BC Government Ends Dream of Single-Family Home

These single-family homes will not exist in the future

The NDP government of British Columbia is killing the dream of owning a single-family home with legislation to densify municipalities in a bid to staunch the housing crisis.

Now up to six units can be built on single-family plots in cities that have populations of more than 5,000 residents.

While everyone agrees there is a severe housing shortage, there was no opportunity for municipal governments let alone BC residents to discuss it with Victoria -- the provincial government legislated it through the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendments Act, where it took zoning authority from the municipalities and transferred it to the province.

Look forward to more multi-unit housing like this

It wasn't enough that the province had set targets of how much housing cities had to build -- Victoria basically decided there will be no more new single-family homes from now on.

Developers are probably rubbing their hands with glee, though they will also be wondering where they can find the labour to actually build these multi-units. So even if the province wants to make it easier to build more housing, it's not going to happen overnight.

Nevertheless, densification also means busier streets, noisier neighbours, and less privacy. Our neighbourhood has seen new, large sewer pipes put in, which took six months, and it will restart again in the spring in anticipation of this densification.

While some retirees may take this opportunity to sell to developers to make more money, other residents may stand their ground and do whatever it takes to keep single-family dwellings in tact.

This week a Vancouver city councillor proposed looking into how the city's most prestigious neighbourhood could be densified.

Shaughnessy is known for large homes, many of them mansions that stand along streets lined with big thick trees. Its residents have the highest median income in the city and its single-family homes are the most expensive in terms of property value.

A heritage mansion in Shaughnessy

However, Councillor Christine Boyle wanted to get city staff to look into putting in more housing, shops and services in this tony neighbourhood.

And while city council is made up of an ABC party majority that favours pro-development, its councillors did lots of verbal gymnastics to shut down the possibility of even densifying Shaughnessy, saying it was a waste of city resources to look into it, the fact that it has a heritage conservation area designation since 2015.

In addition, a representative from the Shaughnessy Heights Property said the residents there paid for the privilege of living there with its large space and homes, and that is reflected in the property taxes they pay every year. One of its residents is Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou who owns a mansion on Matthews Avenue.

One can only surmise that Vancouver is still stuck in its class system, that the wealthier residents can get away with retaining their privileges while the rest of us will have to suck it up with increasingly cramped space...

It only creates more resentment between the rich and the poor.

Picture of the Day: Mushroom Soup

Mushroom soup is very hearty and comforting

Last week I sampled some cream of mushroom soup at the annual Circle Craft Fair  and bought the packet to make at home.

The company is called Untamed Feast, where they forage wild mushrooms in British Columbia and Alberta, and then package them into various products. I not only bought the mushroom soup packet, but also one of large morels, and another with dried sliced porcini mushrooms too, and mushroom risotto.

The package from Untamed Feast

What caught everyone's interest was the thick soup was choc full of finely diced tubers and that it was really simple to make.

You just saute half a diced onion, and a garlic clove with either butter or olive oil. After a few minutes, add one-quarter cup of white wine, then add the packet of mushroom soup mix which is powder and dehydrated mushrooms. 

After that four cups of water are added, then wait for it to boil before turning down the heat and adding a cup of either cream or milk (or skip this step completely), and let it simmer for about 10 minutes and then the soup's ready to be eaten.

I used milk instead of cream and the soup still had a slight creaminess in flavour. The finely chopped mushrooms rehydrated and the combination of the various mushrooms made it delicious in flavour and texture.

Each packet is good for four people, and each bite is like snuggling up in a warm blanket.

Biden and Xi Meet Again

Biden and Xi shake hands in highly choreographed meeting

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden finally met again in San Francisco following over a year of tense relations between the two countries.

They had talks that lasted four hours, which is considered really productive, going over a wide range of topics from restarting military-to military direct contact, curbing fentanyl production, Taiwan, the Israel-Hamas war, and artificial intelligence.

The two leaders held talks for four hours

Xi offered a diplomatic comment: "Planet Earth is big enough" for both superpowers, and that while their countries were different, they should be "fully capable of rising above differences."

The Chinese leader also hinted the panda diplomacy program might start up again after the US sent back three pandas over a week ago.

At a press conference after Xi had left, a reporter asked Biden if he still regarded Xi a dictator, a word he had used earlier in the year.

"Well, look, he is," Biden said. "I mean, he's a dictator in the sense that he's a guy who runs a country that is a Communist country."

Reporters freaked out that Biden had said the D-word, but he was just calling a spade a spade.

Will it undo the four hours of talks? No.

Perhaps panda diplomacy will restart again?

China needs the US desperately to woo back American companies to do more business in the Middle Kingdom, but the political risks are too high these days. 

Company executives and journalists being disappeared and detained, or have exit bans placed on them are not conducive to a good business environment...

The World's Thinnest Pasta

Very thin pasta called su filindeu or "threads of God"

Today I tried what might be the world's thinnest pasta at a small quaint Italian restaurant called Caffe La Tana on Commercial Drive.

From now until November 17, La Tana is offering this rare pasta called su filindeu for about CA$38, which comes in a flavourful lamb broth and bits of lamb that has been simmering for 24 hours, and topped with pecorino cheese and extra virgin olive oil.

Apparently only about 10 women know how to make this pasta called "threads of God" in Sardinia -- by hand.

It was served in a lamb broth and pecorino cheese

A story last year by the BBC interviewed one of the women who knows how to make su filindeu, and she made the dough every morning, pulling it into two, four, 16 noodles until she got 256 even threads that she places on a platter.

Chinese hand-pulled noodles come to mind, which is made in a similar way, but probably not hitting the dough on the table -- instead she dips it in either salt water or water to stretch it further. And she knows when the dough is ready to be stretched just by feeling it with her hands.

"Many people say that I have a secret I don't want to reveal," said Paola Abraini, smiling. "But the secret is right in front of you. It's my hands," she told the BBC.

The ingredients are only semolina wheat, water and salt.

In 2020 a team of engineers from pasta brand Barilla came to see if they could figure out how to make this thin pasta with a machine. They couldn't.

The summer of 2022 British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver came by to Abraini's to learn how to make this rarified pasta. After two hours, he gave up, saying, "I've been making pasta for 20 years and I've never seen anything like this."

Indeed! The pasta is even thinner than angel hair pasta, which probably explains why it needs a woman's touch to make it.

How does it taste? It was presented in a lattice shape (criss cross) and basically like very thin noodles in a heart-warming broth, the texture, as one of my dining companions said, like eating Chex cereal -- but much finer and smoother.

We were wondering perhaps a Chinese noodle expert could come to Sardinia to learn from Abraini... that would definitely push the evolution of Chinese noodles!

Caffe La Tana

635 Commercial Drive

Vancouver, BC

Picture of the Day: Super Mario Mushrooms

Bunch of toxic fungi sprouting from the grass

Check out these mushrooms!

These red mushrooms with white dots look like the ones in Super Mario video games and if you are of a certain age, they were the houses that the Smurfs lived in.

Recently I've spotted these fungi around the neighbourhood, including at the base of our hedge!

Reminiscent of Super Mario!

Their Latin name is Amanita muscaria and while they may look cute and inviting, they are actually poisonous!

Well, somewhat toxic. According to Wikipedia, if you parboil them twice in water, this will decrease its toxicity and break down the mushroom's psychoactive substances. But no one really eats them.

In any event, these mushrooms don't stay bright red for long... after a while they turn brown and boring... but still not something to consume!

China's Singles Day Sales in the Dark

This year's Singles Day sales were seen as lacklustre

In yet another sign that China's economy is slowing down, the much-anticipated Singles Day yesterday, the Chinese equivalent to Black Friday showed consumer not that confident in spending their hard-earned money.

Alibaba, the behemoth that came up with the commercialised Singles Day on November 11 promoting online shopping, used to show off the latest tally of sales in a giant billboard. But this was the second year that it did not disclose numbers. Nor did it have top acts like Taylor Swift or Katy Perry to ramp up sales even further.

In 2019 Taylor Swift entertained shoppers

Data provider Syntun estimated that the gross merchandising value across all e-commerce platforms only rose 2.08 percent to 1.14 trillion yuan (US$156 billion), compared to 2.9 percent last year. Major retailers like Alibaba and JD.com already slashed prices too.

JD.com claimed its orders were at a record high, but did not say what the numbers were, while China's State Post Bureau claimed its express delivery volume hit a record high, an increase of more than 23 percent between November 1-11 compared to the previous year.

China claims its economy rose 4.9 percent in the third quarter, enabling it to hit Beijing's target of 5 percent growth for this year. However, Goldman Sachs analysts are forecasting household consumption will fall from 8.5 percent to 6 percent in 2024. As a result, the GDP is expected to be 4.8 percent next year.

There are concerns that if this consumer malaise continues, the government will have to inject more government stimulus to get people to shop again in physical or virtual malls...

Remembrance Day Made More Meaningful

The Canadian War Cemetery near Juno Beach, France

Every year the media manages to find amazing stories related to Remembrance Day. There are veterans who are over 100 years old and still clearly remember being in the trenches, or relatives remembering uncles, grandfathers, brothers whose lives were tragically cut short through letters and personal items.

For Brad Palin, of Saanich, BC, he discovered more connections to his family that has sparked his interest to find out as much as he can.

Some 2,000 soldiers are buried at this cemetery

He visited the Canadian War Cemetery near Juno Beach in France, where there are more than 2,000 gravestones there and found it overwhelming.

"It brings home what the loss of life was," Palin says. "And it's just one cemetery of many [in the area]."

The tour guide asked him where he was from and took him to the grave of a young soldier from the same area named Roy Pattinson.

It turns out Palin knew of Pattinson -- Palin's late uncle Peter went to the same school as Pattinson -- and that they lived around the corner from each other.

"I remember saying at the grave site, 'They had to know each other,'" Palin recalled.

That night he began searching online for more information about Roy Pattinson and found and black and white photo group photo of him -- with his uncle.

"I just had chills," said Palin.

When he came home, he opened old family files he hadn't looked at in years and found his uncle Peter's autograph book and found Pattinson's signature. There was also a condolence card from Pattinson's family after Palin's uncle had died in a plane crash in England during the war.

Palin discovered Pattinson was his uncle's friend

He later found more pictures he hadn't seen before, including photos of his uncle and Pattinson when they were young, and group photos showing both families had socialised together before the war.

"How can it be that we've made this connection halfway around the world to my family through a random grave in France?" Palin says, still amazed.

Palin never met his uncle, but now knows more about him -- and that he was named after him, as Brad is his middle name, Peter is his actually first name. 

"So I've heard stories about him, but seeing all this brings it all home," he said.

Palin is determined to contact the Pattinson family and try to identify as many people in the group photographs as possible. 

This year's Remembrance Day has more meaning for Palin, remembering not only his uncle but his friend and neighbour too.

HK Police to Patrol Buses

Starting next week officers will board buses to prevent crime

The Hong Kong Police are flexing their muscles with a new trial to have officers on buses to catch any nefarious activities on public transport ahead of the District Council elections next month.

Officers will get on buses in the Kowloon West district free of charge, stand in the wheelchair area and monitor what's going on.

"They will board buses at different stops to patrol them, paying attention to passengers and identifying any suspicious objects," said a source familiar with the police operation.

Not many crimes are committed on buses

"If necessary, officers may ask the bus driver to pull over and request the person in question to leave the vehicle for further investigation," he added.

The officers will carry standard equipment such as firearms, a retractable baton and a body camera, as well as a mobile phone that can scan identity cards. Police officers will be deployed from divisions such as Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan, Hung Hom and Kowloon City.

"The objective of extending police presence to public buses is to deter criminal activity and respond promptly to any incidents that may occur," the source said.

However the person did admit not many criminal cases happen on buses, but that there had been cases of bus drivers facing abuse from passengers, though it wasn't too serious. They also won't board crowded buses, or during rush hour.

In a video posted on the Facebook page of the Mong Kok police district, an officer says: "In addition to street patrols, police will soon conduct bus patrols. The objective is to prevent crimes, maintain public order, and ensure public safety."

It is hoped police presence will deter crime

The video goes on to say: "If you see police officers on the bus, please don't be surprised."

Thanks for the warning.

But why bother patrolling buses when the crime rate is low on them? Seems a bit overboard, or a make-work project.

How about the officers do an exchange and come to Vancouver to patrol the buses here? There are many passengers who just walk on and don't even pay the bus fare. There are many incidents of people hurling abuses at others, or even assault passengers and bus drivers!

Seem to make more sense for the Hong Kong Police to conduct their trial here and make a real difference in public transit safety...

Famous Macau Water Show to Return

There were lots of acrobatic stunts in the show

Macau is getting back its pre-pandemic stride with Chinese tourists flocking to the former Portuguese enclave and checking out the sights with a bit of gambling on the side. It also helps that five new hotels have opened in the last few months to house them all.

And perhaps for old times' sake -- the show The House of Dancing Water will return to City of Dreams in Macau after it effectively shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time it had to let go of 137 performers after their blue card or work visas ran out.

One of the stars was a former ballet dancer

The House of Dancing Water was a show that featured dancing with and without water, acrobatics, dancers, really flexible African performers and even motorcycle stunts -- set in ancient China. Go figure.

The show, designed by former Cirque du Soleil director Franco Dragone, opened in 2010 and by early 2020 some 6 million people had seen it. There had been plans to tweak the show for the following year, but that was postponed indefinitely.

But now it seems there are plans to revive the show by the end of next year.

"We're just now going through the process of the remount," said David Sisk, chief operating officer of Melco Resorts. 

"We've been doing a lot of work on The House of Dancing Water theatre to get it up and ready. We just started doing our first shows there. We're doing a production right now where we're doing some musical things there on a weekly basis. And towards the middle of November, we'll get back out of that and get started back on the remount of The House of Dancing Water."

Over 6 million had watched the show over 10 yrs

Melco has to get the show on the road again -- China expects fewer Macau's resorts to offer fewer gambling -- or "gaming" activities and more entertainment.

It will be interesting to see how Melco revamps the show. The resort had just purchased the show from Dragone in 2019 and then the pandemic hit. Melco hasn't had much luck developing its own shows. In 2018 it had a car-themed one called Elekron that tanked very quickly because it solely aimed to appeal to male audiences. But even then they weren't interested.

Perhaps they will need Dragone's magic touch again?

Security Minister Looks Ahead to Jimmy Lai Trial

Lai has been remanded in custody for almost three years

When Jimmy Lai Chee-ying's trial finally gets underway on December 18, the Apple Daily media tycoon will have been remanded in custody for almost three years. 

In this case he is charged with sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces when he allegedly called for international sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, and inciting public hatred during the 2019 protests.

Tang claims HK government will be smeared

Interesting that Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung says the upcoming open hearing will reveal the extent of the "bad" crimes Lai had allegedly committed.

"When. you look at all the details as disclosed, you will see how bad they are. Let's wait and see [for] yourself," Tang told a Hong Kong media outlet.

Whatever happened to government officials declining to comment because the case was in the courts?

Tang also warned that the case would draw international attention and that foreign politicians may target local efforts to outlaw more national security offences under Article 23 of the Basic Law that the government aims to enact next year.

"I'm sure they will make use of this as another excuse to smear our government and to smear our country... It's a must. It's anticipated," he said.

Tang like Lam (above) has lots of cash

As if to further illustrate his point, Tang added that because of sanctions, he was unable to have a bank account, much like former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

Due to this "inconvenience", he said he had to adapt to using cash all the time.

"Because I have no bank account, right? So all my auto-pay had been paralysed," Tang said. "But I would say, compared with the national interest, this small inconvenience is nothing. Actually, I feel proud to have a chance to serve my country and serve my Hong Kong."

His patriotism knows no bounds...

Hong Kong's Loss is Singapore's Gain

Hong Kong's reputation as an international city is waning

US lawmakers are proposing sanctions against Hong Kong officials, but this may result in those involved in national security trials be tried across the border in China.

Tam Yiu-chung, the former sole Hong Kong member to the National People's Congress Standing Committee said on Tuesday that the bill might "force" the government to transfer cases to the mainland to avoid foreign interference.

Singapore is gaining more multinational firms

Currently US congressional members have proposed sanctions against 49 city officials, judges and prosecutors.

Hong Kong deputies to the NPC have issued a joint statement, saying the American politicians' "despicable and shameful act would be in vain."

The political posturing may gain brownie points, but economically it is yet another sign for companies to think twice about staying or setting up in Hong Kong.

A recent article in the Straits Times in Singapore reveals that many multinational companies have moved to the Lion City. It says the number of global companies with headquarters in Hong Kong have fallen around 8.4 percent since 2019, but the number of staff employed by these firms have dropped by 30 percent in the same period. 

That's because these companies have moved most of their operations to Singapore, like logistics giant DHL. It made the move after experiencing Hong Kong's stringent restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic that practically shut down the city for three years.

Firms in HK fell, along with employees

"During the pandemic, we learnt that we can't put all our eggs in one basket... If a location gets shut down, we can't fulfil our jobs. So, through our multi-hub strategy, we are able to have alternatives," said Christopher Ong, managing director of DHL Express Singapore.

Another company that moved is British American Tobacco, National Australia Bank, MNC Westpac Banking Corporation, and Royal Bank of Canada. 

Along with the companies, some employees along with their families have quietly moved to Singapore too.

Nevertheless, while multinationals have left or decreased their presence in Hong Kong, mainland firms have moved in, increasing by over 30 percent in the past four years. By the end of 2022, the number of Chinese companies regionally headquartered in Hong Kong had surpassed that of American companies with regional hubs in the city for the first time in at least 30 years.

Why this massive shift?

"Singapore controls its own destiny [while] Hong Kong's destiny will be shaped by Beijing, with all the benefits, opportunities and challenges that that implies," said Curtis Chin, inaugural Asia Fellow of the Milken Institute, and former US ambassador to the Asian Development Bank.

Stanley Park Train Back on Track

The train's route is decorated with numerous lights

Christmas has finally arrived at Stanley Park as corporate donors stepped up to help pay for parts and repairs to the miniature train.

Up until 2019 it was run as a fundraiser for the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund, but then Covid-19 hit, then there were concerns of coyote attacks in the park, and then numerous repairs needed to be made on the train.

Sim (left) made the announcement today

But this year, with Mayor Ken Sim onboard in City Hall, donors like Beedie Foundation, the Peter and Joanne Brown Foundation, the Diamond Foundation, the Lyall Family, Jeff Stibbard, and The 625 Powell Street Foundation were called and stepped up to chip in.

Sim said the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Park Board were facing "financial constraints" and so the city was "thinking outside the box" when it reached out to these donors to help cover the costs.

"But when we asked they gave us a resounding, 'Hell yeah,'" said Sim, who didn't disclose how much money was raised to repair the train.

So while the money was rolling in, it was a challenge to find parts for the locomotives and track. But with this announcement, things are starting to move again.

The annual fire fighter fundraiser is back this year

This will be not only exciting news for kids who love riding the train and seeing the Christmas lights in Stanley Park, but also for the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund, who raised most of their funds during this period. One wonders how they survived these past three years.

Now Sim can cross this off his to-do list...

Intriguing Vegan Sushi in Kerrisdale

Two pieces of mango and avocado nigiri at Shoku

Vancouver has some vegan restaurants, or places that serve some vegan dishes, but what about vegan sushi?

A place called Shoku in the city's Kerrisdale neighbourhood touts itself as a vegan sushi restaurant. I had heard some good things about it from an acquaintance months ago and I finally checked it out the other day.

California and dynamite rolls with vegan crab

It occupies the space that was previously a Japanese restaurant, and some of the staff here are Japanese. We went for a late lunch and there were still several tables occupied on a weekday. The menu is quite extensive with so many different kinds of dishes to choose from that it's kind of hard to decide.

Most of them feature vegetables, while others are vegan sashimi or sushi.

The first dish that arrived at our table was the tofu katsu, where medium-firm tofu was covered in panko and deep-fried. We dipped it in a tonkatsu sauce and while it was nicely deep-fried, it wasn't particularly outstanding, but thought it would be different than ordering agedashi tofu.

Next came two rolls on a plate -- California and dynamite. Both had vegan crab meat but we couldn't figure out what it was exactly so it didn't taste like a California roll per se. The dynamite roll included deep-fried asparagus, avocado, and cucumber. 

Assorted vegetable tempura plate

Looking more closely at the menu online now and the shiitake maki would have been a better choice, or veggie roll with corn, beets, avocado and cucumber.

The assorted vegetable tempura was delicious, nicely deep fried and presented. The shiitake mushrooms were spread out like fans, and also on the plate were carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin and asparagus.

We also ordered the mango and avocado nigiri, complete with vegan mentaiko! Refreshing and different.

Our final dish and most intriguing was the spicy tuna sashimi. It was not presented like slices of raw fish, but cubed on a plate drizzled with hot sauce mixed with Kewpie mayonnaise on a bed of greens. The cubes were red with thin whiteish lines to make it look like fish.

The taste was definitely jelly like but at the same time had a slight fish smooth texture. It's hard to describe but perhaps that's why it was cubed to be eaten one at a time; a slice would give it away.

The "sashimi" looked fishy, tasted like jelly

By the end of the lunch we were too full for dessert. There were so many other dishes to try that we will probably be back!

Shoku

2260 West 41st Avenue

Vancouver, BC

604 566 6556 

Picture of the Day: Steam Fog in the Forest

Some dramatic scenes in the forest today

This morning it was raining heavily and so I didn't expect to be able to go walking outside.

However, by around 10.30am the skies cleared up to reveal patches of blue and about an hour later I headed out to Pacific Spirit Park.

I walked along a trail that went west and then I turned and went south towards the University of British Columbia. Then I started walking east and then north and that's when I started to see what's called "steam fog", when there is a steam or mist due to the change in temperature and the sun's rays hit is creating a dramatic sight.

The steam fog revealed sun's rays

Only when I saw a person taking pictures of this "steam fog" and the rays hitting the trees that I took my smartphone out to take photos too.

Every few paces I would turn around and marvel at the phenomenon unfolding in front of me and take more pictures.

After a while, perhaps because the temperatures were getting warmer and evened out that the "steam fog" was less pronounced, or perhaps I was in a different area of the park that there were no more dramatic sights.

Nevertheless, I felt extremely lucky to be able to witness such an awe-inspiring scene! 

HK Reveals Homophobic Colours Ahead of Gay Games

The Gay Games have finally opened in Hong Kong

After being postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic and difficulty in securing venues because of Hong Kong government bureaucracy, the Gay Games have finally kicked off, but still not without controversy.

In the days leading up to the Games opening on November 5, some pro-Beijing legislators who were anti-LGBTQ, called for the event to be cancelled on national security grounds, and that politician Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee should resign because she would officiate the opening.

Seven lawmakers against the Games

One of them, the bombastic Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, even sent a letter to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, saying the Gay Games promotes same-sex marriage in Hong Kong, and this must be stopped.

There was no response.

"We object to any Western ideology that sugar-coated its agenda in the name of diversity and inclusivity for a sports event, attempting to subvert national security," he said in a press conference with six other homophobic lawmakers.

Ho said the event was a "criminal activity" that spread the ideology of gay rights, subverting traditional Chinese family values.

Others like Equal Opportunities Commission Josiah Chok Kin-ming called for the authorities to investigate whether the Games' source of funding came from foreign organisations and amounted to collusion with external forces prohibited under the national security law.

Ip hit back, calling their claims "ridiculous" and confirmed she would officiate the opening.

Ip officiated the opening of the Games

"If there is firm evidence that the Gay Games are in breach of national security laws, the police would have taken action," said Ip, who was a former security chief. 

"I suspect the timing of the attacks are politically motivated, to smear my district council [election] candidates, one of whom has been harassed on-street because of my support for the Gay Games."

Not just one has been harassed, Paul Lui Yau-tak, but all 29 of the New People's Party candidates running in the upcoming District Council election on December 10.

Interestingly, while Ip supports the Gay Games, she does not support same-sex marriage in Hong Kong as a 2013 Final Appeal ruling says the definition of marriage under the Basic Law did not include same-sex unions. 

Meanwhile Games co-chair Lisa Lam said the event had never deviated from the principle of promoting diversity and unity, and demonstrated to the world that Hong Kong was an inclusive city open for business.

"Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions," she said. "They can say what they want."

Just a polite way of saying, can we just have our Games and be done with it already?

It's so complicated, but basically, what a mess. 

Review: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Swift at the opening of her film on October 11

My dad is a football fan, and when he started seeing singer Taylor Swift cheering Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce, he had to find out more about the performer who is selling out concerts everywhere she goes.

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So when the movie, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour came out, he had to go see what the fuss was about.

Then I found out it was two hours and 45 minutes long. 

Owning the stage in a Roberto Cavalli bodysuit

At first my dad was turned off by the length -- almost as long as Oppenheimer! But he just as swiftly changed his mind again to go.

We headed to our neighbourhood theatre and for a Thursday night there were less than 10 people in there, none of us Swifties.

The film is a strictly about the concert and viewers are privileged audience members who get to be up close with her, but also see the massive crowd in Inglewood, California. It was filmed over three shows in August 2023 and then quickly edited and released in theatres for October 11.

It's quite amazing that Swift was able to bypass the typical studio as distributor and do it all in-house, and directly negotiating with AMC Theatres for showings.

Nevertheless, the actual concert is impressive, which makes it a slam dunk to film. Swift is a consummate performer, with her total confidence in owning the stage particularly by herself in the opening song Lover. She struts around in a Versace bodysuit with zero stage fright in front of tens of thousands.

Another sexy Cavalli number with dancers

That's when you know you're in for a fantastic show.

The Eras Tour goes through her 17 years as a professional artist and performs songs from five of her albums including Fearless, Speak Now, 1989 and Evermore.

She sings, dances, and changes costumes at such a breathless pace that we were tired watching her non-stop. 

How does she even preserve her voice? Canadian songstress Celine Dion would not speak at all during the day until her performances, while Swift seems to have no problems doing back-to-back shows filling stadiums.

Swift wears high-end designer outfits from Versace to Roberto Cavalli (several), Alberta Ferretti, Etro, Jessica Jones, and Zuhair Murad. She's tall and slim which makes her and even more perfect person to model these outfits that mostly dazzle for the stage, while others are romantic and make her look like a princess.

Also on display is her massive talent, not only singing and dancing, but also playing the guitar and the piano for a few of the songs, and her fans singing along the whole time. She doesn't seem to mind and waves to them or points at them to give the impression she is looking at you. Yes you!

She wears Oscar de la Renta towards the end

The movie felt like it could have ended with the high energy Shake It Off, but it keeps going for another half an hour... but perhaps the memo was to cover as much of the concert as possible...

Nevertheless, we were left in awe of the power of Swift and why she is such an inspiration to her Swifties. Her fans in Vancouver are in for a treat when she comes for three dates in December 2024.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Directed by Sam Wrench

Produced by Taylor Swift

2 hours, 45 minutes

Neighbourhoods that Gave Out the Most Candy

Science World lit up like a giant glowing pumpkin

Today people are recovering from their sugar highs from Halloween last night, while one academic has pored over the statistics to see which Metro Vancouver neighbourhood had the most trick-or-treaters.

Since around 2016, Andy Yan, director of the Simon Fraser University City Program has tracked which areas give out the most candy, and the winner like all previous years is... Douglas Park, around West 22nd Avenue and Heather Street near Cambie Village.

One child getting candy via a kiddie slide

One home reported handing out a whopping 2,853 candies, and another 2,475.

Other popular areas are New Westminster's Queen's Park, Surrey's East Clayton, Richmond's Steveston, and Victoria's Rockland.

Yan observed the popular areas for trick-or-treating are located near parks, making them walkable.

"[They have] a density, and yet at the same time, it's density through which I think people feel safe. They feel like they're part of a community," he said in a radio interview this morning.

"I think it's very much about the importance of green space and... this role of parks and how they kind of help anchor a community."

And despite the rising costs of candy this year, more than 80 percent of respondents said inflation did not deter them from buying candy to give out for Halloween.

Interestingly it's the wealthier neighbourhoods that have fewer trick-or-treaters like Shaughnessy, as Yan explains there is a lower "door-to-curb" ratio that forces kids to have to walk or run further to the next house, whereas if the houses are closer to each other, they can collect more candy in the same period of time.

Neighbourhoods near parks gave out lots of candy

It's all about the strategy.

Which includes more "destination trick-or-treating", a relatively new phenomenon where kids are driven around to other neighbourhoods to collect even more candy. 

Whatever happened to just being content with what they got in their own area?

There are also opportunities to trick-or-treat at neighbourhood businesses, as various BIAs or business improvement associations organise shops to give out candy during the day.

Another factor is new immigrants who may not have experienced Halloween before and are unfamiliar with the traditions involved, and hence didn't participate.

Nevertheless, with Metro Vancouver -- heck the province of British Columbia -- focused on densifying cities, will this mean even more candy for kids in the future?

Trick-Or-Treating in Vancouver

A giant spider greets children on the roof

Halloween is upon us again and the ritual of dressing up and going house to house to collect candy is the highlight of the year for kids.

A werewolf on the prowl...

Interestingly a neighbourhood church is the starting point for some young kids to begin their Halloween festivities. Outside is a makeshift tent where people can get a cup of hot chocolate and a hotdog, and inside the gym there are candies and fruits: apples, bananas and mandarin oranges.

A relative works for a Christian school in Hong Kong and told me some teachers and staff would strongly disapprove of practicing these pagan rituals. But here they were in Vancouver, dressed up in Halloween costumes and handing out free food and drinks while promoting the church's services.

In any event we started trick-or-treating, going up and down the street and going to homes that had pumpkins or Halloween decorations. Many were generous in giving out candy, like two to three pieces per person, or even full size candy bars! One woman post-Covid continues her practice of using a long pipe chute from her door to give out candies to kids.

Some houses were elaborately decorated with several pumpkins carved, gardens littered with graves and bloody body parts as well as skeletons. Others had werewolves, or aliens in suits! 

... and an alien back from work?

After over an hour the candy haul was pretty impressive. The chocolates and candies will be consumed by both kids and parents...