Author Archives: John

About John

I'm a Taiwanese-American and was born & raised in Western Massachusetts, went to college in upstate New York, worked in Connecticut, went to grad school in North Carolina and then moved out to the Bay Area in 1999 and have been living here ever since - love the weather and almost everything about the area (except the high cost of housing...)

The First Korean in Space Is a Woman

Posted on March 11, 2008 by John

As I had mentioned “One Giant Leap for Kimchi,” South Korea will be sending it’s first astronaut into space April 8th on a Russian rocket to to the International Space Station. However, that astronaut will no longer 31-year-old Ko San, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Observations | 4 Comments

Tang Wei: “Lust, Caution” actress banned in China

Posted on March 10, 2008 by John

According to news reports, Tang Wei, the Chinese actress made famous in Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution”, is currently band from all media in China – television, film, print, etc. As you may recall, “Lust, Caution” is a suspense-thriller set during … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Entertainment, Observations | 5 Comments

Fortune cookies help cops nab suspect

Posted on March 10, 2008 by John

I just read this Associated Press (AP) story “Fortune cookies help cops nab suspect” which I found pretty amusing: “TULSA, Okla.—Two fortune cookies helped Tulsa police make an arrest after a pair of break-ins Chinese restaurants. Terrence Middleton, 30, was … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Food & Drink, Observations | Leave a comment

13-Year-Old Blazes a Lane in Swimming’s Olympic Pool

Posted on March 10, 2008 by John

In “13-Year-Old Blazes a Lane in Swimming’s Olympic Pool,” Lia Neal is profiled as is quite possibly on her way to the Olympics in August. In January, in her last competition in a 50-meter pool before turning 13 on Feb. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 1 Comment

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food

Posted on March 9, 2008 by John

In The New York Times article, “Wok,” writers Jane and Michael Stern review a fellow New York Times writer Jennifer 8. Lee’s book (yes, 8, as in “8 Asians“) “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food“: … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Food & Drink, Observations | 4 Comments

NBC Nightly News: For some students, college dreams within closer reach

Posted on March 8, 2008 by John

In an NBC Nightly News segment, “For some students, college dreams within closer reach, ” NBC discusses the growing trend for “wealthy” and “elite” non-profit universities to use their large endowments to help off-set the expense of outrageously expensive tuition … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Observations | 4 Comments

Big Breasts Prove Japanese Bikini Model’s Innocence

Posted on March 7, 2008 by John

I wonder if this blog headline caught your attention? 🙂 A friend of mine sent me this link about Japanese Bikini model Serena Kozakura: “The model, who goes by her professional name of Serena Kozakura, had been sentenced to 14 … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Observations | 6 Comments

The Worst 60 Second Chinese Commercial You Will Ever Watch

Posted on March 6, 2008 by John

The Wall Street Journal reports today in “Ad’s Insult to Industry in China?” about a TV commercial by a local Chinese company had annoyed television viewing audiences. The Chinese television viewer is a much more sophisticated consumer these days, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Observations | 8 Comments

San Jose: 2,500 voices call for ‘Little Saigon’

Posted on March 3, 2008 by John

As I had blogged about before, there has been quite a bit of controversy about a section of San Jose being officially designated by the city as “Saigon Business District” as opposed to “Litte Saigon.” San Jose has one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Observations, Politics | 6 Comments

Ni Hao, Kai Lan: The Mainstreaming of Chinese Culture

Posted on March 3, 2008 by John

In “The mainstreaming of Chinese culture, in a new kids’ TV show,” the Associated Press writes about Nick Jr.’s (as in Nickelodeon Jr.) new children’s animated show, “Ni Hao, Kai-lan“: “Ni Hao, Kai-lan” (nihao means hello in Mandarin) premiered Feb. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Entertainment, Observations | 8 Comments

Barack ‘Fauxbama’ ‘black enough’ on ‘SNL’?

Posted on March 2, 2008 by John

Last Saturday, Saturday Night Live’s Fred Armisen played presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama in the opening skit, in a faux CNN debate against Hillary Clinton, parodying the apparent favorable and fawning coverage by the press of Obama. Armisen’s racial background … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Discrimination, Entertainment, Observations, Politics | 6 Comments

New Zealand Murder Suspect Caught in Georgia

Posted on March 1, 2008 by John

I caught this interesting piece of news on the web. Chinese-Kiwi fugitive Nai Yin Xue was caught in Georgia, as reported in this AP story, “New Zealand Murder Suspect Caught in Georgia“: “A Chinese-language magazine publisher accused of killing his … Continue reading →

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