Wildfires in Summerland Bring Fear and Kindness

The wildfires quickly expanded down to Okanagan Lake

On Friday a wildfire ignited near Summerland, a mostly agricultural area in the Okanagan in southeast British Columbia, which resulted in 20,000 residents evacuating, some with only minutes' notice.

The wildfire, known as the Bald Ridge fire, started 15km northwest of Summerland and grew to 50 square kilometres within three hours. Today it has expanded to over 156 square kilometres.

British Columbia Premier David Eby declared a state of provincial emergency on Saturday, advising those under an evacuation orders should leave immediately.

Air quality has worsened due to severe smoke

"Explosive" is how Cliff Chapman of the BC Wildfire Service described the situation on Saturday.

"When we see a fire start, when we see the smoke lift, we are going to be challenged and we may see fires do what we saw on this fire last night," he said at the time.

"I cannot stress enough that the conditions we are facing right now are conditions that we have never seen before."

The drought-like conditions this year have resulted in trees catching fire very easily, and strong winds have made it worse. In this case the winds blew the fire down the valley towards Summerland.

There are harrowing stories of escaping: a family was celebrating their little girl's birthday when large chunks of ash began falling down on them. They grabbed photos off the walls and important documents and then fled to Penticton, about 35km south of Summerland.

A farmer evacuated his goats in the middle of the night, while a journalist who literally just moved to Summerland had to flee with her husband and described the experience as surreal.

Many farmers evacuated with animals like goats

Temporary foreign workers from Mexico who are in Summerland to pick fruit had to be airlifted to safety by helicopter, as the road they were on was blocked by fallen trees. 

But at the same time there are many recounting the kindness of strangers, taking evacuees in, taking farm animals or dogs and cats, as their owners cannot keep them in hotel rooms or elsewhere. 

There is also a story of Patricia Robinson, a 90-year-old woman who was trying to fly from Calgary to Kelowna to celebrate her birthday with family. However, the dense smoke forced Kelowna Airport to cancel 40 flights including hers and the plane turned back to Calgary.

However, two men on the same flight offered to drive Robinson there as they too wanted to get to Kelowna, and the trio made the seven-hour drive and had fun along the way too.

"I don't know how my family felt with me embarking on this journey with two strangers, but I just had a really good feeling about the both of them," she said.

"They were just very chivalrous, gallant, young me... my instincts and trusting these two young men were bang on."

It also turns out one of the men had the same birthday as Robinson -- and exactly half her age.

What a birthday to remember!

Hong Kong's Coleman Wong Cracks Top 100 Tennis Rankings

Coleman now ranked No. 90 in the world

Coleman Wong Chak-lam made history today, becoming the first Hong Kong tennis player to break into the world's top 100 after he advanced to the semifinals of an ATP 250 event.

The 22-year-old became ranked No. 90 after he defeated American Jenson Brooksby 6-1, 7-5 in Los Cabos, Mexico.

He defeated Brooksby on Friday

"I was trying to mix up something and then trying to make him to be the one who was uncomfortable. I am really happy with my performance," Wong said.

Earlier in the week Wong pulled off a major upset defeating world No. 12 Jiri Lehecka 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the previous round.

"I [will] just keep trying to be myself, be the best version of myself and just try to enjoy the tour," Wong said. 

"To be honest, before from Hong Kong, there wasn't anyone that reached this level, so I am really happy and really glad that I can be the one."

Wong will meet France's Arthur Gea, ranked No. 127 tomorrow night 7.30pm PST.

It's so refreshing to see Wong moving up the ranks, playing like he has nothing to lose. He takes in each win with gratefulness, thanking his fans on the court and back in Hong Kong. 

He's scrappy and determined, which makes him all the more endearing.

"For sure you doubt yourself a lot, but it's how you overcome it," Wong told ATP in May. 

"I think everyone, even the best in the world, have a lot of things going on and it's the way you accept it and live with it. Trying to perform as much as you can. That's how you become the best and I'm still trying to learn from all the best players in the world."

Labubu Insanity Continues

Interested in a Labubu mini fridge? A bit too late now...

I thought Labubu was a flash in the pan, but apparently the fuzzy creature with a mischievous look is still a super hot commodity.

Pop Mart, the Chinese company that sells Labubu, recently released two different mini refrigerators with the character plastered all over the appliance for 5,999 yuan (US$878) each, making only 999 of each design.

There are two designs, only 999 of each made

And... they all sold out instantly, with over 47,000 people pre-registered for the chance to buy one. Over 45,000 people missed out.

Naturally many of these fridges were put on sale on second-hand sale platforms, and the prices shot up to as high as 92,300 yuan, or 15 times the price.

Last year Pop Mart made 14.16 billion yuan from The Monsters (Labubu products), accounting for 38 percent of the company's revenue.

Perhaps there will be more Labubu-themed appliances in the future?

In the meantime the creature's next appearance will be at the World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Keep your eyes peeled!

What is Enshittification and What to Do About It

Doctorow (right) at the Vancouver Writers Festival tonight

The Vancouver Writers Festival started earlier this week that features over 85 events talking books with authors, workshops for aspiring writers, and encouraging kids to read and write more.

I just came back from a book talk with Cory Doctorow, Canadian journalist, author of fiction and non-fiction and activist in the tech realm about his latest work called Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It.

He is quite the prolific person, who says his anxiety keeps him up and so he channels that nervous energy into producing a lot of work. In 2020 alone he published four books. What was I doing in that same period?!

The crowd at the Arts Club Theatre in Granville Island was all excited to hear what he had to say and you really had to focus because he said so much because he added context and explanation to be able to answer questions or expand on an idea.

While he and the moderator sat on stage, above was a giant screen and on it were projected hilarious Photoshopped collages poking fun at the tech world, with lots of sh*t emojis, and how the world is going to sh*t.

Back in 2022 he coined the word enshittification, which was declared Macquarie Dictionary's word of the year in 2024. According to the dictionary, the definition is: "The gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking."

Sound familiar? 

Twitter, or rather X is a good example, so is Facebook, Google, and Amazon.

On Facebook we used to see pictures our friends posted or their dogs or their trips and birthday parties, but now we see more ads from companies promoting products and services we don't want. Or how you look for something on Amazon and the first things it lists are items that aren't what you want but you have to keep scrolling down forever just to find something resembling what you want; meanwhile for the company selling on Amazon, they are constantly undercut by the behemoth making it less feasible to do business online.

This is enshittification.

Doctorow says part of it is due to monopolies these tech companies have on us; they suck us into buying their products and services and we're so invested it's hard to get out, or we can't gain more control over our gadgets like iPhones.

He says on the App Store there used to be an app where people could post information they had about ICE agents to warn others to avoid being "kidnapped and sent to a gulag", Doctorow says. But now Apple has removed this app, presumably to comply with Donald Trump...

Meanwhile Doctorow also talks about companies like John Deere that have agricultural machinery that practically all farmers use and fix themselves. But now these machines are so hi-tech that they can't be turned on or work again unless a John Deere technician goes to the farm to type in a special code to unlock it, and each visit costs thousands of dollars.

At one point Uber was toying with the idea of charging people more if their phone batteries were low on power. That's because Uber found that those customers were more willing to pay for surge pricing. It denied this and then later quietly dropped this extra charge all together.

The other problem is that Canada does not have enough competition nor regulation to rein in these companies. Doctorow personally blames former Conservative heritage minister James Moore for not doing enough to help consumers have more control over technology they use.

While Doctorow thinks we should have fixed things a decade ago, he says now is the time to act. The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) is up for renewal and Canada should demand more instead of just rolling over to get any deal from the US. 

He says the average person can get off Twitter (or X), but are others going to join you on another platform? It's hard. But Doctorow says it's time to become an activist and join a movement to oppose enshittification of companies and demand that governments give us back control of the technology we use. Write to your Members of Parliament about this issue, and support the Canadian anti-monopoly project, Civic Open Media, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, he says.

"The way you get rid of them [people like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk] is by fixing the politics, not by reforming or replacing Elon Musk. The problem with Mark Zuckerberg isn't that the wrong person is the unelected social media czar for life of 4 billion people. The problem is that that job exists. We don't need to fix Zuck. We need to abolish Zuck," Doctorow said, to applause and cheers in the audience. 

FIFA World Cup Mascots Revealed

Zayu, Maple and Clutch are the FIFA World Cup mascots

OK we all know the FIFA World Cup is about nine months away, and the football organisation has revealed not one, not two but three mascots for each of the host countries: Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The three mascots "have been thoughtfully developed to reflect the vibrant culture, heritage and spirit of their respective countries, coming together to symbolise unity, diversity and the shared passion for the beautiful game," FIFA said in a statement.

Ready for the reveal?

Maple the Moose is a goalkeeper

Canada's is Maple the Moose.

US' is Clutch the Bald Eagle

Mexico's is Zayu the Jaguar.

FIFA's description of the moose: "Maple the Moose was born to roam, journeying across all of Canada's provinces and territories while connecting with people and embracing the country's rich culture. A street style-loving artist, music enthusiast and dedicated goalkeeper, Maple found purpose through creativity, resilience and unapologetic individuality."

Meanwhile Clutch the Bald Eagle "possesses an unquenchable thirst for adventure, soaring across the United States and embracing every culture, game and moment with boundless curiosity and optimism. Clutch, like all great midfielders, unites people wherever they go, proving that true flight is about purpose, passion and play."

Are these animals representative of their countries?

Finally Zayu the Jaguar is from the jungles of southern Mexico. "With a name inspired by unity, strength and joy, Zayu transforms on the pitch as a striker, showcasing exceptional ingenuity and agility that intimidates defenders. Off the pitch, Zayu embraces Mexican culture through dance, food and tradition, uniting people across borders with passion. More than an athlete, Zayu is a symbol of cultural celebration and connection, carrying the heart of Mexico with pride."

Some how Maple the Moose doesn't seem conjure the image of being fierce, aggressive and courageous as the bald eagle or the jaguar...

Stir-fried Chayotes for Dinner

Stir-fried chayotes with red peppers for dinner

We were recently gifted some chayotes from a doctor whose patient had grown them. These palm-shaped vegetables were dark green and had lots of prickles on the outside; usually the outer skin is a bit tough and has to be peeled, but not with prickles that could be painful to handle!

Chayotes originated from South America, between southern Mexico and Honduras. This vegetable belongs to the gourd family, which includes cucumbers and squash.

Ours were dark green like these ones and prickly

A chef from Venezuela who has a Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong serving South American cuisine was thrilled to find chayotes in the wet markets, as home-cooked soups and stews typically include this green gourd.

It can also be chopped thinly and eaten raw in salads, and stir-fried or steamed too. I have pickled them before, adapting a recipe for smashed cucumbers.

In Cantonese cooking it's usually added to soups or stir-fried, and I had a left over red pepper so I decided to cook them together for a vegetable dish for dinner.

To prepare these prickly chayotes, I donned a pair of dishwashing gloves and used a cloth to pick them up and peel them with a peeler which wasn't too difficult to do. Any areas I could not reach I used a knife to carve out the tough skin.

Then I sliced the chayotes in half and then quarters before chopping them into diagonal slices, including the seed in the middle which is edible.

Chayotes can be eaten in many ways

Once the oil in the wok was hot, I added shallots, garlic and ginger, then the sliced chayote and red pepper. After a quick stir, I added a bit of water and some chicken stock I had in the fridge before turning down the heat and put the lid on the wok so that the vegetables could steam and cook.

After around 10 minutes when the chayote was tender, I added a bit of salt to taste and then the vegetables were done.

The chayotes hold their shape and taste sweet, the red pepper even sweeter! They also made for a colourful dish too.

World Cup Tickets Sky High

Vancouver and Toronto are the two Canadian host cities

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

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

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

Vancouver games will be played at BC Place

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

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

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

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

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

The hype is real.

Ancient Mexican Fare Near Chinatown

Food before the Spanish arrived in Mexico

There's a lot of buzz about Mexico these days, with many people traveling to the country for holidays as an alternative to the United States, and most recently many bars on the North America Best 50 Bars list were from there, in particular Mexico City.

On Saturday afternoon a foodie friend and I were in Chinatown and as we walked to his car, he suggested we have a snack in a Mexican restaurant.

Salad with pumpkin flower, lettuce and sour cream

Where was that? 

A place called Machete -- pronounced ma-chet-teh, unlike the sharp knifed weapon, and it serves Mexican food that was made before the Spanish arrived. So the ingredients are mostly corn, blue corn, cacao, and yucca to name a few. Apparently this is the only restaurant of its kind in Vancouver.

Cecilia Aguayo is the chef and owner, and she cooks up dishes inspired by her grandmother who ate a healthy diet.

We tried the itacates, which means food for a journey, which are usually packed into triangles of tortillas. But at Machete, it was like an open-faced salad, and the one we had was called flor de calabaza, featuring pumpkin flower, white onions, garlic, and epazote, or Mexican tea which is a leafy plant.

It was a refreshing, light salad that was topped with lettuce, sour cream, cheese, guacamole and pumpkin seeds.

Chocolate drink with hint of orange and vanilla

Then we had the machete, a long quesadilla in blue corn tortillas, filled with vegetables and Oaxaca cheese. It came with a long serrated knife for us to cut it! Inside was mostly roasted peppers, mushrooms, refried beans and the melted cheese. 

By this point I was getting full; it was after 3pm and I would be eating dinner in a few hours!

However besides our snacks, the drinks were very interesting. Machete has a cacao bar with various drinks made from chocolate. This is not like hot chocolate served elsewhere where it is thick and rich, quickly spiking your sugar levels and leaving you feeling full.

Instead these drinks are light and foamy with the drink emphasising the chocolate flavour without the heaviness.

A vegetarian machete, or quesadilla

I tried the recommendation of meztli ice latte, a concoction of cacao nibs, orange, vanilla, cinnamon, almond milk and ice, while my friend had the nahualli ice latte, mixing cacao with coffee, milk, vanilla and cinnamon panela sugar.

Both drinks were served in giant hollowed out coconut shells and balanced on a small ring. We had to hold the cups with both hands and sip from the coconut shell. 

What an interesting experience!

Machete

1007 Main Street

Vancouver, BC

778 302 4795

North America's 50 Best Bars Unveiled in Vancouver

Best Canadian showing was Bar Pompette No. 7

Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy took top spot in the North America 50 Best Bars this evening, and 13 other bars in the South American country did well in the rankings.

The awards, held at JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, was held for the first time in Canada, much to the excitement of the crowd.

It is the strategy of Destination Vancouver to bring events like 50 Best Bars and Michelin to the city to present it as a culinary and cocktail destination.

New Orleans hospitality at Jewel

Botanist Bar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim got the highest ranking of Vancouver bars at No. 26, while The Keefer Bar in Chinatown wasn't far behind at 28. 

Bar Pompette from Toronto had the highest Canadian showing at No. 7, and Civil Liberties at No. 21, also from Hogtown.

The ballroom was packed with people, the members of the Best 50 wearing the signature red scarves. There was a lot of energy and love in the room, as the winners were called out there were lots of shouts and chanting of names.

Earlier in the day I attended the "Meet the Bartenders" event. Five bars were chosen to speak to media, bloggers, and probably judges(?) in a kind of speed-dating approach with the bar representatives spending 12 minutes at each station.

Jewel of the South from New Orleans landed No. 4 on the list this evening! Chris Hannah is the bartender and co-owner. The bar is located in an 1830s house in the French Quarter which gives it its southern charm. The concept here is to find drink recipes from the 1800s and adapt them to the modern era.

Hannah explained back then the cocktails were much smaller, and the first cocktails were actually served from punchbowls that later evolved into individual drinks.

Keefer Bar inspired by Chinatown

In Vancouver's Chinatown is The Keefer Bar, which opened 15 years ago and keeps some 35 cocktails on its menu that changes every three months. They get inspiration from Chinatown and check out the herbalist stores for funky ingredients like sea dragon and cordyceps. 

"We think of it as alcohol as medicine," said Amber Bruce, the beverage director at The Keefer Bar. "Elixirs made you feel better."

They have created interesting combinations like hojicha goes well with whisky and maple syrup with uji mushrooms gives it an earthy taste. 

They also support other Chinatown businesses like Kam Wai Dim Sum that makes dumplings and baos for them since they started 15 years ago.

Claudia Cabrera is the co-founder of Kaito del Valle in Mexico City that was ranked No. 40 tonight. The basic concept of the bar is Japanese meets Mexico, using a lot of sake in their drinks. Kaito is also staffed by all women.

The bar is located above a Japanese restaurant, and the landlord originally asked Cabrera to open an izakaya and she was not comfortable doing that -- she just wanted to open a bar and thankfully that's what she did.

"I wanted to open a bar and take the best of Japan," Cabrera explained. "I want people to have fun, have easy to drink cocktails." Bar patrons can also eat ramen there. 

Interesting ingredients they use at Kaito include wasabi syrup, sesame fat wash, sushi rice balls, soy sauce and MSG.

Flavours of Asia at PCH

Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco was No. 16 on the list. Owned by Kevin Diedrich, the bar is located near Union Square and he says it's a love letter to Asia Pacific Islanders, as he himself is Filipino-American and his wife is Hawaiian-Japanese.

However, his bartending career has been in New York (including PDT), Washington DC and San Francisco, where he has made classic cocktails. But these days it's about Asian flavours like one drink called Kungfu Pandan, using rice whisky with pandan syrup, that reminds people of steamed rice with pandan.

"They say, 'This tastes like my childhood,'" he says, adding for him, hospitality is you remembering how you felt at that place, not necessarily the drink.

Diedrich says he has one patron who comes to PCH everyday -- six days a week -- and doesn't necessarily drink the same drink.

To make him feel extra special, PCH has a dedicated embossed leather coaster  with his initials monogrammed on it.

The staff also keep detailed lists of regular guests and their preferences in a binder, harking back to Diedrich's days working in The Ritz-Carlton.

In the Grand Cayman, Library by the Sea was listed No. 30 on the Best 50 Bars tonight. Max Wolff, the head bartender was excited to tell us about the bar, where they take books and create drinks around them. They are also illustrated in their bar menus.

While that's creative, even more interesting is that the bar finds vintage spirits dating back decades for people to try.

Imagine drinking pre-revolutionary Bacardi rum made in 1932 while reading Ernest Hemingway's story that became the novel The Man and the Sea? And looking out into the ocean, the same view he had?

They explained this rum became so popular they finished the first bottle in six days. It also cost US$500 per bottle, but now it's no less than $2,500!

They have a person helping them source these vintage bottles, but they have also since made connections with private collectors, willing to sell their stash for a good price...

Canadians Avoid US Travel, and Airlines Scramble

Air Canada is pivoting to fewer US flights, more to Europe

As many Canadians have recently decided not to travel to the United States, either declaring this in polls or by cancelling trips, resulting in a drop of some 13 percent by air, airlines are scrambling to meet domestic demand and fewer routes across the border.

For example, WestJet is adding more flights to "markets of strength", including Europe, and sun destinations like Mexico and Cuba.

Air Canada says as of mid-March, transborder bookings were down about 10 percent for the next six months. As a result the airline is adjusting some of its US flights by using smaller aircraft and reducing frequencies of flights.

The Canadian airline has added a new route for summer, Montreal to Edinburgh, and increased the number of flights to Paris, Rome and Athens.

Meanwhile, Discover Airlines, owned by Lufthansa, will launch a Calgary-Munich route. 

Porter Airlines is also reducing its summer service to the US and shifting to domestic markets.

Mike Arnot, a spokesman for airline analytics firm Cirium says it's unusual to see such a significant dip in demand for Canada-US travel.

"It's a tough place for the airlines to be," he said.

Cirium analyses data from travel agencies and booking websites, and found summer bookings between major Canadian cities and popular US destinations dropped nearly 20 percent compared to last year.

But bookings for July between popular Canadian destinations increased by about 11 percent compared to 2024.

However, if people are still keen on traveling to the US, they might be able to take advantage of lower air fares, perhaps at the beginning of May, says aviation expert John Gradek.

And strangely, you can thank American President Donald Trump for that.

China Caught in Massive Tariff Showdown

Trump said people were getting "yippy" in tariffs reversal

This morning over dim sum all the chatter was over US President Donald Trump imposing 104 percent tariffs on China.

About an hour later we saw stocks that were blood red were suddenly in the green -- Trump had reversed course and dropped worldwide tariffs down to 10 percent and 90 day pause -- except for China, which he imposed a jaw-dropping 125 percent.

Canada and Mexico still face 25 percent tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium.

Leavitt adamant tariff U-turn was art of the deal

The S&P 500 shot up more than 9 percent, but still not back "to normal". 

Trump gave in after massive selling on the bond markets, which are supposed to be a place of refuge for shell-shocked investors. Instead they were worried a recession was coming, if not here already.

"Over the last few days it looked pretty glum," Trump said. "I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippy. They were getting a little bit afraid."

His spokesperson Karoline Leavitt insisted to the media the move was part of the plan all along.

"Many of you in the media clearly missed The Art of the Deal," she said referring to Trump's book on negotiating. "You clearly failed to see what President Trump is doing here. You tried to say that the rest of the world would be moved closer to China, when in fact we've seen the opposite effect."

As for the 125 percent tariffs, Trump is expecting Xi to call him to negotiate... 

Talk about pushing to the limit. But China may not back down, and it's strong enough not to. Perhaps this is Beijing's way to call Trump's bluff?

One of the Chinese captured in Ukraine

Another story that grabbed headlines was Chinese citizens fighting in Ukraine for Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky stated two were captured and showed a video of them being interrogated. They had Chinese identification and bank cards.

The Ukrainian leader later claimed there were over 150 such Chinese citizens who were recruited by Russia to fight; unlike the North Korean soldiers, they were not officially sent there by Beijing.

Nevertheless, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Bejing was "verifying the relevant situation", but dismissed the suggestion that more Chinese citizens were participating in the war. 

Officially Beijing has claimed to be neutral and pushing for peace, but has diplomatically and financially backed Moscow by buying large quantities of oil. 

Zelensky claimed Russia recruited the Chinese citizens via social media, and it was a sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not interested in peace.

"Ukraine believes that such blatant involvement of Chinese citizens in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine during the war of aggression is a deliberate step toward the expansion of the war, and is yet another indication that Moscow simply needs to drag out the fighting," Zelensky said.

Some Floral Reprieve from Madness

Crocuses are popping up on lawns these days

It has been quite the week.

On Tuesday US President Donald Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on all goods. Canada retaliated right away. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau told Trump what he was doing was "dumb".

On Wednesday Trump paused tariffs on cars for one month after the three big automakers, General Motors, Ford and Stellantis asked for a reprieve.

On Thursday the president paused tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods that were compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). 

On Friday Trump threatened a whopping 250 percent tariff on Canadian dairy products coming into the US. 

We're trying not to get too caught up in this crazy rollercoaster ride, which is why walks in nature are so important for mental health.

The signs of spring are around us, in particular crocus flowers are springing up on lawns around the neighbourhood.

And here are some for you to enjoy too.

Trump and Trudeau Talked, but Stalemate Continues

Trudeau and Trump had a phone conversation today

Canada got a slight reprieve today with cars getting another one-month extension from tariffs, but for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, it was not enough.

He spoke to US President Donald Trump today for 50 minutes with Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. 

Then separately automakers appealed to Trump to back down on tariffs and he unilaterally granted a one-month exemption on Canadian-made cars.

Joly describes situation as a "psychodrama"

A one-month extension doesn't do much -- it just delays the inevitable, leaving car companies in limbo.

Yesterday Lutnick had suggested that perhaps not all Canadian goods would have 25 percent tariffs, but he could not say for sure, because it's really Trump who calls the shots.

While the carmakers got temporary reprieve, Canada isn't backing down from its tariffs on American goods, saying all US tariffs must be eliminated first.

At a speech to a business audience in Toronto, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly described Trump as being the only meaningful "decision-maker" in the US federal government right now.

"He's the only one. And we need to be able to address that reality," Joly said.

She described the current situation as a "psychodrama" that could drag on for months.

Fox News giving a factual explainer on tariffs

Meanwhile for once Fox News has presented an explainer on how tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico will hurt American consumers. The host explained how tariffs don't hit Mexico or Canada -- it hits the US companies and people who have bought the imported goods. 

Another Fox News video clip showed a reporter at a car dealership pointing to a truck and how it cost US$80,000, but now with the tariffs it costs US$100,000.

Hope that makes Americans realise that Trump is not making America great, it's making it poorer. 

But perhaps American citizens are more concerned about losing their jobs and benefits than how much imported goods cost, with Elon Musk and his teenage Doge team dismantling all kinds of government institutions...

A Stay of Execution -- For Now

Trudeau appealing to Americans about why tariffs are bad

After all the anxiety in the past few weeks and days, Canada got a "stay of execution", as Trump decided to give us 30 days extra before deciding if he will go ahead with the 25 percent tariff -- or not.

This morning Vancouver time, he spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau twice; after the first time, Mexico got a 30-day reprieve which put pressure on Canada to get the same deal.

While there was a collective sigh of relief heard across the country, the threat still looms and Canadians are angry because Trump is acting like a bully to get what he wants.

Trudeau promised to appoint a fentanyl "czar", to list Mexican cartels as terrorists, and kicking in more money on top of the C$200 million to secure the border. 

"Less than one percent of fentanyl seized in the US is traced to Canada -- that's one percent too much," said Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc yesterday.

"We have exactly the same views as the American government in terms of the importance of this. We're not the significant source of the challenge but we want to be very much part of a joint solution. We're prepared to step up and do more," he said.

But is it our fault there is a demand for fentanyl in the US? 

Later Trump claimed US banks couldn't get into the Canadian market. However the reality is that American banks already do business in Canada with large lending and commercial and investment banking operations.

According to the Canadian Bankers Association, there are 16 US-based bank subsidiaries and branches in Canada holding about C$113 billion in assets.

Despite all the mis or dis information Trump is ranting, he is still keen on making Canada the 51st state to the ire of Canadians.

Over the weekend during hockey games, Canadian fans booed while the Star Spangled Banner was being sung, and now people are spending more time in supermarkets and grocery stores reading labels to buy Canadian.

A product that is "Made in Canada" means at least 51 percent of the products used to make something are Canadian, whereas "Product of Canada" means 98 percent of the ingredients are Canadian.

In the meantime Canadian politicians need to be prepared for plans A, B, C, D and so on to hit back against Trump's (mostly baseless) claims. He's playing to a domestic audience that he thinks knows nothing about Canada.

It's quite amazing that Trump has forced us to rally together and be more patriotic than ever. And if we can break down provincial barriers that would be even better.

How Much Will the 2026 FIFA World Cup Cost?

Vancouver is one of 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup

Vancouver will be one of the cohosts of the FIFA 2026 men's World Cup, but taxpayers have no idea how much money they will be on the hook for the global football event.

Toronto released its estimation of some C$380 million, up from C$300 million, and Vancouver is expected to be in that ballpark as well.

However, while Toronto Mayor Oliva Chow has been transparent with what has fallen into her lap, Vancouver City Hall has refused to follow suit, same with the provincial government.

Toronto Mayor Chow estimates C$380M

Reporters have tried many times to request a copy of the contract or the amount of money budgeted, but they have either been rebuffed or given stacks of redacted papers that are practically blank.

Finally Lana Popham, minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport says the amount will be revealed in a "few weeks".

"As soon as we are able to we will be releasing everything we are able to legally," Popham said Thursday.

The football games during the World Cup will be held in 16 cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Vancouver will host seven of the 104 tournament games at BC Place Stadium starting in June 2026.

Originally Vancouver was expected to host five games at an estimated cost of C$230 million over a year ago.

"We have a significant increase in opportunity, with that comes an increase in cost. So with seven games we have more security costs. So we have to redo some of the numbers from the initial estimates," said Popham.

Sim "super pumped" but no released figure yet

A big chunk of the budget will be for security, and fulfilling FIFA's requirements that real grass be installed at BC Place, with specific instructions on how the grass be watered and cared for.

However the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is frustrated that the final figure is still not known and tried to force Vancouver into revealing numbers by releasing Toronto's budget. 

"Taxpayers have every right to know how much we're paying to host seven soccer games," said Carson Binda, BC director with the CFT. "The city and province must be transparent with taxpayers instead of hiding the details."

Binda said other host cities like Toronto and Seattle have already released their contracts with FIFA to the public, and that Vancouver Mayor sim should "stop the secrecy" and "release the unredacted contracts."

While Sim is "super pumped" about Vancouver hosting seven games, it does cost money. Indeed, we are waiting...

Picture of the Day: Pickled Chayote

Marinating sliced chayote with chilli flakes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture of the Day: The Philippines' Fireworks

Stunning fireworks lit up the sky

Just came back from another amazing spectacle of fireworks at the Celebration of Light, this time by the Philippines competing for the first time and the country did not disappoint.

There were an array of pyrotechnics that wowed the crowd, and it was the large explosions that got loud cheers and claps. The show was better than Mexico's in terms of its pacing, and number of fireworks, though I didn't watch Australia last Saturday.

Nevertheless there seemed to be a lot more people out on the streets tonight at English Bay, as evidenced by the massive lines for the porta potties! 

Picture of the Day: Celebration of Light with Mexico

Dazzling fireworks from Mexico this evening

The annual Celebration of Light has returned to Vancouver where different countries compete in showing off their best pyrotechnics in the sky.

Tens of thousands gathered at English Bay early to grab a spot and watch the sunset before the fireworks began at 10pm.

There were tons of people, as the Chinese expression goes, 人山人海, basically meaning "people everywhere". There were several food trucks lined up next to each other, and each one having a queue of hungry customers for hotdogs, popcorn, Thai food, and tacos. 

We are lucky to have an amazing view of the dazzling spectacle, though we too had to arrive early before the roads were closed off to traffic.

While the half-hour show wasn't as full-on as Australia's was, there were lots of interesting shapes and colours as well as a variety of fireworks on display from Mexico.

Closing off the event on Saturday is the Philippines, making its debut this year. 

Chinese Migrants Smuggle into the US

Chinese migrants trying to communicate with border patrol

Reaching the United States has always been the goal of many Chinese and after China lifted all Covid-19 restrictions, its residents are fleeing by the droves.

The constant lockdowns during the pandemic caused them to think of their escape plans, with many looking for ways to get out.

In 2023 over 6,500 were apprehended

While the uber rich have their consultants to help them move their money out and themselves, it's the middle class folks who also want to make a go of it in the US.

Some are doing it the official way by applying for a visa to the US Consulate in their respective cities, while others have found another, more arduous way to get into America.

Several media reports including this Reuters report has found that these Chinese people buy a ticket to Ecuador -- because they can enter visa-free -- and from there pay smugglers up to US$50,000 to get them across to Fronton, Texas, the US-Mexico border city.

Through doing their research online, these migrants discover they cannot bring any belongings with them, only the basic necessities -- many bring battery power packs -- and footwear like Crocs and hiking boots.

How many are making the trek?

In the six months since October 22, there have been 6,500 Chinese apprehended by border patrol, the highest on record, a more than 15-fold increase from a year ago, according to US Customs and Border Protection data.

Once these migrants get to the border at Fronton, they are instructed to find the cemetery where the border patrol is based. Many of them seek asylum because they fear persecution at home for example on religious grounds. Asylum seekers from China won in US immigration court 58 percent of the time. If they are successful, then they can apply for work permits and then start working legally in 180 days. It is not clear what happens to the other 42 percent who don't get asylum. 

The migrants are mostly men, some with young families

Of those who make the perilous journey, are they happier on the other side? Too early to tell, but many bring their young children with them on these long journeys.

No matter how much the Chinese government is promoting its economy as booming post-Covid, its people are leaving the country. 

China may have the second biggest economy in the world, but other nationalities are not trying to smuggle themselves into the Middle Kingdom...

San Diego: Old Town

Verdant greeting at the Old Town in San Diego

On our second last day in San Diego we drove south to the Old Town to check it out. It is the first European settlement in California, and the oldest neighbourhood in San Diego (though it's literally just a tourist spot now, no one lives here).

Conveniently there's a parking lot nearby where you can park for four hours for free, but it's not necessary! The area is divided into several sections -- a Mexican-themed place with restaurants and gift shops, and then a more open area with individual shops, sadly many of them have closed. Keep walking up and you'll hit the main street of the area where there are cafes and restaurants serving mostly Tex-Mex food.

Gum Saan sells non-Chinese trinkets

The Mexican area is very colourful with lots of succulents and flowers mixed with skeletons. It's like a perpetual Cinco de Mayo there. Souvenir shops sell colourfully embroidered clothing -- made in China, or jewellery and items made by local artists. There were also tile shops, one selling very spicy chilli sauces, and ceramics.

We then headed to the more Western area that sort of looked like a hastily assembled Wild West Main Street. The City Hall had two women dressed up in clothing from two centuries ago, and there was a candle-making shop that was quite popular that also sold soap.

Another one with many customers was the candy shop where people could not resist buying fudge to stuff their faces with. Interestingly ther was a shop called "Gum Saan" or "Gold Mountain", as many Chinese migrants came to California to try their luck and pan for gold. But the shop actually sold Tibetan and Nepalese items, including bracelets, singing bowls, statues, and incense. Nothing to do with Chinese!

In the end we had a bite to eat in a Tex-Mex restaurant, and I ordered two tacos, one was seared Mahi Mahi, the other pulled pork with a side of black beans. I was full after eating those two tacos and only managed to make a dent in the black beans!

Mahi mahi taco (left) and pulled pork, black beans

We then tried to get on the Hop On, Hop Off bus, but found out it would be a two-hour ride and about US$50 a person, so we made our way back to the parking lot and came home!