Blogging Miles Around the Metro

Every neighborhood has a mini red-light district. And despite the fact that the place I live in is a university town, a small entertainment district also exists to augment its diversity as a place of higher learning. erhm. And of course, in typical Japanese fashion, engrish or Japanese-english rules supreme when it comes to choosing a suitable (if there is such a thing) name for such establishments. While I cannot afford to spend time in these bars or pubs, the cheapest and perhaps safest form of entertainment I can have from them is in their signboards. Take a gander at these interesting names! Perhaps they can inspire your creativity!

No need to go to the UK to get inspired by the Beatles! just drop by for some rhythm and value!

Gotta hold your head up high during the night!

My personal favorite. No false leads, just the hard facts.

Popularity: 62% [?]

I was standing along Katipunan road waiting for a cab, when from a distance, I spied this slow-moving, wagon-like vehicle. Yes, a karitela or kalesa is still quite alive (but barely–with all the smoke, heat and lack of greenery on the roads of urban Manila, you wouldn’t expect these beasts of burden to thrive and survive) in these parts. Sometimes you will see them parked along C.P. Garcia road on the University of the Philippines-Diliman Campus, the carabaos taking a breather, munching on grass.

Actually, I’m not quite sure what this type of karitela is called. I’m certain there’s a name specific to these carabaos who pull along with them entire inventories of lightweight household items to sell–baby swings, hammocks, brooms–mostly made from local materials like rattan, coconut tree leaves, etc.

Somewhat out-of-place against the urban landscape of pavement, overpasses and lamp posts, but no less a poignant reminder of our rapidly disappearing (or perhaps simply evolving) culture and customs.

Popularity: 44% [?]

No, the nail on my index finger didn’t just die a sudden death. I got inked. I exercised my democratic right and voted. Now these fingers are crossed, as we all hope for the best.

Check out election updates here.

Popularity: 35% [?]

For the past 2 weeks I’ve been consumed by a sense of depression. The depression is not serious in any way but instead of a slight sense of gloominess. It is the same feeling any newcomer would experience in an English city - the unrelenting drizzle interspersed with heavier showers. I have not been able enjoy a sunny day in what we would call summer at this time of the year. The rains we’ve been experiencing have been due to a tropical depression that has engulfed the region, particularly more towards the east, like China. Many parts of the country which have poor infrastructure are experiencing frequent flash floods.

Popularity: 34% [?]

You’ll know summer in Manila has begun when urban folk start running into each other on the beach, when you start seeing the Chowking halo-halo ads, and when sunflowers once again line the main avenue of the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Popularity: 44% [?]

The authorities these days seem to have a thing about blocking video-sharing sites. Metacafe is one of the most recent additions since the Youtube incident. Here’s a great post (translated by A.M.) by a friend of mine, Sunit Shrestha on the notion of blocking sites like these:

Everything is changing… Power is no longer in the state’s hands. Blocking YouTube because someone had uploaded a clip insulting His Majesty the King is what is needed to be done in the context of Thai society. The request made by the ICT Ministry to remove the YouTube clip is therefore the right thing to do.

But the era in which the state hold almost totalitarian power is shifting…Even though this scenario sounds familiar, involving familiar censorship methods, I feel like this is the last breath of traditional media censorship. Media censorship is crumbling down, bringing forth new complexities.

YouTube is one of the most popular video file-sharing website with content that ranges from entertainment to educational and beyond. When someone posts a video clip insulting the monarch, it is of course is unacceptable in the context of Thai society.

But foreigners also have a different point of view. The decision-makers for both ICT and YouTube also come from different values and backgrounds. Both don’t understand each other. Thais say this is wrong, but the farangs think it’s the norm – they’ve seen worse done to the English monarchy.

So we use the same old method – if this is the case we block it, so that Thais can’t access it. The key issue of this debate lies here: the fact that the entire site has been banned to censor a few offensive clips, blocking all Thais from the chance to access knowledge in the way other netizens of the world are enjoying.

When there is a situation in which content unacceptable to Thais have been created and the web-owner is non-Thai, which standard will we use to judge what’s right or wrong, whether the site owner should remove the file? What will happen when Thais see the content as wrong, but foreigners see banning the file as suppressing freedom of expression?

The clash between the interests of political, economic, cultural and technological establishments locally and internationally has manifested itself in this seemingly petty issue – the YouTube censorship.

First it was cnn.com, now YouTube. Does this mean that if Google or other search engines bring up offensive material in their search results, they should be blocked as well? If that’s the case, how can Thais ever capitalize on the Web 2.0 wave and the linkage of information and knowledge across the Internet – a cheap source of high quality self-education material?

Let’s exercise our imaginations a bit and suppose that the person who uploaded the clip really intended to wreck our country. If tomorrow, that person, his/her colleagues, or other people outside his circle but with the same intention, dumps those files on every major site, including the local ones that allow user participation, and does this on regular basis, what will we do?

From a traditional point of view, the only way to deal with this is to shut down the local sites and block the foreign ones. There isn’t much else the state can do, if something like that does happen. In the end, the Web is an open platform where there is no centralized control.

With so many sites are clamped down, the obvious side-effect is that the Thais will have no access to self-educational tools or wide-reaching platform to exchange knowledge, opinions, and ideas. Like a monkey with eyes, ears, and mouth covered.

So what’s the solution? I don’t have the exact answer, but I believe it’s for the policy makers to recognize, study, and understand the situation better. If we acknowledge that there is no way of controlling inappropriate content online, then perhaps we focus on a softer approach, like building ‘immunization’ against these types of content.

How do we ensure that people are equipped with the analytical power and moral sense to make their own judgment on content suitability? That is what we should aim for, not meek public acceptance of whatever the state brands as “right” or “wrong”.

We have to acknowledge that the world has moved on, that power is out of the state’s hands. Maybe some day in the future, technology will make it impossible to block websites.

We are already seeing examples of crowd censorship through sites like Wikipedia but we may need to think about how Thai values can exist in cyberspace. How would inappropriate content in Wikipedia be judged for example? If it’s something on Thailand placed in an international context then we may need to be open to others’ perspectives. At the same time, foreigners must also be ready to accept Thai cultural differences. I don’t know how to achieve
this, but the issue needs to be addressed, otherwise the Internet will eventually become a ‘wild west’ where robbers do their dirty work, and the censorship sheriff uses his power in whatever way to control it.

I believe there will be new type of media censorship……a new order is emerging. The internet is driving human interaction like never before, and we need to all actively create this new order together, not just let it be or apply the conservative style of media censorship, which will not work in the new millennium.

Otherwise, the easiest way to make the Thai people’s intelligence lag behind those of other nations’ populations would be to shoot offensive content onto all the popular websites. When the ICT ministry blocks those sites, these troublemakers would congratulate themselves for using the state’s own hands to cover the Thai people’s ears, eyes, and mouths, and rid them of the tools for any learning beyond the classroom walls.

Popularity: 44% [?]

Every morning, fresh-smelling people with mouths set in determined lines pour onto the sidewalks and flow into every available means of transportation to get to places they have to be in–to punch in their timecards, sit at their workstations and clickety-clack away before their computer screens. I used to hang with this crowd, and each day clamber into the white FX (usually an airconditioned van), where for the next hour I would be in the company of literally and figuratively, fellow dreamers. It would be early in the morning, so yes a bunch of us would try to sit back and catch up on sleep (one of the joys of public transportation), while the others would gaze blankly ahead. Dreaming, in their own way I would imagine, of things they want to do, lives they want to live, and how the heck they’re gonna be spending their paychecks come payday.

One time I was seated in one of those FXes where you sit facing each other, and in the middle of the trip, opened my eyes. There’s a surreal feeling when you open your eyes and realize that everyone around you is seemingly in a trance. I could just hear the cynic in me smirk, and say that we’re all zombies to the grind, anyway. But you can imagine everyone else seated in that vehicle, eyes closed, as if in meditation, charging up for the day ahead. By opening my eyes and blinking at everyone else with their eyes shut, I felt as if I was violating some sort of dream-sanctity. Maybe there’s something in the morning air that makes aspirations so crisp and tangible. Maybe it’s the silence giving way to the hum of the FX’s engine. Maybe I’m romanticizing too much the dreams and motives of those who hie off to work each day. But dreams, be they of a better future, or of being able to pay for your own tissue and beer, are aspirations that keep us alive nonetheless.

Popularity: 48% [?]

” Style detached from content.
A fatal attraction to cuteness.
Style is style.
Fashion is fashion.
Girl, you got style. ”

We already know that Gwen Stefani made waves when she confessed that she’s a fan of Harajuku Girls. I’ve seen them around Tokyo but never took pictures. And so one time, I finally did! They just basically sit around Harajuku, near the entrance to Meiji shrine on Sundays. People pass by, gawk, AND take pictures. And they will readily pose for you too!

Most of the girls are hobbyists. Yes, the stuff they wear like the gothic lolita dresses are handmade, and it’s their hobby to show off their creations. The streets are literally like a catwalk of color and different styles. Many young Japanese designers also sell their clothes in Harajuku, and the most popular haunt is Takeshita doori.

So far, the styles have been classified as gothic lolita, gothic maid, wamono (a fusion of Japanese and western clothes), second-hand fashion, cyber, and decora. Harajuku is vibrant and pulsating, it seems that half of Japan’s young ‘uns are prowling the streets, waiting to be seen.

Unsurprisingly, I also saw some foreigners trying to get into the Harajuku vibe. Some are dressed for the occassion, while others hold up “Free Hug” signs, and sell artworks. If you’re a fan of youth culture, Harajuku is definitely on your must-see list!

Popularity: 100% [?]

As part of our contribution to collective intelligence, we think hosting an “unconference” would be a good step forward. This Saturday, we’ll (TRNLab) be hosting Hakuna Matata Night - a space for social entrepreneurs or socially-minded individuals to meet, network and show their work in public. The presentations are very solution-oriented. Speakers present their solutions to existing social and/or environmental problems. These solutions can either be current work, projects or simply ideas.

So as to avoid boredom, each presenter is allowed a maximum of 20 images (Yes, I mean images as in pictures, diagrams, etc. NO bullet points allowed). The challenge here is for each speaker to translate their stories into visual and grapical presentations. Each image would only be shown for 20 seconds - giving a total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds for each presentation. This keeps presentations short, interesting and allows more speakers to participate.

Hakuna Matata is actually a Swahili phrase that means “there are no worries here” or “no problem”. Hakuna Matata Night is a forum that is meant to inspire with solutions and not depress with problems. It is meant for us to showcase our ideas and efforts to change the world in a more realistic and practical way. We hope the event can inspire more parties as such, and spread virally across the globe. If you would like to set up your own Hakuna Matata Night, please get in touch with us.

If you’re in the area don’t forget to check it out!

Popularity: 36% [?]

And we welcome another writer, blogging miles all the way from Japan.

Herbkins wanders aimlessly through life in Japan as a professional learner, moonlighting as a teacher, thesis writer, graphic designer and illustrator. She is currently trying to learn several languages through absorption and eavesdropping, and now cannot speak a single sentence in one.

Popularity: 22% [?]