Many people have said they relate to the film's stories and characters, regardless of ethnicity. The two sisters speak English to each other and the younger 9 year old Eve also narrates. Phoebe Kut stars as the central figure Eve, and Hollie Lo plays her older sister Karina. Their parents speak Cantonese Chinese to them, the kids answer in English. This is not a theatrical device - Julia Kwan says this is typical of many immigrant families. This could be any first and second generation immigrant group as they adapt to wherever they are now settled.   more »

Chinese Lunar New Year 2006 in Vancouver Chinatown

The Chinese New Year parade in Vancouve's Chinatown is now Vancouver's longest continually run parade, since the demise of the PNE parade.  Lots of action abounds as the many martial arts clubs all let loose their Lions to the streets.  Along the parade route, some of the Lions will approach different stores and restaurants hanging lettuce as an offering to the Lions.  After the parade, hang out on Pender and Keefer Streets afterwards as the Lions will roam the streets and even venture along Main St in search of lettuce and li-see (lucky red envelopes with money).  If you are lucky, you may see people lean out the 2nd or 3rd floor balconies with a lettuce hanging from a stick.  The lion may even try to climb up the building to get the lettuce to the loud applause of the crowd.

This year's parade featured the return of the Salvation Army Band, bangra dancing, the Carnival Band, and Brazillian dancers - but sadly no dragon boat.



I have never ever been a participant in the Chinese New Year Chinatown parade before, but this year I had 2 offers to join friends in Chinatown Revitalization Committee (Chair Glen Wong is an old childhood friend of mine), and the Dances With Dragons group (First Nations and Chinese supporters organized by Bill Chu).  I chose instead to just watch and enjoy the parade with my girlfriend.  It was amazing how many people we bumped into that we knew.


Todd Wong with friends City Councillor Suzanne Anton and dragon boater Patrick Couling - photo Deb Martin

First of all I bumped into Glen Wong with his young son - both dressed up in Chinese jackets.  Next was Patrick Couling, one of my early dragon boat mentors, then City Councillor Suzanne Anton - who had attended the previous week's Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.


"Eve & the Fire Horse" group promote the film, as actor Phoebe Kut hands out fortune cookies - photo Todd Wong

We walked past and through the parade assembly area and I greeted friends with their different groups.  I bumped into my 2nd cousin Nick with his two young sons and their martial arts club, as the club got ready to drum and do Lion Dances.  I met up with Wing Siu Wong, and young son Andy who came and greeted me saying "Toddish McWong!"  They were with the group for "Eve and the Fire Horse."  Producers Yves Ma and Erik Paulsson were there with the group holding up a big banner sign.  Young actor Phoebe Kut was there too!  After the parade I had a great chat with Yves and learned that we had other friends in common when his young daughter asked me "Are you Jessica's friend?"

Here I am with the parade crew from "Eve and the Fire Horse":  actor Phoebe Kut is delightful - she is on my right.  producer Yves Ma is on my left with his daughter - who remembered meeting me the week before at the Firehall Arts Centre.  What a small world! - photo Deb Martin.

"About 45 minutes ago, we recieved a phone call from Sundance," said Yves Ma, one of the producers of the independent film Eve and the Fire Horse. "You are the first people to hear this news, outside of us... We've won the Special Jury Prize." Phoebe Kut, who plays "Eve" in the film stood at the front of the theatre with produces Shan Tam, Erik Paulsson and Ma. They were taking part in a Q&A organized by Anita Adams for First Weekend Club at Fifth Avenue Cinemas in Vancouver. The 7:25 pm show had ended to audience applause, and all three people were very happy to share their news and stories from Sundance.   more »

This is a Vancouver Chinatown tradition that started in the 1970's to highlight Chinese Culture in Chinatown. The Parade has really grown as a combination of things happened: New waves of Chinese immigrants Acceptance of multiculturalism and going out to see and promote such events Revitalized parade reaches out to many community groups Expect to see Brazilian dancers, a dragon boat on a trailer, First Nations dancers... and of course the usual Lion Dances and a Dragon Dance.    more »

How did I celebrate Robbie Burns Day? I put my kilt on and walked through downtown Vancouver on my way to a meeting at the Royal Bank Tower for the Canadian Club committee meeting for our "Order of Canada / Flag Day" luncheon. A number of our board members had attended the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, and they all asked me to stand up and display my kilt for their visual satisfaction.After the meeting, I walked up Burrard St, to the Sutton Place Hotel, site for the Burns Supper presented by the Burns Club of Vancouver. 130 men attended. No women as the tradition is that Burns Suppers were started by the Tarburton Bachelor Club. I had never before attended a Men Only club until I attended a Burns Club of Vancouver meeting two years ago. FYI - they do have other meetings and events where women are invited. But it is a historical tradition following the origins of all things Burns.   more »

PIPING IN THE (CHINESE) NEW YEAR HOW VANCOUVER’S CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION IS PROMOTING INTERCULTURALISM IN CANADA’S WESTERN METROPOLIS http://www.maisonneuve.org/index.php?&page_id=12&article_id=2030 Christopher DeWolf writes about the different ways Chinese New Year is being celebrated in Vancouver - but I will just get to the good stuff here. Click on the links to visit the full article at Maisoneuve Magazine. GOOD ARTICLE!    more »

Maiko Bae Yamamoto, Hiro Kanagawa, James Long and Manami Hara have been creating interesting theatre productions in Vancouver for the past few years. Hiro's well-received Tiger of Malaysia was presented at Richmond's Gateway Theatre last May during Asian Heritage Month. I have seen Maiko in numerous productions such as The Concunbine's Children and she has also read some of her works at readings organized by Asian Canadian Writers's Workshop. This one looks very cool.   more »

Janice Wong featured on Fanny Kiefer Show Friday on Shaw TV Cable


In the Cowichan Valley on Shaw TV Cable 4 4:00pm Weekdays

It’s Robbie Burns Day in Canada Celebrated like no where in the world Bagpipes play and haggis is all served The best supper ever to attend Toddish McWong's thoughts on Robbie Burns Day, and his plans for the day....    more »

Busy busy days leading up to Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner event now. CBC Radio Freestyle called in the morning to find out more about the dinner and to set up an interview for Friday morning to be broadcast on Friday afternoon, January 20th. ~~~ We had taste-testing at the Floata Restaurant for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner tonight. Attending was Roland Tanglao of www.vaneats.com, chef Stephen Wong, dragon boat team members Dave Samis, Daming and Deb Martin. CBC radio reporter Margaret Gallagher also dropped in to pick up some haggis won ton to use in an on-air segment of "What's going on" and to give away 2 tickets for Gung Haggis Fat Choy on 690 to Go! More on our taste testing tomorrow.   more »

Wong, Wong, Wong and Wong: Not a secret Hong Kong Triad but a Vancouver food and history Quartet (we sound very dangerous, don't you think?) Chef Stephen Wong has now been added to the panel discussion on Chinese food, life and restaurants for Janice Wong's presentation of CHOW From China to Canada: Memories of Food and Family.   more »

Roy Miki, has been a key figure in the articulation of race and identity politics of the past three decades in Canada and beyond. His activist work has taken many forms, beginning with the Japanese Canadian Redress movement of the 1980s, documented in Justice in Our Time (co-authored with Cassandra Kobayashi, Talonbooks 1991) and Redress: Inside the Japanese Canadian Call for Justice (Raincoast 2004). He was also the founding editor of two majorVancouver literary journals, Line (1983-89) and its successor West Coast Line; and Chair of the organizing committee for the highly influential Writing Thru Race conference held in Vancouverin 1994   more »

Once a year, the World Poetry Reading Series at the Vancouver Public Library colludes and collides with the alignment of Chinese New Year and Robbie Burns Day, and is marked by the appearance of Toddish McWong. This intersection is called Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night. Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Olea-Mujica are great friends to work with, as we built a program to entertain our audience as well as inform them about Chinese and Scottish traditions while serving up new Canadian writers, proud of their Scottish and Chinese ancestral roots. Following an introduction by Vancouver Public Library Community Programs Librarian Barbara Edwards, piper Joe McDonald led a parade of the performers into the Alice Mackay Room, around the back, up the side and across the front. The original tune was appropriately titled "Gung Haggis Fat Choy." Special guests...Fiona Tinwei Lam, Alexis Kienlen, James Mullin, dancer Yan Yan & friends + PICTURES!    more »

Cric? Crac! is a non-profit organisation, dedicated to the promotion of multicultural storytelling and run by volunteers from the Vancouver Society of Storytelling enjoying their love of story and song. Vancouver Storytelling Society presented an evening of Chinese and Scottish storytellers on January 15th, 2005. Jan. 15, 7:30 pm, Hodson Manor (1254 W. 7th). Toddish McWong is guest performer - PICTURES!    more »

Kitsilano is a great neighborhood. Filled with low income basement suites, students, expensive waterfront homes. I went for a walk on Saturday afternoon with my girlfriend to pick up a birthday cake for my father. Little did I know it would be such an adventure.... We bump into Stephen Owen, Shirley Chan, Philip Owen, James Mullen, and visit Notte's Bon Ton french pastry + Vancouver Kid's Books.   more »

Alexis Kienlen is featured in Bedside Table column for Saturday's (January 14) Vancouver Sun (page G2). It is a regular colunm featuring literary types describing their reading habits. PICTURE   more »

Janice Wong's Book CHOW at Vancouver Public Library January 18th + Panel Discussion



Wednesday January 18
7:30 pm
Free Event
Peter Kaye Room, Lower Level
Central Library
350 West Georgia Street

Janice Wong presents her book, Chow from China to Canada: Tales of Food and Family. A collection of over 50 traditional Chinese village dishes, it contains early photographs, immigration documents, 1940s restaurant menus and handwritten recipes from some of Canada's first ethnic restaurants.

Janice Wong, a Vancouver-based artist and daughter of a Chinese restaurateur, has assembled her father's recipes and her family's history in this unique cookbook;

Panel Discussion on Chinese food and Chinese Restaurants:
Janice is joined by by: 
Here is the inside story on the event
Janice is my 2nd cousin-once-removed. We are descendants of Rev. Chan Yu Tan, who arrived in Canada in 1891.   And I only met her earlier this year when she announced that her book was coming out.  We immediately bonded, and I have enjoyed helping her promote her book.  We did a panel discussion together with Larry Wong at the West Vancouver Library and had so much fun, we decided to do it for Vancouver.

Welcome to the Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night -


  Joe McDonald Bagpiper - Todd Wong Accordion - photo Jamie Griffiths

January 16th, 7:30pm
Vancouver Public Library
Central Branch
Alice Mckay Room
Co-produced byWorld Poetry Reading Series, Gung Haggis Fat Choy, and Vancouver Public Library

Hosts are: Todd Wong, creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, and the team of Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea - hosts and creators of World Poetry Reading Series at VPL, and the World Poetry program on Co-op Radio.

Q: When Chinese New Year meets Robbie Burns Day...  what happens?

Q: When Scottish poets meet Chinese poets... what happens?

A: They write poetry... and they have babies called Canadians!

Enjoy our 3rd annual event combining poetry, music and now.... dance!

A litte bit of China + a little bit of Scotland = Canada

The Burns Club makes its first appearance for Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night.
Fiona Tinwei Lam is a Chinese Canadian poet born in Scotland - Her first poetry collection Intimate Distances was nominated for 2004 Vancouver Book Award.
Bagpiper Joe McDonald, born in Canada, is a singer/songwriter and leader of bands Brave Waves and The Mad Celts.
Alexis Keinlen is a multi-racial writer (including equal parts Chinese and Scottish), and also is Literary Editor for Ricepaper Magazine.

The evening starts with welcomes... then goes back in time to recognize Robbie Burns and Chinese dancing....  We progress to contemporary Scots with Joe McDonald (born in Canada) and Fiona Tinwei Lam (born in Scotland).

The singalong Loch Lomand calls people back to the room.  We introduce contemporary Canadian poets James Mullin, Todd Wong and Alexis Keinlen - progressing from Scottish-Canadian to 5th Gen Chinese Canadian to multi-gen, multi-racial.  We finish with a dance, a song, and Auld Lang Syne.

It will be a fairly quick moving show with quick turnarounds - We have lots of performers for our GHFC WPRS - variety show!

List of performers with discriptions and weblinks: Rick Scott & Harry Wong, The Shirleys, Brave Waves and Joe McDonald, LaLa, Joy Kogawa, Jeff Chiba Stearns   more »

SFU Scots Chair V:  Ron MacLeod update for Friday January 6 
- Harry McGrath had an ale with Tom Devine in Glasgow

Greetings. Harry McGrath had an ale with Tom Devine in Glasgow over the 
holiday season and reported that Devine is a most interesting and 
convivial individual. Regards, the other Ron

Here is some background information:
Professor Tom Devine is Glucksman Professor of Irish and Scottish 
Studies and Director of the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies at 
Aberdeen University. He is the pre-eminent authority on the history of 
modern Scotland and his seminal work The Scottish Nation became an 
international bestseller when it was published in 1999.

Professor Devine is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, an 
Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy and a Fellow of the British 
Academy. In 2000 he was awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Queen, 
Scotland�s highest academic accolade and he was recognized in the 2005 
New Year�s Honours List with an OBE �For Services to Scottish History�.
This is by way of reminding you about the Devine lectures at SFU on 

January 19th:
WHAT: "'Death' and Reinvention of Scotland"
WHERE: SFU History Department, Burnaby Campus, Academic Quadrangle,  
Sixth Floor.
WHEN: Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 11.30 A.M.
OTHER: No need for pre-registration, all welcome.

WHAT: "Scotland in 1773: The Dynamics of Emigration"
WHERE: SFU  Harbour Centre
WHEN: Thursday, January 19, 2006 at  8:00 P.M.
OTHER: To register call 604-291-5100. This lecture will be followed by 
a reception.

On other subjects:

WHAT: VANCOUVER POLICE PIPE BAND 
BURNS SUPPER AND DANCE Entertainment 
by THE VANCOUIVER POLICE PIPE BAND 
& TARTAN PRIDE HIGHLAND DANCE TEAM
WHERE: Engineers Hall, 4333 Ledger Avenue, Burnaby
WHEN: SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2006
TIME: Cocktails -- 6:00 P.M. Dinner -- 7:30 pm
OTHER: Tickets $45.00. Available from band members or by phoning 
604-576-1619

THE GAELIC SOCIETY is presenting a concert that will feature the 
younger generation. Highlighting the evening will be the Fraser River 
Fiddlers. Other entertainers will also be presenting during the 
evening.
WHERE: The Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson, Vancouver, B.C.
WHEN: 8 P.M. Saturday, February 4th
CONTACT: Morag Black at 604-939-3963, or, email garryblack@telus.net
OTHER: Expect the usual tasty goodies and liquid refreshments.

SFU Scots Chair V:  
Ron MacLeod update for January 4
 - Hijinks, events for fun and games

Greetings, some notices about fun and games. Regards, the other Ron

1. Courtesy Jeff Pope: Please share with others.

WHAT: The First Annual Dentry's Kilted Fun Run
WHEN: 10 A.M. Sun Jan 22ND
WHERE: Dentry�s Pub, 4450 West 10Th Ave at Sasamat (before UBC)
COST: There is no entry fee.
PRIZE: Each participant who completes the 5Km (or 3 we haven�t decided 
yet) will receive a Pint of Guinness for their efforts.
OTHER: A kilt of sort is mandatory - it could even be in the form of a 
table cloth (Good Lord), if necessary. This is a fun run -  not a race to 
be followed by much revellery afterwards.
CONTACTS: Phil Dentry(publican) 604-224-3434
Jeff Pope at jjlpope@shaw.ca

2. Courtesy Michael Martin:

WHAT: MASTERS OF SCOTTISH ARTS CONCERT 
- A Virtuoso Evening of Celtic 
Music and Dance featuring internationally renowned Pipers, Fiddlers, 
drummers and dancers.
WHEN: FRIDAY Feb 3, 2006�
 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: Benaroya Hall, S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium
3RD Ave. & University St., Seattle, Washington
COST:  $20.00 to $30.00 US through www.Ticketmaster.com
CONTACT: Michael Martin at MichaelM@sidlon.com
WEBSITE: www.masterofscottisharts.org
OTHER: the sponsor is a non-profit organization that supports a Winter 
School of Piping that features teachers of  renown: for example, 
Canadian pipers Jack Lee and  Bruce Gandy and Canadian drummer Reid 
Maxwell are among several international artists.

3. Courtesy Todd Wong:
Gung Haggis Fat Choy is sponsoring two upcoming events:

WHAT: Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night:
An evening of Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian traditional 
and contemporary poetry - when Robbie Burns Day and Chinese New Year 
collide!
WHEN: January 16th, 7:30 to� :
WHERE: At  the  Vancouver Public Library, Alice MacKay Room

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner
WHAT: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner
WHEN: January 22nd 6:00 � 10:00 PM
WHERE: At the  Floata Restaurant, #400 - 180 Keefer St. Vancouver 
Chinatown.

CONTACT: Todd Wong at gunghaggis@yahoo.ca

 

Upcoming Gung Haggis Poetry and Janice Wong's CHOW at the Vancouver Public library

January 16th
Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night
7:30pm
Vancouver Public Library
Alice Mackay Room
hosted by Toddish McWong, Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea
- poetry and music and dance from Old Scotland and Old China to contemporary Scottish-Chinese-Canadians including: Fiona Lam, Joe McDonald, Alexis Keinlen, and dancers!!!!

January 18th
Janice Wong & CHOW
From China to Canada: Memories of Food and Family
Author Janice Wong has a Power Point demonstration + a panel discussion with:
historian Larry Wong, (Chinese Canadian Historical Society)
culture fusionist Todd Wong (Gung Haggis Fat Choy)

Takao Tanabe, one of Canada's greatest artists, on display now at Centre A in Vancouver

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Centre A presents

 

 

TAKAO TANABE

 

Banners & Banner Paintings 1969 – 1973

 

EXHIBITION: January 7 - February 18, 2006

 

RECEPTION: Sunday, January 29, 2-5 pm

 

Free parking lot at 23 West Pender

 

Exhibition Sponsor: Anndraya T. Luui

 

Centre A is honoured to host a solo exhibition by one of Canada’s greatest artists, Takao Tanabe. The exhibition features a series of over 30 banners and banner paintings. These dramatic works make full use of Centre A’s high ceiling and open space. The exhibition coincides with Tanabe’s career retrospective, opening at the Vancouver Art Gallery on January 21. Centre A will host a public reception with the artist in attendance on Sunday afternoon, January 29, to coincide with Chinatown celebrations of the Year of the Dog.

 

Tanabe’s banners maintain a strong contemporary edge even after thirty years. He started making them in the late 1960s, a time of great change in the arts, when painting seems literally to be leaping off the wall. Commissions to produce banners for public spaces in Regina and Winnipeg inspired him to explore other applications of the form. Some were painted on canvas, while others were made in collaboration with a commercial flag maker in New York. These works on nylon are translucent and in some cases over 16 feet long. Seen from behind they look like stained glass windows.

 

Born in Seal Cove, a fishing village near Prince Rupert, BC, Takao Tanabe has been a leader in Canadian art for half a century. He represented Canada at the Sao Biennale of 1953 and has been going strong ever since. He is a master painter whose astonishing career includes a wide range of styles. For many years he was Head of the Art Program at the Banff School of Fine Arts, where he influenced many younger artists. He is a recipient of the Governor General’s Award and the Order of Canada. His work is represented by the Equinox Gallery where it will be featured in an exhibition opening on February 15.

 

Centre A is pleased to be mounting this exhibition in cooperation the Vancouver Art Gallery, continuing a tradition of collaboration between the two organizations.

 

We are extremely grateful to the President of Centre A’s Board of Directors, Anndraya T. Luui, for her generous sponsorship of this exhibition.

 

Centre A acknowledges the generous support of patrons, sponsors, members, partners, private foundations, and government funding agencies, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, and the City of Vancouver through the Office of Cultural Affairs.

 

Centre A

Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art

2 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1G6

t. 604-683-8326; f. 604-683-8632

centrea@centrea.org;  www.centrea.org

Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-6pm