Chats
Millenium Park, Chicago, Illinois
Chinese American Author Debuts with Novel on “Flying Tigers”
By Utami Diah Kusumawati
Chinese American novelist Iris Yang released her first novel, “Wings of a Flying Tiger”, just last month.
The novel, published by Open Books, centers around heroism and romance in which Chinese villagers rescue the life of a dying American pilot. The novel as reported by Xinhua News has been well-received by Chinese readers and is also a best-seller in the United States.
Jeannie Mai Celebrating Asian women’s potential
Jeannie Mai (Utami Diah Kusumawati)
Despite growing up as the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants who entered the United States by boat, Jeannie Mai never felt ashamed of her background.
Instead, she set a high bar for herself, to successfully bring out her exuberant personality and bold fashion style in the US.
Mario Blanco: Stepping out of his father’s shadow
Mario Blanco (JP/Utami Diah Kusumawati)
Being the only son of a legendary artist is not easy, a fact Mario Blanco, an artist and photographer from Bali, knows all too well.
Mario is the only son of world-renowned painter Antonio Blanco, who lived much of his life in Bali and was famous for his fantastic artistic creations.
As Antonio’s only son, Mario has carried the burden of expectations from those who want him to be as excellent as his father. For most of Mario’s career, his father’s reputation and success seemed to overshadow his own path.
However, he has managed to find his own way.
“My father never taught me or wanted me to paint. That is one thing that people never know or understand,” Mario said at the Rondji Restaurant in the Blanco Museum in Ubud, Bali, recently.
“My father always said to me that he was a painter, not a teacher. I should find another teacher,” he added.
Selamat ulang tahun untukku!
This day started with a debate in my family group about whether it was already June 10 or not in the States. I read the discussion with a smile growing in my face.
One year has passed by after the last birthday that I celebrated with my loved ones back then in Jakarta, Indonesia.
And here I am in a completely different world and culture, studying and learning many new interesting things from the U.S. people and its environment.
Map in R Studio: 2014 Indonesian Presidential Election
Indonesian 2014 Presidential Election’s Map. Chart by Utami Diah Kusumawati. For coding commands, visit kandilysnc/datavizUNL1(github)
