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...

B.C. Ferries Political Kerfuffle

B.C. Ferries put out a tender for new vessels to be built

B.C. Ferries was in a lot of hot water for its vessels breaking down, causing not only delays but cancellations of sailings, leaving passengers stranded or waiting for hours... and hours... and hours.

It finally got a loan from the federal government to purchase new ferries and put out a tender to build four of them.

Earlier this month B.C. Ferries announced China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards had won the contract to build the four vessels, overseen by B.C. Ferries staff, while the sensitive IT equipment will be procured from Canada and installed by B.C. Ferries' personnel. 

Freeland asks why China is building the ferries

No Canadian companies bid for the job.

But that didn't stop politicians from loudly complaining.

First up was BC Transport Minister Mike Farnsworth, then his boss Premier David Eby, and then federal transport minister Chrystia Freeland weighed in as well, wondering why a Chinese company -- state-owned no less -- was building these ferries considering China has imposed "unjustified tariffs" on Canada.

She wrote a letter to Farnsworth expressing her "great consternation and disappointment" with the ferry operator.

"I am dismayed that B.C. Ferries would select a Chinese state-owned shipyard to build new ferries in the current geopolitical context," Freeland wrote.

"I am surprised that B.C. Ferries does not appear to have been mandated to require an appropriate level of Canadian content in the procurement or the involvement of the Canadian marine industry."

B.C. Ferries says no Canadian firms put in a bid

May we remind the politicians that there were no Canadian shipbuilding companies that put in a bid. None. Nada. Zip. 

And if B.C. Ferries had looked to Europe, it would have cost many times more.

B.C. Ferries defended its choice. 

Jeff Groot, executive director of communications with B.C. Ferries, said Weihai Shipyards was chosen following a rigorous and transparent procurement process.

"It was the strongest bid by a significant margin," he said in a statement.

He added Canadian companies have acquired around 100 vessels built at Chinese shipyards over the last decade.

Touche.

"Globally, only a few shipyards have the capacity to deliver complex passenger ferries on the timelines and budgets required."

With the tight budget B.C. Ferries has and the fact that it desperately needs new vessels as soon as possible, this is the best solution. In the meantime, by all means build up the Canadian shipbuilding industry, but really, it's hard to compete with China when it comes to price.

Steveston Treats

Fish and chips served in a cone at Pajo's 

Yesterday I was in Steveston, the southernmost tip of Richmond, and decided to check out Pajo's Fish & Chips, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was started by two women, Patricia Branch and Joan Wettlaufer in 1985, making battered fried fish from the catches made by Branch's husband Larry, who was a fisherman.

Since it was overcast and a weekday, I figured I should take the opportunity to check out Pajo's, as it's quite popular and there was no lineup.

Picnic tables have holes to place your cone

Located down on the waterfront, customers need to walk down the gangplank to the shop on the water. The menu is extensive, with fish and chips made from wild rock snapper, cod, sockeye salmon, and halibut, and burgers, tacos and hotdogs.

I got one piece of the cod and it was presented in a cone with fries at the bottom. At first I wondered how I was going to eat it when I quickly realised there were holes in the picnic tables for people to place their food! How ingenious.

However, when you're eating outside, you need to beware of others keen on having some of your food. I had two crows eyeing my fish and chips. They paced along the railing and at times came closer. I looked them in the eye and put an arm around my cone to show I wasn't sharing.

The fish was a thin fillet that was bland and under seasoned, though the batter created a thin casing around the cod. The fries underneath were a bit on the soggy side, but again appreciated they weren't too salty.

Another cone... of ice cream!

For dessert I headed to Sally's Homemade Ice Cream and had a scoop of the passionfruit sorbet, a deep golden colour and tasted slightly tart and not sweet. As I was eating my ice cream cone, one local came for ice cream and admitted he was swinging by there twice a day!

Jimmy O. Yang the Greatest Influencer for HK

Yang is enjoying the view and raking in the dough in HK

The Hong Kong Tourism Board pretty much hit the jackpot when it invited Chinese-American comedian and actor Jimmy O. Yang to come to the city to perform and see the sights.

People were madly scrambling for tickets to his five shows -- at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom -- but the website kept crashing but somehow all the seats were snapped up.

Only Cantopop stars get to perform at the Coliseum, but Yang was the exception -- as he was invited by HKTB and by extension, the Hong Kong government.

He had five sold out shows in the Coliseum

While he was in his hometown, Yang visited the sights, like Man Mo Temple, and hung out in cha chaan tengs, ate stinky tofu on the street, showed viewers how to eat chicken feet, got a chop made in the lane in Sheung Wan, and even went to Chow Sang Sang's original Castle Peak Road store where he checked out their gold necklaces and apparently bought some bling bling.

"I spent my childhood in Hong Kong and have always felt the city's unique vibrancy. It's a place where tradition and innovation merge, allowing you to traverse between a century of culture and natural beauty in a single day. Every journey is full of surprises, revealing Hong Kong's diverse urban landscape," he said.

Sounds more like that's what the HKTB wrote his script.

Which makes us more curious about how much he was paid to perform and visit some requisite places to promote Hong Kong as a cool travel destination. From his video it looks like he stayed at The Peninsula...

Yang visited Man Mo Temple

With over 2.46 million fans following Yang on Instagram, the HKTB certainly got a lot of eyeballs on Hong Kong and it's a natural fit really. 

But since they figured it out, does he know he lost a lot of Hong Kong fans' respect after selling out?

The tourism board invited 650 KOLs or "key opinion leaders" in the first quarter of 2025, more than the total for all of last year. But that's not all. There will be another campaign called "Seeing is Believing", where Hong Kong will invite more than 100 international influencers in July and August.

Bringing in KOLs seems to be working. In the first four months of this year, Hong Kong welcomed 16 million international visitors, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year.

Man Arrested in Stealing Second-Hand Luxury Goods

The alleged thief was caught in Bangkok, and sent back to HK

When the economy is faltering, there are criminals who turn to stealing to make some money.

Robberies in Hong Kong are rare, and if they happen it's usually in jewellery stores. But recently one thief got creative and hit a store selling second-hand luxury goods.

Some of the 14 stolen Hermes handbags

On Wednesday a mainland Chinese man entered a shop on Hart Avenue in Tsim Sha Tsui where he allegedly rendered a female store employee unconscious and tied her up. 

He then allegedly made off with 14 pre-owned Hermes bags, a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, and two mobile phones totalling almost HK$3 million (US$382,170).

One wonders how he managed to carry 14 Hermes bags outside on the street without attracting attention.

The robber then fled to Bangkok and was held in custody by the Thai authorities before he was sent back to Hong Kong. Most of the stolen goods were recovered. 

This is not the first time a store selling pre-loved luxury items was robbed.

In November last year, thieves broke into a shop selling consigned luxury brand goods in a grade A office building in Central. They stole 66 Hermes handbags worth a total of HK$10 million in five minutes.

Last November HK$10M in goods was stolen

The store had to compensate all the clients whose bags were consigned were either stolen or damaged.

While selling second-hand luxury goods is a good business, the threat of thieves stealing expensive merchandise is not for the faint-hearted. 

Summer's Time for Ice Cream

Strawberry ice cream is the taste of summer

The official start to summer is this Saturday but it's already that time of year when people start eating ice cream.

Last night after a friend and I had dinner, her husband picked us up and immediately made a beeline for Earnest Ice Cream, a well-known local ice cream brand started in 2012.

So many flavours, it's hard to choose

At first we swung by its Quebec Street location and saw the queue went around the block -- we promptly headed to the original location on Fraser Street. There was a line there too, but not as long, and it actually went quickly.

I hadn't been to Earnest Ice Cream for years, the last time was before the pandemic!

Everyone, like us, was there to have a sweet dessert before going home. 

The flavours they had included: whiskey hazelnut, cookies & cream, London fog, Tahitian vanilla, matcha green tea, lavender shortbread and birthday cake.

When we got to the front of the line, I had a spoonful of the cream cheese flavour to try. While it was tangy, it was also quite rich, and couldn't possibly finish a whole scoop of it.

I opted for strawberry on a waffle cone; my friend had London fog, and her husband had baklava and another flavour I can't remember.

Yes it really is seriously good

It seems the scoop size you get depends on the server scooping them for you -- it appeared some people had smaller scoops than others. Luckily ours was a decent portion! 

As we ate our ice creams inside, the line outside eventually disappeared and it was 10pm, closing time. 

Paying for the Privilege of the Beach

Spanish Banks was last beach in Vancouver with free parking

Summer is just around the corner, but to enjoy the beach at Spanish Banks, it's going to cost more to park there.

The Vancouver Park Board passed a motion go make paid parking a permanent fixture at the west side beach -- and to raise the rate to C$1.50 per hour from C$1 per hour.

The motion came about after the pilot project, which ran from July 2024 to May 2025, and brought in C$168,000 in revenue.

Permanent parking fee at C$1.50 an hour now

But not everyone is happy, because when the pilot was implemented last year, a petition collected over 4,000 signatures.

Spanish Banks was the last beach in Vancouver to have free parking, but it looks like the city is anxious to make as much money as possible.

Jas Virdi was one of two park board commissioners who voted against the motion.

"This was that one last place in Vancouver that everyone could enjoy," he said during the meeting. "It was very low barrier, it was a place for families to come out and enjoy it for free. And there's not much that's free for children and our seniors these days."

But Commissioner Tom Digby defended the motion, saying maintaining public spaces comes at a cost.

"I have to emphasise, it's so expensive to run any park," he said. "We have spent C$1 million last year putting in a water pipeline so Spanish Banks west could have flush toilets and have showers."

This may deter people from coming to the beach

It's also a way to stop people from parking their cars overnight, as some homeless people who live in their cars have done before the parking pilot last year.

It's a tough call, but surely the rate could be a bit cheaper? As a child I remember we enjoyed spending time at the beach from the early afternoon until early evening, several hours making sandcastles, wandering by the water's edge looking for shells, and eating food we brought in coolers before going home. 

Parking will now be an added cost that could deter people from coming, or stay for a shorter time. It's also sad when you remember how things used to be before, and how times have changed. 

The city is going through an adjustment period with so much construction, roadworks and now metered parking installed everywhere. For long-time Vancouverites, it's an adjustment that can be hard to adapt to.

Review: All Our Ordinary Stories

Wong examines her relationships with her parents

Many second-generation Chinese-Canadians or Americans feel a cultural and generational gap between themselves and their parents. Some children are the family translator for documents to doctor appointments, have difficulty communicating because they don't have a strong grasp of their parents' native tongue or culture.

These observations are captured in Teresa Wong's All Our Ordinary Stories, where she attempts to be closer to her parents by trying to understand their hardships and values. However she feels hampered by her elementary Cantonese skills, only knowing words for physical objects and not feelings or thoughts.

The graphic novel is relatable

The graphic novel opens with Wong coming to terms with her mother's stroke, and her father expecting his daughter to take on the caregiver role. Despite Wong's simplistic drawings, they clearly convey emotions and the reader immediately becomes vested in the story she is telling.

Wong delves into her childhood, having to translate everything for her parents, whose education level was stunted by the upheavals of the Cultural Revolution, some of the most fraught passages in the book.

As youths, her parents separately swam from China to Hong Kong, a perilous journey attempted by an estimated tens of thousands of people, but only a fraction made it alive. 

When Wong asks her mother to tell her more about her escape, her mother tells her it was "ordinary", that everyone she knew swam too.

It is this pragmatic attitude of wanting to move on with their lives that is a cultural and age gap that Wong encounters with her parents, or is it not wanting to be re-traumatised? Wong can't tell which it is.

She finally gets some insight into her parents' previous lives when visiting China with them, watching how they interact with relatives and friends, though she still feels held back by her inability to fully comprehend their conversations.

Her stories resonate with immigrants

Not only did her parents make the leap of faith to come to Canada, it turns out her great grandfather did as well back in 1912, who went back to China three times, making the long journey by boat to get married and have children. Not only did he have to work hard to pay off the C$500 headtax, but also was separated from his family for decades because of the 1923 Exclusion Act.

In All Our Ordinary Stories, the reader can see how much thought Wong has put into crafting her graphic novel, in how she tells it through the drawings and words. And in some ways her stories are relatable to many immigrant families, with the parents -- and in the case of Wong's great grandfather -- trying to carve out a better life for themselves and their progeny.

While Wong may not be able to get the full story of her parents' lives and get to know them the way she hoped she would, this book is proof that she has tried very hard to appreciate what they have done.

All Our Ordinary Stories may seem like a graphic novel about identifying as Chinese, it is a Canadian story about taking the risk of establishing roots in a new country.

The Last Pavlova of Summer

The pavlova is the signature summer dessert

This afternoon I happened to have dim sum a stone's throw away from Sweet e's Darling Desserts, which had its last day today. The landlord did not renew their lease.

On Instagram yesterday and this morning they posted that they would only be selling its famous pavlovas from 1pm onwards, first come, first served.

As I came out of the dim sum restaurant about 12.45pm, I saw a queue in front of the bakery, and a friend from Pilates class waving her hand at me. She was at the back of the line so I joined her.

She told me she had tried to order the pavlova last week for today, Father's Day, but they refused to take her request. She was particularly annoyed as she knows the two sisters who own Sweet e's from since they were kids. "If I don't get a pavlova I'm going to get very mad at them," she said, and I told her I was keen to watch this interaction.

Waiting in line to get into the shop

Finally when 1pm rolled around, customers went into the shop one party at a time, and soon the pavlovas in the refrigerated showcase were gone. Each time someone came out with a white box, they would say, "They're making more in the back, you're fine."

My friend told me Sweet e's' pavlova is the best -- I told her I'd actually never eaten it before, as my mother makes a pretty good meringue shell which she fills the base with freshly whipped cream and then mixed fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and mango. But since this was the last day to get one from Sweet e's (until they find another location), I had to try it at least once.

Meanwhile I told her the mousse cakes were the best -- in particular lemon, or raspberry. So light, fluffy and refreshing.

After about 20 minutes my friend and I were at the front of the line and walked into the store. She walked straight into the kitchen and got her request fulfilled of getting an 8-inch pavlova, while I ordered a 4-inch one. Mine was almost complete, if I waited another 15 minutes.

Every subsequent customer who came in mourned the fact the shop was closing, and when they were told they would have to wait 30 minutes, 40 minutes for their pavlova, they were very happy to, and made sure they paid before they left and returned for their dessert before 5pm.

Finally mine was ready to go -- good enough for three of us to have a bite of to try.

And indeed it was light, airy, a touch sweeter than my mother's meringue, but for a store-bought pavlova it was delicious. The fresh cream was a delight, and it was topped with sliced strawberries and mango. 

Glad I had a chance to try the bakery's signature summer dessert. And am already looking forward to Sweet e's opening somewhere else (hopefully nearby!) in the next few months.

Picture of the Day: Signboard Directions

Is that signboard reading out minds?

When I was downtown earlier this week for lunch, this signboard caught my eye.

"You don't need an inspirational quote. You need chocolate and coffee."

Usually those quotes are fun to ponder or inspire, but this one just gets straight to the point.

Mink Chocolates focuses mostly on chocolate, but it also has coffee, hot chocolate, chocolate fondue... 

Review: Shall We Dance?

Light-hearted Japanese comedy with lots of dancing 

Many years ago in Hong Kong, my friend YTSL suggested I watch a 1996 Japanese film called Shall We Dance? and I remembered it was funny. Fast forward to today and saw it was being shown in Vancouver so I went to rewatch it and there were so many details I had forgotten!

A Japanese salaryman, Shohei Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho) has just bought a house in the suburbs with his wife and teenage daughter, but he feels his life is missing something. On the train on the way home, he looks up to see a beautiful woman looking out the window of a dance studio.

A funny cast of characters with their own stories

Sugiyama works up the courage to go there and inquire about lessons; she is Mai Kishikawa (Tamiyo Kusakari), who turns out to be a professional competitive dancer, though he begins taking group lessons from an older, kindly woman.

Comedy ensues with the two other male students, and Sugiyama discovers his colleague from work has an alter ego on the dance floor, particularly when it comes to Latin dance.

But Sugiyama gets the hang of dancing and begins to enjoy it immensely -- but doesn't dare tell his wife and daughter. However, his wife gets suspicious when she smells perfume on his clothes and hires a private detective to find out what's going on...

The name of the film takes the line from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I in the film adaptation starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.

I had forgotten how amusing the various characters were, from the dance classmates, Sugiyama's colleague, and the bitchy Toyoko Tanaka (Eriko Watanabe), who seems to see through everyone.

Secretly practicing in the office bathroom

And it turns out every character also has a story to tell about why they became obsessed with dance, some delivering monologues that further reveal their personality and motivation to dramatic effect.

The light-hearted film gives a nice introduction to the world of ballroom dancing, the culture and what it takes to compete. Even Mai learns more about herself, coming to terms with her mistakes in the past.

The main message of Shall We Dance? is to not be afraid to demonstrate your passion for something, because that will make you happy. 

Even though the film is almost 30 years old, it has aged well (OK apart from few big shoulder pads). 

Shall We Dance?

Directed by Masayuki Suo

1996

136 mins

Chretien's Words of Advice Dealing with Trump

Chretien says world leaders should ignore Trump's "crazy"

The G7 Summit will be held from June 15-17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, and a convicted felon by the name of US President Donald Trump will be attending.

Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien has some words of advice for not only current PM Mark Carney, but also other world leaders attending -- don't engage with the "crazy" from Trump.

Speaking at a conference in Calgary on Thursday, Chretien said leaders can't predict what the American president will do. Chretien said Trump can be a bully and it would be best if the other G7 leaders ignored his outbursts.

Carney had a relatively smooth visit with Trump

"If he has decided to make a show to be in the news, he will do something crazy," Chretien warned.

"Let him do it, and keep talking normally."

He cited the example of how Carney handled Trump during his visit to the White House last month.

"When Trump talked about Canada to be part of the United States, [Carney] just said, 'Canada is not for sale, the White House is not for sale, Buckingham Palace is not for sale," Chretien said.

"Trump said, 'Never say never,' [but Carney] didn't even reply. He just moved on with the discussion. It's the way to handle that."

On Sunday, leaders from France, Germany, Japan the United Kingdom, Italy and the European Union will be attending, as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Fresh Graduates Struggling to Find Jobs

They are happy to graduate, but many grads don't have jobs 

I'm not envious of university graduates trying to find a job now.

Many in the Gen Z cohort interviewed by the media have said they have not found work yet, and add they have applied to over 100 jobs with no response.

"It's disheartening," said Thivian Varnacumaaran, an electrical engineering student in his final year at York University. He estimates he's applied for 400 to 500 jobs since December and not one job prospect.

Aside from the pandemic, young Canadians aged 15-24 are facing the highest unemployment rate since the mid-1990s of over 10 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to Statistics Canada.

Mid-1990s -- interestingly is when I graduated... and headed straight to Hong Kong.

But now there are other factors in play: post-pandemic businesses have had to cope with fewer staff; a surge in population with fewer jobs available; and thanks to US President Donald Trump where his announcements are unpredictable and arbitrary when it comes to tariffs, Canada's economy is weakening and could fall into recession.

Young graduates not being able to get their foot in the jobs door is not a good sign of things to come, according to one academic.

"It's kind of an early warning indicator," said Tricia Williams, director of research at Future Skills Centre, a Toronto Metropolitan University lab dedicated to studying the future of work.

"It's not just about getting jobs and skills experience. It's about the larger structural supports and the environment that young people are coming into."

In other words, with fewer entry-level jobs available, they are unable to learn things like work ethic, adapting to corporate culture and office politics early in their careers.

And it's not like young people can just go somewhere else to work -- Trump's threats of tariffs all over the world are affecting everyone.

One pointer to try to get some kind of interview is to network -- ask their parents, relatives and friends' parents for contacts or some kind of introduction, so that if a space does open up, they could have a better chance of getting it.

The other is to just be open to doing almost any kind of work just to keep busy, build up service and communication skills. 

Hopefully these kids won't give up and will keep trying to break into the job market. We need them! 

Quote of the Day: John Lee Ka-Chiu's Dating Analogy

Lee is keen on "attracting girls" to find countries to trade with

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has again used the analogy of attracting girls when talking about finding economies that are mutually attractive. And the city is specifically eyeing Southeast Asia.

"It's like me chasing a girl -- you have to ensure there's some kind of attraction between us. So I think Asean is our second-largest partner after the mainland the mutual attraction is already there -- strengthen it," he told a media outlet.

In continuing the analogy, the newspaper's managing editor suggested that girls' families may be focused on preventing such relationships, a veiled reference to the US trade turmoil.

"But there are a lot of girls," Lee said, adding there were many options including the Middle East. "We've already decided to not just singly focus on the US market."

The dating analogy was used last June when Lee said attracting large-scale events to Hong Kong was like "chasing good women."

Meanwhile the labour chief said in March that talent matching efforts were compared to dating.

Even the justice chief has said that national security education was an ongoing process, comparable to how one treats their spouse beyond Valentine's Day.

Quite the curious analogy... perhaps the Lee administration thinks dumbing down policy makes it easier for everyone to understand the need to find a good match to do business?

Hong Kong has a Piano Star

Sham (centre), with Ozel of the US (left), and Starikov of Israel

Over the weekend, 29-year-old Aristo Sham Ching-tao was awarded first prize in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Forth Worth, Texas, the first time a Hongkonger has won this prestigious event.

He and 27 other competitors from 15 countries went through four gruelling rounds over two-and-a-half weeks. Vitaly Starikov of Israel won silver, and Evren Ozel of the United States was handed bronze.

The competition is held every four years and the Van Cliburn competition has an age limit of 30, so Sham is very lucky to win it this year.

Lee hopes to get Sham to perform in Hong Kong

Sham's award of a gold medal comes with a cash prize of US$100,000, international concert tours, a live album recording contract, career management support, and his performance wardrobe supplied by Neiman Marcus.

After news of Sham's win, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government would work hard to arrange for the pianist to perform in the city.

"If Aristo will find time to make a few performances in Hong Kong, it will really get us even more excited," he said. 

"We will work hard to see whether we can make it happen."

Looking at his website, the last time Sham performed in Hong Kong was in December, and before that September... perhaps the government could swing a concert or two soon?

Manifesting Greatness on a Piece of Paper

Gauff wins the French Open, her second Grand Slam title

Some people, mostly women, suffer from imposter syndrome. They have an unfounded self-doubt, that they somehow bluffed their way into the good jobs they have, or are terrified they are going to be found out to be a fraud.

But they have to be told over and over that no, they really are qualified for the positions they have, and they are doing a good job.

Gauff wrote down her affirmation

And then there are the dreamers who have goals they want to achieve.

These days millennials and Gen Z believe in manifesting these aspirations. That means thinking about it and believing in it.

And for tennis ace Coco Gauff, who just won the women's French Open this weekend, it meant literally writing it down.

She took her cue from Gabby Thomas, who won gold in the Olympic 200 metres last year in Paris. Thomas had written down that she would be the Olympic champion in the 200 metres in her Notes app.

"I wrote, 'I will be French Open champion 2025' like a bunch of times," Gauff explained. "She [Thomas] wrote 'I will be the Olympic champion' and she ended up winning the gold. I think it's a great mindset that she had." 

And it worked for Gauff too. She defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4.

Not only did Gauff write that line down eight times, but also convinced herself in the mirror she could do it. 

Gauff followed Thomas' winning method

"Looking at myself in the mirror so I was trying to instil that belief, and obviously it happened. I didn't know if it was going to work or not. [But] it did," Gauff said, then laughed and added: "When you're desperate, you're just trying anything to think that it's going to help you win."

Hey -- whatever works.

And the rest of us also need to write down our affirmations. When you see it written down, it's real. It's not just in your head.