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September 9th, 2006


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What Salvadoran bloggers are saying — 100 Days in the Republic of Death

A small portrait of the translator Tim Muth · 23:20 · Americas

El Salvador faces an epidemic of violent deaths. The country has the highest murder rate in Latin America, and August 2006 was the bloodiest month yet with 370 murders in the small Central America nation.

In reaction, well-known Salvadoran artist Mayra Barraza has created a blog 100 días en la República de la Muerte (100 Days in the Republic of Death). Her project began on September 1, and each day gives an accounting of the deaths that day by violence in the country, taken from the pages of El Salvador's two leading papers, La Prensa Grafica and El Diario de Hoy.

She describes the project in her first post:

Comienzo este ejercicio con la sensación de estar haciendo algo contra el sentido común. Las personas normales no buscan la muerte. La rehuyen. Quizas buscan la vida. Yo también. Pero no puedo seguir así.

Leo el periódico todos los días. De atrás para adelante. “Porqué” me pregunta mi hijito de 9 años. Prefiero comenzar por las noticias más bonitas - le digo - las de cultura. Al acercarme a las noticias de nacionales, día tras día, me choca lo que veo: los crímenes cometidos, la sordidez de los hechos, y la ligereza con que pasan a sumarse una y otra vez al olvido.

Conversando con un amigo sobre lo que quería hacer con este blog, me hacía una interesante observación: “los muertos no los vemos, no están en la calle, están en las noticias”. Me hizo dudar, como si dispusiera a meterme a un mundo de sombras, donde no se reconoce la realidad de la ilusión. Pero allá voy, estoy dispuesta a ello. Quiero saber…

I begin this exercise with the sensation of doing something against common sense. Normal persons do not look for death. They flee it. Perhaps they search for life. Me too. But I cannot continue like this.

I read the newspaper every day. From the back to the front. “Why?”, my small son of nine years asks me. I prefer to begin with the prettiest news — I tell him — the culture news. As the national news comes to me day after day, what I see shocks me: the crimes commited, the sordidness of the events, and the shallowness with which they are summarized time and again into oblivion.

Conversing with a friend about what I would like to do with this blog, he made an interesting observation: “We do not see the dead. They are not in the streets. They are in the news.” It made me doubt, as if I would be setting out to put myself in the world of shadows, where one does not recognize the reality from illusion. But there I go. I am ready for it. I want to know…

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Another Indonesian Minister Blog and a Mourning Week

A small portrait of the translator A. Fatih Syuhud · 15:58 · East Asia

As I wrote here, Indonesian Housing Minister Yusuf Asy'ari becomes the second Minister to start blogging after Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono went blogging a few months back. His blog post is written bilingually in English and Bahasa Indonesia.

Harry Sufehmi, one of Indonesian blogger, is fortunate enough to be invited by the Minister to his office for “consultation” on anything to do with blogging world.

Harry utilises the rare opportunity–imagine, a blogger in a Ministerial office for blogtalk!–to also sort of interview the Housing Minister about the motivation behind his interest to blog. For example whether the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) himself who ask the Minister to blog. In which he said: No. The President only asked his ministers to be more close to their people, to be more care to and interact with them and to know directly their grievances. And blogging is how Mr. Asy'ari thinks as one step to that direction.

Harry Sufehmi who had been in England and worked for e-Government project of Birmingham Municipality during his stay there also advised the Minister to make use of blog as an interactive tool between the ministry office and the people.

The Indonesian blogger-Minister meeting has got much warm welcome comment from other bloggers; congratulating Harry and appreciating the down-to-earth Minister.

Mourning Week
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Global Food Blog Report #31

A small portrait of the translator Melissa De Leòn Douglass · 12:27 · Middle East & North Africa , East Asia

#1:   Crispy Waffle takes a culinary adventure! Check out her Travel: Tunisia post and you will get a very tasty review on all things edible during the trip.

Tunisia, located in North Africa between Algeria and Libya, has an unusual culture stemming from its indigenous Berber roots, Arabic legacy and French colonialism (which ended in 1956). The food, as a result, is an interesting mix of all of these cultures: couscous and harissa, fantastic Turkish-style desserts and mint tea, and good French pastries. Read the complete post…

#2: From Italy, while waiting for the delivery of her baby, Gia-Gina prepares a very easy and delicious Garbanzo beans and Tuna Salad.

#3: From Geneva, Switzerland, Rosa's Yummy Yums shares her recipe to prepare Mojo Verde al Fresco:

The "Salsa Mojo" is a typical Canarian specialty that is made with olive oil, vinegar, a lot of garlic and either green or red bell peppers. It comes in two basic versions: red and green ("Mojo Rojo" & "Mojo Verde"). Generally, the red one is eaten with "Papas Arrugadas" ("Wrinkled Potatoes") which are oven baked new potatoes having previously been cooked in sea water.Get the recipes now…

#4: From Australia, A Self-proclaimed Foodaholic cooks up some delicious looking Bruschetta with Tomato, Basil and Avocado.

#5: From India, Hooked on Heat brings up the spice level with a scrumptious all time favorite: Palak Paneer.

When we were growing up, spinach was one such vegetable that I would often hide from. I would cry and cry until my Mom got tired enough to allow me to leave it aside. Then I moved to India and was introduced to a dish I can swear by. Till today, it’s one of the few ways I would eat spinach without a gun on my head. Read more…

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