A thousand splendid “truths” about Afghanistan

by Iva Skoch on

This weekend, I was talking to some friends about the increasing popularity of all those fiction bestsellers from other countries, namely Khaled Hosseini’s “Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns“. People like reading them in part because Hosseini is a good writer, but they also like reading them because they feel like they are learning about life in Afghanistan.

The conversation turned to whether or not it is a good idea for the “American masses” to get their ideas about what life in Afghanistan is like from fiction. Imagine what everyone in Afghanistan would think about the US if they only read, say, Toni Morrison’s abuse-filled books. Yes, that type of abuse certainly exists here, but that’s not all there is in the US.

On one hand, Hosseini was born in Afghanistan and is clearly familiar with the life there. I don’t doubt that the kind of abuse he describes so vividly in his books actually happens in Afghanistan. At the same time, the characters are fictional and the situations made up. Can people actually separate truth from fiction when it comes to Afghanistan, a country we know so little about?

Vitamin beer, aka responsible drinking Filipino-style

by Iva Skoch on

You have to hand it to the Filipino inventor Virgilio “Billy” L. Malang for creating an invention that has a widespread appeal. He has created a type of beer, which is Vitamin B complex-fortified and makes a promise to “take some of the guilt out of drinking” by replacing the essential Vitamin B which is lost when excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed. Mind you, this is the same guy who has published a book, called “Sex Every Minute.” I don’t think he’s got a patent on that, though.

Malang says that he believes the invention will be popular because beer is the national weakness of the Philippines. A Kirin Research Institute study ranked the Philippines as the 5th highest beer consumer in Asia, after China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, with an average of nearly 20 liters (45 pints) of beer per person per year.

It has not been marketed yet, but Vitamin Beer already won a gold medal at the European Union-sponsored Genius-Europe competition at the Budapest Fair Center in Hungary in May 2004 and bagged the Romanian Ministry Education and Research Cup among 1,000 inventions by 540 inventors from 46 countries, Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.

This is interesting because I have lived under the impression that there is a lot of Vitamin B in every beer, that is why beer is supposed to be good for you. Or it could just be something my dad tells my my mom to make her feel better.

10 best foodie trips

by Iva Skoch on

Reading this article before breakfast today made my mouth water.

The Guardian has selected Top 10 foodie destinations in the world for the following culinary delights:

  1. The best sushi in Tokyo
  2. The best pizza in Naples
  3. The best burger in New York
  4. Best steak frîtes in Paris
  5. The best seafood in Sydney
  6. The best pho in Vietnam
  7. The best oysters in Ireland
  8. The best juice in Rio
  9. The best dumplings in Eastern Europe
  10. The best tandoori in Delhi

Read their recommendations here.

I know what you are thinking. The Brits are telling us about good food? Don’t be skeptical. They will be the first to say that in order to eat well, a Brit must leave the UK.

Obama Japan supports Obama America to boost tourism

by Abha Malpani on

A town of 32,000 people in Japan called Obama is raging with support for Barack Obama as a means to increase tourism to their town.

An Obama presidency could boost the city’s recognition and possibly increase foreign tourism. The symbol you see here is an unofficial illustration of the group that supports Obama, clearly not for his policy, but for his name. How’s that for strategy to enhance tourism!

Obama means “little beach” in Japanese and the town is known for its lacquer ware. To milk Barack Obama’s run for American presidency as a means to heighten recognition of their town, they are in process of making headbands, T-shirts and Japanese style bean cakes with Barack’s face on them.

The town is also working on nurturing a personal relationship with Barack as they send him “care-packages” with good-luck dolls, lacquer chopsticks, a DVD and guidebook to the city. They hope that one day Barack will stop by on a trip to Japan.

To think that an American president merely sharing the name of a Japanese town could boost the town’s economy AND forge relationships between two countries is as great as it is bizarre.

“No” to Valentine’s Day sex for Thai teens

by Anna Brones on

Seems like this Valentine’s Day is all about banning things; in Saudi Arabia it’s red roses and in Thailand it’s teenage sex. All jokes aside, the Thai government sees this as a serious issue. That might be on account of the fact that polls show one in four teens plans on celebrating the day of Cupid by sleeping with someone.

So instead of fluffy teddy bears and boxes of chocolates, Thai malls, motels and parks of will be full of police on the love patrol.

But whether or not teens act on the poll predictions remains to be seen; a sluggish economy and the recent death of Princess Galyani Vadhana — King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s sister — have put a general damper on celebrations of any kind.