Alexandra Eala is a Filipino Phenom

Eala lifts up her trophy winning the Washington Open

Asian tennis players are on fire these days. Although Hong Kong's Coleman Wong Chak-lam flamed out in the semi-finals of the Mifel Open a few days ago at an ATP event in Los Cabos, Mexico, Alexandra Eala is hot property now that she is the first Filipino to win a WTA singles title.

The 21-year-old defeated top-seeded Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 today to win the Washington Open in the United States capital.

Eala now ranked No. 20 in the world

"Oh my gosh, winning a [WTA] 500 is insane. It's an incredible milestone for me," she said.

"At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy. Even at the beginning of the year," Eala said. "These things kind of creep up on you and I hold these moments really close to me."

Now ranked No. 20 in the world, Eala was overcome with joy when she won the game. Like Wong, she also trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, so the Spanish champion's tennis school is definitely honing players' talents to win.

Eala turned heads earlier this summer at Wimbledon when she defeated defending champion and world No. 6 seed Iga Swiatek in the third round. 

Eala learned tennis at four

Not bad for Eala, who comes from a sporty family: her mother Rosemarie Maniego-Eala was a former national swimmer, and her paternal uncle is a former Philippine Sports Commission chairperson and Philippine Basketball Association commissioner, Noila Eala.

At Wimbledon, Eala talked about learning tennis at the age of four from her maternal grandfather Roberto Maniego.

"I went to train with my brother and my grandfather everyday after school with my ruffled socks and my light up shoes and my chubby cheeks," she recalled.

With today's historic win, Eala is definitely one to watch!

Hong Kong Braces for Super Typhoon Ragasa

Masking tape and vegetables at the wet market

Super Typhoon Ragasa is approaching Hong Kong, and the Observatory has just raised the No. 8 storm signal almost 30 minutes ago.

Ragasa, a Filipino word that means "rapid" or "fast motion" already crossed the Luzon Strait 

with winds clocking at 230km/h, making it the most powerful storm in the world so far this year.

Two shopping carts filled with instant noodles

People in Hong Kong are now rushing home, and bringing back whatever supplies they can find to survive at least two days.

Supermarkets and wet markets were swarmed by customers, with fresh vegetables and fruit to quickly disappear, along with eggs, meat and bread.

On social media there's a video of a man who filled two supermarket trolleys with around 70 instant noodle cups and several bags of frozen dim sum. Was he planning to eat that all himself?

One shopper described the mad rush as busy as before Lunar New Year. The 67-year-old woman bought more than 1kg of vegetables, including two cabbages, five dragon fruit and four oranges, that she believed would last till the weekend.

However, one couple that wasn't as quick to buy essential food items could only find snacks, though they did still have some food at home. 

Some people prioritised buying up toilet paper to ride out the storm...

Slim pickings for those not organised

And yet there were those who believe in using masking tape to tape up their windows. Lo Kok-keung, a former Hong Kong Polytechnic University engineer, says there are three major causes of window breakage during typhoons: strong winds that generate vibrations that cause cracks, high wind speeds that blow up debris that breaks glass, and strong winds that deform glass.

In a bid to minimise the risk of glass shattering, Lo suggests taping the Chinese character for rice (米) on windows, which he says provides more support points and reduces the likelihood of glass fragments shattering.

Shops were selling masking tape like hot cakes, with one renovation store in Hoi Wan selling 200 rolls in the past few days. 

"People have heard that this coming typhoon is bigger than usual, so they're stocking up just in case," the manager said, adding that most customers were buying more than two rolls and many were new faces.

"Some were buying as many as 10 at a time, especially those who live in places with many windows or are purchasing for high-rise offices."

Taste of the Philippines with Sisig Pizza

Encapsulating Filipino cuisine on a pizza with sisig and egg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just Pizza

1629 Kingsway

Vancouver, BC

604 566 8888

Remembering Chef Margarita Fores

Fores, a tireless promoter of Filipino cuisine has died at 65

This morning I woke up to the tragic news that accomplished chef and tireless promoter of Filipino cuisine Margarita Fores has passed away. She was 65 years old.

According to news reports she died of a massive heart attack in her Upper House hotel room in Hong Kong, where she was on a stopover after traveling to Morocco and Madrid.

One of her chef friends, Vicky Cheng of Vea and Wing, was shocked and heartbroken, as he had only spoken to her hours earlier. He wrote on his social media post:

Cheng with Fores in a collaboration dinner

Why is life so not fair!!?

I was just speaking to you yesterday, you asked me to go out for a night cap…. And I said I had an early morning I couldn’t come out…. I didn’t know it was the last time you were ever going to ask me 😢😭

“Oh no worries! Will always be back to see you!…“ this was the last message you sent me 😭

I interviewed Fores back in 2023 for a Mother's Day story about how chefs' mothers or grandmothers influenced their career paths into the kitchen.

Her mother had just passed in March that year, describing her as "My Mothers, My Rock, My Everything", and how she introduced the young Fores to Europe, in particular Italy and fell in love with the cuisine.

Fores learned how to cook Italian and brought her skills and passion back to the Philippines, opening Cibo in 1997, followed by Lusso, Grace Park, and The Loggia.

In 2017 I made my first trip to her home town, Manila, where a food exhibition called Madrid Fusion was held. She introduced me and several other Hong Kong journalists to Filipino cuisine, from adobo, a braised meat stew, to kinilaw, where raw seafood is marinated in citrus juices much like ceviche. 

Fores fell in love with Italian cuisine

I learned how Filipinos eat rice three times a day and for festive occasions will roast a stuffed baby pig called lechon.

As we took in these sights and flavours, Fores was there to explain and demystify Filipino cuisine. We were excited to learn from her.

Before and after the pandemic she came to Hong Kong frequently, where she made friends with many chefs, praising their food, and was supportive of them.

Thai chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn wrote on his social media that Fores set an example to others.

"I will remember to be kind, to hold a good heart even [if] the world turns on me. I will make people smile and laugh. And I will remember to be a good person," he wrote.

Fores was born in 1959 into the wealthy Araneta family, her grandfather J Amado Araneta was a tycoon, and the family had businesses in real estate, food, leisure and hospitality.

In 2016 she was named Asia's Best Female Chef" by the World's 50 Best Restaurants. 

Fores survived cancer twice, including thyroid cancer around 2006. She has a son, Jorge Amado, who was learning the restaurant business from her and has his own restaurant, a mano.

Margarita your big smile and enthusiasm will be missed. RIP.

Taylor Sheesh is the Next Swift Thing

Who wore it better? Sheesh or Swift?

For fans who couldn't get enough of Taylor Swift when she was in Singapore for six dates, they were able to catch Taylor Sheesh, a drag artist who looks like the American pop sensation.

Mac Coronel, 29, is from the Philippines and is known as Taylor Sheesh. She had a two-night sold out show a week after Swift left the Lion City.

Sheesh wowed Swifties in Singapore

Coronel wears a blonde wig, dresses in jewel encrusted bodysuits and wears cowboy boots, lip-synching to Swift's songs and imitating her dance moves.

Sheesh has been impersonating the four-time Grammy winner since 2017 and has a collection of outfits very similar to Swift's. He has been a Swiftie since 2009.

'[Before each show], I will listen to Taylor Swift and watch some of her videos to memorise her choreography and refresh my mind," Coronel said.

After one of his performances in the Philippines went viral last April, his bookings have soared.

And why not -- if you can't see the real Taylor Swift, Sheesh is the next best thing -- and much cheaper too.

Taylor Swift's Exclusive Singapore Deal

Swift performs six dates in Singapore, only stop in SE Asia

Mega superstar Taylor Swift has begun her six-date tour in Singapore and it has been revealed that the Lion City government paid her to not perform in any other Southeast Asian city.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong explained this during a press conference in Australia.

"Our agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform and to make Singapore her only stop in Southeast Asia. I don't see that as being unfriendly," he said.

He added the deal was a "very successful arrangement".

Swift would probably say the same.

Lee did not disclose how much money was paid to Swift, but national broadcaster CNA reported Singapore paid between US$2 million to US$3 million for her six dates in the Lion City.

Other Southeast Asian governments were unhappy, such as Thailand, the Philippines and probably Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's "Chubby Hearts" campaign

That's because Swift can significantly enhance a local economy. For example when Swift performed four dates in Tokyo, the local economy was boosted by an estimated US$228 million, according to a report from Japanese research firm EconomicImpact.net.

Last month Singapore's tourism board and culture ministry defended the money paid for Swift's concerts, saying in a statement that the shows were likely to "generate significant benefits to the Singapore economy, especially tourism activities such as hospitality, retail, travel and dining."

Meanwhile Hong Kong spends US$1 million to have big "Chubby Hearts" balloons designed by Anya Hindmarch posted around the city in a bid to entice tourists to come...

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. 

Changing Face of Canada is Asian

More immigrants make up the Canadian population

Statistics Canada has unveiled its latest population figures and 8.3 million people or 23 percent of the national population were either immigrants or permanent residents from 2016 to 2021.

This percentage tops the previous record of 22.3 percent in 1921.

Metro Vancouver has 54 percent visible minorities

Asian-born immigrants were the largest ethnic group at 62 percent last year, compared to only 12.1 percent in 1971. India was the source of most of the Asian immigrants, contributing 18.6 percent of the total number arriving between 2016 to 2021.

They were followed by those from the Philippines at 11.4 percent, and then China at 8.9 percent. Part of the drop of Chinese immigrants could be because of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions that prevented many people from leaving, and also China making it harder for people to move money out, thus hampering their exit plans.

When it comes to Metro Vancouver, 54 percent identify as visible minorities, compared to 49 percent five years ago.

The largest non-white ethnic groups are Chinese at 19.6 percent of the population, and South Asian at 14.2 percent, and Filipino at 5.5 percent. 

Richmond has over 80 percent visible minorities

When analysed further, Richmond has the highest proportion of people who are visible minorities at 80.3 percent, followed by Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam and then Vancouver at 54.5 percent. 

This national census also gave people the opportunity to identify themselves as from Hong Kong as opposed to just China, and that number is 8,560 in Metro Vancouver. Also interestingly there seems to be some 12,000 more Chinese women than men in the 25-40 age group. One urban planner suggests perhaps it's because of astronaut families with husbands back in Asia.

However, there is much chatter post-National Congress that many businessmen in China have either left or are leaving, and with conscription in Russia, we could see more Chinese and Russians landing on our shores...

Macau's Gambling Days are Over

Pre-pandemic Macau was the top gambling hub in the world

The glory days of Macau's casinos raking in US$36 billion annually -- six times more than all of Las Vegas combined are fast evaporating thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, and President Xi Jinping wanting the former Portuguese colony to pivot away from baccarat tables and slot machines.

And in another sign that this is happening, casino suppliers are quitting Macau for Singapore and the Philippines.

Macau has been told to pivot from gambling

Light & Wonder Inc is a leading provider of casino products and it's relocating its expat staff to the Philippines, the company's top market in Asia, while another equipment maker in Japan is moving 30 percent of its employees to the Philippines and Singapore. 

The Japanese company has also taken half of its inventory out of Macau, as its revenues have plunged 90 percent because of its prolonged slump.

Macau's casinos aren't buying any new equipment until they get licenses to continue operating at the end of the year, and without new sales, Light & Wonder is only getting limited revenues from maintenance and technical support.

Meanwhile, Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association Chairman Jay Chun said he knew of at least four multinational casino suppliers relocating manpower and resources overseas. The trend could accelerate after the government had announced a cap of 12,000 gaming machines across the city for 2023 under a new casino law. In 2019 there were 17,000 machines.

Though Macau did well for most of the pandemic -- keeping casinos open and allowing a trickle of mainlanders in -- it was hit hard this June when China suspended quarantine-free travel with Macau for more than a month. Tourist numbers were only 300 a day in July, with casino revenue only at US$49 million that month, as casinos were closed for two weeks for a lockdown.

Covid-19 has exacerbated Macau's woes

Many are worried about China-style lockdowns in Macau, which is why they are staying away from the city.

"Singapore and the Philippines are growing exponentially," Chun said. "Macau has already lost its shine."

The devastating economic blow to Macau is only going to make it even easier for China to turn the pliant city into one Beijing wants it to be. Whether it will be a success or not is another issue.