Yuen Promotes Virtual HK Parliament in Vancouver

Yuen showing his Hong Kong passport in this handout photo

Despite having a HK$1 million bounty on his head, Elmer Yuen (Yuan Gong-yi) is unfazed and traveling to Vancouver proposing a virtual Hong Kong parliament with representatives in the diaspora.

"I don't feel threatened," the venture capitalist said in an interview with a Canadian news outlet. "[Chinese President Xi Jinping] is more scared than I am."

He has even distributed photographs of himself holding his Hong Kong passport, though Yuen probably holds another passport.

Ho (left) and Yuen promoting HK Parliament

Yuen was spurred by the arrest warrants for him and seven others, to fly to Vancouver from the United States to promote his virtual Hong Kong parliament to Hongkongers here and try to get the federal government to endorse it.

"My whole idea of this traveling is to get everyone to vote in order to run for the members of parliament. So that's what I'm doing. I'm not scared," he said.

"Because of this warrant for my arrest is everywhere, at least 1 million people got news of what's happening about the Hong Kong parliament."

This is not a new idea -- he proposed it last July together with Vancouver journalist Victor Ho Leung-mau, who was accused by the Hong Kong government of subverting the national security law.

They are hoping to jump-start the election later this year or next year, with the aim of having the parliament reflect the democratic power of Hongkongers that had been promised to them before 1997.

"I want the Canadian government to recognise the Hong Kong parliament. That's the most important (thing). I am no a mission and my mission is to fight the Communist party and you cannot fight as an individual," said Yuen.

Yuen's son Derek is married to Eunice Yung

"You must have the organisation and the organisation is [the] Hong Kong parliament."

Yuen also plans to travel to Taiwan, Australia and the UK to promote this parliament-in-exile plan.

"If they want to fight for the freedom of Hong Kong, the best thing is to vote. You don't have a gun, you don't have anything. So, your weapon for democracy and freedom is your vote," he said.

However, Hong Kong police have accused Yuen of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security.

His daughter-in-law, New People's Party lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan is urging Yuen to surrender himself, even though she claims to have cut ties with him last August.

In the meantime will Yuen be able to realise his plan for a parliament-in-exile? 

Some may just be too busy keeping their head above water to contemplate this plan... 

More Hongkongers to Arrive in Canada

More young Hongkongers can consider moving to Canada

A friend contacted me tonight, excited about the news that Canada has made it easier for Hongkongers to immigrate.

Previously only young people who had graduated within the past five years could apply for a work permit to work for a year and then be eligible for permanent residency, or study a post-secondary degree.

But now anyone who has graduated within the past 10 years from a recognised Hong Kong tertiary institution can come to Canada, work for a year and get permanent residency.

Chiang made the announcement this morning

The move was announced this morning and will come into effect on August 15.

"Removing this requirement means more Hongkongers who have worked in Canada will be eligible for permanent residency, easing the transition to permanent status for those who are already working in Canada under the open work permit program," Paul Chiang, parliamentary secretary to the minister of housing and diversity and inclusion, said on behalf of the immigration minister.

He added those employed under the "working holiday program" were also eligible to apply for permanent residency after a year.

The move came after those who previously would not be able to apply because they graduated in 2016 and 2017, lobbied the government to widen the eligibility to include them. They formed a concern group that numbered in the hundreds, and so they were thrilled to hear the news this morning.

"Our demand was just to expand the scheme to cover 2016 and 2017 graduates, but it turned out the result is better than expected," said Connie Chan, a 29-year-old who graduated in 2016.

There are now 76,000 Hongkongers in Vancouver

University of British Columbia student Christopher Ng says the loosening of the requirements now makes it easier for Hongkongers to decide where to migrate.

"It's also opening another door for people my age to consider Canada as an option other than the UK and Australia. And it's definitely the easier way," he said.

From 2016-2021 there has been a 6.1 percent increase of Hong Kong-born people in Metro Vancouver to make the total number of Hongkongers 76,000. 

The program runs until 2025. In the meantime from mid August Canada should expect a flood of applications, but at the same time the government needs to ensure there is enough housing and support for these young people. 

They are currently dealing with a repressive government in their hometown; Canada needs to step up in welcoming them with supports to enable them to flourish here.

Nathan Law's Family Questioned by Police

Law's parents and brother were questioned by police

There is news being reported in the past hour that former legislator Nathan Law Kwun-chung's parents and brother were taken away by Hong Kong national security police for questioning.

According to Sing Tao. the authorities knocked on the doors of two flats in Tung Chung at 6am and took the trio to the police station, and were not arrested. After questioning they were released.

Law is one of eight with arrest warrants

Last week Law was named along with seven others as having an arrest warrant and bounty of HK$1 million each on their heads. 

A day later five others were arrested for allegedly funnelling money to Law from proceeds of the Mee app that promotes the "yellow economic circle", or businesses that have a pro-democracy stance.

However, in August 2020, a month after Law fled Hong Kong, he wrote a social media post saying he had severed all ties with his family and that he had not been in contact with them when he left just hours before the national security law was enacted.

So what more can his family say about him since then?

Lee says the eight will be pursued "for life"

Meanwhile reporters asked Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu about the progress on arresting the eight wanted who are living outside of Hong Kong, and if the bounty would be increased.

His response? "We are going to hunt them for life. These eight have committed very serious offences. Anyone can assist police can receive a reward."

Wonder what his response will be next week...

Regina Ip on Yellow Economic Circle

Ip says the five arrested were "supporting illegal activities"

Convenor of the Executive Council Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee is adding her voice in condemning not only the eight pro-democracy activists and lawmakers who have a HK$1 million bounty on their heads, but also the five who were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday for allegedly assisting them.

She said sending money or food from Hong Kong to the eight with arrest warrants was akin to "supporting their illegal activities."

Mee app featured yellow businesses

When a TVB host asked Ip if the arrests of the five men signalled the government was cracking down on the "yellow economic circle", she said "maybe not only the yellow economy, but the activities that involve sending money overseas."

The five reportedly worked on the app Mee which directed users to support shops and restaurants that were sympathetic to the democratic cause and supported exiled politician Nathan Law Kwun-chung financially in the UK. 

"As far as I know, some of the wanted people are very active in the UK," Ip said. "They hold tea parties in areas where many Hongkongers live. On the surface they are Hong Kong-style tea parties, but actually they are designed to brainwash and confuse politicians and to encourage them to condemn and sanction China."

Interesting accusation from Ip without any evidence.

The eight with HK$1M bounties on their heads

"Sending food to the wanted people for their tea parties may also be supporting their illegal activities and the police should investigate thoroughly and stop these activities," she added.

How far the Hong Kong police can investigate these allegations without going to the UK remains to be seen...

Day Trip Kayaking at Bowen Island

Our group kayaking around the coastline of Bowen Island

This morning I got up bright and early -- before 6am to catch a bus in order to catch a ride to Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal to go to Bowen Island.

We made it there an hour early than the ferry sailing at 9.05am for a trip that took 20 minutes. 

As soon as we arrived, we stepped onto a place that lives by "island time"... kind of reminded me of Hong Kong's outlying islands like Lamma and Mui Wo.

Many multimillion dollar homes by the water

Not far from the ferry terminal was the place where we had reserved a three-hour kayaking tour. We were suited up with a life vest and given a paddle before we were given a quick lesson on how to kayak before walking down to the dock and getting into our kayaks.

I'd been kayaking once before in Hong Kong last year when my friend took me to the Ho Hai Wan Marine Park in Sai Kung. The water was very calm and we would land in various beaches and get in and out of the water so we were quite wet by the end of it.

Here we were in kayaks that were a bit more protected from the water, though we did get wet in the groin area and the legs. By the end of it salt crystals stuck to my legs!

I really enjoy being out in the water and kayaking gives you the best opportunity to be really close to the water without jumping in. Kayaking is also not difficult to do once you are taught the basics. This kayak also had a rudder that could be controlled with foot pedals, whereas in Hong Kong we had to rely on our ability to maneuver the kayak with just our paddles.

This seal was snorting at me taking his picture!

Here we had two to a kayak which was fun and allowed for more conversations with others in the group. We followed a guide around the coastline, but when we got to more open water, it became quite choppy, which is when water started sloshing into our kayak. Also two people on separate kayaks became seasick and had to get to shore.

We took a break while they did that and their partners could team up in one kayak for a last spin around. We went across to one area and got very close to the edge where we could see harbour seals hanging out. They barely moved which made my friend wonder if an artist had painted eyes on rocks! haha. As I took a picture with my phone, one of them snorted at me. Or maybe he just happened to have nasal issues.

Below them were tons of mussels clinging to the rocks and below them near the water were bright purple star fish! Above us we saw some bald eagles and someone in our group joked they were circling around for us... on the water we saw a flock of Canadian geese too.

There were many homes by the waterfront complete with their own docks. These are multimillion dollar homes and it's interesting to note their water comes from wells dug on the property, while sewage is dealt with in a septic tank that is pumped out every decade or so.

The water was very clear but didn't see much

And as should be expected, everything on the island is expensive because it must be shipped in. There's two and a half police (they are on part time schedules), and all the firemen are volunteers (residents on the island). Normally there are 5,000 residents on Bowen Island, but it doubles in the summer when people come to occupy their holiday homes.

A member of our group lives and works in Vancouver during the week and comes back to Bowen Island on the weekends. She told us during the Covid-19 pandemic, people discovered Bowen Island because it's relatively easy to get to and not too far, and as a result property prices have gone up. 

While it's possible to stay in an airbnb, it is impossible to rent a place, especially for seasonal workers. One of the guides told us they were here working for the summer and had no place to live so they are living in their van -- which is illegal!

Giant purple starfish clinging to the rocks

Our three-hour tour was a bit too long for some people, but weather-wise in general it wasn't too hot though it was windy at times. Having booked this weeks in advance we were lucky the weather was perfect. 

After some lunch and drinks, we were too late for the 2.45pm ferry so we had to wait until 4pm for the next one. Then coupled with traffic getting onto the Lions Gate Bridge, we didn't get back until 5.45pm.

Crackdown on Yellow Economic Circle

The "yellow economic circle" app disappeared on Friday

On the heels of Hong Kong police announcing HK$1 million bounties for the arrest of eight pro-democracy lawmakers and activists living in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia, national security police arrested five people in Hong Kong for allegedly working on an app that promoted the "yellow economic circle".

Called Mee, the app was developed during the 2019 protests as a way to support pro-democracy businesses. The app not only directed people to restaurants and shops that were "yellow", but also these places gave customers the opportunity to express themselves with a mini Lennon wall featuring colourful post-it notes, or protest-themed posters and figurines as decoration.

One of the arrested was Ivan Lam

Some landlords are sympathetic to businesses in the "yellow economic circle", and many people patronise these shops and restaurants; some people only eat and shop at these places. Some better known ones were Chickeeduck and AbouThai.

Nevertheless, it was perhaps only a matter of time until the authorities would begin to crackdown on this "yellow economic circle".

Four were arrested on Wednesday, the fifth the next day at Hong Kong International Airport. They are all former members of the defunct political party Demosisto started by Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Agnes Chow Ting, and Nathan Law Kwun-chung. The five were also behind the Mee app, which stopped operating on Friday. 

Chinese state media reported the arrested allegedly used profits from Mee to provide funding for Law living in the UK. The app made money by businesses paying to be featured on the platform, and now these businesses fear they could be future targets. However, their political leanings are open secrets, and it wasn't as if the app was not general knowledge. 

This "yellow" store sells products from Thailand 

Following news of the arrests, some shops immediately took down the Mee sticker on their store fronts to make them easily identifiable to consumers, while others did not... yet. In general they noted an uptick of inspectors from various government departments coming in to check out their businesses with many tedious warnings.

Despite the challenges, these yellow businesses intend to stay open as long as they can, as long as people are coming to support them.

Superficial Taxi Reforms

Taxis are the target of numerous complaints in Hong Kong

It is difficult to understand why the Hong Kong taxi industry has been so bad for so long. It's as if it's dying a long slow death, though the only saving grace is that the fares are very inexpensive compared to other major cities in the world.

Nevertheless there are so many complaints about the service, from taxi drivers wearing shirts sticking out, taking drags on cigarettes, to mostly elderly men who in recent months have fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed into sidewalks and pedestrians. 

Others take advantage of naive mainland tourists and take them on outrageous joy rides or give a lot of attitude to customers, making the ride tense and awkward.

Many find the drivers' attitudes unbearable

When you get into a taxi, you immediately sink several inches into your seat because so many other bottoms have sat there for decades, and the vehicle has not been replaced because the license costs a fortune.

Is it no wonder that Hong Kong residents prefer taking other ride-hailing services like Uber? The driver comes to you, the vehicle is very clean, you can choose to have music or not and give well-deserved tips. 

But instead the taxi industry wants the government to shut down services like Uber because it makes its own business look really bad.

The Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association claims it will reform its drivers by introducing a demerit system. But the association claims only a small number of drivers behave poorly.

The scheme will fine cabbies with three, five or 10 demerit points if they violate any of the 11 offences. If drivers accumulate 15 or more points within a two-year period, he or she will be disqualified from operating a taxi for three months.

Some have a lot of distractions from the road...

What are the 11 offences? They include overcharging, wilfully refusing or neglecting to accept a hire , using a route that is not the most direct one, and refusing to carry the number of passengers requested as long as the vehicle has the capacity to do so.

However there is no sign of reforming the annoying 4pm switch -- when taxis all over the city are unavailable from around 3.30pm till after 4pm because they need to take the car to the next driver. Why not have this staggered throughout the day so that people can still get access to taxis? Do they all have to switch over at the exact same time?

When this rule is changed and vehicles are updated then yes Hong Kong's taxi service will be improved. But for now people should have a choice of how they want to get from A to B. Taxis have to do better. Way better.

Remembering Coco Lee

Lee's sisters want fans to remember her "bright smile"

Fans are mourning the loss of singer Coco Lee, who died on Wednesday after she attempted suicide on Sunday and had been in a coma since then. She was 48 years old.

Her older sisters made the announcement on Instagram, saying in part:

"With great sadness, we are here [to] break the most devastating news: Coco had been suffering from depression for a few. years but her condition deteriorated drastically over the last few months," the sisters said.

She married Rockowitz in 2011 at the Ritz-Carlton

"Although Coco sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her."

They added that this year marked the 30th anniversary of Lee's career, and that they would now focus on looking after their elderly mother.

The Instagram post did not mention Lee's husband, Bruce Rockowitz, with whom she tied the knot in 2011 in a mega star-studded wedding celebration at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. There were rumours in 2019 that the marriage was on the rocks, and that she had tried to get pregnant through in vitro fertilisation but was unsuccessful.

Last October she had moved out of their home and into a serviced apartment in the Four Seasons Hong Kong. But on June 30 she was hospitalised briefly, then moved into her sister's home on the Peak, where she attempted suicide.

Lee was best known for singing A Love Before Time, from Ang Lee's 2000 movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She was the first Chinese singer to perform the song at the Academy Awards the following year.

Throughout her three-decade career, Lee released 15 albums, and her single Do You Want My Love climbed to number four on the US Billboard charts in December 1999.

She also voiced the character Mulan in Disney's animated film in 1998 and sang the theme song, Reflection.

The last single she released in February was called Tragic. In her social media post at the end of 2022, Lee acknowledged she had an "incredibly difficult year", but encouraged her fans to spread positivity and "be an influential figure to inspire people."

It's devastating to discover how much pain she was in, and how she felt she had to keep it from people. But as her sisters say, she is now free from pain and depression, though she leaves behind a heartbroken family and legions of fans who admired her for years.

The Challenges of Uprooting to Canada

Transition from Hong Kong to Canada not that easy

While it is great the Canadian government is offering specific pathways to permanent residency to young Hongkongers, many of the ones that are here are having a tough time.

Generally speaking, these people in their 20s have either recently graduated from university or have one or two years' working experience. As a result they have not accumulated much savings when they come to Canada.

Many young migrants feel lost in Canada

Many of them are overwhelmed, having to start fresh with limited resources, as they find everything is expensive, from rent to food and necessities. One told a friend that she only had C$50 left to buy food. I wondered how she managed to get enough nutrition everyday.

As they don't have many qualifications or work experience, many of these young people are stuck in retail or hospitality jobs, earning a low salary with few benefits until they become eligible to become a permanent resident.

But perhaps most importantly, many here are lost and wondering what they are doing here. Many left because of the repercussions of the 2019 protests, or they did not see a future for themselves in Hong Kong. However now they are wondering if they made the right move and if they are stuck in Canada for good.

Feeling lost can be scary and undermine one's self-confidence. This same friend told me of young people who were very depressed, some of them to the point of being suicidal which is shocking and sad to hear.

Ho struggled to pay for rent and food in the UK 

It reminds me of the 27-year-old woman Fion Ho Yee-king who died by suicide in November 2022 in the UK after struggling to afford to pay her rent and food. 

Ho had a Master's degree in international affairs, but could not find a better-paying job, and was forced to live in a flat share that she described as unhygienic. She also had to choose between eating either lunch or dinner each day to save some money.

Is the Canadian government aware of these young people in the country struggling to make ends meet?

The sudden migration of people from Hong Kong has left many of them unmoored -- they did not choose to leave their hometown -- the government made repression in the city so unbearable that they didn't have much choice but to leave.

Hopefully these young Hongkongers can seek help from NGOs that help immigrants settle, get help with finding food, and know they are not alone.

HK$1M Bounty on Eight Dissidents

Official NSL arrest warrants for eight activists 

Just as I was going to bed last night, there was breaking news that the Hong Kong police had issued arrest warrants for eight pro-democracy activists, and that there was a HK$1 million (US$127,600) bounty on their heads.

The eight are: former legislators Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, and Ted Hui Chi-fung, unionist Mung Siu-tat, lawyer Kevin Yam Kin-fung, and activists Finn Lau Cho-dik, Anna Kwok Fung-yee, and Elmer Yuan Gong-yi.

Lee said the eight would be pursued for life

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu endorsed the arrest warrants, and encouraged people to come forward with any information of the eight activists' whereabouts.

"Police should do it because that's the message not just to Hong Kong, but to those who try to endanger our national security. And we want them to know that we will not sit and do nothing," he said. "We'll be pursuing the [suspects'] criminal responsibilities for life until they surrender themselves."

However, legally the threat was weak considering the activists are residing in the UK, Australia and the United States, where these countries have suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong following the implementation of the national security law three years ago.

The US said such an application of the security law was a "dangerous precedent" that threatened human rights, while the Chinese Foreign Ministry's office in Hong Kong warned "foreign interference forces" should stop shielding "criminals" immediately.

And are the authorities hoping people in the respective countries will come forward with information about these dissidents?

Law maintains he is doing peaceful advocacy

Interviewed by a Canadian media outlet, Law seemed to think the chances of that happening were slim, but pointed out if someone actually did do that, then they would be assisting the Chinese regime. There is also no clear information about what informers need to do in order to be eligible collect the money.

It is also worth noting the HK$1M bounty is many times more than for murderers and pedophiles who have only HK$100K to HK$300K on their heads.

Law, who is accused of foreign collusion and inciting secession, said on Facebook that he was again targeted by the Chinese authorities and that he felt "invisible pressure", but would not give in.

"All I did was reasonable, justifiable and peaceful advocacy work," he wrote.

In his interview Law said he would continue to live a discreet life in the UK and hoped he would be able to return to Hong Kong in decades.

"I don't know if it sounds optimistic or pessimistic, but most of us have the determination to walk that through like we are running a marathon, not a sprint." 

Hong Kong Book Fair's Red Lines

Customers eager to snap up books at the Book Fair

It was announced that the annual Hong Kong Book Fair will be held for a week starting on July 19 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, and that exhibitors could show books as long as they weren't banned.

The Hong Kong Trade and Development Council would not pre-screen books, "as long as the titles didn't breach the law, including the national security law.

Pick your books carefully, no breaking the law

Sophia Chong, deputy executive director at HKTDC said there was no list of "banned titles", and that all exhibitors were familiar with the "house rules".

So she is basically saying there are no banned books, but if you sell anything the government deems illegal then you'll be arrested. The authorities don't have a list of the books, but surely you know what they are...

It's like the chicken and the egg -- which came first?

But clues can be found of what may probably not be displayed. In May some 200 books were taken off the shelves of Hong Kong libraries, many of them written by pro-democracy activists.

Most people would rather err on the side of caution than walk a fine line.

This is what Hong Kong has become, a place full of invisible red lines that are a minefield to navigate. 

How would the government react to these titles?

Books are knowledge, and knowledge is truth, something the government is terrified of Hongkongers of having.

Lee Dismisses Absolute Poverty in HK

One of the rare occasions Lee smiles to promote Hong Kong

It's been one year since John Lee Ka-chiu became Chief Executive of Hong Kong, and what has he achieved in that time?

For one he is the face of Hello, Hong Kong, but sadly the permanent pained expression on his face has not motivated visitors to come to the city in droves as he and his government had hoped.

Last year at Lee's swearing-in ceremony with Xi

He seems confident that he can raise Hong Kong's global ranking which slipped from fifth to seventh place in this year's World Competitiveness Yearbook, which had previously won top spot in 2018.

However, as the political climate in the city deteriorates by the day, is it any wonder it will be an uphill challenge for Lee to even change people's perception of Hong Kong after the 2019 protests, the implementation of the national security law, shut down of Apple Daily, jailing over 10,000 people, and the departure of over 200,000 residents?

But he sounds like a broken record, reiterating what previous leaders have said when it comes to tackling serious issues like poverty and housing.

The Census and Statistics Department's latest numbers show that almost one-quarter of Hongkongers in 2020 or 1.6 million were facing poverty before taking into account government handouts.

Many elderly in Hong Kong are in poverty

While Lee claimed last year to have a poverty alleviation strategy, a recent survey had found less than 30 per cent of residents are satisfied with the government's measures.

Yet again the chief executive is studying how to define poverty.

"The poverty problem in Hong Kong is relative because absolute poverty does not exist in Hong Kong," Lee said. "But regardless of the statistical methodology used, it won't hinder the direction of the targeted measures in my policy address to tackle intergenerational poverty."

Why this constant need to define poverty when it's quite obvious when someone is in poverty by asking them how they manage to live day by day. Why does it have to be a numbers game. And for Lee to completely dismiss the possibility that absolute poverty exists in Hong Kong means he doesn't even recognise 1.6 million people exist.

When will Hong Kong get rid of cage homes?

Hong Kong is a wealthy city. Well it was before it spent billions on building the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, on police operations during the 2019 protests, propaganda exercises and so on. Imagine how say a few hundred million could help many people by building decent housing for the poor and helping them get back on their feet?

But no, the authorities don't want to admit there is poverty in Hong Kong and then by extension ignore one-quarter of the population.

This is Lee's attempt to sweep them under the carpet in order to get a good report card from Chinese leader Xi Jinping. 

Will be interesting to see what Xi says... better to have some concrete results, maybe, Mr Lee?

A New Landmark in Chinatown

Eight lions ready to open the museum

Today was a momentous occasion -- the opening of the first national Chinese-Canadian museum in Vancouver's Chinatown. 

Some 300 guests assembled on East Pender Street where the museum is, across from the Chinese Cultural Centre. The street was blocked off for the event, with police cars and officers making sure the riff raff were kept out.

Eby speaking at the opening ceremony

Numerous dignitaries were there, from federal, provincial and municipal, all having played some role in helping launch the museum, along with wealthy donors, and who's who of Chinatown.

For the politicians who spoke, it was an opportunity to recount their political role in getting the museum off the ground, with much gratitude to former BC premier John Horgan who supported it with lots of funding to purchase the building, renovate and keep it going.

Mayor Ken Sim swaggered on stage and challenged people in the audience not to be moved by the inaugural exhibit, which marks the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Exclusion Act, a dark period in Canadian history when the Chinese were singled out for excessive documentation.

The show features hundreds of CIs or Chinese Immigration certificates that have black and white photographs of people, men, women and children who not only came from China but also born in Canada. In total just under 60,000 Chinese were registered with the Canadian government.

Mel Yip lived at Wing Sang building

The building the museum is housed in is also full of meaning. It is the Wing Sang building, the oldest in Chinatown. It was owned by Yip Sang, a young man from southern China who first tried to make his fortune in California, and then went up north to British Columbia and eventually settled in Vancouver's Chinatown.

Yip was considered the unofficial mayor of the neighbourhood and was so successful that he had three wives and 23 children. They all lived together in the back of the Wing Sang building and one of Yip's grandsons, Mel Yip remembers being there for the first 15 years of his life.

He talks fondly of never not having playmates around, rollerskating down Columbia Street and going to the movies with his numerous cousins.

Yip Sang died in 1927 just as the Great Depression was coming. While the rest of the family continued to live there, they vacated the building in the early 2000s due to disrepair.

Condo marketer supremo Bob Rennie bought the Wing Sang building in 2004 and many feared he would tear it down, but he poured money into it to fix it up structurally and to make it almost museum quality to showcase his massive art collection. Upstairs he kept one room intact -- the small schoolroom where the Yip children were educated by tutors hired from Hong Kong.

Catherine Clement gives media a tour of the show

He then sold the building to the museum for less than what he paid to renovate it and even donated money too, which is why Mayor Sim joked Rennie made the worst business decision when he sold the building. Har har...

Hopefully the new museum will not only be a new landmark in Chinatown, but also be a place to exchange ideas and discuss what it means to be Chinese-Canadian today, not just in the past.

Chinese Canadian Museum

51 East Pender Street

Vancouver, BC

(604) 262 0990

In Appreciation of Sue Johanson

Johanson gave no-nonsense advice about sex and relationships

On social media there's a lot of outpouring of appreciation for Sue Johanson, who gave the straight-up talk about sex to young people in the mid-80s for over 20 years. She died yesterday in Thornhill, Ontario yesterday at the age of 93.

I found out about this woman on the TV guide and had to watch her show. I was thankful -- like many other young people -- that she gave us the information we needed to know (or wanted to know) about sex, relationships, and sexual identity.

She enjoyed making O'Brien blush on TV

Here was this grandma figure who took callers' questions with a straight face, didn't judge them and answered them the best she could. Johanson gave tips on how to apply condoms, and birth control, what to do with bad boyfriends and sex toys. 

Her daughter Jane Johanson said: "She never brushed people aside. She treated everyone absolutely the same. She was never judgmental, nor was she condescending or disapproving of any question that came her way... I think everybody felt like they had another mother or another grandmother with Sue."

Johanson trained as a nurse in Winnipeg, and later opened a birth control clinic at a Toronto high school for two decades. 

In 1984 she began hosting a Toronto radio show called Sunday Night Sex Show and later had a TV show. Then viewers in the United States got to know her on Talk Sex with Sue Johanson from 2002 to 2008.

During that time there was a lot of fear around AIDS and she gave the medical facts around it, which is why she was insistent that people use condoms. She also was sympathetic to young gay people who were discovering their identities and Johanson gave them support and resources to make them feel less alone.

Johanson talking to host Jay Leno

"It didn't matter who you were, what your sexual preference was, how you identified, what you might be dealing with in terms of the time of AIDS -- like, she embraced everybody and who they were. And that just... made me so proud. We are so proud of our dear Sue, my mom," Jane Johanson said.

I'm seeing on YouTube she made several appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, making him feel uneasy as she pulled out numerous sex toys and demonstrating how to use them in a no-nonsense way. In one she shows how to test out a vibrator by holding it under your nose. 

While O'Brien may have thought this was entertaining (at his expense), it was informative for millions of viewers who wanted to know more.

"She loved what she did. She cared about people's sexual health, sexual information, and she just wanted to be of assistance to people in that way," Jane Johanson said.

"She just invented a niche for herself and did a beautiful job teaching people about sex and sexual health."

Last year a full-length documentary about her, called Sex with Sue was released. Hope to watch it one day.

Review: Ponyo

Sosuke finds a fish and names it Ponyo

Following its successful launch of showing films by Studio Ghibli during spring break, the Vancouver Film Festival has restarted the series with a part 2 and I saw one of my friend YTSL's favourites -- Ponyo!

Before her obsession with Funassyi, the pear fairy, YTSL was in love with Ponyo, a red goldfish princess that magically transformed into a little girl. YTSL even carried around a Ponyo plushie around and took many scenic photographs with her while traveling.

But I digress.

They are both thrilled by their noodle dishes

I finally saw the movie the other day and enjoyed it very much. Director Hayao Miyazaki really understands children, how they think and act which makes Ponyo a delight to watch. 

We meet her as a goldfish under the sea, escaping from her wizard father Fujimoto, who feels obligated to teach humans how they have destroyed the natural environment. As if by fate she meets a little boy, Sosuke who finds her and really cares for her as a fish in his green bucket.

There is another story about the Sosuke and his mother Lisa, and how his father is constantly away as captain of his ship. While Sosuke is an obedient child and helps his mom, she gets frustrated that her husband often breaks promises.

Lisa works in a senior's home that's conveniently next door to the primary school that Sosuke goes to; the seniors who live there are a hoot, and even better when one of them is voiced by Betty White!

Lisa passes out after drinking beer

Amidst all this Ponyo arrives and on top of that becomes a little girl. The scenes of her discovering how things work are just as one would imagine a real child reacting to things they had never seen before. 

But then one day the seas become extremely rough, causing Sosuke's father to wonder if there is a tsunami; there is a disturbance in the equilibrium of the earth, and only Ponyo and Sosuke can make it peaceful again...

The version I watched was the English one, dubbed with the voices of Liam Neeson as Ponyo's father Fujimoto, Noah Cyrus as Ponyo, and Tina Fey as Lisa. Fey's voice was not recognisable to me, while Neeson and White were.

Nevertheless the dialogue especially of Lisa was funny, reflecting the stress of marriage and relationships. Most hilarious was her irate messages to her husband via signalling lamps.

However, one did have to suspend reality to believe a goldfish could become a little girl, but Ponyo is such a cute character that viewers are keen to watch what happens next with her and Sosuke. 

Cute underwater scene with sea creatures too

Miyazaki purposely chose Sosuke to be a five-year-old boy -- not too young to take on some serious tasks, and not too old to dislike girls. 

Meanwhile the animation, particularly under the sea in the opening scene is so imaginative; later on there's a scene of a huge flood and an octopus finds its way into the entrance of Sosuke's home.

Ponyo is an enjoyable film that hardly feels like 101 minutes, that has themes of love, the environment and relationships all rolled up neatly into this story.

Ponyo

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

101 minutes