Wong's Fairytale Run at the US Open Comes to an End

Wong has proved to himself he can play against top players

Coleman Wong Chak-lam's run at the US Open sadly came to an end today, but not without putting up a fight against world No. 15 Russian Andrey Rublev in a five-set thriller, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre's Grandstand court.

The match, which lasted more than three hours, saw Wong take the first and fourth sets, and serve a total of 25 aces. The 21-year-old is pleased with how he has improved significantly.

Rublev (left) said Wong played with no fear

"I'm getting closer, and I've proved to myself that I can do it," Wong said of wanting to break into the top 100. "I need to keep believing. I can see that I have the potential and I can scare the big guys.

"I believe in myself more now. I was still in Challengers, and now I'm in the US Open third round, almost beating a tough top 20 player, going five sets with them. It means I'm capable of pushing them all the way."

Rublev was gracious towards his Hong Kong opponent, ranked No. 173.

"It was a tough match, he played really well," said Rublev on the court afterwards. "He played aggressively and with no fear, it was tough. I didn't start well, he was all over me and I needed to fight for every ball to turn it around.

"He was fighting until the end in the last game. I'm happy I was able to win and get to the next round."

Indeed. Rublev will be facing Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who stunned world No. 3 Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Wong hopes to break into the top 100 rankings

In the meantime, Wong will return to Hong Kong to play in a Davis Cup match against Uzbekistan next month.

He'll probably have a hero's welcome back and a lot of Hongkongers excited to watch him play. We've got Olympic swimmer Siobhan Haughey, fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long, and now tennis phenom Wong.

Wong has put Hong Kong on the map in tennis and definitely one to watch!

Latest Scam: Woman Left with HK$80K Restaurant Bill

The "date" was at Man Wah in the Mandarin Oriental

Women in Hong Kong have another thing to worry about when going on dates -- their suitor may leave them on the hook for a very expensive meal.

In the case of one woman, she was left to pay the restaurant bill of over HK$80,000 (US$10,264) at the Chinese restaurant Man Wah in the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong when her date claimed towards the end of the meal that he had to go to the washroom and never came back.

Really expensive champagne

Why was it so expensive? They had ordered the set meal of HK$2,388 each, featuring dishes like braised bird's nest, abalone, M9 wagyu, and steamed grouper.

But then the man, purporting to be a 26-year-old lawyer, chose a HK$71,800 bottle of Krug Clos d'Ambonnay champagne. The total cost of the mean was HK$84,453.

The woman had met the man on the Telegram messaging app a year ago and they arranged the date on Thursday at Man Wah.

When he didn't come back from the washroom, she called him several times but was not able to reach him and she had to ask friends to help her foot the massive bill and eventually filed a police report the next day.

The police arrested a 23-year-old man surnamed Wong in Tseung Kwan O for allegedly obtaining property by deception on Friday and seized the clothes he had worn the night of the date.

He's not the only guy who has done this version of "dine-and-dash" -- last month the police arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly impersonated a firefighter on dating apps and apparently tricked three women into paying for lavish meals totalling HK$3,800 before running off.

But this latest scam of picking probably the most expensive bottle on the wine list is absolutely outrageous!

Tennis Phenom Coleman Wong Blazing Trails in US Open

Wong is enjoying his ride into the third round of the US Open

The US Open has started and already Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko was eliminated in the first round.

But there's another dark horse to cheer for -- 21-year-old Coleman Wong Chak-lam.

The Hongkonger has made history not only to qualify for the US Open, but to also to be the first to make it to the third round!

Bruce Wong (far left) is so proud of his son

Earlier today the world No. 173 Wong upset No. 85-ranked Australian Adam Walton 7-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in three hours.

There were huge cheers for Wong when the match ended, and he looked in disbelief that he has made it this far.

"I'm swinging it, I'm feeling good," Wong said with a big smile. "This is my first main draw, first best of five, first everything. For me, for Hong Kong, for my team, everything is very new, so, no pressure.

"This is something that I dreamed of. For every tennis player, to keep going in a slam, it's one of the biggest tournaments in the world. So, at the moment, I'm still digesting, I still need to calm down, but I'm really happy."

After the match he used his coach's phone to call his parents to come to New York to watch him play this weekend. His father Bruce is a primary school headmaster, and his wife a teacher, both busy gearing up for the school year that starts on Monday.

Wong will meet No. 15 Rublev in the next match

Bruce Wong told RTHK he didn't have high expectations for his son, but him making it into the third round has made the family proud.

"It was really unbelievable for most of the Hong Kong people, like myself. Of course we're very happy, not only because of the result but the performance," the father said.

"In these few months, there were so many ups and downs, a lot of struggles. We're so happy we can see some good results at this moment."

Wong, who trains at Rafael Nadal's tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain, will next meet Russian Andrey Rublev, ranked No. 15.

"For me, I just want to go out there, enjoy, and I'm in the third round of the US Open, so I don't need to think so much," Wong said. "I just want to go out, enjoy the atmosphere, feel the vibe, and... stay as long as I can, because this is tough. Everyone is so good, everyone is so tough to play, so this means a lot to me."

Wong has an awesome attitude about being in this major tennis tournament -- relishing every moment, and trying not to put too much pressure on himself. He is the underdog, but at the same time totally blazing trails and giving Hongkongers someone to be proud of on the world stage.

WhyteCliff Park a Gem in Howe Sound

Whytecliff Park is a gem of a place... if you're in West Van

Yesterday after a lunch of Vietnamese food to refuel from climbing up the Grouse Grind, we headed further west to Whytecliff Park, a small inlet in Howe Sound that has a beach (a rocky one, not sandy), where people sunbathe, go into the water and snorkel, or check out some sea lions frolicking in the water.

The park opened in 1909 and is apparently home to more than 200 marine animal species. Whytecliff Park is also one of the first Marine Protected Areas in Canada.

The water is relatively clear with marine life

We wandered along the shoreline, and on the east side it juts out to an island that can be accessed during low tide. We happened to be there during low tide and one of the tide pools had two giant purple starfish! 

Then we clambered onto the island and admired the panoramic views of Howe Sound, and could see Gibsons across the water (a 20-minute ferry ride away) on the Sunshine Coast. We managed to spot a sea lion poking his head above the water, and a heron standing on a rock.

The children we were with hand fun looking for tiny crabs that were hidden under barnacle-covered rocks; the crabs would flee to anywhere moist otherwise they would bake in the sun. One even found a live crab far from the shoreline and carefully brought it to the water in the hopes that it would be OK.

What a lovely place to visit! As my cousin who took us here said, one needs to take advantage of beautiful places like this (aside from paying for parking), as Vancouver is so expensive to live in!

Two purple starfish were spotted in a tide pool

It's also quite far -- about an hour away by car, but definitely a memorable visit on a gorgeous sunny day.

Hiking Up the Grouse Grind

The morning light on the Grouse Grind

After many many years, we did the Grouse Grind again. One can't consider themselves a Vancouverite if they haven't done the Grouse Grind. Some people do this monthly, weekly and even daily! I can't imagine doing it so often!

My young nephews had done it recently so it was something I wanted to try again, just not on my own!

Endless wooden stairs along the 2.9km trail

We went very early this morning, arriving just after 8am and started around 8.22am. We wanted to avoid the heat and it was good that not many people were there either. However, soon after we started, I found the trail tough, as I was not used to going up so many stairs, and huffed and puffed my way up. 

The 2.9km trail is divided into 40 sections, and every quarter of the way there was an AED, or automated external defibrillator kit attached to a tree in case someone needed it! We took breaks along the way, and at the halfway point I ate a power bar and immediately felt better -- I needed that extra energy and water. I drank a lot of water!

I wasn't the only person struggling, others were too, and some were regulars who had the Grouse Grind pass around their necks. They were impressed the kids were going up so fast and hardly breaking a sweat!

My face was so red -- but I told my relatives that it also gets red after a 5K run -- so this was normal. Boy was I so relieved when I saw the clearing towards the top and the sound of the gondola meant I was near the end! I rounded up the rear and not including all the breaks, made it in 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Stunning views of Vancouver below

Thankfully there was a water station up at the top as well as washrooms, and you could buy snacks to refuel. 

Since we were up there we did a quick walk around and saw the Grizzly Bear habitat. We saw one bear, around 24 years old, who has lived up there for over 20 years. I had no idea Grouse Mountain had this area for two Grizzlies. The one we saw was cooling off in the small pond, humans staring at him in his enclosure protected with an electric fence. The bear was neutered to keep his testosterone in check.

There's also a lumberjack demonstration, where they throw axes, climb up a tall tree pole, and walk on logs in the water, but we were too early for the first show.

As we walked back a girl flew over us on a zipline which looked exciting and terrifying at the same time!

A Grizzly cooling off in the water

We took the Blue Grouse Gondola down, which costs $20 for adults, $10 for children. That was fun in itself, and much faster than the old school gondola which is still running on another track!

Don't think I'll be doing the Grouse Grind anytime soon, but now I understand why so many people do the Stairmaster machine at the gym!

Picture of the Day: Steamed Crab and Pork Patty

Steamed pork patty surrounded by crab legs

Tonight we went out for dinner at Golden Paramount Seafood Restaurant in Richmond and had some staple dishes, like winter melon soup, crispy chicken, sweet and sour pork, and steamed fish. They were all very good, perfectly cooked. 

The winter melon soup was perfect for today, which reached a high of 27 degrees.

We also ordered steamed crab -- with pork patty cooked together with the chopped up crab.

One of our friends at the table had seen this combination on a TV cooking show in Hong Kong where a top chef made it, and it looked so delicious that they asked the Golden Paramount manager if this could be done for us.

My picture is of the dish half eaten, but you can see the pork patty has soaked up the sweet juices of the fresh crab meat. 

Will we see this variation in other Chinese restaurants around town? Very high chance. 

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Luckily nets prevented foul balls from landing on us!

Today I finally went to my first baseball game at Nat Bailey Stadium, watching the Vancouver Canadians against the Tri-City Dust Devils.

The main issue was heat and we slathered on sunscreen before we left and armed ourselves with wide-brimmed hats.

Our next challenge was finding parking, and we managed to get a spot over a block away which wasn't too bad. For easy security checks, no large handbags allowed, unless they were see-through tote bags and indeed a few women did have see-through vinyl bags. 

A sushi roll, wasabi and soy sauce run a race...

We had a spare 15 minutes to get a baseball cap ($35), two bratwurst hotdogs, a Gatorade, double fried fries and a large bag of popcorn.

Our seats were a few rows behind the plate, but right in the sun. Our hats weren't enough to save us from the heat...

Two girls did a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner in harmony, followed by O Canada. And right at 1.05pm, the game started.

It wasn't until the fourth inning when the Canadians got two home runs, but then the Tri-City Devils caught up quickly in the fifth, making it 2-2.

We couldn't take the heat anymore and moved up to the covered area which helped us cool down immensely. However the sun began creeping up to our knees... the people in front of us moved to find other seating. Eventually we moved one or two rows up too.

In the sixth inning the Canadians got two more home runs to make it 4-2. The Devils had a time-out conferring what to do, and changed their pitchers four or five times halfway through the game.

Finally the Canadians were able to get in one more home run, and hold off the Devils from scoring any to make it 4-3 in the final score.

Ruck and Broderick were at last night's game

Halfway through the game there was a race between a sushi roll, a clump of green wasabi, a Kikkoman soy sauce bottle, and two Kikkoman boxes? ran around the bases. There was also a 50-50 lucky draw and apparently the guy sitting next to me won over $3,600!

There was also the chicken dance which my nephew jumped up and danced to with a big grin on his face.

When the game ended we were exhausted and dehydrated. We went to Granville Island, and I quickly finished a cold fruit ice tea drink, and half an ice tea lemonade!

Fun experience but wow very exhausting in the heat! Next time an evening game!

Turns out last night actors Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck, who starred in the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off were at the Canadians game and sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Berry Good Deal

White Spot restaurant has a great deal this summer -- The Blueberry Bundle.

For $20 you get a side of green salad or Caesar salad, a Legendary burger and a blueberry pie made from blueberries from a farm in Maple Ridge.

The highlight is the dessert. While it's not exactly a baked pie, it's really a lot of fresh blueberries marinated in a light sugar syrup and placed in a pastry cup, topped with whipped cream.

The deal is so good I've had it twice in one month!

Hongkonger Makes into the Main Draw at US Open

Wong is the first Hongkonger in the main draw at US Open

When the US Open starts this weekend, it will be very interesting to watch, not just the debut of Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko, fresh off her win at the National Bank Open in Montreal, but also the first Hongkonger to reach the main draw of the American tennis tournament.

Coleman Wong Chak-lam, 21, beat Brit Billy Harris 6-3, 6-4 to qualify for the US Open.

"At the moment I don't know what I'm thinking," Wong said immediately after his historic win. "It was tough last night. I didn't sleep the best knowing how close I was.

Wong (left) won US Open boys doubles in 2021

"I know I have the level, and I know I just need to be calm and to play my game. I'm in the main draw and I want to go for more."

In the first round Wong may encounter the likes of Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, or Andrey Rublev in the first round that starts on Sunday.

It won't be Wong's first rodeo, as he won the boys' doubles championship in 2021. 

Nevertheless, according to the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, Ip Koon Hung was the last player from Hong Kong to compete in the main draw of the men's singles at the US Open back in 1947.

Ip and another man, Edward Tsai both representing Hong Kong have ever reached a tennis major in the Open era -- most recently in 1954.

Ip was the first when he played at Wimbledon in 1951, and did it again the following year.

Meanwhile Tsai managed to reach the second round in 1953 and 1954, the last time a Hongkonger appeared at a slam.

Handing Out Cash in a Potato Chip Bag

Greco (right) handed a potato chip bag with cash to a reporter

A long time advisor to New York City mayor Eric Adams has been suspended from his re-election campaign after she gave cash in an empty potato chip bag to a journalist. For the record it was sour cream and onion flavoured chips.

Winnie Greco, who is ethnic Chinese, met up with The City's Katie Honan at Whole Foods, where Greco at first offered her the chip bag as a snack. According to Honan, she refused, but Greco insisted she keep it, and then the two parted ways.

When Honan got to the subway station, she looked inside and saw that there was a red envelope stuffed with cash -- one $100 bill and several $20 bills.

The red envelope was stuffed with over US$100

She freaked out and called her editor, and then tried to call Greco back, telling her could not take the money and had to return it. But Greco claimed she was not in the area anymore.

The City promptly reported what happened to the city's Department of Investigation, and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn contacted the newspaper's lawyers.

In response, Adams' campaign spokesman, Todd Shapiro said, "We are shocked by these reports," and added "Winnie Greco holds no position in this campaign and has been suspended from all volunteer-related activities."

But it was Greco's lawyer, Steven Brill, who had to somehow spin the narrative to explain the red envelope that made the situation even worse.

He claimed it was common in Chinese culture to give cash to reporters "in a gesture of friendship and gratitude."

"I grant you this looks odd," Brill said. "But I assure you that Winnie's intent was purely innocent."

Honan doesn't know why Greco gave her money

He said her attempt to give money to the reporter might have been "misconstrued" and that she is "apologetic and embarrassed."

Does anyone actually buy this apparent explanation?

The reporter Honan, who covers City Hall, was asked by the CBC if she knew why Greco gave her the money and Honan said she didn't know why.

But the way Brill explains it as a cultural thing just looks terrible, and it also makes it look like all ethnic Chinese reporters accept red envelopes!

For the record no one in Hong Kong gives lai see in Cantonese or hong bao in Mandarin to reporters. It is absolutely forbidden.

However on the Chinese mainland, this practice is very common. Since reporters' base salary is very low, they often pad it by collecting hong bao and writing stories praising whichever companies that gave it to them.

Many years ago in 2007 in Beijing, I witnessed this first hand when I accompanied a reporter to an innocuous event. She was handed a hong bao of 200 yuan, which wasn't much, but the reporter refused it outright.

The public relations person politely tried to explain it was "transportation money" to compensate for the trouble of getting to the event, but the reporter flatly said she didn't need the money because our company would reimburse her for the transportation costs.

It went back and forth for a few minutes until the PR person gave up.

But apparently those covering the oil and gas industry, and probably now electric cars would get very thick red envelopes...

Nevertheless, halfway around the world in New York, why would someone even consider giving out red envelopes to a reporter?

In any event, Greco was already investigated last year by the FBI, and for her close ties to China, and this latest incident will surely be probed further. It's going to be hard for Greco to spin the story out of a sour cream and onion chip bag...

China Marks 60 years of Control of Tibet

Festivities marking 60 years of the Tibet Autonomous Region

There was a big party on Lhasa to mark the 60th anniversary of the Communist Party of China's governance of Xizang or Tibet with a massive parade complete with goose-stepping soldiers, colourful floats and dancers dressed in costumes representing 56 ethnic minorities.

President Xi Jinping was on hand to witness the celebrations. One China expert pointed out Xi's appearance should put to rest any rumours of the leader's health as it would not be a good idea for a 72-year-old with health issues to go to Lhasa, which is at 3,636 metres above sea level.

Xi made his second trip to Tibet since 2021

The last time Xi visited Tibet was in 2021, his first trip there. But interestingly this time Xi did not speak.

Wang Huning, China's No. 4 official, said that since the 18th party congress in 2012, under Xi's guidance and comprehensive plan, "Tibet has entered its best period of development, experiencing the greatest changes and bringing the most tangible benefits to people of all ethnic groups".

During the parade, floats representing several different cities drove past Xi and the audience at the foot of the Potala Palace. 

While China regards this anniversary as one that benefitted Xizang, others see it as six decades of iron fist control over the religious region that used to be governed by the Dalai Lama. 

Military strength on display at the anniversary

In March 1959, the Tibetan spiritual leader fled by foot across the border to India and settled in Dharamshala, where he and his entourage and followers have been ever since.

Six years later the Communist Part established the Tibet Autonomous Region, after Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Guangxi, and Ningxia.

The Dalai Lama has been playing a political game of chess with the CPC over who and where the next leader will be. In early July he said he will have a successor that he himself will appoint and "no-one else has any authority to interfere in this matter".

According to Tibetan tradition, Dalai Lamas are "reincarnated" after they die. 

However, Beijing claims the religious leader's successor would be from inside China and must be approved by the government.

Air Canada and Union Reach Tentative Agreement

Air Canada flight attendants were victorious in their strike

At around 4.23am Eastern time this morning, the union representing 10,000 flight attendants and Air Canada came to a tentative agreement, where the former get paid for at least 60 minutes when they are working on the ground, and a pay raise.

"Unpaid work is over. We have reclaimed our voice and our power," the union said in a statement.

Union and management have tentative agreement

Getting paid for the work flight attendants do before the plane leaves the gate is a massive breakthrough for the flight attendants, who have been fighting for this for months, and could set the industry standard globally. While there are a few smaller airlines who do pay their flight attendants for ground work, Air Canada is one of the first major international airlines to do so.

Although the union has yet to ratify the deal, the union advised its members to "fully co-operate with resumption of operations."

As a result, some flights resumed at around 4pm EST, though it will take international flights several days to restart. 

It's a massive victory for the flight attendants, who were defying the work-to-order and were even willing to go to jail for their disobedience. They stood their ground and waged a cohesive campaign across the country.

Nasr claimed ground pay was in the deal earlier

Meanwhile management were publicly perceived in a bad light and saw how angry passengers were for causing the disruptions and blamed it on them and not the flight attendants. That probably caused management to want to resolve the strike quickly.

But it didn't have to be this way! If management claimed they were willing to pay for ground pay all along, then why not say so?

"[Ground pay] absolutely should be in there, and we're so happy that we finally reached this industry-leading deal that allows our flight attendants to be compensated for the important work... that they perform on the ground," said Air Canada executive vice-president Mark Nasr.

He claimed ground pay had been part of the airline's proposed deal for workers for months...

Poilievre to Return to House of Commons

Poilievre is projected to handily win the Alberta riding tonight

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be back in the House of Commons keeping Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in check.

In today's byelection held in the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, in Alberta, Poilievre is leading with 80.1 percent of the vote, by far the most ballots compared to Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley (9.9 percent), and Liberal candidate Darcy Spady (4.4 percent).

Kurek gave up his seat for Poilievre to run

Poilievre was expected to win, as Battle River-Crowfoot is considered the most conservative riding in the country. MP Damien Kurek who had handily won the riding for the Conservatives during the general election in April, resigned so that Poilievre could run.

He had lost his seat of Carleton, in Ontario, that he had held for 20 years, which called into question Poilievre's leadership credibility.

But with this predicted decisive win, it signals there is no doubt the voters in Battle River-Crowfoot want him to be the official Leader of the Opposition.

The byelection was not without its controversies, the biggest being the ballot had a whopping 214 candidates on it. Elections Canada made the unprecedented move of getting voters to write down the name of the candidate they wanted to vote for instead of printing such long ballots.

Some critics were concerned that Poilievre was parachuting himself into the riding without even living there, while others were pleased to have the Conservative leader, as he could give the area more attention in the House of Commons.

The ballot with 214 candidates' names on it

"They're the kind of what you see is what you get, give you the shirt off their back, tell it like it is, common sense people," Poilievre said of the voters in Battle River-Crowfoot on Monday night.

"And they reinforced a lot of lessons that all of us in politics have to learn and relearn and relearn again. Humility and hard work. Loyalty and love."

The riding of Carleton bid Poilievre good riddance, while Battle River-Crowfoot has welcomed him with open arms.

Turbulent Times with Air Canada Strike

Flight attendants want to be paid for ground services

The Air Canada strike was barely 12 hours old when the Canadian government shut it down. Flight attendants with the nation's largest airline are fighting to be paid for all the work they do on the ground before the plane pushes off from the gate.

It's an issue they have repeated all over the media, gaining a lot of sympathy from the public, though others are annoyed the strike has severely impacted their travel plans, including my brother and nephew. 

They were supposed to fly on AC Saturday, but earlier this week I warned him about the impending strike and he made a backup plan to fly on American Airlines.

Air Canada turned to government for intervention

However, this morning when they arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the flight was cancelled. He literally scrambled to get another flight leaving nine hours later to Seattle, and a train ticket to Vancouver. It was the cheaper option than to shell out around US$4,000 for two tickets on an alternative airline.

The plane left late, but managed to cut its flight time thanks to tail wind and it looked promising for him and my nephew to arrive with enough time to get to the train station.

But alas -- the bridge to connect to the plane in order to de-plane was broken! It took over an hour for the plane to be towed to another gate, and so they did not make the last Amtrak train at 9pm.

This afternoon CBC Radio's national call-in show Cross Country Checkup asked people how the Air Canada strike was affecting them. People phoned in from Dublin and Brazil to say they were stranded there, while others were upset their loved ones would not be able to make their wedding in a few days, or that the bride wouldn't make it on time, a father said he was traveling through Texas to get to his son in another part of Canada who was having cancer treatment.

A flight attendant disrupts an AC press conference

Others complained they tried to get through to Air Canada many times on the phone and got no where, and one person said the phone message told people to go to the website, while the website instructed people to call.

Despite the headaches and stress, most of the callers supported the flight attendants.

At the same time academics who study labour or airlines said Air Canada should have bargained in good faith with the flight attendants, that they should not have turned to the government to invoke Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, forcing the flight attendants back to work and binding arbitration. 

Experts also blamed the government for siding with management so quickly.

"It really is a troubling development," said Barry Eidlin, who studies labour and social movements at McGill University.

"Section 107 basically just allows the labour minister this unilateral power to intervene to order workers back to work against their will. Ant that is extremely concerning."

In retaliation to the government forcing them to go back to work, the flight attendants are refusing to do so and are continuing their strike.

So while Air Canada says it will get flights up and running by Monday evening, that probably won't be happening. It's just creating bad blood between the flight attendants and Air Canada, with the passengers held hostage during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Lighting Up Chinatown with Delicious Grub

Delicious curry fish balls and XO siu mai

Today Light Up Chinatown kicked off, just as the epic rainstorm finally ended and the skies turned blue. The Chinatown event is an annual weekend initiative to get people to come visit the neighbourhood, eat some food, patronise some shops and maybe even bump into some friends.

Visitors can get a "passport" and visit specific shops to get a stamp. Get eight stamps, two in each of the four zones made them eligible to put their name into a lucky draw to win prizes like a Lululemon gift card, an Arc'teryx hoodie, and the grand prize of two tickets to see John Legend in concert.

The weather cleared up for Light Up Chinatown

I arrived shortly after the opening ceremonies began, but instead of listening to the speeches, I focused on the food offerings. Along Columbia Street were several stalls and I tried a few of them.

First off was Mama in the Kitchen with chef William Lew, who presented four dishes, and I tried three of them.

The typhoon shelter calamari was a great idea, the calamari tender and a slight crunch to it, and not too spicy. The portion is good to share -- too much for one person. The same could be said of the salted egg yolk pork belly in terms of portion, and while the pork belly was slightly caramelised, the salted egg yolk flavour wasn't pronounced, which was a pity. 

A signature dish for Mama in the Kitchen is the curry fish balls, and this was a portion that can be eaten by one person, with two pieces of siu mai topped with a small shrimp and dressed with XO sauce. It's a good combination of street food with spice.

Typhoon shelter calamari

Torafuku is celebrating its 10th anniversary and made its debut at Light Up Chinatown with its beef rendang taco. It looks like a simple dish, but the beef has been braised for a long time and infused with curry flavour that is then wrapped in a soft tortilla. It's relatively easy to eat, though the oil drips out...

Also supported Holy Duck Chili Oil that collaborated with Ember HK BBQ with a cart noodle concept. Customers can choose one, two or three toppings out of a total of six, and the kind of noodles -- Japanese instant noodles, spaghetti or vermicelli.

I chose peanut satay pork and honey char siu with Japanese instant noodles. After about five minutes my name was called out and it was a decent portion. The char siu was in chunks instead of slices which would have been better in terms of eating it with a plastic fork, while there wasn't much taste of the peanut satay pork. There were quite a lot of noodles that soaked up the sauces though.

By this point I was almost full and was curious about the ice creams by Hype Chocolate. I tried the White Rabbit milk chocolate ice cream and it was creamy and easy to eat with chunks of chocolate on top. However the white rabbit flavour was completely lost in the chocolate ice cream. Perhaps vanilla ice cream would have worked better? 

White Rabbit milk chocolate ice cream

It was good to bump into a few acquaintances and catch up briefly with them, while supporting the event. 

HK Government Rethinks Water Budget

HK government tried to cut costs by buying water from China

Times are tough in Hong Kong when the government is cutting back on the kind of water it supplies to its staff.

Previously it was Watsons Water, provided by Watsons Group, in other words, a Li Ka-shing company.

But in June, Hong Kong's Government Logistics Department announced it had awarded the three-year drinking water supply contracts to mainland Chinese companies for the first time in a bid to save HK$16 million annually.

A water brand has serious quality issues

Government offices in Kowloon would continue to get water from Watsons Group, but its sub brand called Cool, while those in the New Territories would be supplied the water brand Happy Xishi from Professional Trade International Limited.

And government offices on Hong Kong Island and the Outlying Islands would get the water brand XinLe from Xin Dong Xin Trade Co., Ltd.

Local officials said the selection process used rigorous quality standards despite the cost savings.

However, media outlet HK01 reported XinLe had a history of safety concerns. From 2014 to 2017, the company was repeatedly flagged by China's food safety authorities for exceeding acceptable levels of harmful substances, including bromate, which can be a potential carcinogen, as well as microbial contamination.

So today, the Hong Kong government has announced it has partially terminated its contract with Xin Dong Xin Trade Co., Ltd.

The press release added the Government Logistics Department will decide if it will fully terminate the contract and has referred the incident with the police. 

In the meantime the government has asked Watsons Water to temporarily supply Cool water to offices on Hong Kong Island and the Outlying Islands.

Sometimes you can't be too petty on saving money when it comes to water. You can wear cheaper clothes and shoes, and take cheaper transportation, but you really can't be too cheap when it comes to what you put in your stomach...

Eat Those Blackberries

Eating blackberries as many health benefits

Now's the season for blackberries, and if you see big ones that you can easily pick, please do.

Pick as many as you want and you'll be doing your part to prevent blackberry bushes from proliferating.

That's because the Himalayan blackberry, also known as the Armenian blackberry is an invasive plant that has its origins in Armenia and Iran.

However, these blackberries were brought over to North America in the late 1800s and have taken over natural environments, creating thorny thickets that reduce biodiversity, including wildlife movement.

In Pacific Spirit Park along Powerline Trail, a giant patch of blackberry bushes were removed with heavy machinery over a year ago, though there are still blackberry bushes lining the outside of the park.

Rachel Tancock, known as The Nature Educator in Instagram, says the best way for people to prevent new blackberry plants from growing is to eat the berries! Each blackberry has seeds inside so eat up!

They are also packed with vitamin C which helps boost immunity and vitamin K beneficial for blood clotting and bone health, high in fibre, and manganese for bone development and manage blood sugar levels.

Delicious Mini Squash for Dinner

Pattypan and striped acorn squash, cucumber

Today I walked past a neighbour who gave away free vegetables in a cardboard box, and saw there were two mini squash in there and picked them up to take home.

One is saucer-shaped called pattypan squash or scallop squash because of its frilly edge. The other is a mini striped acorn squash. I picked up another cucumber that was relatively small. 

Stir-fried squashes with Shanghai choy

Usually the pattypan squash is roasted, but I sliced the top and bottom and then cut it in half down the middle and cut relatively thin slices. With the striped acorn squash I just cut coin discs.

They weren't quite enough for three of us for dinner, so I added Shanghai choy.

I first stir fried shallots, garlic and ginger in cooking oil, and then added the two squash, and some water, and let them steam for a bit.

Then I added the Shanghai choy, some salt, and after a few minutes the vegetables were done.

The end result was a bright, colourful plate, and the squash tasted sweet, contrasting with the slight bitterness of the Shanghai choy.

North Burnaby's New Shopping Malls

The mall at Gilmore Place is taking shape

Today I visited a friend who lives in Burnaby, which is the land of skyscrapers in Metro Vancouver. There are several towers that are over 60 stories high, many are walking distance to two SkyTrain stations, Gilmore and Brentwood. 

Like the MTR stations in Hong Kong, Gilmore and Brentwood both have shopping malls attached to them. Brentwood has The Amazing Brentwood, a large, partially open-air shopping mall, which has an airy food court offering mostly Asian food, from Japanese and Chinese to Korean, and Persian. 

It also has free-standing restaurants, and tonight I visited Bow & Stern, which is celebrating its first anniversary later this month. It offers mostly seafood dishes, and for Happy Hour (2pm-5pm, and 9pm to closing), freshly shucked oysters are $2 each! 

Meanwhile Gilmore Place is coming together now, with a few shops open like KFC, and Big Way Hot Pot will open, as well as a Thai spa, and Subway too. But my friend is really excited to hear that a T&T supermarket will open within a five-minute walk from her place!

I joked that with this Asian supermarket near here, she will never have to cook, as T&T offers not only uncooked ingredients, but cooked foods as well, including congee, roast meats, and noodles, so she has her "neighbourhood canteen" set up!

With so many people living and working in the area, and located next to the Skytrain station, it's no wonder that T&T has planned to open here, with many Asians living in the area.

However, while I was at tonight's dinner, one of the guests I ate with told me one of her friends lives in one of the nearby towers and said it was a nightmare getting up and down the elevator -- it takes 30 minutes just to get one, and when you have a dog that needs to go to the bathroom, and a wailing child, it can be pretty stressful!

Having a shoebox in the sky here doesn't sound fun at all, if there are only two elevators for so many units...

Canadians Sour on Bick's Pickles

Bick's pickles are specifically made for the Canadian market

It turns out the car industry isn't the only one where the product goes across the border a few times to be made.

Pickles, specifically Bick's, are made using Canadian cucumbers and metal lids, but based in the United States after it was acquired by TreeHouse Foods Inc in 2014.

After US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods in March, the Canadian government retaliated with counter tariffs on certain goods, including a 25 percent tariff on "cucumbers and gherkins."

US-based Bick's buys Canadian cucumbers

Now supermarkets are running out of Bick's pickles -- which are specifically made for the Canadian market -- and aren't restocking them anytime soon, because consumers won't have the appetite to pay 25 percent more for pickled cucumbers.

A Safeway in Edmonton had this sign at the pickle shelf:

"Bick's pickles are currently unavailable as an unfortunate impact of tariffs. We are pleased to offer a selection of alternatives for your shopping convenience."

This has resulted in sales of Bick's falling 25 percent in the last three months.

It's pretty ironic, considering Bick's purchases 11 million pounds of Ontario cucumbers each year, and the metal lids are bought from an Ontario manufacturer.

How about making your own pickles with brine?

For some die-hard pickle fans, they are willing to shell out more for their favourite pickled vegetable, while others may turn to other local brands. 

Or they can use their leftover Bick's pickle brine to make their own pickles, by salting the cucumbers and boiling the brine before adding them together in the jar.