Seeing Niagara Falls from All Angles

A boat taking tourists around the Canadian side of the Falls

The last time I visited Niagara Falls was over 25 years ago so it was very interesting to see how this famous tourist landmark has developed in the intervening years.

This time traveling with my relatives from Australia, they wanted to do the full Niagara experience so we did practically everything there is to do there.

Watching water fall over the edge

We joined a tour at 10am which started at Skylon Tower, an observation tower that is 160 metres tall. On the ground floor we took the usual touristy pictures against a green screen (look scared going over the Falls in a barrel!) and then went up the tower to see Niagara Falls from a bird's eye view.

It's quite the sight seeing the scale of the Falls from above, though the Canadian side which is horse-shoe-shaped is much more dramatic than the American side. The Canadian side is 57m high, the American is 21-30m high, while the Canadian side is obviously much wider at 790m, the American side is 320m wide.

Our tour guide later told us interesting tales about daredevils who have gone over the Falls -- some 5,000 -- but only a few have survived. 

The first person to go over was a woman, Annie Edson Taylor in 1901. She was widowed and poor, and thought that if she went over the Falls, she could become famous. Taylor first tested her wooden barrel by putting her cat in it and it went down and survived, so she figured she would too.

She did survive with just a scratch on her forehead! However, fortune did not follow Taylor's fame and she died poor.

The American side of the falls

Other people thought they would do it for attention, and chose the Canadian side because it was much more dramatic.

However in 1951, after the death of one daredevil, going down the Falls became illegal and now anyone caught doing it will be fined US$25,000 and your children will have to foot the bill if you don't survive.

We then walked towards the casino, where below it we took a funicular a very short distance to get behind the Canadian side of the Falls. We were issued yellow plastic ponchos so that we wouldn't get too wet and went down a tunnel, where we could peek at the Falls from the point where the water goes over the edge.

It's quite a dramatic sight to see, the clear, blue-coloured water, thanks to the glacial water mixed with limestone, dolomite and shale. The Falls are also causing erosion, as tens of thousands of years ago it was further up, but it has since moved over 10 kilometres south. Both governments have mitigated fast erosion by diverting the water at night and in the winter months so it doesn't erode the stone and rock too much.

Getting drenched up close to Niagara Falls

Then we took the poncho off and walked back towards Skylon Tower and past it, and we were issued red plastic ponchos before getting on the boat. Our guide advised us to stand on the bottom right side of the boat as it will turn counter-clockwise to head back and we can have a panoramic view.

However, as we got closer to the Canadian falls, we were starting to get wet very fast! My face and sunglasses were so wet, and my windbreaker was absolutely drenched. I had to periodically check to see if my phone was still working (it was). Meanwhile the roar of the Falls also demonstrated how strong the water falling was -- more than 168,000 m3 of water goes over the cliff every minute!

A fun fact is that around 4.9 million kilowatts of hydroelectricity is generated by Niagara Falls, which powers some 3.8 million households.

There's dramatic lighting at night

On the boat we saw the American side of the Falls, which is also called Bridal Veil Falls. Separating the American and Canadian sides is Goat Island, which at one time was owned by a farmer who kept goats there. Now it is a park.

It was quite the experience being on the boat ride! Luckily the weather was relatively warm so while we were drenched, our clothes and shoes dried off (except for slightly wet socks) quite quickly. 

Our tour was over, so we walked up Clifton Hill, an eclectic mix of dinosaur-themed pitch and putt, go-karts, shops selling ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, fast-food restaurants and the Niagara Skywheel where passengers sit in gondola cabins.

We split a sub sandwich as a snack before heading out for outlet shopping, dinner at Peller Estates before returning to Niagara Falls to watch the fireworks!

Fireworks on the American side

After 9pm multicoloured lights are shone on both the Canadian and American Falls, and then an hour later is a five-minute fireworks show near the American Falls. Lots of people are drawn to the nightly event and it was great to watch, even if it was only a few minutes long. We joked it was the best $5 we spent on entertainment (though it was actually for parking).

So we saw Niagara Falls during the day and night, from above and below, and right on the water. 

It may be a while before I go back there again!

HK Government Rethinks Water Budget

HK government tried to cut costs by buying water from China

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

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

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

A water brand has serious quality issues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tokyo: Artist Ryuichi Sakamoto Revered

Many people lined up to see this exhibition

Today was the last day of the Ryuichi Sakamoto: Seeing Sound, Hearing Time exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and we managed to see it on the second last day. We had gotten tickets in advance so we were able to walk past the massive queue of people who were patiently waiting. They were mostly young people, and a few with young children and a handful of elderly.

My first introduction to the Japanese artist Sakamoto when he composed the soundtrack for The Last Emperor that came out in 1987. I was impressed by his work, and he indeed won an Academy Award for Best Original Score, the first Japanese composer to do so. 

Patterns made by vibrations

Other films he worked on include Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, The Sheltering Sky, Little Buddha, and The Revenant. Sakamoto didn't look down on anything -- he also composed music for video games and anime. 

The next time I learned more about him was in 2019 when the restaurant Araki opened in Heritage 1881 in Tsim Sha Tsui. Funded by Richard Li, the Japanese restaurant was helmed by chef Mitsushiro Araki, who made the entire dining experience a performance.

As guests filed into the restaurant, he was already there, deftly breaking down a giant chunk of tuna.

I later learned that the wooden countertop in the restaurant was gifted to Araki by Sakamoto.

In 2014 Sakamoto was diagnosed with throat cancer, and took a year long break, which led to cancer going into remission. However, in early 2021 he was diagnosed with rectal cancer, though he continued to work, even giving what was to be his final performance, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus in 2023 before he died that year on March 28.

So we attended the exhibition almost two years to the day of his death, which explains why so many people were at the museum. It seems the Japanese still revere him and want to continue paying their respects to him, much like how Hongkongers try to commemorate Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing's death on April 1.

Fog created by the water of immortality

The exhibition, Seeing Sound, Hearing Time, demonstrates Sakamoto's interest in combining music with technology, film and art and see where it goes. There were a few exhibits we were not allowed to film, but they seemed Daoist in nature.

Perhaps he was acutely aware of how much time he had left; one was a "film" where a poem was read out that suggested that life is like a dream. Another was a long horizontal video that showed lots of lines that eventually revealed a photograph, or a moving image of waves crashing onto rocks.

A small room had several photographs and videos group together that looked like an apartment -- was it Sakamoto's? But no one was there, though the kettle was on the stove, hot water boiling, the wind blowing leaves in another video, photographs of his music studio.

Meanwhile a large dark room had large square plexiglass suspended from the ceiling with water and smoke that was projected on the floor that showed different patterns of vibrations according to the music or sounds. 

Another room had a deconstructed piano that played random notes. But the final exhibit showed him performing at the piano when he was younger, and it is projected so that it looks like he is playing a real piano in front of us, the keys pressed down. It is as he wants us to remember him, younger, vibrant and expressive.

Sakamoto playing the piano

There was one exhibit that was interactive with visitors in the courtyard of the museum. At 20-minute intervals, people could interact with "fog", jets of water blown into the air to create "smoke", but really it's water.

The "fog" is the water of immortality, that is supposed to weave together with Sakamoto's music... the fog can be overwhelming, as at times you can't see anything, but you will be able to see people right in front of you. A few seconds later the fog subsides a bit, but the jets spray more water into the air again. For Hongkongers it could trigger the feeling of looking at tear gas, but it's not at all.

At the end, visitors can return inside and use paper towels to wipe themselves down if they so wish. How Japanese.

I'm glad I was able to see this exhibition, to learn more about Sakamoto and see how the Japanese still love him as an artist and want to be closer to him whenever possible.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Seeing Sound, Hearing Time

Contemporary Museum of Art Tokyo

4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku

Tokyo

HKJA Strikes Out on Two Hotel Venues

HKJA chair Selina Cheng holds Poon's calligraphy at Eaton HK

How hard is it for organisations in Hong Kong to hold a spring dinner for their members? 

Apparently it's near impossible, as the Hong Kong Journalists Association found out.

The Regal Hong Kong in Causeway Bay claimed it had "water leakage causing unstable power supply" and had to cancel the reservation two days before the event. 

In 2019 the hotel seemed supportive of protesters

So the HKJA postponed the dinner and made a reservation at the Eaton HK hotel in Jordan, and paid a deposit.

But then the group got some bad news today.

In an email to attendees, it said in part: 

"HKJA received notice from the new venue, Eaton HK, stating they were 'unable to host your proposed event.' No reason was given," the email said. "It is regrettable that, two times in a row in a short period of time, HKJA has had contracted bookings -- for which deposits were paid and documents signed -- cancelled by the venues."

This is particularly disappointing because the Eaton hotel is known to be more liberal, marketing itself as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, and during the 2019 protests put up a billboard on its building that read: "What does your revolution look like?"

So for Eaton HK to cancel the HKJA event shows how much pressure the hotel was under, and this is the new normal in Hong Kong.

In retaliation, people online posted bad reviews of the hotel on Google.

Ironically, one of the items that was to be auctioned off at the dinner is a work of calligraphy by lyricist Poon Yuen-leung.

It reads: "To brave the road ahead together, with wind gusting against us, we share our frustration and our pride. Sweep the dust on my face, empty the sorrows in our hearts, I beat on and stride forward with you."

A Chilly Plunge to Start 2025

A group of people took the plunge into English Bay today

January 1 not only marks the first day of the new year, but it's also the day for the annual Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver, and in parts of British Columbia.

Thousands of people showed up at the English Bay to either dip their toe into the freezing water, or plunge their entire body into the water. While the outside temperature was 7 degrees, the water was much colder, and it's still chilly even in the summer.

The Polar Bear Swim is in its 105th year

The key to a successful polar bear swim is preparation. Old hands advise having a towel, shoes, and clothes laid out before taking the plunge so that you can quickly get warmed up. It also helps if you have friends or family to assist.

The Polar Bear Swim is in its 105th year, started by Vancouver restaurant owner Peter Pantages in 1920. His granddaughter Lisa Pantages says her Greek immigrant grandfather always swam in the ocean every day -- which is why he decided to make it an event on New Year's Day that year.

"It was sponsored. My grandfather would have people back to his restaurant. Anybody who swam got a free hot meal afterwards," she said in a CBC radio interview.

These days cold plunges are very popular, though there isn't much scientific evidence that claim it eases inflammation and improves mood, among other purported benefits. But it's something about a group of people gathering together and running into the water to start the new year that makes it extra special.

Consumer Council Apologises after Water Company Slams Rating

Consumer Council rates the water as "natural drinking water"

Hong Kong's Consumer Council issued a rare apology on Thursday, saying it had incorrectly placed a mainland Chinese bottled water brand in the wrong category and re-evaulated it as a five-star product.

On Monday the consumer watchdog said Nongfu Spring's bottled water had bromate at the maximum level of European Union standards, as consuming too much of the chemical could result in discomfort and even affect people's nervous systems. 

Bromate is formed when ozone used to disinfect drinking water reacts with naturally occurring bromide in the source water.

Consumer watchdog issued rare apology

Nongfu was outraged, claiming the council's findings were "extremely unscientific and irresponsible" and demanded an apology.

Two days later, it got it.

The Consumer Council said after it received the bottled water company's legal letter and met with its representatives it immediately launched an in-depth study and follow-up.

"We apologise for the misunderstanding caused by the discrepancy in sample categorisation in this test," the council wrote.

"We understood that the product is not 'natural mineral water' nor 'purified drinking water'. It is 'natural drinking water'."

What does "natural drinking water" mean?

In any event, the council has re-rated Nongfu water and classified it in its own category of "natural drinking water", and that 3 micrograms of bromate are acceptable for that category, where the EU standard is a maximum of 10 micrograms.

"After the re-rating, the overall performance of the sample was adjusted from 4.5 stars to five," the council said.

Does this U-turn make consumers more confident about the Consumer Council? And Nongfu?

Seattle Sights

An iconic element of Seattle's skyline

During my one-day trip to Seattle I didn't really see the sights, but a good place to start is the Space Needle. In that vicinity are various places to check out that are all walking distance from each other.

There's the Space Needle itself where visitors can go up the 605 ft (184.4m) tall tower and have a 360-degree view of the city below. It was built for the 1962 World's Fair, where the theme was "The Age of Space".

International Fountain with its space theme

And the Chihuly Garden and Glass, where people can get a taste of glass artist Dale Chihuly's work rain or shine. His creations are fantastical, colourful and awe-inspiring, such large pieces that are suspended from the ceiling or placed in unconventional places. 

The International Fountain is also a remnant from the 1962 World's Fair. The metal dome is meant to convey the feeling of a lunar landscape. The fountain has 274 water jets and the water it spouts out has been treated and recycled. While we visited on an overcast day, one can only imagine it's the perfect place for kids to beat the heat.

Next to the fountain is a work called Neototems by Seattle artist Gloria Bornstein. It features two whales showing off their dorsal fins in bronze. 

Neototems by Glora Bornstein

We were mesmerised by the Frank Gehry-designed Museum of Pop Culture with its wavy walls and various colours. The museum captures the essence of pop culture, from music like grunge and hip hop, to science fiction and fantasy. 

Over 1,000 Fines on Vancouver Lawn Lovers

Watering lawns was prohibited from August to October

Metro Vancouver has a lot of homeowners who love their lawns more than letting them go yellow even when there are threats of fines.

From August to October, residents in Metro Vancouver who didn't abide by the water restrictions in a bid to conserve water were slapped with fines worth CA$166,000.

Over 1,000 fines ranging from CA$100 to CA$500 were issued on those who continued to use sprinklers to water their lawns and not leave them dry, and didn't hand water trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetable and fruit patches.

Hand water vegetable patches, flowers and shrubs

This summer there was an unprecedented drought, and the water restrictions were meant to conserve water for essential needs.

"As climate change continues to affect our region's water supply, using water wisely year-round is just the right thing to do, irrespective of a potential monetary penalty," said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie who is also chair of Metro Vancouver's water committee in a statement.

The City of Vancouver had the most fines at 168, followed by Coquitlam with 154 and North Vancouver with 109 offenders.

These fines probably came after neighbours snitched on them... otherwise how would the respective city authorities know? Other municipalities didn't record any fines because they lacked the manpower to check out possible offenders, or only issued warnings.

But in general residents in Metro Vancouver use too much water at about 270 litres per day. If commercial uses are considered then it jumps to 400 litres per day.

This summer there was unprecedented drought

In the summer water usage dramatically increases in the summer, with nearly 40 percent used for residential and non-residential lawn watering.

"Lawn watering restrictions are an effective way to reduce water consumption for esthetic outdoor uses and ensure that we have enough water for essential needs, such as drinking, cooking and cleaning," said Brodie."

But at least greater awareness of water usage has led to a drop per capita, from an average of 474 litres per day in 2013 to 387 litres last year, below the performance objective of 402 litres.

Nevertheless, the less water we all use in general the better, not just for cities but the planet as well. 

The Toll of Global Warming on Stanley Park

This is Beaver Lake in Stanley Park, minus the lake

This afternoon I met up with an ex-colleague who I haven't seen since 2007. He now lives in France and came to Vancouver for a short trip. 

One of his requests was to walk around the Stanley Park Seawall so I helped him cross it off his bucket list. We walked from 4th Avenue and Balsam, across the Burrard Street Bridge, got a bite to eat at the food court in Pacific Centre and then set off to the park.

We almost walked the entire circumference, though he wanted to stay in the shade as much as possible so we cut through part of the park.

This is what Beaver Lake used to look like

He wanted to see Beaver Lake, a place he last visited 13 years ago. But we were shocked to find that it wasn't a lake -- most of the water had evaporated and what was left was a "lake" filled with greenery. 

When we made this remark, a middle-aged woman sitting on the park bench nearby echoed the same sentiment. She'd lived in Vancouver for 50 years, hadn't been to Beaver Lake for a while and decided to come take a look and was as shocked as we were.

We had a discussion about global warming and were dismayed by what had happened to this lake. We could only see a small patch of water off to the side which barely even fit the definition of a pond. There was a lone duck there, enjoying what was left of the water there.

Metro Vancouver has now stepped up to Level 2 water restrictions, which means absolutely no lawn watering, and only the watering of flowers and vegetable patches with a hose. Anyone violating the Level 2 restrictions will be fined C$500. Water elements like fountains cannot be refilled either, which probably applies to Beaver Lake too.

This was the only patch of water we could see

What's shocking is that water usage in Metro Vancouver is up 20 percent -- there couldn't be a 20 percent jump in the population in the past year, could there?

What are people using water for these days? Everyone has been told not to wash their cars with a hose, and to leave their lawns dry. 

But it was quite sad going through Stanley Park to see a lot of dead trees. Granted I didn't know when they turned brown and waiting to fall down, though my friend pointed this out and the sorry state of the yellow grass.

Towards the end of our walk we took a break by the concession stand where I bought two glasses of lemonade for over C$13, seriously equivalent to Hong Kong prices. As we sat cooling down with our cold drinks, I was shocked to see a young woman next to us, wasting her bottle of water by dumping part of it on the ground and not behind her on the parched grass. She did it in an attempt to pour her lemonade into the bottle, with limited success.

A lone duck in the "lake" of Beaver Lake

Why are people wasting water like that?!

In the end we walked over 16km around the city and my friend was pleased we'd accomplished so much walking.

He was impressed I'd managed to keep going in the heat and I remarked it might have been from all those days walking in the heat in Hong Kong...

Living in "Rotten-Tail" Buildings

Unfinished, and yet people live in buildings like this

There's a severe housing crisis in China -- millions of people have poured their hard-earned savings into apartments, hoping they can at least live in their biggest purchase, and that their property will appreciate in time.

But now developers have run out of cash to finish the buildings and their clients, the buyers, have run out of patience.

Some have staged protests at developers' or banks' offices, or refused to pay mortgages on their "rotten-tail buildings" -- or they have moved in.

People that McDonnell spoke to in Xi'an

The BBC's Stephen McDonnell went to visit some people who did just that in Xi'an.

It's a nondescript brown building with no windows, no electricity, no running water, and yet up to 200 people live there.

"We used up all our savings to buy our apartments," says one man. "It's been five years and we can't live in them. We can't bear it any longer."

He said it's been financially hard because of the Covid-19 pandemic, making it difficult to make money, and yet there are still car and mortgage payments that must be made.

"I feel helpless, I don't want to live this way, but we've no where to go," says a young man whose two young children, six and eight years old also live there. 

The residents get water in giant jugs from elsewhere, and cook in a communal kitchen. Periodically they can get a bit of electricity from solar panels. 

How will Xi solve this problem, Covid-19 related

One middle-aged woman told McDonnell that they cook whatever they are good at, or whatever they want to eat and share it with others. "We're like one big family," she says with a smile.

McDonnell wanted to ask them more, but then the police showed up and shooed him and his cameraman away.

There are so many more questions -- what do they do for toilets? Showers? How can they live with no windows and what about when winter sets in?

Apparently after McDonnell's visit, the residents were told construction would resume, but they were not convinced...