Download - Georgia Asian Times April 1-15, 2015

Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia www.gasiantimes.com April 1-15, 2015

Page 2 April 1-15, 2015 Georgia Asian Times

Publisher: Li WongAccount Manager: Adrian WestContributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho

Tel: 678-971-9388Advertising: [email protected]: [email protected]: www.gasiantimes.com

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Georgia Asian Times April 1-15, 2015 Page 3

Cambodian New Year & Miss Cambodia PageantOrganized by Cambodian American Association of Georgia and Cambodi-an Buddhist Society, Inc.Date: Saturday, April 11, 2015Time: 6:30 pm - 12:30 amVenue: Vien Huong, 4771 Britt Road, NorcrossDress Code: Formal or national dressFor more info: Sopheap Lam 678.360.2221

Greater Gwinnett Championship- Golf Champions TourDate: April 13-19, 2015Venue: TPC SugarloafTickets starts at $20For more info: www.greatergwin-nettchampionship.com

2015 Symposium on Asia-USA Partnership Opportunities (SAUPO)Largest Asian business conference in the SouthDate: Friday, April 17, 2015

Time: 7:00 am - 6:00 pmVenue: St. Regis Hotel, Atlanta, GAFor more info: www.kennesaw.edu/saupo/home.php

30th Annual Unity Gala - Asian Pacific American Council of Geor-giaDate: Saturday, May 2, 2015Time: 6:00 pmVenue: Sonesta Gwinnett PlaceFor more info: www.apacga.org

GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia - Awards Banquet Date: Friday, July 16, 2015Time: 6:30 pmVenue: Sonesta Gwinnett Place For more info: 678.971.9388

20th Annivesary Hong Kong Dragon Boat-Atlanta Date: Saturday, Sept 12, 2015Time: 7:00 am - 6:00 pm Venue: Clarks Bridge Olympic Kayak-ing-Lake Lanier, Gainesville, Georgia For info: dragonboatatlanta.com


METRO ASIAN NEWS

Birmingham, March 28, 2015 - A police officer in the U.S. state of Ala-bama who was fired after slamming an elderly man from India to the ground now faces a federal charge, the Justice Department announced Friday.

A federal grand jury indicted Eric Sloan Parker, 26, on one count of “using unreasonable force” against Sureshbhai Patel.

The Associated Press news agen-cy cites Parker’s defense attorney as saying the former officer will plead not guilty.

Video recorded by a police car dash-board camera shows Parker and anoth-er officer approaching the 57-year-old Patel as he walked in his son’s neigh-borhood in the town of Madison on February 6.

Patel said “no English” when the police confronted him asking for iden-tification and appeared to try to walk away. The video showed Parker pulling Patel’s arms behind his back and slam-ming him face first into the grass.

The federal charge adds to a state assault charge brought against Parker in February.

Patel, who had only recently traveled to the United States to visit his son and help care for his grandson, also filed a civil lawsuit, accusing the officers of racism. The complaint said Patel needed spinal surgery following the exchange.

Shortly before the confrontation, police had received a phone call that a “suspicious person” was wandering around the neighborhood.

Police say Parker got physical with Patel when he didn’t respond to com-mands.

The federal indictment says Parker’s actions deprived Patel “of his right un-der the U.S. Constitution to be secure from unreasonable seizures,” according to Friday’s Justice Department state-ment.

The FBI investigated the case.

Alabama police officer was fired for slamming elderly Indian man

SAUPO Conference expected to drawinternational speakers and audience

Kennesaw, March 31, 2015 — Over 350 attendees from around the world are expected to attend the upcoming bi-annual international conference “Symposium on Asia-USA Partnership Opportunities (SAUPO)” at St. Regis Hotel on April 17, 2015. The major con-ference is organized by Kennesaw State University-Asian Studies Center.

“We are excited about this year’s lineup of speakers and issues that will be explored at the conference,” said Dr. Hongmei Gao, Professor of Commu-nication & Asian Studies, Kennesaw State University.

This year’s conference will present several panel discussion including Building Strategic Partnership in Asian Pacific, Crisis Communication Man-agement, Cross Border Transactions, Digital Economy & e-Commerce, Green Energy and Smart Grid, Global Health Informatics, Globalization of Business & Education in China, and New Media and Opportunities in Asia.

General Bernard Champoux, U.N. Command, Korea-U.S. Combined Forces, and Julia Nesheiwat, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. State De-

partment are scheduled to deliver the keynote address.

Leading experts and business ex-ecutives from Asia and the U.S. are expected to share insights on respec-tive topics during panel discussions in the afternoon.

“The conference has evolved since its founding in 2011 to become the largest business conference focusing on Asia in the South,” said Dr. Gao.

“We aimed for the conference to promote better understanding and networking between Asia and U.S. executives,” adds Dr. Gao.

Limited seats are still available for the conference. Interested parties are encourage to register online at http://www.kennesaw.edu/saupo.

New Census Bureau Population Estimate Pinpoint Fastest-Growing

Counties in GeorgiaWashington DC, March 26, 2015

-- The U.S. Census Bureau reported today on where the heaviest population growth in Georgia was concentrated last year.

The fastest-growing county in Georgia between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014, was Stewart County, whose population rose 4.7 percent over the period. Stewart County was followed by Forsyth County (4.6 percent), Towns County (3.2 percent), Oconee County (3.1 percent) and Long County (2.8 percent).

With respect to numerical growth, Gwinnett County added 18,966

people over the period, more than any other county in the state. It was fol-lowed by Cobb County, which grew by 12,773 people, Fulton County (11,598), Forsyth County (8,990) and DeKalb County (7,226).

Forsyth County is the only county in Georgia to be ranked in the top 5 in numerical and percent growth between 2013 and 2014.

Fulton County remains the most populous county in Georgia, with 984,721 residents, followed by Gwinnett County (858,956) and Cobb County (718,208).


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Page 6 April 1-15 2015 Georgia Asian Times

METRO ASIAN NEWS

Governor Deal signed Bill 91 eliminat-ing High School graduation test

Atlanta, March 31, 2015 - The law retroactively eliminates the Georgia High School Graduation Test as a re-quirement for students who have taken the test since 1994 when the test was established. State Board Rule in 2011 eliminated the test as a requirement for graduation, but that elimination did not extend to students who had already taken the test.

“While in 2011 the State Board of Education eliminated the test as a requirement for graduation, it did not extend to students who were unsuc-cessful on the test prior to that time.”

The law covers all graduation tests, beginning with the Basic Skills Test that was administered to students who enrolled for the first time in ninth grade on or after July 1, 1981, said state officials in a press release Monday.

Woods said that HB 91 makes it possible for those students to get their high school diploma so they can move on to potentially brighter futures.

“Those who completed all of the requirements for graduation except for passing one test on one given day now have the opportunity to go on to some form of post-secondary education, where they can obtain skills needed to have a great quality of life and be con-tributors to our society,” he said.

Students who may qualify should contact the school district or school where he or she last attended high school in Georgia and submit a petition to the local school system — available from school districts — to determine eligibility.

HB 91 is effective for any student – currently or previously enrolled – who has met all graduation requirements except passing any of the graduation tests — Georgia High School Gradua-tion Test, Georgia High School Writing Test and Basic Skills Test.

The law took effect upon the gover-nor’s signature March 30, 2015.

State officials advise that people seeking a regular high school diploma pursuant to the new law should consid-er the following:

A person who is no longer enrolled in a Georgia public school and who previously failed to receive a high school diploma in this state or was denied graduation solely for failing to achieve a passing score on one or more portions of the graduation tests may petition the local board of education of the school system in which he or she was last enrolled to determine his or her eligibility to receive a high school diploma, pursuant to HB 91 based on the graduation requirements in effect when the student first entered ninth grade.

Once the local board of education confers a diploma upon an individual meeting such requirements, the local board shall transmit to the Georgia Department of Education, in accor-dance with department procedures, the number of diplomas awarded.

The local board of education may date the high school diploma as the expected year of graduation or the date the diploma was actually conferred.

Students receiving diplomas pur-suant to the law shall not be counted as graduates in the graduation rate calculations for affected schools and school systems, either retroactively or in current or future calculations.

Officials said the local school system will make the final determination of whom to issue diplomas based on the state and local graduation require-ments that were in effect when the student entered ninth grade.

For more info: www.gadoe.org.

World Golf Hall of Famers Committed to Greater Gwinnett Championship

Duluth, March 24, 2015 – The Great-er Gwinnett Championship Present-ed by Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating, an official event on the PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour, today an-nounced the most updated player com-mitments for the April tournament.

World Golf Hall of Famers Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie, and 2015 inductee Mark O’Meara will play TPC Sugarloaf, along with PGA TOUR greats Mark Calcavecchia, Lee Janzen and Tom Lehman. The current player field boasts 288 PGA TOUR victories and 21 Major Championships.

Janzen is coming off his first Cham-pions Tour win at the ACE Group Classic in February. O’Meara, who will be inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame in July, is currently 2nd in the

Charles Schwab Cup rankings with two top-three finishes in the first four tournaments of the 2015 season. Mont-gomerie is currently 7th in the Charles Schwab Cup rankings with three top-ten finishes.

The 2015 Greater Gwinnett Champi-onship will take place April 13-19. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will feature 81 Champions Tour profession-als competing for a $1.8 million purse.

Tickets are available at GreaterG-winnettChampionship.com.



BUSINESS

AII Bank will offer Asian nations investment opportunities, says Xi

Beijing, March 28, 2015 — Presi-dent Xi Jinping reached out to China’s neighbors, saying his country will offer other Asian nations trade and invest-ment opportunities as it seeks support for two regional initiatives that it’s championing.

The US$40 billion Silk Road Eco-nomic Belt has attracted interest from more than 60 countries and interna-tional organizations, and the founding of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is proceeding smoothly, Xi said in a speech at the Boao Forum for Asia on China’s southern Hainan Island.

Xi’s address highlighted the two ini-tiatives China has presented in recent months as it seeks new ways to sus-tain growth and expand its economic influence globally. He pledged to boost coordination in Asia and said bigger countries must take on more responsi-bility in world affairs.

“China’s economy shouldn’t be viewed only by its growth rate,” Xi said. “China’s economy entering the new normal will continue to provide

countries including Asian nations more markets, growth, investment and coop-eration opportunities.”

The “new normal” phrase adopted by Xi and other Chinese leaders refers to their push for growth driven by domes-tic consumption rather than exports and infrastructure. The government targets growth of about 7 per cent this year, down from last year’s 7.4 per cent.

Bond sales

The Chinese government will sup-port yuan-denominated bond sales in China by countries, companies and fi-nancial institutions along the Silk Road belt, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing government agencies.

China will also urge domestic finan-cial institutions and companies to sell bonds overseas and spend the proceeds in countries in the region, as well as help expand currency swaps and settle-ments between these nations, Xinhua said.

China plans to improve its invest-ment environment and welcomes all countries to join the Silk Road ini-tiative, Xi told the audience, which included business leaders and govern-ment officials from Malaysia, Australia and other nations.

Xi also said that China needs a peaceful environment — both domesti-cally and overseas — to prosper.

“Any instability or war wouldn’t be in accord with the basic interests of Chinese people,” Xi said. “China will unshakeably stick to independent and autonomous peaceful diplomatic poli-cies, and stick to the peaceful develop-ment road.”

‘Good thing’

Xi spoke shortly after the finance ministry issued a statement saying that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank now had 30 founding members, including the UK, Switzerland, India and the Philippines. So far, the US and Japan are the only Group of Seven holdouts to the initiative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved his nation joining the AIIB, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said in a speech at Boao following Xi’s address.

“Basically, it’s a good thing” to spend more money on the infrastructure to improve lives in different parts of the world, Stephen Schwarzman, chairman of Blackstone Group LP, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Saturday at the forum. “That’s one reason why I think European and other Asian countries have responded.”

Xi, Schwarzman and Shuvalov were among international delegates from the finance, business and corporate worlds attending the 15th edition of the annual Boao Forum, which has its permanent base on Hainan.

“Facing the fast-changing regional and international situation, we must see the whole picture, follow the trends of our times and build a regional order that is more beneficial to Asia and the world,” Xi said.


BUSINESS

Washington DC, March 27, 2015 — A leaked secret dispute-settlement provision of a pending US trade deal with Asia is raising concerns among nonprofit groups which say it favours big companies over governments.

The classified document, released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday, deals with a controversial investor-state dispute settlement tool that is part of closed-door negotiations for the Trans-Pa-cific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation free-trade agreement including Japan, Australia, Singapore and Vietnam.

According to the January 20 dated document, the US-led negotiating parties want to establish investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) courts where foreign firms can sue states and obtain taxpayer compensation for expected future profits, overruling national court systems.

ISDS tribunals are also part of the vast trade pact the US is negotiating with the European Union, the Transat-lantic Trade and Investment Partner-ship.

The cover page of the leaked docu-ment said the document “is supposed to be kept secret for four years after the entry into force of the TPP agreement or, if no agreement is reached, for four years from the close of the negotia-tions.”

Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, said the leaked document shows that the TPP would open up the United States to huge liability claims.

“Enactment of the leaked chapter would increase US ISDS liability to an unprecedented degree by newly em-powering about 9,000 foreign-owned firms from Japan and other TPP nations operating in the United States to launch cases against the govern-

ment over policies that apply equally to domestic and foreign firms,” the Washington-based organisation said in a statement.

“With the veil of secrecy ripped back, finally everyone can see for themselves that the TPP would give multinational corporations extraordinary new pow-ers that undermine our sovereignty, expose US taxpayers to billions in new liability and privilege foreign firms operating here with special rights not available to US firms under US law,” said Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch.

Environmental group Sierra Club said the leaked document confirms the threats of the TPP to clean air and water, because the provision “would expand a system of investor privileges.”

The US Trade Representative, the agency in charge of US trade negotia-tions, was not immediately available yesterday to comment on the leaked document.

The TPP leak came as Congress plans to discuss next month the so-called “fast-track” authority that President Barack Obama is seeking for trade negotiations.

Fast-track would allow the White House to agree to a trade deal and submit it in its entirety to Congress to ratify, without allowing lawmakers the power to make amendments.

“This leak is a disaster for the cor-porate lobbyists and administration officials trying to persuade Congress to delegate Fast Track authority to railroad the TPP through Congress,” said Wallach.

U.S. groups raise concerns over leaked TPP dispute-settlement plan

US$2 Billion boost to Yahoo shares buyback plan

San Francisco, March 27, 2015 — Yahoo yesterday told US regulators that it will spend another US$2 billion buying back shares as the pioneering US Internet search firm continues an effort to re-invent itself.

The new share repurchase program approved by the California-based com-pany’s board of directors will expire at the end of March 2018, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

About US$726 million remained in a US$5 billion buyback program authorized in late 2013, and Yahoo will spend the remaining money by the end of next year, the filing indicated.

Yahoo executives have repeatedly stressed their intent to buy back shares and pay dividends with revenue flood-ing into company coffers from early in-vestment in Chinese online commerce colossus Alibaba.

Buying back shares also tends to bol-ster stock prices of public companies.

Yahoo bought a 40 per cent stake in Alibaba in 2005 for US$1 billion in a move credited to Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang.

Yahoo announced in January that it is spinning off its stake in the Chinese Internet giant, in a move that sidesteps taxes.

The strategy aims to deliver more cash for shareholders than an outright sale of the US$40-billion stake by avoiding a hefty tax bill, and is meant to help refocus Yahoo under chief exec-utive Marissa Mayer.

Yahoo’s board authorized creation of an independent investment compa-ny called SpinCo to hold the Alibaba shares. SpinCo would be totally owned by Yahoo shareholders.


BUSINESS

Los Angeles, March 31, 2015 — Some of the world’s biggest names in music including Beyonce, Cold Play’s Chris Martin and Rihanna are backing Jay Z’s new global streaming music ser-vice Tidal, which launched yesterday, and is billing itself as the first of its kind owned by artists.

Co-owners Kanye West, Daft Punk, Alicia Keys, Madonna and other mu-sicians were in New York yesterday to sign a declaration of a “whole new era.”

Still, Tidal is entering a crowded space, with stiff competition from Spotify, Pandora Media Inc and Clear Channel’s I Heart Radio. But Jay Z’s deep music ties could help distinguish Tidal from its rivals.

Musicians complain they are not being properly compensated for dig-ital music rights. Additionally, music downloads have been shrinking as streaming services boom in popular-ity.

The Beatles’ Ringo Starr addressed the issue with Reuters TV yesterday: “All I ever hear is that your record has been streamed 17 million times and they give you a check for 12 bucks. I don’t understand that.”

Last year, Taylor Swift pulled her en-

tire catalogue from Spotify in a shock-ing move. Swift’s catalog is available on Tidal but her latest “1989” is not.

Tidal has deals for rights with all the major record labels, a representative with the company said.

While the glitzy line-up yesterday did not directly address compensa-tion, Alicia Keys said, “We believe it’s in everyone’s interest ... to preserve music.”

Tidal is offering a mix of stock and cash to its owners for promotional support, which does not include rights to the music, the Financial Times reported. One partner was offered US$3 million for a 3 per cent stake, the report said.

Tidal is an offspring of Jay Z’s com-pany Project Panther Bidco, which acquired more than 90 per cent of the Swedish streaming music company Aspiro AB for US$54 million earlier this month.

For US$19.99 a month, subscribers have access to millions of songs and videos in high fidelity. A US$9.99 option offers regular sound quality. Tidal is available in 35 countries and subscribers can listen offline to as many songs as their device will hold. — Reuters

Chris Martin, Rihanna among stars backing Jay Z’s new streaming music

Hanoi, March 31, 2015 — Thou-sands of workers at a major factory in southern Vietnam went on strike for a fifth day today in protest over social insurance cover, in rare show of labour unrest in a country positioning itself as a future Asian manufacturing power-house.

Witnesses in the industrialised suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City said hundreds of workers massed peacefully inside and outside the factory owned by Pou Yuen Vietnam, a footwear maker for firms that include Nike Inc and Adidas and brands like Lacoste, Converse and Reebok.

Pou Yuen, which employs close to 80,000 workers, is controlled by Chinese shoemaker Yue Yuen Industri-al Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Tai-wan-listed Pou Chen Corp.

Strikes and protests are rare in communist Vietnam, which has been tightly controlled by one party for four decades. It is known for taking deci-sive action to thwart the kind of labour and civil unrest that has affected other textile manufacturing rivals like China and Cambodia.

That has earned Vietnam a reputa-tion as a safe bet for firms like Gap, H&M and Inditex’s Zara. Such com-panies have helped fuel annual export growth of 15.8 per cent last year in gar-ments, to US$20.8 billion, and 21.6 per cent in footwear, to US$10.2 billion.

Workers blocked nearby streets yes-terday, according to news websites of

some state-run media, which has given the issue only limited coverage. VN Ex-press reported several nearby factories closed for security reasons.

The employees are disgruntled about a social insurance law taking effect from 2016, which restricts the scope of entitlements for a lump sum payment if they leave.

The parent companies of the Viet-namese firm gave no immediate com-ment and city officials were trying to settle the dispute.

“The company has given them a day off today and we are holding dialogue with workers,” Nguyen Tran Phuong Tran, deputy chairwoman of the city’s Labour Union, told Reuters by tele-phone.

The strike is another blow for a factory that was among dozens hit by anti-China rioting last year during a maritime diplomatic row between Hanoi and Beijing.

It comes as Vietnam’s tries to lure big firms with its cheap labour, tax breaks and its looming accession to Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with its biggest export partners.

Vietnam is in the final stages of FTA talks with the European Union and hopes soon to conclude a Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) in a region covering 40 per cent of global GDP, including the United States, Japan and Australia. — Reuters

Vietnam hit by rare strike at major footwear factory

FOCUSGeorgia Asian Times April 1-15, 2015 Page 11

China museum puts focus on filial piety in family values campaign

Beijing, March 30, 2015 — What makes a good son or daughter? At China’s first museum dedicated to the topic of “filial piety”, the answer seems to be: almost superhuman levels of devotion and sacrifice.

Respect for family elders has been a cornerstone of Chinese culture for millennia, but many believe it is being eroded by the country’s rapid economic growth.

The Modern Filial Piety Culture Museum, which cost more than US$1 million, is part of government-backed efforts to “pass on the value” — as a banner over the entrance exhorts.

In a grey brick courtyard building inspired by traditional Chinese archi-tecture, slick panels and exhibits in gleaming glass cases tell of more than a dozen modern-day filial role models.

One is policeman Wang Chunlai, who provided his bedridden parents with years of medical care, giving them injections and blood transfusions.

“This man is a classic example of fil-ial piety,” said museum volunteer Zeng Yan, in front of the Wangs’ tattered beds and discolored bedpans, donated after their demise.

Others include an eight-year-old girl who provided constant care for her paralyzed mother, and a schoolteach-er who took his Alzheimer’s-afflicted mother everywhere he went.

Among the artifacts are a blue and yellow cart — something between a fairytale carriage and a wheelbarrow — in which two sons pulled their mother to more than 600 towns and cities across China to fulfill her dying wish to travel.

They wore out 12 pairs of shoes in the process, several of them on display beside the carriage in the museum in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

“I think that people often don’t con-sider their parents’ dreams. That’s the meaning of the exhibit,” Zeng added.

Paragons of piety

Filial piety was the core value of China’s ancient sage Confucius, and outlandish tales have been used for centuries to spur readers to greater heights of parental devotion.

One of the country’s most renowned literary works is the “Twenty-four Par-agons of Filial Piety”, written during the Yuan dynasty 600 years ago.

It includes a woman who breastfeeds her toothless step-mother, a son who tastes his father’s excrement to test for illness, and another man who sits na-ked at his parents’ bedside to prevent them being bitten by mosquitoes.

But China’s three decades of rapid economic growth have put families un-der unprecedented strains, with hun-dreds of millions leaving their parents behind as they migrate to find work.

Suicide rates among elderly people in some rural areas have increased five-fold over the last two decades, state-run media have reported, with family neglect seen as a major cause.

Projections show that 350 million Chinese —- one in four of the popu-lation -— will be aged 60 or older by 2030, almost twice as many as now.

At the same time “one-child policy” family planning rules mean the bur-den of care will usually fall on a single offspring.

A 2012 law requiring adult children to visit their aged parents “often”, or risk repercussions, has been seen as unenforceable.

Instead, Beijing has fallen back on celebrating examples of the virtue, with local bureaucrats holding competitions to find “filial children”.

State-run media have run pictures of hundreds of schoolchildren kow-tow-ing before their parents to show their obedience — although social media commentators said such ceremonies discouraged independent thinking among children.

The museum, on a riverbank in the Sichuan backwater of Guyi, opened four months ago and local authorities provided at least a quarter of its eight million yuan (US$1.3 million) con-struction costs, said its businessman founder Liao Lin.

An introductory panel features equal-sized portraits of Confucius and President Xi Jinping, with a quote from the current Communist chief urging officials to read the “Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child”, a collection of Confucian sayings which emphasize filial piety.

‘They may feel guilty’

But the official drive has been criti-cized as a way for the state to shirk its duty to provide elderly care.

China’s civil affairs minister said last year that there were just 25 care beds for every 1,000 senior citizens, while health insurance rarely covers the costs of major procedures.

“Many Chinese families, facing smaller family size and family separa-tion, are anxiously searching for new ways of fulfilling filial piety,” said Hong Zhang, a researcher at Colby College in the US.

“If the government is promoting the filial tradition, people can be cynical and see it as the government’s effort to find an excuse of not doing its job.”

Museum founder Liao, a tea and liquor magnate, admitted that hero-ic acts of filial piety alone were not enough. “China’s social security system is still lacking,” he said.

Liao — whose own daughter is at boarding school and hopes to study abroad — said he “thought a lot” about his parents, and “did my best to serve them”, but would not give details.

“People will see these perfect ex-amples, and be inspired to do even better,” he said of his exhibits.

“They may feel guilty that they don’t care enough for their parents, and re-turn home to wash their parents’ feet. That’s the kind of result we are hoping for.”


LIFESTYLE

Bangkok, March 26, 2015 — Drying underwear at a temple and defecating in public, kicking a bell at a sacred shrine and washing feet in a public restroom: that’s a sample from a litany of complaints about the behavior of Chinese tourists in Thailand.

Public outrage forced the Thai gov-ernment to issue thousands of Chi-nese-language etiquette manuals last month in an effort to ensure sightseers behave themselves.

Feathers were ruffled anew in March when a Thai model posted a video on Facebook accusing Chinese tourists of jumping the queue at an airport, prompting heated debate from Thai and Chinese bloggers.

But with Thailand struggling to revive a stagnant economy after a military coup ended months of politi-cal unrest last year, tour operators in the ‘Land of Smiles’ say they have no choice but to grin and bear it.

Tourism accounts for nearly 10 per cent of the country’s economic out-put and Chinese holiday makers are Thailand’s largest group of overseas visitors.

It is not just Chinese tourists that Thailand is wooing: China is a top trading partner. The government has sought to strengthen ties with Bei-jing since some Western countries downgraded diplomatic ties when the military seized power last year.

Raising revenue from tourism is a government priority to compensate for weak exports, said Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the country’s deputy government spokesman.

Thailand, therefore, has to tolerate bad behavior for the sake of its vital tourist industry, he said.

“We have to endure because hav-ing tourists is better than having no tourists at all,” said Sansern. “Our exports are dependent on the economic situations of other countries. So we are focusing on tourism. This is something we can control.”

At the Erawan shrine in the heart of bustling downtown Bangkok, Kanlaya Yimpreeda, 29, a garland vendor, reels off a list of complaints about Chinese visitors.

Misbehaving Chinese tourists major headache for Thais

“I recently saw a Chinese couple take their kids’ underwear off so he could pee near the shrine,” she said, a look of horror on her face. “Right there in the corner next to one of Bangkok’s holiest places.”

Tourism took a hammering during months of protests last year that saw parts of Bangkok shut down. Many countries issued warnings against non-essential travel to Thailand.

The Chinese market was one of the first to bounce back, said Srisuda Wa-napinyosak, Executive Director of East Asia Region at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

TAT has Chinese-language special-ists manning its official account on Chinese microblogging site Weibo around the clock to communicate with Chinese travelers, Srisuda said.

Over 560,000 Chinese tourists visit-ed Thailand in January, accounting for over a fifth of tourist arrivals, accord-ing to the tourism ministry. That was up nearly 60 per cent on the year.

Korn Ornprasert, a veteran tour guide, said he preferred guiding visi-tors from elsewhere.

“They have no discipline. They throw cigarette butts and spit in public,” said Korn. “I would rather give a tour to other nationalities than to mainland Chinese.”

China’s Mei Zhang, 39, who was on a five-day tour of Thailand, said she was unperturbed by the way her country-men are perceived.

“We have a bad reputation abroad but people probably said the same thing about Japanese and, before them, Americans. When there are many tourists coming from one coun-try it is easy to criticize,” she said.

China is acutely aware of its tourists’ image abroad and in January started work on a national database to help rein in some of its unruly sightseers and monitor the behavior of habitual offenders.

Sansern said both countries needed to be flexible.

“We as the housekeeper have to adapt and our house guests have to adapt.” — Reuters

LIFESTYLEGeorgia Asian Times April 1-15, 2015 Page 13

After Japan, Taiwan knocks Scotland off pedestal as producer of world’s best single malt whisky

Norwich, Norfolk, March 23, 2015 — A whisky made in Taiwan has taken the auspicious title of world’s best single malt whisky 2015 for its “sweet pruney” flavors and dry, walnut finish, according to the World Whiskies Awards 2015 in the UK.

After Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible named The Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry 2013 from Japan the best in the world over Scottish brands last year, another group has proclaimed the Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength whisky from Taiwan the world’s best single malt whisky 2015.

It’s an outcome that rubs salt into the wounds of Scotland’s whisky industry and boosts Asia’s reputation as a for-midable player in the spirits market.

It’s also an impressive feat for a distillery that only just released its first bottle of whisky in late 2008.

Developed to appeal to the Taiwan-ese palate, Kavalan whiskies have fruit-ier flavour profiles thanks to the use of different casks and barrels.

Kavalan means “flatland people” and is named after the aboriginal ethnic group that originally inhabited the modern-day Yilan County, home to the distillery.

Judges of the World Whiskies Awards, hosted by TheDrinksReport.com, heap a plethora of evocative adjectives on the winning whisky: nutty, meaty, pruney, clove, chili, dry cinnamon, walnut, incense, caramel, marzipan, coffee-vanilla, fudge and sandalwood.

Or, “It’s like Bourbon infused milk chocolate”.

Judges looked for balance, character, complexity, quality and confidence in category of taste, as well as craft skills, insight and inspiration in the category of design and production techniques.

Last year, words such as “shock” and “humiliation” were used in the British media when news hit that a Japanese whisky had trumped Scottish distill-eries to be named the best in the world.

Here are the other major winners of the World Whiskies Awards 2015:

World’s Best American Whiskey 2015: Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

World’s Best Blended Malt Whisky: Nikka Whisky Taketsuru Pure Malt 17 Years Old

World’s Best Blended Whisky: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Blended Whisky #1 – Batch 1

World’s Best Canadian Whisky: Forty Creek Confederation Oak

World’s Best Flavoured Whisky: Mas-ter of Malt Speyside Whisky Liqueur 40 Years Old

World’s Best Grain Whisky: Darkness! North British 18 Years Old Oloroso Cask Finish

World’s Best Pot Still Whisky: Red-breast Single Pot Still 15 Years Old


SPORTS

Sepang March 29, 2015 — Sebas-tian Vettel showed again that form is temporary and class permanent when the four times world champion put in a faultless display to record his first vic-tory for Ferrari at the Malaysian Grand Prix today.

The victory ended a long drought for the Italian Formula One team, whose last win was at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2013, and was the 40th of the Ger-man’s career.

Starting from second place on the grid behind Lewis Hamilton’s seem-ingly unbeatable Mercedes, Vettel and Ferrari produced a tactical masterclass to overhaul the Briton and cross the line 8.5 seconds ahead of the double world champion.

“Numero uno is back, Ferrari is back,” Vettel was told over the team radio as he took the chequered flag. “Grazie, grazie. Forza Ferrari,” he shouted in reply.

Hamilton’s teammate Nico Rosberg finished a distant third while 17-year-old Max Verstappen claimed seventh place for Toro Rosso to become the youngest ever points scorer in Formula One history.

The race got off to a clean start with Hamilton pulling away from Vettel on the first lap, but the race turned in Ferrari’s favour when Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson spun off at the start of lap four to bring out the safety car.

While Mercedes pulled both their cars in to the pits to put on hard tyres, Vettel stayed out on the medium com-pound and made the lead stick until the end of the race.

Vettel, who failed to win a race for Red Bull last year after four successive titles, has now won grands prix for three separate teams — Toro Rosso, Red Bull and Ferrari. — Reuters

Sebastian Vettel storms to victory for Ferrari in Malaysia

Women’s badminton world No. 1 is India’s Nehwal

Mumbai, March 28, 2015 — India’s Saina Nehwal will replace Olympic champion Li Xuerui as the women’s world number one badminton player, ending China’s stranglehold at the top of the rankings.

China have long dominated the women’s game and the last non-Chi-nese to be world number one was Den-mark’s Tine Baun in December 2010.

While Li, who won Olympic gold in London, has struggled with a foot injury, the other contender for the top ranking, All England champion Caro-lina Marin of Spain, lost in the semi-fi-nal of the India Open super-series.

World Champion Marin, who beat Nehwal in the All England final this month, lost to third-seeded Thai Ratchanok Intanon 21-19 21-23 22-20 in the semi-finals.

Olympic bronze medallist Nehwal, 25, will play Japan’s Yui Hashimoto in the second semi-final but will advance to the top irrespective of her result.

“I want to be the best,” Nehwal said before her top ranking was confirmed. “It’s not about the ranking, it’s about being consistent.

“Li Xuerui is injured. You can’t ig-nore the fact that she’s the best player in the world, but she’s been injured over the last few months.

“When she comes back she will be strong. The Chinese will come back and they will be ready for us.” — Reuters

HEALTHGeorgia Asian Times April 1-15, 2015 Page 15

How emotional stress leads to insomnia and vice versa

New York, March 27 — Stressful situ-ations can elicit an emotional response, which could snowball with sleep loss, according to a new book summarizing many studies.

The recently published book is called Sleep and Affect: Assessment, Theory and Clinical Implications.

“We saw that if a person lost a night of sleep they responded with more emotion to a laboratory ‘stressor,’” says Matthew T. Feldner, a professor of psychology in the J William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. “This finding extended previous work that had linked chronic sleep loss to anxiety and mood disorders.”

Certain components of emotion seem particularly linked to sleep, says Dr. Felder.

“What we call ‘stressors’ tend to be

more emotionally arousing for people who haven’t slept well, and emotional arousal also appears to interfere with sleep quality,” he says.

Working with health science special-ist Kimberly A. Babson, Dr Felder and his team built on her previous sleep and affect studies.

Another recent study offers evidence of the connection between stressors, emotions and insomnia yet indicates that coping mechanisms could be more variable than previously thought.

“Our study is among the first to show that it’s not the number of stressors, but your reaction to them that deter-mines the likelihood of experiencing insomnia,” says lead author Vivek Pillai, PhD, research fellow at the Sleep Disorders & Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.

Hookah as harmful as cigaretteToronto, March 27, 2015 — That

hookah is less harmful than cigarette is a popular misconception that may have serious ramifications for the youth, warns a new study.

Hookah or water pipe is the new ‘in’ thing among the youth, though the number of youth who smoke cigarettes is declining in Canada, found the study, published in Cancer Causes and Control.

“The idea that water pipes are some-how less harmful than cigarettes is a dangerous misperception,” said study author Leia Minaker from the Univer-sity of Waterloo, Canada.

The study found that almost one in four high school seniors try smoking

hookah. It estimates that more than 78,200 youth are current water pipe users.

“While we can celebrate a continued slow decline in cigarette use across the country, water pipes are bucking the trend,” said Minaker.

Water pipes work by bubbling tobac-co smoke through water, leading many users to believe that they carry less risk than cigarettes.

“Since most water pipe smoking ses-sions last much longer than a cigarette, water pipe smokers may absorb higher concentrations of the same toxins as in cigarette smoke,” the researcher warned.

Water pipes join a growing number of products marketed to youth using flavored tobacco.

The survey found that among the students who reported using water pipes, about half used flavored prod-ucts.

“The tobacco industry continues to add candy, fruit and other flavors to tobacco products to attract young people. Restricting flavors in tobacco products is an important part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy,” Minaker said.

Many countries have banned indoor water pipe smoking, including Leba-

non, Turkey, and parts of Saudi Arabia and India, where water pipe smoking is a cultural activity.

In the study, which was published in the journal Sleep, Dr. Pillai and his team worked with 2,892 individuals without a history of insomnia.

“While a stressful event can lead to a bad night of sleep, it’s what you do in response to stress that can be the dif-ference between a few bad nights and chronic insomnia,” says Dr. Pillai.

At the beginning of the study, partici-pants reported the stressful events that had befallen them over the past year, such as divorce, serious illness and major financial problems.

The research identified their coping mechanisms by means of a question-naire, and a follow-up one year later identified several participants who became beleaguered by insomnia dis-order as a result of their stress.

Insomnia disorder, in this case,

meant they had problems sleeping three nights per week for at least one month.

“This study is an important reminder that stressful events and other major life changes often cause insomnia,” said American Academy of Sleep Med-icine President Dr. Timothy Morgen-thaler.

Like the book, the study identi-fies potential targets for therapeutic interventions geared towards shifting patients’ coping mechanisms.


Misc Asia

Makuhari, March 28 — Japan opened what organizers are billing as the world’s first “Otaku” summit today, drawing visitors from around the world as the country looks to boost the inter-national fan base for Japanese comic books and anime.

So-called Otaku — usually translated as “geeks” — from at least 18 coun-tries and territories, many dressed as their favorite anime characters, were converging on the Otaku Expo at a convention centre near Tokyo for the two-day event.

The Expo is part of a special comic book fair held every five years, which attracts about half a million visitors, but this year’s event marks the first time that groups from outside Japan are invited. About four dozen overseas Otaku groups were expected to attend.

Briton Katie Carter, 23, was dressed as Usagi Tsukino, a character from the popular “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon”.

“This is amazing. There are so many people of different cultures are coming together,” she said.

The culture of Otaku has grown into a major industry in Japan.

The term is commonly used in the country to refer to people obsessed with Japan’s unique take on comics and animation.

While it once carried a negative con-notation, many Otaku are now proudly displaying their love for two-dimen-sional heroes — while the number of foreign fans is also soaring.

“The number of foreign visitors has been increasing over recent years,” said co-chief of the organizer, Comic Mar-ket Committee, Kahoru Yasuda.

Otaku culture is spreading world-wide “like a big snowball picking up a pace,” Carter said.

“In my country, Italy, currently it’s a very big thing,” said Expo visitor Valentino Notari, 28, about the Otaku culture outside Japan.

“It used to be much smaller, we used to be sort of outcasts when we started back then about 10 years ago, and now it’s becoming massive,” said Notari.

“It’s quite fun and nowadays every-body accepts it.”

Japan hosts world’s first “Otaku” summit

BEIJING, March 31 — The Rhodes Scholarships, founded by one of Brit-ain’s most acquisitive colonialists and whose laureates have gone on to be-come presidents and prime ministers, are to be opened to Chinese students, their administrative trust said.

The scholarships to Oxford Univer-sity were established in 1903 in the will of Cecil Rhodes, the British mining magnate and founder of Rhodesia, who hoped they would bring future leaders together to better understand one an-other and avoid future conflicts.

Initially the program was restricted to 57 students from formerly Brit-ish-ruled territories, plus Germany, with the lion’s share of awards going to the US, although it has since expanded.

“China has an important interna-tional role to play in the 21st century, and we wish to reflect that in the global footprint of the Rhodes Scholarships,” Charles Conn, manager of the pro-gramme, said in a statement announc-ing the expansion.

The first Chinese students will be selected this year and enter Oxford in 2016.

Rhodes alumni include former US President Bill Clinton and current Aus-tralian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

But while foreign universities are

rushing to establish satellite campuses in China the announcement comes amid questions over academic freedom in the country, with Beijing vowing to ban university textbooks that promote “Western values”.

China’s education system is Commu-nist-controlled, raising questions over the possibility of official influence on the selection process.

Chinese students are studying abroad in ever increasing numbers as universities seek new sources of funding and increasingly rely on the high tuition rates paid by international students.

At the same time Beijing has worked to shape its image on university campuses abroad through Confucius Institutes, which provide subsidised language instruction but have been criticised for silencing discussion on topics the Communist Party deems sensitive.

The new Chinese Rhodes scholar-ships will be funded by donations by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-Shing’s foundation, according to the statement.

Alvin Jiang, grandson of former Chi-nese President Jiang Zemin, worked to secure additional donations, The New York Times reported, citing the Rhodes Trust.

Rhodes Scholarship to include Chinese scholars starting 2016

Misc AsiaGeorgia Asian Times April 1-15, 2015 Page 17

Singapore overwhelmed by huge crowds mourning Lee Kuan Yew

Singapore, March 27, 2015 — Tens of thousands of Singaporeans braved waits of up to 10 hours outside parlia-ment today to pay their last respects to founding leader Lee Kuan Yew despite appeals from overwhelmed officials to honor him elsewhere.

The city-state, famous for its clock-work handling of major events like the night-time Singapore Grand Prix, seemed unprepared for the scale of the outpouring of grief since the 91-year-old patriarch’s death on Monday.

“Members of the public are strong-ly advised not to join the queue at the Padang now,” said a government advisory which urged mourners to go instead to 18 community sites to pay homage to Lee.

The round-the-clock queue outside parliament starts at the Padang — a large grassy field used for parades and concerts as well as football, cricket and other sports.

The notice said mourners who arrived at 10:00 am could expect to wait up to 10 hours for a chance to file past the former leader’s brown wooden

casket draped in the red-and-white Singapore flag.

More than 250,000 mourners had paid their respects by mid-afternoon today, according to an official count, up from about 150,000 at midnight yesterday.

“I am deeply moved by the over-whelming response of people wanting to visit my father’s Lying in State at Parliament House,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Facebook.

He announced that a live video feed of the flow of mourners viewing the casket inside the parliament’s lobby had been put up on Youtube.

Lee has been lying in state since Wednesday and the public has until 8:00pm tomorrow to pay their re-spects.

“The government can advise us not to queue all they want, and I under-stand this puts a strain on resources like volunteers and space, but that’s not going to stop us from coming down,” said mourner Pek Tee Ann, 51.

The turnout is massive by Singapore standards but the crowd was disci-plined and morale appeared to be high.

“I feel the Singapore spirit around me, people are courteous and everyone is here for a common purpose, to hon-or our leader,” said 17-year-old student Shruti Ram.

The city-state has a population of 5.5 million but only 3.34 million are citizens. The rest are guest workers, expatriates and their families.

At busy times, mourners can only spend a few seconds in front of the remains, many bowing quickly before being ushered to the exit.

Tents have been set up to shield mourners from the scorching tropical sun while volunteers hand out bottled water and sugared drinks, with porta-ble toilets available on the fringes.

An express lane is reserved for the elderly, disabled and pregnant while foreign dignitaries enter via a VIP entrance.

Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan, chairman of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), told activists late yesterday that the outpouring of emotion had “exceeded our expectations,” the Straits Times reported.

“We are afraid we will not be able to fulfill the wishes of Singaporeans. But we will do our best,” he said.

Lee, who is credited with transform-ing the former British colonial outpost into a financial powerhouse and one of Asia’s wealthiest societies, is to be given full state honors before being cremated Sunday.


EAT OUT

Gainesville, Georgia – A simple little town that surely had seen better days. From small, dusty business buildings to the tiny mechanic shops that have lost its gloss and glamour, this must be District 12 from Hunger Games. But, even the darkest coal mine has its shiny treasure. Tucked in the middle of Gainesville is Atlanta Highway Seafood Market, directly off of its namesake street. As you step into this seafood joint, immediately you are faced with stocks of fish, shrimps, clams, and oth-er salt and fresh water creatures that may or may not be recognizable to the common diner. This is the fresh catch of the day. At the register, you can choose from the fresh seafood selec-tion or the extensive menu of prepared dishes.

Owner and head chef, Louisiana na-tive Phuong Le, has perfected the large variety of recipes and left even the Cre-ole food capital, New Orleans, green with envy. By handpicking his own ingredients from the restaurant’s own seafood market, Le’s cuisine ranked

highest in freshness and authentici-ty. First and foremost, have a cup of gumbo. This authentic, iconic dish is a melting pot blend of sausages, okra, shrimps, and shredded chicken, served over steamed rice. One bite and you’ll think you were in the midst of a Bour-bon Street Jazz Fest. Now that you’re hooked on the gumbo, venture to the rest of the menu. From Fried Calamari, Scallop Etouffee, Oysters Platter to Chilean Sea Bass Tacos, Atlanta High-way Seafood Market promise to deliver satisfaction.

Take advantage of the crawfish sea-son and order the Cajun Crawfish Spe-cial. More often than not, the standard seafood shacks tend to over season their country boil, masking the natural flavors of the protein with an over-whelming amount of spices. Ultimate-ly, the heavy use of cayenne, hot sauce, and other spicy agents overshadow the seafood itself, turning the dish into a man-versus-fire challenge. However, Le’s knowledge and respects for his in-gredients translate to his food, making

Atlanta Highway Seafood Market ~ Cajun cuisine comes calling

By Helen Nguyen

Atlanta Highway Seafood Market a cut above the rest.

Le’s Cajun Crawfish is a juicy mar-riage of fatty, buttery crawfish with just the right amount seasoning to excite the palate, allowing the sweet and tenderness of the crawfish to still be the shining star of this plate. The dish comes with corn on the cob, nicely bathed in the crawfish broth itself. Having table manners is out of the question. You’d want to dive right in with your two hands and devour those plump crawfish and corns. Feel free to do so, the restaurant will supply you with a generous portion of napkins.

As a salute to his Vietnamese back-ground, Le also has a one-of-a-kind salmon banh mi, a unique French baguette that combines East Asian culture to Cajun cuisine. A thick salmon fillet is seasoned and grilled to perfection, placed in a warm baguette with sriracha aioli, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, then garnished with fresh cilantro. It is an innovative, nontraditional take on the Vietnamese signature sandwich.

With selections of sea bass, frog legs, scallops, or soft shell crabs, one would assume Atlanta Highway Seafood Market is an upscale seafood cafe with white table cloths and sparkling silver-wares. Conversely, Le stays true to his roots and operates the restaurant as a neighborhood eatery. The casual ambi-ence, the upbeat chattering, the made

from scratch food will make you feel like you’re having dinner at grandma’s, if you were lucky enough to have a grandma that cooks this well. Le’s high standards for his food, combined with his friendly charisma, make him well regarded by his community and peers. The combination of delectable food, respected chef, and close-knit commu-nity create an at-home atmosphere in the market’s dining area.

No matter what time of the day it is, the entire population of Gainesville seems to gather here for a quick bite. Here, everyone knows each other. The wait staffs are warm, but dining guests are even warmer. They shake your hand and welcome you, ask about your baby, and tell you wonderful stories of their grandchildren. They may even share their hushpuppies with you. So, whether you are craving seafood or just want a full experience of small town hospitality, come to Atlanta Highway Seafood Market. You may even run into Katniss Everdeen, munching on a Po Boy.

Atlanta Highway Seafood Market227 Atlanta Hwy #900, Gainesville, GATel: (770) 287. 8277Fax: (770) 535. 0042Email: [email protected]: www.atlantahwyseafood-market.com