Schema Magazine

Japan has declared war ... on fat!

Facing Japan, a project by UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, is an interactive site that features ten short videos of Japanese and Japanese American people sharing their struggles with identity and tradition in changing times. Half of the videos are about Japanese Americans in San Francisco, but I've picked three set in Tokyo that show a side of Japan I've seen less of, the side that has nothing to do with Japanese tech-savvy or fitted clothes. Rather, they feature individuals whose unique voices belie stereotypes of Japanese conformity. We see a national policy of making people diet, teen gays dealing with coming out, and dating in a less traditional era.

Marriage Hunters | Clayton Trosclair

This video features dinner parties, organized by 'marriage-hunters', that sometimes look rather awkward...

Side note: And how can you blame the singles? The pressure is on when the invitation says "Come have dinner. Oh, and P.S. FIND A LIFELONG PARTNER." Then again, first dates always come with a generous helping of awkward, even if marriage isn't immediately on the menu.

One woman explains that the Japanese are not as quick to get to know one another as Americans are. What's striking about this video is that some Japanese are actually having a harder time making important life choices like whom to wed, without older traditions (such as arranged marriage) to guide them. Businesses are now jumping in to take on some of the burden...and to take advantage of flailing singles in a big dating pool with a little cash to spend.

Come Out, Speak Out | Tyler Snipe

Shoto Kamichi is just like every other recently 'outed' gay teen, but the problem is, there aren't any others in Japan. Or so, it would appear. Says Kamichi, "Since I was young, I have always felt that the mood in Japan was that there are no gay people, and if there are, they are disgusting." He grins while his boyfriend, who is not yet out and understandably camera-shy, floats somewhere just outside of view. Kamichi's cheerfulness and realism are striking. He maintains that he doesn't think things will get any worse for the gay community in Japan, but also does not think they'll get any better. In the meantime, he and a small local community continue to organize pride parades and events. They are trying to become more 'visible'.

Weight Watchers | Nick Burns

I don't know what's worse: that Japan has declared war on fat, or that America hasn't. It looks like the extra pounds Japan wants to trim from its collective population would probably balance out the weight of a supersized meal at McD's. Jokes and skewed North American sensibilities aside, I think it's worth pointing out, as an overweight photographer does in this video, that perhaps being fat is a lifestyle that people should have the right to choose. Even if they are in fact, deemed "borderline" health cases by the government's measuring tape.

Whether it's Aya Kamakawa, the first transgendered politician, or Takahashi, a law professor whose soft spot for beer and slightly mushy waistline make him a government statistic, fringe voices have their say in Facing Japan.

You can watch all the videos on the Washington Post as well as read more about the project.

Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures hits Canadian TV in January

By Gayatri Bajpai

In January 2010, watch out for Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, a new Canadian television series about young med-students-turned-doctors. Based on the critically acclaimed, Scotiabank Giller Award-winning book by Vincent Lam, the eight-part drama will premiere on HBO Canada on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 8 p.m. ET/MT.

There's nothing like a good medical drama to get the pulse racing and the tear ducts welling up, especially one that can boast a love triangle. Starring Canadian actor Byron Man (great news for all you Dragon Boys fans), who of course has the girl, Vancouver-born-and-raised Mayko Nguyen (whom you might know from ReGenesis). The real question is, can he keep her?

Synopsis from HBO Canada:

Set in the fictional Toronto Mercy Hospital, the one-hour, eight episode series follows the lives of three talented, driven and conflicted doctors —Fitz (Shawn Ashmore), Ming (Mayko Nguyen) and Chen (Byron Mann)—and draws back the curtain on their lives as they tend to medical emergencies, perform surgeries and manage their own emotional triage. Fitz is a troubled air ambulance doctor with a lust for life and alcohol, who has never gotten over his love for Ming. A painfully private OB/GYN, Ming is torn between Fitz and her husband Chen, an even-tempered physician hiding a sea of emotion. Through a series of events the three doctors are reunited at the hospital where they struggle to resolve some unfinished business and put their feelings from the past to rest.

Read more on Corus entertainment | Watch the trailer from Shaftesbury | Vincent Lam's official website | Vincent Lam's 'Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures' to be made into TV series (from nationalpost.com)

CONTINUE READING »

Posted by Gayatri Bajpai | January 2, 2010 | Comments (0)

Tags: Asian Men, Books, Gayatri Bajpai, Media, People, Television, Toronto

Join The Roots Challenge! | Radio Canada International video contest

By Tiffany Zhao

A Brief History of Life by Tenzin Jangchup
RCI's Digital Diveristy Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary 2007

Have you ever wanted to share your cultural experiences, history, or even the roots of your identity, but couldn't find a place? Don't worry! We have just the right place!

Radio Canada International's special project team is launching The Roots Challenge, a national competition of short films and multimedia productions. This video challenge allows you to share your culture, your history, and how you see the world. Roots is a reflection of your identity and consequently what makes Canada what it is today.

The Roots Challenge is open to all Canadians and permanent residents, 18 years and older, who wish to submit a video or multimedia production, 3 to 8 minutes in lengh.
For more detailed information: http://roots.rcinet.ca/rules

For those of you interested, keep in mind that the deadline for the submission of video is March 7th 2010!

CONTINUE READING »

Posted by Tiffany Zhao | January 8, 2010 | Comments (0)

Tags: Culture, Film

Disgrasian Girls on the Cover of Hyphen!

By Phil Yu, Originally Posted on Angry Asian Man

What Phil Yu has to say about the bloggers gracing the cover of Issue 19: TRAILBLAZING:

Yes, I'm aware that Olivia Munn is on the cover of Maxim. Looking good too. But whatever. Forget that. The real hottest ladies on the internet are currently rocking the cover of Hyphen. My pals Jen Wang and Diana Nguyen, the brainy and beautiful bloggers behind Disgrasian, are the cover gals of Hyphen's "Trailblazing" issue.

I love it. Lots of good stuff inside too, including interesting features on Asian Americans serving in the Obama White House, to Asian Americans gaining visibility in the wine industry. Get your copy on newsstands, or better yet, subscribe to the magazine here at the discounted rate of $16 for 4 issues ($2 off).

Who doesn't love the Disgrasian girls, huh? Great job girls!

Posted by Alden | January 28, 2010 | Comments (0)

Tags: Asian American, Magazines, People, People To Watch

Just For Laughs | Episode 9 - Ethnic All-Stars

By Linda Chan

In November 2009, CBC television aired an "Ethnic All-Stars" episode of Just For Laughs. In case you missed it, it's now watchable online. Hosted by one of Canada's most popular comedian, Shaun Majumder, and featuring stand-up comedy by American Steve Byrne, a Korean-Irish hapa, American Rachel Feinstein, Nigerian American comedian and actor Godfrey, and Italian Canadian Frank Spadone. Watch the entire episode at cbc.ca/video.

Posted by Alden | January 15, 2010 | Comments (0)

Tags: Comedy, Funny, Television

Montreal's other Chinatown

By Linda Chan, Inspired by a post on Comme Les Chinois

It seems everything done in Montreal is just way cooler than done otherwise in any other part of the country. Montreal's second Chinatown gives rise to the growing Asian scene and it is not only a place for the older Chinese generation, tourists, or for westernized versions of Asian culture as most Chinatowns tend to be. Rather, this second Chinatown appeals to and warmly welcomes students, locals and new habitants of Montreal.

As Cedric Sam, writer and visionary of Comme Les Chinois, mentions in his blog, "Chinatown Two" is a place for a variety of delectable (and genuine) Asian food, hair salons, clothing stores, and grocery stores. This Chinatown is an actual community, where culture is lived and shared, rather than replicated and displayed for the tourists.

The above photos are extracted from Cedric Sam's Comme Les Chinois. A big thank you to Cedric!

Posted by Alden | January 5, 2010 | Comments (0)

Tags: Asian, Culture, Food

This page contains all entries posted to Schema Magazine's Blog, "Daily Dose" in January 2010. They are listed from oldest to newest.

December 2009 is the previous archive. | February 2010 is the next archive.

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