destination: asia and the south pacific

TABLE OF

..............................................................Must SeeBy Marcy WIlliams

Chinese Censorship Increases ...........................................Ignorance in China

By Marguerite Walk

Timeline.................................................................By Marguerite Walk and William Nalty

....................................... Mind Your MannersBy WIlliam Nalty

Must Watch....................................................... By Marguerite Walk

The Firewall censors China from the Evil Behind It................................By Marcy WIlliams

Must Do................................................................By Hutson Sumrall

.............................................................SouvenirsBy Hutson Sumrall

TRAVEL TIPS:

NEWS:

Everyone is Safe and Peaceful In Aussie Land..................................................By Hutson Sumrall

Are people actually..........................................Safe in Australia?

By William Nalty

PG. 1

PG. 3

PG. 4

PG. 5

PG. 6

PG. 8

PG. 11

PG. 12

PG. 13

PG. 14

COntentSSquinty Eyes and Fried Rice.......................By Marcy Williams

...................................The Fear of FukushimaBy Hutson Sumrall

Will They Strike Again?..............................By William Nalty

.......................................A Trip Like No OtherBy Marguerite Walk

Stealing Buddha’s Dinner.........................By Marguerite Walk

...............................................Never Fall DOwnBy Hutson Sumrall

..................................................The Killing SeaBy William Nalty

Fried Eggs With Chopsticks.....................By Marcy Williams

TRAVEL MEMOIRS:PG. 19

PG. 21

PG. 23

PG. 25

BOOK HOOKS:PG. 29

PG. 29

PG. 30

PG. 30

(1917) Russian Revolution; Tsar Nicholas II of Russia

abdicated

(1962) Sino-Indian War against China and India

over disputed border

(1978) Japan and China sign peace treaty

(1949-1976) Mao Zedong’s rule

(1993) Oslo I agreement signed setting up Israeli-

Palestinian Peace settlement

(2010) Arab Spring brings major protests, uprisings and

revolutions to several Middle Eastern countries

(2011) 9.0 magnitude earthquake hits off the coast of Tohoku,

Japan, spawns powerful tsunami waves

(2011) Kim Jong-il dies, son named new leader of North Korea

(2011-2012) Syrian uprising; thousands of citizens protest for the overthrow of the government; widespread marches, hunger strikes, rioting, and vandalism

(1368) Great Wall of China reconstructed as a more

elaborate structure

(1467) Civil war erupts in Japan; country split amongst

feudal lords

TIMELINE

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TRAVEL TIPS

2

MIND YOUR MANNERS The laid back and down to earth Aussies are impressive with their relaxed and casual manners. Australians are very careful to not give the idea to others that they are better than anyone else, and they appreciate people who are as modest and humble as they are. Aussies cherish their relationships with others, because they believe they may see each other again soon. Aussies originally saw themselves as only

being Protestant and white, but that has changed since the immigration of people from Europe, after WWII, and later from S o u t h E a s t A s i a . I n m e e t i n g a n Australian, use the first name, give a handshake and a smile, and say, “G’day, mate’. If going to dinner in Australia, a visitor might find himself or herself at a “barbie” (BBQ), bringing their own drinks, and offering to help the hostess. In business meetings, men are sometimes expected to wear dark, conservative suits, but in other tropical climates and

for certain jobs, men may wear Bermuda shorts with a shirt and tie. These tips should help the traveler to Australia have a successful and casual experience.

In India, be sure to never say “no”; however, one can say something is “not available”. Handshakes are necessary when greeting or meeting someone. When one leaves a social group one must tell each person “goodbye”. Social class, region of the country, and religion is how Indian names are based on. Gifts are expected and they are like passes to the afterlife once one dies. Indians expect visitors to be exactly on time. Depending on the host’s religion, the food can vary; be ready for something out of the usual diet. In meetings, men should wear dark colored suits; women should wear suits or dresses. If the weather were hot then one would dress less formal. Status titles are taken seriously let the person say what to call them. If unsure call them by their last name. After a handshake during a business meeting, everyone would exchange business cards. Follow these rules and be acceptable.

AUSTRALIA

India

SEE: MANNERS PG. 73

MUST WATCH

This movie, directed by Zhang Yimou, is set during the Warlord Era, the 1920s, in Shanxi Province. The film tells the story of a young woman who becomes one of the concubines of a rich man. The film is said t o b e a n a l l e g o r y a g a i n s t authoritarianism.

RAISE THE RED LANTERN

1.

G a n d h i w a s d i r e c t e d b y R i c h a r d Attenborough. The movie goes through the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, from 1893, when he was throown off a South-African bus, to 1948, when he was assassinated. This film was nominated from many Academy awards in over 11 categories.

Gandhi2.

The ItalianDirected by Andrei Kravchuk. Six-year-old , Vanya Solntsev , l i ves in an orphanage in a small, rural russain town. A young Italian couple asks to adopt vanya. Because of his luck, the rest of the orphanage gives him the nickname, the Italian. After a small boy’s biological mother kills herself because her son has been adopted by another family, Vanya decides he must find his biological mother. He leaves just before going with the Italian couple on a quest through Russia to find his mother.

this 2004 documentary, directed by Jim Butterworth, tells the story of the dangerous journies of the North Korean deserters through or to China. What makes these journies so dangerous is If caught, the deserters will suffer severe consequences

Seoul Train

3.

4.

4

MUST SEEThe Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located

in Agra, India. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely known as “The jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." The construction of the mausoleum

was completed around 1648. The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world,

combining architectural elements from across the Muslim lands.

The Great Wall is listed as one of the greatest wonders of the world. The Great Wall of China, w ind ing up and down across deserts , grasslands, mountains, and plateaus, runs along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China. The entire Wall stretches approximately 8,851 kilometers or 5,500 miles. The construction of the Wall lasted from 1368 to 1644. Taking a tour of the wonderful Great Wall is a must for your trip to China.

The Sydeny Opera House in New South Wales, Australia, opened in 1973. The Opera House was build by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and is located on Bennelong Point in the Sydney Harbor. This season, beginning on New Years

with Gale Edwards’ production of La Bohéme, includes a large variety of

operas. There is an opera for everyone!

5

SEE: MUST SEE PG. 8

MUST DO

In Aukland, New Zealand there is a 192m jump from a Sky Tower! There is also a package deal to walk around the top of the Sky Tower. The drop is for 11 seconds and you can get up to as fast as 85kph!

Ride elephants in Maetang! The park is located in the Maetang Valley right by the Maetang River. There are over 300 elephants to ride there.

At Phnom Penh, Cambodia for just 20 U.S. dollars people can shoot an AK-47! People also are able to shoot a pistol, uzi, sniper rifle, and even rocket launcher! For only 200 U.S. dollars you can shoot a rocket launcher and for and extra $200 you can shoot the rocket launcher at a cow.

6

Continuing to keep face is a key part if the Japanese culture. Never say “no” to someone’s request to do something. Try best to keep “harmony” in the Japanese culture, never let things fall apart. Never look into someone’s eye’s; that is considered disrespectful. Always wait to be introduced by another person, but if there is not another person, then one may introduce oneself anyway. When someone visits a Japanese home he/she must bring a gift, even if it’s of little value suck as chocolates or flowers. One should do his best to arrive at a destination early because being five minutes late is very rude. When entering a house one must take remove his shoes. Wait to be seated, let the eldest person start the eating process, and slurp! Slurping shows that ones enjoying the meal. This would be the only time that slurping would be appropriate.

The most important thing in the Korean culture is family. The man of the family is always the head. Kids grow up knowing that the

fortunes that their parents gave them are priceless. When meeting someone, bow, shake hands, and exchange business cards. Treat the business card with respect to show a desire to be successful with them. One must wait to be seated by the host and the eldest is always severed first. One doesn’t have to wait for all to be served to start eating. One must eat a little bit of everything or it is very offensive. In business meetings men wear dark suits that

are conservative, and woman wear a dress with Dark Colors but nit necessary black. Always write a “Thank You “ letter the day after one goes to their home for dinner. All of these tips make for success in Korea.

MANNERS, CONTINUED FROM PG. 3

JAPAN

Korea

7

The Shwedagon Pagoda, also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda in English, is in Yangon, Myanmar . The cone -shaped Buddh ist monument is completely covered in gold and rises 99 miles on a hill 51 miles above the city. This beautiful holy place is filled with history and legend. Your trip will not be complete until you view the Shwedagon Pagoda.

MUST SEE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5

Miyajima Island is a small island located off the coast of Hiroshima. Miyajimais the home of Itsukushima Shrine and is itself worshiped as a god in Japan. Miyajima in Japan is a sacred destination for both Buddhists and Shintos. The island is famous for its giant torii gate, which seems to float of water at high tide. The peaceful

beauty of the island makes for a relaxing, romantic vacation.

The takraw ball is found in Thailand. The ball is used for a popular game in Thailand.

T h e k e r i s o r dagger is found in Indonesia. The keris is has very unique designs on it.

Indian carpets are v e r y p o p u l a r worldwide . They a r e k n o w n f o r their detail.

SOUVENIRS

8

NEWS

9

NEWS

Internet censorshipPG 3, 4, 7

Gun ControlPG 5, 6, 7

10

PRO News

What would China be like if the Internet censorship laws were not there to protect it? The Chinese government heavily invested in building an Internet filter widely known as the Great Firewall with the intensions of keeping the people of China from accessing certain websites. The project kicked off in May of 2001, and monitoring all levels of information flow within c o u n t r y. C h i n e s e I n t e r n e t censorship laws should remain in place. Rebellions in China that use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube against leaders or the government are prevented by the censorship laws. The international websites are replaced by domestic sites making a vast rebellion less likely. Watching videos on Youku, China’s top video

sharing site, is no different from watching them on YouTube. Except for from the protection it provides for the people of China by keeping them from rebelling using YouTube, or any other form of social media. Did you hear what happened in the Arab Spring Revolution? Young protesters used Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to communicate, organize, and raise a w a r e n e s s a g a i n s t t h e i r g o v e r n m e n t s ’ a t t e m p t s a t censorship. China could have been

next if it were not for the Internet censorship laws. T h e I n t e r n e t censorship laws ban content that is vulgar, violent, or relating to terrorism. The Firewall a l s o c e n s o r s inappropriate language. The government did not

want these ideas or this information influencing the people of China. For example, before the laws were placed young children could easily access this information. However, with the Firewall it is almost impossible. Even adults should not be exposed to these kinds of ideas. Keeping foreign competition from entering the market was an obvious reason for building the Great Firewall. Lee, the head of Google’s operations in China before the service was relocated, said, “If I were an entrepreneur I would feel grateful for government censorship because i t keeps international giants from entering the market." The laws also give local firms more breathing room. T h e l a w s t h a t t h e government passed on censoring China’s Internet should remain active for many reasons. The laws help prevent rebellions involving social media, keep the most h a r m f u l i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m influencing the public, and fend off foreign giants from entering the market. So what would it be like if the Internet in China was not censored? Now you know.

The Firewall Censors China from the Evil Behind it

By Marcy Williams

TELL WAL-MART

“NEVER AGAIN”

WALK

11

11

What if you lived in a world where you had no freedom of speech, there was no privacy, and you were isolated from the rest of the universe? This world is China. The Chinese government decided the Internet was polluted with lies, r u m o r s , a n d m i s l e a d i n g in format ion about po l i t i cs , religion, and more in China. In response the government made many laws and adjustments to the cyber network. They named one of t h e l a w s , “ D e c i s i o n o n Strengthening the Protection of Online Information.” Another measure taken by the government to prevent unwanted criticism on the internet was called “The Great Firewall,” a network filter that keeps China’s publ ic f rom accessing certain websites. To summarize, the Chinese Internet censorsh ip l aws shou ld be appealed.

Internet censorship violates the freedom of speech. On January 4, the government shut down the political magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu, after it criticized the Chinese government for not a d h e r i n g t o t h e c o u n t r y ’s constitution. Facebook and Twitter, as well as other social media websites, have been blocked on China’s servers. In recent years, social media has been used to help slowly take down long standing tyrants around the world, such as: Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian leader for 30 years, and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in Tunisian power for 24 years. The protesters who forced these leaders out of power planned when and where to meet using all forms of social media. The Chinese people should be able to access the Internet and the social network so they can share their political and religious views in a non-violent way. A l o n g w i t h v i o l a t i n g freedom of speech, the ways in which the censorship is carried out is a violation of privacy. Website owners are told by the government to delete any “illegal” information. In other words, “illegal” means information that goes against any

beliefs of the government, or criticizes the Chinese government. After the website owners have deleted the information, they are forced to give any personnel details of the offender. One of the many laws states that every URL address can be traced back to an individual. Also, the government has been monitoring private conversations between individuals and if any “rebellious” term or word is sent the wrongdoer could be sent to prison. China has been noted to have the largest recorded number of imprisoned journalists and/or imprisoned bloggers.

Chinese Censorship Increases Ignorance in China By Marguerite Walk

CON News

SEE: CENSORSHIP PG. 16

12

PRO News

Australia, now named one of the safest places in the entire world! In 1996, after a mass murder of 35 people, Prime Minister John Howard, led the country in passing gun control laws. Overall the laws included a ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, a mandatory buy back of weapons, and registration of all firearms. There has been a massive drop in homicides and suicides by firearms because of the gun control laws. There have been no mass murders since the passage of these laws. With the gun control laws now established, homicides and suicides by firearms will not become an issue in Australia again.

Australia, now a place to be safe since their gun control laws passed in 1996. From 1978 to 1996 there was 13 mass shooting in Australia. Since 1996, when the gun control laws were accepted by the country, there has been none. The former Australian Prime Minister John Howard was the man who made the gun control laws established. The gun control laws mean that a l l a u t o m a t i c a n d s e m i -automatic weapons have to be

sold back to the government through a buyback program. The government bought around 650,000 firearms and destroyed almost 700,000 of the firearms. There government spent over 5 0 0 m i l l i o n d o l l a r s b y destroying these firearms. Now only hunting firearms are permitted.

Homicides by firearms are at an all-time low and are still dropping in numbers. In 1996, there was 354 homicides, but in 2012 there was only 30. Although the gun control deteriorated substantially it did homicides did not stop at first. Homicides went up by 300 percent and by 1999 there was

385. But since 1996 there has been no massacres or any mass shooting in Australia.

Suicides by firearms are finally about to stop. Since the gun control laws, suicides have dropped by 65 percent. After the gun buyback, suicides have dropped by 74 percent. Mostly men from age 65 and above are the most suicidal by firearms. But there are some still murders from ages 15 to 64 and hardly any women commit suicide. The gun control laws have had a massive impact on all the suicides in Australia and the suicide rates are continuously going down each year.

There is an all time low in all homicides and suicides by firearms since the gun control laws. Australia has been names one of the safest countries in the world. Homicides are finally at an all time low. Suicides are dropping massively by 74 percent since the gun control laws. One of the few places in the world where there is almost no suicides and homicides is now Aussie Land.

Everyone is Safe and Peaceful in Aussie Land By Hutson Sumrall

13

CON News

Historically, Australians are a rough and tough group; Criminals from England were sent there, because Australia was an overflow prison camp for English prisons. Given that fact, it was quite a fight to pass the national gun control laws in Australia in 1996. That year t h e A u s t r a l i a n g o v e r n m e n t eliminated some types of guns, installed a buyback program, and demanded stricter requirements for licensing and registration for guns. Almost 700,000 guns were taken and destroyed! The government thought if they didn’t make those laws there would be severe chaos in Australia. Gun control in Australia has increased taxes,

p e n a l i z e d l a w -abiding citizens, and left many people feeling unsafe in their homes.

A tourist may not realize that people living in Australia may worry about d e f e n d i n g themselves on a consis tent basis . The percentage of p e o p l e w h o a r e

killed or injured by guns may have dropped, but there is still a percentage of people who will be attacked by a gun. With the gun control laws in affect, ordinary citizens do not have protection for themselves immediately. Protection is a police call away that can vary three to five minutes before help arrives! When a person has a gun pointed at him or her, the threatened person does not have three to five minutes to wait! However, if he/she had a gun then he/she could react immediately and perhaps save his/her life or the life of a loved one. People have mental stress often, because they always worry about their safety.

Citizens pay taxes to fund the cos t o f suppor t ing the bureaucracy, which is needed to mainta in gun control laws, registries, and certifications. The first year when the laws were first enacted it was reported that it cost the Australians 500 million tax dollars. As a tourist one might be interested to know this cost. The safety that one may feel as a tourist has come at a high price for the

every day person l iving in Australia!

Gun control laws penalize law-accepting citizens. People who want to feel safe in their homes are not free to have a gun. If people are caught with a banned gun the maximum penalty is 14 years in prison or a 60,000 dollar fine, depending on the type and way the gun had been used. The Australian police officers can check a citizen’s gun safe inside a house at anytime. That’s an invasion of privacy! What about the hunters who enjoy hunting? The price of a gun has at least doubled from its original cost. The hunter has had to deal with stricter licensing and registration laws

Are people actually Safe in Australia? By William nalty

SEE: GUN CONTROL PG. 16

14

MOVES FASTER & SAFER WITH US.

WILLIAMS15

Another reason these laws should be appealed is for the sake of remaining in contact with the rest of the world. If a Chinese local was to research a term many times, such as river, the device’s screen will black out for a minimum of a minute and a half. River has the same pronunciation as China’s previous president. Many words, like river, that c o u l d b e a s s o c i a t e d w i t h threatening concepts are deleted. T h e s e w o r d s t a k e a w a y vocabulary, world issues, and contact from the world-wide web. T h e n e w s o f r e b e l l i o n s ,

democracies, and government takeovers has been censored. The government believes they are helping themselves by keeping their citizens ignorant of the current events and issues . However, the knowledge that is not accessible to the locals is a wasted opportunity for great innovations to be made. In conclusion, Chinese I n t e r n e t c e n s o r s h i p d o e s significantly more harm than good. Censorship violates the right to privacy, isolates China from the rest of the world, and, in addition, violates the freedom of

speech. This controversial topic helps develop the point of view of bo th the Chinese and the American government, and how although we live in the same world, every opinion can be either right or wrong.

Will the gun control laws in Australia eventually lead to other laws limiting what law abiding citizens are able to do? Already, in 2002, another law was passed that tightened the type of caliber, barrel capacity, and barrel length for handguns used in sport shooting. Gun control makes citizens feel more vulnerable in their homes and more threatened. Law a b i d i n g c i t i z e n s a r e

sometimes penalized with more taxes. It is unfair that citizens are left feeling unsafe in their own homes when they could feel safe by having a gun at their side.

CON News CONT.

CENSORSHIP, CONTINUED FROM PG 12

GUN CONTROL, CONTINUED FROM PG. 14

a mind of its own

WILLIAMS

16

ARTS

17

ARTS

Squinty EyesPG 13, 14 Strike again

PG 17, 18

FukushimaPG 16, 17

Trip like no otherPG 19, 20

18

Squinty Eyes And Fried RiceBy MArcy Williams

I opened my eyes to a soft, blurry figure whom I wish I could say was gently tapping me, however in reality, was actually violently slapping me across the face while screaming, “GET UP!” I remained silent and rolled onto my back hoping my little brother would just give up and leave. There was a long silence. I guess he left. I began slowly drifting back to sleep. “GET UP!” I guess not. My fist clenched with anger. I sat up, my face burning with rage, and kicked him off the bed onto the floor in my bedroom. As usual, he sprinted away crying right after he “got revenge,” which in my family consists of grabbing the first hard object you see off the floor and chucking it at the offender. Luckily, the remote control Ferrari flew pas t me , caus ing no harm. Explaining to my mom that it was not my fault was the difficult part.

After all, it was 2:30 in the morning. We luged our bags down the stairs and loaded them in the car for the New Orleans International Airport. Although the purpose for our traveling to Hong Kong was to attend my uncle’s wedding, I was pleased with the idea. However, as an eleven year old, my knowledge of China consists of squinty eyes and fried rice. Clay, my little brother, was not thrilled about the trip, complaining that he hated long plane rides. After all other efforts to convince him failed, his new iPad mini, which my mom bought him, did the trick. Unfortunately, my older sister, McKain, wasn’t so easily persuaded. But in the end, whether or not she chose to receive a new iPad, she was coming with us. She would probably end up staying in the hotel room texting the whole time anyway.

The door to ou r navy subu rban opened and let in the an e a r - p i e r c i n g b u z z c o m i n g f r o m t h e airplanes. We grabbed our suitcases and started heading toward the airport entrance when to no one’s surprise, I realized I left my stuffed dog. I ran back to the car to search for him. I

wasn’t going anywhere without Buster. The rest of our airport experience went surprisingly well with an exception of a few minor incidents including leaving Buster in one the security buckets, who we picked up from a cheerful, old lady wearing a dark blue uniform behind a tall desk labeled Lost-n-Found. We boarded our plane on time and all was well. Of course, this didn’t last long. Another cheerful woman in the same uniform walked up to my aisle and started talking to me so I sat there and watched her mouth move while no words came out. It was hard to make out what she was saying due to the loud buzzing and all the talking on board. Her annoyingly high pitch, squeaky voice wasn’t helping either. My mom stepped in and asked what was going on. In summary, my mom, not realizing it at the time, had accidentally bought one ticket, which was seated away from the rest of the family. That ticket had my name on it. The flight attendant, whom I later found out was not quite as cheerful as I had thought, escorted me to my new seat. So while Clay sat in his seat

SEE: SQUINTY EYES PG. 20

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“as an eleven year old, my knowledge of China

consists of squinty eyes and fried rice.”

NALTY

19

playing on his new iPad, I was stuck next to a fat asian couple with nothing to do for the next 20 hours and 45 minutes. As it turns out I didn’t need the iPad because watching this man next to me devour meal after meal, snack after snack, was entertaining enough. I’ve never seen anything more repulsive in my life. I stared in amazement at the amount of crumbs and saliva that flew from his mouth. Yet, after every plate of food ordered and placed in front of him, there was always one bite left. I became curious and finally gained the guts to ask why he left it. This was a mistake. He faced me and let out a loud, deep rumble accompanied by a horrible stench. My stomach immediately dropped to the ground and I made the decision not to ask any more questions. “Welcome to Hong Kong International Airport and Thank You For Flying United.” I wiped the crusty drool from my mouth and quickly lifted my head from what I just realized was the fat asian’s stomach. After running back to my seat to find Buster in the pocket with the magazines, I was finally reunited with my family. We retrieved our luggage and exchanged our US money for Chinese Yuan in order to be able to pay for the bus ride to the hotel. Clay and I helped my dad with the exchange. He explained to us that one Chinese Yuan is approximately equal to .16 of a US Dollar. In New Orleans it was past midnight but we had slept almost the entire plane ride. It was around

noon in Hong Kong. China was not what I had expected, yet saliva continued to fill my mouth th inking of the f r ied r ice . Everything was lit up in bright colors. Hong Kong was extremely busy. The sidewalks were crowded with people and the streets with cars, buses, and bikes. The honking and beeping of horns filled the city. It seemed no one was paying any attention to the signs or the traffic guards, yet everyone appeared perfectly content. When my mom told me her brother ’s fiance requested a traditional Chinese wedding I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but I never thought the entire service would be in Chinese. The St. Anthony’s Church was completely covered in red, which I later found out signifies love, joy, and prosperity in Chinese wedding traditions. Only the immediate families of the couple attended the wedding. The bells vibrated the church and although I had no idea what was going on, the wedding was pleasant and everyone seemed

happy. I even think McKain, who had been pouting the entire trip, was enjoying it. It was quiet and peaceful when all of a sudden “Party Rock Anthem” started blaring out of the seat next to me. I quickly turned to see Clay, red as a cherry, tapping desperately at his iPad screen. The music stopped, but everyone continued to stare at us. We were thrown out of the wedding. Even though Clay was completely at fault, my parents locked all three of us in our hotel room for the day. As I laid in my bed glaring at the boring, beige celling I thought about the past two days I had spent in China. I thought about the flight attendant, the fat man, the busy streets, the wedding, and every other strange encounter. I realized that there is more to China than squinty eyes and fried rice. Although a few seemingly weird things had happened to us, I realized that it wasn’t weird, its simply part of Chinese culture.

SUMRALL

20

SQUINTY EYES, CONTINUED FROM PG 19

M a y f i r s t , 2 0 1 3 , I ’ m traveling to Kyoto, Japan, on a plane thinking about Fukushima. Fukushima had a terrible nuclear explosion after a strong earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Nuclear reactors explored at that time and could now explore again at any moment. I am with my friend, Marzia; she is a 25 year-old woman and I am 23 years old. Marzia is the exact opposite of me, I am tall and buff and she is short and skinny. We are planning to meet with a family, whose son works with my father. I am hoping that the Fukushima nuclear power plant will stay intact while I am there, but will always be worried about it. May 2nd, We finally have arrived at the crowded airport in Kyoto and are looking for the Yoshida family. I see them and say, “ Kon’nichiwa misuta to misu Yoshida.” (Hello mister and misses Yoshida) They see Marzia and I and reply, “Kon’nichiwa Hutson.” (Hello Hutson) They don’t know Marzia yet, so I introduced her to them and them to her. I ask about any new in Fukushima, and they said it has been the same-that it could explode any day. The Yoshida family brings us to our hotel and leaves us there. We find our room and put all of our stuff in the closets, take showers and brush are teeth and finally, go to sleep.

May 3rd, I call for breakfast in bed and order in japanese using my Basic Japanese Language book. They bring us up our food, which is miso soup, steamed white rice, and two tamagoyaki. (rolled omelet). Mr. Yoshida called to invite us to dinner tomorrow with him and his wife. May 4th, Marzia and I are walking to the Yoshida’s house. We haven’t had any exercise since we arrived in Kyoto, we have only eaten food, so we decided to walk to the house rather than take a taxi. The walk wasn’t that long and we

got to the house in no time. Then Mrs. Yoshida already had the food ready on the table when we walked in the house. Mrs. Yoshida served us Super Gekikara Monjyayaki with a side dish of steamed rice. I was already excited to try it because of the name involved super and I love the word super. Marzia was scared to try it, but I told her to try it at the same time I tried it. We tried it together and after we put it in our mouths, they said it was made with chili powder and topped with habanero sauce. I was s u d d e n l y s w e a t i n g a f t e r I swallowed the first big bite. I

wanted to scream about how hot it was, but I remembered if I lost face they would be embarrassed and then I would feel bad. I tried to get the heat out of my mouth by eating my rice as fast as I could and drinking water. Suddenly the heat was gone, the sweats were gone, and I felt better. I looked at Mr. and Mrs. Yoshida and they had the most surprised look I had ever seen. Then to Marzia and she had eaten her whole bowl of Super Gekikara Monjyayika. I asked her how she ate all of the food without dying and replied with “I love

spicy food.” We walked back home and my stomach was hurting the whole way there. Once we got to the hotel, I ran to our room and went to bed as fast a possible. May 5th, We are

going on bus tour around the city, so Marzia and I are getting our cameras set up and ready to go. We went to the bus and there was a top deck. So we sat right at the front of the top deck, so we could have the best view. We stopped at many views of over Kyoto and we took some great pictures. We compared them to see who had the best pictures. There was a stop at the Temple of the Golden Pavilion and we left the bus there. The Golden Pavilion is a zen temple, which used to be called Rokuonji. It was the retirement of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s temple. It

The fear of FukushimaBy hutson sumrall

SEE: FUKUSHIMA PG. 22

“There is a court case of 14 children that want to be able

to love without radiation.”

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became a zen temple after the death of Shogun and is located in the northern part of Kyoto. There was also a Silver Pavilion built by the grandson of Yoshimitsu on the opposite side of Kyoto. The Golden Pavilion has been burnt down and rebuilt many times and the last time it was burnt down was in 1950 by a crazy monk and rebuilt in 1955. We had to find a way to get back to the hotel, so we called a taxi. I told him “I need to get back to south Kyoto to the Hotel Brighton City Kyoto Yamashina.” He replied “That will be around 1000 yen.” We finally got back to the hotel and I whipped out my computer. I checked the s ta tus of the Fukushima nuclear power plant and after looking at it I called Mr. Yoshida to ask if we could talk about it and he said yes. Unlike

me Marzia is not worried and asleep. I finally fall asleep after worrying for about an hour. May 6th, I wake up and immediately and wake up Marzia, so we can go to the Yoshida’s house. When we arrived they had lunch prepared of snowcrab sushi and miso soup. Mr. Yoshida and I talked about Fukushima, while Marzia and Mrs. Yoshida talked about the U.S. He told me that radiated water leaking from the plant that has been in the U.S. water and food supply. He also said there was a blackout just because of a dead rat. He said there is a court case of 14 children that want to be able to live without radiation. The court case was motivated by the children’s parents because children are more vulnerable than adults. After much more information I finally

tell him that I have to leave to pack because my plane leaves tomorrow. We get back to the hotel and Marzia and I start packing. I was finished packing by the time she was almost half way done, so I told her to hurry up and helped her pack do we could go to bed. May 7th, we had to check out the hotel at nine to get to our 12 o’clock flight back to Los Angeles. I went to the Yoshida’s and told them bye and thank you and told them I was praying for the nuclear power plant not to explode. We went to the crowded airport and waited for out flight to leave. On the way back I was glad to leave because of the nuclear power plant, but also sad because Kyoto was very beautiful and I loved Mr. and Mrs. Yoshida.

FUKUSHIMA, CONTINUED FROM PG. 21

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“Thirty minutes until we land in Seoul,” the pilot’s voice i n t e r r u p t s m y n a p , “ T h e temperature on the ground in seoul 22 degrees Celsius, with blue skies.” Later on, tonight, Tyler, my friend, and I will be visiting the house of Chin Nahm, with whom my father has been negotiating bus iness . Mr. Nahm’s two daughters will show us Seoul tomorrow. Although I am nervous, given recent nuclear threats by North Korea, I am hoping to visit a park on the border of South and North Korea while we are here. The third day, I’ll attend a business meeting with Mr. Nahm. I feel very lucky that my father has made all these arrangements and given me this chance.

The “Taxi” sign jumps out at us as we walk from the baggage claim and outside at Seoul International Airport, making this part of the trip easy. I open my notepad and begin to review behaviors for dinners and phrases I will need. The first phrase I should be familiar with is "man-na-suh pan-gop-sumnida", which translates as “Pleased to meet you.” One behavior I want to remember is to put down my chop sticks when I finish eating and before I speak.” Before we arrive at the Imperial Palace Hotel, I get my app for English-Korean translation on my phone. Siri comes to the rescue and saves my whole trip by talking Korean for

me. I’m able to ask the taxi driver to be here by 5:30, in Korean. As we enter the Imperial Palace hotel we see an elegant, triple chandelier, overhanging a fountain, and surrounded by a floor inlaid with jade. Very ornate sitting rooms surround us, too. We hustle to the concierge’s desk and request that flowers be ordered for 5:00. The concierge asks if we would like a group of seven flowers, since seven is a lucky number. He also mentions that the price must be appropriate, so as not to offend. Finally, we can see our room.As we enter our fifth story suite, our jaws drop in astonishment! We can see the city of Seoul from enormous windows in our suite. We have two king sized beds with Korean designs; that’s where we both land for an hour before ge t t ing ourselves ready for dinner. Luckily, at 5:30, our taxi driver is waiting; I give the address. He signals the drive will take ten minutes. We feel relief because we will be on time and not offend the family by being late. Our hearts slow from the running and hurrying and we relax on the way to Chin Nahm’s. We arrive at Mr.Nahm’s house and the family greets us with excitement and in English. As we are being introduced, I use both hands and give the flowers to Mr. Nahm, who has huge smile on

his face. The gift shows how much we respect him and his family. Tyler and I bow to each of the two daughters, Maddie and Sarah, and their mother as we are introduced. Mr. Nahm shows us into the dining room, where he, as the host, pours each of us a drink. Mr. Nahm asks about our flight and our hotel. I, in turn, ask, “What made you interested in the environmental clean-up business of my father?” He replied that my father has preformed a miracle job with the clean up after the BP oil spill and in case South Korea had a similar incident, he could do the same. Dinner is served and it looks delicious. Tyler and I know

we must sample every dish, and we take medium amounts of each one. When Mr. Nahm asks if I would like a second helping of the duck, I refuse, as I am supposed to do. He does the same thing with Tyler, and Tyler also refuses. Five minutes later, Mr. Nahm asks again, and this time Tyler and I accept. Finally, we are allowed to accept!

Will they strike again?By William Nalty

SEE: STRIKE PG. 24

“They also like that we have a stellar reaction time and we always finish the job until the last detail.”

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Sarah and Maddie meet us at the hotel to take us around the city and show us the way they live their lives. Maddie and Sarah are 18, just like us. The first place they take us was the Bukchon Village. It’s a traditional 600-year-old urban environment, whose atmosphere reminded me of the samurai’s houses in the movies. Later we went to the Gyeongbok palace. This was very interesting because this was just like their old white house. Afterwards we went to the Shinsegae department store to do some shopping and that was the most fun place to go because it has sundry stores! Tyler and I bought our selves and family some souvenirs and some clothes. The currency was very different from the US dollar and you could buy a lot with a little money. The whole trip took about five hours and it was 4:30. Tyler and I were curious about how the South Koreans felt with the nuclear threat often happing. We decide to ask Maddie and

Sarah, they said, “We always have to be on our toes and suspect the worst and be prepared for that. We trust our parents to protect us and they will always give us places to go and places to avoid to stay safe.” Later we ask them how they felt about that person dying in the park. They said” That was very unfortunate and we will personally never like, go to, trust North Korea again, especially with the leader that they have now.” The next day we meet Mr. Nahm at his office at 12:00 along with 12 other business advisors. It is 9:00 right now and the office is about thirty minutes away from the hotel. I look through my note pad, on what I should wear, and it said that the business attire was dark color suits were appropriate. We are not allowed to wear any kind of jewelry, only conservative attire. We arrive on time, and we start the meeting. We talk about how we might be a benefit for them and they can rely on us when something goes wrong. They also

like that we have a stellar reaction time and we always finish the job until the last detail. Tyler and I feel that they want to do business with us, and that they like us as people.

“Successful” is the word I use to describe this trip to Seoul. I feel as though I learned many social customs that would allow me to do business for my father and to behave well in this culture. I took the time to know a family, which I believe is important if I were ever to live here. The public transportation makes the city easy to navigate. As far as nuclear attack and the worries about that, I know that could happen in the U.S. It would not be logical for North Korea to fire a nuclear weapon in today's world, but there is always the chance that a country will do that. After Finding the S o u t h K o r e a n s f e e l v e r y comfortable with Americans I highly recommend Seoul as a place to visit.

STRIKE AGAIN, CONTINUED FROM PG. 23

TASTE THATLASTS LONGER!

你中好國

Buy XYLISH Gum TodayWALK

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I had finally arrived at the Shahjalal International Airport, and as I walked to the exit, I pulled out my hotel information. I was going to be staying at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka. I was traveling to Dhaka as a graduation present from my parents, who decided going to a faraway place was an “eye-opening” experience. Although Bangladesh had not been my first choice of places to go over my break, the populated city began to grow on me after I learned more about it.

As I was checking into my hotel, the front desk clerk excused himself for a call he needed to take. As I waited, I looked around the hotel, the people’s clothing almost blinded my eyes with their abstract colors. The front desk clerk came back, but he was distracted, “Sorry, um… where were we?”

“You were checking me in to my hotel room.” I said, staring at him as if he had lost his mind. “Are you alright?”

“Yes. I am okay. However, I must inform you a building, Rana Plaza, in Savar has just collapsed.”

“That’s horrible! Would I provide any help if I went?”

“No, the site will be filled with devastation. No one will want help today. It wouldn’t be smart to go there the day of the accident. I recommend going tomorrow.”

“I understand. Thank you.” I went up to my hotel room and decided it would be helpful to get a good night sleep.

The next morning I woke up early due to the bright rays of sun shining through my window. I soon remembered today was the day I would travel to Savar to see the ruins of the Rana Plaza. I put on my grey H&M crop top and pink Wal-Mart shorts and headed for Savar. It was only a 45-minute trip from my hotel to the remains. When I arrived, I was speechless. I h a d n e v e r s e e n s o m u c h devastation. I found myself covering my nose due to the odor of the debris. My stomach began to churn; I felt so out of place. What was I, a privileged high school graduate who knows nothing about real loss, doing in a crowd full of families who might have just lost their loved ones? As if that didn’t make me feel enough out of place, I began to notice people pointing at me and whispering, and giving me what Americans call “the evil eye.” I decided to blow them off and keep pushing my way through the crowd. I stopped myself after I almost ran into a little boy, about five years old, crying his eyes out. “What’s wrong?” He responded by mumbling something in a language unknown to me, and then ran off. I clearly wasn’t helping anyone, so I headed back to the hotel.

Nine days after the accident I returned to the site. I received the same looks I had the first day I visited the site. I decided it was because I was wearing clothes from H&M, while they were wearing traditional Bangladesh attire; once again I blew them off. That same day I ran into the little boy I had seen my first day at the ruins, I decided to go up to him once more. While attempting to speak to the boy, his aunt came up and said in a rough accent, “He doesn’t know what you’re saying.”

Thank goodness someone else speaks English! “Why is he crying?”

“His mother was on the second floor of the Rana Plaza when it collapsed and they have not found her yet.” The aunt began to stare at my H&M shirt with a look of disgust, and then yells, “You caused this devastation!”

I stepped back, surprised and confused at what had just happened. “What are you talking about?”

“The Rana Plaza contained factories that made clothing that was later shipped to stores such as H&M, Wal-Mart, and the Gap.

A trip like no otherBy Marguerite Walk

“We found one more survivor, after 17 days

she is still alive!”

SEE: TRIP PG. 26

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These factories were managed under harsh and unsafe working conditions.”

I w a s s p e e c h l e s s . I understood why all of these people had been “death” staring me. These Bangladeshi citizens had been working under hazardous surroundings just so people in America could buy clothing for a couple dollars less. As I was having this realization of the terror these factory workers had been exposed to, the aunt noticed that Akash, the five-year-old boy, had developed a liking for me. I kept him calm for some reason. She asked me if I would continue to visit the site of the accident and stay with Akash every day until the search for survivors was called off. She said her sisters and her were at the front of the crowds focusing on the debris and consoling the elders, they couldn’t watch Akash too. She also asked if everyday I would go with Akash to the nearby school, the place where the rescuers were taking the bodies for identification. The aunt stated that I could drop Akash off at the camp

their family built a block away from the ruins before the sun began to set. I said I would.

Everyday I went back to the ruins knowing to not wear any Wal-Mart, H&M, or Gap clothes. I would find Akash, go to the school, and keep his mind off his mother. On the seventeenth day following the tragedy, Akash, his aunt, and I all knew there was no hope left. Akash’s mother could not survive under the rubble for seventeen days. That day, not even I could cheer up Akash. He knew his mom was gone. As we were walking down the street, Akash began to sprint. Even though he didn’t understand what I was saying, I yelled, “Akash, Come back here!” I followed him. I finally caught him and positioned myself where my head was down and I was panting. As I slowly lifted my head up, I became mesmerized by the collage of missing flyers that were on this gigantic wall. Akash was sitting against the wall crying, and holding a flyer with a picture of his

mother. I sat down next to him and we were both silent.

We must have dozed off, because we awoke to the sound of voices on an intercom saying, “WE FOUND ONE MORE SURVIVOR, AFTER 17 DAYS SHE IS STILL ALIVE!” The crowd began to roar. Akash said nothing, and even though we couldn’t communicate, I know he had lost all hope. We pushed our way through the jovial crowds to his aunt. But she was not in her usual spot. We looked beyond the barricade that kept the crowds out of the rubble, there was his aunt crying grabbing the hand of the survivor. Akash ran to the survivor’s stretcher. Clearly the survivor was the mother of Akash. When Akash could go no further with his mother, he began to run at me. He was crying just like the first time I had seen him, but the difference was this time, they were not tears of sadness, they were tears of joy.

TRIP, CONTINUED FROM PG. 25

LAND AREA World Population

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THAT’S NOT A KNIFE,

THIS IS A KNIFE.

WALK27

BOOK HOOKS

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GREAT READS!Stealing Buddha’s DinnerBy Bich Minh Nguyen

At the point in history when the world knew the Vietnam War was won by the Communists, the Nguyen family decided to move from a dry and humid Saigon to a bitter and icy cold Michigan. The memoir tells of Bich’s struggles fitting into Grand Rapids, Michigan in an amusing way for all ages.Like all teenagers, Bich struggles to fit into her new community. However, the difference between Bich and every other teenager is that she is from another country. This means she must try to fit into American society while still holding onto her Vietnamese culture. For example, when Bich attends second grade, many of the Vietnamese refugees changed their names from Vietnamese names to American name in order to fit in. Bich feels the need to do this, but her desires are rejected by her stepmother, Rosa. Her name is often mispronounced, and instead of “Bich,” she is called a synonym of a female dog. Ms. Nguyen humorously, yet fully captures the obstacles that come with being an outsider. Bich Nguyen’s Stealing Buddha’s Dinner helps us realize that we are not alone in the journey of “coming of age,” and that clearly some of us have more difficult obstacles than others.

Never Fall DownBy Patricia McCormick

Patricia McCormick loves to write fictional books for young adults and teens. She met Arn when she was in New York in her apartment building. She talked to Arn, asked him about the Khmer Rouge, and eventually came up with a story. Arn, a young and wise boy, lives with his aunt and sells ice cream all day to make some money for his poor family. One day, the Khmer Rouge come into his town and takes over their town. They make them march far away, split them up by age and gender, and make them into slaves. The Khmer Rouge kill the sick, lazy, and foreign slaves. Arn joins the band that plays while the Khmer Rouge kills people. Arn was caught out one night, which usually means death, but the soldier let’s him off the hook for being the khim player. Arn might be taking the blame too many times and might get killed. At the end of this gruesome and horrifying story, we learn the threats of tyrants like Angka and his army the Khmer Rouge.

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Polly Evans embarks on her long journey across present-day China, beginning in Beijing and ending in Hong Kong. Her humorous trip through many extravagant cities, towns, and villages provides both entertainment and information of China and its culture. Being a foreigner from England, Polly is faced with many difficulties along the way, including long claustrophobic bus rides, suspicious-looking dumplings, and excruciatingly painful kung fu stretches. To summarize her journey Polly explains, “Eating a fried egg with chopsticks bears small-scale similarities to the greater trials of traveling around China as a foreigner. It is frustrating, frequently ludicrous, you look ridiculous, and small tasks take infinitely longer than they should. But in the end, pride shattered, patience tried, and seemingly against all odds, you do arrive. And then somebody comes along smiling, and points out the easier route you should have taken. Although her frustration is obvious, Polly’s determination and will pushes her through the difficult times. In the end, she arrives at her final destination having acquired much knowledge of Chinese culture and traditions.

Fried Eggs with ChopsticksBy Polly Evans

The Killing SeaBy Richard Lewis

“His first crazy thought was that he was late for work and that his angry boss was waking him up.” Ruslan is mistaken about what has awakened him from his nap on the peninsula of Ujung Karang, Indonesia. He has been having nightmares, but this shaking was for real. “Forget the bottles! Get the hell out! Everybody, off, off! Run for the hill!” Sarah’s father was yelling at the family to escape the vacation sailboat, the Dreamcatcher, and run away from the cliff of water that was headed straight toward them. The tsunami creates a survival situation for Sarah and Ruslan. Within hours of the tsunami, Sarah buries her mother and then finds her brother, Peter, who desperately needs medical attention. While Ruslan heads to another village to find his father, he sees and rescues Sarah and Peter from a skiff. Sarah knows she must have Ruslan’s help to locate medical assistance for Peter because he can speak both languages, English and the local language. Together and apart, the two struggle through the depths of the jungle with very little food or water. Firsthand, they experience the disaster, full force, as they witness trucks dumping bodies into death pits. What many people fear, Ruslan and Sarah meet head-on.

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