By Samantha Pak
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

While planning last year’s Lunar New Year Celebration, Maribeth Ellis and Julia Nelson of the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA) expected approximately 4,000 people to attend the celebration throughout the day.

The actual turnout surpassed these expectations by roughly double.

This year, they’re preparing for even more people to attend the event, which is on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Hing Hay Park.

“I think it’ll be bigger because everybody from last year will be back and additional people will come,” said Nelson, program coordinator for the CIDBIA. She has played a major role in planning the celebrations.

The lion dance was a big hit at last year’s CIDBIA Lunar New Year Celebration. Families came from all over the Puget Sound area to the International District to snap photos and patronize local businesses. (Photo by Rebecca Ip)

CIDBIA staff members have organized the annual Lunar New Year celebration for about a dozen years, but last year’s event was especially successful.

“I would say [the celebration] really came into its own,” said Ellis, executive director for the CIDBIA.

Both Ellis and Nelson said last year’s success could be attributed to moving the event to Hing Hay Park and the local businesses’ involvement.

The celebration had previously been held in the nearby Union Station. Ellis and Nelson were having a hard time trying to create an authentic atmosphere through decorations and bringing in vendors. Holding the event in the park eliminated this challenge because everything they needed was already in the district.

In planning the event, Ellis said they have tried to stay true to tradition and hold a celebration that would be similar to what you’d see in China, where Lunar New Year is like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Western New Year combined into one celebration.

With booths set up in the park for arts and crafts, musical instruments, toys, and other fun activities, the celebration is expected to be a big one. Other activities include a scavenger hunt, a children’s costume parade, and live stage performances throughout the day, including two lion dance performances scheduled for 12.pm. and 2 p.m.

The fact that it’s the Year of the Tiger has also allowed them to be more creative in their planning, Nelson said.

There will be a tiger fun jump for children and a person walking around the park in a tiger costume.

She said they have also been working to get local businesses involved, whether it’s through participating in the scavenger hunt or offering special deals during the day of the event. The goal of the celebration is to welcome people into the district and encourage them to return.

With so much happening, an event this size cannot be planned overnight. Initial conversations began in September and the planning started in October. Ellis credits Nelson and CIDBIA Marketing Assistant Youlee Wang for the successful preparation.

Wang insists that organizing the celebration has been a group effort. “We all work together,” she said.

And through all the planning, the three women have worked to make the celebration more about family and culture than commercialization and bringing in vendor booths. As a result, the CIDBIA relies heavily on sponsors to fund the event.

“These sponsors really make it possible for us to not have to sell booth space,” Ellis said.

The majority of the sponsors are businesses in the International District, which the three women support because it keeps everything in the community.

The celebration’s title sponsor, for the second year in a row, is Snoqualmie Casino. Michael Barozzi, chief executive officer for Snoqualmie Entertainment Authority, which operates the casino, said it is an honor for them to participate in the celebration because they have received great support from the Asian and Asian American communities since the casino opened in November 2008.

“Sponsoring CIDBIA events such as Lunar New Year and the Summer Festival helps maintain the economic vitality of one of the most culturally important and historically significant districts in the city,” Barozzi said.

He said with all the activities planned for the event, he and his staff are looking forward to being a part of the festivities.

Ellis, Nelson, and Wang are also excited about the upcoming celebration. They are anxious to see the crowds during the celebration. They hope to hear people’s responses and their questions about the neighborhood. They are also hoping that Mother Nature treats them well.

“I just think it’s going to be lots of fun,” Nelson said. “As long as the weather cooperates.” (end)

For more information, visit CIDBIA.org.

Samantha Pak can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Snoqualmie Casino, in partnership with Kevin Stewart Productions, organized the Miss Northwest Asian Pacific Contest, a cultural pageant. It took place on Jan. 16 at the Snoqualmie Casino.

The goal of the event was to bring all Asian ethnicities together and share in the uniqueness of each respective culture.

Of the many women who auditioned, 24 contestants were chosen. The top eight winners earned monetary prizes that ranged from $500 to $5,000 while the rest of the contestants received $100.

The contestants modeled traditional gowns, evening gowns, and sportswear.

CAPTIONS: 1. Contestants of the Miss Northwest Asian Pacific Contest pose in the traditional gowns of their respective cultures. 2. Yuanyuan “Carol” Sykes (second place). 3. Pia Gillan smiles after she is crowned the winner. 4. Pia Gillan 5. Jenny Kim Nguyen (sixth place) 6. Kathryn Ngo (seventh place) 7. Rebecca Chung (third place) 8. Trang “Amy” Nguyen (fifth place) 9. ToQuynh Truong (fourth place) 10. Alam Park (eighth place)

Photos by Kevin Stewart Productions

By Shaodan Chen
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Last year, with the bad shape of the economy, 14 businesswomen of color not only stood out, but outdid their competition.

On Friday, Jan. 29, these women were honored at the Women of Color Empowered luncheon held at the China Harbor Restaurant in Seattle. Guests at the luncheon met with the 14 remarkable honorees who shared stories about the challenges and triumphs in their careers.

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By Vivian Miezianko
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Apart from opera singing, what does Yu Seok Oh, a 30-year-old, Korean-born baritone based in Shoreline, have in common with renowned opera singers Renée Fleming, Ben Heppner, and Hei-Kyung Hong?

Fleming, Heppner, and Hong were participants in the Metropolitan Opera National Council (MONC) auditions in the 1980s. Oh also participated and won at the MONC Western Washington & Alaska District Auditions last October and is going to sing at the MONC Northwest Regional Auditions on Feb. 7 at Meany Hall.

MONC auditions

The Metropolitan Opera (the Met) in New York City began an auditions program for young singers in 1935. In 1952, the MONC was formed by a group of opera devotees from around the country to support the Met through financial contributions and volunteer work, according to the MONC auditions handout. The goal in having the council organize and establish regional auditions was to make the auditions a nationwide event.

Yu Seok Oh (Photo by Vivian Miezianko/NWAW)

Participants are to be identified in the district competition, compete in the regional auditions, and go on to the national semifinals in New York. Ten finalists are selected for the National Grand Finals Concert.

The baritone Yu Seok Oh

Yu Seok Oh was born in Seoul. Being the youngest of six children, Oh credited his late father for encouraging him to pursue what he liked. Neither his parents nor any of his five older sisters were musicians. Oh liked rock music when he was younger.

When he was 10 years old, he was inspired by a teacher at school. He was also inspired by opera singers in Italy, especially the late Franco Corelli and Mario del Monaco. Oh started taking voice lessons and studying music seriously. He went on to become a voice major in college, where he met a teacher, Professor Yohan Kim, who inspired Oh to overcome some vocal problems. Oh completed his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree.

At the age of 24, Oh decided to further his voice study in Italy.

Speaking through his niece and translator, Lisa, Oh smiled, recalling, “In Italy, the teachers were strict and anxious about everything. Sometimes they screamed, sometimes they made students cry, sometimes they slapped students.” Oh, nevertheless, was not distressed by his professors. He had good relationships with them, and they liked him — as he was always smiling.

He picked Italy because “opera comes from Italy.”

Not only did Oh learn much at the conservatory, he acquired valuable onstage experience as well. He had the opportunity to sing in opera productions in Rome and other cities during his four-year stint there. He was once invited to perform at a city hall, and Koreans in the area went to support him. They were all very proud of Oh and saw him as a representative for Koreans. Oh also won awards in singing competitions in Italy.

Oh came to the United States in September 2008. He is currently dividing his time between the United States, Italy, and Korea. He performs, coaches, takes lessons from his current voice teacher Erich Parce, and takes care of his 3-year-old daughter. Whether he’s studying in Italy or leading a new life in the United States, Oh, like many immigrants arriving at their destinations, experienced culture shock and faced problems with the new language, people, and environments. But he strives to adapt to his new life here.

As for what his dream is, Oh said, “I’ve been here for over a year now. America has all kinds of music performances. I want to study a lot of things, especially music, and have a lot of experiences here.”
Besides being one of the winners at the Western Washington & Alaska District competition, Oh won the Audience Favorite Award. “I was lucky,” said Oh, modestly. “It was my first competition in America.”

Oh was not nervous about the upcoming regional auditions. He wants to serve as an inspiration to others. “I’ve met a lot of good teachers. I want to inspire other Asians to participate. In Italy, I knew of people being discriminated against because of their skin color. I hope those people can be inspired by me. Lots of Asians are good at singing.” (end)

The MONC Northwest Regional Auditions will be held at Meany Hall on the University of Washington campus on Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.nwauditions.com.

Vivian Miezianko can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

By Irfan Shariff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

International action film star Jackie Chan wants to prove that he can do more than just stunts. With the release of “Shinjuku Incident,” Jackie Chan proves he has a dark side.

From acclaimed Hong Kong director Derek Yee, “Shinjuku Incident” takes Chan’s character, Nick (a.k.a. Steelhead), and smuggles him out of China into a life of crime in Tokyo. Although, Steelhead tries to lead an honest life, strange twists of fate lead him back to the yakuza, the Japanese mafia.

Yee explains that he first had the idea for the film in the late 1990s when he heard news reports of illegal Chinese immigrants arriving in Japan. As he researched the idea, he became fascinated with migrant communities and their growth.

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By James Tabafunda
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Body image — or the perception of how one’s body looks — gets reassessed every January. In 2010, losing weight returns as one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions.

Forty-three percent of Asian American women said they considered themselves overweight. This statistic is based on a 1997 survey, which was made up of 234 women attending junior college. It found no ethnic differences in body image dissatisfaction among white women, Asian American women, and other minority women.

For Maureen Francisco, a former TV news anchor, who is an Issaquah resident and Filipino American, body image has become a cause for celebration as well as discussion.

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By Shaodan Chen
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Masako “Masa” Murakami, the last of four children in the well-known Murakami family, recently passed away on Jan. 29 at the age of 90.

Masa contributed to her family’s store, the Higo 10 Cent Store (later the Higo Variety Store), throughout her life with her enthusiasm for the imported household goods and business.

“She had a wonderful outgoing personality that was engaging, and she enjoyed meeting and conversing with customers and friends who visited the Higo store each day,” said Craig Murakami, Masa’s nephew. “For over 10 years, the Murakami family had many devoted customers and some came from far parts of the world, visiting the store each time they returned to Seattle.”

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Local stars can be attractive, too. It’s up to us to discover them.

If you were not among the 2,376 people in the audience at Celebrate Asia!, a remarkable performance showcasing Asian American talents collaborating with mainstream musicians, you missed one of the most exciting events in Seattle.

Held at the Benaroya Hall on Jan. 22, some of the most famous international pieces were featured, including the song “Jai Ho,” from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire.” Other pieces included the Chinese Butterfly Lovers concerto, the wedding march from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and excerpts from the opera “Carmen.” These tunes would even appeal to listeners who are mildly interested in orchestral music.

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By Ryan Pangilinan
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Like many Asian Americans, Edwaard Liang spent a part of his youth dabbling in various performing arts, whether it was playing the violin or being involved with martial arts. Yet, it was dance that has allowed him to build a respectable career as one of the most critically acclaimed ballet dancers and choreographers in the world.

“Basically, my parents and my sister [contributed to my career] — they were the ones who opened me to ballet,” recalled Liang.

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By Tini Tran
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SHENZHEN, China (AP) — The Chinese businessman battled for years to get cities to reveal their budgets, but his quest seemed quixotic in a country notorious for keeping citizens in the dark.

Then China did what would once have been unthinkable — it enacted an open-government policy, and last fall, Wu Junliang pressed his case with the Guangzhou city government. This time, to his surprise, he won — big time. The largest city in southern China put budget plans for all 114 municipal departments and agencies online. Astonished citizens flooded the website to download documents, causing it to crash by the second day.

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By Ravi Nessman
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW DELHI (AP) — The nursery school scramble is on.

Tens of thousands of parents across New Delhi are taking time off of work to complete applications, paying poorly disguised bribes to school officials, and obsessively checking websites in desperate bids to win spots in good private schools for their 3-year-olds.

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By Foster Klug
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is planning to sell $6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan, a move that will infuriate China and test whether President Barack Obama’s efforts to improve trust with Beijing will carry the countries through a tense time.

The notification to Congress, posted Friday, Jan. 30, on a Pentagon website, includes Black Hawk helicopters, Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles, mine hunter ships, and information technology. Congress has 30 days to comment before the plan goes forward. Senior lawmakers traditionally have supported such sales.

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