Desi Hoppers

                                         

In class on Friday I mentioned that for this week’s blog I would be posting about another international dance group that competed on World of Dance. On season two of the dance competition a group called Desi Hoppers came all the way from Mumbai, India in attempt to win the title of best dancers in the world! What I loved about this group is that they blend Indian and Western cultures in their dance routine. I’m a huge fan of dance and it was amazing to see more groups from various countries come to compete on a show based in the United States because it demonstrates that no matter where you are from, dance is dance and there is so many cultures and traditions out there so why stick to only seeing certain dance genres on tv? 

Here’s a video below of the Desi Hoppers performing on World of Dance so I hope you all enjoy!

Storm Kills 32 in India's Bihar state

Late on Tuesday, April 22, 2015 thirty-two people were killed in a storm, which hit Bihar. The storm uprooted trees and electric poles, and caused a widespread damage in three districts. The storm hit the districts of Purnea, Saharsa, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Katihar, Kishanganj, and Madhepura. “Communication and electricity have been disrupted and roads are blocked with uprooted trees” said the principal secretary of Bihar’s disaster management department, Vyashji Mishra. The extent of the damage will become clearer after all affected areas have been accessed. Reading this article made me sad and will have everyone that has been affected by this storm in my prayers.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-32409772

Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader asks residents to be like "sheep"

An article that caught my attention was titled Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader asks residents to be like "sheep". Among dictators, C.Y. Leung’s nickname is ‘wolf’.  An official statement was released today by Leung in which he stated, "In the coming year, I hope that all people in Hong Kong will take inspiration from the sheep's character and pull together in an accommodating manner to work for Hong Kong's future. “Sheep are widely seen to be mild and gentle animals living peacefully in groups.” Whether he was trying to sound nice or not by saying this statement I don’t think Hong Kongers were too happy with hearing a leader telling them to act like sheep. It is evident that Leung does not have respect for the people and “sheep” in order to move forward for the city’s future. Especially since his nickname is “wolf” its crazy to see him call the people sheep because we all know wolves eat sheep so its as if he’s letting the people know he will destroy them and they will need to act more gentle in order for him to rule them.Leung is not someone who the people want as a leader, just three months ago there was a massive protest that thousands of people staged to call for Leung’s resignation but it was unsuccessful. This movement is known as the “Umbrella Movement” in which demonstrators occupied major roads for over tow months and demanded genuine universal suffrage: the right to nominate and elect their next leader. It only makes sense for the people to have a voice and have the right to elect their leader rather than the leader being elected for them, which can obviously have consequences as we see with C.Y. Leung.

Chapter 3-The Societies of Asia

Reading chapter 3 and learning about the societies of Asia was interesting. There was one point in particular that stood out to me, which was the section on wives in India because it reminded me of machismo in Central America. The section of wives in India states, "Woman must be honored and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and brothers-in-law who desire great fortune." After this statement is continues on saying how women have different men protecting her in life whether it be her father, husband or sons because a women doesn't deserve independence, which to me sounds absurd because I'm not part of that culture but to those women in India its a norm. Personally I cannot imagine myself in this kind of culture because I feel like men and women are equal and therefore deserve to be independent rather than being one superior to the other. I'm always intrigued to read about other cultures because I realize how different cultures from all over the world are and how we all have a different view of what a norm in society is.

First Post

Here's to my first post ! Well just wanted to say that I'm super excited to be part of the Asian Studies class because i can already tell I'm going to be learning a lot of new things. In the past I have learned minimum history on Asia and I am excited to learn more about it this semester. I feel that is important to learn about all continents and their history in order to understand why places are they way they are now and how did they get there. I can't wait to see whats to come with this class along with all the new knowledge I will be obtaining as we move forward.