At the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali, Indonesian short story writer Uda Agus told a story to illustrate how seamlessly digital media has blended with traditional culture. (Look for more from the festival, which runs through October 15, here and at Asia Times.)
Agus, a native of West Sumatra, told about a tragic day in the village when a teenager came running to his grandmother, screaming, “Grandpa has fallen out of a tree.”
“Quick, give me your mobile phone,” the grandmother said.
“Why?”
“I want to update my status from married to widow.”
Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is author of Hong Kong On Air
