Happy 50th Anniversary Malaysia!!!....馬来西亜独立５０週年..マレーシヤ独立５０周年記念...

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY MALAYSIA!~~

1957~2007

August 31st marks the 50th Anniversary of Malaysia's Independence this year. To be exact, this year marks the 50th Anniversary of Independence from British Colonial Rule in 1957 for Malaya and not Malaysia. Malaysia is composed of West and East Malaysia which are separated by the sea. Malaya refers to West Malaysia and the Malay Peninsula and this was the area which first got independence from British rule. East Malaysia followed in the 1960s and Malaysia was created in 1963 (which then incorporated Singapore which left the union in 1965). Thus, to be precise, the country now known as 'Malaysia' did not exist until 1963...but of course, the government now has to promote unity and it is just easier to make independence day 1957 then 1963. Besides, West Malaysia has always been the centre of attention and where all the major cities and tourist spots are as well as where the majority of the population of Malaysia resides.

Anyways, enough of history.....as they say, migrants and people who reside overseas become more traditional and patriotic as opposed to people who remain in their own countries. I think this is certainly true for me. Having left Malaysia and come to live in Australia (first Melbourne then Sydney) for the past 6 years plus I have grown to become more proud of being a Malaysian. I always look forward to returning for a holiday and really enjoy the place. people, and most importantly, the food!!!!! More importantly, everything is so much cheaper bck there than compared with Aus and the quality is the same! You actually get the same stuff for a much cheaper price in Malaysia which is why i tend to buy all my clothes there and other stuff.

Many Malaysians who are here whom have not been here for long (or those whom belong to the lower social strata in Malaysia and migrate to Australia for a higher income) always complain about the government, how crappy Malaysia's transportation, school system,etc is and the Chinese-Malaysians ALWAYS, and i mean ALWAYS complain about the racist nature of the government and its policies towards the Chinese minority is. I don't know, I always felt that your country is still your country and just because it has faults and flaws doesn't mean we shouldn't still love or feel patriotism towards our country. I mean we should look at Malaysia and feel grateful about many things. (ok i am aware that given my background and the fact that i am away from Malaysia MOST of the year and residing in a developed country i may not be qualified to say much on this issue..but hey i am still a Malaysian k so this is my 2 cents on it)

Things to feel grateful about Malaysia when we are complaining about how backwards Malaysia is:

1) Many people, incl Malaysians, may be unaware of this BUT out of the over 200 yes TWO HUNDRED NATIONS in the world, Malaysia's economy is within the top 30 economies. Now, this means that if we think Malaysia is a backwards country, there are over 170 other countries which are below Malaysia in terms of economic development!!!! 170 mind you!!!

2) Malaysia is the SECOND most developed nation in SouthEast Asia, only after Singapore, which is essentially a city-state and not your average sized nation. This means we are ahead of Thailand (yes ahead of world-famous tourist spot Thailand even tho i must admit Bangkok is like waaaaaaaaay more developed than Kuala Lumpur), the Phillipines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia,etc..you get the picture.

3) Malaysia is the only country where there are three main races within society and is truly multicultural (even though the government tries very hard to only promote the Malay majority's culture in its tourism and other policies). Singapore is similar as well but once again Singapore is more a city than your normal country and so you cannot really compare it with Malaysia. Further, Malaysia is definitely more fun as a tourist destination given the EXTREMELY small size of the entire Singapore state which is only 20km from north to south i heard which is VERY VERY small. This means it does not have any natural areas like Malaysia's Mount Kinabalu and rainforest in Sabah and Sarawak or our various island resorts like Langkawi or Penang. Singapore really only has shopping and errr..more shopping? We have all the usual brands in Kuala Lumpur as well so there is no need to go to Singapore (ok so maybe our prices and range of choice is more limited).

4) Malaysia's minority races can often speak more than one language which is rare for any other country either within Asia or otherwise. And often three or four. The Chinese can usually speak English and Malay and Mandarin and a Chinese dialect like Cantonese or Hokkien. The Indians can usually speak English and Malay and an Indian dialect like Tamil or Urdu. The Malays will usually know Malay and English.

5) Malaysia has the Twin Towers which is like one of the most amazing architectural feats of the 20th Century. I have been to both the Jingmao World Trade Centre in Shanghai and the Taipei 101 Building in Taipei and, for me at least, i definitely think that the Twin Towers is far superior than the other two towers. It is just an amazing sight and stands out much more because of its steel frame...i personally thought the Taipei 101 was a big let-down and pretty unimpressive and the Shanghai Tower was also just not as bright at night as our Twin Towers.

Anyways, I think on the 50th Independence Anniversary, we, as Malaysians should take the time to ponder over what Malaysia has achieved in the last 50 years and learn to appreciate what we have attained instead of just whining and complaining all the time. Of cos, on this 50th year of Independence, it is also a timely opportunity to reflect on what still needs to be done, for instance the abolition of the official 'racial affirmative action policy' where the government actively discriminates in the interest of the majority Malays and discriminates against the Chinese and Indian minorities (eg quotas are in place in all Malaysian universities which limit the number of Chinese and Indian students allowed in which means higher scores are required to get into the same course than compared to Malays. Civil service employment also has a preferential policy of accepting Malays. Licences for all kinds of businesses and government projects in Malaysia are given to the Malay-owned companies first irrespective of merit. The list goes on.)

Other areas with room for huge improvement would be investing more money in schools as the school system in Malaysia is seriously underfunded with poor decaying facilities and freedom of press as there is essentially no freedom of the press in Malaysia given the annual licencing system of all media in Malaysia whereby the government can revoke the licences of any particular media institution if it 'steps out of line'. There also needs to be more accountability in government than now where government officials are rarely prosecuted for corruption or nepotism despite all the talk of it in the media or by the government itself.

So...... after having reflected on some of the achievements as well as shortcomings of Malaysia on this 50thIndependence Day, I just wanted to say ' Happy 50th Birthday Malaysia!!!!!!"'

Nice (and only) Malay Song i Like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSvxPWTIo60&mode=related&search (Belaian Jiwa-Caressing the Soul)

Useful Links for Malaysia:
http://www.tourism.gov.my/
http://www.tourismmalaysia.or.jp/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia

Articles of Interest regarding India and Thailand...

I have decided to post these articles bcos i found them really informative and interesting.

Further, I love Thailand and everything Thai since last yr after my Bkk trip (love the place and the food and all the good looking guys and girls there!!) and find Thai people one of the friendliest people in the world....it seems others agree too:)

Further, I have always had a special spot in my heart for Mother India, the world's largest democracy, one of the oldest civilisations in the world, and also a place of deep culture and history. India, by the way, celebrated its 60th Anniversary of Independence from British rule a couple of weeks ago (India was split into modern-day India and Pakistan in 1947, now known as 'The Partition') and so i would like to wish Mother India a Very Happy 60th Birthday:)

Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007
Thai character trumps flaws of politics
By TOM PLATE
LOS ANGELES — When social scientists or journalists are in doubt, sometimes it's best to consult the artist.
On Aug. 19, there was a big referendum vote in Thailand. It passed, but no one is that thrilled about it — no one except the ruling junta. It had kicked out the previous prime minister, who is now in exile, and cooked up the new referendum to make it harder for someone like him to ever have so much power again.
The referendum did well enough in the urban areas of Thailand, but it pretty much bombed in the rural areas where the previous prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, is still considered a hero.
The reason Thaksin is liked in the sticks is that he gave the impression he really cared about the plight of the poor. The gap between rich and poor is a big problem in Thailand, even if poverty is no worse than in the rest of Asia. Increasingly, in fact, it's a regionwide concern.
India's intellectual prime minister has offered deeply thoughtful and timely speeches to his wealthy business elite as well as to his countryman about it.
China's current leaders have openly admitted that creating wealth alone won't do if the rich-poor gap only gets worse. Even Japan, with its samurai-socialist-capitalist system equating proper income distribution with social harmony, is alarmed by its own apparently widening gap.
But up to now, none of these three giant countries has been able to dazzle the world with original and effective gap-reduction policies. Thailand, under Thaksin, had hoped to be different. Instead, Thaksin's pro-poor policies were viewed as deeply demagogic and insincere by ruling circles, and triggered a military takeover almost a year ago. To say the least, the country's oft-admired king did not appear notably unhappy about the ouster.
You would think that all this political turmoil would have made Thailand into something like another gloomy Myanmar. But that hasn't happened. That's because, if I may be allowed a diversion, you can travel as much as you want and go wherever you want but you may not find a more likable people anywhere than the Thais. In their culture there is no hour for the dour.
This is where the artist as expert comes in handy. Chris Coles, the painter who divides his time between Bangkok and Los Angeles, is a huge fan of the Thais as a people and often paints them in his art: "In my paintings, there is tremendous resilience in the Thai culture and personality that can deal with an amazing level of adversity without complaining, a primitive energy that can work six 12-hour days and still find the energy to party hard a few nights a week.
"And there is also the Buddhism that helps Thais maintain a strong desire for the middle way (i.e., endless compromise and wavering) instead of violent confrontation."
Coles loves painting Thais precisely because their stoic energy brings his canvases so much to life. And if the artist — with his slashing expressionist lines and bucolic bursts of color — has in fact caught the national character more or less exactly right, the character of the Thais should long endure over the defects of the country's political system and culture, at least as we in the West see them through our own ethnocentric eyes.
You don't have to be an expert on Thailand to appreciate the enduring Energizer-Bunny energy-level that is manifestly on view. Coles himself admires the Thais for more than their vivacity as models; he admires their vivacity in life. He says the reason that unemployment in Thailand, despite all the other troubles, hovers at a mere 2 percent or so has little to do with government policies.
Rather, it has everything to do with the Thai character. These people work — and when they lose a job, they don't wait for someone to help them; they go out and find a new job.
Says Coles: "The big capitalists and industries will keep growing, the tourists will keep coming, and the Thai people will carry on."
Artists are not always known for being optimists, but this optimistic view by one optimistic artist is going to be my view for the time being. Thailand is never going to become a leaden Myanmar or a disaster like North Korea. Bumping along, working hard, it will find its rightful place on the Asian stage — and find it with a smile as big as the country itself.

UCLA professor Tom Plate is a veteran journalist and author of "Confessions of an American Media Man."





Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007
SCOURGE OF 'WOMB MURDERS'
Indian women who never had a chance
By B. GAUTAM

MADRAS, India — India may be the land where the Buddha preached nonviolence, and Mahatma Gandhi practiced it to perfection, but the country's "womb murders" are a horrible reality.
The UNICEF report "State of the World's Children 2007" states that about 7,000 fewer girls are born each day in India than the global average of girls born in a given population would indicate.
This finding is based on the latest Indian census data and a study by the British medical journal, Lancet. UNICEF concludes that 10 million female fetuses have been aborted in the past two decades. India's gender ratio has therefore fallen to a terrifying 800 girls to 1,000 boys.
While the nation is ready to congratulate itself on a variety of achievements, including a 60-year-old democracy and a just judiciary, many Indian mothers turn into killers. More precisely, they are pushed into killing baby girls growing inside them. If female fetuses are not aborted, many infant girls are killed soon after birth. The methods are primitive: Babies are fed paddy husks or poisoned milk, or drowned in water or milk, or smothered with a pillow, or buried alive.
Renowned economist Amartya Sen said as early as 1986 that 37 million women were missing in India. The aversion to raising a girl child is age old. Ancient Indian religious texts such as the Vedas say: "Let a female child be born somewhere else. Here, let a male child be born."
Another religious manuscript, Manu Shastra, is well known for its vilification of women. The mood and the mind-set have not changed much since then.
Today's pressing socioeconomic problems are added factors provoking feticide and infanticide. Women in India are still second-class citizens and, at least covertly, are treated so.
Sons are preferred because, traditionally, they will earn income and support their parents. And in a largely agricultural society like India's, boys are considered more helpful for working the land than girls.
Daughters will marry and leave home; what's worse, they must be provided with a large money dowry for their husband's family, an obligation that still festers like a cancer.
The belief that the solution to the burden of providing a dowry lies in eliminating a female life cuts across religious and economic lines. The rich and the poor are equally guilty of this crime. In the posh, upmarket South Delhi area, the gender ratio is 798 girls to 1,000 boys.
Despite the ban on conducting sex determination tests, clinics for this purpose, under the garb of examining the fetus for abnormalities, have sprung up in Indian cities. If the fetus happens to be female, chances are high that it will be aborted.
The question that naturally arises is how a mother can take the life of her own child. Writer Gita Aravamudan says: "The hand that takes the life of the infant may be hers, but the will is not. This will has been generated over many centuries by the subjugation of women to a subhuman status. The time-immemorial prejudice has been so internalized by women that they can hate their own baby girls and carry out murders with clinical precision. She remains mute as her backyard is turned into a graveyard."
I remember seeing a Bollywood film in which the scriptwriter and the director paint a horrifying picture of a futuristic land with hardly any women. Men turn into carnal creatures, treating the few available women as pure sexual objects, meant solely for pleasure. A family of five men — a father and his four sons — ravish a woman to death!
Is there a way out of female feticide and infanticide? Some say yes, and they point to education. In a highly literate state like Kerala in South India, womb murders are unheard of and there is a healthy sex ratio of 1,058 girls to 1,000 boys. Female literacy in the state is a high 87 percent, and one can understand why little girls live.
Literacy certainly enables communities to get around dowry and other troublesome issues. Education is equally helpful in making women economically productive and independent. Above all, it fosters a healthy respect for women, which is still a distant cry in most parts of India.
Ultimately, society must learn to turn a girl from an economic liability into an economic asset by educating her and helping her lead a life without crutches of any kind. Only then will society be able to vanquish practices such as womb murders.

B. Gautam writes for a leading Indian newspaper.

August 15th, The 62nd Anniversary of the End of WW2...終戦６２週年記念特集：抗日戦争記念電影.....終戦６２週年記念特集：中日戦争に関する映画プりヴィウー

Today marks the 62nd anniversary of the end of WW2. As usual I have a special post each year to commemorate this significant day given my interest and area of specialisation in the topic of WW2 and Asia.


This years post will focus on film projects that are coming out this and next year which have a WW2 theme.

Also, as a note, res 121 on the comfort women issue was passed by the full house of Congress in late July which demands an official and unambiguous apology from the Japanese parliament on the issue of wartime rape by the Imperial Army during WW2.


Nanking (US/2007):

This Sundance nominated documentary by 'Twin Towers' Oscar winners Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman as well as funded by American AOL vice-chairman Ted Leonsis deals with the group of over a dozen foreigners whom chose to remain in Nanking despite evacuation advice from their embassies. They did as much as they could to protect the chinese civilians and refugees from Japanese barbarity during the Massacre. It weaves archival footage, interviews with Chinese survivors, as well as testimonies of Japanese soldiers with stage readings of the actual diary entries kept by some of the foreigners during the worst days of the Nanking Massacre. Besides Sundance, it has been shown at the Hong Kong Film Festival as well as The Shanghai Int' Film Festival and has been released in China from July 7th onwards. I'm looking forward to seeing it! I think it will have a major impact on worldwide audiences and really help to push the knowledge of the Nanking Massacre (and Japanese WW2 atrocities generally) to a wider audience with the prominence of its directors as well as producer Ted Leonsis. I'm glad an American cared and was moved so much to spend money and make this doco!Way to go Ted:)

Official Site: http://www.nankingthefilm.com/

Purple Mountain (US-China/2008):

A US-British-China co-production on the Rape of Nanking. It is supposed to cost around US$50 million dollars and is planned for release next year in 2008. The director is Simon West (of LaraCroft fame) and the story revolves around a Chinese mother and her daughter during the Nanking Massacre in 1937 as well as the group of foreigners whom stayed behind to set up and attempt to save the Chinese residents of Nanking during the Japanese invasion and subsequent bloody and horrific occupation of the city. The movie shooting has been delayed and delayed and further the scriptwriter was changed and the American production company also changed due to insufficient funding from the original American one. I hope it does get through.


Nanking Christmas 1937 (US-HK/2008):
This film by HK Director Yim Ho will be an international movie with a focus on the group of foreigners including Germans, Americans, and British residents of Nanking whom stayed behind to assist and defend the Chinese against the brutal Imperial Japanese Army during the Nanking Massacre of 1937-38. It is reported that the director is still scouting for appropriate casts and the script and budget has been approved already. It is set for shooting later in the year.



Nanking!Nanking!(China/2008):
This film by renowned award-winning Chinese director Lu Chuan of Kekexili fame has already begun shooting in northeastern China and is set for release next yr in 08. The film revolves around a Chinese soldier and his love as well as a Japanese soldier set during the Nanking Massacre in 1937. The script for the movie underwent major problems with Chinese censors (all the films dealing with the Nanking Massacre undergo rigorous approval processes as they are classified 'sensitive topics' and have to be approved by not only the govt. department dealing with films but also the Foreign Ministry as well as other relevant departments.) The cast is not known yet.

The Diary (US-Germany-Japan-China/Not Known Yet):
Major production by Stanley Tong (most famous for his huge action flicks with Jackie Chan such as Police Story series, The Myth,etc) which is apparently going to be the first major film dealing with the entire Sino-Japanese War, and not just the Nanking Massacre, starting from the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in July 1937 all the way to August 1945 when Japan officially surrenders. It reportedly is going to go even further and end with the Tokyo Trials in 1947. The script and finance for the film have both been approved and the director is currently finalising casting as well as location confirmation.

The Children of Huangshi (US-Germany-Australia/2007):

This foreign production is based loosely on the true story of a British man who leads 60 Chinese orphans across rough terrains to the edge of the Gobi desert to escape the oncoming onslaught of Japanese troops in China during WW2. It is currently in post-production and was shot in both China and Melbourne, Australia. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Radha Mitchell, Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh. It is slated for an opening in December in the US and early March next year for China.

Lust, Caution (US-Taiwan/2007):

After Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain comes a Chinese spy romance set in wartime Occupied Shanghai by Ang Lee. It is based on Eileen Chang's short novel which was inspired by true events that occurred. It tells the story of a Chinese girl used by the resistance in China to seduce and assassinate a pro-Japanese colloborator working for the puppet Japanese government in Shanghai during the Japanese Occupation in 1942. In the process, however, she finds that she has already fallen for him. It stars Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Joan Chen as well as Wang LeeHom. It is to be released in September. There was some controversy regarding which country it was produced in during the Venice Film Festival of which it is competing. Ang Lee has always been very proud of his Taiwanese (as well as Chinese) heritage and is known to have refused to naturalise and become an American citizen despite advice from close friends that it could pose as an obstacle to his career in America especially after winning the Oscars for both his latest films. So, whenever his Taiwanese production company is involved in a film he will always insist that the festivals and Academy Awards list 'Taiwan' as the country of origin but this year the Venice Film Fest., due to political reasons, i'm sure, decided to change 'US-Taiwan' on the application form to 'US-China' on their website. After Ang Lee's assistant complained, it was changed back to 'Taiwan.' I am proud of Ang Lee's success.

Anyways, i'm looking forward to seeing his film......

Official Trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CizN-DvGhrc

Reconnecting With My South East Asian Roots

Ravishing Thai Beauty, Aom Phiyada (centre)
I have recently started reconnecting with my SouthEast Asian roots...I have always been more interested in my East Asian roots, being half Taiwanese (my dad), and though I majored in Asian Studies for my Arts degree, i must say, my area of specialisation and knowledge has always been more East Asian than Southeast Asian. Of cos, after visiting Bangkok last year for the first time, I instantly fell in love with it and Thai culture and not to mention Thai men!! Gosh, they are like soooo cute man...and so that experience did make me more proud of my SouthEast Asian roots.....i mean Thailand is just north of Malaysia.....however my big interest and pride in my SEA Roots came this year when i discovered Thai Tv Dramas (lakorns) and a bigger impact was actually my finding out about Filipino Entertainment!!! Wow! The Filipinos really are damn good at their entertainment scene and I just love many of the filipino dramas and movies....and i discovered that filipino men are so handsome too! What a revelation....And so the twin impact of my recent liking for Thai and Filipino stuff (and also more longstanding fondness for Singaporean TV dramas) has really made me more in tune with my SEA roots and made me appreciate more of my SEA heritage...


Below are some drama;movie intros and pics of my fav stars from Thai and Filipino entertainment:

Kaew Tah Pee (2006): (Thai Drama)

I just fell for Tik's looks after seeing abit of this Thai drama...he is sooooo handsome and cute and in epi 6 when he reveals his chest and is topless(you can see the scene below in one of the photo clips) i was like soooo oogling at his body...However i couldn't finish this drama as i just got so pissed at the script people for making his character in the drama so unbearable.....I mean i am so glad that i am not that shallow, i stopped at epi 6 as i just can't stand his character EVEN IF he has a super to-die-for body. I mean in the drama he was treating Cherry like shit but she still plays the all-understanding girl who puts up with it all...i think the scriptwriters are living in the stoneage in the way they made Cherry's character the all-sacrificing gal who silently endures all the shit that men give her....i just couldn't stand it but I still do Like Tik's look...he's SEXY.

Other Thai Dramas Currently Watching: Oum Ruk (2006) and Hua Jai Chocolate (2006)

Above and Below: Tik Jesadaporn Pholdee and Cherry in Kaew Tah Pee which was shot in Paris.Now, it may come as a surprise that i am kinda addicted to Filipino entertainment recently given how the Phillipines is really not well known to the outside world besides being full of slums and poor, where Filipino maids come from and having Muslim insurgencies in the South...but i just love their stuff... i mean the quality of the dramas and movies as well as numbers is simply astonishing..they are sooo in front of malaysian entertainment and even dare i say Thai entertainment. Although Thai movies are arguably the most popular films out of all the other SEA nations and having the most publicity, i seriously think Filipino films are better in terms of their range as well as the drama genre ones....sadly, you can't watch filipino stuff outside the Phillipines and I've never heard of a Filipino movie or drama being screened anywhere else in Asia unlike Thai horror films and comedies which are quite popular and are screened in cinemas throughout Asia. Further, I was very surprised at the number of gay-themed films found in filipino cinema and they are all quite positive too which is something which amazed me given that i had a previous filipino-chinese reader tell me how bad and stereotypical filipino gay films were and also the Phillipines is a deeply Catholic nation but after I watched some of the gay-themed mainstream films, I was like " What the heck was my fil-chi reader talking about?!! The filipino gay films are really really good and they are not biased against homosexuals at all, in fact i find them quite realistic and positive in their portrayal of gay men and gay relationships...i'll introduce some below....my interest in Filipino stuff has also improved my image of the Phillipines, I now see a different side to the Phillipines besides and beyond the more negative images that I used to hold before..

Above: Zanjoe Marudo

Below: Zanjoe Marudo in sexy pose

Dennis Trillo: One of my fav pinoy (filipino) stars...he is filipino-chinese i think...look at that sexy look...also notice the picture below, i mean when i first saw this i was like 'how erotic' and i actually did alittle analysis of why i found it erotic.....the answer: look at the way he is 'holding' the 'eggbeater' and how he is naked behind the bowl...remind you of something else? or am i just too dirty minded? hehehe...

Dennis Trillo...Gwapo talaga....:)

I've noticed alot of the pinoy male stars are in various stages of undress and frequently pose extremely sexily in various sexual poses in ads,etc...if they did this in the American, Taiwanese, Chinese or Thai entertainment scene, people would most commonly associate it with being gay or trying to get the gay market, i am wondering if the filipinos see it that way? I mean you seldom see mainstream male stars in Hollywood or the Chinese entertainment scene wearing so little and being willing to pose in such sexy poses! Some examples below (rem, these are mainstream actors, NOT some gay porn filipino actors or professional gay magazine models!!)

Above: The magazine above is a male photographic magazine sold in the mainstream...in Western countries or Chinese-speaking areas, a magazine cover like that could ONLY EVER BE a gay one....i am just surprised it could be marketed as a mainstream one in the Phillipines..doesn't it look like the Asian version of DNA?

Below: Pics of one of Filipino entertainment's currently most popular star, Alfred Vargas. Some of the photos are really and i mean seriously targeted towards gay men...i mean especially that pose of him lying on the bed with his legs spread out...and also the one of him with his underwear and you can see his package is 'unnaturally large and positioned abit too perfectly'..if you know what i mean..

Gay Thai and Filipino Films:

This is a special section on SEA gay themed mainstream movies ( as usual i won't be dealing with the independent gay ones which no one but the gay community knows about)

There are too many but i'll just list some, more info can be obtained on specific films by leaving a comment in the comment section and i'll provide more information on a film or by performing a google search yourself!

Thai Films:

Iron Ladies (2001)

Iron Ladies 2 (2003)

Metrosexual (2006) http://au.rottentomatoes.com/vine/journal_view.php?journalid=100000335&entryid=345095&view=public

Me....Myself (2007) http://www.memyselfmovie.com/

Filipino Films:

Mano Po 4 (2004)- This comedy film revolves around a pinoy chinese man and his three wives. His son is a closet gay and in one scene in the trailer he does a drag rendition of Deng Lijun's 'Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin', where else but in a Filipino movie?!http://www.regalmultimedia.net/v2/akolegalwife/index.html

Mahal Kita/Aishiteimasu 1941 (2004)-This film was the breakthrough film for Dennis Trillo and is the gay version of upcoming Ang Lee's spy thriller romance 'Lust,Caution'. Dennis Trillo plays a cross-dressing gay spy whom is with the resistance in Japanese-occupied Phillipines during WW2. He attempts to seduce and kill a Japanese general whom has occupied their town but falls for him in the process. Dennis won many awards for his role. gay cross-dressing spy whom has a female best friend (judy ann-santos) and attempts to seduce and kill a japanese general in wartime japanese occupied territory? Once again, only in Filipino cinema!!!! This is why i love pinoy gay films:) http://www.veoh.com/videos/v478748nNdJJ7jE

So Happy Together (2005)-Kris Aquino in this film about a gay man and his best female friend whom they met at Manila's gay pride parade and their life and love.

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveras (2005)-Philippines' entry for the Oscar Best Foreign Language Film.

Manay Po (2006)- Presented on Mother's Day last yr in cinemas in the Phillipines, labelled a 'Mother's Gay Movie'. Revolves around a mother and her three sons, all of whom may be gay. I found this far superior to Rice Rhapsody which had a similar theme and storyline.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkjneWDZH84

Zsa Zsa Padilla (2006)- About a gay queen beautician whom transforms into a female superhero at night to fight a man-hating evil villain.

There are really many many more but i can't list them all and some are well known artfilms like Masahista (The Masseur) which I have not mentioned as they have provocative sex scenes.

Above: Angel Locsin, the top female star in the Phillipines currently and Filipino-Chinese as well I think...in fact, i find it kinda strange that almost all of the top stars in the Phillipines are either those with Caucasian blood and look American-Filipino (i'm thinking of Richard Guertisze, Sam Milby, and Gerald Anderson) or those with Chinese blood and look either mixed or pure Chinese ( examples incl. Toni Gonzaga, Christian Bautista, Angel Locsin, Dennis Trillo, Alfred Vargas, Kris Aquino,etc).. i think it has to do with the (somewhat unhealthy) admiration for fair-skinned and the novelty status given that most filipinos don't look like them and are more dark-skinned. This is the same with Thai stars as well, so many of them look Eurasian or pure Chinese and not like the Thai people we know of! ( I'm thinking Ken and Anne in Oum Ruk...which i am still watching...and Tik i am sure has Chinese blood in him as well, you can easily tell by the features..)

I have provided some trailers below so enjoy!

IntEresting CLIps on YOutube and VeOH:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSRQbpwux58&mode=related&search= You Are The One (Filipino/2006) One of the Best Romantic Films I've seen in 2007...what i liked best about this film is that the characters were very believable and had flaws...they weren't made out to be perfect and had their own insecurities,etc..definitely one of the best filipino films i've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KORqYOHsYyo&mode=related&search You are the One MV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHbhFBzRfTo You are the One The Making(Part One)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04m-AGlyroA You are the One The Making(Part Two)

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v537940GnnjKcMQ You Got Me! Trailer (Filipino/2007)

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v563095gsXN4Nb2 Gigil Trailer (Filipino/2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS4TUIZY0M4 Mano Po 5 Gua Ai Di Trailer(Filipino/2006) Official Site With Theme Song MV: http://www.regalmultimedia.net/manopo5

This is the 5th series in the Mano Po series of films about Filipino-Chinese and their lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vlyNXMxP7w Moments of Love Music Video/Trailer (Filipino/2006) Additional Info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moments_of_Love

I like the tagline: She lives in the past, he lives in the present, ..can love defy the bound of time?
In a sleepy lakeside town, time curves for two people to meet and part. In the end, all that is left are their Moments of Love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgM67Xwrc6M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NinMjCJBEKg ( I Love this ad, It has a really witty and interesting concept!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsUYZ35-QLE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzfgzt91s6U

I managed to find some websites that have online Thai and Filipino TV Drama and movies with English subs BUT I couldn't find Mano Po 4, Aishiteimasu 1941, So HappyTogether, The Blossoming of Maximo...if there are any filipinos out there who have these films WITH ENG SUB, could you kindly upload them on veoh or youtube and let me know in my comment section, I would really really appreciate it!! Salamat po in advance...