Eastside Culture Crawl - I am no longer a culture crawl virgin
There were people everywhere when I went to 1000 Parker Street on Saturday afternoon, as part of the Eastside Culture Crawl.
And this is only one of 37 building sites where 59 artists had opened
their studios to the public. No wonder it takes 2 whole days and
1 whole evening to explore. There are so many people in the
building, the crowds have to move at at snail's pace - no wonder it is
called a "crawl."
My main priority was to visit my cousin Janice Wong
who is a visual artist concentrating on monotypes. Janice has
been really busy for the past two months also promoting her book CHOW,
which includes recipes from her father's chinese food restaurant in
Prince Albert + stories about her family and our shared ancestors.
We talk with Janice's husband George, as Janice talks to some of the
many friends that drop in to visit. Huge canvasses line the
studio walls priced at $1000 and up, as well as little ones for only
$175.
We wander in and out of the many studios where I bump into Arleigh Wood.
Arleigh is half Japanese and she is combining visual art with a zen
approach, integrating her East and West cultures. Crows and circles
dominate her work. I spot a photograph of a Japanese man on a
fishing boat - she tells me that it is her grandfather. We have a
good chat - I tell her what I am up to, and promise to introduce her to
Ricepaper Magazine.
When I walk into artist Michael Fitzsimmon's
studio, his paintings are luminescent with his own mix of special
paints that glow as if they have lights inside them. Check this
out!
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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
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Monday, November 21
Eastside Culture Crawl - I am no longer a culture crawl virgin
by
Todd
on Mon 21 Nov 2005 11:55 PM PST
Tuesday, November 15
REVIEW: Save Kogawa House Nov 12 Special Concert
by
Todd
on Tue 15 Nov 2005 02:41 PM PST
The concert event went well today. About 100 people in the Alice Mackay Room, at the Vancouver Public Library + CTV coverage. Pretty good for very short notice.
The event started with Harry Aoki and Alison Nishihara playing Pachabel's Canon on harmonica and piano. Then I welcomed everybody and explained what the SAVE KOGAWA HOUSE committee was all about. I also told people that we were very grateful for the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble gifting us with a performance. I had seen excerpts at a Roy Miki lecture, the Vancouver Arts Awards, and still I had tears in my eyes when I saw performances on opening weekend and just last week at the library. more »
Sunday, November 6
Chinese Canadian History Fair in Nanaimo at Malispina College
by
Todd
on Sun 06 Nov 2005 11:52 PM PST
Chinese Canadian History Fair in Nanaimo at Malaspina College
The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC organized another history fair, this time at Nanaimo's Malaspina University-College. Nanaimo's Chinatown used to be a thriving bustling place from 1860 to 1923. My great-great-grandfather, Rev. Chan Yu Tan, had ministered at the Chinese United Church around 1924. After becoming increasingly derelict it was destroyed by a fire September 30, 1960. CCHS board member Dr. Imogene Lim played a big part in bringing many presenters together from Nanaimo, Cumberland, Vancouver and Prince George. Here's what Imogene had to say about the event: "Although we had a very wet and stormy day, I think we can say the second CCHS Chinese Canadian History Fair was a success; we drew a sizable crowd to all the featured activities. There was a lot of mingling and conversation between visitors and between exhibitors; in many cases, a reunion and reconnecting of intersecting lives." Fourteen displays were presented including the Nanaimo District Museum, Cumberland Historical Society, Chinese Women Aviators, Trev Sue-A-Quan's Guyanese Chinese genealogy titled "Cane Reapers," Head Tax Redress, 1907 Riots, Chinese soccer team featuring Queene Yip, chinese cemetaries, and Chinese Canadian women pionneers. Janice Wong presented her book CHOW From China to Canada: Stories of Food and Family. This was followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Imogene Lim, restauranteur Gerry Wong who along with Janice all grew up in restaurant enviornments. Gerry's father had chinese restaurants in Nanaimo, while Imogene's uncle and father ran the WK Gardens in Vancouver, which she described as a "high end" restaurant which had catered to Prime Ministers, royalty and entertainers such as Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper. Imogene even showed some of the original menus and special event menus created for events such as weddings and royal visits. Karin Lee also showed her movie Comrade Dad, as well as having a display table. It was the Vancouver Island premiere of Comrade Dad, a Karin Lee film about her father, Wally, who ran a Communist bookstore in Vancouver's Chinatown in the days before China was recognized by the Canadian government. The NFB film featuring my cousin Rhonda Larrabee's story about growing up half Chinese and half First Nations, Tribe of One, was also shown. I set up a display of the Rev Chan Family, including the poster displays that were made for our family reunions in 1999 and 2000. It was very cool that I had pictures of Janice Wong's parents, Dennis and Mary, her grandparents Joseph and Rose, and her great grandfather, the Rev. Chan Yu Tan with his wife Wong Shee, as Janice is my 2nd cousin once removed. Rhonda Larrabee is also a relative as her father Art is my grandmother's elder brother, so we had pictures of Rhonda at the reunions as well, with her brothers, daughters and grandchildren. I had meant to phone my grand-aunt Helen who lives in Nanaimo, and tried to reach her through Directory Assistance once I got there but to no avail. As I was setting up the display, I saw a white haired woman approach the Rev. Chan Family display flanked by CCHS board members Larry Wong and Edgar Wickberg. "That's my grandfather!" she exclaimed, "And my grandmother! How did you get these pictures!" Both Larry and Ed looked over at me, as I stood silently behind my Auntie Helen. I held my finger to my lips asking them not to say anything. "That's his sister! How did you get these pictures!" my Aunt continued pointing at the pictures. I finally spoke saying, "Please don't touch the pictures, they are very sensitive." "Sorry," she said as she kept looking at the pictures saying, "That's my Aunt! That's my Uncle!" "Excuse me," I said, "How are you related to these people in the pictures?" She turned and looked at me. Her eyes suddenly widened joyfully in recognition. "Todd! What are you doing here?" It turned out that Auntie Helen's friend had been listening to CBC Radio's North By Northwest, and host Sheryl Mackay had talked about the Chinese Canadian History Fair at Malispina College, and she told herself that her friend Helen had to be there. "You look just like your sister!" Janice Wong exclaimed to Auntie Helen, when I introduced them to each other for the very first time, during the CHOW book signing, after the panel discussion with Janice, Gerry and Imogene. They had never met each other before, but they knew they were family. Saturday, November 5
Vancouver Asian Film Festival - Gala Opening + Motel + What Are You Anyway?
by
Todd
on Sat 05 Nov 2005 02:30 AM PST
There was a good fun crowd at Tinseltown for VAFF's opening night.
This year's VAFF opening featured two films. The award winning animated short What Are You Anyways? by Jeff Chiba Stearns, and Motel by Michael Kang. Both films were very enjoyable and expressed aspects of Asian-ess that the audience could releate to. more »
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