Todd Wong with Lion Head

Asian Canadian adventures in inter-cultural Vancouver
and home of Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.

Welcome to GungHaggisFatChoy.com

Home to my passions for my inter-cultural adventures,

Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Robbie Burns
Chinese New Year Dinner event.


Save Kogawa House campaign,

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team,

Find what you are looking for by
1) scroll the topics links,
2) use the search function

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Join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team
for lots of summer fun, fitness and friendship. We are a social team full of cultural vigor, that likes to eat.

We have been featured on television, local, national and international. We have a unique and internationally famous fundraiser dinner event.

We practice Sunday 1:30 pm -3:30 pm Tuesday 6pm-7:45pm Wednesday 6pm - 7:45 pm

We meet at Dragon Zone clubhouse - just south of Science World in Creekside Park above the Aquabus and dragon boat docks.

Our coach Todd Wong has 15+ years of experience including novice, recreational and competitive levels, and both community and corporate teams.

Our 2005 Season brought us the David Lam Award for being the team that best represented the multicultural spirit of the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, and Bronze medals at the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race. In 2007, we won Gold in B Division at Vernon Races.

For more information:
Click on Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team information
phone: 604-987-7124-
e-mail: gunghaggis at yahoo dot ca

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2009 TICKETS Available in October 2008

WHAT: GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner - 12th Annual Dinner, celebrating 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns' birth + Chinese New Year's Eve.

WHEN: 6PM January 25 2009, SUNDAY
doors open 5pm


WHERE: Floata Chinese Restaurant,
#400-180 Keefer St.


CULTURE: Our Performers create something special for us every year with traditional and contemporary performances featuring everything in-between and beyond!

FOOD: A quirky fusion/mix/buffet of Scottish Canadian and Chinese Canadian culture 10 course Chinese banguet dinner
2004 - The debut of Gung Haggis Won-Ton
2005 - Haggis lettuce wrap!
2007 - Haggis dim sum appetizer buffet
2008 - Scotch tastings!
Watch for more surprises in 2008!






Description of 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner featuring performers: Rick Scott & Harry Wong, The Shirleys, Joe McDonald & Brave Waves, Sean Gunn, author Joy Kogawa, with co-host Prem Gill .

Media Inquiries
Call Gung Haggis Productions 604-987-7124

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Year Archive
View Article  CBC 690 AM radio reaches 1000 letters to support its application move to FM
Yesterday was the deadline... CBC Radio 690 AM had put its big guns special projects Sheila Peacock and programs director Joan Andersen to the task to drum up 1000 letters of support for its application to move to FM.  For the past  two weeks, CBC Radio One has not only been asking its listeners to write letters to CRTC, but also personally phone calling and e-mailing its "friends in the community."

I was contacted by Sheila Peacock and wrote:

CBC Radio is and important part of Vancouver's arts and political community.  The move to FM will greatly enhance how it can serve the Metro Vancouver community.  When CBC radio was locked out - it was a terrible blow to the local arts community, and stopped the dissemination of information for many small organizations who could not otherwise reach the broad audience that CBC AM reaches.

To further enhance and develop the benefit of Canadian culture, we need a stronger CBC.  We need to provide our national public radio with the best reach possible to ensure the best use of our tax dollars and to fulfill it's mandate - especially "be made available throughout Canada by the most appropriate and efficient means and as resources become available for the purpose, and reflect the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canada.

No other radio station is able to specifically transcend the multicultural hodgepodge of isolated language groups into an effective post-multicultural and interculturally inclusive community in the way that CBC 690 Radio does and can do. 

As Todd Wong, creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner, we are an example of that new and developing Canadian culture that recognizes 1) our Canadian heritage 2) our ancestral heritage and 3) the unique fusion as we combine, evolve and create.

Through CBC AM radio - we have shared our vision and activities not only locally in Vancouver on shows such as Early Edition, BC Almanac, North By Northwest and On the Coast, but also nationally through shows like Sounds Like Canada, Richardson's Round Up, and Freestyle.

It is therefore imperative that CBC 690 AM be allowed access to FM radio.

Todd Wong

Sheila wrote back today:

Thanks Todd - this is fantastic!  We exceeded our 1000 letter goal - thank you so much for all your support!
 
cheers, Sheila

View Article  2007 Highlights for Todd Wong: lots of media interviews + CBC documentary + Vancouver Library Strike + Gung Haggis Fat Choy goes international
2007 Highlights for Todd Wong: lots of media interviews + CBC documentary + Vancouver Library Strike... and Gung Haggis Fat Choy goes international


Here's a picture of Rory, Becca and Todd Wong at the inaugural Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner in Seattle.
- photo courtesy of Becca Fong


January 15th
Erin Cebula did a Global Village spot about Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner on January 15th, just prior to our Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night event at the Vancouver Public Library. Malcolm Parry also dropped by for some pictures and quick interview.


January 24th
Gung Haggis RAP Choy... It's Robbie Burns Eve, and we released a Rap version of Robbie Burns immortal poem Address to the Haggis. It is produced by Trevor Chan of No Luck Club and features myself and Joe McDonald on vocals.  The backing track features Joe on bagpipes and is titled "Gung Haggis Fat Choy."  Click on this article to download our MP3 file.

January 25th
SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival - Dragon Cart Races + Human Curling. It's the second annual installment of a new SFU tradition organized by the SFU Recreation Department and based on my Gung Haggis Fat Choy events.

CBC Radio interview with Priya Ramu + Ming Pao interview with Eric Chan.  Priya plays the Haggis Rap.  CBC Radio International also airs a previously taped interview I did with them which sends Toddish McWong and Gung Haggis Fat Choy out to the world on satellite.  Oy!  The world gets a dose of The Haggis Rap.


January 28th
Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.  The best one ever - according to bagpiper Joe McDonald who has performed at 8 GHFC dinners since 2001.

February 15th
Kyoto Journal features an article about Todd Wong and Gung Haggis Fat Choy - by author Jean Miyake Downey

February 18th
Gung Haggis Fat Choy Seattle: Scots-Americans enjoy a big success for a first initiative south of the border!



March 19th
Vancouver Heritage Award of Honour given by Mayor Sam Sullivan to Save Kogawa House Committee & TLC: The Land Conservancy of BC.  I accept on behalf of Joy Kogawa House committee, with Bill Turner executive director of TLC.

Todd Wong, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, Bill Turner TLC executive director - photo Deb Martin

April 5th
It's Tartan Day Eve... and Kilts Night in Vancouver.  Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team takes part in a kilt fashion show, and ends up becoming featured on the poster for Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub.


DSC_6069
DSC_6069.jpg
April 14th
Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team is filmed for ZDF German Public Television.  We participate in the ADBF sprint regatta. Afterwards we celebrate with a Scotch tasting, and cooking up deep-fried haggis won-tons for the cameras.  BC Royal Museum later asks if they can use the picture below for a display


(clockwise) Todd Wong, Stuart Mackinnon, Steven Wong, Stephen Mirowski, Tzhe Lam and Julie Wong partake in scotch tasting and eating deep-fried haggis won-ton for ZDF German Public Television film crew - photo Deb Martin

April 29th

I post an article about James Erlandsen requiring a Bone Marrow transplant from a Eurasian Donor. This begins a relationship with James, his family and especially his cousins Aynsley and Hillary and Aunt Bev. 


May 7th
I do a City TV interview with James Erlandsen, about his fight with leukemia, my own cancer experience and how I am trying to help his
his need for a bone marrow transplant by blogging about his cause.  In May, we name James Erlandsen as honourary drummer for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.



June 15/16/17
The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team races in the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.
On Friday, we take part in the Opening Ceremonies and also become emergency volunteers for the ADBF VIP Party.

June 28th
Georgia Straight features a memorial article about Roy Mah, and interviews me for two articles: Roy Mah strove to transcend race & What do you remember about Roy Mah?  The City of Vancouver pronounces July 12th as Roy Mah Day, and
I attend memorial service.

Generations

July 4th
Generations: The Chan Legacy airs on CBC Newsworld.  It is the documentary about my seven generational family history descended from Rev. Chan Yu Tan who arrived in Canada in 1896.  I was the lead contributor and helped to guide producer Halya Kuchmij as she interviewed family elders Victor Wong, Helen Lee, Gary Lee as well as artist/author Janice Wong, myself and one of our youngest family members Tracey Hinder.  I watched the live television broadcast with my grandmother, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. The Chan Legacy will air six times throughout July and August. 

The documentary films me attending the 2006 Taiwanese dragon boat races, Terry Fox Run in Richmond, and the first open house event at Joy Kogawa House where I perform with my accordion, and Joy says kind words about my involvement saving her childhood home.

Chan family

July 28/29
Gold medals for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team in the Greater Vernon Dragon Boat Races.  Our Vernon raised steersperson Deb Martin is featured in the local Vernon Morning Star paper.  Our dragon boat team is hosted and housed by Deb's parents in their Kalamalka Lake-side home.



July 31
North Shore News interviews me, my mother and cousin Tracey Hinder for an article about Generations: The Chan Legacy. It's a great interview.  Tracey and I were both featured in the CBC documentary.  My mother was a great support and appears a few times as we do family activities together.
Three generations of the Chan family: Tracey Hinder (left), Betty Wong and Todd Wong look over their family's impressive legacy.

August 23
"Library workers picket with pizzazz!" Globe & Mail interviews me and takes my picture. The Vancouver Library workers are on strike for the first time in our 77 year union history.  I help organize a writers' series at Central Branch inviting well known writers as Terry Glavin, Stan Persky, Tom Sandborn, Hiromi Goto, Fiona Lam, Daniel Gawthrop, Rita Wong and George McWhirter the Vancouver Poet Laureate to come read to Vancouver Library workers.  I maintain stories about the strike on my blog, and am interviewed by different media such as CBC Radio, NW98, Co-op Radio, CBC TV etc.

Read a recap of my involvement with the Vancouver Library strike with pictures.

August 30
Georgia Straight interviews me for an article: Boss and union tell different tales and asks to use my photo of myself, city librarian Paul Whitney and librarian Alexis Greenwood.

Todd Wong, an accordion-playing library employee, picket captain Alexis Greenwood, and city librarian Paul Whitney remain on friendly terms.
Todd Wong, an accordion-playing library employee, picket captain Alexis Greenwood, and city librarian Paul Whitney remai
n on friendly terms.














  
September 7th
This was a very busy Friday.  I started off by introducing Vancouver poet laureate George McWhirter who gave a reading to our Vancouver library workers.
 
IMG_2814

Next I attended the opening ceremonies for the Douglas Jung Building, where Jung's son Art Calderwood gave a speech.  Art is also a paddler with the Gung Haggis Dragon boat team and several team members were there to support him.

It was the 100th anniversary of the Anti-Asian riots that attacked both Chinatown and Japantown in 1907.  I attended the 1907 Riot: The Walking Tour.  That evening I attended the Reconciliation Dinner: Addressing the 1907 Anti-Asian riot and a century of change
IMG_2865IMG_2867IMG_2874IMG_2876




September 27th
I speak at Cleveland Elementary as a Terry's Team cancer survivor as part of the National Terry Fox Run Day.  I have spoken at Terry Fox Run events since 1993, when Terry's brother Darrell Fox asked me to become a Terry's Team member - cancer survivors who serve as living proof that cancer research makes a difference.



September 28th
I host the Music Cabaret for Vancouver District Labour Council at the Rhizome. An amazing event organized by Earle Peach.  Lots of incredible songs and performers about the labour movement and history.  Because of my participation, the Vancouver District Labour Council decides to donate all the proceeds to CUPE 391, Vancouver Library workers.
IMG_0110IMG_0084IMG_0087


September 29th
Word on the Strike...CUPE 391 picket line adds creativity to annual Word on the Street event - I do double duty performing my accordion for Word on the Strike, as well as staffing the Joy Kogawa House booth for Word on the Street.
IMG_0112 IMG_0127

October
Joy Kogawa House Society is now legal.... next step - restore the house

October 13th
I write a "Dream Statement" for the Dream Vancouver conference that takes place October 21st.  Of course I address racial and cultural diversity.

October 10th
Vancouver IAM agregattor Blog Features www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com story as one of the TOP BLOG REPORTS

November 8th
Geist Magazine features Todd Wong's photographs of Vancouver Library workers' strike Haiku poetry
I took many pictures during the Vancouver civic strike.  I received many requests for permission to print them in Georgia Straight + on-line newsblogs - but Geist was the only magazine request.


November 10th
Ruth Ozeki and Shaena Lambert read at historic Joy Kogawa House - Wonderful community chemistry for Vancouver's new literary landmark. I am one of the hosts for this event, as a member of the Historic Joy Kogawa House committee.  At a following meeting, I am voted president.  Shaena Lambert and Ruth Ozeki were both incredible readers.  They brought so much energy to the event, and they loved what we are doing with the house to turn it into a writer's retreat centre.
November 22nd
Eating Stories with the Chinese Canadian Historical Society - book launch I am one of the authors included in this incredible Chinese-Canadian and aboriginal anthology about family and food.  Authors book launch takes place at the Rhizome Cafe, and the official book launch happens at the Vancouver Museum.







December 14th
I am a guest panelist on CBC Radio's The Current discussing Canada's 3rd official language?  We debate whether Canada should have a 3rd official language.  Chinese is now the 2nd most spoken mother tongue language outside of Quebec.  I suggest a different alternative

December 15th
I discover that I am featured in a grade 5 school text book. It is called Literacy in Action and I was interviewed and asked for photos last year... but through all the library strike action, I never saw the book until today.


December 24th
Todd Wong's Favourite Christmas Dish read on CBC Radio's "Flavour of the Week" by Maragaret Gallagher
It's my final media spot of 2007. 

Wow.... what a busy year!  Time to start it all up again.  Press releases for 2008 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner going out this week.





View Article  Chinese-Canadians that inspired me in 2007
Last year in 2006, the Vancouver Sun published a list of 100 Influential Chinese-Canadians in B.C. in BC.... to much criticism - positive and negative.  I commented on my blog article: GungHaggisFatChoy :: Vancouver Sun: 100 Influential Chinese...

I am now working on my list of "Chinese-Canadians that inspired me in 2007"

I was inspired by seeing the name of Roy Mah, in the Vancouver Sun's list of people we lost in 2007, and shared the idea with my friend George Jung.   Rather than create a list of newsworthy or influential Chinese Canadians, we decided on CC's that inspired us.  This way there is NO official requirement or standards.  It is  very subjective and personal.

I also emailed some friends to create their own lists:  David Wong and Gabriel Yu have sent me replies.  David's list can be viewed on http://www.uglychinesecanadian.com

In no order, other than who came to mind first, who has crossed my path, and reviewing my blog www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com to remind myself who I wrote about in 2007.


Roy Mah - the founder of Chinatown News, was written about in the Vancouver Sun after celebrating his 90th birthday, as well as when the City of Vancouver declared July 12th Roy Mah Day, in recognition of his memorial service.  I have known Roy since I submitted an article back in the early '80's.  When he would make his regular trips to the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, he would also wave to me sitting at the Information desk.
  
  
Thekla Lit
for her work with Alpha Canada, promoting the film Rape of Nanjing, and inviting media and public to meet Comfort Women survivors.  Gabriel says that a columnist on the Global Chinese Press has named Thekla the Chinese-Canadian of 2007, as she and her husband Joseph have been busy on these issues for a long decade.  I got to know Thekla when she joined the committee for Chinese Head Tax Redress campaign in the months preceding the 2006 federal election.  She is a very smart women, not afraid to say what she thinks.


James Erlandsen - the young Eurasian SFU Student needing a bone marrow donor as he fights leukemia (James was named honourary drummer for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon boat team).  James reminded me so much of my own 1989 battle with cancer, even going to the same high school and university.  There have been ups and downs, and he still puts on a brave face.  I did a City TV interview with James, when James and I met for the first time.  It was James' cousin Aynsley who first contacted me about writing about James for my blog.
  
 
Tracey Hinder
- the 15 year old inaugural BC CanSpell champion, featured in the CBC documentary GENERATIONS: The Chan Legacy.  People constantly told me after watching the documentary that they  thought that my young cousin Tracey was great in it.  She was very inspiring for the future of Canada, especially with Tracey's Eurasian heritage, learning Mandarin and being involved with her school's multiculturalism club.  This summer Tracey started an e-newsletter titled "Becoming Green" that gives suggestions how to create a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.  I knew from the beginning that Tracey had to be in the documentary.  The documentary also featured family elders Victor Wong, Helen Lee, and Gary Lee, artist/author Janice Wong and myself.  Read my blog stories about Generations: The Chan Legacy
Three generations of the Chan family: Tracey Hinder (left), Betty Wong and Todd Wong look over their family's impressive legacy.Tracey Hinder, Betty Wong and Todd Wong re: Generations: The Chan Legacy

Henry Yu - UBC professor of History, chair and organizer of the Anniversaries for Change '07 events recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Anti-Asian Riots in Chinatown.  Henry has organized events at UBC and throughout Vancouver recognizing the impact on Vancouver made by the 1907 Anti-Asian riot in Vancouver Chinatown, the 1947 franchise for Chinese Canadians enabling them full citizenship rights, the new immigration act of 1967, and the 1997 handover of Hong Kong.  Henry has attended many Gung Haggis Fat Choy and Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop events over the past few years.  Henry always seems to have boundless enthusiasm and energy for all his projects.  But this past year was also significantly inspiring because he also became a cancer support person for his wife (see below).


Brandy Lien-Worrall - editor of Eating Stories: a Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck and All Mixed Up - a Hapa anthology.  It is easy to be impressed by all the writing and editing projects that Brandy is involved in.  I got to know Brandy better when I took the writing workshops sponsored by the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC.  I truly learned what an incredible dynamo she is. She pushed us to write creatively, and from the heart.  And it was fun to have my stories and pictures published in Eating Stories. Read: Eating Stories, a Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck: book launch Nov 25th at Vancouver Museum.  But more important to recognize is that Brandy finished editing Eating Stories in between chemotherapy treatments, after she was diagnosed with cancer in the summer.  Soon she started up a cancer blog in addition to her poem a day blog, and her 12 other blogs...  Just like James Erlandsen, Brandy is Eurasian... and also reminds me of my own cancer experience. 


Larry Wong, Todd Wong, Shirley Chan, Janice Wong with editor Brandy Lien Worrall at the Eating Stories anthology official book launch at Vancouver Museum - photo Deb Martin


more to come....

Jen Sookfong Lee -

Margaret Gallagher

Karin Lee

Bill Wong

Vicki Wong

Joseph Wu

Tricia Collins

see part II
More Chjinese Canadians that Inpired me in 2007: part 2

Head Tax survivors Mrs. Der and Ralph Lee

Sid Tan - head tax activist

Bev Wong - community activist on bone marrow and blood donors

Douglas Jung building at 401 Burrard St. 

Lan Tung, leader of Orchid Ensemble, incredible musician and creator of Triaspora

Wesley Lowe - film maker, creator of I Am the Canadian Delegate - story of Douglas Jung

George Chow - city councilor

Raymond Louie - city councilor

Jenny Kwan - MLA

Jim Chu - 1st Vancouver police chief of Asian ancestry

Assaulted Fish - sketch comedy troupe

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre VACT presented three productions in 2007, Cowboy VS Samaurai, Asian Comedy Night, and Bondage.

Twisting Fortunes duo - Charlie Cho and Grace Chin

Chinese Canadian veterans


View Article  Gung Haggis Fat Choy and Todd Wong cited in University paper: The Narcissism of Global Citizenry
Todd Wong and "Gung Haggis Fat Choy" are cited in a university student paper, from University of Toronto, I think.  Not so strange maybe because in 2007, I was written up for a grade 5 literacy text book, and contacted by a university professor researching for a book he is researching.

The paper is called The Narcissism of Global Citizenry by Remington Buyer, and asks "What does being Canadian mean?" in the abstract.

Check this out:

The increasing strength of divergent ethnic groups within Canada is doing more than inculcating multicultural tolerance, it is starting intercultural action.  One annual Vancouver event, Todd Wong's Gung Haggis Fat Choy party, celebrates the traditions of poetry reading associated with the traditions of Scottish Robbie Burns Day and merges it with the festivities of Chinese New Year's celebrations.  The result is a culturally-eclectic celebration of local and international artists performing musical numbers, reading poetry, socializing, and enjoying fusion Canadian cultures.  This particular event, far from representative of the entire Canadian inter-cultural community, is however an affirmation of that movement's existence....

Some critics claim that intercultural movements are nothing more than the lack of ethnicity, that the merging of Scottish and Chinese culture reveals little true dedication to either group.  Far beyond being academically questionable, this critic fails to grasp the holistic importance of Canadian interculturalism.  For a multicultural society to integrate new ethnic elements while preserving old ones, it must adapt, share and participate with others.  Canadian multiculturalism means more than tolerance, it means engagement.  Participation in dragon boat races, attendance at Bhangra festivities, taking the day off for the Queen's birthday day, or simply enjoying the Saturday and Sunday Sabbaths are all culturally important to different Canadian ethnic groups.

Remington Buyer, The Narcissism of Global Citizenry page 7-8
 
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