January 2008 Archives
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Daaaaamn! | SLIP OF THE TONGUE | Slam poetry delux
Wow. Standing ovation deserved...to Adriel Luis for his amazing words in his slam poem SLIP OF THE TONGUE, and Karen Lum for adapting the poem into a video (Watch it under the cut). Although only 4 minutes in length, Slip of the Tongue articulates the notion of "ethnic makeup" and promises to blow you away. Savour it.
Karen Lum shot and edited Slip of the Tongue in 2005 in Oakland, CA as part of a youth media organization called Youth Sounds Factory. Adriel Luis is well-established in the poetry scene, having traveled the world with iLL-Literacy, a spoken word collective that he founded in 2002. He was a finalist in the 2002 & 2003 Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slams, and was the 2004 San Francisco Slam Champion in the adult circuit. Adriel has published three chapbooks, and his debut poetry book, How to Make Juice is published on First Word Press.
Slip of the Tongue has been screened in over 50 international film festivals and was awarded a Northern California EMMY Award for Best Youth Film.
More: Adriel Luis: Slam champion @ californiaaggie | Adriel Luis MySpace here | See Slip of the Tongue under the cut | Read a snippet of Adriel Luis's poem "An Ode to All Languages" under the cut
Posted by Tamiko | January 31, 2008
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We Heart Daft Punk | Vancouver | Feb. 2
There are several things in life we can be certain of: death, taxes, and that Daft Punk is boss. And every now and then, Vancouverites know how to pay their respect to the electro-fantastic French duo by attending a little-known event called WE HEART DAFT PUNK.
The first two installments of the now semi-infamous night took place last year at the Royal Unicorn Cabaret in Vancouver's Chinatown. DJ'd by the Makeout's Sincerely Hana and Dani, Daft Punk hits were spun all night long for a crowded dance floor.
The third, and possibly last, installment of We Heart Daft Punk will take place at the Biltmore Cabaret, and will be DJ'd by Hana and Dani as well as popular Vancouver DJ My!Gay!Husband! Be sure to wear your favorite robot mask, because this time, there will also be a Daft Punk photo booth too!
Head down to the Biltmore this Saturday for some robo-love, and pay your respects to the electro-dance gods.
WE HEART DAFT PUNK
Feb. 2 | 10 pm start
Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver
Tickets $10 at door only
Vancouver Opera | Voices of the Pacific Rim | Feb 3
Madame Butterfly, it's not...no matter, Asia + Opera co-exist together in The Vancouver Opera's VOICES OF THE PACIFIC RIM concert on Sunday, Feb. 3rd. In partnership with the Powell Street Festival Society, the Vancouver Opera's Voices of the Pacific Rim will feature popular opera selections combined with traditional Asian songs, performed by rising young Asian Canadian opera singers.
Voices of the Pacific Rim recital will celebrate and honour the Chinese, Korean and Japanese communities, with sopranos Jessica Cheung, Gina Oh, and Sookhyung Park, tenor Sam Chung, and baritone Gene Wu. They will be joined by sopranos Lucy Choi, Stephanie Nakagawa and Szu-Wen Wang, and tenor Brian Lee. Music direction is by Leslie Dala. Kinza Tyrrell will accompany the singers on piano.
Vancouver Opera: VOICES OF THE PACIFIC RIM
Sunday, February 3, 2008 | 7:30 pm
Where: Vancouver Playhouse (INFO on location)
Tickets are $20 each, including GST (order at 604-683-0222)
(Image: Madama Butterfly 2003 art courtesy of Marco Tulio)
Posted by Tamiko | January 29, 2008
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How She Move | Canadian urban dance film | Sundance favorite
HOW SHE MOVE, the Canadian film directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid, wowed audiences at last year's Sundance Film Festival, winning it a deal with Paramount Pictures. It's now out in theatres across North America.
"Not just another urban dance film (a la You Got Served, or Step Up), How She Move stands out as a well-written and well-acted drama with an appeal that reaches beyond dance fanatics. Raya's (Rutina Wesley) Jamaican immigrant parents are in financial ruin and she's forced to leave her prestigious private school. Back at public school in Toronto's rough Jane-Finch neighborhood, Raya attempts to earn enough money to return to the private school. Upon learning that the top prize for an upcoming step dancing competition is $50,000, Raya persuades her friend Bishop (Dwain Murphy) to let her join his all-boy Jane Street Junta crew. All the pressures of school, parents, and peers bear on Raya in a climactic dance competition (of course!).
How She Move hits home some truths without being heavy-handed about race, poverty, immigrant struggles, crime and punishment...Shot with a lot of handheld camera work in a gritty 16-mm format, the movie feels more like life than an imitation of life...Avoiding the sentimentality and most of the earnestness of the urban dance drama, How She Move takes the prize with kick-ass dancing and on-the-mark acting."
More: Sourced from review of How She Move by Susan Walker (dance writer) @ The Toronto Star | How she move that 49th parallel: As a Canadian dance movie hits the big time, Hollywood makes it safe for Americans by Brian D. Johnson @ Maclean's | How She Move: Not Another Dance Movie @ VIBE | Watch How She Move trailer under the cut
Posted by Tamiko | January 28, 2008
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Tags: Dance
Tokidoki | designer Simone Legno | Learn his techniques online
A fusion of fashion, lifestyle, art, and culture embody the global vision of fresh innovative brand Tokidoki. Behind its trademark logo of a heart and crossbone reflecting "love, but love cautiously," Tokidoki--which means "sometimes" in Japanese--design features laughing flowers, winking stars, rainbows, sultry ingenues, and fluttering songbirds.
If you think Tokidoki is reminiscent of stuff by Japanese designer Murakami, you'd be right. The brand's artist, the Italian designer Simone Legno, is unabashingly charmed by Japanese culture. If you, too, are charmed, then hop over to TOKIDOKI: CREATIVE INSPIRATION (training course) which explores Simone's techniques and methods for building some of his popular Tokidoki characters using Adobe Illustrator. Peruse through his sketchbook, and learn how he creates one of his popular skatedecks from start to finish.
More: Tokidoki: Creative Inspiration course found @ lynda.com -- an award-winning provider of educational materials, training, and events for creative designers, instructors, students, and hobbyists. | Tokidoki website here | Tokidoki Myspace here | Sourced from Popgadget | Simone's personal site @ www.designergokko.it | Tokidoki bags from LeSportSac @ lesportsac | Tokidoki iSkins @ www.iskin.com
Posted by Tamiko | January 27, 2008
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Tags: Design
The Spirit of Haida Gwaii Concert | Vancouver | Feb. 1-2
THE SPIRIT OF HAIDA GWAII CONCERT is a collection of First Nations artistry and oratorio presented by the 2008 Cultural Olympiad, the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, and the Christ Church Cathedral Guild for the Arts.
Soprano Melody Mercredi and baritone Clarence Logan will sing the lead roles in The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, an oratorio composed by Bruce Ruddell based on the prose poem by iconic Haida-Canadian Bill Reid. The oratorio will also include the choir of the Christ Church Cathedral and a live orchestra conducted by
Rupert Lang.
The oratorio describes Haida mythology as captured by Reid in his sculpture, "The Spirit of Haida Gwaii." The oratorio will be preceded by a Coast Salish welcome, a virtual introduction by Reid, and traditional dancers at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. Then, Guujaaw, the elected Chief of the Haida Nation and Terry Williams will sing traditional Haida songs.
THE SPIRIT OF HAIDA GWAII -- The Concert
Feb. 1 (7 p.m.) and Feb. 2 (2 p.m.)
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Vancouver
Tickets $28 (INFO)
Tags: Events
Persepolis | Academy Award Nominee for Best Animated Feature
Accolades continue to pile up for PERSEPOLIS, as the critically-acclaimed film followed up its Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film with an Oscar nod for Best Animated Feature. And as we reported back in September, it was a big winner at last year's Cannes Film Festival where it claimed the coveted Jury Award.
Adapted from Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name, Persepolis chronicles her childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, as well as the self-imposed exile to Austria and France that follows. (Think Maus, except it's not about the Holocaust and there are no anthropomorphic mice. And in French.) The film features the voices of Catherine Deneuve and her real-life daughter, Chiara Mastroianni.
Persepolis is now playing in select cities; Vancouverites can head over to Tinseltown on W. Pender and Abbott.
Posted by Hansol | January 25, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags:
Absinthe | the forbidden liquor is back
The Green Fairy is back. Not a new Disney character, the Green Fairy refers to the mysterious liquor ABSINTHE, which has enjoyed a revival in the U.S. after a nearly century-long ban. Absinthe, an anise-flavoured alcohol, is notorious for its supposedly hallucinogenic effects rumoured to have caused an "epidemic of psychosis in France in the later 1800s--most infamously, leading Vincent van Gogh to cut off his ear."
Absinthe is a distilled, highly alcoholic (45-93%) spirit that gets its green hue from wormwood, an herb that contains the chemical thujone, which is reputed to cause hallucinations. It originated as a health elixir, but by 1915 it was banned in a number of countries, including the U.S. Skeptics say Absinthe's effects were hyped by artists, but research has shown that thujone causes the brain to block the neurotransmitter that controls nerve impulses: "It makes the brain zap around really fast," says Jad Adams, author of the book Hideous Absinthe. "Like when you have a really strong cup of coffee."
In the U.S., Absinthe can only be sold if it's thujone-free...but the B.C. government has no limits on thujone content, so in Vancouver one can find Hill's Absinth, Czech Absinth s.r.o., Elie-Arnaud Denoix, Pernod, Absente, Versinthe and, in limited release, La Fee Absinthe. Recently, Vernon-based Okanagan Spirits was allowed to distill a traditional style of absinthe called Taboo. This is Canada's only authentic Absinthe, made using a traditional European recipe.
SOURCES: Absinthe Is Back by Carolyn Sayre @ www.time.com | Trying to Clear Absinthe's Reputation by Harold McGree @ www.nytimes.com | Photo source from here
Posted by Tamiko | January 24, 2008
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Tags: Food
Christian Hosoi | Skateboarding legend
If you were at all into skateboarding back in the day, then the name CHRISTIAN HOSOI should ring a bell. Along with Tony Hawk, he was one of the most popular skaters of the '80s. What happened to him? Looks like he went to prison...and now he's found God--he's living up to his nickname Christ...
(Source: Los Angeles): "When asked, Christian will tell you he's Japanese, though he also inherited traces of Chinese, Hawaiian, Scottish, Irish, and French from his mom. Strangers sometimes speak to him in Spanish, believing he is one of their own. When he was reigning as one of the greatest skateboarders of his time, though, Hosoi was known simply as Christ. Christ!
In the 1980s, during the peak of his run, Hosoi was heralded as the most stylish rider alive. Mentored by some of the famed Dogtown riders of Venice...Hosoi is now doubly free, liberated from his 60-man dormitory in the San Bernardino Central Detention Center and from the addictions that controlled him for much of his adult life. He has been renewed, his sins washed clean. When he was released in 2004, Hosoi returned to Huntington Beach to preach the Gospel to old-timers he knew back in those bad, great days and to minister to kids who know of him only as the legendary Christ, the guy who, if he hadn't lost his way, might have been bigger than Tony Hawk. He has a wife, kids, friends, and fans, his own signature shoes, boards, and skate team. He has a home and a church."
More: Full article Heaven on Wheels by Robert Ito @ Los Angeles | Christian's Go211 profile @ www.go211.com/u/christian | Hosoi Skateboards @ www.hosoiskates.com
Posted by Tamiko | January 23, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: People
Vegan Shoes | te cesan by Natalie Portman
The beautiful and talented NATALIE PORTMAN can now add "cobbler" to her resume. Well, perhaps more on the lines of "shoe designer." Nevertheless, the actress, animal and children's rights activist, and vegan is launching her own line of vegan shoes through international footwear specialist te cesan.
te cesan (tae-ca-sahn) is Gaelic for "a woman's path," and aims to represent all women regardless of nation, language, or origin.
Portman says, "As a vegan, it's been challenging finding designer shoes made of alternative materials. This collection offers a great selection without compromising quality or style." The collection, featuring a colour palette of metallics, red, navy, and black, offers styles ranging from faux-patent, mary-jane pumps to satin, ballet flats.
The collection goes on sale both online and at te cesan's NYC boutique starting Feb. However, since the collection is very limited (only 100 pairs per size), girls who want to get their hands on Portman's shoes are encouraged to pre-order them on the the brand's website.
More: Check out all the vegan-friendly shoes designed by Natalie Portman HERE
Posted by Michelle D. | January 22, 2008
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Martin Luther King Day | January 21
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. -- Martin Luther King Jr., 1963
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY, the US holiday, is observed on the 3rd Monday of January every year--this year on January 21. 2008 also marks the 40th anniversary of Reverand Martin Luther King Jr's assassination. It's expected that millions of Americans will honour his legacy by taking part in a variety of service projects. And politicians will be using him as a springboard for PC rhetoric. Oh joy!
Interesting since Barack Obama "stands in a strong position to become the [US'] 44th president. Some view Obama's remarkable popularity as the realisation of King's dream, the final victory of the civil rights movement. Others view it, their respect for Obama notwithstanding, as a testament to its remarkable failure" (read more under the cut).
More (sourced from): US honours Martin Luther King, but kills dream of equality by Robin Shulman in The Guardian | Martin Luther King Day of Service @ www.mlkday.gov/ | How African-Americans stand 40 years after the death of Martin Luther King: A statistical snapshot of black progress in areas from education to home ownership by Ross Atkin @ www.csmonitor.com (2008) | King's Legacy an Incomplete Picture by Deepti Hajela @ Associated Press
Posted by Tamiko | January 21, 2008
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Tags: Current Events
My Name is Rachel Corrie | PuSh Festival | Vancouver | Jan. 24 to 26
In the neworldtheatre's production of MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE, the title role of Rachel - a white American peace activist - is being played by Adrienne Wong - an Asian Canadian - and her casting has received more than a few raised eyebrows, according to Adrienne. She says, in Georgia Straight, "[...] if we think that western privilege is limited to colour, then we're being naive. It's about class."
The show was controversial enough even without that twist. The play is a staging of edited diary entries written by the 23-year-old peace activist from Olympia, Washington, who was killed by a bulldozer while protesting the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip. The production has been controversial, booked then canceled in both NYC and in Canada, due to the fear of a backlash.
My Name is Rachel Corrie plays at Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive from Thursday, Jan. 24th to Saturday, Jan. 26th. Keep an eye on the theatre's website for additional events related to the show, such as a panel with Rachel's parents and a photographic exhibit.
Posted by Karen F. | January 19, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Theatre
Cute Overload? | Hello Kitty Invades CES
Need more Hello Kitty in your life? (Who doesn't?) The good folks at Gizmodo takes us to the HELLO KITTY BOOTH at this year's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Vegas.
Unlike last year when Sanrio stuck mostly with its basic pink-and-white color palette, the latest crop of Hello Kitty products are rather heavy on black, making them look more gaudy than, well, cute. They aren't exactly getting rave reviews from Giz readers either ("do not want," says one commenter), but do check out the gallery and decide for yourself.
Posted by Hansol | January 19, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Technology
Condo Crunch | What you should know before you agree to buy a condo | Vancouver-style
Vancouver may not be on the world's most expensive cities list, but try telling that to potential home buyers. According to the latest Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, the median housing price in Vancouver is 7.7 times greater than the median household income, making it the least affordable housing market in Canada. In all of North America, Vancouver is ranked 9th behind 7 different California markets and Honolulu.
Buying a pre-construction condo is a popular (and often the only affordable) option in Vancouver, the "condo capital of Canada." However, you might want to think twice after a recent undercover investigation by CBC Marketplace which reveals many risks for the buyer, from misleading model showrooms to floorplans and measurements that are subject to change without notice. The sellers and developers, on the other hand, are completely protected by contracts written mostly in ambiguous legalese.
The video is little long, but be sure to watch and learn about the potential pitfalls before you decide to get in on the whole condo craziness.
Posted by Hansol | January 18, 2008 | Comments (0)
Quinceanera | Latinas coming-of-age with bling
QUINCEANERA is an elaborate coming-of-age ritual for Latino girls on their 15th birthday. A blend of European court traditions and ceremonies from Latin American countries, the Quinceanera is said to have the feel of an "out-of-control prom" in the United States. A $400 million-a-year industry has sprouted up in the US, catering to Latino immigrants seeking to maintain cultural traditions.
In Mexico and other Latin American countries, the Quinceanera once signaled that a girl was officially on the marriage market. The downside to that legacy: The Quinceanera Mass is sometimes seen as sexual coming-of-age moment.
Although teen pregnancy rates have generally been in decline across ethnic lines over the last 15 years, 51% of Hispanic teens get pregnant before age 20, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
More: Full Article @ Girls-to-women elaborate celebrations | 2006 film Quinceanera @ www.sonyclassics.com/quinceanera: Winner of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award
Posted by Tamiko | January 18, 2008
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The Misfit | PuSh Festival | January 17-19 | Vancouver
Anita Majumdar received a "moral scolding" from her mom when she described the controversial subject matter of her one-person play THE MISFIT, which premiers January 17-19 at the PuSh Festival held at Performance Works (source).
The Misfit, a dark comedy, written and performed (and "super-awesomely danced", as stated on the PuSh Festival Website) by Majumdar, confronts the issue of domestic violence against women and the obscure nature of honour, not only as "South Asian" issues, but as universal problems (paraphrased from Majumdar HERE).
On Jan.18, Majumdar is holding a post-show talkback to discuss these issues. The play is also showing later this month in Edmonton, Jan. 23-26 as part of the Canoe Theatre Festival and in Toronto, Mar. 31-Apr. 6 at Harbourfront Centre.
MORE: PuSh Festival HERE | Vancouver tickets sold HERE | Georgia Straight interview with Majumdar HERE
Posted by Shaena K. | January 17, 2008
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Tags: Theatre
World's cheapest car | India's Tata NANO
The Tata Nano as opposed to the iPod Nano, but just as tiny in its class? Just asking."The newly launched Tata (India's main auto company) NANO car brings car ownership into the reach of tens of millions of people around the world. With a $2,500 US price tag and virtually zero frills--no radio, no passenger-side mirror and only one windshield wiper--the Nano makes car ownership a possibility for tens of millions in the developing world.
Critics say the Nano could lead to possibly millions more automobiles hitting already clogged Indian roads, adding to mounting air and noise pollution problems. For now, the car will be sold only in India, but Tata has said it eventually hopes to export it."
Basically looks like a Mini Cooper, no?
Source: www.cbc.ca
Posted by Tamiko | January 17, 2008
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Taking the ethnic out of Zen | NYC's Zen Burger
Though vegetarianism appears to be on a general decline in North America, so-called 'flexitarianism' and semi-vegetarianism appear to be holding strong. Until recently, dining options for vegetarians were slim - largely comprised of Buddhist-style meatless 'meat' dining or the lonesome 'vegetarian option' in other restaurants. If you were fortunate enough to live in a city with enough similiarly inclined people, you could probably find a vegetarian restaurant but it would be one that borrowed heavily from existing vegetarian cuisines of Asia, bean-heavy Latin-American dishes, or cheese - think New York's Angelica Kitchen (a vegan organic restaurant), Vancouver's The Naam or San Francisco's Herbivore.
But what does one do when one craves the fried boot-shaped deliciousness of a chicken nugget? Or a decent veggie burger, milkshake and fries? When you want a vegetarian meal but aren't interested in all those strange ethnic flavours (like exotic black pepper)? A new concept has arisen in NYC to address the gap. ZEN BURGER presents veggie renditions of such American favs as chicken burgers, egg mcmuffins, and fried shrimp baskets - all under one kid- and white-people-friendly roof. Owners of Zen Burger have plans to export this brilliant concept to other markets so a 'not dog' may be landing in your neighbourhood soon. Joy.
More: Zen Burger @ www.zenburger.com
Posted by gloria | January 16, 2008
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Tags: Food
Boca del Lupo Production | My Dad, My Dog | Vancouver
Boca del Lupo, a Vancouver theatre production company, will be presenting a new play, MY DAD, MY DOG from Jan. 26th to Feb. 3rd at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown.
A quick synopsis from their website:
Animation, miniatures, watercolour, live performance and music converge, converse and speculate on what life might be like behind the last scrap of the iron curtain. My Dad, My Dog is a hilarious and beautifully honest account of a North Korean woman (Sherry J. Yoon) who is convinced that her father has returned to her reincarnated as a dog. Through her encounters with a man who loves pigeons (James Fagan Tait) and a young filmmaker obsessed with monster movies (Billy Marchenski) we discover how much animals teach us about our own humanity.
Doesn't sound like something you'd want to spend $28 for? There will be a free preview on Jan. 24th at 7pm, also at the Roundhouse.
More: The play will feature at PuSH Festival @ pushfestival.ca
Posted by Hansol | January 15, 2008
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CBC sexy's it up | Steph Song stars in TV adaptation of Douglas Couplan's novel jPod
STEPH SONG joins the foray of lead Asian female characters on primetime TV. Playing the role of a motion-capture technician, Brianna "Bree" Jyang, in the "highly anticipated series based on the novel by best selling author, Douglas Coupland", Steph Song brings her best TV performance in jPod... a big upgrade from her role in the mini-series Dragon Boys.
By far CBC's sexiest cast of characters yet, jPod has fans and the press in a frenzy: "Douglas Coupland fans will drool over jPod (starring Steph Song), which chronicles the life of a video-game gore specialist," reads a headline in Vancouver's Georgia Straight. jPod's Facebook group has almost a 1000 members in just two days, most of which are young girls (likely fans of David Kopp).
For far too long, the image of a sexualized and strong Asian woman has been dominated by Asian fever for Lucy Liu or the acrobatics of international superstar Ziyi Zhang (in what seems like almost every martial arts film to come from Asia in the past couple years). Steph Song bring something fresh to the N. American TV-scape. She's not playing a fetishized and overly-imaginary (faux blond) object of desire (Charlie's Angels?), nor the exoticized female martial arts dragon lady who shows her love by taking a dart in the back. Although fictional, Bree is a very refreshingly real character, with real personality and humour.
jPod began on CBC Television on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 9pm.
More: Steph Song's bio on Wikipedia | Official jPod website | JPod: Sexier Than ... on Dose.ca | Is Lucy Liu Pretty?
Why would one might use the word "drooling?" Well, fans of Steph Song already know she was voted the "Number 1 Sexiest in the World" by FHM in Asia 2006" ...
Posted by Alden | January 15, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: TV
baby scratches | DJ Sara & DJ Ryusei
Introducing the next DJ Krush and DJ Kaori....DJ SARA and DJ RYUSEI. They. Own. It.
See the mini DJ's rock the turntables with alarming skills. DJ Sara (aged 8) and Ryusei (age 5!) are simply the sh*t. Nuff said. And can you get over the stacks of vinyls behind them? Damn.
By the way, apparently all Asians look alike to the webdorks out there, because most are suggesting the kiddies are Korean when they are actually Japanese from the Tokyo/Yokohama area--hence references to DJ Krush and DJ Kaori. (Sara is a trendy new Japanese name for girls--pronounced "Sa-la"...and Ryusei, let's just point you towards Streetfighter's Ryu).
More: See youtube vids of them under the cut. | Sourced from www.youtube.com/sarascratch
Posted by Tamiko | January 15, 2008
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Fresh Face | Verbz
Natalia Cappucini (aka VERBZ) is one of the freshest sounds coming from U.K. The 21-year-old hybrid hottie of Jamaican and South American decent was born in the north of England.
This quick-mouthed wordsmith drops beats so tight that it's shocking that Verbz is still unsigned. She's been compared to Missy, Gwen Stefani and Lady Sovereign, so check out Verbz and decide for yourself!
P.S. Have a listen to "SHOPAHOLIC" and tell us that you don't want to bust a move!
More: MySpace @ www.myspace.com/verbzonline
Posted by Michelle D. | January 14, 2008 | Comments (2)Tags:
Schema Blitz
Randomness for your pleasure:
- Knut the Second--for an awww cute moment: A German zoo has relented to public pressure and will hand-raise a polar bear cub after taking the newborn away from its agitated mother. Full Article CBC and The Guardian.
- Oscar Peterson's Tribute & Memorial @ CBC and Schema archive here.
- Creative Work Environments: Is your office this cool? Damn. Sourced from Cool Hunting @ www.thecoolhunter.net.
- Myoung Ho Lee, artist @ www.yourdailyawesome.com: "Lee, a young artist from South Korea, has produced an elaborate series of photographs that pose some unusual questions about representation, reality, art, environment and seeing."
- The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presents the Southwest Airlines I LUV FILM Contest. Win an All-Access Pass to all the festival's films, events, performances and parties. Info @ asianamericanmedia.org.
Tags: News
Electroma | Daft Punk's feature film debut
French electronica duo Daft Punk premiered their feature filmmaking debut 'ELECTROMA' at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. The film tells the story of two robots as they make their way across a California-like landscape devoid of people on a quest to become human, which as we know is something all robots secretly yearn for.
The Vancity Theatre will be presenting the music-video-cum-robot-epic on the big-ish screen this weekend, including two near-midnight screenings.
More: Electroma @ www.electroma.org | Daft Punk's Electroma @ www.viff.org | More info from Schema Archives here
Posted by gloria | January 13, 2008
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Tags: Vancouver
Shashin: Japanese Canadian Photography | Nikkei Heritage Centre
As you look through your embarrassing holiday photos this year and curse the fact that your friends have uploaded them onto Facebook, perhaps it would be best to think of a time when pictures seemed to tell a story...historical and important in all their black and white glory.
The Japanese Canadian National Museum (JCNM) is currently hosting an exhibit entitled SHASHIN: JAPANESE CANADIAN STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TO 1942. The exhibit and supplementary publication highlights a photographic retelling of Japanese Canadians' experience of the West Coast (as well as other diaspora living in Canada), stringing together memories and stories which make up Canadian identity.
The exhibit has extended its run at the JCNM until March 15. The JCNM has also uploaded a few of the pictures featured in their exhibit on FlickR, which can be viewed here.
Posted by Shaena K. | January 12, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags:
Hello Kitty for Men...Goodbye Dignity
Sanrio has finally succumbed to the pressure from the lobby of manly men who felt excluded from the otherwise relentless marketing of the world's most famous mouthless cat. Spiraling out from Tokyo stores, Sanrio has just lauched a new line of HELLO KITTY PRODUCTS FOR MEN. From boxer shorts and baseball caps to chunky watches and 'murses', Sanrio now has the perfect something for the more-butch-than-a-6-year-old-girl Hello Kitty fan in your life.
More: Hello Kitty turns attention to young men by Yuri Kageyama @ news.yahoo.com | Macho makeover for Hello Kitty @ news.bbc.co.uk
Posted by gloria | January 11, 2008
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Schema Blitz
Some links you may have missed...a bit stale but still worth a peek:
- LA Times on Rickmond Wong, a.k.a. the Rock Star of Ramen. Also check out his website, Rameniac.
- Terminus: an award winning short film from Canada.
- Boys no longer rule in South Korea, according to New York Times.
- From Gizmodo: Tokyo drops from the world's 10 most expensive city list; Seoul climbs a notch to claim the #7 spot.
Tags: Current Events
The World's Loneliest Prada Store
If you're ever travelling at night on Highway 90 in the desert near Marfa, Texas, you might notice the glimmer of an illuminated 15 x 25 box. A closer look at this lone-standing building, and you'll notice that it's filled with rows of Prada shoes and handbags. This is PRADA MARFA.
Prada Marfa is a piece of sculptural art. It has sat untouched in the Texas desert since it "opened" on Oct. 1, 2005. The sculpture was designed by two Berlin artists, Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, with the intent of playing on the public's minds.
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From the Video Vault | Mike Huckabee on Talking to Americans
Former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential hopeful MIKE HUCKABEE followed his somewhat surprising victory in the Iowa Primary with a third-place showing in New Hampshire on Tuesday.
A lot of our Canadian readers may not follow American politics, but you might remember Mr. Huckabee from his brief appearance on CBC's Talking to Americans a few years ago, in which he congratulated Canadians on their efforts to preserve the "National Igloo."
And in case you're wondering, yes, Huckabee does have a college education: a bachelor's degree in Religion from Ouachita Baptist University. We got that info from Wikipedia, so we're pretty sure it's accurate.
Posted by Hansol | January 9, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Current Events
RIP: Shu Uemura | cosmetics icon
The man behind the famous eyelash curler has died. SHU UEMURA, the Japanese makeup artist, was 79 when he died of pneumonia in Tokyo on December 29, 2007. His company only released the news this past Tuesday.
Uemura worked as a beautician in Hollywood when he was called to do Shirley MacLaine's makeup for the 1962 film "My Geisha" (yes, seriously). After transforming MacLaine into a somewhat believable Japanese geisha (she is, after all, so not Asian), Uemura became a favorite makeup artist for actresses and singers such as Frank Sinatra.
In 1960, Uemura developed his first cosmetics product, his cleansing oil. The brand includes the world-famous (and much pined for) eyelash curler--mentioned more than once in The Devil Wears Prada; as well as handmade makeup brushes and false eyelashes craved by fashion victims. The Shu Uemura cosmetics brand has been owned by L'Oreal since 2004.
More: Full Article by Hiroko Tabushi @ news.yahoo.com | Uemura, Makeup Pioneer, Dies by Coco Masters @ www.time.com
Posted by Tamiko | January 8, 2008
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MySpace presents... people more boring than you (hopefully)
From the 'creative minds behind My So-Called Life and MySpace comes something even more dated than MySpace! QUARTERLIFE is a new web series that brings the post-adolescent, hyper-articulated self-indulgence that once belonged to Generation X to the 21st century cathedral of self-indulgence, the blogosphere. The series documents the musings and (minimal) drama amidst a circle of ethnically homogeneous 20-something friends/roommates/neighbours...One of them video-blogs about it. When exactly did people having private thoughts they kept to themselves become so unusual?
Despite being prey to similar pitfalls, My So-Called Life was a funny, sometimes devasting, but short-lived series from the mid-90s that was just given a proper DVD release earlier this year. Of course that probably means that someone corporate data cruncher decided that people who were teenagers in the mid-90s now officially have enough money to collect DVD box sets. Although it launched the career of Claire Danes, that series was vastly superior to this web dreck.
More: My So-Called Life tribute @ My So-Called Life | Quarterlife episodes @ Quarterlife
Posted by gloria | January 8, 2008
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Kristin Kreuk is Chun-Li | Street Fighter hottie
Vancouver-born Smallville star KRISTIN KREUK will be playing Chun-Li in Hyde Park Entertainment's Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li. Based on Capcom's video game, the film will be directed by Andrzej Bartowiak and is set for release in 2009.
According to a spoiler, the film centers exclusively on Chun-Li and her quest for justice. After her mother's death, Chun-Li finds a man called Gen who tells her that her father is still alive and in the hands of Bison. Then, Chun-Li trains with Gen to become the ultimate street fighter to enact her revenge.
Rumors are that Jessica Biel (WTF?) was actually the original pick and that Zhang Ziyi was also considered for the role. Is Kristin Kreuk really the best casting choice for Chun-Li?
Posted by Michelle D. | January 7, 2008 | Comments (2)Tags:
Sugar Sammy | Comedy with zing | Vancouver
There's an old saying that more or less goes like this: "laughter is a universal language." Well, Canadian comedian SUGAR SAMMY took this very literally. Not only does he discuss various ethnic issues in his comedy, including his experiences with the arranged marriages of his Indian background, but he does it in up in four languages (English, French, Hindi, and Punjabi) during any one show. You can't get much more universal.
Here's Sugar Sammy on his ethnic-brand of comedy: "I do the ethnic stuff a bit because of my multicultural group of friends and the environment I live in. I think the second you start thinking about producing material based on how well it's going to sell, it starts suffering in quality. You have to really tell your story when you're up there. I think that's the key."
He'll be playing at Lafflines Comedy Club in New Westminister, BC until January 5th (INFO).
More: Myspace @ www.myspace.com/sugarsammy | Sugar Sammy on Just For Laughs (video, bio, and blog @ www.justforlaughs.ca | Sugar Sammy tells dirty jokes for his Dad by Tyrone Warner @ www.ctv.ca | Article @ www.straight.com | Videos of Sugar Sammy under the cut
Posted by Daniel.T | January 5, 2008
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Most popular Category from 2007 | Ethnic Cool Design
Cultural innovation and design go hand-in-hand. Design is often the first place that cultural norms are mixed, played with and combined to make us say, WOW! Not only is design influenced by cultural experience, but is often encoded with an ethnic cool sense of values. As cultural navigators, we (mostly Tamiko, actually) found that ethnic cool factor in websites, toys, photography, graphic design, marketing campaigns, comic books, video games, architecture, typography, ads, art, running shoes and even public toilets from around the world. It's no coincidence that based on both our server's pageviews and google analytics, ethnic cool DESIGN was the most popular category for both the last quarter of 2007 and the entire year.
More: The next most popular categories were the August 2007 Archive and Ethnic Cool Art; followed by Events, Music, Funnybone, Fashion and Film.
Posted by Alden | January 4, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Most Popular
Most Popular Item from 2007 | sexy back | Corona titillates Japan
Over the next couple days we're going to review the MOST POPULAR schema blogs and blog categories from 2007 - based on our web stats. We'll also feature some of our favorites from the past year. Sexy back | Corona titillates Japan not only continues to be the most popular item from the last four months, but is also THE most visited blog item for the entire year. Why, you ask? Hmmm...
Posted by Tamiko on April 11, 2007
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 advertisting 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.
> Want more? Read the entire post here. Yes, there's more pictures too.
The next most popular blog posts were Afro-Asian | Blasian : hapa collaboration and MuchMusic VJ Hannah Simone | Anokhi Magazine.
Posted by Alden | January 3, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Most Popular, Sexology
HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR | Personal message from Founder of Schema | NYE 2008
Whether you kept it mellow, or partied hard in a warehouse, nightclub, house or garage party, or went full out on some remote beach - whatever you did to bring in the new year, we hope you were with good friends and family (and are recovering nicely). Thank you to all of 2007's readers and supporters from around the world. You've made SCHEMA's Daily Dose of Ethnic Cool worth the effort.
We were really busy in the latter half of 2007, growing our family of writers, bringing on new partners and improving our blog - all in preparation for a benchmark 2008. We're all very excited to reveal the Schema projects we've been working on.
On a personal note, Schema's volunteers and contributors have a lot to look forward to in 2008. From starting new jobs and promotions, to Jen Sookfong Lee continuing her book tour (End of East) into the United States ... and I'm getting married! It'll be a real coming of age for many of Schema's long-time contributors. It's my hope that 2008 will be equally full of new adventure and groundbreaking moments for all our readers.
From all of us at SCHEMA, we would like to wish you a most spectacular and fulfilling 2008, full of health and prosperity! May this be the year that you - with a little help from the universe - cash in on some good karma and bring into reality what you've really been dreaming about.
CHEERS
Alden
More: Amazing image of fireworks from NYE 2008 Taipei by July on Flickr | Pictures from NYE 2008 Sydney Harbour by ccbg on Flickr | Fireworks from San Francisco on Flickr | Fireworks from Dubai by mittyr Flickr
Posted by Alden | January 1, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Events
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