In fact, most of the stories about Asian buyers that I’ve read in the MSM have been dry, analytical talking head pieces that are really just inside baseball for planners, demographers, and real estate agents. This story puts names to faces, owners to sports cars, and filled in a lot of blanks that we kind of ‘imagine’ life to be like, but which instead boggle our racist minds with just how out of touch our lives are with those of the Asian super-rich. Like, doesn’t the Vancouver media have a Mandarin-speaking journalist/writer who can ‘hang out’ with these gals and report on ‘the goods’ (well, I guess there’s NUVO)…Then again, I live in North Vancouver; where all the lululemon moms are wheeling their strollers to Delany’s and the singles all meet at the Grouse Nest after bounding up The Grind in 50 minutes. That is, if we’re talking popular Vancouver memes.

“Thom was alarmed that consumption has effectively replaced production as Vancouver’s growth industry. “The city has become a hotel,” he said.”

A disturbing observation from a very smart man. As a resident, this is one of the most troubling long term issues for our City. We can only hope that the international movement of large amounts of capital will wane or at least reach some workable equilibrium. The worlds’ super rich (from where ever) are sloshing in amounts of cash that defy understanding at a the level of personal consumption. Full credit to those like Buffet, Gates, Musk, etc that are putting most of their huge financial resources to productive use.

I learned you can work a lifetime as an architect, win this many awards:
http://bingthomarchitects.com/studio/awards/
+ an order of Canada, and the money you make owning a house in Vancouver will trump the financial success of your business.

Interesting to hear the kids of the “astronaut” families feel more connected to Vancouver than Asia and that they plan to start businesses here. That is good news.

Govt should allow RESP to be used for downpayment. It helps children prepare for their future better than an education.

I personally don’t have a problem with people who work hard for their (high) income or at least live a wealthy lifestyle that doesn’t need to be flaunted or even talked about much at all. After all, these women granted interviews. They didn’t need to. To me, it’s just fuelling the narcissistic fueurdai mentality who find it difficult to socialize meaningfully outside of their social class (re: dating question). Pam is impressive. She will do well because of her work ethic and not taking things for granted at all –her entitled wealth could vanish/dwindle rapidly if she doesn’t “earn” herself and if her benefactors are no longer alive.
From a Chinese-Canadian born in Canada, daughter of restaurant immigrant cook, and one of 6 children. Now living a middle-class life and earning money all her life, giving money to her parents.

“I personally don’t have a problem with people who work hard for their (high) income or at least live a wealthy lifestyle that doesn’t need to be flaunted or even talked about much at all.”

People like that are destroying our environment. We should call them out for that instead of giving them a pass. Public disgust and condemnation of conspicuous consumption would do wonders for the planet.

“After all, these women granted interviews. They didn’t need to.”

They did need to. Without media attention their claim to fame disappears.

I fear we let typical Canadian politeness and fear of being labelled a racist stop us from properly addressing this problem and now it’s too late. Now our politicians just mindlessly mouth platitudes, too fearful of upsetting the real estate apple cart to act. As Bing Thom alluded to, Vancouver has become a city without an economy built on anything meaningful.

Omg. Total agreement with you, ck., in regards to the whole consumer culture we are awash in. I feel like this materialism is eating away at the soul of the city (not to mention what it is doing on a larger scale to the planet) and it hurts to witness, really. I agree with the idea to call out this behaviour instead of accepting it as normal, although I think what cyclewrite was saying was that a high income that is earned is not inherently problematic, but the behaviour exhibited by this program is. I’m halfway through watching “the century of the self” right now, have you checked out this documentary series?

Their behaviour at this time in their lives, show otherwise: flamboyant –just as they are. I would say the same thing of a wealthy chap who isn’t working yet healthy, able-bodied, reasonably intelligent but frittering money away.
It’s a world I (and probably many of us) can’t relate to. Or maybe part of it is a partial façade for journalism and reality TV.
Of course, it’s a centuries old problem: how ridiculous…very wealthy not giving much/anything to their community runs through all societies and cultures. I’m not here to philosophically defend these women or men. Waste of time.
Let me bike off (even though I choose not have a car nor drive) to my coffee which I should save money for other things.

UGH… I used to work at Delany’s in Edgemont, many years ago. Robin Delany, still wearing spandex from his run, laid a hand on my shoulder and told me I could earn an extra quarter an hour if I became a crew chief. (Just like at McDonald’s!) I nearly told him to fuck off then and there, but I quit a few weeks later instead. The idea that one should take on extra responsibility for literally two dollars extra a day has never sat well with me, not to mention I worked mornings and they were already extremely gruelling.

Tbh, I have my reservations about saying it’s not problematic, but the truth is I have never been close to experiencing it personally, not by a long shot. When you are not particularly money driven, you wonder why you don’t care to be. For me personally, I have worked for people who were very wealthy and aside from their beautiful homes, it appears you encounter a whole host of problems especially in the type of people you might attract. I always say the one advantage to having no money is that you never wonder why your friends are your friends. I would love to see more of the world, for sure, but fancy cars and designer bags and clothing hold little appeal. I make half of my clothes as it is and I have an appreciation for things that are well made, but the truth about luxury items today is that most are produced in the same factories overseas where everything else comes from, sometimes being shipped to Italy merely to have a made in Italy tag sewn inside. There’s a book called deluxe: how luxury lost its lustre detailing how all of the unique old brands have been bought out by mega conglomerates and lost the traits that gave them true value along the way. This is not a blanket statement, however.

Watch the documentary, at least the first part – it is a four part series and each is an hour long. It blew me away. I’m excited to check out Adam Curtis’s body of work.

What is the problem?

Rampant consumerism is always an issue, I think it is baked into the DNA. Wherever you go, people accumulate things they can get. The trick now is to have the smarts to NOT acquire, to NOT gorge and hoard.

There’s tons of money in garbage. Metro Vancouver and Gregor himself as head of Metro have decreed that we must separate all the garbage, at our cost. Then all those new shiny venture capitalist garbage trucks will groan around picking up their special bits so green capitalists can process it and then sell it back to us as topsoil. It’s Good for the Planet (TM).

Baked into the psyche, maybe.

Oh you know, just that wee little problem of allowing people who have made millions collaborating with a corrupt oppressive regime buy up our real estate and price locals out of the market.

Oh that problem. Well, if that’s true. FINTRAC etc should be onto that. I assume that’s what the cops are for. I was referring to the notion of rich brats running around the city enjoying their lives. That is not a problem in itself.

If you do watch it, please let me know what you think. I’ve watched the whole thing now and I remain blown away.

It’s not that consumerism is a primal urge. It’s the need to distinguish ourselves from the pack. It just comes out in consumerism nowadays because thats what we have. Before, we just fought a lot instead. Other ways is the indie music snob, a modified car, a filtered Instagram account, a foodie list of sampled craft beer.

Ants and bees don’t mate. They have queens. So, no instinct to distinguish themselves from the herd. Live, do your job, die unremarkably. Humans need to keep pushing. They have to add to the bucket list. The same drive that got us to the moon is the same drive that makes us line up overnight for limited edition sneakers.

I’m fine with posting the pic. I think someone posted one on twitter from the Olympic Village beer night. Bitter was our first one, right? I’m in for another, but the last event was poorly attended.

In the reply to this comment? 😉

I’m a derp. Otherwise, what a fine group!

I look like I could use some sun, like I don’t leave the bunker much. Kenji you were so deep in conversation with the fascinating silly season I’m not sure you realised what was going on at the moment!