Poilievre Frustrated by Long Ballot in By-Election

Poilievre is running in a by-election next month to win a seat

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is gearing up for the upcoming by-election in Battle River-Crowfoot Alberta on August 18, hoping to win the seat to get back into the House of Commons after losing his seat in Carleton, Ontario in the April federal election.

Even though the riding is expected to be a solidly Conservative one, Poilievre may not have it so easy.

An electoral reform advocacy group called the Longest Ballot Committee, has plans to run a whopping 200 candidates in Battle River-Crowfoot -- more than double the 91 who ran in Carleton. It's known as a long ballot protest that causes delays in voting and confounds voters.

There might be some 200 names on the ballot

Poilievre doesn't want these long ballots in the upcoming by-election.

"We have to take action because this is a scam. It is unfair, it is unjust and it must stop," he said recently at a town hall in the riding where he is running.

He suggested that nominees require 1,000 signatures to run to prevent such protests. 

"That would make it impossible for 200 people to go out and have their names piled onto the [candidate] list," Poilievre told the town hall.

"There are a number of other things that you could do that would make it so that only real candidates who are truly running to put their name forward in our democracy that are on that list."

Currently candidates only need 100 signatures to secure a nomination and electors are not prevented from signing multiple forms.

Race for Battle River-Crowfoot got interesting!

The Longest Ballot Committee rejected Poilievre's suggestions, saying needing such a large number of signatures would have a "negative impact on Canadian democracy."

"This ill-conceived and self-serving electoral reform proposal by [Poilievre] is downright dangerous, and reinforces our conviction that politicians are not well-suited to decide the rules of their own elections," the group said in a statement.

It added it would continue to use the long ballot as a form of protest as "long as we are legally permitted to do so."

So the by-election on August 18 has become much more interesting! We can't wait to see the names of the candidates on the ballot!

Influencers Abound in Vancouver

What are your eyeballs looking at?

After three years of moving back to Vancouver, I'm finally getting more invitations to food tastings at restaurants. 

While it's a good exercise to get to know the chef, the restaurant and the dishes, eating with influencers is quite the experience.

Some lean into their physical assets

In Hong Kong this was already a trend that was happening before I left, but it seems to have gotten worse? Or crass across the Pacific.

The KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) here dress up in slinky dresses, the lower-cut the neckline the better. In some cases viewers can't help but look at the women's chests than the dishes...

Others don't have tiny figures but have big chests to compensate.

And then their knowledge of food in general is... poor.

This evening I sat with one influencer who couldn't discern flavours very well. She tried a creme brulee and thought it had a ginger taste. I confirmed the initial flavour was lime. 

She also had no idea what a pavlova was, but maybe I should cut her some slack since she has a degree in political science that she doesn't use in everyday life.

In general influencers post videos that make the dishes look good without any critical commentary because well, they think the food tastes great or don't want to jeopardise their opportunity for more invites.

Taking pics of a (good) tiramisu

And then when regular people dine in these restaurants, they may not get the same quality of food... 

Perhaps what's worse is that the entry bar to becoming an influencer is extremely low. And who doesn't want free food and treated like a VIP?

World Cup Tickets Sky High

Vancouver and Toronto are the two Canadian host cities

The news about the World Cup in Vancouver is garnering less and less excitement.

As a host city, Vancouver taxpayers are not thrilled about the $600 million bill to have seven games -- and we don't even know which teams. If they are not the big contenders who is going to buy the exorbitant tickets?

The first ticket packages that Canadians can buy are out now, and they aren't cheap. Organised by On Location, FIFA's official tournament hospitality partner, the packages start at $2,500 for one game, which includes access to the so-called FIFA Pavilion which is outside the stadium. 

Vancouver games will be played at BC Place

Packages also include access to the lounge three hours before kickoff, during half-time and two hours after the game ends with all you can eat and drink...

And of course the more money you're willing to spend, the more benefits you can have, like private suites and flying in by helicopter.  

During next year's World Cup there will be 104 games played in 16 venues in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Toronto and Vancouver are the Canadian hosts.

On Location has started selling packages for games in the US.

"And I've got to tell you, they are already flying off the shelf," said Leah Linke, senior vice-president of event production for On Location.

The hype is real.

Changing End-of-Life Care in Hong Kong

People no longer have to die in hospitals in Hong Kong

About 10 years ago when a relative was nearing the end of her life, my uncle told me that she could not die at home in Hong Kong -- it would have to be reported to the coroner's court, complicating things, particularly in terms of paperwork and getting a death certificate.

Instead it was best that she passed in a hospital, which sounds like a horrible place to be, taking your last breaths surrounded by loved ones in a sterile room shared by other patients in a similar situation.

But things are slowly starting to change. Last year the Legislative Council passed amendments in the cases of where residents who died in care homes for the elderly and met certain criteria are no longer required to be reported to the coroner. 

There are suggestions on end-of-life care

Legislation was also passed in 2024 to legally empower patients to state their medical care wishes for their last days in advance directives.

Now a think tank says Hong Kong has come up with a financial reason why seniors should be allowed to die at home or in care facilities.

Our Hong Kong Foundation released a research report on end-of-life care and suggested the city could save more than HK$90,000 per patient in medical expenses if dying patients spent their last days outside a hospital setting.

"If we have a comprehensive end-of-life care system, it could help reduce the usage of hospital services," foundation vice-president Ryan Ip Man-ki said.

That could hep the healthcare system save HK$91,460 per individual in medical expenses, the foundation said, citing data from a Hong Kong Jockey Club program supporting end-of-life care in the community.

Death doulas help people have "good deaths"

As a result that would help reduce hospitalisation by 11.91 days, accident and emergency admissions by 0.95 times, and intensive care unit stays by 0.29 days.

While these statistics are admirable, what about bringing some humanity to someone's last days on earth?

In North America there are some people who are "death doulas", who help others or their loved ones to prepare for "a good death". 

They educate and empower people on how they would like to die -- would that be at home, who would they like to be there, what kind of music would be played, and so on. It would also include what kind of funeral or service they would like and if they would prefer cremation or burial. 

This is a relatively new concept, but it is something Hong Kong should also consider. We should be giving our end-of-life patients the dignity of choosing how they want to spend their last moments, not in a hospital setting (if possible).

While my relative had planned everything else, from what she wanted to wear in the casket to the music played in her funeral, I'm sure my relative would have appreciated the chance to die in the comfort of her own home.

Remembering Live Aid 40 Years Later

Tens of thousands watched the Live Aid concerts in person

You know you're getting old when it's the 40th anniversary of the Live Aid concert.

40 years!

When I was a kid and I didn't want to finish the food on my plate, my mom would ask if we should take those leftovers and send them to the starving children in Africa.

Geldof organised the ambitious live concert

And several years later sadly the children were still starving in Africa, Ethiopia to be exact.

But Bob Geldof wanted to do something about it after seeing the news footage of children with bloated stomachs, too weak to swat the flies swarming them.

He and Midge Ure of Ultravox wrote Do They Know It's Christmas? and the song quickly became a hit. I went out and bought the single in a record store downtown. It was probably one of the first times I contributed to a fundraiser like that.

A few months later Geldof together with musicians to organise Live Aid, and not just have a massive concert at Wembley Stadium, but also at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia on the same day. Phil Collins had the distinction of performing at both concerts -- he traveled via British Airways Concorde to New York and then via chopper to get to Philly.

Jagger and Tina Turner performed together

I remember being a teenager and watching bits of the concerts on TV in the living room in the summer heat, thrilled to see all these musicians like Madonna, Duran Duran, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and U2 performing together, mixing genres and styles. 

Not only was it a logistical challenge but technical too for TV networks to broadcast live from two different cities at the time using 13 military satellites. Apparently there was no plan B in case the live broadcast failed. Now live broadcasts in various cities are done all the time, but back then it was only for a few minutes for a news story.

Around 1.5 billion people watched over 70 artists and bands performed over 16 hours of live music from London and Philadelphia. 

In the end Live Aid raised US$127 million ($370 million in 2024) for famine relief. It demonstrated that individuals could indeed make a difference, even if us kids couldn't vote yet. 

Madonna on stage in Philadelphia

Ure was asked recently if he thought something like Live Aid could be done again today. He seemed to think people had too many distractions.

"Technically, you could organise it easier, but these days you have so many distractions. Forty years ago, music was the be all and end all. You didn't have smartphones. You didn't have the internet. You didn't have 24-hour anything at all.

"There were no distractions. You had no video games. You had none of that stuff. So, you could focus."

But isn't it cool we're still talking about it, 40 years later? 

The OG Birkin Bag Goes for $10M

A picture of Birkin and the original bag in HK

It turns out the OG Birkin bag, the first one co-designed by actress and singer Jane Birkin and Hermes CEO Jean-Louis Dumas in 1984 is worth US$10.1 million and was sold to a lucky collector in Japan at a Sotheby's auction the other day.

The price crushed the most paid for an Hermes bag, a Kelly bag made of white Himalaya Niloticus crocodile skin that was sold at auction in 2021 for $513,040.

Unlike most auctioned Hermes bags that are practically in pristine condition, this original Birkin bag is scuffed up, still has the outlines from political stickers that were placed on the bag for its owner, Birkin, to display her stances on issues, and has the initials J.B. stamped on the bag.

Dumas helped design the Birkin bag in the 1980s

The story of how the bag was created is practically legend, but true: In the 1980s she was on a Paris to London flight when Birkin, who was carrying a tattered woven wicker basket as her handbag, tried to stow it away, when items fell out and onto the floor.

She fortuitously sat next to Dumas, and Birkin asked him why Hermes didn't make bigger handbags. He proceeded to take an air sickness bag and sketch out a bag design for her. 

Their discussion of the bag continued well after the flight until he finally presented Birkin with the bag with the now signature clasps and handle and Dumas asked if the bag could be named after her.

Women today don't use their Birkin bag like she did -- to preserve its value and condition, most people only bring it out for show; after all they had to wait years to be able to purchase it!

Back in the 1990s I was fortunate enough to meet Dumas. He came to Hong Kong several times not only to visit the Hermes shops, but also meet up with his son, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, who was based in the city.

The original Birkin sold for over US$10 million

The elder Dumas was very charismatic, suave and had lots of stories to tell. He was the one who started the idea of setting a theme for every year and artisans at Hermes would create products and designs related to those themes. Basically a clever way to keep customers coming back to their boutiques.

When Dumas took over Hermes in 1978, the company's revenues were $50 million. By 1990 it was $460 million. The year before Dumas died in 2009 it was $2.5 billion.

Birkin kept the bag until 1994 when she donated it for an auction to raise money for an AIDS charity. It was auctioned again in 2000 until now, where it was estimated to be worth around $1 million.

The estimates were wrong by ten-fold.

The Granville Connector is Open

The new "H-road network" on Granville

Yesterday as I walked along Pacific Street in downtown Vancouver, I saw that the new Granville connector project was finally finished. Cars turned off from the Granville Street Bridge onto this new exit ramp that takes them to Pacific Street very easily, while vehicles on Pacific can get onto the Granville Street Bridge. 

Pedestrians can also walk on this new stretch of road called Neon, Rolston and Continental streets.

Walking north towards Neon Street from Pacific

This C$50 million Granville connector project took over a year to complete, as they shut down the onramp to and offramp from the Granville Street Bridge; traffic on Pacific was snarled as three lanes merged into one. 

Apparently now with this new "H-road" network, the City of Vancouver claims it will improve traffic circulation and "provide access to future housing and local services on the City-owned land that was occupied by the loops."

It also helps pedestrians and cyclists get on and off the Granville Street Bridge safely which is a huge plus. 

We'll see what gets constructed in the empty spaces on the right and left of this new road, but in the meantime relieved this giant infrastructure project is done!

Storm Danas in Hong Kong

Heavy rainfall in Mui Wo, Lantau

A friend in Hong Kong told me about the "crazy thunder and lightning" where she was in Mui Wo, on Lantau Island, and the incessant rain has resulted in the authorities announcing there would be no day school tomorrow, Friday.

That's a first -- usually local officials don't decide until the morning of, leaving parents bleary-eyed watching the storm updates until late at night in a bid to anticipate if there's school the next day or not.

Storm Danas is moving across Guangdong, causing heavy rains and thunderstorms. This morning there was an amber rainstorm warning posted at 8.35am, which turned red, then back to amber at 10.40am, then back to red again two hours later.

"The active southwest monsoon to its south will generally affect the vicinity of the Pearl River Delta [on Thursday and Friday]. There will be torrential rain and squally thunderstorms over the area," The Observatory said.

It warned residents outside to seek safe shelter as soon as possible.

Hopefully there won't be too much flooding or severe damage in the next 24 hours, but it does sound like rain coming down in Biblical proportions...

Somewhat Crispy Tofu

Pan-frying tofu slices is a delicious way to get some protein

A dish we have on rotation for dinner is pan-fried tofu. I'm trying to get better at making it crispier, though I haven't resorted to using a mixture of potato flour and cornstarch yet.

We usually strain a medium-firm block of tofu by patting it dry, but I've read it's even better to press it down with weight for a few hours to squeeze out as much water as possible.

Tonight I hand pressed out a decent amount of liquid using paper towels before seasoning the tofu slices with salt and pepper.

In a cast-iron pan, we heated up the oil and then placed the tofu in there to sizzling effect. We let them fry for a few minutes until they turned golden brown and then flipped them to the other side; some might stick to the pan so best to use a combination of chopsticks and spatula to flip them.

If you're feeling ambitious, fry all six sides for a crispier finish. And for a garnish, chop some spring onion and throw them into the pan to cook with the tofu.

Dim Sum Restaurant Metropole to Close

So many dim sum options at Metropole in Admiralty

Every few days there's a story in the news that yet another eatery or restaurant chain has shuttered.

This time it's Metropole, a Chinese restaurant known for its dim sum trolleys that was in business for 35 years, but will close in September.

One of the last dim sum restaurant with trolleys

While it's a place not necessarily dear to my heart, it's where my relatives and I usually met up for Chinese New Year, or when relatives from out of town came to visit. 

The Admiralty location was convenient for most of us, right above the MTR station and near the bus stop, it catered to big groups, had a wide selection of dim sum and the prices were reasonable.

We wouldn't wait for the women pushing the dim sum trolleys to come to us -- we'd take our white card and hunt down food and bring it back to our table. 

Or we'd walk up to the middle of the restaurant, where they served dishes like radish cake and taro cake, "three fried stuffed treasures" of eggplant, peppers, and tofu, pig trotters cooked in vinegar with egg and ginger, and a dessert station that included tofu fa.

If har gao, chicken feet, spare ribs, char siu buns and spring rolls weren't enough, you could also order plates of fried noodles, congee and vegetables too.

Cheung represents the catering sector in Legco

In the end the total bill for a large table was relatively reasonable and we were all stuffed. 

An American friend living in Hong Kong wanted to know where to take visitors to have the trolley experience and I recommended Metropole. 

I warned him to make a reservation in advance because if you didn't, you'd be stuck waiting around for the next free table.

But when he went, the large restaurant was hardly full of diners.

And with people heading up north mostly on weekends to chow down on food at a fraction of Hong Kong prices, restaurants like Metropole are struggling to stay afloat, and it doesn't help that landlords aren't giving them a break on rent.

It's surprising that legislator Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, who represents the catering industry, has not raised concerns about the sector in the Legislative Council, or brought this issue to the attention of the Chief Executive and the Executive Council. 

The art of dim sum is fast disappearing in HK

And while the media has been reporting on each restaurant closing, no one has questioned the government on why it hasn't done more to save this industry, and in particular trying to help those who have lost their jobs to get the compensation they deserve.

What is particularly sad about Metropole is the amount of knowledge of producing dim sum disappearing. There are fewer and fewer people who know how to make har gao, char siu buns, steamed rice rolls and egg tarts.

Many restaurants use frozen dim sum made by factories in China because the labour is so expensive, or it's a way to cut costs. However, one can easily tell the difference between factory and handmade dim sum.

However, dim sum is practically synonymous with Hong Kong, considered a foodie city. So why is not more done to preserve this delicious piece of culinary heritage?

Metropole

4/F, United Centre

95 Queensway, Admiralty

852 2865 1988

 

Hardcore Whistler Race

Lost Lake was so scenic and peaceful as we watched the racers

I was in Whistler this past weekend to help my cousin with his race, specifically called Otillo Race where competitors have to run along a trail, swim across a lake and repeat until they reached the finish, wearing their wet suit, runners, googles and paddles throughout the entire course.

For the race at Whistler, there were three different categories: 

Whistler Experience is a total of 6.437km, with 1.45km swim and 4.989km run;

Whistler Sprint is a total of 17.059km, with 3.38km swim and 13.679km run;

Whistler World Series is a total of 38.302km, with 5.139km swim and 33.153km run.

Two competitors at the finish in gear

My cousin, attempting this for the first time chose the Whistler World Series and while he has been training in running, he didn't do much training specifically for this race because he was busy with work and looking after two boys.

He attempted swimming with his wet suit in open-water swimming in Vancouver, and tried running with his wet suit on to get used to the conditions. He said wearing light runners with holes made it easier to run.

Last night he tried to do a bit of carbo loading, eating some extra pizza slices.

This morning he started the race at 6am and very chilly -- jumping into the lake immediately woke him up.

A former Olympic swimmer, he was able to power through the swims, though in the trail runs he walked sections of it because he was tired. Nevertheless he seemed to do well time-wise.

We managed to catch him two-thirds of the way at Lost Lake Park. We saw him swim across the lake towards us and then get out of the water, have a quick water break and then continue on his race by foot.

By the end he managed to finish in under six hours, and placed ninth out of 17. The youngest competitor in this division was 21, the oldest 62.

Two competitors emerging from Lost Lake

Some competitors were tethered together, either two men or two women, or one man, and one woman; they have to do everything together tied together, while others, like my cousin, did it solo.

There were two men in their early 40s from Hong Kong who finished last in over seven hours, while the winner completed the course in just over four hours... 

My cousin also trained by running to Grouse Mountain and doing the Grouse Grind! 

Needless to say I think he's definitely caught the bug to do more ultra races. He says in marathons you are competing against everyone else on a paved surface, whereas ultra races are about completing the race, than the time.

He also said the trail was scenic. His first two swims were beautiful on the lake, with the early morning mist rising over the water before dissipating into the atmosphere...

Picture of the Day: Harvesting Peanuts

Mui Wo farmer holds bunch of fresh peanuts

A friend lives in Mui Wo, a rural town on the east coast of Lantau in Hong Kong. Every morning he walks around with his dog in a bid to avoid the midday heat.

He recently took several pictures and videos of his neighbourhood to show me.

Aside from showing off his new blue bicycle, the path he walked on was very clean, as in it was cleared of debris. Another was a doggy parlour, where the dogs posed post-spa/haircut to show them off.

And then one of the pictures showed a hand holding a bunch of peanuts that were harvested from the earth. 

It turns out Lantau is a good place to grow crops like rice, sweet potato, taro, red onions, and peanuts!

Peanuts are grown under the ground, similar to carrots.

When the peanuts are ready, they are harvested from the ground and then dried before they can be shelled by the consumer, or they are dried and then shelled before being sold or processed into products like peanut oil, peanut butter, or seasoned with salt to package into snack food.

Earthquake Prediction in Japan Scares HK Tourists

An earthquake prediction has scared HK tourists to Japan

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

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

The March 2011 prediction did come true

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

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

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

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

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

HK tourists plan travel to Japan after mid-July

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

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

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

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

Celebrating Canada

Carney greeted people in Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day

Happy 158th Birthday, Canada!

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

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

Canadian patriotism is on a high these days

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

Meanwhile today we celebrate immigrants who have since become Canadians.

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

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

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

A couple who make chilli sauce in Canada

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

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

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

Happy Canada Day. 

A Tale about a Cocktail Bun

Fluffy, and sweet cocktail buns in Chinatown

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

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

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

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

Photo of the Day: Summer Sunset

Tonight's sunset while driving along the Arthur Laing Bridge

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

Museum Celebrates Cantopop with Fundraiser

Museum CEO Melissa Lee addressed attendees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vancouver Mayor's Personal Gym is No More

Sim in the meeting room turned personal gym space last year

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

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

Wearing white sneakers at Remembrance Day

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

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

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

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

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

Sim's new serious mayoral look these days

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

Taste of the Philippines with Sisig Pizza

Encapsulating Filipino cuisine on a pizza with sisig and egg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just Pizza

1629 Kingsway

Vancouver, BC

604 566 8888

Keung To's Misadventure Brings More Questions

Keung reveals red scratches on his arms

Mirror band member Keung To is currently in Paris -- which experienced a massive rainstorm yesterday -- allowing him to escape further scrutiny following his accidental fall into the sea in Western district.

Before he left for the City of Lights for fashion week, Keung explained he had taken painkillers for a headache and drunk "a small amount" of alcohol before jogging along the waterfront.

He claimed he did not rely on alcohol to relieve stress, but rather exercise.

Keung says he's fine on his Instagram

"But I don't think these are the biggest factors [to my fall]. That goes to my own carelessness," Keung said.

The singer said he only realised he had fallen after hitting the water, and apologised for taking up public resources for his rescue.

At this point witnesses need to come forward to recall what exactly happened.

Surely Keung knew he shouldn't mix medication with alcohol... or he didn't? What a bizarre situation.

Some are peculating the stress of fame is hitting him hard, or if it's become more challenging for Mirror to stay relevant in Hong Kong, with more overseas stars coming to the city to perform or fans going elsewhere to attend concerts, and the local boyband doesn't have anything particularly new or interesting to give fans.

On Instagram he took a few pictures of himself in the mirror -- with scratches on his forearms and elbows, saying "I'm OK", while fans asked him to take care...

Mirror's Keung To Rescued After Falling into Sea

To thanks people for their concern

Is one of the hottest performers from the group Mirror OK? 

There were reports yesterday that Mirror fan favourite Keung To had accidentally fallen into Victoria Harbour in Western district, where he was apparently jogging along the harbourfront.

Hong Kong Police received a call at 4.36pm that a man had fallen into the water near the Western Wholesale Food Market. He was rescued and taken to the Central Government Pier on Man Fai Road and then transported by ambulance to Queen Mary Hospital for treatment.

He apparently fell into the water in Western

He was then moved to a private hospital, ostensibly for privacy.

Keung's manager posted a statement at 8.20pm on her Instagram on the star's behalf, saying: "It was just a small accident due to my own carelessness. I am OK, please don't worry. [I] hope there won't be any further speculation. [I'm] truly sorry for making everyone worried."

Mirror's management company, MakerVille, said in a statement that Keung felt dizzy while jogging by the sea in Sai Wan and became unwell.

"He was rescued when he regained consciousness," it said.

Keung is one of the 12 members of the group Mirror that became famous in 2018 following a ViuTV reality talent show.

We're puzzled as to how he accidentally fell in...

His ardent fans celebrate his birthday by buying giant billboard space and renting a tram and decking it out. 

As someone who used to walk along the waterfront especially around Western district almost daily, it's kind of hard to "accidentally" fall into the water as the whole waterfront has barriers to prevent people from getting into the water. One would have to actively climb over the fence to get in, and if he was dizzy, that would be hard to do...

Taipan Bakery, Inventor of Snowy Mooncakes Suddenly Shutters

Taipan Bread and Cakes invented snowy mooncakes in 1989

Taipan Bread and Cakes, most notable for inventing snowy mooncakes, has shuttered after 41 years in business.  

On its website 12 shops were listed across Hong Kong. 

12 shops shuttered, and 80 people are jobless

"Due to many unpredictable and irresistible shocks recently, our company regretfully announces that it will officially cease operations from [Tuesday]," a notice said on several chain branches.

"Thank you for your support and love for our company over the years. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

The sudden closure caught customers with memberships off guard, as some had coupons and could not use them.

"How could you have known? They all closed suddenly. Now, my coupons are nothing but out-of-print souvenirs," said a 68-year-old woman surnamed Lee, who had a Taipan membership.

Days before Taipan shuttered, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said on Facebook that the bakery owed salaries to its 80 staff, while landlords had taken the company to court for unpaid rent.  

The brand created chilled mochi mooncakes

The bakery was started by Kwok Hung-kwan in 1984 and became famous when it introduced snowy mooncakes, which were chilled, not baked, and covered with a mochi-like skin with various sweet fillings, like mango, red bean, and durian. At its peak, Taipan had 27 shops in Hong Kong.

Mainland Chinese media reported the son's owner supported the 2019 protests, which led to Taipan removing the snowy mooncakes from its stores across the border ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The brand was sold two years later to Vast Luck Group that was described by Wen Wei Po as "a Hong Kong brand that loves Hong Kong and the country." 

Unfortunately Hong Kong didn't love Taipan enough to keep it going...