NOVEMBER 24, 2000 VOL. 26 NO. 46 | SEARCH ASIAWEEK

Partying With the 20-Somethings

What better way to celebrate Asiaweek's 25th anniversary than with a bunch of twenty five-year-olds? In this week's magazine, we have done just that. In a remarkable collection of essays, profiles, and photographs, we proudly present Asia's new generation. The twentysomethings are building a New Asia, driven by business, the Internet, individualism — and plenty of attitude.

This issue also highlights some of the best we at Asiaweek can do. The anniversary project was deftly coordinated by assistant managing editor Ricardo Saludo. He had a smooth assist from general editor Penny Crisp, who helped edit the fascinating profiles. Associate editor Jonathan Sprague wrote our wonderful timeline, a romp through the last 25 years of culture, politics and business. Head researcher Peggy Leung and her team dug up the lists and statistics that help illustrate the last quarter century. Our talented art department pulled out all the stops, too. The playful cover and the magazine's overall look were designed by Emilio Rivera, and Simon Wan crafted the timeline into a delightful visual feast. Our opening essay, "Free to Dream," was written by talented correspondent Jose Manuel Tesoro, who is 28.

Our pictures editor, senior editor Rob Mountfort, deserves special credit this week, because the powerful images he assigned and edited reflect the energy of Asia's new generation. Mountfort, who joined Asiaweek in 1998 from the Far Eastern Economic Review, began his career in Asia as a news photographer with Reuters. Mountfort brings great photography to our pages every week, from stylish portraiture to hard-hitting photo-journalism. His assistant, Wei Leng Tay, a 22-year-old Singaporean with a weakness for snakeskin boots, brings a youthful edge to our photographic look. Around the office, Mountfort and Tay have earned a reputation as the coolest team, known for the Foo Fighters or Nirvana tunes that are often blaring from the photo department's CD drive. The anniversary project was a "tough job — with 15 photographers, hundreds of emails, dozens of rolls of film, gigabytes of picture data and looming deadlines," says Mountfort. "But it was worth it, just seeing all these young people all over making real changes."

One of the most wonderful discoveries in working on Asiaweek's anniversary project was just how many talented young people we have on our own staff. No fewer than five Asian twentysomethings worked on our Then and Now photo shoot. With this special issue, we aim to capture the spirit of the region's youth. They're building a new Asia — more transparent, driven by business, more democratic, and much, much hipper than the generation before. We at Asiaweek plan to be all over that story.

Dorinda Elliott, Editor, Asiaweek

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