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| 12 September 2011 |
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Aurora Symphony Orchestra What does a brain surgeon, rocket scientist and “roof doctor” have in common? They are all members of a community orchestra, doing what they love most—playing music. At 34 years and counting, the Aurora Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is playing strong after a modest start in 1978 and becoming a non-profit organization in 1996. ASO was founded by local civic leader and musician Alice Lee Main, when a young conductor named Gloria Olsen approached her with an idea to start a community orchestra. After a few newspaper articles to attract musicians, the fledgling orchestra—the Aurora Civic Orchestra—began with 15 musicians. “We have a vision to become the preeminent community orchestra in the metro area,” said Rich Duston, President of Aurora Symphony Orchestra. From Branson, Missouri, Duston not only runs the operations, he is also is a trumpet player in the Brass Quintet. The orchestra, currently practicing at Gateway High School, consists of nearly 45 volunteer musicians and a handful that are paid.
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It’s not often that Denver receives visitors at the highest levels of the foreign diplomatic corps, but the 25th anniversary of the start of the Colorado-Yamagata Sister State relationship brought Ichiro Fujisaki, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the United State of America, to the Brown palace on August 6. Fujisaki gave a keynote speech during a luncheon hosted by the Japan America Society of Colorado, which was also attended by Takashi Takahashi, vice governor of Yamagata Prefectiure (state), and Kozo Taira, Chairperson of the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. Also with the Yamagata delegation were several assemblymen, the assembly’s Chief Secretariat, and representatives of the Yamagata International Affairs Office. The local speakers included Morgan Smith and James Terada, former chairs of the Colorado-Yamagata Friendship Committee. Smith helped forge the Sister State relationship when he served under then-governor Dick Lamm, who was not initially supportive of the idea. Smith recalled his efforts to get the relationship approved, and the accomplishments since then that have come out of the Sister State compact. Gov. Roy Romner, who followed Lamm, was much more supportive, as was Bill Owens after that, and Gov. Hickenlooper already has strong ties to Japan and with Yamagata through visits he made while he served as Denver’s Mayor. |
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| 12 September 2011 |
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Over 20,000 people experienced the diverse cultures of Asia last month at the 17th Annual Boulder Asian Festival, presented by the Boulder Asian Pacific Alliance (BAPA). The Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association kicked off the festival with a lion dance parade down the Pearl Street Mall and culminated their performance with a 20-foot multi-level stunt incorporating 30 members of the group.
Throughout the weekend, over 30 vendors and 20 performers treated attendees to both traditional and modern interpretations of Asian culture. In one location, attendees were able to shop for jewelry and one-of-a-kind gifts, then feast on Nepalese, Vietnamese and Chinese Food from local restaurants, all while listening to the sounds of local favorites like Wendy Woo. For those looking to learn a different language, free introductory Chinese and Japanese lessons were offered in the Family Fun Tent. Boasting the only 100% Zero-Waste Asian Festival in Colorado, volunteers diligently manned waste stations to ensure that trash was separated into the proper receptacles. BAPA was hoping to beat last year’s record of diverting 90% of festival waste (approximately 1,500 pounds) from local landfills. Even the rain didn’t stop the festival. Showers on Sunday afternoon delayed the performances for about 30 minutes but the skies cleared up just in time for Denver Taiko to close out the festival. BAPA’s mission is to create awareness and understanding of the diverse Asian and Pacific Islander cultures throughout Boulder and the surrounding communities. The success of the festival proves that they are achieving their mission.
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| 12 September 2011 |
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Christine Wanifuchi, the Chief Executive Officer for APDC explains, “Being in service for over 30 years, we realize that with time, the needs of the community is constantly changing as does our target population. “Recognizing the need for continuous re-assessments on the culture and needs of our community we are serving, the APDC has been restructuring and re-branding many of our programs and services to best fit the current needs of our community and clients, one of them being the Interpreters Bank, our interpretation and translation service.“ Now with a new look, new staff with high-quality standard for customer service and a wider variety of languages offered, the Colorado Language Connection will better serve the needs of the community with a mission “to connect cultures and peoples through language by providing quality interpretation and translation services for those of our community who are marginalized due to language barriers.” |
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| 12 September 2011 |
Formerly the Interpreters Bank is now renamed as Colorado Language Connection, a service program of APDC that provides high-quality interpretation and translation services all around Colorado. This fee-for-service component of the APDC is more than simply an interpretation and translation business; it is one way to invest right back into the organization’s mission to provide direct human services to the Asian Pacific Islander refugee and immigrant communities in Colorado.|
Kim, 23, from Aurora, Colo. battled Gutta, a rapper from Texas, going into overtime as requested by the crowd. Click here for more photos. Visit http://www.youtube.com/btv
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Michael Kim, aka Bishop, rapped at the Rumble in Tha Rockies Body Bag Battles vs. Texas Battle League on Friday, August 19th in Aurora. Dozens of rap artists and fans piled into McDonough’s Restaurant on Iliff and Havana, to witness rap battles by local Denver favorites competing against out of state rappers from Texas, Ohio and Missouri. Each one-on-one rap battle consisted of three rounds of “insults and disses” with a combination of freestyle (or improvised) and pre-written lyrics.|
Youth leaders from across North America came together during the UNAVSA-8 Conference in Denver, Colorado on July 30th, 2011 to vote on the next beneficiary for the Collective Philanthropy Project.
The Collective Philanthropy Project, CPP, is an initiative created in 2004 for Vietnamese-student and community organizations to collaborate in working toward a charitable cause. The idea was to create momentum for a collective national effort under a different philanthropic campaign each year. The CPP campaign assists non-profit organizations to better achieve their mission through collective and collaborative fundraising with UNAVSA.
Prior to the conference, non-profits were nominated at the grassroots level and encouraged to submit a application and proposal for a project that would utilize the energy of the North American Vietnamese student youth network. Based on the applications received, the Preliminary Selection Board narrowed the field down to top three organizations.
These organizations were Children of Vietnam, Catalyst Foundation, and Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program. Each organization traveled to Denver and make the case for their project through a a intense 3 hours presentations, individual Q/A, and a group panel Q/A. after which our regional members broke up into discussion groups to decide how their region would vote on the proposals.
UNAVSA is pleased to announce Children of Vietnam’s the Hope System of Care, as the 2011-2012 Collective Philanthropy Project beneficiary.
Children of Vietnam (COV), based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina creates a future for Vietnamese children in need that is full of promise. They are dedicated to providing these children with what they need to succeed in life: good nutrition, life saving medical care, safe and secure housing, and access to education.
As a result of COV’s life changing programs, these children can look toward a brighter future. COV helps these children escape the cycle of poverty, overcome the limitation of disability, and realize the dreams they never thought possible.
UNAVSA and its regional partners, along with individual VSAs across the nation will collaborate with Children of Vietnam to create a national campaign from September 2011 to July 2012 to help bring awareness to the plight of disabled children within Vietnam.
Youth leaders from across North America came together during the UNAVSA-8 Conference in Denver, Colorado on July 30th, 2011 to vote on the next beneficiary for the Collective Philanthropy Project. The Collective Philanthropy Project, CPP, is an initiative created in 2004 for Vietnamese-student and community organizations to collaborate in working toward a charitable cause. The idea was to create momentum for a collective national effort under a different philanthropic campaign each year. The CPP campaign assists non-profit organizations to better achieve their mission through collective and collaborative fundraising with UNAVSA. Prior to the conference, non-profits were nominated at the grassroots level and encouraged to submit a application and proposal for a project that would utilize the energy of the North American Vietnamese student youth network. Based on the applications received, the Preliminary Selection Board narrowed the field down to top three organizations. These organizations were Children of Vietnam, Catalyst Foundation, and Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program. Each organization traveled to Denver and make the case for their project through a a intense 3 hours presentations, individual Q/A, and a group panel Q/A. after which our regional members broke up into discussion groups to decide how their region would vote on the proposals.
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| 12 September 2011 |
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Gold and Jade on the Outside but Rotten Cotton on the Inside.
All That Glitters Is Not Gold.
Said of something superficially attractive but actually worthless.
There was, during the Ming Dynasty, a fruit seller. His oranges were so well kept that they could last throughout the year. But although outwardly as smooth as jade and as shiny as gold, inwardly they were like rotten cotton. When a customer asked him why he tried to deceive people, the pedlar replied with a smile, “Am I the only swindler in this world? No. There are many others. Take, for instance, those cocky generals armed with tallies and sitting in chairs covered with tiger skin—are they really capable of directing battles? And those officials wearing black gauze caps and jade belts—are they really capable of running the country? They do nothing to help the common people who are now suffering. “They do nothing to check the evil doings of their subordinates. They do nothing useful at all, but only eat the grain produced by the common people. Aren’t they all as shiny as gold and jade without but like rotten cotton within? Why do you fix your eyes only on a fruit seller like me, instead of those I’ve just mentioned?” This argument left the customer speechless. - Collected Works of the Earl of Loyalty Calligraphy by Harrison X. Tu, Confucius Classroom in Denver |
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| 12 September 2011 |
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This next month I’m starting a new chapter in my life, prioritizing what’s important to me and resetting my goals. Time to hit pause before moving forward: make some fall resolutions. In fact, I took a peek at my new year’s resolutions to learn how to cook, learn a new language and to be a better listener... well, I suppose I still have four months to make those happen. The new season is around the corner, what better time to learn something new—a table game? In this issue, our staff writer Patricia uncovers the newfound interest in Asian games such as mahjong. Mahjong, a Chinese game of tiles, gained its popularity from the online computer solitaire version, completely different than the table game. But as of late, more people are physically getting together and hosting “meetups” to play this strategic game for four. Go and Hanafuda are two other games, originating in Japan, that have gained new students of all ages. People of all ages can also be found playing in a different way—playing music. The Aurora Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit community orchestra that provides an outlet for musicians to enjoy music and perform together. The group, primarily of volunteers, welcomes performers to audition and join throughout the season. In Boulder, West Gate Kung Fu also opens its doors to those interested in mastering the martial arts and developing inner discipline. Read more about both organizations in this month’s Inside Stories. |
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| 03 September 2011 |
Dearest Readers,|
It’s the chance to have fun and let go of inhibitions, and it’s the chance for your friends to tell you how much you start to sound as good as Whitney Houston with every cup of sake you consume. Whether you’re a businesswoman winding down after a busy day of work or a student escaping the travails of university life, karaoke provides a magical release from it all. Karaoke was invented in Japan in the 1970s. Its origin, however, is surrounded by obscurity. One account holds Daisuke Inoue, a musician who provided instrumentals for people who sang at bars in Kobe, as the inventor of karaoke. One day, a customer was so impressed with Inoue’s musical ability that he asked Inoue to accompany him on a business trip. Too busy to go, Inoue instead recorded his instrumentals on a tape and gave it the businessman. According to Inoue’s account, this was the genesis of karaoke. Karaoke is a type of entertainment where people sing along to recorded tracks (i.e. instrumentals) of popular songs whose lyrics are played on a screen. Following its invention, karaoke became widespread in other parts of Asia like China, Korea, and the Philippines, among others. It is regarded as one of the most popular activities in those countries. |
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| 10 August 2011 |
Tone-deafness is best shared with friends—in a private room, that is. At least that’s one of the services karaoke boxes, generally known as KTV studios, offer people of any nationality or musical talent.More Articles...
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When asked if she secretly wore her crown around when left alone, Dao Than burst out laughing. “No, that’s creepy,” said the 19-year-old winner of the fourth annual Miss Asian American Colorado (AACO) Leadership Program. Than and 16 other beautiful and talented young ladies from eight different Asian American Pacific Islander ethnicities came together for a three-month long leadership program. The program ended with a finale show on June 26 at Colorado Heights University Theater where Than was named 2011 Miss Asian American Colorado. It is said that the winner of this prestigious title must be empowered, intelligent and compassionate. The seven judges discovered that Than ultimately exemplified these qualities. However, she was not always so confident. “I have always had a lot of problems with my self-confidence and self-esteem,” Than said. “My sister is absolutely gorgeous and my family always points that out.” Participating in the program helped her learn to be more comfortable in her own skin. In heels the Vietnamese-American said she towers over most of the girls. Always self-conscious about her height, she could not indulge in her love of shoes, especially high heels. “I finally learned to embrace my height,” Than said. “I am never going to change so I might as well love myself.” Than grew up in Denver and attended Columbine High School. She went to Colorado School of Mines for a year for engineering, but will be attending Regis University in the fall to pursue a degree in biology or biochemistry. She hopes to someday pursue a career in medical research. Miss AACO program participants were judged by involvement (attendance, attitude and participation), leadership skills and strengths, preliminary and on-stage interviews with judges, introduction to cultural attire and a talent performance, and their participation in group service projects. For example, the candidates participated in the 9Health Fair at University of Denver and helped sort medical supplies for Project CURE. Participation in these projects helped further Than’s interest in medical research. |
