I passed the closing hours of Ramadan last week in Jakarta, where the indefatigable prayers of imams tolled out from loudspeakers mounted on minarets nonstop into the night at such a pitch that they continuously jarred me out of sleep. Back in Kuala Lumpur, the final prayers of the season rung out until 11 or …
Author: Justin Calderón
Justin Calderón is the founder of Mint Position, an SEO-focused content marketing agency that produces and ranks web content using journalistic-quality research. He is also a veteran journalist, and his byline has appeared in the BBC, CNN, Newsweek, Foreign Policy, GlobalPost, the Bangkok Post and more. Justin speaks Mandarin and Spanish.
Overdeveloping China creates speculation and elitist markets
With all the huffing, puffing, moaning and yelping about international debt crises, one has got ask how China is maintaining its frantic "building binge." Today, the GlobalPost published my analysis of the current infrastructure and property development problems in China, notably in urban centers such as Shanghai and Chongqing. This story began its life during …
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First weeks in KL: Bersih 2.0 protest to bazaar Ramadan
If I were to write a narrative of my first (nonconsecutive) weeks in Kuala Lumpur, it would be one of heady political chaos followed by a contemplative decrescendo into the month of Ramadan. It would start out in KL and it would begin with a bang – namely originating from the disbursement of tear gas …
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Calorie counts in US chains need time to counter norms
From the volume of globular beings plodding across aisles in Walmart to an increasingly explicit trove of accessible web junk, obesity – judging from my recent visit – is clearly the order of the day in today’s US. Yet while keeping updated on the latest “feature creatures” at People of Walmart keeps me cracking up …
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Goofed up Translations from The Manchurian’s Menu
Before making my grand exit out of Shanghai, I decided it was more than necessary to revisit The Manchurian, or Dongbei Ren (东北人), a chain of atavistic eateries that perfume a potent Mao-era ambiance. While I love the nostalgic decor and variety of northeastern dishes (the medley of fried mushrooms comes to mind), the real …
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Justin Calderón 