Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia

www.gasiantimes.com

2015 APAC Unity Scholarship

May 15-31, 2015

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May 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho Photographer: Ben Hioe

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Guinness World Records Cheongsam Show - Atlanta branch participation Date: Friday, May 15, 2014 Time: 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm Venue: King David Adult Day Care Center -- 2830 Clearview Place, Suite 1700, Doraville, GA 30340 For more info: Jinghong Ma Tel: 678.799.4402 2nd Gwinnett Multicultural Festival Date: Saturday, May 16, 2015 Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Venue: Gwinnett Place Mall, 2100 pleasant Hill Road.

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia - Awards Banquet Date: Friday, July 17, 2015 Time: 6:30 pm Venue: Sonesta Gwinnett Place For more info: 678.971.9388

Asian Cultural Experience (ACE) Date: Saturday-Sunday, Aug 8-9, 2015 Time: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Sat; 11:00 am-6:00 pm Sun Venue: Gwinnett Center For more info: www.asianculturalexperienceinga.com 20th Annivesary Hong Kong Dragon Boat-Atlanta Date: Saturday, Sept 12, 2015 Time: 7:00 am - 6:00 pm Venue: Clarks Bridge Olympic Kayaking-Lake Lanier, Gainesville, Georgia For info: dragonboatatlanta.com 2015 Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: October 2-10, 2015 For more info: www.atlaff.org

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May 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS

13 Gwinnett Public Schools seniors earned Gates Millennium Scholarships

APAC celebrated 30th Year anniversary with student scholarship awards Duluth, May 3, 2015 — Asian Pacific American Council of Georgia (APAC) celebrated its 30th anniversary with a dinner banquet.

P1060054The evening celebration attracted over 300 guests including community, business leaders, and government officials. Guests of honors included Honorable Charlotte Nash, Chair of Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, Steven Tai, Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Pedro Marin, Georgia State Representative (HD 96), Judge Carla Wong McMillian, Georgia Court of Appeals, Judge Meng Lim, Superior Court Judge, and Joe Allen, Executive Director of Gwinnett CID. “For over 30 years, APAC has always focused on being a constant reminding voice to insure the issues and concerns of Georgia’s growing Asian community are heard,” said Noy Lounnarath Bozarth in her welcome remark.

Highlight of the evening including the scholarship awards to Asian American students who are college bound from metro Atlanta: Khoa Huynh, Meadowcreek High School, Jessica Tang, Kell High School, Julie Ko, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, Sophia Mapua, North Cobb High School, Seri Lee, Sarah Chomthakham, Parkview High School, Amulya Bajrachaya, Marietta High School, Ashley Wang, Duluth High School, and Eric Yan. Members of the Nepalese community also raised about $7,000 from cash donations at the banquet for the victims of the Nepalese earthquake.

For more information on APAC activities, visit www.apacga.org

Lawrenceville, May 7, 2015 — A group of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) seniors recently learned their hard work earned them the opportunity to go to college for free. The 13 students logo-gwinnett-public-schoolshave been named 2015 Gates Millennium Scholars. The high school seniors – from Berkmar High, Dacula High, Duluth High, Grayson High, Meadowcreek High, Mountain View High, Shiloh High, and South Gwinnett High – join a group of 1,000 students from across the nation to receive the honor this year. The honorees from Gwinnett are: Gates Scholar College / University / High School Kadijatu Sowe, University of Georgia, Berkmar HS Chelsey Omoerah, University of Georgia, Dacula HS Sarah Sanneh, Princeton University, Duluth HS Shi Jie (John) Li, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Duluth HS Lilah Evans, Harvard University, Grayson HS Ifedinma (Sarah) Nwankwo, University of Georgia, Meadowcreek HS Bianca Perez, Emory University, Meadowcreek HS Elena Granados-Barron, Emory University, Meadowcreek HS Adrielle Kwapong ,Georgia State University, Mountain View HS Biajani McEwen-Lopez, University of Southern California, Shiloh HS Olivia Casimir, undecided, South Gwinnett HS Kawther Berhanu, undecided, South Gwinnett HS Caleb Afunyah, undecided, South Gwinnett HS

In addition to the full scholarship for undergraduate work, the Gates Millennium Scholars also qualify for funding to cover graduate and doctoral work in the areas of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

The program, funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, promotes academic excellence for outstanding minority low-income students.

In order to earn the scholarship, the seniors participated in a lengthy and competitive application process. Honorees were selected based on a review of their academic record, community involvement and extracurricular activities, and their families’ need for financial assistance. The program recognizes high-achieving African American, American Indian/Alaska Native (must provide proof of tribal enrollment), Asian/Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program was established in 1999 by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In order to reach and support its constituents, the organization has partnered with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the United Negro College Fund.

GCPS will hold a reception honoring this year’s Gates Millennium Scholars on Friday, May 15, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Grayson Room at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center located in Suwanee.

Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

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METRO ASIAN NEWS

13 Gwinnett Public Schools seniors earned Gates Millennium Scholarships Lawrenceville, May 7, 2015 — A group of Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) seniors recently learned their hard work earned them the opportunity to go to college for free. The 13 students have been named 2015 Gates Millennium Scholars. The high school seniors – from Berkmar High, Dacula High, Duluth High, Grayson High, Meadowcreek High, Mountain View High, Shiloh High, and South Gwinnett High – join a group of 1,000 students from across the nation to receive the honor this year. The honorees from Gwinnett are: Gates Scholar College/University High School Kadijatu Sowe University of Georgia Berkmar HS Chelsey Omoerah University of Georgia Dacula HS Sarah Sanneh Princeton University Duluth HS Shi Jie (John) Li Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Duluth HS Lilah Evans Harvard University Grayson HS Ifedinma (Sarah) Nwankwo University of Georgia Meadowcreek HS Bianca Perez Emory University Meadowcreek HS Elena Granados-Barron Emory University Meadowcreek HS Adrielle Kwapong Georgia State University Mountain View HS Biajani McEwen-Lopez University of Southern California Shiloh HS Olivia Casimir undecided South Gwinnett HS Kawther Berhanu undecided South Gwinnett HS Caleb Afunyah undecided South Gwinnett HS

In addition to the full scholarship for undergraduate work, the Gates Millennium Scholars also qualify for funding to cover graduate and doctoral work in the areas of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

The program, funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, promotes academic excellence for outstanding minority low-income students.

In order to earn the scholarship, the seniors participated in a lengthy and competitive application process.

Honorees were selected based on a review of their academic record, community involvement and extracurricular activities, and their families’ need for financial assistance. The program recognizes high-achieving African American, American Indian/Alaska Native (must provide proof of tribal enrollment), Asian/Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program was established in 1999 by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In order to reach and support its constituents, the organization has partnered with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the United Negro College Fund.

GCPS will hold a reception honoring this year’s Gates Millennium Scholars on Friday, May 15, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Grayson Room at the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center located in Suwanee.

May 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

Japan conferred Macon resident for her work with Cherry Blossom Festival Tokyo, April 29, 2015 — The Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2015 Spring Imperial Decorations. Among 85 foreign recipients is Mrs. Carolyn Crayton, Founder and Former President and CEO of Macon, Georgia’s International Cherry Blossom Festival, who will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, in recognition of her contribution to promoting cultural exchanges and understanding of Japan in the United States through a cherry blossom festival.

DECORATION: The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays SERVICE: Contributed to promoting cultural exchanges and understanding of Japan in the United States through a cherry blossom festival NAME (AGE): Carolyn Crayton (83) MAJOR TITLES: Founder and Former President and CEO, Macon, Georgia’s International Cherry Blossom Festival Founder and Former President and CEO, Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission Board of Directors, Keep America Beautiful, Inc. Board of Directors, International Festival and Events Foundation Board of Directors Trustee, National Arbor Foundation 8th District Representative, Georgia State Board of Community Affairs ADDRESS (NATIONALITY): Macon, Georgia (USA) Starting with organizing the first community effort to plant 500 Yoshino cherry blossom trees in her new town of Macon, Georgia in 1973, Mrs. Crayton went on to found the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission and then launch the Cherry Blossom Festival in 1983.

Since its humble beginnings, Macon, Georgia’s International Cherry Blossom Festival has become one of the Top 20 Events in the South, Top 50 Events in the U.S., and Top 100 Events in North America. It has grown from a 3-day festival with 30 events to a month-long celebration featuring hundreds of events planned to entertain all ages and backgrounds. Yoshino trees continue to be planted around the town, now numbering more than 300,000, helping Macon to retain its distinctive title as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World.

Cherry blossoms hold a special place in the hearts of the Japanese and are celebrated during their brief appearance. The hard work and dedication with which Mrs. Crayton gave for more than 30 years to similarly celebrate the blooming of the cherished cherry blossoms, and thus her promotion of Japan-U.S. cultural exchange and understanding, prove her to be especially deserving of this award.

Mrs. Crayton has also travelled to Japan several times along with various Cherry Blossom Festival queens to participate in festivals in Macon’s Sister City of Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture. The strong impression Mrs. Crayton made during her visits on the people of Kurobe can be seen through a song which was written by a Kurobe citizen and dedicated to Mrs. Crayton in April 2000, entitled “Love, Beauty, and Friendship.” As a representative of Macon, Mrs. Crayton has helped strengthen the relationship between the two cities.

Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

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BUSINESS

Verizon to buy AOL in push for digital content Verizon Communications Inc said it would buy AOL Inc in a US$4.4 billion deal that gives the biggest U.S. wireless carrier access to AOL’s mobile video platform and content including the Huffington Post news website.

The offer of US$50 per share represents a premium of 17.4 percent to AOL’s Monday close of US$42.59.

AOL shares traded as high as US$50.70 before the opening bell on Tuesday. Verizon shares were down about 1 percent at US$49.32.

The offer highlights the need of telecom companies to diversify as their wireless businesses mature and more consumers watch videos and access other content on cellphones.

AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong, who will continue to lead the company after the sale, said mobile will represent 80 percent of media consumption in the coming years. “...If we are going to lead, we need to lead in mobile,” he said in a memo to AOL employees. (http://tcrn. ch/1QFd5s3) Verizon brings with it over 100 million mobile consumers, content deals with the likes of the NFL and “a meaningful strategy” in mobile video, Armstrong said in the memo.

AOL bought Time Warner for more than US$160 billion in 2000 in what turned out to be one of the most disastrous corporate mergers in history.

AOL was spun off from Time Warner in 2009 at a value of about US$3.4 billion.

Armstrong has since spearheaded AOL’s transformation into one of the most successful advertising technology companies.

Activist-investor Starboard Value LP had urged Yahoo Inc to consider a merger with AOL, whose businesses include the TechCrunch blog.

Starboard could not immediately be reached for comment.

“The primary attraction of AOL was the technology it has developed for selling ads and delivering online and mobile video,” Wells Fargo Securities analyst Jennifer Fritzsche wrote in a note.

Verizon has been investing in emerging technology to tap into the market shift to digital content and advertising.

AT&T Inc , the second biggest U.S. telecom company, is diversifying by buying the No.1 U.S. satellite TV provider, DirecTV , for US$48.5 billion.

AOL reported a 7.2 percent rise in first-quarter revenue to US$625 million, boosted by demand for its real-time bidding platform that helps advertisers place video and display ads on other digital properties.

The deal, which includes about US$300 million of AOL debt, will take the form of a tender offer followed by a merger, with AOL becoming a subsidiary.

Verizon said it expects to fund the transaction from cash on hand and debt.

LionTree Advisors, Weil Gotshal & Manges and Guggenheim Partners advised Verizon. AOL’s advisers were Allen & Co LLC and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz.

Skype opens door to real-time translation feature San Francisco, May 13, 2015 -- Microsoft-owned Skype on Tuesday cleared the way for anyone to use a new feature that translates video chats or instant messages in real time.

People no longer need to sign-up to use a preview version of Skype Translator, which handles spoken English, Spanish, Italian and Mandarin.

The number of languages translated jumps to 50 for written instant messages, with missives written in one language arriving converted into a preferred language, according to Skype.

“We are breaking down language barriers that have historically made it challenging for friends and families to connect,” Yasmin Kahn of Skype said in a blog post.

Skype Translator was made available

as a free download at the Windows Store for computers or tablets running on the latest version of Microsoft’s operating software, according to Kahn.

Skype Translator preview debuted late last year, but was invitation-only to allow time and testing for refining the service.

“Our goal for Skype Translator is to translate as many languages as possible on relevant platforms, and to deliver the best speech translation experience to our more than 300 million connected Skype customers,” Kahn said.

Google earlier this year debuted a feature for its Translate app that allows people to pair any two of 38 language options for translation, and also automatically translates when pointed at text items or signs.

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May 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

BUSINESS

Nike backs Obama on trade with pledge to create 10,000 U.S. jobs Taipei signs $2 Billion helicopter deal with General Electric Taipei, Taiwan, May 10, 2015 - General Electric has won a US $2 billion contract to supply helicopter engines to the government of Taiwan over the next five years, the Defense Department has confirmed.

The contract, which runs through December 31, 2020, will see General Electric supplying T700 701D and T700 401C engines to Taiwan to power the popular Black Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky Aircraft, which is owned by United Technologies Corp.

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter which was first developed in 1972 and produced in 1976.

The UH-60A first entered service with the US Army in 1979, to replace the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, used extensively in Vietnam, as the Army’s tactical transport helicopter.

Modified versions have also been developed for the US Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard and the helicopter is a popular export for the US’ military industrial complex.

Black Hawks have served in combat during conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, the Balkans, Afghani-

stan, and Iraq and are currently operated by several dozen nations around the world.

Taiwan has operated S-70C-1/1A variants since the Republic of China Air Force received ten S-70C-1A and four S-70C-1 Bluehawk helicopters in June 1986, for Search And Rescue.

Four further S-70C-6s were received in April 1998 and the ROC Navy received the first of ten S-70C(M)-1s in July 1990.

A further 11 S-70C(M)-2s were received in the beginning of April 2000 and in January 2010, the US announced a Foreign Military Sale of 60 UH-60Ms to Taiwan for the ROC Army.

It is the engines for these helicopters that GE will be supplying, while also providing aftersales support for the existing aircraft operated by Taiwan.

Other major operators of the helicopter include Japan, Colombia, Turkey, China, Mexico, Israel, Brazil and Sweden. The United Arab Emirates has purchased 60 Black Hawks since 2010.

Portland, May 8, 2015 — Sports shoe maker Nike Inc put its weight behind President Barack Obama’s push for a trade deal with Asian countries today with a promise to create up to 10,000 US-based manufacturing jobs if the pact is approved.

In an announcement that coincided with a visit by Obama to Nike’s Oregon headquarters, the company said footwear tariff relief within the proposed 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement would allow it to speed up investment in “advanced footwear manufacturing” in the United States.

Obama is pressing the US Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority, which would enable him to negotiate international trade deals without the threat of changes by lawmakers.

If TPA is passed and the TPP deal is sealed, Nike said it would accelerate its US investments and spur as many as 10,000 domestic manufacturing and engineering jobs, thousands of construction jobs, and up to 40,000 jobs elsewhere in its supply chain over 10 years.

Nike has 26,000 employees in the United States and more than one million workers in 700 contract factories worldwide that manufacture its shoes.

Its top-end football and baseball shoes retail for more than $300.

“We believe agreements that encourage free and fair trade allow Nike to do what we do best: innovate, expand our businesses and drive economic growth,” said Nike Chief Executive Officer Mark Parker in a media release distributed by the White House.

The company did not say in the media release what it would pay those workers or where the US jobs would be located.

Obama is scheduled to visit Nike’s headquarters later today. The trip was designed to help sell the free-trade agreement to skeptical Democrats, who say it will put more American workers out of jobs and cut their wages while enriching companies.

An administration official said Nike approached the White House about the issue, which led to the trip. White House aides have been coy all week about why they chose Nike, which suffered for years from a tarnished image for using Asian sweatshops to make its products.

Imports accounted for as much as 98 per cent of the US market for apparel, although that number has fallen slightly, according to the American Apparel & Footwear Association. — Reuters

Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

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LIFESTYLE

U.S. becoming less Christian, says study

Washington DC, May 12, 2015 — The United States is becoming a little less Christian, and a little more unaffiliated to any faith, a major study on the nation’s changing religious landscape suggested today.

“The United States remains home to more Christians than any other country in the world,” with 70.6 per cent of its population, or 173 million adults, identifying as Christian last year, the Pew Research Centre said.

But that figure is down from 2007 when 78.4 per cent called themselves Christian, Pew said in its 200-page study, titled “America’s Changing Religious Landscape.”

The decline is seen across many segments of American society, including whites, Latinos, women, men and those with or without a college education.

But it is particularly marked among younger American, and concerns Roman Catholics as much as mainstream Protestants.

Evangelicals and another 36 million belonging to mainstream Protestant denominations.

Roman Catholics, who in September will welcome Pope Francis on his first papal visit to the United States, number 51 million, down three million from 2007.

At the same time, Christians are also a more diverse group, a reflection of the growing Latino population, the study found.

At the same time, the proportion of Americans claiming no religious affiliation — the so-called “nones” — has grown from 16.1 per cent to 22.80 per cent.

While Protestants in 2007 accounted for 51.3 percent of Americans with religious affiliation, that slipped to 46.5 percent in 2014, with 62 million

That group — with a median age of 36 — is increasingly younger, while non-Evangelicals and Catholics — median age 52 and 49 respectively — is

trending older, the study found.

Non-Christian faiths grew in proportion from 4.7 per cent in 2007 to 5.9 per cent last year, with growth particularly robust among Moslems and Hindus, albeit from a small base, it said.

Interfaith marriages are meanwhile growing in number, accounting for four marriages in 10 since 2010 compared to fewer than one in 10 prior to 1960.

Pew, which posted its findings on its www.pewresearch.org website, based its study on interviews with more than 35,000 people from June through September last year.

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May 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

LIFESTYLE

Hello Kitty-themed restaurant opens in Hong Kong Hong Kong, May 12, 2015 -- Attention Hello Kitty fans: Your favorite feline, whiskered, cartoon (non-cat) character now has her own restaurant in Hong Kong.

At the recently opened Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine restaurant in Kowloon, fans can order 37 menu items that bear the character’s trademark bow, whiskers, ears and moon-shaped face, reports Time magazine.

After years of negotiating with Sanrio, the Japanese company that officially owns the brand, restaurant owner Man Kwong won the rights to open a Hello Kitty-themed restaurant this year for the legions of fans in Hong Kong.

Favorite dim sum items like dumplings and steamed buns are dressed in

pink bowties dyed using beetroot juice, while her beady black eyes are created using squid ink.

Nests of noodle baskets shaped in the silhouette of Hello Kitty cradle shrimp and vegetables while stir-fried noodles are adorned with a deep-fried noodle bow and portions of rice are given whiskers, eyes and a green bean or carrot bowtie.

According to Time, every menu item has been tested and approved by Sanrio executives.

Despite celebrating her 40th birthday last year, the ageless Hello Kitty shows no sign of slowing down, gracing airplane fuselages, hotel rooms, cafes and food trucks around the world.

And before you make the mistake

of referring to the cartoon as a cat be warned that Sanrio will issue a curt advisory — as it did with an anthropologist last year — reminding fans that Hello Kitty is not a cat, but in fact “…a cheerful and happy little girls with a heart of gold” who lives in the suburbs of London with her parents and twin sister Minny and is five apples high.

For globetrotting fans, Taiwanese airline Eva Air has painted Hello Kitty on a small fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft where everything from their boarding cards, soap, foods, toilet paper and even sick bags are likewise emblazoned with the cartoon character.

To help fete her 40th anniversary last year, the Keio Plaza Hotel Tama in Tokyo created two Hello Kitty-themed rooms, while Shibuya Parco launched a Hello Kitty pop-up cafe last winter.

South Korea is already home to a Hello Kitty cafe franchise, and in the US, a roving Hello Kitty-themed food truck has begun hitting the streets of California serving dainty petit-fours and desserts.

The Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine restaurant opens officially June 1.

Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

EVENT

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Asian/Pacific American Council of Georgia - Unity Scholarship Banquet, May 2, 2015

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May 15-31, 2015

Georgia Asian Times

LIFESTYLE Culinary new wave outs Taiwan on the foodie map Taipei, April 30, 2015 — Pungent slices of fermented tofu, piping hot pork buns and crisp green guava slices are some of Taiwan’s classic street eats, with the best stalls attracting queues of locals and visitors.

Now these no-frills favorites are being joined by a new wave of restaurants tapping in to the island’s abundant fresh produce and vibrant cuisine.

Their fusion of seasonal menus and slick interiors at modest prices is starting to create an international buzz — Conde Nast Traveller magazine has labelled Taiwan as the “foodie destination of 2015”.

The island’s star chef, Andre Chiang — who trained in France and runs the acclaimed Restaurant Andre in Singapore — recently opened his first venue on home turf, RAW, in northern Taipei.

It serves up seasonal Taiwanese produce crafted into what Chiang calls a “new interpretation” of the island’s culinary traditions.

“They are all humble ingredients — but when you start to match them in a different way, you create something interesting,” he said.

RAW’s seven-course menu changes every month and features 21 Taiwanese ingredients in peak season at the time.

Tiny shrimp nestle inside purple rice crackers; three types of cauliflower are layered onto thin wafers of chicken skin; a version of the island’s famed sweet treat, the pineapple cake, is presented as three semi-frozen cubes.

The full tasting menu costs Tw$1,850, which Chiang calls “accessible” compared with the island’s expensive fine-dining options, mostly the preserve of high-end hotels.

Brand Taiwan RAW, which opened in December, is part of 38-year-old Chiang’s mission to help carve out a fresh global identity for Taiwan.

“We used to be Taiwanese, with aboriginal local cuisine, then we were colonized for 50 years by the Japanese, then there was the takeover by the Chinese (nationalist) government.

“We can’t cut (those influences) out of our history.”

Now entrepreneurial restaurateurs are finding their feet, and it’s not just about the food.

“Small independent restaurants… are starting to take Taiwanese local produce and are doing it in a more international way, with both the cuisine and the design,” said Chiang.

The cavernous space at RAW, designed by Dutch architect Camiel Weijenberg, is dominated by two huge curved wooden counters made from Taiwanese spruce by local artisans.

The city’s growing reputation for creativity led Taipei to be named World Design Capital for 2016 by the International Council of the Societies of Industrial Design.

“People have studied abroad and are bringing ideas back with them — a lot has changed in the last year or two… there’s a big transition at the moment,” Weijenberg said.

At new restaurant Mume, three young chefs use Taiwanese produce to create Western dishes in a bid to fill the gap between simple island fare and pricey fine dining.

The cosy 32-seat venue decked out in dark wood and storm lamps also opened in December, tucked away in a quiet street in Taipei’s central Daan district.

“We’re starting to get quite a lot of international travelers, probably 20 to 30 per cent,” said Hong Kong-born founder and chef Richie Lin, 34, who works with Australian chef Kai Ward, 24, and US chef Long Xiong, 32.

Mume serves up plates designed for sharing, from grilled pork neck and Wagyu beef tartare to squid, clams, and roasted romanesco broccoli, with an average spend of around Tw$2,000.

Desserts include an orange sorbet in an edible candied peel shell, designed to show off the best of Taiwanese citrus.

“As chefs we all like to use sustainable products that belong to the place,” said Lin, adding that 90 per cent of ingredients on the menu are local.

Old-school favorites But as the food and design scene evolves, Taiwan’s old-school street eats remain a must-try.

At Raohe night market in eastern Taipei, the queue at one family-run pork bun stall snakes down the road.

It has been serving up baked flaky

pastry pockets filled with spicy pork — known as “hu jiao bing” or “pepper cakes” — for more than 20 years.

“The pork is mixed with 10 Chinese herbs,” said cook Yang Rui-fu, 38, whose sister set up the stall. “It originally came from China, from Xiamen, but we have adapted it. The pastry is more flexible and chewy and the herbs make the taste fresher.”

The pastry buns sell for Tw$50, with around 1,800 customers throughout the afternoon and evening.

Yang, who mans the stall’s charcoal ovens, says that with Taiwanese chefs traveling abroad and more tourists coming to the island, its cuisine is starting to earn a wider reputation.

“When I was young, we only had Taiwanese customers, but there are now more people from European countries,” as well as from across Asia, he said.

For French interns Simon Gosset, 24, and Keyvan Nybelen, 22, their month in Taiwan has been a culinary revelation.

“We’ve tried lots of different dishes: sausages, dumplings, pig’s blood with rice, guava,” Gosset said, as they browsed the Raohe stalls.

“We really like the food here. We knew nothing about it before we came.”

Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

Page 13

SPORTS Cavs rout Bulls to advance as Rockets rally to stay alive Chicago, May 15, 2015 — The Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA Eastern Conference finals yesterday, but in the West the Los Angeles Clippers stunningly failed to get past the Houston Rockets.

Cleveland superstar LeBron James got plenty of help from his supporting cast in the Cavaliers’ 94-73 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Guardiola tip Barcelona to win Champions League Munich, May 13, 2015 — Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is now backing his ex-club Barcelona to win the Champions League after his Bavarian giants bowed out 5-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

Guardiola’s Bayern exited at the lastfour stage for the second year running, despite ending Barcelona’s 18-game unbeaten run with a 3-2 semi-final, second-leg win in Munich.

Having won 16 titles as a player, then a further 14 in four years as head coach at the Camp Nou, Guardiola is backing Barcelona to claim their first European crown since 2011 at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on June 6.

“I want to congratulate my players, I am really happy to be their manager on a day like today,” said Guardiola, as Bayern denied Barcelona a first win in Munich at the fifth attempt.

“But I hope Barcelona can now win their fifth Champions League title in Berlin.

“You can only beat Barcelona when you take the ball away from them, with it they are so strong.

“We didn’t make the most of our chances in the first leg, but here we did.

“It wasn’t enough at the end of the day, but there you go.

“I hope the Spanish league has the rights to be screened in Germany soon, so that fans here can appreciate what a good player Lionel Messi is on a regular basis.

“He was a pleasure to coach when I was at Barcelona and he has demonstrated yet again what he can do.”

The win over Barcelona ended Bayern’s four-match losing streak since winning the German league title for the 25th time a fortnight ago.

“We won four titles last season, this year we have just one, but it has been a tough season with lots of injuries and despite that, my players still attacked at every opportunity,” enthused Guardiola.

Bayern’s come-back win demonstrated how much they wanted to reach an 11th European Cup final, but it was too little, too late, after their emphatic first-leg defeat.

“We believed in the miracle, but we couldn’t make it happen,” said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm.

With the win the Cavs completed a four-games-to-two triumph over the Bulls in their best-of-seven second-round series, and will now face either the Atlanta Hawks or Washington Wizards for a place in the NBA finals.

In Los Angeles, the Clippers had appeared to be heading for a similar series win.

But the Rockets put together a stunning comeback, erasing a 19-point third-quarter deficit to shock the clippers 119-107 and force a decisive game seven back in Houston on Sunday.

“We gave this one away, there’s no doubt about that,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers, whose team was outscored 40-15 in the fourth quarter. “But it’s still 3-3, and we have a game seven.”

Rivers admitted it would be tough for his players to regroup after their second straight failure to put away a series they had led 3-1.

It was an outcome that looked impossible when Rockets star James Harden went to the bench with 1:33 remaining in the third quarter, his team trailing by 17.

Brewer and Smith combined for 29 points over the final 12 minutes, each finishing with 19.

“This is what we fought all season for — for home court to be able to put the pressure back on them for a game seven at our house,” Smith said.

Blake Griffin, who finished with 28

points for Los Angeles, didn’t score in the final period — nor did Matt Barnes or DeAndre Jordan.

“We got very tentative,” Rivers said.

“Very few people even wanted to shoot in stretches. It happens, but it’s awful to watch.”

Cavs seize chance There was no such drama in Chicago, where the Cavaliers seized their opportunity to eliminate the Bulls despite a tough shooting night for James and a first-half injury to Kyrie Irving.

James connected on just seven of 23 attempts from the floor, but he still finished one rebound shy of a triple-double with 15 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.

The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player said that, as always, he just tried to make the most of his team’s chance to advance.

Irving reinjured his left knee in the second quarter and sat out much of the game, but a string of lesser-known players stepped up to help the Cavs seal the series.

Matthew Dellavedova scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, Iman Shumpert scored 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds and J.R. Smith added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers.

“The power of team trumps all,” Cleveland coach David Blatt said.

While James will be playing in his fifth straight Eastern Conference finals, the last four were during his tenure in Miami.

The Cavaliers are back in the conference finals for the first time since 2009.

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May 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

SPORTS

Eden Hazard crowned England’s Footballer of the Year London, May 12, 2015 — Eden Hazard was named England’s Footballer of the Year today after his consistently outstanding performances throughout the season helped Chelsea win the Premier League title.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane was second in the voting by members of the English Football Writers Association with Hazard’s Chelsea club mate and captain John Terry third.

The 24-year-old Belgian international midfielder adds the award to the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) honour he collected last month and becomes the first player from his country to claim the accolade since it was launched in 1948.

Only two other Chelsea players have won England’s most prestigious and soccer’s oldest individual honour — Gianfranco Zola in 1997 and Frank Lampard in 2005.

Kane, who has scored 30 goals in his first full season for Spurs and was awarded his first England cap, was named the PFA’s Young Player of the Year last month, while defensive rock Terry has played every minute of every Premier League game to date.

FWA chairman Andy Dunn told Reuters: “The list of truly world class players on the Football Writers’ Association roll of honour is a long one and Eden Hazard is a worthy addition.

“A creator, a goalscorer and the hardest of workers, he has been a constant source of threat for the champions.

“He has started all 36 Premier League matches Chelsea have played so far and, considering the particularly close attention he receives from opponents, that is a feat in itself.

“His electrifying, attacking talent has made him the first Belgian to win the Footballer of the Year award.

“He is a brilliant successor to Luis Suarez and we just hope he stays in the Premier League for a lot longer than Luis did after collecting the trophy.”

Uruguay striker Suarez, who won the award after scoring 31 goals for Liverpool last season, joined Spanish giants Barcelona before the start of this campaign.

Hazard collected 53 per cent of the vote making him a comfortable winner, while he and Terry’s Chelsea team mates Cesc Fabregas, Branislav Ivanovic and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also featured in the top 10.

Four other players received votes: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal, David De Gea of Manchester United, Sergio Aguero of Manchester City and Esteban Cambiasso of Leicester City. — Reuters

FIFA introduces more racism surveillance for World Cup London, May 12, 2015 — A new system of match observers monitoring incidents of racism and discrimination at 2018 World Cup qualifiers was announced by FIFA today.

The system will be co-ordinated by world soccer’s ruling body and implemented in co-operation with the European anti-discrimination organisation FARE. Any incidents of discrimination or racism will be reported to FIFA which has pledged to impose disciplinary sanctions on any countries involved.

The implementation of the new system is particularly apt as racism is rife in soccer in Russia, hosts of the 2018 World Cup. More than 200 incidents were committed by Russian fans between 2012 and 2014 according to a recent report by the Sova Center, a Moscow-based racism-monitoring group.

Last month FIFA president Sepp Blatter said “a lot of work needs to be done” to wipe the scourge of racism and discrimination from Russian soccer and the game in general.

FIFA and European soccer’s governing body UEFA have often imposed relatively small punishments when incidents have occurred in the past. — Reuters

Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

Page 15

HEALTH More sex does not necessarily improve happiness, study finds Pittsburg, May 11, 2015 — We’ve been told by research, self-help books and the media that having lots of sex will make us happy, yet a new study at Carnegie Mellon University in the US suggests that upping your sexual activity could in some cases lead to frustration.

At random, they assigned some couples to have double the amount of sex they normally would in a week.

There is a positive relationship between sex and happiness, according to the researchers, who say being happy could inspire more sex, or being healthy could make you happier and lead to more sex.

Working with 128 participants between the ages of 35 to 65, all of whom were heterosexual and married, the researchers interviewed them to establish baseline statistics on each couple’s weekly sexual frequency.

The study has important implications that individuals need genuine inspiration on their own accord to initiate more sex and reap the benefits.

The experiment continued for three months as the researchers surveyed all couples — including the remaining couples that were not asked to change their sex lives in any way.

Participants responded to questions online about their health behaviour, happiness and how much they were enjoying sex.

Yet simply increasing the frequency of sex with your partner is not the recipe for eternal afterglow, according to the study.

part of a research study,” says lead investigator George Loewenstein of Carnegie Melon.

they experienced a small decrease in happiness.

Researchers asked them to describe their sex lives in full, revealing everything down to the positions they chose.

Further probing pointed to lower sexual desire and a decrease in enjoyment for these couples that had been asked to have more sex, which could be at the root of the problem, according to the researchers.

Those who had been assigned to have more sex had done their due diligence and completed the experiment as asked, say the researchers, yet

“Perhaps couples changed the story they told themselves about why they were having sex, from an activity voluntarily engaged in to one that was

“If we ran the study again, and could afford to do it, we would try to encourage subjects into initiating more sex in ways that put them in a sexy frame of mind, perhaps with baby-sitting, hotel rooms or Egyptian sheets, rather than directing them to do so,” says Loewenstein.

The study was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.

Your stress is changing your kids’ behavior Parents’ anxiety easily transmits to children without genetics playing any part whatsoever. This according to the results of a study carried out on twins by researchers from various universities in the United States, Great Britain and Sweden.

The transmission of anxiety from parents to children is well documented scientifically, but its underlying mechanisms much less so.

To better understand the respective roles of genetics and other factors (cultural, living conditions, children’s exposure to parents’ stress), a team of researchers from various universities in the United States, Great Britain and Sweden studied types of anxiety using twins as their base. In observing the identical twins, the study was designed to find out whether genetics or envi-

ronment was more important in the transmission of anxiety.

Their work took into account the data from 387 identical (monozygotic) twin families and 489 non-identical (dizygotic) twin families. Each of the families selected from the Swedish cohort “Twin and Offspring Study of Sweden” comprised a twin pair where both twins were parents, each twin’s spouse, and one of each of their adolescent children. These types of studies, known as a “children of twins” study, hope to avoid the potential influence that family genetics could have on the study.

The team studied the data regarding anxiety levels that the families self-reported regarding the previous six months using a 20-point personality scale and rating questions such

as “I often feel uncertain when I meet people I don’t know very well” from not at all true (0) to very true (3). The researchers used computer modelling of the relationships between individuals and their traits to estimate the contribution of genetic and non-genetic factors.

Their conclusions, published in the April issue of The American Journal Of Psychiatry, reveal that there is in fact a link between the neuroticism and anxiety of parents and similar issues found in their children at adolescence. But according to the researchers, genetic factors don’t play a part in this.

According to the results of this study, anxiety could be transmitted via the immediate environment, meaning the behavior of the parents. It indicates that there is proof, statistically relevant

though modest, of non-genetic transmission of anxiety, and, in some cases, neuroticism.

The researchers found that parental anxiety causes children to be more anxious, while anxiety in the offspring affects the parenting they receive, thus creating a negative feedback loop. “A plausible hypothesis on the cycle of anxiety and its development in the heart of the family,” concludes the study.

According to journal editor Dr Robert Freedman, “Parents who are anxious can now be counseled and educated on ways to minimize the impact of their anxiety on the child’s development.”

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May 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

Misc Asia

India to gift Bodhi Tree sapling to China and Mongolia New Delhi, May 9, 2015 — India will gift a sapling of the sacred Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya to China and Mongolia this month, a temple official said on Saturday.

According to BMTC officials, last month, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) had sent a letter addressed to the Bihar government for the sapling of the the sacred Bodhi Tree.

Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) member secretary N. Dorjee said the priests of Bodh Gaya’s Mahabodhi temple, Buddhism’s holiest shrine, performed rituals before the saplings were sent to Delhi.

Till date, the sapling of Bodhi Tree was gifted to Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Nepal and Bhutan.

“A special prayer was organized at the sanctum sanctorum of the Mahabodhi temple for the healthy growth of the sapling of Bodhi tree in China and Mongolia,” he said.

He said a permission from Bihar home department was sought and after getting a clearance from there, the sapling was prepared out of the seeds fallen from the Bodhi Tree.

“A high level delegation of the Indian government would take the sapling of the sacred Bodhi Tree during their visit to China and Mongolia later this month and would be presented to the government there as a good gesture,” temple’s chief monk Bhikkhu Chalinda said.

Buddhists revere the holy Bodhi Tree and even the leaves are worshipped by them.

The 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi temple is a World Heritage Site where the Buddha, who was born at Lumbini in neighboring Nepal, attained enlightenment around 2,500 years ago.

The Bodh Gaya temple is visited by millions of pilgrims annually from all over the world, especially from Sri Lanka, China, Japan and the Southeast Asian region.

30 years later, U.S. museum returns stolen artifact to Cambodia Phnom Penh, May 11, 2015 — An American museum has returned a 10th-century sandstone statue of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman to Cambodia, decades after it was looted from a jungle temple when the kingdom was in the throes of civil war.

The 3 feet-high statue was stolen in the 1970s from the Koh Ker temple site near the famed Angkor Wat complex.

The artwork, which had been in the possession of the Cleveland Museum of Art in the US since 1982, was received

by Cambodian officials on late yesterday night, an official said.

Buddhist monks chanted blessings and scattered flowers over the statue upon its arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, according to a photographer.

“We welcome back the statue of Hanuman from the Cleveland Museum of Art in the US,” Chan Tani, Cambodian Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, told reporters.

The museum agreed to return the artwork after negotiations, but Chan Tani did not say how the museum came into possession of the artifact.

Last year, Cambodia received three ancient statues looted from the kingdom more than 40 years ago, including one — Duryodhana — retrieved after a long legal battle in the US. In June 2013, two other 10th century Khmer era statues known as the “Kneeling Attendants” were returned.

They were also looted in the 1970s from the Koh Ker temple site and were on show for 20 years at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The statues are considered pieces of extraordinary value to the Cambodian people and part of their cultural heritage.

Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2015

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Misc Asia

what they called a “pure” Japanese, rather than a “haafu” (the Japanese pronunciation of “half”, a word used to describe mixed race).

Miyamoto, who turns heads in Japan with her caramel skin and height of 1.73 m (5 ft 8 ins), admitted she has had to toughen up.

“I used to get bullied as a kid but I’ve got mentally stronger, to protect myself,” said the model, whose first language is Japanese, screwing up her nose in mock horror when handed an English menu by a waitress.

Black Miss Japan fights for race revolution Tokyo, May 10, 2015 - Ariana Miyamoto entered the Miss Universe Japan beauty contest after a mixedrace friend committed suicide. And she endured abuse after winning the crown because of her skin color.

Far from being put off by the backlash, Miyamoto resolved to use her new-found fame to help fight racial prejudice — in much the same way British supermodel Naomi Campbell broke down cultural barriers in the fashion industry a generation ago.

I answer the phone. But that criticism did give me extra motivation,” she said in an interview.

“I didn’t feel any added pressure because the reason I took part in the pageant was my friend’s death. My goal was to raise awareness of racial discrimination,” added Miyamoto, who was bullied as a schoolgirl growing up in the port town of Sasebo, near Nagasaki.

“I’m stubborn,” said Miyamoto, the daughter of a Japanese mother and black American father, who turned 21 on Tuesday.

“Now I have a great platform to deliver that message as the first black Miss Universe Japan. It’s always hard to be the first, so in that respect what Naomi Campbell did was really amazing.”

“I was prepared for the criticism. I’d be lying to say it didn’t hurt at all. I’m Japanese — I stand up and bow when

Social media lit up after Miyamoto’s victory in March, many critics complaining the title should have gone to

“When I was small I stood out and always felt I had to fit in with everyone.

I’d try not to bring attention to myself, but now I say what I feel. I do things my own way.

“I want to start a revolution,” Miyamoto added with a laugh. “I can’t change things overnight but in 100200 years there will be very few pure Japanese left, so we have to start changing the way we think.”

Shock of the new The hostility Miyamoto faced sits at odds with a government-sponsored drive to promote the country overseas as “Cool Japan” and entice foreign tourists for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Some point to the success of mixedrace celebrities such as Rola — a model of Bengali, Japanese and Russian descent — and half-British singer and actress Becky as proof of Japan’s openness to change.

“It’s possible that some conservative people might feel Ariana Miyamoto doesn’t fit the traditional Japanese image to represent the country,” said psychologist Yoko Haruka, a regular on Japanese TV. “It’s just the shock of the new. But she certainly has the chance to be a pioneer, and it’s an excellent opportunity for Japan to become more globally aware.”

Miyamoto argues that any shift still favours Caucasian or Eurasian lineage in an overwhelmingly homogenous country, where multi-racial children make up just two percent of those born annually.

“In Japan there are hardly any black models or TV personalities,” she said.

“Most celebrities are like Rola or Becky. Hopefully I can help create a Japan where anyone can make things happen.”

Should Miyamoto win the Miss Universe finals later this year, she would spend a year living in splendour at New York’s Trump Towers — and her influence over issues close to her heart, which also include gender identity disorder, would be greatly enhanced.

But despite her noble intentions, Miyamoto has no plans to run for political office just yet.

“I’d like to use my position to become a leader,” she smiled. “I’m like a sponge — always absorbing new things.

But I haven’t thought too deeply about politics yet. It’s still a bit early to think about becoming Prime Minister!”

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May 15-31, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

TECH South Korea grabs Google’s first Asian “campus” Seoul, May 8, 2015 — Google formally opened its first Asian start-up “campus” in Seoul on Friday — a marquee-name nod to South Korea’s aspirations as a regional hub for a new generation of tech entrepreneurs.

bursting of an initial dotcom boom in 2001 served to reinforce the widely held view that taking risks and running your own business was to invite volatility, insecurity and potential bankruptcy.

Opened by President Park GeunHye who has touted establishing a “creative economy” as a key policy for her administration, Campus Seoul is housed in the capital’s upscale Gangnam district which has become a focal point for the Korean start-up community.

“When bright, young Korean graduates want to create their own startups, the biggest challenge they face is often their parents,” said Lim.

As well as providing a space for people to work and network, it offers mentoring and training by Google teams and experienced entrepreneurs, as well as access to other start-up communities in Asia and beyond.

“We feel we’re at a tipping point where Korean start-ups will begin going global,” said Jeffrey Lim, who heads the Seoul Campus operations.

It’s a point that has been touted as tipping for some time, nudged by a highly educated, hard-working community in a country with some of the world’s fastest broadband speeds and highest smartphone penetration rates.

But despite the domestic success of some start-ups, Korean firms have struggled to take their products to the global market.

“They still push them towards the security of jobs with the big conglomerates like Samsung and LG. They still feel that’s the gold standard for how they raised their kids,” he added.

But for those with the courage to take the plunge, there are encouraging signs that things are changing.

“And the good thing about Korea, is that when we change, we have shown we can change very fast,” said April Kim, co-founder and CEO of ChattingCat – a start-up providing an instant English-language correction service for non-native speakers.

The 33-year-old, who has already moved her tiny team into Campus Seoul, believes a major corner has already been turned, with overseas venture capital firms setting up shop in South Korea and Korean entrepreneurs starting to create start-up incubators and accelerators.

State support

There are a variety of reasons, including a lack of funding and knowhow, well-intentioned but overly regulated government involvement, and the absence of any real role models.

The Asian financial crisis that rocked the country in the late 1990s and the

“There was so much paperwork! For my first 20K I had to write an 80-page report. And every quarter, they want an accounting of how the money is being spent,” Kim said.

“There’s a lot of frustration and wasted energy,” she said.

It’s a point echoed by another early Campus Seoul member, Park Sangwon, whose software development start-up is promoting a real-time camera filter application that already boasts 160 million downloads.

“The problem is that the side providing the funding is not really looking at making the business more successful,” the 34-year-old said.

The government has also stepped up, with Park’s administration in 2013 unveiling a 3.3 trillion won ($3.0 billion) fund to nurture start-ups over the next three years.

“There’s a lot of distrust and wanting to make sure the money is being spent in the ‘proper way’,” he added.

In the past two years, Kim has received more than $60,000 in government funding, a sum she was extremely grateful for when she was struggling to get her company up and running.

The Google campuses are not-forprofit projects that the US tech giant says carry the over-arching benefit of widening the Internet eco-sphere. The Seoul outpost is modeled after similar facilities in London and Tel Aviv, and soon to be Warsaw and Sao Paulo.

Fear of risk and failure There are also challenges that are particular to South Korea because of its recent history.

But the money came with a substantial cost in time and effort.

Seeking role models

Basic membership is free and space is provided at very low rates. Google has no financial stake in the start-ups that use the Seoul campus, although it clearly doesn’t hurt to have a close eye on what might become the next Twitter or Uber.

For both Kim and Park, it’s a welcome resource where they can meet other small teams like their own, share experiences, pursue possible collaborations and, hopefully, identify and open doors to venture capital funding.

But in terms of growing, they still lack the models for how to move beyond the Korean market.

“I’m at a stage where I need mentors and connections, but they are hard to find,” Kim said.

“I hope there will be at least one Korean start-up that makes it on a global scale in the next few years. It would give a lot of people hope and help others to learn and follow.”