VOL 33 NO 47 | NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA

WORLD Whoops, you failed » P. 4

VOL 33 NO 47 NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014 FREE 32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Photo by Derek Sciba / Free Kenneth Now facebook page

Welcome home!

Kenneth Bae finally gets home, family, pizza, and freedom

Surviving a stroke; facing challenges Dr. Greg Ogata moves forward

Dr. Greg Ogata

Reunion between Kenneth Bae and his mother late Saturday evening

By Donna Bankinship and Josh Lederman Associated Press SEATTLE (AP)—Kenneth Bae arrived home after two years of imprisonment in North Korea, expressing his gratitude to the U.S.

government for securing his release and revealing that his time there offered lessons.

And his sister said that he had one stipulation for his first meal back {see BAE cont’d on page 15}

Providing more than Thai man convicted just hope for rural of defaming king on Indian adolescent girls Facebook

Photo: Landesa, Center for Women’s Land Rights

By James Tabafunda NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Poverty restricts options.

In rural India, it leaves girls – ages 11 to 18 – without an education and hope as they become easy targets for human traffickers or adults seeking child brides.

Landesa, a Seattle-based nonprofit, empowers Indian adolescent girls through its Girls Project by helping them realize their land rights. The Girls Project provides opportunities to develop microplots of land – the size of a tennis

court – and grow vegetables such as bottle gourds and mushrooms to feed themselves or sell to others.

Melany Grout, an attorney and land tenure specialist at Landesa, said, “The idea is that if a girl is able to actually earn some money … the money itself can be something that helps alleviate some of the pressure to marry her off.” The money also allows these girls to go back to school.

She made her first visit to West {see GIRLS PROJECT cont’d on page 12}

Local holds a photo of King Adulyadej

AP Wire Service BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai court sentenced a university student to 2 1/2 years in prison on Tuesday for posting a message on Facebook that the court said insulted the country’s king. {see FACEBOOK cont’d on page 11}

By WSDA News Northwest Asian Weekly If you’ve ever met Washington State Dental Association President Dr. Greg Ogata you won’t likely forget him; a man of boundless energy, Ogata’s booming timbre often precedes him. The former college lacrosse player seems to always be on the move, with boyish enthusiasm and a quick smile for all he encounters. It is hard to believe that two years ago he suffered a stroke. It’s been a formidable journey for him— Ogata sold his practice last year and is now on disability. Any stroke you survive while retaining most of your mobility can be considered a triumph.

For Ogata, it wasn’t immediately apparent that would happen.

Ogata found his way to dentistry at home. His father, Yoshitaka, was one of the state’s first AsianAmerican dentists, and was also an orthodontist. Ogata would help out in his father’s office, and often accompanied him to conferences around the country. Greg and his brother Randy both became orthodontists like their dad, while sister Julie is an Emmy-winning television reporter and anchor, and brother Brett is a successful high school football coach. Ogata said, “Dad didn’t pressure me to become a dentist, but all of my dad’s friends were super nice, and it seemed like they were really happy. It didn’t look like a bad life. I graduated {see OGATA cont’d on page 15}

The Inside Story NAMES People in the news » P. 2

■

TOP CONTRIBUTORS Fred Yee » P. 4

TRAVEL This is Street 63 » P. 7

The Layup Drill Sports and more sports! » P. 9

412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

asianweekly northwest

2

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

■ names in the news Happy Diwali!

InterIm youth on a recent adventure Cornerstone community families

Dash with Indian Ambassador S. Jai Shankar

Diwali, the festival of lights, was celebrated for the first time at the State Department on Thursday Oct. 23. The CoChair of WASITRAC, Debadutta Dash was among the invited guest among 200 other guests, including a large number of eminent Indian Americans, were present to celebrate Diwali for the first time at the State Department’s historic Benjamin Franklin room.

Diwali was the only major world festival that had been missing from the State Department’s celebration of festivals.

In 2009, Obama became the first U.S. president to celebrate Diwali. ​ ​The White House Oct. 22 posted a video on its blog of President Barack Obama wishing “Happy Diwali” to all those who celebrate the festival of lights. 

FOCS opens Cornerstone Café Families of Color Seattle (FOCS) opened a cultural cornerstone and family friendly community cafe in Seattle Oct. 15. The FOCS Cornerstone Café is housed in The Hillman City Collaboratory, a co-share work and community space and offers a variety of resources to support and empower Seattle’s diverse families.

Cornerstone Café integrates conscious parenting and perpetuates a global culture of inclusivity, community building, and play-centered learning. FOCS Cornerstone Café provides a family programming with arts and culture,

as well as multilingual classes for children and parents.

There is a community café, drop-in childcare, evening forums, workshops, and experiential learning and outdoor play in the 4,000 square foot community garden. 

White House’s new liaison to the LGBT community Aditi Hardikar started as the new Associate Director of Public Engagement in the Office of Public Engagement Nov. 10. In her role, she is the White House’s primary liaison to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community and Asian American and Pacific Islander community.  Aditi Hardikar

InterIm honored The Raikes Foundation honored InterIm for reaching the highest bar of quality on its out-of-school-time programs for young people as part of its Youth Program Quality Initiative. The programs serve young people ages 10-18. It helps organizations and their staffs improve youth engagement, which in turn helps kids improve

academic performance, develop social skills and avoid risky behaviors. InterIm is a nonprofit affordable housing and community development organization based in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District and provides multilingual, culturally competent housing-related, and community building services to Asian, Pacific Islander, and immigrant and refugee communities in Seattle. 

Saturay honored with nonprofit leader award Jonathan Saturay was honored as the winning “Emerging Leader” at the third annual Light a Fire Awards dinner sponsored by Seattle Metropolitan in partnership with The Seattle Foundation.

The Light a Fire awards honors nonprofit organizations and individuals whose extraordinary acts of service embody the spirit of Jonathan Saturay giving to make our region more prosperous, beautiful, healthful, and generous. Jonathan grew up in Columbia City, went to high school in Renton, and studied Music Education at Arizona State University. He grew up in a Filipino household that put food and community together. He has served as a cheesemonger for Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, culinary tour guide with Savor Seattle, and staff coordinator for the Seattle School’s All-City Marching Band. 

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ community news

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

3

NAAAP scholarship gala

By John Liu Northwest Asian Weekly

Photo by Eugene Hsu

The National Association of Asian American Professionals Seattle Chapter (NAAAP–Seattle) held its 35th annual scholarship gala at the Foundry in Seattle last Friday, Nov. 7. At the event, which was attended by several hundred people, NAAAP awarded three scholarships of $2,000. Three High School Leadership Awards went to Leah Shin of Henry M. Jackson High School, Dorothy Jiang of International Community School in Kirkland, and Megan Duong of West Seattle High School.

The keynote speech was given by Mary Yu who is the first Asian American, Latina American, and LGBTQ Washington Supreme Court Justice. The emcee was Natasha Chen, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News general assignment reporter.

During the event, NAAAP also hosted live and silent auctions to raise money for next year’s scholarships, with proceeds totaling approximately $20,000. Silent auction items included items a Seattle museums package, a spa day, and a Seattle experience package. Live auction items included volunteer help from NAAAP members, resume review and interview tips, and a private wine tasting for 20.

There was also a raffle to support next year's scholarships. The evening ended with a “dessert dash,” where tables placed bids to have first choice of dessert. 

Mary Yu posing with NAAAP Scholarship Winners

■ briefly

AAPIs more likely to be caregivers

A new report released by AARP, “Caregiving Among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” reveals that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are more likely to provide caregiving for older family members at home. The data shows: -More than any other racial or ethnic group, the vast majority of AAPIs believe that caring for parents is expected of them.

-AAPIs are more likely to provide caregiving for their parents or older relatives. They are more likely to talk to health providers, contribute financially, and handle paper work or bills.

-Due to cultural attitudes about filial piety, AAPI families are resistant to moving their parents to nursing homes or similar facilities and prefer caregiving be done at home by family members.

-AAPIs are more likely than other Americans to live in multigenerational households. With the heavy expectation that care should be provided by one’s own family, larger households help enable caregiving.  For more information, visit www.AARP.org/AAPI

Free job preparation classes

Bellevue College is offering free Job Preparation classes for immigrants, refugees, permanent residents and U.S. citizens living in Bellevue.

These classes are funded by the City of Bellevue and begin every quarter in January, April, June and September.

Winter 2015 schedule: Preparing for Work (ESL level 5/6 students) First class and registration: Saturday, January 10 at 9:00 am R101, Bellevue College Main Campus (3000 Landerholm Circle SE Bellevue, WA 98007-6484) On the Job Communications (ESL level 6 students) First class and registration: Tuesday, January 6 at 5:30 pm R101, Bellevue College Main Campus (3000 Landerholm Circle SE Bellevue, WA 98007-6484) For more information, please visit www. bellevuecollege.edu/preparingforwork or contact me at prep4work@bellevuecollege.edu.

asianweekly northwest

4

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

■ TOP CONTRIBUTOR Celebrating a lifetime of community service: Fred Yee

By Nina Huang Northwest Asian Weekly

Fred Yee was a Chinese American student who wanted to please his family by studying science. So he chose geology, but he quickly realized that community service was his real passion.

When he was 18, Yee arrived at Seattle from Hong Kong in August 1969. The original plan was for Yee and his mother to arrive in Seattle in 1968, but her sudden death a month before their departure delayed their journey to America.

Despite the family tragedy, Yee was finally reunited with his father again. He soon enrolled at Seattle University. “My passion is in health, human services, community planning, and program planning,” Yee said.

When Yee entered college, he wasn’t that interested in engineering, but felt that geology was something he could do. But he later realized that he had other plans besides working in science.

Early on, Yee was one of the founding members of the Chinese Information Service Center (CISC) in 1972 and volunteered there as a UW student. That was when he realized his passion was working in the community.

“I was lucky enough that I was involved early on with CISC. That changed my outlook,” he said.

Yee gave up his graduate fellowship in geology and obtained his second bachelor’s degree, which was a B.A. from the

Fred Yee

University of Washington (UW) in urban geography, which was quite different.

Longtime friend Dennis Lam said about Yee, “Fred is very compassionate about the local Chinese community and exceptionally dedicated to and supportive of all the charity work that’s beneficial to the community.”

Kin On was established in 1985, but the nursing home for Asian Americans did not open until July 1987. CEO Sam Wan was working for the city at the time and was on a loan to start up Kin On. They needed someone for when Wan had to go back to work for the city.

The folks at Kin On approached Yee for

■ WORLD NEWS

Lee Chong Wei fails doping test

By Eileen Ng Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Badminton’s top-ranked player Lee Chong Wei has failed a doping test, a senior Malaysian sports official said Saturday.

Lee, who has been temporarily suspended pending a hearing by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) doping panel, faces a potential two-year ban from competition.

Lee insisted he had “never cheated.”

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) deputy chairman Mohamad Norza Zakaria confirmed Saturday that a test carried out on Nov. 5 in Oslo, Norway, on the “B” sample of an unnamed player had backed up the positive finding of the “A” sample from a doping control at this year’s World Championships in August.

Mohamad declined to identify the player.

However, a senior Malaysian sports official confirmed to The Associated Press that it was 32-year-old Lee. The official did not give his name because he was not authorized to reveal Lee’s identity to the media.

Mohamad said the player tested positive for the banned substance dexamethasone, but the association believed he was innocent.

“This player is a very dedicated player and an exceptional individual,” he told a media conference. “We believe this player has never resorted to shortcuts to achieve success.”

Mohamad also claimed dexamethasone

Lee Chong Wei

was not performance enhancing.

The Kuala Lumpur-based BWF would hear an expected challenge to the finding by Lee and BAM. Lee, in comments released through a blog by his friend and sports blogger Satwant Singh Dhaliwal, said he was shocked and that he hoped to quickly clear his name.

Lee said the drug was last injected into him on July 18 for a thigh injury treatment, and that it was a “mystery” why it was found in his system after more than a month. Lee was beaten at the end of August by Chen Long of China in the final of the world championships in Copenhagen.

“I never cheated, nor will I ever rely on banned substances,” Lee said. “I am a firm believer of hard work and effort to achieve success.” {see WEI cont’d on page 12}

the leadership role, but he rejected it at first.

After giving it some thought with his first wife Amy, Yee decided to take on the challenge. He gave up his federal job to run Kin On. Yee was the executive director from February 1988 to March 1991, a little over three years. He remained closely connected to the organization as a board member, chair, and community volunteer. He was on the Kin On board for 12 years and was the board president from 1996 to 1998.

“Being involved in the community really helps me a lot. I run into people with similar situations and backgrounds,” he said.

Throughout his career, Yee was a hard worker and held many roles in administration and programming, management, human services, and planning.

Yee valued education and additional training. His focus was on community level planning, and he obtained his MBA in 1986 from the UW while working full-time.

Yee became independent at a young age and didn’t have a role model growing up.

He lost his mother when he was 16, and didn’t get to know his father until later in life. His older brother looked after him in Hong Kong.

Yee encountered another family tragedy in October 2000, when he lost his first wife, Amy, to cancer. The death was a total shock to the family, and as a result, Yee was a single dad to Andrea and Alex for three and a half years. But he married his second wife, Clara, in April 2004.

In June 2005 during a table tennis tournament in Seattle, Yee collapsed.

Luckily, after a quintuple bypass surgery, Yee recovered. He felt blessed and even continued to work. But he reflected on his career and life, and realized he wanted to retire when he turned 60.

Yee has lived in Seattle since 1969, and has valued his experiences over the years.

He feels very fortunate to retire in Seattle with all his four kids grown up. “Life is good,” he said.

Yee is very active with the Yee Family Association. He encourages those who are American-born or who grew up in the States to connect with family history.

In addition to his active involvement with the Yee Family Association, he is also very interested in studying family history and genealogy. In fact, Yee’s family was featured in the 1989 documentary, “Home from the Eastern Sea,” which was produced to celebrate Asian Americans in Washington state for the centennial.

Yee also enjoys travelling with Clara.

He also picked up ping pong—he plays at least two times a week. He also enjoys photography and playing mahjong. He recently learned the game and started playing regularly. Yee even mentioned that Kin On has mahjong nights for the residents now.

“I feel proud of giving back to the community,” Yee said. {see YEE cont’d on page 12}

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

5

Myanmar-Rohingya Trafficking

By Todd Pitman and Esther Htusan Associated Press

Myanmar profits off Rohingya exodus

MYIN HLUT, Myanmar (AP) — The small wooden boats leave the shores of western Myanmar nearly every day, overloaded with desperate Rohingya Muslims who are part of one the largest boat exoduses in Asia since the Vietnam War. Helping them on their way: Myanmar’s own security forces, who are profiting off the mass departure of one of the world’s most persecuted minorities by extracting payments from those fleeing. A report to be released Friday by the Bangkok-based advocacy group Fortify Rights, and reporting by The Associated Press, indicate the practice is far more widespread and organized than previously thought, with Myanmar naval boats going so far as to escort asylum seekers out to larger human trafficking ships waiting at sea that are operated by transnational criminal networks.

“Myanmar authorities are not only making life so intolerable for Rohingya that they have to flee, they’re also complicit in the process — they’re taking payments and profiting off their exodus,” said Matthew Smith, director of Fortify Rights.

Rakhine state spokesman Win Myaing dismissed the allegations as “rumors,” saying he has not “heard of anything happening like that.” He said any naval boats approaching such vessels were likely aiming to help fishermen in need.

More than 100,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar’s western shores by boat since Buddhist-Muslim violence erupted in Rakhine state two years ago, according to estimates provided by experts tracking their movements.

Chris Lewa, director of the advocacy group Arakan Project, said increasing desperation is behind a huge surge since Oct. 15, with an average of 900 people per day piling into cargo ships parked offshore. In Rakhine state, an aggressive campaign by authorities over the last few months

China and Japan agree to resume dialogue

By Christopher Bodeen Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — China and Japan reached agreement to ramp up high-level contacts, the strongest indication yet of a possible meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The Chinese and Japanese foreign ministries said Friday the two sides agreed to “gradually resume political, diplomatic and security dialogues.” China froze highlevel contacts more than two years ago amid a dispute over uninhabited East China Sea islands and other contentious issues.

No meeting has been announced, though Xi and Abe are widely expected to at least hold some kind of tete-a-tete during the summit Monday and Tuesday. It’s unclear what form that meeting would take or

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

whether anything substantial would be discussed.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said a meeting between the two leaders had not been finalized, but an environment for talks had been achieved.

“Until now the door was closed, unfortunately, but this agreement has achieved a {see CHINA AND JAPAN cont’d on page 12}

to register family members and officially categorize them as “Bengalis” — implying they are illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh — has aggravated their situation.

The deepening crisis comes ahead of a visit by President Barack Obama to Myanmar next week for a regional summit, his second in two years. Obama, who has repeatedly pointed to democratic changes in Myanmar as a foreign policy bright spot, called President Thein Sein recently by telephone to express concerns about a reform process analysts say has been backsliding for months.

Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 50 million that is still struggling to emerge from half a century of military rule, is home to an estimated 1.3 million Rohingya, and most are considered stateless. Though many of their families arrived from Bangladesh generations ago, almost all are denied citizenship by Myanmar as well as Bangladesh. {see MYANMAR cont’d on page 14}

No baby boom from easing of China’s 1-child policy BEIJING (AP) — Despite earlier estimates that new exemptions to China’s one-child policy would add up to 2 million extra births per year, only 700,000 newly qualified couples applied to have a second child this year, a Chinese official said.

Zhao Yanpei, a senior official at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, told reporters at a briefing this week that although this year’s number is lower than expected it is too early to conclude what effect the new policy will have in coming years on China’s fertility rate, which is now at 1.5 to 1.6 births per woman.

Last year, China eased its one-child policy to allow couples in which one partner has no siblings to have two children. Couples in which both partners have no siblings and rural families whose firstborn child is a girl already have been allowed to have a second child for many years.

Demographers said last year that the easing was so incremental that a baby boom would be unlikely. They also noted that Chinese young people no longer wish for big families, and, even when they can, have opted not to have a second child.

The lower-than-expected number of applications for a second child has some critics arguing for the abolition of China’s strict family planning policies, which have limited most urban families to only one child. They say China’s low birth rate will cause the country to age quickly and hurt its economic viability.

Zhao said the number was low partly because some provinces did not implement rules until the middle of 2014 to allow newly qualified couples to apply to have a second baby.

“Because of concerns over child-bearing

Assunta Ng

Account Executives

Peggy Chapman

rebecca@nwasianweekly.com

Han Bui

kelly@nwasianweekly.com

Publisher assunta@nwasianweekly.com Editor editor@nwasianweekly.com Layout Editor/Webmaster han@nwasianweekly.com

{see BABY BOOM cont’d on page 12}

Rebecca Ip Kelly Liao John Liu

john@nwasianweekly.com

Stacy Nguyen Editorial Consultant

The only weekly English-language newspaper serving Washington’s Asian community. The NW Asian Weekly has one simple goal: “To empower the Asian community.”

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject any advertisement, letter or article.

Subscriptions cost $30 for 52 weeks of the NW Asian Weekly and $25 for 52 weeks of the Seattle Chinese Post. The NW Asian Weekly owns the copyright for all its content. All rights reserved. No part of this paper may be reprinted without permission.

412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 info@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

asianweekly northwest

6

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR THU 11/13 WHAT: Public meetings to inform rulemaking for the Minimum Wage Ordinance WHERE: Northgate Community Center, 10510 5th Ave. N.E., Seattle WHEN: 8-10 a.m.

INFO: 206-684-4507 WHAT: VABAW’s 10th Annual Banquet, “Building a Legacy” WHERE: The Triple Door, 216 Union St., Seattle WHEN: 5:30-8 p.m.

INFO: 206-805-1493 WHAT: WHIAAPI E3 WHERE: White Center Library, 11220 16th Ave. SW, Seattle WHEN: 4-5:30 p.m.

FRI 11/14 WHAT: Jon Kimura Parker WHERE: Meany Hall, UW Campus WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

COST: $40-$45, $10 for UW students INFO: uwworldseries.org

SAT 11/15 WHAT: Cute Grit—Enfu Art Book Signing WHERE: Kinokuniya Bookstore, 525 S. Weller St., Seattle

WHEN: 2 p.m.

INFO: 206-587-2477, www. kinokuniya.com/us WHAT: Maija Rhee Devine gives reading and PowerPoint presentation WHERE: Wing Luke, 719 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 3-4 p.m.

INFO: facebook.com/ MaijaRheeDevine

SUN 11/16 WHAT: 7th Annual Bunka No Hi Japanese Culture Day WHERE: Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington, 1414 S. Weller St., Seattle WHEN: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

COST: Free INFO: www.jcccw.org

SUN 11/16 & 11/23

WHEN: 12-2 p.m.

COST: $95/person INFO: 206-919-1465, www. seattlekokontaiko.org

MON 11/17 WHAT: SCS Orientation WHERE: Chinook Building, Conference Rooms 121-123, 401 5th Ave., Seattle WHEN: 9-11 a.m.

COST: Free INFO: Phuong.nguyen@ kingcounty.gov

TUE 11/18 WHAT: Miro Quartet WHERE: Meany Hall, UW Campus WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

COST: $38-$43, $10 for UW students INFO: uwworldseries.org

THU 11/20

WHAT: Taiko Classes

WHAT: Hope for Freedom 2014

King County is requesting Proposals from qualified firms interested in providing construction management services for Wastewater Treatment Division projects on a Work Order basis.

The Request for Proposals, all addenda and current document holder’s list are available on the internet at http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement. The County will not mail, ship or fax RFPs and addenda.

Interested firms must register with the County at time of download and ensure that a valid contact email address is given. Notification of addenda will be sent to the registered email address. Failure to register will result in the Proposer not being notified of any addenda, which may result in rejection of the proposal.

The County may award up to one (1) contract with a maximum price of $800,000. The contract will have an initial period of performance of one (1) year. The County reserves the right to amend the contract duration in one (1) year increments up to a maximum of three (3) years, if funds remain.

Contract Title: Construction Management Services Work Order Contract for Wastewater Treatment Division Number: P00166P14 Proposals due: December 11, 2014 Time: 5:00 p.m.

Pre-proposal Meeting: November 21, 2014 Time: 1:00 p.m.

Location: 1st floor, Rm 126 (Chinook Conference Center) Chinook Building, 401 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA SUMMARY OF WORK: The Consultant shall provide construction management services, on a work order basis, for the Wastewater Treatment Division. Services may include but not be limited to: project management

WHAT: Summit Sierra Info Session WHERE: ACRS, 1025 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 6:30-8 p.m.

INFO: summitps.org

SAT 11/22

and work order contract administration, field inspection services, resident engineer services, project control services, document control services, and construction contract administration services.

SUBCONSULTANT OPPORTUNITIES: Provided for informational purposes only, following are subconsulting opportunities that may be available on this Contract: Inspectors for the following disciplines: pipeline, concrete structure, shoring and dewatering, wetland restoration, programmable logic controllers and electrical instrumentation for industrial facilities, soils, geotechnical, mechanical, welding, coating, landscaping, and roofing.

SCS UTILIZATION REQUIREMENTS: The Consultant shall ensure that at least 15% of the Total Price for all executed Work Orders, as amended, shall be performed by King County Certified SCS Firms over the life of the Contract. Evaluation points for meeting and/or exceeding the SCS utilization requirements will be provided to each Proposer responding to this requirement. King County will not evaluate the proposal and will not execute a contract with a Proposer who does not commit to meet at least the SCS utilization requirement as stated above.

QUESTIONS: Questions concerning this solicitation should be directed to Tina Davis, Contract Specialist at 206-263-2939, TTY Relay: 711 or via email at tina.davis@kingcounty.gov.

The Proposer may be requested to submit the question in writing. No verbal answers by County personnel will be binding on the County.

This information is available in alternate formats for individuals with disabilities upon advance request by calling 206-263-9400, TTY Relay: 711.

WHAT: Liberasian’s first workshop hosted by Tracey Wong and Tre Johnson WHERE: Urban Impact Seattle, 7728 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: 12-3 p.m.

INFO: facebook.com/ ProjectLiberasian WHAT: Ken Taya book signing WHERE: Higo, 604 S. Jackson St., Seattle WHEN: 1-4 p.m.

INFO: www.ifartrainbow.com

WHAT: Seattle Theaterwala presents, “Body Shopping” WHERE: Ethnic Cultural Theatre, 3940 Brooklyn Ave. N.E., Seattle WHEN: 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on 11/16, 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on 11/23 COST: $10 INFO: seattle.theaterwala@ gmail.com, 425-443-3845

KING COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Annual Gala WHERE: Embassy Suites, 3225 158th Ave. S.E., Bellevue WHEN: 5 p.m.

COST: $60/person, $480/ individual table of 8 tickets, $600/corporate table sponsor of 8 tickets, plus an ad INFO: info@wppcnepal.org, 206-582-8700

WHAT: Upbeat on Jackson featuring M9 & Sumi Tonoka WHERE: Enerstine Anderson Place, 2010 S. Jackson St., Seattle WHEN: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

INFO: upbeatonjackson.org

SUN 11/23 WHAT: Buddhist Philosophy and Modern Business Management WHERE: Meydenbauer Center, 11100 NE 6th St., Bellevue WHEN: 2:30-4:30 p.m.

■ BRIEFLY

COST: Free admission REGISTER: 206-512-5862, compassionseattle@gmail.com WHAT: Free screening of a documentary, “Project Fukushima!”

WHERE: Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington, 1414 S. Weller St., Seattle WHEN: 2-5 p.m.

INFO: admin@jcccw.org, 206568-7114

2nd & 4th TUES OF MONTH WHAT: International District Special Review Board meeting WHERE: Bush Asia Center, 409 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: 4:30 p.m.

INFO: 206-684-0226, www. seattle.gov/neighborhoods/ preservation/historic_districts. htm

EVERY TUE WHAT: Asian Counseling and Referral Services Employment Program Orientation WHERE: ACRS, 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle WHEN: 3–4:30 p.m.

INFO: 206-695-7527, employmentprogram@ acrs.org, acrs.org/services/ employmentandtraining

Help with startup ideas

The Seattle Public Library will host Startup Weekend EDU Seattle from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23. The public is invited to watch education-based startup teams demonstrate their new product and service ideas from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23 at The Seattle Public Library, Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium.

At Startup Weekend EDU Seattle, participants will pitch their education-based startup ideas and receive feedback from judges and other participants. Teams will form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote).

The teams will spend two days doing user research, customer development, validating their ideas and building prototypes, and then

they will pitch their education product or service to judges.

Professional coaches will be on hand to guide teams through the process. Library staff will support the information needs of event participants throughout the weekend.

This event is hosted by the Library. The public is invited to attend Sunday’s presentations for free. Registration for the Sunday presentations is not required. Startup Weekend EDU Seattle is a broader three-day event, however, and registration is required.  For more information, visit Startup Weekend EDU Seattle or call the Library at 206-3864636.

Have an event to promote?

P lease send us the details at least 14 days in advance to info@nwasianweekly.c om.

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ travel

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

7

This is Street 63

Sounds and images of Phnom Penh now

By Dipika Kohli Northwest Asian Weekly

The dogs are yapping, the breeze is crusted over with exhaust, the bicycles and” tuk tuks” and whistles from the rush-hour police at intersections are watching every which way to make sure the pedestrians, trucks, people walking their carts in search of cans and bottles, side shops for clothes and haircuts or whole chickens (headless, roasting) turning round and round on sticks, juice stalls on motorbikes, the motorbikes themselves, “push” bikes which are bicycles and… wait, did I say that?

Yes. I did. I worry most about the cycles. Especially when I’m on one.

The sound is one of evening.

The mood is hot and relief. I made it.

I did not get run over today. I am home.

The French doors are half open, just the left side, for the flow is too ferocious if it’s this hour and the sound is too loud.

Not that it will carry, not all the way across this marble tile floor through the bedroom or beyond, the stairwell, and swirl right back downstairs and out onto the street. Where it started. The circular flow, in the motion, vehicular merging and disengaging and whoa that was a close one and here we are all people-moving. Us and our peoplemover things.

This is the quietest it will be for this hour. This is Street 63.  Dipika Kohli can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

All sale lasts from Friday 11/14 to Thursday 11/20

Hachiya Persimmon $1.29 lb $

0.99 lb

Chinese Celery $1.29 ea

SEAFOOD

$

0.89 ea

Beltfish $3.29 lb $

2.79 lb

Fz Bullhead $2.49 lb

MEAT

$

1.99 lb

Beef Shank $4.89 lb $

4.69 lb

Hawaiian Longan $6.99 lb $ lb $ cs

Pomegranate $0.99 ea $ ea

Green Cabbage $0.49 lb

Shallot WA $1.29 lb

6.49 39.99

$

0.79

0.99 3lbs

$

Butterfish $2.99 lb $

FEATURE ITEMS

Fuji Apple $0.79 lb

0.99 lb

$

Mudfish $3.49 lb

2.49 lb

$

2.99 lb

Fresh Atlantic Salmon Fillet $

Whole Yellow Eel $5.99 lb $

5.49 lb

Pork Shoulder (Butt) $3.49 lb $ lb

3.29

0.69

White Shrimp 26-30 $7.99 lb / $28.99 4lbs box

Offer only good while supplies last.

We reserve the right to correct all printed errors.

7.49 lb 27.99 4lbs box $

$

Chicken Thigh (Boneless) Southern Fry $2.49 lb $

2.29 lb

7.99 lb

Chicken Drumstick Southern Fry $1.49 lb $

1.29 lb

Photos by Dipika Kohli

PRODUCE

1221 S. King St., Seattle ∙ 206-720-0969 Monday—Sunday: 8:30 a.m.—8 p.m. lamsseafood.com

asianweekly northwest

8

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

■ arts & entertainment

Tourette’s and logistics

Movie made in Washington seeks to make film festival splash

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly A family trip to the Tri-Cities area in Washington State helped Dale Petersen decide on where his movie should be filmed.

“When I saw the beauty of the topography, I decided to do part of the filming here,” stated Petersen. In fact, according to Petersen’s wife, Wendy, also a producer for the film, about 99 percent of the film was shot on location in Washington State.

Wendy Petersen, who is Asian American, balanced her busy schedule as an attorney to assist with the film. Her law firm also assisted with legal logistics for the film including drafting contracts and working with local businesses on behalf of the film.

Filmed in the summer of 2013 in the TriCities area, “Hello, My Name is Frank,” is an unconventional movie in which a middleaged shut-in with Tourette’s syndrome (Frank) ventures out of his comfort zone and goes on a road trip with the teenage daughter of his deceased caretaker and her two friends. While the plot sounds unusual, the film is part comedy and part drama and the dynamic between the young characters and Frank mesh during the movie. Tourette’s syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system which causes a person to have involuntary, unusual repetitive movements or unwanted sounds. The actor playing Frank, Garrett Brown, studied extensively with renowned acting coach Larry Moss for the role to ensure the

A scene from “Hello, My Name is Frank.”

authenticity.

The filmmakers worked with the locals to make the film. This included using many of the people in the Tri-Cities as extras and working with the city of Kennewick and the local businesses in shooting scenes. The cast and crew patronized the local businesses as they used many of the restaurants and hotels for food and lodging.

“Hello, My Name is Frank,” was privately funded through individual investors that believed in Petersen’s vision. “I was inspired to write the story after seeing a documentary about a man with Tourette’s,” recalled Petersen. The movie is Petersen’s first feature film although he has worked for 20 years in various positions within the film industry. In 2011, he won awards

Presented by Northwest Asian Weekly and Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation

Top Contributors

to the Asian community Making a difference Friday, Dec. 5, 2014 • 5:45 — 8:45 P.M. House of Hong Restaurant • 206-622-7997 • 409 8th Ave. S., Seattle

for a film short at the Manhattan and Palm Beach Film Festivals. He also won a Best Director award at the Los Angeles ITN Film and New Media Festival.

There were logistical issues with most of the cast and crew coming from Southern California as there are no direct flights from {see FRANK cont’d on page 13}

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors Corporate Sponsors

REGISTRATION

Honorees

$75 before December 5. $80 after December 5. $85 walk-ins. $35 students with I.D. $40 student walk-ins. $700 for an individual table of 10. $900 for a corporate table of 10, with the corporate logo To purchase tickets, call us at 206-223-0623, or email rsvp@ nwasianweekly.com.

PLANNING COMMITTEE: Joan Yoshitomi, Kiku Hayashi, Buwon Brown, Teri Wong, Karen Tsuo, Seungja Song, John Liu, Assunta Ng, Rebecca Ip, and Carol Cheung

Fred Yee

Community Volunteer

Frieda Takamura Community Activist

Leny Valerio-Buford

Upward Bound Director UW

Lori Wada

Operations Supervisor WA Office of the Insurance Commissioner

Louise KashinoTakisaki

Former President Women’s Auxiliary of Nisei Veterans Committee

To reserve your space, fax a copy of this form to 206-223-0626 or send a check by December 5 to: Northwest Asian Weekly, Attn: Top Contributors, P.O. Box 3468, Seattle, WA 98114 Name: ___________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Telephone: ________________________________________________ Fax: _____________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________ Organization: _____________________________________________ Title (if applicable): _________________________________________ Name of guests: ___________________________________________

Dr. Jai Jun Byeon

Chief Director Cornerstone Medical Services

NAAAP Seattle Chapter

Dat P. Giap Dentist

Pramila Jayapal

WA State Senator-elect

_________________________________________________________  Mastercard

 Visa

Card no.: _________________________________________________ Exp. date: ____________ Signature: ___________________________

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ sports

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

9

The Layup Drill

Baseball ends, boxing heats up, and marathoner spurns conformity

Travis Ishikawa

Hisashi Iwakuma

Nonito Donaire

Manny Pacquiao

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this month’s edition, we take a look at the end of baseball season, boxing stars at the crossroads, and a Japanese marathon runner that overcomes all odds.

Ishikawa-Wong star in baseball’s postseason

The World Series ended with another title for the San Francisco Giants who claimed its 3rd World Title in 5 years. Once again, former UW baseball player Tim Lincecum collected a ring.

But prior to the Giants winning the World Series in Game 7 and defeating the Kansas City Royals, Travis Ishikawa played a big role in getting them there.

Ishikawa hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series to end the series and defeat the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a dramatic home run that capped off a great series in which he had the game-winning RBI in the first game and drove in three runs in Game 3. When Ishikawa hit the home run, players spilled onto the field celebrating. He had to push them out of the way as he circled the bases to reach home.

Ishikawa has an interesting backstory with a local tie-in. Ishikawa is half Japanese on his father’s side. He grew up in Seattle and went to Federal Way High School. He was drafted in the 21st round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft by the Giants. The Giants gave him, at the time, the highest bonus for a player not picked in the first round: $955,000. This gave Ishikawa incentive to choose the Giants over attending Oregon State, where he would have played college baseball. His great-grandparents came to the United States from Japan to work on the railroads and settled in Chicago. His grandparents were held in an internment camp during World War II. On the other side of the National League Championship Series, St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong had a good series.

Originally from Hawaii, Wong hit a walk-off home run in Game 2 of the playoff series against the Giants. He was a key cog in the Cardinals defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the preceding division playoff series. It was Wong’s rookie season with the Cardinals and the 24-yearold proved he was major league material.

Iwakuma back another year

The Seattle Mariners actually had a winning season. And even though the team missed the playoffs, the team remained relevant until the {see SPORTS cont’d on page 13}

asianweekly northwest

10

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

OPINION

■ editorial

More yay for Kenneth Bae!

Happy very early Thanksgiving!

We’re already thankful, and here’s why—a summary of some good news for you: Everyone is celebrating Kenneth Bae’s return. Bae was finally released from North Korean imprisonment after two years. There’s not much we can say that hasn’t been said in other media, but it doesn’t hurt to repeat the good news.

He was returned home, to his country and his city.

He got to hug his mom. (That might be number one on his list.)

He got to eat pizza (number one on his food request list).

America and Seattle celebrated. (And probably more than just America and Seattle.)

It was a lovely, heartbreaking reunion for the family, city, and country.

■ PUBLISHER'S BLOG

And more good news

For details, see page 1. Or turn on your computer and google it.

The other good news is that pick-up artist Julien Blanc is banned from Australia and is supposedly banned from Seattle. The creep (a fair description), was proponing and selling workshops that encouraged men to use offensive behavior toward Japanese women in order to get dates.

There is not a lot more we can add to the conversation except to encourage all other venues that supported or booked his workshops to ban him as well. (For more information refer to the commentary on page 11.) You can also read Jenn Fang’s full commentary /blog on Reappropriate.co. (Yes, that is .co, not .com.) We would have loved to published the whole piece, but we were limited due to space restrictions.

But there is enough to know that taking action can make a

difference which is why you should too. Yay for Australia for banning him! (And Seattle too, but we didn’t know if this is verified at time of printing.)

And speaking of taking action, The Girls Project (see front page) is doing so in the most intense, beautiful way.

By providing rural girls with plots of land to cultivate vegetables, grains, and such, they are also provided with more options than just being married off or being a victim of trafficking. These young women now can be instilled with a sense of purpose and pride. Yay for excellent programs!

We are crossing our fingers that we will have more happy editorials in the future. That is on our-pre-pre-Christmas wish list. 

Why my Chinese friends picked Indian food

“What’s the best place for Chinese food?” many Seattle Chinese are frequently confronted with this question.

“Drive up north,” many of my friends usually reply.

So I panicked when my childhood friends from Vancouver B.C. and Hong Kong called and said that they would visit Seattle together.

Where should I take them to eat?

It’s an interesting dilemma because many Hong Kong Chinese are not only foodies, but they are also very particular about the choice of cuisine.

So what should I do to present proper hospitality and appease all tastes? My friends have always taken me to dine at the best restaurants in British Columbia (B.C.) as well as Hong Kong.

B.C. is world-renowned for its Chinese cuisine and Seattle will probably take years to match its level. B.C.’s Chinese food is so refined that my Vancouver Chinese friends have developed critical tongues.

“You can take them to an American restaurant,” my husband suggested (so we wouldn’t have to compare our Chinese food with theirs).

“No, they are typical Chinese,” I said.

“After one long day of shopping, I bet they will want nothing but Chinese.”

My friends usually eat Cantonese-style in B.C. I thought if I perhaps took them to

Chinese cuisine. That’s the mentality of many old timers.

Strange, even when great chefs are hired to work in Washington state, they might lose their glow and effectiveness. Some complain they can’t find the right ingredients, while others groan that they are overworked with no assistants.

It’s a constant debate in the Chinese community. For the time being, I am content

A sample of our feast

a Mandarin-style Chinese restaurant, maybe they wouldn’t be able to tell that much of a difference?!

So after the shopping, the topic came up.

Where to eat? Taiwanese, Shanghai-nese, Peking duck, hot pot, Japanese…and I casually mentioned Indian, giving her many choices.

“Your Seattle Chinese food still has some way to go,” she said. “Let’s go for Indian.”

My jaw dropped when she said Indian, but I was delighted they aimed at an adventure, and at cuisine which she would be less likely to compare with her hometown’s.

So what impedes Seattle Chinese food from raising its standard for the past decade? Maybe it’s the fault of the Chinese community--many are content with low prices and big portions instead of quality

Photos by Assunta Ng/NWAW

ives r r a n m u t Au

Mushrooms at Seward Park by Lake Washington

Fall colors in Hing Hay Park in the International District

Want to get the inside scoop on the latest happenings of Seattle’s Asian American community? Follow Publisher Assunta Ng’s blog at nwasianweekly.com under the Opinion section.

with what I’ve got. I’ve learned to adapt---not to be too picky. I don’t judge food purely on taste any more. Instead, I dwell on food’s freshness, and appreciate cooking with less grease, MSG, salt and preservatives. To me, delicious food requires the ability of the chefs to preserve the food’s original taste and nutrients, to reveal its true flavor and richness. That is what makes eating joyful and interesting. 

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ COMMENTARY

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

11

OPINION

Sexual assault with a distinctly anti-Asian tinge

By Jenn Fang For Northwest Asian Weekly

The internet is in an uproar this week over Julien Blanc, an American and self-described “dating expert” who travels the globe giving workshops to men who are seeking to become so-called pick-up artists.

This week, Blanc’s video became viral. In it, Blanc provides instructions on how to harass Japanese women in Tokyo. On his last trip to Japan, he gleefully declares (perhaps hyperbolically, perhaps not) that on his last trip to Japan, he was grabbing women off the street and shoving them in his crotch, claiming to sooth their concerns by simultaneously yelling the names of Japanese things — “Pikachu,” “Tamagochi,” etc. In one video, for his Melbourne, Australia workshop called Real Social Dynamics, Blanc teaches his attendees to choke women to assert dominance over them and make them more pliant for seduction tactics.

That’s not dating. That’s sexual assault, with a distinctly anti-Asian tinge.

A viral online campaign protesting Julien Blanc was born, and it soon went offline at one of Blanc’s workshops in Australia. Then, an amazing thing happened: Australia revoked Julien Blanc’s visa unequivocally That’s awesome. So, why can’t that happen here in America?

In Australia, officials are taking a stand against Julien Blanc and pick-up artistry in general. Meanwhile, in America, pick-up artistry is a booming industry, one that is even defended as at least harmless, if not overtly political.

This week, Julien Blanc is being labeled as among the most extreme of misogynistic pick-up artists. And he is clearly on the fringe end of pick-up artistry. But these efforts at

Screen grab from Blanc’s YouTube video

distinguishing between Blanc and the rest of the seduction sub-culture distracts from the core problem: the entire pickup artist philosophy relies upon the base objectification and exploitation of women.

Pick-up artistry is about manipulation.

It is particularly popular within the Asian American community, where it is either casually condoned or openly endorsed as a justifiable reaction to the very real and lamentable emasculation stereotypes of Asian American men.

The dating world almost always fails to acknowledge the difficulties of dating for minority communities, especially Asian men. Everyone knows that dating when you’re a tall, handsome white guy who looks like a carbon copy of Channing Tatum or Bradley Cooper is basically playing the game on easy mode. But the majority in America have grown up with white privilege and they don’t realize that

having a different race requires a different approach, especially when the media emasculates Asian men.

Integrated into the Asian American pick-up artist brand is also a disturbing reinforcement of white supremacy, where white women are positioned as the pinnacle. Pick-up artistry — and its core values regarding women — continues to exist largely unchallenged within Asian American circles and sends a clear, and hostile, message towards Asian American feminists: the objectification of women remains at least marginally acceptable within our community.

Instead of speaking out against these workshops like Australia is doing, we in America are silent or even supportive.

At the end, workshop attendees emerge thousands of dollars poorer, having spent days learning the twin teachings that 1) women are easily manipulated through subconscious social cues into divulging their phone numbers, and 2) that masculinity is achieved through ownership of as many of these numbers as possible.

This week, feminists and Asian American activists are up in arms over the disgusting fetishism and exploitation of Asian women espoused by Julien Blanc. We are organizing additional efforts to protest him in Japan and in the U.S. So, yes, let’s #TakeDownJulienBlanc. But, let’s just not stop there. Julien Blanc is the easy, obvious target for our ire. Feminists, and our male allies, can we finally hear some broader criticism of the entire pick-up artist philosophy and the seduction community’s central focus on female objectification and exploitation?  Jenn Fang runs the website Reappropriate.co (not .com) where you can read her full commentary.

{FACEBOOK cont’d from page 1}

Prayuth vowed to use a variety of means to halt “those making A Criminal Court judge found 24-year-old impetuous, careless comments or with bad intentions undermine the Akkaradet Eiamsuwan guilty of violating nation’s major institution.”

Thailand’s lese majeste law, which punishes people who defame, insult or threaten the — Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha monarchy.

The ruling said Akkaradet used an alias to post the message on Facebook in March. He was arrested in Bangkok in June and has been in jail since then.

The court said it reduced an original sentence of five years’ imprisonment to 2 1/2 years because the defendant had confessed to the offense.

Thailand’s lese majeste law is the world’s harshest, providing for jail terms of three to 15 years.

The role of the monarchy has come

under closer scrutiny in recent years due to concerns about succession when 86-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej reaches the end of his reign. The political turmoil Thailand has suffered over the past eight years, with various political factions contending for power, is linked to such concerns.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha — who led a military coup as army commander in May — is an ardent defender of the

monarchy, having served for years in an infantry regiment known as the Queen’s Guard. In September, he said his government “considers it a crucial duty to glorify this institute with loyalty and to protect their prerogatives.” Prayuth vowed to use a variety of means to halt “those making impetuous, careless comments or with bad intentions undermine the nation’s major institution.”

Last month, a criminal complaint was

Thank you for recycling 湖景墓園 this newspaper!

Lake View Cemetery

☆西雅圖首創墓園☆ 自1872年起服務西北岸社區 非營利獨立協會

傳統式紀念碑

brought against a prominent Thai intellectual over statements he made about the monarchy, including a comment that traditional stories about a king who died more than 400 years ago might not be true. Sulak Sivaraksa, 82, a self-described royalist, has been the target of several lese majeste complaints since the 1980s.

Other cases involving ordinary citizens have been vigorously prosecuted since the coup, usually before military courts with no opportunity for appeal. The charge of lese majeste has often been used as a weapon to harass political enemies, but the number of cases has skyrocketed in recent years.

The country’s current leaders have allocated a large budget to the military to protect the king and instructed schools to stress patriotic themes in their curriculums. 

Lake View Cemetery Seattle’s Pioneer Cemetery Est. 1872 An Independent, NonProfit Association

Featuring

•陵墓地下室 •骨灰靈位 •墓碑、紀念碑 •土葬福地

Traditional SidebySide Monument Properties

206-322-1582

206-322-1582

1554 15th Ave East (North Capitol Hill)

1554 15th Ave East (North Capitol Hill)

asianweekly northwest

12

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

{WEI cont’d from page 4}

{CHINA AND JAPAN cont’d from page 5}

BWF president Poul-Erik Hoyer told the AP in a telephone interview on Saturday that he doubted there was “any systematic doping in badminton” but added he would “have preferred being without” this case.

momentum,” he said on BS Fuji television.

“I believe everyone wants us to put an end to tensions between Japan and China,” Abe said. “It would be extremely significant for us to show the rest of the world our efforts to fulfill our responsibilities for the region’s peace and prosperity.”

In a statement on its website, China’s Foreign Ministry said the sides acknowledged their “different positions” on the islands, called Diaoyu by China and Senkaku by Japan. That implied a degree of compromise on both sides. Japan has refused China’s demand to acknowledge that the islands’ sovereignty is in dispute, but Friday’s announcement indicated that Tokyo was at least willing to concede that different views exist.

China, for its part, appeared to have compromised on demands for a resumption of dialogue.

The announcement followed a meeting in Beijing between Chinese Vice Premier Yang Jiechi, the government’s senior foreign policy adviser, and Abe’s special envoy, National Security Adviser Shotaro Yachi, who was dispatched to Beijing on Thursday.

According to the Foreign Ministry statement, the sides agreed to hold dialogue and consultation to prevent the island dispute from further deteriorating and to establish crisis management mechanisms to avoid contingencies.

“We know that when there is money involved in a sport — and the money in badminton isn’t very big —there is always someone who wants to take shortcuts.”

— BWF president Poul-Erik Hoyer Hoyer, a retired Danish badminton player who won major international singles titles in the 1990s, was speaking in Peru at an already planned meeting of the BWF. “We know that when there is money involved in a sport —and the money in badminton isn’t very big —there is always someone who wants to take shortcuts,” Hoyer said.

Dexamethasone is on the World AntiDoping Agency’s prohibited list. Substances make that list if they meet any two of the following criteria: 1) they have the potential to enhance sport performance 2) represent an actual or potential health risk to the athlete or 3) violate the spirit of sport.

Lee won silver medals at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics, as well as at the 2011, 2013 and 2014 World Championships.

He has also won four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, including the men’s singles at Melbourne 2006 and Delhi 2010.  Jan Olsen in Copenhagen contributed to this report.

{BABY BOOM cont’d from page 5} and child-raising costs, or other careerrelated considerations, many young couples are not in a hurry to have children,” Zhao said. “As far as birthing is concerned, the policy has a time lag. It would be at least until the second year or the third year before we can tell if the overall birthing level would see any major change.”  Zhao said there is no timetable to abolish the one-child policy.

{GIRLS PROJECT cont’d from page 1} Bengal, India in 2012 and still remembers the frantic activity of dayto-day life there. Dedicated to work involving basic human rights, she said, “When I saw Landesa and an opportunity to work here, I was fully convinced that this question of a right to land has everything to do with fundamental rights.”

Four times a year, she travels to West Bengal, a town filled with banana trees and vast rice paddies, to visit the girls helped by the Girls Project and to keep Landesa’s crucial partnership with the Indian government and local community workers strong and effective.

Landesa has more than 40 years of experience working with governments.

“One of the things I felt most strongly being in West Bengal and, in particular, in the project areas, is that you see these girls who grew up really differently from how I grew up,” she said.

Poor Indian families are more likely to pay for the schooling of male children. Instead of learning in a classroom, Grout says adolescent girls can be found carrying wood and water by the side of the road, herding animals, and taking care of laundry.

“When you talk to them, they have the same dreams,” she said.

“They want to be something, and they would like to decide that.”

Compounding the challenge of poverty, the lower social status of Indian women means they have no say in decision-making about their future as well as their family’s land and money. Changing this cultural norm has been the biggest challenge for the Girls Project.

In mid-2010 the Girls Project began with a few hundred girls in {YEE cont’d from page 4} Yee will continue to volunteer for the organizations close to his heart. In addition to Kin On, he has volunteered for the Wing Luke Asian Museum, Seattle King County Advisory Council on Aging, WA State Chinese Cancer Network Association, APARN Coalition (Asian Pacific America Resource Network), and OCA

TAITUNG

Japan’s Foreign Ministry issued an identical statement in Japanese.

Top White House official on Asian affairs, Evan Medeiros, said the U.S. very warmly welcomed the agreement by Japan and China to improve relations, particularly on crisis management.

He told reporters in Washington that a stable relationship between the two largest economies in East Asia was essential to regional peace and prosperity.

China was incensed by Japan’s move to nationalize the islands in 2012, sparking violent anti-Japanese protests and prompting the government to send patrol boats into waters surrounding the islands to confront Japanese coast guard vessels. China also strongly objected to a visit last year by Abe to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine honoring the nation’s war dead, including executed war criminals.

Along with sparking fears of an armed confrontation, the dispute has been blamed for an almost 50 percent reduction in Japanese investment in China during the first half of the year.

Along with demanding that Japan recognize the island dispute, China had been pushing for a commitment from Abe not to visit Yasukuni, seen by Chinese as a monument to Japan’s 20th century aggression against China and other Asian nations.  Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report. about 20 villages. The experiment succeeded in getting families to place a higher value on them and thus, offered different options than just getting married. The program contributes to self-sufficiency and pride. Today, the Girls Project has helped more than 40,000 girls in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal. More than 200,000 families in India have also received micro-plots of land.

Grout will return to India in January to work on the next phase for the Girls Project: getting its straightforward model to work even better. “And then, think about where else we can do this,” she adds.

The project is one of many Landesa undertakes. “Our work in China is very different,” said Rena Singer, Landesa communications director. “(It) is improving the tenure security of the farmers who are farming the land in China because … the farmers don’t actually own the land that they’re farming. It’s owned by the government.”

“I think this idea of working with adolescent girls and empowering them in rural areas is something that could apply in a lot of parts in the world, including other areas in Asia,” Grout said.

“It can change the girl’s life, her family, communities, the nation.”  For more information about the Girls Project, go to http://www. landesa.org/women-and-land/programs-and-projects/securityfor-girls-through-land-project-girls-project/.

James Tabafunda can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

Seattle Chapter.

On Dec. 5, he will be recognized for his lifetime achievements at the Northwest Asian Weekly’s event, “Top Contributors to the Asian Community.”  Nina Huang can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

www.buckleylaw.net

R E S TA U R A N T

Established in 1935

• Catering • Cocktails • Valet parking • Banquet facilities Hours Sun.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.

655 S. King St. Seattle 206-622-7714 or 622-7372

Seattle Office 675 S. Lane St. Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98104 Office: (206) 622-1100 Toll free: (800) 404-6200 Fax: (206) 622-0688

Our law firm has recovered over $200 million for clients

Tacoma Office Wells Fargo Plaza Suite 1400 Tacoma, WA 98402 (appointment only)

Our Attorneys & Staff Proudly Serving the Community

 Auto accidents  Back & neck injuries  Brain damage  Wrongful Death  Permanent Disability  Pedestrian Accidents  Quadriplegia/Paraplegia

 Slip & fall  Product Liability  Contingent fees (no recovery, no fee, costs only)  Same day appointments  Before & after work appointments available  Free initial consultation  Home & hospital visits available

Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum Selected as Super Lawyer Selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States Member of Several Bar Associations

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ astrology

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

13

For the week of November 15–November 21, 2014

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Some obligations cannot be ignored. There will come a day where you will be glad that you did your part.

Dragon — While your work ethic is quite admirable, there is nothing wrong with taking a day off for yourself when you need it.

Monkey — It is easy to overindulge if you are not paying attention. Be watchful of the quality and quantity of what you are taking in.

Ox — You tend to favor classic styles as opposed to bending to the winds of fashion. Given a choice, picking a timeless piece is recommended.

Snake — Though your intentions are good, that by itself does not guarantee results. Remember that there are other factors involved that will influence the outcome.

Rooster — Have you stumbled on a place that is surprisingly pleasant to be in? It could be worth sticking around for a bit.

Tiger — Forging alliances can be quite beneficial; however, don’t forget your old ones in the process of trying to find new ones.

Horse — Is it possible that you are more attracted to the idea than the reality? Understanding your own motivations could save you from wasting precious time.

Dog — If you anticipate needing to coordinate an upcoming activity with a group of people, then the more advance notice you give, the better.

Rabbit — Are there many things vying for your attention this week? The loudest doesn’t necessarily have the highest priority.

Goat — Are you really running out of space or do you just need to make better use of the room you have?

Sometimes it’s worth stepping back to reassess.

Pig — Although your strategy may be relatively sound, there is reason to leave room for adjustment when necessary.

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 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 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.

{FRANK cont’d from page 8} Southern California (where most of the cast and crew were based) to the Tri-Cities. Yet, all involved were happy to accommodate the flight schedules One of the stars in the film is Hayley Kiyoko. “I fell in love with the script,” recalled Kiyoko. Kiyoko plays Alisa, a free spirit that is not afraid to live life to the fullest.

Kiyoko based her role in “Hello, My Name is Frank,” on people she knew. “I try to channel my character with girls I went to high school with,” said Kiyoko of her inspiration for the role. She was born in Southern California with roots to perform. Her father was an actor/comedian and her mother a figure skater. Kiyoko’s mother, Sarah Kawahara is Japanese. {SPORTS cont’d from page 9} final day of the regular season. While Hisashi Iwakuma was a major reason for the Mariners’ success early in the season, he experienced a late-season funk in which he could not grab key wins during the pennant chase this past season. Despite this, Iwakuma went 15-9 in 2013 and was good enough that the Mariners decided to pick up a $7 million option on his contract. He could have gone to another team if the option was not picked up. Last season, Iwakuma missed the first month due to injury. Hopefully with a contract extension, it will motivate him to improve on a season that saw great improvement in the team.

Donaire tastes canvas in ring return

In 2012, Nonito Donaire was picked as the Boxer of the Year. And yes, “The Filipino Flash” beat out Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather to earn that designation.

This past October, Donaire was knocked out by upstart fighter, Jamaican Nicholas Walters in Donaire’s home state of California. Donaire was downed with just one second left in the sixth round. With the loss, Donaire lost his WBA Super Featherweight title he had won in his previous fight. In his past four fights, Donaire has 2 wins and 2 losses, whereas he won the 30 previous fights.

Donaire is 31 years old and there is no word of slowing down despite the recent loss. We shall see what Donaire will do next to regain his previous form.

Pacquiao readies for next test

While Donaire’s career has suffered a setback, Manny Pacquiao is set for another test. This time, he is scheduled to fight relative unknown Chris Algieri. Algieri is still an unknown and if there was ever a fighter that was at the opposite end of the fame and fortune category, it could be Algieri. It was revealed that he still lives in the basement of his parents’ home and drives a late model Honda Accord. The native of New Jersey has toiled in obscurity until a recent upset victory propelled the former kickboxer to a fight with Pacquiao.

Obviously, based on name alone, Pacquiao is thought to be the clear favorite in the Nov. 22 fight in Macau, China. With a win, Pacquiao, 35, could reignite talk that a fight with Floyd Mayweather could still be an option. Of course, this has been talked about for ages.

Aside from acting, Kiyoko is a singer and songwriter.

She just released a new album EP, “This Side of Paradise.”

She will undoubtedly use her skills when she appears in the upcoming movie version of the popular 1980s cartoon series “Jem and the Holograms.” The movie is set to release October 2015.

Perhaps her most visible role to date is that of Raven Ramirez on the new spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, “CSI:Cyber,” which will be airing on CBS during the 2014-2015 network season.

Over 300 people attended a recent private screening of “Hello, My Name is Frank,” in Long Beach, California for invited guests and investors of the film. Several extras that appeared in the movie traveled down from the Tri-Cities to watch themselves on the big screen.

Marathoner runs against the grain

Japanese marathon runner Yuki Kawauchi is not your typical elite marathoner. He coaches himself (whereas top-level runners have coaches), he ran 11 marathons in 2013 (most marathoners run two to three in a year) and keeps up his schedule while holding down a 40-hour a week government job (most elite marathoners’ only job is to run).

Despite the busy schedule, Kawauchi is a top runner.

Of the 11 marathons last year, 5 of those were “sub-2:10” which means he ran 26.2 miles under 2 hours and 10 minutes. The time is a benchmark in the marathon community. Simply put, if you can do this, you are fast. In the history of U.S. running, there was only one year in which Americans produced over 5 “sub-2:10” runs. And those were run by different people. Yet, Kawauchi produced 5 of them last year.

Kawauchi is revered by the Japanese public as someone that has scoffed at the business aspects of racing. He has turned down sponsorship offers, spots on training teams, and memberships to gyms despite the fact that these things could aid his running and finances. He trains almost every weekend (which means no overtime at his job) and travels the globe finding the next race to compete in. Kawauchi stated in a recent interview that he would like to have run 100 marathons by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Obviously, it would seem to be a goal to run the marathon in those Olympics.

Despite his non-conformist running habits, Kawauchi would like to elevate Japanese running and give it a different perception. “I want to show that Japanese runners can be tough, strong, and compete well outside Japan,” said Kawuchi in a recent interview. He also stated that he wanted to show young runners that there are alternatives to the corporate system for elite runners. This eludes to the fact that most

At this point, Petersen has submitted the film to various film festivals including the Seattle International Film Festival which holds its festival in late spring. The hope is that the film will be picked up by a festival and buzz will be generated that it may garner wider distribution.  For more information on the film, visit: https://www. facebook.com/HelloMyNameIsFrank.

For more information on Hayley Kiyoko, visit: http:// www.hayleykiyokoofficial.com/ or follow her on twitter @ HayleyKiyoko.

Jason Cruz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com. elite runners partner with businesses to fund training so that they can focus on running and not have to worry about a job.

Last year after the New York Marathon, which was a Sunday, Kawauchi flew back to Japan to be at work on Tuesday.

Kawauchi placed 11th in this year’s New York City Marathon, posting a finish time of 2 hours and 16 minutes.

Kawauchi is not getting back home until Tuesday and will not go into work until Wednesday.

Sometimes you need an extra day of rest.  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.

asianweekly northwest

14

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

{MYANMAR cont’d from page 5} In the last two and a half years, attacks by Buddhist mobs have left hundreds dead and 140,000 trapped in camps where they live without access to adequate health care, education or jobs.

Smith said authorities in Myanmar have been profiting off the Rohingya for decades, and extracting money from those departing was only one way. If Rohingya residents attempt to travel to neighboring villages without permission from local authorities, they risk being arrested and forced to pay bribes for their freedom, he said. The restrictions are so intense that even those who repair their own houses — which often crumble during the rainy season — can be fined if they do so without permission.

Many of those fleeing today have been forced to sell everything they have, including precious belongings — land, cattle, gold — to human trafficking brokers who typically charge $2,000 for passage to Malaysia, a Muslim country. Many end up in secret jungle camps in Thailand, where they face extortion and beatings until relatives come up with enough money to win their release.

Thai authorities have also been accused of colluding with traffickers, but have denied the allegations.

“It’s draining them economically,” Smith said. “This is one of the poorest communities in Asia, one of the most abused, and this whole process is taking the little resources that they have left in exchange for even more abuse.”

According to Fortify Rights, the brokers may collect sums averaging $500 to $600 per small boatload of asylum seekers, usually numbering between 50 and 100 people, and hand those payments to officials from Myanmar’s police, navy and army. Police also have collected payments directly from passengers, the group said, adding that the Myanmar navy once demanded $7,000 from a trafficking ship offshore to allow them to leave.

The small boats transport the Rohingya to larger ships further out at sea that can carry as many as 1,000 people. The Fortify Rights report said the vast majority of those fleeing are routinely deceived, finding themselves “in the custody of abusive human trafficking and smuggling gangs, who detain them in conditions of enslavement and exploitation .... nearly all endure or witness torture, deprivation of food and water, confinement in extremely close quarters and other abuses throughout their journeys.”

The Associated Press has documented similar accounts in Rakhine state. The family member of one Rohingya broker — since arrested on drug trafficking and other charges —

said his boat set off from a small creek inland and had to pass a police post on the way to the sea where an obligatory payment had to be made. The family member spoke in Myin Hlut town on condition of anonymity for fear of being arrested.

The family member also recounted navy ships escorting Rohingya asylum seekers out to sea, as well as chasing them to extract more bribes. In another instance documented

by AP, a dozen Myanmar soldiers boarded a vessel filled with Rohingya in the Bay of Bengal, bound their hands and bludgeoned them with wooden planks and iron rods before finally extracting money and letting them go.

Smith said the reason Myanmar authorities were exploiting trafficking networks themselves was simple: they can make tremendous money doing it.

“Assuming that just half the 100,000 who have fled in the last two years have been forced to pay $2,000 each for passage to Malaysia, we’re talking about a trade worth $100 million, he said. “That’s why we see government complicity.

There is a perverse and disturbing economic element to all of this.”  Pitman reported from Bangkok.

Have a story idea that you think would fit perfectly in Northwest Asian Weekly?

We want to know about it. Send it to us at info@nwasianweekly.c om.

Service Directory ACM1 Concrete Lic.

Law Office of Kim-Khanh T. Van, PLLC

Foundation.Veneer.Brick.Stamping.

Driveway.Exposed Concrete.Paver.

Loni (253)985-3021 or Nate (206) 939-9936 Free Estimate Licensed And Bonded

Immigration, Personal Injury, Family, Contracts, Business, & Criminal/Traffic Laws

607 SW Grady Way, Suite #260, Renton, WA 98057

Cell: 206-304-0642  Office: 425-793-4357

FREE CONSULTATION! FREE PASSPORT PHOTOS!

The American Legion Cathay Post 186

English, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin and other Asian Languages

Serving the community since 1946

cathaypost@hotmail.com

206-625-9104 www.herrmannscholbe.com

SUCCESS SECRETS REVEALED! Selecting ONLY a few pre-qualified people to receive SPECIALIZED success training. For a FREE CD, and to find out if you have what it takes, please call 206-349-2808. English speaking is a must.

PS-ask about a FREE CRUISE.

» Personal Injury» Airline Disasters» Bicycle Accidents

» Wrongful Death» Dog Bites » Pedestrian Accidents

Mandarin, Cantonese & Korean Interpreter available

Feel Better Today WE DEFEND DUI & STOP DEPORTATIONS FROM THE U.S.

206-587-2393

www.actuslawgroup.com

5200 Southcenter Blvd., Suite 260, Seattle, WA 98188

Want to become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter?

Visit www.nwasianweekly.com.

32 YEARS YOUR VOICE

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014

{BAE cont’d from page 1} home: No Korean food.

“He said, `I don’t want Korean food, that’s all I’ve been eating for the last two years,”’ Terri Chung said Sunday outside her Seattle church. “We had a late night eating pizza.”

Bae and Matthew Miller, another American who had been held captive in North Korea, landed Saturday night at a Washington state military base after a top U.S. intelligence official secured their release.

“It’s been an amazing two years, I learned a lot, I grew a lot, I lost a lot of weight,” Bae, a KoreanAmerican missionary with health problems, said at Joint Base-LewisMcChord Saturday night. Asked how he was feeling, he said, “I’m recovering at this time.”

Bae, surrounded by family members, spoke briefly to the media after the plane carrying him and Miller landed. He thanked President Barack Obama and the people who supported him and his family.

He also thanked the North Korean government for releasing him.

“I just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me,” Bae said. His family has said he suffers from diabetes, an enlarged heart, liver problems and back pain.

Chung said Bae was in better shape when he arrived than his family expected. She said he had spent about six weeks in a North Korean hospital before he returned.

“That helped. As you know, he had gone back and forth between the labor camp and hospital,” she said.

She said he was checked out by a doctor on the flight back to the

Family reunion

United States.

His plans for the near future include rest and food and reconnecting with friends and family. Neither his wife nor his children could make it back to Seattle in time for Bae’s homecoming, his sister said.

They plan to gather the whole family together for the Thanksgiving holiday in late November, she said.

Members of Bae’s family, who live near the sprawling military base south of Seattle, had met him when he landed. His mother hugged him after he got off the plane. Miller stepped off the U.S. government aircraft a short time later and also was greeted with hugs.

U.S. officials said Miller of Bakersfield, California, and Bae of Lynnwood, Washington state, flew back with James Clapper, the director of national intelligence. Clapper was the highest-ranking American to visit Pyongyang in more than a decade.

Their release was the latest twist

Bobby Lee, a college friend at University of Oregon feeds Bae’s first meal back - pizza

in the fitful relationship between the Obama administration and the young North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, whose approach to the U.S. has shifted back and forth from defiance to occasional conciliation.

A senior Obama administration official said the president approved the mission last week and U.S. officials spent the next several days planning the trip. Clapper spent roughly a day on the ground and met with North Korean security officials—but not with Kim, the official said aboard Air Force One as Obama prepared to head to Beijing.

Clapper went with the sole purpose of bringing home the two detainees, although the U.S. anticipated that other issues of concern to the North would come up during Clapper’s discussions, the official said.

“It was not to pursue any other diplomatic opening,” said the official, who wasn’t authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.

The U.S. had considered sending someone from outside the government to retrieve the detainees, the official said, but suggested Clapper after the North Koreans indicated in recent weeks that they would release the detainees if the U.S. sent a high-level official from Obama’s administration.

Analysts who study North Korea said the decision to free Bae and Miller now from long prison terms probably was a bid to ease pressure in connection with its human rights record. A recent U.N. report documented rape, torture, executions and forced labor in the North’s network of prison camps, accusing the government of “widespread, systematic and gross” human rights violations.

North Korea seems worried that Kim could be accused in the International Criminal Court, said Sue Mi Terry, a former senior intelligence analyst now at Columbia University.

Bae was serving a 15-year sen-

{OGATA cont’d from page 1} from Whitman with a degree in political science, but once I made the decision to go to dental school, I needed some hard sciences — I needed to catch up.” Ogata went to the University of Washington School of Dentistry, where he picked up the courses he didn’t have – genetics, anatomy, organic chemistry and the like, before heading off to orthodontics school in St. Louis.

St. Louis is also where Ogata met his wife Siamphone, (Pon), who had just immigrated to the US from Laos to start a new life in America. Pon was working at McDonalds to support herself, trying to learn English, and finding her way in the states when she met Ogata. The couple has three children: Austin, 15, Carson, 13, and Kiana, 10.

The family got quite a scare in September of 2012 when Dr. Ogata suffered a stroke while at the WSDA House of Delegates, the annual meeting of the governing body for the association. The House was in Walla Walla, Wash. that year, and it would go down as the year of accidents and health scares — with Ogata’s stroke, another delegate’s harrowing bicycle accident, and still another who suffered from food poisoning. Ogata was running for Vice President opposite Dr. Laura Williams, and the two debated for the position. It wasn’t until midway through the spirited engagement that he sensed anything was amiss, recalling, “My hand started to shake, and I tried to write a note, and all I could do was scribble gibberish. Then my legs started to shake — so badly that I had to hold onto the podium to finish the speech.” He was pleased with his debate performance, and attributed everything to nerves, figuring that some water and a little downtime would bring him back to normal. When after 30 minutes he still didn’t feel well, he started to wonder if something more serious was happening. He

Ogata and family

asked his friend Dr. Doug Coe if anything looked wrong, and Coe confirmed his fears: his face was indeed drooping. It was a Level 1 stroke initially, and something happened later in the evening – Ogata became agitated and his symptoms started to worsen and affect his ability to walk. It was a troubling development, exacerbated by the fact that they were hundreds of miles from home.

Like so many small communities, the hospital in Walla Walla was affiliated with a much larger ER center — theirs was in Portland, Ore. The decision was made to airlift him there, where his condition began to worsen — “They tried to raise my blood pressure using medications, but that made my arm stop working entirely. It was a scary time — as everyone knows ERs aren’t a fun place to be no matter how you feel.” In a few days they took him by ambulance to Swedish Hospital’s Cherry Hill campus in Seattle so that Ogata could be closer to home and family. “When I got to Cherry Hill the first day I panicked a little. I couldn’t move, couldn’t get up, and I think I was beginning to realize the severity of what had happened. I had the nic-

est Occupational Therapist who recognized this, and asked if I’d had a shower. I hadn’t — in five days! She was amazingly positive.

I couldn’t do anything by myself, I had to either have my mother or Pon help me. I felt like I was trapped in someone else’s body — I was sending the same signals to my body, but nothing was happening.” Ogata was about to start one of the most challenging periods of his life..

When he first had the stroke, Ogata did not have the use of his right arm, had slurred speech, and had difficulty walking, but today he walks and drives with ease, and there is no perceptible lag in his speech. Ogata credits his family, and most importantly, Pon, for his recovery to date, saying “I could not have done it without her. The kids helped, too — the boys assisted Greg with his exercises, and Kiana helped relieve painful muscle tension with massage. “The thing they don’t tell you is that you’re in pain all the time because your muscles fire continuously.”

Ogata initially assumed he’d be back to work within six months, but as it became increasingly clear that wasn’t going to hap-

15

tence for alleged anti-government activities. He was detained in 2012 while leading a tour group to a North Korea economic zone.

Miller was serving a six-year jail term on charges of espionage after he allegedly ripped up his tourist visa at Pyongyang’s airport in April and demanded asylum. North Korea said Miller had wanted to experience prison life so he could secretly investigate the country’s human rights situation.

Bae and Miller were the last two Americans held captive by the reclusive Communist country.

Last month, North Korea released Jeffrey Fowle of Miamisburg, Ohio, who was held for nearly six months. He had left a Bible in a nightclub in the hope that it would reach North Korea’s underground Christian community.

Speaking Sunday, Chung said her brother was staying with family members, and enjoyed visiting with his loved ones upon his return.

“He was cut off from all of that for two years,” she said. “His only contacts were his guard, and maybe doctors and a handful of times the Swedish embassy.”

Chung said she was thrilled to have her brother home, and that “he bears no ill will” over his ordeal.  Associated Press writers Ken Dilanian, Matthew Pennington, AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee, White House Correspondent Julie Pace, AP writer Nedra Pickler, AP National Security Writer Lara Jakes in Muscat, Oman, and AP writer John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

pen, his focus shifted, and he placed a call to his colleague, Dr. Gary Inman. The two had served with on the Council on Governmental Affairs at the American Association of Orthodontists and become friends over the years. Inman says, “I knew Greg, and that he had a young family. I could tell that he was anxious to get back to work, but I could also tell that the stroke had affected him, and that the likelihood that he would ever return to work as an orthodontist was greatly diminished. We looked at the math, and it didn’t behoove him to go back and reinvent his practice… He obviously faced a major adversity with his health, and it’s unfortunate that he had to retire, but his mind is still in top shape.

He has a lot to offer still, if not in the practice of dentistry, then as a consultant to the industry.”

Ogata admits he was forced to do a reality check. For the time being, the practice of dentistry is not part of his reality, though he doesn’t completely rule it out in the future. In truth, the rate of recovery is greatest in the acute and post-acute periods — weeks and months after a stroke. But even if Ogata can’t perform dentistry, he could easily serve in another capacity within the dental industry.

Ogata doesn’t have to get too worked up about what the future holds for at least another year. For now, the business of being president is filling up his schedule nicely. Between meetings for the WSDA, the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association, his study club, various visits with physical therapists and occupational therapists, and shepherding his children from games to school to…you get the picture.  Reprinted with permission from the WSDA News.

asianweekly northwest

16

NOVEMBER 15 – NOVEMBER 21, 2014