Tribute to Kusama, Queen of Dots

Kusama brightened our lives with dots

The Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama passed away on Thursday at the age of 97 in a hospital in Tokyo. 

We were just reeling after the death of country singer Dolly Parton when news of Kusama was announced, though she died on August 14.

Many fans went onto social media to post pictures of themselves posing with Kusama's giant polka dotted yellow pumpkin on Naoshima Island, between the main islands of Honshu and Shikouku.

Her pumpkin on Naoshima Island

I have seen her smaller sculptures at Art Basel in Hong Kong, but in May this year I was able to experience one of her installations at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

Entitled Infinity Mirrored Room -- Let's Survive Together limits a maximum of four people at a time, with only a minute in the room. Once you walk inside there are lots of shiny silver balls in a mirrored room, which makes it look endless, but is actually quite small.

In the middle is a hole you look through, and that too is infinity.

And your 60 seconds are up.

Since she was young she had hallucinations of seeing dots everywhere, and portrayed the world she saw in this way. Kusama seemed to have a penchant for wavy tentacles, voluptuous pumpkins, and balls. Lots of balls and dots.

When I first read about Kusama I was surprised to find she lived in a mental hospital, but perhaps it was easier for her to live this way, having others look after her while she just focused on her art?

It seems sad that her parents didn't appreciate her artistic potential -- they were more focused on getting her married off, something she completely detested. 

The mirrored room in the Art Gallery of Ontario

According to Wikipedia, her father was a womaniser, and Kusama's mother made her daughter spy on his affairs, which instilled a contempt for sex, and in particular men's sexual organs. Imagine how traumatic it must have been to deal with adult issues as a little girl!

Her parents' inability to accept Kusama for who she was only made her more determined to pursue art in the United States and went to New York.

While there she was poor and living in obscurity, though Kusama persisted in her vision of polka dot motifs, and eventually was noticed. Many liked the accessibility of her work, which was not pop art, nor splashing paint onto canvases like Jackson Pollock. She established her own style and stuck with it her whole career.

Interestingly she befriended artists like Andy Warhol and Georgia O'Keeffe, though Kusama returned to Japan in 1973 after living in New York for 15 years.

She found success with her mirrored room in the Japanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1993, and later collaborated with fashion brands like Louis Vuitton thanks to Marc Jacobs, and even established her own fashion brand in 1968 called Kusama Fashion Company Limited.

I admire her wholehearted devotion to art that never strayed from her motifs like polka dots. She was dotty to the end.

Missing Dolly Parton

On Tuesday it was such a shock to hear the news that Dolly Parton had died at the age of 80. She was such a force of good underneath that towering head of blonde hair, and buxom figure, walking around in high heels and long acrylic nails.

I didn't understand her look, which she joked cost a lot of money to look cheap, but she has said in several interviews she loved to dress up, and that was her idea of beauty.

She was the fourth of 12 children, their father a farmer who was poor and they lived in a one-room cabin in rural Tennessee with no running water. Is it any wonder she thought that dressing up was glamorous?

Parton was never ashamed of her lowly background either. In fact she was proud of her father who she said was illiterate, but very smart. It was because of him that she started the Imagination Library, where children who are enrolled receive a book each month from their birth until they enter kindergarten.

Some people on social media have thanked Parton for giving them books to read. One journalist thanked her for the books, and she graciously accepted the praise.

We cannot forget that during the Covid-19 pandemic, she donated US$1 million to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center to develop what was eventually the Moderna vaccine. She gave that funding at a critical time and got a dose of her own medicine in March 2021 with a jab.

She donated money to victims of wildfires in 2016, and Hurricane Helene, giving them money every month for several months to help them get back on their feet.

Her sunny attitude was irrepressible. She always had something nice to say about everyone, and was quick to make fun of herself. One time she was in Los Angeles and heard about a Dolly Parton lookalike drag queen contest and secretly signed up. 

She said that she slightly exaggerated her look, with bigger red lips and a bigger mole and sashayed on stage, but got the least applause. The winner? A man. And she had a hoot.

We miss Parton dearly for bringing rays of sunshine into the world and setting an example to others of how to use their money for good. Despite all the donations she made, and spending on outlandish costumes, she still leaves behind a US$500 million fortune which ain't shabby at all.

Parton worked hard all her life and deserves her beauty rest.

Thank you Dolly! We will always love you.

Premier Ford Trades Barbs with Trump

Ford hit back at Trump, telling him to "kiss my ass"

About 24 hours after news of Canada walking away from the trade talks with the United States, President Donald Trump weighed in on social media (of course).

"Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!" he wrote on Truth Social.

"They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of tariffs." No more!!!"

It wasn't the fiery rhetoric that he blasts off -- quite muted in fact, given such a long time lag from when the trade talks collapsed. It's not like there was a time difference either!

But today he began trading barbs with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, after he said the president could "kiss his ass."

While he was in Hamilton, Ontario to announce tariff relief packages, Trump posted a message on his social media account, comparing Ford to his brother, the late Rob Ford.

Trump wrote that Doug Ford was "better known as the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late great Rob Ford."

The president went on to say that "America has been carrying Canada for decades, but no longer! The U.S.A. will always be far bigger, richer, and stronger than Canada."

It's such a strange comparison, as Rob Ford was an alcoholic and drug addict, and his time as Mayor was erratic to say the least.

Nevertheless, Doug Ford commented on Trump's accusation, saying, "I don't respond to a dictator like President Trump, a bully like President Trump."

Ford continued, "I'm not going to take any advice from the king of bankruptcies, and he's actually tariffing his own people, taxing his own people."

The premier seems to revel in his verbal jousts with the president that gain media attention. 

But trading insults isn't a productive way to get both sides back to the negotiating table... 

PM Carney Sheds Light on Unfair Trade Deal

Carney explains why Canada walked away from the trade deal

Tonight in Vancouver there are flashes of light and then the ominous loud crack of thunder can be heard outside as the rain is pouring down tonight. 

It's been a long day that started this morning with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressing the nation about why the country walked away from negotiating a trade deal with the United States, and that it's time to buckle up for a trade war.

"We cannot accept what they've offered, and we will not give what they've asked," he said, adding the US 'asked too much and offered too little.'

Carney also revealed the US had issues with Canada's subsidies for French culture, the prevalence of French-language media online and even the federal requirement to have bilingual labels on products sold in Canada.

"It was unacceptable right from the start, but the Americans kept trying and trying and we said no," the prime minister said. "Ultimately it's simple. That was never on the table for Canada and it would not have been acceptable to Canadians."

For the auto industry, the Americans demanded to treat Canadian-made parts unfairly and to exempt some cars and pick-up trucks from US tariffs, but not others without any explanation.

The US also expected to determine Canada's trade deals with other nations.

"The US introduced, in the last hours, efforts to restrict our ability to have other trade deals," Carney said. "Because we believe in free trade, we're the partner of choice, in many respects, for countries around the world, and Americans wanted to restrict that, they had language to restrict that. Unacceptable."

Perhaps he was referring to Canada striking a trade deal with China worth $3 billion, where 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles will be allowed into the country, along with lower tariffs for canola oil, and seafood like lobsters and crabs into the Middle Kingdom.

But anyway -- why would Canada allow the US -- or rather Donald Trump -- decide who it trades with?

As Toronto Star columnist Justin Ling told CBC Radio today, what the US was doing was basically extortion.

Carney also noted that the US sometimes signs trade deals "in pencil," a hint that it is negotiating in bad faith.

Despite the financial hardships that will come -- layoffs and more money flowing out of wallets -- Canadians seem to be more patriotic than ever. The slogan "Elbows Up" continues to resonate across the country, with all politicians, federally and provincially on board.

As British Columbia Premier David Eby said today, "There is no question that there will be economic pain associated with this, there already is," he said. "But it is necessary to stand up to a bully, and if you don't, they'll just keep coming back for more."

Interestingly, Trump hasn't responded at all to the trade deal collapse. Did he think he had it in the bag?

Canada Walks Away from US Trade Deal

Trade talks between the US and Canada have collapsed

At the last minute, Canada walked away from negotiations with the United States tonight which means 50 percent tariffs will be imposed on specific Canadian goods, from honey to hockey sticks, though Prime Minister Mark Carney warned Canada would retaliate "dollar for dollar".

"I have decided to suspend trade negotiations with the US and have directed Canada's negotiators to return to Ottawa," Carney said in a statement.

"They have worked hard, in good faith, to defend the interests of Canadians throughout these negotiations up until the very last minute. However, last-minute changes in the US proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal."

Meanwhile US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said it was Canada who walked away from the table just minutes before the deadline.

"Tonight, Canada declined to finalise the trade deal under the terms agreed earlier this week, despite the US offer to Canada to receive the best treatment of any major exporter to our market," Greer told the media in a virtual briefing.

"New demands and walk backs of other commitments by Canada have upended the careful balance reached in the past days," he added.

Quite the surprise to see how the negotiations ended this way, considering Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc has been going back and forth to Washington DC to hammer out a deal with Greer, which got a reprieve earlier this week.

There was talk that Canada would put American wines and spirits back on the shelves of liquor stores as part of the trade deal, and some provincial leaders had bristled at the directive.

But now it looks like they won't have to do that anytime soon.

When the news broke of the failed trade talks, the chatter on social media among Canadians was that of giving Carney thumbs up.

Many were pleased Canada walked away, saying "no deal is better than a bad deal", and that American President Donald Trump was not trustworthy. 

"It may be painful, but better to bite the bullet now," writes @67 Sound on Bluesky. "There is no deal with the USA that can be trusted. All that a 'deal' does is mark yourself as a sucker that can be extorted for more tomorrow."

Stay tuned.

Picture of the Day: Reflecting Sunset

The sunset reflected off the wall of glass at Oakridge Park

The last few days the skies were hazy because of smoke from the wildfires in Summerland, British Columbia, about 300km east of Vancouver.

But today blue skies and fluffy white clouds appeared and temperatures were nice at 22 degrees Celsius.

I met friends visiting from Hong Kong for an early dinner in Burnaby, where we gorged on lots of sushi rolls, cubes of tuna sashimi mixed with spinach and miso sauce, spicy scallop rolls, and chicken terriyaki with pan-fried vegetables.

On my way back home I stopped at the intersection of Cambie and 41st Avenue and saw the sun reflected off the massive Oakridge Park development and snapped this pic.

Meanwhile, gas prices have soared these days and I had under a quarter tank left. As I drove to Burnaby, gas stations were posting $2.10 per litre, which was eye-watering and hardly anyone dared to fill up.

To my surprise at the next intersection at Oak and 41st Avenue, Petro-Canada was selling gas at $1.94 a litre. I immediately pulled into the station and filled up.

It's sad that anything below $2 a litre is considered a deal these days...

Summer Treat: Stone Fruit Salad

Stone fruit salad featuring peaches and plums

On the weekend I had a fabulous seasonal stone fruit salad featuring peaches and plums with arugula leaves and Parmesan cheese shaved on top.

Aside from making the salad look colourful and bright, the peach slices were so sweet and juicy, that I savoured every bite. 

When I was younger, I was allergic to fresh peaches, nectarines and cherries. I could eat cooked or canned stone fruit. But after eating raw ones, my mouth and lips would feel itchy and would take a while for the uncomfortable feeling to subside. 

Oral allergy syndrome is a thing! It usually occurs in people with pollen allergies (which I did).

As a result I avoided eating peaches, nectarines and cherries for decades. But a few years ago I started eating cherries and didn't have any allergic reaction! Ditto goes for peaches, nectarines and plums!

The benefits of getting older -- childhood allergies disappearing and having another reason to enjoy summer!

NYC Mayor Speaks Mandarin!

Mamdani makes a video announcement in Mandarin

A few hours ago, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released a video -- in Mandarin -- and makes a damn good effort.

He starts off by introducing himself and says he doesn't know how to speak Mandarin, but he wants to try.

Then Mamdani announces the city is giving away over 2,000 free tickets to high school students on August 17 to watch Broadway shows. 

While some criticise his staccato delivery, fans are thrilled that he even attempted to pronounce the tonal language relatively well for a beginner.

As one person said online: "Is there anything this man can't do?"

We also have to give kudos to his language coaches, as Mandarin pronunciation along with the tones aren't easy.

Maybe there will be a BTS or behind-the-scenes video of how Mamdani had his crash course in Mandarin?

In the meantime, this video throws the gauntlet down for Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim to try to woo the Chinese vote by speaking Cantonese in time for the October 17 municipal election... 

Picture of the Day: Fresh Corn

Each kernel is bursting with natural sweetness

Summer means picking strawberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, and corn.

On the weekend a friend was going to Chilliwack to check out Greendale Acres, an experiential farm which is now celebrating corn season with a giant corn maze that has a different design each year.

What a bounty of corn!

Chilliwack is about an hour and a half drive east from Vancouver.

I asked my friend to bring back half a dozen corn for me, and she ignored my request and gave me 10 corn wrapped tightly in the green husks.

Not wasting any time, I promptly removed those husks off three corn on the cob and boiled them, and they were absolutely delicious. They had a sharp crunch when I bit into them and the kernels were so sweet. You don't need butter!

 

Wildfires in Summerland Bring Fear and Kindness

The wildfires quickly expanded down to Okanagan Lake

On Friday a wildfire ignited near Summerland, a mostly agricultural area in the Okanagan in southeast British Columbia, which resulted in 20,000 residents evacuating, some with only minutes' notice.

The wildfire, known as the Bald Ridge fire, started 15km northwest of Summerland and grew to 50 square kilometres within three hours. Today it has expanded to over 156 square kilometres.

British Columbia Premier David Eby declared a state of provincial emergency on Saturday, advising those under an evacuation orders should leave immediately.

Air quality has worsened due to severe smoke

"Explosive" is how Cliff Chapman of the BC Wildfire Service described the situation on Saturday.

"When we see a fire start, when we see the smoke lift, we are going to be challenged and we may see fires do what we saw on this fire last night," he said at the time.

"I cannot stress enough that the conditions we are facing right now are conditions that we have never seen before."

The drought-like conditions this year have resulted in trees catching fire very easily, and strong winds have made it worse. In this case the winds blew the fire down the valley towards Summerland.

There are harrowing stories of escaping: a family was celebrating their little girl's birthday when large chunks of ash began falling down on them. They grabbed photos off the walls and important documents and then fled to Penticton, about 35km south of Summerland.

A farmer evacuated his goats in the middle of the night, while a journalist who literally just moved to Summerland had to flee with her husband and described the experience as surreal.

Many farmers evacuated with animals like goats

Temporary foreign workers from Mexico who are in Summerland to pick fruit had to be airlifted to safety by helicopter, as the road they were on was blocked by fallen trees. 

But at the same time there are many recounting the kindness of strangers, taking evacuees in, taking farm animals or dogs and cats, as their owners cannot keep them in hotel rooms or elsewhere. 

There is also a story of Patricia Robinson, a 90-year-old woman who was trying to fly from Calgary to Kelowna to celebrate her birthday with family. However, the dense smoke forced Kelowna Airport to cancel 40 flights including hers and the plane turned back to Calgary.

However, two men on the same flight offered to drive Robinson there as they too wanted to get to Kelowna, and the trio made the seven-hour drive and had fun along the way too.

"I don't know how my family felt with me embarking on this journey with two strangers, but I just had a really good feeling about the both of them," she said.

"They were just very chivalrous, gallant, young me... my instincts and trusting these two young men were bang on."

It also turns out one of the men had the same birthday as Robinson -- and exactly half her age.

What a birthday to remember!

Light Up Chinatown's Food Fare

BC smoked fish cakes at one of the stalls

Every summer the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation holds Light Up Chinatown! A two-day festival to entice the city's residents to come down and check out the neighbourhood, have some Chinese street food, maybe patronise one or two restaurants, and re-visit some sights, like the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden, the Chinese Canadian Museum, or the Vancouver Chinatown Storytelling Centre.

This year's event started today and I arrived half an hour before it started officially at 11am. Booths were still getting ready so I wandered around and met some people I haven't seen in a while, catching up with them.

Chicken sausage hot dog with pickle cream drink

For me, Light Up Chinatown! is about the food, so at 11am my first stop was at Say Hey Cafe, where the sandwich eatery was doing a collaboration with Dicky's Dumps, best known for their frozen handmade dumplings.

On their menu, the Dumpling Glizzy sounded interesting, where they took their chicken and ginger dumplings but made them into a sausage that was boiled then grilled, and placed in a sesame hotdog bun, with thinly sliced cabbage, mayonnaise and scallion oil on top.

The 'pickle cream' lemonade definitely piqued my interest and I had to try it. If you are a fan of pickles, it's definitely an enjoyable drink, slightly tart, slightly vinegary. Best of all I carried it around with me and the ice cubes took a while to melt so the drink was still cold! I almost went back to get another cup...

Then I headed to Hawkers Lane on Columbia Street where the main festival was held. 

Chicken wings, spring rolls, wontons & fish balls

First up was chef Dez Lo using seafood from EatFish and seasoned with chilli products from Holy Duck Chilli. I had the BC smoked fish cakes that were fantastic -- I could taste the smoked fish flavour and two slices was a good hearty portion with spot prawn chilli oil and spicy mayo.

I was already half full when I made it to Mama in the Kitchen with chef William Lew. They were cooking up a storm with four items to choose from. The HK curry fish balls I've tried before and they are delicious and nostalgic, while I liked the crispy spring rolls choc full of vegetables and dipped in a plum sauce.

New for me to try were the chili chicken wontons in a shrimp garlic chili oil, and the num num chicken wings. The wings were grilled then seasoned with a mala dry spice. The wings were juicy fresh off the grill, and got progressively spicier as you ate them.

Recreating a radio studio in the 1970s

I gave my stomach a break by heading into the new section of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre in the basement. It opened about two months ago and features Chinatown in the 50s, 60s and 70s. There are mini recreations of apothecaries, a mural of the Marco Polo, a supper club that became well-known for its smorgasbord and live entertainment.

The space includes a large screen with objects that float around -- you can touch it and a window pops up with more information about it. Otherwise visitors need to have a tour guide to show them around to explain everything.

My last stop was at Saan Saan Cafe, a few blocks away, but that meant walking along Main Street where numerous people hang out in the Downtown Eastside. It can be daunting to walk along there, but for the most part they are harmless. It's just shocking how the three levels of government cannot come up with a comprehensive plan to help these people get off the streets and rehabilitate. 

HK style milk tea gelato sandwich

The tables at Saan Saan Cafe were almost all occupied when I arrived at 2pm. I got one of their specials for the month -- a Hong Kong style milk tea gelato sandwich. While it looked like a big portion, it was actually delicious. The gelato had a lovely fragrant milk tea flavour with bits of cookie in it for texture in between two slices of firm cake.

Richmond Night Market Bows Out after 26 Years

Richmond Night Market is closing this September

The Richmond Night Market is ending its 26-year run in September.

Every summer people of all ages come here to sample snacks from dumplings to sushi tacos, fried rice and bubble tea, purchase T-shirts, phone accessories and toys, and play some carnival games in the hopes of winning prizes.

There are some 250 vendors and attracts one million visitors annually, according to the City of Richmond.

Many people come to sample the food 

But the 20-acre site was a temporary space, and was recently listed for sale under a court order. The lease was up, and there is no word yet if the night market will move to another location.

Raymond Cheung, organiser of the Richmond Night Market, made the announcement this afternoon in a press release, describing the experience of running the events for over two decades as one of the "most rewarding and enjoyable" journeys in his life.

"Watching a single local event grow into one of Canada's best-known summer attractions has been an incredible honour," he said.

"Although it is heartbreaking to say goodbye, I am filled with gratitude rather than regret. The memories we have created together over the past 26 years will continue to live on in the hearts of our visitors, vendors, performers and everyone who has been part of this amazing journey."

In 2000, the night market was first held at Continental Centre on Cambie Road, and grew every year, moving to the current property next to River Rock Casino Resort and Bridgeport Canada Line Station in 2012.

Lots of snacks like shaved ice with fruit

Richmond Tourism CEO Nancy Small was not surprised by the news of the night market's impending closure.

"I know how challenging it is for entrepreneurs right now to actually make a go of it," she said.

Small said the closure will impact the local economy.

"Previous vendors have gone on to open restaurants in Richmond," she said.

"Hundreds of thousands of people will not be coming to our destination starting next year. It will be a hit for sure."

Meanwhile Cheung said in his announcement there are six more weeks the Richmond Night Market is open and encouraged people to come one last time before it ends September 20. 

Hazy Day in Vancouver

The sun gave off an orange tint in the forest

Today the sun in Metro Vancouver gave off a warm burnt orange tint thanks to the smoke from the wildfires burning in Vernon, Boston Bar, and as far as Clinton, over 400km north east of Vancouver.

It's a reminder of the tragic situation residents in these areas are in, having to evacuate, sometimes at a moment's notice because of wildfires rapidly coming their way.

When that happens to you, what do you think of bringing with you? How fast can you pack? Where do you go and stay?

Not many walked outside today

It must be absolutely frightening and stressful to be in that kind of emergency situation.

In the meantime the Metro Vancouver Regional District issued an orange alert, indicating a "very high health risk", particularly for those living in the Fraser Valley, such as Agassiz, Chilliwack and Hope, warning residents in these areas to avoid outdoor activities. 

Here in Vancouver the air quality was deemed at low risk, but when I went out for a walk in Pacific Spirit Park after lunch, there weren't many people there, even though temperatures were comfortable.

Tomorrow the weather forecast is more haze and temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius. Hopefully after tomorrow night the skies will be clear again.

Alexandra Eala is a Filipino Phenom

Eala lifts up her trophy winning the Washington Open

Asian tennis players are on fire these days. Although Hong Kong's Coleman Wong Chak-lam flamed out in the semi-finals of the Mifel Open a few days ago at an ATP event in Los Cabos, Mexico, Alexandra Eala is hot property now that she is the first Filipino to win a WTA singles title.

The 21-year-old defeated top-seeded Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 today to win the Washington Open in the United States capital.

Eala now ranked No. 20 in the world

"Oh my gosh, winning a [WTA] 500 is insane. It's an incredible milestone for me," she said.

"At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy. Even at the beginning of the year," Eala said. "These things kind of creep up on you and I hold these moments really close to me."

Now ranked No. 20 in the world, Eala was overcome with joy when she won the game. Like Wong, she also trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, so the Spanish champion's tennis school is definitely honing players' talents to win.

Eala turned heads earlier this summer at Wimbledon when she defeated defending champion and world No. 6 seed Iga Swiatek in the third round. 

Eala learned tennis at four

Not bad for Eala, who comes from a sporty family: her mother Rosemarie Maniego-Eala was a former national swimmer, and her paternal uncle is a former Philippine Sports Commission chairperson and Philippine Basketball Association commissioner, Noila Eala.

At Wimbledon, Eala talked about learning tennis at the age of four from her maternal grandfather Roberto Maniego.

"I went to train with my brother and my grandfather everyday after school with my ruffled socks and my light up shoes and my chubby cheeks," she recalled.

With today's historic win, Eala is definitely one to watch!

Hong Kong's Coleman Wong Cracks Top 100 Tennis Rankings

Coleman now ranked No. 90 in the world

Coleman Wong Chak-lam made history today, becoming the first Hong Kong tennis player to break into the world's top 100 after he advanced to the semifinals of an ATP 250 event.

The 22-year-old became ranked No. 90 after he defeated American Jenson Brooksby 6-1, 7-5 in Los Cabos, Mexico.

He defeated Brooksby on Friday

"I was trying to mix up something and then trying to make him to be the one who was uncomfortable. I am really happy with my performance," Wong said.

Earlier in the week Wong pulled off a major upset defeating world No. 12 Jiri Lehecka 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the previous round.

"I [will] just keep trying to be myself, be the best version of myself and just try to enjoy the tour," Wong said. 

"To be honest, before from Hong Kong, there wasn't anyone that reached this level, so I am really happy and really glad that I can be the one."

Wong will meet France's Arthur Gea, ranked No. 127 tomorrow night 7.30pm PST.

It's so refreshing to see Wong moving up the ranks, playing like he has nothing to lose. He takes in each win with gratefulness, thanking his fans on the court and back in Hong Kong. 

He's scrappy and determined, which makes him all the more endearing.

"For sure you doubt yourself a lot, but it's how you overcome it," Wong told ATP in May. 

"I think everyone, even the best in the world, have a lot of things going on and it's the way you accept it and live with it. Trying to perform as much as you can. That's how you become the best and I'm still trying to learn from all the best players in the world."

Will Shein be Third Time Lucky in IPO?

Shein gets ready for its Hong Kong IPO, third time a charm?

E-commerce fast-fashion retailer Shein is filing its IPO in Hong Kong, and now for the first time is shedding light on who exactly is behind it.

Chair and CEO Sky Xu Yangtian is an elusive billionaire, but if he wants Shein to have a successful IPO, he'll have to reveal more about himself.

Even his biography is sketchy: There's one story that he was born in 1984 from a poor family in Shandong, but managed to graduate with a Bachelor's of Science at Qingdao University of Technology; another suggests he studied at George Washington University in the American capital and has American citizenship. 

The company's CEO is an elusive billionaire

From a corporate communications point of view, one would expect Xu to clarify this with some kind of official biography; just leaving rumours to fester is not helpful, particularly for the IPO application.

The company moved its headquarters from Nanjing to Guangzhou in 2015, then in 2022 to Singapore, where Xu apparently has permanent residency.

This is Shein's third attempt at an IPO, after New York in 2023, and London in 2025 were no-gos, according to a Reuters podcast entitled "Shein's fraying profit sets up drab IPO". Ouch. 

The company is known for being cheap and fast fashion; it works with suppliers by ordering in batches. If something sells well then Shein orders more, if not, it drops the product so it doesn't get stuck with too much product. 

Another interesting aspect of Shein is that its customers are outside of China -- mostly the United States and Europe. 

But because the clothing is so cheap, the US and Europe are now implementing import duties on these packages, which is making Shein less appealing than before and drastically shrinking its profit margin.

Shein is criticised for its labour practices

Then there are the numerous allegations of its clothes manufactured by people working in slave-like conditions, using Xinjiang cotton, and infringing on intellectual property among others.

As a result, Reuters points out Shein's prospectus is not particularly enticing to prospective shareholders, in particular that Xu is both chair and CEO, which is not good in terms of governance, and that existing shareholders that include him will have more controlling power than new shareholders. 

Also not ideal is that Shein has revealed in its prospectus that it is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission, though both parties did not reveal what was being investigated.

Shein's current valuation is around US$40-$50 billion, a significant drop from the US$98.2 billion value in 2022. 

Guesses are that Shein's IPO may not be as appealing as its clothing...

Former Democratic Party Leader Granted Six-Month Stay in UK

Wu thanks supporters in this video

Good news about former Hong Kong lawmaker and opposition leader Wu Chi-wai -- he is allowed to stay in the UK for six months.

Since being allowed into the UK last Wednesday, Wu was concerned that he would only be able to stay for seven days until this Wednesday and be deported back to Hong Kong.

However, it was confirmed by his lawyer, Paul Harris, that the immigration authorities had sent a letter to them of Wu granted stay as a visitor for half a year.

At the time the Associated Press reported this, Wu, 63, did not comment.

He later sent a video via UK-based outlet Green Bean Media, thanking Hongkongers for their concern and support.

"I know that, throughout this event, many Hong Kong people and friends everywhere have been working tirelessly during this period, speaking out for me and voicing opinions through various channels and methods.

"With everyone's assistance, today -- on the afternoon of July 27, 2026 -- I finally received a document issued by the UK Border Force officially approving my entry and granting me a standard stay of six months," he said in Cantonese.

Wu added although he was happy with this end result, he said his experience "failed to assauge Hongkongers' concerns regarding entering and exiting the UK," noting his arrangement was discretionary treatment, and not standard procedure.

"The government has made it very clear that this case itself does not constitute any precedent. The entry procedures still require further clarification to avoid causing distress to Hongkongers," he said.

"Once again, thank you to all the friends who care for myself and for Hongkongers. I have been separated from my family for five and a half years, and I long to reunite with them and live a peaceful life. I also hope that all Hong Kong people can live well and cherish their loved ones. Thank you, everyone." 

Wu's UK Visit to End on Wednesday

Wu has precious days with his wife and son in the UK

Looks like former Hong Kong lawmaker and opposition leader Wu Chi-wai's trip to the UK will be cut short. Instead of his hopes of spending time with his family for a few months, he will be leaving by Wednesday.

He flew to the UK last Wednesday after he served four years and five months in prison, but was held by immigration officials for what was described as an administrative problem with his paperwork.

Wu was jailed for conspiracy to commit subversion after he and 46 other political activists and politicians took part in an unofficial primary election in 2020.

According to the Associated Press, Wu was eventually allowed to enter the country, but the authorities only granted him a seven-day immigration bail, which means he will be removed on Wednesday and sent back to Hong Kong.

Wu had hoped to pre-empt problems with his criminal record by proactively contacting the British Consulate in Hong Kong ahead of his trip.

However, border officials thought he might have long-term plans of staying other than visiting, hence the seven-day stay.

While the visit is too short to make up for lost time with his wife and son, who moved to the UK in 2022, Wu is also concerned he may not be able to enter the UK again after this incident, and hopes the Home Office can reverse the decision and allow him to extend his stay.

"I am very worried about whether I have the ability or a chance to secure a reentrance to the UK to meet with my family again," he said.

The Home Office has said it does not publicly comment on individual cases. 

Originally Wu had planned to stay in the UK until November, but now he is expected to leave in a few days.

He told the AP that being behind bars taught him that life is short; he was unable to see his parents before they passed, only allowed to attend their funerals briefly.

"If at such a moment you are unable to see your parents off for the last time, the psychological blow is actually significant," Wu said.

Which is why it is all the more important to him to spend as much time with his family as possible.

"Start afresh and cherish the time I have to reunite with my family," he said. "I feel this is my most important task in the near future."

Beat the Heat with Winter Melon Soup

Winter melon soup with seafood on top

Everyone's feeling the heat this summer, and a good way to cool down is by having winter melon soup.

Winter melons are like oval-shaped watermelons, but are far from sweet. The flesh is rather neutral-flavoured, which makes the taste of the soup broth vitally important.

A basic winter melon soup with mushrooms

Having this soup at this time of year helps remove the dampness from our bodies, and counteract heatiness or "yeet hay" (熱氣). If you've been eating too much fried food, lychees, or spicy dishes, winter melon soup will balance things out, ie prevent or lessen the chances of having a sore throat or breakout in pimples.

In fancy Chinese restaurants, the soup is served in the melon itself -- the top is carefully carved open like a pumpkin for Halloween, and then the flesh is scooped out and when the soup is ready, it's placed back into the melon, which is presented in large silverware shaped like the gourd.

The soup is also relatively easy to cook at home. First remove the hard skin of the winter melon and chop the flesh into cubes. Heat up some water in a large pot and when it's boiling, add the winter melon and some clear chicken stock or blanched pork bones.

A carefully carved winter lemon

Other ingredients that can be added include mushrooms, dried scallops, ginger, and barley, and let it simmer for about an hour or so. Towards the end add chopped seafood like shrimp or fish. Some restaurants include fresh crab meat.

Some recipes call for adding egg white and cornstarch to thicken the soup, while others keep the broth relatively clear.

The bowl of winter melon soup I had the other day had mushrooms and bits of pork, and it hit the spot.

Former HK Politician Enters the UK

Wu was released from prison on June 30

Former legislator and leader of the Democratic Party Wu Chi-wai has now been allowed into the United Kingdom after he was initially told he would be deported within seven days.

About three weeks after he was released from prison, Wu arrived at London's Heathrow Airport, but was detained and his British National (Overseas) passport was confiscated. 

He spent four years and five months in prison

Other Hong Kong activists in the UK were concerned that if the 63-year-old former opposition leader was denied entry, that would signal a change in the government's stance on its treatment of those wanted by the police, including former lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung, student activist Tony Chung Hon-lam, and former British consulate staffer Simon Cheng Man-kit. 

But now United States-based activist Frances Hui Wing-ting, and The Collective, an independent Chinese-language media outlet, have confirmed Wu has entered the UK. Apparently he was held by border officials over what has been described as an administrative problem with his paperwork.

What a relief.

Wu is one of 47 who were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the National Security Law when they organised and/or participated in pro-democracy primaries that were held in July 2020.

He was arrested in January 2021 and detained, charged the following month and his trial did not come to court until June 2022 when he pleaded guilty, and was sentenced November 2024.

Wu confronted riot police on June 12, 2019

During that period his father passed away May 2021, and mother died in March 2023.

Over seven years ago on June 12, 2019, Wu was on the front lines of the 2019 protests when the Hong Kong riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors. He tried to intervene and shouted, "Take me to your commander!" to the officers, who ignored him.

At the time, Wu told The Sydney Morning Herald that in his 25 years of politics, it was the first time he came face-to-face with riot police and threatened with tear gas.

"To me it was a shock," he said.

"I try to separate both sides, so that police can hold their line of defence, and the demonstrators can keep their formation to express their will that the extradition bill be withdrawn."

How things have changed so much in seven years...

Review: Toy Story 5

The latest instalment of Toy Story introduces debate on screens

Yesterday I saw Toy Story 5 in the theatre with my two nephews. The last one I saw? The original one by Pixar, way back in 1995!

Luckily you don't need to have seen Toy Story 2, 3 and 4 to know what's going on in the latest one, which has a very apt storyline that resonates with the debate on kids and screen times.

Bonnie is a girl who first appeared in Toy Story 3, inheriting the toys that now teenager Andy used to play with. In this latest instalment, Bonnie loves Jessie, the cowgirl with her trusty steed Bullseye.

Jessie (centre) tries to grapple with technology

However, Bonnie is shy and scared to make friends, mostly due to insecurity, as she still loves playing with toys.

Her parents worry and give her a tablet called Lilypad which makes Bonnie happy, but then she is soon addicted to the device, neglecting Jessie and the other toys.

Sound familiar? The scenes of seeing children and adults addicted to screens in every household, from tablets to phones and computers is so relatable and interesting to see it reflected through this feature animation.  

Through Lilypad the tablet, she can connect with other "friends" online, but Jessie believes the girl needs to connect with friends in real life and makes it her mission to make that happen.

Along the way Jessie meets some other low-tech toys that were quickly ditched. Conan O'Brien is funny as Smarty Pants, a first-generation tablet that supposedly helps kids potty train, and his buddies, a GPS called Atlas and digital camera named Snappy.

Meanwhile there is a subplot where a shipping box filled with a lot of the latest high-tech version of Buzz Lightyear get stranded on an island and they look to the sky to find "Star Command", and some how manage to meet up with the original Buzz.

Smarty Pants (left) voiced by Conan O'Brien

Lilypad is voiced by Greta Lee, while Joan Cusack reprises her role as Jessie, Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz. This time around Jessie is the star of the show, with a romantic sides story involving Buzz; Woody is just a supportive character this time, as are the rest of the toys.

How much longer can the Toy Story franchise keep going? 

If they can find more storylines like this one about screen addiction that are relevant, then yes. If not, it might actually be time for these toys to really end up in the garbage heap...

Toy Story 5

Written and directed by Andrew Stanton

102 minutes

Taiwanese Frozen Meals in a Pinch

Braised beef, and chicken and corn noodles

I'm still on the hunt for delicious Taiwanese braised beef noodle that can easily be heated up from frozen.

The standard I'm measuring it against is The Regent Taipei's version that I used to eat in Hong Kong.

The frozen packages from the box

In Vancouver I recently tried the version from A.Bento, a Taiwanese eatery on Broadway, which also offers some frozen dishes to make at home, including braised beef noodle.

Each box comes with two packs, one with the braised beef in the sauce with some bok choy, and the other is the dried noodles.

You take the beef out of the packaging and it's a giant solid mass that melts and heats up relatively quickly in a pot, while in another boil some water and then put the noodles in.

The two come together in under 15 minutes, and tastes straight forward. The beef is very tender, but perhaps the spicy braised beef noodle version would be tastier.

I also tried the frozen chicken with corn and noodles, with the same preparation. However, here the serving is one whole chicken drumstick which takes longer to heat up, but nevertheless is pretty tasty and substantial, garnished with corn kernels. 

The noodles in both are wide and a little thick, and has a kind of homemade texture to them. The soups of both are savoury and comforting.

Taste of Summer in a Scoop

A generous scoop of roasted strawberry

I went to The Park Theatre to watch the documentary, Steal This Story, Please! and I was a bit early so I walked around the area and saw Rain or Shine Ice Cream on the next block!

Perhaps I was one of the last people in Vancouver to realise that the ice cream brand had opened a shop here, and despite having finished lunch I wanted to squeeze in some dessert.

I sat outside and watched people go in and then emerge a few moments later with ice cream cones or scoops in cups. One woman told her golden retriever to sit patiently outside as she went in and then she came back outside. A staff member gave her a pint of ice cream and a pup cup for her dog!

Needless to say he lapped it up very quickly before they went on their way.

Inside it's fun to see a cow's head with a unicorn horn on its head, and there are several staff members busy with either making waffle cones, making ice cream or serving customers wearing different ice cream-related aprons.

The latest flavours were posted outside to get taste buds excited: lemon raspberry swirl, blackberry iced tea sorbet, blueberry lemon curd, brownie chocolate cherry, and roasted strawberry.

Customers can try two flavours before deciding and I tried the blueberry lemon curd which is made with local blueberries and is on the tart side, but the roasted strawberry blew me away. It was definitely the taste of summer in a cone.

You can have a choice of a sugar cone, waffle cone, or cup, and the kid's size scoop or adult-sized.

I should have opted for the former, but felt I deserved the indulgence, and received quite a large scoop!

The roasted strawberry flavour is made from the strawberries at Mandair Farms. These local berries are slowly roasted with a bit of balsamic vinegar to intensify the flavour. This is no ordinary strawberry flavour!

Rain or Shine Ice Cream

3382 Cambie Street