Little Asia
Key Sites
General Imports Store (grocery imports retailer)
The Semaisen family have owned this store for years. In the face of so much modernization, the family retains tradition. The children are prepared to take over the business when their parents retire. The store is kept in great upkeep at all times, symbolic of the family’s pride. Rows of shelves are lined with all sorts of groceries and dry goods all imported from China, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and Korea. Service is always quick and superb. Not a single complaint was ever filed against the Semaisen and this is evident in the store’s maintenance and steady growth. Entire sections were built on in 2000 and again in 2003, giving Little Asia citizens even more homeland products to purchase at very honest prices. The General Imports Store is a hidden gem in Little Asia, as few outsiders and tourists know about its common wealth. Behind the counter, stairs lead up to the family’s humble dwellings on the second floor.
OOC: Like most businesses, it is locked and secured after closing time in the evening. Unlike many businesses, the Semaisen are the living family protectorate of a powerful member of the local wraith faction of the Fist of Nippon. They continue to honor their ancestors, and Semaisen Shiro rewards his grandchildren and great-grandchildren with protection from supernatural and criminal threats.
Zone: Marketplace
Wall: 7
Hong Pharmacy & EMS (medical supplies)
The Hong Pharmacy began as a small medicine shop and since expanded. Little Asians come to the Hong Pharmacy for both medical advice and pharmaceuticals from Dr. Hong. He sells natural and modern medicines in equal amounts as well as medical supplies of all sorts. He stays on top of medicine, getting new drugs as they come out, and handling almost all sorts of prescription insurances. Furthermore, he practices some minor pharmacology of his own, supplying trusted citizens with simple herbal concoctions. “If you have the common cold, see Dr. Hong” has become a local motto. In 2002, the pharmacy extended it services to the public by absorbing a bankrupt private ambulance service. The motto soon shifted to “If you have a common cold, see Dr. Hong; if you break your leg, he can drive you to the hospital”. Poor guy. But he seems to love his work and remains an invaluable asset to the community.
OOC: Standard business hours on the pharmacy, with standard security after close-up. The ambulance services runs 24 hours a day and Hong EMS has 4 vans in its employ so far. It’s looking to expand with more vehicles and paramedics.
Zone: Marketplace
Wall: 8
SABRA (martial arts school)
The Kansas City SABRA (Smith Academy for Budo & Related Arts) dojo is a converted grocery store two doors from the Hong pharmacy in downtown Little Asia. It was slightly restructured to be more feng shui-approvable. Upon entering, one finds a small receptional antechamber. At this time, it bears only a few decorations, though later it will contain a trophy window. Right past this antechamber (there is no door) lies the main training hall. Approximately one hundred by one hundred square feet, the linoleum floor is largely covered over by professional padding. A red rug runs around the padding's perimeter and separates the training floor from benches set against the wall. The room boasts wall-to-wall mirrors on two walls and large fiberglass windows permit outsiders to see the diligent students inside (though blinds are available). On the far side, against the wall is a box with staffs of all sizes and wooden, training weapons. Kick and block pads rest neatly in this box.
Opposite this box, at the tail end of the circling benches, is a large shelf for bag-space. A door that opens directly across from the antechamber thoroughway leads to the back offices and bathroom/changing rooms. Next to this door stands three display cases filled with a variety of martial arts training gear and supplies and a few of the more inexpensive weapons (like basic nunchaku and staffs). Past the door, gray carpeting covers the slender corridor. One door leads into the school's office (with the usual office things), and a personal space behind that. Another door leads to a small training room that is a miniature of the larger dojo -- only 25% its size, and it lacks the weapons and shelves. The bathrooms are large enough to change in comfortably. An emergency exit leads out this back corridor but is securely locked from the outside. It can only open from the inside (and doing so will set off the fire alarm; there is also a sprinkler system that sets in at the onset of heavy smoke). Overhead fluorescent lights illuminate the entire room (and most of the rest of the dojo) quite well. The building has an efficient security system - contact alarms on the doors and motion detectors in the main training room. The code for the alarm is known to Nekoko only and setting off the alarm causes the security company to telephone the dojo; failure to pick up and/or giving the wrong code results in the calling of the police, who will investigate immediately. The school's 800 number will also be notified and Nekoko will be notified in turn -- all of this happens within 15 minutes of the alarm.
OOC: This place is open to visitors during its business hours. It's locked and secured as noted otherwise.
Zone: Marketplace
Wall: 7
Wong's Diner (restaurant)
A humble affair in the midst of Little Asia where few gweilo bother to tread, this eatery provides proper and affordable Szechuan/Cantonese cuisine. Though take-out is available, its quiet and small dining room appeals to many locals. And as its food is superior to the Panda Takeout found at the Little Asia South Gate, which caters to Western palates, most local Chinese eat here. A dozen heavy oak tables, candle-lit with complimentary hot tea, provides a warm and genuine atmosphere to the patrons. It's hardly a diner at all, but a diverting little restaurant. It even boasts a few outside tables within a small courtyard. All of the waiters speak fluent English and are surprisingly gracious. But it's little wonder that the place can afford to be so high-rated. Its most common patrons include several Triad fathers. This is well-known to the local police, who often meet with the gangsters to discuss their conflicts with customary Chinese civility.
Throughout the multi-ethnic Little Asia District, other restaurants exist to cater to national palates. Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese restaurants, take-outs, and diners are numerous. Examples include the Todai's Sushi Diner, Jak Lee's Korean Restaurant, Exotic India Family Restaurant, Namul's Thai Take-out & Eat-In, and the Mekong Express Cambodian-Vietnamese Cuisine. Take your pick.
OOC: Wong's Diner and all other restaurants are open to anyone during their business hours and locked and secured otherwise.
Zone: Marketplace, Cultural Heart, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, West Side
Wall: 8
