Native Alaskan Languages Not Endangered — Yet

by Catherine Bodry on

Last week Martha reported on the shocking number of dying languages around the world, with Australia topping the chart. What surprised me was how many were in the U.S. or near its borders — the Pacific Northwest, including British Columbia, has 54 on the endangered-languages list. I grew up in Seattle and Portland and never even knew any native languages were still spoken in the area. Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico have got a total of 40 dying languages.

I’m happy to report that Alaska is not listed — near the top of the list, anyway. The majority of the students I teach here are Alaska Natives who are bilingual — some are even ESL, which is an anomaly among U.S.-born citizens — and it’s not uncommon to hear Yupik or Inupiaq spoken around campus. The relative isolation of villages has, thankfully, somewhat preserved what can arguably be called their main cultural identity. That doesn’t mean that their native tongues aren’t in any danger; both Yupik and Inupiaq are considered endangered by some, but with over thousands of speakers of both, the threat of extinction isn’t as immediate as many other languages.

Check out the very cool article from the Associated Press for a more detailed look at some of the most endangered languages. And thanks to Images of Life for the photo of Yupik Alaskans in the village of Chevak.

Big in Japan: Crazy Japanese News Stories That’ll Blow Your Mind

by Matthew Firestone on

The following list of news stories was complied by Metropolis, a weekly Japan-based English magazine.

Think there are some bizarre news stories splashing across the US headlines as of recent? Wait until you read about all the crazy stuff that happened in Japan this week.

A homeless woman arrested for stealing bread in Numazu escaped from custody when the cop interrogating her dozed off. The woman fled on a stolen bicycle before being apprehended about a mile and a half away.

It was revealed that the Aichi government paid 34,000 yen (US$300) in compensation to an 8 year-old girl who was hit in the head with a stone thrown by a chimpanzee at a local zoo.

According to a survey conducted by the Health, Labor and Welfare ministry, Tokyo is home to an estimated 5,400 ‘net café refugees’ or people with no fixed address who spend their nights living in internet cafes.

A researcher at the National Institute for Japanese Language has concluded that the frequency of English lyrics in Japanese pop songs has plummeted because “the freshness symbolized by foreign words seems to be declining.”

Perhaps in response, a governmental advisory body suggested that primary schools add English instruction to their roster of subjects.

It was reported that a 62 year-old man from Tochigi Prefecture was arrested for beating his 89 year-old mother in the head for not finishing all of her breakfast.

It was reported that as many as 1,100 people lined up in Yebisu Garden Place in Tokyo for the opening of Tokyo’s first McCafe, an upscale eatery from McDonald’s that specializes in light meals. There are currently 15 McCafes throughout Japan.

Three death row inmates were hung on the same day, the third time since Christmas that Japan has executed multiple prisoners on a single day.

A 54 year-old man from Okayama Prefecture, upset over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision not to visit Yasukuni Shrine last month, severed his pinky and sent it to the government headquarters in Tokyo, along with a DVD recording the dismemberment.

The number of fake brand goods seized by police in the first six months of 2007 – 331,136 – exceeded the number confiscated in all of 2006.

It was revealed that for the second year in a row, Abashiri Prison in Hokkaido was fighting an infestation of marijuana plants. The officials were alerted to the presence of the evil weed, which sprouted up in the exercise ground, by snitches among the prison population.

Coleman Japan has come up with a portable shower powered by four AA batteries that is capable of pumping out 20 liters of water. The device costs just 3,780 yen (US$32).

A special session at the UN’s Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names concluded that the Sea of Japan should not be renamed, much to the consternation of both North and South Korea.

And finally…

A Nagano organization called the Omachi Digger Wasp Lovers Group persuaded a local rice cracker maker to create a snack that contains their beloved insect as the main ingredient. A bag of digger wasp crackers cost 370 yen (US$3.50) for a bag of 20.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Japan is a weird, wacky and wonderful place.

Is The Local Team Wearing Red?

by Brett Atkinson on

I dabble in a bit of sports writing in New Zealand, so when I’m on the road I try and get along to a local sports event. It’s a great way to get a feel for a place.

Here’s my top five suggestions for on the road sports experiences.

  1. Watching Boca Juniors in the cauldron of Buenos Aire’s La Bombonera soccer stadium
  2. Chowing down on hot dogs at a Yankees vs Red Sox game in the Bronx (and sorry New Yorkers, but the standard of food available was the worst I’ve seen at any sports event in the world)
  3. Discovering the joys of Australian Rules Football at Melbourne’s cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground.
  4. Feeling every punch and sharp elbow watching Muay Thai (kick boxing) at Lumphini Stadium in Bangkok (with just maybe the best food)
  5. A day at the races (above) in the Sri Lankan hill town of Nuwara Eliya. I never did work out how you could place a bet on the horses, but the chill-laced snacks went great with a local Lion beer.

Click here for my article on the sleepy Sri Lankan town that’s surrounded by tea plantations.

Where else have readers sat in the bleachers drinking beer and cheering on the local team?

Thanks to PhantomMenace on Flickr for the pic.

Photo of the Day (9/22/07)

by Justin Glow on

Today’s photo of the day comes from Gadling reader weegolo who captured this colorful scene at the Lantern Festival in Singapore. I’m not sure which Lantern Festival it is, however. After doing some research, it seems like it’s the Mid-Autumn festival (which is also called the Lantern Festival), but this year’s event doesn’t start until September 25th. Maybe this installation was setup in preparation for the festival?

If you’d like to contribute a Photo of the Day shot for consideration, please visit our Gadling Flickr pool and upload your favorites.

Protection from the Sun: When Sunscreen Isn’t Enough

by Jamie Rhein on

It’s not uncommon in Asia to see umbrellas used for more than just a rain shower. Head out on a sunny day in Taiwan, and you could still be dodging them. I saw many women walking down the street in the protection of an umbrella’s shade on a day when the sun’s rays beat down. I would dodge them, wiping off perspiration, hoping that my sunscreen lasted. I’m sure that my freckles made me look mottled to most Taiwanese. Okay, so I like my freckles, but there is that pesky issue of skin cancer.

There’s a company, Soleil Chic with a mission to keep people’s skin shielded from the sun. After her husband died of skin cancer, Lynn Rose began making umbrellas and hats that block UVA and UVB rays. Even if you put on sunscreen, unless you reapply it every two hours, you’re not as protected as you might think.

This article in the Washington Post in August is about how umbrellas are becoming more common for anytime weather in the U.S. For those looking for better protection, Soleil Chic products look like a great option. However, as you travel about, don’t forget you have one of these umbrellas, and leave it behind somewhere. They aren’t that cheap, They are less expensive, however than a pair of high quality sunglasses.