"CHINESE VANCOUVER THEN AND NOW: 1972-2010"

Tuesday, March 9, 2010
7-9 pm
Alice MacKay Room, Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch
OPERA SPEAKS @ VPL -


Admission is free.

An eminent panel explores the history of Chinese in Vancouver, with
emphasis on the Chinese communities' emergence and development since
1972, the year of Nixon's momentous trip to China. Discover how our
city has been shaped and transformed by Chinese culture over the past
38 years. This will be a fascinating evening. Speakers include eminent
architect Bing Thom, UBC historian Henry Yu, and filmmaker and writer Colleen Leung.

Presented in partnership with the Vancouver Public Library.
Opera Speaks @ VPL is sponsored by Omni BC Diversity Television. http://www.vancouveropera.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=255&Itemid=15

Winter Olympics invited countries from around to the world to multicultural Vancouver, but cultural diversity was missing in the Opening and Closing ceremonies.

Apparently the opening ceremonies did feature performers of cultural diversity.  But we missed it.

Only before the televised official opening... ("Miss Jully Black to the back of the bus please")... not "Canadian" enough to be televised.... and February is Black History month in Canada!

Read Vancouver Sun Pete McMartin's review of the opening ceremonieshttp
http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=195883fa-d774-4385-9365-2cda2e55e631

The Closing Ceremonies were promised to include more French content, and to feature Canadian humour and myth-busting of Canadian stereotypes.

Vancouver's cultural diversity was represented in the hundreds of jumping Grade 9ers holding snowboards in the opening sequence.  My First Nations 2nd cousin was there - his mother was very proud.  But all the featured performers were White - with the exception of K-OS.  And most of the volunteer performers of colour were dressed as hip-hop dancers, instead mounties, lumberjacks and hockey players.  Because there are no Asian hockey players in the NHL - but that's another Canadian Myth that's been busted since Larry Kwong played one game in the NHL in 1948, 10 years before Willie O'Ree became the first black hockey player in 1958.

A Few days later the same Pete McMartin quoted Tung Chan in an opinion piece -
Opinion - An Olympic Games as white as snow
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Opinion+Olympic+Games+white+snow/2620782/story.html

But read the comments to the above piece, or to Craig Takeuchi's pieces in the Georgia Straight.
2010 Olympic closing ceremony: Why wasn't there any aboriginal content?
or
Vancouver 2010 Olympics: The Great White, er, Multicultural North?

Despite all the crowd cheering, street filling patriotism, when Canada wins a gold medal hockey game, there is still a dark anonymous racism that haunts all the internet comments, and rears its head at any hint of "affirmative action" or ethnic inclusion.

This is the next story.   This is the next stage of insight. 

The aim of the Closing ceremonies was to have some fun, poking fun at Canadian stereotypes, and doing some "myth busting."  But one of the myths that got reinforced is that Canada is White.  Despite generations of immigration from all around the world, Canada cannot find a performer of colour good enough to speak at or perform at and during the Closing ceremonies. 

Would it have hurt Canadians if one of the chorus line lumberjacks, mounties, or hockey players had been a shade of colour other than white?  Would we have heard a chorus of boos, if one of the mounties had worn a turban?

We know that racial discrimination in sports can be cruel to kids growing up, so it can't be a wonder why our top athletes are mostly White.  But we have succeeded in the Arts.

Where was Indo-Canadian comedian Russell Peters?
Canadians of multi-ethnicity are cool and sexy.  What better examples do we have than actors Kristin Kreuk of Smallville?  or Lisa Ray of Bollywood?  Even Keanu Reeves primarily grew up in Toronto, despite being born in Lebanon - but we didn't hold Steve Nash's birthplace of South Africa against him.

First Nations actors Graham Green and Tantoo Cardinal were good enough for "Dances with Wolves" but not for the Closing Ceremonies?  And Tantoo just received her Order of Canada too...

Our authors Joy Kogawa, Thomas King are amongst the most studied authors in our Canadian high schools, colleges and universities. Wayson Choy and 7th generation descendant of Black Loyalists
George Elliot Clarke are also amongst our most loved - these four authors also are Order of Canada recipients.

We are not saying that Canada should enforce racial inclusivity guidelines for its sports teams.  But we are saying that the closing ceremonies lacked the representation of Canada's population, and it reinforced every sad stereotype of Canada.  Alongside the Mounties, lumberjacks, beavers and moose was the sad realization that Canada is only populated by White people, despite multi-generations of accepting people from all over the world.

And where are the bagpipes?

Canada's first Prime Minister, BC's first Premier, and Vancouver's first mayor were all born in Scotland.  Has the former largest ethnic group of Vancouver so much assimilated into mainstream culture, that they have forgotten their ethnic roots?

The SFU Pipes and Drums is the six time and current World Champion pipe band.  There are more bagpipers in Canada then there are in Scotland - or is this a Canadian myth that we are not proud of?

Bagpipers have performed with Uzume Taiko, and Delhi 2 Dublin, - two internationally recognized examples of cultural fusion music happening in Vancouver.  To me, these are the examples of performers that should have been featured at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, demonstrating how Canadians have come from all over the world, put aside our racial differences, and blend our cultures, and our shared our histories together. 

This is the Canada that I am proud of - not the beer swigging garage band party music that was featured - without any relevance to the historic Olympic successes that we witnessed over the past 17 days

Gung Haggis Fat Choy in the USA


Here's the information from the Caledonians Website

Gung Haggis Fat Choy!  Huh?!  In 2007 Bill McFadden, President of the Caledonian & St. Andrew's Society, introduced Todd Wong's  trademarked production of "Gung Haggis Fat Choy" to Seattle.  Billed as "A Celebration of Chinese New Year and Robert Burns' Dinner", the laughter-filled evening included haggis, a delicious Chinese dinner, Pipes & Drums (traditional and fusion style), sing-alongs (including "When Asian/Scottish Eyes are Smiling" and "My Haggis/Chow Mein Lies Over the Ocean"), Poems, The Address tae the Haggis (delivered in rap to an enthusiastic and responsive crowd) and Auld Lang Syne sung in both Mandarin Chinese and English.  

For February 21st, 2010 BIll has worked out improvements, and Gung Haggis Fat Choy IV will be the best year!  We will celebrated the 251st Birthday of Robert Burns and Chinese Lunar New Year Year of the Tiger with an 8 Course Chinese Dinner, Haggis, Raffle/Door Prize, and musical entertainment featuring: Emcee "Toddish McWong" and his inimitable "Address tae the Haggis Rap", "Red" McWilliams, Sifu David F. Leong's Belltown Martial Arts,  Kenmore & District Pipe Band, Piper Don Scobie and Asian Youth Orchestra - Warren Chang, Director

     
  Toddish McWong's
2010 Gung Haggis Fat Choy IV (Seattle style)
Produced by Bill McFadden

The fourth annual event has been scheduled for
Sunday, February 21st 2010    5-9pm
Ocean City Restaurant
609 S. Weller St.
Seattle, WA

Ticket Price US$35
Reservations required

For tickets and additional information
please contact
Bill McFadden
(206) 364-6025
bill@gunghaggisfatchoy-seattle.com

Please click here to go to the gunghaggisfatchoy-seattle.com web site.

Please click here to view photos in our Gallery from the '07 event in Seattle.

Please click here for a sample of "Toddish McWong's" Haggis Rap!

Please click here for additional information on Todd Wong's annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy held in Vancouver, BC.

Stories critical of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies are in Vancouver Courier and Georgia Straight blogs.


Vancouver Courier: Allen Garr's
Much is continuing to be written about the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremonies that took place with great hoop-lah on Friday February 12th, in BC Place Stadium.  Yes, there were the Four Host Nations welcoming the world to their ancestral (and unceded) lands.  Yes, there were Canadian Aboriginal peoples from all across the nation, dancing and drumming, while Bryan Adams and and Nelly Furtado took the spotlight and sang a new Adams' song "Beat the Drum."

And then.... a show that has brought complaints from across the country, as Federal Minister James Moore has said "there wasn't enough French-Canadian content."

Even Quebec Permier Jean Charest, as he sat next to VANOC CEO John Furlong at a news conference Monday said, “Not at the level we were expecting,” said “It wasn’t sufficient.”

I admit that enjoyed watching the show. And my girlfriend and I watched it twice... but we were also playing video and computer games during the second time.

But we cannot ignore that so many people are speaking out, and to so is to risk great peril. Clearly there is a schism in the understanding of what make's us Canadian... as understood by new immigrants of both Asian and Celtic origins, as well as multi-generational Canadians of First Nations, Asian, Celtic, Gaelic, British, French and European heritage.

Maybe like at Expo 67, we are discovering the point of how we see ourselves in the world, and in our own country.

I especially liked Shane Koyczan's poem. He is indeed addressing the values that push us to do better, to be more inclusive, and to always try harder - just like my personal hero Terry Fox, who is very dear to me, as I hold the SFU Terry Fox gold medal, as a recipient "for courage in adversity and dedication to society."

Remember what happened after the Closing Ceremonies in Turin?
Even Premier Gordon Campbell criticized Turin closing ceremony display by saying, “I thought there were lots of stereotypes that are not what the new Canada is.” http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=8a6a6c72-05f7-4a8d-91a1-60f2ebe27219&k=96687

Yes, I too understand that we cannot please everybody all the time, and that some cultural groups will cry foul. But my experiences are also tainted by growing up in a deliberate exclusion of systemic racism, where my born-in-Canada grandmother could not vote in this country until after her brothers and cousin had been reluctantly accepted into the Canadian Forces due to pressure from Great Britain, and then sent on "Suicide Missions" to be behind enemy lines in Burma.

For these reasons I knew it was important to help save Joy Kogawa's childhood home from demolition, where she was forced to leave at age 6 due to internment of Japanese-Canadians.

For these reasons, I know it is important to support my cousin Chief Rhonda Larrabee whose mother's people had their ancestral lands taken away from them, to create BC's first capital city of New Westminster. And then to add insult, had their reservation taken away, and their band name of Qayqayt was said to not exist, because the people didn't live there anymore.

If we don't speak out on these issues, now - then it is like the silence that watches the Japanese Canadians put on trains and sent away, or like knowing that First Nations children are in Residential schools. We know something is wrong, but dare not speak.

I have tried to embrace this country and it's foibles, despite hating the bagpipes when I was little because it represented Colonialism. I speak better french, then I do Chinese.

I understand the the Ceremonies wanted to emphasize "The Land" rather than the cultural diversity.  Even Margaret Atwood's great book "Survival" argues that there is indeed a distinct Canadian literature, with its own preoccupations, themes, and ideas specific to its history, geopolitics, and landscape.

But that was so 20th Century... Now in the 21st Century, it is about the geopolitics, our cultural diversity, and our place in the global world.

Yes John Furlong has done and amazing job with VANOC. It is a very challenging, almost impossible task - But John Furlong's terrible french pronounciation seems to be an apt metaphor for VANOC's ceremonies team of understanding and including Canada's multicultural history and culture.

But come on VANOC.... We Are More!!!!

I don't think Furlong "gets it".

Reflecting multicultural diversity isn't about presenting stereotypes to the world or having "token heads of state" - It's about how we as generations of so-called "visible minorities" live our lives and make ourselves included in the mainstream.

My God... even bagpipes weren't includ...ed somewhere in the opening ceremonies, and our first Canadian Prime Minister, first BC Premier and first Vancouver mayor were born in Scotland. We have more bagpipers in Canada than there are in Scotland. And the Chinese immigrants played major roles in BC history including the railway, the head tax and chinese food restaurants.

Furlong assures closing ceremony will reflect everyone

 

Visible-minority groups, francophone leaders complained of opening ceremony snub

 

By Randy Shore , with files from Lindsay Kines, Vancouver Sun; with files from Canwest News ServiceFebruary 18, 2010

Vancouver Olympic CEO John Furlong will not make changes to the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games despite complaints from leaders of the city's ethnic groups about the content of the opening ceremony.

High-profile members of some ethnic communities -- including Sukhi Sandhu and S.U.C.C.E. S.S. chairman Peter Kwok -- had complained that the opening ceremony omitted a crucial aspect of Canadian life, the culture mosaic and the role of immigrants in Canadian society.

Sandhu, an anti-racism activist and community volunteer who lives in Surrey , wrote to Furlong seeking a meeting with the Vancouver Organizing Committee to air their concerns, but four days later Sandhu has no reply.

Sandhu and others had hoped that visible minorities could be better showcased in the closing ceremony.

Furlong stressed Wednesday that the closing ceremony is already planned and that it will leave little doubt about "who we are and who is here."

He said telling the story of a country made up of people from all over the world is a complex task, but the opening ceremony did a good job of reflecting Canada .

"We feel like having a good cry," said Sandhu. "We are surprised that it takes this much energy to bring some common sense to people."

"I'm not going to call any more, I'm not going to beg," Sandhu said.

The opening ceremony included strong first nations participation both in the show and the dignitaries box. Four local first nations chiefs sat as heads of state to welcome the world along with Canada 's Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean and Premier Gordon Campbell.

But the show contained little to represent the country's other major ethnic groups, critics said.

Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Minister James Moore, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and Quebec Premier Jean Charest complained that the ceremony didn't include enough French language content.

Canada's Commissioner of Official Languages Graham Fraser will be investigating the complaints, but because his mandate only allows him to probe federal institutions, he will confine his investigation to Moore 's heritage ministry, according to an e-mail sent to Canwest News Service by Fraser's office.

Fraser will release a preliminary report on the level of bilingualism at the Games following their conclusion.

The complaints hinge on the $20 million in funding that Heritage Canada gave to the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the opening ceremony, the most-watched televised event in Canadian history.

"There is an agreement between the federal government ... and Vanoc that came with a certain amount of funding," said Robin Cantin, a spokesman for the language commissioner's office. "And that agreement came with some language provisions."

Langara College sociologist Indira Prahst will watch the closing ceremony carefully for signs of respect to Canada 's visible minorities, but she is not satisfied with Vanoc's response to complaints.

"I want to be blunt: This should have been addressed at the very outset," she said. "We should have showcased our diversity. Is this just a quick response meant to pacify the community?"

"That's really not enough," she said. "I told Sukhi and the others that they were unrealistic to expect major changes [to the ceremony] because there is so much work, planning and technology that goes into it."

"But they could have a person from a visible minority speak."

rshore@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

 

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Furlong+assures+closing+ceremony+will+reflect+everyone/2579637/story.html

 

More visible minorities at closing, VANOC hints

Last Updated: Thursday, February 18, 2010 | 9:26 AM PT Comments14Recommend22

CBC News

VANOC CEO John Furlong is hinting Canada 's racial diversity may be better represented in the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics after criticism that ethnic minorities were mostly missing from the opening.

With its large South Asian and Chinese communities, Metro Vancouver is one of Canada 's most diverse regions. Forty-one per cent of residents are part of visible minorities. But none of that diversity appeared in the big show that opened the 2010 Winter Games on Feb 12, critics say.

'We can't force ourselves on VANOC if they don't welcome us.' — Charan Gill, CEO of Progressive Intercultural Community Services

Canadian-born Sukhi Sandhu wrote a letter to Furlong, saying Olympic organizers missed an opportunity during the final torch-lighting ceremony "to represent our nation's diversity."

Sandhu said he and his family are proud Canadians and excited to attend events at the Games, but he was disappointed visible minorities were excluded from key roles during the opening ceremony.

"If I look at the eight individuals who carried the Olympic flag and the final torchbearers, who are all rightfully outstanding Canadians — no one is disputing that — however, out of 13 people there isn't one outstanding visible minority that you could think of — David Suzuki, Donovan Bailey, Jerome Iginla or Daniel Igali," Sandu said.

Closing ceremony could offer more

It is not the first time the opening ceremony has been criticized for its lack of diversity. Federal Heritage Minister James Moore said earlier this week that "there should have been more French."

On Wednesday, Furlong defended the opening ceremony but hinted the closing on Feb. 28 will be different.

"We did a very good job of showing Canada and we had a goal to tell a story, and at the closing ceremony … we will have a very certain kind of celebration, and I don't think you'll have any doubt when the ceremonies are over who we are and who's here."

Sandhu said he doesn't want to just see bhangra dancers or hear drumbeats. He wants to see accomplished visible minorities represented in the closing ceremony.

"Our nation is a cultural mosaic, and our diversity is our strength and frankly I am surprised in 2010 we need to continue educating our leaders on this Canadian value," he wrote. "There is no shame or justifiable reason to not showcase this significant part of our nation’s identity."

His concerns are echoed by Peter Kwok, the chairman of the immigrant services organization SUCCESS, which provides services for new Chinese Canadians.

"You know we have Chinese New Year, just a few days ago and when attending all those New Year's celebrations I have been chatting with people and I've heard from quite a few people that they, too, feel that it was a spectacular show," Kwok said. "And they only wish that they had a bit more portrayal of the multiculturalism in Canada ."

Charan Gill, the CEO of the Progressive Intercultural Community Services, an immigrant organization based in Surrey , B.C., said he tried to reach out to VANOC to encourage more visible minorities to get involved and volunteer for the Games but got no response.

"We can't force ourselves on VANOC if they don't welcome us," he said.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/02/18/bc-visible-minorities-olympic-ceremonies.html#ixzz0fuevX1Y4

  http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/02/18/bc-visible-minorities-olympic-ceremonies.html

   

Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremonies: What's wrong with this picture?

by Todd on Sat 13 Feb 2010 11:27 PM PST 

I watched the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and something didn't sit right with me.  Vancouver is always being touted as a multicultural city.  It is the "most Asian" city in North America .  It is the city with the most mixed-race relationships.

It was very nice to see a welcome from the Four Host Nations of Lil'Wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh nations.  Four totem poles were raised, and each host nation welcomed the world in their own language, followed by English and French.  And then other First Nations groups from across Canada , were also recognized: from the North; the East; and the Prairies.  It was a wonderful way to acknowledge and infuse First Nations culture into the Opening Ceremonies.

I also enjoyed how the many regions of Canada were represented during the Opening ceremonies.  The prairies of W.O. Mitchell's "Who Has Seen The Wind"... the snow of the north... the fiddling of the Maritimes, Quebec and the East.  The killer whales were my favorite part.  Projected images of light, moving across the floor, punctuated by actual puffs of water, to simulate the exhaling of the whales.  But during after the fiddling was over, I asked myself - "Where are the Chinese fiddles or erhus that are part of Vancouver 's multicultural music scene, and it's cultural history of 150 years of immigration.  Where is the erhu from Madeleine Thein's children's book "The Chinese violin"

It was an exciting moment to recognize and identify each of the flag carriers, as the Olympic flag was brought in.  Donald Sutherland, Betty Fox, Barbara Ann Scott, Gilles Villaneuve, Bobby Orr, Julie Payette, Anne Murray and Gen. Romeo Dallaire.  I was especially excited to see Betty Fox, because I have personally met her many times, as I have been a member of Terry's Team since 1993 - cancer survivors who speak at Terry Fox Runs and at schools.

Then anticipation for the final torch bearer.  A silouette of a man in a wheel chair! Yay! It is Rick Hansen - my favorite choice to be the lighter of the cauldron.  Rick passes the flame to Catriona Le May Doan, who passes the flame to Wayne Gretzky, who passes the flame to Nancy Greene Raine.  All four stand, as the caudron rises from the floor.  All four light the cauldron together.  Whoops, only 3 light the cauldron, because one pillar didn't rise out of the floor.  Was this a sign?  Was it a symbol?

But, I also saw a lack of diversity in the flag carriers and final torch bearers.  While recognize and admirer each of the chosen flag carriers and final torch bearers for their individual accomplishments and contributions to Canadian society.

But.... if all the flag carriers, and final torch bearers had been male, we would hear women complaining.  If all the flag carriers and final torch bearers had been Anglophone, then the Francophones would be complaining.  And if all the flag carriers and final torch bearers were blonde, would brunettes, red heads and black haired people be complaining?  Yes!

Part of the selling point for winning the Olympic bid, is that Vancouver is a multicultural city, and Canada 's "Gateway to the Pacific." Politicians and VANOC have been proudly telling the world that every athlete from every competing nation will find somebody in Vancouver that speaks their language, cooks their food and could welcome them to their home.

And yes, David Suzuki, is a wonderful choice. He was the top living "Greatest Canadian" in the CBC show and #5 overall.  Tommy Douglas was #1 (whose son-in-law was flag carrier Donald Sutherland) and Terry Fox was #2 (whose mother was Betty Fox, another flag carrier).  Wayne Gretzky was #10.  Romeo Dallaire was #16, Bobby Orr #19 and Rick Hansen #30. Chief Dan George was #80, Donovan Bailey #89, and Anne Murray #94.

There are many past gold medalists that could have been included.  Lori Fung (gold LA 1984 Rhythmic Gymnastics).  Alwyn Morris (Gold & Bronze LA 1984 Kayak-pairs) who had held up an eagle feather on the podium, Donovan Bailey (Goldx2 Atlanta 1996 100m + 4X100 Relay), Daniel Igali (Gold Sydney 2000 Wrestling), Carol Huynh (Gold Beijing 2008 Wrestling), and Jerome Iginla (Gold Salt Lake City 2002 Hockey).  Just the inclusion of one of these medalists, or all of them, passing the flame onto the final four would have been a tremendous inclusive moment.

Remember that Sydney 2000 chose Cathy Freeman, an aboriginal to light the cauldron.  Atlanta 96 had Muhammad Ali.

VANOC opening ceremonies missed a chance to showcase the diversity of both Vancouver and Canada , and that we are just as proud of ALL our Canadians too!

Maybe many people would have said "Who?" if Alwyn Morris had been holding an eagle feather in one hand, and a torch in the other, if he had walked into BC Place with the Olympic Flame - but it would have been both an educational and a proud moment for all Canadians.  Morris is the first and only Canadian aboriginal to win an Olympic gold medal.

It could have been a proper bookend to the inclusion of First Nations people - in how we have overcome Canada's racist history of residential schools and apartheid reservations, head tax and exclusion acts, internment camps and property confiscation - not how we still portray First Nations peoples as stereotypes in traditional costume, dancing and beating drums.

http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2010/2/14/4455481.html

 

 

It looks like a Tiger of a year... with the Olympics in town, and lions running everywhere at Vancouver's Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade

Lions were everywhere in Vancouver Chinatown, celebrating the Year of the Tiger.

All the celebrities, politicians and VIP's walk at the beginning of the parade. 

Next come the Chinese Canadian veterans of Pacific Unit 280 (minus my uncle Dan, who passed away less than a month ago).  But the veterans all wore red Olympic mittens!

Here's a Chinese parade dragon.  How to tell a dragon from a lion?  You wear the lion costume over your body, while the dragon is always held up on poles!

The Kitchen God always marches in the parade.  The trick is to put honey on the Kitchen God's lips before he makes his report to heaven about your kitchen, so he can only say sweet things with honey on his lips.

Here I am with my friend Georgia, who paddles with us on the Gung Haggis dragon boat team.

The Carnival band all tried to dress up as Tigers....

City Councilor Kerry Jang hands out lucky red envelopes called "li-see" for good luck!

Here I am dressed in my kilt and red Chinese dragon vest.  I met this fellow in his black utility kilt outside the skytrain stop at The Bay.  Kilters greet each other, and I invited him to join us for the next kilts night.  Since it was Chinese New Year we took a picture of him waring my Chinese jacket.  Very cool.

"Bringing back a bit of Scotland for everyone" was how Toddish McWong described the 2010 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.

Throughout the evening, Todd Wong, creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, shared stories of his recent trip to Scotland.  He had gone to Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.for the finale weekend of Scotland Homecoming Year, and wrapped up a long year of Scottish celebrations that had started with the 250th Anniversary of the poet Robbie Burns and finished with a closing reception at Scottish Parliament where a life-size picture of him had been included in the photo exhibit This Is Who We Are: Scots in Canada.  By the end of the evening, Bill Saunders, giver of the Immortal Memory, had received a bow tie in Burns Check brought all the way from Burns Cottage in Alloway, and almost every guest walked home with a lovely Burns 2010 calendar courtesy of Visit Scotland, which had been shipped from Edinburgh specifically for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner.

The evening started off soon after 6pm, with a piping in of the head table and performers by the Gung Haggis Pipes & Drums, led by pipe major Bob Wilkins.  All the guests rose to greet the procession, as host Toddish McWong, introduced the band and the performers to the audience.

The pipers and the performers stood at the front of the stage. It was an amazing array of colours and costumes as wollen tartan kilts and chinese embroided silk clashed and complimented each other.  

Co-host Tricia Collins dressed in a Saltire blue Chinese silk top and wore our Fraser Hunting Tartan mini-kilt from the Gung Haggis dragon boat team. She shared with the audience how her own Irish-Chinese ancestry came to Canada via Guyana (British Honduras), similar to the first governor of Canada, James Douglas, whom she is writing about for her next project.. 

Joy Kogawa read the "Selkirk Address" to bless our food and dinner.  In 2006, Joy was our featured author and she read a new work then.  The Historic Joy Kogawa House Society is one of the non-profit organizations that receives monies raised by the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.

Joe McDonald performs "The Rap to the Haggis" as he "cut ye up wi' ready slight."  Co-host Tricia Collins looks on, as she witnesses this strange ritual for the first time.

Wong leads a chorus of "Gie her a Haggis" and "Gie Vancouver a Haggis", as she rouses the finale to this rowdy and interactive version of the sacred Burns poem.

5 "men" were selected to recite the Burns poem "A Man's a Man For All That" included "The Bearded Lady".  Left to right included a Judge, Parks Commissioner/teacher Stuart Mackinnon, Kilt afficianado and dragon boater Raphael Fang, The Bearded Lady, and a kilted friend from Richmond.  All stout men who gave good readings of the verse, finalizing with Mackinnon singing the last verse.

Throughout the evening, Wong and McDonald led singalongs of "When Asian/Scottish/Chirish Eyes Are Smiling" and "Loch Lomand."  These singalongs encouraged audience participation and took a warm surprise turn when McDonald had men only singing "Ye take the High Road" chorus of Loch Lomand, immediately followed by an outstanding version of the Women only singers.!  The women were clear winners!

Special poet of the evening was Larissa Lai, who read from her new book of poetry Automaton Biographies.  Each year the Gung Haggis dinner features a different poet.  Larissa also briefly explained how she teaches Burns at University of BC, in her role as an Assistant Professor in the English Department.

Special theatrical performance was done by playwright/actor Marcus Youssef accompanied by writer/comedian Charles Demers.  They did a stage reading of Youssef's critically acclaimed play Ali & Ali and the Axis of Evil.  The segment poked fun at Multiculturalism and Scottish history and culture, to great effect.

Birds of Paradox is a musical instrumental trio, featuring Lan Tung (erhu), Ron Samworth (electric guitar) and Nealamjit Dhillon.  Their playing was sublime and took turns highlighting each performer.  It was exciting to see the erhu played with soaring passages, trading phrases with the picking and fretwork of the guitar, all accompanied by the polyrhythms of the tabala drums.  Of note, Dhillon had first performed with Joe McDonald at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinners in 2001 and 2002 as the musical duo Brave Waves.

Highland Dancing was the surprise hit of the evening performed by Aidan and Alex Huang from Kelowna, sons of drummer Dan Huang.  They are only 6 and 9 years old, but they showed poise and control as the young boys are experienced competitors in Highland Dance competitions.  The boys certainly enjoy their Chinese and Scottish heritage.

Bringing the evening to a more serious tone, Bill Saunders, president of the Vancouver & District Labour Council, gave the Immortal Memory.  He recounted Burns life, from a "ploughman's poet" to the "toast of Scottish high society" in Edinburgh.  He described the values and beliefs of the poet, then went on to postulate what Rabbie would be like today as a poet.  Saunders painted a portrait of a young community activist, fighting for social justice and gender equity, wearing a hoody, criticizing the elite, and protesting against the economic and social conditions that promote and cause homelessness.

Raffle tickets were drawn and the top prizes were quickly given out: Vancouver Opera tickets to Nixon in China, The Monkey King, upcoming productions from Firehall Arts Centre, Neworld Theatre and UBC Opera.  Arsenal Pulp Press and Harbour Publishing had donated books such as Larissal Lai's first novel "When Fox is a Thousand" and Charles Demers' "Vancouver Special" as well as Fiona Tin Wei Lam's "Enter the Chrysanthemum."

The Gung Haggis Pipes and Drums, performed again, first weaving their way through the audience, easily filling the large restaurant space with the skirl of the pipes and the beats of the drums.  They winded their way to the stage, and performed 3 numbers.  Todd and Tricia thanked the volunteers, production coordinators and the audience before leading a singalong of Auld Lang Syne with the first verse in Mandarin Chinese.

The evening ended with lots of smiles and compliments.  Here are some of the comments:

The Bar is open at 5:00 and Dinner Start time is 6:00, Buy Your Raffle Tickets, FREE Subscription for Ricepaper Magazine, This dinner is the primary fundraising event for Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop/ Ricepaper Magazine, Historic Joy Kogawa House Society + Food + Music + Pictures   more »

In 1759, a wee bairn of a boy named Robert was born in a cottage in the village of Alloway, in Ayrshire Scotlandm, on January 25th in the last days of the Chinese Lunar Year of the Tiger. Four days later on January 29th, Chinese New Year of the Rabbit occurred + pictures + more    more »

Last year, Larissa Lai was a guest at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner. She enjoyed the event so much she is coming back... as our featured poet! At a reading event at the Vancouver Public Library, Larissa shared with me that she teaches Robert Burns to her students at University of BC. Wow... Perfect! But Larissa is much more than that... She is an acclaimed poet in her own right, and the author of two novels - When Fox Is A Thousand, and Salt Fish Girl. Both books are in my personal collection. I first met Larissa back in 1994, when I wrote an article for the SFU Student Newspaper, and she was a featured poet for the Go For Broke Festival - the forerunner of Asian Heritage Month..... + MORE   more »

Every year I do media interviews. On Robbie Burns Day, I was woken up at 7am by a request from BBC Radio Scotland. Yesterday, I did an interview for French CBC television. Monday was Epoch Times. Last week the Georgia Straight did a food feature article. Somewhere in Scotland there is an interview in the Sunday Post. Even SFU, Seattle and North Shore News have stories about Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner this year. Check out the links:   more »

BBC Radio Scotland woke me up at 7am for a 9:30 am interview. There is 8 hours time difference. After I was woken up, it was hard to get back to sleep, so I got onto the computer and listened to BBC Radio Scotland for awhile. It's always fun to listen to them both on New Year's Eve and Robbie Burns Day.... + PICTURES + MORE   more »

There are some changes for the dinner menu for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner. We try to vary the dinner items from year to year, add some new surprises, take out items we are bored with. This is a draft menu - subject to change. See if you can spot the new additions - not repeated from last year. 1. Floata Appetizer Platter a. Haggis Pork dumpling (Shiu Mai) b. turnip cake (Lo-bak-goh) c. Honey BBQ Pork d. Jelly Fish 2. Deep fried haggis won ton + PICTURES + MORE   more »

The haggis is ordered from Peter Black & Sons @ Park Royal. Next up is the secret taste-testing dinner which is essential to the planning of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner. We we want to make sure the food selection is right. And it is also a wonderful way to introduce the performers to each other, as we combine our talents and creativity to try out new ideas. I remember many rehearsal taste-test dinners when the performers brought out their musical instruments and started playing + PICTURES + MORE   more »

Internet Radio blog link to Cultural Connects - Very interesting interview with Todd Wong, creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, by Gary Jarvis.Listen to Gary's interview of Todd Wong, creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, as he explains the Scottish and Chinese and BC roots of his brain child - a cultural fusion Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.vie...w&friendId=400868504&blogId=526013921   more »

report and pictures from January 7th Kilts Night.   more »

Todd goes to Vernon and meets Betty Chan, former Highland Dance champion of Canada, and Dan Huang drum sgt of Kelowna pipe band.   more »