Australia's Got Talent - Sneak Peek at Asian Australian Laura''s Audition

Watch a sneak peek of Laura's emotional audition for Australia's Got Talent 2012.  From this link there seem to be quite a few Asian Australians in this years comp!

Laura's Youtube Channel - check out her version of Titanium!

Vote for Andy! - Cleo Most Eligible Bachelor

Congrats to Andy for making it to the Top 50 of Cleo's Most Eligible Bachelor for 2012.

You can vote for him here: Cleo Top Bachelor Andy

You can join his facebook page here: Andy Minh Trieu
 Andy's profile on IMDB here

Author empowered by mum's struggle

AUTHOR Alice Pung's mother spent 20 years eking out a living in a backyard shed to allow her daughter to flourish. 
 
The Cambodian migrant was illiterate in her first language, let alone English, so she used her hands to make her way in the world, painstakingly creating gold jewellery which she sold for a pittance.

But it was this role model which inspired Ms Pung, an award-winning Melbourne author, and the almost 2000 women who heard her story at a UN Women's Committee breakfast in Adelaide yesterday morning.
Aged 23, and eight months pregnant, Alice's mother lied about how far along she was to smuggle her unborn baby into Australia from a Thai refugee camp.

"My father likes to tell people that I was manufactured in Thailand but assembled in Australia with Chinese parts," she said.

Speaking to the theme of female economic empowerment and education, Ms Pung said her mother's story showed successful women are not all cut from the same mould.

Despite feeling "locked in" to her home by illiteracy, Ms Pung said her mother taught her how to "read people's faces" and judge characters by their "persistent traits" rather than by their words.

"So when we talk about economic empowerment and education, inspiring women are not just people who can tell you and show you what success looks like.

"Sometimes it's just a little 40-year-old woman in a backyard shed feeling a lot like a failure, working with half-broken machines, seven days a week, almost 12 hours a day, to send you to good schools and ensure you have ... a room of your own ... to think, to write and to speak."

Adelaide Senator Penny Wong told the breakfast Australia had made strides in gender equality but there was still a gap between what the legal framework set out and "lived" equality.

She said the most important step towards closing the gender wage gap was more flexible work arrangements.

Her comments follow a push by the Australian Council of Trade Unions to reduce "insecure" working conditions in female-dominated industries. President Ged Kearney said insecure work was the "hidden driver" of the pay gap, at 18 per cent.

(Thanks JL)

Source: Adelaide Now

2AsianDudes: I Work At The Market - The Most Annoying Thing You Can Do To An Asian Person

2AsianDudes

The joys of fatherhood a 'really good distraction' leading into London Olympics, says Australian butterfly champion Geoff Huegill

GEOFF Huegill doesn't feel the pressure as much now that fatherhood has put his journey into perspective. 
 
The butterfly champion, who has completed a remarkable weight loss transformation to become a star of the pool again, begins his Olympic trials campaign with the 50m butterfly today.

While his comeback could reach its peak in Adelaide in the next eight days, the joys of fatherhood have him less stressed about the final outcome in the pool.

The man known as Skippy and his wife, Sara, welcomed daughter Mila into the world in January and their life has been a whirlwind since.

"When you have a newborn it has been a really good distraction leading into the Olympic trials," Huegill said.
"Now that she is here, it makes all the other things you do in your life insignificant."

Huegill said his dream of racing in London with his wife and daughter in the grandstands motivated him to keep racing at the age of 33.

"To do what I love doing, but most importantly knowing this is going to be my last real opportunity for an Olympics, and to know that I'm doing it for something other than myself is a massive motivator."

Next Wednesday night he must finish in the top two of the 100m butterfly final to qualify for London.

Source: Herald Sun

MasterChef Australia's 2010 winner Adam Liaw finally has own TV show Destination Flavour on SBS

ALMOST two years after snaring the MasterChef winner's crown, 2010 winner Adam Liaw has landed his own television show. 
 
The popular lawyer turned cook will travel around Australia visiting various restaurants, growers and providores when he fronts a travel/food program on SBS.

Liaw, who edged out Callum Hann to win the title in the second season of Channel Ten's hit cook-off show, is currently shooting the first season of Destination Flavour.

It is expected the series, co-hosted by Renee Lim and Lily Serna, will air on SBS later on this year.

Pictures: MasterChef stars - Where Are They Now
Pictures: MasterChef Australia 2010

Destination Flavour comes after almost two years of negotiations between Liaw and various networks.
The MasterChef winner admitted he considered several offers before reaching an agreement with SBS.
"There were a lot of shows that were considered but mostly they were just not right for me," Liaw told Confidential yesterday.

"It mostly had to do with subject matter that really interested me.

"I've always thought SBS do amazing stuff with their food programming, shows like Luke Nguyen's (Luke Nguyen's Vietnam, Peter Kuruvita (Chef In Action) and Food Safari.

"I really like their approach to food and that the focus is on food and not just knocking stuff together."
Liaw's move into broadcasting puts the Sydneysider among the show's most commercially successful contestants post-MasterChef, joining fellow TV recruits Julie Goodwin, Poh Ling Yeow, Marion Grasby and Justine Schofield.

Meanwhile, Liaw is also busy preparing to open his first restaurant - a Japanese-inspired eatery - in Sydney and is set to release his second book following the huge success of his first tome Two Asian Kitchens.

Source: Adelaide Now

Terry Vo finds strength to heal others

HIS remarkable hands have been brought back to life once before - and now Terry Vo's hands will save others. 
 
The 17-year-old has been given the all-clear by doctors to pursue his childhood dream of returning the favour to the medical team that saved him and become a doctor himself.

After having the strength of his surgically reattached hands tested this week, the brave teen said he was "relieved" there were no other obstacles standing in his way except completing university.

Starting at Curtin University of Technology this week is the latest chapter in an inspirational recovery since he lost both hands and a foot in a horrific backyard accident in 2005.

Terry, whose steely determination has made him a household name in WA, will complete a Bachelor of Science before moving into medicine.

Today, he speaks of the moment of sheer relief as he sat with his parents and was told by doctors that his hands were strong enough to be a doctor and there were no physical obstacles standing in his way.
"I feel so relieved," Terry said.

"They just checked on the strength in my hands, they found out how I use them in my daily life and how I'm going with them, and whether I find anything difficult. We were just all so happy, we were so relieved. We all knew that I wouldn't stop trying anyway no matter what. But I was relieved to hear that they said I can study medicine."

And Terry said words could not express the gratitude he felt for his parents, who have supported him every step of the way.

"Thank you is not enough," he said. "I give them everything just lots of thanks and lots of love."

At 10, Terry was playing basketball at a friend's house in March 2005 when he slam-dunked the ball, bringing the hoop, brick wall and gutters crashing down, severing both his hands and his left foot.

In a medical first, his hands were successfully reattached, but his foot was later amputated.

His advice to others is simple: "Never give up. Always strive to success. And follow your dreams."

Source: Perth Now

Do you fancy this guy's job?

One-of-a-kind pink diamond set to fetch $10 million for Rio Tinto 

 

THE biggest pink diamond ever found by mining giant Rio Tinto is expected to fetch at least $10 million when put up for sale.

The 12.76 carat gem, to be known as the Argyle Pink Jubilee, was found at Rio Tinto's Argyle mine in the remote east Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Rio Tinto said diamonds in its special collection regularly sold for $1 million a carat.

"This diamond is one of a kind, so the market will determine its true value," Rio Tinto Diamonds communications manager Robyn Ellison said.

"It's taken 26 years to find one of these, so most likely we'll never find another one."

The gem is being cut and polished into a single stone in a painstaking 10-day process by Richard How Kim Kam, who has worked for the company for 25 years.

Source: Herald Sun

Airforce Accomplished TV Ad

Started seeing this ad a few months ago. Adam Loong is the pilot at the end of the ad. (thanks EL) Airforce Accomplished TV Ad

Bulldogs rookie Lin Jong blazes trail

LIN Jong hopes to be a trailblazer for Asian junior footballers dreaming of cracking the AFL.

Born in Melbourne of a Taiwanese mother and East Timorese father - both moved to Australia about 25 years ago - Jong was yesterday chosen by the Western Bulldogs with pick No.9 in the AFL rookie draft.

Equally remarkable is the fact that the Jong, 18, an athletic midfielder, only started playing football at 15 after being persuaded by mates at Brentwood Secondary College to ditch his basketball for a Sherrin.

"Hopefully it might inspire some kids to start playing footy,'' Jong said. "But I'll just try to do my best and whatever happens, happens, really.''

The Oakleigh Charger is certainly the first AFL player of Taiwanese-Timorese descent, but he is not the first player with Asian heritage to play the game.

Wally Koochew is acknowledged as the VFL-AFL's first Chinese footballer after he started at Carlton in 1908, while two-time North Melbourne premiership player Peter Bell is perhaps the most famous example. He was born in South Korea of a Korean mother and American father.

Jong is also the a product of the AFL-partnered DraftStar program, having gone through an October testing session at the newly established talent pathway.

DraftStar head coach Ben Dixon said Jong's outstanding results helped alert AFL clubs to his talents.

"It's fantastic for him. Western Bulldogs fans will see him playing senior footy very shortly I would have thought,'' Dixon said.

Source: Herald Sun

Sam Pang's 'awesome' Jeremy Lin skit on "Sports Fever"

Jeremy Lin Skit on "Sport's Fever" on channel 9.  It's moments like these that make me so proud to be Asian Australian.

I used to like Sam Pang but this skit has made me lose all respect for him. 


 


The section below is by ruinadish:

Okay, where do I begin?

The video above is a skit from an Australian television show, Santo, Sam & Ed’s Sports Fever! Watch it, and you’ll see Sam Pang’s (ironically, a Chinese-Australian) portrayal of Jeremy Lin, full of terribly crude Asian stereotypes.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority 2010 Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice which covers television broadcasting matters, has a whole section on the portrayal of cultural diversity, stating things like “Be sensitive to language and images which people from non-English speaking orminority racial backgrounds may reasonably find offensive or discriminatory”. The line that is relevant here is: “generally avoid outdated representations of how people from non-Englishspeaking backgrounds speak English or behave”.

Jeremy Lin, an Asian or Taiwanese American, who speaks fine English, has been made to look a stereotypical Asian, complete with rolled R’s, broken English, and other dull characteristics (DDR! Please…)

How can you help?

• Channel 7 don’t accept complaints via e-mail, but do have other avenues of contact. 
• Code of Practice complaints can be made at FreeTV Australia (which is the way I made my complaint).
• You can visit Sports Fever!’s facebook page, and leave them a kind word.

 

Race representation on TV scrutinised

Just saw this on Asian Australian Film Forum and Network's FB page.

Officer court-martialled for reaction to racial slur

AN AUSTRALIAN army officer of Chinese descent has been court-martialled after objecting to a racist slur made by a senior Defence Department official.

The incident follows a series of racism scandals in the military. Last week, sexist and racist online comments by Defence personnel, describing Muslims as ''ragheads'' who should be shot, were condemned by Chief of Army Lieutenant-General David Morrison.

Last year, Defence Minister Stephen Smith was forced to apologise after it was revealed Australian soldiers in Afghanistan on Facebook referred to Afghans as ''dune coons'' and ''sand niggaz''.

Major Ting Li, a military lawyer, states in legal documents that he was insulted by Andrew Snashall, a director of Defence's legal division, after arriving for work at a Defence office in Canberra, along with his wife and their newborn baby. Mr Snashall allegedly told Major Li: ''I see you have been polluting the world with your genes.'' Major Li's wife is an army doctor of Caucasian descent.

A Defence investigation concluded that the remark by Mr Snashall ''as matter of fact was made''. Mr Snashall denied the comment had a racial overtone and claimed it was made in ''a prevailing atmosphere of banter''.

Some time after the remark, Major Li protested. In documents obtained by The Sunday Age, Commander David Thorley, a Navy Reserve legal officer representing Major Li, wrote: ''[Major Li's] reaction was to remonstrate with Snashall to the effect that he could not say things like that, to which Snashall took offence, ordering him out of his office, and attempting to push Ting out.''

Major Li's commanding officer, Colonel James Waddell - head of the directorate of military justice - immediately suspended Major Li from duty after Mr Snashall lodged a complaint.

Although Mr Snashall alleged an assault, that charge was dropped. Major Li was later charged under the Defence Force Discipline Act with ''creating a disturbance in the presence of Mr Snashall'' and convicted, fined $2000 and reprimanded. He was also prohibited from entering any Defence establishment.

Major Li alleges he was the victim of ''systematic and discriminatory treatment''. He is appealing the court martial.

A Defence Department spokesman told The Sunday Age that the claim ''does not accurately reflect the circumstances determined by the court martial''. The department refused to provide further comment.

Major Li has engaged Alexander Street, SC, to represent him. He described the treatment of Major Li as ''extraordinary'' and ''quite how this conduct could be either lawful or justified, cries out for explanation''.
Mr Street said the issue exposed ongoing ''serious systemic and administrative failings'', with supervising officers having clear conflicts of interest.

''That alleged disturbance [by Major Li] occurred in circumstances of the legitimate and proper protest by Major Li as to the unlawful racial slur,'' a letter from Mr Street states.

The disturbance occurred several months after the original slur, when Major Li protested to Mr Snashall and he replied, ''I meant everything I said to you,'' Mr Street alleges.

Several military officials who have examined the complaints have suggested his suspension was unwarranted.
An inquiry by the Inspector-General Australian Defence Force found ''there were systematic failings within Defence Legal in that you (Major Li) were suspended without procedural fairness''.
Mr Snashall said he had no comment. Major Li could not be contacted.

Source: The Age