December 15, 2004
Life
To Bindi or not to Bind!
(One 19-year-old's struggle with the mainstreaming of South Asian culture in Canada.)
Our link scout extrodinaire Jen R writes:
"I totally hear what this chick is saying! While I, a Caucasian Canadian, proudly wore an elaborately embroidered red Indian shawl over my wedding dress, so many South Asians are now choosing to abandon their traditional fashions in favour of Western style.
Now, maybe more than ever, stick-on jewelled Bindis, henna tattoos, mandala-patterns, and sari-inspired fashions and accessories can be bought in many trendy boutiques, and even in the Hudson's Bay Company. The elaborate patterns and elegant lines admired and worn by women from all backgrounds and in all age groups in Canada. Except maybe by those with South Asian heritage!
While I am not of South Asian heritage, I keenly remember the one girl in our lower mainland elementary school who was. She definitely stood out amongst the blue jeans and a boyish haircuts. But while the rest of the girls actually envied her fancy dresses and ultra-long braid, she always looked shy, ashamed and uncomfortable. Imagine being a little girl who would rather look like a common street urchin than a princess! The author seems to imply it is a growing trend for South Asians in Canada... what a shame."
December 14, 2004
Life
Machuca
Machuca, a movie about the Pinochet coup in Chile, reviewed by The Georgia Straight this week
The Chilean catastrophe has been fairly well served by the cinema. Patricio Guzmán's epic documentary The Battle of Chile set new standards for engaged nonfiction filmmaking, while Costa-Gavras's Missing still stands as one of the most scathing critiques of Washington's brutally controlling policies in Latin America.
Even these august forerunners, however, fail to match the emotional power of Machuca, director Andrés Wood's semiautobiographical account of the social divide that led to his country's current abyss. Quite simply, it is a masterpiece of historical filmmaking.
Machuca Review [straight.com, Thanks Boon!]
December 13, 2004
Life
Bruce Leroy's Kung Fu theater
From December 11, 2004 - February 12, 2005 Santa Monica Museum of Art presents Black Belt, an in-depth look at an intersection between African American and Asian American cultures from the 1970s and 1980s. The nearly fifty works in different media by nineteen contemporary American artists of diverse backgrounds interpret political and philosophical connections among people of color, as well as explore their resonance in pop culture and urban life...."
Black Belt Exhibit at the SMMoA [thanks Boon!]
December 11, 2004
Life
Reports from the GVRD
Ever wondered just what is the ethnic majority in Vancouver? What languages are the most popular? Our very own Jen Ritchie finds it all online! Now go read up for yourself! :)
Jen R writes:
"Who is Vancouver's ethnic majority? Is there such thing as a simple ethnic background in a cultural metropolis like ours? When do immigrants stop identifying as their ethnic heritage and start identifying as simply "Canadian"? You may be surprised..."
Greater Vancouver’s “Roots”: Defining Our Ethnic Origins [PDF document]
"Is English Vancouver's true mother tongue? Who holds the majority: European or Asian languages? What effects does this have on business, communications, schooling? Which cities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District do you want to raise your kid in? It might depend on what language you speak in the home! Then again..."
Greater Vancouver: A Potpourri of Languages [PDF document]
"Greater Vancouver is recognized as a multicultural urban centre, ranking third among world-wide international metropolitan areas having significant proportions of foreign-born residents, ahead of such notables as Sydney, Los Angeles and New York City.
Vancouver has 37 established immigrant communities. So riddle me this: Which are the largest? How old is the average immigrant to Vancouver? Which city in the Greater Vancouver Regional District has over 50% of its residents born outside of Canada? (Ok, maybe the last one is too obvious, but the second one will surely get you scratching your head...)
International Migration Continues to Fuel Greater Vancouver’s Population Growth and Multicultural Change [PDF document]
December 09, 2004
Life
Mr. Asian Mustache 2004!
This is perhaps the most awesomest thing I've seen this year, a four week mustache growing competition amongst Asian fellas. Damn it! Where was I when this got started? I would've SMOKED those suckas! As some of you may know, I have a unhealthy obsession with mustaches, and have frequently terrorized my female companions with the threats of renewing my yearly foray into growing yet another little spider farm on my chin and upper lip. (I call it a "spider farm" since that's kind of what the little sparce bits of corse short black hair look like... a cluster of little spiders).
Little quote gems from Mr. China:
"My ponderings: Normally I like smiling at people...I think people like it. But now I'm embarrassed to do it at all because I don't want to bring attention to my face. However, out of habit or I just couldn't resist, I did flash a smile at the girl working at the ucla cafeteria. She smiled back - she didn't charge me for my salad. Accidental oversight or power of the mustache?"
"My pondering: You pay a hooker to be nice to you. If the hooker tells you that the mustache isn't a good thing, its pretty much, not a good thing."
Oh... I love this inter-web thingamajig sometimes...
December 07, 2004
Life
House of Flying Daggers Review
"Hero" director Zhang Yimou's latest movie finally gets to Canada. Of course, my lack of patience has already driven me to Chinatown for the bootleg DVD version from Asia long ago. I will leave the review to our Jen R, but here's a bit of "just in case you were wondering"...
You might be wondering why, as cool as Takeshi Kaneshiro is, why would Zhang use a Japanese guy when it is clearly a Chinese role, with there being so many good Chinese actors around? Especially since this movie will be representing China at many prestigious international film competitions? Well, as many of your Asian film geeks would know, Takeshi is actually only HALF Japanese, and half Taiwanese. So that's that.
House of Flying Daggers opens Dec 17th in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver
December 05, 2004
Life
Earth Holidays
Need to call in sick? Everyday is a holiday SOMEWHERE, for SOMEONE! Um... sorry boss, can't come in to work on Monday... I have to pay hommage to "Foundation of Quito" as my um... Ecuadorian roots dictate! See all the holidays everyday at:
Earth Holidays [Thanks Jen R!]
December 03, 2004
Life
No Kimono art/fashion exhibit
Ron N writes: "No Kimono is a curated exhibition of contemporary japanese fashion that's running at the Design Exchange Dec 4 - Jan. 4. The show will feature designers from Canada and Japan and is curated by the same team that brought Toronto the widely popular Tokyo Doll exhibit last year."
No Kimono
Design Exchange, Toronto
Dec 4 - Jan. 4
No Kimono [thanks Ron!]
Life
Vancouver's first Brazilian Jujitsu black belt: Denis Kang
Alden writes:
"Vancouver's own Korean-French Canadian kicks American ass in 17
seconds! Yes, after seven dedicated (and obsessive) years, he's
received his black belt - the FIRST Vancouver black belt in the
ever-popular Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The son of a Korean-French immigrants from St. Pierre of Mequeleon, his passion began with Hapkido.
If you need something different from all the all the motion picture special affects (or you're looking for some Asian-hapa eye-candy), check out the real thing. Man, this guy must have some great "he called me a chink/half-breed so
I kicked his ass" stories! His bio reads "He enjoys relaxing." Oh my
god, who wrote this? He's a submission and violence master. I were
Kang, I'd enjoy - KICKIN ASS!"
Well said Alden!
Denis Kang Website
Denis Kang training video Um... more like a music video... or something
[Thanks boon]
Life
No Kimono art/fashion exhibit
Ron N writes: "No Kimono is a curated exhibition of contemporary japanese fashion that's running at the Design Exchange Dec 4 - Jan. 4. The show will feature designers from Canada and Japan and is curated by the same team that brought Toronto the widely popular Tokyo Doll exhibit last year."
No Kimono
Design Exchange, Toronto
Dec 4 - Jan. 4
No Kimono [thanks Ron!]