While I was preparing my presentation about the Arab and Japanese views on masculinity, I came across an article about the view Japanese have of the Arab culture. I wanted to post about it earlier but I only decided to do it now :D It is a review of the book 'The Arabs: A Japanese Point of View' by Japanese researcher Nobuaki Notohara. And it was ( Read more... )

My presentation was ready in time! I found the article that helped me glue everything together the last moment, but I am finally satisfied. But I didn't get to present yesterday. Because most of the class was missing! (I will have to rant about strikes in Greece some other time) But I might enjoy some of your insights thanks to that!

Ideas about ( Read more... )

Second post for today! It's not my fault that so many things are happening in the world. (And it's still 30 minutes until I can go home)
Since elections have been announced in Pakistan, I got interested in Musharaf's opposition leader, Imran Khan. Right now he is hiding from the army since the country was declared in an emergency state but he plans ( Read more... )

A little while ago I had met a Muslim girl in kattunlove, half Japanese, half Saudi Arabian. I was interested in her because I thought her being in the Japanese culture would have made her more tolerant. At first she seemed moderate. But when I urged her to talk more she backed off.
I don’t know whether she didn’t want to talk or whether she couldn’t. The ( Read more... )

Oh dear! Who would say that the current internet network will soon be obsolete? The need for a safer and less energy-consuming network is imminent.

Japan to research next-gen Internet
 

There is an interesting article in BBC by an Indian who left India in the 1960's in order to study in Britain and came back to find a totally different country. He thought of India as a uniquely spiritual although poor country and now he is unfamiliar with the demonstration of wealth. I have to add that, while spirituality is something subjective, ( Read more... )

Yesterday, before I went to sleep: I watched a part of a program in TV5 about how the Muslims in France convert poor and lonely French men exactly like any other sect would do. I remember I had watched a similar program when I lived in Toulouse: about the brainwashing Muslims go through. These things can get people paranoid! I keep my calm as ( Read more... )

This story sounds like a medieval one. But no. It's from today's BBC webpage. No comments.

Thirty-one dirty and disorientated workers have been rescued from a brickwork factory in China, where they were being held as virtual slaves. Eight workers were so traumatised by their experiences that they were only able to remember their names. The labourers ( Read more... )

Now, the question comes again: should any “free” country try to help countries under military or theocratic regime to change things?
First of all, it is certain that any leader that is supported or approved or accepted by another country has high chances to be treated as a dictator and he might behave as such. They may think that they act for the ( Read more... )

“We should not trust organized religion”
This is something I hear very often. All right. So, we opt for non-organized religion. What would exactly that mean? That we are free to worship what we like, where we like, who we like, when we like, maybe with family or some friends or other small groups.

But what religion really is? In Wikipedia I found ( Read more... )