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CURRENTS
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Webumentaries
Whether they deal with local culinary flavors and
cultural traditions, or provide an overview of an HIV/AIDS program, webumentaries
are full of insight and raw knowledge. Come back to this page often. We'll be
updating it on a regular basis.
| Introduction to Semester at Sea |
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From September through November 2005, Semester
at Sea's MV Explorer will be our home and the vehicle that will enable the
CURRENTS program. Click on the streaming video link on the right to find
out more about the Semester at Sea program and see the ship. |
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| Overview of HIV/AIDS with Asia
Society |
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Meet Betsy Williams from the Asia
Society's HIV/AIDS program. In this short video, Betsy talks about HIV/AIDS
from a global pespective and the work of Asia Society on this issue. |
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JAPAN
| Getting lost in Kobe's Subway
System |
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Proving once again that his navigational
skills need some fine-tuning, David gets lost in the Kobe subway system.
Nothing is simple for a newcomer here: the system is run by several companies,
meaning that one has to sometimes walk out of one station run by one company
and walk to another station run by another in order to transfer. Needless
to say, it took us a while to get to our destination. |
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HONG KONG
| Aberdeen Floating Village in
Hong Kong |
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Aberdeen Harbor is host to a community
of fishermen who live and work on their boats. Jason Liquori reports on
the Aberdeen floating village from one of the many "junks" that
make up this community. |
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| Sights and Sounds of Hong Kong |
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Hong Kong is at once huge and small.
High rises soar to the clouds and sprawling Chinese markets abound in the
streets below. This Asian "city that never sleeps" is a bustling
cosmopolitan jungle that finds its roots somewhere between Europe and the
Far East. |
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| Reflexology in Hong Kong |
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After a long and stressful day, David
stops at a reflexology center - one of many in Hong Kong - to get a relaxing
foot massage. |
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| The Tram to Victoria Peak |
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Victoria Peak overlooks the city
of Hong Kong. From the city's number one tourist destination, one can see
for miles around. Victoria Peak features the city's oldest form of transportation,
the Peak Tram. We took the tram, which is touted as the steepest in the
world. |
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VIETNAM
| Cu Chi Tunnels |
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Just 30 km from Ho Chi Minh City
(or Saigon), hundreds of miles of narrow underground tunnels attest to the
determination of the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. These tunnels had
a great role in facilitating Viet Cong control of this rural area, as Byron
Miller and Jason Liquori report. |
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| War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi
Minh City |
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This Museum, located in the heart
of Ho Chi Minh City, is dedicated to covering the atrocities of war. It
features photographs of victims of the Vietnam War (called the American
War in vietnam) and retired artillery pieces used by American forces during
the war. |
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| The Art of Crossing the Street
in Ho Chi Minh City |
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It may sound silly but to a newcomer,
crossing the street in Ho Chi Minh City is an adventure in itself. Traffic
here resembles a constant river of motorcycles, bicycles, cars, cyclos,
and buses. With crosswalks and traffic lights few and far between, you better
know what you’re doing. David tries not to get hurt. |
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| Getting Lost in a Market |
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David visits Ben Thanh Market, the
largest indoor market in Ho Chi Minh City, and gets lost in a maze of narrow
alleyways and shops. Stranded between stalls selling everything from fabric
to batman shoes, to fake Gucci bags, he wonders if he'll ever find his way
out of this place... |
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| Incredible Fruits of Vietnam |
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Ever hear of the Dragon Fruit? Well,
we hadn't, but we were eager to try it out. We sat down at a fruit stall
in Ben Thanh Market and proceeded to test out fruits we'd never eaten -
or seen - before. Here's just a sample of the variety of fruits that are
available in Vietnam. |
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| Sampling Pho: Noodle Soup |
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Pho is to the Vietnamese what pasta
is to Italians. It's basically a noodle soup flavored with meat, vegetables,
or any variety of ingredients. David walks around the food stalls right
outside of the Ben Thanh Market and samples a warm bowl of Pho... |
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INDIA
| Surviving a Rickshaw Ride in
Chennai, India |
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In this webumentary, watch David
Macquart take a rickshaw to his first meeting in Chennai...and make it to
his destination alive! A rickshaw is a three-wheeled vehicle that would
definitely not comply with safety standards in every part of the world,
but it's great for navigating the tight and busy streets of Chennai. No
GNG crew-members were harmed during the making of this webumentary! |
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| Sights and Sounds of Chennai,
India |
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Chennai is a bustling port city in
Southern India. Here, you'll find the old mixed with the new, traditional
values collide with western influences, sacred cows roaming the streets,
Hindu temples and - of course - the ever-present rickshaws roaming around
like ants in this fast-developing city. |
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SOUTH AFRICA
| HIV Problem in South Africa |
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At first glance, South Africa is
an extremely modern and wealthy African country. Look closer, however, and
you'll also find terrible poverty, and the highest HIV/AIDS infection rate
in the world. Most of these infections are concentrated in poor areas, like
the Townships of Cape Town... |
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| About Apartheid |
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Apartheid was the name given to South
Africa’s brutal policy of segregation that lasted from 1948 to 1994.
Under Apartheid, mixed marriages were prohibited, and every individual was
classified by race. There were separate beaches, separate buses, separate
toilets, separate schools and even separate park benches. This webumentary
features South Africans commenting on Apartheid and its harsh legacy. |
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| Sights and Sounds of Cape Town,
South Africa |
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Welcome to Cape Town, located at
the southern end of the continent of Africa. Take a look at these Sights
and Sounds. |
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| The BRAAI: BBQ, South Africa
Style |
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A Braai (pronounced Bry) is the equivalent
of potluck barbeques in the United States, but with a distinctly South African
flavor. People bring meat to grill on the fire: lamb chops, boewors (a delicious
sausage - trust this writer), chicken...and have a good time amongst friends
and family. There's always a Braai going on somewhere, so get your
meat on... |
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| The Traditional Herbalist |
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They're called many things: Witch
Doctors, Traditional Healers, Herbalists, etc...In South Africa as in many
parts of Africa, these people traditionally play a vital role in the community
and are there to give guidance and advice. They help patients solve their
problems, whether health-related or in life in general. David Macquart visited
one such Herbalist in the Kayelitsha Township outside of Cape Town... |
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| Getting an HIV Test in South
Africa |
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Chris Plutte gets tested for the
first time in his life at a specialized clinic in the township of Kayelitsha.
Notice how the process differs from the United States. |
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BRAZIL
| Local Flavors in the Streets
of Salvador, Brazil |
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In this webumentary, learn about Acaraje, a flavorful
Bahian snack (Bahia is a Brazilian state) that would make Atkins diet fans
cringe in horror! In Salvador, you'll see ladies dressed in white selling
these little marvels on street corners. It's rumored that some of these
women make a fortune selling these popular treats. |
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| Open Air Market in Salvador |
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At this mostly open-air market in
Salvador, anything goes: buy your chicken, your veggies, your meat, and
maybe even a goat or two before heading home for dinner. |
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| Brazil and Alternative Fuels |
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Check out a car that could be straight out of
a James Bond movie. It runs on compressed natural gas AND gasoline. This
type of "flex-car" is very common where we were (some cars even
ran on cooking oil!). Just another example of how Brazil is leading the
pack on alternative fuels and energy conservation... |
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| Capoeira in Brazil |
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Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art with roots
in Africa, and was developed in the state of Bahia by the descendants of
African slaves. All over Salvador, you'll see different Capoeira schools
showing off their skills and impressive techniques. |
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| Sights and Sounds of Salvador, Brazil |
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Beautiful beaches, cobblestone streets,
over 350 churches ("one for every day of the year"), and a decidely
unique culture and flavor. Check out sights and sounds from Salvador de
Bahia! |
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| Baguncaco, Fighting the War Against
HIV/AIDS |
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Learn about Baguncaco, a community
center in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Salvador that teaches kids
about HIV/AIDS prevention. Everything at Baguncaco revolves around drums,
and the center is famous in Salvador for the quality of its drum circles.
Check it out and get ready to SAMBA! |
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VENEZUELA
| Who is Hugo Chavez? |
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Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s charismatic leader,
stirs passions both here in Venezuela and abroad. When he came to office,
he promised to chip away at the powers and privileges of the elite and to
give back to poor and dispossessed. Everywhere we went, it seemed that people
either loved him or hated him. |
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| Interview with the Founder of
Accion Solidaria |
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Feliciano Reyna founded Accion Solidaria - a support
center for people affected with HIV/AIDS based in Caracas - when his partner
passed away from AIDS. In this clip, he speaks about the HIV/AIDS situation
in Venezuela, and how people perceive this virus in his country... |
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| Vivianna, on a Summer Camp for
HIV Positive Kids |
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Vivianna, a young girl from Caracas,
goes to a camp for HIV positive children. She herself is HIV negative
and explains why she enjoys going to this camp, and talks about the friends
she has made there.
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