Not-So-Greasy-Spoon Argo Cafe

Argo Cafe is a relaxed, friendly diner serving gourmet dishes

A good friend I hadn't seen in years took me to a hole-in-the-wall diner and the food was delicious!

It's called Argo Cafe, and it was started in 1954, and the current owners took over it in 2004. Chef Denis Larouche and his brother in law Kirby Wong are running it along with Larouche's wife Linda. Larouche and Linda Wong previously worked at the Four Seasons so they know a few things about cooking.

A hearty portion for the basic breakfast

Argo Cafe is only open for breakfast and lunch six days a week, and for a small place it offers a lot of dishes everyday. The menu changes daily, a dilemma that can keep Linda up late at night.

Nevertheless we came for breakfast and I had the Basic Breakfast, with two eggs, sausage or bacon, and white or brown toast. What really stood out for me was for a greasy spoon, it wasn't at all.

The eggs were over easy and hardly any excess oil. The same could be said for the hash browns, the diced potatoes were perfectly cooked with a slight crunch. Each piece was delicious and not over seasoned either.

I chose to have bacon and it was a bit on the dry side, but definitely crunchy and fatty. The dish also came with two slice of toast and a small cup of mixed fruit that included the sweetest wedges of peaches, blueberries, pomelo and watermelon.

Linda is a pastry chef and she prides herself on sourcing organic fruits for her pies so that the natural fruit flavours come through. After breakfast my friend and I lingered and eventually shared a slice of peach pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

The pie filling is choc full of peaches!

The crust was topped with coarse sugar, but the peach filling wasn't cloying at all -- just choc full of sliced layers of peaches. So good.

Lunch items include duck confit, grilled ling cod, flat iron steak with fries, and sockeye salmon almandine. Gourmet food at very reasonable prices. Will be back!

Argo Cafe

1836 Ontario Street

Vancouver, BC

604 876 3620

Fictional Story Deemed to Violate NSL

Chan shut down the Cantonese association soon after the raid

It is hard to understand and accept the absurdity that is happening in Hong Kong now.

The latest? A Cantonese-language advocacy group has shut down because the national security police found a fictional story submitted to a contest it held three years ago has violated the NSL.

A made-up story. Three years ago.

If the story was submitted just after the national security law was implemented in July 2020, then one might be able to understand, but then again it's a fictional story.

Chan is currently traveling in Australia

Andrew Chan Lok-hang, 28, is the founder of Hong Kong Language Learning Association. He is not in the city, but the national security police raided his family's home without a warrant and asked to meet him.

The police also demanded that a short story be taken down from the association's website or he would be the ninth person to have a HK$1 million bounty over his head, so Chan complied out of fear.

"My biggest concern is the safety of my family members and friends in Hong Kong. I found out that if I did not shut down the organisation, they could keep using the materials online, and harass the people I care about," Chan said, who teacher Chinese and Cantonese online.

He founded Hong Kong Language Learning Association in 2013 with the mission to protect the "language rights of the Hong Kong people".

Did he or did he not know protecting the Cantonese language would become a form of resistance?

The offending story is called Our Time and it is about a man who emigrated from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom with his parents in 2020, the year the national security law was imposed on the city's residents. 

A short story apparently violated national security

After the death of his parents 30 years later, the man visits Hong Kong only to find the city's history has been wiped out by authoritarian rule. The story ends with this line: "The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting", which was written by the late Czech novelist Milan Kundera, who has written many books around the theme of Czechoslovak Communism.

If Chan failed to take down the story, he could have been wanted by the national security police.

The incident happened while Chan was on holiday in Australia, and now believes he cannot go back to Hong Kong.

"I am now travelling in Australia. I did not plan to stay. It was just a vacation. I still haven't figured out where I can settle as I cannot get back to m hometown," he said.

It is possible that Chan got into trouble as his association received funding from the government. 

"Supporting Cantonese had become an excuse for them to report us under the national security law," he said.

It looks like Beijing is waging war against Cantonese, in an effort to wipe it out and its speakers...

CY Leung Says Party's Over for Pro-Beijing Camp

A party was held for 500 guests to send off a district officer

As the Hong Kong police run a campaign of terror, taking in and questioning the relatives of the eight pro-democracy activists who have HK$1 million bounties on their heads, the pro-establishment camp has been indulging in excess.

One party in particular caught the ire of former chief executive Leung Chun-ying as being over-the-top.

It was a party featuring 500 guests in Kowloon Bay to send off Wong Tai Sin District Officer Steve Wong Chi-wah, who will be going to Beijing for a year for further studies.

Was this lavish party really necessary?

The guests included officials, lawmakers and representatives of pro-Beijing district groups and the big event was organised by the Kowloon Federation of Associations.

Following Leung's criticism, Executive Council Convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and member Ronny Tong Ka-wah also chimed in.

Ip said officers should be more careful in their conduct, as they would be given more authority after the government revamps the district councils later this year. The plan is for them to be "chief executive" of their respective areas.

"District officers will have a lot more influence under the new system. They must be vigilant to guard against a 'flattery culture' because of their increased influence," she said.

"Excessive flattery and personal adulation are disconcerting... administrative officers should work hard, blend in well with the local community, but also stay humble."

These officers will be able to set new meeting rules and assign consultation tasks to councillors.

Leung says pro-Beijing camp needs to be humble

In a Facebook post on Friday, Leung criticised what he called growing "ostentatious and extravagant" practices by the pro-establishment camp had to stop.

"We need to put a brake on this ostentatious and extravagant trend," he said.

"Where did the money come from? What are the benefits? Does it achieve positive social or political outcomes, or rather is there a negative impact?"

Despite the questions, former district councillor Chan Kam-lam, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong who attended the dinner says it was no big deal.

"It was just a community activity and reflected the overwhelming support [Wong] received from the district's residents," he said.

"It's very common community activity and reflected the overwhelming support [Wong] received from district residents," Chan said. "It's very common for district bodies to bid farewell to district officers."

Many remember Leung's daughter's incidents

OK but is it that common to host 500 guests and spending so much money to do that?

Chan added many district residents wanted to show their appreciation from Wong, as he had done a lot for people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

While that may be a nice gesture, Leung is signalling that the pro-establishment camp needs to smarten-up and not be frivolous... is he fancying himself like the morality police?

It's amusing considering his own children have done self-indulgent things where one daughter has posted on social media about her rows with her parents, the other believing she had privilege to have airport staff bring her her luggage...

Foxconn's Terry Gou Makes Taiwanese Presidential Bid

Gou has announced he wants to run in Taiwan elections

The upcoming Taiwan presidential elections next year are going to be very interesting now that Foxconn founder Terry Gou has thrown his hat into the ring.

For months he has kept political pundits guessing, but now that he has made the announcement, the jockeying for power can begin in earnest, though some experts think the businessman does not have much of a chance.

That's because he is running as an independent and will need signatures of 1.5 per cent of Taiwan's voting population, or 290,000.

As for his platform, Gou aims to unify the opposition to defeat the governing Democratic Progressive Party led by Tsai Ing-wen, who has led Taiwan for two terms and cannot seek another.

He made his wealth from Foxconn factories

He criticised the DPP for its policies of bringing "Taiwan into the risk of war" with China, as it threatens to take back the territory it has claimed is its own.

"I will definitely not allow Taiwan to become the next Ukraine," Gou said.

He also said Taiwan needs new strategies for economic development and for issues at home.

"Domestically, the national policy direction is filled with all sorts of mistakes. There's no way to solve the difficulties of Taiwanese industry and people's livelihoods."

Politically he is more aligned with the Kuomingtang, who ruled China in the first half of the 20th century, then lost to the Chinese Communists in 1949 and fled to Taiwan ever since, and vowing to take back the mainland one day.

However the Kuomintang is worried Gou is splitting the vote of its own party, even though he claims to be uniting the opposition party. 

Gou has made his wealth from Foxconn, the main supplier to Apple that has many factories in China that produce iPhones.

One wonders what Beijing thinks of this entrepreneur friendly to China, running to become president of Taiwan...

Lai of DPP is leading in the polls

But for now Gou's immediate task is to find the 290,000 signatures he needs to qualify as an independent. 

According to Wang Yeh-lih, a professor of politics at National Taiwan University says Gou has never garnered more than 20 percent of support that put him in the running with three other candidates: former Taipei city mayor Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party, and current Vice President Lai Ching-te of the DPP, and new Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih for the KMT.

Lai is the frontrunner, with Ko and Hou trailing.

Nevertheless, one can't dismiss Gou just yet -- with Taiwanese politics, anything can happen from now until voting day on January 13, 2024. 

New PNE Memories

The fluffy cinnamon sugared mini donuts

An annual event is already underway in Vancouver -- the Pacific National Exhibition, or PNE as it is known. For the last few weeks in August, people of all ages descend on the giant grounds to play games in the hopes of winning prizes, or buying tickets with the chance of winning a home, watch the Super Dogs show, go on the rides, eat lots of junk food, from hot dogs and cotton candy to snow cones and mini donuts.

When I was a child my dad would take us to the PNE, but we never got on the rides, like the rickety roller coaster because he deemed them too dangerous, which in turn made us too nervous to even ask to go on them; nor did we get to eat any junk food either because it was terribly unhealthy. 

Large dinosaurs that move and growl

So we'd just walk around, see stuff and then go home. My memories of the PNE weren't the greatest.

Then fast forward to around 2006 when I had a radio assignment to check out the newest rides at the PNE. The ride in question? Free falling from the height of a 10-storey building.

I had the microphone strapped to my hand and the mini disc recorder on record with me screaming for about 10 seconds before landing with a thud onto a giant air cushion. 

I survived to tell the tale.

Over 15 years later I went along with my cousins and nephews to the PNE and experiencing it again. 

We didn't go on the rides as the kids are under six years old, but we saw lots of large dinosaurs that moved their arms and heads and made growling noises. We saw the Super Dogs show which was lots of fun and inspired my cousin to try to train her puppy to do some tricks.

Coleslaw with ribs and brisket (underneath)

We saw some farm animals, like a giant pig with one of her piglets suckling, the other siblings resting together in the hay, and some fluffy yellow chicks that weren't afraid of human touch.

And yes we ate some food -- a stand serving barbecue meats had a decent serving of ribs and beef brisket along with some coleslaw and cornbread.

But it was the mini donuts that stole the show. 

The ones from Tin Lizzy Concessions makes pillowy, fluffy mini donuts that are coated in cinnamon and sugar that are just the best indulgence at the fair. We got a bag for CAD$8 but then I couldn't resist and bought the basket for CAD$15 to bring home!

Picture of the Day: White Spot Blueberry Pie

The blueberry "pie" choc full of blueberries

White Spot is the family-friendly place to go for a meal that's a giant step-up from McDonald's and doesn't break the bank.

Available now is the "Celebrate BC Bundle" for CAD$18.99. It includes a Legendary burger, Caesar salad, and a blueberry pie.

The burger is straight forward -- a beef pattie with iceberg lettuce, tomato, and the "Triple-O" secret sauce in between the bun and a thin slice of pickle. 

Accompanying the burger is a small bowl of Caesar salad, a good enough portion for one person to chow down on.

Once those are consumed, the dessert arrives. It's advertised as blueberry pie, but instead they are individual-sized tart shells, filled with a mini mound of blueberries that have been mixed with gelatin and topped a squirt of whipped cream.

The blueberries aren't cooked at all, but some of them are big! 

This set menu is a great deal, considering a Legendary burger on its own is CAD$16.99.

However, the meal is not great for the waistline! I was super full afterwards and needed to walk off some of those calories!

Hong Kong Starts Ban on Japanese Seafood

How will Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong survive?

Japan has begun releasing 1.32 million metric tonnes of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and in response the Hong Kong government has banned seafood imports from 10 prefectures, though four of them are landlocked.

This question was raised by the media in a press conference, but Deputy Secretary for Environment and Ecology Anthony Li explained it was to take a "precautionary and prudent approach to ensure food safety."

Li warns of taking safety precautions

He mentioned the original nuclear disaster caused by an earthquake and tsunami 12 years ago -- so why implement the ban now and not 12 years ago until now?

Meanwhile the IAEA has said the treated water is at a safe standard, but researchers who track the discharge of wastewater believe that other solutions were not considered, including holding the wastewater for a few more decades so that the radioactivity would have been further dissipated by then.

Nevertheless the Hong Kong government is bringing out all its experts to pile on the reasons why residents should not eat Japanese seafood, but hey, by all means you can purchase it in Japan and bring it back for your own consumption! But if you try to sell it, the transaction could be illegal without any law or regulation cited. 

And the Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Food) Vivian Lau is unclear when the ban will end.

This is Hong Kong's way of trying to convince the public to boycott Japanese goods, but they love the Land of the Rising Sun too much to do that, particularly young people and gourmets who enjoy the cuisine, cartoons and culture.

But Hong Kong is only following Beijing's lead because up until this point there was no specific directive in stopping people from going to Japan or consuming its products.

Japan has begun releasing wastewater into sea

Hurt the most will be Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong, of which there are many, serving ingredients from Japan since it is relatively close by. It's not just exclusively Japanese restaurants, but many Western ones also source ingredients from Japan because of its quality and proximity.

This makes it even harder for these restaurants to stay afloat after barely surviving the Covid-19 pandemic for three years with endless restrictions that were constantly changing.

It will not be surprising to see this sector further decimated in the coming weeks and months...

Where's Xi?

Xi and Ramaphosa with their wives in a photo call

China watchers are wondering what's going on after Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in South Africa for the Brics Business Forum, but failed to show up for the opening where he was supposed to deliver a speech.

In his place, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao read Xi's speech in Johannesburg, which had a veiled criticism against the United States for its tendency toward "hegemony".

Putin gave a speech virtually, but Xi a no-show

It is the first in-person summit at Brics, where the leaders of Brazil, India, South Africa, and China are meeting since the pandemic, though Russia's Vladimir Putin is virtually there as there is an international warrant for his arrest in the host country.

Although Xi arrived on Monday evening and later met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Chinese leader was a no show at the business forum with no explanation given either.

Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund was quoted as saying: "It is extremely unusual for a Chinese leader to show up in a country hosting a multilateral meeting -- especially one that China is deeply invested in, like Brics, and fail to show up at the opening event."

Meanwhile Brian Hart, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies added: "Xi's absence is highly unusual. Chinese leaders rarely go off script at high-profile events like this... Xi's disappearance is yet another reminder that Beijing can be a black box."

Xi had arrived Monday, met with Ramaphosa

CNN alluded to former top diplomat Qing Gang being suddenly disappeared for a month with no explanation either but replaced last month by his predecessor Wang Yi.

The Brics forum has more than 30 other heads of state and leaders from global organisations, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, attending the event.

It is the largest gathering of the Global South countries from Africa, the Caribbean and South America, as well as the Middle East, West Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Will Xi resurface later? Does he have a headache? Or would rather go check out a safari instead?

Many questions...

Residents Hamper Wildfire Fighting Efforts

Firefighters battling wildfires in Shuswap area

It was shocking to find out that equipment meant to fight the wildfires in British Columbia are being stolen, including all-terrain vehicles, which is hampering efforts to battle the blazes in the Shuswap area, north east of Kamloops, and north of Kelowna.

Pumps, sprinklers, hoses and ATVs have been taken from the North Shuswap area, "critically impacting" firefighters' strategy in battling the wildfires.

The wildfire service posted on social media saying that gear that would protect dozens of homes is being moved to areas where the equipment is ineffective.

Tower says garbage thrown at firefighters

Information officer Forrest Tower said in one case where equipment protecting the wooden Scotch Creek bridge, which provides access for multiple communities, was stolen three times.

He said if the bridge were to burn, communities would have to either rely on boats or make a lengthy trip east if they needed to flee to safety.

"You are not helping if you're moving firefighter equipment. Firefighters are experts, the equipment is put there for a reason," said BC Premier David Eby.

"And when it's not there when the firefighters go to get it, that is a big problem. So please do not tamper with firefighter equipment."

It is unbelievable that people would actually take firefighting equipment when this is a collective effort.

Or is this a bid to sabotage the firefighters?

Many structures lost to wildfires in Shuswap

Tower also told a media outlet that residents who were left behind in Shuswap have thrown garbage at firefighters. There is growing frustration there, as the residents feel there isn't enough manpower fighting the wildfires there, and that firefighters made a critical mistake in trying to fight fire with fire yesterday, which led to the merging of two fires into one ferocious blaze.

It is now estimated at 410 square kilometres in size.

Nevertheless, British Columbians are devastated by the wildfires. They are thankful to the firefighters who are risking their lives to do their best to save whatever they can.

But preventing them from trying to do their best intentions is downright selfish and unconscionable.

 

Wildfires Continue to Burn

Shuswap saw two wildfires merge into one, ravaging homes

There's a lot of relief in Kelowna this evening, as the cooler temperatures and not much wind helped firefighters battle the wildfires much better today, putting them more on the offensive rather than defensive like the last 24-48 hours.

West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund warned when people are able to return to their homes, they will be shocked to see some homes gone, others have fires stopped just before their decks, that's just the reality of the situation. As a result there will be heartbreak for some, and relief for others.

West Kelowna fires under better control today

While there is a bit of reprieve in Kelowna, the Shuswap area was engulfed in flames today, with residents grabbing whatever they could and then fleeing their homes.

Two wildfires had merged into one, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of some 5,000 residents. Evacuees have described it as "explosive" and "a war zone".

Forrest Tower, a fire information officer with BC Wildfire Service, said the Bush Creek fire exhibited "very, very intense, extreme fire behaviour."

He explained while a significant fire would typically move 12 to 15 kilometres per day, the Bush Creek fire "moved 20 kilometres south in under 12 hours."

Anyone who wants to help the evacuees can donate money to the Red Cross, as monetary donations are best at this time.

Vancouver experiencing haze from the smoke

Meanwhile the smoke from these wildfires have reached Metro Vancouver. This morning just before 9am the sun was bright orange in a hazy sky, and I put on a mask while walking to the bus stop and on the bus. It will continue to be hazy for the next few days, with the chance of showers on Tuesday evening and Wednesday during the day.

Showers aren't enough to douse the flames, but at this rate, anything is better than nothing.

With water restrictions in place in Metro Vancouver, we have begun saving waste water in the kitchen to water the plants and trees on our property. It's a wonder we weren't expected to do this earlier... 

(Almost) Free Lunch

Peri peri chicken with fries and a lemonade (not shown)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association enticed people to come to the neighbourhood this weekend, with street vendors set up in blocked off side streets, offering snacks to essential oils, jewellery and art.

South Granville is not an area I go to often, but went to visit a clothing shop celebrating its second anniversary. It sells Canadian designed leisure wear and the owner told me this year has been more challenging than last year coming out of Covid.

She said just opening a shop wasn't enough -- it had to look nice to entice people in, but also have good staff to chat with customers and encourage them to shop.

Was finding staff difficult?

For her, millennials were a group she could not understand. In job interviews, prospective candidates requested working three days a week, which made the owner wonder, don't they need to make money, or are their parents supporting them? But surely that won't last long?

She compared herself to them, recalling that she hustled several jobs in her younger years.

Nevertheless, her work ethic will put her in good stead, determined to find ways to get more business, and one key component is the shopping experience in the store. And what that looks like is something she will have to figure out; it may mean her spending more time in the store to meet customers, or hire someone who will be just as vested as her, which would be difficult.

Nevertheless, she is resolved to work her way out of the economic doldrums, though high interest rates and inflation aren't helping.

Afterwards I went to the nearby Meinhardt Fine Foods to take a look around and there was a long line for the deli section that was stocked with various baked goods, salads and deli items. 

I picked up a carton of oat milk and while paying for it, the cashier asked if I'd like a free chicken meal.

Sure!

Just around the corner from the entrance was a tent set up with a barbecue manned by many staff. There was peri peri chicken or beef smokies to choose from, and that came with fries and a glass of lemonade.

Score!

At first I thought I'd just bring this takeaway lunch home to eat, but it was too tempting to wait at 11.30am. The chicken was cooked through and the dry rub was not spicy at all. We were only given forks to eat it with, but I managed to clean it to the bone. The fries were thick enough and not salty which was good, washed down with lemonade with lots of crushed ice!

It was a delicious and almost free -- though several bees made a beeline for my lunch... I had to eat it quickly and yet try to hold myself back from swatting the bees away, worried they may sting me! 

Kelowna's Unprecedented Wildfires

Firefighters are overwhelmed by the scale of the wildfires

Following the evacuation of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories because of an impending wildfire, a community about a five-hour drive east of Vancouver is on edge watching the wildfires consume the forests and houses in the Okanagan.

There's West Kelowna and then Kelowna proper which are joined by a bridge over Lake Okanagan along Highway 97.

Fires were burning in West Kelowna and then late last night high winds blew the fire across the narrowest part of Lake Okanagan over to Kelowna.

West Kelowna residents had to evacuate

Many people in West Kelowna grabbed whatever they could and drove across the bridge to Kelowna hoping they would be safe, but in some cases, their friends and family were suddenly under an evacuation alert too because fires were encroaching on neighbourhoods there too.

This morning long time West Kelowna resident Steven Francis had an emotional interview with the host of the early morning Vancouver radio show. He said he had faced evacuation orders before, but the intensity of the McDougall Creek fire was unlike anything he had experienced. 

"It came right to our doorstep, with all its rage and fury and power. And I broke down," he said, pausing and his voice choked.

"I had a moment, and maybe I'm having one now."

Watching the inferno across Lake Okanagan

Even one of the radio hosts based in Kelowna announced an evacuation alert for his own neighbourhood later in the day. One wondered if he even had time to prepare, as he was so focused on giving listeners as much information as he could about the wildfire situation as it evolved so quickly.

It was also heartbreaking to listen to West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund in the afternoon when he said: "We fought hard last night to protect our community. We fought 100 years worth of fires all in one night."

Some listeners called in to talk about their situation, while others profusely thanked the firefighters and emergency response personnel for working so hard to do whatever they could to protect their houses.

When asked what evacuees planned to do for the next few days, they all said they couldn't, that their priority was to get out of their situation and now they could only take it day by day because the wildfire situation is constantly evolving. 

For me, in mid June I visited Kelowna and a handful of small cities in the Okanagan by car and saw first hand the stunning scenery of mountainous areas covered in trees that go in peaks and valleys around the perimeter of Lake Okanagan, a giant lake that is 135km long, and between 4km-5km wide.

Eby declared a state of emergency this evening

At dinner time BC Premier David Eby finally showed up in a televised press conference and declared a state of emergency so that people would evacuate the area to allow firefighters to do their work without distractions. Shockingly there were reports of people flying drones or not heeding calls to evacuate which not only impede firefighters but also endanger their lives.

There are now questions about what the government could have done to mitigate these wildfires, and what it will do for all these displaced people. Over a year after wildfires destroyed a town called Lytton, and yet up till now nothing has been rebuilt. 

Turning closer to home, it makes me wonder -- if there is a fire here, what are the essential items I would take with me if we had to leave our home? Where would we go? It's a mental checklist that needs to be thought of now, not when it's too late.

Ip Evades Stamp Duty Buying HK$51.8M Flat

Ip's holding company to buy flat is called Magic Fiddle

Executive Council Convenor and chairperson of the New People's Party Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has recently made a purchase.

It's not a Burberry handbag, but it's blooming big -- a flat called Bowen Place on Bowen Road for a whopping HK$51.8 million (US$6.62 million).

But what's interesting is the way Ip went about buying the place by avoiding paying the 15 percent stamp duty which would have been around HK$7.66 million

Bowen Place on Bowen Road in Mid-Levels

She set up a company called Magic Fiddle Limited to buy out Allway Holdings Limited, which owned the flat in Mid-Levels.

Instead Ip only paid 0.2 percent in taxes, or HK$103,600.

Ip explained the flat was for her daughter, and that she had wanted to purchase it as a first-time homeowner, but that the seller wanted to do the transaction through a company transfer, or buying out the shares.

The owner of Allway Holdings was Michelle Cheng, who is the owner and CEO of Occasions Asia Pacific, a public relations company. Ip added while Occasions had helped her with organising an event before, she claimed she did not know Cheng personally.

In 2018 local policy think tank Liber Research Community found the Hong Kong government had lost at least HK$9.4 billion since 2010 because buyers evaded paying stamp duties by buying real estate through share transfers.

Ip with daughter Cynthia in 2008

According to the study of the 126 transactions, 90 cases involved foreign buyers, with some being high-level executives of mainland property companies, ex-members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and local celebrities.

One would have thought after a study like that the government would want to close that loophole in a bid to build up its coffers, but it still hasn't done so five years on.

After Ip's purchase was reported in HK01, she defended it, saying the transaction was above board, and that she did nothing wrong.

"A lot of the comments are unfair and really quite ignorant... I think it is quite unfair to suggest that [property] purchased through a company is tax evasion... It is the buyer's choice, in a way which is the most convenient," she said.

Being rich has its benefits, including being even richer.

Canada's North is Burning

Wildfires may reach Yellowknife by this weekend

At dinnertime this evening, we watched the TV as government officials in the Northwest Territories tell residents of the capital city Yellowknife that the wildfires that have been burning are fast approaching and that they need to leave the city by Friday.

"The fire now represents a real threat to the city," said Environment Minister Shane Thompson, adding the wildfire could reach the outskirts of the city by the weekend. He said it was currently 17km away.

Mayor Alty telling people to leave by car or plane

The unprecedented evacuation affects 22,000 residents, while Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty, said there would be planes arranged to take people out while the only road out was open -- but warned people needed to have a full tank of gas to drive out. Most people are driving to Edmonton.

"The window of opportunity right now is going to allow us to evacuate everybody safely," Thompson said, adding, "we need you to do it now," because the fire threatens both air and road access.

Residents were also told not to leave by boat or shelter in a cabin or island on Great Slave Lake, as officials explained the air quality would not be good. In other words, everyone had to leave.

NWT Premier Caroline Cochrane called the situation unprecedented. "There's no other way to describe it," she said.

People driving out of Yellowknife to Alberta

Never in my lifetime did I ever think Canada's north would be on fire and tens of thousands of people would have to evacuate.

But after seeing the devastation in Lahaina in Maui, and the wildfires in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, it seems we were warned about climate change but nothing substantial was done to mitigate it.

Will the planet spare us or will we see more death and destruction soon? 

China Stops Publishing Employment Data, Outlook Grim

Job prospects for fresh grads in China are very slim

China's expectations that its economy would bounce back after all its Covid-19 restrictions were lifted did not come to fruition.

Instead the economy is sputtering, further exacerbated by massive property developer Country Garden, that may default on bank loans unless it delivers some 100 million completed apartments across the country soon. If it does not attempt to pay back its loans, it could cause China's financial outlook to fall even further.

Another concern is its recent graduates are unable to find jobs. The latest figure is that the unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year olds is now a record 21.3 percent, and it has risen each month this year.

Govt not releasing unemployment data now

It's gotten so bad that the government has announced it will not release this information anymore, causing speculation that China's economy is not doing well, and fears that kind of data could be reason enough to cause social unrest -- something Beijing deeply fears.

And young people have reason to be angry -- they have been stressed out since senior high school to prepare for the dreaded gaokao or university entrance exams. If they pass and get into tertiary education and then graduate with no job prospects, then what is the point of even going to university?

As a result many young people are "lying flat", rejecting the work ethic of working long hours, and overachieving -- for what? 

Now with less chances of finding a job after graduation, more young people will be joining the ranks of the "lying flat" cohort. That in turn has led to slowing consumption, because the unemployed won't exactly be shelling out for luxury handbags or designer clothing, let alone even attempting to buy a home.

Part of the reason for such high unemployment numbers stems from China's zero-Covid policy, interrupting students' studies for over three years, and resulting in hardly any opportunities for internships which usually lead to jobs. 

Getting a job is like winning the lottery

Competition is fierce for "iron rice bowl" jobs in the civil service. Last year a record 2.6 million people applied for only 37,100 entry-level positions. It's like trying to win the lottery.

However, there are jobs -- in construction and transportation -- which migrant workers are qualified to do, while graduates aren't willing to do these blue-collar jobs after having studied four years in an ivory tower.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's response? "Eat bitterness". Not quite sage words of advice from Xi Baba the next generation want to hear...

Review: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Imagine taking over a parade to sing Twist and Shout!

Yesterday I went back to my teens and re-watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off which was released in 1986 at the VIFF theatre downtown. The community theatre is having an 80s film festival, showing everything from Back to the Future and Ghostbusters, to Fatal Attraction, Sex, Lies and Videotape, and E.T.

The theatre was hardly full for the matinee, or maybe people were taking advantage of the nice (hot) weather?

Ferris persuades Cameron to take his dad's car

Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience re-watching something from 37 years ago. First off, it reminded me of how young and charming Matthew Broderick was, and how amazing it was that his character could pull off a sick day from school with such an elaborate plan as a teenager.

The other was all the antics he, his girlfriend Sloan and friend Cameron got up to in Chicago, from getting a table in a fine dining restaurant to catching the baseball in a Cubs game, and taking part in a parade -- on a weekday?

It was all a fantasy written by John Hughes, who had apparently finished the script in one week. That may explain why Ferris' character was quite flat, while his doting parents were just characters who had to be there because, well, they're his parents.

The only person who grows in the film is his friend Cameron, who starts off as someone who is sick all the time and then realises he needs to stop cowering in front of his domineering father and grow up. Meanwhile Ferris just seems to want to have fun all the time, and gets away with everything, much to the annoyance of his sister.

Contemplating art at the Art Institute of Chicago

In fact Ferris seems to dismiss Cameron's insecurities and moodiness which today feels insensitive. 

Perhaps this is why Broderick had trouble connecting with Ferris as a character as the time of filming, as Ferris didn't seem to care much about Cameron and his life problems while he hardly had any.

In any event it was enjoyable watching the school principal, Ed Rooney trying to catch out Ferris; he would probably still get away with it using today's technology like smartphones, Uber and maybe even ChatGPT?

What still stands the test of time is Ferris' statement at the beginning and the end of the film, which is very mature for a high school senior -- "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

So true.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Written and Directed by John Hughes

98 minutes

Star Prisoner get Paparazzi Treatment

AP has captured Lai's movements in Stanley Prison

The Associated Press has released an exclusive series of pictures documenting Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying at Stanley Prison.

The 75-year-old is in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, and is allowed 50 minutes of exercise per day -- by himself. This punishment is for a Category A prisoner, a status usually reserved for those who have committed serious crimes like murder.

In the pictures Lai wears prison-mandated short-sleeved shirt, shorts and his own sandals. He looks like he has lost some weight. The government is making it harder for the media to take pictures of inmates, even during court appearances, where the prisoners must go through a covered walkway to and from the prison vehicle.

Lai is in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day

Lai is a British national, who is accused of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security, and conspiring to call for sanctions or blockades against Hong Kong or China. He also faces a charge of conspiracy to print seditious publications under a colonial-era law.

He was scheduled to go to trial last December, but it was postponed to next month, while the Hong Kong government appealed to Beijing to block his attempt to hire a British defense lawyer.

Each month, Lai is allowed two 30-minute visits by relatives or friends where they are separated by a piece of glass and they speak on a phone.

Meanwhile his son Sebastien is traveling to democratic countries, advocating for his father's release. Even though he is not in Hong Kong, Sebastien is very cautious about his movements.

"My father is in prison because he spoke truth to power for decades," Sebastien said in May in a statement to a US government panel, called the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Lee doesn't speak to reporters after verdict

"He is still speaking truth to power and refusing to be silenced, even though he has lost everything and he may die in prison," he said. "I am very proud to be his son."

How his father, a diabetic who is also suffering from high blood pressure continues to keep his head up high is a result of his strong will and Christian faith.

Today Lai and six others were cleared of instigating the 2019 protests, though their convictions and sentences are upheld. 

The others are barristers Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, Martin Lee Chu-ming, labour activists, Lee Cheuk-yan, Leung Kwok-hung, and former lawmakers Cyd Ho Sau-lan and Albert Ho Chun-yan.

Hong Kong's Tourism Numbers Don't Add Up

This campaign focuses more on China tourists than N America

A friend from Hong Kong told me the hospitality sector is still struggling despite the city being fully open for tourists and the government pushing its "Hello Hong Kong" campaign.

Hotels are hurting the most, with low occupancy numbers, while high-end restaurants are trying to lure in diners with set menu deals.

And the Hong Kong government is wondering why the tourists aren't coming...

Chan wonders why tourists aren't coming to HK

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the city needed to improve its tourism offerings even though it had 3.6 million visitors last month, up 30 percent from June.

On his blog, Chan wrote inbound tourism would continue to be the main drive of economic growth for the remainder of the year, along with private consumption. As a result, Hong Kong needed to improve its attractiveness to visitors.

"Many tourists, especially the young ones, come to Hong Kong mainly to attend exhibitions, cultural and artistic activities or major concerts," he wrote.

"This change in travel and consumption patterns means that we need to deliver what our tourists value: the features, creativity and quality of products and services, as well as the user experience."

It took Chan this long to figure this out?

Obviously neither he nor his fellow officials have learned anything from the Covid-19 pandemic, that people are seeking experiences over shopping and what does it have to offer that's new?

The mainland Chinese people who have visited Hong Kong are not interested in going there again, and so the only ones coming now are newbies.

Will more conferences lure people back to HK?

Their consumption spending power is much lower than previous visitors, and with China's high speed rail network, Chinese tourists don't have to stay overnight in Hong Kong -- they can zip across the border to Shenzhen for a cheaper hotel room before going back to Hong Kong again (if they so please).

But more importantly it's the implementation of the national security law, with headlines around the world reporting about the eight pro-democracy activists and former lawmakers with HK$1 million bounties over their heads, and the arrests of many others that has scared potential long-haul visitors from coming.

Another is the exorbitant prices for flights that have deterred many from coming back too.

However, former financial services secretary Chan Ka-keung tries to put the blame on other factors.

"A lot of people still -- because of the slow economic activities -- are not traveling much. It's not just Hong Kong not receiving tourists, many countries in Asia aren't receiving tourists either," he told reporters.

Has he seen Japan and Taiwan overwhelmed with visitors?

"But Hong Kong of course has another problem, which is because of the propaganda from the western media, a lot of people don't understand Hong Kong," Chan continues. "We should host more exhibitions and conferences, get more people to come to Hong Kong to see for themselves."

Perhaps if the city's government wasn't so repressive and arresting so many people then maybe more potential visitors would feel comfortable to travel there? The Hong Kong Police recently boasted it has collected over 380,000 tips from its reporting hotline.

For Chinese visitors, it's a stark reminder of home, not a respite.