Macau Expands NSL Legislation

Macau has kowtowed to China since its handover in 1999

When comparing Hong Kong with nearby Macau, the latter was always seen as the more obedient child to Beijing.

While Hong Kong loudly protested against passing Article 23, the security law back in 2003, which led the government shelving it for later, Macau happily legislated it without a fuss in 2009.

Fast forward 11 years and Beijing implemented the national security law in Hong Kong following the 2019 protests. Despite the NSL covering sedition, subversion, terrorism and secession, the city will revisit Article 23 in a bid to pass it next year.

Increased national security legislation in Macau

With the Legislative Council overwhelmingly stacked with pro-establishment politicians, it should be no problem to finally pass this controversial piece of legislation, which stoked fears of extradition to China to face trial.

However, Macau has found that it needs to catch up with Hong Kong's NSL and further expanded its own national security law legislation.

The updated law, which has come into effect, puts greater emphasis on foreign interference in the special administrative region.

The original NSL in Macau listed seven major crimes, such as treason, subversion, theft of state secrets and foreign collusion, where maximum punishments are 25 years in jail.

Meanwhile opposition to any central government department and the ideology in Beijing can be charged with subversion.

In addition Macau police now have the power to target suspects outside the city.

Now Macau's NSL similar to Hong Kong's 

Not surprisingly, critics of the new security law say it restricts people's liberties and rights in the former Portuguese colony.

Jason Chao was formerly president of the pro-democratic political party called the New Macau Association, and says the new law is "deeply concerning".

"Local journalists described the current situation as the ice age, and unfortunately the ice age is going to get colder," Chao said.

"The most worrying point is that people would not know whether or not they were committing a crime if they tried to criticise the government. We have observed how the national security law in Hong Kong has been vaguely interpreted," he said.

It seems the NSL was going to be passed anyway in both cities, even if Hong Kong didn't have the protests. But they gave Beijing the best justification for implementing it... 

John Lee's Word Salad on NSL

Lee says people should know 4 offenses of national security law

The Hong Kong government is warning people not to do something on "that special day" unless they want to violate the national security law.

"That special day"? June 4 perhaps?

A reporter asked Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu if the government could give a clear answer as to whether people could mourn individually in public on June 4.

His answer?

It is incorrect to say that the Hong Kong national security law is not clearly defined as regards offenses. There are four types of offenses that the Hong Kong national security law covers, and all the ingredients of the offenses are clearly spelled out in the law itself. So it will be up to the individual to really look at the different elements of the offense, which are clearly stated. 

So it is unfounded to make accusation against the Hong Kong national security law. In actual fact, cases that are heard in court will also be judging the case in accordance with the law, which will also let the public understand the ingredients of the law. 

In regard to any activities that take place in Hong Kong, the law enforcement agencies, particularly the police, will deal with them in accordance with the law, and all the applicable laws in Hong Kong will apply of course. 

An individual has to act in accordance with the law, any activity that contradicts the law, of course, the police will have to take action. And police will take action, resolutely, particularly in regard to public order activities. So everybody should act in accordance with law and think of what they do so as to be ready to face the consequences.

Why the word salad, John? Just say it -- Don't do anything unless you want to get arrested!

And what's with using the word "ingredient"? Makes the national security law sound like a recipe!

June 4 Remembered in Vancouver

"Don't Forget June 4" written in chalk on the ground

The Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement commemorates the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre every year, with not only marches to the Chinese consulate on the anniversary day, but also events leading up to it. 

This year the group moved up the march to May 27, where New Democratic Party MP Jenny Kwan participated. She was recently cited as one of two politicians a Chinese diplomat allegedly targeted. The diplomat was subsequently sent back to China. 

Meanwhile two remembrances were held today in two locations. 

A terrier took part in the event

In the morning there was a ceremony held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, a cemetery in Burnaby, and at around lunchtime another by the small Goddess of Democracy statue that stands near the Student Union Building at the University of British Columbia.

Sadly a fence was an ugly backdrop, as there is a construction site right next to the Student Union Building and there are fears the statue may be moved again.

Originally, Mabel Tung, chair of the VSSDM, had tried to get the statue placed in Chinatown, but it was vehemently opposed to the proposal. It was eventually accepted at UBC in 1991.

About 30 people showed up at the latter event, almost all wearing black, masks and sunglasses. The majority were middle-aged, along with a few young people, and one or two young families. 

Tung led the mini ceremony, first asking attendees to stand for a minute of silence. She then gave a quick speech to recount what happened 34 years ago, and how there used to be a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park every year until 2020. 

The activist said as a result it was even more important for the Hong Kong diaspora to continue to remember not only the victims of the bloody crackdown, but also the Tiananmen Mothers group, and the victims of the 2019 protests in Hong Kong.

Most attendees took a group photo together

Attendees were given either yellow carnations or roses and asked to line up one by one to pay their respects to the Goddess of Democracy. Many bowed three times in front of the statue before placing the flower on the pedestal. There was also a wreath of yellow carnations for the Tiananmen Mothers.

Nearby was a makeshift memorial with flowers and photocopied drawings of Chow Tsz-lok, the 22-year-old student who fell to his death on the third storey of a carpark in Tseung Kwan O on November 4, 2019 during the Hong Kong protests. 

Another portrait was of Li Wenliang, the doctor in Wuhan who alerted the world about Covid-19 in December 2019 and died in February soon after he was infected.

The third person remembered was Peng Ming, a pro-democracy activist and Christian who founded the China Development Federation in 1998. Later that year the authorities banned the group and Peng was sentenced to 18 months of re-education through labour.

Upon his release in 2000, Peng went to Thailand with his parents where they were granted refugee status. He later moved to San Francisco and re-established his federation again, calling for the end of one-party rule and replacing it with democracy.

A memorial for activist Peng Ming

Four years later during a visit to his parents in Thailand, Peng was lured into Burma by Chinese special agents and abducted into China where he was convicted on trumped-up charges. In 2005 he was sentenced to life in prison in Hubei, but 11 years later the prison authorities announced he had died suddenly at the age of 58.

Next Sunday VSSDM will hold a candlelight vigil at Dr David Lam Park from 4pm onwards. 

Civic Party Votes to Dissolve

Leong delivers the expected news of the Civic Party's demise

When I was in Hong Kong and walked along the harbourfront after dinner every night, a few times I spotted Civic Party chairman and co-founder Alan Leong Kah-kit doing the same, either walking too or standing on a balcony-like structure in front of Tamar and looking out onto the harbour as if pondering his future.

It was decided for him the other day. The pro-democratic party founded 17 years ago didn't have anyone come forward to take over the reins of the political group, so it was only a matter of time to wait for the extraordinary general meeting to vote for the Civic Party's future, which voted 30 out of 31 members to dissolve it (one abstained).

Lee, Yeung, Kwok and Tam remanded in custody

Leong admitted the party only had money in the five-figure range, while four of its core members: Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Jeremy Tam Man-ho, Kwok Ka-ki, and ex-district councillor Lee Yue-shun were charged with subversion related to the unofficial primaries in 2019 to determine who would run in the Legislative Council elections.

During their bail hearings, the four announced they had quit the party and politics in a bid to protect the Civic Party from further political prosecution; Leong had urged members to dissolve the party, but its members preferred to let it run its course. 

Other members like Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Tanya Chan fled Hong Kong and are in exile in the United States and Taiwan respectively.

It's interesting to note the origins of the founding of the Civic Party stemmed from 2003 when barristers Leong, Audrey Eu Yuet-mee and Ronny Tong Ka-wah came together to oppose the implementation of Article 23, the national security law, which is similar to the one Beijing passed three years ago.

The Civic Party was formed in 2006 by six lawmakers, advocating for universal suffrage and rule of law, and won over 70 Legislative Council seats in seven elections.

When Tong (4th from left) was with Civic Party

Following the 2014 Umbrella Movement, Tong did an about face and left the party to become pro-establishment, later becoming a member of the Executive Council which advises the chief executive. 

He said it was a pity the party was disbanding.

"I intended to establish the party to take care of those Hongkongers who take the middle stance in politics... and communicate with Beijing to reach consensus on pushing constitutional development," Tong said. 

"But the party deviated from the ideology and I have been advising them to return on the right track for over a decade but in vain."

Why would they listen to a turncoat?

Nevertheless, Leong was left with the sad duty of giving the party's final report and winding it down, but not without giving a reflective farewell:

"While the Civic Party has not accomplished what we set out to do, there is a time for everything," he wrote in his chairman's report. "The world is ever changing. History will tell. Today, the Civic Party is bidding Hong Kong farewell. We hope Hong Kong people will live in the moment with a hopeful and not too heavy heart. Live in truth and believe in tomorrow."

You too, Mr Leong. And thank you to you and your members for your service.

Developer Proposes Luxury Condos in Chinatown

The empty site sits next to Chinatown Memorial Plaza (front)

Vancouver's Chinatown is fiercely divided over what should be built on 105 Keefer Street, a plot of land that was a parking lot for many years. It is next to Chinatown Memorial Plaza, which pays tribute to the Chinese workers who built the Canadian Pacific Railway, and Chinese-Canadian soldiers who fought for Canada in World War II.

The plot of land was bought by developer Beedie Holdings in 2013 and the following year its subsidiary Beedie Living proposed a tall building of luxury condos which would dwarf the memorial next to it, and the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden nearby.

The building plan will be discussed on Monday

Three years later the Chinatown community joined together to oppose the mixed-use, slightly shorter building proposal, even though it included a seniors centre and underground parking. After listening to hours of comments from the public, the plan was resoundingly rejected by city hall.

On Monday a revised proposal is back in front of city hall, but this time the community is divided into two camps, one all for it, the other against.

Those for it, including seven business organisations, say now that the Covid-19 pandemic is over, Chinatown is barely hanging on economically, and believe construction of these 111 luxury condo units will help revive the neighbourhood. 

Some of the groups for the plan include the Chinatown Business Improvement Association, Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, Chinese Freemasons of Vancouver, Chinese Cultural Center of Greater Vancouver, and Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.

However, those who oppose it say luxury condos don't fit into this area, where most of the residents are seniors living on pensions. They would like to see social housing on the site and culturally appropriate programming as well as architecture to integrate the building into the neighbourhood.

Seniors oppose the latest proposal from Beedie

One senior interviewed felt the voices of the elderly were being ignored and instead the government was more interested in development, leaving these vulnerable people behind. They are barely subsisting as it is financially and feel the new condos will push them out. 

Meanwhile legacy businesses like Kent's Kitchen which offered cheap food, are closing, resulting in seniors becoming even more food insecure.

A few hundred people showed up at a rally on Thursday afternoon next to the site opposing the plan, while those for it believe people living in these luxury condos will patronise the area's businesses, thus keeping them afloat.

But who will want to live in a luxury condo in Chinatown which is right next to the Downtown Eastside? It's not exactly a desired location. Affordable housing would be a better solution, but perhaps Beedie's patience has worn out and wants to recoup its costs as soon as possible.

Double Ducks to Double Your Pleasure

The rubber duck has returned 10 years later... with a friend

Remember in 2013 when a giant yellow rubber duck appeared in Hong Kong's harbour? It cheered people up as they competed to take selfies with the cute duck as it bobbed in Victoria Harbour next to the Harbour City Shopping Mall. 

Ten years later it's back -- with its friend or clone? 

It reminds me of the Double Mint gum commercial where identical twin attractive women with white terriers in hand walk along a boardwalk as the singer in the background sings, "A double pleasure is waiting for you... with Double Mint gum".

The two ducks being towed to Admiralty

So Hong Kong is doubling its pleasure with a second duck?

Designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, the ducks are inflated and ready to be towed into Victoria Harbour, though their exact locations have yet to be revealed.

While they're cute, this stunt has been done before! 

And how much is this going to cost? It's hardly original. 

Just shows the government is more than happy to frivolously spend taxpayer money on recycling old ideas.

Perhaps it's a bid to lure people away from Victoria Park next week as June 4 will mark the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Back in 2013 when the duck thrilled HKers

The whole area where the candlelight vigil would be has been booked by such pro-establishment groups as the Hong Kong Federation of Fujian Association, Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community, and Federation of Hong Kong Guangxi Community Organisation among others from June 3-5 -- to avoid publicising the event using the numbers 6 and 4.

So yes folks, double your pleasure by hanging out with two massive inflatable ducks! 

Tribute to Tina Turner

A strong positive voice, Tina Turner will be sadly missed

So sad to hear the news that singer Tina Turner passed away at the age of 83.

To me, she was the embodiment of a survivor and came out the other end with grace, energy and lots of success.

When I was in my early teens, my mom's friend gave me advice: If your boyfriend ever lays a hand on you, walk out. She said I don't care if you are living with him or whatever, walk out the door and don't look back. You don't deserve to be treated like that.

Ike and Tina Turner in the 1950s

As a naive sheltered teenager I didn't fully understand what she meant until I encountered Tina Turner's music on her Private Dancer album that came out in 1984 and then read about her life with Ike Turner.

He controlled her starting in the mid 1950s, from changing her name to Tina from Anna Mae Bullock, and later revealed he abused her. He threw hot coffee in her face, choked her, beat her until her eyes were swollen shut, and then rape her. Before one show, he broke her jaw and she went on stage with a mouth full of blood.

She credits her emerging Buddhist faith to give her the strength to finally leave Ike in 1976.

In her memoir she recalls sneaking out of their Dallas hotel room with just a Mobil credit card and 36 cents while he slept. She ran across a nearby highway, narrowly avoiding a speeding truck and found another hotel to stay.

"I looked at [Ike] and thought, 'You just beat me for the last time, you sucker'," she recalled in her book.

Turner performing with Mick Jagger

Even though Turner's career as a solo artist floundered, she kept going, and finally had her break in the early 1980s when established artists like Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and David Bowie shone their star power on her.

When Private Dancer came out, it was a huge hit, selling more than 8 million copies and she didn't stop after that, performing to huge crowds, particularly in the UK and Europe.

That sultry big voice, her big hair, sleeveless dresses -- and those legs! How she continued to perform in heels well into her 60s was amazing. And that energy! 

American journalists like Mike Wallace and CNN host Larry King were baffled as to why Turner would move to Switzerland and even take up Swiss citizenship.  

Turner explained matter-of-factly she was as big if not bigger than Madonna in Europe. But was she still American? 

Turner moved to Switzerland in 1995

As long as she is happy where she is, what does it matter? Does she not deserve to live wherever she wants?

So when I was young, I imagined if I was ever in a horrific relationship, I would think of Turner as my guiding light.

And she probably was for countless other women too.

Thank you for being the true star for all of us, showing the way to greatness.

Mocking Incident Puts Cathay Pacific on Damage Control

Three Cathay flight attendants were fired for mocking passengers

Cathay Pacific's problems continue to prevent it from getting itself out of the rut of the pandemic and now it has to do major reputation rebuilding after some flight attendants verbally mocked some Chinese passengers.

On a recent flight from Chengdu, Sichuan province to Hong Kong, three crew members were accused of making fun of passengers' language abilities by saying in English, "If you cannot say 'blanket', you cannot have it."

A Mandarin-speaking passenger complained about the incident which at first led the trio to be suspended, and then fired.

Lee warned Lam not to repeat the incident

But that was not enough.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu waded into the issue, saying he was angered and disappointed, and that he had personally instructed Cathay Pacific management to handle the incident seriously, and that the airline must review staff training and improve its customer service culture.

"These disrespectful words and deeds have hurt the feelings of compatriots in Hong Kong and the mainland, and also undermined the city's existing culture and values of respect, courtesy and inclusiveness," he said.

"I am outraged and disappointed by the fact these bad deeds happened on a Hong Kong flight."

He told Cathay Pacific's CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por the incident was serious and had damaged Hong Kong's image, and urged Lam to ensure the incident would not be repeated again.

For his part Lam apologised in Mandarin to passengers who were affected by the incident as well as the wider community, and vowed to prevent a repeat of the situation.

Lam will ensure training and "customers first"

The CEO said he would lead a cross-department task force to enhance the company's "customers first" culture, and ensure its service had a solemn and polite image, and improve its quality.

Does Lee know that Hong Kong residents disparage mainland tourists on a daily basis? Is he going to punish them too?

Post-Covid there are complaints from the tourism sector that the city is getting the cheap Chinese tourists, the ones who have never visited Hong Kong before and don't mind seeing only the free landmarks and eating rice boxes. 

That's because the tensions between mainlanders and locals were never resolved as far back as a decade ago -- remember the term "locusts"? -- and so it's no wonder these situations have flared up again. 

Trying to get Hongkongers to shut up will be very hard, despite the dependence on these cross-border tourists to get the hospitality industry back on its feet again. 

It's a pity Hong Kong has put most of its eggs in this China basket, when all investors know it's better to diversify to ensure more balanced returns...

Picture of the Day: Spot Prawns

Poaching spot prawns allow the natural sweetness to be tasted

It's spot prawn season in British Columbia! It started over a week ago and many restaurants are serving these prawns that are only available for six to eight weeks.

They are called spot prawns because of the distinctive white spots on their tails and white bars on their heads. 

These prawns were fresh and jumpy

In BC around 2,450 metric tonnes of spot prawns are harvested annually, about 65 percent of them are caught in the waters between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland.

The best way to eat them -- poached and after they are shelled, dip the plump juicy meat in a slightly watered down soy sauce with thinly sliced spring onions and maybe a few slices of chillis for a subtle kick.

While you need to shell them by hand, the work is totally worth it!

We ate these tonight at Seaport City Seafood Restaurant in Vancouver.

HK Police Call for CCTV Cameras in Schools

Students and teachers will be surveilled daily at school

Hong Kong Police are becoming more active in the school system, calling for CCTV cameras to be installed in classrooms in a bid to ensure greater safety for students, but teachers fear it's a way to monitor what is said and taught in class.

Last week the HKPF launched a new website called Safe City Hong Kong and under "Security of premises" and "school" it suggests CCTV cameras be installed along with other security measures such as being aware of strangers in and around campus, drawing up contingency plans, setting up access control systems, and staying alert of incoming mail and deliveries.

Over police suggestions for school security

The HKPF is even calling for installing perimeter fencing of at least 2.8 metres in height, security guard booths, and infrared motion sensors, electric fencing and taut-wire tripping systems.

These suggestions make the schools sound like fortresses or top secret locations that need to keep intruders out rather than schools that are supposed to be welcoming places for learning.

Tech surveillance like facial recognition at the outdoor gates, canteens and classrooms have already been installed in many schools and universities in China since 2019 as a response to school shootings in the United States.

But some netizens have questioned the need to be so intrusive as to check up on students to see if they are dozing off in class or not.

Nevertheless, if the HKPF have it their way, similar "security" measures could be implemented in Hong Kong too. 

It's not a new idea -- pro-Beijing legislators had proposed the idea of installing CCTV cameras in classrooms in 2021 to monitor the content of classes and interactions between students and teachers. 

CCTV in schools has been proposed since 2021

But at that time then Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said schools wishing to install this surveillance technology would have to comply with government guidelines and privacy requirements as well as communicate with the parents and other stakeholders in advance.

If the cameras are being installed to prevent crime in schools and universities, then it makes no sense, as according to the police, crime committed by those between the ages of 10 and 20 fell by around 8 percent last year compared to the previous year.

When CCTV cameras are installed, going to school will be even more stressful than it needs to be...

Picture of the Day: Chawanmushi

Highly recommend the chawanmushi at Yuji's

Last night we went to a family friend's milestone birthday party at a Japanese restaurant called Yuji's From Japan on Alma and 4th Avenue.

It's a small place and the birthday girl's husband booked out the whole place for the evening.

The family-run restaurant has the father out front manning the sushi bar, while his son prepares the cooked items.

We ate lots of food from several slices of sashimi like toro to sushi such as eel, tamago, uni and ikura. There was also tempura -- prawn and potato -- and karage.

But perhaps the highlight was the chawanmushi, where inside the silky smooth egg custard were pieces of white fish, scallop and prawn. 

The kitchen doesn't normally serve 25 people at once, and the steamer could only hold six portions each time. So I waited very patiently for mine and savoured every bite!

Yuji's From Japan

2083 Alma Street

Vancouver, BC

604 428 4688

Feeding Pigeons in HK Could be Fined HK$100K

Feeding pigeons could soon become illegal and HK$100K fine

Hong Kong seems to be becoming more legalist by the day, as residents may be fined up to HK$100,000 (US$12,750) and one year in jail for feeding wild animals, including pigeons.

It is a proposal submitted to the Legislative Council by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in a bid to stop people from feeding these animals. The proposed fine amount is 10 times what it is now. 

For comparison sake, a dog owner not picking up his or her canine's feces is HK$1,500.

Wild boars dig through human garbage for food

Needless to say animal activists and public policy experts say the move is out of proportion and question if this kind of punishment will be effective.

AFCD says residents feeding pigeons "constitute a public health issue".

"Feeding feral pigeons will inevitably attract other wild animals... to eat the food given by the feeders," a spokesman said, citing species such as spotted doves, tree sparrows, monkeys and wild boars.

But Benson Wong Wai-kwok, a retired assistant political science professor at Baptist University specialising in comparative public administration, said such a heavy penalty for a relatively light wrongdoing was a "disproportional move".

"Instead of addressing the problem, this policy may probably yield nothing but seed fear among residents," he warned.

There is a valid concern about feeding wild boars, but in the time that I had encounters with these creatures, no one fed them. 

Nevertheless, surely if this whopping fine does become law, it will be reported internationally for sure -- "Feed the pigeons in Hong Kong and get fined over US$12K!"

Is that a happy Hong Kong story?

Chan budgets extra HK$5B for national security

Or how about the fact that the Hong Kong government has budgeted an additional HK$5 billion for national security. 

During his 2021 budget speech, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po had allocated HK$8 billion and told reporters after it would be "enough to last for the next few years".

That amount was to to be used for "minor construction works, specialised equipment, system set-up, machinery" or other capital expenditure.

Imagine if the HK$5 billion was focused on housing homeless people, or giving men living in cages a decent place to live. What about those people in those subdivided flats? 

It's another priority Beijing has told Hong Kong to work on, or has housing these people taken a back seat?

Meanwhile those container flats at Penny's Bay are still empty and unused...

Recycling was never Hong Kong's strong suit.

More Money to Revitalise Vancouver's Chinatown

More provincial funding will help revitalise Chinatown

Vancouver's Chinatown's appearance has dramatically improved since the city last month cleared out all the tents where homeless people lived, and stepped up cleaning the streets more often. 

Back alleys which used to be strewn with trash and human waste are practically clear of garbage, and sidewalks are pretty spotless.

And now the province is chipping in C$2.2 million to fix up the neighbourhood, from storefronts to the Chinese Cultural Centre which have been covered in graffiti and damaged by vandals.

Lee (second left), and Eby, (fourth to left)

The announcement was made by BC Premier David Eby, who says the new funding will help Chinatown "realise the clear plan that this community has to revitalise the neighbourhood for residents, for visitors, and for businesses."

The money is going towards the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation of which Carol Lee is the chair. She said the announcement is a "turning point" for the neighbourhood because it creates a catalyst for sustainable economic revitalisation, signalling to visitors that Chinatown is once again "the place to be."

However, while some business owners in the neighbourhood are grateful for the financial injection, they think more needs to be done in terms of safety, as there are still homeless people occupying their storefronts or making visitors feel uneasy and as a result don't want to stay long.

Cruise ship season has started, but these Chinatown business owners say tourists aren't coming to the area, but to Gastown instead, because they have heard of the safety issue in the news or through word of mouth.

Hopefully people's perception of Chinatown will change soon, and there are also other initiatives to bring more people into the area, like parking meters on the street will charge C$2 an hour starting on June 1.

I visit the neighbourhood once a week and the area is grappling with how it should move forward. There is no question that business owners and residents want to keep Chinatown going, but how? There are issues of gentrification, keeping legacy businesses open, and getting the next generation to come down to Chinatown more often and patronise shops.

Tent encampments are gone, some people remain

But first the issue of safety needs to be tackled and that means finding social housing for the homeless -- if they want it, and helping them get treatment if they want to wean themselves off drugs. It's a complicated set of problems, but when six people die per day from drug overdoses, it's an issue that can't be overlooked. 

Sadly successive governments, municipal, provincial and federal have ignored the problem for decades and now here we are. Hopefully this problem will finally be sorted otherwise Chinatown is going to continue to hang by a thread through no fault of its own.

Cathay Ticket Giveaway to Nowhere

So much for trying to get one of 4,445 tickets...

I had no chance even when it started.

The free Cathay Pacific plane tickets to Hong Kong from North America were up for grabs at 6pm PST or 9pm EST, and I learned the hard way that I should have been in the virtual queue at least an hour before then.

So perhaps it was no surprise when I tried to enter, my queue number was 183,682 in a bid to get one of the 4,445 tickets available...

Later Cathay announced the giveaway round trip tickets from the United States and Canada to Hong Kong were snapped up by 10.45am and 11.11am respectively.

Some people complained to a Hong Kong newspaper they were hoping to snag a ticket but found the website was slow or found thousands of people were already ahead of them in the queue before the actual time.

Those grievances were the same ones echoed by previous hopefuls in Singapore; seems nothing was done to improve the site.

It's not a fun gimmick if it's practically impossible to get a ticket. It turns people off and could make Cathay's reputation worse off, and in turn the government for how the ticket giveaway was conducted.

The next batch of tickets will be given to people in Australia later this month, followed by Japan and Taiwan in June and July...

Fact of the Day: Record Unemployment for Young Chinese

The job prospects for young Chinese are very slim this year

The unemployment rate of young people in China between the ages of 16 and 24 is at a record 20.4 percent. That means one in five young adults does not have a job.

On a social media and e-commerce app called Xiaohongshu, users are voicing their fears, frustrations and panic about the situation.

Part of the reason is the economy is not bouncing back after zero-Covid was lifted in China, as non-Chinese companies that used to depend on the mainland turned to other supply chains. This resulted in a lot of adults being unemployed. 

The unemployment rate is at a record 20.4 percent

Exacerbating the issue is 11.58 million college graduates will be trying to find a job this summer.

This does not bode well for China's economy, but more importantly the morale of young people who are the next generation, for the most part raring to go and keen to work.

How will the State Council solve this massive conundrum?

Previously the government kept young men with little education employed as security guards standing all day in front of buildings and businesses.

They received a tiny salary, meals and board sorted as well as uniform. At least it kept them busy everyday.

But what now? Many now have university degrees and a slowing economy. It's a dangerous combination.

HK Libraries Censor June 4 Books

Libraries have removed books related to Tiananmen Square

This year marks the 34th anniversary of the June 4th massacre, and should we be surprised that in Hong Kong, people cannot hold a candlelight vigil for the fourth consecutive year, and now they can't read about it in libraries anymore.

Practically any book or documentary related to the Tiananmen Square crackdown have been pulled from the shelves due to national security concerns.

But critics worry this is yet another sign of the city becoming closer aligned with the mainland, and that the free-flow of information for which Hong Kong was known for is fast disappearing.

Chu says the move impacts government credibility

Simon Chu Fook-keung was the former acting director of the city government's archives from 1999 to 2003. He said the censorship of books was not uncommon in many places, but to remove them from the shelves without explanation could have consequences for government credibility.

"If a government cannot even convince its people why certain books -- including those apparently non-political -- are banned, it might have difficulties in winning trust on other issues," he warned.

However, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said public libraries had well-established policies when it came to book selection. 

"I'm also sure that safeguarding national security is high on the agenda of each and every individual department and bureau," he said.

Government auditors have asked public libraries to step up efforts to root out works "manifestly contrary" to national security.

Previously Chinese media reported 149 works that dealt with the events of June 4, 1989 were available in libraries, now almost all of them are gone. 

Ma's novel is still available in the library

One of the few relevant books still on the shelves include Beijing Coma by Chinese-born, British writer Ma Jian. The English-language novel published in 2008 is censored in the mainland, but still available in five city libraries. Perhaps because it's fiction?

A 30-year-old who was interviewed by a reporter at the library and asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said they feared children in the future would question if the crackdown had actually happened if they could not find out about it in libraries.

Ma Ngok, a political scientist at Chinese University who specialises in local elections, said the continued removal of books would affect the city's reputation.

"Hong Kong has been known for its free access to information in the past decades. Are the ongoing moves by authorities contradicting their own goal of 'telling good Hong Kong stories'?" he said.

Sadly the crackdown on what can and can't be read in the city continues -- no one know when or if it will end. Eventually the libraries are going to be empty...

Review: Creative Flavour Profiles at One-Star AnnaLena

Kaw's Michelin statue with the star at AnnaLena

My quest to visit (almost) all the Michelin-starred restaurants in Vancouver is close to completion.

Earlier this week I managed to score a table at AnnaLena in Kitsilano and the one-starred Michelin restaurant had just changed its menu too.

It's located on a quiet street with other casual restaurants, cafes and an ice cream bar shop. If I wasn't so full I would have wanted to check it out!

Fingerling potato with parmesan foam

Inside AnnaLena diners are greeted with a small statue of irreverent artist Kaws' version of the Michelin man and the coveted one star. The place is minimalist, contemporary, with bar seating by the open kitchen, but we opted for seats at a table. 

As I waited for my dining companion, I sipped on a non-alcoholic drink called "Plannin' on stackin'", which was a refreshing berry concoction of zero-proof "gin", with raspberry and lemon at the quite steep price of C$13.

When my foodie friend arrived, our server introduced the menu, and interestingly the restaurant tries to upsell the set menu with add-ons. For example, the second course could have shrimp for an extra price, while the lamb rack could be substituted with Japanese wagyu beef for a big chunk of change.

We said we'd have the menu as the chef intended...

Rich, oily bread course with leek and ramp

Two snacks appeared to whet our appetites. The first was a fingerling potato topped with a raspberry and beet savoury sauce a billowy creamy parmesan cheese foam that was quite delightful.

Another snack were miniature burgers with foie gras mousse in the middle with finely julienne carrots and cilantro leaves. So far so good.

The first course was turnip and radish crudite, the small plump root vegetables were quartered at the bottom of the bowl, covered in the crudite sauce, followed by a burrata creme fraiche, black garlic and a "crouton" -- a thin slice of roasted bread covered in charcoal.

Next came a bread course. It looked like a toasted iceberg sitting in a green pond decorated with vegetables. We were encouraged to break off the bread pieces with our hands and dip it in the leek and ramp veloute, that included meaty king oyster mushrooms and green garlic.

Lamb rack, lamb belly and asparagus

The bread was very oily and I would have appreciated a wet towel to wipe my hands after. It was also quite a filling dish. The sauce was delicious but quite rich, while the bread quickly filled the stomach.

Another plate of carbs followed in the form of cacio e pepe spaghettini, a small enough portion with smoked squid and XO sauce. What?! Had they appropriated Chinese XO sauce? But the slight spicy kick worked well and worth considering putting XO sauce on all pastas in the future.

The main course of lamb rack was actually two small portions of lamb, one piece deboned, the other fried lamb belly in a croquette. The lamb was very tender and juicy, the lamb belly tasted decadent.

By now we were quite full, but curious about the green apple dessert. It turns out to be a creative deconstruction of apple pie and we felt this was the strongest dish in terms of the melding of flavours seamlessly.

Deconstructed apple pie with miso ice cream

At the bottom were the subtly cinnamon-seasoned diced green apple, an almond financier, maple caramel and the whole thing topped with a giant dollop of miso ice cream. It was dreamy to eat this dessert, soft, slightly crunchy, room temperature, cold, tangy and sweet.

If that wasn't enough, AnnaLena makes sure you are super full with petit fours -- served on the sole of a Nike Air sneaker! Actually it's a plaster mould of the sole and it really takes you for a loop! On it were mini foie gras rice krispie squares, and they do have a subtle hint of that umami flavour, while the berry jelly was lightly dusted with milk powder.

At C$98 per person it's high-end dining for sure. Despite my criticisms the dining experience was enjoyable and more refined than say, Barbara. 

The last two Michelin-starred restaurants on my list are Masayoshi, which has an eye-watering C$200 charge per person! And iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House that charges and arm and a leg for roast duck...

Petit fours served on the sole of a Nike sneaker

AnnaLena

1809 West 1st Avenue

Vancouver, BC

778 379 4052

Fact of the Day: Hong Kong's Lowest in the World

Hong Kong doesn't offer enough incentives to have children

Hong Kong has a new reputation of having the lowest birthrate in the world.

This ranking is according to a report by the United Nation Population Fund that was released on April 19.

The Hong Kong government previously said the population dropped as students went overseas to study.

Hong Kong's birthrate continues to plunge

But now it can't hide the fact that there are very few babies being born in the city. Many young women have migrated elsewhere in light of the national security law and there are others who prefer to remain childless.

According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong's fertility rate dropped from 1,080 in 2018 to 772 in 2021.

In the latest financial budget released in late February, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po proposed increasing the the child allowance by HK$10,000 (US$1,275) to HK$130,000.

However, lawmakers to residents complained the amount was too little to cover the costs of raising a child in Hong Kong. Experts suggest giving financial aid is the best option -- provided the amount was enough.

"There is international evidence suggesting that financial incentives including tax incentives have a positive impact on fertility, and at least, may encourage couples to give birth earlier," said assistant professor Tan Poh Lin, who studies Singapore's low birth rate at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

HK has a higher number of seniors than youth

However, Paul Yip Siu-fai, the chair professor in population health at the University of Hong Kong, said the government had yet to treat the low birth rate as "a matter of life and death" as the Singaporean government had.

"It will not work unless you invest a very large sum of money," he said.

Yip said the government should instead focus on improving people's quality of life to make them happier while improving work conditions for women.

Indeed. But will the government listen?