VOL 34 NO 49 | NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

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VOL 34 NO 49 NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015 FREE 33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Happy

THANKSGIVING!

Day of Gluttony! Page 8

Harry Yuan (left) and Bruce Aguirre gluttonize! (Photo courtesy Tastemade)

3, 11

Two forms of squash (sport and food) Pages Top community contributors Pages 2, 7 Thanksgiving and Spam? Page 10

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8, 9

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Refugee controversy Pages

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NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

■ names in the news Sung honored for contributions regarding suicide prevention

Lindy Li to make election bid as candidate for U.S. Congress

The Sue Eastgard Training Excellence Award was presented to Jeffrey Sung, M.D., an acting instructor with the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and president-elect of the Washington State Psychiatric Association.

More than 400 suicide prevention advocates came together Nov. 18 in Jeffrey Sung the University of Washington’s HUB Grand Ballroom to attend Care, Connect, Build at Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention’s third annual event to raise awareness that everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention. Funds were raised for the suicide prevention cause.

Forefront is a social impact organization in the UW School of Social Work. It led the historic passage of three pieces of legislation making Washington the first state in the nation to require suicide prevention training for mental health professionals, doctors, nurses, teachers and schools. Forefront also is leading efforts to promote comprehensive approaches to suicide prevention in high schools and institutions of higher education. 

Lindy Li will be running for the U.S. Congress in 2016 in Philadelphia. If she wins, Li, now age 24, will be the youngest woman elected to the U.S. Congress.

The average age is 57 and the youngest serving in Congress is 30.

Her Republican opponent is Patrick Meehan. She has been endorsed by Al Gore, Madeleine Albright and DiLindy Li anne Feinstein.

She graduated from La Salle University with a major in political science. She immigrated from Sichuan, China, when she was 5 years old.

She plans to visit Seattle on Dec. 6. Li and her mother will be speaking at the Microsoft campus. There will be a rally and fundraising dinner for her from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the House of Hong restaurant in Seattle.

There will be $150 minimum for a seat, and there is up to $2,700 allowed for donation. 

Presentation highlights climate and oppression A public presentation, “Women of Color Speak Out – Climate Change and the Systems of Oppression” was held by the Ethiopian Community of Seattle on Nov. 18.

“Women of Color Speak Out” is a collective of activists in Seattle who are working to educate communities about the climate crisis. The discussion highlighted how systems of oppression have led to worldwide ecological disaster.

Speakers included: Afrin Sopariwala, an activist and student of yoga and ayurveda who grew up in Mumbai, India, and is attempting to move toward living a zero-waste life.

Sarra Tekola, a scientist and activist who has worked on

Afrin Sopariwala, Sarra Tekola, Yin Yu, Zarna Joshi

issues including “Black Lives Matter”, ending juvenile incarceration, fossil fuel divestment and justice in carbon policies.

Yin Yu, a system practitioner and convener of spaces to explore complexities as human beings where paradoxes and tensions can be held.

Zarna Joshi, a writer, public speaker and activist who was born in England and has cultural and spiritual roots in India. 

Twisp Mayor Soo Ing-Moody honored as Woman of Valor Twisp mayor Soo Ing-Moody, who helped guide the city through the devastating Washington fires in 2014, was honored at the Women of Valor ceremony held at the Westin Seattle hotel on Nov. 23 and hosted

by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell. The event also featured special guest, the Honorable Sally Jewell, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Soo Ing-Moody Other honorees included Janet True, Leslie Chihuly, Joanne Harrell and Marjorie James. 

Northwest Asian Weekly is always looking for Asian American community news. If you are the host or an attendee of an API fundraiser, e-mail us a big photo, event highlights, and the amount of money raised. We are also looking for news about APIs in new jobs and APIs getting public recognition and awards.

Please send materials to editor@nwasianweekly.com with “names in the news” as the subject line.

■ community news

Refugee resettlement

Gov. Jay Inslee’s statement regarding White House briefing on security protocols related to refugee resettlement “Today [Nov. 17] I participated in a briefing with federal officials regarding the policies and protocols in place to screen all refugees – including Syrian refugees – seeking to resettle in the United States. The conference call was a chance for governors to speak with officials from the White House and the departments of Homeland Security, State, and Health and Human Services.

“Setting aside some hateful and divisive comments from certain corners, governors have a legitimate right and need to assure their citizens are safe. It’s the federal government’s role to process applications for refugee status, and up to the federal government to decide who is let into the country. The federal government then works with federally-approved organizations, like U.S. Conference of Bishops, to identify suitable communities where they can be resettled.

“Today’s briefing was a chance for governors to hear directly from those responsible for the processing of refugees and the security of our nation. The federal government reaffirmed that

refugees go through the highest level of security screening of any category of traveler to the United States. This multi-layered screening process involves the use of biographic and biometric information, such as background checks and fingerprints, which are screened against multiple law enforcement and counterterrorism databases. Refugee screening experts perform multiple in-person interviews, and each screening is again reviewed by a supervisor.

“Refugee candidates also undergo a medical screening. And because of the particular conditions regarding the Syrian crisis, there are additional security screens in place for Syrian refugees.

“Federal officials also made it clear that there is a lot of misinformation about the type of people who are fleeing from persecution. The U.S. State Department prioritizes the highestrisk and most-vulnerable groups of people – children, the elderly, and victims of torture or abuse. About half of all Syrian refugees are children.

“We are fortunate that our nation’s location and borders do

not put us in the same situation we see in Europe, where boats and rafts full of refugees wash ashore with a significantly diminished ability to track who is arriving or

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s statement about allowing Syrian refugees into U.S.

“We join with the people of France, of Lebanon, and other countries across the world in mourning the victims of the Paris and Beirut attacks. While I am

Syrian refugees (AP)

departing.

“The federal government feels confident that we have in place robust and thorough security protocols and practices that allow us to provide a safe harbor to those fleeing unfathomable types of brutality and violence while also keeping us safe.” 

heartbroken by the recent tragic events, I feel as Americans, we cannot give in to the fear and hatred that are often the end goals of such

heinous acts.

I stand with Gov. Jay Inslee in welcoming Syrian refugees into Washington State and the City of Seattle. It is the right thing to do and a practical response to a global refugee crisis. The foundation of America includes the values of freedom and opportunity. And it is our responsibility to provide safety to families fleeing attacks on their homes and children.

Some have given in to fear and suggested we close our borders to those needing our help. I disagree.

The federal government reaffirms that refugees go through the highest level of security screening of any category of traveler to the U.S. This process can take up to two years and involves multiple federal agencies.

Seattle is home to many who have fled violence in war-torn lands.

Our long history of integrating new refugees and immigrants continues to benefit our vibrant, multi-cultural city.” 

Send your exciting news to editor@nwasianweekly.c om

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

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■ national news

Teen honored for helping Indian widows ‘Sew a Future’

By Amy Kuperinsky NJ.com

Photo courtesy Ruchita Zaparde

PLAINSBORO, N.J. (AP) — It’s not every day that a drone shows up at your front door, drops a package with an iPad in it and whirls away, leaving you a personalized video message from Nick Cannon to come to Florida — right away.

But that’s what happened to Ruchita Zaparde earlier this month when she got the news that she would be one of four honorees at the recent Nickelodeon’s HALO Awards.

The ceremony — its name stands for Helping and Leading Others — recognizes young people who have started community service initiatives.

Zaparde, 18, who lives in Plainsboro and attends Princeton Day School, is the founder of Sew a Future, a nonprofit that raises money to buy sewing machines for

Ruchita Zaparde (far right) with Sew a Future grantees

■ WORLD NEWS

Singapore woman, son reunited after AP’s ‘McRefugee’

By Kelvin Chan Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — After being tricked into selling her Singapore home and traveling to China to invest the proceeds, Mary Seow eventually found herself homeless in Hong Kong, having lost touch with her family.

Nearly five years after she was reported missing, and after her story was told this month in an Associated Press article about people who sleep at 24-hour McDonald’s outlets in Hong Kong, she has been reunited with her son and was on her way back to Singapore on Saturday.

Seow, 60, said she did not expect to be heading back to Singapore so soon after the story broke on Nov. 12.

“Until now, I’m still like dreaming,’’ she said at Hong Kong’s airport as she prepared to board a flight to Singapore with her 28-year-old son, Edward Goh. Seow’s family members had reported her missing, but her whereabouts were a mystery until she was quoted in the AP story about people known as “McRefugees.’’

Until then, Seow had been just one of an untold number of homeless and working poor spending their nights at the fast-food chain’s 120 restaurants that are open round the clock in Hong Kong.

Her tale caught the attention of family members, Singapore’s government and concerned citizens. They worked swiftly to reunite the widow with her son and only child, whom she had raised on her own after her husband died of a heart attack two decades ago.

Seow had a surprise reunion on Friday with her son, who had flown to Hong Kong to find her and bring her back home.

She said her ordeal began when she was swindled by people from China whom she met at a church in Singapore. They had persuaded her to sell her house and

widows in India, NJ.com reported. She first came up with the idea after she traveled to India with her family in 2010.

Zaparde’s parents hail from the central part of the country, and she was visiting a rural region of Maharashtra when she met a woman named Asha, who had been kicked out of her in-laws’ home after her husband died.

Asha, 27, had two daughters and made ends meet by working as a farm laborer and sewing at night. But the farm work was only seasonal. And when the farm’s crop didn’t produce as expected, Asha’s daughters had to leave school to work. She desperately wanted her children to be able to return to school, but the family needed the money.

Zaparde learned that Asha could make triple the money she brought in each day — $3 instead of $1 — if she had a sewing machine. So she set about raising the $110 that {see NEW JERSEY cont’d on page 14}

■ community news

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Feliz día de gracias!)

Dual-language education grants awarded to five Washington State school districts

By Pavan Vangipuram OneAmerica

Mary Seow

go with them to mainland China to invest the money in their transport business, but when she arrived she realized it was all a scam.

She decided to stay in China and try to earn back some of her lost money, including by working as a street sweeper.

She eventually ended up in Hong Kong, where she has spent the past three months living on the streets and finding some work doing what is known as “parallel trading,’’ carrying diapers, baby formula, chocolate and other branded goods across the border to resellers in mainland China.

Seow said she hadn’t wanted to return to Singapore because she was mortified that she had lost the family home and didn’t want to face her son.

That’s why she said she had “mixed feelings’’ even after reuniting with her son.

“I feel happy and I feel a bit of guilty conscience,’’ she said.

Goh said he had “very strong and mixed’’ emotions, but added that there would be “no drama’’ and that they would “definitely not talk about the past.’’

“I just want to bring her home,’’ he said.  Associated Press writer Annabelle Liang in Singapore contributed to this report.

Five Washington School Districts were awarded grants to develop and implement dual-language programs, models that educate students in two languages simultaneously.

School districts Bethel, Selah, and Mabton will receive grants of $100,000 over two years, and mentor districts Wenatchee and Bellevue will receive $60,000 and $40,000 over two years, respectively.

OneAmerica and other education advocates were instrumental in promoting dual-language programs to the legislature and securing funding in the budget for new and expanded programs across the state.

“We know that well-implemented, two-way dual language programs are the most effective models for closing the opportunity gap for ELL students, and they also create a classroom environment where all students value language and cultural diversity,” said OneAmerica Education Policy Coordinator Chelsea Whealdon.

“Studies show the cognitive and social benefits of dual language immersion programs, and we’re so excited to continue to advocate for increased bilingual opportunities for students as a means of building an education system that is more culturally and linguistically responsive.”

Principal Rob Darling, of grant recipient John Campbell Primary School in Selah, Wash., said: “We hear about “majority” or “minority” cultures and languages. A

John Campbell Primary School

language cannot be considered a “majority” language because it’s measured by the number of people who speak that language.

It’s measured, rather, by the impact the language has to connect its people to its culture. If you lose that language, you have to borrow someone else’s language, someone else’s roots and culture. You lose your heritage.

“There is so much more at stake here than just closing the achievement gap,” Darling said. “Our goal is for our dualimmersion students, English- and Spanishspeaking, to leave the program in 5th grade academically bilingual in both languages, and academically thriving. With the help of this grant, we can make this declaration with even more confidence.”

This is the first time Washington has directly funded the expansion of dual language programs due to the advocacy of parents, students and educators in the 2015 legislative session. 

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.com.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

5

Singapore jails church leader who funded wife’s music career

By Annabelle Liang Associated Press

SINGAPORE (AP) — A Singapore court has sentenced the founder of a popular church to eight years in jail for misappropriating more than $35 million in donations to support his wife’s singing career.

Kong Hee, the founder and senior pastor of City Harvest Church, was found guilty last month on three counts of criminal breach of trust.

Prosecutors said Kong, together with five other church leaders, had siphoned off 24 million Singapore dollars ($17 million) meant for building and investment-related purposes through sham bond investments. They used another 26 million Singapore dollars ($18 million) to hide the first embezzlement from auditors, a rare case of corruption of such magnitude in the city-state, which has

Ho Yeow Sun and Kong Hee

a reputation for being law-abiding and largely graft-free.

Kong and his supporters have long argued that City Harvest supported his wife’s singing career so her music

would attract more people to the church. But presiding judge See Kee Onn dismissed that argument and stressed the need for a jail term to serve as a deterrent.

“This trial did not concern mere lapses of corporate governance,” the judge told a courtroom filled with Kong’s supporters, who had lined up early in the morning to get seats. “They were effectively putting (church) funds into their own hands, to be used as they needed.”

Defense lawyer Edwin Tong pleaded for leniency, saying Kong has elderly parents, two deaf and mute siblings, and a 10-year-old son to care for.

Kong was given the heaviest sentence of the group.

Other sentences ranged from 21 months to six years. Both Kong and his lawyer declined to say whether an appeal was planned. {see SINGAPORE cont’d on page 13}

China breaks up $64-billion illegal banking network

Kim Young-sam, former president of South Korea, dies

SHANGHAI (AP) — Authorities in China have cracked the country’s biggestever underground banking network, which handled illegal foreign exchange transactions worth 410 billion yuan ($64 billion), police said.

The bust comes amid a month-long crackdown on illicit outflows, which officials say disrupt China’s financial management, facilitate corruption and help terrorists and criminals launder their dirty money.

Over 370 people were detained, prosecuted or otherwise reprimanded in the case, police in Jinhua city said in a statement on their website. Jinhua is in Zhejiang province on China’s eastern

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Former President Kim Young-sam, who formally ended decades of military rule in South Korea and accepted a massive international President Kim bailout during the Former Young-sam 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, died Nov. 22. He was 87.

The chief of Seoul National University Hospital, Oh Byung-Hee, announced Kim’s death during a televised briefing. He said Kim is believed to have suffered from a severe blood infection and acute heart

By Erika Kinetz Associated Press

coast, a zone known for its shadowy financial networks.

Police said one leader of the Zhejiang network was a man named Zhao Mouyi, who transferred over 100 billion yuan overseas using 850 different bank accounts and a dozen Hong Kong front companies. {see CHINA cont’d on page 12}

Japanese dance tradition continues under master instructor

By Steven Mark

HONOLULU (AP) — Watching a fan in the hands of Gertrude Yukie Tsutsumi is like watching a feather dance in the breeze.

She holds it out like a mirror and lets it fall toward her forearm, catching it with a welltimed but casually graceful sweep of her wrist.

“Let gravity take care of it and the movement comes naturally,” she says.

“You don’t let the fan manipulate you — you manipulate the fan.”

For Tsutsumi, 85, a retired public school teacher, Japanese classical dancing has been a way of life. She grew up watching her family members dance and began formal training as a child. Through the years, her passion for dancing has taken

her to the Far East to train with Japanese masters.

Recently, however, her dancing and teaching sent her in the opposite direction, to the East Coast. In a ceremony in Washington D.C., she was recognized as a 2015 National Heritage Fellow. The fellowship, awarded by the National Endowment of the Arts, is the nation’s highest honor for folk and traditional artists.

The recognition, she says, is “too big.”

Her style of dancing, “nihon buyo,” dates back to 17th-century Japan and is known for its elaborate makeup and costuming.

The dances, performed to music from traditional Japanese instruments, range {see HONOLULU cont’d on page 15}

AP Wire Service

By Hyung-jin Kim

failure before he died. Kim was taken to the hospital due to a high fever, Oh said. In recent years, Kim had been treated at the hospital for stroke, angina and pneumonia, Oh added.

Kim was an important figure in South Korea’s pro-democracy movement and opposed the country’s military dictators for decades. As president, Kim laid the foundation for a peaceful power transfer in a country that had been marked by military coups.

During his presidency from 1993-1998, he had his two predecessors indicted on mutiny and treason charges stemming from a coup. Still, Kim pardoned the two convicted military strongmen — Chun {see SOUTH KOREA cont’d on page 12}

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NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

■ COMMUNITY calendar ■ briefly THU 11/26

SAT 12/5

WHAT: Thanksgiving Day Luncheon WHERE: ACRS, 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle WHEN: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

COST: Free RSVP: hongc@acrs.org, 206-7742460

WHAT: Multicutural Holiday Arts & Craft Fair WHERE: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King St., Seattle WHEN: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

INFO: stpeterseattle.org

WED 12/2 WHAT: “Together Undaunted,” introducing Dean Mia Tuan WHERE: Northwest African American Museum, 2300 S. Massachusetts St., Seattle WHEN: 6:30 p.m.

RSVP: By 11/16, mayadt@uw.edu WHAT: Japan America Society Holiday Banquet WHERE: Bell Harbor Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle WHEN: 5-9:30 p.m.

THU 12/3 WHAT: Public Officials Reception 2015 WHERE: Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Pl., Seattle WHEN: 5-7 p.m.

WHAT: Chinese Medicine Workshop WHERE: Central Library, 1000 4th Ave., Seattle WHEN: 2-4 p.m.

INFO: 206-684-0849

WED 12/9 WHAT: Gang of Four Book Signing WHERE: El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

RSVP: 206-973-4289, youthemployment@elcentrodelaraza. org

FRI 12/11 WHAT: Handel’s Messiah, symphony orchestra under the direction of Marcus Tsutakawa WHERE: Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave., Seattle WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

COST: $10-$15 INFO: garfieldorchestra.org

Have an event to promote?

Please send us the details at least 14 days in advance to info@nwasianweekly.com.

City-sanctioned homeless encampment opens SEATTLE (AP) — Residents have started moving in to Seattle’s first-ever permitted homeless encampment.

The “Tent City Five Interbay” encampment, which can accommodate up to 80 people, opened Nov. 19. Organizers said they expected the camp to be full by the following week.

An encampment in Ballard that can accommodate 50 people was expected to open over the weekend.

Stu Tanquist, who is in charge of operations at Interbay, said the camp has a list of rules that residents must follow in order to live there. He said no drugs, alcohol or offensive language will be allowed.

The camps have met opposition by some nearby homeowners and business owners. But Mayor Ed Murray said the encampments are a better alternative to illegal camps homeless residents have set up in other parts of the city. 

Extending Thanksgiving Be part of anti-poverty campaign Volunteer with United Way’s free tax campaign

United Way of King County Last year, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helped raise 92,000 people above the poverty line in Washington State.

The EITC helps alleviate the impact of income taxes by putting an average of $1,500 back into the pockets of those who need it most—but most people don’t even know about it.

Last tax season, the campaign helped over 19,900 community members file their taxes, bringing $27.2 million back to the community in tax refunds.

Join the United Way of King County for a weekly shift from Jan. 11 – April 21; volunteers can choose from being a tax preparer or welcoming clients and connecting them to healthcare and other public benefits.

Sign up now to receive training that boosts your skills, and help reach the people who need it most. No tax experience is needed.

Training is offered on select weekends in December and early January: New volunteer tax preparers must complete two full days of training to become IRScertified and knowledgeable in tax law and our software.

Returning tax preparers can choose to attend two days of training for a comprehensive

United Way tax volunteers

overview – or complete most of their training online with a half-day of in-person instruction.

Volunteer intake and benefits specialists (VIBS) must complete one full day of training to learn the intake procedure for clients, how to screen for benefits eligibility, and how to refer clients to benefits and financial resources.  To learn more and get involved, visit uwkc.org/ taxvolunteer.

KING COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Project: Vashon Island Passenger Only Ferry Terminal Cover - REBID, C01019C15 Sealed Bid Time/Date: 1:30 p.m., Thursday, December 10, 2015 Location Due: King County Procurement & Contract Services Section, Contracts Counter, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Engineer’s Estimate: $230,000 - $255,000 Scope of Work: Construct a roof deck canopy and windscreen on the existing gangway. The canopy would be 15 feet 8 inches wide and extend approximately 67 feet along the gangway and would be constructed of steel decking supported by a steel frame over the existing gangway frame. The glazed panel windscreen would also be approximately 67 feet long, approximately 9 feet high, and attached to the existing framing by welding or utilizing threaded headed studs welded to the structure. Work site: Vashon Island, Washington.

Contact Information: Tina Davis, 206-263-2939, TTY Relay: 711, Fax: 206-296-7675, or via email at tina.davis@kingcounty.gov. A bidder may be asked to put a question in writing. No verbal answers by County personnel will be binding on the County.

Pre-Bid Conference: December 3, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., Vashon Island Ferry, 10800 North Vashon Highway, Vashon, WA 98070. A site tour will be conducted immediately following the conference. No

PPE is required for the site tour.

Subcontracting Opportunities: Structural Steel; Steel Decking; Wind Screen; Luminaires; Water Line Relocation; Demolition of Existing Handrails, Luminaires, Water Line; Signage.

Apprenticeship Requirements: No minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement.

SBE Requirement: 15% minimum Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Requirement.

DBE Goal: The County has determined that no DBE goal will be established for this Contract. However, the County will require that the selected Contractor report any actual DBE participation on this Contract to enable the County to accurately monitor DBE program compliance. Please see §00120 for further information.

Applicable Federal Provisions: Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity, Federal Labor Provisions and Davis Bacon (Federal) Wage Rates.

Federal Funding: This contract is funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), and is subject to the requirements set forth in Grant WA70-XO12-01 and incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. The federal participation is estimated at 80% of the total contract value. In accordance with the requirements of the Grant and with USDOT’s policy on the utilization of socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and disadvantaged

business enterprises in procurement under assistance programs, the Contractor shall comply with 49 CFR PART 26.

Bid Bond: Not less than five percent (5%) of the Total Bid Price.

Bid Documents: Electronic copies of the plans, specifications, reference documents, and any addenda for this solicitation are available on the King County Procurement website shown below. Printed documents may also be ordered by contacting United Reprographics at 206-382- 1177. Copies of documents are not available for purchase from King County, but are available for review 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M thru F. at the Contracts Counter: Chinook Bldg, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue Seattle, WA 98104.

To receive email notifications of addenda or other important information concerning this solicitation, you must register to be a planholder under the “Solicitations” tab at the following internet link: Website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement/ solicitations This information is available in alternate formats for individuals with disabilities upon advance request by calling 206-263-9400, TTY Relay: 711.

Notes: Bids received after Sealed Bid Time will not be considered. Bidders accept all risks of late delivery, regardless of fault. King County is not responsible for any costs incurred in response to this Invitation to Bid.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ TOP CONTRIBUTOR

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

Vandana Slatter

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First Indian American city councilmember in Bellevue has public service in her DNA

By James Tabafunda NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Bellevue is the fifth-largest city in Washington and, just a few weeks after this month’s election, its city council continues to reflect the 28 percent of citizens who are Asian, the highest share of any city in the state.

Vandana Slatter, a biotechnology professional and community leader, won Position No. 5 after an unsuccessful 2013 run for Position No. 6. She said, “It’s really important that we represent the community as it is.”

Bellevue City CouncilmemberElect Slatter, 51, now awaits the Nov. 24 certification of election results, followed by the swearingin ceremony on Dec. 14.

“I’m very proud to be an Indian American. I’m very proud to be elected to city council, but I’m also proud to be elected by the whole community,” she said.

Born in Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Slatter carries on her family’s tradition of giving back to the community.

“My grandfather actually, as a young man, worked for Mahatma Gandhi as a student in college,” she said.

Coincidentally, a bronze statue of India’s most famous political and spiritual leader has stood at the Bellevue branch of the King County Library System since 2009.

Both of Slatter’s parents have served their community for the last 50 years. Her father – originally from Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India – received his medical degree there before moving to Canada and working as a general practitioner in Prince George, 62 miles east of Vanderhoof and the city where Slatter was raised with her two younger sisters.

“My mom would teach in schools about our culture,” she said.

Slatter received her bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of British Columbia.

“In ’87, I graduated. In ’88, I got married (to husband Greg),” she said. “And then we moved to Michigan for 10 years. We had our son (Quinn) there.”

Proud to be a “public school parent” who spent six months at home with her infant son, Slatter says the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, caused an epiphany, a life-changing moment.

Vandana Slatter

She said, “It affected my life and my child’s life and their future immediately. And for me, that was really powerful, and I thought, ‘I want to be able to do that.’ ” She then asked herself, “How can I impact people in my community with good policy that matters?”

In 2005, Slatter sought her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington. “It was an 18-month program. And so, that was my introduction to the public sector, and I did my MPA internship in Senator Maria

■ Community news

Oregon and Washington delay crab season because of toxin

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon and Washington have joined California in delaying the start of their commercial crab seasons after dangerous toxin levels were found in the crabs.

Officials say elevated levels of domoic acid were found in crabs in all three states. The toxin is naturally produced by microscopic algae in the Pacific Ocean,

but the massive bloom of algae caused by warming ocean conditions this year has led to more toxins produced and consumed by shellfish.

California had already delayed the Nov. 15 start of its season after finding dangerous levels of the toxin. {see CRAB cont’d on page 15}

Cantwell’s office.”

She holds a doctorate degree in pharmacy also from the UW. With an interest in the public sector, she joined the foundation board of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. While the organization was working on the issue of emergency contraception, she testified in front of the Washington State Board of Pharmacy. Later, she applied to be on the same board.

“Governor Gregoire appointed me to the board in 2007 ’til 2011,” she said.

“They were cross sections of my health-care background and my public service interests. And I learned about politics throughout that time.”

On her campaign website, she said, “I believe everyone in Bellevue deserves a chance to build a future here and enjoy it for a lifetime. That is why I am running for Bellevue City Council.”

“I consider her a very good human being with a passion for public service,” said Debadutta Dash, a friend of hers for the past five years. “The ever-growing South Asian community in the Eastside needed a voice in the Bellevue City Council. She would fulfill that need.”

Slatter’s community leadership includes her current work as a board member of the Overlake Hospital Foundation. She has also served as a trustee for the Children’s Institute for Learning Differences.

“Well, I already sit on three boards and work (as an Amgen senior regional medical liaison).

So, I think you have to be very organized. You have to be very energized by that work,” she said.

Having no prior experience serving on a city commission or in elected office, she is determined to get input from Bellevue’s whole community as well as their support “so that I can be the most effective councilmember.”

She added that coming from the biotechnology industry, she does have experience working on teams to solve challenging problems.

“I think some of those skills are useful,” she said.

“And, solving big problems is something I really like.”  Slatter will be honored at the Top Contributors award dinner on Dec. 4 at the House of Hong Restaurant in Seattle from 6–9 p.m.

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

asianweekly northwest

8

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

■ arts & entertainment

Happy gluttony day!

An interview with food show co-host Harry Yuan

All the seafood in Seattle was so amazing.

I can’t really say that I have boatloads of favorites because all of it was awesome.

What are some memorable moments from the show that didn’t make it on camera?

One of the moments I wish we could have captured on camera was right before Bruce and I went to Kedai Makan, we went two doors down to Montana Bar. Our crew didn’t arrive yet. We beat them there because we were on scooters. We ended up bumping into the owner of Barnacle who happened to be there. He was like, “Hey, let’s grab a drink if you’re not doing anything.” Bruce and I were dropping off our scooters at that location and we said, “Okay, screw it, let’s do it.”

We actually did a 25th location. We went to Montana and had Kentucky Mules.

By Tiffany Ran Northwest Asian Weekly In an episode of Day of Gluttony, food and travel host Harry Yuan and co-host compadre Bruce Aguirre hit a particular city and dine at 24 restaurants in 24 hours. For our Thanksgiving issue, the Northwest Asian Weekly speaks with Harry about his Day of Gluttony in Seattle and he doles out tips for how we can work some travel and more gluttony into our lives.

How did the bromance between you and Bruce begin?

Yuan: Bruce and I are rock-climbing partners. When you are rock-climbing partners, with any rock-climbing partner, they’re more than just friends. They’re someone that you would trust with your life.

We’ve gone through five continents with each other.

So is all the restaurant hopping really all done in 24 hours?

You have a lot of good food and two guys that are really determined to eat a lot of food in 24 hours and you can do it. I don’t recommend that people do the Day of Gluttony challenge

Harry Yuan and Bruce Aguirre

at all. It’s not really a huge secret. I have some digestive enzymes that I take so there are some supplementations that we use. The alcohol at 4 o’clock in the afternoon is really helpful for not realizing that you’re full and we try to pace ourselves. Ultimately, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Have you ever had to eat food that you generally did not prefer?

Bruce and I both have very adventurous palates so we are willing to eat just about anything. I’ve definitely had to eat things that I knew wouldn’t sit well with me. I’m poorly adaptive to chickpeas so if I eat chickpeas, I’m in pain from eating it.

What other challenges do you face having to shoot within a 24-hour cycle?

One of the things we don’t explain to everyone is how difficult it is to hit 24 restaurants in 24 hours. I would argue that it isn’t the feat of eating at 24 places that is difficult, but it’s finding 24 places to eat at that are up to the standards of what you’re trying to represent as a show that are willing to let you shoot there.

What do you feel like were the most memorable stops for you in Seattle?

Seattle was a really fun episode. Bruce was extremely impressed with Seattle. He loves seafood. I do too, but not as much as Bruce.

Being that this is for our Thanksgiving issue, what will you be eating for Thanksgiving?

I will be meeting Bruce in Thailand. I’ll be in Chiang Mai and we will be eating Thai food for Thanksgiving.  For more information on Day of Gluttony, visit tastemade.lcom/shows/day-ofgluttony.

Tiffany Ran can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

■ food

Asian Thanksgiving f lavors for squash

Asian Flavored Oven Roasted Butternut Squash

Soy glazed Kabocha Squash with Japanese sesame seasoning

By Thas Neen Northwest Asian Weekly

By Alisa Fleming Northwest Asian Weekly

I often make soups using butternut squash. However, roasting them has

become my new favorite way of enjoying butternut squash. I added Asian seasonings to the diced butternut squash and ovenroasted it. It turned out to be the besttasting veggie side dish.

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 45 mins Serves: 4 People Ingredients • Butternut squash - 1 small, diced • Soy sauce- 1½ tbsp • Roasted red chili paste - 1 tbsp (Thai Kitchen Brand) or add Sambal Oelek • Rice vinegar - 1 tbsp • Sesame oil - 1½ tsp • Chili oil - 1 tsp • Ground Pepper - ½ tsp • Salt - to taste Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. In a bowl, combine the above mentioned ingredients.

3. Spread the butternut squash on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

4. Bake for 40 minutes or until the butternut squash has roasted well.

Kabocha squash has the texture of chestnuts after roasting, and the sweet flavor of its cousin, the butternut squash.

This is roasted with just a light coating of oil. Then when it’s done, it is mixed

with a simple soy glaze made of Japanese pantry essentials – Shoyu, Mirin, Honey, and Toasted Sesame Oil. And finally, for a layer of texture and savory elements, sprinkle on a blend of toasted sesame seeds, wild-harvested nori seaweed, Aleppo chili flakes, black sesame seeds, and Himalayan pink salt.

Serves 3-4 as a side Ingredients: • Half a medium kabocha squash – cut into 1 to 1.5 inch cubes* • Neutral tasting oil (I used sunflower oil) • 1.5 tbsp Season with Spice’s Japanese Sesame Seasoning, or more to taste To make the glaze: • 2 tbsp shoyu, or reduced sodium soy sauce • 1 tbsp mirin • 1 tsp honey • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. Place the cubed squash in a baking dish and toss it with a little bit of oil.

3. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden (flip them halfway).

4. When the squash is almost done roasting, mix the soy sauce, miring, honey, and toasted sesame oil in a saucepan, and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.

5. Place the kabocha squash in a serving dish, dress it with the soy glaze, and top it with our Japanese Sesame Seasoning.

Enjoy! *If you prefer to serve the squash in large pieces and to reduce the cutting time, you can also slice the kabocha squash into thin boat shapes. The peel of kabocha squash is edible.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ sports

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

9

Squash, the sport, on the rise World Championships held in Bellevue

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly An overlooked sport that is seeking to gain more popularity held the biggest event of its sports year in Bellevue last week.

The men’s squash World Championships came to the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Wash., from Nov. 11-22. The world championships brought the best in men’s professional squash to the area.

The game is played in an enclosed court with the players using all four walls they are in to hit a hollow rubber ball with squash racquets. The players must alternate in striking the ball with their racquet and hit the ball onto the playable surface of the walls of the enclosure. A player serves to start a rally and it continues until the ball is out or a player fails to hit the ball before it has bounced twice.

The game originated in England in the 1830s. The game did not catch on in North America until the 1880s and it was not until 1904 that there was an association of squash players formed.

The World Championships

Mohamed El Shorbagy

coming to Bellevue was due in part to the work of Shabana Khan.

It was Khan who submitted the bid to host the event in Bellevue.

Khan was a former member of the national team. Khan’s family has been heavily involved in the sport for years. Khan’s father, Yusef, has been a part of the squash community in the area since arriving from India in 1968.

Last year’s World Championships were held in

Qatar last year. Ramy Ashour, the 2014 champion, came to Bellevue to defend his crown.

Ashour fell short of his defense as France’s Gregory Caultier earned the title and the first-place prize of $325,000. Gaultier defeated Omar Masaad of Egypt in the championship match.

The event was held on the first floor of the Meydenbauer Center. A portion of the huge first floor of the convention center

Presented by Northwest Asian Weekly and Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation

Top Contributors

to the Asian community Making a difference

Friday, Dec. 4, 2015 • 6 — 9 P.M. House of Hong Restaurant • 206-622-7997 • 409 8th Ave. S., Seattle

was sectioned off for the event.

Vendors selling squash racquets and shoes were there for sport enthusiasts as they walked inside to the court. Unlike most squash courts found at gyms, this one had a wall with three transparent walls for the fans to watch. Since this was the World Championship, there were corporate sponsors that adorned the court. The most recognizable was communications company Skype. Microsoft also

had a presence at the event hyping its new cloud-based business analytics service, Microsoft Power BI. The tie-in with the event was that the application provided real-time stats of squash players as they played in an exhibition. It also provided “live bracket visualization” for fans to follow results and pairings as the tournament progressed.

The sport of squash is gaining a foothold in popularity. The three countries in which the sport is growing are the United States, Egypt, and England. The highest ranked player from an Asian country was Max Lee from Hong Kong. The 27-year-old is said to have a body made for squash: fast, fit and thin. However, Lee was only able to make it through Round 1 of the World Championships at the Meydenbauer Center.

Although not at the world championships, Hong Kong has another great squash player in 5-foot-5 Leo Au. The 25-year-old is on the ascent in the sport as he recently beat a former number one player in the world to make it into {see SPORTS cont’d on page 12}

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsor Pearl Sponsors

A special presentation to thank current and former Seattle City Councilmembers Tom Rasmussen, Jean Godden, Nick Licata, and Sally Clark

HONOREES

REGISTRATION $75 before December 2. $80 after December 2. $85 walk-ins. $40 students with I.D. $50 student walk-ins. $750 for an individual table of 10. $1,000 for a corporate table of 10, with the corporate logo To purchase tickets online, go to http://topcontributors2015.bpt.me, or call us at 206-223-0623, or email rsvp@nwasianweekly.com

Ming-Ming Tung/ Chinese Americans Citizens Alliances President, CACA

Elsie Taniguchi

President, Puyallup Valley JACL

Mel Kang

Civil rights activist and community volunteer

Vandana Slatter

Bellevue City Council Member-Elect

To reserve your space, fax a copy of this form to 206-223-0626 or send a check by December 2 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: ___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________  Mastercard

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Executive Director, Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest

Bill Tashima

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Chair, 11th District Democrat Caucas

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Former Board chair, Korean Womens Association

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asianweekly northwest

10

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

■ wayne’s worlds

■ NATIONAL NEWS

A season of stuffing, Don’t let the airlines jelly, thanks…and lose your suitcase a can of Spam this Thanksgiving

By Wayne Chan Northwest Asian Weekly Ahh...it’s that time of year again — family reunions, parades, fall leaves, and ugly sweaters. And let’s not forget about the food — pumpkin pie, roast turkey, gravy, Spam, and...wait, what?

Oh, that’s right...Spam. You see, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving in Hawaii this year. That means we’ll be eating Spam — lots of it. It’s what you do when you’re in Hawaii. You’ve got your Mai Tais, helicopter tours, Hawaiian shirts and Spam. You can have Spam three meals a day. If I’m not mistaken, Hawaii’s state flag is a can of Spam sitting on a surfboard.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Spam, let me enlighten you. Actually, let me take that back. I have no idea what’s in Spam. It’s a heavily salted meat-like substance perfectly molded into the shape of the squarish metal tin that it’s in. It’s ham-like. I like it, mind you, but I like it in the same mysterious way I like watching Celtic dancing with the dancer’s feet wildly moving about while the rest of the dancer’s body sits perfectly still. I have no idea why I like it — I just do.

Some might say that Spam has no place in the rich American tradition of

Thanksgiving, but I’m not one of them.

It’s not that I like Spam all that much. It’s the fact that everything we all traditionally do for Thanksgiving doesn’t make much sense to me either.

Now, I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical reason for every aspect of the Thanksgiving tradition. It’s just that I don’t know what it is and I’ve never bothered to find out. We just do all these things because...well, that’s just what you do for Thanksgiving.

The turkey itself — no problem there.

I like turkey. We don’t usually eat it any other time other than Thanksgiving or if I’m trying to make a sandwich and have {see WAYNE cont’d on page 16}

■ WORLD NEWS

Sia video features child karate master with Olympic dreams

Mahiro Takano

By Yuri Kageyama Associated Press NAGAOKA, Japan (AP) — She has a soft spot for Duffy the Disney Bear and her favorite food is chocolate. She does her homework before dinner but really loves skateboarding, playing video games and bouncing on her trampoline.

If Mahiro Takano sounds like any 9-year-old, think again: The third grader from Niigata, a rice-growing region in Japan, stars in singer Sia’s latest music video “Alive,” the just-released single from the singer’s upcoming album.

In a backdrop of stark gray, the girl, {see SIA cont’d on page 16}

By Scott Mayerowitz AP Airlines Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Heading into winter, fliers should take extra precautions with their checked luggage — December and January are traditionally the worst months for lost bags.

To avoid problems, arrive at the airport early enough to let your bag get to the plane,

and print out a copy of your itinerary from the airline’s website and stick it inside just in case all the tags get ripped off.

In the United States during the first nine months of this year, 3.3 bags for every 1,000 passengers didn’t make it to their destination on time, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That’s {see TRAVEL cont’d on page 13}

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

11

OPINION

■ editorial

No repeating mistakes We should provide sanctuary and hope, not internment or rejection

The past few weeks have been a sociological nightmare, testing ideology, devotion to promises, subjection to fear.

The unfortunate subject that has been affected and pushed the sensitive political buttons is the issue of the United States allowing in Syrian refugees. After the Paris terrorist attacks, the level of fear has been elevated and paranoia seems to have gained a stronghold.

At the Northwest Asian Weekly, we

support Governor Inslee’s and Mayor Murray’s statements (please refer to their statements on page 2). We also applaud President’s Obama’s stance. We should not reject those who are seeking sanctuary.

The Northwest Asian Weekly has also published countless stories on Japanese internment, and the resounding argument has been this is the sort of discrimination and prosecution that should not ever happen again.

■ COMMENTARy

Mary Woodward, president, Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community, states the Japanese internment was “an event in American history when our political leaders succumbed to fear and prejudice and chose an expedient political path, incarcerating more than 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry for no other reason than they looked like the enemy.

Ironically, this indefensible action was led

by President Franklin D. Roosevelt who

declared, ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ ” The repeated message or lesson that was conveyed in every story regarding Japanese interment? The message was clear: It should not happen again.

Refusing sanctuary or imposing detention based on race would be doing exactly that—allowing it to happen again.

We shouldn’t be succumbing to fear.

And repeating mistakes. 

■ letter

There are options VFA supports for non-immigrant embracing refugees survivors of violence

By Minal Ghassemieh Attorney at Law (WA State)

In 2015 women and children are still being forced into dark corners Minal Ghassemieh due to domestic violence. As a child survivor of domestic violence, I am all too familiar with the feeling that a certain violent incident was so bad that it can never get worse, and then a few days later, it does get worse. I was frightened by social stigma like “what will everybody think if my parents divorced…” Equally frightening, though, was the knowledge that my father kept a hunting rifle in his closet and he had never been hunting.

After 25 years of marriage, my mother made the brave decision to separate from my father, and break the cycle of violence that ruled our lives. It was certainly a cultural taboo in the South Asian community, but she stood tall and was transparent as to the abuse, my father’s constant philandering, and his relentless intimidation of women he identified as “weak,” including his own mother-in-law and other members of our family.

We were fortunate that we are U.S. citizens and my mother was a working physician.

Thus our immigration status was not at stake nor did we require financial assistance from my father after the separation and subsequent divorce.

Unfortunately, many non-immigrant women remain in abusive relationships because they are vulnerable as to their immigration status and fear financial dependence on their abusers. Additionally, they may also fear law enforcement agencies, thinking that if they complain, they will be deported. These women often feel that they have no options available to escape their abuser. As a U.S. immigration lawyer, I am

here to tell those non-immigrant women that they have options.

This past month I have provided counsel to three non-immigrant women, each of whom communicated severe physical and emotional distress at the hands of their abusive spouses. Each of them shared with me their unfortunate circumstances: one was pushed down a flight of stairs, another choked in front of her children, and the third raped day after day. One client, a young South Asian woman, has not reported the abuse, as she fears losing her non-immigrant Dear Editor, status in addition to backlash from her family who forced her into the marriage in the first Recently, there has been a lot of place. The other two recently cooperated discussion, discourse and, at times, heated with police when their neighbors reported debate about the impact and inclusion of domestic disturbances and arrested their spouses for domestic violence assault.

Congress has enacted U Nonimmigrant Status (“U Visa”), to provide immigration protection to individuals like my three clients, survivors of domestic violence. The purpose of the U Visa is to aid law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of crimes of violence by providing immigration relief to non-immigrants who assist in the investigation or prosecution. In fact, domestic 自1872年起服務西北岸社區 violence is just one of a list of crimes that 非營利獨立協會 qualify for U Visa protection. Other crimes include rape, torture, trafficking, sexual assault and kidnapping. The benefits of having a U Visa include employment authorization, protection from deportation, and eligibility for lawful permanent residency (“Green Card”).  Most insurances accepted  Cleaning In order to be eligible for a U Visa, the  Root canals  Fillings non-immigrant survivor (1) must suffer  Crowns & bridges  Extractions “substantial physical or mental abuse” as a victim of a qualifying crime; (2) must possess information about the criminal Dr. Tom P. Mar, D.D.S. activity; (3) must help with the •陵墓地下室 investigation •骨灰靈位 or prosecution of the crime; and (4) must be 318 6th Avenue South, Suite 108 •墓碑、紀念碑 •土葬福地 a victim of criminal activity that occurred Seattle, WA 98104 in the U.S. or violated a U.S. law. Non-

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asianweekly northwest

12

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

{SOUTH KOREA cont’d from page 5} Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo — at the end of his term.

Kim also launched a popular anti-corruption campaign and vowed not to receive any political slush funds, though this was later tarnished when his son was arrested on charges of bribery and tax evasion.

He led South Korea in 1994 when the Clinton administration was considering attacking Nyongbyon — home to North Korea’s nuclear complex — north of communist North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang. Kim lobbied against the idea, fearing a possible war.

A U.S. aircraft carrier and a cruiser had been deployed near South Korea’s east coast in preparation for a possible airstrike, and the United States planned to evacuate Americans, including its soldiers and their families, Kim said in a memoir.

A U.S. airstrike “will immediately prompt North Korea to open fire against major South Korean cities from the border,’’ Kim said in his memoir, describing his dawn telephone conversation with President Bill Clinton in June 1994.

The crisis eased when former President Jimmy Carter met with the North’s leader and founder Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un, in Pyongyang, which led to an accord aimed at freezing North Korea’s plutonium-based nuclear programs.

That deal collapsed in 2002 when the United States accused North Korea of running a secret uranium-based program, sparking another nuclear crisis.

After years of denials, North Korea announced in 2009 that it was enriching uranium, a process that gave it a second way to make nuclear bombs. During the ’94 crisis,

{CHINA cont’d from page 5} It took police nearly a year to sort through over 1.3 million suspicious transactions, they said.

Since April, Chinese authorities have uncovered over 170 big cases of underground banking and money laundering worth over 800 billion yuan ($126 billion), the state-run People’s Daily reported.

China has tight currency controls, which officially limit individuals to converting $50,000 worth of currency a year, but they are widely evaded. That has helped drive capital outflows to enormous levels this year, adding to strain on the value of the Chinese currency and putting upward pressure on interest rates, even as the Chinese economy slows. Beijing has also launched a massive campaign to crack down on corrupt officials overseas who have taken their fortunes out of the country, part of an effort to shore up the reputation of the ruling Communist Party.

Brian Jackson, a senior economist for IHS Economics in Beijing, said the crackdown may be aimed, in part, at staving off capital flight led by insiders as China prepares for another round

Carter tried to arrange a summit between Kim and the North’s founder — in what would have been the first such meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas since the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.

But the summit didn’t take place because the North’s Kim suddenly died of a heart attack in July 1994. It took six years before the leaders of the two Koreas — South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Il — held a summit in Pyongyang. Kim Jong Il was the father of Kim Jong Un. North Korea continued to cause security jitters for rival South Korea during Kim’s presidency. In 1996, a North Korean submarine ran aground off South Korea’s eastern shores.

The North later expressed its “deep regret’’ for the intrusion that left 24 North Korean agents and 13 South Koreans dead. It was an unprecedented apology from the North — though it said the sub drifted into southern waters while on a routine training exercise.

Kim was credited with disbanding a key military faction and bringing transparency to the South’s murky financial system.

But he was also accused of mismanaging the economy during the Asian financial crisis that toppled some of the country’s debt-ridden conglomerates and forced the government to accept a $58-billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

Kim was born into a rich fishing family on Dec. 20, 1927, in Geoge Island off the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula when the country was still under Japanese colonial rule.

During the Korean War, he anchored a defense ministry

of state-owned enterprise reform. That was a problem when China restructured massive state companies in the early 2000s, he said.

“Today’s move could be not only to punish current corruption and reduce current capital flight, but to also prevent/discourage future asset stripping,” he said in an email. “Emphasis on attempt — hard to say if it will be meaningful over the longer term since there are many methods to move money out of China.”

Money brokers routinely help individuals and businesses skirt foreign exchange restrictions and onerous bank bureaucracy. Some use such services to facilitate legitimate business, but others may be trying to hide illicit wealth.

Transactions can be done in real time, using Internet banking, eliminating the need for deep networks of trust and familial ties.

Such brokers are easy enough to meet, even in Shanghai, at the branches of major Chinese banks including the Bank of China and China Merchants Bank.

One broker, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss illegal activity, said he could make a real-time transfer to a dollar account in Hong Kong for a fee of roughly 1.6

propaganda radio program.

In 1954, Kim was elected as the youngest member of the National Assembly. At that time, he was a member of the ruling party of the late Syngman Rhee, South Korea’s first president.

But a few months later, he broke with the ruling party in protest over a constitutional revision and joined the opposition party, drawing anger from military rulers.

In 1979, Kim was expelled from the assembly for his anti-government activities, shortly before then President Park Chung-hee — who seized power in a military coup in 1961 — was assassinated by his intelligence chief.

During that chaotic period, Maj. Gen. Chun Doo-hwan and his military cronies rolled tanks and troops into Seoul to seize power in another coup that ended an interim government.

In the early 1980s, Kim was placed under house arrest twice and staged a 23-day hunger strike to protest political oppression.

Kim spent more than three decades in opposition as an advocate for democracy, though he later joined hands with military leader Roh Tae-woo and others to create a new ruling party.

In 1992, Kim became the head of the ruling party and was elected president, five years after his first unsuccessful presidential bid.

Kim is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.  Former Associated Press writer Kim Kwang-tae and Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.

percent. His minimum was $100,000, twice the official limit, and said he had done transfers as large as $5 million.

“China’s foreign exchange control is pretty useless,” said Yin Zhongli, a deputy director at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Finance.

“The biggest concern for the government is opacity,” Yin said. “It’s too hard to control, the government cannot get transparent information and there are a lot of illegal and criminal activities among clients of underground banks.”

The Ministry of Public Security said in September that China’s problem with underground banking was growing “increasingly severe and complicated.”

“Underground banks have been used for laundering money obtained from corruption, online gambling, telecommunications fraud, drugs and terrorism,” the ministry said. “It has become an important channel for financial, securities and tax-related crimes.” 

{SPORTS cont’d from page 9} the top 30 rankings.

In addition, India and Pakistan are two countries with a huge following in the sport.

On the women’s side, Nicol Ann David from Malaysia is the number two ranked women’s squash player in the world. The 32-year-old is an eight-time world champion.

Locally, the Seattle Athletic Club, Washington Athletic Club, Pro Sports Club and several YMCAs across the Puget Sound are among the places you can find squash courts.  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Associated Press researchers Yu Bing in Beijing and Fu Ting in Shanghai contributed to this report.

KING COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received for C00946C15, Rainier Valley Wet Weather Storage Project by the King County Procurement and Payables Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 1:30 PM on December 17, 2015. Late bids will not be accepted.

The purpose of this project is to reduce overflows at two King County Combined Sewer Overflow structures (Bayview North and Hanford@ Rainier) to one overflow per year on a 20 year average to meet a consent decree agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Department of Justice, and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Estimated contract price: $14,000,000 to $15,000,000 There is a 15% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement on this

contract.

It is anticipated this project will be funded in part by State Revolving Funds (“SRF”) which may contain funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Contractor shall make Good Faith Efforts as required in 40 CFR 33 Part C to ensure to the fullest extent possible that it subcontracts the Fair Share Goals of: Minority Business Enterprise (MBE): 10% of the Contract Price.

Women Business Enterprise (WBE): 6% of the Contract Price.

Complete Invitation to Bid Documents, including all project details, specifications, and contact information are available on our web page at: https://procurement.kingcounty.gov/ procurement_ovr/default.aspx

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ astrology

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

13

For the week of November 28–December 4, 2015

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — You prize being able to chart your own course.

To that end, take measure to ensure that you are steering your ship in the right direction.

Dragon — You can do more together as a team than out on your own. The tradeoff is that you will also have to share the credit when it is done.

Ox — If you know ahead of time that there is a strong likelihood of a disruption, then allow yourself extra room to deal with it.

Snake — No news is good news today. Use the relative quiet to your advantage by giving yourself a day to recharge.

Tiger — Why waste valuable energy bemoaning something that has already happened? Focus your resources on the future.

Horse — Thanks to fortuitous advance planning, you are in a position to recoup much of what you had expended and then some.

Rabbit — Are you feeling a tad restless this week?

Plan an activity that is outside of what you normally do for the weekend.

Goat — A new project could give you an opportunity to flex major mental muscles and earn you a much sought-after boost.

Monkey — Playing a supportive role is just as important as being in the lead. Without a first-rate showing in one, you may not get the chance to do the other.

Rooster — If you have given your word, then it is to your benefit to keep it. Your reputation depends upon it.

Dog — As your responsibilities start to stack up, take the time to make note of what you need to do so that something does not fall through the cracks.

Pig — Although you excel in one area, your passion lies in another. Instead of overthinking which way to go, trust your heart.

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 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.

{SINGAPORE cont’d from page 5}

{TRAVEL cont’d from page 10}

Many members of Kong’s congregation, which includes about 17,500 people, rallied in support of the group even as evidence against them surfaced. They said funds were used to finance the church’s Crossover Project, designed to use pop music to reach out to non-believers. Kong’s wife, Ho Yeow Sun, was the face of the project.

The money was first pumped into a music production firm and a glass manufacturer, but these companies were owned by longtime churchgoers and the money was ultimately used to support Ho’s music career. Ho, who did not face any charges, was not in the courtroom.

She has released five Mandarin-language albums in Taiwan, and emerged into the U.S. market in 2003, appearing in several videos. 

not great if you are one of those people whose bag is delayed or lost.

But consider this: During the 2007 peak in air travel, airlines were mishandling more than twice as many suitcases — 7.2 bags per 1,000 passengers.

Globally, the baggage-mishandling rate has fallen 61 percent from its peak in 2007, according to SITA, an aviation communications and technology provider. That has saved the industry $18 billion.

The vast majority of bags — 80 percent — aren’t lost but just delayed, according to SITA. And it takes about a day and a half to reunite passengers with their bags. Another 14 percent are damaged or have their contents reported stolen. And nearly 6 percent of bags are lost or stolen completely.

December and January tend to be the worst months because there are a lot of infrequent travelers checking multiple bags, and a few snowstorms can add to delays and suitcases that miss connections.

The overall improvements in baggage handling come after carriers spent millions of dollars to upgrade their systems.

Tug drivers now get real-time updates of gate changes so they can change their path and ensure that bags make their connection.

Scanners allow bags to be tracked throughout the system, preventing a suitcase bound for Chicago from being loaded onto a plane to Detroit. Gate agents have printers to help tag bags that are checked at the last minute because of full overhead bins. And, overall, fewer bags are being checked because of bag fees.

“We continue to invest in technology and in processes so we understand where bags are at all times, and we can manage the failure points,” said Bill Lentsch, senior vice president for airport customer service and cargo operations at Delta Air Lines.

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TAITUNG

Airlines are also starting to empower passengers — or at least keep them better informed.

Delta was the first airline to allow fliers to track their own checked luggage, first on the airline’s website in 2011 and then on its mobile app in 2012. Bag tags are scanned when the suitcase is dropped off, loaded onto a plane, loaded onto a connecting flight and then again before being placed on the carousel at baggage claim. Passengers can see all those scans.

American Airlines followed suit in August, allowing passengers to see when a suitcase was loaded or unloaded from a plane. Right now, it is only available on the airline’s website but will eventually be part of the mobile app.

Sitting on a plane ready for takeoff and knowing that your suitcase isn’t in the hold below might be frustrating. But airlines say they would rather that passengers know about it, and talk immediately to a baggage representative once on the ground, instead of standing at the carousel waiting for a suitcase that isn’t there.

If your bag is late, you might be able to get some bonus frequent flier miles or even a voucher toward a future flight.

Since 2010, Alaska Airlines has promised that suitcases will be on the carousel within 20 minutes of the plane arriving at the gate.

If not, passengers get a $25 voucher for a future flight or 2,500 bonus frequent flier miles.

Delta copied that policy this year, offering 2,500 bonus miles to existing members of its frequent flier program but no voucher.

Act quickly: Alaska requires you to reach out within two hours of arrival; Delta within three days. And ultimately it’s your stopwatch against the airlines’ — they are the final arbiter of tardiness.

And if you wanted to get that $25 checked bag fee refunded, you are out of luck. 

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asianweekly northwest

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NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

{NEW JERSEY cont’d from page 4} would cover the cost of a pedal-operated — or treadle — sewing machine for Asha, the only option for those who do not have reliable access to electricity.

“At that point I realized that it wasn’t just Asha alone,” Zaparde says. “A sewing machine could change someone’s life completely.”

Since then, the Middlesex County teenager has sparked a fundraising effort that has spread to 57 schools and 1,400 students in 30 states. She has personally delivered sewing machines to 313 widows in India. She makes trips whenever she can during breaks from school.

Zaparde remembers the specifics of many of the women’s

stories. There was Chhaya, a 28-year-old widow whose husband was killed in a road accident. Before she got her sewing machine, she was earning less than $1 a day for her farm work. And Chanda, 26. Her husband killed himself after he could not pay off his debt. She not only had to support her two young daughters, but also her elderly parents. With a sewing machine, she could.

“We want to help these widows get back on their feet,” Zaparde says. “It’s a responsibility of ours to make a difference and create a change.”

Recipients of the sewing machines also get a starter kit of threads, fabrics, scissors and a one-year guarantee on the machine.

Zaparde travels to India with her mother or father, who

often help her with dialect differences, though she does speak Marathri, the language of the region. She says she hears the widows’ stories in two ways — “What they’re speaking to me and what they’re showing with their emotions.”

Zaparde, who started Sew a Future when she was in eighth grade, recently took a year off from school to recover from spinal surgery. She hopes to pursue classical studies in college and says she intends to keep the project going, as well as continue her visits to widows in India.

“Seeing that change on their face,” she says, makes it all worthwhile. 

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KING COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Project: Chinook Wind Demolition, C01018C15 Sealed Bid Time/Date: 1:30 p.m., December 3, 2015 Location Due: King County Procurement & Contract Services Section, Contracts Counter, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Engineer’s Estimate: $1,081,595 Scope of Work: Demolition of all structures on two parcels totaling 5.9 acres. Buildings on the property include a former hotel lobby (approximately 10,290 square feet), a two-story motel building (approximately 45,408 square feet), a single story conference building (approximately 3,900), a garage (approximately 700 square feet), a storage shed (approximately 250 square feet) and any accessory structures or enclosures onsite. Work will include removal of site structures and improvements, cutting/capping of utilities, abatement of regulated materials, removal of concrete and asphalt paving, and other work necessary to complete the Work as specified and shown in the Contract Documents. Work site: 11244 Tukwila International Blvd Tukwila, WA 98168.

Contact Information: Paul Price, Contract Specialist, 206-263-9309, TTY Relay: 711, Fax: 206-296-7675, or paul.price@kingcounty.gov. A bidder may be asked to put a question in writing. No verbal answers by any County personnel or its agents and consultants will be binding on the County.

Pre-Bid Conference and Site Tour: November 19, 2015 at 11am at 11244 Tukwila International Blvd Tukwila, WA 98168.

Subcontracting Opportunities: Site Prep & Erosion Control, Utility Removal, Disposal & Hauling, and Hazardous Material Abatement Apprenticeship Requirements: 5% minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement.

SCS Utilization RequirementsL: 14% minimum requirement for King County Certified Small Contractors and Suppliers (SCS) Bid Bond: Not less than five percent (5%) of the Total Bid Price.

Bid Documents: Electronic copies of the plans, specifications, reference documents, and any

addenda for this solicitation are available on the King County Procurement website shown below. Printed documents may also be ordered by contacting United Reprographics at 206-382-1177. Copies of documents are not available for purchase from King County, but are available for review 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M thru F. at the Contracts Counter: Chinook Bldg, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue Seattle, WA 98104.

To receive email notifications of addenda or other important information concerning this solicitation, you must register to be a planholder under the “Solicitations” tab at the following internet link: Website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement/ solicitations This information is available in alternate formats for individuals with disabilities upon advance request by calling 206-263-9400, TTY Relay: 711.

Notes: Bids received after Sealed Bid Time will not be considered. Bidders accept all risks of late delivery, regardless of fault. King County is not responsible for any costs incurred in response to this Invitation to Bid.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

15

{HONOLULU cont’d from page 5}

{VFA cont’d from page 11}

from historical narratives to descriptive portrayals of nature.

“If you’ve got a big umbrella, nihon buyo is in the center like the stem, because we borrow a lot from the noh theater and kabuki but we also take from folk dances,” she explains. “So it’s a dance that stems from many other dances, but mainly noh and kabuki.”

Tsutsumi grew up in Honolulu, the daughter of a Japanese-born hospital worker and his nisei wife. She began her formal training at age 8 with Bando Mikayoshi, one of the early teachers of nihon buyo in Hawaii. She also studied with Japanese dancers who visited Honolulu, a fairly common practice in the prewar era.

“I loved music and dancing. I loved watching all kinds of dancing, and this was mostly what I was exposed to,” she said.

In 1956, after finishing university and starting her teaching career, she traveled to Tokyo “to at least see Japan.” Through a family acquaintance, she met the master of a major nihon buyo school in Tokyo, the Onoe Kikunojo School, and wound up studying there for a year. She has now studied with three generations of masters from that school, which is noted for its technique with fans.

“Many other schools in Japan, they came to my teacher, and they learn a lot about how to manipulate the fan,” she said.

The Onoe Kikonojo School would eventually bestow upon her a professional name, Onoe Kikunobu, an honor that allowed her to open her own school, Kikunobu Dance Company. Founded in 1964, the school has seen 13 of its students earn the designation of master dancer.

Her students are steeped in the tradition of the dance, even learning how to notate dances with stick figures to depict the footwork and filing the information away in small notebooks.

“I have tons of them,” she said of the notebooks, adding with a laugh, “Now we have DVD.” Tsutsumi also taught at many other local theater groups, such as the Honolulu Theatre for Youth and Kumu Kahua Theatre. For more than 20 years, she helped the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Department of Theatre and Dance with its kabuki productions, passing on that responsibility to one of her students, Howard Asao, a few years ago.

Asao, 71, was one of Tsutsumi’s first students. He said a performance

by Japan’s Grand Kabuki Theatre in 1964 at the then-new Blaisdell Center (formerly known as the Honolulu International Center) inspired him to take up the art form.

“Learning Japanese dance, you not only learn the dance, but you learn the language and the history and the culture, not just of the present, but the past,” said Asao, who still meets regularly with Tsutsumi to practice.

Another student, Linda Tatsuno, has been studying with Tsutsumi for only a year. As a youngster she was forced by her parents to go to weekend dance school. Now, after a “45-year break,” she’s rediscovering

commitment, mission and values.

VFA stands in support of welcoming refugees of all backgrounds, including Syrian refugees, to Washington State.

We are proud and appreciate that Washington has been and will continue to be a state that welcomes those fleeing persecution and war, regardless of religious affiliation. These are values that VFA’s board, staff and community share.

VFA was formed in the 1970s to respond to shortterm resettlement needs facing Vietnamese refugees in Seattle.

At the time, Washington State was among the first in the United States to welcome and resettle Vietnamese refugees—an act of kindness and compassion we have not forgotten. As the Vietnamese community grew and matured in Washington State, VFA refocused our mission to serve other refugee and immigrant communities in education, civic engagement and early learning.

VFA believes refugees and immigrants are assets that strengthen the social, cultural and economic fabric of Washington and the United States. We welcome all efforts that make our community, state and country more inclusive and diverse. 

{CRAB cont’d from page 7} Oregon delayed the Dec. 1 start along its entire coast after testing in recent weeks showed higher toxin levels in the southern half of the state. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said delay of the season will allow completion of additional testing to make sure toxin levels are safe.

In Washington, officials also said they’re delaying the season along parts of the coast.

Tribal crab fisheries in Grays Harbor and the adjacent ocean area are open, and officials said the crab there is safe and toxin levels are lower.

It’s unclear how long the delays will last.

Officials say they’re continuing to test crab samples.

Dungeness crabs are a tradition for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. In 2014, the industry harvested nearly $170 million worth of Dungeness crab along the West coast.

Crab seasons have been delayed in the past, but mostly because the crab were not full enough, said John Corbin, a fisherman whose company has two Dungeness crab boats in Warrenton, Ore. Domoic acid has been found in crabs for

{DOMESTIC VIOLENCE cont’d from page 11} immigrant survivors may also obtain derivative status for their parents, spouses, children and siblings.

Many non-immigrants are fearful that reporting domestic violence will result in removal from the U.S. or other negative repercussions. The U Visa program is available to protect non-immigrants from violence and encourage them to call law

Gertrude Yukie Tsutsumi

her roots through dance.

“My focus is different now,” said Tatsuno, 67, who is trying to learn a traditional dance about a wounded heron. “Back then I could do the mechanics of it. Now, in my twilight years, I want to learn the spirit of it. Sensei is so good at the spirits and the mechanics, and she has immense patience.”

Tsutsumi’s school attracts people from all walks of life. She’s taught ballet dancers, Gertrude Yukie Tsutsumi children and non-Japanese students. One of her students is Jordan Ragasa, 24, who is of Filipino descent. He grew interested in nihon buyo through bon dancing.

“It was challenging at first because there’s lots of form and rigor to it, but after a while I grew to like that,” he said. “It’s very simple but it’s very elegant. There’s elegance in that simplicity.”

Tsutsumi has performed in major theaters in Japan, including the National Theater of Japan and the Kabuki-za, the principal kabuki theater in Tokyo. She’s received many honors and awards, including recognition from the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the Pan-Pacific Festival.

Her approach to dance reflects the ascetic qualities of Japanese art.

“Some people do frivolous things with their dance,” Tsutsumi said.

“The philosophy for my school is the most beautiful movement without waste and the connection between the movements. You have to have meaning and use the most beautiful way you can do it without being wasteful.” 

decades, usually at very low concentrations that pose no risk, Corbin said. But elevated levels that are toxic to humans are only found every dozen years or so.

“This year they’re full enough, but we want to make sure the crab is good quality and safe for the public,” he said. “When things are right, we will go at it.”

Officials say crabs sold in stores and restaurants remain safe to eat. Some crab on the market now may have been harvested months ago and frozen for later, or sourced from other areas.

Domoic acid or amnesic shellfish toxin can cause minor to severe illness and even death. Cooking or freezing shellfish with high levels of the toxin does not destroy it and doesn’t make it safe to eat.

Because the toxin tends to accumulate in crab gut and in the fat inside the back of the shell, officials say that, even when the meat has been deemed safe, people should remove all the fat and discard the gut before consuming the shellfish.

Other shellfish affected by domoic acid include razor clams, which have been taken off menus in Oregon and Washington.

Domoic acid has also been detected in mussels and oysters in the Puget Sound. 

enforcement when necessary. If you or a loved one is facing this challenge you should contact a U.S. immigration lawyer.

Minal Kode Ghassemieh is a U.S. immigration lawyer who has focused her practice on non-immigrant work visas, family-based immigration and humanitarian forms of relief including U-visas and asylum.

She currently serves as Board Chair Elect of API Chaya, a non-profit that serves survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. 

— James Hong Executive Director — Mary Nguyen Board President

asianweekly northwest

16

NOVEMBER 28 – DECEMBER 4, 2015

{SIA cont’d from page 10} wearing a white and black wig evocative of Sia’s hairstyle, performs a dazzling routine with quick fists and kicks, and an adorably determined concentration of energy.

Mahiro, a three-time Japan karate champion in her age group, found making a music video was quite fun, and agreed she would do it again, especially if Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift offers.

The video shoot with Sia in a Tokyo suburb took about a week. She made a point to move to match the music, and “look cool,” Mahiro said in an interview at her home, where she was gulping down her dinner of curry and boiled eggs before rushing to karate practice.

“She was nice,” she said calmly of Sia. “She kept saying I was fantastic.”

“Amazing” was the way her thoroughly impressed mother, Masayo Takano, remembers Sia repeatedly praising her daughter.

“I was so excited,” her mother said, letting out a squeal not quite as fierce as the long throaty screams her daughter makes during her karate routines.

Mahiro — whose name means “ten thousand kindness, as well as ten thousand talents” — has a quick, sweet smile when she isn’t screaming.

Her kicks, turns and punches in the air are part of “kata” forms that are like choreography in the Japanese defensive martial art of karate. Kata competition is separate from combat matches, which are also part of the sport.

{WAYNE cont’d from page 10} used up all the other cold cuts, but that’s fine. We don’t eat chicken for Thanksgiving. We eat turkey. No problem there.

But what about the rest of it?

Take cranberry sauce. I don’t know why they call it cranberry sauce. It’s not a sauce based on the way it comes out of the tin can it’s in. It stays the shape of the can. Since when can sauce be used to form inanimate objects? It really should be called cranberry clay if we’re being precise. But what’s the point of it? It’s a close cousin to jelly, but in this case, you eat the jelly with the turkey. Since when did it become fashionable to eat poultry with jelly? Why does it make zero sense in every other instance except for the one day of the year where everyone eats it with turkey?

Mahiro Takano

When doing kata, you slip into a focused character, Mahiro says, by imagining “a far more powerful enemy.”

She lost a contest just once, when she was in kindergarten.

She wept, she recalls, so painful was it to lose. The trick is to practice as though you are in competition, and compete as though you are in practice, she said.

And she practices with a ferocious frenzy, working out every day after school with her older brother. She was 4 when she started karate, inspired by her brother, then 5, who began lessons with their father, a truck driver.

The last time I ate roast chicken, at no time did I think to myself, “You know what? This chicken is amazing but it seems to be missing something. If only I could smother this chicken leg with some orange marmalade.”

Then there’s the stuffing. Everything else on the table — the gravy, the mashed potatoes, the pumpkin pie — they’re all served alongside the turkey. But the stuffing — a mixture of stale bread, vegetables and spices — needs to be packed into the cavity of the bird. You must do this. You have no choice. After all, it’s called “stuffing”. If you don’t do it, you have to call it something else, like “stale bread and vegetable mush”.

When I was a kid, I once asked my mom if the farmers could feed the turkeys ice cream and hot fudge so the stuffing could be our dessert too.

Now, before any of you start writing me to tell me about

The moves must be powerful, precise and sharp, and getting better never ends, you can keep working at one detail after another, she added, sounding almost like a guru.

When asked about the appeal of karate, her reply is rather simple — being able to make friends.

“You get to play with them,” such as tag, she said.

Her parents say they are grateful to karate because it teaches a child discipline, hard work, resilience to perform under pressure, and manners. Bowing and cheerful replies, as well as constant practice and respect for hierarchy, exemplified in the belt system signifying skill levels, are integral to karate.

Her teacher Takako Kikuchi acknowledged that some purists may disapprove of a young woman’s participation in a music video.

“But this little girl did not compromise in the music video. She is doing her best, delivering, correctly and thoroughly, one by one, the moves that she knows, with utmost concentration. There is nothing false about it, nothing made up. She is truly telling the world the way of karate,” Kikuchi said proudly.

Mahiro has already been chosen as an official “ambassador” for karate for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The sport is vying to be chosen for the games. Never mind that, even if that happens, Mahiro may not be old enough to compete. The age cutoff is still undecided.

“I want to go to the Olympics,” she says, “and win a gold medal.” 

the origins of Thanksgiving dinner, you’re missing my point. I’m sure that every facet of Thanksgiving dinner — the cranberry clay, the stale bread and vegetable mush — all have logical explanations. It’s just that I’ve been following this tradition my entire life without really knowing why. I do it every year because, well, that’s just what you do. It’s what my parents did every year, and now it’s what we do every year for my kids.

Who knows? In a few generations when my great, great grand kids ask their parents why every year they eat Spam with their turkey, they might just say, “I don’t know. It’s just what we do.”  Wayne Chan can be reached at info@nwasianweekly. com.