Global Voices Online » 2007 » November

Stories

Kuwait: Trips, Travel and More

Abdullatif AlOmar · 21:03

lingua → zhs · zht

Kuwaiti blogger continue to blog about their activities, within and outside their country.

Forzaq8 checks out the Kuwait book fair and reports on it as follows:

Well i went there, bought some books, and took some pictures :)
If you are looking for English books there isn’t much there, its mainly Arabic

Q over at Kuwaitism talks about new newspapers in Kuwait. He writes:

There have been several new newspapers in the market. A friend was commenting a couple of days ago about the lack of creativity in their production, basically they all followed each other,

Also, some bloggers are back from GulfRun - some of them with photographs and reports on the car race held in neighbouring Bahrain.

The Stallion from The Stallion’s Stable of Thoughts and Experiences updates us about his road trip to Bahrain.

As most of you already know GulfRun 3 took place last weekend! My older brother and I drove down to Bahrain in my Land Cruiser while towing his trailer that had 300 liters of gasoline, 8 tires, brake pads, oils, fluids, and tools!

Marzouq over at zdistrict
posts (among other posts) about the transportation of cars to participate in GulfRun.

I have to say that I was impressed with the way they were handling things for this whole event, there was a lot taking place and for the return trip they had to prepare a lot especially since going through the Saudi Border is like going through hell for them. They make it as difficult as possible, but the organizers are the only ones handling the cars and not the transporters.

Kuwait Advertiser, meanwhile, introduces us to antique shops in Kuwait.

I was invited by a Kuwaiti friend to one of his friends, who owns an Antique Shop. (Actually he owns four.) I was excited because my wife and I love antiques and have quite a collection at home.

We continue our weekly trip in the Kuwaiti blogosphere with Hellraiser, who is covering his trip on a motorbike on his blog Kuwait to Beirut. He is still in Lebanon but planning to hit the road soon.

In my younger year we used to spend 5 weekends a year in Sannine, the last time we stayed there was prior to the Lebanese war in 1974

Last but not least, Bo9agr has come across a strange find in a local supermarket. He writes:

I saw this in our co-op (jam3iya) , it says Afghani Hashish Oil !! they didn't specify what is it used for, for hair? body? or to inhale??

0 comments · »»

Syria: A Protest Against Censorship

Yazan Badran · 20:52

lingua → pt · zht · zhs

To crown the two months of rapid internet censorship, last week the Syrian government decided to block Facebook (The popular social network site) and Shabablek, a very popular local forum for young people, among other websites. And it seems that many have had more than enough of this, and calls for immediate action have risen. Many responses came from the blogsphere, and it seems that a plan of action is in the making.
Many of the organizers are bloggers themselves who are fed up with the censorship on all blogspot blogs.

Razan, a key promoter of the campaign, published the first real output on her blog, this petition, that tried to list all the known censored sites in Syria, and was titled “Knowledge is a Right for All People”…

No to blocked of Internet sites in Syria. The most important thing which distinguishes the human being from the rest of living organisms is his private ability to generate and represent knowledge in all its aspects and find appropriate ways to employ them in the service of his life. In spite of various means of conservation and transfer of knowledge through out history, The press and recently the internet from one of the greatest and most forms of containment and transfer of knowledge. And the Internet is the most popular and wide spread mean and it has the ability to interact with people.

In this event page on Facebook, many ideas were put forward:

1- عرض مسرحي لمدة نصف ساحة قبالة البرلمان السوري.
2- تغطية الأفواه بملصق.
3- توزيع ورود على المارة.
4- توزيع دليل توعية بمواقع الحجب على المارة.
5- رفع لافتات تطالب بكف الحجب في سوريا.
6- العثور على صحفيين و قنوات لتغطية الحدث.
7- العمل على كتابة عريضة ورقية والكترونية قانونية.
8- تحريك دعوة قضائية.
9- الاتصال بشخصيات ثقافية لدعم الحدث.

1- Performing a half hour play in front of the parliament.
2- Covering mouths with tape.
3- Distribute flowers to passers-by.
4- Distribute a guide to the censored websites.
5- Raising slogans demanding to stop the censorship.
6- Inviting the press to cover the protest.
7- Filling out a paper and online legal petition.
8- Preparing to press for a law suit.
9- Contacting cultural figures to support the protest.

The event is getting more popular and more support everyday. One organizer announced today that the scripts for the play will be ready tomorrow. It is making a buzz and making it's way to the pages of Syrian news sites. It is a real breakthrough for Syrian civil society, for few campaigns that involve protesting against the regime have reached this far. The organizers are still weary though, and are trying to make this as public as possible, and trying to avoid politicizing the event as to alleviate any threats by the Syrian government to the members of this protest.
I will try to keep you up date with what will happen.

0 comments · »»

Malaysia: Indians in Malaysia Demand Equal Rights

angshah · 18:27

lingua → mg · zht · zhs

Malaysian Indian activists made their way through traffic jams, blocked roads and closed train stations to rally in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday for equal rights in Malaysia.

Police in the city closed roads and two train stations near the British High Commission in anticipation of the rally organized by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF). They used tear gas and water cannons laced with chemicals to disperse the crowds, effectively splitting the protest into different parts of the city. Protesters were dispersed along Jalang Ampang, near the Batu Caves (the site of a large Hindu temple) and near the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), an area around the famed Petronas Towers. Protestors began gathering at KLCC as early as 7:30am and reports say that police were trying to disperse a crowd at the gates of the Batu Caves as late as 11:00pm.

HINDRAF Protest
Photo from Flickr user lastham

Jelas.info blogger describes his first experience with tear gas on Jalan Ampang:

I was near the front, and inexperienced with tear gas, so it caught me a little unawares. Oh by God it hurt.
I thought I was going to suffocate.
It was all I could do to walk slowly away with the fleeing crowd. I wasnít sure if thereíd be FRU beating us from behind as we left.

Because the crowds were so dispersed, estimates of how many protesters attended the rally varies. The BBC, which reported from outside the British High Commission , said that more than 5,000 protesters rallied. The Associated Press (via The Telegraph in India) reported the crowd at over 10,000. Asia Times estimated that over 20,000 rallied, while the online news site Malaysiakini says 30,000 rallied.

The New Straits Times reports that 136 protesters now face charges. Three HINDRAF leaders were arrested on sedition charges on Friday before the protest, then released on Monday when the charges were dropped.

HINDRAF was denied a permit to march to the High Commission and submit a memo that calls on the British to pay US$4 trillion in reparations for bringing Indians to Malaysia as laborers before the country won its independence in 1967. Protesters said that Malaysia's laws are discriminatory to the country's large, mostly Tamil population. There are over 2 million Indians in Malaysia who are often denied business licenses, property and higher education due to quota systems which favor Malays, protesters said. Many in the crowd carried banners with images of Queen Elizabeth and Mahatma Gandhi.

Police Near British High Commission
Police near the British High Commission

But protesters also said that they were rallying to also get the attention of the Malaysian Indian Congress, whose president YB. Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu has led the party since 1979. Many protesters expressed disappointment in the party's longtime inaction to help raise the status of Indians in Malaysia.

Colour Blind blogger Ronnie Liu said protesters were calling for Samy Vellu to step down

MIC Leader S Samy Vellu must step down now. That seems to be the common sentiment of the 30,000 protesters today. Every single Indian brother and sister I met today wanted Samy to go. So Mr Samy Vellu, have you heard their voices?

Disquiet blogger and president of the National Human Rights Society Malik Imtiaz Sarwar compared the reaction by police to the HINDRAF protest to their reaction to a protest in June by UMNO Youth.

I do not necessarily agree with the manner in which HINDRAF has decided to espouse its cause. Though I recognize the point HINDRAF is making, I believe that we should be fighting for the cause of all underprivileged and marginalized Malaysians. Having said that, the apparently inconsistent stance of the Police and the Government where rallies are concerned can only lead one to a conclusion that there may be some truth to what HINDRAF is saying.

While many English-language bloggers and the international press, including AlJazeera and the BBC, focused on police methods of dispersing the crowd, Malaysian newspapers The Star and The New Straits Times highlighted injured police officers and protesters' violent behavior.

14 comments · »»

Kenya: American political strategist stirs up Kenya election scene

Bankele · 18:07

lingua → es

Dick Morris, an American political consultant who worked with the Bill Clinton 1996 re-election recently caused a mini stir in Kenya.

He arrived in Kenya and was unveiled by an opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who is the fore runner in the Kenyan presidential elections that will be held on 27 December 2007. But Morris appears to have left the country a day later, leaving behind varied comments on his role and possible impact on the upcoming elections.

The blog Somewhere in Africa in a post titled “ Old political hacks don't die” notes that;

Morris working prop bono (without pay) is a clever way of avoiding having to secure a work permit in Kenya, which, as I can tell you from experience, is perhaps only marginally less complicated and time-consuming than contesting the presidency.

And adds that;

The campaign of Kenyan president aspirant Raila Odinga could be Morris's greatest political challenge yet. It's almost unheard of for an incumbent head of state to be unseated in an election in Africa, although Raila is leading most pre-election polls.

In a somewhat related post at the same time Where the African woman Thinks, laments the treatment of Kenyan authorities of a fellow African (from Senegal) and asks why it is so difficult for Africans to travel and do business with other African countries

The blog,A Nairobian’s perspective, highlights Morris' past tax troubles and notes that the Kenya Government made it clear that he was not welcome in Kenya.

The President Mwai Kibaki did not fail to mention that Dick Morris had been misguided by the opposition and that he would be of no consequence in the elections while The Government spokesman, Alfred Mutua, mentioned that Morris risked facing deportation as he had visited the country on a tourist visa and had no valid work permit as a political strategist.

The Morris debate takes on a racial, colonial angle at Kenya Stockholm Blog where Okoth Osewe draws a parallel to Kenya's own embassy in Sweden where he says non Kenyan (whites) occupy senior posts as translator, accounts assistant, and local head of the kenya tourist board – jobs that could be handled by Kenyans.

He notes that:

Kenyans in Stockholm (are) crying wolf - they are well aware that at the Kenyan embassy in Stockholm, white Swedish nationals are occupying sensitive positions, not because there are no Kenyans who can take up their jobs but because the Kibaki government has decided to retain them at the Embassy after they were hired by the former dictatorship of Daniel arap Moi. Dick Morris bashers have never raised a finger at these foreign and white Embassy staff who continue to swagger along Embassy corridors like neo-colonial conquistadors who are there to stay.

But the most comprehensive discussions came from the Kenya Imagine forum, which posed the question Does Dick Morris Matter? in a post that pointed out;

Morris will work for almost anyone. His presence in the party as an advisor shows either a desire to inaugurate a campaign of dirty tricks or that we are being taken over from the outside by unknown forces.

Comments to that post included;

Stephen Wanyama:

Raila is panicking, and that can only mean he is fully aware of his slipping fortunes. No one in the USA would have him (Morris) work on their campaign, do you hear?

MimiMzalendo:

I'm in shock to see racist-veneer comments from elites who may have benefited from foreign academic or working sabbaticals BUT have the audacity to come here and play that ukabila/rascist card. Global talent, be it political-economic-technological, etc is always mobile.

Githush:

believe NARC saw it fit to rely on South African strategists in the 2002 election and wonders if Morris strengths as a media consultant, with a penchant for negative advertising, work in Kenya? We shall see.

Mzalendo Pia:

why Dick Morris is working ‘pro bono' in Kenya when he has no known interests is one any Kenyan should ask themselves. Why do we still think that foreigners know what's best for us or even, God forbid that they have our best interests at heart.

Seline:

And by the way, there is a second consultant ain't sure but I think he's from Argentina, why aren't we focusing on him?

Serah:

Both Dick Morris and Dick Berg emanate from the same axis, political and economic hit men; there is a tendency among the colonized peoples to suffer from inferior complex complexes.

MimiMzalendo:

Kibaki Camp running for re-election and blasting the “voluntary services” of a foreign political strategist and he completely forgot that in 2002 he himself hired a foreigner as a political strategist on communications.
The man was MARCUS COURAGE and he co-led Kibaki's campaign adverts, policy formulation and communications.

6 comments · »»

Innovative Tools: Live Bicycle Radio

Rezwan · 16:36

lingua → pt · fr · de · bn · mg

Cross-posted at Rising Voices.

Via Juliana Rincon we learn about a special bicycle in operation in Caquetá, Colombia:

“It seats two and carries with it a complete radio broadcasting system, able to send out Wi-max signals and be heard not only through the Andaquí Community Radio, but live through Internet as well“.

Radiocicleta [ES] is a community communication project which is breaking down the walls between the studio and the town itself:

“It is sustainable, it is cheap to maintain, it is environmentally sound, it is human instead of fuel powered, it allows for innovation and investigation, it can reach many different places and can be brought inside homes and it brings people together, working as members of a team,” Juliana says.

Affordable internet kiosk with mobile internet

Bangladesh has a population of more than 140 million. Its tele-density was very low only a decade ago because of the inadequate land phone infrastructure (it did not have penetration in rural areas). But thanks to the growth of the mobile phone companies now the number of mobile phone users has risen to 32 millions in a few years and the coverage is across the country even in the remotest of places. The growth rate of the cell phone industry is close to 25% which is remarkable.

In a country where the internet users are less than 1% (only a million) these mobile networks have brought an excellent opportunity for the nation to be connected to the internet which would not be possible with the current network of traditional landphones or expensive dsl cable connections. Some of the operators even support EDGE technology which offers data transfer speeds of up to 128 kb/s.

Using this mobile internet facility people in rural Bangladesh are building telecenters or internet cafés for use of mass people. From this website we learn that the technology required for such internet kiosks is very simple:

“There's only one PC, which functions as a server: each of the other workstations is powered by a small device, not much bigger than a cigarette packet. For another, there's no wired connection between the server and the outside world. The clue to how it's done is provided by a Motorola clamshell mobile phone connected by a USB cable to the server. The Centre is getting its Internet connection via an Edge-enabled mobile phone!”

Using Ndiyo-type thin-client networking in combination with Open Source software dramatically reduces the Total Cost of Ownership of Internet cafes, networked classrooms and small office systems. In the process, it makes it possible for entrepreneurs like Abu Sufian, the proprietor of the Fultola CIC, to make investments which earn revenues for them by providing services to local people and organizations.”

I believe these successes of innovative technologies based on internet can be replicated in all developing countries in the world.

2 comments · »»

Japan: Blog Queen takes a break

Chris Salzberg · 08:08

lingua → bn · es · zht · zhs

Japanese blog queen Gravure idol, talento and blog queen Wakatsuki Chinatsu (若槻千夏) announced yesterday that she would be taking time off from blogging. Wakatsuki's official blog, “Maaboudoufu wa Nomimono Desu” (マーボー豆腐は飲み物です) [ja], made famous in part for her tendency to write about celebrity figures and her own love life [ja], has attracted more hits than any other on the popular Ameba hosting service. The blog hit a record [ja] earlier this year when it drew more than 7500 comments [ja] in a single day.

The final post at her blog today attracted thousands of comments (over 4500 at last count) from fans offering their support. In the post itself, she writes:

頭の中がごちゃごちゃしていて、自分らしいblogが書けそうもないので、少しblogをお休みさせて頂きます。

My head is all mixed up, and I can't seem to write right now, so please allow me to take a short break from blogging.

楽しみにしてた人も、そうでない人もごめんね。

To the people who were looking forward [to the next blog entry], and also to those who were not, I'm sorry.

時間ください。

Please give me time.

The entry was posted just after 8 am yesterday, and within seconds reactions began pouring in from fans. A writer named Hiyoko made the first comment:

大丈夫だよo(^-^)o待ってるからね！

It's okay! I'll be waiting!

In a comment titled “I understand”, another commenter named Nao-san gives some advice:

ゆっくり休んで
くださいね♪+ﾟ

Please rest and relax ♪

Shortly thereafter, commenter Aa-san writes:

そうゆう時ありますよね
人間にはお休みが必要な時もあります
ゆっくり休んで下さいねｯ

There are times like these, aren't there.
There are times when people need to take a break.
So please rest and relax.

At 8.15am, Mayumayu writes:

ちなっちゃん、大丈夫？！わかったぁ！待ってるけどぉ、すごぃちなっちゃんのブログ大好きだから、あんま長くは待てません(笑)嘘です。ファンだから待ってます(＾＾)ﾉｼ

China-chan, are you okay? I understand! I'll be waiting, but I really love your amazing blog, so don't wait too long (LOL). Just kidding. I'm a fan, so I will wait (＾＾)ﾉｼ

At 8.16am, in a comment titled “I really like Chinatsu-san” (千夏ちゃん大好き), commenter Mao writes:

めっちゃぁ寂しいけど、わかった。
またいつか更新するのん待ってるね！
ブログが一番　千夏ちゃんとつながってるような気がしてたから寂しいけど、
千夏ちゃんらしいblogが出来る日まで待つね♪
ブログ更新されんでもめっちゃぁ応援してます★
あと、無理しなぃでね！

I'll kinda miss it, but I understand.
I'll be waiting for when you update [your blog] again!
Your blog is number one. I have a feeling like I am connected to you, so I feel lonely, but
I'll wait until the day when you can blog as yourself again ♪
I still really support you even if your blog is not being updated ★
And don't push yourself too hard!

Next minute, Tentomushi wishes the blog queen a good morning:

ちぃちゃんの心の休息♪
とても大切なこと(^-^)
忙しいなかでのブログの更新は大変なんじゃないかっていつも心配してたんよ。
あたしもブログしてる身だからわかるの！

A rest for Chi-chan's spirit ♪
That's a very important thing (^-^)
I always worry that updating a blog while you are very busy must be really hard.
I'm also somebody who blogs, so I understand!

ゆっくり休んでね。ブラウン管でのちぃちゃん見られるから♪
うちらはだいじょぶよ(^-^)v

Take a rest and relax. I can see you on the TV screen as well.
So I'll be okay (^-^)v

また更新される日をまってるね～（´(ェ)｀）

I'll be waiting for the day when you update [your blog] again （´(ェ)｀）

Many fans expressed confusion. The next minute a commenter writes:

どうしたの？よく分からないけど頑張って下さい！！ずっとずっと応援してます！！復活するの待ってるよ(^o^)

What happened? I don't really understand, but please do your best! I will always always support you!! I'll be waiting for you to come back again

At 8.20 am, another commenter provides some advice:

ブログは自由だよ。
無理に書かなくてもいいと思う(o^∀^o)

Bloggers are free to blog as they like.
I don't think you should force yourself to write (o^∀^o)

ちなっちゃんらしいブログ書けるようになるまでゆっくり休んでね。
待ってます(b^ー°)

Please take a rest and relax until you are again able to write in the China-chan style.
I'll be waiting (b^ー°)

Many fans were worried about what had happened. One person writes:

あらま。
心配です。

Oh no.
I'm worried.

もし…やらなきゃいけないことがいっぱいなら、
やらなきゃいけないことを紙に書き出すと良いらしいです。

If… you have a lot of things that you have to do,
I've heard that it's good to write down what you have to do on paper.

落ち着いたらﾌﾞﾛｸﾞ再開してください☆

When you're relaxed again, please update your blog ☆

A little later, someone named Sesuku makes their first comment:

初コメントです。
ﾁﾅｯﾃｨのブログにはお世話になっています。
面白いので笑わせてもらったり…
書き方を参考にさせてもらったり…
そして時々ある(笑)真剣なコメントで勇気づけられました！

This is my first comment.
Your blog always helps me out.
It's interesting so it makes me laugh…
I draw on the writing style…
And sometimes there are (LOL) serious comments which bring me encouragement!

いつになってもいいので、元気に必ずや復活してね。

Take as much time as you like, and please get healthy and come back again.

There are many, many, many more comments. To read the full list (in Japanese), see the comment box at Wakatsuki Chinatsu's blog.

1 comment · »»

Blogenyo, a Webcomic about the Philippine Blogopshere

Tonyo Cruz · 03:49

lingua → pt

Recently-launched webcomic Blogenyo seeks to poke fun on the events, intrigues, controversies, issues, and trends among Filipino bloggers.

The person behind Blogenyo describes himself as “a geeky computer engineer and map fanatic” and blogs at vaes9 and Vista Pinas.

Here's the first strip:

1 comment · »»

Korea: Foreigners on Korean TV

Hyejin Kim · 02:16

lingua → bn

A TV program in Korea featuring foreign women who are able to speak Korean and who give their opinions about Korean society and culture has been popular recently. Participants in the program have fast become celebrities due to their exotic appearance. While TV audiences like the program and talk about advantages that can be taken from it, other opinions emerged.

Chatting with Beauty promo picture

A netizen’s opinion has generated debates.

< 미녀들의 수다>는 한국에 거주하는 미혼 외국여성의 경험을 통하여, 한국사회와 문화에 대해 이야기 해보는 것이 그 프로그램의 기획의도인 것으로 알고 있다. 이러한 기획의도는 우리 자신에 대한 반성의 기회가 되기도 하고, 때론 다른 나라의 문화와 비교체험해 보는 계기가 되기도 한다. 그러나, 위와같은 기획의도는 점점더 퇴색해 가는 느낌을 지울 수 없다. 아니 처음부터 기획이 잘못되었는지도 모른다. 난 처음 이 프로그램을 접했을 때, 늘씬하고 이국적인 젊은 외국여자들이 떼거지로 출연하는 것에 눈이 만족스러웠다. 이쁘고 젊고 거기다가 늘씬하기까지 한 여자 보기를 돌같이 하는 사람이 오히려 드물게다. 그런데, 곰곰히 생각해보면 이는 꽤나 말초적이고 상업적인 방송컨셉임에 틀림없다. 즉, 서양남자들이 동양여자에 대해 갖는 일종의 성적환상과 마찬가지로, 동양남자들도 이국적인 외모와 문화를 가진 외국여성들에 대해 환상을 가지고 있다.

< 미수다>는 이러한 심리를 교묘히 이용하고 있는 것이다. 일종의 외국여성에 대한 관음적 욕망의 충족이라고 하면 내가 너무 앞서가는 것인가?
한국사회와 문화에 대해 반성의 기회를 갖고 외국문화와 비교체험하고 싶다면, 아줌마 외국인이면 어떠하고, 할아버지 외국인이면 어떠하며, 꼬마 외국인이면 어떠하랴.

오히려 다양한 인종에 다양한 연령에 다양한 계층의 말을 들어봐야 하는 것 아닌가?…

최근들어, 점점더 노출이 심한 의상을 입고 나오는 출연자들을 볼 때, < 미수다>는 상업적이고 외모지상주의에 빠진 저급한 프로그램으로 변해가고 있다. 출연 외국여성들이 자신들의 기회를 살려 연예계로 나아가는 것을 탓하고 싶진 않지만, 이러한 흐름이 자칫 < 미수다> 출연이 연예계 입문의 등용문처럼 여겨지고, 앞으로의 출연자들이 그러한 의도로 참가하게 될까 염려된다. 제작진은 출연자들을 섭외하기가 어렵다고 한다. 출연자들이 시청자들의 비난이 두려워 한국에 대해 쓴소리를 하는 것을 주저할까봐 시청자게시판도 폐쇄하다시피 했다. 왜이리 답답한 행동을 하는지 모르겠다. 출연자들의 섭외가 어려운 것은, 출연자들을 젊고 예쁜 미혼의 외국여성에 국한했기 때문이고, ….

사실, 개인적으로는 이제 그만 < 미녀들의 수다>라는 프로그램은 종영했으면 한다. 50회여에 걸친 방송으로 한국문화에 대해 논할만큼 논했고 볼만큼 보았다. 최근들어 점점더 섹시하고 예쁜 여자 출연자에 대해서만 언론과 시청자들의 관심이 집중되고, 한국사회와 문화에 대한 얘기는 뒷전이다. 또한, 제작진들 스스로가 한국문화를 잘 이야기해줄 출연자를 찾는 것이 아니라, 보다 예쁘고 섹시한 출연자를 찾고 있는거 같다. 예쁘면 다 용서되는 세상이라지만, 때론 외모보다도 진솔하고 감동적인 대화를 전해주는 출연자가 보고싶고, 남녀노소, 국적, 인종, 계층을 불문한 다양한 출연자들이 함께하는 그런 프로그램이 보고싶다.

“Chatting with Beauty” is the program where foreign single women talk about their experiences in Korea, and about Korean society and culture. The purpose of the program is to provide chances to reflect on ourselves and to learn about other cultures. But the original purpose seems to get discolored. Or maybe it was wrong from the beginning. When I saw this program, I was satisfied with skinny and exotic foreign women in a group. It would be rare to find a man who looks at those kinds of women like stones. But pondering it over, it is a very peripheral and commercial program. Like western men have a sort of sexual fantasy toward eastern women, eastern men have the sexual fantasy toward western women. The program cunningly makes use of the psychology. Am I too much to speak that the program shows voyeuristic desire toward foreign women?

If the purpose is to provide chances to reflect on Korean society and culture and to learn about other cultures, how about middle aged foreign women and grandfather? How about foreign kids?

How about various races and various ages?… Recently they wear more physically exposed clothes. The program turns commercial and significant for the physical appearance. I don’t want to blame them to grasp the chances and to step into entertainment, but this current might lead all participants to have this purpose. The producer spoke that it’s hard to find participants because they’re afraid that their criticisms toward Korea will cause blame from Koreans. How could they say that? The reason why it is hard to find participants is because they limit the participants to young and pretty single women…

In my opinion, I hope that the program finishes soon. For 50 times, they have talked about Korean culture enough. Recently it is focused on sexier and prettier female participants and stories about Korean society and culture are secondary. In addition, the producer is not looking for participants who will talk about Korean culture better and people who are pretty and sexy. It is a world in which beauty can make everything forgiven, but we would like to watch the program where participants can share impressive and moving stories beyond men, women, eldery, youth, nationals, race, and classes.

While many netizens express the purpose was fresh and good, the stronger commercial tendency causes their complaints.

[미녀들의 수다]의 홈페이지의 기획의도는 대충 간추리자면 우리나라 외국인 거주인구가 늘어남에 따라서 그들의 경험이나 의견을 시청자들에게 알리기 위한 것이다. 하지만 그 곳에 나오는 게스트들은 대부분 국내 거주하는 외국인들중에 방송에까지 알리면서 띄워줄 필요는 없는 외국인게스트들도 몇몇 보인다.

외국인 거주자들…약 50만명..
그많은 외국인들 중에 출연한 게스트들의 수는 0.01%도 안되는 부분이고 그나마 요즘은 거의 고정이다. 물론 출연한 외국인게스트들이 인기를 얻어 시청자들도 다음주도 출연시키라는 등이 의견이 원인이 되는 경우도 많겠지만 일단 연출하는 쪽에서 그부분 어느정도 외국인 게스트들의 출연을 더욱 다양하게 해야 하지 않을까 싶다. 적어도 한달에 한번씩은 반이상은 물갈이를 해야 하지 않을까?? 외국인 거주자들중에 그렇게 사람이 없을까????

The production purpose of “Chatting with Beauty” at its homepage is that as more foreigners live in Korea, the program shows their experiences and opinions to the audience…

Foreign residents… about 500,000. The number of participants are less than 0.01% and now they are regular participants. Of course some of them get popular and people would like to see them the next time again. But shouldn’t the production vary more participants? At least they should change them every month. Aren’t there a lot of foreign residents?

On the other hand, a netizen talks about how the program helped his prejudice toward non-Koreans.

전 개인적으로 예전에 백인여성 흑인여성에 대해서 일종의 막연한 두려움을 느껴서 아예 말조차 걸어볼 생각을 못했고 심지어 똑바로 처다보지도 못했습니다. 미녀들의 수다를 보면서 아 저사람들도 똑같은 사람이구나 그렇게 생각이 고처져서 이제는 더이상 백인여성,흑인여성들에 대해서 두려움 같은것을 느끼지 않고 길거리에서 만나도 말을 걸고 합니다. 외국여성들에 대해서 두려움을 고처주고 자신감을 심어준 미녀들의 수다에 대해서 고맙게 생각합니다.

For me, I felt some fear toward white and black women and couldn’t dare to speak with them. I even couldn’t look at them in their eyes. Watching the program, I felt that they’re humans like us. I don’t feel fear toward them anymore and can speak with them, running into them in the street. I appreciate the program that delets my fear toward foreign women.

However, the characteristics of the program have been criticized by many netizens.

처음엔 신선하다고 생각했다. 외국인들이 유창한 한국말로 한국에 대해 얘기하는 것이,,

우리나라 사람들 만큼 다른 사람들 눈에 비치는 자기자신에 대해서
신경쓰는 사람들이 있을까?

어쨋든 컨셉은 먹힌것 같았다.

하지만 회가 거듭 될수록 이 프로는 오락프로인지 교양프로인지, 아님 외국미녀들과 한국 남자 연예인들의 짝찟기 프로인지 헸갈리가 시작했다.

그 미녀들 모두 자기나라에선 평범한 사람들 이고 한국말 배우다 어떻게 운이 좋아서 tv에 나오게 된거고, 사실 우리나라사람이 어느 나라가서 그 나라 말쫌 한다고 완전 스타되는 나라가 어딨나?…

사실 한정된 외국여자들 시각이 한국에 대한 올바른 시각이랄수도 없고 차라리 동남아에서 온 외국인노동자들이 한국말도 더 잘하고 한국에 대해서 바른 소리, 도움되는 소리 할 수 있지 않을까?…

At first, I thought it is fresh. Foreigners who talk about Korea in fluent Korean… Are there any other people as much as we are concerned about how we look toward others?

Anyway, the concept worked well.

But the more I watch, the more I am confused whether it is an entertainment program or cultural program. Or is it the matching program between foreign beauty and Korean male entertainers?

Those women are ordinary people and are luckily cast on TV while they learn Korean language. As a matter of fact, have you seen Koreans who go to other countries in order to learn their languages and become stars? …

Honestly speaking, limited perspectives from foreign women can’t be the right ones. We’d better listen to foreign workers from Southeast Asia who are able to speak Korean better and to talk about Korea more helpfully….

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