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February 16, 2024 0

The Final Bow: The Life and Legacy of Maestro Seiji Ozawa

Famed maestro Seiji Ozawa, who led the Boston Symphony Orchestra for longer than any other conductor at nearly three decades, died last Tuesday at age 88. The eccentric Japanese director will be remembered for his commitment to his craft, attention-grabbing stage presence, and his continual love for the city of Boston. He passed away on February 6 at his home in Tokyo from heart failure, according to a spokesperson for the Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland. Ozawa was championed as […]

February 16, 2024 0

May the Dragon Grant Your Every Wish

by Sampan Editor

The American Museum of Natural History tells of the Four Dragons of Ancient China: Long, Yellow, Black, and Pearl. Legend dictates that the dragons spend winter on the floor of a lake or ocean only to rise to the heavens each spring with a clap of thunder. They form clouds and water the land. Chinese scholar Sima Qian, recounting in Shiji (historical records) dating back to 109-91 B.C., traces the roots of Emperor Gauzo, the first ruler of the Han […]

February 3, 2024 0

Chinatown Worker Statues Show the ‘Greatness of Our Immigrant Community’

by Brandon Wong

[Editor’s Note: SAMPAN first spoke with sculptor Wen-Ti Tsen nearly two years ago as he was preparing for the opening of his exhibit “Chinatown Worker Statues: A Statue In the Making.” As noted in his artist statement, the mission of this art is to examine “the intersectionalities of people, work, and forms of social constructs.” The exhibit opened October 27, 2023. Interested readers can still see the exhibit through its closing day, February 17, 2024.] Arranging the assorted tools at […]

February 3, 2024 0

MBTA Head Philip Eng: We Need to Reimagine Our Entire System

by Christopher John Stephens

Philip Eng was named General Manager and CEO of the beleaguered Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority on March 27, 2023. When Gov. Healey used the word “desperate” in her introduction of Eng to describe a commuting public looking to turnaround the bedraggled system, few would accuse her of hyperbole. Eng had a tough job ahead of him. It’s been sixty years this summer since the MBTA was created as the first combined regional transit system in the United States, serving 78 […]

February 2, 2024 0

Chinese Horoscope 2024 Feb 10 – 2025 Jan 28

by Han Teen SEE

Feel free to forward to your friends and family but please do not copy or alter the contents without our written permission. 2024 Chinese Horoscope is copyright © by Han Teen SEE, Jmine Consulting, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, recording or otherwise copied for public or private use without the prior written permission of the author. This publication is […]

February 2, 2024 0

Four Season(ings): Celebrity Chefs Share Flavors of Lunar New Year

by DongDong Yang

Ming Tsai, Romy Dorotan, Tru Lang, and Ming Cao Serve Up Holiday Memories, Favorite Dishes The Lunar New Year kicks off Feb. 10. It’s the Year of the Dragon, which will mark continued power, nobility, honor, luck, and success, according to the traditional Chinese zodiac. The dragon is the fifth of the twelve year cycle of animals — Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Festivities in Boston and around the world will feature family, […]

January 13, 2024 0

The Devastating Impact of Gun Violence Upon Victims and Loved Ones: But New Data Points to Positive Trend in Human Behavior

by Zoe Liu

Year-end prognisticators and ruminators spent the last few weeks of 2023 compiling and discussing their “best of” lists in newspaper articles, podcasts, and news programs. An unfortunate record broken by early December 2023 was the record-breaking 636 mass shootings, resulting in at least 2500 deaths. As noted in The Daytona Beach Journal, 2023 was the second bloodiest year since 2021, when 690 mass shootings were reported. “Mass” shootings are defined as 4 or more people, which makes the “smaller” homicidal […]

January 13, 2024 0

Representation, Discrimination, and Stereotypes in Ballet

by Angela Yuan

The classical art form of ballet that we know today was established in 18th century Europe. Many different countries such as Russia, France, Italy, and Germany, developed their own style of ballet that corresponded with the influences of the time. Around the 20th century, the art form spread across the world and widely retained the European style choreography until recently. In the United States, more and more companies are straying away from pure Eurocentric traditions and incorporating more diverse cultural […]

January 13, 2024 0

“Objects of Addiction” Exhibit Confronts America’s Profiteering in China’s Opium Wars

by Ryan Lundgren

At the entrance to “Objects of Addiction” , a new exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums, is displayed, front and center, a very large opium smoking pipe. Its size and elaborate design indicate that it was not a commoner’s opium pipe. This piece, being chosen as the front facing display of the exhibition, speaks to the widespread use of opium in China during the Opium War period and the powerfully consuming and destructive nature of this addiction. The Opium Wars […]

January 13, 2024 0

Real Women Have Curves Premieres in a Funny, Poignant, and Memorable Musical

by Harmony Witte

The American Repertory Theater has another big hit in the making with Real Women Have Curves: The Musical! (Book by Lisa Loomer, additional material by Nell Benjamin. The show opened recently to excited crowds and is introducing a new generation of people to the story of big dreamer, Ana Garcia. The musical is significantly different from the 2002 award-winning film (Josefina Lopez and George Lavoo’s screenplay based on the play by Josefina Lopez) in all the right ways. Aside from […]

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