Nobel-Prize winning Aung San Suu Kyi

Once again, yesterday all the media reported Nobel prize winning democracy activist Aung San Su Kyi was arrested by Myanmar military junta.

Just a couple a week before the end of her previous detention.

She was arrested because few days ago an U.S. citizen entered her home, without government permission.

If convicted, she could face three to five years in prison.

I wonder how it could be possible …

However, I’m just asking all my readers, friends, bloggers to do not forget this special woman and her country.

Please, don’t leave her alone.

Music and relationships between countries

Hi All!
Once again, I have the honour to publish a post by my friend from Istanbul, Kubra.

It’s really interesting to see how political relationships between countries could influence a song contest!

Thank you, Kubra for offering us such an interesting point of view…

An Indispensable Event for Europeans

To be honest, it has always been an important and indispensable event for me. I used to get excited and wait for it impatiently. We, as the whole family, used to watch it when the time is ripe. It was a visual and musical feast for us. Actually, nothing has changed over the years. I still do feel the same way about it, still excited and eager. The thing I am talking about is Eurovision.

For the ones who may ask what Eurovision is: Eurovision Song Contest is an annual song competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and it is one of the longest running television shows in the world. The system is simple; each member country submits a song to be performed on live television. The most popular song in the competition is being determined after the votes.

If we look at the history of it, the first contest was held in Switzerland, on 24 May 1956. Seven countries which had participated were Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands. The contest was won by the host nation, Switzerland. Ever since, the contest successfully continued for 53 years and became more popular each year. Today, Eurovision is one of the most-watched non-sporting events in the world.

Here’s some interesting information about Eurovision results. Did you know that:

• Lys Assia, who won the contest for Switzerland in 1956, is the very first winner of Eurovision Song Contest.
• ABBA, who won the contest for Sweden in 1974, is the most notable winning Eurovision artist.
• Sandra Kim, who won the contest for Belgium in 1986, is the youngest winner and at the time of her Eurovision win, she was only 13 years old.
• Ireland, who won the contest for 7 years, is the most winning country.
• The United Kingdom, who won the contest for 5 times, is the country that has been the host nation at most.

Eurovision is a way of gathering for European countries, a way of communicating in peace. Of course, there are also some controversial subjects such as political votes and language. As a rule, countries may not cast votes for their own songs. However, they tend to vote for neighbouring countries. Some people think that it is unethical to knowingly vote for neighbours while the others think it is normal because people tend to like similar cultures. The other controversial subject is the language of the songs. Although at the beginning there was no rule about the language, it has been changed many times over the years but finally in 1999, the rule was changed again to allow freedom of language once more. Some people still believe that native language is the most appropriate one to choose whereas the others defend English language in order to be internationally understood.

Some countries are working hard for the contest while some prefer not to attend. Do you know which countries and why?

• San Marino and Latvia withdrawed from the contest because of the economic crisis.
• Italy (since 1998) and Austria (since 2008) are not attending in order to protest the political votes.
• Morocco, who attend the contest once and only time in 1980, doesn’t think to return.
• Lebanon, Algeria, Libia, Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia are not attending because they don’t want to race with Israel.
• Monaco and Luxembourg are not attending because of the unsuccessful results that they had.
• Vatican is not attending because they don’t have a national television channel.
  
  

If we look at this year, there are 42 participant countries including Russia (the host nation), Turkey, Germany, The UK, France, Spain, and Malta. This year, Hadise is representing Turkey in the contest with her song Dum Tek Tek-Crazy For You. She is an award-winning Turkish R&B singer and songwriter who lives in Belgium.

If you like to listen to Turkey’s song in advance, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5QeLFyY7ps

By the way, you can also find further information about Eurovision Song Contest 2009 from the official website: www.eurovision.tv

Before finishing my words, I want to thank you for reading my post, and Nicoletta for letting me contribute to her admirable blog one more time. To conclude up; Eurovision was, is, and will be an important event of my life, of our lives as Europeans. I wish luck to all participating countries of Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Don’t forget that the semi-finals will be held on 2-14 May 2009 and the finals will be held on 16 May 2009. I wholeheartedly believe that it will be a great event. May the best man win!

Best regards,

Kubra Corapci

Earthquake. The sound of Silence

. Zucchi - Insidefoto - All rights reserved

The night between Sunday and Monday,I was awoken by my husband’s shout and I realized that everything was shaking.

I saw the time on my alarm-clock: 3.34 am. The earthquake. Just few minutes for us, as we live in Rome, 120 km far from L’Aquila.

Immediately on Facebook and Twitter, you could find people updating their status, with news about parents, earthquake, calls for help.

It was five days ago, but the earth there is still shaking. 289 dead till now. Today here in Italy is national mourning.

Again, I have to admit that there are two opposite sides of my country.

On one hand, new buildings felt down like sandcastles, because somebody didn’t respect rules and laws.

On the other hand, hundreds of people are helping each other, working together. Hundreds of volunteers

Many people by using social networks are creating something more than virtual contacts.

This my country, this is Italy… We’ll talk about this.

But today there is only silence …

British, Vatican, and Rome’s Museums: culture, technology, and marketing

In these hard times, also tourism suffers from the economic crisis effects. Everywhere the number of tourists is decreasing. But this is not true for some museums.

I’d like to tell  you about some different strategies three European museums are taking, in order to improve their service. In some cases, technology is deeply involved; in other cases, the ‘key’ is cultural diplomacy.

Enjoy your reading!

Vatican Museums

The new organization made by Antonio Paolucci is a mix of technology and customer service. By improving online tickets, contacts are increasing day by day. Online tours give people a basic knowledge of what they’re going to see.

Customers (visitors) are the ‘heart’ of this new management of Vatican Museums: customer satisfactions surveys , special prices for young people and, last but not the least, the opportunity to show some renovating areas.

It means that museum doesn’t represent a ‘static’ place, but it is something ‘live’ that can grow and improve by using technologies, knowledge, ideas.

Rome’s Museums

Rome’s Municipality decided to follow a different way, according to Web 2.0 best practices. It created a portal for all the museums managed by the municipality, and improved museum’s presence in all the most important social networks. The aim is to involve young people interest (do you note the different strategy compared to Vatican Museums?) through new media. Many exhibitions are located on Second Life, and blog is constantly updated. There is a page on Facebook, and plenty of pictures on Flickr.

From the home page, you can follow special offers (visitor’s cards), information, new events, and be part of the conversation.

In this way, Rome’s Museums reinvented their presence on the web.

British Museum

As you probably know, British Museum has an important presence on Web: pictures, research publications, galleries. But I’d like to focus your attention on ‘cultural diplomacy’. As British Museum doesn’t answer to government. It can pursue cultural initiatives with any country. Neil MacGregor, the Director of the British Museums says that “The more difficult the political relations are, the more important is to try to understand the history of the country with whom we’re having difficult conversations” (more info: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1880606,00.html)
Next exhibition is going to involve Iran, as British Museum intend to lend the “Cyrus Cylinder”.

British Museum management doesn’t want to change people’s opinions about Iranian political choices, but creating awareness about a different culture can represent a useful means to get people more close …

HAVE YOU GOT ANY OTHER MUSEUM’ EXPERIENCE TO SHARE WITH US?

How Technology can help the Environment

Italy and France signed an agreement for the construction in Italy of four nuclear plants by 2020. This decision replaces that one expressed by referendum in 1986.

As you probably know, in Italy there are many problems related to collecting and recycling garbage. I’m just wondering how we are going to deal with nuclear waste… (More info at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7908434.stm)

On the other side, President Obama announced his investments program about energy: “…But to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy.  So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America.  And to support that innovation, we will invest fifteen billion dollars a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America…” (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-President-Barack-Obama-Address-to-Joint-Session-of-Congress/)

I strongly believe that the future of our planet is in renewable energy, and nuclear power represents a short term solution.

—————-

Talking about green best practices, I’ve just found out a new Italian eco-tech social network: www.youimpact.it

According to Web 2.0 guidelines, the main goal is to spread environmental culture in a no-conventional way.

The community is invited to express its creativity, by publishing images, videos, audio files. Obviously, the subject is environment.

Moreover, for every uploaded image, video or audio, it will be created one square metre of new forest.

Together with some useful information about ‘green’ lifestyle, there are some interesting contests, which aim is to share green IT experiences and their ‘green effects’. There are many important IT companies involved in these projects:  Cisco,  IBM, etc.

Do you know any other green social network?  I’d really like to create a world map of these experiences …

Mr. Armani: a special blogger

Thanks to Marcello Del Bono, I have just read that Giorgio Armani is a guest blogger at ‘The Moment’, NYT fashion and lifestyle blog.

In this blog, he simply writes about his week in NYC. He’s there for a new store’s opening. There are two points I’m really interested in. The first one is that I’m curious to understand his point of view as ‘traveller’. Even though he’s familiar with NYC, he still tries to get something new from people and places.

The second interesting point is about the importance of his role as a blogger. In the next days I’d like to analyze comments, reactions, in order to understand how useful is for a blog to have such a guest.

What do you think about it?

My trip to Kerala (part 3): Kochi

If you close your eyes, and try to imagine a place where different cultures, religions, travellers meet … that’s Kochi (aka Fort Cochin)!

Arabs, British, Chinese, Portoguese… all these people have left a deep mark in this town. Moreover, here you find mosques, churches, synagogues.

You can visit Kochi by following the main touristic and historical attractions or losing yourself just walking around.

Even though there are many kinds of hotels (from cheap to luxury ones!), I experienced the “homestay”. It is like European bed & breakfast, so that you can closely live with an Indian family. As you can imagine the real ‘engine’ of a family are … women! My homestays’ family was composed by a father and two hard worker daughters.

However, I had a great time with them; the house was cosy, and very close to the main palaces and churches, in the ancient town.

There, I spent one of the most moving moment of the whole holiday, as a person who used to live in Italy came and visit me. For a long time, Thomas took care of a relative of mine. Then, he was able to come back to his country, and join his family.

I have learned from him how hard is life for an immigrant…

Let’s come back to Kochi attractions… In the ancient town, it’s a mix of Dutch, Portoguese, and British buildings.

A typical Kochi’s attraction are the Chinese fishing nets: they were brought by merchants from Kublai Khan court in the XV century. Nets, fishermen, and fish market make the promenade along the sea very busy. Furthermore, you can choose and buy fishes, and ask some nearby small restaurants to cook them for you! So, you can also follow the nice cooking smell, a mix of spices and sea…

But I believe the main reason for visiting Kochi is the perfect harmony between churches, mosques, synagogues. Just walking around you can find the signs of different religions, cultures, and traditions: St. Francis Church (where Vasco De Gama corpse was kept for more than 14 years), Santa Cruz Basilica, Pardesi Synagogue, Islamic neighbourhood, Mattancherry Palace…

I warmly suggest to free your mind and spend at least three days in Kochi!

See you in … Varkala, where I’ll tell you something more about Ayurvedic Medicine.

My trip to Kerala (part 2): Alleppey e Munnar

From Kovalam,  I went straight to Alleppey (aka Alapphuza), the main hub for cruising the Backwaters. Backwaters are one of the main reasons for visiting Kerala, and they are a network of hundreds of waterways, in a uncontaminated natural landscape. Here life is all along the waterways.

The houseboats, called Kettuvalloms, are made by wood and palm leaves, but they include any amenities!

I was so excited by the chance of spending two days in a silent, quiet place.

As you know, reality is always better and better than fantasy.

I experienced the slow flowing along the waterways, discovering small villages, fishermen, rice fields, unknown churches and temples, children. In one word: life. Life in a place without time.

At the sunset, I left my houseboat, and sailed on a canoe with a local fisherman. I saw a small temple in the middle of a rice field: I was astonished by the candles’ light contrasting with the sunset’s colours. A unique atmosphere of serenity.

The day after, early in the morning, I witnessed the awakening: just the normal life in an unusual (to me) context…

From sea to mountain: Munnar.

If you visit Kerala, you can’t miss tea plantations and the beautiful landscapes of Munnar area.

Munnar is set at an altitude of 6000 ft (1600 mt), and it is a mix of valleys, mountains, forests, tea and spices plantations.

The small town is full of spices and tea shops, and vegetable markets.

Moreover, Munnar is surprisingly characterized by many icons of Communist Party. On the other hand, all tea plantations have been taken over by the Tata Tea Company (the same owner as car company!)

As for other places, also in Munnar there are many contradictions. Behind this peaceful place, there is the hard life of tea pickers.

Most of them are women and they earn around 110 rupees per day (less than 2 euros!) if they harvest 20 kilos of tea leaves. Look at a tea leaf and try to imagine 20 kilos of tea …

However, hiking through tea plantations is a great experience for eyes and feelings!

And after a pleasant walk, is there anything better than … a cup of tea?

Next stop … Kochi! Stay tuned!

My trip to Kerala (part 1)

Kerala. This word means ‘Coconuts land’. And if you visit this area, you can easily understand why.

This was not my first trip to India, so I didn’t think that this Country could surprise me anymore. But India is like a million pieces puzzle, and everytime you find something you didn’t know.

 As you know, my trip started from Mumbai (read my previous post) where I spent a whole day. Then I flew to Trivandrum. My plan was to reach the deep south of India (Tamil Nadu), then come to North all along the coast, go inside to see tea plantations, and at the end have a rest and ayurvedic treatments in Varkala.

After some hours by bus we reached Cape Comorin or Kanyakumari, the southest Indian town. On the way to Cape Comorine, you can’t miss Sichundram Temple.

It’s a lovely place where continent and Ocean meet, it is one of the most important places of pilgrimage in India!

I experienced the trip by boat to reach the Vivekanda Rock Memorial, with hundreds of Indians, queuing to visit this sacred monument. There were just few foreigners, and the atmosphere was so joyful!

 

But the real new experience was … the hotel! In the hall, there were so many people coming and going. But no foreigners at all. It seemed to be in a marketplace … I had a room at third floor; stark but clean. The surprise was when I went down: the first floor was like a railway station at night. Women, men, children laid down or seated on the floor, eating, shouting, smiling… or … just living. I immediately associated that image at a social class representation: for each floor there were different standards of life.

At the beginning, I felt a little bit uncomfortable in that situation, unprotected. Then I realized I was living a unique Indian experience  … so far from European standards, and my mental schemas!

 From Cape Comorin to Kovalam.

Small towns, green countryside, sea, coconuts tree, tuk-tuk, crazy drivers: there are all the things you can meet along the way to Kovalam.

Kovalam is a nice, quiet beach, very famous for yoga classes and ayurvedic treatments. A place to relax after the crowded Cape Comorin!

At sunset, you can spend some time on the beach, looking at fishermen with their boats and all the families waiting for them.

In the evening I enjoyed my dinner in one of the small restaurants: they all show their fishes and you can choose the one you prefer! Delicious flavours of fish and curry cooked in tandoori oven… 

Welcome to WhiteHouse.gov

Hi All!

It’s not a news telling you that, as millions of people, I followed Obama’s campaign and his inaugural speech. I’m trying not to compare American experience with Italian situation, as the gap it too deep, and my current vision about Italian political system is not positive.

That is, I’d like to underline some important points, and give you some references about Obama and social media’s campaign and the new Whitehouse website.

Starting with ‘Obama’s brand’ I was astonished by the positioning: he’s been able to ‘fill the hole’ in prospectus’ mind (electors’ mind!), by representing something really new, NOT equal to anyone. Isn’t it the dream for every brand, is it?

This result is mainly due to a viral campaign, made by a mix of direct relationships (don’t forget that hundreds of volunteers went door to door to explain Obama’s program and to convince people to vote), and the exploitation of social media capability.

It’s useless for me to repeat a great analyses written by Valeria Maltoni on her blog,  I warmly suggest you to read it!

The other point that obviously really involved me, is the new WhiteHouse website, especially the new blog added to the website.

According to Becky Carroll’s opinion, now the blog looks more like a web page than a conversation.

But considering the ‘Italian’ point of view, there are at least two great innovations: all the third party contents are ruled by Creative Commons licenses; participation in terms of rating and review Government laws  “… we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it…”.

All the citizens can express their opinions BEFORE final approval.

This is only the beginning of this adventure, but I’m sure our interest won’t decrease!

Enjoy this reading and stay tuned!