Jack Layton的遗体前几天停放在市政厅供市民们瞻仰告别，今天将由夫人兼同事，联邦国会议员邹至蕙陪同，送至Roy Thomson Hall参加国葬。反对党领袖获国葬在加拿大可是特例中的特例了。

多日来，各处建筑都降半旗致哀。甚至CN Tower都亮起了橙色灯光向这位新民主党领袖致敬。（新民主党的代表色为橙色。）

市政府的广场上被人用各色粉笔写满了哀悼之词，从地面到墙面，从走道到天桥，人们不放过任何可触及的角落。尽管星期三的一场雨把它们全都抹去，但星期六我来一看，它们又都回来了。

我们就来看看这条Jack Layton Way吧。

通往屋顶花园的通道两旁也写满了悼词。

不论是同性恋、中国人还是缅甸人，大家都来感谢林顿为少数族群争取权益做出的贡献。

接下来我马不停蹄赶到国葬现场去。可惜座位有限，有人头天夜里就在排队了。我这种晚鸟自然是不得其门而入。

就在门外伴着小丑一起哀悼吧。

附近的教堂内外也都有电视屏幕直播。

Roy Thomson Hall外面万人空巷、人头攒动。前面那么多人，我连电视屏幕在哪里都看不到，只能用听的。还是两位踩高跷的有先见之明。

最后我终于挤到前面看见其中一块大屏幕了。

难得有政治家这样受人民的爱戴。我猜想当年北京人去天安门广场悼念周恩来总理就是这种情形吧。

This special event is presented by the International Taoist Tai Chi Society and the Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism.

Tai Chi is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both its defense training and its health benefits.

Zhang Sanfeng, a highly mythologised figure, lived in the Wudang Mountains, said to be the founder of Tai Chi.

The highlight today was the Dragon Dance and Parade. Many people have seen Lion Dance and some mistaken it as Dragon Dance.

The Dragon Dance and Parade is rather rare outside Asia. Today I saw two dragons at Dundas Square. One of them was super long, much longer than Dundas Square. The other shorter one was more energetic and played many tricks while dancing.

After the parade, hundreds of participants practiced Tai Chi simultaneously at Dundas Square. The scene was so impressive.

More information about Tai Chi and International Taoist Tai Chi Society can be found at their website www.taoist.org

This non-profit organization serves people 45 years old or older, try to bring entertainment and relaxation to this community.

Chinese Dance:

Chinese Kungfu(Wushu):

Chinese Opera(Huangmeixi):

Chinese Game Dou-kong-zhu:

Fashion Show:

Chinese Music:

For the past 20 years the Rom Shing Hakka Opera Troupe has actively participated in a variety of performances around Taiwan and overseas to help promote the art form of traditional Chinese Hakka opera. The troupe combines the “nine styles and 18 modes” of Hakka opera with comedic and humorous dialogue.

Plot Synopsis

The monkey king Wukong is in need of a unique weapon to defend his home base on Huaguo Mountain, which he occupies with a band of monkeys. After searching high and low with no avail, Wukong desperately dives into the sea and demands Hailongwang, the dragon king of the sea to offer the best weapons in his underwater palace. When the dragon king refuses to lend out the divine needle – a powerful relic used for flood control in ancient times – to Wukong, a hustling uproar begins.

Supervised by Mr Li Beida from China’s Central University of Nationalities Dance Department,The Little Pear Garden Collective brings us Mongolian and Dai Chinese dance at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre.

The majority of Mongols live in northern China north of Beijing. Dancers in the video imitate wild geese flying.

The Dai people live in southwestern China and are closely related to the Thai people in Thailand. They are famous for their peacock dance which you can see in this video.

“La mian” means “handmade” or “hand-pulled noodles.” These noodles originated from the northwestern part of China. Over the centuries, the art of handmade noodles has reached the vast corners of China and has consequently become a part of many regional Chinese cuisines. As a result, different types of handmade noodles have evolved adapting to regional flavours and ingredients.

Lanzhou-style la mian is the most common type of noodles throughout China, especially in north-western China. Many of the small Lanzhou-style la mian restaurants are owned by Hui Muslim Chinese and serve only halal food. Lamian restaurants are the most common halal restaurants in eastern China.

Lamian restaurants often sell Daoxiaomian knife-sliced noodles as well. You can also find Daoxiaomian making demonstration in this video.

You must have noticed the Japanese taiko drumming accompaniment in this video. What does taiko have to be do with La mian? I guess that’s because Japanese love La mian which they call ramen. “La mian” in Chinese and “Ramen” in Japanese are the same in written form, although are pronounced slightly different.

The lion is traditionally regarded as a guardian creature and his ceremonial acrobatic dance will summon luck and fortune to all.

Performers teach two audience members how to perform the lion dance. The two lions then “battle” in lion costumes and the winner is determined by applause and receives a prize.

In Canada, stores close very early. You can’t even shop after work.

In Asia, most people go to a night market not for shopping but for eating. This is especially true in Taiwan. At some large night markets there, you can also find all kind of games to play. Very often, there is a Chinese temple somewhere in the night market and people can go to bai-bai. Night market is a great place to hang out.

NAAAP(North American Association of Asian Professionals) and T&T supermarket has brought a night market to downtown Toronto this weekend following NAAAP’s successful Night It Up! night market in Markham earlier this summer.

There are dozens of vendor booths selling mostly food from around the world, mostly Asian cuisine. There are bands and groups sing or dance at two stages.

Main Stage

Tornado Potato, which originated in South Africa, is said to be very popular in Korea now. It is one of the most popular food at the night market.

Tornado Potato

Stinky Tofu has always been the most popular food at almost any night market. It has a stinky smell when it’s not cooked. After being deep fried, it has an appealing aroma and taste for most native Chinese. However, most non-Chinese especially those who have never tried it would still hate that smell.

Stinky tofu is made and consumed in different ways in various areas of China. But it gets famous overseas really because of night markets in Taiwan.

Stinky tofu is a main staple in every night market throughout Taiwan. Many Asian tourists even pay special visits to a village near Taipei Zoo that’s famous for making stinky tofu.

Stinky Tofu – Hong Kong style

There is an auto show at the night market as well.

Car Show

Mini Cooper S

The settlement of modern Toronto began in 1793 when Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe built a garrison on the present site of Fort York. Fearful of war with the United States, Simcoe planned to establish a naval base at York (Toronto) so he could control Lake Ontario.

In 1807, Anglo American relations began to decline again. In anticipation of war, Major-General Isaac Brock strengthened Fort York in 1811. Today’s west wall and circular battery date from that time. In 1812, the United States declared war and invaded Canada. On the 27th of April 1813, the Americans stormed ashore west of the fort under the cover of their naval guns. The defenders put up a strong fight, but fell back to Fort York from the beachhead in the face of overwhelming odds. The Americans occupied York for six days. They looted homes, took or destroyed supplies, and burned the Parliament Buildings and Government House. In 1814, the British retaliated when they captured Washington and burned the Capitol, White House and other public buildings.

The British army continued to garrison Fort York after the war, although most of the troops moved to new barracks one kilometre west of the fort in 1841. During times of peace, Fort York’s defences were allowed to deteriorate, only to be strengthened at times of tension, such as the Rebellion Crisis of 1837-41, or when war with the United States seemed imminent, such as in 1861-62.

The City of Toronto purchased Fort York in 1909 and restored it between 1932-34. On Victoria Day 1934, Fort York opened as a historic site museum. Today the fortified walls surround Canada’s largest collection of original War of 1812 buildings.

The site’s eight heritage structures include defensible blockhouses, a bombproof gunpowder magazine, an ordnance store, and several soldiers’ and officers’ quarters, all of which represent the British army’s architecture as employed on the Canadian frontier in the Georgian era. Some buildings present restored interiors to reflect the lives of the garrison community, such as the graceful Officers’ Brick Barracks and Mess Establishment of 1815. Others, like Blockhouse Number Two from 1813, house museum exhibits that explore fascinating themes in Canadian military history.