Asian Avenue magazine - February 2015

magazine

asian avenue Connecting Cultures Linking Lives

February 2015 Volume 10 Issue 2

Lunar New Year KGNU Community Radio powered by volunteers

2015 Zodiac

What’s your fortune in the year of the sheep?

How the new year is celebrated in China

Travel to Okinawa

Restaurant Peek

Chow Sun Hasu Asian Bistro

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Dear Asian Avenue readers, It is time to get to spring cleaning! Many Asian families will be cleaning and preparing for lunar new year on February 19, welcoming the year of the sheep. In this month’s cover story, learn about these traditions and also read your Chinese zodiac to see your horoscope for 2015. The sheep is kind, sweet and generous. They are a symbol of peace and harmony; they will bring about a more calm year after the 2014 year of the horse.

We invite you to celebrate Lunar New Year with us on Friday, February 6 at Kings Land Seafood Restaurant in Denver. This year, we will have a lion dance performance by the Colorado Asian Cultural Heritage Center, electric violin by Atomic Gracie and Chinese yo-yo by students from the Great Wall Chinese Academy. The celebration, of course, is all about food! You will enjoy a ten-course Chinese banquet dinner and learn about the symolic meanings of traditional new year dishes such as dumplings and noodles.

Speaking of food, you must try the restaurants featured in this month’s peeks. Chow Sun, in Aurora, specializes in Filipino dishes, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now you can get the favorite island flavors of adobo and halo halo, here in Colorado! Hasu Asian Bistro features sushi, in addition to its Chinese and Thai menu. The restaurant opened in November and has all the ingredients to be a favorite go-to spot in Cherry Creek North. And if you aren’t able to get out on the town, we have two unique recipes for you, one for a Thai hot and sour soup and the other for an Indian curry, that you can try at home.

In this issue, we feature KGNU Community Radi and hope our readers can support the radio station by tuning in to 88.5 FM, 1390 AM or www.kgnu.org. The volunteer-run station highlights the Chinese Radio Network program each Sunday at 5:30 PM. We have enjoyed our community partnership with KGNU and thank them for their hard work and passion to keeping community radio alive.

Lastly, we are excited to welcome Sarah Shirazi as our Editorial and Marketing Director, bringing new life, energy and ideas to the magazine! She worked with us years ago when the magazine first started and we are excited to have her back now that the magazine has gained more traction in our community. Please contact her at editor@asianavenuemagazine.com if you have any suggestions, stories ideas or feedback for us. Happy new year... again!

asian avenue magazine

staff & support

Publisher & Founder: Christina Yutai Guo President: Annie Guo Editorial and Marketing Director: Sarah Shirazi Marketing Coordinator: Chun Guo Senior Designer: C.G. Yao Designer: Jonathan Nguyen Staff Writer: Patricia Kaowthumrong Staff Writer: Mary Jeneverre Schultz Staff Writer: Brenda Velasquez Photographer: Trang Luong Intern: Monica Lin Intern: Akemi Tsutsui

advisors group

General Counsel: Michael C. Song Patty Coutts, Donna LaVigne, Nestor J. Mercado, Sum C. Nguyen, Alok Sarwal, Tom Shieh, John Yee, Nai-Li Yee, George N. Yoshida

contributing writers Eileen Wacker, M.S.G.

on the cover

Happy Lunar New Year! Learn about the lunar new year traditions celebrated in China.

subscriptions

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editorial

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To submit story ideas, letters to the editor or event calendar listings, e-mail editor@asianavenuemagazine.com.

Asian Avenue magazine (ISSN 1932-1449) reserves all copyrights to this issue. No parts of this edition can be reproduced in any manner without written permission.

The views expressed in articles are the authors’ and not necessarily those of Asian Avenue magazine.

Authors may have consulting or other business relationships with the companies they discuss.

Published by Asian Avenue Magazine, Inc. P.O. Box 221748 Denver, CO 80222-1748 Tel: 303.937.6888 | Fax: 303.750.8488 www.asianavenuemagazine.com Asian Avenue magazine is in association with the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network.

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February 2015 | President’s Note

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Find Inside >> Table of Contents

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Event Calendar Community Spotlight: KGNU Radio The community radio station has a number of programs, in many languages, to cater to Colorado’s multicultural and diverse community Cover Story: How New Year Is Celebrated in China Learn about the traditions of Chinese New Year such as eating dumplings and handing out red envelopes

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February 2015 | Table of Contents

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Feature: 2015 Chinese Zodiac Read your horoscope for the new year of the sheep Book Review: The Great Race Movie Review: The Interview Restaurant Peek Chow Sun Restaurant delivers on its adobo and halo halo, Filipino dishes Restaurant Peek Hasa Asian Bistro welcomes sushi lovers and first-timers to Cherry Creek Recipes: Tom Yum Soup and Tarka Dal

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National News Inside Story Theatre Espirit Asia announces to plays written by female Indian playwrights Inside Story Automotive Imports welcomes you to get the car of your dreams Travel Okinawa, Japan is the perfect getaway for beaches, markets and nightclubs

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events upcoming Asian Avenue magazine Lunar New Year Banquet Friday, Feb. 6, 6pm to 8:30pm

Kings Land Chinese Seafood 2200 W Alameda Avenue #44, Denver, CO 80223 Cost: $35 General | $25 Student/Senior For tickets, call 303.937.6888 or visit asianavenuemagazine.com/sheep You are invited to celebrate lunar new year with a 10-course Chinese dinner, dragon and lion dance, musical performanders, a silent auction and raffle! This is an annual fundraising event for Asian Avenue magazine, Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network and Rocky Mountain Chinese Weekly.

APDC’s Asian New Year Banquet Saturday, Feb. 7, 5:30pm to 9pm

Kings Land Chinese Seafood 2200 W Alameda Avenue #44, Denver, CO 80223 Cost: $65 perperson For more info or tickets, call Leslie 303.917.2135, e-mail info@apdc.org or visit www.apdc.org.

Join the Asian Pacific Development Center in celebrating the year of the sheep with Asian cuisine, a live and silent auction and live entertainment!

Screening of Love is a Verb

Saturday, Feb. 7, Begins at 4:30pm

Sie Film Center 2510 E. Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80206 Cost: Free; RSVP is required RSVP online: www.mosaicfoundation.org/mmf

The Multicultural Mosaic Foundation presents a free screening of Love is a Verb. Love is a Verb is an examination of a social movement of Sufi-inspired Sunni Muslims that began in Turkey in the l960s and now spans across the globe. The group is called Hizmet, the Turkish word for “service” or The Gülen Movement after its inspiration and teacher, Fethullah Gülen, a man TIME magazine named as one of the most influential leaders in 2013 for “...preaching a message of tolerance.”

Day of Remembrance 2015: Sharing Our Truths Sunday, Feb. 15, 1pm to 3pm

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February 2015 | Event Calendar

orate the signing of Executive Order 9066 that enabled the wartime incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry (most of them U.S. citizens), in 10 “interment camps” across the country. Participants will have the opportunity to meet and talk with panelists and presenters after the program and will have access to the History Colorado museum and exhibits until 5PM.

Sip n’ Paint Chinese New Year Thursday, Feb. 19, 6pm to 8pm

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Join Sipping n’ Painting for a special evening in honor of the Chinese New Year. You will have a blast relaxing, creating and tapping into the right side of your brain while sipping on the beverage of your choice from our bar. No experience necessary! We will walk you through the featured painting with step-by-step instruction. You will leave with your own unique canvas art creation and memories to share.

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People-Powered Media Community radio, KGNU 88.5FM/1390AM

By Sarah Shirazi | Asian Avenue magazine

For decades, people have been banding together in Denver and Boulder to grow and sustain KGNU Radio, a local station that is run almost entirely by community members. They have a small staff of six, but there are 230 volunteers who help program and administer the station, on-air and off-air.

KGNU seeks to stimulate, educate and entertain while reflecting diversity of local and international communities. It is a channel for individuals, groups, issues and music that have been overlooked, suppressed or underrepresented by other media. The station is home to many international shows including the Chinese Radio Network, a show that directly serves the Chinese community in Colorado by mainly focusing on public policy issues. The show started two years ago, and prior to that, the Hmong community ran a show out of the Boulder studio for seven years.

Asian Avenue magazine sits down with Dave Ashton, KGNU Denver Program Manager to find out more about what it takes to power a fully independent, noncommercial radio station.

Christina Yutai Guo

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February 2015 | Community Spotlight

How do you get people to power the radio?

We try to break down the barriers between the listeners, members and ourselves because we are just everyday people like them. So it sort of grows organically through the communities that we are touching with our programming.

Naturally, people get sparked up and there is just a curiosity among most of our American compatriots about producing media. Many people produce social media. Many people want to investigate things or make their music playlists. It’s something that people are naturally doing anyways.

What type of people come to KGNU and what are they motivated by?

KGNU represents the underrepresented viewpoints in news and public affairs and plays the underplayed forms and musicians in more popular forms. We are all about giving exposure to things not in the mainstream.

DJ Alisha B

So, we attract individual free thinkers who don’t like repetitive playlists, news which is clearly biased, or bought-out. People who want expressive music from all angles of the human experience and don’t want their stuff spoon-fed to them. They like a challenge.

What keeps good radio going?

The listeners. In the nonstop media world, it is through the community model that people can take control and be a part of media. Our listeners can give us advice to take off shows or to add them. We have made a ton of changes with our news programming and much of it is based on what we can gather from what the listeners want.

Evermore diverse and fluid. Moving. Able to report and respond to things in a really timely way. KGNU has been amazing at getting the news out; when its local, faster than a news corporation, like in the case of the floods.

To me, the combination of music and news is exciting and important.

I don’t want to be in just one or the other. I think community radio stations can best serve their communities by reflecting the arts and news of their communities while expanding to regional, national and international viewpoints through a local lens.

So you will directly respond to listeners?

The community radio station has to. That is our survival. If we don’t do what the public wants we could be done in a year, at any time. So we always have to be forward-thinking and responsive.

How is community radio different from public radio?

Community radio takes a lot of community input. Instead of receiving most of our funding from the National Corporation for Public Broadcasting, we rely a lot more on membership to make our budget. And of course, there’s people. We are people powered. Instead of having many programs that play, we have many people contributing to what makes our programming. This is an opportunity that is unusual at a public radio station.

Denver Program Manager Dave Ashton

What does KGNU and community radio look like in the future?

2015 Orientation Dates March 5, May 7, July 2, Sep. 3, Nov. 5

700 Kalamath | Denver, CO 80204 303.825.5468 4700 Walnut Street | Boulder, CO 80301 303.449.4885

www.kgnu.org Weekly International Programs • La Lucha Sigue (Spanish news program) Monday, 6-6:30 PM • Corriente! (Latin American music) Tuesday, 8-10 PM • Seolta Geal (Celtic music) Wednesday, 7-8 PM • Musica Mundi (international music) Wednesday, 8-10 PM • Terrasonic (international music) Saturday, 12-1 PM • African Roots (Afrobeat, African Jazz) Saturday, 4-6 PM • Chinese Radio Network (Chinese news program) Sunday, 5:30-6 PM • BBC News Hour Monday - Friday, 6-7 AM and 5-6 PM; Sat - Sun, 6-7 PM

Volunteer Spotlight: DJ Alisha B KGNU tenure: 11 years (on and off)

Contributions: Music; Eclipse (hip-hop), every Sunday, 9PM to 12AM, News; Metro (public affairs, daily) 3PM to 3:30PM daily Topics of Choice: Socio-political impacts of hip-hop music and culture.

What is best about community radio?

“It’s the people! Accessibility is what it makes KGNU the best thing on the left side of the dial.”

Volunteer Spotlight: Christina Guo KGNU tenure: two years

Contributions: News; Chinese Radio Network, every Sunday, 5:30PM to 6PM Topics of Choice: Public policy, interviews community members and leaders, business owners etc.

What is best about community radio?

“Every show is designed with the best interest of the community in mind. We share important information with our audience and also invite community members to be on the show. It truly feels like our radio program is for the people and of the people.”

KGNU Community Radio | asian avenue magazine

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The couplets include antithetical on two sides and a horizontal scroll hanging on the top.

A poster of hundreds “Fu”, the center one is upside down, means the arrival of happiness or good fortune.

Customs and Practices of

Lunar New Year in China

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unar New Year is called the Spring Festival in China It is a 15-day festival in traditional custom. It can be generally divided into three periods, the days preceding the festival, the festival days and the days after the New Year Day. There are different customs related to each period:

Preceding Days Cleaning and Purchasing Cleaning before the New Year is a tradition in Chinese culture. The grounds, the walls, and every corner of the house need to be cleaned. In Chinese, “Dust” is a homophone for the word “old” (Chen), thus cleaning means to drive the bad luck or the old things away from the house to get ready for a new start.

After cleaning people will go shopping and buy new clothes for the festival. Chinese people believe that since this is a year anew they should buy a lot of new things. Purchasing new

items symbolizes welcoming new things and getting ready for a new year.

Couplets

Chinese couplets are typically pasted on doorways as a part of the New Year’s celebration. The custom of pasting couplets can be traced back over one thousand years to the Later Shu State (934 - 965). The original form of modern couplets was called “Taofu”, a piece of peach wood protecting against evil without any writing on. In the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), the antithetical couplets began to be written on the wood to express people’s good wishes as well as being a decoration. Later, the modern form of couplets appeared replacing peach wood with the red paper. The couplets include antithetical on two sides and a horizontal scroll hanging on the top.

Pasting the “Fu” The Chinese character “Fu”, meaning good fortune or happiness, is used to express people’s good wishes and yearning for the future,

Baby and fish are popular subjects for New Year pictures.

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February 2015 | Cover Story

so people usually paste it gates or some furniture in the house during the Spring Festival.

Pasting the “Fu” upside down, meaning the arrival of happiness or good fortune, is a widely accepted and popular custom among Chinese people. Other auspicious characters and patterns are added to express good wishes.

In the ancient time, this character and the couplets were written by hand, but now, people can buy printed ones in shopping malls or supermarkets. Some shops even present these printed works to customers who buy something in their shops.

Paper-Cuts Auspicious words or pictures are cut on red paper and pasted on windows to express good wishes for the future during the happy event.

New Year Pictures New Year pictures originate in Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) with simple patterns to drive away evil. Now they are a kind of decoration for the festival. New meanings and patterns such

The Gate Gods are painted on the door of a temple.

Yuanbao is a small metal ingot that was used in ancient China as money.

Dumplings

as conventions, women and babies have been added to the old pictures. Different places in China have different styles of pictures.

Chinese Cards The Cards are prepared before the festival.

In the past, some people sent cards to their friends, parents, teachers and other relatives during the happy event especially when they were not going to be with them on New Year’s Eve. Words of blessing are written on the cards similar to Christmas cards. Now, with the advance of technology, the form of cards has changed, the custom of sending cards continues.

The Gate Gods In Taoism and folk-custom, the Gods of the Gate, one of the most popular gods, guard houses. Ancient people pasted their pictures on the door to drive away evil and keep their houses safe. Now their pictures are pasted on the doors during the Spring Festival.

Chinese Knots Chinese knots are prepared to decorate houses during the festival. They were first used to string jade pendants on clothes as decorations and these knots were widely used in different

places such as flute, Xiao (a vertical bamboo flute), curtain and so on as decorations. Now these knots are used as gifts containing the blessing for other people or decorations.

New Year’s Eve & Day Having reunion dinners, eating dumplings, staying up all night, setting off firecrackers and other activities are the most popular customs of the Spring Festival. Besides, visiting relatives, gifts are also exchanged during the first days of the New Year.

Eating Dumplings Dumplings, the most important food during spring festival is the dumpling (jiaozi). Made with flour and stuffed with different fillings, dumplings are usually eaten on the Eve of the Spring Festival. Because their shape resembles the Chinese Yuanbao (a kind of money used in ancient times), dumplings are eaten to bring wealth in the coming year.

People wrap coins, candy, peanuts, or chestnuts in some of the dumplings to express different blessing for example a coin for wealth, candy for sweet life, peanuts for health and longevity, and chestnuts for vigor. It is also a custom in many parts of China to eat dumplings on Jan. 1st and Jan. 15th of lunar calendar.

Children play with firecrackers.

Staying Up The custom of staying up all night dates back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-289). In ancient times, after the reunion dinner, families members chatted around the stove while waiting for the arrival of the new year. Now they watch CCTV New Year’s Gala.

CCTV New Year’s Gala This is a comprehensive art and performance event on the eve of Spring Festival. Since it was first broadcasted in 1983, it has become a beloved performance for most Chinese people. Performances include basic elements such as skits, cross talk (Xiangsheng), acrobatics, songs and dances. Recently more and more foreign artists are appearing which provides Chinese people a window into western cultures.

The performance always ends with the song “Cannot Forget Tonight”.

Firecrackers and Fireworks Fireworks during New YearFirecrackers are always set off at midnight. In some places, people also set off firecrackers on the morning of the first day. The use of firecrackers can be traced to 2,000 years ago, when people threw bamboo into the fire to drive away a monster called “Nian”. After gunpowder was invented, firecrackers replaced the bamboo. Because fires can be easily started by the firecrackers,

Grandparents pass red envelopes to grandchildren.

Lunar New Year | asian avenue magazine

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The Year of the Sheep begins on February 19, 2015.

Shehuo performance in Henan

many places ban firecrackers except in designated areas. Fireworks are also set off in the evening of Lantern Festival.

Lucky Money (Red Envelope) Lucky money is prepared for children by adults and the elderly and given after the reunion dinner. In folk culture, the children will live safe and sound for the whole year if they get lucky money. This custom still remains and the amount of money is increasing. Children use their money to buy books or other school supplies. Some families also save the money for future use or use it to help cultivate in their children the habit of saving.

Following Days Paying New Year’s Visits A special way for people to express good wishes to each other and an important activity in a new year is to visit their friends and relatives. In ancient times younger people had to salute the elderly by kowtowing; today they salute them by offering good wishes. In response, the older generation gives them money wrapped in red paper.

Generally speaking, people drop in at relatives and friends’ houses, greeting one another with ‘Happy New Year’. This custom has not changed. In some rural places, where families have many relatives, this activity lasts for several days. It is impolite to visit someone without a gift. Therefore, special local products, fruits, desserts, wines and other small gifts should be taken when you visit others. Although, busy people choose to send greetings by telephone or e-mail, the old tradition of paying visits is still popular.

Temple Fairs Temple fairs are another tradition of the Spring Festival, especially in Beijing. Although they originally were a form of worship connected with temples, now they are more like carnivals and are sometimes held in parks.

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February 2015 | Cover Story

Traditional cultural performances such as playing diabolo, Chinese traditional magic, puppet shows and so on can be seen. Besides, people can buy all kinds of daily using things at very low prices.

During and after Spring Festival, Beijing has temple fairs almost every day in different places such as Wangfujing, Altar of the Earth and Dragon Pool Park.

Enjoying Colorful Festive Lanterns The Lantern Festival marks the end of the 15-day Spring Festival. Festive lanterns in different shapes are displayed on the evening of Jan. 15th of lunar month. In ancient times, these lanterns were made of paper or silk with candles placed inside. Now the materials have changed and the candles have replaced by bulbs or LEDs. In many cities, organizations or local government decorate the gardens and other places with lanterns so you can enjoy their beauty.

Rice Dumplings

Shehuo Shehuo is often part of the Lantern Festival particularly in Northwestern China. Shehuo is a form of worship consisting of both shows and parades. It includes a variety of performances such as the dragon and lion dances, yangko (a popular rural folk dance), and performers on stilts. The Shehuo stories come from Shaanxi operas. People crowd the roads to watch the exciting parade.

Rice Dumplings In many regions, the rice dumpling (Yuanxiao or Tangyuan in Chinese) is a popular traditional food for the Lantern Festival. The dumplings are made of sticky rice flour stuffed with different fillings. Some do not have fillings. Their round shape symbolizes reunion, harmony and happiness. During the night of the Lantern Festival, family members gather together to eat the delicious rice dumplings and appreciate the full moon.

Lantern Festival In Hong Kong

2015: The Year of the Sheep

by Eileen Wacker

Five ways to embrace the energy of the sheep:

1. Seriously declutter your home or a part

of your home like your office. You need to make room for good fortune to settle. The extra space will become filled with new, exciting things. The sheep loves interior decorating and making an excellent first impression. At a minimum, clean out your closets and have an inviting, well-lit entryway. Then add in your color accents. Spend wisely. It is not a year of wealth flooding in.

2. No matter how cold, open your windows.

For a period of time each day leading up to the New Year and then throughout February 19th. The stale air of the past will exit and new opportunities and good luck will be swept in. On New Year’s night, if you are awake at midnight, open every door and window briefly.

3. Green is “the new black”.

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Get Ready! The Sheep are Coming

his is the year of the sheep, the artists of the zodiac. The sheep is kind, sweet and generous. One of the most popular signs of the zodiac, they like support of the group.

They like peace. They are sensitive. Since the zodiac has twelve signs, a person is a sheep if they are born this year or turning any multiple of twelve. So if someone you know is turning 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, flatter them. They love to be complimented. Sheep may love deeply but they like to hear it first. Tell your sheep you love them— loyalty and passion will be your reward.

Chinese New Year, also called Chinese Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, has been celebrated for more than 4,000 years. This year it is celebrated from February 19-25, with February 19th as the key day. It’s the grandest and the most important traditional festival for Chinese people. Whole families get together, similar to Christmas Day for Westerners. Originating during the Shang Dynasty (sometime around the 17th - 11th century BC), Chinese or Lunar New Year celebrates family and represents the advent of spring.

Nearly half of the globe’s population believes in and will celebrate this phenomenon,

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February 2015 | Feature

so how can the average person try to win the attention and empathy of the Green Wooden Sheep?

Redecorate your house and clean out your closet. Straighten your kitchen. Have some bamboo (for strength) and flowers. Paint an accent wall. This sheep likes color. Some ideas are red or purple for your living room, the heart of the home. It’s good to have some fire here. For the dining room, maybe a soft gold or terra cotta. This is the earth room, no red as digestion is important. Bedrooms are the lungs of the house so make them soft and serene. Whites, creams and pastels are good. Avoid big prints. Breathe deeply and sleep well.

The sheep is an herbivore. Like it or not, we have a green sheep to please. So all things green are good. Drink green tea, have a green juice smoothie. We are coming out of the year of the swift horse, who was active and impatient. Next year is the tricky fire monkey. We have to embrace the serenity of the sheep, the gentleness, the reasonableness, and the beauty. Although the sheep is a land animal and many associate sheep with the farm, the sheep likes things tidy.

The sheep loves green this year. The sheep loves fashion and strives to be elegant. The sheep is not loud or a show off. The sheep waits to be noticed. The sheep looks good and smells good and when you look at the sheep, a friendly response comes back to you. She’s been waiting for your attention and affection. Be fashion forward without being loud. Give yourself a facial with natural products every month.

4. On New Year’s Day, share a meal.

Do this with someone and talk only about the future and its possibilities. This is a year to renovate your house and have a makeover. Do not talk about the past at all.

For your Chinese New Year’s meal on the Feb 19, eat at a table adorned with lit candles. The food should be well spiced and if possible include seafood and dumplings.

The seafood represents wealth.

5. Soul search.

The sheep loves peace and serenity. Give small gifts to people (love is a gift) and it will be returned in some form with greater richness. Little pouches with small money are lucky for children. These gifts bring luck to the recipient as well as the giver.

Donate items as you de-clutter; these are gifts to others as well. The sheep is a worrier. Try to avoid being indecisive, moody or pessimistic. It will all work out if you keep moving forward.

Rat

Ox/Cow

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E

1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

he year of the Sheep would be a very challenging period for rat personalities. You put in too much into relationships and expect the same from the other side which usually doesn’t happen. You need to scale down your expectations of your loved ones in this period. Take a break from life to deal with stress, indulge in your favorite hobby or go on an adventure trip. However, long distance travels are not advised this year, try to stay close to your family.

Career: Rats will face tough challenges this year on the career front.

Though there would be some initial hiccups, you are likely to start your own venture during the course of the year. This period calls for hard work and commitment throughout. Take opportunities by the horns and you will persevere.

Finance: Be very cautious in money and save for your rainy day.

Major changes in the career field shall make sure that you are have enough money to put away. However at the end of the year you might face some financial challenges.

Love: In 2015, you will feel more intense in your relationships. This is likely to affect your relationship to a certain extent. Take the good and the bad, this year will not be perfect. Make sure that you move through the tough times with understanding and commitment. Don’t think too much about your relationship, things will take their own natural course, just let them happen.

Health: You will be very committed to reaching your health goals this year. Do not avoid dieting too. Stress and strain might take a great toll on your health. Prevention is better than cure.

Tiger 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

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he year of the sheep promises to be a good year overall. Finances are more comfortable this year, and relationships take on new meanings as well. If you are planning for children then this is the right time to conceive. A new home, relocation, or a new job is also in the cards for Tiger signs. You might get more involved in a nonprofit organization this year as a way to give back to society. This is also a great year to travel and experience new adventures!

Career: You will finally have a clear picture as to how to achieve your career goals. This is a good time to put in extra effort to help grow and advance in your field. For those who own their own business, expect high profits this year.

Money: You might be splurging more than usual. Big purchases like a new house or a luxury car are in the cards. But make sure that you do not make impulsive and impatient purchases for now, only move forward if you have a healthy savings and retirement secured.

Love: The year of the sheep will make you feel happy and more romantic. If you are in a relationship, then this is the time to renew your relationship with new commitments. Those waiting to get engaged, good news, this year will be your year. If single, you could meet your ideal mate this year!

Health: Your general health will be excellent. Make sure that you stick to your exercise routine. An occasional cleanse could also be beneficial. Be prepared to handle occasional bouts of cold and fever.

1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 xpect many changes with your friendships: new friends will come into your life and at the same time old friendships might drift apart. Family will be a huge influence this year, they will need your strength and support to carry them through tough times. This is also a great year to start a new degree or finish one you already started.

Career: Are you seeking a career change? If so, new opportunities are on the cards for you. You will face demanding projects and ventures that will zap your internal energy and stamina. You can handle it, give it all you’ve got, and everything will turn out wonderfully.

Money: Things will be stable on the financial front. There is some luck and fortune in the cards. You are in for an extravagant shopping spree if your cash flow improves this year. But be sure that you save some. All in all, there are no major financial hazards for the year.

Love: You will feel an intense development in your romantic relationships. You will experience love more deeply than ever before.

You will also be more passionate, sensitive and emotional towards your partner. Be committed to your relationship and love will work in your favor.

Health: Your health will be stable this year, though occasional minor troubles cannot be ruled out. Certain health issues of family members might haunt you, bringing in unwanted medical expenses for the year.

Rabbit 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

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he year of the Sheep will guarantee that you stay connected with friends and family throughout the year. But be sure that you stick to the right people in life. This is also the perfect year to delve further into a hobby or volunteer projects that will keep you busy during the dull periods this year.

This is not a favorable year for taking long trips or traveling abroad.

Instead you are advised to stay close to home and your family.

Career: Rabbits could face some challenges in the workplace. Face challenges head on and do not duck in light of the pressure. Do not be satisfied with where you’re at in your field, make plans to grow and reach the highest level in your chosen field.

Finance: This year, your finances might go out of tune. There might be unexpected expenses that will be hard to afford especially because your income flow could be lower this year. Be frugal this year, and prepare for your future.

Love: The year of the sheep will bring some challenges in your love life. Strong bonds will become stronger and the week bonds will become weaker. Your emotions shall be a major hindrance in this area. This is a period for you to handle love or marriage relationships with extra caution.

Health: You may be prone to depression. Don’t let your worries and anxieties overpower you. Consider seeing a therapist or talking to a good friend about your feelings. This will help you get things off your chest so you can find a clearer perspective. Chart a better health plan and stick to it. Your mental and physical health need greater concentration and commitment this year. What time is better than now to start?

Chinese Zodiac | asian avenue magazine

15

Dragon

Snake

T

S

1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

his year you will cultivate many new friendships. These new friends will stick with you through thick and thin. Take time to do the simple things you enjoy in life, as this year promises to help you further develop your hobbies and interests. This is also a year that will give you great peace of mind in life. Treat yourself this year and invest in self care. Do things that will make you happy. Finding ways to relax and rejuvenate will be the key to your survival this year.

Career: Your sensitivity shall play a major role in your career field.

Try not to feel let down if your hard work doesn’t get appreciated.

Don’t loose your cool; instead focus on the task at hand. At the end of the year you will have your reward, either with a new promotion or raise at work.

Money: Finances will fluctuate throughout the year. There will be periods of cash flow and cash stagnation. Therefore, spend and save wisely so you can be prepared for any unexpected expenses or financial hardships that may present themselves this year.

Love: Emotions run wild this year for Dragons. Your relationships, particularly romantic relationships will take on a new meaning in your life. If already in a relationship, the year will bring increased commitment. If single, then this is the ideal period to find your other-half. Why not try online dating?

Health: Your emotions will take a heavy toll on you this year.

Dedicate enough time to pamper yourself both materialistically and spiritually. Your physical and mental health needs to be given greater care through the course of this year.

Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014

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his year of the Sheep might be a challenging year as far as family relationships are concerned. You need to keep a watch on what you say and who you say it to as this might have serious repercussions on your relationships this year. This is also a great year for some travel which might revamp your inner spirits and rejuvenate it. Focus on finding the right balance between your capabilities and opportunities, as this year will give you as much good as you can handle and not a tiny bit more.

Career: Slow and steady wins the race. If you give too much of your energy towards works at the early stages of the year, you will run out of energy quickly and won’t be able to have a decent finish.

Money: If you don’t have a savings account, now is the time to start one. Don’t enter any risky business ventures this year. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Love: Your love life would be mostly trouble-free for this year of the Sheep. If you’re already in a relationship or in a marriage, this is a time to commit to your relationship. If single, this year will provide some opportunity to settle down but do not lose hope if nothing positive happens.

Health: The year of the sheep could bring many Horses physical and mental health issues. Take good care of your health. Try meditation and alternate medical treatments to increase your efforts towards a healthier lifestyle.

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February 2015 | Feature

1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 nakes will find their relationships a little harder and trickier to handle this year. Though friends will still be helpful this year, its best to stay solo and pursue your ambitions and other activities on your own. Some kind of restlessness can set in during the course of this year and this can be rectified by pursuing social and charitable work. Short weekend getaways will go a long way in comforting you in times of low energy levels.

Career: You will face challenges in your career field. Snakes will face much opposition and criticism from superiors and peers in your workplace. Patience and commitment will help you get through the year without any major harm. Control your sensitive nature and emotions, things will get better by the end of the year.

Money: During the year of the sheep, you may be inclined to take some financial risks, like gambling. Before you go for it, weigh the pros and cons, you’ll thank yourself for doing it. Your financial situation will generally be good for the year.

Love: In 2015, Snake natives should be cautious in their romantic moves. Any type of aggression on your part shall backfire rendering your relationship invalid. This is a time when your relationship would be tried and tested. This is not a good period for you to start a committed relationship like marriage. Hang on to your present partner and let the year pass.

Health: In the year of the Sheep, Snake personalities could face some health issues. You need to find healthy ways to deal with stress.

You can do this by improving your exercise routine and eating clean.

Sheep 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003 2011

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his is your year! It will be a fun filled year indeed, you will be able to meet and make new connections his year. Be careful not to forsake your existing relationships for the new ones. You will be prone to pursue social and spiritual adventures this year. These efforts will likely improve your outlook of life. Your self self-confidence will also improve. Dare to dream and let your dreams take shape during this lucky year!

Career: You are set up to achieve major milestones in your professional field. Those in business shall prosper especially well. Your hard work and commitment to your work will pay off this year.

Money: Luck and fortune are on the cards. Though try not to rely too much on this. Continue working hard so that you can be sure to achieve your financial goals in life. You will be tempted to indulge this year. Go ahead but don’t go crazy. Think about saving for future, save for the rainy day.

Love: Overall things look positive for your love life this year. You will be more confident in your relationship or marriage. But do not try to dominate your partner because you might spoil the relationship. If single, you’re likely to meet your life partner. Get going, you’re going to be full of love this year!

Health: Overall you will be in good health and spirits. You will be loaded with positive energy and increased stamina that will see you through the year. However be cautious when it comes to drinking and partying as it might take a toll on you. Be moderate, have fun, but limit yourself.

Monkey

Rooster

Y

I

1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004

1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005

ou like to be the boss, but this year you won’t be able to get your way unless you want to fight with everyone. You need to tone it down a bit so that you can keep your relationships alive. You can reconnect with old hobbies or pick up new ones. Overall, this is an excellent time to see your ambitions take shape.

n this year of the Sheep, Rooster natives shall enjoy goodness in their relationships. Take solace in a creative hobby like drawing or photography, especially when you are feeling down. In general, travel is not advised for the year but that does not rule out short trips now and then with family and friends.

Career: This is your year to make your career dreams come true. You will be committed to being on top this year. Your dreams and goals will materialize only if you put your best foot forward. If you are interested in a change, then venture out and decide on your path of interest.

Career: In 2015, you could see major changes in your career. Be prepared for some serious setbacks, including financial difficulties.

Things might come suddenly out of the blue without any prior warning. Perseverance will pay off here: meet your challenges boldly and get the goodwill of your superiors.

Finance: Your nervous nature shall come in handy, in that you will be more cautious towards financial deals. However, do not forsake the simple pleasures in life, live a little! You will live only once, and hence it is not bad if you indulge once in a while. Just make sure your finances are in order before splurging a little.

Love: Your restless nature will cause some uneasiness in your love life.

If you want your relationships to survive then you need to appreciate the good qualities that your partner has. Stop pestering and interfering in your partner’s personal life, they need their privacy and space as much as you do. Those in a relationship or marriage should work harder to keep it alive. If single, this year shall help you find a strong match.

Health: This year you will need to learn to tame your nervous and anxious nature. You will be especially prone to physical and mental ailments if you do not find some way to keep things under control. Why not take up yoga, meditation, and other aerobic exercises to help you to stay fit both physically and mentally?

Dog 1922,1934,1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

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elationships will be strong for Dog people this year. You will meet new people that can prove to be strong contacts in the future. Existing relationships with friends and family will also provide much needed companionship and support. Although you might experience a sense of insecurity at times, don’t let it get the best of you. Talk out your mind and discussing things in the open.

Make time for adventure and travel, it will help soothe your nerves.

Career: This year teamwork will be key. New ventures or projects shall take roots now and you will be able to reap the benefits around the end of the year. There will also be more opportunities to showcase your talents to your higher-ups. Those in business shall see their work grow by leaps and bounds.

Finance: Rooster natives should be doubly cautious as far as their finances are concerned for the year. You would be facing major financial hardships for this time period. Make sure you have a strong financial plan either in development or secured. Try living as frugally as possible this year.

Love: Things look a little rocky in the love department, you might encounter some difficulties this year. Those already in a relationship should weigh the pros and cons before tying the knot. If single, be cautious before you commit to a new relationships, ask yourself if they really fit or if you just want to be in a relationship.

Health: Take extra care of yourself this year as you might face some health challenges. Major medical expenses are also on the cards owing to you or your family members. Try to incorporate meditation, yoga, or martial arts in your lifestyle to help you deal with stress and fatigue.

Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

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n 2015, Pig native will be people magnets. There is the opportunity to meet people in high society.

You will be drawn towards taking up volunteer or charity work. Dreams will become reality this year.

Continue to work on your hobbies, it will give you perspective outside of work. This year is also a great year to travel, you can’t possibly work all the time!

Career: Hard work and commitment in your work place would be appreciated and awarded. New avenues will open up for you from nowhere. Go after what your heart and mind say. If you are in for a change then this is the perfect time for relocation or a transfer or a new job.

Finance: In this year of the Sheep, your finances will be average.

There might be some resentment in your relationships regarding financial deals. Hence, maintain caution when dealing with money with friends or family.

Finance: Finances will be generally good. All investments done in the prior years shall start earning good yields. There might be unexpected source of income as well. But beware of fraudulent deals in your financial moves. Handle money more diligently now like never before.

Love: Teamwork is also a theme in your love life. This is a period when your relationships and bonds get stronger by the day through increased cooperation and teamwork. If single, try to be content with ongoing relationships. Commitments should be postponed until the future.

Love: You will become practical when it comes to love relationships, dreams and reality are two different things, and you see that clearly.

Love will be tested, but you and your partner will get through it unscathed. Keep fighting for love and don’t ever give up!

Health: You will be blessed with exceptional health, your fitness and endurance will improve with continued dedication. Health problems carried over from the previous year will be cured. Pay attention to maintaining your emotional health this year. Consider seeing a therapist or take up spiritual healing techniques.

Health: This year promises to bring good health to Pigs. But you need to keep going, continue your exercise regime to maintain both your physical and mental health. Careful dieting and avoiding bad habits like smoking and drinking shall help you to stay fit for most of the year.

Chinese Zodiac | asian avenue magazine

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Book Review

The Great Race:

By Aurelia Grinstead

How the Chinese Zodiac Came to Be

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he Great Race: How the Chinese Zodiac Came to Be is a modern take on the classic Chinese Zodiac tale.

Created by parents, the book is aimed to be educational and entertaining for both children and parents alike. Illustrated by Hyperactive Monkey’s Jerome Lu, and written by Charles Huang and Stacey Hirata, the book takes families on a fun and colorful adventure with the Jade Stars characters as readers learn how each of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals earned their place on the lunar calendar.

“This re-telling of the classic story of the Jade Emperor is an exciting opportunity to spread cultural awareness to modern families, whether they are familiar with the story of The Great Race or reading it for the first time,” said Stacey Hirata, co-author and president, Mini Magellan. Overall the book brings a contemporary feel to the classic Chinese fable for all families to enjoy. Just in time for the Chinese new year, this is a great family book to share and learn more about this classic tale.

The Great Race: How the Chinese Zodiac Came to Be is available for $17.95. in select retail stores, including Barnes & Noble.

Reviews P

By Sarah Shirazi | Asian Avenue magazine

THE

INTERVIEW

erhaps one of the most controversial films of the year, The Interview was originally cancelled by Sony pictures due to threats by North Korea. Shortly after Sony decided to release the film in select theaters as well as online. Families across the nation watched The Interview during the holiday season.

The Interview features the story of Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapoport who run the celebrity tabloid show “Skylark Tonight.” When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim

Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

The film is pretty hilarious throughout. I especially loved the part where Dave, played

by James Franco, and Kim Jong-un rock out to a Katie Perry song in a military tank.

However, the film has some unnecessary gruesome parts, like when Aaron, played by Seth Rogan bites off the fingers of a North Korean technical producer while filming the “interview”. Overall, The Interview is a must see!

The Interview is available for free streaming on various websites like www.thedarehub.com.

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Movie Review February 2015 | Reviews

“ABSOLUTELY THE NO.1 SHOW in the world...” —Kenn Wells,

former lead dancer of the English National Ballet

“5,000 years of Chinese music and dance in one night.”

PUR E ENERGY

PUR E BEAUT Y

W

EAMING. RADIANT. GLOWING. That’s how audiences look afHEN THE CURTAIN goes up on a Shen Yun performance, ter a Shen Yun performance. Thunderous battle drums, dazzling what will you see? The radiance of the dancers. The choreography, and an enchanting live orchestra deliver an upliftexquisite grace of their movements. The mesmerizing ing, dynamic experience. A Shen Yun performance isn’t just something display of the animated backdrops and handmade costumes. All this you see and hear. It’s something you feel from the top of your head to gives the audience an almost overwhelming sense of consummate the bottom of your soul. beauty. It is a vision of loveliness not to be missed, and one that will never be forgotten.

PUR E WISDOM

PUR E SPIR ITUALIT Y

HROUGHOUT history, Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist teachings permeated all levels of Chinese society, from emperors to the common people. They believed in virtues like loyalty, benevolence, and justice, and that good would be rewarded and evil would be punished. Shen Yun’s stories depict these traditional values, offering a dash of ancient wisdom for our modern world.

N NEARLY every culture, artists have sought divine inspiration to bring meaning to their art. Today, Shen Yun’s artists follow in this noble tradition, incorporating mindfulness and meditation into their lives. Many of Shen Yun’s programs also carry themes and artistry that are divinely inspired. The result? A spiritual radiance that shines on stage, conveying a sense of purity and compassion that many in the audience can feel.

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MARCH 6–8 THE BUELL THEATRE

I

Prices

Fri. Sat. Sat. Sun.

7:30pm 2:00pm 7:30pm 2:00pm

1-888-316-4234 www.ShenYun.com/Denver TICKETS

$50 $70 $90 $120 $150

Filipino-Asian Carryout & Grill 830 S. Buckley Rd. Aurora, CO 80017 Tel: (720) 410-2135 www.chowsun.com www.facebook.com/CSgrill HOURS Monday to Sunday 10 AM – 8 PM Catering available

By Annie Guo | Asian Avenue magazine

menu highlight Pork Eggrolls/Lumpia (8) $2.95 Filipino pork eggrolls fried to perfection Chicken Siopao Asado $1.99 Filipino chicken filling in a steamed bun Triple Pork Adobo Filipino style stew with pork belly

$7.95

Shrimp Pancit Bihon $8.95 Thin Filipino rice noodles, celery, cabbage, carrots, boiled egg Beef Yakisoba $8.95 Japanese style noodles, carrots. cabbage, celery Panang Curry $7.95 House curry, zucchini, broccoli, carrots Deep Fried Banana Fritter $3.99 Banana wrapped in wonton skin and deep fried

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February 2015 | Restaurant Peek

The unique flavors of Filipino cuisine is largely shaped by its history of Spanish colonialism, Chinese and Malay immigrants, and American influence. The Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands, so after fish, the pig is the most important and accessible source of food for Filipinos.

One of the most popular dishes is pork adobo, which is now served at Chow Sun in Aurora; the restaurant celebrated its grand opening on November 1, 2014. We now have access to these fantastic island dishes here in Colorado.

Chow Sun, which means good fortune, serves Filipino, Thai and Japanese dishes. The restaurant is owned and operated by Benny Panklang and his mother Tum. Panklang is a student at University of Colorado Denver who is studying business.

"Managing the family's restaurant is the best firsthand experience you can get," he said.

Next door is their other family business— Lotus Asian Supermarket—opened for 12 years. Many of these customers were from the Philippines, so the Panklang's decided to open a restaurant to cater to the Filipino community

and those who are interested in the cuisine.

"Many Americans know about Thai food, so we wanted to introduce them to Filipino cuisine, which is newer to Colorado," said Panklang.

The mother-son duo flew to California for specialized training on how to cook Filipino dishes, while most of the Thai dishes are from homemade recipes.

The dishes are served in a to-go box, making it easy to eat anytime and anywhere. "People don't have time these days. They are busy, so the takeout option meets their needs," he said.

The most popular dish is the barbecue chicken skewers, and the Filipino breakfast of garlic rice and fish is a favorite morning item. Chow Sun also offers options for those who love sweets.

With many flavors of boba, you can also add popping boba balls to the drink. Don't know what that is? Try it to find out! The halo halo is a dessert with sweet beans, jackfruit, coconut, and ice cream; and the deep fried banana fritters can satisfy the end of any meal.

In Denver, we can count the number of Filipino restaurants on one hand, and now we can excitedly add Chow Sun to the list!

Hasu Asian Bistro

250 Steele St. Ste 104 Denver, CO 80206 (303) 722-9968

www.hasuasianbistro.com HOURS

Mon - Thurs: 11am - 10pm Fri - Sat: 11am - 10:30pm Sun: 12pm - 10pm

By Sarah Shirazi Asian Avenue magazine

H

asu Asian Bistro may have only opened in late November, but their previous restaurant East Asia Garden built a reputation for offering some of best traditional Chinese food in town, that both natives of China and westerners swear by.

This family operated business wanted to go big with their new restaurant, and they certainly have, offering a more international menu this time, with an impressive selection of Japanese appetizers and sushi, a vast section of traditional Chinese dishes and a short list of Thai dishes.

Located off of Steele Street in Cherry Creek North, on the lower level of the shopping complex, Hasu’s decor is warm and inviting but also fits well in the upscale Cherry Creek North neighborhood without being pretentious.

The decor features elegant and modern touches, for example, the elegant dark wooden tables and chairs with striped red velvet material; and then there’s the modern touches, like a metal butterfly sculpture, intricate black light fixtures, and the purple back lighting in select areas. The large sushi bar serves up yummy mixed drinks, cocktails, wine, and of course, saki.

I started my dining experience with a plate of scallops, yellowtail, salmon and freshwater eel (unagi), that melted in my mouth. Freshness and quality of the ingredients were ever so present in each bite, so much that I forgot to dip my sashimi in my soy sauce and wasabi mixture, it was just too perfect, too fresh on its own.

The spicy crispy tuna appetizer featured the

best spicy tuna I’ve ever eaten in my life, I’m serious. Maybe I’ve just eaten at too many allyou-can-eat sushi restaurants lately that I had sacrificed quality for quantity. Whatever it may be, the texture of the tuna and tobiko contrasted beautifully with the avocado and the crunchy rice patty. I had to tell my server to compliment the sushi chef, I was impressed to say the least.

The sushi rolls did not disappointment either. Their signature Hasu roll, featured shrimp tempura, papaya, and spicy tuna on the inside, wrapped in soy paper, with spicy crab meat, and crunchy tempura flakes on the outside. The true love roll was my favorite, with spicy scallops, kana and cheese on top of the mixture of spicy tuna, crunchy tempura pieces and avocado.

Newcomers to Chinese food will love the little pepper beef: tender beef strips, leaks, and pep-pers in an intricate sauce of garlic, oyster and soy sauce, and host of other ingredients.

For those who have ventured further into Chinese culinary territory, Hasu’s walnut shrimp is a great choice, especially for diners with a sweet tooth. The shrimp is coated with a sweet glaze, which is quite refreshing.

Popular soups like pho and udon have nothing on cross bridge soup, a rice noodle soup from the Yunnan province. Hasu offers it with chicken, beef, seafood, combination, and vegetables. The hand pulled noodles were cooked perfectly in the spicy broth, with bok choy, chicken, and fish balls.

Overall, Hasu is off to a great start. The atmosphere is pleasant, the service is solid and the

owners are dedicated. One of the owners, Hui is an absolute sweetheart, she checked in with tables throughout dinner service, greeting each customer with a smile. Add all this up with the deliciously fresh and authentic food, and Hasu has all the ingredients necessary not only to succeed but shine in Cherry Creek North.

happy hour

Mon - Sun: 2:30pm to 6pm

menu highlight Wonton Sushi Tacos $13.00

Maine lobster, king crab, mango ceviche, and olives on wonton chips, served with sweet chili sauce.

Tri Crunch Roll $12.50

Deep fried roll: spicy salmon, eel, cream cheese, and jalapeño.

Mafia Roll $13.50

Inside: soft shell crab. Outside: spicy tuna, avocado.

Red Curry $10.95

Red onions and bell peppers slowly cooked in a spicy red curry.

Cross Bridge Rice Noodles (beef ) $9.50 Hand pulled noodles, beef, choice of spicy or non-spicy.

Spicy Fish Pot $14.95 Pig Ear Mixed with Cucumber $8.95

Restaurant Peek | asian avenue magazine

21

RECIPE

Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum Soup is a Thailand’s most popular soup and delivers a balance of salty, sour, and spicy. If you’re look for an excellent remedy for a cold or flu bug, this spicy Thai soup will instantly clear your sinuses and warm you up. It’s also highly nutritious and is sure to impress your family and friends. Note: this recipe allows you the option of adding coconut milk (Tom Kha) or leaving it out. If you prefer a richer-tasting soup, we recommend adding it; whereas if you prefer a clearer soup, try it without it!

Ingredients (serves 4)

Method

• 12, large, uncooked and deveined shrimp • 1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced • 4 cups chicken stock • 1 Tbsp. ginger, grated • 2 cloves garlic, grated • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemongrass, chopped • 1 handful cherry tomatoes • 1-2 cups broccoli florets, (or any other greens of your choice) • 1 fresh red chili, minced • 2 Tbsp. fish sauce • 1 Tbsp. sugar • 2 Tbsp. lime juice • 2 Tbsp. chili powder • coconut milk, optional

1. Place chicken stock in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat to medium and combine ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and chili into pot. Let cook under medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms, greens, tomatoes, fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice to the pot. Continue cooking and string until all ingredients are blended.

4. Add shrimp, and let cook for 3 minutes. For additional spice, add chili powder.

5. Reduce the heat to low and taste-test the soup, looking for a balance of salty, sour, and spicy. If not salty or flavorful enough, add 1 Tbsp. more fish sauce OR soy sauce. If too sour, add more sugar. If too spicy (Tom Yum is meant to be spicy!), add a little coconut milk. If too salty, add another squeeze of lime juice.

Tarka Dal This traditional, home-style lentil dish uses garlic, ginger, tomatoes and spices. Tarka is typically a process that uses spiced butter to season a dish, which gives Tarka Dal its distinctive taste.

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February 2015 | Asian Recipes

Ingredients

Method

• 1 1/2 cups dried yellow split peas • 1 small chopped onion • 1 cup chopped tomatoes • 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds • 1 Tbsp. coriander • 1 Tbsp. turmeric • 1 Tbsp. chili paste • 2 Tbsp. garlic paste • 1 Tbsp. ginger • 3 Tbsp. oil • 2 Tbsp. butter • 7 cups water • salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash lentils until water runs clear.

2. Combine lentils and water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.

4. In a different saucepan heat oil. Add onions, cumin seeds, coriander, garlic, chili paste, and ginger. Cook until golden brown.

5. Add tomatoes and cook until the oil separates from the tomatoes.

6. Combine mixture to the pot of lentils. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if needed.

Add butter to mixture.

7. Optional: Add fried garlic, fried red chilis, or cilantro for garnish and enjoy over steamed rice.

I

Frank Islam, an Indian-American, receives Martin Luther King award

ndian American entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam has received the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for keeping the dream alive.

Born to a peasant father, Islam moved to US when he was 15 years old, with less than $500 in his pocket, to become an entrepreneur.

He bought a struggling IT company in Maryland in 1993 with $50,000 raised by mortgaging his house.

Islam sold of his IT company in 2007 to spend the rest of his life in philanthropy, both in India and the US, and lends his palatial house for fund raising activities—for both political and charitable events.

He is a board member of several think-tanks, academic and cultural organisations including Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts, the Brookings Institute and US Institute of Peace. ”King visited India in 1954, studied the non-violent movement and pat-

terned the protests he led after those of Gandhi. As an Indian-American, I am proud and humbled to receive this award which honours the memory of one great man directly and another indirectly,” Islam said.

Eagles plotting to move up to grab Marcus Mariota

T

he Eagles will try to move up from their draft slot at No. 20 to snag quarterback Marcus Mariota and reunite him with coach Chip Kelly, who coached Mariota for his first two years at Oregon.

Kelly recruited Mariota, once called him “the most talented kid I coached in college,” and correctly predicted Mariota would win the Heisman when he saw him as a freshman.

Mariota could go as high as No. 1 overall and likely won’t fall out of the top five, so Philly might have to give up as many as three first-round picks -- or a similarly rich package of picks and players -- to pull it off.

However, Kelly is now in control of personnel, answering only to owner Jeffrey Lurie.

David Henry Hwang wins Distinguished Artist Award

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ony Award winning playwright David Henry Hwang will receive the 2015 Distinguished Artist Award from the International Society of Performing Arts.

Hwang will join a list of previous award winners including such legends as Helen Hayes, Herb Albert, Cab Callaway, Cameron MacKintosh, Ravi Shankar, and Regina Carter.

Hwang is best known for winning a Tony Award for M. Butterfly. He is a three-time OBIE Award (Off-Broadway Theater Awards) winner and a two-time finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Drama.

Shark Tank: Sister entrepreneurs turned down 30 million dollars from Mark Cuban Shark Tank host Mark Cuban offered a jaw-dropping $30 million to three sisters for their dating website, but more surprising than the offer itself was how fast the sisters rejected the deal.

Entrepreneurs Arum, Dawoon, and Soo Kang came to the tank seeking $500,000 for five percent of their company, Coffee Meets Bagel. Unlike most online dating sites, Coffee Meets Bagel uses Facebook profile information to recommend romantic matches based on users’ friends of friends, and gives singles just seven days to make contact.

So why did the Kangs turn down the largest offer in Shark Tank history?

“We see this business growing as a big as Match.com,” Dawoon said. “They’re becoming a billion-dollar-revenue company, and we think this model and the product has potential to be as big as Match.”

The sisters, all of whom are in their early 30s and emigrated to the U.S. from South Korea as teenagers, have degrees from Harvard Business School, Stanford Business School, and Parsons School of Design. Each of the Kangs left a job paying six figures to found the company in 2012.

National News | asian avenue magazine

23

Theatre Esprit Asia Presents

The Occidental Moon & One Night of Thunder

By Maria Cheng | Theatre Espirit Asia

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“Finally, in our second year, Theatre Esprit Asia, is producing stories inspired by the great heritage of India!” says Maria Cheng, co-artistic director of TEA with Sushma and Tria Xiong.

Xiong continues, “We’re so proud to present these two original one-acts, written by two Indian female playwrights Pavithra Prasad and Sushma.

While very different in style and plot, they share an imaginative exploration of the aspirations and foibles of the human condition.”

Prasad’s witty solo work, The Occidental Moon, features Peter Trinh, whose riveting performance TEA audiences will remember from last year’s Dust Storm. This year Trinh tackles a rumination on the impulses of space travel and exploration, weaving between genres of pop music, scifi and mythology. Moon delves into how cultural and national identities are imagined through extraterrestrial adventure. Equal parts colonial fantasy and post-colonial redemption, this zany and brainy romp orbits around and through the hubris of human endeavors, on this planet and beyond.

Originally from India, Prasad holds a PhD in Performance Studies from Northwestern University. She is both a performer and scholar whose research centers on critical ethnography and

post-colonial theory. Currently she teacher at the University of Denver and also serves on the board of TEA. Sushma’s One Night of Thunder takes place in Assam, India, an area known for its tea plantations and multiethnic population. Set in the estate’s mansion, three generations of women [grandma, mom and daughter] orbit around the Departed Man, their life paths blocked by the gravitational force he continues to exude, until one thunderous night, another Man enters. Past, present and future dreams collide in one violent moment, altering their lives forever.

Playwright Sushma plays Grandma, but as a life size puppet! Sushma hails from India, where she was the associate director of one of its most respected theatre companies, the Shri Ram Centre Repertory. Also a visual artist, her works have been exhibited in India, France and the U.S. With this premiere, TEA welcomes actors new to TEA: Yasmin Sweets as Mom, Tarika Cefkin [who also serves on the Board of TEA] as Daughter, Amit Patil as the Intruder and Robert Payo as the Inspector. Roger Winn directs, with Beki Pineda on props and Christopher Waller on sets and sound.

Sushma, the playwright of One Night of Thunder, will play the Grandma role in this production.

Playwright Pavithra Prasad is a teacher at University of Denver.

February 2015 | Inside Story

Spark Theater 985 Sante Fe Dr. Denver, CO 80204

January 30 - February 22, 2015 Fri, Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm; Mon, Feb 16, 7:30pm No show Fri Feb 6

Tickets: 720-282-3447 $26 at door, $23 advance paid $20 students, seniors 65+, groups of 6+ advance paid $2 fee per ticket for credit card purchases

Actor Peter Trinh performs in The Occidental Moon.

Automotive Imports

By Sarah Shirazi | Asian Avenue magazine

only the best will do!

a

utomotive Imports isn’t your typical preowned car dealership. They feature an impressive selection of over 80 preowned luxury vehicles available for purchase on site and online. Unlike most preowned dealerships, vehicles are also available for lease. Not only that, they also have a full service center that opened over a year ago. Their trained auto mechanics recondition every vehicle so they are like new.

In just three short years, the dealership has grown from two to twenty-five employees. The ingredients for success are have been mastered by the experienced owner, Dave Guttenberg. “Offer aggressive pricing, fully serviced vehicles, and top 1207 S Platte River Dr, Suite B of the line customer service, and the result is loyal and happy customers,” says Guttenberg.

Denver, CO 80223 The sales and service office at Automotive Imports certainly sets this car dealership apart from the www.automotive-imports.com rest. The decor is clean, modern, and has a unique

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style of its own. The red accents in the service area is a the perfect complement to the antique and luxury cars featured throughout the large space. There is also a sizable lounge area complete with leather sofas, a TV, and in the corner there is an area lined with arcade car games that customers can play for free while waiting.

The energetic and professional staff at Automotive Imports are eager to help you find your dream car. Custom detailing is offered in the service center.

The staff is passionate about cars, particularly German cars like BMW, which also happens to be the top seller at Automotive Imports. Service managers, Henry and Arnold speak Korean and Vietnamese, respectively; so feel free to ask for either of them to help make your experience comfortable.

Stop by Automotive Imports and see for yourself.

The vast inventory of vehicles, top of the line service, and fun atmosphere will not disappoint.

Inside Story | asian avenue magazine

25

Okinawa Outlet to

By M.S.G.

With its gorgeous weather, its breathtaking scenery, and its thriving night life, Okinawa is the perfect getaway for travelers looking to lay low and relax at the beach, or vacationer’s intent on living it up, shopping in the market places and getting wild at the local nightclubs and bars.

I

n the sizzling summer months, the landscape of Okinawa Japan blossoms into a bouquet of brilliant colored flowers. The dazzling white beaches paint a dream-like contrast to the crystal clear ocean waters. The seas surrounding Okinawa are considered to be amongst the worlds most gorgeous. The waters are swimming with labyrinths of coral reefs. The waters surrounding the islands are home to numerous species of fish, squid, and shark. And the waters are so clear that underwater voyagers equipped with the proper camera equipment are capable of capturing images of some of the rarest marine life on the planet. The beautiful oceanography surrounding the islands have made aquatic activities such as snorkeling, scuba-diving, kayaking, and fishing amongst Okinawa’s top attractions.

If you’re not brave enough to throw on a wet suit, or get your hair wet, you can always kick

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February 2015 | Travel

back and relax on the white sandy beaches, or set up a net and play a game of volleyball.

The dazzling beaches of Okinawa are some of the worlds most revered, and while you’re stationed upon their shores, your only limitations as far as recreational activities are concerned, are the limits of your own imagination. But if you’re not in the mood to catch any surf, or sun, and you don’t feel the need to work on your tan, don’t worry, there are plenty of activities in Okinawa that don’t involve water or sand.

Okinawa’s second largest tourist attraction

is a shopper’s paradise. Kokusai Dori—also known as the “international street” as well as the heartbeat of Okinawa— is a mile long street of restaurants, bars, and shopping centers. A shopper strolling along the streets can readily find Okinawan crafts, fabrics, and Kimonos. Kokusai Dori street also plays host to several Americanized vendors. It won’t take too much searching to find a Tower Records billboard, or the familiar Starbuck’s emblem.

And for all you night crawlers out there, Kokusai Dori Street does not close up shop

Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum

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when night falls upon the city. There are several night clubs, bars, and eateries that stay open well past midnight. When you’re on the streets of Kokusai Dori, you can shop till you drop, or you can party till you pass out, or you can do both. One thing’s for sure, there’s something on this street for everyone.

Okinawa is home to several historical attractions. One of the more notable landmarks is the Peace Memorial Museum. The museum is dedicated to the victims who lost their lives at the battle of Okinawa. The battle occurred in March of 1945, towards the end of World War II. The conflict at Okinawa was the only ground fighting that took place on Japanese soil during World War II. It was one of the most gruesome fights that the world has ever seen.

Many Okinawans refer to the slaughter as the “Typhoon of Steel.” The battle lasted ninety days. Over 200,000 Okinawan’s lost their lives, 100,000 of the casualties were unarmed citizens. This horrific war experience led to the creation of what is known today as “the Okinawan heart.” More then anything, the Okinawan heart is an attitude, a perspective that respects personal dignity above all else, rejects any acts related to war, and truly cherishes culture.

The goal of the peace museum is to exhibit the Okinawan heart, with honor and pride. The museum was erected to remind future generations of the devastating loss that occurred in March of 1945, and it hopes to encourage tomorrow’s leaders to find more diplomatic approaches to solving problems.

Whether you’re touring the historical landmarks, shopping at the market places, or re-

laxing on the beach, “Chiragaa,” literally “pig’s face” in the eventually you’re Okinawan dialect, is a local traditional delicacy. going to be hungry.

The Okinawan’s are internationally known for their healthy diets and their way of life.

In fact, Okinawa’s citizens are the healthiest and longest lived population in the world.

The Okinawa Centenarian study concluded that if Americans lived more like the Okinawans, most of our nation’s coronary care units, one third every traveler must try is Okinawa soba. It is of our cancer wards, and many of our nurs- Okinawa’s most popular dish. Okinawans hold ing homes would shut down. The Okinawan’s the same regard for their soba that Americans are so famous for their diet that they recently hold for our hotdogs. Okinawa’s soba differs released a best selling book cleverly entitled from the soba of mainland Japan. Okinawa’s “The Okinawa diet.” soba consists of wheat flour and flattish nooOkinawa is Japan’s largest pork producing dles that resemble kishimen or udon noodles. prefecture. Why not venture over to a land The soup itself is similar to ramen. Popular that really knows how to pig out on the pork? soba toppings include kamaboco (fish cake), Okinawan’s are famous for consuming every sliced scallion, and a thick slice of stewed pork part of the pig, from the ears, all the way down belly, or boneless pork ribs. to the knuckles. So in other words, if you travIf the unique culture doesn’t draw you in, el to Okinawa you might have the pleasure of the natural beauty of the Okinawan islands will enjoying a knuckle sandwich, a pig’s knuckle surely leave you breathless. If you’re tired to sandwich that is. And perhaps you could wash sticking to the leather chair inside your cubical, it down with a glass of pig’s blood. Yes, Oki- perhaps its time to pack your bathing suit and nawan’s consume every part of the pig, even head over to these tropical islands. The cool the blood. waters of Okinawa offer a sweet escape from When coming to Okinawa the dish that the scorching summer months.

Shopper’s paradise - Kokusai Dori Okinawa, Japan | asian avenue magazine

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