Stories from 11 January 2010
Guatemala: Cartoonist Fo Shares Drawings
Fo is a Guatemalan cartoonist who has been drawing for the past 23 years about local issues. He shares his cartoons on his blog called En Clave de Fo [es].
Guatemala: The Jocote de Corona Fruit in Comapa
Professor Luis Ernesto Grijalva created a blog [es] to showcase the municipality of Comapa in the Guatemalan Orient. In this entry, he shares information about the “Jocote de Corona,” which is small fruit collected as winter arrives.
Bangladesh: Exchange Rate Problem And Price Hike
J Rahman at Mukti thinks that Bangladesh taka has an exchange rate problem with Indian rupee: “There seems to be a pretty good relationship – taka depreciates against the rupee today, and rice prices in Dhaka rise a year or so later.”
Bhutan: Media Growth
Tshering Tobgay informs that the growth in mass media and other media forms of Bhutan has been exceptional: “Books, magazines, websites, blogs, cinema, music, cable TV, and overall connectivity have all expanded tremendously offering consumers of information a wide array of choices.”
Sri Lanka: Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam Released On Bail
Groundviews reports that: “Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam was enlarged on bail today pending the appeal of his conviction under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. “
Avatar: For or Against Indigenous Rights?
Bloggers worldwide are discussing the themes in the wildly successful film Avatar by James Cameron. Is it racist in its depiction of an extra-terrestrial indigenous tribe?
Peru: National Chess Team Banned by International Federation
The Peruvian National Chess Team is facing a ban because of unpaid debts to the International Federation, negatively affecting young chess players, who have been serving as an inspiration for their accomplishments.
Japan: Analyzing the Bathroom
Alastair takes an in-depth look at Japanese bathrooms from an architect's point of view – “Technology is at the heart of the Japanese bathroom. Speaking digital control panels in the bathroom and kitchen (or hallway) allow the user to set the hot water temperature and fill the bath remotely.”
Africa: Notes on Queer Africa
Gukira discusses an intellectual project on Queer Africa: “The kind of queer history I am envisioning might trace the history of the “unattached” in African ethno-histories.”
Japan: Coming-of-age Day
Nipponnews presents pictures of this year Coming-of-age Day.
Nigeria: Quiet optimism around polio elimination
Health Watch Nigeria discusses polio elimination in the country: “There is a sense of quiet optimism around those working on the Polio Elimination in Nigeria.”
Angola: Death in the Africa Cup's group of death
Four West African neighbours were drawn to play in group “B” of the African Cup of Nations, which pundits called the “group of death”: ‘The group of death referred to football rivalry. Now, it means real death,” writes George Fominyen following the attack on the Togolese national team.
Angola: Live feed of African Cup of Nations
Get live feed of the African Cup of Nations taking place in Angola: “For those who wish to watch African Cup of Nations 2010 online, there will be some sports online streaming sites which will provide live feed of the soccer games for free.”
Bermuda: The Family Unit
Vexed Bermoothes suggests that the soaring crime rate might just have something to do with “Bermuda’s low marriage rate and the large number of children that are raised in lone parent households.”
Graffiti and Urban Art: Voices from Latin American Streets I
Graffiti and urban art on the streets of Latin America is celebrated on the Internet by artists and fans alike. This begins a 3-part series on this movement across the region.
South Korea: Health care system
Ask a Korea explains to the readers how the health care system in South Korea works.
China: Eight characteristics of fake “patriots”
C Custer from ChinaGeeks translated a post by Zhou Weilu on eight characteristics of fake “patriots” on the Internet.
Featured Author: Hisham
As a practicing medical doctor based in France, “Hisham” (Hisham Khribchi) is a Global Voices author for Morocco. He is also one of the founding members of the site Talk Morocco.
China: Bloggers’ Reviews of Avatar
James Cameron’s blockbuster, Avatar, was released in China on 2 January 2010, two weeks later than the rest of the world. It is proving popular among the Chinese people. Apart from praising the 3D and special effects, Chinese people also link the story to a controversial social issue in China:...
Paraguay: Vintage Postcard Collection
Muna Annahas shares her collection of vintage Paraguayan postcards in this YouTube video.
Political Witch-Hunt at the University of the Philippines
Filipino cultural critic E. San Juan, Jr. writes a scathing comment on the political persecution against University of the Philippines activist-professor Sarah Raymundo.
