If you value your personal space, you best not be a commuter in Japan. This video was shot a few years ago, and I understand things are not quite so extreme now, but even so….
Archive for the ‘cultural intelligence’ Category
"Justice" in Somalia
2009 -
05.20
It was the most excitement the southern Somalian city of Kismayo had seen in quite some time: a vehicle with loud speakers roamed the streets, inviting the public to the enforcement of the Islamic law the dictates punishment for theft — the cutting off the the right hand.
Hundreds gathered in Freedom Park as a young man named Mohamed Omar Ismail, found guilty of stealing goods from another man’s house, was brought before the crowd as a statement was read. The passage from the Koran was read which decrees the relevant punishment. His hand was then immediately severed and held up before the crowd by the index finger, as if to prove that ‘we mean business.’
Ismail, recovering from his wound in a local hospital, says he did not commit the burglary and is still in shock from what has happened to him.
The current struggle for control in Somalia is not secular forces versus Islamic forces, but hardline Islamists versus more moderate Islamists. Both say that sharia law, or Islamic law, will sooner or later be firmly in place in that war-torn country.
¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
2009 -
05.05
On May 5, 1862, the underdog Mexican army withstood the onslaught of the powerful French army, undefeated in fifty years, in the southeastern state of Puebla. Even though it was not even a turning point in the war against the French, who completed their invasion a year later, it is remembered and celebrated for the Mexicans’ determination to stand up against great odds.
Believe it or not, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more outside Mexico than within — the people of Puebla certainly celebrate, but it is primarily a regional, not national, celebration. Many non-Mexicans believe it is Mexican Independence Day (that is September 16). The date has evolved throughout the world simply as a day to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage, and a good excuse for many to indulge in Mexican food and tequila.
Today’s celebration in Puebla, however, will no doubt be mitigated by the current virtual lockdown in Mexico because of the H1N1 virus. In any case, here’s to a lively, colorful culture which has impacted us all in one way or another.
Shock for the Dutch
2009 -
04.30
April 30 is Queen’s Day in the Netherlands. My wife and I have wonderful memories, from our five years in Amsterdam, of the festive atmosphere which not only honors the past and current queen (Queen Beatrix is pictured here), but also coincides with a general relief that spring has arrived. People also take advantage of the occasion to set out on the curb any household items or furniture they’ve been wanting to get rid of — a nationwide flea market.
Today the only relief was that none of the royal family were injured when an unknown Dutchman drove his car through the parade barricades as the royal family passed by in an open bus. Four people were killed, however, and several more injured.
WorldQuiz: Obesity
2009 -
04.27
In what country do the most people PER CAPITA die of obesity?
Post your answer!
A Memory to Stop Traffic
2009 -
04.21
Imagine the hustle and bustle of morning rush hour and the accompanying noise — like any other day — being suddenly interrupted by the wail of a siren. The overpowering sound of the siren then gives way to complete silence, as drivers get out of their cars, pedestrians stop in their tracks, and all that is heard is the wind as everyone stands stone still for two long minutes of silent remembrance.
That’s exactly what happened today as Israelis, joined by other Jews around the world, stopped to remember when the unthinkable happened. Thousands — Holocaust survivors, teenagers, Jews and a few Gentiles, joined in the March of the Living at Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland, where 1.1 million people, 90% of whom were Jews, were exterminated by the Nazi regime.
Any Jewish parent wants his or her children to know about and remember the Holocaust.
How about you, my Gentile friend?
The "Singing Nation"
2009 -
04.20
This week’s WorldQuiz:
What European country is nicknamed the “singing nation”?
In this country, it is unusual to find a single person who has not sung in a choir or some other kind of vocal ensemble. Every few years, all of this country’s choirs gather together for the Song Festival with thousands of singers present.
The daina, or folk song, has defined this nation’s identity for hundreds of years. Dating back well over a millenium, over 1.2 million texts and over 30,000 melodies have been identified.
What country is it?
Bring on the Bocce!
2009 -
04.06
It’s a game that has been played in one form or another for thousands of years, yet its popularity in North America has only recently begun to grow. The French are surely not particularly pleased that America has adopted the Italian name (‘bocce‘ is the plural of ‘boccia’, meaning ‘bowl’), rather than the French pétanque, mais c’est la vie.
There are several theories about bocce’s origins, but most sports historians agree that Roman soldiers began playing a primitive form of the game over two thousand years ago. A small stone called a “leader” would be thrown first, then larger stones were thrown at the leader, and the closest to the leader would score.
Until recently, most North American proponents of the game were descendants of Italian immigrants, who still cling to it as a nostalgic vestige of the old country. Slowly but surely, however, it is beginning to gain popularity among those who simply appreciate the sport’s relaxing and community-building qualities, and bocce alleys are cropping up in not-so-Italian areas (including Chattanooga, TN, where this photo was taken).
Here is one American who says, “Bring on the bocce!”
The Allure of Alsace
2009 -
03.31
If you’re considering joining us for the inaugural World to the Wise Cultural Tour, here’s something else to tempt you: step for a day into the magical microworld of Alsace, the region in the northeast corner of France which has gone back and forth between Germany and France for generations.
Alsace is a region like no other: although it is part of France and everyone speaks French, the German influence is everywhere — including the storybook architecture seen in this photo. And even though all Alsatians are French, they have managed to preserve their own language over the years, which actually resembles Swiss German as much as anything.
The largest city in Alsace is Strasbourg, dubbed the Crossroads of Europe. This gem of a city is indeed of crossroads of diplomatic, high-tech, educational and religious communities: it is the seat of the European Parliament, the University of Strasbourg, and, as far as France is concerned, a rare coexistence of the Catholic and Protestant traditions.
And we won’t set foot in Alsace without sampling the famous tarte flambée (flammekueche in Alsatian) — a delicious, thin-crusted pizza with crème fraîche, bacon and onions, baked in a wood-burning oven.
Care to join us? Visit www.worldtothewise.net to find out more!
Happy Birthday Mr. Washington
2009 -
02.22
On this date in 1732, George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. If you saw last year’s mini-series on John Adams, you saw a strong yet humble leader in Washington. On this anniversary of his birthday, I leave you a striking clip from the mini-series which opens a window to us of the awesome (in the original sense of the word) responsibility Washington had glimpsed in the office he was assuming. Who would not be sobered by such a burden?
Happy Birthday, Mr. Washington.