What Industries should the Vancouver Pavilion Promote?

Vancouver is my current home town and I love it here. I am really happy to hear Vancouver have its own presents at the international event of the year - Shanghai Expo 2010. It probably doesn't have the crowd that the Canada Pavilion draws, but it is here to do business. Rumour has it, the pavilion is largely sponsored by the timber industry. No surprise there, aside from USA, China is becoming a huge timber consumer. They benefit the most from exposing itself to China.

But Vancouver not only has wood products, here are a few BC industries I wish were showcased at pavillion.

First, green technology. The pavilion does put focus on clean and green living (by building wood construction and use wood products). I really would like to see more focus. Vancouver recently was ranked one of the top 15 on the Mercer Eco-City index and 4th in Quality of Living Index. Vancouver has so many innovative small businesses that are dedicated to green technology. I participated in several business plan competitions in recent years in BC and the top prizes were always awarded to green business ideas. Obviously, we have so much to offer to China and the world. Trust me, China really needs it!!

Second, tourism. I don't think I have ever met anyone who does not love Vancouver after a visit (most, eventually move here). The mountain and the ocean are second to none. It is one of the few places in the world where you can ski in the mountains, windsurf in the ocean and play a round of golf all in the same day! Last winter, Canada and China finally agreed to proceed with the Approved Destination Status agreement. Chinese tourists will be give Vancouver tourism industry a huge boost in the coming years.

Third, booze! The Okanagan valley (5 hour drive outside of Vancouver) produces high quality wine and icewine. Drinking wine is a hot luxury trend in China right now.

Here is an article that talks about the Vancouver Pavillion in more detail.

What to buy when you are in China

China is a fantastic destination for shopping. It is the manufacturing capital of the world after all. You will arrive with an empty suitcase and leave with a shipping container! So much to buy, here is a very small list of must buys that are not only high quality, but also cheap.

1. Phone accessories. I got my iPhone cover at the pearl market in Beijing before I even got an iPhone. The cover quality was quite good. Especially, now I have dropped my iPhone at least 5 times so far. Best part, the hard cover costed me only 20RMB (3 CAD).

2. Socks and underwear. China makes over 3 billions pair of socks annually for Walmart and other retail giants. The socks are high quality and really cheap. Same goes for underwear.
3. Camera accessories. Memory cards, tripods, batteries and camera bags for sure. Don't bother buying lens or cameras since they cost approximately the same as in North America.

4. Silk and embroidery products. Silk is a no brainer. Labour is expensive in the west. Hand made embroidery is hard to find. Although a slowly dying art form in China, hand made embroidery is still plenty. You can even get your photo portrait embroidered.


5. Chinese water-colour paintings. I like to buy them. Because they are not only beautiful, but also very easy to transport. Just have to roll it up and unroll to hang on the wall. No framing required.

6. Prescription glasses and contacts. Yes, bring your precription and have your glasses made in China. I paid 350 RMB (54 CAD) for my frame and lens.

A final tip, be sure to brush up your negotiation skills before your trip.

Don't forget to join us on our next trip: China Shopping and Spa Extravaganza.

Getting Married in China

Ever thought about having your wedding in China? According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2020, China will overtake France to become the largest tourist country and the fourth largest for overseas travel. China’s romance lies in its mystical culture and the serenity of its natural beauty. Here are a few things you should know about having a wedding in China.

The majority of wedding ceremonies in China are civil ceremonies typically performed by an older and influential family member or close friend. They act as both a witness to the union and Master of Ceremonies. A religious wedding ceremony is uncommon in China, especially ones performed by figures such as a Christian priest or minister. Additionally, there is no such thing as a Buddhist wedding. Weddings in China are tied more to the culture than to any particular religion.

China has over 5000 years of history. Therefore, it is no surprise its tradition of thousands of years of vast imperial bureaucracies carry through to today! While having a wedding in China will certainly be the romantic experience of your lifetime, the process of obtaining a marriage license is no Vegas drive-thru Chapel experience (maybe that's a really good thing!). It is time consuming and expensive. There is a lot of paperwork with embassies and/or consulates involved and everything will need to be translated into Chinese.

It is highly recommended for couples who both hold foreign passports to legally marry in their home country, and hold a symbolic wedding ceremony in China only.

Fun Chinese Wedding Traditions you can incorporate into your special day:

• Incorporate the number “9” any way you can. The number “9“ in Chinese sounds like the word that means long lasting or long time. Therefore, the Chinese love to include anything with this number when planning a wedding.
• Conduct a tea ceremony for the couple to honor parents from both sides. It is also a chance for the parents to present the couple with presents or red envelopes of money.
• Use the colors of red and gold. Chinese brides traditionally wear these two colors on their wedding day and they are the predominant color for all things wedding related.
• The Bride and her friends can have a bit of fun at the groom’s expense. The groom’s party or representative(s) arrives at the bride’s house or hotel room to “acquire” the blushing bride. The bride’s friends will not ‘surrender ’the bride until they are satisfied by red envelops of money from the groom’s representative. The good-natured haggling and hijinks are a lot of fun before the wedding.

Previous related post: Want to have a unique destination wedding?

Do's and Don'ts in China

Do's in China

1. DO BE OPEN MINDED! Get ready for the culture shock of your lifetime! It is a good thing. This is why we travel to new places.

2. DO learn a little Chinese. While rumours have it that China has more English speakers than in the USA, majority of the population will not have a good gasp of the language.

3. DO eat every chance you get. Of course, that could sometimes do a number on your tummy. Take the Dukoral vaccine before you go.

4. DO brush up on your Chinese etiquette. For example, tipping is not common in China.

5. DO get comfortable with having your space invaded. 1.3 billion people is a lot of people!

6. DO learn the art of bargaining and negotiation. It is so much fun!

7. DO try to chat with the locals. You will be very pleasantly surprised with what you can learn.

8. DO be punctual. Being on time shows respect for others.

Don'ts in China

1. DON’T hug or kiss your Chinese friends when greeting them. A good hand shake is perfect.

2. DON’T make out in public. China is still conservative by western standard. Limit heavy PDA.

3. DON’T expect all public bathrooms to have toilet paper available. Always carry some of your own.

4. DON’T get upset when vendors become pushy. Just smile and politely decline if you are not interested in buying.

5. DON’T think people staring at you as hostile. Most of the looks are out of curiosity.

6. DON’T expect the Chinese food to taste the same as it does in your home country. Don’t expect a fortune cookie at the end of your dinner either.

7. DON’T comment negatively about the Chinese Communist Party.

8. DON’T start touchy conversation topics such as Taiwan or Tibet independence and avoid overly praising Japan.

Chinese Foot Massage

One of my favourite things to do while in China is getting a foot massage, especially at the end of a long day. The masseuse will first bring a small wooden basin filled with herbs and really hot (almost boiling) water to soak your feet in. After your toes are warm and soft, your body will feel really relaxed too. Finally, the masseuse will go to town on your feet! It is the best feeling ever. Most spa places I have been to, foot massages also include a 15 minute shoulders and arms massage at the end. I call that icing on the cake!

The Chinese believes there are many important pressure points on your feet. Massaging particular points can benefit your various body parts like kidney, liver and etc. Taking care of your feet is very important.

There are many foot massage spas in every city of China. From the basic local ma-and-pa shops that charge 40RMB (6 CAD) for 1 hour to the luxury spas that charge 300RMB (46 CAD), you can find a spa in any price range. My personal preference is sticking to more medical format massages which the masseuse has excellent experience in Chinese medicine or is a Chinese medicine doctor (CMD). CMDs have to learn all of the pressure points on the body as one of their basic studies, so naturally, they make very a good masseuse.

Next time you are in China, you must treat your feet with a heavenly foot massage. The only problem is you might get addicted.

Don't forget to check out Ruby Roads' upcoming Shopping and Spa Extravaganza which you will receive two complimentary foot massages while on the trip.

Where do Chinese people like to vacation in China? - Part II

Here are the rest of top 10 domestic destinations in China:

5. Guilin city (桂林山水) - During a visit to China former U.S. President Bill Clinton said "No place in China is more evocative of the beauty of your country than Guilin." Two crystal-clear rivers flow through the city, encircled by mountains with unusual and bizarre rock formations and caves. (Previous Post on Guilin)

4. Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟), Sichuan - The place is dotted with more than 100 gorgeous lakes, which differ from others by having a high concentration of calcium carbonate, so that the lakebeds and embankments are all covered with crystals. The water is so clear that the bottom is visible despite depths of several dozen meters. Waterfalls are the essence of the scenery in Jiuzhaigou. They are created between lakes on different levels with water flowing down the cliffs covered with trees.

(Photo courtesy of www.worldinterestingfacts.com)

3. Yellow Mountain (黄山), Anhui - this mountain was listed as one of the World Natural and Cultural Heritages in 1990. Yellow Mountain is characterized by the four wonders: odd-shaped pines, grotesque rock formation, seas of clouds and crystal clear hot springs. Because of its mists and clouds, natural scenery in the area changes beyond prediction. (Previous Post on Yellow Mountain)

(Photo courtesy of www.chinatownconnection.com)

2. Sanya (三亚), Hainan - The city is located at the southern most tip of Hainan Island to the West of Hong Kong. Sanya has 19 bays and over 40 inlets lying along a 209 km coast line. It is often refer to as the "Hawaii of the East". It is China's idyllic island paradise!

(Photo courtesy of www.worldsbestbeachtowns.com)

1. Lijiang (丽江), Yunnan - With the Jade Dragon Mountain as backdrop, the Lijiang Old Town has adapted itself harmoniously to the natural scenery. Lijiang maintains an ancient water-supply system of great complexity and ingenuity that is still functioning effectively. (Previous Post on Lijiang)

Where do Chinese people like to vacation in China? - Part I

China is one of those unique countries that its tourism industry is still largely supported domestically. Here are the top 1o domestic destinations in China:

10. West Lake (西湖), Hangzhou - It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with an area of around 6.5 square kilometers. The circumference is around 15 kilometers. Ancient Chinese people praised the West Lake area as a land of intoxicating beauty. Su Shi, a poet from the Song Dynasty, likened the lake to Xizi, a Chinese Cleopatra, for its allure.

9. Potala Palace (布达拉宫), Tibet - is on the list of Chinese national key protected cultural relics and most valuable storehouse in Tibet. It is a huge treasure house for materials and articles of Tibetan history, religion, culture and arts. The Palace is widely known for the precious sculptures, murals, scripture, Buddha figures, murals, antiques, and religious jewelry treasured up, they are of great cultural and artistic value.

8. Zhangjiajie (张家界), Hunan - This geopark is a rare natural museum. It has 4 main scenic spots—Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxiyu Valley, Tianzi Mountain and Yangjiajie Nature Reserve—together with Huanglong Cave constitute an integrated ecosystem with a series of geomorphologic landscapes such as mountains, water bodies, bridges, caves and waterfalls.

(Photo courtesy of www.wayfaring.info)

7. Great Wall (长城), Beijing - Everyone on the earth probably heard of this one. It is the symbol of China and pride of all Chinese people (previous post on Great Wall).

6. Gulanyu (鼓浪屿) Island, Xiamen - this island covers an area of 1.78 square kilometers and stands opposite to Xiamen City across the sea. It is a quiet pedestrian only island where you can walk around and enjoy the food and the old western styled buildings. With beautiful scenery, Gulangyu Island is accredited as "garden on the sea", "architecture exhibition of ten thousand nations", "hometown of music" and "island of piano".

(Photo courtesy of www.gly.cn)

Surprised Great Wall is not the top destination? Stay tone for the number 1 destination ...

Earthquake Stricken Yushu (玉树) Looking to Rebuild

The 6.9 magnitude earthquake that stuck Yushu in Northwest China's Qinghai province on April 14th has been devastatingly. It has so far killed almost 2000 and over 12,000 injured or missing. This region of China is in a not only remote and very rugged terrain, but also poor. However, this tragedy can give this area an opportunity to rebuild itself or even reinvent itself.

(Photo courtsey of Getty)

An eco-tourism plateau city is expected to be built in the future, even as relief work is still ongoing, Beijing News reports today. An overall plan for the reconstruction is expected to be handed in by the province to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development for approval on April 26. A disaster assessment report for the April 14 earthquake will be done by April 20 to guide the region’s post-disaster reconstruction work, the newspaper said, citing the Qinghai seismological bureau.

Largely inhabited by Tibetans, Yushu is situated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with most of the region 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) above the sea level. It is the fountainhead of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River. Ravines and valleys have been cut by the rivers in southeastern Yushu.

Another famous Chinese city has successfully rebuild itself after an earthquake. Situated in the northwest plateau in Yunnan (Heavenly Yunnan), the city of Lijiang ("the Beautiful River") got its name from its position at the middle reaches of the beautiful Jinsha River. In 1996 February 3, a 7.0 Richter scaled earthquake hit Lijiang. It took 200 lives and injured 14,000 more. Surprisingly, the city's oldest treasure, the Old Town mostly remain intact. The provincial government decided not to restore the damaged high rise buildings; instead, they were reconstructed as traditional single family dwellings after the quake. The city was given a urban make over to develop into a major tourist destination. Many say the earthquake gave Lijiang a fresh start and the reconstruction played a major role in the city achieving the designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

(Photo courtsey of www.studyincn.com)

We all hope the eco-tourism plan will do the same for the city of Yushu and its people.

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Sichuan Province (四川)

Sichuan (capital city - Chengdu), sometimes referred to as Szechuan, is located in the south central part of China. This province best known for its spicy food and panda bears, was struck by a 8M earthquake just two years ago. This devastating natural disaster killed at least 68,000 people including alarming number of children due to what was believed shoddy school constructions. The resilient Sichuan and its people have been trying to rebuild and it is still an amazing place to visit (and to eat, my favourite!!).

Sichuan is gifted with lush mountains and exquisite waters, and abounds in historical and cultural resources. Here are a few major scenic spots and historical sites:

1. Mount Emei, (峨眉山) - Situated in the southwest of the Sichuan Basin, and with a temperate climate, Emei is luxiously green all the year round full of rare and precious animals and plants. From the foot of the mountain to its summit, the Peak of Ten Thousand Buddhas, 3133 metres above sea level, the trail totals some 60 kilometres in length. It is endowed with unique changeable weather and marvelous natural beauty. Scenic spots and historic sites are found all over the places.
2. Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries (四川大熊猫栖息地) - the sanctuaries is the home to 30% of the world's highly endangered pandas. It is the largest remaining contiguous habitat of giant pandas in the world. It is also the most important site for captive breeding of the species. The sanctuaries are home to other globally endangered animals such as the red panda, snow leopard and clouded leopard. They are among the botanically richest sites of any region in the world, outside the tropical rain forests, with between 5,000 and 6,000 species of flora in over 1,000 genera. Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2006. You can also hold a real living panda for approximately $100 USD.

3. Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟) - The national park is situated in Nanping county, Sichuan Province, and encompasses an area of 720 square kilometers. Dotted with lakes and pools of various sizes filled with crystal clear waters, the valley is a fairy land gifted by nature. The virgin forests, rare flowers and grasses is home to golden monkeys, white geese, pandas and other rare and precious animals. Parts of the hit movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was filmed here.

4. Leshan Gaint Buddha (乐山大佛) - is the largest stone Buddha statue in the world. The giant buddha is carved out of the cliff face located at the juncture of Minjiang river and Dadu river. Legend has it that a monk named Hai Tong from the Tang Dynasty often saw boats capsize in the turbulent rivers, and desiring to protect the passing boats, he vowed to build a Maitreya Buddha. The Buddha was carved during the period of 713 to 803, lasting 90 years.

The buddha is 71 meters in height. Its head is 14.7 meters high, 10 meters wide, and has 1,021 hair coils. The Buddha's eye is 3 meters wide, ears measuring 7 meters, nose 5.6 meters long, and the shoulders are 28 meters wide.

Attend a Tradeshow in China

Attending trade shows is a great place to get the latest updates on industry trends or a really fast way to get to know an industry. It is also an important networking opportunity. China has many different trade shows all year round dedicated to industry from clean energy to snacks. Biztradeshows.com offers a very comprehensive show listing in China. Exciting upcoming shows including:

April 8/9 - Green Fules & Vehicles China (Shanghai)
May 25-27 - Snackex Asia (Beijing) - dedicated to snacks
May 30-Jun 1 - Interwine China (Guangzhou) - alcoholic beverages
Jul 8-11 - China International Consumer Electronics Show (Qingdao)
Sep 15-17 - China Paper (Shanghai)

If you are looking to attend tradeshows in China, let us help you get the most out of the shows and your trip!

Canada Pavilion - Shanghai Expo 2010

The Shanghai World Expo is fast approaching! Only less than two months away. Canada is in the midst of finishing up the construction of its "C" shaped pavilion (stands for Canada, communities and creativity).

(Photo credits: Patrick Alleyn/SNC-Lavalin)

Here are some information on the Canada Pavilion:

Mark Rowswell will serve as the Commissioner General for Canada. Mark aka Dashan (大山) is virtually unknown to the rest of the world, but he is an A-lister celebrity and comedian in China. I grew up watching him on television in the 80s.

Shanghai is sister city with Montreal, so it is fitting that Cirque du Soleil has been hired to perform the culture portion for the pavilion.

There is also an Invest in Canada week held from May 31 to June 4. This event is aimed at attracting businesses from life science, automotive, sustainable energy and digital gaming industries to invest in Canada.

Click here for Canada Pavilion official website.
Click here for Shanghai Expo 2010 official website.
Click here for ticket information.
Click here for my previous post on the expo.

If you are interested in visiting Shanghai or China during the expo, contact us to help you design a customised itinerary!

Minimizing Your Risks when Doing Business in China

In my last post I talked about various risks doing business in China. At this point, you must be wondering how can I minimize these risks. You can start with...

1. Educate yourself. In this age of information, there are tons of information on China online and in print. I find Google News a one stop shopping for all my China news since I can customize my news feed to topics such as "China" or "China Business" or "China Widget Industry". The best part is these news are from all different sources to give you a complete perceptive. Also check out China Business Review and this previous blog post I have done on business travel must knows. Click here.

2. Talk to people. There is an old Chinese saying "Three people walking, there must be my teacher(s)" which means when I'm with some other people, there must be something I can learn from them. So talk to people have done or currently doing business in China. They can not only give you insights on their first hand experience, most likely they can provide you with contacts which is very important (see number 8 below).

3. Go to China. This is the best way and fastest way to get to know China. Reading and talking to people are great, but will only get you so far. Actually being in China, will help you dig that much deeper into the country and what it has to offer. Try to plan your first trip in a very comprehensive way, not only see the large cities such as Beijing or Shanghai, but also check our small to medium size cities. Don't stick to one area, try to touch all four corners of the country: north, east, west and south. They can be pretty different.

4. Stay Flexible. Everything is changing rapidly in China. Trend, policy, law and etc. all may effect your business plan a great deal. You and your business thoughts must remain extremely flexible and do non stop research as your develop your business plan.

5. Budget Enough Money. If you want to buy a pair of socks in China, it is going to cost you just pennies. If you want to actually make socks, it might cost you. Doing business in China is not cheap. From initial research to hiring consultants to crossing the red tape, you will need money and lots of it. You also need a solid cash reserve for very probable issues such as surviving cutthroat competition shake downs.

6. Protect yourself. Always get everything in writing in English and Chinese. Guard your IP through any legal means possible and use common sense such as do not leave your blue prints lying around for everyone's viewing pleasure. However, you don't need to be extremely secretly around your Chinese business partners. Give as much imformation as they are giving you.

7. Reach out to organizations. Canada China Business Council. US China Business Council. US Commercial Service China. These organizations are usually right on top of the latest news and information pertaining to your business.

8. Understand what is Gangxi. I have spoken to many doing business in China veterans. They all have reflected their experience as such: it does take a long time to build relationships or Guanxi (关系 a phrase you will hear a lot) in China; yet without it you can't do business in China. There is no such thing as making a cold call in China, it always has to be a warm call.

9. Learn to negotiate. If you want to negotiate in China, you have to not only understand the way the Chinese negotiate, you better learn it too. Try to find out all you can on who you are dealing with from who is in charge to government ties. Trust me, they are doing the same thing. Also, do not underestimate the quiet ones! You have to be very patient. Don't be surprised when the contract is signed an hour before you get on your plane to head home. There are so much to be said about art of negotiation. It is one of my favourite topics! When it is time for you to enter the negotiation phase of your business, I highly recommend more in depth research and plan out specific strategies and tactics.

Risks of Doing Business in China

In previous blogs I have talked about the tremendous opportunities lay in doing business with China. But I think it is equally important to talk about my thoughts on the risks of doing business in China as well.

1. Bureaucracy and government involvement. If you are going to set up shop in China, it is inevitable you will have to deal with government agencies. You will be bounced back and forth more you like. The worst part is between agencies there will be very little or no cooperative effort. Therefore, the service will be terrible and frustrating and the process could be long and tedious. Getting through this part will be a true testament of your patience.

2. Trust. Trust is a funny thing in China. If you look at Chinese history in the past 200 years, you will discover foreign presence hasn't exactly left a positive impression on the Chinese. Degrading treaties and starting the opium wars to name a few things that the Chinese still may hold a grudge. Therefore, gaining their trust will take time. Ironically, Chinese people often are more distrusting of each other than foreigners. Mainly due to the business culture of cutthroat competition being so wildly accepted and expected practice.

3. Cutthroat Competition. Once you have shown some success in China, be sure there will be competitions. They will not only come at you fast, they will be merciless at reverse engineering your products or relentless price cutting. Survival of fittest rings most true in China.

4. Fast pace changing business scene. Chinese business law, regulations and even trend are changing all the time which can greatly effect your business and business strategy. If you don't find a way to keep up and can't modify your business plan accordingly, you might be left in the dust.

5. IP issue. I think this one is no secret. Here is a joke about how cheap different races can be from Russell Peters, a popular Canadian Indian comedian: A Jewish man will go into a Louis Vitton shop and only buy sales items; an Indian man will go into a Louis Vitton shop and barter with the sales clerk on sales items; a Chinese man will go into a Louis Vitton shop, doesn't buy anything, but as soon as the sales clerk turns around, he pulls out a camera and then sends the pictures to China. Although progress has been made to improve IP laws in China, it is a long long, very long way from North American standards. The Chinese can reverse engineer anything and they take pride in that ability.

6. Expensive to do business. Just to start, you will need money to hire the right consultants, to cross red tap, to build the right kind of relationship, to help you survive cutthroat competition and to anticipate any unanticipated costs (which will happen, trust me!). Not to mention, it is easy to get money into China, but hard to get it out. RMB is heavily controlled by the state, no significant sum can be brought outside of the country without some serious red tap.

China is not for the faint of the heart. But one must keep the eyes on the prize, because the payoff can be huge and long lasting. Stay tune to my next post on how to minimize your risks.

More to Come

The Olympics has finally ended. It was so exciting and the energy was fantastic. I really miss it. Not mention the daily fireworks!

I wanted to do an Olympics wrap up post. But I got sick like many other Vancouerites after the Olympics has ended. Hence, to do a wrap up now seems a little behind the times.

Don't worry, I will be back in running in no time! Upcoming blogs include: riskes you should know when doing business in China or my feature destination: Sichuan, home of the Giant Pandas. Stay tune!

Olympics is a Great Business Learning Opportunity

The Olympics is not just about sports. It is also about doing business, business networking and for the younger generation, it is even a great chance to learn about business. I saw this interesting article from the George Washington University Hatchet this morning I thought I share (Click here for full article).

As part of a three-credit course called Behind the Scenes at the 2010 Winter Olympics Games, 28 graduate students are in Vancouver from Feb. 12 to 23, studying sport and event management firsthand.

"It's reinforcing things that they learned in the classroom. Here, it's a living laboratory. So they're hearing from the best of the best in terms of marketing and event management," professor and organizer of the course Lisa Delpy Neirotti said.

How much do Olympians Make?

An Olympian not only can get paid in gold, he or she can also expect a lot of green. According to Forbes.com, the top earning Olympics are (for video click here):

Number 5: Apolo anton Ohno - Speed Skating earn 1.5 million last year. Doing Dancing with the Stars might have helped him!
Number 4: Ted Ligety - Alphine Skiing earn 2 million last year.
Number 3: Lindsey Vonn - Alphine Skiing earn 3 million last year.

The number 1 spot is a tie between Kim Yu-Na (ice skating) from Korea and Shaun White (Snowboarding) from the US.

(photo courtesy of MSN.com)

They both earn 8 million last year. They are heavily sponsored by mega brands such as Hyundai Motors, Proctor & Gamble, Samsung, Nike, Universal Music, Burton, Target, Red Bull, Oakley, Ubisoft and AT&T.

Interesting note, 4 out of the top 5 are from the US! And pro athletes like NHL hockey players are not included in this list.

Millionaire Olympics are very few and far in between. There are still so many Olympic hopefuls are struggling and need our support! Keep their dreams alive!

A Very Gay Friendly Olympics

(photo courtesy of wikipedia.com)

While more than a third of the world is still hostile to gays and lesbians (shame!), west coast Canada is very gay-friendly. It is one of world's top gay wedding destination. When Olympics is going to be hosted here, it is no surprise that BC is going to show the world that we are very proud and want to celebrate of this fun loving culture.

Here are related events that are happening around Olympics period:

• Whistler Pride House's cocktail lounge: located at the Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre Hotel and features TV monitors to watch events, plush leather couches for relaxing and socializing and art installations.
• The 2010 Whistler Gay Ski Week will be held March 1 to 8, between the Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games.
• Vancouver Pride House, located at the Qmunity centre, 1170 Bute St., will also host events until March 21 and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• For more information go to: www.pridehouse.ca

Happy Chinese New Year of the Tiger! 新年快乐!

Happy Chinese New Year or Spring Festival! This year is the year of the tiger. This is the most important holiday to all who are ethnically Chinese.

CNY is based on the lunar calendar and the first day always falls on a different date. The best part for me growing up was CNY is actually 14 days long! Yes, you read it right, CNY is two weeks long! Needless to say, it is my favourite part of the year.

The Legend:

Long time ago, there was a beast named "Nian" (Nian 年 means year in Chinese). He terrorised the village every year on the first day. The villagers would leave out food offering for Nian, so he would not eat the livestock, crop and small children. This went on for years and years, the villager grew more scared, but angrier too. Finally, they decided to fight back. They made firecrackers that made really loud noises to scare Nian off. When Nian came to the village, everyone was still very scared. But one brave little boy who wore a red jacket stepped forward and threw the first firecracker at Nian. It worked! Nian ran off with his tail tucked behind his back. Therefore, the villagers every year celebrated the win over the beast with red decorations and firecrackers to keep Nian aka evil spirits away.

The Customs:

• To prepare for CNY, each family would clean the house thoroughly, get a new hair cut and even try to get rid of all debts (that includes library books on loan) to ensure a clean start for the new year.
  
• CNY is a family holiday much like Christmas. It is all about eating a large family feast on NY eve.
  
• In northern China, it is customary to make dumplings (饺子) with vegetable and pork fillings. People also like to tuck a coin in one of the dumplings. Whoever is lucky enough to bit into the coin dumpling, it is said he or she is going to have a good year.
• In southern China, people likes to make a sweeter treat called new year rice cake (年糕).
• Children often receive red envelops containing cash from their older and married relatives such as parents, grandparents and etc.
• Chinese people considers themselves a year older on the first day of CNY, not on their actual birthday. Therefore, the Chinese population technically only has one birth date.

Year of the Tiger:

Chinese Zodiac is a series of 12 animals that represents every year. 2010 is the year of the Tiger. For people who was born as a tiger (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998), it is said :

Tiger people are sensitive, given to deep thinking, capable of great sympathy. They can be extremely short-tempered, however. Other people have great respect for them, but sometimes tiger people come into conflict with older people or those in authority. sometimes Tiger people cannot make up their minds, which can result in a poor, hasty decision or a sound decision arrived at too late. They are suspicious of others, but they are courageous and powerful. Tigers are most compatible with Horses, Dragons, and Dogs

My family and I will be celebrating in Vancouver amongst all the Olympics madness. I will be helping mom make won tons (since we are southerners) and other very yummy goodies. But no more red envelops for the very grown up me :(.

Olympics = $$$$$$ for the host city?

Other than Vancouver, many events are also held outside of the city. Many of the snow related sports are in Whistler. Recently, Whistler has made the news, not good news unfortunately. Whistler Ski Resort is owned by Intrawest who just ran into financial trouble aka missed a major debt payment. After the news broke, there was an air of panic whoever takes over Whistler was going to interfere with the Olympics only weeks away. Drama!

Before this, the construction of the Olympics village went way over budget by more than $100-million and has had to have its financing taken over by the city.

Is this type of controversy that sparks the debate whether the Olympics was a good idea in the first place? It is like a huge jigsaw puzzles with many uncertainties that has to come together and not to mention, it takes up massive amounts of resources. The cost almost always exceeds revenue.

I believe in Olympics is a good idea and a good financial idea. The key is not to expect the Olympics itself bring Vancouver any significant financial gain. The cost of the Olympics should be view as a marketing expense, a 580 million dollar expense. With revenue, the actual expense will not be as scary which we should be happy about.

As a host city of such massive international gathering, Vancouver is betting on the future. Let's use the Olympics in China as an example who viewed their Olympics as a coming out party for the county. It paid off almost right away. China was about to successfully negotiate with the World Trade Organization two months after it won the right to the 2008 Olympics in July 2001. The Olympics ultimately showed the world China's capabilities, infrastructure and resources which boosted trading and investment confidence the world has for her. During this economy recession, China was the first to bounce back while the rest world is still waiting.

I believe the 2010 Winter Olympics will do the same for Vancouver. More trading opportunities and more investment money will come as the world spot light shines on us for the next two weeks.