Patriotic Candidates Need Only Apply

The District Council Election is Dec 10

The Hong Kong District Council elections will be held on December 10 and the candidates have been decided.

Since the rules for these elections have been overhauled, only "patriots" are eligible. 

In order to qualify, hopefuls had to get nine nominations from area committees by Monday Hong Kong time. 

Lee says only patriots qualify to run in electon

That resulted in 171 candidates vying for 88 directly-elected seats in 44 constituencies. Some 4.3 million people are eligible to vote.

"The purpose is to select the best people... You have to convince the public and ensure they agree you are qualified and competent to serve the district," Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said.

"Those securing the nominations should be capable people who truly love their country and Hong Kong."

Perhaps that explains why none of the six hopefuls from the Democratic Party got any nominations?

Even pro-establishment lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun's Roundtable Party had only one of five get enough nominations to become a candidate.

Nevertheless, Lee claimed the system was fair regardless of their background.

"I think that is the most important, the system has to be fair and applies to everybody in the same way," he said. 

All six of Lo's party hopefuls were shut out

"That is the most important principle for all elections to be considered -- fair and equal application. A candidate will have to respect the decision of the person he seeks the nomination from... it is up to you to ensure that you can convince the person you want to convince."

Keep in mind the main role of district councillors is to talk to residents in the area about making roads safer in the neighbourhood by proposing more stop lights or crosswalks be added, help residents with any bureaucratic problems they face, or suggest more green spaces for residents to enjoy.

Back in 2019 Hongkongers used the District Council elections as a referendum on the government's handling of the protests because they had no other way to voice their concerns.

And now four years later the government is using these elections to ensure only select voices are heard.

A friend wrote on social media about being surprised no representatives from the Democratic Party or "centrist" party could become candidates, because if they lost, they would lose more face in an election than being disqualified.

However, it seems Lee or rather Beijing wants to ensure nothing goes wrong December 10 and only have sure winners.

But perhaps more telling will be the voter turnout...

UK Navy Ditches Chinese Laundrymen

No more Chinese washing and pressing Navy uniforms

Last week there was news from the United Kingdom that the Navy is ending its almost century-long tradition of hiring Chinese laundrymen on British ships. It dates back to the 1930s when men from Hong Kong were hired to wash and press sailors' uniforms and officers' white tablecloths.

One Hongkonger, Chick Shun-chui, even toiled for 53 years before retiring at the age of 72 in 2002. Not only did he iron an estimated 3 million shirts, but also survived a bomb attack during the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina in 1982.

Chick worked for 53 years for the Navy

He was even made a Member of the British Empire and honoured British citizen when he finally returned to Hong Kong.

Now the laundrymen are being replaced by Nepalese Gurkhas.

The reason? There are concerns Beijing could threaten the laundrymen's family back home by making them spy on the Navy.

This comes after MI5 spy chief Ken McCallum said China has increased efforts to steal secrets from British nuclear submarines.

When the HMS Queen Elizabeth -- the Navy's flagship aircraft carrier was on the way to the contested South China Sea, three Chinese nationals were barred from going on board.

A fourth Chinese laundryman was dismissed this month -- after 39 years' of service -- as his family lives in Hong Kong.

Former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord West said, "If it is a question of security, the Navy has no choice. But it's sad as Chinese laundrymen have fought wars with us, some have died for us."

First of all it's shocking to find out the British Navy has had Chinese people doing their laundry for them.

Second, if the Navy was concerned about espionage, why didn't it end the practice of using Chinese men back in 1997?

McCallum warned of possible Chinese espionage

But it seems the Navy was so used to having the Chinese laundrymen that in May 1997, a deal was signed between the Ministry of Defence and a Hong Kong company called Worldwide Laundry Services (a partnership between Serco and Shao Brothers of Hong Kong) to continue having these civilians work on these battleships.

Despite the hard work, these jobs were apparently in demand because almost all the pay could be saved, while getting free accommodation and meals. The individual servicemen paid for their laundry bills which was around US$1,200 per month for an officer.

Just as well no one from Hong Kong is going to do this menial work anymore, but surely one would think by now the Brits would wash their own clothes?

Actor Matthew Perry's Death Shocks Fans

Perry (far left) was one of the stars of the hit sitcom Friends

Shocking news from Los Angeles tonight -- Friends' star Matthew Perry died at the age of 54 of an apparent drowning at his home.

He was best known as Chandler Bing, a successful executive on the hit sitcom Friends that also starred Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer. They played a group of friends navigating their professional and personal lives in a comedy series that lasted 10 seasons, or over 200 episodes. 

He had written a memoir released last year

On social media, some Chinese fans are posting their sadness of hearing of Perry's passing.

While Friends was never shown legally in China, everyone born in the 90s watched bootlegged versions of the show as a way to learn English. Many of my colleagues in Beijing told me it was their favourite American show.

One person posted on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"Friends was my first sitcom. My first English TV show. For kids in China growing up in the 2000s, Friends has some symbolic significance that cannot be summarised that easily. It was our first experience of the outside world. Matthew Perry, I'm forever grateful to you. RIP."

He did have a Canadian connection -- his mother worked for Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in Ottawa, and Perry and Justin Trudeau went to school together.

Tonight Justin Trudeau paid tribute on X as well:

"Matthew Perry's passing is shocking and saddening. I'll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved -- and you will be missed."

Perusing Pumpkins at the Patch

The farm has three muddy pumpkin patches to choose from

With Halloween around the corner, this morning we went to Richmond Country Farms to visit the pumpkin patch.

Interesting combo of dinosaurs and pumpkins

It is off the Steveston Highway and at the turnoff there was a massive traffic jam that inched onto the overpass. Also, many other families and schools had the same idea of visiting this farm today so it was packed full of people.

There are tractor-pulled wagons to take visitors to the pumpkin patch, and while you wait, there's a group of musicians to keep you entertained with songs to sing along. And once you get onto the open-air wagon, you have to shout "Yee-haw!" to get it going. 

Another folk guitarist gets the wagon passengers to sing "Old Macdonald Had a Farm" and then we arrive at the entrance to the pumpkin patch -- that includes three robotic dinosaurs! Talk about prehistoric farm...

The pumpkin patch was very muddy -- which was made less slippery with lots of straw strewn all over the grounds. And there were lots and lots of pumpkins to choose from, small to large, pretty much in uniform pumpkin orange.

And then take that pumpkin home to carve. Many do the usual simple face, but at a local supermarket, someone got really creative with a giant pumpkin and carved a grumpy wrinkly face with three eyes!

Check out this pumpkin carving at a supermarket

China's Former Premier Dies Suddenly

Li died suddenly Friday morning in Shanghai

As we sat down to dinner Vancouver time, there was breaking news that former Chinese premier Li Keqiang had died suddenly of a heart attack in Shanghai shortly after midnight Friday morning. He was 68 years old. 

There was no further information or an obituary from Chinese state media, only saying it would come later, which probably meant the senior leadership did not expect this news at all.

As for as the general public knew, Li did not have any health problems or recent illnesses, which is why his death comes as a shock at such a young age for a senior Chinese leader.

Li was Xi's premier for 10 years

When news of Li's passing was broadcast on Weibo, there were reports some people posted a song by Malaysian-Chinese singer Liang Jingru (also known as Fish Leong), "A pity it wasn't you", as an indirect way of criticising Chinese leader Xi Jinping. These comments were soon quickly scrubbed by censors.

Nevertheless, Li was not flamboyant like his predecessors, such as Zhou Enlai, Zhu Rongji or Wen Jiabao. Instead Li, who had a PhD in economics, quietly rose to the top, having governed two provinces (Henan and Liaoning) before the age of 50. 

Many thought the Anhui native was well qualified to be China's top leader, but Li was eclipsed by Xi. As most leaders leave the economy to premiers to tackle, Xi took over this portfolio as well, leaving Li with little to do. 

After his two terms were up, Li quietly exited stage right to let Li Qiang take over in March.

Now Xi has another funeral to plan, on top of dealing with his foreign minister sacked for allegedly having a child in wedlock, and more recently his defense minister suddenly fired too.

Ah Li... we hardly knew ye.

Hong Kong Policy Address A Buffet of Words

A record-long policy address with few highlights

Yesterday Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered his policy address in the Legislative Council, which took him a record three hours and 22 minutes to deliver -- sitting down.

One person on X, formerly known as Twitter, compared this number to the statistics of runners in the 2023 Standard Chartered Marathon. It seems 377 runners were faster than Lee giving his speech.

CE supporters wore green ties and scarves

Another observation was that the pro-Beijing camp wore green neckties or scarves as a show of solidarity with the chief executive.

Some critics described the policy address as lacking focus, comparing it to an all-you-can-eat meal.

"It is like a buffet dinner, it needs a theme such as Tasmania Oyster or Argentinian steak to attract diners. If the investment theme is about everything, it is hard to attract investors," said Simon Lee, co-director of the International Business and Chinese Enterprise program at Chinese University.

Centrist lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen described the policies for the welfare sector as "putting old wine into a new bottle."

"It seems like the city leader copied and pasted welfare measures proposed by different parties and NGOs to his policy address. You cannot see a well-designed strategy, with timetable and priorities, presented inside the blueprint," he said.

Tik says Lee's speech on welfare had no strategy

One policy that shows how out of touch the Lee administration is, is the attempt to boost the city's birthrate by promising parents of newborns will be given a one-off amount of HK$20,000 and would be prioritised for subsidised housing (as long as they don't make more than HK$62,000 a month).

Compare this proposal with Singapore, which is handing out the equivalent of HK$62,000.

Does Lee not know how much it costs to raise a family, or how much rent is these days? HK$20,000 is a drop in the bucket and will hardly push the birthrate up...

Picture of the Day: Pickled Chayote

Marinating sliced chayote with chilli flakes

Seaport City Seafood Restaurant has a delicious appetiser called pickled chayote, also known as Buddha's palm (合掌瓜). The vegetable is from the gourd family and was originally grown in Mexico and Honduras.

In Korea it is usually pickled or in a salad, whereas in Chinese cooking it is added to soups, stir-fried, or pickled too.

We were inspired by Seaport City's pickled chayote to attempt to make our own marinade. We adapted a recipe for smashed cucumbers in a vinegar sauce. It includes soy sauce, dark vinegar, sugar, salt and garlic. I used agave syrup and balsamic vinegar.

On my first try, I made the mistake of adding too much sesame oil and tried to balance it out by adding more balsamic vinegar. After some adjustments to the marinade I added the sliced raw chayote and let it sit for a few hours. It tasted pretty good! The next day was even better, having had time to soak up the vinegar marinade and was still crunchy.

This evening I made another batch, this time using much less sesame oil and added a few chilli flakes. 

Chayotes are a good source of vitamin C, cooked or raw. 

While I like this vegetable stir-fried or in a soup, pickled are the best.

HK Finally Bans Plastic... in 2024

Finally putting a stop to using single-use plastic tableware

Hong Kong is finally taking the giant step to ban single-use plastic tableware from Earth Day on April 22, 2024. 

There will be two phases: The first prohibits the sale and distribution of plastic tableware, such as cutlery, plastic straws, stirrers, plates and cups. 

Some items that will be banned from next April

Restaurants won't be able to provide plastic tableware for customers to dine-in either, while hotels and guest houses won't be able to distribute plastic toiletries and plastic water bottles in rooms.

The second phase starts in 2025, which will ban the sale and distribution of multipack rings (the plastic used to keep canned drinks together), tablecloths, and even plastic stemmed dental floss.

For many Hongkongers and restaurants, using plastic tablecloths is a staple -- it makes cleaning up so much easier. But alas that will be no more. It will be interesting to see how the catering industry deals with this. Some households may hoard as much plastic tablecloth as they can!

The hospitality industry and the suppliers that sell them the small plastic bottles of shampoo and body lotion, plastic toothbrushes and other toiletries may see this as an excellent way to cut costs, and resort to offering soaps in large bottles (that they hope guests won't steal)... 

How water will be served in hotel rooms will be interesting, as one would assume bottled water would be cleaner than water served in a reusable container. Perhaps they will go back to when rooms had thermoses of hot water?

Small hotel toiletries will be banned as well

Nevertheless, these steps are a good start for Hong Kong, which has literally dragged its feet for years on this issue. It's time people start to carry their own reusable cups and keep utensils with them at work. It's not hard to do...

 

Review: In the Mood for Love

In the Mood for Love is a highly stylised film 

VIFF, a local film organisation, has started showing the 20 best films ever, and one on the list is In the Mood for Love, Wong Kar-wai's outstanding film imbued with a lot of meaning through its cinematography, colour and music.

I watched the showing of the film this morning and the the theatre was almost full -- half with cinephiles, the other the Chinese diaspora who are thrilled to watch this cinematic gem again, 23 years since it was released.

The story is straight forward -- set in 1962 Hong Kong, two couples move next door to each other and Mrs Chan (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) and Mr Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) find out their spouses are cheating on them. But what happens after isn't so clear.

The characters feel repressed in their emotions

Mrs Chan and Mr Chow are drawn closer together physically and emotionally. At a Hong Kong-style restaurant, she orders Mr Chow what her husband would eat, while he orders her beef with spicy mustard on the side to give her an idea of what his wife is like. It's one of the few scenes that give a bit of levity.

The other is when Mrs Chan's husband brings back a modern rice cooker from Japan and everyone marvels over this amazing invention in the kitchen.

Otherwise most of the time In the Mood for Love has a lot of tension between the two main characters, the world they inhabit and social mores. This is felt through them being forced into small, cramped spaces, be it in hallways or stairwells. There is a lot of framing from mirrors, seeing the couple through gauzy drapes, or even shadows. The sudden heavy rains are also a catalyst that results in them meeting as they wait out the rain.

The small spaces not only makes them feel repressed and have difficulty in revealing their true emotions, but also self-conscious, always worrying about what others think, as there is a lot of gossiping in the background of others.

Meanwhile colour is vividly used in this film -- whenever Mrs Chan and Mr Chow are together, the colours become brighter, but when they are alone it's almost monochromatic. Her various high-collared cheung-sams are gorgeous, many of them floral designs, but she is restricted in them. When wearing these form-fitting dresses, one must have proper posture, and in turn act more ladylike, a role that may or may not be authentic.

The colours are richer when they are together

The theme music has a haunting tune that is repeated over and over, and after the screening someone in the audience suggested the plucking of the strings was similar to heart beats. Analysing the film could go on forever, trying to figure out the meaning of every scene!

Nevertheless In the Mood for Love is a story that many can relate to, unrequited love, the inability to express true emotions, being careful with words and actions to avoid gossip, and the challenges of being in a marriage.

The stylised look of the film heightens these themes further, with the careful framing of shots, and long, lingering scenes, the sumptuous use of colour and dramatic lighting all come together seamlessly with the brilliant acting of both Cheung and Leung for their subtle facial expressions and sparse dialogue.

Perhaps the only jarring scene is the end, where Mr Chow is somehow in Cambodia. The film was co-production with Hong Kong and France, but it still seems strange to see him there for no particular reason... unless someone can enlighten me?

In the Mood for Love

Directed by Wong Kar-wai

Stars Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, Tony Leung Chiu-wai

98 minutes

The Hong Kong Perspective of Housing in Vancouver

Kwok helped develop various areas in Metro Vancouver

A columnist with the Vancouver Sun interviewed a 96-year-old man named Stanley Kwok, who was instrumental in developing the former Expo 86 land into a downtown core filled with condos, that writer Douglas Coupland has called "City of Glass".

Kwok was originally from China, graduated in Shanghai in 1948 and then fled to Hong Kong. He then moved to Vancouver in 1968.

A big project was developing the Expo land

Not only has he had a hand in developing Vancouver, but also Whistler, Victoria's Inner Harbour, Metrotown in Burnaby, and an entire waterfront in Dubai.

When Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing was interested in buying the Expo 86 land, Kwok represented him in the negotiations and ran Concord Pacific.  

As Vancouver is facing a housing crunch these days, with not enough houses people can afford, let alone rent, Kwok's solution is to build higher. 

The era of single-family housing in Metro [Vancouver] is "more and more difficult" to maintain, he said. "So you start living in apartments. Other cities have grown up that way. It's just a different way of living. Why do we have to stick to the past?"

Does Kwok know that Vancouver is in a earthquake zone? Surely building too high is not a good idea? And for some people their goal is to have a detached house for their family. 

Perhaps even more surprising is his idea of what affordable housing should be, again compared to Hong Kong.

Vancouver now known as the City of Glass

"When Hong Kong talks about affordable housing, what they consider is providing a certain amount of square footage per person. That's all they're concerned about. They don't care what it is. They're very small. But here it's different. Here they say the standard has to be this or that. They say, 'To house a family not only do you have to have a bedroom for the parents, you also have to have a bedroom for each kid.' That makes it more expensive. And somebody has to pay for that."

While Kwok may claim this, there are families living in basement suites, or two or three people sharing a one-bedroom place. Everyone is trying to make do with the situation they've got. But he cannot and should not compare apples and oranges. 

He also inadvertently reveals how callous the housing situation is for the poor in Hong Kong. He believes just giving people tiny spaces to live is better than nothing. Perhaps he hasn't seen subdivided flats and cage homes?

Seaport City Deemed Michelin Worthy

Rice rolls, chayote, crab and fish maw, trotters and dumplings

I took some friends to have lunch at Seaport City Seafood Restaurant -- which was recently bestowed Bib Gourmand status by the Michelin Vancouver guide.

Perhaps because of this new designation the place was packed for a Thursday lunchtime and we barely got a table even though I had reserved one. We were tucked in a corner by the wine fridges and behind the reception area, but it was sort of a semi-private area which was a blessing in disguise.

Dan dan noodles with peanuts...

With five of us we were able to order the har gao and siu mai, each of which had five dumplings each in the steamer. We also had pork dumplings with beets and mushrooms, steamed rice rolls with beef, egg and coriander, and pan-fried taro cake that were served in blocks stacked up like Jenga.

Everyone raved about the pickled chayote or Buddha's hand in Chinese. It was chopped in thick slices that were marinated in vinegar and finished with fresh chillis. Another gourmet dish was the crab meat and fish maw supreme in squash soup that was just enough for each of us to try. Fresh bits of crab meat and fish maw were a decadent combination with the sweetness from the squash. How decadent.

Another was the dan dan noodles, with springy wheat noodles in a slightly spicy sauce that was elevated with the chilli oil from the dish of spicy wontons. Everyone scooped up a bit of the chilli oil and couldn't help but have another serving of the noodles!

Noodles elevated with the chilli oil from here

The pork hock with ginger -- typically a dish women who have given birth will eat to restore their health -- is also served here. The pork trotters are simmered in lots of vinegar, sugar and ginger, and boiled eggs are usually added as well. While the one served at Seaport City doesn't use particularly spicy ginger, it had a mild taste that probably appeals to most people. The pork trotters had been cooked for ages and easy to eat.

For dessert we finished with steamed honeycomb cake and honey twists. Needless to say the friends from Hong Kong were suitably impressed. While Seaport City is more expensive than say Kirin, the selection and quality of dim sum dishes make it a solid place to go for lunch.

Seaport City Seafood Restaurant

2425 Cambie Street

Vancouver

604 222 7288

The French Food that Chinese Like to Eat

The mini pho bo with a sous vide egg at Linh Cafe

Linh Cafe is popular -- among mostly the Asian crowd.

The vast majority of the customers are Chinese -- both Mandarin and Cantonese speakers to come eat elevated Vietnamese fare and French bistro dishes like steak tartare, escargots, and mussels.

Three mini spicy baguette sticks

However, practically every table has at least one bowl of pho bo -- Vietnamese beef noodle soup with slices of beef brisket and rice noodles in a flavourful broth.

We later saw a Caucasian couple sit down, order two glasses of red wine and a bowl of pho bo each. How romantic.

Another Instagram dish is the spicy baguette sticks. We saw the table next to us had it so we ordered it too.

It comes with a minimum order of three sticks and they are mini baguettes sliced down the middle and filled with pork liver pate and topped with hot sauce that isn't really that spicy. It looked like a curry wurst, but was actually warm pate with a tinge of spiciness. Not something to order again.

We liked the frogs legs that were marinated in a spicy and garlicky sauce before being deep fried. If you were patient enough to extract the lean meat you were well rewarded with small plump bits that had a lingering spicy finish.

Delicious fried frog legs with a spicy finish

The country terrine is a classic dish, though this one was wrapped in a very fatty bacon. Nevertheless the combination of foie gras, Black Forest ham, and liver did give it a rustic texture that went well with the complimentary bread.

And like everyone else, we also ordered the pho bo, though ours was the mini size with a sous vide egg. We marvelled at the broth that had very deep flavours and yet was light and maybe some MSG in it? The beef brisket is a step up from typical Vietnamese pho places that offer thin slices of raw beef. Good to the last drop.

My friend was curious to try the palmier, but it wasn't exceptionally crispy or delicate; perhaps this pastry wasn't made in house? But a disappointing finish nonetheless...

Linh Cafe

1428 Granville Street

Under the Granville Street Bridge

604 564 9668

Protestor Shot by Police is Sentenced to Jail

Tsang was sentenced to three and a half years in jail

The convictions against 2019 protesters continue with one who was shot by the police has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for rioting and assaulting a police officer.

Tsang Chi-kin, who was 18 years old at the time, was involved in clashes with the police on October 1, 2019. He was in Tsuen Wan when an officer fired a live round at close range at Tsang -- shooting him in his left lung, only 3cm from his heart.

He was rushed to hospital in critical condition and later had the bullet removed.

Tsang was shot by a police officer October 1

According to Judge Ada Yim, before Tsang was shot, some 200 protesters were gathered in the area, throwing Molotov cocktails and bricks at the police, and setting fires. 

At the time Tsang was dressed head to toe in black, including goggles and gloves, and was carrying a makeshift shield.

He had no prior criminal record, and was diagnosed with depression in 2017. Yim said Tsang cooperated with the police investigation and wrote his own plea letter regretting his actions. But she said his depression and injury from the shooting were not reasons for a lower penalty.

She handed him a sentence of 40 months for rioting, and an additional seven months for assaulting a police officer. 

Last July Tsang was arrested along with three others in Sai Kung as they were planning to escape to Taiwan by boat. Before that, the four had been hiding in various safehouses for two years until crowdfunded money ran out.

Tsang examining his X-rays

The courts continue to convict, with at last count in April, some 6,000 more cases to go. 

Tsang will do his time, and then what will his future be in Hong Kong? Does he even have a future there?

 

Hearing Hong Kong Indie Music in Vancouver

Charming Way warmed up the crowd with its 90s rock sound

Living in Hong Kong for so many years I never went to a Cantopop concert, mostly because I didn't have a particular liking for the artists, but also I didn't understand the lyrics.

However I had my first introduction to two indie Hong Kong bands who were recently in Kelowna for BreakOut West Festival & Conference, where they spoke about their music, networked with other musicians and producers, and performed a few times.

They are Charming Way and The Hertz, and both played last night at Red Gate on Main Street.

Many took pictures and videos

Charming Way's music has a 90s nostalgic sound, and interestingly to reach a wider audience, write most of their lyrics in English. The lead singer Aaryn is tall and lanky, with a frizzy mop of hair. He plays the part of the frontman really well, making jokes with the crowd. "Do you understand my language?" he said, riffing off of what Cantopop star Eason Chan said a few days ago in Macau.

Someone shouted to Aaryn, "Take your clothes off!" to which he demurred about doing a strip show. He eventually took off his oversized leather bomber jacket to reveal his white tank top. I found out later he is also a TVB actor!

Each of the band members has their own distinct fashion style, like the drummer Terry, who looked smart in a hobo cap with a denim shirt and tie, and oversized trousers, while one guitarist wore a toque over his shaggy hair and wore a grungy T-shirt and baggy jeans, while the other had short hair, part of it dyed blonde, and wore a white T-shirt and shredded jeans.

They got the audience, almost 100 young Hongkonger hipsters, bopping their heads and also one of their last songs was Victoria, named after Victoria Harbour, which got the crowd nostalgic.

Charming Way warmed up the crowd for The Hertz, and the audience were thrilled to see them. The Hertz was formed in 2018 and it's interesting to find out lead singer Herman Wong was actually born in Vancouver and grew up in Toronto, which he revealed on stage.

Now the crowd was jumping up and down, waving their hands up and digging the beats. Why they named themselves after a rental car company I'm not sure, but they were very popular with the crowd.

Many were excited to see The Hertz perform

At one point Wong was pleased to speak freely in Vancouver, and said that nowadays in Hong Kong people are more careful about what they say, and in general speak less. He also encouraged the audience to watch more live music, as there weren't many venues left in Hong Kong.

A friend who was there last night watching his favourite band, explained his brother-in-law who didn't know much Cantonese, really likes The Hertz's music and is keen to learn the language now. He asked my friend to translate the lyrics, and he found them to be quite deep! He even bought some merch -- CD, foldable bucket hat -- as souvenirs.

For me as a first-time observer, it was nice to see an event for Hongkongers to gather and express themselves through seeing their favourite bands and giving them a warm welcome to their new home. There is a demand for these indie acts, and hopefully more will come through in the coming months and years.

Picture of the Day: Vancouver Painted

The Park Theatre on Cambie Street

On the weekend I visited a neighbourhood art gallery exhibiting the paintings of Vancouver artist David Wilson. The show is called "The Ground Beneath My Feet" and features street scenes around the city.

One looks down on the downtown core, views looking up to the Burrard Street Bridge at sunset, or the intersection of downtown streets in the early morning.

Dunbar Theatre in my neighbourhood

However, Wilson's best paintings are the ones of rainy night street scenes. These ones each have an old school theatre in them -- Stanley, Park and Dunbar. They are all scenes shot in the rain, with the colours of the lights reflected in the wet slick roads.

The images are so evocative, inspiring a feeling of nostalgia, and Wilson's work is a cross between Edward Hopper and Jackson Pollack in acrylic. 

So nice to know there is an artist here who loves to paint Vancouver.

David Wilson

The Ground Beneath My Feet

Until October 28

Visual Space Gallery

3352 Dunbar Street, Vancouver

604 559 0576

Eason Chan's Viral Outburst

Chan said he would speak whatever language he wanted

Hong Kong Cantopop singer Eason Chan Yik-shun caused a stir at his concert in Macau on October 13 when he hit back at fans in the audience asking him to speak in Mandarin, saying "so be it if you can't understand".

Some people in the audience could be heard shouting, "Speak Mandarin", to which Chan at first said something in Thai, followed by English: "I love speaking whatever the way and language I want", which received cheers and applause from other people in the crowd.

Then Chan's tone became critical, when he said in Cantonese: "Wouldn't 'could you speak in Mandarin please?' be better than 'speak Mandarin'?" He added he could speak the language [Mandarin] fluently, but it would be nice if people could be polite, which drew more applause.

Chan caused an uproar at his concert in Macau

Chan said he would say "shut up" to anyone who asked him to speak English. "So be it if you can't understand," he added before moving onto his next song.

It seemed as if the singer was venting his annoyance for having to placate Chinese fans who expect the star to speak Mandarin... but did he realise he was in Macau where over 90 percent of its visitors are from the mainland?

But then again he is from Hong Kong, and there are many Mandarin speakers who appreciate listening to Cantonese.

Nevertheless some felt Chan was taking a political stance, as language has become a sensitive issue in the city. 

But when it comes to his politics, Chan is not clear-cut. In June, his management cut ties with a concert organiser in China due to a censorship row after the latter replaced the name of a politically outspoken lyricist in the show application to authorities. 

The person in question is Albert Leung Wai-man, known as Lam Chik, who has written many of Chan's hits. However, Leung is also known as being supportive of Nathan Law Kwun-chung, who fled into exile in the UK.

Previously he partnered with Adidas

Chan also outraged many of his fans when he announced he was severing ties with Adidas after it refused to use Xinjiang cotton.

Adidas along with Burberry, Nike, Calvin Klein and H&M publicly said they would not source cotton from western China due to concerns of using forced labour by Uyghurs.

His fans threatened to boycott his concerts and albums, and now he has enraged another part of his fan base. 

Or does he do this just to get attention?

Insatiable Demand for Yo-Yo Ma

Ma returns to Hong Kong next month after a 7-year absence

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be performing in Hong Kong on November 8 with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, but demand for tickets to the concert is so intense on the secondary market that they cost as much as HK$17,000 (US$2,170).

The last time he was in Hong Kong was in 2016, which may partly explain why fans are willing to pay premium prices to see him -- though now local audiences are also competing with wealthy mainlanders in the Greater Bay Area who are more than able to shell out.

Ma (left) performed in Hong Kong in 2016

"Bay area billionaires want tickets," a source said, referring to Beijing's initiative to combine Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong into an economic hub.

Tickets were originally sold out on August, and now some people are trying to profit on the demand to see the virtuoso live. 

"If a fan pays HK$17,000 for a concert ticket, he or she may be better off by buying an air ticket to fly to the United States, book a nice hotel and join his concert," remarked Hong Kong cellist Eric Yip Chun-hei. 

Originally the tickets ranged from HK$480 to HK$1,980 and the concert is to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Chinese University. Ma has a personal connection to the university, as his late uncle, Li Choh-ming was its founding vice-chancellor, and the cellist also received an honorary doctorate of literature by the university.

Ma with pianist Stott

However, Ma's fans will have another opportunity to hear him as he will be performing two days earlier on November 6 in a duet recital with pianist Kathryn Stott at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets for this concert go on sale October 18.

There will probably be yet another mad rush for these tickets...

More Babies Born in UK than HK

Fewer people having babies in Hong Kong these days

In another sign that Hongkongers are leaving the city in droves is the birth rate... which has increased in England and Wales. Almost 2,000 babies were born in these two places as opposed to the parents' hometown, due to migration using BNO pathways.

"When the young people left, they also took their fertility to other places," said Paul Yip Siu-fai, a population expert at the University of Hong Kong. "We are very likely to fall into a low-fertility trap and have little chance of escaping it."

The red line shows birth rate, black death rate

Britain's Office for National Statistics revealed the number of newborn babies with at least one parent from Hong Kong rose from 1,568 in 2019, to 1,602 in 2020, 1,665 in 2021 and 1,953 last year.

The figures were for England and Wales, while Scotland and Northern Ireland record their own statistics.

The BNO migration pathway came into effect after the national security law was implemented in 2020. Successful applicants and their dependants can live, work and study in the UK for up to five years, and then are eligible to apply for citizenship. 

Between January 2021 and June this year, 176,407 Hong Kong applications were approved, a 97 percent success rate.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, the number of births plunged from 52,900 in 2019 to 43,000 in 2020, 37,000 in 2021, and only 32,500 last year, a decline of almost 40 percent over four years.

Yip urges govt to help families

In addition the total fertility rate, the number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, also fell to 0.8, the lowest in the world. The rate should be 2.1 for a population to replace itself.

Yip says Hong Kong's falling birthrate is due to "a basket of reasons."

He urged the government to give baby bonuses and provide families with more childcare support, and emphasised the need to improve the education system.

This is not news... Yip has been sounding the alarm for years, while Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu says he is looking into it...

Picture of the Day: Fungus in the Forest

Fungus sprouting out of a dead tree trunk

With the autumn rains come fungus in the forest!

Walking in Pacific Spirit Park these days, one can see mushrooms springing up in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colours. They grow on wood, tree trunks, and soil.

Cute toadstools on the ground

A sign at the entrance of the forest warns visitors not to harvest the mushrooms -- perhaps because not many people know which are edible and which are poisonous... !