Jackfruit of the week (11.14.07)


Atis
Originally uploaded by Farl.

Jonathan Dommer explores The Rules of Beeping in Rwanda and India:

Reports from the economic development community suggest that the practice is common across many African nations (Chipchase & Tulusan, 2007; McKemey et al., 2003; Oestmann, 2003; Samuel, Shah, & Hadingham, 2005) and is not limited to teens. Slater and Kwami (2005) describe flashing as both an economic and symbolic practice, noting how “Michael, a man who flashes the same five people every morning, is not merely keeping in touch but also discharging obligations and responsibilities” (p. 10). Sey (2007) describes flashing in Ghana as one of a set of cost-saving strategies developed by users. Others note that beeping conventions in Africa differ between men and women (Alhassan, 2004; Chango, 2005).

The Uganda Search Swicki works to “harness the knowledge, passion and behavior of online communities to improve the search experience.” A search for coffee + internet turns up exactly what I was hoping for: links to information about internet cafes in Kampala that serve lattes. You can also see a tag-cloud-inspired representation of what other people are searching for.

The Daily Monitor’s Discover Uganda site is a one-stop portal for CHOGM visitors, but its pages on art galleries, internet access, national parks and Uganda’s major towns are a great resource for other travelers.

jackfruit of the week: 2007.05.29

Writing for the Daily Monitor, Lucy Hannan has a chilling account of life inside a Lord’s Resistance Army camp in the DRC: “Unlike former abductees who have horrific tales of escape and fear, or children who have been murdered and tortured in the bush, these are the kids who will kill for the mystical, militarised cult.”

Country Boyi wonders what would happen if Ugandans blogged in local languages. All of the Ugandan blogs I’ve found so far have been in English — why is that? Is there a whole sector of the blogren I’m missing?

Owera responds to recent controversy over whether or not bloggers are afforded the same legal protection as journalists: “I am not a journalist. I am a blogger. I blog. I run an online diary. Period.” (Particularly interesting is the AP article he quotes, in which a blogger is defined as “some hack who offers half-baked commentary on the news of the day.”)

The news is already out, but I’m taking over from Josh as the Global Voices Uganda Author. My first post, “Self-reflection and the search for meaning in the Ugandan blogosphere,” was published on May 17, and you can keep track of my biweekly blogren roundups here.

jackfruit of the week: march 22


A hanging Jackfruit
from TravelBlog

Lots of fun things to talk about, post-Gulu/Lira/Apac. Links while I’m getting all of my stories ready:

jackfruit of the week: march 15


A heavily fruiting jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) on the grounds of the old Hobson estate, Coconut Grove. Miami, Eila.
from Jackfruit (Purdue University)

I’m heading upcountry this weekend to check out a girls’ football tournament in Gulu. To keep you entertained while I’m gone: