Pho shop hits back at 1-star review

Hello and good morning! It’s Friday, May 24. Here’s some of what you need to know in our community today:

Health

Japan’s oldest person turns 116

Tomiko Itooka celebrated her 116th birthday at her nursing home in Ashiya, Japan, along with the city’s mayor on Thursday.

• Itooka, who is the second oldest living person in the world today, is the eighth Japanese person to verifiably reach the age of 116 and the 30th person in recorded history to do so.

• The supercentenarian raised four children, managed her husband’s textile factory during World War II, climbed the 10,062-foot-high Mount Ontake while in her 80s and still enjoys her favorite drink, Calpis, every morning.

Australia

Pho shop owner does not hold his tongue

Duke Chu, the owner of popular Melbourne pho restaurant Pho A Gogo, has had it with recent 1-star reviews left on Google and Tripadvisor and is letting loose on their authors.

• “Idiot, the most idiot & arrogant customer ever came to our shop. U r old man, but no education, no polite, no honor… u think u had money u can do whatever u want? Wrong and big wrong, here at Pho A Gogo, we serve our customers with our pride and we serve them the best Pho in town,” Chu wrote in reply to one particularly dissatisfied customer. 

• Chu doesn’t only pay mind to critics and what he considers to be fake reviewers, however, as he has also shown appreciation to the many online who have praised Pho A Gogo by actively responding with “thank you” messages. 

Government

AAPI Latino population doubles in 2 decades

The AAPI Latino population has more than doubled from 350,000 in 2000 to 886,000 in 2022, underscoring the need to recognize the group as a distinct and growing category, according to UCLA researchers.

• AAPI Latinos can be categorized into four groups: Asian immigrants from Latin America, US-born individuals with AAPI and Latino parents, Filipinos with ambiguous ethnic identities due to Spanish colonial history, and descendants of Puerto Rican laborers and Native Hawaiians.

• California (302,000), Texas (78,000) and Hawaii (77,000) have the highest concentrations of AAPI Latinos. 

Crime

Privileged teen ordered to do homework for bail

Public outrage has forced a Juvenile Justice Board in Pune, India, to reverse its decision to order the teen son of wealthy businessman to write a 300-word essay as part of his bail conditions after he allegedly killed two people while driving home drunk from a bar.

• The 17-year-old suspect, who is not of legal driving or drinking age in India, was reportedly driving his Porsche Taycan at over 99 miles per hour moments before it struck 24-year-old software engineers Aneesh Awadhia and Ashwini Koshta.

• The suspect’s bail was canceled amid the outcry and he has instead been sent to a rehabilitation center, where he will stay until June 5. Police are seeking to try him as an adult.

More News

• Microplastic problem is nuts: A newly published study led by Xiaozhong Yu of the University of New Mexico found microplastics present in all of the human testes it analyzed, possibly providing a clue on the reason for decades of declining sperm counts among men worldwide.

• Vivek has something to say: One-time GOP presidential hopeful and anti-”woke” warrior Vivek Ramaswamy announced on Thursday that he has acquired an activist stake in BuzzFeed. “Stay tuned,” he said (or warned?).

• 100 years of community service in SF Chinatown: The Square and Circle Club, the nation’s oldest Chinese and Asian American women’s service organization, is set to celebrate its centennial next month.

• Go here now: The Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles is honoring pioneering Asian American Hollywood actress Anna May Wong with a new exhibit titled “Unmasking Anna May Wong” that opens today.

Featured Posts

Until Tomorrow,

Alan Van