August 9-15, 2013
Bangladesh’s plastic industry: The bitter truth
August 9-15, 2013
Contents Politics
Ending a dangerous game
Life
The bitter truth of Bangladesh’s plastic industry
Business
Me, myself and my company
August 9-15, 2013
Contents Design
Pedalling to perfection
Sport
A league of her own
Art
Pain in a painting
August 9-15, 2013
Contents Travel
Nostalgic townscape, new taste
Lifestyle
An aqua landscape in a tank
Travel
Beauty unrecognised
>>DATEBOOK
Happenings around Asia
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POLITICS
US must stay neutral in its position on territorial disputes in Asia
US President Barack Obama listens to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe following their bilateral meeting at the White House in Washington on Feb 22, 2013. Washington has been consistent on its stand to defend Japan against incursions.
Jewel Samad/AFP
ENDING A DANGEROUS GAME
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POLITICS
Ted Aljibe/AFP
Ted Galen Carpenter China Daily Washington
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ashington must exercise great care or the United States could become entangled in an assortment of volatile territorial disputes in East Asia. Recently, the most prominent and potentially dangerous dispute has been between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. But disagreements continue to simmer between China and Vietnam and the Philippines, regarding parts of the South China Sea. The Barack Obama administration insists that the US is neutral regarding all of these disputes, but US actions, especially over the past three years, belie such professions of neutrality. Washington has increasingly become
Former Philippine congressman Roilo Golez speaks while pointing to a map showing Philippine-claimed territory in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea during a rally in front of the Chinese consular office in Manila in July 2013.
involved, and in every case, US policy has tilted toward any claimant other than China. That is an unwise course, since it encourages some nations,
especially US treaty allies such as Japan and the Philippines, to adopt uncompromising stances and reduces the prospects for compromise solutions. A policy
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POLITICS so biased against China also has the potential to poison the US’ crucial economic, diplomatic, and strategic relationship with a re-emerging great power in the international system. Washington needs to change its approach quickly and make US conduct match its statements of neutrality. Washington’s interest in the South China Sea disputes has grown dramatically in recent years. In a July 2010 speech before a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emphasised that Washington had important interests at stake in the South China Sea and proposed a “collective regional solution” that projected a mediation role for the US. The visit of then Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta to Vietnam the following June further highlighted Washington’s escalating involvement, as well as
a noticeable bias against China’s claims. Panetta’s underlying goal was to gain access to the harbour at Cam Ranh Bay for US warships. Referring to the so-called US strategic pivot to East Asia, Panetta told reporters that the US would “work with our partners like Vietnam to be able to use harbours like this”. With the South China Sea as a visual backdrop, he added “it is very important that we be able to protect key maritime rights for all nations in the South China Sea”. It was probably no coincidence that Hanoi’s stance hardened dramatically over the following months.
Contradictory policy
The “anyone but China” bias in Washington’s policy has been evident on other occasions. While attending an economic summit in Bali in November 2011, President Obama went out of his way to highlight the importance
of the US defence alliance with the Philippines. His comment followed Clinton’s strongly proPhilippines statements regarding the South China Sea, such as “the United States will always be in the corner of the Philippines”. However, Washington’s conduct regarding the South China Sea is more inclined toward balance and neutrality compared to its stance regarding the dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands. Clinton stated in 2010 that Washington’s 1960 defence pact with Japan covers the islands, and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Kurt Campbell was equally definitive in September 2012, stating bluntly that the disputed islands were “clearly” covered by the treaty, which obliges the US to come to Japan’s aid if attacked. Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated that position in April. The Obama administration’s policy is both contradictory
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POLITICS and unhelpful. Even as they apply the defence treaty to the Diaoyu Islands, Kerry and other US officials insist that the US takes no position on the substance of the dispute. But by stating that the mutual security treaty includes the islands, Washington is implicitly regarding the islands as Japanese territory, prejudging the issue. That view has encouraged the Japanese government and public to be more uncompromising over the dispute. Myopic actions such as the June joint US-
Japanese military exercises aimed at improving the amphibious attack capabilities of Japan’s Self Defence Forces increase tensions and strengthen Tokyo’s belief that it should confront China. It seems hardly coincidental that the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe adopted a more militant position once US officials stressed the importance of the alliance with Japan and said that the bilateral defence treaty covers the disputed islands. Washington is playing a dangerous game by stirring
tensions and backing certain parties regarding emotional territorial disagreements. But except for the preservation of navigation rights through the relevant bodies of water, the US does not have important interests at stake in these disputes. Strict neutrality is appropriate for Washington— in deeds as well as words. The author, senior fellow of defence and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute based in Washington, wrote nine books on international issues. ¬
BUSINESS
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Me, myself and my company It’s not just about physical health, a mentally healthy workforce is critical for business Seo Jee-yeon The Korea Herald Seoul
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Healing” has become a buzzword in South Korea following the “well-being” trend. Despite Korea’s economic success in a short period of time, many people are reluctant to say they are happy. Korea’s suicide rate has remained the highest among nations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development for eight years in a row from 2005 to 2012. Experts said too much competition is a main factor for Koreans’ poor mental health. All age groups say they feel stressed in daily life, for different reasons. Among them, the biggest group under stress is the corporate workforce in their 20s to 50s, reaching 17 million.
Mindprism CEO Jung Hai-shin says it all starts with knowing one’s self.
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BUSINESS “Most Korean companies have a goal-driven, competitive and top-down hierarchical corporate culture. Under these circumstances, employees keep being pushed by multiple responsibilities without a chance to build sincere relationships or to express emotions at work,” Jung Hai-shin, CEO of Mindprism, a mental health counselling service provider for corporate workers, said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “It is like living with wearing different masks, most of which do not fit.”
Self-encountering approach Jung, a licensed-neuropsychiatry doctor, set up Mindprism in 2004, focusing on mental health counselling for corporate executives, something new in a country where it is taboo to visit a hospital for treatment of mental health disorders. “The turning point in my career was the financial crisis
in the late 1990s. During that time, at the request of top management of a couple of leading Korean conglomerates, I had chances to offer one-on-one counselling to executives from those business groups, who were under stress to make decisions on complicated issues, including massive layoffs,” she said. “From those experiences, I found that a number of the Korean workforce needed counselling for better work, but didn’t know it,” she said. Well-educated men are the most vulnerable as they were raised and trained to care more about their social recognition over other values, she added. With the establishment of Mindprism, Jung also made efforts to develop an analytical method to check mental health for those who have little experience with opening up their minds or really looking at themselves. “We developed the Self-
Encounter programme or SE programme which helps clients to have repeated and in-depth ‘selfmirroring’ experiences,” Jung said. “If you know who you are, then, you can have room to look around and build your own power to face challenges and difficulties,” she said.
Growing demand for counseling
With accelerating competition in the corporate world for survival amid globalisation, not only executives but also employees are facing complicated issues at work. In line with the trend, the number of employers who are realising the importance of the mental health of their entire workforce for better performance is on a steady rise. To meet the growing demand, Mindprism has sought ways to offer its counselling services to the mass market. For this, Jung had another turning point last year by attracting personal
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BUSINESS investment from Kim Beomsoo, founder of Kakao Corp., a leading mobile messaging and gaming company in Korea. “I met Kim as a client when he served as CEO of NHN. After joining the SE programme, he contacted me again with ideas to expand the ‘self-healing business’ to the mass market,” Jung said. Following Kim’s investment, Mindprism developed the “My Mind Report” service at an affordable price at the end of last year. Instead of expensive one-on-one counselling, if a client joins the SE programme, the company delivers a book-
type report in two weeks, which is divided into three sections: five colours of my mind, mental disorder diagnosis and self-mirroring. Last month, the company also launched a campaign titled “10 Million Workforce Mental Health Campaign”. The company is also preparing for a launch of the mobile version of the “My Mind Report” service within this year. “One of the key messages to deliver to corporate workers through the campaign is the importance of knowing oneself,” Jung said. “I hope that people
Mindprism offers clients a book-formatted “My Mind Report”.
who are trying hard to be loved will realise the fact that it is enough to know themselves.” ¬
SPORT
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A league of her own Race car driving now a woman's game, too
Rong Panpan proves she can be as tough as men behind the wheel.
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SPORT Tang Zhe China Daily Beijing
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ith engines roaring, dust swirling and the occasional rollover, the racing circuit has long been seen as a world for men. But female driver Rong Panpan is making herself a real challenger to the sport’s traditional heroes. The 30-yearold, who started professional racing in 2011, just made her best-ever race. She finished seventh in the rookies’ group (for drivers with less than three years of racing experience) at the Red Bull Super Power Chinese Circuit Off-road Championship in Huairou, Beijing, held in July. Rong had already scooped up the best female driver award in national tournaments, though giving birth to her baby meant taking off a whole year to rest.
It was not just about driving, she had to learn about chassis, engine and turbo supercharging to get the race going.
Despite Rong’s impressive toughness as a female driver, she had little related background,
except for driving an automatic car, before joining in the sport. Her previous role was more like many parents’ expectation for their daughters: Rong was an angel in white, working in a hospital for three years, before putting on the racing suit. “I saw an amateur off-road race when hanging out with friends, and one of my friends asked me if I wanted to have a try. It felt good, then I started to practise and become more and more obsessed,” says Rong, who had her first professional race after just three amateur competitions in Shandong in May 2011. “Both being a nurse and racing were my own choices, but the thrill of competing on the circuits turned out to be more dominant,” she says.
Risks, too
However, when a hobby turns into a career, the joy is always tempered by the
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SPORT pressure of completing a duty. Unlike some drivers who are wealthy and can afford the cost of maintaining a car and racing for fun, Rong says, she must strive for good results as a return to her driving team, which supports and pays her. “There are normally three or four female drivers in each tournament,” Rong says. “But some of them just lost confidence and left the circuit when they were unable to post good results. “The females have no advantage at all when competing with men—in physical condition or knowledge about the mechanism,” she says. “I had no idea about vehicle modification at the beginning, and am gradually grasping some knowledge about
the chassis, engine and turbo supercharging. But the male drivers can fix the vehicles themselves when they find malfunctions.” Unexpected accidents happen, too. At a rally at the Alxa League of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Rong and some other drivers took the wrong way and went down a 100-metre precipice. Fortunately, the car hit the ground instead of rolling. At the Red Bull Championship in Beijing, the puddles were extremely deep due to the heavy rain. Because of the short and low design of the exhaust pipe of Rong’s car, the black smoke generated was pushed inside the cab with water. “This is the first time it happened, the water already reached my seat,
all my shoes and suits were wet, and I had to open the door to release the water and smoke,” Rong says. In spite of the toughness of the game, Rong believes there is no gender difference in choosing a career. “No matter whether you are a nurse or a racer, the achievement comes from the hard work,” Rong says. “There were also male nurses doing much better than the females in my hospital, and I believe I can do better in racing because I love it. “My goal is first to get into the top six in the rookies’ group, and then become a regular hand in the final four,” she says. “I want to break the male drivers’ dominance of the game, and my dream is to participate in international tournaments like the Dakar Rally.” ¬
LIFE
The bitter truth about Bangladesh’s plastic industry Poverty-ridden workers survive the worst working conditions
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LIFE Sudeepto Salam The Daily Star Dhaka
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angladesh is considered as one of the leading plastic manufacturers in the world. The plastic made products are exporting to Europe and 23 countries. At present the 5,052 plastic manufacturers in the industry help the developing economy of Bangladesh and earned US$90.10 million during the 2011-12 fiscal year. However, 3,000 workers of this industry are subjected to the worst working conditions, particularly the child labourers. The plastic industry which is mainly developed in Islambagh in the country’s capital city of Dhaka is running their industrial operation without any clearance from the environment department. And the workers who hail from the poverty-ridden region of the country are afflicted diseases.
Majority of the workers receive no medical services, while others are provided just first aid treatment in case of injury. Islambagh is a very densely populated area so any moment this kind of risky industrial operation might invite disaster. ÂŹ
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DESIGN
Pedalling to perfection
Thailand’s designers come up with eco-friendly accessories for bike lovers Photos by The Nation A wooden wall-mounted bike rack by Dots Design Studio.
Khetsirin Pholdhampalit The Nation Bangkok
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ith an ever-increasing number of Thais trading in four wheels for two, the country’s retailers are courting bike lovers by tapping into the cycling lifestyle. Boutiques that carry clothing lines featuring water and odourresistant jeans with reflective tape on the interior cuffs, oilstained repair shops and stylish commuter-friendly hangouts are popping up at every corner. Product and graphic designers, many of them cyclists themselves, are rising up to the challenge and returning to the drawing board to come up with products that are functional as well as ecologically friendly. Among them is the designer team of Dots Design Studio that
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DESIGN
Tourisme’ saddlebag.
has temporarily moved away from furniture and interior designs to experiment with a one-of-a-kind urban bike that incorporates a layered wood veneer frame and refined metal with other standard bike parts. “We’ve worked closely with a veneer factory to produce furniture and the plywood bike is a side project. We’ve been working on it for three years and are constantly challenging our designers to explore more uses for this material,” says
design director Krit Phutpim. The bike is an amalgam of wood and steel and a triumph of old-school design and craftsmanship. It comes with two styles of wooden handlebars— vintage and bullhorn—and a leather Brooks seat. The other components such as the wheels, stem, chain, and pedal have been carefully chosen to come up with a bike that is safe, durable and attractive. “Functionality and aesthetics are the key concepts. Like clothes that you mix and match to define yourself, a bike is also a statement of your lifestyle and personality. Our vintage-style bike will fill the needs of a particular group of bikers,” he says. All bikes are custom-made, meaning that you can choose the size for an optimal ride. As they’re all made by hand, it takes about one month from order to delivery. A completed bike costs 45,000 baht (US$1,450) while the wooden frame costs 15,000 baht. Handlebars, also
crafted from wood, are priced from 1,600 baht to 1,800 baht. A wooden wall-mounted bike rack is also available. And just like more conventional bikes, the wooden cycles sport an easy-to-maintain configuration, meaning they can be repaired at any shop. “It’s a road bike designed for commuting over short distances on smooth and paved surfaces. It’s not suitable for off-road riding,” says Krit. Oggi is another furniture brand that has seen the potential for expansion into the bike market. Known for its minimalist designs that adapt to serve a variety of functions, it recently launched a new line of products for city bike enthusiasts. Designer Phanomsook Meelugsana has come up with a square wooden stool that doubles as a bike stand through a slit on the top into which you can slide the rear wheel. He’s also offering a wooden wall-
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DESIGN mounted rack that can hold your bike in both vertical and horizontal positions and can take up to 25 kilograms in weight. “Making pieces that are multifunctional is important when designing for urbanites living in compact spaces. A cyclist may have more than one bike and the wall-mounted rack allows for considerable space saving. A beautiful bike also functions as a sort of home decorative item,” says Phanomsook. He uses the small pieces of wood that can’t be turned into furniture by fashioning them into a handlebar. In his hands, leftover leather upholstery becomes a functional bag that attaches to the top tube and has space to hold accessories like a wallet, a camera or a repair kit. The leather scraps also become handgrips and pads that help protect the top tube from getting dinged when locking the bike to a pole. Phanomsook has equally come up with a small pocket—
Oggi’s wooden wall-mounted rack can hold a bike in both vertical and horizontal positions.
Oggi stools doubles as a bike stand.
perfect to hold a key—to loop around the seat tube. Once parked and locked, the pocket can
be strapped around your wrist to ensure you don’t lose the key. “I always try to buy less
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DESIGN material and concentrate on the maximum use of the leftovers,” he says. Pipat ‘Top’ Apiruktanakorn, the brains behind the Eco Shop has also launched a collection of bike accessories using leftovers. His “88” is a pair of leather straps made from industrial factory toss outs. You can strap them on a water bottle, an umbrella, a newspaper or just about anything narrow and attach them to the top tube. To reduce the use of the tail light battery, Top has come up with a rear reflector made from recyclable polypropylene that’s both lightweight and long lasting. Like Phanomsook, he turns leather scraps into scratchprotecting top tube pads. Samatcha Apaisuwan, creative director of the PR and graphic design agency, FYI, is a big fan of the randonneur touring bicycle and is the proud owner of a 1975 model. He’s been searching for years for
Tourisme’s handlebar bag.
the right kind of handlebar bag but without success. “The Japanese make one that matches perfectly the front rack of the randonneur bike but it costs around
US$300 and both the straps and trim are nylon,” he says. Samatcha put on his thinking cap and worked with a leather craftsman to produce his own handlebar bag. He’s now selling
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DESIGN
Eco shop offers rear reflector and leather straps that attach to the top tube.
them under the brand Tourisme and most of them are being snapped up by biking pals. The bag, priced at 3,000 baht, is made from water-repellent
canvas with a leather trim and comes with a leather shoulder strap that make it easy to take it with you wherever you’re commuting. It features a clear
map pocket on top and two side and two rear pockets with plated buckles and straps that attach to the handlebar and front rack. An elastic cord acts as the closure closes and black plastic side and bottom stiffeners are also provided. “The design follows the classic model dating back to the 1940s, which was the golden age of bicycle in France. This bag was perfect to carry a bottle of wine, bread and a change of clothes for an overnight trip,” he says. Samatcha also offers a saddlebag for 2,000 baht, which is attached under the saddle with straps and has room for a tool kit, spare inner tube, first-aid kit, wallet, cellphone and camera. These custom-made bags require two weeks to complete. Customers can choose their own shade of canvas though Samatcha recommends mustard, khaki, olive, grey and navy blue as he believes they are more in the spirit of a vintage bike. ¬
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ART
Pain in a painting
The growing, destructive violence in modern-day Pakistan has inevitably affected the lifestyles of those left in its wake, as interpreted by local artists AFP
Syed Hassan Ali Dawn Karachi
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he intense level of violence and insecurity experienced by artists (and the general public) in Pakistan has become translated into the art work that is being produced by local artists over the last decade, says artist and curator Naiza H. Khan. She explains that the extreme violence has influenced the content of many works of art, but not the way they are being produced or for whom they are made. “Artists are interpreters of their time. They carry the power to make us see and think about things that are beyond the visible
“Night at the Museum” by Imran Qureshi: Visitors view Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi’s creation, painted on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, during a preview of the annual Met’s Roof Garden commission.
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ART Asked if her work has fetched any buyers, she says it has. “I believe that many people were able to relate to this project, especially those living in Pakistan.” These violence-themed pieces sell “just like any other work of art”, says Sameera, a curator and founder of Karachi’s leading art gallery, Canvas. She says that viewers buy art pieces that they can “connect” with, and adds that works that reflect the current political nsituations have been seen with interest. “In some ways, this has become a marketing trend, followed by both artists and buyers,” she admits. For art critic Niilofur Farrukh, it all depends on the artist’s objective. “If they want to identify with a larger audience, they have to come out of their limited circles, cross that diving bridge and reach out to their audience,” she says. Raja, a National College
Shameen Khan/Dawn
and obvious. Their work is a reflection of the issues that are urgent and critical to them, and of changes in society, or even in politics,” she says. Madiha Hyder, a graduate from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) describes the increasing number of violence-themed art pieces as “inevitable”. She herself had recently completed a project depicting how ordinary people become hostage to violent militant groups, which had caught the attention of many art connoisseurs. “It was influenced by recent reports of violent events, terrorist activities, injustice and natural disasters. The project was meant to reflect the emotional impact of violence, to document the experiences of ordinary people living in Karachi who are exposed to chaos and violence every day, and just long for some peace and quiet,” she says.
“Karo Kari” (Honour Killing) by Syed Jawad Ali Shirazi.
“Target Killing” by Sikander Ali.
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ART
Sahar Baloch/Dawn
of Arts graduate agrees that violence has affected the work produced by Pakistan’s artists. She says that many of the pieces produced have an underlying political or social meaning, which is sometimes shown in a direct way, and sometimes indirectly. Pakistani artists who are known to produce violencethemed pieces recently include Imran Qureshi, Rashid Rana, Naiza Khan, Jamil Baloch, Madiha Hyder, Sara Khan and Hasnat Mehmood; they have all responded to the growing violence in their own ways. Using the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as his canvas, Hyderabad-born Qureshi shared his thoughts on violence with “blood” (red arcrylic paint) spilled and splattered to form leaf patterns. Rana’s work “What Lies Between Flesh and Blood—Red Carpets” comprises of what
“Awaaz: The Voice of Baldia Fire Victims” : Burnt jeans lie on a stand next to a table piled with matchboxes. A photo collage of smiling faces and a timeline of major infernos that have taken place in Pakistan in blaring red complete the scene in the hall, recreated to recall the day a factory fire in Karachi’s Baldia Town claimed the lives of over 250 people. A blood-splattered candle wax figure, depicting the last moments of a helpless victim is perhaps the most striking pieces on display, enough to make the visitors stop in their tracks.
looks like two beautiful carpets when seen from afar, but a closer look would reveal a shocking display of brutal animal slaughter and cruelty being dealt on a silent person.
Baloch’s work shows veiled women and jets, Sara Khan’s have drones and guns and Zahid Husaid’s a hanging pigeon, are other symbols of violence in the works of artists.
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ART “Artists have been responding to aggression for the past three decades, but violence has influenced art tremendously in more recent times,” says Farrukh. The artists’ work speak about state aggression, religious violence, militancy and political, sectarian and ethnic killings, that rupture social fabric. “And then there is violence against women,” Farrukh adds. “Certainly, this is the response of the artists to the violence they see around them.” She added that many artists, along with poets, were part of a dissident movement during the Zia era (former military dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq),
which saw the bloodshed being reflected in many artists’ works. But there are more violence-themed pieces being produced today, she says. Asked if this can be considered an “art movement”, Farrukh says that previous “movements” were all actually individual efforts. She explains that the meaning behind each art piece usually comes from the artist, though art critics and other enthusiasts sometimes interpret the meaning in their own way. She adds that while many contemporary artists such as Rana and Qureshi have responded to violence through their art, not all their work
revolve around that theme. “I think that a lot of the work being produced by Pakistani artists is an outcome of the times we are living in. I find this (themes on violence) more pronounced in the work of students coming out of art schools. “I don’t think this can be termed as an ‘art movement’, as there are no similar strategies to depict violence, and no coherent formalism that can be an outcome of dealing with the issue of violence. “Maybe what it can be described is as a ‘strand’ in time,” she muses. “And maybe in the future, perhaps in the next five to 10 years, art critics like us, while discussing this, will call it a ‘movement’.” ¬
LIFESTYLE
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Hobbyists create beautiful aquascapes to enjoy nature at home
Michael Lai’s aquariums at home.
Chew Seng Kim/The Straits Time
An aqua landscape in a tank
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LIFESTYLE Lydia Vasko The Straits Times Singapore
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ive years ago, a glance at a colleague’s computer screen caught electrical engineer Robertus Hartono by surprise. What he saw was a beautiful landscape—an intensely emerald forest, with lush leaves undulating as though in a Lydia Vasko breeze. Yet, fish were darting The Straits between theTimes branches. It was completely Singaporeunderwater. The colleague said that the image was of a planted tank, a freshwater aquarium where the focus is not on the fish but the aquascape inside. “I saw the beautiful aquascaping and thought it was amazing. I just jumped into it,” says Hartono. The 38-year-old Singaporean set off at once to buy a tank to start his own planted aquarium. Since then, after a couple of
years of trial and error, he has won awards in Singapore and abroad for his planted tank designs. At the biennial Aquarama International Ornamental Fish and Accessories Exhibition in Singapore this year, he and his partner—Siak Wee Yeo, 30, a network administrator—won first place for their planted tank, and first and third place for their nano tanks which are about 30cm square. Of the aquascape’s appeal, he says: “It brings nature into the home. It’s beautiful, relaxing and very serene to look at. It’s living art.” While it is still a niché interest, hobbyists such as Hartono have been plugging away for years at aquascaping, with an estimated 3,000 members active on forums online such as AquaticQuotient.com.
Log on to Aquatic Quotient and you will find posts from enthusiasts sharing aquascape designs, information about plants, and giving advice and encouragement to newcomers. When the forum started in December 2001, it had about 140 members. Since then, it has attracted an average of 90 new members each month. These days, the website has 13,000 members, about 2,000 of whom post regularly. Like Hartono, many planted tank enthusiasts—they prefer the terms “aquarists” or “aquascapers”—are inspired by Amano Takashi’s work. The 59-year-old Japanese landscape photographer is credited with developing the nature aquarium style of planted tanks in the 1990s, creating minimalist scenes inspired by
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LIFESTYLE the rocky mountains of Japan or dense Amazonian jungle. His aquascapes are sometimes Zen, sometimes verging on the surreal. For some aquarists, such as interior designer Michael Lai, aquascaping is a natural progression from rearing fish as a hobby. “A planted aquarium is like underwater architecture,” says Lai, 44, who started designing his own planted tanks 10 years ago but still keeps a separate tank of six stingrays. “It’s a different fulfilment from keeping fish. To do it correctly is not as easy as having a normal fish tank. You have to think of design principles, such as depth of field and focus, proportions, mixing and matching the plants,” he adds. “There’s a method to the madness.” Unlike the larger, more colourful, patterned and exotic fish that some fish lovers populate their tanks with, aquarists favour small fish—only
a few centimetres long —that swim in schools, so as not to distract from the aquascape. But Vincent Phua, a polytechnic lecturer in information technology who has designed planted tanks for almost 15 years, says the fish are also an integral aspect of the tank’s health. “A planted tank is a mini ecosystem. The fish waste becomes part of the nutrient system for the plants, then the plants will produce oxygen for the fish,” says Puah, 41, who is also one of the administrators of AquaticQuotient.com. Do not be fooled. Enthusiasts say that setting up a planted tank is much more difficult than it looks. It is more than just arranging aquatic plants in water and then releasing a few fish. Each tank requires a careful balance of nutrients, carbon dioxide and light, and the correct water temperature for the fish and plants to thrive
within. Too many nutrients or too much light, for instance, can create an algae bloom, causing the fish and plants to die. Newbies to the hobby, such as office administrator Rachel Teo, 31, often struggle with these variables. She has had her 60cm-long planted tank for less than six months. “At first, everything took turns to die. I couldn’t understand why,” she recalls. With advice from enthusiasts from Aquatic Quotient forum as well as her fish-rearing boyfriend, she was able to stabilise her tank after two months. Hobbyists need equipment such as a filtration system, a carbon dioxide pump and lights. An entry-level tank system costs about S$200 (US$158), but higher-end gadgets can cost thousands of dollars. Web designer Grape Wongsongja has been dabbling in aquascapes for the past three years and started her newest
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LIFESTYLE aquascape, a Zen mountainscape in a 60cm tank, a week ago. She spent about S$2,000 on the equipment, all from Amano Takashi’s brand of products called Aqua Design Amano. “Whatever I have from my salary, I pump into the fish tank instead of buying bags and shoes,” says Wongsongja, 27, adding that the money spent is worth it. “It’s peaceful. When you see it, it takes you to another world.” Maintaining a mini eco-system “takes a lot of time and patience”,
she admits. “You have to be meticulous.” It takes a few weeks to a few months for the plants to be fully grown and for the scape to reach optimal condition. The aquascaper must trim the plants every few weeks to maintain their desired size and shape. If you want your own aquascape but do not want to devote the time or energy to designing one, you could turn to companies such as Green Chapter, which specialise
in planted tank design. Each tank costs about S$1,500 per foot length of the tank. Green Chapter, which opened in 2004, also holds planted aquarium workshops. It costs about S$500 for a two-hour session. Green Chapter creative director Stan Chung, 44, says: “A planted aquarium is like having a bit of nature in your living room. It’s very pleasing to the eye, all green and small fishes. I find it calming and soothing, like you are immersed in nature, in silence.” ¬
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LIFESTYLE
Manager Colin Koh, 37, has had his Dutch-style aquascape since 2003. This type of aquascape is known for its orderly, manicured plants and minimal use of rock or wood, which are hallmarks of the nature aquarium style. Mark Cheong/ The Straits Times
For interior designer Michael Lai, aquaScaping is a natural progression from rearing fish as a hobby. Chew Seng Kim/The Straits Times
Michael Lai’s nature aquarium teems with small fish. Chew Seng Kim/The Straits Times
TRAVEL
| August 9-15, 2013
Nostalgic townscape, new taste
Kamome Shokudo, far left, and other ramen shops in a reproduced nostalgic townscape at the Shinyokohama Raumen Museum.
| August 9-15, 2013
TRAVEL Koichi Hara The Yomiuri Shimbun Yokohama
D
escending the stairs to an underground level of the Shinyokohama Raumen Museum in Yokohama, visitors take in a view of a street with nostalgic touches, including a handdrawn movie theatre signboard and an old-fashioned red neon pachinko parlour sign. The reproduced townscape takes them back to 1958, when instant ramen noodles were invented. The “street” of the Kohoku Ward ramen museum is lined with outlets of nine popular ramen noodle shops nationwide. It is difficult to rank them as the dishes are all tasty and each has distinctive characteristics. I was attracted to
Kesennuma Ramen
Kamome Shokudo (Seagull restaurant) because its name is associated with the ocean. Kamome Shokudo originally opened in 1942 near Kesennuma Port in Miyagi Prefecture. Its soy sauce flavour ramen soon became very popular and has been the shop’s signature item ever since.
However, it was forced to close in 2006 as there was nobody to take over its operation. The company’s building was washed away by the massive tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Sometime after, Kenji Chiba, a native of Kesennuma in
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TRAVEL the disaster-hit region who operates the popular Chibakiya ramen chain in Tokyo, took over the shop’s name as he wanted to reopen the shop as a symbol of restoration of his hometown and the surrounding region from the disaster. In February last year, he opened the new Kamome Shokudo in the museum. “The first time I ate out with my father we had Kamome Shokudo ramen,” Chiba, 61, said. “I can’t forget the taste. I want to support Kesennuma’s reconstruction by serving ramen [associated with the shop].” Chiba is planning to open a Kamome Shokudo outlet in Kesennuma in two years. Kesennuma Ramen, seasoned with Pacific saury oil, a Kesennuma specialty, is popular at the shop.
Masaki Takigami, a museum employee in charge of public relations, said, “The museum also wants to promote Kesennuma by serving ramen to eventually help reconstruction efforts of people in the quake-hit region.” I finally sat down and tried Kesennuma Ramen myself. Its light salty broth accentuating the thin, curly noodles reminded me of the ocean in the Sanriku district, which encompasses Kesennuma. ¬
*The museum is open daily from 11am to 10pm. The museum also has exhibits illustrating the dish’s history. Each bowl of ramen costs about 850 yen. Small bowls start at 550 yen (US$5.60).
TRAVEL
| August 9-15, 2013 Photos by The Kathmandu Post
Beauty unrecognised Nepal is a country gifted with many incomparable offerings for its visitors; However its potential remains under-appreciated and undeveloped
A tourist looking at clay decorative items at the Pottery Square in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu.
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TRAVEL Kanak Mani Dixit The Kathmandu Post Kathmandu
In July 1988, Himal magazine’s first issue carried an interview with famous Kiwi explorer Sir Edmund Hillary. When the subject turned to Himalayan tourism, he told this reporter, “…the young and the impecunious must not lose their access”.
Since then, I have been in respectful disagreement with the late Sir Edmund. While the impecunious must have the opportunity to travel to interesting places, there is also the right of a host society to earn as much as it can from the natural and cultural
Tourists looking at antique artifacts at a street bazaar in Nepal.
resources at its command. In Nepal, the goal would be to maximise income from tourism, while optimising equity in the distribution of profits. Nepal has consistently under-sold its assets, mainly, it seems, because we fail to appreciate their value. We have the entire central Himalaya from the Kanchenjunga mountains to Api-Saipal in the northwest, as a gift of geology and history. The diversity in mountain communities, the Kathmandu Valley civilisation, the Lumbini and Janakpur regions (associated with not one but four historical Buddhas and Sita of the Ramayan), the power places, the jungles of Chitwan/Bardia, the birds and butterflies, the rafting and soaring—there is actually no other country in the world with this level of variety-in-quality.
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TRAVEL
Lakhe (protector) masks and puppets commonly sold in the streets are an attraction for tourists.
Dry toilets
There was a time about two decades ago, when the prospect of achieving high-value tourism looked attainable. The advent of democracy had promoted hopes for egalitarian growth, the national airline had
energy (and planes), trekking was booming. There was hotair ballooning, “forbidden� areas were opened up, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) was setting standards for trekking tourism and artifacts were being improvised
for tourist consumption. That was before the conflicts began, which dimmed prospects and reduced incomes, even though the Thamel tourist quarter in Kathmandu and trekking destinations continued to develop in defiance.
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TRAVEL That was before we diligently worked at despoiling tourism, including muddying the rafting river of Trisuli by using its waters to wash the sand mined from the hillsides. Back when Nepal was developing as a high-end destination, there was little spread of tourism profits. Today, there is a lot of spread, but the conflict and continuing political turbulence has reduced income possibilities. The hotels may be full but can only offer abysmal rates, with rooms in New Delhi selling at prices three or four times compared to those in Kathmandu. Beyond the conflict and political chaos, we have not been able to achieve “haute tourism” because we seem to lack the socialisation to provide for the simple needs of highspending overseas travellers. We are naive when it comes to making the internal ambience of a lodge attractive
A tourist feeding pigeons in Nepal.
to the visitor, nor do we really understand the importance of having dry bathrooms. The “tourist psychology”
must be appreciated if we want to convert “home-stay” villages into money-spinners, which is important also to
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TRAVEL keep youth from fleeing in search of greener pastures.
Tourism scholarship
Thankfully, during the “people’s war” period, there were few incidents where tourists were directly targeted. But economists have yet to calculate the opportunity costs of the conflict. The fighting ended in 2006, but we have yet to enjoy a “peace dividend” in tourism. Nor do we have “tourism scholars” analysing the relationship between politics and tourism. Certainly no one has come forward to suggest the impact of holding an election smack in the middle of the autumn travel season. If we had tourism scholars, they would be taking the lead today in helping us calibrate Nepal’s tourism for the future, with the slogan, “Maximise income and equity”. We need to wake up to the advent of roads and highways
that are transforming the face of the trekking industry. Do we go higher, as with the Great Himalayan Trail, or simultaneously promote mid-hill trekking so that we can catch higher-spending middle-aged travellers? It is time that Nepal’s tourism industry got its second wind through planning and innovation, based on the understanding that Nepal will remain “exotic”, only so long as we understand our assets. The KTM-Everest-KTM mountain flight has remained static for decades. Should we not talk to the Chinese for a profit-sharing Everest circumnavigation? And why not a mountain flight from Pokhara to Mount Kailash and back? Chitwan must prepare for the inevitability of high-volume arrivals. Since elephants can only carry so many, a raised walkway would be useful for travellers to appreciate the forest fauna,
undergrowth and canopy. Gorkha’s Palungtar airport could be a national hub for hang-gliding and microflights—under the unique ice fields of Lamjung Himal. Alpine-style mountaineering must be promoted right up to Api-Saipal, so that the volume of climbers increases, and this can be triggered from Manang, also known as the “Chamonix” of the Himalayas, with its proximity to “trekking peaks”. Innovations are needed in cultural tourism. As an example, we should try to ensure that the ghatu meditative dance of the central-midhills people is only performed on the designated days of the calendar in the traditional sites, rather than at dance restaurants in Pokhara and Kathmandu. Elsewhere, the beyuls of Nepal—the high sacred valleys—provide opportunity to develop tourism for the benefit of isolated communities.
| August 9-15, 2013
TRAVEL Louvre to Lumbini
There is no dearth of resources and material to provide texture and depth to Himalayan tourism, but we have not taken advantage of what is easily available: such as the writings of the raconteurs of the great age of Himalayan exploration, including Tilman, Shipton, Herzog and Tenzing Norgay. Few of our tourist guides can name and identify the mountain peaks seen even from Kathmandu: Dorje Lhakpa, Phurbi Ghyachu, Lonpogang or Choba Bhamare. Likewise, we have barely begun to delve into the deep history of the Lumbini region. Together with the sites associated with the life of Gautama Buddha, from Kapilvastu to Ramgram, this landscape has been made spiritually hallowed by the three other historical Buddhas—Krakuchhand, Kasyap and Kanakmuni.
The possibilities are endless. With the increased incidence of the Gangetic winter fog,”‘sunshine tourism” from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar up to the hill-stations of Bhedetar to Tansen will see a rise. Janakpur will be a fulcrum for South Asian pilgrimtourism, far beyond the Mithila region. The Rara lake or the Khaptad plateau will be a sellout among South Asians. And we must plan to bring in the rich travellers of Lahore and Dhaka, weakening their romance with Bangkok and Dubai. The old Rana palaces must be converted to hotels, following the trend of the Newar townhouses. This would require the government, which owns most of the standing palaces to act innovatively in a private-public partnership. More detailed brochures are needed for the towns and bahas (meeting places) of the Kathmandu Valley, enough to keep a tourist in Kirtipur
for a full day, for example. More localised artifacts and gifts must be developed, beyond the singing bowls and lakhe (protector) puppets. Last week, whether at the grand Louvre museum of Paris or the Jungfraujoch—the high deurali (village) in Switzerland’s Bernese Overland—there were Indian and Chinese tourists everywhere, and spending well. When a level of political stability is achieved, Nepal will be able to attract millions of travellers from its two neighbours alone. Our challenge is to ensure value in mass tourism, a highend industry that will increase profits for the exchequer, airlines, hoteliers, lodge owners, trekking/travel agencies and local communities—and at the same time, jack up the takehome salaries of porters, waiters, cooks, guides, artisans, taxidrivers and kirana pasalwallahs (local green grocers). ¬
DATEBOOK
| August 9-15, 2013
Hong Kong Gwangju
5th Gwangju Design Biennale Titled “Anything, Something”, the event will explore cultural habits, shared knowledge, and coded contexts that inform the many unspoken ways we communicate with one another. The use of empty or ambiguous placeholders, or signifiers, such as “anything” and “something” key into elements of communication beyond literal speech that encompass cultural, or rather emotional, prompts and responses. When: Until November 3 Info: www.gwangjubiennale.org
Food Expo 2013 The expo is a popular summer event that serves a wide variety of quality food products from all over the world including bakery products, beverages, snacks, processed food, instant food, fruits and vegetables, green and organic food, kitchenware, seasonings and seafood, as well as provides numerous business opportunities to buyers and spoiling public visitors with mouth-watering delicacies. When: August 15-19 Where: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
DATEBOOK
| August 9-15, 2013
Mt. Fuji Official Climbing Season
Singapore
July and August are the official climbing season for one of the newest World Heritage sites . During these two months the mountain is usually free of snow, the weather is relatively mild, access by public transportation is easy and the mountain huts are open. Everybody without much hiking experience is advised to tackle the mountain during the official climbing season.
National Day Parade Join thousands of Singaporeans in catching the stunning aerial performances and magnificent fireworks displays held in celebration of the nation’s independence. Get caught up in the sense of pride and patriotism in the air, as you join in the festivities and take part in this colourful procession while enjoying the multicultural performances taking place. When: August 9 Info:http://ndp.org.sg/
Chaiyaphum, Thailand
Dok Krachao Blooming Festival 2013 Enjoy beautiful rock gardens, a naturally–changed and imaginarily–shaped rock forest of over a million years old, performances, and distribution of Chaiyaphum’s products, white, green and pinkish–purple Dok Krachiao fields. The view point at Sai Thong National Park is another attraction that welcomes tourists to the sustainable tourism charm of Chaiyaphum province. When: Until August 31 Where: Pa Hin Ngam National Park, Amphoe Thep Sathit
japan-guide.co
Japan