Singapore Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly

A 32 year old Vietnamese woman, Truong Thi Hang was told that she was suffering from rectal cancer and told the best course was the surgical removal of her entire anus; however she decided to fly to Singapore for a final opinion.
Luckily for her, the doctors at the Singapore’s National University Hospital found out that her cancer was at an early stage and it was unnecessary for her to undergo such a major surgery.

The young woman is among the increasing numbers of Vietnamese patients choosing to travel abroad for medical treatment.

A global trend has emerged in cross-border healthcare and Viet Nam isn’t immune to it. It has been reported that more and more patients are trying to get medical treatment outside of their own countries.

The most-wanted destinations are countries with well developed healthcare systems like the US, Singapore and the EU.

Thanks to Singapore’s proximity, cultural similarity and relatively cheaper services, the country’s healthcare system is now ranked at number 1 in Asia and sixth best in the world by the World Health Organisation.

Singapore has always been the first choice for Vietnamese travelling patients.
Phan Nhung, deputy manager of the Raffles Hospital’s international marketing department explained to the Viet Nam New how, “more than 400,000 international patients go to Singapore each year for medical care, and 10,000 of these are Vietnamese patients. Most hospitals in Singapore serving Vietnamese patients would have Vietnamese-speaking staff to provide translation services and assistance to the patient and family members. This makes it much easier for the patients and they wouldn’t feel ‘lost’.”

Manilla Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly
TV host and graphic artist Robert Alejandro could be found conducted sketching workshops last October as part of the Pinoy Backpack Festival at the Trinoma. However, it was his illustrated book that was launched at the festival that got mouths moving.

His book, The Sketching Backpacker, documents his journeys as a backpacker across Asia. It is a collection of sketches, capturing the artist’s vivid journal entries while trekking with friends.

But it is proving to be a fantastic travel guide for recent travellers who wish to discover the region’s scenic destinations, historic landmarks, and find those unique bargains.

Alejandro shows how he was able to make his tight budget of 50,000-peso (US$1,000) last him the span of 10 weeks.

Covering a total of nine countries and with an abundance of priceless memories later, he explains how glad he is for the whole experience and that he was able to share it with fellow enthusiastic travellers, Filipino and foreign.

The Philippine Daily stated Alejandro saying, “The best thing about it is making friends.”

“You get to learn about the different cultures through the people. It’s so different, when you make friends through the backpack trip, because you’re together for some time. Filipinos always teach foreigners all sorts of things. And I remember trekking across Chiang Mai. You all go through hardships together,” he said.

The Sketching Backpacker, features Alejandro’s more intricate art style, and is filled with candid black-and-white portraits of people he met in trains, buses, boats, hostels and beaches.

There are also detailed freehand drawings of old architecture and street scenes in Viet Nam, China, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand and Singapore, among other places.

Alejandro explained how he only took a few art materials with him, which he used up very quickly.

Not only does the book show some amazing landscapes and portraits of people he met on his travels, it also lists local key words and their English translations, as well some of the more affordable backpackers’ inns, meals and transportation fares.

Alejandro found himself soaking up different cultures and thoroughly enjoying a non-stop adventure, but he made sure to always keep in touch with loved ones back home.

The sketching traveller can not wait to do it all over again, he realises that he has a fantastic book out but the trips also taught him and his fellow backpackers some valuable lessons.

“There’s so much to look at. We were just looking at ourselves and we thought, ‘This is it!’ The world is so much bigger. I feel passionate about sharing this. Two of my travel mates, it was their first time to do this and it completely changed their outlook. I think it would be good for fellow Pinoys. It would make them more open-minded if they could do this,” Alejandro told The Philippine Daily.

Manila Correspondent

Edited by: James Kelly
Just like the economy, fashion has taken a plunge. The way out of the depression is now to sport big statement pieces around the neck.

With a necklace mixed with semiprecious stones and elegant gems can turn any tank top or shirt into a canvas for stunning wearable art.

The Spring runways were all about statement neckpieces. One of the most interesting was Karl Lagerfeld’s Spring collection – ‘metal body jewellery’ on swanlike necks.

Meant to mimic tattoos, the beautiful pieces have the effect of baroque lace, a beautiful contrast to the sci-fi, futuristic concept of his asymmetrical suits.

If you are in Manila, the best place to find your statement necklace will be at the New Yorker shop. The owner, Liz Lirag, has a wide selection of vintage stones from her very own mother’s treasure chest, which dates back to 1960.

The pieces include cabochons in coral, turquoise, agate, lapis, jade, tiger’s eye and carnelian, pearls and crystals of every shape and colour.

The New Yorker store first used the selected stones in 2004 to embellish a line of jackets and belts.

Eventually, Lirag created cocktail dresses and evening gowns that are described as being where Russian Renaissance meets Marrakesh.

The stones have now become more mobile and adaptable, no longer just seen as a bead but more functional and wearable.

So if you are feeling a bit down by the current recession, sparkle your look and make a statement with a big beaded beautiful necklace.

Written by:
Bangkok Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly

Temples have been built across nations as places of worship but also as enduring testimonies to the faith of humanities since human settlements.

Throughout Asia you can find some of the most amazing and oldest temples, from the massive Egyptian temples, to the ornate examples in the Indian sub-continent, to the palatial edifices in the Far East.

Here are six spectacular temples that could take your breath away and inspire us in a sense of wonder.

Wat Rong Khun (Thailand)

Wat Rong Khun is in Chiangmai and is not like any other Buddhist temple in the world. It is pristine white, instead of being the signature red, gold and green roofs with multi coloured deities and guardians that you would see as a traditional Thai temple. This temple attracts nearly 1.8 million visitors a year.

Even though this temple is relatively new, it was initiated by one of Thailand’s most famous artists, Chalermchai Kositpipat, in honour of the King of Thailand. Work is still ongoing, and it is expected that three generations of artists will take up to another 60 years to complete painting the artwork inside.

Prambanan (Indonesia)

Prambanan is the biggest Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva in central Java. It was built in 850AD and it has eight main shrines with many smaller ones that reportedly make up a grand total of 1,000.

Quite a few people have compared it to the Petronas Twin Towers because of its elegant spires and refined architecture, which seem both ancient and modern.

The legend is that Princess Lara Jonggrang demanded that her suitor, Prince Bondowoso, build 1,000 temples within a single night if he wanted to win her hand in marriage. However the twist is that she did not fancy him at all and thought the task was an impossible one.

But her determined suitor summoned supernatural spirits to do his bidding and was just one temple short of reaching his goal when Princess Lara lit a bonfire and woke up the cockerels; they began crowing even though it was not dawn yet. This sent the spirits fleeing back into the bowels of the earth because they believed morning had arrived.

The princess laughed with glee at her suitor, which infuriated him so much that he turned her into stone. Her statue can still be found in the vicinity of the temple.

Temple of Heaven (China)

The Temple of Heaven is a Taoist temple in Beijing. It was the most important temple for the emperors of yore because it was here that he came twice a year to commune with heaven.

Constructed in the 14th century by Emperor Yongle during the Ming Dynasty, it shows the yin-yang concept because there is also a Temple of Earth – a clone of Temple of Heaven. In addition, there is also a Temple of Sun and the Temple of Moon Help which completes the four cardinal points.

At 2.7 million sq metres, the temple’s overall area is bigger than the Forbidden City’s.

Chion-in Temple (Japan)

Chion-in Temple was built in 1234 to honour the priest Honen, founder of Jodo (Pure Land) Buddhism, who fasted until dying here in 1212. This famous temple in Kyoto is considered one of the most important in Japan.

The temple’s massive two-storey main gate is a famous landmark that moviegoers would recognise as it appeared in the 2002 blockbuster, The Last Samurai, standing in for Edo Castle. Another interesting fact is that the bell in Chion-in is Japan’s heaviest weighing in at 74 tons, and it requires 17 priests to ring it during the New Year ceremony.

Borobudur (Indonesia)

Borobudur was built with 55,000 cubic metres of stone and homes 504 Buddha statues and 2,700 relief panels that tell a story as they are viewed in a clockwise direction as you walk towards the top. This temple is now one of the wonders of the world and is Indonesia’s single biggest tourist attraction and you need at least four hours to explore it.

It was built when Mahayana Buddhism was at its peak unfortunately Borobudur fell into disrepair in the 14th century when Java embraced Islam. The temple was reclaimed from the jungles in 1814 when Sir Stamford Raffles was notified of its existence.

Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

Last but not least is the largest and perhaps most breathtaking temple in history – Angkor Wat. Unlike other Khmer temples, Angkor Wat faces west instead of east, rising theories that it was meant to be a tomb for its builder, King Suryavarman II, who ruled from 1113 to 1150.

However, Angkor was originally meant to be a capital city, palace and state temple dedicated to Vishnu. It is meant to represent Mt Meru, the celestial abode of the gods in Buddhism and Hinduism. But by the 15th century, it had become a Theravada Buddhist temple.

Written by:
Amber Butler-Davis

Edited by: James M. Kelly
From March 13 to March 22 the 2009 Osaka Asian Film Festival will be showing recently acclaimed Asian films plus this year’s winner of the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture, the India-set Slumdog Millionaire.

Eleven films from rising cinema powers as Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia will be shown on Friday through Monday at the ABC Hall in Fukushima Ward.

Eight of the films will be having their national premiers in Japan, and the remaining three will be getting their first screenings in the Kansai region.

Among the films there will be Chocolate realised in 2008 in Thailand, a kung-fu action flick using no computer graphics effects or equipment and directed by Prachya Pinkaew, which will be shown at the opening event Friday. And the 2008 China romantic comedy If You Are the One, will be played on the Monday.

Two more Thai films being shown are Handle Me with Care which was written and directed by Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, and Love of Siam which was directed by relative newcomer Chookiat Sakveerakul, who also wrote the screenplay for Chocolate.

Also being featured at the Film Festival is Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly which was directed by Edwin in 2008 and won the International Critics’ Prize at the 2009 International Film Festival Rotterdam. Along side Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly is 2008 100, directed by Chris Martinez, who won the Audience Award at the 2008 Pusan International Film Festival.

All of the films will have English subtitles, except for Chocolate and A Letter from Elsewhere, a Japanese film directed by Natsuki Seta.

You can buy tickets for each show for 1,000 yen in advance or if you purchase them at the door it will cost 1,200.

A highlight at this year Film Festival is that a number of the directors and producers, including the three Thai directors and Martinez, will be speaking either before or after their films are screened. They will also speak at a symposium on March 16 with other independent film directors.

For more information about what movies will be playing you can visit the festival’s Web site www.oaff.jp.

Written by: Amber Butler-Davis

Edited by: James M. Kelly
A new security report has released that they believe that extremist groups in Southeast Asia are using the Internet and social networking to rebel the youth of the region.

Since 2000, Internet usage in Southeast Asia has exploded and extremist groups have developed a sophisticated online presence, including professional media units.

The report, which was conducted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, found evidence of extremist groups in the Asian region and that the Internet has become an increasingly important tool for recruitment to violence.

The report titled “Countering internet radicalisation in Southeast Asia” explained how the groups are not only attacking the West, but are drawing on their narrative to attack the governance arrangements of regional states.

The report also mentioned how online extremism first appeared in Southeast Asia in early 2000, particularly in the Bahasa Indonesia and Malay language cyber-environment.

Since then the regions Internet usage has greatly increased and so too have extremist websites, chat rooms and blogs.

The number of radical and extremist websites in Bahasa and Malay rose from 15 in 2007 to 117 in 2008.

Of those, sympathetic websites rose from 10 to 16 and sympathetic blogs and social networking rose from zero to 82.

Radical regional websites have spread through al-Qaeda and Southeast Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiah propaganda videos, pictures and statements between 2006 and July 2007.

In Indonesia, where they believe extremist Muslim groups are responsible for bombings, the usage of the Internet rose from two million in 2000 to 20 million in January 2008.

The report states that the country now represents 80 to 90 percent of visitors to 10 radical and extremist websites in the region.

Also in the Philippines, Internet usage has increased to now a total of 14 million users which is very different from only two million in 2000.

Malaysia is now up to 14.9 million from 3.7 million and Thailand records that they have 8.5 million users from 2.3 million in the same period.

It was in August 2007 when one of the first appearances of a “tradecraft manual” was in the then forum, Jihad al-Firdaus. The forum had a section on electronic jihad, including several hacking manuals.

But it was said that there had been no serious attempt to plan militant operations in these forums, adding that any further details of their activities were being passed through in private messages or personal emails.

Extremists were using a variety of technology to spread their message.

The report also mentions how blogs and personal social networking accounts provided more than half of the increase in 2008.

Militant groups have also become Internet media savvy.

The Mujahidin Syura Council, a southern Thailand extremist group launched an official media wing in July 2008 as a blog on Google.

Another group, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, also often produces high-quality videos of its activities and uploads them regularly onto YouTube.

Many of the videos can be seen focusing on the failings of the Indonesian government and the need to implement sharia law and establish an Islamic caliphate.

The report stated “Extremist groups without access to mainstream media place great value on having online media units to boost their reputations and recruit people via the internet.”

The report also explained how the groups had no problems using the Internet and media outlets because the regional governments have done so little to stop the rise of online radicalisation, mainly because attempts to regulate cyberspace have been a political minefield.

It said while websites inciting violence are subject to criminal laws in some countries, there are often no specific regulations covering the Internet.