Dragon boat racing really does represent cultural diversity in BC. The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team is really honoured that we were asked by Global News to represent this topic for their program World Class BC on Feb 26, in a story by Elaine Yong, who shared with me that her husband is Scottish Canadian, and she is sometimes called McYong. Guess we will have to recruit her for the team!
I watched the airing of the story at a friend's home, where we were having a farewell dinner party for author Sharon Butala. Sharon has been helping the Historic Joy Kogawa House Committee with grant applications to create a writer-in-residence program, and has been staying at Joy's apartment in Vancouver's West End.
Sharon shared with me, that she really enjoyed seeing the cultural diversity on Robson St. Not only were there lots of different students from all across Asia, but people from all over the world, and even men holding hands. Coming from tiny Eastend, Sasketchewan, Sharon said that it felt like being in a different world. The great thing she said, was that everybody was happy. Vancouver's tolerance for racial and lifestyle differences is very high, and this has given support for helping create our cultural diversity in BC.
And then we heard Global News anchor Deborah Hope say that cultural diversity is one of the things that makes BC World Class. "It's on!" I called to everybody upstairs to come watch the show with us. Very appropriately, the feature unfolded with stories about First Nations canoes and carving, featuring Nu-Chal-Nuth carvers Joe Martin and Douglas David.
"Gung Haggis, Gung Haggis, Gung Haggis Fat Choy!" we heard the team cheer. And we saw the team loading up the dragon boat team. Elaine Yong explains that Dragon boating is part of a 1000 year tradition from China, and our team blends together Scottish history and culture. Todd Wong (me) is interviewed and Elaine states the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team is in training for the 20th Vancouver dragon boat Festival, now North America's largest, and one of the biggest outside Hong Kong.
You can see the Global News feature on the web
Go to:
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/bc/video/index.html
Scroll down to:
WORLD CLASS BC FEB 26
fast forward to 1:34 to 2:27 for Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.
World Class BC Feb 26.
1) Joe Martin carves Nu-Chal-Nuth First Nations canoes
2) Douglas David carves Nu-Chal-Nuth First Nations masks
3) Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team with Todd Wong
4) Bangra Dancing with Raakhi Sinha
Additionally,
you can see the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team featured on a ZDF
German Public Television travelogue titled "Toronto to Vancouver, by
Train."
http://wstreaming.zdf.de/zdf/veryhigh/071219_toronto_vancouver.asx
go to the 54 minute mark to find us!
This show aired December 2007 across Europe. The race shots were filmed at the ADBF sprint regatta. Here's the blog story: http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2007/4/14/2881088.html
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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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsors
Month Archive
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Chinese Canadian History
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Thursday, February 28
Gung Haggis dragon boat team is part of World Class BC on Global News show Feb 26
by
Todd
on Thu 28 Feb 2008 11:25 PM PST
Friday, February 22
Indo-Canadian fusion with Highland Dancing, Jazz music and Bhangra
by
Todd
on Fri 22 Feb 2008 03:39 PM PST
Tarun Nayar of Beats Without Borders occasionally sends me announcements of upcoming events and concerts. Last night he and the group Delhi 2 Dublin performed at the CBC studios. We met at the first Delhi 2 Dublin concert - back in March 2006 - see my review:
St. Paddy's Eve in Vancouver - What is a man in a kilt to do? -
Looks like a nice line up of South Asian music with some cross-cultural fusion. Especially the Transfusion dance show where "Flamenco blurs into Kathak, and Bhangra is intertwined with Celtic." I have seen Kiran Ahluwalia both performing traditional ghazal songs as well as her performance in the jazz opera Quebecite - written by Chinese-Afro-Canadian D.D. Jackson with lyrics by Afro-MicMac-Canadian George Eliot Clarke. Kiran Ahluwalia Saturday Feb 23, 8pm Christ Church Cathedral (690 Burrard St) Tickets: 604.872.5200 or http://www.ticketmaster.ca Kiran
is great! Check her out if you can... From the organizers: "Ahluwalia
sings original ghazals and Punjabi folk songs, backed by her five piece
ensemble; featuring tabla, harmonium, guitar, and bass. She is a multi
award- winning artist, known for her lush compositions, stellar voice
and captivating live performances. Her most recent album, Wanderlust
(Times Square/Fusion3) is a strikingly beautiful work just nominated
for World Music Album of the Year at the 2008 Juno Awards." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rez Abbasi's Bazaar Sunday, Feb 24. 4:30pm Performance Works (Granville Island) FREE From
the organizers: "This all-star band will delight fans of Shakti, Trilok
Gurtu, and other world-jazz fusion masters. New York-based guitarist
Rez Abbasi whose organic mix of jazz with elements of Indian classical
music creates a singular and distinctive sound leads the group. With
Juno Award winning vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia, Hammond B-3 organ player
Sam Barsh, and drummer Dan Weiss in tow this stimulating cultural
crossover is rhythmically captivating and utterly mesmerizing." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transfusion indian dance inter-relationships Friday Feb 29 and Sat March 1, 8pm Vancouver International Film Centre (1181 Seymour Street) Tix 18$ from ticketmaster or at 604.280.4444 Co-presented
by the VIBC Society and the Cultural Olympiad, this unique event blends
contemporary and traditional folk dance styles spanning the
subcontinent of India and reaching as far West as the Latin world and
the Highlands of Scotland. Watch as Flamenco blurs into Kathak, and
Bhangra is intertwined with Celtic in this presentation of folk dances
from around the world. Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Afro-contemporary,
Chinese, Balinese, Flamenco, Kathak, Bhangra, Breakdance, Celtic - all
re-interpreted with a heavy dose of multimedia. With dancers Sitara
Thobani, Chengxin Wei, Stu Iguidez, Raakhi Sinha, and many many more.
This is gonna be hot!!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bhangra Love the City of Bhangra dance party Thursday March 6, 9pm The Red Room (398 Richards) Tix 10$ @ the door The
BWB crew's biggest annual party, and the kick off to the VIBC festival.
Killer acts including DJ Sandeep Kumar from LA, live bhangra from the
city's hottest bhangra band, En Karma, and a special dance performance
pitting bhangra dancers vs street dancers. More fun times at the red
room! This party will sell out, so come nice and early... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- City of Bhangra For more info about this awesome stretch of events check http://www.vibc.org/cityofbhangra
Thursday, February 7
Gung Haggis Fat Choy in Province Newspaper today for Chinese New Year
by
Todd
on Thu 07 Feb 2008 12:20 PM PST
Happy Chinese New Year - Gung Hay Fat Choy!
...or should that be Gung Haggis Fat Choy ? Province Newspaper reporter Cheryl Chan interviewed me about the multiculturalism of Chinese Lunar New Year, and about my recent Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner. I told her about how I have been asked to speak at Elementary schools to help them express the Lunar New Year as a multicultural event, that all cultures can share in - not just Chinese New Year, Tibetan Losar, or Vietnamese Tet celebrations. Gee... like everybody can be Irish for St. Patrick's Day, or everybody can be Scottish for Robbie Burns Day, or all Canadians can celebrate Chinese New Year.... definitely!!! Then she asked what I was up to for Chinese New Year's Day... I told her going to see Banana Boys Play... and Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub. The writer included it in a list of events for Chinese New Year. But darn... she didn't use any of my quotes about inter-culturalism expressed in a dragon boat team! I am going to spend some time with my Hapa-Canadian niece and nephew today, then go see bagpiper friend Joe McDonald, who has survived 9 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinners, and a dragboat float in the 1st Vancouver St. Patrick's Day parade. Some of our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team members and Kilts Night clan will be having Chinese New Year dinner at Hon's before they head over to Doolin's Irish Pub, Nelson and Granville for Kilts Night and to watch the hockey game before the Halifax Wharf Rats start playing. I am going to see the 7:30pm Banana Boys show at the Firehall Arts Centre- but should make Kilts Night around 9:30 to 10pm. Slainte, Todd Chinese New Year joins Canadian mainstreamCommunities come together in paradeCheryl Chan, The ProvincePublished: Thursday, February 07, 2008The Year of the Rat kicks off today -- not with a squeak but with a mighty cross-cultural roar. Chinese
New Year, the most important holiday on the Chinese lunar calendar, has
become a reason for many Canadians, including those of non-Chinese
heritage, to eat, drink and make merry. "It's becoming, in
that great way, a Canadian tradition," said Todd Wong, a
fifth-generation Chinese-Canadian. "It's for all cultures to celebrate,
not just Chinese or Asians."   View Larger ImageJoin the Rat Pack: It'll be a good year for Rats, especially if you're looking for a job. Roosters? Well, you could be facing problems.Sherman Tai predicts the year ahead, B6-7 n The changing taste of Chinese food, B8-9Illustration, Nick Murphy -- the ProvinceMore pictures:Wong,
47, recently hosted Gung Haggis Fat Choy, an annual salute to Chinese
New Year and Robbie Burns Day, where bagpipes serenaded banquet diners
munching on hybrid delicacies such as a haggis lettuce wrap. He
said Chinese New Year's popularity is due not only to the large number
of Chinese immigrants but the interracial friendships and marriages
that have introduced the family-oriented holiday to mainstream
Canadians. "There's a heck of a
lot of white people out there learning about Chinese New Year because
their grandkids are half-Chinese," said Wong, whose maternal cousins
all married non-Chinese. Even
traditional offerings have taken on a cross-cultural flavour. The
annual Chinese New Year parade, expected to draw more than 600,000
spectators from across Metro Vancouver, is an example of
multiculturalism at work. More
than 2,000 participants, including bhangra dancers, marching bands,
bagpipers, traditional dragon- and lion-dance teams and a unicorn-dance
team, will make their way on foot and floats through Chinatown starting
at the Millennium Gate at noon on Sunday. "At
the parade, you see multiculturalism when the fabric of communities in
Vancouver come together," said Kenneth Tung, head of Success, one of
the event's organizers. "It's a multicultural
parade in a culture-specific setting," adds Wong, who says he'll be attending the festivities. Other celebrations: - Thursday: The Vancouver Police Department's lion-dance team performs at Vancouver City Hall at noon. - Thursday night: Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub. Free pint of Guinness if you wear a kilt. - Friday through Sunday: Chinese New Year celebration at International Village, 88 West Pender St. |
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