Category: Uncategorized

A plethora of ethnic restaurants thrive on the far-stretching Kingsway Road, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian — but the lack of Filipino businesses speaks for the community’s economic marginalization.

There is only one Filipino dentist that services the community, on Kingsway and Broadway. Of course, Filipino Canadians need not to be served only by a Filipino dentist, but that there is only one that made it to the level of practicing such a profession is a sign in itself of the lack of work opportunities.

Dr. Gloria Samosa advertises her clinic in the Philippine Journal, a local Filipino newsletter, alongside only one Filipino lawyer, Anthony M.M. Remedios.

The phones are constantly ringing in Samosa’s clinic, as Filipino receptionists pick up calls in both English and Tagalog and the dental assistants are also Filipino, carefully preparing the utensils and offering medical gowns.  Such semi-professional jobs are barely even available to Filipino Canadians, as professional Philippine degrees are not recognized by the government.

Further down Kingsway, Real Liquidation Store, on the corner of Joyce, struggles as they run multiple businesses, such as providing a money remittance service, renting out films and selling non-perishable Filipino food and miscellaneous dollar-store-like items.  Within its dusty shelves, the best selling, of course, are the cheap phone cards.

Moving down Joyce, there is a sign of hope as five businesses in a row are Filipino, though all equally appear low-budget and unpopular. One of them, the Goto King, with its hybrid Chinese/Filipino menu, is more populated with clients that feast on bowls of mami, a Filipino version of Chinese congee.

Kay Market, a Filipino grocery store, advertises Western Union under its sign, which is an ideal sponsor because Filipinos are known for sending half of their pay cheques home.  A lot of the produce look like they should have been thrown out a week ago, but the beat up tomatoes and spongy radishes still sell, so long as those hard-to-find, Asian long beans, known as sitaw are still shelved.

One of the workers complained of the cold while he was arranging the vegetables.  Having moved here two years ago, he still has not gotten used to it, he said.

He cheerfully chatted with practically everyone who walked in.  But he was not doing so as a formidable vendor, but as a fellowman trying to make a personable relationship with people who likely aren’t used to the cold as much as he isn’t.

Tucked away on a street called Comox parallel to the Davie Village is a small hidden gem of the West End. There operates a quaint Saturday farmers market that unless one lives nearby or happens to saunter across, is difficult to find.

But fear not –the Vancouver Farmer’s Market is a non-profit organization that operates four farmers markets in Vancouver as well as a weekly winter market. The West End farmer’s market in particular draws a dedicated and eager weekly crowd every Saturday afternoon, rain or shine.

Anne Duffy, a friendly elderly woman offering delicious jam samples to everyone walking nearby and chatting easily with her customers. Duffy and her husband have been making jam for 14 years and despite her retirement she tries to sell her jam at two markets a week.

As Anne Duffy’s pleasant interaction with her customers expresses, the experience of a farmers market expands far beyond the shopping experience. Within the crowd, shoppers stop to chat with other neighbors and vendors are busy packing plastic bags full of fruits and vegetables.

Customers stop at each stand to sample the wide array of locally produced products including a woman who offers a bread sample to her child who smiles in delight.

The benefits of the market, however, also reflect on a broader scale.

“We give farmers the opportunity to sell directly to consumers and to maintain a semi-healthy lifestyle. We actually keep 35000 acres of farmland running a year,” said Public Engagement Manager, Shaye Hoobanoff.

“We are also a certified climate smart business. We work with recycling companies and try to be rid of unnecessary waste and packaging,” she added.

So, support for local business farmers, promotion of sustainability issues and community interaction. Sounds idyllic, yes, but over the past several weeks the farmers markets have become the center of heated tensions, which were only recently made easier.

“There are a lot of challenges: finding a place to operate, permits, signage laws,” said Hoobanoff, “we had to pay employers to put up signs indicating where the market was every week.”

A lack of signs did indeed make the market difficult to find.

After a public debate on July 20, 2010, the councils finally approved changes that reduce fees and allow markets to operate on private land, making Shaye’s job and the future of the market more optimistic.

As said by Executive Director Tara MacDonald, “as non-profit organizers of authentic, producer-only farmers markets for over 15 years, we’re thrilled to finally be on the road to legitimacy and long-term security”

EarthDance Day 2010 united hundreds of peace supporters on a recent Saturday afternoon in Stanley Park—literally.

At 4pm, hundreds of hands joined to form a human circle that spread across the field of the Prospect Point Picnic Area. It took only minutes for a huge crowd to gather, fostering a phenomenal energy that stopped several uninformed park wanderers walking by.

The group of passionate and eccentric participants danced blissfully in a circle that eventually coiled into a real live human spiral while tribal drums sounded in the background.

The concentration of this day, according to a press release, is embracing all traditions, recognizing and honoring the diversity of all faiths and cultures. It provides an opportunity for individuals of varying ages and ethnicities to come together and celebrate the demise of prejudices, address sustainability issues and help others in need.

The participants successfully transformed Stanley Park into a creative environment where everyone was welcome. Certainly, tie-dyed apparel and bare feet were the outfit of choice but at closer glance a visible cultural hybrid rendered visible.

Crowds of hippies opened up the circle to embrace a few chicly dressed but curious looking yuppies. Children somersaulted near an elderly woman swaying in the middle. As a group combined, everyone truly brought forth their unique personality creating an atmosphere built on sincere acceptance and understanding.

Yasmina Ramz stood eagerly with her fellow belly dancers waiting to perform on the far side of the circle. Dressed in traditional Middle Eastern belly dance costuming, the four girls appeared excited.

“It is a community building event,” said Ramz, “I have never done anything like it before.”

Across was volunteer Amir Tahmasebi whom represented the Greenpack Canada station.

“We are promoting eco-friendly, entirely biodegradable products,” he said. “The reason is to reach our target of being the greenest city [Vancouver] by 2020.”

It was just one stall among many promoting various causes and activities. Alongside the spiral dance, there was much to do and learn and activities were widely ranged.

While small children colored with their brightly decorated markers adults meditated and hummed at the stall immediately next to them. Meanwhile, expanding from the multi-cultural potluck smells of curry and spices filled the air.

Thankfully for those who appeared as if they could continue to dance without end, the festivities did not finish in Stanley Park. The EarthDance day continued into the night as part two of an all day celebration for peace at W2 Storyeum in Gastown.

The McDonald’s in Kerrisdale, usually a calm place where many members of the elderly community eat in the day time, transformed late last night into a loitering place for young adults under the influence of alcohol.  At 2 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18, a police car was parked in the parking lot of the McDonald’s fast food restaurant at 41^st Avenue and West Boulevard.

This building is a hub for activity.  It is the largest fast food restaurant in the area, and it stands two stories high at a major intersection.  It is open for business 24 hours a day.

A group of twelve boisterous teenagers sat in booths next to the window late last night.  The teenage boys laughed and chased each other throughout the restaurant.

A small bottle of Crown Royal stuck out of the back pocket of an East Indian teenager with a faux hawk.  He occasionally spiked his soft drink with the alcohol.

An Asian male teenager wearing a tight white tee shirt and earings stared menacingly across the room at the employees. There was obvious tension.

They left the restaurant and shortly after, a police car arrived at the parking lot.  The officer questioned a few of the teenage boys and recorded their names and phone numbers.  The officer declined to comment on what happened.  He said, “They’ll tell ya,” and left promptly.

James Huang said a cab driver reported to the police that he was assaulted by a male passenger and a female passenger who refused to pay their fare.  Huang saw the two passengers flee after the incident.  “They kicked him and ran away,” said Huang.  “[The officer] just wanted to talk to us because we saw.”

Huang said he had to go and quickly left with his friends.

It is unclear as to whether this group of teenagers knew the passengers who committed the alleged assault.

More young adults filed into the restaurant at 2:30 a.m., presumably after drinking and partying.  Several young women looked intoxicated.  One young lady slouched over in her seat alone while others ordered their fast food. Strewn about on the tables were food wrappers, cups, and empty ketchup containers.

Steve Hyatt, a volunteer at the Kerrisdale Oakridge Marpole Community Policing Centre, said violent crimes are usually rare in Kerrisdale.

Patrick Yacyshen stood alone in front of London Drugs in Kerrisdale on a weekday afternoon, selling copies of Megaphone, a magazine sold on the streets of Vancouver by homeless and low-income vendors.

Men in suits and ties chatted on a bench nearby while well-dressed elderly women walked in and out of the drug store.  The streets are calm.  Occasionally, a BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus drove by.  Polite chatter in low volumes and occasional voices of children walking by can be heard.

Yacyshen, in his clean tan-coloured shirt, jacket and pants, did not appear to be out of place.  He wore a hat with the label “John Deere” and brown shoes that seemed relatively new.

If it wasn’t for the distinct name of the magazine he was holding with his well-groomed hands, he could easily be mistaken for another middle-class working man.

Yacyshen is from Saskatchewan and he moved to Vancouver in 1994.  He used to work as a draftsperson, drafting anything from oil rigs to pipelines. He was laid off when natural gas prices were lowered a couple of years ago.  Now he works as a vendor of Megaphone magazine, and even writes for it occasionally.

Yacyshen said that most vendors work downtown, but he prefers to work in Kerrisdale because it has a more “relaxing” atmosphere.  He makes the trip to Kerrisdale daily to sell the magazines.  He said he can be found in front of London Drugs Monday to Friday and in front of Shopper Drug Mart on Saturdays.  He tries to take Sundays off.

Copies of Megaphone are bought by vendors for 50 cents each, but Yacyshen said there are plans for this price to be raised to 75 cents each.  The suggested donation for a magazine is $2, but he said many customers donate up to $5 to $10.

Yacyshen stays downtown at the Yale, a hotel that is known for its rhythm and blues nightlife scene.  He said rent is $460 a month and luckily, he has access to his own bathroom and shower.

Through uneven but clean, white teeth, Yacyshen said he is still quite healthy.

A block away, a man sat with several bags of his belongings in front of the Liquor Store and played music on his shiny wooden guitar.