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Thursday, December 31
2009 Year of Gung Haggis Fat Choy from Royal BC Museum in Victoria to Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh
by
Todd
on Thu 31 Dec 2009 01:42 PM PST
2009 featured photos in exhibits at Royal BC Museum and Scottish Parliament. Other highlights included the inaugural writer in residence program at Historic Joy Kogawa House, and Todd Wong's first visit to Scotland for the finale weekend of Homecoming Year. And there was the 250th anniversary of poet Robert Burns.
more »
Wednesday, September 2
Last Kilts Night of Summer - Sep 03 @ Doolin's Irish Pub
by
Todd
on Wed 02 Sep 2009 11:43 PM PDT
LAST KILTS NIGHT of Summer
September 03
Doolin's Irish Pub
Kilts Night at Doolin's has been a tradition since January 1st, 2005.
That's when Terry "Bear" Varga and I joined Raphael at Doolin's Irish
Pub, when we discovered that the Atlantic Trap and Gill was closed on
New Year's Day. Kilts Night had been the first Saturday of the month
for awhile... long before me, anyways.
Now we meet at:
Doolin's Irish Pub
Nelson & Granville St.
8:00pm to Midnight
Wear yer Kilt to receive a Free Pint of Guinness I have 3 kilts + 1 mini-kilt available for 4 people wanting a FREE PINT of GUINNESS 9:00pm LIVE Music w' Halifax Wharf Rats. The August Kilts Night was GREAT!We were also invaded by the World Police & Fire Games What happens when Kilts meet Police athletes from around the world? We met Spanish female pentathletes and Norwegian male hockey players + a Pub Crawl "from the Troller to the Raven". Raphael, Todd and Stuart with Spanish pentathletes for World Police & Fire Games http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2009/8/7/4281303.html
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2009/5/8/4179568.html
Thursday, August 6
Winetasting in the Southern Okanagan: Summerland and Naramata Bench
by
Todd
on Thu 06 Aug 2009 12:19 PM PDT
Wine tasting and exploring in Summerland and Naramata regions of Southern Okanagan
- Part One
 Todd & Deb taste the delicious fruit wines of Elephant Island Orchard Winery.
I am glad that my girlfriend Deb enjoys wine tasting, and trying out the many different Okanagan wines of BC. On BC Day, August 3rd Monday, we travelled with friends to the Summerhill and Naramata Bench growing areas. Only 2 hours south of Vernon, where Deb's parents live, the area is dryer and more sun drenched. The hills are softer and less steep than Kalamalka Lake's Predator Ridge and Kalamalka Park. It probably started with our official first date when I brought over a bottle of Summerhill Cipes Brut sparkling wine to help celebrate her new job. 3 months later we explored the Kelowna area wineries of Mission Hill, Quail's Gate, Mt. Boucherie, and Summerhill Pyramid winery. We also drove up to to Silver Star ski resort to try out the 2nd annual Okanagan Summer Wine Festival. Last year, we took our friends Craig and Zsuzsanna to Summerhill Pyramid winery, and Sumac Ridge Estates. This time we felt it we wanted to explore farther south to Summerland and Naramata Bench - where Deb hadn't been in 20 years, despite being raised in the North Okanagan. We visited Thornhaven, Dirty Laundry and Sleeping Giant fruit winery in Summerhill, part of the " Bottleneck Drive" group of local wineries to promote the growing wine business on the west side of Okanagan Lake. Then we visited the Naramatat Bench, home to BC's largest concentration of wineries, but only had enough time to visit Elephant Island Orchard Winery and Soaring Eagle Estates - before they closed at 6pm. Grapes at Soaring Eagle Estates. Thornhaven Estates was the first winery we checked in at. After the 2 hour long drive from Vernon, we ate our sandwiches in the car. But we could have relaxed and eaten on the lovely and inviting adobe styled outdoor patio at Thornhaven. It looks exotic in the "Great White North" of Canada - but the Sonoran desert plateau of the American Southwest actually extends all the way into Canada near Oosooyoos.
More pictures on Toddish McWong's flickr link:
Tuesday, May 26
Eating on Mayne Island... 4 eateries... all delicious!
by
Todd
on Tue 26 May 2009 11:57 PM PDT
Holidays and good food go together.
 Menu board on the patio of the Wild Fennel restaurant on Mayne Island - photo Todd Wong
On Mayne Island we visited the Wild Fennel Restaurant, Springwater Lodge, the newly renovated "Brickworks Restaurant on the Bay" at the Mayne Inn Resorts, and I even had breakfast at the Sunny Mayne Bakery Café. So I did indeed visit all four restaurants listed in the Mayne Island brochure found on the BC Ferry, and also listed on the Mayne Island Chamber website: http://www.mayneislandchamber.ca/restaurants.htmWe had caught the 7:20 ferry from Tsawwassen, so I ate dinner in the BC Ferry Restaurant, which is basically a mini White Spot. I had the bacon & cheese burger with fries... but substituted a soft drink for the frozen coffee drink that had a lot of mocha in it! Definitely better than Tim Hortons! At 7am, Friday, I woke up early and wanted to find a place for coffee and breakfast. Where do the locals go? It's the Sunny Mayne Bakery Café where I found delicious fried potatoes and scrambled eggs, which I ate with ketchup and HP Sauce. Perfect! They even make cappucinos and mochas too. I opted for plain coffee to which I added some chocolate, honey, and cream. Located in the town centre on 472 Village Bay Road, beside Tru Value Foods.
 View of Bennett Bay from Bricksworks restaurant at Mayne Inn Resorts - photo Todd Wong
We went kayaking on Friday, and was very tempted to try to buy fresh crabs from the boat hauling up their crab traps in Bennett Bay - but I didn't bring my wallet on our 2 1/2 hour kayak excursion. :-(
Oh well, after burning up an appetite kayaking and hiking to Campbell Point, we headed to "Brickworks Restaurant on the Bay" at the Mayne Inn Resorts. The Resort is undergoing some rennovations, so it looks like it is closed from the street. But we drove in and found a lovely upscale setting. With a stunning view of Bennett Bay, we sat down and quickly ordered the special of the day, "Seafood Wellington" - salmon, haddock and prawns baked in puff pastry. At $18, it was large and reasonably priced. We cut it in two and shared it, along with the vegetables and rice pilaf. We sat on the remaining sun on the patio and enjoyed our dinner along with Strongbow and cider. If we hadn't already planned to spend the sunset hours on the other side of the island, we might have stayed longer. I was tempted by the $3.99 pub special of a chocolate shooter cup, filled with "your choice" of liquer....
 Haddock, Salmon and Prawns stuffed into something called Seafood Wellington. It's a good thing I like to eat my rice and brocolli.- photo Todd Wong 
We next drove to the other side of the island, back to the town centre at Miner's Bay. At 6pm, there was still a lot of time to fill before darkness fell, and on a small island there isn't a lot to do. Best thing is go to the pub! The good ol' hockey game was on the tv set, next to the pool tables. Detroit 3, Chicago 1. We went and sat on the patio, enjoying the wonderful view of Active Pass where we had seen orcas from the ferry only 24 hours earlier. The 3 people at the table beside us all ordered the $18 chipotle prawn special, and said it was very good. The other table had ordered 2 piece Fish & Chips and that looked good and was much cheaper at $11.99 We ordered the 3 piece for about $1.50 more and shared. We also ordered the Mission Hill white and red wines. What a wonderful way to spend a summer evening... restaurant hopping and having wonderful food. No Killer Whales were spotted, but the BC Ferries tooted their horns and passed each other in Active Pass. The Historic Springwater Lodge was originally built in 1892, and is the oldest continuously operated hotel in BC. It was stopping point for miners headed to the Fraser River and Caribou Gold Rush.
 View from Springwater Lodge patio. BC Ferries in the distance - photo Todd Wong
 Peter smiles after telling us that he is the one (of the partners) that is responsible for the art work. - photo Todd Wong
After driving past the Wild Fennell 4 times on Friday, we went back on Saturday specifically for lunch. It was the restaurant recommended by our kayaking guide,
and we also remembered it the book "Best Places to Kiss in the
Northwest - a romantic travel guide." It's a cosy little place filled with art created by one of
the owners - Peter. The food was very good, and not out of line with
any of the "west coast bistros" throughout Metro Vancouver - but it had
that special Gulf Island charm, and the prices are quite reasonable. The shrimp soup with wild mushrooms was very nice, and our sandwiches were delicious. I had the smoked tuna clubhouse with shrimp and avocado aoeli. Deb had the vegetarian hoagy with ceasar salad. I think they were about $12 or $14 each. The restaurant is located at the Fernhill Plaza next to the Tree Frog Gallery, the Mackenzie Gallery of Fine Art and the nice store with all the glass work and pottery.
 Smoked tuna Clubhouse sandwich with shrimp and avocado aoeli, and with the Shrimp and Wild Mushroom soup of the day. Yum!
Deb had the vegetarian hoagie with a caesar salad. Lots of red and orange peppers, mushrooms, and greens. Double yum!
Wednesday, January 28
Happy Chinese New Year! Gee.... it's a lot like Scottish Hogmanay!
by
Todd
on Wed 28 Jan 2009 11:42 PM PST
 A very multicultural group of poetry loving revelers shared food and drink at Library Square Pub on Chinese New Year's Day. Two international students from Brasil joined us along with Karen, a man from Iran, 5th generation Vancouverite Todd Wong, born in Scotland June Ventners-Clark, Peter Clark, Phoenix and Sherry Shigasu.After the World Poetry Gung Haggis Fat Choy Gala at the Vancouver Public Library, some of us went to the Library Square Pub. Monday night appetizers were 2 for 1. We had nachos, spring rolls, popcorn shrimp and chicken wings. Our multicultural crowd counted ancestry from around the world: Brazil, China, Japan, Scotland, Iran, Germany, India and more! There are many similarities between Chinese New Year's Eve and Scottish Hogmanay: 1) Make lots of noise. Chinese light firecrackers to create loud noises to scare away bad spirits. Scottish also create loud noise by clanking kitchen pots and setting off cannons and church bells. Doors are opened to let out bad spirits. 2) Pay off your debts.
Chinese like to ensure that you start off the New Year with no debts
hanging onto your personal feng shui. I think the Scots do the
same but especially to ensure that they aren't paying anymore interest.
3) Have lots of good food and visit friends. Eat lots and be merry. Both Scots and Chinese enjoy eating, hosting their friends and visiting their friends. If you spend all your time visiting friends, then you don't have to cook for anybody. But good guests always bring good gifts too!
4) Party on dude! In
Asia, Chinese New Year celebrations will go on for days, lasting up to
a week! Sort of like Boxing week sales in Canada. In
Scotland, the Scots are proud partyers and are well known for making
parties last for days on end.
250th Anniversary of Robert Burns recognized with poems at statue in Vancouver's Stanley Park
by
Todd
on Wed 28 Jan 2009 11:32 PM PST
Informal gathering celebrates the 250th Anniversary of poet Robbie Burns birth, at Stanley Park statueOur group of Burns celebrants included bagpipers Trish and Allan McMordie (very rear), members of the Burns Club of Vancouver, members of the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University, some visitors from Scotland, and lots of Vancouverites included myself.
Three television cameras from CBC, CTV and Global came out to film our little ceremony. Friends would later report that they saw me on the evening news on Sunday.
I had never before attended a "wreath laying" at the Robbie Burns statue. In fact, I had never before visited the the Robbie Burns statue on Robbie Burns Day. Often, I simply passed it, as I drove along Georgia Street enroute to the Stanley Park Causeway and Lion's Gate Bridge.But this year was different. It was the 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns, and I had contacted a few organizations back in December. Dr. Leith Davis of the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University, had committed to contacting Burns Clubs and Scottish organizations around the world whose cities also had statues of Robert Burns
When I arrived just before 12 noon, there were already some bagpipers playing tunes in front of the statue. Surprise! It was Trish and Allan McMordie, of the JP Fell Pipe Band from North Vancouver. It was exactly one year ago on Robbie Burns Day, when Allan and I first met at the Rock 101 Bro' Jake show. Allan also came to Vancouver City Hall, when I received the City Proclamation for Tartan Day, and we created a photo op with then Mayor Sam Sullivan, and councilors Heather Deal, George Chow, Tim Stevenson, BC Lee, Kim Capri. See: Tartan Day (April 6) proclaimed in City of Vancouver, April 3.
My friend Stuart Mackinnon, newly elected Parks Commissioner, was there with his doggy companion Kiku. Stuart was dressed in his kilt and sweater ensemble. To see Stuart this past week, at the VDLC and Gung Haggis Fat Choy Burns suppers, you would think he's been wearing kilts all his life - but it's not true. He only started wearing kilts less than 2 years ago, after he joined the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.Also attending, were some members of the Burns Club of Vancouver, and from the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University. Some onlookers came up to ask if they could take our pictures - especially with the bagpipers, as Trish and Allan McMordie were wearing their "dress whites."
John Eagle sang "My Luv is Like a Red Red Rose" and I put a red rose into his hand, to the delight of the crowd.
Robert Barr of the Burns Club of Vancouver, talked about how when the Robbie Burns statue was put up in 1929, it was the first statue in Vancouver, and a thousand people came to watch the statue unveiling by J. Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister of Britain, on 25th August, 1928.
Dr. Leith Davis, director for the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University, talked about her new virtual project of setting up a wreath laying and Burns statue in Second Life. She only arrived back in Vancouver the night before after having spent 2 weeks in Scotland for Homecoming Scotland activities. We took a group picture, that Leith then sent to other Burns statues ceremony groups around the world. With the television cameras on us, I led spontaneous singings of "Happy Birthday Dear Rabbie" and "Auld Lang Syne."To close our ceremonies, I performed the immortal Burns poem, "Address to a Haggis" with audience participation repeating the last line of each verse. Both Leith and the Burns Club members complimented my performance as one of the best they've seen. I have definitely improved over my last year's reading of "Address to the Haggis" at last year's Burns Club Vancouver Burns Supper. I actually know the entire thing by heart now!
We posed for one last small group picture with the special limited edition of "The Famous Grouse" 37 year old blended whisky, that was especially made for the 250th anniversary of Burns' birth. Here I stand with John Eagle, Leith's youngest child, Ron Sutherland, and a Burns Club member.
Here's the bottle! It was auctioned off that evening at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Robbie Burns Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner for $750 CDN. Half of the funds will stay in Vancouver, and half will go to Scotland's National Trust to help sponsor the Chinese punch bowl that Robbie Burns used at his brother Gilbert's wedding.
Here are previous articles I wrote about the George Lawson statue of Robert Burns:Robert Burns Statue in Vancouver's Stanley Park
by
Todd
on Tue 09 Dec 2008
Burns statue in Stanley Park
The Robert Burns statue in Stanley Park can easily be seen
by
Todd
on Sat 24 Jan 2009
Burns Statue in Vancouver's Stanley Park ,
The rededication plaque reads: "This
statue of Robert
by
Todd
on Wed 10 Dec 2008
Burns statue in Vancouver's Stanley Park can also be seen in other Canadian cities
Check out the rest of my pictures on Flickr.
Tuesday, January 27
Photos from 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner
by
Todd
on Tue 27 Jan 2009 06:22 PM PST
Gung Haggis Fat Choy is always a wonderful event for photographs. Special thanks to our incredible photographers Patrick Tam, Lydia Nagai and VFK.
If you like their photos, please contact them and purchase them. We have asked them to put "water marks" on their photos, so that we will advertise and promote them.
They help us with our event, because they believe in the community work and social consciousness raising that we do. + PICTURES more »
Monday, January 26
The 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's 250th Robbie Burns Birthday Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner was a big success - worth 2 ceremonial haggis.
by
Todd
on Mon 26 Jan 2009 11:07 PM PST
Hi everybody...
A wonderful job by everybody last night - Veteran Gung Haggis performers Joe McDonald and Heather pronounced last night as "The Best Gung Haggis Dinner yet"
And Dr. Leith Davis said it was the best Burns Supper she had ever attended - and she just spent 2 weeks in Scotland for Homecoming Scotland!
Congratulations to everybody. The energy was brilliantly contagious and fun. There were lots of nice surprises in the program, with the Mayor reading a Burns poem, a treatise on the details of scotch drinking, Parks Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon singing A Man's A Man For A' That, and hip hop artist Ndidi Cascade coming up from the audience to rap a verse of Burns' Address to A Haggis. more »
Saturday, January 24
Tickets for Gung Haggis Fat Choy are still available.
by
Todd
on Sat 24 Jan 2009 11:59 PM PST
2009 Ticket sales from Firehall Arts Centre and Tickets Tonight are now closed, as we are very close to a sell out. Firehall Box Office is always closed on Saturday. more »
Tuesday, January 20
VisitScotland comes to Vancouver to celebrate Homecoming Scotland with Toddish McWong and Gung Haggis Fat Choy
by
Todd
on Tue 20 Jan 2009 11:48 PM PST
Philip Riddle, CEO of VisitScotland, and Todd Wong, creator of Burns Night, "Gung Haggis Fat Choy", "toast" the Haggis Won Ton during a visit by the Scottish Tourism Organization to Vancouver, B.C., to promote the Year of Homecoming Scotland 2009, Tuesday, January 20, 2009.
It is indeed an honour to be chosen one of the 250 Burns Night Suppers to receive the special commemorative 37 year old The Famous Grouse blended whisky to auction off for charity. I was contacted only last week by Fiona Stewart of VisitScotland - the Scottish Tourism Organization. + PICTURES more »
Tuesday, December 2
My new favorite drink: Guinness with a shot of expresso vodka
by
Todd
on Tue 02 Dec 2008 05:35 PM PST
Last Thursday, I ended up at Doolin's and ordered my Guinness with a shot of expresso vodka. My favorite bartender Geo made it up for me, after I told him they had given me one at the Atlantic Trap & Gill. more »
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2010 GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY Dinner
January 31, 2010
Contact Firehall Arts Centre:
phone 604.689.0926
2010 prices
SINGLE TICKET
$60 + $5 service charge = $65
Student price is $50 + $4.50 = $54.50 (must show student high school or university ID)
Children's price is $40 + $4.00 = $44 (ages 13 and under).
Reservations for tables of 10
$600 + lower service charge
WHAT: GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner - 12th Annversary Dinner, celebrating 251st Anniversary of Robert Burns' birth + incoming Chinese New Year of the Tiger.
WHEN:
6PM January 31 2010, SUNDAY
doors open 5pm, Dinner 6pm
WHERE: Floata Chinese Restaurant,
#400-180 Keefer St.
Media Inquiries
Call Gung Haggis Productions / Todd Wong
direct: 778-846-7090
email: gunghaggis at yahoo dot ca
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! + debut of Gung Haggis parade dragon!
2009 - debut of Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipes & Drums band + auction of 37 year old special edition Famous Grouse whisky + scotch tastings of Famous Grouse, The Macallan and Highland Park.
Watch for more surprises in 2010!
Description of 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner
co-hosted with CBC News anchor Gloria Macarenko and Media colunist Catherine Barr
featuring performers: bagpiper Joe McDonald and Mad Celts, Silk Road Music's Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault, Opera Soprano Heather Pawsey and DJ Timothy Wisdom, BC Book Prize winner Vancouver poet Rita Wong + poet traslator Tommy Tao, Playwright Adrienne Wong and a scene from "Mixie and The Half-Breeds"
Description of 2008 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner
co-hosted with Media colunist Catherine Barr
featuring performers: , celtic band Blackthorn, bagpiper Joe McDonald and Brave Waves, Ji-Rong Huang on erhu, Film maker Ann-Marie Fleming, Vancouver poet laureate George McWhirter, Playwright Grace Chin and a scene from "The Quickie"
Description of 2007 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner
co-hosted with CBC Radio's Priya Ramu,
featuring performers:
Silk Road Music,
Heather Pawsey,
Brave Waves,
Leora Cashe,
No Luck Club,
Dr. Ian Mason (Burns Club of Vancouver)
Lensey Namioka - Author "Half and Half"
Margaret Gallagher,
"Twisting Fortunes" (sneak preview of play)
Description of 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner
with co-host with CityTV's Prem Gill
featuring performers:
Rick Scott & Harry Wong, The Shirleys, Joe McDonald & Brave Waves, Sean Gunn, author Joy Kogawa,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 starting March
Sunday 1:30 pm -3:30 pm
Tuesday 6pm-7:45pm
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 2008 season took us to races in Burnaby, Vancouver, Vernon, Vancouver Taiwanese race, UBC, Ft. Langley.
It was our strongest team ever and we are proud of our race performances.
For more information:
Click on
Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team information
phone: 778-846-7090
e-mail: gunghaggis at yahoo dot ca
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