1. Notes for CultureGrams Users: Famous People Biographies
2. Did You Know?
3. Holiday Focus/Upcoming World Holidays
4. Teaching Idea: Graphing Regional Statistics
5. Southeast Asia Quiz
6. Recipes from Southeast Asia
7. In the News: Myanmar’s Democracy Campaigner
8. Email Service Information & Forwarding Tool

Famous People Biographies

For each of the 187 countries in the World Edition series, CultureGrams now provides five to ten Famous People descriptions.

From politicians to sporting heroes, musicians to Nobel Prize winners, these concise biographies cover a country’s most well-known and respected individuals, living or historical. Some will be familiar to students, while many others will be discovered for the first time. Teachers may want to use them as a starting point for a discussion on what the citizens of a particular country value and who its young people seek to emulate.

Explore this feature using the Famous People index!

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• Indonesians rarely disagree in public and prefer to say belum (not yet) instead of tidak (no).
  
  
• Kite flying is a favorite pastime in Malaysia.
  
  
• One of Singapore's five “shared values” is “nation above community and society above self.”
  
  
• Kartor, played by trying to keep a rattan ball in the air without using the hands, is the Lao national sport.
  
  
• The most popular form of entertainment in Myanmar, especially in rural areas, is the pwe, a live show incorporating acting, singing, music, and dancing.

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Some Upcoming World Holidays

Romania – National Day – December 1
Marks the proclamation of Romania as a unified state in 1918.

Guam – Feast of Our Lady of Camerin – December 8
Honors the island's patron saint.

Sweden – Lucia – December 13
Marks the beginning of the Christmas season. A girl in the family (or school or town) assumes the role of St. Lucia (the “light queen”) and dresses in white with a crown of candles in her hair.

Bhutan – National Day – December 17
Celebrates the coronation of Sir Ugyen Wangchuck, who was elected the first king of Bhutan in 1907.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Nine Mornings – The nine days before Christmas
A uniquely Vincentian celebration, Nine Mornings supposedly originated during slavery when the slaves who drove their masters to early morning novenas (nine days of prayer) would spend their time chatting and window-shopping. These days, Nine Morning revelers go walking, swimming, cycling, and window-shopping.

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Standard 13: The geographically informed person knows and understands how forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface.

Standard 2: Understands the essential characteristics of limited and unlimited governments

Level IV [Grade: 9-12]

4. Understands how relationships between government and civil society in constitutional democracies differ from those in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes

• CultureGrams World Edition
  

1. Governments take many different forms. Some are democratic, provide for civil liberties, and place an emphasis on individual choice. Other governments are controlled by a small group or single leader. How a country is governed affects everything from economy to religion.
   
   
2. Using the CultureGrams World Edition, ask students to identify different types of governments found across the world. Discuss possible benefits and drawbacks of each type of system. For example: United States, Nigeria, or India--democratic republics; United Kingdom, Sweden, Thailand--constitutional monarchies; Laos, Cuba, or China--one-party totalitarian states; Turkmenistan, Zimbabwe--dictatorships; Swaziland, Saudi Arabia--monarchies. What impact does government type have on other parts of the culture?
   
   
3. Have students read a report for Vietnam (one-party state), Myanmar (military regime), or Libya (one-party dictatorship) to see how the government influences its people in categories such as General Attitudes, Religion, Economy, Communications, and Education. Have them summarize their findings in a short essay.
   
   
4. Extension activity: Have students access the Country Ratings section of the Freedom House website to see how the countries they studied compare to others in terms of political rights and civil liberties.

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1. The Angkor Wat (Angkor Temple), built in the 12th century, is what country’s most cherished national symbol?
2. Southeast Asia's highest peak, Mount Hkakabo Razi (elevation 19,290 feet, or 5,881 meters) is found in which country?
3. Malaysia is divided into two regions--West Malaysia and East Malaysia. On what island is East Malaysia located?
4. Which Southeast Asian country gained independence from the United States on July 4, 1946?
5. Before the government changed the country’s name in 1939, what was Thailand called?

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Main Dish from the Philippines
Arroz a la Cubana
(Rice with Meat and Vegetables)

Ingredients:

3/5 pound lean ground pork
3/5 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon garlic, macerated
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 large tomato, sliced
1 small box of raisins
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups cooked (steamed) rice
Fried saba (plantain banana), sliced
Fried sweet potatoes
Sunny-side-up fried eggs, 1 per person

Directions:

1. Sauté garlic, onion, and tomato in hot oil until tender. Add meat and cook until done. Add raisins, pepper, and salt.

2. Arrange the rice in 1-cup molds around the edges of a large platter, reserving one 1-cup mold. Place the cooked meat mixture, fried bananas, and sweet potatoes in the center of the platter. Top with remaining rice mold and fried eggs.

Yields: 6 servings

Dessert from Thailand
Fresh Fruit in Coconut Cream

Note: This dessert also can be prepared with Asian fruits such as litchi, rambutan, or star fruit.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 ounces creamed coconut
1/3 pint boiling water
2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 pinch salt
Orange and lime peel strips
1 firm large banana, peeled and chopped
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1 orange, peeled and sliced
1/2 pineapple, peeled and cut in cubes

Directions:

1. Roughly chop the block of creamed coconut into thin slivers. Place in a bowl and pour in boiling water.

2. Mix well until creamed coconut dissolves. Add more creamed coconut for a thicker consistency.

3. Transfer the creamed coconut and water mixture to a pan. Add sugar and salt and heat gently until sugar dissolves. Add orange and lime peel. Add the banana, mango, pineapple cubes, and orange pieces. Cook gently for two to three minutes.

4. Arrange the fruit and coconut sauce decoratively on serving plates.

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