May 31-June 6, 2013
LIVE WIRE
Video did not really kill radio
May 31-June 6, 2013
LIVE WIRE
Video did not really kill radio
May 31-June 6, 2013
LIVE WIRE
Video did not really kill radio
May 31-June 6, 2013
LIVE WIRE
Video did not really kill radio
May 31-June 6, 2013
LIVE WIRE
Video did not really kill radio
May 31-June 6, 2013
LIVE WIRE
Video did not really kill radio
May 31-June 6, 2013
LIVE WIRE
Video did not really kill radio
May 31-June 6, 2013
LIVE WIRE
Video did not really kill radio
May 31-June 6, 2013
Contents Entertainment
Live wire: Video did not kill radio
Environment
Sustainable construction: The debate rages on
A man for all seasons
May 31-June 6, 2013
Contents Economy
That ‘lipstick effect’
Society
Special Report
The middle-class trap
The ever-changing face of terror
WRITE, FAX, EMAIL Please include sender’s name and address to: asianewsnet@gmail.com | Asia News Network Nation Multimedia Group Plc 1858/129 Bangna-Trad Road (Km 4.5), Bangna, Bangkok 10260 Thailand.Tel: (662)338 3333 Fax: (662)338 3964 Subscription inquries: Nation Multimedia Group Plc 1854 Bangna-Trad Road (Km 4.5), Bangna, Bangkok 10260 Thailand. Tel: (662)338 3333 Call Center: (662)338 3000 press 1 Fax: (662)338 3964
May 31-June 6, 2013
Contents Travel
Walk this way
Lifestyle
Back to black
>>DATEBOOK
People
A walk in the vineyard
Happenings around Asia
WRITE, FAX, EMAIL Please include sender’s name and address to: asianewsnet@gmail.com | Asia News Network Nation Multimedia Group Plc 1858/129 Bangna-Trad Road (Km 4.5), Bangna, Bangkok 10260 Thailand.Tel: (662)338 3333 Fax: (662)338 3964 Subscription inquries: Nation Multimedia Group Plc 1854 Bangna-Trad Road (Km 4.5), Bangna, Bangkok 10260 Thailand. Tel: (662)338 3333 Call Center: (662)338 3000 press 1 Fax: (662)338 3964
| May 31-June 6, 2013
SPECIAL REPORT
The ever-changing face of terror Indonesia’s efforts to curb terror threats face serious challenges Noor Huda Ismail The Jakarta Post Jakarta
T
he recent drama revolving around the arrest and killing of suspected terrorists in Jakarta, Banten, Bandung, Kebumen, Kendal, Lampung and Batam suggest that Indonesia’s efforts to curb the terror threat are still facing serious challenges, which stem from violent groups as well as an imperfect approach to dealing with the issue. Today’s immediate threats do not only come from major jihadi organisations like Darul Islam (DI), Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) or Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid (JAT).
Most members of these organisations have revealed that they all agree that militant jihad means justified use of violence against the enemies of Islam, but there is no solid agreement among themselves over when and how to use it. This situation has created a free and chaotic interpretation of jihad for new recruits. Senior members are unable to control them let alone to stop them from realising their deadly understanding of militant jihad or amaliyah. The seniors may disagree with the violent factions, but they will never hand them over to the police. Often, those who are against militant jihad are taunted as qoidun, an Arabic term that implies they are NATO
— “No Action Talk Only”. Through natural selection, the more dedicated militant individuals often referred to as “naughty recruits”, successfully hijack the infrastructure of an organisation to advance their cause. They search for recruits through friendship, discipleship, kinship and worship. Mostly the recruitment method is bottom-up wherein recruits look for hardcore leaders. For moral justification, they do not listen to clerics from the MUI, the Indonesian Ulema Council, but they shop for fatwas or edicts from radical clerics from the Middle East such as Al Maqdisi or the late Anwar Al Awlaki on YouTube. Here, it is important to note
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SPECIAL REPORT
that nobody watches YouTube or reads Inspire, al-Qaeda’s English language publication, and becomes a terrorist; these two media tend to sustain the commitment to militant jihad, rather than inspire it. The phenomenon of “naughty recruits” can be traced back to the sectarian conflicts in Ambon and Poso in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Mainstream JI leaders had refused to send their recruits to help Muslims in those two areas. However, “naughty recruits” like the two half-brothers Ali Imron and Ali Fauzi broke the bureaucratic role of JI by going to the conflict zones to put into practice their violent understanding of jihad and also recruited and trained hundreds of locals to follow their cause. Among their recruits in Poso are today’s leaders of the Mujahidin Indonesia Timur, Santoso, Basri, who just escaped from Ampana prison, and
Indonesia’s presidential security forces show off their skills during an anti-terrorism drill in Denpasar, Bali in November last year. Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP
bomb expert Upik Lawanga.
In the name of jihad?
These days, new recruits, who mainly come from lower-income backgrounds like mechanics or vendors of meatball soup, chicken
porridge, herbal medicines or T-shirts do not understand the abstract concept of jihad. They just want fast and concrete implementation of it. I talked to some of them and learned that often their
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SPECIAL REPORT
knowledge of religion is very superficial and there are other reasons than purely jihad such as personal fantasy, seeking adventure, purpose and even identity, especially if they do not have many things going on in their life. Therefore, ideologues like Abubakar Ba’asyir and Aman Abdurrahman, who are now incarcerated in maximum security prison in Nusakambangan, play crucial roles in framing their understanding of jihad. Through regular prison visits, these ideologues constantly spew extreme hatred toward Indonesia’s secular system, and the US and its allies as the real terrorists. Even Ba’asyir bluntly told me in a recent interview that recruits must be ready to embark on a “revolution” like the Arab Spring. Recruits fully understand that both Ba’asyir and Aman won’t be able to provide them
Members of the police carry ammunition and explosives from the house of four suspected terrorists in Bandung Regency. Arya Dipa/ The Jakarta Post
with practical instructions for jihad and therefore look to individuals like Abu Umar who has a vast network of military trainers like Sabar, alias Autad Rawa, and access to weapons from Mindanao
in the southern Philippines. Importantly, Abu Umar still upholds the concept of fai, or taking the enemy’s property through bank robberies, as a practical strategy to finance their operations. Successful
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SPECIAL REPORT
fai operators will gain wealth, respect and influence. For this faction, i’dad or military training is a crucial element in implementing jihad. They will always find a target once they feel they are ready. Their targets include attacking the Shiite community, Ahmadis, Christians, Buddhists, government officials and, of course, Westerners as they are seen to be oppressors of the Muslim world such as in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Yemen. In the face of this everchanging face of terror, the authorities, however, have not taken as comprehensive an approach to the problem as they should. Certainly, hundreds of terrorists have been apprehended or killed by the authorities, but arresting them alone is not sufficient. What the security authorities need are out-of-
the-box types of initiatives to tackle this issue. In their simplistic ways of thinking, such as “being radical” as a passageway to terrorism, in many cases the authorities infiltrate mosques simply to learn about what is being said by the imams leading prayers and by those attending, without a clear reason to suspect criminality. For law enforcement to equate increased religiosity or radicalisation with violence is not only a bad conclusion, but it can also damage the characteristic of society because being radical means rejecting the status quo, which, in some cases, pushes society forward. Radicalism is not the enemy, terrorism is. The writer is founder and executive director at the Institute for International Peace Building. The article was first printed by The Jakarta Post.
ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable construction: The debate rages on
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ENVIRONMENT
Pana Janviroj Asia News Network Mumbai
“S
ufficiency economy” was a repeated phrase at the 4th International Holcim Forum, as efforts continue at the global level to seek a new paradigm for sustainable development. The idea of economic sufficiency has been developed by Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, but rather than a Thai participant, it was German-born Werner Sobek of Stuttgart University who raised the new concept for ethical development. He cited the example of India, where large numbers of young citizens want the improved services and facilities of a modern lifestyle. Yet, because of the sheer numbers involved, youngsters could not expect each to live
in their own spacious home. “It’s no longer a financial question but an ethical concept that needs a solution,” said the academic. Sobek took part in a closing-session debate for the three-day Holcim Forum, attended by 300 experts from all over the world and hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. The theme was “Economy of Sustainable Construction”. The conference explored the paradigm shift emerging from the growing awareness of the economic potential of sustainable development. In his keynote address earlier, Lucas Bretschger, economics professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, summed up the economics of sustainable construction thus:
primary energy consumption in most countries;
The building sector:
Good “green” buildings often cost a small percentage more to build than conventional designs.
Accounts for 40 per cent of
Is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions; Is estimated to be worth 10 per cent of global GNP (US$7.5 trillion) and to employ 111 million people. Has the potential to contribute to healthier and more productive environments. Economic benefits of sustainable construction from well designed, constructed, operated and maintained “green” buildings can have many benefits, with increased durability, reduced cost of energy and waste, improvement in occupants health and productivity.
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ENVIRONMENT
And yet, the data are telling. A new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that the Asia-Pacific region has surpassed the rest of the world in its consumption of raw materials, and will continue to dominate world material flows. The data indicate the region will be increasingly dependent on imports, and unable to sustain its economies and lifestyles, while there will be negative impact on the environment. “Each dollar of GDP requires an increasing amount of materials,” said Dr Park Youngwoo, director of the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. “Resource efficiency needs to increase rapidly to offset material growth in the Asia-Pacific region, which needs systems innovations in urban areas, transportation modes, energy production and economic structure.
Domestic consumption of materials in Asia increased from 6.2 billion tonnes to 37.5 billion tonnes between 1970 and 2008, an annual growth rate of 4.8 per cent. China and India have considerably upped their consumption, with China accounting for more than 60 per cent of the region’s total domestic material consumption, and India more than 14 per cent. The regional average per-
capita material consumption now stands at 89 per cent of that of the rest of the world. The report found that the region is moving from a biomass-based to a minerals-based economy. The most populous countries such as China and India are transitioning from agrarian to industrialised economies. Thailand is falling into the same condition. Biomass dropped from more than half, to 25 per cent of the region’s
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ENVIRONMENT
domestic extraction, while construction materials grew to 51.4 per cent. The findings of the report conclude that countries in Asia and the Pacific face even greater challenges to make the transition of current economic growth patterns towards ‘green’ growth, and to transform the economies into truly ‘green’ economies,” Park said. In the final-session debate at the Holcim Forum, Marc Angelil of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said that while economic uplift can be widely experienced from recent economic development, such development had impacted the ecological footprint. Ashok Lall, a well-known Indian architect, said the built environment was shaped by “economics and power”, and without better understanding of it “the transition towards sustainability” can’t be made. The magnitude of the challenge was summed up by Nimal Kishnani
from the National University of Singapore, who estimated that Asia’s urban centres are attracting 20,000 newcomers each day, an influx which the “market and government” is unable to address. “Architects,” he added, “must act as agents of change.” Moderator Rolf Soiron, chairman of the board of Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, advocated installing integrity as a governing principle of development, along with professional ethics in its code of conduct. On common-sense solutions, Lall noted that the source of change is very much at the community level, and efforts must be made to align the professions with community and with common sense. “Maybe that is a way forward … but do we have the time?”he queried. Kishnani turned the focus on why people move to cities, adding the solutions may lie elsewhere.
On putting a price on things, one speaker noted that “green” labelling and eco-ratings had created environmental awareness but that green buildings were not necessarily sustainable. Some participants voiced the opinion that such “value” aspects were too diverse to be discussed at a global level. It was added that the economic and financial framework currently being deployed was not helping to push sustainable construction forward. Speaking on “Integrity as a Principle, and Professional Ethics”, Sobek noted, “We should not opt for architecture for ‘eternity’ as we build new cities. “Retool architects [with the knowledge that the urban landscape] will change. So they should be open to change we should allow for flexibility and not permanence.” He added, “We should agree on a worldwide value system - which is not money”.
ENVIRONMENT
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ENVIRONMENT
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ENVIRONMENT
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ECONOMY
That ‘lipstick effect’ As the economy slows, people in China splurge on small indulgences such as cosmetics Shi Jing China Daily Shanghai
F
ang Jinqi, 32, said the most urgent thing for her at the moment is to develop a more thrifty lifestyle because her job as a property agent business is stagnating. The big fan of Hermes bags who used to buy a new one almost every two months said she has not done so for at least six months. To make up for the loss of her hobby, Fang is now turning to cheaper cosmetics, such as lipsticks, which she said “can be easily picked up from chain
stores such as Sephora”. Leonard Lauder, chairman of Estee Lauder Companies, said he noticed the sales of lipsticks experienced an increase during the economic deflation after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US in 2001. Lauder said when the economy sours people are more willing to spend on smaller indulgences such as lipstick rather than splashing out on expensive luxury bags. It’s a phenomenon known as the “lipstick effect” and has been recognised historically. Professor of sociology Juliet Schor wrote in her book “The Over Spent Americans”, published in 1999, that anti-wrinkle cream, moisturisers, eye shadow and powders, lipsticks and facial
makeup can provide “hope in a bottle” for people, especially women, who are “looking for affordable luxury, the thrill of buying at the expensive department store, indulging in a fantasy of beauty and sexiness”. In short, “Cosmetics are an escape from an otherwise all too drab everyday existence,” she wrote. But is the same thing happening in China? China’s GDP rose 7.8 per cent in 2012, the first time that the country’s growth rate fell to less than 8 per cent since 1999. Its economy grew 7.7 per cent in the first quarter of this year. The country’s Purchasing Managers’ Index dropped to a nine-month low at 49.2 points
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ECONOMY
in August last year. A figure below 50 indicates a contracting economy. Fan Junlin, an economics researcher at the Agricultural Bank of China, said in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency: “Weak external demand remains the biggest factor dragging down China’s economic growth.”
Fashion brands
But as the industrial and manufacturing sectors declined last year, fast-moving consumer goods and fashion brands soared. According to the market research firm Euromonitor International, the entire retail value of the beauty and personal care sector in China grew from 184.1 billion yuan ($30 billion) in 2011 to 202.1 billion yuan in 2012. L’Oreal Group saw its market share grow 11.2 per cent in 2012 from 10.8 per cent a year earlier. Shiseido Co. and Unilever Group have both seen a 0.1 per cent
When the economy declines, some people will start to buy inexpensive lipsticks or makeup that are not high-end items to make themselves feel good. It’s a phenomenon known as the ‘lipstick effect’. Provided to China Daily
increase in terms of market share. A survey of the global retail market released by the consulting firm A.T. Kearney showed China move up from sixth place in 2011 to third
place in 2012. It predicted the growth rate of China’s retail sales revenue will double by the end of this year despite rising labour costs and rents. The German retail and
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ECONOMY
wholesale group Metro AG opened 12 new stores in China last year to bring the total number to 64. It plans to have about 100 stores by 2015. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. opened 30 new stores in China last year. Carrefour S.A. opened 18. Tesco Plc opened 13. Auchan S.A. opened 10. Zara, a leader in the fast fashion industry, opened 31 more stores in China in 2012 to bring the total number to 123. Uniqlo Co., an overseas fast fashion brand in China, opened 71 more stores in China in 2012, bringing the total number to 184 by the end of last year. Conversely, luxury brands saw their growth slow down in China in 2012 after years of astonishingly rapid rises in sales. According to the US consulting firm Bain & Co., the growth rate in the Chinese luxury market fell to 7 per cent in 2012 from 30 per cent in 2011.
Sales of cheaper cosmetics, such as lipsticks, haven’t been affected much by the slowing-down economic growth. L’Oreal Group, for example, saw its market share in China grow 11.2 per cent in 2012 from 10.8 per cent a year earlier. Li Bin for China Daily
Italian brand Gucci said at the beginning of this year it would maintain the opening of new stores in China at three to four a year. At its height it was opening 10 to 15 stores
annually. Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of luxury brand LVMH, said on January 31 that Louis Vuitton will not open boutiques in second- and third-tier cities in China in an
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ECONOMY
attempt to avoid over-exposure.
Recession-proof According to Nick Debnam, Asia-Pacific chairman of consumer markets at KPMG China, the lipstick effect is an economic phenomenon where even when luxury spending slows, the spending on cosmetics tends to hold up pretty well. Cosmetics are relatively affordable compared with other luxury items and while people delay their bigger ticket luxury purchases, for cosmetics there is less deferral, or “switching of buying habits”. People are less likely to stop buying fast-moving consumer goods because they are seen as daily necessities. Debnam added that it does not necessarily mean the money saved by not buying luxury goods will be transferred to the purchase of daily necessities. He added when the economy
declines, some people will start to buy “relatively less expensive lipsticks or makeup to make themselves feel good”. But he said he witnessed an improvement in the situation in the latter part of last year with sales gradually returning to normal, especially in Hong Kong. In the Chinese mainland market, he said things will get better probably in the second half of this year. *US$1=6.1 yuan
SOCIETY
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The middle-class trap China’s expanding middle class struggle with new expectations and ingrained lifestyle traditions
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SOCIETY
Liu Wei China Daily Beijing
H
an Lin has not spoken to his father in two months. Part of the reason is the old man wants to take his oneyear-old granddaughter back to Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, so he can look after her better, but the city is a four-hour train ride away from Beijing, and his son had flatly refused. While the situation may be unfamiliar to people living in the United States or United Kingdom, Han’s dilemma is very common in China, especially among the growing numbers of the socalled middle class. And this is only one problem they face. A recent report by The Times of London describes the Chinese middle class as “on their way to becoming the
most powerful social bloc on the planet”. The Wall Street Journal quoted statistics from McKinsey & Co., which defines this group as those with annual disposable incomes of between US$16,000 and $34,000. Han, an IT engineer with a US company, and his wife Qian Jin, an accountant in a private domestic enterprise, were startled at the suggestion that they fitted into this category. “Middle class? Call me middleclass when I have at least two houses and a Beijing hukou (registration system),” says Qian. A hukou is a permanent household registration in the city, which allows the resident full privileges in housing, education and health services. Housing has become the most important issue for most urban Chinese families, closely followed by their children’s education. The price of a 100-squaremetre apartment around Beijing’s
Third Ring Road, about 10km from the city centre, has risen to four times its price in 2005. Han, 32, bought his 90-squaremetre apartment in 2008. His suburban community has no major hospital or shopping mall, and he drives an hour each day to his job in the city centre. Yet, he considers the house his wisest investment in Beijing. He bought it for about 900,000 yuan ($124,000) in 2008, and now property agents offer him 2 million yuan for it. “I am quite lucky compared to many of my age,” he says. “Our parents had some savings and they were generous in their support, or else my life in Beijing would have been totally different. It would have been a lot more stressful.” Han and Qian lived with his parents for about three months after their baby was born. When they had to go back to work, they asked their parents to
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SOCIETY
move to Beijing to help. A good baby sitter would have cost at least 4,000 yuan a month. With five people under one roof, their apartment started to feel a little cramped. There was also a growing problem: There were no good kindergartens or elementary schools in the community. They could send their child to a private school, but tuition and peer pressure worried them. Han frets that perhaps his child would be ashamed that he drove a Buick while the other children were being chauffeured home in Porsches or BMWs. Some of his neighbours sold their 100-square-metre houses to buy a 40-square-metre apartment downtown so they had access to better schools. Many had taken even more drastic measures. Qian says at least five of her colleagues had left Beijing in the last two years because they cannot
Han Lin, his wife Qian Jin (left), with their daughter and mother share happy times in their Beijing home. Feng Yongbin/China Daily
afford a house in the city.
Rising expenses
“The obsession of owning your own house is overwhelming,” she says. “If someone is over 30 and still live in a rental house, he is just labelled as not successful.”
She says there are even some who fake a divorce so they can buy a second house, referring to the strict regulations that now govern the purchase and ownership of a second property that Beijing and some other major cities have imposed to
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SOCIETY
cool the real estate market. Policy dictates that residents without a Beijing hukou cannot buy more than one house. Although their current accommodation is getting crowded, Han and Qian is postponing plans to buy a bigger house. Like most people their age in China, they are the only child in their respective families. They need to take care of four elderly parents with increasingly fragile health—at least until the country’s health and social welfare system can ensure that every old person can be decently looked after. They also need to save for their child. Even milk money is a heavy expenditure. They currently feed their baby an imported milk powder from Germany, and the price of the brand has been swinging upward as demand increases in tandem
with falling confidence in domestic dairy products after safety-issue scandals. Han’s father had suggested bringing the child back to Xuzhou, their hometown, arguing that the grandparents can look after the baby better, and that the cost of living would be lower. The grandfather also thinks that chances in finding a good school will be better. Han finds that decision too hard to make. “How much money the Chinese middle class earns is much easier to measure than how happy they are,” notes Zhou Xiaozheng, sociology professor at Renmin University. “Fancy as their jobs, cars or houses may be, the pressures are enormous. They do not enjoy the benefits of the upper class, and they share the same worries of the lower classes including food safety for their children, education
and the stress to succeed.” Bei Bei is single, has a Beijing hukou, three houses and fits exactly into Qian’s definition of being “middle class”, but the 35-year-old has her own angst.
Quality of life
Born and raised in Beijing, the owner of a technology company lives in a 190-square-metre house in central Beijing, and has two more she rents out. She has two cars: a Land Rover and a BMW. Her definition of being middle-class goes beyond the material possessions. “In my opinion, being middle class means having quality of life and good taste for beauty and art,” she says. Bei tries to live up to this standard by going to the gym four times a week, collecting art and travelling abroad at least three times a year. Unfortunately, she finds some basic elements of life such as clean air, water
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SOCIETY
and safe food beyond her. To compensate, she buys organic food, imported milk and bottled water, and has two Swedish-made air purifiers working in her house, and that of her parents. Bei got divorced two years ago. Being single again at 35 does not bother her, although being misunderstood by her friends does. “I think I am leading a pretty cool life, but they think I am just putting on a brave face.” The issue is finding the right partner. “Men my age who are equally sound financially tend to choose younger women,” she says. “I must say people today are living a more improved life, and they are much more open to life choices than in my parents’ era. But, some fundamental changes need time.” She illustrates her point by citing her travelling experiences. In her three trips abroad every year, she always travels business
class, but not all her boyfriends have taken to that very well. “Oddly enough, I cannot pay for them, because that will bruise their egos even more,” she laughs. Han and his wife and Bei all agree on one thing though, and that is China’s middle class needs to be more committed to society and community. Han uses Weibo to post his opinions on inflation and air pollution, and Bei practises a strict moral bottom line in doing business. “I will not deceive my clients with lame products, even if some people may be earning more money by doing so,” she says. Professor Zhou of Renmin University expects even more from the Chinese middle class, estimated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to take up about 40 per cent of China’s population by 2020. “The Chinese middle class
struggles between tradition and rapid social changes,” he says. “They yearn for a better sense of stability and security when growing their wealth. I believe that with their education and insight they will play a significant role, and their voices on social causes will get louder as they grow more and more numerous.”
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ENTERTAINMENT
Live Wire Young radio deejays inject radio stations with fresh ideas and a sense of vibrancy Boon Chan The Straits Times Singapore
V
ideo killed the radio star. This was the dire prognosis fired by MTV back in 1981 with its first music video from British synthpop group The Buggles. The good news is that radio appears to be faring better than MTV, which has had to turn to reality TV programming to remain relevant in this age of YouTube dominance. The bad news is that radio’s market share in the mediascape is now under threat from other avenues, especially
Internet radio where listeners can customise the content on websites such as Spotify. And yet, amid the challenges, the number of FM radio stations in Singapore grew to 19 with the addition of SPH UnionWorks’ Kiss 92 last September. One of the ways that radio stations have freshened up their appeal is by bringing in deejays under 30 such as Gerald Koh, better known as Boy Thunder, on Hot FM91.3; Lin Weidong, or Ah Dong, on UFM 100.3; and Nity Baizura on Ria 89.7FM. Foong Wai See, senior programme director for MediaCorp’s 93.3FM, says: “With young and energetic deejays joining the station, they bring in lots of
enthusiasm and new ideas and this adds vibrancy to the station. We have to, and want to, build new radio personalities for the industry.” Some ideas include co-opting the competition. Nity, 29, uses social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Keek, a social networking service that lets its users upload video status updates, to keep in touch with her listeners. To attract new blood, competitions are held. The fresh voices discovered have included Sonia Nicola Chew, 21, the champ of 987FM’s Radio Star last year, and Chung Kun Wah, 27, winner of Y.E.S. 93.3FM’s deejay search in 2005. There is the hope that their youthfulness would be a magnet
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ENTERTAINMENT
in attracting a younger audience. Justin Ang was just 16 when he started with Safra (Singapore Armed Forces Reservists Association) Radio. He was in school during the day and hosting a chart show at night. Half in jest, he says his biggest challenge then was “trying my best not to get fired”. Ang, now 31 and on 987FM, adds: “It was easy to relate to my listeners who were my peers then. I understood what they were going through.” Younger deejays are also seen as being more fun. Recently, FM91.3’s Koh, 28, and fellow deejay Adam Piperdy, 22, talked for 77 hours straight into a Guinness World Record for longest marathon show. Beyond attracting new listeners to radio, the bigger challenge is to keep them surfing the airwaves for the long term. Programme director for UFM 100.3 Carine Ang notes: “Many started listening to
the station back when they were in their teens or early 20s. This could have become a habit.” And there is anecdotal evidence that there are fans who grow up along with their favourite deejays. Jean Danker, 35, started out in radio when she was 16 and is currently with Class 95FM. She says that many of her listeners migrated from 987FM, where she started out, to her current station. Even as younger deejays help to jazz up radio’s appeal, it is worth noting that their drawing power is not necessarily limited to the under-30 set. Foong says: “The personality of a deejay plays an important part in connecting with the listeners and they may attract different age groups too.” As Lin, 27, puts it: “To the older crowd, listening to my show is a gateway to understanding what the young are thinking about.” In the end, maybe age
really is just a number. Chung says: “Even if you are over 30, you can still be on the same frequency as younger listeners because you can continue to have a youthful lifestyle and image. So the key point here is that I hope to still appeal to that demographic even after I turn 30.”
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ENTERTAINMENT
987FM, Reload, weekdays, 1-4pm, and Say It With Music, Saturdays, 6-10pm Like many young radio deejays in Singapore, Sonia Nicola Chew studied communications. The difference is that she had planned to go into TV rather than radio. Her exposure to radio work while studying mass communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic changed her route. “I went on Radio Heatwave (Ngee Ann’s campus radio station), took radio journalism and radio production modules. While I still love the TV business, I feel radio is more me. It suits my personality,” says Chew, who is now studying for her degree in creative producing at Chapman University Singapore. Last year, she won 987FM’s deejay search, Radio Star, and signed a part-time contract
with MediaCorp Radio. The rookie is still trying to develop her persona and people have told her that she is “really wacky and puny”, which is miles apart from the initial “too cool for school” impression everyone has of her, says Chew, the only child of a video production company owner. Youth is on her side and that may get her listeners to grow up with her. She says: “This is why radio personalities are so important. What sets radio apart is that you have someone there to keep you company.” — Rachael Boon
ASHLEIGH SIM/THE STRAITS TIMES
Sonia Nicola Chew, 21
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KEVIN LIM/THE STRAITS TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Nona Kirana, 29
Warna 94.2FM, Sutera Warna, weekdays, 6-10pm As a child, Nona Kirana wanted to be a radio deejay, an astronaut and a zoologist. Well, outer space and the animals have to wait. Malay radio listeners have been getting their dose of Nona since 2007, when she signed on fulltime with Warna as a producer and presenter after a part-time stint. The communications and media management graduate from Temasek Polytechnic is known to share details of her life with her listeners, such as her marriage to a financial planner whom she met at Malam Warna, a live show organised by the station. “I found love while in radio, got married and had a baby. Some listeners have taken a special interest in my life, that’s what made radio special to me.”
But Nona, whose son is almost 18 months old, is careful not to let her personal problems and emotions cloud her on-air duties. “The microphone is magic to me. Once I switch it on, I’m all sunshine and smiles because I really love my job.” A self-proclaimed “social media freak”, she is active on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Keek. “With the proliferation of social media, it’s a challenge to get the young interested in radio and that’s why we make special efforts to engage them on these platforms.” And while she is a lifelong radio fan, Nona is also keen on branching out into television. She is an occasional newsreader on Malay television station Suria. “I’d love to explore more work on TV, so we’ll see when the opportunity presents itself. I’d love to host a travel documentary some day.”— Eddino Abdul Hadi
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
Hot FM91.3, Hot Breakfast With Boy Thunder, Adam & Josh, weekdays, 6-10am
Gerald Koh was thrown into the hot seat in January when he and two other young deejays, Joshua Simon and Adam Piperdy, both 22, were assigned to take over the Hot FM91.3’s morning show. They are the youngest team among radio stations competing in the radio primetime. The previous hosts, Rod Monteiro And The Married Men, had their contract terminated over a telephone prank that the station deemed inappropriate and indefensible. Making Koh and gang’s task harder was the fact that Rod Monteiro And The Married Men had snared enough listeners to become No. 2 on the breakfast
show scene in about two years, according to the Nielsen Radio Diary Survey. Koh, who joined the station full-time in 2008, says: “All I can do is to try my best, slide in and have fun.” The support he has received from Monteiro, who is one of the deejays he looks up to, encourages him. Apparently, Monteiro texted him: “Your show is good, keep up the faith, don’t worry.” The memory of his late maternal grandmother also gives him strength. “She died at the time when I had entered radio. At her hospital bed, she told me: ‘Why are you so scared? This is what you love. If you’re scared, you’ll never get what you love.’” At 15, he was recording his voice as he practised how to introduce a song before it started playing. He
went on to study mass communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and did well in radio modules. Koh, who is engaged, got his Boy Thunder nickname as an intern at Hot FM91.3 in 2007 when he was tasked with driving the station’s van, which is affectionately named “The Thunder Truck”. The internship was also when he made his debut on the airwaves, thanks to SPH UnionWorks’ senior programme director Jamie Meldrum. “I was learning the ropes from Jeremy Ratnam, now a DJ at Kiss 92. Jamie asked us what we were doing and I went on air. He liked it, put me on the weekend show and, after a few weeks, on a morning show where I did stunts outside and called back to the station.” —Rachael Boon
ASHLEIGH SIM/THE STRAITS TIMES
DJ Boy Thunder, aka Gerald Koh, 28
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ASHLEIGH SIM/THE STRAITS TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Ivy Tan, 29
Y.E.S. 93.3FM, Utopia, weekdays, 11pm-2am The most distinctive quality about Ivy Tan on air is her laugh. It is big and, to fans, joyous. Then there are listeners who object to it, asking “Why do you laugh like that?” and “Why do you laugh so loud?” and scolding her for it. But she has never reined it in. “That’s my natural laugh so I’ve laughed this way from the start. I suppose some people have had to get used to it,” says Tan. Her personality on- and off-air is the same. “In real life, I speak more like a Singaporean, less precisely, but the personality is the same. I’m not your sweet girl next door.” Tan first did radio work while studying mass communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Since joining MediaCorp in 2007, she
has helmed morning and night shows, with others and alone. “When you host alone, you are totally in control, from what you want to say to the content of the show, 100 per cent, it’s all yours.” But there is an advantage to being part of a team, she reveals. Helming a show solo, “I have to run for my toilet breaks”, while with a team, “I can walk normally”. For all the talk of media competition, she believes that radio has one key advantage. “It’s very personal. You are listening and I’m talking to you. I’m not talking to a whole bunch of people. Radio is more like a friend.” Tan says she is single but “hopefully after this article, I won’t be anymore”.—Boon Chan
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
UFM 100.3, Feel The Night, weekdays, 8pm-midnight The question of how radio can stay relevant is one that Lin Weidong has been thinking about. One way is to extend radio’s reach by making it available online. Another is making quality programmes and conducting meaningful interviews with artists. He says: “When I meet artists who are real and sincere, you realise that the conversations are something that are irreplaceable... They’re immediate, personal and you get to hear the artist’s voice.” Lin, who uses the moniker Ah Dong on air, broadcasts the interviews during his slot on weeknights. “It’s easier for people to like you at night as they are more relaxed. There’s more personality that comes out then and the sharing is more intimate.”
It is a good fit for him as he used to listen to the radio at night while studying. The bachelor, who graduated from Singapore Management University with a degree in finance, started out in radio co-hosting a jazz segment on the same station in 2006. Besides drawing in younger listeners with whom he says he has a natural affinity, Lin thinks that he has a connection with those in their 40s and older. He led a tour to Shandong last year and he would entertain the participants by singing songs on the bus and chatting with them. One of them later said that talking to him was like talking to his own son. Lin says: “For me, it was always about attracting the younger listeners. But to the older crowd, listening to my show is a gateway to understanding what the young are thinking about.”
ASHLEIGH SIM/THE STRAITS TIMES
Lin Weidong, 27
To keep his show fresh, he takes on side projects from multimedia work for theatre to photography. “We cannot just stay behind the microphone,” he says. “It’s about branching out. By being more well-rounded, you bring fresh perspectives to the job.”—Boon Chan
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
Ria 89.7FM, Groove Xpress & Skoolz, weekdays, 6-10pm Malay radio deejay Nity Baizura has survived a major boo-boo on air. She once forgot to switch off her microphone in the radio studio and the conversation she had with a colleague was broadcast live on radio. “I realised this only when a listener sent me a text message. Thank goodness the conversation was not inappropriate.” The bubbly 29-year-old is a familiar voice for Ria 89.7FM listeners on their evening drive home and young listeners who tune in at night. The station plays both popular and contemporary Malay and English songs. An eight-year veteran on Malay radio, she might have had a different career had she leveraged on her academic qualifications.
She graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in chemical process technology, specialising in industrial chemistry. The deejay, who is married to a teacher and is expecting her first child, says in jest: “The only chemistry that’s in my life right now is my passionate relationship with radio.” She says the biggest challenge that she faces in her job is getting young radio listeners to tune in, instead of merely seeking music on the Internet. “We use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Keek to communicate with them.” While making regular appearances as a host on Malay television channel Suria has also helped her build up her fan base, radio will always be her first love. “I can’t believe it’s been eight years and I must say I have had many memorable moments. I
KEVIN LIM/THE STRAITS TIMES
Nity Baizura, 29
don’t see myself retiring from this job anytime soon. I love what I’m doing and I think doing something that you love and earning a living from it is a double blessing.”—Eddino Abdul Hadi
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ASHLEIGH SIM/THE STRAITS TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Chung Kun Wah, 27
Y.E.S. 93.3FM, Good Evening, weekdays, 4-8pm Chung Kun Wah, better known as Kunhua, says being in the radio studio as a solo deejay can be a lonely thing “because you don’t know who’s listening to you”. “But when you see someone leaving a message on your Facebook page, sending you an SMS or calling in and sharing his life with you, you realise you’re not alone and that’s a heart-warming feeling.” To him, that is the most unforgettable part of the job. He joined 93.3FM as a parttimer in 2005 after winning a deejay search contest. After graduating from the Department of Radio and Television at Taipei’s National Chengchi University in 2010, the Singaporean went on board full-time. In 2011, he created his own
show Moo...ve It On to give a lift to students doing homework or those tired after a day at work. The Mandarin title was Newton Gives A Boost. “I wanted my show to have xiyinli (Mandarin for appeal) and while no one invented that, there was Newton who discovered yinli (gravity).” He got a boost as well and has now moved on to the higher profile rush-hour evening slot. His co-host is Nico Chua, better known as Cai Wei Bin. On air, he comes across as smart, amusing and playful, and while he has fun, he does not let his lips get too loose. The bachelor says: “On air, you hear only about 30 per cent of my spiciness. I can be more biting in private. “And yet, I’m more interesting on radio because this is a service industry after all and I’m constantly thinking up ways and means to entertain listeners.”—Boon Chan
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
Power 98FM, The Hot Date, weekdays, 9pmmidnight, and Wired On The Weekends, Sundays, 5-9pm When Jerald Justin Ko is on air, what you hear is what you get, he says. “I don’t put on a persona. When I’m talking about my girlfriend, I am talking about her. I talk about a lot of my personal life and I try to be as personable as possible.” Ko, better known as JK, describes his style as “downto-earth, a bit unorthodox, not afraid to talk about stuff”. In 2010, the communications graduate from the University of Western Australia saw an opening for a deejay at Power 98FM, went for the interview and got the job. He got his foundation hosting Teachers’ Day events in secondary school
and corporate dinners at his late father’s restaurant in Singapore. Ko’s father died of thyroid cancer in 2007 and Ko wishes he were still here to see him realise his dream. “Being a deejay has been something I loved doing and I am lucky enough to do it for a living.” Unlike other young deejays whose listeners tend to be teenagers, Ko’s tend to be around his age. They might not have grown up with him but have become “my buddies and friends, which is good”. “For most deejays under 30 in Singapore, their target audience is really very young. Mine is usually tertiary students and young or working adults. It shows in my prize winners and callers.” He intends to have a lifelong career in radio. “I don’t ever want to get out of this industry. Even if I’m not on air in 30, 40 years, I want to give lectures about radio
ASHLEIGH SIM/THE STRAITS TIMES
Jerald Justin Ko, 26
to students with potential. I hope I’ll be a mainstay in this line in the years to come.”—Rachael Boon
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
A man for all seasons Behind the super hit Thai film ‘Pee Mak’ is a young director Jintana Panyaarvudh The Nation Bangkok
A
s a teenager, Banjong Pisanthanakun would spend hours watching the images on a cinema screen and dreaming of the day that he would be involved in the world of celluloid. Today, less than two decades later, his name is on just about every movie lover’s lips as the filmmaker who knocked The Legend of Suriyothai off its blockbuster perch. Banjong’s horror comedy Pee Mak Phra Khanong made new box-office record in Thailand by
breaching the 1 billion baht (US$33 million) mark. On th eother hand, Suriyothai earned 550 million baht. “Actually, what really makes me proud is that a Thai movie can score higher than a Hollywood flick like Transformers 3 Dark of the Moon, which earned around 300 million baht,” says Banjong or Tong as he’s known to family and friends. But the director, who made a name for himself back in 2004 with the shiver-inducing hit Shutter, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Parkpoom Wongpoom, doesn’t expect his future works to deluge the box office. “I don’t think I’ll ever make another movie that has such
broad appeal,” says the 33-year-old film graduate from Chulalongkorn University. While Banjong and his team at GTH were expecting the new adaptation of the tragic love legend to touch audiences and had even forecast box office revenues of 150-200 million baht, no one had even an inkling that Pee Mak would become a cinematic phenomenon. “We shouted out in delight as the earnings went crazy,” he laughs. We couldn’t understand that the income wasn’t falling after so many weeks in the cinema.” On its way to the top, Pee Mak set several new records in the Thai film industry, breaking the all-time
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
died during the surgery to separate them. Horror comedy omnibuses 4bia and Phobia 2 followed in 2008 and 2009 then Banjong decided to embrace romantic comedy with Hello Stranger in 2010, a move that won him several awards. Before he turned his attention to directing, Banjong worked as an assistant advertising director with Phenomena Production
House. His boss quickly discovered his addiction to movies and encouraged him to write a screenplay. Shutter was the outcome. While he leans towards horror and comedy, he says he has no stereotype formula for directing a film. Filmmakers never know which film will become a big hit or generate big money, he says, adding that from his experience, it’s the movies which filmmakers are optimistic about that tend to flop. “The most important thing is to make a film you want to narrate and watch, because then you put your entire self into its production. I’m probably lucky that my tastes are not very different from the mass audience,” he says. Inspiration for the subject often comes from current situations
Photos by Sukul Kerdnaimongkol/The Nation
box office record in its third, fourth and fifth week. Banjong credits three factors for the success of the film. The first is that Mae Nak, an iconic urban legend, is still incredibly popular despite the countless adaptations over the years. Secondly, the feedback and response of filmgoers, who laughed from beginning to end. Third, he says, was the twist in the tail, which made “Pee Mak” stand out from other “Nang Nak” versions. Banjong is no stranger to success, with his four movies in between Shutter and Pee Mak all raking in the cash. Alone (2007), also written and directed with Parkpoom, starred Marsha Wattanapanich as a woman haunted by the ghost of her conjoined twin, who apparently
| May 31-June 6, 2013
ENTERTAINMENT
—a newspaper article, a picture, maybe even a sentence. “The idea for ‘The Man in the Middle’ (‘Khon Klang’ in Thai), the third segment of 4bia, was triggered by the words ‘If I am dead, I will come back to haunt those who preferred to sleep in the middle’,” he says ‘Khon Klang’, he acknowledges, is the work in which he takes most pride: “I finally discovered that my signature is comedy with horror overtones and a sharp dialogue”. He’s also proud of Hello Stranger, which poked fun at the Thai fascination for all things Korean. Shutter and Alone both did extremely well on overseas markets, scoring high with audiences in Asia and South America. Shutter also became the first Thai film to be acquired by Hollywood for an American remake. Pee Mak has now set off on its journey around the globe.
Released in Indonesia last month and Hong Kong week ago, the film will also be entertaining filmgoers in Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam and Taiwan and is slated for screening at the Rome Film Festival in August. He says his next project will probably involve a romantic drama, a genre he has yet to tackle, but he is still reflecting as to what and when. Banjong puts his achievements down to working hard and having fun. His professional and personal lives, he adds with a smile, have become one and the same thing. But while he has been approached by film companies in
China and the West, he has yet to accept an invitation to direct. For now, he seems content to help the Thai film industry make a larger splash in the international market. “Indonesian people are crazy about Thai movies,” he says. “They’ve even set up a fan club for Thai films,” he says, He was also impressed by the Indonesian audience during a recent screening of Pee Mak. “They didn’t understand all the gags but they still laughed throughout the film. They loved Mario [Maurer] too,” he says.
| May 31-June 6, 2013
LIFESTYLE
Back to black Japanese women ditch dyes as natural hair is chic again Sanae Nokura The Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo
W
hen it comes to women’s hair, it seems black is the new, er, black. Black hair has been making a comeback lately, cropping up in one fashion magazine after another as women who previously dyed their hair brown return to their original colour. One reason behind the colour’s popularity may be that black hair can make facial expressions appear brighter and creates an air of neatness and cleanness. Another reason may be that women have come to cherish its natural beauty.
“Among today’s beautiful women, black hair reigns supreme.” That was the headline splashed on a special supplement in monthly fashion magazine Ginger for women around 30 years old. In its April issue, published in February by Gentosha Inc., the magazine took up the subject of black hair for the first time. “A 30-year-old woman needs to get away from brown hair,” the supplement said. “Darker hair can make an adult woman look more beautiful!” It then told the story of a model who changed her hair colour from brown to black. In addition, it carried testimonials from readers on the merits of black hair. “My white skin looks outstanding when contrasted with black hair,” said one. Added
another, “I look sharper with black hair, so I can wear a wider variety of clothes to match.” Makeup and hairstyles that particularly suit black hair also were featured. In a survey, the supplement ranked second among the magazine’s readers. As a result, the editors decided to continue the supplement from the next issue. Hiromi Katayama, the managing editor of Ginger, said: “Black, which is the colour used in formal wear, represents orthodoxy. It has a sense of cleanliness and seems to attract attention as a hair colour that generates a positive response from other people.” Meanwhile, Hair Mode, an industry magazine for hairdressers published by Josei Mode Co., carried a supplement on
LIFESTYLE
hairstyles for black hair in its February issue. Irie Koike, the managing editor of Hair Mode, said: “The number of women who want to go natural is increasing. One’s original colour is considered a symbol of healthy beauty.” A wider movement appears to be taking shape, as women have been flocking to beauty salons to re-dye their hair to colours closer to black. According to Shiseido Salon & Spa Ginza, a beauty “Kurokami,” or black hair, is a new buzzword in fashion magazines and blogs for young female models. salon in Tokyo, the number of female clients around the age of 30 for such services Okamoto, a stylist at the salon. has increased by about 30 per cent in the past four years. Dark-haired muse “Customers seem to be taking Japanese women have cherished more time to maintain the healthy their black hair for centuries. properties of their hair, rather than Poetry inspired by the beauty of dye it a brighter shade,” said Ikue
| May 31-June 6, 2013
black hair is even included in the “Manyoshu” (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) anthology compiled in the late Nara period (710-784). In addition, many Japanese words describe the beauty of black hair, such as karasu no nurebairo (glossy black, or literally, “the colour of a wet crow’s wings”) and midori no kurokami (“greenish-black hair,” which refers to pure black hair). Since 2000, however, many women have opted for lighter shades using a countless variety of dyes and other agents. The somber and heavy qualities of black seemed to have fallen from favour. On the other hand, in Europe and the United States, rich black hair has become the symbol of what is thought of as “Asian beauty”. In Fashion Week shows
| May 31-June 6, 2013
LIFESTYLE
in Paris and New York, leading designers are actively using Chinese models to appeal to the expanding Chinese market. Fashion magazines picked up on the trend, inspiring Japanese women to view black hair as a new trend. Kozue Akimoto, 25, a model who writes a blog called Kurokami Shojo (A black-haired girl), said long black hair often draws compliments overseas. During the Tokyo Collection in March, designers such as matohu used black-haired models in an appeal to a traditional Japanese aesthetic sensibility. “In the Heian period (794-1192), long black hair represented the status of women, displaying their strength and maturity,” said Ryuen Hiramatsu, a researcher at the International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, and an expert on the psychology of makeup and
author of “Kurokami to Bijo no Nihonshi” (The history of black hair and beautiful women in Japan). “Today, as women advance in society, black hair is viewed perhaps as a means of producing an independent and strong woman,” Hiramatsu added.
How to keep your locks looking lovely
A black-haired model in a dress at the Tokyo Collection in March
How can a woman maintain healthy black hair? To learn the answer, I visited the Beauty Creation Research Centre in Tokyo, which is managed by major cosmetics firm Kao Corp. The institute has long been engaged in research on hair. Senior researcher Satoshi Shibuichi and researcher Akiko Mieno showed me an image of a hair model who had been receiving a daily 40-minute treatment. Her shiny black hair hung all the way down to her
| May 31-June 6, 2013
LIFESTYLE
lower back and looked beautiful with sunshine reflecting on it. “Glossiness is the ultimate factor determining in the beauty of black hair,” Shibuichi said. According to him, the glossiness can be seen when the sunshine reflects on a good head of hair, making it appear a deep, rich black. To achieve this sheen, it is important to keep hair healthy. Hair is mainly composed of protein and fat, which can be seen in large volumes in healthy hair. However, after repeated dyeing or excessive scrubbing during shampooing, hair begins to suffer fissures that lead to dryness, damage and loss of glossiness. There are a few important rules of basic care. According to Mieno, when shampooing, wash your scalp gently with your fingers to avoid scratching the hair, and make sure it is completely dry before you go to sleep. If you
have long hair, comb your hair in sections starting from the ends, and never tie it tightly. Also, exercise care when drying your hair. “It’s easier for hair to become glossy when it is all brushed in the same direction,” Mieno said. When using a dryer, start from the roots and gradually move to the ends. When hair is smooth and dry, it can be tied easily and looks glossy.
| May 31-June 6, 2013
PEOPLE
Philippine Daily Inquirer
A walk in the vineyard The world’s best wines can be found in a Filipino-owned vineyard in France
Edouard Miailhe brings new blood to the estate.
Features Desk Philippine Daily Inquirer Labarde
I
n Southwest France, there’s a Filipino-owned vineyard which carries some of the world’s best wines.
Located in the wine epicentre of the Bordeaux region, Chateau Siran is run by winemaker and businessman Edouard Miailhe. For several generations, the Miailhes ran a trading company in Manila. Today, the younger Miailhe shuttles between the Philippines and France to look
after the family business. “My father traded less in the Philippines but he kept our real estates in Binondo, Escolta and Santa Ana that were left over from the 19th century,” he says. A fifth-generation vine grower, Miailhe took over Chateau Siran, which was acquired by his
| May 31-June 6, 2013
PEOPLE
Chateau Siran’s front door welcomes guests.
family in 1859. Chateau Siran lies in the town of Labarde in the Margaux Appellation. To the wine uninitiated, he explains, “An appellation is a piece of land which answers to certain characteristics in soil, climate and type of grapes,” says Miailhe. In the Margaux Appellation, the soil is embedded with silica and white gravels from the mountains transported from the river. The wines from this region are known for their delicate flavours. The 88-hectare estate includes 36 hectares of vineyards which are open to the public.
Chateau reception hall can be booked for special events.
Visitors come to sample and buy the Margaux wines. “When you walk around, you see the various grapes; the ages of the vines; the way we plant, grow and prune; the canopy management on how to manage the leaves and the grapes. What you see will depend on the season of your visit. The growing season is from April to October. From November to April, we prune the vines. In April, the buds start to come out,” he says. The vineyard cultivates the grape varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
The wine cellar has been renovated and is open for tours.
and Cabernet Franc.
Main products
Petit-Verdot, a variety of red wine grapes, adds colour and spices up the wines. Its main products are Chateau Siran which is famous for its “perfect balance of tannins, fruit and sharpness”; S de Siran, the second wine, which is noted for its roundness; and the sweet Saint-Jacques de Siran. As Vice Maître (second master) of La Commanderie de Bordeaux Manila, Miailhe invites Filipino friends over to his chateau and entertains them.
| May 31-June 6, 2013
PEOPLE
Chateau Siran offers a modern cellar, a tasting room and a large hall, both of which can be rented out for special events. To get a sweeping view of the estate, there is a terrace that overlooks the vineyards. The nuclear bunker is host to the vintages, the oldest of which dates to 1870. Unique to Bordeaux is the Future Sales which runs from April 15 to June 15, before the Vinexpo or wine exposition. It is the ultimate preselling event for wines before they are bottled. The wines are priced according to what the market is willing to dole out. “When you are part of the 150 most famous brands in the world, you sell your wines in the future. You sell even if they are still in the barrels for aging. If the grapes have been harvested in October 2012, they are stored in the barrel in January 2013 for 12 months. By January 2014, I remove them, put the wines
in the tank, clarify them and bottle them. The wines are sold through the wine selling system, the Bordeaux Negociants,” explains Miailhe. Negociants is a group of wholesalers who contract to buy an allotment of an estate’s harvest every year. In April, the world’s most prominent wine writers come to Bordeaux to rate the wines. “Depending on the ratings and the market, you release the wine. You will allocate the wines to the different buyers. We have 45 buyers—some take 800 cases, some 10 or 20 cases. In two days, you release the wines for the same price and same payment conditions. This is what the buyers have to pay for what will be allocated to them. The buyers confirm and pay in six months. The wine is delivered at the end of the year,” explains Miailhe. Most visitors stay at the charming hotels in Bordeaux City. Still there’s Chalet Siran,
a cottage good for six, in the estate. Guests can dine at Miailhe’s restaurant La Gare Gourmande, a former 50-squaremetre train depot in the village. Consisting of seven tables, it serves traditional French fare including poultry, magret confit and pork from the Southwest which complement the red wines.
Best-kept secret
“Many customers are winemakers who bring their own wines,” he says. The Trip Advisor described La Gare Gourmande as the best-kept secret in Bordeaux, and gave the meal of cold pasta with salmon, roast quail with vegetables, and a warm apple strudel, a thumbs up. Then there are the tours of the neighbouring subregions of Bordeaux. “If you love architecture and wine, Bordeaux (region) is the place,” says Miailhe. Médoc is famous for the châteaux, some 1,500 vineyards,
| May 31-June 6, 2013
PEOPLE
the ocean, beaches and pine forests filled with animals. Saint Emilion is a World Heritage Site, famous for its Romanesque cathedrals, limestone houses and a viticulture that dates back to the Middle Ages. Wine lovers will appreciate the wine tours at Sauternes and Pessac, where travellers can learn more about the nuances of Bordeaux wine in the famous chateaux such as Yquem, Rothschild, Gironde and Sancerre. “Keep one day for the city of Bordeaux. It’s gorgeous. The new mayor cleaned it up, put in the tramway and overhauled the riverbank. It’s the second most preferred city of France. We are proud of what the mayor has achieved. It looks like Disneyland but more real,” says Miailhe. Bordeaux underwent a beautification programme. starting with the removal of soot from its Medieval churches and
old buildings and a reclaimed dockland. It has been modernised with galleries, concept stores, restaurants and wine-bars. Aside from the châteaux, visiting the markets are enough reason to travel to France. The variety of cheeses, terrines, meats and breads astounds travellers. Miailhe cites coffee, foie gras, fresh produce and the famous classified rosé from Medoc as some of the popular things to shop for. “Food is important for the French and people in the Southwest,” says Miailhe. For tour and tasting, log on to www.chateausiran.com.
| May 31-June 6, 2013
TRAVEL
Walk this way Explore South Korea’s varied landscapes, regional cultures and history through these scenic paths Lee Woo-young The Korea Herald
S
outh Korea has seen a surge in the walking and hiking population in the last three to four years and the creation of walking trails and hiking routes. One clear example of the trend is the typical weekend scene in Korea—with groups of people clad in mountain climbing clothing and gear heading for the mountains early in the morning. Thanks to them, the outdoor sporting goods industry is enjoying strong growth despite the economic downturn and regional economies receive a flow of outside money.
It’s difficult to know the exact number of hikers in Korea, but according to Jeju Olle Foundation, which designed the popular Jeju Olle walking trail, about 1.1 million people are estimated to have visited the trail in 2012, up by 140 per cent from 2010. The surge of outside visitors to Jeju brought a flow of money to the island economy. Each visitor spends an average of 394,132 won (US$354), according to a 2010 research report on the effects of the walking boom in Korea by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which examines the “ripple effect” visitors to Jeju Olle have on the local economy. “Tourists bring income to Jeju’s
economy. Especially, walkers and hikers can go to every part of the island. They make great contributions to the local people by using local accommodation, taxis and buses. In addition, they buy local products,” said Ahn Eun-joo, director-general of Jeju Olle Foundation. Following the success of Jeju Olle and Jirisan dullegil trails, provincial governments created their own trails. Now each province has at least one walking trail that makes the most of its natural resources. “The start of the walking and hiking boom in Korea started in 1998 when the country was hit by the financial crisis. The massive layoffs left office workers in their
| May 31-June 6, 2013
TRAVEL
40s with nowhere to go. Then they started to flock to nearby mountains where they could pass the time without having to spend money,” said Jung Juno, directorgeneral of World Walking Headquarters, based in Seoul. The World Walking Headquarters is an organisation affiliated with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It initiated the creation of National Walking Day in 2012, which falls on November 11 each year. The walking boom was triggered again by the introduction of the world’s famous walking trails to Koreans in 2000. “‘The Pilgrimage’ by the bestselling author Paulo Coelho, also inspired many people to walk on long distance trails,” said Jung. The trail to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain inspired Coelho to write “The Pilgrimage”, which kicked off his writing career.
The 800-kilometre route now attracts an average of 6 million visitors a year. Jung and his team at the World Walking Headquarters met the UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon in 2008 to propose the creation of a walking trail that could represent Korea’s walking culture and the restoration of 300-km-long trail connecting historical places on the east coast. Compared to other countries, the establishment of the walking trails is still in its infancy. Japan created a trail that crisscrosses the country starting in 1970 and many countries have their own walking routes such as New Zealand’s “Walkway”, Australia’s “Walking Track”, and Germany’s “Wandering Route”, according to a 2010 culture ministry research report.
| May 31-June 6, 2013
TRAVEL
Bukhansan Dullegil
Ganghwa Nadeulgil
Taean Sea Road
The 71.8-kilometre trail circling the mountain in the northern area of Seoul opened in 2010. The trail is divided into 21 courses offering various sights of Seoul with a mix of natural beauty and cultural landmarks. Visitors can also get a panoramic view of the city from its nine lookouts.
The 166.8-km trail divided into nine courses invites walkers on a journey through Korea’s history from the founding of ancient Korea to the early modern period. Some of the historical places include Korea’s first Anglican church, built in traditional Korean hanokstyle, and fortresses that held strategic importance during several invasions by the Chinese.
The 120-km trail from Hakam Port to Anmyeondo Island is divided into five courses offering views of the fishing culture of Korea’s west coast. One of the highlights includes a walk along the 12km course during sunset. The trip to the sea road offers a look at how what was once the cleanest beach in Korea is now recovering from a large oil spill in 2007.
| May 31-June 6, 2013
Korea Tourism Organisation
TRAVEL
Jeungdo Mosil Road
Tongyeong Story Road
Haeparang Road Yeongdeok
The 42.7-km trail in South Jeolla Province is divided into five courses that stop at the fishing villages of the “Slow City” of Sinan. The road passes Korea’s largest salt field and vast mud flats.
The 25-km road in Tongyeong, a coastal city of South Gyeongsang Province has a dynamic culture and art scene and is home to some of the most famous cultural figures in Korea. The road provides dynamic art scenes with colourful murals and Cheongma Literature Hall, dedicated to poet Yu Chi-hwan.
The 40-km road from Ganggu Port to Goraebul Beach of Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, offers a scenic walk along the East Sea coastline, the wind power plant, pine tree forests, small ports and fishing villages. The starting point of Ganggu Port is famous for its local delicacy, king crab.
| May 31-June 6, 2013
TRAVEL
Mungyeong Saejae Road The 36-km route is a historical path that was once an important gateway of Gyeongsang Province during the Joseon Period. Waters flowing down the sides of the pass are the source of one of the major rivers of Korea, the Nakdonggang. Visitors can stop by at the famous Suanbo hot spring.
Gyeongju Bulguksa Temple Road Gyeongju, often referred to as the “roofless museum” of Korea and a capital of the Silla Kingdom (BC 57-935) offers a great walk surrounded by historical landmarks such as Bulkuksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto and other historic sites throughout the ancient city. According to Unesco, the historic area, a Unesco World Heritage site, is a “concentration of outstanding examples of Korean Buddhist art, in the form of sculptures, relics, pagodas and the remains of temples and palaces”.
Jirisan Dullegil Jirisan, one of Korea’s biggest national parks, crosses three provinces, five districts and 120 villages. The 274-km trail loops around the mountain range with a variety of trails ranging from historical routes, forest routes and riverside routes to village routes. The trail offers various scenes of Korean nature, as well as unique local culture and food.
Korea Tourism Organisation
TRAVEL
Jeju Olle Jeju Olle is the most popular trail on the resort island of Jeju. The 21 courses show the diversity of Jeju’s landscape, from small hills called oreum to natural landmarks such as Seongsan Sunrise Peak. Olle, meaning small alleys in Jeju dialect, invites visitors to experience Jeju’s culture and lifestyle closely as some roads lead to villages.
| May 31-June 6, 2013
DATEBOOK
| May 31-June 6, 2013
SEOUL
Kim Bo-hie’s ‘Towards’ series
Bangkok
Jim Thompson Collection British designer Richard Smith looks back at the rich heritage of Asian textiles in “Grand Vizier”, his new collection of printed and woven fabrics for Jim Thompson’s. The series features seven designs inspired by the lining of an Uzbekistani robe, an ikat vertical stripe from Central Asia and a variety of different versions of the poppy. Where: Jim Thompson Surawong, 9am-9pm Info: www.JimThompson.com
The nature depicted by artist Kim Bo-hie looks familiar to many with common motifs such as leaves, trees and flowers. But what captures the viewers’ attention are the details such as an exotic-looking florescent blue lizard on a tree or colourful birdsthat bring life to her works. The exotic animals and the common natural motifs break the usual images viewers associate with nature paintings. Her “Towards” series is a mix of the nature she saw in Jeju, Korea, and foreign countries during her travels. Nineteen paintings of the series are on display. Where: Hakgojae Gallery When: Until June Info: +82 (02) 720-1524
DATEBOOK
| May 31-June 6, 2013
MANILA
greatly affected by climate change and live under the
Displaced Earth: Climate Refugees in the Philippines
continuous threat of severe weather events. What is
The evidence of climate change is solid, and humanity faces an increasing peril if we don’t move. A group of award-winning journalists showcase powerful photos that tell the story of the challenges and solutions brought by climate change in Southeast Asia. This project aims to give a face to those who are
sometimes overlooked in the mainstream media outlets are the long-term effects of the disasters, or a followup on the lives of the people who were displaced.
When: June 3-14 Where: Eastwood Mall, Quezon City, Metro Manila
DATEBOOK
Photo: The Star
| May 31-June 6, 2013
Unity snap: Vincent Leong’s Keeping Up With The Abdullahs shows an ethnic Chinese family dressed in Malay clothes posing in front of their kampung baru (new village) house. The work is a commentary on cultural assimilation in Malaysia, which is featured at the ‘No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia’ in New York.
NEW YORK/ASIA
of colonisation through the Japanese Occupation of
Keeping Up With The Abdullahs
Malaya in the early 1940s in his video “Doghole”. The exhibit will be at the Solomon R. Guggenheim
An ambitious exhibition in New York sets out to
Museum in New York until May 22. It will travel
reevaluate the borders that define Malaysians. The
to Asia Society Hong Kong Centre in October
New York presentation presents works from 22 artists
this year (until February 2014), and is expected
and collectives, including two Malaysian artists: Leong,
to be presented in Singapore after that.
with his “Keeping Up With The Abdullahs” series, and Wong Hoy Cheong, who explores the subject
Where: New York and Asia
DATEBOOK
SINGAPORE
Re-Connect: Contemporary Photography in Myanmar Myanmar has been the focus of media attention in recent years, as the country embarks tentatively in the reformation of her political and commercial arenas. At the same time, contemporary art has changed significantly since the onset of the millennium. The best Myanmar artists, like their peers elsewhere in the world, have been equally keen to tap onto the global artistic discourse without losing sight of the obvious changes taking place on the streets of Yangon. This exhibition features different generations of Myanmar artists who approach the medium of photography in diverse ways. Some of the projects address the shifts in politics and contemporary art highlighted earlier, examining the tensions that they create on the ground. Others are more personal and deal with facets of life that are universal, like the loss of a loved one within the family. When: May 17 to June 30 Where: Jendela (Visual Arts Space), The Esplanade
| May 31-June 6, 2013