"This is multicultural skiing, I like it!" declared Francisco Carreon Argudin. I looked at him puzzled. I didn't see anything mulicultural about spring skiing at Silver Star Resort, just north of Vernon BC. It was Easter Sunday, and we were sitting in the "Bieregarten" on the main stroll of Silver Star Village, eating our Steak Sandwich lunch specials and drinking beer. "What's multicultural about skiing?" I ask. They look at me in disbelief, like I missed the punch line of a joke. "We're multicultural!" They exclaim. "Oh, yeah.... I forgot about that," I sheepishly reply. We were drinking Corona beer because Francesco bought them and he is originally from Mexico, with Mexican and Italian heritage. Our mutual friend is Jeff Chiba Stearns, the animator/film producer of "What Are You Anyways?" Jeff describes himself as hapa - Half Japanese, and Half Euro-mutt. I am 5th generation Chinese-Canadian.    more »

Skiing at Silver Star... my first time skiing in Vernon since 1977


Me at Silver Star, 29 years after my last time skiing on the mountain - photo Jeff Chiba Stearns

Hey... I took a ski tour of Silver Star mountain.  And my guide was speaking with a Scots accent. I asked him if he was from Glasgow, and his mouth dropped in amazement. He asked how I knew that. I showed him my business card. And he exclaimed, "I've seen you interviewed on TV!"

And that's not all.... his last name is Todd - David Todd. And there's more... he is a good friend for my girlfriend's parents who live here in Vernon. Oh... It's a small world after all....

David and I have a great time skiing. He shows me the mountain, all its ins and outs, as well as how the resort and the accomodations have been developing. It's a mighty big change since I last skiied at Silverstar back in 1977. We go down mostly Blue Square intermediate runs. It is my first day of the season, and his last day of the season, as Silver Star closes after Easter Weekend.

After the runs, we go to Long John's Pub in the Village, to meet his friends. It's a great time, talking about the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner event that I organize in Vancouver. David says that his wife saw my tv interview and afterwards said, "If we were in Vancouver, I'd go to that!"

"Next January, we can have a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner in Vernon," I tell David Todd.

"Sorry I can't come," he deadpans, "My wife and I don't hang out with Scots people."

David and I bonded immediately after we met. We had a great day of skiing, exchanging jokes and stories.

"How did you know my last name was Todd, it only says David on my name tag," he asks me.

"I read it on your ski pass, which was sticking out of your jacket. I'm a clever one. Clever like a fox," I reply. He laughs and our conversation turns to the origins of the name Todd, which according to Baby Name books, means "Fox, in Old English."

"How did you come by the name of Todd," he asks. "Och... I was named after a sea captain, who sailed between Hong Kong and Singapore. Captain Ronald Todd, was a friend of my auntie's husband in Hong Kong."

"I've never knew that Todd was a Scottish name," I say. "I've never seen a Todd tartan."

"It's a branch of the Gordons," David explains. "We wear the Gordon tartan."


David Todd and Todd Wong, the first born in Glasgow and Canadian for past 30 years, the second born in Canada, and faux-Scots for the past 14 years - photo Deb Martin

In Long John's pub, David's friends enjoy the stories.... Joanne loves it. This exhuberant blonde woman exclaims that she may be more Asian than me, after I tell her that I am 5th generation Chinese-Canadian. It turns out that her grandmother was part Mongolian, and she was born with a Mongolian birth mark - which she still has.

"Great," I say.... "You will have to come to the Vernon Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner and show everyone," I joke. Turns out that Joanne also has a Japanese Uncle, who married into this family of Finns, on her grandmother's side. We talk about the Japanese internment, and my involvement with the Save Kogawa House committee.

Don and Brett are their friends who are also sitting with us. Brett explains that he grew up on Vancouver Island, and had friends who were the Yamada's. We talk about how Coldstream Ranch was run by Japanese after the war. These are great people, and I am glad I met them! They are truly wonderful ambassadors for Silver Star and Vernon.

Oh.... what was the skiing like? Spring skiing at Silverstar in April. Sounds beautiful.... I am staying at a lakeside home on beautiful Kalamalka Lake, this weekend. just south of Vernon BC. There is a $50 ski pass for the entire Easter weekend. Sounds like a great deal....

Fresh snow fell over night, 8 cm! Sounds divine.... When I arrived on the peak at 10am, the sun was peaking through the clouds. I could see all the way to Kalamalka Lake. It was beautiful. I phoned my girlfriend who was still at the lakeside home. But the mountain temperature dropped to minus 11 degrees celsius last night freezing the snow pack. The midmountain has a bit of crud, and its a bit sticky at the bottom by the afternoon.

I was skiing Silverstar. One of the finest ski resorts in BC.

I had skiied here in the early 1970's. My parents would take me and my brother out of school for a week, to go to Vernon and ski Silverstar for a week. Lucky boys we were. We really learned how to ski well, as 10 to 12 year olds. Amazing what a week's worth of ski lessons can do. When I was in grade six. I broke my leg - fractured left fibula. It was on my way to my Monday morning ski lesson. Thank goodness I had been able to ski on the Sunday. But the next 3 days were spent in the Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

Hospital miniature televisions were brand new back in 1972, and our family friend Kim Mah had the contracts for BC hospitals. Uncle Kim just happened to be in Vernon, and he gifted me with one. Wow!!!

The last time we went to Silverstar was in 1977. I was still 16, and my brother was 15. We burned up the ski hill with freestyle moves, on the moguls, and on the gentle slopes with ballet tricks. Wayne Wong was HOT STUFF back then. Freestyle (now called Free Riding) was still a pioneering sport. We could do tip rolls, cross-overs, jump-overs, 360 arials and spread eagles off bumps and jumps. That was 29 years ago.

Today, Snowboards are where the action is. Skis went through the parabolic revolution. I have a pair of Rossignol Bandit's that I bought in 2002.  My boots are Salomon 1040's, which I bought in 2003 - but I didn't get a chance to use them until Dec 2004, because I severely sprained my ankle skating through the ice at Burnaby Lake.  NEVER go skating on a lake that is not at least 6 inches thick!

Hapa Izakaya restaurant: A upscale Canadian fusion version of Japanese bistro dining

Hapa Izakaya, 1479 Robson Street at Nicola, 604 689-4272

There is a new kind of dining experience happening in Vancouver....  upscale Japanese bistro dining.  While Japanese bistros have been around for awhile, making homestyle Japanese cooking available for the rising  numbers of Japanese English language students - the upscale trend started a number of years ago with  restaurants such as Raku, which was later renamed Guu.

I was first introduced to sushi on Vancouver's Robson Street in the early 1980's - many years before it was trendy.  Today, you can walk down Robson Street and see many of the young Japanese students hanging out with their friends while studying in Vancouver, one of the most popular global cities for learning English.

Vancouver's multicultural environment, and large Asian population, makes it a natural desired destination for Asian students from around the world.  And now many former students are returning to Vancouver to live and work.  Many are involved in computers, programming and are part of a new rising affluent demographic.

Vancouver also boasts a happening film industry.  Famous actors are often seen in many of the restaurants along Robson Street like Cin Cin.  Now... they can also be seen at Hapa Izakaya too!

Hapa Izakaya at 1479 Robson Street, is a beautiful smooth lounge-type restaurant in minimalist black.  You step in, and you know that movement flows like water.  Music dances trance-like through the speakers.  The chefs stand behind the counters and shout out greetings, like many other Japanese restaurants - but something's different here.  It's the food.

The food mixes traditional Japanese homestyle dishes with inventive cultural fusion - just like it's owner Justin Ault.  Ault is "hapa"- the Hawaiian word for "half" which has also come to mean half white/half Asian.  Read about Jason Ault in a 2003 Vancouver Magazine article Diner: Beyond Sushi.

Last Wednesday night, we went to Hapa Izakaya with the Save Kogawa House committee, as one of our members is Ellen Crowe-Swords whose nephew is Justin Ault, the owner of Hapa Izakaya.  Justin grew up on Vancouver Island, the descendant of Japanese Canadians who had been interened at Slocan, during World War 2.  Justin was born in Port Alberni, and spent some time in Tokyo where he met his wife, who is also hapa.

Ellen ordered food for our table, and explained about the dishes.  All were very delicious.  But I can't remember everything we ate...  The first thing I tasted was the very delicious Japanese pumpkin puree with a whipped cream, spread on melba toast.  Next, I ate the spinach salad - very fresh and tasty, served with something on the side - wish I could remember.

Tuna belly chopped with spring onions, mixed with slices of red and yellow peppers, and spread over garlic toast.  ummmm.... I love good tuna!  There was a tempura prawn dish.... bacon wrapped asparagus.

I love rice... There was a crispy rice hot pot with pork, tomato sauce and kimchi, served in a Korean hot stone bowl.  Be careful not to touch the bowl.  It reminded me of my own mother's "Spanish Rice" dish that her father used to make for her.  I offered my girlfriend some of the crispy rice, from the sides of the bowl.

This was a great dining experience - perfect for hanging with friends.  The Kogawa House committee is now planning a fundraiser event at the restaurant to help raise funds to save Kogawa House.  Look for a our event before the end of April.

My friend Roland Tanglao wrote a 2003 mini-review of his visit to Hapa Izakaya for his website Van Eats, and even posted pictures of the food.  Roland wrote

Another friend Tim Pawsey wrote his review for the Vancouver Courier 'Hapa'-ning Tokyo-style tapas



Check out these other reviews from web

www.arthurhungry.com

www.frommers.com

www.dinehere.ca