February 2009 Archives
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Do you, uh, like stuff? | Stuff Asian People Like website
As modeled after Stuff White People Like,
Stuff Asian People Like is an amusing read. Part social commentary, part comical farce, Stuff Asian People Like is a blog that looks at some stereotypes, cultural interests and hobbies of, well, Asians.
The site includes quizzes, weekly polls and photos. Readers can send in their own lists and suggestions of things that Asians like.
Whether you find the site offensive or hilarious, there's no doubt that it'll give you something to talk about with your friends. Perhaps the real discussion can be why these entries are things Asians like or can at least relate to.
More: Stuff Asian People Like | Stuff White People Like | Schema's post about Stuff White People Like here | Even funnier than all the above: Stuff Korean Moms Like (read about it here) | (photo credit): KoreAm Journal
Posted by Michelle K. | February 25, 2009
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Tags: Commentary, Culture, Funny
Want to lose weight? Ditch the fork! | The Chopstick Diet
To think that all this time, the solution to losing weight was "so easy." Forget exercise or diet pills, and stop using that whacky vibrating machine, the solution to everything is "simple": just eat with chopsticks.
In her latest book, The Chopstick Diet, author Kimiko Barber claims that eating with chopsticks forces you to eat slower and chew more, and therefore you won't pig out. She claims that Japanese food is always served in bite-size morsels, which cause you to slow down and therefore allow your brain time to tell you to bypass that extra piece of ham.
Hmm...chips are tiny, yes, yet nobody would argue that you eat less of them because of that! Also, if you've ever been to an all-you-can-eat dim sum or sushi joint, then you know that chopstick-users are just as ruthless fast and arguably even more dexterous than fork users! One need only take a look at the video of Telegraph reporter Xanthe Clay to show that you can successfully eat pizza and french fries with chopsticks (under the cut).
So what exactly is the truth here - do chopsticks help regulate your food intake, or is this just a tired play on Eastern mysticism stereotypes for a cash grab? Let's ponder this over lunch.
Posted by Jordana Mah | February 23, 2009 | Comments (0)
CBC to Air Hockey Day in Canada in Three Other Languages, None of Which We Flunked in High School
(From Puck the Media)
CBC continues to help grow the game of hockey across the country, with the ninth annual Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 12 noon ET. Ron MacLean will front the broadcast from the Memorial Civic Centre in Campbellton, New Brunswick - the host location for the unofficial Canadian hockey holiday. The 2009 edition of Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada will also continue its multicultural tradition, providing select NHL games in Cantonese, Italian and Punjabi languages.... Headlining the day is the NHL All-Canadian tripleheader, beginning at 3 p.m. ET, with the Canadiens facing off against the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre in Montreal. This match-up will also be available in Cantonese, with Alex Chum of OMNI Television providing play-by-play at CBCSports.ca.
... Parminder Singh and Harnarayan Singh will be on-location for the first time at the Air Canada Centre to call the Toronto/Vancouver match-up in Punjabi, available at CBCSports.ca.
Continue reading CBC to Air Hockey Day in Canada in Three Other Languages, None of Which We Flunked in High School at Puck the Media.
More: Alex Chum interview on Canada.com
Posted by Alden | February 19, 2009
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How to get a (frightening) tiny robot version of yourself
There's a company in Japan called "Little Island" and if you send them a picture of yourself along with about $2000, they will send you your very own custom robot "mini-me". As cool as it sounds, the robot child, unfortunately, is going to look like something that would result after a scandalous night with Chucky.
However, the 40cm robot includes a 500 mHz computer running windows XP (just without the monitor, and keyboard etc.). It also includes a webcam, speakers, touch sensors, multiple servos, a power cord, and an ethernet cord. You can also teach it to engage in conversation, read your RSS feeds, and make VOIP calls!
More: (sources) Little Island Official Site | Bot Junkie | The Raw Feed | Watch a video of a guy talking to his "Little Island" robot under the cut
Posted by Matthew Tsang | February 20, 2009
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Tags: Technology
What I Wore Today | An exploration of street style around the world
If you want to know the latest trends and hottest looks for upcoming seasons, don't bother looking to the magazine racks, or listening to the gospel of the fashion police -- the edgiest fashions are coming straight from the streets and blasting through to the masses via the humble ethernet cable.
The Internet is revolutionizing fashion and if you didn't know this already, then from now on you will. Blogs, especially street fashion blogs and sites, such as Flickr or Lookbook are showcasing fashionistas around the globe, and now a taste of that street fashion pie is captured in the book What I Wore Today: Fashion Remixed Online from Beijing to Berlin.
Composed entirely of photos, this collection was compiled from postings by girls around the world. Many of the fashions are refreshingly unique, and yet there is also a subtle consistency in styles between places as far apart as Kansas, to Singapore, to Moscow.
Whether you are into fashion, social trends, or simply photography, there is something inspiring about this book as these homemade photos capture glimpses into the lives of these girls and a generation.
Posted by Jordana Mah | February 13, 2009 | Comments (0)Tags: Fashion
Shibuya Mon Amour @ Forever 21 | cheap and chic tees & tanks from Jeannie Lee
Are all the kids in Tokyo and Paris cool? Apparently so, according to Shibuya Mon Amour, a new line of graphic tees and tanks at Forever 21 that are "inspired by the cool kids of Tokyo and Paris." True, Shibuya is the name of a Tokyo neighbourhood where the cool kids shop and hang out. Oh, by the way, love how the name of the line takes a nod from the classic black and white romance, Hiroshima Mon Amour.
Shibuya Mon Amour is designed by Jeannie Lee, the owner of Satine, the uber-hip L.A. boutique (P.S: Satine's shoe collection is worth salivating over). Lee has also designed a lingerie line for pretty Anthropologie, and the uniforms for the boutique-hotel Palihouse. Luckily, Lee's Shibuya Mon Amour, exclusive to Forever 21, is inexpensive (price point from $13.80 to $17.80) -- unlike Satine's brands of Lanvin, Chloe, Alexander Wang, Tsumori Chisato -- and "girly, street, punk and fashion" so "live it, love it, Shibuya Mon Amour." Hey, the copywriters came up with that one.
More: (source) Satine's recession friendly T-shirt line launches at Forever 21 @ Los Angeles Times fashion blog | (source) Shibuya Mon Amour at Forever 21 @ Nitrolicious blog | Forever 21 Shibuya Mon Amour site (with pics) -- you can buy online in Canada -- HERE | Satine MySpace | Satine in Tokyo @ Los Angeles Times
Posted by Tamiko | February 9, 2009
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Tags: Fashion
6 of the world's most terrifying foods | is it impolite not to eat it at all?
It's always a good thing not to waste food, and to use every little part of, say, a cow (for meat-eaters, of course) to avoid waste. And for the most part, humans eat almost anything as long as it's disguised as something edible, right?
Then there are some food choices that look exactly like what they are (re: insects). Yeah, when in Rome do as the Romans do may not be the right mentality when faced with these 6 of the world's most terrifying foods from Cracked website:
(6) Escamoles -- the eggs of the giant black Liometopum ant that are eaten as a condiment for tacos; (5) Casu Marzu -- an illegal Sardinian delicacy that's sheep's milk cheese deliberately infested by the cheese-fly larvae; (4) Lutefisk -- a traditional Norwegian dish of cod steeped for days in a solution of lye (potassium hydroxide/sodium hydroxide); (3) Baby Mice Wine -- a traditional Chinese and Korean "health tonic" that steeps baby mice in rice wine; (2) Pacha -- an Iraqi dish of a boiled sheep's head; (1) Balut -- a street-vendor snack from the Philippines (but also eaten in Cambodia): duck eggs incubated until the fetus has feathers and beak, then boiled alive so that the bones give the eggs a crunch.
More: (source) The 6 Most Terrifying Foods in the World by Tim Cameron @ Cracked | The Year of Eating Dangerously: A Global Adventure in Search of Culinary Extremes by Tom Parker Bowles (FYI: Prince Charles' step-son) | Seven Unique Foods From Around the World @ Thrifter | Weird Food website
Posted by Tamiko | February 11, 2009
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Tags: Food
February is Black History Month | 2009
Black History Month is significant to everyone who considers themselves a part of today's diversity. As I said in the post, Malcolm X and Yuri Kochiyama (February 2007), "Before feminism, multiculturalism and the Asian American movement ever influenced our current experience as cultural navigators, there was the resistance, courage and voice of black Americans and Canadians--in their fight against racism and pursuit for equality and social justice. How they have shaped our history in both the U.S. and Canada will likely never be adequately measured."
I've often been asked why just a month? That's a good question. In fact we should be recognizing the struggle and contribution of these pioneers everyday! I think we're moving in that direction. Recently, the groundbreaking election of a mixed-race, second-generation, culturally and religiously intelligent U.S. President (who is informed by being black) has certainly made it top-of-mind. But there's more to BHM than recognizing the acheivements of black Canadians or Americans because they're visibly or self-identify as black. It's also not just about African heritage. Let's remember that Irish and Jewish immigrants to the U.S. were once considered "black."
Black History Month is a special opportunity to acknowledge the histories of "peoples of colour"--the stories, experiences and journeys of being the "wrong colour", not just catgorically "black." They are stories of triumph and prevailing over unimaginable prejudice, but they also acknowledge a legacy of hate, inequality and racism, that are now an undeniable part of American and Canadian history. We take the time to remember and celebrate the triumph once a year because these stories also remind us of the hurt. They were, and are, traumatic memories. Acknowledging the collective trauma is part of the collectively healing process.
We owe a lot of the ethnic cool in our everyday lives to black history. Check out all the posts that have been tagged Black History Month. We also want to hear from you. Share with all the readers of schema what you're doing to recognize, contemplate or challenge the notions of "black history."
Alden E. Habacon
Founder, Schema Magazine
Posted by Alden | February 1, 2009
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Founder, Schema Magazine
Tags: Black History Month, Current Events, Events
Black Women in Science-Fiction | Where are they?
According to science-fiction television, black women remain a visible minority. Despite the dominant visibility of African American women on American television today, according to sci-fi know-it-all Richard Whettestone's firsttvdrama.com, as of 2005 only 15 science-fiction television series have featured black women in lead roles:
Less than 9% of Science-Fiction television series have featured black women as main characters. And that is assuming you were to count recurring characters who were usually tossed in the background.
This has improved a little with recurring black female characters in the most popular sci-fi TV series Heroes and Battlestar Gallactica. However, the exhaustive list from 2005 (after the jump) still makes a statement, that up until recently, black women didn't exist in the imagined future. Weird! Perhaps TV execs didn't believe black audiences watched science fiction? Just for some balance, see the List of black actors in science fiction film and TV on wikipedia.com
Recent TV sci-fi heroines to note: Simone Deveaux played by Tawny Cypress in Heroes Season II (200&); Monica Dawson played by Dana Davis in Heroes Season II (2007); Anastasia Dualla played by Kandyse McClure in Battlestar Gallactica.
Posted by Alden | February 18, 2009 | Comments (0)Tags: Black History Month, Television
Vancouver Opera | Voices of the Pacific Rim | An evening of opera with an Asian twist
On February 8, 2009 Vancouver Opera treated a full-house at the Vancouver Playhouse to the second annual Voices of the Pacific Rim:
... a recital of popular opera selections combined with traditional Asian songs, performed by rising Asian Canadian opera singers and celebrating and honouring the Chinese, Korean and Japanese communities.
Curated by Vancouver-born Gina Oh, also a lyric soprano who recently performed at the Presidential House in South Korea and honored as one of the most influential Korean Women Of The World of 2008. This sampling of opera classics (sung in German, French, Italian) and Asian flavour (sung in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese) points out that the passion and drama of opera also has roots in many non-European cultures, including the stories, songs and traditions of Asia. As a showcase of talent, the ensemble of Asian Canadian singers expanded the horizon of what one might expect as opera voices.
Vancouver, well-known for being as a centre for cultural innovation, is home to emerging Canadian opera talent that so happens to be Asian. Not only were these the "voices of the Pacific Rim," they are the voices of Vancouver. The awe-inspiring cast included Jessica Cheung, Lucy Hyeon Kyung Choi, Sam Chung, Joyce Ho, Brian Lee, Michael Mori, Stephanie Nakagawa, Gina Oh, Asako Tamura and Szu-Wen Wang (more bios at VO's blog).
If you haven't yet discovered the power of opera, this is the way to try it -- so remind yourself to book next year's performance.
More: Vancouver Opera Official Website | Vancouver Opera Blog | Opera MANGA! Yes, you read this right. Read the latest VO manga, RIGOLETTO! by Roy Hasuda | Voices of the Pacific 2008 | Additional credits: Teresa Tang, Stage Manager; Julie Martens, Lighting Designer; and Kinza Tyrrell, Music Director and Pianist | Artwork by Marco Tulio | Review in Georgia Straight
Posted by Alden | February 16, 2009
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CA4LA Klee Hats | Bunkamaru Picasso and Klee Exhibit
When BUNKAMURA in Japan announced that they were unveiling a Picasso and Klee exhibit this year, headwear designer CA4LA (pronounced Ka-shi-la) took it to the next level by creating a collection of limited-edition Klee-inspired hats.
BUNKAMURA is a multimedia cross-cultural complex in Tokyo. The first and only of its kind in the country, the centre features music, drama, cinema, and art all in one location. The Museum of Art has been running an exhibit called The Beginnings of the 20th Century: Times of Picasso and Klee since January 2. This exhibit features a collection of over 100 works by Swiss painter Paul Klee.
In conjunction with the exhibit, Japanese headwear brand CA4LA has released a collection of nine limited-edition hats. Three of Klee's works were used as the base print for three different styles of hats: a fedora, a baseball cap, and a paperboy cap.
The headwear is sold exclusively at the exhibition and at CA4LA stores.
Posted by Michelle D. | February 12, 2009 | Comments (0)Tags: Fashion
15 of the Greatest Black Superheroes of All Time | Bam! Kapow! Heroes, Villains And Everything In Between.
In the spirit of Black History Month, see Bam Kapow's fantastical post 15 of the Greatest Black Superheroes of All Time.
Comics were the one of the first places that black characters were cast as lead figures in the American and Canadian imagination. Does it matter that North America had/has visibly black superheroes? Absolutely! These images were subversive of mainstream media, and the characters were fully empowered.
As media and marketing experts will say, images have a huge impact on social attitudes. It's in the imagination where even before Barack Obama, America had Luke Cage and Green Lantern. Clearly this list is incomplete, as it's missing one of the most influential black superheroes, Blade and of course, Afro Samurai.
More: John Steward, the black Green Lantern | The Museum of Black Superheroes | The most comprehensive list of black superheros on Wikipedia.com
Posted by Alden | February 3, 2009
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Tags: Black History Month, Comics
How to pimp an otaku ride | Itasha
A little bit of an oldie from Keith Barry at Wired...about the phenomenon of Itasha, described as "the Japanese otakufad of painting cars with [manga and anime] and videogame characters".
The article notes that itasha is a word that combines itai (painful -- for the wallet) and sha (vehicle) and sounds like the word meaning "Italian car" (Itaria-sha). There's also those who decorate motorbikes (itansha) and bicycles (itachari). And, of course, a Itasha convention called Autosalone is held annually in Japan.
Hardcore Itasha loyalists will decorate their Honda (hee) or Suburu, or Lamborghinis, BMWs, even a rare Lancia Stratos (less than 500 were made) with wide-eyed and (mostly) half-clad female manga characters because, well, who knows why.
The article ends referring to the global economic downturn: "Apparently itasha is immune to the worldwide economic meltdown...Technology executive Koyo Yamamoto said he'd gladly continue to spend more than $4,000 yearly putting decals on his GT-R, while 21-year-old Makoto Yagami estimates that he spends more than 80 percent of his income on manga-ling his Nissan 180."
Yeah, right, priorities.
More: (source) Hentai Fans Airbrush a Mangallardo by Keith Barry @ Wired | Itasha @ Japan Times | Photos of Itasha (cars), Itansha (motorbikes), and Itachari (bicycles) @ HERE | Itasha pics @ HERE | Watch a report on Itasha from New Tang Dynasty Television @ YouTube | Photo credit: Pink Tentacle
Posted by Tamiko | February 2, 2009
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Want to lose weight? Ditch the fork! | The Chopstick Diet
How to get a (frightening) tiny robot version of yourself
CBC to Air Hockey Day in Canada in Three Other Languages, None of Which We Flunked in High School
Black Women in Science-Fiction | Where are they?
Vancouver Opera | Voices of the Pacific Rim | An evening of opera with an Asian twist
What I Wore Today | An exploration of street style around the world
CA4LA Klee Hats | Bunkamaru Picasso and Klee Exhibit
6 of the world's most terrifying foods | is it impolite not to eat it at all?
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