On Kaua'i, I tapped into Hawai'i's distinct nature as a community rich in culture and history during my Environmental Journalism fellowship at the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG).
On Kaua'i, I tapped into Hawai'i's distinct nature as a community rich in culture and history during my Environmental Journalism fellowship at the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG).
In 1999, after devoting many years to chronicling Asian America, I took a sojourn in search of serenity. Discovering my new muse on the garden isle of Kaua'i, the oldest and the lushest of the Hawaiian Islands, I knew I would return one day to capture the other-worldly landscapes on film.
This Spring, my NTBG fellowship, gave me a special entre to learn about Hawaiian culture and revisit my childhood interest in botany. During my intensive week studying ethnobotany and tropical ecology, I sat down with world-renowned plant ecologists, horticulturalists and ethnobotanists who have dedicated their life's work to finding a cure for illnesses, feeding the world, and saving the planet.
Globally, nine percent of the world's 250,000 plant species are endangered. Half of Hawai'i's native plants are threatened with extinction, as the situation is far more critical on oceanic islands.
Chartered by Congress in 1964, the National Tropical Botanical Garden administers a network of five gardens and three preserves in Hawai'i and Florida focusing on tropical flora. Everyday, I have class in one of the three...
Gliding on fresh ice in a pair of skates is sheer bliss.
Gliding across fresh ice in a pair of skates is sheer bliss. My last fond memory of skating is at the age of twelve on an indoor ice skating rink in San Francisco, with visions of Olympic gold swirling in my head. A sport I dabbled in as a child, it is one of the few athletic pursuits I enjoy.
On this lazy Sunday afternoon, I hook up with Dustin Ross, a photographer friend, at the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park . Young lovers, parents with chubby cheeked children and groups of teenagers have come out to play on the ice on this warm winter day. The 50-degree temperature makes the hour-long wait bearable. As we pay our admission fee, the ice is being resurfaced. Just as I finish lacing up my skates, a voice resonates over the loudspeaker calling the eager skaters to the ice.
Dustin is the perfect companion to skate with. A three-time state champion on the Aspen Avalanche Ice Hockey Team while growing up in Colorado, he started skating at age six and makes me feel at ease being back on the ice.
A grand time is had by all. Many skaters glide effortlessly without falling, while others hug the sides of the rink for dear life. Street wear is the mode of choice, from fleece tracksuits, to jeans and chunky sweaters topped by ski parkas of all lengths. Colorful knit caps, scarves and leather gloves finish off the ensembles.
Over 650 people are on the ice yet I feel as if Dustin and I are alone as we circle the ice at...
Zach Yonzon, Lena Toepan, Timothy Bloxsome, Jamie Tan and Bevis Song are five travel journalists from Asia on an 8-week adventure across the United States.
Zach Yonzon, Lena Toepan, Timothy Bloxsome, Jamie Tan and Bevis Song are five lucky travel journalists chosen from over 4,500 applicants across Asia-Pacific for 5 TAKES: USA , the international travel series that capitalizes on the real-time advantage of internet/television convergence and lets viewers craft the itinerary. Sounds like a dream assignment to me.
Bevis Song, 21, is from Taiwan; Jamie Tan, 28, is from Singapore; Lena Toepan, 26, is from Indonesia; Timothy Bloxsome, 24, is from Australia; and Zach Yonzon, 32, is from the Phillippines.
Tune in as the Travel Journalists (TJs) embark on their 8-week journey across major cities throughout the United States. First up is Las Vegas, Nevada for non-stop entertainment in the city that never sleeps. From the desert heat of Nevada, the TJs are off to the glaciers of Anchorage, Alaska for an expedition into the snowy wilderness. Washington D.C., will provide the TJs with an inside look at the inner workings of government and politics. From the Northeast, they will head south to the sandy beaches and theme parks attractions of Orlando and Miami, Florida; Memphis,Tennessee for a taste of our southern hospitality; New York City to visit the historical sites and buildings of the city; and Austin, Texas for lessons in ranching, rodeos, and football. Their final stop, in...
Major Disaster Declaration Allows More Assistance to California
WASHINGTON With the announcement today of a major disaster declaration for California, additional federal assistance will be available for individuals and communities in the seven declared counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
Grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will aid individual recovery. Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures.
"FEMA will continue to coordinate with federal agencies as more resources and personnel are tapped to assist in response and recovery efforts," said FEMA Administrator David Paulison. "We are calling on all the federal resources available to respond to the state's needs as they are identified and we will continue to expedite these requests."
Along with today's major disaster declaration there were other significant developments in the federal response to the California wildfires.
FEMA
FEMA deployed the Federal Incident Response Team (FIRST) out of Atlanta. FIRST will support the federal leadership as they coordinate emergency support for the thousands of evacuees at the Qualcomm shelter by ensuring essential communications channels remain accessible and...
Circle Saturday, April 26 on your calendars! The world renowned Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts celebrates the opening of its extraordinary exhibition "Wedded Bliss, The Marriage of Art and Ceremony."
This exciting exhibition includes live presentations from internationally acclaimed artists and designers and a showcase of original wedding gowns and accessories, paintings, sculpture, and multimedia from the United States and cultures around the world including China, Japan and Korea, some dating back three centuries.
Attendees will be able to participate in a hands-on wedding cake decorating demonstration with professional tools and guidance.
Speakers on opening day, April 26 include internationally acclaimed wedding cake designer Cile Bellefleur Burbidge and globe-trotting photographers Tiziana and Gianni Baldizzone authors of photographic book "Wedding Ceremonies: Ethnic Symbols, Costume and Rituals."
Photographs Courtesy Peabody Essex Museum from the exhibition "Wedded Bliss - The Marriage of Art and Ceremony" opening April 26, 2008.
AsianConnections Editor Suzanne Kai: I have had the pleasure of visiting many of the world's greatest museums in Europe, U.S. and Asia. When I visited the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts several years ago, I was very impressed with the extraordinary quality and depth of its exhibitions.
Beginning April 26, as part of its latest exhibition "Wedded Bliss, The Marriage of Art and Ceremony" the museum will have on...