2011 Vol. 1 Issue 1
An independent student publication
A WORD FROM THE EDITOR
“Rice?” you might ask. “Why would you name your magazine Rice?” We’ll admit, it is an unusual name. But in the end, it’s one we’re proud to call our own. Our goal at Rice is simple: to inspire an appreciation for Asian culture and current events throughout our campus and our community. We asked the members of the Asian student body a single question. “What do you wish the rest of campus knew about you?” What you hold in your hands is the answer. Festivals, art, religion, pop culture, and politics, all from the perspective of Cornell’s Asian students. This magazine is intended to be a stepping stone of exploration: an introduction - and an invitation - to the rich diversity of this multicultural community. Consider it a guided tour. There are few better symbols for this ideal than rice. As a staple food for much of the world’s population, rice holds a central place in the lives of individuals from across a wide variety of diverse cultures—an aspect of daily experience that nearly everyone from Malaysia to China, from India to Vietnam, shares in common. This universality represents the multicultural understanding our publication aims to inspire. As members of the global community, our interactions with those of different backgrounds and cultures demand honesty and respect in the face of what often seem to be gaping philosophical and material divides. Such divergencies may appear difficult to surmount: but in the end, it is only when we acknowledge our commonalities that we can begin to embrace our differences. Rice: simple, elegant, universal. Enjoy. John Buckley Editor in Chief
RICE MAGAZINE EXTENDS ITS THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS AND DEPARTMENTS:
EDITOR IN CHIEF COLUMNISTS
COPY EDITORS COVER DESIGN GROUP ADVISOR PAGE LAYOUT
JOHN BUCKLEY KATHERINE BURGESS YASMIN FOULADI NAMRATA JOY GEISINGER HAN KIM JOCELYN QIAOSHUANG LI HARMEET SOHAL YIQING ZHAO JOHN BUCKLEY YASMIN FOULADI HANNAH HERMAN MARY YOO PATRICIA NGUYEN JOHN BUCKLEY
WWW.RICEMAGAZINE.WEEBLY.COM
A WORD FROM THE EDITOR
RICE MAGAZINE: OUR ROLE. OUR PURPOSE. OUR DREAM.
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THE STORY OF HOLI
THE LEGEND BEHIND THE FESTIVAL OF COLORS
HE MIGHT LEAD CHINA
A SNAPSHOT OF POTENTIAL PRESIDENT XI JINPING
NOT JUST A HOUSE
CONSTRUCTION AND COSMOGRAPHY IN INDONESIAN ARCHITECTURE
CALL OF DUTY
SINGAPORE, KOREA, AND THE DRAFT
THE SIKHS
A HISTORY OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT RELIGIONS
LOOKING FOR LOVE IN THE DIGITAL AGE VIRTUAL ROMANCE IN JAPAN
THE HALLYU WAVE
ENTER THE PHENOMENON OF THE KOREAN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
TAIWANESE DRAMA YOUR GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF TAIWANESE TELEVISION
DENGUE FEVER
SURVIVAL, SURF ROCK, AND THE REBIRTH OF CAMBODIAN POP
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the story of
HOLI by Harmeet Sohal
On Holi, celebtrants light bonfires and throw a brightly colored dye called rang at one another.
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During springtime each year in India, a festive mood permeates the air as -
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THE TALE TAKES PLACE LONG AGO IN AN AGE WHEN BOTH GODS and demons walked the earth, taking different forms to protect (or destroy) all that was good in the world. In this time, there lived a powerful demon, Hiranyakashyap, and his brother, Hiranyaksh. Powerful Hiranyaksh embarked on a conquest of the world, laying waste to countless villages and towns. Before dispatching his victims, the vain and violent demon lord would always ask them if there were any alive stronger than himself. When one priest named the god Vishnu, the prideful Hiranyaksh challenged the god to a duel. The price for his boastfulness and sin was death at Vishnu’s own hands. Hiranyakashyap flew into a terrible rage when he heard of Hiranyaksh’s end and proclaimed to the world that he would destroy Vishnu with his mighty powers. Taking up arms, Hiranyakashyap led an army on a murderous crusade, killing every sage, priest, and God-loving person in his path. Once the world had been trampled beneath his feet, Hiranyakashyap decreed that everyone should worship him instead of the true gods: he alone would be adored, and anyone found worshipping Vishnu would be killed on sight. Hiranyakashyap had four sons, the youngest of whom was named Prahlad. Unlike Hiranyakashyap’s three older sons, who continually praised their father’s terrible power, Prahlad spent his days praying to Lord Vishnu. When he saw his son worshipping his greatest enemy, Hiranyakashyap flew into a terrible rage and ordered his palace guards to execute Prahlad as punishment. Thankfully for Prahlad, the palace guards’ bungled efforts to carry 6
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out their master’s harsh command did not end in success. The guards first tried to slip poison into Prahlad’s drink, yet when Prahlad downed the fatal cup, the poison had no effect. Following the failure of their first attempt on the prince’s life, the guards tied Prahlad to a large rock and threw him into the sea to drown. However, in a miraculous turn of events, the ropes that bound him were severed, and Prahlad walked out of the water unharmed, chanting a prayer to Lord Vishnu. Frustrated that his plans had been foiled, Hiranyakashyap enlisted the assistance of his devotee-sister, Holika, to end Prahlad’s life. Holika had a magic immunity to fire, a gift which Hiranyakashyap incorporated into an evil scheme: with his sister’s help, he would burn Prahlad alive. Hiranyakashyap raised a pyre of wood—then, as Holika pinned Prahlad down against the logs, Hiranyakashyap set fire to his sister and son. The massive flame blazed into the sky, but the demon king knew his sister would suffer no injuries. Yet when the ashes settled, it was Holika who was found burned to the core, while the innocent Prahlad emerged unscathed. With his plans thwarted again, the infuriated Hiranyakashyap rose up to smite his son with his own hands, but at that very moment Lord Vishnu appeared and put an end to the demon’s wickedness. It is from this story that Holi originates. The name “Holi” comes from the story of Prahlad’s triumph over Holika. It is the exaltation of gods over demons, of good over evil, that gives Holi its special significance. The ancient tale is relived once every year on the eve of the full moon when immense fires are lit to ward off the spirits of evil and celebrate the triumph of good. 7
wo Associatedfrom Press Associated Press Image
HE MIGHT LEAD Zhao Yiqing
by
CHINA
A SNAPSHOT OF
XI JINPING
IN ITS SEPTEMBER 2010 ISSUE, THE BRITISH LEFT-WING MAGAZINE New Statesman ranked Xi Jinping as fourth on its list of the “50 People Who Matter Today.” Xi Jinping’s appointment as a member of the People’s Republic of China’s nine-man Politburo Standing Committee at the 17th Party Congress in October 2007 seems to have confirmed his emerging status as the fifth generation of Chinese paramount leadership. In March of the following year, during the 11th National People’s Party, this expectation was further validated when he was elected Vice President of the People’s Republic of China - yet media coverage of this powerful figure is surprisingly scarce. Exactly who is this rising political star, many wonder? What is his background, and what type of leadership and policy can be expected if he assumes the position in 2012? 8
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Xi Jinping was born in Beijing in 1953, the third child (with two elder sisters, Xi Qiaoqiao and Xi An’an, and a younger brother, Yuanping) of Xi Zhongxun and his wife, Qi Xin. Xi Zhongxun, hailing from the small village of Fuping in Shaanxi Province, received a Marxist revolutionary education starting in elementary school. He worked mainly as a political mentor during China’s revolutionary era and later served as Deputy Prime Minister of China from 1959 to 1962. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping’s mother, Qi Xin, faced hardships fighting in the Sino-Japanese War as a youth. Thus, Xi Jinping’s childhood family influences were “half sunshine and half gloom,” according to writer Yang Xiaohuai of the magazine Zhong Hua Er. Before 1962, Xi and his siblings had been living in what Chinese call a “Red Aristocrat bubble.” However, in 1962, Xi Zhongxun was charged with disloyalty to the Party due to libelous accusations based to a certain extent on a literary work that
Current Chinese president Hu Jintao (left) discusses affairs of state with potential incumbent Xi Jinping (right.)
he endorsed. It was at this point that Zhongxun’s political fortunes took a turn for the worse. However, because Xi Zhongxun had always been a capable assistant to Zhou Enlai (considered by many Chinese to be the greatest Prime Minister in their country’s recent history), he managed to escape expulsion from the Party membership. The children of the Xi family have sometimes indicated the rigid family discipline enforced by Xi Zhongxun in their upbringing. Their father required them to approach all matters with caution and exercised considerable control over household affairs. Given his special family background and the sudden changes of his father’s political life, the Xi Jinping’s deci9
Xi Jinping (right) meets with Russian president Dmitri Medvedev (left.)
sion to opt for such a low-profile public image is highly understandable. Xi Jinping’s unassuming exterior also seems to come with an amiable personality: many people who know him personally describe him as one who “values friendships and personal relationships, apt at socializing and learning new things.” Since earning a Ph.D in litigation from Tsinghua University, Xi Jinping has enjoyed a fairly smooth ascension to political power. His political career has been notable because although a few of the government offices which he oversaw witnessed scandals, he himself has never been implicated. Following the dismissal of Shanghai Party Chief Chen Liangyu in September 2006 due to a social security fund scandal, Xi was transferred to Shanghai in March 2007 to become the new Party Chief of Shanghai. From then on, his continued rise to power has become increasingly salient in Chinese politics. In March 2009, Xi made a thorough visit to South America, instigating different opinions on his possible foreign policy attitude. The wide range of his visit demonstrated his interest in larger scale cooperation with these “distant neighbors.” However, Xi has been cited as saying (in Chinese) “There are some bored foreigners with full stomachs who have nothing better to do than point fingers at us [China]. First, China doesn’t export Revolution; second, China doesn’t export hunger and poverty; third, China doesn’t come and cause you headaches, what more is there to be said?” Many have interpreted this statement as a sign that Xi might adopt a more unyielding foreign policy if he becomes President. 10
Not Just a House
Construction and Cosmology in Traditional Indonesian Architecture
By Han Kim 11
The looming edifices of Toraja houses represent beliefs about the structure of the cosmos.
IN INDONESIA, A COUNTRY WHOSE cultures are heavily influenced by various religions, houses convey spiritual meanings which are often materialized in the unique building styles that have come to symbolize traditional Indonesian architecture. In line with the country’s history of religious pluralism, however, almost every one of Indonesia’s over 300 ethnic groups boasts its own styles of building structures. However, luckily for architecture enthusiasts, most Indonesian buildings have certain elements in common. One example of traditional vernacular architecture in Indonesia is called a rumah adat, a construction that generally serves as a communal cultural and religious center. Timber and bamboo are freThe famous gabled roofs of the Minangkabau people.
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quently used for the bases of these buildings, which themselves lie on top of stilts, or wooden support beams. There are two main reasons for these stilts. First, having the house stand above the ground allows for a cool breeze to filter through, providing relief from the warm Indonesian climate. Second, since the region is often hit by heavy rain during monsoon season, the lift provided by the stilts prevents water and mud from entering the house, thus keeping the interior clean and dry. Atop the rumah adat rests the steep sloping thatched roof that is characteristic of Indonesian architecture. Why the distinguishing high slope? This architectural feature has its roots in the rain-heavy climate of Indonesia, designed as a measure to ensure
that rain water gets off the roof as quickly as possible. Beyond these unifying traits, however, similarities among the rumah adats end. Each ethnic group expresses its religious beliefs differently through its houses. Among the thousands of ethnic groups in Indonesia are the people of Aceh. Aceh houses all follow one important rule: an entrance must not face east or west. This custom is believed to have risen from the Hindu belief that having an entrance face the setting or rising sun lets in darkness, which symbolizes death. Inside, the house is divided into two distinct levels of upper and lower floor. The upper floor near the roof is considered a sacred
Aceh houses are fairly standard resentations of how numerous other groups’ houses are organized by height in terms of intimacy and hierarchy. However, Toraja houses show just how unique some rumah adats are. Toraja houses, also known as tongkongan, attract the most tourists due to their distinct triangular shapes, which symbolize the Toraja’s conception of a tripartite cosmos. Thus, the triangular sections near the roof of the house are believed to be holy for the image they bear of the upper world. Residents consequently live in the middle section of the house, which are meant to represent the earth. While these upper and middle sections may seem similar to the two levels
Stilt houses in Aceh provide shelter from floods.
place where family heirlooms are kept. This means that most activities occur on the lower floor, which is divided into three sections. The first section is a guest reception room that also serves religious functions. The second section, raised a bit higher than the first, contains bedrooms and storage, which are the most private areas of the house. At the same height as the first section is the third section, an cozy setting where the kitchen and children’s bedrooms are located. At the same height as the first section is the third section, a cozy setting where the kitchen and children’s bedrooms are located.
of Aceh houses, tongkongan also define the ground and the middle section made by the stilts) as the netherworld. Interestingly, there is a pillar that goes through the center of the house through all three sections, which, for the family living in the house, symbolizes the creation of the house and the central axis of their world. The thousands of regional and ethnic idiosyncrasies to be found Indonesian rumah adat constructions are too numerous for this article to cover comprehensively-but if you ever visit Indonesia in the future, it would certainly be worthwhile to inquire about the cosmological frameworks embodied in the rumah adats you encounter.
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TAKING TWO YEARS OUT OF WORKING life is both an honor and a sacrifice for males in South Korea and Singapore. In these countries, military service is compulsory. Becoming an army member is seen a rite of passage: males who have completed their service are no longer boys, but men. Established in 1967, the Singapore conscription is a national service. Once males reach the age of 18, military service is mandatory for both Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents. Recruits must join one of the three divisions of their country’s military, working with armed forces, police forces, or civil defense forces. There are two key reasons for the development of the Naof the National Service. The first is for protection: once the British government left the island, the strategically-located island city-state needed a defense system. Secondly, the National Service was created to help unify a diverse citizenry. The Singaporean government conceives the National Service as a way of instilling nationalism in its diverse population, allowing its multiracial denizens to bond through sharing the same experiences of army life. Currently, through the Enlistment Act, there are over 40,000 conscripts in the Singapore Army. In Korea, military service is one component of the Four Constitutional Duties of citizens (the others being taxes, labor, and education). The main branches of these armed forces are the army, the navy, the marine corps, the air force, and the reserve forces. There is no set age after 18 14 when Koreans have to serve, but it must be before they turn 40. The
of the National Service. The first is for protection: once the British government left the region, the strategically-located island city-state needed a defense system. Secondly, the National Service was created to help unify a diverse citizenry. The Singaporean government conceived the National Service as a way of instilling nationalism in its diverse population, allowing its multiracial constituency to bond through the shared experiences of army life. Currently, through the Enlistment Act, there are over 40,000 conscripts in the Singapore Army. In South Korea, military service is one component of the Four Constitional Duties of citizens (the others being taxes, labor, and education). The main branches of these armed forces are the army, the navy, the marine corps, the air force, and the reserve forces. There is no set age after 18 when Koreans have to serve, but it must be before they turn 40. The armed forces grew exponentially after the start of the Korean War: Today the Korean military is one of the largest in the world with close to 4 million people. The main responsibilities of the Armed Forces are maintaining borders and protecting national sovereignty.
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The flag of Singapore is held aloft by airforce helicopters.
Conscription comes at a disadvantageous time for college students. Some fulfill their duty before college, some after, and some even during college by taking a two year gap. Students who enter straight after high school often worry about losing their strict study habits that they developed over the years. Those that leave college for two years are concerned about picking up their major again. Meanwhile, a pressing concern for Korean and Singaporean students who study in America for college and then return to their home countries for conscription following graduation is the fear that their level of English fluency will decrease drastically with two years of nonuse. Although these students are all proud to display their nationalism through army service, their situation after its completion is distressing. Unfortunately, in order to avoid serving, many male citizens have turned to draft dodging. Because male does not have to serve if he is ill fit to do so, many young men have devised with elaborate plans to prove they are not army material. Some lose so much weight that they have to be hospitalized. Others mistreat their eyes so they can avoid serving due to poor eyesight. A few more painstaking strategies used to sidestep conscription include going under the needle for full body tattoos (which is labeled as too distracting and impure), tooth extraction, and disjointed bones. Governments have taken steps to address these draft dodging methods. In South Korea, obvious evaders are taken to court, while in Singapore there is a fine of $10,000 and three years in prison for attempting to escape national duty. 16
Many male citizens have turned to draft dodging in order to escape the service. Because a male does not have to serve if he is ill-fit to do so, many young men have devised elaborate plans to prove that they are not army material. Some lose enough weight to be hospitalized. Others intentionally damage their eyes so they can avoid serving due to poor vision. A few more painful strategies used to sidestep conscription include extracting teeth, dislocating bones, and going under the needle for full body tattoos (which are considered too distracting and impure for a proper soldier.) Governments have taken steps to address these evasive measures. In South Korea, obvious evaders are taken to court, while in Singapore there is a fine of $10,000 and three years in prison for attempting to escape national duty. Although this article focuses on South Korea and Singapore, numerous countries across the world implement conscription as a responsibility of citizenship. While conscription has its benefits and pitfalls, millions are currently in conflict between their civilian life and the demands of their countries.
Troops march during an excercise in Singapore.
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By Namrata Joy
Geisinger
AFTER 9/11, MANY AMERICAN SIKHS EXCHANGED THEIR TURbans for baseball caps, fearing they would be mistaken for jihadists. But what is Sikhism really? Founded by Guru Nanak in the 16th century, Sikhism is quasi-monotheistic faith and the world’s fifth-largest religion by number of followers. Most Sikhs live in the Indian province of Punjab and follow their religion with an understanding of the sacrifice, love, and faith upon which it is based.
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Like Mohammed, Guru Nanak taught that God is one and seeks a loving relationship with his creation; however, he insisted that salvation ultimately entails God’s creatures being re-merged into his being, a belief similar to the monistic teachings of some schools of Hinduism. Guru Nanak believed in the reincarnation of all life into new forms determined by works. However, he insisted that human birth, regardless of caste, is the only opportunity to escape the vicious cycle and that this could only be made possible through God’s gracious attention. Guru Nanak concluded that God’s favor can only be attained through devotion, meditation, and worship, which purify the soul of the selffocus manifested in what he considered the five vices -- lust, greed, anger, pride, and worldly
attachment. Many Sikhs often believe more strongly in what Guru Nanak taught than the nine gurus that came after him. The tenth and last guru, Guru Gobind Singh, fought throughout his lifetime for religious freedom. Up until this point, India’s Mughal emperors had been tolerant towards religions other than their own. During the reign of Aurangzeb, however, the Mughal Empire enforced Islam as its state religion and persecuted those who did not adhere to its tenets. Guru Gobind Singh resisted this edict, encouraging other Sikhs to fight for their beliefs. Although he lost his family and many of his friends, he continued to fight for his faith until Aurangzeb’s death. Sikhs look up to him for his bravery and never forget hardships they endured to keep their religion alive.
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The fruits of the Sikhs’ struggle for religious freedom are clearly evident: Sikhism is now the world’s fifth-largest religion, with over 23 million adherents both in India and abroad. Generally speaking, Sikhs can be recognized by their turbans, untrimmed hair, and karas, or steel bracelets. They celebrate a variety of festivals, such as, Diwali—also known as the Festival of Lights—Vaisakhi, or Sikh Thanksgiving, and the birthdays of the ten gurus. It was the tenacity of the Sikhs in the face of opposition that led to the current flourishing of their faith around the world today.
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VIRTUAL IN E C N A M RO
N A P A J AN KIM
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WITH THE RISE OF THE DIGItal Age, it goes without saying that the Internet has come to play a significant role in people’s love lives through services like online dating sites. Well, instead of just looking for love digitally, why not fall in love digitally? A Japanese man commonly known by the alias Sal9000, in fact, did fall in love with a videogame character, “Nene Anegasaki,” from the DS game, Love Plus. No, not just fall in love. Sal decided to take it one step further and married Anegasaki in a proper wedding ceremony.
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Complete with a DJ, MC, and speeches from friends and family members, the service was broadcast over the Internet to thousands of viewers watching live streaming of the event. Photos released in addition to the recording of the ceremony show Sal carrying Anegasaki around (in a DS) to real “dates” such as riding marry-gorounds and going to dinners at restaurants. One photo even shows Sal swimming at a Guam beach with Anegasaki in his hand, with the DS safely wrapped in a plastic bag. How did Sal even end up falling in love with a videogame
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character to begin with? The nature of the game, “Love Plus,” allowed this to happen. The goal of the game is to create an intimate relationship with one of three characters by talking to them through the microphone of the DS and performing numerous actions simulating real-life relationships. In fact, at a certain point of the game, the player even has to “kiss” the character (by kissing the console’s touchscreen) in order to progress through the game. Sal claims that he fell in love with Anegasaki at first sight and after that, as he got to know her better through extensive gameplay, he could not help but marry her. This whole incident begs the question: Is Sal the only person to fall in love with a videogame character? The answer is no. While publically marrying fictional characters like Sal did is unusual, so-called “2-D-lovers” who indulge in intimate relationships with characters from anime, manga, and videogames are surprisingly common in Japan. Even more surprisingly, most virtual lovers are not merely animated game cha-
racters like the DS-boung Anegasaki, but also static body pillows printed with full-sized character designs. In fact, in one famous case, a 28-year-old man married a pillow version of Fate Testarossa (a character from “Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha”), which was adorned in an elegant wedding dress for the nuptials. As entertaining as these stories may seem, the phenomenon of virtual love could, in the long run, prove to be detrimental as more and more Japanese men enter the realm of 2-D love, especially in the face of Japanese population decline. Experts who study virtual love believe that the difficulties many young Japanese currently face in finding life partners, combined with the abundant supply of games designed for romantic stimulation, may be the reason for this phenomenon. If Japan truly wishes to address this growing social problem, then it should seriously look into this 2-D phenomenon in the near future. 23
R i d i n g the
(by YASMIN FOULADI)
HALLYU WAVE
THE HALLYU WAVE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE KOREAN WAVE OR Korean fever, is the name given to the recent multimedia explosion of Korean pop culture. Over the last few decades, the demand for Korean music and dramas has grown exponentially as these gripping productions have captivated a rapidly-growing international audience. Although this cultural phenomenon affected only Japan at first, social and broadcasting websites have allowed fans across the world to experience Korean entertainment at the click of a mouse. Korea is quickly becoming one of the world’s media capitals as its high quality music, film, and television products extend across cultural boundaries to find their place in a globalizing market. The term “Hallyu wave” originates from Chinese media during the ‘90s in reference to the popularity of Korean television programming in Japan. The wave occurred in two distinct phases, the first of which began when Japanese broadcasters started airing the Korean drama, “Winter Sonata.” Although the storyline concerned itself with fairly predictable themes such as finding one’s true love, the drama soon became an international sensation. Its following was grew so large that when the program’s lead actor, Bae Yong Joon, arrived in Tokyo, thousands of women flocked to the airport to catch a glimpse of their favorite Korean star. Korean executives were quick to capitalize on the impact of their productions, translating more and more dramas into Japanese and highly publicizing their lead male actors.
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This exportation of television productions marked the beginning of the first phase of the Hallyu wave. The second phase of the wave began only last year. Rather than solely making profits from dramatic productions, Korean executives have also started to market Korean music abroad. K-Pop is the primary genre that has garnered overseas attention. K-pop’s distinctive sound is highly eclectic, borrowing liberally from electronica, pop, hip hop, rock, and R&B. Due to the widespread study of English in South Korea, most K-pop songs feature English interludes between Korean verses. Although Korean entertainment industries recognize the importance of their international fan base, the Japanese remain their primary target audience. As a result, K-pop singers take the time to learn Japanese in order to perform in this language. Idol groups such as TVXQ, SNSD, Big Bang, and Kara have paved for way for the rest of Korea’s performers to enter the Japanese market, often to chart-topping success. Over the last year, companies have also begun to promote their songs through numerous other venues. For example, international exposure to Korean pop music is attributed to ubiquitous access to YouTube. Due to their rising international demand, many K-Pop songs are now available for download on iTunes. This is not to say that Korean dramas have been left behind by the second wave. With the increase in advertisements, many actors and actress have attained celebrity status outside Korea. Also, since the plotlines
A still from the drama “Queen Seondeok.”
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of most Korean dramas are relatable, featuring overarching themes such as love and death, they are highly popular in Asian circles. Many dramas contain Confucian undertones, such as respect through filial piety, that are The cast of the popular familiar to most Asian audiences. EvenKorean though these dramas are mainly action-drama, “IRIS.” translated into East Asian languages, online broadcasting stations have allowed multilingual viewers to add their own subtitles. As a result, the audience for Korean dramas has expanded worldwide. With its large East Asian population, the United States has become the site of a growing Hallyo fanbase. Korean dramas have also found their way to the Middle East: there have been reports that the program Boys Over Flowers is adored in Egypt, while the television series Queen Seondeok has garnered an avid following in Turkey. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of YouTube in the Hallyu Wave’s rapid expansion. Its international access has allowed fans outside Korea to fawn over their favorite idols, prompting both YG Entertainment and Group Eight to take advantage of this potent media source. YG Entertainment even went so far as to release its dynamic GD&T.O.P. album exclusively through YouTube, and Group Eight used the broadcasting site to of most Korean dramas are relatable, featuring overarching themes such as love and death, they enjoy enduring popularity in Asian circles. Many dramas contain Confucian undertones, such as respect and filial piety, that are familiar to most Asian audiences. Even though these dramas are mainly translated into East Asian languages, online broadcasting stations have allowed multilingual viewers to add their own subtitles. As a result, the audience for Korean dramas has expanded worldwide. With its large East Asian population, the United States has become the site of a growing Hallyu fanbase. Korean dramas have also found their way to the Middle East: There have been reports that the program “Boys Over Flowers” is adored in Egypt, while the television series “Queen Seondeok” has garnered an avid following in Turkey. It is impossible to overstate the importance of YouTube in the Hallyu wave’s rapid success. Its international accessibility has allowed fans outside Korea to fawn over their favorite idols, prompting both YG Entertainment and Group Eight to take advantage of this potent media resource. YG Entertainment went so far as to release its dynamic GD&T.O.P. album exclusively through YouTube, while Group Eight used the broadcasting
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The Korean boy-band BigBang has achieved commercial success in American markets.
site to continue its ever-popular drama series, “Playful Kiss.” These acts display the Korean companies’ acknowledgement of their worldwide following. The Hallyu wave has generated massive revenues and sparked interest in Korean pop culture around the world. In recent years there has been a global increase in the number of people learning Korean and a rise in the popularity of Korean cuisine that roughly correlates with the arrival of the Hallyu wave. Korea has ultimately proven itself highly effective at exporting its entertainment industry, and although the Hallyu wave has sometimes been criticized as a superficial representation of Korean culture, its impact on the global scene is increasingly difficult to ignore.
3 Super-group TVXQ and solo artist BoA.
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E S E N A W I A T
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TAIWANESE DRAMA, OR TAIWANESE IDOL DRAMA, IS A GENRE OF television production that originated in Taiwan and has found growing popularity worldwide. Most Taiwanese dramas tell stories of school teenagers and young adults in their early twenties, often played by magnetic pop stars. Dynamic leads and universal appeal to youth audiences have been instrumental in attracting a global viewership for Taiwanese dramas. The first Taiwanese drama, “Spicy Hot Teacher” (Ma La Xian Shi), was released in July 2000, but the era of Taiwanese dramas did not officially start until the well-known “Meteor Garden” first graced television screens in 2001. The storyline of “Meteor Garden” (Liu Xing Hua Yuan) was adapted from the Japanese comic “Boys Over Flowers” (Hana Yori Dango), following the romantic tale of an ordinary girl and four affluent and handsome young men (known to audiences as the “F4”). This Cinderella story was an instant hit with the female demographic both in Taiwan and Mainland China and rocketed its four male leads into instant stardom. Meteor Garden (Liu Xing Hua Yuan), 2001: Adapted from Japanese love comic Hana Yori Dango. A young and poor girl, Shancai, goes to an elite school under her parents’ high expectation of “hooking” a rich husband. At school she meet four young men known by fans as the F4, who are children of four of the city’s richest and most influential commercial groups. A complicated love triangle ensures between Shancai and two of the F4.
28 The cast of Meteor Garden: photobucket
Taiwanese drama has only existed for twelve years, making it a comparatively young genre by the standards of many other Asian television productions. Although most early Taiwanese dramas were highly influenced by Korean and Japanese dramas, today the genre is well developed and has become an important expression of Taiwanese pop culture in Mandarin-speaking markets. More than 150 Taiwanese dramas have been released since the early 1990’s, with nearly twenty new dramas airing each year. Taiwanese drama can be divided into three basic categories, with each category mainly produced by one production company. The three main Taiwanese drama production companies are San Li Productions, Ke Mi/Ba Da Productions, and the Taiwanese Public Television Channel. I. San Li Productions Dramas released by San Li Productions mainly target female audiences between the ages of 20 and 30. Most of these programs chronicle unfolding romances between young men and women in their early twenties who are either still single or have just been married. The majority of the dramas produced by San Li are Cinderella stories like “Meteor Garden”
Fated to Love You (Ming Zhong Zhu Ding Wo Ai Ni), 2008: An average girl without any outstanding traits, Xinyi is hard-working, shy and keeps her modest dreams to herself. Even when she tries to help others, her kindness is quickly forgotten--she feels like a sticky note which is thrown away right after it is done being used. But one day Xinyi goes on a cruise trip and runs into her destiny—the dashing Ji Cunxi.
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that focus on the lives of young adults just out of school. San Li storylines usually star ordinary young girls who run into charming and wealthy bachelors, encouraging female audiences to believe that unexpected miracles of love can be found every day, anywhere. As a result, San Li’s following mainly consists of young housewives and college-age girls. Since this demographic often controls the TV remote at home, San Li dramas usually enjoy the highest ratings in annual viewership reports. II. Ke Mi/Ba Da Productions A normal student is transformed into a super-powered hero fated to save the world from darkness--student decetives investigate paranormal activity at their mysterious boarding school. Plots like these typify dramas produced by the Ke Mi/Ba Da Production Company. Mainly targeting teen and college-age student audiences, the storylines of Ke Mi/Ba Da dramas tend to emphasize the fantastic and supernatural. Even though their viewership is not as large as that of San Li dramas, Ke Mi/Ba Da dramas always grab the attention of school and college boys and girls by featuring legendary plot arcs and blossoming romances between their young leads. In addition to fantasy romps, Ke Mi/Ba Da also produces buoyant and humorous love stories. Distinct from the fairytale-type plots of San Li dramas, these Ke Mi/ Ba Da programs provide more relaxing storytelling with cute casts and comedic dialogue.
Sheng Ying College, an institution of higher learning under the leadership of Miss Angel, was supposed to be the place where the Elite Educational Plan would be carried out. But when mysterious and terrifying events begin to strike the student body, it becomes clear that there is a sinister mind at work. Hence, the MIT group, lead by Miss Cherry and consisting of members 007 (Zhan Shide), 747 (Huang Huihong), 187 (Qian Fuhao) and Tian Mo Star (Li Xiaoxing) is established to investigate paranormal events and expose the mysterious force known only as the “Game Player.”
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III. Taiwanese Public Television Unlike San Li and Ke Mi/Ba Da, the Taiwanese Public Television Channel airs content other than just dramas. Thus, the number of Public Television Channel dramas it produces is somewhat small. On the other hand, the outstanding quality of these programs more than makes up for their limited quantity. Dramas produced and broadcasted by the Public Television Channel portray real-world social and cultural issues. They aim to grab the attention of adults and teenagers by highlighting such serious themes as law and justice, natural disasters and charity, and the flaws of the island’s educational system. Most of the Public Television Channel’s dramas thus have a high educational value and contain profound messages about morality and social justice.
INTERESTED?
OTHER DRAMAS WORTH WATCHING SAN LI “Frog Prince” (Wang Zi Bian Qing Wa), 2005 “The Magicians of Love” (Ai Qing Mo Fa Shi), 2006 “The Station Agent” (Xia Yi Zhan, Xing Fu), 2009 KE MI/BA DA “KO One” (Zhong Ji Yi Ban), 2005 It Started with a Kiss (E Zuo Ju Zhi Wen), 2005 “Hana Kimi” (Hua Yang Shao Nian Shao Nv), 2006 “Down With Love” (Jiu Xiang Lai Zhe Ni), 2009 PUBLIC TELEVISION CHANNEL: “The Year of the Rain” (Na Nian, Yu Bu Ting Guo) 2010 “Days We Stared at the Sun” (Ta Men Zai Bi Ye De Qian Yi Tian Bao Zha), 2010
Du is a death spirit who watches the Nai He Bridge in the underworld. When she discovers that the cornerstone of Nai He Bridge is breaking apart, she journeys to the real world in search of a replacement. She visits the school she attended while she was still alive and discovers many of its students suffer from family break-ups, sexual abuse, addiction, and relationship problems. She offers them a deal: any student who wants to escape this life can sell his or her soul to Du to be made into the cornerstone of Nai He Bridge. In exchange, Du helps them end their lives. Only one human can really see the death girl: Shen Qi, a boy with brain cancer. He finds himself falling in love with the death girl…
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http://music.newcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Cannibal-Courtship-General-Photo-1-creditLauren-Dukoff-Hi-copy.jp
DENGUE FEVER
SURF ROCK . SURVIVAL .
WHEN THE KHMER ROUGE CAME TO POWER IN CAMBODIA IN 1975, It began a systematic eradication of “bourgeois” culture that resulted in the murder of thousands of artists and performers. During the dark years of Khmer Rouge domination, Cambodia’s vibrant music scene was nearly destroyed. However, over the last decade, one group of Californian musicians has begun the task of reviving interest in the music of pre-Khmer Rouge Cambodia. The ‘60s and early ‘70s witnessed a flourishing of Cambodian music and are considered to be the golden age of Cambodian pop. Legendary artists such as Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea combined traditional Cambodian music—performed with instruments like the tro, pai au, and the roneat—with western pop and surf rock, creating an entirely new and innovative musical genre both receptive of global influence and distinctly Cambodian. Both Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea, along with nearly all their artistic contemporaries, are believed to have died under the Khmer Rouge. About 21 years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, American keyboardist Ethan Holtzman visited Cambodia and found himself inspired by the striking sounds left behind by these vanished musicians. Upon his return to the US, he and his brother Zac, a singer and guitarist, were gripped by a passion to carry on this lost legacy. Collaborating with bassist Senon Williams, drummer Paul Smith, and saxophonist David Ralicke to recreate the genre’s groovy, retro sound, they began a search for a female singer fluent in Khmer, the language of Cambodia. Shortly after the band had started its search, it stumbled across Chhom Nimol, a well known Cambodian singer who had emigrated from Cambodia to Little Phnom Pehn in 32
BYKATHERINEBURGESS
Long Beach, California. Chhom’s sinuous vocals, hailed by critics as brilliant and piercing, riveted the band members, who hired her on the spot. Dengue Fever was born. The spring 2011 release of “Cannibal Courtship,” the group’s fourth studio album, was the most recent step in a long and criticallyacclaimed track record. Over the past ten years the group has blended American surf music with Cambodian psychedelic rock and pop—often covering classic Cambodian songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s—to craft a unique and gripping sound. Additionally, although Chhom sang primarily in Khmer in earlier albums, the band has since branched out to include several English songs on their newer outings. The increasingly transnational nature of Dengue Fever’s music is acknowledged in their documentary “Sleepwalking through the Mekong,” in which Williams describes one of their songs - one influenced by both American surf music and Cambodian pop - as a “cool mixture of East and West.”
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Dengue Fever’s 2005 Cambodia tour proved a homecoming in more ways than one. On one level, it provided its lead singer, Chhom, an opportunity to reunite with her family in Cambodia for the first time since her immigration. On a larger scale, however, it also symbolically represented the return of pre-Khmer Rouge pop music to the country that birthed it. Although many of the band members did not quite know what Cambodians would think of Americans singing Khmer songs, Cambodia received Dengue Fever with open arms. One Cambodian man quoted in “Sleepwalking Through the Mekong” even said that to hear this once-endangered genre of music being played by an American band fronted by a Cambodian woman was “psychologically healing” after years of hardship. Cambodian audiences especially appreciated the American band’s willingness to perform songs in the Khmer language. Furthermore, the trip gave the band members a chance to study from respected Cambodian musicians working to resurrect traditional Khmer arts. While on the trip, Dengue Fever gathered inspiration for new albums like their recent Cannibal Courtship, which has received substantial critical acclaim from across the world.
After the trip to Cambodia, the band concisely summed up its purpose by dedicating their documentary “to the singers and musicians who perished under the Pol Pot regime,” going on to say, “Their spirit and music live on.” Dengue Fever has played a remarkable role in keeping alive the spirit and music of Cambodian pop and rock. By carrying the torch of this vanished genre, it has established itself as one of today’s most striking and important musical voices. 34
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