MARC lowers rating on Perwaja Steel's RM400m debt notes, outlook negative
Greece struggles on reform, lenders may face rising bill
F&N 1Q earnings fall on absence of Coca-Cola contribution, higher material costs
India court ruling to trigger telecoms industry shakeout
Ex-UBS trader refused bail as bank probe deepens
Maxbiz to submit application against Bursa’s proposed delisting plan
Categories
| Market: Love makes the world go round |
| Written by Grace Chin | |||
| Monday, 08 June 2009 00:00 | |||
|
According to press reports, Li vowed to change his life because he survived the ordeal. “I also realised that all the money and power in the world would not have saved me from the water. That night I decided that I couldn’t wait until I retired; I had to do something right away,” he says in an article in Newsweek. “It’s not just when you’ve made your millions, when you’re a captain of industry or a star. It starts with everybody, with just a little help.” In 2007, he founded the non-profit Jet Li One Foundation, together with the Red Cross Society of China, to promote the idea of public welfare among both corporate enterprises and everyday citizens, starting in China. The organisation currently operates in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Shenzen, and has been actively helping in disaster relief efforts for flood victims in China and for earthquake victims in Sichuan and Italy. The organisation’s website states that it plans to expand its presence to Taiwan, Singapore and the US. “For me, it’s not just about raising money but also about changing people’s beliefs, spreading the love virus. I want to use my name to do good, to give back to the world. Nothing is more important than this now,” he says.  Philanthropy has become his life mission, and his life’s work. Li has publicly declared that he is putting his film career temporarily on hold for a full-time career as a disaster relief worker. “Philanthropy is my passion and my life now,” he tells Time magazine. “I wake up and eat and I’m thinking about it. I’m still thinking in the bath. I talk to everyone I can.” Li acknowledges that governments and companies have roles to play to help those in need, but he wants to spread the belief that individuals, too, should do their bit. Recognising Li’s efforts towards charity, French jeweller and watchmaker Cartier is supporting his foundation by naming One Foundation the beneficiary of this year’s Love Day charity campaign. The global charity initiative was first launched four years ago in Paris and New York, and is based on the theme of love. Cartier’s iconic Love jewellery collection originally debuted in the 1970s, and was reintroduced in 2006 to great success. The collection’s simple and elegant rings and bracelets, in pink gold and set with diamonds, precious stones and solid gold screws, symbolise the bond between two people. Malaysians can now show their support for Li’s foundation during Cartier Malaysia’s weeklong Love charity campaign. Starting June 10, Cartier will contribute 10% of the sales of its Love collection items to the One Foundation. A limited Love Charity bracelet edition has been designed to commemorate June 11, declared by Cartier as Love Day. The bracelet comes with a white silk cord and carries a pink gold mini Love bracelet, with a diamond in the centre. It is available exclusively at Cartier boutiques for RM2,430. So if you’re looking for a good cause to donate while indulging in some luxury, head to Cartier’s boutique in Suria KLCC.  BargainHUNT With return fares starting from RM1,000, you can now plan your holidays to London, Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait with Emirates Airlines. And the flight will surely be a great experience as you’ll be flying in the Airbus A380, an aircraft that has been described as comfortable and luxurious, much like travelling in a premium hotel in the skies. The offer ends on June 30 and passengers must travel by Nov 30. Fares are valid on EK347 flights only, and exclude airport taxes. Other terms and conditions apply. Visit Emirates’ store at Pavilion KL or contact (03) 2058 5888 or your local travel agent for more information.  SPLURGE of the weekClove Hall, a new heritage boutique hotel in George Town, Penang, has five luxurious suites in a preserved Edwardian Anglo-Malay bungalow on the ground of a former coconut plantation owned by the Sarkie Brothers. It offers personalised services for yoga sessions, manicures and massages, and provides access to dressmakers and high-end couturiers. The staff can also arrange for facials, cosmetic surgeries, medical checkups as well as guided heritage tours to the island’s culinary delights and real estate properties in Penang. Room rates start at RM500 and RM2,500 if you are using the entire site for events such as dinner parties. Visit www.clovehall.com or call (04) 229 0818 for more information. The debate on Disney’s black beauty Walt Disney presents The Princess and the Frog, a 2-D animated film about the life of an African-American girl, Tiana, set in New Orleans in the 1920s. Based loosely on the book written by E D Baker of the same title, the Broadway-style musical will feature the voices of a star-studded cast, including Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Peter Bartlett, Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Lewis, Keith David and Anika Noni Rose. Written and directed by the same team responsible for The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, the film is set in voodoo spells and jazz. Tiana, a budding restaurateur, goes on a journey to reverse the consequences of kissing a frog prince, which turned her into an amphibian. As the story goes, the couple embarks on a journey in search of a cure, accompanied by a firefly and a folksy alligator. Since the release of the movie trailer last month, critics have been quick to point out insensitivities in the treatment of the story and its characters. Several characters have been singled out: the subject of Tiana’s love, Prince Naveen, has skin and facial features that are not black; and Ray, the firefly, is said to sound too much like the stereotype of an uneducated Southerner.  Michael D Baran, a cognitive psychologist and anthropologist who teaches at Harvard and specialises in how children learn about race, tells the New York Times: “Because of Disney’s history of stereotyping, people are really excited to see how Disney will handle her language, her culture, her physical attributes.” Baran is reserving judgment and encourages others to do the same, but adds that Disney’s impact on children should be scrutinised as children are able to catch subtle messages about gender and race in films. Disney’s efforts to increase diversity in portrayal of characters in its eight-decade history of animated films have been applauded by some parents and teachers, such as Monika Pugh, a guidance counsellor at Roosevelt Middle School, West Palm Beach, Florida. “I am just so happy about it,” Pugh tells the Palm Beach Post. “It’ll give our young girls a whole different self-image of themselves, to know that beauty [comes in] all colours, and that we are all princesses in our own way.” According to new reports, not many have seen any footage of the movie — the current debate about it is based on the one-minute trailer and photos of related merchandise taken from a toy industry event. The Princess and the Frog is slated for release in December. Like Baran, Disney executives are urging people to stop jumping to conclusions, saying they are putting in a great deal of efforts in all their artistic endeavours. A producer of the film, Peter Del Vecho, shares that the idea for a black princess came organically. New Orleans was chosen as the background for this story for its colourful past and deep musical history. The idea of portraying strongly multicultural characters was inspired by the melting pot of cultures in New Orleans. Tiana, the heroine, is not saved by the prince and is a resourceful and talented person, says Del Vecho. Tiana’s character is said to bear the traits of African-American women and is truly beautiful, he adds. Some are sceptical about Disney’s venture into a more multi-cultural depiction of America, voicing concerns that it can be seen as a strategic ploy to increase market share. Kevin Howleye, associate professor of media studies at Indiana’s DePauw University, explains to Palm Beach Post: “If these films validate anything, it is a child’s ability to consume Disney products and merchandise.” Disney can take some comfort in a backlash to the backlash against The Princess and the Frog. “This is one of those situations where I am ashamed of the black community,” Levi Roberts said in a YouTube video. “Are we being racist ourselves by saying this movie shouldn’t have a white prince?” This article appeared in Options, the lifestyle pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 758, June 8 - 14, 2009.
|
|||
|
|