Review: My Neighbor Totoro

Satsuki meets Totoro in the rain at the bus stop

I FINALLY saw My Neighbor Totoro -- it's a favourite animation movie from people's childhoods, but I watched it now, many decades older...

Because it's spring break here, the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) decided to hold a Studio Ghibli Forever! festival showing some of Hayao Miyazaki's best animation over the decades.

Most of the audience members were families -- kids with either their parents or grandparents -- the vast majority not Asian. Only a handful of childless adults were in the theatre. And yes many bought popcorn! And there was a Totoro cookie for sale too for CAD$5.

The girls and their father live in the countryside

My Neighbor Totoro, released in 1988, is a heart-warming story about two girls who move with their university professor father to the countryside, where their mother is in the hospital. It's not clear what her illness is, but she seems to have been unwell for a long time.

The house they are living in seems haunted, but the children aren't scared -- which in turn makes the dust-like spirits scared and they go away into the nearby giant camphor tree.

It's there the younger sister Mei discovers two small spirits who lead her to the camphor tree where she meets Totoro and despite his huge size, she is hardly scared of him.

But when her older sister Satsuki finds Mei sleeping and wakes her up, Mei can't find Totoro again -- it turns out it's up to the spirits to decide if they want to be seen.

Eventually Satsuki meets Totoro on a rainy night waiting for her father at the bus stop with Mei sleeping on her back. He only has a leaf on his head for protection so she gives him her father's umbrella. He is so happy that he gives her a small bundle which turns out to be a bunch of acorns. 

The cat bus flies the girls up in the sky

Out of nowhere comes a giant cat -- a cat bus -- that takes Totoro away.

But then there is news that their mother is not well and both girls are upset. Mei runs to the hospital -- which is three hours by foot -- and Satsuki is desperate to find her...

The film is fantastic for the imaginative characters, how humans respect and interact with supernatural beings, and more importantly captures the behaviour of children so well.

The two girls are about 10 and four years old, Mei constantly copying her older sister which is true of most younger siblings. There's also a boy about Satsuki's age who is shy and doesn't know now to act around girls which is also funny but also very realistic.

I watched the matinee showing which was dubbed in English and I was concerned about the translation, but actually the voices were acted very well which was a relief. 

No wonder Totoro is so endearing so so many people and now I know what the cat bus is about!

And why in 2014 during the Umbrella Movement there was a large cardboard cutout of Totoro holding a yellow umbrella...

My Neighbor Totoro

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki

89 minutes

Remembering the SARS Doctor Whistleblower

Jiang was hailed a hero but then spoke out about Tiananmen

We are sad to note the passing of Dr Jiang Yanyong, the doctor who blew the whistle on the SARS epidemic in 2003. He was 91 years old.

Can you believe it's been 20 years since SARS and now we're coming out of the global Covid-19 pandemic?

The death of the respected military surgeon was reported in Hong Kong media and abroad, as well as some friends in China, but not in state media.

The Metropole Hotel where SARS started in HK

When SARS broke out in early 2003 in China, it was played down by the government, and Jiang felt this was a public health emergency that people needed to know. 

It had also spread to Hong Kong via a mainland Chinese doctor who stayed in the Metropole Hotel in Kowloon. There were 1,755 cases, of which 298 people died in Hong Kong.

The then retired doctor wrote a letter to several news organisations refuting the official line, and accused China's then top health official Zhang Wenkang of "abandoning even his most basic standards of integrity as a doctor."

"I was telling the truth," Jiang told the state-run Beijing News in 2013. "I believed the government would treat me fairly."

Foreign journalists caught wind of the letter which led to the World Health Organisation extending its stay to inspect hospitals where Jiang said there were hidden cases, which put pressure on the government to fire Zhang and the mayor of Beijing.

Jiang was briefly hailed nationwide as an "honest doctor", and he used the respect garnered to write another letter, calling on the Chinese leadership to acknowledge the 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square was wrong, and that the student movement had in fact been a "patriotic movement."

Jiang wrote about the fatal wounds he saw

He wrote about what he saw at No. 301 Military Hospital in Beijing the night of June 3 after the tanks rolled into the square and People's Liberation Army soldiers fired live ammunition at student protesters.

Jiang saw many of the wounded civilians in his hospital, hit by bullets designed to break apart after impact and shred internal organs.

"My brain buzzed and I almost passed out," he recalled. "Lying before me this time were our own people, killed by children of the Chinese people, with weapons given to them by the people."

But after this letter was released, Jiang and his wife were detained. He underwent several interrogation sessions and was not allowed to leave the country, basically under house arrest.

Jiang didn't stop pressing for accountability. Even in 2019 on the 30th anniversary of the crackdown, he wrote a letter to Xi Jinping demanding justice for the "crime" in 1989. Then 87 years old, Jiang was under house arrest again.

Li may never be remembered in China again

And now his heroic efforts of speaking out about the SARS epidemic are largely wiped out of textbooks.

In a 2017 test-prep school multiple choice question asked about Jiang's decision to come forward about SARS. The "correct" answer was B: Doing so was wrong, because it harmed the interests of the nation, the society and the community, and he should be subject to legal punishment.

Sadly Li Wenliang, the doctor who sounded the alarm about Covid-19 will never even get a mention. 

History repeats itself, almost 20 years later.

Costs More to Get Around in HK

Star Ferry fares are increasing by up to 56 percent in April

Inflation is hitting Hongkongers hard with the cost of food and necessities like electricity (up 5 percent), and now public transportation fares are going up. Way up.

The Star Ferry, which has been struggling for years, will raise its passenger fares by a whopping 56 percent. From April 3, The 125-year-old ferry operator will charge HK$5 on weekdays, up from HK$3.20, and on weekends HK$6.50, from HK$4.20, a 55 percent jump.

Bus companies asking government to raise fares

In its application to the government to raise fares, the Star Ferry explained it had suffered HK$85 million in losses since 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and owes HK$72 million to banks.

However, the reality is that the Star Ferry has been losing money since 2018, with fewer tourists especially in the second half of 2019 onward.

Now bus companies want to increase their fares too, by up to 50 percent. The bus companies, like KMB, Citybus, New World First Bus, and New Lantao Bus say they need to jack up fares because of higher operating costs and falling passenger numbers because of the pandemic.

Even tram fares have gone up 15.4 percent, where an adult fare is now HK$3, and taxi rides are up 13.8 percent.

Tram fares have gone up 13.4 percent

How seniors on their savings are going to survive is just going to lead to many more falling through the cracks... and now with civil societies forced to disband following the implementation of the national security law, there will be no one in these elderly people's corner to advocate for them...

Queen of the Oscars

Yeoh radiating movie royalty with her Academy Award

Tonight belonged to Michelle Yeoh, who became the first Asian to win the Best Actress Oscar at the Academy Awards.

It was pretty much expected the star of Everything Everywhere All At Once would win, it was her year. And as the cast and directors have explained to the media, the multiverse film about an immigrant family allowed Yeoh and her fellow actors to stretch their acting abilities to do action, sci-fi, romance, drama and comedy.

Wearing lots of bling in her hair and finger, Yeoh was majestic in her white feathery dress as she accepted the award.

Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once

And her speech connected to many people:

"For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof -- dream big -- and dreams do come true," she said, taking a deep breath. 

"And ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up."

Yeoh dedicated her Oscar to her mother, Janet as well as all the moms in the world "because they are really the superheroes. And without them, none of us would be here tonight. She's 84, and I'm taking this home to her. She's watching this right now in Malaysia, KL [Kuala Lumpur] with family and friends. I love you guys. I'm bringing this home to you."

It was lovely to hear her thank Hong Kong, where she her movie career took off, which led her to Hollywood.

"And also to my extended family in Hong Kong, where I started my career. Thank you for letting me stand on your shoulders, giving me a leg up so that I can be here today."

Quan tearing up during his acceptance speech

Her co-star Ke Huy Quan also won big with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. 

"My mom is 84 years old and she's at home watching. Mom, I just won an Oscar! My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow I ended up here on Hollywood's biggest stage. They say stories like these only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it's happening to me. This -- this is the American dream."

Quan is referring to his family who fled Vietnam in 1978 and lived in a refugee camp in Hong Kong before they made their way to the United States.

Throughout this whole promotion of the film and successive awards event, Quan has been so humble, so endearing and so heartfelt and so real that you can't help but love his honesty.

Yeoh has talked about how the EEAAO cast and crew gathered everyday together and became a family, respecting and loving each other. This is why they are so tight and celebrate each win together..

It's been amazing to watch Asian actors finally get their due, with much more to come.

Picture of the Day: Lunch at New Town Bakery

Hearty bowl of noodles with veggies and pork at New Town

Today I went down to Chinatown and for a bite to eat went to the well-known New Town Bakery and Restaurant for a quick lunch.

When I went inside there was a long line -- for baked goods to take away, and none for sitting down to eat. Only a few tables were occupied.

One of the mini lunch set specials was braised snow cabbage with pork and rice vermicelli (雪菜肉丝汤米) which includes a drink too for about CAD$13.50.

After waiting about 10 minutes the bowl of noodles arrived and I was pleasantly surprised to see so many extra vegetables in it! Not only were the pickled vegetables in there, but also thin strips of bak choy and carrots julienne along with strips of pork and rice vermicelli underneath.

It took a while to eat because the bowl was choc full of ingredients, and was so nice to eat something relatively healthy for a cha chaan teng.

As I was walking out the door, the takeaway line for the bakery had grown longer, snaking out the door for char siu baos, cocktail buns, egg tarts, almond cookies, and apple tarts! 

New Town really has its loyal customers, which is lovely to see.

New Town Bakery and Restaurant

148 East Pender Street

Vancouver, BC

604 689 7835

National Security Law at Work in the Courts

Chow and two others were sentenced to 4.5 months in prison

What happened today?

Three members of the group that organised the Tiananmen Square candlelight vigil for 30 consecutive years, were jailed for 4.5 months for refusing to assist police in an investigation into the group's alleged breaches of the national security law.

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China former vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung, and ex-standing committee members Tsui Hon-kwong and Tang Ngok-kwan were convicted earlier this month.

During the trial the trio maintained the alliance was not a foreign agent, and thus had no obligation to cooperate with the authorities, but the court found "reasonable grounds" to believe otherwise, saying the group had "close" interactions with local and overseas organisations that shared "common objectives".

Tsui and Tang were also alliance members

In sentencing today, Chow, who is also a lawyer, gave a speech in court that was interrupted several times by Magistrate Peter Law for only wanting to hear points in "pure legal sense".

She said in part: "With the notice and the degrading designation as foreign agent, the government was effectively saying to us -- bend your knees, betray your friends, betray your cause, accept an absolute authority to know all and decide all and you shall have peace.

"What we are saying with our actions is simply one word -- never. Never will we surrender our independence from the state. Never will we illegitimise our movement by endorsing the government's false narrative. Never will we treat ourselves and our fellow friends as criminals just because the government says we are.

"We will fight this injustice wherever we must, be it in the streets, or in the courtroom, or in the prison cell. This is a battle we will fight on and here in this city we call home for our freedom to be ourselves is at stake here."

Chow is now waiting to face another trial for allegedly inciting subversion of state power under the national security law with the alliance's former chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and vice-chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan.

Tang was arrested outside Stanley Prison

Speaking of Lee, his wife Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor had just visited him in Stanley Prison when the police arrested her on suspected collusion with foreign forces under the national security law.

Two days later she was granted bail of HK$200,000 two days later and surrendered her travel documents. She had recently returned to Hong Kong after being in the United Kingdom since 2021.

When Tang was released she spoke to reporters about not understanding why she was arrested in the first place.

"I don't understand. My work has always been for labour rights and workers organising unions. I don't know why that would be considered unlawful, not to mention endangering national security," Tang said.

Another person on trial for sedition is Chung Pui-kuen, a former editor of the now defunct Stand News. 

Chung was questioned over an op-ed that compared Hong Kong to the fictional totalitarian regime in George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Chung had to explain novel Nineteen Eighty-Four

The judge presiding over the trial asked whether Nineteen Eighty-Four was a book and what it was about.

Towards the end of questioning about the op-ed, Judge Kwok Wai-kin interrupted the lead prosecutor and asked Chung if Nineteen Eighty-Four was a book, adding: "I have never read it, can you tell me a bit more about the book?"

After Chung gave a brief overview of Orwell's novel, the lead prosecutor said: "Wait -- so this is a rewrite? What are the original lines?"

Chung told her he could give her the original lines later. The judge has never read the book, and to prepare for the case the lead prosecutor didn't read the novel either?

This is what is happening in Hong Kong's law courts these days. 

Donnie Yen to Present at Oscars, HK Activists Fuming

Yen interviewed by media on his way to the Two Sessions

The Two Sessions are happening in Beijing at the moment, and guess who was re-elected for a third term? 

That's right -- Xi Jinping.

He handily received a unanimous vote from 2,952 members of the National People's Congress. No one voted against or abstained.

Meanwhile in the other session where appointed members who have no legislative power but propose ideas and bills, one of the delegates is Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen Ji-dan.

Online petition has received over 95K signatures

He was in Beijing in a sharp black-striped suit strutting to the Two Sessions and furor erupted over Yen being chosen as one of the presenters at the Academy Awards this Sunday.

Among Hongkongers the 59-year-old is known for his pro-China stance -- others would like to qualify it as a pro-authoritarian stance because he has described the 2019 protests as "riots".

"It wasn't a protest, okay, it was a riot. I'm not going to be here talking about how to change how people feel about it," the Guangzhou-born Yen said in a recent GQ Hype interview.

"But my own experience, like, I was there, I have many friends who were there. I don't want to get political. A lot of people might not be happy for what I'm saying, but I'm speaking from my own experience."

He has also said that western media outlets like the BBC and CNN only focus on "negative stories" about China.

Maybe he hasn't heard the saying, "If it bleeds, it leads".

Yang should know differences of HK and China

Nevertheless last Thursday Yen was named as one of the presenters and Hong Kong activist Tong Wai-hung jumped into action, setting up an online petition asking the Academy to remove Yen from its presenting roster.

Tong claims the Academy's invitation to Yen shows " contempt for the people of Hong Kong" and his presence will "damage the image and reputation of the film industry". 

On Change.org Tong writes:

"Donnie Yen is a supporter of the Chinese Communist regime and has made several remarks in support of the Chinese government's policies, including supporting the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong and accusing Hong Kong protesters of being rioters. These remarks not only violate the spirit of freedom of speech but also deny the rights of the people of Hong Kong to fight for their freedom and democracy."

So far over 95,000 people have signed it.

Should the Academy Awards be more aware of what it means to have Yen as a presenter? It should. Janet Yang is the current President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She has worked on several movies about China and Chinese-Americans. 

While Yen is a big star in the upcoming John Wick 4 with Keanu Reeves, his political stance of backing an authoritarian regime should have been taken into consideration. 

Media outlets have asked the Academy for comment, but none have been forthcoming; perhaps it's bad form to uninvite a presenter, but it definitely sends a bad message about Hollywood.

Government Union on Defence in Enforcing Hawker Rules

Kong (right) looks over Chan's paperwork

A government union has come out in defence of confiscating a 90-year-old's hawker cart and arresting a 29-year-old man who was helping her.

Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Staff Rights Union vice chairwoman Li Mei-siu said itinerant hawkers like Chan Tak-ching could not hire assistants to tend to their stalls. Only fixed-pitch ones can have hired helpers. 

Chan had gone to the washroom and when she came back she found the man arrested and her cart seized by FEHD. She pleaded to the officers to give her a fine instead, but they ignored her.

Chan was distraught when her cart was seized

"If she was there, she might only be prosecuted for obstruction of streets because she has a license. But another individual man with no license was doing business, that's why he was prosecuted for unlicensed hawking," she told a radio program.

"When it comes to unlicensed hawking, we always seize the tools as evidence."

Ah, playing by the book.

However she added that FEHD officers will have a "relaxed stance" towards hawkers when enforcing the rules, saying the public might have "misunderstood how we would handle a situation like this."

"Sometimes even if itinerant hawkers hire assistants to help with their business, as long as the licensees are present to man the stall, we would not prosecute them," she said.

"Some residents do not know that itinerant hawkers are not allowed to hire assistants, so they blame the department for not being humane and tend to bully elderly people."

First off, the rule is unreasonable. How can someone go take a toilet break and have no one manning their stall, or if they are, not be able to serve customers because they don't have a license?

Kong says regulations need to be updated

That's the same question lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon asked, who is supporting Chan. Kong questioned whether the current regulations were outdated and needed to be updated.

"A fixed-pitch hawker can hire assistants to help with managing the stall but an itinerant hawker cannot? I don't really get the logic behind this," she told the same radio program.

"I hope the authorities are more considerate when handling similar incidents to avoid conflicts. Honestly, how many years have they been doing this? Hawkers need to work with dignity and the government should give them room to make a living," she said.

Kong said Chan is still very upset about her cart being confiscated and is worried the chestnuts and quail eggs will go missing or go rotten.

"I just don't understand why they seized the whole cart. I doubt the officers needed to move the cart to the courtroom for prosecution and I don't believe the judge needs to physically see the cart to make a verdict."

Has there never been a previous case where an itinerant hawker was away from their stand and an assistant was caught for handling a transaction in the decades since hawker licenses have been issued? 

Perhaps this is the new "Happy Hong Kong" where the law is enforced to a T because the city's leader was a top cop...

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?

Piano Prodigy Mao Fujita

Fujita with his matcha ice cream for dessert on Saturday night

This weekend I had the privilege of meeting a young pianist who is rising up the ranks of the music world very quickly. Mao Fujita is only 24 years old and looks very young too, but his playing is so deft and playful, making him a perfect conduit for Mozart's music, but he says he loves to play all kinds of music -- as long as it's classical.

My relatives sponsored his concert held by the Vancouver Recital Society, so I had a chance to meet him for dinner the night before. Eight of us dined at Minami, a contemporary Japanese restaurant in Yaletown. The food suited the location, with lots of young people dining late (we sat down at 8pm).

It's Fujita's first trip to Canada, let alone Vancouver, and he hardly had a chance to see the city -- he arrived Friday night, practiced all day Saturday before we met him, and then Sunday afternoon was the recital before he went back to the airport to fly to Amsterdam.

Playing to a packed audience on Sunday afternoon

Even though the Tokyoite claimed he was a bit tired, his eyes were bright and he was nice to talk to.

Some facts about Fujita: He started learning the piano at the age of three and told us his older brother actually played better than him. But there were a lot of expectations and pressure hoisted on his brother, who quit in the end because he hated practicing... 

Meanwhile Fujita grew to love playing the piano, as there was no pressure on him at all and hearing him talk about music he gets very excited, as he thinks about the the phrasing and tone of specific pieces. Quite amazing.

However, he told us his parents are doctors, and his grandfather was one too, and so there were expectations the two brothers would follow, but that did not pan out. Instead his older brother became a piano tuner, and Fujita a rising piano star who gained a lot of attention when he came in second with a silver medal in the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition in the piano category in 2019.

He's also left handed too as we found out while eating with chopsticks! Three out of the eight at the table were lefties.

During the dinner he politely refused alcohol and was very clear on wanting one scoop of matcha ice cream for dessert. After that he was keen to go back to his hotel to sleep.

Fujita talking to Leila Getz, concert organiser

The next day the concert venue, the Vancouver Playhouse, was packed, with almost every seat taken. There were many children in the audience as well as Japanese. Two small children barely two and three sat on booster seats, the younger one clutching his teddy bear and was a very good concert goer.

The adults, not so much. Especially in the second half, some phones went off, with two of them racing for the door -- really? Another got up and left during the third movement -- it was going to be over in a few minutes for goodness sakes!

It was noisy and that made it hard to listen to Fujita because his piano playing is so delicate -- his fingers deftly touch the keys to bring out really subtle sounds but at the same time it's Mozart sonatas, which means every note must be heard -- no fudging!

He was so precise with his playing but also added his own interpretation in a split second delay or emphasising different notes. He also seemed keen to get the concert over with -- as soon as he sat down he would play right away, not wasting a moment.

Interestingly he did not wear a suit, but instead chose to wear a dark brown long sleeve smock or tunic over his pants and shiny shoes. There seemed to be a button on his left side that was very shiny when it caught the light.

Fujita during the Tchaikovsky competition

After the concert of four Mozart sonatas was finished, he received a standing ovation and he sat down to play Tchaikovsky... It was the Sonata No. 9 in D major, so he chose to play a Tchaikovsky piece in D minor!

He took a few minutes to change into casual clothes before for the Q&A, with many young people asking questions like, What is the hardest piece you have ever played? Have you learned all the Mozart sonatas? (no). How do you memorise all the pieces?

When he was young he would play three, four hours a day. Now living in Berlin the last two years he is allowed to play from 8am to 8pm, not that he practices 12 hours a day. However, he is constantly thinking about what he has to play next with his hectic schedule of 70-80 concerts a year! And he flies economy!

How does he deal with jetlag? Practicing keeps him awake!

And what is he listening for when he practices? My playing! he replied. Then he said when he practices he thinks he is playing very well, but in front of an audience he is nervous. 

In late January he made his Carnegie Hall debut, though the New York Times did not give him a particularly favourable review, saying his pieces were relatively safe... nevertheless he told us at the dinner that he will play there again next year.

One person asked why Mozart? And he said during the pandemic he was stuck at home and gravitated towards Mozart and focused on his pieces, which led to his most recent recording last year, Mozart: The Complete Sonatas.

Excited for this young person who is so passionate about classical music he is not interested in any other genre!

Sonata No. 7 in C major, K. 309

Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K. 310/300d

Sonata No. 13 in B-flat major, K. 333

Sonata No. 9 in D major, K. 311

60 Years of Lei Feng Propaganda

It is the 60th anniversary of Lei Feng Day

Today March 5 is the 60th anniversary of "Lei Feng Day" in China.

Lei Feng was a model soldier that the Chinese Communist Party likes to trot out once a year to remind people of his selflessness and altruism. 

For example he was reported to have hand washed his fellow comrades' uniforms and even exposed counterrevolutionaries.

Lei was apparently a model selfless soldier

But ironically he was not known until after his death at the age of 21 when a telephone pole, struck an army truck, hit him as he was directing the truck in backing up.

He kept a diary, recording all his good deeds, which made him a perfect example for generations of CCP members to follow. But some scholars believe his diary was forged under the direction of Lin Biao to improve Mao Zedong's image following the disastrous Great Leap Forward.

Then in 1963 Mao declared March 5 Lei Feng Day, urging people to "Learn from Lei Feng".

Last year a Chinese state media crowed: "Lei likened himself to a small yet indispensable 'screw' inside a machine, and vowed to 'never rust'." 

How poetic.

Even Western companies got into the game. Kentucky Fried Chicken branded one of its China-based outlets with a Lei Feng theme four years ago, featuring Lei's quotes on the walls and "words from his poems playing as background music".

Hilarious.

Even superheroes need to learn from Lei (Cowhig)

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is perpetuating Lei's image, describing him as a "role model of an era." Last week Xi announced that "learning from Lei Feng" was essential to "building a modern socialist country."

However, the public may not be following Xi's lead -- three official Lei Feng biopics in 2013 played to "near empty" theatres, state media reported.

Why?

Han Rongbin, associate professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia and expert on authoritarian propaganda says Lei's relevance "has withered over time."

However, while Lei "doesn't generate a huge resonance, especially among the middle class... but it's still a propaganda symbol, so I don't think the [CCP] is going to give it up anytime soon," Han said.

So... Happy Lei Feng Day to you!

Women's March Cancelled at Last Minute

The association had planned to hold a march on Sunday

One of the first approved protest marches in Hong Kong in three years since the pandemic was supposed to take place on Sunday at 11am but was cancelled at the last minute.

The Hong Kong Women Workers' Association was planning to hold a march to promote labour rights, women's rights and gender equality ahead of International Women's Day on March 8.

The group fights for women's rights and equality

The group was able to get approval from the police after they conducted a risk assessment, that included asking the association to comply with the national security law, and that the march "would not be contrary to the interests of national security."

However, the association decided to cancel the protest "after balancing the interests of all parties," said Cheng Wai-kin, acting senior superintendent of the police on Saturday.

He claimed the police found "many people, including violent groups" would take part in the march. 

When the media pressed Cheng for more information he replied: "We won't have any further comments on any participants or any further factors about tomorrow's event."

And so because the association had cancelled the march, then the "letter of no objection" issued by the police was voided, so that meant any gathering there today would be considered an unauthorised assembly.

Cheng claimed "violent groups" would join in

How thoughtful of the authorities to make things so clear.

Was the march cancelled because it is held during the "Two Sessions" or the meeting of the National People's Congress in Beijing right now? 

The police won't say.

Perhaps the optics of women protesting in Hong Kong when they should be holding up half the sky didn't look good...

Nordstrom's Closing Shop

The Nordstrom in Vancouver is shuttering in a few months

The Canadian retail scene is getting emptier with the news that Nordstrom is pulling out of the market completely.

After eight years of losing money annually, the American chain retailer is closing all its 13 stores across the country including Nordstrom Rack.

Even the discount stores are closing for good

Nordstrom is seeking bankruptcy protection. In its court filings, in 2022, Nordstrom's Canadian division sold about CAD$515 million worth of goods, but lost $72 million while doing so.

One retail consultant says Nordstrom scaled up too quickly without understanding the differences between customers in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, while another says the retailer misjudged customers here.

"They probably just overestimated how rich we are and how much we spend on luxury goods," said retail consultant Bruce Winder. "We just don't have as many people who would desire that kind of merchandise they needed to break even."

YUP. They had no idea how cheap Canadians are!

In addition Winder says, the age of the department store is over... so who is going to take over these massive multi-floor spaces that were meant to be anchor stores in shopping malls across the country?

One wonders how good the sales will be...

In the meantime people are looking forward to the sales that will be happening later this month. Many will be checking them out for any deals like hawks circling their prey...

Shanghai Lockdown Nightmares Persist

Shanghai was shutdown for weeks early in the pandemic

This evening I met a man in his 30s who recently moved out of Shanghai to Vancouver and is pondering what to do next, either go to Hong Kong or Taiwan.

He has an interesting background, born and raised in Taiwan with a Taiwanese mother and father who is from China and Hong Kong. When he was six years old the family moved to Vancouver and after he graduated from university he moved to Shanghai and went into the advertising industry for almost 10 years.

The last three years of his life have been a blur, with non-stop lockdowns in the coastal city, but says he had it better than most. Migrant workers and lower middle-class families had a tough time during the pandemic, many having lost their jobs, unable to pay rent, mortgages and car payments.

A ration of vegetables, cooking oil and noodles

I asked if he had enough to eat and he said it was so hard to have enough room in the fridge to store all the food. He said when the lockdown began, it was supposed to be four days -- which was suddenly extended to 10 -- and that's when people began to panic.

Not only did people not have enough to eat, but many people didn't have enough medicine to treat their conditions or cancer patients couldn't go to treatments. As a result many people died not getting the medicine or treatments they needed.

He added after that experience, many families bought second refrigerators, worried lockdowns could happen again.

Just before the pandemic, he was planning to launch his own brand of high-protein juices, but with the lockdowns, everything was put on hold, delayed and then eventually he gave up even trying to release the product in China. I suggested Hong Kong because the consumers there are open to trying anything and willing buy an expensive product even if they think it's good.

Being here in Vancouver he is still adjusting -- he says in Shanghai the regulations would change on a daily basis on what people could and couldn't do. But here life just goes on and he has to remind himself that he's in Canada, not China. He joked about having PTSD, but it really is a trauma that he went through, being confined for so long and restricted from freely moving around.

Dabai or "big whites" harassed people

He doesn't have adverse feelings towards China, but probably wants a break from it and wants to move onto something else. One thing he can't get out of his mind is seeing videos of the dabai or the men in white hazmat suits beating up people, which he found shocking and inhumane. 

It was things like this that made him think hard about why he was continuing to live in the country, and decided he had to get out.

He's not sure what's net yet, but having a Chinese background, fluent in English and well traveled, he will surely land on his feet in another career very soon.

Hong Kong Anthem Gaffe Strikes Again

The moment the wrong anthem was played in Bosnia

After the 2019 protest song instead of the Chinese national anthem was played twice late last year in a rugby tournament in South Korea raised hackles with the Hong Kong government, it is quite unbelievable that the gaffe has happened again, this time Bosnia, after a hockey match between the city and Iran.

On Tuesday "Glory to Hong Kong" was played as Hong Kong's national anthem instead of "March of the Volunteers" when the team beat Iran in the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship Division III.

Pui says teams can't check right song is played

Pui Kwan-kay, honorary vice-president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, said he didn't have all the details of the incident, but believed the latest blunder was caused by "careless" staff who downloaded the wrong song from the internet.

"The government has a responsibility to continue to liaising with the service provider to ensure the correct national anthem of Hong Kong, China should be placed at the top," he said, referring to Google.

And yes, if you do Google "Hong Kong national anthem", "Glory to Hong Kong" is the top result.

Google has said before it will not change the rankings of specific pages.

But no one outside of the city knows it is the wrong anthem and the politically charged meaning behind it. How is it their fault?

Why not make it the responsibility of the Hong Kong teams to tell organisers to use "March of the Volunteers" instead? 

At a rugby tournament "Glory to HK" was played

Surely the team's coach or general manager traveling with the team could liaise with tournament organisers? 

However, Pui claims that while guidelines and tool kits have been provided to sports teams to ensure event organisers have a copy of the correct anthem, the teams cannot constantly check to make sure the right song is played.

"Team leaders can't always stay in the media room to supervise, and the counterparty may feel annoyed that they are being watched while working," Pui said.

Well, yes if the Hong Kong government keeps getting annoyed then someone's going to have to make sure the right anthem is played, right?

In this latest gaffe, the government "strongly deplored" the national anthem mix-up and requested the local Olympic committee to conduct an in-depth investigation.

The International Ice Hockey Federation reportedly apologised for the error, saying it was an unintended mistake.

At least Hong Kong sports teams are playing well overseas!

Hong Kong Finally Goes Maskless

Some people continued wearing masks out of caution today

After some 950 days, the mask mandate was FINALLY lifted in Hong Kong much to the delight of the residents who have endured wearing face coverings in over 30-degree weather, while exercising, while at weddings, funerals, amusement parks.

And dealing with the fear or harassment of the police gleefully handing out HK$5,000 fines to people who weren't wearing them properly or were caught smoking.

But in reality many today still wore a mask going to work or school, unable to shake the routine, or still wanted to err on the side of caution.

Why not get rid of masks with campaign launch?

The fact that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu suddenly announced the end of wearing masks just days before March 1 shows how the government didn't think things through -- why not have masks off for the start of the "Hello Hong Kong" campaign? Surely that would have been even more effective in enticing people to come back to the city? 

Even health experts were frustrated that there was no more science to justify having to wear masks outside in particular. Then suddenly poof! Masks are allowed off and people are reticent to do so.

Young children have been hit hardest by the mask mandate. They have been forced to wear face coverings that were unnatural to them (and could not understand why), but now they are so used to wearing them that it will take a while to get them to feel more comfortable to take them off.

Children will take time to adjust to no masks

Educators are concerned these young children have had their learning hampered by mask-wearing for three years. Pupils are unable to pronounce words properly as they cannot see their teachers' mouth movements and imitate them.

The pandemic may have also changed how people interact with others from handshakes to hygiene habits. In Canada it seems the handshake is pretty much back, though some are still anxious about reaching for someone's hand, others grateful to have human contact again.

In the meantime Hong Kong may see a spike in Covid-19 cases now that masks are officially off, but most of the population has herd immunity from vaccinations or from infections. 

What other momentous occasion happened today? The closing of Penny's Bay Community Isolation Facility!

It was opened by the Security Bureau, which made it apt that Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip "closed" the massive facility with a symbolic "lock" made of cardboard.

Cheuk with the "lock" on Penny's Bay

What is going to happen to all those shipping containers converted into mini cells for people who had mild symptoms or were close contacts of infected patients and had to wait it out here?

Is this place going to be yet another white elephant left to collect dust? There were talks of possibly making them into low-cost housing, but in terms of logistics it would be a no-go. What a waste of taxpayer money to build these facilities that were not really used but built to show Hong Kong's determination to fight the virus...