Inspired to learn Portuguese by my father's collection of LPs from late 1960s Brazil. Lived in Brazil, Portugal and East Timor. I am an ex-aidworker, perpetual-novice anthropologist working on projects combining technology, communications and social transformation.
Latest posts by Janet Gunter from August, 2010
Angola: “Alambamento” and Marriage Practices
In Angola, there is quite strong cultural tradition of the asking of the hand of bride in marriage, called alambamento. Considered by some more important that the civil or christian marriage, the alambamento consists of a series of rituals, like the delivery of a letter, material goods and money.
Guinea-Bissau: An Armored Mercedes Benz
António Aly Silva on Ditadura de Consenso [pt] tells of the battles between the widow of assassinated head of state Nino Vieira and the President over an armored Mercedes Benz, given by Muammar al-Gaddafi. He then mentions other security measures taken by politicians – saying “but here, in this country,...
East Timor: Raging debate on “culture”
Blog Timor News Network has republished a Facebook debate which was kicked off in late July by Augusto da Silva who posted a well-crafted essay by Fidelis Maglhães, challenging Timorese usage of “culture”. Magalhães was responding to a photo of the people of a mountain town carrying the PM.
