01/31/2007 - 02/01/2007

Stereotypes: An Intercultural No-No

As more or more people from different backgrounds, countries, cultures and religions immigrate to foreign lands, those countries become an intercultural melting pot. In order for the native people and the immigrant population to blend and create a thriving and successful atmosphere both sides need to develop some sort of intercultural tolerance and understanding of the differences that may exist between them. An example of poor intercultural understanding, or one based simply on stereotypes, is offered by the town of Herouxville in Quebec, Canada.

A declaration issued by the town in January 2007, which was designed to inform immigrants, "that the way of life which they abandoned when they left their countries of origin cannot be recreated here [i.e. Herouxville]". It then went on to state that the immigrant population would therefore have to refrain from their cultural norms and activities such as to "kill women by stoning them in public, burning them alive, burning them with acid, circumcising them, etc."

American Airlines goes Espanol

American Airlines announced today the launch of new country-specific Spanish- language portals on AA.com/espanol to better serve customers in Latin America and the U.S. The new portals of AA.com offer a new Spanish-language booking tool and country-specific offers and news.

"The new Spanish-language Web sites provide our Spanish-speaking customers an easy and convenient way to book travel," said Peter Dolara, American's Senior Vice President for Miami, the Caribbean and Latin America. "By offering country-specific portals, we will be able to share with our customers more relevant offers and content along with great fares."

Yahoo! launches Indian-language portals

Yahoo has introduced portals in India in seven local languages, to cater to the hundreds of millions of Indians expected to come online in the next few years.

With its English language portal in India, Yahoo can only address up to about 30 million users who are comfortable with English, George Zacharias, managing director of Yahoo India told reporters Thursday in Bangalore.

Korean Internet Use up in 2006

The number of Internet users in South Korea rose 2 percent last year to 34.12 million, according to figures from the information and communications ministry reported in the Korea Times. Two age groups showed a marked increase, with the percentage of people in their 40s using internet up over 6 points to 75 percent and 50-year-olds increasing 7 points to 43 percent. According to the report, 74.8 percent of South Koreans aged 6 and older use the internet. People in their 20s are most likely to use internet, at 98.9 percent of the total, follwed by 6- to 19-year-olds at 98.5 percent.

Word of the Day: billingsgate

billingsgate \BIL-ingz-gayt; -git\, noun:
Coarsely abusive, foul, or profane language.

Chaney would yell at him in his own particular patois -- an unapologetic stream of billingsgate far more creative than Marine drill instructors or master rappers. -- George Vecsey, "Learning at Temple: Se Habla Chaneyism", New York Times, March 19, 2000

Its style is an almost pure Army billingsgate that will offend many readers, although in no sense is it exaggerated: Mr. Mailer's soldiers are real persons, speaking the vernacular of human bitterness and agony. -- David Dempsey, "The Dusty Answer of Modern War", New York Times, May 9, 1948

Indians must assert their cultural identity to survive globalisation

His celebrated book The Great Indian Middle Class was hailed as a daring analysis of what is happening in the country today. Pavan K Varma, author of nearly a dozen thought-provoking books and also director general of Indian Centre for Cultural Relations, had then warned that the Indian middle class could land itself in trouble in near future for ignoring its duties towards the nation.

At Delhi University’s IP College for Women to deliver its Annual Lecture on Wednesday, Varma made a strong plea: For a modern India to survive the challenges of globalisation, Indians must assert their cultural identity.

Expat Women Find New Direction with ExpatWomen.com

Expatriate women around the world now have a much-needed compass for their lives abroad: ExpatWomen.com launched this month and has been receiving fabulous feedback from women all around the world. This free, comprehensive site is designed to help all expatriate women living outside of their home country – both first-timers and seasoned expats.

Cambridge Uni threatens to close Portugese Language Dept.

It's been announced just this week that Cambridge University is planning to shut down the Portugese Language Department. The University used particularly underhand methods to announce this, as no prior notice was given to students this was going to take place, unlike last year's announcement of the possible closure of the Architechture Dept (thwarted!), where it was announced as a POSSIBILITY, rather than a CERTAINTY several months in advance.

Word of the Day: homily

homily \HAH-muh-lee\, noun:
1. A sermon; a discourse on a religious theme.
2. A moralizing lecture or discourse.
3. An inspirational saying; also, a platitude.

Trumpets sounded, wine ran from fountains, bishops delivered homilies, magistrates presented the keys to their cities, triumphal arches sprang up along the way. -- Christine Pevitt, Philippe, Duc D'Orleans: Regent of France

He launched into a homily about marriage as a garden that requires care. -- Janet Maslin, "Somehow Form a Family': Between the Hills and Gilligan's Island", New York Times, June 7, 2001