If you’re looking for some laughs this week, then head on over to Koreatown this Thursday night to the 1st ever Koreatown Comedy Festival! Along with hosts PK and Dumbfoundead, it features an all-star line-up that’s sure to liven up the night. And best of all, all proceeds go to LINK (Liberty in N. Korea) & KOLLABORATION (Empowerment Through Entertainment). So help a good cause and help yourself to a wild night!

Tickets: Presale – $11, At the Door – $15
To purchase tickets, click here

See you there!

Shay Mitchell on Seventeen Magazine via Seventeen Magazine

The Pretty Little Liars actress, Shay Mitchell graces the cover of the renowned Seventeen Magazine for the January 2012 Prom Issue. Mitchell, previously featured in our Fall ’10 Issue, models fabulous designs by Jovani whose prom line commonly consists of animal print, loud vivacious colors and bejeweled trims.

Mitchell does a great job in displaying the dresses as fun, youthful and suitable for dance-floor activity; an indirect antithesis to earlier years’ trend of puffy prom dress disasters. ABC Family’s sexy Filipino and Scottish/Irish actress cites her prom photo mantra as “always have fun,” because a smiling face always looks good on camera. With these dresses, young teens everywhere will want to do nothing else but that. At least, that is what Mitchell makes us believe with her very charming and flirtatious photo spread.

Project Runway, make room for 24 Hour Catwalk. Lifetime’s hot new reality show for fashionistas everywhere has designers scrambling to put together an entire collection in, you guessed it, 24 hours. The show is hosted by the lovely Alexa Chung, who is famous in Britain but is known as a television personality, model and writer all around the world.

Born to a three-quarters Chinese father and English mother, Alexa started as a teenage model but then went on to become a presenter on Popworld and other UK pop-culture shows. Before 24 Hour Catwalk, she hosted MTV’s Gonzo and It’s On With Alexa Chung. In 2011 alone, she appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar UK, Harper’s Bazaar Australia, British Vogue, Vogue North Korea and Teen Vogue, proving how much of a global style icon she has become. Her distinct fashion is sure to make an impact US audiences, who can see her tonight on Lifetime at 10pm.

A Q&A with Hong Kong director Ann Hui followed the January 5, 2011, Variety ArcLight Hollywood screening of A Simple Life (Tao Jie), a Best Foreign Language Film selection of the 84th Academy Awards.

Starring Andy Lau, Deanie Ip, Hailu Qin, Paul Chiang, and Wendy Yu, the foreign language film (Cantonese with English subtitles) is drawn from the life of Hong Kong producer Roger Lee, who co-wrote the script with Susan Chan. Ip, named Best Actress at the 2011 Venice Film Festival, plays Ah Tao, the Leung family’s faithful, domestic helper (amah) who has served for the past 60 years and suffers a stroke while serving Roger (played by Lau), the only family member left in Hong Kong. Roger chooses to care for Ah Tao while she’s in a nursing home and as her health deteriorates. The film, which was filmed in 30 days, unashamedly reveals the reality of growing old and life in a nursing home, and the rare bond between master and servant.

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The pics are finally up! Target‘s latest collaboration is with mega designer Jason Wu (yup, the same one Michelle Obama wore for the inauguration), on sale February 5. Get going on your spring wardrobe with his feminine-chic looks. Check out the styles below:

Jason Wu styling one of his looks for his collaboration with Target.

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Whitening, lightening or “brightening” cosmetics lines are just starting to take off here in the U.S.

ISSUE: Fall 2011

DEPT: Beauty Kit

STORY: Anna M. Park

Lit from within? The secret is even skintone, as seen on Ming Xi in Vera Wang.

You had a glorious, carefree summer of soaking in the sun and now you’re paying the price. The remnants of your golden tan are slowly turning into splotches, courtesy of UVA rays. “Dark spots, discoloration and uneven skin pigmentation are common problems, especially among my Asian patients,” says celeb dermatologist Jessica Wu, author of Feed Your Face. In fact, for Asian skin, it’s typically hyperpigmentation that tends to be the first sign of aging, rather than wrinkles, she says, since Asian skin tends to be thicker.

In fighting brown spots, one of the most commonly used ingredients is hydroquinone, which works “by blocking one step in the skin’s production of pigment,” says Dr. Wu. There’s been some controversy over the safety of hydroquinone (though studies have yet to link the ingredient to cancer in humans), but there are plenty of alternatives like kojic acid, arbutin and soy, which, according to Dr. Wu, has been shown to reduce discoloration in patients with darker skin tones, including Asians.

A multi-faceted approach is key in fighting hyperpigmentation, according to dermatologist Ronald Moy. He recommends retinols or salicylic acid to exfoliate skin, which leads to more rapid skin growth, and then hydroquinone or other pigment inhibitors to block the production of melanin. When over-the-counter creams fail, Dr. Moy turns to laser peels, microdermabrasion, chemical peels or intense pulsed light treatments. “The best laser for treating pigmentation on Asian skin is the long pulsed (not Q-switched) Nd:Yag laser combined with a pulsed dye laser,” he says. “It causes less trauma to Asian skin and there is not as much post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.”

While a booming industry in Asia, whitening, lightening or “brightening” lines are just starting to take off here in the U.S. “U.S. cosmetics companies have finally realized that uneven skin pigmentation, not just wrinkles, can make your complexion look older than its years,” says Dr. Wu. Here, some of our favorites.

• 1. The cheeky skincare line’s latest brightening collection inspired by their Asian customers. Benefit B.right! Radiant Skincare.

• 2. Clinically proven to even skintone in 30 days, this natural brightening system uses a superfruit complex of kakadu plum extract and Japanese unshiu peel to lighten without the usual side effects. Jurlique Purely White Skin Brightening line.

• 3. The newest discovery out of Estée Lauder’s research labs is clinically proven to even skintone in two weeks and is touted to work on all ethnicities. Estée Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator.

• 4. A unique mushroom extract breaks up dark spots for prescription strength, clinically proven results without the redness. Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector.

• 5. Dr. Moy’s own line features a DNA repair enzyme engineered from marine sources in Iceland to encourage fresh, young cells, while a bleaching agent treats. DNA EGF Renewal DNA Intensive Renewal.

• 6. From the Korean cult beauty brand, a blend of medicinal herbs to protect from UV light and stimulate circulation. Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening Serum.

• 7. Kiehl’s clinically proven Photo-Age line, formerly only available in Asia, is now exclusively in the U.S. at Kiehl’s Santa Anita Westfield, Arcadia, Calif. Kiehl’s Photo-Age Corrector High-Potency Spot Treatment.

• 8. With Korean ginseng and licorice, this targeted treatment works to regenerate elastin fibers and release trapped melanin in the deeper layers of the skin. AmorePacific Age Spot Brightening Pen

According to Associated Press, actress Junie Hoang identified herself in a federal court filing last Friday after she had filed an anonymous, million-dollar lawsuit against Amazon and its Internet Movie Database last fall. The company had posted Hoang’s age on her IMDb profile, which Hoang claimed had led to a decrease in offers for roles. A federal judge in Seattle dismissed the lawsuit last month, stating Hoang had no grounds to proceed with an anonymous claim. Hoang, who has appeared in films such as Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver and Hoodrats 2: Hoodrat Warriors, refiled the lawsuit under her real name, Huong Hoang.

Photo via gawker.com

When the Great Recession hit in 2008, millions were downgraded to part-time, furloughed or simply laid off. But if there’s one thing the recession has proven, it’s that sometimes a downturn in life can be a blessing in disguise.

ISSUE: Fall 2011

DEPT: Features

STORY & PHOTO: Shirley Lau

It’s impossible to look in any direction without seeing someone playing the Words with Friends app on their iPhone or messaging a friend on their Blackberry. Despite government-issued checks being the sole source of income for many, it’s not hard to find restaurants with people waiting in a line that goes out the door, eager to spend their scavenged cash on a nice meal. It may look like the economy is getting better, but looks can be awfully deceiving.

Being unemployed or making a career change during what is considered by economists to be the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, is anything but an anomaly. As of this past summer, the unemployment
rate was nearly 10 percent, about 31 million people. And with constant fears of a possible double-dip recession, it doesn’t look like things are going to get better any time soon.

So what is one to do when she’s living off unemployment and sending hundreds of résumés into a black hole? Some may choose to make a career out of being couch potatoes, while others are just trying to stay afloat, holding out for the day when they can make a career out of what they’re most passionate about. And then there are those fresh (and once fearful) faces who’ve changed their lives for the better — and they have the recession to thank for it.

Business, Interrupted

{ Alfred Fung, Chinese American }
Current job: Marketing manager

“Most people who go to business school, there’s a sense of entitlement. They think they’re going to get a six-figure salary or be the next Mark Zuckerberg. It’s almost this fantasy,” says Alfred Fung, who once chased his dream of starting his own business after he got his MBA from University of Southern California.
But that proved to be the hardest thing to do during a recession.

“Expectations were already low at the point of graduation. It was clear that there would be a rocky journey to find funding,” says Fung. “Despite this, entrepreneurs I knew pushed forward by bootstrapping as much as they could in what was our generation’s most hostile start-up environment. After all, being an entrepreneur was a much more active role than being unemployed.”

So Fung spent nearly a year in search of funding to make his idea of a new educational platform come to fruition. He sent his business plan to venture capitalists, applied for grants, and even pitched his idea during job interviews.

“I approached investors of all walks,” says Fung. “The most promising, and ultimately depressing, meetings were with the U.S. Department of Education’s Small Business Innovation Research Program director, who loved my idea. I waited several months for an answer, only to be denied. The investment environment is just not friendly to people who just have ideas.”

After exhausting every option, Fung says he decided to forgo his business venture. Now he’s working in the marketing sector of a mobile apps company. It’s not exactly what he envisioned, but he says it aligns well with his interests and he’s lucky to have the job. He keeps in mind something a former classmate told him: It’s not just your job for now; it’s undercover research for the future.

– Shirley Lau

Purchase the Summer issue of Audrey Magazine here.

Actress, model and activist Yangzom Brauen fights for her grandmother’s Tibet in her new book Across Many Mountains.

ISSUE: Fall 2011

DEPT: My Story

STORY: Yangzom Brauen as told to Elyse Glickman

Though I am lucky to have a thriving career as an actress in the United States and Europe, I feel especially privileged that what has fueled my interest in acting and politics is directly traced to the persevering attitude of my mother and grandmother, who were forced to flee Tibet in the 1950s when the Chinese occupied the country.

The early years in the life of Kunsang, my grandmother who I call “Mola,” were idyllic, surrounded by tradition, family and proximity to nature’s wonders. It was in this setting that she became a Buddhist nun, devoting her life to prayer and spirituality, while building a marriage and raising a family. (Tibetan nuns and monks are allowed to marry.) But this simple life that sheltered my family and their ancestors was shattered when Chinese leader Mao Zedong exerted his will on Tibet to bring it under his rule.

The valiant Tibetan resistance under the fourteenth Dalai Lama was crushed by the Chinese military in 1959, sending my family and thousands of other Tibetans into exile. As if it were yesterday, Mola recalls with a melancholy resolve how she, my grandfather and two small daughters were propelled into an uncertain journey across mountains and along the Pang Chu River in icy, treacherous weather conditions after Chinese soldiers destroyed the monastery they called home. They traveled with barely enough food, some clothes and blankets, as well as a heavy bronze mould for making tsa tsa, sacred Buddhist images, out of clay. They shouldered the burden with dignity, not only staying out of sight of the Chinese soldiers, but also fulfilling the responsibility of preserving their culture, now in grave danger of disappearing.

Though my family reached India about a month later, life continued to be a daily struggle for survival. There was constant shuttling from refugee camp to camp, few jobs other than manual labor, and the consistent threat of disease, which claimed my grandfather’s life seven years later. Making life even more of a struggle was the fact that the Chinese army staged invasions into India, and Tibetans were not allowed to integrate themselves into Indian society. What is most remarkable, however, is that in all of these faith-testing situations, Mola and my mother, Sonam, never gave up hope, maintained their spiritual practices and did what they needed to in order to survive.

My political activism is a byproduct of a romance that blossomed in the early ’70s between my father Martin, an ethnologist from a prominent Swiss family, and my mother, who by then was beautiful, clever and working as a waitress in western India. Martin was passionate and persistent, yet respectful. However, Sonam was understandably hesitant about getting into a serious relationship with a white man, especially since mixed marriages were almost unheard of in the Tibetan community. Tradition dictated that the suitor seek permission from my mother, so Mola turned to her guru for guidance. Eventually, the guru gave the union his blessing, but made Martin aware that he wasn’t just marrying my mother but also my grandmother and, by extension, the Tibetan community. 

Growing up in Bern, Switzerland, I had a multicultural upbringing where we celebrated Christmas and Easter like every other Swiss family, but thanks to the insistence of Mola, who lived with us, we also celebrated Tibetan New Year and the birthday of the Dalai Lama. With these influences, I grew up with a widened view of the world that, in turn, put me on a very non-linear personal and professional path. I have often put acting aside to take up Tibet-related causes. However, I truly believe I have not sacrificed anything. After finishing my studies in Europe and establishing myself in German film and television, I put acting on hold to become the president of the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe, encouraging young Tibetans and non-Tibetans to get involved in demonstrations, cultural events and benefit concerts. As a Tibetan, and also due to my father’s ongoing academic pursuits in Asia, I consider Tibet a second home country.

Though my acting career in America started gaining momentum recently, when Mola turned 89, I realized how important it was to get the stories about the old world down on paper. Through my grandmother I realized that the old ways were fading, even back in Tibet, with monks and nuns now outfitted with laptops and cell phones. It was also important for me to document how my mother came of age as a refugee in India. Then in March 2008, a huge up-rising in Tibet added to my sense of urgency to preserve the traditions and stories. The attention of the whole world was on Tibet, which by then had been occupied for more then 50 years.

I ran the idea by publishers, who suggested I go a step further by not only telling my mother’s and grandmother’s life stories, but also my own, about how their lives shaped mine. The result is Across Many Mountains, the stories of survival that defined, sustained and fortified Mola and Sonam. It turned out to be quite the journey to create, as my mother and grandmother for the first time in years had to relive many of their most painful experiences. In turn, those events opened up a near century of Tibetan history, revealing just how much the world can change over three generations. While there are definitely some beautiful memories, there was also bitterness, sadness and turmoil that followed Mola and Sonam from Tibet, to India, and eventually to Switzerland.

As I documented these stories, it became increasingly important to me that people in the West understand more about Tibet. I am surprised that I still meet people who have no idea where Tibet is, that there are not only monks and a Dalai Lama, but also nuns and farmers. I also learned more about myself — that to be Tibetan, you are automatically born into a political life. My name is so unusual that I am often asked about the origins of my name, which leads to political discussions about Tibet’s current state of affairs.

Even though my mother and grandmother endured so much pain and loss, the one thing they never lost, and passed along to me, was the ability to believe and have faith. It doesn’t matter what you believe in — for us it is Buddhism, while for others it could be Christianity, Hinduism or something else. What ultimately matters is that faith gives you the strength to survive any tragedy. I hope younger generations of readers will be prompted to dig a little deeper into their own family histories, because everybody has a family story worth telling and sharing.

Yangzom Brauen has appeared in the films Aeon Flux, Pandorum and Wilde Salome. Her next film is Escape from Tibet, due out this fall. Across Many Mountains: A Memoir ($24.99) will be released September 27.

More stories from Audrey Magazine’s Archives here.

Watch out Glee, the Kitchen Musical is on its way to international stardom! Originally introduced to the Singaporean audience, the television musical series which aired throughout Europe and Asia has been renewed for its second season. It will also be embarking on its first international musical tour in 2012 and is in the works for broadcast in the United States.

For those of you who are unaware of the blooming drama, The Kitchen Musical brings a Glee-like approach to story telling; enriched with song and dance with the kitchen as its stage. It contributes a unique insight into the elite culinary world of restaurant business and artistry through its Asian female character Maddie Avilon, a young and rich Le Cordon Bleu post graduate who struggles to find individuality in her father’s upscale restaurant. She and her friends play up to the expectations of young adult life capturing moments of fear, love, romance, confusion and etc.

Here are some of our favorite clips from the show:

Its Youtube fans are steadily growing and prominent TV producer Ben Silverman, popular for US adaptations The Office and Ugly Betty has become involved with its creative production as co-producer. It’s actually quite amazing.

What do you think about The Kitchen Musical? Do you like it better than Glee?