Some Asian Award Winners of IDEAS

IDEAS is actually an acronym for International Design Excellence Awards. Basically the best global designs are put together and submitted to this fascinating competition. Japan, China, and Korea are rising fast as you probably know, but Korea came in second taking 19 IDEAS awards, Brazil taking third place with 12 awards. The competition has 17 categories ranging from “computer equipment to entertainment, and from design strategy to student design” (BW). Check out the the IDEAS award winning designs of 2008.

From a student from Kookmin University in Seoul designed a VoiceStick. It is a portable text scanner for the blind. It converts written information including your e-mail directly to speech. Personally this sounds similar to that pen/pencil, I don’t know what it is, but basically you digitally highlight the text and translates the word to another language that you want.

Here is another one: The Holeder Earphone designed by Yoon Sang Kim from South Korea. Basically it is an earphone to prevent bacteria that can multiply 700 as fast on your ears. This earphone fits on the rim of your ear and doesn’t actually plug in to it.

This interesting one, maybe useful for hat manufaturers won a gold medal. It is a program that uses Chinese and South Asians’ “head” model since it differs in shape sometimes from Western countries. This program can be used for adjusting sizes for items such as bike helmets, hats, etc. This design comes from a group from Sizechina Designers that include people from Hong Kong, Netherlands, US, and Canada.

Well, here you are with some of the award winners from the global competition of IDEAS. How do people come up with so many things every year? I feel like at one point ideas, inventions are going to cease to exist. How much further can we go?

Bribe with School Pride

Believe it or not, your school may be associated with a major credit card company like Bank of America or Chase! Having your first credit card is a major step to independence but then, this is what the companies want you to do. Being a college student, you need that extra money your parents would not give you to spend; that extra money you always wish you had, but better, a damn credit, plastic card: slide and pay later.

Your first credit card is what sets these nation/worldwide banks on their toes. It’s lots to do with marketing; the loyalty one gives, branding their image to young college students. How are these major banks getting to students? Well, it seems like many schools in the US are somehow affiliated with these major banks. For example, Florida State University is associated with Bank of America. The terms? Simple: For every new activation there is a commission, for every yearly continuance of usage of the card, another commission per year, for every alumni (graduated) continuing to use the card, another smaller commission and so on. These commissions per student might only be about $5 to $6 per student per year, imagine the commission earned by the students who graduate, leave school, still loyal to the bank associated with the school. Bank of America has a $10.7 million payment to Florida State University for over seven years. That is not even half of what the same bank will pay to Michigan State University for over 11 years, a payment of $25.5 million to the school.

Careful! I know your first credit card is a form of spending money the way you want, but let’s say that your university might be selling your information such as your e-mails and phone numbers to these major credit card companies. Wondering how you got that letter or that phone call to sign up for a credit card? At least we can or hope to rely on the school headmasters to distribute that money well into the schools’ education.

Information obtained from July 28th, 2008 issue of Business Week.

Jie Zheng from China beats No. 1 ranked woman in Tennis: Ana Ivanovic

Jie Zheng (currently ranks No. 133), born in Cheng Du, China beat the top player of women’s tennis Ana Ivanovic (currently ranks No. 1) reaching the semifinals for the Wimbledon tomorrow against Serena Williams, two-time winner of Wimbledon. Zheng is the first Chinese woman to ever reach the semifinals and never before having beaten a top 10 player. This is will certainly look well for the upcoming Olympic games this year.

It is not often seen that many Asian athletes reach a level of recognition and 1st prize wins. Golf and baseball are the major sports where you see Asians participating; take all-time famous Seri Park (golf player), although not as popular nowadays, younger players are rising above and beyond like Michelle Wie, an 18 year old, 6 ft 1 in turning pro at age 15 and until 2006 being the youngest player at age 10 on 2000 to qualify for the Women’s US Amateur Public Links Championship. You may also recognize her as the fourth woman or the crazy Korean girl who tried to qualify for the PGA tour with male opponents, which in fact she was one stroke short on qualifying. Wie was also the youngest player at the age of 12 to qualify for the LPGA event, but failed the cut.

How do these young players affect the professionalism in these respected sports? Michelle Wie has definitely shown her childish behavior in a tournament she has attended. When she does well, she stays, if she feels she won’t make the cut having over 20 strokes from par, she leaves an excuse and leaves the premises.

Attracting a younger market as is the case of Michelle Wie or as was Tiger Woods, influenced a new generation of children to become professional athletes every year becoming younger and younger and breaking another world record. Are professional athletes becoming the new Hollywood children?

You see Asian players born, raised, trained in their home country or you may also see players that look Asian but were born, raised, and trained in a foreign country, where values, beliefs, and attitudes are different. Being traditional and conservative or individual and liberal are qualities of personality that are affecting behaviors of these professional young athletes.

You can tell all these qualities when it comes to interviews, or even face expressions, how they handle the crowd, their fans. Some Asians raise their hand for “thank you,” others throw the ball to the crowd or smile and laugh with them. How they handle the bad shot they took with their swing, some give a grin in their face, some throw their club, some smash their club on the grass, some just let it go and just smile at their mistake.

Personally, I am not a professional psychologist who can read face expressions, it is just the “excuse” you put out with your body on to the television that makes you who you are. Some leave the tournament; some massage their wrist like it wasn’t their fault. Haven’t you seen sports that are played individually where they show certain behaviors and emotions that you know it is some kind of excuse? In my case, the US Open for golf, I know Tiger Woods had couple of knee surgeries before and was still recuperating, but I only saw his grin with the whole knee hurting only after he would swing and the ball would not be as good as he expected and all the good shots, he didn’t complain. Hey, but that’s just me.

Asian Dancing Arcade Games (PUMP).

You have probably heard of the arcade dancing game called DDR that uses four arrows on the floorboard (Dance Dance Revolution), however, there is a bit more complicated version of it called PUMP that uses four arrows and one PUMP at the middle. Every year in South Korea the “World Pump it Up Festival” is hosted, where participants all over the world come together in one stage and perform the best they can in points, originality, dual and single performances in front of thousands of people and its judges going for the prize money and recognition. Participants may choose whichever part of their body (hands, feet, knee, elbow, head, doesn’t matter as long as it is done) as their weapon to pressing one or more of the five buttons on the floorboard.

It is easier when the task is only pressing those buttons with your feet (like I would do), but freestyle which lets the participant choose its dance moves to get the job done are the hardest to accomplish. Freestyle in this tournament is categorized in single or more participants using both of the floorboards.

The only place I have seen the PUMP game is at Dave & Buster’s in the United States. But, take in mind that more entertaining and interesting games that are similar to using your body to dance are available in Asia that I haven’t seen in the US but actually one in Guatemala in the Concepcion shopping mall (which by the way does not work properly :S). There are dancing games that require your hands or arms for body movement with a sensor that is attached to the game at the top and bottom. There are other dancing games that have sensors around the floor board that only sense your hand movements, so your feet are there to freestyle themselves. You might look a bit awkward only dancing by moving your arms if you know what I mean.

These dancing games give players a chance to come up with their own dance moves, show them around, and have fun. Who plays more arcade games than Asians?

My thoughts on Education…

Stereotypes are interesting and most people laugh at it because it is true. Koreans or should I say many Asian countries focus on education as their primary way of life for their future. The level of education is believed to make you a better person and in a higher social status. Korea, although with its stereotyped view of foreigners that they are good at math or they are just smart, believe it or not in 1945, only 22% of the Korean population was literate. Now, South Korea and Finland score the highest in the PISA study that is conducted every three years are the best in math for 15 year olds. Are Koreans pushed for education? Is it too much pressure? I believe so…

Generally all Koreans I know or have met have their children or my friends in summer study sessions. It is basically learning math or some sort of subject during summer. Korean parents almost as mandatory send their kids to study during their summer vacation and winter vacation and even after school. My cousins in Korea always grew up going to extra classes after school ever since elementary school. They have to go to piano lessons, English lessons, some math, some Korean history class, etc they come back home after 10PM or more! I am sure all Koreans do not like to study that much, but here in a foreign country have we lost what is valued most?

Korean kids are still pressured some way or the other to study and study and be the best in class, to get into the best university, to look the best for OTHER parents. Asian cultures are collectivist, meaning they rely on groups. They care what others say about them or their children because they belong in this group and this is more important than being an “individual.” In a way, showing off is best seen in these groups, rumors scatter quickly; people are looked down upon on when something is wrong.

Education is a big part of at least the Korean culture. It is the part of life that will get kids to be better in the world, to be successful, giving their children an education they did not have when they were young. But because of standards of education are rising, is the ministry of education of Korea rising above as well to meet the standards of the parents who make the best education for their children? Like Carlos Mencia from “Mind of Mencia” in Comedy Central and stand up shows nationwide says that in the US, they are lowering the standards of education. It is definitely something to think about. Do you think you would have been different in these different cultures and ways of education? I think I would.

Asian Business Entrepreneurs to a new Generation of Asian Children

Statistics say that Asians are most likely to own their own businesses in a foreign country. These include Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, and the like; owning various restaurants, produce markets, toy stores, clothing, companies, etc. In the US, this is shown in different major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York where every state has its little Korea, little China, and little Japan. You may have also noticed other Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, or Philippines. Why their own business? Is it because there is a higher opportunity or is it because minority groups cannot advance in the opportunity as professionals in the business world?

During the 70’s when Korean citizens were working with a minimum salary was not enough to bring food in the table, many people moved out of the country to others such as the US. My case, it wasn’t United States, but in the developing Latin American country in Central America called Guatemala. Yes, labor is cheap, but the country is developing rapidly. I will add that in my point of view, Koreans are the largest population living in Guatemala as the Asian minority group. You see them everywhere, everyone knows everyone, and privacy is not a word used most often. Not only is Guatemala a small city, well, not small, but there are a few places where people usually go. This includes Koreans or Guatemalans alike. For example, two major upscale shopping malls, various mid-scale shopping malls, a territory to party much like a downtown on a Friday night, and even restaurants.

My parents moved to Guatemala for an opportunity of owning their own business. It was hard, the first seven years we lived in poverty and hardship. But as time went by networking and meeting new friends and business partners, the investment made by my father who graduated engineer and now is solely a businessman, paid in the long run. The poverty my family lived during the first couple of years has actually made the person who I am today and what I may speak. I attended Spanish-speaking schools; therefore, my second language is Spanish, which I am very proud of. Humbleness has conquered in my family, such as not being spoiled and working hard to get something I wanted.

These world citizens, who migrated to an unknown territory, landed with their own traditions and holidays, what happened with their children if any? Did their culture clash together and make a new “type” of Asian? I have certainly have had clashes between three very different cultures: Korean, Guatemalan, and American. The culture, the language, the food, the traditions, the religion, etc these are all parts of what makes a culture. I have changed from Buddhism to Christian and to Catholic, I have gone from Korean, Spanish, to English or even from conservative to liberal. These new generations of Asian-Latinos, Asian Americans, or even Asians started from business entrepreneurs, moving to foreign nations, opening up with other cultures, learning new languages, learning new customs and traditions, and some stay within their culture, some switch, and some get a mix of both. What about you?