Daughter solicits mother for advice. Hilarity ensues. Courtesy of Lela Lee.
To help celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month — and an upcoming holiday dedicated to Mothers all around, Audrey Magazine brings you our special Mother’s Day feature: Funniest Advice My Mother Has Ever Given Me. Contributor Ada Tseng talks to different folks in the Asian American community about the words of wisdom bestowed to them from their Asian American mothers. Join us as we count down to Mother’s Day – we’ll be revealing new stories every day!
Mothers — with all their earnest, loving intentions — can often be entertaining, and their advice can be an interesting mix of serious, silly, insightful and mind-boggling (sometimes all rolled up into one zinger you can’t wait to share with your friends). In honor of Mother’s Day, we’ve asked fellow Asian American writers and artists to share the funniest advice they’ve ever gotten from their mothers.
Janice and her mom adorably posing together for the camera.
Audrey Magazine is an award-winning national publication created by Asian American women, for Asian American women. Now in its ninth year of publication, Audrey Magazine has become the go-to publication for the modern Asian American woman intent on establishing and reinforcing her roots and getting in touch with Asian American culture. Whether it’s current social issues, profiles on the must-know Asian Americans of the day, or the latest in cutting-edge fashion and beauty, Audrey Magazine has readers coming back for more with every issue.
Our magazine comes out quarterly, but you can keep coming back to AudreyMagazine.com for the latest updates on happenings, news, opinions and style, videos of all things fun and funky, and to enter our weekly TGIFree Friday giveaways. We value your feedback so please keep in touch with us by commenting or emailing us at editor@audreymagazine.com.
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JAMES RYU | Publisher |
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ANNA M. PARK | Editor-in-Chief
ANNA M. PARK spent six years as a corporate bankruptcy attorney before realizing that she’d rather swim with sharks in Moorea, trek through remote mountain villages in the northern Philippines, and, most frighteningly, brave a commuter bus in Seoul during rush hour, than spend another day writing legal briefs. Today, she is an award-winning writer and editor-in-chief of Audrey Magazine. The best part of her second career? She gets to wear whatever she wants. |
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JANICE JANN | Assistant Editor Janice Jann is astonished by how accurate the Meyers Briggs profile of her as an ENFP is. An idealistic champion of causes who will stop at nothing to get a good story told, Janice graduated from UCLA and spends her time as Assistant Editor of Audrey Magazine finding and sharing stories that will matter to the modern Asian (or not Asian) American woman (or man). While not at work, she is still writing away at her blog, www.themediamaid.com. |
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JIYOON KIM | Art Director | |
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AUDREY CHO | Staff Photographer | |
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ESTHER KIM | Office Administrator/Circulations Manager
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GENEY KIM | Events Coordinator/Marketing Director |
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KATRINA GUEVARA | Editorial Intern Katrina Guevara is a junior journalism major and psychology minor at Cal State Long Beach. Even though she doesn’t mind talking about herself in the third-person, she would much rather spend her time on other things like witty banter, photography and traveling. |
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RACHEL TSAO | Online Intern Rachel Tsao recently graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in Literary Journalism and minor in Digital Arts. In her free time, she enjoy playing tennis, baking, and trying new and different types foods.
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MELODY LEE | Online Intern Melody Lee spent most of her life living in Hong Kong, and now she travels back and forth between Asia and America. She is currently studying at the University of Southern California, pursuing a double degree in Business Administration and Psychology. She never leaves the house without a pair of heels on because she believes that longer-looking legs are totally worth the pain (plus they give a boost of confidence).
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ALLEN LEE | Design Intern | |
As you may know from our previous post, the L.A. Flea Market opened up at the Dodger Stadium this summer and Audrey Assistant Editor Janice Jann and guest Helen Wong decided to help scrounge for the best vintage finds, sniff out the food trucks and give you tips and bits on…How To Navigate A Flea Market!
Flea market fashion to couture fashion, check out Audrey’s Night Out 2010 TOMORROW!
Expo 2010 Shanghai Culture Centre.
With the World Expo going on, Shanghai is the place to be right now. (They’ve gotten 10 million visitors since May!) Audrey contributor Janice Jann was just there as part of the Miss LA Chinatown goodwill tour. Hip New York-based indie band PaperDoll, headed by Chinese-Taiwanese-Thai American vocalist Teresa Lee Chaisiri , is in Shanghai right now to perform at the World Expo (August 10 & 11), and they just performed at Shanghai’s oldest underground live music venue, Yuyintang, yesterday.
Iconic Chinese composer and conductor Tan Dun.
Everyone seems to be getting into the Expo act, including international fashion and accessories brand Bottega Veneta. The Italian brand is partnering with Academy Award-winning composer, conductor and cultural ambassador Tan Dun for a world premiere concert called “Martial Arts Trilogy.” The concert — which combines elements of Tan’s acclaimed scores from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Hero and The Banquet — is expected to be the top cultural event at the six month-long Expo and will take place this Saturday, August 7. Tan will be conducting the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, China Youth Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Philharmonic Chorus at the new 18,000 seat Expo 2010 Shanghai Culture Center.
Chinese model Liu Wen in Bottega Veneta's fall 2010 show.
This concert, sponsored by Bottega Veneta, represents a shared commitment to foster young creative talent and nurture the next generation of musicians, designers and creators. “It is a pleasure and also a responsibility, I believe, to help young designers and artists share their work with the widest possible audience,” said Tomas Maier, creative director of Bottega Veneta, which also developed an artisan training program at the Scuola Della Pelletteria in Vicenza, and sponsored a student design competition at the University of Tokyo last spring.
In addition to the China Youth Symphony Orchestra, the concert will feature young soloists from around the world, including Italian cellist Amedeo Cicchese, Japanese violinist Ryu Goto, China’s guqin player Lu Xiaozi, and Chinese American pianist Sun Jiayi.
Bottega Veneta's limited edition Spring Bud bag. There are only 26 of them in the world!
To celebrate the concert and partnership, Bottega Veneta has created a limited edition bag (there are only 26 of them!) to benefit the Spring Buds Project. The limited edition bag which will be sold at all their China stores and one will be auctioned off online. All 26 purchasers of the bag will receive two VIP tickets to the concert.
All the proceeds of the bags will be donated to the Spring Buds Project of CCTF, a public fundraising fund committed to helping every child in China to develop their overall physical, mental and social potential, and to help them become self-reliant, contributing members to their communities. The Spring Bud Project, launched in 1989, aims to help girls in poverty stricken and education deprived regions get back to school. In the last 18 years, the Spring Bud Program has sponsored the education and practical skills training of more than 1.7 million girls in China. The Program’s latest efforts focus on vocational training and even entrepreneurship.
To find out more about the concert, go here.
When the clock finally read 6 pm, I leapt out of my swivel chair and skipped through the door. I jumped into the elevator and ran to the beige Sienna van where my family was waiting to take me to the airport. Farewell to the old 9-6 and hello to adventure, excitement and travel!
As part of the 2010 Miss LA Chinatown court, we generally hold our princess duties around the Los Angeles Chinatown (duh) area. However, this special summer, four of us had the opportunity to travel to various cities in China and act as ambassadors for the Los Angeles Chinese Chamber of Commerce, where we soaked in the culture of the east to take home and share with our local community in the west.
Janice Jann, second from left, with the other members of the Miss LA Chinatown court and the LA Chinese Chamber of Commerce president at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing.
Over our two week-trip, we visited five areas around China — Beijing, DengFeng, Shanghai, Shantou and Hong Kong. We were treated to a multifaceted look at the face of China, going to countryside villages and large metropolises, admiring 1,000-year-old Longmen Grottoes in Luo Yang, and then glimpsing into the future of Shanghai at the World Expo. We tilled soil and practiced Shaolin martial arts. We dolled up and dined with government officials. We visited colleges and nightclubs. We ate. A lot. We suffered repercussions from eating a lot.
The Miss LA Chinatown court got an inside look into Chinese culture, including Shaolin moves.
Having tea with the Shaolin school director.
The entire time, a pending Audrey blog post was in the back of my mind. “What experiences should I share with Audrey readers about my trip to China that will be meaningful for them to read?”
I had expected this post to be one of those fish out of the water tales where I hilariously shared tales of asking to use the restroom and then being led to a side of the street or where I eat strange foods and then throw up afterward, but in actuality, my experience in Asia became one of coming home. It became one of where I found myself comforted to know the language of my ancestors and to learn their customs. It became one where I liked seeing faces like mine all over the billboards and magazine ads. It became one where I was proud to see how far my homeland had come and excited to see where there future will head.
Janice, far right, and the Miss LA Chinatown court in Shanghai, imitating what she calls a "common Chinese pose." From left: Carrie Gan, Nebula Gu, Jani Wang and Janice Jann.
The thing that is so refreshing about traveling is that you are living in the present. When I’m at home, I’m either constantly planning for the future, whether it be counting down to closing time at work or waiting for the weekends, or thinking to the past, whether it be reminiscing about the good ol’ days with high school friends or flicking through Facebook photos of my past travels (what? You know you do that too.) But when I’m at a particular city for only three days, I have no time to twiddle twaddle lamenting about my exes or worrying about what to do with the rest of my life. I’m too busy staring at sunsets, enjoying a conversation with a cute stranger, and living life at the moment.
Travel reminds us to do this: to live in the present. Think about your daily life. How often do you spend it worrying about what’s going to happen next or pining for the past? How often do you spend it just sitting there soaking in your surroundings and feeling life’s pulse?
I constantly wish for traveling to be a full-time gig, but I don’t think I would appreciate it as much if it were. So, I’ll take the few sacred weeks every year or so and hold it dear to my heart. Until the next adventure.
Making the most of the long transpacific flight.
A few months ago, Audrey contributor Janice Jann won First Princess in the 2010 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown. Since then, she’s been blogging about life as a beauty queen — from a real girl perspective. Here, part two of a First Princess’s tales from the inside.
A couple of days ago, I went to the gym and weighed myself on the scale and my jaw dropped to the ground. I had lost 20 pounds in the past six months. Physically, it’s not that big of a difference, is it?
Winning Miss Los Angeles Chinatown 2010 First Princess is not the best reward I received from this whole pageant experience. This body was.
For the past four months, I dragged myself out of bed nearly every single morning and worked out, whether taking ballroom dancing classes, lifting weights or just using the bicycle machines. I moderated what I ate, chomping on carrot sticks like I was Roger Rabbit and turning a blind eye to every burger joint and taco shack. It was not an easy task. I am a girl who loves to eat. If I could choose eternal beauty or the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals every single day of my life, food will win every time. I get giddy over a beautiful piece of steak. I think sharing a meal with someone is one of the most worthwhile ways of bonding and communion. I take pictures of food, for goodness sakes! So yea, it’s safe to say I like food a lot.
Janice Jann is newly svelte, but still loves her food!
And I am not naturally skinny. While it is true that I am skinnier than most, I am by no means a lithe size 0 with a six pack (maybe of beer …). I worked hard to get to this size. There is no secret magic shortcut to staying thin. You pretty much have to love yourself and your body enough to want to eat healthy and work out.
Taking care of your body the right way will not only give you a satisfactory physical appearance, it will make you feel better all around. I’m more alert, more awake because I don’t weigh myself down with sweets and fatty foods. I don’t break out as much. I go (you know, go) easily and on a regular basis. Endorphins flow through my veins, making me happier and smilier. I’m more flexible and quicker on my feet (still as klumsy as ever, though). I find that taking classes greatly boosts my motivation towards working out. It is really hard to slack off when you have all these middle-aged housewives puffing away, sweating bullets.
Now that the pageant is over, my top priority is keeping myself in shape. It does get kind of hard when I have weekly banquets to go to, where seven-course Chinese meals await, but I just also remember to keep my portions in check and remember that if I eat too much today, tomorrow is always a fresh new day.
We were excited when former editorial intern and Audrey contributor Janice Jann won First Princess in the 2010 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown last month. We’re even more excited that she’s agreed to blog about her year as she fulfills her pageant duties, represents the community, and, inevitably, deals with the pressures and expectations of a reigning pageant winner. Here, a First Princess’s tales from the inside.
Janice Jann in the question and answer portion of the Miss Los Angeles Chinatown pageant.
