Brunei’s Royal Wedding

Daily Upsider on January 17, 2024

Brunei came to a halt for a grand royal wedding, featuring Prince Abdul Mateen, the tenth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and Anisha Rosnah. The ceremony took place at Istana Nurul Iman, the world’s largest residential palace.

The wedding included a procession through Bandar Seri Begawan, drawing crowds in scorching heat. Prince Mateen, a 32-year-old military officer, is the face of Brunei’s royal family, known for his Instagram presence. Anisha, reportedly an entrepreneur, joined the extravagant royal lifestyle. The sultan’s family, known for lavish parties, has a history of grand celebrations, including a $25 million event in 1996.

The wedding festivities began on January 7 with a traditional pre-wedding ceremony, followed by the Islamic solemnization ceremony on January 11. Other ceremonies, like the Berbedak Pengantin Diraja, or “powdering ceremony” – where the groom and bride-to-be are blessed by their close family members who apply a powder paste to their hands before the wedding, also added cultural significance. The formal wedding on January 15 featured royals from Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE, along with leaders from neighboring countries. Brunei, a tiny nation rich in oil and gas reserves, gained independence in 1984. The ruling House of Bolkiah is led by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, who holds various government roles.

A New King in Europe

Daily Upsider on January 16, 2024

In a historic moment for Denmark, new King Frederik X has assumed the throne following the surprising abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II. The handover took place at Christiansborg Palace in the capital, Copenhagen, where thousands gathered to witness the commencement of a new era.

Queen Margrethe, who reigned for over five decades, signed a declaration of abdication during a cabinet meeting, officially passing the crown to her son. The emotional scene unfolded amidst large crowds braving frigid weather in the streets.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen continued the tradition, publicly proclaiming the King’s accession from the palace balcony. King Frederik delivered a concise speech, expressing his hope to be a unifying king. His Australian-born wife, Queen Mary, and their four children, including Crown Prince Christian, the new successor, joined him.

While the Danish monarchy, one of Europe’s oldest, lacks a traditional crowning ceremony, the streets were filled with well-wishers. Unlike the grand global spectacles of other royal events, Denmark’s changeover remained a low-key yet significant occasion.

The transition garnered international congratulations, with Britain’s King Charles III extending warm wishes. Denmark, entering a new modern era, faces the challenge of maintaining a popular and relevant monarchy under King Frederik’s reign.

The Danish royal family is well known for its down-to-earth demeanor. As Denmark embraces this new chapter, King Frederik and Queen Mary strive to maintain a monarchy that resonates with the public in a rapidly changing world.

Ancient City Found in the Amazon

Daily Upsider on January 15, 2024

An ancient city, hidden for thousands of years by dense vegetation in the Amazon, has been uncovered through LiDAR Technology. The Upano area in eastern Ecuador reveals a complex urban society with houses, plazas, and an impressive network of roads and canals connecting them. This discovery challenges the main stream belief that Amazonian people lived nomadically or in small settlements.

Built around 2,500 years ago, the city thrived for up to 1,000 years, hosting a population estimated in the tens of thousands or more. It is the oldest site known in the Amazon, and the size could indicate that the ancient civilization could rival or have even been larger than the Mayan civilizations in Mexico and Central America.

The archaeological findings, aided by LiDAR technology flown on a plane, exposed 6,000 rectangular platforms arranged in groups around plazas. These platforms, believed to be homes and ceremonial spaces, showcased sophisticated urban planning.

A striking feature was the extensive road network, covering a vast distance that have long straight sections, and sometimes turn using right angles. It is much more common to see roads that follow the lay of the land as it is easier to make. The researchers believe this might suggest a ceremonial or symbolic significance to some of these roads. Causeways with ditches, likely canals managing water resources, were also identified. Signs of threats to the city, such as blocked entrances and ditches, hinted at potential conflicts with neighboring groups.

The first evidence of their being an ancient city was found in the 1970’s, but this is the first time the site has been thoroughly surveyed since then.

Prof Stephen Rostain, director of investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France, was the man who lead the survey. He said he was warned away from the research by other scientist who claimed there were no ancient civilizations in the Amazon. The professor was not deterred, and is quite happy about it, saying “But I’m very stubborn, so I did it anyway. Now I must admit I am quite happy to have made such a big discovery,”.

The researchers plan to explore an adjoining 300 sq km area to see what more they can discover.

This reminds me of the writings of early Spanish explorers, who claimed there were large cities and civilizations in the Amazon. These cities were not found later, and lot’s of scientists and historians chalked it up to fabrications. This is a good reminder that sometimes scientist get a little over confident with with what they “know”.

Hopefully, we continue to learn more about these lost cities and people.

Asia’s Young & Wealthy Art Collectors

Daily Upsider on January 11, 2024

There is an interesting shift in the art collection world. Wealthy young collectors in Asia, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are boosting the demand for art, notably through online channels.

High-net-worth millennials in Asia increased their spending on art, with notable contributions from mainland China, Singapore, and Taiwan. International auction houses, including Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips, have seen a significant uptick in purchases by young Asian collectors. Millennials accounted for almost 40% of Christie’s buyers in Asia Pacific, with a 65% increase in Gen Z buyers in 2023. South Korea and Taiwan stood out as key contributors to the flourishing art market in 2023.

Young collectors are reshaping art preferences, favoring digital art and prints (Gen Z) and sculptures, installations, and film or video art (millennials), according to the Art Basel & UBS report. Millennials are drawn to figurative and surrealistic works, expressing a preference for emerging artists over blue-chip names .

In Asia, millennial buyers are embracing both contemporary and classical Asian art, reflecting a cultural connection. At Christie’s 2023 Hong Kong Autumn Auctions, 40% of new buyers acquiring Chinese ceramics, paintings, and artworks were millennials.

“We have increasingly millennials and younger collectors buying at Christie’s [and] starting to collect … that we’ve been able to also engage much more with all our digital innovations,” Francis Belin, president of Asia Pacific at Christie’s said

Arizona Teacher Reunites with Japanese Host Family

Daily Upsider on January 11, 2024

After Japan’s 7.6 earthquake on January 1st, Anne Hanson, a veteran educator, urgently sought information about her former host family in Uozu, near the quake’s epicenter. Unable to reach them through old email addresses, she filled out a form on Uozu City Hall’s website.

Anne, recognizing the slim odds, hoped someone would be able to locate Akihiko Kiyokawa, her host from 22 years ago. She included her Fulbright Memorial Fund alumni status in her email’s subject line. Knowing the community’s respect for American teachers from the program, hoping it might increase her chance of reaching her former host family.

Miraculously, within 24 hours, she received an email when friend of Akihiko, who spoke English happened to have seen Anne’s message and forwarded it to her.

The Japanese woman and her relatives had lost their homes, but nevertheless reported good news from the disaster.

“Fortunately, there were no injuries and my life was saved,” she wrote. “Under these circumstances, I never expected to receive a message of sympathy from America. I believe this is a truly miraculous event that should make it onto the news. I would like to cherish it.” Akhiko said.