ASIA PACIFIC HORIZONS

CONGRATULATIONS AND KUDOS TO OUR ASIAN STUDIES GRADUATES!!!
MASTERS
Tracy Lutz
Ronald Myers
Vernon Ragasa

UNDERGRADUATES
Erica Hashiba
Christian Pamani
Brent Warner

The Outstanding Graduate in Asian Studies is Erica Hashiba who has chosen as her Most Influential Faculty Member Dr. Michael Weiner.

ASIAN STUDIES STUDENTS ON ASIA

Seiko Hatta "if I have to choose only one best thing about Asia, that would be definitely food!! It's delicious and healthy. Not only Japanese, but also Chinese, Vietnameese, Thai, Indian. . . . they are all good. Another thing I like about Asia is beautiful resort ( beach) although some places are badly damaged by the recent tsunami. But everything is relatively cheap, and food is nice. It's like a paradise."

Robert Hodges "The compassion and affection of the people."

Co-Diem Ha "How about food food food!!!"

Aileen Hsu "The fashions! Okay, the fashions, the dancing, the whitening potions, the food, the movies. . . oh yeah . . . the history."

Vernon Ragasa "The culture and the food."

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF ASIA!

1. The population of Japan is just under 100,000,000 (T/F).
2. This city is capital of Guangdong Province, China.
3. Two-thirds of Japan is forested (T/F).
4. China is the world's third largest country (T/F).
5. What is the capital of the Philippines?
6. What is the longest river in the Philippines?
7. The Philippines is composed of approximately how many islands?
8. What is the most popular sport in Korea?
9. Mount Fuji is near Kyoto (T/F).
10. This city is the capital of Vietnam.
11. What is the original name of Buddhism's founder?
12. A Sanskrit word meaning 'action' or 'fate', often equated to 'what goes around comes around'.

These savvy questions were supplied by Asian Studies grad Robert Hodges; answers at the end of this newsletter.

ASIAN STUDIES CLASSES

Please see the class schedule for more information.

ASIAN STUDIES PASSAGES

As the Buddhists note, life is characterized by impermanence (anicca), and so it is a matter of course that change occurs. Asian Studies has some major changes in the offing:

DR. ALLEN WITTENBORN is retiring after the Fall '07 semester. He will still occasionally be on campus conducting research. We congratulate him and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

PROFESSOR MIGUEL LLORA has moved on to the Doctoral Program in Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. We are very happy for him and wish him all the best as he works toward this exciting goal.

DR. KEVIN CAI is retiring in February of 2008 and will be pursuing a teaching career at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. We are grateful for his 6 years of service with the department and are looking forward to watching his research and career flourish.

THE CHARLES WEI-HSUN FU SCHOLARSHIP IN CHINESE THOUGHT AND CULTURE
The Charles Wei-hsun Fu Foundation, in cooperation with the SDSU College of Arts & Letters and the SDSU China Studies Institute, will be offering a yearly endowed scholarship will be offered for students who meet the following criteria:
The scholarship will be open to any student in good standing at SDSU, Graduate or undergraduate, pursuing a program of study focusing on Chinese Thought and Culture.
The award will be based on the awardee's record of academic excellence, with a minimum GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0. Demonstration of financial need as defined by the SDSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will be taken into consideration.
Preference will be given to applicants who are engaged in Taiwan studies, Chinese philosophy and religion, Chinese culture and language, as well as applicants from the College of Arts and Letters.
If no suitable candidate is found in a given year, no award will be granted.
Applications for Fall 2006 will be available online from the SDSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in February 2006; http://starter.sdsu.edu/fao/.

STUDENT FORUM: ASIA—UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
ASIAN FOOD FINDS
A TASTE OF THAI AT THE RAMA RESTAURANT—Mark Kellner
With delightful cuisine, an excellent atmosphere, outstanding service, and an almost guaranteed enjoyable experience, Rama is a must-dine. Rama is a Thai restaurant located in the Gas Lamp district of downtown, and is coupled with a great environment and a centralized location. Rama's menu is vast and offers the average diner various options, from exquisite specials to authentic pleasing curries. The atmosphere is pleasantly casual, with a bar and available outside seating for those warm summer nights, or brisk winter evenings, if you so choose. Both casual restaurateurs and business groups alike are welcomed. After failing to make reservations, my three-person party was still seated in a timely fashion, a complement to their quality service. Dinner arrived in a flash, and was gone almost as fast. Not to undercut the portions, as they were definitely plentiful, but the meal was simply clean-plate- worthy. Owner and operator Alex Thao is also the owner of the well acclaimed Celadon: Fine Thai Cuisine restaurant as well. After recently opening Rama during the past year, it has already become quite successful.
Despite the fact that it has not been open long, Rama has still managed to acquire a plethora of awards and accolades. Worthy of more, the following reflect the quality of this restaurant: "San Diego's Best Thai Restaurant," San Diego Magazine, San Diego Reader, Bestof.com; "Silver Fork Award," "Best Eclectic Restaurant," San Diego Home/Garden. I highly recommend adding this restaurant to your downtown "fine-dines."

TOKYO SUSHI—Andrea Dacoco
Recently I had the privilege of eating at a quaint little Asian restaurant that was delicious, Tokyo Sushi at 6784 El Cajon Blvd. The atmosphere is friendly and very trendy. It is decorated with Asian accents, including bamboo fabric curtains and a water fountain instilling peace and serenity in diners. The chefs and waitresses greet incoming customers and thank you graciously when you leave. You will feel at home due to their genuine friendliness.
Although other Asian delicacies are available, they are best known for their sushi. Each kind of sushi is served up on gleaming white plates adorned with a single banana leaf—simple by appetizing. The sushi is made right in front of you so you know it is fresh. The names of the sushi, such as caterpillar sushi and rainbow sushi, make you want to try a new one each time you visit. Hip Hop and R/B music accompanies the culinary experience. The chefs sing along and dance to the songs. Their absolutely most favorite group is The Black Eyed Peas. Everyone will enjoy this restaurant for its food, music and atmosphere. I recommend it highly.

ASIA QUIZ ANSWERS
1. False, Japan's population is nearly 128,000,000
2. Guangzhou
3. True
4. False, China has the world's largest population
5. Manila
6. Cagayan River 7. Just over 7,000, depending on the tide
8. T'aekwondo
9. False
10. Hanoi
11. Siddharta Gautama
12. Karma

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