News

APAs Selected as California Schoolmasters of the Year

Lowell High principal Andrew Ishibashi and Noriega and Francis Scott Key Child Development Centers’ Site Manager Candace Lee, have been selected as Schoolmasters of the Year for 2009-10 for the San Francisco Unified School District. The two were honored at a dinner at the Napa Elks Club on March 5.

“I feel deeply honored because this was the first time that this award has been presented to an educator from the Child Development Program,” says Lee. “I thank Superintendent Carlos Garcia and his cabinet for recognizing the value of my work.”

The Schoolmaster of the Year Award is sponsored by the California Schoolmasters’ club, which was established in 1893. Membership is open to all Northern California area educators. The award is given to principals in participating school districts who show exceptional leadership.

Commerce

International Feng Shui Master Shows You How to Thrive in Today’s Economy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - A faltering economy and unstable job market is leaving many uncertain about their futures. Joey Yap plans to change that by using feng shui and astrology to help prepare people to flourish in 2010 in their careers, health, and relationships by capitalizing on their best dates in their astrological forecast. Read more »

Lifestyle

On the Scene: March

BOUQUETS TO BENEFITS

The first annual SPRING FLING benefit event kicked off the San Francisco Chinatown’s Chinese Hospital $160 Million Capital Campaign recently took place in the heart of San Francisco’s downtown at Ruby Skye on March 12. Fundraising chair for the Chinese Hospital Board of Trustees Rose Pak said, “Top among our strategic priorities is our plan to build a new state of the art hospital building to replace the current hospital as the demand for culturally competent medical care has continued to grow and now exceeds the capacity of the present aging facility at 845 Jackson Street in our historic Chinatown.”

The SPRING FLING kick off party had an evening of music, delicious food and a fashion show by Monique Zhang with unique one of a kind limited editions. With a long rich history, Chinese Hospital has provided access to health care services for the Chinese community since 1923 when 15 community organizations created the Chinese Hospital Association, a non profit public benefit corporation. After it opened its doors in 1925 with 60 beds, the hospital in the mid 1970s needed a new facility and opened a new hospital building in 1979. Brenda Yee, CEO of the Chinese Hospital and Chinese Community Health Plan said, “The new replacement facility will expand the existing 54 beds to 76 beds and include 22 new skilled nursing beds so we can meet the communities’ medical need and create the best place for patients to receive care.”

Let’s all get behind Pak, Yee and James Ho, President of the Hospital’s Board of Trustees, and donate to this capital project which is the largest ever undertaken by Chinese Hospital in its over 100 year history of serving chinatown’s medical needs. www.chinesehospital-sf.org.

One of the highlights of the San Jose Cinequest Film Festival was the showing of the life story of film star Nancy Kwan, titled TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: KA SHEN’S STORY with Kwan herself greeting the movie viewers at the San Jose Reperatory Theatre performances. Director Brian Jamieson, when asked in the audience q and a why he made this movie, replied, “I, like every guy in the 1960s was in love with the beautiful Chinese film star seen in WORLD OF SUSIE WONG. When I had the chance to meet Nancy a few years ago and found her to be equally lovely outside and in, I wanted to film her life story.” Before the packed audience, Nancy admitted that the scenes where she spoke about her only son, who tragically died of AIDS, were painful times to recall and credited Brian with being sensitive to this part of her life in his movie. Among the movie goers were Chi Am Circle members Brenda Wong, Ginger Lai, Helen Yamauchi, Beverly Harada, with other Silicon Valley friends Ed and Florence Wong, William and Tina Chang, Tom and Jenny Hong, Harold and Gwen Wong, Victor Chinn, Frances Liu, Darlene Mar, Joyce Chan, Carol Jue, Dennis Nahat and Jeanette Wong. Out of town friends seen celebrating with Nancy were Richard and Warren Achuck, Leong and Margaret Tan, Sylvia Young and Kathy Wong.

Celebrating the dedication of the Dr. Lawrence K.W. and BoHing Chan Tseu Building in Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford and his induction to University of Oxford’s Chancellor’s Court, Dr. Tseu is hosting a dinner at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu April 3. A well recognized and much admired Larry Tseu has won many local honors in Hawaii, having been named recently its most noted Philanthropist of the Year by different organizations. When I asked him once how many nonprofit groups he had helped, he smiled modestly and said he had lost count many years ago but was happy to do his part in helping his community with its needs. Congratulations to you, Dr. Tseu and may blessings come to you in return to the many generous offerings you have given to your fellow countrymen. Tseu was the producer of the above mentioned movie of Nancy Kwan’s life, Ka Shen’s Journey.

May 1 is the long anticipated opening of the Shanghai Expo where it is estimated 70 million people, and 200 nations will participate in this 180 day event. The USA Pavilion, in partnership with the Committee of 100, will feature an exhibit on “The Chinese in America” to show America’s unique strengths as a nation embracing diversity and offering freedom of choice. The Committee of 100 is rallying everyone of Chinese descent to submit their photos to create THE WALL OF THE CHINESE IN AMERICA. Thousands of photos have been submitted already, announced Michael Minakawa, one of the organizers of the wall project. He added, “We accept all photos during the photo upload process at www.jointhewall.org and encourage everyone who is of Chinese descent, no matter how large or small. They will be listed under a Chinese surname and placed under that surname family page. We accept head shots of individuals who have Chinese blood in them and can give us the surname of their family, such as Wong, Chin, Lee. People submitting photos are not asked for funding, but to fund this effort, The Committee of 100 is inviting participation as Master Builders of the Wall by purchasing a Brick at the USA Pavilion with the name of the person/family/organization they wish to honor. The Master Builder Program has different category ranges with privileges to come to the Expo and have their name listed on Internet “Builders” Honor Roll Master Builders on a physical wall. Individual pictures of whole families can be grouped together when submitting through the Invite Family code. Info: mminakawa@committee100.org .
Let’s all send in your pictures and show the world the proud face of Chinese in America at the WORLD EXPO 2010 IN Shanghai.

Professor John Jung will be the featured speaker at the Chi Am Circle dinner meeting March 28 at the China Stix Restaurant in Santa Clara. I personally enjoyed learning about the lives of Mississippi Delta Chinese Grocers in his CHOPSTICKS IN THE LAND OF COTTON book and find his latest book, SWEET AND SOUR: LIFE IN CHINESE FAMILY RESTAURANTS a very pleasant read about this part of Chinese history that can bring many memories to those who grew up alongside their hard working parents who ran small mom and pop Chinese restaurants serving the popular chop suey and mo goo gai pan. John’s first book SOUTHERN FRIED RICE: LIFE IN A CHINESE LAUNDRY was his own personal life story growing up in Macon, Georgia where his family were the only Chinese in the city and they lived above their laundry. Jung’s style of writing easily tells the stories of immigrant families striving for survival in these different unique industries the Chinese were successful in forming – laundries, restaurants and farming.
For more information: chiamcircle.org. Chairman: Muriel Kao mckao@aol.com

When there comes a reunion of college sorority sisters who met 60 years ago — you can imagine what nostalgic memories come alive. That’s what happened when Marie Lee from New York, Louise Look from San Francisco, Elaine Chew from Sacramento, Nancy Yuke from Orinda and myself took ourselves to Puerto Vallarta’s Crown Paradise Golden Resort for a long anticipated reunion of their UC Berkeley friendships as Sigma Omicron Pi sorority sisters of the 1950s.

Joining them for a week at this wonderful beachfront resort to enjoy its wonderful spa facilities were younger friends Dali Jones, Ann Yu, Margaret Mar, Eileen Tong and Gloria Hom, forming a sisterhood enjoying the many restaurants offered on this Crown Paradise Golden property. Free golf accompanied this vacation resort package at the Nicklaus Vista Vallarta Club de Golf, where Golf Pro David Quiroz showed us around his two spectacular well manicured courses emblazoned with colorful bougainvilleas to take your mind off the little white ball. Golfers by the van loads from all parts of the US and Canada descend to this golf paradise, he said, to enjoy the best climate and courses throughout the winter, he said, and we could easily see why when we played within his beautiful property designed by Nicklaus (www.vistavallartagolf.com) and Pete Weiskopf (www.marinavallartagolf.com).

I’m off to the land of Bhutan, a far away country lost to tourists up to the 1970s, and looking forward to exploring a civilization not yet moved to modern life. Happy March Madness!

Sports

Unanimous Decision Win for Manny Pacquiao

by John Juan, Jr.

Arlington, Texas - The fight weekend began with the weigh-in located in the front entrance of the $1.3 Billion Dallas Cowboys, Stadium in Arlington, Texas. About a thousand fans attended to witness Manny Pacquiao’s weigh-in at 145 lbs and Joshua Clottey, noticeable the bigger fighter, at 147 lbs.

Clearly, the excitement from the fight fans was from also experiencing the spectacular Cowboys Stadium and seeing the colossal Jumbotron for the first time. The stadium did not disappoint - it illuminated the night as the Jumbotron and flat screens lit up throughout the stadium. The largest dome stadium in the world was built to perfection with modern art like architecture driven with the latest technology.  Among the technology, included a jaw dropping HD Jumbotron by Mitsubishi Electric Diamond System, weighing at 600 tons, 60 yards long, and 72 feet tall.

The stadium setting was fit for “The Event” as the seats begin to fill up fast at 9pm Central Time and as the main event anticipation grows. About 51,000 fans were at attendance creating an electric atmosphere screaming “Manny, Manny, Manny!” with the Philippines and the Ghanaian flag apparent throughout the stadium. Circular screams also came from a cycle of fan waves during the undercard fights. The fans were  truly having a good time.

The anticipation grew larger as the Jumbotron played video clips of past battles with Hearns, Hagler, Ali, Leonard, and other hall a fame boxers. Soon it introduced Joshua Clottey with a video montage as he came out of a Ghana song with confidence and smooth dance moves. Manny Pacquiao’s video montage plays after fans yell “Manny, Manny.” Pacquiao walks out of the locker room to Rocky’s theme song, “Eye of the Tiger,” that electrifies the 51,000 fans.

Soraya Simons sang Ghana’s national anthem, and the Filipino rock star Arnel Pineda, lead singer of the American rock band Journey, sang the Philippine national anthem while a Cowboys cheerleading trio led the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. Michael Buffer soon chants his trademarked saying “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” then the first round bell rings. Pacquaio was the aggressor of the entire fight throwing three times as many punches as Clottey. Clottey was in a shell of defense during the majority of the fight, as Pacquiao threw combinations after combinations. Clottey landed a couple power punches, but then laid off, back to his shell. He was so committed to his defense cover strategy that Pacquiao, humorously, was able to execute a double punch combo, using his left and right hand at the same time to punch around the blocking gloves of Clottey. The fans screamed and laughed with enjoyment.

The fight lasted for twelve rounds with the same pattern of Clottey covering up and Pacquiao punching away. The outcome of unanimous decision was to Manny Pacquiao with scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109. Clottey was not able to handle the pace and speed of Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao wins his 51st fight and retains the WBO Welterweight Title.

Who’s next for Pacquiao? Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is what the world wants to see. However, Mayweather has to first beat Mosley on May 1st for this to happen with the exclusion to his blood testing demands. We will have to wait and see. I know for sure, if Pacquiao vs. Mayweather does happen, it must be at the Cowboys Stadium with confidence that it will sell out to 100,000 fans and millions will be watching. Manny and Team Pacquiao are ready for Mayweather. Mayweather, do it for the fans and do it for Boxing!