I’m a sucker for cutesy love songs. 2ne1′s latest, “Be Mine” has on repeat since it’s release earlier today. It’s a purely feel good love song – even if they sing “So just shut up and be mine” quite bluntly (but still manage to sound really cute). The girls are looking quite gorgeous in the PV as well – no surprise there.

A month ago, Intel Korea announced the “Make Thumb Noise” project with their new endorsers, 2NE1 – where a song project between YGE and their fans took place. Through four rounds of voting (song beat, song name/concept, arrangement, and bridge), fans were able to help “produce” the collaboration song, with YGE producer making the final arrangement of the song for 2ne1 to perform.

Of course, the song been already met with quite the praise from fans around the world. Check it out below!

DESTINASIAN:Hongdae

Vietnamese American Mai Nguyen, 21
Exchange Student at Yonsei University
about 2 months

One of her favorite places to hang out in Seoul is Hongdae, the neighborhood around (and short for) the art-oriented Hongik University. With no shortage of cafes, dance clubs, and street performances, Hongdae has become a magnet for expats, exchange students and locals alike. Here, her hotspots to hit in this Seoul hotspot.

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The One-sided low pony shown at 3.1 Phillip Lim

Key Hairstylist: Odile Gilbert for PHYTO

Inspiration: “The modern female dandy-stemming from individuality, balance and delicacy,” shares designer Phillip Lim. Lim adds, “The dande-lion is colorful in spirit, subtle in her way. She has evolved to exist in modern time, she has the strength of a lion and is subtly whimsical in her approach, she is the Dande-lion.”

Step by step:
1. Spray Phytovolume Actif volumizing spray to the root and work through hair.
2. Blow Dry. (Product is heat activated.)
3. Side part hair, leaving enough to create (or give the illusion of) a side swept bang.
4. Pull hair back into a low pony, then twist hair to create an easy chignon. Pin.
5. For bang: Spray Phytolaque soie light hairspray to 3 front pieces.
6. Curl pieces with a curling iron, creating ringlets.
7. Pull 3 piece “bang” to side as if you were creating a braid, and leave one piece free to fall along face. Twist, then pin pieces above the ear.
8. Finish with Phytolaque medium hold hairspray.
9. Apply Phyto 7 crème de jour leave-in conditioner to smooth hair.

Meiko used to live in Roberta, Ga — more than 80 miles south of Atlanta, current population: 1,007. She revisited the small town last winter, then became a vegetarian immediately after. “I was eating all of this pork and fried skin, and I came back to LA and just wanted to get healthier,” she says.

At 18 Meiko had trailed behind her sister to Los Angeles and landed a waitressing gig at Hollywood’s Hotel Cafe. Later, she emerged as one of the venue’s biggest success stories, alongside Rachael Yamagata and Ingrid Michaelson. Her first, self-titled effort — her moniker, by the way, a nod to her one-fourth Japanese heritage — debuted at No. 1 on iTunes’ Singer/Songwriter chart, before Meiko even signed to the now-defunct MySpace Records/DGC.

And in May, Meiko reemerged with her first album in four years — cheerier and bolder sophomore effort The Bright Side, off Concord Music Group offshoot Fantasy. As she finished a bowl of vegetarian ramen in San Francisco, we talked Meiko about other ways she’s changed since her mostly acoustic Hotel Cafe days, thanks to a new label, newfound collaborators and a new boyfriend.

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Left to right: Abraham Kim, Albert Chiang, Emi Meyer, Charles Kim. Photograph by Howard Lee.

International singer/songwriter Emi Meyer and band performed recently at non-profit Shoes That Fit’s first Sneaker Ball, a 20^th anniversary black-tie affair commemorating 1 million pairs of shoes donated to underprivileged school children in the U.S. The ball featured red carpet arrivals, a VIP cocktail reception, gourmet dinner, and silent auction showcasing limited edition shoes and handbags by top designers including Vera Wang, Jimmy Choo, and Valentino. Meyer, drummer Abraham Kim, bassist Charles Kim, and Meyer’s fellow Pomona College alumnus and musician Albert Chiang patiently waited to perform at the end of the night as the program ran behind schedule. The soulful and playful songs off of Meyer’s latest EP LOL were worth the wait – read on for video footage, pictures, and a Q&A with the Japanese-German-Irish American beauty.

Don’t miss the rest of our interview with the talented musician published in the Audrey Magazine summer issue. Don’t have a copy? Purchase one or subscribe here.

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Issue: Spring 2012

Department: My Story

Story: Carina Chatlani

I always knew I would be involved in a career incorporating medicine and science. However, the winding path that led me there presented itself when I was 15. After living in the U.S. for 14 years, my father sent me to a school near London. Just when I finally had gotten used to life in the U.K., news about a hit-and-run accident involving my grandfather in Mumbai sent shockwaves of surprise and chaos. The circumstances surrounding his death, followed by my father’s sudden decision to transfer me mid-semester to a remote boarding school in the Himalayan foothills, was at once life-altering, empowering and enlightening.

From the beginning, my grandfather and I had a bond. He was a very influential man who epitomized elegance and wisdom. However, he could put anybody at ease with a few simple words. He was an Indian diplomat in Rome, Italy at the time I was born, and had my parents name me “Carina” because the Italian name had struck a chord. His responsibilities involved mixing with all kinds of officials, heads of state, and royals including Queen Elizabeth. However, he always found time to go to Los Angeles during the holiday season, and we would travel overseas to see him for several weeks at a time. When I was little, he called me his “vanishing cream,” as I made his troubles disappear. He also often told me, “You are one with a true heart,” which still inspires the work I do in healing and wellness.

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Biyernes Biyernes by various directors - photo courtesy the artists

Filmmaking is emerging as a dominant form of art and expression in the Philippines, and Bay Area audiences will soon have a first-hand opportunity to see for themselves just how strong and diverse it is. The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) presents New Filipino Cinema, from June 7-10 and June 17.  The comprehensive showcase will feature 29 films—narratives, documentaries, and experiential shorts—many of them as U.S. premieres.

“There’s an incredible resurgence of talent and energy in independent cinema in the Philippines right now that is not really known internationally,” said Joel Shepard, YBCA’s Film/Video Curator. Shepard co-curated the program with Philbert Ortiz Dy, the film critic for Clickthecity.com and writer-at-large for Esquire Philippines. “It’s an amazing renaissance that I really wanted to celebrate and bring to the U.S.” Shepard took four trips to the country in the past two years to meet with filmmakers, critics, and production staff and watched over a hundred films in preparation for this program before narrowing it down to the final titles.

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Photograph by Betsey Newman

Japanese-Irish American actress Nichole Bloom, who plays JB’s girl in the spring high school party flick Project X, and the lead role of 16-year-old Kayla Tanaka in independent film Model Minority, moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles as a 14-year-old to pursue acting. Choosing career over a typical high school life was well worth it, as the 22-year-old Bloom, who initially did mostly commercial work and graduated early from the University of Southern California theater program, continues to stay focused on her aspiration to become the Asian Julia Roberts. In Model Minority, Bloom faces her very personal struggle to balance her Japanese and American cultures and stay true to herself.

Don’t miss the rest of our interview with the talented actress published in the Audrey Magazine summer issue. Don’t have a copy? Purchase one or subscribe here.

Audrey Magazine: How did you become involved with Project X and Model Minority?
Nichole Bloom: Project X was the first movie I had ever been cast in. Filming was so much fun. Model Minority was a great experience for me as an actor. I don’t know when I’ll get to… [play] a character that has such a huge story line and goes through so much. I met the director, Lily Mariye, the second time I went in to audition. I kind of already knew then that she wanted me for the role. That was an intense filming process. We did up to five scenes a day. It was a marathon.

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It’s not often that you come across an Asian American Christian rapper. But Gowe (Gifted on West East) is unique for reasons greater than the myriad of adjectives that describe his background.

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Nancy Wang (Pictured) and Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo of Eth-Noh-Tec performed a piece based on mythology, representing an older form of storytelling in Kearny Street Workshop's "Hand-Me-Down: Three Generations of KSW Performance" show (photo credits: Kearny Street Workshop).

Musicians, dancers, performance artists, storytellers, stand-up comedians, and film narrators: Whichever type of performer is your favorite, you were able to find them with the other ones under one roof for one night, for a show celebrating art and the generations of Asian Pacific Americans creating it. Kearny Street Workshop, the nation’s oldest Asian Pacific American multidisciplinary arts organization, celebrated their 40th year with a performance showcase entitled “Hand-Me Down: Three Generations of KSW Performance” at San Francisco’s Bindlestiff Studio on May 22nd. The program brought together artists of various disciplines and from three different generations, reflecting not only the diversity in art, but also the stories that can be told and hold true no matter how much time passes by.

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