HPV is serious business, and it’s transmitted sexually.  As with anything related to sex, it is a taboo topic in the Vietnamese household.  However, knowing about it, and what can be done, can save your life.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that infects humans, leading to one of the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). While most infections do not cause symptoms, some can lead to warts and, in serious cases, even cervical cancer. Each year, 12,000 American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, almost all being HPV-related. Vietnamese-American women, in particular, are known to have the highest incident of cervical cancer in the United States (up to 5 times more than Caucasians); and this is likely the result of less frequent Pap screening rather than biological differences.

Anh Tran, a Berkeley graduate, is working with Dr. Gloria Wu to evaluate how much, or little, the Vietnamese community is aware of HPV and cervical cancer.  Help her by taking a short 14-question survey.  The goal is to reach 1,000 participants.  Do it and pass it on to your friends and family.

Google Docs: HPV Awareness Survey

Lang Lang, a Chinese pianist, is a pop star in his own right.

Over at Slate.com, a new post by Michael Ahn Paarlberg posits that Asian and Asian Americans have now become the lifeblood of classical music. Himself a Korean American hapa, Paarlberg points out that fewer adults are attending classical concerts than before, and the median age of those who still attend the high culture affairs is constantly rising. The one demographic still injecting any youthful vigor into classical music is the Asian/Asian American population.

According to a survey by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2008, 14% of Asian Americans ages 18 – 24 reported attending a classical concert in the past year, more than any other demographic in the 18 – 24 age bracket. Furthermore, Paarlberg notes, while Asians make up just 4% of the total U.S. population, they constitute 7% of U.S. orchestra musicians and make up to 20% of top orchestras. One in five undergraduates and one in three PhD candidates at Julliard is Asian.

So why have Asians, most notably East Asians, been so embracing of this Occidental art form? Why do Asians extol the violinist, the bassist, and the pianist and shun the drummer and the trombonist? Why popularize the violin at the expense of the erhu or the biwa, also stringed instruments but Eastern in origin?

As our original Tiger Mom Amy Chua and Paarlberg both suggest, perhaps it’s because classical music and the piano especially have come to symbolize social mobility. Writes Paarlberg, “Classical music became an aspirational totem for both newly industrializing Asian countries, whose governments subsidized music schools and orchestras, and parents, for whom having a musician in the family was a marker of success.”

But while Asians and Americans boast a number of well-trained musicians, the orchestral management, conduct, and composing scene among Asians and Americans is still wanting. As a collective community, will we move beyond seeing classical music as a symbol and recognize it for its aesthetical value in itself? Have we already done so?

If you play an instrument or attend concerts, when did you start and why? Do you think the classical inclination is limited to East Asians, more so than to Southeast Asians, South Asians, Central Asians, etc.?

In Asia, there’s an ongoing irony that deepens as the natural world dwindles to the size of a parking lot. Wild animals, once revered and assigned all kinds of spiritual meaning, are increasingly ending up as the main entree.

The tiger, for instance, that fierce and terror-inducing king of the jungle, is no longer feared so much as coveted: as a rug, as jewelry made of fangs, as a quixotic dish, or as medicinal products made from its various parts – bones and penis and gall bladder – thought to improve man’s sexual prowess.

But nowhere is the irony as deep as it is in Thailand, where the regal elephant is now being served up alongside the tiger: on a fanciful diner’s plate.

According to a recent Associated Press article, a new taste for elephant meat has sprung up in mega-modern Thailand.

Traditional poaching for male elephant tusks has evolved, with a growing taste for their meat driving hunters to begin targeting female and baby elephants as well. Not exactly a traditional Thai delicacy, the emergence of an army of nouveaux riches across East Asia has fueled ever-more garish culinary trends.

Elephant sashimi, now apparently all the rage, is part of a mindset at once boastful and shallow – if it’s the last elephant, then I will show my friends that I can afford it.

So here’s the irony: The Asian elephant is still a revered cultural icon in Thailand, gracing bas-reliefs of temples and ancient paintings of battle scenes, but it is fast disappearing. The country whose civilization was more or less built on the elephant’s back is now turning its back on the animal.

Indeed, the elephant once served as both builder and war machine: carrying logs and rocks and uprooting trees to build palaces and temples, while fighting countless wars bedecked in the armor of a warrior.

Within Buddhism, Thailand’s state religion and a binding force across much of the region, the elephant remains sacred. According to legend, a white Elephant appeared in the dream of Queen Maya, holding a white lotus flower in its trunk. She later gave birth to the historical Gautama Buddha, Siddhartha.

Alas, sacred is quickly cast off for cold hard cash. An elephant penis can now fetch as high as $1,000 and a pair of tusks as high as $63,000. Though illegal, poaching has now reached what environmentalists are calling a “crisis point.”

At the beginning of last century there were more than 100,000 wild elephants in existence. One hundred years later the population has plummeted to less than 3,000.

Classified as an endangered species, the Asian elephant is expected to disappear from the wild altogether around 2050, if not sooner.

But while poaching is particularly abhorrent, there are other reasons behind the elephant’s disappearance, including deforestation.

For domesticated elephants in Thailand, deforestation means no more jobs. Logging in Thailand’s forests has long relied on the strength of the powerful pachyderms. An elephant can pull half its weight and carry 600 kilos on its back. In hilly countryside where roads are small and inaccessible to trucks, an elephant is indispensable for the timber business. But logging is all but illegal now in Thailand, and the domesticated elephant, it seems, is out of luck.

An average elephant weighs 11,000 pounds, and consumes more than 26 gallons of water and 440 pounds of food a day. That’s why their owners consciously curb breeding among the captive beasts, bringing down their number even farther.

Many owners, left with no other choice, have now turned their elephants into urban beggars. For the wild elephant conditions are even worse.

Only about 15 percent of the country is still forestland, and those patches are widely scattered. Many wild elephants resort to raiding farms for crops, where they are often shot or poisoned by subsistence farmers. In the story of miserable beast pitted against impoverished human it’s a no brainer who comes out on top… with fork in hand.

Man has conquered everything but himself. The wild is now what we call a reserve, the wilderness nowhere but within. In a world where even the sacred is devoured, one can’t help but wonder what are the chances for other species on the endangered list.

Image by Shutterstock

Once in a while tigers make international news, like the white tiger in Las Vegas that mauled illusionist Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy, or the one that killed a teenager at the San Francisco Zoo. Most of the time, though, the news is about tigers being eaten by man.

The latest involves a restaurateur in Hanoi arrested for selling tiger meat. She has been arrested before and served time in jail, but the trade proves too lucrative – $1,000 per 100 grams of tiger meat — to give up, especially now that there are but a few tigers left in the wild. For poachers a tiger could fetch as much as $10,000, and its meat, organs, bones, and skin are sold in restaurants and specialty shops for 10 times the price. As the tiger population dwindles, demand for tiger is at an all-time high.

Indeed, if there is a cultural matrix in East Asia, it is the longing for what the Chinese call Ye-Wei, or “wild taste.” A decade ago, I visited Vietnam’s border with China at Lang Son. I watched as hundreds of Vietnamese carried baskets of monkeys, pangolins, snakes, and a variety of exotic birds in rattan cages. On the way back, their baskets held electric fans, water pumps, rice cookers, farm tools, TVs, VCRs, jeans and T-shirts. As one young man put it, “I can always sell forest animals to China. They buy everything we have. They have a big appetite for wild taste.”

The once ferocious tiger has been reduced to a mere commodity, to be farmed and poached, collected for its parts, and made into balms, pills, soaked in wine. Statistics on the amount of wildlife being eaten are not known, but there are some local guesses. The China Wildlife Conservation Association estimates that in Guangdong province alone, 50 tons of wild frogs, 1,000 tons of snakes, and several thousand tons of wild birds are consumed in stores and restaurants each year, not to mention badgers, bats and other mammals.

It certainly isn’t practical, but neither are our eating habits. According to Jared Diamond in his book Guns, Germs and Steel, an acre of land can feed 10 to 100 times more people through farming than through hunting and gathering. Wild animals that haven’t already been tamed thousands of years ago, Diamond noted, will not be tamed now, because of their relatively low nutritional value compared to the time and resources necessary for domestication.

Ye-Wei is therefore a culture of nostalgia, a way of life born of necessity long ago that is taking on renewed vigor in a modern, materialistic East Asia. Viagra, after all, works better than tiger penis, but if you can afford a tiger penis you are the king of the modern jungle. Those monkeys sitting on the Vietnamese porters’ backs are there because a growing army of nouveaux riches with disposable income want them. A pound of civet cat sells for around $12, or 10 percent of an average worker’s monthly salary; monkey meat brings four times more. In Vietnam, nearly three out of four tigers are killed for Chinese medicinal purposes. A poached tiger therefore can save a poor farmer and his family from a life of destitution.

Once the tiger hunted man. Now it has become high-end gourmet food. As it is, there are far more tigers now living in parks and zoos and farms than in the wild, where fewer than 5,000 Siberian tigers live in the northern steppe and some 4,500 Bengal tigers live in the wilderness of South Asia. The captive population of 12,000 tigers in the United States is estimated to rival that of those that still live in the wild.

We burden wild animals with anthropomorphic fantasies, and slay them because we covet or fear what we think they represent. The lion is courageous, the snake is evil, the owl wise, the fox cunning and the tiger — the tiger, above all — is majestic, elegant, full of prowess and grace. It inspires awe.

Alas, the tiger’s grip on our imagination is also the force that drives it toward its own extinction.

Image by Shutterstock

We’ll post a link to the audio as it becomes available, but you can also tune in to FM 90.9 if you’re in the Sacramento area and want know more about Janet’s story. You’ll also get to hear what one of the writers who makes this blog possible sounds like!

Update: Click here to listen to the audio.

“I’m afraid of dying.  It feels like I don’t have much time.  I’m afraid of dying mainly cause I’m afraid of what I’m leaving behind.”

These are the words of 23-year old Chinese American, Janet Liang, who recently uploaded a video on YouTube pleading for her audience to help save her life.  She has two months to live and find a bone marrow match.

About Janet
Janet was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), while attending at UCLA in August 2009.  She underwent 8 rounds of chemotherapy  within a year. In June 2010, she left the hospital in complete remission and began post-chemo therapy that kept her cancer-free for a year and a half.

During her healthy period, Janet finished her studies as an Education Major at UCLA and focused her passion in promoting hope and healing to other young adult cancer patients through recreational and outdoor adventures.

Unfortunately, Janet has recently relapsed with leukemia, triggering her cancer cells to become more aggressive than before.  As a result, doctors told Janet that she has only two months to live.

On January 21, 2012, Janet uploaded a video blog pleading her viewers for help.  “I need you to help me find someone out there who can save my life,” cried Janet.  “I have this April to find a match.”

In response to Janet’s video,  I uploaded a video on YouTube the following day in an attempt to spread the word about Janet’s condition.  My goal was to get people actively involved.

Three days later, Janet’s personal video was posted on Reddit–generating over 200,000 views.  The video caught many YouTube celebrities’ attentions, such as Wong Fu Productions, America’s Best Dance Crew member Victor Kim, and musicians David Choi, Kinna Grannis, and Far East Movement.  All these YouTube celebrities took to many social media outlets in hopes of spreading awareness of Janet’s conditions.  As a result, social media serves as Janet’s last hope of finding her a match.

As for me, the truth is I have never met Janet face to face.  I have however been following her on her blog before her video went viral.  As a result, the connection that both Janet and I have lies in our shared circumstances.  For instance, both Janet and I are students of the University California system.  We both have younger brothers who attend UC Davis.  We’re both from the Bay Area.  Janet is a writer and so am I.  We both take interest in humanitarian work.  And most importantly, both Janet and I are active in the Asian American community.

As a result, Janet’s video was profoundly powerful and it inspired me to spend my last quarter at UC Davis organizing the largest Bone Marrow Drive we’ve had at the campus to date.

Since last week,  I was able to contact the Asian American Donor Program (AADP), National Public Radio, and many other media stations in NorCal.  I have also coordinated with many Asian American clubs on our campus in hoping to get more Asian American to register for the bone marrow drive.  But the highlight of my week was when someone contacted me from Connecticut, willing to donate $10,000 to the drive as long as I continue to lead more future bone marrow drives around the area.

In my journey to find Janet a match, I have met many wonderful friends who shared the same desire and compassion of spreading the awareness.  It was the power of social media that helped mobilize Janet’s cause.

So Janet, first and foremost I want to thank you for being such an inspiration to many of us out here.  You taught me so much within a short amount of time.  I admire your ability to stay positive through these tough times, your wisdom, and most importantly your compassion.  I understand that your goal is to become a teacher one day.  I’m sure that day has already happened.  You taught me more than any lecture, textbook, or professor can ever teach me within the course of one week.  So thank you.

Finally, I want to end this article by urging everyone to please visit your local Bone Marrow Drive and register (especially if you’re Asian American).  All it takes is a cotton swab to the mouth to determine whether you’re a potential donor for someone like Janet.  It’s free, painless, and only 10 minutes of your time.

Visit here for local donation drive in Northern California. 

A couple of months back, when I was living in Saigon, I got an e-mail invitation to hang out with a guy named Charles Phan.

First thing that came to mind: “Charles Phan…who da heo is that?”

When in doubt, Googles them shits.

http://charlesphan.com/

Snap. Slanted Door…alright, you got me, I’ve never eaten there. The last time I had $40-something dollars in San Francisco, I spent it on a $3 slice of pizza at a mom-n-pops, and the remaining $37 buying pints, chatting up American Apparel daisies with identity issues.

All good though. Redemption song: hang we do. Here are some lessons I learned from hanging with Charles Phan.

1. Be cool, let’s try to eat at that place over there

The place we originally wanted to have lunch at was closed for lunch. Shit, lost credibility in Charles’ eyes. It’s alright though; Charles, his wife and one of Charles’ Chefs, Brian, are cool eating somewhere else. So we improvise, walk down the block back to a bustling northern Vietnamese restaurant Charles observed in walking over. We get some things on-menu, then Charles starts going further down the rabbit hole with the waitress, seeing what they have off-menu. Roll with the punches, make the best of what you got, and if the food sucks (it didn’t), start drinking.

2. Brilliance comes from places you’d least expect

Charles and Brian go back and forth a bit about dishes they’re seeing from this Northern Vietnamese restaurant. The inspiration doesn’t have to come from some Michelin-starred circle jerk. Inspiration comes from anywhere: from that aged-crumpled menu, on that crooked dining table, in a no-name restaurant tucked in a sign-less alley, on Ly Tu Trong street, in the city of Saigon, in the country of Vietnam, on the continent of Asia, 1 of 7 on this planet Earth, the 3rd rock from the Sun, one of many dimensions.

3. Being a computer software salesman at the Age of 28 is not worth your time (actually, upon my 10th edit of this: nothing is worth your time if you don’t have your heart in it)

When he was 28 or so, tired of his stint as a computer software salesman, he decided to quit and take some time to himself. During that time of unemployment, he developed an idea: to marry his love of Vietnamese food and design (he majored in Architecture at Cal). And here you have it: Slanted Door.

4. Synergy is money (walk through the Slanted Door)

On that note, in other words, akin to what Steve Jobs accomplished, baking in the Calligraphy he learned from auditing classes at Reed, ultimately feeding his ultimate philosophy: intersecting the liberal arts with technology.

No idea is original, but when you put two ideas together. Vietnamese food and design: money.

5. Clothes don’t make the man

Charles Phan is not ostentatious with his wardrobe, just like Donald Fisher, founder of Gap Inc. Just because you have money, doesn’t mean you need to dress like it. Act your age, not your shoe brand. Actually, I’m a better dresser than Charles Phan nowadays, wink.

6. Money is The Money

Louis CK said it best in his recent success with his DRM-Free comedy show video campaign, in which he made a cool million in a matter of a week: “I never viewed money as being “my money.” I always saw it as “the money.” It’s a resource. If it pools up around me then it needs to be flushed back out into the system.” That said, Charles Phan is seeking out worthy causes in Vietnam, so if you have any leads, that don’t involve greasy palms, send on.

Also, he covered all our restaurant bills (no Kampuchea). Thank you again Charles.

7. Look in a magazine and go!

That’s how him and his wife decided on a resort in Phan Thiet, when we were all in the region. Just go and make the best of it. Shit, this is basically what I said in aforementioned item numbers 1-3. Eff it, worth saying again.

8. The finest things in life comes from your buddies and doesn’t use gold in any way, shape or form

As a parting gift from Charles, whiskey bottles were left at the Park Hyatt reception for pick-up. If memory serves me right, and memory is usually fiction, these bottles came from a Kentucky Distillery. The label was nothing fancy at all, no gold ink found on Johnny Walker bottles, just a label. And my, it was some bout-it bout-it whiskey. In an online search for them, turns out these bottles don’t cost that much either. But the ordinary denizen would never know about it, only Charles would since industry cats hook it up with the inside track. No marketing muscle, it’s those word-of-the-mouth things that really do the trick, which goes to show, buddies are the most important capital one could ever possess.

There were sure to be more lessons but I didn’t take notes, I graduated with a 3.3., love me.

Charles Phan, that guy is one cool dude. He’s one of my new role models, next to Bao Phi, Anthony Bourdain, Judy Blume, Yan Geling, Hideo Kojima, my old boss Fiona Pearson, George Nguyen (of tbwa\Vietnam), my Sifu Cameron Khuu, and Daymond John, founder of FUBU.

He has a book on the way. Keep posted.

Charles in Charge, there, I said it.

To our dear readers,

We wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year full of good times with your family and friends.

2012 is the year of the Water Dragon, so here’s a rundown of everyone’s horoscopes, summarized from Astrology.com. Check out the website if you want something more in depth.

Dragon: Dragons, it’s your year. You can expect 2012 to be full of both crests and troughs. Career-wise, expect a gradual shift in your priorities–most likely for the better. You might find yourself in a new or an entirely career, just be sure to put yourself out there. Your romantic outlook is looking quite positive; you might even find the one if you’re looking for something serious. Otherwise, there’ll likely be a lot of fun flings throughout the course of the year. Just be sure to schedule some rest time amidst all the fun. Dragons tend to be social, but don’t forget to take care of your health. For the health of your wallet as well, be sure to budget wisely and set limits for yourself. It’s your year, but luck is finite, so have some prudence.

Monkey: “12 out of 12 favorable months this year? That’s right — it’s time for the Monkey to shine!” predicts Astrology.com. In work, if you’re proactive about your career, you’ll have big payoffs this year. In love, 2012 is the year for new beginnings, so it might be a good year for you to start a family, get engaged, or begin a new serious romance. In health, you’ll be especially vibrant this year, so pick up a sport or embrace the outdoors and live it up. In wealth, like the dragon, you should also practice some restraint. You’ll most likely have a lucrative year, but practicing some modesty can put you ahead.

Rooster: It should be a better year than 2011. Focus on self-improvement; it could be a lackluster year in your career if you don’t take some initiative. Your romantic life should reach new dimensions in that an existing romance may mature, or a particularly memorable new one could start. Water favors the rooster, but your mental and physical may go into flux sometimes during the year. Embrace excerise to keep yourself alert and fit. A sound mind in a sound body. The first half of 2012 may seem a little stale in your wealth prospects, but the second half of the year should be a lucrative one.

Dog: It’s all about timing this year. You’ll have one especially stellar month, two pretty good months, and 9 okay months, so approach the year with a bit of reserve and save the risks for later years. It may be a slow year in the romantic department, but you can take this time to focus on finding yourself. In that regard, try to find some positive physical/mental outlet for yourself, like meditating or picking up a sport. It could be a year of anxiety otherwise. You might want to practice extra caution with your finances this year too. Chin up, Dogs!

Pig: It’s full speed ahead for pigs this year. Your career looks bright, granted you take some initiative. Your love life looks to be a passionate one, but do be careful of sizzling out. Your health looks wonderful, but don’t forget to pencil in some alone time to recoup. Your bank account looks like it’ll fatten up this year too. It’s okay to indulge a bit, but best to save some too.

Rat: One of the best years of your life? Maybe! In short: career, romance, health and wealth–you’re going to shine, kiddo.

Ox: It could be a spotty year for you, but no need to panic. There are at least three good months coming your way. Learn how to adapt in your working life, and be bold in your relationships. It’ll pay off. Like all the other animals of the zodiac thus far, embrace excercise and be strategic in your spending.

Tiger: The mighty tiger’s most favorable element is water, so it looks like nine months of good fortune are in store for the tiger this year. Work life will liven up if you learn to make friends with people whose relationship with you might’ve been sour in the past. “It could lead to a lucky partnership or business deal,” say the writers at Astrology.com. Your love life should be a passionate one this year, but be sure to find some alone time for yourself to keep your health in good stride. Your finances, on the other hand, will likely require extra prudence.

Cat: Cat is the one animal that differs between the Vietnamese and Chinese zodiac, with Rabbit in its stead on the Chinese calendar. So…sorry we haven’t been able to find your horoscope yet! But a little mystery should spice things up a bit, right?

Snake: Snakes, your year won’t come until 2013, but you’re still looking at 10 favorable months in 2012. Your career might seem like its hit a rough patch or slowed, but perserverance pays off! Keep it at and something good will come your way. Be sure to stay aware of all your opportunities. 2013 could also be a defining year in your romantic life, so be excited for whatever comes your way. You’ll need to take extra care of your body this year, and you’ll also need to stay on the conservative side with your finances.

Horse: Like the snake, you’ve got 10 good months coming at you in 2012. Take advantage of them. You might get that big promotion you’ve been pining for, but be sure to practice humility and don’t get too brash. In romance, be open to change: if you’ve been a fickle one in the past, consider settling down. If you’re single, have fun with dating but know that some things might burn out. Focus on some more meditative type of activities, rather than high-intensity physical activity. Likewise, act wisely with your money, instead of spending big.

Goat: 2012 might not be your best year, but that’s no reason to fret. Be mindful of your work life and take initiative. Your love life might appear sour at points, but don’t afraid to confide in family and friends and listen to your heart. Engage in physical activities that allow you to contemplate and reflect, rather than something that merely tires you out. A conservative approach to your finances would probably be best this year. After 2012,  you’ve got three good years coming your way!

Regardless of what your horoscope says, know that your destiny is in your own hands! *cue inspirational Pokemon music*  Good luck friends!

Image by elPadawan (Creative Commons)

***

Taylor Vo, age 11, was abducted by Tri Le, age 42, today at 1:18AM in San Jose.  Le forced Vo from her residence at gun point.  The suspect was last seen driving a dark, possibly American-made, minivan.  Please be on alert, especially within the Vietnamese community.  The suspect is still at-large and is considered armed and dangerous.

Below are the pictures and descriptions of the suspect and victim.

Suspect: Tri Le, 42-year-old, Asian (Vietnamese), 5 feet 6 inches tall, 170 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is considered armed and dangerous.

Victim: Taylor Vo, 11 year-old, Asian, 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 105 pounds, and has black hair with blonde highlights and brown eyes.

Source: SF Gate – 11-year-old Girl abducted at gunpoint

Poster:

Michelle and I want to send our best wishes to everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Growing up in Hawaii, I remember all the excitement surrounding the Lunar New Year – from the parades and the fireworks to the smaller gatherings with family and friends.  It has always been a time for celebration and hope.  And this year, as Americans here at home and around the world welcome the Year of the Dragon, it’s important to remember that our country is stronger because of our diversity.  We are richer because of the different cultures that make up this country.

So to all those celebrating the Lunar New Year, I wish you and your loved ones peace, prosperity, and good health.