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Asia Life
Sports, culture and the arts are a passion for billions in the Asia-Pacific, and offer unique insights into what makes countries here tick. From the latest cricket match to prize-winning novels and the latest art exhibitions, The Diplomat's bloggers cover it all, giving you a fresh perspective on the region.
Dumont, Guha, and the Danger of Stereotyping India
By Krzysztof Iwanek
The case of Dumont’s book may serve as a warning to all foreigners dealing with Indian society.
The Bonfire of Modern Demons: On Original Ways of Celebrating India’s Holi
By Krzysztof Iwanek
Innovative versions of celebrating the festival include burning the effigies of fraudsters.
Paying Attention to India’s Saints of All Faiths
By Krzysztof Iwanek
There are cults in India that exist between Hinduism and Islam, but their sites are increasingly claimed by one or the other.
Amul: the Pun-dits of Indian Advertising
By Krzysztof Iwanek
Amul has managed to not only advertise its brand, but also brand its advertisements.
A Train Ride Away: Long-Distance Parenting in China
By Miranda Zuo
The forces that drive parents to separate from their children, even temporarily.
India’s Padmaavat: An Ode to Conservatism and Moral Victories
By Krzysztof Iwanek
Both the movie and the controversy around it show how we judge things and people we do not know.
India’s Bhima Koregaon: A Battle of Narratives
By Krzysztof Iwanek
The Koregaon riots show how the same historical event can be seen from different perspectives.
The Death of Shanghai’s Iconic Independent Bookstore
By Charlotte Gao
The authorities didn’t allow the bookstore to go gentle into that last good night.
Fake News Busting in India
By Krzysztof Iwanek
India, a massive internet market, is flooded with fake news -- but also enterprising fact checkers and hoax busters.
Aamir Khan: India’s Soft Power in China
By Charlotte Gao
The actor may be the most popular Indian in China today.
How a British Historian and Hungarian Writer Predicted the Soviet Fall and China’s Rise
By Francis P. Sempa
In the early 1970s, Arnold Toynbee and George Urban foresaw two of the developments that would shape the 21st century.
Google Translate's Mongolia Service Goes Horribly Wrong
By Sergey Radchenko
No Mongolian speaker would think of their language as gobbledygook but a Google glitch made it so.