instAsia

It has been a very nice project with you guys and I wish the best of luck for Tomorrow(and the day after that and the day after that)'s Periodical test(s).

ASEAN was formed to accelerate economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.

It was formed by 5 nations. Namely: Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. The 5 founding fathers were: 

Adam Malik (Malaysia), Narciso Ramos (Philippines), S. Rajaratnam (Singapore), Tun Abdul Razak (Indonesia) and Thanat Khoman (Thailand).

Sooo..... YEAH!! :D Random stufff :))))

This is like so Ehmegesh.... It's my first serious post in a million years. XDDD

The Poster Above is a minimalist take on the poster of the 12th longest-running Broadway musical Miss Saigon.

A musical from the same guys who brought you Les Miserables, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil based it on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover.

The setting of the plot is relocated to the 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War, and Madame Butterfly's story of marriage between an American lieutenant and Japanese girl is replaced by a romance between an American GI and a Vietnamese bar girl.

A notable facet regarding the musical is it is regarded as one of the most iconic Filipino's launching pad to international stardom. The Filpino in mention of course being Lea Salonga casted when she was just 17 years old

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Kabuki  is a form of traditional Japanese drama with highly stylized song, mime, and dance, performed only by male actors. Japanese originally used this verb meaning “act dissolutely”, later interpreting the word as “ka” for song, “bu” for dance, and “ki” for art/skill.

Kabuki theater is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate makeup worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as “the art of singing and dancing”. Since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the word kabuku, meaning “to learn” or “to be out of the ordinary”, kabuki can be “bizarre” theater.

Sources:

http://livetaos.com/2013/04/kabuki-harajuku-fashion-and-kyary-pamyu-pamyu/

http://theatreri.blogspot.com/

Yoko Ono (オノ・ヨーコ , born 小野 洋子(Ono Yōko) is one of the most well-known contemporary artists not only for her marriage with The Beatle's John Lennon but for her works in filmaking and peace activism.

Yoko Ono was born in Tokyo on February 18, 1933. After a rough childhood amidst the Second World War, she ,at the age of 18, moved with her parents to Scarsdale, New York.

Settling in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, she go interseted to poetry and art and at first was considered radical but gained recognition working with Anthony Cox, her future second husband. One of her most famous works at the time was "Cut", a segment where she asked the guest to cut her clothes one by one questioning materialism.

Of course, who can forget John Lennon. Ono and Lennon soon to collaborate in peace activism and music,becoming synonymous to the Hippie Movement.

Though Ono, isn't in the spotlight as she used to be in. We must always remember how one girl shaped so much history in so little time.

Sources (Because I said So):

http://www.biography.com/people/yoko-ono-9542162 

http://www.imaginepeace.com/

We've all seen the 'dots' on Indian women's forehead. But do you know what it is or what it's called? Let's find out!

(I feel like Dora.... XD)

These so-called 'dots' are called Bindi. They (traditionally) symbolize many things. Like protection against demons, a third eye and marital status.

Vermilion used to symbolize marriage. Black would be single. And black with white sari would be a widow.

That was then. Now, it doesn't really symbolize anything to other Hindus. Even men wear it now as a decoration.

Just something random from me! :)

The Guanyin (commonly known as "The Goddess of Mercy")  is the bodhisattva often associated with compassion and is usually honored by East Asian Buddhists (you know the Buddhists from the east of Asia).Now the question is what on door knobs is a bodhisattva and why should I care?

Though the definitions are sometimes blurred, but the general terms is that the bodhisattvaare these kinds of enlightenment beings. A cosmological object that understands the nature of everything so effortlessly. Basically they're the Emil Lopezes of the Buddhist world. Heck they're names come from the words bodhi (enlightenment) beings (sattva). A list can be found in the links below.

Bodhisattva has been a popular subject in Buddhist art and has gotten kind of a spiritual fandom of somesort with thousands if not millions of portrayals. These protrayals range from the most beautiful poems to the most elegant statues. 

Avalokitasvara might be just be the Chinese name of the Guanyin, but these two are as different as Minerva and Athena or Snoop Dogg and Snoop Lion. The Chinese and some other East Asian countries have spangled some of their thoughts on the being such as characteristic and even legends.

Older beliefs saw the Avalokitasvara as a male,which means chest-revealing clothing and maybe even a sport mustache. Although some people still think the being like this, but most modern interpretations show her as girl. To make the party more exciting, some people find her/him as androgynous (others, neither).

The Lotus Sutra ,a collection of Buddhist aphorisms, originally presented him/her as this shape-shifting being that goes around streets teaching to sentiment beings Dharma; changing to male or female,child or adult,non-human or human.

Before the Song Dynasty, most of the Chinese saw him/her as masculine in apperance; That is before the Lotus Sutra came in wrecking ball, which gave the shape-shifting persona to the goddess.Since she represented kindness and compassion, the Chinese preferred the feminine side and by the 12th Century was seen as her final form.

The iconography isn't limited to her such-beautiful-so-ethereal white flowing robe and necklaces; a jar containing pure water on her left hand and a willow branch is also included. Some people also include a parrot, two children/soldiers flogging her, or maybe even both.

The Guanyin is also the name-sake of the famous Canon Company, a famous brand of photocopiers,steppers,printers,medical equipment, and most famously, cameras.

The Canon camera has been a hallmark of mainstream photography in the novice and indie world. But this industrial work of art isn't limited to the tubby barista working Starbucks that shares your feelings regarding the discrimination of peanuts; the Canon camera has touched leading independent filmmakers such as Po Chan with his short film "The Ticket"

Not to mention, it totally revamped the claymation industry in 2012 with critically accalaimed movies like Paranorman and Frankenweenie that were shot with a Canon.

So from a magnificent work of religious art to a magnificent work of mechanical art, the Guanyin will be immortalized in the hands of indie filmmakers,cameramen,Buddhists, and the world at large.

References (Because I'm so professional and stuff)

http://www.fsu.edu/~arh/images/athanor/athxix/AthanorXIX_kim.pdf

http://books.google.ca/books?id=WDekApY7Y94C&pg=PA26&vq=%22in+hindu+myth,+kuan-yin+is+of+both+sexes%22&dq=&lr=&source=gbs_search_s&sig=ACfU3U0_pG2ibSFOmapsMhfidw1rJQMvHw#v=onepage&q=%22in%20hindu%20myth%2C%20kuan-yin%20is%20of%20both%20sexes%22&f=false

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_art

http://www.canon.com/

http://7goddessproject.wordpress.com/guanyin/

Binislakan is a Filipino folk dance performed with sticks known as "bislacks". The whole ordeal involves usually banging the two sticks like there is no tomorrow.

The folk dance came from Chinese Imigrants and is used to commerate the pirate, Limahong, who established Lingayen in what is now Pangasinan and since he's Chinese, chopsticks. 

A note from the the Administrator:

We would like to congratualte the team of Team Jewel for their victory as First Place. We are not Momordica charantia. Swear

Sources:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/History_of_sakuting_folk_dance#slide=1

A quote from the great Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu.

The Yin-Yang is one of the teachings of the Chinese Taoism that refers to the balance of life. Like two sides of a coin, it maybe different from one another but one cannot exist without another. 

Familiar with the sentence, "There is good in every bad and there is bad in every good." ??? Well, the Yin-Yang symbol and mentality is kinda like that. Examples:

Yin may refer to the Moon, Damp/Cool/Water, Female, Negative Charge or Earth. While the Yang on the other hand may refer to the Sun, Dry/Hot/Fire, Male, Positive Charge or Heaven.

Yin-Yang Symbol

This shows that although two things that are not the same and very different, complement each other and cannot exist without the other.

>>>>>>Admin Adrianne<<<<<<

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Credits for the photo: 

One last post from me!

Once upon a time, in a time not so far back, Singapore was once a part of Malaysia... It was a dream come true for Singapore because as you know, Singapore is small and has no natural resources.

This was arranged between Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew and Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaysia. Right from the start, the tensions were already running high.

The Malaysian government demands that Malaysians be treated better in everything: from their work conditions to their housings to the government positions to their education. Of course, the Singaporeans were very upset about this request. The Malaysians were insecure about the Chinese as they were the majority of the population.

Singapore was able to withstand these at first but after a few more riots, both Malaysia and Singapore couldn't take it anymore. Singapore was separated. It was heartbreaking for Lee Kuan Yew... But sometimes, you just have to let go.

And look at Singapore now! So.... HOORAY Singapore! Majulah Singapura! (Onward Singapore! from their national anthem)

Wayang Kulit: Indonesia's Famous Shadow Play

For those who didn't know, Wayang Kulit is the famous shadow play from Indonesia. It came from the words Wayang that means "show" or "perform" and Kulit that means "skin", although some people say it came from the word bayang which means "shadow".

Well, it is a play using the shadows of the puppets that are being played by people at the back of a sheet of cloth. It usually depict stories of their gods and while the show is playing a traditional gamelan orchestra would accompany it.

The puppets are made from hand-crafted leather and is mounted on bamboo sticks in order to show the puppet movements. The puppets have intricate designs so that when the shadows are shown it will have marvelous products (e.g. picture above of a puppet shadow). Sizes of puppets ranges from 25cm to 75cm.

>>>>>Admin Adrianne<<<<<

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Credits for the picture to:

- A quote from a Chinese philosopher and reformer, Confucius.

The Origins of Chinese Foot Binding

Throughout history, women have had to endure horrible things to be deemed beautiful. The ancient tradition of foot binding in China, however, takes the "beauty is pain" concept to a whole new level.

Hey hey hey! Guess who? (Again)

It's...*insert drum roll here* MICHAEL CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ!!

The only Filipino to enter the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi, Russia!

Yes. You heard me right. The ONLY Filipino. 'Cos Winter Olympics can't hold our Filipino swag. (Nah... Just kidding. It's not our thing...)

Even though his spectacular performance didn't get him any medals, the people of the Ice Skating World (does this exist?) says that he has a bright future ahead of him as a figure skater.

CONGRATS!!! :D I am genuinely happy for you!

Skate on, my brethren! And (someday) win the Philippines a medal! :)

~Admin Janellaaa

Source: http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/