Archive for september, 2009
The picture of the day
Been scanning a lot of my India Photos today, preparing for a lecture that I am teaching “India from a religious perspective” at a Swedish College next week. This is a Karnataka frog living in a lotus pond. Good life!
Modern day colonialism
Since my previous entry I feel an urge to explain how I apply the concept of colonialism in modern times. I think colonialism has at its core a selfish centre. When selfishness results in taking advantage of less fortunate people I apply the term as a noun “He/she is behaving colonial”. Colonial mindset is widely spread in the globalised world, quoting Mumbai-based psychiatrist Harish Shetty “Anyone in power will target the vulnerable in this globalised world”. This quote is from the article “Mind of a rapist” India today July 6, 2009, where the issue of power in rape-crimes is issued. The article brings out interesting views regarding this particular crime and focus on the power aspect in the act rather than the sexual activity, which I thinks is well written and serious article. So I stress that rapists are colonial in their abuse of power over the less powerful (read poor women) in society.
Hindu friendly Julia Roberts (?)
Posted by Johanna in India, Popular culture on september 28th, 2009
Ok, Julia Roberts is shooting for a film in India, The Hari Mandir temple and Ashram on the outskirts of Delhi is one of the locations. Fine, she appreciates the wonderful India. According to these news and these news: when villagers hoping to celebrate the beginning of Navratras at the Hari Mandir temple, they found guards preventing them of entering. This is due to the safety of the Hollywood actress. I think this is simply an awful act of disrespect. Colonialism all over. The white mesahib takes over the temple for her own benefits and simply deprives the hindu devotees and villagers to enter their temple for puja. Shame on you Julia. Respect religion, especially on an religious occasions, and let the devotees pray in their temple.
The standard of beauty – Eastern vs Western
Posted by Johanna in Popular culture on september 27th, 2009
Yang Lui born in 1976. She studied at UWE at Bristol, UK, attained a Master degree from University of Arts Berlin. Since 2004 she has established Yang Liu Design in Berlin. Yang Lui is currently exhibiting her new culture and life project, which is an interesting and thought provoking installation. I give you a sample of her work, on the issue of beauty: Western to the right, Eastern to the left:
Pay day – a day for Global activism
On September 25 there is an global inequality campaign issued by Plan international Sweden, an aid organization which I volunteer at. Plan Internationals event Pay Day is addressing the global inequalities in the world and is a fundraising project which supports children’s rights. Take action! How do one take action in this project? It is pay day tomorrow, and tomorrow we manifest against global inequalities by paying for something that under normal circumstances is free in our home country Sweden, but not worldwide. A simple textmessage, BARN to 72910, cost 25 sek or a facebook status update, no cost for you but you donate 5 sek to the campaign by doing so – are the ways to donate money in this campaign.
(Pictures borrowed from Plan International Sweden webb)
Japanese cat-day
According to the Aki Mari diary blog Feb 22 is called Cat day in Japan merely because of a lingustic twist. The pronunciation of 22 is apparently a bit like cat in Japanese. Aki Mary says “2 is read as “NI”; (like knee) and cats make the sound “Nyan”. So somebody decided that today’s cat day.” I dont know japanese, but I am really interested in languages, and since I am a big fan of these creatures of mystery, I have decided that Cat day definitely needs to be celebrated.
