The Last Emperor Reads Good
Tokyo, Japan -- This past Thursday, there was a poem reading at the annual Imperial Verse Reading Ceremony on the apropos theme of children. With the dilemma of a successive heir looming over their heads, the royal family participated as well, dedicating poems to their only child -- four-year-old daughter Aiko, possibly the first empress since Gosakuramachi in the 1760s. Due to the lack of male heirs in the Chrysanthemum throne, a special panel is considering changing the law to permit women to take the throne. The poems recited were in 31-syllable traditional tanka where topics such as storks, playing children, and youthful innocence were addressed.
Prince Naruhito dedicated this tanka to his daughter Aiko:
“Innocent smile of a child
“Heals my heart
“I wish the world
“Gives peace for all children.”
http://www.manilatimes.net
Bad Will Hunting
India -- A man can only take so much. One of India's brightest Bollywood stars, Salman Khan, had an emotional outburst as he told the court in the city of Jodhpur he would rather be hanged than continue with his time-consuming trial. Khan was held in court for a prolonged period since 1998 due to his charges on poaching. He was accused of killing two blackbucks, an endangered species of antelope. The Bishnoi community pressed charges against Khan, testifying that there was weighty evidence against him. Khan's lawyer, Mr. Saraswat, reported that these claims were fabricated. The actor voiced his frustration over the case, claiming his innocence and the detrimental effect it has had on his career.
http://www.bbc.com
Passabe banned
Singapore -- Singaporean documentary Passabe was banned from Indonesia's Jakarta International Film Festival. The documentary focuses on the tragic massacres in a remote village in Timor, and the Festival considered this recounting of historical events as opening up old wounds. James Leong, the co-director of Passabe, retorted that trying to cover up these events would only perpetuate the wounds and that people need to be educated of what happened at that violent time in history. The documentary was shot over the course of a year and captures a personal look into the lives of those affected by the brutal calamity, including a militiaman who is reluctantly forced to kill for his country.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com
Surf's down for the Korean new wave
South Korea -- Korean dramas have been a massive hit in neighboring Asian countries, as shows like My lovely Samsoon, Jewel in the Palace, and Full House have aired primetime in the Taiwan and China. However, this booming tide of hallyu (the Korean wave) might come to a sudden halt as the Taiwanese Government Information Office is considering a ban on foreign dramas on their local primetime stations. China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television also decided to cut the airtime for Korean dramas by half this year. These decisions resulted from the statistics that show that Korean shows have significantly higher ratings than local shows. Their plan is to incorporate more dramas from Hong Kong and Taiwan, in an effort to subdue the dominant force of hallyu. China and Taiwan are displeased at Korean production companies, who seem to be concerned only with making big bucks rather than sharing their experience and knowledge with other countries. Even in Japan, comic book Hyom-Hallyu (Anti-Korean Wave), which unveils the greedy nature of Korean pop culture, has sold 300,000 copies.
http://times.hankooki.com
Mozart in Taiwan
Taiwan -- January 27, 2005 marks the 250 year anniversary for one of the most legendary and accomplished musical composers -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In observance of this date, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) will perform a five concert series as an honorary memorial to the musical genius. The NTSO is Taiwan's oldest orchestra and has just finished celebrating its own 60 year anniversary in the Taiwan Symphony Festival. In the month of January, the NTSO will perform its first series of the Mozart tributes in the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall in Taichung and the Novel Hall for Performing Arts in Taipei. This concert will feature conductor and violin soloist Ranier Honeck, who has served as the first violinist for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The program for January includes "Violin Concerto in G" (KV 216), "Adagio in E for Violin and Orchestra" (KV 261), "Rondo in C for Violin and Orchestra" (KV 373), "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" Serenade (KV 525), and "Symphony No.39 in E-flat" (KV 543).
http://www.etaiwannews.com
Singaporean cinema smartens up
Singapore -- Generation gaps seem to be a common motif for Asian family problems: the overbearing, workaholic parents and the kids who feel bogged down by academic pressures. The film I, Not Stupid Too bears a comedic testament to this ubiquitous household warfare. The world of Singaporean society is reflected through the narration of Jerry, the eight-year-old main character, and his brother Tom. The siblings have to deal with their everyday struggle with school and their parents (sounds all too familiar, doesn't it?). For instance, Jerry desperately wants his parents to attend his singing performance, but instead of being overjoyed about his invitation, Jerry's parents scold him for not focusing on his studies. Tom's friend Cheng Cai also illustrates this older vs. younger generation conflict as he has problems communicating with his teacher and his single father. Due to this lack of communication, the boys turn to juvenile delinquency as their source of release.
Starring: Shawn Lee, Ashley Leong, Joshua Ang Directed by: Jack Neo
http://sg.movies.yahoo.com
Published: Thursday, January 26, 2006