Their next major event will be an evening with Ruan Zongze, the Minister Counselor of the political department of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC.  Mr. Ruan’s topic is "China-U.S. Relations in an Emerging New World Economy."   The UNLV Institute for Security Studies is co-sponsor for the dinner at the Pinot Brasserie, Venetian Hotel. 

Both Members and non-members are invited to attend Friday May 29 from 6pm-9pm.  The cost is $50 pp, paid with cash or check at the door, and includes a 3 course dinner.  The no-host cash bar and social reception are from 6pm-7pm, with dinner starting at 7pm. Mr. Ruan will speak and allow time for questions.

Email: bsturmnv@gmail.com for this great opportunity to meet the Minister Counselor of China, Ruan Zongze.

Regular meetings of the WAC are held on the second Wednesday each month, 6:30p-8:00p, at venues alternating between the eastside and the westside.  There is a nominal charge (usually $20 pp) which may include a wine tasting or appetizers, depending on the locale. 

The monthly meetings revolve around specific discussion topics such as "Peace in Peril: The Indian sub-continent – Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and the U.S."  The discussions are lead by a moderator with active group participation in the form of questions, comments and friendly debate.

The merger of the WAC and NCFR makes sense. Both have the same mission – to provide a forum for globally-thinking Las Vegans to meet, to be informed by national and international figures, and to discuss international events, especially the direction or misdirection of American foreign policy.

Las Vegas has a bad reputation for low intellectualism, probably not undeserved.  This group demonstrates that there are people here who think – and think about a world beyond work, daily life and the Strip. If you are looking to meet other people interested in the complex and intriguing U.S. role in global politics, this is the group for you.

Email bsturmnv@gmail.com for more information and be placed on the email list.

For more on Ruan Zongze, visit http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people3/Ruan/ruan-con0.html

For more on the World Affairs Council visit http://www.worldaffairscouncils.org/main/index.cfm?Category=Main&Section=Main

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Look for cutting-edge dance choreography, amazing sound and stage effects, with a night of golden hits. Reserved seating: $200, $160, $120, $90, $60 @ orleansarena.com or Call 702-284-7777 or all Coast Casino’s Box Offices. Orleans Arena 4500 W Tropicana Av Las Vegas NV

This class has been cancelled until further notice.

Unlock the Treasury of Wisdom with Buddhist Qi Gong at Transformations Wednesdays 6p-7p with David Miller. Buddhist Qigong involves three energy channels and seven energy centers (Chakras), focusing on quieting the body, speech, and mind. The cost is $15 class or $40 per month. To sign up call David directly at 702-641-0522. The number for Transformations is 702-252-3502. Transformations a Healing Place 1725 S. Rainbow #25 Las Vegas NV. transformationsahealingplace.com

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Related LVWAC USA-China Military Relations, Future of Space Program Dinner, LVWAC International Educator of the Year Awards

Last night Ben Duchek, the force behind the Las Vegas World Affairs Council (LVWAC), put together another powerful program to support his vision of connecting Las Vegans interested in foreign affairs with knowledgeable speakers and creating a forum of vibrant and relevant dialogue. The guest commentator was Dr. Phillip C. Saunders, a Senior Research Fellow at the National Defense University Institute for National Strategic Studies, speaking and answering questions about US-China relations, especially military, and the Far East Theater.

Dr. Saunders effortlessly gave a brilliant overview of current US-China relations without referring to notes. The review was thoughtful and penetrating, illuminating the thought process of Chinese and US officials on everything from trade to cultural exchange with special emphasis on the problem of Taiwan. A provocative question and answer period followed his informal talk. There was a sizeable contingent from Nellis Air Force Base in attendance who posed thoughtful questions revealing an impressive knowledge of Chinese military history, weapons systems and thinking.

While there are many areas of cooperation between China and the US such as trade, education and cultural exchange, and to some extent North Korea, there is sharp division in the military realm with focus on Taiwan. It is a dangerous balancing act with China consistently asserting its territorial claim on the island democracy and the US in staunt support of its independence.

Taiwan itself is an unpredictable factor in the standoff. The Chinese nationalists, who invaded the island in 1949 after defeat by Mao on the mainland, have ruled the island for decades. As they maintain that they are the rightful heirs of China, their position has been that Taiwan is part of China and have not pushed for a declaration of independence.

But the native Taiwanese have slowly taken their place in the government and military and are more supportive of independence, even though polls indicate that 80% of the population favors the status quo. That position probably stems not from their lack of desire of an island once and for all free of China, but more from prudence that open confrontation with China would be bad for business and possibly lead to war. Oddly, the people continue to elect presidents who represent the minority "independence" view.

So what would the US actually do if the Taiwanese government provokes China and declares independence? President Bush has stated we will defend the island. What would the Chinese actually do? Would China risk their incredible economic growth to annex the island militarily? For more in depth analysis see the Institute for National Strategic Studies website ndu.edu.

We met at the new Little Macau Ultra Tavern at 3939 Spring Mountain Rd in a comfortable side room with cozy sofas and warm red carpet. A full cash bar was accompanied by a delightful and tasty buffet of Chinese delicacies. Ben is king of finding just the right spots to host the LVWAC gatherings, just as he is king of finding just the right speakers to satisfy the needs of Las Vegans hungry for more face-to-face exposure to international culture and politics. To find out more about LVWAC visit lvwac.org.

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Youth Theatre

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May 12-24 registration. Reed Whipple Cultural Center: pottery for all levels, youth certamics; ballet, hip hop, hula; private flute, guitar, piano. saxophone, voice; drama for children and teens. Classes are 7-10 weeks. Call 702-229-6211. 821 Las Vegas Blvd N. Las Vegas NV.

May 12-24 registration. West Las Vegas Arts Center: sewing/crafts, art; African dance & drum, ballet, hip hop, tap; tae kwon do; guitar, piano, music production, sutdio engineering. Classes are 7-10 weeks. Sat morning program: children’s 3 hour block classes at discount. Call 702-229-4800. 947 West Lake Mead Blvd. Las Vegas NV

May 12-31 registration. Charleston Heights Arts Center: ballet, ballroom, Latin club, salsa, tango, west coast swing; private dance; private piano, voice; Pilates; actors workshop ages 10-12. 6 week session begins June 5. Call 702-229-6383. 800 So Brush St Las Vegas NV

May 12-31 registration. East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center: classes in English and Spanish: ballet folklorico, salsa, world dance; computers; group/private msuic lessons; visual arts classes; cartooning ages 10-15, Chinese calligraphy, youth clay art, pottery, raku, ceramics; weaving. 6 week session begins June 5. Call 702-229-1515. 250 No Eastern Av Las Vegas NV.

For other summer activites for kids go to lasvegasnevada.gov

The event is a fundraiser for the Nevada Cancer Institute which will recieve a portion of the proceeds of the Gallery’s sale of Tsui’s art work. In addition, Collectors Editions, the publisher for Tsui, will also donate a portion of sales proceeds to NCI.

Work available for purchase includes oils embellished with antique wood details, unornamented oil paintings, giclees and oil sketches. A giclee is a high resolution reproduction of two-dimensional artwork, utilizing digital scans and special large format printers. They can be printed on a variety of media including canvas, vinyl and transparent acetates. This is a technology vastly superior to traditional lithography both in terms of vividness and longevity of color as well as crispness of detail.

You must RSVP for the event to 702-228-6013 or email scannon@thegalleryatsummerlin.com. Venue is the Gallery at Summerlin 9330 W Sahara #180 Las Vegas NV (Sahara & Ft Apache in Village Square)

The Town Hall Meeting starts at 7:00 pm and includes dinner at the Four Seasons. In cooperation with the National Committee on US-China Relations and their National China Town Hall Day, the event is hosted by the LVWAC who will lead a discussion of the present and anticipated military relationship between China and the US. Cost is $50 members/$75 non-members. All interested parties welcome; membership not required. Pre-Registration appreciated www.lvwac.org. Venue is Little Macau Restaurant 3939 Spring Mountain Rd Las Vegas NV.

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Ceremonies will start at MonteLago Village on Fri May 4 @ 6:30pm with the “Dotting of the Eye Ceremony,” a tradition which awakens the Dragon spirit. Enjoy a performance of the Shaolin dancers followed by a screening of “South Pacific” on the Events Plaza.

Look for vendors with food and fun and lots of entertainment for the whole family. Proceeds from the Dragon Boat Pledge Program benefit the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.

For more info call MonteLago Village Events Hotline 702-564-4766 or visit www.montelagovillage.com. Also visit www.facilitymarketing.com/DragonBoat. Montelago Village Lake Las Vegas 1600 Lake Las Vegas Pkwy Henderson NV.

Evidence is mounting that the tainted pet food is more toxic to cats than dogs. Melamine has now been found in pig urine at a California pig farm.

Wheat glutten is used as filler in the pet food. ChemNutra imports the wheat glutten from a Chinese company which ChemNutra claims was represented as a reputable source for high quality nutritional ingredients and which provided apparent proof that its wheat gluten was safe. Melamine has been found in Chinese-originated wheat glutten, rice protein and corn glutten, all used as pet food ingredients.

Melamine is a chemical found in plastics, pesticides and sometimes fertilizers, certainly not approved for use in pet food by the US FDA. A leading theory is that the melamine was deliberately added to fake higher protein levels. The FDA has set up a website for concerned pet owners: www.fda.gov.

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The practice of Tibetan Astro Medicine is more than 3,000 years old. As there was no written language until the 7th century, the knowledge and practice was passed verbally from mother practitioners to daughters and fathers to sons. He recounted the tale of a popular and powerful king who ruled over a vast kingdom extending from Manali, India deep into modern day China. A portion of his vast wealth came from taxes imposed upon travelers of the Silk Road as they passed through ancient Tibet. The king was desirous of a written alphabet, so sent his sons and a minister to India to learn Sanskrit. All died from the extreme heat of India save the minister, who returned to develop the script that is in use today with Tibetan.

The tenants of the Tibetan practice of medicine are based on several factors, including the astrology of the patient, which is determined by the time of birth. It is vital to understand the cycles of life; timing is everything. Also important is the consideration of climate and diet. Diet must be adjusted according to the season. In fact, Dr. Kalsang proposes that the change of seasons is beneficial to good health and well-being. He cautioned especially against very cold drinks in a hot climate, disturbing the digestion. In fact, he attributed a possible cause of our epidemic of obesity to the intake of such volumes of cold drink with our meals. Diet is the number one consideration in Tibetan medicine. The food you eat is “energy you are injecting into your body.” It does you no good to take supplements or medicines without proper nutrition. Only good food can make you healthy. He quoted Aristotle as saying, “The best medicine is food.”

Tibetans utilize herbs for treatment of disease, even kidney stones can be broken up and passed in the urine by the intake of the correct herbs. Dr. Kalsang was quick to instruct that herbs are never given alone, but always blended, helping to avoid the toxicity that can occur even with natural products. Tibetan medicine and spirituality are closely connected. Medical treatments are always energized by mantras.

Diagnosis is by examining external parts of the body to reflect internal weakness. For example, the tongue is connected to the heart; certain conditions of the tongue can indicate heart problems. The Tibetan doctor will look at the coloring in the whites of the eyes; he will test the urine. Most importantly, he takes the pulse, but with a woman, it is first the left, then right, and for the man, the opposite.

According to Dr. Kalsang, the main cause for cancer is stress, with the ingestion of chemicals in our environment as second. He recommends yoga and meditation, and taking time out of the day to relax. He dismisses the excuse that one can be too busy to cook or to meditate. There are 24 hours in every day, he says. Do not tell me you cannot find one hour. Our society is so stressed that people cannot sleep on the most expensive of mattresses, while the poor snore loudly and sleep soundly on rags in the railroad station in Delhi.

The Tibetans see astrology as providing a blueprint for life. You would not construct a building without a blueprint, so why would you plan your life without one? It is very important for them to ascertain the time of death so they can tailor their life to use the time wisely. Dr. Kalsang advises that although money is not bad and we all need to pay our bills, one should not “over-attach” to it. He does enjoy sending extra dollars to India to help his relatives and, most important to him, to maintain his Tibetan store in San Diego which provides Tibetan goods and medicines to Tibetan refugees. Having more than you need translates to the ability to help others.

Dr. Kalsang is associated with the Buddhist community in Las Vegas. For more information about his next visit or Buddhist activities, call 702-219-1191. Also visit the website of the Lohan School of Shaolin. www.lvlohans.com

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Dr. Kalsang will be available Sun Mar 25 for Personal Astrological Readings. This will help you with that blueprint of life I talked about earlier in the article. Jhampa, as he is known to his associates, will give counsel and recommendations for appropriate courses of action and antidotes to alleviate obstacles. Necessary data: Full Name, Date of Birth, Time of Birth, Place of Birth. The cost for a personal consultation, including tape is $130. Please call Sveta 619-819-9276 or email svetala@gmail.com. This is an amazing opportunity to have a personal reading from one of the world’s leaders in Tibetan Medicine and Astrology.

Related Tibetan Astrologer Jhampa Kalsang

The Exhibition program will be broadcast on ESPN tomorrow, Sun Mar 25 from 5:00p-7:00p. Warning: there is so much advertising you could go crazy. Tivo or tape if you can. www.usfa.org

Similarities: We entered both conflicts ignorant of their cultures and without understanding of their own internal historical struggles. As Irsfield so aptly put it, “We got in the way of their history.” We certainly formed our political opinions based on misrepresented facts and propaganda, even outright lies. We justified our action on a fear of the domino effect: all Asia would go Communist, all the Middle East will fall under the power of extremist Islam. In both cases the enemy is not clearly identifiable, wrecking havoc in our operations where we employ locals as support. The enemy is everywhere, and as Herring queried, “Whom do we kill?” Lacking a defined target, the young soldier wants to kill everyone.

Differences: In Vietnam we entered into an existing war, one that had waged for decades and was a struggle by a people to be free of foreign domination, Chinese and Japanese as well as French. In Iraq we created the war, unleashing a struggle between three separate and competitive groups that had been controlled by the Saddam regime. Because of 911 and the anthrax scare, we believed we were in imminent danger as a nation. Vietnam was always very far away. There is a strong religious overtone to the Iraq conflict not existing in Vietnam. Although American Catholics sympathized with the ruling catholic regime in South Vietnam, it played a small part in public opinion. But the confusing complexities of the Sunni-Shiite struggle and our Christian world view of an aggressive Muslim movement threatening our existence are major triggers in our national psychology. This same element of fear was played out in Vietnam, not through religious channels, but from a fear of world-domination of Communism.

The Doc Rondo Hall was filled to capacity, 250 concerned citizens divided into two groups: UNLV students out of interest or class requirement and aging baby boomers who personally experienced that era in all its pain and turmoil. This has happened twice in our generation. Herring poses the question, “What does it tell us about ourselves?”

The discussion was highly academic, as to be expected, certainly dry and not a little lacking in animation. The sound system was not calibrated properly, which is really inexcusable considering the resources of the recital hall. It was very difficult to hear the panelists at various times, at other times comments were quite indiscernible. There really needs to be more attention paid to the technical part of such an evening as the impact is significantly lessened when the public has to strain to follow.

Panelists:
Tim O’Brien: author of the definitive novel on Vietnam, written from his own personal experience, “The Things They Carried.”
George C. Herring: Historian and author of “America’s Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975,” the most widely used account in college classes across the country.
John Irsfield: novelist and short story writer, UNLV professor of English:
Vu Tran: Vietnamese-born, author and winner of the O’Henry Award for short stories. Although raised in the US, Tran’s stories are all set in Vietnam.
Jimmy Castellanos: A Veteran of Peace, he was deployed to Iraq as a Marine and is now a conscientious objector.
Joseph “Andy” Foy: UNLV author of four books on Vietnam and currently writing “The American South and the Vietnam War.”

Related Black Mountain Institute on Vietnam & Iraq

BMI is sponsoring a two-day event with a panel of authors, historians, educators and veterans who will explore “The Vietnam War in Light of Iraq” – the politics and lessons (apparently not well learned) of the Vietnam conflict vis a vis the current war in Iraq.

There will be a panel discussion starting at 7pm on Wed Mar 21 with historian Charles Herring, Iraq War veteran Jimmy Castellanos, Vietnam native Nu Tran and UNLV Professor John Irsfeld. UNLV Professor Joseph (Andy) Fry will moderate. Thurs, Mar 22 @ 7 pm, the two novelists, Tim O’Brien, Vietnam veteran, and Robert Stone will read from their latest works.

These events are open and free to the public. You do not need tickets or reservations. You are advised to arrive early to get good seats. For more info: 702-895-5542. Attention to different meeting halls: The venue Wed, Mar 21 is Doc Rondo Hall, UNLV Artemus Ham Fine Arts Building; the venue Thur Mar 22 is Barrick Museum Auditorium. Both UNLV campus.

Related UNLV Free Lectures for Public, www.blackmountaininstitute.org, www.cityofasylum.org, www.modernletters.org

Related Lohan School of Shaolin

Privileged to have been included in such a soiree, knowing that the event has been closed in the past to non-members, I savored the Group Song of Happy New Year (in Chinese) and the "Tai Chi Fan" with the students of Stella Huang, Peter Tu and Daniel S. P. Yang. Prof. Yang, who has staged many theatrical productions, both Western and traditional Chinese, delighted us with a 400 year-old serenade to a novice nun, a piece representative of a period classified as the "Mother of Beijing Chinese Opera."

Anthem is America and the dance floor quickly filled when Latin rythmns beckoned for line dance. The evening’s program was a enchanting mixture of West meets East; DJ Wong spinning disco and other beats, an elegant and graceful cha-cha"Tai Chi Sword."

"Shay shay" to Organizer Marianne Blaha and the members of the Chinese Special Group of Sun City Anthem for allowing us to share in their celebration. I understand more and more Chinese are making this area their home. Welcome! Your contribution to the community of Las Vegas is much appreciated. Happy Year of the Red Fire Pig!

Related: Bellagio, Chinese New Year & The Golden Pig, Very Decent Dim Sum, Gung Hay Fat Choy, Aloha! Chinese New Year on the 9th Island

Dim Sum is the general classification for the small delicacies Chinese eat for breakfast or lunch, often dumpling- or bun-like, usually steamed or fried, most commonly filled with pork, shrimp or vegetables. Most westerners are familiar with potstickers, a typical Dim Sum. A classic Dim Sum meal is served from small carts or trolleys that circle the room, you making your choices at will, and the server noting your selection on the table’s tab to be tallied at the end of the meal. Dim Sum is a Cantonese expression which translates directly as “touching the heart,” but is used as “bite” or “snack.”

The Dim Sum menu at the Ping Pang Pong is divided into Steamed, Crisp Fried and Seared, Baked, Bamboo Rice Specials, Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls, Warm and Hot Sweets, and Cool Sweets. I usually have the server lift the lids on the stainless steel or bamboo baskets and just point to indicate my selection. I do have a great weakness for the BBQ Pork Bao (steamed bun) and insist on having at least one serving. The prices vary from $2.18 to $5.88 a serving, which is usually 3-4 pieces. It is a meal best enjoyed by several people, as it is difficult for two to eat the variety that you want to order. Like all Chinese food, it is designed to enjoy in a group.

The serving is daily from 10am -3pm. You can also order from the menu if the Dim Sum seems daunting, but you will be missing a great treat. Ping Pang Pong Restaurant, Gold Coast Casino, W. Flamingo and Valley View.

You can also get daily Dim Sum until 4 pm at the Harbour Palace Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown Plaza at 4275 Spring Mountain Rd, west of Valley View.

I personally had the great pleasure of hearing the Dalai Lama himself at Stanford in fall 2005. It was an amazing experience which included a meditation and Q & A period. Whether or not you believe in his elevated spiritual development, he is a charming and charismatic presence inbued with great kindness and wisdom. The idea of the possibility of a visit is pretty remarkable.

For those of you less versed in Asian time cycles, the Chinese New Year is based on a lunar calendar and arrives this year on February 18. I won’t go into the complexities here, but it always falls around the same time of year. It is similar to Easter, except it doesn’t have to fall on any specific day of the week. You probably already know that the Chinese calendar has 12 animal signs and that the years are associated with one of those signs. It is calculcated by various cycles intercepting each other and best left to esoterics to pursue the hows and whys. Suffice it to say that the coming year (loosely 2007) is the Year of the Pig. But better than that, it is the year of the RED Fire Pig which comes only every 60 years.

This is a most auspicious pig year and considered a year for booming businesses and families. I like the sound of the business part. But now we come to the really interesting part. The buzz in all the Asian newspapers, especially in Korea, is that this is a GOLDEN Pig Year, which only occurs every 600 years! It gets better and better. As Pigs are symbols of Wealth and Good Luck, this should be a banner year by any standards. So if you see banks, restaurants, and other businesses handing out golden piggy banks, you’ll know why. Now sceptics say there is no foundation for a Year of the Golden Pig, that it is an invention of the Korean government to encourage more births as the country has a declining birthrate. If you believe in this stuff, then you believe that your Red Pig child will be twice as lucky. Imagine a Golden Pig child! I personally like the idea of this being one of the luckiest years out of the last 600; works for me.

By the way, dreams about pigs are supposedly signs of coming wealth. If you dream about a pig tonight, then tomorrow might be a good day to invest some money or hit the slot machines. Pig People (those born in 1923, ‘35, ‘47, ‘59, ‘71, ‘83, ‘95 and 2007) are intelligent, maybe too honest, loyal, sincere, have much courage and make good friends and neighbors. They hunger after knowledge and should stick to literary and artistic pursuits. They are not supposed to be good at business, which is odd because of the Wealth attached to them. Oh well, who says it has to make sense?

Here’s to THE YEAR OF THE (maybe) GOLDEN (for sure) RED PIG. May it bring us all great prosperity and luck!