Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Gawad Kalinga Paskuhan (Christmas in the Philippines Event)

Event Info Host: Gawad Kalinga
Type: Causes - Fundraiser

Time and Place Date: Sunday, December 7, 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Christ the King Gymnasium
Street: 742 Arlington Rd N
City/Town: Jacksonville, FL

Cost: FREE

View Map

We invite you to join us in celebrating Christmas in the Philippines on December 7th! Featuring local talents, professional entertainers, and authentic Filipino food![FREE ADMISSION]

'Tis the season of Giving
Gawad Kalinga has come to mean Christmas for many. Through GK, we spread the Christmas spirit everyday by sharing of ourselves and giving love...

Gawad Kalinga (GK), which in English means "to give care", is an organization in the Philippines with a mission to transform poor communities & revive the dignity of every underprivileged Filipino.

GK needs you. We all know that many of our family and friends back in the Philippines are struggling by not only poverty but the lack of our cultural identity and true pride of the filipino culture. This event will not only be a reflection of our care for the poor but also the celebration of the amazing culture of the Philippines.

I hope to all see you here. Maligayang Pasko po!
For more information, visit our national website-
www.gawadkalinga.org

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Saigon Bistro - Southside near UNF

I've eaten here several times and it never fails to impress me. The service, the food, the appearance of the restaurant. Very nice place for a romantic date featuring Vietnamese cuisine.

I haven't eaten there recently, but you may read reviews here

http://www.yelp.com/biz/saigon-bistro-jacksonville

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Chamblin's Uptown - Downtown near Main Library

Service is really friendly and down to earth. And they have lots of good books that are relatively new, so this place does not have that dusty air you normally breathe in when going to used book stores.

If you are looking for Japanese, Vietnamese, or Korean novels, they sell plenty of these on the second floor. (A pretty big selection, I should add.) Of course, if you want to learn a few languages, they have books about that, too.

On the first floor is a little coffee area. They say their coffee is so good they drink it themselves, but I guess I like my coffee made a little different. Lol. Still, this is a great place for a great selection of books, good service, and the pleasure of getting lost in a novel or two.

Click here to view map.

Nobuko's Far East Bazaar - Atlantic Beach

Tucked away behind the BP on Atlantic Blvd is Nobuko's. This is a nice little store in the beaches area if you are pining to make Japanese food from scratch. They also have a small selection of Japanese novels and other knickknacks.

Click here for a map.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Morning Glory - Southside near Regency

Growing up, a lot of my friends were nuts about Hello Kitty. I don't know why, but her and her gang of cute animal friends never really caught my interest as much as the other little girls. But alas, it was the peer pressure thing. Lol. There was once a store in Regency Mall called Cloud 9, but it was closed years and years ago.

But it's ok, because today's Sanrio fanatics have Morning Glory.

This place carries a lot of Hello Kitty, Pucca, and other Sanrio items. Primarily, they carry character school supplies, such as pencils, pens, crayons, erasers, stationery, notebooks, backpacks, folders, etc.

They also sell knickknacks like clocks, cell phone charms, and bracelet bead thingies. And, of course, stuffed animals. Some of these items feature anime characters. (Yeah, I wished Cloud 9 had anime characters. Haha.)

If you have a child in school who is nuts about Sanrio characters and anime, this will be like heaven to them.

On another note, if you are into origami, they carry many types of origami paper you can use for your projects.

Click here for a map.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A Taste of Manila - Southside near UNF

A Taste of Manila restaurant has a wonderful homey feel. The owners are really friendly and accomodating, and the food is excellent.

Maybe you are in search of that made-with-love homecooked adobo (meat dish) or pancit (noodle dish) or maybe you would like to try something new, such as the chicken lumpia (eggroll). A Taste of Manila offers these favorites and so much more.

Their menu also includes mami soup, mechado, and sinigang, in addition to the popular dessert halo halo. If you have picky children (or adults) in tow, you can opt for the american dishes of sandwiches and desserts sure to please any ethnic tastebud. Breakfast is made to order all day, and it can be made American-style (such as french toast) or Filipino-style (rice and longanisa sausage).

Being a dessert lover, I must tell you about their wonderful Food for the Gods, which is offered every so often. Chopped nuts swirled into a bun of gooey goodness.

Are you salivating yet? This restaurant is on the corner of St. Johns Bluff Rd. and Beach Blvd.

Click here for a map.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Austin Karaoke Jax - St. Nicholas Area


I have been somewhat addicted to this place since my first visit two weekends ago. My favorite songs to sing are Utada Hikaru's "First Love" and "Foolish Games" by Jewel. Asian languages featured were Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and what might be either Indonesian or Malaysian. (So sorry!)

Austin Karaoke was originally owned by a good friend of mine (with the Korean name "noraebang" meaning "karaoke room"), but it has been under new ownership with its current name for quite a while now.

Two doors down is the World Food Market Asian food store.

I couldn't give you a review as well as Laura Capitano's, so here is her article.

Enjoy relative privacy while belting 'em out


http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/090806/enc_4873037.shtml


I'd like to teach Jacksonville to sing. Perfect harmony isn't a must, but you will need a shot of courage, an enthusiasm for belting out your favorite jams, and directions to Austin Karaoke .

Open since February 2006, Austin offers private room karaoke, much like the place Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson sing at during their big night out in Lost in Translation. Now that I've experienced this more authentic version, I can see why the Japanese are comparatively more enthusiastic about karaoke.

The private room aspect negates most of the cons of bar karaoke: the hecklers, long waits for your request to turn up, four different dudes crooning She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy over the course of the night, and the inevitable Girls Night Out group that crowds around one microphone to spill White Zin and screech I Will Survive.

Austin Karaoke in on Beach Boulevard, east of St. Nicholas, west of University Boulevard South.

At Austin, a friendly staffer greets you in the immaculate reception area and, depending on the size of your group (they can accommodate parties of up to 50), leads you down a hallway to one of nine party rooms.

The hall has characteristics of a high-class dormitory on a Friday night: clean, stylish decor, with the din of a wild and goofy party audible from behind every door.

It's easy to launch right into a toe-tapping good time when you have all the cool stuff Austin provides. Each room has a quality sound system, plenty of dance space and monitors that play humorously random video accompaniment (Material Girl featured video footage of farm animals, for example).

Rooms offer comfortable furnishings and plenty of song guides, so the whole crew doesn't have to fight over one copy.

The slim English section in the song book initially concerned us (it had plenty of Japanese, Chinese and Korean), but our group had no problem finding material and rocked steady for hours.

You even get tambourines and sleigh bells to give your performance some added flair.

The guides and equipment are user-friendly. The Speak & Spell-size remote control looks intimidating but is pretty intuitive, and we had no problems programming our play list. (Capifacto: Laura prefers any and all Madonna hits when singing karaoke. Like a Virgin is best because it's fun to make the "Ahhhhhhh!" whisper sound into the microphone.)

Each room also has a little red Montgomery Burns-style buzzer that signals a server, who pops in to take orders for cool Japanese juices and other drinks such as fruit-infused sake, rice punch - even the exotic delicacy known as Miller Lite. Servers also keep the complimentary snack tray stocked with pistachios, peanuts and little crunchies I can only describe as pre-cheesed Cheetos.

Austin is one of the best discoveries I've made since I started writing about First Coast happenings. It's a novel concept in our area, a great change of pace from the typical nightlife choices of crowded bars, overpriced movie theaters or the couch at home.

My crew was finally worn out close to the 2 a.m. mark, and we waddled out with dry throats and sore cheeks from all our smiling.

But I can manage to muster the energy for one quick encore:

"Ahhhhhhh!"

laura.capitano@jacksonville.com,

(904) 359-4370

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Asian American Heritage Celebration 2008

Description: Experience the Arts and Crafts, Exhibits, Music, Food and Cultural Entertainment of Asian Countries. This educational and fun filled afternoon will be held on Thursday, May 15, from 1-4p.m. in the Andrew A. Robinson, Jr.,Student Life Center, Bldg 14/1600s. Funded by Student Government.
Date: 05/15/08
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Sponsor: Intercultural Center for PEACE
Contact: Ana Linares (alinares@unf.edu)
904-620-2475

Thursday, May 1, 2008

World of Nations this weekend

Jacksonville, Fla., April 21, 2008 – Mayor John Peyton, the City of Jacksonville and
Jacksonville’s multicultural community organizations invite citizens and visitors to join in the 16th Annual World of Nations Celebration. Metropolitan Park will be transformed into a fascinating cultural destination that showcases the diversity of our planet and puts the wonderful sights, sounds and tastes of different nations within reach.

From May 1-4, visitors will embark on an exciting journey, traveling throughout the park where travelers may see more than 30 countries including South Africa, The Bahamas, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, India, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Spain, South Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Senegal, St. Lucia, Taiwan, the United States, Turkey, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Dates/Times: Thursday, May 1
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Field Trips only)

Friday, May 2
9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Field Trips only)
2 - 5 p.m. (Closed)
5 – 9 p.m. International Party featuring the animated
feature film presentation of Ratatouille (free admission)

Saturday, May 3
10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
10:30 a.m. Naturalization Ceremony
2 p.m. Parade of Flags

Sunday, May 4
Noon - 6 p.m.

Location: Metropolitan Park (Across from Jacksonville Municipal Stadium)
1410 Gator Bowl Boulevard
Downtown Riverfront
Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Admission: One-Day Ticket to the World $5.00
Two-Day Pass $7.00
Children 3 and under FREE
International Party-Friday, May 2 FREE

Tickets available through local multicultural organizations and at
the Metropolitan Park entrances on Saturday and Sunday ONLY.

Discounts:
• $2.00 off admission with Military and Senior Citizens I.D.
• Mint Magazine – $1.00 off admission with coupon
• Friday, May 2– International Party (5– 9 p.m.)
FREE Admission, entertainment and food and beverage
specials

• Sunday, May 4 - Church Bulletin Day – Bring your church
bulletin for $2.00 off admission.


• Education Nation. The World of Nations community takes great pride in its
long tradition of providing an award-winning educational experience for students
of the First Coast. By embracing the opportunity to learn more about the world in
which we live, today’s children will be better prepared for their future in a global
society and develop a better understanding of Jacksonville’s cultural diversity.
Schools throughout the First Coast are invited to join us Thursday, May 1 and
Friday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Field Trip Days, two days of special
multi-cultural programs and menus designed especially for children. (Due to
space limitations, only pre-registered classes will be admitted.)
• The International Party is your FREE ticket around the world. On Friday, May 2
from 5-9 p.m. enjoy free admission and an exciting array of beverages and
cuisine. Be sure to stick around for the Oscar-winning animated film presentation
of Ratatouille.
• Witness the Citizen Naturalization Ceremony on Saturday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m.
This ceremony will commemorate the citizenship of more than 50 people on the
main stage at Metropolitan Park.
• A World of Entertainment. Experience rich traditions, beautiful customs and
intriguing talents from many countries. See dragons dance, hear new music for
the first time, listen to fascinating storytellers and maybe even learn to folk
dance! The possibilities are endless! Times and performances vary.
• No trip around the world would be official without a passport! As you arrive at the
World of Nations, be sure to pick up your JEA Passport to the World. Each
country will officially stamp your passport as you explore and learn about each
destination along your journey. Passports can be turned in to the Passport to
the World booth for a chance to win fabulous prizes including IMAX Theater
tickets courtesy of Jax4Kids.com, Adventure Landing 4-pack season pass, family
pass to the Jacksonville Zoo, gift basket from San Sebastian winery, $100 gift
certificate from Learning Express, and much more.
• Enjoy the beautiful St. Johns River on a free riverboat cruise on The Lady St.
Johns. Cruises will take place throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.
• This year the World of Kids Playland is going green! This area offers kids all
ages the chance to learn about how to take care of our environment through
make-and-take crafts, live entertainment, information booths and interactive
activities.
• Free child I.D. kits presented by the City of Jacksonville will be available during
the festival. This booth will also hold lost items and provide K.I.D. Bands to help
identify young children who become lost at the event.
• USA: Sports popular in America. Learn about baseball, basketball, football,
lacrosse, soccer and NASCAR. Participants will have the opportunity to read
about the history of each sport and its best athletes and teams. Grab your
teammates and enjoy the fun in the USA area filled with interactive games,
activities and information from your favorite sports.
• Don’t miss the inspirational Parade of Flags, Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m. lead by
Jaxson de Ville Children from each country proudly carry their native flag through
the festival, dressed in authentic traditional wardrobes to represent the many
cultures of our world.
• The World of Nations Celebration is proudly produced by the City of Jacksonville
Office of Special Events with support from these generous sponsors: Clear
Channel Radio: The New WQIK 99.1, 92.7 The Beat, 93.3 KISS FM, First
Coast News WTLV-12/WJXX-25, and JEA.


• Where in the world is Metropolitan Park?
From South of Jacksonville
Take I-95 north, take the Main Street Exit, cross the Main Street Bridge over the
St. Johns River. Take the Newnan Street exit off of the bridge. At the stop sign,
turn left. Turn right onto Bay Street and follow it East. Make a left onto Liberty
St., go north until Monroe Street. Make a right onto Monroe St. follow that to the
Sports Complex. Make a right onto Duval St. Stay on Duval St. until you reach A.
Philip Randolph Blvd, make a right onto that. Stay on that until you reach Gator
Bowl Blvd., make a left. Metropolitan Park is directly across the street from
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, on the St. Johns River.
From North of Jacksonville
Take I-95 South, take the Union Street Exit. Follow Union Street through
downtown. Follow the signs for Arlington Expressway/Jax Beaches/Sports
Complex. Exit at Haines Street/Sports Complex. Stay right in the fork in the
ramp. Follow the curve around Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Metropolitan Park
is just past WJCT on the left.
From West of Jacksonville
Take I-10 East to I-95 North. Exit at Union Street. Follow Union Street through
downtown. Follow the signs for Arlington Expressway/Jax Beaches/Sports
Complex. Exit at Haines Street/Sports Complex. Stay right in the fork in the
ramp. Follow the curve around Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Metropolitan Park
is just past WJCT on the left.
From Beaches/Arlington area
Take the Mathews Bridge across the St. Johns River. Take the exit for the Sports
Complex. Follow the curve around Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Metropolitan
Park is just past WJCT on the left.
For more information contact the City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events at (904)
630-3690 or visit www.coj.net.

Source: http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/pdf/WONCNEWS%20RELEASE2008%20_3_.pdf

Monday, April 21, 2008

Asian language classes with a live instructor

I've lived in this town for quite some time now and things have really changed. There are now lots of opportunities to learn Asian languages in Jacksonville.

University of North Florida offers Japanese I and II and Beginning Chinese I and II and Intermediate Chinese I and II. Beginning Russian I and II and Intermediate Russian I and II are also offered. Students may minor in these languages. However, http://www.unf.edu/coas/world-languages/

Spring 2008

CHI1121 Beginning Chinese II Jan 07 - May 02 Monday Wednesday 12:00PM - 01:40PM Professor: Liu
CHI2201 Intermediate Chinese II Jan 07 - May 02 Monday Wednesday 03:00PM 04:15PM Professor: Liu
JPN1121 Beginning Japanese II Jan 07 - May 02 Monday Wednesday 02:00PM 03:40PM Professor: Gentry

Fall 2008

CHI1120 Beginning Chinese I Aug-25 - Dec-12 Monday Wednesday 12:00PM 01:40PM
CHI1120 Beginning Chinese I Aug-25 - Dec-12 Tuesday Thursday 03:50PM 05:30PM
CHI2200 Intermediate Chinese I Aug-25 - Dec-12 Monday Wednesday 03:00PM 04:15PM


The department [of world languages] offers the B.A. in Spanish and minors in both French and Spanish, as well as other languages such as German, Chinese, Latin, Russian, Portuguese and Japanese.

________________________________________

Also, Florida Community College at Jacksonville Kent Campus offers Chinese.

Spring 2008

KENT CAMPUS 5:30PM to 7:10PM Tuesdays and Thursdays 1/7/2008 - 5/2/2008 Professor CHIANG,ARTHUR Y

Fall 2008

KENT CAMPUS 5:30PM to 7:15PM Tuesdays and Thursdays 8/25/2008 - 12/12/2008 Professor CHIANG, ARTHUR Y

________________________________________

For those not yet in college, Fletcher High School offers Conversational Japanese and Japanese Writing classes through the Community Education program.

http://www.duvalschools.org/static/ourschools/studentinfo/communityprograms/subject_list.asp

________________________________________

And finally, for those really ambitious parents, Petite Ambassadors offers Japanese classes for very young children.

Japanese Camp

June 9-Aug 8
9am-12pm for preschoolers, 1pm-4pm for Elementary Students.

Ages 3-10. Learn Japanese this summer. Weekly themes like Food, Culture, Sports, and Getting Around. Campers should bring a snack.

Cost: $135 per child per week.

Petite Ambassadors Language School / 904-641-2077 / 11555 Central Pkwy Ste 501 / http://www.petiteambassadors.com/

Learn an Asian language in the car - for FREE!

I was really happy to find out that the local libraries offer audio books in digital audio format.

Which means: virtually an unlimited amount of people can check out the same audio at the same time.

And it also means: saving money! It's all for FREE. You just need a library card and a PIN.

Some titles are burnable. The titles I checked out were Instant Immersion Japanese and Learn In Your Car Japanese Levels 1-3. These were all burnable and I'm going to have a great time trying to polish my rusty nihongo from 7 years ago. =)

Aside from foreign language audio files ranging from French to Russian, they also offer other books in audio format, such as "The Power of Now," "The 4 Hour Workweek," and other popular titles.


Directions:

Go to http://jpl.lib.overdrive.com/
Browse for the titles you want (limited to 10)
Use your library card and PIN to get access to the titles.
Download the software.
Enjoy!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Circle Japan - Southside near UNF

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Pictures from http://tomo5.seesaa.net/

Circle Japan
12192 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246
(904) 642-7799


This store may be small in size, but there is a lot of culture inside.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 a.m, they feature Japanese baked goods. Plenty of local Japanese culture enthusiasts show up and sample the various foods. On Fridays, customers can sample sake tasting and learn a bit about the different types of sake.

As for merchandise, they sell various Japanese foods, from frozen goods like daifuku mochi and Japanese ice cream, to things an otaku would enjoy, such as the Dragon Ball, Pokemon and One Piece candies.

For those who want to expand beyond food, they also sell Japanese video tapes, cookbooks, magazines, and children's books.

For now, their hours are pretty limited, but if you enjoy Japanese culture, foods, or just want to brush up on your speaking skills, give this place a try.

Hours are Monday to Thursday 10-5, Friday 10-8, Saturday 12-5, and closed on Sundays.

Click here to view map

Monday, April 7, 2008

World Food Market - St. Nicholas Area



World Food Market
5161 Beach Blvd.
(904) 398-5989


They have a variety of Asian foods from Korea and other Asian countries.


View Larger Map

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Welcome to the Jacksonville Asian Resource blog

Thanks for visiting the Jacksonville Asian Resource blog. Here, I will list all the Asian resources in Jacksonville, from Asian restaurants, festivals, events, student clubs, local organizations, etc. We have such a large Asian population in Jacksonville, there is so much culture to enjoy.