives for local musicians
This week on n8ma's Xanga site: “news of a new orchestral fellowship for string-playing graduates of the Central, Shanghai, and Hong Kong Conservatories that will help curb the mass emigration of Chinese musicians to more promising and lucrative employment in American orchestras.“
China: Blog closed for birth
Last week Chinese blogger Bing Feng abruptly closed down his blog. Today he says why.
Taiwan: A Chinese Africa
In ‘Hu charms Africa‘, Taiwan-based American blogger Richard at The Peking Duck links to a story on China's “efforts to create a new world order ” evidenced by president Hu Jintao's recent visit to Africa. “Score another one for Mr. Bush,” Richard writes. “His inane ‘War on Terror’ is chasing...
China: Culinary journey to the West
In ‘The startling truth behind my Xinjiang pilgrimage‘, Imagethief comes clean on his his real holiday plans: seeking the chuan master. “It is this man who fascinates me. Enigmatic and serene, he is a staple of the signboards of Xinjiang restaurants. A prophet of cheap eats. A sage of savory...
China: Staring happens
Laowiseass‘ Lalaoshi blogs out the reasons why he gets stared at in some places and passed over in others: “I remember no one stared at me in Zhumadian, a Henan province city where foreigners do not go unless they're journalists trying to sneak into the Shangcai AIDS village nearby.”
China: Technorati unblocked
Not that it has much connection to the Chinese blogsphere anyway, but Technorati is back reports Danwei.
Hong Kong: Benefits blogs bring
More meta-commentary from Roland at EastSouthWestNorth in ‘Why Blogs Are Better Than Mainstream Media‘.
Little East Timorese girl's heart operation a success
Meandarings has a post on Maria Soares, the little East Timorese girl who was operated on to repair a hole in her heart. Doctors at Sydney Children's hospital volunteered to perform the operation after they read about her on an Australian newspaper.
Thai Kick Boxing
Muay Thai or Kick Boxing is very popular in Thailand and regular bouts are held in major cities. Malaysian blogger Kenny Sia blogs about his visit to a Muay Thai stadium.
Filipino boxer faces tough challenge
Jess at The Postman is following the preparations of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao for his upcoming fight with Mexican Oscar Larios. Jess writes "While Larios is bothered by only one thing — fighting the PACMAN — Pacquiao is hounded by several things. Personal matters, off-boxing commitments, showbiz buzzes and profit-oriented...
North Korea: Multiracial Koreas opposed
Antti Leppänen at Hunjangûi karûch'im
Thai horror movie angers Cambodia
Alvin at chlim01 is bored finds the latest Thai horror flick tasteless as it is set in a prison that resembles Khmer Rouge's dreaded concentration camp. People in Cambodia are not too happy with their neighbour. A comment on another post at KI Media is asking the Cambodian people to...
China: Rock festival coming
Friend Gram at Holidarity pulls quotes from the organizer of The Midi Festival—China's biggest each year—to be held in Beijing during the Golden Week holiday next week. “Before you could never do a big outdoor festival,” writes organizer Zhang Fan. “We're trying to let the government accept that rock ‘n’...
China: AOL arrives
In ‘Congratulations and Controversy‘, AngryChineseBlogger chunlin looks at the arduous road AOL has been down in trying to establish a presence in China. “After months of speculation, anticipation, and a few false starts,” chunlin announces, “AOL has this month announced the finalization of a multi-million dollar partnership deal with SMG...
China: Porn's subversive forms
Remember Guangzhou sex blogger Mu Zimei who got shut down and fired in late 2003 after the world took notice? She's in Beijing now, and Jeremy Goldkorn at Danwei has just ‘wrapped’ an exclusive with her: “She is not writing online any more, but is producing a series of her...
Taiwan: Punks still DIYing
Sack Be Jim at gotmahmojo finds DIY punk ethic, graffiti and a seldom-seen side of Taiwanese society while visiting a collective of artists squatting in an abandoned building in the island's capitol: “I was really excited to see something positive and creative going on in the city, since its been...
Hong Kong: Japanese retailer leaving
With Hemlock's Diary this week comes reminiscing of times gone by with Hong Kong's last Japanese-owned department store, Mitsukoshi, announcing plans to leave the Special Administrative Region. “The name brings back memories of a bygone era—the time before Causeway Bay collapsed under the weight of vehicle emissions and Mainland tourists,”...