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Blog of the semi-annual magazine run by Princeton University students about all things Asia (Humor? Check. Culture? Yes. Politics? Of course!). Supported by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, the East Asian Studies and Economics departments, and the Davis International Center.

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[Wanderlust]

My friends and I always joke around about my traveling experiences…or lack thereof. Since I don’t currently hold an American passport, international traveling without an appointment with immigration officials can be difficult—quite unfortunate for my adventurous personality. I wish there were more days in the year, so that I could squeeze in the school year, some summer relaxation, and still have enough time to hop on a plane and explore what the world has to offer. With that said, the beautiful pictures of Japan in my Tumblr dashboard are not helping my curtailed wanderlust…

I came across this graph comparing the “freedom” of travelers from different countries. It’s quite intriguing how aside from Japan and South Korea, there is a disparity in the number of “visa-free countries” between the West and the Asian/Middle Eastern nations. Perhaps there is a correlation between the government, culture, and the tendency for people to travel?

Though I can’t trek around the world just yet, I can still share with you some places my traveling self would want to go. Plus, some of my fellow bloggers basically live out of a suitcase, so I’m sure they’d be happy to offer stories of their adventures. Be on the lookout for beautiful pictures of Asia on the PAR soon! :)

- Jenny

#ASIA #Passports #Visa #the economist #travel #wanderlust #international #China #Japan #South Korea #East Asia #east and west

17 hours ago on June 01, 2012 at 05:39pm
& Comments

SMTown LA 2012 – Hit or Miss?

by Cynthia

Girls’ Generation at SMTOWN LA 2012

Earlier I wrote a post about SMTown Los Angeles 2012 at the Anaheim Center, and how skeptical I was of the whole affair, with its obscenely high prices and the last-minute notification of the concert. Well, despite my friends’ raving reviews of the concerts, it looks like I had a right to be skeptical. As much as I don’t want to taint anyone’s memory of the event, when comparing this concert to previous SMTowns, it seems to me that SMTown LA-goers got shafted, and here’s why:

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Traffic congestion in Dhaka makes the city look more like hell. As cars remains dormant burning liquid gold, poisonous gases are released into the air. With that, air pollution accounts most for the health problems and deaths for citizens living in the city.

Khan Samiuzzaman is a guest blogger from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

#ASIA #Bangladesh #Dhaka #Photography #South Asia #air pollution #culture #submission #traffic #urban life #Khan Samiuzzaman

3 days ago on May 29, 2012 at 11:25am
4 notes & Comments

Illegal access to foreign media on the rise in N. Korea [link] ›

North Korea has always been portrayed to me as an uncanny real-life version of Orwell’s 1984. According to this BCC documentary, each family has a state radio in the kitchen, and while the volume can be lowered, they can never be turned off. Portraits of the Kim family, the leaders glorified as deities that brought peace and freedom to the people, are also found everywhere. Regardless of how “Western” these views are, or how oppressive the country may be, it is true that people around the world are curious about the secret lives of North Koreans: their daily lives, beliefs, and most importantly, are they truly—as what the government claims—the happiest people on earth? Are they aware of the different lifestyles that exist outside their borders?

Perhaps they are. Recent studies show that foreign sources—such as music, news, and entertainment—have become more accessible to North Koreans; they are no longer only reserved for the top officials. The study written by Nat Kretchun and Jane Kim highlights some of the changes to the country: ”As the information environment opens, the North Korean government no longer maintains a total monopoly over the information available to the population and, as a result, North Koreans’ understanding of the world is changing.”

I think it is comforting and encouraging that more and more people are finding ways out of the government-controlled information vacuum. Testimonies like this lead me to believe that while it may take time for North Korea to overcome totalitarianism, there is always hope, because lives are improving as we speak:

At first I watched outside media purely out of curiosity. However, as time went by, I began to believe in the contents. It was an addictive experience. Once you start watching, you simply cannot stop.

– 27, Female, Yanggangdo, Left NK January 2010

Thanks for reading!

- Jenny

#ASIA #East Asia #news #North Korea #kim jong-il #Kim Jong-un #kim il sung #totalitarianism #North Korean government #illegal access #foreign media in North Korea #media #jenny shi

2 weeks ago on May 15, 2012 at 01:41am
4 notes & Comments

Via koreanewsline

Blackface in Korea

by Cynthia

I don’t often bring up my racial identity, but let it be known that I am a black k-pop fan. And as a Korean pop fan, I’ve been exposed to some Korean media—I’ve watched a bunch of variety shows, talk shows, interviews, and even a drama or two. A few weeks ago, one of these variety shows got into a bit of a scandal due to one of its skits, which featured two Koreans performing in blackface and a laughing live audience.

And let me tell you, as a black k-pop fan, I was not amused.

Watch Your Back, Bieber: The Boy Band Is Making a Comeback [link] ›

South Korean boyband Big Bang

“The boys are back!” the Internet cried, reinstating the relevance of all-male pop groups. Women have had a strong run dominating the Top 40 pop charts, no doubt, but thanks to some international imports, we may be about to hear a lot more harmonizing than we have in the last few years.

Korean pop and One Direction meet again! This time, in a Time magazine article that talks about the rise of the boyband. The boyband addict in me may or may not be fangirling right now at the thought of Big Bang and One Direction being mentioned in the same news article. Talk about fandom clash.

- Cynthia

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[Foodstuffs]

As a creator of food art myself, I can sometimes have high standards for food presentation. But even I must agree that these are really quite ingenious. On a side note, I’ve always found it curious how the French macaron took flight in Japan (though certainly not surprising, given that Francophilia runs deep in many societies, plus Japanese and French culture have historically shared a special connection, e.g., japonisme)—I’ve heard that in Paris, lines of Japanese tourists file out of Ladurée shops! So how fitting it is that we should see the elegant French macaron combined with the familiar Japanese pop cultural symbol: Hello Kitty. Years after explorers united the East and West through their trade routes, we can still see this intercultural dialogue through a simple macaron.

- Kathy

(via ohmyasian)

#East and West #French food #asia #asian culture #creative food #dessert #food #food art #hello kitty #macarons #macaron

1 month ago on April 30, 2012 at 09:15am
3,154 notes & Comments

Via mochacafe

Rickshaw, the art on a cart

One of the trademarks of Dhaka city, these canvases on wheels are sure to give you a ride to remember. Rickshaws have convertible roofs as well as polythene curtains to save you from the sun and rain, and each has a bell that rings to no avail from the car owners ahead. They are everywhere and can take you anywhere at anytime. They are also affordable and green, perfect for the already over-polluted air of Dhaka.

Richshaws are also credited for the pop art trend that had started in Dhaka: Rickshaw art. The art is extremely colorful—almost psychedelic—and consists of flowers, birds, popular actresses, or whatever the driver desires to put. Jatra, a major lifestyle outlet in Bangladesh, was the first to market their products using Rickshaw art.It has since become a “superhit blockbuster” (referring to the theme of Bangla movie posters in the paintings itself) trend, whether in coffee mugs, pen-holders for decoration, or printed in salwar kameez for fashion.

I know any Dhakaites living abroad reading this must be dying to get a ride on one because it is really more than a cheap, easy to go, colorful transport. To us, it is part of our culture, part of our memories as it is an ever-present character in the drama of a Bangladeshi’s life.

Khan Samiuzzaman is a guest blogger from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

[Foodstuffs]

Potstickers (煎餃)

Dumplings have a special place in my heart. First, there are the fond childhood memories: the wafer-thin sheets of dough, the scent of the filling, my mom folding her dumplings with origami-like precision. But dumplings were also the first food I ever cooked! (On the stove, that is. The microwave adventures began long ago.) A very unsuccessful first foray, I must admit, as a dodgy website told me to fill 3/4 of my pot with water. This was all well and good until I realised I had to put in the dumplings as well. Needless to say, there were some overflows…

Since then I have become slightly more competent with boiling dumplings and decided it was time to expand my horizons into the popular potsticker. I’d consumed fried dumplings many times throughout my life but never observed them being made.I expected that I’d need a frying pan and oil, but little did I know that I’d have to fill the pan halfway with water as well, then cover the pan and expect the water to magically evaporate! I wasn’t a believer at first (how could I tell when the water had evaporated? Would my dumplings poor? What if my dumplings wouldn’t fully cook?) but the magic did occur, yielding a pan of lovely, crisp, warm potstickers.

And though the tiny health-conscious part of me protests, I have to admit this is my new favourite way of cooking them. As Julia Child said, “Fat gives things flavour.”

- Kathy

SMTown L.A. 2012

by Cynthia

One of the biggest Korean pop labels called SM Entertainment (often referred to as “SM”) recently released news that it was going on another “SMTown World Tour” in 2012, the first stop being Los Angeles. Excitement ensued, until the prices were released.

For those who don’t know, SMTown concerts are concerts featuring all the major artists under SM Entertainment. The past line-up has included the groups Super Junior, Girls Generation, DBSK, SHINee, F(x) and the soloists Kangta and BoA. Considering that Kpop concerts in the U.S., especially of this scale, are extremely new and rare occurrences (there have only ever been two SMTown concerts in the U.S., the first occurring in 2010), having an SMTown here is kind of a big deal.