Asian Avenue Magazine - November 2022

Ideas for Celebrating Thanksgiving in Colorado

Artist Grace Gee of Healing Grace Studio

In this issue, our editorial director Mary J. Schultz provides ideas on how to celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones at home or out on the town in Den ver. Enjoy this special time of year when we can reconnect and unwind with those we care about most. Whether you organize a family game night or go out for a performing arts show, we hope you cherish the moments and find opportunities to give thanks.

Colorado’s Asian American artists have been busy! This month we share several exhibits on display at Denver Art Museum and Denver Botanic Gar dens. We also highlight the healing artist Grace Gee through a Q&A feature on how she incorporates healing into her art and her upcoming projects! Also, congratulations to graphic design artist Nayle Lor for being selected by Colorado Asian Pacific United for the downtown mural project depicting Denver’s historic Chinatown.

Also, congratulations to a dear friend of Asian Avenue, Mary Monzon, who posthumously received the Mayor’s Diversity & Inclusion Awards (Denver). This recognition is so deserved and we miss you dearly.

We feel tremendous gratitude as the holidays come around and 2022 comes to an end. Thank you for all of the support for Asian Avenue that has gotten us through another challenging and unpredictable year. We continue to in vite you to connect with us and share your stories. E-mail hello@asianave mag.com or reach out to us on social @asianavemag. Your stories, recom mendations, and ideas are what drives this community-focused publication. Without you, we would not exist! Forever grateful!

the cover

As self-care is at the forefront of all of our minds and hearts, take time this Thanksgiving to unwind with loved ones. See ideas for activities at home or to get out on the town.

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

Looking to promote your business? Asian Avenue magazine offers businesses a costeffective way to reach consumers in the Denver/Boulder metro areas and beyond. For more information, call 303.937.6888 or e-mail us at hello@asianavemag.com for our media kit and ad rates. Send story ideas to hello@asianavemag.com.

Asian Avenue magazine is in association with the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network.

CHRISTINA YUTAI GUO

ANNIE GUO VANDAN

upcoming events

Health & Self Worth

Saturday, Nov. 12 | 10am to 2:30pm

Community College of Aurora, CentreTech Campus 16030 East CentreTech Parkway, Aurora Classroom Building, Classroom #107 Space limited to 15 so register early! signup.com/go/rNpDZOg

Due to many of the challenges that youth have, this program brings a new per spective for youth this fall, where youth will learn many important life skills that will help them thrive with a healthy and self-worth image about themselves. Youth, ages 14-18, are welcome to the first fall workshop on “Health & Self-Worth” to make positive, lasting changes.

Poetry Book Release

Friday, Nov. 18 | 6pm to 8:30pm RedLine Contemporary Art Center 2350 Arapahoe St, Denver bookshop.org/shop/deborahjang

Author Deborah Jang is pleased to announce the release of her new poetry chapbook, Last Will and Best Guesses. In the lobby of the Redline Con temporary Art Center, books and merchandise will be available on the eve ning of Nov. 18. Guest readers will include Suzi Q Smith, Meca’Ayo Cole, Cipriano Ortega, and Squidds Madden. Come help launch this little chapbook into the great unknown. Signed books by the author will be available at $14.99 or the book is also available online at Barnes & Noble.

Send community events to hello@asianavemag.com.

ZOTTO: A Supernatural Immersive Folktale

Nov. 18 thru Dec. 11

Sakura Square, 1905 Lawrence St, Denver General Admission $45 zottofolk.com

ZOTTO, a Supernatural Japanese Folktale, is an expansive collaboration between some of the most ground-breaking and genre-shattering theater makers in Denver and is brought to life by a superb, all-wom en cast. Audiences follow mysterious fox spirit Dr. Kitsu into an immersive, explorable world where they’ll unearth unexpected truths out of both fact and lore. Engaging in this production with all five senses, audi ences learn about the ghosts of Colorado’s past, touching on issues of racism and gentrification as well as WWII incarceration, redlining and resettlement.

Sammy Seung-min Lee: Taking Root

Now

thru February 5, 2023

Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St, Denver botanicgardens.org/exhibits/sammy-seung-minlee-taking-root

Sammy Seung-min Lee reinvents traditional Korean paper-felting techniques to create cast paper sculptures that explore the immigrant experience, focusing on traditions surrounding home and family.

Sammy Seung-min Lee: Taking Root, on view Octo ber 1, 2022 – February 5, 2023, features her ongo ing project A Very Proper Table Setting and other works. Lee creates cast sculptures using “paper skin.” a material felted out of sheets of hanji (a Korean mulberry paper), this material is created by soaking the paper, then pounding, kneading and squeezing it until the fibers interlock and mesh into a thicker, leather-like material. A Very Proper Table Setting is a series that features

a selection of Korean tableware cast in paper. Each table setting was arranged by a community participant while imagining they were preparing a familiar meal for a loved one, using only unfamiliar Korean dishware. Lee then cast the table setting in paper. Through recontextualizing the comfort of a favorite meal with unfamiliar tools, Lee hopes to inspire empathy for the challenges and uncertainty immigrants face.

Taking Root also features Lee’s Street Art Cart. Inspired by Asian street food carts, the cart acts as a mobile gallery or art studio, featur ing A Very Proper Table Setting in its making.

Sammy Seung-min Lee is a Colora do-based artist, born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She studied fine art and media art at University of California, Los Angeles and architecture at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A recent res ident artist at Redline Contemporary Art Center, Lee serves as an ambassador for Asian art at the Denver Art Museum and operates a contemporary art project and residency space called Collective SML | k. Lee’s work is held in museum collections including the Getty Research Institute, Spencer Museum of Art, and the Spanish National Library in Madrid.

Image credit: Sammy Seung-min Lee, A Very Proper Table Setting (detail), hanji (Korean mulberry paper), ongoing series, 2017-present.

Kiyohara Yukinobu, The Goddess Benzaiten and Her Lute (biwa), 1660-1680s. Hanging scroll, ink, color and gold on silk. Denver Art Museum: Gift of Drs. John Fong and Colin Johnstone, 2018.150. Photo © Denver Art Museum.

Her Brush: Japanese Women Artists

from the Fong-Johnstone Collection

Opens November 13, 2022 at Denver Art Museum

Her Brush: Japanese Women Artists from the Fong-John stone Collection takes a nuanced approach to questions of artistic voice, gender, and agency through more than 100 works of painting, calligraphy, and ceramics from 1600s to 1900s Japan.

Many of the artworks will be on view for the first time to the public. Her Brush traces the pathways women art ists forged for themselves in their pursuit of art and ex plores the universal human drive of artistic expression as self-realization, while navigating cultural barriers during times marked by strict gender roles and societal regulations. These social restrictions served as both im pediment and impetus to women pursuing artmaking in Japan at the time.

Her Brush showcases works by renowned artists such as Kiyohara Yukinobu 清原雪信 (1643–1682), Ōtagaki Rengetsu 太田垣蓮月 (1791–1875), and Okuhara Seiko 奥原晴湖 (1837–1913), as well as relatively unknown yet equally remarkable artists like Ōishi Junkyō 大石 順教 (1888–1968), Yamamoto Shōtō 山本緗桃 (1757–1831), and Katō Seikō 加藤青湖 (fl. 1800s). These works bring forward the subjects of autonomy, legacy, and a person’s ownership of their individual story.

Interactive components facilitate a personal, intimate connection between the visitor, the artwork, and the artist. Paintings, calligraphy, and ceramic works of art are presented through the lens of the exceptional individuals behind them, with biographical focuses that tell the sto ries of their makers interspersed throughout the galleries.

Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets

from Western Asia

Opens December 18, 2022 at Denver Art Museum

This exhibition opens a window into the artistic and utilitarian innovations of weavers, domestic consumption and the cross-cultural exchanges between present-day Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) from the 1500s to the 1900s.

Rugged Beauty will be presented in the Avenir Textile Art and Fashion galleries on the 6th floor of the Martin Building and included in general admission.

Ono no Ozu, The Deified Sugawara Michizane Crossing to China, early 1600s. Hanging scroll; ink on paper. Denver Art Museum: Gift of Drs. John Fong and Colin Johnstone, 2018.152. Photo © Denver Art Museum.

On view November 13, 2022 through May 13, 2023 at Martin Building, Level 1. Exhibit is included in general admission.

Heriz or Tabriz, Northwest Iran, Fantasy Animal Carpet with Poem (Vaq Vaq Carpet), about 1880. Hand-knotted silk pile; silk warp and weft; 196 x 146.75 in. Neusteter Textile Collectionat the Denver Art Museum: Gift of James E. Stokes and Mrs. Donald Magarrell.

This November, the Japanese Arts Network in collaboration with Theatre Artibus, Luster Productions, and Control Group Productions brings a culturally poignant and emotionally thrilling immersive production to the Denver arts scene.

Connect and follow on Instagram: @zottofolk

ZOTTO ぞっと - a Supernatural Folktale is a multi-sensory theatri cal experience in which audience members will seek to help three generations of women from a Japanese American family as they embark on a journey that asks them to dig deep into the layers of their family history in Denver. On this journey, audiences will encounter liminal and imaginative spaces inhabited by yokai and obake (Japanese supernatural spirits and demons).

ZOTTO will take place in the creatively transformed offices of the second level of Sakura Square in Denver. Sakura Square’s historical significance to the Japanese American community serves as the ideal location for this production as the audience’s journey will touch on issues of racism and gentrification as well as WWII incarceration, redlining, and resettlement. ZOTTO lifts up the importance and value of each encounter, the resil ience and joy in collective community healing, and the lasting impact of the choices we make.

ZOTTO is truly a collaborative production with community partners Bonfils Stanton Foundation Sakura Foundation, Mile High JACL and Sakura Square. With more than 20 local creatives attached to the project, every element of the experience is the result of collective effort, utilizing a devised theatre model. Many of the ZOTTO artists are frequent Japa nese Arts Network collaborators such as filmmaker Bruce Tetsuya, fash ion designer Kotomi Yoshida and calligraphy muralist Bakemono0504.

Audiences will have the opportunity to directly explore the set, interact with the performers and experience this modern folktale through all five senses. Through the ZOTTO experience, audiences will discover hidden secrets and engage with interactive elements that ask them to consider the relationship between intention and impact.

ZOTTO will be shared with test audiences of immersive creatives from across the country at the Denver Immersive Gathering the first weekend of November and will have its world premier to the public on November 18.

ZOTTO Cast

(Clockwise from upper left): Nicole Dietze, Sarah Hirose, Min Kyung (Cecillia) Kim, Tiffany Ogburn, Charlotte Quinn and Joyce Yuriko Cole.

ZOTTO will journey through subjects of the Japanese American incarceration camps, resettlement, and the search for healing. Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake’s ink illustrations will be found throughout the experience.

Get tickets at ja-ne.wellattended.com/ events/zotto

For more information, visit zottofolk.com or e-mail info@zotofolk.com

Poster artwork by Manasuka

Grace Gee Artist

Grace Gee’s healing art expresses the outer most edges of the innermost condition of be ing human. She creates art that challenges the mind and nourishes the spirit while providing avenues to engage in a changing conscious ness. Her art holds space for vulnerability to exist.

She is the owner of Healing Grace Studio and works in a variety of media including sculp ture, fiber, artist books and installation. Her art practice includes producing social healing art events for all ages since 2003. Her unique approach to life, art, and healing is strongly in formed by her BA in Psychology and an MA in Conscious Evolution. She has exhibited across the US, in both group and solo exhibitions. Her award-winning work has brought her invita tions to exhibitions, artist residencies, inter views and publishing.

Grace is Chinese Canadian now residing in Louisville, Colorado. She has lived and worked in Canada, the US and Hong Kong and has traveled widely in Europe and Asia. Her work is influenced by her bi-cultural upbringing and is strongly rooted in spiritual growth, healing, and transformation.

“Apprised, a Retrospective” incorporates community written flags of indicators of both toxic and healthy relationships. Being aware of red flags and identifying green flags helps us choose who to give our love, time, and energy to in a healthy way.

“Healing Grace”is a series of thread sculptures of human or gans that were affected during life-threatening septic shock. Working with each organ was integral to my healing process.

“Renewal” uses dried botanicals as a canvas to explore protection, liberation, reinvention and the beauty, form and flow in movement. Renewing seed pods is a delightful collaboration with the natural world.

When did you first consider your self an artist?

I’ve been creative for as long as I re member. I began to consider myself an artist when I moved from Canada to the US and focused primarily on creating art. There isn’t one project or piece that stands out as a turning point, it was more of a slow process of working consistently and then ex hibiting consistently and coming into myself as an artist that way.

How has your bicultural upbring ing influenced your art?

I’ve lived in Asia, Canada and the US and travelled extensively through out Europe. The variety of people and cultures I’ve been exposed to pro vide a wide perspective on human behavior and what is common about how we navigate our feelings and our lives. While my circumstances may be unique to me, the emotions that are brought forth in my art are a collective experience I share with my viewer. My art is an invitation to find connection with yourself, your personal healing, and my truths I share through art.

Why is incorporating healing in your art important to you?

Creating art that is sourced from personal experience has the power to heal. Whether through movement, sound, visual art, storytelling or any way to creatively express ourselves, art has the ability to bypass the cogni

“Bubbling Up” is a social justice project that invites the BIPOC community to write stories of racism and injustice on spherelike units representing the bubbles people sometimes live in when they are sheltered from these experiences.

tive thinking brain and speak directly to, and from the heart. We can pro cess, understand, and express emo tions through art. My art has always had a healing and narrative theme to it and as I learn to take my pain and transform it through my art, I hear that viewers were finding relief and heal ing as well.

As a society, we have so much heal ing to do. Trauma, unresolved grief and the collective pain around world events reverberates through us as in dividuals as well as through our com munities. Anything that can be done to begin to heal this, to ease the pain, will benefit us collectively. It’s my hope that my work contributes to this healing.

What projects are you working on or looking forward to?

In the studio, I continue to stitch and weave on dried botanicals as part of the series of renewing myself as I re new the seed pods that nature has dis carded when their job of protecting the seeds is done. I’m experimenting with different pods and techniques so that is very fun and always exciting.

I am also focused on Bubbling Up, my social justice healing art project that invites all voices of the commu nity to participate in collaborative art-making with personal expression. With incidents of racist and xeno phobic violence and discrimination rising, community healing is needed

now more than ever. People of the global majority are invited to write their stories of racism, discrimination, harassment or injustice on individual bubble-like forms. People not writing bubbles are invited to respond to the stories that are read on the bubbles. Stories and responses gathered will be part of a larger art installation am plifying voices and lived experiences, heard and witnessed.

I’ve been taking Bubbling Up to large public events and smaller private events and am very pleased with the engagement and the conversations that are coming from people’s partic ipation.

In November, both my fine art and a sample of Bubbling Up is on exhibit at the Louisville Public Library. I’ll be there gathering stories and responses during First Friday Art Walk on Nov. 4 from 5pm-7pm, and also on Tuesday, Nov. 8 and Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 3pm-6:30pm. Next April the full display of Bubbling Up will be displayed on the second floor of the library.

If you can’t make a story-gathering event but still want to participate, anyone can submit a story through my website (healinggracestudio.com), and it will be written on a bubble and included in the exhibit. Contact me if you’re interested in having Bubbling Up at your event or organization.

Follow me for upcoming events or exhibits on Tiktok: @healinggrace studio or Instagram: @gracegeeart.

1 - Family Game Night

If you only have one night to spend together, bring out the board games for some family time.

- Mahjong: This is a tile-matching game with four players, popular in China, the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea. Movie-goers will remember the scenes from Crazy Rich Asians, as Rachel Chu challenges her mother to be.

- Xiangai: Better known as Chinese chess, Xiangai is a pop ular, strategy board game for two players. Similar to chess, it challenges players to test their knowledge and strategizes to win.

- Sushi Go!: This game is based on the idea of a convey or-belt sushi restaurant. As cards get passed around the ta ble, each player figures out how to win and challenge each other.

2 - Turkey Trot

Instead of turning into a couch potato from the Thanks giving feasts, sign up for the Mile High United Way Turkey Trot. The annual walk draws more than 9,000 people to Washington Park for a four-mile run or walk on Thanksgiv ing Day morning. The money raised positively impacts the lives of families across Metro Denver. Register at: unitedway denver.org/turkey-trot.

3 - Set Up the Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to set up the Christ mas tree as it may be the only time the family can gather before Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Passover.

How to Spend This Thanksgiving Weekend with Family or Friends

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

As college students return home from school and extended families gather for their Thanks giving feast, watching football isn’t the only activity for large group gatherings.

Consider these at-home activities or ideas to get out and explore Colorado.

Take out the Christmas trimmings and decorate the house with holiday décor, including the Advent calendar, stock ings over the fireplace, and placing wreaths throughout the house.

For a freshly-cutted Christmas tree, visit Tagawa Gardens which features hydrated Christmas trees from family farms throughout the U.S. Learn more at: tagawagardens.com.

4 - Attend a Live Show

Denver offers one of the largest nonprofit theatre orga nizations, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, pre senting Broadway tours, cabaret, musicals, and innovative multi-media sensory participation.

- Holiday productions scheduled during the Thanksgiving weekend include Camp Christmas and A Christmas Carol with additional shows and events in December.

- With limited showings, the Lone Tree Arts Center and the Denver Academy of Ballet are presenting The Nutcracker.

- The Ellie Caulkins Opera House will feature the Colora do Ballet performing The Nutcracker, starting Thanksgiving weekend thru December 24.

Jessalyn and Dan Langevin enjoy family game night.

5 - Start Your Holiday Shopping

Holiday markets and festivals are the best way to find unique gifts and spend time with family searching for the perfect present. Numerous holiday markets are scheduled this time of year including:

- Denver Christkindl Market

- Holiday Art Market at Olde Golden Christmas

- Cherry Creek Holiday Market

6 - Visit museums, galleries, attractions

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is showing an exhib it called “Her Brush: Japanese Women Artists from the Fong-Johnstone Collection, which showcases artistic voice, gender, and agency from more than 100 works of paintings, calligraphy, and ceramics from 1600s to 1900s. Scheduled from November 13 to May 13, some of the artwork will be on exhibit for the first time to the public.

If art isn’t of interest for your family and out-of-town guests, head over to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. There is an exhibit that will excite everyone! One of the most pop ular exhibits is in the science area. It is called Apollo: When

We Went to the Moon and premiered last October 21.

“The American space program today stands on the shoul ders of those who worked to make the first footsteps on the moon possible,” said Ka Chun Yu, museum curator of space sciences.

Curious to explore history? Visit the Molly Brown House Museum to learn more about Denver. The Molly Brown House Museum hopes to spark conversations about shared past by using inclusive stories of struggle and triumph to better understand the experiences of today.

For younger members of the family, consider the Chil dren’s Museum or the Denver Zoo. The Children’s Museum organizes Snow Days for children and their parents to dis cover winter wonderlands. The Denver Zoo offers animal ex hibits, shows and even attractions from Asia, such as Toyota Elephant Passage, featuring Asian elephants, Malayan tapirs, and clouded leopards. The Chang Pa Wildlife Preserve, the Schoelzel Family Village, and the Village Outpost represents a different area in tropical Asia, showing an animal preserve, an urban center, and a country-side village. What

Cherry Creek Holiday Market

cherrycreekholidaymarket.com

Children’s Museum mychildsmuseum.org

Denver Art Museum denverartmuseum.org

Denver Center for the Performing Arts denvercenter.org

Denver Christkindl Market christkindlmarketdenver.com

Denver Museum of Nature & Science dmns.org

Denver Zoo denverzoo.org

Holiday Art Market at Olde Golden Christmas foothillsartcenter.org

Ellie Caulkins Opera House coloradoballet.org/The-Nutcracker

Lone Tree Arts Center lonetreeartscenter.org

Mile High United Way Turkey Trot unitedwaydenver.org/turkey-trot Molly Brown House Museum mollybrown.org Tagawa Gardens tagawagardens.com

Photo credit: Denver Christkindl Market

These tips come just in time for the month of thanks and gratitude!

Sending a personalized thank you note expresses the depth and pro found way of sharing one’s gratitude.

A quick email or text helps in send ing the thank you note quickly, but when someone writes a note on beau tiful stationary, it makes the exchange so much more personable.

Here are the elements of a thank you note:

How to Write a Thank You Note

1. Start with a salutation. Depend ing on one’s relationship, you can write the name or use formal titles of Mr., Mrs., etc. Examples: Dear Mr. Herreria; Hello Kim Nguyen; My friend Mimi.

2. Be specific in the thank you note. What and why are thanking the person? When one is specific, it is more personal. Examples:

- Thank you for the help you gave me in meeting my deadline.

- I appreciate the food processor you gave me for our housewarming party. Thank you for thinking of us in our new home.

- I always love your cooking so thank you for the time and energy you put into making this delicious Chinese dumpling from your grandmother’s recipe book.

3. Include a personal comment and/or history of your relationship. Examples:

- It’s phenomenal that we’ve been

Gratitude Books for November

Thank you, Mama by Linda Meeker and Sandra Eide Linda Meeker (@greyandmama) cata pulted into popularity via social media as she recorded her son, Grey, expressing gratitude. Raised in a Vietnamese family, she taught her toddler the simple act of “thank you.” thomasnelson.com/p/thank-you-mama

Gift of Gratitude by Claire E. Hallinan

Born and raised in Japan, Claire E. Hallinan teaches mindfulness through her book, Gift of Gratitude. As a multicultural memoir, she shares her personal stories of strength and resiliency. Connect with her on Instagram @claire.e.hallinan.

Gratitude Journal for Asian Kids by Terry E. King

Designed to promote self-esteem, the journal encourages spiritual growth and appreciation of the beauty of life. Available on Amazon.

friends since kindergarten.

- You have been my Nana’s best friend since I was 10.

- I appreciate your style of leadership and mentoring.

4. Open the door of opportunity for a chance to meet up or share a future project. Examples:

- I’ll be in your neck of the woods next month, let’s plan to get together soon.

- Let’s have lunch next week.

- I’m finishing a project you might be interested in. Let me know and I’ll send you details.

5. Sign off with polite grace. Exam ples: Yours truly; In friendship; My best to you.

Take time to practice your handwrit ing and use snail mail to send a thank you card to a loved one this month.

Connect with etiquette coach Bonnie Tsai to learn about social and business etiquette at: beyondetiquette.co.

Say Thank You in Asian Languages

Language

Chamorro | Guam | Si Yu’os Ma’åse’

Chinese | China | Xièxie

Hawaiian | Hawaii | Mahalo

Indian | India | dhanyavaad

Indonesian | Indonesia | Terima kasih

Japanese | Japan| Arigatou

Korean | Korea | Kamsahamnida

Lao | Laos | Khobchai

Tagalog | The Philippines | Salamat

Taiwanese | Taiwan To-siā, Kám-siā, or Ló làt

Thai | Thailand | Khop khun

Vietnamese | Vietnam | Cảm ơn

The content on this page was compiled by Mary Jeneverre Schultz.

Jing awaits in Colorado’s popular town of Aspen

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

Are you planning any ski trips this winter? Staying in one of Colorado’s fabulous mountain towns? If you find yourself in Aspen, head to Jing Restaurant for global fusion dishes with an Asian twist.

With additional locations in Den ver and Las Vegas, Jing Aspen sits in Aspen’s historic downtown core. The restaurant has been a mainstay for 20 years that features an array of Chinese and Japanese infused menu options and a raw bar.

Menu Highlights

The menu shows a vast variety of sushi rolls and sashimi, soup dump lings and popular Asian dishes such as peking duck and honey prawns.

The French onion soup dumplings are highly recommended with the porcini mushroom dumpling com ing in at a close second. Make sure to scoop up plenty of chili oil on your spoon, but watch out for the hot ex plosion of soup in your mouth.

For being in a land-locked state, the selection of seafood is over

the top with rock shrimp tempura, cod and prawn dumplings, lobster dumplings, stone crab claws, and much more.

The seafood clay pot and truffle kale fried rice are an absolute must for those with more luxurious pal ates. The Japanese hot rock dishes feature wagyu beef, lobster, and scallop options cooked on piping hot stone.

In addition, the sake and wine lists are extensive. Sake is served in flights offering a chance to experi ence multiple flavors.

The Atmosphere

Service is amazing – just ask your wait staff for their personal favor ites and you won’t be disappointed. Even the chef owner, Frank Lu, is vis ible in the restaurant, joining in the fun of doing a “sake bomb” with his regular customers.

The décor transports you from the mountains of Aspen to a journey in Asia. Contemporary and welcoming to out-of-town visitors, the restau

rant has a trendy ambiance, espe cially on weekend evenings.

Outdoor patio seating is offered to anyone who wants to enjoy the cool breeze. Happy hour is available Monday through Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to unwind with dis counted drinks, sushi, and dim sum.

Yes, the price point is high with dishes averaging a price of $38 and up. But realistically, the restaurant is located in Aspen, known as the most expensive ski town in America, and they serve sushi, one of the most ex pensive cuisines.

Tips for Your Visit

Make a reservation in advance as the restaurant fills up fast. Jing As pen requires a credit card for reser vations and charges $100 per per son for no-shows, so stay committed to your timeframe.

If you are a Yelp user, check into the app to receive free sake.

Visit jingrestaurant.com/aspen to make a reservation or see their menu. Follow @jing_aspen on Instagram.

Photo credit above: Frank J. Schultz, Eric Jackson | Thank you to Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) and Promo Communications for their generous hospitality.

Blue Crab Soup Dumplings with Szechuan Chili Oil

Hot Oil Salmon

Spicy Citrus Ahi

Havana Street in Aurora, Colorado

Less than 10 miles east of Denver, Aurora is the third most populous city in Colorado: home to 386,261 residents and more than 250 global restaurants. The Havana Street cor ridor is particularly dense—the kind of thoroughfare where Indian (Chutney Indian Cuisine), Italian (Bettola Bistro), and Sudanese (Sudan Cafe & Khairat Bakery) restaurants rub shoulders with century-old diners (Sam’s No. 3) and Korean karaoke bars, hot pot restaurants, fried chicken joints, boba tea shops, and bingsu (shaved ice) vendors. From dawn till dusk, you never run out of tasty things to put in your mouth.

For breakfast: Hit up French Asian bakery Tous les Jours for pain au chocolat and walnut caramel scones, plus tricki er-to-find treats such as taro cream bread, red bean dough nuts, and honeydew melon buns. The purple ube latte, available hot or iced, is a hit with the Instagram set.

For lunch: Just off Havana, Mariscos El Rey Dos is a sea food restaurant with a biblically long menu. Tuck into the ceviche Campechano (lime-cooked shrimp, fish, octopus, squid, crab, and abalone piled atop a tostada), chased with a Michelada.

For dinner: Get ready for the meat sweats. Whether you choose Korean barbecue (Dae Gee and Shin Myung Gwan are both popular) or Brazilian churrasco (Aroma do Brazil), the decadence is real.

For dessert: Embrace a mountainous “snow bowl” at Snowl Cafe, where the shaved ice flavors include sweet po tato cheesecake, black sesame, and green tea.

For a carb fix: Head to Sara’s Market & Bakery for ov en-fresh lavash, simit (seeded Turkish bagels), shirmal (saf fron-flavored sweet bread), and barbari (yeast-leavened Iranian flatbread).

It’s 5 o’clock, now what?: Round up your happy hour crew for $8 soju and $7 beer at K-pub ThankSool Pocha, every Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.

Late-night haunt: The soju-fueled fun continues at Muse Noraebang & Cafe, a karaoke bar that stays open until 2 a.m. and helpfully serves honghap tang, a hangover soup made with mussels. With eight private rooms and Singa pore Slings priced to move at $9 a pop, you’ll need it.

Tip from a local: “Pick up takeout and go paddleboard ing at Cherry Creek State Park,” says Chance Horiuchi, executive director of the Havana Business Improvement District. The park surrounding the 880-acre reservoir has a sandy swimming beach; hiking, biking, and horseback rid ing trails; and an airfield for flying radio-controlled model aircraft.

Written by Ashlea Halpern in AFAR Magazine | See the full article at: afar.com/magazine/the-best-food-neighbor hoods-in-the-u-s

Artist Nayle Lor to depict Denver’s Historic Chinatown in mural project

Two years ago, Denver Mayor Mi chael Hancock signed a proclama tion to recognize the 1880 Anti-Chi nese race riot in Lower Downtown (LoDo). In celebration of the sec ond anniversary of ‘Denver’s China town Commemoration Day’, Colo rado Asian Pacific United (CAPU) is pleased to announce its first mural project in Denver’s Historic China town.

While present-day Denver may not have an official Chinatown, it’s home to generations of Chinese families and entrepreneurs that contributed to tremendous growth and diversity.

The mural project aims to depict the story of Denver’s Historic Chi natown told from the lens of the Chinese immigrant community. It is a story about the proud history of Chinese immigrant families who are hardworking, driven, and entre preneurial. Although they faced dis crimination, segregation, and incar ceration, their lives were also filled

with joy, ingenuity, and resilience. As a community, Denver’s Historic Chi natown was prosperous, thriving, and welcoming to everyone.

With funding from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the mural will be created by Hmong American art ist Nalye Lor. Born and raised in Col orado, Lor is known for her fun, lively artwork that transports viewers into a different space and time. She is a graphic designer and freelancer, cre ating vibrant, thoughtful artwork wherever she goes.

Her upcoming mural design of Denver’s Historic Chinatown was in spired by long-life noodles, symbolic of—and hope for—longevity.

“The endless noodle represents time and history weaving across the image and transforming from a railroad to food curling around chopsticks, Lor said. “Character sil houettes walk along the timeline, from miners and laundromat work ers to modern-day citizens. It’s a vi

sual storytelling of how far they’ve come and how far they will continue going.”

According to Lor, the artwork is a whimsical depiction of Denver’s His toric Chinatown, showing how the community flourished regardless of the Anti-Chinese riot in 1880.

This mural will be featured at the location of Denver Fire Station 4 (1890 Lawrence St, Denver, CO 80202). See Lor’s work at nananalis. com or follow her on Instagram at @nananalistudio.

Chinese immigrants made a home in Denver a decade after the city’s founding and were instrumental in completing the transcontinental railroad. They survived in spite of racist policies that relegated them to a place and a station. So why doesn’t Denver have a Chinatown?

In Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown, an #IAmDenver documentary from the Denver Office of Storytelling, their descendants recall with pride their ancestors’ contributions and reject the notion that one tragic day in 1880 defined their community.

#IAmDenver’s Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown premieres on Nov. 10 at the Denver Film Festival as one of the 200 films selected to participate in its 45th year. Learn more by e-mailing contact@coloradoasianpacificunited.org.

Movie Review: Decision to Leave A Korean Romantic Thriller

Korean movies and TV series are all the rage with the film Parasite winning Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards and the popular series Squid Game dominating Netflix in 2021, leaving viewers excited for the release of its second season.

After watching, Decision to Leave, it’s easy to under stand the addiction of binge-watching the dramas and romance stories from South Korea.

“Decision to Leave is a film for adults,” said director/writ er Park Chan-wook. “Rather than tell the story of loss as something tragic, I tried to express it with subtlety ele gance and humor, in a manner that speaks to adults.”

Movie Summary

An insomniac detective investigates a crime scene at the base of a mountain, which seems like an accident – a hiker falling off a hill. However, because the hiker is an expert, the detective can’t just close the case. The detective and his partner simulate the climb, scan the areas for clues, then talk to the hiker’s widow. That’s where all the fun begins. Through his deliberate investigation, the detective begins to fall in love with the suspect.

Film’s Director and Cast

Categorized as a neo-noir romantic mystery film, the movie is unpredictable. With growing suspense, the mov ie was produced, co-written and directed by Chan-wook, who also directed The Handmaiden.

After establishing himself as a leading Korean director in 2000 with his popular and critically acclaimed feature Joint Security Area, Chan-wook became celebrated as a

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

global auteur with Oldboy (2003), winner of the Grand Prix at the 57th Cannes Film Festival.

Decision to Leave was released last June in South Ko rea. With subtitles, it paces slowly and allows the viewers a chance to understand the back-and-forth banter be tween actor Park Hae-il and actress Tang Wei.

Park Hae-il, who plays the detective, Hae-joon, is a South Korean actor, who began his career in theater. His popular ity exploded in 2011 when he starred in the period action film, War of the Arrows, which was the highest-grossing film for that year. Clean-cut, the actor shows a clumsy charm as he attempts to solve the case.

Watch out for Chinese actress Tang Wei, who plays the murder suspect, Seo-rae. Wei has been acting since 2007 and has won awards such as Best New Perform ing, Best Newcomer in Chinese Film Me dia Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, and Korean Association of Film Critics Awards, just to name a few. This tantalizing beau ty takes center stage in this film as she taunts the detective.

Cinematography

The rhythm of the film is filled with high tension and toxicity. The scenes are fantastic, especially the cinematic touch of beaches and cliffside views. There’s even a point of view from fish’s eyes looking up to the de tective. Audiences around the world are sure to be cap tivated by Chan-wook’s depiction of the densely-layered emotions that build up between these two characters.

Decision to Leave is now playing in Denver. Check your local theater for showtimes. Learn more about the film at: mubi.com/decisiontoleave.

Asian Chamber hosts annual gala event

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

For more information, visit acccolorado.org

More than 260 attendees attended the Asian Cham ber of Commerce’s (ACC) annual gala at Ameristar Ho tel Spa Resort in Blackhawk, a short 1.5-hour drive from downtown Denver.

The gala served as an ap preciation for the chamber’s members on October 9.

“It’s an affirmation of the partnerships that benefit the AAPI small business and workforce community,” said Fran Campbell, president of ACC.

Proceeds from the silent auction benefited the Asian Chamber Foundation of Colorado Development Pro gram. This six-week program provides community mem bers a safe and fun learn ing space to garner skills that will be useful in their careers, personal develop

Mary Monzon Receives City of Denver’s Diversity & Inclusion Award

On October 18, Mary Alvi Monzon received the Mayor’s Diversity and Inclusion Award posthumously from Denver Mayor Hancock.

Nominated by the Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission, Monzon eagerly volunteered and supported many AAPI events and programs especially for the Filipino community, before passing away on July 24, 2022.

Monzon was born on March 17, 1963 and raised in the Bay Area (Benicia/San Francisco). In the early 1990’s she moved to Denver and began her career at AT&T. She quickly began her volunteerism by co-coordinating the “Mercado on Maripo sa” project in her Baker neighborhood.

In 2006, Monzon became a volunteer at the Denver Center for International Studies at Baker. She became one of the first volun teers for the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival in 2001.

Monzon was also an active member of the Asian Chamber of Commerce for over 25 years. She recruited new corporate and small businesses to join and she shared her business acumen with indi viduals searching for new or a change of careers. Monzon served on the ACC Board of Directors since 2012.

In 2015, Mary was included as one of Denver’s AAPi Women Leaders at a dinner hosted by Mayor and Mrs. Hancock at the Ca bleland residence.

Receiving the award on her behalf was long-time friend, Fran Campbell. The award was shipped to her mother in Benicia, Calif.

Mary Monzon

ment, preparing for leader ship programs and servicing on boards. Attendees of this program will receive edu cation in financial literacy, networking career develop ment, and local government. Campbell revealed the 5-year strategy goals for ACC. “Equitable outreach of small business opportunities can’t be fully successful if we have an inadequate data base,” she said. “The ACC is also pursuing the means to increase our capacity so that we are able to provide more technical services and 1-to1 mentoring to AAPI small business and workforce.”

Other activities will include D&I presentations, outreach to Southern Colorado AAPI small businesses, and the monthly “Business After Hours” networking events.

Asian Chamber of Commerce staff and Board of Directors celebrate their gala at Ameristar Hotel Spa Resort in Blackhawk.

From left: Derek Okubo (City of Denver), Mayor Hancock, Fran Campbell (recipient), Shauna Medeiros-Tuilaepa (DAAPIC chair).

GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL AWARDS THE BEST BEERS

Three hundred medals were awarded to more than 200 breweries last month—and Comrade Brewing Co. was one of the top winners at the 2022 Great American Beer Festival (GABF).

Comrade Brewing received the gold medal for its brew, More Dodge Less RAM in the American Style In dia Pale Ale. This category received 423 entries making it one of the most entered styles of beer.

“This is our 7th medal and the 3rd beer that won two medals in the same category,” said owner David Lin of Denver-based Comrade Brewing Co.

“We’re doing our own thing here at Comrade and humbled that the beer judges think so, too. It shows that we make great beer, but also consistently.”

The week leading up to the GABF highlighted cele bratory parties all over downtown Denver. Lin indicated he attended the PorchDrinking 10th Anniversary Beer Festival and the Falling Rock Popup. “It was good to see familiar faces and some great beers,” Lin said.

Post COVID

Tickets did not sell out this year compared to pre-pan demic times. In addition, festival organizers spaced out the tasting booths and it was noticeable. However, 2022 marked the 40th anniversary of GABF.

“It’s clear that we’re still not back to the way things

were pre-pandemic,” said Lin.

Advice to new brewers

Lin offered a simple, easy suggestion to new and up coming brewers, who want to follow him into gold med al position.

“Go out and visit breweries to try their brews on draft,” he said. “It beats drinking packaged product at home.”

For a taste of the award-winning beer, visit Comrade Brewing in Denver and check out their website to see their open hours: comradebrewing.com.

Next year, GABF is scheduled for Sept. 21 to 23, 2023.

Kyle, one of the hundreds of volunteers at GABF, pours beer. These women won best costume with rolled-up beer as hair curlers.

Photo credit (above): Eric Jackson

Nan Desu Kan: Number 25!

By: Shin X. Huynh Learn more at ndkdenver.org

Nan Desu Kan returns with a flash and bang for its 25th anniversary!

The anime convention was held once again at the spacious Gaylord Rockies Resort. To celebrate their sil ver anniversary and big milestone, NDK went with a fabulous Art Deco theme, using cool art on their pro grams, t-shirts and badges.

This year’s event attracted a di verse spectrum of cosplayers with so many great character portrayals.

I personally find the cosplay one of the most exciting things about these types of events. Nothing like walking into Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII or Nami from One Piece and sharing admiration for the work

and attention to detail put into their cosplays.

Speaking of cosplay, the Mosa ic Cosplay Café was a nice switch from just walking the halls. Here you can enjoy set times to take a break and enjoy entertainment from Mo saic Cosplay. With performances from Sanrio and Super Cute Sanrio Lounge, you could check out your favorites like Hello Kitty and Kerop pi. Their were many other features for cosplay enthusiasts including a kimono exhibit, classes for cosplay ing on a budget, crossplay vs. gen derbending, and much more. What is a NDK without a little par ty? Although learning and sharing

our love for Japanese animation and culture is the prime highlight of the weekend event, NDK also offered karaoke with DJ Monique attracting hundreds of singers while “Random Dance” helped attendees boogie to random music and moves. The J-pop dance allowed everyone to dance the night away, which felt like it was an anime prom!

All in all, NDK’s 25th annual con vention was one for the books. With new voice actors, panels, contests and returning favorites like the Art ist Alley, Exhibitors Hall and Gaming areas, NDK continues to impress and entertain audiences around the Rocky Mountain region.

Taiwan’s participation can strengthen international cooperation to fight transnational telecommunication fraud in the postpandemic era

undermine domestic financial regulatory systems and erode the sovereign authori ty of governments. Police cooperation be tween Taiwan and other countries would help reduce the number of fraud cases and contribute to the administrative effi ciency of governments worldwide.

International cooperation is needed to combat the use of virtual currencies for money laundering

Crypto wallets that do not require user authentication and have no upper limit on transactions are a convenient tool for money laundering. The victim, perpetra tor, and location of the crime are usually in different countries. Thus, transnational cooperation is needed to effectively crack down on the common practice of con cealing illegal gains and converting them into legal assets.

Fraud is disrupting people’s livelihoods in the postpandemic era

The internet is very much part of daily life in the postpandemic world. Work ing, studying, shopping, and conducting other transactions online have become commonplace. But the digital financial services that have developed from these activities are an easy target for criminal organizations and have also made inves tigating crime more complicated for the police. In 2021, Taiwan reported fraud-re lated losses of NT$5.61 billion (equivalent approximately to US$186 million), indi cating that fraud has seriously damaged national economic development. There is little doubt that fraud poses a formidable challenge to countries worldwide.

In recent years, fraud has become more diverse and sophisticated and scammers are working in new and constantly evolv ing ways. Schemes involving cryptocur rency—recently a hot commodity—have inflicted heavy losses on victims.

When Taiwan’s police investigate cas es, they often encounter difficulties aris ing from the fact that servers, recipient accounts, and cryptocurrency exchange platforms used by perpetrators are based overseas. This prevents officers from stop ping the transfer of money in time to help the victims and makes it more difficult to track down suspects.

The inflow of profits from fraud and oth er illegal activities involves money laun dering, tax evasion, and other crimes that

Virtual currencies are a high-risk-highreward commodity. They have grown increasingly popular in investment mar kets. As the average person does not fully understand how virtual currencies work, these investments have become a com mon instrument of organized fraud. Tai wan police have recently discovered that money laundering by criminal groups using virtual currencies mostly involves proceeds from investment fraud. Victims are lured into registering with a fake in vestment platform and when they try to withdraw funds after making a profit, the customer service system—operated by the criminal group—requires them to pay additional taxes of 10 to 20 percent before the withdrawal can be approved. Even if the payment is made, the criminal group continues to fabricate further demands that the account be replenished in order to cover, for example, transaction fees.

Criminal organizations have shifted their tactics from buying mule bank ac counts to using virtual currency wallets, thus lowering the risk of police detection when funds are withdrawn. The gangs open phony accounts with virtual curren cy exchanges, where identity verification procedures are relatively relaxed.

Once a victim makes a deposit into a designated account, the scammers quick ly transfer the money multiple times, eventually moving it to a cold wallet. It is then switched to another exchange where it is converted into legal tender.

Taiwan’s contribution will benefit the world

Taiwan has a high regard for the rule of law and human rights. The Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan) upholds the ideal that national sovereignty resides with the people and explicitly provides for the protection of people’s rights and free doms. The government strictly prohibits any action that infringes on the rights of others.

Transnational crime often involves mul tiple countries and areas, which can hin der investigations. In the postpandemic world, criminal tactics will continue to evolve and new methods will emerge. In investigating new forms of criminal ac tivity, experience is invaluable. Taiwan is willing to share its experience in solving crimes.

Today, telecommunications and cyber fraud are conducted across borders and transnational crime rings are organized and departmentalized. This poses a chal lenge to the sovereignty of nations and undermines livelihoods, economies, and law and order. Taiwan is keen to exchange intelligence with partners and assist oth er countries in staving off threats from overseas and combating organized crime within their borders.

Looking ahead, Taiwan’s police will con tinue to work with partners worldwide. No place should be overlooked in fighting the pandemic or tackling crime. The inter national community can count on Taiwan.

By Hsi-ho Li, Commissioner, Criminal Investigation Bureau, Republic of China (Taiwan)

Taiwan injects momentum into the global transition to net-zero emissions

The world has embarked on the transi tion to net-zero emissions. The innovative approaches to international cooperation highlighted in the Paris Agreement— which calls for wide cooperation by all countries to meet global reduction tar gets—are gradually taking shape. Taiwan is willing and able to cooperate with interna tional partners to jointly achieve net-zero transition, mobilize global climate action, and ensure a sustainable environment for future generations.

As the world’s 21st-largest economy, Taiwan has an important influence on economic prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In particular, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry occupies a pivotal position in international supply chains. The industry actively cuts the use of energy re sources in its production processes by de veloping new technologies and new mod els. Through ever-evolving semiconductor innovations, it has developed numerous smart applications of electronic devices and promoted global energy conservation.

Taiwan is carrying out substantial cli mate actions and vigorously advancing en ergy transition. As of May 2022, cumulative installed renewable energy capacity had reached 12.3 GW, a significant 60 percent increase from 2016. From 2005 to 2020, Taiwan’s GDP grew by 79 percent. Over the same period, greenhouse gas emission in tensity fell by 45 percent, demonstrating that economic growth has been decou pled from greenhouse gas emissions.

On Earth Day of April 22, 2021, President Tsai Ing-wen announced Taiwan’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. In March 2022, the Executive Yuan published Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050. The roadmap outlines four major transition strategies in energy, industry, lifestyles, and society. Resting on the twin governance foundations of technology research and development (R&D) and climate legisla tion, the strategies are supplemented by 12 key substrategies. These are wind and

solar power; hydrogen; innovative energy; power systems and energy storage; energy conservation and efficiency; carbon cap ture, utilization, and storage; carbon-free and electric vehicles; resource recycling and zero waste; natural carbon sinks; green lifestyles; green finance; and just transition. By integrating intragovernmental resourc es, Taiwan will develop a step-by-step ac tion plan to reach its targets.

In building the foundations of tech nology R&D needed to achieve net-zero transition, Taiwan will focus on five areas: sustainable energy, low carbon, circularity, carbon negativity, and social science. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Manage ment Act is being amended and will be renamed the Climate Change Response Act. The amendments will make net-zero emissions by 2050 a long-term national reduction target, improve the effective ness of climate governance, add a chapter on climate change adaptation, strengthen information disclosure and public partic ipation, and introduce a carbon pricing mechanism.

The act will provide economic incentives for emissions reduction, guide low-carbon and green growth, and contribute to com pleting the foundations of national climate legislation and governance. Taiwan’s longterm vision for 2050 is to make the transi tion to net-zero emissions the new driving force of national development. By creating competitive, circular, sustainable, resilient, and secure transition strategies and gov ernance foundations, Taiwan will stimu late economic growth, encourage private investment, create green jobs, promote energy independence, and improve social well-being.

Due to political factors, Taiwan is exclud ed from international organizations and cannot participate substantively in discus sions on global climate issues. It is difficult for Taiwan to stay abreast of current devel opments and properly implement related tasks. This will create gaps in global climate

By Chang Tzi-chin, Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration, Republic of China (Taiwan)

governance. Taiwan has limited indepen dent sources of energy and an economic system that is oriented to foreign trade. If it cannot seamlessly link with the interna tional cooperation mechanisms under the Paris Agreement, this will not only affect the process of Taiwanese industries going green but will also undermine the stability of international supply chains. Presented with the threat of carbon border adjust ment measures, Taiwan’s overall competi tiveness could be seriously hit if it is unable to fairly participate in international emis sion reduction mechanisms. This will also weaken the effectiveness of international cooperation and undermine the global economy.

Making the transition to net-zero emis sions is an inescapable collective respon sibility of this generation. It will only be possible to achieve the target if the inter national community works together. In the spirit of pragmatism and professionalism, Taiwan is willing to make concrete contri butions to tackling global climate change.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that whatever the situation, Taiwan has enormous potential to contribute to the world in extremely helpful ways. Taiwan should be given equal opportunity to join international cooperation mechanisms in response to climate change. We hope the international community will support Taiwan’s immediate, fair, and meaningful inclusion.