11 June 2008

Stories from 11 June 2008

Bangkok Transit System

  11 June 2008

gnarlykitty wonders whether the BTS in Thailand “is a convenient form of transportation or a giant metallic monster ready to munch you alive?”

Algeria: Baby Talk

Algerian linguist Lameen Souag is busy studying Siwi – and notes that they have 40 words used in baby talk. “So what special words do you use in your language when talking to babies?” he asks.

Mexico: Suburb Satellite City

  11 June 2008

Ciudad Satélite was “the first American-style planned suburb in Mexico” during the 1940s and 50s. Mario of Candyland posts a video of one of the first commercials promoting this new way of living.

Bolivia: Protests in Front of Election Officials’ Home

  11 June 2008

Kevin Ayllón of Travieso [es] writes about the protests taking place in front of his house. Kevin's mother is an election official in the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia and is in charge of registering voters, of which the registries had been filled due to high demand

Dominican Republic: The Writer Junot Díaz

  11 June 2008

Dominican writer Junot Díaz and Pulitzer Prize winner in 2008 believes that people should get back into the habit of reading because it puts the “reader into contact with another human, another nervous system, another imagination.” Greeysis de la Cruz writes more on the background and thoughts of this writer...

Guatemala: 4 Balames Archaeological Park

  11 June 2008

A new archaeological park called “4 Balames” is set to open in the Petén Department in Guatmala. Claudia Navas of Ordinaria Locura [es] is looking forward to this new tourist attraction, which can help bring development and jobs to this much-needed part of the country

Nicaragua: Rally in Support of Hunger Strike

  11 June 2008

In Managua, Nicaragua, Rodrigo Peñalba of Barricada [es] posts a video of a rally in support of Dora María Tellez’ hunger striker, who is protesting alleged corrpution by the President of the Supreme Electoral Court, Roberto Rivas