The Asian Reporter Pacific Northwest News q Volume 25 Number 3 q February 2, 2015 q www.asianreporter.com Snails slither into spa scene in Thailand and around world It’s a hoot hanging out with owls at Tokyo café Page 4 Meet Coco: Potentially China’s next Li Na Page 4 GRACEFUL GASTROPODS. A customer receives a beauty treatment with snails at a snail farm in Chiang Mai province, in northern Thailand. That the latest addition to the global beauty and wellness craze — snail facials — should surface in the hills of northern Thailand is only natural. The Southeast Asian country ranks among the world’s top spa destinations, with massage treatments of every description offered around just about every corner. (AP Photo/Denis Gray) By Denis D. Gray The Associated Press HIANG MAI, Thailand — The last time I encountered escargots they were served up by a French waiter, sizzling in garlic and herb butter. Now, one is slithering up the bridge of my nose while five others are being stuck onto other parts of my face by a Thai beautician, all secreting snail slime to hopefully smooth out some wrinkles and otherwise give me a younger-than-my-age look. That this latest addition to the global beauty and wellness craze — snail facials C Miami Marlins finalize deal with Ichiro Page 9 — should surface in the hills of northern Thailand is only natural. The Southeast Asian country ranks among the world’s top spa destinations, with massage treat- ments of every description offered around just about every corner. Other members of the animal kingdom are also enlisted, including fish at some 4,000 pedicure spas. Merely another marketing ploy or an effective way to plump up skin in need of repair or rejuvenation? Expert opinions differ. The two young Thai women reclining next to me at Chiang Mai’s Snail Spa sang the praises of helix aspera muller glycoconjugates, snail mucus for short. Meet Dr. James Chan Your trusted Facial Plastic Surgeon Resource And when I returned home, my wife described my face as “different,” but declined to go into detail. Appropriately, given the French passion for these gastropods, the spa was started last year by two Frenchmen who had imported 100 of them from home. The colony now boasts more than 30,000, munching on chemically free carrots, cabbage, and aloe on a certified organic farm. “We take care of the snails as if they were our family, our babies. You can see they look very good,” says Luc Champeyroux, Continued on page 7 Overwhelmed by debt? Want a fresh start? KELLY K. BROWN Specializing in: BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY s Asian Faces s Asian Eyelid Surgery s Facial Plastic Surgery s Rhinoplasty 503·224·4124 www.kellybrown.com ★ LOW-COST BANKRUPTCY ★ Free consultation ★ Stop foreclosure and garnishment ★ Evening and weekend appointments Look your best! You’ve earned it! 520 SW Yamhill · Suite 420 · Portland 97204 · We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Code. Call today for a consultation: (503) 953-1230 The Asian Reporter 922 N. Killingsworth St. Portland, OR 97217 USA PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Portland, OR Permit # 2474 Celebrate the Year of the Sheep! February 19, 2015 to February 7, 2016 SPiLt ink Gallery Acrylic Colour Pencil Graphite Oil Pen & Ink Watercolour Pets w Holidays w Special Occasions w Just for Fun www.spiltinkgallery.com (503) 442-6427