Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia
www.gasiantimes.com October 1-15, 2017
Modern Korean Cuisine Showcased in Atlanta
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October 1-15, 2017 Georgia Asian Times
Georgia Asian Times Oct 1-15, 2017
Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho
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13th Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: Oct 13-28, 2017 Venues: Georgia State University-Dunwoody, Georgia Gwinnett College For more info: www.ATLaff.org Chopstix For Charity Presented by NAAAP Atlanta Date: Saturday, Oct 21, 2017 Time: 6:00 pm Venue: World of Coca-Cola, 121 Baker Street, NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 For more info: www.naaap-atlanta.org Asian American Resource Center - 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner Date: Thursday, Oct 26, 2017 Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Venue: Korean American Culture Center, 5900 Brook Hollow Parkway, Norcross GA 30093 For more info: aarc-atlanta.org
12th Annual Laotian American Society Gala Date: Saturday, Oct 28, 2017 Time: 5:00 pm - 12:00 am Venue: Signature Ballroom, 80 Horizon Drive, Suwanee, GA 30024 For more info: www.lasga.org
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October 1-15, 2017 Georgia Asian Times
METRO ASIAN NEWS
Atlanta Asian Film Festival starts 13th season with gala Duluth, October 12, 2017 — Asian movie fans and film enthusiast officially kick off the 13th Atlanta Asian Film Festival with a gala reception at Embassy Suites. Asian film enthusiast and fans were treated to a series of film highlights from this year’s festival at the gala ballroom. This year’s lineup included films from U.S., China, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. “We are pleased to be part of this year’s festival. Turner is committed to engaging with our community in promoting diversity and inclusion as part of our corporate initiatives. We are proud to partner with the Atlanta Asian Film Festival for this year festival,” said Lydia Kim, Vice President of Business Development, Turner Classic Movies in her greetings. HiSense, technology sponsor of the festival, introduced its new 100 inch laser television technology at the Premiere Night. “HiSense is proud to partner with Atlanta Asian Film Festival to intro-
duce the new laser television technology to the film enthusiast market. We believe thru our new technology, film enthusiast will have a better experience in enjoying the films,” said Jerry Liu, President of HiSense, North America, in his remark. Ms. Elsie Vidanes was awarded the “Volunteer of the Year” Award for her dedication and volunteerism with the festival. Mr. Eric Kendrick received the “Board member of the Year” Award for his service and contribution to the Board of Directors. The two-weeks festival will screen films at GSU Perimeter Dunwoody campus and Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville from Oct 13-28, 2017.
Dragon Boat fleet at Lake Lanier Grows Gainesville, Oct 14, 2017 — The Atlanta Dragon Boat Festival organization purchases the first of what they hope will be two new Dragon Boats from the 2018 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships at Lake Lanier. “This purchase would not have been remotely possible without the generous support of the National Association of Chinese Americans (NACA),” said Gene Hanratty, Chairman of the Atlanta Dragon Boat Festival.
“We are pleased to have the support and backing of our major sponsors and supporters. Without them, it would be impossible to organize a festival of this scale with success,” said Li Wong, founder and Executive Director of the Atlanta Asian Film Festival.
“The Chairwoman of NACA, Ms. Lani Wong, made the formal presentation for the purchase of the boat at our Dragon Boat Festival right here at Lake Lanier this past September 9th,” added Hanratty. Ms. Wong was quoted at saying when she made the presentation, “I guarantee that this boat will be fast and will not sink!”
Film enthusiast can review screening schedule and purchase tickets at the festival website: www.ATLaff.org.
“We are looking to buy one more. We want a fleet of 10 boats so that we can speed up the flow of races at the
Festival to accommodate more teams and shorten the race day,” when asked what the future plans are for the fleet of Dragon Boats at Lake Lanier. This year’s Dragon Boat Festival featured over 80 teams and a crowd estimate of around 8,000 people who were there during the course of the day. Next year’s Festival is scheduled on Saturday, September 8, 2018. For more information call Gene Hanratty at 404.788.8818 or email gene@dragonboatatlanta.com
Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2017
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METRO ASIAN NEWS
Modern Korean cuisines on display at Korean Gala Atlanta, Oct 5, 2017 — The Korean Consulate General of Atlanta and the Korean Food Global Association, S.E. USA hosted a “Modern Korean Gala” Dinner at Westin Perimeter North. The gala dinner is hosted in conjunction with the Korean Thanksgiving “Chuseok” Day. Ambassador Seong-Jin Kim, Consul General of Korea in Atlanta delivers the keynote address at the gala dinner. Over 150 guests were treated to Korean cuisine prepared by Michelin award winning chef Jason Oh, who owns restaurants in Seoul and Las Vegas. Chef Jason Oh presented six-course meals that included appetizers Amuse Bouche, Seoul Garden, and Chestnut Soup. He also showcased Korean
short-ribs “Galbijim”, royal cuisine “BiBimbap”, and traditional dessert made from cinnamon with dried persimmon “Sujunggwa.” Ambassador Kim also announces that he will be completing his posting in Atlanta and will be returning to Seoul at the end of the month. He had served the past three years as the Consul General and remains popular with the Korean community in metro Atlanta. “We are proud to share our food heritage with the American guests. Korean cuisine has been cultivated with over 5,000 years of history and a long line of tradition,” said John D. Son, President of Korean Food Global Association, S.E. USA.
TECO Atlanta celebrates Double Tenth National Day with Gala Atlanta, October 10, 2017 — The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Atlanta celebrates Taiwan’s 106th National Day with a black tie gala at Sheraton Atlanta Hotel in downtown Atlanta.
Director General Vincent Liu celebrated his first National Day celebration in Atlanta as he recently assumed his post in January 2017.
Invited guests including business, community, counties and state legislators from metro Atlanta, Alabama, South Carolina, Southeast region attended the celebration.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Atlanta represents Taiwan in the southeastern region of the United States. The office serves Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
“TECO is pleased to continue maintaining close relationships with our friends and partners in the Southeastern region. I hope to foster a close working relationship for the future,” said TECO Director General Vincent Liu in his welcome remarks.
Serving the equivalent function of a consulate general, TECO offers consular services and is dedicated to promoting cooperation and mutual understanding between Taiwan and the Southeast United States in economic, cultural and other areas
Several proclamations by cities and states were announced at the evening’s presentation including a greeting by Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal.
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October 1-15, 2017 Georgia Asian Times
BUSINESS
Indonesia’s first ever IPO by a startup draws robust investor interest Jakarta, Oct 5, 2017 -- E-commerce firm PT Kioson Komersial Indonesia Tbk drew strong investor interest for Indonesia’s first ever IPO by a startup, and its shares surged on their trading debut in very thin volumes on Thursday.
On top of showing that an IPO could be an alternative method to raise funds for startups in Indonesia, Kioson also offers retail investors a chance to take part in the capital market and benefit from the “hyper-growth” of startups, Halim said.
The response to the IPO could potentially pave the way for more technology companies in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy to follow in Kioson’s footsteps and list in the domestic stock market.
Kioson operates an “online to offline” business model, which allows customers to make online purchases and pick up their orders at the ubiquitous kiosks, locally known as “warungs”, across Indonesia.
Kioson raised 45 billion rupiah (US$3.3 million) by selling 150 million shares, or 23.1% of the company’s total share base, at 300 rupiah each. The offering was more than 10 times over-subscribed.
The company had tied up with 19,000 kiosks as of September, and plans to raise that to 100,000 by 2019, Halim said.
The stock surged as much as 50% on its debut, but volumes were very thin with just over 10,000 shares traded. Indonesia’s startup scene is booming as investors are lured by the youthful demographic of the country of 250 million people, who are increasingly buying anything from tickets to electronic gadgets online. President Joko Widodo has also aimed to increase broadband access in the sprawling archipelago. Kioson CEO Jasin Halim said the company previously received offers from venture capital and private equity funds, but decided to go for an IPO because of a difference in valuation. “The path that startups take is normally to look for venture capital, angel investors and so on…We feel that by taking the IPO route, that’s the method that is the most fair and transparent,” he told reporters. “Let the market value our company.”
Kioson plans to use the proceeds from its IPO mainly to acquire online vouchers firm PT Narindo Solusi Komunikasi. Andi Boediman, co-founder of venture capital firm Ideosource, told Reuters he expects more startups to take the IPO route in Indonesia as they could get better valuations from local investors who are more familiar with their products. “With products that are offered in Indonesia, it’s easier to build a positive perception in Indonesia than to introduce it in other countries,” said Boediman, whose venture capital firm had invested in online retailer PT Bhinneka Mentari Dimensi. PT M Cash Integrasi, which distributes online vouchers through its physical kiosks, is also planning to raise up to 300 billion rupiah by offering a 25% stake in an IPO. M Cash is a unit of PT Kresna Graha Investama Tbk.
Singapore Airlines plans wide-ranging cost cuts to offset stiff competition Singapore, Oct 5, 2017 -- Singapore Airlines Ltd is pursuing more than 50 cost-cutting initiatives including reducing fuel burn and reviewing its relationship with key suppliers as part of a three-year plan to make the airline more competitive, a newsletter to staff shows. Both Singapore Airlines and Hong Kong-based rival Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd have come under pressure due to growing competition from Chinese and Middle Eastern rivals. Both also lack domestic flight markets to help offset the international competition. Singapore Airline set up a dedicated transformation office to review its strategy in May after a surprise fourth-quarter loss although it not released a cost-cutting target. In a September staff newsletter obtained by Reuters, CEO Goh Choon Phong said the airline was working on 56 initiatives, which also include more self-service options for customers and reducing in-flight food and beverage wastage. “While it is early days in the threeyear programme, I am pleased to report that it has been going very well, and I am confident we are on track to meet our objectives,” he said.
Since the review was launched, Singapore Airlines has handed two of regional arm SilkAir’s routes to budget carrier Scoot, merged part of SilkAir’s finance team with its parent and offered unpaid leave to cabin crew. CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said Singapore Airlines should consider the more radical move of merging SilkAir with its parent as part of the review. “It would generate efficiencies and ensure a consistent product at the full service end of the market,” he said. The carrier has already merged budget arms Scoot and Tigerair Singapore and folded its cargo arm back into Singapore Airlines. SilkAir CEO Foo Chai Woo said in an interview on Wednesday that the company planned to keep the carriers separate for now but declined to comment on whether a future merger could be ruled out. Cathay has been more aggressive in its restructuring efforts as it tries to rebound after reporting its worst firsthalf loss in more than 20 years. It has cut 600 jobs as part of a review aimed at reducing HK$4 billion (US$512 million) in costs over three years.
Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2017
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BUSINESS
Alibaba launches US$15 billion overseas R&D drive Bitcoin bursts through US$5,000 for first time London, Oct 12, 2017 -- Bitcoin surged through the US$5,000 level on Thursday for the first time since the launch of the unregulated virtual currency more than 8 years ago.
Bitcoin’s community of users control and regulate the currency, and the anonymity of transactions that endears it to libertarians has raised concerns that it can be abused by criminals.
The cryptocurrency struck a new record high of US$5,183.97 according to financial data provider Bloomberg.
The lack of transparency has also sparked concerns that the swings in its value may be due to speculative trading.
Bitcoin, a virtual currency created from computer code, was worth only a few US cents was launched in 2009 by someone using the Japanese-sounding name Satoshi Nakamoto. Unlike a real-world unit such as the US dollar or euro, bitcoin has no central bank and is not backed by any government. Just like other currencies, bitcoins can be exchanged for goods and services — or for other currencies — provided the other party is willing to accept them.
Beijing, Oct 14, 2017 -- China’s top e-commerce firm, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, is launching a US$15 billion drive to build overseas research hubs as the deep-pocketed firm looks to compete with global leaders in e-commerce, logistics and cloud technology.
Since last year Alibaba has invested roughly US$2 billion to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-based retailer Lazada.com, creating a network of e-commerce hubs across Southeast Asia in partnership with payment affiliate Ant Financial.
The Alibaba ‘Damo’ academy would launch eight research bases in China, Israel, the United States, Russia and Singapore and was hiring 100 researchers to work on artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and fintech, the company said in a statement.
It has also pursued a 1.2 billion bid for US money transfer service MoneyGram, in a pending deal that has come under scrutiny from critics who say it poses a national security threat.
“The Alibaba DAMO Academy will be at the forefront of developing next-generation technology that will spur the growth of Alibaba and our partners”, Chief Technology Officer Jeff Zhang said. The Chinese giant and its affiliates have undergone a rapid expansion in the past year, bringing it into direct competition with US e-retailer Amazon.com Inc, as well as global payments, cloud and logitics firms.
Along with an existing data science research lab in California, Alibaba has opened new data centers in Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Australia, Japan, India and Indonesia since 2016, in a bid to boost its cloud business. The investment also comes as Beijing prioritises state funding in quantum computing, AI and big data, urging provincial governments, universities, the military and private firms to play a bigger role in developing advanced technology in areas where China trails developed countries.
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October 1-15, 2017 Georgia Asian Times
ART
Highlighting Vietnam War’s relevance, exhibit opens in New York New York, Oct 5, 2017 - When the idea for a Vietnam War exhibit came up at the New-York Historical Society a few years ago, Trustee James Grant recalls that even after more than four decades, passions about it were strong. “I got into a lively discussion with another member of the executive committee about America’s motive and about the nature of the struggle and whether it was all for naught or not,” said Grant, a Navy veteran who served off Vietnam in 1965 and 1966. The war, which divided the United States and exposed the limits of its military might, is the subject of a new exhibit that resonates with today’s divisive politics. Nearly three years in the making, “The Vietnam War: 1945-1975” opens on Wednesday at the 200-year-old institution. The interactive exhibit has relevance to current times, said its curator, Marci Reaven. “It may be that much of the political
polarization since then may in fact derive from the conflicts that arose among Americans around the war,” said Reaven.
and two 24-foot long artistic renderings of a 1966-67 timeline that visitors can touch to get video clips of moments in history.
Through artifacts, video, audio and photographs, the exhibit tells the story of the conflict from its post-World War Two origins when the United States backed French troops trying to retain colonial rule over Indochina.
There is also a draft card, which every 18- to 26-year-old male was required to carry at the time, and which many young men burned in public displays of defiance. The draft, which made the war all the more real for millions of would-be conscripts, ended in 1973, shortly after the last American troops left Vietnam.
It depicts the escalation and de-escalation, as it was called at the time, of American troop numbers in Vietnam and the growing anti-war movement at home, as well as demonstrations supporting the war effort. The exhibit tells the story of the war from both sides. It includes a 1962 North Vietnamese propaganda engraving in lacquer, which the still-living artist, who later fought in the war, recreated exclusively for the historical society. It also includes a Bullpup missile from an F-105 fighter-bomber, a Jeep,
When it was over, the war had cost 58,315 U.S. servicemen their lives, the United States had dumped more explosive tonnage on Southeast Asia than it dropped during World War Two, and South Vietnam was overrun by the communist North in 1975. If the exhibit sounds a little like the 10-part documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that just aired on public television, it is only partly a coincidence. Researchers on the two projects worked independently, except
for the sharing of some archival film footage but agreed to coordinate the launch of their works, Reaven said. Historical society visitors will be invited to write or record their thoughts for posterity. “We’d like them to experience, as we did, the idea that wars are a product of many decisions that are made by governments and individuals and it’s important to look at those decisions, to pay attention to these decisions when they’re being made,” said Reaven. The society will host the exhibit through April 22.
Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2017
EVENTS
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Modern Korean Food Gala, Oct 5, 2017, Westin Perimeter North
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EVENTS
October 1-15, 2017 Georgia Asian Times
TECO Atlanta Double Tenth Celebration, Oct 10, 2017, Sheraton Atlanta
Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2017
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ENTERTAINMENT
In a statement released yesterday, the filmmakers explained the Japanese version would explore a country “plagued by pollution and ageing” as well as a “society where morality and personal history are manipulated by technology.”
Hong Kong ‘Ten Years’ film to get Japan, Thai spin-offs BUSAN, Oct 17, 2017 — A controversial award-winning film that shook up Hong Kong with its bleak visions of the city’s future is to be turned into a pan-Asian franchise, with Japanese, Taiwanese and Thai versions in the works. The original Ten Years movie was a collection of short films imagining how life might be in Hong Kong in 2025. Seen as a thinly veiled warning about life under Beijing’s rule — including diminished human rights and widespread censorship — the film was banned on the mainland but was a critical success, with screenings around the world. Speaking at the official launch of the new project, Taiwanese director Rina B. Tsou said the next batch of filmmakers involved were ready to ride out any political storms the spin-offs might stir up.
“It will be a challenge for us to put [society’s] hidden dangers and hidden fears into film,” Tsou, one of five Taiwanese directors attached to that version of the project, told the 22nd Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). The original Ten Years (2015) comprised five short films by emerging filmmakers that painted a gloomy view of how life might be in Hong Kong a decade later, 28 years after the former British colony had reverted to Chinese sovereignty. Segments imagined taxi drivers being banned from speaking in their native Cantonese, self-immolation becoming a form of protest against increased Chinese influence and pro-Beijing “youth guards” patrolling the streets. Pollution, virtual reality and surveillance
The film on Thailand, a country currently ruled by the military, would explore “issues of surveillance and government control” while Taiwan’s would paint a picture of an island where “immigrant workers are systematically exploited and the loss of culture and dropping birth rate” have caused its inhabitants to turn to “virtual reality escapes.” The original idea for Ten Years was conceived during the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement that brought the central business district of Hong Kong to a standstill for 79 days in 2014. Ten Years was named Best Film at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016 after a release that was cloaked in controversy, with accusations that theatre owners had been strong-armed into pulling the film from general release due to its strong anti-Chinese sentiments. The fact that it was granted the city’s top film award also seemed to divide the domestic industry, with calls to alter the voting methods used to decide that honour as well as arguments over the artistic merits of the film, made on a shoestring budget by inexperienced directors. Regardless, the film sold out whenever and where ever it screened — including showings held in public spaces and against the sides of buildings. Hong Kong-based filmmaker An-
drew Choi helped get the original Ten Years made and is back as an executive producer for the franchise. He said the plan was to try to take the project to as many Asian markets as possible. “The original Ten Years was created during a time of big changes in Hong Kong,” said Choi. “We never imagined it would have such a big impact. With the new project, we want to stimulate discussion about the future of each country.” ‘I embrace it’ Acclaimed Japanese arthouse filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda — long a favourite at the likes of the prestigious Cannes festival — has come onboard as an executive producer and said at Yesterday’s official project launch that he hoped the film would help younger Japanese filmmakers find their voice. “I hope they can look at the current situation in Japan and how we are accepting the future,” said Kore-eda. Japanese director Chie Hayakawa, one of five Japanese directors signed on, said the original production had shown her the “power of film”. Meanwhile, Thai director Aditya Assarat said he was aware of the controversy that surrounded the original release in 2015. “But I embrace it,” he said. “I look forward to talking about politics which has been difficult to do in Thailand over the past 10 years.” BIFF continues until October 21.
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October 1-15, 2017
Georgia Asian Times
LIFESTYLE
1 hour of exercise a week could be enough to ward off depression In one of the largest and most extensive studies of its kind, Australian researchers have found that regular exercise of any intensity can help to prevent depression, with just one hour a week enough to reap the benefits. Led by researchers from the Black Dog Institute, the international study looked at 33,908 Norwegian adults who were taking part in the Health Study of Nord-Trøndelag County (HUNT study) — one of the largest and most comprehensive population-based health surveys ever undertaken. The participants were asked at the start of the research to report on how frequently they participated in exercise and at what intensity: without becoming breathless or sweating, becoming breathless and sweating, or exhausting themselves.
The participants were then followed for more than 11 years, during which time they were asked to complete a questionnaire to monitor levels of anxiety or depression. The team also took into account factors which might affect a possible relationship between exercise and mental illness, including socio-economic and demographic factors, substance use, body mass index, physical illness and perceived social support. The results showed that even small amounts of exercise can protect against depression, with those who reported doing no exercise at all at the start of the study showing a 44% increased chance of developing depression compared to those who were exercising one to two hours a week. The team also found that 12% of cas-
es of depression could have been prevented if participants undertook just one hour of physical activity each week, and the beneficial effect of exercise on depression was also found in both men and women and across all ages.
ing the norm worldwide, and rates of depression growing, these results are particularly pertinent as they highlight that even small lifestyle changes can reap significant mental health benefits,” he concluded.
However, exercise did not protect against anxiety, with no association found between either the level or intensity of exercise and the chances of developing the disorder.
The results can be found published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
“We’ve known for some time that exercise has a role to play in treating symptoms of depression, but this is the first time we have been able to quantify the preventative potential of physical activity in terms of reducing future levels of depression,” said lead author Associate Professor Samuel Harvey from Black Dog Institute and UNSW. “With sedentary lifestyles becom-
Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2017
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SPORTS
‘FC Hollywood’ nickname back to haunt Bayern Munich Berlin, Sept 26, 2017 -- Bayern Munich play Paris Saint-Germain away in a blockbuster Champions League clash on Wednesday with the old ‘FC Hollywood’ nickname having returned to haunt the Bavarian giants. In the 1990s, Bayern earned the ‘FC Hollywood’ tag when the off-field antics of stars like Lothar Matthaeus and Jurgen Klinsmann made the headlines as much as the team’s success on the pitch. Even the coach got in on the act when Giovanni Trapattoni famously exploded in rage at his players’ performances during a press conference. Since Ottmar Hitzfeld steered Bayern to the 2001 Champions League title, the moniker has been redundant, but recent events, combined with below-par results, have seen it reappear in the German media. A shock 2-0 Bundesliga defeat at Hoffenheim, then last Friday’s 2-2 draw at home to Wolfsburg when Bayern threw away a two-goal lead, have not helped coach Carlo Ancelotti with his team now third in the table.
The Italian has been criticised on all sides. The behaviour and comments of stars Thomas Mueller, Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery or Robert Lewandowski has added to the simmering tension. Star tantrums Mueller moaned about being benched when Bayern won at Werder Bremen last month, saying: “I don’t know exactly which qualities the coach wants to see, but mine don’t seem to be 100 percent in demand.” Then Ribery hurled his shirt in a rage after being substituted in the 3-0 Champions League win over Anderlecht and Robben slammed Bayern’s performance after the Belgians played for 80 minutes with 10 men. Lewandowski criticised the club’s conservative spending policy, making the point they risk being left behind by their European rivals, in a thinly-disguised attack on chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and president Uli Hoeness. Ancelotti’s situation has been further
hampered by the loss of Manuel Neuer — out until January with a fractured foot — and replacement goalkeeper Sven Ulreich has yet to impress. Unless results pick up, the German media will be asking how much time Ancelotti has left, especially if Bayern lose heavily in Paris. “I have a contract until 2019,” Ancelotti recently said about his future. “The criticism has gone beyond its limits. I am used to being criticised, but to be frank, this is too much!” German daily Bild are already convinced Bayern have Hoffenheim’s 30-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann lined up as a possible replacement. Ancelotti was recruited to great fanfare when he took charge last year after Pep Guardiola left to coach Manchester City. ‘Step backwards’ Guardiola’s frantic urging and marshalling of his players was juxtaposed by Ancelotti’s calm observations from the sidelines. Under Guardiola, Bayern reached the Champions League semi-finals for
three years running, but under Ancelotti they bowed out in the quarter-finals to Real Madrid last season. Ex-Bayern and Germany star Paul Breitner has been Ancelotti’s biggest critic. “I miss the chaos and craziness, like under Pep Guardiola,” said Breitner on a recent talk show. “Carlo Ancelotti has not let the team develop. I haven’t seen any movement, it’s all static and the team has taken at least a step backwards.” Nagelsmann took Hoffenheim to the brink of a place in the Champions League group stage recently and won the award as Germany’s coach of the year. He let slip in a Bild interview that Bayern “play a big role in (his) dreams”, while Ancelotti has had to laugh off reports of a possible move to China. And so the drama rumbles on at ‘FC Hollywood’, where Ancelotti may well be replaced unless he sates Bayern’s unquenchable thirst for silverware.
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October 1-15, 2017 Georgia Asian Times
SPORTS
Ibrahimovic must not rush Manchester United return, says surgeon Stockholm, October 3, 2017 -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been warned not to rush his Manchester United return by surgeon Freddie Fu Ho-keung, who operated on his knee in May. Ibrahimovic has not played since suffering a career-threatening knee ligament injury in United’s Europa League quarter-final second leg match against Anderlecht at Old Trafford in April. “He (Zlatan) is very strong but soccer is still a combative sport. As a doctor, of course I want to see him return as slow as possible, only when he is fully fit for the game,” Fu told the South China Morning Post. “There have been many cases of a player returning prematurely with bad consequences.” United manager Jose Mourinho is keen on leaving the 35-year-old striker out of first-team plans until January though he included him in the squad for the Champions League group stage which runs from September to December.
“I have no worry about his injury as it always takes time to fully recover,” Fu added. “In fact the EPL (Premier League) has just started and I am sure Manchester United would not need the player urgently for any crucial game either in the league or European competitions.” Ibrahimovic finished as the club’s top scorer last season with 28 goals in 46 appearances.
Women’s soccer star Morgan apologises over drunken Disney shame Miami, Oct 5, 2017 - United States women’s soccer star Alex Morgan apologised on Wednesday following a drunken party with friends which ended with her being ejected from Disney World last weekend. Morgan, one of the golden girls of the all-conquering US women’s team, was kicked out of Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park in Florida on Sunday after a row with other tourists. “I want to apologize for my actions that occurred over the weekend,” Morgan wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “I will learn from this make sure it does not happen again. #liveandlearn,” the 28-year-old wrote. Morgan’s mea culpa came after US media citing local law enforcement incident reports said the player had become “belligerent” after an eight-hour drinking session with friends which included Major League Soccer players Giles Barnes and Donny Toia. Reports said Morgan’s group became rowdy while drinking in a bar at the United Kingdom-themed area of Disney’s Epcot Center.
Tempers flared when Barnes allegedly jumped a queue in front of another customer. Sheriff’s deputies later reported that Morgan was escorted from the premises “yelling, screaming.” “She appeared to be highly impaired … (she made) a loud verbal statement that she knows the Orlando swat team,” an incident report said. The group were later taken to a conference room for questioning where “they continued to be belligerent, with screaming and yelling. “They did not want to listen to any instructions, and only wanted to argue why they were being trespassed from Disney.” Morgan, who spent a period on loan with French side Lyon this year, plays for Florida side Orlando Pride. She scored her 76th and 77th international goals in her last outing for the US women’s team during a 5-0 win over New Zealand last month.
Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2017
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HEALTH Orthorexia: When ‘healthy eating’ ends up making you sick wonder whether it is being fanned by “cyber-chondria” — self-diagnosis on the internet. ‘Not medically recognized’
People, it seems, have never been so afraid of their food -– and, say some experts, an obsession with healthy eating may paradoxically be endangering lives. Twenty-nine-year-old Frenchwoman Sabrina Debusquat recounts how, over 18 months, she became a vegetarian, then a vegan — eschewing eggs, dairy products and even honey -– before becoming a “raw foodist” who avoided all cooked foods, and ultimately decided to eat just fruit. It was only when her deeply worried boyfriend found clumps of her hair in the bathroom sink and confronted her with the evidence that she realized that she was on a downward path. “I thought I held the truth to food and health, which would allow me to live as long as possible,” said Debusquat. “I wanted to get to some kind of pure state. In the end my body overruled my mind.” For some specialists, the problem is a modern eating disorder called orthorexia nervosa. Someone suffering from orthorexia is “imprisoned by a range of rules which they impose on themselves,” said Patrick Denoux, a professor in intercultural psychology at the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaures. These very strict self-enforced laws isolate the individual from social food gatherings and in extreme cases, can also endanger health.
Paris nutritionist Sophie Ortega said she had one patient who was going blind due to deficiency of vitamin B12, which is needed to make red-blood cells. B12 is not made by the body, and most people get what they need from animal-derived foods such as eggs, dairy products, meat or fish or from supplements. “A pure, unbending vegan,” her patient even refused to take the supplements, said Ortega. “It was as if she preferred to lose her sight… rather than betray her commitment to animals.” ‘Disease disguised as virtue’ The term orthorexia nervosa was coined in the 1990s by the then alternative medicine practitioner Steven Bratman, a San Francisco-based physician. To be clear, orthorexia is not an interest in healthy eating — it’s when enthusiasm becomes a pathological obsession, which leads to social isolation, psychological disturbance and even physical harm. In other words, as Bratman said in a co-authored book in 2000, it’s “a disease disguised as a virtue.” But as is often the case in disorders that may have complex psychological causes, there is a strong debate as to whether the condition really exists. The term is trending in western societies, prompting some experts to
Orthorexia is not part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, set down by mental health professionals in the United States that is also widely used as a benchmark elsewhere. The fifth edition of this “bible,” published in 2013, includes anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, but not orthorexia. “The term orthorexia was proposed as a commonly used term but it is not medically recognized,” said Pierre Dechelotte, head of nutrition at Rouen University Hospital in northern France and head of a research unit investigating the link between the brain and the intestines in food behavior. Even so, says Dechelotte, it has a home in the family of “restrictive food-related disorders -– but it’s not on the radar screen.” Alain Perroud, a psychiatrist who has worked in France and Switzerland over the course of a 30-year career, says orthorexia “is much closer to a phobia” than to a food disorder. As with other phobias, the problem may be tackled by cognitive behavioral therapy — talking about incorrect or excessive beliefs, dealing with anxiety-provoking situations and using relaxation techniques and other methods to tackle anxiety, he suggested. Denoux contends that between two and three percent of the French population suffer from orthorexia, but stresses that there is a lack of reliable data as the condition has not been officially recognized. Denoux’s figure seems coherent to Dechelotte, who says that women seem
to be more than twice as susceptible to the problem as men. ‘Bubble of restriction’ Outside the world of clinicians, orthorexia seems to be creeping into wider usage. American blogger Jordan Younger has helped to popularize the term, documenting her own painful downward spiral — since reversed — into unhealthy living. On her blog, she describes it as “a bubble of restriction,” obsessing over a diet that was “entirely vegan, entirely plant-based, entirely gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, flour-free, dressing/sauce-free, etc.” Those who seem to be most worried about healthy food are often concerned about food scandals in the West, said Pascale Hebel from the Paris-based CREDOC research center. Over nearly three decades, Europe has experienced a string of food safety scandals — beginning with mad-cow disease and continuing recently with insecticide-contaminated eggs -– as well as mounting opposition to the use of antibiotics, genetically modified foods and corporate farming practices. The disorder reflects a craving for control, suggested Denoux: food is seen as a form of medicine to fix a western lifestyle that may be seen as polluting or toxic. “We are living through a time of change in our food culture, which has led us to fundamentally doubt what we are eating,” said Denoux. Among believers, this “suspicion of being poisoned is deemed proof of insight.”
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October 1-15, 2017 Georgia Asian Times
Misc Asia
Taiwan president pledges to defend freedoms despite China pressure Taipei, Oct 10, 2017 - President Tsai Ing-wen vowed on Tuesday to defend Taiwan’s freedom and democracy amid growing pressure from giant neighbor China, using a National Day speech to warn that the self-ruled island would not bow to pressure.
Fruit, prawns off the menu at China’s austere party Congress Beijing, Oct 15, 2017 - No free fruit in hotel rooms, no free hair cuts and no prawns on the menu - delegates at this week’s Communist Party Congress in China can expect austere treatment in keeping with President Xi Jinping’s pledge to crack down on corruption and extravagance. Part of Xi’s fight against deep-seated graft has been to ensure officials are not seen abusing their positions and wasting public money, after a series of scandals involving high-living bureaucrats ignited public anger. Wang Lilian, who has helped oversee hospitality for delegates at three previous party Congresses, told state radio in remarks reported on Sunday that this time, things are going to be very different. Delegates will, for example, find their hotels bereft of the large welcoming banners and displays of flowers common in previous years. But the biggest difference will be with their rooms and food, Wang said. “There won’t be any more fruit put out in rooms, whereas previously there were for delegates and staff. There’s none of that this time,” he said.
The food was also going to be homestyle and simple, Wang said. “There’s no sea cucumber, prawns or the like. It’s all buffet style.” Delegates won’t get free hair cuts or beauty treatments and there won’t be any gift shops. “There’s none of these services this time,” Wang said. Xi himself has lead the way in promoting simple living, with state media widely reporting on the basic food he eats when on trips around the country, and giving extensive coverage to cases where officials are found to have hoarded gold, owned multiple houses or had a fondness for banquets. Xi has warned, like others before him, that if corruption is not tackled it could affect the party’s grip on power. The once-in-five-years Congress opens on Wednesday with a major speech by Xi. - Reuters
China considers proudly democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Relations with Beijing have deteriorated sharply since Tsai, who leads the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, took office last year, with China suspecting she wants to push for the island’s formal independence, a red line for Beijing. China has cut off a regular dialogue mechanism with Taiwan, ramped up military drills around the island and stepped up international pressure to limit Taiwan’s diplomatic footprint. Tsai, who has pledged to maintain peace with China, said her government was still seeking breakthroughs in ties with Beijing and promised consistent and stable policies. “We need to remember democracy and freedom were rights obtained through all of Taiwan people’s countless efforts,” Tsai said. “Therefore, we need to use all our power to defend Taiwan’s democratic and freedom values and lifestyle,” she said. Tsai’s speech came a week before China holds its twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress, where President Xi Jinping, who has taken a robust approach to territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas, will cement his grip on power.
Her government has continued to rattle Beijing, with her newly appointed premier, William Lai, telling parliament last month he was a “political worker who advocates Taiwan independence”. However, Tsai has also sought to give Beijing a roadmap where its “goodwill” can be extended, which in turn could give her a chance to reciprocate and rein in the more independence-leaning hardliners on the island. “We have offered our greatest goodwill,” she said in her 20-minute address. “I have repeatedly said, our goodwill doesn’t change, our promises don’t change; we won’t walk on the old path of confrontation, but we won’t bow to pressure,” Tsai said. Responding to Tsai’s speech, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Taiwan had to clearly state that Taiwan and mainland China belonged to “one China”. “Only if the one China principle is upheld and Taiwan independence opposed can there be peaceful and stable development of relations across the Taiwan Strait,” it said in a statement carried by the official Xinhua news agency. Tsai reiterated the importance of implementing the island’s new “southbound” policy of forging closer ties with countries in the region, saying Taiwan was seeking to find a new position in the international community. “In the face of rapid change in the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan is already prepared to play an even more important role in the region’s prosperity and stability,” she said. - Reuters
Georgia Asian Times October 1-15, 2017
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Misc Asia
Vietnam rice paper artisans roll with tradition They’re a staple on dinner tables from north to south, eaten fresh with fish, fried with pork, or baked on an open flame and eaten like crackers — a popular bar snack. But regardless of how they’re prepared, one thing most people in Vietnam agree on: homemade is always better. “It’s better than the factory version, try it, it’s tastier,” said Nguyen Thi Hue, offering a baked coconut version at her roadside snack stop in southern Can Tho province. She sources her ‘banh trang’ in nearby Thuan Hung village, known for producing some of the finest in the Mekong Delta, long renowned as the “rice bowl of Vietnam”. Some families earn a living making rice paper, even as factories have popped up producing creative flavours like salted shrimp, coconut or versions made with the notoriously potent durian fruit. “Customers prefer those produced handmade in the village. We don’t use chemicals, they’re just natural,” said 26-year-old Bui Minh Phi, a third-generation rice paper maker in Thuan Hung.
He can earn $65 per day spinning the trade, or double that during the busy lunar new year period. It’s a common sentiment in Vietnam, where many diners eschew fast food joints for home-style restaurants serving pho noodle soup or banh mi sandwiches like their grandmothers might have made it. Rice paper making is a matter of family heritage for many like Ha Thi Sau. On a recent morning in Thuan Hung, she tutored her daughter on the ageold technique she learned from her aunt: pour the sweetened batter — a secret family recipe — onto a pan, before transferring to a bamboo mat. The operation remains a family affair: Sau’s son-in-law feeds the fire with rice husks, while her 83-year-old mother washes dishes on the river bank. Though other jobs are available in her village — once a rural backwater now dotted with modern cafes and mobile phone shops — she doesn’t dream of abandoning her trade. “I’ve been making rice paper for so long, I don’t want to leave it for another job,” she said, as the scent of coconut wafted in the air.
Is it a Chinese university… or a giant toilet? Shanghai, Sept 27, 2017 -- China has another entry when it comes to buildings that look suspiciously like something else — a 12-storey university block strongly resembling a giant toilet. Architects have had a field day in China in recent years with a number of outlandish designs springing up across the country. The latest is a building on the campus of North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power at Zhengzhou in the central province of Henan. The provincial government spent 86 million yuan (US$13 million) on the building, which is for university graduates looking to start their own enterprises, the Henan Daily said. Despite the name of the university, the building was not thought to have been designed to resemble a toilet. But internet users have mocked the unofficially named “toilet building”, which was completed last year and has
an oval annex that could be the toilet bowl attached to a larger rectangular block which critics say looks like the cistern. “Before it was finished we joked that it was a toilet. And now it is a real toilet building, our university’s good name will be spread far and wide,” one of its students joked on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter. Another Weibo user asked light-heartedly: “Does it make the people inside the building poop?” The ruling Communist Party last year said it had had enough of “weird” buildings, such as the Beijing headquarters of China Central Television (CCTV), fondly nicknamed “The Big Underpants”. There was also the Beijing HQ of the People’s Daily newspaper, which during construction bore an unfortunate resemblance to a giant penis.
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October 1-15, 2017 Georgia Asian Times
TRAVEL
Osaka is Japan’s new tourist hot spot for Asian visitors
OSAKA, Oct 13, 2017 — Amid the gloom and struggle that Osaka has gone through in recent years, a tourism boom has been an unexpected boon for Japan’s gritty second city. The commercial roots and boisterous and friendly people of Osaka and the surrounding Kansai region provides a contrast to the relative coolness and formality of Tokyo that’s winning favour with tourists from North-east Asia. The boom is boosting the local economy. Duty-free sales at department stores in the region were up almost 60 per cent in the first eight months of this year from the same period in 2016, according to the central bank. The area’s relatively high unemployment rate has dropped considerably, to 4 per cent last year, while the number of companies in Osaka grew 16 per cent in the 12 months through March, faster than in Tokyo or across the whole nation.
While Japan as a whole has benefited from a massive increase in tourism recently, it’s especially pronounced in Osaka. Almost 10 million overseas tourists visited the city in 2016, a 363 per cent jump over five years, versus the 188 per cent increase seen nationally. The city is popular with tourists from Asia, partly due to increased flights by low-cost carriers, such as Spring Airlines Co of China and Jeju Air Co of South Korea. This year looks to be another record, with 5.3 million visitors in the first six months of 2017, according to the city’s tourism office. Within Osaka itself, the southern part of the city around Shinsaibashi is attracting many people. The Daimaru department store in Shinsaibashi sold ¥11 billion of duty-free goods in March-August this year. That was 28 per cent of all its sales and more than the combined total of duty-free sales at the
company’s 14 other stores in Japan. “This inbound tourism has brought a growth chance to sectors such as the retail and restaurant business, which were shrinking due to population decline,” said Kimihiro Etoh, a Bank of Japan executive and manager of the Osaka branch. Osaka was traditionally the merchant capital of Japan, with many businesses in the early-modern Edo period based there. The merchant spirit and tradition of bargaining is one of the things that Chinese probably find attractive, according to Xiaoxiao Liu, a Beijing-born economist at Mitsubishi Research Institute in Tokyo. “Chinese tourists aren’t just looking to buy stuff anymore, they want to have experiences while spending money. And on that point, Osaka is totally more fun,” she said.
The whole shopping district of Shinsaibashi is entertaining, according to Masahisa Maeda, the head of the area’s shopkeeper’s association. You can eat while walking down the street, “talking to people in shop and stalls, and watching them cook before your very eyes,” he said. And the buzz is being shared online in China, where travellers have reported the attractiveness of Osaka. “Osaka has food, culture and shopping,” said 67-year old Mok Cheong Seng from Macao, while visiting the city recently for the seventh or eighth time. Her son Peter Lee, who was travelling with her, said, “Tokyo’s too busy, but you can relax in Osaka.” The city plans to apply to host the 2025 Expo, and is also looking to host the first casino resort, when these are legalised in Japan, which would increase its appeal to Asian tourists. — Bloomberg