children
Ivana Simic Bodrozic and co: more women on Croatia literary scene
The Zagreb-based poet and writer's coming-of-age drama Hotel Zagorje is the theme of a literary event in Paris. Though her debut novel stays true to a tradition in contemporary Croatian fiction, the 29-year-old gets her audience in a flurry with the book's themes of war, women, the past and an inevitable future together
children, balkans, candidate countries, culture calendar, books, zagreb, yugoslavia
'Our School' documentary: segregated Roma schools despite EU funds
When directors and producers Mona Nicoară and Miruna Coca-Cozma followed three Roma children in a small Romanian village for four years, their film initially about a success story of integration became one about the realities of ethnic segregation. Interview
children, emir kusturica, racism, education system, gypsy, hungary, romania
Tunisia’s Arab renaissance comes out of London exile
On 23 September the arab spring achieved its most significant achievement yet. It was a rebirth for the modern Arab world without spilt blood nor fiery rhetoric in the dust and the death; instead it used ink and consensus to rebuild a country. Moderate islamist party ennahda, coming out of exile in the UK, won 41% in the country's first democratic elections on 22 October
children, london, arab spring, tunis, tunisia, jasmine revolution, religion and democracy
REM ‘call it a day as a band’ after 31 years and 15 albums: editors pick
The American rock group are as old as the most sprightliest of us here at cafebabel.com HQ in Paris. They formed in Athens (Georgia!) in 1980 and announced their split on 22 September. Here’s a video ode to some of our favourite songs for today’s soundtrack
children, video, nostalgia, culture calendar, culture, youth, music
An Albanian in Istanbul on children’s day
Whilst hundreds of Turkish students protest against internet censorship, fight for more resources for public universities and sign petitions for history books telling the truth about the Ottoman empire that the country was once part of, an annual children’s festival takes place. Created by the modern secular nation’s founder Ataturk in 1920 to celebrate the first national assembly of Ankara, games and dance celebarte the ‘father of the country’
children, mustafa kemal atatürk, orient express, nationalism, turkey, istanbul, politics
Denmark 2011 Oscar for In A Better World - but not a very Danish movie
Susanne Bier’s ‘Hævnen’ is a story about blood, thirst and justice and the hard realities of life. But how did a movie about such dark subjects come out of Denmark, the country with the happiest people on earth?
children, doctors, happiness, oscars, culture calendar, africa, island
Knecht Ruprecht and his motley crew of Christmas meanies
Santa Claus is coming to town...and so what? Europe’s christmas traditions don’t always bring nice surprises
children, tower of babel, christmas, germany, italy, religion, translation
Cafe Niesen in Prenzlauer Berg: no children please
Prams, buggies, babies, toddlers, kids... you name it, anything child related, Prenzlauer Berg will have it. This includes a cafe which has been open since 2005 but is getting media attention now - extract from the official blog of the cafebabel.com team in Berlin
Uncommon first names: 'Europa'
As the launch of a new online database exploring the origins of strange surnames is announced in the UK, we think of the Scarletts, Nikes and Solidarities in this EU world
children, tower of babel, parents, translation, language, society
Baby language
Scientists and parents were shaken by a recent discovery: newborns cry in tune with the melody line that they have most often heard while still in their mothers’ placenta. To that, we say ga ga - baby phrases of the week
children, tower of babel, languages, eurovision song contest, henning studte, expressions, translation
Facebooking Afghani refugee children in Italy
‘In December 2008 I met four young Afghani children on a bus. I was struck by their smiles, the commotion they caused and the racism of other passengers on the bus. They had arrived that very evening, on foot, the night that the Tiber flooded. I took them with me that evening, but things didn’t turn out as expected...'
children, afghanistan, rome, human rights, refugee, citizen journalism, italy
Don’t let the bedbugs bite
'Goodnight, sleep tight ...' be it cockroaches or communists under the bed - you never know what might be lurking around at bedtime in Poland or the UK. Weekly European idioms
Bullying: European network online
Be it cyber-bullying via Youtube or tell tale classroom signs: the EU-backed site supports those who may see in-school violence happening and who struggle to know how to cope
children, school, violence in schools training online project, cyber-bullying , harassment, teachers, youtube
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