Friday, October 30, 2009

Blog 37: Controversial Results from Somali Piracy

Channel 4 News has this controversial headline and story about the pirates in the Somali coast: "The 'benefit' of Somalia's pirates."

This is a really short piece with a video, but it made me think really hard about the implications of all this: "Fisherman in Kenya have reported bumper catches of shark and shellfish because commercial fishing boats from China and Japan have been scared away."

The fact that the pirates might have sailed to sea in part because of the dire economic situation in their country does not really justify violence to me, but the unexpected results is not that the pirates get money from their piracy, but that fishermen and the ecosystem benefit.

The story says this was the best fishing season for this town in 40 years. On the other hand, I am sure the industrial fishing boats have gone somewhere else to fish, so another town of fishermen, somewhere else, will have a bad season this year.

The link to the video is here.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Blog 36: Traveling around the world



Everybody loves traveling during vacation times, we spend hours planning our perfect vacation and even more hours dreaming what will be our next destination. From historical sites to the beach, from natural monuments to the museum of art, with several stops at the local restaurants, grab your camera and enjoy the experience.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Blog 35_Slideshow: Drinking habits in the world

Credits are given to xchgn.com and Maja Christensen for some of the pictures used in the slideshow.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Blog 34: Iceland Says Good-Bye to McDonald's

Iceland's economic collapse has forced fast food restaurant chain McDonald's to close its restaurants in the island or face an incredible expensive burger experience. All three restaurants will be closed, says Bloomberg.com.

As expected, no surprises here, some people are loving it (sorry, I couldn't help it) and won't miss the fast food while others are sad to see Ronald go away from the island and hope for a return someday in the future.

European fast food, however, is not as cheap as it is in the US. The article says that "the most expensive Big Macs are sold in Switzerland and Norway, where the burger costs about $5.75, according to the Economist 2009 Big Mac index." Had McDonald's stayed in Iceland, the Big Mac wold have cost 780 kronur” ($6.36), compared with the 650 kronur it costs today.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Blog 33_Her beautiful face gone

(Disclaimer: The video contains some disturbing scenes)
Recently, I stumbled upon an interview of Katie Piper, a victim of an acid attack, on the BBC website and I have an urge to share the story.

Katie Piper is a 24-year-old girl from the UK. She was a model and a budding TV presenter. However, everything changed on the 31st March 2008, when a stranger splashed acid on her face on the street. The accident was caught under CCTV and the perpetrator has been charged. But this cannot make up for the physical and mental tortures that Katie had to go through. She has made a documentary called "Katie: My Beautiful Face" and it is scheduled to be shown on BBC Channel 4 starting from 29th October to share her experience of being a burn-survivor.

In the TV interview, Katie Piper talked about her experience of getting used to her new life and the shock that she encountered at the beginning.

"It's very confusing not to see your own reflection in the mirror and it was hard to accept." she described her reaction when she first looked into a mirror after the incident. She joked that the psychologist had given her the wrong mirror.

Since the accident, she has undergone 30 operations. She has been fortunate to be the first patient to receive a revolutionary treatment called Metroderm, instead of a normal skin replacement. According to Katie, Metroderm is a new technology that first helps rebuild the structure of the face, and then skin-graphs are put on top. With four layers and the fat of her facial skin burnt, this technology has helped dramatically in the duration. One of the biggest satisfaction is that Katie can now have facial expressions.

"It's so amazing to be able to smile," she said, "Having the freedom to move my face and to show everybody how happy I am is amazing".

Her courage is admirable and no doubt, she has one of the most beautiful and confident smiles I have ever seen.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Blog 32_Norwegian won World Monopoly Championships in Las Vegas

Bjorn Halvard Knappskog, a 19-year-old Norwegian, beat rivals from 41 countries and took home $20 580, the total bank reserves in the game.

It took Knappskog only 40 minutes to win the last game, beating Oleg Korostelev from Russia, Rich Marinaccio from the US and Geoff Christopher of New Zealand consecutively. The players were using the Atlantic City version of the game and were all champions in their home countries.

Knappskog said that it was "the most surprised you could ever be" after his victory. He also told the Associated Press that it was the best game he played in the whole tournament.
Mr Knappskog said that he would spend the prize money, which is equivalent to the total bank reserve in the game of Monopoly, on a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon before returning to Oslo.

Monopoly was first launched in 1935, with the championship running periodically since 1973. You can find more information about the World Monopoly Championships on the Monopoly website .

Do you know?
  1. The longest Monopoly game ever recorded lasted for 70 straight days; and the longest Monopoly game in a bathtub lasted 99 hours!
  2. In 1978, the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogue offered a chocolate version of the game priced at $600.
For more fun facts about Monopoly, check out their official website.

You can read the whole story on the BBC website.Photo credited to monique72 from stock.xchng.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Blog 31: Free travel for baby born in airplane

I am not going to encourage any mother-to-be to go through the experience of having a baby in an airplane, but ninemsn.com reports that that's just what happened to 31 year-old Liew Siaw Hsia. The airline, AirAsia, will give the baby and the mother free airline tickets for the rest of their lives. I wish I was the baby (not so much the mother).

Friday, October 23, 2009

Blog 30_Meet the new Sherlock Holmes

Peter Alec Cannon would never have thought eight years after he robbed the 71-year-old Fay Olson in her home, a leech is all it takes to send him to jail.

In 2001, the then 46-year-old and his accomplice entered Mrs Olson's home and took AUS$ 550 (US$510).

Police in Tasmania found a leech at the crime scene after the robbery and took a sample of the blood from it for DNA profiling. In 2008, Cannon was charged over an unrelated drug offence and his DNA was found to match the sample from the leech.

Detective Inspector Mick Johnston said that it was quite a unique set of circumstance for the culprit to be found; it would not have been possible if the leech was not discovered or blood was not able to be extracted from it or Cannon hadn't committed another crime. He also praised the use of DNA technology in crime investigation.

"It's a testament to DNA evidence and the legislation that allows us to keep such evidence in relation to unsolved crimes - this is a fantastic result." he was quoted on the BBC website.

Mr Johnson also told ABC radio that Mrs Olson "waited a long time for closure to this matter and it's nice to be able to deliver that."

Credit is given to Getty Images

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Blog 29: A King among us

I love the video posted on the BBC News site about an Ugandan king who lived in the US and worked here while keeping his royal identity a secret. Now that his lineage has been reinstated int he country, he has been crowned as king.



Sorry I can not post the video, you'll have to visit the site and watch their commercial too, but it is worth it. It really brings a smile to your face, and supports what I had said earlier, that immigrants are among us and we don't really know who they are.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

"I was born an albino, but my attackers have made me disabled"

A lack of pigment in the skin cruelly brings the curse of death and fear upon albinos and their families in Tanzania.

A report on the BBC reveals a heartbreaking story of Mariam Staford Bandaba, who was attacked and had her hand chopped off because of her albinism and superstition.

In Tanzania,witch-doctors believe that a potion made of an albino's hair, blood or limbs will bring different kinds of fortune respectively and pave the way to affluence. An undercover BBC journalist pretended to be a customer and taped a shocking conversation with a witch-doctor.

A year ago, Mariam fell into the victimhood and became one of the many sacrifices. A gang attacked her; tried to kill her and sell her remains for witchcraft. Luckily, she escaped and only got one of her hands chopped off but the other had to be amputated in hospital. What is left in her is an infinite amount of trauma and haunting memories.

Mariam was brave enough to identify her attackers. The government hence took her into a safe-house where she could live under protection. All seemed settled until recently, when the Tanzania authority decided that Mariam and her family could no longer live there and have to move back to their village, where the relatives of the attackers still live.

"I can't imagine what will happen. What I did was just start crying." Mariam recalled when officials broke the news to her.

Her father also admitted his anxiety for Mariam and the entire family, including four siblings, frightened that reprisal attacks would carry out on other family members.

"Those who are responsible, all their relatives are still there, and those released from prison, are still living where we were living. So how can we stay there?" Mr Bandaba said. He is not the only one who thinks that the perpetrator would just "finish Mariam off" if they were to set foot in the village.

Government officials defended the decision by saying that some of the attackers were not found guilty and hence can not be kept in prison. According to the law, they are allowed to return to the village.

President Jakaya Kikwete states that actions are being taken to protect albinos in the country and execute perpetrators. In March, thousands of people took part to identify those they suspected of being involved in by filling in forms anonymously.

After Mariam's story was reported, a local businessman agreed to provide her and her family a place to live for the next year. What will happen to Mariam after that, and what will happen to more than 100 000 albinos in the country? Nobody knows. What we know is that their pleas cannot be ignored.

"I was born an albino," Mariam said. "But my attackers have made me disabled. I am begging all Tanzanians to kindly keep on helping me, because my situation is now worse. I have no hands."

Photos courtesy of the BBC. For more personal stories of albinos in Tanzania, click here. You can also watch an undercover journalist's conversation with a witch-doctor here.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Blog 27: Languages getting extinct too?

The BBC Radio has an online story about languages getting extinct and the English language taking over.

The article (rather alarmingly) says: "In 1992 a prominent US linguist stunned the academic world by predicting that by the year 2100, 90% of the world's languages would have ceased to exist." Another quote from a reputed source, French linguist Claude Hagege: "If we are not cautious about the way English is progressing it may eventually kill most other languages."

It is obvious that globalization has a big impact in everything we do, from the food we eat to the books we read. But it is hard to believe that globalization will make a language go away. There are many reasons languages will disappear, but I am not sure it is because of the influence of English in the global market either (look at the Belgians, they can speak three languages with no problem).

Recently historical evidence in totalitarian countries such as Spain or Soviet Russia had shown that after the collapse of those systems, languages that were not allowed to be used, resurfaced.

So I am going to be optimistic and not believe that by 2100 we will be all talking in English, and this is not because I am against a universal language, but because the richness in different languages is so important to understand the people from those countries.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Blog 26_ Red-light district goes green

Customers are offered discounts in the red-light district in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, if they get to the door by bicycles.

One bordello is trying to survive the economic crisis by offering a five-Euro (approximately $7) discount to customers who pedal their way to this former East Berlin district.

"It is very difficult to find parking around here, and this option is better for our environment," says Thomas Goetz, who owns the brothel Masion d'Envie, or House of Desire.

Goetz told the Associated Press that business began to return since the discount was offered in July.

According to the report, local residents of Prenzlauer Berg have supported the Green party in recent elections and have welcomed the bordello's offer and its benefits to the environment.
As for those who come by foot, it may be bad news and no discounts are applied.


"We haven't found a way for people to prove they have walked here," Goetz explained.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Blog 25: More Mexicans will migrate to the US if they could

I found this story regarding a poll by the Pew Research Center. The story, distributed by Reuters, say that "One in three Mexicans would migrate to the United States if they had the chance, and many would go illegally."

To me that's an incredible number of people. More data from the survey shows that, apparently, Mexico is not the ideal place to live for many of its citizens.

Some examples from the story:
- "57 percent of Mexicans believe those who move from Mexico to the United States enjoy a better life."
- "81 percent of respondents said crime is a major problem and 73 percent said illegal drugs are a serious issue for their country."
- "Asked if they would like to move to the United States, 33 percent of those taking part in the survey said "yes" and 18 percent said they would move even without the necessary visas."
- "Almost 40 percent of the survey's respondents said they had relatives or close friends in the United States."

I am not sure if this is really a representation of about Mexico or the "ideal" that Mexicans might have about the US society. Undoubtedly we have a much higher quality of life here, but I am not sure some of the respondents understand the implications of being in a foreign country illegally.

Blog 24_Key Climate Change Resolution signed under water

There are so many ways to highlight the threat of global warming; the government of the Maldives has decided to do so by holding a cabinet meeting six metres underwater on the 17th October.

President Mohamed Nasheed and his cabinet member will sign a key resolution, calling for global cuts in carbon emissions, before the Copenhagen Summit. Nasheed, a qualified diver, will also hold a news conference in the water.

A statement issued from the president's office revealed that none of the ministers had any experience in diving before, except for the defence minister. They have been receiving trainings for weeks and all of them were very enthusiastic about this meeting.

"The government will sign a document ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, calling on all nations to cut down their carbon emissions." the BBC reports.

Nine out of 14 cabinet ministers will participate in the meeting as two were not given medical permission and the last one will be abroad.

The "350.Org", a global grassroots campaign to stop climate change, will start a week after the cabinet meeting. On the 24th October, 350 divers will go underwater in front of the President's Office to demonstrate, using 350 lights.It will be followed by a photo exhibition, in which 350 postcards will be printed out to send to 350 worlds leaders, to voice a strong message of climate change.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Blog 23: Laptops for Kids in Uruguay

According to BBC News, Uruguay is the first country in the world where every child in elementary school will have a laptop computer, courtesy of the public education budget.

You don't hear about Uruguay very often in the news, and I am glad that now that we hear about it, it is to share very good news.

The total cost of the program wasn't even 5 percent of the education budget, and that included not only the laptops for the kids, but also for the teachers, as well as IT support.

70 percent of the kids who got a laptop did not have a computer at home, as quoted in the story: "This is not simply the handing out of laptops or an education programme. It is a programme which seeks to reduce the gap between the digital world and the world of knowledge," explained Miguel Brechner, director of the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay and in charge of Plan Ceibal."

The plan is not finalized, since some of the most rural schools do not have access to internet, but this is a very good first step in the right direction.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Blog 22: Amazonian Tribe Has Only Five People Left

The Belfast Telegraph has an article about the last survivors of a tribe in the Amazon that was once a thriving civilization.

There are only five people left from the Akuntsu tribe. "All of them are either close family relations, or no longer of child-bearing age – meaning that the tribe's eventual disappearance is now inevitable."

The article says that farmers and loggers' greed are the main reasons for the situation of the tribe: "... the new migrant workers knew that one thing might prevent them from creating profitable homesteads from the rainforest: the discovery of uncontacted tribes, whose land is protected from development under the Brazilian constitution. As a result, frontiersmen who first came across the Akuntsu in the mid-1980s made a simple calculation. The only way to prevent the government finding out about this indigenous community was to wipe them off the map."

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Blog 21_Government offers free honeymoon for troubled couples

The government of a north-east state in Malaysia has offered free "second" honeymoon to couples who are at the brink of divorce.

Ashaari Idris, a government official in Terengganu, said that troubled couples would be offered to spend two nights at one of the state's scenic island resorts.

"Before marriage, all was good. But after marriage, some are unable to cope with the new challenges," Ashaari told AFP. He says that this programme is aiming to strengthen family ties.

"I want to strengthen family ties. If a marriage breaks down, it will hurt the children and it will have serious implications on society." he says.

Those who wish to take part will have to apply, undergo an interview and commit to marital counselling. So far, 25 couples have volunteered to participate in a pilot project and undergone counselling on Monday.

Under Islam, divorce is allowed but not encouraged, with the Prophet Mohammed saying divorce was, in the eyes of God, the most distasteful lawful act.Ashaari said that the Muslim-majority north-eastern state has one of the lowest divorce rate in Malaysia, however, no official data has been disclosed.

Picture courtesy of
Terengganu Tourism Board

Monday, October 12, 2009

Blog 20_World's youngest headmaster teaches at family backyard

You do not need many years of teaching experience or the perfect classroom to be a good teacher and change life. All you need is the hunger to learn and the determination to share. Babar Ali, a 16-year-old schoolboy from Murshidabad, West Bengal, is a remarkable example.

Babar Ali is the protagonist of the first report in the BBC's Hunger to Learn series. At the age of 16, he is the world's youngest headmaster. He has no formal teaching qualification and is just a normal teenager. What makes him extraordinary is that everyday he runs classes for hundreds of poor students from his village, in his family's backyard.

Being the first in his family to receive proper education, Babar Ali understands how precious education is.

"It's not easy for me to come to school because I live so far away," he says, "but the teachers are good and I love learning."

Everyday before classes, Babar Ali has to help out with household chores before going to school. He takes an auto-rickshaw for a ride of about 10km (six miles) to Raj Govinda and has to walk the last couple of kilometres.

Raj Govinda is a government-run school which is free. However, it is still very difficult for parents to send their kids to school -- many cannot afford the US$40 fees each year for school uniform, books and transportation.

Barba Ali understands the obstacles for his fellow villagers. When he was nine, he already started teaching a few friends and eventually decided to open an unofficial school and give lessons at his backyard everyday at 4pm. He teaches and shares what he learns from school in front of a massive crowd.

Now his afternoon school has 10 teachers, including Barba Ali himself, and 800 students, mostly girls.


"My father is handicapped and cannot work," says Chumki Hajra, a 14-year-old girl attending Barba Ali's unofficial school. She has been a full-time cleaner since she was five and never attended school.

"We need the money. If I don't work, we can't survive as a family. So I have no choice but to do this job." she told the
Damian Grammaticas of the BBC.

Nelson Mandela once said "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." In this case, Barba Ali is an excellent soldier.

For the full report or interviews on BBC, click here

Friday, October 9, 2009

Blog 19_"Fake zebras" delight children in Gaza

Two donkeys were dyed manually with black stripes to resemble zebras in a small zoo in Gaza.

For those who are lucky enough to have seen a zebra in the flesh, the zebras-wannabe cannot trick you. But to children in Gaza, who have never seen a zebra outside of children's books, the donkeys can easily do the trick.

Nidal Barghouthi, the son of the owner of the Marah Land zoo, admitted that the two female donkeys were striped with masking tape and women's hair dye, to avoid expensive smuggling fees.

"It would have cost me $40000 to get a real one." said owner Mohammed Bargouthi.

"The first time we used paint but it didn't look good. The children don't know, so they call them zebras and they are happy to see something new." Mr Bargouthi told the Reuters.

According to the BBC, all the real animals at the zoo, including monkeys and a tigress, had been smuggled under the border at great expenses. And earlier this year, two authentic zebras died of starvation during the Israeli military offensive.

Picture courtesy of Reuters

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Blog 18_Rwanda genocide suspect arrested

One of the top four genocide suspects was arrested in Uganda this week, Ugandan and Rwandan officials confirmed today.

Idelphonse Nizeyimana was an intelligence chief at the time of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, in which more about 800 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. He is accused of organising the mass killings of civilians, including the former Tutsi queen Rosalie Gicanda, who was 80 years old at the time of her death.

The Rwandan government welcomed the arrest but said that Nizeyimana should be tried in his country. Eric Kayiranga, a Rwandan police spokesman, confirmed that the suspect was arrested in Kampala, Uganda's capital. According to the BBC, he was attempting to cross the boarder from Congo to Kenya and was caught with false travel documents.

"This guy was causing terror in Congo, and he was a threat to the region," Mr Kayiranga told The New York Times. "His arrest was a success."

It is believed that Nizeyimana fled to Congo, after the genocide, and took refuge there. He was finally arrested in a hote in Kampala. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, based in Arusha, Tanzania, said that Nizeyimana will appear in court in the coming days.

The Rwanda Genocide was one of the most brutal mass murders and ethnic conflicts. The Genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane was shot down in June 1994. Accusation was pointing to the leader of a Tutsi rebel group, Paul Kagame, for the attack. Kagame denied the accusation and shifted the blame to Hutu extremists. This acted as a perfect catalyst to more radical actions regarding the already existing ethnic disputes between the Tutsis and the Hutus. In the 100 days of killing, it is estimated that more than 800 000 Rwandans were killed and most of them were Tutsis.

Pictures Courtesy of the BBC

Sunday, October 4, 2009

(Audio) Blog 17_Interview with Seol Kim, a Korean student at WSU

There are more than 1000 international students at WSU. Every year, students from around the globe bid farewell to their families and embark on an adventure in a different country for education. How much do we know about their stories and their struggles?
I have talked to Seol Kim, a sophomore student from Korea, and understood a story of determination.



Saturday, October 3, 2009

Blog 16_And the winner is...Rio de Janeiro


Rio de Janeiro has been named as the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympic, being the first ever South American city to be selected by the International Olympic Committee.


Rio de Janeiro won in the last round of voting by a comprehensive margin of 66 votes to 32 votes over Madrid. The other competitors included Chicago and Tokyo, which had been voted out in the first and second round respectively.

After IOC president Jacques Rogge revealed that Rio was awarded to host the Games of the 31st Olympiad, the Brazilian president was in tears.

"The other countries made proposals. We presented a heart and a soul." President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told reporters. "I confess to you if I die right now, my life would have been worth it."

The winning city used the slogan "Live your passion!" (Click here for bid video) President Lula promised in his speech to the IOC that Rio will "de
liver an unforgettable Games" and is determined to show "the passion, the energey and the creativity of the Brazilian people".

All games are planned to take place inside the city, bringing "dynamics to the Games and facilitating the athletes' interaction", according to the bid website. There will be seven competition centres in four Olympic regions, with football matches held in the cities of Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador and Sao Paulo.

Currently there are eight existing venuess that can and need to be renovated for the Games. While three of them are new, they fail to meet the size and technical
requirements of the IOC.

Although it is a big boost for this Brazilian city with 6 million inhabitans, the road ahead does not look particularly easy.

To start with, Rio does not have enough hotel rooms. The IOC questioned the reliability and accountability of the strategy proposed by Rio: it is going to increase the number of hotel rooms available before 2016 but some of them are on private cruise ships.

Security is another big issue. According to TIME, the number of homicides in the has risen up to 9.9% this year. One fifth of the population are slum-dwellers. Officials are considering flooding the city with troops as they did for the Pan Am Games in 2007, although this will create an intimidating atmosphere for a festive event such as
the Olympics.

While Rio de Janeiro is celebrating this historical moment, representatives from Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago are shocked and disappointed.

In Chicago, citizens are extremely surprised and devastated when the city was kicked out in the first round with only 18, out of the 94, votes. Chicago was seen as one of the favourites before the voting.
Brazil is also the host of the World Cup in 2014.


Pictures courtesy of BBC, AFP and the New York Times

Friday, October 2, 2009

Blog 15: People Powered Maps

I found this interesting series of maps on the BBC News web site.
It shows different countries and what areas are more populated.

If you check your own country, you probably won't be surprised by the results, but it is interesting to visit some other countries and see if you really want to spend your vacation visiting that overpopulated city or rather visit the more quiet areas of the country.

The source of the maps is here at WorldMapper, if you want to see more people-powered maps of other countries or even a map of the world. It also has animated maps showing world maps by income, age-of-death, internet users and much more. A nice visual way to learn something else about the world.