Stories about Arts & Culture from December, 2007
New Bloggers Use Poetry to Describe Their Communities, Feelings, Friends
The new bloggers of Rising Voices outreach projects in Colombia, Bolivia, and Bangladesh are more than just up-and-coming citizen journalists. They have also discovered the power of prose to reveal glimpses of the human emotions that bring us together and the local differences that make each of our communities unique.
India: Baghdad Burning on stage
Known Turf on watching a dramatic reproduction of the blog – Baghdad Burning on stage.
Ethiopia: Queen of Sheba, Now Available in French
Francophone music blog Roots and Culture interviews Samuel Malher, a religious scholar from Strasbourg who has written the first unabridged French translation of the Kebra Negast, a sacred Ethiopian text. It describes the heritage of the Ethiopian monarchs, who trace their lineage to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and how the Ethiopians became God's new chosen people when the Ark of the Covenant was taken from Israel to Ethiopia.
Sudan: The Aftermath of the Teddy Bear Circus
Not surprisingly, about a month ago the Sudanese blogosphere's main topic and attraction was the teddy bear circus which received a huge amount of global media attention.
Jordan: Film Festivals, Citizenship Law and More
From a film festival in Dubai, a Jordanian film maker is making his debut at Sundance. Mohammad Al Azraq reports on that as well as the citizenship law in Jordan, babies born out of wedlock and a book feast in the Netherlands.
Czech Republic: New Year's in Prague
The Czech Daily Word provides some stats on the upcoming New Year's celebrations in Prague.
Serbia: “Manufactured Guilt”
Gray Falcon writes that “only by rejecting this manufactured guilt and by understanding who made it and with what purpose can the Serbs begin their path to freedom.”
Uganda: Is Uganda mentally, intellectually and creatively broke?
An interview with a Kampala City Council official has blogger Tumwijuke wondering if Uganda is “mentally, intellectually and creatively broke.”
Hungary: Things to Love & Hate in Budapest
Pestcentric shares 10 things to hate and 10 things to love about Budapest.
Barbados: Jordan Passes On
Cheese-on-bread! acknowledges the passing of Barbadian visual artist and costume designer Winston Jordan.
Armenia: Come on-a My House for New Year
Armenian Food reminds its readers of the 1951 hit by Rosemary Clooney, aunt of actor George Clooney, Come On-a My House. Written by two ethnic Armenians, one of which was American-Armenian writer William Saroyan, the blog says the song typifies the lavish tables that will be center stage for Armenian...
Thailand: Miniature Candy
Thai-blog.com introduces the colorful miniature candy from Thailand.
Bahamas: Theatre and Democracy
Nicolette Bethel agrees with artistic director Oskar Eustis that “The same emotion that is required for theatre to work is the emotion that is required for democracy to work — the idea we need to care about each other’s experience.”
West Africa: The four Cameroonian historical myths
Today, we are taking a tour of the West African blogosphere. Bloggers from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Nigeria are discussing children's books, historical myths, the military and politics.
Japan: Learning from the failure of Second Life
Second Life in Japan is virtually dead. While three-dimensional environments such as "meet me" and Hatena World have seen their popularity rise, the most famous virtual environment in the world has seen its virtual space depopulate in Japan. What lessons can be learned from the burst of the Second Life bubble? One blogger offers his thoughts.
Japan: Christmas Cards
James blogs his collection of Christmas Cards in Japan Probe.
Mexico: Graffiti Contest at Azteca Stadium
A contest for graffiti artists is scheduled for the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Vivir México [es] has more information.
Bolivia: Christmas as a Child
Ruben Hilari of Lenguas y Comunicacion [es] recalls his childhood at Christmastime and the current scenes of children asking for coins.
Costa Rica: Christmas Reflections
Costa Rican blogger Julia Ardón provides a reflection on “why she likes Christmas [es]“.
Bolivia: Commercial Activity at Christmas
Alberto Medrano of El Alto Noticias [es] writes about holiday traditions and commercial activity in El Alto, Bolivia.
Romania: Dracula
Csíkszereda Musings re-reads Bram Stoker's ‘Dracula’ and writes about his surprising ethnic origins as well as Romania's flourishing Dracula-centered tourism industry.
