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A mouth full of stitches and wire, and almost every single tooth seems to be aching at this very moment. My face will never look as good as new and I still haven't regained strength in my left hand. None of this really matters. My inner circle has been riding hard for the past month, and that is what I feel most of all. ♠️🎱🖤

“Is it all worth it?” she asks. I’m going with yes. // As kids, we dodged fish market spray downs and granny push carts. There’s much less of that action these days, and the streets are sprayed down for other reasons. I can’t keep up with the rapid changes but what I do know is, it’s Chinese New Year and I would love nothing better than to be in Chinatown during the parade, surrounded by my friends and celebrate the year of the dog with food, drinks, and beautiful art. There’s still a bunch of tasks to check off behind the scenes, but we are almost ready! I hope you’ll join me at #GetLuckyArtShow tomorrow at @fortunesound . Tickets and info at @districtlocal districtlocal.com 📷 by multi-talented @m_helene #chinatownyvr

Love is the feeling we have for those we care deeply about and hold in high regard. It can be light as the hug we give a friend or heavy as the sacrifices we make for our children. It can be romantic, platonic, familial, fleeting, everlasting, conditional, unconditional, imbued with sorrow, stoked by sex, sullied by abuse, amplified by kindness, twisted by betrayal, deepened by time, darkened by difficulty, leavened by generosity, nourished by humor and “loaded with promises and commitments” that we may or may not want or keep. The best thing you can possibly do with your life is to tackle the motherfucking shit out of it. -Cheryl Strayed

Tell em, Tony! // Let’s talk about MSG. Most of you following us already know that MSG is what Makes Sh-t Good, but when we’re out in the world, we STILL find ourselves explaining and defending the use, more often than you’d think. We put MSG in our dumplings. Intentionally, proudly, and without apology. MSG (monosodium glutamate) is simply sodium bonded to glutamate, an amino acid that occurs naturally in tomatoes, parmesan, mushrooms, and yes, your beloved soy sauce. Your body literally cannot tell the difference between naturally occurring glutamate and MSG. Because there is no difference. So why does MSG have a reputation problem? In 1968, a doctor wrote a letter to a medical journal describing symptoms he felt after eating at a Chinese restaurant — and casually coined the term “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.” That letter was never a study. There were no controls, no data, no peer review. Just a letter. And yet it lit a fuse of anti-Asian food hysteria that burned for decades. Every double-blind study since has failed to prove MSG causes the headaches, flushing, or illness people claim. People who swear they react to MSG in Chinese food regularly consume far higher amounts of glutamate in their pasta, chips, and fast food — with zero complaints. Fear of MSG was always tangled up with fear of Chinese food, Chinese kitchens, and Chinese people. It painted an entire culinary tradition as suspicious, dirty, and other — while the same ingredient was quietly welcomed in Doritos and KFC under different names. We use MSG because it makes our dumplings taste exactly as good as they’re supposed to taste. It’s the same reason your grandmother’s cooking tastes irreplaceable — her tomatoes, her aged cheese, her slow-cooked broths are full of it. We’re not hiding it. It’s on our ingredient list and we’ll say it to your face. The stigma around MSG isn’t a health story. It’s a racism story. And it’s well past time we stopped letting that narrative dictate what belongs in good food. Made with by real people, made with love, craft, and yes, MSG. 🥟✨🤌🏼

The 2016 photo challenge, from a dumpling perspective. 10 years ago, @sylviatuason and I hosted the first public dumpling workshop through @districtlocal . Dumplings have always been a part of our lives, something we made at home with our moms, an easy, tangible connection to heritage that ultimately turned into something way bigger than expected. That night planted the first seeds of what became #GetLuckyArtShow, and eventually, running @dickysdumps with @dicksonli . Fast forward to now. When @panda_kao asked me to host a dumpling workshop with Bad Academy for this Lunar New Year, I said yes immediately. With @thebadacademy , Amanda has built a whole community around the idea that being bad at something new isn’t just okay—it’s the entire point. Bike repair, finances, dumpling folding—whatever. Bad Academy creates space for women and gender-expansive folks to learn, share, and embrace the mess. A mutual respect and natural curiosity to experience and learn new things together. After many, many years of organizing events and fostering community, this resonates and is still exactly the kind of space I want to keep showing up for. Whether we do or don’t know what we’re doing, we’re doing it together and having the best time. Celebrating culture and making the fun. That’s the vibe. So on February 27th, we’re gathering our community and folding dumplings together, while sipping cocktails and mocktails from the very cool @funk.coffeebar . Building community the way it should be built: with our hands, with intention, and a whole lot of heart. We’d love for you to join us. Tickets are limited to keep it intimate.

{{ Shanghai }} When in Rome… Traditional Chinese Medicine themed gelato shop with a full immersive experience, like a facsimile Jellycat café but China will take a concept, replicate it at breakneck speed while cranking it up 4x. Culturally-tailored gelato flavours of (‘not too sweet’) hawthorn and goji berry, ginseng and jasmine tea, and staff asking for your ailments to prescribe and cook up a treatment package (of the cutest little TCM ingredient stuffies.) Putting this on the grid so you can save it to your China inspo list! @zhongyaotang_gelato #忠曜堂 #shanghai

I had my first taste of dragon beard candy 龍鬚糖 from a stall at the original Chinatown Night Market many moons ago, immediately entranced by the master swiftly stretching sugar into melt-in-your-mouth, gossamer-thin strands bundled around a filling of peanuts, coconut, and sesame. It was as ancient as it was rare to find in Vancouver. As an adult, I don’t chase down sugary sweets as much, but I couldn’t resist taking a class in the motherland to learn how to make this treat dating back to the Han dynasty. Checked all the boxes of guided fun, learning, and heritage. 🤓 TLDR: look, I made candy! Booked through @getyourguide in Shanghai. #dragonbeardcandy #candymaking #shanghai

Life can get busy for everyone—a typical week has me running errands, hitting back-to-back events for @districtlocal , meetings and checking in on accounts for @dickysdumps , juggling errands, family and social life. As a one-car household, if we ever replace or get a second vehicle, we’ll likely be considering electric options. Recently, I had the opportunity to take the @chevroletcanada Equinox EV out for a week, and it kept up with a full schedule on one charge. Features that make life easier: Up to 513 km range on a full charge. More miles on fewer stops, all for it! Google Built-In: 8 years of navigation, voice commands, and more—no need to plug in. I love hands-free commands! Super Cruise: tried out the hands-free driving on compatible highways—pretty cool to sit back and watch the vehicle handle steering, lane-keeping, and speed control, even in traffic. A solid first true experience with an electric vehicle. What’s extra nice, the Equinox EV starts at under $49,000 MSRP — gotta love affordability in today’s market.

We were recently gifted two hours of self-care, and afterwards, realized we probably needed it more than we admit. @circlewellnessspas on @granville_island offers private self-guided thermal spa sessions combining ancient wellness rituals with modern technology for an immersive and memorable healing experience. We loved the entire session from the video orientation, hydrating beverage station, and tranquil, private thermal spa circuit for 1-2 persons. For those who might prefer, it’s clothing optional. Bookings are in 90 and 120 minute sessions with memberships available. #thermalspa #circlewellnessspa

Ready for you. @dickysdumps x @woodbirdofficial Graphics by @rhek 07.09.2025 @pizzacomingsoon 📷@isami_kiyooka #dickysdumps #dumplinggang

It’s been over a year but I’m still processing all the colours. Mexico City, April 2024 #cdmx 🇲🇽

Comfort meets creativity in the Keith Haring x @saucony Ride 18. The Ride 18 was already a go-to for runners. This version just carries more weight. Keith Haring’s signature ‘LOVE’ artwork is layered into the details. Not for looks, but for what it stands for: energy, movement, connection. Same feel underfoot. A little more meaning on top. Now available, in-store and online. Made in partnership with the @keithharingfoundation and licensed by Artestar in New York City. Photography: @patrickmenard_ Assistant: @miriambrellenthin Video: @annadjerfi Brand Director: @michaelbercasio Styling: @gabriellatoffoletto Production: @nick_l_o Models: @dicksonli @pd.t Special Thanks: @pizzacomingsoon @rhek @_courtneychew