Stories from 25 July 2006
India: Puri, Orissa
Trivial Matters has breathtaking photographs from Orissa. “Puri was once the weekend resort of maharajahs and wealthy Bengalis from Calcutta. When the British came to the coast to bathe away some of the dust, they built or rented large beach villas; many retained them after independence some well into the...
Bolivia: Indigenous Studies Versus Global Competitiveness
Jaime Escalante, the real life Bolivian math teacher portrayed by Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver, argues that too much emphasis on indigenous language and education will take away from the global competitiveness of Bolivian students.
Venezuela: Hitch-biking
David, who is riding his bike through Central and South America is now in Caracas, describes his ride through Venezuela: “Hitching with a bike turned out to be very easy – I caught 17 different rides, and my longest wait was 45 minutes. To be sure, my method was foolproof...
Mexico: Unresolved and Forgotten Elections
Ceci Connolly says that the public at large is starting to lose interest in Mexico's unresolved election. Ana Maria Salazar claims that a recent interview in the New York Times shows that Lopez Obrador is trying to change his image abroad. And political pundit “Enigma” tries to dissect “the fall...
Mexico: Buses Burn in Oaxaca
Mark in Mexico says that striking teachers commandeered three city buses in front of Benito Juárez University on Sunday, slashed their tires, and shattered their windows. In an update post, he says one of the buses was burned and that “the respected newpaper Reforma from Mexico City seems to be...
Peru: Workshop on Blogs and Journalism
Jose Antonio Vilca summarizes his participation in the Workshop Seminar of Blogs and Journalism (ES) held at the National Association of Journalists of Peru.
Venezuela, Belarus: Chavez Meets Lukashenko
Daniel Duquenal tries to make sense of Chavez's visit to Belarus where he met with Lukashenko. Duquenal also translates an excerpt about Western Hemispheric leaders from a recent interview with Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes.
Iran: Computer Fair
Rooznamenegar No says Electronic, Computer & E commerce International Fair in Tehran was a failure. The blogger says according to some visitors there was not a real order in Fair and it was difficult to find a specific company [Fa]. It seems foreign countries did not participate in this Fair...
Brazilians Debate an Overexposed Crime in the Mainstream Media and Blogosphere
Suzane von Richthofen, 22, her former boyfriend Daniel Cravinhos and his brother Cristian have each been found guilty of murdering her parents in October 2002 and have been sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison. The case has caught worldwide attention because Manfred von Richthofen, the murdered father, was the...
Cambodia: Monkey God in Germany
Vanndeth is surprised to find hnuman, a character from South and South East Asian mythology, at a German clothing shop.
Thailand: Making Colleagues Jealous
Andrew Biggs in Thailand has one of the best jobs in the world. “When I got back to the office, all the male staff were very jealous of me. They wanted to know why I hadn’t invited them to go along with me.”
Vietnam: Missing HCMC
The final Word blogger is missing Ho Chi Minh City. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and whenever I leave that crazy mish-mash of pastel colours and incessant noise, I really have an urge to get back there. Seoul strikes me as ‘Seoul'less with very little atmopshere after living through...
Barbados: Against the water park
Barbados Free Press tackles the question of the water park that's been proposed for the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary near the island's south coast, posting a commentary from “Travel Guy”, a Canadian reader with Barbadian roots, and reporting on a controversy involving the proposed engineering firm.
Guyana: Pothole challenge
“Dear Car Manufacturers Abroad, I challenge you to come and test you cars in Real Life Conditions…. Some potholes so deep you can’t call them potholes, you got to call them cauldron holes.” Guyana-Gyal writes an open letter complaining about the state of the roads.
Latvia: More on Gay Pride/No Pride
All About Latvia exposes nopride.lv, a homophobic Latvian group that claims to be not responsible for Saturday's attacks. Stefan of Dykun provides links and comment on “Riga's Gay Pride and Latvia's Shame.”
Serbia: Ceca the Pop Star
Florian Bieber of East Ethnia writes about Ceca, a Serbian pop star, and her new album, Ideally Bad: “From gangster bride to heroic widow and Serbian J-Lo, she demonstrated a better sense of where Serbia is going than some political analyst.”
Ukraine: Parking and Driving on Kyiv Sidewalks
The Humble Observer writes about Kyiv's sidewalks: not just a walking place for pedestrians, but also an “optional lane” and a parking lot for cars.
Romania: Celebrity Wedding, Fashion
Owlspotting writes about a Romanian celebrity wedding, and answers a reader's question about how Romanian women like to dress.
Serbia: Belgrade Beer Festival and Accomodation
Belgrade Blog writes about the upcoming Belgrade Beer Festival. Desperate Serbwife describes a possible accomodation option: a nice, tiny hotel in Belgrade's center.
Estonia: Tallinn Vs Tartu
Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa writes about two Estonian city, Tallinn and Tartu: “Tartu is like a confectioners paradise compared to Tallinn.”
Belarus: Youth Activists Attacked
TOL's Belarus Blog writes about what seems like the beginning of a wave of attacks on youth activists.
