ASEAN Life Vol: 2 March - May 2014 | Page 4

from the editor credits 249/ person land tour only When I first joined the ASEAN Life magazine’s editorial team, I had already expected to write and edit while riding trains, planes, and Publisher: John Oei automobiles. Let’s not forget the beaches of Bantayan Island in the Managing Directors: Sakri Dewi Tirtowidjojo Lisa Tungka a chaise lounge by the shore line but I neglected to have someone province of Cebu, Philippines, too. I had brought out my laptop to take a souvenir photo which would have been appropriately labelled, “Life is a Beach!” Editor in Chief Lorna L. Dietz I am writing from the Philippines, right in heart of the ASEAN region. Artistic Development Yohanes Agus Rustanto Nanang Putra Dawn is about to break while it is early afternoon in California. My Skype phone line connects me to my office. Facebook Chat serves shanghai-beijing tour june 19-july 1 as my reminder checklist. It is Trello.com that continues to help me check, double-check, and Video Development Johannes Danniel triple-check editorial submissions as well as maintain a “life line” to our Artistic Development team Contributors Agnes C. dela Cruz Rom Kenneth Sales Bernadine Racoma Mark dela Cerna Noemi L. Dado Maan Bellosillo Rhodora Montemayor-Palinar Rad Zarei Michelle San Miguel Lorna Lardizabal Paul Spinrad Dr. Taruna Ikrar, MD, MS, PhD media colleague, Robert Henry, had introduced me to its efficient ways a couple of years ago. Sadly, Chief Operating Officer: Indriati Oei HOW TO REACH US ASEAN Life & Kabari Los Angeles: 731 N. Beach Blvd, La Habra, CA 90631 (213) 550-3888 San Francisco: 1788 19th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122 (415) 213-7323 [email protected] www.Asean-Life.com 4 MAR-APR 2014 members, Agus Rustanto in Indonesia and Nanang Putra in California. I mention Trello because a Robert recently passed away so Trello will always remind me of him. There were some unexpected hiccups in the production of this second issue. Overseas travel might sound like a romantic adventure yet it is fraught with health challenges such as water retention from a higher-sodium diet or a dry cough that doesn’t seem to go away. A word of advice to neophyte and seasoned travelers from non-tropical climates: Just before your overseas travel, take a 10-minute sauna to activate those unused sweat glands. In this second issue, ASEAN Life takes a look at Southeast Asian romance and its nuances as well as some stories about ASEAN women and girls. There are other regular features such as an event calendar and regional recipes. The cover story about “Mae Flores: A Filipina American Entrepreneur in India” is as intercultural and intergenerational as it gets. The story is provocative because it deliberately confronts cultural and gender issues from a first-person point of view. As ASEAN Life sinks its teeth deeply into “meatier” topics that affect the lives of ASEANs worldwide, let’s remember that this lifestyle magazine may have been inspired by the orga