"Get a taste of the world. Food -- its smells, textures, colors, flavors, and rituals -- is tied intrinsically to place. This heartwarming, surprising, and sumptuous collection of stories reveals our obsession with food -- how it nourishes and sustains us, teaches us about other cultures, and creates community and connection with others. As we sample new foods, we sample new cultures, new histories, new ways of thinking. And no matter how hard we try, the same ingredients never taste the same back home."--
We live in a world populated not just by individuals but by figures, those larger-than-life people who in some way express and challenge our conventional understandings of social types. This innovative and collaborative work takes up the wide range of figures that populate the social and cultural imaginaries of contemporary Southeast Asia—some familiar only in specific places, others recognizable across the region and even globally. It puts forward a series of ethnographic portraits of figures that represent and give voice to something larger than themselves, offering a view into social life that is at once highly particular and general. They include the Muslim Television Preacher in Indonesia, Miss Beer Lao, the Rural DJ in Thailand, the Korean Soap Opera Junkie in Burma, the Filipino Seaman, and the Photo Retoucher in Vietnam. Figures of Southeast Asian Modernity brings together the fieldwork of over eighty scholars and covers the nine major countries of the region: Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. An introduction outlines important social transformations in Southeast Asia and key theoretical and methodological innovations that result from ethnographic attention to the study of key figures. Each section begins with an introduction by a country editor followed by short essays offering vivid and intimate portraits set against the background of contemporary Southeast Asia. The result is a volume that combines scholarly rigor with a meaningful, up-to-date portrayal of a region of the world undergoing rapid change. A reference bibliography offers suggestions for further reading. Figures of Southeast Asia Modernity is an ideal teaching tool for introductory classes to Southeast Asia studies, anthropology, and geography.
Jakarta is a fascinating city. It's attraction lies in the incredibly wide variety of people - Indonesians, Chinese, Indians, Arabs and Europeans - who have arrived over the centuries, bringing with them their own habits, folklore and culture. Their descendants have resulted in a vibrant mix of people, most of them making a living along the thousands of small lanes and alleys that criss-cross the kampungs of this enormous city. Artefacts indicate that this area was inhabited from the fifth century. Hundreds of years later, a small trading post on the coast named Kelapa was founded and eventually grew into the mega-city of Jakarta with over twenty million people. This book provides a unique look at the history of Jakarta through the eyes of individuals who have walked its streets through the ages, revealing how some of the challenges confronting the city today - congestion, poverty, floods and land subsidence - mirror the struggles the city has had to face in the past.
The thirteen essays in this volume come from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, South Africa, and Hawai‘i. With a shared focus on the specific local conditions that influence the ways in which life narratives are told, the authors engage with a variety of academic disciplines, including anthropology, history, media studies, and literature, to challenge claims that life writing is an exclusively Western phenomenon. Addressing the common desire to reflect on lived experience, the authors enlist interdisciplinary perspectives to interrogate the range of cultural forms available for representing and understanding lives. Contributors: Maria Faini, Kenneth George, Philip Holden, David T. Hill, Craig Howes, Bryan Kuwada, Kirin Narayan, Maureen Perkins, Peter Read, Tony Simoes da Silva, Mathilda Slabbert, Gerry van Klinken, Pei-yi Wu.
This book presents a comprehensive, full-length analysis of the uses of media and communication technologies by different social actors in Malaysia. Unlike other studies of the media in Malaysia which concentrate on "political economy" or "freedom of the media" approaches, this book focuses on the ways in which different media forms have constituted cultural practices and power relations amongst particular audiences and publics. It also examines the ways in which technologies of varying scales and range have been appropriated for various subaltern purposes and counter-hegemonic agendas. Drawing upon recent case studies on the deployment of different media – including mainstream and independent films, television programming, black metal music, community rituals, political advertising, the internet, and artistic visual installations – it provides valuable insights into the complex, vibrant ways in which these different media forms have negotiated with the dominant cultural representations of Malaysian society. The book makes an important contribution to the emergent disciplines of media studies and cultural studies in Malaysia.
In 'The Greatest Sea Adventure Novels', R. M. Ballantyne has curated a collection of over 30 maritime novels, pirate tales, and seafaring stories that transport the reader to the thrilling world of the high seas. Filled with action-packed adventures, daring escapades, and tales of survival, this compilation showcases Ballantyne's mastery in depicting the challenges and triumphs of life at sea. The collection encompasses a wide range of literary styles, from swashbuckling adventures to heart-wrenching dramas, making it a comprehensive exploration of maritime literature. Readers will be captivated by the vivid descriptions and engaging narratives that characterize each novel, providing an immersive reading experience. R. M. Ballantyne, a prolific author known for his adventure stories for young readers, draws on his own experiences at sea to bring authenticity and depth to his maritime tales. His fascination with nautical themes and his skill in crafting compelling narratives shine through in this carefully selected compilation of sea adventures. Ballantyne's expertise in storytelling is evident in the captivating plots and well-developed characters that populate the pages of these timeless tales. I highly recommend 'The Greatest Sea Adventure Novels' to readers who enjoy thrilling maritime adventures, intricate plots, and vivid storytelling. Whether you are a fan of sea tales or a newcomer to the genre, this collection is sure to provide hours of entertainment and literary satisfaction.
A vibrant modern city that stands under watchful gaze of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur is a well of culture. Insight Guide Explore Kuala Lumpur is a brand new title, which is the ideal pocket companion for your trip: a full-colour guide containing the best routes around this city. Inside Explore Kuala Lumpur: � Discover the most vibrant and cultural areas of this fascinating city with a series of carefully planned routes. � Experience the 88 floors of the impressive Petronas Towers, the hustle and bustle of Bukit Bintang and the iconic Merdeka Square. � Insight's trademark cultural coverage sets the routes in context, with introductions on Malaysia's cuisine, entertainment options, a wealth of activities on offer and key historical dates. � Our recommended places to eat and drink are highlighted in each route, with even more suggestions in the directory section, which also contains a wealth of useful practical information, including a range of carefully selected accommodation to suit all budgets. � Pull-out map with useful plotted routes. � Evocative photography captures the stunning scenery of the city. About Insight Guides: Insight Guides has over 40 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce around 400 full-colour print guidebooks and maps as well as picture-packed eBooks to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture together create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure. 'Insight Guides has spawned many imitators but is still the best of its type.' - Wanderlust Magazine
For ten years, Morbid Curiosity was a one-of-a-kind underground magazine that gained a devoted following for its celebration of absurd, grotesque, and unusual tales -- all true -- submitted from contributors around the country and across the world. Loren Rhoads, creator and editor of the magazine, has compiled some of her favorite stories from all ten issues in this sometimes shocking, occasionally gruesome, always fascinating anthology. This quirky book is filled with tales from ordinary people -- who just happen to have eccentric, peculiar interests. Ranging from the outrageous (attending a Black Mass, fishing bodies out of San Francisco Bay, making fake snuff films) to the more "mundane" (visiting a torture museum, tracking real vampires through San Francisco), this curiously enjoyable collection of stories, complete with illustrations and informative asides, will entertain and haunt readers long after the final page is turned.
More than 200 years ago the Bik family left the Netherlands and crossed oceans to seek a new life in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. They were draughtsmen, artists, and government officials, and eventually wealthy landowners. Tanah Abang, the area of Batavia (now Jakarta) where they settled, is an intrinsic part of their story. 250 YEARS IN OLD JAKARTA is for those who love Jakarta's history and are searching for its lost past. It describes the adventures and tragedies of a Dutch family in colonial Jakarta, with emphasis on the family's prominent and influential presence in Tanah Abang. While 98% of the historic buildings of Tanah Abang sadly no longer exist today, the many unique and never before published pictures in this book not only provide a glimpse into a bygone era, but also give the history of Tanah Abang and Jakarta a deeply personal perspective. Sven Verbeek Wolthuys (1968), a direct descendant of the Bik family, has been researching Jakarta's history for over 30 years. In this book he has brought together a vibrant mix of his family's stories and pictures, from the arrival of his very first ancestor in Batavia in 1776 to the current remnants of his family, the few dozen Bik tombstones still found in and around Jakarta today.