 In recent years, Lunar New Year has become part of custom for many — showing up in festivals, schools, and corporate greetings. Once seen mainly as an Asian celebration, it now feels like a familiar part of the city’s cultural rhythm. This is also because Lunar New Year is not observed by just one culture. Across East and Southeast Asia, including China, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond, millions of people mark this same moment in the lunar calendar, each in their own way.
The holiday season is always filled with lights, laughter, and festive campaigns, events filling every corner of the calendar. But every year, there are a few moments that quietly remind us why we do what we do, not for deliverables or metrics, but for the people and the connections behind every project.
 Bad news sell, even faster on social media. Recently, a blogger published a misleading story on social media, key details distorted. The post quickly gained attention, and many people who are unaware of the full picture, sided with the blogger. Our client suddenly found themselves caught in an unexpected wave of criticism, a “crisis out of nowhere.” As their PR team, we worked tirelessly to clarify the facts and help them respond responsibly. Evidence and clear explanations prevail in the end, but damage has already been done and it takes time to mend.
This experience reminded us just how different social media and traditional journalism operate, especially when it comes to truth, speed, and accountability. Over the past two decades, social media has grown from a supporting channel into one of the main ways we get our news, connections, perspectives, and daily updates. We scroll through Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, WeChat, or Red, and see everyone sharing everything, from product reviews and event recaps to public policies and political debates. Traditional outlets like newspapers and TV, once the main gatekeepers of information, now share the space with millions of individual voices.  What does a fundraising gala truly mean to a community? At first glance, it may seem to be about raising money. But as the Gala hosted by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden on September 25 reminded us, its meaning reaches far deeper.
The true measure of philanthropy is not the donated amount. It is in the bonds formed, the trust built, and the sense of belonging that lingers long after the evening ends.  AI can write better and faster than many of us these days, but can AI replace us?
There is one thing we know for sure: Humans lead with intention, AI only responds. While AI can generate words, only humans can create stories that carry purpose, build trust, and deepen connections. That is what we are diving into today: Why human-centric storytelling will always set brands apart in this fast-moving AI era and how you can tell your story in ways that truly connect.  Photo Credit: Chinatown Storytelling Centre Left to right: Dr. Anson Cheung, Dr. Peter Kim, Dr. Christopher Nguan, Dr. John Yee The answer is probably different depending on the person’s heritage, culture, personal experience, number of years in Canada and so on…
As an immigrant from Hong Kong, I certainly think that Canada is an inclusive country accepting everyone from around the world until I learned about the history of early immigrants at Chinatown Storytelling Centre. With the early Chinese immigrants arriving in Canada in 1880’s to build the Canadian Pacific Railway, there was much tension as to where Chinese people can reside or have the right to vote. During World War II, a group of people of Chinese descent decided to go to war despite they are not officially Canadians.  We live in an age of endless content. Scroll your feed and you will see flawless AI-generated faces, perfectly lit dreamscapes, and surreal compositions that blur the line between real and artificial. Even conversations are evolving, as chatbots deliver answers faster and more fluently than ever before.
But for all its capability, AI still cannot replicate one essential element: soul. It cannot capture the quiet resilience in a person’s smile, the shared laugh between generations, or the layered histories embedded in a neighbourhood’s streets, the human stories rooted in memory, culture, and connection.  In the world of global commerce, innovation often thrives at the intersection of cultures. Bubble tea, a Taiwanese staple that has become a global sensation, is now at the centre of cultural conversation, sparked by the Quebec-based company Bobba and actor Simu Liu’s remarks during their appearance on Dragon’s Den.
What is interesting is that Bobba is not the first non-Taiwanese company to enter the bubble tea market. In recent years, competitors from Mainland China, South Korea, and even global brands like Starbucks have introduced their own versions of boba drinks. In fact, Starbucks launched its popping boba beverages this past summer with little backlash. So why did Bobba’s pitch on Dragon's Den ignite a conversation around cultural appropriation? August and summer are coming to an end, and it was such a fantastic month for us at Choice Communication!
Over the past weekend, Vancouver's Chinatown was filled with vibrant celebrations, community spirit, and delicious food during the fourth annual Light Up Chinatown! Festival. Thanks to the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation for bringing us this fantastic event!
Folklore has it that the festival honours the love story of Niulang (牛郎, pronunciation: ngau4 long4), a cowherd, and Zhinü (織女, pronunciation: zik1 neoi5-2), a weaver girl. The Queen Mother of Heaven tore apart their forbidden love, but magpies form a bridge across the stars (the Milky Way) once a year to reunite them.
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