Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com

March 15-31, 2014

Malaysia asks help of 25 countries to find missing airliner

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March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

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GAT Calendar of Events Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho Photography: Ben Hioe, Rendy Tendean

Tel: 678-971-9388 Advertising: gat@gasiantimes.com Editorial: info@gasiantimes.com URL: www.gasiantimes.com Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4502 Suwanee GA 30024 Copyright Georgia Asian Times 2004-2013

All Rights Reserved: including those to reproduce this printing or parts thereof in any form without permission in writing from Georgia Asian Times. Established in 2004, the Georgia Asian Times is published by Asiamax Inc. All facts, opinions, and statements appearing within this publication are those of writers and editors themseleves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions, endorsements by Georgia Asian Times or its officers.

Georgia Asian Times assumes no responsibility for damages from the use of information contained in this publication or the reply to any advertisement. The Publisher will not be liable for any error in advertising to greater extent than the cost of space occupied by the error and will only be made for a single publication date.

The Publisher reserves the right to reject any ad or articles submitted for publication that may not be in good taste for a free publication.

GAT welcome submission of announcement pertaining to community related events.

Please email event, date, venue, and time to gat@gasiantimes.com.

GAT does not guarantee insertion of event announcement and has the right to deny any posting.

Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival Date: March 22-23, 2014 Time: 10:00 am -5:00 pm Venue: Georgia International Horse Park Conyers, Georgia Free admission with $5 parking For more info: www.conyerscherryblossomfest.com Global Business Forum Organized by Gwinnett Tech Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 Time: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Venue: Busbee Center, Gwinnett Tech For more info: www.gwinnetttech.edu 9th Annual Laotian American Society Fundraiser Date: Saturday, March 29, 2014 Time: 6:00 pm - 12:00 midnight Venue: Grand Ballroom, 6127 Oakbrook Parkway, Norcross GA 30093 For more info: www.lasga.org Building Strategic Partnership with Asia Organized by SAUPO-Kennesaw State University Featuring keynote speaker: Adil Kabani, OPIC & White House Initiative on AAPI Date: Friday, April 18, 2014 Time: 8:00 am - 11:50 am Venue: Room 400, KSU Center, 3333 Busbee Drive, Kennesaw GA 30144 Free & open to public Register online: www.kennesaw.edu/ saupo GIACC Presents: Lydia Jones, Regional Director SBDC Organized by Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce Date: Friday, April 25, 2014 Time: 7:00 am - 9:30 am Venue: Georgian Club, 100 Galleria Parkway, Ste 1700, Atlanta GA 30339 Registration required: Members $20; Non-members $25 For more info: www.giacc.org

29th Annual Unity Gala- Asian Pacific Heritage Month & Scholarship Award Organized by Asian/Pacific American Council of Georgia (APAC) Date: Saturday, May 3, 2014 Time: 6:00 pm - 10:30 pm Venue: Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta For more info: Le Dam Doan 770-7228486 or www.apacga.org BABC Transatlantic Business Conference 2014 Organized by British American British Group Date: May 20-22, 2014 Venue: Intercontinental Hotel For more info: www.babc2014atlanta. com GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia ~ Awards Presentation Date: Thursday, July 10, 2014 Time: 6:30 pm Venue: TBA Sponsorship opportunities available For more info: gat25@gasiantimes. com Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Atlanta Date: Saturday, September 13, 2014 Time: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Venue: Clarks Bridge - Kayaking Facility, Lake Lanier, Gainesville For more info: www.dragonboatatlanta.com 10th Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: October 10-24, 2014 Venues: TBA For more info: www.atlaff.org

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March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS

White House say Georgia can’t start dredging Savannah Harbor until water bill passes Atlanta, March 7, 2014 — Georgia’s plan to start work to deepen the Savannah River channel - despite the surprising lack of funding in the president’s 2015 budget for the planned $652 million project - has been halted by the White House, reports Savannah Morning News.

Gov. Nathan Deal vowed earlier this week that the state would proceed to start the work by allocating the $231 million funds set aside for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.

Tuesday evening, the White House said, however, that Georgia can’t start, no matter who’s footing the bill, until Congress passes a multi-billion-dollar water bill that’s been stuck in committee since October, the paper reports.

“Because Congress hasn’t reauthorized the Water Resources Development Act in more than seven years, many projects like the project in Savannah haven’t been able to move forward,” the White House said in a statement Tuesday evening. “This is not a budget problem, this is an authorization problem.”

Savannah’s harbor expansion project, which will deepen the Savannah River channel from 42 to 47 feet in anticipation of the larger container ships going through an expanded Panama

Canal in 2016, is already playing catchup to the canal project.

Georgia Ports executive director Curtis Foltz told the Savannah Morning News that the state has been playing catch-up for the past five years.

“We simply can’t afford to wait any longer, so our intention is to move forward with those things we can do,” Foltz said.

But when the fiscal 2015 budget plan came out Tuesday, all it contained for the $652 million project was $1 million for further study, Williams reported this week.

Foltz told Savannah Morning News that the state officials and Georgia’s congressional delegation remained stunned that even Deal’s offer to start dredging without federal funding had been rejected.

2 Asian professionals nabbed as online child predators by GBI “Operation Broken Heart” Decatur, March 2, 2014 – As a result of a proactive undercover investigation coordinated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC) and the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force 14 people were arrested over a four day period beginning Wednesday, February 26.

Those arrested were charged with OCGA 16-12-100.2, Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 1999. Additional charges may be forthcoming.

“Operation Broken Heart” was a four day proactive effort centered in DeKalb County. The operation took months of planning. The arrestees, ranging in age from 21 to 64, traveled from all parts of Northern Georgia with the intent to meet a child for sex. Some of their occupations included educator, engineer, laborer, salesman, business owner, software developer, and a musician.

Thirty-seven law enforcement agencies and prosecutors participated in “Operation Broken Heart” along with the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC) and the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC).

The purpose of “Operation Broken Heart” was to arrest persons who communicate with children on-line and

then travel to meet them for the purpose of having sex. On-line child predators visit chat rooms and websites on the internet, find children, begin conversations with them, introduce sexual content and arrange a meeting with the children for the purpose for having sex.

The proactive on-line investigation was a coordinated effort among all the law enforcement agencies to combat this activity.

The following were arrested and charged in DeKalb County as part of “Operation Broken Heart.” Among them are two Asian professionals living in the metro Atlanta area: Cheney Li, 22, of Atlanta (software developer) Choon Hong David Tan, 52, of Johns Creek (engineer) The Georgia ICAC Task Force is comprised of 179 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, other related criminal justice agencies and prosecutor’s offices. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the U. S. Department of Justice and managed and operated by the GBI in Georgia, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing an effective response to cyber enticement and child pornography cases.

Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

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FEATURE

The Malaysian foreign minister has also briefed officials from countries in the north and southern corridors. This includes a briefing to representatives from 22 countries including nations along the new search corridors as well as other countries that may be able to help.

Malaysia asks help of 25 countries to find missing airliner Kuala Lumpur, March 16, 2014 — The Malaysian government has asked as many as 25 countries for assistance and received “unprecedented” positive response, as the search for the missing jetliner continues to demand immense resources, officials said here Sunday.

As search operations entered the ninth day and Malaysian officials uncovered new data on the possible flight path of the aircraft that point to two new corridors, the demand for satellite information, radar playback, aircraft and vessels has become greater, Xinhua cited Malaysia’s Transportation Minister Hishamuddin Hussein as telling reporters.

The new search areas announced Saturday encompass a northern corridor stretching approximately from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand as well as a southern one from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean.

“We are now looking at large tracts of land crossing 11 countries as well as deep and remote oceans. The number of countries involved in the search and rescue operations has increased from

14 to 25, which brings new challenges of coordination and diplomacy to the effort,” he said.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 with 239 passengers and crew on board vanished mysteriously about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur early morning March 8. The Boeing 777-200ER was initially presumed to have crashed off the Vietnamese coast in the South China Sea. The plane took off from Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 a.m. March 8 and was due to land in Beijing at 6.30 a.m. the same day. The 227 passengers on the flight included five Indians, 154 Chinese and 38 Malaysians.

Contact with the plane was lost along with its radar signal at 1.40 a.m. March 8 when it was flying over the air traffic control area of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

In the last 24 hours, the Malaysian prime minister has spoken to prime ministers of Bangladesh and India, as well as presidents of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

“Basically, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Australia have been approached. Malaysian officials are requesting assistance from these and other countries. This support includes general satellite data, radar playback, visions of ground and sea search and assets as appropriate,” he added.

“We are asking countries with satellite assets including the US, China and France among others to provide further satellite data. We are contacting additional countries who may be able to contribute specific assets. These assets are particularly needed to cover the vast areas of the southern search corridor.”

Both corridors will be treated with equal importance and Malaysia is still in discussions to decide how assets provided by friendly countries will be used.

Malaysian police had also revisited the homes of the pilot and co-pilot, retrieving the flight simulator of the pilot, which is being investigated.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines said the pilot and co-pilot did not request to be allowed to fly together, dismissing speculation of a pre-planned hijack attempt.

Hussein also told reporters that no extra fuel or hazardous cargo was carried on the flight. Authorities would continue to analyze the backgrounds of the 239 passengers and crew members with the help of international intelligence agencies, but Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar refused to give any details and said only that nothing suspicious has come up.

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March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

BUSINESS White House forecast rosier economy for 2014, 2015 Washington, March 12, 2014 — Five years removed from the worst of the financial crisis, the United States economy is on track for robust growth as businesses add jobs and households make substantial progress in paying off their debt, putting them in a better position to increase spending, the White House said on Monday.

The unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level in more than five years, deficits have been cut by more than half, housing is on the rebound, manufacturers are adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s and exports are accelerating, President Barack Obama’s top economists said in an annual economic report to Congress.

Board, who released their estimates in December, saw economic growth of between 2.8 per cent and 3.2 per cent this year and 3 per cent to 3.4 per cent next year.

The 410-page Economic Report of the President highlights forecasts that were part of the fiscal 2015 budget released on March 4. The budget’s economic projections were based on information in mid-November.

The growth being forecast is not enough to substantially reduce unemployment, said Professor Peter Morici from the Robert H Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and a frequent Obama critic.

“After five years of grit and determined effort, the US is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth,” the White House said in an introduction to the report.

“The economy needs to add about 350,000 jobs each month to push unemployment down to an acceptable level and that would require GDP growth in the range of 4 to 5 per cent,” Prof Morici said in a statement.

In the report, the Council of Economic Advisers said the nation’s economy would grow by 3.1 per cent this year and 3.4 per cent next year, which would be its best performance since 2005. The economy grew 1.9 per cent last year.

“Over the last four and one-half years, the pace of GDP growth has been a paltry 2.3 per cent — about the same as during the Bush expansion,” he said.

The unemployment rate — which reached a high of 10 per cent in 2009 — will average 6.9 per cent this year, declining to an average of 6.4 per cent next year, the report said.

The White House’s 2014 growth projection is more optimistic than the 2.9 per cent median forecast in a Bloomberg poll last month, while the unemployment rate outlook for this year is less optimistic than the poll’s median of 6.4 per cent.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve

The report acknowledges that the unemployment rate “remains elevated, and for too many Americans, wages have been slow to rise”.

US courts grant temporary bankruptcy protection to Mt. Gox Washington, March 11, 2014 —Tokyo based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox has won temporary bankruptcy protection in the US that will safeguard the firm’s assets and provide it temporary reprieve from two US lawsuits while bankruptcy proceeding are on in Japan.

Late last month, Mt.Gox filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan after losing about $473million worth of customers’ bitcoins, which are virtual currency, due to a hacking attack, the firm has alleged.

The exchange’s collapse prompted many class action and other lawsuits against the company in many countries including the US and the UK. Judge Harlin Hale in Dallas, Texas, has temporarily accepted the Japanese firm’s plea filed under Chapter 15 of the bankruptcy law late on Sunday, to recognize the bankruptcy proceedings underway in Japan and protect the company’s assets in the US. The temporary protection is till April 1, when Mt Gox will have to seek extension of protection and also a complete stay on all court proceedings.

The judge has also temporarily halted two US lawsuits one is a proposed class action in Chicago seeking to get a federal judge to freeze the company’s operations in the US and to set up a trust to oversee its assets.

Long-term unemployment rate is also troublesome, the report said, because it is more than twice what it was during the pre-crisis years, 2.3 per cent in January compared with an average of 1 per cent from 2001 to 2007.

The second case has been filed by by CoinLab Action Inc in Seattle, seeking $75million in damages for breach of contract last year by its former US partner Mt. Gox.

“Reducing long-term unemployment presents a major challenge because these individuals may face stigmatisation from employers or experience skill deterioration.”

Judge Hale’s order does not apply to Mt. Gox founder and CEO Mark Karpeles, who has been named in the proposed class action and is scheduled to be deposed later this month in the Seattle lawsuit.

Reuters reports that UK-based law firm Selachii is also preparing for a class action lawsuit in London against the collapsed bitcoin exchange and its owners.

At the time of seeking bankruptcy protection in Japan, Mt Gox had alleged that in the theft by hackers about 750,000 bitcoins belonging to customers were stolen while the company too had lost close to 100,000 of its own bitcoins.

The total projected loss by Mt. Gox is about 7% of all the bitcoins in circulation.

Mt. Gox’s bankruptcy papers list the firm’s liabilities of around $64 million and assets of $38 million Steven Woodrow, the lawyer leading the Chicago class-action suit, told Judge Hale that the case was a “massive fraud”, echoing sentiments expressed by many others following further hacking of the company’s transaction data, which has revealed the estimates of loss are not true.

“They claim incredibly that they will preserve assets and protect assets by entrusting the servers and other property to Mr Karpeles. Respectfully, your honor, that is the definition of the fox guarding the henhouse,” Reuters quoted Woodrow as saying to Judge Hale.

Mt Gox’s attorney, David Parham, has denied allegations of fraud and said the company and Karpeles were complying with the terms of the Japanese bankruptcy proceeding.

The Associated Press reports that in an interview Monday, Woodrow said he still intends to seek a federal court order that would freeze Mt. Gox’s computers and other assets in the U.S. A hearing on Woodrow’s request for the court order is scheduled for Tuesday in Chicago.

Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

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BUSINESS

U.S. urged to proceed cautiously with withdrawal of stimulus Washington, March 11, 2014 —- The United States should move cautiously with the withdrawal of stimulus as while the pace of growth is strengthening in major economies, it is lower than desired in many of the emerging market economies where Fed policies are having adverse impact according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

“The gradual scaling down of monetary stimulus has rightly begun in the United States, where a cyclical recovery is relatively well established. The continued uncertainty about the strength of that recovery, however, together with the volatility that this scaling down has created in some emerging markets, suggest that it would be best to proceed cautiously, with a careful communications policy to smooth expectations,” the think tank of developed economies stated in its new Interim Economic Assessment report released Tuesday.

Many of the developing economies like India and Brazil are struggling with higher inflation and falling currencies as investors have pulled money from those countries in tandem with the U.S. central bank scaling back its bond purchases.

The report states that in the euro area and Japan, where the recovery is less established and inflation remains below target, the degree of monetary policy stimulus should be maintained or even increased.

Overall, the OECD sees signs of a continued “underlying strengthening” in the pace of growth in the major advanced economies, helped by accommodative monetary policy and reduced fiscal drag.

It however cautions that transitory factors have resulted in uneven profiles for near-term GDP growth in several cases.

Among major emerging market economies (EMEs), the picture is more mixed, with some countries continu-

ing to grow strongly while others have been rendered vulnerable due to reversals of capital inflows, in part due to the Fed decision to withdraw the stimulus.

Given that emerging economies now account for over half the world economy, continued sub-par economic performance for several of the major EMEs is likely to mean that global growth remains only moderate in the near term.

While some of the prominent risks to the growth outlook have waned, others remain even as new ones are appearing.

The OECD forecasts global growth of 3.6 percent this year, up from an estimated 2.7 percent in 2013, which is on the lines of growth projected by the International Monetary Fund.

The Paris-based think tank is forecasting an overall 2.2% annual rate of growth in the G7 member countries overall in the first quarter, followed by 2% in the second.

OECD underlines need for continued focus on fiscal consolidation and reforms but also advises “that the pace of consolidation can be slower this year than last” to reduce the “drag on growth”.

The think tanks points to the underlying strength of global trade, which has rebounded and since the third quarter of last year begun to grow at a pace similar to before the recession.

The organization warned that while the European Union’s economy seems to be improving, “so far it is doing so later and at a slower pace than in the other major economies.”

It also warned that the dip in growth in the United States over the winter could have longer-lasting repercussions particularly if the “economic weakness” were to durably depress confidence.

China to axe interest rate controls within 2 years Beijing, March 12, 2014 – China is likely to ease controls on interest rates paid on bank savings within two years and will allow wider use of its tightly controlled currency for trade and investment, the central bank governor said Tuesday.

Mr Zhou Xiaochuan’s comments follow pledges by Chinese leaders to make the country’s slowing economy more productive by giving market forces a “decisive role” in allocating credit and other resources.

Allowing banks to compete for deposits by paying higher rates on savings would put more money in the pockets of Chinese families, helping to achieve official goals of boosting consumer spending and reducing reliance on trade and investment.

“Liberalization of deposit rates, this should be the last step in interest rate marketization,” said Mr Zhou at a news conference. “I personally believe it is very possible to realize this within one to two years.”

Beijing announced its first major reform of interest rates in July, scrapping controls on lending rates. That will allow borrowers with better credit records to negotiate lower rates with banks, reducing costs for healthy businesses and spurring economic growth.

The central banker did not directly answer a question about why Beijing

has guided the exchange rate of its yuan lower against in the dollar in recent weeks. But he pointed to the trade balance, which swung to a deficit in February, and said short-term changes in financial markets are normal, while the central bank looks at the longer term.

“We respect market forces,” Mr Zhou said.

The trading band set by the central bank each day for the yuan has drifted down in what analysts say might be an attempt to discourage speculators who have moved money into China to profit from the currency’s gradual rise over the past few years.

Mr Zhou said the central bank’s plans this year call for allowing more use of the yuan in international trade and investment. The currency does not trade on global markets but increasingly is used by traders in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia in dealings with China.

Hong Kong and London have received approval to become offshore centers for trading yuan.

Regulations “will not overly promote the international use of renminbi but we will create favorable policies to increase people’s confidence,” Mr Zhou said. “If you want to use renminbi, we will help to eliminate obstacles.”

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March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

LIFESTYLE

New app aims to keep people safe while texting and walking New York’s One Llama Labs has an app on the way to help those who text and walk stay out of harm’s way.

Entitled One Llama, the app scans for surrounding danger via sounds such as screaming, sirens, tire squeals and more. As reported by MIT Technoloy Review, the app features such sounds in its memory bank, and “listens” through smart device microphones, comparing sounds to those in its bank.

When the device finds a match, or one that’s close enough, it switches off whatever the person is listening to and replaces it with a louder version of the sound.

Research from the University of Buffalo supports the notion of texting and walking as potentially dangerous.

According to an announcement from the university this week, texting while walking was found to be more dangerous than texting while driving, with issues including walking into traffic, bumping into walls, falling down stairs and tripping over clutter.

“When texting, you’re not as in control with the complex actions of walking,” says University of Buffalo professor Dietrich Jehle, MD, who also works as an attending physician at Erie County Medical Center, a regional trauma center in New York.

“While talking on the phone is a distraction, texting is much more dangerous because you can’t see the path in front of you.”

Jehle notes three types of distraction pedestrians face: manual, when they’re busy doing something else; visual, when they see something else; and cognitive, when their minds are elsewhere.

Tens of thousands of US pedestrians end up in emergency rooms each year, with Jehle believing at least 10% of these accidents involving cell phones.

He says the percentage is probably higher, but that patients tend to “underreport” accident cause due to embarrassment.

Texting is hardly the only distraction these days, with people updating their Facebook status or scrolling through their Twitter feed rather than paying attention to where they’re going.

A study from Ohio State University found the number of pedestrian emergency room visits for cell phone-related injuries tripled between 2004 and 2010. The study also found that those most susceptible to such injuries were between the ages of 16 and 25.

The One Llama team developed the app for Android and has not provided a release date. An iOS app is also in development.

App Store is snap on with ‘Sharing Selfies’ section San Francisco, March 15 — Apple announced that it is rolling out a new category in the App Store just for users who enjoy taking and sharing photos of themselves. iOS users with a penchant for selfies can now find all the apps they need in one place. The “Sharing Selfies” section in the App Store brings together apps such as Snapchat, Picr and Frontback, which allow users to take, edit and share informal self-portraits.

Named by Oxford English Dictionaries as the Word of the Year in 2013, the selfie was recently in the news following the 2014 Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. A selfie snapped by the TV presenter featuring Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep among others was retweeted a record three million times.

Taking selfies seriously The mobile app market isn’t the only sector to be influenced by the trend. As selfies become more popular, smartphone makers are paying more attention to their front-facing cameras. A number of models unveiled at the last Mobile World Congress in Barcelona — including the HTC Desire 816, the Wiko Wax and the Huawei MediaPad X1 — boast front-facing cameras with a relatively high 5MP resolution.

Other manufacturers have opted to maintain their low-resolution front cameras, but have added new software features designed to improve the quality of selfies. — AFP

Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

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ART

Excellence in Glass Art Sculpture

Georgia’s Master Glass Artist: Hung Nguyen

Hung Nguyen grew up in Hoa Binh, northern part of Vietnam during the turbulent time of war and poverty.

Being the second child in a family of six, he had to work after school to help support his family at a young age.

He tends to chicken, pigs, livestocks in addition to planting rice and potatoes.

After the Vietnam War ended, the country was left in a poverty stricken state and many people were unemployed including Hung’s father.

His father had taught Hung to chop woods to sell in the market to supplement the family’s income.

“I had to walk on foot for about 12 miles to the market everyday to sell the fire woods.

It was very difficult but we had no choice,” recalls Hung with a sparkle in his eyes.

Hung decided soon after he turns 22-years old, that he needs to seek a better life for himself.

He escaped on a crude and overcrowded refugee boat heading towards Thailand. He landed safely in a refugee camp settlement and was processed to be resettled to another country.

Hung’s asylum request was approved and he finally arrived in the U.S. in 1981.

“Being new to this country was a total shock. I didn’t know the language, customs, and the culture,” said Hung.

More importantly, he needs to find employment to feed himself and to start his new life in the U.S.

“I kept reminding myself to be strong, focus on my goals, and to keep the faith,” said Hung.

He finally came upon an apprentice opportunity with a well known glass maker.

The job offer is conditional that Hung needs to master the art within three months.

“From the first moment that I saw the art of fashioning glass, I told myself that this is what I would want to do for the rest of my life.”

He observed and studied the way glass art was created by other senior artist in the gallery studio. He decided to come up with his own style of crafting glass art and perfected a better way to sculpture.

By the end of the probationary period of his job, Hung had successfully crafted his first piece of custom glass work.

“I remembered it like yesterday. It was a dogwood flower as I

love nature,” said Hung with a smile.

Hans Godo Frabel, an international acclaimed glass maker, is pleased with Hung’s work that years later he appointed Hung to be the Master Glass Artist at his gallery in Buckhead. Hung would undertake all major and special custom order projects for Frabel’s gallery.

After working for 27 years, Hung was officially honored with the title “Master of Glass Art” by Hans Godo Frabel for his creative and innovative talent in glass art making.

Hung’s glass art creations are in the possessions of world famous individuals such as Mikhail Gorbachev, President George HW Bush, Sean Diddy Comb, Wayne Newton, and Larry King.

Hung has also been recognized with numerous awards, in publications and exhibitions for his superior sculptures, abstracts and decorative works.

Upon Hans Godo Frabel’s decision to retire and sold off his company, Hung decided that he needs a new challenge in his life.

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“I decided to open my own business and to work on creative projects that I enjoy,” said Hung, who opens his new gallery in November 2012 in Lilburn.

Hung decided to named the studio MC Glass Art, in honor of his two sons, Michael and Christopher.

Working with borosilicate glass, Hung has used his talented skills and imagination to create glass art resembling nature, plants, and sea life.

“Ever since I was a kid, I have been intrigued with nature, oceans, and plants,” said Hung of the inspiration for his creations.

Hung’s wife, Holly, manages the daily operation of their gallery studio located next to a new public park in Lilburn.

A wide range of original custom glass art creations including flowers, birds, plants, and abstract objects are displayed at the gallery. Prices range from low hundreds to several thousands for the artwork.

March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

ers has been lauded by the state, and several of his sculptures appear in The University of Georgia State Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the McKee Botanical Garden in Florida.

Despite his professional success, Hung remains humble by remembering the early years of his upbringing and struggles. “When I was young, I always dreamed of being able to support my family and now I have the opportunity to do so,” said Hung proudly.

“In the future, I also plan to give back to others by opening a workshop to teach others on the fine art of glass sculpture. Art has been kind to me and I hope to inspire others as well.”

MC Glass Art Gallery 311 Rockbridge Road Lilburn, GA 30047 www.mcglassart.com Tel: 770-837-9963

His passion for the simple elegance and beauty of Georgia’s state flow-

Hung Nguyen and his wife Holly at their gallery in Lilburn.

Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

SCIENCE

Mild weather may have propelled rise of Genghis Khan A pleasantly warm and wet spell in central Mongolia eight centuries ago may have propelled the rise of Genghis Khan, according to a US study.

The research was based on an analysis of tree rings spanning 11 centuries, showing that the conqueror seized power during dry times and was able to expand his empire across Asia during an unusual stretch of good weather.

The years before Genghis Khan’s rule were marked by severe drought from 1180 to 1190, said the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

But from 1211 to 1225, as the empire spread, Mongolia saw an unusual period of sustained rainfall and mild temperatures.

“The transition from extreme drought to extreme moisture right then strongly suggests that climate played a role in human events,” said study co-author Amy Hessl, a tree-ring scientist at West Virginia University.

“It wasn’t the only thing, but it must have created the ideal conditions for a charismatic leader to emerge out of the chaos, develop an army and concentrate power.”

For the oldest samples, Hessl and lead author Neil Pederson, a tree-ring scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, focused on an unusual clutch of trees

found while researching wildfires in Mongolia.

The strand of gnarled, stunted Siberian pines were emerging from cracks in an old solid-rock lava flow in the Khangai Mountains, according to a statement from Columbia.

Trees living in such conditions grow slowly and are particularly sensitive to changes in weather, so they provided an abundance of data to study.

Some of the trees had lived for more than 1,100 years. One piece of wood they found had rings going back to about 650 BC. Researchers compared those samples to younger fallen trees and some pieces bored from living trees.

“Through a careful analysis of treering records spanning eleven centuries, the researchers have provided valuable information about a period of great significance,” said Tom Baerwald, a program director for the National Science Foundation, which funded the research.

Genghis Khan died in 1227, but his descendants ruled most of what became modern Korea, China, Russia, eastern Europe, southeast Asia, India and the Middle East.

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March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

FOCUS

On Monday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who swept to power in late 2012, said Tokyo was only “halfway” done.

“I’m determined to accelerate the recovery and not let this disaster fade from memory,” he told parliament.

“Japan’s revival won’t come without the restoration of devastated areas.”

Japan marks 3rd anniversary of quake-tsunami disaster Tokyo, March 10, 2014 — Remembrance ceremonies will be held in towns and cities around the disaster zone and in the capital Tokyo, where Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are to lead tributes to those who lost their lives in Japan’s worst peacetime disaster.

Many local governments will switch on a tsunami alarm siren at 2:46 pm, marking the exact moment a 9.0-magnitude undersea quake hit.

Its raw force unleashed a towering tsunami that travelled at the speed of a jet plane to the coast. Within minutes, communities were turned to matchwood, and whole families had drowned.

Waves also crashed into the Fukushima nuclear plant, sparking reactor meltdowns and explosions, and setting off the worst atomic crisis in a generation.

The crippled plant remains volatile and experts say the complicated decommissioning process will take decades, as fears persist over the long-term health effects of leaked radiation. The accident forced tens of thousands to flee from areas around the shattered site.

Although no one died as a direct result of Fukushima, about 1,650 area residents died from complications related to stress and other problems following the accident.

A total of 15,884 people are confirmed to have died in the tsunami with another 2,636 unaccounted for.

Searchers still find human remains.

Fading hopes for rebuilding Despite the government pledging billions of dollars in reconstruction aid, progress in disaster-hit regions has been slow, and thousands of disaster refugees struggle to cope.

Among almost 270,000 evacuees from the tsunami and Fukushima, about 100,000 are in temporary housing while others found shelter in new cities or with relatives.

Japan has so far built only 3.5 percent of the new homes promised to disaster refugees in heavily affected Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.

That has sowed doubt among many people, with some 77 percent of Japanese saying the pace of reconstruction has fallen short, according to a poll conducted by Kyodo News and other media organizations in March.

Fierce anti-nuclear sentiment may have subsided, but it still poses a challenge to Abe’s bid to breathe life into Japan’s long-tepid economy.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of citizens staged an anti-nuclear rally in Tokyo ahead of the anniversary, voicing anger at the premier’s plan to switch on shuttered nuclear reactors, which once supplied more than a quarter of the resource-poor nation’s power.

Abe repeated his view Monday that reactors which can be deemed safe would be turned back on. All of Japan’s reactors were switched off after the accident.

But Abe, who said he regularly eats rice grown in the Fukushima region, added in a press briefing that “having experienced the accident, it’s only natural for people to be concerned about the safety of nuclear plants”.

Despite Tokyo’s push to boost alternative energy, power sourced from wind farms and solar energy remains a fraction of Japan’s needs.

Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

Page 13

SPORTS

“We have two or three teams who right now, three months before the World Cup, we can say are very good.

I’m thinking of Germany, because I have seen them play many times; Spain, because they have had the same team for eight years, and of course Brazil.

“But you must respect Italy, and in South America Chile is the best team today. The World Cup is always a box of surprises.”

The pressure’s on Neymar at World Cup - Pele Paris, March 11, 2014 — The pressure will be on new hero Neymar to end Brazil’s fear of failing on home territory at this year’s World Cup, according to the country’s all-time great Pele.

Pele told AFP in an interview that the World Cup is a major opportunity for Brazil despite the nerves and dark talk of stadiums not being ready on time.

But Pele is worried about striker Neymar, who is carrying a nation’s hopes into the tournament that starts in Rio de Janeiro on June 12.

“This is Neymar’s first World Cup and nobody knows exactly what is going to happen. It is a big responsibility for him,” said Pele, who hit international prominence as a 17-year-old at the 1958 finals in Sweden.

The fear of failure is massive. Brazil has still not got over their defeat to Uruguay in the deciding game in 1950, the last time the country hosted the tournament.

Pele’s childhood idol Zizinho was part of that team and became a symbol of the 2-1 loss which traumatized the country.

Neymar, 22, was right to join Barcelona last year, said the Brazil legend.

“The best thing for Neymar was to come to play in Spain, to play in Europe, the best thing for Brazil. It was like him going off to university for six months and then coming back to play with Brazil, because then they come with more experience. That was fantastic for him.

“The problem of pressure is not only a problem for Neymar. It is a problem for the whole team, no doubt. Of course, the country, the people, they want to win.

Brazil’s ‘bad experience’ The 1950 finals was “a bad experience,” said Pele, who spoke to AFP on Sunday as the Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup trophy tour stopped off in Paris.

“Now the people are afraid of the same thing happening. But I think it will be different now.”

Pele, who earned his nickname ‘O Rei’ (The King) after scoring a hat-trick against France in the 1958 semi-finals, brackets the Selecao among the favorites, but sees Chile as potential dark horses.

Brazil, who will come up against Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon in Group A, could potentially meet Chile -- who are in Group B -- in the last 16.

Confident that Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team will handle the pressure, Pele added that he was sure Brazil will turn the tournament into a momentous event after months of negative headlines about the struggle to get some of the 12 stadiums finished on time.

The threat of violent street demonstrations of the sort that overshadowed last year’s Confederations Cup has added to the tension, but Pele believes Brazil will get it right.

“This is a great opportunity. It will be fantastic for Brazil,” he said.

“I think after we had the experience of the Confederations Cup the government has been better organized for the World Cup. So I hope we will have an excellent World Cup. We deserve it.

“As a Brazilian I feel sorry because you have two or three big opportunities to showcase the country -- the Confederations Cup, the World Cup and the Olympic Games (in Rio de Janeiro in 2016). I think this will be a great opportunity to show the country, to make money, to get tourism.

“And it’s important that the demonstrations do not damage everything, so we are going to work hard.”

Winner of the World Cup three times, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele says the one tournament that left its mark on him more than any other was the 1966 competition in England, when he was kicked off the park and Brazil bowed out at the group stage.

– AFP

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March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS

Vettel behind off track as well as on it London, March 11, 2014 — Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso is Formula One’s most marketable driver with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel only fourth despite winning the last four world championships, according to a report published on Tuesday.

The report by global sports marketing research firm Repucom found the Spaniard, a double world champion, enjoyed the greatest worldwide recognition and celebrity impact while Germany’s Vettel ranked only fourth.

Britain’s 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton, who drives for Mercedes, was second on the list and Brazilian Felipe Massa, who moved from Ferrari to Williams at the end of last season, took third place.

Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion who has returned to Ferrari this season after leaving the sport and then making a comeback with Lotus, rated higher than Vettel in awareness but below him in overall marketability.

“It may be a surprise to some that globally, Sebastian Vettel does not score as highly in terms of public opinion as the likes of Alonso, Hamilton and Massa,” said Repucom’s Nigel

Geach, senior vice president of motorsport, in a statement.

He said that was due in large part to Ferrari’s popularity and brand recognition - the Italian team are the most glamorous and successful in the sport - as well as Alonso’s own international sponsorship deals.

“Despite Red Bull’s recent successes, globally, 59 percent of F1 fans have an interest in the Ferrari team, representing the highest levels of interest in any F1 team,” added Geach.

“With races screened across 160 global markets to a cumulative global TV audience of 1.8 billion, one can see the importance this can have on perception.”

The report said Alonso was known by 71.14 percent globally, although only 12.76 percent of those in the United States were aware of him. Vettel’s global awareness rating was 54.30 percent.

“Alonso is a very likeable driver and as the global appeal of the sport increases, people seem to be rooting more and more for a new F1 champion and as the results show, Alonso is starting to edge ahead as the fans favourite,” Geach said.

The season starts with the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday and Vettel’s Red Bull team are already on the back foot after problems with their new Renault V6 power unit in testing. Hamilton and Mercedes are the early bookmakers’ favourites.

Despite Hamilton’s global recognition being second only to Alonso, the report found compatriot Jenson Button was more marketable to a British audience.

“Button’s appeal, influence and aspirational scores see him as a better product endorser and a more marketable personality,” it said of the McLaren driver and 2009 world champion.

Massa enjoyed the highest domestic recognition of any driver, with a 99.2 percent rating in Brazil compared to Vettel’s 97.58 percent in Germany. – Reuters

Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

Page 15

HEALTH It’s tough, but selfacceptance is a key to a happy life The UK charity Action for Happiness in conjunction with online behavioral change program Do Something Different asked 5,000 participants to rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 10 on ten “happy” habits. These habits, identified as “keys to happiness” via scientific research, plus the questions used to identify them, were as follows: Giving: How often do you make an effort to help or be kind to others?

Relating: How often do you put effort into the relationships that matter most to you?

Exercising: How often do you spend at least half an hour a day being active?

Appreciating: How often do you take time to notice the good things in your life?

Trying out: How often do you learn or try new things?

Direction: How often do you do things that contribute to your most important life goals?

Resilience: How often do you find ways to bounce back quickly from problems?

Emotion: How often do you do things that make you feel good?

Acceptance: How often are you kind to yourself and think you’re fine as you are?

Meaning: How often do you do things that give you a sense of meaning or purpose?

While questions about Giving and Relating each scored an average of more than 7/10, the Acceptance question scored the lowest of the bunch: An average of 5.56 out of 10, just below Exercising (5.88/10).

“This survey shows that practicing self-acceptance is one thing that could make the biggest difference to many people’s happiness,” says Professor Karen Pine, a psychologist from the University of Hertfordshire and co-founder of Do Something Different.

“Exercise is also known to lift mood so if people want a simple, daily way to feel happier they should get into the habit of being more physically active too.”

Acupuncture looks ‘promising’ as inflammatory disease New research published in the journal Nature Medicine details a direct connection between acupuncture and the treatment of sepsis, a condition stemming from exposure to infection in hospital intensive care units.

Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese remedy, has been used in a variety of contexts, including as a chronic pain treatment, a weight-loss aid and a complement to in-vitro fertilization.

For this study, doctors turned their attention to sepsis, a major cause of hospital deaths. “[I]n many cases patients don’t die because of the infection. They die because of the inflammatory disorder they develop after the infection,” says lead researcher Luis Ulloa, an immunologist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “So we hoped to study how to control the inflammatory disorder.”

One of the body’s major nerves, the vagus nerve, is responsible for reducing inflammation in the body when stimulated. Researchers wanted to find out whether electroacupuncture

could help reduce inflammation and organ injury in septic mice.

case even when electroacupuncture was not used.

Electroacupuncture is a form of the ancient Chinese remedy that enhances the effect of needle treatment via small electric currents. This treatment is already FDA-approved for human patient use.

“I don’t even know whether in the future the best solution for sepsis will be electroacupuncture or some medicine that will mimic electroacupuncture,” said Ulloa. The immunologist remains hopeful that both electroacupuncture and fenoldopam/similar drugs have potential to treat sepsis among other inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and Crohn’s disease.

In the study, molecules known as cytokines limited inflammation in septic mice who were stimulated with electroacupucture, as the researchers predicted. Half of the mice who received the treatment survived for at least one week, while those who did not receive the treatment died.

Furthering their research, Ulloa and his team found the treatment ceased to work when adrenal glands were removed, prompting them to seek an alternative treatment that would work for patients with low-functioning adrenal glands. The team ultimately found that fenoldopam, a drug that mimics the effects of dopamine, resulted in reducing sepsis-related deaths by 40 percent. This was the

Several other studies have looked into the anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture, including one published in January 2013 that found acupuncture “reduced cerebral infarction and alleviated inflammatory responses” and another, from February 2013, that found acupuncture “may exert anti-inflammatory effects through a complex neuro-endocrino-immunological network of action,” also saying that more research was required.

Vegetarian diets linked to lower blood pressure A new review of past studies shows vegetarians have lower blood pressure than those who consume meat. The review was conducted by researcher Yoko Yokoyama, Ph.D., M.P.H. and her team at the at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka, Japan.

Yokoyama and her colleagues looked at seven clinical trials and 32 studies published from 1900 to 2013, for which nearly 22,000 participants ate a vegetarian diet. Net differences in participant blood pressure were measured while “going veggie,” with findings including a reduction in the average systolic and diastolic pressure. This was compared to those eating an omnivorous, or plant and animal, diet.

All 32 studies indicated lower sys-

tolic and diastolic BP from eating a vegetarian rather than an omnivorous diet.

The researchers note that switching to a vegetarian diet is a way to lower blood pressure without medication, which is expensive and often includes side effects.

This new review was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

of age. An October 2012 study from Loma Linda University in California concluded that “vegetarians, especially vegans, with otherwise diverse characteristics but stable diets, have lower systolic and diastolic BP and less hypertension than omnivores.”

“Further studies are required to clarify which types of vegetarian diets are most strongly associated with lower BP,” Yokoyama said.

Vegetarianism has also been shown to lower risk of heart disease.

A 2013 study by the University of Oxford’s Cancer Epidemiology Unit that followed over 44,500 volunteers for about 11 years found vegetarians were a third less likely to develop this health problem.

Past studies analyzing vegetarian diet in regards to blood pressure include a May 1983 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found blood pressure was lower among vegetarians regardless

According to the American Heart Association, blood pressure readings under 120 mm Hg systolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic (120/80) are normal.

High blood pressure is 140/90 and over.

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March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia China thanks Japan indirectly for help in search for plane Beijing, March 13, 2014 — China extended a rare gesture of goodwill to Japan yesterday, offering thanks — albeit indirectly — for an offer of help to look for the Malaysia Airlines jet that went missing on a flight to Beijing over the weekend.

Brawl in Taiwan’s parliament over China trade pact Taiwan’s parliament descended into chaos Wednesday as a punch-up broke out between lawmakers over a trade agreement with former rival China.

TV images of the fighting -- broadcast live nationwide -- showed one legislator being pushed to the ground while others grabbed each other by the collar.

Once notorious for its mass brawls, debates in the Taiwanese parliament have been relatively peaceful in recent years -- with a few exceptions, including fights last year over a tax bill and a new nuclear plant.

Wednesday’s violence stemmed from a deal between China and Taiwan signed in June, aimed at further opening trade in services between the pair, which split 65 years ago after a civil war.

Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou has overseen a marked thaw in relations with China since his Kuomintang party came to power in 2008 pledging to strengthen trade and tourism links with the Asian giant.

China has emerged as the island’s leading trade partner, while dozens of agreements between the two have been signed on everything from transport to earthquake monitoring.

But members of Taiwan’s main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and the smaller but more radical Taiwan Solidarity Union, have pledged to stop the latest trade pact being ratified -- claiming it will hurt small service companies and damage the Taiwanese economy.

The brawl broke out after opposition lawmakers stayed overnight at the parliament in a bid to stop the pact being ratified, a filibustering technique commonly used by Taiwanese politicians.

Under the trade pact, China will open 80 of its service sectors to Taiwanese companies, while Taiwan will in turn allow Chinese investment in 64 sectors.

The pact is one of the follow-up agreements to the sweeping Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed in 2010 to reduce trade barriers between the two sides.

Taiwan has ruled itself for more than six decades since their split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.

China still considers Taiwan part of its territory awaiting reunification with the mainland.

China’s ties with Japan have long been poisoned by what Beijing sees as Tokyo’s failure to atone for its occupation of parts of China before and during World War II, as well as a bitter dispute over a chain of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said he was aware of the news, although he did not know whether the Japanese forces had already set off.

“I believe that, in the face of such an incident, the international community — whether Malaysia, China or neighboring countries — has a shared concern,” said Mr Qin. “If other countries can and are willing to send ships to participate in search operations, we welcome it and express our thanks.”

Japan announced officially on Wednesday that it would send four military planes to help in the search for the missing jet.

Manila air-drops supplies to troops on disputed shoal Manila, March 13, 2014 — The Philippines air-dropped food and water to soldiers stationed on a grounded transport ship on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal after China blocked two Philippine supply ships from reaching the troops, a senior navy official said yesterday.

“On Monday, we sent a navy Islander plane to drop food and water, but it will only last a few days. We have to send back the civilian boats. Since last year, we’ve been resupplying our troops using civilian ships to avoid confrontation and this was the first time China blocked them.”

Chinese patrol ships around Second Thomas Shoal, known in China as the Ren’ai reef, on Sunday ordered the Philippine ships carrying construction materials to leave the area. Beijing claims Manila is trying to start construction on the disputed reef after it ran aground an old transport ship in 1999 to mark its territory and stationed marines on the ship. Manila claims the shoal is part of the Philippines’ continental shelf.

On Tuesday, Manila summoned the second-highest Chinese embassy official to hand over a strongly worded protest letter, calling the blockade “a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines”.

“We only intend to improve the conditions there; we have no plans to expand or build permanent structures on the shoal,” said a Philippine navy official, who declined to be identified.

China also called in Filipino diplomats in Beijing to lodge a protest. “The Philippines’ motive in trying to illegally occupy Ren’ai reef and create incidents in the South China Sea is abundantly clear. China calls on the Philippines to stop all its provocative actions,” a spokesman from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Georgia Asian Times March 15-31, 2014

Page 17

Misc Asia

M’sian university to produce ‘professionally qualified’ noodle sellers Sake Rules Among the various kinds of alcohol, sake may be the least common selection for the toast to kick off an evening party. Dozens of local governments have thus established so-called “kampai ordinances,” calling for drinkers to give their toasts with sake. Their ultimate goal is encourage interest in locally-brewed sake.

The Kyoto municipal government was the first to establish such an ordinance, enacting one in January last year to promote the spread of refined sake made in Kyoto city. The government aims to spread the custom of toasting with sake and to help people take a fresh look at the traditional Japanese industry. The local Fushimi Sake Brewers Association says they have seen a good response to the ordinance, and that at the city’s hotels, many customers often order a second cup of sake after toasting with the drink.

According to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, about 20 local governments have established similar ordinances across the country.

In June, the city government of Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, established an ordinance encouraging people to toast with Hakusan-Kikusake, a unified brand launched by five local breweries.

“An ordinance might sound a bit overblown. But sake brewing is our traditional industry, and there’s no punishment associated with the regulation.

We haven’t yet heard any complaints from other industries,” a government employee said.

The Ishikawa liquor merchants association responded to the move by preparing a special piece of stemware to urge young people to enjoy sake in style.

The Chichibu city government of Saitama Prefecture launched a campaign to give away bottles of sake by raffle to drinkers who toast with sake at designated restaurants and ryokan inns before the end of February.

Takuya Kano of Sakebunka Institute Inc. said: “The custom of touching glasses comes from Europe, and there’s no fixed way to give a toast with sake.

On formal occasions, you can use a cup, while at more casual parties, you can use an ochoko [small cup] or masu [square wooden cup]. If it’s not formal, use small glasses or wine glasses.”

- Yomiuri Shimbun

Malaysia will soon be able to boast having professionally qualified char kuey teow sellers. Under a proposed move by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar), short courses on the fried flat rice noodles and other popular local fare such as satay or mee mamak will be offered along the lines of TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutions in Australia. Utar council chairman Dr Ling Liong Sik said their committee would be sending a team to Australia soon to visit these institutions. “TAFE provides vocational education and training in over 1,200 fields including bartending, tailoring, shoemaking and hairdressing,” he told reporters at the Utar campus here.

Malaysia will soon be able to boast having professionally qualified char kuey teow sellers.

Under a proposed move by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar), short courses on the fried flat rice noodles and other popular local fare such as satay or mee mamak will be offered along the lines of TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutions in Australia.

Utar council chairman Dr Ling Liong Sik said their committee would be sending a team to Australia soon to visit these institutions.

“TAFE provides vocational education and training in over 1,200 fields including bartending, tailoring, shoemaking and hairdressing,” he

told reporters at the Utar campus here yesterday.

Dr Ling said these short courses would be offered under the University System of Tunku Abdul Rahman (USTAR) – a new grouping comprising Utar, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Kojadi Institute, and the Institute of Childhood Education Studies and Community Education.

Besides the skills of frying kuey teow, other training options such as carpentry would be considered, he said.

“We want experienced chefs to pass on their trade to the younger generation,” he added.

Asked who could attend these short courses, he said it would be open to the public.

“We want to help people obtain some basic qualifications and achieve minimum wage,” he said.

Dr Ling said USTAR would also work with various organisations, including associations of chefs and carpenters, to teach vocational skills.

“Many school dropouts don’t have sufficient opportunities. We agree with the government that there is a big demand for vocational schools,” he said.

- The Star

Page 18

March 15-31, 2014 Georgia Asian Times

TRAVEL

South Australia’s delectable food and wine scene South Australia has a long, proud and rich heritage of viniculture. There is also a healthy and vibrant culinary culture that sees young and established chefs championing new ways of preparing and presenting food. Here are a few signature food and wine tours, experiences and products.

Food Trails & Tours The Kangaroo Island Farm Gate and Cellar Door Trail features a range of producers, cellar doors and events.

With three suggested itineraries of varying length, each one features a mix of art and beautiful vistas.

Kangaroo Island is renowned for its free-range eggs, olive oil, native berry jams, seafood, yoghurts, cheeses, honey, bread and biscuits. Meanwhile, the island’s 200ha of vines are tended by 30 growers who together produce wine for 18 labels. Ciders and spirits are also made locally.

McLaren Vale’s McMurtie Mile brings together six McLaren Vale businesses to offer a premium food and wine experience. Sabella, Red Poles, Wirra Wirra, Hugh Hamilton, Primo Estate and the McLaren Vale Beer Company make up the tour which encourages guests to explore cellar doors, restaurants and galleries.

A gourmet self drive tour includes a Wirra Wirra working winery tour and private tasting in cellars, Hugh Hamilton’s exclusive varietal tastings, Primo Estate Joseph Experience and sample platter, Red Poles’ two course regional lunch and art tour, Sabella Vineyards’ hands on vineyard tour and barrel tasting, and Vale Ale.

Preserving, Smoking and Curing with Producers of McLaren Vale – this is the place to try cheese, bread and sausage making, olive oil processing, preserving, butchery, smoking and curing experiences.

Paddock to Plate, a food safari with in Kangaroo Island – focusing on the Island’s diversity of produce and the passion of the producers, a full day can incorporate seafood, artisan cheese, olive oil, honey, marron (an Australian freshwater crayfish), native spices, yoghurt and wine. For example, Sue and Dan Pattingale are renowned olive oil producers – their herbaceous, peppery oil is harvested from ancient, gnarled trees from across the Island.

as a stallholder which allows him to provide visitors with the opportunity to interact with suppliers, producers and retailers whilst receiving a level of history and product knowledge.

Coffin Bay Oysters – fresh oysters from the pure waters off the Eyre Peninsula. It is little wonder Coffin Bay oysters are found in top restaurants around Australia and the world.

The Eyre Peninsula’s Seafood and Aquaculture Trail – a self-drive experience showcasing the best the region has to offer – southern bluefin tuna, abalone, oyster, prawns, scallops and southern rock lobster.

Kangaroo Island Ligurian Honey Kangaroo Island is home to the purest strain of bee in the world, the Ligurian bee. Declared a Ligurian Bee Sanctuary in 1885, Kangaroo Island’s bees originally came from the Italian province of Liguria.

Chocovino, Hahndorf Hill Winery – this Adelaide Hills experience pairs wine and chocolate tasting experiences based on the concept that gourmet chocolate, as with fine wine, has the ability to reflect terroir (how geography, geology and climate of a certain place, interact with plant genetics).

Seppeltsfield in the Barossa offers guests the rare opportunity to ‘taste your birth year wine’.

Mark Gleeson and Adelaide Central Market – over 140 years old and featuring a huge range of fresh produce with over 80 plus specialist stalls, this is the backdrop for Mark Gleeson’s Central Market Tour. Mark has 30 years experience as a chef and 20 years

Fruchocs – officially declared a state heritage icon in 2006. A sweet fruit filling covered with delicious milk chocolate. If you love them enough you can even joint the ‘Fruchocs Appreciation Society’.

Fresh Fruit in Season – being surrounded by rolling farmland and gardens means that there is always fresh fruit on offer. Pick up strawberries or apples direct from the farm or visit the Adelaide Central Market for the best selection in town.

Famous Food Products Haigh’s Chocolates - when staying in Adelaide, make your first port of call Haigh’s Chocolates flagship store. All Haigh’s chocolates are handmade and the finest quality is guaranteed. If you are feeling hungry try the giant Haigh’s chocolate frog.