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Africa: Blog This Poem! · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The African blogosphere is rapidly expanding, bringing more voices online in the form of commentaries, opinions, analyses, rants…and poetry. Blogs have created a new space for African poets to share their creative and imaginative works with a wider audience. Today, I will introduce you to a few poems written by African bloggers.
My Voting Dilemma is a poem by Kenyan Poet (based in Nairobi, Kenya):
This paradox of how a piece of paper
With X and ticks marks like an exam paper
To examine my literacy and disarm my prayers
Malcolm X and Nike labels
Tick no and X or cancel yes
No I don’t want yes
My answer is no
And so I will cancel
This sycophancy of how symbols and signs
Of Cocks and bananas, roses and oranges
Determine my choice and taste of changes
I am a vegetarian and don’t fancy cocks
For over 24 years, shoved down my throat
Fruits are healthy but the hawkers too many
Roses, who is saint Valentino?
My answer is no
And so I will cancel…
Jah Guide, a Rastafarian blogger from Sudan writes, Someone:
I was searching underneath the depth of my mind
With a heavy load in my heart
Crushing
Melted memories
Ghosts
That hug and whisper
Am I crazy?
Where is my home?
Some one to understand
How can just one man remember it all?
I want to be normal
Stupid
But….
Here they come
I have found them for you
I am bleeding
Take my hand
Lead this tortured soul
To the other side
This wall must fall
Where is my home?
My semi Sahara
Underneath it
The ancients planted my seed
Dont…is a poem by Kenyan Expressions dedicated to “all parliamentary and civic aspirants”:
don’t give me the title deed today
because you want my vote tomorrow
for the day after…you’ll leave
and I will be left in sorrow
don’t make me promises
that you know very well
you will not keep
you fooled me once
you fooled me twice
but this time I will not weep
Broken Diamonds by ON DRIFTING, WAVY WORDS was written in honor of the victims of  the American embassy bombing in Nairobi in 1998:
They were born,
On a day in the past,
And lived their lives,
Till that fateful day,
Seventh of August.
The scene was aghast,
After the blast,
The blast that claimed them,
And what a mayhem it caused.
The glasses flew,
As if they knew,
Where they were going;
They cut deep in the skin,
And the memory,
Remains deeply etched in our hearts.
Rethabile Masilo from Lesotho writes Lerato in Poéfrika, a group blog of creative Africa-inspired writing:
you left
for work
without
a word/
and I just
felt nuts,
smoking
the cleft
of a day/
a bird
is caught by
morning till
twilight
wraps my
thought and
the feathers
fly home/ I
start feeling
nuts again,
then you tap
the padauk
door, which
I stagger to
and open
with the
other hand.
He also writes, Pissin’ in the forest, on his own blog, Sotho:
We head home
by a trail round
the lower villages
to avoid stopping
for a drink at
Moselantja’s place,
your cheeks
red in spring air,
a sense of life
darting through
your blood. I’m
walking for health,
your young quack
thinks I’m as good
as in the tomb, wants
to haul me back
out–he shoulda met
Niclas when he was
around. But you
added your voice
to his and so here
we are, sweating
Sunday afternoon.
We turn right after
the villages and
head for the woods,
the sound of hoof
on twig deserting us.
It’s all I can do
not to pee on a tree,
your only proof
to tell whether or not
I been drinkin’. It’s
all I can do not to think
of my babyhood dream,
pissin’ in the forest.
Lascia ch’io pianga, partly inspired by the Italian opera, Rinaldo is written by Mshairi (a poet in Swahili):
in the melancholic hour before dawn
oppressive memories torment the senses
tangled sheets bear testament to another sleepless night
another search for succour in vain
in anguished silence the forlorn inconsolable heart
softly whispers to the bleak darkness to
let me weep
let me weep for
vanished yearning dreams
unfulfilled wishes
let me weep for
unshared laughter
extinguished hopes
the song unsung
the words forever unsaid
let sorrow break these chains of agony
for pity’s sake if nothing else
let me sigh for love’s respite and release
let me weep for stories untold
and grieve for the soul’s troubled woes
misery without end
Let me weep
Lascia ch’io pianga
Snapshot of the soul writes The Fog :
It's been countless hours since my last taste
what a sadly ironic way to go to waste
but I'm getting better now
roughed the darkness redefining my rhythm
clearing you out of my system
and waking's still not easy
believe me
still gotta pry these eyes open
every single morning of each day
knowing there'll be no surprises, no point in hoping
just phantoms forming every which way
You are in the thick of the fog
grandmaster's obokano‘s poem, Noose-Reactions, was written following Saddam Hussein's death by hanging :
For the hanged
mixed reactions
Saddam is hanged
jubilation life in the western bush
consolation and weeping in the east
i see no life in the rest.
Poet Mutiso, blogging at POETRY BLOG – SEEKING HIGHER SOLITUDE, writes Visitors of the night:
They moved stealthily,
Through the thickets,
Like the shadows of the unknown.
They were not welcomed,
Neither accepted but they came,
Not boldly, but with covered faces,
And painted bodies.
They didn't knock,
Nor open they broke through,
That's what they liked,
It was their pleasure.
They entered like thieves,
But they never stole property,
They stole bodies;
Stripping your flesh leaving naked bones,
And dust.
They? Who were they?
They were them
Send by who was after us.
All… we don't know.
Endi's World remembers the people who have lost their lives in pipeline fires in Nigeria in And the darkness…:
‘Twas a hushed tale
Of a commonwealth flowing home
We've gone to stake a claim
A search for light before dusk was due
On an empty stomach rumbling with greed
We came; with diverse vessels
Seeking a path through our poverty
A fare for a seasonal ritual
In the grassland; a carcassland
Of torn engines and the living dead
Our fate hung on a light
Around this tempting pool of darkness
Our eyes had sought the Rocks light
Hoping it will make us light
From the yolk of a penuric existence
It came though; with it a scorching comfort
And it came, a light came
Through nowhere, like a spirit
And it dawned on us
That dawn's come, then 'twas darkness again
And finally, Sandra Mushi from Tanzania recalls her First Time:
The music is merry and right
The room is shiny and bright
Your kind eyes dance as they smile at me
I am nervous, scared as tense as I can be
You approach me, over me is your big frame
To agree to come myself I start to blame
The earth seems to shake with my fear
My heart beats you can almost hear
My body is numb with such fright
Thinking of you entering where it is so tight
As I lay back my muscles with dread do tighten
The sight of the tool you will use does frighten
I try to look for an excuse to leave
As you refuse to be swayed a sigh I heave
The music is supposed to be soothing
But now in my young ears sounds so brooding
Fast and faster my heart beats also pump
From my mouth my heart will jump
With a warm smile, you ask me if I’m afraid
Bravely I shake my head, nervously toying with a braid
You have had more experience, you calmly say
Finding the right place, your finger does play
You probe deeply and I shiver; my body tenses;
I moan, groan, tears sting, as you bring down my defenses
You are as gentle as you had promised you’d be
Looking deeply within my eyes, my fears you see
Urging me to trust you, you beg me some more
Saying you have done this many times before
I open wider to give you more room for an easy entrance
The pain is so intense I seem to be in a trance
Begging you to hurry I begin to plead
You slowly take your time I can’t stand the deed
Gentle and slow you must be, you say
So not to cause me much pain as you pray
Your gray hair and tobacco smell reminding me of Daddy
To your fatherly figure I then give in gladly
Pressing closer, going deeper, trying to hold you at bay,
Suddenly I feel the tissue rip and give way;
Throughout my little body excruciating pain does surge
I feel the slight trickle of blood as on you urge
You looks at me concerned and asks me if it’s too painful
My eyes filled with tears I try to be as brave as a bull
I shake me head and bravely nod for you to go on
My braids with pink ribbons shake as I tremble and moan
You begin going in and out with such skill
But I am now too numb you within me to feel
I feel something after a while bursting within me
You pull it out of me, I lay panting, glad its over and I’m free
My little body shudders a sigh of relief that its over
Smiling warmly over me your big frame does hover
I have been your most stubborn yet most rewarding experience
You say with a chuckle, sweet stubborn body of brilliance
Straightening my wrinkled school skirt I get up
With a wink, you reward me with a lollipop
Lick
Lick
Slurp
Slurp
Noisily I lick away at the delicious swirl of sweetness bout
My cute little lips no longer in an annoyed sulking pout
I smile and thank my dear old dentist as I merrily hop out
It was my first time to have a tooth pulled, have no doubt


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Botswana: discovering the beauty of the Okavango Delta · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Koluki shares her experience of the Okavango Delta: “I spent all day discovering the unique wonder that is the Okavango Delta by mokoro – a traditional dugout canoe introduced to the place by the Bayei people in the 18th century.
No amount of words can ever come close to describe this most exquisite experience… Imagine floating in clear waters all surrounded by water lilies – that just about sums it up. But there’s a lot more…”

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Argentina: When the Trains Stop Running · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

What happens when a strike halts all movement on Buenos Aires’ subway system?  According to Cintra at GoodAirs, all hell breaks loose.  The local buses were overflowing more than capacity and city taxis were impossible to hail.   Even local trains and plane transport was far from business as usual due to riots and additional strikes.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Armenia: Post-election News · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian has a post-election Armenian Parliamentary Election Monitor focusing on those who are contesting the outcome of the vote.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Bahrain: Weekly Podcast · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger emoodz has posted his first podcast in English and Arabic and hopes to make podcasting a weekly habit. Mohammed Al Maskati says he thinks that podcasting could be the “next best thing in local blogging.”

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Bangladesh: On Wolfowitz · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Wolfowitz's exit from the World Bank prompts imperfect world 2007 says. “his man who is responsible for so much death and destruction personifies the unreal world neocon thinking inhabits. If you remember he was the man who predicted that US soldiers would be feted in the streets of Baghdad after invasion.”

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Belarus: Blog Roundup · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

TOL's Belarus posts an overview of Belarusian blogs: “The burning news of the BB (belarusian blogosphere) recently has become a new witty initiative of the government to remove all satellite antennas and climate control devices located on outer walls of Minsk buildings.”

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Bermuda: Addicted to Google · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“It's official – Google rules my life.”  Paradise Found is more reliant on the search engine than he thought.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Bolivia: Internet Day · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Hugo Miranda of Angel Caido [ES] lists some handy tips on those wanting to do more with their internet experience in honor of Internet Day.  Blogs de Bolivia [ES] links to the Internet Day site created by the Agency for the Development of an Information Society in Bolivia


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Bolivia: The Road to a Visa · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Bolivian blogger at Where the Dreams Die chronicles the ups and downs of applying for a visa to enter the United States.  After assembling all of the necessary paperwork and an initial disappointment due an error at the embassy, he finally has visa in hand and plans to travel to the United States.


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Botswana: Zimbabweans in Nata village · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nata Village Blog: “Nata is located very close (about 30 miles) to the Zimbabwean border. Many of you following world news have undoubtedly heard of the crisis in Zimbabwe. Inflation in Zimbabwe has hit 2000% and unemployment is at an all time high. We are seeing more and more Zimbabweans in Nata selling crafts, spoons, and other items in an attempt to eek out a living.”


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Brazil: Possible Justice for Dorothy Strang · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Randy Paul of Beautiful Horizons writes about the upcoming trial of a man accused of the murder of Dorothy Strang, a US-born nun that lived in Brazil helping native groups.  However, he writes that “there is a slight undercurrent of despair mixed in with this from my perspective,” and “I cannot help but wonder whether the same attention would have been given to the case if she had been Brazilian-born or someone with the stature of a Chico Mendes.”


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Brazil: The Once and Future(?) King  · Global Voices
Jose Murilo

There are two kings in Brazil. Pelé, the world famous football star, and Roberto Carlos, a great icon of Brazilian popular music (MPB). The singer and songwriter acquired fame as the main figure of the 60's musical movement known as Jovem Guarda — Young Guard — in opposition to the ‘old guard’ of Brazilian music. It was the first manifestation of the Brazilian pop rock movement. But late last year, the launch of an unauthorized biography, written after an exhaustive research and almost two hundred exclusive interviews, has made this King go to war. Confirming the Brazilian saying that “once King, you'll never loose the majesty”, Roberto Carlos has recently succeeded in a legal settlement with the writer — historian Paulo César de Araújo — and his publisher where all the unsold books will be called back to him, and the book will never again be published. But then… there is the Internet.
A biografia Roberto Carlos em detalhes tem 500 páginas e foi lançada em dezembro passado. Chegou a vender 22.000 exemplares antes que viessem os protestos do cantor e a disputa judicial. O Roberto criticou especificamente três pontos: a narrativa do acidente de infância, quando ele perdeu parte da perna; a agonia da mulher Maria Rita, que faleceu de câncer em 1999; e revelações de casos amorosos. A decisão da Justiça foi de recolher a obra, o que provocou a reação de escritores e colunistas, que classificaram o caso como censura. Em entrevista, o jornalista e escritor Lira Neto avaliou que “provavelmente criou-se uma jurisprudência perigosa, contra o gênero biografia e contra o próprio exercício da historiografia. Se a gente depender do biografado e dos herdeiros para escrever sobre alguém, é simplesmente a falência do gênero”.
Personagem Público – Oi na TV
Uma decisão judicial (antecipação de tutela) de 22 de fevereiro de 2007, da 20ª Vara Cível do Rio de Janeiro, já havia proibido a publicação, distribuição e comercialização do livro em todo o território nacional, mas o que tornou essa proibição definitiva foi o acordo judicial. Infelizmente, não saberemos como este caso tão emblemático seria julgado pelo Judiciário (onde levaria no mínimo cinco anos para percorrer todas as instâncias), mas ações judiciais dessa natureza preocupam autores e editoras, fazendo com que o gênero literário biografia seja considerado um investimento de alto risco.
O Caso Roberto Carlos – Notícias Jurídicas
O pior ainda é que pelo que deu a entender Roberto Carlos, foi um tipico caso de não li e não gostei, já que o próprio cantor declarou que não leu o livro. Além de ser um verdadeiro caso de tiro no pé, essa polêmica toda serve para demonstra qual manto veste esse rei, no caso o manto dos reis absolutistas e ditadores da história medieval. Diferentemente da idade média, porém, agora os plebeus tem uma ferramenta, a internet, e mesmo que os livros já tenham sido recolhidos e queimados, já circula pela internet em site e emails afora. Ou seja, dessa vez, não foi o rei que controlou a história, e sim a história que derrubou o rei.
O Rei e o Plebeu – 5 minutos
Um dos primeiros a hospedar tais links foi o blog “O Escriba” (www.oescriba.blogspot.com) do jornalista Carioca Jorge Henrique Cordeiro. Cordeiro afirmou que não teme ser processado. Segundo ele, caso apareça uma intimidação judicial é só tirar o link do ar. E ainda acresenta que até lá o livro já terá sido baixado por muitos e disponibilizados em outros blogs, via Orkut, fóruns de discussão ou programas de troca de arquivo. Parece que mais uma vez os blogueiros resolveram atacar e mostrar a todos as suas forças. Acho que a tentativa frustrada da modelo Daniela Cicarelli de censurar o YouTube não serviu de lição para o cantor Roberto Carlos.
Quem será o próximo? – Conversações
At first the case was not receiving much attention from the traditional media, but as bloggers started spreading copies of the censored edition and making supportive reviews of the content, the issue surfaced back into public scrutiny. The literary star Paulo Coelho — recently incensed by a New Yorker article — joined the debate by attacking Roberto and the publisher, which happens to be his own, in an article posted in one of the major newspapers in the country. “Unfavorable context” was the title of Coelho's article, and also how the publisher labeled the peculiar 5 hour encounter where the parties reached the settlement. In the end, the surreal scene at the court mixed the sad view of an author in tears seeing his work of 15 years being proscribed, along with a joyful photo session of the judge, an amateur singer himself, with the triumphant King, Roberto Carlos.
“TENHO UMA grande admiração por Roberto Carlos -recentemente, um dos mais importantes programas da BBC Radio me perguntou a lista de cinco discos que eu levaria para uma ilha deserta, e incluí um dos seus. E, apesar dos problemas normais decorrentes de uma relação profissional, tenho um grande respeito pela editora Planeta, que publica minhas obras no Brasil e em vários países de língua espanhola. Dito isso, é com grande tristeza que leio nos jornais que, na 20ª Vara Criminal da Barra Funda, em São Paulo, os advogados do cantor Roberto Carlos e da editora Planeta fizeram um acordo que prevê a interrupção definitiva da produção e comercialização da biografia não-autorizada “Roberto Carlos em Detalhes”, do jornalista e historiador Paulo Cesar Araújo. O editor diz um disparate para salvar a honra, o cantor não diz nada e o autor fica proibido de dar declarações a respeito. E estamos conversados. Estamos conversados? Não, não estamos, e tenho autoridade para dizer isso. Tenho autoridade porque, desde que publiquei meu primeiro livro, tenho sido sistematicamente atacado.”
Paulo Coelho in O que é ‘contexto desfavorável'? – Verdes Trigos
Eu sequer vou perguntar porque Roberto Carlos fez o que fez. Ele já foi grande, seus discos antigos eram o máximo, mas depois de um certo tempo ficou francamente constrangedor. Brega, com músicas sem inspiração, politicamente corretas e chatas. O cantor é atualmente uma pálida sombra de si mesmo, fenômeno muito comum na MPB. Uma das justificativas que ele dá no processo (não a principal) é que a obra impede lucros futuros caso ele queira escrever sua própria biografia. Isso de um cara que ganha 1,5 milhão por mês contra um que é professor primário. Uma indignidade. Dizem que a audiência foi uma piada, com cenas de tietagem e tudo. Mas o fato é que Roberto atualmente não passa de um sujeito esquisito, nosso Michael Jackson tupiniquim, mais célebre pela maluquice do que pela arte. O cara é doente e ninguém deveria se arriscar a escrever nada sobre ele. Ele não gosta que escrevam nem artigo. Quer reservar tudo para ele. Seria isso ganância? Mesquinharia? Quem vai saber?
Paulo Coelho se redime num artigo iluminado – A furiosa
Paulo Cesar de Araújo, que saiu da audiência chorando, reclamou do clima de confraternização nos momentos que sucederam a assinatura do acordo, na última sexta. Ele conta que o juiz Tércio Pires e os promotores tiraram fotos com Roberto Carlos, e o juiz ainda teria entregue a ele, ao cantor e aos representantes da editora Planeta uma cópia do CD “Pra Te Ver Voar”, em que canta com o nome artístico de Thé Lopes. “Vi meu livro sendo queimado nesse cenário surreal”, diz. O juiz disse à Folha que a entrega do CD foi um gesto de “pacificação”: “Já fiz isso em outras audiências de conciliação. É uma forma de parabenizar pelo acordo, tanto que dei o CD a todas as partes”.
Adeus, RC – Discoteca Básica
There is no community consensus on the network, and comments reveal diverse views that go back and forth around the issues of privacy and freedom of expression.
Acho espantoso que as pessoas considerem absolutamente normal um escritor, jornalista, sei mais o quê, usar seu talento e sua “liberdade de expressão” para esquadrinhar a vida particular de uma celebridade que não quis lhe dar entrevista, que não autorizou que sua vida particular foi devassada, que evidentemente tem problemas com seu defeito físico, que evidentemente tem dificuldades com a memória da morte de sua mulher,que tem problemas em admitir de público sua vida amorosa extra-conjugal, e que esse escritor se “expresse” parasitando, literária e financeiramente, sobre a carreira e a fama de uma pessoa famosa. Para qual expressão o referido escritor usou a liberdade que a Constituição lhe garante? Expressar o quê? Ele não poderia ter se limitado a relatar a carreira profissional do artista? Pra que esmiuçar e divulgar detalhes que o biografado não deseja divulgar? Não entendo esse uso do conceito de liberdade de expressão (expressão de quê?) para acobertar toda e qualquer devassa da vida de um artista ou de uma pessoa famosa. O que importa para a carreira artística do cantor saber como e quando ele perdeu uma parte da perna, como a mulher dele morreu, com quem ele teve ou deixou de ter casos amorosos?
Comentário de Vera in A Fogueira de Livros do Rei Roberto – O Biscoito Fino e a Massa
…(são) muito poucos os que a acompanham ao dizer Não entendo esse uso do conceito de liberdade de expressão (expressão de quê?). Parece-me, a mim e a muita gente, bastante claro de que “expressão” se trata: Expressão de 15 anos de pesquisa, de compilação de fatos públicos relevantes para a história da cultura brasileira, de organização, estudo e interpretação de eventos comprovadamente verdadeiros que são parte da trajetória de um artista popular e, por conseguinte, da cultura brasileira. Se você continua achando que RC estava mesmo protegendo-se de uma “devassa” ou de “parasitismo”, convido-a a que leia o livro.
Comentário de Idelber Avelar in A Fogueira de Livros do Rei Roberto – O Biscoito Fino e a Massa
Kings and books — as well as judges and lawyers — have been around for a while, and have ruled the world in their own ways across the ages. In this context the Internet is just an infant child in the king's court, but its influence has radically changed the way things used to be and may become.
O caso Daniella Cicarelli deveria ter mostrado às celebridades que o melhor na sociedade da informação é ficar quieto sobre assuntos constrangedores. Eu, por exemplo, jamais pensei em ler essa biografia. Agora estou curiosíssimo para ler e descobrir o que incomodou tanto o cantor. E acho que muitos dos meus 500 leitores diários também ficarão.
celebridades adoram enxugar gelo – martelada
Professor, o serviço completo.  E tem até o primeiro disco, também proibido, para download.
Anarquia Digital  em maio 15, 2007 03:32 AM
Todo mundo já linkou por aí, mas ainda em tempo aí vai o link para baixar o livro probido da biografia do cantor Roberto Carlos. Por que divulgar? Pelo simples fato de ele ter sido censurado…
Brasa Mora – Let's Blogar

author: Jose Murilo


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Central Asia: Cutting Income Inequality · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Bonnie Boyd has an in-depth, two-part post on reducing income inequality in Central Asia: part one; part two.


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China: Citizen blogger treading new ground? · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Wasn't the point of web 2.0 the hole it was to tear in monolithic traditional media, with bloggers crowding in to pick up the slack and make the story go viral? Like NewAssignment.net, the Reuters-backed venture which sought to revolutionize news media through open-source reporting, yet after months of hype is still asking itself what it wants to do.
Well, leave it to a young Hunanese vegetable farmer-blogger with social conscience and hunger for fame to throw down his basket, grab a camera and head off to any number of Chinese internet bars to blog one of the biggest news stories in China of 2007 and, by doing so, establish a precedent and a step-by-step guide for NewAssignment, Reuters and many others to follow. One just needs some sisu, thick skin, no hesitation in asking people for money and then spending it. No tax declarations or NGO status to worry about doesn't hurt either. And, in contradiction to an earlier blog post, Zola—one of the earliest contributors to China's latest blog buzz initiative—is not even China's first citizen reporter, he's just the first to bring it mainstream.
What's it take?
-a blog
-a digital camera
-map of all the netbars in the area
-a portable picasa account
-a twitter account
-even a live broadcast feed
-a ping-pong paddle and blogger friends all across the country
Picking up from his final nailhouse post, Zola takes a long look back at the two weeks he spent in Chongqing covering the Nailhouse, reflects on what his motivation is—getting famous is a large part of it—and starts making the first of several declarations to head home back to Hunan and the family vegetable stall. From his post dated April 3:
总而言之，我认为目前得到了一个完善结局。虽然很多长期压抑的愤怒让人们以为有一场官民的冲突暴发，但居然平静地度过了，而我本人，做了一件被众人以为有危险的事情，然后，我的运气极好，我极顺利的完成了报道，并且功成名就全身而退。以后，我确实有更多的社会资源可用了，我一定会好好卖菜，成就一番事业。我对时事把握的眼光还可以，呵呵。。
陌生人是我一个令人讨厌的爱出风头的愤青，可是常读我的BLOG的人却不会这样认为。所以，我一点都不担心网上面的负面评论对我有什么影响。
我的使命完成了，终于等到了建筑的拆迁，并且很高兴看到这一个和平的方式解决了开发商和拆迁户之间积累了几个的矛盾。我可以安稳的睡觉而不用担心错过有新闻价值的细节了，我用我的图片和视频为网友们提供了现场的信息，满足了部分人对此事的好奇心，还成功地体现了个人媒体在社会事件中的作用，把个人媒体这个词推向了中国新闻人的眼前，让他们不再忽略网络日志的个人媒体的作用。这证明在技术将带来新的传播手段和市场，也给企图”统一思想”的共产党带来新的挑战，也给普通平民带来新的传递自己的声音的机会。我这个中国网络日志作者的出现是技术发展后的必然，个人媒体必然参与社会事件，履行舆论监督的权利。但是，很不幸的，中国是一个利用新闻来宣传的国家，他不会允许个人拥有不受他们控制的强大的影响力，很巧合的是，当吴苹和开发商达成协商的当天，我的 weblog也无法在中国境内访问了。我无法在国内建立网站的原因是：如果我将网站放在国内，按照中国的法律制度，我必须备案登记，如果备案后网站主人写了与时政有关的内容，就会接到”通信管理局”的电话让我们删除相关文章，如果联系不上网站主人，”通信管理局”就会通知网络接入商（ISP）在主机上删除站点导致人们无法访问这个网站。所以，我拒绝备案登记并使用国内的主机。今天，我的weblog被屏蔽了，当人们访问我的网站里的weblog时，就会出现一个空白页面，如果是有经验的网民，他们知道，我的BLOG被GFWed了。我的影响力就从此不会在普通网民中扩大了。
本来，我打算在成名后投身娱乐行业的，可是我的网站里最精彩的内容被屏蔽了，无法让普通民众来熟悉我从而支持我了。
好了，我的网站总算被屏蔽了，我早知道有这么一天，来得也不算太早，网络日志被屏蔽也意味着我终于成名了，至少引起GFW的注意了，这是我的荣耀。还有四份报纸和国外的媒体采访我，我竟然真的实现”一夜成名”了！我就说我猪年”诸”事顺利，心想事成嘛。你看，有《南方都市报》、《湘声报社》、《21世纪经济报道》、《潇湘晨报》、《杭州都市快报》、美国《新闻周刊》、美联社、法新社、伦敦BBC、江西都市频道、台湾中国时报、中天电视这些传统媒体的记者联系过我，至少有四份报纸出版提到了我，其中有《南方都市报》、《潇湘晨报》、《杭州都市快报》、《21世纪经济报道》，其中《21世纪经济报道》将在明天有卖，我今天在重庆已经买到了，配的图是hidecloud拍的，文字是吴红缨写的，写得不错，网上 有电子版，新浪财经 有转载，不过，她在说我的手指受伤的事来娱乐大众的事时，可能没仔细看链接里的图片下的文字，我已经说明是接电话时手插错了口袋才划伤的，那个电话是《湘声报社》的谭君打的，我回湖南再找她算帐去。很高兴的是，吴红缨转达了我的观点：”出名不是坏事，只要在公益事业和商业益之间找到平衡。”虽然吴红缨不写关注 BLOG，但她这篇文章写得还是不错的。
我要离开重庆了，我继续回小镇上过我的日子。我讨厌城市生活。这些天已经让真的让我”废寝忘食”了，每天的平均睡眠时间不足5个小时，想睡也睡不着。我回家乡后，我可以继续像以前一样无忧无虑的睡16个小时。
我真的有理想吗？我真的没有理想吗？我也不知道，我觉得像现在这样偶尔出一把风头挺爽的，习惯平淡的生活又能保持激情，一张一弛，生命真精彩。
Do I really have ideals? Do I really have no ideals? I don't know either. I guess the occasional attention I get now is pretty sweet, but if I can get back into the quiet life I'll be able to maintain my passion, moving between the tense city and the relaxed country. This way life will be that much more brilliant.
No qualms about loving the limelight, and a healthy lack of fear of repercussions, as seen in Zola's April 4 post following an interview with Voice of America:
我的电话公布在网上，很多人可以很方便的找到我。美国之音也找上我了，我接受了电话采访，但后为有人告诉我，接受美国电话采访是会被当成政治犯的，我想，这是什么年代的事啊，再说，他们采访难道会陷害我？所以，他们没有告诉我正在录音，我也没有告诉他我在录音。昨天BBC电台打电话给我时，我知道他们在录音棚跟我讲话，可是我忘了录音BBC的音了。
对方的录音在这, 这里的22点的时候有我的录音，我听人家说的。
By this point, the Zola celebrity citizen blogger cross-country tour is well on its way. His next stop? Guiyang, capital of central China's impoverished Guizhou province.
我们在感叹，Blogger之间的信任真的很好，也许我们可以实现
blogger大串联。当地Blogger只负责介绍旅店和组织娱乐活动就可以实现面对面交流了，我说，我的wealog.com说不定可以用这种模式实现最佳效果的征婚交友目的。
And be it for pent-up frustration, too many hours hunched over a keyboard, or your blog having just been blocked, Zola shows us the leisure game of choice for the hardcore blogger:
Speaking of which, leisure time aside, there are those things that happen to Chinese bloggers who blog too much:
被GFW后的对应策略:
1. 经查实，我的网站里只被GFW屏蔽了zuola.com/weblog/这个URL，也就是说， 任何含有zuola.com/weblog/ 的请求在路过中国的GFW的边境线的时候都会被Reset，连这样的URL都被RESET： http://www.r-mail.org/?rss=http%3a%2f%2fwww.zuola.com%2fweblog%2ffeedrss2.asp&mailto=zuola.com%40gmail.com
2. 很多人发现GFW影响Google Reader用户订阅我的FEED( 1、 2)，有朋友被迫退订了我的BLOG的FEED，HideCloud告诉我一个办法：”在reader里使用All items可以解决zola日志被GFW的情况”，还有一个办法就是改用https： https://www.google.com/reader/view
3. 我用R-mail.org的邮件定阅将邮件订阅到zuola.com@gmail.com，然后转发到 emailfeed@googlegroups.com，这样就把我的最新日志放到了 http://groups.google.com/group/emailfeed这个任何人可加入的讨论组中，然后任何人加入这个讨论组即可实现订阅我的网络日志，如果你觉得这样的订阅方式适合你的话；
4. 我在宣传我的国内镜像BLOG http://zola.bullog.cn 虽然这个站的界面不符我意，页面代码和URL很乱，但总比让那些偶然知道我的人搜索 周曙光后什么也看不到要好，技术细节不便透露，让网监们去费心猜吧。我知道网监的大叔们可能在关注我，并且可能认得我，他们
已经给我照顾了，没有完全封掉我的域名，我也许应该感谢他们；还要感谢 罗永浩为我提供国内镜像服务；
5. 我弄了一个 http://www.zuola.com/blog/ 来避免zuola.com/weblog的封锁，国内的人们应该还能用这个来看我的BLOG，这个URL是临时的，我不会舍弃我的 zuola.com/weblog/这个目录的PR值和反向链接，我还期待着有一天网监的人会解除封锁，因为我相信共产党会越来越开明，除非共产党敢于反对全球一体化进程，并且不打算办2008的运动会了；
6. 感谢网监也看我的BLOG，欢迎继续看，希望你们能认识到你们的工作不仅仅是为了养家糊口，而且是有价值的像我一样可以回家向父母炫耀功劳的劳动；
7. 谢谢所有为我提供软件和服务的公司和个人，我会像你们一样去帮助真正需要帮助的人。
8. 谢谢所有为我提供精神支持和物质支持的公司和个人，我会像你们一样去为其他人提供精神支持和力所能及的物质支持。
By this point it's the May Day week-long national holiday in China, and Zola heads home to Hunan to reflect on what his motivations are:
回家一个多星期了，我也想安守本分，可是有人告诉我应该进一步炒作让自己成为名人才会更安全，也有人告诉我如果硬是要努力成为”维权”分子的话，那只有一句话送给我：”维权有风险，投身请慎重”，我也在想啊，我要成名其实也简单，我去北京找找木子美聊聊性自由，找FRJJ聊聊审美自由，找二月丫头聊聊精神自由，找大纪元聊聊信仰自由，然后再找丧祖德签下生死壮，搞一场自由博击，顺便搞稿全程网络直播， 然后再找找许戈辉、陈鲁豫聊聊天，我就可以正式进入娱乐圈了，成名得利之后，我就有更多的机会与黑社会的老大老二们打交道了。
…
我不想当拆迁户的免费代言人，我也不想让维权成为我的生活的主要内容，不想让自己的随性的BLOG成为维权阵地。但是，应该做的公益我还是会做，属于商业的还是按商业来做，如果成功帮助别人维权，我还是会收费的。维护公民权利是政府应该做的事，我作为个人没有义务去做，我才不会像蠢得要死的深圳歌手从飞一样去做公鸡下蛋的看上去很英雄的事。谁也别逼我当英雄，你们自己的利益自己争取，权利来自意识的觉醒，没有英雄要为你们自己的权利负责。
Is Zola someone worth investing in? Compared to the booming Chinese stock market? In any case, Zola has quickly worked out exactly which direction he hopes to take his citizen journalism-blogging gig:
这次”一夜成名”的目标的达成，纯粹是我这个平民在直觉的引领下，一个人熟练运用网络技术，利用自己三年来通过BLOG建立的人际关系网来努力炒作自己的结果。没有任何幕后支持团队，如果说有支持者的话，那就是无数熟悉的和陌生的网友的自发的支持。
我觉得很有必要交待一下我为什么去重庆,在重庆干了些什么,用到了哪些技术和产品，于是写了下面这些：
I think there's a need to explain why I went to Chongqing, what I did there, what technology and products I used, so I've written the following:
我为什么去重庆?
1. 我鄙视传统媒体很久了。他们步调一致，同进共退，受”相关部门”的要挟，能报道什么，不能报道什么，他们听命于人，据说他们是被”道德总局”胁迫的。当我看到新浪的一个某房地产中介弄的一个滚动报道重庆的BLOG被删除后，又看到网易的关于钉子户的专题报道被删除后，我意识到这是一个敏感新闻，传统媒体没有获得”道德总局”的许可而不能报道。我是不属于体制内的中国公民，没有公职，我不怕打压报复，我去报道这些事情是完全没有风险的，于是我去了；
2. 很想出风头很久了。我从小就知道我不是普通人，我爱出风头，善于出风头，不相信权威，特立独行，坚定信仰个人自由，信奉”未被禁止的就是许可的”的规则，反对极权主义下的”未被允许的就是禁止的”的规则，相信 哈耶克自由主义，认定社会不需要一个独裁者来帮助每一个人进行对错的判断，反对政府对人们的精神世界进行”宏观调控”，在众多麻木的声称不谈政治的人中间，我显然是一个异类，所以我早就准备了一个”周曙光全球官方网”，以便让陌生人相信我是一个已经有很多很多Fans的大明星；
3. 我没有职务，也没有老婆孩子，和父母分开住，没人管我，没有工作，唯一的工作就是卖菜，我做任何事都没有后顾之忧，我的卖菜计划搁置了好久了，我有时间去重庆玩，我本来是打算当成一个Flash Mob的，计划到杨武的房顶上自拍一张就算完成任务。
1. I've long despised traditional media. They all act walk the same step at the same pace; receiving coercion from “the related departments”, what can they report on? They're dictated to, threatened and harassed by the “morality administration”, so they say. When I saw a report on Sina about a rumble some real estate company had stirred up had been deleted, and when I saw that the Netease section on Nailhouses had been deleted, I realized that this was some sensitive news and that traditional media hadn't been given approval to report on it by the “morality administration”. I'm a Chinese citizen who's not inside the system, I have no government job. I'm not afraid of being beaten or sought for revenge. Going to report on this incident was completely risk-free, so I went.
2. I've wanted to be famous for a long time. Since I was a kid I've known I wasn't just some ordinary person. I love the limelight and I play it well. I don't believe in authority. I'm a principled and independent thinker. I firmly believe in individual freedom, and I believe in the rule “that which hasn't been prohibited is thus allowed,” I'm opposed to totalitarianism's “that which hasn't been permitted is thus prohibited.” I believe in Hayek Liberalism, and I maintain that society does not need a dictator to come help every person, that this is a mistaken judgement. I'm opposed to the government's use of macroeconomic controls of people's inner worlds. As people are numbed to politics, proclaiming they don't discuss it with others, I seem to be a different species, so for this reason I've long had prepared a “Zola Global Official Website”, to let strangers believe that I'm a celebrity already with many fans.
3. I have no profession, no wife or kids. I don't live with my parents, nobody watches over my affairs. I have no job in that my only work is in selling vegetables. In everything I do I have no fear of what might come later. My vegetable-selling plan has been set aside for quite some time, so I had some time to come have fun in Chongqing. My original plan was to start a flash mob, planning to go to the roof of Yang Wu's house and leave it at that.
我在重庆干了些什么？
1. 和路人讨论吴苹的房子为什么没有拆；
2. 每天拍摄房子的样子；
3. 看工地附近的记者们在干些什么，听他们问些什么；
4. 听外地闻风而来的拆迁维权者们的故事 ；
5. 上网吧发布视频、图片和文字；
6. 坐轻轨看重庆这城市的风景；
7. 网友见面，见到了传说中的 hidecloud；
8. 去解放碑附近的小吃城吃东西，去坐《疯狂的石头》里的那个过江索道，去美术学院吃东西 ；
9. 鼓励并教别人如何成为独立Blogger，例：http://www.limazi.net/
10. 搞搞网友聊天直播，学明星大腕装逼开粉丝见面会，与网友互动，结果互动没搞成，我的站就被封了，接着当天晚上就拆吴苹的房子，弄得我手忙脚乱，还算拍到了不少 精彩照片；
11. 去久仰的重庆邮电大学参观；
12. 在火车站广场遭遇撕钱角的小快餐店，他们企图将我的大面值钞票调包，故意将我给的小面值的钞票的角撕掉一角来逼我换成大钞，我怒了，于是居高临下拍了很多他们的照片，希望更多路过重庆火车站的人不要上当受骗
1. Talked with passerby about why Wu Ping's house hadn't been torn down.
2. Taking daily photos of the condition of the nailhouse.
3. Watching what reporters near the work site were up to, listening to the questions they asked.
4. Listened to the stories of other evictees who came after hearing the news.
5. Went to the internet bar to post my video, photos and reports.
6. Took the lightrail to see Chongqing's scenery.
7. Met with net friends, met the legendary hidecloud.
8. Went to eat at the snack city near the Liberation monument, took the cross-river cablecar seen in Crazy Stone, went to the Art Academy to eat something.
9. Encouraged and taught people how to become independent bloggers, http://www.limazi.net/ for example.
10. Held a live chat with netfriends, held a classy, pretentious fan meeting just like a movie star, usuccessfully interacted with netfriends as my site was blocked. The night Wu Ping's house was torn down I scrambled over and took many spectacular photos.
11. Went to check out the Chongqing Post and Telecommunications University I'd heard so much about.
12. Ran into a scam at the fast-food restaurant at the train station: they tried to give me small bills with ripped corners [making them invalid] in exchange for my large bill. I got pissed off and gave up, but then took a lot of their photos. I hope more people don't end up getting ripped off while passing through Chongqing train station.
我用到了哪些IT技术和IT产品？
我得到了哪些人的赞助？
王博 捐赠 100.00(支付宝未付款）
刘衡 一路平安 16.88
刘小超 支持一下 10.00
王焕晓 盒饭 10.00
邱英涛 支持你 50.00
马斌 赞助一下 10.00
彭超 声援钉子户 10.00
刘正东 钉子户事件调查赞助 20.00
陈伯乐 赞助 100.00
夏炎 支持zola 100.00
张海鹰 支持你的报道 50.00
林广涛 赞助地铁费2元 2.00
金大虾 区区20元，不成敬意，喝杯茶 20.00
张晓刚 支持 20.00
尹秉汇 正义感 100.00
everesthiker 赞助重庆报道 100.00
伍新平 eeeeeee 39.00
高月霞 绵薄之力，支持顿饭钱 20.00
刘淼 支持 50.00
钱洲扬 Donation 50.00
北京的詹先生赞助1000元；
美国的周先生赞助2000元；
北京的朱先生赞助3000元，用于购买数码相机；
德国的冯衍先生赞助60元；
陈汉威赞助10元；
重庆市民陈先生赞助100元；
台湾中天日报白德华先生赞助100元；
深圳网友赞助100元电话费；
长沙网友MM赞助50元电话费；
易周赞助100元电话费；
共计得到7287.88元赞助。如果谁发现上列款项没有列出你的名字，请给我Email: zuolalcom@gmail.com 或留言通知于我。.
我花了多少钱？
1. 火车票：湖南到重庆：17+51+53
2. 电话费：250元+4欧元SKYPE电话费
3. 上网费；不记得多少了，每天至少四小时吧，约八块钱
4. 住宿费：共住了一个星期，珠海陈风强先生赞助四天住宿，另三天住宿自己付了180元
5. 买数码相机：2850元
1. Train tickets: Hunan to Chongqing: 17+51+53
2. Phone costs: RMB 250+ EURO 4 (Skype)
3. Internet fees: Not clear. At least four hours a day, so around RMB 8 in total.
4. Accomodation: A week total. Zhuhai's Mr. Chen Fengqiang contributed four nights’ stay, and the other three days came to RMB 180
5. Purchase of a digital camera: RMB 2,850
Zola in the news is almost its own category on his blog. In his next two posts, Zola meditates on mainstream media, being in it, and why he thinks he can do it better. He also follows up on some stories of other rights infringement cases in and around Chongqing, and even releases another interview he did at the time: internet video to which he's himself added subtitles. Any takers on the English crossover version?
我决定半年不卖菜了，我去学习相关的法律，去帮拆迁难民建立自己的BLOG，去为他们提供法律支持，还要努力参加各种各样的吸引眼球的娱乐活动，努力炒作自己成为一个娱乐界和IT界的双栖明星，只有我成名了，我才可以在这样一个”和谐社会”里安居乐业，甚至还能名利双收，何乐而不为？这个世道显然国不泰民不安。也许进军娱乐界是一条不归路。也许从此不再卖菜了，但我希望能像阿甘一样，始终不会忘记自己的初衷和梦想。但愿我不会孤独。
From the next post, dated April 19:
我接到来自全国各地十多个家园破碎的难民（拆迁受害者）的投诉电话，他们以为我能帮到他们，他们都遭遇了暴力拆迁和黑社会和”白社会”的威胁和迫害，黑社会给他们的待遇就是拳打脚踢，白社会的穿制服的人给他们的待遇就是以”防碍公务罪”拘留。这些白道的人可以” 根据目测为危房”就可以达到拆的目的。这社会黑。大共产党是好人，可是基层的小共产党都是坏蛋。
Backing up this talk are photos from Chongqing blogger Hidecloud's own blog reports on violent tactics being used to intimidate homeowners in that city:
什么叫社会责任感？为别人说话就是！我们不可以独善其身，不可以明哲保身，不可以冷漠，我们可以给予关注！还可以给予评论，如果你有Blog的话。
From here Zola sets off, first to Changsha, capital of Hunan province, meeting up with bloggers, finding the blogging movement alive and well, strengthening it at the same time. On the way, he plugs into one of the more successful civil society initiatives in China today, 1kg More: “It runs behind the idea of travelers bringing 1kg of inexpensive educational materials in addition to their package to give away to some one that needs it along their journey, e.g. kids that cannot even afford a pencil rubber.“:
我也要向安猪学习，我也有旅游的机会了，全国各地不断有人邀请我去参观难民的生存状态–对不起，我要解释一下，我把家园破碎的非法拆迁受害者称呼为难民– 我也要多背一公斤的书给他们，是法律书，我帮助他们维权和安猪帮助孩子们同样有意义吧，至少同样算是旅行：）当然，我也像安猪一样呼吁更多的 Blogger来记录身边的社会新闻。
1kg's Flickr site.
But who's calling Zola? From his post May 7 post, ‘I volunteer to continue recording society's news‘:
…广州的一个拆迁户联系上我，他说他花钱请来烂仔帮他守住已经插上国旗的房子来防止黑社会来捣蛋；浙江省舟山市普陀区的阿姨打电话请我去参观村上730亩良田全被征用的壮观场景；福建省福州难民给我发来长长的文章向我描述他的遭遇；深圳的陈建波挂念家乡望城县的乡亲们的安危，希望我去关注一下，今天那些乡亲终于被黑社会打了，可我已经到了舟山市，我只有把潇湘晨报的记者的电话给他，让他报料给报社。
面对这许多的事，我想冷漠也不行了。我只好做一些力所能及的事。法律程序是肯定要走的，我也鼓励他们在家中放一些 石灰或滑石粉来预防被黑社会袭击，有社会关系也要尽量用，有钱的话连烂仔也要请来看家。我呢，就趁机搞搞全国旅游好了，还可以借机拜访各界知名人士，还可以跟人家聊聊OpenID、个人媒体、 web2.0这些概念呢。
…
PS:本文写于舟山，天亮后坐船去上海徐汇区。有空就去若邻网参观参观，我还是wealink.com的VIP呢，他们寄了VIP卡给我。有没有上海的同志想请我吃饭呢？再过几天我去广州，有没有广州的朋友想跟我聊天呢？或者，有没有上海的朋友需要我帮你们捎东西到广州的朋友那里？如果有，那就给我来电话吧。134-67668-333
I've been through so many things, but apathy is out of the question. I can just do my best at a few things. Legal procedures must be followed, but I'm also encouraging people stuck in their homes to prepare some lime and talcum powder to protect themselves from “the mafia's” attacks, to throw it in their eyes if necessary, and to do their best to make use of any power connections they might have. If they have money, they could even hire some thugs to watch their house. Me? I'm just enjoying this chance to tour the county, and visit famous places and people while I'm at it, even talking to people about concepts like real-name registration, web 2.0, things like these.
…
PS This post was written in Zhoushan. At dawn I took a boat to Xuhui district in Shanghai. If I have time I'll stop by wealink.com's offices and check it out. I'm a VIP wealink user, hey. They sent me a VIP card. Any comrades in Shanghai who want to treat me to a meal? A few days later and I'll be going to Guangzhou: are there any friends in Guangzhou who'd like to chat with me? Or are there any friends in Shanghai who need me to take something to Guangzhou for them? If there are, then give me a call [+086] 134 67668 333.
From a post dated May 8:
昨天我到达浙江省舟山市普陀区蒲东村。当地居民在杭州的《都市快报》上看到关于我的报道后，于是上网搜索到我的电话号码，于是他们多次邀请我到舟山玩。先给我寄了600元路费，然后昨天他们跟我聊了一下，原来他们村的732亩基本农田全被政府卖光了，还要求他们迁移，要把他们的房子拆掉让他们住进房地产商建的房子，他们不愿意让出重要位置不说，他们还不乐意住别人的房子还要交租交管理费，他们宁愿自己另找一块地自己建房子。更重要的是，村里的730 亩农田被村里全卖了用来建商品楼，有村民认为，政府的行为涉嫌违反了《土地管理法》和《基本农田保护法》。可是他们内部不团结，不敢和政府撕破脸皮对着干，也担心别人叛变投降，也担心被迫害，所以他们决定暂不让我报道这些。而我只好建议他们写BLOG来记录自己的事情，假如以后事情闹大了，政府要强拆剩余的6户房子，别的新闻记者就可以直接引用他们的BLOG的内容，我还建议让他们让上大学的孩子把自己的BLOG翻译成英文，我呢，就提供技术支持，帮他们买一个域名弄一个BLOG。今天早上，我就离开了普陀区，临走时，他们给了我1000元，我毫不迟疑的接下了，我答应帮他们弄一个网站，虽然成本远低于 1000元，但收1000元也不算太贵，我收钱跟兰成长们的创收行为还是有区别的。
In his next post, Zola writes of going to Shanghai at the invitation of one Chen Jialiang, one of several homeowners in Xuhui district whose properties were levelled before they had a chance to move out, an interesting illustration of what life is like for those facing losing their family homes. Zola's first post from Shanghai:
我是一个浪迹天涯的浪子，昨天到达了上海，和曾在重庆九龙坡遇到的上海徐汇区的被拆迁的难民陈家良等人接上了头，陈家良热情接待了我。他们十多户人家的房子 在家具都没有搬出的情况下被突袭铲平。他们被政府安置住在徐汇区三江路68号锦江之星，陈家良昨天让我跟他睡一个房间，他的房间有两张床，但另一个曾开玩笑说要把在清华读大学的校花女儿嫁给我的阿姨就坚持让我和她老公睡一个房间，她就和她的漂亮女儿睡一间房去了。对了，她女儿不是清华的，早就在工作好几年了。
There's a brief interlude as Zola writes of meeting up with some old college friends for a bout of Counter-Strike, later meeting up with some more of the biggest names in China's blogsphere.
十点左右的时候我告别了何凌和猛禽回到了三江路的锦江之星酒店，我到阿姨的8261房拿电脑，然后去找陈家良，结果挂掉了我的电脑，再上三楼的 8331找陈家良时，被另一个白发老人拦住，说你昨天睡哪里今天就睡哪里，语气很重很不友善，我心都凉了，我不知道我做错什么事了，我不知道给他们添什么麻烦了。我下楼再敲8261的门时，一分钟前还有三个人在的房间居然没有应答了。我感觉我似乎突然不被信任了，我不知道是不是我做错了什么事，是不是我给他们添麻烦了，我很郁闷，但我没有生气。我在过道里想了几分钟，决定再去三楼找陈家良，再打电话给他一直是关机，我确信他们是在回避我了。我也确信他们在房间里，我相信他们听得到我在门外说的话，我隔着门告诉他们：”你们要我走，我没意见，但我想知道究竟发生了什么，请当面告诉我。”我敲了一会儿8331 的门，始终没有人开门，那个白发老人又出来了，赶我走，让我找8261的人，我告诉他们，我不是要找你们蹭吃蹭住，我只想知道发生了什么。后来他的语气缓和了些，告诉我楼下的8261的两夫妻不是东西，是叛徒，他们影响团结，造谣生事。在老人开始说的时候，我把我的手机的录音功能打开了，录下了他对 8261的两夫妻的指责，具体内容请听这个录音。
Auntie on the right
Podcast translation voice-overs, anyone?
shanghai.amr 08-May-2007 13:12 184K
shanghai.wav 08-May-2007 13:12 4.4M
Going on, Zola writes:
我无奈的离开锦江之星，走在空荡的街上，又一次想到了流浪这个词。 我穿上外套，吹着晚风，想着这些破事。我才开始准备做社会新闻就遇到这么复杂且古怪的事，说不定以后更精彩更离奇呢。我于是决定不找住宿的地方了，我去网吧记录这些事情。
明天去上海静安区昌化路找传说中的上海最牛钉子户，再找老板娘合一个影我又可以娱乐 一回。
Tomorrow I'm going to Shanghai's Jingan district, Changhua Lu, to find the legendary Shanghai's coolest nailhouse and find the lady-owner to take a picture with me, have some fun for a change.
In the next post the next day, Zola goes to find Shanghai's coolest nailhouse—nailhouse?—only to discover it has already been torn down.
Next he goes to Foshan in southern Guangdong province to investigate the Liao Zusheng case. As with the many of the other stories he investigates and blogs, Zola's filmed an interview with the key figure in the matter; in this case, the dead boy's father. It's a clip just begging for someone to give it English subtitles.
From there, Zola hops over to Guangzhou to blog another two nailhouses, one on the east side in Huangpu district, that of a woman he met in Chongqing whose home is having a subway line built beneath it, and one on the east side in Guangzhou's old city, Liwan district, an elderly man whose main tactic in fending off the “mafia” coming to evict him from his home and then demolish it is to huddle himself against the propane tanks he uses for cooking and hold a lighter in one hand, threatening to blow himself up if they force their way in. These photos and more at Zola's Picasa page. The man's photo from within his traditional-style home:
Disclaimer: this blogger spent an afternoon last week with Zola and made a donation.
Suicide bomber tenancy rights activists? If that sounds far out there, Zola keeps it real by often keeping the narrative—and the photos—centered around himself.
我继续做公民记者，专挑传统媒体不报道的新闻来报道，我是从《伶人往事》越禁越火得到启发，越是官方不让报道的事情越具新闻价值，会越让人好奇。对了，我的行踪在我的 Twitter有写，欢迎关注，欢迎广州的有Blog的朋友请我聊天吃饭：）欢迎提供各种形式的赞助，有朋友跟我说:
Levi: 如果你真的为了中国的民主化进程牺牲了 到时候给你献花~~怎么样?
Zola: 厚养薄葬吧，先把买花的钱捐给我：）
与其等我死了再给我献花不如再帮我手机充值：）我会开公每一个赞助者的名字和我的钱的来源和去向。除非有些朋友要求匿名。我有空的时候也许会再搞网上直播。欢迎收藏我的直播地址， http://www.zuola.com/zhibo.htm，最好是另存直播网页到电脑上，我担心直播页面也有一天会被GFW屏蔽访问。我会在 Twitter上公布行踪，欢迎订阅我的Twitter的 RSS Feed。
Levi: If you really end up a martyr for the advancement of democracy in China, I'll lay you down some flowers, whaddya think?
Zola: Rich upbringing, poor burial. You can donate me the money for the flowers now. :)
If he's going to wait until I die to give me some flowers, he might as well put some money in my cellphone too :) I will publish the names of all donators, the sources of my money and where it goes. Unless some friends request anonymity. When I have free time I might try my hand at live online broadcasts. Feel free to save my live broadcast link. At best, save backups of the broadcasts on your computer. I'm worried the live broadcast page will one day be blocked by the GFW. I'll make all my whereabouts public on my Twitter, so please feel free to subscribe to my Twitter's RSS feed.
That would make some good Twitter for all its fans, if Zola ever gets picked up: ‘On my way to Hubei for an interview… Lots of police here at the train station… They're pointing at me… Three coming over now……’
From Guangzhou, Zola follows up on more nailhouse/rights infringement case scoops further south, first to Shenzhen:
Then down the coast to Zhuhai, blogging about it all the way. Zola's next post lists the way readers can support him:
我现在需要更多的支持，支持我的方式有：
* 写你看到的社会新闻，发到你的BLOG上，不仅仅是为我提供新闻，也让更多的人了解有新闻价值的新闻；
* 给我建议，网络技术方案或炒作操作方案，为我提供法律意见，帮我分析我报道的案例中的法律上的要点，顺便把当作通过案例来学习法律的课程，我相信有更多的人需要认真研究法律来保护自己的合法权益，因为没有上帝和英雄来拯救你，你需要自救；
* 帮助你身边的朋友学习使用BLOG，帮助他们学习使用RSS订阅，学习使用Tor;
* 给我发邮件，发到zuola.com@gmail.com ，提供更多的新闻线索；
* 给我发邮件，帮我收集我曾报道的新闻的相关新闻，让我更准确的获得反馈，上次有一个网友帮我收集了国内外各媒体的相关重庆最牛钉子户的新闻的URL和截图，给了我很大的帮助；
* 给我发短信，发到1346-7668-333 ，提供新闻线索；
* 请我吃饭（吃盒饭就行，别破费）陪我聊天，给我信心，给我多样观点，好让我更好的作出判断；
* 写你对公民记者的评论，帮助别人把有价值的文章翻译成英文，最好是ReView一下我，最好是把我的BLOG内容介绍给英文世界里的人；
* 给我的手机充值，为我加油；
* 给我的支付宝充值,为我加油，我的支付宝是 zuola.com@gmail.com ，请不要给我捐助大额捐赠，最好是每个月有空的时候给我捐赠一元，直到我不再记录社会新闻为止。为什么我要这么说呢，并不是我虚伪，并不是我假惺惺地拒绝大额捐款，而是，关注我的BLOG远比给我捐助重要，也许你捐助一百元后觉得我写的BLOG越来越无趣了，也许我一下子得到大量的捐赠后觉得钱来得太容易而不珍惜，所以，我认为，一百个人共捐一百元给我比一个人捐一百元给我更能激励我认真负责的写好每一篇网络日志 ;
* 向我的招商银行卡里塞钱：0755-30718139
* 把我介绍给你认识的传统媒体的记者认识；
* 呐喊吧，为了一切值得你呐喊的。
过两天我去深圳，借朋友的信用卡把网站主机的费用续好，顺便采访一些好玩的人，然后转道去珠海 :-)
如果有朋友觉得值得在一个合适的时间在网上弄一下网上直播来答网友提问，请留言告诉，我有时间来回答：）
And Zola's last two posts from this week bring us a closer look at the coolest nailhouse in Shenzhen, just on the border with Hong Kong, with photos and this video:
One notices quite a lot of nailhouse-related video on Youku—71 clips in total. A search for the Chinese word for nailhouse [钉子户] through some other video sights shows similar results:
Tudou: 44
YouTube: 57
6 Rooms: 102
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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author: John Kennedy


text:
China: Harmonious Wording for Advertisement? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wangxiaofeng criticised [zh] the hypocritical nature of the criticisms towards housing property advertisements which used words like “supreme”, “luxurious”, etc. Can we change the reality by changing the wording of ads?

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Shenzhen Nailhouse · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zola moved from Guangzhou and carried on his report on nail house in Shenzhen [zh].


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China: Xiamen University · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Rosu writes about a recent signature campaign by experts and professors in Xiamen university to stop a grand polluted project in Xiamen. Even though it is yet to know the result of the campaign, the writer concluded that [zh] “When local government's power overrules public opinion, one person's fever would result in craze of the whole city, everyone notices about that. We can't expect local media to balance the power structure, however, as for the university, we can use rational judgement to voice our. Therefore, the university has to keep its independent personality, free spirit so as to become the center of a city.”


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Costa Rica: Too Much Noise  · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Fusil de Chispas [ES] is already fed up with the inundation of “virtual trash” around the upcoming referendum on the signing of a free-trade agreement.  Perhaps there might be an alternative site that one can find unbiased opinions.  The site notlc.com just might be this alternative that he was looking for.  On a daily basis users rate the articles that appear in local newspapers as favorable to a “Yes” vote, unfavorable to a “Yes” vote or neutral.


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Cuba: Letter to Spain  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

On the heels of the Spanish Foreign Minister's recent visit to Cuba, Alberto de la Cruz writes a letter to Spain.


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Egypt: Breast-feeding Adults · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Amal A is in stitches over the latest Egyptian Islamic university Al Azhar fatwa, which stipulates that a woman can nurse or breast-feed a grown up man, if they are to work together in an office without a male chaperon. Bahraini Mahmood Al Yousif  warns us not to laugh when he gives us his take on the issue.


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EgyptL Bahma Update  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Nora Younis continues to update us on the developments in the village of Bahma, which witnessed sectarian strife between Muslims and Copts last week. “I received the following message today saying Egypt’s State Security asked Christian victims of Bamha to change their official testimonies and on-record complaints to accuse under-age Muslim children of violent attacks instead of real adults whom they had identified earlier. I am glad they refused,” she writes.


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Haiti, DR, Trinidad & Tobago: HIV in the Caribbean · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“AIDS is a human disaster that we can no longer ignore, especially when it's in the backyard of the wealthiest country in the world,” writes Chris Hamilton, who traveled to the Caribbean to photograph some of the people most affected by HIV-AIDS.


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Haiti: Kite Season · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Kite-flying is a favourite pastime in Haiti at this time of year: Logan In Haiti posts some photos.


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Hong Kong: Ma Lik’s Comments on June 4 · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN translates two blogposts written by local reporters about their tea gathering with DAB's party Chief Ma Lik and his talk about June 4.


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India: Mythology and culture · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

The Kerala Articles on similarities between various mythologies across the world. “There are many other similarities between the various mythologies in the world. It is not possible to cover all of them under the realms of a single post. But it is infinitely fascinating to learn more and more about them as they shows us how similar we all are, even though we have different cultures and are from different civilizations. Maybe we are the same no matter which part of the world we really are from.”


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India: The trouble in Punjab · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Indian Muslims on the ongoing conflict between the sects of the same religion in Punjab. “That brings me to some really troubling happenings in Punjab recently. Apparently there is a sect called Dera Sacha Sauda that claims a following of 15 million people. 15 million is a huge number even in India and I did not even knew of its existence. The headquarters of Dera are located in Sirsa district of Haryana spread over 700 acres.”


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Iraq: Al Jazeera Bending to US Pressure  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Lady Bird claims that Qatari-based Al Jazeera is being forced to bend to pressure from the US.
“Reported today the board members of Aljazeera were removed [including Chief director Wadah Khanfar] and a totally new board was established appointed by the Emir of Qatar directly.The rumors are that this change has been under U.S. pressure, to remove the station from Arab governments and international isolation and as a beginning for establishing new relations with the US,” she writes.


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Israel: Brits Banning Israeli Universities, Professors and Students  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“The Brits are at it again. (Like they’ve ever stopped). So British academics are again putting together a boycott of Israeli universities, Israeli professors, and Israeli students. Four Israeli academics went to meet with the boycott put-togetherers in the U.K. this week,” notes blogger Yael from Israel.


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Israel: Drug Bust  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Blogger Yudit from Jaffa (Yafo) reports a drug bust in  her neighbourhood: “Last night, a police heli keeping me from concentrating on my book (“Bnot HaDrakon”) by hovering with its powerful searchlight over my house, occasionally keeping me in its blinding focus.
Two streets more or less form my home, at Donollo HaRofe street, a huge drug search had been going on, successfully apparently.”


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Jordan: Die-hard Al Faisali Fan · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Hareega is a die-hard Al Faisali fan.
“I will not regret cancelling my clinic this morning and packing up my schedule and working 15 days nonstop in a row and registring for the ridicuolously expensive ART -America channel in order to run from the hospital this morning to watch al-Faisali playing in the second leg of their final againts Wefaq Staif. We lost 1-0 and we lost the title, we always lose at home and win outside because the fans, as loyal and emotional as they are, can pose a horrible negative effect on the team especially when the players’ sisters are always mentioned whenever one misses a corner or makes a wrong pass,” he notes.


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Jordan: Tight Security · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Armed with a camera, Jordanian blogger Lina Ejeilat brings us up to date with some of the security measures being taken in Jordan ahead of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East being hosted in the Dead Sea.


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Kazakhstan: A President for Life · Global Voices
Leila Tanayeva

On 18 May the Parliament of Kazakhstan adopted the changes into the Constitution in the second reading. According to one of the amendments, the first president of Kazakhstan will no more have limits on how many times he can run for the president's office. Let us see how the Livejournal users in Kazakhstan reacted on the day when the news broke.
LJ user yasharbek writes:
Nazarbayev for life. I'm in shock. A new Turkmenbashi :) I always used to say that the most democratic country in the whole CIS is Kyrgyzstan. The rest have a sort of medieval monarchy.
On the other hand, I do understand why it cannot be otherwise in Central Asia. The politicians are inexperienced in foreign policy. Maybe I am not the one to speak. But it is visible. Congratulations to Russia on good politics in the last days (the  hydrocarbons).
mashenzia writes:
Today I was woken up by a hectic phone call: “Nazarbayev! Nazarbayev!”.
Nazarbayev did not shy away. But this is neither an extension of the duties, not a maniac will for power, but a result of internal fights we don't know about. It is a symbolic gesture, possibly, a declaration of war. He probably doesn't think about the forth term. Though maybe he looked at Berdymukhammedov this weekend and got jealous…
It is surprising how this was announced on Khabar – the message was blurred, boring, it was not the news of the day (the main news was the Israeli strikes even after parliament voted). Those who do write about it, even the opposition media are doing it unwillingly and without much moralism.
megakhuimyak thinks that this would prevent Kazakhstan from becoming the OSCE chairman.
Russian blogger kroopkin comments: Congratulations on a life-long term… Now it is interesting to see the “totalitarization” of the country…
megakhuimyak: The thing is that he can choose to run, or not. There are different tendencies here – the increase of the role of the parties and at the same time the strengthening of the president's real power.
sarimov: You have to have a f… fantasy to find a space in the constitution to increase your powers. The strife for perfection is never ending!
sibariana: We only have to make Putin life-long – and we'll be friends forever. The presidents will be, for sure. And then there is also eternal Fidel.
LJ user Sarimov is emotional:
Bastards! They decided the fate of the whole country in just 17 minutes!.. The unfortunate amendments came yesterday; 84 deputies of the Senate and the Mazhilis voted “for”. Mostly those who were “for” were from Nurotan. The wording is plain simple: “the first president of the Republic of Kazakhstan is not limited with the two terms rule”. The motive is funny: taking into account his historical role in political and socio-economic reforms and to let him finish what he started.
Today two people voted against, one abstained. As far as I know, Bulat Abishev was against (this is for sure). Another one was either Amalbek Tshan, or Tokhtar Aubakirov…
(…)
The discussion of the whole package of the amendments and the voting only took 17 minutes!
Kyrgyz blogger azzzik reflects on the news from the neighbors:
How many years did we moan about our “pocket” parliament, that it can adopt the laws and change the constitution as the president desires. Here we go with the Kazakhstan's example :)
The Constitution of Kazakhstan has a new amendment, according to which the first president of the country, Nursultan Nazarbayev, can run for presidential elections unlimited number of times.
The Kazakhs might be right – a person who did so much for the country (or NN thinks so himself), can afford it.
Now it is important not to cross this thin line, after which you can become an analogy of Turkmenbashi, the eternal president of Turkmenistan.
P.S. Our Akayev either didn't manage to reach this point or he didn't want to.
The 101almatinec community is busy discussing the news, LJ user dass writes: Who is good at politics? Is Nazarbayev forever now?
zerlegmuur: Nope. Only for life…
pacifisttt: It's horrible.
dass: Why?
pacifisttt: Because I don't want to live in a backward country with a life-long monarchy and have absolutely no freedom of choice. Because I don't like when a corrupt and shameless person has a power, and he doesn't even think it is necessary to hide his greed and his longing for power. Because I don't want my children to live in such a country. Because then we shouldn't have laughed at Turkmenistan. We are going towards it. We'll rename Almaty into Nursultan city.
dass: You want to live in a legal state? They say there you have to be responsible for words like “corrupt and shameless” – in court.
pacifisttt: And you don't have to be responsible for thefts? For murders?
dass: Surely.
pacifisttt: Well, I'd like to try living in such a state.
voronxxi: I am afraid you are not lucky then… the whole world is like that. The countries differ only how the corruption is organised there, and some are better at presenting themselves … KZ is not so bad! At least, you still don't have to eat the genetically modified food, your children are not fed with the toxic pills against the syndrome of under-development, if they – children – do not want to accept that the families of two dads are no good…
chernyi_sobak: Interesting, does he steal from your own pocket? And overall, I am just interested, does anyone prevent you from working? Are you discriminated on sexual or national grounds? You don't have a right to leave the country?..
If you wanna live better, work better. Cause everyone is used to sitting on the benches and chatting about “how we have so much oil in Kazakhstan, we should live like in Emirates and have the servants”…
pacifisttt: Yes. You pay the taxes, they buy yachts. I am often harassed on the grounds of nationality. I cannot make a career in state bodies with my surname. They are bringing me the papers from the government in a language I don't understand and they don't want to translate. I can keep listing. You know, I have other interests, besides eating and going to the toilet. That is why I am not satisfied with the level of culture in this country, the level of self-consciousness, I don't like when they lie looking into my eyes, without even blinking. Not everything is measured in money.

author: Leila Tanayeva


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Kyrgyzstan: Exams and Corruption · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Tolkun Umaraliev says that one of the worst parts of taking exams at his university in Kyrgyzstan is knowing that despite all his hard studying to earn good grades, others will simply bribe their instructors to receive the same grade.


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Lebanon: Signs of Fatigue · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lebanese blogger Mostapha Mond notes: “There are signs of fatigue in the Lebanese blogosphere: a few of the earlier blogs to emerge have disappeared and the ones that still survive seem to post less frequently. We are left with two competing groups; one supporting the opposition and a larger one defending the government. At least it is a reflection of the country.”


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Mexico: Internet Day · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

May 17 or Internet Day was recently celebrated in Mexico.  Isopixel [ES] posts interesting facts about internet usage in Mexico, such as there are 20 million internet users throughout the country.  Antonio at Blogpocket [ES] thinks that these days are important in order to promote the use of information technologies.


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Moldova: Charity Concert · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Life in Moldova posts pictures from an HIV/AIDS benefit concert.


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Moldova: June 3 Elections · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Public Policy Watch writes about the upcoming local elections in Moldova.


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Morocco: Fighting ignorance, injustice, and irrationality · Global Voices
Hamza Daoui

Numidia Tin-Ass is an Amazigh girl of 4 months whose father is still fighting to record her first name with the Consulate of Morocco.  Moroccan law does not permit its citizens to record a first name that does not appear on a list established by the Moroccan government.  The girl is already recorded in the family record book in the town hall of Roubaix, which shows that she practically has more rights and freedoms in France than in her father’s country of origin.
Lhoussein Azergui, the father of the girl and independent journalist and author explains in amazighblog (fr), saying:
Dès que l’officier de l’Etat civil découvre le prénom, Il tend sa main machinalement au tiroir pour y sortir un tas de feuilles désordonnées et usées. Il me dit : «Je vais voir si le prénom existe sur la liste !». Il commença alors à chercher. La loi des prénoms mise en place par le gouvernement marocain, rappelle-t-on, est toujours d’usage. Celle-ci interdit aux citoyens de donner des prénoms non arabes et non islamiques à leurs enfants.
Lhousein Azergui also gives an appeal in his post (fr), saying :
N’étant que l’une des nombreuses victimes de ce comportement anti-amazigh des autorités marocaines, je tiens à exprimer ma solidarité avec toutes les familles privées de donner des prénoms amazighs à leurs enfants.
Enfin, j’appelle tous les esprits libres, épris de justice et de démocratie, à m’appuyer dans ce combat pour la dignité et contre l’absurdité, et à dénoncer l’attitude arbitraire des autorités marocaines.
Lhoussein Azergui has been subjected to an act of absolutism based on ideas of racism and ignorance.
Speaking of ignorance, Amina Talihmet expresses herself in a poetic tone in her blog (fr), saying :
L'ignorance…
Quand les mots ne viennent pas. Quand la Raison devient déraisonnable. Quand le sens tourne au non sens. Quand politique rime avec gâchis, liberté avec sottise. Quand tout se brouille, oui, il y a effectivement une terrible injustice. Oui, le Napoléon d'Orwell avait raison: certains animaux sont plus égaux que d'autres… parce qu'ils aiment les livres. Lire en fonction de l'humeur du moment. Et sur ce blog l'humeur est à “L'Ignorance” de Kundera. Milan Kundera.
Mahdi (fr) commented, saying, “Kundera remains a rare writer, his writing is charged with universalism which surpasses divisions of time and space.”
Neither good sense nor religion has supported ignorance throughout history.  In Red@blog (fr), the author has just posted a video featuring Quiradawi, a famous Egyptian Islamic scholar who pontificates on female masturbation.    Reda also comments on a recent article which highlights the risks of oral sex:
Les filles ont une autre raison (scientifique celle-là) pour ne plus se prêter à l’un des exercices que les gars aiment le plus.  En effet, on apprends qu’on court plus de chance de développer un cancer de la gorge en ayant des relations bucco-génitales avec plusieurs partenaires qu'en fumant ou buvant, d’après des chercheurs américains.
Je me demande ce que ‘Quiradawi’ en pense?
There is only one way to change ignorant thinking; that is to get involved, and the way to do that in Morocco is by voting in the next parliamentary elections.  Ange Bleu agrees, and says in her blog (fr):
J'espere que vous aller être nombreux à participer au vote que je viens de mettre sur ce blog et qui a pour but de tester es opinions de participations aux prochaines éléctions législatives prévues au maroc au mois de Septembre. bon courage.

author: Hamza Daoui


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Morocco: Free Haleh Estandiari · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Moroccan blogger Laila Lalami calls  for the signing of a petition to free Iranian-American scholar Haleh Esfandiari, the director of the Middle East Programme at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, was detained in Iran on December 30.


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Nepal, Bhutan: Bhutanese Refugees · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nepal Monitor summarizes the findings of a report on the plight of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. “Bhutanese refugees languishing in the camps in Nepal and India should be free to choose between returning home or resettling in the US, says Human Rights Watch. In a 86-page report entitled, Last Hope: The Need for Durable Solutions for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India, the New York-based Human Rights Watch chronicles the plight of the Bhutanese refugees languishuing in the camps in eastern Nepal for more than 15 years. “


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Nicaragua: The Unbearable Managua Heat · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Pamela describes the unbearable high temperatures in Managua in her blog Pensajes de Pamela.  The tactics she uses to counteract the heat only provides temporary relief and perhaps the only thing that can alleviate things is a nice rainfall.


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Palestine: Protest Against Arab Family in Israel  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah  links to an article about a protest by Israeli citizens demanding that an Arab family is not allowed to move into the Naveh Zayit neighborhood in Lod.


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Peru: Just Say No! to the OLPC · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Peruvian Minister of Education, José Antonio Chang, recently announced that Peru would participate in the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.  With only a model of the XO in hand, he said, “This will permit the children to have access to technology from all parts of the country and improve their learning skills.”  However, details were still far from clear, and some Peruvian bloggers took to the task by asking some hard questions.  The following two articles were written by Marco Sifuentes on the blog Utero de Marita [ES] (Marita's Womb) Translated by Eduardo Avila.
The Strange Case of the $100 Laptop (link to original article)
…that in reality could cost $175 USD
And for the moment, the only machines that exist are the prototypes, which are the ones that the Ministry of Education showed to the press during the announcement.  Regardless, the Peruvian government will purchase these machines (how many? No one knows.)
In addition: the Education Minister (who read all the information from a piece of paper, see the video of the press conference here) said that the agreement will be signed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  False.  It will be signed with the private organization OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) founded by ex-members of MIT’s Media Lab. For certain, our conceited Garrido Lecca, who was present at the press conference, is also a graduate of MIT. I say no more.
The first to sound an alarm was Eduardo Villanueva, whose concern reached the point where he created a blog to exclusively follow this case and raise various questions that the Minister has yet to clear up.
During the week, El Comercio and La Ventana were looking for answers from the Ministry, but they went around and around, until the Ministry called a press conference.
El Morsa provides us with a crucial detail: Max Ugaz, the man that acted as “private expert” hired by the Ministry, is nothing more than a salaried employee of Minister Chang at the University of San Martín de Porres, or in other words, he holds no independence and no credibility as an “external consultant.”
As one could see, the press conference of the Private Council for a Digital Agenda was unfortunate.  These men received a pair of prototypes on Wednesday and the next day they were capable of giving approval for the purchase, with money from our taxes – and the price could fluctuate between 43-100 million dollars.
Here there is plenty of cloth to cut.  It is not in terms of technology, because the XO is wonderful, but in terms of educational, logistical and the expense to the state (read the column written by León Trahtenberg).
One of the many unanswered questions: Do you know how many computers have been stolen from the Lima schools with the Plan Huascarán?  Did Chang coordinate some study with the Interior Ministry?  What are they going to do to avoid the predictable destiny of these marvelous laptops in the hands of easy victims like primary school children?
OLPC: One Week Later (link to original article)
In revisiting the topic of the $100 laptop that in reality costs twice that amount, this time more information is presented with the opinions of bloggers specialized in technology.
Surprisingly, in spite of the marvelous technology gadgets, the local “geek” community is completely not in favor of the purchase (personal note: it is encouraging that our hackers are able to see this, which is something that is lacking from their Latin American counterparts).
I recommend the posts of two of the authority figures on this tipo: Arturo Goga and Gustavo Picón.  The first succinctly details some of the technical repairs that the “independent auditor” and employee of Minister Chang, Max Ugaz failed to mention. On he other hand Picón put to rest any illusion that someone could have regarding the purchase of the OLPC machines: his long post should make the rounds in the Ministry of Education, let's see if someone puts a stop to the nonsense.
The debate continues on the ad hoc blog of Eduardo Villanueva
In the meantime, Franc Canaza raises an alarm for a possible leap into the unknown with the education of Peruvian children:  Satellite Education in Peru? (“…shouldn't they develop the content for distance education, if they don't buy content to be seen (television, antenna and decodifier).”
We have yet to escape from the controversy and Minister Chang is getting involved with another empty and expensive project. So much enthusiasm for this project is very suspicious: corruption in the related purchases of technology is one of the hardest to prove.  There was a reason why Coqui Toledo was one of the most enthusiastic of Plan Huascarán.


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Romania: “Urban Contrast” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Owlspotting posts pictures of Romania's old and new neighborhoods: “As metal rusts on one edge of town, metal gives birth to new neighborhoods at the other. Cities are expanding, people are slowly gravitating outward, traffic jams have become common place, and metal is once again in fashion.”


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Russia: Dissent and Samara Summit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Samara-based blogger Dmitri Minaev and Sean Guillory write about the EU-Russia Summit in Samara and the regime's ways of dealing with dissent.


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Serbian “Prayer” Wins Eurovision Song Contest · Global Voices
Ljubisa Bojic

Serbian singer Marija Serifovic performingMolitva (“Prayer”), the winning entry of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest (photo by Indrek Galetin)
Just a few days ago, major news outlets reported that the main course of discussion at the Serbian Assembly session was to determine which political party is supported by the 2007 Eurovision winner, Marija Serifovic. Milutin Mrkonjic, who presided at the meeting, invited the singer to visit the parliament. When she came in, Mrkonjic said, “Fellow deputies, please turn around and greet Marija Serifovic. We will be having a short break. Let all of us go to the lobby to have a juice with our Marija.”
At B92 blog, Maja writes (SRP):
She was persistent to succeed in the world she created; she managed to show me again how it feels good to be a Serb!
Dusan is somewhat less emotional:
I can’t believe how much euphoria was provoked by the victory of Serbian [representative] at Eurovision contest. All of a sudden, everybody is proud to be Serbian!?! And all of that about one not so important thing for the country and its citizens. I consider this win a simple political fix-up, in the moment when Serbia turns its back to the EU, as the great fuss was produced by nominating [Tomislav Nikolic] as the chairman of the parliament??? So, the western courtiers had to show us how much they love us, at the time when they plan to take away Kosovo, and to blackmail us on our road to the EU. It is like: we took Kosovo from you, but we still like you. […]
Kredibilitet writes:
[…] People with such capital as the first place at the Eurovision Song Contest (with all the drawbacks of the voting system) have a credibility to say what they think and invest the credibility in what they believe. Marija believes this is the beginning of a new Serbia, and that gesture when she raised three fingers, and her parliament visit, are all good for Serbia. She placed her face in front of us, and we started spitting at her. Luckily, our comments disturb her as a horse is disturbed by a fly on his butt. […]
At another B92 discussion corner, Jeca writes(SRP):
I am glad Marija from Serbia won. That means, we will be organizing the next contest, which enables us to promote our country. […] Those who decide to visit Belgrade, no matter how many of them, will obtain, I hope so, a more positive picture of Serbia, about Belgrade, because they have a lot of prejudices about us, when taken into account all the [terrible] events of the nineties. […]
Vlad man states:
It is not all about politics, nor is everything related to Serbs negative. […] The Eurovision win is really positive, and everybody should salute the […] girl from Kragujevac, who achieved the top recognition of her profession, by using her own voice. She set a good example for everyone. […]
Gorana Secibovic:
[…] I consider this a great chance for positive PR of our country. In Norwegian media, Serbia is mentioned only in relation to [Ratko] Mladic [suspected war criminal], [Tomislav] Nikolic [ultra-radical politician who was leading the assembly for a few days], Kosovo [a painful issue as the Albanian minority wants to separate], and the mass graves around the region [consequences of civil wars that occurred during the last decade of turmoil]. Just a few days ago, a Norwegian lady asked me if the army preserves peace on Serbian streets, if military vehicles are patrolling around, and etc. […]
Neven Andjelic says:
Eurovision is the last shelter of romantic people who are against globalization. […] First, the economy collapsed, and then ideology of the East. It happened around 1989, together with privatization process, mass unemployment, when young generation lost driving force, and the older got totally disappointed. The hardships resulted in widespread emigration to the West, where engineers from [some Russian city] became plumbers in Birmingham, teachers from Belgrade went to improve their skills as painters in Amsterdam, journalists from Sarajevo went to wash cars in Paris, etc. […] But now, the poor European states from the east win, and they feel well. […] [Because of the voting system, which enables similar small countries to give more points to each other] at once, Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia, Ukraine, Latvia turned out to be the superpowers of European singing. […] They can make some changes in the voting system, but the final say is with the people. The true democracy and the east always win. The poor, the lowest caste of untouchables prevails, like in Indian province, during the last election. […] Eurovision Song Contest is the victory of democracy. When French, Italians, and Luxemburg people won, the West was ok with it. When the East became dominating factor, at least in singing, people started talking about fixes, scam, and labeling the competition as stupid one. […] They wanted to make numerous Diasporas from the east societies, now the expatriates vote for their home countries. The east is on the roof of Europe. It deserved the recognition. Remember that you read it here. I am posting this a minute before the voting, as a proof, my expectations turned out to be true.
Trotter says:
Thank you Marija for promoting my Serbia this way! Thank you very much!
Srdan Kusovac responds to this post:
[…] There has always been politics in the Eurovision contest, or even more politics than music, because that is why the manifestation was initially established, because of the politics. The contest is, in this new time, I guess, the only opportunity when the “new Europe” manages to show it is “equal” or “important”. […]
At his blog, Dragan Vargic states:
[…] I think Marija Serifovic is a very good thing for the [country and its people]. Her talent, hard work, and the will to participate produced great effect. This is a pretty important event for all those defeatists [so called retrograde persons spreading negative energy] which I know and have to listen to all these years.
JustMe comments:
I have read remarks made by forum dwellers coming from former Yugoslav republics. I don’t know should I laugh or cry… I thought I wasn’t reading comments about Marija Serifovic Eurovision victory, but the latest X Files – a conspiracy theory edition about how Serbia stopped the win of the Croatian representative in Finland!
According to the “theories,” Serbia:
1. ‘Got’ traded the trophy for Kosovo (?!)…
2. Led an anti-Croatian campaign in Finland, this stopping the victory of Dada Topic (?!)…
3. Won because only Serbs voted in the whole of Europe (?!). I suppose, the rest didn’t have the money for mobile phone…
4. Received 12 points from Croatia, because, again, only Serbs voted (neither Croatians had money for mobile phone bills)…
5. Won because the country selected a person of unidentified gender, so they received votes of the gay population…
6. Won because the singer pleads Europe by naming her song “The Prayer” […] (?!)…
The “theory” list is long enough, but because of their stupidity, there is no reason to list them all. […]
Acca posts the Molitva song in English:
Prayer (Destiny) – English
I'm wide awake
An empty bed drives my dreams away
Life melts like ice
Disappears in the twinkling of an eye
I'm losing my mind,
Pushing reality out of sight
Our lips are touching softly
You're the one I believe blindly
I walk around like crazy
Falling in love frightens me
Days are like wounds
Countless and hard to get through
Prayer…
It burns my sore lips like a fire
Prayer…
Thy name is something I admire
Heaven knows just as well as I do
So many times I have cried over you
Heaven knows just as well as I do
I pray and live only for you
I can't lie to God
as I kneel down and pray
You're the love of my life
That's the only thing I can say
The English version of “The Prayer” can be downloaded here.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | RSS

author: Ljubisa Bojic


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Sudan: satellite mapping of a conflict zone · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Bloggers for Darfur briefly comment on Google Earth satellite mapping of Darfur crisis: “This story has been all over the news this week–with Google Earth satellite mapping service, we can now zoom in on the 1,600 Sudanese villages destroyed as part of the genocide that's been occurring in Darfur since 2003. Keep in mind that the images are not in real time. This article says that the images were captured between 2003 and 2006. But it's a start. And as the article states, it's one more critical tool in spreading awareness as reporters in Darfur are losing their access there.”


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Syria: An Interview with Abu Fares · Global Voices
Yazan Badran

Abu Fares is a real Tartoussi (from Tartous) as he likes to describe himself and is one of the most genuinely admired bloggers on the Syrian blogsphere. In a little more than a year, his blog had already reached out to every other single blogger. With his delicate sentences, and creative postings he has become by far the most popular blogger in town.
Now for someone who feels that “talking about politics is like visiting a dentist”, to be able to attract the people from so many different places and currents, in a country like Syria where politics puts everything else on the backburner… for his blog to become a place where all these people come to enjoy the small details, the human details of Syria that we largely forget… it must be a very extraordinary place, and sure thing, it is.
His posts are as varied as the lives of us Levantines, from the Olive Trees to Shanklish, from Faith and Spirituality to his own Horoscope Roundup. He let us into a world of delicacies and beautiful details.
Q- Abu Fares, tell us about your blog? What is to you?
A- My blog is one of the most significant outlets where I can express my feelings and attitudes about different issues. The ideas behind some posts are reactionary in that they invade my mind on the spur of the moment and I instantaneously start writing while others are cooked over a slow fire and eventually mature enough to be worth sharing with others. Not all posts are equally created. However, I wouldn't say that I have ever regretted any single one. Blogging has become a very engaging hobby and at the exact same moment of publication an immense sense of satisfaction and relief overwhelms me. Not for long though, as I very often start wondering what to write next.
Q- A person with your experience has definitely given a lot to the blogsphere, what has it given back to you?
A- I really don't know whether I have given too much to the blogsphere. However, I have to admit that it has given me a lot. Even more important than expressing myself is the opportunity to read the self-expressions of other bloggers. Anyone who enjoys writing more than reading is, to put it bluntly, an idiot. I especially enjoy the writings of my fellow bloggers who have accumulated a reading conscience. I think that blogging is a win/win proposition in both of its manifestations: reading and writing.
Q- As a person, where does this blog touch your real life? Where do you draw the line? and how?
A- My blog is very personal even when I don't write about myself. Writing about Tartous is personal, so is writing about women and all the simple and complex pleasures and misfortunes of life. We all have our, not necessarily malicious, yet dark sides. I'd rather talk about the good times than the bad ones. Even in real life I'm this type of person. Bloggers and casual readers do not have to read me when I'm in the wrong mood, although at times, I unwillingly cross this line.
Q- A very important question would be, in a country like Syria, how are you able to stay away from politics?
A- I don't think I stay away from politics, I rather circumnavigate some sensitive topics in a way where I do not offend the “others” too much and at the same time, where I do not jeopardize my own wellbeing and safety. There is a lot to read between the lines in some of my posts. However, as a rule, I follow a tactic of a great journalist, the late Saeed Frayha. His political and/or social criticism of the other is like a pinprick. It's meant to draw attention, but never to cause any serious bleeding.
Q- Blogs in places like Egypt, Iran and many other places have played a major role in stirring all kinds of social and political debates, and bringing them to the surface. Syrian blogs have come short when it came to reaching out to people inside Syria, how do you feel about that? How can we change that?
A- Indeed, blogging is still short of stirring the stagnant political and social status quo in Syria. Among others, I'm to blame. The first fact is that most blogs are written in English and that by itself makes the readership base elitist in a way. In all honesty though, and I'm in no way evaluating my fellow Bloggers, the wide spectrum of available blogs vary in the quality of their content. Unfortunately, a considerable proportion of the “better written blogs” are overly pessimistic and negative. Their insistence on instigating change in society is intellectually confrontational and coercive. On the street level, this type of writing is, in my opinion, worthless in the eyes of the Syrian society.
Q- Back to Tartous, what makes it so special as to say “Syria without Tartous, Arak without Mezzeh (appetizers)…”?
A- I'm a person with deep roots. Had I been from Karatu, Tanzania or Chittagong, Bangladesh I would've been as attached to those places as I am to Tartous. If a person doesn't take pride of his birthplace, doesn't have an overwhelming affection to his hometown, he or she is missing a vital link to the past, present and future. I'm a nobody if I were not Abufares from Tartous. Besides, I'm truly in love with my city because of who she really is, a place of magic and splendor. Over the years my passion for her has turned into compassion. She and I are growing up together and the tear and wear are showing on us both. She's my home. She's my only home.
Q- Abu Fares, two weeks ago, we celebrated your blog's first anniversary. Where do you see your blogging experience taking you next?
A- When I first started on my blog I wasn't going anywhere in particular. Blogging is very similar to riding my motorcycle. The trip is always more interesting than the destination. With the burdens of the little things that make up a life and with the long working hours I just hope I can find the time to continue blogging as long as physically and emotionally possible.
Q- A final thought?
A- Abufares said… the world according to a tartoussi is the name of my blog and this is exactly what it's about. I have given myself a wide open window to write about almost anything. I try my best to convey a sense of humor in my writing. I don't succeed all the time but I always try. I have an ethical obligation not to post anything I don't enjoy writing. This is the only and maximum guarantee I can offer.

author: Yazan Badran


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Tajikistan: Blogosphere Roundup · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Vadim rounds up the Tajik blogosphere at neweurasia.


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Tanzania: Bongoland (film) update · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Latest update on the Tanzanian film, Bongoland: “After watching Bongoland, the former prime minister remarked that it was a very good movie and wishes that most people in Tanzania could see it…”especially the youth”.
Chemi run into the Prime Minister in Cambridge Mass. where he is pursuing studies at Harvard University. Mr. Sumaye is Tanzania’s longest serving Prime Minister having served over 10 years.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Vital Supplies  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“All Trinis have a story about Crix because it’s one of the first things we eat as children. I’ve eaten Crix with practically everything…it’s because of this versatility that Crix are affectionately known as ‘Vital Supplies’.”: Can Cook, Must Cook sings the praises of Trinidad and Tobago's most popular biscuit.


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Ukraine: Kyiv Street Fashion · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Inspired by the weather, Olechko takes pictures of Kyiv's “simply beautiful people, irony aside” and posts them on Flickr, in her Kyiv street fashion photo set.


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Ukraine: Prime Minister’s Knee · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana writes about the price of PM Yanukovych's knee surgery.


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Ukraine: Reckless Driving · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes writes about Ukrainian politics and reckless driving.


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Ukraine: Yushchenko’s UK Visit Cancelled · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreing Notes writes about the cancellation of president Yushchenko's meeting with Tony Blair.


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Vietnam: Buying Apple Computer in Vietnam · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The strong economic growth in Vietnam is attracting foreign brands. The Unofficial Apple Weblog posts pictures of the latest Apple authorized store in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

author: Preetam Rai


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Vietnam: Preserving Hoi An · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

One of the popular tourist destination in Vietnam is the laid back historic town of Hoi An. Vietnamese God visits Hoi An and hopes the authorities would stop new building from coming up and destroying Hoi An's beauty.


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YouTube Vs.Thailand: The Latest Round · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

YouTube's latest round of  trouble with Thailand started in April when some YouTube user uploaded a video mocking the Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej.  The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) tried  to get YouTube to take down the clips. YouTube and its parent company Google ignored the call.  MICT decided to block out YouTube. The ban fueled more copycat videos to appear on YouTube.
The king is highly revered in Thailand, not just because of his status but also due to his involvement in development projects. People openly show their respect and affection for the king. Thai blogger Mr. Pavee explains
If any of the video uploaders have been out here in Thailand (though I strongly doubt they have), they’d notice how the king is loved by everybody here. Many shops hang his photos up on the walls and yellow flags (yellow represents the monarchy here) can be seen hung from many houses. The nation is filled with people wearing yellow shirts showing respect to the king. If a photo of the king’s face graffiti’ed on was hung up on the streets, someone will go and tear it down within a few seconds, let alone minutes. Once last year, hundreds of thousands of people wearing yellow shirts gathered to listen to his speech, the crowd was literally a kilometer long. That’s how much people love him here.
The king was born on a Monday.  Many people wear yellow on Mondays to honor the king.
Long time Thailand resident Andrew Biggs  feels that blocking YouTube only helped encourage the miscreants.
I don’t care how offensive the video clip in question is. The truth is, the power of the love and devotion the Thais feel towards their King is so strong, it can never be hurt or destroyed by one stupid video clip.
But the government has banned You Tube, and in doing so, they have drawn the attention of the whole world to this situation. Now every obnoxious person in the world who has access to the internet (and believe me, that’s a LOT of people) is now busily making his/her own anti-King videos.
Early in May, MICT decided to sue Google under Thailand's lèse majesté law. Thai blogger drewkam called the legal action an “absurd” move. Drewkam reiterated the affection that the Thai people have for the king but felt the action would only end up bringing more negative publicity to Thailand. The blogger urged the MICT to get on with
other things much more important (like making my DSL connection faster!).
On May 11th, Google backed down and agreed to take down the clips.
Lost Boy wrote
It looks like Thailand won’t be suing Google after all. “We have called that off,” said Sitthichai. Google VP Kent Walker apologized to Thailand in an official letter. All defamatory clips of HMtK will be removed and soon we will all be able to watch videos of cats falling off TVs again. Will it be happily ever after? Perhaps, although I’m surprised that Google buckled to Sitthichai’s bullying tactics.
Sitthichai Pokai-udom is Thailand's minister for Information and Communications Technology. A week has passed since that news and YouTube is still inaccessible.
Wonder what is taking the MICT so long?
A comment by Hew on New Mandala might offer some clues.
In the report I read, Google had said that half the clips had already been removed by their original posters. Of the remainder, several would be removed as offensive to HMK. The remainder on the government’s ‘offensive’ list were judged by google to be political criticisms of the government and nothing to do with lese majeste. These would not be removed.


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Bahrain: When Only Illegal Prawns Will Do · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Freedom of speech is always a hot topic in Bahrain, and we start this week by looking at some of the apparent contradictions in official policy. Mohammed AlMaskati tells us:
The internet has always been the alternative “peoples media” when it came to news of the political standpoints of local issues. Blogs and Forums are very widely spread around the country; typically every small village has a forum of its own, usually used to announce news of public social events like marriages, deaths and such, others are very wide in content and extend over political and religious debate to offer semi-live coverage of protests, marches and clashes with the local police, shedding a light of truth on the local congested political scene that is typically either ignored or marginalized by the public press.
Mohammed has found more and more instances of violence being promoted on such forums, and he asks why opposition leaders who do not endorse such activities are threatened with legal action, yet:
Violence and sectarian divides are being provoked before our own eyes on the internet, what are they doing against it?
Mahmood Al Yousif also examines the ‘inciting hatred’ charge that he claims is thrown at opposition leaders so quickly:
Okay, talk – against another old adage – is not cheap in Bahrain. It can cost you your freedom!
LuLu addresses what she says is Bahrain's ‘culture of impunity':
…our government, and pro-government parties, have been trying consciously to blur any memories of government oppression or conspiracy in fear of damaging the perfect picture of a unified, proud Bahrain, and their own image of benevolence. … All nations have moments in their history that make them feel especially proud. All of them have moments of shame as well. In order to foster healing and “real” unity, Bahrain cannot afford to continue on this path of “unaccountability” and denial.
Cradle of Humanity was shocked this week by an acquaintance buying a huge amount of prawns illegally caught out of season, ostensibly for religious reasons:
Why did he buy 70 kilograms of illegally fished prawns when he certainly did not have to? Not for business, I know that much for sure.
“But it is prawns reproduction season. You are practically not letting the prawns reproduce”. “We cook prawns Machboos every year on the commemoration of Imam Ali’s death. Whenever I have that quantity of prawns available I have to snatch it and stock it”.
Now his reasoning not only made me feel worse, but rather appalled. That occasion is supposed to be a spiritual one, a religious philosophy celebrating sacrifice, fighting for the cause and devotion. How that can mandate fishing prawns when it is endangering our ecological system is beyond me. Now I did not only feel bad for the poor prawns, but also for the poor occasion.
Could not your Machboos be lamb or chicken? Could you not wait at least, with the occasion being four months away (21st Ramadan)? How about dried prawns – popular for Machboos in Bahraini cuisine? … With such a mentality about marine life, are we really expecting the government to respect and preserve our environment, and not destroy our Fashts (coral reefs) or reclaim our sea?
Silly Bahraini Girl has left Bahrain after coming back for a holiday and family visit, and is back at home in Canada. She says:
Isn't it sad that I am happy to be back ‘home’ – a home which is zillions of light years away from where my heart is?
I am back to the safety and comfort of my pad in Canada and I can say I am content and happy here. I strangely feel safe and secure. I am also more in touch with Bahrain virtually. … I also have all my sisters and friends online … and they are actually making the effort to chat to me. Even my nephews and nieces are talking to me and giving me undivided attention as they speak directly into the mic .. to tell me how my Arabic accent sucks.
My four-year-old niece had the nerve to tell me that although she fully understands my Ba7rani (Bahraini Shi'a) accent.. she will not speak it. She explained to me that I say: nadheef (clean) and not nedheef! That I say erjoool (leg) and not iryool! That I say wajed (a lot) and not wayed!! and the list goes on!
As a compromise, she said we better communicate in English from now onwards .. as that is a common language we both understand. … What a world we live in!
More from Bahrain – and Bahrainis around the world – next week!

author: Ayesha Saldanha