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Gofredo, Ramil R.

May 20, 2017


Asian and Filipino Literatures

East Asian Cultures


China
General Facts About Chinese Culture
1 // Although the Han Chinese are the Majority, there are numerous minority races in China.
The Han Chinese make up a whopping 92% of the Chinese population, but there are 55 minority
nationalities recognized by the Chinese government (which means there are likely more than just
55). Each of these minorities have their own customs, languages, dress, and religions. Some of
these minorities include Tibetans, Mongolians, Tus, Yugurs, Yi, and Dai.
2 // Personal Questions Are Not Inappropriate But Familiarity Too Early On Is
When conversing with someone for the first time, dont be caught off guard by personal
questions about your marital status, your salary, your children, or your age. At the same time,
dont become too friendly with your Chinese acquaintances with things like hugging or back
slapping too early on because it may cause them some discomfort.
Etiquette
3 // There is an entire etiquette that revolves around the proper use of chopsticks.
For example, some things that you shouldnt do:
Stick chopsticks upright in a bowl. It means youre offering the rice to the deceased and can be
offensive to your host.
Stick your fingers in your mouth to remove something (like a bone), but instead use your
chopsticks.
Use a pair of chopsticks that are not the same length. This once again represents death as
uneven boards were once used to make coffins.
Chew on chopsticks.
Play drums with your chopsticks.
Dig through the food for the tastier pieces with your chopsticks. This is considered extremely
poor etiquette.
You should, however:
Use public chopsticks if they are available for serving yourself at a restaurant (but you can
always use the reverse end of your chopsticks if they are not).
4 // Gifts will be refused at least once before the receiver will accept them.
In China, it is considered polite if the receiver of the gift refuses it at least once (and in some
cases, three times). This practice has nothing to do with whether or not the gift is desired or not,
so dont take offense. It is custom for the gift giver to insist that the receiver take the gift.
It is also not typical for a gift to be opened in front of the giver, so dont be surprised if the gift is
put away to be opened later.
Conversational Taboos
5 // Compliments arent usually accepted.
In China, accepting a compliment is seen as vain, so many Chinese tend to deflect compliments
with responses like na li, na li which means where? where? Other responses might be along
the lines of not at all or it was nothing.
6 // The three Ts
In China, there are three topics that are typically taboo to discuss: Tibet, Taiwan, and Tiananmen
Square. This isnt to say that they arent discussed at all, especially when you really get to know
people, but their topics that you would be better to stay away from.
7 // Losing Face
Understanding he concept of face both maintaining it and losing it can go a long way
towards helping you better understand different social environments in China. This is very
important and should be considered at all times. You can lose face (or cause someone else to
lose face) by losing your temper, confronting someone, putting someone on the spot, or by
failing to properly respect someone.
Introducing Yourself
8 // Last Names Come First
When you are introduced to someone, it is likely that you will first hear their last name, followed
by their first name. So, for example, in Chinese I would be Kennedy Shannon. Keep this in mind
because Chinese tend to remain more formal than Westerners, especially in terms of address. It
is polite to call someone by their last name and Mr., Miss., or Mrs. Sometimes, in lieu of the the
aforementioned titles, job titles are used such as Manager Wang, CEO Zhang, or Teacher Li. It is
also common for women to keep their maiden names.
9 // Greeting
Shaking hands is often seen as a customary way of meeting new acquaintances. It is also seen
as polite (if not necessary) to stand whenever someone new walks into the room until you have
been introduced and invited to sit once more (unless this person is very obviously your junior at
a business meeting).
When presenting a business card, it is seen as polite to present it with both hands and when
receiving a card, to accept it with both hands. Business cards are often not just reserved for
business gatherings, but for many introductions.
Bonus Cultural Tips
It is rude to point or indicate people/things with your index finger. Instead, use your open palm.
The concept of personal space is not the same in China as in the West, so do not be surprised if
youre pushed while out and about or if you feel as though the person you are speaking with is
too close to you.
Red and gold are always safe colors when selecting gifts or wrapping papers. Black and white,
not so much.
It is uncommon for someone to tell you no outright. Instead they will deflect with responses
such as this is not convenient.
Chinese point to their nose to indicate oneself, not their chest like many Westerners are
accustomed to.
Laughing does not always indicate humor. It is sometimes a response to an uncomfortable
situation.
Always leave something on your plate at the end of the meal otherwise you may find that your
host continues to serve you more food.
When leaving, it is not unusual for your Chinese friends accompany you all the way to your car
(or other mode of transportation). At the least, they will walk you to the elevator or to the door.
2. South Korea
10 Very Cool Facts About South Korean Culture

1. Upon release of Gangnam Style in 2012, South Korean musician Psy, became an unlikely
global treasure; loved and imitated by Prime Ministers and small children alike. Not only did Psy
beat You Tube records as the first person to gain 1 billion views, but he retains his position of
most viewed video with current viewings of 2,802,722,518. Topping the music charts of 30
different countries by the end of 2012, Gangnam Style refers to the wealthy lifestyle within the
Gangnam District of Seoul.
2. South Korean men like to make the most of their appearances and, as such, it is believed that
almost a quarter of men use makeup as part of their daily routine.
3. Women too like to make the most of their appearances which places South Korea in the prime
position of the country with the highest per capita cosmetic procedures globally. It is estimated
that a fifth of South Korean women have undertaken at least one cosmetic procedure (with eyelid
surgery being the most popular).

5. Partnering Japan in this honourable accolade, South Korea has the lowest number of obese
citizens in the world. Well with their healthy diet no wonder!
6. South Korea uses crime re-enactment as a way of demonstrating to the public that it is in full
control in the investigation of crimes which have received wide public attention. Crime re-
enactment involves escorting the accused to the scene in which the crime took place and
ordering them to re-enact what happened. A humiliating event, the accused is photographed by
the media and the public are allowed to spectate. This is something that has attracted
considerable human rights interest as the individuals involved have often yet to be charged. In a
culture where face is everything, the fall out for those who are subsequently found to be
innocent can be devastating.
7. The number four is considered unlucky in South Korea. In much the same way that you wont
find a hospital bed in the UK numbered 13 for example, you wont find the fourth floor in South
Korea and houses wont be numbered 4. Bearers of gifts in South Korea are also unlikely to take
gifts in blocks of four e.g. four red roses. Why is it unlucky? Some claim that it is because it
sounds like the Chinese word for death. Other superstitions suggest that you shouldnt allow
your legs to shake restlessly or your feet to tap about as you are literally shaking off any good
luck that might be coming your way. Its also suggested that you dont give your partner new
shoes as they might use them to run away in.
8. For all those who love takeaway food, you will certainly find Fact Number 8 very cool. The
majority of restaurants including those such as MacDonalds, will deliver food directly to your
door. You dont even need to clean your rubbish up afterwards just leave it outside your door
and the delivery person will pick it up later.

9. Valentines Day takes on a new element in South Korea as men are the subject of gifts and
pampering.

10. Like a number of other cultures, babies in South Korea are considered one year old at birth.
For those not familiar with this concept, (and to confuse you even more), following the New Year
in South Korea, everybody automatically ages a year. If therefore, a new born baby enters the
world in the last week of December as a one year old, then the same child is considered two
years old a couple of weeks later.

Isolation nation
The Korean peninsula has long been a battlefield for the world powers nearby. Japan controlled
Korea (then one nation), until the end of World War II; after Japan's surrender, the United States
and Soviet Union sliced the country along the 38th parallel, with the United States administering
the south and the Soviet Union controlling the north.
This division became permanent after the United Nations failed to negotiate a reunification in
1948. The first president of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, declared a policy of "self-reliance,"
essentially shutting the nation off diplomatically and economically from the rest of the world.
It's a philosophy called iuche, or self-mastery. The idea is that the North Korean people must rely
on themselves only. This philosophy, according to Kim Il Sung, required North Korea to maintain
political and economic independence (even in the face of famine in the 1990s) and to create a
strong national defense system.
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Credit: Neftali / Shutterstock.com


Mythical leaders
North Korea's ruling dynasty has always cast itself as somewhat supernatural. Founder Kim Il
Sung was known as Korea's "sun," and claimed control of the weather. Along with his son Kim
Jong Il's birthday, Kim Il Sung's birthday is a national holiday. After his death, Sung was
embalmed and still lies in state in Pyongyang.
Kim Jong Il's mythology is no less extensive. His birth was hailed as "heaven sent" by
propagandists, and state media has often touted impossible feats: He scored a perfect 300 the
first time he tried bowling, and shot five holes-in-one the first time he played golf. Upon his death
in 2011, the skies about the sacred mountain Paektu in North Korea allegedly glowed red.
[Supernatural Powers? Tales of 10 Historical Predictions]
Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor has yet to have quite so many tall tales told about
him, but the news media have described the new leader as "born of heaven" upon his ascension
to head of state. In December 2012, North Korean state media declared the discovery of a lair
supposedly belonging to a unicorn ridden by Tongmyong, the ancient mythical founder of Korea.
The story wasn't an indication that North Koreans believe in literal unicorns, experts said, but a
way to shore up Kim Jong Un's rule and North Korea's cred as the "real" Korea.
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National prison
All the fanciful and funny myths about North Korea's dictators cover up a disturbing truth,
however: Some 154,000 North Koreans live in prison camps, according to South Korean
government estimates. (Other international bodies put the number at closer to 200,000). There
are six camps, surrounded by electrified barbed wire. Two camps allow for some "rehabilitation"
and release of prisoners, according to "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey
from North Korea to Freedom in the West" (Viking, 2012). The rest are prisons for life.
"Escape from Camp 14" tells the story of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person known to have
escaped from one of these camps and to have made it to the outside world. Shin was born in the
camp; his father was imprisoned because his brother had abandoned North Korea for South
Korea decades earlier.
Torture, malnutrition, slave labor and public execution are ways of life in the camps, which are
known from satellite imagery. An Amnesty International report in 2011 estimated that 40 percent
of camp prisoners die of malnutrition.
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Daily life in North Korea


Given North Korea's secrecy, it's hard to imagine what daily life in the country is really like. In the
book "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" (Spiegel & Grau, 2009), journalist Barbara
Demick interviewed North Koreans who escaped to South Korea. They describe a society tied by
family (during the famine of the 1990s, parents and grandparents starved first, trying to save
food for their children) and inundated with propaganda.
"In the futuristic dystopia imagined in 1984, George Orwell wrote of a world where the only color
to be found was in the propaganda posters. Such is the case in North Korea," Demick writes.
It's not clear how many North Koreans buy into this propaganda. Interviews with North Koreans in
China by the New York Times suggested that smuggled DVDs from South Korea have enabled
average North Koreans to get a glimpse of the world outside their borders.
Very recently, foreign journalists on supervised trips in Pyongyang have been allowed 3G
connections on mobile phones, enabling real-time pictures of daily city life.
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Credit: Dmitry Mikhaylov, Shutterstock


Black markets
North Korea may have begun with communist principles in mind, but very capitalist black
markets have arisen despite government crackdowns, according to The Economist. Some black
market merchants even manage to move goods across the border from China, bringing in food
and raw materials crucial to the country's functioning. Smuggled South Korean DVDs combat the
propaganda of the Kim regime, which tells its citizens that South Koreans are worse off than
they.

Even the government's own tools have been co-opted, according to "Escape from Camp 14."
Vehicle ownership in North Korea is allowed only for the military and the government, and travel
for citizens is severely restricted. But in the 1990s, corrupt military and party elite made a habit
of registering vehicles and then hiring private drivers to pick up people who needed
transportation, essentially creating private taxi companies that are crucial to smuggling
operations around the country.
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Internet lockdown
The Internet is almost completely inaccessible in North Korea, with access only by permission
and for government authorities. North Koreans with access to a computer (people living in major
cities, primarily) can reach only Kwangmyong, a closed domestic network.
Until this year, reporters traveling to North Korea had to turn in their mobile phones at the
border. But in February, the government enabled 3G access for foreigner visitors only.
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Difficult adjustments
With such limited access to the outside world, North Koreans who do make it out often struggle
to adjust. Many are paranoid, a skill that served them well at home where anyone could turn
anyone else in to the police for saying the wrong thing. Some are cognitively impaired by early
malnutrition. And few know anything about world history outside of North Korean propaganda.
[Top 10 Controversial Psychiatric Disorders]
"Education in North Korea is useless for life in South Korea," Gwak Jong-moon, principal of a
boarding school for North Korean refugees, told Blaine Harden, the author of "Escape from Camp
14." "When you are too hungry, you don't go to learn and teachers don't go to teach. Many of our
students have been hiding in China for years with no access to schools. As young children in
North Korea, they grew up eating bark off trees and thinking it was normal."
According to Harden, the suicide rate for North Korean refugees in South Korea is two-and-a-half
times that of the rate for South Koreans.
71 Interesting Facts about Indonesia
The name Indonesia is derived from the Latin word Indus meaning Indian and the Greek
wordnesos meaning island. Indonesia was originally called Indian Archipelago or East Indies
Islands.[12]
The name Indonesia was coined in the 1850s by James Logan, editor of the Singapore-
published Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia, as a shorter equivalent for the term
Indian Archipelago.[11]
Indonesia is the worlds largest country comprised solely of islands. It is composed of 17,508
islands, some 6,000 of which are inhabited. [14]
With 238 million people, Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation in the world, just behind
China, India, and the U.S. The island of Java, with over 140 million people, is the most populous
island in the world.[14]
On September 8, 1664, the Dutch under Pieter Stuyvesant made one of the most bizarre real
estate deals ever when he traded the rights of the island of New Amsterdam (now the island of
Manhattan) for the tiny British-controlled Indonesian island of Run. This transaction was also an
important turning point in American history.[8]

Marco Polo visited Indonesia at the end of the 13th century


Marco Polo was the first European to visit Indonesia, in 1292. [8]
The Indonesia archipelago is spread over the Pacific Ring of Fire that is situated in the Western
Pacific. The country has over 400 active volcanoes and records at least three earthquakes a day.
[11]
Bahasa Indonesia is Indonesias formal language, but the country recognizes more than 700
other languages as well.[14]
Java has become a slang term for the word coffee, after the coffee beans grown on the island of
Java. Coffee bushes and the habit of coffee drinking were introduced by the Dutch East India
Company to Indonesia in 1696.[18]
During World War II, the Japanese invaded and occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945. [14]
Indonesia is the third worst emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. [2]
With its rich variety of flora and fauna, Indonesia is second in the world after Brazil with the
highest level of biodiversity in the world. [11]
Out of the 10 largest islands in the world, three are a part of Indonesia: Borneo, Papua/New
Guinea, and Sumatra.[11]
Despite being one of the G20 group of worlds leading economies, roughly half of Indonesias
population lives on less than US$2 a day. [16]
Indonesia is one of the worlds largest producers of nutmeg, which is native to its Banda Islands.
[8]
Indonesians are superstitious people, and one such belief is in the latah, which happens to
women when they are startled by something like a loud noise. The latah causes women to react
to the noise by using uncharacteristically foul language or falling to the ground in a fit.
Indonesians explain that latah results from the soul leaving the body through sudden fright. [8]
The word ketchup in English comes from the Indonesian word kecap, which is a sweet soy
sauce.[8]
Indonesians do not openly discuss sex. The general term in Bahasa Indonesia for both male and
female sexual organs is kemaluan, meaning shame or embarrassment. [8]

Indonesia's highway to hell


Jakarta, Indonesia, is the worlds largest population center without a metro train system that
results in some of the worst traffic jams in the world. [11]
Indonesia men admire virility, and the term jago (rooster) characterizes a man who is
successful with women. Indonesian men admire the philandering reputations of U.S. Presidents
like John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.[8]
Indonesian societies tend to be very tolerant of alternate expressions of gender. Banci are men
who dress and behave like women and have held special places in Indonesian culture and
society, such as matchmakers, artisans, performers, healers, and ritual specialists. [8]
In Indonesia, kissing is called cium (to sniff). Most Indonesians kiss by sniffing each others
cheeks, by way of standard greeting. In some places in Indonesia, people rub noses among
family to show affection, but it can also become foreplay as well. [8]
Popular in Indonesia, Conglak (cowrie shell) traces back to Egypt as among the worlds oldest
game. Likely introduced to Indonesia by Indian or Arab traders, Conglak consists of a long (18-
inch) carved, wooden board with seven cup-like indentations on each side and one at each end.
Initially, 98 cowrie shells, stones, or beads sit evenly divided in the recessions. The object is to
move as many pieces into ones home cup as possible. [8]
Kalimantanwhich shares three-quarters of the Indonesian island of Borneo, the worlds third-
largest islandhas integrated prostitution to a degree perhaps unmatched anywhere else in the
world. Most hotel spas, massage centers, karaoke bars, night clubs, and pubs offer the extras.
Kalimantan society as a whole turns a blind eye to the practice, but many Muslim-run hotels still
demand that couples produce a marriage license before checking in. [11]
Adult male orangutans, found in the wild only on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra,
are said to be eight times stronger than a human. [11]
Pepper was introduced to Indonesias Sumatra and Java from south India around 600 B.C. Black
pepper is the result of picking unripened fruits and drying them in the sun, while white pepper
comes from larger fruits left on the vine until ripe. [18]
Muslims make up 87.2% of Indonesian population, which makes it the worlds largest Muslim
majority nation.[14]

There are over 202 million Muslims in Indonesia


The Javan rhinoceros is one species that is found only in Indonesia. In 2011, the International
Rhino Federation declared the Javan rhino extinct, leaving only an estimated 50 of these animals
living on Javas Ujung Kulon Peninsula, the only examples left in the wild. [12]
Jakarta, which was called Batavia by the Dutch, is the capital of Indonesia and is the 13th largest
city in the world.[11]
The island of Sumatra was originally known as Swarnadwipa (Island of Gold). It was Marco Polo
who corrupted the name to Sumatra in his 1292 report on his journey through the Indonesian
archipelago.[11]
Indonesia is the only country to see the Komodo dragon, the worlds largest lizard, in the wild.
The first published description of the Komodo dragon was in 1910 from a Dutch expedition to
Komodo Island, where two of the dragons were shot and their skins taken to Java. One theory
holds that the Chinese dragon is based on the Komodo dragon. [11]
Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian country to have been a member of OPEC, although it left
the cartel in 2008 due to the decline in world oil prices. [6]
Indonesia is home to the Rafflesia arnoldii, the worlds largest flower, which may be the worlds
stinkiest flower as well, and Amorphophallus titanium, the worlds tallest flower.[11]
Rafflesia arnoldii has the largest single flower of any flowering plan
Indonesia is the worlds largest producer of palm oil, which can be found in roughly half of the
manufactured goods in any supermarket or drug store. Everything from peanut butter to soap to
cosmetics contains palm oil in various forms.[15]
The Indonesian government recognizes only six religionsIslam, Hinduism, Buddhism,
Protestantism, Catholicism, and Confucianism. Every Indonesian citizen must belong to one of
those religions, regardless of what they believe, and two individuals of different religions may not
legally marry, unless one of them converts.[10]
Indonesia is home to the worlds largest volcanic lake, Danau (Lake) Toba, which is located on
Sumatra and is the site of a massive super-volcano eruption that is thought to have happened
69,000 to 77,000 years ago. It was the largest known explosive eruption in Earths history in the
last 25 million years.[11]
Among the Mappurondo on the Indonesian island of Borneo, they still practice headhunting in the
ritual of pangngae; however, they use coconuts instead of real heads during their simulated
hunts.[9]
The phrase run amok originated in Indonesia. Amok comes from the Indonesian
wordmengamuk, which translates to make a furious and desperate charge but is linked to
deeper spiritual beliefs. It was believed to be caused by hantu belian, an evil tiger spirit that
entered ones body and caused one to do heinous acts. [18]
In Indonesia, frog-leg soup is known as swikee or swike
Indonesia is the worlds leading exporter of frog legs. During the last decade, Europe alone
imported 4,600 tons annually, with France, Belgium, and the Netherlands being the main
importers.[1]
Indonesias small Hindu population remains mainly on the island of Bali. One of Balinese
Hinduisms superstitions that endures to this day is the not letting a babys feet touch the ground
for the first six months of their life to prevent the devil from entering the child and, as a result,
children are passed from adult to adult instead. [4]
Almost everyone in Bali has had their teeth filed down. This practice is rooted in the belief that
the six main vicesanger, confusion, jealousy, drunkenness, desire, and greedall enter the
body through the top six teeth. By filing away the teeth, the vices are thwarted. [4]
In 1859, The English naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace wrote Charles Darwin that the Indonesian
archipelago was inhabited by one distinct fauna in the east and one in the west. He refined his
theory, drawing a boundary between the two regions. His delineation became known as the
Wallace Line, dividing Sulawesi and Lombok to the east and Borneo and Bali to the west. [7]
The famous Java Man fossil, subsequently named Homo erectus, was found by Dutch physician
Eugene Dubois on the Indonesian island of Java in 1889. Since then, even older bones have been
found in Java, and geochronologists have dated the oldest Homo erectus specimens to 1.7 million
years old.[11]
U.S. President Barack Obama spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, including a period in the
exclusive central suburb of Menteng, where he attended the SDN Menteng I government-run
school. He was given the nickname Barry by his fellow students there. [11]

Krakatoa's explosion is widely believed to be the loudest sound ever heard in modern history
Krakatoa, a volcano in Indonesia, is the site of the largest volcanic eruption ever recorded.
Occurring on August 27, 1883, it had a force equivalent to 2,000 Hiroshima bombs and resulted
in the death of 36,000 people. A tsunami 131 feet (40 m) high, radiating outward at a speed
reportedly of over 311 mph (500 kph), destroyed coastal towns and villages. The explosion was
heard from Sri Lanka to Perth, Australia, and the resulting waves led to a noticeable surge in the
English Channel. It was the greatest volume of sound recorded in human history. [7]
Clove-impregnated kretek cigarette sales account for 90% of the cigarette sales in Indonesia.
They were fist marketed by Nitsemito, a man from Kudus, Java, in 1906, who said kretek helped
his asthma. His Bal Tiga (Three Balls) brand grew into one of the biggest Indonesian-owned
businesses in the Dutch East Indies. [11]
According to the old Javanese tradition of pingit, or confinement, Indonesian girls from the ages
of 12 to 16 are virtually imprisoned and forbidden outside the family home. [11]
On the Indonesian island of Flores in September 2003, archaeologists discovered a skeleton the
size of a three-year-old child but with the worn-down teeth and bone structure of an adult. They
named the skeleton Homo floriensis, later nicknamed Hobbit. Experts think that Hobbits were
part of Homo erectus species that fled from Africa around two million years ago and spread
throughout Asia.[11]
The Indonesia Pasola has to be the most extravagant and bloodiest harvest festivals in Asia. Two
teams of spear-wielding ikat-clad horsemen gallop at each other, hurling their spears at rival
riders. Despite the blunt spears, injuries and occasional accidental deaths still occur. [11]
Papuans, native to the worlds second largest island Papua/New Guinea, are Melanesians and
very distinct from other Indonesians. The Portuguese, who originally discovered New Guinea and
its surrounding islands in the early 16th century, originally called the islands Ilhas dos Papuas,
from the Malay word papuwah (fuzzy-haired). [11]
Bird of Paradise feathers have long been used in Papua traditional dress and they became so
popular as European fashion accessories before World War I that the birds came close to
extinction. Trade in the feathers has been illegal in Indonesia since 2000, although the feathers
are still smuggled out of Papua. [11]

Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist temple


The Buddhist temple of Borobudur on the Indonesian island of Java is the largest Buddhist
monument in the world. It resembles a nine-tiered mountain, rising to 113 feet (34.5 m) tall. It
is said to have taken 75 years to complete.[7]
Among the Dani tribe in Papua/New Guinea, Indonesia, one of the most unusual customs is to
amputate one or two joints of a womans finger when a close relative dies. Many Daniwomen
have fingers missing up to their second joint, although this practice is now prohibited. [11]
On December 26, 2004, the worlds second largest recorded earthquake, a 9.3+ magnitude
quake, struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The resulting tsunami hit more
than a dozen countries around the Indian Ocean, leaving more than 300,000 dead or missing and
millions displaced. The force of the earthquake is said to have caused Earth to wobble on its axis
and shifted surrounding land masses by up to 12 ft. (36 m). [11]
After the explosion of the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa, it was recorded that so much ash filled
the sky that it was darkened for days and global temperatures were reduced by 53 F (12 C) for
several years.[11]
Indonesian nasi Padang (Padang cuisine) is served without a menu. If the dish contains a liquid,
it is probably a coconut-milk curry, and meaty dishes are usually beef, buffalo, occasionally offal,
or even dog. The most famous Padang dish is rendang, in which chunks of beef or water buffalo
are slowly simmered in coconut milk.[11]
The myth of the orang pendek (short man) is the Indonesian version of the Western Sasquatch.
Common folk stories claim the creature has feet that face backwards so it cant be tracked
through the forests.[11]
The passing of a so-called anti-pornography law in 2008 potentially made many forms of
Indonesian behavior illegal, from wearing penis gourds on Papua to the modest gyrations of
traditional Javanese dancers.[11]

Each of its eyes is actually heavier than its brain


One of Indonesias most interesting critters is the tiny nocturnal primate called the tarsier. These
creatures, found on Sulawesi Island, are recognizable by their eyes, which are literally as big as
their stomachs, so big they cannot rotate them in their sockets. Luckily, their heads can rotate
360 to compensate.[11]
In the 1650s and 1660s, Banten Islands Sultan Ageng Tirtajasa decreed that all men aged 16 or
over must plant 500 pepper plants. [11]
The Asia-Africa Conference staged in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955 launched the Non-aligned
Movement, comprising countries that wanted to align with neither the USA nor USSR. It also gave
birth to the term Third World, originally meaning countries that belonged to neither Cold War
bloc.[11]
The film and novel titled The Year of Living Dangerously was inspired by a major 1964 speech by
Indonesian Founding Father Sukarno and was drawn from Italian leader Mussolinis slogan Live
Dangerously, which was originally penned by 19th-century Germany philosopher Friedrich
Nietzsche.[11]
Arguably one of Indonesias stranger exports is Kopi Luwak (Cat Poop Coffee), which is the
worlds most expensive beverage, costing around US$1,000 per pound. Kopi Luwak is made by
feeding small, catlike civets coffee berries. After they defecate, the berries are collected, washed,
and ground into coffee, which supposedly has an unrivaled richness and little bitterness. [5]
The word sembako refers to Indonesias nine essential culinary ingredients: rice, sugar, egg,
meat, flour, corn, fuel, cooking oil, and salt. When any of these becomes unavailable or more
expensive, repercussions can be felt right through to the presidency. [11]
Batik painting, a blend of craft and art, remains popular in Yogyakarta on Indonesias island of
Java, where it was invented as a pastime for unemployed youth. [11]

The word "gamelan" means 'to hammer'


In Indonesia, traditional music is played by a gamelan orchestra. This is a percussion ensemble
consisting of bronze metallophones (instrument with tuned metal keys), led by drums, and
containing a few wind and stringed instruments too. Most villagers in Bali own at least one set of
gamelan instruments for ritual occasions.[3]
Papua is home to more than half the animal and plant species in Indonesia, including more than
190 mammals, 550 breeding birds, and more than 2,000 types of orchids. [11]
In Indonesia, rice in the field is called padi, rice grain at the market is called beras, and cooked
rice on your plate is called nasi.[11]
Indonesias national dish is nasi campur, which is essentially the plate of the day. Served in
stalls, warungs (small shops or cafs), and restaurants, it is always a combination of many dishes
and flavors.[11]
Indonesian children on Bali are traditionally always given at least four names. [3]
Electricity and television came to Bali, Indonesia, only in the last quarter of the 20th century. [3]
19TH JUNE 2015
20 Marvellous Facts about Myanmar (Burma)
Myanmar is the official title of this great country, however, in the UK and USA it is more
commonly known as Burma. This is because the UK and USA do not accept the change in name
from Burma made in 1989.
Burma is a country rich in history and culture in South East Asia.
It shares a border with China to the north and north east, Laos and Thailand to the east and
south east and Bangladesh and India to the west. It also has a coastline along the Andaman Sea
and Bay of Bengal to the south.
As the largest country in mainland South East Asia, Burma has an area of 261,218 square miles
(676,552 square kilometres).
Burmas population was 55.8 million in 2014.
This country has a humungous capital city called Nay Pyi Taw (also known
as Naypyidaw somewhat fitting that a country with two names should have a capital with two
names!); it covers an area of 2723.6 square miles (7054 square kilometres) yet has a population
of just 924,608 (2009).
Apparently, Burmese locals never get their hair cut on a Monday, Friday or on their birthday
because they believe it to be unlucky.
The terrain here is a mix of central lowlands surrounded by steep, rugged highlands.
If you fancy approaching by boat through the Bay of Bengal, the coordinates for Burma are
22.0000 N, 96.0000
Burma enjoys a tropical monsoon climate with hot, cloudy and humid summers and mild, less
humid less cloudy winters.
The average life expectancy here is 57 years.
To purchase a few pints of local beer, remember to exchange your money for Kyat (pronounced
chat), the currency of Burma.
Burmese is the official language of Burma.
In Burma, it is commonplace for both men and women to use a yellow paste made from the bark
of the Thanakha tree on their faces. It is used to both tighten the skin and prevent oiliness, but
also as an effective sunblock!
When needing the attention of a waiter, locals use a kissing sound, much like you would to get
the attention of a cat!
A favourite pastime of the Burmese is to chew Betel Quids. This is a green Betel leaf, about the
size of the palm of your hand, filled with Areca nuts, spices, lime and tobacco, folded up into a
little parcel. You can find street stalls throughout Burma selling these tasty snacks, although we
wouldnt recommend it as it can stain your teeth and has been linked to oral cancer!
They grow rice, pulses, sesame, beans and teak and catch fish.
The countrys industry consists of woven and knitted apparel, wood and wood products,
agricultural processing, copper, tin and tungsten.
Burma exports wood products, gas, fish, rice, beans and pulses.
The international dialling code for Burma is 0095.
Eating rice culture in Laos:
90% of the Lao people consume sticky rice. The basket which keeps the rice after steaming is
called Tikao or kongkao and can be taken to every where. The arrangement of food is on the food
big plate. The main food are Lap, Koy, Ping.

Housing culture and tradition in Laos:


Houses, especially the ones of the low land Lao (Lao Lum) are built on stilts and have free apace
underneath that roofs a triangle wind plates on each side. These are 2 types of houses; single
and a double roofed how many steps on the stairs depends on the height of the house, but
traditionally they made uneven numbers such as: 3 steps, 5 steps, 7 steps and 9 steps.

Lao Ways of dressing:


Costumes depend on gender and age but regarding to the culture, Loa women dressed properly,
because they are mothers of the nation in tradition, Lao women wear the silk skirts, blouses and
scarves to attend important ceremonies. Design of Lao women skirts : 1. Design with upper and
lower parts. 2. Not too short and too long. 3. The upper part over the waist. 4. Lower part of skirt
suitable. 5. Not too sexy. Attending significant events, Lao women wear scarves and coiled hair
styles. Lao men wear salong, big large pants or the peasant pants to attend the important
ceremonies. Paekaoma is used for cleaning the body, covering the head and others. The
costumes in the previous periods : Laos is one old nation in South East Asia . This place where
was called Souvannaphoum and some Lao were settled in South of China called Anachak Ai-Lao.
Due to the wars Lao migrated southward and established Monarchy Nanechao. The first king was
named Sinoulo, governor of Nongsae as Chinese called Talifu town. It was capital city of
Nanechao had peace for quite a long time. The first governor called Nanechao-ong. Main
occupations were cultivation, animal husbandry and textile weavings. Hair style were coiled
down to both sides down to the back and ear rings. Men and women dressed same styles of
pants of shirts made by textile no colour and they did not have any decoration wares.

Occupation information on Laos:


Rice cultivation, animal husbandry, raising silk worms and handicrafts were main occupations
additional Activities were trading, fishery, workers in the plants or officials.

Lao Culture & Society:


Smiles, Loves liberty, no quarrels, no oppression, respect the nation, reputation and honor with
their lives. Commonly Lao people are fully of love and respect others. "To visit north or south,
meal can be requested, but visitors, no need to study in the hotels or pay for food".
Sensation:
Friendship, love and peace are sit the hearts of Lao people. They hate oppressors. Our slogan
said United we survive and separate, we die. We hate the conflicts and we can give excuse to
others if the cases are reasonable. Lao territory is very wide. We like literature and arts, Many
poets are stories were written by our great authors namely : Phousonelane, grand father teaches
grand son, lanesonephu, grandson teaches grandfather, sonelork in thangane soneluk.
Phravetsanedone. Champasitonh, the 4 champa flower trees, kalaket, Tengone. Soulivong
kunthung-kuntheuang and others were written in palm leaves these above poetry are our
national heritage designed our ancestor hearts to give us the best loves to our nation.
Vietnams history and culture
1. Legend has it that the peoples of this land originated from a union between an immortal
Chinese princess and The Dragon Lord of the Seas.
2. The countrys name was originally spelled as two words, Viet Nam.
3. Their culture is a complex adaptation of Chinese, Japanese, French and American colonial
influences.
4. In 938 AD, the Vietnamese developed a trade system to exchange animal skins, ivory and
tropical goods for Chinese scrolls on administration, philosophy and literature.
5. The body of their first president Ho Chi Minh (Uncle Ho) was embalmed, and is on display in a
mausoleum.
6. Their flag consists of a golden star with five points to represent farmers, workers, intellectuals,
youth and soldiers. The red background pays tribute to the bloodshed during the wars.
7. Traditional Vietnamese culture revolves around the core values of humanity, community,
harmony, and family.
8. Tet Nguyen Dan (or simply Tet) is the most important festival in Vietnam. It celebrates rebirth,
and is an equivalent of the Lunar New Year.
9. They also have a love market festival that is observed to commemorate a tragic forbidden
love story, and to give modern day ex-lovers a chance to meet on neutral territory.
10. Vietnamese traditional fashion is easily distinguished by the flowing robes (Ao Dai) and
conical hats (Non La).

Vietnams art and architecture


11. Their famous Dong Son drums are a relic of the sophisticated Bronze Age culture between
500 BC and 300 AD.
12. Water puppetry is another popular art form that dates back as far as the 11th century.
Interesting facts about Vietnam: Water Puppetry. Image Source
13. Construction styles vary from traditional stilt houses and Chinese style pagodas to colonial
French architecture and thin tube houses.
14. Hoi An ancient town was a trading port from the 15th century that has endured up to date.
15. The My Son Sanctuary is a structural display of Hindu tower temples developed over ten
centuries.
16. Hues royal tombs are a vivid portrayal of ancient royal art, architecture and geomancy.
17. In religious construction, pagodas are for worship and offerings, while temples are built to
honor historical figures.
18. Thu Phap calligraphy involves blowing beauty into every single character.
19. Quan Ho folk songs are love duets between male and female singers considered by UNESCO
to be an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, Geography and Landscape.
20. Rice terraces are planted that way to enable the crop to grow along the steep mountainsides.
21. Fansipan, also known as The Roof of Indochina is the highest mountain peak in the region.
22. The Red River in the North and Mekong in the South are surrounded byextremely fertile
plains on which most of the countrys crops are grown.
23. Vietnam is also home to the worlds largest cave, Son Doong.
24. The Bin Chau Hotsprings are hot enough to boil eggs.
25. The Perfume River is so named due to the scent of the tropical flowers that fall onto the
water during autumn.
One of Malaysias oldest names, Aurea Chersonesus, means peninsula of gold. It was given
by Greco-Roman geographer Ptolemy in his book Geographia, written about A.D. 150. Malaysia is
actually more famous as the worlds second largest producer of refined tin. [13]
The name Malaysia may derive from the word Melayu, or Malay, that could come from the
Sungai Melayu (Melayu River) in Sumatra. The rivers name is derived from the Dravidian (Tamil)
word malai, or hill.[14]
Malaysia is the only country that includes territory both on the mainland of Southeast Asia
and in the islands that stretch between the Asian continental mass and Oceania. [2]
Borneo is the third largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea. Three
countries share the island: the Independent Sultanate of Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. [12]
Malaysias Kuala Kangsar district office is the home of the last surviving rubber tree from the
original batch brought by Englishman H.N. Ridley from Londons Kew Gardens in 1877. [9]
Local time has been adjusted in peninsular Malaysia a total of eight times. The last
adjustment happened on January 1, 1982, when Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, then prime minister,
decided that the entire country would follow the time in Sabah and Sarawak. Before that, both
islands were 30 minutes ahead of peninsular Malaysia. [14]
Malaysia's total highway length is longer than the Earth's circumference
Malaysia has 40,934 miles (65,877 km) of highway. This is more than Earths circumference
of 24,901 miles (40,075 km).[3]
The biggest roundabout in the world is located at Putrajaya in Malaysia. It is 2.2 miles (3.5
km) in diameter.[7]
Tongkat Alia small tree with thick, deep, and straight roots and very common in the forest
hills of Malaysiais called Malay Viagra because it has shown to have a testosterone-like effect
on mice. Extracts of tongkat ali are being used in power drinks combined with coffee and
ginseng.[6]
The largest undivided leaf in the world, Alocasia macrorrhiza, comes from the Malaysian state
of Sabah. A specimen found in 1966 measured 9.9 feet (3.02 m) long by 6.3 (1.92 m) wide. [3]
The Japanese invaded Malaysia on December 6, 1941, the same day they bombed Pearl
Harbor. They landed at Khota Baru and stole bicycles in every town they took on their way to
Singapore, making the trip in 45 days.[4]
Before the 19th century, the sultans of the Malay Peninsula would order some executions to
be carried out using the kris, a ceremonial dagger. The executioner would stand with a long kris
behind the condemned man. A small piece of cotton was placed on the shoulder of the
condemned man to stop the bleeding. The execution would hold the blade of the kris
perpendicularly and then drive it down through the collarbone into the condemned mans heart.
Death was almost instantaneous. The cotton wool was held in place as the blade was withdrawn.
[4]
Found in 1991, Perak Man is the oldest (about 11,000 years old) and the only complete
human skeleton to be found in Peninsular Malaysia. [1]
Malaysias currency is called the ringgit, which means jagged in Malay, and originally
referred to the separated edges of Spanish silver dollars widely circulated in the region. [4]
Seventeen-year-old Kok Shoo Yin became the first Malaysia citizen certificate holder when he
received his official documentation on November 14, 1957. [15]
Among the Iban community on Malaysias Sarawak province, before a newborn baby is
named, they are affectionately called ulat (worm), irrespective of their gender. When the baby
is named, they must be named after a deceased relative, for fear that using a living relatives
name might shorten the babys life. When the parents have chosen a few names, rice balls are
made, each representing a name. The first rice ball pecked at by a manok tawai (fighting cock)
determines the childs name.[3]
Grapefruit is a cross between a pomelo and an orange
One of the indigenous fruits found in Malaysia is the pomelo ( Citrus maxima), which is the
largest citrus fruit in the world. It can reach the size of a small football and weighs from 2.26.7
lbs. (13 kg).[13]
Malaysia is reported to have more than 1,000 species of plants that have medicinal properties
that are used for treating ailments from headaches to malaria and cholera. The Bintangor trees
(Callophylum lanigerum var. austrocoriaceum), found only on Sarawak, are believed to have
properties that could help cure the HIV virus, which causes AIDS. [12]
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has recorded 200 rainy days in a year. The city of Kuching in
Sarawak holds the unenviable record of rainy days in a year with 253. [8]
In August 1997, a model of the Malaysian flag was completed out of 10,430 floppy disks. [8]
Caning is a common punishment under Malaysian law. The maximum number of strokes that
can be ordered is 24. Women can never be caned, nor can boys under the age of 10 or men over
50, except for rape.[8]
The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were the worlds tallest buildings from 1998
2004. They are still regarded as the worlds tallest twin buildings. The two buildings are joined
by a sky bridge at levels 41 and 41, which are 558 feet (170 m) off the ground. [9]
What is known as the Sidek serve in badminton was invented by the Malaysian Sidek
brothers in the early 1980s. It caused the shuttle to move in a deceptively, erratic manner, and
which confused both opponents and officials. It was later banned by the International Badminton
Association.[3]
Malaysias national dish is Nasi lemak, a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk, often
served wrapped in a banana leaf, and usually eaten for breakfast. [9]
Malaysia is the only place in the world where the war against Communism was won. The 12-
year guerrilla warfare conducted by Communist forces was finally put down in 1960. This period
was known as the Malayan Emergency.[9]
According to a survey in 2010, Malaysians had the highest number of Facebook friends, with
an average of 233. The Japanese were the pickiest with only 29 friends. [7]
Petronas is the only Malaysian company in the Fortune Global 500. One of the most profitable
companies in the world, it accounted for about a third of the Malaysian governments estimated
RM 183 billion (US$55 billion) revenue in 2011. [9]
The largest cave chamber in the world by area is the Sarawak Chamber in Gunung Mulu
National Park in Malaysias Sarawak. It is often claimed that the corridor of Deer Cave, a 1-
mile-/1.6-km-long passage of the caves, could house five rows of eight Boeing 747 jetliners
parked nose to tail.[10]
Malaysia boasts some of the largest and longest caves in the world
The Sultanate of Kedah on the Malay Peninsula is one of the oldest in the world, established in
A.D. 1136.[13]
Some buildings in Malaysia do not have a fourth floor. They are replaced by 3A as the
sound of four (s) is similar to the sound of death in Chinese (s ). [7]
Malaysia has nine distinct royal families, or hereditary state rulers, the highest number in the
world. The Malaysian king (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) is elected from these for a 5-year term as
ceremonial head of state.[13]
Bario, in Sarawaks Kelabit Highlands, is the most isolated settlement in Malaysia, There are
no roads available in this remote corner and everything has to be transported by airplane. [7]
Covering only 27 acres (11 ha), Bukit Nanas, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is among the
smallest patches of rainforest in the world. It is Malaysias oldest nature reserve. [4]
In Malaysia, a heart bypass surgery can be done for approximately US$9,000. The same
operation costs around $130,000 in the U.S. [7]
Malaysias Kinabalu National Park is home to the parasitic Rafflesia arnoldii, or corpse flower.
It totally embeds itself into the host plant and the only part that is visible is the flower. Its bloom
can be up to 3-feet (1-m) wide and weigh 15 lbs. (6.8 kg). [13]
Malaysias Taman Negara (literally, national park) is one of the oldest rainforests on Earth.
At 130,000 million years, it is older than the tropical rainforests of the Amazon and the Congo
Basins. It supports more than 10,000 species of plants, 1,000 types of butterflies, 140 types of
animals, 350 bird species, 100 kinds of snakes, and 150,000 kinds of insects. [4]
The diversity of trees is higher than almost any other site in the world
According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Malaysia has developed into the ninth
most visited country in the world, with 23.6 million visitors in 2009. [13]
Malaysia is the worlds third largest natural rubber producer. In 2011, the country produced
996,673 metric tons of rubber. It is also famous for being the worlds largest supplier of rubber
gloves.[13]
Malaysia boasts being the home of the worlds tallest tropical tree, the Tualang, which has a
base diameter of over 10 feet (3 m) and reaches heights of around 262 feet (80 m). [13]
Orangutan, or man of the forest in Malay, is humans closest relative and Asias only great
ape. Orangutans can be found only in the wild in Borneo and Sumatra. [13]
Malay Muslim children traditionally kiss their parents hands and beg their forgiveness for any
offences the previous year on Hari Raya Puasa, which is the celebration at the end of Ramadan
(Muslim fasting month). This practice is called salam.[13]
Traditionally, pregnant Malaysian women may not kill, tie, or mangle anything, for this may
result in birth marks or a deformed baby. They also may not carry fire or water behind their backs
or look at anything ugly or frightening.[13]
Malay brides wear their engagement rings on the fourth finger of their right hand. The ring is
placed there by a senior female relative of the groom, instead of the groom himself. [13]
The Malay Chinese often follow the Chinese lunar calendar. They celebrate the beginning of
the new moon by lighting incense sticks (joss sticks) or burning hell money in big-bellied
incinerators. Hell money is the term for banknotes of huge denominations (not real), sold for a
few dollars per bundle, that humans use to pay Celestial debts. [13]
A bomoh is a shaman in Malaysia, known for his healing powers, protective magic, and
knowledge of medicinal herbs. Many kampong sports teams employ magic to help them win. A
bomoh blows holy smoke over the teams soccer boots or equips them with amulets. If he can
get to the field before the match, he may also plant a little charm near the goalposts. [13]
Malaysians keep careful watch over a body before it is buried because it is believed that if a
cat happens to jump over the coffin, the corpse will come back as a ghoul. Chinese Malays are
also known to visit graveyards in the dead of night bearing offerings in the hope of receiving
lucky lottery numbers from dead relatives.[13]
Muslims make up 61.3% of the Malaysian population
Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, mainly practiced by the Malays. Non-Malays mainly
follow the religions of Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism. [13]
Bahasa Malay, the official language of Malaysia, has no written script of its own. Islamic
missionaries brought with them the Koran and a system of writing that could be used to
transcribe Malay quite accurately. This script is known as jawi and is still used for some religious
and formal purposes.[13]
In Malaysia, it is generally considered rude to point at people or things with the index finger.
A bent index finger or thumb is used to pointor, rather, to knucklein the right direction. [13]
A traditional form of Malaysian entertainment is the pantun, where men compose humorous
quatrains to challenge the women. One of the women answers, usually with a stinging response.
Another man then speaks up, and another women rebuts. This merry exchange goes on until
dawn and is enjoyed by Malaysians both young and old. [13]
The history of Malaysia has been recorded in Seharah Melayu (The Malay Annals). It begins
with Alexander the Great, who is said to be the ancestor of Malay royalty. [13]
The Malaysian sport sepak takraw (hit the ball) resembles volleyball. Originating in the
courts of Siam (Thailand) and Melaka, it used to involve two or more players who formed a circle
and kicked, shouldered, and headed a hollow rattan ball to one another. The object was to keep
the ball from touching the ground. Players can use everything but their hands to keep the ball in
the air. Exact rules were drawn up and the game was formally introduced in the Southeast Asia
Games in 1965.[13]
Malaysians consider themselves either Bumiputra or non-Bumiputra. Bumiputra means son
of the soil. Indian Muslims are Bumiputra, but Malaysians with ancestors from other places such
as China are not.[9]
During the Hindu festival of Deepavali (Festival of Light) in Malaysia, some devotees impose
various forms of self-torture upon themselves by passing a Vel Kavadi, or piercing, through their
cheeks and mouths. Amazingly, the Kavadi bearers claim to be in a trance and do not bleed or
feel any pain.[9]
The largest insect egg in Malaysia comes from the 6-inch (15-cm) Malaysian Stick Insect
(Heteopteryx dilitata), which lays eggs that measure 0.5 inch (1.3 cm), making them larger than
a peanut.[2]
The fish spas found in Malaysia bring a new meaning to the phrase feeding the fishes.
Customers immerse their feet into a tank filled with small Garra rufa and Cyprinion
macrostomus, also known as Doctor Fish, which gently nibble away at the dead skin on their feet.
[9]
Malaysia has one of Asia's largest populations of King Cobras
Malaysia is home to one of the worlds largest populations of king cobras ( Ophiophagus
Hannah). They are the worlds longest venomous snakes with lengths up to 18.8 feet (5.7 m).
The longest known king cobra was kept captive at the London Zoo and grew to around 18.8 feet
before being put down at the outbreak of World War II. [16]
The Gomantong Caves are Sabahs most famous source of the swiftlet nest, used for the
rarest, most revered, and strength-inducing of Chinese dishes, Birds Nest Soup. Swiftlets make
their nests out of their own dried spit, which is the main ingredient in the soup. When added to
the broth, the swiftlet spit dissolves and becomes gelatinous. There are two types of swiftlet
nests, black and white. White are more valuable because they are made entirely of spit. A
kilogram of white swiftlet spit can bring in over US $4,000. [9]
The English word ketchup is thought to be derived from the Hokkien word ke-tsiap, which
describes a fermented dish sauce brought by Chinese traders to Melaka, Malaysia, where it was
first encountered by Europeans. [9]
The Malay word laksa is thought to derive from the Persian word for noodle, lakhsha(slippery).
The Oxford Companion to Food speculates that pasta was introduced to Indonesia and then
Malaysia by Arab traders or Indian Muslims in the 13th century. [9]
Betel nuts, the dried seed of the Areca or Pinang palm tree, are prized for their mildly narcotic
and supposedly aphrodisiac qualities. Chewing it is said to freshen the breath, relax the mind,
and stimulate passion. The ritual chewing of this nut used to be common across Malaysia, but is
mainly confined to rural areas today. In the past, brides would chew betel nut to blacken their
teeth, considered an attractive sign of status. Today, betel nut decorations are still presented at
weddings and festivals as a gift. [4]
Malaysias national drink is teh tarik (pulled tea), which is tea that is thrown across a
distance of about 3 feet (1 m) by Mamak men, from one cup to another, with no spillages. The
idea is to let it cool down for customers, but it has become a Malaysian art form. [5]
The ultimate sunken treasure trove lies in what remains of the Flor de la Mar at the bottom of
Malaysias Strait of Melaka. The Portuguese vessel, captained by Admiral Alfonso dAlbuquerque,
is thought to be the richest ship ever lost. In July 1511, the ship capsized in a storm off the
northeastern coast of Sumatra, along with its spoils taken from Malacca over a course of eight
years. The wreck was discovered in 1989 by an Italian specialist in underwater wrecks and an
Australian marine historian. Sothebys of London valued the treasure recovered from the Flor de
la Mar at US$9 billion.[5]
Sarawaks capital is the city of Kuching, which means cat in Malay. Local legend has it that
James Brooke, the first of the White Rajahs, pointed toward the settlement across the river and
asked what it was called. Whoever he asked mistakenly thought Brooke was pointing to a passing
cat. Or, Kuching may have been named after the wild cats (kucing hutan) that were commonly
seen along the banks of the Sarawak River in the 19th century. Most likely, the town may have
been originally known as Cochin (port), a common word used across India and Indochina. [5]
Known as condominiums of the jungle, the average Malaysian longhouse may have 20 to 25
doors, and some have as many as 60. Each door represents one family, and many families may
share one longhouse.[5]
The states of Sabah and Sarawak have their own immigration laws, so a passport is required
for all Malaysians when travelling between East and Peninsular Malaysia. [13]
In Malaysia, there is no funny business while watching a movie
In 1997 , the Malaysian state of Kelantan decreed that the lights would be kept on in all movie
cinemas in order to deter people from kissing and cuddling. [8]
Although headhunting has been largely stamped out in Borneo, there is still the odd reported
case once every few years. Up until the 20th century, headhunting was commonplace among the
many Dayak tribes of Malaysia, and the Iban were the most fearsome of all. The skulls they took
were considered trophies of manhood. Many Dayak tribes continue to celebrate their
headhunting ceremonially. For example, the Adat Ngayau ceremony uses coconut shells wrapped
in leaves as substitute for freshly cut heads. [5]
One of the more exotic Malaysian features of upriver sexuality on Borneo is the palang(penis
pin). The men entertain their women by drilling a hole in their organs, into which they insert a
range of items, aimed at attracting and satisfying their partners. Objects ranging from pigs
bristles and bamboo shavings to pieces of metal, seeds, and broken glass have been used. It is
said many Dayak men even have the tattoo man drill a hole through their penises. [5]
Jimmy Choo, the world-renowned shoe designer, was born in Penang, Malaysia, in 1961. His
creations were a favorite of the late Princess Diana. He was awarded an OBE from Queen
Elizabeth II in 20
Geography
Modern China is a vast country. It is the world's fourth largest country and
is home to approximately 1.25 billion people - nearly a quarter of the Yangzi river
world's population.
It has a great variety of climates and terrains. The south is wet and tropical, with some rainforest
coverage. North-west China is covered in desert. In the very far north-east, close to Russia, the
temperature can drop to -50C in the winter.
In the west of China there are the Himalayas, with some of the highest mountains in the world.
China's lowest point is in qwthe Turfan Depression, at -154 metres below sea level. The Turfan
Depression is also known as one of the 'furnaces' of China because of its incredible heat.

Qinghai Province - north-west China


The melting snows from the mountains in the west create the headwaters for two of China's most
important rivers, the Yellow River and the Yangzi River.
The Yellow River gets its name because of the yellow windborneclay
dust called loessthat is blown across the north of China from
Yellow River
the steppes of Central Asia. The loess is blown into the river and
gives it a yellow appearance.
The Yangzi River is the longest in China and third longest in the world. The Yangzi
River irrigates the rice growing regions in the south of China.
Geography
Location
Japan consists of several thousands of islands, of which
Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan's closest neighbors are Korea,
Russia and China. The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago.
Area
Japan's area is comparable to that of Germany or California. Japan's northernmost islands are
located on a similar geographical latitude as Milan or Portland, while her southernmost islands
are on a similar latitude as the Bahamas. More than 50% of the country is mountainous and
covered by forests. Japan is politically structured into 8 regions and 47 prefectures.
Population
The population of Japan is about 125,000,000, including approximately two million foreign
residents. More than half of the non Japanese population is of Korean descent.
Earthquakes and Volcanos
Because Japan is located in a region, where several continental plates meet, the country
experiences frequent earthquakes. Please visit the special page about earthquakes. For the same
reason, there are many volcanos in Japan. Japan's most famous volcano and highest mountain
is Mt.Fuji.
Climate
Due to the large North South extension of the country, the climate varies strongly in different
regions. The climate in most of the major cities, including Tokyo, is temperate to subtropic and
consists of four seasons. The winter is mild and the summer is hot and humid. There is a rainy
season in early summer, and typhoons hit parts of the country every year during late summer.
The climate of the northern island of Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan coast is colder,
and snow falls in large amounts. In Okinawa, on the other hand, the mean temperature of
January is a warm 17 degrees Celsius.
Facts about Myanmar

GEOGRAPHY
Myanmar, a republic in South-East Asia, bounded on the north by Tibet Autonomous Region of
China; on the east by China, Laos, and Thailand; on the south by the Andaman Sea and the Bay
of Bengal; and on the west by the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, and India. It is officially known as
the Union of Myanmar. The coastal region is known as Lower Myanmar, while the interior region
is known as Upper Myanmar. The total area of the country is 676,552 square km (261,218 square
miles).
A horseshoe-shaped mountain complex and the valley of the Ayarwaddy (Irrawaddy) River
system are the dominant topographical features of Myanmar. The mountains of the northern
margin rise to 5881 meters (19,296 ft) atop Hkakabo Razi, the highest peak in Southeast Asia.
The two other mountain systems have northern to southern axes. The Arakan Yoma range, with
peaks reaching more than 2740 meters (about 9000 ft), forms a barrier between Myanmar and
the subcontinent of India. The Bilauktaung range, the southern extension of the Shan Plateau,
lies along the boundary between southwestern Thailand and southeastern Lower Myanmar. The
Shan Plateau, originating in China, has an average elevation of about 910 meters (about 3000
ft).
Generally narrow and elongated in the interior, the central lowlands attain a width of about
320km (about 200 miles) across the Ayarwaddy-Sittaung delta. The delta plains, extremely fertile
and economically the most important section of the country, cover an area of about 46,620 sq.
km (18,000 sq. ml.). Both the Arakan (in the northwest) and the Tenasserim (in the southwest)
coasts of myanmar are rocky and fringed with islands. The country has a number of excellent
natural harbours.
ABOUT LAOS

Lao history in brief


Population size and Growth
GEOGRAPHY

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is located in the heart of the Indochinese
peninsular, in Southeast Asia, at a latitude of 14 to 23 degrees north and longitude 100 to
108 degrees east.

Lao PDR shares a 505 km border with China to the north, 435 km of border with Cambodia to
the south, 2,069 km of border with Vietnam to the east, 1,835 km of border with Thailand to
the west, and a 236 km border with Myanmar to the northwest. The country stretches 1,700
km from north to South, with an east-west width of over-500 km at its widest, and only 140
km at the narrowest point.

Lao PDR covers a total of 236,800 square kilometres, three-quarters of which is mountains
and plateaux. The country has three distinct regions.

The north is dominated by mountains that average 1,500 metres above sea level. The
highest peak is the 2,800 metre Phou Bia in Xieng Khouang province. The Phou Luang
(Annamite Chain) stretches from the southeast of the Phouane Plateau down to the
Cambodian border. It has three large plateaux: Phouane Plateau in Xieng Khouang province,
Nakai Plateau in Khammouane province, and Boloven Plateau in southern Laos, 1,000 m
above sea level.

The plains region comprises large and small plains along the Mekong River. The largest of
these is the Vientiane Plain, on the lower reaches of the Nam Ngum River. Also significant are
the Savannakhet plain, on the lower reaches of the Se Bang Fai and Se Bang Hieng rivers,
and the Champassak plain, which is on the Mekong River, stretching between the Thai and
Cambodian borders. Blessed with fertile soil, these plains represent one quarter of the total
area and are the "granaries" of the country.

The Lao PDR is criss-crossed by many rivers and streams. The Mekong River flows through
1,835 km of the country from north to south. Rivers and streams provide great potential for
hydropower development. Over half of the power potential in the lower Mekong Basin is
contained within Laos.

The Nam Ou river flows from Phonsaly to Luang Prabang for 448 km; the Nam Ngum runs
354 km from Xieng Khouang to Vientiane province; the Se Bang Hieng of Savannakhet
province is 338 km long; the Nam Tha runs from Luang Namtha to Bokeo for 325 km; the
Nam Sekong runs 320 km from Saravane and Sekong to Attopeu province; the Se Bang Fai
runs between Khammouane and Savannakhet for 239 km; Oudomsay province's Nam Beng
covers 215 km; the Nam Sedong flows for 192 km between Saravane and Champassak; the
Nam Selanong in Savannakhet runs for 115 km; the Nam Kading of Borikhamsay province is
103 km long; the Nam Khanh runs for 90 km between Huaphanh and Luang Prabang.

Being a tropical country, the weather in Laos is influenced by monsoons. The weather in the
mountains in the north and in the high range of the Annamite Chain bordering Vietnam in
the east is semi-tropical. The difference in day and night temperatures is about 10 deg C.

Laos has around 2,300-2,400 hours of sunlight per year. The atmospheric humidity is usually
70-80%, and 75-90% of the precipitation is recorded in the rainy season, May to October.
Rainfall in the dry season, November to April, accounts for only 10-25%. There is a sharp
difference in rainfall between regions. For instance, in the Phou Luang (Annamite Chain), the
annual average rainfall is around 300 millimetres. In Xieng Khouang, Luang Prabang and
Sayaboury provinces, annual rainfall is 100-150 millimetres; in Vientiane and Savannakhet
150-200 millimetres of rainfalls every year.

Laos has an abundance of natural resources. Beneath the earth's surface, the mineral
deposits include tin, iron, coal, zinc, copper, gold, silver, sulphur and sapphires. Although
mining is still in its infancy, surveys show that the quantity and density of mineral deposits
are quite high. On the surface, the country has a wealth of forests, covering 47% of the
surface. They comprise a variety of species, with many of high economic value such as
Khagnoung, Khamphi, Dou, Eaglewood and Longleng.

The forest regions are also rich in non-timber products such as shellac, benzoin, cardamon,
pine resin, rattan and medicinal plants, and there is a wide range of fauna, including
elephants, tigers, bears, deer and a newly-discovered species of deer called Saola.

Such wealth represents a great potential for the development of the country, ensuring a
brighter future and better living standards for its people.

International borders are shared with Thailand and the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic on the
West and the North, and the Social Republic of Viet Nam on the East and the Southeast. The
country is bounded on the Southeast by the Gulf of Thailand. In comparison with neighbors,
Cambodia is a geographical contact country administratively composed of 20 provinces, three of
which have relatively short maritime boundaries, 2 municipalities, 172 districts, and 1,547
communes. The country has a coastline of 435 km and extensive mangrove stands, some of
which are relatively undisturbed.

The dominant features of the Cambodian landscape are the large, almost generally located, Tonle
Sap (Great Lake) and the Bassac River Systems and the Mekong River, which crosses the country
from North to South. Surrounding the Central Plains which covered three quarters of the
countrys area are the more densely forested and sparsely populated highlands, comprising: the
Elephant Mountains and Cardamom Mountain of the southwest and western regions; the Dangrek
Mountains of the North adjoining of the Korat Plateau of Thailand; and Rattanakiri Plateau and
Chhlong highlands on the east merging with the Central Highlands of Viet Nam.
The Tonle Sap Basin-Mekong Lowlands region consists mainly of plains with elevations generally
of less than 100 meters.
As the elevation increases, the terrain becomes more rolling and dissected.
The Cardamom Mountains in the southwest rise to more than 1,500 meters and is oriented
generally in a northwest-southeast direction. The highest mountain in Cambodia Phnom Aural,
at 1.771meters is in the eastern part of this range.
The Elephant Range, an extension of Cardamom Mountains, runs towards the south and the
southeast and rises to elevations of between 500 and 1,000 meters. These two range are
bordered on the west are narrow coastal plain facing the gulf of Thailand that contains Kampong
Som Bay. The Dangrek Mountains at the northern rim of Tonle Sap Basin, consisting of a steep
escarpment on the southern edge of the Korat Plateau in Thailand, marks the boundary between
Thailand and Cambodia. The average elevation of about 500 meters with the highest points
reaching more than 700 meters. Between the northern part of the Cardamom ranges and the
western part of the Dangrek, lies and extension of the Tonle Sap Basin that merges into the
plains in Thailand, allowing easy accesses from the border of Bangkok.
The Mekong River Cambodias largest river, dominates the hydrology of the country. The river
originates in mainland China, flows through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand before entering Cambodia.
At Phnom Penh, with alternative arms, the Bassak River from the south, and the Tonle Sap River
linking with the " Great Lake " itself Tonle Sap form northwest. It continues further
southeastward to its lower delta in Viet Nam and to the South China Sea.
The section of Mekong River passing through Cambodia lies within the topical wet and dry zone.
It has a pronounced dry season during the Northern Hemisphere winter, with about 80 percent of
the annual rainfall occurring during the southwest monsoon in May-October. The Mekong River
average annual flow at Krati of 441 km3 is estimated as 93 percent of the total Mekong run-off
discharge into the sea. The discharge at Krati ranges from a minimum of 1,250m3/s to the
maximum 66,700m3/s.
The role of Tonle Sap as a buffer of the Mekong River system floods and the source of beneficial
dry season flows warrants explanation. The Mekong River swells with waters during the monsoon
reaching a flood discharge of 40,000m3/s at Phnom Penh. By about mid-June, the flow of Mekong
and the Bassak River fed by monsoon rains increases to a point where its outlets through the
delta cannot handle the enormous volume of water, flooding extensive adjacent floodplains for 4-
7 months. At this point, instead of overflowing its backs, its floodwaters reserve the flow of the
Tonle Sap River (about 120 km in length), which then has the maximum inflow rate of 1.8m/s and
enters the Grate Lake, the largest natural lake in Southeast Asia, increasing the size of the lake
from about 2,600 km2 to 10,00 km2 and exceptionally to 13,000 km2 and raising the water level
by and average 7m at the height of the flooding. This specificity of the Tonle Sap makes it the
only "river with return " in the world.
After the Mekongs water crest (when its downstream channels can handle the volume of water),
the flow reverses and water flows out of the engorged lake. The Great Lake then acts as a natural
flood retention basin. When the floods subside, water starts flowing out of the Great Lake,
reaching a maximum outflow rate of 2.0m/s and, over the dry season, increase mainstream flows
by about 16 percent, thus helping to reduce salinity intrusion in the lower Mekong Delta in Viet
Nam. By the time the lake water level drops to its minimum surface size, a band 20-30 km wide
of inundate forest is left dry with deposits of a new layer of sediment. This forest, which is of
great significance for fish, is now greatly reduced in size through salvation and deforestation. The
area flood around Phnom Penh and down to the Vietnamese border is about 7,000 km2.
Strategically positioned between the Pacific and Indian oceans, Indonesia is an archipelagic
nation containing over 18,000 islands. Of those, the larger islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan
(which comprises two-thirds of the island of Borneo), Sulawesi, and Irian Jaya are quite
mountainous, with some peaks reaching 12,000 ft.
The highest elevations (over 16,000 ft) are found on Irian Jaya in the east, with the highest point
being Puncak Jaya at 16,502 ft. (5,030 m).
Indonesia's former tallest peak, Mount Tambora (8,930 ft, 2,722 m), is an active stratovolcano
whose 1815 eruption was the largest ever in recorded history - killing nearly 71,000 people.
The explosion alone was heard as far west as Sumatra island, some 1,200 miles (2,000 km)
away, and ash falls were recorded on the islands of Borneo, Sulawesi, Java and Maluku.
Located along the Ring of Fire, Indonesia has about 400 volcanoes within its borders, with at
least 90 still active in some way.
The most active volcanoes are Kelut (which has erupted more than 30 times since 1000 AD) and
Merapi (which has erupted more than 80 times since 1000 AD) on Java island.
Due to its location between numerous tectonic plates, including two continental plates: the
Eurasian Plate (Sunda Shelf) and the Australian Plate (Sahul Shelf); and two oceanic plates: the
Philippine Sea Plate and Pacific Plate; natural disasters are common in Indonesia.
Most notable is the 9.2 earthquake that struck in the Indian Ocean which triggered the Tsunami
of December, 2004and devastated many of the islands within Indonesia's archipelago.
In addition to the mountainous landscape, much of the islands are covered in thick tropical
rainforests that give way to coastal plains.
Significant rivers of Indonesia include the Barito, Digul, Hari, Kampar, Kapuas, Kayan and Musi;
as well, there are also scattered inland lakes which are relatively small in size.
Mongolia is the worlds second largest landlocked country and occupies a territory of 1.56 million
square kilometers: It extends 2,392 kilometers from west to east and 1,259 kilometers from
north to south. Mongolia is located in Northern Asia, bordered by Russia in the north and China
in the south, east and west.
Mongolia has approximately 3,000 rivers with a combined length of approximately 67,000
kilometers, over 3,000 lakes, 6,900 springs, 190 glaciers and 250 mineral water springs.
Ulaanbaatar has the lowest average temperature of any national capital city in the world.
Mongolias average annual rainfall, measures between 200 to 220 millimeters and it has
approximately 250 cloudless days each year, earning it the nickname country of blue sky.
Location: Northern Asia, landlocked between China and Russia
Area: 1,565 thousand square kilometers (19th largest in the world)
Boundaries: Total: 8,253 kilometers, with China (4,710 kilometers in the south), and with
Russia (3,543 kilometers in the north)
Climate: Dry continental climate with desert, steppe and mountain zones with large daily
and seasonal temperature ranges
Major natural resources: Copper, coal, iron ore, gold, silver, fluorspar, uranium, tin, tungsten, oil
and rare earth elements

A democratic republic
located in the Western
Pacific Ocean, the Republic
of the Philippines is made up
of the Philippine Islands and
is the island group at the
northernmost part of the
Malay Archipelago.
The Philippines is situated
about 1,210 km (about 750
mi) east of the coast of
Vietnam and is separated in
the north from Taiwan by
the Bashi Channel.
Bounded on the east by the
Philippine Sea (and Pacific
Ocean), on the south by the
Celebes Sea, and on the
west by the South China
Sea, the archipelagic state
comprises about 7,100
islands. Resulting from this
situation are great
variations in climate,
geography and vegetation.

The total area of the


Philippines has a total area of
about 300,000 sq km (about
115, 830 sq mi). About
298,170 of the total area is
land area with the remaining
1,830 being the total water
area. The capital and largest
city of the Philippines is
Manila.
Extending 1,850 km (1,150
mi) from north to south and
almost 1,127 km (700 mi)
east to west, the Philippine
Island group is of volcanic
origin and generally
mountainous. Running
parallel to the coasts, as well
as bordering them in many
places, the mountain ranges
extend north to south. There
are about 20 active volcanoes
on the islands, and
earthquakes are fairly
common.
The larger islands, Luzon and Mindanao, are characterized by high mountains with alluvial plains
and narrow fertile valleys. Unlike the larger islands with their relatively diverse topography, the
smaller islands are mountainous with surrounding flat lowlands.
Mount Apo, the Philippines' highest point, reaches 9692 ft (2954 m) and is found in the
southernmost ranges on Mindanao, the second largest Philippine island.
Considered to be part of the Tropics, the Philippines' mean annual temperature is about 80F
(27C) with the interior valleys tending to be a little warmer and the mountain peaks a little
cooler than the mean. The relative humidity averages about 77%.
The rainy season is from May to November, which is the summer monsoon, while the dry season
occurs during the winter monsoon from December to April. Typically, the weather is cool from
November to February, while it's very hot and dry from March to May. The rainiest times are
from June to October, with typhoons not uncommon during this time. The average rainfall in the
lowlands is about 80 inches a year (2030 mm).
Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of
Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 122 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 300,000 sq km
country comparison to the world: 72
land: 298,170 sq km
water: 1,830 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Arizona

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
36,289 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898
treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285
nm in breadth
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

Climate:
Current Weather
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Philippine Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m

Natural resources:
timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper

Land use:
arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 16.67%
other: 64.33% (2005)

Irrigated land:
15,500 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:


479 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):


total: 28.52 cu km/yr (17%/9%/74%)
per capita: 343 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:
astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year;
landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis
volcanism: the Philippines experience significant volcanic activity; Taal (elev. 311 m, 1,020 ft),
which has shown recent unrest and may erupt in the near future, has been deemed a "Decade
Volcano" by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior,
worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Mayon
(elev. 2,462 m, 8,077 ft), the country's most active volcano, erupted in 2009 forcing over 33,000
to be evacuated; other historically active volcanoes include Biliran, Babuyan Claro, Bulusan,
Camiguin, Camiguin de Babuyanes, Didicas, Iraya, Jolo, Kanlaon, Makaturing, Musuan, Parker,
Pinatubo and Ragang

Environment - current issues:


uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in
major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps
that are important fish breeding grounds

Environment - international agreements:


party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; favorably located in relation to many of
Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea,
and Luzon Strait

Culture Of The Philippines


Filipinos, the term by which people of the Philippines are generally known, descended from the
various Austronesian-speaking migrants who came in droves over a thousand years ago from
South East Asia. There are various ethno-linguistic groups these Filipinos are divided into. The
three major groups are the Visayans, the Tagalogs, and the Ilocanos. They are genetically close
to the Taiwanese aborigines, Malays of Indonesia and Malaysia, and the Polynesians.
Then there are Filipino mestizos, a term employed to refer to those who are of mixed indigenous
heritage and Spanish or other foreign ancestry form. They are in minority but form an
economically and politically important minority.
Linguistically speaking, the nation is amazingly diverse with more than 170 languages. Nearly all
of these languages belong to the Western Malayo-Polynesian language group of the Austronesian
language family. The 1987 Constitution confers the status of official language to both Filipino and
English. Additionally, there are twelve major regional languages with over one million speakers of
each. These are Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilokano, Hiligaynon, Waray-Waray, Bikol, Kapampangan,
Pangasinan, Kinaray-a, Maranao, Maguindanao, and Tausug. Also, Spanish and Arabic are used as
auxiliary languages.
Around 92 percent of the Filipinos are Christians making it the world's third-largest Christian
nation. Among the Christians, 83 percent belong to the Roman Catholic Church, 2 percent to the
Philippine Independent Church, and 10 percent to various Protestant denominations. Some 5
percent of the Filipinos are Muslim and live primarily in parts of Mindanao and the Sulu
archipelago.
Filipino culture blends the indigenous traditions of the Philippines with the Hispanic and American
cultures, and also have distinct cultural traits of the Chinese, the Indonesians and the Indians.
The Hispanic influences come largely from the cultural influence of Spain and Mexico. The
Hispanic influence stands visible in the religious festivals of the Roman Catholic Church. Filipinos
hold major festivities known as barrio fiestas to commemorate their patron saints. However,
what strikes one right away is the prevalence of Spanish surnames among the Filipinos. However,
this was a result of a colonial decree for the systematic distribution of family names and
implementation of the Spanish naming system amongst the Filipinos. So, a Spanish surname
does not necessarily imply a Hispanic heritage.
Besides, some of the Chinese traits are also found in Filipino culture, particularly in the cuisine.
Noodles, for instance, are known locally as mami and are a standing testament of the Chinese
cuisine. Linguistic borrowings is the other way by which the Chinese culture has seeped into the
Philippines.
So far as the American legacy is concerned, English stands head and shoulder above everything
else that Americans might have given to the Filipino way of life. Basketball is very popular
another American trait. America seems to have influenced the Philippines in much the same way
as it has influenced the rest of the world through its fast-food revolution. Fast-food joints are
ubiquitous in the Philippines. McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC, you just name it! Much of
what is typically American can be found in the Philippines. Filipinos listen and dance to American
music, throng the theaters to watch American movies, and paste the posters of American actors
and actresses on their bedroom walls. Asian trends too are now making their presence felt.
However, despite all the influences, the native moral codes are still intact. The respect for the
family, veneration of elders, and friendliness continue to mark a Filipino's social life. Among the
national heroes, Jos Rizal tops the list. He was a Spanish-speaking reformist visionary whose
writings influenced the sense of national identity and awareness and is a respected name still
Spanish Influences on Philippine Literature
Due to the long period of colonization of the Philippines by the Spaniards, they have exerted a
strong influence on our literature.
1. The first Filipino alphabet called ALIBATA was replaced by the Roman alphabet.
2. The teaching of the Christian Doctrine became the basis of religious practices.
3. The Spanish language which became the literary language during this time lent many of its
words to our language.
4. European legends and traditions brought here became assimilated in our songs, corridos, and
moro-moros.
5. Ancient literature was collected and translated to Tagalog and other dialects.
6. Many grammar books were printed in Filipino, like Tagalog, Ilocano and Visayan
7. Our periodicals during these times gained a religious tone.
Philippine Literature during the American Period
Posted on April 14, 2015
Back to Article List
DR. LILIA QUINDOZA-SANTIAGO
Philippine literary production during the American Period in the Philippines was spurred by
two significant developments in education and culture. One is the introduction of free public
instruction for all children of school age and two, the use of English as medium of instruction in
all levels of education in public schools.
Free public education made knowledge and information accessible to a greater number of
Filipinos. Those who availed of this education through college were able to improve their social
status and joined a good number of educated masses who became part of the countrys middle
class.
The use of English as medium of instruction introduced Filipinos to Anglo-American modes
of thought, culture and life ways that would be embedded not only in the literature produced but
also in the psyche of the countrys educated class. It was this educated class that would be the
wellspring of a vibrant Philippine Literature in English.
Philippine literature in English, as a direct result of American colonization of the country,
could not escape being imitative of American models of writing especially during its period of
apprenticeship. The poetry written by early poets manifested studied attempts at versification as
in the following poem which is proof of the poets rather elementary exercise in the English
language:
Vacation days at last are here,
And we have time for fun so dear,
All boys and girls do gladly cheer,
This welcomed season of the year.
In early June in school well meet;
A harder task shall we complete
And if we fail we must repeat
That self same task without retreat.
We simply rest to come again
To school where boys and girls obtain
The Creators gift to men
Whose sanguine hopes in us remain.
Vacation means a time for play
For young and old in night and day
My wish for all is to be gay,
And evil none lead you astray
Juan F. Salazar
Philippines Free Press, May 9, 1909
The poem was anthologized in the first collection of poetry in English, Filipino Poetry, edited
by Rodolfo Dato (1909 1924). Among the poets featured in this anthology were Proceso
Sebastian Maximo Kalaw, Fernando Maramag, Leopoldo Uichanco, Jose Ledesma, Vicente Callao,
Santiago Sevilla, Bernardo Garcia, Francisco Africa, Pablo Anzures, Carlos P. Romulo, Francisco
Tonogbanua, Juan Pastrana, Maria Agoncillo, Paz Marquez Benitez, Luis Dato and many others.
Another anthology, The English German Anthology of Poetsedited by Pablo Laslo was published
and covered poets published from 1924-1934 among whom were Teofilo D. Agcaoili, Aurelio
Alvero, Horacio de la Costa, Amador T. Daguio, Salvador P. Lopez, Angela Manalang Gloria,
Trinidad Tarrosa, Abelardo Subido and Jose Garcia Villa, among others. A third pre-war collection
of poetry was edited by Carlos Bulosan,Chorus for America: Six Philippine Poets. The six poets in
this collection were Jose Garcia Villa, Rafael Zulueta da Costa, Rodrigo T. Feria, C.B. Rigor, Cecilio
Baroga and Carlos Bulosan.
In fiction, the period of apprenticeship in literary writing in English is marked by imitation of
the style of storytelling and strict adherence to the craft of the short story as practiced by
popular American fictionists. Early short story writers in English were often dubbed as the
Andersons or Saroyans or the Hemingways of Philippine letters. Leopoldo Yabes in his study of
the Philippine short story in English from 1925 to 1955 points to these models of American fiction
exerting profound influence on the early writings of story writers like Francisco Arcellana, A.E.
Litiatco, Paz Latorena. .
When the University of the Philippines was founded in 1908, an elite group of writers in
English began to exert influence among the culturati. The U.P. Writers Club founded in 1926, had
stated that one of its aims was to enhance and propagate the language of Shakespeare. In
1925, Paz Marquez Benitez short story, Dead Starswas published and was made the landmark
of the maturity of the Filipino writer in English. Soon after Benitez, short story writers began
publishing stories no longer imitative of American models. Thus, story writers like Icasiano
Calalang, A.E. Litiatco, Arturo Rotor, Lydia Villanueva, Paz Latorena , Manuel Arguilla began
publishing stories manifesting both skilled use of the language and a keen Filipino sensibility.
This combination of writing in a borrowed tongue while dwelling on Filipino customs and
traditions earmarked the literary output of major Filipino fictionists in English during the
American period. Thus, the major novels of the period, such as the Filipino Rebel, by Maximo
Kalaw, and His Native Soil by Juan C. Laya, are discourses on cultural identity, nationhood and
being Filipino done in the English language. Stories such as How My Brother Leon Brought Home
a Wife by Manuel Arguilla scanned the scenery as well as the folkways of Ilocandia while N.V. M.
Gonzaless novels and stories such as Children of the Ash Covered Loam, present the
panorama of Mindoro, in all its customs and traditions while configuring its characters in the
human dilemma of nostalgia and poverty. Apart from Arguilla and Gonzales, noted fictionists
during the period included Francisco Arcellana, whom Jose Garcia Villa lauded as a genius
storyteller, Consorcio Borje, Aida Rivera, Conrado Pedroche, Amador Daguio, Sinai Hamada,
Hernando Ocampo, Fernando Maria Guerrero. Jose Garcia Villa himself wrote several short stories
but devoted most of his time to poetry.
In 1936, when the Philippine Writers League was organized, Filipino writers in English began
discussing the value of literature in society. Initiated and led by Salvador P. Lopez, whose essays
on Literature and Societyprovoked debates, the discussion centered on proletarian literature, i.e.,
engaged or committed literature versus the art for arts sake literary orientation. But this
discussion curiously left out the issue of colonialism and colonial literature and the whole place of
literary writing in English under a colonial set-up that was the Philippines then.
With Salvador P. Lopez, the essay in English gained the upper hand in day to day discourse
on politics and governance. Polemicists who used to write in Spanish like Claro M. Recto, slowly
started using English in the discussion of current events even as newspaper dailies moved away
from Spanish reporting into English. Among the essayists, Federico Mangahas had an easy
facility with the language and the essay as genre. Other noted essayists during the period were
Fernando Maramag, Carlos P. Romulo , Conrado Ramirez.
On the other hand, the flowering of a vibrant literary tradition due to historical events did
not altogether hamper literary production in the native or indigenous languages. In fact, the
early period of the 20th century was remarkable for the significant literary output of all major
languages in the various literary genre.
It was during the early American period that seditious plays, using the form of the
zarsuwela, were mounted. Zarsuwelistas Juan Abad, Aurelio Tolentino ,Juan Matapang Cruz. Juan
Crisostomo Sotto mounted the classics likeTanikalang Ginto, Kahapon, Ngayon at
Bukas and Hindi Ako Patay, all directed against the American imperialists. Patricio
Marianos Anak ng Dagat and Severino Reyess Walang Sugat are equally remarkable zarsuwelas
staged during the period.
On the eve of World War II, Wilfredo Maria Guerrero would gain dominance in theatre
through his one-act plays which he toured through his mobile theatre. Thus, Wanted a
Chaperone and The Forsaken Housebecame very popular in campuses throughout the
archipelago.
The novel in Tagalog, Iloko, Hiligaynon and Sugbuanon also developed during the period
aided largely by the steady publication of weekly magazines like
the Liwayway, Bannawag and Bisaya which serialized the novels.
Among the early Tagalog novelists of the 20th century were Ishmael Amado, Valeriano
Hernandez Pea, Faustino Aguilar, Lope K. Santos and Lazaro Francisco.
Ishmael Amados Bulalakaw ng Pag-asa published in 1909 was one of the earliest novels
that dealt with the theme of American imperialism in the Philippines. The novel, however, was
not released from the printing press until 1916, at which time, the author, by his own admission
and after having been sent as a pensionado to the U.S., had other ideas apart from those he
wrote in the novel.
Valeriano Hernandez Peas Nena at Neneng narrates the story of two women who
happened to be best of friends as they cope with their relationships with the men in their lives.
Nena succeeds in her married life while Neneng suffers from a stormy marriage because of her
jealous husband.
Faustino Aguilar published Pinaglahuan, a love triangle set in the early years of the century
when the workers movement was being formed. The novels hero, Luis Gatbuhay, is a worker in
a printery who isimprisoned for a false accusation and loses his love, Danding, to his rival
Rojalde, son of a wealthy capitalist. Lope K. Santos,Banaag at Sikat has almost the same theme
and motif as the hero of the novel, Delfin, also falls in love with a rich woman, daughter of a
wealthy landlord. The love story of course is set also within the background of development of
the workers trade union movement and throughout the novel, Santos engages the readers in
lengthy treatises and discourses on socialism and capitalism. Many other Tagalog novelists wrote
on variations of the same theme, i.e., the interplay of fate, love and social justice. Among these
writers are Inigo Ed Regalado, Roman Reyes, Fausto J. Galauran, Susana de Guzman, Rosario de
Guzman-Lingat, Lazaro Francisco, Hilaria Labog, Rosalia Aguinaldo, Amado V. Hernandez. Many of
these writers were able to produce three or more novels as Soledad Reyes would bear out in her
book which is the result of her dissertation, Ang Nobelang Tagalog (1979).
Among the Iloko writers, noted novelists were Leon Pichay, who was also the regions poet
laureate then, Hermogenes Belen, and Mena Pecson Crisologo whose Mining wenno Ayat ti
Kararwa is considered to be the Iloko version of a Noli me Tangere.
In the Visayas, Magdalena Jalandoni and Ramon Muzones would lead most writers in writing
the novels that dwelt on the themes of love, courtship, life in the farmlands, and other social
upheavals of the period. Marcel Navarra wrote stories and novels in Sugbuhanon.
Poetry in all languages continued to flourish in all regions of the country during the
American period. The Tagalogs, hailing Francisco F. Balagtas as the nations foremost poet
invented the balagtasan in his honor. Thebalagtasan is a debate in verse, a poetical joust done
almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the pros and cons of an issue.
The first balagtasan was held in March 1924 at the Instituto de Mujeres, with Jose Corazon
de Jesus and Florentino Collantes as rivals, bubuyog (bee) and paru-paro (butterfly) aiming for
the love of kampupot (jasmine). It was during this balagtasan that Jose Corazon de Jesus, known
as Huseng Batute, emerged triumphant to become the first king of the Balagtasan. Jose Corazon
de Jesus was the finest master of the genre. He was later followed bybalagtasistas, Emilio Mar
Antonio and Crescenciano Marquez, who also became King of the Balagtasan in their own time.
As Huseng Batute, de Jesus also produced the finest poems and lyrics during the period. His
debates with Amado V. Hernandez on the political issue of independence from America and
nationhood were mostly done in verse and are testament to the vitality of Tagalog poetry during
the era. Lope K. Santos, epic poem, Ang Panggingera is also proof of how poets of the period
have come to master the language to be able to translate it into effective poetry.
The balagtasan would be echoed as a poetical fiesta and would be duplicated in the Ilocos
as thebukanegan, in honor of Pedro Bukaneg, the supposed transcriber of the epic, Biag ni Lam-
ang; and theCrissottan, in Pampanga, in honor of the esteemed poet of the Pampango, Juan
Crisostomo Sotto.
In 1932, Alejandro G. Abadilla , armed with new criticism and an orientation on modernist
poetry would taunt traditional Tagalog poetics with the publication of his poem, Ako ang
Daigdig. Abadillas poetry began the era of modernism in Tagalog poetry, a departure from the
traditional rhymed, measured and orally recited poems. Modernist poetry which utilized free or
blank verses was intended more for silent reading than oral delivery.
Noted poets in Tagalog during the American period were Julian Cruz Balmaceda, Florentino
Collantes, Pedro Gatmaitan, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Benigno Ramos, Inigo Ed. Regalado, Ildefonso
Santos, Lope K. Santos, Aniceto Silvestre, Emilio Mar. Antonio , Alejandro Abadilla and Teodoro
Agoncillo.
Like the writers in English who formed themselves into organizations, Tagalog writers also
formed the Ilaw at Panitik, and held discussions and workshops on the value of literature in
society. Benigno Ramos, was one of the most politicized poets of the period as he aligned himself
with the peasants of the Sakdal Movement.
Fiction in Tagalog as well as in the other languages of the regions developed alongside the
novel. Most fictionists are also novelists. Brigido Batungbakal , Macario Pineda and other writers
chose to dwell on the vicissitudes of life in a changing rural landscape. Deogracias Del Rosario on
the other hand, chose the city and the emerging social elite as subjects of his stories. He is
considered the father of the modern short story in Tagalog
Among the more popular fictionists who emerged during the period are two women writers,
Liwayway Arceo and Genoveva Edroza Matute, considered forerunners in the use of light
fiction, a kind of story telling that uses language through poignant rendition. Genoveva Edroza
Matutes Akoy Isang Tinig and Liwayway ArceosUhaw ang Tigang na Lupa have been used
as models of fine writing in Filipino by teachers of composition throughout the school system.
Teodoro Agoncillos anthology 25 Pinakamahusay na Maiikling Kuwento (1945) included the
foremost writers of fiction in the pre-war era.
The separate, yet parallel developments of Philippine literature in English and those in
Tagalog and other languages of the archipelago during the American period only prove that
literature and writing in whatever language and in whatever climate are able to survive mainly
through the active imagination of writers. Apparently, what was lacking during the period was for
the writers in the various languages to come together, share experiences and come to a
conclusion on the elements that constitute good writing in the Philippines.
Noli Me Tangere Characters
Noli Me Tangere is set during the 19th century in the Philippines. Sectors of the society were represented
as the novel progresses. The abusive clergy was represented by Padre Damaso and Padre Salvi, the
wealthy meztizo by the protagonist Crisostomo Ibarra; meanwhile the wealthy Indio was represented by
Capitan Tiago. As such, the novel offers a straightforward analysis of Philippine society under Spanish rule.
Noli Me Tangere Summary
The young and idealistic Juan Crisostomo Ibarra returns home after seven years in Europe. The wealthy
meztizo, like his father Don Rafael endeavors for reform primarily in the area of education in order to
eliminate poverty and improve the lives of his countrymen. Upon learning about his fathers demise and
the denial of a Catholic burial for his father Ibarra was provoked to hit Padre Damaso which eventually lead
to his excommunication. The excommunication was later rescinded upon the intervention of the Governor
General.
Padre Salvi, Ibarras mortal enemy accused Ibarra of insurrection. Ibarras letter to his beloved Maria Clara
was used against him. Later in the story, Maria Clara will tell Ibarra that she did not conspire to indict him.
She was compelled to give Ibarras letter in exchange for the letters of her mother before she was born.
Maria Clara found out that the letters of her mother were addressed to Padre Damaso about their unborn
child which means that she is the biological daughter of the priest and not of her father, Capitan Tiago.
Meanwhile, Ibarra was able to escape the prison with Elias, who also experienced injustice with the
authorities. Ibarra was able to speak with Maria Clara about the letters and thereafter forgave her. Ibarra
and Elias flee to the lake and were chased by the Guardia Civil. One was shot and the other survives. Upon
hearing the news, Maria Clara believed that Ibarra was dead; she entered the nunnery instead of marrying
Alfonso Linares.
The fatally wounded Elias found the child Basilio and his dead mother Sisa. The latter was driven to
insanity when she learned that her children were implicated for theft by the sacristan mayor. Elias
instructed Basilio to dig for his and Sisas graves and there is a buried treasure which he can use for his
education.
Noli Me Tangere brilliantly described Philippine society with its memorable characters. The melancholic fate
of Maria Clara and the insanity of Sisa characterized the countrys pitiful state, which was once beautiful,
turned miserable. Reading Noli Me Tangere will open ones mind about oppression and tyranny.

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