Victoria Chinatown

Unfortunately, Sharon Stone is not the only one in the West who believes in this karma theory...such as here. As I said before, I believe the "China is evil" concept has long become subconscious in many westerners' minds that clouds their otherwise objectivity.

Forbes - Ooh la la. In one horrifying moment on the red carpet, Sharon Stone has shown the world what a gamble fashion labels can take when they plaster a famous face on their branding campaigns. Christian Dior has dropped Stone from its Chinese ad campaign after the long-legged Basic Instinct star let slip in a TV interview--now on YouTube--that China's recent earthquake may have been "bad karma" for the country's actions actions against Tibet.

Stone has now apologized for her remarks, saying in a press release via Dior's Shanghai office that she feels "deeply sorry and sad about hurting Chinese people." But the damage has been done--China's official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that Stone was the "public enemy of all mankind," while myriad blogs have labeled the actress with epithets like "heart of Stone."

This is all unhelpful PR for Christian Dior, which is already reeling from the a Chinese boycott against French goods because of the Olympic torch's recent chaotic run through Paris. The view of a handful of analysts who did not wish to be named is that the fashion label would be looking very carefully at its contract with Stone now. Christian Dior could not be reached for comment.

Stone has been part of a worldwide print and television campaign to promote Dior's Capture skincare line--part of the company's perfumes and beauty division--since 2006 and was chosen, according to unit president Claude Martinez, because of her "worldwide appeal as a beautiful and desirable woman in her forties, who is clever and independent."

Christian Dior is the main holding company for LVMH, controlling 42.4% of its shares and 60.0% of voting rights. LVMH's billionaire boss Bernard Arnault has already insisted that China's boycott against French goods has had "no effect" on his own profits. (See: "LVMH Boss Shrugs Off Beijing Boycott")

But Arnault will be worried about this latest business with Stone. China is a key market for LVMH particularly as consumer spending in Western Europe slows down. HSBC analyst Antoine Belge wrote in a recent note to clients that China would become "the most profitable region for luxury companies in the long run."

LVMH has been expanding its presence in China by buying 55.0% of Wen Jun Spirits, a producer of high-end alcohols, and last October its fashion brand Fendi staged a show at the Great Wall of China.

Stone, who is a recipient of the Harvard Foundation's 2005 Humanitarian Award for her AIDS-awareness work made her controversial comments last week during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview.

"I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else," Stone said. "And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"

I heard some most ridiculous comments from Chinese community "advocates" yesterday (some claim to be justice, others claim to be anti-drug) on their opinions of the a recent BC Supreme Court's ruling.

The court decides that safe injection site "Insite" should be treated as a health care facility, and thus, shouldn't fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government. The court also says denying someone to access health care is unconstitutional, while it's open secret that the feds have been contemplating to terminate exemptions from criminal laws for Insite to operate. The court also gives the government about a year to rewrite the laws so they align with the constitution.

This court decision forces the Tories to openly admit they are determined to close Insite down. The feds have been reluctant to say that on the record and have been hoping that a temporary exemption given last December could stand long enough till the next election. However, federal health minister Tony Clement just announced that the government would appeal the decision.

Back to the comments made by our community "advocates". I'm not going to quote names here.

One guy, who is supposed to be a lawyer himself, told a Chinese radio that the principle of the separation of "legislative, executive and judicial authorities" in democracy has been usurped by the judge. He said the judicial power has taken over the other two powers. The logic he used was "how can a judge order the government to write and how to write the laws?" He also quoted a section of the Charter (which I have no plan to look up) and argued that freedoms "could only be allowed within the limit of being rational and reasonable."

Well, his qualifications as a lawyer should be revisited if he couldn't understand such a basic element in law, which doesn't requires one to be a professional to understand it. I think what he said was trying to confuse and take advantage of immigrants who might not have as thorough understanding of our legal system.

Another community "advocate" said to a TV reporter: "Is the judge playing dictator here? We have the entire controlled substance laws decided by a single man."

I'm ashamed to hear this kind of senseless, mindless and useless comments coming from our "community leaders". I just hope that the rest of the country understands that stupid comments like these are not representative of the majority of that of Chinese Canadians, bananas or immigrants. My friend tUCC might have a lot more to say on this topic. :)

Xi An (??) has always been on the list of places I want to visit most. The story and mystery behind the terracotta warriors have captivated me and leashed out my borderless imagination from an early age. It would be nice if I could have more time to go through all the details of the exhibition. (I was on a 4-day tour with dad... every stop was brief). I have to admit that I was very proud of being Chinese when I saw what our ancestors had achieved.

Being the capital of China for about 1200 years since the First Emperor, Xi An (or Chang An in its ancient name) is definitely a treasure island for archaeologists and history lovers. Xi An has fascinated me. The historical architectures are well kept, with the world's best kept ancient city walls still standing in grandiose in the heart of downtown Xi An.

I will have many pictures shown in series. First of all, the terracotta army.

The terracotta warriors must be the most famous exhibition in Xi An. It's named the world's 8th wonder. Looking at thousands of warriors, each with unique faces, one would easily be amazed by the intricate work done by the sculptors over 2200 years ago (around 210 BC).


More descriptions from wiki:

The terracotta figures were manufactured both in workshops by government labourers and also by local craftsmen. The head, arms, legs and torsos were created separately and then assembled. Studies show that eight face moulds were most likely used and then the clay was added to give them individual facial features.

Once assembled the intricate features such as facial expressions were added. It is believed that their legs were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. This would make it an assembly line style of production, with specific parts manufactured and assembled after being fired as opposed to crafting one solid piece of terracotta and subsequently firing it.

In those days, each workshop was required to inscribe its name on items produced so as to ensure quality control; this has aided modern day historians in verifying that workshops that once made tiles and other every day items were commandeered to work on the terracotta army. Upon completion, the terracotta figures were placed in the pits outlined above in precise military formation according to rank and duty.

Of note is the fact that the terracotta soldiers are life sized and that no two are alike. Most researchers believe that each statue is based on an actual soldier of that time.

The Vancouver public library has expanded its "Chinese-Canadians: Profiles from a Community" project to include a wiki style of public input. So if you have stuff at home handed down from your great great grannies and would like to contribute to the CC archive, this may be a convenient and effective way. :)

Here's the description of the "basics":

You may participate in this wiki project by gathering information on any individual Chinese-Canadian born before 1901 and recorded in the Chinese Immigration List. You can then add this information to the wiki profile for that person.

To participate in the project, you must be a registered user. Once you have registered, the wiki provides a number of resources to assist you in finding information and editing profiles. These include:

Policies	Behaviour, content, copyright and privacy guidelines.
Research Resources	A guide to finding more information about individuals profiled in the wiki.
Style and Content Guide	An overview of the scope of information appropriate for various sections of individual wiki profiles as well as preferred format and style.
Cite Your Sources	Detailed information and examples of how to cite specific sources of information relating to individuals profiled in the wiki.
Using Images	Information on how to scan, upload and link images to wiki entries.

Well said.

Ottawa Citizen - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in Europe this week in part to lobby the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy to pressure China on the issue of global warming. Even putting aside Canada's dismal record on controlling its own emission of CO2 for a moment, don't you wonder why Mr. Harper ventures into building a "coalition of the willing" before talking to the Chinese leaders?

After all, other heads of major industrialized countries visit China or receive their Chinese counterparts in their own capitals on a regular basis, and some of them do multiple mutual visits a year. U.S. President George W. Bush claims that he can just pick up the phone and talk to Chinese President Hu Jintao. French President Nicolas Sarkozy went to China only months after assuming his post, openly challenged the Chinese on global warming responsibilities, and then with a stroke of a pen, signed $30 billion worth of contracts selling Airbus planes and nuclear reactors.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown travelled to China in January, also within months of taking over from Tony Blair. Joined by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Brown engaged the Chinese people in a Q and A "town hall" meeting on a range of issues, offered to host 100 Chinese firms in Britain and promised to boost bilateral trade by 50 per cent, all in the next two years.

Australia's new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, a China expert in his early training, headed to Beijing during the recent Tibet crisis. He delivered a speech in fluent Mandarin at Peking University. It was friendly, but frank, bringing up the Tibet issue. Instead of being booted, he was praised as being honest. His predecessor, the Conservative John Howard, actively engaged China, securing some $40 billion in long-term trade deals that have boosted the Australian economy.

So Mr. Harper's counterparts in Europe are likely to look him in the eye and ask two questions: Do you have strong environmental policy credentials at home? What do you have to offer from your own interactions with the Chinese leadership on the subject of global warming? Mr. Harper has neither.

While the world is busy engaging China for easily identifiable reasons, Mr. Harper has been missing in action. Two and half years after President Hu last visited Canada (fall of 2005) and more than two years after the Conservatives came to power, Mr. Harper has yet to find Beijing on the map, not to mention take a trip there anytime soon.

Foreign-policy and China-watching communities have both speculated and heard many reasons for Mr. Harper's lack of initiatives on China. First, there was the talk of an inexperienced young team that may take time to get the China file moving. Then, there was the all-consuming foreign policy challenge of Afghanistan that had to take priority over other things. Then there was the ever-looming domestic election that might come at any time, so a minority government must take care of that first ...

They all bear some truth. But they also sound more like bad excuses now that the Conservatives have been in office for 27 months. Mr. Harper's handling of Canada's China policy has been, by design or default, exactly opposite to that of other world leaders.

While others are emphasizing China's growing importance and forming a comprehensive China strategy, Canada has removed Beijing from its foreign policy priority list; while new leaders from Germany to Japan put summit diplomacy with the Chinese leaders as an indispensable part of their travel itinerary, Mr. Harper has stopped such a practice in Canada; while others are promoting investment and trade with China as a part of increasing jobs and competitiveness at home, the Harper government has let our proportion of trade and investment with China slip; and while others are in constant consultation on some of the most pressing global issues such as the environment and climate change, Mr. Harper is not even on talking terms with the Chinese.

So it is clear that Mr. Harper's China policy is anything but to have one. And contrary to the prevailing but misleading perception that somehow this government has emphasized human rights in its China policy, the Conservatives don't even deserve a passing grade on this subject.

They have suspended Canada's annual human rights dialogue and replaced it with nothing; they have been making grand, but largely self-congratulatory, moral statements regarding China's human rights record but have not implemented a single tangible project to advance human rights and democracy in that country; and Mr. Harper confuses trade with rights by stating that Canada would not sacrifice human rights for the mighty dollar, as if they are mutually exclusive objectives.

Instead of taking fresh China policy initiatives, various House and Senate committees have settled for endless hearings. What they have been told, including testimonies from this author, is very straightforward: we are losing our influence in China, we need a China strategy. Put national interests over and above narrow party politics, and engage China on a range of issues that are absolutely relevant to the long-term wellbeing of Canadians.

Yes, International Trade Minister David Emerson, the only cabinet member who has China expertise, has been going to China since last year and so have a few other ministers. But unless Mr. Harper is willing to engage the Chinese directly by making the long-overdue trip to Beijing, his China agenda on this European trip may yield very little success.

Wenran Jiang is the acting director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, and the organizer of a recent 44-member national conference on Canada-China relations.

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Bill has been a REALTOR® in Victoria since 2006. Originally from the Vancouver area, Bill moved to Victoria to attend the University of Victoria where he received his Bachelor of Science. Not only does Bill have a wealth of real estate knowledge he is also an active member of the community. He is a member of Triple Shot Cycling Club, Island Road Racers and is the Race Director for the Sooke River 10K.