asian affairs - november 2011
DESCRIPTION
The November issue of your magazine! YOUR CITY | YOUR MAGAZINETRANSCRIPT
CHINA
DAWN OF THE ASIAN ERA
RestaurantReview: C-FU44
FOOD
What’ hot this Winter36
FASHION
24
FOOD
36
THE RISE OF
Asia
nAffa
irsUS
.com
NOVEMBER 2011
USA
A NEWSMAGAZINE FOR THE COMMUNITY, BY THE COMMUNITY! PHOENIX EDITION
40 EVENT: Miss Asia Arizona: Exclusive Coverage and interviews
6 LAW & IMMIGRATION: how to “BUY” a Green Card!
E X C L U S I V E !
WesGULLETT
GregSTANTON
UP CLOSE & PERSONALPHOENIX MAYORAL CANDIDATES
FREE delivery of Durable Medical
Equipment on the same day.
We accept Medicare, BCBS, Auto Accident,
AHCCS & Others
Ph: 480.664.6818 Fax: 480.664.6881 Cell: 480.299.9600 Toll free: 866.958.6818 www.SupremeDME.com
FREE delivery of Durable Medical
Equipment on the same day.
We accept Medicare, BCBS, Auto Accident,
AHCCS & Others
Ph: 480.664.6818 Fax: 480.664.6881 Cell: 480.299.9600 Toll free: 866.958.6818 www.SupremeDME.com
GET HeardTo submit your articles or Letters to the Editor, please eMail us at:
GET NoticedFor supporting and advertising your business with us, please eMail us at:
GET On-BoardFor Annual Subscriptions, please eMail us at:
6 Law & Immigration Investment in the United States: How to “Buy” a Green Card Through the EB-5 Program
18 Your Money Everyone wants to invest in China. Where is CHINA Investing?!
10 DAWN OF THE ASIAN ERA
China On the RiseThis is the first feature in our series on the recent rise of Asia in world affairs. China’s unprecedent growth in the past decade has spurred concerns about world domination in almost every field: economy, defense, space and environment. We examine this rapid rise and its implications for the rest of the world in features on technology and investment ...
24 UP CLOSE & PERSONAL: An AsianAffairs Exclusive
Phoenix Mayoral Candidates
Candidates answer probing questions
38 Travel & Leisure Leisure Travel in Asia: It Will Get You Addicted
44 Food & Nutrition Essence of Asian Cooking
36 FASHION & STYLE Arthy Kumar debuts our feature on latest style and trends with her column on fashion trends that are HOT this Fall!
Also in this issue ...
20 Stress Buster Technique: For Indians Living in North America
28 Business of the Month: Lee Lee Super Market
30 Your Health: Health Nuggets from Experts for Daily Living; Potty Training Your Child; Salt & Sodium
40 Event of the Month: Ms Asia Arizona 2011
USA
A NEWSMAGAZINE FOR THE COMMUNITY, BY THE COMMUNITY!
PHOENIX EDITION
CONTENTS | Volume 1 | Issue 2 | www.AsianAffairsUS.com
From the Editor
GET HeardTo submit your articles or Letters to the Editor, please eMail us at:
GET NoticedFor supporting and advertising your business with us, please eMail us at:
GET On-BoardFor Annual Subscriptions, please eMail us at:
A Newsmagazine for the Community, By the Community!
PUBLISHER:Asian Affairs, LLC33813 N. 23rd DrivePhoenix, AZ 85085-5039Ph: (480)213-7264ISBN: 978-0-615-48069-5Printed at: Media Print, Inc, Phoenix
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Dr. RAMAN Deep Singh Mr. VARINDERPAL Singh
ADVISORY BOARD:KAMALJEET Sachdeva MD
EDITORIAL BOARD:EDITOR-at-LARGE: Dr. SUDHIR ChaudharyEDITOR: RUPANJANA SenguptaCONTRIBUTING EDITOR: DHARAM Chavda
ART & DESIGN:SUDHIR Chaudhary Sweet DesignsGraphics: DreamsTime, stock.xchng
unless otherwise noted
STAFF REPORTER & PHOTOGRAPHER:MICHELLE Erdmier
SPONSORSHIP:[email protected](602)790-6576
CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS:Annual Subscription Rate: $25 [email protected](602)820-1485
Find us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/AsianAffairsUSFollow us on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/AsianAffairsUSeMail: [email protected]: www.AsianAffairsUS.com© Asian Affairs , LLC 2011
DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in the articles in this issue are those of authors alone and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editor, publishers or their agents.
Contact Us
Dr. Sudhir Chaudhary
Also in this issue ...
20 Stress Buster Technique: For Indians Living in North America
28 Business of the Month: Lee Lee Super Market
30 Your Health: Health Nuggets from Experts for Daily Living; Potty Training Your Child; Salt & Sodium
40 Event of the Month: Ms Asia Arizona 2011
The awakening dragons, tigers and ... camels!
Ah, the November in Phoenix! Finally only double digit dryness!
The year is not yet over but so much has happened this year so far that it is becoming hard to focus on any one thing. From the Arab Spring to the devastating floods in the Philippines and Thailand, to the passing away of icons who left the world a little bet-ter than they had inherited: Steve Jobs and Shammi Kapoor, and the anti-corruption crusade in India, so much has happened so fast in the past few weeks that it will take years to understand the impact.
Still, looking over the past few years though, the story that has been developing faster than a Maglev train has been the looming domination of the rising Asian economic powerhouses -China and India- that has thrust Asia into the forefront of world affairs. In this issue, we begin to examine the Dawn of the Asian Era, focusing on the newest political and social world giant: China.
There is no doubt that this powerhouse is on its way to dominating almost all aspects of the global platform. It is an astute example of how far a huge and dedicated work-force can propel a country. China -within the span of mere years- has evolved from an ancient relic into a modern and prosperous nation.
While eastern Asia has been experiencing an economic boom, another part of Asia has been experiencing a political boom. It seems that almost overnight, the Middle East went from war-torn or oppressed to the central symbol of freedom. The Arab Spring has had a vast impact in changing the face of the Middle East. No longer viewed as the epicenter of terrorism but as the epitome of a people’s rebellion, these resilient Asian, European and African nations have done what few ever believed could be possible, and in the process have ousted oppressive regimes which ruled them for decades! It remains to be seen how many of these new-born nations will succeed or fail or simply fall by the wayside, but one thing is certain: they have re-ignited the hopes of millions. And that, if nothing else, is something to be in awe of. We will bring you the inspiring stories from the rebellion in our coming issues.
Closer to home, we covered the Miss Asia Arizona 2011 event and bring you the ex-clusive interviews with the organizer and contestants. In another exclusive, Phoenix Mayoral candidates open up to our new Editor, Rupanjana Sengupta. Don’t forget to vote on November 8th. In the meantime, Asian Affairs will be at the Discover India fes-tival at the Heritage Square & Science Park in downtown Phoenix on November 13th. Come and experience the culture, food, and dances from the subcontinent!
NOVEMBER20115FROM THE EDITOR
FEATURED Article
CHRISTOPHER Brelje Law Offi ces of Brelje and Muklewicz, P.C
INVESTMENT in the United States:How to “Buy” a Green Card through the EB-5 Program
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor program
provides a vehicle for obtaining permanent
residency more quickly than many other types of
immigration applications or petitions. Moreover,
by using an EB-5 “Regional Center” the investor
and all members of his or her immediate family
(excluding children age 21 or over) can obtain
permanent residency in the United States with
minimal managerial participation by the investor.
6NOVEMBER
20117LAW & IMMIGRATION
EB-5 investors avoid the problem of visa “quotas”Individuals who are legally pres-
ent in the United States have either “non-immigrant” temporary status or “immigrant” permanent status. Permanent status is sometimes called “resident alien,” “permanent resident” or “green card” status. Permanent resident status is the highest form of status in the United States, short of U.S. Citizenship. Typically, a foreign national obtains permanent resi-dency through a full-time employment offer from a U.S. company or through a family relationship, such as marriage to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Aside from marriage to a U.S. citizen, which is considered to be an “immedi-ate relative” petition and is not subject to State Department quotas, most other ways of obtaining permanent residency are sub-ject to an annual limit on the number of visas that can be issued. There is an annual limit of 140,000 employment-based immi-grant visas and an annual limit of 226,000 family-based immigrant visas. There are also sub-limits by visa category and coun-try of nationality. Due to per-country and visa category limits, some immigrant cases can be subject to extensive backlogs that result in wait times of over ten years before a permanent resident visa can be issued.
The U.S. Department of State maintains a “Visa Bulletin” which is available on its website www.travel.state.gov. The Visa Bulletin includes a family-based chart and an employment-based chart. For example, the Visa Bulletin for October 2011 shows significant backlogs for EB-3 professional workers from India and China. The cutoff date for foreign nationals of India in the EB-3 category is July 15 of 2002. The EB-3 cutoff date for nationals of mainland China is August 8, 2004. For a national of India or China whose employer filed a PERM Labor Certification, the “priority date” that was established on the date of filing the Labor Certification may not become current for over 8 or 10 years. What is particularly frustrating is that the cutoff dates do not necessarily progress on a day-to-day basis. In fact, cutoff dates in the Visa Bulletin
may actually retrogress based upon the number of visa applications filed and the Department of State’s method of calculat-ing visa availability!
Placed in this context, it is advantageous to look for ways to obtain permanent resi-dency that are not subject to such lengthy wait times. The EB-5 Investment Program is just such an avenue because it allows up to 10,000 permanent residency visas to be issued each year without regard to nationality. Thus far, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued fewer than one-third of the avail-able 10,000 visas each year. There is no waiting list!
What are the requirements of the EB-5 investor program?The EB-5 investor visa program was created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign inves-tors. A recipient of an EB-5 visa will have the opportunity to enter the United States with his or her family after the initial I-526 Immigrant Petition is approved. The gen-eral requirement for an EB-5 visa is that the immigrant must invest one million dol-lars in a new commercial enterprise that benefits the U.S. economy and creates at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers. The investment amount is lowered to $500,000 if the immigrant invests the funds in a Targeted Employment Area (“TEA”). A TEA is defined as a “rural area” or a “high unemployment area.” A “rural area” is an area (1) not located within any standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), and (2) not located within any city or town having a population of 20,000 or more. A “high unemployment area” is a city or town with a population of more than 20,000 which has an average unemployment rate of 150% of the national average.
The investment must be in a new commer-cial enterprise. A “commercial enterprise” is any for-profit activity formed for the ongoing conduct of lawful business, including a sole proprietorship, partner-ship, holding company, joint venture, corporation, business trust or other entity.
EB-5 Program
corporation, business trust or other entity.
NOVEMBER 20117LAW & IMMIGRATION
A “new” commercial enterprise is one established after November 29, 1990, or one that was established on or before November 29, 1990, that is purchased and restructured or reorganized in such a way that a 40% increase in net worth or num-ber of employees results.
When the immigrant petition is approved, the investor and his family members may enter the United States with “conditional” permanent residency. The investor must maintain the EB-5 investment for at least two years. Before the end of the two-year period, the investor must file an applica-tion to remove conditional status. At that point, assuming the investor has main-tained the EB-5 investment and there is proof of the requisite employment cre-ation, USCIS will remove conditional status and the investor and his family members will become permanent residents without conditions.
What is a Regional Center and why is it advantageous to use one?The immigration statutes include a provision for EB-5 investment through an approved “Regional Center.” A Regional Center is a geographically defined entity that pools the investment capital of several foreign nationals who wish to obtain permanent residency. The Regional Center invests in a project that meets the requirements of the EB-5 program. One of the advantages of using a Regional Center is that, although there is an admin-istrative fee per investor, the investment amount can be the minimum required. For example, if a Regional Center invests its foreign nationals’ capital in a charter school project located in a TEA, the inves-tor need only invest the minimum amount of $500,000. On the other hand, if the investor did not use a Regional Center, the investment amount would likely be higher in order to be commensurate with the type of business or project being funded by the individual investor.
A second advantage of the Regional Center EB-5 investment is that the for-eign national, although he or she retains policy-making authority, does not need to be involved in the day-to-day operation or management of the enterprise.
A third advantage of the Regional Center investment is that Regional Centers can take indirect and induced employment into account to meet the requirement that each investor create at least 10 jobs for U.S. workers. The Regional Center sub-mits an economist’s report to USCIS which includes an accepted methodology for cal-culating employment creation within the particular industry. By including indirect and induced jobs, a Regional Center can demonstrate more employment creation than can an individual investor who has initiated his or her own business enterprise and is limited to demonstrating creation of direct jobs only.
An EB-5 investor should use due diligence in choosing a Regional Center. Some Regional Centers are more discerning than others in project selection. Some Regional Centers will use an “employment cre-ation buffer” to ensure sufficient jobs are created for each investor. For example, a Regional Center with which our law firm works – Green Card Fund, LLC (www.gre-encardfund.com) – is approved by USCIS for a variety of industries and projects
throughout the state of Arizona, and always makes certain that its economist’s employ-ment creation methodology results in more jobs created than are needed for the num-ber of EB-5 investors in a particular project.
Other Regional Centers will have projects in other geographic areas or industries. A prospective EB-5 investor is wise to obtain the assistance of a professional when choosing a Regional Center for an EB-5 investment. Before deciding on a Regional Center, the investor may want to hire an accountant, business consul-tant, or other professional to review the Regional Center’s USCIS approval, analyze the Regional Center’s projects to assess its financial stability and exit strategy, review the business plan, verify corporate documents, and evaluate the economist’s report for the specific investment project.
Got a Question for Mr. Brelje? Please send it to [email protected]
What is the “Lawful Source” requirement?The EB-5 statute requires that the investor show that the capital invested in a new enterprise was acquired lawfully. This involves producing docu-mentation of the source of funds invested which may include proof of earnings from a business owned by the immigrant, loans, gifts, inheri-tance, real estate transactions, sale of stock, sale of business assets or use of retirement funds. Often a combination of assets will be used to fund an investment, in which case multiple records must be produced. An EB-5 petitioner generally must also supply tax returns and copies of business registration records.
Producing sufficient documentation of lawful funds and tax records may be difficult for investors depending on the country of nationality. For example, in countries where a handshake instead of a contract is used to effectuate a transaction, investors may have difficulty tracing investment funds through written documentation.
Certain countries may have laws restricting the amount of capital that can be invested overseas. For example, The People’s Republic of China has a $50,000 overseas remittance limit. Additionally, Chinese investors may encounter difficulty obtaining tax records because in certain situ-ations employers, not individuals, file tax returns and under-reporting of earnings is not uncommon. The above difficulties may be overcome though various measures including personal affidavits, the assistance of brokers or consultants, and obtaining explanatory letters from local tax accountants or other professionals.
8NOVEMBER
20119LAW & IMMIGRATION
Hi, Mr. Brelje: I am out of a job and I need to get my H-1B transferred to a new employer. My last pay check was on 30 June 2011. I was back in India for the summer, and I came back on July 18, 2011. My question is how much time do I have legally and what is the pro-cess and fee and duration of the whole procedure.
— A.K. in Gilbert
Dear A.K., H-1B “specialty occupa-tion” status is employer-specific. H-1B beneficiaries are only allowed to work for the employer who filed the H-1B petition. One of the requirements of H-1B status is that the beneficiary remain employed with that petitioning employer. If employment ends prior to the end of the approved period of H-1B status, the beneficiary’s right to remain in the United States also ends.
Unfortunately, unlike F-1 student status and J-1 exchange visitor status which have 60-day and 30-day grace periods respectively, there is no grace period for H-1B status. This means that when H-1B employment terminates, the ben-eficiary employee is no longer in proper H-1B status.
It appears from the facts stated in your question that your employment ended in June, you left the United States at that
time, and you returned to the United States on July 18. If you returned to the United States on H-1B status, there is a problem. Even though you may still have an H-1B visa that is unexpired, reentering the United States using that H-1B visa without the intent to work for the petitioning employer is an imper-missible use of the visa. H-1B status is only good if you maintain employment for the petitioning employer. This is the case even though the H-1B visa valid-ity ending date is in the year 2013, and the I-94 card issued when you entered the United States in July shows a similar validity ending date.
The officer who issued the I-94 docu-ment when you reentered likely assumed that you were returning to the United States to continue work for your H-1B employer. Because there is a violation of the terms of H-1B status when one is no longer employed by the H-1B petitioner, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is likely to take the position that you are now out of status.
When an H-1B beneficiary wishes to change employers, the USCIS adju-dicator will request paystubs or other documentation to verify that the ben-eficiary was still employed by the initial H-B petitioning employer at the time the subsequent employer filed its H-1B petition. In this case, assuming employ-ment ended in June, it would not now be possible to demonstrate continuing H-1B employment.
USCIS is likely to grant the H-1B peti-tion (assuming the petition meets all other H-1B requirements), but deny the extension of stay. This means that you would need to leave the United States and reenter using an H-1B visa
to “activate” your H-1B status with the new employer. It does not mean, how-ever, that you have to obtain a new H-1B visa at a U.S. consular post or embassy. An H-1B beneficiary may use an unex-pired H-1B visa that was issued in the name of a previous employer, as long as the beneficiary also has the original H-1B approval notice from USCIS bear-ing the name of the current employer.
As to your question about fees and timing, USCIS charges three sepa-rate required H-1B fees: a $325 pro-cessing fee, a $500 “anti-fraud” fee, and a $1500 ACWIA fee (reduced to $750 if the employer has 25 or fewer employees). Attorney fees for H-1B cases are usually about $2500. All filing fees and attorney fees for H-1B should be paid by the employer with-out reimbursement from the employee beneficiary to be in compliance with federal statutes and DOL’s interpreta-tion of the federal rules with regard to the required wage to be paid to H-1B beneficiaries. It can take three or more months for USCIS to adjudicate an H-1B petition. By paying an additional $1225 “premium processing” fee, USCIS will adjudicate the petition within 15 days of filing.
Christopher Brelje is a shareholder and Senior Attorney at Law Offi ces of Brelje and Muklewicz, P.C., an employment immigra-tion law fi rm rated “AV” (highest rating) by Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Brelje has been listed in “Best Lawyers in America” for expertise in immigration law since 1995. The law fi rm specializes in immigration for investors and professional workers, including physicians. www.breljelaw.com
ADVICE COLUMN
CHRISTOPHER BreljeLaw Offi ces of Brelje and Muklewicz, P.C
NOVEMBER 20119LAW & IMMIGRATION
Chinese soCiety Past, Present and FutureShilpi
10NOVEMBER
201111COVER STORY
China, the name creates differ-ent pictures in the mind’s eye. It is indeed an amazing fusion
of traditionalism and modernity. Well, China is the most populated and fast-est growing economy in the world.
The land of Buddhism, cuisines, spices, and silk has a lot to offer on many accounts. Here China’s social journey from past to future is analyzed in brief.
How the world thinks of ChinaTo West and the world, China is a nation of extremes, a monolithic country. Media such as news and film, basically stress upon the more sensa-tionalist parts of China. The amazing economic growth, population and ideological transformation, all lead to a good magazine story and on screen drama. But this enhanced focus on China has not furthered a common man’s understanding of this nation’s people and the land itself. Let us look at the historical aspect.
Imperial legacy of ChinaThe neighboring empires made repeated attempts to invade China across History. But this country pre-served its identity over centuries in spite of, Mongol oppression and others.
Chinese society has developed due to the country’s early population growth. China had the population equal-ing the current US population at the
time when Columbus reached the Americas.
Due to high population density and ecological difficulties (such as poor soil and water shortage) there was increased cooperation and less innovation at that time. Subsistence farming was a rampant practice in pre-industrial China which required large volumes of labor. Such a feudal society resulted in a highly cultivated ruling class which occupied the top administrative brass of China.
The peasantry was ruled and lacked the insight to change their ways of life. As a result, Confucianism grew in China. This doctrine promotes har-mony, collectivism, and respect for authority and family values. Such a cul-ture places greater value on stability and hard work. These principles incor-porated in Chinese culture are the rea-sons for its phenomenal growth.
China todayThis country has invested billions of dollars and huge labor force in expanding its high speed railways and transit systems. Also, its numerous technical universities and huge manu-facturing base has made it the world leader in economic growth.
This advancement has surprised peo-ple who thought of china as a stereo-typical superstitious nation resistant to any kind of changes. The fact is that feudal dynasties lead to huge
upheavals in all aspects of China’s society. As a result, writing systems were revised, religious norms changed and growth was focused upon.
The progress of China due to these changes has been uneven. This has resulted in a massive urban-rural divide. In few parts of the country people still live as if in the medieval times with ox and agriculture. In few parts, like Beijing, there is huge mod-ernization. So, China can be thought of as a patchwork of many diverse societies. Religiously speaking also, it’s diverse with Islam, Buddhism and even historical matriarchies.
China: The way aheadSome people think of this as the Chinese era but I believe a multi-polar world would return in the coming times. China relies on foreign inno-vations and experience to build its industries and transit systems. It has a greater need for collaboration with the west as it spreads its wings further. The management and finance are being largely shared leading to forma-tion of a more global market.
Thus, China will progress at a fast pace but it can not do so in isolation. A big-ger global cooperation is the need of the hour. China’s society must remain flexible to change while preserving its basic elements for best future ahead.
NOVEMBER 201111COVER STORY
China’s Call For
inFRAstRUCtURe
THE SHIFT TO MAGLEV TECHNOLOGY
RAMNEEK Mathur
12NOVEMBER
201113TECHNOLOGY
China’s Call For
inFRAstRUCtURe
Amidst the various discussions relating to globalization and global
competitiveness the discussion of infrastructure comes up time and time
again and how the United States’ infrastructure has noticeably been falling
behind in the global spectrum. According to the World Economic Forum, the
United States infrastructure ranked 6th only a decade ago; today, we rank 23rd and
declining. Clearly, our infrastructure needs attention and the longer we delay the
steps we need to take in rebuilding it, the harder it will be for the United States
to keep a competitive edge in the modern globally competitive environment,
especially as we witness the rapid growth in China ...
FEATURED Article
NOVEMBER 201113TECHNOLOGY
However, I do not believe the U.S. out-look is all doom and gloom. On the con-trary, I believe we still have the innovative spirit and work ethic required to main-tain our economic leadership. One par-ticular example of an ambitious modern infrastructure initiative that has received much spotlight over the past few years is China’s High Speed Rail Network initia-tive; an initiative that I feel we can learn from and innovate to the next level. Like with every innovative and ambitious step forward comes a fan base that applauds the initiative, a neutral group of people and skeptics. Below I will try to give a very brief but hopefully insightful over-view of China’s “Speed up Campaign” and related issues and points to keep in mind. I would urge all readers to do even more research and explore beyond the information and ideas I share.
General Historic PerspectiveIn a general historic perspective, in places of high population density such as Europe and Japan major emphasis was given in rebuilding railways after WWII. Since the United States comparatively had lower population density and optimal advances in automobile and aircraft technologies coming out of WWII, a great emphasis was placed in constructing a national interstate highway system and airports (the relatively low cost of fuel also permitted this type of initiative). Presently, however, as energy costs continue to increase, railway systems have become a very relevant topic of dis-cussion when discussing new infrastruc-ture initiatives in the United States; and for good reason.
Even though high-speed rail concepts can be traced back to the 1950’s-60’s, the High Speed Rail Systems that we think of when we discuss them in the context of modern infrastructure initiatives are systems and technologies that developed and were implemented starting in the early 1990’s (at least for the context of China’s High Speed Rail initiative).
One fundamental shift you will observe in the HSR systems in development today, especially in China, is that these HSR sys-tems are being built based on Maglev technology (derived from magnetic levi-tation); instead of more traditional gas based technologies. Maglev is a system of transportation that uses magnetic levita-tion to suspend, guide and propel vehicles
FROM TO Approximate Distance
Estimated Travel Time (250 mph) Estimated Driving Time
Phoenix, AZ Las Vegas, NV 287 Miles 1.14 Hours 5 Hours 30 Minutes
Phoenix, AZ Los Angeles, CA 373 Miles 1.49 Hours 6 Hours
Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA 400 Miles 1.6 Hours 6 Hours 30 Minutes
Los Angeles, CA Las Vegas, NV 266 Miles 1.06 Hours 4 Hours 30 Minutes
Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA 125 Miles 30 Minutes 2 Hours 30 Minutes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_(transport)
HSR System, If Operating in the United States, at 250MPH ...
14NOVEMBER
201115TECHNOLOGY
from magnets; opposed to using traditional mechanical methods (friction reliant wheels, axels, etc) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev_(transport). Some ben-efits of this new technology include but are not limited to:
� More energy efficient. - Easier to maintain. (Less wear and tear)
� All Weather Operational - Less Noise Pollution
� Commuting time benefits (depending on situation of course).
� Speeds well above 220mph (on average). Some Exceeding 320mph! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail)
� Maglev Technology Pros and ConsOn the next page is a very interesting and comprehensive Pros and Cons copmarison of current Maglev technologies out there in the world:
MY PERSPECTIVEOverall I think China is on the right track. Of course, public
safety should be a primary concern and perhaps China should have
serious re-evaluations of their current quality control methods and
safety regulations, however, I do not believe that the Wenzhou
City accident merits the questioning of the ENTIRE legitimacy of
the HSR initiative. Accidents have occurred throughout history
regarding transportation in virtually every nation. Do all of these
accidents bring into question whether we should have even
current railway systems, major interstate highways for cars and
airports for air-travel? That seems ridiculous to even discuss.
What China is doing in the context of their HSR systems
reminds me of what the United States has already done regarding
our interstate highway system in the past. They are creating
an infrastructure that will help commerce and society build
and develop for decades to come in the modern context.
Imagine if the United States had a HSR system (even operating
at an average speed of 250mph) that connected all major cities
of the country to one another (see table on left).
The economic implications are astounding. Not only would this
increase commerce between companies it would have a considerable
impact on tourism and society in general (friends and family visits
etc). Not to mention the savings in overall energy consumption.
Instead of questioning the legitimacy, we as the United States
should learn from all of these
nations – including China – and
implement and innovate on
top of the existing state
of the art HSR systems
being implemented
today. I feel China
has taken important
ambitious steps to keep
its economy and people
competitive in the decades
to come, we should too.
– RAMNEEK
NOVEMBER 201115TECHNOLOGY
Technology Pros ConsEMS (Electromagnetic suspension)
Magnetic fields inside and outside the vehicle are less than EDS; proven, commercially available technology that can attain very high speeds (500 km/h (310 mph); no wheels or secondary propulsion system needed.
The separation between the vehicle and the guide way must be constantly monitored and corrected by computer systems to avoid collision due to the unstable nature of electromagnetic attraction; due to the system’s inherent instability and the required constant corrections by outside systems, vibration issues may occur.
EDS (Electrodynamic Suspension)
Onboard magnets and large margin between rail and train enable highest recorded train speeds (581 km/h (361 mph)) and heavy load capacity; has demonstrated (December 2005) successful operations using high-temperature superconductors in its onboard magnets, cooled with inexpensive liquid nitrogen.
Strong magnetic fields onboard the train would make the train inaccessible to passengers with pacemakers or magnetic data storage media such as hard drives and credit cards, necessitating the use of magnetic shielding; limitations on guideway inductivity limit the maximum speed of the vehicle; vehicle must be wheeled for travel at low speeds.
InductrackSystem (Permanent Magnet EDS)
Failsafe Suspension—no power required to activate magnets; Magnetic field is localized below the car; can generate enough force at low speeds (around 5 km/h (3.1 mph)) to levitate maglev train; in case of power failure cars slow down on their own safely; Halbach arrays of permanent magnets may prove more cost-effective than electromagnets.
Requires either wheels or track segments that move for when the vehicle is stopped. New technology that is still under development (as of 2008) and as yet has no commercial version or full scale system prototype.
16NOVEMBER
201117TECHNOLOGY
The “Speed It Up” CampaignGenerally, when you think of high speed trains, you probably think of the major high-speed train breakthroughs originat-ing in Japan and gradually sparking a revival interest in HSR systems in Europe well into the 90’s. Even though we could go further back in precursors to the “mod-ern” HSR initiatives we can begin in the 90’s to acquire a general understanding of the fast pace initiatives China set forth in the past 10 to 15 years.
In China, the plans for the largest high-speed railway network in history were driven by a combination of capacity con-straints on existing lines and a desire to shorten journey times across the nation, whilst promoting development along the route (the story of many develop-ing nations that are implementing similar infrastructure using HSR systems) . Existing construction schedules were significantly accelerated due to additional funding in the 4 trillion CNY stimulus package in 2008. The year of major focus for China’s “Speed It Up” campaign is 2012.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail)
Due to these initiatives, China has the world’s longest high speed rail (HSR) net-work with about 9,676 km (6,012 mi) of routes in service as of June 2011 includ-ing 3,515 km (2,184 mi) of rail lines with top speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph). BBC Reported that by 2012 China will have more HSR tracks than the rest of the world put together! Since the intro-duction of high-speed rail on April 18, 2007, daily ridership has grown from 237,000 in 2007 and 349,000 in 2008 to 492,000 in 2009 and 796,000 in 2010. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China)
Wenzhou City CrashWith any ambitious initiative unfortunate accidents can occur. Sadly, in July of 2011 a Chinese bullet train lost power after being struck by lightning and was hit from behind by another train, sending four carriages off a bridge, killing at least 35 people and injuring 191 (http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/07/23/china-train-colli-sion.html). This tragedy has caused massive criticism among world nations, including the United States, regarding the legitimacy of China’s HSR initiatives. In the wake of
this tragic accident, the HSR initiatives in China have slowed down dramatically due to increased internal government based investigations concerning safety, internal social unrest, as well as investor doubts.
Foreign Technology AcquisitionDespite setting speed records on test tracks, China’s domestically-produced high speed trains were not reliable in regards to commercial operation. The Chinese State Council has turned to technologies from abroad (Japan, Germany, Korea, etc) in the recent decade but made clear in directives that China’s HSR expansion cannot only benefit foreign economies.
That being stated, China allowed the bid-ding from various nations for segments of the HSR expansion to be supplied by various foreign nations in exchange for transferred technology information, which China has taken and improved upon internally. These methods have caused controversy between various sup-pliers of high speed train technology such as Kawasaki (Japanese based) whom are challenging China’s high speed rail proj-ect for patent theft.
NOVEMBER 201117
High-speed_rail) of China’s HSR initiatives. In the wake of ect for patent theft.
TECHNOLOGY
CHINA’S GLOBAL ROLE AS INVESTORAMRiSh Mathur “
18NOVEMBER
201119YOUR MONEY
“DECLINE IN CHINA’S
HOLDING OF US TREASURY NOTES
China has been a significant purchaser of US Treasury Notes. There has been a decline of treasuries held by the Chinese in recent months. According to Treasury Department figures, in July 2010 China held $1,115.1 billion of $4,125.5 billion in total US Treasury Securities held by for-eign holders, or 27%. One year later, in July 2011, China held $1,173.5 billion of the $4,478.0 billion, or 26.2%. That repre-sents a decline of 2.9% in one year of the proportion of US Treasury Securities held by China.
There is speculation that the reason for a declining purchase of US securities by China is lack of confidence in the US dollar as a long term world reserve currency. The other speculation is that China wishes to either position its own currency (Yuan) as the world reserve currency and/or encour-age the IMF to create a world currency basket; in either case to move away from the US dollar.
PURCHASE OF PORTUGESE DEBT
In October 2010 China announced that it would purchase a substantial amount of Portuguese debt, much to the relief of the EU as well as Portugal and concluded the transactions in a debt auction on January 13, 2011 and purchased 599 million Euros of bonds. China announced that it intended to purchase Spanish bonds the very next day. (The Guardian – UK – January 13, 2011). This action by China materi-ally reduced borrowing cost for Portugal & Spain as well as a significant reduction
in premiums for default insurance on the debt. On December 23, 2010, however, the UK Daily Mail greeted the Chinese offer to buy Portuguese Bonds as “Fresh Humiliation For Eurozone As China Says It Will Bail-Out Debt Ridden Nations.”
PROPOSED PURCHASE OF ITALIAN DEBT
Since mid-September 2011, there have been reports indicating the Chinese inter-est in purchasing Italian Debt in order to assist the Eurozone during the current budget issues. There have been a number of meetings between the Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti and China Investment Bank.
OIL DRILLING IN FRONTIER MARKETS
China has made major forays into what are commonly referred to as frontier markets (East Africa) by way of signing contracts for oil drilling. At times these moves have been portrayed as less than sincere and as China’s attempt to control more and more of the world’s fossil fuel supply. The May 10, 2010 Time Magazine article discussed China’s drilling in Uganda, Mozambique and Somalia in considerable detail. Many credible studies from Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and McKinsey point to a tightening world oil supply. The current economic slowdown in the United States and Europe has given an artificial sense of comfort with respect to oil supplies and prices. The world’s continued need for increased oil production is generally accepted. Arguably, China is able to drill for oil in parts of the world that may not be hospitable to the US and European oil companies in any case. Therefore, it can
be argued that China is having a positive impact on global oil production.
GLOBAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
In order to curtail rampant inflation, China’s central bank implemented a pol-icy of increased interest rates for the past several months. Combined with the debt and growth crisis in Europe, China’s engi-neered slowdown had a material effect on global economic activity and commod-ity prices. As an example, the Phoenix, Arizona based copper producer Freeport McMoRan (FCX) stock hit a 52-week low of $28.85 on October 4, 2011 down from $61.35 representing a 53% decline result-ing from some perceived and some actual fears of a China slowdown.
GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCIES
China’s forward looking moves into pur-chasing US and European Debt and explo-ration for oil in Frontier Markets can be (and IS) viewed as a threat to the current world order. The other view is that the more increased financial interdependen-cies are created between China and the rest of the world, the less likelihood there will be for political conflict and/or military confrontation.
I am cautiously optimistic that in the long run and the grand scheme of things, con-tinued participation by China in the world economy will prove to be a net positive.
Got an Investment question for Mr. Mathur? Please send it to [email protected]
In the long run ... continued participation by China in the world economy will prove to be a net positive.
NOVEMBER 201119YOUR MONEY
“
STRESS BUSTER TECHNIQUESFor Indian DiasporaBrig. NAWAB SiNGh heer (Retd.)
MEDITATION IS THE ONE AND ONLY WAY TO LIVE STRESS FREE LIFE IN NORTH AMERICA
Basic aim of a human being is to be happy, blissfull and be at peace. Today’s living is infested with stress
related problems on many counts. North American culture is primarily based on wealth accumulation and on materialism. Hoarding for newly invented gadgets is never ending, be it new car, new house, new cell phone, new TV, new laptop and so on and on. One acquires one type of car but after sometimes one looks toward another better one. Once you are in the race for such acquisitions you can never get out of it. By writing this I am not for a moment suggesting that do not go for such materialistic items, but, am suggest-ing that by having all materialistic items we do not get happiness. Whenever the mind says, ‘Have this, has that, then you will be happy ‘, remember that people have these things and they are not happy. This is to remind ourselves that never search for bliss in outside, but look for it from inside out. Other major reason for stress is “Information Overload”. In the 21 st century we have internet with millions of web sites, cell phone, TV, print media, IPod and many other such gadgets which
keep providing us new information and our mind is never at rest since we hardly get any time to absorb this information. Cluttered mind is always confused and stress full coupled with problems of office life, stress of relationship, and stress from children, from colleagues and from the environment in general. Once you are stressed you look for energy since stress results in fatigue or sapping of energy. Initially one gets energy from sugary drinks in forms of Soda, s, juices many other energy drinks. Initially these drinks provide us some relief since they inject more glucose into our blood stream, but a stage comes when we find these are not enough, we look for Beer, wine, hard liquor and later drugs. Stress also results in high blood pressure, heart ailments, cirrhosis of liver and many other ailments. In order to overcome these ailments one goes to doctors who prescribe you medi-cines and ultimately you fall in ambient or never ending cycle of medicines/drugs etc.
Particularly Indian Diaspora is exposed to additional stress factors than many other
“20
NOVEMBER 201121FAITH & SPIRITUALITY
communities living here. We further suffer from stress from the pangs of migration, cultural differences, children orientation towards western culture and mutual fam-ily relationship. Most weak persons in our Diaspora start hitting the bottle hard or become dependent on medicines.
Above are all facts of life. Now we need to see as to what we can do to alleviate these factors. Yes, Indian Vedas (Upanishads) and Sikhs Guru Garanth sahib have all the answers to fight stress and remain in “Chardi-kalan”. As is written in Sri Guru Garanth Sahib that everything is within you and by exploiting your inner self you can ensure adequate energy to beat any stress.Upnashids explain to us that there are seven “Chakras “in our human body which if we keep them in synchronization we can ensure healthy body and mind. Instead of acquiring energy from sugar, beer, alcohol, drugs or medicines; one can also tap alternate source of energy from within our body. We only need to be aware as to how to tap this unlimited source of energy. This can be tapped by controlling our mind. Sri Guru Nanak
said,’Maan jeete- jaag -jeet’; if you win your mind you can win the whole world. Our mind genrates a hundred thousand thoughts per minute, most of these thoughts are of future and past; even if we follow 5-6 thoughts per minute we will always live in past and future. Meditation is one natural way of ensuring that we commence living in the present. All that a beginner needs to do is to sit in a com-fortable pose in the morning and evening, keeping your back straight, eyes closed, concentrate on the space between two eyes and relax. Let the thoughts come in your mind and let them go. Please do not follow any thoughts. Slowly and slowly you will find that there will be gaps in your thoughts, these gaps in the thoughts on past and future depict present. Only you can give gift of bliss to yourself and nobody else. So there is no need to panic, one has just to claim it - to go in and claim it. Disconnect it from without and connect it from within. And by and by you will see sun rising. By and by you will see subtle change happening. Bliss and psalm of life is to live in now and live in present. When you live in present you are connected to
unlimited source of energy from the envi-ronment or universe. So whenever and whatever time you live in present you are getting energy from the universe and you are living in now. Now is the truth and now is the happiness. More you prolong these gaps in meditation and more you live in now, more you will be gaining energy, intellengence and bliss. Therefore as you increase your periods of daily morning and evening meditation, you will enhance your blissful life and resolve all problems. As you progress in meditations, your mind is relaxed and relaxed mind has capabil-ity of taking clear and rational decisions. I am not saying to renounce, I am only saying that idea of having happiness from materialistic things can be substituted to explore permanent source of energy from within. Time will come you will not need sugar, beer, alcohol and drugs to gain energy to beat stress, but you will beat it with the energy received from the natural source. There are many guided exercises to take you on the journey of Meditation to beat stress and we will talk and prac-tice those sometime later. Now onwards meditate and live happily.
“We only need to be aware as to how to tap this unlimited source of energy within our body.
NOVEMBER 201121FAITH & SPIRITUALITY
News Round-UpThe Buzz
PLANET EARTH7,000,000,000 !
The Seven Billionth per-son was born on the planet earth sometime on October 31st, 2011. Or may be it was April 30th. Or, will be born on April 30th 2012! That was the margin of error communicated by the United Nations agency monitoring the human population in the world. The exactness of the date notwithstanding, the population experts were all over the news late October opining on the significance of the number: What it means for the natural resources, future of food & water services in developing nations, labor supply in devel-oped vs. developing countries, so on and so forth. In the midst of all the confusion, several countries, including Philippines, declared they had the seven mil-lionth baby born there!
South KoreaMAssAGinG
FishCourtsey: WEiRDASiANEWS
In many respects, Han Sang Hun is a typical South Korean farmer. But he doesn’t raise crops- he raises sturgeon, and has discovered a way to feel when the fish are ready to produce caviar. While Russias have a long, rich tradition of whacking fish with blunt objects and poking them with screwdrivers, Hun walks in “the gentle way.” Through sheer accident and dumb luck, Hun and his crew discovered a way to massage the sturgeons’ abdomens to determine
when they’re ready to produce and to further stimulate produc-tion of the dainty delight. Hun’s sturgeon rubbing has earned him a hold on about 10% of the entire world’s caviar mar-ket, making him a very wealthy fellow.
IndiaMONKEYTROUBLECourtsey: WEiRDASiANEWS
The flagship All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) is a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the capital, New Delhi, that can handle any medical emergency. However, a horde of escaped red-bottomed rhesus macaque monkeys is something else entirely. The monkeys have now learned how to let them-selves inside by operating the motion sensors that con-trol the automatic doors of the hospital. The hospital has fought fire with fire, so to speak, by engaging two grey langurs (bigger monkeys, not quite friendly with the rhesus kind!) to chase off the smaller ones. Although the exact figure of monkeys roaming the hospital is not known, it is estimated there are between 20 and 30 altogether.
RussiaBiGFoot
eXists!Courtsey: RT.com
The Russian Academy of Sciences has said it is highly likely that the Bigfoot really exists. Experts came to
the conclusion after carrying out a microscopic analysis of hairs believed to belong to the yeti found in the Kuzbass region of Siberia.In early October, “yetiologists” from the USA, Canada, Sweden, Estonia and Russia came to the Kuzbass region to look for evidence that would prove the existence of the Bigfoot. The trip was not in vain – the fol-licular evidence was found stuck to a huge footprint on the cave’s clay floor. Professors got themselves a couple of precious hairs each to do the necessary research. The hairs turned out to be identical to ones that allegedly belonged to a Californian yeti, another from the Russian Urals and a third from the Leningrad region, writes Komsomolskaya Pravda.
22NOVEMBER
201123ASIA NEWS
NOVEMBER 201123
Why are you running for Mayor?
I am running for Mayor of Phoenix to chal-lenge the status quo and bring a laser focus on jobs and the economy. High taxes and runaway spending are killing jobs. Abusive regulatory practices and an unresponsive bureaucracy are strangling small businesses. I started this campaign ten months ago as the long-shot outsider up against the status quo of Phoenix, aim-ing to challenge the old way of doing busi-ness with new ideas and fresh eyes. I have four priorities:
First of all, we have to keep a laser focus on the economy. Growing the economy, creating jobs, we have to keep the gov-ernment out of the way of small business so that they can grow their business here in Phoenix.
Second, we have to have a safe city. We have to have a police department we can count on with leadership that the officers
have confidence in and that we have faith in as a community.
Third, we have to have strong neighbor-hoods and we have to do everything we can to preserve those neighborhoods and use the best practices in our great neigh-borhoods to help those neighborhoods who are struggling a little bit be even better.
Fourth, we have to have a government we can afford. We can’t keep doing the same things we have been doing in the past. We can’t afford to just keep increasing tax rates and fees.
Come November 8th, the voters of Phoenix will have a very clear choice to make between my opponent, a career-politician, and me, a small business owner. I want less government and my oppo-nent suggests 40 ways to grow govern-ment. I want to repeal the food tax and my opponent wants to keep it in place. I want to stop the water rate increases and my opponent plans to raise water rates 7 percent this year, next year, and the year after that.
In this six-way Mayor of Phoenix race, with no one earning the more than 50 percent needed to win what would you promise to woo the voters to your side?
Greg Stanton wants to protect govern-ment spending; I want to protect parents who are struggling to put food on the
table and wondering how they’ll make ends meet. If elected Mayor, I pledge to repeal the city food tax and stop the automatic water rate increases to provide relief for taxpayers and help jump start the economy.
What kind of changes you pro-pose to make at the city hall which are different than the existing norms?
Under contracts approved by my oppo-nent when he served on the City Council, taxpayers in Phoenix give the municipal unions $3.7 million a year to fund their union activities, money that should be going to fund needed city services that have been cut. Union activity should be paid for with union dues, not subsidized by the taxpayers; this is one of the first changes I’ll make. When Greg Stanton was on the City Council he voted to give city managers a second pension, this is on top of their first pension which is, by itself, better than what most taxpayers receive. Taxpayers pay $27 million for this every year and I’ll end this practice too. We need a government we can afford, we need to cut red tape and make it easier to own and operate a small business in Phoenix. I want to fundamentally change the way we do business in Phoenix, and make sure that every decision is made with taxpayers and small business owners in mind.
(continued on Page 26: GULLETT)
Wes GullettWes GullettWes Gullett
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL w i t h t h e
PHOENIX MAYORAL CANDIDATES
24NOVEMBER
201125POLITICS
[
Why are you running for Mayor?
I am running for mayor for two very impor-tant reasons, my children, Trevor and Violet. Phoenix is my home, I grew up in West Phoenix - my parents still live in the same house where I grew up, and am now raising my own family here with my wife Nicole. This city has limitless potential, and I have an optimistic vision to create a diverse, robust economy, stronger local schools, and bring a more transparent and accountable city government to Phoenix. I am proud to have the support of local law enforcement, first responders, small and local business leaders and education experts across our city in an effort to cre-ate a brighter future for Phoenix.
In the six-way Mayor of Phoenix race, with no one earning the more than 50 percent needed to win what would you promise to woo the voters to your side?
I have always been consistent in my prom-ises to the public. Just as I have always fol-lowed through on my promises throughout my life of public service, as mayor, I will:
· Create a diverse, robust economy: Phoenix needs to attract sustainable industries that will create quality, high-wage jobs. That is why I was the lead councilman in bringing TGen, a leading bioscience research facility, to downtown, which is drawing other research-based industries to our city. Phoenix must also support local and small businesses, the engine of our economy, by minimizing red tape, and changing the city’s procurement process to buy locally.
· Strengthen our schools: To prepare our children to succeed and attract businesses to Phoenix, we must improve our educa-tion outcomes. I will work to strengthen our schools by making sure that Phoenix gets its fair share of federal education funds, and by supporting innovative, aca-demically enriched after-school programs.
· Create a more accountable, transparent city government: City hall needs to protect the interests of the communities it serves. When I am mayor, we will end the practice of appointing lobbyists to city boards and commissions, and ensure that city meet-ings and public records are made more accessible to the public.
What kind of changes you pro-pose to make at the city hall
which are different than the existing norms?
Phoenix must find ways to increase gov-ernment transparency and encourage more input from our citizens. As mayor, I will:
· Ensure all city meetings are live streamed online and are on television and that all public city documents must be online and in a searchable format. This includes politi-cal contributions, finance reports, and other city publications.
· We must also utilize the powers of social media to more directly communicate with communities across the city.
· End the appointment of lobbyists with clients who do business at the city to city boards and commissions.
Phoenix must also work to cut government red tape and make things easier for local and small businesses. I will streamline the permit process, and change the city pro-curement code to support buying from local and small businesses that drive our economy.
For too long, education has not been a primary focus of the City of Phoenix. I will change that as mayor. We must invest in our future by supporting stronger local schools, important early childhood
(continued on Page 26: STANTON)
Greg Stanton
Our Editor, RUPANJANA Sengupta, questions the two front-runners in the campaign to become the next Mayor of the city of Phoenix. Find out where the candidates stand on a variety of issues and remember to exercise your vote on November 8th.
NOVEMBER 201125POLITICS
AN EXCLUSIVE!
How would you solve the job cri-sis and what are your plans about the tax payers money spending?
The number one priority in my campaign is creating jobs and getting our economy moving. For example, look at your water bill. The water rate increases my opponent supports took $24 million out of our econ-omy this past year; money that should have stayed with the taxpayers. Small busi-nesses are the backbone of our economy and we need to cut red tape, and get gov-ernment out of the way of business. That’s why both the Arizona Republic and the Ahwatukee Foothills News endorsed my campaign, saying I was the best candidate to be Mayor because of my commitment to improving our economy and creating jobs.
Which city departments would you privatize?
The first thing I’d do is privatize city per-mits through self-certification. That means a customer can walk into the city and, meeting the requirements, walk away with a permit on the same day. In addition to same day permits, I’ll require a top to bot-tom review of all regulations and delete those that are unnecessary; a review of all regulations; consolidate business related departments, and expand online permits.
Phoenix continues to be a wel-coming city to live and work in, what are your plans to ensure that it remains a great city for everyone?
I believe Phoenix is a great place to live. As Mayor, I will celebrate our traditions and our history, highlighting our bound-less potential.
Businesses relocate to places where there is a quality workforce, favorable business conditions, low cost of doing business, a high quality of life, political stability and economic certainty. We have a quality workforce and an excellent quality of life and my Seven Point Jobs Plan, which can be found at wesgullett.com, will improve business conditions and provide the
economic certainty for which businesses look. Just a few years ago, Phoenix was considered one of the top performing cities in America. With the right focus, Phoenix will be recognized as a top per-former once again.
What are your plans for mak-ing an impact on the issue of education?
The best way the City can support edu-cation is with well designed after school programs that reduce crime and improve academic outcomes and summer school programs which both reduce crime and eliminate the summer academic drop. My opponent has voted for budgets to cut programs like these, while at the same time supporting $3.7 million in taxpayer money to fund union activities. If we make the unions pay for their own expenses, we could restore critical after school programs for the kids who need them now.
What are your views about the enforcement of immigration?
The City of Phoenix must enforce all laws of the State of Arizona, including the immigration laws. We must provide our police department with the tools, train-ing, and leadership to enforce all laws enacted in Arizona. I have been consis-tent throughout this campaign about my strong support for enforcing SB 1070. I do not support day labor centers for illegal immigrants that Mr. Stanton voted to build with our tax dollars. I believe we have to work regionally with County Attorney Bill Montgomery and other elected offi-cials, Governor Brewer and the Arizona Legislature to make sure we have laws that fight the organized crime that is fostered by human smuggling and the drug cartels.
What is the best character trait you like in your opponent Mr. Greg Stanton?
Over the course of this campaign I’ve come to think that Greg Stanton and I don’t see eye to eye on anything. But I will say this: The best thing in my very blessed life is my family. My wife Deb and I are the
parents of three teenage children, and I am as proud of them as I can be. With one in college, and two on their way to high school graduation, it’s bittersweet time for our family. Greg Stanton is the father of very young kids, and he seems to share that same devotion to family that my wife and I treasure with our children.
GULLETT (continued ...)
education programs, and higher educa-tion in our city to attract the sustainable industries and quality jobs that Phoenix needs.
How would you solve the job crisis and what are your plans about the tax payers money spending?
Phoenix must create a diverse, robust economy to generate quality, high-wage jobs in our city. We must stop the irre-sponsible investments of the past, and focus on supporting sustainable indus-tries such as bioscience, technology, solar, and healthcare. That is why I was the lead city councilman in bringing TGen, The U of A Medical School, and ASU to downtown. Good schools mean an educated workforce and a genera-tion prepared to compete in the global economy.
STANTON (continued ...)
26NOVEMBER
201127POLITICS
We must also use the purchasing power of the city to support local and small busi-nesses that drive our economy. Throughout my campaign, I have traveled to locally owned businesses across the city, and I will continue that practice when mayor. By cut-ting government red tape, and making it easier to start, and maintain a business, we can make critical progress in creating qual-ity jobs. In my plan to streamline Phoenix, I promise that as mayor, I will:
· Eliminate unnecessary permits: Currently, the city requires permits for businesses that shouldn’t need them, such as video arcades and sidewalk painters. If a busi-ness does not impact public safety or security, we shouldn’t burden them with unnecessary paperwork.
· Simplify the permit process: I will con-solidate city departments to ensure that business owners only have to work with one city department, not multiple. They will have a caseworker that will have the incentive to say “yes” throughout the pro-cess. We must also move our permits to an online system, and retire the system of paper and pen permits.
On fiscal issues, my record is second to none. Experience matters – I am the only candidate in this race with experience mak-ing the tough decisions to balance bud-gets. On the city council, I helped balance nine budgets, and maintained Phoenix’s AAA credit rating. Additionally, my city council office had the lowest expenditures, compared to my fellow council members, and I have always refused irresponsible giveaways such as City North subsidy that was a bad investment for our city. When I am mayor, I will support smart investment, and say no to irresponsible subsidies and investment plans that hurt our city.
Which city departments would you privatize?
Phoenix has earned national recognition for its work on privatization. According to Baruch College Professor E. S. Savas, “Phoenix is one of the best-known cities in the United States for using a formal com-petitive process to compare city agencies’
costs for particular services with the costs of private contractors and awarding con-tracts to the least-cost providers.” The tough economy is certainly no reason to pursue fewer cost savings – just the oppo-site. As Mayor, I will continue working to aggressively identify opportunities for privatization when it serves the strategic interest of the city. When we successfully privatize, however, the City of Phoenix must still be the guarantor of quality ser-vice and this means every contract has to be overseen and regularly evaluated for performance and cost savings.
Phoenix continues to be a wel-coming city to live and work in, what are your plans to ensure that it remains a great city for everyone?
From the very beginning of this campaign, I have spoken about making Phoenix more livable, and helping our city reach its full potential. I have an existing track record of investing in the infrastructure and sus-tainable economy that our city needs. My vision for Phoenix is a city where kids can grow up in strong, safe neighborhoods, be able to access well-resourced public libraries, go to great parks surrounded by diverse cultural opportunities, attend excellent public schools, go to a great university here locally, and build a world-class career without ever having to leave for another city or state. We must support our public transportation infrastructure, and build a sustainable future for our city.
What are your plans for mak-ing an impact on the issue of education?
Good schools mean an educated work-force and a generation prepared to com-pete in the global economy. I will be the education mayor. That’s why I was the lead councilman in bringing both the ASU cam-pus and U of A Medical School to down-town Phoenix. I will lead at the other end of the educational spectrum, as well. I will be the education mayor, and focus on strengthening early childhood education and academically-enriched after-school programs. That’s why I have laid out a
detailed plan on my website for how the city can better partner with our schools. We must fight for Head Start funding, part-ner with businesses to make sure Phoenix schools receive their fair share of the education tax credit, and make our after school programs more curriculum based. As go our schools, goes the future of our city – we must work to make education a priority.
What are your views about the enforcement of immigration?
I am the only candidate in this race with law-enforcement experience, working to stop the flow of illegal funds that support the drug cartels. I am proud to have the endorsement of Arizona’s Border Patrol officers, and I will continue to work to stop the illegal activity that stems from the cartels. I will take a smart, compre-hensive approach to dealing with illegal immigration by working on a national level for comprehensive immigration reform in the same way that I have worked with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords office to obtain resources for border security. Local law enforcement must work with county, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies to target and stop border-related violence and crime in our neighborhoods, and I will be a leader in those partnerships. In a city that cele-brates its diversity, a mayor who can pull all sides together and get the job done is what we need.
What is the best character trait you like in your opponent Mr. Wes Gullet?
I commend Mr. Gullett for his impressive record as an excellent lobbyist and politi-cal strategist. That’s the reason why, when I was leading the way on bringing TGen to downtown Phoenix, I encouraged TGen to hire Mr. Gullett as their lobbyist. He has a very successful lobbying firm, and it is now one of the largest in Arizona – that is something to be proud of.
NOVEMBER 201127POLITICS
Have been going to Lee Lee for quite a few years, from the time when Lee Lee was a mom & pop shop till now when it is a million dollar business. I saw its growth, this transfor-
mation amazed me. Always wondered what it takes to make it a successful business. What are the influences that bring forth this dynamism to succeed? It’s commendable beyond words when a not so fortunate immigrant comes to this country and realizes the awesome American dream through honesty, hard work and talent. Meng Truong the owner of Lee Lee is the Prince of the American fairy tale dream, and the authenticity of its reality is that we saw this story happening right in front of our eyes. Meng always seemed humble, friendly, very polite and calm. I have always noticed that there was an intense need to satisfy his clients, he had an acute sense of his inventory and knew what each client’s needs were. This aspect amazed me since his clientele grew exponentially through the years. Recently I had the opportunity to have a tête-à-tête with Meng and not only discovered a lot about the man “Meng” but also got the essence of his ease and simplicity.
It all started to roll in 1975 , Meng Truong’s Cambodia in 1975-79 saw the deaths of approximately two million Cambodians through the combined result of political executions, starvation, and forced labor. Due to the large numbers, the deaths during the rule of the Khmer Rouge are often considered to be genocide. Meng escaped Cambodia in 1975 to Vietnam and in 1979 escaped to Thailand where he spent two years in a Thai refugee camp. In 1981, by a lucky draw of destiny, Meng came to the United States of America for a better life but more importantly to have an opportunity to live a normal life. Meng worked for a fish vendor in Texas and then migrated to Arizona where he had met his wife. His wife throughout this journey has been an integral part in building his business. It always is true that most successful men appreciate their spouse. Within seconds into the discourse Meng mentioned his wife; I quickly deciphered one of the equations that helped him to be a successful man.
Meng when asked about the values his parents taught him, he answered “They didn’t teach me anything, I left home when I was
The MENG Dynasty
The Entreprenuer Behind Lee Lee’s
RUpANJANA Sengupta
28NOVEMBER
201129BUSINESS of the MONTH
The MENG Dynasty
a teen, they just let me be me”. Meng wasn’t mollycoddled since his environment couldn’t afford to do it. He just had a dream to start a business like his family at home, he didn’t know where and when but his intuition and passion guided him to his dreams. Interestingly Meng’s good fortune came wrapped up in a bad news. When Meng lost his job he had no option but to pursue his dream of having a business. Meng said “We thought we would just open a small (store), and now it’s grown,” he also added “We did not expect it to grow this big.” and gave a sheepish smile. The journey started with a small store in Southern Avenue Mesa, both Meng and his wife was determined to make it happen.
Meng and his wife were the two employees at the beginning; yes it’s very surprising to believe that scenario since we see Lee Lee thronged with so many employees today. The two of them were determined to make it happen, in the initial stages of his business our Prince Meng would haul a 26- foot truck each Monday to Los Angeles to bring in the produce back to his clients in Arizona. Lee Lee’s reputation grew about its fresh quality produce and not surprisingly his clientele grew. However there is always hard work behind each successful endeavor in living, Meng often spend the night in a bunk in his truck. When asked about other than the money what type of satisfaction drives him to work harder? Meng replied that he has changed many a life, have provided his employees better life, hope and sometimes fulfilled their dreams. Meng also added “My employees and my clients give me the encouragement to work harder, when they are happy I am too”. Simple answer, I am sure he talks to himself that way. Lee Lee today has sprawling stores in three locations -one at Chandler, second in Peoria and another at Tucson. Though Meng has grown
from small business to large but still has retained his down to earth logic. It was truly a delight talking to him.
My Last question was “What are your plans for your children…. are you training your daughter to lead the business?” He answered “I will train them only when they decide to lead not before that, I’ll let them be themselves.” I grasped that it was another straightfor-ward answer to a complicated circumstance. Meng’s answers were modest, talking to him I realized complex perceptions can have a simplified realistic approach, it doesn’t have to be attached to intricate hypothesis. Meng never went to a MBA school to learn the ropes of business; from the interview I comprehended Meng Troung’s bestowed talent was God’s gift of intuitive common sense management skill set.
NOVEMBER 201129BUSINESS of the MONTH
Toilet TrainingYour Toddler
The child is generally ready for toilet training between 2 ½ and 3 ½ years of age, with a wide range of normal.
Toilet training is usually complete by age four. Your toddler should be learning the concepts of toileting behavior long before the actual training begins. You as the par-ent have to be ready to assist your child with toileting and recognize your child’s cues of readiness.
How do you know that your child is ready?
Your toddler should stay dry for at least 2 hours at a time and wakes up dry from a nap. Is he or she dry through the night? Able to sit, walk and squat? Does your child understand words or phrases that mean toileting and what the toilet is used for? Can your child follow directions, help dress self and communicate his or her needs? Is your child curious about the toilet and understands the connection between dry pants and the toilet? If so, does he or she recognize the urge to go?
Most importantly, how do you as a parent feel about the issue of toileting? How do you interact with your child around toileting issues? What facilities are available at your house, at daycare or school and how will
they affect your child’s habits?
What are the first steps?
Make sure that there are no compelling factors that will interfere with training such as a new job, new home, family loss or gain at the time you plan to start. Keep your child as clean and dry as possible, change diapers frequently, introduce train-ing pants during the day and keep diapers at night. Praise your child for coming to you for a diaper change and keep explain-ing the connection between “clean and dry” and the toilet. Encourage your child to use the toilet when he or she wakes up, before play, before a trip, a nap and before bedtime. Teach your child how to sit on the toilet and allow them to observe sitting on the toilet, using toilet paper, flushing and washing hands after.
Are you now ready to provide practice time?
If so, there are several things to provide and several things to never do. Things to
do: have a potty chair in the bathroom; allow your child to sit on the potty with a diaper on; encourage usage while you or a sibling uses the toilet; have your child sit on the potty for 5-10 minutes without a diaper on. If using the actual toilet, have them sit facing backward on the toilet or provide a stool for their feet. Things to NEVER do: Never flush the toilet with the child on it; never demand performance; never make a child sit on the potty; never scold or punish for soiling or wetting. Remember, always provide a comfortable, safe environment and stay with your child. Praise your child for trying as well as for successes and understand refusals. Ignore or minimize undesirable behavior.
Toilet training is a partnership and a pro-cess. Remember that 22% of healthy children between the age of 18 and 30 months experience at least one month of stool toileting refusal. They will “pee” in the potty but “pooping” in the potty is a whole other story! As my grandmother used to say: “this too shall pass”. Patience and perseverance pay off. I wish you well on this journey of just another step pro-moting independence for your child.
Got a question for Ms. Shaver? Send it to [email protected]
NANCY Shaver Mph, MS, CpNp, RNPediatric Nurse Practitioner
30NOVEMBER
201131YOUR HEALTH
To begin understanding Salt and Sodium, let us first test your knowledge -
TRUE: The words salt and sodium are not exactly the same.
The words “salt” and “sodium” are not exactly the same, yet these words are often used in place of each other. For example, the Nutrition Facts panel uses “sodium,” whereas the front of the package may say “low salt.” A major component of salt is made up of sodium and chloride.
FALSE: Most of the salt we eat is added to our foods from the salt shaker during cooking or during a meal.
Only a small portion is used during cooking or at the table, and the rest occurs naturally in foods. About 75
percent of the sodium we consume comes from processed and restau-rant foods.
TRUE: Canned vegetables such as green beans, corn, and toma-toes have more salt per serving than fresh or frozen vegetables.
Canned vegetables have more salt than freshly prepared or fro-zen vegetables unless you choose foods with “no salt added”.
TRUE: A muffin can have more salt than a bag of potato chips.
A muffin may contain more salt than a bag of potato chips. Salt content in the foods we eat vary greatly within the same or similar food type. Find out the amount of salt in your foods and choose the ones with lower salt.
SANDEEp KaurRegistered Deitician
SALT & SODIUMWhat You Must Know
TRUE: Foods can have high salt content and not even taste salty.
Salt is hidden in foods that you might not expect, including salad dress-ings, cheeses, pasta sauces, breads, tomato juices, and condiments.
FALSE: Everyone should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.
Current dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that the gen-eral population should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (about 1 teaspoon of table salt).
NOVEMBER 201131YOUR HEALTH
TRUE: People who have high blood pressure should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.
People who have high blood pressure, blacks, and people older than age 40 are in population groups that should consume no more than 1,500 mg/day. This rep-resents about 70 percent of American adults.
TRUE: Reducing the amount of salt in your diet can reduce your blood pressure.
Reducing salt intake improves blood pressure and can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke - even for people who have normal blood pressure.
FALSE: When you lower your salt intake, your blood pressure can drop in a matter of years.
Blood pressure can respond to lower sodium intake within weeks.
TRUE: You can lower your salt intake by compar-ing food labels during shopping and choosing foods lower in salt.
Read food labels and purchase foods that are low in salt/sodium.
DID YOU KNOW?
•Thebodyneeds200mgsodiumforitsdailyfunc-tions and fluid maintenance.
•Toomuchsodium isbad foryourhealth. It canincrease your blood pressure and your risk for a heart attack and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are the first and third killers of men and women in the United States each year.
•Mostofthesaltinyourdietcomesfromfoodsthatmight not even taste salty, such as breads, meats, and dairy products.
•Thesaltshakerisnotthemainissue—almost80%of salt is already in the food you buy, particularly in processed and restaurant foods.
•Theaveragedaily sodium intake forAmericansage 2 years and older is more than 3,400 mg.
•Sodiumchlorideisthechemicalnameforsalt.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?Small changes can make a big difference in how much salt you eat. Here are practical steps you and your family can take to reduce your salt intake –
•Knowyourrecommendedlimitfordailysodiumintake. Most Americans should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams per day.
•Canned,boxed,frozen,andpreparedfoodscanbe high in sodium.
•Choosefreshfruitsandvegetablesandproductslabeled as “low sodium” or “no salt added.”
•ReadtheNutritionFactspanelonthefoodsyoubuy, and choose products that are low in sodium. Foods with less than 140 mg sodium or less than 5% of DV of sodium are considered low in sodium. Check the label for sodium amounts and choose foods that have less than 300 milligrams per serv-ing. But pay attention to serving sizes, as they are often unrealistically small. A good rule of thumb for label reading is to look for no more than one mil-ligram of sodium per one calorie of food.
• Toconvertmgofsodiumtomgofsalt,multiplythemg of sodium by 2.5.
• Atrestaurants,askforfoodswithnoorlowsalt.
• Talk to your school, worksite, local grocer, andfavorite restaurants about providing more lower-sodium options.
DID YOU KNOW?
32NOVEMBER
201133YOUR HEALTH
TRUE: Some over the counter and prescription medications contain lots of sodium.
Make a habit of reading labels and if in doubt, ask your pharmacist.
FALSE: Kosher salt and sea salt are low sodium alternatives to table salt.
They are the same as table salt – 40% sodium. Table salt is a combi-nation of sodium and chloride.
In Place of Salt -
Try filling your salt shaker with a
low- or no-sodium salt, or replace it with a shaker full of herbs and spices or a squeeze of lemon.
Low-Sodium Salts (contain potassium chloride and sodium chloride)
• Morton Lite Salt, 50% lesssodium than table salt
• DiamondCrystalSaltSense,33%less sodium
No-Sodium Salts (contain potas-sium chloride)
• AlsoSalt
• MortonSaltSubstitute • NoSalt • Nu-Salt
Herb and Spice Blends
• ChefPaulPrudhomme’sMagicSalt-Free Seasoning • Salt-freeSpike • Mrs.Dash • Benson’sGourmetsalt-freesea-sonings • Penzeyssalt-freespiceblends
Got a question for Ms. Kaur? Send it to [email protected]
FOOD GROUP RANGE PER SERVING Tomato soup 700–1,260 mg
Frozen pizza, plain, cheese 450–1,200 mg
Pretzels, regular flavor, salted 290–560 mg
Salad dressing, (regular fat) all types 110–505 mg
Breads, all types 95–210 mg
Frozen vegetables, all types 2–160 mg
CLAIM DEFINITION Sodium/Salt Free, Zero/No Sodium, Without Sodium, Trivial/Dietarily Insignificant /Negligible Source of Sodium
Less than 5mg sodium per serving
Low in Sodium, Less Sodium, Contains a Small Amount of Sodium
140mg sodium or less per serving
Reduced Sodium, Less Sodium
At least 25% less sodium than the original item. Original food may not be “Low Sodium”
Light in Sodium At least 50% less sodium than the original item
Very Low Sodium 35mg of sodium or less per serving
No salt added, Unsalted No additional salt was added to the product during processing. Must declare “This is Not A Sodium Free Food” on information panel if food is not “Sodium Free”.
Lightly Salted 50% less sodium added during processing than normally added to original food item. If the food is not “Low Sodium,” the package must state this fact.
NOVEMBER 201133YOUR HEALTH
VEGGIE VS. STARCHY VEGGIE
It’s true! Not all vegetables are cre-ated equal when it comes to calo-ries. Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, peas and corn, generally contain more calories per cup than non-starchy vegetables such as car-rots, broccoli, asparagus and spin-ach. But, starchy veggies are still wonderful sources of fiber and other nutrients. Consider consum-ing a colorful variety of vegetables every day as part of a znutrient-rich eating style.
PROSTATE CANCER
The death rates from prostate can-cer have dropped during the past 20 years. While this is great news, it is still the most common cancer in American men. Some factors that
influence a person’s risk for devel-oping prostate cancer are: 1. Age. The average age of diagnosis in the U.S. is 69 years. 2. Race. African-Americans have a 40 percent greater chance of developing pros-tate cancer.3. Family history. A man has a higher risk of developing the disease if his father or brother had it.
FIGHT THE FLU - Did you know that the flu virus is mainly spread from coughs and sneezes? Protect your health this flu season by tak-ing the following steps: 1. Take time to get a flu vaccine. 2. Take everyday preventive actions, like washing your hands with soap and water and covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. 3. Avoid touch-ing your eyes, nose or mouth. 4. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. For more information visit: www.flu.gov.
HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS - Experts agree that a diet containing very few calories can slow your metabo-lism. As a result, your body starts to burn fewer calories each day than might be expected, making weight loss harder and weight gain easier. Healthy weight loss is about making lifelong lifestyle changes by gradu-ally altering your eating habits and getting more exercise. Not only will this approach help you lose weight safely, it is also easier to maintain simple lifestyle changes with better long-term results.
PREVENTING FOOD POISONING
You cannot see or smell most of the bacteria that cause food poisoning. Under the right conditions, these same bacteria can double in num-ber every 20 to 30 minutes! Food is safest when you avoid condi-tions that allow bacteria to thrive. This is why it is important to wash, cook and store food appropriately. Don’t leave food at room tempera-ture longer than two hours, use left-overs within three days, and when in doubt, throw it out.
STRENGTH TRAINING
Do you think that age 65 is too old to be lifting weights? Not true! Weight training is one of the secrets of aging gracefully. Weight lifting can help you reduce your risk of falling, improve your balance and
Health NuggetsExpert Advice for Daily Living
every day as part of a znutrient-rich eating style.every day as part of a znutrient-rich eating style.every day as part of a znutrient-rich
PROSTATE CANCER
it.
FIGHT THE FLU - Did you know that the flu virus is mainly spread
www.flu.gov.
HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS - Experts
in doubt, throw it out.
STRENGTH TRAINING
Compiled from hMC, U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and National institutes of health
34NOVEMBER
201135YOUR HEALTH
coordination, increase everyday functioning and help maintain a healthy weight. These benefits don’t require heavy lifting. Use weights that are light enough so that you can do about 10-15 repeti-tions of an exercise for each muscle group. Aim to do muscle-strength-ening activities on two or more days of the week. If you are not sure what to do, ask a qualified fit-ness trainer.
YOGA BENEFITS
Have you considered giving yoga a try? Our fitness experts say it’s a gentle way to tone, increase flexi-bility and improve circulation. Yoga can also help you with body aware-ness, breathing and stress. Check out a class at your local fitness or wellness center. There are several types of yoga. They require various levels of skill and physical condi-tioning. Speak to the instructor to make sure that the class you pick is right for you. Also check out our feature .article on Yoga in this issue.
BEAN POWER
Beans, also called legumes, are inexpensive and quite fill-ing. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend eat-ing them several times each week. Red, black, pinto, or kidney beans all pack a nutri-tional punch. One-third cup of cooked beans has only 80 calories, no cholesterol, lots of complex carbohydrates, and little fat. They are also a great source of protein, full of B vitamins, potassium, and fiber. Experts believe that eat-ing beans may reduce blood cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease.
GETTING ENOUGH FLUIDS? -
How do you know if you are getting enough fluids every day? A good and easy rule of thumb is to moni-tor how frequently you urinate and the color of your urine. If you are urinating every two to four hours and it is light in color, you are most likely drinking enough. Remember, watery foods, such as fruits, soups, yogurt and salads also count toward your daily fluid intake.
TASTY MARINADE - Looking for a healthy way to marinade lean meats, poultry, fish, tofu, or veg-gies? Try mixing one packet of Italian dressing seasoning with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and one-third cup of balsamic vin-egar. According to our registered dietitian, this flavorful alternative provides less fat than traditional bottled marinades.
ALOE VERA jUICE
The resurgence of Aloe Vera prod-ucts in India in recent times can, for most part, be attributed to the wide-spread influence of Baba Ramdev, the yoga and ayurvedicmedicine guru. Should you drink aloe vera juice? Some manufactur-ers claim that this juice can help digestion and boost the immune system. However, many health experts are cautious. According to the National Institutes of Health, there is a lack of scientific data backing up many of these claims. Side effects may also include cramps, diarrhea and lowered blood sugar levels. When consider-ing any herbal nutritional product, talk to your doctor first about pos-sible risks and side effects.
Got any nuggets of your own? Share these at [email protected]
YOGA BENEFITS
of heart disease.
GETTING ENOUGH FLUIDS? -
there is a lack of scientific data backing up many of these claims. Side effects may also include backing up many of these claims. Side effects may also include backing up many of these claims.
cramps, diarrhea and lowered
feature .article on Yoga in this issue.
toward your daily fluid intake. com
NOVEMBER 201135YOUR HEALTH
WHAT’S HOTFashion trends for Fall & Winter 2011ARThY Kumar
Need advice on any Fashion & Style issues from Arthy? Send your querries to [email protected].
36NOVEMBER
201137FAHION & STYLE
Fall is here and so are its colors - of both leaves and garments. 2011 into 2012 is already continuing the retro trend and
more takes on classics of eras long past are coming out into play.
What are the hottest colors of this Fall?
Burgundy is the color that takes home the proverbial gold this fall. More or less falling in line with a more subdued “wine color palette” that is in season. In general, the colors of this Autumn’s fashion will consist mainly of neutral black, taupe, grey and brown but also go into an array of refreshing forest-like greens, plum purples and fuchsia reds. With a teal-esque sea green going strong along with dramatic scar-let, reminiscent of the silver screen’s greatest.
What are the hot styles?
Flowing, one shoulder and abstract length tops, Plunging necklines, wide leg pants, sheer maxi dresses and skirts, pant suits, rompers, accessorized tops and sweaters are all state-ment pieces for this fall and holiday season. Blingy jeans in dark wash denim and black in boot cut and skinny are very in.
Accessory Must-Haves this winter
If you’re looking to make a statement with your accessories then be sure to turn to the acces-sory that has more than caught our eye. It’s the solid jewelry trend and it includes every-thing everything from cuffs to collars. Long necklaces, Long metal earrings, Large Rings
and ruffle scarves to throw over dresses and full sleeve tshirts.
What about Purses?
Try as they might, bag ladies who love their stuff won’t ever be able to get through the day with just a little ole mini bag. Concurrently, the light-loaders among us won’t ever feel com-fortable lugging around anything larger than a satchel. The big-versus-small debate is one that hinges on personality; hoarders versus editors, collectors versus trimmers, maximal-ists versus minimalists. And this fall, the bat-tle is heating up more than ever, with styles of every size tempting devotees of both sides to defect. And you know, what you carry says loads about who you are and your style! Large purses are still in but so aremid size. Shorter strap with two tone studs, furs, stones and animal print are the look of this season. Gold, brown, taupe for the neutrals and green, orange, yellow and purple for the bold are the colors to carry.
How do you transition from Summer clothing to Fall?
Sheer blouses, light cardigan, peep toe ankle boots, light weight scarf and sheer tights and leggings.
Lastly,
For your Holiday Wear – Get yourself a few heavily sequined dresses and tops and crystal stone jewelry to accessorize.
Abo
ut the A
uthorAAA
bbA
bA
oouutt
tthheeAAA
uutthhoorr
Arthy Kumar Chadha
has been an active mem-ber of the Indian Community
in Phoenix for several years. She was the cultural secretary of India Association, committee member in
Discover India and was the pioneer in starting the Miss India Arizona Pageant.
Arthy has won several national and International pageants herself includ-ing the Miss Asia Universe and Miss
India USA and was a John Casablanca model. A Certifi ed Financial Planner by profession Arthy owns her own
fashion boutique and is a mom of 2 young
children.
NOVEMBER 201137FAHION & STYLE
Leisure Travel in AsiaIt Will Get You Addicted
pUShpiThA Wijesinghe
Gyeo
ngbo
kgun
g Pala
ce P
anora
ma b
yTim
o Sigu
rdss
on: h
ttp://
www.
silentc
reek.d
e/
38NOVEMBER
201139TRAVEL & LEISURE
From the legendary states of India, along the fringing arcs of golden beaches in Sri Lanka, across the
great kingdom of Cambodia towards the adventure zones in Nepal and Japan, the diversity that Asia has on offer will amaze you, and make you want more.
Towards the Far East, amongst the magical lands spreads Indonesia. Stretching for nearly 5000km it is a picturesque archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, home to the best of Southeast Asia’s melange of spices. Most of the atolls remain unexplored, still retaining secrets, concealing years of culture and covert hidden histo-ries. The zoological wonders within the rainforest jungles shelter millions of lives within the forest shades and stretches of volcanic terrain spout hot lava along the grounds of Sumatra. Thus Indonesia remains a wonderland for the leisure traveller.
In the Northeast of Indonesia, sprawl two islands separated by the South China Sea, a peninsula known by its official name, Malaysia. Its multi-cultural community, variety of wild jungle species, the exotic aromas of banana leaf curries and its spicy Malay food stalls are all facets of the char-acter and splendour of the nation. Kuala Lumpur’s skyscrapers creating Malaysia’s city skyline hardly dominate the number of food stalls serving lus-cious Malaysian cuisine that interna-tional travellers crave for.
Still travelling towards the north of the continent, to the realm of gods and a spectacular fusion of spirituality and culture, Cambodia is the revered sanctuary of Buddhist pagodas and temples, rich with historical legends and inspiring chronicles. The kingdom remains proud of its tranquil seaside towns and popular elephant rides with an increasing number of tourists’ visits throughout the year.
Hotel reservations will be the least of your troubles with Asia’s assortment of accommodation from authentic and traditional lodging options to 5 star hotels. For the leisure traveller who prefers sumptuous accommodation to suit an exclusive journey across the vibrant lands, Peninsula Hotels hold a unique identity among the world’s leading accommodation providers. Renowned for impeccable service and luxurious comfort, these hotels always provide guests with the best of services and an added touch of personalization.
Editor’s Note: In coming issues, we will be partnering with well-known travel agencies and experts to cover exotic Asian locations, with information you can use to plan your next vacation!
Asia is the largest and most mesmerizing continent in the world, and even a glimpse would prove why. Renowned for its exotic cultures, thousands of years of recorded his-
tory and noted for its great architectural wonders and revered lands, Asia is quite addictive. With tranquil beaches, extravagant festivities, awe-inspiring topographies and delightful cuisine, Asia provides its own individual twists and authentic fl avours, giving you the most exciting taste of adventure that you will ever savour.
Gyeo
ngbo
kgun
g Pala
ce P
anora
ma b
yTim
o Sigu
rdss
on: h
ttp://
www.
silentc
reek.d
e/NOVEMBER
201139TRAVEL & LEISURE
Miss Asia Arizona 20
11
AsianAffairs covered the press conference and the event organized by promoters of the Miss Asian Arizona 2011 pageant. Our Editor, RUPANjANA Sengupta, sat down for interviews with the promoter, Mr. Gene FLores, Runner-Up Janet Zhou and Indian contestants participating in the pageant. Here is her rpeort and excerpts ...
A smiling Miss Asia Arizona 2011, Ms. Felicia Baron, (center) flanked by (left to right) Ms. Allisha Kharbanda, Maureen Montagne, Janet Zhou and Lucy Hwang.
Photo
s: Ihm
an E
sturco
A beauty pageant mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants., However, these days, such contests
also incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges’ questions as judged crite-ria. There have been great changes in wom-en’s lives in the past few decades and their traditional roles are getting reinvented each day. In the same way pageant contest finds the need to evolve bringing in the essence of the new era. A marvelous young man Gene Flores, owner and producer of CityHits Production organized the Miss Asia Arizona this year on October 1st. The celebration to find Miss Asia Arizona began and ended with a lot of splendor and show. One anomaly I would like to point out is the representation of the judges in the Miss Asian Arizona; major-ity of the judges came from one particular
Asian community. It would have been more welcoming if the allotment of the judges was more balanced. The murmurs hinting at bias in judgment wouldn’t have risen if the distri-bution was impartial. Nonetheless, wisdom is to learn from this variance and improve on the representation issues for the future Miss Asia Arizona contests. Felicia Baron repre-senting Philippines won the 2011 Miss Asia Arizona title. The runner up was Janet Zhou representing China. Amongst the best five were also Lucy Hwang representing China, Allisha Kharbanda representing India and Maureen Montagne representing Philippines. The show ended with a lot of applause and enthusiasm from the crowd. Special men-tion goes to the joyous Filipino crowd who cheered on as Ms Felicia Baron was crowned the Miss Asia Arizona 2011.
40NOVEMBER
201141EVENT of the MONTH
A smiling Miss Asia Arizona 2011, Ms. Felicia Baron, (center) flanked by (left to right) Ms. Allisha Kharbanda, Maureen Montagne, Janet Zhou and Lucy Hwang.
Janet Zhou’s parents came to this country from China, with the vision that hard-work, education, integrity
and perseverance would always guide them to a better life. The family today is an instance of that American dream, very much a part of the American mosaic that makes this country so unique and special. The runner up Ms Janet Zhou, a 23 year old businesswoman, was one of the contestants who had the spirit of the new emancipated era of confidence, intelligence and beauty. Her involve-ment in pageantry fueled her desire to become a positive role model for young women in Arizona. She is not only a free-lance T.V. commercial and photography producer but is also a member of the Arizona Asian American Association and is honored to be their Chinese Cultural Director, the youngest to date. I had the pleasure of interviewing the Mulan princess from Miss Asia Arizona pageant recently and found her to be astutely eloquent, convincing me that in today’s pageant competitions, beauty and brains are certainly packaged together.
What does a beauty pageant mean to you?A beauty pageant to me is not a competi-tion between beautiful girls. It is an oppor-tunity for young women to showcase their
beauty, poise, grace, and above all else, their intelligence. Beyond the coronation night, I think a beauty pageant gives the community a positive female role model for kids and adults alike. It provides the oppor-tunity to help the community and make a difference in the lives of others.
What is the single value your parents instilled in you that proved to be worthwhile as an adult?I was blessed to have wonderful parents that instilled a lot of core values in my life and to choose only one would be impos-sible as all the lessons they have taught me through my 23 years of existence are equally important. However, in my most recent life encounters, I am reminded of one “value” the most: which is integrity. Throughout all of life’s trials and tribula-tions, we have to remember that our integ-rity is what will carry us through. Everything we do will always have a reciprocal action so why not put some good out into the world and do everything with integrity?
What was the learning experience you achieved from competing in this pageant, and if positive why would you urge young girls to compete in these pageant shows?After competing in this pageant and other past pageants, I have to tell girls everywhere that the lessons, people and opportunities you experience in life are never-ending! Whether it be participating in a pageant or being in a marching band, each encounter is an opportunity. It is up to each individual person to strike while iron is hot and achieve your dreams, make connections, and learn about yourself and others!
In your words what kind of image of a woman impresses you?The most attractive image of a woman to me is one who is poised, confident, intel-ligent, well-spoken, and above all else, humble.
One of your questions at the competition was if there was a choice
between love and a career what would you choose, could you elaborate on that answer?If I had to choose between love and career, I would definitely pick career. My career is where my passions lie and I believe that true love would never give you such an ulti-matum. Love is a partnership and you rely on each other for support and growth. In addition, love will always fuel and empower career and should never deter you from achieving your goals.
As a Chinese American how are you positively different? What difference you bring on to the montage of Americana from your Chinese heritage?I was born into a family of immigrants and initially, we lived in a very mono-cultural landscape. That said, I did grow up want-ing to be just like all of the other kids in elementary school; I wanted to fit in when I was a child. My parents were very under-standing and allowed me to explore all the American/Western holidays. Growing up, I realized I was different and unique! Much like other first generation Americans, we develop a bi-culture ideal that really turns into our very own culture; combining our American ideals with our ethnic traditions. This very difference has shown me how similar we are at the cores of our beings. And now, I am able to appreciate both sides so much more and truly I feel “I fit in.”
In your opinion what does the rise of China’s economic growth means to America? A rise of the Chinese economy ultimately means an increased demand of services and items. This increase could instigate the need for more American goods exported to China, which in turn, would mean an influx of employment opportunities for the United States. If China’s economy grows, we can only hope that it will bolster the American economy. Currently, China holds much of the world’s exchange reserves and has invested a lot in the United States dol-lar. which I believe will not help or benefit America.
A Chinese Princess Janet Zhou
NOVEMBER 201141EVENT of the MONTH
The Miss Asia Arizona Pageant Founder, Gene Flores, Owner and Producer of CityHits Production has a vision of uniting the growing Asian community in Arizona to create an event that will serve as a plat-
form for a cause that is unique and noble. Mr. Gene Flores in conversation with Asian Affairs.
Why did you start this pageant?I moved from San Francisco 10 years ago and noticed that Asian Cultural scene wasn’t as large as of today. I moved here to discover that for the past 18 years before I came to Phoenix no one had ever participated at the Nationals at San Francisco. I decided to make a difference in Arizona, first it was hard but today it’s a different story. We have been successful in conducting the Miss Asia Arizona for the past 8 years.
What factors encourages you to have these pageant shows?With my background as an Asian I would like to preserve the Asian culture. When you say Asian it’s so vast, we have 58 countries comprising Asia. It is all inclusive of Asians, Middle Eastern, Asian Pacific Islanders and South East
Asians. The potpourri of cultures is what our platform wants to gift the Arizona community. Show casing the diversity of Asia is one of the main goals. I also realized a pageant endeavor would be appropriate to bring together the Asian community as a whole. Another important factor pushes me to carry on this pageant which is my very own experience. I know it’s beneficial.
Now what is that “experience” you are referring to?Back in 1992 I was Mr. California and then went on to the Nationals too. I want to share the knowledge that I acquired in these competitions. Share and expose other young people to this environment because my experience had been tremendously fulfilling. This is about passion and dedication and a candidate learns a lot from this process. I did and I know. Associated with a pageant competition there is a misconcep-tion that it is expected that you need to be beautiful and perfect, but perfection lies in imperfections since nothing is perfect. The pageant process teaches an individual to strengthen their self esteem with proper grooming and training instilling self confidence and poise overcoming their fears and short comings. Most importantly learning about your self is the objective that is the most significant element. As for me mentor-ing the young minds in a positive manner is my high-est motivation.
Do you have any success story that you want to talk about?One of my success stories is the Miss Asia Arizona 2004-2005 Rekha Mudaraaj. She was a student at ASU mass media/journalism and had aspiration to join the main stream network Television, that was her dream and we helped facilitate it to a reality. Today she is the anchor at CBS San Diego. The pageant recognition was one of the factors that propelled her to have a niche above the others. That being the biggest satis-faction of life when you realize you have made a posi-tive difference in some body’s life.
An Exclusive Interview with the man behind the pageant:
GENE FLORES
Man of Dreams
Photo
: Ihm
an E
sturco
42NOVEMBER
201143EVENT of the MONTH
An Exclusive Interview with the man behind the pageant:
GENE FLORES
Allisha Kharbanda, Malavika Mallya and Sheryl Ann contested in the beauty pageant Miss Asian Arizona
2011. Allisha Kharbanda placed in top five and Malavika Mallya got the “Ms Photogenic” and the “Best in Formal attire” recognition. All three girls amazed me with their profound realization. Though beauty pageants sometimes acquire a bad rap however in reality this process teaches a young woman new skill sets. Expose them to abilities which are important to inculcate early in life in order to become a responsive and a perceptive human being, thus becoming the real success story. I had the opportunity to sit down in conversa-tion with the three contestants represent-ing Indians at the Miss Asian Arizona
Q: What was the hardest thing you realized in preparing for this pageant show?Allisha: The hardest thing for me was inculcating patience. We all have different personalities, with different perspective and sometimes it was frustrating. However this whole process taught us to be patient and the value of respecting each other.
Malavika: For me the hardest thing was to overcome my stage fright. I am basically
a shy person and this process taught me to come out of my shell and overcome my shyness.
Sheyrl: For me the hardest thing was the time management, accommodating my schedules at school and pageant commit-ment. Making this my priority which needs a lot of commitment as well as balancing other priorities at the same time frame was the hardest adjustment.
Q: Who encouraged you the most to participate in this pageant? Allisha: Shy Khan, CEO of the Dulhania Bazaar urged me to participate in this pag-eant. Ms Khan approached me to join this competition and adding to this nudge was the support of my friend Sheyrls’ request. This was very encouraging, we both decided to venture into this learning expe-rience together.
Malavika: Definitely my mother encour-aged me. She urges me to experience new ventures and think out of the box. The aspect of thinking different teaches one to discover our own self a little more truthfully.
Sheyrl: Shy Khan too encouraged me to
join in. Alisha my friend both of us endeav-ored to experience this journey together in a manner supporting and encouraging each other on the way. It has been a lot of fun and this experience has made me so much stronger.
What is your definition of beauty?Allisha: Beauty is composure and classi-ness because with those two things you can feel yourself and grow as a person. I believe beauty comes from within and shines itself in outer self.
Malavika: To me beauty is a combination of a lot of elements. Willingness to share and learn from each other, being tolerant about ideas different than yours, these ele-ments brings out the goodness from within and transcends to the outer self. That’s when it is beautiful.
Sheryl: I think beauty is much more than physical attributes. Beauty has a lot to do with who you are as a person. Each and everyone in this world are blessed with beauty in a specific and unique way. Everyone is beautiful and each one of us is created in beauty. I don’t think beauty is very need specific.
Dreams of Their OwnPhoto: Anil Mallya
From L to R: Malavika Mallya, Allisha Kharbanda and Sheryl Ann
NOVEMBER 201143EVENT of the MONTH
One of the first comments one hears about Asian food is “Oh, it is so spicy!!”. However, most people do
not realize that it is spices that add flavor and aroma to Asian cuisine. Most regional cuisine has its own geographical localiza-tion and distinct flavor. Asian cuisine also has distinct variations dependant on loca-tion. There is food from the Indian sub-continent commonly served in Indo-Pak restaurants in the United States. Yet there is nothing called Indo-Pak cuisine. There is a lot of similarity in the food from Northern Indian states like Punjab, Haryana, UP, Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistani states of Punjab and Sindh. Hence, most
Indian (and Pakistani) restaurants in US especially in Phoenix actually serve food from this region in Southeast Asia. Then there is South Indian cuisine which is dis-tinct from the food from Northern India and more similar to food from Sri Lanka. Another common Asian cuisine avail-able in almost every
American neighborhood is Chinese. Every neighborhood has a Mom-and Pop Chinese food joint. However, many people do not realize that Chinese cuisine has distinct differences from the food in other countries in the Far East like Thailand, Vietnam, and Philippines. This column will reflect the regional variation and distinct features of Asian cuisine. We would go through a journey enjoying the regional food of Asian restaurants in Phoenix. We would talk about the food, what gives it the distinct taste and aroma and share our sug-gestions about the best places to dine and the best dishes to try out.
Chinese CuisineThis month’s feature is on Chinese cuisine. A lot of Chinese food we eat here in the Valley is actually the Americanized ver-sion of Chinese food and differs from food available in the Chinese mainland. As is true with food from most big countries, the food in different Chinese provinces differ from each other. So Sichuan cuisine is dif-ferent from Cantonese cuisine. Then there is fusion cuisine. Indo-Chinese cuisine was developed by Han Chinese immigrants in India and has a world wide fan following. A restaurant in Phoenix developed a kind of food, infusing Chinese food with Mexican cuisine. The result, Chino-Bandino has quite a fan following, here in the valley.
Chinese cuisine has some distinct fea-tures. Many dishes are rice based. There is fried rice, sticky rice, vegetables and meat wrapped in rice paper etc. Another staple is noodles. You can have rice noo-dles, wheat noodles, egg noodles, noodles in soup, pan fried noodles, noodles with meat or those with only vegetables. Soya, rice vinegar, tofu, ginger, chili peppers are other common ingredients in Chinese cui-sine. You can have your choice of meat like chicken, beef or pork or try out seafood like
Essence of Asian Cooking Restaurant Review : C-FUSUDipTA Biswas, ph.D.Neuroscientist and Food Writer
sine. You can have your choice of meat like chicken, beef or pork or try out seafood like
PLU
SWEST VALLEY’S LEADING MEDSPA
For treatment of Wrinkles, Acne, Sun-
spots, Cellulite, Cosmetic and Med spa...
Chemical Peels, Micro-
dermabrasion, Laser Hair Re-moval,Photofacial,Acne Treat-
ments, Injectable, Cellulite Treatments, HCG
And More..
Aesthetic & Med Spa
Dr. Sudeep Punia, M.D.-has been practicing in the valley for 20 years and is the founder of the West Valley family of businesses.
Helping you get the Body of your Dreams with ...
Smartlipo is a minimally invasive procedure Smartlipo is a minimally invasive procedure and hence causes minimal discomfort .and hence causes minimal discomfort .
Smartlipo requires a minimal downtime. Pa-Smartlipo requires a minimal downtime. Pa-tients often return to normal activity the next tients often return to normal activity the next day after smartlipo treatment.day after smartlipo treatment.
It is also a more targeted fat removal proce-It is also a more targeted fat removal proce-dure and is hence suitable for areas which dure and is hence suitable for areas which are in generally not advisable for liposuc-are in generally not advisable for liposuc-tion such as the face and neck.tion such as the face and neck.
It also helps tighten the skin around the It also helps tighten the skin around the treatment area giving it a firmer appear-treatment area giving it a firmer appear-ance. ance.
Free consultation
17218 N 72nd Dr. Ste 110 Glendale, AZ 85308
Phone:623 691-8319 Fax:623-334-8675
44FOOD & NUTRITION
An assortment of small plates containing soup, dumplings, spring rolls, stuffed buns and chicken sticks make up the Dim sum. Vegetarian noodles and egg custard tart make a very delicious combination with the rest of the food.
Essence of Asian Cooking Restaurant Review : C-FU
WEST VALLEY’S LEADING MEDSPA For treatment of Wrinkles, Acne, Sun-
spots, Cellulite, Cosmetic and Med spa...
Chemical Peels, Micro-
dermabrasion, Laser Hair Re-moval,Photofacial,Acne Treat-
ments, Injectable, Cellulite Treatments, HCG
And More..
Aesthetic & Med Spa
Dr. Sudeep Punia, M.D.-has been practicing in the valley for 20 years and is the founder of the West Valley family of businesses.
Helping you get the Body of your Dreams with ...
Smartlipo is a minimally invasive procedure Smartlipo is a minimally invasive procedure and hence causes minimal discomfort .and hence causes minimal discomfort .
Smartlipo requires a minimal downtime. Pa-Smartlipo requires a minimal downtime. Pa-tients often return to normal activity the next tients often return to normal activity the next day after smartlipo treatment.day after smartlipo treatment.
It is also a more targeted fat removal proce-It is also a more targeted fat removal proce-dure and is hence suitable for areas which dure and is hence suitable for areas which are in generally not advisable for liposuc-are in generally not advisable for liposuc-tion such as the face and neck.tion such as the face and neck.
It also helps tighten the skin around the It also helps tighten the skin around the treatment area giving it a firmer appear-treatment area giving it a firmer appear-ance. ance.
Free consultation
17218 N 72nd Dr. Ste 110 Glendale, AZ 85308
Phone:623 691-8319 Fax:623-334-8675
prawns, shrimps, catfish etc. And for veg-etarians tofu, bok choy, snap peas, beans and broccoli provide ample variations. So, whatever is your food preference, Chinese cuisine has something for everyone.
Dim sum experience at C-Fu Gourmet restaurant in Chandler C-Fu Gourmet restaurant is a long time Valley establishment and is located in the Southwest corner of Warner and Dobson roads in Chandler. For a long time, they have offered a Cantonese tradition called Dim sum. Dim sum is a small plates’ food experience (something like Spanish tapas) whereby an array of food in small por-tions is offered to the diner from food carts wheeled across the tables. You pick your choice of food, the waiter puts a mark on the list at your table, share and enjoy the food with your table mates and in the end, pay at the counter based on the number of small dishes you sampled from. Recently, we had an opportunity to dine and sample the Dim sum at C-Fu Gourmet.
The FoodI was visiting the restaurant after almost five years. The pan-fried Hong Kong noodles I had eaten on that occasion were very good and reminded me of an Indo-Chinese dish called American chopsuey. This was my first Dim sum experience. We were seated by the owner and the waitress took our order for drinks. Then a row of food carts lined up at our table. It is prudent to do some prior research on the food if it is one’s first Dim sum experience. Based on that prior knowl-edge, we chose pork fat soup, chicken spring rolls and some sticky rice from the first cart. The soup had a nice curry taste like a stew with some vegetables; good except for the texture of pork fat. The sec-ond cart was more to our liking as it had an assortment of dumplings in stainless-steel containers steaming hot from the kitchen. Each container had four dumplings and their stuffing ranged in variety from chicken, pork, shrimp and vegetables. We took one container each of chicken and shrimp dumplings and both were very nice. The third cart had more entrees. There were veg-noodles, more meat dishes like ribs, Mongolian barbecued pork and beef, fried calamari and a Thai style chicken on skewers. We settled for the Thai chicken which was mildly sweet but very tasty. But the noodles were the best. Slightly crunchy
with some bamboo shoots thrown in, the noodles were full of flavor, somewhat similar to Indo-Chinese veg-chowmein. A fourth cart had more baked items and des-serts and we settled for some pork stuffed sweet buns and an amazing egg custard tart. I was glad we chose this item because the tart was done just right. Not too sweet, the gooey custard provided the right bal-ance to the crunch in the tart shell.
Helpful TipsOverall, a very nice and different lunch experience. We had a chat with the owner Mr. Roland Lou. He said that the restaurant caters for special occasions and host par-ties of all size. The main hall can seat about 250 people but can be partitioned off for smaller groups. The hall has a stage and karaoke system. Also, they can customize the food as per the customer’s food pref-erence for these parties. So if you want purely vegetarian food or only a certain type and cut of meat (kosher, halal etc) the owner works with the kitchen staff to ensure that exact specifications are met. A lot of restaurants have recently started offering Dim sum during the weekends but this is the only restaurant that offers Dim sum all seven days of the week from 11 AM to 2.30 PM. A word of caution though for the diner on a budget. It is prudent to do prior research on what is good to eat and choose only those items from the food carts. Otherwise the costs keep adding up. Each cart has food items at a certain cost (cart #1 each item costs $2.98, cart #2 $3.99, cart #3 $4.99) If you choose multiple items, from every cart, you end up paying a lot more. Plus, the items are to be shared. Earlier they would automatically add gratu-ity of 15% to the bill (and some people got tricked because of that), but they have dis-continued with the practice.
Rating:
C-Fu GourmetChinese cuisine and Dim sum2051 West Warner RoadChandler, AZ 85224Phone: 480-899-3888
Website: www.cfugourmet.com
46NOVEMBER
201147FOOD & NUTRITION
AA DISH OF THE MONTH
BReAD hALWA
Ingredients:• Milk -1 Liter
• Bread - 10 pieces
• Sugar - 3-4 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cardamom pwdr 1/2 tbsp
• Mixed Nuts - (unsalted) Almonds, Cashews, Raisins, etc.
Crush the bread pieces into boiling milk. Leave on heat until thinckened, stir-ring occaisionally. Add oil and stir until the mixture turns light brown. Add car-damom powder and sugar and mix thoroughly.
Oil the serving pot lightly and pour in the mixture. Sprinkle the mixed nuts on top and serve hot or refrigerated. Enjoy!
-Submitted by KOMAl Dosad
Got a favorite recipe? Please share it at [email protected]
Photo: sailusfood.com
oUR QUestionYOUR OPINION
NOVEMBER 201147VALLEY VOICES
We asked some prominent Valley citizens the following question: In your opinion what does the rise of China's economic growth mean to America?
Here are their answers:
The relationship between United States and China is so complex and interdependent that it is beyond my
expertise to answer such a weighty ques-tion. However, I will share some of my personal perspectives on this question.
When I was in China, the memories of colonial domination influenced the psy-chic of the Chinese people. China never forgot their sufferance under the colonial rule when China was weaker in late 1800 and early 1900. The sign hung by the entrance of some foreign concessions in Shanghai once said “No dogs or Chinese allowed.” Then the revolution happened ...during the 1960s’ and early 1970s’, you could be executed merely for singing a wrong song, not to mention criticizing the Communist Party or Chairman Mao. However today The Communist party has evolved with the times. It is true China is
far from being democratic or free in com-parison to other democratic entities, but its progress in terms of speech, press, rule of law, human rights, usage of the internet and general openness is unimaginably better than 30-40 years ago. The central government and The Communist Party of China are powerful, but not nearly as omnipresent and all-controlling as the West seems to believe. True, China is the No. 2 economy in the world today, but distribute that wealth amongst 1.2 billion, vast majority of the Chinese are still poor and living in a Third World country con-dition. Under the unseen shadow of the modern buildings, you will find people sleeping on the floor with barely their cloth on their backs and laboring 12-16 hours-day for a few dollars (US). Beyond the city, away from the coast, you will still see vast area of China that is poor and liv-ing on subsistence level. Not to forget
the fact how much of the Chinese GDP was built on the lives and health of the workers who often lack what Americans would consider as the most basic of occu-pational safety and health standards. On the other hand many Chinese even now believes, U.S.A. is still a beacon of hope, freedom, ideas, and opportunities. Many in China would still give up whatever material possessions they have in China and come to America. Over the past 30 years or so, every time I went back to China, I was impressed by how much it has changed, much of it good, some for the worse, but definitely changing. Every time though, I miss China but cannot wait to come home to America. One thing we should never forget China and USA are not mutually exclusive of the other. Both the countries depend on each other, its future is intertwined.
Dr Duncan Tang Pediatrician • Phoenix, AZ
The growth of China’s economy might be a threat to the US. I am not an expert in international business but as an American consumer I see made-in-China products all over the US market. The world’s most populous nation is
a major supplier of goods to America. China dumps inexpensive goods in America that U.S. businesses simply cannot produce as cheaply, consequently factory jobs are disappearing in the United States. China’s unlimited pool of low-cost labor has resulted in job losses and stagnant wages in U.S. over the years which is going to get worse with further relocation of US manufacturing industries in China. This would bring the already high rate of unemployment in the US even higher, may add to bankruptcies filing of US companies and deepen the current recession in United States, unless our government does something to counter this trend.Jade hoang
PharmD • Phoenix, AZ
48NOVEMBER
201149VALLEY VOICES
Although China’s economic growth over the last two decades have been spectacular, while for the last few years the American economy is fighting a recession, this should not be the over-
whelming cause of concern. The primary reason for this is globalization. Because of globalization, the current international economic markets are heavily interdependent. America is the largest market for Chinese goods. If the economic condition in America sours, Chinese export will drop and bring down the Chinese economy. Therefore it is in the inter-est of all the parties to make sure that the American economy does not falter.
Dr Arunabha Sen Professor - ComSci • ASU
China’a economic growth is only due the fact that the manufacturing jobs from America are going to China. The upside of it is that
China is getting green papers in exchange for their services. They can only spend that green paper in America. I anticipate China investing in real estate in America just like Brazil in the future. And that might be good for us. Of course that’s just one angle. There are many layers to this new economy and I’m sure I don’t understand the full implications.
Bivás BiswasFilmmaker • Phoenix, Arizona
A common response to China’s rising economy is fear--fear about the decline of the U.S., fear about domination by a
foreign power, fear about the unknown. With a population many times that of the U.S., it’s not surprising that China’s economy will continue to grow and surpass ours in this century. This is likely inevitable, and rather than approach it with fear, we should figure out how to work with these changes to improve the futures of our own children and children around the world.
Dr. Daniel hruschkaAssistant Professor • ASU
Although reports have stated that China's economy will surpass that of the USA in 5 years those numbers may be a bit prema-ture. Since we (USA) import so much from China I believe that
a downturn is a real life indicator of how things are really doing eco-nomically in the USA. I believe the economic indicators are suggesting that the economy in mainland China is slowing. Part of that is because the consumer spending in the USA has slowed down on retail items. So when the economy of China drops that tells me that things are really bad economically in the USA. When the economy of China prospers things in the USA are improving.
With the current unemployment rate being so high in the USA many Americans just do not have the discretionary incomes we are all accus-tomed to. Instead of spending money of many retail items, (many are made in China), people are now closely watching their spending. So watching the Chinese economy is a true to form indicator of how things are really doing economically in the USA and around the world.
Dr. David l. WalterForensic PsychologistPhoenix, AZ
In your opinion what does the rise of China's economic growth mean to America?
NOVEMBER 201149
Now the sun is brighter, clearer and within reach. A large number of homeowners are eager to install solar NOW! With rising energy costs, there has never been a better time.The top reason homeowners do not go solar is because of the high up-front cost. The leasing program eliminates this pricing barrier by o�ering �exible options to �t any budget.
Licensed, bonded and insured. ROC # 264968 [K-11] & ROC # 270389 [KB-1]. Solar Topps reserves the right to alter information at its discretion without notice.Price and percentage savings is not guaranteed. Actual price and percentage saved may vary and are dependent on your home, electricity usage and utility company.
Some program eligibility requirements and restrictions apply. ©Solar Topps 2009-2011. Product o�erings and speci�cations may change at any time without notice. All rights reserved.
go to www.SolarTopps.com and click: Quick QuoteGet Started Now!Installing Fully Customized Solar Electric Systems. Match & Beat Price Guarantee!
SOLAR LEASEPAYMENT
OLDELECTRIC BILL
Before Solar After Solar0
$100
$200Example Cash Flow Based On 5kw System
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
NEWELECTRIC BILL
Save $From Day
One!$80 a mo.
NO Deposit! NO out of Pocket Cost! NO Hidden Fees!NO Deposit! NO out of Pocket Cost! NO Hidden Fees!
Complete 5kw Solar SystemComplete 5kw Solar SystemFor TEP Customers
For SRP Customers
For APS CustomersOnly $69 per month leaseOnly $59 per month leaseOnly $39 per month lease
No Up-Front Homeowner Installation Cost
Savings Increase Signi�cantly Year-by-Year
Premium Design and Installation of the System
Warranty, Insurance and Online Monitoring Included
Provides 20 - 30 Year Power Production Warranty
Fixed or Prepaid Terms, Lifetime Savings $30,000 Plus
Flexible and Easy Transferable Lease Terms
INSTANT SavingsOn Your Electric Bill!On Your Electric Bill!
Solar Lease O�erSolar Lease O�erLimited Time Only!Limited Time Only!
PhoenixPhoenix 480-940-1201 TucsonTucson 520-399-6015PhoenixCall: