Post Tagged with "Asia"

Sri Lankan student

Chavie is a 20 year old Sri Lankan who describes himself as “a bus-rastiyadufying, kadachoru-eating, kunuharapa-saying, curly-brace-abusing student who thinks he knows all” (if you’re a Sri Lankan reading this, maybe you will explain!). He blogs at See Chavie Run! – a pithy and honest account of the preoccupations of student life.

On school life, read what Chavie has to say about exams or being a prefect. On a lighter note, there is also cricket, and maybe useful for travellers, a rework of Colombo’s bus routes inspired by the London Tube map.

Read more:
More blogs from Southeast Asia
Sri Lankan influence on Malaysian street food
Interview with a Taiwanese student in the USA

Glimpse Myanmar

Dawn blogs from Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) and her blog is appropriately called A Glimpse of my Life.

The latest post, photos taken while runnning errands, shows some beautiful scenes from downtown Yangon. Or, you can check what she’s cooking: crab curry anyone? Last week, Dawn wrote about a Sunday afternoon trip to a football match – Myanmar vs Mongolia!

Finally, Mother’s love is a reminder that not everyone lives the same life:

The mother let me take a photo of her cute daughter. But what she said later made me sad. She said, “I wish that this little baby was born into a family like yours instead of a poor person like me.”

Blog via Global Voices

Read more:
More blogs from Asia on Blogs of the World
Where in the world is Mongolia?
Eating to keep cool in the Thai summer

Loving Knickknacks = Loving Anik-Anik

Language is dynamic and it tends to be true when the word ‘knickknack’ takes a form more appealing to Filipino ears. We have a word for that and it’s ‘anik-anik’, the stuff that we hold near and dear.

All of us, in one way or another, had a personal collection. It could be of stamps, toys, books, bottle caps, comics, insects, photos, paintings and even Care Bears.

It’s said that our favorite things can inspire or reflect what we think or prefer. It’s no longer about showing your friends to reveal yourself to others. It’s now: “Show me your ‘anik-anik’ and I’ll tell you who you are.”

With that, ask Filipino artists, directors, writers, designers and even an ice cream maker to show their Batcave/laboratory and one would come up with a truly unique blog: anik-anik love, a feature on creative spaces of talented Filipinos.

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Thailand: work is play?

The cultural expertise quiz is back, after a break last week to make room for our weddings around the word series.

This week, we’re talking about Thailand. Here’s the question:

Thailand is one place in the world where you can truly say that “work is play.”

True or False?

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An Okinawan Wedding

Okinawa is a chain of islands forming Japan’s southernmost Prefecture. The islands were once an independent nation known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. Some traditions and cultural events seen in Okinawa would seem foreign, even to other citizens of Japan. The Okinawan Wedding is one of them.

This Photo Essay shows some of the events that take place during the typical Ryukyu Wedding. Not shown are the 300-500 guests filling the Wedding Hall. They are seated at tables drinking and dining.

The Typical Ryukyu Wedding

Imagine a formal marriage ceremony, in any western country, being conducted at the wedding reception. Then, add a dinner theater with floor shows, dancers and live bands and keep it lively for a few hours.

The performers, on stage, have rehearsed for months. They are all friends, family, classmates, neighbors or coworkers of the bride and groom. They are good. They could be part of a Las Vegas production.

Each photo in this essay includes the time it was taken. This should give you a sense of timing and what takes place, as the bride and groom go through more than a few changes of attire during the conduct of an Okinawan Wedding Ceremony.

Okinawan Wedding Attire

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Enter a Filipino Church

More than 80% of Filipinos are Roman Catholics, a result of more than 300 years under Spain. The people adopted religion as an important part of their culture.

One of the best ways to know the story of towns and Philippine history in general, is to look at the churches and historical markers. Take for example the Maragondon Church in Cavite (Cavite is a province south of the capital Manila).

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