Last weekend I attended the Vietnamese Tet Festival in San Jose. Living in San Jose, I've seen posters, flyers, and discounted tickets at every restaurant I entered for a couple months now. The festival was at the fairgrounds in East Side, the same place they hold the Native American festival and pretty close to where I grew up. At Tet, there was a beautiful part that included lion dancing which I always associated with more Chinese culture. There was a variety of "game shows" in Vietnamese that reminded me of something I'd see on Asian or Latino cable. There was a lot of karaoke and numerous food stands. THEY HAD BAHN BO..coconut sauce and everything. I included a video that can better articulate the experience of the Tet festival.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Vietnamese Tet Festival: San Jose
Last weekend I attended the Vietnamese Tet Festival in San Jose. Living in San Jose, I've seen posters, flyers, and discounted tickets at every restaurant I entered for a couple months now. The festival was at the fairgrounds in East Side, the same place they hold the Native American festival and pretty close to where I grew up. At Tet, there was a beautiful part that included lion dancing which I always associated with more Chinese culture. There was a variety of "game shows" in Vietnamese that reminded me of something I'd see on Asian or Latino cable. There was a lot of karaoke and numerous food stands. THEY HAD BAHN BO..coconut sauce and everything. I included a video that can better articulate the experience of the Tet festival.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Two Australians on Death Row in Indonesia #LockedUpAbroad #WontLetThemOut
I was really interested in this news article I found on CNN. When I took African Studies, I researched the secondary education of females in West Africa and I learned about sexual abuse that occurs in many of the schools. As I dug deeper, I found that the highest rates of sexual abuse of girls in Africa and South East Asia are a result of "sexual tourism". Folks travel to these places, commit their crimes with under age girls, and go back home.
This article deals with the issue of two Australians on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking charges. The Indonesian government has had numerous pleas to release these two men back to Australia, but they have remained steadfast in their conviction that these men should be put to death.
I related this to what I learned in my previous class because they are similar situations but with radically different approaches to accountability. If foreign countries took a firmer hand to tourists breaking the laws would there be less "sexual tourism" or drug trafficking?
Let's take Mexico for example. Granted, you can bribe your way out of almost everything, but if you get caught stealing in Mexico, you go to "Mexico jail". Folks definitely go there for fun, but for the most part, you know not to mess around in Mexico, or Indonesia for that matter!
However, I think there should be more consistency in the ways that countries deal with foreigners who commit serious crimes. Any thoughts??
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/17/asia/australians-indonesia-death-row/index.html
This article deals with the issue of two Australians on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking charges. The Indonesian government has had numerous pleas to release these two men back to Australia, but they have remained steadfast in their conviction that these men should be put to death.
I related this to what I learned in my previous class because they are similar situations but with radically different approaches to accountability. If foreign countries took a firmer hand to tourists breaking the laws would there be less "sexual tourism" or drug trafficking?
Let's take Mexico for example. Granted, you can bribe your way out of almost everything, but if you get caught stealing in Mexico, you go to "Mexico jail". Folks definitely go there for fun, but for the most part, you know not to mess around in Mexico, or Indonesia for that matter!
However, I think there should be more consistency in the ways that countries deal with foreigners who commit serious crimes. Any thoughts??
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/17/asia/australians-indonesia-death-row/index.html
Monday, February 2, 2015
Remember the South Korean "Nut Case"?
A few months ago there was this huge ordeal about a Korean stewardess serving peanuts that came in the package instead of serving them on a plate to a passenger, she was fired and kicked off the plane. Cho Hyum-ah, who was in charge of that stewardess, now faces 10 years jail time for her actions that followed. She reportedly threw the employee manual at the girl who served the nuts, made her get on her knees and beg forgiveness, and then ejected the air stewardess *vision of her getting thrown out of the plane*.
So Cho Hyum-ah, the daughter of the Korean air Chief, now faces charges like coercing employees to give false testimony and interfering with the execution of duty. I thought the article was interesting. Actually I think the entire "Nut Case" is interesting. And I wouldn't mind having some folks like Cho Hyum-ah working for some U.S. airlines in order to help elevate our standards of customer service. (half joking).
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31059032
So Cho Hyum-ah, the daughter of the Korean air Chief, now faces charges like coercing employees to give false testimony and interfering with the execution of duty. I thought the article was interesting. Actually I think the entire "Nut Case" is interesting. And I wouldn't mind having some folks like Cho Hyum-ah working for some U.S. airlines in order to help elevate our standards of customer service. (half joking).
www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31059032
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