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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2014)
AS IA / PAC IF IC Page 4 TH E A S IAN R EPOR T ER Decembe r 15 , 2014 Ch ine se gay da t ing app g row s to 15 m i l l ion u se r s B y Lou i s e Wa t t and A r i t z Pa r ra Th e A s s o c ia t ed P r e s s B HOMEWARD BOUND .F o rm e r N ew Y o r k M e t s p i t c h e r D a i s u k e M a t s u z a k a t h r ow s a p i t c h d u r i n g a b a s e b a l l g am e i n N ew Y o r k i n t h i s A u- g u s t 2 8 , 2 0 1 4 p h o t o . M a t s u z a k a h a s s i g n e d a c o n t r a c t w i t h t h e S o f t b a n k H aw k s o f J a p a n ’ s P a c i f i c L e a g u e . ( A P P h o t o / K a t h y Km o n i c e k ) Ma t su za ka re tu rn s to Japan to p i tch fo r So f tban k FUKUOKA , Japan (AP ) — Da i suk e Ma t su zaka ha s s ign ed a con t ra c t w i th th e S o f tbank Hawk s o f Japan ’ s Pa c i f i c League a f te r e igh t y ea r s in Ma j o r L eagu e Ba s eba l l . Th e 34 -yea r -o ld r igh t -hand e r , wh o w en t 3 -3 w i th 78 s t r ik e ou t s and a 3 .89 ERA f o r th e N ew Y o rk M e t s in 2014 , l ed th e Pa c i f i c League in w in s th r e e t im e s w i th th e S e ibu L i on s b e fo re s ign ing a s ix -y ea r , $52 -m i l l i on c on t ra c t w i th th e B o s ton Red Sox in 2006 . “Th i s i s a ve ry so l id t eam , ” Ma t su zaka sa id a t a p r e s s c on f e r en ce . “ I remembe r f r om my day s p i t ch ing in Japan , h ow d i f f i cu l t they we r e t o fa c e . I t sh ou ld b e a v e ry en j oyab le team to p i t ch f o r . ” T e rm s o f Ma t su zaka ’ s d ea l w e r e n o t r e l ea s ed . Du r ing h i s f i r s t sea son in th e ma j o r s in 2007 , Ma t su - zaka h e lped Bo s ton w in th e W o r ld S e r i e s . H i s b e s t s ea s on wa s 2008 , when he wen t 18 -3 w i th 154 s t r ik e ou t s and a 2 .90 ERA , bu t he d idn ’ t l iv e up t o exp e c ta t i on s a f t e r tha t . Th e Hawk s won the Japan S e r i e s in 2014 and a r e am ong the mo re su c ce s s fu l t eam s in N ipp on P r o f e s s i ona l Ba s eba l l . “A s we look to w in th e champ i on sh ip aga in , w e th ink h e (Ma t su zaka ) can mak e a ma j o r c on t r ibu t i on , ” sa id S o f tbank cha i rman Sadaha ru Oh . CONTROVERS IAL FEST IVAL .A b u t c h e r w i t h a b u t c h e r k n i f e p r e p a r e s t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n a m a s s s a c r i f i c e c e r em o n y a t G a d h im a i t em p l e - i n t h e j u n g l e s o f B a r a d i s t r i c t , a b o u t 1 0 0 m i l e s s o u t h o f K a t hm a n d u , N e p a l . ( A P P h o t o /S u n i l S h a rm a ) An ima l s sac r i f iced in Nepa l to b r ing good luc k KATHMANDU , Nepa l (AP ) — A f e s t iva l b e l i ev ed t o b e th e la rge s t an ima l - sa c r i f i c e r i tua l in th e w o r ld t o ok p la c e la s t m on th in sou the rn N epa l , wh e r e d ev o t e e s b e l i ev e th e sa c r i f i c e s b r ing good lu ck and a H indu g odd e s s w i l l g ran t th e i r w i she s . In th e f ie ld s ou t s ide a t emp l e b e f o r e dawn , a p r i e s t d r opp ed f ive d rop s o f h i s own b l o od and sa c r i f i c ed a ra t , ch i ck en , p igeon , goa t , and p ig t o s ta r t th e f e s t iva l . M o r e than 5 ,000 bu f fa loe s we r e r i tua l ly k i l l ed du r ing th e day . Many o the r an ima l s w e r e k i l l ed du r ing th e tw o -day f e s t iva l a t Gadh ima i temp l e in th e jung l e s o f Ba ra d i s t r i c t ab ou t 100 m i le s sou th o f Ka thmandu . O rgan i ze r s and au th o r i t i e s d e f end th e f e s t iva l h e ld ev e ry f ive yea r s a s a g en e ra t i on s - o ld t rad i t i on , th ough an ima l - r igh t s a c t iv i s t s d e c ry i t a s ba rba r i c . Du r ing th e 2009 f e s t iva l , an e s t ima t ed 200 ,000 an ima l s and b i rd s w e r e sa c r i f i ced . Mo s t pe op l e wh o a t t end th e f e s t iva l a r e f r om n e ighbo r ing Ind ia , ev en th ough tha t c oun t ry ban s th e exp o r t o f an ima l s fo r th e f e s t iva l . E IJ ING — By day , Ma Ba o l i wa s a h igh - rank ing o f f i c e r in a s ea s id e c i ty p o l i c e f o r c e . By n igh t , h e ran a w eb s i t e f o r gay p e op l e t o sha r e exp e r i en c e s and on wh i ch h e sp ok e und e r a p s eud onym ab ou t th e p r e s su r e h e fa c ed a s a h om o s exua l . A f t e r s ev e ra l y ea r s , th e p o l i c e f o r c e f ound ou t and t o ld h im h e c ou ld n o t run a p r iva t e w eb s i t e tha t wa s ea rn ing m on ey f r om adv e r t i s em en t s wh i l e s e rv ing a s a p o l i c e o f f i c e r . Ma ch o s e h i s w eb s i t e , a m ov e tha t la t e r p r ov ed f ru i t fu l . H i s Dan lan . o rg s i t e ha s spawn ed a Ch in e s e - languag e da t ing app f o r m en ca l l ed B lu ed tha t ha s ga rn e r ed 15 m i l l i on u s e r s , 3 m i l l i on o f th em ou t s id e Ch ina , ov e r tw o y ea r s . And la s t m on th , h i s c ompany , B lu e C i ty , r e c e iv ed $30 m i l l i on in fund ing f r om S i l i c on Va l l ey v en tu r e cap i ta l c ompany DCM V en tu r e s . Ma h op e s t o u s e th e m on ey t o expand ab r oad and p o s s ib ly p r epa r e f o r an IPO . H e i s a l s o c on s id e r ing laun ch ing a da t ing app f o r l e sb ian s . In a c oun t ry wh e r e th e g ov e rnm en t c on s id e r s any a c t iv i sm dang e r ou s and wh e r e h om o s exua l i ty ha s t rad i t i ona l ly b e en tab o o , Ma ha s manag ed t o bu i ld h i s bu s in e s s pa r t ly by r ea ch ing ou t t o g ov e rnm en t ag en c i e s and sh ow ing th em h e can p r ov id e a pub l i c s e rv i c e in sp r ead ing sa f e - s ex m e s sag e s . In 2012 , h e wa s inv i t ed t o m e e t w i th n ow -p r em i e r L i K eq iang b e cau s e o f h i s A IDS p r ev en t i on w o rk . Wu Zuny ou , d i r e c t o r o f th e Ch in e s e C en t e r f o r D i s ea s e C on t r o l (CDC ) and P r ev en t i on ’ s A IDS and s exua l ly t ran sm i t t ed d i s ea s e s c en t e r , p ra i s ed th e app f o r i t s u s e fu ln e s s in c onv ey ing in f o rma t i on t o th e l e sb ian , gay , b i s exua l , and t ran sg end e r , o r LGBT , c ommun i ty . “ I t ’ s v e ry ha rd t o r e c e iv e s o many r eg i s t e r ed u s e r s in su ch a sh o r t t im e , ” Wu t o ld Th e A s s o c ia t ed P r e s s a t an A IDS awa r en e s s ev en t h e ld by B lu e C i ty and a l s o a t t end ed by l o ca l g ov e rnm en t o f f i c ia l s . “N on e o f ou r pub l i c awa r en e s s w eb s i t e s can r e c e iv e su ch a t t en t i on . Th i s i s a v e ry imp o r tan t chann e l t o b e ab l e t o sp r ead in f o rma t i on ab ou t A IDS p r ev en t i on am ong th e LGBT c ommun i ty . ” Th e app a l l ow s u s e r s t o l o ok f o r p e op l e by l o ca t i on o r th e la s t t im e th ey l ogg ed on . I t a l s o enab l e s g r oup s e t t ing s s o p e op l e can o rgan i z e a c t iv i t i e s su ch a s h ik ing o r a s s emb l ing a ba sk e tba l l t eam , a s w e l l a s p r ov id ing in f o rma t i on f r om h ea l th au th o r i t i e s on l o ca t i on s f o r H IV t e s t ing and t r ea tm en t . P IONEER ING APP .C o n d om m a s c o t s p o s e f o r p h o t o s a t a n e v e n t t o p r om o t e aw a r e n e s s o f H I V t e s t i n g a h e a d o f W o r l d A IDS D a y , h e l d D e c em b e r 1 , i n B e i j i n g , C h i n a . D a n l a n . o r g , a w e b s i t e f o r g a y p e o p l e t o s h a r e e x p e r i e n c e s , h a s s p aw n e d a d a t i n g a p p s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r g a y C h i n e s e m e n a n d t h e c om p a n y , B l u e C i t y , h a s r e c e i v e d $ 3 0 m i l l i o n i n f u n d i n g . ( A P P h o t o /N g H a n G u a n ) e i r sma r tph on e t o m e e t s om e on e , And r ea Pa s t o r e l l i , a p o l i cy th e sa id . sp e c ia l i s t a t th e Un i t ed Na t i on s h A law aga in s t “h o o l igan i sm ” tha t D ev e l opm en t P r og ramm e , sa id th e e en u s ed t o ta rg e t gay s wa s Ch in e s e CDC had r e c ogn i z ed th e had b l im ina t ed in 1997 and h om o - app ’ s u s e fu ln e s s in r ea ch ing p e op l e e s exua l i ty wa s d e c la s s i f i ed a s a th ey w e r e unab l e t o . en ta l d i s o rd e r in 2001 , bu t s om e “Th ey a r e hav ing a r ea l i s su e m l in i c s s t i l l p r om i s e t o “ cu r e ” p e op l e r ea ch ing ou t t o th e m o s t ma r - c b y o f f e r i n g c o n v e r s i o n t h e r a p y t h a t g ina l i z ed p e op l e and in Ch ina tha t ’ s in c lud e s e l e c t r i c sh o ck s . Ch ina d o e s wh e r e th e ep id em i c i s , ” h e sa id . o t r e c ogn i z e sam e - s ex pa r tn e r sh ip s “Th e fa c t tha t th ey hav e b e en ab l e n o law s ou t law d i s c r im ina t i on t o a t t ra c t th i s mu ch m on ey sh ow s and n in s t h om o s exua l s . tha t th e r e i s in t e r e s t in th e s o - ca l l ed aga H ow ev e r , m o r e o rgan i za t i on s a r e p ink ma rk e t , ” Pa s t o r e l l i add ed . e ing c r ea t ed in Ch ina tha t a r e “P r iva t e c ompan i e s a r e r ea l i z ing tha t b e c i f i ca l ly d ev o t ed t o LGBT gay p e op l e ex i s t and gay p e op l e sp adv o ca cy i s su e s , and gay ba r s tha t r ep r e s en t a hug e ma rk e t . ” An inv e s tm en t manag e r a t th e on c e c ou ld on ly b e f ound in b igg e r B e i j ing o f f i c e o f DCM V en tu r e s wh o c i t i e s l ik e B e i j ing and Shangha i a r e a sk ed n o t t o b e nam ed b e cau s e sh e in c r ea s ing ly op en ing up in sma l l e r wa s n o t au th o r i z ed t o sp eak t o th e c i t i e s . m ed ia c on f i rm ed tha t th e c ompany Ma qu i t h i s j ob a s d epu ty d i r e c t o r o f had inv e s t ed $30 m i l l i on in B lu e C i ty , a d iv i s i on o f th e Q inhuangda o p o l i c e say ing i t s fu tu r e ou t l o ok wa s f o r c e in Ma r ch 2012 . H e s t i l l m i s s e s p r om i s ing . b e ing a p o l i c e o f f i c e r , h i s d r eam j ob “F iv e p e r c en t o f th e t o ta l s in c e ch i ldh o od . H e say s s om e f o rm e r p opu la t i on a r e LGBT p e op l e , ” sh e c o l l eagu e s cann o t a c c ep t wha t h e i s sa id . “S o c ia l a t t i tud e s t owa rd gay d o ing b e cau s e th ey th ink h om o - p e op l e w i l l b e c om e m o r e and m o r e s exua l i ty i s “abn o rma l . ” Ma say s h e t o l e ran t in th e fu tu r e . ” h op e s t o chang e th e i r th ink ing . F o r Ma , 37 , wh o g o e s by th e on l in e B lu e C i ty emp l oy s ab ou t 40 p s eud onym G eng L e , th e inv e s tm en t s o f twa r e eng in e e r s , d e s ign e r s , s igna l s a sh i f t in a t t i tud e s a l r eady sa l e sp e op l e , and adv o ca t e s . am ong Ch in e s e t owa rd h om o s exua l s . “ I w ou ld l ik e t o u s e th e p ow e r o f th e F iv e y ea r s ag o , h i s Dan lan . o rg e c on omy t o p r om o t e th e LGBT w eb s i t e w ou ld b e r egu la r ly shu t c ommun i ty , ” h e sa id . “ In many way s , d own . T oday , tha t d o e sn ’ t happ en th e e c on omy can t r igg e r chang e s in anym o r e , and i t ca r r i e s d i s cu s s i on s p o l i c i e s . S o i f , f o r examp l e , I d o th i s on wh e th e r t o l ega l i z e sam e - s ex th ing v e ry w e l l , i f my u s e r s g o f r om 15 ma r r iag e , f o r examp l e . m i l l i on t o many m o r e in th e fu tu r e , i f “ I n ow f e e l m o r e and m o r e w e can g o pub l i c , I can t e l l th e c om f o r tab l e say ing , ‘Y e s , I ’m gay and g ov e rnm en t : S e e , w e can g o pub l i c y e s , wha t I d o i s run a gay - th em ed b e ing a ‘gay c ompany ’ and w e hav en ’ t w eb s i t e , ” ‘ h e sa id . cau s ed y ou any t r oub l e . ” S t i l l , th e app d o e s p r ov id e p r iva cy f o r p e op l e wh o a r e w o r r i ed ab ou t The re can be on ly one : o th e r s f ind ing ou t ab ou t th e i r s exua l N o r t h K o r e a n l e a d e r ’ s o r i en ta t i on by a l l ow ing th em t o u s e Ae r L ingu s bo s s Mue l le r to head Ma lay s ia A i r l ine s KUALA LUMPUR , Ma lay s ia (AP ) — Ma lay s ia ’ s g ov e rnm en t say s i t ha s p i ck ed Ch r i s t oph Mu e l l e r , th e ch i e f ex e cu t iv e o f I r e land ’ s A e r L ingu s , a s th e n ew h ead o f i t s b e l eagu e r ed f lag ca r r i e r , Ma lay s ia A i r l in e s . Mu e l l e r w i l l b e th e f i r s t ev e r f o r e ign e r t o h ead Ma lay s ia A i r l in e s , wh i ch wa s s t rugg l ing w i th ch r on i c f inan c ia l p r ob l em s b e f o r e i t wa s fu r th e r h i t th i s y ea r by tw o d ead ly d i sa s t e r s . S ta t e inv e s tm en t a rm Kha zanah Na s i ona l sa id d i s cu s s i on s a r e ong o ing f o r Mu e l l e r t o s ta r t w o rk b e f o r e h i s c on t ra c t w i th A e r L ingu s end s May 1 , bu t “n o ea r l i e r than Ma r ch 1 . ” Kha zanah in Augu s t ann oun c ed a ma s s iv e $1 .73 b i l l i on ov e rhau l tha t in c lud e s d e l i s t ing th e a i r l in e by y ea r - end and cu t t ing 6 ,000 w o rk e r s , o r 30 p e r c en t , o f i t s cu r r en t w o rk f o r c e . I t a im s t o r e s t o r e Ma lay s ia A i r l in e s t o p r o f i tab i l i ty by th e end o f 2017 . Th e a i r l in e ’ s bu s in e s s ha s su f f e r ed a f t e r a j e t w i th 239 p e op l e on b oa rd , m o s t ly f r om Ch ina , w en t m i s s ing Ma r ch 8 wh i l e en r ou t e t o B e i j ing . N o t ra c e o f i t ha s b e en f ound . In Ju ly , a Ma lay s ia A i r l in e s j e t wa s sh o t d own ov e r Uk ra in e , k i l l ing a l l 298 p e op l e on b oa rd . name banned C o n t i n u e d f r om p a g e 2 s e rv e s a s th e ba ckb on e o f th e fam i ly ’ s au th o r i ta r ian ru l e o f th e imp ov e r i sh ed c oun t ry . Th e N o r th i s l o ck ed in a l ong - runn ing in t e r - na t i ona l s tand o f f ov e r i t s nu c l ea r amb i t i on s . A l l N o r th K o r ean s a r e r equ i r ed t o w ea r lap e l p in s b ea r ing th e imag e s o f K im I l Sung and K im J ong I l and t o pu t p o r t ra i t s o f th e l ead e r s on th e wa l l s o f th e i r h om e s . Th e i r b i r thday s a r e c on s id e r ed th e m o s t imp o r tan t h o l iday s in N o r th K o r ea .