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ISSN 19052650
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01411
JANUARY 14-27, 2011
Colours,
Cars &
Gadgets
CHANGING ASIA
Korean women &
divorce
POPLAND
Wanted: new
stars
TRAVEL BITES
Asia's enjoyable
airports
2011 Trends
I travel the world for inspiration
and with global access to over 970 lounges
I can even be inspired before boarding.
Ive earned it.
Graci nha Vi terbo, Seni or Desi gner at
Graa Vi terbo I nteri or Desi gn and Star Al l i ance Gol d Status
staral l i ance.com
GUTENBERG NETWORKS
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n this issue, we tell you what
to expect in terms of fashion,
cars and gadgetsspeci-
cally smartphonesin 2011.
Colour is the years biggest
story in fashion, and how. Fashion
designers are all for vibrancy with
Pantone, the worlds leading colour
authority, picking honeysuckle as the
colour of 2011. There is also blue,
and green, with yellow and orange
making a comeback to brighten up
the year. There are tips on how to
wear and combine these colours to
mark new beginnings in the year of
the rabbit.
We also list the years fashion
trends from a comeback of the 70s
glamour, the fringe, stripes and
punk. Find out why bell bottoms and
lace are back, and why snake prints
have replaced last years leopard. If
you want to know the newest diet
fad in town, check out what Izo
Cleanze is all about, and why natural
products are the big thing in beauty.
For car lovers, drive into the new
year with some of South Koreas
newest models, courtesy of Kia,
Hyundai and Daewoo. Ranging from
mid-sized sedan to compacts, these
car companies are introducing
revamped versions of old models as
well as new line-ups in the market.
While the tablet will remain to be
the hottest gadget this year, smart-
phones are not far behind, becoming
part of peoples lifestyle with the
features that they provide. In fact,
these smartphones are seen to
become even smarter in 2011 with
new features. These phones will also
be available in a wide range of prices
for all types of customers.
Thus far, 2011 looks vibrant and
fast-paced so dont be left behind
with the latest trends.
Asia News Network
asianewsnet@gmail.com
Whats In Store
COVER IMAGE | AFP PHOTO
JANUARY 14-27, 2011 Vol 6 No 1
2011 Fashion Trend P8
Red is out,
blue and
green are in.
Bell bottoms
and clogs
make a
comeback
COVER STORY
WRITE, FAX, EMAIL
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Copyright 2006 of Asia News Network. All rights reserved. AsiaNews (ISSN 1905-2650) is a weekly magazine. Printed by WPS (Thailand) Co, Ltd Subsidiary of Nation Multimedia Group Plc.
THEVIEW P6
The Lady
An exclusive interview with
democracy icon Aung San
Suu Kyi
SPECIAL REPORT P16
Party Drug Scourge
Asia is being ooded with
party and designer drugs
CHANGING ASIA P20
Parting Ways
Korean womens perception
about divorce is rapidly
changing
FEATURES
LIFE P22
The Untouchables
Public anger towards
arrogant children of wealthy
Chinese ofcials
ARTS&CULTURE P28
Owning A Corner Of Jimmy
Taiwans beloved illustrator
turns his stories into a
lifestyle brand
MUSIC P32
Keeping It Real
Hip hop in Bali becomes a
tool for social awareness
POPLAND P34
Searching For The Next Idol
Taiwans most successful
female impresario wants to
produce new stars
MOVIES P36
Drinks, Guns & justice
No One Killed Jessica has
all the elements of
Bollywood
PEOPLE P40
Real Heroes
CNN Hero Anuradha Koirala
and Filipino-American Black
Eyed Peas member Apl.de.Ap
nd joy in helping people
SPORTS P42
The Mongrels
The Philippine football team
has a never-say-die attitude
that embodies the Filipino
spirit
TRAVEL BITES P44
Enjoyable Airports
Putting on the ritz on once
gloried bus stations
EXPLORE P48
Highway To Hue
An overland trip from
northeastern Thailand to
central Viet Nam
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6
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
7
The View
BY MON MON MYAT
NewsMekong Series, IPS Asia-Pacic
I Don t Real l y Know When We l l Get Democracy
v Rangoon
S
ix weeks after her release
from house arrest, Bur-
mese pro- democracy
leader and Nobel laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi talks
about the prospects and difculties
of bringing about political change
in Burma, as well as the role of its
neighbours in this process. Dont
consider us as a stranger or the en-
emy, she says, addressing peoples
in neighbouring Asian countries.
Q: Is the major force for democratic
change inside the country, or is it in-
ternational pressure?
A: I think force from inside is more
important, but it doesnt mean interna-
tional actions are not important. They
are also important, but not equally im-
portant. I think there are more respon-
sibilities for the inside force.
Q: What is Aseans role in pushing
Burma for change?
A: The role of Asean might be im-
portant. I have given an example of
South Africa to the reporter who
came before you. All African neigh-
bours supported African people. That
is why their movement developed
quickly and effective. In the Burma
situation, it is not the same. We have
faced difculties to make the move-
ment in progress. I think the support
of regional governments and their
pragmatic assistance are vital for us.
Q: Many have said that political
and economic ties with neighbouring
countries cannot be excluded. Like-
wise, economic sanctions imposed by
Western countries created stronger
economic ties between Burma and its
neighbours. How can China or India
can help Burma?
A: They can do it if they really want
to help us, but we cant force them to
do it. We need to make it happen. At
the same time, we need to be friends
with the whole world as we are relat-
ed. What I think is that our giant
neighbours like India and China re-
spect stability in our country. They
thought that only a military govern-
ment can sustain stability. We have
to try to change their view. We need
to make them understand that a
democratic government elected by
the people can become the govern-
ment, which can also guarantee for
countrys stability.
Q: You have said in one interview
that you want Asean, China and In-
dia to be friends with the opposition.
As you are doing politics outside of
parliament, do you have any plan to
expand relationships with key coun-
tries in the region?
A: We have tried it. We have been
trying so far. Ive met with some dip-
lomats from Asean countries. There
has been a kind of progress. We have
been trying to expand the relation-
ship with those countries. Nothing
can happen without trying. We have
to try to improve relationships with
governments from other Asian coun-
tries. At the same time, we are trying
to be in touch with the people from
those countries as it is also impor-
tant. We need to try to make them
know about Burma and to support or
to understand Burmas democracy
movement.
Q: What is your opinion on devel-
opment projects such as hydropower
projects, gas pipeline projects or
Asian highway trade route projects?
A: We dont have any objection if
those projects can develop the coun-
try or the region, but the government
that rules this country has the re-
sponsibility to make it advantageous
for the country. Some say that Bur-
mese people could not get benefits
from the foreign investment. To
avoid this, the main responsibility re-
mains with the government.
Q: Development projects either
generate work opportunities or have
bad impacts. How should we make
governments aware of those things?
A: There are two main things we
have often mentionedtransparency
and accountability. If there is trans-
parency, people will know what are
the advantages and disadvantages of
the development projects and they
can make a decision after they learn
about those. In some cases, we didnt
know how things happened, how
agreements were made between
countries, what major things were in-
cluded in the agreement. I think peo-
ple should be informed about those
things. It is not only because of our
belief in democracy; there would also
be fewer mistakes if people know
things. People who run the projects
must take responsibility and account-
ability.
Q: International aid agencies, in-
cluding the UN, have been providing
humanitarian aid to Burma. There
are also some civic groups that be-
lieve that if more people could be in-
volved in community development
work, this can initiate good govern-
ance without a change in govern-
ment. Is there any prospect that good
governance can be practiced without
a change in the government?
A: As media are interviewing me,
let me tell you comparing with the
media situation. There is not much
media freedom in Burma now but
media space is getting wider to cer-
tain extant as there are more journals
and magazines. It is similar situation
to the civic groups. As there are more
civic groups, some progress can be
made to a certain extent in practicing
transparency and accountability
among those groups. Those groups
have to try to make it happen. If jour-
nals and magazines only work or
write following the guidelines (set by
censor board), there would be no pro-
gress but if they are trying to do bet-
ter and to develop media freedom,
there would be more progress gradu-
ally. If they do nothing, then there
would be no progress.
Q: Some civic groups said that there
are more difculties and barriers in
doing social work after your release.
How do you want to respond to that?
A: It is hard to say that there will be
improvement as those civic groups de-
velop, because if the authorities con-
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trol those groups, there will be no dif-
ference. So if those groups realise the
importance of transparency and ac-
countability and really could practice
good governance in appropriate way,
it would be a kind of improvement.
Q: What would be your message to
the international community, includ-
ing UN and aid agencies, and those
who are ready to welcome so-called
new government?
A: Actually, it is no wonder that in-
ternational community and govern-
ments acknowledge the recent gov-
er nment r at her t han sayi ng
welcoming the new government.
They have acknowledged the military
government as the de facto govern-
ment. So there is no difference.
Q: It is true that people in the coun-
try dont think it is a change of a new
government but in the outside world,
they are preparing to repatriate Bur-
mese refugees from Thai-Burma bor-
der after 2010 elections. How long do
people need to wait for refugees and
exile political groups to return home?
A: As I always said, I cant say, as
Im not an astrologer.
And I dont want to say
as an astrologer when
well get democracy. I
dont really know. . . .
(But) I want to do it as
soon as possible. I dont
feel comfortable that
our people are living
with insecurity on an-
other soil. It should not
be like that. There are
many people who want
to return home. It is a
desire for those people
to return home as soon
as possible but the de-
sire should not end as a
wish. As I always said,
do not say just to hope
but to work (for it).
Q: Is there any chal-
lenge in implementing
21st century Panglong
Spirit? If there is, how
can be solved?
A: What we mean by 21st century
Panglong is that we think it is neces-
sary to build union spirit strong. We
all know the recent situation, that
there is some ghting going on along
the border. It shows that we dont have
yet peace in the country. If we have
peace in the country, we dont need to
solve the problems with arms though
there is any disagreement among us.
To reach that end, we are saying that
we need a genuine union spirit.
But some people misunderstood
that we are going to form an interim
government or call for interim parlia-
ment. What we are really trying to do
is to collect the desires of all ethnic
groups and to build unity among us
based on all those desires in order to
create national reconciliation.
Q: What do you want to say to those
who doubt your non-violence revolu-
tion as it has been taking a long time
to reach your goal?
A: I think there are misunderstand-
ings about the non-violent way. Some
might think that non-violence means
not doing anything and accepting
whatever suppression (comes). It
doesnt mean that. Non-violence is a
basic principle. Based on that princi-
ple, there are different ways. As I
have often been asked this question, I
have often answered using Gandhi
Gyis saying. Gandhi Gyi said, Non-
violence requires more courage, more
determination and it is harder than
using violent way.
Although it is harder, it can go fur-
ther. It is not what Gandhi Gyi said,
but my belief and an academic said
that as well.
If we use the violent way, we might
reach our goal quickly but there will
be many wounds among people and
for the country. It would take a long
time to cure those wounds. But if we
use non-violence way, it would take
time to reach goal but fewer wounds.
So the countrys rehabilitation pe-
riod wont take a long time. It can be
reconstructed quickly and effectively.
He said that based on the research on
transitions of other countries. I agree
with that. If we use the wrong way,
we may miss our goal. As an English
saying, (there are) means and ends.
To reach the goal, some use any way,
by hook or by crook, but if we do this,
there will be changes when we reach
the goal. There are many examples in
the world. When leaders of independ-
ent movements became the govern-
ment, they suppressed people more
than colonial governments. So there
are things need to be considered on
the previous approach.
Q: What message would you want to
deliver to the countries in the region?
A: What I want to say to the coun-
tries in the region is that if Burma has
stability, development and union, it
would be benet the whole region. So
we are the forces who are trying to
have stability, development and un-
ion in the country. Dont consider us
as a stranger or the enemy. I would
like to request that please be in touch
with us, work together with us and
support us to build up our country.
Aung San Suu Kyi
8
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
9
COVER STORY 2011 TRENDS
v Singapore
C
olour is fashions biggest
story this year. Start off on
a bright note with our tips
on how to wear five hot
hues: blue, green, orange,
pink and yellow.
PINK
What: Pantone, the worlds lead-
ing colour authority, has named hon-
eysuckle the colour of 2011. The
bright reddish pink popped up at the
spring/summer 2011 runaway shows
of some international fashion houses.
How: Pink is a attering shade for
most complexions. The general
rule of thumb: The lighter your
skin, the darker the pink you
should wear so you do not
look washed out. Converse-
ly, women with medium to
dark skin tones look best in
lighter pinks as they give
them a fresh glow.
Cool colour combos:
Offset bold pinks
with black and
white to avoid
l ooking l oud.
For a fun and
qui r ky l ook,
pai r f us c hi a
with cobalt blue.
Mix and match
coral pink with
neutrals such as
beige and nude
for a natural
glow.
BLUE
W h a t :
Tur q uo i s e
and ot her
g r e e n i s h
bl ues l i ke
t eal may
no longer
be on the
c o l o u r
charts this
year, but watch out for cerulean, co-
balt and sky blue.
How: Blue, especially cerulean, is a
attering colour for all skin tones be-
cause it is soft enough to work on any
complexion but vivid enough to
brighten up features. Navy, too, is
popular as it has a slimming effect
and goes well with most colours. But
it is not suitable for those with darker
skin tones as it will make them look
dull. Those with a pale complexion
should avoid icy or pale blue as it may
make them look even paler.
Cool colour combos: Largely con-
sidered the most basic of bright col-
ours, blue can be worn head-to-toe
without looking over the top. You can
match variations of the colour such as
navy, baby blue and cerulean for a
cool look because the colour is easy
on the eyes.
YELLOW
What: Yellow is set for a big come-
back, just like its bolder cousin or-
ange.
How: From citrus yellow to golden
honey, there are cheery yellow shades
to match all skin tones. Rich, dark
golden yellows like honey or caramel
complement women with dark eyes
and dark skin tones. The warm col-
ours brighten the complexion while
lighter yellows can make the skin
look sallow. Bright and summery
shades like daffodil and sunflower
suit both very dark and light skin
tones. The warmth atters both fair-
and dark-skinned women.
Cool colour combos: For a new
way to wear yellow, look to designers
who are pairing bold yellows with
cool hues like blue and purple. Black
and white are especially good com-
panions of bright and rich yellows be-
cause of the graphic results.
ORANGE
What: Forget fall/winter 2010s
scarlet hues. Designers have a zest for
orange this year. Persimmon, rich
pumpkin, mango shadeshowever
you slice it, bold orange is one of the
years sweetest hues.
How: Although orange seems like
a tricky colour to pull off, the warmth
of the hue actually atters most skin
tones. Vibrant tangerine shades best
suit women with olive to dark skin
tones. Those who are fair can go for a
lighter shade, such as creamy rock
melon. One way to gauge if a shade of
orange looks good on you is to hold
the item up near your face: If it
brightens up your face, you have a
keeper. But if it makes you look pale
or drab, put it back on the rack.
Afraid of an overkill? Choose acces-
sories such as a belt or a pair of shoes
to brighten up your look.
Cool color combos: Head-to-toe
orange is the way to go for some de-
signers but others are also pairing or-
ange with other bright colours. Just
remember to keep it to two colours
for a cool colour-block look.
GREEN
What: Green-blue blends like em-
erald have given way to earthy green-
browns such as olive, khaki and jun-
gle green, and yellow-tinged greens
such as lime green.
How: Both deep green and lime
green look good on pale complexion
as the contrast sets off fair skin nicely.
Against dark complexion, lime green
also pops but deep green results in a
dull appearance. Mint green looks
good on darker complexion as the
pastel shade provides a vivid contrast
to the skin tone and lights up the face.
Cool colour combos: Match lime
green with yellow for a lively look, or
forest green with cobalt or midnight
blue for a regal look. For a fresh look,
pair zesty lime accessories with black
or white garments.
COLOURS
GALORE
By Ian Lee
The Straits Times
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January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
11
COVER STORY 2011 TRENDS
By Asia News Network
v Bangkok
LADY GAGA AND THE
KOREAN BOY/GIRL
BANDS SET THE TREND
LAST YEAR WHEN IT
COMES TO FASHION. NO
DOUBT, THEIR INFLU-
ENCE WILL STILL CARRY
OVER FOR A GOOD
CHUNK OF 2011. THERE
ARE ALSO STYLES THAT
ARE GOING TO MAKE A
COMEBACK THIS YEAR
AND FASHIONISTAS ARE
JUST TOO WILLING TO
FLAUNT THEM, EVEN IF
THEY CONSIDER THESE
A DRAB SOME YEARS
AGO
70s glamour
Think bohemian and
and high waist pants.
60s ladylike
Those who dont like the
70s fashion will opt for a
more feminine, hip-hugging
sheath dress with below the
knee hem.
Punk fashion
Not anyone will agree
but it is denitely
making its way in, again.
Tassels
If youre thinking of cutting
off that dangling tassel on
your skirt or blouse, dont!!!
Its going to be hip, adorning
everything from clothing to
accessories.
Bell bottoms
Time to set-aside the
2010 must-have
skinny jeans and take
out the bell bottoms
from your mothers
closet.
Loungerie
Fashionistas coin a new term to
describe elements of lingerie and
street fashion, a mixture between
swimwear, lingerie and
streetwear. This fashion is
regarded as light and intimate.
Stripes
This obiquitous style will
make a come back in the
middle of the year. The
stripes will have nautical
dominance, say some
fashion gurus.
Cat eye sunglasses
A must-have for
women. A look that
screams of 50s and
60s glamour.
Clogs
Clunky wooden
shoes. Think
Lady Gaga.
Kitten heels
Its been around
for a long time
but it is also
making a U-turn
this year.
Fashion
Trend
Lace clothing
You can
never go
wrong with
lace.
12
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
13
COVER STORY 2011 TRENDS
By Kim Ji-hyun
The Korea Herald
v Seoul
S
martphones are expected
to get even smarter next
year, according to major
South Korean phonemak-
ers who believe the devic-
es will continue to be a boon for
business.
Its going to be a big year for smart-
phones, and companies are going to
go all out to roll out phones with new
and smarter features to make their
mark, said Cho Joong-kwon, a
spokesman for LG Electronics.
Samsung Electronics also said
they will focus on producing smart-
phones on all ends.
Smartphones had actually appeared
to be off to a slow start earlier this year
when South Korea seemed to fall a cy-
cle behind the latest IT trend.
Possibly to make up for lost time,
South Koreanscited by many IT
rms as a great pilot market due to
their thirst for new trends and high-
quality IT infrastructurehave been
buying and selling smartphones
with an unmatched frenzy.
In 2010, more than 30 types of
smartphones were rolled out.
The market for smartphones has
expanded to the point where every
three out of 10 mobile phones being
produced had smart features.
In 2011, over 40 per cent of all mo-
bile phones were expected to be
smartphones, according to Interna-
tional Data Centre gures.
Industry watchers said the growth
would push companies to make avail-
able a wider range of phones that can
cater to people of all levels of tech-
nological sophistication and financial
conditions will be available.
Consumers will have more to
choose from, and this will apply
to all levels of phones, meaning
there will be more handsets avail-
able for all types of customers and
their needs, said Baek Sang-jin
of HTC Korea.
Women, for instance, were ex-
pected to be a big sales target for
phonemakers.
SK Telecom, distributor for Galaxy
S, has said it will be rolling out
smaller and less-heavy-duty smart-
phones aimed at the female consum-
ers who appeared to favour iPhones
simply because they were prettier
and the touch-screens were easier
to the touch, according to more than
one survey.
Most of the smartphones and
smart devices in the markets to-
day were created with the vision
of appealing to mainly the male
workforce.
As a case i n poi nt , Samsung
7-inch Galaxy Tab, for instance,
boasts about how the mobile PC
was created to fit inside a man s
suit pocket.
HTC s Desi re Pop and RIM s
Blackberry Pearl 3G are among some
of the miniaturised smartphones
that phonemakers and tel ecom
companies alike are hoping will hook
the female consumers.
These phones usually offer a slim-
mer size and less applications, al-
though the ones most commonly
used will still be available.
Prices also were expected to go
down as more l ow-end model s
emerge on the scene.
Consumers can currently purchase
Appl e s l atest smartphone, the
iPhone 4, via a 55,000 won (US$48)
per month two-year contract.
The phones are getting afford-
able because the telecom compa-
nies are offering so much support
with the subsidiaries and cheap
call plans, said Kang Nam-soo, a
sal esperson at a mobi l e phone
dealership near Gangnam Station,
a hotbed for hagwon and pubs that
attracts a hip, younger crowd. The
young people seem to see easily
pick up new phones.
Experts are now predicting for
screen sizes to become more var-
i ed, al ong wi th the si ze of the
handset itself, their shapes and of
course, key functions that will be
catered for after the demands and
complaints made by the consum-
er s of t he f i r s t gener at i on of
smartphone users.
Smarter
Smartphones
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FASHION
1: ON THE FRINGE
It is all about fringe benefits this
year.
If you need further proof that
fringe will be hot this year, celebrity
showgirls Rihanna, Kylie Minogue
and Christina Aguilera have become
early adopters of the trend, wearing
fringed dresses and bottoms from de-
signers such as Mark Fast since the
fashion weeks ended.
The fringe effect has not only taken
over high fashion, but high-street
brands as well. While luxe labels will
roll out the offerings in March, some
high-street labels have unveiled more
wearable styles with subtle swishing
strands.
One tip to get you started: Fringe
looks best on dresses and tops. All
that detail on a pair of trousers will
make you look like a circus clown.
2: SNAKE PRINT
Move over leopard, the star animal
print this year is snake. It is being fea-
tured not just on bags and accesso-
ries, but also on dresses.
Designers last focused on snake
skin in 2008, just before the leopard
craze took off.
For those squeamish about the real
deal, go for snake print instead.
This style is just as tricky as leopard
print so pick styles in basic colours
such as grey and beige and pair the
accent print with neutrals such as
black, grey and nude.
LIFESTYLE
3: HYBRID SHOPS
If sipping a cuppa while shopping
for quirky knick-knacks or vintage
nds is your cup of tea, 2011 looks set
to be a good year for you.
Hybrid stores, which offer at least
two services under one roof, are set to
be the next big thing.
4: DETOX DIET
Nobody does fad diets better than
Hollywood and when celebrities want
to slim down fast, they often turn to
detox diets.
The New York Times reported last
October that going on a detox diet is
one of the fastest way to shed the ki-
los while feeding the body with nutri-
ents it lacks. However, it warns that
people have a tendency to binge once
they begin eating normally again.
Past cleansing diets include the
Master Cleanse, a lemon juice, cay-
enne pepper and maple syrup con-
coction that you take over 10 days.
Fans of this trend include singer Be-
yonce and Tinseltown couple Demi
Moore and Ashton Kutcher.
The hot diet trend this year is Izo
Cleanze. This consists of a two-week
fast that substitutes solids with juic-
es. Hollywood celebs such as Mandy
Moore, Eva Mendes and Eva Longo-
ria swear by this diet.
As the diet replaces solid food with
a liquid diet, it is not recommended
for everybody, especially those who
are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Always consult your doctor before
starting on a diet.
BEAUTY
5: TWO-TONED NAILS
Colours have not only infiltrated
the runways, they are also big news
for nails.
While single colours hogged the
limelight in recent seasonsthink
grey for fall 2010 and mint green for
spring 2010colour-blocked nails
are the It manicure.
Update your French manicure by
painting your nails in one colour and
the tips in another.
Or get a half-moon manicure, a re-
verse French manicure where your
nail base is painted a different colour
from the rest of your nails.
If you have long talons, paint the
top of your nails and the underside in
contrasting shades.
The brighter and more vibrant
your colours, the better. Do not be
afraid to aunt contrasting colours.
Some hot colour combos include
sherbet green with mandarin orange
or magenta with lemon yellow.
6: NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS
For the last decade, science jargon
has been the rage as beauty brands
souped up everything from sun-
screen to face cream.
Now, things have come full circle
with back-to-basics beauty balms
having their day in the sun.
Nat ur al s ki n and body- car e
products whi ch contai n pl ant-
derived ingredients and are free
of most chemicals, such as para-
bens, sulphates and fragrances,
are the new stars.
Think rice powder exfoliators,
bamboo charcoal cleansers and face
creams enriched with natural es-
sential oils. The Straits Times
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January 14-27, 2011
COVER STORY 2011 TRENDS
By Choi He-suk
The Korea Herald
v Seoul
F
or South Koreas automo-
tive market, 2010 has been
an eventful one.
Kia Motor Corp.s mid-
sized sedan K5 dented
Hyundai Sonata sales, marking one
of the rare times when the Sonatas
stranglehold on the segment has been
threatened.
GM Daewoo Auto and Technology
Co. launched the upper mid-sized se-
dan Alpheon that marks its rst suc-
cessful attempt at moving up market,
while Hyundai Motor Co. launched
revamped version of the perennial
bestseller Avante and revived the
subcompact Accent.
This year is set to be another sig-
nicant year for the Korean car mar-
ket with several new additions set to
spruce up local carmakers line-ups
as well as old favourites making a
comeback in new guises.
As the company continues its drive
to renew and strengthen its line-up,
GM Daewoos lineup will see the
most signicant change this year.
For the rst half of 2011, GM Dae-
woo has the multipurpose vehicle Or-
lando and the compact car Aveo
planned for the local market.
While details about the Orlando, a
seven-seater, that will be launched
here this year is not known, the ver-
sion of the vehicle displayed at auto
shows was available with a choice of
three engines: one with a 1.8-litre gas-
oline engine, and two 2-litre diesel en-
gines with different power output.
The Aveo will be replacing the
compact hatchback Gentra X during
the rst six months of 2011.
Also in store for the year is the re-
placement for the sport utility vehicle
Winstorm, and hatchback version of
the compact car Lacetti Premiere.
The Winstorm replacement will
first be launched in Europe in the
spring and here at a later date. The
hatchback Lacetti Premiere will hit
the Korean market after it debuts in
the European market in the spring.
In addition, GM Daewoo will intro-
duce the Chevrolet Camaro on the lo-
cal market some time this year, dou-
bling the range of ofcially imported
muscle cars to a grand total of two.
With Hyundai Motor Co. having
postponed introduction of the new
version of the Grandeur to next year,
countrys largest carmaker will be
launching at least two new cars dur-
ing the rst six months.
The new Grandeur, scheduled for
release early this year, will be the
first from a Korean carmaker to be
fitted with advanced smart cruise
control system that automatically
regulates speed and distance with
the vehicle in front. The system is
also able to halt and restart the ve-
hicle if the distance with the vehicle
in front is suddenly reduced.
Hyundai will follow the Grandeur
with a small coupe currently known
by the project name FS.
Based on the concept car Veloster
that was rst showcased at the Seoul
Motor Show in 2007, the FS will be a
two-door coupe.
Hyundais sister carmaker Kia Mo-
tors Corp. is also planning a series of
new vehicles for next year.
During the rst half of 2011, Kia will
launch the replacement for the city car
Morning. Under local regulations, city
cars are dened as those with 1-litre or
less engine displacement.
The company says that the new city
car will retain the cute and stylish
exterior of a city car but that its de-
sign will reect the companys family
look introduced since chief design of-
cer Peter Schreyer joined its ranks.
In addition to the updated version
of the Morning, the company will be
introducing a new city car here.
Little is known about the vehicle
to date, but the car will have a box-
like design.
The carmaker will also be introduc-
ing the follow-up models for the sub-
compact Pride some time this year.
In the coming year, the countrys
smallest carmaker Ssangyong Motor
Co. will nally be introducing the Ko-
rando C to the local market.
The Korando C has been in the
works for some time, but its launch
has been delayed due to the diffi-
culties the company has been ex-
periencing since it went into court
receivership.
While the process of launching
the Korando C has been difficult,
the new car may signal a change of
fortune for Ssangyong.
The Korando C revives the name Ko-
rando, one that has been borne by some
of Ssangyongs bestselling vehicles.
The car is already said to be prov-
ing a hit in overseas markets, where
the company plans to focus its efforts
with regards to the new vehicle, or-
ders from which are already said to
be matching Ssangyongs production
capacity of 2,000 units per month for
the Korando C.
Vroom
Into 2011
The concept car Veloster
on which Hyundais new
coupe will be based.
Ssangyong
Korando C.
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In partnership with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
(ETH Zurich), Switzerland; the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, USA; Tongji University, Shanghai, China;
Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City; and the Ecole Suprieure
dArchitecture de Casablanca, Morocco. The universities lead the
independent juries in five regions of the world. Entries at
www.holcimawards.org close March 23, 2011.
The Holcim Awards competition is an initiative of the Holcim
Foundation for Sustainable Construction. Based in Switzerland,
the foundation is supported by Holcim Ltd and its Group companies
and affiliates in more than 70 countries. Holcim is one of the
worlds leading suppliers of cement and aggregates as well
as further activities such as ready-mix concrete and asphalt
including services.
Develop new perspectives for our
future: 3
rd
International Holcim
Awards competition for projects
in sustainable construction. Prize
money totals USD 2 million.
www.holcimawards.org
Charles Correa, Architect in India, Professor at the MIT in Cambridge (USA)
and Head of the Global Holcim Awards jury 2009, on the prize-winning
River remediation and urban development scheme, Fez, Morocco.
An ingenious intervention of considerable and
strategic significance.
Award Inserate_197x267_1 23/6/2010 12:03 Seite 13
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January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
17
REPORT SPECIAL
v Bangkok
O
n a street called
Loi Kroh in the
nort hern Thai
ci ty of Chi ang
Ma i , y o u n g ,
tanned foreigners
saunter among
rows of shops and
bars, in a scene typical of the coun-
trys many tourist enclaves. But ven-
ture into one of its dingy side lanes,
and the smart strip quickly reveals its
grimy underbelly.
Here, unwashed foreigners, many
with sallow skin from too much alco-
hol and too little sunlight, wander
among semi-abandoned buildings.
Beckoning to them are young Thais
perched on parked motorbikes, sell-
ing sex and drugs.
Chances are the drug is metham-
phetamine, known widely in Thai-
land as ya ba, or crazy drug. The
nickname comes from the effects of
the drugexcitement, hyperactivity,
irritability, hallucinations, paranoia,
psychosis and, occasionally, aggres-
sive behaviour.
Nen, a counsellor at a drop-in cen-
tre run by social workers struggling
to cope with the ood of drugs, is fa-
miliar with the symptomsshe is an
addict herself. The 27-year-old was
introduced to pills that she and her
friends called meth when she was 13.
I started because I wanted to be
accepted by my circle of friends and
my boyfriend, she said.
Initially, she would heat one meth
pill, inhale the fumes, and ride the
effects for three hours or so. But
soon, one pill was not enough. When
Nen was 16, her boyfriend gave her
her first meth injection. She was
afraid of the needle, she said, but
when she felt the power reach her
brai n so qui ckl y, she knew she
wanted to do it that way.
It saves money and is more in-
tense, she said. When you smoke it,
the effect comes slowly and stays with
you for about three hours. When you
inject it, you feel it straightaway and
it lasts four or ve hours.
Nen now needs an average of
three meth pills per day, with each
costing anything from 180 baht to
250 baht (US$6-$8).
Easy to make, easy to sell
Whether it is called ya ba, ice, sha-
bu, crystal or batu kilat (shiny rocks
in Malay), a ood of meth has swept
across Asia, a rising tide assuming
the proportions of a tidal wave.
Unlike heroin, cocaine and other
hardcore drugs, meth is easy to make
and transport, cheap and highly
profitable. It can be put together
from precursor chemicals using
basic laboratory equipment, produc-
ing a white, odourless, bitter-tasting
crystalline powder that dissolves in
water or alcohol.
Meth is one of the most popular
types of amphetamine-type stimu-
lants, which have become the prima-
ry drug threat in many countries, dis-
placing opiates.
According to a report from the UN
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNO-
DC), as many as 20.7 million people
in Asia have used amphetamines in
the past year. Some estimates say
there are as many as 53 million meth
users around the world.
Many use it recreationally at rst, as a
party drug. Otherslike long-distance
truckersoften use it to stay awake or
alert in demanding physical jobs.
And it is not the preserve of an
underclass. In their 2009 book
Merchants Of Madness, authors
Bertil Lintner and Michael Black
note that, unlike heroin, meth has
successfully transcended socioeco-
nomic barriers, creating a new wave
of drug addiction on an unprece-
dented scale in Thailand.
Much of southeast Asias meth is
from eastern Burma, where drug
warl ords l inked with insurgent
et hni c groups have l ong been
known for producing and traffick-
ing in narcotics to fund their feud
with the government.
This corner of Indochina is better
known as the Golden Triangle, once
the centre of the opium trade. Today,
while opium is also making a come-
back, it is meth that is mostly traf-
cked across the porous borders with
Thailand and Laos.
In Burma itself, drugs are destroy-
ing the lives of thousands of young
people, especially at ethnic minority
areas in the countrys north and east.
In 2008, the authorities seized
about one million meth pills. By last
year, that number had jumped to a
By Nirmal Ghosh
The Straits Times
Party Drug
Scourge
ASIA IS BEING FLOODED WITH
PARTY AND DESIGNER DRUGS
SUCH AS METHAMPHETAMINE
AND ECSTASY
Indian drug user Zimbo injects heroin at a hideout in Imphal.
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CACHE: A Thai policeman stands guard as ofcials with the public health ministry (background)
sort conscated narcotics during the 38th Destruction of Conscated Narcotics ceremony in
Bang Pa-In, north of Bangkok in June last year.
18
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
19
staggering 24 million. Burma is said
to have 60,000 to 90,000 drug users
who inject meth, with the sharing of
needles causing a HIV prevalence
rate of 36 to 38 per cent.
The use of drugs has become so
widespread that at Myitkyina Univer-
sity, in the state of Kachin, there are
special dustbins for drug users to
dump their needles to avoid accidents.
Meth is not only easy to produce,
but also easy to transport, making it a
source of easy money for its manufac-
turers. A man can cross the Burma-
Thailand border on a footpath
through rugged hills and dense jun-
gle with a few thousand pills in a sin-
gle backpack.
And Thailand is bearing the brunt
of the rise of meth. Last year, 26.6
million meth pills were seized, 20 per
cent more than in the previous year,
and almost double the number in
2007. Amounts of crystalline meth
seized have also soared.
The trade has bounced back after
Thailand, under ex-premier Thaksin
Shinawatra, launched his war on
drugs in 2003. Then, the police
homed in on thousands of suspected
dealers in a controversial drive that
ended up killing over 2,500 people,
many of them small-time pushers and
users, but some who were innocent.
However, it did serve to dampen
supply, and saw the number of meth
pills seizedwhich hit 95.9 million in
2002dropping to 31.1 million pills
in 2004 and 15.4 million in 2005.
Si nce then, the scourge has
bounced back.
And when the Thai authorities
clamp down on them, the trafckers
look for other routeslike neigh-
bouring Laos, which has weak en-
forcement and a 4,800km border
with five countries. The country
seized 2.3 million pills last year.
Tough battle
The speed at which meth produc-
ers and smugglers make comebacks
and move their operations show how
challenging a task governments face.
Precursor chemicals are often easi-
ly available, sometimes in legitimate
medicines. And meth laboratories are
small, can be set up anywhere, and
are usually safe from aerial detec-
tion, which is the main method for
nding opium elds.
Intelligence and enforcement ca-
pabilities of countries vary widely;
the UNODC has a programme that
aims to share more information and
better integrate often disjointed
global responses to the trade.
In Burmas north and east, how-
ever, there are areas where state
control is weak or non-existent.
Gary Lewis, UNODCs Bangkok-
based regional representative, said
that as most of the precursor chemi-
cals needed to make meth come
from India, China and Thailand, it is
critical that the authorities try to
disrupt the supply.
While the authorities in Burma
were very active in battling the
drug menace, he added, the only
s u s t a i na b l e s o l u t i o n t o t he
probl em in areas l ike the Shan
state is a political solution.
In its absence, a toxic mix of
money, drugs and arms continues
to fuel the ri si ng ti de of meth,
whi ch i s a source of qui ck and
relatively easy money.
But Nen in Chiang Mai cares
little where the meth pills come
from. After her brother contracted
HIV from meth i nj ecti ons, she
became a counsellor at a drop-in
centre for younger addicts.
She is also learning to come to
terms with the impact of her meth
habit on her daughter. My baby al-
ready has it in her blood, in her sys-
tem, she said simply.
Meth addicts have few options for
treatment, which leaves a lot to be
desired, experts say. Addicts are of-
ten thrown into boot camp-like
facilities run by enforcement agen-
cies rather than medical and social
workers. Many return to the habit
once they are out.
There is no medicine to help
me out of it, said Nen resignedly.
And I do not have the wi l l to
stop. The only problem is that it
costs too much.
v NewDelhi
A
s Indias pharmaceutical in-
dustry continues to boom, the
country is also emerging as
one of the worlds main sources for
chemicals used to make party drugs.
Increasing amounts of ephedrine
and ketamine, which are essential in-
gredients for amphetamine-type
stimulants (ATS), are being smug-
gled out of the country to southeast
Asian nations, where demand for
party drugs is on the rise.
Ephedrine, also used in chemical
industries and the pharmaceutical
sector, is used to make methamphet-
amine and is in high demand in
countries like Malaysia, Indonesia,
Thailand and the Philippines, says
the Narcotics Control Bureaus south
zonal director S. Davidson Devasirva-
tham. Illicit shipments from India
have also been found in Africa and
Latin America.
The leading producers of ephed-
rine are China, India and Germany,
he said. In a lot of other countries it
is not easily available. So it moves
from place of production to demand.
In September, a total of 300kg of
ephedrine was seized in Chennai, just
before it was to be shipped to Malay-
sia. Similar amounts were seized in
Rajasthan and Gujarat in October.
Ketamine, used in human and
veterinary medicine and also an
ingredient in Ecstasy, is also being
smuggl ed out . Sei zures of t he
chemical increased from 60 tons in
2005 to more than 100 tons last
year, according to a recent United
Nations report.
India, along with Bangladesh and
Sri Lanka, is also increasingly being
used by transnational organised
criminal groups as a transit for drugs
being trafficked from Southeast
Asia. Experts say ATS from Burma
are passing through Indias north-
eastern states, which have become a
major transit route.
Fuel l i ng the movement i s a
strengthening demand for party
drugs, which makes the trade of the
chemicals a lucrative one. Procure-
ment agents buy the chemicals for
75,000 rupees to 100,000 rupees
($1,675-$2,234) per kilogram, and
can sell them for more than 300,000
rupees ($6,700) in Southeast Asian
countries.
v Beijing
T
hey have catchy nicknames
like Meow Meow, Spice and
Bubble, and are all the rage
from Shanghais karaoke lounges
to Londons hippest clubs.
No longer just a hit among an
increasingly afuent Chinese pop-
ulation, made-in-China designer
drugs are now hooking teenagers
across the world, and have even
caused several deaths.
Yet, they remain technically le-
gal, uncovered by drug laws and
often sold as innocuous products,
like plant fertiliser.
One popular legal high is
Meow Meow, whose scientific
name is mephedrone. Cooked up
in Chinese sweatshops that have
easy access to illegal chemical raw
materials, the white powder is air-
freightedoften by courier rms
such as DHLto countries like
Britain where it has become the
fourth most used drug after cannabis,
Ecstasy and cocaine.
In March, two teenagers died
from Meow Meow overdose, spark-
ing a public outcry to ban mephed-
rone, which is still classified as
plant fertiliser.
There, mephedrone can cost as lit-
tle as 3 British pounds (US$4.6) a hit.
In China, Meow Meow is openly ad-
vertised online by wholesalers for
about $4,000 per kilogramwhich
still allows them to pocket at least a
25 per cent prot.
Along with its even more addic-
tive cousins like Sparkle and Ec-
stasy, which is known as yao-tou
(head-rocker), these party drugs
ar e gener at i ng a new buzz i n
Shanghais nightclubs.
In Beijing, peddlers prowl around
dining and shopping hot spots like
Sanlitun district, approaching for-
eigners within sight of a police station.
But these legal highs have yet to
catch up with traditional favourites
like heroin and methamphetamines,
which are still the most popular.
Corruption and poorly enforced
anti-drug laws have allowed these
drugs, and their younger cousins, to
flourish in China. Last year, there
were more than 1.3 million reported
drug usersof which 73 per cent
smoked heroin. But the actual num-
bers are likely much higher as many
users go unreported, say experts, who
point to the huge quantities of drugs
seized and rising number of cases.
Chinese courts, which execute
those guilty of serious drug trafck-
ing, handled more than 50,000 cases
and convicted over 56,000 people
last year, 16 per cent more than they
did in the previous year.
With the devastating effects of drug
abuse leading to the 19th-century
Opium Wars still seared in its memo-
ry, China vows to crack down on
drugs, as concerns grow over the ris-
ing number of addicts, especially
among the young.
In 2005, Beijing kicked off the
Peopl e s War on dr ugs , and
spared no expense i n targeti ng
problem spots like Xinjiang prov-
ince, which borders Afghanistan,
a key source of hashish.
In southern Yunnan province,
which borders Burma and Laos
from which cheap drugs like White
China are smuggledofficials an-
nounced a 100 million yuan ($15.1
million) campaign over three years to
build more drug rehabilitation cen-
tres and crack down on drug rings.
The government has also cracked
down on drug sweatshops, disman-
tling almost 400 illicit drug manu-
facturing labs in 2009, a 60 per cent
rise from 2008.
Its latest move was to bring in ce-
lebrities like superstar Jackie Chan to
convince teenagers that snorting
white powder is uncool.
Additional reporting by Lina Miao
By Grace Ng
The Straits Times
By Nirmala Ganapathy
The Straits Times
Chinas
Meow Meow
Major Chemical Source For Producers
BUSTED: Chinese police seize poppy
plants during a raid on an illegal poppy
farm in Yanling, central Chinas Henan
province.
A DOSE: An Indian drug user opens a pack
of heroin which costs around US$1 at a hideout
in Churachandpur, some 70kms south-west of
Imphal.
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CHANGING ASIA
By Rupak D. Sharma
Asia News Network
Parting Ways
Korean womens perception about
divorce is changing rapidly
v Bangkok
U
ntil two decades ago,
many South Korean
wives who had to open
doors for their drunk-
en husbands every day
at two or three in the morning
could do nothing but curse
themselves for getting hitched to a
man who was more in love with
alcohol than his better half.
Many were so feeble back then,
they wouldnt complain even if they
knew their husbands were irting
with other girls in the name of
working overtime.
Confrontation over marriage
situations was rare at the time as
women feared dealing with these
issues head on would end in a
divorce, turning them into social
outcasts. On top of that, many
women used to be nancially
dependent on their husbands,
which meant they would have to
lead a difcult life if they parted
ways with them.
Not anymore.
Today, Korean women are
calling the shots and they are not
afraid to dump uncaring hus-
bands if there need be.
This change in perception was
exposed by a recent study conduct-
ed by a matchmaking rm. It
showed 55.6 per cent of South
Korean women now were willing to
divorce their husbands if they were
unhappy with them, while only
43.72 per cent of men gave the same
answer to the question.
This change in attitude towards
divorce in a relatively short period
of time shows a massive shift in the
countrys traditional social values. It
shows Korean women are no longer
bound by traditions and their social
status is rising to the level of women
in the Western world.
One of the reasons behind this
transformation is nancial inde-
pendence gained from the countrys
rapid economic growth.
In the last ve decades, South P
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Korea has turned around from
being a country mired in war and
poverty to an industrialised econo-
my with one of the highest per
capita incomes in the world.
During this process of economic
development, many women
entered the labour market,
securing plum positions in various
firms. The money they earned for
themselves ensured financial
security and turned them into
masters of their own.
Now, they dont have to worry
about not being able to put the food
on the table even if they end their
marriages. The social barrier, which
earlier used to prevent them from
taking such steps, is no longer there.
The result: more women resign-
ing from the institution of marriage,
while earning the country the
sobriquet of divorce capital of Asia.
According to a survey conduct-
ed by the government in 2009,
many women initiated divorce
because of differences in person-
alities and financial problems.
Many couples also separated
because of their spouse's affair
and domestic violence.
Compared to men, more women
tend to believe that the benefits to
marriage are low, and this tenden-
cy is revealing itself in their percep-
tion of divorce, The Korea Herald
quoted an official of matchmaking
company, DUO, as saying.
This has led many women (four
in 10) to think they should keep a
separate account in case their
marriages end in a divorce, accord-
ing to the survey of DUO.
Divorce, once a social taboo, first
started surfacing in Korea in the
1970s when people started moving
from rural areas to the urban
centres. Then, between 1980 and
2004, the divorce rate jumped up
in a tremendous fashion, rising
from 0.6 cases for every 1,000
people to 2.9 cases per 1,000
people, according to OECD report.
The situation became even
more precarious when the gov-
ernment introduced fast-track
divorce policy, which allowed
couples to part ways soon after
filing their petitions.
This policy was brought to an end
in June 2008 after number of
divorce cases started skyrocketing.
Now, couples with children
seeking divorce must think about
their decision for three months
prior to taking the nal step, while
childless couples can part their ways
within a months time (although
victims of physical or sexual abuse
can still take the fast track and end
their marriage immediately).
The new system, initially, did
cool off the situation, but after a
while couples again started
knocking on the courts doors to
end their relationships.
In 2009, there were 124,000
divorces in Korea, up from 7,500 in
2008. The number is expected to
keep on rising as women give
priority to personal happiness.
GETTING HITCHED:
Couples from South Korea
and overseas participate in a
mass wedding ceremony
organised by The Unication
Church at the churchs Sun
Moon University in Asan,
south of Seoul.
22
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
23
LIFE
By Peh Shing Huei
The Straits Times
The Untouchables
v Beijing
A
young man bumped his
red Mazda 6 into an el-
derly woman, got out to
scold her and then de-
cided to inict more pain
by beating her up as well.
I can even kill you. I have money.
I would rather kill you and compen-
sate you for it, he shouted at the
hapless woman.
Thousands of onl ookers i n
north-eastern Changchun city
qui ckly surrounded Ji ang Xi -
aozhu, according to local media,
and ransacked his car before he
was rescued by the police.
An online background search for
Jiang, nicknamed police uniform
man because of what he was wear-
ing, was quickly launched by neti-
zens, whom the Chinese refer to as
human esh search engine.
It revealed the 27-year-old to be
a son of a local government official.
Hi s father i s bel i eved to be a
county official and his father-in-
law belongs to the same countys
security forces.
Jiang, an employee in a state to-
bacco rm, is what the Chinese re-
fer derogatorily to as guan er dai, or
the offspring of ofcials.
This unofcial clan of young Chi-
nese are rich, arrogant and seem-
ingly above the law because their
parents are powerful and wealthy
local ofcials.
And in recent weeks, public anger
towards this privileged group has
hit a high, largely because of several
brutal incidents.
The most infamous involved the
son of a senior police official in
northern Hebei province who,
when caught fleeing a fatal car
accident in October, shouted: My
dad is Li Gang!
His words went viral on the Internet
and have become the countrys newest
catchphrase, used in jokes, poems and
even art installations.
But the phenomenon is not funny.
These privileged young people have
come to embody the qualities that or-
dinary Chinese hate about the authori-
tiescorrupt, violent and lawless.
Experts believe that if the trend is
left unchecked, it may lead to large-
scale social unrest.
With more and more of these
guan er dai abusing their power,
the people would have less faith
in the ruling party, seeing it as a
feudal organisation, said anti-graft
analyst Lin Zhe from the Central
Party School.
It would be a threat to social
stability... Such things build up bit
by bit, before exploding. Once the
people revolt, it will be too late.
Unhappi ness wi th abuse of
power by these guan er dai has
boiled over in the past. Corrup-
tion by so-called princelings,
children of top Chinese Commu-
nist Party leaders, was a key fac-
tor which led to the Tiananmen
protests in 1989.
The officials today are even
greedier than the old cadres of the
1980s, said professor Lin. They
want money, sex, government posi-
tions, academic titles, you name it.
And not only do they plunder for
themselves, they do it for their sons
and daughters too.
Indeed, guan er dai are al so
believed to get plum government
jobs because of thei r parents
connections.
In Pingnan county, southern Fu-
jian province, for example, the
employment requirements for a
finance department position were
so specific and detailed that only
one applicant fulfilled them last
month. She was the county party
secretarys daughter.
And in northwest Ningxia re-
gi on, the son of two off i ci al s
edged out 487 applicants for a
civil service job despite alleg-
edly not having completed his
examination papers during the
entrance exam.
Law professor Zhang Min from
Renmin University said that if
most people believe officialdom
is beyond their reach and is re-
served for only the children of of-
ficials, the peoples hatred of of-
ficials would intensify.
Such hatred would coalesce
into a frightening force, he wrote
on the Peoples Daily website.
And history tells us that once
such a force has been formed,
there is little chance of peace in
the world.
PUBLIC ANGER TOWARD ARROGANT
CHILDREN OF WEALTHY LOCAL
OFFICIALS HAS HIT A HIGH IN CHINA,
LARGELY BECAUSE OF SEVERAL BRUTAL
INCIDENTS
MEAN MACHINES: Zhang Kuan (left), founder of the Beijing
Supercar Club, parks his car at the 798 Art Zone in Beijing.
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SUPERCAR: Lu Yi (centre) and his friends fromthe Beijing Supercar Club chat at the 798 Art Zone.
24
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
25
v Beijing
I
t was 10pm on a frosty winter
night and Zhang Kuan was sit-
ting with his friends around a
street-side barbecue stand. Just
visible through the smoke be-
hind them stood a bright green Lam-
borghini and a shiny black Ferrari.
Dont think people who drive su-
percars dont eat street food,
smiled Zhang, owner of the Lam-
borghini, as he chewed on an oily
meat skewer.
As the group ate on the street
outside Beijings Poly Theatre,
several people stopped to admire
the cars, including two young
women who posed for pictures
with the chic machines.
Yet, not everyone was pleased,
with one passers-by grumbling
under her breath about rich kids
showing off .
After a series of high-prole traf-
c incidents involving children of
wealthy and powerful parents, neti-
zens and the media have singled out
drivers of expensive cars as an evil
of Chinas rich-poor divide.
Theyve become a symbolic tar-
get of public resentment, is how
sociologist Zhao Weihua at Beijing
University of Technology puts it.
However, 32-year-old pawnbroker
Zhang warned that the ongoing vili-
fication of supercar drivers is
fueling the victimization of inno-
cent enthusiasts nationwide. As the
founder of the Beijing Supercar
Club (SCC), he aims to change that.
Zhang Kuan has been infatuated
with fast cars since he was a teen-
ager but only realised his dream of
owning one three years ago when
he bought a Ferrari.
Driving the car out from the
showroom was like driving for
the first time, he said. The com-
bination of freedom and control
was like nothing else.
He remembers being the centre
of attention that day, with every-
one in the street throwing me a
second glance. Many people still
stare today, some in fascination,
some in disgust.
When people see a supercar
now, instantly their rst reaction is,
Look at that rich kid and his mad
driving, said Lu Yi, 30, an SCC
member and manager of a Beijing
car dealership. Theres a denite
prejudice against us, which the me-
dia is helping stir up.
Road rage
In fairness, wealthy young people
in sports cars have handed journal-
ists a fair amount of ammunition to
attack them with in recent years.
In October 2010, 22-year-old Li
Yifan knocked down and killed a fe-
male student while drunk on Hebei
Universitys campus. After attempt-
ing to speed away, he allegedly told
onlookers in his way: Sue me if you
dare. My father is Li Gang (a deputy
district police chief).
The incidents came shortly after
a connected college student in
Xian, capital of Shaanxi province,
stabbed to death a young mother
he injured with his car as he feared
this peasant woman would be
hard to deal with.
Hu Bin was also sentenced to
three years in jail in July 2009 for
killing a pedestrian while drag rac-
ing his high-powered Mitsubishi
on the streets of Hangzhou, capital
of Zhejiang province. Pictures of
Hu laughing with friends shortly
after the accident were published
on the Internet.
Following the negative publicity,
SCC members from across China
said their vehicles have been re-
peatedly scratched when parked on
the street, causing thousands of
yuan in damage.
People have every right to be an-
gry with supercar owners, argues
C HI NA LIFESTYLE
Tang Jun, secretary-general of the
Chinese Academy of Social Scienc-
es social policy research centre,
who said he has seen many of them
speeding on city roads.
When (these drivers) dont obey
traffic rules, they are a threat to
public safety, he added.
However, Zhang complained that
the negative image is largely fuelled
by the medias portrayal of wealthy
car owners.
When there is a trafc accident
involving a rich driver, the media is
all over it. They give the story re-
peated coverage, he said. When
we do charity work, they dont
bother to report it at all.
To boost the reputation of his
club, which was set up in 2009,
Zhang has organised several chari-
table projects, including visiting or-
phanages and elderly care centres
to help out and donate money.
In November, several members
drove to an animal welfare centre
on the outskirts of Beijing. They do-
nated food and money, as well as
blogged about the day to raise
awareness to the problem of stray
cats and dogs.
I thought all rich kids do is waste
money and show off, reads a com-
ment left by an anonymous netizen
on the SCCs site, hosted by sina.
com. Im touched by your social
responsibility and hope your ac-
tions can inspire others.
Sociologist Zhao said she believes
it will take a lot more to solve the
deeper conict behind the hatred
toward luxurious or fast cars.
In a society with a serious imbal-
ance in the distribution of wealth,
the general public tends to general-
ise and label the rich as bad follow-
ing high-prole examples, she ex-
plained. Wealth forces on them
higher moral requirements and they
need to be extra behaved to main-
tain a good public image.
Zhang agrees and said the SCC
has strict rules against street racing
and drunken driving. Making sure
everyone sticks to them is easier
said than done, however.
Checkered future?
In addition to convincing the
world not all supercar owners are
spoiled rich kids, Zhang harbors
another ambition: to promote a mo-
torsport culture in China.
With car clubs offering fans a
gateway into the world of racing,
the SCC regularly stages track
meets across the country.
Amateur motorsport in China is
relatively immature compared to
other countries, as most supercar
owners just want to look cool out-
side nightclubs, according to Xing
Lu, a 38-year-old advertising com-
pany boss who owns a Ferrari.
He added: Its hard to appreciate
wine when you never had a cellar,
so how do you expect (young peo-
ple) to really understand sports cars
when their parents never had one?
Like Zhang, organisers at Scu-
deria Ferrari Club Shanghai, the
only Ferrari club in China offi-
cially recognised by the Italian
automakers, are trying to help
develop an appreciation.
Founded in 2005, club members
routinely visit Chinese university
campuses to promote motorsport
among students.
We advocate motorsport culture,
not the culture of wealth, said Zhu
Yuhua, founder and chairman of
Scuderia Ferrari Club Shanghai.
Motorsport represents the pursuit
for dreams, sportsmanship and
technology.
No matter how attractive the
sport looks, however, Zhang at the
SCC cannot remove the fact that
fast cars are well beyond the reach
of most peoples budgets.
High-end automobiles are sold
at least two to three times more ex-
pensive in China than they are
abroad because of high tax, said
Ma Hongguang, a salesman at Bei-
jings Huaxiang Car Market, the
largest second-hand luxury car
showroom in North China.
Its a rich persons game, he
said. Fashionable young buyers al-
ways go for the latest model. Money
is not an issue for them.
Between them, SCC members
own roughly 300 supercars, includ-
ing limited-edition models made by
Maserati, Aston Martin, Pagani and
Tramontana. The value of these
cars can range from 1.4 million yuan
-30 million yuan (US$210,000-
US$4.5 million).
And owning a supercar is just the
start; there is also fuel and racing
costs. According to Goldenport In-
ternational Circuit in Beijing, driv-
ers need to pay from 1,000yuan-
10,000 yuan ($150-$1,500) per visit.
To hone his driving skills on the
track, Xing paid 300,000 yuan
($45,140) in March to complete the
nine-day Pilota Ferrari training pro-
gramme in Beijing and Shanghai. He
said that, apart from a few old men
from Hong Kong and Japan, most of
his classmates were Chinese aged 20
to 30 from rich families.
China is expected to surpass Ja-
pan to become the worlds largest
luxury goods market in the next ve
years, according to the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences 2010
Business Blue Book.
One of the sectors constantly ex-
panding is supercars.
China is a very important market
for Ferrari, Edwin Fenech, presi-
dent and chief executive of Ferrari
Asia-Pacic told China Daily.
Most of my clients are children of
rich parents involved in investment,
real estate or energy businesses,
said Zhou Juan, a Ferrari sales in Bei-
jing. Chinese parents always give
the best to their children.
By Li Li
China Daily
Supercar Youths
Drive For Good
Image
Children of wealthy families in China leave a
bad impression for getting frequently
involved in trafc accidents, but some
hope to change that impression
ROAD ATTRACTION:
A cyclist delivering water
slows down to admire a
Ferrari owned by one of
the SCC members.
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January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
27
I NDONE S I A LIFESTYLE
v Jakarta
T
he first thing most new-
comers to Indonesian capi-
tal Jakarta notice about life
in this city is how so many
of the residents cant seem
to avoid spending most of their time
either shufing through the impossi-
ble trafc or trying to make sense of
the numbing crowd at popular malls.
It seems that, on any given day, mil-
lions of Jakartans are prowling
through the citys major arteries and
spilling into the malls.
Real-estate developers from around
the world are taking advantage of the
momentum in shopping centre devel-
opment in and around Indonesias
capital, and investing their resources
while the market is hot. The result is
the glittering blocks of concrete jut-
ting out of the ground and up into the
smog, offering a cornucopia of goods,
entertainment and leisure experiences.
In the late 1980s and throughout the
1990s, shopping malls became objects
of scorn and criticism because of their
promotion of high-end lifestyles that
urged people to spend beyond their
means, although from an economic
perspective shopping malls were the
next best thing. Today, in Jakarta,
shopping malls have become nothing
short of a home away from home.
In the beginning, it was difcult
for me to adjust to the lifestyle here in
Jakarta, says Julian Martapura, a busi-
ness consultant who has spent most
of his adult life abroad. I was not
used to hanging out in malls, because
I was afraid Id get claustrophobic.
Even so, a year fol l owing his
return to Jakarta, Julian has found
himself embracing his own night-
mare. As a consul tant, he goes
where his clients goand, usually,
thats yet another mall.
Jakarta, with 130 malls currently in
operation, is on record as being the
metropolitan area with the second
highest concentration of shopping
centres; rst place goes to New Delhi
in India, which has 300 shopping cen-
tres dotting the downtown area.
Herman Giok, a sociologist at
Gadjah Mada University, notes the
rapi d devel opment of shoppi ng
malls as a privatisation of space
where diversi t y i s signi f i cantl y
measured and controlled.
Malls are highly homogeneous
environments, he writes by e-mail.
Its like watching a group of clones
walking next to each other. You
may not realise this but the mall
you go to ref lects your personality
and lifestyle choice.
A generation of best buys
At no other point in history has
consumerism been so pivotal to
the functioning of a society that
it has found a place in al l fields
of study. Today, the phrase shop
til l you drop means little to the
younger generation. Because, after
all, who doesnt shop till they drop
in this day and age?
While the rest of the world is try-
ing to bounce back from the global
nancial crisis, shoppers in Jakarta
continue to spend their money like
there is no tomorrow. Upscale res-
taurants have no problem raking in
high prots and boutiques have little
reason to worry their customers will
suddenly go bankrupt.
But shoppers today are quite un-
like the shoppers of yesteryear. New
technologies mean modern shoppers
are no longer dependent on what
salespeople tell them. Now, shop-
pers Google their product choices
before buying them. This limits the
aura of sociality which in the past
had been the main asset of shopping
at a mall, says Herman.
Buyers have also become smarter
and much more efcient in their pur-
chases. They dont squander their
savings, and instead they plan for
sale promotions. Buy one, get two
has become the norm in the recent
marketing climate.
People will go to the ends of the
world if it means they get to have
something they want for less than
the price they bargain for, says Her-
man. If youve never seen the un-
bearably long queue of enthusiastic
buyers during a midnight sale, you
should start soon. Its quite a thrill.
According to Tommy Radiman, a
marketing ofcer at a West Jakarta
mall, midnight sales are extremely
rewarding both for shoppers and for
vendors. Similar campaigns are held
throughout the year, such as holiday
discounts and sponsored events.
The social wheel
The aim of nearly al l modern
mal ls is to become the peoples
choice for one-stop shopping and
living. This principle defines Ja-
kartas best and most popular malls
where new facilities are continu-
ously added to create what ulti-
mately becomes a superblock.
Among those that stand out are
Plaza Indonesia, now already 20 years
in business, Grand Indonesia, Senay-
an City, Pacific Place, Mal Kelapa
Gading, Pondok Indah Mall and Cen-
tral Park Mallwhere sprawling facili-
ties are built to equip the already spa-
cious lot. The idea, of course, is to
create a self-sustaining
environment where
everything is within
walking distance and
no one needs to go
out for anything.
A 2008 documenta-
r y b y H e l e n
Klodawsky titled Malls
R Us captures the so-
cial significance of
shopping centres as a
communal experience
all around the world,
particul arl y in the
United States, Canada,
France, Poland, Japan and Dubai. The
film examines the construction of
malls as meeting points, or vehicles of
a social discourse, as they shape and
reshape social values, communities
and the concept of public space
through the craftsmanship of archi-
tects, developers and sales managers.
The lm digs deeply into the abso-
lute essence of a mall as the centre of
human interaction, says Herman,
who highly recommends the docu-
mentary. It is a sacred space, a post-
modern temple of commerce and de-
sign that allows for provocative
implications and actions.
Jakarta has often been subject to
snide comments and even frank scorn
for embracing the mall culture to a
level where nearly every social func-
tion takes place at a mall. But you
dont have to look hard to understand
why Jakartans are so fond of their
malls: Where else can they go?
In a city where public spaces are
scarce, and where the humidity level
reaches 8090 per cent every day,
avoiding the malls is the impractical
thing to do. Social agendas are kept
indoors to benet from the climate
control system, and where theres
comfort, convenience is a major plus.
Most of our day-shoppers are peo-
ple who seek shelter from the heat, or
the rain, says Tommy. Most of our
weekend shoppers are people who
dont feel like going out of town, or
staying home.
What you see is what you get
Because malls are exclusive to their
shoppers, each type caters to a certain
group of people. High-end malls may
seem like a huge waste of money for
middle-class shoppers who prefer
family-oriented malls with fewer bou-
tique shops and more restaurants and
entertainment venues; by contrast,
these malls may appear abandoned
and even shabby to those who are
used to upscale malls.
The thing about malls is they never
lie about what they are.
The minute you walk into a mall,
you get a good measure of whether or
not you belong there, says Nuni
Samsyu, a development manager of a
superblock in the Kemang area that is
currently under construction. It
could be anythingthe stores, the de-
sign, the colouring or the way some-
one looks at you. Its instinctive.
In Jakarta, where society is divided
by economic status, malls increasingly
reect social strata. Many might not
be willing to admit this, of course, but
a quick tour of the malls will conrm
the theory: The mall you frequent
determines your place in the social
structure, or rather, your place in the
social structure determines which
mall you frequent.
I refuse to believe that, says Ju-
lian. If I give any merit to that state-
ment, I would be admitting to some
kind of intellectual crime. I would say
this, though: As much as we hate
them, we cant stop going to the malls.
So keep your head and try to appraise
them at face value.
RETAIL THERAPY: People
shop in a mall in Jakarta with
Christmas decorations on
December 24.
By Maggie Tiojakin
The Jakarta Post
The Malls The Merrier
Malls, malls, malls. Some have grown to
hate them, but in Jakarta, most just cant
live without them
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Arts
work and transforming them into
their own pieces of art.
Some of these pieces include furni-
ture, which will be some of the products
that will be sold at the concept store.
Previously, Jimmy Spa used to li-
cense other companies to produce
merchandise like puzzles, mugs, sta-
tionery and snowballs. But Lee said
that starting two years ago, they start-
ed producing their own products.
Our concept of branding is to
base everything on Jimmys illus-
trations and stories. I think the
stor y i s ver y i mportant to our
brand, Lee explained.
Liaos books and the initial prod-
ucts of Jimmy Spa were targeted
at the 18-3 5 age range, but Lee
acknowledged that they have to
create more functional products
geared toward the 34-45 market.
Ive always wanted to try different
ways to promote. The surest way is to
do the brand because I dont want to
just use pictures on paper, Lee ex-
plained. Weve already been around
10 years. Our original market has
grown up and maybe right now, they
already have babies.
While preparing for the opening of
the concept store also at Huashan,
Jimmy Spa has opened a caf and gift
shop beside the exhibition hall. Here,
fans not only from Taiwan but from
other countries like Thailand and Ja-
pan, can browse through different
souvenir items from the usual puz-
zles, stationery and mugs to new
products that come with the times
like an iPad or iPhone case featuring
Liaos paintings.
The gift shop has also introduced
some items that one could expect at
the concept store like sleepwear, um-
brellas and scarves.
Lee, who has been working with
the company for the last decade, said
Liaos stories explore time, space and
direction, and that Jimmy Spa itself is
clear about where its going.
We are clear about the direc-
tion... for example, were going to
produce bigger objects like furniture,
lights, chairs and turn it into its
own creative corner. That will be
the next step.
And soon, who knows, every home
will have its own little corner of Jim-
my Liao.
By Yasmin Lee Arpon
Asia News Network
v Taipei
T
heres something brewing
in Jimmy Liaos corner.
The famous Taiwanese il-
lustrator will soon inhabit
homes and be part of peo-
ples lifestyle through his brand, Jimmy
Spa, which is set to open a concept
store in Taipei. The store will of course
feature products based on Liaos fa-
mous illustration books that have cap-
tured not only the children market but
adults as well with his colourful and
vivid imagery and stories.
An ongoing exhibit, How To Own
A Corner at the Huashan 1914 Crea-
tive Park in the heart of Taipei is but
just a taste of whats to come.
Yusan Lee, executive director of
Jimmy Spa, has gathered 20 design-
ers to work on 12 corners that take
inspiration from two of Liaos most
recent books, How To Own A Corner
and One More Day With You.
For example, a spread from How To
Own A Corner showing a little boy sit-
ting in a web of tree branches has
been reinterpreted by a Japanese de-
signer collaborating with a fashion de-
signer from Sweden to feature a room
lled with long grey strips hanging
from the ceiling and forming a maze.
The walls have pictures of a girl
showing her in different stages from
isolation to release.
The exhibit features 68 paintings by
Liao, all from his original panels
measuring approximately 10 x 14 that
were used in his books.
For Jimmys loyal fans to see the
original paintings is already good
enough, Lee told AsiaNews during a
tour of the exhibition.
One of the exhibits corners is
cal l ed cent re of t he universe
where one can write down mes-
sages on an i Pad and see them
being f lashed onscreen in a room
next door to the caf. Lee explained
that they wanted everyone to have
an Interactive experience.
She noted that Liao was not really
involved in the creative process of the
exhibition but found it interesting to
see different artists interpreting his
J
immy Liaos stories may be geared toward
children but the sensitive and poetic themes
easily touch the hearts of adults.
Proof is how some of his works have been
turned into movies like Turn Left, Turn Right and
Sound of Colours geared for an older audience
that may not be familiar with his storybooks.
Turn Left, Turn Right was inspired by the book
A Chance of
Sunshine about
two ill-fated lovers
and starred Hong
Kong actress Gigi
Leung and
Chinese-Japanese
actor Takeshi
Kaneshiro. Sound
of Colours had no
less than Hong
Kong superstar
Tony Leung with
singer Miriam
Yeung.
In the ongoing exhibition at Huashan, a
corner displays props that were used in
creating the 3D animated lm, How To Own A
Corner, which is being shown at the Dream
Pavilion of the ongoing Flora Expo.
Jimmy Spa brand director Yusan Lee explained
that they used 25 frames for each second,
showing how tedious the production process was.
We put all these things here to show people how
we did it. This is just a small part of the entire
work and hopefully, it would help the audience to
have fun, if they are not familiar with his works.
Those who want to see a stage adaptation of
Liaos How To Own A Corner and Another Day
With You can also opt to watch the musical being
staged next to the exhibition hall. Another Day
With You combines the two books to tell the story
of how the little boy in How To Own A Corner
helps the little girl in Another Day With You to be
reunited with her dead friend so they can spend
a day at the circus.
The stage play stars Jack Yao, who headlined
Taiwan's biggest lm last year, Au Revoir Taipei,
and features a lot of magical effects that are
amazing even for adults.
This year, Liaos book Starry Starry Night,
will be adapted into a coming-of-age film
about a 12-year-old shy girl who meets an
equally silent boy. The film tackles such
mature themes as domestic violence and
divorce, and their impact on children.
The lm will be directed by Shu-Yu Lin, who
debuted as a director with the critically ac-
claimed Winds of September (2008). Starry
Starry Night will be his second feature lm.
Lee said the movie will be released all
over Asia later this year and will be another
opportunity for more people to be familiar
with Liaos works.
Onstage, Onscreen
Owning
A Corner
Of Jimmy
Taiwans beloved
illustrator is turning
his stories into a lifestyle
brand to reach a bigger
audience
The cast of How To
Own A Corner
P
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January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
31
MUSI C
Music One and of the digital com-
pany i-Online.
Music One isnt only set to be a
digital-content provider but also a
brand dealing with both digital-
music distribution and non-digital
business. It will handle concerts and
marketing and will be a platform in
its own right, partnering up with
Cent ral depart ment st ores and
other brands, he adds.
Music One will serve as a music
centre where fans can legally down-
load songs from foreign labels as well
as from some Thai labels. The com-
pany will also organise concerts with
the support of Boonrawd. As far as
market share is concerned, the foreign
labels hold 41 per cent, while the Thai
companies have 59 per cent.
Acts handled by the new venture
will include the likes of Lady Gaga,
Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Eminem and
the Black Eyed Peas from Universal,
Linkin Park, Katy Perry, Michael Bu-
ble and Charice from Warner Bros
and Usher, John Mayer, Alicia Keys
and Christina Aguilera from Sony.
I think that music only wouldnt
be sufciently strong, so the other
businessesalcohol and consumer
productsshould be interde-
pendent. Its a new design
for a new platform, says
the CEO.
It has great value, says
Bhi rat hon Kasemsri na
Ayuthaya, managing director
of Sony Music, who came up
with the name in agreement
with his and other international
labels head ofces. The brand-
ing inuences what consumers
think of our service.
Does Burapakorn see Music
One as a road map for the
future, given the overall re-
duction in the music busi-
ness today?
Not really. In fact,
gl obal l y the musi c
busi ness i s sti l l
growing but its
in transition
from one plat-
form to anoth-
erfrom physi-
cal to digi tal .
Consumer behaviour has changed as
a result of new technology like high-
speed Internet and 3G. But if the dis-
tributor and owner of the product
can adjust to a new channel, the mu-
sic business can also grow, Burapa-
korn notes.
All things are integrated. Thailand
hasnt yet any website to sell interna-
tional music. iTunes is massively suc-
cessful abroad but Thai people cant
yet download songs from it. Its not
accessible to people in Southeast Asia.
If we create the same platform in
Asia, it will help many more consum-
ers to get more products.
The benets from downloads will
be divided up among the shareholders
with the label whose songs enjoy the
most downloads getting the most in-
come, as the copyright will be paid
directly to the label and the artists.
The structure of income is clearer than
in the past, where downloads fell into
both legal and illegal categories.
We will transfer everything into
Music One. It will be rather like a big
shopping mall that stocks every-
thingThai and international music.
Overall, the responsibility of Music
One is to promote songs, in the same
way as the labels used to push songs,
so that people come to this new chan-
nel. I believe we will get more income
than before because consumers will
know where to get their favourite
songs, says Burapakorn.
And then, theres the
convenience to consum-
ers. The more conveni-
ent the entrance, the
more peopl e wi l l
come. Usually, about
50,000 people per
month visit the
Sony website and
we re expecti ng
300,000 to visit
Music One, says
Sonys MD.
I believe that
this brand will be
bigger and more
powerful, Bhira-
thon adds. Music
One is like iTunes of
Thailand and South-
east Asia.
By Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul
The Nation (Thailand)
v Bangkok
I
n a new attempt to revive Thai-
lands music industry, a group
of local and foreign record la-
bels have joined forces with
Boonrawd Brewery in creating
Music One, a company that will offer
fans a legal platform to download
their favourite songs and provide oth-
er services, like concert promotion.
Taking part in the new venture are
the foreign entertainment giants EMI,
Warner Music, Universal and Sony
Music and the local labels LoveIs,
Spicy Disc and KPN.
Its a global first in the sense that
al l the foreign labels, which are
usually in competition, are entering
into a joint venture, says Burapa-
korn Musikasinthorn, CEO of
One Platform,
Many Labels
MUSIC ONE, A NEW VENTURE BY
THAI AND FOREIGN COMPANIES,
AIMS TO BE LIKE THE ITUNES OF
SOUTHEAST ASIA
32
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
33
v Bali
W
e came up
f r om t he
bottom. We
are trying
to change
things for those that dont have much,
says rapper Oddy Girinda, of band
Black Masker that is working the
roots of hip hop, a movement evolved
on the streets of Americas haves and
have-nots society.
Despite living in Bali, the paradise of
glossy travel magazines, Javanese Oddy
and his band see the poverty behind
the bling of tourism. Black Masker be-
lieves it has a responsibility to raise the
consciousness of Balis youth via hip
hop, rapping out beats of the street in
poetry that calls for better wages, gen-
der equality, freedom of expression
and political transparency.
I sing for my country. I want to
see my country grow up; to change
the system. Thats what we are talking
about in our songs, explains Tyo aka
Big T Black.
Working with Balis hip hop com-
munity made up of rap bands, graf-
fiti artists and break dancers is
US-born Kamau Abayomi, who has
lived in Bali for much of the past
six years. He first met the local hip
hop crew on the beach of Kuta where
he says a group of kids were break-
ing on the sands.
I am here because there is a com-
munity of youth developing and
growing within the arts that I grew
up with. Doing this (hip hop) in
Bali helps me grow spiritually and
as a human being, says 35-year-old
Abayomi who, as an eight-year-old
when hip hop was born, was an
instant devotee of the street music
t hat spoke f or hi s peopl e i n a
dominantly white society.
Abayomi and other artists last
month spoke during a hip hop
fundrai ser at musi c studi o and
club, Serambi Arts, Antida in Den-
pasar. The aim of the gathering
was to raise money for a hip hop
community centre where young
people can further develop their
art forms, examine issues such as
local energy needs, sharing infor-
mation on these through perfor-
mances, work with their commu-
nities to improve lives and also
create empl oyment through hip
hop arts and entrepreneurship.
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival
(UWRF) helped fund the activity as
part of that organisations support for
Indonesian artists, including youth.
We want to bring light to the
issues of the day and another com-
ponent (of the centre) is entrepre-
neurshipstreet entrepreneurship
where we util ise what we have
within ourselves to generate income
and employmentwhere people may
lay down some tracks and say I am
going to take my little CD and sell
it to tourists, explains Abayomi of
the proposed hip hop centre. He
points out hip hop artists, in the
truest sense, dont like having a boss.
Its not about going to someone else
and asking for a jobits Ill make
my own job.
Balis hip hop community is already
expressing the spirit of street entre-
preneurship, making hats and T-shirts
and they have just completed their
rst compilation CD.
And the street is where the core of
rap, grafti, dancethe arts of hip
hopwas forged explains Abayomi,
who well remembers the movement
from the early 1980s, long before the
fat cats of the music industry saw a
dollar or two in the making and be-
fore the gangster rap of guns and
bling was born. It was then about
MUSI C
By Trisha Sertori
The Jakarta Post
knowledge and wisdomthe under-
standing of self.
It was not mainstream. People to-
day know only one genre of hip hop
and that is the one that makes corpo-
rations money. The true essence of
hip hop is 30-plus years old. When it
first started getting popular in the
States it was mostly Blacks and Lati-
nos. It was cool to have knowledge
to be socially aware. That was from
1987 to 1992 and is called the Golden
Age in hip hop, says Abayomi. He
stresses people need to understand
the history of hip hop to ensure the
elements of cultural pride and socially
conscious survival.
Even the gangster rappers of the
time had a political edge (to their mu-
sic). There was a lot of social com-
mentary going on. That social com-
mentary is still there, but it has lost its
focus. In the Golden Age it used to be
this is whats going on and we need
to change it. Now it is this is going
on and you are not cool if you are not
part of it. A selsh element, says
Abayomi of American hip hop in the
second millennia.
Sex, drugs and rock and rol l
sells in any genre. It was seen that
corporations can capitalise on that
(hip hop). The majority of the US
is whiteprior to hip hop it was
rock. Now people can take a trip
to black neighbourhoods through
their audio without ever having to
dodge the bulletsthats where hip
hop has changed over from social
consciousness, says Abayomi who
still finds that root message of hip
hop alive and well in Bali.
The movement is also about fun,
youth, and excitement. There are
rappers who are funny, serious,
having fun or getting information
out there. There was a whole spec-
trum across the hip hop movement,
says Abayomi.
Elements of the hip hop spectrum
were seen one Saturday night as
young people took to the black and
white stage, slicing the air with spins
and turns, ying through night sky in
unbelievable feats of athleticism, oth-
ers rapping the beats and making the
audience laugh at the funny side of
life, get wise with songs on corrup-
tion and groove to the love songs that
are also vibed up in hip hop.
The movement has great appeal
to young Indonesians, says break-
dancer and rapper, 25-year-old Ecko
Satria who was decked out in pork
pie hat, T-shirt, jeans and sports
shoes that allow him to dance like
a street wise Nureyev.
I started dancing seven years ago
because I really liked it. I have al-
ways danced, but there is a passion
that comes from the heart and soul.
There is a freedom in breakdanc-
ing, says Ecko.
This dance of the streets is not
confined to males. Novi at 25 has
been breaking the beats for the past
two years. For me, breaking is the
freedom to express ourselves. In
Bali there are not many breakdanc-
ing girls. In the US there is a lot,
says Novi adding her parents are
supportive of her hip hop lifestyle,
despite their lack of understanding
of the movement.
My parents dont really understand
because the hip hop generation is the
new one, so its hard for them to un-
derstand. My mum now fully under-
stands, but its harder for my dad.
They have seen me break in videos
and they were both really proud of
what I do, says Novi.
Rapper Izzy KMC is the party boy
of the local hip hop scene, his music
designed to lighten a mood. My
songs tonight were about hip hop it-
self and partying over here, but they're
also about the beat and giving young
people a voice. You can do rap and its
a positive thing. Its about coming to-
gether in unity, says Izzy. He adds he
steers clear of politics in his lyrics,
preferring to talk about friendship,
about doing the best by yourself and
everyone else as well.
The act of creating is important to
21-year-old Windy who sings of love
and the strength of spirit. Its also
nice to goyang (groove) to the beat. I
also feel I can have a strong future
with rap. I write songs, maybe that
will take an hour, a day or weeks to
write, says this young woman who
sees hip hop as an important creative
outlet that her parents support.
They dont know hip hop, but
they support me i n thi s, says
Windy who along with the members
of Balis hip hop community are
stayi ng true to the movements
Golden Age here in paradise. P
H
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Y
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.B
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P
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Hip Hop: Keeping It Real
Hip hop in Bali becomes a way of raising the consciousness
of the youth and call for better wages, gender equality, freedom
of expression and political transparency
Breakdancing is an art form that demands strength,
exibility and the ability to y to the beat.
Balis grafti artists pay homage to those who started
the hip-hop movement in the early 1980s in the US.
Breakdancer and rapper Ecko Satrio raps with female rap artist, Windy.
34
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
35
By Yasmin Lee Arpon
Asia News Network
POPLAND
v Taipei
T
he ofce of Taiwanese
production house Comic
Ritz was abuzz with
activities the morning I
came to visit for the third
time. Perhaps typical of the company
that has produced some of Taiwans
best loved TV dramas, some of
which are displayed on a wall that
greets every visitor upon stepping
out of the lift.
But what may not be so typical
was the lao ban (big boss), Angie
Chai, seeing things to herself.
However, her being hands-on may
have ensured the success of a
company that was established just as
Meteor Garden swept Asia by storm 10
years ago.
That is not to say that it has
been rosy all the time for Chai. She
has had her share of failures too,
the most recent being the dismal
ratings of Calling Big Star last year,
which was trumpeted as the debut
of famous Hong Kong singer-actress
Charlene Choi on the local prime-
time idol drama slot.
Chai, however, is candid enough
to admit that perhaps they were not
able to present a story that may
interest the local audience, although
the drama itself was widely watched
by overseas fans on the Internet.
She also noted that perhaps it is
high time that the stories grow up
together with the audience.
Everybody see idol dramas based
on Meteor Garden but that drama is
already 10 years old. So those young
people who watched it who were
then 15 to 25, they have already
grown up and are now 25 to 35 years
old, she noted.
She hastened to add though that it
is not as simple as coming up with
stories geared toward an audience
that has matured because the casting
would be difcult. She explained
that stars who may t such stories
prefer doing movies, instead of
dramas, or working in China where
the opportunities are vast.
If we create a story for a younger
audience, the younger people right
now are more interested in online
games or prefer watching movies
because they think dramas are all the
same way. Right now, young people
are more for visuals like Avatar,
which is 3D already. And they dont
have patience to sit through one
hour of drama. They probably think
that dramas are for old women or
old people to watch.
The ratings for idol dramas cur-
rently airing in Taiwan have been very
disappointing prompting observers to
note that the era of idols is over.
This is when the need for a new
set of idols comes in as Chai believes
that it is high time the Taiwanese
entertainment industry produces
new stars that would recapture the
imagination of the public.
I think this is the best chance for
new idols to come out because its
already 10 years. Although in the
past decade, we still had so many
young actors and actresses but theres
no 20-year-old good-looking young
boy coming out recently. Most of
them, they are more than 25!
I think the audience needs
somebody younger so I think this is
a chance. This year, there should be
a new actress or actor coming out.
Chai is matching her talk with
action and on the day of my visit,
she was in fact auditioning new
actors for a drama that she is
producing. From what I have seen
with the good-looking young people
crowding the Comic Ritz ofce that
day, it may not be far-off to say that
Chai may be on her way to produc-
ing this generations F4.
She describes the new drama as
something fun and not so serious,
because its about young people and
thats what a young audience would
probably like.
Its all about discovering new and
young stars for Chai these days. The
rst movie she has produced, which
is already in post-production, has a
young cast except for Michelle Chen,
one of the Comic Ritz talents. Chen
has appeared in many of Chais
dramas as well as in one of last
years well-liked lms, Hear Me,
where she appeared alongside
established actor-singer Eddie Peng
and actress Ivy Chen.
But in The Apple of My Eyes, Chen,
who is 27, is paired with 20-year-old
newbie Kuo Jeng-dong. The lm is
also the directorial debut of Giddens
Ko, a famous writer.
Chai still displays the outlook that
was instrumental in propelling F4 to
fame 10 years ago, her eye for that
X-factor that would make a star. She
notes, however, that its not just
talent and good looks that would
count. Talent scouts and producers
like her also need to consider such
factors as height and determination.
Aside from the new movie and
drama, Chai has also set up ofces in
Beijing and Seoul. This year, she
intends to be more active in produc-
tion in both China and South Korea.
But unlike before when she brought
together stars from these countries to
act with those from Taiwan, she is
now focusing on localising her
productions to cater to the Chinese
and Korean audiences. This means
that she would be producing an
all-Chinese or all-Korean drama, from
the script to the cast and director.
I think in Asia, everybody wants
to get a bigger market share. Like in
dramas, this is one area that we can
explore and do more things. Even if
the market allows collaborations, I
think the audiences in these coun-
tries would still like to see something
with their own localised content or
characters. Before that, everybody
thought that in order to attract an
international market, they bring in a
Korean actor to Taiwan or bring
together actors from Taiwan, Korea,
Hong Kong or China. But I dont
think that still works.
Chai should know where she
is coming from given her pro-
duction credits. Now, it is up to
the audience to see whether
Taiwans most successful female
impresario can outdo herself and
give Asias pop culture new Jerry
Yans and Vic Zhous.
asianpopdom@gmail.com
SEARCHING
FOR
THE NEXT
IDOL
Ten years after her most successful drama,
Taiwans leading female impresario wants
to discover new stars
IDOL GALLERY: (L-R) 'The Apple of My Eyes' has mostly
new stars; 'Devil Beside You' produced two of today's most
famous Taiwanese idols Mike Ho and Rainie Yang; 'Endless
Love' featured a Korean-style script with likeable actors.
P
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36
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
37
MOVI E
By Mathures Paul
The Statesman
v Mumbai
I
n an industry of formulas,
Indian actress Rani Mukherji
sticks out. Even after several
unwise excursions into
comedyespecially the
humourless Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic
and Dil Bole Hadippa!she is enjoying
a fair share of the spotlight in an
industry where heroes are allowed to
age but actresses are left to rummage
through trunks lled with memories
after as few as ve movies.
Though Saawariya got her a
supporting actress nomination,
viewers are required to throw their
mind to the 2006 Bollywood mush
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Black
(2004) to recall a decent effort from
her. Yet, you never see her anking
Bollywoods new stick-thin stars in
Versace for publicity. Apart from a
few appearances on her friend
Karan Johars popular television
chat-gossip show, Koffee With Karan,
Mukherji is content making one lm
every other year.
Like Kajol, she is regarded not just
a talented woman in the Hindi lm
industry, but one of the most
distinguished. And thats not
something very easy to achieve in
tinsel town.
It didnt come as a surprise when
the 32-year-old was chosen to essay
the part of a journalist in director
Rajkumar Guptas much-anticipated
No One Killed Jessica which is inspired
by a story that media not only
focussed on for almost 11 years but
also forced the judiciary to sit up
and get its act right. The murder of
aspiring model Jessica Lal at an A-list
party in 1999 made headlines because
the person accusedManu Sharma
was the son of a wealthy politician
(Venod Sharma).
Socialite Bina Ramanis Tamarind
Court restaurant was the scene and
serving drinks (without the restau-
rant being granted a liquor license)
were several models and friends of
Ramani, including Lal, Ramanis
daughter Malini and actor Shayan
Munshi. Her mistake was refusing
Manu Sharma a drink. Two bullets
were redone hit the ceiling and
the other took her life. Sharma
obviously ed and took shelter with
his high-prole friends. After
absconding for days, he surrendered
before the police and the case came
up for hearing. The initial trial and
Shayan Munshis two-gun theory
ended in Sharmas acquittal. Public
outcry and pressure from the media
led to an appeal. The Delhi High
Court sentenced Sharma to life in
prison and subsequently the Su-
preme Court upheld the judgment
on April 19, 2010.
This incident, undoubtedly, has
all the elements of a Bollywood
lm. It was only a matter of time
before a leading Bollywood director
decided to pick up the story.
Rajkumar Gupta, who enjoyed great
success with Aamir, couldnt have
had chosen a better cast than Rani
Mukherji and the beautiful Vidya
Balan. This is among those few
Bollywood movies that relies on
two women to deliver a hit.
Mukherjis roleMeerarepresents
the media and is not actually a
character directly involved with the
case. Balan plays Sabrina, Lals sister
who was a catalyst in making the
media take up the cause of Lal after
a lower court had acquitted Sharma.
I dont think you would be
convinced about Meera until you
see the movie. Yes, so far journalists
have been given a clichd look in
Bollywood. Meera is inspired by six
or seven actual journalists. Weve
tried to do away with all clichs.
Meera is a character women will be
proud of... More than anything, the
movie showcases medias power,
says Mukherji.
The actress says she is always
proud of cinema that makes state-
ments. Thats what has made me
stay on. Im proud to be part of a
lm that makes people think... at
least make people sit up.
Unlike most Bollywood projects
that are shot in studios, this one
makes extensive use of outdoor
locations. Shooting for me is like
wearing soldiers clothes. Soldiers are
required to work under extreme
climatic conditions. They dont
question... Meera is a dynamic
character. I had to be convinced to
play Meera. I didnt have a reference
point to fall back on.
Like most Indians, Mukherji has
followed Lals case. We were all
there in spirit. I was proud when
justice was delivered. Jessicas case
highlights all thats good about living
in a democratic set up.
Though she doesnt share too
many scenes with Vidya Balan in
the movie, the two enjoyed their
time on the sets. She always
broke into giggles. Vidya is a
positive actress and expresses
herself easily. Ive always admired
her, rounds off Rani Mukherji.
Drinks, Guns
& Justice
NO ONE KILLED JESSICA
HAS ALL THE ELEMENTS OF
A BOLLYWOOD MOVIE
Vidya Balan and Rani
Mukherji in a scene
from the movie No
One Killed Jessica.
Rani Mukherji says
shes always proud
of a movie that
makes statements.
The real Jessica Lal
P
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38
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
39
v Jakarta
T
he biggest national scan-
dal of 2010 brought Indo-
nesian entertainer Luna
Mayas world crashing
down. The troubles not
over yet, but the experience has
taught her a thing or two.
Luna Mayas reversal of fortune fol-
lowing the celebrity sex video scan-
dal in the middle of last year was
swift and merciless. Literally, over-
night, she lost advertising endorse-
ments, TV appearances and, not
least, her good reputation, all due to
grainy footage purportedly showing
her with boyfriend Nazril Irham, bet-
ter known as Ariel Peterpan.
Before the scandal broke, Luna
seemed to be everywhere as a
sought-after advertising spokes-
woman and the host of Dahsyat, one
of the most popular weekday morn-
ing pop music TV showsand re-
portedly one of entertainments
highest paid performers. Since
Junes frenzy of publicity, she has
been conspicuously absent from the
airwaves, save for the occasional in-
fotainment update on her visits to
Ariel, now in police custody.
The 27-year-old denies she was
laid low by depression or lying low
out of fear.
I havent been anywhere, Ive
been here at home in Jakarta and
Bali, says Luna, who grew up on
the resort island, the daughter of an
Indonesian father and Austrian
mother. Some parties didnt renew
my contracts or severed them, so
that may have given that impres-
sion. But I was still around.
Gradually, though, she is return-
ing to the entertainment scene.
There is her new single, Tak Bisa
Bersamamu (Cant Be With You),
seemingly a poignant testimonial
to her relationship with Ariel to-
day. And she was on the cover of
womens lifestyle magazine Clara
in November.
On a cloudy Islamic New Years
Day, she was back making a TV se-
ries at a golf course in East Jakarta. It
may seem a risk for the production
house to bank on using this now tar-
nished star to draw viewers, espe-
cially among a judgmental public not
likely to quickly forgive or forget.
In person, she still draws atten-
tionfor whatever reason. After
slipping through the club lobby al-
most unnoticed in dark glasses and
leggings to the hair and makeup
room, she emerges an hour later in
heels, blouse and pencil skirt, an un-
deniably pretty young woman.
The clubs cook gestures to get
her attention as she walks by. A
portly middle-aged man, sitting
contentedly with his posse in a
corner, requests a photo with her.
A bit later, Luna says politely as
she moves on.
Dont bring me down
On one level, Luna understands
the public fascination with the
sex videosand their glee in see-
ing celebrities cut down to size.
The fascination was heightened
by the involvement of Ariel and
herself, the countrys favourite
on-again-off-again celebrity cou-
ple of recent years.
I think that people like to see
those who are successful suffer a
bit, she says, without any bitter-
ness. They want to nd their weak
point. Its not just for me, they also
like to see it with a president. I just
think that if there is someone who is
trying to bring me down, I dont
want to be beaten by them.
The only one who can bring me
down is myself. Im not being con-
ceited here, but I dont want an in-
justice to destroy me.
The furor quickly went interna-
tional; the Hufngton Post noted it
was Indonesias rst real celebrity
sex video scandal (ignoring assort-
ed bedroom frolics between politi-
cians and small-time singers, all be-
fore the Pornography Law took
effect). None other than US teen
superstar Justin Bieber was prompt-
ed to comment on the cheekily
dubbed peterporn trending topic
on Twitter, as did Japanese porn
star Miyabi, who has a large follow-
ing in Indonesia.
For Luna, one of the toughest les-
sons was learning who her fair-
weather friends were.
I was shocked at how people can
change in one day. When we are on
top, they are so good to us, but as
soon as we have a problem they
arent there for us or they bad-
mouth us incessantly, she says.
Of course, the ip side was that
she also learned who she could re-
ally count on.
All my best friends and family
have been amazing, says Luna,
whose father is deceased. Of
course, Ariel has been my strength
from the beginning, even now when
PEOPLE
By Bruce Emond
The Jakarta Post
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he is facing a more difficult time
and is in prison. My mother, too, but
she is bule (foreigner) so sometimes
she doesnt understand the way we
think as Indonesians, the conserva-
tiveness, how we tend to bring reli-
gion into matters, while for foreign-
ers religion is a very private matter.
Taking a stand
Luna says that standing up for
what she believes is right has helped
her cope with the fallout. In an ex-
clusive TV interview given by the
couple at the outset of the scandal
in June, Luna had declared: Were
the victims here.
Its a position she steadfastly
maintains, and the details of how
the videos came to be distributed
remain murky and shrouded in ru-
mour (Luna has publicly apologised
for causing unease among the In-
donesian public due to the video,
although she has never stated
whether it is her in the lm).
She still considers herself a born-
and-bred Indonesian, someone who
attended state schools and started
her modelling career the old-fash-
ioned Indonesian way as a teen cov-
er model. But critics could accuse
her of being disingenuous in ap-
pearing not to understand the con-
sequences of her actions in this col-
lective society, whether caused by
an emotionally charged tweet or a
failure to realise that what goes on
behind closed doors can eventually
become public property.
Yet while Luna may pride her-
self on being true to her beliefs,
she does acknowledge that recent
event s have t aught her to be
more circumspect in what she
says and does.
She says she has learned that art
from Ariel, who rarely makes public
comments and only opens up about
his feelings in his hit songs.
He is very careful about what he
does, hes a thinker, while Im some-
one who says straight out, I dont
like this, she says. We kind of bal-
ance each other.
She reflects on the aims of her
critics, of the people who have
burned images of her and Ariel,
called for the singer to be execut-
ed and blamed the distribution of
the sex videos for several rape and
mol est at i on cases by mi nors
against minors.
It makes me sad, she says.
Were no different; we come into
this world naked and well leave it
the same, in a funeral shroud. Why
dont we embrace those who have
done wrong, or help them on the
right path? I am Muslim, and the re-
ligion I know and studied is full of
love. It doesnt teach us to shout on
the street and pass judgment on
others. Im sad that in my own coun-
try I cannot feel secure.
But she also says she does not
hold a grudge against those who
have condemned her.
There is no point in being venge-
ful. It just hurts you because how
you feel about them reflects who
you really are. That hatred will just
eat away at your soul and end up
killing you.
Happy days
Much good has come from all
the drama and pain of the past
few months, Luna says, as she
was forced to relax for the first
time in years.
Ive learned how to deal better
with people, but most of all Im
much happier today. I can appreci-
ate life more. Before, I only thought
about work, work, work. Now I
spend time with my family in Bali,
and Im also focusing on my busi-
ness, which I hadnt really had time
for recently.
She does not care if people say
she will have to start from the bot-
tom again in the entertainment in-
dustryI dont mind doing that,
let people say what they want. She
adds that Ariel had considered go-
ing to the UK, where he had re-
ceived a scholarship to study music.
I thought Id go along with
him. There are a lot of things I
could do, even working in a res-
taurant would be fun.
The couples marriage plans
have been deferred until all the
legal issues are resolved. For now,
Luna says that she simply wants
to be happy in her life. If she
hopes for anything, its a better,
more tolerant Indonesia.
What if she could go back in time
and miraculously change things?
No, why should I? she says with
a smile. (Id change) nothing at all.
Because I believe that Im now
richer than other people. Not ma-
terially, and I know there will be
many people who think, oh, she
doesnt have any jobs now. But in
my spirituality and experiences,
there are not many people who have
gone through what I have.
She pauses for a moment. Con-
sider that I have passed the test.
Luna Maya Speaks
The Indonesian celebrity embroiled
in a sex video scandal says she
wouldnt change a thing
40
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
41
PEOPLE
By The Kathmandu Post
v Manila
A
pl.de.Ap was home to the
Philippines for the holi-
days and hes playing
Santa Claus to people
close to his heart: poor
children.
The 36-year-old Filipino-Ameri-
can rapper and record producer,
known worldwide as one-fourth of
the chart-topping hip hop group
Black Eyed Peas (BEP), did a series
of charity performances in the Phil-
ippine before Christmas.
To set the ball rolling for the
chari ty proj ect , apl took out
US$25,000 from his bank account
as a personal donation. This would
be added to the proceeds from the
club gigs, and distributed to the
Pearl S. Buck Foundation, Rotary
Club of Rizal West and Philippine
General Hospital (PGH).
The money will be used for school
supplies and tuition in the founda-
tion, Rotarys feeding programme,
and medicine for young cancer pa-
tients in PGH.
Its important for me to give
back. I m in a position to help
other people, said apl, the moniker
taken from his real name, Allan
Pineda Lindo Jr.
The Pearl S. Buck Foundation sent
apl to the United States when he was
11 years old for treatment of nystag-
mus, an involuntary movement of
the eyes, and again three years later
after he decided to live with his
adoptive father, Joe Ben Hudgens.
Apl was born at Sapang Bato in
Angeles, Pampanga, to a Filipino
mother, Cristina, and an African-
American father who was a US air-
man then stationed at Clark Air Base.
His dad abandoned the family
shortly after his birth.
He experienced hard times grow-
ing up, but he also cherished that pe-
riod, which would later on inspire
him to write The Apl Song with BEP.
Success, he pointed out, did not
happen overnight. We worked hard
at it. While we were trying to get
signed (to a record label), I did odd
jobs, like in construction... I also
worked in a movie theatre where I
used to mix cheese for the nachos,
aside from being a cashier, apl re-
called with a laugh.
Meeting will.i.am (William James
Adams, Jr.)BEPs chief songwriter
and producerwas a fortuitous mo-
ment. He was the rst person I met
when I arrived in the US. I remem-
ber our rst conversation, he asked
me, Youre from the Philippines,
what do you guys do there? I told
him I like to breakdance and he went,
Oh, you breakdance?
Turned out that the two shared the
same interests: breakdancing and
rap music. Since then we became
best friends. Will came from a ghetto
in East LA. We had the same motiva-
tion and nothing could stop us from
pursuing our dreams. We just kept
going. Thank God we made it, apl
recounted.
He turned pensive when the In-
quirer asked how he has taken the
death of his youngest half-brother,
Joven Pineda Deala, in February last
year. Police authorities said Deala
was murdered in Porac, Pampanga.
I always say a prayer for him, apl
said, pausing for a few moments, on
the verge of tears. I always have him
in my heart... I wish he was here to
enjoy this success with me... I think
about him a lot. Im taking care of his
daughter. Shes like mine now.
Apl said he treated all his siblings
like best friends every time he was
home in Pampanga. He has also been
able to provide for a sisters educa-
tion. Shes now a registered nurse,
he beamed.
Apl is all praises for his mother,
whom he called on stage to dance
when BEP performed at the Aran-
eta Coliseum in Quezon City a few
years ago. My mom now has her
own job. Shes a smart woman, but
whatever help she needs from me,
Im always ready.
Before flying home in December,
apl had asked her to look for a
building, because I want to put
laptops in there and hire three
teachers and it will be like an apl.
de.ap centre where kids could go
and learn about computers.
Apl said he brought 20 laptops
with him on the plane and these
would soon be available for kids
near the family residence in Pam-
panga province.
Asked what are the things he cant
do now that hes a celebrity, apl
smiled and insisted that success had
not spoiled him. I still do the same
things I used to do. I like to go mall-
ing... I dont know if I can do that
here, it might get a little crazy. But
nothings changed, I still eat with
my hands.
By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Good Apl
v Kathmandu
F
rom humble beginnings,
Anuradha Koirala has
turned her own small ef-
forts to help women suf-
fering from domestic
abuse within Kathmandu into an
internationally recognised organi-
sation to rescue women and chil-
dren from the chains of modern-
day sexual slavery and trafcking.
After two months of voting and
hundreds of grassroots campaigns
in support of Koiralas nomination
for CNNs Hero of the Year Award,
she walked away with the grand
prize last year. Chosen as one
of 10 nalists from an initial
pool of over 10,000 nomina-
tions from over 100 different
countries, Koiralas efforts
which have amounted to
helping over 12,000 women
and girls since the organisa-
tions inception in 1993
have proven to be an in-
spi rati on for peopl e
across the globe.
Amidst months of in-
ternational attention for
the nati on s pol i ti cal
follies, Koiralas award
comes as a source of
pride for the nation and
a reminder of the power
and st rengt h of one
persons will and com-
mitment. And consider-
ing the current state of the human
trafficking industry in Nepal, for
those working in the field, their
will must be strong.
The US State Department esti-
mates that between 10,000 to 15,000
women and girls from Nepal are
trafcked to India and sexually ex-
ploited each year. And reports from
law enforcement ofcials that hu-
man trafficking is increasingly
dominated by organised crime syn-
dicates showcase the hurdles facing
those working to combat modern-
day slavery.
Despite bolstered laws to prose-
cute those involved in trafcking
activities, there still remains com-
plicity among government offi-
cials with trafckers often capi-
talising on ties to politicians,
business persons, government
and border ofcials, and police
to facilitate their activities.
Koi ral a s contri buti ons,
which range from setting up
schools for victims of traf-
ficking and their children
and homes for those who
escaped enslavement to
participating in raids on In-
dian brothels, only touch the
surface of the probl em.
Though her efforts at Maiti
Nepal along with several oth-
er NGOs have provided a
large number of girls a place
to rehabilitate and reinte-
grate with society after being traf-
cked, there is more that needs to
be done on the ofcial end to pro-
tect potential trafcking targets and
prevent their exploitation.
Everyone is well aware of the
links of dance bars and cabin res-
taurants to prostitution and human
traff icking. Though there have
been arbitrary raids on these com-
mercial sex institutions, officials
often disregard potential victims,
simply raiding the institutions and
releasing the women and children
back to the dangerous environment
without any attempt to identify
potential victims.
And currently, though the govern-
ment has funnelled some funds into
NGO-run shelters, all facilities
available to assist victimsfrom le-
gal aid to counsellingof trafck-
ing are run by NGOs, creating a dis-
tance between the government and
its accountability to the problem.
Koiralas example of seless com-
mitment to helping others and bat-
tling the social evils plaguing the
nation should serve as a lesson to us
all. The issue of human and sex traf-
cking are truly universal, with no
country immune to its effects. If any
progress is to be made towards Ko-
rialas lofty goal of eradicating sex
trafficking, there has to be more
commitment from all partiesmore
than from a handful of courageous
individuals.
P
H
O
T
O
B
Y
B
I
K
A
S
R
A
U
N
I
A
R
/
T
H
E
K
A
T
H
M
A
N
D
U
P
O
S
T
A Real Hero
Black Eyed Peas Apl.de.
Ap is always coming back
home to give back
2010 CNN Hero
Anuradha Koirala
is a reminder of
the power and
strength of one
persons will and
commitment
42
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
43
SPORTS F OOT BAL L
By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
v Manila
T
hanks to a hardy
bunch of players
from different parts
of the world collec-
tively known as the
Azkals, and a visionary who
got them all together, the
beautiful game is relevant
again in the Philippines.
In a result that stunned the
football world and created
quite a stir in the Philippines,
the Azkals upset 2008 cham-
pion Viet Nam, 2-0, in the
2010 AFF Suzuki Cup before
40,000 fans at the My Dinh
Stadium in Ha Noi last year.
There was a portent of
things to come three days be-
fore the upset.
Battle-weary and given lit-
tle chance because of Singa-
pores pedigree, the Azkals
defended like their lives de-
pended on the game and held
the Singaporeans to a single
goal in the first 93 minutes,
before Chris Greatwich, who
was called up just a few days
before the tournament, sal-
vaged the draw with a dra-
matic late strike.
It was the latest in some of
the last-gasp heroics by the
Azkals, who had battled to
sal vage draws i n games
against Laos, 2-2, in the qual-
ifying tournament in Viet
Nam and Chinese-Taipei, 1-1,
in Taiwan.
The one thing good about
this team is its never-say-die
attitude, said team manager
Dan Palami, credited as the
man behind the teams suc-
cess. They just embody the
Filipino spirit.
The Azkals made the semi-
nals for the rst time with a
draw against Burma in their
last group match and re-
turned home as heroes.
Their exploits also put to
light the problems plaguing
the sport.
In November, the Philip-
pine Football Federation
Congress removed Jose Mari
Martinez due to alleged cor-
v Manila
W
eve got a bit of good news or a bless-
ing to remember 2010 by in the Phil-
ippines.
That is the Azkals semi-finals appearance
at the Asean Football Federation held in Viet
Nam and Laos recently. Awe-inspiring as box-
ing icon Manny Pacquiaos conquest of Antonio
Margarito was, the Azkals feat was even more
so. The Azkals triumphed over huger adversity,
the odds of them doing what they did being
next to none. Pacquiao might have been the
David in his David-and-Goliath fight against
Margarito but he wasnt the underdog, he was
the favourite. To say that the Azkals were the
underdog in the Suzuki Cup is to say that a
henpecked husband is the underdog in an argu-
ment between him and his wife.
To this day, despite their feat, the Azkals are
ghting epic adversity. That is in the form of the
public little knowing, or caring, about their deed.
What a brilliant nameAzkals. Thats short for
asong kalye, or mongrel, or quite literally street
dog, the kind that goes around without papers,
scavenging in garbage cans or living off the
scraps of food thrown by the wayside. If they
happen to rove up north, they would be an en-
dangered species, occupying as they do a place
in the food chain.
Which Filipino football teams have been pretty
much in Asian competitions, pulutan (hors
doeuvres) for the other teams, eaten up alive, or
half-cooked, by the opposition. They are the
mongrels among the pedigreed.
But, well, Filipinos have a talent for turning
adversity into triumph. That was what they did
with the Barong Tagalog, which began as an im-
position by the conquering Americans, a demand
for the indios to wear transparent clothing so
that they could not hide knives and bolos under-
neath. Originally a badge of shame, we turned it
by dint of artistry and deance, the one often
indistinguishable from the other, into a symbol of
pride. Its a thing we now wear with head
held high in the councils of the world.
So have the Azkals turned the mon-
grel into a toast of the world. Taken light-
ly by the other teams, having been their
favourite whipping boy over the past years, the
Azkals did the unthinkable. That was to fight
their way to the semi-nals.
Maybe weve come to a time when the mon-
grels will inherit the earth.
ruption, falsication of public
documents and failure to re-
turn funds from the federa-
tions coffers.
Martinezs removal and the
election of Mariano Araneta
were later upheld by the In-
ternational Football Federa-
tion (Fifa). Martinez is still
ghting the decision.
The Azkals also slammed
Martinez for his lack of sup-
port to their campaigns.
The Azkals magical run,
however, ended in Jakarta a
week later on December 19.
Playing with a handicap af-
ter its home match was
staged in Jakarta for lack of a
suitable venue in the country,
the Azkals lost 2-nil on aggre-
gate to the Indonesians, who
were buoyed by two goals
from Uruguayan-born striker
Cristian Gonzales.
Defeat hardly put a dent on
the teams morale.
We lost the battle but we
earned a lot of respect from
other teams, said Palami.
As far as Palami and coach
Simon McMenemy are con-
cerned, there is no reason for
the Philippines to be disap-
pointed after the loss.
(The Filipino players) will
be disappointed but if they
think about their journey to
get here, I am sure they will
feel proud, said McMenemy.
He added that he was
proud of the Philippine team,
which overachieved in the
tournament.
I couldnt ask anything
more from them, said Mc-
Menemy. They created
chances against the run of
play, we pushed the men
forward, we changed our
shape a little but it didnt
work out at the end.
The boys are gutted as
they would be after losing a
semifinal, but to get to
where theyve got is an
achievement, added the Fili-
pinos British coach.
He said the team still needs
more talent to come in to be
able to contend again.
When we were looking for
that extra push, I felt we fell
short, he said.
I think that football fans
genuinely appreciate hard
work and thats what we do.
Theres no amazing tactic to
how we play; we just grind
it out, we get in there and
make i t di ffi cul t f or the
other team, and we work as
hard as we can.
I think that any football
fan around the world can ap-
preciate that.
This year, the team will
see action in three major
tournaments including the
qualifying tournament for
the 2014 World Cup in Bra-
zil which the country is join-
ing for the first time in more
than a decade.
The Azkals resume their
campaign in February when
they clash with Mongolia in a
home-and-away tie in the
Asian Football Confederation
Challenge Cup qualier.
Also lined up is the quali-
fyi ng event for the 2014
World Cup and the South-
east Asian Games in Decem-
ber in Indonesia.
The Underdogs
THE PHILIPPINE
FOOTBALL TEAM,
KNOWN AS THE
AZKALS, HAS A
NEVER-SAY-DIE
ATTITUDE THAT
EMBODIES THE
FILIPINO SPIRIT
By Conrado de Quiros
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Mongrels
P
H
O
T
O
S
B
Y
A
F
P
TUSSLE: Indonesias
Muhammad Ridwan (R) vies for
a ball with the Philippines
James Joseph during the rst of
the two-round semi-nal games
of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010
football in Jakarta in December
2010. Indonesia won 1-0.
SURPRISE VICTORY: Filipino football players celebrate after equalising against Singapore during
the AFF Suzuki Cup group B football match in Ha Noi in December. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
44
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
45
TRAVEL BITES
By Jofelle P. Tesorio
Asia News Network
v Bangkok
T
hese days airportsthe
so-called 'gloried bus
stations'are not just
mere structures to land
airplanes. Travellers now
prefer airports that offer more than
duty free shops and restaurants.
They want more convenience and
fun while waiting for their connect-
ing ights or in case they get stuck
in the airport. The Iceland volcanic
eruption and the inclement weather
in Europe that caused ight cancella-
tions and delays proved that there is
a need for more enjoyable airports.
I am writing this piece on enjoy-
able airports while on board a ight
from Manila to Bangkok. On the
contrary, the airport I came from is
neither enjoyable nor comfortable.
Not to give a bad name to the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport 3 (Naia
3) in Manila but the long lines at the
check-in counters, immigration and
customs clearance just make an
enjoyable vacation a hell. Interna-
tional airports in the Philippines are
notorious for making passengers
suffer. It would take at least two
hours for a passenger to reach the
pre-departure area because of
unnecessary bureaucratic red tapes
(i.e. queuing to pay airport tax and
travel taxes on different booths).
Airport personnel are also notori-
ously slow and brash when treating
passengers. They also act like theyre
lords of the airports as if you owe it
to them when you travel. It is
denitely a bad idea to get stuck in
any of the Philippines international
airports. It is a pity because the
countrys tourist destinations are
among the best in world. I believe
the Philippine government has to
seriously overhaul its system and
train airport personnel (that includes
immigration and customs ofcers) to
be more customer-oriented if it
wants to present itself as a tourist-
friendly country.
So if you mention the word
airport, theres always a negative
connotation. It is also synonymous
to boring. Whatever patience you
have left, it will surely run out after
spending some time at the airport.
But theres an increasing number of
airports in the world that adhere to
the idea of an enjoyable place to be
such as the Schiphol Airport in the
Netherlands. It has a small version of
Rijksmuseum which features master
pieces of Rembrandt and other
Dutch masters. If you happen to
miss the main museum in down-
town Amsterdam, this one at the
airport is a steal and entrance is free.
In the United States, some airports
have performers as part of the arts at
the airports programme. Nashville
International Airport has local bands
and musicians performing at arrival
gates, baggage carousels and bars.
Philadelphia International Airport has
a Passenger Chillin Zone, fully
outtted with plush sofas and chairs
with musical performances. Miami
International Airport (MIA) has
themed parties every weekend of
summer. Los Angeles International
Airport (LAX) has telescopes to
observe arriving and departing ights.
In Asia, theres quite a number of
airports that go beyond the usual.
South Koreas Incheon Airport,
which is consistently voted as one of
the best airports in the world, has a
golf course, spa, private sleeping
rooms, a casino, indoor gardens and
a Museum of Korean Culture.
The Kuala Lumpur International
Airport (KLIA) has a tropical
rainforest where travellers can
appreciate nature. Malaysian culture
is regularly showcased with perfor-
mances and displays celebrating
Merdeka (independence) Day, Hari
Raya and Chinese New Year. If you
have kids in tow, on the level 5 of
the main terminal building there are
huge colourful slides, climbing
frames, karts, games and other fun
activities.
Singapores Changi Airport has
pocket gardens with different
varieties of owers, including rare
species of orchids. On Terminal 3,
you will nd a ve-storey high
vertical garden called the Green Wall,
which spans 300m across the main
building. The Green Wall is covered
with 25 species of climbing plants
and is interspersed with four
cascading waterfalls. Aside from free
Internet service on many kiosks,
Changi airport is known for its
massage chairs and an open air
swimming pool with bars. If these
are not enough, it also has a free
movie cinema with a big screen and
cinema-style seats. Kids wont get
bored because it also has a Science
museum and occasional performanc-
es of magicians and jugglers.
Hong Kongs Chek Lap Kok
Airport, which is 80 per cent
naturally lighted through its ceiling,
is often cited as one of the most
fascinating airports in the world
because of the Star Trek feeling
whenever youre inside. Admiring its
architecture is enjoyable enough.
Japans Haneda airport has actual
aircraft ight simulators for anyone
to try. The new terminal also boasts
of the Sky Garden, a theatre, a
Tokyo Pop Town and an Edo-era
themed area.
Tokyo Pop Town consists of two
areas: Cool Zone and a Hot Zone.
The Cool Zone offer goods from
NHK and Studio Ghibli which sells
character goods, a Japan culture
store, a fashion store, a planetarium-
inspired cafe, and a science toy
shop. The Hot Zone has a mini-
theme park and cafe showcasing the
loveable Hello Kitty.
The next time you land in an
airport, check whether this has met
an enjoyable airport standard.
Airports should make travelling more
fun and let travellers appreciate local
culture. If I get stuck in an airport, I
dont mind watching a jazz band or a
group of artists perform the whole
day. Airports should not force people
buy expensive duty-free items but
they should be given other options
on how to spend their extra dollars.
I dont mind paying extra to watch a
good performance, rather than be
stuck in a cold chair, staring at other
bored passengers.
travelbites.asia@gmail.com
Enjoyable
Airports
PUTTING ON THE RITZ ON ONCE
'GLORIFIED BUS STATIONS'
Haneda Airport
Changi Airport
Chek Lap Kok Airport
EXPLORE
46 47
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
T HAI L AND
By Phoowadon Duangmee
The Nation (Thailand)
v Kamphaeng Phet
I
n the poster, Mokoju Peak
looks irresistible: a dome of
bald rock carpeted by a orid
treeless meadow, overlooking a
bottomless valley. The peak
thrusts high into the blue Kamphaeng
Phet sky rather like a giant mother
hen guarding her chicks. The ridge-
lines that arch from the peak lead
your eyes to a panoramic wall of
mountains. At 1,964 metres, Mokoju
is one of Thailands highest peaks
and it guards Huai Kha Khaeng
Wildlife Sanctuary the countrys
last biological frontier.
Mokoju earns its name from the
Karen tribe. It means it looks like
its going to rain. You often see the
mountain crowned by columns of
cloud, says Yong, a 40-something
hilltribe man who is the leader of
our porters. Up there, on the top of
Mokoju Peak, youre above the forest
and even the cloud. The canopy
looks like broccoli.
Mokoju Peak, thanks to its pano-
ramic beauty, draws the hikers eye.
The ve-day Mokoju trail trek, up
and down, takes you over 60 kilo-
metres of uncountable bottomlands,
steep ridgelines and challenging sum-
mits, ending at the Mokoju Base
Camp, 1,890m above sea level.
Our rst 24 hours on the Mokoju
Trail lead us10 seasoned trekkers
up the high, rugged terrain of Mae
Wong National Park and through the
rst summit, mor kheetaek, literally
shitty summit. The mountain
earned its nasty name from those
with untrained legs, and Bang, our
unofcial team leader, soon realises
why. Halfway up, Bang sheds his US
Army jacket. Before the rst break,
hes also given up his camera back-
pack and military boots.
The second day sees us hiking
along a dirt trail that twists through
the bamboo forest. We see spiders,
eye-catching mushrooms, leeches
and other blood-sucking insects.
Once in a while, we spot piles of
ani mal dung. Ameri can cl assi c
hiking trails might be marked by
posts and signs, but here in the
evergreen f orest of Mae Wong
National Park our trail is certified
by elephants, tigers and gaur.
We share the trails with the wild-
life, notes Withawat, the forest rang-
er, pressing his hiking shoe into a pile
of dried dung, which he says was
dropped by a wild cat or tiger. From
November to February, the hiking
season, we own the trail. The rest of
the year belongs to them.
On the second night, we pitch our
tents beside a stream. Yong and his
team make a replace from three piec-
es of stone and we whip up fried sau-
sages and canned sardines. Yong goes
downstream, and returns with a
handful of young fern. The choices
are deep-fried or stir-fried. It tastes a
bit better, I observe, than licking your
hiking pole. When its time for a
snack, we press sour pieces of wild
fruit in tribal seasoning (monosodi-
um glutamate, actually) and wash it
down with a gulp of Smirnoffa true
Russian elixir!
We share the night with a collec-
tion of Mokoju oddballs, Yongs cook-
ing (of course) and laughter over sto-
ries of a snoring tiger and my falling
out of the hammock while asleep the
previous night.
The third day brings us each face to
face with the discomfort demons.
Mokoju Trail, with all its challenges,
stretches out nine kilometres along a
steep ridgeline thats used in the rainy
season by herds of gaur. The gaur
have no problem jumping the gruel-
ling, steep path, but were different.
One foot in front of the other,
we begin the hike walking in a
smal l group, but soon we f i nd
ourselves spread out along the trail,
each man and woman alone with
their thoughts. Legs burn, knees
protest, and soft feet chafe and
blister. Backpacks are still loaded
with camera gear and water, as
well as extras yet to be jettisoned.
I have an idea, puffs Lek, a free-
lance photographer, as we lean against
a rock. Perhaps, I should bury one or
two camera lenses somewhere here.
Good idea, I say, adjusting my
North Face backpack to relieve the
heavy load. The 70-200mm zoom is
the rst to go.
Billed as the countrys most difcult
trail, Mokoju has no place for the
tourist. Many hikers are lured by the
mountain beauty but are unable nish
the trail. While their hiking compan-
ions go ahead, they are left behind
with a porter at the campsite.
Some hikers can make it to the
top, but cant come down, says
Pa, one of the porters. They hang
in there like a poor cat stuck in a
tree. We have to take turns carry-
ing them down.
Though exhausted, we decide at
the end of the third day to make one
nal push up the last of the steep
summits. This is, perhaps, the most
magical ascent of our
journey. The ridge to
Mokoju Peak is bald,
covered with patches
of green meadow,
but the reward is a
360-degree view of
the valleys below.
The mountains are
green on one side
and dark on the oth-
er and in between
them is the orange
sun di sappeari ng
into the horizon.
We drop our packs
and sit still, trying to make the most
out of this dramatic panoramic view.
Down in the valley, the forest cano-
pies look exactly, as Yong said, like
giant broccoli heads.
IF YOU GO
The Mokoju Trail is open for
hiking from October to February.
Call Mae Wong National Park,
Kamphaeng Phet province, for
permission and porter arrange-
ment at (+6655) 766 436 or
e-mail mokoju@hotmail.com. A
ve-day hike for a group of ve
costs 7,000 baht (US$230);
porters are available for 300
baht per person per day.
On Top
Of The World
The view from Thailands
Mokoju Peak in Mae
Wong National Park is
stunning, but the trail is
not for the untrained
trekker
48
January 14-27, 2011 January 14-27, 2011
49
VI E T NAM EXPLORE
By Chusri Ngamprasert
The Nation (Thailand)
v Hue
A
n empty can rolls on the
bus oor and my young
travel companion quickly
reaches down and tucks
it in the seat rack.
How far is it to the next stop? he
asks.
About an hour. Are you hungry?
Tan, our Vietnamese guide, replies
looking at his watch.
The young man shakes his head
and walks towards the guide and the
driver. Once the bus stops at the
roadside, he heads to the nearest
bushes to relieve himself. At least
three more guys follow him.
Being a man is very convenient
when youre on a road trip.
Crossing the Thailand-Laos Friend-
ship Bridge over the mekong River
from the northeastern province of
Mukdahan, we are now heading to
Viet Nam through Laos via Route 9.
The road is straight but bumpy, the
ruts caused by the container trucks
travelling to the Sepon
Gold and Copper Mine
in Savannakhet. Our
journey is slow, not be-
cause of speed cameras
but because of the live-
stock that wanders across
the highway.
Route 9 is part of the
Ho Chi Minh Trail, a
complex maze of truck
routes and small paths
running through Laos,
Viet Nam and Cambodia.
It had existed for centu-
ries and 40 years ago was
used to provide man-
power and material to
the Viet Cong.
In the old days, an
overland trip from Thai-
land to Viet Nam took at
least two days. Now the
bus leaves Mukdahan in
the morning and reaches
the old capital of Hue in
late evening,
The next morning we
visit the Thien Mu Pa-
goda, which has its roots
in a local legend. An old
lady apparently appeared
on the hill and said that
a great leader would
build a pagoda at this site to bring
prosperity to the country. When Lord
Nguyen Hoang heard of the story, he
ordered the construction of the pago-
da in 1601 and named it Chua Thien
Mu, Heavenly Lady Pagoda.
The octagonal Phuoc Dien Tower
has seven stories, each dedicated to a
different Buddha, overlooks the Per-
fume River. The huge marble tor-
toise here is very famous. It is be-
lieved that if you wish for good health
and longevity, you should rub its
head but if you wish for a good cou-
ple then rub its tail, Tan tells us with
a cheerful smile.
Like an arrow shooting out of a
bow, all the girls dash to the tortoises
rear end.
Through another gate is the main
hall where Buddha is enshrined. A
short walk to the back leads us to a
complex of monastic buildings where
the monks and novices live and prac-
tice Buddhism. The sound of chil-
drens laughter leads us to a hall where
novices are practising their calligra-
phy. A burnt car is also on display.
That car is a national relic. It is
the car monk Thich Quang Duc
drove to burn himself at an inter-
section in downtown Sai Gon to
protest against the Diem regimes
violations of religious freedom on
June 11, 1963. His body was re-
cremated during the funeral, but
his heart remained intact. The heart
is now placed in a glass chalice at
Xa Loi Pagoda, Tan says.
Our next visit is Hues Royal Palace,
built in 1805 by Emperor Gia Long as
a replica of the Forbidden City in
Beijing but smaller in size. By the
time the last Emperor of Vietnam
stepped down in the mid 20th centu-
ry, the Purple Forbidden City had ac-
quired many dozens of
pavilions and hundreds
of rooms.
The Royal Palace was
severely destroyed during
the bombing of the city
1968. The splendid sight
of the defensive fort and
the Imperial Enclosure
still remain but most of
the Purple Forbidden
City has been given over
to vast rice elds.
The Royal Tomb of
Emperor Khai Dinh is
our stop. The unpopular
emperor ruled Vietnam
for nine years and his
tomb took 11 years to
complete.
To nance the tomb,
he authorised the French
to raise taxes on the
peasantry and that make
him an infamous ruler,
Tan explains.
The tomb is small and
adorned with coloured
glass and ceramic chips to
form mosaics of flowers
and Chinese symbols of
longevity while the ceilings
are painted like the west-
ern churches, but with ori-
ental design of dragons and clouds.
On the road again, this time to Da-
nang, nobody seems bothered how
long it will take.
Good company in a journey makes
the way seem shorter, said English
writer Izaak Walton.
I couldnt agree more.
P
H
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IF YOU GO
Nok Air ies three times daily
to Thailands Ubon Rachathani,
three hours away from Mukdahan
by bus. Visit www.NokAir.com.
The international coach
departs Savannakhet, Lao
township opposite Mukdahan, at
10am everyday (except for
Sunday).
(The writer travelled as a guest
of Nok Air.)
Highway
To Hue
THESE DAYS,
MAKING AN
OVERLAND TRIP
FROM NORTH-
EASTERN
THAILAND
TO CENTRAL
VIET NAM IS NOT
ONLY FEASIBLE,
ITS FUN TOO
P
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FESTIVE: Motorists and
bicycle riders move under a
sculpture installation of
see-through-plastic wrapped
horses suspended from
cables above an intersection
in Hue during an arts festival.
EMPIRES PAST: Men sh near the newly renovated pavillion at the
ancient imperial citadel in Hue, one of the favourite destinations in Viet Nam.
50
January 14-27, 2011
DATEBOOK
HONG KONG
FASHION WEEK FALL/WINTER
Hong Kong Fashion Week Fall/
Winter showcases the seasons
collections from Asias hottest
young designers. Although
strictly by invitation only,
this biannual tradeshow
draws 15,000 visitors and
buyers.
The fair covers the
latest collections of
hundreds of exhibitors
representing 12 countries and
regions. While home-grown
talent is prioritised, international
designers are displayed in seven pavilions
representing China, India, Korea, Macau,
Thailand, Europe and Taiwan.
Running concurrently with the exhibi-
tion are 12 fashion shows staged by over
30 designers. There is also a urry of
individual designers shows, staged by a
host of local designers. Trade tips are
meted out at a series of seminars
organised by leading fashion authorities.
When: January 17-20
Where: Hong Kong Convention &
Exhibition Centre
Info: http://www.hktdc.com
BANGKOK
SUPER JUNIOR THE THIRD
The Thais love affair with
everything Korean continues with
the performance of boy band Super
Junior this month. The concert
kick-starts Bangkoks concert scene
this year.
When: January 15-16
Where: Impact Arena
Info: www.ThaiTicketMajor.com
SI NGAPORE
SENTOSA FLOWERS
The tropical Sentosa Island in
Singapore is in full spring bloom
and footpaths, roundabouts,
boardwalks and roads are lined with
vivid colour. The Imbiah Lookout
and Palawan Beach provide
entertainment to add to the fun.
When: January 26-February 1,
9am-10pm daily
Where: Sentosa Island
Info: http://www.sentosa.com.
sg/sentosaowers/
SEOUL
MANGA REALITIES: EXPLORING THE ART OF JAPA-
NESE COMICS TODAY
The exhibition features nine artists
representing different themes and styles
in manga. Once a form of mass enter-
tainment for separate groups of
Japanese men, women, boys and girls,
the exhibition provides a platform for
manga to show how it has ripened and
became regarded as high art and a
global commodity which transcends
gender, age and cultural barriers.
When: Ongoing until February 13
Where: Artsonje Centre, Samcheon-
dong
Info: http://artsonje.org
TAI PEI
HOWTO OWN A CORNER
An exhibition inspired by the
works of Taiwanese illustrator
Jimmy Liao features designers
and artists from Taiwan and
Sweden. Its theme How to Own a
Corner is borrowed from Jimmys
2008 illustrated book of the same
title.
The exhibition room is divided
into 12 sections, each featuring an
artistic installation inspired by
illustrations from Jimmys books
One More Day With You and How
To Own A Corner.
A play, How To Own A Corner,
is also running alongside the
exhibition, and features a
combination of magic tricks and
original music set against
Jimmys touching stories.
When: Ongoing until March 27
(exhibit); Ongoing until February
28 (play)
Where: Huashan 1914 Creative
park P
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A
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