More glimpses of Asia – September 23, 2015

Links from my expatriate e-mail pen pal Jack and his friend Marty

Japan’s Yakuza: Inside the syndicate

Malaysia arrests eight in connection with Bangkok shrine bombing
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/23/malaysia-arrests-eight-bangkok-shrine-bombing

Sumatran rhinos likely to become extinct, conservationists warn
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/22/sumatran-rhinos-likely-to-become-extinct-warn-environment-experts

Secret Missionaries and Smuggled Bibles: China’s Religious Boom
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/secret-missionaries-and-smuggled-bibles-chinas-religious-boom

25 Of The Most Dangerous And Unusual Journeys To School In The World  [24 in Asia -M]
http://www.boredpanda.com/dangerous-journey-to-school/

We’re All Mispronouncing Mount Everest’s Name  [Interesting trivia! Of course those of us who have lived/visited Nepal or Tibet, call it Sagarmatha or Chomolungma -M]
http://mentalfloss.com/article/68822/were-all-mispronouncing-mount-everests-name

There’s an Annual Straw Art Festival in Japan and it Looks Awesome
http://twistedsifter.com/2015/09/straw-art-festival-in-niigata-city-japan/

A Poster That Showcases the Best Japanese Snack Food
http://mentalfloss.com/article/68912/poster-showcases-best-japanese-snack-food

A Hundred Years After This Man’s Death Scientists Confirmed He Was Murdered (China)
http://io9.com/a-hundred-years-after-this-mans-death-scientists-confir-1732399181

India’s doctors blame air pollution for sharp rise in respiratory diseases
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/23/india-doctors-air-pollution-rise-respiratory-diseases-delhi

Meet the aspiring writers behind your fortune cookie messages
Want a writing job in this depressing gig economy? Become a freelance fortune cookie writer: sharpen your wit and prepare to charge by the fortune
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/20/fortune-cookie-writers-chinese-food

Photo of the day 09/21 – Long-tailed macaques huddle in a cage at a village in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday. Thai authorities were relocating the macaques to lessen conflicts with the local community.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2015/Photos-of-the-day-09-21#936308

Photo of the day 09/21 –  Devotees carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, into the Arabian Sea on the fifth day of the ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India, Monday. Ganesh idols are taken through the streets in a procession accompanied by dancing and singing, and later immersed in a river or the sea, symbolising a ritual seeing-off of his journey towards his abode, taking away with him the misfortunes of all mankind.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2015/Photos-of-the-day-09-21#936310

Photo of the day 09/21 – A boy leads a goat at a livestock market in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday. Muslims around the world are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha, marking the end of the Haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God’s command.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Photo-Galleries/Photos-of-the-Day/2015/Photos-of-the-day-09-21#936314

Tags: Afghanistan, China, Glimpses of Asia, India, Japan, Journeys to School, Malaysia, Mount Everest, Sumatra, Thailand, Yakuza