ASIAN CANADIAN

Toyota's worldwide sales of gas-electric Prius hybrid top one million units

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:34:00 +0000

Yuri Kageyama, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO - Toyota's Prius started out a decade ago as a risky experiment in green technology.

Today, it's the world's first mass-produced gas-electric hybrid vehicle to hit the one million mark in sales. The Prius, which went on sale in Japan in 1997, has been a big hit with drivers around the world and is now sold in 40 countries and regions. Its popularity is going strong amid surging gas prices and growing concerns about the environment.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday a cumulative 1.028 million Prius vehicles have been sold globally as of the end of April.

Toyota, Japan's top automaker, sells other hybrid models, but the Prius has been by far the most popular model. Toyota has said it plans to sell a million hybrids annually sometime in the few years after 2010.

When including the other hybrid models, Toyota's cumulative overall sales of gas-electric vehicles total 1.46 million, according to Toyota, which also makes the Camry sedan and Lexus luxury cars.

Toyota said introduction of the Prius has resulted in 4.5 million metric tons less of global warming gases compared with having standard gas engine cars on the road instead of the hybrid.

Of the more than one million Prius sales worldwide, nearly 592,000 were sold in North America and 315,000 in Japan, Toyota said.

A hybrid delivers a cleaner, more efficient ride by switching between a gas engine and an electric motor at different speeds, and by recycling the energy the car produces as it moves.

The latest Prius is estimated to deliver 48 miles a gallon (20 kilometres per litre) in city driving and 45 miles a gallon (19 kilometres per litre) on highways.

Unlike standard cars, hybrids generally provide better mileage in stop-and-go city driving.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Chinese official say death toll in massive earthquake may hit 50,000

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:32:00 +0000

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING - China warned Thursday that the death toll from this week's earthquake could soar to 50,000 as the government issued a rare public appeal for rescue equipment as it struggled to cope with the disaster. Rescue workers broke through key roads to the epicentre in the race to find survivors.

More than 72 hours after the quake rattled central China, rescuers appeared to shift from going through downed buildings for survivors to the grim duty of searching for bodies in Monday's tremor.

The official death toll reached at least 19,500 in Sichuan province alone where Monday's quake was centred, Vice-Gov. Li Chengyun told a news conference in the provincial capital of Chengdu. The figure was up from nearly 15,000 confirmed dead the day before.

But the State Council, the country's cabinet, said the number could rise to some 50,000, state TV reported.

In Luoshui town - on the road to an industrial zone in Shifang city where two chemical plants collapsed, burying hundreds of people - troops used a mechanical shovel to dig a pit on a hilltop to bury the dead. Two bodies wrapped in white sheets lie near the pit.

Police and militia in Dujiangyan pulverized rubble with cranes and backhoes while crews used shovels to pick around larger pieces of debris. On one side street, about a dozen bodies were laid on a sidewalk, while incense sticks placed in a pile of sand sent smoke into the air as a tribute and to dull the stench of death.

The bodies were later lifted onto a flatbed truck, joining some half-dozen corpses. Ambulances sped past, sirens wailing, filled with survivors. Workers asked those left homeless to sign up for temporary housing, although it was unclear where they would live.

Some key roads to other towns in the worst affected areas were cleared Thursday, and rescue workers were able to begin moving heavy equipment in for the first time. Previously, soldiers riding to isolated mountain villages on helicopters and small boats had been forced to dig for survivors with their hands.

Plans for the Defence Ministry to deploy 101 more helicopters underscored worries that the death toll would continue to skyrocket as time runs out to find survivors. Nearly 26,000 people remained buried in collapsed buildings.

Not all hope of finding survivors was lost. After more than three days trapped under debris, a 22-year-old woman was pulled to safety in Dujiangyan. Covered in dust and peering out through a small opening, she was shown waving on state television shortly before being rescued.

"I was confident that you were coming to rescue me. I'm alive. I'm so happy," the unnamed woman said on China Central TV.

One earthquake expert said the time for rescues was growing short. "Within 72 hours after the disaster is the critical period. Generally, the sooner the rescue of the buried, the better," the chief engineer of Shijiazhuang Bureau of Seismology, Liang Guiping, told state TV.

The government issued a rare appeal to the Chinese public calling for donations of rescue equipment including hammers, shovels, demolition tools and rubber boats. The plea on the Ministry of Information Industry's website said, for example, that 100 cranes were needed.

The public request is emblematic of China's relative openness in dealing with the tragedy, as compared to past crises.

"This is only a beginning of this battle, and a long way lies ahead of us," Vice-Health Minister Gao Qiang told reporters in Beijing.

No outbreaks of disease was reported among quake refugees, who were being immunized against some illnesses, Gao said. Workers were seeking to ensure safety of drinking water and removing corpses to prevent the spread of bacteria.

After days of refusing foreign relief workers, China accepted an offer from Japan to send a rescue team, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in an announcement posted on the ministry website. Tawan's Red Cross said rival China also agreed to accept a 20-person emergency relief team from the island.

Taiwan is also sending a cargo plane to Chengdu with tents and medical supplies. The Air Macau plane will make a brief stop in Macau.

Taiwan and China, which split during civil war in 1949, have banned regular direct links and other formal contacts as political disputes persist.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also issued an emergency appeal for medical help, food, water and tents.

Gu Qinghui, the federation's disaster management director for East Asia who visited Beichuan county near the epicentre, said more than four million homes were shattered across the quake area.

"The whole county has been destroyed. Basically there is no Beichuan county anymore," Gu said in Beijing.

Forty-four counties and districts in Sichuan were severely hit, with about half of the 20 million people living there directly affected, Xinhua said.

Roads were cleared to two key areas that bore the brunt of the quake's force, with workers making it to the border of Wenchuan county at the epicentre and also through to hard-hit Beichuan county, Xinhua reported. Communication cables were also reconnected to Wenchuan.

The Chengdu Military Area Command also planned to airdrop 50,000 packets of food, 5,000 cotton-padded quilts and clothes there, part of the military rescue operation that has grown to include more than 116,000 soldiers and police.

Dujiangyan city was clogged with buses and trucks decked out with banners from companies saying they were offering aid to disaster victims. One tour bus was stuffed full of water bottles, cartons of biscuits and instant noodles.

Public donations so far have totalled $125 million in both cash and goods.

NBA star Yao Ming, China's most famous athlete, was planning to donate $285,000 to the relief effort, agent Erik Zhang said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

American athletes learn what's right and wrong in China

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:13:00 +0000

Eddie Pells, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Slurping and burping at the dinner table is OK. Always use both hands to present somebody a business card. And as for those public toilets (or lack thereof), make sure you bring your own tissue.

Three months from now, the U.S. Olympic athletes will have to negotiate their way through China on more than just the playing field - and figuring out Far East culture could be as challenging as any opponent.

To offer tips, the U.S. Olympic Committee and a sponsor brought in two cultural experts, who spoke to about three dozen athletes Tuesday about what to expect once they arrive in Beijing.

"One of the most important things I can tell you is that, once you get through that first layer, people all around the world are more alike than they are unalike," travel etiquette expert Roger Axtell told the athletes.

But that first layer, well, it's a doozy.

Athletes were referred to a website with more than 100 "awareness tips" on everything from business etiquette to table manners to shopping for clothes.

For instance, it is considered polite to hand a business card to a new contact with both hands, preferably with the writing facing the person receiving the card. And when you receive a business card, it's gauche to write on the back of it.

On a completely unrelated topic, public toilets aren't common in China yet. Often, it's just a hole in the floor. Another suggestion regarding that business: Bring a packet of tissue to use in case there's no toilet paper, which isn't that uncommon.

Also, there's no need to stifle burps at the dinner table, and should you hear someone else do it, no need to act horrified, either. Oh, and eating 'til your plate's clean at dinner in China doesn't necessarily mean you liked it; it can be interpreted as a sign that you didn't get enough food.

"If you're sitting at a dinner table and people are snorting and gurgling in ways you don't know how to deal with, just roll with it," said Gideon Yago, a former international news correspondent for MTV.

In fact, the best piece of advice both he and Axtell offer is simply to go with the flow.

Axtell told a story of his wife's visit to China. She was feeling sick, so she got a doctor to make a house call at her hotel room. He came once, said he'd come again. And toward the end of the second visit, he was on his knees, saying he wanted a "relationship" with Axtell's wife.

What he really wanted, as she later figured out, was a connection with someone in North America because the doctor's daughter went to college in Toronto.

The point is that something as basic as the shadings of the meaning of a word - in this case "relationship" - can cause confusion.

"Things are going to happen, something unexpected is going to happen," Axtell said. "It could be a comment, a gesture. Whatever. You just have to be ready for it."

Many American athletes at the Olympic level have learned these lessons before. Most have a wealth of experience in international travel. The USOC also has its own new, "ambassador program," created in part to teach about cultural differences, but also to remind athletes to be on their best behavior and represent America appropriately when they're competing abroad.

"To me, the whole thing is just to stay patient, listen, watch," said Sarah Noriega, a veteran on the American volleyball team, which is coached by one-time Chinese volleyball great Lang Ping. "Listen to the little tips you get. Rely on nonverbal clues."

Even those can be tricky. For instance, the 'V for Victory' sign means different things in different parts of the world, and can even have a different meaning depending on whether the outside of the fingers are pointed in or out.

One nonverbal clue that means the same in any part of the world.

"A smile," Axtell said. "That works almost every single time."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Honda robot conducts Detroit Symphony to warm response

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:11:00 +0000

Dee-Ann Durbin, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT - The lights dimmed, the sold-out hall grew hushed and out walked the conductor - shiny, white and 4 feet, 3 inches tall.

ASIMO, a robot designed by Honda Motor Co., met its latest challenge Tuesday evening: Conducting the Detroit Symphony in a performance of "The Impossible Dream" from "Man of La Mancha."

"Hello, everyone," ASIMO said to the audience in a childlike voice, then waved to the orchestra.

As it conducted, it perfectly mimicked the actions of a conductor, nodding its head at various sections and gesturing with one or both hands. ASIMO took a final bow to enthusiastic shouts from the audience.

"It is absolutely thrilling to perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. This is a magnificent concert hall," ASIMO said.

Later, cellist Yo-Yo Ma joined ASIMO onstage to receive an award for his efforts in music education. Ma bent to ASIMO's height and shook the robot's hand. Ma performed later on the program but didn't take questions from the media about ASIMO.

Honda spokeswoman Alicia Jones said it was the first time ASIMO has conducted an orchestra, and it may be the first time any robot has conducted a live performance. ASIMO stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility.

ASIMO has its limits. ASIMO's engineers programmed the robot to mimic Charles Burke, the Detroit Symphony's education director, as he conducted the piece in front of a pianist about six months ago. But it can't respond to the musicians.

During the first rehearsal, the orchestra lost its place when ASIMO began to slow the tempo, something a human conductor would have sensed and corrected, said bassist Larry Hutchinson.

"It's not a communicative device. It simply is programmed to do a sense of gestures," said Leonard Slatkin, the orchestra's musical director. "If the orchestra decides to go faster, there's nothing the robot can do about it. Hopefully, I keep that under control."

But several musicians also said ASIMO was more realistic than they expected.

"The movements are still a little stiff, but very humanlike, much more fluid than I thought," Hutchinson said.

Honda has been developing walking robots since 1986. The latest version of ASIMO debuted last year. Honda eventually intends its robots to be companions for the elderly and others in need, such as schoolchildren navigating crosswalks. ASIMO can run, walk on uneven slopes and respond to simple voice commands. It can also recognize faces with its camera eyes.

Honda brought the robot to Detroit to highlight its recent $1 million gift to the orchestra for a music education fund.

The Canadian Press, 2008

NAAAP & CBC Asian Heritage Month Film Screenings

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:11:00 +0000

CBC in partnership with Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, NAAAP Toronto, Toronto Sikh Professional Association, MyBindi.com

CBC Building
25 John Street, 3C-304
Toronto ON
(Between Front Street and Wellington)

Admission: FREE
Reserve your seat(s) by email: rsvp@naaaptoronto.org or www.naaaptoronto.org

Friday, May 30, 2008
6:00 - 7:00pm: Registration and Reception
7:00 - 7:10pm: Intro from Host
7:10 - 8:37pm: Continuous Journey (Ali Kazimi, 2004 - 87 minutes)
8:37 - 9:10pm: Q & A with Director Ali Kazimi

Continuous Journey - In 1914, the Komagata Maru, a ship carrying 376 immigrants from British India, was turned away by Canada. The consequences were felt throughout the British Empire. Continuous Journey is a compelling and eye-opening investigation into the past and present ramifications of this incident. More than history film,
Continuous Journey is a provocative, moving, and multilayered essay that interweaves photographs, newsreels, home movies and official documents to unravel a complex and little-known story

Saturday, May 31, 2008
1:00 - 2:00pm: Registration and Reception
2:00 - 2:10pm: Intro from Host
2:10 - 2:53pm: Shadow of Gold Mountain (Karen Cho, 2004 - 43 minutes)
2:53 - 3:10m: Intermission (15 minutes)
3:10 - 4:00pm: Sleeping Tigers (Jari Osborne, 2003 - 50 minutes)
4:00 - 4:30pm: Q & A with Silva Basmajian (Executive Producer - NFB) & CBC Senior Executive Andrew Johnson

Sleeping Tigers: The Asahi Baseball Story - In pre-World War II Vancouver the Asahi baseball team was unbeatable, outplaying the taller Caucasian teams and winning the prestigious Pacific Northwest Championship for five straight years. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the Canadian government sent every person of Japanese descent, whether born in Canada or not, to internment camps. Faced with hardship and isolation, the former Asahi members survived by playing baseball. Their passion for this quintessential North American game soon attracted other players, including RCMP and local townspeople, and the baseball games helped to break down racial and cultural barriers. In Sleeping Tigers, award-winning director Jari Osborne skillfully weaves archival film and dramatic re-creations, along with candid
interviews with the last of the Asahi, to tell this remarkable story.

In the Shadow of Gold Mountain - Karen Cho, a fifth-generation Canadian of mixed heritage, discovered that half her family wasn't welcome in the country they called home. While Canada encouraged and rewarded immigration from Europe, it imposed laws that singled out the Chinese as unwanted and unwelcome. Cho's film, In the Shadow of Gold Mountain, takes her from Montreal to Vancouver to uncover stories from the last living survivors of the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act. This dark chapter in our history, from 1885 until 1947, plunged the Chinese community in Canada into
decades of debt and family separation. At the centre of the film are personal accounts of extraordinary Chinese Canadians who survived an era that threatened to eradicate their entire community. Through a rich melding of history, poetry and raw emotion, this documentary sheds light on an era that shaped the identity of generations, with deeply moving testimonials, it reveals the profound ways this history still casts its shadow.

Visit, www.cbc.ca/asianheritage for more details on the films and each event.

Reserve your seat(s) by email: rsvp@naaaptoronto.org or www.naaaptoronto.org

The Man Who Loved China: Joseph Needham and the Making of a Masterpiece by Simon Winchester

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:09:00 +0000

The Vancouver International Writers Festival and HarperCollinsCanada Ltd. present a special event with Simon Winchester

The bestselling author of A Crack in the Edge of the World and The Professor and the Madman will read from his new book, The Man Who Loved China: Joseph Needham and the Making of a Masterpiece. Winchester's new book tells the remarkable story of the growth of a great nation and the eccentric and adventurous scientist who defined its essence for the world. Sponsored by the UBC Writing Centre.

Author website: http://www.simonwinchester.com/index.html

7:30 pm, Friday May 30
Frederic Wood Theatre
UBC
Tickets $15/13

Tickets at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge-by-phone at 604.280.3311 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca.

Information: www.writersfest.bc.ca or call 604.681.6330

Asiansploitation in "Up Your Yangtze!"

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:05:00 +0000

Why fly to Beijing this summer when Asiansploitation can paddle you "UP YOUR YANGTZE!" instead? We're back with our brand new full length comedy revue just for
you and right in time for Asian Heritage Month!

Toronto's Premiere All-Asian Comedy Troupe brings you gold-medal winning comedy with *ALL NEW* never-before-seen sketches, stand-up comedy, and songs. And new this year we've got COMEDY VIDEOS that will split your sides with laughter.

We've got all the comedy covered. Hilarious Torch Relays! Romance Gone Wrong! Earth Hour Surprises! It's all there and more so don't miss out on this once-a-year COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA! It's comedy with an Asian-Pacific twist that everyone will enjoy (non-Asians too!).

Asiansploitation in "Up Your Yangtze!"
A Sketch Comedy Revue Directed By Andrew Currie

Written and Performed By
Gene Abella, Susan Austin, Gary Chan, Sandy Chen, James Cheng, Glenn Gabriel, Darrel Gamotin, Jeff Santos

WHEN:
8 PM Thu May 22nd 2008
8 PM Fri May 23rd 2008
10 PM Sat May 24th 2008
8 PM Sun May 25th 2008

WHERE:
Bad Dog Theatre
138 Danforth Avenue
Broadview/Danforth

TICKETS:
$10. To reserve tickets email
asiansploitation@gmail.com
*** Reservations highly recommended. Past shows have sold out. ***

Visit us at www.asiansploitation.com

Thanks to the Bad Dog Theatre. We're thrilled to be back at Toronto's best comedy theatre for our 3rd year. Visit www.baddogtheatre.com

Asiansploitation is proud to be an official participant in Asian Heritage Month.
Visit www.asian-heritage-month.org

*** Warning *** Show may contain mature themes and language. Viewer discretion is advised.

A week of Festival Accès Asie activities from May 11 to 18th 2008

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:04:00 +0000

The festivities of Festival Accès Asie's 13th edition continue! Come and discover the artistic activities this week.

The exhibition Reframing & Interactive translocation with visual artist, Fariba Samsami in examining taboo and the untouchable will open on Thurs. May 15th. On Sat. May 17th, an inter-disciplinary improvisation of dance and music, 10 Moments will feature Shuni Tsou, Ziya Tabassian and Natasha Bakht. On Sun. May 18th, at the NFB Theatre, Passions latines by Cheuk Kwan and Yellow Fellas by Tetsuro Shigematsu will be screened. Dance amateurs will be delighted to participate on the same Sun. in a dance workshop with Roger Sinha and Natasha Bahkt.

Thurs. May 15th, 5:30 -7:30 p.m.
Vernissage: Reframing & Interactive translocation

Visual arts exhibition on taboo and the untouchable with artist Fariba Samsami

MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels)
3680, rue Jeanne Mance
Free

Sat. May 17th, 2 p.m.
10 Moments

an inter-disciplinary improvisation of dance and music with Shuni Tsou, Ziya Tabassian and Natasha Bakht

Galerie Oboro
4001, rue Berri, #301, Montréal
Q Music Studios
401 Richmond, Toronto

Free

Sun. May 18th-1 to 5 p.m.
Passions latines (1 p.m.): documentary film by Cheuk Kwan about family stories behind the Chinese restaurants in Peru, Argentine and Brazil. ( French version). The filmmaker, Cheuk Kwan will be attending the screening.

Yellow Fellas (3 p.m.): Comedy fiction by Tetsuro Shigematsu. (English version)

NFB(National Film Board)

1564, rue St-Denis
Cost: 5$

Sun. May 18th-1 p.m.
Dance Workshop with Roger Sinha and Natasha Bahkt

MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels)
3680, rue Jeanne Mance
Cost : 30$

Asian Diaspora films at Inside Out

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:03:00 +0000

INSIDE OUT TORONTO LESBIAN AND GAY FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL
More than 125 filmmakers and artists in attendance!

May 15 – 25, 2008 / www.insideout.ca
For detailed information on more than 85 screenings and exhibitions, please consult www.insideout.ca

In person box office now open at the Manulife Centre (Festival Ticketing, Main Floor, 55 Bloor St. W.)
Phone orders can be made by calling (416) 967-1528

OPENING GALA: LIKE A VIRGIN (Varsity Cinemas Thu. May 15 8:00pm)
Directed by: Lee Hae-yeong and Lee Hae-jun
Young Oh Dong-gu (Deok-Hwan Ryu) has only one wish: to have a sex change operation and become a girl. But his part-time job loading cargo before school each day makes for meagre savings. When he finds out that he could win the money he needs if he takes the prize at a traditional Korean Ssireum wrestling match, he begins training in earnest. But challenges abound. Borrowing make-up tips and slick dance moves from his beloved Madonna, Oh Dong-gu works to win them all over and reach his dream in a thoroughly engaging story that’s by turns absurdly hilarious, darkly intense and gently poignant. Toronto Premiere.

THE AMAZING TRUTH ABOUT QUEEN RAQUELA (ROM Tue. May 20, 5:15pm)
Directed by: Olaf de Fleur Johannesson
Winner of this year’s Teddy Award for Best Feature at the Berlin International Film Festival, The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela follows the heartbreaking journey of a Filipina transsexual in search of a fairytale ending for her workaday life. Raquela dreams of escaping the streets of Cebu City for a life in Paris. Canadian Premiere.

DRIFTING FLOWERS (Isabel Bader Tue. May 20, 7:30pm)
From the director of last year’s runaway hit, Spider Lilies, comes Drifting Flowers, the third film in Zero Chou’s ongoing “Rainbow Colors” project, this latest addition representing the colour red. In three interconnected stories about three women living in three different eras, Drifting Flowers weaves a poetic tale of drifting apart as all three female characters seek their true identities. North American Premiere.

LOVE MY LIFE (ROM Fri. May 23, 9:45pm)
Directed by: Kôji Kawano
Ichiko (Rei Yoshii) and Eri (Asami Imajuku) are two adorable Japanese university students who just happen to be in love with one another. Ichiko decides it’s time to come out to her dad, and gets the surprise of her life when he tells her that he’s gay too, as was her late mother, and that they only married because they both desperately wanted to have a child. This upbeat, slice-of-life lesbian gem grants us a glimpse into the everyday lives of Japanese young people.

THE WORLD UNSEEN (Isabel Bader Sat. May 24, 10:00pm)
Directed by: Shamim Sarif
Cape Town, South Africa, 1952. At the hub of the South Asian community sits the Location Café, run by the scandalously free-spirited Amina (Sheetal Sheth), whose men’s trousers and loose-flowing hair raise eyebrows and whose rebellious attitude sometimes attracts the unpleasant attentions of the police. When she meets timid, traditional Indian housewife and mother Miriam (the luminous Lisa Ray), sparks fly.

"Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors" has won the prestigious Golden Reel Award for Best Short Film

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:01:00 +0000

Realize Entertainment is thrilled to announce that their documentary "Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors" has won the prestigious Golden Reel Award for Best Short Film at the 2008 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. The award, presented during the Festival's Closing Night program in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, is presented to artists whose work exemplifies artistic excellence and the potential for future creative activity.

Directed by Calgary director Leonard Lee and Vancouver filmmaker Marsha Newbery, "Tailor Made" follows 80-something brothers Bill & Jack Wong for one year as they face the reality that they're getting too old to run the little tailor shop their father opened in 1913…and letting go isn't easy. With tailoring being a dying trade, finding someone to take over the family business has proved impossible, but Bill refuses to give up. From taking on a fashion journalist as an apprentice, to selling the shop to a young hot-shot corporate tailor, Bill becomes especially determined and pulls out all the stops.

"Tailor Made: Chinatown's Last Tailors" was commissioned for the CBC Newsworld strand, The Lens, and premiered to a sold out audience at the 2007 Whistler Film Festival. It is also screening as a part of CBC Vancouver's celebration of Asian Heritage Month on May 24th. Please visit www.cbc.ca/asianheritage for details and to book a seat. Screenings are also being held by the Vancouver Parks board all through May, please visit www.vancouver.ca/parks for details.

TAILOR MADE will be re-telecast on The Lens on Tuesday July 15th at 7pmPT (10pm ET), 10pm PT (1am ET) and 1am PT (4am ET) – Newsworld, Channel 26.

BOWLING PIN FIRE - A new book by Andy Quan

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Book Launch and Reading

Bowling Pin Fire transcribes the arc of one man’s life from growing up Chinese in Vancouver, to seeing the world through the lens of fearless, free-spirited youth, to arriving at the initial cautionary glimmerings of midlife. The rituals and rivalries of grade school, the later experiments with everything new, the close-knit dynamics of family and far-flung friends, the happenstances and fidelities of love, the elation and hangover of travel to unexpected quadrants of the globe all prompt the quality of reflection necessary to the leading of a truly examined, contemporary life.

Thursday, May 29, 2008
7pm

Little Sister’s Book and Art Emporium
1238 Davie Street, Vancouver
604 669 1753

Andy Quan is the author of four books: Calendar Boy (short fiction), Six Positions (erotica), and Slant (poetry), and his new book of poetry, Bowling Pin Fire (Signature Editions). He was also the co-editor of Swallowing Clouds: an Anthology of Chinese-Canadian Poetry. His poetry, short fiction, essays and reviews have appeared in many publications. He lives and works in Sydney, Australia on international AIDS issues.

More information on Andy and his writing can be found at: www.andyquan.com.

Head of Taser International tells Vancouver inquiry stun guns not risk free

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:47:00 +0000

Greg Joyce, THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER - Tasers are not risk free, are designed to incapacitate and the term "non-lethal" does not mean safe, the chairman of Taser International told an inquiry into use of the weapon Monday.

Tom Smith, of Taser International, also noted there's a big distinction between a Taser jolt being the cause of a death and it being a contributing factor. Smith's appearance at the public inquiry drew a packed audience as he sparred with commission lawyer Art Vertlieb.

After explaining the history and development of the stun gun, Smith mentioned Taser's were "generally safe."

Vertlieb asked him to elaborate.

"They are not risk free," Smith responded, noting people fall down when they are hit.

Could death result? asked Vertlieb.

"I would never say never."

The inquiry also heard from Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh who was attorney general in British Columbia in 2000 when the first Tasers were introduced to Canadian police in Victoria.

Dosanjh, now the federal Liberal critic for the public safety ministry, said the assurances he was given about Taser's safety, research record and amount of use all proved to be misleading.

Dosanjh said he was assured in 2000 that the Taser was "absolutely safe," had been "thoroughly researched" and would only be used sparingly.

"In fact, what has happened has been contrary to all assurances I was given," he said.

He said there has been significant "usage creep" and the Taser is now being used "where it was never intended to be used."

He listed several "suggestions" he would like incorporated in the inquiry's final report, including a re-positioning of Taser use "higher up on the use-of-force continuum."

National standards are needed across the country for its use and police and other users should have better training, he said.

Outside the inquiry, Dosanjh was asked if he thought Tasers caused death.

"There is absolutely no conclusive evidence that Tasers don't kill, Dosanjh said.

"It's not up to me . . . or the Canadian public to prove that Tasers kill. It is up to the Taser manufacturers and the police forces to actually satisfy Canadians that Tasers are not dangerous weapons."

Vertlieb told the inquiry statistics indicate more than 300 people - including about 20 in Canada - have had Taser use noted as a contributing factor in their deaths.

Smith countered that the figure included "medical comments" and inquests and that his understanding was that Taser had only been cited as a contributing factor about 30 times "as a potentially contributing cause."

"Thirty as a contributing factor?" asked Vertlieb.

"That's out there," replied Smith.

"There is a difference between contributing and causing," he said. There is a big distinction."

Vertlieb asked if the 30 would have "died anyway."

"I'm not going to guess," responded Smith, who travelled to the inquiry from Taser's headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz.

Instead, Smith said research and other statistics from agencies using Tasers suggest the stun gun reduces injuries to officers and suspects and has "revolutionized law enforcement."

Some 129 studies have been done on conducted energy weapons, including 20 per cent that were sponsored by Taser - something Smith called "fantastic."

Smith said 350,000 police officers carry the weapons in 40 countries, and a poll of officers in the United Kingdom found 95 per cent wanted Tasers while 96 per cent did not want guns.

The inquiry, headed by retired judge Thomas Braidwood, was called after the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski who died after being hit with an RCMP Taser at Vancouver International airport last October.

Vertlieb asked Smith about the term "individual susceptibility" that he had used during his presentation.

"It's something unforeseen," said Smith, adding that it means a "higher degree of risk."

But he said he could not provide a "specific definition in a litigious society."

And Smith was also asked by reporters outside if he agreed that Dziekanski died "in part" because he was hit by a Taser.

"Sir, we are all waiting. I'm waiting, You're waiting. We have not seen the medical examiner's (coroner's) report."

He said he would not speculate on Dziekanski's death.

He called it a "very tragic situation. Our hearts go out to the family. I can't even begin to know what that family's going through."

He said noted the video has been seen widely.

"We're all waiting to see what the medical science comes out and says once there is a ruling on that case."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Myanmar accepts more US help for cyclone survivors

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:45:00 +0000

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar agreed to accept more American aid, officials said Tuesday, opening the door for what could be a massive relief operation as the UN warned that less than a quarter of victims' needs are being met 10 days after the devastating cyclone struck.

Logistical bottlenecks, poor infrastructure and restrictions imposed by Myanmar's isolationist junta were delaying the desperately needed aid for some two million severely affected survivors of the May 3 cyclone.

The government says about 62,000 people are dead or missing, but the UN has suggested the death toll is likely to be more than 100,000.

While the survivors - mostly poor peasants who grew rice for their livelihood - face disease and starvation, the authoritarian junta continued to bar nearly all foreigners experienced in managing such catastrophes.

It has largely only allowed supplies from the outside. Two U.S. planes and a UN convoy have already delivered aid. In an apparent concession, the junta seemed set to allow U.S. supply planes to continue to land Wednesday.

But armed police checkpoints were set up outside Yangon, the main city, on the roads to the hard-hit Irrawaddy delta, and all foreigners were being sent back by policemen who took down their names and passport numbers.

"No foreigners allowed," a policeman said Tuesday after waving a car back.

Despite the junta's restrictions, countless images of the misery in Irrawaddy have already stirred the world.

The survivors, who have become refugees in their own land, are packed into Buddhist monasteries or camped in the open, drinking dirty water contaminated by dead bodies and animal carcasses. Food and medicines are scarce.

People complain that the junta's soldiers are handing out rotten food while keeping the best for themselves. Thousands of children are orphaned and suffering from fever, diarrhea and respiratory infections.

"There is obviously still a lot of frustration that this aid effort hasn't picked up pace and gotten under way as quickly as it should have," said Richard Horsey, the spokesman of the UN humanitarian operation in Bangkok, Thailand.

He said the UN's World Food Program is getting in 20 per cent of the food aid needed. "That is a characterization of the program as a whole. We are not reaching enough people quickly enough," he said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also criticized the military leaders for their "unacceptably slow response" to the crisis.

Hundreds of tonnes of aid has been flown in from around the world, including by the UN, but the poorly equipped Yangon airport is incapable of processing the cargo quickly enough. The logistics of moving the aid out are causing other bottlenecks with the junta insisting on using only the few helicopters it has at its disposal.

After Myanmar allowed a U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo plane into its main city, Yangon, on Monday, the United States sent in one more cargo plane Tuesday with 9,000 kilograms of blankets, water and mosquito netting. A third flight was to take in a 11,200-kilogram load.

On Monday, Myanmar told the United States - the fiercest critic of the junta's human rights record - that basic needs of the storm victims are being fulfilled and that "skilful humanitarian workers are not necessary."

The U.S. military, which has already brought forces to the region for its annual Cobra Gold exercise, has 11,000 troops, at least four ships and potentially dozens of cargo planes nearby that are ready to start assistance operations.

The operation has already been named - Joint Task Force Caring Relief. But officials say they will not push ahead without the approval of Myanmar's military rulers.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej plans to go to Myanmar on Wednesday to meet with junta officials and urge them to issue more visas to foreign experts, Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Patama told reporters.

The first UN aid convoy to reach Myanmar overland arrived Monday evening from Thailand with more than 20 tonnes of tents and plastic sheets.

Andrew Kirkwood, the Canadian head of Save the Children in Myanmar, in a conference call with reporters, lauded Myanmar's private sector for "picking up a lot of the slack" by selling aid groups clothing, materials for shelter and other relief supplies at cost price.

Yangon was pounded by heavy rain Monday and more downpours were expected throughout the week, further hindering aid deliveries. But for many, the rainwater was the only source of clean drinking water.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Pakistani coalition in doubt after ex-PM pulls ministers from cabinet

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Munir Ahmad, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Cabinet ministers from the party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif submitted their resignations Tuesday, shaking Pakistan's fragile coalition government just six weeks after it took power.

Sharif announced Monday that he was pulling his ministers from the government over its failure to meet a promise to reinstate judges ousted by their archrival, President Pervez Musharraf.

But Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's office said he did not immediately accept the nine resignations and that a decision would come after consultations with his party's leader, Asif Ali Zardari.

A withdrawal of Sharif's party raised the prospect of the fledgling government collapsing, casting Pakistan into political turmoil just as it faces mounting economic woes and tries to maintain a fragile truce with Islamic militants along the Afghan border.

Sharif said his party would remain part of the ruling coalition, which is led by the party of Zardari, the widower of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Zardari's party expressed "respect" for the decision by Sharif's party and said the two movements remain close.

But a spokesman for Sharif sharpened the tone Tuesday, accusing members of Zardari's Pakistan People's party of "serving the interests" of Musharraf by blocking the judges' restoration.

"Such loyalists of Musharraf are to be blamed for our decision to quit the cabinet," Sadiqul Farooq said.

Farooq claimed that Zardari aides have had secret contacts with Musharraf.

Zardari party spokesman Farhatullah Babar denied there had been any back-channel contact with Musharraf and insisted his party remained committed to restoring the judges.

He said Zardari would return to Pakistan from overseas late Tuesday, meet party leaders and hold talks with Sharif at a later date.

Musharraf imposed emergency rule and purged the Supreme Court in November in what critics saw as a move to forestall a ruling on his eligibility for office.

The coalition, which came to power after routing Musharraf's supporters in February parliamentary elections, vowed to reverse his crackdown. But the two leading parties have failed to agree just how to reinstate the judges despite weeks of wrangling.

Sharif insists a parliamentary resolution and a simple order from the government would suffice to bring back the justices.

But Zardari's party argues that the law must be changed first to accommodate those judges installed by Musharraf after the purge - an attempt to make sure they do not resist the change. It is also seeking a package of judicial reforms to prevent the judges from getting involved in politics.

A permanent split in the coalition would boost Musharraf, a former army strongman who has taken a back seat since the new government took power in late March.

Opposition parties aligned with the president have signalled their readiness to join a new coalition with the PPP if its alliance with Sharif breaks down completely.

The two main coalition parties are not natural partners. Bhutto and Sharif fought mercilessly for power during the 1990s, a decade associated with rampant corruption that paved the way for Musharraf's 1999 military coup.

However, both suffered under the former army strongman and shared an ambition to re-establish the supremacy of Parliament over a presidency which currently has the power to dismiss the government.

Sharif said his party would not join the opposition "for the time being."

"We will not take any step which will benefit Musharraf's dictatorship," he said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Rona Q1 earnings hammered down to $1M; same-store sales down 5.2 per cent

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:43:00 +0000

THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL - Rona Inc. (TSX:RON) has reported a 5.2 per cent decline in same-store sales in the first quarter and an 18 per cent drop in operating profit.

Net earnings declined to $1 million or one cent per share, compared with $9 million or eight cents per share in the year-ago period.

The largest Canadian retailer of hardware and renovation products said Tuesday that overall sales advanced 3.8 per cent to $911.5 million from $878.5 million because of acquisitions, store openings and the addition to new affiliate dealer-owners.

The reported 5.2 per cent decline in sales at locations open a year or more excluded price deflation of 0.5 per cent in building materials and a 1.3 per cent hit from the timing of Easter and Ontario's new Family Day holiday.

"Economic and weather conditions that were especially unfavourable to construction/renovation activities, particularly in Eastern Canada, largely explain this drop in same-store sales and profits," the company stated.

"Results were also affected by a decline in starts of single-family homes in Canada and a temporary slowdown in the demand for building materials in Alberta."

The results for the first quarter - seasonally the slowest for Rona, typically accounting for 15 per cent of annual sales - "reflect the strong drop in consumer confidence in the country's economic growth," commented CEO Robert Dutton.

"Results were also affected by weather conditions that were particularly unfavourable to construction and renovation activity in Ontario and Quebec, where we get nearly 70 per cent of our sales."

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Microsoft WorldWide Telescope blasts off

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:41:00 +0000

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. has launched its WorldWide Telescope bringing the free web-based program for zooming around the universe to a broad audience.

WorldWide Telescope, launched late Monday, was developed by Microsoft's research arm.

It knits together images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and others.

Computer users can browse through the galaxy on their own or take guided tours of different outer-space destinations developed by astronomers and academics.

The site lets users choose from a number of different telescopes and switch between different light wavelengths.

Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates says the WorldWide Telescope is a powerful tool for science and education that makes it possible for everyone to explore the universe.

http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Apple agrees to settle iPod battery class-action lawsuit in Canada

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:40:00 +0000

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc. has agreed to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits in Canada alleging it misled customers about the staying power of their iPods, the latest courtroom truce over the dwindling battery life of early generations of the device. According to a court document, the company is offering credits for its online store of about $44.75 to people who live in Canada and bought certain iPods there on or before June 24, 2004.

To be eligible, the battery life of their iPods - while continuously playing music - needs to have dropped to five hours or less for the first and second generation of the device and four hours or less for the third generation.

The lead plaintiffs in the lawsuits - iPod owners Ines Lenzi and Bradley Waddell - claimed Apple misrepresented iPods' battery life by claiming they were capable of eight to 10 hours of continual music playback. After recharging, however, the iPods' battery life began declining.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment beyond the notice of the settlement agreement Apple posted on its website.

Motions to approve the settlement are scheduled for June 11 in Quebec Superior Court and June 20 in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the two courts where the lawsuits were filed.

In 2005, the company settled a separate class-action lawsuit in the U.S. over similar claims about iPod battery life. In that case, Apple agreed to give some iPod owners $50 in store credit or $25 in cash if the battery life in their early-generation iPods dropped below certain levels.

The Canadian Press, 2008

Effect of massive earthquake on China's famed panda reserve unknown

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:39:00 +0000

William Foreman, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DUJIANGYAN, China - The fate of the world's most famous panda preserve is unknown, more than a day after a devastating earthquake isolated the remote, mountainous area in China from the rest of the world.

The Wolong National Nature Reserve and panda breeding centre is the only place where the rare animals can be seen in such large numbers.

Chinese officials and zoo officials overseas have been worried about the fate of the centre's 100 or so pandas, whose home is close to the heart of Monday's massive earthquake in central Sichuan province.

An official with a U.S.-based organization that helps support the centre says attempts to reach Wolong by phone and e-mail on Tuesday have been unsuccessful.

Pandas are a distinct symbol of China and the loan of the animals to other countries as peace offerings has been dubbed "panda politics."

Their rarity and slow breeding make any large-scale loss critical to the population.

"The wild pandas, they can sense things. I'm sure they moved to higher terrain," said Suzanne Braden, director of U.S.-based Pandas International, which supports Wolong with medical equipment.

"But captive pandas do not have that luxury. They do not have the skills to survive in the wild."

About 15 missing British tourists may have been in Wolong when the earthquake hit, the Sichuan provincial emergency management office said.

Another group of 12 Americans, who were on a panda-watching tour sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, also remained out of contact Tuesday, said Tan Rui, WWF communications officer in China.

More than 60 pandas at another breeding centre in the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu are safe, said an official there who gave his family name as Fei. The centre even opened to tourists Tuesday, he said.

Bradens said about 70 people work at the reserve.

"We've lost contact with the Wolong centre . . . and we are gravely concerned over the safety of our colleagues and the pandas," Fei added.

The Wolong centre is deep in the hills north of Chengdu along a winding, two-lane road that reports say has been wiped out in places. Rescue workers were only able to reach nearby areas of the remote region by foot on Tuesday.

Both the Wolong and Chengdu centres are part of efforts to breed giant pandas in hopes of increasing the rare species' chances of survival. About 1,600 pandas live in the wild in China's mountainous west and another 180 live in captivity.

"It's magical. It's a beautiful place," Braden said. "It's high, clean, pure, where you'd like to think that wild pandas would be."

Zoos in Scotland, Washington and San Diego were also trying to make contact. Officials at the Edinburgh Zoo visited Wolong a couple of weeks ago to agree to the loan of two pandas and they were very concerned, said zoo spokeswoman Maxine Finlay.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Immigrant employment rises in 2007, but gap with Canadian-born workers widens

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:35:00 +0000

THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - Employment among immigrants increased 2.1 per cent in 2007 but the employment-rate gap between immigrants and those born in Canada widened.

Employment among core working-age immigrants - aged 25 to 54 - rose by 52,000 over 2006.

Employment among Canadian-born workers grew at a rate of 1.3 per cent last year.

However, Statistics Canada reports the employment-rate gap between immigrants and the Canadian born widened because the immigrant population grew much faster than their employment.

While the immigrant employment rate edged up 0.2 percentage points to 77.9 per cent, the employment rate for the Canadian born rose by 0.7 percentage points to 83.8 per cent.

The employment-rate gap between immigrants and the Canadian born widened to 5.9 percentage points in 2007 from 5.4 in 2006.

The unemployment rate among core working-age immigrants edged up to 6.6 per cent from 6.5 - higher than the 4.6 per cent rate among Canadian-born.

The agency reports employment for immigrants aged 25 to 54 reached nearly 2.5 million, with full-time employment increasing three per cent.

More than half the of growth in employment among core working-age immigrants last year occurred in Quebec, where it was up 28,000 over 2006.

Employment for immigrant women aged 25 to 54 increased by 47,000, accounting for the vast majority of the estimated 52,000 gain for core working-age immigrants.

Almost all of the employment growth for immigrants in 2007 occurred among established immigrants, namely those who had been in Canada for more than 10 years.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Nissan's 4Q profit rises, but carmaker forecasts slipping profit on currency, costs

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:33:00 +0000

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO - Nissan reported a big jump in fiscal fourth quarter profit Tuesday compared with the previous year. But like other Japanese automakers pinched by a strong yen and soaring oil and material costs, it forecast a tough year ahead.

Nissan Motor Co.'s January-March profit rose 67 per cent to 137.6 billion yen (US$1.3 billion) from 82.2 billion yen the same period the previous year.

Those figures included one-time "fifth-quarter" numbers from overseas subsidiaries that were added to the previous year's fourth quarter to make the cutoff for fiscal years the same globally.

Without those numbers, Nissan said, the profit surge calculated to a 95 per cent increase.

Nissan expects profit for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, though, to plunge 30 per cent on year to 340 billion yen (US$3.3 billion) because of unfavourable currency swings, rising material costs and higher oil prices.

"There is no way we can overcome these headwinds," Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn told reporters at Nissan's Tokyo headquarters.

Ghosn brushed off fears that Nissan car sales may be slumping, even in the problematic credit-crunch-plagued U.S. market.

The sales were just fine, he said, and the profit dip merely reflects currency fluctuations that erode the yen value of Nissan's overseas earnings.

Nissan's sales recently rose three per cent in North America while the region's overall auto market declined by about the same rate, Ghosn said.

"In a challenging and volatile environment, Nissan demonstrated that it has reached the maturity to deliver a high level of performance," said Ghosn, who also heads Nissan's French partner Renault SA.

Renault owns 44 per cent of Nissan.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Rescuers dig for thousands buried in China quake

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:32:00 +0000

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DUJIANGYAN, China - Bodies covered with sheets lined streets as rescue workers dug through schools and homes turned into rubble by China's worst earthquake in three decades in a desperate attempt to rescue victims trapped beneath concrete slabs. The official death toll rose Tuesday to nearly 12,000, and thousands remained missing.

But hope that many survivors would be found was fleeting. Buildings were knocked down on every block in some cities, and corpses were laid out in the street and in schoolyards.

Only 58 people were extricated from demolished buildings across the quake area so far, China Seismological Bureau spokesman Zhang Hongwei told the official Xinhua.

"Survivors can hold on for some time. Now it's not time to give up," said Wang Zhenyao, disaster relief division director at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, adding that rescue efforts could take a week.

A day after the powerful 7.9 magnitude quake struck, state media said rescue workers had only just reached the epicentre in Wenchuan county - cut off by the disaster and where the number of casualties was unknown. China said it would welcome international aid but would not yet allow foreign relief workers into the affected area.

Heavy rain, which had contributed to the difficulty of reaching the epicentre, continued to impede efforts and a group of paratroopers called off a mission to the area, Xinhua said.

The death toll rose to 11,921, Wang said. At least 4,800 people remained buried in Mianzhu, 100 kilometres from the epicentre, Xinhua said, citing local authorities.

The casualty figures were expected to rise and remained uncertain due to the remote areas affected by the quake and difficulty in finding buried victims.

The earthquake caused a wide swath of damage across central China, levelling buildings and severing roads and communications. It sent people rushing out of their offices across the country in Beijing, and was felt as far away as Vietnam.

Nearly 10,000 people died in Sichuan province alone and 300 others in other provinces and the mega-city of Chongqing, Xinhua reported.

A 40-car freight train with 13 gasoline tankers derailed in the quake and was still burning Tuesday, the agency said, with no word on casualties.

Earthquake rescue experts in orange jumpsuits extricated bloody survivors on stretchers from demolished buildings, and some 34,000 troops swarmed into the region to help.

Aftershocks rattled the region for a second day, sending people running into the streets in the city of Chengdu. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the shocks between magnitude 4 and 6, some of the strongest since Monday's quake.

In Dujiangyan, rescue teams were trying to get to a woman who was eight months pregnant and trapped in a seven-storey apartment building that collapsed.

Zhou Chun, a 70-year-old retired mechanic, was leaving Dujiangyan with a soiled light blue blanket draped over his shoulders.

"My wife died in the quake. My house was destroyed," he said. "I am going to Chengdu, but I don't know where I'll live."

Nearby, a man in his late 50s who refused to give his name, said his father was missing in the rubble of his home. "Yesterday, when the earthquake happened our home collapsed really quickly and I heard my father yell, 'Help, help, help,"' the man said.

People were seeking rides out of town, where makeshift tent cities were being erected as shelter from rain that began Tuesday and could affect rescue efforts.

Just east of the epicentre, 1,000 students and teachers were killed or missing at a collapsed high school in Beichuan county. The six-or seven-storey building was reduced to a pile of rubble about two yards high, according to Xinhua. Another 900 students were feared dead when their school collapsed in Juyuan, which is in Dujiangyan city.

The Beichuan school had more than 2,000 students and teachers in three school buildings. The other two buildings collapsed partially, Xinhua said.

Up to 5,000 people were killed and 80 per cent of the buildings had collapsed in Beichuan, Xinhua said, in a region of small cities and towns set amid steep hills north of Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu. The government has poured more than 16,000 troops into the area with tens of thousands more on the way.

Premier Wen Jiabao, who flew to the area to oversee rescue efforts, said a push was on to clear roads and restore electricity as soon as possible.

China's Ministry of Health issued an appeal for blood donations to help the victims of the quake. "There is a large demand for blood in quake-hit areas and we hope the public actively donate blood," spokesman Mao Quan said.

Before the rescue workers arrived, the only previous contact with hard-hit Wenchuan, Xinhua said, was a satellite phone call from the local Communist party secretary to appeal for air drops of tents, food and medicine.

The official, Wang Bin, said there were 57 reported deaths so far, with more than 300 other people seriously injured. He said the figures were likely to rise as there was no information from mountainous areas.

He estimated that at least 30,000 of the county's 105,000 residents slept outside Monday night.

Fifteen missing British tourists were believed to be in that area at the time of the quake and were "out of reach," Xinhua reported.

The Chinese government said it would welcome outside aid. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said relief authorities "are ready to make contact with relevant countries and organizations."

But Wang, the disaster relief official, said international aid workers would not be allowed to travel to the affected area.

"We welcome funds and supplies, we can't accommodate personnel at this point," he said.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) Open Call For Film Entries

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:55:00 +0000

The Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) is Canada’s oldest festival dedicated to exhibiting films and videos by North American artists of Asian heritage. Incorporated in spring 1997, VAFF is committed to supporting both emerging talent and established filmmakers. Visiting artists have included Ham Tran, Dean Ishida, Loni Ding, Justin Lin, Wes Kim, and Michael Kang, as well as BC filmmakers, Mina Shum, Desiree Lim, Nilesh Patel, Jeff Chiba Stearns and Romeo Candido.

Awards include a juried award for Best Canadian Short. Programming includes Q & A sessions, panel discussions, a Filmmakers’ Luncheon, and special gala events.

12th Annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival
November 6-9, 2008
Vancouver, BC, Canada

All screenings take place at Cinemark Tinseltown, a multiplex theatre within the city’s Chinatown and Downtown districts.

Festival Submission Guidelines

The Government of Canada Promotes Historical Recognition for Chinese-Canadian Community's Immigration Experiences

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:53:00 +0000

TORONTO, May 8, 2008 - The Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity), today announced $5 million in grants and contributions funding will be made available to the Chinese-Canadian community for community-based commemorative and educational projects related to immigration restrictions.

"The Head Tax and other immigration restrictions, which affected Chinese-Canadians, are an unfortunate chapter in our history and deserve recognition," said Secretary of State Kenney.

This funding is being provided under the Community Historical Recognition Program, which was first announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in June 2006. The Program will fund community-based projects that will allow communities affected by Canadian wartime measures and immigration restrictions to have their experiences acknowledged in a way that is meaningful to them. Eligible projects could include monuments, commemorative plaques, educational material, and exhibits.

Other components of the Community Historical Recognition Program will be announced in the days to come, as well as details regarding the National Historical Recognition Program, which will fund federal initiatives that educate Canadians about the history of wartime measures and immigration restrictions and the contributions of affected communities to the building of Canada.

Chinese-Canadians received an official apology by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2006 for the Head Tax imposed on Chinese immigrants. The Government also announced that it would make ex-gratia symbolic payments of $20,000 to living Head Tax payers and to persons who had lived in a conjugal relationship with a now-deceased Head Tax payer. To date, more than $12 million in ex-gratia payments have already been made to this community.

Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations (CODC) presents “Nrutya Jaagarana”

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:10:00 +0000

Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations (CODC) presents “Nrutya Jaagarana”, a beautiful selection of Odissi repertoire, plus the World Premiere of Bajilani Bajiba, choreographed and performed by Odissi Master Chitralekha Patnaik.

Fans of classical dance will not wish to miss Ellora, Devraj, and this showcase of the next generation of up and coming Odissi dancers, nor the exposition of ancient tradition and classical repertoire.

Featured dance pieces will include Shantakaram Mangalacharan, in honour of Lord Vishnu; Battu Nrutya, in honour of Lord Shiva; Dasavatar, the Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu according to the great poet Jayadeva; and Jhulanti Range, in honour of Krishna and Radha.

Come join Chitralekha, Ellora, Devraj, and the CODC troupe. If you attended any of the performances of CODC's four year epic "Mahabharata Vira Quadrilogy from the Kurukshetra Chronicles" and yearned for more Odissi, this dance extravaganza is a must-see.

One show only:
Saturday, May 17th, 8:00 P.M.

Tickets: $20.00

Leah Posluns Theatre
(Bathurst Jewish Community Centre), 4588 Bathurst (Between Sheppard and Finch)
Toronto, ON

For ticket reservations, write to info@seeodissi.com, or get your tickets at the Leah Posluns Box Office the day of the performance, starting from 7:00 P.M.

Rogers rolls out cellphone-home phone hybrid

noreply@blogger.com (wontonguru) — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:40:00 +0000

(CBC) - Rogers Communications Inc. is aiming to speed up the rate at which Canadians are getting rid of their land lines with cellphones that make calls over the internet at home.

The company is launching phones on Wednesday through both its Rogers Wireless and Fido brands that function as a regular cellphone outside the home, but also connect to the internet through Wi-Fi when in range of the customer's home router.

The phones use cellular airtime regularly outside the home, but calls are unlimited once they switch over to the Wi-Fi connection.

The home-calling feature is available to post-paid customers only and costs an extra $15 a month, or $20 with unlimited long distance in North America. Both plans come with a free optimized voice router, which covers a range of nearly 280 square metres and hooks up to a high-speed internet connection from any service provider.

These so-called "dual mode" phones are aimed at cellphone users - particularly younger customers - who don't want a land line or are thinking about getting rid of it, Rogers chief marketing officer John Boynton told CBCNews.ca.

"It's a way for them to have just one phone period," he said. "This is one phone, one phone number, one voice mail, one caller ID."

The company is offering only one handset per brand - the Nokia 6086 for Rogers Wireless and the 6301 for Fido - but new devices should become available quarterly as other manufacturers get on board, Boynton said.

About 6.4 per cent of Canadian households have scrapped land lines in favour of going with cellphones only, according to Statistics Canada - a proportion that lags most other developed countries. Industry observers have attributed this lag in "wireless substitution" to the fact that Canada does not have a major cellphone-only provider that has pushed consumers to get rid of their land lines.

All three of Canada's major cellphone providers - Rogers, Bell Canada Inc. and Telus Corp. - also offer home phone service, and none has been quick to chip into that business, analysts say.

Dual-mode phones a better fit for Canada: analysts

Eight other carriers in the world have introduced dual-mode phones, starting with BT in Britain in 2005.

BT, which does not have its own cellphone offering, introduced its Fusion phone in conjunction with Vodafone Group in order to patch a hole in its product offering. T-Mobile offers a similar dual-mode phone in the United States, where it does not have any land-line offerings.

Analysts said dual-mode phones are an even better fit for the Canadian market because carriers do not have to adjust their existing pricing plans. U.S. carriers offer significantly more airtime for less than their Canadian counterparts - AT&T, for example, offers 900 minutes for $60, while Rogers charges $100 for 800 minutes.

"It makes even more sense here than it does in the U.S. because it lets the carriers preserve their existing wireless price plans, but also gives people the effect of a big bucket of minutes when using their cellphone at home," said telecommunications consultant Mark Goldberg. "It should help people make the decision to get rid of their land line."

Goldberg said it also makes more sense for Rogers to introduce the dual-mode phones because it has a relatively small share of the home phone market, compared to Bell or Telus.

"They have no residential service that they're cannibalizing" outside of the big cities, he said.

The announcement comes on the heels of two other big product unveilings by Rogers.

The company last week launched Nokia's N95 cellphone, a critically acclaimed high-end mobile entertainment device, and said it will introduce Apple Inc.'s vaunted iPhone later this year.

Goldberg said the spate of new products demonstrates the technological advantage Rogers has over its rivals.

All three products are available only through carriers that have GSM networks, which Rogers has, and not from operators that use the rival CDMA technology, which Bell and Telus do.

"Rogers is taking advantage of the technologies that are available," Goldberg said. "It's over to Bell and Telus to see what their response is going to be."