Stories about Arts & Culture from November, 2009
Lebanon: Bulldozing Ancient Ruins in Beirut
Lebanese Blogger finkployd at Blogging Beirut posted photos of a bulldozer clearing ancient ruins facing Martyr Square in Downtown Beirut to make way for another building.
USA: Thanksgiving, a Celebration of Genocide?
On Livejournal, Christopher Bradley in the USA explains why he hates Thanksgiving. “I don't think there's any need to have holidays with the specter of genocide over them,” he says.
USA: Historical Truth of Thanksgiving
“To European-Americans this holiday is laced with fanciful symbolism and metaphorical memories about that great feast between Pilgrims and Indians. But the historical truth often goes untold and unheard,” writes Rusty’s blog.
Peru: Cow Parade arrives to Lima
Parks and public spaces in Lima have been invaded by life-size cow sculptures, as the Cow Parade arrives to show 80 different works aiming to collect funds for several organizations.
Video: Worldwide youth express themselves in 60 seconds
The OneMinutesJr project gives young people between 12 and 20 years of age from many corners of the globe the opportunity to express themselves across borders, languages and distances through 60 second videos.
Chile: Council Rejects Giant Pope Statue in Santiago
The proposed construction of a giant statue of the late Pope John Paul II that was to be placed in a square of the capital city Santiago, was rejected by Chile's National Monuments Council.
Bangladesh: Hijra Dance Festival
Ashok Deb at LGBTI Bangladesh blog posts videos of a Hijra dance Competition in Dhaka.
One East African Musician beats all odds for a global fan base
Not many know her as Mwanaisha Abdalla but Nyota Ndogo (Kiswahili for Small Star), is a household name in East Africa. She has been collecting fans of her eclectic East African sound for over 4 years now. Her blog on the other hand has been running for 3 years. There is no doubt that the blog has contributed the growth of her online fan base.
Dominican Republic: Environmental Film Festival
Duarte 101 [es] writes about the 2nd Environmental Film Festival to take place November 27-29 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Suriname: Seamlessness
“There is a way that Caribbean music or musical interests create a seamlessness between locations”: Blogging at Paramaribo SPAN, Chris Cozier ruminates on seamless spaces created by sound.
South Asia: Mass Murder Of Animals
Dipen Bhattacharya at Mukto Mona criticizes the rituals of sacrifices – be it during Kali Puja for Hindus or Eid-ul-Adha sacrifices for Muslims. “Man might need to eat meat, but mass murder of helpless animals using brutal methods cannot be considered self-sacrifice,” he opines.
Peru: Belief in the Pishtaco
In light of the recent arrest of a Peruvian gang accused of killing their victims to sell their body fat and whose actions closely resemble that of the mythical character the “Pishtaco,” J. Francisco Canaza of Apuntes Peruanos [es] writes that many people in the Andes region still believe in...
Venezuela: Independent Film The Devil's Faces
Las Caras del Diablo (The Devil's Faces) is an independent film from Venezuelan director Carlos Malavé and Carlos Caridad-Montero of Blogacine [es] writes that it follows the local trend of producing film “with a small budget, taking advantage of the latest technological advances.”
China: Dwelling Narrowness
A popular Chinese drama “Dwelling Narrowness” was “re-scheduled” without explanation recently. ESWN translated various reports and discussions about the drama. A recent development of the drama is that one of the main characters becomes the mistress of a government official in order to help repay her older sister's mortgage.
Japan: Buy Nothing Day
Started in 1992 in Canada by artist Ted Dave, the Buy Nothing Day movement [en] has spread to more than 60 countries around the world, Japan included. In line with the philosophy of the movement, next Saturday (November 28) Japanese are invited to refrain from shopping and reflect upon their...
Egypt: Where are the Algerian Intellectuals?
Egyptian blog Justice for All [Ar] asks: “Where are the intellectuals in Algeria when the nation wakes up..on curses? This is another reading to the question: Why do they hate us?”
Difference between Japanese and American Résumés
Daniel at the How to Japonese blog outlines the differences between Japanese and American résumés.
Japan: Secondhand books to loose yourself in
Photographer Damoncoulter presents some pictures of the Secondhand Book Fair in Shimbashi (Tokyo). In the heart of the Tokyo business district, the fair (held in middle November) was mostly attended by “salarymen” looking for rare pieces of literature to read on the way home.
Macedonia: Singing Skopjans
An ad hoc choir "Singing Skopjans" performs civic activism through songs, using social media to spread their message.
Colombia: The Tradition of Arepas in the Afternoon
In Colombia, the time between 3 and 6 pm is usually reserved for coffee or hot chocolate along with the typical arepa or other baked goods. This has become a tradition passed on from generation to generation.
Japanese concepts through images and videos
Lee at Tokyo Times defines the Japanese notions of wabi-sabi through photographs while the Through Eyes From Afar blog posts some videos to explain the concept of tsundere and yandere.
