Earthquake Prediction in Japan Scares HK Tourists

An earthquake prediction has scared HK tourists to Japan

Last year a friend told me about a prediction that there would be a massive earthquake in Japan on July 5 -- an exact date.

Luckily I had already planned to go to Tokyo in March -- and was perhaps even luckier to miss the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Bangkok by two weeks. 

The March 2011 prediction did come true

The prediction, which was published in 2021, is from a manga artist, who had forewarned of a major disaster on March 2011, which was when an earthquake caused the Fukushima nuclear accident.

As a result of the upcoming July date, a lot of Hong Kong tourists did not plan to go to Japan these few days, and bookings for flights and hotels were down.

Because of this, Hong Kong Airlines has cancelled flights to two Japanese cities in July and August, citing sluggish demand.

However, there are some tourists in Japan who had no idea about this prediction and shrug, while others take no stock in what a manga artist thinks will happen with no scientific evidence.

And people who study earthquakes say it's impossible to predict them, while the Japanese Meteorological Agency has warned of an 80 percent chance of a large-scale shock measured at a magnitude of 8 or 9 would occur along the Nankai Trough running along the country's east coast in the coming 30 years...

HK tourists plan travel to Japan after mid-July

But things are looking up -- Hong Kong travelers are looking to visit Japan from mid-July onwards.

"Travellers may consider that it will be safe after that date," said Tommy Tam Kwong-shun, managing director of a travel agency. He believed the demand would soon recover, as Hongkongers love going to Japan and people will come when they feel it's safe to travel there.

The Japan National Tourism Organisation's figures show overall foreign arrivals increased by 21.5 percent, a historic high for May, though Hong Kong was the only place that had fewer visitors to Japan in that period.

The organisation attributed the drop in Hong Kong visitors to "information that an earthquake was occurring in Japan spreading on social media".

Celebrating Canada

Carney greeted people in Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day

Happy 158th Birthday, Canada!

This year is a special one, with a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney who is taking a measured, strategic approach in building Canada's independence from the United States and dealing with American President Donald Trump the best he can.

Speaking of which, Trump has made us more patriotic than ever. Ever since he made threats of ursurping Canada and turning into the 51st state, Canadians have put their elbows up in defence and are doing whatever they can to buy Canadian, particularly when it comes to food.

Canadian patriotism is on a high these days

This year could be a banner one for Canadian wines, and farmers are finally getting the support they need from consumers keen on eating Canadian (as much as possible). Every time Trump threatens Canada, people raid the "buy Canada" sections of supermarkets, and still refuse to travel across the border. It's has economically hurt border towns, but they will have to suffer for the next three years...

Meanwhile today we celebrate immigrants who have since become Canadians.

One interviewee who has become a friend, is now a Canadian citizen. She posted her swearing-in on social media.

She and her Canadian-born husband left Hong Kong and arrived in Vancouver just as the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020 and were jobless for a year.

Then they modified her grandmother's chilli sauce recipe and made their own using Canadian ingredients. Family and friends who tried it encouraged them to sell it and since then they've become a successful brand -- Canadian brand -- and collaborate with chefs, restaurants, and suppliers to create one-off items or new products.

A couple who make chilli sauce in Canada

It is so amazing to see them flourish -- not without a lot of "blood, sweat and tears", and at the same time they are so grateful for the opportunities that have come by or they reached out to ask.

Other Hongkongers who came here a few years ago are still finding their way, continuing to process their lives in exile and trying to forge a new path for themselves. They are still traumatised by what happened to their hometown, and how they were impacted. 

But despite the emotional toll, they have no regrets coming here.

Happy Canada Day. 

A Tale about a Cocktail Bun

Fluffy, and sweet cocktail buns in Chinatown

Today we had lunch in a cha chaan teng in Vancouver's Chinatown and for dessert we ate a cocktail bun, something I haven't eaten in quite a while.

It's a fluffy soft milk bread with a filling of desiccated coconut mixed with butter and sugar inside and topped with sesame seeds.

Cocktail buns (雞尾包) is literally translated as "chicken tail bun". But the origin of these pastries apparently dates back to the 1950s when a baker ground up unsold buns from the previous day, added sugar and coconut to make a new filling and inserted into freshly-made buns. They were given the name "cocktail" as the baker mixed the ingredients like a bartender.

Most Chinese bakeries in Chinatown have these buns. But you can make them at home, as there are several recipes online! While this would be fun (and delicious), the dilemma is that once you make a dozen of them, you'd have to eat them all! 

Photo of the Day: Summer Sunset

Tonight's sunset while driving along the Arthur Laing Bridge

Loving the long summer nights, when the sun is setting at 9.52pm...

Museum Celebrates Cantopop with Fundraiser

Museum CEO Melissa Lee addressed attendees

The Chinese Canadian Museum will celebrate its second anniversary on Tuesday, and the other day I attended Spark Community Dinner fundraising gala at Floata Seafood Restaurant in Chinatown. 

Seven hundred and fifty people were in attendance, and it was quite the struggle to meet and greet people as tables and chairs were close together. The numbered tables were randomly placed all over the room which made it hard for me to find where I was sitting!

Nevertheless, it was good to see a handful of familiar faces and meet new ones, and some politicians who came out in force, including Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, Hong Kong-born Prince George Mayor Simon Yu, federal, provincial and municipal politicians too.

My friend sitting next to me remarked how it was only in Chinese gatherings were politicians given a lot of time to speak on stage (while everyone else in the room chatted); I suggested perhaps because the hosts were reliant on them for donations and handouts?

A lot of speeches were made before the evening finally kicked off, and perhaps the highlight was Lawrence Mok, who won a karaoke competition, sang two songs that brought everyone back to 1980s Cantopop with Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing's Monica. Everyone remarked how laser discs, reminders of karaoke machines, were suspended from the ceiling. 

Wish Mok could have sang a few more songs to keep the lively atmosphere going, because the tone shifted to how there were 750 people in the room and we all had to chip in to keep the museum going.

First was a live auction that was not particularly exciting partly because the prizes didn't quite match the crowd, and the starting bids were stratospheric. Oh and every single person had their own personal paddle too. Luckily these were all sold. 

Then if that wasn't enough, the emcee Fred Lee suggested that it was time that people start matching donations. MLA George Chow wasn't able to make the dinner, but pledged CA$10,000 and challenged others to do the same. Eventually four others raised their hands and gave $10K each.

That wasn't all -- Lee began soliciting for $5,000 donations, then $2,500, $1,000, and $500. When he got to the last amount of $250, two people at my table shot their paddles up, and I followed suit. 

But there needs to be an incentive to get people to donate -- just promising a tax receipt isn't a good reason. How about offering two free admission tickets, T-shirts, a sneak preview to something or an exclusive event? 

In the end the museum managed to raise over $300,000, but is that enough to keep this cultural institution going? We don't want to see it shutter either...

Vancouver Mayor's Personal Gym is No More

Sim in the meeting room turned personal gym space last year

A year ago there was a big uproar about Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim converting a boardroom next to his office into his personal gym.

But 365 days later this personal workout space is apparently gone.

Wearing white sneakers at Remembrance Day

Following the by-election in early April when his ABC Party was completely trounced by Cope's Sean Orr and OneCity Vancouver's Lucy Maloney, it seems Sim has seen the writing on the wall.

"He's not wearing athletic wear to council anymore... but I don't know that it necessarily addresses some of the underlying faults," observes councillor Pete Fry.

Before a few months ago, Sim was still refusing to wear blazers and proper shoes to council meetings and formal events, opting for T-shirts or polo shirts; many noticed when he wore a hoodie and white sneakers to a Remembrance Day ceremony.

However, since the Lapu Lapu Day incident, when a drive allegedly killed 11 people at a Filipino event, Sim has been wearing collared shirts and jackets and taking things much more seriously.

Will this new look help change people's perceptions of Sim? 

Sim's new serious mayoral look these days

Probably not, as residents remember him chugging beer on stage, and making flippant remarks about how hosting next year's World Cup is worth 30-40 Super Bowls. He claimed he would find cost savings to cut bureaucracy in City Hall, but in fact added more staff and increased his own office budget...

Taste of the Philippines with Sisig Pizza

Encapsulating Filipino cuisine on a pizza with sisig and egg

Just Pizza is a local pizza joint that offers Asian flavours on some of their pies and I have to say this month they nailed it.

To celebrate Filipino month for June, they created a sisig topping that was so delicious.

Sisig is usually the leftover bits of the pig, such as the head, ears and cheeks. While lechon is about roasting a whole pig stuffed with rice and other ingredients, sisig is a tradition from the US airbases in the Philippines. 

The American commissaries sold pig's heads for cheap because they didn't use them, and the locals boil it to make it tender and then grill or broil it. The sisig is served on a sizzling platter and is usually eaten with rice.

The end result is a whole bunch of textures, slightly crunchy from the collagen from the ears, or soft and tender from the cheeks, and they are cooked with chopped onion and seasoned with calamansi juice, and soy sauce.

So imagine that (pork jowl and belly) on a sourdough pizza with garlic white sauce, with dabs of calamansi sauce, a few spicy birdseye chilli, and topped with chicharrones, or deep-fried pork rinds, and a fried egg too.

The pizza beautifully encapsulates sisig with a slightly elevated touch. Needless to say it was delicious.

Looking forward to the next monthly flavour and slowly eating my way through the menu!

Just Pizza

1629 Kingsway

Vancouver, BC

604 566 8888