Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog

Hi Lia,

Wow, great!! Congratulations on the play, that is so cool!

A few days after arriving on the International Space Station, I decided to have some Chinese food. I had spent the last two months in Russia without Asian food. And, after 2-1/2 days in the Soyuz, eating cold, canned rations and a week of adjusting to life on the station and kicking the last crew out the door, I finally had time to prepare a proper meal. This is sweet and sour pork, over pre-cooked rice. On the ground it would have tased pretty mediocre. But, I had gotten to the point where food with any Asian hint to it at all tastes great!

Leroy

Excerpts of NASA'S Report about the International Space Station
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 16:13:11 -0600
Report #66
4 p.m. CST, Friday, Dec. 10, 2004
Mission Control Center, Houston

International Space Station crewmembers this week continued research and maintenance activities and prepared for arrival of the next Progress cargo craft.

On Wednesday, Station managers reviewed preparations for the upcoming launch of the unpiloted Russian ISS Progress 16 resupply ship from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They confirmed that work is progressing well for the scheduled liftoff at 4:19 p.m. CST Dec. 23.

The spacecraft will bring 2 tons of food, fuel, clothing and other supplies to the complex. Almost 70 food containers have been added to the crafts manifest to replenish onboard supplies. Progress 16 is scheduled to arrive at the...

Sign up for the Asian American Writers' Workshop new creative writing project for youth.

Do you have a blog? A MySpace page? What do you write on it? What don't you write on it? The Asian American Writers' Workshop is offering a new creative writing project that focuses on what's most important to you. Over the
course of two weeks, you will explore issues of community and identity through new forms of communication such as YouTube, text messages, podcasts, and blogs. You will work together to each produce and present a final digital multimedia project.

Txt Me is a FREE workshop open to youth, ages 13-19, from all racial backgrounds. All participants are expected to commit to the duration of the workshop and complete all assignments. Space will fill up quickly, so applicants are advised to return their complete applications as soon as possible; early applicants will be given first consideration.

Workshop Information and Application
Applications are due Thursday June 28th, 2007. Applications must be received by this date. We will notify all applicants by early July.

Wednesday, July 11 - Friday, July 20, 2007
The Asian American Writers' Workshop
16 West 32nd Street, Suite 10A
New York NY 10001-3814
212-494-0061 tel
212-494-0062 fax
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A new super PAC is demanding an apology from GOP Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra for the broadcast of his controversial ad in Michigan on Super Bowl Sunday depicting negative stereotypes of Asian Americans. The ad shows an Asian female speaking in broken English, cycling through what appears to be rice paddies, "Your economy get very weak. Ours get very good."

Actress Lisa Chan apologized for her involvement. The recent UCLA graduate wrote on her Facebook page,"I am deeply sorry for any pain that the character I portrayed brought to my communities."

“In an age where virtually all Americans have moved forward on race relations, it seems Congressman Hoekstra has taken a giant step back. We are here to say we are not going to put up with it. We are here to tell him we are outraged and demand an official apology," said Jesse Tangkhpanya, the national political director for the American Values super PAC.

In addition to the Super Bowl ad which was aired in Michigan, the GOP Senate hopeful posted a website accusing GOP rival candidate Senator Debbie Stabenow, (D-MIch.) of supporting deficit spending. The Hoekstra campaign website www.DebbieSpenditnow.com showed the Superbowl ad, with Chinese characters, paper lanterns and dragons.

Amidst the firestorm from members of the AAPI community and mounting pressure from both Republicans and Democrats, the ad has been taken down. It is off Hoekstra's Facebook page, YouTube channel, and the website now reverts to Hoekstra's Senate...

The 13th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is presenting an exclusive kick-off screening of Midnight’s Children followed by a special Q&A on April 10, 2013. In attendance will be the film’s acclaimed director Deepa Mehta, award-winning writer of the novel Salman Rushdie who also adapted the screenplay, producer David Hamilton, cast members Sarita Choudhury and Samrat Chakrabarti, plus other special guests. Paladin and 108 Media will be officially releasing Midnight’s Children in major U.S. cities starting in New York City on April 26.

(L-R) Author and Screenwriter Salman Rushdie and Director Deepa Mehta

Deepa Mehta returns to NYIFF after her Oscar-nominated film WATERopened the film festival in 2005. “We have had a very long and creatively fruitful relationship with NYIFF. FIRE, the very first film in the elemental Trilogy was shown there and almost every film I have made since,” says Mehta. “Aroon Shivdasani was in fact responsible for the creation ofMidnight’s Children. She brought Salman to the premiere screening ofWATER in New York and that began a close relationship with Salman, which culminated in the very first film adaptation of any of his novels. It is enormously pleasing for me to be once again collaborating with NYIFF and bringing to their extremely discerning audience Midnight’s Children, a film that I have been dreaming of doing since I first read the book over 30 years ago.”

With...

February 22, 2013

Happy Birthday James Hong!

Our favorite actor James Hong celebrated his birthday February 22!

All of us at AsianConnections.com wish you a very Happy Birthday!

Here are our favorite interviews we have done with Mr. Hong over the years. 

Click on the blue headline title to the full story.

Part 1 of 3: AsianConnections' interview with James Hong:

On APAs in Hollywood - Urges Cooperation and Support of organizations like CAPEUSA.org.

Part 2 of 3: AsianConnections' interview with James Hong:

James Hong shares his famous lines from his role as Mr. Ping in Kung Fu Panda

Part 3 of 3: AsianConnections' interview with James Hong and daughter April Hong:

James Hong sighting! Mr. Hong attended a CAPE event with Film Independent in Los Angeles February 1, 2012. I had a chance to visit with him and personally wish him Happy Birthday, in advance of his real birthday today!  

He was born February 22, 1929 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He studied civil engineering at the University of Southern California. As a road engineer for Los Angeles County for 7-1/2 years, he would act during his vacations and sick days, eventually quitting to go full time as an actor.

Mr. Hong has played in more than 500 television and film roles, including his award-winning role as "Mr. Ping" in Kung Fu Panda, and Kung Fu Panda 2.  

- Suzanne Joe Kai, Publisher/Editor AsianConnections.com