Stories about Arts & Culture from September, 2011
Incredible Photos of North Korean Mass Game
Photographer Sam Gellman took 50 photos of a large-scale Mass Games in Pyongyang during his 4-day trip to North Korea. Although nearly 100,000 North Korean were mobilized for the game which is heavily laden with regime's propaganda, net users left good comments on Gellman who captured these incredible images.
Taiwan: Polyglot teaches you Taiwanese indigenous languages
Mike Campbell, a polyglot who can already speak fluent Mandarin, Hakka, Fukien-major languages used in Taiwan, along with a dozen of other languages, is now teaching people how to speak Sediq, Truku, and other rarely spoken Taiwanese indigenous languages on Youtube that now even most indigenous people now cannot speak.
Mali: Senegal and Mali Final Expected in Afrobasket Women 2011
Starafrica comments [fr] on the Afrobasket Women Championship 2011 currently being hosted in Bamako, Mali: ” Mali, the host country and vice-champion, and Senegal, winner of the last Championship, are very convincing during this 22nd edition […]. The two national teams remain invincible. Coming up on the horizon is a...
Recreating China Map into Maga
Shanghaiist collects a series of anime character drawings recreated from the China map.
Black Scholars Who Make a Specialty of Asian Studies
The Black Tokyo blog writes about the rich history of Asia studies by African-American scholars. “I want to follow the path of Blacks that have made it possible for other Blacks to provide information on Asia, in my case Japan, from an Afro perspective.“
Brazil: The Real Value of Half Price Tickets
Even though there is a federal law in Brazil for half price tickets to cultural shows - as the greatest portion of the public can only afford half of the total value - the events charge even higher amounts. Fernando Sapelli explains why.
North Korea: Kim Jong-Il's Surprise Appearance On the Simpsons
Martyn Williams from the North Korea Tech blog wrote a short post on Kim Jong-il's appearance on “The Simpsons”. One character from the episode says that he was forced to write a musical about Kim in a North Korean prison and introduces a song addressing the regime's ban on internet.
North Korea: Kim Jong-il Plans to Solve Famine by Breeding Giant Rabbits
Zimbabwe Metro site posted a list of eccentric acts and plans carried out by North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il. It includes Kim's plan to solve famine by breeding giant rabbits and revelations that Kim being one of the world’s largest buyer of Hennessy, German cars and Uzbekistani caviar.
Book Review: ‘Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea’
Change in Longitude blog posted a thorough review of the book ‘Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea’ by Barbara Demick. The book’s title comes from a song that North Korean school children recite, “We have nothing to envy in the world” in spite of chronic malnutrition and famine...
Philippines: Anti-Planking Bill Draws More Planks
A proposal in the Philippines to ban planking has drawn much criticism online and offline. Planking has been used by student activists as a creative form of protest, especially in last week's nationwide campus strikes against education budget cuts.
Video: Water Bottle Lights and Other Eco-Friendly Inventions
Solar lights and hot water heaters from plastic water bottles, houses made from trash and a way to do without plastic bags are some of the projects making reducing, reusing and recycling not only fun and affordable but also vital in improving the quality of life of people all around the world.
Puerto Rico: Santurce is Law
The art blog Fractal [es] covered what seems to have been a wonderful night during the event Santurce es Ley, a collective artistic movement dedicated to revitalizing and connecting the Santurce community, a sector in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico: Photos of Hello Seahorse!
The music blog Puerto Rico Indie [es] has a photo gallery of the concert of the Mexican band Hello Seahorse! [es] at La Respuesta, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Russia: Jokes and Xenophobia
Donna Welles writes about Russian jokes (and a blog that translates Russian and Ukrainian jokes into English) – and about xenophobia.
China: A water calligraphy dot matrix printer
Danwei has produced a video interview with Nicholas Hanna, a media artist who has built a tricycle that can paint Chinese characters with water on the ground as it moves. The machine is inspired by Beijingers who practice Chinese calligraphy with water brushes on the ground in parks.
Peru: ‘Mistura 2011′ Ends Amid Praise and Criticism
In Lima the 'Mistura' festival of gastronomy just came to an end. It attracted a total of 400,000 visitors, and 9 famous chefs lead by Ferrán Adriá signed the 'Declaration of Lima.' It is hoped that Mistura 2012 will reach one million visitors. Most Peruvians support this event, but there are also some criticisms.
Cuba: Milanes’ Miami Concert Stirs Controversy Among Cubans
On August 27th, Cuban music legend Pablo Milanés performed in Miami, marking his first concert in South Florida since the 1970s. On Cuba-focused blogs and news sites, bitter disagreement over the event’s political significance reverberated throughout the weeks surrounding Milanés’ performance.
Russia: Indie Band Uses ‘Office Violence’ Viral Video For Promotion
Biting Elbows, Moscow-based indie/punk band, has shot quite funny viral video for the promotion of its debut album. The clip reminds both the “Matrix,” and 2008 ‘Russian Office Rampage‘ footage (later recognised as the ad for Timur Bekmambetov's movie “Wanted“).
China: California Hotel adapted by a cook
A Chinese kitchen worker adapted the song California Hotel and sang in his farewell party. The video was uploaded in youku and echoed by thousands of people. China Hush translated the story and the lyrics of the Chinese version song.
Ukraine: Short Films by Youth for Gender Equality
Young film makers in Ukraine have participated in a short film competition that challenges stereotypes of women and defend gender equality. These films touch on issues that can be understood by speakers of any language.
Cuba: Talented Singers
Havana Times interviews Cuban singer Evelyn Garcia Marquez “who comes from a family of recognized musicians” and posts an update on the health of popular singer-songwriter Sara Gonzalez, who is recovering from surgery.
