New York, Everything A “Modern Warrior” Would Ever Need

April 05, 2024 / Angela Bi

“New York is where the future comes to audition.”
- Ed Koch Former Mayor of New York City

I was back to New York again. In this lovely spring, our special party, “Foreword & Newworld”, brought me to students at Johns Hopkins University. I felt like a student all over again. The vitality of the campus was contagious. New York is New York, full of energy.

Just like Ed Koch, former Mayor of New York City said, "New York City is where the future comes to audition". The city has a special meaning for all those who are young and full of dreams and passion. Globalization has made it even more challenging to survive and succeed here. Even with a diploma from schools like Johns Hopkins and Ivy League universities, careful planning is highly recommended.

The young are ready to explore their future in a new world after the COVID-19 pandemic. On our guest list were successful lawyers and career advisors, who had a face-to-face discussion with the students on job hunting and immigration. For these new graduates, “Foreword & Newworld” is a true reflection of what is important to them. A whole new world is taking shape with infinite possibilities. They are yet to make some thoughtful decisions.

When meeting with students at schools like Johns Hopkins and Ivy League universities, I could totally anticipate their focus on academic performance, but was amazed by their eagerness for knowledge about etiquette and fashion.

This is where my fashion buddy Tiffany comes in. Tiffany is a co-founder of Oleada, a luxury fashion company. Oleada has won the hearts of trendsetters and industry leaders, with customers like Maye Musk (mother of Elon Musk), Italian Princess Melusine Ruspoli, Amie Song (social media mogul), Susan Rockefeller, Pauline Brown (former chair of LVMH North America), and Fern Mallis (creator of New York Fashion Week).

Tiffany shared her thoughts and experiences on starting a business in New York. You need to battle in order to survive in a city like New York. A designer bag would come in handy for our modern warriors, be it bustling in the city’s concrete forest, business meetings, get-togethers with friends, or at home.

If you can survive in New York, you can survive anywhere in the world. The Big Apple is one of a kind. To succeed in your “audition” on this international stage and win a big role, you need more than your passion.

A community with all who think alike, where you can exchange ideas, support each other, and make things happen together, is the happy place you would want to be.

It’s finding your happy place.

Making a memory, together.

Turning your memory into a legacy.

Sharing with your loved ones.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on April 08th, 2024

Chinese Version 中文版

Angela Bi is the founder of TCT Arte House, a global digital community for investors interested in a trusted resource in the world of art, culture, travel, well-being and wealth management. With over 20 years of business experience in both China and North America, she has established a private global network of high-net-worth Chinese to invest in high-profile landmark projects in NY, CA, and Europe and has curated for her clients some of the most invaluable investments to ensure the best quality of life.

毕颖是TCT Arte House的创始人，这是一个数字化礼宾服务平台，集合全球可信赖的投资资源包括艺术、文化、旅游、健康和财富管理等领域。游走中国及北美、拥有20多年的业务经验，她已建立了一个由高净值资产中国人组成的私人全球网络，以投资于纽约、加州和欧洲等知名地标项目，并为她的客人们在世界范围策划私密的奢华体验，以确保最佳的生活品质。

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Emily is in Paris. Let’s also go there

September 07, 2023 / Angela Bi

“Angela，Here’ s brief description of how I feel when I am in Europe. When Monika and I are in Europe, we are stimulated by historical and cultural richness, scenic landscapes, quaint towns and villages, culinary delights, cultural warmth and diversity, old-world charm, sense of romance, and especially, ease of travel. Not to mention, better sense of fashion. Europe is truly heaven on earth in my opinion.”
- Wahid

On a scorching afternoon in the garden, I cozied up with the plants, birds singing, and my dog, with nothing on my mind. Gardens and pets make the best therapists.

Seeing the text from a friend travelling in Europe, I couldn’t help but immediately tune in to Emily in Paris, and savoured my European holiday to the full.

Here are my favourite quotes from Emily:

“Like wearing poetry. - Emily
“I have been dreaming of moving to Paris forever, you know. I mean French men, they love older women. Look at their president. He’s young. He’s hot. He married his schoolteacher.” – Madeline
“Paris is for cheese lovers.” – Emily
“Well, this will give you something to dream about.” – Emily
“Smoking is a pleasure, and without pleasure, who are we?” – Paul
“German?” – Sylvie
“I feel like I’m dreaming and I’m about to wake up.” – Emily
“You haven’t done Paris right until you’ve had at least one wildly inappropriate affair.” – Mindy
“We came here to lose ourselves and find adventure.” — Brooklyn
“Yeah, happy endings are very American.” – Julien
“You came to Paris and you don’t speak French. That is arrogant.” – Luc
“A little ‘Bonjour’ goes a long way.” – Emily

Ten days I spent to zone out the feelings from my trip to Paris. I had success losing weight, so I rewarded myself with coming back to my routine – morning cafes with a latte and butter croissant to start the day.

Smacking the croissant crumbs off the corner of my mouth, I thought of Emily’s phone call with her boss in Chicago. The boss, a lady, said that Paris has nothing but croissants and sex, while Emily said that all she had at the moment was croissants when she just arrived in Paris.

**Emily in Paris (2020) - S01E03**
GIF Source：getyarn.io, Netflix © 2021

Having enjoyed my latte, I felt a smile on my face. I went through a list of my friends all over the world – perhaps it is even challenging to just have a good croissant.

Sooooo, shall we also go to Paris like Emily? Anyway, it seems that it is just a question, and no answer is needed.

Reason NO.1 -

New routine in Paris:

Eating from the wake-up to mid-night,

but still successful in losing weight.

I started a 30-day diet challenge from my personal trainer in April. I went to the gym twice a week, exercised on calorie-watching, and followed a strict diet. The first thing in the morning for me was to use a Kenote test paper to see how my body was doing, reflect on what I ate for the previous day, and weigh myself.

Six weeks later, I successfully lost over 10 pounds.

I am a huge fan of Bryan Johnson, so I follow what he does.

Bryan Johnson and Kernel make helmet devices that see and record brain activity, which provides valuable data for the discovery of knowledge about brain activity and the development of brain-related treatments.

Bryan is the founder of many well-known tech startups and an expert on regimens.

He and his personal health team came up with a strict diet and exercise plan, which is shared on the Internet. His schedule and diet are available at https://blueprint.bryanjohnson.co

Here is an example: his “Super Veggie”.

After two years of exercising incredible self-discipline, physiologically his body is 31 years old, while he is actually 45.

Then I was in Paris and lived free of all restrictions and disciplines. I ate well, but surprisingly, I continued to lose over 8 pounds.

This explains our reason NO.1 – we have to go to Paris.

Tips: small portion, quality and additive-free ingredients, no driving, and at least 2 hours of walking/wandering per day. Curiosity and a good mood are the key secrets here.

Reason NO.2 –

In Asian and North American countries,

men talk about only business in cafes or restaurants.

In Paris,

men are seen talking about philosophy and ideologies in cafes and restaurants.

This question came up in the past: Men from our culture leave as soon as business is over, but why did you stay in the hotel lobby and keep talking for the entire afternoon?

Well, well, well. This may boil down to a difference in our lifestyles. In Asian or North American cafes, men often talk about work or business opportunities, and leave as soon as they are done. Nonetheless, in Paris, men are often seen spending a whole day in cafes, talking passionately about philosophy and art, which is kind of a “wonder” for me, having lived for years in North America and Asia.

This is probably why many ideologies and theories originated from all kinds of cafes in Europe. Examples include the “La Rodonde” that we talk about, which used to be frequented by Pablo Picasso, as well as “Café de Flore”, one of the favourites of Simone de Beauvoir, my idol.

New thoughts about philosophy and art begin in discussion and thinking. Perhaps you have to be in Paris to understand what it means to a day of talk.

Reason NO.3 –

Unusual Compliments

I have had many compliments before. But in Asia and America, most people compliment me because of their recognition of my career. Compliments are usually about my competency and professional success.

While I’m in Europe, the compliments are somehow different. They are more about my smiles and how I communicate with my eyes. This different feeling is refreshing to me. It is a gentle and pleasant acculturation.

It is about sharing how I feel, and also about how we plan things. When it comes to enjoying life, there is passion, and there is also action. Another citizenship can enable free travel to Europe, and head to Paris as long as you want. Now the Euros are in a favourable exchange rate, and it is time to plan ahead for your family to enjoy life in Europe. Emily is already in Paris, and we can’t wait to be there!

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on August 17th, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

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No Art, No Freedom

May 11, 2023 / Angela Bi

“New York: Michael Lin Art Exhibition and After Party.”
- Michael Lin

Time flies, it's time to fly. I have been lazy and have not travelled for several months. A friend called me to New York. Yes, life in Vancouver is too relaxing and I should travel to New York to feel the busyness.

When it comes to New York, the melody of "IMAGINE" by John Lennon is always in my mind. Lennon longed for world harmony and art is a global platform for that harmony. I accepted the invitation of my friend and went to New York. Together we would prepare an After Party for artist Michael Lin after his exhibition.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City (2022)

Michael Lin

Internationally renowned painter and conceptual artist

Source：Youtube - BLOUIN ARTINFO

In 1964, he was born in a Taiwanese family in Tokyo, Japan. Later, the whole family moved to Los Angeles, USA. In 1990, he graduated from Otis College of Art and Design, a famous art school in Los Angeles.

He also obtained an MFA from the world-renowned Art Center College of Design.

Japan, Taiwan and the United States, international life laid a good foundation for his later creation.

The traditional floral pattern is his inspiration

You may be familiar with his floral pattern art, but you may not know that his art career began with two traditional floral pillows at home. In 1996, he participated in an exhibition with a theme of "Interior" in ITPark and these two pillows which appeared in his painting had become a hot topic among the visitors. This unexpected discovery let him realize the culture and collective memory inside the traditional floral pattern.

“Creation is developed out of nothing. I choose patterns from floral cretonne. My role is to be a selector and a worker living in society. My works are dialogues with society, and they are not superior at all.”

— Michael Lin

Cretonne with traditional floral patterns seems tacky but with the creativity of Michael Lin, it becomes a unique artwork.

A large-scale public artwork integrating tradition and modernity

In addition to traditional paintings and artworks, Michael Lin believes that the appreciation of a painting is not only one-way but also an interaction between the painting and the audience.

“I hope to break the boundary of painting appreciation so that artwork can be stepped on, lie down and sit.”

— Michael Lin

Integrating traditional floral art into public buildings and art galleries, Michael Lin always thinks outside the box to challenge the traditional framework of art. He added a unique visual design to walls, floors and various interior elements to let the audience become a part of the painting and have a deep reflection on themselves, art and architecture.

Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (2001)

His art connects space and people from all over the world.

Minimalism throughout his creations

Looking at Michael Lin’s artwork in detail, you will find that there is minimalism in these colourful floral patterns. For example, he intentionally removed some elements of the pattern and created dislocations between patterns to eliminate the relationship.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (2015)

Let us enter this floral world and appreciate Michael Lin’s unique aesthetics!

Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila, Philippines (2016)

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (2017)

Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, Canada (2020)

Once “Grandma’s cretonne” was gradually disappearing in people's lives but now it has become popular internationally. Free and uninhibited creations have given a new life to these patterns.

Michael Lin designed the Untitled collection for the French porcelain brand, Bernardaud.
Source: etne

Art is a universal language

An ordinary piece of traditional floral cretonne opened up infinite possibilities for Michael Lin. The international stage has allowed him to take the Eastern aesthetics of floral patterns to the next level.

After Party

International Art Dinner

After stepping out of the dream world created by Michael Lin, I prepared the After Party with friends.

Here are some paintings for decoration.

Michael Lin’s 000 series have been exhibited in many museums such as Pecci Museum in Italy, The National Museum in Taiwan, The Moscow Biennial in Russia and The Pearl Art Museum in Shanghai.

A bouquet of flowers is thrown up against a clear blue background (i.e. the sky) and straddled the edge of the canvas to allude to infinite emptiness, like the endless sky. The large area of blue integrates calm and introversion in Eastern culture as well as generosity and the uninhibited manner in Western culture. The unique aesthetics of the painting is varied by viewing from different angles. It is no surprise that the 000 series become popular around the world.

The azure background of the painting just filled in the empty wall and added an artistic colour to our space.

Floral patterns are the main theme of Michael Lin’s creation. Of course, this element was essential to the party. The colourful patterns in this painting are very attractive, making people walk into his art world gradually. The dislocation created between the patterns eliminates the relationship giving more space for thinking.

Art brings us a common language, a common world, and a common freedom. The melody of "IMAGINE" is still playing in my mind, "I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one" Lennon's ideals made wonderful lyrics touching our hearts from time to time.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on October 7th, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

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Louis Vuitton, a legendary brand for all dreamers

April 10, 2023 / Angela Bi

“Perfumery is the last adornment; when you remove everything then you still have your smell, your perfume. This is what people will remember of you.”
- Sache Kalifé, Communications Director of Henry Jacques

Recently I received good news about my good friend, a Chinese Canadian female artist, Yan Xiaojing became the first artist to collaborate with Henry Jacques, a French luxury perfume brand with half a century of history.

Henry Jacques - serving for public and never compromise

In the olfactive world of art, the high-class perfume brand, Henry Jacques continues the French traditional perfume craftsmanship. The CEO of the company, Anne-Lise Cremona, who is the daughter of the brand founder Henry Cremona brought Henry Jacques to a new era. Originally, this brand with 50 years of history mainly targeted the private market to customise perfumes for their exclusive customers, but now, it has been transformed into an independent brand which enters the global market and has boutiques in 8 cities around the world.

This gave ordinary customers like us an opportunity to enjoy the modern and innovative experience created by this legendary brand. I love their first boutique opened on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, which perfectly reflects their spirit of serving the public and never compromising; representing tradition and leading to the future.

Putting the perfume showcase representing modern technology and the traditional craftsmanship perfume showcase that pays tribute to the tradition together does not seem abrupt, but complements each other.

Source: Forbes

Yan Xiaojing - Lingzhi girl’s natural growth

Xiaojing and I met each other at the exhibition at Rockbund Art Museum in 2018.

Later, we met again at the art installation event at Hermès Maison in Shanghai in 2019.

Last year, Xiaojing was invited to make installation works for Hermès Shanghai at Plaza 66.

Last year, Xiaojing was invited to make installation works for Hermès Shanghai at Plaza 66.

In 2022, I was so glad to have a chance to visit the exhibition at the Canadian Embassy and Cultural Center in Paris.

Both of us are currently living in Canada and deeply understand how this free land nourishes our lives and souls. I am very happy to see the growth and development of Xiaojing's art in the past few years.

“I’m fascinated with the way technological advancement gives humans the illusion of power over nature. Now I’m playing with a range of collaborations between the human element and the natural element by designing a controlled, human environment that, over time, gives way to an organic process. When I create my lingzhi sculptures, I first put woodchips and lingzhi spore mixtures into the mold I created. With the control of humidity, temperature and light, lingzhi mycelium starts to grow. Once the lingzhi mycelium had bound the wood chips into the mold’s shape, I removed the mold and put the bonded mixture into a small greenhouse to let it keep growing. After a few weeks, the body of the roots began to grow and created their own transformative sculpture. These new mushrooms, in turn, dropped more spores, thereby providing the delicate brown powder that now covers the sculptures. The beginning of this hybrid science/art/ idiosyncratic/secular experiment satisfies me. I am no longer in control… nature is. For me it’s important that each side of this equation has a chance to shine,” said Xiaojing.

“Her steps continue in the vein of process-oriented art-making, which involves building a system and then relinquishing some control to chance. However, this system is more than just a creative approach, it reflects human beings in a larger role in ecosystems, highlighting the value of working with other species."
— Art in America

If you want to know more about Xiaojing's works and exhibitions, please visit her personal website: www.yanxiaojing.com

“Spirit Cloud” Installation Art by Yan Xiaojing

This match made in heaven between Henry Jacque and Xiaojing is the first time that Henry Jacque has cooperated with an installation artist to materialize his olfactory art.

Immersed in Yan Xiaojing's “Spirit Cloud” Installation Art, you will not be stingy with your praise. The fleeting beauty of the fragrance mist and its minimal perceived energy are perfectly interpreted by the hanging cloud beads. The shape of the installation is reminiscent of the spray of Les Brumes, the slightly swaying pearls and filaments linger in the air like fine droplets of perfume, and slowly fall back to our skin or the fabric of our clothes.

The special shape design composed of 13,000 freshwater beads is fascinating. It is also a materialized language that reflects the continuous and stable vitality of the top perfume brand, and a metaphor for its never-ending development momentum.

Henry Jacques defined their boutique as a "living" space - both the warmth of life and the refinement of art - rather than an ordinary store. Yan Xiaojing's eye-catching installation art is perfectly embodied here, which is the icing on the cake.

Source：parfumshenryjacques.com

Being here is like falling into a cocoon of beauty and inspiration, thinking about self-reflection. They try to encourage those who meet by chance to realize the ultimate beauty of life with suitable intimate experiences and unique hospitality. The combination of art and nature is intoxicating. On the occasion of the New Year, Yan Xiaojing uses the metaphor of the mysterious oriental Ganoderma lucidum to bring us the most exquisite encounter of French life.

And one of my New Year's resolutions is to visit these Henry Jacques boutique destinations and collect my own unique scents.

Visas Consulting Group, 49 years, always at your service

We have used ingenuity to create high-quality immigration projects for high-net-worth clients over the years, as the only founding organization from China in the International Investment Immigration Council (IMC), which is reputed by the United Nations for immigration, we have successfully fulfilled the immigration dream of over 200,000 high-net-worth individuals.

We rely on the long-term and rich successful experience of the professional lawyer team and the profound and all-around international supporting resources to provide our customers with the latest policy information and customize personalized immigration plans for each family according to the customer's actual situation. We fully discover the advantages and potentials of our customers, keenly identify problems and creatively solve the problems, and rely on careful planning and orderly steps to make sure every applicant attained what they want at one go. We also provide top-notch education, taxation, investment, and life guidance services for valued customers who are becoming global citizens and ensure to reduce anxieties on your immigration process.

We will ensure to support you on your transition and settlement process and assist you to promote your family smoothly.

Just like one of Henry Jacques' brand mottos: Luxury is time for yourself!

Yes, let us remove the so-called important elements, and at the beginning of the new year, save the most extravagant time for yourself. When you only wear the smell of perfume on your body, what emerges in your mind is that you should carry forward like Ganoderma lucidum immortal classic values - Dream, Strength, Resilience, Wholeness.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on January 7th, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

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Savoir Vivre - Artistic Ramblings in Pink

April 03, 2023 / Angela Bi

“There is no joy other than the joy of creating.”
- Romain Rolland

The beauty of February should not be limited to just Valentine's Day. Love is in the air and our mood is pink. The entire month of February is filled with love.

Pink cushions on the office’s sofa, laying a pink runner on the conference table, decorating with fresh flowers, serving pink sparkling wine, playing soft music, our art salon begins.

Our theme is leisurely

Communicate about art, and chat about life, without any specific theme: there are already so many daily trivialities, in this romantic February, let’s leave behind the usual rules, regulations, and mundane tasks. Chat about whatever comes to mind, speak freely, talk about anything, and don’t stick to conventional topics, enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee together.

When we are in the mood to chat, there’s no need to be confined to a room, a table, or a sofa. The entire office can be a great salon. We can chat wherever we like, even in the hallways.

Our food is pursued to the perfect

Early Monday morning, my colleagues Yo-yo and Yuan and I started preparing the office decorations.

We planned the menu for the event together with the help of my two favorite cookbooks. The most important thing is taste, of course, health and nutrition must not be neglected, also organic ingredients are the protagonists of the day. We visited several quality food stores in Vancouver, in order to select quality ingredients.

First and foremost, no event is complete without a delightful and delicious cold platter, and this time, we’ve created a special appetizer combination using bocconcini cheese, cherry tomatoes, cantaloupe, mint, and Italian cured meats. It’s a refreshing and delicious starter.

For small bites, we’ve prepared three different salads featuring salmon, tuna, and chicken breast as the main ingredients, served with our carefully selected Croccantini bites. The salads are delicately soft and tender with a fresh and sweet taste, complemented by the crispy and salty texture of the crackers, creating a perfect balance of flavours and textures. Despite it being a cold dish, we never compromise on the quality of the preparation. All the salads are made in the morning to ensure freshness and flavour.

There’s also “Devil Eggs”: Cut boiled eggs in half and top with a cream ball. The cream ball is a mixture of smoked paprika, mustard sauce, egg yolk sauce, black pepper, salt, lemon juice and butter.

Our dessert is homemade coconut jelly, which is refreshing and sweet without being high in calories. It combines taste, appearance, and health benefits. All the guests are full of praise. Many of them even expressed their desire to take a few cups home for their children.

The decorative flowers were personally selected by me the day before, paired with my favourite glass vase to add a touch of February romance and vibrancy to what was originally a rather business - like office.

The discussion of art is more attractive than delicious food

It is well known that Richmond is a prosperous commercial district with a wide variety of dining options, but lacks a strong artistic presence. However, the Vancouver area is full of hidden talents and treasures. For this event, we have invited my good friend and renowned painter and artist, Yang Xiaolu, as well as the “godfather” of China’s modern art collection, the esteemed master Zheng Shengtian, to join us.

The only regret is that my French independent curator friend Joseph, who visited our office for the grand opening last year, is unable to travel to Vancouver this year due to his busy schedule planning a new exhibition. However, we are delighted to have him join us online for this event.

Joseph enthusiastically introduced us to one of the most famous cafes in Paris, La Rotonde, which was one of the most popular restaurants among artists and writers during the golden age of Paris. Picasso was also a regular guest here.

This year can be considered the first year that we truly walked out of the pandemic era, everything is slowly returning to its pre-pandemic state. Joseph reminisced about the beautiful era of art in Paris, imagining the Paris of 100 years ago when masters like Picasso, Matisse, and Chang Yu lived. It was a golden age of Paris, with a front artistic atmosphere that became a classic period in art history.

The conditions for experiencing a meaningful life are not solely material but also involve revolutions in culture, art, and spiritual needs. A century ago, the rapid development of material life brought about by the Industrial Revolution allowed the masters to sense the wave of the times, as the conflict between advanced material life and backward spiritual life gave rise to the golden age of Parisian and European Art.

And now, perhaps we are also entering a new era. As the representative of the Third Industrial Revolution, the Internet has experienced rapid development over the past twenty years, and the arrival of the Web3, along with the impact of the Metaverse and NFTs on the art world, cannot be ignored. These developments may indicate that art and culture have reached a crossroads and that a new golden age of art is just around the corner.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on March 14th, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

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Would Joséphine willing to create NFTs for Redouté's paintings?

March 27, 2023 / Angela Bi

“Art itself is not immortal, but the immortality lies in the understanding that it conveys about human beings and the world.“
- Vincent van Gogh

I came to New York to hold a party in the cold winter, and met many young people from the Web3 community. Though Web3 was dormant as the economic winter approached, the young people at the party were still full of faith.

If I had to sum up their characteristics in a few words, I think they are adventurous, curious, inquisitive, passionate and bold explorers.

I feel so relaxed when I come to Manhattan, it's like a journey of cleansing the mind. But if I lived here 365 days a year, I would obviously feel exhausted. The weather in Vancouver in January is always the same ---- cloudy and gloomy, which seems perfect for organizing and calming your thoughts.

On a lazy afternoon, I opened an art book and planned to make a replica of some pictures, but I was attracted by the text of the book.

Pierre Joseph Redoute Collection

- Bold in exploration and full of charm

The Belgian painter Joseph Redouté is the most famous naturalist flower painter. He spent his life doing one thing: capturing the scientific beauty of flowers in watercolour.

The portrait of Reynard painted by the painter Louis Léopold Boilly

He advocated careful observation and scientific description of the appearance of flowers, adding the beauty of painting to the strict academic and scientific requirements.

In 1789, out of appreciation for his beautiful paintings, Napoleon's Queen Joseph invited Reinard to visit Josephine's garden at the Château de Malmaison.

At that time, there were more than 250 species of roses, with a total of more than 30,000 precious roses. Out of respect for the beautiful garden and the Queen herself, it is said that the British and French navies even temporarily suspended their swords to ensure that the roses reached Malmaison as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, this rose garden was destroyed by the war, and we can only glimpse the grand occasion from the paintings of the painters at that time.

Redouté spent 20 years in Joséphine's garden and created his most famous book, Les Roses, one of the milestones of botanical literature, described as "the most elegant work, the most beautiful study", with 170 lifelike, scientifically scaled copper engravings of roses that carry Redouté's passionate aesthetic and make it impossible for readers who love flowers, painting and botany to take their eyes off the book.

This method of painting is called natural history painting. Natural history painting, like Bai Juyi's poem in Chinese classical literature, conforms to the basic principles and intuition of life. No matter the aesthetic level of the audience, it can intuitively feel its beauty.

Redouté invented a unique engraving pointillism technique to ensure the vibrant colours of flowers under the premise of scientific precision in printmaking, which has made his natural flower prints, especially the vibrant rose prints, the only rose in the art world.

Les Roses was published in 30 editions between 1817 and 1824, with ten artists, engravers, and hundreds of colourists involved in presenting Redouté's masterpiece to the world. Originally published as a large five-volume folio, each rose was available in both monochrome and hand-coloured versions. Over the past 200 years, as painting technology has improved, more than 200 editions have been published.

Web3 Waves -

Intrepid explorer Steve Aoki

At the time, Redouté's masterpiece required the collaboration of countless engravers, and it took 10 years to present Les Roses to the world. Today, with the rapid development of Web3, the distance between the public and the work of art is rapidly decreasing.

I recently read an interesting interview on “Entrepreneur” about Web3 and found another interview with the interviewee in CoinDesk, sharing his insights on Web3 and cryptocurrency from an artistic creator’s perspective.

Steve Aoki, one of the most respected DJs in the world, who has been in the top ten list of DJ Magazine’s World’s Top 100 DJs for ten consecutive years, and he also believes that Web3 ((NFT, metaverse and cryptocurrency) will be a new outlet for new age art, especially for individual independent artists, and that Web 3’s momentum can be described as unstoppable.

There are a few insights that are impressive to read:

"Instead of focusing on the money that NFTs can generate, focus on the art behind them, just as I would never put a bitcoin image on the background of a social network, but instead get a Michelle Baquer piece tattooed on my hand; the uniqueness of NFT is “ownership”, a unique power that was not available to users in the Web2 era.”

He also owns many NFTs, and even excitedly displayed the "Doodles" series of NFTs he just bought at the event.

He was also outspoken about the future of NFT：

"People will create communities more rationally rather than making quick money; as GrayVee said, although 98% of the existing NFTs may disappear into history, NFTs will eventually survive and give everyone the opportunity to own their own artwork through the block-chain."

I think his theory has some merit. If we ignore the price of NFT as a medium and focus on the modality of the art itself, they are not fundamentally different from traditional canvas and Redouté etchings - they are just a technique, a vehicle for the art itself.

Traditional Art - Van Gogh &

Digital Exhibition - NFT Web 3

Through the technological development of today's Internet, NFT and Metaverse can also help more ordinary people who know less about artworks to recognize the beauty of art, and it is also easier to spread, share and carry their own art collections.

Another direction for Web3 is a modern, immersive and new approach of curating artwork.

Photographer: Nina W. Source: Immersive Van Gogh LA

Lighthouse Immersive was founded in 2019 by Toronto-based producers Corey Ross and Svetlana Dvoretsky, along with Toronto-based developer Slava Zheleznyakov and Chicago-based producers Maria Shclover and Irina Shabshis. Lighthouse Immersive is the first experiential entertainment complex designed to foster community and creativity through large-scale events and exhibitions in a variety of art forms.

They focus on providing a fully immersive experience, hoping to allow audiences to fully experience the charm of movies and artworks. Moreover, the E.T. exhibition, which lasted for six months, brought 650,000 visitors.

I was very interested in the Van Gogh exhibition, which has been running for many years. They use the new technology of the 21st century to allow more people to experience traditional works of art in a new way.

The effect of their Van Gogh exhibition halls varies from city to city, and for Chicago, the exhibition hall was set up in the Germania Club, which has a history of more than 100 years in the city centre.

The flowing 'Starry Night', the swaying 'Irises', and the blooming 'Sunflower' are all brought to life by the high-definition projection up to 30 meters around the room.

Source：Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch

In the past we have always argued that the only way to understand a masterpiece is to see it in real life, simply looking at a picture does not really capture the beauty of art handed down from generation to generation. The size of the canvas the masters chose, the materials they used, and their delicate brushwork, cannot be truly reproduced in even the highest-resolution images.

However, with the advent of technology and the rapid development of the Web3 era and scanning technology, art viewing once considered a 'luxury' in the eyes of the general public, has gradually become more affordable.

The immersive, wrap-around, ultra-high-definition, extreme-resolution artwork experience gave me a real sense of the new art experience of the Web3 era. You can look at the artwork from any angle, in any direction, without worrying about whether there is a queue behind you. You can also find a soft chair that you like and take your time to appreciate every detail of these works of art from the oversized projection, and at the same time, make yourself a part of the work.

Source：Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch

Art and its forms of display inevitably evolve with the times. Instead of making a fuss about it, we ordinary people should just watch and enjoy it.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on January 29th, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

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Does the Pope of Finance Have the Influence He Used to Have?

March 13, 2023 / Angela Bi

“How much money you can accumulate in your life depends not on how much money you can earn, but on how you invest and manage your money, money looks for you is better than looking for money, know how to make money work for you rather than working for money.”
- Warren Buffet

I enjoy working with American women in terms of having business corporations. Their courage and passion have inspired me, a lazy bone who used to chill in Vancouver, to keep moving forward.

Recently I talked to my friend Jing from Chicago to see if we should organize a Warren Buffett shareholder meeting activity. My concern is whether this Pope finance of the world, who is in his 90s, still has the appeal he used to have?

Warren Buffett Shareholder Conferenc

The Warren Buffett Shareholder Conference is one of the biggest events in the quiet city of Omaha. Since its first held in 1973, more than 50,000 global investors have traveled to this beautiful town on the Mississippi River in recent years hoping to learn and comprehend Mr. Buffett's investment gain from last year and his predictions for next year at the first moment, and to grasp the latest trends of the investment market.

The house where Buffett lived for over 40 years in Omaha
Image source：TEDizen

Whenever a Summit is held, the prices of local hotels, restaurants and even bookstores in this small city rises, and it is a luxury to be able to book a comfortable hotel in town. Ha Ha!

The quiet little town, Omaha, on the Mississippi River
Image source：Tony Webster

Mr. Warren Edward Buffet and his long-time partner Mr. Charles Thomas Munger, two "post-90s" with a combined age of more than 190 years old, will share their own wisdom and experience on macroeconomics, investment research, business operation, life philosophy and so on in a five-hour long conference.

Image source：Wall Street Insight

Mr. Buffett always brings a new perspective and way of thinking that is different from what has come before, and it benefits all listeners every year.

The Omaha Banquet - The International Social Celling of China's Entrepreneu

At last year's Summit, someone asked which stock was the best to buy in this period of hyperinflation. Mr. Buffett answered this way:

"especially during times of inflation, the most important is your personal ability. Let others trade your ability, the best investment is to invest in yourself."

For us Chinese entrepreneurs and investors, the annual dinner party “Omaha Dialogue”, is the best opportunity to obtain and exchange valuable investment information and improve one’s abilities.

It is definitely an exchange event that Chinese investors cannot miss. Three years ago, the 6th Omaha Dialogue provided a cross-industrial platform that attracted experts from various fields including politics, finance, education, etc. These include Wei Zhenglin, the counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the United States; Professor Dwight Hopkins from the University of Chicago; Wang Danwei, Nasdaq Chinese representative; Gao Hai, Qing Ling Capital founder, and other distinguished guests. Moreover, this event attracted nearly two hundred investors to attend.

At the forum, a group of scholars from various fields, distinguished guests and audience are in an engaging discussion about how to inherit the traditional wisdom while keeping up with the times and opening up new situations in today's rapid global political and economic transformation.

The Summit analyzed Mr. Buffett's investment philosophy in detail and extensively discussed his way to business success and positive social influence, providing a rare learning opportunity for contemporary business, investors, and business leaders in how to look into the future and invest wisely.

Pete Ricketts, the governor of Nebraska, where Omaha is located, had fully supported the Summit for the fifth consecutive year and sent a congratulatory letter, praising the Summit’s deep positive impact on Sino - U.S. trade and investment.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this event has been suspended for two years since 2020. And the good news just received, the 2023’s Summit will resume in-person together with the Warren Buffett Shareholder Conference! Under the changing market environment, the views of leading figures seem more precious, this is a gluttonous feast that you must come to!

Mr. Buffett's investment in the new era

Epidemics, high inflation, regional wars, energy issues. Looking back on the return of the investment portfolio last year, we should not look at how much we earned, but how much we lost.

Nevertheless, under such circumstances, the report card of Buffett's is still amazingly appealing.

There are many investment masters on Wall Street, but only Warren Buffett has earned the title of "God of Stocks". According to data from Buffett's letter to shareholders at the end of February 2022: The company's compound annual growth rate of 20.1% in value per share from 1965, when Buffett took over Berkshire, to 2021, is significantly ahead of the S&P 500's 10.5%.

In other words, if an investor bought $100 of Berkshire shares in 1965, his investment would have "snowballed" to $3.642 million by the end of 2021.

As the market continued to decline last year, as of November last year, all investment bigwig were having a hard time: Dalio, the "godfather of hedge funds", lost 15%, and Simmons, the "god of quantification" of high-frequency trading, lost 18%, and Soros, who pioneered the reflexive theory, lost 40%.

In the context of the Nasdaq index falling by more than 30%, although Buffett, who maintains "value investment and long-term holding", is also losing money, but the loss rate of 7% compared to the general market environment can already be called "poor", especially after the third quarter, the loss continued to shrink, the stock price rose again, and Buffett still maintained his "Pope" status among many investors.

On June 17, 2022, the Grand Finale Event Power Charity Auction Lunch with Warren Buffett raised $19 million, which illustrates that Mr. Buffett still maintains his unassailable "Pope" status in the eyes of investors around the world.

Over the years, the investment philosophy of Buffett’s has become the religious belief of the financial world. However, with the advent of a new era of investment, crypto currencies and NFTs have begun to impact the traditional market. Does Warren Buffett who once said he would not invest in cryptocurrencies carry the same weight in the eyes of a new generation of investors as it does in the hearts of traditional investors?

There are indeed some dissenting voices at the moment, for example, they believe that Buffett’s investment concept is too conservative, in the information age of the 21st century. He tends to keep more of his wealth rather than choosing to take higher risks in exchange for greater returns. As an old man, his criticism of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, and lack of insight into advances in artificial intelligence, telecommunications services, and automation, remind us that his investment views are still rooted in the 20th century, and in this fast-paced 21st century, our “belief” in Buffett has exceeded the actual returns that his investment can bring.

For example, cyberstar stock investor, David Portnoy, has said：

“I’m sure Warren Buffett is a great guy but when it comes to stocks he’s washed up. I’m the captain now.”

However, a new generation investor I’m well acquainted with describes his view towards Buffett this way:

"Buffett, as an outstanding investor spanning two centuries, has influenced generations of investors with his excellent performance and straightforward investment philosophy. As a new generation investor, I think Buffett's investment philosophy comes from his understanding of life, which made his investment paradigm, but shackled his types of investment at the same time.

Undoubtedly, Buffett's analysis of traditional companies can be used as a contemporary textbook. It not only teaches us how to find high quality companies, but also helps us think about the certainty of return on investment from the perspective of margin of safety. More importantly, he teaches us that continuous learning is the prerequisite to achieve great success, since people always scheme too much but ignore continuous thinking. This is also the purpose of his practice of his own investment philosophy, which means there are three investment decisions: to invest, not to invest, and not to understand.

Although technology companies have always been the target that he does not understand, it can be seen that Buffett, who is over 90 years old, is learning to embrace new things constantly. No matter whether it is a technology company typified by APPLE or a software company represented by the recent big hit SNOW, he keeps pace with the times through continuous learning. Just like Buffett made it clear that he was unwilling to invest in technology companies before, he makes it clear that he doesn’t understand electronic currency. However, once this lifelong learning wise man continues to understand this industry, I think he will open his arms and embrace the future as always!"

Buffett's investment philosophy has represented the 20th century’s economic situations and has proved its validity.

In recent years, he has invested in new things he doesn’t know much about, including APPLE and cloud provider Snowflake, which means that the old man who was born in 1930 is still moving forward with the times and has enough foresight to keep his “value investment” in this impetuous era.

To most laymen investors like us, not only do we have to obtain our peaceful mind and power from the religious beliefs we gain from the Pope, but also pay attention to the new trend of decentralization in the new century. All in all, life Investment isn't an all you can eat buffet, but a feast. The fools rush to eat, the wise get to taste. Let us embrace the attitude of ever developing, rather than judging right from wrong, or good from bad, and to embrace changes and the future.

Partial picture source：GCSRF

Angela Bi 毕

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on January 13rd, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

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Beauty for the world and goodness for the people

February 28, 2023 / Angela Bi

“Within you lies the power to attain beauty, health and success. Your choices create your own destiny.”
- Yue-Sai Kan

During this Chinese New Year, I traveled to San Francisco and attended a charity event organized by China Institute and Yue-Sai Kan.

As Co-Chair, Yue-Sai worked with the China Institute, a century-old organization dedicated to promoting Chinese culture and fostering a deeper understanding of China, to plan and personally participate in a special event called "Women Who Dared" to honor outstanding Asian women from all walks of life in the United States. Everyone gathered to witness the impressive achievements of these outstanding Asian-American women.

Yue-Sai Kan is an Emmy-winning television host and producer, successful entrepreneur, fashion icon, best-selling author and humanitarian. People magazine called her “the most famous woman in China” and she is the only living Chinese woman who appeared on China’s commemorative stamps.

In China, where I grew up, if you didn’t know Yue-Sai Kan, you didn’t understand the cultural connection between the East and West.

Her show “Looking East” opened the eyes of Westerners and introduced local customs across Asia, including China.

Through her “One World” program, she triggered a spark of inner world longing in the growing international globalization.

It was she who brought color to a time when all Chinese people wore gray. She introduced the concept and gift of beauty, at a time when Chinese women did not carry lipstick in their handbags.

How can we accurately describe Yue-Sai? Beautiful, intelligent, successful, elegant, great humanitarian, entrepreneurial, humble, non-conformist, full of power and grace — a unique wonder of the world.

All along, my understanding of Yue-Sai has remained on the screen. Although I have always admired Yue-Sai as my spiritual mentor, I have never been able to see her in person for various reasons, so that I can personally feel her most authentic charm.

My first encounter with Yue-Sai

In the early 1990s, while in college I had a part-time job as a salesperson for a Japanese skincare brand at a Chinese state-owned department store. Yue-Sai’s skin care and cosmetic product counter were besides where I worked. Her counter was the busiest counter in the store. One day, a middle-aged Shanghainese woman came to the counter and the manager of the Yue-Sai brand, who had a Taiwanese accent, said to her, “You must have been using the pearl cream for a long time.”

The Shanghainese woman replied in surprise, “How did you know?” The manager said, “I can tell just by looking at your skin.” At that time, Chinese women had almost no concept of a skin care routine. The Yue-Sai brand introduced the concept of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. It also introduced cosmetics, which brought about a revolution in beauty within China.

My Shanghainese colleague Pauline in Vancouver has still kept the “Yue-Sai” makeup brushes she bought at university. This beloved set of brushes is exquisite for its ease of use. It has traveled across the ocean from Shanghai to Vancouver for 30 years, moved several times without being discarded, and it witnessed her marriage and childbirth.

For Pauline, each use is like a conversation, full of emotion, fun, and is seemingly endlessly alive. When I view the Yue-Sai makeup brush in front of me, it seems timeless and still emits the magic and serenity of beauty.

Cultural Bridges - Successful Entrepreneur

Yue-Sai was first known for her TV programs: “Looking East” and “One World”.

In 1992, The New York Times praised Yue-Sai’s series and introduced her makeup brand to America.

These two shows made Yue-Sai a well-known host at the time. In total, over 400 million viewers have watched Yue-Sai’s shows.

While working on TV shows for both China and the United States, Yue-Sai often traveled between the two countries. She found that although China was gradually opening up after the Cultural Revolution, it was still a largely emerging market and there was no brand or company who specialized in developing and designing products specifically for Chinese women.

She immediately thought, “If that’s the case, why don’t I start doing it myself?”

Therefore, Yue-Sai decided to use her own name to create her own cosmetics brand.

“If you can change the way you look, you can change anything”

— Yue-Sai

In 1991, Yue-Sai obtained the first U.S sole proprietorship business license in the history of modern China. The license code was 001. The establishment of “Yue-Sai”, not only was the first female entrepreneurial success, but also turned a new page in the history of business within post-revolution China.

The company’s first product was a line of lipsticks in nine modern colors to better match Chinese women’s facial features. This was followed by new skin care products, hoping to bring high quality cosmetics to Chinese women by combining traditional Eastern philosophy with the wisdom of Western technology.

“Beauty does not only belong to a small number of people, nor only in big cities.”

— Yue-Sai

From the beginning of her brand’s establishment, Yue-Sai set the guiding principle as: “Everyone can be beautiful”. She was highly motivated to make the product available to everyone, especially everyday Chinese women.

In less than 3 years, more than 800 counters have been opened in 250 cities in China. The market share of “Yue-Sai" has remained at the top for many years, which is an unbelievable success for a brand built from the ground up.

Yue-Sai’s thoughts and actions have not only encouraged and influenced my generation of female entrepreneurs, but even today’s young people still hold Yue-Sai in high esteem.

My good friend Tiffany, founder of fashion brand Oleada Bags (www.oleada.com), once told me how close she holds Yue-Sai in her heart:

“In an era of female obscurity, she not only dominated her own life but was also the founder of a first-generation consumer brand for women, inspiring three generations of women to evolve in a more confident direction. Women’s entrepreneurship is still a niche group in comparison to men even nowadays, and there are even fewer successful women CEO's.

Today, only 23% of executives are women worldwide, and less than 4% are ethnic minority executives. Only 2.7% of women entrepreneurs can receive venture capital funding. Compared to 50 years ago, it was an admirable and forward-looking achievement to notice the market potential of Chinese female consumers, not to mention being able to thrive on her strengths and succeed ‘against the wind’.

Yue-Sai is a symbol of female power ‘with softness and strength’. Beneath her well behaved, gentle, and reserved exterior, she is full of tenacity in her heart. Even after the hardships of entrepreneurship, she can face life with a positive and optimistic attitude, and pass on that attitude to the younger generation. Beauty comes from within, and the strength comes from the heart, so that you can control your life calmly - something Yue-Sai would aspire to.

In conclusion, she added, “Yue-Sai is supposed to be China’s Coco Chanel, the spark that lights the self-confidence of Chinese women.”

In 2005, in order to promote the "Yue-Sai" brand from the Chinese market to the global international market, L'Oreal Group was selected from the five ‘pursuers' at that time. Yue-Sai sold her brand to the L'Oreal Group, hoping to use the global influence and strong product development capabilities of L'Oreal to promote her cosmetic brand, that originated in China and belongs to the Chinese people, to the world.

Yue-Sai is still an important sub-brand of L'Oreal. The brand packaging remains fashionable and elegant, and has both the "deconstruction" of western cosmetic technology and the ‘traditional nourishment’ with the theme of traditional Chinese precious herbal ingredients, which complement each other and are popular.

Charity is Yue-Sai's life

“If you give to a charity and let everyone know about it, then it is not a charity.”

— Yue-Sai

Yue-Sai once mentioned that the United States taught her a valuable quality: generosity. When I communicate with her via email, whenever I see the quote in her signature, it touches me and reminds me to appreciate my loved ones:

IF WE DONT CARE FOR EACH OTHER, WHO WILL CARE FOR YOU?

Be a rainbow in somebody’s cloud!

In 2005, Yue-Sai built her first school: Hope Primary School

In 2019, Yue-Sai, who has been donating money for Home Education for 15 years, returned to the Hope Primary School she built.

China Institute - Angela's trip to San Francisco

I feel very lucky to be able to attend such a high-end event. In addition to my "idol", Yue-Sai, I also met the famous director Ms. Joan Chen and the famous ballet artist Ms. Tan, Yuanyuan, whom I have also admired for a long time. At the party, I talked with elite female guests from all walks of life in North America about current affairs and our life experiences. I learned and benefited a lot from them and also shared many unique insights of my own.

Living between both China and North America for many years, I’ve realized the subtle differences between Eastern and Western cultures. Traditional Chinese culture places emphasis on reciprocal gratitude, which is colloquially known as ‘pay it back’ in English.

The Chinese way of life and philosophy is about remembering the kindness that was done to you, as the Chinese proverb goes: ‘a drop of water shall be returned with a burst of spring’. This foundational aspect of Chinese culture means that children respect and revere their parents and loved ones for what they did for them, and are expected to pay it back once their parents get old.

On the other hand, the foundation of Western charity is based on a ‘pay it forward’ model - the Chinese interpretation is to ‘pass on the love’.

In the West, charity emphasizes that the purpose of doing good deeds is not to expect anything back in return: if someone helps you on your path then you can do the same to someone along their path.

The forward aspect is that since you were helped, you will go on to help someone less fortunate or younger than you, and then they will do the same in their life. Eastern and Western culture have different a understanding of charity, spirituality, reverence, and respect: which Yue-Sai blended harmoniously together. We can all learn from Yue-Sai’s example of a unified cultures, both serving each other to become whole.

Yue-Sai is repaying the world that has gave her all her success. She blesses the world with her outgoing personality, beauty, and charm and passes on the love to all of those around her.

Partial Image Source:
Yue-sai, "Yue-Sai" brand's Weibo, L'Oréal, sohu

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on February 28th, 2023

Chinese Version 中文版

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Colour Journey of Autumn: Pumpkin, Orange and Thanksgiving

February 14, 2023 / Angela Bi

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
- Cicero, ancient Roman philosopher, statesman and writer

It's Canada’s Thanksgiving again. Let's go pumpkin, go orange!

What outperformed the global investment market this year is the good weather in Vancouver. We are so used to the forecast of rainy days, but God seems to be too generous giving us sunny days week after week. The good weather is like the stock market hitting new highs that have not been seen in many years.

The sun becomes gentle and autumn is coming with all the beautiful things. The light and shadows shaped by the leaves and the sky are the most perfect palette. Together with the wheels on the ups and downs of the city roads and the soft notes, they all nourished our hearts.

Pumpkin Spice Latte‍

Maple leaves turn red and the sun is warm. My morning coffee is Pumpkin Spice Latte. This cup of fragrant coffee is not only with the aroma of pumpkin, but also the unique autumn air of Vancouver.

Here’s a simple receipt for Pumpkin Spice Latte:

Ingredients:

Pumpkin puree
1 cup of espresso
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1-2 cups of milk
Sugar and a dash of vanilla extract

Steps:

1. Steam 300g of pumpkin for 30 minutes or until softened

2. Sieve the steamed pumpkin into puree

3. Add 1-2 cups of milk, pumpkin puree, spice mix, sugar and some vanilla extract. Mix well and heat, but do not boil

4. Pour 1 cup of espresso, blended pumpkin spice milk

5. Finally put whipped cream and mix with some spices

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pumpkin Pumpkin

September to October is the season for pumpkins. It is perfect to decorate the home with different kinds of pumpkins to accompany the colour of autumn and welcome the upcoming Halloween! There’s a saying, "Autumn comes and it’s the time of pumpkins".

Orange Orange Orange

Orange is the colour of this month. By adding the warm pumpkin colour between the flowers, even in Vancouver’s upcoming cool weather and wet season, you can still feel the warmness and comfort.

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving

In addition to pumpkins, October is more about giving thanks for the good harvest and fortunes in the past year. It is also a day to spend a good time with family and friends. Traditionally, people prepare special dishes to serve the whole family and the guests.

Turkey is an essential dish for Thanksgiving
Image credit：Andy

Sometimes, this tradition creates a sort of stress. I don’t want to put too much energy into it and prepare a boring Thanksgiving dinner so I try to find inspiration from my friend's vegan website. A few days ago, I was invited to a friend's house for dinner, and it was the first time I realised that vegetarian food can be so delicious.

“Eating plant food is not about what we can’t eat. It’s about what we get to eat.”

— Founder of Nourish-to-Flourish

When many people think of vegetarian dishes, the first thing that comes to mind is green and bland vegetables, but this is just a stereotype. The founder of Nourish-to-Flourish aims to promote healthy and delicious vegetarian food. By designing a variety of vegetarian recipes and sharing them on her website for free, she just wants to give us more choices.

“For is there any practice less selfish, any labour less alienated, any time less wasted, than preparing something delicious and nourishing for people you love?”

— Michael Pollan, American author and journalist

This year, I chose two recipes to try.

1 Barbie’s Bitter Sweet Chopped Salad

Our daily never-fail salad

https://www.nourish-to-flourish.net/recipes/barbies-bitter-sweet-chopped-salad

Material:

1. Endive, kale, collard greens, arugula, romaine lettuce or other, spinach, fennel, avocado, sliced very fine

2. Red onion, sliced very fine

3. Carrots, grated

4. Celery and cucumber, chopped

5. Avocado, sliced

6. Prepare plenty of fresh herbs such as chopped basil, parsley, mint, dill

Salad Dressing Recipe：

Mixed white balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, salt and pepper all together.

Other ingredients:

Roasted nuts/seeds such as sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350°F. And add them just before serving.

Black Rice Dome

Fragrant and full-bodied Black Rice

https://www.nourish-to-flourish.net/recipes/black-rice-dome

Ingredients (for 6-8 persons):

2 cups black rice
1 can light coconut milk and 2 cups vegetable stock
1-2 tbsp turmeric
salt and pepper

Instant Pot Method:

1. Add all ingredients into the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. Turn the pot off and let it cool down for 10 minutes

2. Cover with a dishcloth and steam for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork

3. Wipe a Pyrex bowl with a dash of olive oil

4. Pat the cooked rice down into the bowl firmly

5. Put it in the fridge for about 1 hour before serving

6. Put it in the microwave and heat it on high for 3-4 minutes

7. Unmold onto a plate and sprinkle with green onions

In fact, daily salads and rice can have so many changes. Nourish-to-Flourish brings us an interesting and fresh diet.

Have you stayed in the same place for too long and want to have a little change in your life to make daily life more interesting? Let your life be covered with the colours of Thanksgiving and the beauty of autumn in Canada to have a beautiful fairy tale in autumn.

Thanksgiving and special offer! Canada welcomes you with open arms! Just before July this year, Canada welcomed 275,000 new immigrants. This number is much higher than in any year of the same period. Canada targets to admit 432,000 new immigrants by the end of this year. As the world's largest sponsor of immigration and settlement services, it has a large budget of 1.7 billion for immigration settlement in the 2021-22 financial year to help new immigrants live and work here.

Peace of mind can be achieved by satisfying material life. By training our spiritual awakening and letting every day be full of compassion and gratitude, we can satisfy our spiritual needs.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on October 13th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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Wonderful Life Begins With Meeting The Right Person

February 07, 2023 / Angela Bi

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life..”
- Gibran, Lebanese poet, writer and painter

I bought two old Versace posters for $20 at a nearby second-hand store. And now, they’re hung on the wall in my office.

Gianni Versace's designs can be summed up in one word - magnificent. They’re old but timeless. Unfortunately, he was killed in 1997 and since then, his famous Italian fashion brand Versace has been taken over by his sister, Donna Versace. Compared with Gianni, Donna’s designs, to me, are tacky.

Gianni and his sister Donna Image source: The Cut

From this, I came to a conclusion that hardworking sometimes can make things worse and in this case, it lowers the brand value. That’s why instead of handling everything by myself, I like to find the right person to do the right things for me. This makes my life more comfortable.

Recently, the fourth wave of immigration has begun. Many of my old friends and clients have moved back from Asia to North America or Europe. I’m busy with finding suitable accommodation that can provide wonderful living experiences for them. Delighting at first sight, amazing after a long time

A recent project of finding a suitable accommodation

Almost all of my career has been serving the Chinese new rich. Thinking of the countless annoying and funny things, suddenly, an idea came to my mind. I want to write a book called ‘How to make money and make fun with Chinese New Money in a global market’.

Although it’s a joke, my work is always between quality clients and service providers. I was often asked ‘Why is there such a behaviour pattern?’

Sometimes I feel that my work is more about culture, communication and execution management. But no matter how many challenges I encounter and how busy I am, I never feel tired of my work. Bringing the best living quality to my friends and clients is my belief. This is also the reason why I found TCT, Teacoffeetea.

Later, Teacoffeetea was changed to Arte House. This also reflected my life experience. I want to broaden my horizons and give my friends and clients the best international quality of life.

Arte House - It is all about taste and attitude

Living overseas for so many years is a unique experience. From art, culture, travel and health to asset management, through Arte House, I shared one story after another. Over years, all the fresh information, unique experiences and activities might help those who like to explore starting a new chapter of life.

Our taste comes from art, culture and travel, while our attitudes toward life are reflected in our lifestyle and asset management. I introduce customised lifestyles for more and more friends and clients. In this rapidly changing world, only tailor-made lifestyles and services can suit you the best.

Let me share with you a few popular customised services. And you can start a new life today!

Private Household Management

Let life be simple and tasteful

Taste can have nothing to do with a price tag. Earlier, I shared an article about Lady.E: Meet right person, come with beauty of life. You just need to put a little effort into finding the right person in the right place. Then, simple life can also show your good taste.

Gym and Body Management with Organic Meal Plan

Improve your health and change your eating habit

In addition to taste, maintaining the best physical condition is a promise to yourself in pursuit of a better life. The G30 (https://g30.ca/) we introduced is a program to change your lifestyle and maintain good health through a balanced diet, personalised fitness program and organic meals delivered to your door.

“You will not become healthy because you are thin, but because you are healthy, you will naturally lose weight.”

— Angela Bi

Customised and all-rounded services can provide you with the most suitable way to achieve your ideal life.

Yacht Private Chef

Extraordinary yacht experience

Occasionally enjoying a luxurious and comfortable lifestyle is a reward in life. Michael Varga, the champion of Chopped Canada, served as a private chef in a recent charity auction.

The lucky highest bidder will have a chance to enjoy dishes specially designed by Michael Varga and trouble-free services from buying ingredients, cooking and serving to cleaning. Don’t you want to have a unique dinner in a private yacht?

Dining is not just about delicious dishes, but also the environment and atmosphere. It’s an experience beyond taste and vision.

Although the reserve price for the auction was CAD$5,000, Michael Varga's fame and his personalised menu have pushed the current bid price to CAD$30,000! Who isn’t fascinated by personalised and all-in-one services?

Destination Tour Arrangement

Luxury experience and quality life

Private personalised tours for global immigration destinations with private professional photographers; application of famous private schools and Ivy League school tours; quality real estate in North America and personalised one-to-one exclusive tours upon request.

Exclusive Connection by Investment

Let art make your life to another level

TINAM, let art change your living

TINAM makes art accessible to millions of users through technology. It creates a huge pool of painters, sculptors, filmmakers and musicians which allows collaboration between creators to create limited editions and provides a platform for them to build their own profitable art collections. Our primary goal is to launch the largest collection of NFT experiences to connect artists and communities in art, entertainment, film and architecture around the world.

EMRCA, a world-class cultural network-based platform

EMRCA which is an immersive experience led by high technology showcases American railway culture and post-industrial architecture. At the same time, it combines the concept of a museum and theme park together to provide a true experience of the 21st century. Iconic buildings with excellent exhibition design make them an architectural wonder. The use of the internet realises “Internet +”, positions the global market and opens a new dimension of museum management.

In our life, finding the right person at the right time can definitely help us to achieve our goals and ideals regardless of how big it’s. They’re all at hand.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on October 6th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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A Wonderful Conversation with Thomas Krens in Manhattan

January 30, 2023 / Angela Bi

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.”
- Frank Gehry an internationally renowned architect

Being immersed in the busy environment in New York for a short period of time is a spiritual SPA for me because I can always meet interesting new and old friends here to have quality conversations. I have been living in Vancouver village for so long. For me, these conversations which catalyse and stimulate my thinking are good for my personal improvement.

I met Thomas Krens again in lower Manhattan. It seems that his offices are everywhere. My dear old friend with so many innovative and creative ideas who is never limited by age still travels around the world for his art and museum projects.

“The store has all sorts of objects, but every object is charged with a strong story and human connection”

This time in New York, he was high in spirit and talked a lot of numbers. I could barely notice that he just finished a trip to Spain because there was no sign of jet lag or tiredness. This is the best motivation for my trip to New York. Our conversation begins with the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

Guggenheim Museum in Spain

The Miracle of Bilbao

This art gallery located next to the River Nervión in Spain has been opening for 25 years since 1997. The unique architectural design of the building creates special visual effects from the inside to the outside, making it a famous landmark and attraction in Bilbao.

As the "chain museum" of Guggenheim, it also hosts world-class art exhibitions and holds precious collections. The literary and artistic atmosphere there have already attracted many tourists to come.

Since its opening, the total number of visitors has reached 25 million, with an average of 1 million visitors per year. The economic benefits brought by these tourists have greatly helped the transformation and development of Bilbao.

The integration of architecture and art has created the miracle of Bilbao, bringing this city which was once in decline in the late 20th century back to the international stage. If you want to know more about the story of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, you can read my previous articles:

Thomas Krens, an Art "Adventurer"

Click the link

The Best Life Is Never Limited by Age

Click the link

25th Anniversary

Art Collection Exhibitions and Events

In 2022, in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this legendary museum in a unique way, a series of exciting activities have been held.

"Immersion" 25th Anniversary

In December, the gallery will host an immersive art performance, "Immersions”. By using large-scale mapping projections combined with light and sound, it allows visitors to immerse into the art space, as if they are a part of the art, breaking the boundary between art and visitors.

Sections / Intersections

The entire museum will be used for displaying its precious collections presented in the form of a large-scale triptych with three correlated themes: Material Life, Unfolding Narratives, and Marking History, allowing the public to take an overall view of the museum's art collection since the opening and to rediscover the works that define the interior and exterior of the museum.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary, there is a special exhibition of Yayoi Kusama as well.

In the past 20 years, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has attracted countless tourists through its architecture and art collections and has opened a new chapter of Bilbao in history. And Thomas Krens is the behind-the-scenes hero who contributed a lot to the success of the project.

Thomas Krens

An art curator who goes beyond boundaries

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is just one of the projects carried out by Thomas Krens. During his time at the Guggenheim Foundation, he expanded the Guggenheim Museum from the United States to overseas establishing branches in Europe and Abu Dhabi (which is under construction). He also contributed to holding more than 292 exhibitions for the museums. His forward-thinking and global vision brings us surprises and new experiences one after another.

Abu Dhabi Guggenheim Museum concept drawing

“New museums will be part of the global network. They will be interconnected.”

— Thomas Krens

In Thomas Krens’s vision, museums do not exist solely, but they are inheritance which will keep influencing the world economy and culture. And this idea is perfectly shown in……

Thomas new project

Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture

“Extreme” means...

Extreme joy

Extreme scale

Extreme motion

Extreme point of vision

EMRCA is another new project led by Thomas Krens. It is the centrepiece of the North Adams cultural comprehensive plan and aims to create a No. 1 cultural centre in the US. In this large-scale project, Thomas Krens once again breaks the tradition and goes beyond boundaries. An immersive experience led by high technology will showcase American railway culture and post-industrial architecture.

At the same time, it combines the concept of a museum and theme park together to provide a true experience of the 21st century. Iconic buildings with excellent exhibition design make them an architectural wonder. The use of the internet realises “Internet +”, positions the global market and creates a new dimension of museum management.

In his new vision, "the industry of the future in this valley in northwest Massachusetts will be focused on culture, tourism, education, and technology, and not on the return of manufacturing. "

Highlighted by popular art, profit-oriented business models, and architectural wonders, the project will create 1,400 permanent jobs, generate approximately $120 million in economic activity, and attract more than 1 million visitors, driving the development of the local community.

Interesting people and amazing coworkers

Thomas talked about meeting his old friend Frank Gehry in Bilbao. The 93-year-old Frank has a little complaint about Thomas because he has not been given a new project for a while.

Frank Gehry

An architect who breaks the rules

“An architect who breaks the “I don’t want to do architecture that’s dry and dull.”

— Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry has collaborated with Thomas on many projects From the challenging Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, to the revolutionary project EMRCA which is now under construction, you can always find him participating in these innovative projects. He always likes breaking with traditional aesthetics in architecture and challenging our visual limits.

The traditional aesthetics in architecture emphasises order, stability and logic but Frank Gehry's architectural design challenges these aesthetics, like the very modern design of the Dancing House.

Dancing House
Source：Rethinking the future

Its twisted and distorted structure formed a visual contrast with the surrounding classical and ordered buildings. This non-traditional design received a lot of critics at the time, but its peculiar shape later became an internationally well-known landmark and tourist attraction in Prague.

It is just like his project, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, for more than 20 years, which has attracted countless tourists and brightened up the future of Bilbao.

“If you know where it’s going, it’s not worth doing.”

Art beautifies every city while innovation inspires art. Break the rules. Frank Gehry and Thomas Krens, these two international business partners always collaborate together to redefine the relationship between architecture, art exhibitions and communities.

21st century

A new period of globalisation in culture and art

In the 21st century, the development of a country or a region often relies on the cooperation and efforts of multinational teams. Talents from different parts of the world come together bringing new visions and innovative ideas. Our high-quality global immigration projects and services which cover 5 continents, 50 countries, and more than 200 projects can help you to live internationally and open your horizons.

As the only founding organisation from China in the International Investment Migration Council (IMC), which is reputed by the United Nations for immigration, we have successfully fulfilled the immigration dream of over 200,000 high-net-worth individuals. We rely on the long-term and rich successful experience of the professional lawyer team and the profound and all-around international supporting resources to customize personalised immigration plans for each family according to the customer's actual situation. Our innovative and efficient services ensure that distinguished VIPs can obtain immigration status in the shortest time, at the lowest cost and at the lowest risk. Let’s work together to start a new chapter of your life!

It was an interesting conversation and I have been thinking about it for a while. Frank, who is now 93 years old, is still working. So how can we slow down, feel depressed and do nothing? Let’s forget about the chaos of the world, cheer up again and continue working!

Partial picture source:
Thomas Krens，Guggenheim Bilbao， Guggenheim，EMRCA

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on November 3rd, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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What do your glasses say about your personality?

January 19, 2023 / Angela Bi

“When people buy our frames, they’re transported into a different era, into a different character”
- Jerome Mage
French designer and founder of JMM

On a sunny afternoon, away from the crowd, I walked on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, The Coolest Block in America. Shops here were rich in culture and unique in design. It is not just about shopping but letting yourself immerse in those brand stories.

Jacques Marie Mage (JMM)
is more than an optical shop

When I visited the JMM’s art gallery, I felt the romance and humanity in the air. This is a special art space created by the founder, Jerome Mage who hopes every visitor can also discover something new and feel the story of humanity.

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“The store has all sorts of objects, but every object is charged with a strong story and human connection”

Hervet Manufactcerier’s cabinetry displays, Connor Tingley's artwork and Navajo’s carpets are all strictly selected. The romantic and emotional sense in all these decorations perfectly shows the ideology of JMM.

A brand that tells stories

History and culture are sources of inspiration for JMM's creations. Inspired by American western culture and the French First Empire, all the designs include elements of destruction, harmony and abundance as well as share a vision of power, grandeur and grace.

Jacques Marie Mage X Diamond Cross Ranch

Every eyewear reconstructs these elements in its shape, colour and function. What JMM offers customers is not just a pair of glasses, but a unique experience. From decorations of the store to glasses, it tells us story after story.

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"We make glasses, but there's a romance and mysticism that people love to feel, touch and talk about"

I was always confident in being a senior hipster buyer looking for something interesting, unique and worthwhile but these “walking stories” turned me into a listener and experiencer of brand stories, just like a scholar. Browsing these eyewear collections and trying them on are so relaxing.

Each pair of eyeglasses
is a tribute to traditional craftsmanship

It has been said that in Japan, to be a master of a craft, you need to spend 60,000 hours (which is equivalent to nearly 30 years) learning and practising the skills. All JMM glasses are made in Japan so you can see how it values craftsmanship and quality. All it offers is the best experience for users.

The spirit of craftsmanship goes through every detail. It is something to be proud of.

"We tried to do the best: the best materials, the best packaging, the best stories."

Traditional craftsmanship, micro-production and anti-fast fashion all make JMM glasses stand out in the market full of standardised products and become a new favourite brand of many celebrities. Brad Pitt is one of them.

NFT for sunglasses

Shopping is for killing time and retail therapy is for improving mood. I bought the sunglasses and received an NFT which is tailor-made for my sunglasses. Suddenly, I did not feel guilty about spending money on shopping because I saw its connection with the latest technology and humanities. Thinking in this way you will no longer feel guilty when you see the bill. Ha ha 😆

Among all those stories of JMM,
Yellowstone attracts me the most

JMM always shares interesting photos and stories about Yellowstone on its Instagram.

As the world’s earliest experimental site for environmental protection, the landscape of Yellowstone has given JMM unlimited inspiration. They cooperated with a non-profit organisation, Yellowstone Forever, aiming to raise public awareness of the world’s most visited national park and environmental protection. Once, they invited the photographer, Jeff Brenner, to capture Yellowstone’s wildlife in the winter hoping to show the beauty of nature and wildlife.

In JMM, there are different collections with the theme of Yellowstone integrating the beauty of nature and artistic craftsmanship.

Nature is always the best teacher for us.

Carrying the past
Integrating the present
Creating the future

Visas Consulting Group is the exclusive agent of Yellowstone Club Phase III, a luxury resort village located within the Moonlight Basin master-planned community in Big Sky, Montana - near Yellowstone Club. As a world-class luxury resort, it includes a golf course, spa, five-star restaurant, a man-made beach, ski lodge, etc. You can enjoy the beauty of the four seasons and have a unique vacation. The Yellowstone Club for billionaires can help you to attain a higher social status. Also, this project is led by the king-level developer, CrossHarbor Capital. This is an excellent opportunity to quickly immigrate to the United States and obtain a green card. Yellowstone Club Phase III is definitely the winner of EB-5.

By wearing JMM's high-quality glasses, my world is covered with a romantic atmosphere and the stories behind the lenses give meaning to me. To create a wonderful moment in life, you just need to be a bit self-willed!

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on November 24th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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Giving is priceless

January 09, 2023 / Angela Bi

“The kindness rooted in our hearts is eternal as if hundreds of lights brighten thousands of miles.”
- Xiao Gang, Emperor Jianwen of Liang in Northern and Southern dynasties

The weather is getting colder and life is going back to normal. There is no doubt that entertainment brings us pleasure in the short term. But what is the meaning of life? How to find peace of mind and true happiness?

The news I read recently touched me deeply and gave me a sense of happiness.

A gift from Chip Wilson to nature

Last week, Chip Wilson, the founder of Canadian sportswear brand Lululemon Athletica announced a $100 million donation to the B.C. Parks Foundation for protecting and improving the natural environment.

His brand also emphasizes "Be Planet" by adopting the concept of sustainable development in fashion design and production. To find out more stories about this Vancouver billionaire and Lululemon, please read our article: Lululemon, Winner of Winter Olympics.

Chip Wilson and his wife Shannon have always been passionate about philanthropy to help people around the world, from funding the construction of the Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University to medical research and environmental protection.

The Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design
Image source：Canadian Architect

As global citizens, they give not only to Canada but also to the world. In 2007, they established a charity organization "imagine1day" in Ethiopia to improve education there.

"Imagine1day" photos
Image source: @jessicareyna4imagine1day

Giving can make a change to yourself and even the world. Are you still searching for the true meaning of life?

Patagonia, a gift for the future

Just a day before Chip Wilson announced his donation, billionaire Yvon Chouinard has given us a big surprise. He decided to donate Patagonia, a well-known American outdoor clothing company entirely to non-profit organizations and specially established trusts. It is a company worth 3 billion US dollars in the market.

Yvon Chouinard has always been keen on rock climbing since his youth. Later he turned this hobby into a business.

His technical advancement and route exploration had a great impact on modern rock climbing and mountaineering. In 1968, Yvon Chouinard discovered a new California Route with The North Face founder, Douglas Tompkins. The documentary "180° South" was inspired by this special trip.

The founders of two famous outdoor brands and the documentary "180° South"
Image Source: Unofficial Networks, Amazon

This journey also inspired Yvon Chouinard to establish Patagonia which was named after their destination. The iconic logo of the brand is the silhouette of the “Monte Fitz Roy” in Patagonia.

Countless rock climbing and mountaineering activities have strengthened his love for nature and deepened his concern for environmental protection and climate issues which became the major reasons for this huge donation. He wished all of the company's profits (about 100 million USD per year) to be used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land around the world.

On Patagonia's website, you can see the announcement, “Earth is now our only shareholder”.On Patagonia's website, you can see the announcement, “Earth is now our only shareholder”.

Image source: Patagonia official website

"I didn’t want to be a businessman. Now I could die tomorrow and the company is going to continue doing the right thing for the next 50 years, and I don’t have to be around."

- Yvon Chouinard

Generosity and giving can pass from one generation to the next.

From charity to cultural differences between China and the West

There are differences between Chinese and Western definitions of giving. We grew up in Chinese culture. The education we received since childhood always emphasized “Only those who endure the most become the highest. A drop of water shall be returned with a burst of spring.”

However, life in North America showed me that those who have not suffered much still live comfortably. In China, people emphasize “Pay back” while in the West, people value “Pay it forward”.

Pay it forward, let love spread

Kindness need not be repaid to the original benefactor but to those in need.

"You don't pay love back; you pay it forward"

-"Garden of Delight" by Lily Hardy Hammond

A broader meaning of "giving" is rooted in Western culture which allows love to spread further and beyond a particular receiver. Like Chip Wilson and Yvon Chouinard, they give away the wealth gained from society to benefit the whole world.

Famous philanthropists in the US， Source: Forbes

"Giving" is a simple concept, but it has different interpretations under various cultures

World Giving Index (WGI)

According to the "World Migration Report 2022" released by the International Organization for Migration, one in every 30 people in the world is a migrant. As of 2020, the total number of migrants has reached 281 million, accounting for 3.6% of the global population. Among them, China as the world's fourth largest immigrant outflow country has about 10 million immigrants. This number counted only those who have already taken action and moved to other countries. If potential migrants are included, the number will be even greater. Ordinary players choose the standard services, and high-end players choose the custom services.

Pay it forward. With a border definition of giving, western culture shares a greater view of philanthropy. It is not surprising that western countries are reputed internationally. This culture is rooted in Commonwealth countries and shapes the people there.

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."

- Winston Churchill, former UK Prime Minister

The Commonwealth's robust heritage system and programs

The Commonwealth of Nations is a group of 53 independent countries (including territories) such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, New Zealand, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, etc. These countries cooperate frequently in economics, tariff, mutual recognition of academic qualifications and visa wavier.

Source: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

The advancing Common Reporting Standard (CRS) will soon or later make the practice of hiding money oversea unavailable. Immigration now serves multiple purposes. Helping high-net-worth individuals planning for tax residence is only one of them. Antigua, known as New York's "back yard" with 365 beautiful beaches in different colours can give you a passport of visa-free to 165 countries and regions. This program will fully benefit your family planning and asset allocation. With an Antigua passport, you can go wherever you want and leave at anytime!

Antigua, St. Kitts and other cost-effective Commonwealth passports share the same features, low tax rate, no global taxation, exemption from inheritance tax and capital gains tax, etc. They are the best choice for tax residence planning, asset management and inheritance planning. It is not surprising that many global investors have a favour for these countries.

Giving forms part of our lives. Globalization allows us to think as global citizens, to let us move on and focus on our future.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on September 22th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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Christmas Season - Sex And The City With Home Buying Tips

December 12, 2022 / Angela Bi

“Without action, the best intentions in the world are nothing more than that: intentions"
- The Wolf of Wall Street

A classic song “All I need for Christmas is you” which was performed by Mariah Carey at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in front of Macy’s on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York was very festive.

The upcoming Black Friday got us to holiday shopping mode. A lot of things happened this year and shopping is a good way to release our stress. But, with a high interest rate and great uncertainty about the future, we should always remind ourselves of rational purchases.

Sex and the City - Carrie Bradshaw said ‘I’ve spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live? I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes! In New York, they say, you’re always looking for a job, a boyfriend or an apartment.’

Yes, time and beauty will fade away one day and Manolo Blahnik cannot prevent aging but a Manhattan apartment is eternal.

Dear Santa, all I want this Christmas is you and a timeless apartment with a view of Central Park.

Carrying the past, integrating the present, and creating the future

Visas Consulting Group is the exclusive agent of the Central Park Tower located at the Billionaires' Row. This US investment immigration project is with 131 stories. There are 7 floors underground for the Nordstrom department store and 179 luxurious residential flats above ground. At the completion of the building, Central Finance and Economics also made a special report for it. All residential units are with floor-to-ceiling curtain walls providing a beautiful view of Central Park and the city. The building also broke the record of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and even the world. It is a tribute to the skyline of New York.

The Ultimate Guide to Manhattan Real Estate

Every time I go to New York, searching for luxury houses with Margaret, my Manhattan real estate friend is a must-do thing.

Margaret is the founder and president of Battery Park Realty, a top real estate firm in Manhattan, New York. She was a recipient of the 2004 “Outstanding 50 Asian American in Business'' award by AABDC (Asian American Business Development Center), the founder of AUCC, Associations of U.S. Listed Chinese Company and the former Board Director of CAREA (Chinese American Real Estate Associations).

Compared with her outstanding achievement, I like meeting with her fashionable, sexy and intelligent friends from all around the world and hanging out together in this sex and the city. Popular properties just as Dior or Chanel can no longer get my attention (Sorry for not being humble, I have seen them a long time ago). The best thing about Margaret is that she can always find a good deal in New York, a city well-known for its real estate in the world.

I appreciate her motivation and insight the most. She can always find the best real estate projects in any place in Manhattan. The countless big projects she has done made her the queen of Manhattan real estate.

Upper East Side

As New York's wealthiest neighbourhood, here combined the culture and life perfectly. Many famous movies and TV series such as The Devil Wears Prada and Sex and the City were also filmed here. Upper East Side is always flavoured by socialites and celebrities around the world. Thinking about this, the two townhouses recommended by Margaret are very affordable.

East 62nd Street

This beautiful single-family townhouse is located on the Upper East Side which is one of the most famous neighbourhoods in Manhattan. With a number of good schools, designer boutiques and wonderful coffee shops, the 1930s’ romantic culture in America is fully shown here.

The townhouse is kept in a good condition from the inside to the outside. There are two entrances and multiple outdoor spaces. By using the modern interior design, the indoor space is bright and spacious while the outdoor space is big enough for twelve people to enjoy a BBQ at the same time. Including a rooftop terrace and a rear garden, now it is only sold for US$3.975 million. If you miss such an investment opportunity, you really don’t know when you will meet it again.

East 63rd Street

63 East Street is only two blocks from Madison Avenue where you can find Michelin Star restaurants, retail shops and Central Park.

This townhouse, which was originally designed by J.H. Valentine for Thomas Kilpatrick in 1878, is one of the quintessential five-story residential buildings in the Upper East Side. With large windows and a high ceiling, it gives a feeling of spaciousness. There are also a terrace and a rear garden. It has been currently configured as four renovated apartments for rent. Apart from leasing, you can also think of alternating the building to link the spaces together for your comfortable living.

The Metropolitan Museum and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum are just a few steps away making the whole area surrounded by a strong artistic atmosphere.

The iconic Vera Wang boutique at Madison Avenue, which is my favourite shop, is close to the townhouse as well. The 72-year-old wedding dress designer still keeps the look of a young girl. I think only the environment in Manhattan can cultivate such an image of a woman. Since the second floor for wedding dresses required an appointment for visiting, I was staying at the Ready-to-Wear department on the first floor and finally bought a pair of glasses to pay tribute to my idol.

Feeling a little tired, I went to Ralph’s Coffee on the other side. Old money is long-lasting and the spending is always not expensive.

This classic New York style townhouse with the best location starts only at US$7.35 million. It provides you with a comfortable living and a wonderful working environment for commercial purposes or artistic creations. Opportunities are at hand.

Midtown Manhattan

When you come to Manhattan, you won’t ever miss the world's largest central business district, Midtown. Famous landmarks such as the Empire State Building and Times Square are also concentrated here. What a flourishing city with so many skyscrapers in sight!

Although Midtown is known as the most expensive neighbourhood, the real estate I was recommended this time is value for money. Anyone who can solve the math for a primary should know that the price of this Townhouse is so good.

54th Street

This five-storey mixed-use elevator building with a landscaped garden and basement is in a prime Midtown Manhattan location. The rental income is expected to be about US$800,000 annually and now it is being sold at a low market price. Such a good deal can only be found once in a lifetime.

The building was the world headquarters of the iconic shoe brand, Manolo Blahnik. Cross a street, you can see The Museum of Modern Art. To buy this townhouse is not only an investment in real estate but also an investment in the value and the taste of life and art. Also, it can give you a ticket to enter New York’s high society.

I always think if you want to decorate your house with famous paintings, you would shoulder the burden and need super luck. Why not buy a property close to the world’s top art museum? In this way, you can get an annual pass and go to see famous paintings every day.

"Liking is probably the best form of ownership, and ownership is probably the worst form of liking."

- José Saramago, Portuguese writer and recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize

The relationship between you and a famous painting is like any close relationship. The title of ownership is not as good as the daily gaze.

There is also a well-known Turkish Nusr-Et Steakhouse nearby. They have a chef known as Salt Bae. After the art appreciation, you can just come here to have a wonderful dinner and enjoy the Salt Bae’s special cooking skills.

Image source: Gfycat, The New York Times

Once I met the Salt Bae at his restaurant in Mykonos, a small Greek island. Sadly, I couldn’t meet him in New York’s steakhouse as he was so busy. Instead, I took a photo with his restaurant manager who had the same style as Salt Bae.

This townhouse is so in demand. Price upon request. If you are interested, please contact us!

Lower Manhattan

Wall Street which plays an important role in the world economy, the Statue of Liberty which represents American values and the One World Trade Center which was rebuilt are all here.

Walking on the streets of Lower Manhattan is like reading American history. Wherever I went and whatever I saw were full of American spirits. They allowed me to rediscover the beauty of Manhattan.

There are many famous cuisines from all over the world such as Italian, Mexican, French and American food. Internalisation is reflected in the restaurant menu.There are many famous cuisines from all over the world such as Italian, Mexican, French and American food. Internalisation is reflected in the restaurant menu.

Restaurants such as Balthazar, Eataly and Gelso & Grand
Image source: Loving New York

Lower Manhattan is full of investment opportunities. If you would like to get to know more, we can talk in person.

Imagination is not a dream

My remarkable real estate friend, Margaret always said that a woman will no longer have to work so hard, as long as she learns how to invest in real estate. Holiday Season, Dear Santa, I want a pair of Manolo Blahnik but I want an apartment in Manhattan the most!

Image source: Central Park Tower, Robb Report, Boss Hunting

Visas Consulting Group has collaborated with many top developers to act as an exclusive agent for eight successful EB-5 projects in New York.

CPT Central Park Tower (Developer: Extell)
E59 Central Park E59 (Developer: Macklowe)
FSNY Four Seasons Hotel Downtown New York (Developer: Silverstein)
HYM Hudson Yards Phase 2 (Developer: Related)
1WS One Wall Street (Developer: Macklowe)
FANY New York Fifth Avenue MasterCard Building (Developers: Robert Adler and L&L Holding Company)
New York Marriott Marquis (Developer: Lightstone)
ESM Empire State Marriott (Developer: Lightstone)

Life is so short! I don’t want to waste my time on Covid testing day after day. Following Margaret, the queen of Manhattan real estate, I am learning to invest in “Bricks” so that I can have a relaxing life in Manhattan without working.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on August 18th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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Let’s enjoy the sunshine in California this winter

December 05, 2022 / Angela Bi

“Be like the flower, turn your face to the sun.”
- Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese poet, writer and painter

There are so many things in the world that we won’t understand. By ignoring them, all you need is feeling good. But these days, even feeling good has become a luxury but luxury doesn't mean expensive. The 3 days trip to California energized my life and I felt so good to live under the sun.

My first day of sunshine
International and cultural events

The Italian TV Forum & Festival

This year’s Italian TV Forum and Film Festival was not only held in Venice, Italy but also returned to LA, the city of stars in November.

Source: ITTV Festival Los Angeles

Italian films and TV series play an important role in the global market. TV series such as “The Young Pope”, “My Brilliant Friend“ and ”The Medici” also gained recognition from audiences around the world.

The 2022 Edition of ITTV held many activities with the theme of Tech In Entertainment, such as panels, premieres and awards. Its goal is to promote Italian film and TV series, strengthen international cooperation and connect people all over the world. Let Italy Entertain You!

Technology together with networks brought a new era to the entertainment industry and opened up a new business opportunity. The top tv programs from different countries are now available in the global market. No matter where you are and what language you speak, you can still enjoy these world-class productions.

Asian World Film Festival

Just after the activities of the ITTV, I went to another film festival.

"We are your window to Asian world cinema"

- Asian World Film Festival

Asian World Film Festival 2022

Source: Asian World Film Festival

This year, the special selection by the 8th Asian World Film Festival also brought a big surprise and deep reflection to the audiences.

Several Korean films were selected. ”Hunt” is the opening film, “Decibel” is the centerpiece film and “Decision to Leave” which was officially submitted for Best International Feature Film At The 95th Academy Awards is the closing film.

During the event, I watched one of the Korean films. The production is very international and fully unleashes the potential of Asian films. It is a rise of Asian culture and a sign of globalization.

My second day of sunshine

The influence of global capital

This year, ITTV’s Red Carpet was held at my favourite place for business meetings, The Terrace which is a rooftop restaurant at the Thompson Hotel in Hollywood.

Here, you can enjoy the beautiful view of Hollywood Hills and downtown Los Angeles. And its unique European design and French-style menu with the rooftop swimming pool can definitely give you a special dining experience. It is the best way to enjoy a sunny day in California and everyone can have a good time at this fantastic restaurant.

Time flies. Our iconic project, Thompson Hotel as part of the Hollywood International Regional Centre Development has achieved great success. It is located at the centre of Hollywood and near the Avenue of Stars. The world-class dining options and entertainment facilities make it a pearl of Hollywood.

"Culture + capital + creativity" makes you see a brand new world!

My third day of sunshine

Innovative ideas can give a new vision to the community

Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine! Definitely, you don’t want to miss Venice beach in LA!

This small town on the west side of Los Angeles has the same name as Venice in Italy. Once a tobacco merchant wanted to develop it as Italian Venice. Although his dream has never come true, the canals built and the multiculturalism developed give the town a unique atmosphere.

In the past few years, there were many homeless in Venice but the artists and innovators there have revitalized it. Now I can only feel the breeze and the warmth of the sun on this lovely beach. Interaction and idea exchange make the world a better place.

After a 5-minute walk from the beach, I came to Abbot Kinney Boulevard which is also known as The Coolest Block in America by GQ magazine. Innovation is not limited to art and technology. It is not difficult to find creative ideas in food. The eye-catching name of the restaurant, The Butcher’s Daughter, got my attention.

Its menu is unique in design in which freestyle handwriting is combined with printed fonts. It reminded me of a saying that a well-designed menu will make the dishes taste better.

It was pretty true. Not only did its food look good, but its well-designed menu also made people feel healthy. Also, it is interesting that the restaurant provides only vegetarian foods but has the name, “The Butcher's Daughter”.

What can compare with the California sunshine, vegan pizza and fresh green juice?

Entertainment and investment, sun and cuisine. Life is all about feeling good. No matter what the world will be, we should enjoy the sunshine as much as we can. With sunglasses, see the beauty of this world. Only “frame” the things that make you feel good!

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on November 18th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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A bag I want to carry all day long

November 29, 2022 / Angela Bi

Video Source：Youtube - Magic Yang

“Clothing is so important to many women because it gives them an illusion while reshaping their outer world and inner selves.”
- Simone de Beauvoir, French writer

On a sunny morning, I joined an exercise held by a traditional Chinese physician in Central Park, New York. I told my newly met teammates that I am from Vancouver, Canada. One of them asked me with a concerned tone: Oh! Canada is a very good country with many nice people. Are you OK here in New York?

I said ‘I am OK because I originally came from Shanghai, China.’ He understood ‘Then, you should be fine.’ Ha ha! It was an interesting conversation and I had been thinking about it.

Sure! If we compare lives in different countries to nature, my days in New York, Shanghai, and Hong Kong were like walking through a dangerous jungle full of predators in which I had to arm myself and be alarmed all the time in order to survive and make my life. That was the environment I grew up in. But life in Vancouver gave me a different experience. It is much more relaxing, like living in "The Wizard of Oz" which allows me to have a self-exploration.

If we think deeply, it is not difficult to discover that we always respond to “Are you OK?” with “I am OK” regardless of what situation. Are we really OK? Instead of dragging into it, I rather go with the flow to see what I am going to get.

Be free and versatile as waves

https://oleada.shop/

At a dinner in New York, I met with Tiffany, the founder of OLEADA. That was how I got to know this new brand and eventually became a user of its signature product, Wavia Bag.

With my new favourite Wavia Bag, I went to the Thompson Hollywood Hotel, an ideal place for a business meeting. Here, I had good conversations with my top business partners all around the world while enjoying a beautiful view of the Hollywood Hills to downtown LA. This year, many special activities were held at Thompson Hollywood Hotel such as the large-scale paintings of Los Angeles Frieze Art Fair, wonderful family parties and Prada pop-up stores. They all constantly grabbed the attention of the media and showed the charm of real Hollywood.

[Visas is the exclusive agent of the iconic project, Hollywood International Regional Center. As an important part of the project, Thompson Hotel is a wonderful choice for investment. Its tailor-made accommodation, world-class restaurant, art and entertainment facilities and groundbreaking design can definitely provide you with a unique experience in Los Angeles.]

OLEADA

https://oleada.shop/

Every brand has its own story, and OLEADA has one as well. As a busy and successful modern woman, Tiffany totally understood the commuting needs of women.

Women's bags on the market mostly focus on fashion designs and trends rather than the needs of women. When Tiffany travelled from New York to Hong Kong, the shoulder strap of her handbag broke which made her feel really inconvenient at the time. But this experience let her realize that the products on the market were not good enough for women at work.

"I wondered how we had solved some of the world's most challenging problems, yet we couldn't even treat my basic pain points? …Yet we cannot find a suitable workbag that should be aesthetically and functionally excellent. That's why we created OLEADA.”

- Tiffany, founder of OLEADA

The brand OLEADA which she co-founded with Tracy Zhong is to fill the gap in this market so that women can express themselves more freely, comfortably and confidently in the workplace.

For whom is gentle and strong

There is a unique meaning of OLEADA. In Spanish, it means “Waves”. Be gentle, yet powerful, like you! This is a tribute to modern women performing multiple roles in society.

"We want to unload the burdens of a modern woman by offering a perfect workbag that provides peace of mind and a sense of weightlessness.”

- Tracy, Co-Founder of OLEADA

Modern women are always busy with so many tasks from daily routine to work. Handbags are no longer just for dressing up but serve multiple functions. All small and large personal items or electronic devices for work are so essential to be put in the bag. OLEADA is the one that fulfils all these needs.

Your business travel partner - Wavia Bag

The adjustable shoulder strap let you carry the bag in different styles. Backpack, shoulder bag, handbag or crossbody, you can easily switch the style as you want! Also, the pass-through sleeve on the back is specifically designed for securing the bag on luggage. Both the fashionable and functional features of Wavia Bag can definitely give you a unique travelling experience!

Video Source：Youtube - OLEADA_OFFICIAL

Your daily Commuter - Reverie Hobo

This hobo-shaped bag can be carried in 3 different ways including handbag, satchel and crossbody styles. It is lightweight and stylish while packable and functional.

A bag for all occasions - Marina Bucket

Marina Bucket is versatile. It fits perfectly for both work and holiday trips. Its lightweight and functional layout can fulfil all you need while providing you with great comfort.

OLEADA adds a new chapter to women's workbags through its innovation in materials, weight, comfort and functionality. One bag for all. It is no wonder that all these tastemakers, Elon Musk’s mother, Maye Musk and Italian Princess Melusine Ruspoli who was the European It girl of the Summer also like OLEADA.

OLEADA X Maye Musk

“And I was really impressed with Tiffany, and the message she wants to get across, the time she spends on it, and how proud she is of it, and how she wants to get the message across for women to be more powerful …And so I was really happy to be part of this.”

- Maye Musk

Maye Musk and OLEADA co-design collection, "From the Boardroom to the Ballroom" is for modern women with multiple roles in society. Their classical design and exquisite craftsmanship want to bring a unique experience to every woman.

Image source: Harper's Bazaar

As a successful modern woman, Maye Musk is a nutritionist, supermodel and speaker. She always goes beyond the boundary and age is never an issue for her. In 2022, she became the oldest swimsuit model for Sports Illustrated. She is 74 years old now and has been modelling for more than 50 years. Her passion for life and work as well as challenging gender stereotypes make her a role model for many women.

A lot of female elites in finance, consulting, and fashion industries are impressed by OLEADA's aesthetics and functionality including Pauline Brown, Former Chairman of North America for LVMH, Angie Byun, Former Executive Director of Condé Nast Style Group, and other female entrepreneurs and top MBAs. Maye Musk is also a user of the brand.

Global citizenship is armour in reality

Our quality service is just like OLEADA for you. As the only organization from China in the Investment Migration Council (IMC), which is reputed by the United Nations, we are always beholding our core values of “being professional, patient and perfect”.

We have strict selections of our projects and provide each family with a tailor-made program. We provide all-rounded services in education, taxation, investment and daily life. We are always with you to make sure that the entire process of immigration application, transition, and settlement is smooth and efficient. Handbags are women's best comrades-in-arms at work and global citizenship is your armour in reality.

Marilyn Monroe said ‘Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.’ I believe ‘give women a suitable bag, they can conquer the world as well.’

Image Source：OLEADA Website, unsplash, 品牌星球

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on November 11st, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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A tour of croissants in Vancouver

October 24, 2022 / Angela Bi

“A morning coffee with a croissant is a perfect match."
- Angela Bi

This summer, my personal trainer advised me to restart the 16+8 diet and complement my twice-weekly gym workouts for optimal outcomes.

What is 16+8 fasting?

It is intermittent fasting which allows 8 hours for food consumption and 16 hours for fasting.

That 8-hour window for food consumption is critical. Although I am careful with my diet, always selecting organic ingredients and preparing meals at home, sometimes I may deviate from this healthy lifestyle a bit. I like enjoying a crispy and freshly made butter croissant in the morning. This is a small habit developed since childhood.

A study told us that if you want to quit one bad habit, you need to replace it with another one. Throughout history, people with so-called extreme self-discipline usually brought disaster to the world. It is said that Hitler was this type of person who did not drink alcohol and smoke, while Trump also abstained from drinking alcohol, but instead, drinking coke became his only bad habit.

Although this crispy French traditional food may not be good for my health, it serves another purpose by giving me satisfaction every day, enhancing my positive energy and reducing my negative emotions. Perhaps croissants have this modest contribution to the harmony of society.

The everyday breakfast made me a master of Vancouver Butter Croissants. To complete this invaluable guide, I have tasted almost all the cafes and croissants throughout Vancouver. It is totally objective, free of charge and advertisement. But first of all, I am afraid that several well-known cafes are off the shelves.

Beaucoup Café

www.beaucoupbakery.com

It used to be my Croissant go-to place. But recently, the croissant is not crispy and buttery enough, not to mention the increased size, just like a North American version. Perhaps there is a change of shareholders so the essential French spirit in its croissant disappeared. But to be fair, the overall atmosphere of the shop is still nice and the quality of other signature products is quite acceptable.

Thomas Haas

www.thomashaas.com

Its desserts and chocolates are as good as ever, but its Croissant lacks uniqueness and character as if the least important instrument in a symphony orchestra, not having a full expression of itself.

After multiple tries, I finalized a list of cafes where you can definitely find a good croissant:

Angus T Bakery & Café

angust.com

All its well-baked products come from a small kitchen in the store and its baking papers are measured with a ruler and cut to an accurate size. Each stick of butter is of standardized weight and is flattened with a mold. The exquisite craftsmanship they show makes this place heaven of croissants!

It is well-known for everyday hand-made products, the use of quality ingredients from France and Vancouver and top-notch quality and traditional craftsmanship.

Our quality service is just like the incredible craftsmanship of Angus T Bakery & Café. As the only organization from China in the Investment Migration Council (IMC), which is reputed by the United Nations, we are craftsmen in providing immigration services and fully understand our duties.

In this rapidly changing world, society is full of noise and distraction, but we are always beholding our core values of “being professional, patient and perfect”. We have strict selections of our projects and provide each family with a tailor-made program. Our professional and experienced team of lawyers with a high success rate in immigration and our rich and all-rounded supporting resources can definitely provide you with the latest immigration policy and detailed analysis of global immigration trends.

Our programs are all customized based on the needs and conditions of each family to fully recognize both advantages and disadvantages of them and come up with effective solutions for complicated issues in the early stage.

We provide all-rounded services in education, taxation, investment and daily life. We are always with you to make sure that the entire process of immigration application, transition, and settlement is smooth and efficient. Together, we achieve our goals and enhance your quality of life!

Small Victory

smallvictory.ca

Some coffee shops often serve wonderful handmade coffee without delicious desserts, while some bakery shops serve exquisite desserts without good drinks. I always feel a little disappointed in both situations as something is missing. Enjoying a good coffee with a good dessert is a wonderful moment in life! Without a doubt, Small Victory did it perfectly!

The simple but elegant decoration and brand design create a good atmosphere. Every food or drink they served is put on a small hexagonal wooden board with an SV logo. I appreciate this little uniqueness. No matter how the board is spliced, there is always a good photo of it.

Bake49

Bake49.com

This is a small shop renowned for its Japanese cheese tart but recently it started to sell croissants as well. One day I passed by and gave it a try. The wonderful taste of the croissant really surprised me and it immediately became my favourite. The small cup of coffee they served was the only thing I could complain about.

L’atelier Patisserie

www.latelierpatisserie.com

This shop is located in an ordinary industrial building in Mount Pleasant. It produces thousands of delicious croissants each week. These may be the most French-style croissants you can find in Vancouver. That’s why it is always on my top list.

There is an old Chinese saying, “Good wine needs no bush”. This shop looks ordinary but every morning, many customers come and go.

A croissant with a coffee, what a wonderful breakfast!

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on August 18th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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Delighting at first sight, amazing after a long time

October 17, 2022 / Angela Bi

“My dream house should be: delighting at first sight, amazing after a long time. Buying is a charm, matching is an ability. Taste has nothing to do with money.”
- Angela Bi

Today, I would like to talk about the path in front of my house. There are lovely big trees lined on both sides. They are not like cherry blossoms, only lasting for a short period of time, and not like summer flowers, shining as the sunshine. These tall trees have their own uniqueness, with green leaves to shade the sky and the sun. Everytime when I pass through this little path to go back home, I often feel a sudden relief, as if entering a tunnel of time. It is a feeling of coming home, so wonderful. These trees at my front door are decorations and gifts from nature. They always remind me of how life should be decorated.

Creating a luxurious and comfortable living environment is a promise, purpose and reward for life. But, should luxury be only valued by the price tag? Or, will you slow down your pace to enjoy life in another way?

Recently, I am busy with a project, searching for long-term accommodation that is suitable for a family who will soon move to Vancouver. It needs to be perfectly decorated and meet my living standard. I like this project, it allows me to fully utilize my imagination and execution.

In summer, I visited my designer’s garden. This is the most beautiful office. After six weeks of searching, we finally came to the right place. With a tight schedule, the most challenging thing is that, as a volunteer, I needed to address different understandings under various cultural contexts through communication and coordination.

Here are some ideas for the project

The essence of life is how to live, not how to survive. One room, one world; One house, one view.

A room with good proportions and layout doesn't have to be expensive.

When a house becomes a showroom, kitsch is a word for it. To make a house a home, I think, is to make the space a little more warm, colorful, kind, and flexible.

A room should "welcome you" rather than yelling "look at me".

Home is a space for myself, my family, and friends. There are different ways to “enjoy” the time at home. It can be a library room, where your inspiration comes from, or a yoga studio, where you enjoy the freedom of stretching and peace. Home is a space not only with structural functions but also imagination of beautiful life.

Buying a house is not that difficult, but making it a home is another story.

Adding more colours: Vancouver is already gray enough, so why let your home be covered with black, white and grey only?

An idea of a home should not be satisfied with only an L-shaped sofa and a large TV occupying most of the wall area.

"West Coast" design fully represents what a simple lifestyle should be.

You can also live in a room like this.

Life should be defined by yourself rather than a price tag. My designer bought a cabinet for 230 yuan in the second-hand market and then spent 500 yuan for repainting. This classic and elegant cabinet with Hermes orange interior paint highlights the contrast between the two combinations. The luxurious atmosphere does not require a luxurious price.

Don’t be defined, but find your own style!

As the only organization from China in the Investment Migration Council (IMC), which is reputed by the United Nations, we have successfully helped over 200,000 high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) to make their immigration dreams come true. Immigration has entered a new era, allowing high-net-worth individuals to plan for their tax residence. We believe HNWIs have a higher expectation of asset allocation and are looking for an investment with a steady income and a strategy to reduce the cost of asset management. Our all-rounded quality global services can definitely satisfy your needs.

Need not to say, in this fast-paced society, no one can feel your “comfortable and relaxing” life through the messy arrangement in your home. What we offer is to help you to understand your need, get rid of this anxiety, gain control of your career and life again and finally, be able to find what life means to you. Everything has risks and comes with a price. It is necessary to have the ability to fully understand your own life. When you have this kind of attitude, you can take responsibility for yourself. Respect and freedom are appealing. Once you see the world, it is difficult for you to turn back.

Be determined and define your own life

We cannot choose where we were born, but at least, we can decide where we want to live. Follow us to explore all the wonders of global citizenship! Together, we see life and the future with a blue sky, green grass, red fruit and prosperity.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on August 11th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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A Midsummer Night’s Fireworks, A Beautiful Night Sky In My Heart

October 11, 2022 / Angela Bi

“Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves.”
- Stray Birds, by Rabindranath Tagore

During the summertime, the air is still, the sun is rare, and the hydrangeas are in full bloom. It is the best time of the year to have a lazy day.

The lost time in Vancouver always reminds me of this rapidly changing world. Scorching sun in summer, the hidden red under the white snow in winter, suddenly, the four seasons jumped out of the water distinctly. Is this the same place I arrived nearly 20 years ago?

From about winter to the end of spring, you frequently see rain as a curtain hanging around. This shows you the real Vancouver. Without the wet season, there will be no sufficient water to nourish the soil and nature that fill the city with greenery. With the scorching sun, forests, mountains, beaches, blue sky, white clouds and comfortable warm weather at your door front, hiking is not necessary for you to enjoy all the beautiful things you need.

After 2 years of the pandemic, the summer fireworks in Vancouver have finally resumed. This year is the 30th of the festival. The event was held on 3 different days to present the fireworks from 3 countries, July 23rd (Saturday) for Japan, 27th (Wednesday) for Canada and 30th (Saturday) for Spain.

Japan

The first day started with a fantastic performance by the Japanese company Akariya Fireworks. By inventing new technology and integrating the new concepts of environmental protection, the Japanese team brought an innovative and creative fireworks performance to us, which brightened the sky in Vancouver’s English Bay.

©Photography by Mr. Zhang, a famous Realtor in Vancouver

Canada

On the second day of the event, the Canadian Midnight Sun Fireworks Company, which represented Canada in the competition, as always, delivered an outstanding performance. They perfectly integrated the rich visual image and music into one, presenting a unique fireworks display to us. Their performance came with climaxes one after another bringing tremendous cheers from the audience.

Spain

On the third day, the Spanish company Pirotecnia Zaragozana lived up to expectations. The beautiful large-scale fireworks constantly blooming in the night sky brought cheers from the audience. They pushed the whole event to a climax and gave a perfect ending to it.

Finally, the Canadian team, Midnight Sun Fireworks won the competition with their creativity and positive energy.

Since the pandemic in Vancouver, these 3 fireworks displays have been probably the most lively ones, but I was not that excited. On the balcony, watching them from afar, hearing the huge blooming sounds of the fireworks exploding, I felt a strong emotion surging inside my heart, which was far beyond any stimulation from the outside world.

©Angela Bi

On a midsummer night, the beautiful night sky as a canvas

Cai Guo-Qiang is one of my favourite artists. His fireworks creations are remarkable and very unique.

"Footprints of History"

In 2008, at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, 29 huge "Footprints" in the form of fireworks stepped over the sky.

"Sky Ladder"

In 2015, a "Sky Ladder" exploded in Quanzhou, Fujian as a gift to Cai’s hometown. A golden firework ladder with a width of 5.5 meters and a height of 500 meters rose from the ground to the sky.

"The 'Sky Ladder' creates a connection between the earth and the universe, reality and infinity, people and their hometown..."

“The Ninth Wave”

In 2014, he transported a fishing boat from his hometown of Quanzhou and completed "The Ninth Wave" on the Huangpu River in Shanghai. It opens with black and white fireworks "Elegy," continues with colourful smoke "Remembrance," and ends with "Consolation," a firework looks like "Yellow Willows," both magnificent and poignant.

"City of Flowers in the Sky"

In 2018, the daytime explosion plan, "City of Flowers in the Sky" was carried out at Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy, close to the statue of David. It began with “Thunder”, followed with six acts including “God of the West Wind and Goddess of the Land”, "The birth of Flora", "Venus", "Three Graces", "Spiritual Garden" and "Red Lily". Thousands of flowers created by fireworks blossomed in the sky as if the historic city, “City of Flowers” appeared once again.

Cai Guo-Qiang, "Renaissance Flower Garden", Gunpowder, Canvas, 2018

"The Birth of Tragedy"

In 2020, in the Charente River in Cognac, France, for the first time, through livestream, Cai Guo-Qiang showed the audience worldwide "The Birth of Tragedy", in which fireworks blasted from the water. Twenty thousand fireworks burst out from 150 oak barrels creating a colourful image to honour the perseverance, courage and hope of mankind shown in the pandemic.

"Your Daytime Fireworks"

He recently launched his third NFT project "Your Daytime Fireworks" with TRLab, a completely community-driven art work. On 90 days of Cai’s calendar, there are 90 different daytime fireworks in 14 firework styles influenced by 12 countries and different weather conditions.

As an artist, Cai Guo-Qiang blasted gunpowder from China to France, Italy and other parts of the world, and even to the virtual world of NFT. His fireworks are not only emotional and romantic but also philosophical and speculative. The metaphysics of traditional culture, the unity of man and nature, are reflected in his work of art.

Firework is a universal language. Using the sky as a canvas allows us to appreciate the strength shown in lines and the colourful images. It allows us to explore beyond the horizontal boundary and leave passion and beauty in the sky.

Watching fireworks with you around the world is the most romantic thing I can imagine. It is like the song, "Firework" by Katy Perry.

"Do you know that there's still a chance for you?

Cause there's a spark in you."

For those who are passionate about life and dream, the beautiful night sky is always in your heart. Our quality worldwide services for you are like the sky in your heart: more than 200 projects, covering 5 continents and 50+ countries. As the only organization from China in the Investment Migration Council (IMC), which is reputed by the United Nations, we have successfully helped over 200,000 high-net-worth individuals to realize their immigration dreams. Let us work together to plan your future and make your dreams come true. To fight for your dream and future, to shine on your own stage and bloom all the way!

A choice for your dream is like a night sky for fireworks,

it lets you shine brightly.

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on August 18th, 2022

Chinese Version 中文版

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High Art is Out of Reach? Wear Your Favourite Pieces of Art UNIQLO x LOUVRE Collaboration

August 16, 2021 / Charlene Wu

"Looking for mentors and friends, go to the Louvre."
-Cézanne, the father of modern art

Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Louvre Museum in France has been closed for many times since the end of last year until it reopened on May 19!

In March of this year, the Louvre announced that about 500,000 works of art will be exhibited online for free, enabling netizens to "immerse themselves" and appreciate tens of thousands of treasures of human civilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also an important part of the museum's digital reform.

As an expert in collaboration, Uniqlo collabs have been pioneering in art, culture and creativity. For sure, it must also take action at this time! In order to allow more people to have the opportunity to appreciate the collection and share the art, Uniqlo’s new collaboration with Louvre Museum were born.

The Louvre (French: Musée du Louvre) is located on the North Bank of the Seine River in the center of Paris, France, and ranks first among the four major museums in the world. Founded in 1204, it was originally the royal palace of France, where 50 French kings and queens lived. It was one of the most precious buildings in the French classicism period and was famous for its rich collection of classical paintings and sculptures.

Since August 1793, the Louvre Museum of Art has officially opened to the public as a museum. It has now become a world-renowned art palace, one of the largest art treasures, and the world-renowned palace of treasures. Its overall building is "U"-shaped, covering an area of 24 hectares, and the building covers an area of 4.8 hectares. The transparent pyramid building at the entrance of the Louvre’s main entrance is the masterpiece of the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, which has become the symbol of the Louvre.

According to statistics, the Louvre Palace has a collection of more than 400,000 works of art from all over the world. If you look at each work for 60 seconds and 8 hours a day, it will take 75 days to visit every room in the Louvre.

Among them the statue of Venus De Milo, the Mona Lisa oil painting and the sculpture of the Winged Victory of Samothrace are known as the three treasures of the world. The French exhibited these art treasures in six exhibition halls according to their origin and type. There are the Oriental Art Gallery, the Ancient Greek and Roman Art Gallery, the Ancient Egyptian Art Gallery, the Treasure Gallery, the Painting Gallery and the Sculpture Gallery. Among them, the painting hall has the most exhibits and covers the largest area. It is impossible to appreciate all the rare treasures in one or two days. The Louvre has become a gathering place for artists from all over the world, and it also provides a global stage for these artists.

This time, UNIQLO has agreed to collaborate with the Louvre Museum in Paris. They signed a four-year partnership agreement with the aim of allowing the public to appreciate and contact these masterpieces in a more relaxed environment, and bring the joy of art in daily life. At the same time, UNIQLO will also support two programs of the Louvre like Free Saturday Nights, free admission on the first Saturday night of every month, and Mini-Discovery Tour on every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

The first collaboration collection "Louvre museum UT" was unveiled, creating the slogan, "Wear the Louvre and explore the world together." Wearing the Louvre? Classic paintings, ingenious cutting, you can see the masterpieces without going abroad!

The design inspiration is mainly based on the collections in the Louvre.

In the first collaboration collection, men's wear was designed around the theme "Art and Logic". It was created by prominent British graphic artist Peter Saville. He integrated the inventory number system of the Louvre’s collection and the ‘golden ratio‘ of artworks and selected the well-know classic works such as Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Venus De Milo as the inspiration for re-creation.

In his works, he used rich colors and urban graphic art techniques, combined with the Louvre artworks, to produce a combination of classical and modern artistic beauty!

The sincerity, kindness and beauty of women are subjects that human beings have been paying attention to.

The women's clothing design of this collection is mainly based on the art collections related to women in the Louvre Museum. The design is more fresh and simple. Through the smooth lines, it shows the rich posture of Leonardo da Vinci's works, simplifies the complexity, preserves the artistry and makes it more natural.

The women's clothing in this collection also reshapes the beauty between women and flowers through the combination of bright floral patterns. It endlessly enlarges a pleasant contrast, and finally makes these female images bloom vividly on T-shirts.

UNIQLO has established partnerships with iconic museums around the world over the years, and has previously organized events with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and Tate Modern in London.

Just as UNIQLO can collaborate with museums such as the Louvre, the Federal Self-employed Persons Program is not only for talents in the cultural, artistic, and sports related industries. You can also hold on to this opportunity!

Canada, which advocates multiculturalism, has always spared no effort in attracting overseas talents. This special immigration channel opened by the Canadian government for professionals in specific fields allows music teachers, yoga instructors, workers engaged in cultural and sports activities, photographers, craftsmen, creative workers, reporters, broadcasters, sound recorders, radio and television media workers, chief editors, translators and other paper media editors, books and literature management workers to apply, making their “maple leaf land” dreams come true.

The art collection of the Louvre itself has extremely high aesthetic value. Coupled with this collaboration with modern art, the collision of classic and modern has created a different spark, and it has also brought new vitality to the mass consumer market, which can be described as a win-win situation!

Angela Bi 毕颖

TCT Arte House, Founder

angelabi@tctandco.com

Written on June 17, 2021

Chinese Version 中文版

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