Fort Langley: Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery

The patches of gardens are pretty and colourful at Krause

This morning I headed out to Fort Langley for a visit. It's an hour away by car, taking Grandview Highway going east onto Highway 1, passing Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows... 

Blueberry waffles are good to share

It's a relatively easy drive and once in Langley township, there's a lot of farm land growing blueberries, corn and other fruits.

Our first stop was Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery, a massive compound that has U-pick berries (blueberries now in season), as well as a sandbox for kids to play in, and lovely garden patches full of blooming flowers to admire.

Most impressive was the store that is choc full of the farm's signatures, from fresh berries and vegetables to jam, fruit-flavoured syrup, numerous pies from strawberry to blackberry, peach and apple. The jams come in vegan and no sugar, in blueberry, blackberry strawberry and rhubarb. 

Interestingly it does not encroach on its neighbour's business of selling honey, so Krause does not sell any kind of honey at all. Krause also sells farm-style crockery, scarves, and even pyjamas with blueberries on them.

Lots of pies, like blackberry for sale!

We could not resist trying the blueberry waffles -- a large round one that had a squirt of syrup followed by a massive mount of blueberries topped with a generous swirl of canned whipped cream.

The waffle itself wasn't too sweet, and the blueberries were so large and plump that we didn't want to waste any and two of us managed to finish the plate. I was intrigued by the drink of strawberry milk on the menu, but it ended up being a plastic bottle that was bought from a store. 

Meanwhile the wine tasting room is fun -- those sitting at the bar actually sit on saddles! 

The food choices at Krause are on the limited side -- only waffles with seasonal fruits, ice cream, pizza, fries or at the bar there's nachos... 

Nevertheless, it's a fun stop that's family-oriented and appeals to everyone at some level. 

Get on the saddle at the wine bar

Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery

6179 248th Street

Langley, BC

604 856 5757

Mobilising 1.4B Chinese for Counter-Espionage

China will mobilise its population for counter-espionage

China trusts no one and now is mobilising its 1.4 billion citizens to help inform on any suspicious activities in the country.

The state security ministry has announced it is encouraging Chinese citizens to engage in counter-espionage work, and will be opening up channels for them to report on any nefarious activities, and even rewarding them, though there were no details reported on the compensation.

According to the Ministry of State Security, the main agency overlooking foreign intelligence and anti-spying, said it will become "normal" for the masses to participate in counter-espionage.

Chen says political security top priority

This call-out for the population to participate follows the expansion of the counter-espionage law that took effect in July.

The law bans the transfer of information related to national security and interests which is vaguely described; the United States is alarmed by this development, as foreign companies in China could be punished by doing regular business activities.

With the new law, the authorities can carry out an anti-espionage probe to gain access to data, electronic equipment and information on personal property.

Political security is the top priority of national security, according to Chen Yixin, Minister of State Security.

"The most fundamental is to safeguard the leadership and ruling position of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics," he wrote in an article in a Chinese legal magazine in July.

But is there espionage happening in China?

This latest development will make foreign companies based in China think again if they want to continue having a presence there, or risk being accused of espionage and face heavy penalties.

Is that a risk worth considering anymore?

Over the years many foreigners have been detained for alleged espionage, including an executive of a Japanese drugmaker called Astellas Pharma in March.

In addition. Australian-Chinese journalist Cheng Lei was accused by China of providing state secrets to another country. She has been detained since September 2020.

This move falls in line with the Hong Kong government (via Beijing) to get anyone to inform on the eight pro-democracy activists and former lawmakers who have HK$1 million bounties on their heads. 

While some of the eight are publicly defiant as they live in countries where the extradition agreement has been indefinitely suspended, there is the possibility of misguided patriots who may think they are doing the right thing...

Remembering the Abalone King

Chef Yeung slicing the abalone with a knife

Chef Yeung Koon-yat, known as "the abalone king" has died at the age of 90.

I had the opportunity to interview him twice, the second time was in November 2017 for an interview. It took him a while to show up, perhaps he had forgotten or was not up to it, but eventually he came and put on his showman face.

When the camera started recording and I asked questions about his youth and how he became known as the abalone king, it was apparent that he had signs of dementia. I tried to gently ask questions in a different way or ask him to remember dates, but it was difficult for him to answer.

Massive dried Japanese abalone

But what he could not remember he made up in his cooking demonstrations, making his famous fried rice which was still so delicious, each grain of rice evenly flavoured in the claypot with egg, Chinese sausages, conpoy and spring onions.

As making abalone takes a long time, they were prepared ahead of time so he posed for the camera spooning the thick, shiny, flavourful abalone sauce over this prized seafood delicacy.

He was born in 1932 in Zhongshan, Guangdong province to a poor family. When the Sino-Japanese War broke out, his family was destitute and his parents sent he and his younger sisters to his grandmother to raise. When she died, the three children were put in an orphanage where his two siblings starved to death. 

Determined to find a better life for himself, Yeung came to Hong Kong in 1949 at around the age of 18.

Like many migrants he found work in the restaurant industry, where he could get three meals a day and a place to sleep (on the dining tables, using table cloth as sheets).

Yeung worked his way up, learning to cook and together with some friends opened Forum Restaurant in 1974 with HK$600,000. The restaurant didn't do well at first, serving home-cooked dishes, so he had to find a way to differentiate it from competitors and decided to focus on abalone, a very expensive ingredient.

Not only did Yeung perfect how to cook abalone, but he also taught a generation of diners to eat it with a fork and knife, cutting it lengthwise in relatively thin slices to best appreciate the dish.

Yeung was the ultimate showman

Soon after he was known as the abalone king for over six decades, well known in Hong Kong and was probably the first Chinese chef to travel to various countries to cook for foreign leaders, showing them what Cantonese delicacies were, particularly abalone.

The first time I met him was in the late 1990s with a good friend who is also a food writer. He handed out his business card to us which was extra large to fit in all his titles including the Club des Chefs des Chefs. 

He showed off how he heated up the already braised abalone in front of us table side and we enjoyed every bite. But then we were even more impressed by his fried rice that he also made before us. 

It smelled so good even before we had a bite, that we knew it would taste delicious.

Before we left the restaurant he insisted on giving us each a bottle of wine -- Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982.

I carefully brought the bottle home, and years later my parents and their friends drank it -- without my knowledge!

Nevertheless as my friend says, Yeung was the ultimate showman who was passionate about cooking and you could taste it in his food.

A culinary gem has left this world, though we will not forget these words of wisdom: "Be even more outstanding when others are outstanding," another way of saying work harder for your success.

He is proof of that. Thank you chef.

Whale's Misadventure in HK Waters

A dead whale carcass was found Monday morning in Sai Kung

Fishermen spotted a whale carcass floating in the waters off Shelter Island in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, and now police and officials from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department are trying to assess whether the 7-metre-whale is the one that was spotted in mid-July.

It was a surprise to see a Bryde's whale in Hong Kong, with conservation groups speculating it may have lost its way. As a result tourist-boats filled with people rushed out to see the whale, which was found to have two large gashes in its back about a week ago. The wounds may have been caused by a propeller.

A Bryde's whale was spotted July 13

If the carcass is the same whale, its demise may have been caused by the injury, though people encroaching on it, would have inflicted greater stress on the animal, having so many boats only metres away from it.

The authorities and conservation groups had called for people to be at least 100 metres away from the mammal.

Even Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, currently acting Chief Executive as John Lee Ka-chiu is away, to order marine police to increase patrols in the area to keep boats away from the Bryde's whale.

At the time marine biologist Taison Chang Kai-tai, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society urged the public not to go too close to the animal to avoid causing further injuries, and that it may have lost its way.

Two gashes were on the whale's back

"With the injuries, it will face bigger difficulties in finding its way out [to its habitat]," Chang said, adding it was also facing more challenges in feeding.

The demise of the whale is a sad reminder of the ignorance of Hongkongers when it comes to wild animals. The keyword is wild.

Picture of the Day: The Philippines' Fireworks

Stunning fireworks lit up the sky

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

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

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

Review: Lunch Lady

Lunch Lady is an elevated Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver

I finally made it to Lunch Lady, a Vietnamese restaurant on Commercial Drive that opened during the Covid-19 pandemic. The inspiration behind the restaurant is Nguyen Thi Thanh, who has a soup noodle stall in Ho Chin Minh City. 

The late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain visited her during an episode of No Reservations and nicknamed her the "lunch lady". Her stall specialises in various soup bases for her rice noodles. 

A few years ago second-generation Vietnamese-Canadian Michael Tran visited Nguyen's stall and tried to persuade her to open a restaurant in Vancouver. She didn't take him seriously, until he got his mother, restaurateur Victoria Tran to speak to Nguyen on the phone and won her over.

Nguyen was named "Lunch Lady" by Bourdain

Nguyen was unable to come for the official opening of Lunch Lady, but finally made it last year -- twice. The second time was when Lunch Lady was awarded the Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide for Vancouver.

My friend and I went for lunch today and first of all parking is difficult to come by in the neighbourhood, but we eventually found a spot by the nearby Grandview Park. Then we were surprised to find there was a waitlist at the restaurant when there was no physical queue. There were also a lot of empty tables which made us wonder what was going on.

The host asked if we minded sitting by the bar and we agreed in order to avoid waiting 20-25 minutes for a table. With two people, sitting at the bar is fine, and the solo diner sitting next to me left soon after.

There's a lunch set for C$30 per person, which includes the crispy prawn fritter, two daily soup specials, and two non-alcoholic drinks which is a decent deal.

How do you eat these prawn fritters elegantly?

We had expected the prawn fritters would be like Thai prawn cakes but we were completely wrong -- they were like giant crackers with two plump prawns on them and deep-fried. We were told to wrap them in lettuce with mint and basil and dip them in fish sauce.

It was quite awkward eating these fritters, as we were given massive, thick lettuce leaves to wrap this rectangular cracker. 

For our soup special for Friday it was bun bo hue, thinly sliced beef, pork hock, Vietnamese ham, blood pudding, and thick vermicelli noodles in a spicy lemongrass pork broth.

It's a sizeable portion and came steaming hot. We were also given lots of condiments -- the usual bean sprouts, generous bunch of sliced jalapenos, two lime wedges, and two small stainless steel cups of chilli sauce and smeared on the edge was fermented shrimp paste.

The noodle bowl's mixed bag of ingredients were good on the whole, the beef was not fatty at all, there was a slice of fish cake and a meat ball. The blood pudding was nice to have, but the texture wasn't smooth like Chinese ones, though the colour was a hue of deep maroon. 

Large bowl of beef, pork and blood pudding

The soup base was already a bit on the spicy side for me, overpowering the lemongrass flavour; I washed down the noodles with a glass of calamansi soda, but I quite enjoyed eating this noodle soup and couldn't stop eating it even though it was a large portion.

We were so full we couldn't even consider dessert after, which is too bad since it's a trek for us to get to the restaurant.

Nevertheless, it really is a good lunch spot... and now I wonder how dinner would be...

As we were leaving just before 3pm the restaurant was still busy, proving that Lunch Lady is no fad.

Lunch Lady

1046 Commercial Drive

Vancouver, BC

604 559 5938

HK to Crackdown on "Soft Resistance"

Patriotism is a sign of agreement with Beijing

The Chinese Communist Party is determined to win at all costs.

After implementing the national security law in July 2020, Beijing thought it would defeat all dissent in Hong Kong following the 2019 protests.

However, people have found ways to continue their "soft resistance" in various ways, such as patronising the "yellow economic circle", refusing to sing the Chinese national anthem, not registering for organ donation because of its mainland links, and openly jeering at mainlanders in the city.

There is word Beijing is not pleased and wants to continue further repressing Hongkongers who refuse to bend in the CPC way.

Tang says soft resistance will be tackled

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on July 25 that "soft resistance" must be tackled, and even hinted that some media, and people in arts and culture may be culprits of this soft resistance.

Earlier this month on July 3, Tang told Ta Kung Pao newspaper that Article 23 will include provisions to deal with "soft resistance", as he believed discussion about this would radicalise people... There are plans to pass Article 23 next year. 

Readers may remember the Hong Kong government under then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa tried to pass this legislation in 2003, but a mass street protest resulted in it being shelved -- until now.

There is the constant comparison that other countries like the United States and Canada have national security laws too, but these democratic countries do not weaponise it like Hong Kong and China.

So far 270 people have been arrested on national security charges in Hong Kong since mid 2020, around 70 have been tried in court, and all of them found guilty, says former lawmaker and journalist Emily Lau Wai-hing.

"This is a 100 percent conviction rate. I'm not casting aspersions on anybody," she said.

However, pro-Beijing senior counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah claims the city continues to uphold free speech, saying: "Rest assured you can say anything you like in Hong Kong."

Lau says NSL has 100 percent conviction rate

Hard to believe Tong, previously a democrat who co-founded the Civic Party before doing a 180-degree turn towards Beijing.

In any event, there are concerns that the existence of "soft resistance" in Hong Kong gives Beijing a mandate for further repression in the city in a bid to extract complete submission.

"It's almost as if the government is saying the word 'patriot' is code for you agree with us. If you agree with us, then you can be in the district council, you can be in LegCo, you can be in the election committee and all these things. But if you don't agree with us, then you're resisting," says John Burns, an honorary professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong.

The people who are left in Hong Kong are seeing their space for resistance quickly diminishing... how much longer can they keep going? 

Picture of the Day: Celebration of Light with Mexico

Dazzling fireworks from Mexico this evening

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wang Yi Replaces Qin Gang

Qin turfed out as Foreign Minister after only seven months

It was announced early this morning Vancouver time, but after only seven months on the job, Qin Gang is officially out as Foreign Minister and replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi.

The Central Committee made the decision, and did not elaborate on what will happen to Qin, or his other responsibilities as state councillor.

There are still questions as to why Qin was removed and why Wang has taken over, though he is the most steady choice -- given this latest move is an embarrassment for China's foreign affairs and for Xi, who had fast-tracked Qin as top diplomat.

Qin's predecessor Wang Yi replaces him

"The suddenness and opacity surrounding Qin's dismissal demonstrates the volatility that has now become a feature of China's political system under Xi," said Jude Blanchette, the holder of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Before the announcement there were numerous rumours flying around -- including that Qin had died of liver cancer, as the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said he had health problems. 

Richard McGregor, a senior fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney who studies Chinese foreign policy, said Xi was too powerful to suffer much damage from Qin's downfall.

"If there's any substance to the rumours, it's a reminder that in the party system, your private life can be as much subject to regulation as your public duties," McGregor said. "Though in this case, the conduct of an ambassador has national security implications."

China expert Bill Bishop suggests perhaps Wang is a temporary replacement until a younger official is chosen, though he is the most stable choice for now.

Wang met with Kerry recently in Beijing

"The removal of Qin may have happened faster than it would have for other officials who are under investigation because his unexplained absence was affecting diplomatic work and the PRC's image," Bishop wrote in his Sinocism newsletter.

He has also dismissed the health reason, otherwise it would have been mentioned in the announcement.

"The fact that Wang is picked to replace Qin as the country's new foreign minister in the middle of a major personnel crisis in mainland politics says a lot about Wang's close ties with the top leader," said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

But Wu said this was happening at a bad time for Beijing, when it was trying to ease tensions with the United States and its allies and reboot the economy.

"The saga has been a big embarrassment for China, that has exposed the non-transparent nature of China's close decision-making," he said.

The next time Qin is shown may be in court facing charges... and then perhaps never to be seen again...

Quote of the Day: MTR Chairman's Meaty Business

Auyeung says MTR will expand further into the mainland

The MTR Corporation has expanded its services to some cities in China and abroad, including the United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia.

And the semi-privatised company's chairman Rex Auyeung says MTR Corp will continue to extend its services in China, particularly in the Greater Bay Area, connecting Hong Kong and Macau with nine Chinese cities.  

But he says Hong Kong remains the bread and butter of the company, or rather a meatier metaphor.

"Hong Kong is our filet mignon, I cannot afford to lose sight of the Hong Kong business," Au said in a recent interview with a local newspaper.

We thought bread and butter was a staple, but perhaps for Auyeung, filet mignon is a must-have in his diet?

Elmer Yuen's Relative Taken into Questioning

Yuen holding his Hong Kong passport in a recent photo

Days after former lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung's parents and brother were questioned by police and then released, another person from the group of eight with bounties on their head has had a family member taken in for interrogation as well.

The police took away trade unionist Mung Siu-tat's brother and took him, his wife and son for questioning, as well as relatives of Dennis Kwok Wing-hang. They were later released without charge.

Yuen's son Derek is married to Eunice Yung

Now a third family has now been affected -- Elmer Yuen (Yuan Gong-yi)'s eldest daughter, Mimi Mi Wahng Yuen was "taken away" by Hong Kong national security police after she arrived in the city from Los Angeles on Monday. 

Over a week ago Yuen, 74, was in Vancouver urging Hongkongers in Canada to take part in a virtual Hong Kong parliament with elections for representatives later this year or in early 2024. For this he has been charged with with subversion of state power and foreign collusion

Yuen, who lives in the United States, had previously urged foreign countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong officials and members of the judiciary on various online platforms between July 2020 and May 2023.

He has three children. His son Derek is a former advisor for the pro-establishment New People's Party and an academic studying international policy. Derek Yuen told Sing Tao Daily that he had "a brief meeting" with his father and has avoided any financial exchanges.

Yung's notice of severing ties with Elmer Yuen

Derek is married to Eunice Yung Hoi-yan, a pro-Beijing lawmaker and member of the New People's Party. In August 2022, she publicly severed her relationship with her father-in-law Elmer. And since the arrest warrants were announced for the eight people including Yuen, Yung has called for him to return to Hong Kong and surrender.

Now with this latest development, will Elmer Yuen continue to be as gutsy and continuing his campaign in North America? 

Those family members who continue to have some kind of links with the eight with bounties on their heads will put the former in a perilous situation... relations by blood are thicker than water, but in the case of the national security police, do people cave in?

Yuen Long Attacks Not Forgotten

Lots of police in Yuen Long for the anniversary of 7/21 attacks

On the fourth anniversary of the July 21 Yuen Long attacks, the Hong Kong police were out in force and arrested eight men and two women in Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai. 

The police did numerous stop-and-searches of people in the area, and even journalists there had to produce identification and credentials.

Police arrested Grandma Wong (right)

One of the women detained was Alexandra Wong known as "Grandma Wong" who has been supportive of the protesters since 2019. The police searched her bags which included a yellow umbrella and a British flag.

She and another woman were arrested for allegedly being involved in misconduct in a public place. Two men allegedly possessed offensive weapons, and another accused of possessing dangerous drugs.

Another man was arrested for alleged illegal entry, while the other four were found to have unpaid fines.

Meanwhile across the Pacific Ocean in downtown Vancouver, many gathered in Waterfront Station to mark the anniversary. 

People gathered at Piccadilly Circus in London

They did what they couldn't do in Hong Kong. They wore black and waved flags with the banned protest slogan, "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times", and sang "Glory to Hong Kong".

Remembrances were also held in London and Birmingham too.

Friends visiting from Hong Kong have told me how the city has become a police state, with a huge presence all the time on the streets -- even in outlying islands -- and constantly checking people's IDs. 

"Happy Hong Kong", isn't it. 

 

Remembering Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett put his heart and soul into every song he sang

This morning I woke up to the sad news that crooner Tony Bennett had passed away at the age of 96.

I have a quick Tony Bennett story:

In the early 80s when I was a kid, my family and I were in a hotel elevator in Seattle when the door opened and the famous crooner dressed in a tuxedo walked in.

We were stunned for a moment until my dad (a massive fan) asked if he could shake Tony Bennett's hand.

They did and soon after he walked out of the lift.

Frank Sinatra said Bennett was "the best singer in the business."

The two stars will be reunited.

Thank you for your voice, passion and conviction.

Bruce Lee's Philosophy and the 2019 Protests

Lee's saying, "Be water, my friend" inspired 2019 protesters

In North America it's July 20, the 50th anniversary of martial artist Bruce Lee's death at the age of 32.

Even five decades on Lee continues to hold a fascination for old and new fans.

Lee died 50 years ago today in Hong Kong

He inspired the 2019 protesters with his philosophy, "Be water, my friend".  Lee's full quote: "Be formless, shapeless, like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes a cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

What he meant was to constantly transform and adapt to situations, and with the protesters' uniform of all black, they were unidentifiable, and they made decisions organically, decentralising the movement.

Lee's saying actually comes from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, who said: "Water is fluid, soft and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid and soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong."

Horrific attacks in the Yuen Long MTR station

In Hong Kong, it is the fourth anniversary of the July 21 attacks in Yuen Long. It was also the same day that protesters defaced the emblem of the People's Republic of China at the Liaison Office in Western.

Most people remember what happened in the Yuen Long MTR station and were traumatised watching the images of helpless people being attacked by men in white shirts with rods.  Those assaulted included lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, reporter turned politician Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam. 

Lam is in jail for his part in the Yuen Long attacks when he was a victim -- he was assaulted and had a wound that required 18 stitches on his mouth. Ho recorded someone hitting her with a rod, and she is in prison too.

Most Hongkongers did not trust the police ever again. They still don't and some are triggered seeing officers on the streets.

Ho became a politician after Yuen Long attacks

Tangentially journalist Bao Choy Yuk-ling worked on an RTHK documentary about the Yuen Long attacks, doing some investigative work on the vans that transported some of the attackers. 

For the award-winning documentary she was fired and then arrested for violating the Road Traffic Ordinance for falsely declaring her intention to find out the owners of the vans. 

She was found guilty of two charges and fined.

Last month she finally won her appeal against her sentence which was annulled by the Court of Final Appeal.

This was the one bright victory in the years since that fateful night. 

Meanwhile those who are languishing in jail are making the most of their time there.

Lam needed stitches after being attacked

It has been reported that a 21-year-old inmate earned the best-ever public exam result taken in prison in Hong Kong for the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination.

In addition eight of 18 young detainees who sat for the DSE exam achieved scores good enough to enter a university.

They are not only using their time behind bars to study hard, but it also shows Hong Kong jailing its best and brightest.

Where's Qin Gang?

Anyone know where Qin Gang is these days?

There is a lot of background chatter wondering where Foreign Minister Qin Gang is. He hasn't been seen for three weeks now and there's a lot of speculation and rumour about what happened to him.

Qin, 57, is a career diplomat and more importantly someone in Xi Jinping's inner circle. In December Qin was fast-tracked to the Foreign Minister job after a brief stint in Washington.

However, Qin hasn't been seen since June 25 when he met with officials from Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Russia in Beijing. 

Fu (left) likes wearing giant bows in her hair

At press briefings the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has tried to avoid answering the question of where Qin is, which is not only awkward, but also very telling.

As the former ambassador to Washington, he was expected to take part in talks with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and most recently climate envoy John Kerry in Beijing, but was no where to be seen. Could this explain why Yellen and Kerry were subjected to a lot of talk and no action? 

Qin was also supposed to represent in China at the Asean meetings in Jakarta last week, but it was announced that he was ill and was replaced by his predecessor Wang Yi.

The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell was supposed to come to China this past Monday, but Beijing abruptly cancelled the trip with no reason given.

Some rumours suggest Qin has Covid-19, but surely he would have recovered within two weeks at most with vaccines and access to Paxlovid.

Fu's selfie with baby son Er-Kin on a private jet

Others think if he had a heart attack, surely there would be a photo of him in hospital convalescing, maybe even with a thumbs up?

Nevertheless, there is a lot of speculation he may have had an extramarital affair with Fu Xiaotian, a TV presenter with Phoenix TV. She has a penchant for wearing giant bows in her hair like it was the 1980s.

She is known for interviewing top officials around the world and interviewed Qin in around 2022 and then interestingly nine months later Fu had a baby boy.

It is believed the child was born in the United States so he has American citizenship.

There were also pictures of her she posted of herself, the baby and supposedly her parents in a mansion in California that rents for US$60,000 a month. 

Fu has also posted pictures of herself on a Gulfstream private jet -- what reporter can afford to hire one, let alone media company shell out for it?

Her cryptic post on Twitter reads: "Last time flying out alone with this aircraft was from LA to DC for a work visit, and that both happily and sadly turned to be the very last interview I did with Talk with World Leaders. This time to fly out with this aircraft was also from LA, but with precious baby son Er-kin."

Fu hinting Qin is the father on his birthday

And she even posted pictures of her baby boy and apparently on social media has hinted her relationship with Qin by making posts around his birthday or when he was promoted to Foreign Minister.

"It is a very bad look for the PRC for their foreign minister to disappear for over three weeks," says avid China watcher Bill Bishop of Sinocism.

Indeed.

There is speculation Qin may be facing his downfall and people are wondering if this is what happens to someone who is close to Xi, then what? There are also rumours that perhaps when Qin was fast-tracked that he ruffled other people's feathers and someone may have gotten back at him by leaking information about Fu and the alleged extramarital affair.

The longer this goes the worse it looks for Qin and Xi, and by extension China.

One wonders where Qin is now and what he's in trouble for...

Metro Vancouver's Unaffordable Housing Crisis

Vancouver housing options are shrinking fast for renters

The housing situation in Metro Vancouver is fast coming to a head with a terrible combination of rising interest rates and inflation, while salaries are not keeping up.

Before there was a lot of scorn poured on the real estate industry, with blame put on foreign buyers for jacking up property prices that made it near impossible for locals to get a foot in the door.

The City of Vancouver responded with an empty homes tax -- any home that was vacant for long periods of time the owner would be subject to a 5 percent tax of the assessed value of the property. The rate was recently reduced to 3 percent for this year.

Densifying neighbourhoods with townhouses

The empty homes tax was a bid to force property owners to not leave places vacant and open up more housing opportunities for people. There were stories of mansions were rented out to numerous students, who in turn created a mess in the home... for others it was a god send to have a decent place to live in.

But now because of rising interest rates, those homeowners with variable mortgages are suffering, and may have hoped to have a "mortgage helper" by renting out their place, but now the renter can't afford the jacked up rent and has to find another place to live.

In some cases people are "reno-evicted" -- where the landlord claims they are renovating the place and the renter has to leave, or the landlord claims they will sell the place, or it is sold, the rent is increased and unaffordable.

That leaves more people looking for somewhere to live.

This morning a local radio show opened up the phone lines to hear from renters about their situations and it sounds dire.

An example of a basement suite

One person talked about looking at a budget of C$2,500-C$3,000 for a basement suite. The caller added landlords are preferring one person or maximum two people for a two-bedroom suite, whereas she had three in her family and was ignored.

Another person said on Twitter that a few months ago in order to keep renting their current place, they had to agree to a C$300 increase otherwise the landlord would sell it.

One woman said the place she was renting was burned down in March and since then has essentially been homeless. She makes just under C$70,000 a year and cannot find a place to live. Originally she was living with her adult daughter but since they became homeless, they had to split up in the hopes of bettering their chances of getting roofs over their heads. Their senior cat is living with someone on Vancouver Island.

She said in finding a place to live she has seen more rooms available than enclosed units, and suggested some of the housing that could have been rented out is being used for air bnbs, which is illegal in Vancouver.

People with decent incomes have to throw away the rule that rent should take up 30 percent of their salary and instead spend up to 50 percent now. How can they afford their utilities, gas for their car and food and still save something in the end? Newspaper articles report many people have resorted to buying groceries on credit cards. How will they pay back these bills?

Homes like this will be scarcer in the city

Some elderly landlords rent out spaces to help with their own bills as they have small pensions, but with inflation, the rents they are charging aren't enough, while other landlords aren't even humans but real estate investments trusts or REITS, that are only out there to make as much money as possible. 

It's evident the system is broken, but how to fix it? How do we make sure everyone who needs an affordable place to live can find one? We're not even talking about home ownership -- just a roof over their heads that they can afford that is not leaving them in survival mode.

The city is trying to densify neighbourhoods and approving building permits faster, but these people need places to live now. 

At the other end of the spectrum are seniors who have lived in their homes for decades and can't understand why the municipal government is forcing them to accept six-storey condos in their neighbourhoods, or that developers can build up to six units on a plot of land next to theirs.

It's sadly a situation of the haves versus the have-nots and the inequity is becoming starker by the day...

Picture of the Day: Watermelon Punch

Watermelon punch served in a watermelon...

Went out with friends tonight who took me to an izakaya called Rajio. 

The staff are very friendly and the atmosphere is lively and fun.

Rajio is apparently known for its fruit drinks (alcoholic or not) so I decided to take the plunge and have the watermelon punch.

It's served in a small watermelon that's been hollowed out, filled with watermelon juice and ice cubes, and garnished with lime, orange and grapefruit slices. For summer it's the perfect drink the beat the heat.

Even better -- it promotes itself with a flag attached with the restaurant's name and Instagram handle!

Vancouver Chinatown Festival

Kids learning how to do the dragon dance

Today a friend and I checked out the 21st annual Vancouver Chinatown Festival. I was surprised to find out it had been going on for so long, but by the crowds it looks like it's an annual favourite.

I arrived a bit before 11am and stalls were still being set up and young children getting ready to dance on the main stage which was at Keefer and Columbia streets. There were even kids trying out the mini lions to see how they worked while others hit the drums. 

Bannock or fried dough with jam

When things got rolling a few minutes later, there were lots of things for kids to do, including a petting zoo (all goats), face painting, crafts and giant Connect Four. Speaking of games there was also a giant mahjong set. We watched some people play and it was definitely not a game of speed, as two hands were needed to carry the tile to each player, but it was fun to see.

And what's a festival without food? There were lots of delicious options a block long on Keefer Street, not limited to Chinese food. There were Japanese snacks and buns, nuts and chocolate, creme brulee in pots, sushi tacos -- the nori deep-fried in the shape of a taco shell with various fillings, beaver tails (fried dough with sweet toppings to choose from), ice cream, pizza slices and hot dogs with Asian fillings. 

One stall featured bannock -- an indigenous snack made from fried dough that could be eaten with either butter, jam or peanut butter as the basic one, or more substantial like a sandwich. We tried the former and it was delicious freshly made.

Interestingly we tried some alcohol made from rice! The owner and maker had several products like rice sherry (quite smooth), rice wine like makgeolli, but thinner, and more impressive -- rice whisky! He had a smooth one which was indeed easy to drink, and the classic that had a bit of a burn at the end but not fiery hot. They are made in Delta.

A giant mahjong game in progress

We also saw our friend selling chilli sauce made with duck fat, and seemed to get a lot of interest from people, some of them purchasing jars. They only started two years ago and are slowly building up their brand and scaling up with a central kitchen. They are constantly looking for ways to improve themselves which is a great attitude to have.

Meanwhile on the main stage there was lots of dancing, from traditional Chinese (with really screechy music!), Hawaiian and Kpop style. The performances seemed to look better on the big screen than watching on stage for some reason.

Interestingly there was an electric car we could have a test ride in. It's called Lucid and one passerby wondered if it had a connection with Lucifer(!), but the guy tried to explain that the word "lucid" means "clear", but the passerby kept insisting it had devilish connotations...

Interested in riding an electric car called Lucid?

The look of the car is very sleek and inside it has a lot of screens and even a 360-degree view of the car! It's very smooth and can even self brake! I was shocked to hear the price for the base model which we rode in is C$121,000... 

Afterwards we took a break and had lunch at DD Mau, a Vietnamese restaurant on East Pender. It's long and narrow with a casual vibe and nice, friendly atmosphere. We ordered the tumeric dill fish with vermicelli that came with fermented shrimp paste.

The fish was slightly more salty than I'd like, though when eaten together with the vermicelli it balanced it out. 

We also tried the crab pockets which mixed the crab meat with pork in a deep-fried shell and seasoned with fish sauce. The pockets themselves were too tough and had to be softened with the fish sauce before eating. There was only a hint of crab meat in the filling that included thin strips of wood ear mushrooms and carrots.

Crab pockets with fish sauce at DD Mau

After we emerged from the restaurant over an hour later, we were well rested and cooled down from the heat. I was surprised to spend so much time there, but it was a nice way to connect with the neighbourhood and experience some new things!