I stumbled across this musician on the official Denmark website - here's their short bio of her and a youtube video
AGNES OBEL (born October 28, 1980) is a singer and songwriter who released her first debut solo album Philharmonics in September 2010. It received glowing reviews from both Danish and international music critics and has been described as an album of sombre folk classics. Philharmonics has so far peaked at number one in Denmark and Belgium and charted inside the top-ten in France and the Netherlands. The first single ‘Riverside’ recently won Best song of the year 2011 in Denmark.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Off to Denmark!!!
Well, I'm wayyyyyy behind this month and am only writing my first post of the month on the on the 12th...yikes! However, I am excited to start on my online journey through the Kingdom of Denmark. Although it is the smallest of the Scandinavian countries, it has two autonomous provinces, the Faroe Islands and Greenland...which is actually 500x bigger than Denmark, but has 100x less people!
Denmark was named the Happiest Country in the World according to a 2010 Gallup poll! From checking out a few Danish websites, I noticed that there are all sorts of great family/vacation expriences available - lots of gardens, zoos, museums, castles and amusement parks to visit, as well as coastline that offers lots of water activities....I think that must contribute to the national happiness, as well as the strong national welfare programs.
Well, I'll be looking at some things more in depth in the posts to come, but here are some images to give you an idea of what to expect should you ever visit Denmark:
Denmark was named the Happiest Country in the World according to a 2010 Gallup poll! From checking out a few Danish websites, I noticed that there are all sorts of great family/vacation expriences available - lots of gardens, zoos, museums, castles and amusement parks to visit, as well as coastline that offers lots of water activities....I think that must contribute to the national happiness, as well as the strong national welfare programs.
Well, I'll be looking at some things more in depth in the posts to come, but here are some images to give you an idea of what to expect should you ever visit Denmark:
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| Egeskov Castle |
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| Den Gamle By - an open air museum of urban history |
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| Copenhagen |
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| Yummmmmmm |
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| Rosenborg Castle |
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| Danish cuisine |
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| Tivoli Gardens |
Friday, September 30, 2011
Burmese Deliciousness!
A couple years ago a guy at my church recommended that I try his favorite restaurant when I visited San Francisco - Burma Superstar. Besides having the coolest name ever, this restaurant boasts some of the finest food I have ever had in my entire life. If you are ever in SF, you gotta check it out!!!!
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| There's usually a line because it's SOOOOOO GOOOOOD!!! |
The food is a sort of fusion of Asian flavors - Thai, Chinese, Indian - to create somewhat familiar yet striking flavor combinations unique to Burma. I've enjoyed some of their curry and noodle dishes as well as their salads, so I attempted their Rainbow Salad (although, I made mine veggie - no shrimp...they look like bugs, and no fish sauce - I used half and half soy sauce and worcestire...which technically has fish in it though, so I should have just got the fish sauce!!!)
P.S. I also attempted Burmese Curry with noodles:
Recent News: Burma
I usually sign up for Google Alerts for daily emails of top articles related to the country that I am researching each month. The articles from Burma have been more varied and related to really significant change compared to any other country I have virtually traveled to so far. I have a feeling that the people of Burma themselves are talking a great deal about some of these topics as it seems their country's status internationally is at a moment where it could go one of two ways - gaining respect from some of the peace-keeping/humanitarian allied countries, or drawing increasing criticism for the oppressive leadership and human rights issues.
Here's some recent articles if you want some more detailed info on recent events:
US and Burmese Diplomats Hold Rare Meeting in Washington
Bringing Burma's Nuclear Secrets to the Table
Rechecking the Number of Political Prisoners in Burma
Monastic Education the Only Choice for Burma's Poor
US Urges India to Wield Influence over Burma
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| A crowd of relatives and friends wait in front of Insein Prison in Rangoon on May 17, 2011, eagerly looking for their loved ones to appear as part of a general prisoner amnesty release. |
Here's some recent articles if you want some more detailed info on recent events:
US and Burmese Diplomats Hold Rare Meeting in Washington
Bringing Burma's Nuclear Secrets to the Table
Rechecking the Number of Political Prisoners in Burma
Monastic Education the Only Choice for Burma's Poor
US Urges India to Wield Influence over Burma
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Recent peaceful protest in Burma - sign of change to come?
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| Protesters in Burma offer prayers at the Sule Pagoda after they agreed to call off a rally when asked by the authorities to do so, in downtown Rangoon on September 26, 2011 |
Burma: Could a Small, Peaceful Protest Signal Real Reform?
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Padaung Women of Eastern Burma
Eastern Burma has a lot of diversity with many ethnic minorities from neighboring regions, including the Padaung people who are a small subset of the Karen ethnic group. You are probably most familiar with the Padaung because of a particular accessory:
In Padaung culture, the tradition of neck rings being worn by girls starts young - around the age of 5 or 6 - and by the time they reach adulthood they usually have 20-30 rings that measure 10"-15" from top to bottom. They aren't actually rings that are added independently each time - instead it is a coil that is added to that wraps up around the woman's neck. The weight of the rings pushes down the collar bone and upper ribs, giving the illusion of a longer neck.
Although the accessories appear elegant and beautiful, they come at a cost. Women with neck rings often cannot drink from a cup because by tipping their head back they become unbalanced and can fall over - thus drinking out a straw becomes the only option.
I've not been able to ascertain exactly when this practice started, but it is a longstanding tradition linked with the tribal group's mythology. According to folklore, the rings were first a protective measure to keep tigers from breaking the necks of girls and women in the tribe. However, modern critics have put forth the idea that the rings make the women less attractive to slave traders, or conversely that they are a tribal sign of beauty and wealth that will attract a good husband. The neck rings play a pivotal role in some of the punishments of women in the tribe; adulturesses have their rings forcibly removed, and usually their neck muscles have atrophied to the point where the women can no longer hold their heads up and must spend the rest of their lives lying down or finding some alternate neck brace. As you might imagine, adultery and divorce rates are low.
In the last couple decades, many Padaung have left Burma while it was under oppressive military rule and fled across the border to Thailand, where many women have become a tourist attraction. Some visitors come to marvel at the women's elegance, while others find the practice to be an abomination and do not support tour operators that visit Padaung villages, likening them to "human zoos." I went to Thailand last year and didn't make it up to the area where the Padaung refugees are, and now I'm not quite sure how I feel about visiting them. I think the practice is both beautiful and horribly sexist, but I think that by boycotting the villages it takes away their main source of income...however it also encourages the practice to continue. Tricky tricky. What's worse is that the refugees have been offered resettlement land in New Zealand and Finland, but the Thai government won't issue them visas because they bring in tourist dollars. Awful!!! I tried to find a non-profit/charity that benefitted these women, providing education or support for not putting their daughters in the same position, but I couldn't find anything:( It would be great if there was a way for them to sell more of their traditional crafts or textiles instead to make money instead of having to suffer physical deformity to bring tourists in. Sad.
In Padaung culture, the tradition of neck rings being worn by girls starts young - around the age of 5 or 6 - and by the time they reach adulthood they usually have 20-30 rings that measure 10"-15" from top to bottom. They aren't actually rings that are added independently each time - instead it is a coil that is added to that wraps up around the woman's neck. The weight of the rings pushes down the collar bone and upper ribs, giving the illusion of a longer neck.
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| X-ray comparison of a typical woman's collarbone versus a Padaung "long-necked" woman's pushed down collarbone. |
Although the accessories appear elegant and beautiful, they come at a cost. Women with neck rings often cannot drink from a cup because by tipping their head back they become unbalanced and can fall over - thus drinking out a straw becomes the only option.
I've not been able to ascertain exactly when this practice started, but it is a longstanding tradition linked with the tribal group's mythology. According to folklore, the rings were first a protective measure to keep tigers from breaking the necks of girls and women in the tribe. However, modern critics have put forth the idea that the rings make the women less attractive to slave traders, or conversely that they are a tribal sign of beauty and wealth that will attract a good husband. The neck rings play a pivotal role in some of the punishments of women in the tribe; adulturesses have their rings forcibly removed, and usually their neck muscles have atrophied to the point where the women can no longer hold their heads up and must spend the rest of their lives lying down or finding some alternate neck brace. As you might imagine, adultery and divorce rates are low.
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| Padaung woman driving a car! |
Monday, September 19, 2011
In the Quiet Land - a poem by Aung San Suu Kyi
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| Shepard Fairey's portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi |
In the Quiet Land, no one can tell
if there's someone who's listening
for secrets they can sell.
The informers are paid in the blood of the land
and no one dares speak what the tyrants won't stand.
In the quiet land of Burma,
no one laughs and no one thinks out loud.
In the quiet land of Burma,
you can hear it in the silence of the crowd
In the Quiet Land, no one can say
when the soldiers are coming
to carry them away.
The Chinese want a road; the French want the oil;
the Thais take the timber; and SLORC takes the spoils...
In the Quiet Land....
In the Quiet Land, no one can hear
what is silenced by murder
and covered up with fear.
But, despite what is forced, freedom's a sound
that liars can't fake and no shouting can drown.
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