Stories from 18 September 2009
Serbia: Tram Tour of Belgrade's Music History
Belgraded writes about a unique tram #2 tour through Belgrade’s music history, which was organized by famous rock journalist Peca Popovic.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines: split electorate
Lullabies, Fairy Tales and Other Self-Delusions thinks about the referendum on a new constitution for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and what it reveals about the state of the country's politics: “a finely delineated system of prejudices based on which political party you support.”
Poland: Raphael Lemkin and the Katyń Massacre
Raf Uzar writes about Raphael Lemkin's life and work and the current discussion of the Katyń massacre in Poland.
Poland: Chopin's Birthplace
Polandian writes about a trip to Chopin’s birthplace at Żelazowa Wola.
Iran: Videos from Quds Day Protests
On September 18, Iranian protesters wearing green in support of the opposition, once more defied the Iranian government in the streets of Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, and several other cities as they protested against dictatorship.
Georgia: Radisson SAS Iveria Hotel
LJ user cyxymu writes about (RUS) and posts photos of Tbilisi's Iveria Hotel, which was built in the mid-1960s, housed refugees in the 1990s (and was “the symbol of Georgia's shame” then) and has recently re-opened as Radisson SAS Iveria Hotel.
Russia: Lebedyan Subway
On Aug. 11, LJ user victorprofessor posted a photo report (RUS) from a trip to the town of Lebedyan in Lipetsk region, where one man – Leonid Mulyarchik – has been trying to build a mini-subway since 1984, “the most unusual metro in the world.” Four TV stations have done...
Trinidad and Tobago: “appalling reporting”
The Liming House responds to a news report in the Trinidad Guardian newspaper suggesting that Trinidad and Tobago has a dangerously high rate of alcohol abuse. “There is no evidence in this story of either fact checking or even the most cursory editing.”
Dominican Republic: three poets
Repeating Islands features a new bilingual edition of poems by three women writers from the Dominican Republic: Aída Cartagena Portalatín, Angela Hernández Núñez, and Ylonka Nacidit-Perdomo. “Each of them addresses shared political and cultural issues, illuminating what it means to be a woman living in the modern day Dominican Republic.”
Trinidad and Tobago: pommecythere chow
Simply Trini shares a recipe for a Trinidadian speciality: pommecythere chow, i.e. a kind of spicy pickle made a with a fruit popular in the Caribbean (also know as golden apple or June plum).
Cuba: “mistreating social property”?
Octavo Cerco reports on a confrontation with a minor bureaucrat at a bus station in Cuba. “With these people things can get very serious, they earn a pittance for a salary but have absolute power over five square meters and they apply it with … irreverence, force and abuse of...
Sri Lanka: Justice
“The week after Tissa was given 20 years for writing, two actual card carrying LTTE spokesmen were released on bail. Hence, being LTTE is pardonable, but being charged with meeting them or writing against the government (from a Tamil perspective) is not,” comments Indrajit Samarajiva at Indi.ca on the verdict...
Bermuda: race and income
A recent report on income disparities between black and white employees in Bermuda triggers some statistical analysis by 21 Square. “The sad reality … is that white Bermudians are more likely to hold a higher level of education and thus are more likely to earn more.”
Guyana: the colour of beauty
Signifyin’ Guyana reflects on the troubling ideas about beauty that she and other dark-skinned Caribbean women encountered when they were growing up. “It took me a while to learn to ignore the inconsistencies from others and arrive at a healthy view of my skin color and facial features.”
Trinidad and Tobago: a tribute to Wayne Brown
B.C. Pires writes an eloquent tribute to the Trinidadian writer Wayne Brown, who died on 14 September, 2009. “Wayne’s greatest gift … was the illustration of the relationship between the artist and his work.”
Suriname: a vist to Marienburg
Flickr user SOG P posts a series of images documenting a visit to a former sugar factory in Marienburg, Suriname.
Barbados: Caribbean “hatchlings”
Barbadian artist Annalee Davis posts images of a new work at her blog, On the Map. Hatchlings: A Requiem uses painted eggs and a shredded copy of a regional integration treaty to comment on Caribbean insularity.
Big Brother Africa IV: The Revolution is on
Big Brother Africa 4:The Revolution is the fourth series of the Big Brother Africa reality television series, which began on September 6, 2009. The show has already generated discussions and comments online from bloggers and their readers.
Colombia: Love and Friendship day in Online times
September is Love and Friendship month in Colombia, and to celebrate, many participate in gift exchanges, to the chagrin of some who dislike this tradition which has already migrated to online platforms as well.
A Halal Search Engine for Muslim Internet Users
ImHalal.com, a search engine in English launched earlier this month by a Netherlands-based company, only fetches results that are flagged as “Halal” and safe for Muslim users. Blogger Agharass [Fr] comments.
India: Women & Housework
“What is it about housework that even the most liberated of us women continue to willing wear it around our necks like a millstone that we are proud of?” asks Aparna Singh at Ultra Violet.
