Let the Winter Games Begin

The cauldron at Milano was lit creating a giant fireball

The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics has officially begun and the opening ceremonies went off without a hitch -- including the woman showing Italian hand gestures as her microphones didn't work (on purpose). 

Nice blend of classical with Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma, and Lang Lang on the piano in a white suit and black shoes, and a voluptuous Mariah Carey in her regal robes belting out Volare.

How the Italians dealt with the lighting of the cauldron in two locations was spectacularly done, with the sun-like structure inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's intricate knot designs. It turned from blue to red and set off the fireworks which was an exhilarating display.

Can we talk about some of the uniforms?

Canadians wear maple leafs on their bodies

Some loved the Canadian uniform designed by Lululemon with the giant red maple leaf on the maroon-coloured vest that is draped over the shoulders, on top of a long brown coat. Apparently the vest can be worn as a scarf -- wonder if an athlete can model this for us -- and it can also double as a pillow. Useful?

Others preferred the Roots designs from before featuring red and white varsity jackets with the red berets worn backwards. 

Probably the most consistently preppy are the American uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren, unabashedly featuring the American flag all over the sweaters and jackets. 

Mongolia got a shout-out for its traditional garb, inspired by the 13th and 15th Mongol Empire. The long robes were made with Mongolian cashmere and designed to keep the athletes warm, as they would have done centuries ago.

Shades of blue from the Chinese team

But what about China? Was someone in the Chinese committee tired of the red and yellow colour scheme? In previous years Chinese netizens have made fun of the colour combination, saying the look was reminiscent of scrambled eggs and tomato, a homestyle dish.

This year the Chinese team was dressed by Li-Ning and the athletes came out in shades of blue -- dark for men, pastel for women. How yawningly predictable. 

Nevertheless, Chinese state media have praised the uniforms, adding netizens have commented, "China looks awesome" and "This looks so cool."

Can we also talk about no sign of Eileen Gu, the Chinese-American freestyle skier who makes US$23 million a year from non-sports activities from modelling to endorsements? She was not the flag bearer again this year.

This will be her second Olympics after she won two golds and a silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and conveniently seems to be able to represent China despite holding two passports (which China does not allow dual citizenship). 

Will Gu repeat her medal performance this year?

In several interviews over the years, Gu has said: "When I'm in the US, I'm American, but when I'm in China, I'm Chinese."

That statement seems to fit neatly into one comment online: "Being Chinese like Eileen Gu once every four years is just about right; being Chinese everyday is a bit too challenging."

The scrutiny of this 22-year-old continues! And it will keep going if she competes again in 2030...

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. 

Backlash Ends Plan to Move Sculpture by Granville Bridge

Trans Am Rapture used to stand near Science World

There used to be a curious piece of public art featuring a stack of cars that stood along Quebec Street near Science World in 2015 as part of the Vancouver Biennale.

Called Trans Am Rapture, formerly named Trans Am Totem, it features five salvaged cars, including a Trans Am on a Cedar trunk.

Then the 10-metre high art piece weighing over 25,000 pounds was taken down in 2021 to be cleaned because it had accumulated a lot of bird poop!

Birds liked to flock at the public art sculpture

Finally there was word the City was going to relocate the sculpture near the south end of the Granville Street Bridge between West 4th and West 5th Avenues, but residents in the area were incensed.

"They're treating our neighbourhood as a storage locker for a piece of art they don't know what to do with," said Darlene Forst, who lives across the street from where the art piece would be located. She was concerned the stack of cars would block her views.

Forst started an online petition against the sculpture being moved to the area, and now the City has backed down.

"The City of Vancouver is ceasing work on the reinstallation of Trans Am Rapture," said a press release. 

"The decision was made by the city manager's office following further consideration of the size and scale of the artwork in relation to the site. City staff have been asked to revisit previously assessed locations and explore potential new ones that can better accommodate the artwork."

The art work was supposed to move to this spot

So it seems the City gets antsy when there's organised pushback and backs down very quickly. Why was there no consultation to start with? However the concrete foundation for the sculpture was already made so that will stay for a subsequent smaller public art work...

Trans Am Rapture was created by artists Marcus Bowcott and Helene Aspinall as a commentary on car culture and how urban life is compounding pressures on the environment.

The giant sculpture became part of the City's public art collection in 2019 with a $250,000 donation from billionaire Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon, and his wife Shannon.

A New Sign Lights Up Kits

A new sign has popped up in Kitsilano thanks to Chip Wilson

There's a new neon sign up on the corner of West 4th Avenue and Yew Street in Kitsilano. There are various arrows pointing to Jericho Beach, Kits Beach, Sunset Beach and Wreck Beach, as well as Love and Peace (in different directions).

The retro-style sign was put up by Low Tide Properties, owned by Lululemon founder and billionaire Chip Wilson, who says it's a nod to his family's love of the neighbourhood.

"My wife, family and I have been in Kits since the 1986 World Fair. We live and breathe everything that's Kitsilano -- from the beach to tennis to volleyball to the amazing people who have a way of living that elevates the world," Wilson said in a statement.

The neon sign gives off 1950s Las Vegas vibes

"Our family has been involved in the ownership of 23 locations on West 4th. The unveiling of Kits Corner is the icing on the cake after nearly 40 years of living, working and investing in this neighbourhood. From Westbeach to lululemon, Ride Cycle Club, Peak Performance, Arc'teryx, Kit and Ace, TurF and more, we're committed to keeping the spirit of Kits alive."

Perhaps that explains why Lululemon's headquarters is on Cornwall Avenue, and is Wilson naming some of his tenants?

Apparently the corner of 4th and Yew is where many run clubs finish their runs, and cyclists end their rides, while the sign gives off Las Vegas 1950s vibes with the neon signs.

Kits Corner also appears to be the name of the apartment building nearby. Units in the building are about C$2,800 for a 595 square-foot, one bedroom place, or C$3,600 for an 870 square-foot, two-bedroom unit...

Bangkok: Shopping Mall Fantasies

One Bangkok one of several multiplex developments

Bangkok is a city in transition, with a lot of development geared towards multipurpose shopping malls, luxury residences, and a Starbucks on every street corner, but there are many left behind in this massive gentrification project, as there are some homeless people sleeping on sidewalks, while others are trying to eke out a living the best they can.

A large new Arabica shop has opened

There are many massive shopping mall complexes tied to condos, offices, hotels, restaurants and public spaces. They are the Hong Kong equivalent of K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui, but much brighter and sophisticated in design, and not leaving visitors lost and confused.

One giant project that has recently opened is One Bangkok, a massive sprawling space with many shop spaces yet to be occupied. And yes there is a large Starbucks Reserve, and a two-storey Arabica that also sells coffee. 

Japanese department stores like Daimaru and Takashiayma are there selling Japanese foods, along with Muji espousing the minimalist lifestyle with soft cotton threads. Meanwhile Jim Thompson has a store here, with high-end clothing.

One Bangkok had just opened its doors for the day when we visited and there weren't many people around... 

Tourists have flocked to Icon Siam to shop

And then by the Chao Phraya River by many hotels is Icon Siam, which attracts a lot of foreigners to shop at places like Lululemon, Maison Kitsune, and Rimowa. A high-ceilinged Arabica has also opened here, a giant open-plan shop that is a far cry from the small ones it has in Hong Kong.

In the basement is a sanitised version of a food market, with stalls selling packaged fruits, mango sticky rice, nuts and snacks as souvenirs or a bite to eat. There was even one stall inviting people to dress up in Thai clothing and be photographed...

Icon Siam also has a convention centre in it, perhaps a smart idea getting visitors to come here for meetings and shop at the same time.

Can Bangkok actually support these massive shopping complexes? At Icon Siam, we saw tourists carrying large shopping bags from Hermes and Lululemon... do they find the prices cheaper here, or being on holiday just encourages them to splurge?

A bustling "market" in the basement

Fascinating to watch how things go...

The Astronomical Price of Living in Kelowna

Kelowna's downtown is right by the lake with clear water!

Uber launched its service in Kelowna on June 6 so I was keen to try it out while I was there. On the way to downtown Kelowna, the driver, a Caucasian man in his 60s said the city was growing so fast that infrastructure could not keep up, and so Uber met the need.

He said public transportation didn't help and not everyone has a car.

A shop window motto to live by

We changed the topic to the weather and he said the best weather is now, as May it's still rainy, but gets very hot in July and August. Two years ago where there was a heat dome and 619 people, mostly elderly died in British Columbia. 

The driver said temperatures in Kelowna shot up to over 40 degrees. I remarked that no one must have gone out those few days and he said it was pretty quiet.

On the way back, a South Asian man in his 30s picked me up in his Rav 4 hybrid and he said the city was becoming more and more unaffordable. He said he arrived in 2017 and rented a two-bedroom apartment for C$700 a month. Now the same place costs a whopping C$2,200 to lease.

He said a four-bedroom house six years ago would have cost C$800,000, but now is C$1.5 million.

I asked how people could afford to live, and he said they had to work. Although I pointed out that salaries weren't going up as fast, he didn't have an answer. Perhaps for him, driving for Uber helped pay his bills.

When I asked about the population in Kelowna he said it was 300,000 but officially it's 156,800... but one can see the construction of numerous condo buildings on main streets densifying the city.

Some giant inflatables for kids to play with

Highway 97 is the main highway that goes through the city and everything is about a 15-20 minute drive away which is very convenient. Our hotel is near Orchard Park, a very large shopping mall, and it took about 15 minutes to get there by foot. It seems daunting to cross the road, particularly the highway, but as long as you're patient to wait for the light, then it's safe to cross the intersections.

The summer sales were in full swing when we checked out the mall yesterday and did our part in buoying the economy. One store selling children's clothes were up to 75 percent off, another shop had T-shirts half off so they were C$6.99, while a pair of pants at Baby Gap were supposed to be C$30 and was now $8.99.

It was interesting people watching at the mall. The girls who hung out together wore similar styles of clothing so they looked like twins, but no one dressed particularly well... which is probably what happens when you live in a relatively small city.

Meanwhile the downtown core is not too big and easily walkable. It's also conveniently located right next to Okanagan Lake, where residents and visitors can walk around part of the lake for exercise, or kids can play on the numerous playgrounds, basketball courts, fountains and even the small strip of beach, and there are several washrooms around too!

Sails by R. Dow-Reid

There's a memorial for the soldiers who died in both World Wars and the Korean War, and further down the waterfront is a giant white sculpture called Sails by R. Dow-Reid, installed in 1977.

Near there is the main street downtown where there's a Lululemon, banks and many cafes, fast-food outlets, and restaurants. We tried one called Bohemian Cafe that served mostly healthy food like roast chicken sandwiches, soups and rice bowls. 

We had the soup of the day, Moroccan Stew that was hearty and had a slight kick, as well as a banh mi -- well their version which was a flattened baguette with roasted chicken, cilantro and lime, pickled carrot, onion and jalapeno. I asked if the jalapeno could be taken out, but they said it was already mixed in. Mixed in?

When the sandwich arrived, the filling was indeed all mixed together, not the individual ingredients placed in the baguette in layers. But it was still delicious, also with a fresh chilli finish. 

How did people afford to live in this city when prices were almost comparable to Vancouver? How do they afford Lululemon and pay their rent or mortgage? It was quite baffling.