  It was a year of many firsts in Asia in 2012.  Asia Society
Fellow Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy became the first Pakistani to win
an Oscar. The Swedish Academy made Guan Moye, better known by
his pen name Mo Yan, became the first Chinese citizen to win the
Nobel Prize in Literature. President Barack Obama became the
first U.S. president to visit Myanmar. And "Linsanity" swept
over Asia as Jeremy Lin became the first American of Taiwanese
descent to play for the NBA.  Speaking of sports, it was also a
year of Asian athletes sweeping up a significant number of
medals at the Summer Olympics in London — amid a few
controversies. Meanwhile, a more serious scandal engulfed
Chinese Communist Party official Bo Xilai. In another political
development, meanwhile, Burmese democracy advocate Aung San Suu
Kyi made her first visit to the United States in more than 40
years.  And who could forget the galloping dance moves that took
over not just Asia, but seemingly the entire world, with the
release of Psy's "Gangnam Style" vide