Asianews Magazine Feb7- 13 ,2014

February 7-13, 2014

Contents February 7-13, 2014

❖ Culture

❖ Weekly Briefing

❖ Economy

Fitting the hanbok to modern times

News around the region

Colours of the future

COVER IMAGE: AFP/ DESIGN BY KANJANA LAOHARATCHATATHANIN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Contents February 7-13, 2014

❖ Society

❖ Business

❖ Politics

❖ Film

Common prejudices

A new Asian hope

Picture not-so perfect

Love without social media

Contents February 7-13, 2014

❖ Culture

❖ Culture

A very Papuan batik

Betting on snow

Datebook Happenings around Asia

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February 7-13, 2014

Weight gain

WEEKLY BRIEFING

Nearly 45 per cent of people gain an average of 1.7 kilogrammes during the Chinese New Year holidays, according to Taiwan’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA). It cited a 2012 survey that said most people eat 39 per cent more food during Chinese New Year than they do on regular days.

HPA noted that 50 per cent of the respondents claimed they have cookies, candy and snacks every day during the holidays, while 19 per cent drink sugary drinks. Forty-three per cent of respondents said they exercise less during holidays than on regular days. —Joy Lee/ The China Post

February 7-13, 2014

WEEKLY BRIEFING YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP

Japan is not an easy place to raise children, according to 64 per cent of respondents to a Yomiuri Shimbun opinion poll, marking a drop of 12 percentage points in the rate of respondents who felt the same way eight years ago. In the poll conducted on January 18-19, 93 per cent said they were alarmed by the declining birthrate. The results are seen to reflect a deepening acceptance and understanding across society of working mothers, as well as fathers assuming child-rearing responsibilities. The survey covered 3,000 eligible voters nationwide, randomly selected from 250 locations. —The Yomiuri Shimbun

YOUNG JAPANESE MOTHERS, HOLDING THEIR BABIES WITH BABY-SLINGS, STRETCHES BEFORE STARTING IN SAMBA DANCES, CALLED "BABY-DANCE", AT A STUDIO IN YOKOHAMA CITY, SUBURBAN TOKYO IN THIS FILE PHOTO.

WEEKLY BRIEFING

February 7-13, 2014

The Indonesian government has raised the status on another 19 volcanoes in the country to alert level—the second-highest category—in the wake of the Mount Sinabung eruption in North Sumatra that killed 16 people on February 1. Besides the 19 new additions, three volcanos have been on high alert status since last year. They include Lokon and Karangetang in North Sulawesi and Rokatenda in East Nusa Tenggara. The 19 volcanoes scattered across the archipelago are: Kelud, Ijen, Bromo, Semeru and Raung in East Java; Lewotobi Perempuan in

SUTANTA ADITYA/AFP

Active volcanoes

MT. SINABUNG

East Nusa Tenggara; Ibu, Gamkonora, Dukono and Gamalama in North Maluku; Soputan in North Sulawesi; Sangeang Api in West Nusa Tenggara; Papandayan in West Java; Dieng in Central Java; Seulewah Agam in Aceh; Talang and Marapi in West Sumatra; Anak

Krakatau in Banten; and Kerinci in Jambi. Indonesia is among the world’s most seismically active countries, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The 19 volcanoes are among about 127 active volcanoes in Indonesia. —The Jakarta Post

WEEKLY BRIEFING

February 7-13, 2014

TARKO SUDIARNO/AFP

MOUNT BROMO (L) AND MOUNT SEMERU (R)

WEEKLY BRIEFING

February 7-13, 2014

TARKO SUDIARNO/AFP

MT. MERAPI

WEEKLY BRIEFING

February 7-13, 2014

“Illicit funds”, estimated at US$410.5 billion, flowed into and out of the Philippines between 1960 and 2011, a significant portion of which occurred through smuggling, said a report published this week by the Washington-based research and advocacy group the Global Financial Integrity (GFI). The illicit flow of funds through trade reduced domestic savings, drove the underground economy and facilitated crime, it said. Over the 51-year period, the Philippines suffered $132.9 billion in illicit financial outflows from

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Losses

crime, corruption and tax evasion. Conversely, $277.6 billion was illegally transferred into the country “predominantly through the misinvoicing of trade transactions”, said the

report. Since 1990, it is estimated that misinvoicing has cost the Philippine government at least $23 billion in lost tax revenues.—Daxim L. Lucas/ Philippine Daily Inquirer

February 7-13, 2014

The prolonged political chaos in Thailand is expected to slash tourism revenue this year by 10 per cent from the 2 trillion baht (US$60 billion) projected earlier. Foreign arrivals, especially from China, are dwindling and small and medium-sized enterprises in the industry are hurting badly because of service cancellations. About 70 per cent of hotels and 80 per cent of travel agents are SMEs.— B a m r u n g Amnatcharoenrit/The Nation

AFP

Lower projection

WEEKLY BRIEFING

ECONOMY

February 7-13, 2014

Agriculture may be the key to transforming Pakistan’s destiny

UMER HAYAT PALACE IN CHINIOT

AFP

Colours of the future

ECONOMY

February 7-13, 2014

SAKIB SHERANI Dawn Islamabad

N

ot particularly fond of driving to Lahore, a journey of around four hours on the motorway, I have had to make this trip fairly frequently over the past few months.

Mercifully, I have been chauffeured on these trips, allowing me the luxury of a voyeuristic peek into the surrounding countryside (rather than focusing on finding the next speed camera before it’s too late!).

A journey in winter along this route has its own charm. The mostly rural landscape is decorated with splashes of colour.

Starting from Islamabad, the dull Chakri countryside with blobs of green fuses into the dusty, part-flat and green, part-undulating and barren, Chakwal plains.

Soon we arrive at the steps of the otherwise barren Salt Range with brilliant ochre spilled onto some of its stern mountain faces. Carpets of yellow mustard and rapeseed fields, and verdant, lush green rice and fodder plantations begin soon after, peaking around Hafizabad, swaying sensuously in the afternoon breeze.

Endless dots of orange come in between, hanging expectantly from trees, mile after mile, marking Pakistan’s citrus belt around Sargodha.

Villages and towns with exotic names zip by: Mona, Lilla, Midh Ranjha, Kholoo Tarrar. The red and white of newly painted government schools zips by, as ubiquitous as the sight of children playing cricket.

An occasional dash of orange, red or green is provided by the clothes of women working in fields. Black is provided on this divine canvas by clusters of buffaloes, contrasted against the white

trunks of birch trees marking boundaries between fields.

Amidst this colourful beauty, there is moment for pause, reflection and worry: one passes dried-up rivers that once were formidable, mighty foes of invading armies crossing into India.

The Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi have all now been reduced to little more than rain-fed nullahs (dry riverbed or ravine).

The colours that envelop the surrounding countryside are not just of the landscape. Green and black flags dot the rural landscape, marking sectarian groups.

Amid all the mayhem in the rest of the country, these flags flutter incongruously at ease with each other, revealing a reality increasingly hidden from our eyes—that the sectarian violence borne out of the bigotry of a minority is induced as much by our own tragic history, as by the designs of others far away.

ECONOMY

February 7-13, 2014

As the evening approaches, another layer of colour marks the landscape. It’s the evening before "Rabi-ul-Awwal 12" (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday), and houses in the Barelvi and Ahle Hadith villages are lit up with colourful lights. Darker patches in between probably represent clusters of villages of a Deobandi bent.

This journey of nearly 400 kilometres through northern Punjab is hardly representative, of course. Pakistan has been endowed with such diversity in landscape and people— something I’ve been truly blessed to have witnessed from Thar to Khunjerab, from Gwadar to Khyber.

Nonetheless, there is an eerie similarity in the rustic setting, in how even after a harsh and frenetic day of backbreaking labour, the thick bluish-white smoke billowing from hearths in the evening signals the descent of somnolent tranquillity on God’s earth. From Gulmit in

the Northern Areas to Mithi in the south, it represents peace and quiet. “Silence, like a poultice, comes to heal the blows of sound….”

A true modern day Luddite, I romanticise the countryside and feel rejuvenated even with a passing interaction afforded by hurtling down the motorway. But there’s another reason I feel elated after each trip.

This land is so fertile that it could grow gold if we wanted it to. With the right interventions, greater focus on agriculture and a slight improvement in governance of the sector, Pakistan can quite easily increase the yield of its crops and livestock by at least 50 per cent within a decade.

If it can achieve anywhere near this—which experts consider still below Pakistan’s potential—it can conservatively add around 5 per cent to the growth rate of our economy.

There is ample evidence of what can be achieved. Leaving aside the near-world average yields of progressive farmers in Pakistan, even smaller farmers have managed stellar productivity gains with better farming practices, thanks to investments in farm extension services.

I have seen export-quality tomatoes and lemons grown in the Thar desert; a top-notch farm in the barren and rocky part of Attock, where traditional farmers hardly grow anything.

Around Charsadda, I have met small bitter-gourd farmers who, when provided better farming techniques and a bit of social mobilisation, now export their produce to Dubai and have raised their incomes by 100 per cent, within a span of three years.

Around Islamabad, tunnel farming has provided out-of-season quality vegetables to farmers, increasing their incomes.

ECONOMY

February 7-13, 2014

MUHAMMAD HASSAN MIRAJ

A VIEW OF CHINIOT FROM THE ROOFTOP OF GULZAR MEHAL/ MUHAMMAD HASSAN MIRAJ

ECONOMY

February 7-13, 2014

MUHAMMAD HASSAN MIRAJ

A VIEW OF WAZIRABAD/ MUHAMMAD HASSAN MIRAJ

ECONOMY

February 7-13, 2014

AFP

GAH VILLAGE

ECONOMY

February 7-13, 2014

MUHAMMAD HASSAN MIRAJ

The required interventions encompass improved seeds, unadulterated pesticide, research on pest-resistant crops and arid technology, in addition to rebuilding farm extension services.

While I’m not a farmer or an expert on agriculture, improved extension services, in my opinion, hold the key to unlocking the productivity potential of Pakistan’s agriculture sector, at least in the medium term. In the longer run, the payoffs from investing today in crop research (and water storage) should stand us in good stead when the water situation becomes even more challenging.

If we treat it well, the agriculture sector can yet again transform Pakistan’s destiny. ¬

COURTYARD IN WAZIRABAD

February 7-13, 2014

SOCIETY

Indian against Indian racism

JAWED NAQVI Dawn New Delhi

DELHI CHIEF MINISTER AND LEADER OF THE AAM ADMI PARTY (AAP) ARVIND KEJRIWAL PAYS HOMAGE AT RAJGHAT, THE MEMORIAL OF INDIA'S FOUNDING FATHER MAHATMA GANDHI, ON MARTYRS' DAY IN NEW DELHI ON JAN 30, 2014, THE 66TH ANNIVERSARY OF GANDHI'S ASSASSINATION. MAHATMA GANDHI WAS ON THE WAY TO A PRAYER MEETING IN THE INDIAN CAPITAL WHEN HE WAS SHOT THREE TIMES IN THE CHEST AND HEAD ON JAN 30, 1948.

AFP/ RAVEENDRAN

Common Prejudices

February 7-13, 2014

AFP/ SAJJAD HUSSAIN

I

SOCIETY

ACTIVISTS FROM THE DELHI SOLIDARITY GROUP HOLD CANDLES, DURING A PROTEST AGAINST THE KILLING OF A NUN IN EASTERN STATE OF JHARKHAND, AT THE INDIA GATE MONUMENT IN NEW DELHI ON NOV 22, 2011. SEVEN VILLAGERS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED OVER THE MURDER OF A NUN WHO CAMPAIGNED FOR THE RIGHTS OF TRIBAL PEOPLE IN INDIA. HER FAMILY REPORTED THAT BEFORE VALSA JOHN WAS MURDERED SHE HAD RECEIVED DEATH THREATS FROM GANGSTERS LINKED TO THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY, BUT POLICE ARE ALSO INVESTIGATING WHETHER MAOIST REBELS OR A TRIBAL DISPUTE WERE TO BLAME.

t seems linked to their long history of caste-based discrimination, or it could even be a stand-alone feature in their psychosocial makeup. Ordinary Indians are capable of being utterly racist. Even more than with foreigners—chiefly black Africans— they can be racially, religiously, geographically intolerant of each other.

The housewife in Delhi’s multiracial Khirki locality, who betrayed her flippant, innate racism by accusing African residents of “spoiling the neighbourhood” by running out naked during an earthquake, was equally certain that it was “bad enough” when the tribal Indian Biharis lived there, but the Africans replacing them brought no respite.

February 7-13, 2014

SOCIETY

AFP/ MANAN VATSYAYANA

INDIAN MUSLIM WOMAN BILKIS YAKUB RASOOL (CENTRE) HOLDS HER SON, MOHAMMAD (LEFT), AS SHE ADDRESSES A MEDIA CONFERENCE IN NEW DELHI ON JAN 21, 2008, WHILE HER HUSBAND YAKUB (RIGHT) LOOKS ON. THE BILKIS BANO GANG-RAPE CASE, THE JUDGEMENT OF WHICH WAS DELIVERED IN MUMBAI ON JAN 18, 2008, WAS UNIQUE AS THE CONVICTION OF THE 12 ACCUSED WAS BASED SOLELY ON THE VICTIM'S DEPOSITION. A SPECIAL COURT IN MUMBAI CONVICTED 12 PERSONS, INCLUDING A POLICEMAN WHO WAS ACCUSED OF GANGRAPING BILKIS, A HOUSEWIFE, WHEN SHE WAS SIX MONTHS PREGNANT.

SOCIETY

February 7-13, 2014

Many a political movement has been launched across India by leaning on the discriminatory profiling of Indians by fellow Indians. The Maratha supremacist Shiv Sena, for example, campaigned to throw out the Biharis from Mumbai. Earlier, it had targeted migrants from southern India. Maharashtra’s Dalits have been consistently at the receiving end of Shiv Sena’s bilious politics.

Elsewhere, Brahmins were targeted in Tamil Nadu and then forced to run for their lives from Kashmir, leading to their mass exodus from India’s southern-most and northern-most states.

In a similar vein, it seemed eerily easy for a chief minister to supervise the pogrom of a community his followers despised, and then to put on mock remorse by likening the massacre to a puppy that came under the wheels

of his car. When another minority community was profiled in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination, thousands were lynched in Delhi. The prime minister of the day got away with a facile explanation.

“When a big tree falls, the ground does shake,” he told the mourners.

Elsewhere in India, Delhi University students from the northeastern states are frequently beaten up and sexually harassed.

Local media that has taken turns berating or endorsing the outrageous racism shown by Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) ministers towards African women in the Khirki colony—the same newspapers and broadcasting stations that earn a hefty revenue from advertisements selling whitening creams for tanned-skin Indian men and women.

Celebrity couple Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar have been outspo-

ken about how Muslim Indians have been denied their rights to buy or rent property in modern Mumbai, among a few other cities.

While Africans have faced great discrimination in looking for a place to stay in most Delhi residential areas, many Punjabis are denied residence by fellow Punjabi tenants who deem them too low a caste to be let a room in their houses.

Possibly the most vivid articulation of Indian racism occurred in South Africa where, barring those who joined the African National Congress or who became communists, Indians were accorded a special chamber in the 1984 tricameral parliament, from which the black majority continued to remain barred. In other words, Indians joined the white supremacists in their continued discrimination of the black majority.

SOCIETY

February 7-13, 2014

It goes to Nelson Mandela’s credit he stopped a vengeful blowback by apartheid victims against racially inclined Indians. It is heartening of course that many Indians were at the forefront too of the fight against the apartheid in South Africa, just as they were in Delhi’s Khirki colony recently.

Arvind Kejriwal who heads a fragile AAP government in Delhi is made of the same common clay as his other fellow Indians. He spearheaded a reactionary campaign against quotas for lower castes in educational institutions before leading an anti-corruption drive that catapulted him into the bigger political pond.

Ultimately, the bulk of the guilt of racism and discrimination on different areas of India’s society should be borne by India’s main bourgeois parties, though some

of them—and this may be to their credit—see angry, alienated tribal groups as a bigger foe than the religious fascism potentially engulfing India.

What works for Kejriwal in such a time of uncertainty, even within his own party, is his stand on his policies. The most vital, in my view, is his frontal assault on the involvements of politicians in major businesses in the country, and has boldly brought to light some of their murky dealings.

Kejriwal, in his quest to uplift the “common man” and essentially eradicate all forms of caste-related biases and intra-racial prejudism, has also led the stalling of foreign direct investments in multi-brand retail trade in Delhi. It is the man on the street who stands to benefit from this “populist anarchy”

which the Indian president criticised in his Republic Day speech.

During the Commonwealth Games, when the Congress government thoughtlessly evicted all fruit and vegetable vendors in an attempt to “clean up” the streets, it was AAP lawyer Prashant Bhushan who won them a reprieve from India’s supreme court.

The AAP, deemed a fledgling in the political nest, is due to release its economic projections, which is when the world will be able to verify its political appeal.

But in the mean time, it is understandable that racial minorities and foreigners in Delhi remain nervous in the face of daily discrimination. Their best bet is to befriend and create better awareness for the “common man” in India, which will be their greatest ally or most deadly foe. ¬

February 7-13, 2014

FILM-MAKING LEGEND GEORGE LUCAS AND SINGAPORE’S PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG AT THE OPENING OF LUCASFILM SINGAPORE’S NEW OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS.

THE SANDCRAWLER./ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP

A new Asian hope

BUSINESS

BUSINESS

February 7-13, 2014

ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP

STAFF DRESSED UP AS STORMTROOPERS AND DARTH VADER (CHARACTERS FROM GEORGE LUCAS’ STAR WARS FILMS) AT THE OPENING OF LUCASFILM’S LATEST ANIMATION PRODUCTION FACILITY NAMED ‘THE SANDCRAWLER’ IN SINGAPORE. THE BUILDING ALSO SERVES AS LUCASFILM SINGAPORE’S REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS.

BUSINESS

February 7-13, 2014

THE ORIGINAL SANDCRAWLER, THE LARGE MOBILE HOMES OF THE JAWAS IN GEORGE LUCAS’ STAR WARS FILMS.

BUSINESS

February 7-13, 2014

MICHAEL CHEANG The Star Singapore ROSLAN RAHMAN/ AFP

STREET VIEW OF LUCASFILM SINGAPORE’S NEW REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS, THE SANDCRAWLER. THE BUILDING IS MODELLED AFTER THE SANDCRAWLER IN 'STAR WARS IV'.

The Force is strong with Lucasfilm’s new official headquarters in the Lion City

F

or a building called The Sandcrawler, Star Wars fans may find the lack of Jawas there disturbing.

However, the Force was definitely strong with the new official headquarters of Lucasfilm Singapore. George Lucas himself had come to town to launch the building, together with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

In the Star Wars universe, sandcrawlers are the giant, mobile homes used by the Jawas—those hooded little fellows with glowing yellow eyes who sold R2-D2 and C-3PO to the Skywalkers in Episode IV: A New Hope.

The Singaporean version of The Sandcrawler is a shining and hugely impressive building that retains the shape of the vehicle from which it draws its name, and leaves visitors with absolutely no doubt in their minds as to the building’s occupants.

In a lush green park within the building compound, a serene-looking bronze statue of Yoda sits, his lips pursed in a slight smile as if in approval of Lucasfilm’s spanking-new headquarters. Sculpted by Lawrence Noble, it is an exact replica of the Yoda statues that grace Lucasfilm’s headquarters in San Francisco and the Big Rock Ranch building in California’s Marin County.

Inside the seven-storey building, posters, statues and prop replicas from the Star Wars movies and other Lucasfilm works line the corridors. Even the elevators are modelled after the ones in the Death Star (you would half expect

BUSINESS

February 7-13, 2014

Darth Vader himself to appear every time the elevator doors whoosh open).

Designed by Aedas Architecture, The Sandcrawler received a Gold Plus Greenmark certification in Singapore and has won an impressive six architectural awards including the prestigious Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award for Best New Global Design.

Besides Lucasfilm Singapore, The Sandcrawler will also house the regional headquarters of The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) and ESPN Asia Pacific.

According to Lucas, the building is a culmination of years of hard work by the Lucasfilm team in Singapore, which was formed in 2005.

“This building signifies the possibilities we saw and realised when we initially launched the Singapore unit,” Lucas said in his speech at the opening ceremony. “It’s the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication, and I’m proud to be here for the opening. The building is everything I hoped it would be

and I look forward to the day that I can sit in a theatre and see all of the amazing work that comes from the artists that work here.”

Since its formation in 2005, Lucasfilm Singapore has grown into a digital entertainment powerhouse within the region, making significant contributions to the 2011 Academy Award-winning animated feature film Rango and the Emmy-winning television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

In addition, Industrial Light & Magic Singapore has contributed cutting-edge work on a myriad of blockbusters, such as the second, third and fourth instalments of the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies, the Transformers trilogy, Marvel franchises including Iron Man and The Avengers and the new Star Trek films, to name a few.

Return of the franchise

Now, enough about the building. Let’s talk about Star Wars for a while.

A day before the official launch, Kennedy held court at a group interview with regional journalists and gave an intriguing (if vague) idea of what we can expect from the upcoming Episode VII, the proposed spin-off movies, as well as the future of the Expanded Universe as a whole.

“George was very clear about how it works. The canon he created was the Star Wars Saga, and right now Episode VII falls within that canon,” she said. “The spinoff movies, or we might come up with some other way to call them, they exist within that vast universe of storytelling that George created. So there are endless opportunities. And those are standalone movies. There is no attempt to carry characters in and out of the Saga episodes.

“From a creative standpoint, it’s a roadmap that George created that is pretty clear.”

And what about the Expanded Universe, that rich, vast and somewhat messy mass of accumulated

BUSINESS

February 7-13, 2014

stories in comics, novels, videogames and other mediums?

“They all fall within the Star Wars universe...and those are the ground rules that we will still abide by,” she said.

Before joining Lucasfilm as president in 2012 (after the company was acquired by Disney), Kennedy was a prolific film producer whose credentials include ET, Empire Of The Sun and the Jurassic Park trilogy. She was also the CEO of Amblin Entertainment, a film and television production company she co-founded with acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, and her husband Frank Marshall in 1981.

The transition from being a film producer to running a studio has been easier than she expected.

“My career has been focused primarily on making films, which I will continue to do because I also serve as producer on the new Star Wars films we are working on right now,” she said. “But prior to

that, I was running Amblin, and I find that many of the things involved with producing movies do align themselves with the skills needed to run companies.

“I felt this is a point in my career where I can take the skills I’ve had over the years producing movies and move that into many opportunities beyond just making motion pictures,” she said.

The Empire takes root

According to Kennedy, the work coming out of Lucasfilm Singapore has been rivalling the work coming out of the company’s more established offices in the United States, Canada and Britain.

“Even though Lucasfilm and ILM have been in existence for almost 40 years, very quickly, the team trained here in Singapore (is) reaching the point where the work coming out of Singapore is rivalling the work that is coming

out of San Francisco, Vancouver and eventually the UK,” she said.

Lucasfilm Singapore currently has over 360 employees, but eight years ago when Lucasfilm Singapore was formed, there were only 26 artists, and Malaysian animator Lyon Liew was one of them.

Liew joined the company in November 2005 as a technical director. He started working on the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series and in April 2009, became the cloth simulation lead on the project.

“My job was to simulate all the clothing in Clone Wars, and make sure everything looked physically right. Yoda was one of the most difficult characters we worked on because when he fights, he jumps all over the place, and cloth simulation is difficult when he is going really fast,” he said, adding that when he started on the job, he was thrown into an episode with Yoda. So basically it was do, or do not for him at the time.

There was no try.

BUSINESS

February 7-13, 2014

After a short stint away from the company in 2010, the Malacca-born Liew rejoined as a creature technical director, and has worked on The Avengers, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, Pacific Rim, Star Trek Into Darkness, and currently, Transformers: Age Of Extinction.

“What I do (as a creature technical director) is add in skeletal and basic controls (for creatures), and add on anything else that has to do with it, like cloth and hair simulation, as well as muscle simulation,” he said. “We don’t build the creature, but work on what’s around and inside the creature.”

He also works on the creatures’ rigid body dynamics. For example, when a giant robot crashes through a building, his unit does the destruction.

Another Malaysian who is currently in Lucasfilm Singapore is William Gallyot, who joined in July 2010 through the Jedi Masters Training Program (JuMP), and was hired as a

full-time texture artist in December 2010. He’s currently working on an unnamed animated feature as a surfacing technical director.

“I work on the shades and textures for characters and environments that you see. First, we get a flat model from the modellers, and...I make it more physically accurate before it is rendered,” he said. “Skin, for example, should look like skin, and metals have different kinds as well, like rusty and shiny and so on.”

For both Liew and Gallyot, joining Lucasfilm was a dream come true, especially since they both grew up on Star Wars.

“Lucasfilm is like the pioneer of the entire visual effects industry, and you always hope that you would one day get into the company after paying your dues,” said Gallyot. “So getting in here so early—this is my first full-time job— was very exciting.”

“Star Wars pretty much created this industry, so to be able to come and work on Clone Wars, an extension of Star Wars, was really quite special, especially for those of us who grew up here,” said Liew.

So now they are already working for the leader in visual effects, where do they go from here?

“For me, it’s not a question of where I want to go after this, but more about what project I want to be on. In Lucasfilm we get a lot of awesome stuff coming in, and that keeps us motivated,” said Gallyot.

Of course, among those “awesome” things they mentioned are the new Star Wars movies, which the two of them are hoping to get on.

“That’s one of the most exciting to look forward to now. We are so inspired to get on that movie... most of us started off as Star Wars fans, so it’s like coming full circle for us!” said Liew. ¬

POLITICS

February 7-13, 2014

ADEK BERRY/ AFP

PICTURE NOT-SO PERFECT Indonesian first lady’s Instagram scuffles WAHYUDI SOERIAATMADJA The Straits Times Jakarta

T INDONESIA FIRST LADY ANI YUDHOYONO TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS BESIDE HER HUSBAND INDONESIA PRESIDENT SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO AND VICE PRESIDENT BOEDIONO DURING AN INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE IN JAKARTA.

owards the end of her husband's first term in office, Ani Yudhoyono realised that, as the Indonesian president's wife, she often wound up in spots photographers rarely found themselves in.

POLITICS

February 7-13, 2014

ABROR RIZKI/AFP

So she took out a camera and revived an old hobby.

Before long, her pictures of state events and ordinary folk started showing up at exhibitions, winning some praise. She also published a coffee-table book in 2011

that included photos she took on trips across Indonesia and abroad with her husband.

Last April, she started putting her photos on Instagram. That was when the trouble began.

Some Indonesians were critical of certain photos of her

INDONESIA’S FIRST LADY ANI YUDHOYONO SPEAKS TO RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY THE MT. SINABUNG VOLCANO ERUPTION AT AN EVACUATION CENTRE IN KARO DISTRICT.

family, and Ani, 61, who is known to speak her mind, was quick to lash out at them, drawing even more criticism.

Last week, she made international headlines when she apologised to more than

POLITICS

February 7-13, 2014

ABROR RIZKI/AFP

INDONESIA’S FIRST LADY ANI YUDHOYONO CARRIES A BABY DURING A VISIT WITH HER HUSBAND TO AN EVACUATION CENTRE IN KARO DISTRICT FOR RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY THE MT. SINABUNG VOLCANO ERUPTION.

POLITICS

February 7-13, 2014

310,000 Instagram followers for a particularly angry outburst. A fan questioned her timing when she uploaded a photo of her grandson playing a toy piano while many Indonesians were fighting to keep their heads above water during severe flooding.

"Why is the anger directed at me?" she wrote, saying people should ask what the wife of the Jakarta governor was doing.

Ibu Ani, as she is popularly known, entered the social media sphere around the same time Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took to Twitter in April last year. Since then, she has been a regular, sharing 725 photos on Instagram so far.

Some might see the negative reactions to her photographs and her Instagram activity as a reflection of the palace's dip in popularity, but

sociologist Musni Umar sees it as a generational issue.

"In the old days, people wouldn't dare criticise the first lady," he told The Straits Times.

This is no longer the case.

"A lot of those who criticise her are from the younger generation," he said.

In contrast, he said Ani is from an era when those in authority were rarely, if ever, questioned.

When a follower recently asked whether her camera was personal or state property, she took offence.

"Your question is impolite beyond expectation, but I will answer so it's clear," she said.

"Cameras used by the Palace press bureau may be state property. The one I use is of course personal property."

Screen captures of the exchange went viral. People made fun of the issue.

Yet her photos have also offered fascinating glimpses of places most Indonesians would otherwise not have seen, like the interior of Bali's Tampaksiring presidential palace and the Yogyakarta sultan's palace, as well as the first family in more relaxed moments.

Some suggest she turn her camera instead on ordinary Indonesians.

By doing so, she would remind her husband that poverty remained a problem, blogger Ellen Maringka wrote last month on the kompasiana site, linked to major broadsheet Kompas.

"Wouldn't it be great if your photography hobby brought some joy to those who are poor, to for once smile because they are the target of your camera," she wrote. ÂŹ

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Love without social media PARINYAPORN PAJEE The Nation Chiang Mai

T

he new romantic comedy from Thai film giant GTH looks at communication without the benefits of the social networks.

Somewhat outdated in this era of social networking where we tend to share even the most inconsequential details of our daily lives on the social networks, the intimate journal has all but disappeared from everyday

life. Instant communication is great, says director Nithiwat Tharatorn, who admits he couldn't live without it, but he also feels that the "immediacy" we enjoy today is depleting our ability to express deeper and heartfelt emotions.

CHERMARN 'PLOY' BOONYASAK

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SUKRIT 'BIE' VISETKAEW

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DIRECTOR NITHIWAT THARATORN

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Nithiwat recalls the intimacy of the diary in GTH's first release of the season Khid Thueng Vittaya" (Teacher's Diary) showing how written pages can do more than just provide a record but also foster love.

The film, which is scheduled for release in March, stars Sukrit 'Bie' Visetkaew as Song, a former wrestler who takes a job as a teacher. He arrives at his new classroom, a remote houseboat cut off from such conveniences of the outside world as electricity, Internet and mobile phone signal.

Lonely and occasionally frustrated by having just four students, he discovers the diary of his predecessor Ann (Chermarn 'Ploy' Boonyasak) and the diary becomes his friend as he tries to overcome the loneliness and hardships of his new posting. When he leaves the houseboat and Ann returns, she discovers that Song has also written in the diary.

The tale is loosely based on the real life story of GTH producer Jira Maligool's friend, who discovered a diary in his desk drawer on starting a new job and started searching for its owner.

"This was decades ago, in the days when we only had landlines. The two eventually got married and still have a happy family life" says Jira.

The houseboat location also takes its cue from real life, being loosely modelled on a school in Lamphun province where a teacher lives with his four stu-

dents on a boat. Producer Wanrudee Pongsitthisak mentioned it to Jira, who headed north to speak to the real life teacher Samart Sutha.

"It's very inspiring and I was really moved by his dedication to his work and his students," says Jira.

For his part, Nithiwat spent time researching whether it was actually possible in this day and age for two strangers to fall in love just by reading a diary.

"I know a relationship can start from the impressions gained during conversation and getting a picture of how the other person sees the world and I guess that, at least in the past, that sort of information could be acquired by reading the private thoughts in a diary.

"Today, a diary is somewhat akin to what we show on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The main difference is that with social networking, people can also

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February 7-13, 2014

see what you look like," he says.

"The disadvantage is that instead on talking one-on-one or calling, we opt to communicate through text."

The film, he adds, invokes nostalgia for the feeling of missing someone in an era where everyone can be reached in seconds.

"I hope that after seeing the film some people out there might wean themselves off the social networks and experience what it feels like to miss a lover or a friend," he says.

The first trailer for Teacher's Diary shows that it carries more

comedy than any of the director's previous works.

"That's something that comes from Bie. He's always cracking jokes to make people laugh so I asked him to bring some parts of his own personality to Song's character," he says.

Nithiwat, who cast new and untried actors in his subtle teenage romance Seasons Change and Dear Galileo, the coming-of-age drama about two young women on a road trip in Europe, adds that he also enjoyed working with established stars.

"The directing is very different. With my other films, I had to guide and instruct the young actors in what I wanted. Professionals like Bie and Ploy, on the other hand, know what will work."

Bie, who is a long-time fan of GTH's movies, accepted the role immediately, script unseen.

"I said yes without even knowing what the story was about.

I've waited so long for this

chance," he says.

Bie's character Song is a bit of a loser, someone who opts to spend his life doing things that rarely interest others, like wrestling and teaching at a remote school.

The enormous differences in the actors' professional paths— Bie has focused on singing and playing in musicals while Ploy is popular both on the small and large screen—helps add credibility to the story.

"They had never met before working on the film, which made them perfect for two characters who only know each other through a diary," says Nithiwat.

While the press conference was held in north Thailand, the film was shot at the other end of the country—in Phetchaburi province, on the lake in Kaeng Krachan National Park.

"But the film set was every bit as remote. We didn't have electricity or communication with the outside world," the director says. ¬

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February 7-13, 2014

Fitting the hanbok to modern times Korea’s traditional dress tries to fit in today’s world LEE WOO-YOUNG The Korea Herald Seoul

H

an Hyun-young, a 29-year-old office worker in Seoul, had a hanbok custom-made for herself when she got married in 2011. But she has worn the traditional Korean clothes only twice—on her first visit to her inlaws' house after her honeymoon and on her sister-in-law’s wedding day.

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AFP

“I wore it because I had to. I wouldn’t wear it if I didn’t have to,” she said.

Han is not the only one feeling reluctant to wear a hanbok on special occasions. As hanbok are no longer a daily outfit for most Koreans, fewer people are willing to wear it even on occasions when wearing a hanbok is considered appropriate or tradition calls for it.

“I feel overly dressed up and like I stand out among others who are in their everyday clothes,” said Han. She said she wished she rented a hanbok or borrowed from her married friends rather than keep her 500,000 won (US$464) gown in her closet for the rest of the year.

Lunar New Year’s Day used to be a day when family members took out their best hanbok or had a new one made. The “seolbim”, which refers to the hanbok worn on the holiday, was distinguished

from other everyday hanbok with bright colours to wish for good luck in the new year.

But wearing a hanbok is becoming a fading tradition in the lives of Koreans with fewer people wearing it or visiting hanbok shops for new ones.

“I haven’t seen a single customer come for a new hanbok for Lunar New Year’s Day this year. We’ve had a few for other occasions,” said Lee Hye-soon, president and designer of the hanbok brand Damyeon.

Yoon Hee-jae Hanbok Shop in Gwangjang Market, the biggest hanbok market in Seoul, has received several customers who came to have their hanbok made for the Lunar New Year’s Day. But the shop owner admits that most of the clothes ordered have been either for children or the elderly.

“Because people don’t wear hanbok as a daily outfit anymore, more people feel uncomfortable

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February 7-13, 2014

with the idea of wearing it even on special days like Lunar New Year’s Day. More people are unwilling to buy a hanbok because they know they won’t be able to wear it often,” said Yoon Hee-jae, who runs her eponymous brand at the market.

There are efforts to revive Koreans’ interest in hanbok. Royal palaces in Seoul offer free admission throughout the year to those wearing a hanbok. But according to palace staff, few people visit palaces in hanbok although they have been promoting wearing them for many years.

Jongno District Office made it mandatory for its officials to wear hanbok to work once a month. Initiated by the district mayor, the Hanbok Day event encourages staff to wear hanbok by announcing the best hanbok dresser once a month.

“I was hesitant to wear it first when I was told to wear it at work.

But when I actually tried it on, it was different. It looks beautiful and your attitude changes,” said Yoon Jeong-suk, a manager in the office’s public relations division.

According to district officials, hanbok brightened the atmosphere of the civil complaint office as citizens who come to file complaints offer a word of praise to staff rather than getting angry at them.

Choi Jung-ryeon, director of the public relations team, hadn’t owned a hanbok before and had to buy two for the monthly Hanbok Day. “Hanbok is a traditional costume for Koreans worn for thousands of years, but when I wore it at work, I wasn’t really comfortable in it at first. The wide sleeves bothered me when I had to use office utilities,” he said. “But it drew good responses from citizens. And it helps promote

Gwangjang Market.” Gwangjang Market is located in Jongno district.

Lee Hye-soon, who has worn hanbok daily for more than 20 years, said the reason people are hesitant to wear it is that they are uncomfortable in the clothes. So in order to wear it more frequently, they should have their hanbok made to fit their body, she said.

“Wearing something new is always an uncomfortable experience for anyone, whether it’s Western clothes or shoes. But if you wear it often, you get used to it and know how to move comfortably in the clothes. Because people don’t wear hanbok every day, their first time is always difficult. When you wear it again and again, you get comfortable with the clothes physically and psychologically,” she said.

“It starts with wearing it on a special day like Lunar New Year’s Day.” ¬

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February 7-13, 2014

A very Papuan batik MARKUS MARDIUS The Jakarta Post Mimika, Papua

A

walk through the batik shops in Mimika proves that there’s more to Papuan fashion than the traditional noken (woven bag) or the koteka (penis sheathe).

Local designers are making Papuan-style batik in bright reds, yellows and greens —a stark contrast to the subdued colours of Central Java, where the style came into fashion. Adorning local batik are local motifs and sacred symbols, ranging from crocodiles to cendrawasih birds of paradise and from spears to traditional tifa drums.

“In general visitors only know Asmat motifs,” Risma, one long-time batik vendor, said, referring to the tribe that inhabits the southwest corner of Papua. “Asmat motifs are identical

to sacred symbols, such as statues and carved wooden shield with squares. The colour is brown, with a mixture of soil and terracotta colour. A lot of batik designs of other tribes and cultures complement each other”.

Nurhadi owns a batik shop on Jl. Budi Utomo in Timika. The 44-year-old discussed the knots and bolts of wearing the clothing. “There are only three kinds of materials used for the type of batik typical to Papua: satin, cotton and silk.

Buyers favour cotton batik very much. It is less expensive. It can absorb sweat.”

She said that the goods she sold were imported from Jayapura.

Meanwhile, mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia has gotten into the act, sponsoring corporate social responsibility programmes

February 7-13, 2014

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that have backed exhibitions of Papuan batik in Jakarta and Jayapura and promoted local designers.

The firm has also collaborated with Jimmy Afaar, perhaps the most famous Papuan designer, to organise batik training sessions for women in Jayapura in 2011.

Ilham, who owns a batik shop on Jl. A. Yani, said that his monthly revenue could top 15 million rupiah (US$1,200). “Many people purchase Papuan batik by the roll or metre for souvenirs on the way back home. At least 20 people visit the store each day.�

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Meanwhile, Nurhaidi says that prêt-à-porter Papuan batik is readily available. “It is not only limited to dress shirts, T-shirts and collared shirts. Bags and purses are available, too.”

Prices depend on the quality of the fabric, ranging from cotton batik, priced at 65,000 rupiah a metre, to 300,000 rupiah a metre for silk.

One woman with experience in making Papuan batik is Matelda, who has taught elementary school in Kuala Kencana since 2005. Previously, the 35-year-old worked for two years at her mother’s five-person studio, Batik Tulis Karya Putri Dobonsolo on Jl. Kemiri in Sentani, Jayapura.

Matelda said that her mother’s workshop has been producing printed, stamped or handmade Papuan batik with sentani motifs since 1996. Customers specify the designs desired and the raw materials are consigned from Yogyakarta and Surakarta, Central Java.

“The sentani motif is a bit different from other tribes and cultures in Papua,” she says.

“The motif depicts a circular groove and its background is bit blue. The process of printing or painting is similar to other areas in Java.

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The basic materials are wax, a canting [wax pen], a small stove, paraffin, a small brush, a baking pan or casserole dish and an iron wok.”

She continues. “My mother’s workshop can produce three metres of handmade batik a day, 50 metres of printed batik a day, whilst the complicated motifs take two up to three days. Prices vary depending on the motifs and designs. Handmade batik is expensive.

The complicated motifs and design are more expensive.”

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Matelda, who is of Serui ethnicity, the designs used for Papuan batik came from many tribes (suku) and were originally inscribed in bark, buildings, paddles, boats, caves and walls. Artists have imitated and preserved the designs until now.

Fitria, who heads the regency education agency’s secondary schools office, said her staff wore Papuan batik on Fridays and for special occasions. “We also have been coordinating with the principals of both public and private schools in order to obligate their pupils to don batik Papua on certain days.”

Similarly, Yohanis Kasamol, the head of Mimika’s tourism office, said more government officers were buying local-style batik. “One way we have introduced Papuan batik in Mimika is that we have asked employees who work at Mozes Kilangin Airport to don batik on certain days. Passengers who get off the

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plane will see the officers wearing Papuan batik immediately.”

Mimika’s former regent, Titus Potereyauw, echoed Yohanis’ statements. “Since 2001, we have required all civil servants to don Papuan batik in Mimika. They are free to choose the desired patterns and motifs.”

There’s no one approved pattern for the official batik. Civil servants are free to choose their favourite motifs, except on certain special days when they are asked to wear batik reflecting the regency’s Komoro indigenous people, the 79-year-old said.

One customer, Albert Tony, an employee of PT Freeport Indonesia who hails from Samarinda, East Kalimantan, said he frequently sought out the unique designs. “I often come to the store and purchase quite a lot of Papuan batik for souvenirs for my friends and my relatives.” ¬

CULTURE TRAVEL

February 7-13, 2014

Betting on snow A South Korean resort that combines snow and casino

MATTHEW CRAWFORD/THE KOREA HERALD

SNOWBOARDERS AND SKIERS GATHER AT THE MOUNTAIN TOP AREA OF HIGH1 RESORT, NEAR GOHAN-EUP, GANGWON PROVINCE.

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MATTHEW C. CRAWFORD The Korea Herald Gohan-eup, Gangwon Province

D

riving into Gohan-eup, it’s easy to mistake the isolated hamlet for just another ski town. Gohan serves as the gateway to the High1 Resort, and shops stocked with skis and snowboards line the road through the narrow mountain valley. In between the rental shops, though, attentive visitors will notice

just as many pawnshops and loan agencies.

The pawnshops (labelled “jeondangsa” in Gohan) don’t target ski bums, but gamblers. They signal the proximity of Kangwon Land, the only casino in Korea where locals are allowed in. Kangwon Land Inc. has followed up the casino with the ski hill, a golf course and various other ventures.

However, one would have to dig deeper into the town’s past to discover that it has only recently become a retreat for thrill seekers. Until 1989, when operations winded down, Gohan was a coal mining town. The closest city is Taebaek, the most famous Korean coal town of all, and there used to be nearly 50 active mines in the area.

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On the white According to a facetious adage, if the mountainous terrain of Korea was completely ironed out, the country would be as large as China. Barring the existence of a cosmic steamroller, though, Korea is likely to remain an ideal country for yearlong hiking and for skiing and snowboarding in winter. Though the snow sometimes falls in moderation and melts early in spring, the country’s winter sports industry has crystallised over the past decade or so. A high point for South Korea came in 2011 when it won its bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

While Japan has more than 600 resorts and North Korea has recently opened its first—Masik Pass, a pet project of young leader Kim Jong-un—the South currently has 17. Choosing a

place to ski or snowboard is a question of proximity for most, and the number and quality of the runs for many. For Lee Dong-il, an employee at Board Korea in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, the nation’s retail hub for winter sports, the allaround best ski hill is High1.

“First of all, I like its clean facilities. Second it has a lot of different slopes,” he said as he used a power screwdriver to fix a set of bindings onto a newly purchased snowboard.

He also spoke highly of the selection of jumps at the terrain park and the long half-pipe.

Ultimately, though, Lee says he just likes the atmosphere of the place. While most resorts feature runs on two or three sides of a single mountain, High1’s feed down the adjoining slopes of a valley; they are steep and mostly of intermediate

or advanced difficulty. Most of the hill’s regulars are snowboarders who travel up from the Gyeongsang provinces.

High1 opened in 2007 and is one of the highest local resorts, topping out at 1,340 metres (Yongpyong Resort’s gondolas unload about 100 metres higher).

The winding 4km run from Zeus 2 to Zeus 3 also competes with Yongpyong’s Rainbow Paradise (5.6km) in sheer distance and Deogyusan Resort’s Silk Road, the country’s longest at 6.1km.

But beginners and experts alike will probably want to avoid High1’s Zeus route. The narrow course attracts a deadly mix of unsure beginners and renegade advanced boarders who use it as a moving obstacle course.

Beginners can find a less nerveracking practice slope in Athena 1, below the Mountain Hub. Meanwhile, experts can hit the

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slopes labelled orange and purple, which are depopulated even on weekends. The artificial snow on these steep courses is well groomed, with not too many icy patches.

The resort has also taken practical Korean ski innovations to a new level. Like the country’s subway stations, the lifts are equipped with automated turnstiles and electronic sensors for lift passes. The gondola system, too, is ingenious. Each of the condos and hotels-even the distant golf course hotelhas a gondola boarding station, with service straight to the top.

The wait time for the Mountain Gondola was tolerable even on a Saturday afternoon, while at Konjiam Resort, only 30 minutes from Gangnam, southern Seoul, wait times on the weekend stretched to half an hour.

Like other local resorts, High1 offers a grab bag of lift pass options-10 of them, in fact, from “Daytime” (8:30am5pm) to “Night/Morning” (6:30pm-1am). Night skiing is an excellent option for the tightscheduled, the budget-savvy or the crowd-averse who don’t mind the extra chill in the air.

The resort even manages to attract people who neither ski nor snowboard. After buying a “Tourist Gondola” pass, these interlopers can enjoy a lunch with a commanding view at the Mountain Top Restaurant.

Information about High1 is available in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese at www.high1.com.

In the red

Further down the hill from the High1 lodge is the impossibleto-miss Kangwon Land complex.

A slice of Macau in the heart of the Taebaek Mountain Range, it’s illuminated at night with a full spectrum of lighting technology. It is also fronted by a twinkling fairy tale castle that looks deceptively solid but is actually a “Potemkin castle”.

Of the 17 casinos in South Korea, only Kangwon Land can admit local gamblers. This exclusive privilege was secured in 1995 with the Special Act on the Assistance to the Development of Abandoned Mine Areas, and the casino started taking bets in 2003.

Besides housing the only fivestar hotel in Gangwon Province, the complex also includes a wine shop, bakery cafe, swimming pool, sauna, gym and cinema,

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where the show “Le Mystere” is currently being performed.

Unlike most casinos, this one has an entrance charge-recently raised to 7,500 won (US$7). To buy a ticket (the ticket counter is in the building across from the casino) Koreans must present their identity card while foreigners are advised to bring their passport, at least on their first visit, when computer registration takes place.

The adjacent building also houses the KL Addiction Care Center.

Interestingly, problem gamblers can be banned upon their own request, through the intervention of family members or by the establishment itself. For those who pass the inspection process and secure a ticket, the only remaining obstacles are a metal detector and baggage scanner. Photography is not allowed and cameras are sealed in plastic pouches at this point.

On this Saturday evening, more than 4,200 entrance tickets had been sold by 6:30pm and

the spacious hall was packed.

Players had to wait at the edges of roulette tables for a chance to snag a seat and buy a stack of chips from the dealer. The 1,000 or so slot machinesmostly computerised, some lowtech-were all taken by patrons wagering at least 100 won a try.

Though some of the visitors were young Koreans fresh off the slopes, most were over the hill.

Lee Dong-il, the snowboard shop employee, had said that the casino “could be another merit” of the resort, adding, “I understand why High1 is not open after midnight, so that people go there and spend money”.

Incidentally, Gangwon Land doesn’t rely on free food or alcohol to lure guests, a fallback strategy of many casinos.

Complimentary juice and soft drinks are on tap next to a row of baccarat tables on the fifth floor, but at the restaurant a plate of

curry and rice goes for 26,000 won ($24). Thrill seekers on a budget will surely be discouraged by this, and may want to stay at High1, closer to the numerous Steff Hotdog stands and the slippery, habit-forming slopes. For more information on the casino, visit kangwonland.high1.com.

Getting there Gohan Station can be reached in about 3.5 hours by train from Cheongnyangni Station, Seoul. A shuttle bus to the Casino and Mountain Ski House leaves from Gohan Station every 15 minutes during peak hours. Buses depart from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, eastern Seoul, to Shin Gohan, a short taxi ride from Gohan-eup.

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DATEBOOK

¬ Singapore Logical Progressions

A solo exhibition by Singaporean musician Song-Ming Ang, centred around the question, "What does music mean to us?". Among the highlights of his performance is a piece called "Backwards Bach"—where Ang plays the harpsicold —as well as Prelude in C Major, where he plays the Bach original piece backwards.

Where: Fost Gallery, Gillman Barracks When: Until March 10 Info: www.gillmanbarracks.com

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ÂŹ Singapore Jane Lee : 100 Faces

Singaporean artist Jane Lee presents new work in a solo exhibition based on her new three-part series: Faces, Stacks and Portraits, where she aims to challenge the ways viewers approach and perceive paintings.

Where: Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Gillman Barracks When: Until March 2 Info: www.gillmanbarracks.com

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¬ Petaling Jaya Actorlympics Valentine's Day edition: We Lapchu Long Time

Malaysia's funnymen Afdlin Shauki, Douglas Lim, Nell Ng, Ida Nerina, Rashid Salleh, Kuah Jenhan and Jason Lo present their side-splitting acts based on a special Valentine's Day theme.

When: PJ Live Arts When: February 12-16 Info: www.tix.my

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ÂŹ Kuala Lumpur Stephen Rahman-Hughes: In the mood for love

Acclaimed English-Malaysian vocalist Stephen Rahman-Hughes joins a David White-helmed Philharmonic Orchestra to serenade audiences with romantic classics such as "Unchained Melody" and "My Funny Valentine". Advanced booking required.

Where: Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Tower Two,

Petronas Twin Towers When: February 8 and 9 Info: www.mpo.com.my

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¬ Tokyo Climb Tokyo Tower on Valentine's Day

Scale the city's landmark tower's outdoor 600step staircase to the main observatory to enjoy a spectacular night view of Tokyo with your beloved on this romantic night.

Where: Tokyo Tower When: February 14, 4-9pm, Info: www.tokyotower.co.jp

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¬ Tokyo 'Sweet Tour' at Tokyo Sea Life Park

Learn about the game of love between aquatic animals on this guided tour of the Tokyo Sea Life Park.

Where: Tokyo Sea Life Park When: February 15-16 Info: www.timeout.jp

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ASIAN CITY GUIDE Asia News Network

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A guide to leading cities in Asia

THIS WEEK IN

BEIJING BANGKOK MANILA HONG KOKG SEOUL TOKYO SAPPORO TAIPEI SHANGHAI

Sapporo

HIGHLIGHTS

What's on

Shopping

Eateries

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ASIAN CITY GUIDE

What’s on

¬ 2014 Snow Festival The highlight of a winter trip to Sapporo is either the skiing or the Sapporo Snow Festival, or both. The festival, known as “Sapporo Yuki Matsuri” in Japanese, is held one week every February and is one of Japan's most popular—not to mention breathtaking—winter events.

Marvel at those elaborate and huge ice sculptures that attract 2 million tourists per year. It’s a must to enjoy the festival both during the day and at night when they come alive with colourful lights. Did you know that when the weather is warmer and the ice tends to melt, some of these smaller

sculptures are literally remade every night to ensure that they are in perfect condition the next day!

When: February 5-11

ASIAN CITY GUIDE

What’s on

SAPPORO

ASIAN CITY GUIDE

What’s on

SAPPORO

ASIAN CITY GUIDE

What’s on

SAPPORO

ASIAN CITY GUIDE

What’s on

SAPPORO

SAPPORO

ASIAN CITY GUIDE

Shopping

ÂŹ Sapporo Factory Sapporo Factory is a large shopping and entertainment complex that was opened in 1993 in central Sapporo.

There are about 160 establishments that include clothing stores, souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes and a multiscreen movie theatre. The shops are concentrated around a five-storey atrium that provides visitors a refreshing and spacious atmosphere.

Getting there: Sapporo Factory is a five-minute walk from Bus Center-mae Station on the Tozai Subway Line or a 15-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station.

The complex can also be reached by the "Loop 88 Factory Line" bus that also stops at the Sapporo Beer Museum, Odori Park and in front of the Seibu department store near Sapporo Station (departures every 20 minutes, 200 yen per ride).

ÂŹ Curb Market Curb Market (Sapporo Jogai Ichiba) consists of nearly 80 stores and restaurants lined up along several blocks just outside of Sapporo's Central Wholesale Market. One of the city's largest public markets, the Curb Market specialises in Hokkaido seafood such as crab, sea urchin, salmon roe, squid and scallops, and local produce such as corn, melons and potatoes when in season.

Getting there: The Curb Market is a 10-minute walk from either JR Soen Station (3 minutes, 160 yen from JR Sapporo Station) or Nijuyonken Subway Station (10 minutes, 240 yen from Odori Station).

ASIAN CITY GUIDE

SAPPORO

Shopping

ÂŹ Nijo Market Nijo Market (Nijo Ichiba) is a public market in central Sapporo that occupies about one city block. Both locals and tourists visit the market to shop for fresh local produce and seafood such as crabs, salmon eggs, sea urchin and various fresh and prepared fish.

The market is open between 7am and 6pm daily, with individual shops maintaining their own opening hours and closing days. Several restaurants can be found among the shops, including a collection of small drinking places and restaurants along a narrow corridor called Noren Yokocho.

A recommended way of enjoying a visit is by having a fresh seafood breakfast at one of the market's restaurants. Among the most popular menu items for starting the day is the uni ikura donburi, sea urchin and salmon eggs on rice.

Getting there: Nijo Market is three blocks south of the TV Tower at Odori Park, and about a five-minute walk from Odori Station on the Nanboku, Toho and Tozai Subway Lines.

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ASIAN CITY GUIDE

Eateries

¬ Beer

(Sapporo Beer)

¬ Genghis Kahn

Sapporo is not only a famous city in Japan but the name of its locally brewed beer. Sapporo Beer was established in 1876 and has become synonymous with the city. It’s perfect with any of the local delicacies.

To enjoy a unique beer drinking experience, visit Hamanasu-kan where you can enjoy the sight of 1,000-litre beer tanks, as well as Asahi Super Dry directly shipped from Asahi Breweries Hokkaido and the Northern taste of Jingiskan, a designated Hokkaido Heritage.

Address : Nango 4-chome Minami 1-1, Shiroishi-ku Tel: 011-863-5251 Hours 11:30-21:30 Info: www.asahibeer.co.jp/english/ (Five-minute walk from Nango 7 chome Subway Station No.2 Exit in the Tozai Line/T14)

(lamb barbecue)

Yes, we’re talking about the Mongolian warrior, who inspired this dish that is unique to Hokkaido. Locally known as “Jingisukan”, it is a bestseller at beer halls and Japanese people enjoy having it for their “Ohanami” or cherry blossom viewing parties, summer camping, beach outings and even just for a meal at home. Most local restaurants would also have their own sauces used either as marinade or dip after the meat is grilled.

Trivia: Japanese households would have a “jingisukan pan” (special iron-cast pans in the shape of flat helmets with hollow edges) so they can enjoy this specialty any time.

One of the best places to enjoy Jingisukan is at the Sapporo Beer Garden next to the Sapporo Beer Museum.

There are two restaurants in the complex: Garden Grill and the Genghis Khan Hall, where you can drink beer and all you can eat mutton BBQ. Address: North 7, East 9

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¬ Sapporo Ramen Ramen shops are common in the city that there’s even a street with nothing but them! We’re talking here of the famous Ramen Yokocho or Ramen Alley, which is actually a narrow passageway lined with, what else, eateries where you can have your fill of ramen. The miso-flavoured soup (fermented soy beans paste) originated from Sapporo. The noodles are thicker than average and crinkly. Shops also offer soy or salt-flavoured ones. The dish is especially favoured during the winter months because it helps warm the body.

More ramen: Visit the Sapporo Ramen Republic, a theme park focused on ramen, on the 10th floor of Sapporo Esta mall just across the Sapporo Station.

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¬ Soup curry This Sapporo specialty is liquid curry with vegetables, chicken and other toppings. It’s actually a challenge to try and find the best curry soup restaurant in town as there are lots of pretty good ones, and each with their unique stamp on the dish. It has become popular throughout Japan too but it’s still best to enjoy it in Sapporo that is a rich source of fresh vegetables and ingredients. One of the highly recommended places to enjoy this dish is at Samurai Soup Curry, which has four branches in Sapporo. Check samurai-curry.com for more details.

How to pick your soup curry: 1. Choose your soup 2. Choose your dish 3. Choose your spice level 4. Choose your topping (optional) 5. Choose rice size Enjoy!

¬ Ikura Ikura refers to salmon roes pickled in salt or soy sauce. Salmon and trout fishery products that abound in Hokkaido and another of their famous dish is Ikuradon, a bowl of rice heaped with ikura.

Expert information: Salmon roes that have been separated into individual eggs are called ikura while those that are still in the sac are called sujiko.

One restaurant in Sapporo, Hachikyo, has been attracting attention because of its rule: it is forbidden to leave even a grain of rice on your bowl of ikura. The restaurant explains that working conditions for fishermen are harsh and so dangerous that lives can be lost so to show gratitude and appreciation for the food they provide, eating everything is

a must. Otherwise, those who do not finish their "tsukko meshi", a bowl of rice piled high with as much salmon roe as you want, must give a donation. The bowl costs 1,890 yen.

Address: Miyako building 1F South 3, West 3-chome Chuo-ku Sapporo-shi (Open only in the evenings, about three minutes’ walk from Susukino Station.)

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¬ Fruits and vegetables

¬ Sapporo sweets After having your fill of Sapporo’s hearty meals, don’t forget to try the desserts. Hokkaido produces high quality milk, butter and cheese from homegrown ingredients making it a haven for confectioners who love creating beautifully designed sweets. Since 2004, Sapporo has been holding the “Sapporo Sweets Competition”, where the winning recipe is distributed to participating patisseries and confectioneries. Each shop recreates their interpretation of the dessert while following a few basic rules and sells it in their shop. So anyone can enjoy the Sweet of the Year at different cafes and shops with their unique takes on the dessert.

Hokkaido is the home of vegetables in Japan assuring everyone fresh local produce all year round! Various types of melon are grown here and summer sees a bountiful harvest of this fruit.

Sapporo also has a long history of dairy farming, producing first class butter, milk and ice cream products. Some of these products have even been imported overseas but it’s best to taste them at the source!

ASIAN CITY GUIDE

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SAPPORO

SAPPORO

ASIAN CITY GUIDE

Eateries

¬ Doraemon Wakuwaku Sky Park

¬ Corn on the cob

This is a must for fans of the beloved manga and they will surely be tickled with the chance of a photo greeting session with Doraemon himself at different times during the day. What’s more, it is located at the New Chitose Airport, which makes it even more convenient for visitors.

In fact, this is the world’s first airport attraction and includes a shop selling original collaboration products and a variety of Doraemon items, one of the largest Doraemon dolls in the country, and lots of attractions featuring Doraemon’s secret tools like the Anywhere Door (a door that opens up to any desired location).

Stalls along Odori Park sell this snack which is famous for the spring, summer and autumn months.

You might want to enjoy this snack while you’re enjoying the colourful spring flowers or reflecting on the changing hues of autumn.

Address: SmileRoad 3/F,

New Chitose Airport Bibi,

Chitose-shi Hokkaido