Jul09 1-9-P 7/29/09 11:34 AM Page 1 F ASHION LIFESTYLE ART ENTERTAINMENT JULY 2009 FREE Amy Rider Has Secrets Miss Chinatown Our Essentials Get All Wet Everyone Joins Team Zulu yellowmags.com Jul09 1-9-P 7/29/09 11:34 AM Page 2 FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF There is a story for everyone in this issue of Yellow Magazine. Every now and then we will include extra articles when we believe they are most needed. My iPhone advises me that the “coolest” high temperature during the week this issue goes to press is a mere 94 degrees! Assuming that you will likely develop a much closer relationship with indoor air conditioning during this time, we thought this was a great month to stay home and read. We wanted to support you in that endeavor. See what is inside: Two celebrity interviews; Margaret Cho (our cover model) is launching Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime on July 12th; and Amy Rider, who is best known for her recurrent role in the ABC hit series The Secret Life of an American Teenager. The health article offers some ways to help those you love (including yourselves, perhaps) from being “speedaholics”. Such people have got to slow down for their health’s sake. Sometimes your disconnections are more important than your connections. Margaret Cho and the Yellow team in Los Angeles The travel article is Part I of a two part series on Greece. This month focuses on the volcanic island of Santorini and points you in the direction of red sand and black beaches. It is all rather exotic. Vuthy and Tricia compare certain aspects about when parents and children experience role reversal later in life. Many of us can relate. Rounding out our topics, Tree answers some of your questions about beauty tips. In honor of their third anniversary, Zulu Creative is participating in a host of artsy events around town in which you may want to participate. We not only inform you about the upcoming Miss Chinatown Houston Scholarship Pageant but tell you a little bit about its origins and purpose. Finally, take a good look at the photograph of the L’Or de Jean Martell. The House of Martell has re-set the gold standard and it is in the form of cognac. It tastes as good as it looks and at $3,600 per bottle, you dare not allow a drop to remain at the bottom of your glass. Celebrate! V. Van Hoang Jul09 1-9-P 7/29/09 11:34 AM Page 3 The color yellow has played a recurrent symbolic role throughout the history of Asian culture. It symbolizes the earth that sustains all life, yet has been embraced by Buddhist monks as an expression of unchallenged power. Such is the role of yellow: always revered but in different ways under different circumstances. The mission of Yellow Magazine is to introduce our readers to the artistic , fashion, lifestyle and entertainment contributions made by Asian Americans. It is our hope that the depth and breadth of the topics and events we cover do justice to the pride that the color yellow has represented throughout the millennia. As the editor in chief of Yellow Magazine, my last name is Hoang, which also means yellow. Just as I am proud of my name, I am proud of my heritage, and proud of Yellow Magazine. Editor in Chief V. Van Hoang, President of MV Media Editor Chad Landry Henri Merceron Website Cultural Editors Leo Sipras Vuthy Kuon Contributing Photographers Tricia Volore Chad Landry Health Editor Thang Nguyen Ivy Yang [email protected] Travel Editor Timothy Frederick Matt Sims timothyfrederick.visualserver.com Wine Editor Shehla Z. Shah Philip Cuisimano shehlazshahphotography.com Music Editor Peter Tham Tyler Merceron Fashion Photographer Lifestyle Editor Collin Kelly Chau Nguyen-Todd Fashion Stylist Beauty Editor Leslie Rivas Tree Vaello Assistant Fashion Stylist Contributing Writers Jennifer Joe Jia Hu Hair & Make-up Tramy Lam Chad Landry Deanne Nguyen Business Manager Leo Sipras Karla Montejo Web Marketing Creative Director Jeff Martin Tina Zulu zulucreative.com Social Photographer Publisher Publisher/Managing Director MV Media Frank Perez National Advertising Local Advertising Verve Communications 713.528.6000 x103 Group [email protected] 325 N. St. Paul Street Suite 1360 Dallas, TX 75201 214.965.9933 x106 vervecommunications.com Yellow Magazine 3040 Post Oak Blvd. Suite 1440 Houston, TX 77056 p 713.528.6000 f 713.228.3186 yellowmags.com Yellow Magazine is published monthly. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of the magazine is strictly prohibited without the permission of the publisher. Yellow Magazine is not responsible for any unsolicited materials submitted. Subscriptions to Yellow Magazine may be purchased for $36/12 issues. Mail check to: Yellow Magazine, 3040 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 1440, Houston, TX 77056. © 2009 MV Media On the cover: Dress: Zac Posen, available at Neiman Marcus July 2009 Jul09 1-9-P 7/29/09 11:34 AM Page 4 PEOPLE The Secret Life of Amy Rider Too Private to Twitter by DEANNE NGUYEN Amy Rider has been quietly building up a strong acting repertoire over the past few years. She has appeared as a guest on a variety of shows including Veronica Mars and Without a Trace, co-starred in the Mobisode 24: Conspiracy, and has roles in the upcoming independent films Fast Glass and Privileged. These days, she is best known for her supporting role as the outspoken, statistics-happy Alice Valko in the hit ABC Family show The Secret Life of an American Teenager. However, the actress is more of a mystery than her character suggests. “I guess that’s acting,” she laughs. Ms. Rider shares with us her thoughts about her not-so-secret passion for writing, Tokyo versus American fashion, and why she doesn’t twitter. So Amy, you’re a hard person to research online! You don’t MySpace, you don’t Twitter… Haha, you know, I don’t really keep up with those things. On Twitter, you follow people, right? I don’t really follow anyone and I don’t see why anyone would want to follow me and know exactly what I’m doing, every moment of the day, either. I’m actually a very private person, too, and interviews are still new to me. I’ve only started to have fun with them this year! People always want to know about their favorite celebrities, so tell us a little bit about you. I grew up in Japan and came to the states by myself when I was 17. My father was an American missionary and my mother was a Japanese singer, so I’m half Asian but people say I take after my mother. As for my siblings, I’m the middle child of six boys and girls. My family still lives two hours outside of Tokyo, so I try to make it back at least every Christmas. It’s funny the things you think are impossible until you actually I honestly don’t know if they’ll stay together or break up, you never know with the show! There might be some problems with Ashley, since she just try them, you know? started high school. Alice and she are not on good terms, since there was a thing between her (Ashley) and Henry last season. So, we’ll see. What got you into acting? You’ve played many different types of characters including Alice on Secret Well, about five years ago, I just got bored with my life, basically. I wasn’t Life, a tough talking Japanese school girl in the film Kissing Cousins, and happy and I couldn’t figure out why. Then I thought, “I must not be doing a double agent 24: Conspiracy. What kind of roles are you hoping to play what I really want to do. What is it that I’m scared to do that I’m not in the future? doing?” The answer was acting. Before, I thought that it was impossible I would love to do a romantic comedy because you don’t really see Asians to really make it as an actor and once I figured out what was going on in a lot in American romantic comedies. I know that’s changing and will my head, I said “Ok, that’s what I need to do.” And now I’m just having a change more in the future but I’d like do that because it would be blast. It’s funny the things you think are impossible until you actually try challenging. them, you know? If you were going to star in a new romantic comedy, who would you want Definitely! How does it feel to be playing the 16 year-old snappy and slap- to play your male counterpart? ©2009 DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC. All rights reserved. happy Alice on Secret Life? Bob D’Amico [Laughs] that’s like putting me in front of a sushi buffet! I’ve always had I think it’s great! She’s got a strong head on her shoulders the biggest crush on Johnny Depp, but I also think Chris Pine from Star for her age. While she does have those uncertainties Trek is adorable. Sung Kang from Better Luck Tomorrow is also pretty cute. about her life like other 16 year olds, she’s got a really If I could get them all in my movie, that would be great. clear sense of herself and I think that’s important for a teen girl. I don’t really see my 16 year old self in her.