VOL 36 NO 14 | APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

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APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

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Pulitzer Prize winner, former Seattle Times reporter, dies

FREE 35 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Campaign for

STUDENT SUCCESS Fighting for education dollars and equity

By Arlene Kiyomi Dennistoun NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Alex Tizon speaking at Elliott Bay Book Company in 2014.

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Alex Tizon, a Pulitzer Prize winner and University of Oregon (UO) journalism professor, died in his sleep of natural causes on March 23. He was found by Eugene see TIZON on 12

Courtesy of the Campaign for Student Success

VOL 36 NO 14

On March 27, Washington House Democrats unveiled a $44.6 billion plan which would include a new funding formula to fully fund education in Washington as mandated by the state supreme court in the 2012 McCleary case.

McCleary was the “catalyst” for the “Campaign for Student Success.” Tony Lee, cofounder of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC), gives the “Campaign for Student Success” four out of Tony Lee five stars for its overall effectiveness. Suddenly, the conversation about funding basic education has shifted, and people are now talking about a studentcentered funding formula, driving resources to kids who need it the most, and reducing opportunity and achievement gaps. “To shift the conversation is a huge victory, and I think

the campaign is hugely responsible for that.”

Officially launched this January to address the fundamental inequities in the education system, the campaign’s message is clear — student funding is unfair today. According to the campaign, wealthy school districts get more money from the state than the schools with a lot of low-income, immigrant, refugee students, and students of color.

Diverse members of the campaign are fighting for sustainable funding, quality education, and fair and equal opportunity for K-12 students, regardless of their background. The campaign is bringing a unified message from its members, parents, and the public to Olympia. “Ultimately, we want to elevate the voice of Washingtonians to the legislature because at the end of the day, that’s where the decisions are made,” said Daniel Zavala, Director of Policy and Daniel Zavala Government Relations at League of Education Voters (LEV).

The LEV is one of the founding members

of the campaign, along with Stand for Children Washington, the Equity for Education Coalition, APIC, and the Statewide Poverty Action Network. The campaign continues to attract members, and at last, count included 31 organizations.

McCleary gives the legislature until 2018 to fully fund basic education. The campaign looked at McCleary as an opportunity to reengage the public in conversation about education funding. Washington has historically underserved communities in most need. It’s a conversation that must include input, feedback, collaboration, and partnership from these communities, said Zavala. If people are not a part of the conversation, their needs won’t be met. “We must increase the achievement of the children who get left behind,” said Lee. The Washington Roundtable was initially a campaign member because they shared common goals with the campaign. Thirtyone percent of Washington’s graduates go on to get a post-secondary degree or credential,

US-born panda Bao Bao makes first public appearance Metro ready to expand late-night bus service in China

Photo by Han Bui/NWAW

Bus passengers traveling after 1 a.m. will have expanded latenight service under legislation approved on March 27 by the King County Council. It is the first major expansion of “Night Owl” bus service in 40 years.

In partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation, King County Metro will expand late-night bus service on Sept. 23 to meet growing demand from late-night and early-morning workers, as well as those enjoying nightlife and traveling off-hours to the airport. see METRO on 12

Metro bus in the ID

DUJIANGYAN, China (AP) — American-born giant panda Bao Bao made her first appearance on March 24 before the public in southwestern China following her move there from Washington, D.C. Bao Bao was born at the National Zoo in Washington to pandas on loan from China. Under the standard loan agreement, such

■

see BAO BAO on 12

see STUDENT SUCCESS on 11

RICH KID ESCAPING JUSTICE? Red Bull heir enjoys jet-set life 4 years after fatal hit-andrun. » see 7

COMMUNITY » 2

CALENDAR » 6

TRAVEL ASSUNTA-STYLE

DIVERSITY AT UBER

From packing light to battling insomnia... » see 10

A revealing look at Uber’s first report on employee diversity » see 11

SUDOKU » 6

ASTROLOGY » 13

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■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Cabiao, Filipino health care leader retires

Sonny Nguyen’s new job

Sefie Cabiao, a community advocate at International Community Health Services (ICHS) for nearly two decades, retired from her job on March 24. Cabiao helped educate Filipino immigrants and families about issues such as diabetes awareness, breast and cervical health screening, nutrition, exercise, and voter registration. Her fluency in Ilocano and Tagalog allowed Sefie Cabiao her to build bridges with the community. “Sefie is one big heart in her love for the Filipino community and ICHS,” said ICHS CEO Teresita Batayola. “Add her tenacity and her commitment to that heart and you can immediately feel the huge hole caused by her retirement.” Even in retirement, Cabiao will remain close to the ICHS family. Her daughter, Jennifer, works as a contracts coordinator. ■

Starting April 4, Sonny Nguyen will be serving as the Chinatown International District Public Safety Coordinator. “It’s my dream job to be working with community members and city government to create solutions to public safety in the neighborhood,” said Nguyen, on his Facebook page.

Nguyen is an organizer of API Food Fight Club, a Sonny Nguyen coalition of young, progressive Asian and Pacific Islander American activists.

After a short break, Nguyen says he is coming back refreshed and more energized than ever.

“I’ll be very busy, as I’m also working with the FDA on an LGBTQ community health study on the weekends, so in lieu of congratulatory drinks, please consider making a donation to API Food Fight Club at apifoodfightclub.com,” said Nguyen. ■

China Council 37th annual banquet

Lipe honored by NHTSA

The Washington State China Relations Council held its 37th annual banquet on March 15 at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. With the theme “The Future of U.S.-China Trade Relations,” Carla Hills, Carla Hills (left) with Mercy Kuo. former U.S. Trade Representative under President George H. W. Bush, introduced by Gary Locke gave the keynote speech. The new president, Mercy Kuo, and its new chairman, T. Andrew Wilson, were also welcomed at the event. ■

On March 27, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) honored Mi Ae Lipe of Bothell, Wash. with the NHTSA Public Service Award at the 2017 Lifesavers Conference in Charlotte, N.C. The South Korean-born Lipe volunteered many hours over the Mi Ae Lipe past five years to push the state towards strengthening driver license testing and training.

As a result of that work, Washington’s Target Zero® plan now includes a strategy of learning about other countries’ approaches to driver testing and training.

Mark Butcher of Sammamish, Wash. also received the same award for his contributions. ■

■ COMMUNITY NEWS

Seattle City Council votes to create renters commission

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council has approved the creation of a renters commission as the city deals with skyrocketing rents.

The Seattle Times reports that the council voted unanimously on March 20 in support of the commission, which will push laws to help a group that makes up 54 percent of all households yet doesn’t have the same organized clout as landlords or homeowners.

Rents have jumped about 40 percent across Seattle in the past four years.

The 15-member volunteer commission is mandated to seek out members of marginalized communities, such as immigrants, low-income residents, felons, those who have been homeless and members

of the LGBTQ community. The average Seattle renter earns about half of what a homeowner makes and is disproportionately more likely to be a minority. ■

GOT A TIP? editor@nwasianweekly.com

35 YEARS

Moriguchi family to receive 2017 Tomodachi Award

(From left) Tomoko Moriguchi-Matsuno, Denise Moriguchi, and Tomio Moriguchi at the Jan. 18, 2017 grand opening for Chase bank’s Uwajimaya branch.

The founders and owners of the Uwajimaya grocery store chain will be the Tomodachi Award recipients on March 31. The family has played a significant role in bridging relations between Japan and the Seattle area.

Tomio Moriguchi, Tomoko Moriguchi-Matsuno, and Denise Moriguchi will share a few stories of their family’s history during the 9th Annual Tomodachi Luncheon, the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington’s fundraising event that helps pay for facility operations, programs, and services. ■

Tay Quach retired from InterIm

Tay Quach, a housing specialist with InterIm CDA since October 1997, worked her last day with the nonprofit on Feb. 28.

Known as “Aunty Tay” in the community, Quach grew up in Vietnam speaking Vietnamese, as well as Cantonese and Mandarin, as her grandfather had immigrated from China.

Tay Quach When asked what she will do in retirement, she said she would visit the YMCA and take care of her health. ■

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35 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS

San Francisco woman dies after drinking toxic tea SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A San Francisco woman who fell critically ill after drinking tea from a Chinatown herbalist has died.

In a statement, the San Francisco Department of Public Health says the tea leaves bought at Sun Wing Wo Trading Company contained the plant-based toxin Aconite.

The woman, in her 50s, became ill within an hour of drinking the tea in February. She grew weak, then had life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms that required

resuscitation and intensive care.

She died while hospitalized on March 18.

A San Francisco man in his 30s had identical symptoms after drinking tea from the same herbalist in March. He recovered and was released from the hospital March 12.

Their names were not released.

Aconite, also known as monkshood, helmet flower and wolfsbane, is used in Asian herbal medicines. It must be processed properly to be safe. ■

Starbucks CEO stands by pledge to hire refugees

Hawaii GOP member who criticized Trump quits

By CANDICE CHOI AP FOOD INDUSTRY WRITER

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz presided over his last annual shareholder meeting as head of the company on March 22, by standing by its pledge to hire refugees and expanding on previously announced goals to hire veterans and at-risk youth.

The moves underscored the progressive image Schultz has helped cultivate for Starbucks as he prepares to cede the CEO job next month to Starbucks President Kevin Johnson.

Schultz, who will remain executive chairman, defended the promise on refugees to a shareholder who criticized his willingness to have the company’s reputation “take a beating” over it. The pledge came after President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily banning refu-

gees from seven Muslim majority nations, and had prompted some calls for a boycott of Starbucks.

“This is not about politics,” said Schultz. He said the company’s Starbucks CEO Howard decisions were Schultz based on “humanity and compassion” and there was “absolutely no evidence whatsoever” that Starbucks has suffered as a result.

Under Schultz, the company has waded into sometimes-heated subjects, such as when it had baristas write “Race Together” on cups amid protests over police shootings of unarmed black men. see STARBUCKS on 14

Bellevue investment adviser pleads guilty to fraud SEATTLE (AP) — A Bellevue investment adviser has pleaded guilty to fraud and making false statements after investigators said he kept some of his clients’ money as his own.

Seattle U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes says 44-year-old Chris Young Yoo promised to invest the money in funds he managed, but instead used it to pay his own living and business Seattle U.S. Attorney expenses. It cost 17 Annette Hayes clients $3.7 million.

He entered his plea on March 20 in U.S. District Court.

Yoo ran Summit Asset Strategies from 2006 to 2015. Prosecutors said that in 2015, Yoo reached a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in which he agreed to pay restitution to some clients. But prosecutors say he continued to solicit investments that he used for his own purposes.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys have agreed to recommend that Yoo face a little more than 6 1/2 years in prison when he’s sentenced in June. ■

HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii lawmaker who says she was pressured to give up her leadership post at the statehouse after criticizing President Donald Trump resigned on March 22 from the Republican Party.

Rep. Beth Fukumoto said members of the GOP refused to oppose racism and sexism including a suggestion by Trump to create a Muslim registry during his campaign.

“As a Japanese-American whose grandparents had to destroy all of their Japanese artifacts and items and bury them in the backyard to avoid getting taken and interned, how could I not have said anything?” Fukumoto asked. “And how could my party have not said anything?”

Fukumoto was voted out of her post as House Minority Leader in February after calling Trump a bully in a speech at the Women’s March in Honolulu, saying many of his remarks were racist and sexist and had no place in the Republican Party.

Since then, she sought feedback from her constituents about leaving the GOP and said three-quarters of the more than 470 letters she received supported the move.

Hawaii Republican Party Chairman Fritz

Rohlfing said Fukumoto should have resigned her seat and allowed the party to nominate a Republican to take her place, calling the state GOP “thriving and inclusive.”

“I am extremely Rep. Beth Fukumoto proud of how our Party welcomes and fosters voices from every background,” Rohlfing said.

With Fukumoto’s departure, Hawaii has just five Republican state representatives and no Republican state senators.

Fukumoto said she agrees with many Democratic positions on affordable housing and equitable taxes, and hopes to join that party.

Hawaii Democratic Party leader Tim Vandeveer said Democrats will give Fukumoto a fair shake, but some members are concerned about her past voting record on civil rights and women’s issues.

“Changing political parties is not like changing jackets, just because the weather’s see FUKUMOTO on 14

APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

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■ WORLD NEWS

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Police killing exposes anger, fear of Chinese in France

By THOMAS ADAMSON and CHRIS DEN HOND ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS (AP) — Chinese immigrants and China’s government are protesting a police killing in Paris that prompted violent street clashes and exposed the fears and frustrations of France’s large Asian community.

Protesters gathered on March 28 in northeast Paris for a second day of demonstrations over the fatal shooting of a Chinese man in his apartment, and police launched an internal investigation into a death that took on diplomatic implications.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying

said China had summoned a representative of the French embassy in Beijing and urged French officials to “get to the bottom of the incident as soon as possible.”

Chinese authorities “hope that Chinese nationals in France can express their wishes and demands in a reasonable way,” Hua said.

Residents and police gave conflicting accounts of what happened before the man was shot to death by police on March 26.

Police said an officer fired in self-defense during a raid after the man wounded an officer with a “bladed weapon.”

Rumors circulated among Chinese immigrants that 56-year-old Shaoyo Liu was in front of his children while

cutting up fish with scissors and had not hurt anyone.

Protesters outraged by the killing and baton-wielding police clashed for several hours on March 27. Three police officers were injured and 35 protesters arrested, authorities said.

With chants of “murderers” and candles that spelled “opposition to violence” lining the road, scores of demonstrators broke down barricades, threw projectiles and set fire to cars.

Authorities said 26 demonstrators were held for participating in a group planning violence, six for throwing see CHINESE IMMIGRANTS on 13

Cambodia halts Utah NHL poised to skate company’s export of into China, hockey’s human breast milk next frontier

By SOPHENG CHEANG ASSOCIATED PRESS

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP SPORTS WRITER

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia has suspended the export of human breast milk by a U.S.-based company pioneered by a former Mormon missionary.

A legal officer at Cambodia’s Customs Department, Rath Nisay, said on March 22 that Finance Minister Aun Porn Moniroth recently signed a letter effectively stopping the sole exporter — U.S. company Ambrosia Labs Ltd. — from carrying out its business.

The product is marketed as food for babies and as a supplement for adults with special needs, such as bodybuilders, and sells for as much as $4 an ounce.

He said the suspension was mainly because of concerns about the health effect on babies of nursing mothers selling their milk, and that the Health Ministry would have to determine if human milk should be subject to regulation in the same category as human organs.

Ambrosia Labs stopped collecting breast milk about two weeks ago because the Utah company is applying for a license from the Health Ministry, said co-owner Ryan Newell. The application comes after Cambodia passed a law last summer banning organ trafficking, he said.

Newell said he and co-owner Bronzson Woods, who served a Mormon mission in Cambodia, are optimistic they will be able to continue operations once the Cambodian Health Ministry concludes its investigation and realizes that they are watching out for the health of about 30 Cambodian women who are paid for their breast milk. They also employ about 10 other support staff in Cambodia, he said.

The company, which was founded about two years ago, only allows up to two donations per day and requires that mothers wait until their children are at least 6 months old to donate breast milk, he said. That’s the age that the World Health Organization recommends parents begin adding supplementary food into baby’s diets, Newell said.

“We’re not taking away from those children,” said Newell, from the company’s offices in Orem, Utah, south of Salt Lake City. “We’re just taking the extra that those

When Andong Song started playing hockey in China at age 6, he wore figure skates on his feet and had to use the straight parts of short-track speedskating rinks for practice.

His father brought back equipment from his travels one piece at a time, and his family moved to Canada a few years later so he could pursue a career in the sport.

Song, the first Chinese player selected in the NHL draft, envisions a day when that sort of cross-global exodus is no longer necessary for kids growing up in China.

That could be coming soon with the NHL looking at China as hockey’s next great frontier. With the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China is eager to step up its game and the league is intrigued by the potential of a new nontraditional market with 1.4 billion people that might take to hockey

mothers would be losing at that point if they start weening their children.”

The company exports to families in the United States who need breast milk for their babies, Newell said. Their clients included parents who’ve adopted children, used surrogates, and mothers having trouble producing their own breast milk, he said.

A woman who worked for Ambrosia see BREAST MILK on 12

like it did basketball.

“It’s a place that hasn’t had that much of an opportunity to be introduced to what everybody acknowledges is a great game,” commissioner Gary Bettman said.

“Because of the size of the market and the fact that lots of sports haven’t been developed there, it’s a good opportunity to expand the sport even further.”

This week, Bettman was expected to see HOCKEY on 12

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■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR MARCH 30 GSCCC’S REAL ESTATE SEMINAR #9 Bellevue City Hall, Room 1E-113, 450 110th Ave. N.E., Bellevue 7–9 p.m. $10/non-members, free to members

31 9TH ANNUAL TOMODACHI LUNCHEON FUNDRAISING EVENT Seattle Center, Fisher Pavilion 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. $75/person jcccw.org

APRIL 1

SEATTLE JAPANESE GARDEN 1075 Lake Washington Blvd., Seattle 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Free–$6 seattlejapanesegarden.org

4 REMEMBERING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ON THE 49TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ASSASSINATION Martin Luther King Memorial Park, 2200 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle 6 p.m.

206-786-2763

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JOIN ROB MCKENNA AND SUPPORTERS FOR A KICKOFF LUNCHEON TO RE-ELECT CONRAD LEE TO BELLEVUE CITY COUNCIL Hilton Bellevue, 300 112th Ave. S.E., Bellevue $50 suggested donation 206-650-0570 conradlee.org PULITZER PRIZE WINNING JOURNALIST, FILMMAKER, AND ACTIVIST JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS SPEAKS University of Puget Sound, Kilworth Memorial Chapel, Tacoma 7:30–9 p.m.

Free admission Register at JoseVargasLecture. eventbrite.com

8 JACL’S 95TH ANNUAL BANQUET & FUNDRAISER Bell Harbor International Conference Center 6 p.m. seattlejacl.org/banquet2017

15 & 16 INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FRIENDSHIP FESTIVAL Seattle Center, Fisher Pavilion 11 a.m.–6 p.m. childrenfest.tacawa.org

18 SALUTE TO JAPANESE BASEBALL NIGHT Safeco Field 7:10 p.m. $35/ticket

35 YEARS

$5 of every ticket sold goes to Nikkei organizations 206-346-4519

21–23 SEATTLE CENTER FESTÁL: SEATTLE CHERRY BLOSSOM & JAPANESE CULTURAL FESTIVAL Seattle Center, Armory, Fisher Pavilion and Seattle Center Pavilion Free admission cherryblossomfest.org

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■ COMMUNITY

Washington justice to feds: Keep immigration agents away

By GENE JOHNSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

THE ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND LOCAL LEADERS DISCUSS THE STATE OF ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Northwest Wine Academy, South Seattle College, 6000 16th Ave. S.W., Seattle 6–8 p.m.

Free

MAY 6

SEATTLE (AP) — The chief justice of the Washington state Supreme Court is urging the Department of Homeland Security to keep immigration agents away from courthouses.

In a letter on March 22 to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst says it’s “deeply troubling” that lawyers and judges have been telling her they’ve seen more immigration agents in and around courthouses.

Fairhurst says the development impedes the fundamental mission of the courts, which she says is to ensure that everyone receives due process and access to justice regardless of their immigration status.

The chief justice of California’s Supreme Court sent a similar letter two weeks ago.

The letters followed reports of arrests at courthouses in California, Oregon and Texas as federal immigration agents have been called on to increase deportations under President Donald Trump. ■

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Red Bull heir enjoys jet-set life 4 years after hit-and-run

By The Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — The Ferrari driver who allegedly slammed into a motorcycle cop, dragged him along the road and then sped away from the mangled body took just hours to find, as investigators followed a drip, drip, drip trail of brake fluid up a street, down an alley, and into the gated estate of one of Thailand’s richest families.

The prosecution of Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, however, has been delayed for close to five years. The times when Vorayuth has been called in on charges, he hasn’t shown up, claiming through his attorney that he was sick or out of the country on business. And while statutes of limitations run out on key charges this year, it’s been widely assumed that he’s hiding, possibly abroad, or living a quiet local life, only going out in disguise.

He isn’t.

Within weeks of the accident, The Associated Press has found, Vorayuth, then 27, was back to enjoying his family’s jet-set life, largely associated with the Red Bull brand, an energy drink company co-founded by his grandfather.

He flies around the world on private Red Bull jets, cheers their Formula One racing team from Red Bull’s VIP seats and keeps a black Porsche Carrera in London with custom license plates: B055 RBR. Boss Red Bull Racing.

Nor is he all that hard to find. Just last month, social media clues led AP reporters to Vorayuth and his family vacationing in the ancient, sacred city of Luang Prabang, Laos. The group stayed at a $1,000-a-night resort, dined in the finest restaurant, visited temples, and lounged by the pool before flying home to Bangkok.

Critics say the inertia in the Red Bull heir’s case is just another example of longstanding privilege for the wealthy class in Thailand, a politically tumultuous country that has struggled with rule of law for decades. The military

of wrongdoing,” said Baker. “This happens so often, so constantly, it is very clearly part of the working culture.”

Meanwhile, Vorayuth has been summoned again. He was due at the prosecutors’ office on March 30.

This Instagram photo dated July 2, 2015, shows Vorayudh in London with a black Porsche and customized license plate. (Social media photo via AP)

general who came to power in a 2014 coup declared war on corruption, pledging to make Thailand an equal and fair society. But car accidents are frequently cited as an example that injustice persists, with “Bangkok’s deadly rich kids,” as one Thai newspaper described it, often receiving far more lenient sentences than ordinary Thais.

The Yoovidhya family attorney did not respond to AP’s request to interview Vorayuth.

British historian Chris Baker, who with his Thai wife, Pasuk Phongpaichit, has written extensively about inequality, wealth and power in Thailand, said he wasn’t surprised Vorayuth hasn’t been prosecuted.

“There is most certainly a culture of impunity here that big people, which means roughly people with power and money, expect to be able to get away with a certain amount

Vorayuth and his siblings came of age in a private, extended family whose fortune expanded from millions to billions as they grew up. His brother is nicknamed Porsche, his sister Champagne.

Vorayuth received a British education at Bradfield College, a pastoral brick-and-stone boarding school in the Berkshire countryside. Boys wear suits and ties, and it costs $40,000 a year. Some of Thailand’s wealthiest families send children there.

Back in rural Thailand, police Sgt. Maj. Wichean Glanprasert didn’t have many opportunities, but he was ambitious and determined. The youngest of five, he was the first in the family to leave their coconut and palm farm for the city, the first to get a government job, to graduate from college. He paid for his parents’ care as they died, and supported a sister through cancer. He had no children, but planned to put his brother’s kids through college, and teased a favorite nephew he’d have to care for him in old age.

Their lives literally collided just before dawn on Sept.

3, 2012, when Vorayuth’s Ferrari roared down Sukhumvit Road, one of Bangkok’s main drags. The bloody accident scene made national headlines for days.

The dead policeman’s brother, Pornanan Glanprasert, didn’t so much hear the news as feel it. His beloved younger sibling Wichean was dead, said the caller. His crushed body was in the street.

Over the next few hours, police traced their way to the see RED BULL on 15

Photo by Matt Dunham

Photo by Matt Dunham/AP

Naan starter: UK curry restaurants feel betrayed by Brexit

Oli Khan, senior Vice-President of the Bangladesh Caterers Association UK, poses outside the Taste of India curry restaurant where he was interviewed by The Associated Press in London, Thursday, March 9, 2017. Curry shop owners in Britain fear that the onset of Brexit will add to their woes and force many of their shops to close. Many owners had backed the campaign to leave the European Union after assurances it would lead to more visas for South Asian cooks.

By DANICA KIRKA LONDON (AP) — Mohammed-Faizul Haque makes it all look so easy.

To a pan full of sizzling chicken he adds a ladle of orangey base sauce and then lemon, sending flames shooting up. He reaches to a line of vessels for pinches of cumin, coriander, salt, chili and garlic, the feel of the ingredients between his fingers as his only measure. After the demonstration, he sends a plate of Balti kuchi chili chicken upstairs to the dining room at the Taste of India in London.

Haque’s deft touch isn’t easy to replicate — and that’s

a problem for Britain’s curry houses, which are shutting down at a rate of two a week, in part because there aren’t enough chefs and kitchen staff.

Curry restaurant owners, who as an industry backed the campaign to leave the European Union after assurances it would lead to more visas for South Asian cooks, feel betrayed. They’re angry that they helped deliver the vote to leave only to have the government fail to deliver on promises to help save their industry. Rather than easing the shortage, Brexit is likely to make the situation worse by cutting off the flow of East European workers who have increasingly filled the gaps in recent years.

Chef Mohammed- Faizul Haque uses lemon juice to make flames as he demonstrates how to give a smokey flavor to dishes such as Kuchi Chilli Chicken at the Taste of India curry restaurant in London.

“What’s happening since Brexit is even more restaurants are closing; we can’t get people from anywhere,” said Oli Khan, the senior vice president of the Bangladesh Caterers Association UK and a celebrity chef. “Curry houses are in danger.” see TASTE OF INDIA on 13

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35 YEARS

APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

■ AT THE MOVIES

Power Rangers: Go Go for fans, but no go for me

By John Liu NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Two days before Power Rangers’ opening day, the movie ticketing website Atomtickets. com had been giving out thousands of free tickets to see the new Power Rangers movie.

In my experience, this was the longest amount of time a free movie ticket promo code had been active. This was not a good sign for the movie, but I was able to snag enough tickets for a group of my Power Rangers loving friends to go.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers started in 1993, but I can’t recall ever watching an entire season. The Disney Afternoon just had more appeal to me than cheesy live action series based off Japanese Super Sentai series.

I was quite surprised to discover that the Power Rangers series has been quietly going on for 23 seasons. Yes, I’m serious. 23! The Power Rangers Wiki lists over 800 episodes.

Fast forward to today and Power Rangers is on their 3rd movie. The 2nd movie, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, was released 20 years ago.

Power Rangers explores the lives of five teens in a small town called Angel Grove.

The high school teens haphazardly find five Power Coins in a gold mine and are destined to become the next Power Rangers. They meet Zordon and Alpha 5, who explain that Rita Repulsa has awakened and trying to find the Zeo Crystal to destroy the world. Without spoiling too much of the movie, Power Rangers fans have a lot to look forward to with Goldar, Zords, Megazord, and cameos

from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The audience has to wait quite awhile before the Power Rangers finally get their armor and start kicking butt.

Although the movie felt like a generic action movie, I applaud its diverse cast. This is the first blockbuster film to feature LGBTQ, autistic, and Asian superheroes. With the Hollywood whitewashing controversy in major films like Doctor Strange, Great Wall, and Ghost in the Shell, it’s refreshing to see a movie bucking that trend. The Black Ranger, played by Ludi Lin, struggles to find balance in his life with school and taking care of his sick mom. Surprisingly, his conversations with his mom are in Chinese. I found out Lin talked to the director about this and how it was important to add his Chinese heritage to the Black Ranger’s story.

Naomi Scott, who is half Indian, plays Pink Ranger a.k.a Kimberly Hart. The Pink Ranger, in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, was perceived as a

more stereotypical feminine Power Ranger.

I’m glad this wasn’t the case in this movie.

The audience quickly learns that she was kicked off a cheerleading squad for something she did. A romantic moment involving the Pink Ranger and Red Ranger from the trailer was cut from the final movie to keep the strong feminist persona. Other than the Black Ranger disappearing from much of the final battle, each Power Ranger got good screen time.

SPOILER ALERT. There is a major product placement in this movie. In case you haven’t heard, it’s Krispy Kreme. This movie is not subtle about it at all. A Krispy Kreme shop just so happens to be located above where the Zeo Crystal is hidden. If that wasn’t enough, Rita Repulsa takes a break from battling the Power Rangers to take a bite out of a doughnut before continuing in her quest to destroy humanity. After the movie, a group of my friends had a craving for Krispy Kreme, so they went. Krispy Kreme

was ready with their special Power Ranger doughnuts and specially designed box with the Power Rangers logo perfectly visible.

I got to see firsthand the power of product placement.

I will admit the movie had its moments, and I chuckled at a few of the cheesy lines of dialogue. However, the slow pacing for a non-Power Rangers fan was too much to bear. I was hoping for a tribute to the original Yellow Power Ranger, played by Thuy Trang, who passed away from a car accident in 2001.

Trang was one of the first female Asian role models for kids growing up in the 1990s.

Power Rangers was a surprising hit at the box office and currently raked in $61 million worldwide.  Power Rangers is currently playing at a local theater near you.

John can be reached at john@nwasianweekly.com.

Original GHOST IN THE SHELL director backs Scarlett Johansson’s casting

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

The casting of Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi has caused an uproar as yet another example in a string of high-profile incidents of “whitewashing” in Hollywood.

But the man widely known for directing the 1995 anime movie adaptation of Ghost in the Shell doesn’t see any issue with her assuming the role of the Major.

Mamoru Oshii

“What issue could there possibly be with casting her?” Mamoru Oshii told IGN by email. “The

Major is a cyborg and her physical form is an entirely assumed one.

The name ’Motoko Kusanagi’ and her current body are not her original name and body, so there is no basis for saying that an Asian actress must portray her. Even if her original body (presuming such a thing existed) were a Japanese one, that would still apply.”

The director went on to say, “I believe having Scarlett play Motoko was the best possible casting for this movie. I can only sense a political motive from the people opposing it, and I believe artistic expression must be free from politics.”

Oshii also doesn’t believe the live-action adaptation needs to adhere strictly to the way everything was portrayed in his animated film. He said director Rupert Sanders should take some creative liberties. “If this is to be a remake of the anime, I don’t think it’s necessary to remain faithful to the way things were expressed in the anime. The director should exercise his directorial freedom as much as possible. If he doesn’t do so, there would be no point in remaking it,” he explained.

Sanders told CNET last week, “I stick behind my decision to cast the actress I felt was best in the

Rupert Sanders

role. I feel that [Scarlett Johansson] channeled the Major better than anyone else I could have thought of.” Sanders continued, “She’s the best actress of my generation and her generation, and the person I felt most embodied the physicality and the ability to inhabit that role.”

Paramount’s live-action movie doesn’t open in theaters until March 31, but you can pick up a copy of Oshii’s beloved original right now on Blu-ray, as the Ghost in the Shell Limited Edition Steelbook with exclusive Mondo artwork is now available on on Blu-ray and Digital HD.

Chinese stakes

Weying, one of China’s leading see GHOST IN THE SHELL on 12

YOUR VOICE

APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

■ ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SLOT MACHINE Talented new wave of Asian musicians

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By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The members of Slot Machine, a rock/pop band out of Thailand, knew each other before they got together, but it took time before the fateful hookup that united them all.

Singer Karinyawat Durongjirakan, who goes by the rock and roll name “Foet,” recalls, “Gak (bassist Atirath Pintong) and I were friends since high school, while Vit (guitarist Janevit Chanpanyawong) and Auto (drummer Settharat Pancgchunan) hooked up with us after they graduated from university.”

Vit adds that Foet started out as a drummer before making the switch to vocals. “Gak heard Foet sing once,” Vit adds, “and decided he needed to change his focus.”

Slot Machine makes its first-ever Seattle appearance on April 4 at the Neptune Theatre, as part of the “Asian On Tour” package. Their co-stars, whom they describe as “awesome,” consist of Miyavi, a Japanese guitarist who loves to dress as a samurai onstage and often plays his guitar by slapping it; and Kiha & The Faces, a Korean group seemingly bound to combine every existing form of popular music into their own.

When asked how the name “Slot Machine” came about, Foet said it matched the band’s own wide-ranging music — every spin of a slot machine brings a different outcome. The band has had various lineups, but the current quartet has been together since 2006. They’ve recorded several Thai albums and had a compilation of Thai hits released. The new album, “Spin the World,” contains English lyrics.

Foet recalls that writing in English wasn’t as hard as it might sound. They stayed in the studio for six months, working with the prominent English producer Steve Lillywhite (who’s done albums with Peter Gabriel, U2, the Rolling Stones, and many others), and they learned more English as they worked.

The band’s sound does resemble straightforward, mainstream Western pop/rock in many ways. Vit, though, says that he always tries to infuse “Thai sounds” into his guitar riffs. Foet says he also tries, with his lyrics, to include Thai culture, at least a little, in every song.

“I also help with the melody and the synthesizer,” Gak adds. “I like to include old-fashioned melodies into the mix.” Auto concludes that he doesn’t go for Thai sounds specifically, but he aims for Asian rhythms in his drumming.

They’ve traveled the world, but they say fans cheer them the most in Taiwan and Hong Kong. They’re scheduled for a headlining gig in their native country of Thailand this coming August.

“After that,” avows Foet, “we will continue touring around the world!” ■ Andrew can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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35 YEARS

APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

OPINION

TRAVEL

inspires you to be wise

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Running a media operation is stressful.

To recharge myself, I took a trip recently to California and Mexico.

It’s not just all the good food to eat and wonderful places to see, I learn something new in every journey. Travel is a test of wisdom and resourcefulness. You have to know how to deal with unforeseen circumstances. This time, it is finding a formula to heal my foot pain after a cycling fall and more.

Picture this … a wave of cyclists riding on the boardwalk of Santa Monica Beach with the Pacific Ocean in the background and palm trees swaying in the breeze … how could I resist not riding a bike myself?

The temptation triumphed over my senses.

I forgot that I had not ridden in more than three decades.

A big bike wouldn’t be safe, I thought. I was stupid to get a kid’s bike. I had a fall during the 3-mile adventure. My husband had two falls when the bike accidentally rode into the sandy side of the boardwalk.

The fall didn’t kill me, even though I had a couple of minor bruises. It didn’t have enough room to stretch my legs, thus causing intense pain after I got off the bike.

It’s wasn’t such a disaster that I needed to see a doctor, but it was painful enough to leave me limping.

What will be some quick solutions?

My husband found a spa that offered foot massages. What’s interesting was not the massage, which lessened my pain — it’s the spa’s hot tub. I felt so much better after soaking my feet in the tub.

The next day, sunlight was my savior.

Did you know that sunlight can disinfect and heal wounds? So I limped on the beach, while exposing my feet to the sun for half an hour. Next, I soaked my feet in the hot tub next to the hotel’s swimming pool for

20 minutes. Ironically, I have never used any hotel’s pool service during my travels.

This time, it came in handy. Now, the pain on my left foot has recovered 90 percent.

Effective sleep aids

A couple told some friends of mine that they like to travel with their pillows, so they can sleep easier in unfamiliar hotels.

That’s so impractical. One pillow takes up a lot of luggage space.

A strange environment with new pillows and beds, and different time zones, can cause insomnia. Some tourists take sleeping pills like melatonin and even prescription drugs with them. Many of those drugs have side effects. But there are other natural alternatives.

Jane Brody, a New York Times health columnist, wrote about eating a banana before bedtime. So I tried it and it worked four out of five times. What I did was: 1. Eat dinner three hours before going to bed. I can’t sleep when my stomach is full.

2. Eat a banana an hour and a half before bedtime.

3. Take 500mg of magnesium 40 minutes before bedtime.

4. Massage your ears. An acupuncturist taught me to massage my ears right before bedtime. It instantly makes me yawn.

I hope the banana will work for you. It also helps me to relieve constipation.

A view vs. a kitchen

“Do you want a room with a view of the mountains or a room with a kitchen?” a motel clerk in Palm Springs asked. It’s the same price.

My husband looked at me for an answer. see TRAVEL on 16

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

asianweekly

APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

YOUR VOICE

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OPINION

■ EDITORIAL

Uber diversity: low on women, like other tech companies Uber released its first-ever diversity report on March 28 — detailing the demographics of its employees as of this month.

The ride-hailing company faces the same challenges — most notably among executives and tech workers — as most other major tech employers.

Just 22 percent of Uber’s overall leadership positions are held by women. When it comes to technical leadership roles, that percentage is halved.

“I know that we have been too slow in publishing our numbers — and that the best way to demonstrate our commitment to change is through transparency,” CEO Travis Kalanick said in a statement. “And to make progress, it’s important we measure what matters.”

The same day Uber released its report, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton pushed women to stand up for their rights during a speech in San Francisco — and pointed a finger at tech companies

STUDENT SUCCESS from 1 and the Washington Roundtable’s goal is to raise that to 70 percent. The roundtable posted information on its website that 740,000 jobs will open up in the next five years requiring postsecondary certifications or degrees, and employers want to hire Washington students. The campaign and the roundtable believe that improving low-performing schools to reduce education gaps is critical to the state’s economic future. Although no longer an active member of the campaign, the roundtable continues to share the same vision for Washington students.

The campaign began with an unusually broad bipartisan coalition, said Lee. “We have groups from one end of the political spectrum to the other.” Communities of color, low-income advocates, education reform groups, and initially, the business sector, united with a central goal that “every student in the state should have equal opportunity to achieve and become productive members of society.”

The campaign points to three reasons why the state’s funding system is unfair.

with spotty records in gender equality. “We need more women at any table, at any conference call, or email chain where decisions are made.” She called out Uber specifically, referencing the engineer who in a blog post last month accused the company of protecting a manager who sexually harassed her.

Uber’s overall female representation is not great, but it’s not as bad as female representation at Facebook (32 percent female)

First, the staff- ratio mix allows schools with more experienced teachers who gravitate towards higher income school districts to receive more state funding than the schools with inexperienced teachers, who typically start off at lowincome schools.

Second, the campaign believes heavy reliance on local property levies is unfair, along with the PTA fundraising advantage that wealthier schools have for enhancements, such as tutors, music classes, and counselors. Lee looked at the Mercer Island PTA that raised a million dollars in one year, while the Rainier School District PTA struggled to raise $5,000. This inequity in funding and resources is one of the reasons why our schools have one of the worst achievement gaps in the country, said Lee. Third, the model minority myth that Asians do well in school has hurt all students. Data shows that Asian Pacific Americans don’t do as well as people might think, said Lee. Asian Pacific Islanders, Southeast Asians, immigrants, and refugees have one of the worst graduation rates in the state.

and Apple (32 percent female), for example.

It’s also not as good as female representation at Airbnb, which is 43 percent female, and Pinterest, which is 44 percent female.

On racial breakdown, here’s how Uber fared. Half (49.8 percent) of its worldwide staff is white, with Asians accounting for 30.9 percent, Blacks 8.8 percent, Latinos 5.6 percent, mixed race 4.3 percent, and other 0.8 percent.

In light of President Donald Trump’s attack on immigrants, Uber also disclosed that 15 percent of its employees in the United States have a work visa and come from 71 different countries, saying that no matter where anyone comes from, Uber wants you to know that you have a place at the company. “This report is a first step in showing that diversity and inclusion is a priority at Uber,” said Kalanick.

Uber has also committed $3 million over the next three years to support organizations focused on underrepresented minorities and women in tech. Uber has yet to decide which organizations to support, but the company’s Chief Human Resources Officer Liane Hornsey said “employees will be crucial” in that decision-making process.

TechCrunch’s headline read, “Uber’s first diversity report is not the worst thing ever.”

It’s not. But there’s definitely room for improvement. ■

The campaign initially commended Senate Bill 5607, the Education Equality Act, as a step in the right direction to bring fairness to Washington’s education system. Upon further review, Lee said they were dismayed to find no additional funding added to K-12 education. If you don’t provide more funding, said Lee, and if you redefine poverty, what ends up happening is a dramatic cut to special education, low income, and highly capable programs. Still, the campaign embraced the student-based funding concept in the bill.

As the legislature nears the semi-final stages of completing its budget for 20172019, the campaign continues to fight for its two primary goals — the government must increase overall K-12 funding. And any additional funding the legislature comes up with must distribute education dollars differently. The state must do away with the old staff-ratio mix and drive talent (teachers and paraeducators) and resources to the kids who need it the most. ■ Arlene can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com

KING COUNTY NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Proposals will be received for E00476E17, Engineering Planning and Design Services for the RapidRide H Line; by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 12:00 PM on April 14, 2017.

Total Estimated Price for Phase 1: $690,000 Total Estimated Price for all Phases: $1,580,000 This contract is funded by the Federal Transit Administration. There is a 15% minimum requirement for Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business

Enterprises Certified Federal Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Firms on this contract.

King County, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or

national origin in consideration for an award.

Statement of Financial Assistance: This Agreement is subject to the appropriations of the State of Washington.

All solicitation documents are published at: https://procurement. kingcounty.gov/procurement_ovr/login. aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fprocurement_ ovr%2fdefault.aspx Contact: Ruth Williamson, 206-263-9333, ruth.williamson@kingcounty.gov

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APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

TIZON from 1 police in his home.

Tizon was 58 years old.

Tizon immigrated to the United States from the Philippines, with his parents, in 1964. He started teaching journalism at the UO in 2011.

Prior to that, he lived in Edmonds, Wash. and was a Seattle bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times and a longtime staff writer for the Seattle Times. In 1997, Tizon, along with two other Seattle Times reporters, won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting about substandard living conditions in federally subsidized housing for Native Americans. He also reported on the 9/11 attacks and their effects throughout the country.

Sharon Chan, the vice president of innovation, product, and development for the Seattle Times, wrote on her Facebook wall, “As a young reporter, I wanted to BE Alex Tizon — a writer of stories that could move you to tears, Asian American journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and so

… cool.”

KING 5 anchor Lori Matsukawa wrote, “Devastated.

Alex was kind and sweet, but also a dogged reporter. So, so sad.”

Tizon graduated with a degree in political science from UO and went on to earn a master’s degree in communication from Stanford University.

In addition to his newspaper career, Tizon contributed to the TV news program “60 Minutes,” co-produced a segment on mail-order brides in Asia, and freelanced for Newsweek magazine. From 2009 to 2010, Tizon returned to the Philippines as a Knight International Journalism Fellow, where he started crowdsourcing for the media to keep track of the Philippine government’s efforts to alleviate poverty in its poorest regions.

The second of nine children, Tizon faced adversity and, over time, a “realization of cultural mythologies related to race and gender, in particular the Western stereotypes of Asian men and women.” He wrote about this realization, and its many implications, in his book released in 2014,

BAO BAO from 1

HOCKEY from 5

panda cubs must be returned to China before they are 4 years old, the earliest age at which they might begin breeding.

The 3-year-old Bao Bao explored her spacious new enclosure at the panda breeding base in the city of Dujiangyan, which features both indoor and outdoor play areas.

Keepers have been helping her adapt to local bamboo and Chinese steamed bread made from corn, soybeans, rice and eggs. She is the 11th panda to be born overseas and returned to China.

Bao Bao, whose name means “precious” or “treasure,” underwent a month-long quarantine at the Dujiangyan base, where keepers monitored her activities and health by checking her blood and feces.

Because she does not understand commands in Chinese, she is being looked after for a time by an English-speaking keeper.

Giant pandas, China’s unofficial national mascot, live mainly in the mountains of Sichuan, with some also found in neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

They have long been considered one of the world’s most endangered animals, with an estimated 1,864 living in the wild and 200 in captivity. ■

announce NHL preseason games in China between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, along with grassroots programs to build a hockey foundation where the NBA has laid one for decades. It’s the first big step toward the NHL making inroads in China, whether or not players participate in the 2018 Olympics in neighboring South Korea.

NHL Players’ Association executive director Don Fehr said showcasing the NHL, running clinics and getting more broadcast coverage all figure into the long-term strategy. Even though Russia’s expansive Kontinental Hockey League now has a team based in Beijing, NHL exhibition games — and potentially regular-season games as early as fall 2018 — will have a bigger impact.

“Even with the KHL there, they know it’s not the best league,” said Song, a Beijing native and sixth-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2015 who now plays for the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League.

“They know it’s not the NHL.” According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, China only has 1,101 registered players and 154 indoor rinks. Despite having a quarter of China’s population, the U.S. has 543,239 players and 1,800 indoor rinks.

By October , 14 different NBA teams will have played 24 preseason games in greater China since 2004, so the NHL has some catching up to do. The Boston Bruins sent an envoy on a Chinese tour last summer that included players Matt Beleskey and David Pastrnak, and Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis recently said his team could be next after hosting youth players from China in January.

“There will be about 200 new rinks being built in China and we would expect China being a very, very formidable force in the Olympics,” said Leonsis, who called China the next great hockey market. “And also we’ll see that China will be producing players and I would expect that we’ll have NHL players that were born and trained, just like we’ve seen in the NBA, and China will be able to bring players here.”

The NBA gained popularity in China in part due to Yao Ming, the first pick in the 2002 draft. The NHL is going into China hoping to develop homegrown stars. Chinese broadcaster and producer Longmou Li, who has worked the Stanley Cup Final and helped families move to North America for hockey, said 500 to 600 new families are joining the Beijing Hockey Association each year, which could mean churning out an NHL first-round pick every five to six years.

Song said because the sport is still in its infancy in China and centralized in the northeast and in big cities, keeping the best players there instead of seeing them

GHOST IN THE SHELL from 8 film ticketing firms, has taken a minority financial stake in Ghost in the Shell.

The investment was made through Weying Galaxy Entertainment, Weying’s Hong Kong-based joint venture, which was set up in December to invest in international movies.

The deal gives Weying a 10 percent share of global ticket revenue, along with a logo in the film’s end credits. Gary Locke, Washington’s former governor and the former U.S. ambassador to China, serves as a special adviser to Weying Galaxy, Weying first partnered with Paramount as a local marketing partner on XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, which has earned $163 million in China since its release on Feb. 10 — more than three times its North American haul.

More than 70 percent of all movie tickets are sold online in China — compared to an estimated 20 percent in the United States — making such the service is an indispensable part of film marketing in the country. ■ Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

35 YEARS “Little Big Man: In Search of My Asian Self.”

In a 2015 interview, Tizon told Images & Voices of Hope (ivoh), “Not many journalists intend to be cultivators of hopelessness, but the accumulation of all our stories over time seems to have that effect on many people, entire communities, even on ourselves. Simply asking, ‘Might there be another way to tell the story?’ is a good start. “It takes gumption to take it a step further and ask, ‘Might there be a way to tell it that contributes meaningfully — and not just in a token way — to hope, healing, or reconciliation?’

“His death is a tragic loss not only to his family, but to the entire School of Journalism and Communication community,” journalism director Scott Maier wrote in a letter to students obtained by The Daily Emerald.

Tizon is survived by his wife, Melissa, daughters, Dylan and Maya, as well as eight siblings. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. on April 1, at the Newport Covenant Church in Bellevue. The family says flowers can be sent there, or donations can be made to the Asian American Journalists Association. ■ leave for North America is the biggest challenge.

About 200 Chinese hockey families currently live in North America, Li said, and the return of those players, coupled with the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star’s presence and a commitment to skill development, will help the national team grow in preparation for the 2022 Olympics. With a broadcasting deal already in place to air four NHL games on state-owned China Central TV and 10-12 online through Tencent each week, his keys to the growth of Chinese hockey are players reaching the NHL and the national team competing at the top level of the world championships.

Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Keenan was recently tapped to take over Kunlun and oversee the men’s and women’s national teams, so the process is underway.

“If NHL can help China to get that, I think we can at least get 100 million fans from China,” Li said. “Because hockey is just so passionate a game, is so fast a game, it’s so easy to get people to get involved. But they will need to attract them to watch.”

Although being awarded the Olympics was impetus for the Chinese government to pour resources into hockey, it’s getting some help from the private sector in the form of Zhou Yunjie, the chairman of of metal can manufacturing company ORG Packaging. The goaltender-turnedbillionaire is at the forefront of hockey’s growth in China through NHL partnerships and sponsorships.

“As long as (TV networks) in China broadcast many more games in China, it will attract more people to notice the NHL, especially the youth hockey player,” Zhou said through an interpreter. “Because there are many Chinese kids that have started learning hockey there, and there is a good population of the people that will develop hockey in China.”

When Chris Pronger famously plastered Justin Bieber into the boards during a celebrity game at NHL All-Star Weekend in January, not only was Zhou playing goal but an ORG Packaging patch was on players’ jerseys. Talking about spreading the “gospel” of hockey, Leonsis called Zhou “the greatest evangelist.”

Zhou can’t do it alone, and NHL integration in China is also connected to the 2022 Olympics. After NHL players participated in the past six Olympics, there’s pessimism about the league going to Pyeongchang next year.

Discussions about Beijing will happen later.

By then, the league should know if the experiment is working.

“If we can get in on the ground floor, help them with that (and) bring our expertise,” deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. “You can’t argue with the population or the economy, so if we’re able to do that it could be a great opportunity for us.” ■

METRO from 1 Late-night Metro ridership increased 20 percent in the last five years. Metro and SDOT sponsored a public outreach process last year that drew more than 4,500 responses and identified better late-night transit options for: • Low-income and vulnerable populations • Workers in jobs with late-night or early-morning work shifts such as health care and many segments of the service industry • Travelers and workers heading between downtown to SeaTac Airport after 1 a.m.

• People enjoying Seattle’s nightlife, including music and arts venues Metro and SDOT will conduct additional outreach prior to the service change to inform riders of the changes. ■

BREAST MILK from 5 Labs’ affiliated company and supplier in Cambodia, Kun Meada, or Mother Gratitude, said it stopped collecting breast milk about a week ago because the company is applying for a license from the Health Ministry.

Kong Sopheakdey said about 20 women, mostly poor and living in slum areas, supply milk to the company, and each is paid 2,000 riel (50 cents) an ounce.

The company also provides bonuses for extra production and pays for transport to its office, she said.

It also provides a free medical checkup to make sure the mothers are in good health and produce enough milk.

Newell said the women who donate may have to go back to working long shifts at garment factories or on the streets.

“We’ve been able to offer these women work where

they are earning two-to-three times what they would be making elsewhere,” Newell said. “They’re able to stay home with their kids more because they are not working the insane hours.”

Nhem Channy, 29, said she has been selling her breast milk since she had her second child and earns about $12 per day, supplying once in the morning and once in the afternoon. She had been a trash collector until a neighbor told her about the opportunity to sell her breast milk. Her husband is a construction worker but doesn’t have regular work.

She said she cried when she heard about the export suspension because she supports her family, including three children, with her sales of breast milk.

“Now the company is closed, what will happen to our lives, we will live with hunger,” she said in a telephone interview. ■

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

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Predictions and advice for the week of April 1–April 7, 2017

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — You are considering many offers, but there is only one that really catches your fancy. Taking a chance could yield surprising results.

Dragon — Even if you are the only one who has a grasp of the big picture, it is enough for now as all are working towards the same goal.

Monkey — You have diligently followed the plan you had laid out. However, a change in circumstances will require a different course.

Ox — Going back to visit some old friends? Distance will reveal some things that you did not see when you were closer.

Snake — While it is natural to want to relate to someone else’s experience, true sympathy means taking the focus off of yourself and on to the other person.

Rooster — Are you looking for an enjoyable way to pass some free time? Rediscover a favorite pastime and experience it again.

Tiger — If you want to be kept in the loop, then it is your responsibility to reach out to those who have the information you are seeking.

Horse — Although it seems like you are starting from scratch, in reality, you are benefiting from the resources and experiences that you have learned up to this point.

Dog — In your excitement, you may have overlooked a couple of details. Address them quickly, before they become a major issue.

Rabbit — Mastering a new skill requires both time and patience. You will see results in due time.

Goat — There is something specific you have in mind, but are having trouble finding it. Depending on what it is, you might have to create it yourself.

Pig — This is an opportune moment to make that switch you have been mulling over. A leap of faith can be intimidating, but worthwhile in the end.

What’s your animal sign?

Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goat 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.

CHINESE IMMIGRANTS from 5 projectiles, and three others for violence against police that saw a police car damaged by arson.

Witnesses said that one man of Chinese origin was injured in the clashes, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency.

France’s Foreign Ministry responded by calling the security of Chinese in France “a priority.”

The ministry confirmed that an inquiry has started to shed light on the circumstances of the shooting.

The move did not calm some 100 people from Paris’ Asian community who gathered at the police station on March 28, including families and friends of people detained the night before.

“Justice must be done, the killer must be punished!” the protesters shouted.

A meeting of the Chinese community in Paris was planned to discuss possible further actions.

France is home to Europe’s largest population of ethnic Chinese, a community that routinely accuses police of not doing enough to protect it from racism.

In September, 15,000 people rallied in the French capital

TASTE OF INDIA from 7 Brexit is just the latest problem to hit the South Asian restaurant industry in a country where chicken tikka masala is as much the national dish as fish and chips. In addition to a chef shortage, Britain’s 12,000 curry restaurants are struggling with competition from prepared supermarket meals, high delivery costs, and rising food prices from a lower pound.

Though casually called Indian food, most curry houses are run by Bangladeshi immigrants and their offspring who fused South Asian flavors with British tastes to create a new cuisine worth an estimated 4.5 billion pounds ($5.6 billion) to the economy annually.

For example, the humble papadum isn’t traditionally served as a starter, said Enam Ali, owner of Le Raj in Epsom. It became an appetizer when restaurants tried to accommodate Britons accustomed to being served bread when they sat down. The onion bhaji was adapted from onion rings.

What is at stake, Ali says, is not the heritage of Bangladesh, but the heritage of Britain.

“I’ve given my life in the curry industry and I can see with my own eyes that it is disappearing,” Ali said. “I really feel the government should intervene before it is too late.”

The unease of the curry houses is replicated in ways large and small across Britain, as Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to start the legal process of leaving the EU. Hightech companies in search of engineers, farmers in need of fruit pickers and builders looking for construction workers have all raised concerns about possible staff shortages.

The hospitality industry is particularly worried. An analysis from the Oxford Migration Observatory shows some 89,000 people from many of the EU’s new entrant countries in the east are working in food and beverage services.

“Chinese are victims of racist attitudes in France, especially from other ethnic groups. They are targets for crime because they often carry cash and many don’t have residence permits, so can be threatened easily. They’re angry with police for not protecting them enough.”

— Pierre Picquart

to urge an end to violence against the Asian community after the beating death of Chinese tailor Chaolin Zhangh called attention to ethnic tensions in Paris immigrant suburbs. The victim’s lawyer said the August 2016 attack

“I’ve given my life in the curry industry and I can see with my own eyes that it is disappearing. I really feel the government should intervene before it is too late.”

— Enam Ali May has taken a tough stance on immigration after anger about high arrival numbers fueled last year’s vote to leave the EU. While exiting the bloc will allow Britain to eventually limit European immigration, the government has so far refused to relax the rules for migrants from nonEU countries.

“Leaving the European Union allows Britain to take control of our immigration system,” the Home office said in a statement. “We are working across government to identify and develop options to shape our future system to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people.”

The rules now require migrants from outside the EU to have a job paying some 35,000 pounds ($43,600) a year— more than many nurses make in Britain. Curry houses, which mostly sell food at reasonable prices, can’t meet that standard.

The curry owners have in recent years filled the gap by hiring Eastern Europeans, particularly Poles and Romanians. Between 5,000 and 6,000 curry house workers are East Europeans out of a total 150,000.

These workers sometimes have had trouble communicating with chefs, who found themselves learning the Romanian words for green pepper and onion. And many of the workers had never even seen a curry, unlike

was ethnically motivated.

“Chinese are victims of racist attitudes in France, especially from other ethnic groups,” Pierre Picquart, an expert on China at the University of Paris VIII, said. “They are targets for crime because they often carry cash and many don’t have residence permits, so can be threatened easily. They’re angry with police for not protecting them enough.”

“Chinese people do not like to protest or express themselves publicly, so when we see them like this, it means they are very, very angry. They’ve had enough of discrimination,” Picquart added.

He estimated that there are 2 million people of Chinese origin living in France, a country with a population of about 66 million.

The recent killing and clashes came after thousands of people marched in Paris to condemn the alleged rape in February of a young black man by police.

The alleged incident in the Paris suburb of Aulnay-sousBois turned the 22-year-old, identified only as Theo, into a symbol for minorities standing up to police violence. ■

earlier migrants from South Asia who often aspired to open curry houses of their own.

But the Eastern Europeans didn’t balk at long hours chopping vegetables and washing dishes.

Take Aga Pozniak, a qualified teacher form Lodz in central Poland. Though she now serves customers in front of house at Taste of India, she started out as a kitchen assistant.

“I had never been in an Indian restaurant in Poland so I had no idea about the Indian kitchen,” she said. “So I learned everything here. ... When you are a kitchen assistant, you do some cleaning, you prepare food, you cut food. It doesn’t matter when you cut pepper if you cut pepper for Indian food or Polish food. You cut pepper.”

The lack of prospects for advancement, however, often means that the Eastern Europeans soon move on to other jobs.

And the restaurants, some of which have been in the family for decades, can no longer look to the next generation to fill the gaps. As mothers and fathers have prospered and become part of British society, many of their children have moved into professions such as law and medicine rather than cooking. And with no new influx of onion choppers in the pipeline, even those that want to stay in the business are having a tough time.

Sayem Ahmed, for example, wants to transform the Taste of India into a Michelin-starred eatery, and he’s studying business at Middlesex University to make that dream come true.

But the 19-year-old finds himself increasingly pulling shifts at the family restaurant — time that takes him away from his studies.

“I’d say the whole industry is in danger,” he said. “They really need to think of something for us.” ■

asianweekly northwest

14

APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

FUKUMOTO from 4 better on our side of the street,” Vandeveer said.

Fukumoto voted against same-sex marriage when it came before the Legislature in 2013. She said on March 22 that she voted that way to represent the majority of her constituents, but if she was voting on her own, she would have voted yes.

On reproductive rights, Fukumoto said she does not believe

35 YEARS

in abortion in all three trimesters but does not want to rescind individuals’ rights once they have been granted.

“We have choice laws in Hawaii and I’m not looking to repeal those laws,” she said.

Members of the Democratic Party on Oahu will ultimately decide whether to accept Fukumoto, but the process could take months, Vandeveer said.

Fukumoto said she’s received letters of encouragement

STARBUCKS from 4 Those kinds of moves were seen by opportunistic by some, but kept the company in the spotlight and won praise among others. Its image has helped make it a focus of criticism, and protesters outside the shareholder meeting called on Starbucks to make good on its commitment to using recyclable cups, while employees called for the same parental leave benefits as managers.

“I think my baby is just as important as the corporate office babies,” said Kristen Picciolo, a 22-year-old Starbucks employee from Ohio who was at the meeting in Seattle.

Picciolo said she believes the company is starting to “hear what we’re saying.”

It’s not clear what impact Starbucks’ decision on social issues have had on sales. Laura Ries, president of a marketing firm, said it’s risky for big brands to take positions on divisive issues that could potentially alienate half their customers, particularly on issues that are not relevant to the company.

from Democrats and Republicans in nearly every state.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz welcomed her to the party in a tweet, saying he’s proud of her courage.

Republican state Rep. Cynthia Thielen, a Fukumoto ally who voted against removing her from leadership, said, “the tiny party’s brand is further weakened and its relevance to the wider, diverse constituency looks bleak.” ■

“Starbucks is like McDonald’s these days. It’s everywhere, it is appealing to everybody,” she said.

Schultz, a Democrat, had endorsed Hillary Clinton for president last year, and didn’t rule out running for office himself.

Since he returned as chief executive in 2008, the company has expanded its footprint globally and seen sales growth at home.

More recently, the momentum seems to have slowed.

Customer traffic at established U.S. locations slipped in the latest quarter, which the company blamed on complications from the popularity of its mobile order and pay option. And when Schultz’s decision to step down was announced, an analyst asked whether the company’s new leaders would possess the same “merchant gene.”

“We have analysts who believe the bloom is off the rose at Starbucks — they don’t know what they’re talking about,” Schultz said. ■

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APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

YOUR VOICE

asianweekly northwest

15

“Through the NWAW Foundation, I was invited to participate in Rainbow Bookfest for several years. Through the efforts of (publisher) Assunta [Ng], Carmen Palomera, and many volunteers, we minority American writers got a chance to interact with minority American readers. Plus, we got to interact with other minority American writers, and I got to discover the wealth of talent the Northwest offers... [The] Northwest Asian Weekly upholds the true tradition of journalism, which means putting differing viewpoints out there and letting the readers decide.”

— Frederick Su, reader “We appreciate your commitment to amplifying Asian American and Pacific Islander stories in our community. Thank you for keeping us informed and connected for over three decades!”

— Minh-Duc Nguyen, Helping Link

The only weekly English-edition newspaper serving the Asian community in the state of Washington for 35 years.

RED BULL from 7 Red Bull compound. Initially investigators said a chauffeur had been behind the wheel of the car, windshield now shattered, bumper dangling. But after senior officers arrived, Vorayuth turned himself in, his cap pulled low, his father holding his arm. Later that day, the Yoovidhyas put up $15,000 bail at the police station and went home.

For Pornanan and his sisters, here was tragedy beyond belief. In the days after the death, they attended funeral rites at the temple, where Buddhist monks chanted and incense burned.

One day Vorayuth and his mother made a surprise, private visit. Dressed in black, they pressed their palms together and bowed to Sgt. Maj. Wichean’s portrait.

The policeman’s family painfully grieved, but they figured at least there would be justice. Wichean was a police officer. Certainly the criminal justice system would hold his killer responsible.

“At first I thought they’d follow a legal process,” said Pornanan.

Now he’s not so sure.

Over days and months, the case unfolded. The Yoovidhya family attorney said Vorayuth left the scene not to flee, but because he was going home to tell his father. As for blood tests showing Vorayuth was well over the legal alcohol limit, his attorney said his client was rattled by the crash and so drank “to relieve his tenseness.”

Facing a flurry of public skepticism about whether affluence and influence would let Vorayuth off the hook, Bangkok’s Police Commissioner Comronwit Toopgrajank promised integrity.

“We will not let this police officer die without justice.

Believe me,” Comronwit said. “The truth will prevail in this case. I can guarantee it.”

But when he retired in 2014, the case was still unresolved.

“I am disappointed,” he says now.

Vorayuth’s attorney met with Wichean’s family, who accepted a settlement of about $100,000. In turn, they were required to sign a document promising not to press criminal charges, eliminating Thailand’s legal option for victims to take suspects to court if police and prosecutors don’t take action.

Pornanan says his portion of the settlement sits in the bank. Blood money, he calls it.

Since then, Vorayuth has missed several prosecutor orders to report to court on charges of speeding, hit-andrun, and reckless driving that caused death. Police said Vorayuth admitted he was driving, but not recklessly — the officer swerved in front of him, he said. The speeding charge expired after a year. The more serious charge of deadly hit-and-run, which police say carries a maximum six-month sentence, expires in September. Reckless driving charges expire in another 10 years if they go unchallenged.

Often when people don’t show up for court, police or prosecutors collaborate to ask the court for an arrest warrant. That hasn’t happened.

Complicating matters, Yoovidhya’s attorney has repeatedly filed petitions claiming his client is being treated unfairly in the investigation.

Police spokesman Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen said his agency has done everything in its power to charge Vorayuth, and that they’ve informed his attorneys of yet another date that he must show up at the prosecutor’s office to hear the charges: March 30, 2017.

Send in your thoughts to editor@nwasianweekly.com.

Join us for our 35th Anniversary Celebration dinner on Oct. 21 at China Harbor restaurant. For tickets, please email rsvp@nwasianweekly.com or call 206-223-0623. To sponsor the event, contact Assunta Ng at assunta@nwasianweekly.com. For more info, visit nwasianweekly.com/35years.

“I am not saying it is a case where the rich guy will get away with it,” said Krissana. “I can’t answer that question.

But what I can answer is, if you look at the timeline here, what we did, by far there is nothing wrong with the inquiry officers who are carrying out the case.”

Prayuth Petchkhun, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said the case is under review because extra investigation was needed. He would not specify what that extra investigation involved.

Thammasat University law professor Pokpong Srisanit said the situation is “not normal” but does appear legal. He noted that with enough bureaucratic maneuvering, some suspects manage to let time run out on charges and have the slate wiped clean.

“There is a problem with Thai law,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Thai media, which has followed the case closely, figured he was laying low.

Last year the Bangkok Post said that after paying the settlement in 2012, Vorayuth “has been out of the country or otherwise unable to answer the criminal case against him in the years since.”

A few weeks after the article appeared, a photo of Vorayuth was posted online. He was on the beach at a seaside resort south of Bangkok.

While Vorayuth’s legal case has been on hold since 2012, his carefree, expensive life has not.

Three months after the accident, Vorayuth was at the Red Bull Singha Race of Champions, staged for the first time in his hometown Bangkok. Smiling in his Red Bull cap at the stadium, surrounded by cousins and friends, a VIP pass dangled from his neck.

More than 120 photos posted on Facebook and Instagram since then, as well as some racing blogs, show Vorayuth visited at least nine countries since Sgt. Maj. Wichean’s death. Stops include the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka, where he posed wearing robes from Hogwarts School’s darkest dorm, Slytherin House. He’s cruised Monaco’s harbor, snowboarded Japan’s fresh powder, and celebrated his birthday at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London. His friends and cousins posting about him have hundreds of thousands of online followers.

Although his own social media accounts are mostly private, he was tagged (at)bossrbr more than 60 times, sometimes responding with emojis or comments. Last summer in Japan he posted a 10-second video of sausage and eggs decorated with seaweed eyes, tagging a young relative. His parents responded with a thumbs-up.

His lifestyle — soaking in an Abu Dhabi pool, dining in Nice, France, holding a $10,000 bicycle in Bangkok — is supported by his family’s billions.

Vorayuth’s grandfather, Chaleo Yoovidhya, grew up in poverty, the son of a duck seller. He was known as a modest, humble man who insisted on privacy. He founded T.C. Pharma in 1956 to import European medicines, but over the decades developed more products, especially drinks sold by the bottle or can.

A few years before Vorayuth was born, Chaleo partnered with an Austrian entrepreneur, Dietrich Mateschitz. They put in $500,000 each to carbonate and globally market T.C. Pharma’s caffeine-powered syrupy energy drink popular in Thailand among laborers, taxi drivers and jet-lagged tourists. In 1987, when Vorayuth turned 1, Red Bull Energy Drink went international and his family’s fortune boomed.

Red Bull sold more than 6 billion of its iconic slim cans

in 2016 in more than 170 countries. It has its own media company, a professional soccer team, race cars and jets.

The company sponsors concerts, events and athletes worldwide, all ostensibly pumped up with the sweet drink.

Mateschitz owns 49 percent of the company, the Yoovidhya family 49 percent in a complex licensing agreement with T.C. Pharma. Vorayuth’s father Chalerm Yoovidhya, the oldest of 11 siblings, holds the final 2 percent. Red Bull reported more than $6 billion in sales last year. Forbes estimates Chalerm’s net worth at $9.7 billion.

As the family’s wealth has grown, many of the younger generation have become glamorous socialites, traveling the world to shop, dine and play. The family co-owns the only Ferrari dealership in town, as well as a winery.

Three generations gathered regularly for birthdays and anniversaries, and the younger family members also dance and drink in Bangkok’s nightclubs.

Vorayuth’s legal situation is far from unique.

Last year, the son of a wealthy Thai businessman slammed his Mercedes Benz at high speed into a smaller car, killing two graduate students. His case is still pending in court. In 2010, a 16-year-old unlicensed daughter of a former military officer crashed her sedan into a van, killing nine people. The teen, from an affluent family, was given a two-year suspended sentence and didn’t complete community service until last year.

Those cases are markedly different than most deadly car crashes, in which Thais are routinely arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to jail.

In a country where intimate ties between money, power and politics have toppled governments and sparked violent attacks, impunity can be a lightning rod. A billionaire prime minister deposed in 2006 was convicted of corruption, but stays out of the country to avoid going to jail. His sister, who came to power in 2011, was thrown out by a military coup backed by other wealthy elites.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former commander of the Thai Army, says he’s committed to rooting out corruption and crime. But the cases of Vorayuth and other elites have bred skepticism.

“It is no wonder people with money and influence think they can avoid facing the legal consequences for causing carnage on the streets,” said the Bangkok Post in an editorial last year. “History shows they can.”

Today in their small apartment, Pornanan keeps a few photo albums of his brother. In a glass cabinet there’s a larger framed portrait.

At first he was angry. Now he’s just deeply sad. About his brother. And about a criminal justice system he says runs on a “double standard,” one for most people who face their crimes, and one for the elites who don’t have to pay the price.

He tries not to think about where the man he calls “Boss” might be, assuming he’s out of the country: “I think he does not want to tarnish his reputation.”

It remains unclear whether police and prosecutors will do anything.

Last month on Instagram, a friend posted a group shot, guys taking a snowboarding break in the sunshine at Japan’s majestic Annapuri ski resort. “ran into little bull (at)bossrbr lets catch up tonite dude” says one friend.

“Snow snow snow” chimes in another.

And then Bossrbr: “Wof wof.” 

asianweekly northwest

16

TRAVEL from 10 “Kitchen,” I replied. It turned out I made the right choice. When you travel, you are confined to a hotel room for more than a third of your day. It’s hard to travel with a partner. I felt like I was being squeezed in at times. The extra kitchen space gave us more room and amenities, such as making coffee in the morning, storing the fruits we bought in the fridge, an extra table to eat or write on. One can go to bed early while the other can stay up late.

Photos by Assunta Ng/NWAW

How to pack light

Assunta’s suitcase (left), which is smaller than her husband’s.

When I travel, my suitcase is often much smaller than my husband’s. But I carry a lot more. How do I make it all fit?

I’ve written in the past that traveling is a good time to get rid of old clothes and clothes you hate. Wear them, then throw them away. The space created in your luggage can be used for souvenirs.

I traveled with more than 10 different makeup products. The original sizes of these products are big with fancy bottles. How did I make them tiny for my travel? Every time I buy cosmetics, I ask for samples. It’s not because I am greedy, the tiny containers are best for travel. Don’t throw them away after you use the makeup. Some can be recycled after you clean them. If they don’t have sample sizes, I buy little boxes at Daiso to use for travel.

Dual-purpose items

Some people sleep naked. It makes them light travelers. I need clothes on when going to bed. Whatever items you put in the luggage, make sure it serves more than one purpose.

For instance, my tshirts are also my pajamas. My short pants, which I can wear outdoors, works as well as pajamas. My fanny pack can be a purse for evening wear.

A belt can be used interchangeably as a purse chain, too. My sandals can be used outdoors, as well as indoors. And my puffer jacket can keep me warm and protect me from wet weather. It is also light and can be rolled up into a small plastic bag.

A writer wrote about his trip to Costa Rica in the March issue of the Alaska Airlines magazine.

Leftovers on the plane

His advice for travelers is to bring a lot of socks. For women, it’s shoes, not socks.

Can’t help it, we women like shoes.

My husband packed two pairs of shoes, but tons of socks. For me, I took four pairs of shoes — heels, shiny beaded walking shoes, sandals and Kung fu shoes (for biking), and only two pairs of socks. Although I never wore the heels, I packed them just in case I visited an elegant restaurant. I don’t want to be seen wearing flats.

Use substitutes

Some travelers bring a yoga mat with them. That’s cumbersome. I use the hotel’s towel to practice my yoga. It’s not the best.

But I was able to do my yoga for 10 days out of my 12-day trip. Or you can do other kinds of stretching exercises. I did sneak in a couple of sequined vests just in case. Vests take up little space and they can transform a woman’s look. Plus, it gives the impression that she has a different outfit every day. If you don’t have vests, bring a big shawl, which can also cover your unattractive dress underneath.

Small souvenirs vs. large

Shoes vs. socks

35 YEARS

APRIL 1 – APRIL 7, 2017

On our way back from Mexico, I saw a passenger juggling an oversized box that

was four feet long.

What was inside? Lights. Apparently, it was such a good deal, it was worth it for him to carry. Once, my brother bought a big elephant statue, and carried it all the way from the Mexico border to Texas. It broke days later.

Now, I would think twice about getting big gifts no matter how good a deal it is.

I don’t want to bother with packing and possibly shipping them. Oh, I bought some souvenirs, too — 20 different small lovely tortoises with bobbleheads for my employees. Tortoises symbolize longevity.

It’s a lot of fun for me to choose souvenirs, and I bet it would be fun for them to fight over which one they want.

An economy flight doesn’t provide food. When I travel, I mostly eat before I fly or dine at the airport.

We end up throwing away food most of the time, especially the day before we fly back to Seattle. This time, we asked for a doggy bag. Our leftovers included chicken quesadilla, turkey wraps, and fennel bread, which was so much better than what the other passengers were consuming.

It’s time to plan my next trip. I feel alive again — just dreaming about it.  Assunta can be reached at assunta@ nwasianweekly.com.