Stories from 23 March 2006
Caribbean: Carifesta 2006
Jeremy Taylor at the Caribbean Beat Blog looks forward to seeing what the Caribbean arts festival Carifesta 2006 has in store. “I still remember the excitement of the very first Carifesta in Guyana, in 1972, when it seemed that the whole of Georgetown was taken over by musicians, poets, dancers,...
Guyana: Expectations of women
When Guyana-gyal meets a widow and her two children at a charity luncheon, her thoughts turn to the plight of women. “So many women, waiting quiet, quiet, for donations. How many got a skill? I wonder if they only aim in life as young girls was to marry, have children....
Jamaica, Guyana: Walter Rodney
Jebratt and Geoffrey Philp remember slain Guyanese teacher, writer and political activist Walter Rodney, on the day of his birthday.
Jamaica, UK: Bamboula restaurant
Trinifood visits a Jamaican restaurant in London and treats us to a mouthwatering review.
Venezuela: Land Settlement and Venezuelan Literature
Oil Wars has a post on the recent settlement between the Venezuelan government and British magnate Lord Vestey who had owned land there, describing it as “the type of news that tends not to get much attention in the opposition controlled media.” Venepoetics ends a literature-infused post by quoting Edmund...
Trinidad & Tobago, USA: Ethical call
Prepping a show featuring writer and performer Tony Hendra, whose daughter once accused him of molesting her sexually, Sweet Trini, who works at a public station in Washington DC, has her “least favourite prep ever. and my least favourite ethical call ever.”
Peru: Citizen Reporting
In a post entitled, “Me, a Citizen Journalist?” (ES) Juan Arellano posts a screenshot of a photograph of his which was featured on the Citizen Journalism section of the major daily, El Comercio. Peruvian blogger Juan Carlos Lujan (ES) has been largely responsible for El Comercio's promotion of citizen journalism.
Finnish and Spanish Paper Mills Generate Tension in Latin America
The following was originally written in Spanish by Javier from Gualeguaychú, Argentina. The last few months have seen an escalation in tension between Argentina and Uruguay due to the construction of cellulose plants whose by-products will flow into a shared river. The plants in question are the Spanish-owned Ence and...
Thailand: Boycott and Democracy
Chemical Generation Singapore thinks that Thai opposition's decision to boycott the coming snap elections is a strategic miscalculation and bad for democracy.
Philippines: Dress Codes
Jove Francisco asks if whether the Philippine press corps’ decision to dress “up” or “down” reflects their level of respect for the President.
Myanmar: Material Support
Burma Underground discusses the hypocrisy of the U.S. government opposing the Myanmar junta while denying thousands of Myanmar refugees resettlement in the U.S. because of purported “material support” to terrorists.
Indonesia: Tolerance for Terror
Sarapan Ekonomi worries about a recent survey result that indicate 11% of Indonesians – or 24.2 million people – think terrorist attacks are OK.
Cambodia: Gentle Tactics
Maytel 2020 talks about how Cambodians’ gentleness is really a strategy for survival. “Having observed the natural and unassuming bodily gestures of village life I can say undoubtedly that the perception that Khmers and southeast asians in general are all sweetness and light is simply untrue. They are just like...
Russia: Valenki Factory
W. Shedd of The Accidental Russophile links to an article about one of Russia's business success stories: a valenki factory in a small town on the Volga River.
Ukraine: Zhirinovsky on ‘Svoboda Slova’
Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes writes about last week's notorious talk show featuring Russian MP Vladimir Zhirinovsky: “…he was rewarded this morning for his efforts with the honor of being blacklisted for a visa to Ukraine – it was that bad.”
Ukraine: Kyiv Sightseeing
Nancy Case of Case In Point takes her readers on a Kyiv sightseeing tour: “Is there anything cooler than being in a narrow cave with prostrating pilgrims and ancient shriveled dead guys and only one thin candle for light? I didn’t think so.”
Ukraine: Tymoshenko's ‘Personal Touch’
Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes writes about ‘personal touch’ in Yulia Tymoshenko's campaign, a quality lacking in Victor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine Bloc's approach.
Belarus: Fewer Foreign Journalists at the Square
br23 blog writes about the arrests of the opposition activists and an alarming news – that the number of foreign journalists present at the square has diminished: “And protesters are concerned about it. They view this presence of foreign correspondents as a guarantee that police won’t storm and destroy the...
China: Double act
Non-violent Resistance lays into U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Lindsey O. Graham, with many a searing epithet from behind the reporter's notebook at a recent news conference in Beijing. “They couldn't remember vice premier Wu Yi's name, whom they had just been meeting half an hour ago, (“one tough...
South Korea: Pagan practice
“The proud new owner will set a blanket out in front of his/her new vehicle. On this blanket will be a smiling pig's head, plates of steamed pork, chopsticks, and bottles of soju. There will also be burning incense,” writes The Asia Pages, on the subject of pagan rituals in...
Japan: Rise of anime
Japundit‘s Marie writes about the recent rise in popularity of anime and manga (cartoon movies and books) in the United States, sparking a lively discussion in the comments section.
