Global Observer

[Recipe] Shavige Payasa: An easy-to-make south Indian dessert

[Recipe] Shavige Payasa: An easy-to-make south Indian dessert

Sharmila Kuthunur July 28, 2020
In my home state of Karnataka in south India, Shavige Payasa is a sweet dish that is cooked during festivals and birthdays. “Shavige” means vermicelli and “Payasa” is a type of pudding.
The Black Lives Matter movement in Asia.

How #BLM shifted conversations in Asia

Mihiro Shimano July 24, 2020

The Black Lives Matter movement that re-emerged in the U.S., following the murder of George Floyd, spread internationally within just a few days. Scores of people began protesting outside embassies in...

People in Vietnam.

Vietnam, worried about its birth rate, pushes women to marry before 30

Ha Ta July 16, 2020

Tam Phan is 26. She had just returned to Vietnam after earning a master’s degree in English linguistics in the United Kingdom. Now working as a lecturer of English at a university in Ho Chi Minh City,...

A student studies near a laptop.

International students face extra challenges with online classes

Pavithra Rajesh July 6, 2020

Most college students across the U.S. experienced some form of virtual learning this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. International students who returned home after dorms closed faced an additional...

A bar in Rio disregards social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening Rio amid the coronavirus pandemic

Luiza Loyo June 29, 2020

Two weeks ago in Brazil, I went on my first drive after about 90 days of self-isolation. As I drove by the beach, I noticed a family of five with a little child, none of whom were wearing masks. It was...

A person watches Netflix.

Netflix by the numbers: Who’s watching what in which country

Pavithra Rajesh June 24, 2020

If you ask someone what they’re doing to pass the time during the coronavirus pandemic, chances are they will say they are watching something on Netflix. Who would’ve thought that this postal movie...

Daily wage workers get supplies.

India’s daily wage workers cope with pandemic through public support

Sharmila Kuthunur May 27, 2020

India’s immediate enforcement of a nationwide lockdown since March 24 has left vulnerable communities in the country scrambling to sustain their livelihoods. Among those are India’s “daily wagers”...

A student walks through a library.

Starting a new school year in the middle of a pandemic

Mihiro Shimano May 24, 2020

As U.S. universities struggle to decide whether to start their fall semester online or in person, Japanese universities have already started their instructions online for the first semester of the year. The...

The line in the airport.

Chinese international students: Struggles to get home in a pandemic

Xiaoxi Ma May 15, 2020

The coronavirus epidemic sent thousands of Chinese students abroad scrambling to get home in March. Instead of a month spent attending classes, studying in the library and preparing for exams, they had...

Terror Attacks - Domestic or International?

Terror attacks in the US: International vs. Domestic

Szu Yu Chen May 4, 2020

The conversation about US terrorism centers mostly on attacks by foreign groups, specifically Al-Qaeda. But data shows that between 2011 and 2019, the U.S. saw a surge in terrorism tied to domestic white...

Trees in Wuhan.

Reopening Wuhan: Life after 76 days of lockdown

Yushu Tian May 2, 2020

After 76 days of lockdown, the city of Wuhan reopened on April 8. The Chinese government announced that there had been no new cases in the six days leading up to April 28. The city, which used to be...

The group of girls in Brazil.

Brazil’s young female entrepreneurs step up to create jobs

Luiza Loyo April 30, 2020

Brazil has a high rate of unemployment and few job opportunities. But a new generation of young, female entrepreneurs and artists in the country are taking their future into their own hands by creating...

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