麻豆社

Pascale Harter introduces personal experiences, insights and analysis from 麻豆社 correspondents around the world. In this edition, two European stories touching on heritage, change and hope ... or hopelessness. Emma Jane Kirby reflects on the damage that's being done to the social fabric as young Portuguese jobseekers are once again turning to emigration as their best chance at a worthwhile career. While former colonies like Brazil and Angola might look promising, and have growth figures Lisbon can only envy, what effect is this mass exodus having on family life? And at the other end of Europe - far to the east, in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains - Rajan Datar takes a deep breath and dares to sing with a Svaneti choir. The harmonies are complex, the lyrics are baffling - but the multi-part arrangements so intoxicating that Georgian choral music has even been sent into space, as an exemplar of the beauty humanity can create.