Check out Bill Stilwell's Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2005 Photos. By the way, it was fun meeting Aaron (whose photos are not yet up) and chatting with Bill at the bloggers table yesterday. See you next year!   more »

Check out Andy Smith's pictures of Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2005 on Flickr.   more »

Check out Boris' Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2005 Photos on Flickr (all 80 of them!).   more »

Wow... what an evening...58 tables and approximately 570 people attending the 2005 Gung Haggis Fat Choyâ„¢ dinner. Lots of happy happy people giving compliments, apologizing for leaving before the end of the show - but all simply amazed at the warmth and cameraderie that was created between the performers and the audience. Definitely an intimate dinner for almost 600 people!   more »

Here's Roland Tanglao's GungHaggisFatChoy 2005 photos on Flickr. Check out Flickr's GungHaggisFatChoy tag (and GungHaggisFatChoy 2005 RSS feed) for more photos.   more »

Things to remember for Gung Haggis Fat Choyâ„¢ dinner on January 30. Free Parking at Floata! Arrive early -Dinner show starts promptly at 6pm. Vegetarian dishes abound in our menu. Free subscription to Rice Paper Magazine: Raffle Tickets - Have fun, and Sing lots!    more »

The surprise performances to watch for at Gung Haggis Fat Choy™ 2005 will be: Veera devi Khare is an opera soprano that sings classical cross-over, jazz and Indian chants. David McIntosh of Battery Opera performing with Max Murphy on Baritone Saxophone. I performed with this couple at a Bob's Lounge evening back in December.   more »

Dragoncart racing made it's debut
at the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy™ "Canadian Games" on Friday January 28th.  The Vancouver Sun captured the "Gung Haggis FAS Choy" team in action on page B1 on today's (Jan 29) Vancouver Sun. 

The caption reads:
"It's Gung Haggis Fat Choy (that's what they call it) on Friday at Simon Fraser University, when Scottish Robbie Burns Day traditions mix with Chinese New Year rituals.  To mark the occasion this team from the faculty of applied science propels its dragoncart with crutches and much enthusiasm in a race down Convocation Mall.  They finished second."

CITY TV and Channel M also shot camera footage - I missed it on last night's news - did anybody see it?  please comment!

The inaugural Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games begins a new tradition at SFU

The SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy™ Canadian Games began with me being piped in by piper Graeme Pitches walking to Convocation Mall from the West (direction of China),  I read my poem "Gung Haggis Fat Choy," the piper plays a Strathspey, and Highland Dancer Lindsay McBlane is featured on the stage of  Convocation Mall.  Meanwhile Chinese drums are heard in the background.  TV cameras were present from CITY TV, Channel M and there were news photographers too!  It was a good media event.

"What's that I hear? Someone has awakened the Lion" I say.  And the Lion dancers come to the centre of Convocation Mall and dance for lettuce, which signifies good luck, if the Lion accepts your lettuce.  After the dance concludes, I thank and recognize the performers, then introduce Dr. Jan Walls who explains the creation of the games and officially opens the games.

"In their search to create a unique event which would draw SFU's community together in a socially physically active way, the staff in Department of Recreation created the concept of "Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games". The games combine the unique cultural aspects of Robbie Burns Day and Chinese New Year celebrations in a fun Cnaadian way at SFU.  With our rich Scottish heritage and large Asian student population, SFU is a natureal place to recognize the relatively new celebration Gung Haggis Fat Choy.  This year's marquee event will be our 7 person dragon cart races.  It is our goal to grow this even to a week long campus wide festival cross all cultural boundaries at SFU,"  read Dr. Walls in his best imitation of a Scottish accent.

The games consisted of 12 teams of 7, competing in head to head elimination races in dragon carts.  Built by Bob Brinson, they are on a 4'x8' 3/4 plywood base with two rear wheels and a single steering front wheel, like a tricycle.  From the race start the teams must use the "brooms" (aluminum crutches) to propel the dragon cart the distance of about 100 feet.

Dragon Cart rules:
1.  Physical contact with other team will result in disqualification of both teams.
2. All seven team members must be in the Dragon cart at all times.
3.  Participants must use the "brooms" provided for propulsion.
4.  Combined team weight can not exceed 1400 pounds.
5.  Cart must stay on course.

As MC, I started calling and improvising a play by play of the races.  Initially I mixed up the teams in the lanes, but was soon corrected.  The teams all looked like they were having fun.  Dragon boat paddling technique would make a big difference, as I could see teams paddling out of time, and even caterpillaring.  After each race, I would call team members to the stage with me, so I could interview them.  I asked them questions about their team name, why they decided to enter the race, what kind of training did they do, and even what kind of race strategies they were using.

All of the races were exciting, with the crowd really cheering on all teams.  There were some really close races, as I announced a photo finish that would have to be decided by the judge.   The team names were all very funny: Fat Busters, Gung Haggis FAS Choy, Haggis Warriors, Dragon Queens,  Bar-bees, I Was There... Several university sports teams were represented such as the Rowing Team, Woen's Soccer, Men's Soccer, and Golf team. 

All participants demonstrated great sportsmanship and played along with my commentating and interviewing them.  When I interviewed a member of the Women's Soccer Team, she admitted they were disappointed.  I acknowledged the team as being the winners of the NAIAA championships, and asked them what went wrong today, as they are so good at kicking US butt. "Yes, we kick US butt," she yelled. She admitted it was a tough break, but they were determined to come back and do better. "We'll be back," she told the crowd.  It was great fun commentating and interviewing the participants.

SFU Golf team made the finals against the Gung Haggis FAS Choy (Faculty of Applied Sciences).  This would be the 4th race of the day for each team, and they were getting tired.  It was a close race, but at the mid-point SFU Golf edged into the lead.  FAS didn't give up, but stayed with them, and Golf Team surged to win.  The winning team won Rice Paper subscriptions for each team member and 2 tickets to the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.

The dragon carts were also officially named from entries. Krista Vogt won the draw for nominating one of the final names chosen.  She won tickets for two for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner.  Her nomination was for John Buchanan, the first men's soccer coach, 1st Recreation Director, and the 1st men's Golf Coach.  He is definitely a SFU pioneer.  The other name chosen was Rev. Chan Yu Tan.  I don't know who suggested it, but I knew all about him.  Arriving in Canada in 1896, he was one of the first Chinese ordained in Canada, following the footsteps of his elder brother Rev. Chan Sing Kai who had helped to found the Chinese Methodist Church in Canada.  He was also my great great grandfather.

A great success for all.  Dragon cart builder, Bob Brinson, was happy to see his creations being appreciated by so many people.  It was very exciting.  Bob started the boats after much design research and assembling the materials, then near-tragedy struck his daughter's family as the North Vancouver landslide struck their house.  Bob's daughter and husband and 9 month old grandaughter were featured on the news every night.  It's a miracle they survived.  And it's very fortunate that Bob was able to finish building the boats despite this near tragedy.

What is Gung Haggis Fat Choy? This is a poem I wrote last year while we were doing development for the CBC tv special "Gung Haggis Fat Choy." It wasn't used in the special, but I have read it at poetry readings, last year's dinner, and I will read it today at Simon Fraser University for the opening of the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy "Canadian Games."   more »

Win a pair of tickets to Gung Haggis Fat Choy on CBC Radio's Early Edition Friday show.    more »

Check out my friend Ashok Bhargava at the Library.  He has been featured at World Poetry and Asian Heritage Month Readings.  I played accordion for his first book launch at the library two years ago.  A wonderful man with a gentle heart, he brings a compassionate insight to everything he touches. City Poets series
Presentation	Ashok Bhargava
Program highlights	Ashok Bhargava reads from his newest collection, Mirror of Dreams, about the infinite possibilities of dreams and cultures converging to surprising consequences. He writes about simple sentiments that memorialize his experiences as a tourist and recalls the story of a sixteen year old princess of Ayodhya (India) who sailed to Korea to marry King Kim Suro, two thousand years ago.
Date	Monday, January 31st 2005
Time	7:30pm
Location	Central Library Alice MacKay room - Lower Level 350 W. Georgia St. Phone: (604) 331-3603
Admission	Free

My friend Valerie Sing Turner is in a play... ...and thought you might like to know about it! It's a really cool piece of theatre called BEGGARS AT THE WATERS OF IMMORTALITY    more »

Tonight we did a taste-test for Gung Haggis Fat Choyâ„¢ Haggis Won Ton, Haggis Spring Rolls, and Haggis Lettuce Wrap. Too much haggis? Never too much haggis! Everybody was amazed at how good it tasted. I invited some of the performers and organizers, dragon boat team members for this special treat. I ordered some of the food that we were planning for the menu and my dragon boat coaching buddy Bob Brinson joined me, tired from a day of finishing work on the Dragon boat go-carts that I had just delivered up to Simon Fraser University. First up was special chow mein and shrimp balls with crab claws. Bob, comedian Tom Chin, and my girlfriend Deb all pronounced this dish a delicious winner.   more »

The first ever Dragon-carts or dragon boat go-carts, arrived at Simon Fraser University today.  These are proto-types created by Bob Brinson, a coach with the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, and a former carpenter with CBC TV.  Bob also recently re-finished the original teak dragon boats donated to Vancouver during Expo 86.

The Dragon-carts sit on 3 wheels and are built on top of a 4'x8' plywood base, 3/4 inch thick.  The sides are slightly curved like a boats hull.  They will seat 6 paddlers + steersperson.  Presently they look like a wooden bathtub - but once we paint them and build heads and tails - they will be beautiful!

Our first experience "paddling" them was lots of fun.  Bob and I used aluminum crutches as "paddles" and got some good speed in the warehouse.  Up at SFU with 5 or 7 people the go-cart was much slower as all the weight puts much more pressure on the rubber inflated tires.  This will not be an easy push in the park for the neophyte racers, as it took a lot of effort to move the 1200 pounds of people we were carrying.

SFU intramural hopes that the Dragon-Cart races will become a unique marquee event for the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy "Canadian Games."  Each year we can add another "sporting event" and build up the games as a multicultural event, while encouraging students and faculty to participate in both fun and physical exercise oriented activities.

photos to follow soon...

Here's a Vancouver Courier newstory about another famous Chinatown tradition, the Chinatown Lion's Club annual Robbie Burns Dinner.  It has been going on for many many years, since the late 50's.  I remember the Bamboo Terrace Restaurant in the early 1960's.  We ate there a lot, as well as at the Marco Polo or Ho Ho Restaurant.  Auntie Winnie worked reception then, and she always used to give us a package of gum.  I have fond memories of the old Chinatown, when all of Vancouver used to come down at night time, and cruise the streets, for for late night snacks, or to the Marco Polo Nightclub.

I have never attended the Chinatown Lion's Robbie Burns Day, but those who have tell me it is much more traditional then the dinner I organize known as Gung Haggis Fat Choy or Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.  The Chinatown Lion's dinner more closely follows the book on the "how-to's" of staging a Burns Dinner.  The Toddish McWong dinner bends the rules, alters them, transforms them... always giving the audience a surprise.  I mean... who would ever expect to sing a chorus of "When Asian Eyes Are Smiling," or "My Chow Mein Lies Over the Ocean?"

Hats off to the keepers of the Chinatown Lions Club and their 45 year traditional Robbie Burns Dinner.  I may just take it in this year.  If you can't attend Gung Haggis Fat Choy on Sunday, try the Lions Club dinner on the Friday.  It's a fundraiser for tsunami relief, while GHFC is a fundraiser for Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop and the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  About 200 people are expected and you still get a 10 course Chinese bangquet + haggis served with sweet and sour sauce + a pipe band and special guest Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell. Gung Haggis Fat Choy offers up 500+ guests an 12 courses in total including traditional haggis, haggis won ton, and haggis spring rolls, + two bagpipers, (one Scots-Canadian, one Chinese) + two opera singers (one Scots-Canadian, one Indo-Canadia),  co-host Shelagh Rogers and Mayor Larry Campbell.

Both dinners are unique in their own ways, and while older one is a traditional legend, the newer one is becoming a legendary tradition.

Chinatown hosting haggis of a night

By Naoibh O'Connor-Staff writer

Haggis with plum sauce may seem like an improbable combination, but it's one of the dishes on the menu when the Vancouver Chinatown Lions Club hosts its 45th annual Robbie Burns night dinner.

The Friday night event-which will also raise money for victims of December's tsunami in southeast Asia-is being held a few days after the official Jan. 25 celebration for convenience sake. It's one of many events organized across the city honouring the famed poet.

Burns, born in 1759 to a peasant farmer, was known for his touching poems and songs that are recognized around the world. He died in 1796, after which friends initiated an annual dinner in his honour on his birthday.

Although membership of the Chinatown Lions Club is 90 per cent Chinese, members from Chinese backgrounds did not always dominate, said past president Chuck Lew.

Charter members of the group, formed in 1953, included a wide range of ethnicities and cultures found in Chinatown at the time including Scottish, Chinese, Irish, Jewish, Italian, Japanese and aboriginal people.

Back in the 1950s, Kenny Campbell, a Scot from the Outer Hebrides, pitched the idea of holding a Burns dinner. But George Wong, another original member, and owner of the Bamboo Terrace where the club met, thought haggis-a dish in which the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep are mixed with oats and herbs and stuffed into the stomach of a sheep or cow before cooking-could use improvement. A wee bit of plum or sweet and sour sauce seemed like the right touch.

"We still serve it with different types of sauces," said Lew. "Have you ever had haggis? It's quite dry."

It's not the only liberty the group takes with the meal. Rather than cooking up a traditional Scottish feast, diners enjoy a 10-course Chinese spread. Other customs are followed, however.

"We'll do [Scottish] singing, we'll do dancing, Mayor [Larry] Campbell will be there and we'll do the address 'To a Haggis,'" Lew said, referring to the Burns poem. "It'll be traditional in every aspect, except for the Chinese aspect of it."

The Sir John A. MacDonald Pipe Band will perform and the event will end with "Auld Lang Syne."

Lew, a graduate of King Edward high school, is well versed in all things Scottish. "I had a lot of Scottish friends there," said the 74-year-old. "They taught me a lot of songs. They called me McLew back in the '40s."

The Chinatown Lions Club's goal is to raise $15,000 for tsunami relief. The event is at the Floata Seafood Restaurant, 180 Keefer St., Jan. 28. Contact Lew at 604-688-3601 to buy tickets.

posted on 01/26/2005

My telephone chat with Shelagh Rogers this morning was about how we will co-host the Gung Haggis Fat Choyâ„¢ dinner. "Todd, I just think what you are doing is so wonderful," Shelagh tells me. "When we had you on the show at the Roundhouse in 2003, I had no idea..." It is such a joy having Shelagh Rogers come to be a co-host with me so that this esteemed host for CBC Radio's "Sounds Like Canada," can now experience what she missed out on back in 2003, when she first listened with such interest about how I was bringing together Robbie Burns Day and Chinese New Year through music, food and poetry.   more »

Win Tickets to attend Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Dinner - January 30th, 2005, at Floata Restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown.

We need help naming our Dragoncarts for the First Annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games.  Read more to find out details on this exciting contest or check out the whole event.

Canadian Games

Friday January 28, 2005

NOON Convocation Mall

 

EXCITING "Name the Dragoncarts" CONTEST

 

An additional perk to being participants in the First Annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games is the chance to name the Dragoncarts.

 

SFU Recreation has had two Dragoncarts built for the inaugural Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games. These two dragon carts will be used for years to come as part of the annual Gung Haggis festivities here at SFU.

Goal: To have one cart named after a prominent Scottish-Canadian pioneer in BC, and the other named after a prominent Chinese-Canadian pioneer. A name for each must be submitted!  Submissions must be received at ghfc-teams@sfu.ca by midnight on Thursday, January 27th, 2005.

Award: One pair of tickets to the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner at the Floata Restaurant in Vancouver, valued at $120.00 to the best pair of names. Prizes will be awarded during the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games in Convocation Mall on Friday January 28th, 2005.

Here are some suggested names for you to nominate or vote for:

Possible suggestions:

Sir James Douglas, known as the "father of British Columbia" as governor, he was reluctant to give up
power and hold elections as ordered.

Amelia Douglas, the mixed-blood wife of Sir James, who most certainly tempered his treatment to First Nations
people, and had to put up with his airs and haughtiness.  "Definitely the more interesting one," according to 
Joan Siedl, history curator for Vancouver Museum. 

Alexander Mackenzie, explorer of Mackenzie River.

Simon Fraser, explorer of the Fraser River - a university even got named after this guy, and 
he was born in Vemont - a yankee!

Alexander Won Cumyow, first Chinese born in BC (1861), first Chinese Canadian court interpreter, liason
between First Nations and White communities.

Chan Sing Kai (1854-1952) and his younger brother Rev. Chan Yu Tan (1863-1948), first Chinese ministers ordained in
Canada.  Helped to found the Chinese Methodist Church in Vancouver. Helped to teach english to Chinese.
Also Todd Wong's great great granduncle, and great great grandfather.

Yip Sang, one of the first and most successful and influential merchants in Chinatown.  Chinese agent for the
Canadian Pacific Railway.

Hok Tak Louie, one of Chinatown's successful merchants,  patriarch of the Louie Clan that developed
H.Y. Louie, which bought IGA franchises in BC, and later London Drugs under son Tong's presidency.
Grandson Brandt is currently Chair of SFU's Board of Govenors and nominated to be the next SFU Chancellor.

Robbie Burns Day in Vancouver...
I answered a phone call from Toronto, where somebody wants to engage my Gung Haggis Fat Choy presenting/consulting skills and help develop a project that will remain secret for now.  I spend lots of time on the computer and on the telephone.

I go to work at the library... and I wear my kilt, at the request of my co-workers.  People like it, they recognize it is Robbie Burns Day.  After work, I rehearse with LaLa on a special surprise piece that will twist people's minds about a specific Robbie Burns Day tradition.  People who witnessed our 10pm show for First Night Vancouver all got the sneak preview and enjoyed it immensely.

Bob Brinson reports that the Dragon Boat go-carts he is making for the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy "Canadian Games" are now finished... except the seats.  Bob is also coaches with me for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  We will inspect in the morning and figure out how to make "paddling" work as a propelling device.

I go to Doolin's Irish Pub, where all the waitresses wear plaid.  The manager has ordered 15 kilts for the waiters now from Bear Kilts -the maker of my Maple Leaf Tartan.  Doolin's is now the site of Kilt Night - the 1st Saturday of each month.  Bear, Raphael and I brainstorm ideas for a Scottish Highland Games type event for July 7th.  City TV arrives at Doolin's and films people having a toast for Robbie Burns and the Address to the Haggis - They even have a haggis there...

Bear says that he will donate a Bear kilt for the raffle at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner on January 30th.  Great!  Come to the dinner, buy raffle tickets and win a great looking kilt, in the tartan of your choice, upon availability.

A pretty woman wearing a kilt taps me on the shoulder and says, "Hey, we are the only Asians here who are wearing kilts!"  Karen says she is half Chinese and half Swedish, with a lovely tartan, she loves the idea of Gung Haggis Fat Choy and is excited by the 12 course dinner with haggis and all the performers.  I will post our picture when Bear sends it to me.  I meet the promotions manager for Doolin's, Ms. Christine Fan, who tells us she is Malaysian-Vietnamese-Chinese, and gives us all a round of Scotch to toast a Happy Robbie Burns Day.  You can't beat it - it's a wonderful informal Rabbie Burns Nicht!  Next kilt night is at Doolin's, February 5th.  The 1st Saturday of each month.

- For immediate release -
January 25th, 2005
Vancouver BC

Haggis Lettuce Wrap and Dragonboat Go-Carts celebrate Gung Haggis Fat Choy in 2005

Haggis lettuce wrap and dragon boat go-carts are the birthday presents to Robbie Burns created by Todd Wong to celebrate Robbie Burns Day (Jan 25) and Chinese New Year (Feb 9). What would Burns think? Would he roll over in his grave if he knew that an annual dinner that pays tribute to his birthday had been taken over by heathen Chinese?

Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong’s Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner has now inspired both the Leo Award nominated CBC television special titled "Gung Haggis Fat Choy" to be re-broadcast on February 9th, and the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy "Canadian Games" an intramural event that brings together the large SFU Asian population with SFU’s Scottish heritage on January 28th.

"Burns would approve," say numerous people including Robert Barr, president of the Burns Club of Vancouver and Harry McGrath, coordinator of SFU Centre for Scottish Studies. "It’s really good.," said McGrath of the Haggis Wun Tun that Wong presented him with last year, "I would have eaten half the bunch if nobody else was standing there."

Todd Wong aka "Toddish McWong" is actually the 5th generation descendent of Rev. Chan Yu Tan, one of Vancouver’s first Chinese ministers, arriving in 1896. Each generation has married non-Chinese. Many have married Scots descendents and the 6th and 7th generation is now only ¼ Chinese. First Nations Chief Rhonda Larrabee, is a Rev. Chan great granddaughter and brings her family to her "cousin’s" annual dinner to celebrate her diverse heritage and that of her children. This dinner is also the result of asking "How do we create an inclusive celebration for our families of mixed and cultural diversity?"

"You have identified Vancouver’s two solitudes," Joan Seidl, Vancouver Museum History Curator. McWong blends together traditions, poetry, song and costume in this unique and quirky dinner event that has grown from a private party of sixteen to an incredible event expecting up to 600 people at Floata Restaurant in Vancouver’s Chinatown – the largest Chinese restaurant in North America.

Vancouver's Mayor Larry Campbell is attending as a special guest, but will he will his formal kilt or his Chinese outfit? Rumour has it that MLA's Jenny Kwan and Joy McPhail are swapping costumes.

Shelagh Rogers, host of CBC Radio's "Sounds Like Canada"and comedian Tom Chin of Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre will co-host with Wong.  Performers include a Chinese bagpiper and two opera singers, Fred Wah winner of the Governor General's Award for Poetry and
Joe McDonald & Brave Waves, musical fusion band.

Opera Soprano Heather Pawsey, will perform songs in Mandarin and Gaelic, Dr. Jan Walls performs his clapper tales, Karen Wong & Zhongxi Wu perform with celtic musician friends Alex Chisolm & Carmen Rosen. Theatre.
LaLa is a contemporary East-West hip hop artist. Veera devi Khare is a cSouth Asian lassically trained Soprano crossover singer. Vincent and Cameron Collins, are the incredible high-stepping Highland Dancing brothers that have won awards everywhere they go. Cameron this year alone, won the US Western Open, Canadian Western Open, and BC Closed Championships.

January 30th, 2005, Sunday
Floata Restaurant, #400, 180 Keefer St., Vancouver's Chinatown.
Show starts at 6pm, doors open at 5:15
For Tickets contact Firehall Arts Centre Box Office: 604-689-0926  $60 adult, $55 student, $45 children 12 & under.
For more information contact Todd Wong 604-987-7124

The Vancouver Public Library has created a very nice web page with links to topic about Chinese New Year, Chinese Zodiac, and an upcoming Chinese New Year celebration on January 29th.  Check out the Multilingual department Chinese New Year web page.

Even though Lunar New Year celebrations generally last for only several days, starting on New Year's Eve, the festival itself is actually about three weeks long. It begins on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the day, it is believed, when various gods ascend to heaven to pay their respects and report on household affairs to the Jade Emperor, the supreme Taoist deity. There are a lot of rituals and costumes for this special festival.

People are always asking what is the dress code for Gung Haggis Fat Choy? 
The best answer is ethnic eclectic.  We encourage kilts, tartans, cheongsams and Chinese jackets, and whatever gets your fancy!  This really is a fun dinner. Some people wear formal kilts and cheongsams, the long Chinese dress - and they look fantastic.  Some people wear a short tartan skirt mixed with a Chinese top, or a business suit with a tartan tie, some people wear a sari, some people wear casual - and it's all good.  But nobody yet has come wearing a tuxedo or lederhosen.

Now I have my very own kilt made by Terry "Bear" Varga, owner of Bear Kilts.  "Bear" as he is known was the first casual tartan kilt maker around.  He points out that Utili-kilts does not come in tartan.  Bear is my newest kilt mentor, after Angus Mackenzie.  The least expensive kilt made by Bear Kilts is a poly-viscous kilt for about $135, and they will range to as fancy as you need it such as a heavy weight wrap wool.  Needless to say, Bear has made a number of kilts for high school graduation ceremonies.

Bear Kilts has graciously donated a "made to order kilt" to the Gung Haggis Fat Choy prize raffle.  It will be a $300 made to order kilt - dependent upon in-stock material of tartan.  "I've never had a gift certificate for a kilt go unredeemed," Bear told me on Robbie Burns Day when he made the offer.  So if you thought you couldn't afford a kilt, just buy $20 worth or raffle tickets for a good chance to win a great kilt.

Bear Kilts is also a sponsor for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragonboat team.  We hope to integrate Bear's bunch of braw' boys into the team's engine room and promote Bear Kilts wherever we go paddling..  What better way to stand out in a dragon boat crowd, then to do so wearin' a kilt?

I am wearing a polyviscous Maple Leaf tartan, in the above left side photos. This is designed to be light for summer wear, since I plan to wear it during Dragon Boat competitions.  The synthetic material is easy to wash - perfect for mixing with salt water.  For the top right I am wearing an Ancient Fraser or Fraser of Lovat - as it was the very first kilt I ever wore in 1993 from Simon Fraser University.  In the bottom right I am wearing a Royal Stewart that was used for the filming of the "dressing up" scenes in the CBC television special "Gung Haggis Fat Choy." It had been a long afternoon, and I decided to create some cross-costume dressing fusion by borrowing the Lion head mask and adding it to my Scottish costume.  The result?  People loved the photograph - taken by my friend Don Montgomery.

The very first Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner in 1998 was a house party. And since "I dinna hav a kilt," for my tartan I wore a Canadian lumberjack Mackincaw shirt tied around my waist backwards.  It looked very good considering the circumstances.  My buddy Craig and I were the only fellows wearing "kilts" for that first house party of 16 people.  Only the hired bagpiper had a real kilt.

I do not recommend wearing only a Lumberjack shirt tied backwards around your waist for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.  Mayor Larry Campbell will probably arrive wearing his dress kilt, as will a number of other gentlemen and wannabe-Scots.

Chinese-Celtic fusion with Wong, Wu, Chisolm & Rosen for Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2005

Karen Wong & Zhongxi Wu are bringing their friends Alex Chisolm & Carmen Rosen to Gung Haggis Fat Choy for an exciting musical adventure. Karen and Zhongxi are the creators of Dragon River Shadow Puppet Theatre.  I first met them when they performed at the 2002 Vancouver Storytelling Festival, and I liked them immediately as both performers and people.  Zhongxi next crossed my path when he walked into a dinner I was MC for in May... except I didn't recognize him wearing a kilt and carrying bagpipes!

Karen and Zhongxi became became Gung Haggis-ified when they performed with me for First Night Vancouver on Dec. 31, 2004 for 2 packed and enthusiastic shows.  Karen was born in Montreal and raised in North Vancouver, she plays the sheng - a unique 2000 year old 13 reed wind blown organ made of bamboo pipes.  Zhongxi aka "Jonesey", born in Harbin, China, plays the suona - a loud reed flute, and two years ago, he took up BAGPIPES! 

Alex Chisolm plays in the same pipe band with Zhongxi - and  he also plays mandolin.  The two men have become great friends and play music together often. His partner Carmen Rosen is an accomplished  artist and singer.  She is also founder of performance artists Mortal Coil and involved with the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival. I think it will say that when Wong, Wu, Chisolm and Rosen get together... anything can happen!

Heather Pawsey, returns to the Gung Haggis Fat Choy musical line-up for 2005. She is a noted Soprano recently seen in last year's Vancouver Opera's "Electra" as the Confidant. "It was a hoot!" she says of her participation at 2004 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner - as she sang songs in old Gaelic and Mandarin Chinese. She also changed costumes from a very smart long dress tartan and vest outfit to a very sexy red Chinese cheong-sam.    more »

If anybody wishes to join Barb, Bill Stillwell of marginalia.org, myself, and some CBC people at our "bloggers" table at GungHaggisFatChoy, please let me know by Thursday at 8p.m by email to roland AT rolandtanglao.com or by calling me at 604 729 7924 if you already have your tickets. If you DON'T have a ticket yet, please mention you want to sit at the "bloggers table" when you order (please order before 8pm. on Thursday) your tickets through the Firehall Centre at 604-689-0926.

By the way, well over 400 tickets have been sold, so it's going to big and I am sure it's going to be great! See you on Sunday!

Check out this front page lead story..... "Todd Wong - often dubbed Toddish McWong - never thought in a million years he, a fifth-generation, Chinese-Canadian, would ever be wearing a Scottish kilt. But then life threw him a curveball, resulting in Gung Haggis Fat Choy. d story in Sunday's Burnaby News Leader"   more »

Hints on how to enjoy the most from your Gung Haggis Fat Choy evening... Arrive Early: Buy Your Raffle Tickets: This dinner is the primary fundraising event... The first appetizer dish will appear once people are seated... From then on... a new dish will appear every 15 minutes... Expect the unexpected!    more »

The History Fair put on at the Vancouver Museum on Saturday January 22, 2005 by The Chinese Canadian Historical Society was a great success. The Joyce Whalley room was packed with displays and visitors. I was almost constantly answering questions or explaining about my two displays: Rev. Chan Legacy Project and Gung Haggis Fat Choy: the 2005 dinner event. I have included pictures in my article...   more »