Life

May is Asian Heritage Month : explorASIAN…even if you aren’t

February is Black History Month. Autumn brings us National Hispanic Heritage Month. And May brings us ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH. In Vancouver, the Asian Heritage Month Society—under the banner ExplorASIAN—celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year with a full array of artistic, educational, community and ethnocultural programs to be showcased throughout May.

2006’s ExplorASIAN festivities will highlight the arts and culture of Taiwan and Indonesia with "explorTAIWNESE" and "explorINDONESIAN", so come out and participate! For more info about explorASIAN and the festival's schedule of events, check out www.explorasian.org.

PS: Celebrate explorASIAN by becoming a member to receive festival discounts and to enter to win CD's, DVD's, Books, Gift Certificates, Event Tickets, and other great prizes! For membership details, click here (it’s only $10 for 1 year), or contact Jose Mendoza - Membership Coordinator at 604.488.0119 or jmendoza@explorasian.org. OR become a volunteer!

Life

Are U Down with da' Brown?

With so much media attention on hard-core Muslim extremists, it's easy to think that Muslims don't have a sense of humour. Well, the peeps at pro-brown web-magazine www.fbpbbp.com (For Brown People By Brown People) give a satirical and light-hearted perspective on religion and culture. It does comes with a warning. If that's not for you, skip the mag and check out the must-have 100% HALAL tees here.

Did you know the Taj Mahal was built by the 5th emperor of the Mughal empire in memory of his wife?

We found www.fbpbbp.com, in the teaser issue of OH MY MAGAZINE.
If anyone's keen on a "100% Habibi" tee, please let us know.

Life

ReelWorld Film Festival: More Film, More Training, More Stars!

Founded by Tonya Lee William six years ago, the ReelWorld Film Festival continues to meet its well-established diversity mandate. Most importantly, this year's festival delivered great film, the most comprehensive industry series yet and reaffirmed to the world that Toronto's creative film talent and creativity is beautifully diverse.

Read The Globe and Mail's Review here.

Adding to its already rich bank of programming, ReelWorld held its second Industry Series (sponsored by CBC Television), complete with workshops for emerging filmmakers, Top 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Pitch a Project, face-to-face sessions with movers and shakers in film and television, and a $2500 Pitch Competiton for a feature film with a strong diversity component (hosted by ultra-funny man and CBC celeb Jian Ghomeshi).

Special highlight was the ReelSpeak Panel, featuring CBC Television's Dragon Boys, the first North American TV-production with an all-Asian star-studded cast, including international superstars, Eric Tsang, Tzi Ma and Byron Mann.

The provocative panel ensemble included SEVEN-time Gemini Award winner for Best Director, Jerry Ciccoritti; infamous TV-writer Ian Weir; actors Jean Yoon and Byron Mann; and Susan Morgan, Creative Head of Drama for CBC Televison. Star sightings included Terry Woo in the audience. Dragon Boys to air in the fall.

More:
ReelWorld Film Festival 2006 Official Website here.
More about Dragon Boys on OMNI Films website here.
ReelWorld Industry Series Booklet (PDF, 3.45 MB)
Read PLAYBACK's article on Canadian Drama here.

Life

So You Wanna Be a Contender? – Forget the Dragon, Enter the GRAPPLE MONKEY

If any of these terms are part of your everyday lexicon—Brabo No-Gi choke; Kimura/Bicep Lock; Ninja Gi Choke; Shaolin Gi Choke; or a Wallid Ismael butterfly guard pass—you’re probably into one or more of the following: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or Grappling/No Holds Barred (NHB) techniques. This means that you, little grasshopper, could be considered a "GRAPPLE MONKEY” [you may have heard the term in the gamer sense—a Capture The Flag (CTF) player who doesn’t EVER stop using the grappling hook].

Now, little grasshopper, to graduate to GRAPPLE MONKEY status not only must you know the aforementioned terms but you must also be literate, have oral skills somewhere between mute and loquacious, and know the meaning of the previous words without looking them up in a dictionary (okay, maybe for loquacious). If this sounds like you, enter the GRAPPLEMONKEY website (here) where the world of MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are lightheartedly analyzed and discussed—everything from fighters, events, tournaments, new techniques, variations, and the occasional discourse on diversity and world peace.

Diversity? World peace? GRAPPLE MONKEY proposes “most martial arts are imports from overseas, so those who participate will need to come with a predisposition to being open-minded and accepting of foreign concepts and philosophies” and “THE COLOR OF YOUR BELT IS MUCH MORE IMMINENT OF A THREAT THAN THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN”.

But why Grapple MONKEY, Master? Oh, little grasshopper, let us learn from the words of actual fighters for the answer: “grappling is described as pulling” = “pull-ups develop strength and endurance” = “you can do pull-ups on a TREE BRANCH or MONKEY bars in a playground” = “one move that counters grappling with striking entails a SNEAKY lapel choke”. And you mustn’t forget that in this realm, fighters often go APE-s**t…

Before you leave, little grasshopper, remember the wise words of GRAPPLE MONKEY: “Interesting that you have to go to a place that teaches violence to feel acceptance.” Now kick some ass, regardless of what colour it is!

More:
For the GRAPPLE MONKEY website and its insight on MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and tournaments such as Pride, UFC and K-1...and maybe a little Muay Thai in the mix, click here.

Life

Mangiamo! (Let’s Eat!) – Feast during DINE ITALIA

Ah, under the TUSCAN SUN...have your taste buds start with a fresh Insalata Bocconcini Sorentina, continue with a linguine vongole, and a veal scaloppine, and sigh with contentment after a spoonful of tiramisu. Maybe a little espresso to clean the palate….

Transport yourself to Italy through your taste buds, and indulge your appetite during DINE ITALIA from April 20-30th. Sponsored by The Italian Chamber of Commerce, DINE ITALIA offers menus priced between $20.00-$45.00 from Vancouver's favorite restaurants such as LK Dining Lounge in Yaletown, Quattro on Fourth, and Villa del Lupo downtown.

After that last lick of tiramisu, you’ll receive a ballot card for a chance to win a faaaancy espresso machine and other prizes.

More:
Make a RESERVATION now! Click here to check out the DINE ITALIA menus.

Life

Auto-Geo-Biography : Map Your Life on PLATIAL

The best street food in NYC? To find out, try out the new and growing community site called PLATIAL, which its co-creators hope “enables anyone to find, create and use meaningful maps of Places that matter to them. We hope it can connect people, neighborhoods, cities and countries through a citizen-driven common context that goes beyond geopolitical boundaries.”

You might say PLATIAL is a cross between MapQuest and a blog. It’s perfect for “neogeographers” who wish to use digital maps to tell stories. The site uses MASHUPS (using static data, mixing it up with an open mapping platform to create a new web application) to create customized maps, much in the same way inside game communities such as “Second Life” or “World of Warcraft” include maps of the virtual reality worlds within them.

SIGN UP FOR A FREE ACCOUNT on PLATIAL, and start building and sharing your own personalized maps that mark, tag and describe your favorite and unique points of interest from your favorite sushi haunt to the place you had your first kiss. And yes, there are maps pinpointing the best street food in NYC; also maps tracking where all the taco trucks are located in SoCal; and even maps highlighting a PLATIAL user’s trail of heartbreak across the UK.

Thank you for the site Raina!

More:
* To sign up & check out the PLATIAL website, click here.
Add me to your list (username: Tami)— PS: the site’s still new, so (in the words of my friend Raina) if you’re lucky you may not end up being Bob129. Hmmm, incentive to sign up in a hurry, me thinks!

* Read Wired Magazine’s article about PLATIAL, here.

Life

JURASSIC 5 : B-Boy Retro Hip-Hop with a Social Conscience

If you only knew, the trials and tribulations we been through. But if you only knew, we’re real people, homey, just like you. We humble, but don’t mistake us for some corny ass crew. What we do, is try to give you what you ain't used to. Soul music, somethin' we can all relate to. These lyrics sum up JURASSIC 5’s promise to deliver their soulful retro hip-hop at the Commodore Ballroom this weekend. The April 22nd is SOLD OUT, but a second show was added Sunday, April 23rd, so get your ass on it!

JURASSIC 5, the LA-based hip hop sextet (4 MCs and 2 DJs), continues to break new ground with their incredible beats and intelligent rhymes that call for social action. Social action? Social conscience? Yeah, JURASSIC 5 rap about stuff that matters beyond sex, drugs, and violence (think The Roots, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest…and you’ll get it). Listen to the jazzy track of “Freedom” (sample here), which contains this very aware, very focused and very relevant message about our world today:

Hold on to this feelin', Freedom…
Yo, Seldom travel by the multitude
The devil's gavel has a cup of food
My culture's screwed cause this word is misconstrued
Small countries exempt from food cause leader have different views
You choose


What mean the world to me is bein' free
Live and let live and just let it be
Love, peace, and harmony; one universal family
One God, one aim and one destiny

Are we there?
Imagine life without a choice at all
Given no hope without a voice at all
These be the problems that we face
I'm talkin' poverty in race...

* JURASSIC 5 with SPECIAL GUESTS
Commodore Ballroom, 868 Granville Street, Vancouver
(1) Sat, April 22, 9:00 door/10:00 show (SOLD OUT!)
(2) Sun, April 23, 2006, 8:00 door/9:00pm show (-12am), Price: $40.00

More:
Get TICKETS at Zulu Records (here), Highlife Records (here), or succumb to Ticketmaster (here).
For the JURASSIC 5 website, click here.

Listen to JURASSIC 5 samples (windows media player):
GREAT EXPECTATIONS, here , and LAUSD, here.

Life

A Responsible Banana Boy - TERRY WOO wins Essay Competition

Turns out TERRY WOO, the Asian Canadian lit boy (You may heard of his little novel called BANANA BOYS), is now a student at Ryerson University’s journalism programme in Toronto. A second-year magazine journalism student to be precise. WOO’s a pretty good journalism student too, with further proof his first novel wasn't a fluke when HIS ESSAY “RESPONSIBILITY” WON FIRST PLACE IN THE ROBERT STEWART ESSAY COMPETITION, a national contest organized by the Montreal Press Club.

WOO’S essay questions human behaviour in a PERSONALIZED ESSAY ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES in southwestern Ontario where he recalls being bullied and enduring racial slurs. “It’s almost natural when someone hurts you, or someone disappoints you, to want to lash out,” said WOO. “And I think the very essay is saying, ‘you can’t do that, you have to wrestle the demons within and not let that monster out.’”

More:
Read TERRY WOO’s essay “RESPONSIBILITY” here
Learn more about the The Montreal Press Club & the Russell Stewart Essay Competition (I mean who was this guy?), click here.

Life

Bollywood Workout – Whip into Shape with BHANGRA AEROBICS

Dancing is exercise with a better soundtrack, right? Shape up to the Bhangra beat by burning that bulge and toning your tush using BHANGRA AEROBICS. You’ll be stepping, jumping and gyrating to a funky soundtrack that propels one of India’s most popular folkdances from the Punjabi region.

Expect a great cardiovascular, strength, endurance and flexibility workout with BHANGRA AEROBICS, which combines traditional and modern Bhangra music with intense aerobics and Bhangra dance moves.

Interested? Classes at:
ROUNDHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE
181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, T: (604)713-1800
Bhangra Aerobics(15 yrs+)
April 23-June 25, 2006 (Sundays), 10:15am - 11:15am
10 Sessions, Fees: $78.00 or $9.00 drop-in
OR
July 9 - August 27, No Class: August 6 (Sundays), 10:15am - 11:15am
7 Sessions, Fees: $55.50 or $9.00 drop-in

More info:
Click here for the Roundhouse Community Centre website.
For the South Asia Arts (the instructors) website click here.

Life

Talent Explosion: The Chinese Canadian Culture Online Project (CCCOP)

The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) presents the CHINESE CANADIAN CULTURE ONLINE PROJECT (CCCOP), an online initiative which showcases the emerging talents of Chinese Canadians across Canada. The aim of the the CCCOP project is to “connect, listen, and share stories that instill pride and cultural understanding about our cultural heritage.”

CCCOP’s objectives are: to showcase Chinese Canadian perspectives and experiences from across the country; enrich and educate everyone about Chinese Canadian culture and history; be youth focused and youth driven; build relationships between communities and groups across Canada and abroad; and celebrate diversity of the Chinese Canadian community.

The CCCOP PROJECT includes an anthology of stories written by or about Chinese Canadian youth; a short video collection; a selection of writings on events and periods in Chinese Canadian history; a discussion forum; and much more. Talents showcased include: the music of RICE JUNKIE COLLECTIVE; a documentary titled CHASING CHINESE; dancers, illustrators, musicians, artists, writers and more.

More:
Check out the CCCOP website, here. You can choose to read the site in English, French, Mandarin or Cantonese.

Life

Web Art Delux: Y0UNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES presents SAMSUNG MEANS TO COME

TECHNOLOGY AND PROSE POETRY are not new partners in the multimedia/new media experiment, and nothing beats the simplicity of flash from YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES. Based in Seoul, Republic of Korea (or Corea, if it pleases you more), the designers Young Hae Chung & Marc Voge of YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES use a variety of languages (including English, French, Korean) in black text upon a white background with a soundtrack of jazz to present a striking mode of art to the masses.

Chung and Voge describe the art of YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES as flash pieces which “shuns interactivity, graphics, photos, illustrations, banners, colours, and all but the Monaco font, and the same time cuts across the lines separating digital animation, motion graphics, experimental video, i-movies, and e-poetry. To us, though, it's Web art.”

If this hoo-hah speak doesn’t peak your curiosity, you’ll want to check out the art of YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES simply because it’s daring and bold, and titillates with its parental advisory warnings (explicit lyrics alert...and the flashes may cause stroke), and provocative titles such as CUNNILINGUS IN N0RTH K0REA. Oh yeah, make sure you click on SAMSUNG MEANS TO COME here, which promises you will never see Samsung products in the same way again.

More:
To view the full list of web art from YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES, click here for their website.

Life

Meet Writer Hitomi Goto at Spartacus Books

The Kootenay School of Writing Presents writer HIROMI GOTO READING AT SPARTACUS BOOKS on Friday, April 7th at 8:00pm.

Born and raised in Alberta, HITOMI GOTO, a Japanese Canadian, is the author of Chorus of Mushrooms, regional winner of the Commonwealth Writer's Prize Best First Book and the co-winner of the Canada-Japan Book Award (NeWestPress 1995).

She has also published a children's novel, The Water of Possibility (Coteau Books 2001) and a second adult novel, The Kappa Child (Red Deer Press 2001), which received the 2001 James Tiptree Jr. Memorial Award for a short story or novel that expands gender roles in science fiction and fantasy.

HITOMI's most recent book, Hopeful Monsters, is a collection of short stories (Arsenal Pulp Press 2004). A young adult horror fantasy is forthcoming from Penguin Canada.

Co-sponsored by The Canada Council for the Arts.

HITOMI GOTO READING
Spartacus Books (a non-profit & volunteer-run bookstore)
319 West Hastings, Vancouver
Admission: $3 / $5

More:
Click here for info on Hitomi Goto and her books.
Click here for Spartacus Books website.
Click here for Canada Council of Arts website.
Click here for Kootenay School of Writing website.

Life

Bitty Boog: Ninja Luv

Have an uncontrollable passion for ninjas? Even if you don't, these handmade plush warriors make it hard to resist the the appeal of the action-packed men in black.

Bitty Boogs are "mini versions of Boog the Bad Ninja -- so named not because he's evil, but because he's really quite horrible at his job. He's always getting caught hiding behind rubbish bins and rappelling down curtains and whatnot."

Or maybe it's because they're really a team of the ninja cupids. There's no possibility of beheadings, but they just might cuddle you to death.

These and a whole family of plush cuteness are the handicraft smeeta, Vancouver-native Rita Leung, who's currently stranded in Taiwan while she pursues her singing career.

Click here for more handmade toys and accessories. Thanks, Boren.

Life

These two Korean girls are hilarious!

Not sure what category of "culture" this falls under ... but who cares, this short clip taken from a Korean talk-show is laugh-out-loud funny. Thank you akicyra on youtube.com

Click here or on the image to watch. Thanks, Sandra.

Life

Move Over Last Samurai, Witness the First Samurai – Pacific Cinemathèque’s Samurai Classics

How appropriate that Pacific Cinemathèque is showcasing SAMURAI! A SPRING SEASON OF GREAT SAMURAI CLASSICS from the masters of the genre—Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi, among others—from MARCH 25-APRIL 17th, during the cherry blossom season. The SAMURAI adopted the cherry blossom (sakura) as their motif, since cherry blossoms fall at the height of their beauty, rather than merely wither away; much in the same manner, the SAMURAI expected to die at the height of their glory, with honour.

These kinetic black & white SAMURAI movies, known as jidai-geki (period movie), have influenced well-known filmmakers and RPG videogame designers. There wouldn’t be STAR WARS, KILL BILL, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS without the influence of SAMURAI movies for that matter. Oh yes, George Lucas, Quentin Tarantino, and Sergio Leone all borrowed from the SAMURAI masters. Now, doesn’t this sound familiar?: “When a man is surrounded inside a burning house by a dozen heavily armed warriors and it’s the warriors who are in trouble, you know you’re watching a Samurai movie” (Film critic Henry Sheehan in the Boston Phoenix)

Highlights:
HARAKIRI: An epic exploration of the SAMURAI code of honour, in particular the aspect of ritual suicide. This won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 1963. In the words of the film critic for the New York Times: “The climatic final battle, a brilliantly choreographed dance of rage and exhaustion, is as exciting as any action-movie addict could wish.”

THRONE OF BLOOD: Director Akira Kurosawa’s version of Macbeth, which is said to be British novelist T.S. Eliot’s favorite film. Throne of Blood "combines the conventions of traditional Noh theatre with the most dynamic modern cinematic techniques, and makes stunning use of glorious costumes, décor and pageantry”.

THE HIDDEN FORTRESS: The film recounts the adventures of two bumbling peasants tricked into accompanying a SAMURAI general, a princess, and a treasure of gold through enemy territory. George Lucas cited this as one his inspirations for the Star Wars trilogy.

More:
For the "SAMURAI! A SPRING SEASON OF GREAT SAMURAI CLASSICS” programme at the Pacific Cinemathèque, click here.
To read more about how SAMURAI films have influenced Hollywood films, click here or here.
For a bio on Akira Kurosawa, click here.