Tai Po Fire Victims Use Exoskeletons to See Former Homes

Former residents can go into their flats starting next week

The victims of the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po will finally get a chance to see first hand the conditions of their flats when they are allowed to go in from April 20 to May 4.

In late November a burning inferno spread to seven of eight apartment buildings, killing 168 people and displacing more than 4,000 residents.

Many have complained bitterly that only allowed three hours is not enough time to gather all their belongings, but they may not have much to retrieve, as many flats were burned out, or completely gutted.

Some are practicing using an exoskeleton

A number of the former residents are elderly and the elevators won't be working in the apartment buildings that have 31 storeys.

As a result, many are turning to technology to give them a physical boost. Some are practicing going up the stairs using exoskeletons that are attached to the waist and knees to help them walk up.

One is 59-year-old Fanny Mok, who is using the device to be able to climb up to the 13th floor where she used to live.

"My knees hurt, I don't have enough strength, and I get short of breath," she said. "There's a real need. If I were 30 I wouldn't need it. But at 60, I genuinely do."

An NGO called AidVengers Federation is lending out the exoskeletons and teaching people how to use them. The devices are made by Hypershell, a Shanghai-based robotics company. 

All former residents who want to use the exoskeleton must pass a test before being able to operate the device. The pass rate is 70 percent, according to the NGO.

Some put on the exoskeleton to use the stairs

Once the residents make it up to their flats, can they physically move all the stuff (if there is anything remaining) down all those floors too?

Those few days are going to be traumatic for the victims; I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like seeing what is left of your home following such a horrific disaster.

Just Checking -- Are You Dead?

People living alone can check in with the app every two days

The most downloaded paid app in China at the moment is the morbidly sounding, Are You Dead?

Its name is a play on a popular food delivery app, "Are You Hungry?" with "Si le ma?" [Are you dead?] sounding like "E le ma?"

While the app launched last May, in the last few weeks, tens of thousands of young people have downloaded the app because, well, it's practical.

It has become the most downloaded app in China

The app is straight forward: every two days you need to check in with it, otherwise it will send a message to your emergency contact, informing them that you may be in trouble.

For many, this seems like a useful solution if you are living on your own, young or old, and is a good way to notify others in case something happens to you.

"People who live alone at any stage of their life need something like this, as do introverts, those with depression, the unemployed and others in vulnerable situations," posted one user on Chinese social media.

"There is a fear that people living alone might die unnoticed, with no one to call for help. I sometimes wonder, if I died alone, who would collect my body?" said another.

Research institutions have projected there will be some 200 million one-person households in China by 2030 -- four years from now.

The app's founders, young developers who were born after 1995, say they want to expand the app's reach to seniors, particularly those in the rural areas, saying, "we would like to call on more people to pay attention to the elderly who are living at home, to give them more care and understanding. They have dreams, strive to live, and deserve to be seen, respected and protected."

We all do, really. And the app is also a reminder for us to check on our loved ones to make sure they're OK.

MTR Trying to Catch Fare Evaders

Only seniors can use this card on Hong Kong transport!

In Hong Kong there are people who try to evade paying full fare when going on the MTR.

By using a green Octopus card for seniors, they can ride for much cheaper.

Last year it was reported more than 4,200 people were abusing the system.

My aunt, who is in her early 70s, looks young for her age as she exercises a lot.

During our recent trip to Hong Kong, she used the green Octopus card to get around on the MTR, and one time when she was exiting the turnstile, a female MTR staffer came up to her and asked her if she knew she was using a senior's card.

"Yes, because I'm a senior," my aunt replied.

"Can I see your HKID?" asked the staff member.

My aunt had her Hong Kong passport on hand as she had just renewed it.

When the staffer looked at my aunt's birthdate, she was disappointed at being unable to catch a fare evader.

After my aunt told me this story, I told her it was a compliment!

Poilievre Wants to Stop Scams on Seniors... But Can He?

Poilievre wants to protect Canadian seniors from scammers

Less than two weeks to go before the federal election on April 28 and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has pitched the idea of preventing seniors from being scammed by passing the "Stop scamming seniors act", forcing banks and telecom companies to use state of the art technology to detect scams.

Not only that, there will also be automatic blocking of seniors' accounts when there are suspicious transactions, and a 24-hour hold on high-risk transactions for seniors. There would also be active reporting to the public of how many scams have been stopped, while those who are convicted of these scams would be sentenced to at least one year, and up to five years in jail.

While these proposals are well-meaning, how would it all work?

Poilievre doesn't seem to understand that many scams don't originate from Canada but abroad and the nefarious ways they can "mistakenly" text someone and strike up a conversation and soon becomes a trusted friend. 

It's after months of daily contact that the scammer eventually begins the extraction of money for "investment", and by that point the victim is so driven by the dreams of becoming wealthy that they will do whatever it takes to transfer the funds to the scammer.

Some of these conversations aren't even in English or French. How to stop these scams in other languages?

And what if a senior is legitimately trying to purchase a big ticket item? They need to wait 24 hours before they can make the transaction? It makes them feel like children.

In addition, it would be so hard for banks and telecom companies to detect scams -- while there are some bank tellers who are alert and flag customers who come in asking to transfer large amounts of money with strange requests, a lot of funds are transferred through setting up crypto accounts or online transfers. 

We could do with fewer spam calls and texts, but it's harder to crack down on scammers than Poilievre thinks and to educate seniors to be on alert...

Vancouver By-Election Voting Chaos

Where I started lining up at 12.20pm today to vote

Today Vancouver held a by-election for two seats on City Council. One was vacated by Christine Boyle, who successfully jumped into provincial politics, and the other by Adriane Carr, who retired after many years in political office.

There were already signs that voter turnout would be big just from advance voting and the number of mail-in ballots requested.

I went during lunchtime (wolfed down a sandwich beforehand) and was shocked -- shocked -- to see a massive line outside the Dunbar Community centre. A woman who was helping to run the election explained that yes this was the line to vote and that the wait would be 50 minutes -- 5-0 she reiterated. 

However, if you were elderly and could not stand long, or you had a ferry to catch, then by all means come to the priority line. Some followed her in, the rest of us waited, luckily in the sunshine.

An hour later, I exercised my right

The line kept moving, but snaked around the atrium before moving towards a very long corridor. Eventually I got to the front of the line, got registered, was given a ballot, and after choosing the two candidates, had to line up again to submit my ballot.

It took just over an hour to complete from start to finish.

Apparently at other polling stations the wait was over an hour, up to three hours.

Part of the reason can be faulted on city staff for anticipating (wrongly) that hardly anyone votes in by-elections. But surely from reading the news and the advance voting turnout they should know that only opening 25 polling stations compared the 50 in the 2017 by-election is going to result in long lines.

The other issue was that many elderly people did not know they could bypass the long line and walk right in. I advised my parents to do this and they were done in less than 15 minutes, while other seniors bravely stood in line not knowing about this priority line. Again this is city staff's fault for not making people aware of this option. 

Why did so many people turn out for this by-election?

It was a chance for them to take part in a referendum on Mayor Ken Sim and his administration's performance so far.

And the results show it is a complete repudiation of Sim and his ABC party.

Of the 13 candidates running, two won by a wide margin: Sean Orr of COPE (over 34,000 votes), and OneCity's Lucy Maloney (over 33,000).

Although this does not change ABC's majority on council, Orr and Maloney will put more pressure on Sim and ABC to be more accountable for their actions.

"While the results tonight didn't go the way that we hoped for... we look forward to working with the two elected officials," Sim told ABC supporters this evening.

City council meetings are going to be more interesting from now on...

Turquoise-Coloured Budget for Hong Kong

Chan walking into LegCo to deliver his budget speech

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po unveiled his budget today and it reflects the tough economic climate the city is in.

Chan reported the deficit is at HK$87.2 billion for financial year 2024-45, with the aim to get Hong Kong into the black by 2028-29. Meanwhile the city's reserves continue to dwindle, from HK$734.5 billion (US$94.5 billion) to HK$647.3 billion, and is expected to decrease further to HK$580.3 billion in 2025-26. 

In order to tighten the government's belt, he announced pay freezes for civil servants and cutting some 10,000 posts. That clearly reveals a very bloated operation.

Ip wearing sunglasses and leather top

Other ways to bring in more money is to charge HK$200 instead of the current HK$120 for departure tax, allow betting on basketball games through the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and to make seniors shell out more for public transportation.

The elderly have had a great time taking advantage of the HK$2 fare on most public transit, and the government has had to subsidise the rest of the fares. But now there will be a cap on 240 trips per month, and seniors will have to pay 20 percent more on those routes costing over HK$10. 

It's controversial because it's mean to take away what was a privilege for the elderly, though 240 trips is more than reasonable.  

Chan's address clocked in at one hour and 48 minutes, and some lawmakers lost interest and looked at their smartphones.

However, it was hard to tell with Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who wore dark sunglasses inside the Legislative Council chamber. Lau claimed she had an eye inflammation, but she looked grumpy; she did comply with the dress code of wearing something turquoise to match the colour of the budget's cover.

Fact of the Day: Hongkongers' Long Lives

Hongkongers have some of the longest life expectancies 

An Associated Press article about life expectancy has some interesting facts about the places in the world where people live the longest.

S. Jay Olshansky is a University of Ilinois-Chicago researcher and he and his team found that humans have pretty much hit the limit of life expectancy.

As part of the study, the researchers focused on eight places where people live the longest. In alphabetical order they are: Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland.

There seems to be more people reaching 100 years old -- like former US President Jimmy Carter last week. And Olshansky says in 2019, a little over 2 percent of Americans made it to that age, compared to 5 percent in Japan and 9 percent in Hong Kong.

9 percent! That's a pretty amazing statistic, though five years on, one wonders if that percentage still stands.

Nevertheless it's pretty impressive!

Over 4K People Abusing Elderly Fare Transport Scheme

People 60 and over can ride public transport for HK$2

One of the perks of being a senior in Hong Kong is that taking public transportation is much cheaper. When people 60 years old and over take the MTR, bus, and ferry, it costs HK$2 (US$0.26) per ride. 

Naturally it's not surprising to see more elderly people riding 650 routes for buses and ferries, as well as the MTR railway network.

However, the authorities have found that over the past eight months, 4,260 rail passengers were fined for misusing the HK$2 fare concession scheme. 

The government has also found that over the last five years, 1,419 suspected cases of abuse of the scheme were uncovered during monitoring of buses, MTR, ferries, minibuses, trams and even buses to transport residents to and from their apartment blocks.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han even mentioned one passenger who was fined HK$14,000 (US$1,800) and had to pay around HK$2,000 in unpaid fares.

He said the Transport Department had asked operators to increase ticket checks and passenger identity verification, as well as strictly enforce penalties.

This is hard for frontline workers to enforce when there are lots of people getting on a bus or ferry, and also what can they do if someone doesn't pay up? 

The scheme costs the government around HK$6 billion in terms of reimbursement of costs to the transportation companies.

In order to make up for the shortfall, lawmaker Peter Koon Ho-ming suggests doubling the concession fare to HK$4 to keep the scheme sustainable. 

"Transportation fares have gone up by around 30 percent since the HK$2 scheme was rolled out. Is it feasible that we keep the concessionary fare at HK$2 and don't increase it? I think we should be more realistic when looking at this," he said.

Koon is the reverend who helped Chan Tong-kai who allegedly murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan and set off the anti-extradition protests in 2019...

Another lawmaker, Chan Siu-hung, suggested placing restrictions on the scheme, such as limiting the number of trips a person could make.

"Whatever it is going to be -- be it a fare discount, a limit on the number of rides or on the fare -- I hope the original purpose of the policy can be maintained, which is to encourage the elderly to go out more," Chan said.

Seniors Who Must Keep Working

Not all seniors have any retirement and must continue working

On CBC Radio it was sad to hear 67-year-old seniors must continue to work in order to pay the bills.

The program The Current interviewed two people, Stephen Booth who is in Barrie, Ontario, and Janis Long in Langley, British Columbia.

Booth was thrown a curveball when he was 55 years old, his health got so bad that he was in a wheelchair, lost his driver's license and eventually had to quit his regular job, though he doesn't say what it was. As a result he and his wife had to sell their house and he now works part time at Walmart.

It's tough for him to work with a basket of illnesses, including being legally blind, deaf, and has Parkinson's.

As the deacon in the Catholic Church, he has some close friends in the parish who will drop off the occasional gift card to help him keep going financially.

Meanwhile Long says she's been by herself for the past 25 years and has always worked. She also took in her mother and looked after her for the last eight years of her life. Long had to quit working because her mother had dementia and had to look after her.

Her job is ironically looking after some 40 seniors in a day program. She finds it exhausting and has arthritis in her hands so she worries how much longer she can do the job. Luckily Long has a very affordable rent compared to her friends, but still finds it hard to afford basic necessities.

Long used to be a competitive bowler and wasn't able to afford continuing her favourite hobby until her son stepped up to pay for her year of bowling.

She feels bad that he does that, as she thinks her children shouldn't have to pay for that, that they should only treat her for Mother's Day, birthdays and Christmas.

Last January her car was carjacked while she was delivering the newspapers in the middle of the night. Her car was taken along with her purse with everything in it. She managed to get money to replace the car from her insurance, and around that time her friend stopped driving so she bought it for C$10,000. 

She says if she had car payments now Long half jokingly said she wouldn't be eating.

It's sad to hear seniors aren't able to enjoy the last decades of their lives. How did we get to this point? As a man who is around 35 pointed out last week on a radio call-in show about housing that he and his partner still don't have a home and wonder if they will ever be able to afford it. What are they going to do when they get into their 60s?

 

Homeless Numbers Rise in Metro Vancouver

Many municipalities are seeing increases in homeless people

Every three years there is a count of the homeless people in Vancouver and the surrounding municipalities, and sadly the numbers are getting higher in every area, many of them are indigenous and seniors.

Counting was conducted by the Homelessness Services Association of BC and the statistics are shockingly high in areas like Delta with a 159 percent increase, 91 percent in Richmond, and 86 percent in the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam an Port Moody). Surrey has seen a 65 percent increase to 1,060 who don't have a proper roof over their heads.

Vancouver has the highest number of homeless at 2,420, but among the slowest growth at 16 percent compared to 2020.

Many homeless are indigenous and seniors

Indigenous people are hit the hardest -- they only make up 2.4 percent of the populations, but are one-third of the homeless population. Seniors are next along with LGBTQ+, youth in the foster care system, and visible minorities. 

This year 4,821 people across the region are experiencing homelessness, a 32 percent increase since 2020; homeless advocates say this is the "minimum" number, and there are probably many more that volunteers could not find.

The count was conducted on March 7 and 8 this year, finding people in shelters, transition houses, hospitals, police cells, alleys, doorways, parks and vehicles. At the time of the count, two-thirds had a temporary roof over their heads, while the rest were unsheltered, either sleeping outside, living in a tent, or couch surfing.

In addition one in five were over the age of 55, and 10 percent of them said they were experiencing homelessness for the first time as a senior.

"The number of seniors have been going up significantly, and that's really challenging. In an environment with ever increasing food costs and housing costs, seniors are disproportionately being impacted," said Stephen D'Souza, executive director of the Homeless Services Association of BC.

More than two-thirds of the respondents had experienced homelessness for at least a year, a significantly larger number since the last survey in 2020.

The main reason is the skyrocketing rents that have made it so difficult for people on low-income budgets to afford, along with cost of living, substance abuse and mental health issues. 

Another interesting point is that the homeless population is mostly made of people from Vancouver -- they are not people who migrated from other parts of the country. Four out of every five people were homeless in the community where they used to be housed. 

Mayors blame the province for not building low-income housing fast enough, while the BC government claims the federal government isn't doing enough to release more funds.

The blame game hardly helps the situation -- all levels of government need to earnestly tackle the issue of homelessness quickly and effectively before more people lose their homes in the next few years.

Divided Over Chinatown's Revitalisation

Lions kick off "Light Up Chinatown" in Vancouver

Today was the start of the two-day "Light Up Chinatown", an initiative from the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation in a bid to revitalise the neighbourhood leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival. The lions were out in force prancing on stage, while politicians trotted out, like BC Premier David Eby and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, encouraging people to come to the area more often.

Other entertainment on the main stage included girls performing traditional Chinese dances, singers exercising their vocal abilities, hip hop dancers strutting their stuff, and even magic tricks to impress the crowd. 

A Western-style bun stuffed with char siu 

And there was lots of food on offer, from bubble tea to poke bowls and burgers, to special collaborations like a European-style bun stuffed with char siu, and another group offering five grilled skewers from five different chefs paired with wines.

Interestingly, one of the sponsors of the event is Beedie Living, the developer of the controversial site 105 Keefer Street. Beedie plans to build condos on the vacant lot, which will be beyond the reach of the elderly residents in the area, and is right next to a monument commemorating the Chinese railway workers in the 1880s and the soldiers who fought in World War II. 

Several years ago many in Chinatown were against it when Beedie made its presentation at City Hall, but then earlier this year many people and businesses in the area did a 180-degree turn and fully supported the plan, believing construction is better than letting the site remain empty.

Those who still do not support the development and would rather social housing be built on the plot of land held their own event in an alleyway. They marked the first anniversary of the fire that destroyed Gain Wah, a legacy business in Chinatown that not only served cheap Chinese food, but also had inexpensive housing upstairs for seniors and restaurant staff.

Gain Wah Restaurant following the fire last year

This grassroots group held an event to bring attention to the issue of food insecurity in Chinatown, as it was not really a fundraiser for Gain Wah.

Nevertheless, it shows that not everyone in Chinatown is united behind one cause, that the differences in the community fall along political lines. Either one supports the corporate elites who believe money is going to revitalise the area, or grassroots, who are trying to help the residents in the area have a safe environment to live in and support local businesses to keep the ecosystem going.

One side has vastly more resources than the other, but the smaller group is scrappy and determined to continue voicing its opinions.

As someone watching on the sidelines, there's never a dull moment in Chinatown. 

Controversial Development Yet to be Decided

The condo project is right next to Chinatown Memorial Plaza

The fate of the plot of plot of land in Vancouver's Chinatown that has divided the neighbourhood, will not be known until June 12.

On Monday evening, 70 people signed up to speak for or against the proposal on 105 Keefer Street to build 111 luxury condos on nine floors right next to the Chinatown Memorial Plaza. Some 20 still have yet to give their say.

Most of the people who spoke in the City of Vancouver development permit board hearing that lasted almost two hours beyond the scheduled time, were against the project.

Seniors want affordable housing on that land

Beedie Holdings bought the property, currently a parking lot, 10 years ago. Twice it went to the permit board hearing, the first time its plans for the building were criticised for being too tall, and then in 2017 it was shorter, but was resoundingly rejected.

Now it is back to the permit hearing board again -- with no changes to the plans. 

Seven Chinatown groups are for the project including the Chinatown Business Improvement Association, saying post-Covid it is time to get any kind of economic stimulation in the neighbourhood. They believe having these condos will bring at least 111 more people into the area and patronising the businesses in the area.

However, those against complained the condos should not be for the wealthy but social housing for the elderly, as inflation has made it harder for them to afford rent and food. Meanwhile others claimed the design was not culturally appropriate for the area, as it is near the Chinese Cultural Centre and Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

Lily Tang, 80, arrived in Chinatown in 1968, and has lived in her social housing building for about 25 years. She says life in Canada is becoming more unaffordable.

The fate of the land to be decided on June 12

"We are not against constructing this building, but it's looking at our needs," Tang said days before the hearing. "The last several years the government hasn't built much housing for us. There used to be a bit, but now governments just give lip service."

Russell Chiong, president of Chinatown Today agrees. 

"There is no affordable or seniors housing and no safeguards against gentrification. It would just do irreversible damage to the sense of place and community vibrancy of Chinatown," he said of the proposal.

Even people who lived in neighbourhood who are not Chinese also told the hearing they did not want to see luxury condos built there, and felt strongly for the unique character of the area to remain.

Meanwhile, Rob Fiorvento, managing partner at Beedie, said last week that the development will bring much needed mixed-use housing to the area, which is aligned with the city's goal of making the historic community prosperous again.

However, Fred Mah, founder of the Chinese Community Centre and an elder activist for Chinatown, said at the hearing he met with Beedie, but they agreed to disagree. They could not come to any compromise and so he does not support the proposal, saying it is not culturally appropriate nor does it cater to seniors.

But now that the City of Vancouver is pushing for market housing as a priority, it may be that the Beedie plan will be given the green light. It's also interesting that people who were against the project in 2017 have changed their minds even though the plan hasn't been modified in the last five years...

Developer Proposes Luxury Condos in Chinatown

The empty site sits next to Chinatown Memorial Plaza (front)

Vancouver's Chinatown is fiercely divided over what should be built on 105 Keefer Street, a plot of land that was a parking lot for many years. It is next to Chinatown Memorial Plaza, which pays tribute to the Chinese workers who built the Canadian Pacific Railway, and Chinese-Canadian soldiers who fought for Canada in World War II.

The plot of land was bought by developer Beedie Holdings in 2013 and the following year its subsidiary Beedie Living proposed a tall building of luxury condos which would dwarf the memorial next to it, and the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden nearby.

The building plan will be discussed on Monday

Three years later the Chinatown community joined together to oppose the mixed-use, slightly shorter building proposal, even though it included a seniors centre and underground parking. After listening to hours of comments from the public, the plan was resoundingly rejected by city hall.

On Monday a revised proposal is back in front of city hall, but this time the community is divided into two camps, one all for it, the other against.

Those for it, including seven business organisations, say now that the Covid-19 pandemic is over, Chinatown is barely hanging on economically, and believe construction of these 111 luxury condo units will help revive the neighbourhood. 

Some of the groups for the plan include the Chinatown Business Improvement Association, Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, Chinese Freemasons of Vancouver, Chinese Cultural Center of Greater Vancouver, and Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.

However, those who oppose it say luxury condos don't fit into this area, where most of the residents are seniors living on pensions. They would like to see social housing on the site and culturally appropriate programming as well as architecture to integrate the building into the neighbourhood.

Seniors oppose the latest proposal from Beedie

One senior interviewed felt the voices of the elderly were being ignored and instead the government was more interested in development, leaving these vulnerable people behind. They are barely subsisting as it is financially and feel the new condos will push them out. 

Meanwhile legacy businesses like Kent's Kitchen which offered cheap food, are closing, resulting in seniors becoming even more food insecure.

A few hundred people showed up at a rally on Thursday afternoon next to the site opposing the plan, while those for it believe people living in these luxury condos will patronise the area's businesses, thus keeping them afloat.

But who will want to live in a luxury condo in Chinatown which is right next to the Downtown Eastside? It's not exactly a desired location. Affordable housing would be a better solution, but perhaps Beedie's patience has worn out and wants to recoup its costs as soon as possible.

Distressed Hawker's Future in Doubt

Chan begging officers to just giver her a fine, not take her cart

A reporter happened to come across an altercation between a 90-year-old hawker selling roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes and officers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department at Cheung Sha Wan MTR station. 

Chan Tak-ching had just left her stall for 20 minutes for a toilet break when a 29-year-old man helped her man her cart, but according to her hawker license she is not allowed to let others do this for her. As a result the young man and the cart were taken away.

Many like eating roasted chestnuts in winter

With several onlookers, the elderly woman was sitting on the ground, pleading with the FEHD officers to only give her a fine, as she depended on this cart for her livelihood. The young man was her goddaughter's son, who was subsequently charged with illegal hawking and was released on a HK$1,000 (US$127) bail pending a trial set for March 29.

"He has been helping me run the cart for several years, while i take care of the money bag," she said. "The female officer was going too far... She said we were peddling the chestnuts at a hawker black spot, but in fact, we were not."

She wanted her cart back to run her business which she has done for decades. However in this situation the cart is seized as evidence, and if the person is convicted, the cart is confiscated permanently, and presumably the hawker license too?

As the FEHD lays down the law, the real problem is that elderly people who should be enjoying retirement, are still eking out a living.

The other day an 84-year-old taxi driver crashed into two pedestrians in Fortress Hill, though before this latest accident, there was debate about whether people over 80 should be allowed to drive a taxi.

There are fewer and fewer hawkers in Hong Kong

It's because they need the money. While the vast majority of taxi drivers are in their 60s, many are in their 50s, and a small handful in their 80s. 

Perhaps the government should revisit its Old Age Allowance or "fruit money" for the elderly, because HK$1,570 a month isn't enough for much of anything in Hong Kong. Only those with good jobs have some kind of pension, while the rest rely on saving as much as they can. And to pass the time some continue to work to earn a bit of extra money.

Street hawkers are a cultural part of Hong Kong. When you see people roasting chestnuts in giant woks on the street, winter is here. There used to be others selling candy and puddings in bowls. But they are no more. You're lucky to find someone making egg waffles, and if you do there's a long line.

There has to be some kind of balance struck to enable the elderly to make a living. But is the government compassionate enough to let Chan get her cart back?

Palm Springs: A Visit to the Zoo

This giraffe gets free food from humans

Yesterday we visited The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Springs and we enjoyed our time there, with few people around post-Thanksgiving and on a weekday.

It's quite a large zoo, with quite a lot to see and we didn't get to visit every section. However, the zoo is very thoughtful when it comes to seniors, with electric scooters (think a chair on wheels with a joystick) for rent at US$25, lots of washrooms available, benches and even colourful wooden rocking chairs!

Bending down for a drink of water

The staff are very friendly. If you look remotely puzzled they will try to anticipate what you need.

On the website it mentioned a 30-minute shuttle tour that shows the behind-the scenes of how the over 600 animals are looked after. When I inquired about this at the ticket counter, they said it was not available anymore... an annoying thing to hear when we have seniors who get tired easily and would have appreciated the ride...

As a result there was only so much we could cover on foot. We covered about half the park, the east side and perhaps the highlight was observing the giraffes at feeding time, which is from 8am to 3pm. Only those who have paid US$8 can go into a sectioned off area to get up close with the giraffes, who know humans are holding leaves for them to eat.

One younger giraffe came by and stuck out its tongue where people placed leaves on it and then it pulled them back into its mouth and munched on the leaves. Others, probably jaded or bored, grazed in the area or in the distance -- they weren't that keen to be near people.

There was also a pond where one giraffe took some sips of water. It had to spread its legs very wide before it could gingerly bend down and drink.

A dromedary camel walking into the enclosure

We saw ostriches, gazelles, sadly one shy rhino hiding behind a tree as he ate dry grass, and one zebra, but leopards were a no show. 

Just as I arrived, the zoo keeper had finished cleaning the area for the dromedary camels and she called to them to come out and feed. They only have one hump.

The mountain goats were fun, perched on a rocky hill. The zoo keepers had strategically placed dry grass up front so the goats stood there munching away for visitors to take pictures. 

In the Australia section, we walked into a space that had double doors -- the first set of doors had to close before the second set opened, because the wallabies were not caged and there was the possibility they could jump out.

But again they seemed leery of humans and we respected their space, staying on the cement path, while they huddled together, again eating. They were very much smaller than kangaroos, but still very cute. There was a kookaburra in a cage. When a man took out his camera, the bird seemed to puff up his chest and give his best pose, like a model.

Can you spot the mountain goats on the hill?

We were impressed by the model train exhibit -- several different tracks with trains running in different directions, complete with stores and homes. There were even billboards advertising for people to adopt a train, a clever fundraising drive. 

Many of the zoo enclosures were sponsored by donors with their names prominently displayed. Wonder if that means just the space, or paying for the upkeep of the animals too.

By this time we'd spent about two hours in the zoo. A nice leisurely walk around the zoo with some shaded areas; but almost every animal we saw was either eating or sleeping... makes you wonder how much longer zoos are relevant. 

However, The Living Desert focuses more on animals from Africa and Australia as the climates are somewhat similar, as well as those from North America.

Wallabies hanging out far away from humans

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

47900 Portola Avenue

Palm Desert

760 346 5694

HK's Contradictory Covid Messaging

Lee (middle) says masks must still be worn outdoors

While Hong Kong has gone down to "0+3" in terms of quarantine, and 12 to a table and people can meet in groups of 12 in public, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu still insists that the mask mandate must continue outdoors.

In an RTHK phone-in show, Lee claimed the reason was to protect the vulnerable, in other words the elderly and children.

A bar is raided by police, checking Covid-19 app

Hello... it's OUTSIDE.

He added when the vaccination rate for children goes up then perhaps they would revisit the mask mandate, but until then, everyone needs to mask up.

"One thing that has been agreed by all the experts that I have come across, whether they are subscribing to their own school of thought... then there is a very general agreement that mask-wearing should continue," Lee said.

Meanwhile the Hong Kong police continue to raid bars with live performers, shutting down acts by forcing everyone to produce their LeaveHomeSafe app and their HKID. 

Talk about killing the mood -- no one dares say a word in case the police decide to fine someone for not being cooperative.

And Lee thinks people want to come back to Hong Kong to visit, or even move back there?

If test positive, bankers can flee by jet or yacht

Meanwhile bankers who attend next month's finance summit in Hong Kong are exempt from being restricted from going to bars and restaurants for three days in order to attend conferences and meet clients, though the visiting bankers must still conduct the battery of RAT and PCR tests.

However, if they do test positive, they won't be forced to isolate until they get better, but instead can leave the city via private jet or yacht -- if they did not fly into Hong Kong on commercial flights.

It has now become one city, two systems.

How is this fair to residents? Is this finance summit really going to jump start the economy?

And these finance types are complicit in presenting the image that Hong Kong is open for business.

But the reality could not be further from the truth...

Lee Cries Covid Wolf

Lee claims Covid-19 is six times more deadly than the flu

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is sounding the alarm, but does anyone care anymore?

He warned Covid-19 is six times more fatal than the flu, but health experts dispute this, saying the mortality rates of the two respiratory diseases are similar, partly because of high levels of immunity.

They estimate the fatality rate for Covid-19 in Hong Kong is at 0.098 percent, which is close to the 0.1 percent for influenza; they said this is because of the city's high vaccination coverage for the coronavirus and natural immunity levels.

Dr Hui says death rate actually much lower

Dr Leung Pak-yin, a former chief executive of the Hospital Authority says the Covid-19 fatality rate of 0.6 percent cited by Lee "failed to differentiate between this current wave and the fifth wave during February to March," he said.

"With the build-up of the immunity barrier in the community, the [Covid-19] death rate in Hong Kong since May has been similar to that of flue," Leung said on social media.

He also said Lee was calculating the fatality rate by lumping all the Covid-19-related deaths together (9,511), instead of focusing on those since May 15 (356 deaths) because Omicron is a sub-variant.

"Analysing data has to be precise. Death rates vary according to the mutation of the virus, and the community infection situation," Leung said.

Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, who is the government's pandemic advisor, agreed with Leung. Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, chairman of the Medical Association's advisory committee on communicable diseases said the recent death rate of 0.098 could be even lower due to under-reported infections, as Omicron is less deadly.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection agreed the fatality rate was at around 0.1 percent.

Dr Chuang says mortality rate around 0.1 percent

"In the fifth wave after May, the overall death rate is certainly lower than that from December to April. I think that is because many people had been infected before, and more people had got vaccinated," she said.

But Chuang added the mortality rate among elderly coronavirus patients could be higher, but not to the extent suggested by Lee.

Why is he doing this? Perhaps to continue justifying Hong Kong's zero-Covid strategy, or to scare people into getting vaccinated. But those who have managed to travel outside the city this summer can attest that the rest of the world has moved on from Covid-19 for the most part, and that when people are infected, they mostly experience flu-like symptoms, or are even asymptomatic. There is basically nothing to fear.

It seems like Lee is crying wolf which contradicts top health experts' assessments. His lumping all the cases together is a pathetic attempt at massaging the numbers to suit his message. And then it is completely shot down by a bunch of doctors.

Perhaps this is their way of resisting against the government instructions to only speak with one voice -- one voice against the city's leader?

HK's Special Treatment for Unvaccinated Mainlanders Draws Ire

Lee says China is the safest in the world from Covid-19

Yesterday Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu dropped a bombshell during his media briefing.

He admitted mainlanders who were not vaccinated were coming into Hong Kong, but that they weren't the cause of infections.

What?

How can they not be the cause of infections and why are they even being allowed in in the first place when Hong Kong has mandated that all travellers to the city must be vaccinated? Even going out to eat in a restaurant people soon need to be triple jabbed.

Unvaxxed mainlanders come to HK

Why is there a different set of rules for mainlanders when Hongkongers don't get a break going into China?

Lee's explanation? China infection rate is the lowest in the world.

Quite shocking he believes in the numbers...

After the uproar, Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, co-chair of the Hong Kong Medical Association's advisory committee on communicable diseases said the government should stop allowing unvaccinated visitors from the mainland and Macau from coming in.

"The impression is not very good. It makes people think there's different treatment. We are not talking about anyone from any places or countries. We are talking about a set of rules in Hong Kong that are applicable to everyone," he said.

Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun echoed Tsang's comments.

"For many Hong Kong people, they will soon have to be triple-jabbed to have a 'blue health code'. Today, many of them cannot go to regulated premises if they are not double-jabbed. You cannot expect them to accept some people arriving from the mainland can have a 'blue code' without having a single jab. It's about the impression," he said.

Tien also said although people travelling from the mainland are very unlikely to be carrying Covid when they arrive into Hong Kong, they can still get infected while in the city and spread the virus further.

More elderly HKers need to be inoculated

Did no one warn Lee what came out of his mouth would leave a really bad impression and further expose the government's ignorance when it comes to Covid-19?

The authorities are so focused on punishing locals for any kind of Covid-19 infraction, that they turn a blind eye when it comes to mainland visitors. 

How about getting more elderly people vaccinated so that the city can fully open up?

The Lee administration's credibility has plunged even further now (not that it was high to start with).

Was this policy all along since the beginning of the pandemic?

Hong Kong's Population Continues to Drop

Hongkongers will continue to leave in the next 2-3 years

Hong Kong's population continues to drop, as more than 113,000 people left the city in the past 12 months, a record 1.6 percent decrease in the population. It is the second straight annual decline in numbers.

The figure is from the Census and Statistics Department released on Thursday. Hong Kong's population fell to 7,291,600 from 7,413,100 from mid-2021. There were also 61,600 deaths and 35,100 births between mid-2021 and mid-2022, a decrease of 26,500 people.

The graph clearly illustrates the population plunge

Some of those deaths can be attributed to Covid-19 when a spate of elderly people passed away after contracting the virus in seniors' homes.

The decline to 7.29 million people was sharper than last year's 1.2 percent decrease.

Of course the Hong Kong government is trying to explain away the numbers, saying the drop in the population is due to people moving away for school and work, while strict quarantine measures have made it hard for people to come back or move there, and the birth rate has fallen further because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The authorities don't want to own up to the reality of why people are leaving, as someone on Twitter put it succinctly: "If 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong is such a success, there wouldn't be hoards of middle class in their 30s and 40s giving up what ought to be the start of the most economically lucrative stage of their lives to move to another place to start again or even semi-retire."

People in 30s and 40s leave HK to start over again

Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, a population health expert at the University of Hong Kong, predicts the emigration wave will continue for at least the next two to three years, as many residents are looking for ways to leave.

"The pull and push factors are in one direction, which go against Hong Kong," he said.

He called on the government to address the housing shortage as well as concerns about the city's overall development.

"Some people do not understand the national security law, they are really worried. So the government should explain the law clearly to allay their concerns. This is very important," he said.

Alas will the government heed Yip's advice, when the NSL is deliberately vague to scare people?

Community Group Masks Up

Shi and Ly have been handing out N95 masks since May

While Hong Kong still continues to insist that people wear masks despite the hot and humid temperatures in the mid 30s, the health authority in British Columbia has been wishy-washy in advising the public.

On the one hand it warns people that the seventh wave is here, but then stops short of insisting on a mask mandate and giving out second boosters unless people are 70 years old and older or immunocompromised.

This has frustrated two people in Vancouver that they have taken matters into their own hands and have started handing out N95 masks to people for free on the street.

Mostly Chinese seniors and families get masks

Jane Shi and Vivian Ly are the organisers of Masks4EastVan, which they started in May, two months after BC lifted mandatory masking requirements in most indoor spaces.

"We're still in the middle of the pandemic. It's not over," Ly said. "We're seeing this kind of dissonance where... cases [are] still going up, but there aren't enough public health measures to fill in those gaps.

"We're left to fill these gaps in ourselves with these kinds of community initiatives."

So far they have handed out 4,000 masks and 250 rapid antigen tests since Masks4EastVan began, to mostly Chinese seniors and families.

Officials say those who choose to wear a mask "should be supported", but it is a personal choice under provincial guidelines.

The community group, which is funded by donations, is also receiving requests from Downtown Eastside residents and long-term care workers.

They want to hand out 12K masks

"We're hoping to distribute 12,000 masks by the end of the year," Shi and Ly said. "What we want is a collective response to this pandemic, not an individual one."

Others have said they are done with Covid-19, but the reality is that it is not done with us.

Anecdotally there are more people that I know who are getting infected, and the best and cheapest way to protect oneself (other than being a hermit) is to wear a mask when interacting with others.

The BC health authorities really need to step up and strongly advise people to wear masks instead of letting them be. While symptoms are mild, it's better to avoid the possibility of long Covid, so why not do that by wearing a mask?