It's interesting how certain places try and solve communication barriers in communities. While I was in Afghanistan we often ran into this problem among many local villages. Often we would have to make use of multiple interpreters.
It is interesting to see a country try an adapt an universal language. Since most regions of the country speak a different dialect, it will be nice to see how this works out and whether or not other places will try this too.
She lived with us for 56 years. She raised me and my siblings without pay. I was 11, a typical American kid, before I realized who she was.
The Spanish Crown eventually began phasing out slavery at home and in its colonies, but parts of the Philippines were so far-flung that authorities couldn’t keep a close eye. Traditions persisted under different guises, even after the U.S. took control of the islands in 1898. Today even the poor can have utusans or katulongs (“helpers”) or kasambahays (“domestics”), as long as there are people even poorer. The pool is deep.
"It's something you can see on every block in most major cities. You probably see one every day and never give give it a second thought. But in Yangon, Myanmar in 2013, an ATM was a small miracle. For decades, Myanmar was cut off from the rest of the world. There were international sanctions, and no one from the U.S. or Europe did business there."
We often take for granted our infrastructe and in this case our banking system. Have we seen recessions, yes , have we seen our banks fail yes, but to not trust them at all well thats another story. In pretty much every American city and most major cities around the world ATMs are very common. I am pretty sure most of us have used an ATM at least once if not all of the time. So when the small country of Myanmar had its sanctions lifted and VISA and Mastecard had the opportunity to put in ATMs they went for it and thought it would be a great ooportunity. They did forsee what would happen though. Myanmar citizens had almost no confidence in their banking system thus most people just kept their money at home with them. So since they did not have money in the banks they did not need to use the ATMs. Its very important for companies, even big ones such as Visa and Mastercard, to understand the market and the culture of the population in which they are setting up the business. If Visa and Mastercard had done a little more research they might have foreseen this problem. In this ever global world it is important for businesses to remain culuturally aware or risk losing mililons. For start up companies or investment companies it becomes even more important as they do market research as well.
This showcases how different cultures in different places really are. The idea of credit cards in Myanmar isn't exactly greeted with positivity. Most people are skeptical of the banks and keep their money at home instead. This way of living seems so different to people from places like the US because Myanmar doesn't have and connection to the US with institutions such as banks and atm. However this way of running a country does not allow for anything to be fixed, which is why is it so rugged, with cars with no floors, awful roads, and anything else that a bank would normally help fund.
The purpose-built city of Naypyidaw – unveiled a decade ago this year – boasts 20-lane highways, golf courses, fast Wi-Fi and reliable electricity. The only thing it doesn’t seem to have is people, report Matt Kennard and Claire Provost
this just goes to prove that there needs to be an economic reason for people to move. if you build it, they will not come. they will stay where the money is, and ignore the 'honor' of living in the new capital city.
I strange but not historically unprecedented situation. This kind of reminds me of all the cities China built in compensation for population growth. Historically the only way cities like this succeed is either by enticing immigration with tax cuts, free house etc or it has been forcefully with entire populations being moved (the latter being what the ancients largely did creating cities like Alexandria). Another example of capital moving is Iran however how they got a population in theirs I am not aware.Burma committed to neither and as a result the city is a failure. The cities layout also seems a bit extreme given it was made to suppress rather than entice. What is really bad however is the loss of agricultural land and ancestral villages in the area being destroyed all clearly for nothing. At the very least the country may be slowly moving away from dictatorship but only time will tell. Hopefully this failure will force further concessions making it a more tolerable place to live. Only then true solutions will likely be found to their poverty since the dictatorship has been seemingly incompetent in its actions.
Burma is a country that is facing a situation that seems to be pretty unique. The government is in a constant battle to maintain their reputation in the international community and attempt to paint an image of themselves that doesn’t accurately represent what is occurring domestically. Aside from the unrecognized genocide that the Rhohingan population is facing that the government barely acknowledges, the country is suffering from extreme poverty and a government that is only concerned with maintaining power. The move of the capital city exemplifies this problem quite well. The biggest city in Burma is Rangoon which was previously its capital. The government decided to move the capital city to Naypyidaw that was built to be a modern, world class city in 2005 and cost about $4 billion to build. It contains well-maintained infrastructure and landscaping and contains many of the things nice cities have like golf courses and zoos. The government thought that moving the capital city would draw people out of Rangoon and the city would expand. However, their thought was very wrong. Many people couldn’t afford to make the move, didn’t like the jobs they were being offered, and the commute between the two cities is less than ideal. In fact the highway between the Rangoon and Naypyidaw has been nicknamed the “Death Highway” because so many fatal accidents occur on it, not to mention it takes five hours to make the drive. Plane tickets are too expensive for most Burmese people as well. This has created a strange emptiness in the capital city that many describe as a ghost town. The government’s public reasoning for moving the city was to help alleviate the overcrowded conditions of Rangoon and build a more appealing city. But documents have revealed the government’s real reason for moving was to protect themselves from opposition, which is evidenced by the fact that the parliament building is surrounded by a moat. Although the government is no longer considered a dictatorship, the old power dynamics are in place. More than ten years after Naypyidaw was established, it is still virtually empty. Visitors to the city also have noted that many of the structures in the city are good looking on the outside, but falling apart on the inside. Residents that work in the city usually do not make enough money to enjoy the luxuries of Naypyidaw either.
While reading this article I found it quite shocking to see that Myanmar is scrambling for energy, such as selling oil, this money is used in lanterns as a cheaper alternative to kerosene. People will do anything just to receive money and use it to help out their families. Money is not something easily accessible and neither is energy.Yet, even though Myanmar is struggling right now, places such as Beijing still see Myanmar and Ramree Island as the main way to have safe and fast trade.
The article also states that there are promising signs to China, and Southeast Asia to come back into the picture such as they are likely to have development that will focus on manufacturing in textiles and construction materials to help the country to gain power and energy back.
The photographs in this article give for a good example of how China is striving for energy such as the women holding up the teapot that is considered to be a lamp with the use of oil. People in China are working hard and using different resources to serve as energy. Shouldn't people even out of China use up what they have and not be wasteful?
Places in Southeast Asia can think of ways to gain energy, power and comfort because their whole motto on life is different than that of the United States of America.
this is where china grows at the expense of others. How are these people going to fight back? China is forced to do this because it wants to be the strongest nation in the world and as long as they are importing oil it relies on someone that can cut them off. And as long as they now are allowing the birth of two children the population growth in china is forcing china to expand and will do whatever means necessary to do so.
An interesting article that highlights important geographic disparities. The problem for Burma is that it has lagged behind in the world from its isolation. As a result when globalization such as the proposed trade zone in the article come about there is disastrous consequences. Unlike the west they are catching up and didn't have an adjusting period. Furthermore in China's race to keep its economy superior and out due America they have been going on wild spending sprees such as this deal to give them a global edge. Unfortunately this will leave many of the poor in Burma worse off than before. Plus their government will not likely help them because of their oppressive nature. Maybe all of this will create of revolution to give the Burmese freedom so that they can make these decisions for themselves as they enter the global community(also so they are not exploited as companies everywhere will likely be looking at its cheap labor and resources).
A new analysis of sea levels and flood risk around the world offers more evidence that the brunt of climate change will not be borne equally.
More than a quarter of Vietnam’s residents live in areas likely to be subject to regular floods by the end of the century. Globally, eight of the 10 large countries most at risk are in Asia. These figures are the result of a new analysis of sea levels and flood risk around the world, conducted by Climate Central and based on more detailed sea-level data than has previously been available. The analysis offers more evidence that the countries emitting the most carbon aren’t necessarily the ones that will bear the brunt of climate change.
In this article the author discusses the risk of flooding in many different locations of the world. He claims about 2.6 percent of the world's populations. That's a big percentage considering all the people of the planet.
Flooding is a major risk when it comes to the world we live in especially for Southeast Asia, some areas will be below sea level which shows how the the climate changes are affecting the flood risks caused by global carbon emission. A study from this article shows that eight our of ten of the largest countries will be at the risk of being flooded and below sea level. The major question is how can this carbon emissions be lower? If the carbon is lower then the sea level will rise and less countries will be at risk, this is mainly focusing on Southeast Asia. Yes, we can not change the climate changes but by keeping the land clean and taking care of the environment the flood risk and sea level change could get out of risk level.
If the weather continues at the rate it is at then about 2.6 percent of the global population which is approximately 177 million people will be living in a place at risk of regular flooding. Flooding can cause a lot of damage to homes, crops and people physically because flooding is not just a little amount of water.
The largest country at risk with people in danger from the map is China, I liked the way this map worked because you can see from the boxes how many people are going to be affected by the flooding. Instead of just having numbers, giving a better visual for people with the boxes and their sizes.
It's like watching the land on Earth change right in front of our eyes. According to this map, if global carbon emissions stay as they currently are and sea levels can be affected about as much as expected, 2.6 million people of the global population will live in a high risk flood zone; this wipes out 177 million people!
In recent years, democratic reforms have swept through Myanmar, a country that for decades was ruled by a military junta. As the reforms took hold, however, things were growing progressively worse for the Rohingya, a heavily persecuted ethnic Muslim minority concentrated in the country's western state of Rakhine. The 2012 gang rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by three Muslim men ignited violent riots in which hundreds were killed as Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya attacked each other. In the following months, tens of thousands of Rohingya were rounded up and forced to live in squalid camps; Human Rights Watch deemed the attacks crimes against humanity that amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya. Thousands of Rohingya have since attempted to leave the country, fueling the region's intricate and brutal human trafficking network.
This kind of ethnic conflict within a country is, in part, a result of colonial borders ignoring ethnic boundaries. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority in a Buddhist majority country, and they are extremely vulnerable to the ethnic cleansing currently happening. The systemic destruction of villages, massacres, and gang rapes by Buddhist vigilantes and Myanmar's military is nothing short of genocide, wiping out the Rohingya by killing them or forcing them to flee the country.
"In its day, the spice trade was the world’s biggest industry. It established and destroyed empires and helped the Europeans (who were looking for alternate routes to the east) map the globe through their discovery of new continents. What was once tightly controlled by the Arabs for centuries was now available throughout Europe with the establishment of the Ocean Spice Trade route connecting Europe directly to South Asia (India) and South East Asia."
A very insightful article and shows the uttermost importance of geography in many phases. First off, it shows the importance of having key resources within your country or region. Southeast Asia is know for its spices which made it especially key during the age of exploration. Also, which is key is how do we get there? What are the best trade routes? Over the years, first the Romans then the Ottoman Empire controlled key lands in which connected Europe and Southeast Asia. Since, the Christian Europeans did not want to work with the Muslims they found new trade routes and well eventually we end up discovering the New World (the Americas". This shows how everything like always connects. Southeast Asia, which for most of its time has been colonized up until almost the mid 1980s is finally starting to grow on its own. It will be interesting to see how they use there own resources to try to gain traction in the global markets throughout the next few decades and it we see any smaller world powers come out of the area. The spice trade dominated thousands of years of trade, but Southeast Asia has many other key resources as well and it will be key for politicians and businesses in the future to capitalize on this into the future.
It is no exaggeration to say that the spice trade shaped the world as we know it today. Southeast Asia's location made it the only place in the world to obtain some of the most popular spices and other goods. Meanwhile Constantinople, being situated squarely between Europe and Asia, was the perfect middleman through which spices could get to markets in Europe -- where demand was high from Antiquity through the Middle Ages -- until the city fell to the Ottoman Empire and turned its back on Europe. This motivated Europeans to develop the sailing and navigational technology necessary to find sea routes to Asia, which led to the discovery of the Americas, and the rest is history. What followed were centuries of colonization, conflict, trade, and globalization on a scale the world had never seen before. All because people were crazy for spices that could only be found half-way around the world.
The spice trade not only opened up all the amenities Southeast Asia had to offer but spread their culture throughout Western Europe. It also opened up new routes for Europeans to explore Eastern Asia and then sail around the world.
Competing territorial claims have led to maritime disputes off the coast of Asia. See a map of the islands at issue.
This is an nice interactive map that allows the reader to explore current geopolitical conflicts that are about controlling islands. This is an good source to use when introducing Exclusive Economic Zones, which is often the key strategic importance of small, lightly populated islands.
This interactive page gives relevant information about islands that are disputed over in southeast Asia. I liked it because you could see the information in context with the map.
This is like a game of Monopoly when people try and get all the houses or businesses. Except this is real life and real isles. Whose is whose? How does Asia decide where and how the EEZ's should be divided.
considering that half of the nations involved are island nations, this is hardly surprising. every nation has issues with their neighbors. even the us and Canada dispute some territory. but these disputes can hardly end as well, when half of these nations have fought wars with each other for most of their histories.
"In the heart of Thailand’s most populous city, an oasis stands out from the urban landscape like a great “green lung.” That’s the nickname given to Bang Kachao—a lush protected area that has escaped the dense development seen elsewhere in Bangkok. The city is built on the alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya River. Toward the southern end, near the Gulf of Thailand, is an old meander that never quite formed an oxbow lake. That meander traces the boundary of Bang Kachao, which TIME magazine once called the 'best urban oasis' in Asia. According to a travel story in The New York Times, Bang Kachao is gaining popularity among tourists lured by bike tours, a floating farmers’ market, and the relaxed atmosphere."
This scoop shows an example of built environmental space. The highly urban and crowded Thailand has little green space. So why is this massive green park looking landmass there? Its a strictly environmental section of land to help water flow into the ocean. The people call it the "green lung" because its plants give off oxygen and provide a contrast from its urban sprawl. This article shows the importance that should be placed on having more strictly environmental places in big cities.
It's interesting to see the mixture of natural and manmade landscapes in this image. Humans have an enormous influence on the world around us- we have moved entire rivers for our own purposes, reshaped entire regions. In China, we have literally made it rain. Therefore, it's nice to see remnants of the rich environments that used to cover the urban sprawls of many of the world's largest cities, like Central Park in New York. Bang Kachao in Bangkok is another example of this, a reminder of the richness of the region before it was overwhelmed by the urban development that has characterized Bangkok over the previous century. The oasis serves as a valuable tourist attraction, as Westerners come to enjoy the bike trails and small farming community within Thailand's green lung. Leave it to hipsters to travel halfway across the globe just to enjoy nature within the confines of one of the world's largest cities.
This showcases how important physical geography is. This "green lung" breaks up the high urbanized Bangkok. This helps the environment thrive and helps to cut down of emissions that affect climate change which is a problem in some areas.
"In 2001 the world began talking about the Bric countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - as potential powerhouses of the world economy. The term was coined by economist Jim O'Neill, who has now identified the 'MINT' countries - Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey - as emerging economic giants. Here he explains why."
Tags: Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey, economic, development.
Mexico, along with the other countries in the MINT category, are developing countries that could one day become economic powerhouses. Mexico, as noted in the article, is in a strong position to become an economic powerhouse, due to the fact that it is in between the United States and the developing countries to its south. Mexico does face a battle however, as the country has been dominated by corruption for decades, yet the new president, who is young and energetic, is attempting to reform the system and put an end to the wide spread problem. If Mexico can become a major economic powerhouse, it along with Canada and the United States, could from a strong North American Trio, originally envisioned when the NAFTA was signed into law, back in the 1990s.
The MINT countries aren't that surprising. After China purchased some of the US debt, it really opened my eyes to who the new powerhouse is. Mexico could certainly be another powerful country if they could get their act together. It will be interesting to see the shifts taking place in the next 20 years.
The West should note that other parts of the world are catching up in terms of economic development. The focus on these non-Western countries is shifting away from the classic BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). The MINT countries - Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey - are on the rise. Two interesting geographic aspects give these countries an advantage. First is that they have young populations who are entering the workforce. Unlike the Western nations and China, the young people outnumber the older people who are contributing to the economy less and less. The second advantage is their relative geographic location. Mexico is situated between the United States and Latin America. Both offer access to an abundance of trade opportunities. Indonesia also has superior access to trade by being located in the middle of the South East Asia along with an important link to China. By being near the middle of Africa, and with access to the western coastline, Nigeria is also in an excellent position for trade. This will be a future benefit until Africa's internal wars settle and stable trade relations can ensue.
The major struggles that the MINT countries share are twofold: The first is corruption. Fortunately, corruption is a human problem with a human solution and can be remedied. Secondly is a lack of infrastructure. If the corruption issues can be cleaned up, more resources can be diverted to reform and big projects that develop a country's transportation systems, communication, networks, and energy grids. These three factors will enable trade and provide immediate economic relief in the form of local jobs. With more capital available and higher incomes, education can become a priority like it is within many Western societies. Higher education increases job opportunities and innovation furthering even more economic growth.
Western nations need not fret in the face of rising competition. The plus side is that with more globalized economies becoming interconnected, the greater cooperation can develop to solve environmental problems while negating the desire to go to war.
Today’s world is so globalized it’s pretty inevitable that cultural aspects are going to be exchanged. In this case, a man who grew up in the U.S. became a well known break dancer, but ended up being deported to Cambodia after being involved with a gang. What is interesting about his story is that he had never lived in Cambodia outside of infanthood, so he had to adjust to a whole new culture. He was approached by some kids who wanted him to teach them to break dance, which is an American form of dance, and he agreed. He has now been able to use breakdancing as a platform to help at risk kids in the city of Phnom Penh. Kids are able to attend school to learn technology, English, and breakdancing. He ensures that they avoid the negative experiences he had in a gang by teaching them about the dangers of drugs and HIV. It was neat to see Cambodian kids listening to American rap music and breakdancing. This just shows how something from one culture can be taken and used to help people in another culture. I think people often think that change and foreigness are negative, but as in this case, sometimes cultural diffusion is beneficial.
It is a unique video that shows how a certain culture in the US can find a home in Cambodia thousands of miles away. It gives an insight of a man from California brings back to Cambodia what he learned from living in the United States. It is a great story of how one man looks to change Cambodia in a positive way.
As crazy as it seems dancing is trying to help kids. A former gang member from Long Beach, California teaches dancing to children at risk in Cambodia. He got deported after being charged with a felony to a country he has never been before. However, he is changing his life around to help change the lives of todays youth through methods that he learned in the states.
Yes !! The religion of love and peace, is not a religion, and sure that not a pacific love, just a bunch of hatred and criminals wich endanger the world, in the name of a pedophile crazy, Muhamad, and and inexisting allah, a Devil, not a God !! The Obama`s "Holly Curan ", a dirty instruction book for killing !!
Religion and politics are often effect each other in ways people can never imagine. Even in Western nations, were religion is separated from the state, religion still plays a major role in many political debates. This law banning the use of the word Allah by non- Muslim people in Malaysia is an extension of the political movement within Islam. Politics has been the major reason for the rise of the radical sect of Islam. It developed as reaction to the perceived westernizing of Muslim nations that was occurring in the 20th century. The Iranian revolution was a response to the westernizing polices of the Shah. It replaced a secular government with a theocratic one. ISIS main goal is to establish a caliphate i.e. a ruling empire. Throughout history, religion has been used as an excuse to build dynasties and gain more power. Politics in the true motivation behind much of this radicalization.
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