April 2007 Archives
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Iranian Typography Now | creativity reigns
"The past few years have been quite exciting for Iranian graphic designers. As Iran's design gains more international attention, the graphic designers face new challenges and rewards....
One of the qualities that makes current Iranian graphic design unique is its typography. The country has a rich history of visual arts and moreover the better part of this heritage consists of calligraphy. Throughout the times calligraphy has been inventing and reinventing itself and has influenced other forms of art. The incorporation of calligraphy into Islamic architecture is a fine example of this union. In recent times these treasures of beauty and harmony have inspired painters, sculptors, and in particular: graphic designers."
(Source: Read rest of article at PingMag)
Posted by Tamiko | April 30, 2007 | Comments (1)Tags:
Shanghai's hippest yoga club
Yoga is an ancient form...yet you'll likely to find modern looking yoga studios...even in Shanghai. China's hippest city is becoming a hub of modern design, including The Y + Yoga Centre which has 3 yoga rooms totalling 1,200 meters squared, 4 massage rooms, a meditation room, several communal facilities, a shop and a cafe.
China rising indeed. (source: www.thecoolhunter.net)
Posted by Tamiko | April 29, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Just for laughs: The Ethnic Heroes of Comedy Tour 2007
"The Ethnic Heroes of Comedy Tour 2007, a cross section of comedy like no other, featuring stand-out talent from very different backgrounds, will hit 10 cities across Canada beginning Thursday, April 12 in Hamilton (ON) and wrapping up in Vancouver (BC) on Saturday, April 28 at the Centre for Performing Arts, 7:00pm (Tix).
Host and Wiseguys alumni Frank Spadone (Italian Cdn) will join an eclectic group of ethnic comics including Festival favourites Angelo Tsarouchas (Greek Cdn), Jo Koy (Asian Am) and Sugar Sammy (Indo Cdn) for a hilarious night of comedy celebrating family, culture and tradition. Whatever your cultural background, The Ethnic Heroes of Comedy will make you feel right at home."
Posted by Tamiko | April 28, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Phogedaboutit - Vancity Phodown review
Countdown to Vancity's finest Pho joint with Eat Vancouver's Phodown Lowdown:
"After a dozen phos, the phodown is finally over and I have to admit, it’s been a turbulent ride. My sodium intake has been all over the charts, some nights waking me up, dry-mouthed in the middle of the night, absolutely certain that the pho-gods were hiding just around the corner. I’ve had bowls of pho envelop me with their fragrant bouquets, just daring me slurp up my fill, and I’ve had bowls of pho whisper to me, almost inaudibly, words of warning: “You are going to regret this later.” And I did. This is not to mention the Fishman sending me painstaking looks that sent a message as clear day, “When will this be over?” I haven’t seen such pure, unbridled dread in his someone’s eyes since someone mentioned the word “salad” to Gerald Tritt...."
Posted by Boon Kondo | April 27, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Vancouver Plays Itself (in a movie)
Other than when Lucy Liu and Antonio Banderas went at in the classic film Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, good ol Vancouver, BC has hardly ever played itself in a flick that was filmed here. Even when the north shore mountains appear in what's supposed to the Bronx , Hollywood North has served as its cost effective location for doubling for other major North American cities.
However, if an Emily Carr grad and reputed one-man Vancouver tourism promoter Douglas Coupland writes a movie about Vancouver, it would be pretty silly for the city not to be a major character in the movie. So in Coupland's Everything's Gone Green a 20 something slacker named Ryan (Paul Costanzo: 40 Days, 40 Nights, Road Trip, Joey) gets dumped by his woman and has a lame ass job as a cheesy lottery magazine writer/photographer (he shoots the winners and writes about them). But when a money laundering scheme presents itself to Ryan, the opportunity is just too good to pass and soon come in the Benjimans. Ryan has to take mandarin lessons for work as well, and low and behold, Ryan gets the hots for an Asian hottie in his class played by Steph Song. But......the Asian chick doesnt dig Ryan's new found wealth in the hustle so Ryan sets out on a mission to prove that he's not what he appears to be (that and also convince the lady to break up with her BF).
Odds are also that BC Bud may possible play a supporting actor to lead City of Vancouver in a movie called Everything's Gone Green.
Everything's Gone Green is now playing at Tinseltown and Silver City Coquitlam
Posted by Boon Kondo | April 26, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Beats Without Borders tonight @ the Red Room
Mayko, Jef Stott & the Embarka Soundsystem perform with sets by Lady Ra, Nils, & Tarun in this year's Beats Without Borders.
From beyondrobson.com:
"What if every club in Vancouver and every arts collective that throws large gartherings donated 5% of their Net proceeds to a charity of choice? Can you imagine the impact, the shelters we could build, the outreach that would be possible to those in need? Well, Beats Without Borders is doing just that: they "donate 5% of everything we make to Doctors Without Borders ," as their website reports."
Thursday - April 26
The Red Room
398 Richards street (bet. Hastings & Cordova)
$15 at door
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Grumpy Girl Clothing | turn that frown upside down
You wouldn't think a girl would be grumpy when she wakes up in Hawaii...nevertheless, it's here you'll find the Grumpy Girl Clothing.
Grumpy Girl is a product of Optics Worldwear, a small, family-run company based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The company was started in 1997 by Allison Takeshita, an accountant with a need to express her creative side (imagine that)! For years, she had run the business merely as a stress-relieving, "when-I-have-time" part-time job. However, with the well-received debut of the Grumpy Girl Clothing line in 2002, she finally decided to devote her full attention to the development of the business with the enlisted help of her family, friends, and sometimes her two cats.
Grumpy Girl's Auto Bird Turd Emegency Kit has even been noted by The New York Times....
Posted by Tamiko | April 25, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Aya Kato | graphic girl
Art nouveau + manga + graphic design + ukiyoe wood block prints + baroque = AYA KATO designs. The 25-year-old artist's designs have been featured in countless glossy magazines around the world, a Windows XP Trekkers commercial, a Toni Amos video, and more. The girl's got skills.
In her own words (cute to the point of confusion): "I want to wake up a lot of souls that the person is sleeping in the innermost recesses of the heart as much as possible by using my maximum imagination." *blink* blink* ...let Aya's work speak for itself. See her gallery HERE.
Posted by Tamiko | April 25, 2007 | Comments (1)Tags:
Earth Day | April 22
April 22 is EARTH DAY and humans around the globe will mark the day by taking part in activities that promote a healthy planet. For events in Canada, go to www.earthday.ca.
Way before The Inconvenient Truth, US Senator Gaylord Nelson headed a grassroots demonstration to call attention to environmental issues in 1970 when Earth Day got started. 20 million people took part in peaceful protests and educational workshops. Now Earth Day is a worldwide day with 180 countries involved.
Yes, it's not easy being green but you must make a positive impact on your surroundings every day...start on Earth Day: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.
Posted by Tamiko | April 19, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Doritos Tandoori Sizzler | spice is nice
You've seen the ads--bold, sizzlin', exotic. Yes, the Doritos Tandoori ads (you can see them under the cut). Memorable indeed...and pure ethnic marketing to the core:
"Major food companies are responding to Canada's increasingly diverse makeup. When Frito-Lay Canada sought to bring some new flavours to market, it went with a South Asian mix, starting with Lay's Spicy Curry last year and expanding this year with Doritos Tandoori...Backed by irreverent ads shot in Bombay featuring Bollywood movie stars, the commercials are aimed at all Canadians, says the advertising agency that created the campaign.
(Full article "New products, ads reflect our diversity" @ www.thestar.com.)
Posted by Tamiko | April 19, 2007
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While some may argue such greetings are mere tokenism, Joshi says the marketplace is quick to spot tokenism. 'If you offer a greeting but no product to follow it up ... sure, companies may start that way but tokenism is not sustainable.' "
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The Orange Prize for Fiction | International women writers celebrated
The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction was set up in 1996 to celebrate fiction by women writing in English. The winner of the 30,000-pound ($60,000) prize will be announced on June 6 in London (article HERE). The writers shortlisted for the prize:
Guo Xiao lu's "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers," deliberately written in bad English, is about a Chinese girl in London, and her journey of sex, freedom and self-discovery. Kirin Desai's "The Inheritance of Loss" (2006 Booker Prize winner) about a cantankerous old judge in the Himalayas, his orphaned granddaughter and the son of his chatty cook.
Anne Tyler's "Digging to America," about two Korean babies delivered to families in Baltimore. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Half of a Yellow Sun," set in the 1960s during the bloody Nigeria-Biafra war.
Jane Harris's "The Observations" set in Edinburgh in 1863 about a maid and her mysterious employer. Rachel Cusk's "Arlington Park," set during a rainy day in an English suburb.
Posted by Tamiko | April 18, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Britishness Global | The popularity of British fashion outside of the UK
JC Report is a bimonthly email magazine providing an insider's view on fashion trends emerging around the world, in the current issue writer Alex Butt discovers that British designers are finding more fans outside of the UK than in it. Read the complete article "Britishness Global" @ jcreport.com).
"Though Mulberry is as big in the UK as in the rest of the world, many British brands find that their 'Britishness' has a greater resonance abroad than at home. Japan and China are a case in point, as many UK-brand labels enjoy considerable success there...On the fashion front, this west/east exchange shows renewed energy; Dan McMillan's menswear label Zoltar the Magnificent, for instance, sells in 8 stores in Japan and Hong Kong, as opposed to 2 in London...Quirky British designer Margaret Howell's modest success in England is dwarfed by her freestanding stores in Japan.
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Posted by Tamiko | April 18, 2007
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Daks is similarly enjoying a renaissance away from the UK. The brand launched its first store in India in 2004, and has enjoyed considerable success there...Whereas tradition can sometimes make British labels seem staid in their home country, many non-Brits find the sense of history attached to UK brands intriguing...and it wouldn't be complete without Burberry...
Why are British labels more popular than ever? Well, maybe it has something to do with that old adage: you can only break the rules once you know what they are. Particularly true, I guess, if you made them up in the first place."
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Nelly Furtado sings classic Hindi song Kahbi Kabhie
"Kabhi Kabhie" is a classic Hindi love song from a classic Hindi film from 1976 also called Kahbi Kahbie (Sometimes Sometimes). The song is so romantic that people are known to tear up just from the melody, let alone the words (Lyrics & English translation of the lyrics www.bollywhat.com)...so popular that you can even find songstress Nelly Furtado belting out the beautiful lyrics of Khabi Kahbie in one of her concerts in Nottingham, England February 2007 (in Hindi to boot!).
Nelly Furtado has said: "I grew up with a lot of Asian and Indian friends speaking Punjabi and Hindi. And I grew up watching a lot of bhangra, Bollywood, religious music and we even had it on television on Saturdays. Actually sometimes while I would clean hotel rooms... my friends invited me to sing at their Indian cultural festival when I was about 18 years old, and my friend's father said I should sing in Hindi, and I really liked it. I learned Kabhi Kabhi"
* Listen & watch a short clip of Nelly Furtado's version of Khabi Kahbie @ HERE.
* Original version of Khabi Kahbie on Youtube @ HERE.
Posted by Tamiko | April 16, 2007 | Comments (1)Tags:
Identity Apparel - Oh Canada tees
Vancouver-based designer Meghan Dru can proudly say: "I am Canadian." Her Identity Apparel designs are based on the ideals of the "Canadian Identity" (maple leaf, beaver, igloo, the Queen, moose, etc) with a quirky fresh vibe.
How she puts it: "It begs the questions--who are Canadians and what does it mean to be Canadian? It takes a sophisticated, yet amusing approach on iconic Canadian images, producing a fresh and fashion forward product. Images are clean and modern, designed for the refined Canadian male. Canadians are more than just maple syrup and good manners; Identity Apparel is the vehicle, which expresses our culture in a modern and progressive way."
Posted by Tamiko | April 15, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
The White Masai | Cross-cultural love in Africa
The White Masai (Die Weisse Massai), directed by Hermine Huntgeburth, is based upon an autobiographical novel by Swiss writer Corinne Hofmann. In English, German and Swahili with English subtitles.
After a tour of Africa with her friend, Swiss tourist Carola (Nina Hoss) meets Lemalian (Jacky Ido) on the bus and decides to hang out with him on her last night on the continent. She stays behind in the African hinterlands in the hopes of finding her true love.
Review from The Globe & Mail:
"There are two stories in The White Masai but, alas, only one verdict. The first tells the familiar tale of a pale Western woman vacationing in a hot Third World country and throwing herself at an even hotter local hunk. The second tries to be a sensitive twist on that theme: Instead of the man vying to marry his way out of poverty, the woman decides to marry her way in, and the movie shifts to become a stranger-in-a-strange-land yarn, where culture clashes play out on a bed of passion. But the clashes are just strung together episodically, like check-points on a journey leading nowhere special, leaving the characters to disappear behind the incidents. We want to know the lovers yet never really get the chance, and the result is a small picture painted on a epic canvas."
Posted by Tamiko | April 14, 2007
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National Geographic's Hip-Hop Planet
Ah, anyone can recognize the yellow spine of the National Geographic magazines, full of beautiful photographs and indepth articles about the world today...and for the April 2007 issue you will find stories on the global fisheries crisis, tallgrass prairie, and Botswana leopards, and an article on the history of hip hop from New York's South Bronx to the villages of West Africa. Author James McBride searches for the roots of the music that can't be ignored in "Hip Hop Planet" (read whole article @ www7.nationalgeographic.com).
"Not since the advent of swing jazz in the 1930s has an American music exploded across the world with such overwhelming force. Not since the Beatles invaded America and Elvis packed up his blue suede shoes has a music crashed against the world with such outrage. This defiant culture of song, graffiti, and dance, collectively known as hip-hop, has ripped popular music from its moorings in every society it has permeated. In Brazil, rap rivals samba in popularity. In China, teens spray-paint graffiti on the Great Wall. In France it has been blamed, unfairly, for the worst civil unrest that country has seen in decades.
Posted by Tamiko | April 13, 2007
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Its structure is unique, complex, and at times bewildering. Whatever music it eats becomes part of its vocabulary, and as the commercial world falls into place behind it to gobble up the powerful slop in its wake, it metamorphoses into the Next Big Thing. It is a music that defies definition, yet defines our collective societies in immeasurable ways. To many of my generation, despite all attempts to exploit it, belittle it, numb it, classify it, and analyze it, hip-hop remains an enigma, a clarion call, a cry of "I am" from the youth of the world. We'd be wise, I suppose, to start paying attention."
Tags: Commentary
Global Street Style for the fashionista
Coolhunter.net has compiled a list of global style blogs so you don't have to go searching for them when you're itching for some inspiration.
Coolhunter's Street Stalker blog "looks beyond the runway at who is wearing what, social viewpoints and what makes up our diverse global culture...It's a savvy social montage of what's happening on our most famous runway - our streets. As the gap between celebrity and the average person is bridged through mediums such as reality television, the concept of the unknown celebrity emerges."
* Tokyo Street Style @ www.japanesestreets.com.
* New York City, Zurich, LA, Warsaw, Berlin, Oslo, Munich @ www.thecoolhunter.net/street/STREET-STYLE.
* Helsinki, Shanghai, Stockholm, Paris, Australia, London, Toronto, Barcelona, Rekjavik, Milan, Moscow, San Francisco, Lisbon, Sao Paolo, Mexico City, and Vancouver @ www.thecoolhunter.net/fashion/STREET-STYLE.
Posted by Tamiko | April 12, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
BANGS & BUDDHA an original play | April 19/May 5
April 19 - May 5 features the World Premiere of BANGS & BUDDHA, an exciting original play collectively created by Kendra Fanconi, Eric Rhys Miller and Maiko Bae Yamamoto (Sexual Practices of the Japanese).
In this story of a dynamic duo out to save the world from conformity, you'll meet a Tokyo schoolgirl and a tired Left-Coast drag queen who break out of the humdrum and collide in their quest for freedom in downtown Tokyo.
April 19 - May 5, 2007
BANGS & BUDDHA by The Only Animal
Produced by The Presentation House Theatre
333 Chesterfield Avenue, North Vancouver
Tags: Theatre
sexy back | Corona titillates Japan
Perhaps to make the Japanese forget about the Toyota Corona, the execs behind Corona beer didn't put on the brakes for their 2005-6 advertising campaign for the Japanese market.
Created by Ogilvy & Mather Japan, the suggestive photos and tagline ("Grind it in deeper") are more European than fuzoko (the secret world of sex in Japan where kawaii (cute) meets sex--sometimes referred as the "pink world" or the "pink trade"). At least they elicit a "wow" or a "oh my"...the job of advertising after all...clever bastards.
Wonder if the sale of Corona went up in Japan after these ads were printed?
More sexy liquor ads from around the world @ adsoftheworld. To take a peek at the rest of the Corona ads for the Japanese market, look under the cut. Okay, it's time to leave you alone with them now...
Posted by Tamiko | April 11, 2007 | Comments (5)Tags: Sexology
Play! Collaborative interactive art | THE BROTH: THE GLOBAL MOSAIC
ARCHIVE: The Broth's motto is "Be nice, work together, and have fun!" Influenced by Web 2.0 / Ajax applications and from Xbox Live for Xbox 360, a small group of developers out of Perth, Australia decided to harness these rich new technologies to create something truly open for the whole internet community. A way for the global community to get to come together, The Broth: The Global Mosaic
Basically, it's made of 1,000 tiles that are shared by everyone. Click on any mosaic tile and drag it around to create new artworks. When you move a tile, others can instantly see your moves and vice versa.
The Broth: The Global Mosaic is meant to be art that is free of restrictions. No plug-ins, no flash, no fast computer to confuse anyone. In the words of The Broth developers, "People interact at the same time, beyond borders of language, age, gender or politics." Go play (HERE)!
Posted by Tamiko | April 11, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags: Archive
Studio Bendid | the pen is funnier than the sword
Anyone who gives a voice to the voiceless deserves a shout out! Khalil Bendib is a Berkeley, California-based award-winning cartoonist published in numerous small and mid-sized newspapers across the USA, as well as in The Black Commentator and various other online publications.
"Born in North Africa under a colonialist French regime, Khalil brings a fresh, non-Eurocentric perspective and a unique voice not usually found in our large, corporate media...His hard-hitting, myth-shattering, platitude-mocking cartoons rarely shy away from the truth, as they seek to expose the crude racial stereotypes, "diss-information" and info-tainment pabulum offered as gospel by our mass media." (Read more at StudioBendib, and to see the larger version of the cartoon go under the cut).
Posted by Tamiko | April 10, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags: Commentary, Current Events
Make 5 Wishes | Manga-music collaboration
In a marketing move to target her teen audience, a manga called Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes will hit the newsstands on April 10, a week before her new album is released. Make 5 Wishes was illustrated by Camilla d'Errico and written by Joshua Dysart in the style of Japanese manga.
Make 5 Wishes depicts Lavigne has as an imaginary friend of the main character Hana, a downtrodden teenager who feels that the world refuses to recognize her existence. The plot finds Hana finding a website where she can buy a demon called Romeo who will grant her 5 wishes. Occasionally, Lavigne appears from nowhere to tell Hana to put on her headphones and listen to Avril's music (of course) or to impart a few words of wisdom to try to make Hana feel better. Awww.
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Easter & Passover candies galore
Move over hot-cross buns, easter candies are taking over...Easter is the 2nd most important candy-eating season (after Halloween)--90 million chocolate bunnies are made every year (more). Not only chocolate bunnies, but the shelves during this time are stocked with marshmallow peeps, easter creme eggs in all their varieties, mini eggs, jellybeans...Happy Easter & Passover!
PERUSE THRU SOME OF THESE EASTER CANDY BLOGS:
* Peeps for Passover photos from flickr (stylecouncil1) where you'll see Peeps Bunnies suffering through the plagues of Egypt (photo of Plague 3: Lice).
* Creative ways to eat your marshmallow peeps (Candy Blog)
* Find out what Easter Candy you are (what easter candy are you quiz/)
* Experiments with purple marshmallow peeps bunnies @ www.julieleung.com/
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Vancouver Taiwanese Film festival (TWFF) | April 6-8
TAIWANESE FILM FESTIVAL (TWFF) will be held from April 6-8, 2007 at UBC's Norm Theatre, and will feature 6 award-winning films and documentaries from emerging directors of the 21st century that have revolutionized Taiwan's film industry.
Each story is set at a distinct location, be it a large city like Taipei or a rural farm in Tainan, accenting Taiwan's inherent culture and beauty; together, the films form a rich and diverse cultural exploration representative of the whole of Taiwan.
UBCLE proudly presents the 1st Annual Taiwanese Film Festival | April 6 - 8, 2007
New Vision, Young Generation: Revival of the Taiwanese Cinema
Location: UBC Norm Theatre (located in the Student Union Building), 6138 Student Union Blvd.
Prices: $3.50 per movie or $15.00 for a VIP pass to the entire festival!
Contact: 604.219.5025 Patty Huang (http://twff.ubcle.com)
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Background on your brew
Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee
"Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. And in this caffeine-addled corner of the world, coffee is a blessing and a curse swirled together in a cup. Amid the lush hills and misty valleys, peasants endure bleak conditions and back-breaking labor to bring the beans to the world market. While nearly every worker detests the process—the picking, sorting, washing, shelling and drying—they are also hopelessly hooked on the sweet and delicate flavor of the black elixir.
'Coffee is the backbone of our country,' said Frew Demeke, 40, a former official at the Coffee and Tea Development Authority, as he sipped a steaming cup in a local restaurant. Ethiopia is among the poorest countries in the world. But as another patron, noted, 'even the smallest coffee shop has an espresso machine and milk frother.'"
Posted by Boon Kondo | April 7, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Vancity Taco Quest
Though it shouldnt be any surprise (because the number of any cities' ethnic cuisine establishments are usually reflective of each ethnic communities' size) that Vancouver's Latin eateries are not what we are famous for, there are still a good chunk of them around town. Personally, I would never trade our sushi joints for taco shops but there still those times when you just want something specific and nothing else will do. Though as one local blogger puts it "Sure, you can go to any Mexican restaurant here and order a taco. But they’re nothing like the tacos you find in SoCal at taquerías or roach-coach lunch trucks." Im sure everyone's heard the same about Chinese or Japanese food once they get back to Vancouver from a vacation in the States or Europe.
But that same blogger did put himself forth on a quest for the perfect taco in Vancity. Check out what he found.
The Quest for the Holy Taco
Vancouver taquerías listings
Also, for authentic Salvadorean pupusas, check out Rinconcito Salvadoreno@ 2062 Commercial (off 4th Ave), 879-2600
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JJ Grey & Mofro | blue-eyed soul | April 7
Blue-eyed soul is a term used to describe R&B or soul music performed by white people, originally associated with mid-60s artists such as The Righteous Brothers...Seriously (look it up).
It's also used to describe Florida-based JJ GREY and MOFRO's smart, soulful blues-funk music--tinged with the intensity of Otis Redding--about class, race, and the southern landscape. Glide Magazine noted: "JJ Grey's smoky vocals leave you wondering, where did this white boy get so much soul?" (read more @ www.glidemagazine.com).
They'll be performing on April 7 at Richard's on Richards (1036 Richards) in Vancouver. Tix $16 (INFO @ www.richardsonrichards.com). Other cities HERE. Listen to their tracks on their MySpace @ www.myspace.com/mofroband.
Posted by Tamiko | April 6, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Vaisakhi Parade | the birth of the Sikh identity | April 7 (Surrey) & April 14 (Vancouver)
VAISAKHI (sometimes spelled Baisakhi) is a dual event for Sikhs worldwide: a harvest festival with the commemoration of 17th-century events that gave shape to the birth of the Sikh identity. This weekend, Surrey will hold the LARGEST Vasakhi celebration in North America, culminating in a parade that begins at Saturday, April 7 at 10am at the Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar Temple (12885 85th Avenue, Surrey, BC).
Gathering crowds of more than thousands, the Vaisakhi Parade symbolizes diversity with pomp and colour. You'll find rides, live music, and stalls offering FREE FOOD (!). More info @ www.surrey.ca/Events/.
* Vancouver's Vasaikh Parade (organized by Khalsa Diwan Society) will take place on Saturday, April 14, 11am-4pm from the Ross Street SikhTemple, around Main Street & 49th Avenue (road closures are in effect on this day to accomodate the parade, so go to the City of Vancouver webpage HERE to check what roads will be closed.)
Posted by Tamiko | April 6, 2007 | Comments (1)Tags:
Todd Omotani | Designer by week, DJ by weekend | April 6
Self-proclaimed as having a "big half Japanese head on a Barney Rubble body," Vancouver's TODD OMOTANI--"designer by week, DJ by weekend"--will be doing his thing on April 6 at Bar None, Vancouver (INFO @ www.clubzone.com). For other cities here.
"Todd's popularity is due to his incredible ear for ass-shaking trax, unforgettable vocals blended with soul moving rhythms, which always leads to packed dancefloors. Omotani's following has spread beyond the borders of Canada leading to guest appearances at clubs across the globe, most notable is his residency at SOLID in Tokyo, Japan." (read more)
Posted by Tamiko | April 6, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
DiverCine | cinema from the Francophonie | April 6-9
The 2007 Celebration of Cinema from the Diverse World of the Francophonie features Burkina Faso's Buried Dreams, Morocco's Marock, Egypt's The Yacoubian Building, Canada/Belgium/France's Congorama and France's Azur et Azmar and Le Voyage en Armenie.
From April 6 - 9 at the Pacific Cinematheque (1131 Howe, Vancouver) (Info @ www.cinematheque.bc.ca/).
Presented by The Pacific Cinematheque and The Consulate General of France, DiverCine is a cooperation between the Embassy of France in Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage/Le ministere du Patrimoine canadien. It is designed to celebrate and promote la Francophonie, the international community of countries and governments that use French as a common language, and to showcase the abundance and diversity of film production in the francophone nations of the world.
Posted by Tamiko | April 6, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Art Chinois | Huang Yong Ping & Shen Yuan
Chinese-born, Paris-based artist HUANG YONG PING's retrospective HOUSE OF ORACLES will open at the Vancouver Art Gallery April 5 - September 16, 2007.
The highly regarded artist is renowed for balancing East and West in his life-size sculptures of elephants and tigers, an airplane fuselage festooned with bats, even a Shanghai bank building re-created with 18 metric tons of sand. The exhibition will feature more than 40 works, as well as "significant early works from the artist's career, reflecting his interest in ideas on chance, creative process and divination."
In addition, Huang Yong Ping's wife, SHEN YUAN, will open her own solo exhibition at Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (2 West Hastings Street) from April 6 - May 5, 2007. Artist talk on Saturday, April 7, 11am (INFO)
Posted by Tamiko | April 6, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Uzume Taiko | Drum Spirits | April 6-7, 2007
Local taiko drum ensemble UZUME TAIKO's getting ready to tour Europe with their newest show called "Drum Spirits" at the end of this month to mid-May.
To warm up for their extended tour, the group will perform at the Norman Rothstein Theatre on April 6-7th, with guest guitarist and percussionist Dave Corman. The group has brought exuberant, kinetic performances to venues and festivals across the globe, and Uzume's Artistic Director Bonnie Soon promises the show will be "atmospheric".
Uzume Taiko | Drum Spirits
Norman Rothstein Theatre | Apr. 6-7, 2007 8:00 PM.
950 W. 41st, Vancouver | (604) 257 - 0366
$20 General, $15 Students/Seniors
Tix @ Norman Rothstein Theatre, Highlife Records, and Zulu Records
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2 Flicks for the long weekend
1 new one for the theatre from Korea, 1 new dvd release from Spain
2 of the big hits of last year's Vancouver Film Fest are out right before this long weekend. Korean Bong Joon-ho's the Host is finally out in theatres this week. While it's been called one of the best monster movies eva, the movie itself is not so much about the monster itself as what's behind it (domestic and foreign). And though, this aint the first, its still also pretty cool to see Korean movie trailers being played on prime time TV and in the megaplexes too.
The Host is playing at Tinseltown, Silver City Riverport & Coquitlam.
You can also bring Penelope Cruz home this weekend albeit under Pedro Almodovar's direction in Volver. The incomparable director from Spain teams with Cruz for the first time since All About My Mother and Cruz gives what most are saying his her best performance to date in a familiar Almodovar theme of female resilience. Volver is out on DVD this week.
Posted by Boon Kondo | April 5, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
The Shanghai Restoration Project | Electronic Music Meets Asian Chic
East-meets-West doesn't always make for a successful fusion, but when it works, it works. And it really works in producer and songwriter Dave Liang's first complete album, The Shanghai Restoration Project. The album has been burning up the ears of iPod users since its debut, making its way as one of the top albums on both iTunes and MSN Music.
The Kansas-raised Liang--a former producer for artists on major labels Bad Boy and Universal Records--fuses traditional Chinese instruments such as dizi and erhu with modern hip-hop and electronica to create music that he says, "mirrors my upbringing as a Chinese American delicately balancing Eastern and Western influences."
Listen to the ambience of The Shanghai Restoration Project: shanghairestorationproject.com or www.myspace.com/shanghairestorationproject.
Posted by Tamiko | April 3, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags: Archive
Molson Canadian Patriotism = little man complex?
Beer commercials are beer commericals but dam, Molson, enough with the inferiority complexed Canadian patriotism ads already. Yeah, Americans are ignorant. Yeah, Americans are everything we know they are but does Canadian patriotism exclusively revolve around anti-Americanism in the Molson world? Is that all we got (besides hockey)? I cant really knock the hustle because I'm sure stroking our little brother complex to the US & A'ers works but after volume 100 with the current "do Canadians really know anything about beer?" ad (above), I've had enough obsessing of the Yanks. I'd say "Move on, Molson" but aslong as it works, why should they, i guess.
But while we're here, didnt that Joe Canadian dude on the original I Am commerical , kinda fit the stereotype he was raging against?
Tags: Commentary
The Beckham Brand in the US & A
Can the British Beckham brand of global celebrity translate to American success?
"No one is as good at the art of celebrity as David Beckham. Being Americans, we find it hard to accept that one of ours is not at the top of this particular pyramid. But it's true. Perhaps since Michael Jordan (perhaps since before Michael Jordan) no athlete has remained a bigger celebrity longer than David Beckham."
And whether or not Beckham will popularize soccer in the States, its ok because "as the persistence of Lance Armstrong demonstrates, Americans are happy to embrace sports stars whose sports they never watch."
Posted by Boon Kondo | April 2, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Mr World 2007...you heard right. Hee.
The search for the "most desirable man in the world" is over...at least for this year. Mr. Spain Juan Garcia was crowned Mr World 2007 on March 31 in Sanya, a tropical resort in China. 2nd place went to Brazil's Lucas Gil with 3rd place going to Jiang Lejun of China.
Who knew there was a Mr World? The first Mr World was held in 1996 based on a concept of presenting men with "great looks, style, charm, intelligence and strength." Hee. Over the weeks (!) of the competition, the contestants (see 2007 list) were tested on their strength, perseverance, mental agility and determination as they participated in: a cooking challenge, cocktail challenge, kayak challenge, fashion show, "assault course," kung fu lesson with Shaolin monks (Mr Belgium noted: "As a photographer I understand very well what it means to become one with your subject. Kung Fu is not only about your body, it is very spiritual."--gee, thanks), and the talent show...or should be say "talent" show. Sorry, no judgement.
Posted by Tamiko | April 2, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
Asian Stories Book 3 | a dramedy with a girl
How's this for a great story: A few years ago Ron Oda, an LA businessman, dropped everything and teamed up with college friend Kris Chin to make an entertaining Asian Pacific American film. Why? Because they grew tired of the Asian Pacific American films that rehashed historical and experimental films. In the words of Oda: "Can you guys do something else? We want to provide entertainment that people can enjoy. Here's something that’s different, not an internment camp movie." So they honed their skills by reading "Filmmaking for Dummies" and spent the next 8 months writing.
The result? ASIAN STORIES (BOOK 3)--there still isn't a Book 1 or 2--a dark comedy about a Chinese American (James Kyson Lee of Heroes) whose fiancee of 5 years leaves him for their Filipino American wedding deejay. Lee's character asks his ex-con best friend (Kirt Kishita) to kill him before Valentines Day and put him out of his lonely misery.
The film, which has won numerous awards at film festivals, and support from filmmakers Eric Byler and Justin Lin. Go see Asian Stories Book 3: "It has to be good. I would say go support the movie because it's good, not because it's Asian," said Oda. True that.
Posted by Tamiko | April 2, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
K'naan wins BBC Radio 3 award
The Dustyfoot Philosopher, Somali-Canadian MC K'naan won the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award for best new comer.
Canadian musician K'naan captures BBC prize
Other winners included Malian musician Ali Farka Toure, French singer Camille, Ghade Shbeir from Lebanon, Indian raga musician Debashish Bhattacharya, and Gypsy rockers Gogol Bordello.
Posted by Boon Kondo | April 1, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
The longest running female fashion - the Sari
The Fabric of History
"'There's historical evidence that the sari has been in existence for over 5,000 years,' says Liane Davison, the SAG's curator of exhibitions and collections. She also asserts that it is worn by a billion women, not just on the Indian subcontinent but throughout the world, wherever South Asian people have migrated. Consisting of an unstitched piece of cloth between five and nine metres in length, the sari is usually wrapped as a skirt around the body and secured at the waist, with the loose end arranged across the torso and over one shoulder. It can be draped in a variety of ways, depending on the region and context in which it's worn."
The Art of the Sari
Surrey Art Gallery
13750 - 88 Avenue, Surrey
Mar. 10 - June 10
Tags:
trippy | world images from the BBC
So you want to travel around the world...but how? where will you find the time? Sigh. Don't despair, because if you can spare a few minutes you can let your mind travel around the world with BBC Motion Gallery's quicktime video stream of captivating clips of images from around the world. Countries, people, animals, landscape, architecture, insects, vegetation--the works. So sit back and relish in the world around us.
Go ahead...you deserve it. Click HERE: www.flashcomguru.com.
For more BBC Motion Gallery videos, go to www.bbcmotiongallery.com.
Posted by Tamiko | April 1, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags:
modern american culture thru the lenses of AGNES KUNZ VIGIL
Colorado-based artist Agnes Kunz Vigil explores imagery derived from modern American culture and its apparent obsession with sex. In her words: "Through the use of color photography, I explore the humorous aspects of modern day slang and human sexuality...Because of this obsession with sex, every form of entertainment and communication uses some type of sexual overtone to communicate or sell its products."
"People want to talk about sex but discussing sex in a literal fashion has always been viewed as taboo by American culture. For this reason people have created a clever language to use as a substitution for the proper sexual terms....Platonic items are used in my photographs to portray the colorful conglomeration of slang phrases; cropping and extreme close up methods are used to simulate human sexual anatomy. Because of the humorous implications derived from sexual slang, the use of actual human anatomy is deliberately avoided to keep the imagery alluring and non-pornographic. Furthermore, the absence of human organs in the photos assists in the comic portrayal of sex..." (Read more nyartsmagazine.com).
Posted by Tamiko | April 1, 2007 | Comments (0)Tags: Commentary, Sexology
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