Global Voices Online

Chroniques de Ndoumbelane is sad (Fr) that city life in Senegal no longer allows for the stargazing that is so cherished in rural towns.

Prolific Reunion blogger Pierrot Dupuy is happy to see a proliferation in his mostly local audience (Fr): “We beat our last record [in the number of hits] yesterday … by more than 17%! … I am happy to know that you are thousands to read the blog every day and that you are more and more numerous. … I am also happy that more and more of you are leaving comments. … The more numerous you my readers are the more La Reunion will be aware of the antics of our elected officials. That is one of the best ways to get our community moving and to let our elected offiials know that the impunity they've enjoyed is over.”

Food blog Cafe Creole writes (Fr): “It is very very hot in Guyane right now. We are in the big dry season at least until December 15 … don't feel like eating and even less like cooking. I am sorting my pictures and my documents. ” The blogger then posts pictures and the stories around them.

Tongan native Samiuela LV Taufa compares the Australians with the Tongans on their respective ideas of nationalism and belonging. “As I understand Tongans, we're only truely nationalistic when it is to contrast/combat another national. Whereas we seem to identify much closer to our inner community (township, school.) Of the Australians I grew up with, they would identify themselves closer to their ‘nationality' than with their township.”

Myanmar blogger Moe Moe links to photos of the recent flooding in Myanmar on another Myanmar blog. The pictures reminds her of her younger days in Myanmar. “I really liked the picture of the kids having fun in the flood. LOL. It's kind of like, these kids finding reasons to be happy when there's this awful thing called flood going on and disrupting their lives.”

The blogger at laocuisine.net introduces some vegetables from Laos that the blogger has been growing in her garden.

A newspaper report on one woman's public hair-shaving in support of breast cancer awareness reminds Titlayo of the extent to which Barbadians are still grappling with issues of race.

Sokari, who is visiting South Africa, writes about Zanele Muholi, a South African lesbian photo-activist: “Met Zanele Muholi, a lesbian photographer-activist. Progressive, radical, beautiful, challenging. Zanele took the photos behind “Tommy boys, lesbian men and ancestral wives” and is also the Community Relations Officer at FEW (Forum for the Empowerment of Women).”

Kameelah writes about her experience as an African-American muslim in South Africa: “today i took a metered taxi to pritchard street to meet with some folks at the public affiars section of the johannesburg american consulate as a part of being a fulbrighter. i was telling them about my experiences so far and someone brought up the efforts they are initiating with the joburg muslim community. then this same someone says it would be great for me to come to events and meetings as “proof” that america is not at war with muslims. this is all before they even asked about my experiences as a muslim in america which are not all that pleasant.”

Enanga's Pov writes about Africans and victimhood: “Have you not met the kind of African who likes to detail the things that are wrong with our continent, how we have been raped and plundered over centuries, the sort of African who has all the details (real and imagined) of what the White man did and did not do, and who enjoys the telling? Have you not met them?”

The blogger at itsthefinalworld posts pictures of Saigon's skyline. Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City is one of the fastest growing cities in South East Asia with a rapidly changing skyline.

Dristis-Mudra has a fascinating collection of Black and White photographs on a flickr set. They are from the 1970s when the photographer was travelling in Kashmir.

United We Blog! on the haughty king - as he refuses to answer the questions raised. “King Gyanendra has again repeated his act of stubbornness by refusing to answer the questions of High Level Probe Commission (HLPC). This must have alerted the SPA-Maoists as it reflects the same old mentality, tradition and work pattern of the king.”

Kamla Bhatt has a wonderful podcast with Indian diaspora from around the world on how Diwali is celebrated by those outside the country.

Morris the Pen on fasting, Ramadan and fastlets. “Our speaker talks of how he looked forward to this as a child (the ‘Iftar’ or breaking-the-fast evening celebration is a time of joyous togetherness and seems like a ‘month of parties’). However, as an entrepreneur in middle age, he found it bothersome – lower productivity, workers heading home at 3 in order to be ready for Iftar, and a constant sense of tiredness.”

Cuckoo's Call reflects on Calcutta and its people. “But you would'nt know all this when you first meet them. They are up-standing human beings, with a sense of self, with a sense of dignity, aware of their equality with anybody else in a democratic society, articulate; being crushed relentlessly by life, but miraculously struggling on, waging a million tiny ineffectual mutinies to live on.