Stories from 21 February 2006
Ghana: markets
Ghana Journal, NGO worker describes the markets scene in Accra.…….”The market is a swirling mess of people – hawkers shaking t-shirts and pants, calling out for attention or if they’re within reach grabbing my hand or my arm. There’s women carrying bakeries on their heads, young men hefting boxes full...
Kenya: schools rugby
White African comments on the world of Kenyan school rugby and asks readers to tell him which school is the best.
Nigeria: Nigerian NGO – Increase
Pilgrimage to Self points to a BBC programme on a Nigerian NGO called Increase …… She works with Nigerians who live alternative lifestyles, and educates people on sexual health.
Honduras: Telenovelas
James compares and contrasts Honduras’ telenovelas with the soap operas of the United States commenting that “they both always feature incredibly rich families living in mansions with no discernable jobs or businesses to pay for their opulent dwellings, with nothing better to do with their days than scheme against one...
Nigeria: BlogoDrama
Grandiose Parlour comments on what he describes as a “Naija BlogODrama” over at Naijablog this past weekend. Insults flying left right and center – a display on how to be intolerant and abusive.
Mexico: Bono Sings “Chiapas-Mexico- No More!!”
León Felipe Sánchez says that the crowd went wild at U2's concert in Mexico City's Aztec Stadium when Bono added the lyrics “Chiapas!!! Mexico!!! NO MORE!!!” – referring to Mexico's longstanding Southern conflict – to the legendary song, Sunday Bloody Sunday.
Zimbabwe: increasing costs of univeristy
This is Zimbabwe reports on the increasing costs of attending university in the country. In January fees went up 400% and now in February they have gone up a further 1000%!
South Africa: squatters
Squatter City gives some facts on squatters in Cape Town and country wide South Africa.…260,000 on the waiting list for housing; 1.84 million people nation wide live in shacks – a 26% increase since 1994
Nicaragua: “Hail to The Micro Bus!”
Jason has learned to love Nicaragua's micro buses.
Chad: Stealing the oil
Chad's public officials have joined other African leaders in the stealing of oil funds into offshore accounts – Yebo Gogo points to an article in the NY Times.
DRC: Humanitarian crisis
Black Star Journal reports on the continuing crisis in the DRC and points to three articles on the country's state of affairs.
Peru, Panama: Interview with Chef Gastón Acurio
Elena Hernández posts her interview with Peruvian chef, Gastón Acurio (ES) which appeared in this week's magazine supplement to the daily, La Prensa de Panamá.
Cambodia: Moving Power
Lux Mean observes that rural Cambodians seeking redress now wait in front of the Prime Minister's residence instead of before the Royal Palace or the Parliament: “Before, people went to the Royal Palace to ask for help from the King. The change may be led by either the frequent absence...
Hong Kong, Philippines: Right of Abode
Simon World comments on the possible far-reaching consequences of a recent decision to give two Hong Kong-born children of a Filipino domestic worker “right of abode” in the Chinese territory.
Indonesia: Model Returns
Indonesian model and blogger Tiara Lestari, who controversially posed for a European edition of Playboy and who now lives in Singapore, is returning to Indonesia for a photo shoot. She expresses her trepidation at the trip: “Will they accept me as a model who is trying to be a better...
Philippines: Burger Brand
Howie Severino talks about Jollibee, a local fast-food chain in the Philippines that competes strongly with McDonalds. “Jollibee has since come a long way, and so has our globalized world. But now I'm wise enough to know that it might one day make Filipinos as obese as Americans. Jollibee is...
Philippines, Thailand: Healthy Food?
Jessica Zafra writes from Manila about marketing coffee as healthy: “I've been drinking coffee since I was 8, and let me tell you: I don't drink it because it's good for me. Part of the attraction of drinking coffee is knowing that too much of it is bad for you.”...
Vietnam: Expats
Expatriate Mister Morris lists the reasons why he likes living in Vietnam, among them “a really really nice country club swimming pool nearby that is to die for.” Our Man in Hanoi sighs that in his mind, its people like Mister Morris who are “expats” — and that's why he...
Cuba: Century's end
Que Bola? posts a photo of an abandoned department store in Trinidad, Cuba called “Fin de Siglo” (the end of the century) and notes: “The 1900s were in fact a final century for a way of life in Cuba. Things have changed for the better and the worse, but they...
Cuba: Book Fair
regalado.blogia.com highlights (ES) a few of the offerings at the Havana International Book Fair.
Barbados: Ministers’ assets & politics
Barbados Free Press takes issue with the fact that public officials in Barbados are not required to declare their assets. And with Barbados a “hotbed of political goings-on” in recent times, Neil Benn can't help but break his self-imposed rule about not blogging about politics.
