July 4-10, 2014
HANGOVER HOW SINGER PSY'S LATEST SONG IS AN UNEASY MIRROR OF KOREANS
Contents July 4-10, 2014
❖ Lifestyle
❖ Weekly Briefing
❖ Politics
Heavy drinkers, please stand up… if you can
News around the region
Who will secure Islamabad airport?
COVER IMAGE: AFP
Contents July 4-10, 2014
❖ Politics
❖ People
❖ Book
❖ Business
The fight heats up
A girl with a camera on the streets of HK
Thank God, we have copy editors
Rice is serious business in Japan
Contents July 4-10, 2014
❖ Business
❖ Sport
Datebook
Korea's business tycoons as sports patrons
Asian football needs greater commitment
Happenings around Asia
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WEEKLY BRIEFING
July 4-10, 2014
BIRTH
CHEAPEST
Giant panda Yaxing gave birth to twin cubs in Chengdu on June 30. They are the first set of panda twins to be born this year in the city.
TOP BEER
Tsingtao Brewery, valued at about US$15 billion, has again been ranked first among Chinese beer brands, exporting to 85 countries and regions and now ranks sixth globally in production, according to the Barth Report, an authoritative beer industry compilation.—China Daily
FIRST FLIGHT
HondaJet, the first small passenger aircraft developed by a Honda Motor Co. subsidiary, has made its maiden flight in the United States, according to the company. HondaJet is priced at US$4.5 million and the company has already received orders for more than 100 planes from the US and other countries.—The Yomiuri Shimbun
Cigarette prices in South Korea remain some of the lowest among 41 major economies around the world with best-selling brands between 2012 and 2013 averaging 2,500 won (US$2.20) a pack, one sixth of the price set in Norway at $14.50 per pack, according to the Korea Institute of Public Finance.—The Korea Herald
SHUT DOWN
Chery's first dealership in Beijing and once its top-selling outlet nationally has closed in the capital city's famous Yayuncun automobile market due to declining sales. It was the first Chery dealership to reach landmark annual sales of 100 cars—then later 1,000 vehicles—in the early days of China's nascent auto market.—China Daily
July 4-10, 2014
POLITICS AFP
WHO WILL SECURE PAKISTAN'S AIRPORTS? A spate of deadly attacks in Pakistan reflects corruption and weaknesses in the chain of command within the security control of the country
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Mohammad Asghar Dawn Islamabad
T
he script is so predictable it has lost the climax. Militants attack a sensitive installation. While destruction and mayhem are still ongoing, there are clumsy statements apparently aimed at damage control. Statements claiming that strategic assets are safe and the attackers have been pushed back. Once that particular saga is over, condemnations follow. Then there are calls from the highest executives at provincial and/ or federal levels directing the concerned depart-
Pakistani firefighters putting out fire at a cold storage facility at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
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Pakistani security personnel standing guard behind a damaged facility at the Jinnah International Airport.
ments to investigate the incident and present a “report”. “You get the impression that a chief minister or the prime minister has to instruct the relevant agencies to investigate a matter and that they would not do what they are supposed to do unless specifically told to.
“It is kind of demeaning and reflects red-tapism. Is there anything called a system? This is basically mocking yourself and reflects reliance on individuals instead of having a functioning system in place,” argues Dr Jawed Aziz Masudi, a criminologist and lawyer. So, after engagement in a conflict spanning over a decade and
having lost over 30,000 Pakistanis, what have we learnt? “Probably we haven’t learnt anything,” says SSP Saqib Ismail Memon. While Memon’s remarks may come across as too pessimistic, many argue they are a reflection of our miserable state of affairs. Abbas Haider, a security expert who has spent much time working in Iraq as a private security contractor before returning to Pakistan, argues: “Pakistan is in a state of war. This is an emergency situation and requires a certain response. But we do not see that when we look at the state policies or the public response.” After nearly 13 years of a non-conventional war that still rages, Pakistan is not even sure if this is “our war” or an American one. Who are the friends and who are the foes?
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Twenty-eight people were killed in the Taliban attack on the airport in Karachi.
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While in official circles abroad, Pakistan likes to describe itself as America’s “frontline ally” in the global “war on terror”, at home the state appears to promote confused narratives. If most Pakistani politicians, retired military officials, local analysts and the general public are to be believed, almost all terrorism in the country is carried out by “agents” of America, India and Israel. According to this skewed narrative, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is sponsored by the American CIA in a bid to destabilise this nuclear power. Then there are the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban. “Pakistan has suffered a lot because of this flawed understanding of good and bad Taliban. There is clear nexus between the two. They may have different strategies or priorities, but the core ideology and goals are the same. While our policy has been
to benefit some of them, the fact of the matter is that the ‘good’ Taliban have strengthened the position of the ‘bad’ Taliban and we have suffered,” says Hamza Ameer, a journalist who reports on jihadi groups from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Certain political leaders and analysts in Pakistan, including one who often boasts of his association with some state agencies, have been openly glorifying the Taliban in Afghanistan. This has resulted in a largely positive perception of the Afghan Taliban among the public who have and continue to financially assist the ‘good’ jihadis. Of course, the fact that these ‘good’ jihadis shelter and support the ‘bad’ jihadis in different ways does not form part of the equation. However, officials well-informed about the security establishment believe that change is in the making.
“I think they have already revised their policies. Afghanistan, once a security concern, is not so any more as the Pakhtunistan issue has died down,” said Asad Munir, a retired brigadier and a former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence Peshawar. “The state has also realised that the world will not accept and tolerate cross border terrorism now. We also know that this jihadi concept has not yielded the desired results and ultimately the people of Pakistan suffered,” he says. The missing ideological response is not the only weak link; there is extreme corruption within government departments and even national security is not spared. Take the example of the 30,000-strong Sindh Police. While it is supposed to be the first line of defence and the hold force, its priorities are different.
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“The overwhelming majority of people join the police force knowing the element of power and money-making that comes with it. You do not pay hefty bribes just to get in without knowing about the return,” says Kamil Arif, a Karachi-based crime reporter. “This is not even a secret. There is a lot of money that flows in the police department. Every day begins with policemen on the roads extorting money from the public. “From the cop on the street to the officer sitting in his air-conditioned office, everybody gets a share so naturally the practice continues. While policemen are busy extracting bribes from powerless citizens over frivolous excuses, terrorists are probably driving past them,” he asserts. Corruption is so rampant that most senior officers make little effort in even denying the reality.
However, they highlight other concerns. “The police force is hugely demoralised. Even the handful of people who had been very keen to take on the militants are now unwilling to fight. We put our lives in danger and took on the jihadis. “Now we have been demoted and deprived of security. This is very discouraging,” said Khurram Waris, a former Superintendent of Police who has now been demoted to the rank of an inspector after the supreme court declared shoulder promotions as null and void. “When the Karachi airport was attacked, the airport security force and police were the first to respond. We managed to take out all the terrorists. Later on the army arrived, took control of the airport and suddenly the impression was that they were the ones who had
done all the work. Do you realise how my men feel?” said a senior police officer while requesting anonymity. “Some security forces feel they are superior to others. This creates a sense of deprivation among others and affects their morale and performance. This also leads to coordination problems between different departments,” he added. “We haven’t employed technology/gadgetry as done worldwide. Our security apparatus is yet to sync itself with the prevalent security threats,” says SSP Memon. One of the most obvious examples of this is the use of a ‘bomb detection scanner’ at a number of Pakistani airports. The scanner does not work. Dawn had reported back in January 2010 that it was modelled on the ADE-651, a device invented by a British conman who is now behind bars for fraud.
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When Dawn approached the airport security force four years ago, senior officials had claimed that they had invented their own version and it was so successful that even the Inter-Intelligence Services was acquiring it from them. However, the officers simply failed to comprehend that their claims about the method of operation of the device were laughable from a scientific point of view. Dawn had even physically tested the device and it had failed to detect explosive material. However, despite the passage of four years and the Karachi airport attack, the device is still in use. “This is what happens when you get non-technocrats to fill technical positions. It just sends shivers down the spine when such people or those above them fail to pay heed to valuable advice,” said Abbas Haider.
Haider highlights another security loophole. “Our people easily get carried away by a display of wealth and power. Drive around in a Land Cruiser and note the difference in the attitude of law enforcers. Jihadi groups will increasingly rely on such tactics in the coming days,” he said. Jihadi groups have already used camouflage in a number of their attacks. The Haqqani network has attacked bases stationing Nato troops while driving there in stolen security vehicles and wearing their uniforms. Security experts say the prevailing VIP culture in Pakistan is adding to the security woes. “When you are dealing with a terrorist attack, it is simply not the right time to be entertaining politicians and looking after their protocol needs. It is not too difficult for terrorists to camouflage and send in rein-
forcements while taking advantage of VIP visits,” said a former intelligence official. Memon agrees and offers some advice. “Technology should be coupled with human deployment. Areas around sensitive installations need to be combed. Entry and exit points on sensitive buildings should be protocol free. Mock exercises should be done on professional lines,” he says. While security experts offer tips on beefing up security, a number of other experts closely monitoring the developments in Pakistan have their share of scepticism. “Do we even want to learn? Or is it a case that this present state of affairs and protracted conflict help attain a lucrative financial scenario for some people in the country?” questioned a professor at the University of Karachi while requesting anonymity. ¬
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photos by afp
THE FIGHT HEATS UP Polls show gap has shrunk to less than five points in key battle grounds for the Indonesia presidential elections Zakir Hussain The Straits Times Jakarta
A
s presidential candidate Joko Widodo took to Jakarta's main street for a brisk walk recently, he was surrounded by supporters, many offering birthday greetings to Joko, who turned 53 recently. He had a
PRABOWO SUBIANTO
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Joko addressing the crowd during a campaign.
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Supporters of Subianto cheering during a rally in Jakarta.
POLITICS
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brief message for them-help him win the capital on July 9-before leaving to prepare for the evening debate. His opponent Prabowo Subianto, meanwhile, opted to enter a mid-afternoon rally at the capital's Bung Karno Stadium on the back of an open-top jeep as tens of thousands of supporters bussed in by labour unions and coalition parties cheered. The two men seeking to lead Indonesia have vastly different campaigning styles but, as campaigning crosses the halfway mark, the distinctions do not just explain why the appeal of Joko, known as Jokowi, seems to be wearing thin as Prabowo's surges. They also illustrate the contrasting mood in both camps -anxiety and urgency in Joko's camp as his lead slips, versus confidence in Prabowo's as his ratings soar.
An opinion poll of voters from June 1 to June 15 by the country's largest newspaper, Kompas, published last Saturday found Joko and his running mate Jusuf Kalla leading Prabowo and his running mate Hatta Rajasa by seven percentage points, a figure similar to what two other respectable pollsters reported last week. The Jokowi-Kalla ticket would get 42.3 per cent of the votes, and Prabowo-Hatta 35.3 per cent, with 22.4 per cent of respondents still undecided, Kompas found. But the lead is much smaller in Java—where almost 60 per cent of the voters are—with Joko leading by just 4.5 points. In Sumatra, where 21 per cent of the voters are, he leads by 3.1 points. At this stage in the race, it is a gap that even the Jokowi-Kalla ticket's lead of 10 percentage
points and more on other islands will find hard to bridge. Observers say the latest polls, which have yet to be officially released, show the gap narrowing further, with the Jokowi-Kalla ticket holding a mere two-to-three-point lead that could tip over any time, putting Prabowo-Hatta ahead. These indicate that Prabowo would win in Sumatra and Banten, and run neck and neck with Joko in Jakarta and West Java. Last week, Joko's strongest message was: "Jakarta is very important as a symbol. Because of that, we cannot lose in Jakarta." Both sides now aim to cover as much ground as they can before the three-day cooling-off period begins on July 6. Given how close the fight is, many expect both sides to take advantage of the local bureau-
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cracy in areas where they are in control to influence voters, and make full use of the start of the fasting month of Ramadan, a time when mosque attendance rises, to use the pulpit to canvass for votes, even though this is prohibited by campaign rules. Here, observers feel that Prabowo, who is backed by all but one of the Islamic parties, may have the upper hand. But Dr Nico Harjanto of the Populi Centre does not think the personal attacks behind Joko's drop in support will be worse than what is already out there. "The Jokowi team is also seeing better coordination and getting better on social media," he said, noting how they have beefed up their online presence and rebuttals to smears.
Political analyst Djayadi Hanan of Paramadina University told The Straits Times that Joko's strongest point-his firm resolve, seen in his attempts to get bureaucrats to shape uphas been overshadowed by his opponents' coordinated aggressive campaign. Joko won the run-off gubernatorial election to lead Jakarta in 2012 with 54 per cent of the vote, but his opponents have gained ground by campaigning on the fact that he has failed to live up to his promises to fix the capital's woes in the less than two years he has been in charge. As for Prabowo, he has come under fire for his involvement in the abduction of activists in 1998, most recently by his former commander Wiranto, now a key member of Joko's team. Prabowo has declined to comment on the
matter, but his team has been active in its rebuttals. Prabowo enjoys greater support from the upper and middle classes, which observers attribute to his being able to display a more "presidential" bearing, in particular at televised debates. Kompas found both tickets tied among upper-class voters, and the Jokowi-Kalla pair had a slim 4.2-point lead among middle-class ones. However, Joko led among lower-class voters by more than 10 points. Many say they trust him more because he is "one of us". "Some argue Prabowo is smarter," said fisherman Dari Baridin, 51, from West Java. "That's not too important. What is ideal is an honest president with smart ministers helping him." ÂŹ
July 4-10, 2014
FOOD PEOPLE
A GIRL WITH A CAMERA ON THE STREETS OF HK Photos by Xyza Cruz Bacani
“When I go out and shoot, I feel relaxed. It’s just me and my camera. I’m not an OFW. I’m not a domestic worker. I’m just a girl with a camera. That’s how I feel when I shoot”
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Philip C. Tubeza Philippine Daily Inquirer Hong Kong
O
n weekdays, domestic worker Xyza Cruz Bacani uses a sturdy, white mop to clean her elderly employer’s flat, if she’s not taking care of the latter’s seven grandchildren who visit every day.
But whenever she gets the chance to go out—even if it’s just for a quick trip to the neighbourhood grocery store— Bacani grabs her camera and takes dramatic snapshots of this city’s vibrant street life. Her stunning black-and-white photos have been featured by The New York Times and used by the Vogue Italia website. For the past three years, Bacani’s work has also been a finalist in a National Geographic magazine’s competition in Hong Kong for best open documentary photo. She has even been called a modern-day Vivian Maier, the legendary American photographer/nanny. “I feel naked when I go out and I don’t have my camera with me,” says 27-year-old Bacani. Bacani is from Bambang town, Nueva Vizcaya province in northern Philippines. She joined her mother in Hong
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“My favourite pictures are those that I took when I didn’t go out on purpose to do a photo shoot,” she adds. Despite her humble background—she borrowed money from her employer to buy her first digital camera, and her family was once
Xyza Cruz Bacani: Her stunning black and white photos have brought acclaim to the Filipino domestic worker/Sherwin sumera
Kong nine years ago to work as a nanny for the latter’s employer. “You know, when I’m told to buy something at ParknShop (a supermarket chain), I bring along my camera. It looks stupid but I do it,” she says.
evicted from their home—Bacani says she has found her passion and intends to pursue it. “If you really want to be successful in photography, you should turn it into your lifestyle. It should become a part of your daily life like eating or taking a bath,” she says.
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Therapy, protection
Bacani works for a 74-yearold businesswoman who lives in the upscale MidLevels district in Hong Kong. The businesswoman who has employed her mother, Georgia, for the past 20 years, paid for Bacani to study nursing before joining her mother in domestic service. Uprooted from her home country, Bacani says photography serves as her “therapy” and her “protection” against racism and discrimination. “When I go out and shoot, I feel relaxed. It’s just me and my camera. I’m not an OFW (overseas Filipino worker). I’m not a domestic worker. I’m just a girl with a camera. That’s how I feel when I shoot,” she says. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of being a domestic worker. In fact, I’m proud of my job. But you also can’t deny that there’s
discrimination, judgment and stereotyping when you’re an OFW. So, photography for me is a protection against racism and discrimination.” Bacani now plans to document the plight of her fellow domestic workers and, through her pictures, tell their story. “I want to make a project about the domestic helpers here and apply for grants and then give [the proceeds] to charity. I want to have a body of work that I know will help others,” she said.
Poverty, difficulties
Bacani says she knows what it feels like to grow up in poverty. “We were poor. My mother likes to quip that her children are smart because we didn’t have the money to buy vetsin (monosodium glutamate, or MSG) for our food,” she said.
When she was about six years old, they lived in a house that was owned by a relative, unaware that it had been leased out. “We learned about it on the day the new owners moved in. You know that feeling when you’re really down. We had to pack. We were told to leave that very moment,” she recalls. Bacani got hooked on photography after attending photo exhibits in her school. “I always attended [the exhibits] and was impressed by the photos. I told myself that when I get a job, I’ll buy my own camera,” she said.
Realising a dream
But even after she came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper, she was not able to immediately realise her dream. “Nine years ago, I asked my mother if she could buy me a
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camera but she told me that it was only for the rich. She said it was a luxury,” she says. At the start, according to Bacani, she was giving her entire salary to her mother to help support a brother who was studying to be a seafarer and a sister who wanted to be a teacher. “Then I thought of borrowing money from my employer. I reasoned out to my mother that I had already done two years. I had already finished one contract. My mother agreed,” she says. “My employer has been such a blessing to our family because she never stopped helping us. My brother graduated as a seafarer and she’s helping him find work here with OOCL (the Hong Kong-based shipping and logistics company Oriental Overseas Container Line).” “My sister is studying education, and she says, ‘Let
her come here and then go to Canada,’” Bacani adds. However, she says her employer is willing to help only her sister get to Canada, not her or her mother whom the businesswoman wants to remain in her employ. With the money she borrowed from her employer, Bacani bought a Nikon D90 that was worth about HK$12,000 (US$1,600) and was delighted to finally be able to start taking pictures, starting with flowers and landscapes. “After that, I began looking for something exciting. That’s the problem with me, I easily get bored. Then I read that street photography was hard. I said, ‘It’s hard? I like that.’ I like a challenge,” recalls Bacani. Besides taking up photography, Bacani says she has learned to speak Cantonese, and is currently learning to drive, while also planning to learn Japanese.
To sharpen her skills, Bacani reads the advice of expert photographers on the Internet, watches YouTube tutorials, and takes pictures whenever she can.
Like a stray cat
On her days off, Bacani would go around Hong Kong and shoot up to 800 pictures on her own. She likes to work alone as she gets “distracted” when she’s with another photographer. “I feel like I am a stray cat. That’s how I call myself,” she said. Bacani says she takes stolen shots of people and this sometimes gets her in trouble. “Street photography is candid and natural. Your subjects don’t pose for you because that would be portraiture,” she explains. “Once there was this elderly woman beggar who ran after me with her umbrella because she thought I was taking a picture of her,” she recalls.
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Sometimes, people notice she is taking their pictures and they would ask her to delete the shots and she readily gives in to those requests. “That’s the time you know that you’ve failed because they aren’t supposed to notice you. You’re supposed to be a fly on the wall,” she explains.
Mentoring, support
Bacani has also joined the Filipino photographers group Daan on Facebook, and it was there that she met award-winning photographer Rick Rocamora, who has become her mentor. “He thought that I was just another rich kid who had nothing to do but shoot. He was really surprised when I told him what my job was. He began teaching me, sending me links to read. Actually, I have so much assignments from him that I need to do,” Bacani says.
“He told me that what he was doing was an act of kindness, that he hoped I would also do someday to someone else. It’s like a cycle of kindness that you have to also give to others. That’s what I really like about him,” she added. It was also Rocamora who led her to her big break after
he forwarded her pictures to The New York Times. After The New York Times did a story on her, Bacani recounts that wellknown, Hong Kong-based photographers contacted her, including Jonathan van Smit, who offered to give her two cameras
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for free after learning that her camera was broken. Bacani says the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club also invited her to talk about displaying her work while Rocamora is planning to include her work in an exhibit next year at the University of the Philippines’ Vargas Museum in Diliman, Quezon City.
Helping other OFWs
Rocamora compares her to Vivian Maier, but Bacani downplays the comparison. Maier was a nanny for 40 years in Chicago whose work on street photography was largely unknown until a collector discovered her pictures in 2007, two years before her death at 83. “I’m uncomfortable when compared to her because her work is up there, a different level from what I do. She’s
already a legend, an icon. I want to create my own name,” she says. Bacani, who has invested her hard-earned money to buy a farm while her mother has put up a three-storey house and an apartment, now wants to help her fellow domestic workers.
“They should strive to achieve their personal goals. What I’ve noticed is that OFWs forget themselves and give everything to their family or relatives,” she said. “They should be heroes first to themselves,” she says. ¬
BOOK FOOD
July 4-10, 2014
THANK GOD, WE HAVE COPY EDITORS Dante M. Velasco Philippine Daily Inquirer Manila
“
Language is a dynamic part of a culture. The English language, for example, continues to change. Even its usage rules change. So, if you think you’ve got it made in mastering the rules of the English language, think again."
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“Yes, I Could Care Less” by Bill Walsh, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013
The book titled “Yes, I Could Care Less” gives you second thoughts about grammar rules made by Strunk and White in the “Elements of Style”—or prescriptions by American Heritage, Webster’s New Word, and MerriamWebster. On many occasions, as shown in this book, they do agree on certain rules. The author, Bill Walsh, is copy editor of the Washington Post, a job he has held since 1997. In the United States, there is an annual conference of the American Copy Editors Society, and Walsh is a regular presenter in such an elite assembly. Reading the book feels like you are being treated to a longrunning discussion of the many acceptable rules of usage of a word or phrase. In a manner of speaking, it is like consulting four or five manuals of style of different publications, if not
two or three generally accepted English usage reference books. It begins with a long debate on the use of two phrases— which have found acceptability. The phrases are: “could care less” or “couldn’t care less.” Walsh first introduces the special class to which it belongs: “We are the copy editors. English teachers, usage mavens, armchair grammarians and others who revel in do’s and don’ts and in our opinion, who prescribe usage.” And forthwith, he lowers the boom: If you’re a stickler, you deplore the idea of using “could care less” to mean “couldn’t care less.” What could be more obvious than a preference for saying what you mean over saying the exact opposite. What follows is an analytical exchange of point and counterpoint on what is preferred— running to several pages.
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What’s the use?
Dear readers, this is how copy editors struggle through every logic and counter logic over which word is retained or what phrase is consigned to eternal damnation. At one point in reading through the discussion, you will exclaim, “What’s the point?” The whole point is what my serious language teachers told me over and over again— from high school to postgraduate university. Using language properly is showing respect for that language. It is more than that, says Roy Clark of “Writing Tools” and “The Glamour of Grammar”. It assures the precision and power of expression. If you use the wrong word or phrase, your readers cringe or wince in discomfort or pain, and you
lose them. Also, you lose the power over bringing them to your side of an argument or to your version of a story. When you go through the seeming interminable effort of arguing every proper usage, you will actually begin enjoying the refinements of using a language. In journalistic parlance, the “copy editor” makes sure your “copy” is tidy and powerful—fit for publication in the paper he works for. It is he who wields the ruthless “blue pencil”. Of course, nowadays, the “blue pencil” is the ubiquitous MS Word with “track changes” which show the transformation of an impotent article into a powerful one. Subtitled “How to be a Language Snob Without Being a Jerk”, the book covers such topics as “The Trouble with Apologists”, “The Trouble
with Me”, “Rules that Aren’t and Habits that Shouldn’t Be”, “Editing Like a Ninja”— and a surprise—“My Lovehate with Strunkwhite: Elements of Discontent!” He breaks it gently: “I love the idea of The Elements of Style. Casual speech is a relatively natural act once you’ve made it past the toddler stage, but writing doesn’t come so easily. People need to be told what to do. And many of those who already know what to do crave for further direction.” Walsh points out that usage rules are, yes, rules dished out by a publishing organisation, not a menu of choices which suggestion you take fancy on. He calls “Elements of Style” a collection of tips “rather than a spelling-out of the style of a particular
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newspaper, magazine, website, publishing house or what-haveyou.” Mere tips end up serving as a pep talk, Walsh says. Walsh, ever the guardian of good style—yet witty and warm in every page—says there is a time for every style. If you intend your work as a conversation piece, you can be colloquial. But, if you are writing for a publication, there are rules to follow. The rest of the book covers samples of fine tuned phrases, analyses of logic of usage, and prescriptions on every finely constructed phrase. Some samples in the book are in order. On the word “diagnose”, Walsh’s treatment is scalpel-sharp, yet merciful: “Strictly speaking, it’s the disease that’s diagnosed, not the person. But I see no harm
in using the word the way everybody else does.” What about “due to” compared to “because of ”? Walsh is precise: Sticklers use “due to” only when the meaning is “attributable to”. Otherwise we make it “because of ”. You can take this distinction or leave it, but what you don’t want to do is go all hypercorrect and ban “due to” entirely just because some object to it in some instances. Walsh prescribes: When I hear “I graduated college”, I want to answer “No, you didn’t”. He explains, you call your education into question if you omit the “from”. On “healthy diet”, Walsh makes an important distinction that many miss: Strictly speaking, you should
say “healthful”, not “healthy”, when referring to a lifestyle or a diet or a specific food that might make you healthy. Walsh is witty and liberal in this case: “A healthy appetite is often anything but healthful,” he said in another book, “Elephants of Style”. He adds: “Go ahead and write about healthy food as well as healthy people.” Move over, Jean Edades and Elements of Syle! You will come away admiring copy editors—and realising sharply that you really need to be precise— with a cutting edge—when you go into the business or leisure of writing. You will also thank your stars that there are copy editors who transform your prose into a powerful piece of creation. ¬
BUSINESS
July 4-10, 2014
RICE IS SERIOUS BUSINESS IN JAPAN The purchase, storage and cooking of rice is big business in Japan
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AFP
Kwan Weng Kin The Straits Times Tokyo
P An employee of Matsushita Electric Insdustrial showing rice cooker with a pot coated with fine-grain diamonds and high powered induction heating system that comes at a price tag of $1,000.
erhaps no other culture takes rice as seriously as the Japanese. In kaiseki ryori (traditional Japanese banquet served in courses), rice-along with a bowl of miso soup-is served as the last course and not as an accompaniment to other dishes. The rice is meant to be appreciated on its own, perhaps with some refreshing pickles on the side, or maybe a
sprinkling of chirimen sansho (dried, tiny baby sardines flavoured with Japanese pepper). At this point in the meal, a few words from the guest in praise of the rice is guaranteed to make the host most happy. Such a gesture also serves to show the guest as someone who appreciates good food. And if the guest wants to know where the rice comes from, a restaurant that is proud of the rice it serves will be more than happy to answer. Buying rice in Japan is a serious business as there are over 300 varieties of rice in this country, each with its own name.
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The most popular is Koshihikari, which makes up nearly 36 per cent of all rice consumed in the country. Other popular varieties are Sasanishiki, Hitomebore, Akitakomachi, Hinohikari and Yumepirika. Although Koshihikari is grown all over Japan, the variety that is produced in the Uonuma locality of Niigata prefecture on the Japan Sea side of the main Honshu Island is regarded as the Mother of all Koshihikari rice. A 5-kg bag of the highest-grade, Uonuma-grown Koshihikari costs between 4,000 yen to 6,000 yen (US$39-$59). This highend variety of rice is often used as a seasonal gift in Japan. In contrast, a similar size bag of a lesser variety can be bought for 2,000 yen ($20)or less. The Japanese also go to great lengths to make their rice special, as seen in the way they store the grains.
Stocks of some of the most expensive grades of Uonumagrown Koshihikari are stored in silos maintained at below 50C all year around-which poses no great problem since Niigata is covered with a thick blanket of snow in the winter. The rice is kept cool because it is said to deteriorate slowly even at room temperature. This is why connoisseurs recommend that uncooked rice at home should be stored in the refrigerator so that they will be in the best condition possible. Not so long ago, the Japanese grew rice for their own consumption. But these days, Japanese-grown rice is available overseas. Exports of Japanese-grown rice are likely to increase in the future as the Japanese government gradually phases out a four-decade old policy that pays farmers to grow less
rice so as to support the price of the grain and to guarantee them a stable income. The reform will mean that farmers will be able to decide for themselves how much rice they want to grow, including converting to rice fields land that is currently left fallow or planted with other crops. But with rice consumption in Japan declining to about eight million tonnes a year at present, from a peak of 13.4 million tonnes in 1963, Japanese rice farmers will have to look to overseas markets if they wish to grow more rice to sell. The declining consumption of rice in Japan has prompted manufacturers to design better rice cookers so that consumers will be enticed to eat more rice. When sales of rice cookers plateaued about eight years ago, Japan’s consumer electronics makers came out with hi-tech
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rice cookers that could churn out perfectly steamed and delicious white rice even with the use of ordinary rice. In 2009, I purchased one of those new rice cookers to replace an ageing one at home, and was extremely impressed despite the fact that the model I chose was not anywhere near the top of the line. The latest generation of rice cookers is even more sophisticated. With Panasonic’s latest highend model, for example, one can choose individual cooking modes for 21 of the most popular varieties of Japanese rice. There is one mode for Koshihikari in
general and a separate mode for Uonumagrown Koshihikari. One can even programme the cooker to produce rice that is softer than normal or very slightly al dente. And in a sign of the times, there is even an Android app that hardcore smart phone users can use to program the rice cooker with! Unfortunately, I understand there is no plan yet to market such sophisticated rice cookers outside Japan. But you can always put them on your shopping list for your next trip to Japan. Just remember, however, that they cost around 80,000 yen ($789) each. ÂŹ
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MIXING BUSINESS & SPORTS
Special Investigative Team The Korea Herald Seoul
B
ehind any nation that is big on sports is the support of corporate tycoons who either own professional teams, provide sponsorship or head various sports associations. South Korea is no exception. There is no doubt that the ceaseless support and sports diplomacy from chaebol management, who usually own billions in assets, has aided the performance of athletes.
One way of doing so is by heading major sports associations, although recently this trend has changed slightly with former athletes taking up the posts. Nevertheless, there are still 20 or so corporate leaders who continue to lead organisations. The most aggressive support comes from the Hyundai family. Hyundai Motor Group vice chairman Chung Eui-sun currently heads the Korea Archery
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3.5 trillion won Chung Eui-sun Hyundai Motor Group vice-chairman; Korea Archery Association chairman, May 2005-present
Kim Jae-youl Samsung Engineering corporate planning president; Korean Olympic Committee vice-chairman; Korea Skating Union chairman, March 2011-present
2.5 trillion won Chey Tae-won
270 billion won Chung Mong-gyu Hyundai Development chairman; Korean Olympic Committee executive board member; Korea Football Association chairman, January 2013-present
510 billion won Koo Bon-neung Heesung Group chairman; Korea Baseball Organisation president, March 2011-present
SK Group chairman; Korea Handball Federation chairman, October 2008-present
200 billion won Cho Yang-ho Hanjin Group chairman; Korean Olympic Committee vice-chairman; Korea Table Tennis Association chairman, July 2008-present
Chung Dong-hwa POSCO Engineering & Construction vice-chairman; Korea Gymnastics Association chairman, January 2010-present
Kim Jung Hanwha Galleria full-time adviser; Korea Shooting Federation chairman, 2002-January 2013/November 2013-present
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Association, which chairman Chung Mong-koo—his father— led from 1985 to 1997. Since 1985, the South Korean national archery team has acquired 32 medals (18 gold, 9 silver and 5 bronze). The Korea Football Association, which was led in the past by Hyundai Heavy largest shareholder Chung Mong-joon for over 15 years, was temporarily managed by former soccer player Cho Jung-yeon in recent years before eventually falling into the hands of Hyundai Development chairman Chung Monggyu in 2013. Meanwhile, Halla Group chairman Chung Mong-won is known to be making considerable efforts as chairman of the Korea Ice Hockey Association in order to help the national ice hockey team qualify for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
In the case of the LG, GS and LS families, they seem to be more involved in sports which they are personally fans of. Heesung Group chairman Koo Bon-neung and his love for baseball is a typical example. He became president of the Korea Baseball Organisation. Both his older and younger brothers, LG Group chairman Koo Bon-moo and LG Electronics vice chairman Koo Bon-joon, are well-known baseball fanatics. LS Group chairman Koo Jayeol, on the other hand, is a passionate cyclist who heads the Korea Cycling Federation, while GS Caltex chairman Huh Dong-soo led the Korea Baduk Association until just last year. As an International Olympic Committee member, Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee long stood at the centre of sports diplomacy for South Korea.
Kim Jae-youl, Lee’s son-inlaw and Samsung Engineering’s corporate planning president, has been seen as a new proponent of Samsung’s sports diplomacy following his appointment as chairman of the Korea Skating Union in 2011. He was also the leader of the Korean skating national team during the Sochi Olympics. SK Group, meanwhile, has been focusing much of their resources into less popular sports. As the chairman of the Korea Handball Federation since 2008, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won built a private handball court worth some 40 billion won ($39 million) and established a sizable fund toward the development of handball. SK Telecom honorary chairman Sohn Gil-seung, meanwhile, has been in charge of the Korean Fencing Federation since 2009, a sport for which
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the South Korean national team won a total of six medals at the London Olympics. Hanwha Group also has deeply-rooted ties to sports. While group chairman Kim Seung-youn led the Boxing Association of Korea between 1982 and 1997, more recently, Hanwha Galleria’s full-time adviser Kim Jung took the position of chairman for the Korea Shooting Federation and Hanwha Life’s former vice chairman Shin Eun-chul became chairman of the Korea Equestrian Federation. POSCO, South Korea’s largest steelmaker, maintains a longtime relationship with gymnastics. Before POSCO Engineering & Construction vice chairman Chung Dong-hwa, who currently heads the Korea Gymnastic Association, many other executive members, such as
former chairmen Kim Mahn-je and Sohn Geun-suk as well as chairman Park Deuk-pyo, held the position. Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho, one of the vice chairmen for the Korean Olympic Committee, is also a passionate sports advocate. He has been chairman of the Korea Table Tennis Association since 2008 and has shown his influence in sports diplomacy by helping to lure the Winter Olympics to take place in PyeongChang as the chairperson for the committee. Cho also previously attempted to become a member of the IOC but was unsuccessful. Yet the sport that truly lives up to its reputation as the “chairmen’s sport” is none other than golf. The Korea Professional Golfers Association, is perhaps worthy of being compared to
even the Federation of Korean Industries in terms of both size and prestige. The association is decorated with many chaebol leaders. Samyang International chairman Huh Kwang-soo has been chairman of the KPGA since 2012, while the association’s honorary chairmen include Dong-A Pharmaceutical chairman Kang Shin-ho, Kolon Group honorary chairman Lee Dong-chan and Seoul Broadcasting System honorary chairman Yoon Se-young. Moreover, on the executive board are Kumho Tire vice president Park Se-chang, Dongkuk Steel chairman Chang Sae-joo, GS Engineering & Construction president and CEO Huh Myung-soo, and Bokwang Group CEO Hong Seokkyu.—Hong Seung-wan, Sung Yeon-jin, Do Hyun-jung, Bae Ji-sook and Kim Joo-hyun ¬
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First-generation sports association chairmen Lee Kun-hee
Samsung Group chairman • IOC member • Korean Olympic Committee executive board member • Korea Wrestling Federation chairman, 1982-February 1997
Kim Seung-youn
Hanwha Group chairman • Boxing Association of Korea chairman, 1982-1997 • Supporter of less popular sports such as shooting and horseback riding
Chung Mong-joon
Hyundai Heavy largest shareholder • Korea Football Association chairman, 1993-2008
Chung Mong-koo
Huh Dong-soo
• Korea Archery Association chairman, 1985-1997
• Korea Baduk Association chairman, since 2001
Hyundai Motor Group chairman
GS Caltex chairman
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SPORT FOOD photos by afp
ASIAN FOOTBALL NEEDS GREATER COMMITMENT
Asian teams need to change their approach as evident in their poor performance in Brazil
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Elaine Ramirez The Korea Herald Sao Paulo
South Korea's Son Heung-Min (L) and Han Kook-Young react after their team lost to Belgium 1-0.
T
he group stage matches have wrapped up here in Brazil, and the 32 World Cup teams have had their shot to prove what they’re worth. While this is the stage when the real fun gets underway, one region in particular leaves with their heads hung low as the entire Asian representation—Iran, Australia, Japan and South Korea-was eliminated. South Korea’s defeat to Belgium on June 26 sealed the winless fate of the Asian Football Confederation teams, the first such
South Korea's players, ALSO KNOWN AS TAEGeUK WARRIORS, gather prior to a Group H football match AGAINST Belgium on June 26.
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japan's samurai blue pose for a team photo prior to their Group C football against Colombia on June 24.
performance since 1990. This is the worst outing for Korea since 1998, another year when no Asian country reached the second round. Korea’s weaknesses were not isolated, with the devastating results
even prompting Iran and Japan’s foreignborn coaches Carlos Queiroz and Alberto Zaccheroni to resign following their final defeats. All four coaches lamented their teams’ insufficient physicality
against world-class squads, as showcased in Iran’s tired loss to Bosnia after a gruelling 1-0 fight with Argentina. “We had squeezed everything out of our players against Argentina,” said Queiroz after his team’s final defeat on June 25. “Like squeezing an orange dry. They had little more left to give.” AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said this should serve as a wake-up call for Asia to “acknowledge its shortcomings” and bring its game to the next level, with hopes that renewed commitments to enhancing infrastructure, commercial, competition and administration would show its effects by the next World Cup.
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Japan's Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni (L) addresses an official press conference alongside team captain Makoto Hasebe (R) on June 23.
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Korean coach Hong Myungbo suggested that Asia was in a “transition period” where individual players were improving but that catching up with the best teams was difficult. But Queiroz, criticising their competition system, training and organisation, said Asian teams would never win in their game of catch-up with Europe because the competitors would always be one step ahead. “Asian teams year after year keep making the same mistakes, so they’ll never be able to be on the same level as Europe or South America,” he said. “You cannot copy Europe because the day you think you are close, they are one step ahead because they also progress. But the officials persist in copying Europe and year after year the gap is higher and higher.” The inability of Asia’s best teams to put up a better fight in Brazil signals that there is still
much work to be done, and a change in approach seems imminent. Australia and Iran proved to be threatening in their cutthroat groups, but teams need more than the luck of the draw in such international tournaments to move forward. The reasons behind Asia’s football woes are vast and complex, but I believe AFC countries, especially Korea, Japan, China and Iran, yearn for better. The uphill battle is steep, but not impossible. Taking on coaches like Queiroz, Zaccheroni and Marcello Lippi (China’s AFC Champions League-winning Guangzhou) have been solid recent efforts to right the ship. Though Hong is well respected as one of the best players in its football history, South Korea might do well to seek out another Guus Hiddink, but one committed to leaving a lasting
influence, in an earnest effort to improve the football culture. But taking on a pricey international coach is not enough. Asia must do more than merely sending its talent abroad to bring back what they learned from top-flight European leagues. At the club level, the Asian football organisations must continue to globalise and make their environments more inviting to foreign players. Stripping or easing the foreign player cap in Korea and elsewhere would be another positive move, not just for the good of the sport but also for the good of the everso-slowly opening region. In Korea, grade-obsessed public schools must turn around their dismal physical education system to encourage sport on top of study, and parents must become more open to their children pursuing their own dreams and taking careers that
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Japan's players bow to the crowd after losing their Group C football match against Colombia on June 24 and exiting the world cup tournament.
aren’t just for the country’s most famous corporations. Football associations should look to the long term to invest more in youth development programmes. Above all, I believe, the emerging generation of footballers must continue to inspire the youth to follow their lead. Then, perhaps, Asian countries can one day find themselves in grasp of the world’s best. It may be a long, long time until an AFC team faces Brazil or any other topclass team in a World Cup final. But with the right strategic investments and long-term commitment to improving the conference and the quality of football in each nation, Asia should not lose hope. ¬
July 4-10, 2014
HEAVY DRINKERS, PLEASE STAND UP… IF YOU CAN ‘Hangover’ is an uneasy mirror of Koreans who are portrayed as drunkards in K-pop star Psy’s latest song
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SCREENGRAB OF 'HANGOVER' WITH PSY AND SNOOP DOGg.
Kim Hoo-ran The Korea Herald Seoul
T
he latest music video from Korean singer Psy released last month has failed to garner as much attention as his previous hits “Gangnam Style” (2012) and “Gentleman” (2013), which have so far recorded more
than 2 billion and 700 million views on YouTube, respectively. The response to the “Hangover” music video featuring US rapper Snoop Dogg has been lukewarm, with fans and critics alike disappointed with the lacklustre song. Interestingly, some people take issue with the music video for portraying Koreans as drunkards. The fiveminute video, in fact, is a quick introduction to the so-called drinking culture of Korea. It begins with Psy waking up on the floor with soju and beer bottles all around him and then throwing up in the toilet—apparently from the previous night’s binge—only to start another day of drinking
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all over again. And what a lot of drinking that day involves. The music video shows Psy toppling a domino chain of shot glasses and the two artists drinking soju at a Chinese restaurant, singing and drinking in noraebang (KTV), and drinking yet more alcohol at an eatery (grilled shellfish restaurant), where a drunken brawl breaks out. Ever a nation obsessed with how others perceive us, many Koreans say, “What will people think of us?” Some claim that Psy damaged Korea’s image abroad
by portraying Korea’s heavy-drinking culture. However, what Psy shows in the music video is not too far from the truth. Koreans do drink. According to “Health at a Glance 2013”, a report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare last year, the per capita alcohol consumption for Koreans over the age of 15 stood at 8.9 litres per year. This is roughly equivalent to 123.6 bottles of soju or 365 glasses of draft beer. The economic loss stemming from all that drinking is a staggering 2.3 billion won ($2.25 million)
each year, according to the government. This includes alcoholrelated diseases, family problems, loss in productivity and various accidents. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is set to introduce a bill that restricts drinking and selling alcohol in public places. Restricted places will include beaches, parks and hospitals. The failure to pass a similar bill in 2012—due mostly to the strong resistance from college students who protested the banning of alcohol on campus—is a reflection of how vehemently
Koreans feel about the right to drink. The current bill has been modified to allow drinking and selling of alcohol on campuses for 10 days with permission from the college president, rather than banning drinking outright during events or festivals organised by the college or student organisations. According police figures, 37.9 per cent of murders, 38.5 per cent of rapes and 35.5 per cent of domestic violence cases are either directly or indirectly related to drinking. Yet, Korean society is far
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too lenient about drinking. An example of society’s lax attitude toward drinking is the routine reduction of sentences for criminals who claim to have been inebriated. The court has been handing out reduced sentences to those who commit crimes while intoxicated, viewing them as not in full control of their faculties. It was only last year that sex crimes became exempt from the practice with the passage of the special law on sexual violence. Indeed, it is said that Korea is the only
country in the world, along with Japan, to reduce sentences for crimes committed while intoxicated. When college freshmen die of alcohol poisoning from binge drinking at initiation ceremonies each spring, there are a lot of tut-tuts. Yet, the situation is not rectified. People don’t seem to think twice about having a few drinks with dinner and driving home. Drunk driving accounts for 1,000 deaths and 50,000 injuries every year. It is high time that people think about responsible drinking.
The health ministry’s plan to extend the current ban on alcohol advertisements on TV and radio from 7am to 10pm to include IPTV and DMB, and to ban alcohol advertisements in public transportation and outdoor ads is a step in the right direction, along with banning alcohol in public places. Businesses can also play a crucial role in encouraging responsible drinking by putting an end to the notorious hoesik culture of colleagues getting drunk together, which still remains the norm in
many companies. People vomiting on the streets, aided by fellow revellers who pat them on the back, is a common sight. In the vicinities of Gangnam Subway Station, Konkuk University Subway Station, Itaewondong and the Hongdae area, people stagger on the streets in the morning hours, their heads reeling from drinking all night. This is the uncomfortable truth reflected in Psy’s “Hangover” music video. The writer is a senior writer of The Korea Herald. ¬
July 4-10, 2014
ÂŹ Manila Jessie J Live in Manila Award winning English singer-songwriter, Jessie J, is coming to Manila for the first time to perform in July. Jessie J came to prominence after the release of her debut single, "Do it Like a Dude", which peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Charts.
When: July 14; 8pm Where: Smart Araneta Coliseum
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ÂŹ Singapore The Sound Of Music in Singapore The world's best-loved musical, The Sound Of Music, comes to the MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands in July, with a dazzling production from the home of West End musical theatre, the famous London Palladium.
When: July 11-13 Where: Marina Bay Sands-Grand Theatre
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¬ Bangkok West Side Story Iconic American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein left a lasting legacy in the musical world that still reverberates today. TPO Chief Conductor Gudni A. Emilsson will present several of Bernstein’s famous works, including the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Russian-Icelandic clarinet soloist Dimitri Ashkenazy makes a return appearance with TPO to present Copland’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra.
When: July 11; 7pm/MACM (Pre-concert talk 6:15 p.m.) July 12; 4pm / MACM (Pre-concert talk 3:30 p.m.) Where: MACM Hall, Mahidol University
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ÂŹ Yokohama, Japan 2NE 1 Yokohama 2NE1, the four-member South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009, is holding a two night concert in Yokohama, Japan. The band is composed of CL, Minzy, Dara and Bom.
When: July 5; 5pm July 6; 3pm Where: Yokohama Arena
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ÂŹ Kanagawa, Japan Belgian Beer Weekend 2014 If Tokyo's Oktoberfest onslaught doesn't take your fancy, head to Yokohama's Yamashita Park for a taste of Belgian beery goodness. Take your pick of nearly 60 different varieties, running from the workaday (Stella Artois to the downright exotic (Mystic Cherry). There'll also be live music from singersongwriter Anton Walgrave and scruffy blues maestro Roland Van Campenhout.
When: July 2-6; 4pm-9pm (Sat-Sun & holidays 11am-9pm) Venue: Yamashita KoenYamashita-cho, Naka-ku
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