The Princes and Princesses of Vancouver

According to Wikipedia, "...In the 21st century, Chinese immigration from Hong Kong has dropped sharply and the largest source of Chinese immigration (to Canada) is now from Mainland China." These new Chinese-Canadians tend to concentrate in Toronto and Vancouver. More often than not, the parents would buy big houses and expensive cars in the cities for their "only" children so that they could go to high schools or post-secondary institutions in Canada. The parents would return to China and periodically come back to Canada to visit their offspring. These young Chinese people are usually spoiled by their parents and expect to be treated like royalty by others . They have little or no morals or ethics. They have no respect for laws and rules. 

I am going to share my personal experiences with four of these Chinese princes and princesses of Vancouver.

One summer afternoon three years ago, I was walking on a major street in Richmond, a suburb heavily populated by Chinese immigrants. A Ferrari sped by, almost running over a mom pushing a stroller on the pedestrian crosswalk. A police car was approaching from the opposite direction and managed to pull the Ferrari over to the curb. When I passed by the two cars, the policeman stood next to the Ferrari, trying to issue an infraction ticket for speeding and dangerous driving to the young Chinese man driving the Ferrari. That young man could not be more than eighteen years old. While the policeman was writing out the ticket, the young chatted nonchalantly on his cell phone as if nothing wrong happened. 

A few years ago, I volunteered to do translation for a study on the Diet Habits of Chinese Diabetic Patients. The medical student, that was hired as the research assistant for the study, is a girl from Shanghai, China. This young woman has no work ethics and is egotistical. She would make me do her work. When I confronted her with this issue, she retaliated by not reimbursing me the bus fares which include a monthly bus pass and single bus tickets in the amount of $120 CAD. She created her own rules for the transcription of the interviews and got away not paying me a single penny, claiming that I did not comply to her rules. When I expressed my displeasure, she just smirked at me.

A couple weeks ago, one of my roommates hit me with her fist when we got into a heated disagreement. Her family immigrated to Canada a few years ago but she would not stay in the house that her parents bought because she did not want to be under the watch of her relatives and grandparents.  Like some youngsters, she is messy and does not clean up after herself. Instead of using the doorbell, she kicks the front door when she locks herself out. She swears and lies often. 

To end my blog on a high note, I would you tell you the story of Victor. This story also took place three years ago in Richmond. I was supposed to attend an orientation meeting for volunteers for an annual event. I was walking in circles at the wharf for twenty minutes, trying to find the meeting place. A young Chinese man came to my rescue. His name is Victor; he was also looking for the meeting place. Eventually, his parents had to drive us to the other end of the dock. Victoria immigrated into Canada in 2011 and landed in a small town in Nova Scotia. There were hardly any Chinese immigrants in that part of Canada. The family learned to speak English and integrated into mainstream society in no time. They moved to Vancouver in 2015 only because Victor was accepted into UBC. His parents could not bear to be separated from their only son. Victor is a well-mannered, bilingual young man who likes to give back to the community. In my eyes, he is a true Prince of Vancouver.

How I Became A Part-Time Global Nomad

Reflection

When I returned to Vancouver in March this year, I came back with a severe bacterial infection in my right foot. I had to go to the Emergency Department of a hospital as soon as the plane landed. I was in and out of the hospitals for the next month or so. A typical question would be, "What were you doing in West Africa when you contracted the infection?" My standard answer would be, "I was on my annual six-month journey in West Africa." Then people would conclude that I was extremely wealthy to afford traveling for six months at a time. When I told them that I have visited 94 countries so far, I instantly became their idol, living their dream.

I reflected on what brought about this itinerant lifestyle of mine. I had a serious car accident back in January 2010. Even though I was making a decent living at that time, I was stuck in a dead-end job that was highly stressful. I kept working for another five months after the accident, and then I took a year of unpaid medical leave. I had time to think about life and to take care of my physical health. Because of the stresses in that last job, I acquired a whole bunch of chronic diseases such as hypertension, bladder spasm, skin problems, gynecological disorders, etc. In the meantime, I also looked for a new job but I was not successful in landing another job.

When pressed for an answer, I told my boss I would not return to work in June 2011. In July, I planned for a six-week trip visiting Russia, Mongolia and China. Even though I was still relatively unfit for extended travel, I felt wonderful during that trip. Subsequently I made a decision - I would only do things that made me happy from then on. I would travel as much as I could afford. I was living on my savings so I only considered budget travel like backpacking. I would travel as slowly as possible and staying at each place for a longer time. I was living in a one-bedroom apartment in a housing co-operative. Housing shortage in Vancouver was near crisis level around that time. To give up a large one-bedroom unit in a housing co-operative seemed like an unthinkable thing to do but I did.

I rested for another year and most of my health issues were resolved. My weight went down by about 20% in a year's time. In January 2013, I embarked on my first six-month journey to Oceania. I had hopes of finding a place in the South Pacific to call my new home. On March 1st, 2013 while visiting Tonga, I had a bicycle accident. I had to cut short my Oceania Odyssey. I returned to Vancouver for medical attention. In early September 2013, I resumed traveling. I flew to Mumbai and toured Southern India and flew to Sri Lanka from Chennai. Then I visited Malaysia, Indonesia and flew to Rarotonga in December. I was hoping to catch a cargo boat and visit a remote island from Rarotonga, Cook Islands. That plan never materialized. I ended living in Rarotonga for four and a half months until my visa expired.

When I returned to Vancouver in April 2014, my parents sold their house. When they told me that I could not store my belongings in their garage after they moved into their much bigger new house, I spent that summer selling and giving away my stuff along with a whole lot of items that my family collected over the past four decades. My plan was to rent a small locker where I can store my stuff when I am not in Vancouver. From then on, whenever I am in Vancouver, I would continue reducing the number of suitcases and boxes in storage. To this day, I still have a 125 cubic foot locker year-round.

The search for my new home did not end after the two attempts in the South Pacific. I heard that the cost of living is relatively low in Central America. That fall I flew to Mexico City and tried to make my way to Panama by mid-April. By mid-January 2015, I got an email from my sister that she had to return to work after taking a family sick leave for three months. I had to make a short turn around in Nicaragua and return to Vancouver mid-February to take care of my mother who had suffered a stroke. I was her primary caregiver for seven months.

By the time that I got on the plane to fly to Nairobi in September 2015, I realized that things did not work out the way as planned. I have in fact become a part-time global nomad. I don't believe in buying travel insurance. If I can live anywhere in the world, I can also die anywhere. However, I should have some kind of medical insurance coverage. Solution: Travel no more than 182 days in a calendar year to maintain a Canadian resident status. If I get very sick or seriously injured, I would come back to Vancouver for medical attention as soon as I could. Plane tickets are almost always less costly than travel medical insurance

After spending two winters in Vancouver since my early retirement, I also realized that I should always go away during the cold and rainy months since my body does not take the damp and cold weather too well subsequent to my car accident in 2010. Vancouver still has the best summer weather in the world. I would just have to bear the high cost of living and the apathy in this hometown of mine. Meanwhile, I give back to the community that I grow up in by volunteering as much as I can whenever I stay in Vancouver.

Summertime in Vancouver

Life is like...

 "... life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."

Many analogies have been used to describe what life is like. One of my favourite playwrights, William Shakespeare compared life with these lines in Macbeth: "Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."  On a lighter note, there is a famous line, that I like to quote all the time. It is from one of my favourite movies, Forrest Gump. "... life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."

A few days ago, I heard another analogy in a philosophical discussion. It was used to emphasize the aspect how we had to improvise to forge forward in times of adversity. Life is like cooking a meal for your friends and family. I reflected on this analogy and became rather fond of it. 

A democratic host would keep in mind the likes and dislikes of her guests. It could be a buffet dinner or individual plates customized to individual preferences and tastes. An autocratic host, on the other hand, would only serve food that she likes with little regard for her guests' preferences. It seems to me that I have had mostly autocratic hosts in my life. Either I am just not someone that they care about or they are just self-centered. They only invite me because of social protocols. I have learned to decline such invitations. Why should I go through so much agony just to be polite?

Sharing a meal with someone I truly like, however, is a wonderful experience especially when it is a home-cooked meal. When I take time to prepare something that my guests like, it is also an expression of love. Going to the market and food preparation are no longer chores.  Sometimes I experiment with new ingredients and discover new favourites with my friends.

In the first two analogies, though the individual takes action on his surroundings, he/she cannot affect how things would turn out. The experience is passive and unilateral. The last analogy, on the other hand, has elements of choice and interactions. Whichever way one goes through life, there is always a beginning and an end. 

House Of Pleasures

Vancouver is full of dirty old men. Every time I return to my home city, I would frequently be approached by "friendly" elderly men. These men appear to be educated and intelligent, perhaps just a little lonely. Who would have thought that a conversation at the bus stop or in the park would almost always lead to molestation and even foreplay? They all claimed to be just flirting with no ulterior motives. As it turned out, these single pensioners targeted the "non-professionals" because they simply would not have the financial means to pay for sexual services to satisfy their strong libido.

I read about the Prostitution Law of Canada that was introduced by the Conservative government  in 2014. It is modeled after the Swedish Prostitution Law which is based on the view that prostitution is violence against women and a clear sign of inequality. Essentially, it is...illegal to purchase or advertise sexual services and illegal to live on the material benefits from sex work. Although it is legal to sell sexual services, in some cases it is illegal to solicit in public areas.

Canada, being famous for providing an excellent social welfare net to its citizens, should really consider setting up safe houses for sex workers where these male seniors could get sexual services at nominal prices. These houses of pleasures would serve several purposes:

• To provide a haven for sex workers who would otherwise be soliciting in public areas and living without proper health care.
• To reduce sexual assaults and/or domestic violence rates because the sex-hungry crowd would not have to force themselves on their unwilling partners.
• To improve public safety so that women could resume jogging in park or walking in the dark to and from their homes to bus stops.
• To minimize the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

This proposition is not entirely outrageous since there are already safe injection sites in Vancouver. These injection sites are staffed with social workers and health care workers as a harm reduction measure for the narcotic drug users. Similarly, the houses of pleasures should be staffed with health care workers who would administer mood stabilizers and condoms to the users before they could enjoy the 5-minute service on each visit. Studies have shown that mood stabilizers and antidepressants are effective in decreasing libido over time. 

In terms of finances, the sex workers would be on duty no more than 40 hours a week in accordance to the provincial employment standards and be given an allowance equivalent to Income Assistance (BC Benefits). The cost of a pack of cigarettes is roughly $15.00 CAD in Vancouver so I would think the patrons would be able to pay $15 for the prescription drug and condom per visit. Just like the safe injection sites, these houses of pleasures should be unmarked but far away from schools. If run efficiently, these houses might generate net profit for the local governments. If not, it is the kind of social services that should be subsidized with tax dollars.

It is impossible to eliminate the oldest profession nor is it humane to arrest and castrate all these dirty old men. This alternative solution to a long standing social problem might just be what Vancouver needs to protect its women.

2018 in Review

Essaouira, Morocco at Daybreak.

In less than two days, we will ring in a new year. It is time to reflect back on the past 363 days.

Life was very routine and mundane in the first half of the year. I dug out all my photo albums and scrapbooks, and scanned all my paper photos into a USB stick. I gave away more clothes, shoes and accessories. But still I could not eliminate the use of a locker. I suppose I would need a locker in Vancouver as long as I spend half of a year in Canada. When weather is getting more extreme in Vancouver, winter clothing is a necessity.

Unlike the summer of 2016, I did not volunteer in public events as much this summer. I tried to help people on a one-to-one basis more. Sometimes it is just listening to people's complaints. At the same time, I spent a lot of time gathering as much information about West Africa as possible. The prospects were looking worse and worse the whole time. Subsequently I made a decision that I would just travel to fewer countries in West Africa than I had originally planned.

By the end of July, I quit Facebook to rediscover the real me. I felt so free from the shackles of social media and my thinking became clearer. I lost the compulsion to check FB news feed frequently. I had approximately three months of pre-FB peace of mind. Then I realized that I had to join an FB group that would provide me the latest status and news on the West African countries that I am going to visit. I reactivated my FB account mid-November and posted regularly again.

My West African journey started on October 1st in Paris, France. The fact, that I was dragging my feet in my actual visit in the Western part of the African continent, prolonged my visits in Spain and Morocco. If I had to choose a favourite city in Europe on this tour, it would have to be Cordoba, Spain and Essaouira in Morocco.

Cordoba at night.

Life is full of surprises. Just when I thought it would be unlikely to fit a month-long visit to Cape Verde, I found out that Air Senegal started direct flights between Dakar and Praia at the beginning of December. Cape Verde again became the highlight of my West African journey. To be able to spend the holiday season in Cape Verde is a dream come true. My West African journey once again became eye-opening and enjoyable. Thank you God for answering my prayers and bestowing all these wonderful gifts on me this year.

Sunset behind Volcano Fogo, Cape Verde.

To Go Or Not To Go To West Africa

Ever since I was little, I dreamed of being a missionary in Africa. Then I realized that I did not fit the description of a religious missionary. I relinquished that dream many years ago. After my early retirement in 2011, the idea of an African journey rekindled. Perhaps just to satisfy my curiosity, I should give the African continent a whirl. Even though much of Africa has come a long way in the past few decades, abject poverty is still evident in many African countries. When I visited Eastern and Southern Africa in 2015/2016, tourism in most of the African countries was still not well developed.

Transportation is the biggest issue. For instance, the main north-south "highway" in Mozambique was in very poor condition. To travel a distance of 1400 kms, the minimum travel time is 25 hours of non-stop driving. The highway is full of potholes and frequent checkpoints with corrupt police. Another issue is the lack of tourist accommodations. Okavango Delta is a well-known tourist spot in Botswana; however, budget travellers have no choice but sleep on the ground in tents on campgrounds. Thirdly, public health issues could at times be of grievous concern. For example, the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa prevented me from completing the circuit around sub-Sahara Africa.

Now that the Ebola epidemic is under control, I would continue my African adventure. In addition to the three issues present in Southern and Eastern Africa, West Africa has two more issues. The first one has something to do with the travel visas. For most Western country passport holders, Senegal and Gambia are the only two countries that require no visas to enter the countries. Last but not least, terrorist activities and robberies are common in many of the West African countries.

Many of the globetrotters would only travel in certain parts of the world, forsaking the less known places altogether. I, however, think that I should visit these places at least once and try to understand why they are not popular with the travelers. Many a times I got transported back in time when traveling off the beaten path. There are places that are unaffected by urbanization or modernization. I uncovered the kind of primitiveness that I would otherwise not be able to experience.

God willing, I hope to visit Senegal, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin. If it gets to be too challenging, I would just turn around before Benin. As always, I want to travel like a local tourist. This means riding in a lot of bush taxis which are often time consuming. I have allocated roughly eighteen weeks to complete this journey. I would save Cape Verde for last because I might not have enough time and it is the easiest country to travel in.

Authentically ME

1.4 billion users worldwide but not in my world, hahaha.

During the past six weeks, I have led a pretty much "social media free" life. When I first quit Facebook at the end of July, I tried to replace it with other social media such as Reddit, Twitter, Google+, etc. Because I don't have many followers on those websites, the news feeds and updates are not as abundant and frequent. I have not developed an obsession to check those websites regularly. Subsequently I turned to playing video games on my cell phone. Soon I also got bored of those games. Nowadays I watch a couple of hours of YouTube videos everyday just to keep myself up-to-date with the latest social development and new discoveries/knowledge. I treat internet as a tool like a telephone or a resource for information and entertainment.

My original intent to participate in Facebook was to keep in touch with friends and family in a more open, efficient and effective way. Back in the pre-Facebook era, I used to send email to friends and family whenever I was travelling abroad or an annual review at year end. An annual review email is the electronic version of a Christmas card. People seldom reciprocated my actions. I would have no idea what was happening in their lives until somebody was born, got married or died. It would seem to me that people value their privacy more than anything else unless they can gain from me, they have no desire of having any form of communication with me. I will remember this observation next time I am lured to sign up for a social media website

Perhaps because I have been "off" the workforce and mainstream society for almost a decade, I have forgotten most of the negative aspects of human nature such as greed, jealousy, competitiveness and selfishness. In many ways, these characteristics are accentuated by online social media. Since retirement, I move around constantly and do not have a permanent address. I have not been able to stay long enough to form stable relationships anywhere. My exposure to all these traits has been kept to a minimum. Facebook brought forth these long forgotten issues. Smartphone apps with broadcast messaging capability such as Whatsapp, Wire, Line, Viber, Wechat, etc. also provide a means for wide-spread rumours, gossips and fake news.

I do not claim to be enlightened; however, I have come a long way to where I am spiritually. By removing myself from popular social media and messaging platforms, I return to my former state of happiness and content. How the rest of the world perceives me is of little or no concern to me. I suspect nobody really cares how, where and who I am. They could be "better" than me in every way or form. I know who I am and what the purpose of my life is. If the Almighty has a plan for me, I trust that He would reveal it to me and let me have a chance or two to complete my mission. After attempting to communicate with the outside world, only recently have I learned the lesson of not needing or wanting to update my status or be noticed.

In the world of ME, I am the centre of this universe. There are no influencers or followers. I decide what I like or dislike. I don't feel obliged to belong to any group, political party or religious institution. I don't have to comply with a particular set of rules or follow certain teachings. I was molded to have strict morals and ethics which, when combined with my conscience and love for all creatures, should be sufficient to sustain me. I am and shall remain authentically ME.