a sneak peek at our special december holiday issue

OC LIFE's first annual [Multicultural] Holiday Issue is out on stands today!
* For the behind the scenes action of our December photo shoot, click here!


First, be sure to check out our two-page money special that takes an inside look at OC's real estate market as well as a look at the outlook of our economy as a whole as President-elect Obama gets ready to enter office.

And speaking of President Obama, OC LIFE's senior reporter Sharon Farsijani takes you inside the OC Democratic Victory Party that took place November 4th at Sutra Lounge in Newport Beach. Check out exclusive coverage of the festivities which included a special performance by Iranian-American entertainer Farshid Amin who sang an "Obama-inspired" song called "Change". This marks the first time an Iranian-American was invited to sing at a Democratic victory party.

If you're looking to get more bang for your buck in these tough times take a look at some chic [yet affordable!] holiday accessories that you can buy for yourself or give as a gift to a friend or loved one!

Looking for a unique holiday recipe idea? One of our newest contributors, Zov Karamardian of Zov's Bistro, shares some special Mediterranean-inspired recipes from her cookbook that are perfect for the holidays.

Are you ready to expose your tastebuds to some exotic flavors? This month Chef Anahita takes us into Little Saigon where she's discovered a hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant for December's Food+Drink feature. Think Vietnamese food is all about Pho? No way! Discover what other delicious dishes the Vietnamese culture has to offer.


Also in this month's issue:
- A Look at Kwanzaa: Is it a cultural or religious holiday?
- Hanukkah memories from the seniors at Mission Viejo's Heritage Pointe retirement community
- A Multicultural Center at the O.C. Great Park? Sunny Zia updates us on the recent developments
- Meet six international students from community colleges throughout Orange County!
- The OC Lions Cricket Club: The sport that is widely popular in Sri Lanka hopes to make a home for itself in Orange County

And much, much more...

New Locations!

Beginning December, you can pick up copies of OC LIFE at the Regency Theaters in Laguna Niguel as well as the Regency Theaters by South Coast Plaza!

And every month, check out a list of cultural/foreign films that are playing at their theaters next to our calendar page in each issue.

Behind the Scenes of our December Cover

Here's a little sneak peek of our [Multicultural] Holiday Issue cover shoot!

[CREW]
Model: Maile Leiana
Photography: Ben Bernous
Makeup: Lisa G.
Accessories: Ruche Boutique
Creative Advisor: Sepi Danosian
Post-Production: Roya Bernous

On stands December 1st...

ZOV joins the OC LIFE team!

Local culinary queen Zov Karamardian of Zov's Bistro will premiere her monthly food column in the December issue of OC LIFE!

Titled "From My Kitchen To Yours", Zov's column will focus on contemporary Mediterranean & Middle Eastern feasts for all occasions.

Our special [Multicultural] Holiday Issue will be on stands December 1st!

A Cultural Change in America... and OC!

President-elect Barack Obama's historic win last night has begun a cultural change in America... Blacks, whites, Asians, Middle Easterners and many others gathered together all over the country to embrace the vision of CHANGE within our country's government.

And even locally we are starting to see the multicultural community coming out and making their voices heard in a major way in local government.


In Irvine, former Mayor Pro Tem Sukhee Kang has officially won the race to becoming the first Korean-American mayor of a major U.S. city. Former Mayor Beth Krom has always supported a diverse and integrated community and government, and has been fully in support of Kang throughout this year's controversial campaign. In an interview with OC LIFE in September 2008, Kang said, "Before the 2004 election, we didn't have much representation from immigrant comunities. Now look at all the commissions - we have Persian-Americans, Chinese-Americans - different communities coming together and working together. So I think that's a very positive change made in just the past 4 years."

Kang has strong ties to the community (he is known for knocking on doors in Irvine and personally meeting citizens) and a tight cultural connection to his Korean roots. A few weeks ago, the Korean Cultural Center of Orange County awarded him the prestigious Dosan Ahn Changho award for his leadership within the community.

Another Korean-American who has been re-elected to Irvine's City Council is Dr. Steven Choi. Choi was first elected to City Council in 2004. Choi says he values Irvine's cultural and ethnic diversity and harmony and in an interview with OC LIFE he said, "Irvine is truly blessed with ethnic and cultural diversity among our residents... we know how to live in harmony and respect each other."

Indeed, Irvine's ethnic population has grown immensely in the past 37 years - from 18% to 49%. And these growing numbers are apparent in Orange County and the entire country for that matter.

In the end, we're all American and we're all proud to be a part of a country that is moving towards CHANGE.

~ Sepi Danosian
sdanosian@oclifemagazine.com