Sandra Oh “would not be here” without  "Grey's Anatomy"

Hello and good morning! It’s Monday, June 10. Here’s some of what you need to know in our community today:

Entertainment

Sandra Oh “would not be here” without  "Grey's Anatomy"

Sandra Oh recently opened up about the impact of playing Dr. Cristina Yang on "Grey's Anatomy." 

• Oh earned the first of her two Golden Globes and five Emmy nominations playing the cardiothoracic surgeon from 2005 to 2014 on the hit ABC medical drama. "I would not be here if it weren’t for [Cristina], but she also just didn’t happen. I made her,” Oh told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Monday: 

• While the 52-year-old star has decided not to return to the series, she expressed appreciation for how the character continues to inspire fans: “When there is a 15-year-old girl — and she wasn’t even born [when Grey’s premiered in 2005] — who then comes to me and is like, ‘I’m in medical school because of Cristina,’ I love it. I never, ever forget how important Cristina is… because those 15-year-old girls find me, and now 10 years on, I have much more appreciation for their appreciation.”

News

Oakland to honor Bruce Lee with intersection renaming

Oakland, California, plans to rename the intersection of Garnet Street and Broadway after iconic martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, who founded his Jeet Kune Do studio there in 1964. The Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute fostered intercultural unity and attracted diverse community members, including celebrities like Steve McQueen and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

• Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan previously proposed a resolution to rename the intersection “Bruce Lee Way” and install a plaque in Lee's honor, following the suggestion from former Mayor Ron Dellums, a martial arts enthusiast who trained under Lee. Dellums hopes the initiative will draw martial arts enthusiasts to Oakland, aligning with the city's tradition of honoring local icons by renaming streets.

• Lee, born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, was celebrated for his martial arts prowess and advocacy against racist Hollywood portrayals of Asians in the 1960s and '70s before tragically passing away at the age of 32 in 1973 due to an allergic reaction. 

Sports

NBA star praises Manny Pacquiao, Gilas

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns recently shared his experience reconnecting with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao during the FIBA World Cup 2023. The four-time NBA All-Star, who has known Pacquiao for years, visited the fighter at his home in the Philippines last September.

• Speaking to Spin.ph after the Wolves’ recent Game 5 elimination loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Towns said: “He’s amazing, he’s really good, so much ability, so humble. To have such a legend like that, regardless of whether it’s in the Philippines or America, we’re talking about one of the greatest sports legends of all time. But also just the humility he has for people, it shows the Philippine culture."

• Towns also commended the Philippine national basketball team, Gilas Pilipinas, despite their narrow 87-81 defeat to the Dominican Republic in the tournament: "If I know anything about Filipinos, it's that they move quick and they're super talented. They’re some of the best people I’ve known, some of the best athletes I know. I was just honored to play."

Food

Asia has 11 of the world’s 50 best restaurants

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2024 have been unveiled, showcasing culinary excellence across 27 global destinations as chosen by 1,080 international restaurant industry experts, including food writers and chefs. This year’s list features a mix of beloved classics and new entries from various regions, with significant representation from Asia.

• Atomix, a Michelin-starred Korean restaurant in New York City, ranked sixth globally and first in North America. Helmed by Chef Junghyun Park and his wife Ellia, it is praised for its meticulous attention to detail and use of beautiful ceramics for serving its acclaimed dishes. Atomix is one of only two U.S. restaurants featured on the list, with the other being California’s SingleThread (No. 46), which offers an omotenashi experience featuring kaiseki cuisine with fresh seafood and intricate woodsy and floral presentations.  

• The list also boasts 11 restaurants from Asia, including Japan’s Sezanne (No. 15) and Hong Kong’s Wing (No. 20), which earned the Highest New Entry Award. Bangkok stands out with the highest representation among Asian cities, featuring notable establishments like Gaggan Anand (No. 9), Suhring (No. 23), Sorn (No. 38) and Le Du (No. 40).

World

Singapore passport remains world’s most powerful 🇸🇬

Singapore’s passport remains one of the strongest in the world in 2024, allowing its holders to enter 159 countries visa-free and nine countries with just an Electronic Travel Authorization. Singapore received a score of 91.15 in the VisaGuide Passport Index, surpassing European countries such as Italy (90.49), Spain (90.48), France (90.45) and Hungary (90.25)

• Singapore has been recognized by VisaGuide as having the strongest passport in the world for four consecutive months, from March to June. Meanwhile, Japan placed 13th internationally and second in Asia. Japanese passport holders are granted visa-free entry to 143 countries, according to VisaGuide.

• Elsewhere, Singapore’s passport shares the No. 1 spot in the Henley Passport Index for 2024 along with France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Japan. These six countries are granted visa-free entry to 194 destinations, according to Henley. Japan and Singapore have consistently competed at the top of the list over the past few years, with Japan bumping Singapore off the Henley Passport Index No. 1 spot on multiple occasions, such as in 2023 and 2018.

Hong Kong

3 arrested in HK for “insulting” Chinese anthem at World Cup qualifier

Three individuals were arrested in Hong Kong on Wednesday for allegedly turning their backs and remaining seated during the playing of China's national anthem, “March of the Volunteers,” at the city’s 2026 World Cup Asian qualifier against Iran. 

• The trio included two men and one woman aged between 18 and 31. Their alleged actions are seen as a violation of the National Anthem Law of 2020, which regulates its use and prescribes standards of behavior during its playing. Before the law, soccer fans in Hong Kong were known to routinely and loudly boo the Chinese anthem, angering local and mainland officials.

• If convicted, the individuals face up to three years in jail and a fine of 50,000 Hong Kong dollars ($6,400). They were released on bail Friday pending further investigation and are required to report back in July.

Crime

Chinese man wanted in Japan for defacing war dead shrine

Japanese authorities are seeking a Chinese national suspected of spray-painting the word “toilet” at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead, including from the two Sino-Japanese Wars, in Tokyo last week. The alleged vandal, who calls himself “Iron Head,” posted a video of himself committing the act, as well as appearing to urinate on the site, on Chinese social media.

• The Kojimachi Police Station is investigating the matter as a property destruction case. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa expressed concerns to China over the incident on Tuesday.

• Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning addressed the incident, saying the shrine is both a “spiritual tool” and “symbol of Japan's wartime militaristic aggression” and that Japan should take action to gain the trust of its neighbors. Still, she reminded Chinese nationals abroad to “abide by local laws and regulations and express their demands rationally.”

More News

• A wild and windy ride: Surveillance footage shared online shows a man being dragged by a gust of wind while standing on the base of a patio umbrella in an attempt to save it from being blown away. The incident occurred in Langfang, a city in Hebei Province, on May 30. Thankfully, the man was reportedly not injured.

• Nvidia CEO spotted signing woman’s chest: Clad in a black leather jacket, Nvidia CEO and co-founder Jensen Huang was filmed carefully signing the chest area of a woman’s shirt during his appearance at the Computex tech expo in Taipei on Tuesday. Recently, Nvidia became the second-most valuable company in the world with a market cap of $3.012 trillion, overtaking Apple’s $3.003 trillion valuation.

• K-pop star is now a professor at leading Korean university: G-Dragon on Wednesday was named a visiting professor at the department of mechanical engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), one of South Korea’s top public universities. The Big Bang leader, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, will give lectures on leadership to both undergraduate and graduate students and participate in joint research to integrate KAIST technologies into art and cultural content. His term ends in 2026.

  

• San Diego man sentenced for hate crime against Asian American cop: Defendant John Richards, 68, pleaded guilty to battery on a police officer and a hate crime for striking and yelling racial slurs at an unnamed Asian American officer in 2022. He was sentenced to one year of probation and 141 days in custody, with 60 days in a residential treatment program.

Featured Posts

Until Tomorrow,

Alan Van