Stories about History from August, 2008
Russia, Georgia: The Balkan Context
LimbicNutrition Weblog writes about the Russian-Georgian conflict in the context of the earlier events in the Balkans.
Slovakia: Top 10 Castles
The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia posts a list of “the top 10 castles and ruins in Slovakia” (with maps and pictures).
Poland: “Polish Enigma”
MHahn of the Women's International Perspective (WIP) writes on WIP Talk Blog about “the trials and tribulations of life in a transitioning country” – Poland: “It is full of inconsistencies, bureaucratic mazes, masked faces, false hopes, and intense pride, but also an enchanting aura wafting through the crevices, a sorrowful...
Angola: Going, going, gone!
The historic Kinaxixi Market of Luanda, the Angolan answer to Corbusian modernism in architecture, has been knocked down to make way for a modern shopping centre. Is this a sign of the times or an example of the devaluation of heritage in the face of economic power? Clara Onofre reports.
Iran: Watch an old commercial
Thanks to You Tube we can watch an Iranian pre-revolution commercial.
Eritrea: African Reading Challenge 2008
As part of African Reading Challenge 2008, Scarlet read a book about Eritrea by Michaela Wrong, “I didn't do it for you: How the West betrayed a small African nation.” She says: “Not that much has been written by Western journalists about Eritrea. Michaela Wrong decided to write all of...
Bermuda, Trinidad & Tobago: Reviving the Federation?
Vexed Bermoothes weighs in on the call by Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister for regional territories to move towards economic and political integration: “My advice to Bermuda: stay out of it. As a community, we treasure our cultural and family links to the Caribbean. But there’s little benefit to us...
Barbados: Obama's Speech
Barbados Underground says that Barack Obama “delivered a high impact speech” at the Democratic National Convention, while Bajan Global Report refers to a story that claims Barbados’ Prime Minister “is…the only high ranking Caribbean official invited to witness the historic first embrace of an African-American as Presidential candidate for a...
South Korea: Old City Hall
Scribblings of the Metropolitician found it hard to believe that the South Korean government could demolish the old city hall building without much public consultation and debate.
Georgia, Russia, Serbia: The Use (or Abuse) of Some Historical Facts?
Serbian bloggers follow closely the situation in the Caucasus region. Many of them compared and analyzed the Kosovo issue and the newest opportunities in South Ossetia. Some of them were careful to express their own thoughts and mainly cited thoughts of politicians. Here is a post by a Serbian blogger who quoted in his blog some pieces of the last statements by Russia's government officials, who linked military operations in Georgia to certain historical events.
Saudi Arabia: The history of salons
Saudiwoman explains how many tailors’ shops turned into beauty salons in Saudi Arabia.
Yemen: The Wooden Windows of Seiyoun
Yemeni Omar Barsawad takes us to the picturesque village of Seiyoun, where beautifully adorned doors and windows were traditionally made out of wood. Barsawad posts a few pictures to illustrate the art.
Georgia: Pepsikolka's Dispatches From Poti
OpenDemocracy.net posts translations of posts by LJ user pepsikolka (Samira Kuznetsova), a blogger living in Poti, Georgia: here, here, and here. (Earlier GV translations of pepsikolka‘s posts are here and here.)
Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba: Olympic Medals
Caribbean Beat Blog congratulates Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago on their gold and silver medals in the Men's 4 x 100 Relay, while Child of the Revolution thinks that “Fidel Castro won’t be happy” with the Cuban Olympic medal count.
Bahamas, Guyana: Walcott's Warning
At the opening of the Carifesta Symposia in Guyana, Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott warned that regional governments are killing their artists – making Bahamian blogger Nicolette Bethel even more convinced that her decision to resign her post as Director of Culture for the Bahamas Government is the right one.
Taiwan: Viva la Generalissimo!
Ashinakhan criticizes the come-back of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall with extended history review of Taiwan's difficult road to democracy.
Russia: Rally at Red Square
Photos and video of seven activists holding a rally at Red Square in Moscow on Aug. 24 – “For your and our freedom” – in commemoration of the protest against the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia (posted by LJ user moscow_river_25 in the legal_team LJ community).
Ukraine: Past and Future of Independence Square
The past and, possibly, the future of Kyiv's Independence Square, in pictures and text (RUS), posted by LJ user raikkonen2007 in the ru_politics LJ community.
Bahrain: Celebrating the Imam Al-Mahdi’s birth
In the middle of the Islamic month of Sha’aban, the month before Ramadan, festivities take place all over Bahrain celebrating the date of Imam Al Mahdi’s birth. The occasion is called Nasfa [Ar], and it is not just a Shiite religious feast, but an event celebrated by Bahrainis of all communities.
Jordan: Al Aqsa Mosque Picture
Jordan's Jazarah posts a 39-year-old photograph of “Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Palestine after an Israeli attack that caused a big fire, leading to major damage in the Mosque.”
Jamaica: Campbell-Brown Wins Gold
“The U.S. team will return home without a gold medal in the individual sprint events for the first time since they boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics”: YardFlex.com congratulates Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown on her “impressive gold in the women’s 200 meters.”
