Chinese New Year Western Style

The dragon winding its way through the crowd

Last night I was invited to a Chinese New Year party held at a popular restaurant in downtown Vancouver. When I got there after 6pm it was already heaving with people and I barely knew anyone.

Nevertheless it was fascinating to people-watch during the hour that I was there.

Many women took advantage of the theme to wear cheongsams with heels, warmed by the mobile heaters, or something red, from sweaters to slip dresses and one woman even wore a body-hugging hooded floor-length red dress, something Grace Jones would wear with shades.

Two acrobats posed on spinning hoops

Some men wore Chinese jackets, mostly the tacky satin embroidered kind found in Chinatown.

The music was definitely not Chinese, but it was pumping dance music with a strong beat from a DJ and so I was surprised to see a Chinese woman carrying a one-year-old boy around and then later some girls, five to seven years old with red decorations in their hair looking up to see a scantily-clad acrobat twirling around from a hoop suspended from the ceiling.

What were these kids doing here on a school night?

Perhaps their parents are regulars at this restaurant? These people congregated in groups and had already commandeered tables where they had plates of food and glasses of wine -- red of course.

Ah yes the food. We were in a restaurant, after all.

But this is a Western restaurant and nothing Chinese about the food, with queues for every thing to eat and drink.

There were freshly-shucked briny oysters -- and amazingly I didn't get sick -- as well as tons of sushi, and two stations where giant parmesan cheese wheels were melted to coat penne pasta. There was also a queue for roast beef and mini Yorkshire pudding complete with three different mustards to choose from and gravy poured from a teapot.

Freshly shucked and briny oysters

And then there were glasses that from a distance looked like dessert. When I got one, it was under a heat lamp and when I dug my spoon into it I soon realised it wasn't sweet -- it was beef stew topped with mashed potato.

However the Peking duck spring roll was good, stuffed with meat and vermicelli, while dessert of mandarin mousse in what looked like a mini mandarin orange was a nice finish.

I felt badly for the servers who had to hold heavy trays with one hand and put their other arms around glasses and plates to prevent people from knocking them over. What a tough night.

Just after 7pm the drumming and clashing of the cymbals began and there was actually a glow-in-the-dark dragon weaving around the crowded restaurant. Quite appropriate since it was pretty dark in the place and the dancers had to try and wind their way around people and food. 

An hour was enough time spent there to take in the revelry and see Vancouverites turn out for a Chinese New Year party. Next time wear red red red! And heels heels heels!

Conspiracy Theories of Messi Missing the Match

More than 1,000 complaints made to the Consumer Council

The Messi mess continues to fuel the headlines and now some believe there is a conspiracy theory that "black hands" were involved in making Hong Kong look bad.

A lawmaker is threatening to take event organiser Tatler Asia to court if it doesn't give a proper explanation as to why football superstar Lionel Messi did not play on Sunday in Hong Kong.

Bill Tang Ka-piu gave the ultimatum outside the Small Claims Tribunal in West Kowloon, adding more than a dozen people were ready to file their claims and issue refunds to those who paid more than HK$3,000 (US$384) for each of the tickets.

A lawmaker threatening to sue Tatler Asia

In addition, the Consumer Council has now logged 1,004 complaints (up from the 629 the day earlier) with claims totalling HK$6.9 million.

Tang hopes that by taking Tatler Asia to court, it will force the lifestyle platform to reveal the contract that it signed with Inter Miami with regards to Messi playing.

Chinese state media are now saying Messi not playing in Hong Kong was a foreign plot to embarrass the city. Ta Kung Pao says it's because the father of Inter Miami's owners was apparently a former anti-Castro CIA operative.

The Global Times questioned why Messi had no problem playing in Tokyo but sat out the game in Hong Kong and said Inter Miami gave an explanation that was "unconvincing for the public".

"One of the theories was that there were political motives behind his behaviour," it said in an opinion piece. "Hong Kong has intended to promote a mega-event economy and there might have been foreign forces that deliberately wanted Hong Kong to look bad.

"Judging from the development of the matter, one cannot rule out such a possibility."

So why should Hong Kong even bother to try to entice foreign performers, athletes, musicians and artists if there is a fear of "black hands" meddling in the city's affairs?

Back to square one... 

Consumer Watchdog Logs Over 600 Messi Complaints

Messi (pink hoodie) sits out the exhibition game in Hong Kong

The Lionel Messi debacle continues as the Hong Kong Consumer Council has received over 600 complaints about the Argentine footballer sitting out of the game over the weekend.

Of the 629 complaints, the total claims is about HK4.15 million. While the average claim was around HK$6,599, the highest amount was HK$24,224, and 527 complaints were from local residents.

Wong says council received 629 complaints

"Locals also tended to spend more than tourists on average, probably because the entire family went together," Gilly Wong Fung-han, the council's chief executive, told a radio program on Wednesday Hong Kong time.

"By looking at the amount for each case... you can really tell consumers were quite willing to spend for this football match."

The council was also waiting for organiser Tatler Asia to respond to mediation requests from ticket holders, and that the consumer watchdog had contacted the lifestyle platform.

In the run-up to the game, Messi was heavily promoted, leading fans to believe he would play, but he sat out the entire game, much to the frustration and anger of fans who are demanding a refund.

On Tuesday Messi broke his silence in Tokyo and said it was "a shame" that a thigh-muscle injury prevented him from playing in Hong Kong, and that he hoped to return "whenever he can".

Council waiting for Tatler Asia to respond

But the damage has been done, the star player not even making an effort to interact with fans, let alone shake hands with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.

This insane mess will never end until everyone lays their cards on the table and reveals all. In the meantime the blame game continues and it's hardly assuaging fans' indignation. Even if Messi returns, he won't be welcome in Hong Kong...

Sweet New Year Chocolates

Dark chocolate orange with fortune cookie bits

Lunar New Year is around the corner and social media has sucked me into buying some chocolate, though for a good cause.

It's a collaboration between local chocolatier Hype Chocolate and Foo Hung Curios, the gift shop in the Chinatown Storytelling Centre in Vancouver.

Interesting flavours with a Chinese twist

There are three flavours out: Milk chocolate with freeze-dried White Rabbit candy; Dark chocolate orange with fortune cookies; and White chocolate with Gold Mountain tea infused.

I bought the first two flavours at C$18 each and they are creative.

The milk chocolate complements the creaminess of the White Rabbit candy. It doesn't get stuck in your teeth either which is a good thing.

But we are loving the dark chocolate with a hint of orange and then the hard crunchiness of the fortune cookie bits. 

The latter even comes with two fortune slips, probably signifying that they used two fortune cookies per bar and didn't want to throw the pieces of paper in the garbage, but packaging-wise it's a bit weird.

My fortunes say: "Be yourself and you will always be in fashion", with the lucky numbers 2, 20, 32, 36, 37 and 44.

The other says: "You are thorough and very organised", and lucky numbers 19, 24, 26, 33, 40 and 41.

Nevertheless the chocolates are fun and different, and the bonus is that part of the proceeds goes to the Chinatown Storytelling Centre.

Milk chocolate, White Rabbit candy

The centre is the brainchild of Carol Lee, who has done a lot to promote the Chinatown neighbourhood by setting up businesses and landmarks, while networking with politicians to bring more attention to the area. She was awarded the Order of Canada in December. 

Hong Kong's Footie Fiasco

Messi (in pink hoodie) didn't even bother to suit up for game

Hong Kong has a lot of egg on its face after superstar football player Lionel Messi didn't even bother to play in a friendly match of Inter Miami against Hong Kong XI. It was so bad that 40,000 fans who had paid a lot of money to see their idol were booing and jeering, and some demanding refunds.

The event was organised by Tatler Asia and in a contract with the government there was a stipulation that Messi would play for 45 minutes on the pitch. But 10 minutes before the game officials were told he was sidelined because of an injury.

However, he seemed to be fine walking on and off the field, which angered fans, some of whom flew in from China and around Asia for the chance to see Messi play. The event was supposed to be one of several mega events to entice visitors to Hong Kong.

The match was organised by Tatler Asia

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung claimed the government did not know about Messi's injury or that he would be benched for the game.

"We immediately requested them to explore other remedies, such as Messi appearing in the field to interact with his fans and receiving the trophy," he said. "Unfortunately, as you all see, this did not work out."

What makes the debacle even bigger is that the government gave it "M mark status", meaning it was considered a major sporting event that deserved more official funding and official backing.

Tatler Asia received HK$15 million (US$1.92 million) for the event and another HK$1 million venue subsidy. Well Yeung says the government hasn't paid Tatler Asia yet, so the authorities will be grilling the company about who knew what when.

Inter Miami even cancelled its tour of the Kai Tak Sports Park on Monday. 

Beckham's rep has plunged since the debacle

It looks like Inter Miami pulled the wool over Hong Kong's eyes, and while the government blames Tatler Asia, officials didn't escape scathing criticism, and neither did the football club's co-owner and president David Beckham, who was booed in the stadium. 

Him plugging The Venetian and egg tarts was bad enough, but his reputation won't recover after this public relations mess.

Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun described Sunday's incident as "outrageous" and that it hurt Hong Kong's reputation as a mega-events hub.

So... how's the pitch to Taylor Swift going?

Dine Out Vancouver Roundup

Hearty braised lamb shank at Shaughnessy Restaurant 

Tomorrow is the last day of Dine Out Vancouver. This year some 300 restaurants participated, as it helps drum up business after Christmas, when people are less inclined to go out. It didn't help that the first two days were challenged by the massive snowstorm...

I tried four restaurants this year, and overall the quality was pretty good, very good value, but it was sad to see some had hardly any diners when we went, while others were bustling.

Shaughnessy Restaurant at VanDusen was very quiet. When we arrived, the waiter knew right away about our reservation as they only had a handful of diners. This is disappointing, as it makes the atmosphere dull, and the food and service can only do so much.

Value for money cioppino at Seasons in the Park

For my main I had a generous portion of a Moroccan-inspired braised lamb shank with baked chickpeas. The meat fell off the bone and had a good amount of vegetables too. 

Thankfully I had a light dessert of strawberry sorbet, but it was more of a strawberry ice than sorbet. Perhaps it was because there were so few diners it was in the deep freezer.

In a complete contrast, Seasons in the Park was packed to the gills on a Sunday night. We had a 5.45pm reservation and when we sat down, a table next to us was being served dessert. This restaurant is very consistent and efficient, thanks to the vegetable sides being exactly the same on every item in the menu.

The cioppino was very good value for a set meal, the tomato-based broth was very flavourful with sweetness from the seafood including mussels, shrimp and fish. The duck confit was hearty and thankfully not dried out. However, the chocolate brownie dessert was too dense and rich -- even my sweet-tooth dad couldn't finish it!

A restaurant we hadn't tried before is Fable Diner on East Broadway and Main Street. It's a hipster diner where they play an 80s soundtrack that I enjoyed bopping to, though it was a bit quiet. Nevertheless, the creamy tomato soup didn't have cream, which made it even more delicious, while the salmon was slightly overcooked, but a nice portion that was just right. 

Memorable three-berry sorbet at Fable Diner

Here the three-berry sorbet was amazing -- shades of pink, soft and a taste of summer. The Oreo Mason jar cheesecake was deceivingly light and not too sweet either. 

Finally Dockside Restaurant in the Granville Island Hotel wasn't as busy as we thought, probably overlooked, but it's easily accessible and parking is not hard to find after 6pm. As I had a big lunch earlier in the day, I opted for a vegetarian main of grilled maitake mushrooms with kabocha squash puree and asparagus.

I also had the crab and fish cake as a starter that was sizeable. For dessert, the key lime cheesecake sounded fun, though when it arrived it has a layer of neon green that almost glowed in the dark. Nevertheless the cheesecake had a hint of lime and not heavy at all.

Dockside's Grilled maitake mushrooms

So there's my roundup for the year and glad to have participated. Dine Out Vancouver is a great initiative that encourages people to support restaurants, and at the same time gives these establishments an opportunity to have customers who haven't tried them before, and challenges chefs to think of new economical dishes that are also delicious.

Chinese New Year Gift Ideas

Impressive artistic work, but not appealing to buy

Many western companies are getting into the Lunar New Year spirit to cash in on Asian customers.

At Costco, Sunkist has boxed its oranges in a fancy burgundy-coloured box complete with a golden dragon on it, and it even has 龍年 2024 Year of the Dragon on it.

We needed to buy oranges, but cute packaging

The tagline says: "Citrus for Prosperity".

Today I went to Thomas Haas, a local chocolatier's shop. Among the special items this month along with chocolate hearts is a red dragon in white chocolate, gold chocolate coins and "bamboo". I didn't buy it, but a Caucasian woman did!

Picture of the Day: Burrard Street Bridge

Lovely view of the Burrard Street Bridge from Granville Island

This evening some friends and I had dinner at a restaurant in Granville Island and afterwards we took a quick stroll around the area. 

When we reached the edge of Burrard Inlet looking towards the Burrard Street Bridge I couldn't help but take a picture. It reminded me of when I used to take night shots along Victoria Harbour when I used to walk along a 10K route.

Today the weather held up -- the rain stopped in the morning and in the afternoon there were some blue sky patches before turning overcast again in the evening.

Nevertheless we enjoyed not only spending time together and catching up, but also enjoying the view.

Vancouver Has Highest Rents in Canada

Vancouver home ownership continues to be further out of reach

Vancouver continues to be the city where average rents are the highest in the country.

Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation comes out with an annual report that includes important data on rental figures that were just released today. CHMC says the average rent in Vancouver for a two-bedroom place is C$2,181 per month, Toronto is second with C$1,961, and Victoria close behind at C$1,839.

Montreal is a bargain at C$1,096, cheaper than St John's at C$1,198.

The city leads in the highest rents in Canada

This average is for all rental units, including those who have had the same tenant for years.

When it comes to new two-bedroom rental units, Vancouver is still on top at C$2,601, followed by Toronto at C$2,405, and Victoria at C$2,351. Kelowna is in fourth place at C$2,073.

Looking at the vacancy rate, Vancouver is the lowest in the country at 0.9 percent, and Halifax in second place at 1 percent, and Kelowna at 1.3 percent.

Why is this happening?

Because of high interest rates and inflation, home ownership is even further out of reach of people who want to buy and so they continue renting. They also want to avoid moving to another rental because that may mean higher rents. Another reason is high population growth last year which kept demand high and supply low.

While Vancouver is such a beautiful city, trying to afford to live here is a terrifying reality...

 

New Street Signs Stir Controversy

The calligraphic style of Wen Yue Type in Central

Some Hong Kong residents have taken pictures of recently installed street signs in a new font that has them riled up, and understandably so.

There are around 60 new street signs in three select locations that are, according to the Highways Department, a bid to beautify the city's streetscape.

The three districts are: the Outlying Islands Ferry Pier in Central, Tai Wai MTR station, and Lo Tak Court in Tsuen Wan.

Experts say the font hard to read for long periods

Called Wen Yue Type, the font inspired by the Ming dynasty, was designed by a mainland Chinese company that is meant to convey a sense of rhythm with its calligraphic features as it has thick and thin lines.

"The font aims to infuse a rich cultural ambience into the landscape and atmosphere of the community. It is well-proportioned, and its overall design is consistent with existing nameplates, effectively providing street information to the public," said a statement from the Highways Department to a media query.

Hong Kong currently uses the Avector Chinese TrueType Font (Hong Kong), which a design academic says may seem boring, but it's clear and straightforward.

Brian Kwok Sze-hang, associate professor at the School of Design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University says the new font is more decorative and that it "can be tiring to read for an extended period".

In addition he questioned how the font would infuse cultural ambience.

"When we talk about culture, it should be linked to the history of the city or neighbourhood. Changing the font on a street nameplate does not necessarily instil cultural awareness. While they may have selected a font to represent the culture, they have applied it to the wrong subject," Kwok said.

The current font is straightforward 

Meanwhile Gary Yau, founder of the Road Research Society, wondered if the new font had adequate traditional Chinese characters for some street names with advanced characters.

"I question whether this classic font, mainly applied in simplified Chinese, can truly represent Hong Kong's distinctive features," he said, noting there are fonts designed for Hong Kong that use traditional characters.

The Highways Department added there were no immediately plans to have the new street nameplate designs throughout the entire city. 

Then why do it? And why these three locations?

It's a mystery that has more nays than yeas.

Zipping to Japan

Zipair launches its Vancouver-Tokyo route in March

Hongkongers can't get enough of Japan, and people living in Vancouver can also take advantage of some cheap airfare to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Zipair is a subsidiary of Japan Airlines and it is offering flights from Vancouver to Tokyo Narita International Airport return from C$680 starting from March. That does not include checked-in luggage fees (C$73 each).

Most of the plane is filled with economy seats

Naturally all the flights for that month were booked up.

But there's a catch -- Zipair does not offer any food on the flight nor any entertainment. So if you're one who can sleep during most of the flight it's a pretty good deal. Someone joked there needs to be enough room to put all your carry-on food for the flight.

Most of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft will have mostly economy seats, but for a few hundred dollars more at C$1,100, you can pay for the "full flat seats" that can fully recline.

"Having a low-cost alternative, I think it's going to really drum up interest for inbound tourism into Japan," said David Tikkanen, head of the tourism marketing program at the BC Institute of Technology.

These seats fully recline for over C$1,100

"Hopefully, [the] Japanese market, they are going to want to come and check out Vancouver as well."

Indeed... we have cherry blossoms in the spring too!

Evergrande Must Liquidate in HK

Shares in Evergrande plunged following the liquidation order

Big corporate news today -- a Hong Kong court has ordered China Evergrande, the world's most indebted property developer, to go into liquidation after it still could not restructure the over US$300 billion it owed banks and bondholders.

Judge Linda Chan approved a petition by the creditors on Monday, though the Guangzhou-based company can still appeal. A provisional liquidator was to be named later on Monday.

"The hearing has lasted for one and a half years, and the company still has not been able to bring forward a concrete restructuring proposal" to restructure its US$328 billion in liabilities, Justice Chan said in her ruling. "I think it is the time for the court to say enough is enough."

Liquidation only affects Hong Kong operations

Following the liquidation order, shares in Evergrande group plunged. Evergrande Group fell 21 percent to 16.3 cents, Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group dropped 18 percent to 23 cents, and Evergrande Property Services Group Limited decreased 2.5 percent to 39 cents before trading in all three shares were halted.

Interestingly at the same time other Chinese developers' shares rose in Hong Kong, with Country Garden gaining 2.9 percent, and Sunac China Holdings jumping 4 percent. 

Evergrande CEO Shawn Siu told Chinese news outlet 21Jingji that the order only affects the Hong Kong-listed China Evergrande unit, and that the company feels "utmost regret" at the liquidation order.

He said Evergrande would strive to continue smooth operations and deliver properties to buyers. It has some 1,200 projects in different stages of progress, ranging from under construction to almost completed, according to its 2022 annual report.

It is unclear how the liquidation in Hong Kong will affect the company's operations in China. Lance Jiang, a partner at Ashurts LLP says the liquidators may have a challenge ahead.

Evergrande has over 1,200 projects in progress

"The market will pay close attention to what the liquidators can do after being appointed, especially whether they can achieve recognition from any of the three designated courts in the People's Republic of China under the 2021 Arrangement regarding Cooperation on Cross-border Insolvency Cases between the mainland and Hong Kong."

In any event, the provisional liquidators can now take over Evergrande's management and handle its affairs, including debt restructuring with creditors and taking control of its assets, books and records.

Creditors need to submit a proof of debt form to the liquidator, and staff of Evergrande Hong Kong can claim unpaid salaries and dues from the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund. 

While for many years real estate drove China's economic boom, developers borrowed heavily, leveraging projects to get more capital to the point where the total corporate, government and household debt was the equivalent of more than 300 percent of annual economic output, unusually high for a middle-income country.

The ruling in Hong Kong also shows creditors there can use the rule of law to force the company into liquidation, something which might be harder to do across the border...

Watery Weather Woes

The continuous downpour in Vancouver has been depressing

Since the massive snowfall ended last week, Vancouver has been soaking wet. It was great to have the rain help melt the snow away quickly, but now the endless rain is pretty depressing.

And this weekend Environment Canada has warned that heavy rainfall could cause flooding in parts of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Metro Vancouver.

The heaviest rainfall is expected between Sunday night and Monday.

Lots of snow paralysed parts of the city

Not only that, but warmer temperatures mean freezing levels will be higher. What would freeze at 2,000 metres, will now freeze at between 2,500 to 3,000 metres.

That means rain and now snow on local mountains. It was so bad that Mount Seymour had to close today (Saturday) because of weather, while on Grouse Mountain, lessons after 1pm were cancelled. Cypress Mountain was the only one fully open.

This year's ski season has been a washout. Literally.

On a bright note, yesterday I managed to get a walk in the forest without a drop of precipitation. However, about two hours later as forecasted, it began to rain and it has not let up since.

What a January! Freezing temperatures, massive snowfall and now a deluge of rain...

How to Lure Big Acts to Hong Kong?

Hong Kong wants more tourists to come, but how to entice?

Hong Kong is still figuring out how to lure more tourists into the city, and some seem to think getting big-name artists like Taylor Swift to perform will solve its problems.

While Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu supported the idea of trying to entice Swift to come to Hong Kong, he didn't seem keen to extend the invitation himself -- in case he got snubbed.

How about getting Taylor Swift to come?

"We will fight for that, but it is like asking someone to go on a date during the process," he said. "I can give them a call, but first it depends on whether they have time to talk to me and whether coming to Hong Kong is in line with their entire plans. We will continue to work hard."

So he doesn't want to stick his neck out like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who sent a Tweet to Swift: "It's me, hi. I know places in Canada would love to have you. So, don't make it another cruel summer. We hope to see you soon."

After that Swifties were thrilled to hear a stop in Toronto was announced, and then later on Vancouver -- for the end of this year.

But for a supposedly international city, Hong Kong doesn't have massive venues to hold tens of thousands of people -- well not until the stadium at Kai Tak Sports Park is ready later this year and seats 50,000. That compares to Singapore's National Stadium which holds 5,000 more people.

Bigger venues like Kai Tak Sports Park needed

Venues aside, there's the national security law to contend with -- artists may not want to even begin to get entangled with the possibility of crossing that massive red line.

Meanwhile some experts suggest Hong Kong should have a mascot, an international ambassador to lure people to the city. 

What would this mascot look like and its name? One can imagine it could get very political...

Last year 34 million tourist arrivals were recorded, which is 65 percent of pre-Covid levels in 2019.

Lighting up Chinatown

There will be 16 of these neon signs installed

Vancouver's Chinatown looks brighter in the run-up to the Lunar New Year on February 10. Mayor Ken Sim unveiled a neon sign featuring a dragon that are being installed on the street lamp posts on East Pender Street between Main and Carrall streets.

In total there will be 16 of these neon signs just in time for the Year of the Dragon.

Mayor Sim unveiled the design for CNY

The initiative was from the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Association, which began planning this idea two years ago. 

"Chinatown used to be famous for its neon signs and its unique designs. And it really is an homage to the past. Even though it took all that time to get here, it's appropriate that it comes out at the start of the new Year of the Dragon," said Jordan Eng, president of the Vancouver Chinatown BIA.

He hopes the signs will stay up for at least six months, and possibly remain a permanent fixture.

"It'd be nice to have something on a more permanent basis, just because of the amount of time it takes to produce and go through the process to get it certified, and all the engineering effort that goes into it to get it to where we finally installed it," Eng said.

The Lunar New Year will be celebrated in Chinatown on Sunday, February 11 with a multicultural parade through the area. Places like the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Classical Chinese Garden and the Chinese Canadian Museum will have various workshops and demonstrations, from lion dances and calligraphy lessons, wood block prints and street food.

East Pender Street with neon dragon signs

Here's to hoping these new light fixtures not only hark back to Chinatown's glory days, but also inspire people to come back to the neighbourhood more often.

Picture of the Day: Ice Sculpture

A sculptural orphaned piece of ice left over from snowstorm

Hard to believe the massive snowstorm was a week ago. It's been raining pretty much continuously since last Friday and the vast majority of snow is gone save for a few bits here and there.

This one I spotted seems like a sculpture a la Henry Moore, or Georgia O'Keefe with her studies of bones...

Review: Island in Between

Chiang examines his relationship with his homeland

The Oscar nominations are out today and there were the usual suspects with Oppenheimer garnering 13 nominations, Poor Things with 11, and Killers of the Flower Moon, 10.

I have a soft spot for The Holdovers, with Paul Giamatti for Best Actor and Da'Vine Joy Randolph for Best Supporting Actress. 

Another is the Hayao Miyazaki full-length animated feature The Boy and the Heron, a science-fiction tale about life and death, and the choices you make in life.

Chiang moved back to Taipei

Barbie is a tough one... there was outrage from Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling that director Greta Gerwig and actress Margot Robbie were not nominated. It's a tough call. The film made US$1 billion at the box office, but is it Oscar worthy?

I did not see any of the nominated full-length documentaries, but in the short docs I just watched Island in Between. It's about Kinmen, an island that is between China and Taiwan.

Filmmaker S. Leo Chiang presents a historical but also personal look at Kinmen. After the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan after their defeat in the Chinese civil war in 1949, they used Kinmen as a buffer, a first line of defense, and men who did military service, like Chiang's father, were posted there. 

Chiang also talks about how his family immigrated to the United States, but then a few years ago, during the pandemic, he moved back to Taipei, Taiwan to be closer to his parents. In the film it seems like he is also trying to figure out his relationship with not only Taiwan but also Kinmen, what he is doing there and what the future holds.

While there is mention of the cross-strait tensions, Island in Between also shows the slow pace of Kinmen, from people buying food from outdoor stalls to two women chatting in a salon about how the pandemic has made it difficult to go back to China.

He looks at Kinmen and its role in Taiwan

Chiang also goes beyond the China (bad), Taiwan (good) storyline, that the lines between them were blurred when Taiwanese could visit China and vice versa. 

He talks about how he feels like a child caught between a three-way custody battle between the US, China and Taiwan that Chiang describes as "hostile, co-dependent, manipulative". "They all think they know what's best for me. They don't care what I want," he says.

His reflections about Taiwan and himself aren't just a single voice -- his observations and questions on what will happen next is on the minds of all Taiwanese especially following the recent presidential election. 

Watch it here: http://tinyurl.com/4kutvp8v

Freezing Temperatures in HK

Frost was spotted at Tai Mo Shan, which was at -2.4 degrees

One thing I don't miss in Hong Kong is the cold temperatures during winter.

It would be colder inside than outside, and there's only so much hot water you can drink to keep warm.

Today Hong Kong recorded temperatures down to 6 degrees Celsius, and up on the city's highest mountain, Tai Mo Shan, there was frost on the trees and shrubs where it was -2.4 degrees Celsius.

The city recorded 6 degrees Celsius today

Remember back in January 2016 when some 100 people went to Tai Mo Shan to see frost and then were stranded on the mountain and some 300 firefighters had to rescue them?

This time the roads going to and from Tai Mo Shan were closed at midnight due to cold weather.

"I hope citizens can consider whether they have the ability or equipment to chase frost as this poses a huge risk to themselves and a huge challenge to the firefighters, said Jerry Nip Yuen-fung, chairman of the Fire Services Department Staff General Association.

"These people affect society greatly if they persist without thinking through the consequences."

Instead of finding frost, best to try to stay warm with layers and sit next to a heater...

Picture of the Day: Bearish Bear Market

Screen shot from Bloomberg of the Hang Seng Index today

This graph is somewhat alarming -- the Hang Seng Index falling below 15,000 points today.

It's now at the same level as it was during the handover in 1997. The Hang Seng Index has lost almost 13 percent this year in the market's worst start to a year since 2016. 

"It's capitulation," said Dickie Wong, executive director at Kingston Securities. "No matter what the central bank does, it will not change the fact that foreign investors have zero confidence in this market now."

Yikes.

Part of the bearish market is due to China refusing to stimulate the economy by pumping money into it, while its property market is still struggling.

The trading session has just ended, with the markets closing at 14,951.70.

Not a good Monday...

Star Power at HK Marathon

The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon was back this Sunday Hong Kong time, and on my social media feeds I saw many people I know who participated, either in the full marathon, half or 10K.

Known for hiking almost daily, actor Chow Yun-fat ran in the half marathon and completed it in 2 hours and 26 minutes -- not bad for a 68 year old.

"I felt very comfortable in general, but there were some sections of the route that were slightly challenging due to the inclines," Chow said. "I had to be patient and take it slow."

He is already aiming to cut his time to 2 hours and 15 minutes in next year's race.

"There were a lot of people and the vibe was very nice. I'm happy to see a lot of senior residents running with me. I encourage Hongkongers to do more exercise," he said.

It must have been a shocker to see Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po lace up and actually run -- in the 2K Leaders' Cup. Interestingly his bib number was "852".

The route was from the Wan Chai Sports Ground to Victoria Park, and Chan came in second, after business tycoon Peter Woo Kwong-ching.

Is 2K the best Chan can do? What about Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung getting out and pounding the pavement?

Only Good News in Hong Kong

Lee tells journos to tell more good stories about Hong Kong

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is telling journalists to tell "good Hong Kong stories" to counter what he called "slanders and attacks" from the West.

He said this in Mandarin during an event held by the pro-establishment Hong Kong Federation of Journalists. During his speech Lee claimed politicians and journalists from the West were "time and again targeting Hong Kong by fabricating lies, spreading false narratives, slandering Hong Kong, and intentionally speaking of Hong Kong like a place with no freedom."

"In the face of these immoral people, Hong Kong's journalists should all the more unite, take the initiative and be professional," Lee said.

"[Journalists] should tell good stories of Hong Kong's special advantages, international business environment and captivating nature at our doorstep... to counter the slander and attacks aimed at Hong Kong," he added.

Let's see...

This week the Hang Seng Index fell below 16,000 points, well below what it was in 1997;

Property prices have fallen to its lowest in seven years;

The city's press freedom has plummeted to 140 out of 180 regions by Reporters Without Borders;

Hong Kong's birth rate is one of the lowest in the world;

But the good news:

More mainlanders are settling in Hong Kong;

It's fun to go shopping in Shenzhen;

Someone has a chance of winning HK$38 million in the Mark 6 Jackpot;

The MTR has new eight-car trains that are being put into service.

We try to tell the good news, if the government had some...