Picture of the Day: A Tree of Resilience

An old buckeye tree near the Berkeley Faculty Club

Today we went to the UC Berkeley campus to attend a lovely wedding in the forest called Stephen T Mather Redwood Grove. Just across from the Botanical Garden is the forest grove, where there is an outdoor amphitheatre. 

It was a beautiful setting, simple, natural and best of all cool with the trees acting as organic canopies shading us from the sun.

Afterwards we headed to the university faculty club for refreshments followed by dinner and dancing.

When we walked towards the faculty club we were struck by this tree. It looked very pale and we wondered if it was dead and wandered closer to take a look.

On the tips of the branches there were small green leaves! So it was indeed still alive.

The tree is called buckeye, and this one seems to be a very old one. The trunk is also quite impressive -- is it one tree with two trunks or two trees sharing the trunk? 

It's definitely a model of resilience, somehow managing to stay alive! 

Picture of the Day: Star Wars Typewriter

An Olivetti typewriter with Star Wars on it!

This morning we took an early morning flight from YVR, Vancouver International Airport, and near our gate I spied some art work in the form of Olivetti typewriters!

The attention to detail is impressive

One in particular caught my eye -- a typewriter painted with Star Wars scenes on it! On the front was the Emperor, and on the top yoda on the left, Darth Vader on the right, and on the sides a frozen Han Solo, a stormtrooper, C-3P0, and Luke Skywalker.

It turns out the typewriter was painted by Vancouver artist Dave Benning. He works with Brendan Raftery who restores old typewriters so they are actually usable again, while Benning paints them with custom designs. 

Star Wars is near and dear to his heart, explaining he first watched the film when he was eight years old and left a very strong impression on him so many decades later. He says the typewriter is a tribute to the movies, the screenwriters and Lucas' vision.

Benning painted key scenes in Star Wars movies

Nice to see the typewriter displayed at the airport for all fans to see!

Last Call for Sinovac Jabs in HK

Sinovac was the vaccine of choice of mostly pro-Beijing ppl

Remember when vaccines were first available in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic and there were two to choose from -- Sinovac from China, and Pfizer-BioNTech from Germany? 

Sinovac is an inactivated vaccines, whereas BioNTech is an mRNA vaccine that doesn't use a live virus to trigger an immune response. Instead it teaches the body's cells to make proteins to trigger an immune response by making antibodies to fight the infection when the virus enters the body.

For the most part in Hong Kong, choosing the vaccine fell along political lines -- those who were pro-Beijing got the Sinovac jab, others the latter, though some people refused to get any kind of vaccination because of total mistrust of the government, which to me was mind boggling.

Then CE Carrie Lam chose Sinovac for her jab

In the end the US Center for Disease Control found in a 2022 report that receiving two or three doses of mRNA vaccine resulted in a 90 percent reduction in the risk of being infected with Covid-19 or death. Having three jabs during the Omicron wave gave 94 percent protection.

Hong Kong continued to offer Sinovac, but that offer ends soon as the government has almost finished using up its supply of Chinese vaccines.

The Centre for Health Protection said it would stop offering the Sinovac jab after its current supply expires on October 3. 

"The vaccine supplier confirmed that they will no longer produce the vaccine," the centre said.

Perhaps it's because the vaccine has been shown to not be very effective?

Interestingly the Hong Kong government is still urging those who have not yet been vaccinated this whole time to do so with Sinovac at least, and then get an mRNA vaccine after.

The Day After the Fire

The blackened skeletal frame of the building was left

This morning the area where the massive fire erupted last night was still cordoned off, with firefighters still on the scene, putting out any smouldering fires, while BC Hydro crews worked overnight and into the morning to restore electricity to a few hundred people.

Bits of burnt embers spread far

The crane that had collapsed in the fire was still lying on the street this morning so traffic was diverted for most of the day, while 81 people who were evacuated had to spend the night at the nearby Crofton House School. Even though some people's homes were not damaged by the fire, firefighters deemed them unsafe to return just yet, though they were able to go in and retrieve some essentials and stay in a hotel.

Meanwhile British Columbia work regulator Work Safe BC was at the site of the fire to investigate how the blaze happened and their work is ongoing.

After I returned from a lunch appointment downtown, I walked around the neighbourhood to see how far the embers had spread. I could still see bits of black burnt out embers on the ground as far as 27th Avenue and Camosun, near St George's School. 

One person near the school reported 10 holes in their deck from the fiery embers!

Another neighbour wondered if these black embers were safe to just dispose of because to him (a retired engineer), they looked like burnt out chunks of foam insulation...

Embers across the street on 34th Ave

Health concerns were the last things on people's minds... people were more concerned what had happened and what was going to happen to the construction site. It was confirmed the gas lines had been installed, which explains the large explosions, but other than that it may take days or weeks to find out how it all started...

Dramatic Dinnertime Inferno

The fire caused the crane to collapse and fall onto the street

Just as we were sitting down to dinner at home tonight, around 6.30pm, I heard four big booms, explosions. Soon after I could hear sirens.

I went out the door to see other neighbours walking over to see what was going on. We went to Dunbar Street and could see a giant plume of smoke. As we walked towards it, we could see large, angry flames. Even though we were blocks away I could feel the heat already.

Smoke smouldering on the roof

It looked like it was coming from the construction site where a multi-storey seniors' home was being built, and it was completely engulfed in flames.

Many people continued to make their way closer to 41st Avenue, but a South Asian man walking towards us said the embers were so hot it was hard for him to breathe and told us to stay away.

I took a few pictures and then went back home and noticed some black chunks on our lawn -- they were blackened embers that had flown from that fire to our place several blocks away.

After eating a bit of dinner I could hear shouts outside and went out again. This time it was our neighbour's roof that was smouldering! The family of three, including their adult son were outside. The wife having a video call with relatives and telling them that someone knocked on their house to tell them their roof was on fire, while the son had his phone glued to his ear, talking to his friends.

A firetruck was already there, with firefighters suited up. They got their ladder out and climbed up to the roof with a hose to put the fire out. One of the fire officials advised us to check our properties to see if anything was smouldering and I looked over our roof twice to make sure. While there was no smoke, there were lots of black chunks of burnt out embers lying on the ground and bits of white material too.

Burnt out embers 

One neighbour said a construction crane melted where the massive fire was and on X (formerly Twitter) I found the footage -- the crane collapsed from the heat and fell across the street onto a house, while burning embers caused a house to catch on fire as well.

The crane falling on the street had taken down trolley bus wires and electricity wires, causing a power outage in the area. 

Later in the evening we drove by trying to get a look, but the area was still blocked off. 

As far as we know there were no deaths or injuries, though firefighters suffered minor ones.

Thank goodness everyone is safe and accounted for. A lot of drama in the neighbourhood this evening!

It wasn't the only burning inferno -- another building in east Vancouver was also on fire. An abandoned apartment building at 414 East 10th Avenue was in flames -- a year after fire had displaced 70 people.

Picture of the Day: Hail in August

Golfball-sized hail in Calgary today -- in August!

When I saw pictures of snow in Calgary on Twitter, I didn't believe it at first -- until I heard the news report on the radio saying there were reports of hail -- in August -- and rainfall in southern Alberta tonight.

One thunderstorm produced hail the size of golfballs that cause severe damage to car windshields. 

"This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation," a post read on Environment Canada's website.

"Extremely large hail can smash windows, destroy property and vehicles and cause life-threatening injury. Strong wind gusts can toss loose objects, damage weak buildings, break branches off trees and overturn large vehicles."

The hail and heavy rainfall were so bad that they caused damage in the domestic terminal building of YYC Calgary International Airport. 

"We are prioritising the safety of all guests and staff and clearing the impacted area. We are currently assessing the damage and its impact to operations," read a statement, adding that no injuries have been reported at this time.

The damage, which included ceiling panels falling down, has resulted in delays and cancellations in flights. 

Another sign that climate change is definitely here? How much longer can Alberta Premier Danielle Smith deny it? Devastating wildfires in Jasper and now golfball-sized hail in August?

Taiwan's Badminton Win is Awkward for Olympics

Lee and Wang on the top podium, China (left) looking on

Taiwan hit the golden jackpot when Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin defeated China's Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the men's badminton doubles final in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lee and Wang Chi-lin successfully defended their Tokyo Games title three years ago with consecutive wins -- the first men in badminton history to do this.

Needless to say Taiwanese residents were overjoyed with the result, where many watched the thrilling match on public screens. Taiwan -- or Chinese Taipei as it's called in the Olympics -- has one gold and two bronze.

Online news outlet HK01 reported that although the match began at 10.10pm, Chinese state media outlet CCTV didn't broadcast it until 11.03pm. And then the CCTV broadcast ended at 11.43pm and didn't show the medal ceremony either.

They are the first team to win back-to-back gold

However, people in China reported CCTV Channel 16 did broadcast the game live in its entirety and the commentator even congratulated the Chinese Taipei team on their victory.

"This is a chance to prove Taiwan's strength and to affirm our international status... In every area China suppresses us, we can't even use our proper name at the Olympics and are called Chinese Taipei. So our players are helping us become recognised," said fan Irene Lai.

Before the final, one female fan in a sports venue was holding a green poster in the shape of Taiwan with "台灣加油" on it when it was snatched by a mainland Chinese spectator.

The International Olympic Committee rules prohibit flags or signs that include political messages or support countries that are not participating in the Olympics.

But what the Chinese spectator did was political...

Zheng's Historic Olympic Win in Tennis

Zheng holds up the Chinese flag after her historic win

China's Zheng Qinwen is the first Chinese player to win gold in tennis, let alone singles, after she defeated Croatian Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 21-year-old Zheng said the win at the Olympics was more meaningful than the Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

"There is nothing comparable to this victory to me. To me and my family, the Olympics are far more significant than the grand slams," she said. "In our hearts, the glory for the country is way above the self. I believe all Chinese have this mindset."

As a child Zheng watched Li play tennis

Her father Zheng Jianping was a former track athlete who was known for his harsh discipline. She said he could now be proud of her.

"Dad, I've finally brought glory to our ancestors this time," the tennis star said.

When she was young, Zheng watched her idol Li Na, who won the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open. And Zheng hopes to pay it forward for the next crop of budding tennis players.

"I believe in passing the torch to the next generation. If my victory today can inspire a tennis dream in more children, then everything is worth it," she said.

"I hope in 10 or 20 years, I can see them standing on this same stage, which is the world's biggest stage, and feel what I am feeling right now. They will learn that life is worth living."

However, Zheng's self-discipline is awe-inspiring -- a former coach revealed the tennis player wakes up at 4am to train and eats a diet of chicken breast and broccoli 360 days a year. One might assume the five cheat days are for the Lunar New Year and maybe her birthday?

Also -- does she know where Peng Shuai is?

Swimming Chief Lament's Haughey's Double Bronze

Haughey with her two bronze medals in Paris

Athletes train for years, practically everyday, waking up early and working out for hours, pushing their bodies to physical exhaustion, honing their techniques and skills in the hopes of making the Olympics.

Once they qualify for the international sporting event -- which is only held once every four years -- then they are eligible to compete against the best in the world. When they get to the starting blocks or onto the mat, the court, the pitch, the track, that's the moment they have to give it their all.

It's not easy.

Freestyle is Haughey's strongest swimming stroke

Swimmer Siobhan Haughey won two silvers in 100m and 200m freestyle the Tokyo Olympics, and she considered retiring from the sport, thinking she had peaked.

It wasn't until a year after Tokyo did Haughey consider Paris 2024.

"Once you meet a certain elite level, it's even harder to keep improving and to keep getting better," she said before the Paris Games.

In the end she won two bronze medals for the same races which was still a fantastic result, bringing Hong Kong into the spotlight.

However, the chairman of the Hong Kong China Swimming Association Ronnie Wong Man-chiu said he was "regretful" that Haughey only got bronze.

Speaking on the radio, Wong said: "I am happy we finished third, but of course I have regrets. It is a bit regretful she only ended up with bronze."

She told her coach, Tom Rushton about his comment, to which Rushton said it was "not good". 

She almost retired after the Tokyo Olympics

He was "supper happy" with Haughey's swim, and as for Wong said: "It is a bit disappointing, and an inexperienced quote.

"Siobhan is the first woman to medal twice in both the 100m and 200m freestyle. If it was easy, everybody would have those results. I am very proud of Siobhan, I know how much work she has done, and how much work myself and the support team have put in. But if it's so easy, great, I guess [Hong Kong] will have many more medals to come, and I look forward to those from the association."

Diplomatic, but Wong seems to have no idea how difficult it is to make it to the podium. 

Many online commenters have asked if Wong even knows how to swim. 

How much longer will he be chairman of the swimming association? 

Olympic Medallist's Welcome Home

Cheung shows off gold medal with fellow fencer Cedric Ho

Gold medal fencer Cheung Ka-long returned home to a hero's welcome at Hong Kong International Airport today.

Media waited for him in the arrivals area along with some 100 fans. Some people even tried to get on flights that would arrive around the same time as Cheung in the hopes of meeting their Olympic idol.

The 27-year-old Cheung is the first man in 68 years to win back-to-back gold medals in foil, and has been handsomely rewarded with HK$9 million (US$1.2 million), of which HK$6 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club and HK$3 million from Lam Tai Fai College for alumni.

He described winning the two medals as "one of the best moments in [his] life", and said the Hong Kong spirit was instilled in him during training.

"I think our spirit is [to] never give up, to try our best to get everything [and] to give everything on the piste," he said.

"I don't want to have any excuses and waste my efforts from training. I just keep going, keep fighting. This is how it is," he told the crowd.

Cheung's first order of business after arriving home?

Eating some local food.

"I went to Paris some time ago, so I miss Hong Kong food, and any Asian food I can have is great," he said.

Weak Yen Fuels Luxury Shopping Spree

Many tourists line up to snap up luxury goods in Japan

The weak yen in Japan has led to a splurge in luxury shopping, not by local residents, but by mainland Chinese consumers.

They are flocking to the land of the rising sun to snap up designer goods that would cost more back home. That's because the yen hit a 38-year low against the US dollar last month, which has led to tourists in Asia coming to shop till they drop.

The Louis Vuitton Alma BB handbag

For example, Louis Vuitton's Alma BB handbag costs 14,800 yuan in China, or US$2,050. In Japan it currently goes for 279,400 yen, or US$1,875. Last month when the yen was even lower it could have been snapped up for US$1,725.

It's a problem LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton and other brands like Dior and Fendi, does not want to have, as the conglomerate is taking in less profits; it cannot adjust prices quickly because of the volatility of the currency.

Tourists, not just Chinese, but also from Southeast Asia and the United States are taking advantage of the weak yen and not just buying designer luxury goods, but also jewellery, watches and spirits. 

In June, Japan had a record 3.1 million foreign visitors, and is projected to beat the annual record of almost 32 million foreign arrivals in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Spending by tourists is anticipated to reach 8 trillion yen (US$54.74 billion) this year, according to the government, as tourism is keeping the economy afloat despite the aging population.

Taste of Northern Chinese Spice

The eatery is known for its multicoloured dumplings

Last week two acquaintances and I were going to eat dinner in a Hong Kong-style restaurant in downtown Vancouver, but when we got there, we were surprised to find it was closed! The restaurant had just changed its operating hours, but the chef-owner didn't update the website.

So we walked a couple of blocks to the Robson Public Market, where there is a well known Chinese eatery called Nine Dumplings or 九个饺子. 

Fish fillets submerged in dried chillis

I hadn't been there since the late 1980s when a high school classmate's father ran a French bakery franchise. At dinner time on a weekday the place was pretty dead, except for this northern Chinese eatery. 

The chef-owner Yue Shen wasn't there, except a middle-aged woman who seemed overwhelmed with orders. At first she told us to come back another day and then changed her mind and asked us to wait about 15 minutes for her to clear the backlog of orders she had.

We patiently waited at the last food court table available when my friend went up to order some food. Nine Dumplings is best known for its multi-coloured dumplings, dyed with natural food colouring like spinach for green, squid ink for black, and butterfly pea flower for blue. 

The dumplings are popular, but it's the other dishes my friend ordered which were next level -- 水煮鱼 shui zhu yu, or spicy boiled fish, and 凉皮, liangpi or spicy "cold noodle" salad, that are typical northern Chinese dishes.

Refreshing salad of cold noodles with cucumbers

The fish arrived in a giant bowl covered in dried chillis with Sichuan peppercorns and pieces of fish fillets that were perfectly cooked. This dish seduces you because at first it doesn't seem too spicy so you eat another piece of fish and your mouth gets a bit spicier and tingling, but after another few bites you are hooked and eat more. Soon your mouth is on fire and like watching a car crash in slow motion, you can't help but look, and in this case, your chopsticks still continue to poke around for more spicy fish.

Meanwhile the liang pi is served cold and perfect for hot summer days. The springy noodle is made from flour and water, steamed and then sliced into thick rectangles. They are combined with chilli sauce, sliced cucumber, peanuts and sesame seeds, and a few dried chillis for good measure.

The cooling effect of the noodles counteract the spiciness, making it a more balanced dish compared to the fish one. Eating these two dishes made me feel like I was back in Beijing!

The owner Yue Shen came by and chatted with us, saying he had opened a small eatery in City Square on Cambie Street. He said business there was quiet and we asked what to eat there. Salted caramel ice cream he said with a smile!

We were intrigued and will have to stop by there sometime!

Nine Dumplings

204 - 1610 Robson Street

Vancouver, BC

(778) 246 1199

Hong Kong's Triple Medal Haul

Cheung is the third man to win gold in men's foil back-to-back

It's only Day 3 of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Hong Kong has done extremely well with two golds and one bronze already.

World number one fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai won the first gold on the first day of the Summer Games in the individual epee and those Hongkongers who stayed up in the wee hours to witness her victory were thrilled to bits.

"I'm really thankful, I'm really grateful," Kong, 30, said. "I'm just so lucky... in fencing anything can happen, and I love all the girls here, and I just can't believe it's me."

Fencer Kong celebrates her first gold in epee

Last time in 2021 during the Tokyo Games, Kong reached the quarterfinals, the first woman fencer from Hong Kong to do so.

This is her third Olympics and Kong beat a French competitor for gold.

"I lost a bit of focus [in the final] from the start and was distracted a bit thinking the home crowd would be really disappointed if I win," Kong said. "It's a dream for me to play at the Grand Palais and I am grateful for the presence of all the fans, even if they might not want me to win.

"There were no spectators in Tokyo after all, and I am touched when the volunteers, knowing that I am playing their home fencer, would still greet and cheer for me beforehand."

Today swimming sensation Siobhan Haughey also excited Hongkongers with a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle, with Australia taking gold and silver. This is Haughey's third Olympic medal, the first Hongkonger to have this many medals.

And she rallied her teammates to keep going.

Swimmer Haughey with her bronze medal today

"Hong Kong is doing really well at these Olympics and this is just the beginning," Haughey said. "We have a long Olympics journey and I am sure other Hong Kong athletes will do well. A lot of us are in top finals or around the top four fighting for medals. I hope we keep the momentum going."

Indeed soon after fencer Cheung Ka-long successfully defended his gold medal in Tokyo with another gold in men's foil. He is the third man to win back-to-back gold medals in men's foil, the last athlete to do this was in 1956.

Cheung says he won the medal for his dad, who was in the stands watching.

"I'm very happy that my dad came to see me and I could give him a birthday present -- his birthday is in July," he said. 

Review: Mui Ngo Gai Offers Singaporean and Vietnamese Dishes

Interesting decor choice for this Singaporean/Vietnamese place

On Thursday an acquaintance invited me to check out a relatively new restaurant on Kingsway near Victoria Drive called Mui Ngo Gai, which serves Singaporean and Vietnamese dishes. Walking in was a bit jarring because the decor was very western, with a colour palette of burgundy and teal, floral murals on the walls and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. 

A white guy in a tank top came in looking for a cheap bowl of pho and was frustrated he couldn't get one and walked out, while another group of non-Asians also left when they didn't understand the restaurant concept.

Grilled eggplant with tomato and shrimp

It's interesting Mui Ngo Gai offers these two different cuisines pretty much equally and in this western-style interior, where the wait staff wear uniforms that make them look like flight attendants.

Flipping through the menu you are overwhelmed by how many dishes there are; some are carefully explained, while others assume diners know what they are. The menu has lots of pictures which helps see what's in the dishes, but in some ways makes it harder to decide what to eat.

My friend likes to sample food so we were over ambitious when we ordered and probably lucky for us, one that we wanted wasn't available, so we ordered four dishes. Since we requested so much food, the waitress suggested we change tables, and we moved from the back of the restaurant to the front, by the window with banquette seating.

First to arrive was our only Vietnamese dish, grilled eggplant with prawn (C$25) that was presented on a very pretty plate and the eggplant looked like a fish, its flesh (alternating pieces of shrimp and tomato) covered in a tomato sauce. The eggplant was delicious and didn't need the prawns, or tomatoes for that matter. 

A bowl of congee with frog legs and dried chillis

Next came two small claypots, one with "porridge" or congee, the other was a black concoction with frog legs and dried chillis (C$23). We were instructed to put some porridge in our bowls and then add the frog legs and mix together before eating. 

The frog legs were delicious, very tender and had a spicy kick. Because everything was covered in a black sauce (not explained in the menu) that I didn't know I had bitten into a chilli. I had to order another glass of sour sop to douse the metaphorical flames burning in my mouth.

We also had a plate of lady fingers fried with sambal (C$25) that were on the stringy side even though they were sliced lengthwise -- they could have been poached first. 

By this point we were pretty full when a giant pot arrived with our fish head curry (C$68)! It was a big head of a snapper, but it was unrecognisable except for a giant pectoral fin hanging off the bowl. The curry had pieces of more okra and eggplant in there. Again the okra could have been chopped up instead of in whole pieces.

Fish head curry with eggplant and lady fingers

The fish head actually didn't have that much meat and sadly was a bit overcooked. Nevertheless the sauce was pretty appetising; we used roti prata (C$5) to mop up the sauce, but it was a bit too buttery for our taste.

Our waitress explained the restaurant didn't have desserts available yet (even though they were printed on the menu), but we were much too stuffed to try any; she also suggested next time we try the chilli crab, which sounded tempting!

Perhaps Mui Ngo Gai is trying to make Southeast Asian food more upscale with this kind of decor and service. The food almost matches this ambition, though the crockery used is very inconsistent. Nevertheless we hope to be back!

Mui Ngo Gai

2052 Kingsway

Vancouver, BC

(604) 876 8885

Eating Local at Farmer's Market

Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries on sale today

This afternoon I checked out the farmer's market at Riley Park, next to Nat Bailey Stadium where the Vancouver Canadians play baseball. I hadn't been to this farmer's market for decades and was keen to see what the different stalls had.

I managed to get a parking spot in the community centre connected to Hillcrest Park, where there is a library, swimming pool, ice rink and playground.

My lunch of two samosas with chickpea sauce

A short walk away I could see small tents and many of them were selling berries -- strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and even boysenberries. Others sold vegetables like corn, kale, zucchini, English peas, beets, and potatoes. 

Others sold breads, donuts, and cookies, or perogies, meat pies, frozen salmon fillets, and fresh pasta. One had a slow day selling mushrooms -- the guy wore a T-shirt with a large mushroom on it and it said "funguy". He was offering lion mane mushrooms, oyster and shiitake, and even sea asparagus or salicornia, a crunchy but salty vegetable that looks like a mini asparagus.

There were also exotic foods like Balinese sauces, Cambodian seasonings, Indian chilli sauces. 

I ordered lunch from an Indian food truck: a dish called samosa chaat, featuring two samosas with a chickpea sauce drizzled on top with a bit of tamarind chilli sauce. It was delicious with a bit of pickled cabbage.

Vegan chocolate ice cream bar!

And hankering for an ice cream I had a vegan cookies and cream ice cream bar. It was covered in white chocolate shell and underneath was a black ice cream bar, as if you had crushed the black cookies of an Oreo and froze them with a bit of plant-based milk. 

I enjoyed the food while listening to a group of singers performing songs a cappella.

While the prices are a bit more expensive than supermarkets, many people come here for organic produce or want to support local farmers. There's a warm community atmosphere here!

More Cameras to Fight Crime in HK

Tang says "all walks of life" did not object to more CCTVs

In another sign that Hong Kong is becoming more aligned with the mainland, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping Keung wants to further beef up security in the city, which means adding between 2,000 to 2,500 surveillance cameras in public places from next year.

"I think this is a natural trend. In fact a lot of other jurisdictions, they are using it already," he said, citing the UK has around 7.3 million surveillance cameras, and Singapore plans to increase the number by 200,000 by 2030.

The installment of more CCTV cameras is in a bid to combat crime. Tang explained in a pilot scheme, 15 cameras were set up in Mong Kok to detect 13 kinds of crimes, but did not specify which ones they were. 

Some 2,000-2,500 cameras installed from 2025

Tang said the cameras will have facial recognition technology which will help in robbery cases.

"Eventually, when we are able to find the whereabouts of the culprit through a number of CCTV [cameras], it will be a few hours later -- we know with AI technology, we can instantly identify the culprit," the security minister said.

Tang said adding more surveillance cameras in Hong Kong would not compromise personal privacy, adding residents and businesses "from all walks of life" did not object to them.

"All our installation of the CCTVs, it's in full compliance with our privacy law," he said.

People are too busy trying to keep their heads above water to think about surveillance cameras, even though it is yet another thing to be aware of.

As for fighting crime, the proof will be in the numbers... 

Picture of the Day: Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas look particularly pretty this year

In Vancouver, people's lawns may be yellow, but their flowers are blooming in their prime, in particular hydrangeas.

These giant colourful floral pom poms are flowering beautifully in particular this year and it's because of the hot weather we've been having these few weeks. 

These big floral pom poms are fun to see

Apparently across Canada all the hydrangeas are doing very well. They can come in white, cream, pink, blue, and violet.

Unlike roses, hydrangeas bloom for several weeks and are so pretty to look at!

Interesting to note hydrangeas are native to Asia, in particular China, Korea and Japan. 

The word hydrangea comes from the Greek word "water vessel", referring to the shape of the seed capsules. 

Wildfires Raging in Jasper

Wildfires have entered the town of Jasper and the national park

It is absolutely tragic to see what is happening in Jasper, the town and the national park are on fire. The place is renowned for its picturesque landscape and a must-see place for visitors, but now the smoke has made the skies dark while the burning inferno is ravaging the forest and creeping into the town.

The situation is so dangerous that some crews fighting the fires have been ordered to evacuate.

"[The] air quality had deteriorated to the point that wildland firefighters and others without self-contained breathing apparatuses needed to evacuate to Hinton," Parks Canada said in a statement.

"Structural firefighters remain in town and are working to save as many structures as possible and to protect critical infrastructure, including the wastewater treatment plant, communications facilities, the Trans Mountain Pipeline and others."

There are fears some buildings have gone up in flames and worries that the fire has reached the Fairmont Jasper Lodge. 

Yesterday people living or visiting Jasper told harrowing stories of having only a few hours to evacuate, packing whatever they could and driving out towards British Columbia. Some 5,000 residents have evacuated along with 20,000 visitors, some of whom were hikers in Jasper National Park. 

Meanwhile Premier Danielle Smith sent out a tweet on X saying she is "heartbroken to see reports that the wildfire has entered the townsite of Jasper."

This coming from Smith who has little regard for climate change. Last June when wildfires erupted, she claimed they were ignited by arsonists, whereas experts said climate change has led to the susceptibility to wildfires happening earlier in the season.

Wang Xianli, a fire research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, said at the time climate change is a major factor.

"It creates longer drought spells in the fire season, and also fire season is going to start early and end late," he said. "It creates more opportunity for fire to ignite."

Today firefighters were unable to bring the fires under control, as their various strategies failed, from water buckets from helicopters, fireguards couldn't be completed, water bombers couldn't fly because of the dangerous flying conditions, and controlled burns didn't work.

Smith says her government will have more to say tomorrow... wonder what the excuse will be this time...

Refreshing Cantonese Pop-Up

Baby tomatoes with whipped fermented tofu sauce 

Last night I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw an interesting pop-up at Michelin-starred Burdock & Co, a restaurant in Vancouver that focuses on mostly local produce, but this time the sous-chef Katy Cheung was taking over the place with a Cantonese/Hong Kong pop-up titled "See Ha Lah" or "Just Try It".

It was only for one day only -- today! My foodie friend and I had made plans to visit another Hong Kong-style restaurant, but she decided we would check out Burdock & Co first.

Cold tofu with lam choi and century egg

She managed to message Cheung and we got one of the last tables for the first seating at 5.30pm; they were only taking walk-ins. So we ate in the "patio", which is actually just outside the restaurant sectioned off with wooden planters so it felt like eating in a mini garden.

To get as many customers through the door, diners were encouraged to go to the bar to order food and pay for it, so the average eating time was about an hour.

We tried four of the six dishes, not including a bowl of rice. 

The two starters were peeled baby tomatoes seasoned with whipped fu yu or fermented tofu (C$18), though it didn't have that pungent smell -- it was very toned down and the tomatoes had a thin slice of sour turnip and finely diced garlic crunch.

Steamed sablefish Cantonese style

This dish was a favourite among many of the customers as it was different and refreshing, perfect summer fare. Another way to cool down was to have the cold tofu (C$15), a typical home-style dish with silky tofu topped with lam choi or preserved mustard greens and black olives, along with diced pei dan or century egg. A bit of sesame oil was drizzled on top and it would have benefited with a more generous drizzle on the tofu.

For mains we tried the steamed fish (C$42), two tail cuts of sablefish that were perfectly steamed and garnished with scallions, seafood soy and hot oil. You can't overcook sablefish and it's not as expensive as black cod but has a similar texture. 

We saw other tables try the pork chop (C$40) that was a meaty portion for two.

Mochi balls covered in Horlicks diplomat sauce

Finally for dessert a bit of fun and nostalgia in a bowl. Cantonese-style mochi balls, generously covered in a diplomat sauce or custard made with Horlicks and crunchy bits, along with desiccated coconut and sesame seeds sprinkled on top. 

Cheung came by our table and gave us a quick summary of her career. She was born in Vancouver but grew up in Hong Kong, came back here for schooling and then went back for work, where she started at Blue Butcher, a steak place on Hollywood Road. I remember learning about aging meat and they did this in a small room lined with Himalayan rock salt bricks.

She wanted to work with like-minded people who are passionate about making good food and found her way to Burdock & Co where she works with chef Andrea Carlson. Having worked here for about five years Cheung is given a lot of opportunities to create new dishes, and my favourite dish was the mushroom congee that was full of umami flavour, rustic, delicious comfort food.

The talented chef Katy Cheung

For her, this pop-up is food that she makes at home, simple, but here is presented at a high level. We appreciated her passion for Cantonese food and wanting to share it with others.

Hope she has another pop-up again and try her food again!

Dr Yuen Warns of Another Impending Pandemic

Yuen warns world leaders must fight infectious diseases

We are still going through waves of the Covid-19 virus and Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung warns we will inevitably encounter yet another pandemic that will be even worse, he outlines in his latest autobiography.

"Both the public and [world] leaders must admit that another pandemic will come, and probably sooner than you anticipate," he said in an interview.

Yuen has released an autobiography of his career

"Why I make such a horrifying prediction is because you can see clearly that the geopolitical, economic, and climatic changes are changing so rapidly."

In his autobiography, My Life in Medicine: A Hong Kong Journey, Yuen warns politicians must "come to their senses" and solve "global existential threats".

He says world leaders seem more focused on "national or regional interests", when a rapidly changing climate together with emerging infectious diseases should be a top priority.

"This is something so important that we should not ignore."

Over 20 years ago he and his team isolated and identified severe acute respiratory syndrome known as SARS that started in southern China and spread to Hong Kong and globally. The virus killed nearly 300 people in two months.

So it's not surprising he was on guard when the first reports of a mysterious virus was spreading in Wuhan, China.

Yuen's team tackled SARS in 2003

"We benefited from the 20 years of study that followed the SARS outbreak," he wrote in his book. "Until factors beyond our ability to stop or overcome -- fear, ignorance, poor messaging, and deliberate misinformation -- the measures were effective" in buying Hong Kong time until the vaccines were developed.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, more than 13,800 people died and recorded some 3 million people, almost half the population. 

Yuen still thinks it's important to find out the origins of Covid-19, saying it is "important to properly do an investigation in a very open, transparent manner" so lessons can be learned for future pandemic prevention, he said.

"If we do not talk about it... then another pandemic comes, we have to pay a huge price again."

Don't say we haven't been warned...