📚 August and September reads: Chinatown and gastrodiplomacy

Hello friends!

This month’s list of must-reads is much shorter than usual. I’ve spent the last two months reading very dense books about the history of Timor-Leste and it has not left much brainspace to be reading fascinating features from across the region.

Still, plenty jumped out to me and are definitely worth adding to your longread app of choice over the weekend. 

See you Monday and happy reading!

Erin Cook

The changing face of Chinatowns across Asia — The Straits Times

This, from the Straits Times, is exactly what I love to see digital media doing. Savvy use of web layouts AND a fascinating topic? Straight into the veins.

Like many travellers, visiting a new city’s Chinatown is at the top of the list. Of course, Southeast Asia is home to many of the world’s oldest Chinatowns — Manila’s Binondo claims status as the oldest, established in 1594. In this piece the Straits Times digs into the community’s history and how it fits in with the larger Chinese diaspora in Asia. It being a Singaporean press, the focus here is also on food and it kinda makes me want to book a flight right now. The story also looks at similar communities in India and closer to home in Singapore. 

Cat and mouse: Myanmar netizens find cracks in draconian VPN ban — Frontier Myanmar

VPNs, or virtual private networks, have been essential in post-coup Myanmar where internet users need to bypass a long list of banned sites including news and social media. Since May, VPN apps and access have been banned using Chinese-backed technology. It hasn’t just put a hole in resistance efforts but destroyed home-based businesses too reports Frontier Myanmar. 

“A Secure Web Gateway acts as a choke point, inspecting and filtering all internet traffic entering and leaving the country based on defined policies and blocklists,” said Mr Simon Migliano, head of research at Top10VPN.com, an independent VPN review and research company.

Migliano said it’s common for SWGs to be used on a smaller-scale by organisations and companies “to protect themselves from web-based threats”, but in Myanmar it’s now being “leveraged to impose centralized control over internet access on a national scale”.

Filipinos want the country’s biggest YouTube star to be their next president — Rest of World

The Philippines has never minded too much if a would-be lawmaker’s CV is largely showbiz. Social media influencers are simply a new addition. Raffy Tulfo was a more traditional broadcaster before becoming the country’s top-followed YouTuber, using his channel to chat about politics and current affairs. That popularity propelled him into the Senate and now, RoW reports, subscribers want to see him in the presidency. 

“Aside from being part of the media for so long, — which already makes him an influential person — his YouTube following definitely played a part in advancing his political career,” Ranny Randolf Libayan, a lawyer, told Rest of World. “There are more than 28 million people who idolize him …. He’s not only powerful, it’s like he’s invincible.”

Where Facebook's AI Slop Comes From — 404 Media

Finding too much garbage online is drowning out the actual content? There’s a reason for that, 404 Media has found. ‘AI slop,’ or artificial intelligence-generated images that are nonsense, has taken over platforms like Facebook and it’s all coming out of India, the Philippines and Vietnam. 404 reports this is all with the blessing of the platform.

He taps over to a Facebook page called “Dream Home,” which has 113,000 followers and consists of AI generated homes that look like roosters, giraffes, horses, and hummingbirds, poor Black children, and wood carvings. “The most amazing thing is that all the traffic is from abroad, mainly the US,” he says. “And as you know, with traffic from the USA your CPM [cost per 1,000 views, an ad-revenue metric] will be very high. So even with fewer views, the income you generate will be higher. ” He points to a giant house that looks like a mushroom: “People find things like this very attractive. The more unique the thing you show the audience, the more engagement.”

Singapore’s gig workers worry new benefits could mean lower pay — Rest of World

The Platform Workers Bill passed this month in Singapore, giving the city-state’s gig workers better benefits, access to injury compensation and ‘allows worker representation,’ Rest of World reports. But, for many of the workers struggling to make ends meet despite gruelling days they wonder if maybe a bit more cash would be more helpful?

Some of the costs of the new measures are expected to be passed on to consumers. For Kan, who asked to be identified by his last name as he was afraid of retaliation, the new law could mean lower earnings, he told Rest of World.

“From my experience, if you increase the cost of food delivery, orders will go down and then we will earn less,” the 49-year-old said. “I just want to be paid more.”

Prize for the eyes: WHO honors film on Indonesia's pioneering women eye docs — NPR

For a long time, Dr. Siti Farida was once the only ophthalmologist servicing the entire (then) 2.5 million population of Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara province. The country is home to one of the world’s highest rates of blindness and she has been hard at work reversing the trend. The Visionary Women of Indonesia, a five-minute documentary about the doc, won the top prize in this year’s World Health Organization’s 2024 Health for All Film Festival and it sounds like a well-overdue recognition. 

Undeterred, Farida hopped between islands, helping as many patients as possible. She improved their vision — and altered their views. Now there are 27 ophthalmologists in the region serving the current population of 5 million. Most are women and they are widely respected. “It’s changed completely,” Farida says.

Japan Needs Foreign Workers. It’s Just Not Sure It Wants Them to Stay. — The New York Times

For the last few years, Japan’s ageing population and desperation for workers has been of increasing importance to Southeast Asia. Japan wants Filipina nurses and Indonesian construction workers but, the NYT reports, it’s a question of balance for Japan, where homogeneity has been carefully maintained. 

With the inn’s deeply rural location, “there are no more Japanese people who want to work here,” said Wataru Tsutani, the owner.

Several of its foreign workers have educational backgrounds that would seem to qualify them for more than menial work. A 32-year-old with a degree in physics from a university in Myanmar serves food in the inn’s dining rooms. A 27-year-old who studied Japanese culture at a university in Vietnam is stationed at the reception desk. A 27-year-old Nepali who was studying agricultural history at a university in Ukraine before the Russian invasion now washes dishes and lays out futon, Japanese-style bedding, in guest rooms.

These countries banned music—but artists still found a way — National Geographic

A hundred years ago, I had the great fortune of catching Don't Think I've Forgotten, a documentary about Cambodia’s ‘lost rock n roll.’ It was a beyond fascinating look at how and why the Khmer Rouge banned music, targeted musicians and the hole it has left in Cambodia’s cultural heart. This piece from Nat Geo digs into the same era, tying it to current movements to rebuild and support the country’s musical talent.

Now, decades later, Cambodia is beginning to reclaim its lost musical heritage. The Gong, Cambodia’s largest arts and cultural center, has just opened 37 miles northeast of Phnom Penh. With a modern recording studio and a 140-seat auditorium, the Gong aims to celebrate, preserve, and revitalize Cambodian music, documenting traditional Khmer music while supporting new artists with cutting-edge technology.

‘Opening horizons’: Why Indonesian star Dian Sastrowardoyo champions women — Al Jazeera

Dian Sastrowardoyo is not content with just being one of Indonesia’s most beloved actresses. The star of the iconic Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?, among others, is an advocate for the education of girls and has put her money where her mouth is: more than 30 women have taken part in the undergraduate scheme she set up back in 2015, Al Jazeera reports.

“If you want to invest in education, one of the key areas to invest in is women because mothers are basically the first teachers in a human’s life. If you invest in women, you are also investing in their children and grandchildren,” she said.

“We are opening the horizons of these girls, and now many of them have succeeded.”

Gastrodiplomacy in Indonesia: A Cultural and Economic Endeavor — Modern Diplomacy

Every now and then, a conversation will crop up in Indonesia. It goes like this: why are Thai food, Malaysian food and Vietnamese food so world-famous when Indonesian cuisine is just as diverse, interesting and plain old delicious? As a diehard sate ayam lover, I agree. The world should get a better taste of Indonesia. Sekarsari Sugihartono digs into what Indonesia could do to plug the gap.

Indonesia’s culinary landscape is characterized by a vast array of flavors and ingredients, influenced by its diverse ethnic groups and historical trade routes. From the spicy rendang of Sumatra to the sweet and savory gudeg of Java, Indonesian cuisine reflects a rich tapestry of cultural influences (Ishige, 2001). This diversity makes Indonesian food an ideal ambassador for the country’s culture.

China spent millions on this new trade route - then a war got in the way — BBC

BBC continues its undefeated streak of excellent Myanmar reporting with this one on the village of Yinjing. The village straddles the border between Myanmar’s Shan State and China’s Yunnan Province. The pandemic put a temporary end to the free flow of villagers across both sides, but the coup in Myanmar and the hostilities ever since have made that a permanent issue. It’s a local look at the much larger story of China and Myanmar in crisis. 

A loudspeaker now warns people in Ruili not to get too close to the fence - but that doesn’t stop a Chinese tourist from sticking his arm between the bars of a gate to take a selfie.

Two girls in Disney T-shirts shout through the bars - “hey grandpa, hello, look over here!” - as they lick pink scoops of ice cream. The elderly man shuffling barefoot on the other side barely looks up before he turns away.

What to Know About Pope Francis’ Historic Asia Trip — Time

The Pope’s recent foray around Asia, swinging by Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and ending in Singapore, is about more than reaching out to the faithful. It’s part of a longer-running effort to project Vatican influence and the Pope’s role as a non-political world leader. This piece for Time takes a look at what each country means to the trip.

Francis’ first stop on the journey, in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country where about 87 percent of the population practice Islam, reflects his enduring efforts through his visits across the world to reach out to Catholics in regions where they are minorities and to foster interfaith cooperation. 

Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka seek digital nomads' skills and money — Nikkei Asia

Digital nomad visas, the silver bullet to economic troubles and immigration headaches, or simply a never-ending conversation? I can’t tell but I do love reading about it. This piece from Nikkei compares and contrasts the moves in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka in supporting monied digital nomads while putting a lid on overtourism. 

A survey by travel information website A Brother Abroad estimated that there were roughly 35 million digital nomads worldwide in 2022, with their economic value totaling $787 billion. One forecast sees their ranks growing to around 60 million by 2030.

The Kupang sea — CNN

I just spent a week out in Kupang and it’s surrounding islands. I was too sick to take advantage, but I have told everyone who asks that they’ve got to go out to Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province where the waters are pristine, the eggplant dishes delightful and tourist hotspots nowhere near Bali levels. This piece from CNN looking at the conservation of the province’s coral reefs and seaweed stores is a must. These photos! (Full disclaimer: the story features a friend of mine! Fun!)

In the early 2000s, Ibrahim Medah distributed seaweed seeds to coastal communities in Kupang and Semmy was among the recipients who reaped profitable rewards.

"I was very proud of my effort and income from the seaweed business at that time. Not only could I send my children to school, I could also afford a pickup truck," said Semmy, a resident of Lifuleo Village.