Global Voices Online » Roundups

Laos: Bike trip

Mong Palatino — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:09:32 +0000

GV author Caroline blogs about her bike trip in Laos

Brunei: Railway line, 1952

Mong Palatino — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:05:48 +0000

The Daily Brunei Resources writes about a 1952 Brunei Darussalam Annual Report which mentioned an old railway line in Brunei.

Brunei: Cell phone cake

Mong Palatino — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:03:51 +0000

A birthday gift for whatiate2day from Brunei: a cell phone birthday cake

Japan: Chart Maniax

Chris Salzberg — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:41:57 +0000

Japanese programmer and blogger id:amachang introduces [ja] Chart Maniax [ja], a service they developed for charting when and through which services web pages have been bookmarked. Services included are Hatena Bookmarks [ja], Livedoor Clip [ja], Delicious and Buzzurl [ja]. As an example, have a look at the chart for id:amachang's entry [ja].

Honduras: One Man's Struggle to Get out of Debt

Juliana Rincón Parra — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:24:47 +0000

La Gringa points us out to English language blog “I owe so much”, where one man writes in English about his experience trying to get out of credit card debt in Honduras. He writes bluntly and honestly about how much he owes and how he got to that amount, how he now drives his girls to school to save on school bus fees, how he has set up a VOIP business for extra income, and bit by bit he pays back his debt.

Costa Rica: Disappointment in Latin American Idol Results

Juliana Rincón Parra — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:48:25 +0000

Cristian Cambronero of Fusil de Chispas writes about the grand finale of Latin American Idol, where Costa Rican Maria Jose was up to the last minute singing for the first place. Much to the national disappointment, she didn't win, ending the three months of nail biting as Panama's singer walked away with the coveted prize.

Maldives: Second round of elections

Rezwan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:38:31 +0000

Think Maldives blog informs that the presidential election of Maldives has gone to a second round as none of the candidates could get 50% of the vote. ArtWork predicts who will win in the runoff.

Nepal: Celebrating Dashain festival

Rezwan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:59:34 +0000

Bibek Paudal discusses the controversy regarding whether the new Maoist Prime Minister observed Dashain festivities (15 days long national festival of Nepal) or not. He reminds: “Dashain is a Nepalese festival, not a Hindu festival. Calling Dashain anything other than a social-cultural festival is undermining the many unique Nepalese elements it symbolizes.”

Taiwan: Government Interferes with Media

David Reid — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:38:45 +0000

Michael Turton looks at how the KMT government is attempting to control content at the public media institutions (PTS, RTI and CNA). He follows up with details of the response from the International Federation of Journalists. Claudia Jean gives examples of more broader attacks by the KMT on freedom of speech.

Trinidad & Tobago: Coconut Water

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:18:03 +0000

Trinidadian blogger Now is Wow Too recounts an interesting conversation she had with an coconut vendor.

Cuba: Human Rights Activist Re-Arrested

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:12:34 +0000

Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports that a Cuban human rights activist who was paroled from prison earlier this year because of poor health, now faces up to five years in prison “on a charge of ‘attacking' — which has been used before to silence critics of the dictatorship.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Caribbean Sweeps Book Awards

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:00:29 +0000

Antilles, the blog of the Caribbean Review of Books, notes that “the Caribbean is well represented” among the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award winners: “Three of the four categories were won by Caribbean books.”

Cuba: Keep on Blogging

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:39:20 +0000

Generation Y offers encouragement to a rural blogger (whom she refers to as “peasant of agile keys and posts as sharp as machetes”), who paints a picture of what blogging in Cuba is like: “Time is scarce and expensive. You have to resend posts and emails that are interrupted when the line goes down. You can’t read or respond to comments. There is little chance of establishing relationships with other bloggers…”

Jamaica, U.S.A.: Crossing the Racial Divide

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:16:16 +0000

Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp has been closely monitoring the US Presidential race and thinks that “there is a need for real patriotism on both sides and for the voices of rationality and impartiality to speak up. America used to have them–before she turned over her media to spin doctors, liars, and partisan pundits–to speak the truth to and about each other across the racial divide.”

Bangladesh: Racism faced in Saudi Embassy

Rezwan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:58:50 +0000

A Bangladeshi blogger Juboraj was refused visa from the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Ghana and denied to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia citing the reason that only citizens of selected countries (USA, EEU, Australia, UK etc.) are allowed to receive Saudi Visa from a third country. When he asked why Bangladeshis do not get the opportunity he got this reply from the counselor: “Because you are from Bangladesh. you are Miskin (beggars).”