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Mary Kay Magistad
Guam loves Spam
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The US Pacific Island territory of Guam is notable not just for its US military bases, which are soon to be expanded. Guam is also the world’s leading consumer per capita, of Spam. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports about the Guamanian craze for processed meat. Download MP3 (Photo: Mary Kay Magistad).
Island recovering from missionary murder
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The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports on the murder of a young American missionary on the Pacific island of Yap. Many Yapese and those who worked with the missionary are still recovering.
The open sailing canoes of Yap
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For centuries, the islanders of Yap were renowned in the Pacific for their navigational skills. They could travel hundreds of miles in open sailing canoes, charting their course by the stars, the winds, and the pattern of the waves. That knowledge became endangered as Yap came under the control first of the Spanish, then of the Japanese, and especially the US after World War II. But in recent years, there’s been a resurgence of interest among young Yapese in learning this ancient skill, and keeping it alive. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad went sailing with some of them. Download MP3 (photo: Mary Kay Magistad)
Stone money
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On the Pacific Island of Yap, you can’t exactly keep change in your pocket when dealing in the local currency. It’s stone – and up to twelve feet across. Its origins go back millennia. The money is still used these days, but not to buy groceries. It’s for the bigger things in life – bestowing honor, asking forgiveness, or begging your daughter’s new in-laws to treat her well. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports from Yap. Download MP3
Reporter’s journal from the Island of Yap
I’m sitting on my balcony, at the Pathways Cottages in Yap – not cottages, really, but bamboo houses on stilts, high in the trees, with thatch roofs. They overlook a lagoon, and coconut palms sway in the breeze. It would be idyllic – except that the busiest street in town runs right in front of this place. Now, on an island of 8,000 people, in an archipelago of 12,000, the busiest street in town isn’t exactly gridlocked – but there are enough cars swooshing past on a regular basis to break the island idyll. For that matter, so does the chainsaw my next-door neighbors choose to run at 7am.
Saipan postcard
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Saipan is the largest island of the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It’s 3,000 miles west of Hawaii and it was the last place to join the United States. Fierce battles were fought there with Japanese troops during WWII. Many who know Saipan today are deeply fond of the Pacific island. One of those aficionados took The World’s Mary Kay Magistad on a little tour. Download MP3 (Photo courtesy of Matt Watts)
Ca Tru
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An ancient form of Vietnamese music is making a comeback. Ca Tru was once the music of royal courts. Later, it became the music of prostitutes and courtesans. When the Communist Party first came to power, it banned the music. But in recent years, the government’s eased up on its moralistic stance. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad checked it out on a recent trip to Hanoi. Download MP3Confucius versus Avatar
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James Cameron’s sci-fi spectacular ‘Avatar’ is hugely popular in China, but the government has been pulling it out of various theaters to replace it with the new epic about the life of Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher, starring Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-fat. Mary Kay Magistad went to the movies to find out what people in China make of this. Download MP3
Violins – made in China
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China now makes 70% of the world’s violins. And the quality at the top-end is quite good. In fact, it’s making Italian violin makers nervous. In today’s Global Hit, Mary Kay Magistad checks out China’s violins. (Photo:Mary Kay Magistad) Download MP3
Smoking ban in Vietnam
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Many Americans will wake up tomorrow and pledge to give up cigarettes. It’s a traditional New Year’s resolution — something individuals vow to do on their own. In Vietnam, January first brings a new national effort to control smoking. A new law takes effect tomorrow that bans smoking in many public places — schools, factories, libraries, offices, hospitals, on public transportation. And a year from now, the government plans to extend that ban to bars and restaurants. It’s a big change for a country with one of the highest smoking rates anywhere. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports from Hanoi. Download MP3
China’s economic picture
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China’s economic picture is not as rosy as it might appear on first glance. The income gap between the urban rich and the rural poor is growing. And as correspondent Mary Kay Magistad reports, since China can no longer count on US consumption to drive growth, its time for China to rethink its export-driven economy. Download MP3
Chinese dissident on trial for subversion
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Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (pictured with his wife Liu Xia in 2002) has gone on trial in Beijing on charges of “inciting subversion of state power”. Liu, a prominent government critic and veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests, could be jailed for 15 years if convicted. He has been in jail since 2008, after being arrested for writing a document calling for political reform in China. The US, EU, and human rights groups say the trial is politically motivated and have called on Beijing to release Liu. China has dismissed criticism of the trial as an “unacceptable” attempt to interfere in its internal affairs. Mary Kay Magistad reports.‘Created in China’ series
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China’s Communist Party has been celebrating 60 years in power. During those decades, the party has shown a remarkable ability to reinvent itself and pragmatically adjust to the times, without letting go of the core levers of authoritarian power. In the final part of the series, Mary Kay Magistad reports on whether China’s Communists can continue to deliver economic growth and still maintain tight political control. Download MP3‘Created in China’ series
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China has been staging mass celebrations to mark 60 years since the Communist Party came to power. One of the themes was how much progress China has made. In part IV of her series, Mary Kay Magistad explores how innovation in China is coming and will have to come from the private sector. Download MP3‘Created in China’ series
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We continue our series ‘Created in China’ with a look at the roots of innovation, at how Chinese children are or are not encouraged to be creative, and how that’s evolving as the government makes innovation more of a priority. Mary Kay Magistad reports from Beijing. Download MP3
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