Volume 2 Issue 10 2008 $4.95 control alt delete Liberating users from a censored cyberspace Untouchables Dalits in India break caste Professionally Underemployed How Jinjing made the leap from job to career Nudie Jeans Thou shalt not wash Wealth Management to Suit the Sophistication of Your Business Our clients are among the top in their respective fields. They demand the best financial advice and our passion is their prosperity. Can we help you? To find out, please call to arrange an appointment. 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We’ve launched a Bachelor of Business Administration program and in March our business students won seven awards at the BC Colleges’ Annual Business Simulation Competition, more than any other college in the province. We’ve grown into our new skin as a college. And we’ll never stop growing. We always need to find ways to change, with the focus being the learner. Our employees here can lead the way by coming up with new ideas. They can share the ways they teach, do research and develop processes and procedures to do things better. The people here, our students and the president employees, are an integral part of our success. They’re our comEvery year in early January Langara College celebrates Seijin munity. They don’t need a figurehead. I’m saying this because pretty soon I’ll be retiring. I plan to Shiki. It’s a coming of age ceremony for students in the Takudai Program. They come to Langara from Takushoku University in do volunteer work, to spend time in my garden, to learn to play Tokyo to study English and to gain academic skills. The ceremony the piano and to travel and visit my family. I’ll be thinking back fondly toward my years at Langara College and how it came of marks the year they turn 20, the age of majority in Japan. Langara itself has come of age. It started as a campus of age while I was here. The funny thing is that when I started at Vancouver Community College in October 1970 and in April Langara, I never had the wildest dreams of becoming president. 1994 became a self-governing college. Since then, our facilities The position was an amazing opportunity that came along. It’s and programs have grown. We’ve figured out ways of doing been an eye-opening, humbling, enjoyable experience. I’ll things that attract students and make this a great place to work leave knowing we’ve got our feet on the ground. The college’s and to learn. For example, we’ve developed Langara Cares, a future is in the hands of the people who are here and I know it program that allows students to volunteer in areas such as will be bright. —Linda Holmes the publisher We’ve all heard tales about immigrants who can’t find work occupation he was born into. An international organization, the in their field despite high-level qualifications. We’ve heard of Dalit Freedom Network, is helping educate children like Ranjit so doctors who work as housekeepers and lawyers who become they can escape the bonds of their caste. Many members of the taxi drivers. This issue of Pacific Rim Magazine examines the network are Dalits themselves. immigrant experience and adds an optimistic twist. Writer Chris It’s fitting that this 20th anniversary issue explores ways Vandergaag interviewed electrical engineer Jinjing Guo, whose people try to help others. The interesting thing is that some job after arriving from China was packaging cosmetics on an of the helpers have shared the same experiences as those they assembly line. With the help of a mentor—another Chinese help. Certainly, having a common background can encourage immigrant who is a senior mechanical engineer at BC Hydro— people to get involved in a cause, but reading about these she is making her way up the ranks at that company. problems can do that too. I hope, when you read these and Also in this issue, Heather Vince writes about India’s Dalits, other stories you will think about the people being portrayed pejoratively known as the Untouchables. Ranjit, an 11-year-old and what you can do to make this a better world for them and Dalit boy, has spent his days scraping toilets, because it’s the for everyone. —Elizabeth Rains the editors Thematically, this year’s edition of Pacific Rim looks at people ing for the opportunities available to them and embracing them. who are dissatisfied with the circumstances before them—circum- They sprung into action to make a better life for themselves. We hope that despite some of the bleak situations we presstances that are often totally out of their control. But how you react to the illegitimate options is key—many of the ent in this issue, you will see the hope. people spotlighted in this magazine persevered, withdrew, sought —Christina Thiele, Chris Vandergaag, Anastasia Koutalianos, help or revolted. They were able to make their lives better by look- Sandie Bird, Philemon Thomas 04•prm•08 INSIDE PRM 2008 22 32 26 30 Features 22 Compact Capsules BY ANASTASIA KOUTALIANOS Pod hotels offer the weary traveller a little luxury 26 Breaking Caste BY HEATHER VINCE The plight of India’s most oppressed people is taken up by the Dalit Freedom Network 30 One Bored For Another BY CHRISTINA THIELE Japan’s corporate culture can be deadly—some trade in their briefcases for surfboards 32 Internet Censorship in China BY FRANCIS BAPTISTE Cybercops in China are watching every click and download 36 Thank You For Your Interest… BY CHRIS VANDERGAAG Highly qualified immigrants run into the ‘Canadian experience required’ barrier 47 Cambodia: Portrait of Faded Power PHOTOS BY MARK GALLOWAY, ESSAY BY CHRISTINA THIELE Remnants of the once-powerful Angkor Empire remind us that even powerful empires fall 61 Very Superstitious BY SANDIE BIRD Unfortunate 4s—superstitions in Chinese culture ON THE COVER model Emily Rowed; photography Eric Cairns; post-production Trifon Marchovski 12 Departments 58 14 Profiles 14 Talking to Strangers BY JOHN SHELLING 08 Well-being 52 Travel 16 Society 58 Fusion Fare 42 Environment 62 Horoscope 28 Shutter Speeds Artist Germaine Koh’s interactive world BY KATIE TEED 56 The Art of Taiga Chiba Toshi Kawano takes to the slopes of Whistler BY PAULA GRASDAL Taiga Chiba finds beauty in the unexpected Elizabeth Rains Giselle Lemay Terry Van Roon PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MANAGING ART DIRECTOR MANAGING PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Keith Murray Neil Amsler, Kevin McMillan Michelle Knaut AD SALES MANAGER COMPUTER MANAGERS SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGER Christina Thiele Chris Vandergaag Philemon Thomas MANAGING EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anastasia Koutalianos Sandie Bird FEATURES EDITOR FOOD EDITOR EDITORIAL ART John Shelling Kristy Gunson Paula Grasdal Heather Vince ART DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Natalie Mason Jason B. Upton Jon Yurechko Trifon Marchovski DESIGNER/PRODUCTION ARTIST DESIGNER/PRODUCTION ARTIST DESIGNER/PRODUCTION ARTIST PHOTO EDITOR Vanessa Marshall Irina Kapinos Trifon Marchovski PRODUCTION DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PRODUCTION ARTIST/IMAGE SPECIALIST Francis Baptiste George Pitaru PRODUCTION ARTIST PRODUCTION ARTIST/IMAGE SPECIALIST PRODUCTION ADVERTISING Vince Jiu Parm Walia Andrew Jack, Aman Khera, Natalie Mason, Jason B. Upton AD TRAFFIC MANAGER ASSOCIATE AD TRAFFIC MANAGER ADVERTISING DESIGNERS/PRODUCTION ARTISTS Katie Teed Sandie Bird Parm Walia Kejo Buchanan PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR SPECIAL EVENTS ASSISTANT PROMOTIONS 06•prm•08 Board of Directors Linda Holmes, Chair Linda Arnold Giselle Lemay Keith Murray Ken Pawlak Elizabeth Rains Terry Van Roon it’s sushi time. Thanks Midori Seo, Anne Yeo, Susej Ybab, Ann Calla, Students from Studio 58, Video Pool, Muzi Tea, Jan Floody, Bismarck Silva, Elyse Freeborn, Milena Placentile, Veronika Baspaly, Natsumi Akatsuaa, Lark, Kikuyo Matsui, Sean Colina, Brenna Millard, Jessica Marshall Ad Sales Mark Zoleta, Malcolm Wheeler, Kirsten Wong, Kyle Scully, Candice Currie, Angela Quan, Osric Chau, James Beare, Justin Nutt, Marco Renzitti, Martin Szpyra, Justin Crosby, Amanda Anderson, Steven Evans, Arnold Yuki, Natasha Woodhouse, Anastasia Koutalianos Photographers Kaela Smith, Eric Cairns, Mark Galloway, Brandon Gaukel, Laura Nguyen, Sarah Leask Andrew Hudyma, Daniel Elstone, Becky Lloyd, Trifon Marchovski, Michal Russel, Jessica Jacobson Photo Contributors John R. Burgreen III, Vanessa Marshall, Toshi Kawano, Kaori Kawano, Leslie Biggar, Brent Richter, Dalit Freedom Network Feature Page Researchers Corrinne Loewen, Joanne Chilton, Daoyin Lau, Tara Thompson, Jacob Fehr, Colleen Wall, Lu Liu, Danielle Scrafton, Annette Oram, Jodi Caddick, Brenda Alm, Amanda Gay, Tina West, Rob Deeth, Judy Bereti, Joanne Soo, Cassandra Smith, Donna Ellis, Nicole Brazeau, Kashmira Dastur, Sheri Ostapovich, Dave Enns, Jessica Liu, Nicole Smith, Eleanor Chadwick, Stacey Steil, Jessica Coupe, Helen Cho, Galina Neklyadova, Pam Walden, Heather Duff, Sophie Chiasson, Mirielle Quamme, Pia Hilton, Brenda Jamieson, Ana Cheimak, Nicole Foth, Bridget Riversmoore, Yvette Ipsaralexi, Kejo Buchanan, Kara Morgan, Jenny Hardisty, Michael Betmanis, Snjezana Gudelj, Sarah Rees, Laverne Hamilton, Caroline Dobbeck, Raphael Abramoff, Dale Credico, Steven Read, Kathleen Taylor, Cortney Taylor, Lina Fontana, Charlene Brook, Elena Vohmianina, Aaron MacPherson, Raili Haapalainen, Jacqueline Martin 2516 Granville Street Vancouver, BC V6H 3G8 tel: 604-733- 6162 fax: 604-733-2718 www.vestaproperties.com Our mission is to create the most beautiful, affordable homes within the best designed master-planned communities we can. Suite 101A – 9770 196A Street Langley, BC V1M 2X5 Telephone: 604-888-7869 If you invested $100,000 in the Independence Income Growth Account in March 2000, it would be worth $308,941 as of February 28, 2008. How’s your portfolio doing? For further information please call Daniel Cruz at 1.800.663.1899 Contact me today for a 3 Month trial of Nick Majendie’s Weekly Strategy Notes at daniel_cruz@canaccord.com Daniel Cruz Investment Advisor 604-643-0228 *Past performance is no guarantee of future performance and as with all equity investing, capital can be lost. Above Figures reflect performance of Canaccord’s Income Growth Portfolio. 08•prm•07 well-being > photo by Laura Nguyen Coffee:You’ve Met Your Matcha Superfood: a type of food believed to have health benefits beyond those of more common foods because of specific phytonutrient content. Matcha is such a food. by Kristy Gunson Once served to Japanese royalty and known as the ‘Emperor’s Tea,’ the ultra-healthy matcha green tea is becoming popular across the west coast. From purists to fashionistas, North Americans are ditching their daily cup of joe for a cup of matcha tea. This fine, powdered tea has been around for centuries and with its undeniable health benefits—it has 10 times the nutrients of regular green tea—matcha is considered today’s golden ‘superfood.’ Shade-grown in Japan, young matcha leaves are harvested only once a year in early spring. The leaves are carefully handpicked, steamed, dried and separated. The stems and veins are removed, leaving only the fleshy, nutrient-rich part of the leaves. They are then slowly stone-ground into a fine powder to ensure 08•prm•08 that the natural chlorophyll, amino acids and vitamins of the leaves are protected. Using a bamboo whisk, the powder is stirred into the water rather than steeped. By consuming the entire leaf, the body is able to absorb 100% of its nutrients. A cup of steeped tea, by comparison, contains only 5–10% of the available nutrients—most of which aren’t water-soluble and end up in the trash along with the tea bag and tea leaves. Matcha tea was introduced over 800 years ago in the Song Dynasty in Southern China when a Zen Buddhist monk brought the tea from China to Japan. In the tradition of Zen, the drinking of tea became a ceremony based on the four rituals of harmony, purity, tranquility and respect. With a new philosophy for tea, the Japanese tea ceremony was born. Through the teachings of the tea masters, the spirit of the tea ceremony entered into Japanese life and culture. Keeping with tradition, matcha tea has changed little since its origin and is successfully standing out against other alternatives. Compared to other green teas on the market, matcha contains approximately 10–15 times the antioxidants per serving. Regular matcha drinkers enjoy a metabolic rate increase of 30–40%, which could aid in weight loss. Most medical journals that tout green tea’s ability to impact disease assume a consumption amount of 5–10 cups of fresh green tea per day, which is rare for most North Americans to achieve. However, with one cup of matcha, which is equivalent to 10–15 cups of regular green tea, the quota is met in one warm slurp. For centuries, Zen Buddhist monks have been drinking the powdered tea to stay awake and relaxed during hours of meditation. Unlike tea’s close cousin, coffee, matcha is full of nutrients. When consumed, the caffeine in coffee immediately enters the bloodstream and the effect peaks after 30–45 minutes, followed by a caffeine crash. The combination of nutrients found in matcha causes the caffeine in the tea to react much differently: the caffeine is slowly released into the bloodstream resulting in ‘time-released’ dosages over 6–8 hours. The slow release of caffeine prevents insulin and adrenal spikes and blood sugar levels are maintained. Potential negative side effects are also balanced by the relaxing and calming influence of the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine is exclusive to green tea and affects the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. It also has the unique ability to stimulate the production of alpha waves in the brain, creating a calm alertness and relaxed mental clarity. (Alpha waves can also be stimulated in the brain by taking a warm bath or receiving a soothing massage.) North Americans are finally catching on to what Zen monks and tea masters have known for hundreds of years. Matcha is becoming a household name and can be found in everything from lattes and desserts to skincare products. For those who haven’t acquainted their palette with the described wheat-grassy taste of matcha, a Vancouver-based company, Domo, offers a sweet alternative: matcha infused with cane sugar and flavoured with chocolate, vanilla or ginger. No matter what your preference, the matcha trend is likely to stay. It may just be the best natural food you can dr ink and eat. CALL THE CARPENTER REAL ESTATE GROUP WHEN BUYING OR SELLING YOUR HOME 604.880.0037 R E A L E S TAT E G R O U P Scott Carpenter Re/Max Select Properties 250-4255 Arbutus St, Vancouver, BC V6J 4R1 Scott@CarpenterRealEstateGroup.com www.CarpenterRealEstateGroup.com Woo Woodhouse W oodhouse an a and nd A Associates sso soci ciat attes iis a sa Full-Service F ull--S -Servvice Audio-Visual Audio-V Viis sua u l Rental Rental Company Ren Com ompany ny We e havve a larg ge, up-tto-d date in nven nto ory off: • Sin nglle//Dou ublle Trusss Scrreen ns • Drrapess • Videeo Pro ojeccto ors • VC CRss • Mo onittorrs & TV Vs • Co omp puter Equip pmeentt • Vid deo o/P PC Switcchin ng • Au udio o Equipm ment • Miisceelllaneeou us 107-8898 Heather St Vancouver, BC V6P 3S8 Tel: 604-879-1042 Fax: 604-879-1057 email: general@woodhouseav.com jaimez@abbtechmfg.com Mobile 778.839.3946 ELECTRONIC INTERFACING & SCREENPRINT SOLUTIONS JAIME ZOLETA SALES & ENGINEERING Advanced Graphics: Engineered Products: Lexan Overlays, Decals / Labels, POS, Banners, Meteor Digital Offset & Screen Printing Membrane Switches, Instrument Panels, LED / EL Precision Die Cutting / Die Making, Shielding & Insulators 103–2633 Viking Way, Richmond BC V6V 1N3 08•prm•09 Mystery Touch Shiatsu provides unlimited health benefits and requires just a little know-how, a pair of hands and a blanket. by Trifon Marchovski photo by Jessica Jacobson Ted Thomas, Director of the Sourcepoint Shiatsu When you are sad and someone gives you a hug, you somehow feel better. When you massage your temples Centre in Vancouver and creator of the Shiatsu Therapy after a long day of work, you inadvertently stimulate a pres- Program at Langara College, has been practicing shiatsu sure point that clears your vision and relaxes your eyes. since 1984. He describes shiatsu as a unity between body, When you have a headache, you hold your forehead and mind and spirit—a dynamic form of meditation between two people who are sharing and exploring their energy at somehow feel relief. This magical response to touch is the basis of shiatsu the same time. Thomas says,“It’s not like I take my energy and give it to someone. It is more sharing —a form of Japanese therapy designed to and communicating back and forth stimulate the body's inner ability to heal it- It’s really all about self. The Japanese word shiatsu translates to balancing energy to between my patients and me. I relax, watch my posture and breath and let the ‘finger pressure,’ so naturally, shiatsu therapy rest happen by itself.” entails applying manual pressure to specific achieve a healthy The tools required for a shiatsu treatareas of the body, to assess and treat a vari- & harmonized state ment are as simple as a pair of hands and ety of conditions. The philosophy behind shiatsu therapy is that touch a place to lie down. “All you really need is a cotton mat or a can balance energy flow throughout the body and retrieve blanket and you have enough,” says Thomas. Differing from its natural healing power. Practitioners of shiatsu believe conventional western medicine, shiatsu uses our own the human body has a network of pathways through which energy to unify the body. It tunes our inner intelligence and energy flows, with different parts of the body having their heals the causes, not the symptoms of our sicknesses. own level of energy. It’s really all about balancing energy to Healing with energy is difficult to comprehend because no achieve a healthy and harmonized state through kneading, one can see or touch it: it cannot be sold in pill form or rubbing, tapping and stretching—applied directly over the under a brand name by a pharmaceutical company. It is within us,and as powerful as life itself. patient’s ‘energy pathways.’ 10•prm•08 A SMART MOVE • Key Advantage the Ultimate in Home Insurance Coverage • Premier Coverages at Exceptional Value illustration by John Shelling A Shot at Love Choreographed flirtation, all-nighters, and maybe, a free Mercedes… welcome to the world of professional hosting. by Natalie Mason You’ve had a tough day at the office but at least your “date” is stunning. When you crack a joke that probably isn’t funny, you get a generous laugh. You feel she’d be the lover of your dreams. This means your host is doing her job. Welcome to the world of hosting in Japan. Hosting is a profession of conversational flirtation. Hosts can be male or female and they generally work in luxurious clubs. Customers arrive and leave behind their stressfilled lives for an evening full of carefully choreographed, gracious flattery. Good hosts will be able to keep their customers blind to the fact they are being charmed with a routine—maybe there’s a possibility for romance. Top hosts make the customer feel like he’s at a club with his own girlfriend and make him feel powerful and respected. The majority of clientele are wealthy businessmen. But for female clients, the allure of Host Clubs is the opportunity for an unobtrusive, hassle-free conversation with a handsome man. In an environment where a man’s desires are usually a priority, this can be a welcome change. Don’t show up to a Host Club without your wallet. Like most clubs, alcohol is the main source of revenue and bottles of alcohol can cost upwards of 100,000 yen ($900.00 CAD). Hosts drink with their clients, who are footing the entire bill. The more the host drinks, the higher the revenue for the bar, resulting in an enormous amount of alcohol consumption—the pressure the clubs put on hosts to drink is enormous. So not surprisingly, alcohol drinking is a skill that is taught in host training. The finest hosts can recall the smallest of details concerning their numerous clients: they discreetly record information—hobbies, work, friends, birthdays. With up to 30 clients at a time, this notepad of facts becomes a host’s livelihood. Becoming a client’s designated host or hostess is the reward for demonstrating enough devotion to their client and a top host can make more in a month than most make in a year. And not to mention the lavish gifts—watches, cars, even apartments. But the working life of a host or hostess is very short. One has to be young and have stamina. Every night is an all-nighter. The alcohol consumption is vast and yes, hosts must secretly frequent the restroom where they force themselves to vomit. There is a tremendous health cost involved. These clubs often attract vulnerable young girls who can end up derailing their lives. Nonetheless, if she’s a top hostess, you have no inkling that she’s been up for two days straight and that this is her 17th shot of brandy tonight. Nor is it your concern—you are lost in the club’s fantasy world. But you are surprised and flattered that she remembered your mother’s birthday is coming up. Perhaps this one really is falling for you, maybe this could be it. • Start Saving Money Now, all it takes is a call to our offices Brunette Insurance 604-939-2425 Coquitlam Key Insurance Services 604-982-3100 North Vancouver Whistler Insurance Shoppe 604-932-3888 Whistler style vision eyewear insight 219 Abbott Street Vancouver B.C V6B 2K7 tel: 604.662.8300 bruceye@telus.net 08•prm•11 The Naked Truth About Denim Nudie Jeans not only guarantee a great pair of legs, but they also strive to be as environmentally conscious as they are fashion conscious. by Jon Yurechko Brand new raw denim (left) and a pair of the same jeans three years later (right) photo by Brandon Gaukel What has its own bible, costs about $300.00 and is blue all over? Why, they are Nudie Jeans of course, made by a Swedish company that uses Japanese selvedge denim. It claims to have uncovered the naked truth about denim and strives to be as socially conscious as it is fashion conscious. The key is the use of Japanese selvedge denim, which is dark, dry and rigid feeling. Nudies are made of cotton picked 12•prm•08 from farms where no pesticides are used; it’s less harmful to workers and to the environment, as pesticides sprayed on cotton farms poison local groundwater. The end result: untreated and unwashed jeans—a welcome departure from distressed, fauxdirty and whiskered denims of seasons past. Unlike cheaper stretch denim, selvedge denim is woven on a special loom that uses a single thread throughout the entire bolt of fabric, leaving the selvedge end of the fabric on the side seam of the jeans. Subsequently, they do not fray and last a long time—over 10 years in some cases—and do not lose their shape. This high-end clothier has gone on to create an intense subculture for its devoted jean lovers, inspiring websites like www.mynudies.com: a forum for devotees to gather and gush over their gorgeous leg wear. Nudie has published The Nudie Jeans Bible: a compendium of all things relevant to the brand, current on the line’s history and techniques. The bible is comprised of 10 commandments in proper staunch piety towards denim and includes such gems as ‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s jeans bum’ and ‘Honour your jeans by treating them well and wear them everyday.’ However, the most regarded and followed commandment is ‘You shall not use the washing machine too early; wait at least six months.’ Not washing your jeans for six months? It may sound outrageous, but there is a rationale. Nudie Jeans Co. dyes its denim with indigo rope-dyed cotton yarn. The jean’s indigo dyes will bleed through wear. Hence, the cardinal rule of waiting six months to wash your jeans—lest the perfect organic indigos fade and the pants lose their colour—is adhered to by Nudie wearers. By avoiding the washing machine, the indigo is naturally worn away in the creases of the garment. Upon first washing, the jeans worn-in creases will fade in colour and a gorgeous contrast will be achieved. Those patient enough and careful to avoid any stains are rewarded for their devotion with a great pair of legs. The jeans range from $200.00 to $300.00 a pair—a steep price for those used to the swath of nearly identical, less expensive stretch d e n i m j e a n s . H oweve r, t h e s e spectacular pants are expensive for a reason. To get the full effect of the wash, the owner must wear them practically every day for several months. As such, these jeans are created with comfort in mind and a flattering cut, coaxing people to fall in love with their European charm and to wear them religiously—even after their first wash. Hence, they surpass those cheaper jeans and are a true investment, like, oh say, real estate? Except on your legs. Thou shalt not use the washing machine too early, wait at least six months City. City Golf. footnote Where to get Nudies: Lark, a boutique on Main Street, Vancouver, offers the best selection of Nudies in the city. Lark was the first store in Vancouver to carry the label, but you can now find Nudies at Dutil in downtown Vancouver and Paul’s Boutique in Surrey. photo by Brandon Gaukel City Dealer. Clarkdale Motors Ltd. 4575 Main Street Vancouver, BC V5V 3R4 (604) 872-5431 www.clarkdale.com 08•prm•13 14•prm•08 courtesy Germaine Koh by John Shelling photos by Brandon Gaukel Vancouver artist Germaine Koh exhibits interactive art in which the viewer is turned participant. Her latest exhibit, Call, mixes telephone and strangers. The results are fascinating. You walk into the lobby of a building. There is a telephone on a table. The phone looks like a rotary taxi phone from a bar or a line to the concierge in a hotel, except the rotary dial has been replaced with an LCD screen, which reads “lift handset.” Perhaps a little confused, you comply and place it against your ear. There is a dial tone and someone picks up. You realize there is no context for this call. The only words anywhere around the phone are on its face, “lift handset,” and you have accomplished that. What’s next? You talk, feeling your way through the next few minutes of dialogue with a stranger. Awkward or relaxed, exciting or bland, trivial or meaningful—the conversation could be about anything two people would talk about. When you hang up, the conversation will only exist in memory. Call is a project created by Vancouverbased artist Germaine Koh. During this project Koh places a modified telephone in a building’s lobby. The telephone is modified so that as soon as someone picks up the receiver it dials a telephone number much like a taxi phone. But instead of connecting you to such a service, the phone connects you to a stranger, and because there is no context for the call, the conversation that ensues can take on many forms. Koh’s works are conceived for an accidental audience. In Call, the participant is misled by the everyday qualities of object and setting: a phone set in a lobby. The artwork isn’t activated until the participant engages with it. This is a fundamental difference that separates her artwork from more traditional paintings or sculptures created beforehand and then displayed in a gallery. Her art exists in the real world, in real time. “[Germaine] loves the idea of someone picking [up the phone] and thinking that they are trying to phone a cab,” says Milena Placentile, programme coordinator at Video Pool, a media art centre in Winnipeg where Call was exhibited in November 2007. “[They think to themselves] ‘Wait a minute, what’s going on?’ It is sort of a frisson in daily life. Just this little difference where all of a sudden you have to think in a new way about what happened and then that experience stays with you maybe a little longer than if you’re like: ‘Oh this is art, okay, now I’m having an art experience.’” This art experience has been offered in six cities: Kingston, Ottawa, San Jose, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. The project begins when Koh puts a listing on Craigslist for volunteers. These volunteers are integral to the project because it is their phone numbers that are being preprogrammed into the phones. When the participants pick up the phone, they are connected to a volunteer and the encounter is set into motion. When it’s over, participants are invited to share their experiences on Koh’s website. In one interaction, a volunteer and a participant shared tips on dating—the participant was preparing for a first date. After the date he came back to the telephone to try to phone the same volunteer. Because the numbers are dialed randomly he had to go through the process of dialing several times to find the same volunteer. Eventually they reconnected and they continued the conversation post-date. “I thought that we would find the gamut of possible phone behaviours,” Koh explains of her broad expectations, “ranging from people who would be quite rude to people who would get into quite involved conversations and then everything in between.” Judging by the varied responses found on her website, it seems Call was a success. In the context of the gallery, it is generally understood that artwork is not to be touched.Within Koh’s work, viewer interaction is essential.To overcome this obstacle she uses everyday objects that suggest interaction to viewers. By taking away the preciousness from her artwork, viewers feel comfortable engaging with the pieces. When viewers come across a phone they understand the existing social conventions of engaging someone on the phone. Koh describes herself as a visual artist who creates conceptually-generated work concerned with the significance of everyday actions. Her practice makes an “argument for the monumentality of these mundane dramas” like typing on a keyboard, talking on a phone to a stranger and sending a text message. When someone stumbles upon these curiosities, they don’t always realize they are interacting with art. This approach, to the curious nature of people, engages Koh’s viewers nections between people and in creating situations in which people recognize their connection with other people.” This common thread runs through all of her projects. With Journal, Koh posts her daily journal, where she writes personal and revealing thoughts about her life, in classified ads and on roadside signs. During the 2007 Ingenuity Festival, Cleveland’s festival of art and technology, her journal was displayed on an electronic news ticker in a highly populated area. There were excerpts from her journal intermingled with the headlines from the day’s news. This exhibition of thoughts Koh’s works are conceived for an accidental audience and allows them to become the catalyst of their own experience. “I have faith that people have the ability to work through how to operate and use the pieces and also think about the issues around [them].” Born in Malaysia, Koh immigrated to Canada at the age of two. Although she grew up in a small town, she spent her educational years in larger cities. She received a BFA in studio art and a BA in theory and art history from the University of Ottawa in 1989 and 1990 respectively. In 1993, she graduated from Hunter College of the City University of New York with a Masters of Fine Arts. She was not planning on becoming an artist; but she found it to be the best fit with her wide range of interests. “I am interested in making con- added a very personal touch to what is usually a very stark and cold method of disseminating information. Koh’s attempts to reach people through small mundane outlets makes her work accessible to an audience outside the art world. Her art empowers her viewers and gives them an outlet for their own voice. She makes connections between people without alienating them. 08•prm•15 society > artwork by Trifon Marchovski based on photo by Daniel Elstone What’s in your toys? Reports of millions of Chinese-made toys pulled from store shelves in recent months have made cautious shoppers of Canadian parents. But lead paint in Chinese factories is simply not the whole story—many toys are unsafe due to basic design flaws. by Jason B. Upton On March 18, 2008, Mega Brands issued a recall affecting half a million toys deemed unsafe. A year ago, such an announcement would have incited outrage but at this point, few are shocked. The half-million toy recall announced by Mega Brands covered a line of magnetic toys over fears children could aspirate or suffer serious intestinal injuries if the magnets were swallowed. Recently, numerous toy companies have recalled many products. Reasons vary, from contamination from lead-based paints to choking hazards. Toy companies like Mattel, along with its subsidiary FisherPrice, have pulled millions of toys over the past year, citing the use of harmful chemicals, choking risks and unacceptable levels of lead used in manufacturing. According to the Asia Pacific 16•prm•08 Foundation of Canada, Mattel recalled about 20 million Chinesemade toys on August 14, 2007 alone. Particularly frightening was the recall of a product called Aqua Dots. The craft toy is coated with a toxic substance that, if swallowed, can lead to coma, seizure and respiratory failure—this is a toy that looks like a piece of candy. Nigel and Kerri Springthorpe are the parents of a two and a half year-old boy, Fin, and like most parents, find the recalls perplexing. They concede toy safety used to be an afterthought. Today they advocate all parents make “educated, informed toy-shopping decisions.” But reasoned verdicts are often at odds with children’s wishes. Saturday morning cartoons, with their onslaught of toy commercials, dictate what youngsters will beg for on the next trip to the toy store. While a locally-built educational toy might be the better bet, when it comes down to it, parents just want to make their kids happy. Also, toys made in China invariably cost less than ones made locally. More often than not, the cost issue and the ‘nag factor’ win out. Kerri says motherhood has made her wary of the potential toxicity of the world at large. “You can really drive yourself crazy thinking about it,” she laments. It’s getting easier: the Canadian government has launched a website that helps parents find up-to-date information about recalled products at www.healthycanadians.gc.ca. This website features a comprehensive list of every toy recalled in Canada and is regularly updated. The list is complete with photographs, making it easier for parents to pinpoint a flagged product. Brief descriptions of the toys, lists of the hazards they may possess and manufacturers’ contact information are also included. The scares have raised the antennae of parents everywhere. Nigel believes a consumer should be able to trust a toy brand. “They’re big companies and it’s a toy. And it should be safe,” he says. At any rate, a toy company is never the sole scapegoat; the manufacturers who supply them have also taken heat in the debacle. Toy factories, under heavy pressure to produce toys in high volume and at low cost, have been known to compromise quality and safety to stay competitive— cutting corners on their own accord by using cheaper, lead-based paint on a production run, among other things. However, Hari Bapuji, Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration at the I.H. Asper School of Business, and Professor of International Business Paul W. Beamish at the Richard Ivey School of Business found that although the number of recalls of Chinese-made toys have been on a rise, the root of these recalls was frequently design defects and not shoddy manufacturing. In their published findings, Bapuji and Beamish outline two directives for toy companies: “Ensure the accountability of toy companies to improve their product designs, and second, encourage the development of global standards to enhance product safety.” In the wake of the most recent recall, Beamish reiterated his stance in a statement to The Globe and Mail. “Design problems are three-quarters of the reasons for all toy recalls,” Beamish says. “I think that we definitely need more attention paid to design issues and qualitycontrol issues.” Data Networking and Assemblies Ltd. DNA is a world-class manufacturer of state of the art Cable Harnesses and Assemblies and a Distributor of Wire Management Products. 4510 Beedie Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5J 5L2 • Toll Free Phone # 1-888-292-3362 • Tel: 604-439-1099 • Fax: 604-439-1187 The fastest way to find your new home! Real Estate in Squamish A Global Passionate Community "It's really about our LIFESTYLE and I can show you why" Contact Debbie Anderson Direct: 604–898–6837 Cell: 604–815–8043 Fax: 604–898–9325 Email: realtor@seatosky-homes.com Black Tusk Realty Office #3–1900 Garibaldi Way Garibaldi Highlands, BC V0N 1T0 www.seatosky–homes.com 08•prm•17 Better City, Better Life? The 2010 World Expo will be held in Shanghai—a city under major construction to host more than 180 countries. But will new buildings and pavilions be able to provide the better city and better life that is hoped for in China? by Vanessa Marshall illustrations by Jon Yurechko For the first time in history, a World Exposition will be held in a developing nation. The World Expo Shanghai 2010 gives China an opportunity to show the world what it has to offer. As one of the fastest growing cities in history, Shanghai is the ideal place to host an Expo themed “Better City, Better Life”—an exploration of the evolution of the city and urban living in the 21st century. Shanghai is currently home to over 20 million people and is experiencing unprecedented growth. Since the first World Exposition in London in 1851, Expos have become massive hubs for economic, socio-cultural, scientific and technological information exchange. Furthermore, besides the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, World Expos have the largest economic impact on a host country. They are unique in the specific ways they benefit the host country, other countries and international organizations that attend. The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the organization responsible for selecting countries to host World Expos, lists several objectives of Expos: to reinforce relations between countries worldwide, to share cultural and educational information, to encourage development, to promote environmental consciousness, to encourage renewal of the host city and to promote experimentation in the future. According to Federica Busa, the Director of Communications of the BIE, the site of the Exposition becomes a testing ground and a 18•prm•08 stage—Vancouver residents may recall rapid, high profile developments on the land used for Expo ’86. On May 1, 2010, along the Huangpu River waterfront in central Shanghai, an estimated 200 different pavilions will open to the public. Each country and international organization in attendance will create its own unique Besides the Olympics and the World Cup, World Expos have the largest economic impact on a host country space on the five-square-kilometre Expo grounds and put their best foot forward. Pavilion displays will follow a mandated theme; each Expo has a different topic based on some aspect of life experiences. As China’s largest city, a major economic and cultural centre, and the eighth largest city in the world, Shanghai has appropriately titled its Expo theme “Better City, Better Life.” As we near 2010, it is predicted that approximately 55% of people worldwide will be living in urban centres, Investment opportunities even your broker doesn’t know about Our exclusive investor network has access to unique opportunities normally available only to investment professionals. Ascenta Finance Corp. connects qualified investors with quality companies in need of financing. 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V6B 5M9 (604) 689-8226 www.dexterrealty.com 08•prm•19 Already home to over 4,000 skyscrapers— double the amount found in New York City—construction of 1,000 more are set to be complete by the time the Expo begins therefore, urbanization and the future of city living is a topic that concerns all nations of the world. What will the modern city look like in the future? As more and more people migrate from rural areas to towns and cities, it’s increasingly crucial to explore new ways of developing urban areas, sustaining them and maintaining quality of life while promoting ecologically friendly development. Chinese philosophy advocates harmony between people, and the Shanghai Expo sees a ‘City of Harmony’ as the core concept to help promote the theme. “China’s major goal is harmonization, to bridge the gap between country and city life,” says Busa. In order to achieve harmonious relations among people and their environment, the focus has been on sustainable development, now and for future generations. 20•prm•08 Experts in urban development were invited to the Holcim Forum 2007 of Expo 2010 Shanghai on September 19, 2007, to contribute their advice on “Urban Best Practices,” which looks into preserving history and using technological innovation for the preparations that are being made for the Expo in Shanghai. The Urban Best Practices section is a significant new addition to aid in planning the Expo and Busa says that the BIE will encourage all future host cities to include this important new division in their future Expos. With 180 participants already confirmed, various countries and international organizations, such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), will be in attendance at the Expo. UNIDO’s mission is to encourage sustainable industrial growth to assist in the reduction of poverty in developing countries, and as such, attending the 2010 Expo will allow its message to reach a wide range of nations from all over the globe. According to UNIDO, attendance at the Expo allows people from different nations to present and exchange ideas on solving problems related to urbanization. Participants can discuss strategies, success stories and what has failed in the past. The 2010 Expo will be especially significant, since it is the first World Exposition held in a developing country. This landmark event will push all other developing countries to strive for more. According to Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales of the BIE, “developing countries are comparatively more enthusiastic and interested in holding a World Expo, which they expect will promote domestic infrastructure construction, enhance their people’s living standards and propel their opening up to the outside world.” For a developing nation, hosting an Expo is a fantastic opportunity to present its accomplishments and plans for future development. In this light, “Better City, Better Life” helps Shanghai to demonstrate to other developing countries how it manages increasing rates of urbanization. Currently, Shanghai is home to 20 million people and is in the midst of one of the fastest economic expansions ever seen in the world. It has quickly become one of the top business centres in all of Asia. Exhibiting nations at Expo 2010, as well as visitors from around the world, will get a chance to understand how Shanghai has handled its rapid growth and success. This model will help set an example for other developing countries, whose economic progress is picking up, regarding what strategies have worked, as well as pitfalls to avoid. Since the bid was won in December of 2002, development in Shanghai has been rapidly advancing. The construction of the Expo site has resulted in the relocation of thousands of families and hundreds of businesses. Already home to over 4,000 skyscrapers—double the amount found in New York City—construction of 1,000 more is set to be complete by the time the Expo begins. World Expositions have become known as the Olympic Games of economy; science and technology and a wealth of opportunities are bestowed on their host countries. For the first time in 155 years, this honour has been given to a developing country. Is this a taste of things to come? Will more developing nations be able to show the world what they’re made of? In 2010, China will have its chance to make history and over 70 million visitors will be there to witness it. Will you? BILL WHEELER CONSULTING LTD. Serving the Electrical Utility Business • Project Management • Operational Training • Safety Training 604-728-6537(C) 604-734-7069(RES) bwheeler55@hotmail.com Redefining Real Estate... Real Estate is an investment. Whether you plan to reinvest or purchase your primary home, it is all about the experience. Together we will identify your needs. tel: 604.453.0000 email: jen.le@shaw.ca cell: 778.999.0838 www.jenniferle.com TRG Downtown Realty 549 Homer St, Van BC 08•prm•21 Cities made from modular b l o c k s— visionary Kisho Kurokawa believed he could add unprecedented flexibility to Japan’s cramped urban landscape by giving it the ability to structurally morph itself, almost instantly. Born from this concept is the pod hotel. by Anastasia Koutalianos illustrations by Jason B. Upton A POD OF ONE’S OWN T hink a miniscule hotel minus all the luxury of, say, a hotel, would never catch on? Think again. Cities like London, Vancouver, Amsterdam and New York are offering tired travellers a nap, or a night’s rest, in a pod. Few would think to equate ‘comfort’ and ‘luxury’ with a 1 by 2 metre capsule. But for a fair price, you can squeeze yourself into a cozy capsule, fit with a television, radio and a complimentary towel. After some 30 years, the Japanese architectural wonder that is the capsule hotel is hitting the western world. To those unfamiliar with the tiny hotel phenomenon, the capsule hotel is a Japanese-invented, 1 by 2 metre sleeping compartment made out of plastic or fibreglass. Usually stacked two high, these units contain a 2.5 cm futon mattress, a small television screen, a radio, a mirror, a shelf for toiletries, a reading light, an alarm clock, an air vent and a fire alarm. Granted, modern pods are more kitsch than anything else. The original idea behind the itsy-bitsy bedroom has its roots in Japanese avant-garde architecture. In the 1940s and 1950s, Japan’s cities were overcrowded and disorganised. From this mayhem the architectural movement known as Metabolism was born. According to Kisho Kurokawa (architect and co-founder of Metabolism) several elements in post-war Japan led to the creation of the architectural philosophy: the nation’s changing outlook on space and functionality, urban population growth, citizen mobility, the transportation needs of suburban and city dwellers and a desire to embrace technology. Another consideration is Japan’s inherent geographic limitations—in terms of land, less than 6% of Japan is habitable. For perspective, imagine a population approaching 100 million (October 1960) on a land mass two-thirds the size of Vancouver Island. This has traditionally made for ridiculously high land prices, but also, it creates a culture highly dependent upon technology to house its people. Kurokawa’s movement sought to re-architect the city and its over-congested pockets by fashioning multifunctional, moveable, modular and prefabricated units along a shared structural tower—think Lego bricks. Metabolists dreamed these structures would transcend time and change living standards, individual tastes and family dynamics. By assembling buildings—all of which have different rates of change and wear—out of removable, replaceable ‘blocks,’ if one part broke down, the entire structure wouldn‘t be compromised. In this light, the architect’s goal was also to add unprecedented flexibility to the u r b a n landscape, which would be able to aesthetically and structurally morph itself into whatever style was en vogue. While the relevance of Metabolism as an art form is arguable, the visionary genius behind the concept is incontestable. To Kurokawa, the capsule unit was meant to be the emancipation of the building from land and the coming of age of mobile architecture. The philosophy addressed the need for space in a cluttered cityscape and the culture of mobile citizenry—so what better environment to experiment with such endeavours than a hotel? Nakagin Capsule Tower, which opened in 1972, is a prime example. Built in the Ginza district of Tokyo, the Nakagin Capsule Tower is comprised of cubic capsules (each measuring 2.3 metres by 3.8 metres by 2.1 metres) placed on a single pillar. The units are fastened to the concrete cores with just four high-tension bolts and can be placed anywhere on the tower. Individual units can be combined to make larger living spaces. The building was intended to provide extra space (studio, bedroom, den), to promote individuality and to serve as a hotel space for businessmen in town from their homes in the suburbs. Five years later, Kurokawa drew from his 1972 creation and designed Japan’s (and the world’s) first capsule hotel, the Capsule Inn Osaka, in the Umeda district of Osaka. The philosophy addressed the need for space in a cluttered cityscape and the culture of mobile citizenry 08•prm•23 The modern capsule hotel is not far off from its conceptual twin. Compartmentalized, the pod caters to businessmen who need a place to sleep after drinking; who missed the last train into the suburbs and don’t want to spend the money on a conventional hotel; who are overworked and too tired to head home; or who simply need to attend a business meeting downtown in the morning. Almost exclusively catering to men, some pods do offer cubbies for ladies (which would be on separate floors from the gents). Mark Freeman, 27, a capsule aficionado from outside of Toronto, nuzzled up in Kurokawa’s Capsule Inn Osaka in 2005, and also visited other capsule hotels. While he says the tower was novel at first, from town-to-town and pod-to-pod, the experience doesn’t vary too much. “Each hotel is different but generally a customer goes in, puts his shoes in a shoe locker and then gives that key to the person behind the desk who exchanges the shoe key for a locker key and gives the customer a robe and disposable toothbrush. Then the customer goes to the locker room, changes, tosses on the stylish blue bath coat, slips into little plastic slippers and either hangs out in the television room, plays video games, reads the sports dailies, takes a bath or goes to sleep,” he recounts. According to Freeman, almost all hotels he visited offered massage services and were adorned with an enticing row of vending machines. But don’t be disappointed if you come across a capsule hotel without a fine dining cafeteria. Prices for the night are relatively cheap: a capsule can run anywhere from $16.00 to $40.00 US dollars. So why the recent international interest in the pod? Simply put: the allure of a downsized, inexpensive and kitschy hotel. YOtel, the capsule hot spot in London’s Gatwick Airport, has crossed the Japanese design with first class airplane accommodations to bring (what they refer to as) luxury to its clients at a fraction of the cost. Rooms (roughly 9 square metres) include a mattress, a shower, a wallmounted desk, a television, three coat hangers and wireless internet—an appeal to people with connecting flights or in need of a little nap. Swiss and Dutch cities are also experimenting with the mini hotels. Self-serviced with an abundance of gadgets (LCD screens and the internet), the units are painted in vibrant colours and give off a sense of individual seclusion. New York City also boasts a pod residence of its own. Three times smaller than a conventional American hotel room, the design is a hit. Vancouver’s International Airport provides Metronap lounge chairs that simulate a capsule environment, allowing travellers to take a snooze while waiting for their next flight. The pod is an ingenious tic-tac sized hotel room for the adventurous, minimalist, costcutting, nap-seeking, train-missing, meeting-attending individual or for those who don’t fear small spaces. footnote 24•prm•08 Pod-style in Vancouver Looking for a little rest in the city? Shaughnessy Village offers teeny tiny rooms, at a fraction of the cost of other hotels. Originally a seniors’ home, the Village was converted into the world’s largest bed and breakfast in time for Expo ’86. With each floor (12 in total) donning a nautical theme and a different colour palette, the hotel has 240 15-squaremetre studios (plus a few larger rooms), equipped with a microwave, a double bed-sofa, a mini fridge, a balcony, and get this, a fireplace! And the opulence doesn’t end here. The Village has a ton of amenities—salt water pool, health spa, tanning bed, indoor Jacuzzi and spa, beautiful courtyard, restaurant, hair salon and some of the city’s most amazing views. Catering to budget-conscious travellers, stopover tourists, hospital visitors, international students and anyone looking for a night’s rest, Shaughnessy Village is worth a peek. photo by Trifon Marchovski 1125 W. 12th Ave., Vancouver, BC, 604-736-5511 artsfest www.artsfest.ca 4BUVSEBZ .BZrQNmQN Langara College’s Creative & Applied Arts students are eager to share their work with you. Join us for a one-day interactive arts celebration for the community...perform, design, create, paint, sculpt and direct. Enter for a chance to win an iPod, digital camera, art supplies and more! Langara College Library 100 W 49th Avenue Vancouver 08•prm•25 The Untouchables “Dalits are considered the outcasts of Indian society—the Untouchables—those the Hindu scriptures call the unborn. Translated: it would be better if they had never been born at all.” Dalit Freedom Network by Heather Vince photo by Mark Galloway are the Untouchables, the Dalits— widely considered so unclean and unworthy that they’re not from god at all. Statistics vary, but the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) estimates anjit arrives every morning at the home of a Brahmin family while there are 250 million Dalits in India, they eat their breakfast and prepare their children for school. about a quarter of India’s total populaCareful not to be seen or heard, he quietly makes his way through tion.While discrimination on the basis the back door and carries on his daily task of scraping the toilets of caste is illegal under Indian law, clean of the family’s excreta—in exchange for a few rupees and a such concessions largely go ignored. meal of soup and rice. This is the occupation to which Ranjit has been born Astonishingly, the caste system coninto and this will be his job for life. Ranjit is 11 years old. He is also one of tinues to thrive with the world taking 44 million children in India working little notice. in bonded labour. He is a Dalit. He is Every day Dalits endure atrocities an Untouchable. and face unimaginable discrimination It is easy to fall in love with India: from upper-caste members; their its vibrant culture, colours and people. basic rights to food, shelter and But beyond the chaos of its cities, just access to public wells are frequently past the outskirts of the villages, lies a overlooked. Historically, the cups they quiet legacy of oppression, slavery drank from were destroyed, as no and apartheid. upper-caste member would use a Lesser Humans, a documentary by Dalit’s dish and risk “contamination by human rights activist Stalin K., depicts a Dalit’s uncleanness.” This demeana young man being lowered into a ing cup-shattering ritual isn’t as sewer fed by domestic flush latrines; common as it was decades ago, his job is to empty the well of its filthy however, the DFN has chosen the clay contents. Men have died from the cup as its symbol—a visual repregases that rise from these sewers; yet sentation of the Dalit’s brokenness this young man, wearing a T-shirt, and oppression. shorts and sandals, submerges himStill, some modern-day Brahmins self completely in human excrement. will undergo cleansing rituals if so He resurfaces, gasping for air, haulmuch as a Dalit’s shadow should fall ing a bucketful of waste. Manual on them. Dalits are considered to be scavenging is one of the many worth less than animals, bound to degrading jobs delegated to the degrading subservient labour under Dalit people. In fact, a quarter of the the watchful eyes of the upper-caste. country is made up of Dalits, or In Hindu society, where status is Untouchables—a caste deemed so based on occupation, each family is low they aren’t even considered part designated a job that is passed down Born into bonded labour courtesy DFN of the Hindu caste system. through generations; the Dalits inherit Dalit is a Sanskrit word to jobs from over 3,000 years ago which no other caste will do: working with mean ‘broken, crushed, oppressed, dead animals, street sweeping and cleaning ‘night soil’ (euphemism for downtrodden’—a term Untouchables human excrement). The majority of the scavengers are young women, who have adopted in reference to their with nothing more than a small brush, tin plate and a basket have to collect social status. human and animal feces from toilets—often having to walk several kilometres Hindu scriptures divide society out of a village to dispose of it. Scavengers are exposed to tuberculosis and a into four castes—all derived from lengthy list of viral and bacterial infections. Though the Indian constitution outthe body of the god Brahma. The lawed the occupation in 1993, it continues. In fact, there are accounts of highest caste, the Brahmins, are said scavengers being beaten and even killed for refusing to abide by the rules to have descended from Brahma’s placed upon them. head, the Kshatriyas from the shoulJoseph D’Souza, International President of the DFN, shares the story of a der, the Vaishyas from the belly, and 30-year-old Dalit woman named Surekha, who complained to police when the lowest caste, the Shudras, from upper-caste members took a piece of land which belonged to her. A week Brahma’s dirty feet. Brahmins are the later, the police and the alleged thieves set out to teach Surekha a lesson for priestly caste, generally fair-skinned asserting her right. “They came to Surehka’s house and brought herself, her and considered to be of pure blood, 17-year-old daughter and Surehka’s two youngest boys outside. They stripped holy and one with god. The Kshatriyas them of their clothes and made them stand there naked. They gang-raped are royalty, the ruling caste; the Surehka and her daughter.” Joseph goes on to describe how they brutally Vaishyas, the noblemen, the busicontinued on page 40 > nesspeople. These three castes make up 15% of India’s population, but the Shudras, the lowest caste, half of which India’s population is born into, are regarded as slaves. Last R 08•prm•27 Toshi Kawano didn’t expect to visit Whistler, didn’t expect to stay in Whistler, and he certainly didn’t expect to become one of the resort’s most sought-after winter sports photographers. Civil engineer turned photographer, Kawano’s story of success revolves around the ineffable spell that Whistler casts on its visitors. shutter speeds the extreme photography of Toshi Kawano by Katie Teed photos by Toshi Kawano 28•prm•08 on this trip. She had come over to Canada a few weeks earlier, leading many of his friends in Japan to think he was following a girl, a fact he still denies. So why Whistler? “The mountains. I somehow chose Canada and somehow chose Whistler. I’m not really sure how; it was just a lucky decision.” He stayed for one more winter before heading home. On returning to Japan he took a job at a publishing company, which would later prove invaluable to his career as a photographer. This is where he made many contacts at some of Japan’s top snow-sport magazines. These connections gave him the opportunity to try his hand at photographing snow sports. He fell in love, not only with Whistler, but with taking pictures. Armed with only one camera and one lens, he returned to Whistler—this time to make it his permanent home—and he hasn’t looked back. Kawano honed his craft and now takes some of the most distinctive and stylized action photos in the region. In fact, when the mountain photo by Kaori Kawano oshi Kawano is originally from Tokyo where he worked as a civil engineer— a far cry from a photographer of extreme winter sports. How did he arrive in Whistler at all? Quite by mistake. Given his love of natural beauty, a visit to Canada was an obvious choice. But also he thought visiting a North American city would be the perfect opportunity to improve his English, as it was the common language spoken in his office. He planned a ski trip and in 1995 visited Whistler. At this point, he had never even considered photography as a profession. His trip to Whistler lasted approximately a year and a half, when he worked as a ski-tuning technician and lived the typical ski bum lifestyle. His girlfriend, who later became his wife, accompanied him heating and comfort specialist TM Mountain Air 9144 Emerald Drive Whistler, BC 604 932 7232 decided to launch a campaign to re-brand its promotional material, his photography dominated it. The photography that Tourism Whistler used for its promotional material features impressive action shots, and seems to capture the excitement and thrill of being in mid-air on skis at one of the most amazing ski destinations in the world. Toshi has been lauded for his originality and for his ability to expose his subjects with a fresh eye. To capture action the way he does requires anticipation and planning. Perhaps his precision has to do with his background in engineering. Either way, his work is not going unnoticed. Recently his work, along with the work of his colleague Bonny Makarewicz, has been compiled into a large-format art book, Top of the Pass: Whistler and the Sea to Sky Country, which photographically tells the story of how the little village of Alta Lake became Whistler, the worldclass ski resort it is today. December 2007 marked his 10th year since landing in Whistler. Although Whistler is his first love and is where he still currently shoots most of his photos, Kawano and his wife now reside in nearby Pemberton. LIMITED Family F il Owned O d and d Operated O t d Since Si 1960 Professional P Service Pro rof rof ofess fe ess ss sio sional ional ional S Ser ervice on on Fine Fin Swiss W Watches ne S ne Watche es s Hotel Vancouver • Restoration • Straps & Bracelets • Otto Friedl Watches • Vintage and Consignment Consignmen nt Timepieces (Lower Lobby) 900 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC Tel: 604–683–2820 Open M–F, 9 am to 5 pm 08•prm•29 by Christina Thiele illustration by Paula Grasdal 30•prm•08 In Japan, a brutally demanding corporate culture has produced a reactionary counterculture comprised of surfers who have, in protest, dropped out of society to “live the life.” It’s hot in Miyazaki. So hot that Koba-san’s surfboard wax gets soft. But “it’s okay”; as long as he has enough money to live he doesn’t mind. He's not at work after all. Koba-san lives and surfs at a world-renowned surf spot, on the island of Ky ūsh ū in Japan. Without a fixed address, Koba-san sleeps in his van, having given up his professional career to surf. Despite the great conditions, young people like Koba-san are not giving it all up for the quality of the surf; instead, they go to Miyazaki because they have difficulty reconciling themselves with Japan’s demanding work culture—brutally long days at the office and a lifelong commitment to a specialized career. The beach is an easy trade. Vancouver filmmaker Bryan Nykon documented the surfers’ lifestyle at Miyazaki and found that two types of surfers make up its surfing sub-culture. The “weekend warriors” do their regular jobs, surf when they can and bank holiday time to go on international surf trips and ride the waves all weekend long. The other group is what Nykon calls “the real deal.” Like Koba-san, they have “completely dropped out of society to live the life.” They work menial jobs to scrape by and become “one with the ocean.” Koba-san certainly looks the part. His face is young but has been weathered by the sun and salt. His manner is soft and polite, but there is an excitement that over- sons can be complex and do not encapsulate everytakes his demeanour when one’s motivations. But it’s fair to note that there is something stirring asked about his life as a surfer. In fact, during his en- in the kokoro (or soul) of many Japanese young tire conversation with Nykon, people. It takes a measure of bravery and self-deterKoba-san is noticeably dis- mination to be able to choose the road less-travelled. While Koba-san’s laissez-faire attitude may be tracted by the surf in the background. It’s telling.“There the envy of many, some damning mental health statisare all kinds of people in the tics are coming out of Japan. Among industrialized world. If there’s someone who nations, Japan has one of the highest suicide rates. litters, there’s someone to pick it A disturbed kokoro, money worries and the inability up. I’m a person who picks litter to cope with the onerous work expectations can result in deep shame and desperate acts. In 2005 alone, over up. That’s my way of thinking.” Yet the willingness to leave your 32,000 Japanese committed suicide—half of which family and career for the beach is cer- were unemployed, 72% of them were men. Another phenomenon in reaction to Japan’s strict tainly not a typical Japanese attitude. And despite having given up his family work culture is the rising class of freeters. Coined in life, Koba-san recognizes his social role and the late 1980s, the term describes young Japanese work responsibilities. In this regard, his thinking people (usually between the ages of 15–34) who are either unemployed or underemployed, did not start is quite Japanese. Every day Koba-san goes to his day job at a restaurant where he makes $1,200.00 The hardworking, dedicated surfer is certainly CAD per month—well below the poverty line in Japan.“I don’t need a lot of money. not the portrait of a Canadian drop-out. In For showers, I go to health spas or I go to a western society, people who quit their jobs drop-in gym or something. But I'm in the ocean every day and rinse with water, so my and reject North American culture are body is clean!” stereotypically seen as lazy and unproductive. Nykon gets the sense that giving up traditional Japanese life for the ocean is This is not the case at Miyazaki. more of a conscious rebellion against the rigidity of Japanese society than anything else. The rules, expectations, pressure. In fact, of the their careers after high school or university and often surfers he met, many had severed ties with their fami- live as ‘parasite singles’ with their parents. The word lies or were shamefully disowned in their pursuit of freeter is most likely a hybrid of the English word ‘free’ and the German word ‘arbeiter’ (worker). alternative ways of life. While the terminology is less important, the The hardworking, dedicated surfer is certainly not in keeping with the typical portrait of a Canadian freeter reality is creating a ripple effect in Japanese drop-out. In western society, people who quit their society. According to a survey conducted by the Japan jobs and reject convention are stereotypically seen as Institute of Labor, 800,000 freeters were living in Japan lazy and unproductive; however, this is not the case in 1987. Come 2002 and their numbers grew to almost 2 million—roughly 3% of Japan’s working population. at Miyazaki. These surfers have a strong work ethic. They At this rate, there could be some 10 million freeters in work hard at their jobs, they play hard and strive to Japan in the next six years. Even still, people who are working full-time are not become the best surfers they can be. Their attitude toward surfing has intensity and an obsessiveness happy and are demanding better conditions. Japan’s that you would expect to find in an executive board- labour ministry is drafting a bill in order to shorten the room. So wagering a simple guess at why young working week—likely in reaction to the growing dispeople would risk losing their friends, family and content of people both in and out of Japan’s workforce. In the meantime, Koba-san continues to surf every future for some sun, sand and surf would not do them any justice. Like many social phenomena, the rea- day and Japan’s economic gears grind on. 08•prm•31 The Great Firewall of China by Francis Baptiste photos by Eric Cairns The censorship of internet content in China is pervasive—the cover-up continues. Ron Deibert and the Psiphon software project aim to restore ‘free access’ and give Chinese web users the whole picture. I magine opening a web browser, with the awareness that a government official was monitoring your every click and download. Cyber cops and net police sound like Orwellian science fiction, but to the typical Chinese citizen, these forces are real. In China, the web is policed and if you are online with a Chinese IP address, rest assured, your online activity is being monitored and the content available to you has been filtered. The prevalence of Chinese censorship is commonly referred to as “The Great Firewall of China.” Democracy. Tiananmen Square. Free Tibet. Just some of the search terms for which results are being blocked. And of course, internet users face consequences for contravening such restrictions. Websites have been shut down and individuals have been jailed for voicing unpopular or subversive opinions online. Personal blogs are also censored in China. Enter the new activism of the electronic age: hackers who strive to make the World Wide Web what it ‘should’ be, what it was promised to be since its beginning—free, informative, unbarred and uncensored. Ron Deibert is the Director of the Citizen Lab, a research and development group focused on liberating the internet. He’s the co-founder and Principal Investigator for the OpenNet Initiative, a project examining internet censorship and electronic surveillance around the world. He’s also the Director of the Psiphon software project, which helps people in internet-censored countries access information freely. And in addition to his electronic freedom fighting, he’s also an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. 08•prm•33 “We’re trying to restore that original promise of the internet,” Deibert says. “Psiphon helps people get around censorship. It’s based on social networks of trust, people working together.” Released on December 1, 2006, Psiphon is a program that circumvents blocked websites. For a person in China to benefit, they must have a trusted friend or family member living in a country where the internet isn’t censored. Psiphon turns the unblocked computer into a personal encrypted server, which delivers requested content to the computer of the user in China, providing them with net access, minus the restrictions. And the content being blocked isn’t what you might expect. “Countries are tending to focus more on [censoring] content that is local, as opposed to international.You may expect to find countries blocking CNN or BBC, but more commonly they block local opposition groups. They block their own language disproportionately to English-content sites.” This project has not been without criticism. The argument has been made that one person’s ‘censorship’ is another person’s ‘quality control.’ Given that many of the blocked sites relate to China’s own history and political dealings, with Deibert’s group intervening and deciding what pages should be available to Chinese citizens, are they overstepping their boundaries and interfering with Chinese affairs? Deibert doesn’t see it this way. The Citizen Lab simply makes information available to people; it doesn’t tell them what they should read. Even still, Deibert says he is conscious of the interaction of different countries’ laws. According to Deibert, there are two competing norms: that a sovereign state should be able to assert its authority and that citizens should be able to assert their human rights. “The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights signed by countries including China forbids making restrictions on access to information and freedom of speech. So you have competing norms. What we do is follow the norms that promote the internet as an open public forum.” James Tay, a Political Science student working with Deibert, feels strongly about online rights, and he should, having come from Singapore, a country that’s been known to filter politically charged online content. “I left Singapore when I was 16,” Tay says. “If you know a little bit about Singapore, the media and the press are really owned by the state, so I would say that has influenced me in getting passionate about the cause of free speech and access to information.” “When Singapore was having its elections, I was keeping upto-date with the news and I found that a big reason why there has been a one political party state for so long is because opposition parties were not allowed to use the internet, podcasts or blogs to get their message out.” According to Tay, countries don’t always start with the intent to filter as much content as they do. “Here at the Citizen Lab there’s something we like to call ‘mission creep,’ which is what happens when states set up these mechanisms to initially filter out stuff like pornography or child porn and other sites like that, things they deem harmful to their citizens, but soon they don’t stop at pornography; they start to filter political opposition websites and news sites that are critical to them.” In the media it’s been rumoured there are over 30,000 internet police filtering content in China, and though that number was recently proven false (research done by the Citizen Lab found the number to be a myth and simply unverifiable), it still speaks volumes about the nature of internet policing in China and common perceptions of it. It’s whispered about and it’s feared, and therein lies its power. The truth is, it doesn’t matter how many internet police there are—whether it’s 30,000 or 30 million—because in China you’re constantly being reminded that they exist and the punishments they impose are severe. The feeling that you’re being watched is instilled permanently in the Chinese web surfer, it’s become par for the course. Despite the efforts of ‘freedom hackers’ like the Citizen Lab, it’s not something that’s likely to change any time soon. footnote Yahoo! Ratted Me Out! In China, people have been sent to jail for websites, for blogs, even for emails. But it’s not always just the Chinese government at fault. North American companies such as Yahoo! and Google have also censored internet searches in order to appease the Chinese government’s search restrictions in order to get a foothold in China and other internet-filtering countries. That’s what happened when Chinese journalist Shi Tao was imprisoned after Yahoo! gave the Chinese government information that led to his capture. Now Tao is serving a 10-year sentence for an email that mentioned Tiananmen Square that he sent through his Yahoo! account. 08•prm•35 L anding a JOB Many highly qualified workers coming to Canada from Asia Pacific countries face difficulty breaking into the Canadian workforce due to the so-called lack of ‘Canadian experience.’ This is one person’s story. by Chris Vandergaag photo by Kaela Smith “If I don’t achieve my dream, it will be okay,” says Jinjing Guo. Meet Jin (pronounced Jean). Possessing a distinctive, dignified charm, Jin sits with perfect posture and makes a point of looking at who’s speaking. She chooses her words carefully and speaks with a melodic, gentle flow. She pokes fun at herself freely and undoubtedly at the people she loves. She expresses gratitude generously. It’s impossible not to like her. An accomplished electrical engineer, with years of senior-level experience, Jin emigrated from China to Canada with top-notch skills and an impressive work history. But the better life she sought for herself and her family proved elusive. Instead, she ran into the ‘Canadian experience required’ barrier. Jin is not alone. Like many immigrants coming to ‘the land of opportunity,’ she already had a good job and a solid future back home and was taken aback 36•prm•08 in the land of opportunity by the hardships faced in finding a professional position in Canada. According to Colleen Halloran, an Employment Counsellor with the Professional and Technical Workers’ Program of YWCA Career Services in North Vancouver, “Many highly skilled, well-trained people from the Pacific Rim come from countries that are booming. Many held professional positions in IT, telecommunications, engineering, logistics, etc. with projects that were growing in leaps and bounds.”Yet when they come to Canada, with its smaller population, and consequentially, smaller economy and competitive labour market, they often experience discouraging professional setbacks and reality checks. Frequently, they end up in a mind space where “it’s difficult to imagine getting their foot in the door of a company in their industry, let alone at a professionally challenging level,” says Halloran. So the decision to emigrate is a trade-off; in exchange for a better way of life and a good place to raise a family, new Canadians take a step backwards professionally. By 2017, Statistics Canada forecasts 20% of the domestic labour force will be comprised of immigrants. Evidently, Canada needs them. Immigration policies appear structured to attract skilled foreigners, to bring their knowledge and talents to Canada. And yet, when qualified candidates arrive they encounter employers telling them they must have relevant, local job experience. No experience, no job. No job, no experience. Moreover, there are, as Jin discovered, subtle but important differences between foreign and domestic business cultures: how people greet and talk to one another and what constitutes appropriate assertive communication. Cultural miscues can be as complex as differing concepts of team dynamics, or as simple as interpreting email protocol. “If I send an email to an employer in Canada and receive no response, I assume they don’t want me and don’t follow up with another. I don’t want to be pushy. Then, I discover that they expect several attempts at contact. They want you to keep trying. They respect it. And they hire someone more forceful,” Jin says half-heartedly. Since arriving in Canada, Jin has sent countless unanswered queries and has ‘failed miserably’ in many interviews. Others have experienced the same. So what do they do? makeup by Elyse Freeborn They fill survival jobs. Upon arriving in Canada, Jin toiled in entry-level positions—one-hour photo technician, cosmetics packager, blackjack dealer at a local casino—never earning more than $10.00 an hour. Many of her peers (also Chinese immigrants) held Bachelor or Masters degrees, yet resigned themselves to never holding a professional job again. Some were angry and left Canada in frustration. But not Jin. “I picked up the photo job because while working, I could listen to many audio books from the library, like How to Build Your Self-Confidence!” In recent years, many news stories have appeared in the Canadian press, focusing on highly skilled immigrants—doctors, lawyers, engineers— who, faced with credential recognition problems, have been unable to set up shop or get hired despite their impressive work histories. Doctors driving taxi cabs and the like. Even international accreditation is of little help. Fully certified, Jin spent six years unemployed or under-employed. Qualified with years of senior-level experience, all relevant documents and a Masters degree to boot, she could not get a job as an engineer in Canada. It wasn’t until the spring of 2007 that she landed a contract position with BC Hydro. Jin freely expresses undying gratitude to her mentor at BC Hydro, Senior Mechanical Engineer Paul Cheng. Also a Chinese immigrant, Cheng has been mentoring her since 2004. In fact, mentorships appear to be the missing link many immigrant professionals need. A self-professed coach, Cheng “teaches the job-seeker how to play the “It can be very discouraging for a new person,” says Jin. Canada was the first place in which she had to look for a job. “In China the job came to me. I grew up in the Cultural Revolution—there were few graduates,” recalls Jin, referring to a 10-year period of political turmoil in China, in which the education system was brought to a virtual halt. (All university entrance exams were cancelled, and were only restored in 1977 by prominent politician and reformer Deng Xiaoping. The result of the revolution: almost an entire generation of inadequately educated Chinese citizens.) In this climate, companies were eager to hire. So much so, that Ji n’s former boss (and the company’s president) contacted her personally. Canadian employers, however, are not so eager to hire immigrant professionals. Hence “persistence is key,” according to Cheng. “Many job–seekers become disillusioned, unhappy; they blame others. I ask them, how are you packaging yourself? Are you prepared for competition? A percentage of applicants are not suitable, but many qualified applicants are simply improperly prepared. It’s not about selling yourself that is the myth. It’s how you stand out in relation to the competition. It’s about, what can you do? Customized resumes with objective, concrete specifics are very important. Blaming others and becoming unhappy will get you nowhere,” he says earnestly. Jin admits that in pursuing her dream, her spirits have wavered on occasion. “Generally I’m positive but sometimes I really didn’t know if I could be a professional in Canada. But once I got to the casino, I found that all the dealers from China had graduated from university. What makes me different is that they never thought they could work as a professional here. Being a dealer is okay. You know, it’s okay, it’s quite good. When I told Paul [Cheng] this, he was so disappointed! So when I started working here, Paul said, ‘Oh, finally!’” Jin lets out a giggle. “‘BC Hydro saved you from the casino!’” “Jin makes for a good story,” says Cheng. “For people trying to establish themselves in Canada, she’s a tremendous example of what can be accomplished if [you] are persistent.” Colleen Halloran also lauds Jin’s determination. She fondly remembers her presence in the YWCA Professional and Technical Workers’ Program in 2003. “Even though she had not worked in her field in many years,” says Halloran, “[Jin] always maintained the belief that she had the skills to succeed and that others would see her ability and want to hire her.” More importantly, Halloran shares, “She was committed to improving her English communication skills. She came to Canada with almost no English, but over the years she took classes and improved to the point that she graduated with Grade 12 English credit from a local school board. She also joined Toastmasters, and after many years of effort, eventually won a monthly public speaking competition in her group.” Not only that, “she was flexible and willing to move. She sent her resume to positions in BC, Alberta and Ontario and was willing to move to the US if need be. She had a plan A, B and C,” Halloran adds. “In addition to seeking an engineering job, she worked at the photographer’s shop and was studying in a digital media program part-time. She worked hard on job search activities: she was constantly adjusting her resume and cover letters for each position. She practiced interview questions and spoke regularly with her network for advice when new opportunities arose.” Jin hopes to be offered a permanent position at BC Hydro. “I only have one foot in the door,” she says with a warm smile, glancing over at Cheng who chuckles. “I’m not permanent yet. My dream is still to be a full-time engineer in Canada. I have a big gap in my professional history, almost 10 years now. The team leader is taking a risk on me,” Jin smiles. At press time, Jin had completed work on at least two major BC Hydro projects and had received positive feedback from the team. To contact YWCA Career Services, call 604-984-7630. They encounter employers telling them they must have relevant, local job experience. No experience, no job. No job, no experience. job-seeking game in Canada. Interview skills, communication skills, the dos and don’ts … if they are unaware of these things, they are at a big disadvantage,” Cheng comments. This seems obvious enough to the casual observer, as does the importance of mastering English for anyone who has a front-line job or is a manager—but the same goes for those who are seeking a job in a workshop or a lab. “It is true,” clarifies Cheng. “We are engineers, not public speakers: numbers, drawings, crunching things. But communication, negotiation, getting a deal, how much we get paid, recommendations, explanations, are all part of the professional’s job in Canada. It’s all communication. BC Hydro wants employees with leadership potential, not order takers. People who can diplomatically challenge the boss. Communication skills.” Professional expertise alone isn’t enough. In a competitive job market, employers can be choosy. They want qualified, experienced, domestically acclimatized and articulate senior staffers. 38•prm•08 The Untouchables > continued from page 27 Jack Black Men’s Skincare • Times Watches Colibri Lighters • Rochet Men’s Jewellery JFold Leather Goods • Sigg Water Bottles Lampe Berger Fragrancers • Retro 51 Pens 1062 Mainland St. Vancouver BC 604.662.4427 revolucionstyle.com BERNSTEIN & GOLD Tel: 604–687–1535 100–1168 Hamilton St,Vancouver bernsteinandgold.com 40•prm•08 murdered the daughter and mother in front of DFN Canada (based in Surrey), of the young boys—throwing their body tirelessly works out of an office adorned parts throughout the village—as a reminder with Indian trinkets and photos of smiling faces whose lives have been changed. to the Dalits not to challenge them. Higher caste members will go to great Sherry has seen firsthand what it means lengths to avoid touching a Dalit, but for a Dalit child to be given the opportunity there’s an obvious double standard when it to learn. In their blue and white school comes to Dalit women. Gang rapes are uniforms, with their hair neatly combed, commonplace. In spite of attempts to erad- the students come to school with anticiicate this religious practice, Dalit girls pation, ready for love and acceptance under the age of 10 are sold to the and a full meal at noon—a stark contrast temple as Devadasis (servants of god) to to their former realities. Sherry recounts be sex slaves for the priest and higher a father’s gratitude. “He explained that had caste men. Michael Lawson, Producer of it not been for the school and the opportuthe documentary India’s Hidden Slavery, nity for his family, he would have had to explains that Devadasis must fulfill any sell his daughter for $10.00. This is the sexual favour and once they are of no use, they are sold to brothels where they will stay well into their old age. “There are still 250,000 Devadasi girls scattered throughout India. Though it was banned in 1988, like so many human rights legislation, at the state level these laws are hardly applied at all.” Dalit women, at the bottom of both their caste and gender hierarchy, face oppression on three levels: they are poor, they are female and they are Dalit. They face ridicule and physical attacks for seeking help on injustices committed against them and their families. Endless reports are made of women Social unrest is mounting among Dalits courtesy DFN being stripped naked and paraded through their villages, raped, tortured, mutilated and case for many families,” says Sherry, as killed. Onlookers and other Dalits are she flips through hundreds of profiles of helpless to do anything to stop it from hap- Dalit children waiting to be sponsored. pening; any reports to police will likely “[Canadians] want to help, they just don’t know how.” result in retaliation against them. Awareness of India’s oppressed peoOn November 4, 2001, thousands of Dalits from across India made their way to ple is spreading. Efforts are being made New Delhi to denounce their oppressors to help the Dalits abandon the caste sysand declare they were renouncing tem and to help them find the right to Hinduism to rid themselves of their caste freedom of conscience. With increasing shackles. But despite the initiative, police attention to the plight of suffering people worldwide, the pressure is on India to broke up the rally. DFN was formed in 2002 to support abandon its restrictive classism and abolthe Dalits’ search for freedom from ish slavery. Social unrest is mounting slavery. The organization has committed among the younger Dalit generation, and itself to transforming villages by educating with greater consciousness and drive, children and giving Dalit adults the they can be freed from the oppressiveskills needed to support themselves and ness of practices that are thousands of their families. Sherry Bailey, the Director years old. ational Globe N rk landma n i d e l fi Papers BC case Repor t on B usine The b ss ig bus iness call V we ANOC Globe Life Okanagan bubblies ture have a sparkling fu ics BC Polit kes eijing ta B g n i t t Boyco ttle true me Globe B ritish Co lumbia Cost of ho in millio melessness ns, repo rt finds here I ne w magi . e you tak it can environment > A look at the challenges faced by Pacific Rim countries and what they’re doing to protect their water and air. by Anastasia Koutalianos & Christina Thiele illustrations by Heather Vince canada 9,984,670 33,098,932 Urban: 100 Rural: 99 With almost 7% of the world’s freshwater on Canadian soil, Canada is focused on the management of vast water resources—a job that involves all levels of government. A Kyoto supporter with stellar water quality, Canada is among the top 20 waterpolluting countries (due to its chemical industry). In fact, Canada flushes some 200 billion litres of raw sewage (a mixture of water, human waste, microorganisms, toxic chemicals, heavy metals & excreted pharmaceuticals) into natural waterways each year. Moreover, Canadian cities & towns do not follow any national standards for their sewage treatment. research by Langara’s Library & Information Technology Students Microbes from contaminated surface & groundwaters (found underground), sewage dumping, industrial waste & other pollutants find their way into our water reserves & into our taps.What stands between raw sewage & the water used to make your morning coffee is a complex treatment infrastructure. Land [km2 ] (2007, CIA World Factbook) Population (2007, CIA World Factbook) Skip a step in the filtration process & the foulest of microorganisms could end up in your drinking water. Every country faces the responsibility to make dirty water clean. Here we look at what some of our neighbours in the Pacific Rim are doing to protect the water we all share. IWK Indah Water Konsortium KP Kyoto Protocol MEWC Ministry of Energy, Water & Communications OCSAP Orangutan Conservation Strategy & Action Plan PP Policy and Prospective Plan for Enhancement & Water POTABLE DRINKING WATER [%] 2004, UN Statistics Division, Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply & Sanitation Database 1,919,440 (1997–2016) REDD Reduced Emissions from Deforestation & Degradation UNCCC United Nations Climate Change Conference UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change WHO World Health Organization 42•prm•08 indonesia Conservation of National Environmental Quality 245,452,739 Urban: 87 Rural: 69 In terms of sanitation & sewerage, Indonesia ranks among the worst countries in Asia. Less than 3% of the capital’s residents are connected to a sewer system; many households have private septic tanks or dispose of their waste into rivers & canals (surface water)—which has led to the contamination of both surface water & groundwater. Industry outputs also degrade water resources. Many plants & mines continue to dump their untreated waste into rivers, devastating the country’s reef ecosystem. Lack of regulation & careless environmental precautions are taking their toll. 514,000 1,313,973,713 Urban: 93 Rural: 67 Clean water is a major concern for China. As industry expands & its working population grows, China’s water resources (once reserved for agriculture) are now being used for industrial purposes. This has resulted in dry riverbeds, the extinction of aquatic wildlife & land erosion. According to the UNEP, China is 36th out of 140 countries in terms of severe water stress & 8th out of 114 for water pollution, due to its chemical industry. Compounded with drought, a shortage of clean drinking water (1⁄3 of the countryside is without), under-pricing & bureaucratic holdups, China’s in a severe water crisis. thailand china 9,596,960 philippines Urban: 100 Rural: Unavailable Singapore is quite progressive when it comes to caring for its water. Singaporean H2O is 100% drinkable, fluoridated & treated to WHO standards & it mostly comes from local sources (& from all places, Malaysia). Throughout the country, rainwater is collected in catchment areas in reservoirs. At the same time, alternative sources are used: NEWater, a high-grade water obtained from H2O reclamation & desalinated water (supplied by the private sector). Singapore is ahead of the game in its treatment facilities & government-regulated long-term strategies to increase water supply while keeping demand low. 89,468,677 Urban: 87 Rural: 82 The Philippines has abundant water resources; however, they’re not equally distributed: 87% of urban centres have access to improved drinking water, while only 82% of rural areas do. Sources of water pollution in the country are deforestation, untreated sewage, watershed degradation, industry runoff, population growth & misuse of water & land. Water pollution, poor sanitation & hygiene are responsible for 17% of reported diseases & 1.5% of reported deaths. Government codes & laws, such as the Philippines Clean Water Act (2004), are protecting the country’s water bodies, but lack of planning, weak regulation & institutional red tape continue to hinder all attempts to remedy the problem. 329,750 malaysia singapore 4,492,150 Urban: 98 Rural:100 With 30% of its water sources not suitable for most human activities, Thailand has the lowest annual per capita renewable water resources in Asia. Due to domestic sewage, industrial & agricultural runoff (pesticide residue, saltwater disturbance, natural minerals) & tourism, the country’s surface, coastal & groundwaters are polluted. To counter the environmental impact, Thailand has implemented policies & guidelines set to conserve & manage the environment. Programs like the 20-year PP & The Monitor series have built waste treatment plants throughout the country. Still, more political will & coordination between agencies are needed. 300,000 693 64,631,595 24,385,858 Urban: 100 Rural: 96 Malaysia’s economic growth spurred a demand for greater sanitation. Every year, the country generates 6 million tonnes of sewage, most of which is treated & released into rivers. With 98% of its fresh water supplied from surface water, Malaysia was in need of a sewage management system. Since 1994, the IWK has effectively taken care of Malaysia’s domestic waste issues. Then in 1998, IWK turned to private companies to build additional wastewater systems. This year, Malaysia’s MEWC awarded $113.4 million USD to 3 Japanese companies to build 4 more treatment plants by August 2008. We breathe about 400 million litres of air in a lifetime. The harsh pollutants that are pumped into the air travel through the body and land on the exposed sticky membranes of our lungs. International climate change and air pollution treaties aim to minimize the amount of chemicals that go from smokestacks to our sticky membranes. Countries of the Pacific Rim confront challenges in seeking to improve their air and are concocting their own solutions. Read and compare: canada In Canada, smog contributes to more than 5,900 deaths per year from stroke, cardiac & lung disease—costing billions in healthcare & damaging the environment. Environment Canada, a leader in the fight against climate change in Canada, has aligned with other departments & agencies (& targets set in the KP) to minimize transboundary air pollution, reduce transportation & industry emissions & find new solutions to air issues. In 2006, Canada’s Clean Air Act was enacted to protect human health & the environment by reducing air pollutants & greenhouse gas emissions. china Air quality in China is a hot topic—especially with the Olympics on its way. Efforts to tackle air pollution include predetermined driving days (depending on the last number of your license plate—if it’s odd or even) & suspending blast furnace operations. Beijing officials conducted a 4-day driving trial & eliminated 1 million cars per day; the country has also shut down 2 blast furnaces—the 3rd will suspend its activity in March until the closure of the games. What's more, over 220 cities will have air quality monitoring systems in place by 2010. All signs of good progress. thailand Major sources of air pollution in Thailand are industry, power plants & transport (mainly cars). Area sources, however, often go underreported, and include agricultural runoff, re-suspended road dust, open cooking using fossil fuels, forest fires & organic material burning. In response to climate change, Thailand has joined forces with the UNFCCC & the KP. Nationally, the government has implemented energy-saving programs & is investing in alternative & renewable energy sources. philippines Over half of the Philippines’ greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to the energy sector. Other sources of air pollution are deforestation & transport. In 1991–92, land use changes accounted for almost 70% of CO2 emissions. From 2002–2013, these emissions are forecasted to rise by a whopping 65%. Air quality is clearly a national issue. In Manila, nearly 5,000 people die prematurely each year due to respiratory & cardiovascular diseases from exposure to poor air. To combat climate change, the Philippines has signed the KP in hopes of improving its life-threatening statistics. malaysia This year, record high haze levels from forest fires forced Malaysia to declare a state of emergency in 2 coastal cities. Officials closed schools & had to shut down Malaysia’s busiest port for 1 day.While forest fires are causing widespread pollution, deforestation in Malaysia is not done in vain. Palm trees are being planted for the production of biodiesel—a fuel that burns cleaner than traditional diesel. High oil prices, the KP & the need to reduce the reliance on crude oil have forced Malaysia to explore cleaner & renewable fuels, even though the biofuel boom seems to be inflicting more environmental damage than it’s averting. singapore Singapore has only 1 landfill, so it must incinerate & recycle a large amount of its solid waste. In 2006, the country produced over 5 million tonnes of waste—half was recycled, 45% incinerated & 4% disposed of in a landfill. Other sources contributing to poor air quality are the smoke haze produced by Indonesian forest fires & the industrial runoff generated each year. The government has made concerted efforts to control & prevent any future environmental harm by signing treaties & protocols committed to environmental change: namely the UNFCCC & the KP. indonesia Indonesia has the 3rd highest record for greenhouse gas emissions (after the US & China) as a result of deforestation & peat lands being drained & burned for palm tree plantations. Cleared forests & exposed peat beds release CO2 (as soil oxidizes) & are vulnerable to catastrophic fires—releasing even more emissions. In 2007, Indonesia was host to the UNCCC in Bali. Representatives, NGOs, intergovernmental observers & media from over 180 countries were in attendance. The goal: to reduce deforestation, conserve animal habitats & decrease greenhouse gas emissions after the KP expires in 2012. The conference led to 2 environmental initiatives: REDD & OCSAP. • Solid Business Theory • Extensive Hands-on Experience Bachelor of Business Administration Want to move up in the world? The Langara College School of Management offers a broad selection of specializations which you can take part-time or full-time to get you on your way. ? e e P r g e U D s s K e n i O s u B O e l L a flexib g n i r e d i s n o C Learn more. Langara College contact us: e-mail: business@langara.bc.ca or call 604–323–5848 Cambodia Portrait of Faded Power by Christina Thiele photos by Mark Galloway W hen human beings cooperate and form a civilization it seems they can’t help but leave behind traces of their existence—a legacy that can take many forms. A new language, new art, new infrastructure. But once that empire falls, their remnants can also stand as a reminder of the frailty of our own presentday empires. The remnants of power that exist in Cambodia are of the Khmer (Angkor) Empire: a once powerful empire that dominated Southeast Asia from the 9th century AD until about 1397 AD. The Khmer Empire flourished under its many kings who were able to establish power quickly and usually without conflict due to strong trading relationships with its neighbours. The wealth and power flowed easily, thanks to the abundant resource and strategic advantage the Mekong River afforded the empire. The Mekong not only enabled Angkor to export their goods for trade to its neighbours with ease, but also proved to be an excellent fishing resource. Because invaders had to Top: Lookouts made Angkor Wat travel up the river to raid, it also made Angkor very easier to defend against invaders difficult to attack. Taking full advantage of the Middle: Buddhist monks at Angkor Wat Mekong, the former Angkor monarchs established Bottom: Strangler figs and silk-cotton themselves as rich and powerful rulers, able to trees creep into a temple undertake ambitious construction projects. Most famously is the impressive Angkor Wat, a temple built early in the 12th century for King Suryavarman II. It was a temple for worship but also served as a political capital. The architecture is impressive even by today’s standards. Studying the massive temple not only commands appreciation for the ingenuity that went into its construction but also demands an explanation for how the power that built it could ever fall. Many factors are to blame. Academics guess that two of the many reasons have to do with the popularization of a new belief system and the loss of legitimacy of the ruling monarch or ‘god-king.’ In the 13th century Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism were the prevailing belief systems in Angkor culture. These belief systems were in harmony with the idea that kings were an authority to be obeyed. Enter Theravada Buddhism. This belief system promoted an abandonment of worldly things, self-actualization through looking inward and a disregard for superstitious beliefs. Indirectly, this challenged the monarch’s authority given that Angkor’s king was regarded as a ‘god-king.’ With citizens of Angkor not recognizing the authority of their ‘god-king,’ who demanded an army and a subservient workforce, the empire’s foundations seemed to shake, leaving them vulnerable to the attacks of invaders, virtually crippling the entire empire. The visuals of Angkor, grown over by strangler fig and silk-cotton trees, should remind us of the frailty of our own empires. 48•prm•08 Theravada Buddhism teaches reliance on one’s own experiences. Some suspect that the adoption of Theravada Buddhism created less of a dependence on the monarchy and contributed to the downfall of the whole Angkor Empire. 08•prm•49 Many of the same river settlements and road networks that were built during the Angkor Empire are still used today travel > by Anastasia Koutalianos, Philemon Thomas & Chris Vandergaag research by Langara’s Library & Information Technology Students 36°00’ N, 138°00’ E | PST+16 Elevation: -4 metres (Hachiro-gata) to 3776 metres (Mount Fuji) Population: 127 million (July 2007 est.) Major cities: Tokyo (capital), Yokohama, Osaka & Nagoya Languages: Japanese (official), Ainu & Korean Currency: Yen (JPY). $1 CAD = ¥98 (JPY) Embassy in Vancouver: www.vancouver.ca.emb-japan.go.jp Tug-o-war festival in Okinawa, Japan photo by John R. Burgreen III / www.hdrjapan.com Airlines > Air Canada is the only Canadian airline that flies to Japan. US carriers that fly to Japan include American Airlines (AA), Delta Air Lines (DL), Northwest Airlines (NW) & United Airlines (UA). Narita International Airport (NRT) is 66 km from Tokyo. Kansai International Airport (KIX) (aka Chubu Airport) is 60 km from Osaka. Central Japan International Airport (NGO) is 35 km from Nagoya City. Transportation > Trains, including the famous Shinkansen (bullet train), criss-cross Japan. With the use of a Japan Rail (JR) pass (purchased before departing for Japan), tourists have unlimited use of JR trains. Subways are in major cities; bus service is available in towns & cities across Japan. Climate > Japan has 4 distinct seasons. Northern Japan, particularly Hokkaido, is fairly cold in the winter, while the Pacific coast stays relatively mild. At the southern tip of Japan, Okinawa has a subtropical climate. 52•prm•08 Okinawa, Japan, is an increasingly hip destination & is characterized by its unique fusion of Japanese & Chinese influences. Naha, the capital of Okinawa, plays host to the Annual Naha Festival, a community event that primarily revolves around The Naha Great Tug-of-War. On the day of the tug, 250,000 people show up to watch the contest, in which East & West Naha residents fuel a longstanding friendly rivalry, by tugging on a rope over 200 metres in length, weighing 43 tonnes! The prize: bragging rights & good luck for the coming year. It is truly a community endeavour—as many as 50,000 Naha residents actually help pull the rope. Two locals dressed in costume represent the Kings of East & West Naha. They stand on platforms erected on top of the actual rope, a few feet from the centre. Clad in traditional garb & flanked by guards dressed as panda bears, they taunt one another. Fourteen teams in traditional Okinawa costumes, representing each of Naha’s traditional tribal communities, scream themselves hoarse cheering on the pullers. The rope, which is constructed every year, costs $170,000 in materials & takes 16 volunteers a full 6 weeks to complete. It once held the Guinness World Record for the largest rope but has since lost this title to a tug in Korea. When the pull is over & the winner is declared, spectators pull out knives, hack the rope to pieces & bring a bit home with them: it’s good luck. japan Distance from airport to city centre > Festival > Great Tug-O-War | October 36°00’ N, 138°00’ E | PST+16 Elevation: 0 metres (South China Sea) to 3952 metres (Yu Shan) Population: 23 million (July 2007 est.) Major cities: Taipei (capital), Hsinchu, Hualien & Kaohsiung Languages: Mandarin (official), Min Nan Chinese (aka Taiwanese) & Hakka dialects Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (TWD). $1 CAD = $30.97 TWD Embassy in Vancouver: www.taiwan-vancouver.org Performer at the Matsu Pilgrimage in Dajia, Taiwan photo by Leslie Biggar Airlines > Festival > Chiang Ku | September EVA Air & China Airlines fly direct to Taiwan from Vancouver. Distance from airport to city centre > taiwan The 7th month of the lunar calendar is celebrated as Ghost Month in Taiwan. The Taiwanese believe ghosts— uncared for in the afterlife—wander the earth unhappily during this month. As such, the living make offerings to appease them. In a competition called Chiang Ku (held during the Hungry Ghost Festival), offerings to the hungry ghosts are placed on a platform high on top of a tower made of 4 poles (about 4 stories high). A priest performs a rite, & with the wandering ghosts fed, the living are safe for another 3 years. At this point, the public is challenged to form teams & attempt to scale the poles, grab a series of flags & the offerings. No easy task mind you—the poles are smeared with beef fat! Each competing team has 5 members who form human pyramids & are allowed to use ropes to haul themselves over the platform’s lip. When they manage to slip, slide & scramble their way to the top, they throw the offerings to the cheering crowd below & collect the final flag, which marks the end of the ceremony. Chiang Ku demands strength, skill, courage, team spirit & a measure of recklessness. In past years, people attempting the climb were hurt & even killed, which led to its banning. In 1991 it was revived, with new safety regulations. The hungry ghosts are grateful. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is 40 km from Taipei. Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH) is 9 km from Kaohsiung. Transportation > Taiwan has developed numerous means of transportation, which include air, rail, water & road transit. Climate > Taiwan has a subtropical climate: hot summers & mild winter. During the winter, the southern part of the island is sunny, while the north is cool & rainy. From May to September, it’s humid & rainy. The typhoon season lasts from July to October. 08•prm•53 16°00’ N, 106°00’ E | PST+15 Elevation: 0 metres (South China Sea) to 3,143 metres (Fansipan) Population: 85 million (July 2007 est.) Major cities: Hanoi (capital) & Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Languages: Vietnamese (official), English, French, Chinese (Cantonese/Mandarin), Khmer & Russian Currency: Dong (VND). $1 CDN = 15,912 VND Embassy in Ottawa: www.vietnamembassy-canada.ca Floating houses on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam photo by Vanessa Marshall Airlines > En route flights stop in Hong Kong, South Korea or Taiwan. Airline picks: Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, China Airlines & multiple American carriers. Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Saigon) (SGN) is 8 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) (HAN) is 45 km from Hanoi. Transportation > The highway system is extensive; rural roads often need repair. Train travel is affordable & routes run the length of Vietnam’s coast. Bus travel is the preferred means of travel. Car travel is the safest way to see Vietnam. (Note: international drivers licences are not recognized.) Climate > Vietnam has a subtropical monsoon climate: cool at higher elevations & hot & humid in the south. The weather is determined by 2 monsoons: the winter monsoon from the northeast brings wet chilly winters (October to March); the southwestern monsoon (April/May to October) brings warm, humid weather & rain—except in the mountains. 54•prm•08 The Khmer people of Vietnam, a minority group from the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, ring in the New Year with the Bay Nui (Cow Race) Festival. Held in the An Giang province on the last day of the 10th lunar month of the Khmer calendar, the event kicks off with a New Year’s feast. Locals pay tribute to their ancestors by inviting their souls to dine with them in a pagoda. Custom dictates that guests who arrive around New Year’s are to be highly revered & lavished with attention. After food & prayer, attendees walk to a local river where offerings are placed on rafts made of banana tree trunks, pushed into the water & swept away by the current. These tranquil proceedings are followed by the highlight of the festival—the cow races! The 60-metre-wide & 70-metre-long racing strip is a muddy & slippery field in a basin. Spectators sit high on the banks with food to eat & pots & pans to bang. The start & finish lines are marked with red & green flags. Each race pits 2 pairs of cows against one another, while a local man controls each team. (Cow teams must more or less run in a straight line or face disqualification.) First 1 to the end wins! People travel miles to be a part of this curious & popular event. In 2007, 70 cow teams participated. vietnam Distance from airport to city centre > Festival > Bay Nui Festival | March 35°00’ N, 105°00’ E | PST+15 Elevation: -154 metres (Turpan Pendi) to 7756 metres (Gongga Mountain) Population: 1.32 billion (July 2007 est.) Major cities: Beijing (capital), Hong Kong, Shanghai & Guangzhou (Canton) Languages: Mandarin (official), English & Portuguese Currency: Yuan (or Renminbi) (CNY). Bell Tower in the centre of Xi’an China $1 CAD = 7.1 CNY photo by Brent Richter Embassy in Vancouver: www.vancouver.china-consulate.org Festival > Knife-Pole Festival | March china China is forever associated with its ancient civilizations & many of the world’s most revered treasures, such as the Great Wall, Terra-Cotta Warriors & Horses & the Yangtze River. Of particular fascination to those visiting Mainland China are its many cultural festivals. Held in the Yunnan province, the Knife-Pole Festival falls on the 8th day of the 2nd Chinese lunar month (usually in March). It is the official festival of the Lisu people, a minority group native to the region. The celebration originates from the Lisu people's gratitude to a Han hero for teaching them how to make a knife, enabling them to drive away Ming Dynasty conquerors. Activities include diving into a fire sea, where performers jump into a large bonfire. It is believed that jumping into the fire will aid in averting disaster. The climactic sequence begins when a group of men drink copious amounts of wine & then immediately begin a dramatic barefoot climb up a ladder made from 2 20-metre-high wooden poles with 72 razor sharp knives acting as rungs. When they reach the top, they throw firecrackers at spectators, who, impressed with their feats, enthusiastically applaud. Airlines > Multiple carriers offer daily non-stop flights from Vancouver to Beijing, Shanghai-Pudong, Shanghai-Hongqiao & Guangzhou. Distance from airport to city centre > Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) is 27 km from Beijing. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is 32 km from Hong Kong Island. Pudong International Airport (PVG) is 45 km from Shanghai. Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) is 15 km from Shanghai. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) is 28 km from Guangzhou. Transportation > The train system is China’s main means of transportation & now extends to Tibet. Regional airlines connect many cities & buses reach destinations inaccessible by other methods. It is possible to rent cars for a short time with an International Driver’s Permit, after which a Chinese driver’s licence will be Climate > Summers are hot, humid & rainy—espe- necessary. Cities have public cially in the south. During the winter, the transit & there are subways in south remains mild, while the north & west larger ones. Taxis, bicycle are cold. The eastern coast is hit by typhoons rentals & organized tours are also available. in the summer (July to September). Film DIGITAL PRODUCTION for the independent spirit JOIN OUR UNIQUE PROGRAMS DIGITAL FILM PRODUCTION CERTIFICATE 16-week accelerated, professional, comprehensive training program in Drama, Music Production, Documentary and more. DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION CERTIFICATE Intensive, 16-week professional training program designed for students who wish to pursue careers in the challenging world of non-fiction film. Part-time Programs Available Intakes in May, September & January Learn more. Contact Annat Kennet 604.323.5561 or e-mail akennet@langara.bc.ca www.langara.bc.ca/cs/dfp 08•prm•55 Taiga Chiba’s art, inspired by wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy, embraces the idea that the universe is in constant motion towards or away from its true potential: beauty in imperfection. A ll surfaces in Taiga Chiba’s studio are white, even the cement floor, yet the space feels warm with its array of art materials and stacks of artwork lining the room’s perimeter. A ladder in the hall leads to a compact sleeping loft. There’s an orderly work table with plexiglass plates painted with abstract, organic shapes ready for printing. Artwork is wrapped and stored in tidy rows above a flat-file filled with works on paper. Chiba opens a drawer to reveal a series of aquatints, a form of etching that produces deep, velvety shades of black. In this series, titled Cambrian Sea, curious organic forms end in claws or spikes. The background is watery with a pattern of fluid etched marks. Chiba says of this work, “The creatures look like plant and animal combined. Are they flower or face, stem or neck, leaf or hand, root or foot, tree or bone?” The fluid imagery of Chiba’s art draws on early life forms such as the strange creatures embedded in fossils or organisms viewed through a microscope. His art bridges the cultures of east and west as he is influenced by traditional Japanese techniques yet informed by North American aesthetics. The fragile materials and simple beauty of his work encapsulate the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. With origins in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and Zen Buddhism, 56•prm•08 The Art of Taiga Chiba by Paula Grasdal photo by Andrew Hudyma wabi-sabi literally means ‘humble beauty,’ and celebrates impermanence, imperfection and the incomplete. Chiba, who immigrated from Japan 27 years ago, has embraced the philosophy’s emphasis on natural processes. Chiba is attracted to the idea of traces—the subject is not directly visible but has left behind signs of its presence. Creatures live on the perimeter in his work, leaving evidence of their movements. “I often find beauty in overlooked areas,” explains Chiba. “Everybody notices the big flower, but beauty is often not obvious. I don’t look for beauty—it finds me and because it is my discovery, it becomes part of myself.” Chiba feels that with our busy lifestyles, we ignore the moment—we’re too busy to see the subtleties in our everyday surroundings. “What I am interested in is disappearance. I want to make things which has represented Chiba’s work since 2000. Chiba is one of that seem to disappear into the ocean or air but leave an element, over 70 artists represented by the gallery. Mah says of the Ancient Life series: “You see things you think you recognize, but only in like a clue, behind.You might not notice these traces at first.” In Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, partial forms. [Taiga is] exploring the life cycle and how we’ve author Leonard Koren explains, “Wabi-sabi, in its purest, most evolved. In the end, we’re going back to the earth. For one of his idealized form, is precisely about these delicate traces, this faint exhibits, we hung 68 little ink-paintings on a huge wall. The overevidence, at the borders of nothingness.… And nothingness all effect felt like the artwork was expanding off the edge of the itself—instead of being empty space, as in the west—is alive with walls, like a continuum. It was as if you were part of the artwork— possibility. In metaphysical terms, wabi-sabi suggests that the as if we’re all in it together.” Zen Buddhism continues to influence many artists in Japan. universe is in constant motion toward or away from potential.” During his 2005 artist residency in Bhopal, India, Chiba was Its emphasis on simplicity and a connection to nature continues inspired to create images based on aquatic creatures from 500 to be an integral part of the culture despite all the westernized million years ago. The origin of life was a theme he had been modernization. “In Asia, Buddhism is a tradition, while in the west people exploring for several years. “[Human] beings are a part of nature,” states Chiba. He imagines the teeming soup of have a scientific approach. Science can study the brain and organisms all living together in a complex yet harmonious see the effects of meditation—it’s an investigative rather than environment. “Can we return to the simple life? Humans are a a religious approach,” explains Chiba. He appreciates this blend of the spiritual and analytical. family—can we live without conflict?” he wonders. Contemplating primordial life and our place in the As a child in Japan, there were ancestral shrines surrounding and protecting his house. This memory led him to ponder the idea world order, appreciating the innate qualities of simple of lineage. The evolution of ancient life became a metaphor for materials, such as rice paper and ink, attending to the stillancestry. Inspired by microorganisms’ freedom of shape and move- ness in the moment and sensing the transience of life—all ment, he created spontaneous, playful drawings with sumi-e ink on describe Chiba’s philosophy. It’s this balance of simplicity and warmness, irregularity and beauty, fluidity and rice paper. Tomoyo Ihaya, an artist and long-time friend of Chiba’s, says, order, that’s embodied in his art and his life. Koren “His process of making art is a journey inside of himself, which describes this balance: “Pare down to the essence, seems to lead to the origin of life. He is curious about life, where but don’t remove the poetry. Keep things clean and we are from and why we are here. That is why he’s fascinated by unencumbered, but don’t sterilize. Things wabisabi are never cold.” primordial creatures.” During another residency in Bhopal, in the rainy season, Taiga Chiba will be showing his prints Chiba was inspired to create with watery dyes. “It was very humid. My clothes would never dry. I noticed the layers of red in a group exhibit as part of Asian Heribetel-nut chewing tobacco, which had been spat upon the white tage month. They can be viewed from building walls. This led me to experiment with squirting dyes May 5–25, 2008 at the Dundarave Print onto the printing plate. The results were Cambrian scenes of Workshop located at 1640 Johnston Street in Granville Island,Vancouver. water as the origin of plants and animals.” Tamla Mah is the Gallery Administrator at Art Beatus Gallery, www.dundaraveprintworkshop.ca 08•prm•57 fusion fare > photo by Sarah Leaske Hapa Izakaya by Francis Baptiste Nested on the corner of Robson and Nicola is Hapa Izakaya— plate, and Ishi Yaki with Tak Wasabi, a rice bowl topped with hapa meaning ‘leaf’ and izakaya meaning ‘eating or drinking squid wasabi. The Yaki Udon, recommended for anyone hesitant to try something too new, was delightful—having just the slightlounge’—a hip and modern Japanese restaurant. Fancier Japanese restaurants have always intimidated me est hint of spice. The Ishi Yaki, which is cooked in a hot charcoal bowl right at because of my unfamiliarity with their menu items and their unconventional seating arrangements. At Hapa Izakaya, however, your table, was good but didn’t stand alone quite as well as the the staff’s focus is to put you at ease as soon as you walk through Yaki Udon. Topped with the Tak Wasabi, the Ishi Yaki was perhaps the better of the two dishes, if you like things spicy. the door. For dessert I had the Hapa Parfait, which was for the most The first thing to hit your senses when you enter isn’t the smell of Japanese dishes or the modern ambience of the room—it’s the part a normal parfait with a few fish eggs on the top. Though I’ve welcoming greetings that seem to bounce from all over the never been the biggest fan of regular parfaits, and I’ve never restaurant. From the waitresses busily serving other customers, liked the idea of eating any kind of raw eggs, this was absolutely to the cooks behind the open grill, you’re showered by a de- the most enjoyable sweet I’ve had in some time. Ultimately, Hapa Izakaya wins my vote. A great social lightful chorus of Japanese greetings. From what I’d heard, Hapa is known more for its large atmosphere combined with delicious dishes and fast, comfortvariety of appetizers—an ever-changing menu of tasty sharing able service makes this a great place for a weekend with plates. I chose the Beef Takata, an artful dish with symmetrically friends or an intimate date. Best of all, the prices are surprisplaced thin slices of beef circling the plate. Once ordered, it ingly modest. was at our table almost instantly. The meat was incredibly savoury, almost melting in my mouth. 1479 Robson St, Vancouver, 604-689-4272 For the main course we had Yaki Udon, a chicken noodle 1516 Yew St, Vancouver, 604-738-4272 58•prm•08 Sanafir CIPRIANO’S 3995 Main St,Vancouver by Heather Vince We walked right past Sanafir, with its unobtrusive frosted glass windows and dark interior. It’s no wonder—tucked in amongst Granville Street’s tattoo shops, pubs and adult stores, one has to keep an eye out for this hidden gem. Arriving for our early reservations, we were met with downtempo lounge music fused with an Indian and Arabic sound. The decor was opulent and sexy; the ambience fueled by lit candles scaling the walls and Moroccan lamps scattered throughout the space. Our view of the mezzanine, which apparently holds harem-type lounging rooms complete with beds, was interrupted by scenes from Lawrence of Arabia being projected above the beautifully stocked bar. Our server seemed to be waiting for us to arrive. After leading us to our table, he took our coats and returned with a wine list, menus and a coat check ticket. He seemed to read my mind as I wondered how big Sanafir must be to require a coat check and immediately he dove into his well-rehearsed explanation of the restaurant’s space and event capabilities and a bit of the restaurant’s history. Staying true to tapas-style, nearly everything on the menu comes in trios—sadly this isn’t the case for drinks, which hover around the $9.00–$12.00 mark each. All entrées are $14.00 with the exception of the Chef’s Selections, also trios, which run at $17.00. Our appetizer of ‘to-die-for’ grilled naan bread with garlic hummus arrived first. Our choices of prawn and chicken, we were told, would be prepared three different ways with Asian, Indian and Mediterranean flavours. The prawn entrée arrived just as we were fighting over the last piece of naan bread. The Kanafa Tiger Prawn was crispy and prepared perfectly while the Wild Prawn Tempura Roll gave my friend a new outlook on sushi. The Grilled Tandoori Prawn, while tasty, looked better than it was. The chicken dishes came next and held their own amongst the competition, though the Punjabi Butter Chicken had more of a masala taste with the absence of tomatoes. We gobbled down the Indonesian Chicken Satay, wishing the entire meal was comprised of that. The one thing I didn’t really care for was the Chicken Liver Pâté and when the server returned to remove our plates it was nearly untouched. The desserts deserve an entire review of their own. Served as a trio for $9.00, we chose the Burnt Orange Baklava, which was appropriately dry and not too gooey, Cardamom Baked Yogurt and Passion Fruit Vanilla Crème Brûlée, which is my newfound weakness. I was so impressed with Sanafir that I’ve decided to fly my next trip solo, so I won’t have to share. Well, they can have the pâté. Food is Love Best Italian —People’s Choice, Vancouver Magazine Book a party of 10 or more, and receive a 3-course dinner for four people FREE! Tel: 604–879–0020 Co-op Education at Langara College 1026 Granville St, Vancouver 604-678-1049 in the workplace For more info: call: 604 - 323 5480 e-mail: coop@langara.bc.ca photo by Becky Lloyd www.langara.bc.ca/coop 08•prm•59 Wild Rice by Irina Kapinos Basil Olive Oil Products Ltd. high quality certified organic products Golden Olive •Eleni® Olive Oil •Evangeline® Raisins •Evangeline® Balsamic Vinegar •Vassiliki® Olives •Vassiliki® Olive Tapenades •Anastasia® Olive Oil Soap •TheoDora™ Essential Rose Oil Moisturizer 604-460-0087 www.basiloliveoil.com 60•prm•08 I was a little skeptical at first: Wild Rice doesn’t take reservations for groups under 10 people and it was a Friday night. To my surprise we were seated as soon as we entered the restaurant, and we were served shortly thereafter. At Wild Rice, each dish is a ‘plate for sharing,’ which adds a degree of liveliness to this modern Chinese restaurant.Yet, we had a hard time deciding photo by Michal Russel what to order. Our neighbour’s platters looked so appetiz- bland for my taste, but the stewed vegetables, baby ing and the menu is packed potatoes and sauce itself were very rich. The duck’s with intriguing descriptions— flavour seemed to overpower the dish so we were glad my companion suggested we for the side of rice. Overall, the rice and stew complekeep coming back until we’ve mented each other for a nice meal. In fact, the whole tried everything. After some atmosphere of Wild Rice makes for a good outing. deliberation we agreed on a The music wasn’t too loud in the background and the vegetarian dish and the special floor plan is such that every party has a little privacy— of the day: vegetable spring we were able to talk and laugh without disturbing rolls and Sablefish and Bar- our neighbours. For dessert, we had the Chocolate and Mango becue Duck Pot-au-Feu. The service was speedy Torte, which came with green tea jelly and Chantilly. and we soon found ourselves This torte is a must for any dark chocolate lover. The munching on spring rolls. The cool, neutral flavour of the green tea jelly accentuated presentation seemed thought- the warm chocolate flavour. The Chantilly was topped ful: the rolls were cut diagonally, with a garnish, which according to the waitress was showing off the orange, red and a gooseberry. I think the garnish itself could have greens of the vegetables. They been dessert: a sweet but slightly tart berry to finish came with a sweet citrus gar- off the meal. Throughout the night three different waitresses lic sauce, which was superb— tangy and mild at the same served us, each as professional as the next, and the time. If we had not been in a evening flowed flawlessly. Although the atmosphere restaurant, I would have licked seems tailored for younger couples, most people around us were in their late thirties and the ambience the dish clean! When the Sablefish and the suggested a nice place for a date. Plus, Wild Rice is Duck Pot-au-Feu came, our wait- located near Tinseltown, so dinner and a movie might ress suggested we get rice to go be on the menu for the night. with the stew. The fish was a little 117 West Pender St, Vancouver, 604-642-2882 Free Home Delivery Minimum Order $15 within 4 km Open 7 Days a Week Mon-Sat: 11am–10pm Sunday: 3pm–10pm CHINESE RESTAURANT 604-533-3289 www.dragongarden.ca 105–20151 Fraser Hwy, Langley, BC (by PriceSmart Foods) Very Superstitious by Sandie Bird photo by Daniel Elstone You hear a baby cry and are paralyzed by the fear rooms. Talcum powder is often dusted over the floors that a ghost is in the room. The next day, you must pay to detect ghost footprints. Numbers are of enormous importance in Chinese thousands of dollars to get a specialized licence plate and street address, which contain at least one number culture, with some claiming that unlucky numbers can 8, but absolutely no 4s. Later that night, you’re trying to ruin one’s life. Eight is considered the luckiest number get a good night’s sleep, when you hear a dog howl. because its Chinese word means ‘prosper’; whereas Great. A death has occurred. These may seem like four is known as the unluckiest number because it insane worries, but it is a regular way of life for many. sounds like the Chinese word for ‘death.’ Seven can Chinese culture is full of customs, traditions and also signify death, while nine is sometimes lucky, repsuperstitions—many of which have been practised for resenting ‘sufficient’ or ‘long lasting.’ The number thousands of years. Some superstitions persist only in combination ‘666’ is very lucky in Chinese culture, small parts of traditional China, while others are well- because it sounds like the Chinese words for ‘things go smoothly.’ known and embraced by Chinese-Canadians. License plate sales, which are popular among the Although superstitious behaviour can be seen year-round, it goes into overdrive during Chinese New upper-class in China, draw huge crowds of people Year—the most important of the traditional Chinese who are most interested in tags bearing the numbers holidays. (New Year festivities begin on the first new 6 and 8. Many will pay literally thousands of dollars for moon of the calendar year.) Many people refrain from the right plate. And this obsession with lucky numbers eating red meat on Chinese New Year; it is believed extends to everything, from phone numbers and dates that this will ensure a long and happy life. Others to the amount of money given as a gift. In extreme will eat fish—representing togetherness and abun- examples it dictates where people decide to live. Realtor Ian Su says, “If I’m selling a house with lots dance—or a chicken with its head and feet intact, of 8s in the price, the chances of selling it go up. I also which symbolizes prosperity. But for many events, superstitions come into play have lots of 8s in my phone number for good luck.” Although superstitions involving numbers are in a big way—like the birth of a baby. To ensure successful labour, a husband should carry his bride over much more prominent in China and its surrounding a pan of burning coals when first entering their home countries, they are increasingly popular in Vancouver as newlyweds. Ouch. After a woman becomes preg- and other parts of Canada.Yes, tired old superstitions, nant, she should guard her thoughts because it is such as not walking under ladders and never letting a believed everything she sees and does will influence black cat cross your path, are becoming old hat. Though some believe the prevalence of superher unborn child. And it wouldn’t be uncommon for a Chinese woman to sleep with knives under her bed, in stitions is fading with newer generations, they still remain a powerful part of belief systems in many parts order to ward off evil spirits. Given the many superstitions surrounding birth, it of the world. So, the next time you hear somebody spit out a seems only natural there would be a few about death. At funerals, there are several. Mirrors must be hidden; cliché like ‘Don’t step on a crack or you’ll break your a person who sees a reflection of the coffin will have a mother’s back,’ instead of cringing in disgust, you can death in his family. Also, Chinese beliefs hold that contribute to the conversation and state some newseven days after the death of a family member, the found information like ‘Eat a chicken with its head and soul of the departed will return to his home. On this feet intact on Chinese New Year’s for prosperity.’ day, family members are expected to remain in their That’ll shut them up. 08•prm•61 written and illustrated by Natalie Mason 62•prm•08 langara college publishing program Samples of students’ work designed using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and QuarkXPress . our grads go on to become: art directors | graphic artists | illustrators | writers | magazine editors | book editors | publicists | web designers | photo editors | advertising designers | production directors | production artists | creative directors | typographers | magazine publishers | Ad designed by Publishing student Sandie Bird For more information call or email today: 604.323.5430 or glemay@langara.bc.ca www.langara.bc.ca/publishing 100 West 49th Avenue, Vancouver, BC Canada V5Y 2Z6