November 15-21, 2013
LOVE ME AS I AM
| November 15-21, 2013
November 15-21, 2013
Contents View Society
That sinking feeling
Love me as I am
Politics
Spies ‘R’ Us
| November 15-21, 2013
November 15-21, 2013
Contents Lifestyle
What's in my food?
Life
The human guinea pigs
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Breaking taboos
Beyond libraries
November 15-21, 2013
Contents Entertainment
It’s payback time!
Society
Job market proves difficult for autistic talent >>DATEBOOK
Happenings around Asia
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VIEW
| November 15-21, 2013
That sinking feeling Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is still at the centre of a crisis, for all the wrong reasons.
AFP
THAI 'RED-SHIRT' SUPPORTERS AT A RALLY IN BANGKOK ON NOVEMBER 10, IN A FIRST SHOW OF FORCE SINCE THE OPPOSITION 'YELLOW-SHIRTS' TOOK TO THE STREETS IN PROTEST AGAINST THE CONTROVERSIAL AMNESTY BILL. CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP
VIEW
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AFP AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTER AT THE RALLY HELD AT BANGKOK’S DEMOCRACY MONUMENT AGAINST THE AMNESTY BILL. PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL
VIEW
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AFP ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATING AT BANGKOK’S DEMOCRACY MONUMENT AGAINST THE CONTROVERSIAL AMNESTY BILL. PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL
VIEW
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AFP ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATING AT BANGKOK’S DEMOCRACY MONUMENT AGAINST THE CONTROVERSIAL AMNESTY BILL. CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT
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VIEW BUNN NAGARA The Star Kuala Lumpur
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he latest political upheaval in Thailand, or more specifically Bangkok, had been predicted for close to a year already. But it had been expected in August this year, when a controversial “amnesty bill” was due to be debated in Parliament and possibly passed. If approved and made into law, it could have permitted the “safe” return of self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who jumped bail to avoid a prison sentence for corruption and wipe the slate clean by exonerating him from all charges. The very thought of that would have driven royalist, anti-Thaksin yellow-shirted protesters onto the streets again. Their massive
demonstrations in previous years had paralysed parts of Bangkok. Counter-demonstrations by pro-Thaksin, red-shirted protesters could also have been mobilised. Their massive demonstrations had shut down major Bangkok thoroughfares and led to deadly violence. But August came and went without incident. To the uninitiated, Thailand was at peace with itself again. Yet seasoned observers, like virtually all Bangkokians, knew that more trouble was only a matter of time. Abroad, Thaksin was still active, ambitious and itching to return, and to overturn his conviction. He also had enough funds for a luxury lifestyle and several political schemes. At home, his sister Yingluck Shinawatra as prime minister heads a government packed with his loyalists. To many Thais, Thaksin is the de facto leader
of a nominee government. Given his extraordinary drive for self-fulfilment, it did not take Thaksin long to press home the point. The amnesty bill was not annulled, just postponed for three months. To critics, the bill was rushed through parliament early this month in a most unseemly manner. Using its parliamentary majority to advantage, Pheu Thai brokered haggling in parliament until 4am on November 1. Next stop for the bill was the Senate, where a rougher passage had been expected. But Thaksin’s camp had apparently seen to that contingency too. A notion was floated that the bill would offer amnesty only to those charged with violent street demonstrations. It would not provide amnesty for those convicted of corruption, like Thaksin. That created a lull in widespread reservations, but not for long. Self-interest
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VIEW would intrude yet again, brusquely and conspicuously. Thaksin himself spoke openly in interviews in support of an expanded amnesty bill that would exempt people like him from corruption convictions. Suddenly, the matter for tabling was an expanded bill for a “blanket amnesty”. Sure enough, some of Bangkok’s streets began to fill with angry protesters again. Throughout the week, thousands of office workers, students, petty traders, service providers and others poured onto the streets to march to express their disgust. Furthermore, it was no longer a simple “Yellow Shirts versus Red Shirts” affair either. By now that familiar dualism seemed so restrictive, so yesteryear. From the start, the bill divided Red Shirts by also exempting some anti-Thaksin Yellow Shirts from protest charges. Also eligible for amnesty was Thaksin’s
nemesis, former Democrat prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, accused of causing unnecessary deaths among protesters in a 2010 government crackdown. Opponents of the bill also came from a broader cross-section of a public, fed-up with corruption in general, than previous antiThaksin rallies. Either critics of the government had become more varied and sophisticated, or their concern over core issues like corruption exceeded their sense of colour-coded identity. The rift between Pheu Thai and some Red Shirt factions has since plunged to an all-time low. Thaksin and his loyalists now have to contend with these elements in their ranks besides conventional foes like Democrats and Yellow Shirts. The extended parliamentary session on November 1 had been a watershed moment for the bill. The overpowering sense of opportunism accompanying the prospective blanket amnesty drove a wedge
between ordinary Red Shirts, who are typically petty bourgeoisie, and privileged government leaders as in the Pheu Thai elite. On balance, those opposing the bill were more vocal, more visible and larger in number than those endorsing it. Thaksin, Yingluck, their Pheu Thai party and the government seemed to have painted themselves into a corner with steadily diminishing room for manoeuvre. By mid-week, the anti-bill camp had become so emboldened as to present the government with an ultimatum: withdraw the bill by November 11, or face the wrath of the people. There was a whole weekend for officials to huddle and reach some definable position. There would even be time to solicit advice, recommendations and instructions from Thaksin. Yingluck wavered, intimating that the bill was not a done deal. In a bid to placate critics, she also pledged not to violate the people’s wishes. By November 9 she announced that the
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VIEW contentious bill had been withdrawn. All bills related to amnesty, she said, had been pulled from the legislature. Would Thaksin have persisted in pushing the bill through the Senate had he been the prime minister instead? Such speculation now seems academic, as he is left to mope the problems of governing by remote control. Realists expect this to be a temporary setback for Thaksin, not a decisive defeat. He still harbours thought of returning to Thailand a free man and able to enjoy all his accumulated wealth from various controversial deals. But for him and Yingluck, there is now another problem – the credibility of her government and the Pheu Thai party has suffered as a result. This seems to be a depressing moment in a long-running soap opera, where few Thais empathise with the self-inflicted victims. Some protesters who began by demonstrating against the bill are now expanding their campaign
to reject Yingluck’s government as well. Meanwhile, some Red Shirts oppose the bill because they want Thaksin to return with dignity, not on the basis of a sordid and pathetic piece of legislation. Surely there are important lessons to be learned here, just like any other bitter educational experience? Lessons abound, but whether the Pheu Thai elite led by Thaksin would deign to learn them is another matter. First, the political sentiments and sympathies of the Thai populace cannot be determined simply by coloured categories. Their diversity and group identities have evolved as never before. Second, the Red Shirts are not synonymous with Pheu Thai and may become even less synonymous with the party. Similarly, Yellow Shirts, Democrats and the People’s Alliance for Democracy were never really synonymous either. Third, Thaksin and his cohorts can no longer count on the Red
Shirts for automatic electoral support. Red Shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar, the Deputy Commerce Minister, declared as much at a Red Shirt Rally during the week to much applause from supporters. As the government meltdown proceeds at its core, Yingluck is liable to call a snap election for a clearer sense of renewal. Whatever happens after that, all bets are off with what her government has done or tried to do. That includes Malaysia-brokered peace talks over Thailand’s southernmost provinces, widely seen as a means to assist Thaksin in regaining lost credibility and a return to Bangkok. Prospects of its success had cooled even before the November 1 watershed. Since Bangkok’s fortunes remain pivotal for the south as ever, two perspectives stay prominent. Critics allege that the talks have been going nowhere quickly, while cynics insist the talks have quickly been going nowhere. ¬
POLITICS
Spies ‘R’ Us EDITORIAL DESK Philippine Daily Inquirer Manila
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hat the United States has been revealed to be spying even on the leaders of its closest allies reminds us yet again that it is an empire in all but name, and that American “national security” interests have an inevitably imperial cast. According to the influential German publication Der Spiegel, a classified document dating to 2010 shows that the United States maintains at least 80 surveillance centres or spy hubs around the world. That’s more offices than most countries have embassies or consulates. It should come as no surprise that, as Australian media reported, the US embassy in Manila, one of the busiest in the world, is in that list of “listening posts”. To be sure, and as a candid comment from a European diplomat emphasised, every government does some spying, or intelligence-
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POLITICS gathering, of some sort. Indeed, if we substitute “emerging superpower” for “empire” in the first paragraph above, we should be able to see that the same sweeping national security imperatives must be driving China’s government too. Again, it should come as no surprise if we learn that China has an active surveillance office in the Philippines too. But because of its scale and scope, its sheer pervasiveness, surveillance by the United States’ National Security Agency is today’s symbol of rampant and reckless espionage. The continuing revelations from former American intelligence contractor Edward Snowden have steadily made the case that the NSA surveillance has violated the United States’ essential democratic and civic traditions, all in the name of a monster that cannot be appeased: national security.
This much is already clear. The United States’ standing in the international community has sustained major damage. (The latest revelation about spying on allies came within days of that baffling shutdown of the US federal government, which was damaging in itself.) And try as US President Barack Obama might, he cannot distance himself from the NSA’s aggressively ambitious surveillance programme. As profiles published in previous years tend to show, Obama is actually a very hands-on executive, especially when it comes to the use of military power. He signs off on sensitive drone missions, for instance, and was intimately involved in the operation that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden. It is difficult to believe that he did not know about the NSA’s work until Snowden turned rogue. To be sure, both the White
House and the NSA have denied that Obama knew German Chancellor Angela Merkel had been tapped, or (worse) that he had been told in 2010 and allowed the tapping to continue (as alleged by a German newspaper). That’s also what Obama told Merkel when she demanded an explanation for what she called a “breach of trust”. But even a denial like this is damaging; it paints an image of Obama as out of the loop, illserved by his lieutenants. And it opens the door for comments such as those attributed to German parliamentary leader Thomas Oppermann. “Snowden’s accounts seem credible while the US government apparently lied to us about this matter,” he said. Ouch. Thus begins the first lesson for the United States and the Obama administration, about the true cost of breaching trust. ¬
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POLITICS
Asia being snooped on, too Spying by foreign intelligence agencies is also prevalent in Malaysia and other regional countries via the Internet or spying equipment located in embassies MARTIN KHOR The Star Petaling Jaya
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o last week it was the turn of Asians to learn that their region was also the subject of foreign spying. This was no surprise. If American intelligence is spying on Americans, on Latin Americans, and on Europeans (including its top political leader, Angela Merkel of Germany), it is a foregone conclusion that Asia would not be left out. There is no revelation yet that Asian prime ministers and presidents have had their personal mobile phones and e-mails tapped. But it is also a foregone conclusion that these things are happening. Be prepared, therefore, to read in the coming weeks about famous Asian leaders, opposition stalwarts, journalists and celebrities being the subjects of snooping.
Nevertheless, the news that American and Australian embassies are being used to snoop on Asian countries justifiably caused outrage in our region. The Australian surveillance is reportedly in cooperation with the United States. Malaysia is one of the places where Australian intelligence operates to spy, according to reports in the Der Spiegel and Sydney Morning Herald. They revealed that the spying takes place from the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. Other Asian countries where the intelligence collection is conducted is the Australian embassies in China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea. The news reports also revealed that the US embassies have also been conducting surveillance activities in many Asian countries including
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POLITICS Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Malaysia last Friday registered its protests in official notes handed to the Australian high commissioner and the US Deputy Chief of Mission who were summoned to the Malaysian foreign affairs headquarters Wisma Putra. The notes warned that surveillance of close friends could severely damage relations. Indonesia warned the United States and Australia that the continuation of surveillance facilities inside their embassies threatened to derail years of trust built up between countries. China also responded to the report that the American embassy in Beijing and consulates in Shanghai and Chengdu operated special spying facilities. Its foreign ministry has demanded an explanation from the United States, saying that “foreign entities must not in any form engage in activities that are incompatible with their status and that are harmful to China’s national security and interest”.
Also last Friday, Brazil and Germany introduced a draft resolution to a United Nations General Assembly committee calling for an end to excessive surveillance. The press reports on spying in Asian countries are based on information leaked by Edward Snowden, a former contractor with the US National Security Agency. Newspapers and magazines had previously revealed that the personal phones of the German chancellor and the Brazilian president had been tapped. Both leaders have registered protests directly to US President Barack Obama. Last week also saw revelations by the Washington Post that the US and British intelligence agencies had found a way of intercepting communications from Google as well as Yahoo as the data were being passed between their data centres. “We are outraged at the lengths to which the government seems to have gone,” said Google’s chief legal officer. The Internet giant companies
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POLITICS have found that their encryptment system protecting e-mail and other information flowing through its data centres is not secure after all. The technology companies are worried that their millions of customers will no longer trust that their privacy will be protected. How will this affect the use of browsing, e-mail, Facebook and other facets of the Internet technology? US companies and entities currently dominate the global Internet business. Much of the world’s data flow goes through Internet companies based in the United States. The US administration had projected itself as an honest host of the Internet centres, respecting the rights and privacy of the world’s Internet and e-mail users, and a champion of Internet freedom. That image has been shattered by the series of revelations emerging from Snowden’s leaked files. The opposite image has replaced it, of a government that has used high
technology to gather billions of bits of data on practically all Internet users. If counter-terrorism was the official reason, this now seems to be only a pretext for also spying on any important person, including one’s closest allies. Now that they have lost confidence that the United States or other countries will respect privacy of the politicians, companies and citizens of their countries, some governments are now planning to limit the reach of American-based Internet companies. The Financial Times reported that Brazil is planning regulations that would force technology companies to retain information on the Internet about its citizens and institutions within Brazil itself. It also said that European officials are discussing the need to have stronger cloud computing capabilities in Europe to protect their citizens’ privacy. Brazil is also planning to bring up in various UN agencies and fora, the need for a global framework to respect and protect privacy on the Internet. ¬
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LIFE
China Daily
REN TIANYUE USED TO EARN A LIVING AS A HUMAN GUINEA PIG, A TEST SUBJECT FOR VARIOUS MEDICINES BEFORE THEY ARE SOLD TO THE PUBLIC.
The human guinea pigs
LIFE
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| November 15-21, 2013
LIFE
Risks from participating in medical trials are greater than many people imagine
YANG WANLI China Daily Beijing
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ressed in a welltailored black suit, 26-year-old Ren Tianyue walked along a street in Beijing's financial district. His neat, freshly ironed shirt and classy blackframed glasses gave him the air of a white-collar worker at a big-money enterprise. Seeing Ren like this, few people would imagine that he used to earn a living by being a guinea pig in medical trials, testing a variety of
medicines from pills to treat nasal inflammation to insulin injections. The payment per trial ranged from a few hundred yuan to 8,000 yuan (US$1,300), depending on the drugs involved. Ren is one of about 500,000 people in China who participate in medical trials every year. He usually took part in phase 1 trials, which can help scientists determine the best way to administer new treatments and the safe maximum dosage. China's pharmaceutical market was worth 93 billion yuan by the end of 2012, according to a report released by the Chinese Academy of
Social Sciences in February. It estimated that the market will grow by 12 per cent every year over the next decade. The Beijing Normal University math graduate said he was inspired to participate in the trials by a TV programme he watched as a high school student. "I saw a documentary on the Discovery Channel in which a participant forced himself to take a handful of pills for a medical trial. It piqued my curiosity," he said. He first attempt to become involved, at age 20, ended in failure when he was rejected because a standard pre-
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LIFE trial urine test indicated nicotine in his bloodstream. In 2011, Ren's application was successful and he joined a trial of a drug to treat nasitis (nasal inflammation). He freely admits that he was motivated as much by the money on offer as altruism, because at the time he was earning around 2,000 yuan a month and the lure of 2,000 yuan for just one week's "work" was too great to resist. "I believe most of the products are made using similar, possibly even the same, formulas as those used in other countries for years, so they are safe," he said. "Sick people take medicine to treat diseases, and we test the medicines for them, it's a commitment. Since it's inevitable that everyone will take some form of medicine during their lifetime, it doesn't matter when you take it." However, the risks inherent
in participating in medical trials are real and greater than many people imagine, because of the almost inevitable side effects. Many are temporary and disappear when the participant stops taking the medicine, but others can be long-term or permanent. Also, while some side effects appear during the testing process, others may not show until the treatment is over. Moreover, by their very nature the treatments are new, so the doctors don't always know what the side effects will be. The dose given to each subject varies; some participants are given a high dose, some are given a small amount and others receive a placebo, a treatment that contains no trace of the drug being tested. Who gets what is decided randomly, but the risks are always greater for those chosen to receive a high dose because the reaction
varies from person to person. Despite being fully aware of the potential risks, thousands of men and women, blinded by the relatively large sums on offer, are happy to take every possible opportunity to "make a living" through the trials.
DIRTY TRICKS
In October, a recruitment notice was posted on an online chat group called Medical Trials. The poster was looking for two people to test an anesthetic agent. The trial was to be held over just two days, but the participants were promised 5,000 yuan each, far higher than the usual payment. More than 80 people turned up at the hospital named in the notice, hoping to be selected. The Internet is awash with chat groups like Medical Trials. They don't just recruit participants for tests, but
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LIFE also showcase a variety of jobs offering good money for short-term work, including blood donation. Normally, each chat group has around 50 to 60 members. But the number of willing subjects always outstrips the number of jobs on offer and as a result a whole range of dirty tricks has evolved, designed to maximise the profits of the participants, some of whom even indulge in chemical deception. "In order to pass the health check, smokers often add a certain liquid to their urine sample to disguise the presence of nicotine. It's even possible to get a bogus certificate of good health by underhand means," said Ren. He declined to say whether bribery is commonplace, but said it's crucial to maintain a good relationship with the
"hunters" responsible for participant recruitment. The health checks and the trials are often carried out in the same hospital. In most cases, the participants are isolated in the testing center, where daily care is available, and free meals and pajamas are issued. The period of isolation varies from one day to a week and the participants are paid according to the duration of the trial and the amount of discomfort incurred. "If you are well-behaved and don't haggle too much over the payment, the hunters will be willing to call on you when more tests are being held," said Ren, who participated in more than a dozen trials between 2011 and July last year, earning about 40,000 yuan in total.
INHERENT RISKS
To clearly identify the effect of the treatment on humans, it's
essential to assess the pre-test condition of the participants. In the past, college students were the target group for phase one trials because of their youth and generally good health. "A few of my classmates and friends agreed to participate in the higher-risk phase one trials because the money was so good. But I think those of us with deeper medical knowledge are unwilling to take the risk," said Wu Bian, a student majoring in clinical medicine at Nanjing Medical University, who participated in two medical trials, one for herbal toothpaste, the other for herbal treatments designed to improve health. "The possibility of falling foul of a sample that will make you ill or endanger your life, although very rare, still exists," he said. According to Ren, a large number of participants are
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LIFE poorly educated migrant workers. "Many are parttime security guards, who just want to make some extra money," he said. "People involved in highrisk trials. For example, antibiotics or anti-cancer drugs are paid more. I've heard that some people even paid their mortgages by participating in medical trials," he said. "The money they made must be at least tens of thousands." But the trials involve much more than simply staying in a comfortable room, enjoying free, nutritious food and doing nothing but sleeping. Some include regular blood tests, which might require more than 20 tubes of blood. And the participants' daily activities are confined to a limited area where they can't even access the Internet. "It's like being in jail. Eight
or so participants share one room," said Ren. "There's little emotional empathy between the doctors and the participants. The medical staff in the trial centre knew that most of us were only doing it for the money, so they rarely showed us any respect. You could sense their scorn by the way they spoke and looked at us."
HEALTH GAMBLE
Ren's illusion that his participation was worthy of respect was shattered when he began to understand more about the background to the trials, especially when he learned that some "experienced" participants took part in two or three trials at the same time. "By rights, there should be at least three months between each trial to ensure that the target is clean," said a director named Li, who works
for a drug company and has overseen trials for four years. She said some participants in the second, third and fourth phases of testing already have the condition the trial drug is meant to treat and, despite the risks, hope to benefit by offering their services. "By contrast, 'professional' participants are gambling with their lives just for money. The result of this deception is not only likely to harm them, but could also lead to severe losses for the pharmaceutical companies and those being treated with the drugs," Li said. Those who have participated in a large number of trials may also display an unconscious tendency to produce the sort of response they feel the doctors want, rather than an honest appraisal of the product. "They are very familiar with the procedures and may
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LIFE involuntarily produce a 'good' result in line with the tester's desired response," she said.
PAYMENT POSER
Some regular participants feel the payment on offer is not commensurate with the risks they face. The hospitals take the lion's share of the payment, often leaving participants with around 10 per cent of the total amount, according to Ren. "I once saw the payment details on a doctor's computer," he said. "I was told I would be paid 2,500 yuan, but the budget was 30,000." During tests on a new brand of insulin, Ren was told that the drug company provided 9,000 yuan for each participant - a huge increase on the usual payment - but he and his fellow guinea pigs received less than half the promised amount. "We only got 4,000 yuan
because the doctors took the rest of the money. We didn't dare complain, though. If we had, we would never have been chosen to take part in trials again." Li said the practice is an open secret in the industry, but the companies are unable to help. Hospitals naturally want to be reimbursed for the time and trouble they've taken and there is no requirement in China forcing doctors and testers to confirm payment details on the participant's contract. "In Europe, the payment is written into the contract, which ensures the participants' interest," Li said. According to the regulations, drug companies are not allowed direct contact with the participants because only the hospital has that right.
LACK OF PROTECTION
Wang Chenguang, a professor
specialising in pharmaceutical law at Tsinghua University, said "professional" participants exist in most countries, but the laws and regulations in China lag far behind those overseas. He said the 1985 Drug Administration Law lacks provision for the division of responsibility among the regulatory departments. "In particular, there are no specific and operational implementation rules to govern the transparency of the review and approval process, or to prevent the abuse of regulatory discretion. Also, liability insurance for clinical trials doesn't exist, neither do specific measures to protect a participant's personal information or settle disputes," he said. ÂŹ *US$1 = 6.09 yuan
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LIFESTYLE
Breaking taboos NIRMALA GANAPATHY The Straits Times New Delhi
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he bride with gorgeous caramel complexion puts on her jewellery and walks hand-in-hand with her daughter to the stage for the marriage ceremony. There, she exchanges looks with her groom as the little girl, around six years old, impatiently squirms in her seat excited for the ceremony to start.
The little girl smiles and looks up to the groom, saying, "Should I call you daddy from today?" This is a new advertisement by a jewellery company in India showing a beautiful bride getting married as her daughter looks on has put the focus on remarriage in a country where many women are still hemmed in by conservative traditions. The advertisement which is for the wedding line of the Tanishq brand, has been praised by some for celebrating remarriage. Fans call it "bold and beautiful".
Critics are less than impressed. One person slammed the hype in a tweet, asking: "What's the big deal? My cousin remarried." Indeed, second marriages are not totally uncommon in India, particularly among urban middle-class Indians, these days. Over the last three to four years, matrimony websites have even created special sections for men and women looking for a second shot at marriage. Sites called divorceematrimony. com and secondshaadi.com, which means second marriage in Hindi, are
LIFESTYLE
| November 15-21, 2013
AN INDIAN JEWELLERY ADVERTISEMENT ABOUT A WOMAN WITH A DAUGHTER AT HER MARRIAGE CEREMONY BREAKS STEREOTYPES IN TRADITIONAL INDIA WHERE WOMEN ARE STILL HEMMED IN BY CONSERVATIVE TRADITIONS.
LIFESTYLE
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LIFESTYLE
popular. More than 100,000 people have registered as members. While the divorce rate is climbing, it remains low; one in every 100 marriages, or 1.1 per cent, compared to the United States where fully 50 per cent of all marriages end in divorce. At the same time, conservative and misogynist traditions hold sway in many parts of the country. For instance, in some areas poor widows are still abandoned and treated as social outcasts who are accused of causing bad luck.
So sociologists appreciate the advertisement for getting a positive message out. "The message conveyed is bold and reflects changing times. It is presenting a woman with a child and also a happy child being part of the marriage
ceremony," said Dr Ranjana Kumari, director of the New Delhi-based Centre for Social Research. "Advertisements normally show a stereotypical image of women. Like woman washing clothes (in a detergent ad) making the husband happy." ÂŹ
LIFESTYLE
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What's in my food? AFP
Japanese hospitality gets bad press amid reports of a hotel food scandal
LIFESTYLE
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AFP
JAPAN'S TOP DEPARTMENT STORE CHAIN TAKASHIMAYA EXECUTIVE YUTAKA MASUYAMA (C) BOWS HIS HEAD AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TO APOLOGISE AFTER THE DEPARTMENT STORE USED GIANT TIGER PRAWNS TO MAKE A 'JAPANESE TIGER PRAWN' TERRINE, SOLD UNDER THE LUXURY FRENCH BRAND FAUCHON IN THEIR DEPARTMENT STORE IN TOKYO ON NOVEMBER 5, 2013. JAPAN'S HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND FOOD SHOPS WERE BEING WARNED OVER DISHONEST LABELLING AMID A GROWING SCANDAL THAT IS THREATENING TO UNDERMINE THE COUNTRY'S REPUTATION FOR SAFE, HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCE.
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LIFESTYLE
KWAN WENG KIN The Straits Times Tokyo
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housands of Japanese diners could not tell the difference. Even inspectors for Michelin Guide, which awards its highly coveted stars to only a select few restaurants, were apparently duped. There have been red faces across Japan since Osakabased Hankyu Hanshin Hotels (HHH) admitted last month that eight directly managed hotels in Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto and Hyogo prefecture had been serving sub-par food for years. Hankyu, which also runs a profitable railway, department store and the allwomen Takarazuka Revue, is a respected brand name in western Japan. Hanshin, which has similar operations,
merged with Hankyu in 2006 for synergy reasons. Even the five-star Ritz Carlton Osaka, which shares the same holding company as HHH, has admitted to menu “mislabelling” at its Michelin one-star Chinese eatery. The latest scandal surfaced just weeks after Tokyo clinched the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games by promising, among other things, classic Japanese omotenashi (hospitality) to all visitors to Japan. “Do not bring disgrace to Japanese omotenashi,” Osaka-based Mainichi Shimbun daily said in an angry editorial. To the man in the street, what went on at the Hankyu Hanshin hotels was pure deception. Menus at a total
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LIFESTYLE
of 23 restaurants and banquet facilities at the hotels had promised quality ingredients. But in as many as 47 menu items, cooks used cheaper substitutes on the sly. For instance, instead of “fresh fish” done a la meuniere - a method in which the fish is dredged in milk and flour and then pan-fried with butter - thawed, frozen fish was used. And instead of getting “Shinshu soba” from Nagano prefecture, well-known for its high-quality buckwheat noodles, diners were served soba made in China. At Ritz Carlton Osaka, a cheaper type of prawns was passed off as expensive kuruma ebi (black tiger prawn) at its Chinese restaurant, with Michelin inspectors apparently none the wiser. Hotel management claims the mislabelling was the result of poor communication between
kitchen staff and those who drafted the menus, and insisted that there was never any intention to deceive customers. HHH said it would refund an estimated 80,000 customers who had been served mislabelled items even if they cannot produce receipts. An irate customer reportedly called the company and said he had eaten “omuraisu” (ketchupflavoured rice wrapped in an omelette) 50 times at its restaurants and demanded his money back. So far, HHH has refunded some 20 million yen (US$201,304) to more than 10,000 customers. So much bad publicity was generated that HHH president Hiroshi Desaki finally had to call it quits on October 28. At a press conference, he maintained to the end that his company was in the clear but agreed that customers could
not possibly empathise with its operational problems. “All it means is that we have betrayed our customers. The problem has gone beyond merely erroneous menu descriptions. It can’t be helped if we are told it is deception,” said Desaki. The mislabelling of menu items at the Hankyu Hanshin hotels started in March 2006. The following year saw the dramatic collapse of the Senba Kitcho Japanese restaurant in Osaka after it was found to have falsified the origin of foodstuffs and had even recycled leftover food, posing both hygienic and moral issues. Strangely, the Hankyu Hanshin hotels did not learn from the Senba Kitcho scandal. Asked why it finally decided to go public last month, HHH said it started internal investigations after learning in June that other hotels were having problems with
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LIFESTYLE
their menus and decided to own up quickly to minimise fall-out. Things would arguably have been worse for the company if it had chosen to stay mum and got exposed by a whistleblower. The Hankyu Hanshin hotels were apparently victims of fierce competition. Several years ago, many hotels sought to lure customers by promising high quality ingredients in their menus. But amid Japan's chronic deflation and with consumers earning less in general, hotels were unable to charge higher prices. Their solution was apparently to cut costs by using cheaper substitutes for ingredients and hope no one would find out. The Consumer Affairs Agency is taking a wait-and-see attitude in the HHH case, as the company has apparently broken no rules. Restaurant menus are not
regulated by the government. However, the scandal has prompted other hoteliers to do a quick check on their food and beverage services. Early this week, two other hotels, one in Sapporo, Hokkaido prefecture, and the other in Otsu, Shiga prefecture, confessed to what amounted to only minor flaws in their menus. The Otsu Prince Hotel, for instance, apologised for serving low-fat milk at its breakfast buffet that was found to contain 2 per cent fat. The maximum permitted level is 1.5 per cent. But the number of offending hotels surged later in the week with disclosures by hotels in Tokushima and Ehime prefectures in the west of Japan to Shizuoka and Tochigi prefectures in the east. The Osaka-based Kintetsu Hotel Systems owned up to menu errors similar to
those committed by HHL at seven of its hotels, including Westin Miyako in Kyoto and Sheraton Miyako in Tokyo. Even the prestigious Imperial Hotel admitted to once passing off frozen orange concentrate as “freshâ€? juice at its Tokyo and Osaka hotels but stressed it has stopped the practice since May 2006. Other hotels that have confessed also say they have already cleaned up their acts. There are about 9,630 hotels in Japan altogether. While some more are likely to come forward in the coming weeks, most, I suspect, will quietly go over their menus and remove mislabelled items, if any. With Japan banking on a huge increase in visitors in the runup to the 2020 Olympics, the country can ill afford to lose its lustre at this point in the game. ÂŹ
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LIFESTYLE
Beyond libraries PARK HAN-NA The Korea Herald Seoul
LIFESTYLE
S
ome people still assume that the library is a place for bookworms and exam takers. Ask Ahn Si-young, a regular library goer, and she will give a different idea. The 55-year-old mother of two college students enjoys attending educational programmes at public libraries ranging from a book club to parenthood lectures. “The public library is where I can get educational benefits either free of charge or cheaper than anywhere else, and I want to make the most out of it,” Ahn said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Every Friday night, she attends a computer class for seniors, organised by Jongno Public Library in central Seoul. “I wish there were more educational and cultural programmes so that people like me can enjoy their golden years and engage with the local community,” she said. Along with Ahn, more Koreans aged 50 and older, particularly retiring baby boomers, are flocking to public libraries. Given that South Korea is one of the fastest-aging countries, it’s no surprise that the average age of library users is going up. According to the National Library of Korea, the proportion of users aged 60 or older at the state-run library jumped to 19 per cent
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this year, compared with 14 per cent in 2010. Another major demographic change in Korea is the growth of multicultural families. Government data predicts the number of multicultural family members, estimated at 272,000 in 2009, will climb to 2.1 million by 2050. The impact is already changing the scene at many libraries here. Last month, for instance, Bemilda Gines was joining a paper workshop programme at Yongsan Public Library. Gines, a migrant wife from the Philippines, and her 2-year-old along with five other students from Japan and China were making a paper mock-up of the golden crown of the Silla Kingdom, aided by a Korean instructor, who gave information on Korean history and Buddhism. “I want to know more about Korean culture and history,” Gines said. Behind the push for new library programs customised for users with a multicultural background like Gines’ family is the Korean government’s broader plan. A primary example is the Culture Ministry’s five-year “Library Development Comprehensive Plan” for 2009-2013. The policy plan places importance on expanding the library’s functions. The
LIFESTYLE ministry wants libraries to provide seniors with a venue for lifelong education and also help narrow the gap between information haves and have-nots, including migrant workers and multicultural families. Such top-down policy initiatives, however, can lose focus if the programmes in question are not fully developed for target users, experts warned. “There’s nothing wrong with expanding the library’s community centre role and running more programmes, if that’s what local residents want and libraries continue to offer information resources as a channel for such programmes,” said Kim Gi-yeong, professor in the Library and Information Science Department at Yonsei University. Select libraries are already plotting a new path. In Gyeonggi Province, Uijeongbu’s Book Floor Small Library provides an autobiographywriting course for senior citizens. The class is one of the popular programs at the facility affiliated with the regional community center, as it offers an opportunity for library users to gain rich experiences on book publishing at a steep discount. Some programmes extend to job-related courses for those who want to start their post-
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retirement career. Galma Public Library in Daejeon, for instance, conducts an eight-week course titled “Fairy Tale Master Granny”, which provides storytelling skills and a combination of magic and narration to elderly women. The programme is linked to the regional government’s initiative. Park Hwan-yong, mayor of Seo-gu in Daejeon Metropolitan City, said: “Seo-gu Office plans to employ the grannies as storytellers for underprivileged children once they complete the training.” Book-related projects for senior library users are also gaining traction. The culture ministry and the Korean Library Association carried out a project to spread large-print books to public libraries. A total of 20,100 books were reprinted in larger font and distributed to 493 public libraries across the nation since the project started in 2011. For libraries, holding such programmes is advantageous as the participants tend to revisit the library to explore topic and resources further. For seniors citizens, the course not only offers educational activities but also opportunities to build relationships with other participants. For those with multicultural family backgrounds, libraries are taking note of the importance of their adaptation issues, such
LIFESTYLE as language barriers and cultural differences. This is a fairly difficult challenge to handle, but Gimhae Multicultural Library has successfully implemented its multicultural programmes, attracting more than 100 patrons a day. The library, nestled inside of Gimhae ForeignWorkers Centre, stands out as its facilities and programmes are carefully designed for the practical needs of foreign workers. Its two consulting rooms are used for sessions in which foreign workers get consulting on finance, law and medical coverage through interpretation services. It also provides classes on Korean language and culture to help its users to adapt to new life in Korea. The thoughtful mix of programmes via a one-stop service resulted in positive feedback. Gao Xin, a migrant from China, said she often visits the library to borrow Chinese books and read them with her husband and son. “There are various courses too, and I attended computer classes (the library held),” she said. But not all libraries have the necessary resources and manpower like the one used by Xin. Experts said more efforts should be made to lay a firm foundation so that libraries can properly expand their services for various groups. “Some librarians have no time to focus on
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the basic services because they are too busy running other programmes. Now is the time for Korea to consider ways to ensure the sustainable development of public libraries,” said Kim Youseung, professor at Chung-Ang University. Korea, after all, has a relatively weak foundation when it comes to libraries. While European public libraries serve an average of 10,000 users, Korean public libraries handle more than 66,000 people. There are only 3,300 librarians at Korean public libraries; one librarian, on the average, serves a whopping 15,000 Koreans, far below the level recommended by the International Federation of Library Association and Institutions of one librarian per 2,500 users. Against this background, focus and customisation are crucial. Professor Kim Gi-yeong of Yonsei University said both libraries and government bodies should consider different conditions and issues when they map out programmes. “Ansan and Guro have high multicultural populations, and the majority of them are foreign labourers. They have no time to visit libraries during the daytime, so programmes should be held at night time to boost participation,” Kim said. ¬
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LIFESTYLE
The end of libraries? Sort of YOON MIN-SIK The Korea Herald Seoul
F
riendly librarians mill around towering bookshelves, with the smell of newly printed books and dusty paperbacks in the air. The traditional image of a library is of a place to study, read books and hang out at a leisurely pace. With the emergence of the digital age, however, people are turning away from traditional libraries. According to Statistics Korea, a Korean household spent an average of 19,026 won (US$17.80) a month on books in 2012, down from 20,570 won ($ 19.28) the year before. It marked the
first time since 2003 that the figure fell below 20,000 won. Last year also saw the smallest number of newly published books in 12 years, at 86.9 million volumes. The implication is ominous: People are reading far less than before. To cope with the harsh reality, Korean libraries are embracing digital platforms to win their old users back. “Data from 2009 showed that out of seven major cities in South Korea, Incheon ranked last in the percentage of people who have read at least one book in a year, and fifth in total number of books that citizens read,” Son Myeong-Hee, an official from the Incheon Metropolitan City Library Association, told The Korea Herald. “Incheon Metropolitan government recognised the problem with such poor reading habits, and launched the ‘Reading
City Incheon’ project,” Son said. The project is centred on the E-book Digital Library System, which provides Incheon citizens access to e-books anywhere, anytime. The e-book lending system works in two ways. Users can download the Reading City Incheon app to read e-books or they can find one of 23 “Smart Library” machines, swipe the QR code and “borrow” an e-book on their mobile devices. “Since we introduced the E-book Electronic Library System, the average number of books read by Incheon citizens rose from 1.4 books a month to 1.72 books. On an average day, 397 people borrow 682 e-books,” Son said. While Incheon’s e-book lending system focuses on offering easy access to books, the state-run National Library of Korea emphasised the aspect of collecting and
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LIFESTYLE preserving information when establishing their own version of a digital library. Since its opening in 2009, the digital library saw an increasing number of users each year, from 165,898 in 2009 to 217,640 last year. Its offline counterpart, on the other hand, had its ups and downs. It is basically a digital version of the National Library of Korea, a repository of online and offline documents in South Korea. But it has the advantage as it allows users to find information with a few clicks. Another merit of the digital library is the threedimensional images of ancient rare books, which anyone can access and are hardly ever made public in hard copy. “We have digitised 97,256 of our 270,000 ancient books, some of which are kept away completely from the public eye, namely national treasures like Dongui
Bogam,” said Cho Su-yeon, an official from the NLK’s public relations team. Dongui Bogam refers to a medical encyclopedia written by royal physician Heo Jun during the Joseon Dynasty. While the NLK and IMLA turn analog content into digital format, Naver Library 1 is a perfect example of a company putting digital content into analog format. Naver, the operator of Korea’s most-widely used Internet portal, opened the design and IT-themed facility in 2010. The physical library boasts some 24,000 books on IT and design from 29 countries, attracting tech-savvy readers. Except for a few exceptions, the broader direction is toward digitalisation. Professor Lee Jong-moon of the Department of Library and Information Science at Kyungsung University told The Korea Herald that the trend of digitisation of libraries and books
will quicken its pace in the future. “For two reasons: It is economical and more convenient. E-books are easier to create and distribute, and are more accessible to readers because they can be read in a networked environment,” Lee said. Despite the gloomy outlook, physical libraries will continue to function, he said. The key would be whether libraries can secure their expertise in filtering useful information and providing guidelines. Many of the wooden shelves will be turned into digital bits and bytes, but libraries are likely to carry out important roles, only in a different fashion. “From ancient times to modern society, libraries have always undergone restructuring. As paradigms (of reading) change, libraries will not fade away but will keep on changing themselves,” Lee said. ¬
SOCIETY
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Job market proves difficult for autistic talent The employment rate for people facing mental challenges is the lowest compared with other types of disabilities
AUTISTIC YOUTHS LEARN TO MAKE POTTERY AT THE KANGNAZHOU AUTISM FAMILY SUPPORT CENTRE IN OCTOBER. PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
SOCIETY
FAN FEIFEI China Daily Beijing
N
ing Ning can type 160 words a minute, a skill that would ordinarily make her a top candidate for any data-entry job. Yet no employers have taken her on. Like most autistic people in China, the 25-year-old has found herself on the fringes of the country's labour market. "She was diagnosed when she was 3 years old," her mother Wen Hong said, referring to the developmental disorder characterised by difficulty in communication and repetitive behaviour. "After middle school, she went to a special vocational school, which is where she learned to type," she said. "We've tried finding her work, but no one wants to hire her." Ning Ning now takes part in "simulated employment" at the Kangnazhou Autism Family Support Centre, in Beijing's
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Changping district. The NGO, founded in July last year, offers training with the aim of helping disabled people land employment. Students receive a monthly salary of 200 yuan (US$33) to encourage them to practice their work skills. "Adults with autism are rarely employed in China," said Wen, one of five parents who cofounded the centre and chairman of the China Psychiatric Association's autism committee. A 2012 report on a study by the China Philanthropy Research Institute found the country has 1.64 million people with autism. "Autistic people have a communication barrier, low comprehension of the environment and some difficulties in interpersonal relationships," Wen said. "It's difficult for them to integrate into society. "So it's impossible for them to work independently," she said, adding her daughter finds it hard to concentrate and needs constant supervision. Classes at Kangnazhou include baking, cooking, data entry, music, pottery and other handicrafts, and students attend once a week. Each lesson lasts half a day.
SOCIETY
Since it was opened, more than 700 students have passed through its doors, according to the founders. Parents can also take part in counselling sessions and seminars on how to better cope with autistic children. This year, the NGO began working with some international organisations to provide professional one-toone therapy for autistic adults. Zou Wen, another co-founder of Kangnazhou, has a 16-year-old son with autism, Kang Kang. "He can make great cakes thanks to the training at Kangnazhou, and he is also skilled in using Microsoft Office," she said. Although her son does not need to work yet, Zou said she is concerned for his prospects. "Some companies prefer to pay into employment security funds for disabled people rather than hire them," she said. Wen agreed. "Even autistic adults who do find work are often fired after
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only a few months because they have difficulty controlling their emotions." She said Kangnazhou is exploring a "backfront" employment system, which involves healthy people running the front of a shop, while autistic people work in the back. Wen said the group is already in negotiations with a bakery about setting up a pilot project. "According to our research, the employment rate for people facing mental challenges is the lowest compared with other types of disabilities," said Zhou Haibin, a programme officer at the International Labour Organisation. He said his agency is working with the Disabled Person's Federation to train more employment counsellors to meet the needs of autistic people, offering guidance and working as middlemen for employers. Their support could be reduced as the client progressed in their job, he said. Names of the autistic people in this story have been changed on request. ÂŹ
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ENTERTAINMENT
It’s payback time! A Japanese drama makes waves in Taiwan with a story line that is close to home
ENTERTAINMENT
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HANZAWA NAOKI IS FEATURED IN MAGAZINES IN TAIWAN WITH PICTURES OF ACTOR MASATO SAKAI, WHO PLAYED THE PROTAGONIST.
ENTERTAINMENT
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BAGS BEARING NAOKI HANZAWA’S CATCHPHRASE IN CHINESE ON SALE AT A TAIPEI SHOP.
ENTERTAINMENT KIYOTA HIGA AND KENICHI YOSHIDA The Yomiuri Shimbun Taipei
H
anzawa Naoki is going places. The popular TV Japanese serial drama, which aired from July to September, has become a major hit in China and Taiwan, with viewers sympathetically cheering the protagonist, a bank worker who overcomes many challenges under buck-passing superiors. The drama, broadcast on the TBS network in Japan, is known for protagonist Naoki Hanzawa’s line: “Yararetara yarikaesu, baigaeshi da!” [It’s payback time. And that means you’d better be ready to pay twice the price!]. In Taiwan, the phrase is so popular that it is even used on such merchandise as bags. The drama aired in Taiwan from October 7 to 18 on a channel that broadcasts only Japanese-language programmes. It obtained an average viewership of 1.49 per cent, the highest rating for the drama division since the channel was started in 1996. It is also considered a successful rating for Taiwan TV, where more than 90 channels compete for viewers.
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The drama has been well-received among Taiwan netizens, who see echoes of the strife between their president and legislative head in the drama. Recently, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou attempted to oust his rival Wang Jin-pyng, a heavyweight of the ruling Nationalist Party and president of the Legislative Yuan (parliament), claiming that he interfered with legal matters. Dubbing Wang “Hanzawa Jin-pyng”, many netizens posted online messages calling on Wang to pay back what was done to him. In China, the drama has not been broadcast yet, but it was illegally uploaded with Chinese subtitles on a free video site about a day after each installment was broadcast in Japan. In Guangzhou, pirated DVDs containing all the installments of the drama were sold on the streets for 10 yuan (about 160 yen, US$1.61) per set. “I’ve sold more than 50 sets this month alone,” said one vendor. Taiwan magazine Business Today recently published an analysis of the drama’s popularity, which said in part, “It’s natural for superiors to shift responsibility to people working beneath them” in Chinese society. An economics reporter who works for a Chinese paper said: “It’s impossible to produce such a drama in China due to censorship. I assume the drama has helped Chinese people vent their frustrations.” ¬
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ENTERTAINMENT
Hanzawa Naoki goes kabuki too J KATAOKA AINOSUKE The Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka
apan’s recent runaway hit TV drama series "Hanzawa Naoki" has generated some positive developments in an unexpected field - kabuki. The key connection between the show about the maverick mid-level banker and the traditional Japanese performing art is popular kabuki actor Kataoka Ainosuke. His memorable performance as
Shunichi Kurosaki, an effeminate yet hard-nosed career financial inspector constantly at odds with the protagonist, has apparently inspired many viewers to see him perform kabuki on stage. Kataoka, 41, has steadily progressed from dreaming of acting onstage to becoming a key member of the kamigata kabuki, which was developed and is based in the Osaka-Kyoto region. The October
Hanagata Kabuki performance with Kataoka as the headline act at Osaka Shochikuza theatre through October 27 attracted many people who had never watched kabuki before, according to Kataoka. “I could feel it was their first time from the responses of the audience,” he said. During the show, he appeared in three skits: “Shin-Aburajigoku Ozaka Junjoden” (The new oil-hell murder: Osaka pure heart
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ENTERTAINMENT
story), the dance show “Sannin Renjishi” (Parent and child lion dance) and “Natsumatsuri Naniwa Kagami” (Summer festival: a mirror of Osaka). He was sometimes stained in oil, fake blood or mud as required in his different roles. “It was like doing a triathlon,” he said. “But it’s not tough at all. I’m full of energy. It was grueling when I was performing on TV and on stage. I had very little time to sleep then.” “Ozaka Junjoden” was performed for the first time in 10 years. Kataoka said the work is a “collaborative kabuki”
piece incorporating elements from “Onna Koroshi Abura no Jigoku” (The oil-hell murder), a classical piece written by master playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon during the Edo period (1603-1867) and the US musical “West Side Story.” “When it originated, kabuki depicted contemporary affairs,” he said. “So I want to keep performing the piece while improving it [to better appeal to a modern audience], and pass it to the next generation.” Kataoka is scheduled to perform in the Kaomise allstar cast, year-end kabuki performance to open at Kyoto’s
Minamiza theatre on November 30. For the event, an annual highlight in kabuki circles, Kataoka has been entrusted with performing the role originally meant for Kataoka Nizaemon, a kabuki master who was forced to cancel his appearance due to a shoulder injury. “I want to broaden my diversity as an actor, and be like a chest that has many drawers each containing something different,” Kataoka Ainosuke said. “I am grateful to my profession because it allows me to pursue performing arts throughout my whole life.” ¬
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PEOPLE
Photos provided by PITON Communications
Love me as I am YVONNE LIM Asia News Network Pattaya
L
ife is not easy for most transgenders. Viewed by society as "different", they often face ridicule and belittling, and are often shunned. More so for a transgender living in a traditional society like Myanmar. For most of her life, Tanya Muang live as a man. But struggled, because she always felt like she was meant to be a woman.
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PEOPLE
MYANMAR CONTESTANT TANYA MUANG INTRODUCING HERSELF IN HER TRADITIONAL COSTUME
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PEOPLE
MYANMAR CONTESTANT TANYA MUANG IN HER EVENING GOWN
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PEOPLE
MISS INTERNATIONAL QUEEN 2013 MARCELO OHIO RECEIVING HER CROWN FROM LAST YEAR'S WINNER KEVIN BALOT FROM THE PHILIPPINES
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PEOPLE "Cross-dressers and transgenders are generally not accepted as part of Myanmar society. Finally, I moved to Bangkok, where I made the decision to become a woman," says the 28 year old Myanmar national who now lives and works in Bangkok - as a woman. Making the decision to undergo sex-change operation was not an easy one at all, as she risked losing everything - her family and identity as a Myanmar national. “Back home, people look down on us and judge us because we are considered ‘different’. Gays and lesbians cannot openly talk about their sexual preferences either,” she says. Muang who studied in Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University, and who is currently working as a programme officer at a non-governmental organisation that champions human rights, says that she kept her new life
as a woman in Thailand a secret from her friends and family back home for many years. When she finally gathered the courage to tell her family about her "transformation", "they were in shock", she recalls. "But they are slowly accepting it. I think they are starting to understand that this is who I am, who I was born to be." The only son of five siblings, Muang says that the last time she went home was in 2011. This year, she took another bold step and joined the Miss International Queen 2013 competition in Pattaya, as the first Myanmar national participant in the history of the pageant. "Now that Myanmar is on the road to democracy, and my family is starting to accept me in this way, I felt I could take another step forward in my life as a woman and join this international competition."
She sees the first glimmers of hope for the lesbian-gaybisexual-community (LGBT) in Myanmar, with the country becoming increasingly open and working towards democracy. “Maybe someday we will be accepted as a part of society, just like here in Thailand. Until then, I have to stay here where it is safe and where I don’t face discrimination,” she says, adding that she has met many fellow transgender Myanmar nationals in Thailand, and they support each other. Despite the rifts with her family and country, Muang says her decision to become a woman is the best she has ever made. "At least now I am comfortable in my own skin. This is who I am, and I am more confident and more secure. "From here I will do whatever it takes to show the world that being a transgender does
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PEOPLE not make me a bad person. I am a good woman, just as I was a good man," she says. NOT ALONE Like Muang, fellow pageant contestant and Malaysian transgender Nur Sajat Fariz also comes from a society back home that discriminates against them. Most transgenders in Malaysia, laments 28-year-old Nur Sajat, have no choice but to work in the streets, as many companies are unwilling to take them in as employees. While she is fortunate to have a family who she says "supports her decision 100 per cent", Nur Sajat says that she joined the competition not just to win a crown, but also to send a message, especially to her fellow Malaysians, that “transgenders are people too”. To her, the pageant is more than an avenue for transgenders
to showcase their beauty and ability to sing and dance. It is integral in their struggle to be accepted as part of society. “Here through this pageant, we are not discriminated against but celebrated. It gives us a sense of worth. We get to meet people just like ourselves from all over the world, and we don't feel cast aside or like the odd one out,” says the 1.80-metre tall beauty. SAFE PLACE Pattaya's famous Tiffany's Show started four decades ago as a tourist attraction, as well as to offer safe and legitimate jobs for the transgender community. In 2004, the show started hosting the pageant to provide a platform for transgenders from all over the world to showcase their beauty and talents. Recognised as one of the nations most tolerant of the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender
community, transgenders in Thailand are generally accepted by society and many have found successful careers in various sectors, including government service. “It is in our character to be tolerant. We are free here, and we are a service-oriented people,” pageant organiser and Tiffany’s Show Pattaya manager Alisa Phanthusak says. The competition this year saw Brazilian Marcelo Ohio crowned as Miss International Queen 2013. Part of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Thai Red Cross Society for HIV patients. “I may have changed my gender, but that does not mean that I cannot contribute to my country," says Nur Sajat. “We are not asking for much, not even for any laws to be changed. All we want is to be accepted for who we are." ¬
DATEBOOK
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Arts in the Park Mardi Gras 2013 This two-day fiesta features a thematic parade with giant puppets, youth performances and art stalls. This year, for the very first time, an exhilarating night parade takes place in Causeway Bay. Illuminating the night sky, the parade features lanterns and giant lit artworks. Don't miss out on this exciting outdoor art extravaganza! When: November 16-17 Where: Central Lawn, Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Malaysia Year-End Sale The Year-End Sale is back with great discounts! It's the season eagerly awaited by Malaysians and visitors alike for the unbelievable discounts, bargains and promotions. Load your shopping carts with gifts, souvenirs, branded items and everything else you need for the year-end festive season! When: November 16 – January 5, 2014 Where: Throughout Malaysia
DATEBOOK
| November 15-21, 2013
South Korea Blue Dragon Film Awards The event draws all Korean stars to the red carpet! The selection among the movies released in the previous year is made based on the number of votes cast by netizens and the opinions of movie experts. Then the final winner is selected by a nine-member jury recommended by the executive committee. When: November 22 Where: KBS Hall, Seoul. South Korea
The Conference on Education Innovation 2013 The ACEI 2013 is a dynamic, three-day convergence of industry leaders, visionaries, entrepreneurs, investors, and activists who are truly and deeply passionate about education. The event is to provide a platform for researchers, academicians as well as industrial professionals from all over the world to present their research results and development activities in networking and digital society. When: November 21-23 Where: Okinawa, Japan
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Manufacturing Indonesia 2013 Manufacturing Indonesia is the established, international meeting place for southeastern Asia’s industrialists to see and compare the latest manufacturing technology from around the world. The last event attracted 1,685 exhibiting companies from 36 countries and regions and was visited by 31,596 industry professionals from throughout Indonesia and Southeast Asia. A huge temporary structure had to be built as the existing nine halls at the Jakarta International Expo could not meet the demand for space.
Sukhothai Loi Krathong and Candle Festival Experience the festival of the Dawn of Happiness city and the most ancient Thai city with chandelier lamp parades and fire blast, play small confection cup spark fireworks and enjoy traditional performance, local recreational games and markets. When: November 13-17 Where: Sukhothai, Thailand
When: December 4-7 Where: Jakarta International Expo, Indonesia
DATEBOOK
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Captivating Qing dynasty Ceramics
FUNSAI BOTAN KARAKUSAMON KAKU-ZARA
Chinese ceramics are highly acclaimed and have been dubbed the monarch of the finest ceramics. Among various types of ceramics, those created during the Qing dynasty (1636-1912) are probably the most outstanding thanks to their vibrant colours and have been treasured by many art lovers. This exhibition displays about 200 works showcasing elaborate ceramics in various styles from China and Japan. These works include those imported to Japan from China during the Qing dynasty that are still treasured while inspiring many Japanese potters. When: Until December 15 (closed Mondays; 9:30 am- 6pm Tues-Thurs, Sat-Sun;9:30am-8pm on Fridays) Where: Kyoto National Museum Info: www.kyohaku.go.jp
DATEBOOK
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FUNSAI EGAWARI-ZARA (JIKKIN-DE)
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IROE KACHOMON-SARA
DATEBOOK
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OJI FUNSAI KAKIMON WAN (KYOSAI)
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FUNSAI SHOROKUZU HEI
DATEBOOK
| November 15-21, 2013
Every Tool is a Weapon if You Hold it Right There is something innocuous, almost endearing, about Filipino artist Pio Abad’s latest works. Never mind the theme: politics and the Marcos regime. No matter how touchy that subject is, on silk it looks, well, so chic. Most especially in pastel colours. It’s Social Realism without the angst, from the point of view of a 30-year-old artist whose brush with martial law and human rights abuses are secondhand from family tales and photographs. When: Until November 23 (Monday-Friday, 10am-7pm , and Saturday, 1-6pm) Where: Silverlens, Makati City
“EVERY TOOL IS A WEAPON” I
DATEBOOK
| November 15-21, 2013
“EVERY TOOL IS WEAPON” III
DATEBOOK
| November 15-21, 2013
“EVERY TOOL IS A WEAPON” II
| November 15-21, 2013