SOUTHEAST ASIAN BLOGGERS NETWORK

Thursday, December 25, 2008

HOW TO SAY "Merry Christmas" IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Asia's 2 Christian-dominated nations is in our region (the Philippines and Timor Leste) are celebrating the Christmas today! Whether we admit it or not, the Christian holiday that falls on the 25th of December has evolved into something more "universal".

Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei cites it. We in Thailand never fails to surprise visitors that we, indeed, celebrate Christmas in our own way. So as the largely Buddhist Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

So, here it is...today is Christmas. The holiday that shed its 'religious' tone and considered as a day of peace and gift-giving around the world.


We say สุขสันต์วันคริสตร์มาส in Thailand. It's "Souksarn wan Christmas". It's "Krit-sa-mat" or loosely pronounced like that, ok? This is the most awaited event of the kids in International schools around the country! They also say "Souksan wan Christmas" in Laos.

The Filipinos say "Maligayang Pasko" for the Tagalogs. "Naragsak a Pascua" for the Ilocanos in the north. "Masayang Pasku keko ngan" in my second home Pampanga. "Masinadyahon nga Paskua" in Central Philippines. "Maugmang Capascuhan" in Bicol and many many other languages in this country.

The Timorese would say "Feliz natal" in Portuguese. How do you say it in Tetun?

And for our Chinese bros in Singapore and across the region: 圣诞快乐 "Sheng Dankuai Le" in Mandarin and "Sing Daan Faai Lok" in Cantonese.

It's "Christmas nay hma mue pyaw pa" in Burma. "Mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh" in Vietnam and "Soursdey Noel" in Cambodia.

"Selamat Hari Natal" is how they say it in Malaysia (Malay) and Brunei, and also acceptable in Indonesia but better "Selamat Natal" to be more accurate. "Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal" from our Tamil brothers.


สุขสันต์วันคริสตร์มาส et Joyeux Noel everybody!

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Sunday, December 21, 2008

WORLD'S TOP FRENCH RAPPER IS LAOTIAN!






His name is BOLO.

I first heard of him sorting through CDs at FNAC Madrid while waiting for mom to emerge from a day spa. He's really, really good! I am sincerely proud of this talented Laotian bro. Listen to his music here...*quite an old video though, but hey!*




Hoo-Ha! Coooool!

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Saturday, December 20, 2008

CHINLONE: Burma's National Sport







BISEAN previously featured our region's National Sports. It was a round up of our neighboring village's cool games.

We mentioned that Chinlone was the most beautiful game -- non-competitive, graceful and everything nice. See for yourselves...







Cool! See what we mean? =)

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Friday, December 19, 2008

GRUMPECHT'S GREEN PIT VIPER: What a Beauty!


I don't know about you but this has got to be the most beautiful snake in the world! *appeals won't be entertained, thank you*

This beauty is one of the 1,068 NEW species discovered in the Greater Mekong River region (Laos, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia & Vietnam) in the past 10 years!

National Geographic has a featured article here -- read all about it. Quite interesting, really. We'll feature some of 'em on our "Our Flora & Fauna" Series.


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*Photo by the Greater Mekong Programme/WWF International

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