I went to Tim Horton's today with my father... on Lougheed Highway in Burnaby. He ordered a small coffee and a french curl doughnut. I had a medium double double with a walnut crunch.
I looked around at the customers - about 10... All Asian faces... with one Caucasian in the corner by the door, talking on his cell phone. My how the stereotypes of Asians on cell phones have switched now. Two policemen came into the coffee shop - one was Asian. I think the middle aged couple was speaking in Korean. There were students in the other corner.
When I saw the new Tim Horton's television commercial featuring the Chinese Canadian grandfather bringing "double doubles" to the hockey rink to sit beside his son, and watch his grandson play... I thought "Cool!" Depicting Canadians who just happen to be Asian, doing Canadian things that just happen to be hockey and going to Tim Horton's.
Then the flashback of the grandfather telling his young son, not to play so much hockey - he should study instead. Very reminescent of every immigrant group adjusting to Canadian customs such as hockey. Reminded me of my own youth.... We weren't great at hockey either... but largely because there were NO Asian-Canadian hockey playing role models. Now there is Paul Kariya, and Vancouver Canuck's Richard Park. I hope we will now see more Asian Canadian hockey playing coffee swiggers in the NHL.
My teenage athletic role models were Bruce Lee and Wayne Wong - the pioneer freestyle skier. My brother and I had posters of each of them... We even got to meet Wayne Wong too! There were K2 "Wongbanger" skis in the basement... I even learned how to the the "Wongbanger" move.... once... It was a forward pole flip. Once up at Whistler, I tried it in front of my friends... my tip stuck in the snow, popped my binding, flew into the air, and landed on my head... I don't think I ever did it again.
Trivia question: Who was the first Asian-Canadian hockey player in the NHL?
E-mail me at gunghaggis at yahoo dot com. I will try to find an appropriate prize for the most complete and first answers....
PS:
russell jung wrote:
Hi My name is Russell and I wanted to respond to Todd`s article posted Feb
17,2006.
When I did the Tim Hortons Commercial I never thought it would be this big.I`ve been an actor, stuntman and model since 86 and i always thought that with the asian population in Van. I would see a lot of work.
It took a bit of time but this commercial so far is my highlight, all asian cast, hockey and Tim Horton`s how canadian and we didn`t wear any glasses either.
So I`m glad that people enjoyed it and put asians and hockey in the same sentence.
TTYL Russ
Hi My name is Russell and I wanted to respond to Todd`s article posted Feb
17,2006.
When I did the Tim Hortons Commercial I never thought it would be this big.I`ve been an actor, stuntman and model since 86 and i always thought that with the asian population in Van. I would see a lot of work.
It took a bit of time but this commercial so far is my highlight, all asian cast, hockey and Tim Horton`s how canadian and we didn`t wear any glasses either.
So I`m glad that people enjoyed it and put asians and hockey in the same sentence.
TTYL Russ
