Check out Orchid Ensemble and Tandava - performing this weekend

There is some great intercultural East-West music happening this weekend.

Orchid Ensemble/Tandava Newsletter, Aug 2006.   Orchid Ensemble and Tandava are now promoting their events together. Both groups have recently updated their website with new designs and info, as well as music and video. Please visit www.orchidensemble.com and www.tandava.com   Upcoming Events   Enchanted Evenings 7:30pm, Sept 1, 2006 Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Classical Garden. 578 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC Tandava gives a concert of music from its debut CD, plus brand new compositions, at the beautiful Chinese classical garden. www.vancouverchinesegarden.com co-presenter Vancouver World Music Collective. www.vancouverworldmusic.org $15 non-members and $12 members. 604 662-3207.   The 6th Silent Summer Nights 8:15pm, Sept 2, 2006 Grandview Park (Commercial Dr. at the end of William Street). Joined by Vancouver guitarist Ron Samworth, the Orchid Ensemble is performing live sounds to two Chinese animations made in 1979 and 1980: ¡§Three Monks¡¨ and ¡§Nezha Conquering the Dragon King¡¨. This event is presented by Radix and Rumble Productions and free to the public. Bring a blanket and the whole family!

It is the 4th annual Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race, held in conjunction with the award winning Taiwanese Cultural Festival. Come watch the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team race on Saturday and Sunday at Plaza of Nations. ~~~~~~ This article describes Taiwanese Dragon Boats, and the history of Taiwanese dragon boats in Vancouver + first race with Lori Fun and City Councillor Raymond Louie + PICTURES!   more »

The Redress for the highly discriminatory Chinese head tax, designed to deter Chinese from coming to Canada, is finally moving ahead.  The Conservative government apologized and announced plans for redress back on June 22nd, but no clear plan was in process yet. 

The government has still limited redress only to surviving head tax payers and spouses, despite calls from head tax redress and human rights activists to compensate all families who paid the head tax. The Chinese Canadian National Council and the BC Coalition for Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Families is still calling for one payment for each certificate, as a direct symbolic redress.  Over $23 Million was collected in the Chinese Head Tax, enough to pay for the building of the trans-Canada railway, when only Chinese were deliberately targeted.  No other ethnic group was discriminated against in this way to deter them from coming to Canada. 

Immediate Release

August 29, 2006

Redress Application Process Announced for Head Tax Payers 

CCNC Seeks Inclusion of All Head Tax Families

TORONTO: The Government of Canada today released the application process for Chinese Head Tax payers living as of February 6, 2006. As per the redress announcement of June 22, 2006, living Head Tax payers who paid the Dominion of Canada Head Tax (1885-1923) or the Dominion of Newfoundland Head Tax (1906-1949) are eligible for ex-gratia payments of $20,000. Please see: http://www.pch.gc.ca/newsroom/index_e.cfm?fuseactionfiltered=displayDocument&DocIDCd=CBO060709

 
“The Canadian Government has today taken the first concrete step in implementing the redress announcement of June 22^nd,” Colleen Hua, CCNC National President said today. “We urge the Canadian Government to be inclusive of all head tax families in this process of reconciliation and extend redress payments to families where the Head Tax payer and spouse have both passed away.”

 
CCNC and redress-seeking groups have identified 34 head tax payers across Canada this year and will endeavour to contact the surviving head tax payers and their families. “Already one Head Tax payer we identified has passed away but his estate will be eligible,” Victor Wong, CCNC Executive Director said today. “We will continue to work collaboratively with the Government to restore honour and dignity to all head tax families and to the community.”
 

Application forms and an applicant's guide are available in English and French on the website of the Department of Canadian Heritage at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca. Forms and guides are also available by phoning the Canadian Heritage Help Line at 1-888-776-8584 or by visiting a Service Canada Centre near you
(www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/gateways/where_you_live/menu.shtml).

Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) continues to work with other redress-seeking groups including the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families (Ontario Coalition), Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity (ACCESS), B.C. Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants (B.C. Coalition), Calgary Chinese Head Tax Redress Coordinating Committee, Edmonton Chinese HTEA Redress Committee, Saskatchewan Chinese Head Tax Redress Committee, Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance (CCRA), Halifax Chinese Redress Committee, and the Steering Committee on Chinese Newfoundland Head Tax in the campaign to redress the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act.
 

- 30-

 

For more information, please contact:

Colleen Hua, CCNC, (647) 299-1775

Victor Wong, CCNC, (416) 977-9871

CBC "On this Day":  Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech

Yesterday, the CBC website marked "On This Day" with Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech.  This is such an incredible speech.  It still sends shivers down my spine.  Especially with my experiences over this past year, becoming surrounded by the Chinese Head Tax redress movement as well as the campaign to save Joy Kogawa's childhood home, and bringing up all the issues of the Japanese Canadian internment.

This morning I have been reading the first chapter of David Suzuki: the autobiography, titled "My Happy Childhood in Racist British Columbia."  It has been very moving, as he describes the experiences that shaped his perceptions of the world, both against Canadian white society, and the Japanese community - to which he felt an "outsider."

Martin Luther King was assinated on April 4, 1968.  Suzuki writes about his experience:

Suzuki writes an autobiography that is both gripping and enlightening.  He shares how events shape his life and perceptions.  He demonstrates how action or inaction both have consequences.  And most importantly how Canada has a racist history, and it is recent, and the victims are still walking amongst us, still hurting and suffering. 

Meeting so many head tax descendants and hearing their family stories, of how separation makes you ask what kind of human beings did we have running our governments.  The same kind that kept African Americans segregated in the American south, or kept First Nations Canadians segregated on reserves.

See the special article that my friend Ian wrote for the David Suzuki event for the CBC Book Club
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2006/5/8/1942735.html

Told ya so, told ya so (gloat, gloat)! I’ve only been saying Pluto is a minor Planet for 30 years. It’s about time the Astronomers got it right. Don’t you think it’s about time Astrologers got it right, too? When Pluto was first discovered out in the dark reaches past Neptune, it was supposed to be so massive it perturbed the orbit of Neptune, and if so it therefore had the density of pure gold! Hence it’s early reputation as Ruler of the Underworld with its deep dark secrets, including all the wealth that could be dug up, gold, jewels, secrets… Now for the global perspective re last week: Monday’s sour news (Merc – Nept), the world’s biggest economy is soon to drop, particularly the US housing market with a “hard landing”. US growth will be down 2%. Not a blue chip Monday. Tuesday’s “mud fence” day cobbled just enough support for the softwood deal for the Tories to risk a confidence vote in October. The Lib’s are not nearly ready to risk that, so let’s eat the deal and like it, with dry toast of course. And, private clinic owning, profit making, Dr. Day is now head of the CMA. How universal will care remain?   more »

A North Vancouver weekend - what to do? Explore Lonsdale Quay!

It was a North Vancouver weekend that had started on Thursday night with dinner at West Vancouver's Beach House restaurant, which I first remembered as Pepe's back in the late 1970's.  Cultural entertainment was provided at The Silk Purse, with Romanza (formerly the Canadian / or Maple Leaf Tenors).

Friday was much more laid back... starting with pizza for lunch from Little Caesar's from Edgemont Village.  They had customer appreciation day with any size, and unlimited toppings for $9.99.  Edgemont Village is a nice little neighborhood shopping area.  My favorite places to visit are: Village VQA Wines, 32 Books, Vancouver Kids Books.  There is a very cosy small town feel to this little jewel of a shopping area.  There are quaint shops and eclectic shops such as horse and riding tack shop.  I often drop into Paws and Claws to pick up food or toys for my kitty cat. And then coffee at Delaney's... or that really cute restaurant around the corner, across from the Capilano branch library. 

On Saturday, we went over to Lynn Valley to pick up my new order of contact lenses at  Westlynn optical.  Owner Debbie Fisher is always very helpful, and the store was extremely helpful when I once  phoned them from San Francisco trying to get my prescription because I had accidently ripped the only lenses that I had with me, while on a dragon boat road trip.  Last year, they even gave me a sample of blue contact lenses - that was fun!  Westlynn Bakery always has a special for each day.  Their blueberry and pumpkin pies are delicious.  We bought their carrot cake.

Next down to Lonsdale where my girlfriend had to check out the Echoes store where they sell and trade china sets and place settings.  We next parked on Esplanade and walked down to Lonsdale Quay - playing "tourist in your own town".  We visted Celtic Connections which had lots of books on Scottish tartans and weddings.  I didn't know that there was a proper dress code for kilted weddings before!  I wanted to buy the tin whistle - maybe that will be the first step for me to learn to play bagpipes.  Deb was delighted to discover there was a Cheshire Cheese Inn - with a menu full of British food dishes such strange sounding dishes such as "bangers and mash", "toad in the hole" as well as "shepherd's pie." This might be a place to bring the Gung Haggis Fat Choy for a traditional British /Scottish meal, since we often go to eat Chinese/Japanese/Cambodian after Tuesday night practices. It was interesting to find these two British cultural specialty stores - but nothing Persian at Lonsdale Quay, although there were plenty of Japanese and other Asian restaurants in the food court.

We looked through the stores on the 2nd level, and strolled through the market section.  I spent some time looking at cookbooks, as well as the fresh seafoods, as I contemplated what to cook for dinner.  It was a delight to discover a brand new Mark Anthony wine story that specialized in Mission Hill wines, as well as Okanagan Cider.  We had a lovely chat during a wine tasting with the manager, sampling the Mission Hill Reisling.  A special surprise was that Mission Hill had just released their premium 2003 Occulus Wine and was on sale for $49, instead of $60.  Okay, I picked up a bottle - I still have the 1999 Occulus I picked up in 2002 - still waiting for a special occasion.

Fresh herb fettucini from Duso's was perfect for the evening meal.  It is light and flavourful - definitely a treat from dried pasta.  I was sorry not to see my high school friend Susan there.. as she married Duso - and I sometimes see her there behind the counter with a big big smile for me!  Anyways... dinner was pan-fried prawns in a sweet Thai chili sauce, encrusted with black sesame seeds, served on top of a bed of herb fettucini with ginger soy marinated beef slices, accompanied by stir fried zuccini, carrots and portabello mushroom.  A mix of Asian, and Italian cooking sensations... Marvelous! More things in life should revolve around food and wine.

Head Tax Hip Hop for Redress in Saltwater City: No Luck Club to play atVancouver's Carnegie Centre on Sept 10

Here's an announcement for a fun and politically charged event for Sept 10th, at Carnegie Community Centre in Vancouver.  The
No Luck Club will play an event attended by the CCNC national president Collen Hua.

It's time that the Head Tax Redress movement took it to the streets to engage the youth, the people who have benefitted the most from growing up in a less-racist era, post-head tax, post-exclusion act, and post-systemic racism.

So far, most of the head tax redress events have been meetings, forums and protest marches that brought out the surviving people who were most affected the head tax and the exclusion act - the sons and daughters of the head tax payers, along with some grandchildren.  But Prime Minister Stephen Harper failed to include them in the redress package, because it was limited to "surviving head tax payers and spouses" - even though almost all of such people have died in the past 10 years, if not the previous 20 years when head tax redress first became an issue on parliament hill in 1984.

No Luck Club earlier this year created a riveting musical hip hop track titled "Our Story" Trevor Chan, the laptop samplist, of created a "mash-up" called "Our Story."

It address the head tax issue and 62 years or legislated racism.   It is an amazing aural soundscape that splices together historical and documentary sound bites including quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.  The juxtaposition of positive and negative statements for racial equlality is striking. Click here to listen to it: http://newmusiccanada.com/genres/artist.cfm?Band_Id=5120

Listen to such quotes as:

Media Advisory – August 25, 2006

Head Tax Hip Hop for Redress in Saltwater City:

no luck club (NLC) and Funk In Da Attic at Carnegie Hall!

Vancouver, BC –  BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants invites citizens to a petition signing and letter writing dance party with music by no luck club (NLC) and performance by Funk in Da Attic. Colleen Hua, president of the Chinese Canadian National Council, will also be in attendance.

Date:   Sunday, September 10, 2006

Time:  10:00am call time – program to begin shortly after

Place: Carnegie Community Centre Main Hall

       401 Main Street at Hastings, Vancouver

The Conservative government's unilaterally imposed redress package ignored and rejected repeated calls from head tax families for a just and honourable redress.

no luck club (NLC) is an instrumental hip hop group combining turntable improv with sample-based rhythms. Founded by the Chan Brothers (Matt & Trevor), Vancouver DMC DJ champion Paul Belen (Pluskratch) joined the group in 2004.

Funk In Da Attic is a local recreational dance troupe with steps to put "move" into the redress movement. They are Nicole Chubb, Gary Quon, Cathy Jupista, Julie Miller, Ikue Ueno, Megan Hui and Hersie Init.

The BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants are today's Canadians on a two decade plus quest for justice and honour for Chinese adventurers and pioneers and their families.

- 30 -

Romanza: Three Canadian Tenors at the Silk Purse

A beautiful day in West Vancouver... how to celebrate it?  Last Thursday, August 24th, it was dinner at the Beach House restaurant beside West Vancouver's Dundarave Pier and an intimate vocal concert at Ambleside's Silk Purse performing venue.

My girlfriend's father was in town to see friend Phil Grant perform.  It just so happened that he was performing with my friend, Karen Lee-Morlang - who was the piano accompanist for Philip Grant, Ken Lavigne and Frederik Robert, have been identified as "three talented, young, classically trained tenors who have separately been delighting audiences across North America and Europe."  Sometimes called the "Maple Leaf Tenors, Thursday evening's performance was billed "Romanza."  It was an evening of Italian light opera and popular songs such as Finiculi Finicula, La Donna e Mobile, and closed with a  show-stopping O Solo Mio, during which the tenors mimicked the sun breaking through the clouds then fading away - which happened during an actual performance they did in Italy..

These three young and handsome tenors are wonderful showmen, both kidding and flirting with the audience.  And pianist Karen Lee-Morlang holds her own with them, in beauty, musicianship and with witty stage banner. Their humor and warmth shined through, as they interspersed stories about their singing experiences.  And they are "friendly" - Phil Grant waved at my girlfriend, as he recognized her from when he had stayed at her parents home on Kalamalka Lake for the very first Okanagan Vocal Arts Festival.  And pianist Karen waved to me as they walked out to their performance "stage,"  and later questioned through hand motions, if we could hear the performance allright.

The Silk Purse is a very tiny performance venue.  It's really a converted cottage beach house just West of the Ambleside Pier.  The performance was sold out, so Deb and I sat on the porch, watching and listened through the open doors and window, while waves lapped on the seashore, sea planes and boats  travelled in the distance, and sea gulls cries all created an ambient soundscape to the beautiful music happening in this warm little cottage.  As I strolled along the pebble beach, standing on a log, if seemed almost surreal.  A wonderful little jewel of a "Vancouver experience" outside of mainstream entertainment

Accompanying us to dinner and performance was Edette Gagne, who had recently conducted the "Mikado" for OVAF, and is herself a gifted singer and conductor.

The CBC, that wonderful source of info for Canadians, has posted an article that describes some of the research that is going on to see if exercise prevents cancer.  The article mentions how breast cancer survivors were to do little physical exertion and how that idea has changed.  And... the article is highlighted with dragon boating!!!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/cancer/index.html

Stephen Mirowski
(my first post!!)

Thanks Stephen for finding the article.  I have known the breast cancer paddlers since 1997, when I first met the Abreast in a Boat team at Alcan Dragon Boat Festival that year.  It was very heartening for me to meet them, since I am a survivor of a grapefruit sized cancer tumor that was behind my breast bone in 1989.  The real great thing about the breast cancer dragon boat teams, is also the positive effect that the team bonding plays, similarly to social support groups for cancer patients.  While I was studying Health and Sport Psychology at Simon Fraser University, I had always thought that this would make a good research topic.  The women I meet are very positive despite sometimes losing their team mates to cancer remissions.  I regulary recieve greetings and hugs from paddlers such as Deb, Debbie, Judy Letawski and Coro. 

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team has also had a number of non-breast cancer paddlers over the years.  Past years have also included a quadripeligic drummer, a paddler with multiple schlerosis, as well as paddlers with depression.  To join check out our GHFC dragon boat team information page

Victoria: intercultural or a faux British tourist trap or hotbed of Chinese history?

Just back from a wonderful and fun dragon boat weekend in Victoria, which seems to be in the tourist news a lot right now.  On the Friday, the headlines were that the Empress Hotel had lost a "signed" major convention because the "convention scouts" didn't like the "agressive panhandlers."  On Monday, another newstory targeted the "tacky tourist" shops on Government St, with "50% Off" and "Clearance" signs used to draw in tourists.

For some of the paddlers in the Gung Haggis Fat Choy / Pirates dragon boat team who had never been to Victoria before - it was a wonderful weekend.  We walked around the inner harbour, enjoyed the Dragon Boat festival activities, walked through the shopping district, and through Chinatown.  We experienced the nightly streetlife with the pubs, restaurants and buskers along the inner harbour.  Were there panhandlers?  Yes.  Have we become immune or desensitized to them?  Maybe.

The visiting Californians from the DieselFish team were all very enthusiastic about Victoria.  During their 2002 visit, they raved at Victoria's cleanliness.  This year they stated that Victoria was the "total package" - everything interesting and within close walking distance.  They enthusiastically want to come back for next year.

The faux British thing?  They were amazed all the stores with British references such as "Irish Linens" and the "Irish Times" pub, and of course "The Empress Hotel."  They didn't make it to "High Tea" or a visit to the Royal BC Museum - but they did want to go for "Fish and Chips."  They also visited the "Sticky Wicket" pub both on Friday and Saturday - known for its preponderance of paddlers hanging out during a dragon boat weekend.

For myself, following our mini Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner at the Golden City Restaurant on Fisgard St, near Chinatown - our Gung Haggis group went for a walk through Chinatown, looking for some ice cream, then along the Inner Harbour sea walk.  On the way back I dropped off from the group, and went to the Irish Times Pub.  There was great fiddle music and I quickly struck up conversations with some ladies about my kilt.  Where is but Victoria, could you meet a Chinese-Canadian wearing a kilt during a dragon boat festival weekend, or have haggis in a Chinese restaurant?

My family has a lot of history in Victoria on both my father's side and my mother's side.  Victoria used to be the largest Chinatown in North America at one time.  It was the first landing site for all boats coming in across the Pacific Ocean, and my father's father Wong Wah, used to manage the largest Chinese dry goods store.  My great great grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan, spent some time ministering to the Chinese community, and his daughter Rose settled in Victoria.  Whenever I visit, I always try to contact my grandmother's cousins - my "Auntie" Roberta, and "Uncle" Victor.  Uncle Victor Wong fought during WW2 and was stationed in Burma with special forces, during the time when Chinese Canadians born in Canada, could not vote in BC.  Times later became less prejudiced and my Auntie Roberta's brother-in-law Ed Lum became the mayor of Saanich.

On the Sunday evening, I had dinner with my cousin Winston's family and their dinner guests.  Of course they asked me about the dragon boat races and the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.  Before the evening was over, we had made plans to hold a dinner event for next January, and I had brought out my accordion to lead singalongs of When Asian Eyes Are Smiling, and Scotland the Brave - as well as a mini version of Hungarian Dance No. 5.  The conversation included topics such as our multi-generational Chinese Canadian heritage, and the Chinese head tax.  On Monday before I left Victoria, my cousin took me to 2-for-1 Fish and Chips at the Picadilly Pub in Oak Bay - an English Pub, owned by the same owner as the Irish Times.  When I returned to Vancouver - I met some friends at Doolin's Irish Pub after 9pm,  for my pint of Guinness.

OK, enough about all this international fiddle faddle. We know the US orchestrated Israel’s trip into Lebanon as a preliminary test of Bush’s bunker busters to be used in Iran against their nuclear facilities before he leaves the White House. Armageddonists in both countries are banking on it. We know many apparent casualties were staged by Hezbolla, so that because Israel didn’t win decisively, they won. Yellow flags flew all the way from Beirut to well south of the Litani. We know the ceasefire is in name only, the Lebanese Army is in close with the Hez, so nobody is going to disarm, just going to keep the AK-47’s and Katushya’s out of sight. The most volatile, potentially dangerous, and heartless, aspect in Astrology is between Mars and Uranus. An 8am ceasefire last Monday had the opposition of these two exactly along the Horizon. Just sneeze and this thing will go off, perhaps by this Wednesday’s New Moon..... What’s really important is Astronomers will decide this week if what we call Planets are really Planets. Will our Solar System have 12, to include the Asteroid Ceres, the Earth Mother, or Xena out in the deep? Astrologically, it won’t make much of a difference. Pluto, the Catalyst, is not a dog but a Minor Planet, as is Ceres, both good for adding flavour to your Horoscope reading, but hardly the substantive meat and potatoes. And, Xena, though huge, is too far away to be effective. There will still be only four (4) Terrestrial Planets and four (4) Jovian Planets, eight (8) in all. That’s it!   more »

It was the Saturday night of the 12th annual Victoria Dragon Boat Festival. Gung Haggis team paddlers had joined up with the Pirates dragon boat team. And GHFC coach Todd Wong, was steering for the San Francisco team named DieselFish. Todd organized a joint team dinner, and also invited the Cultus Lake Dragonfliers who had been so nice to the GHFC team at the Cultus Lake Women's Regatta. ~~~~~~~~~ The dinner was held at Golden City Restaurant near Victoria's historic Chinatown, on Fisgard St. We had 6 tables of 10, + an extra table of 6 Pirate paddlers, with another party of 6 Wasabi Warriors observing from the side. ~~~~~~ PICTURES!   more »

Gung Haggis Fat Choy goes to Victoria BC

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team went to the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival for August 19/20 and raced with The Pirates Dragon Boat Team.

Toddish McWong also hosted a mini Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner for 3 dragon boat teams in Victoria at the Golden City Restaurant near Victoria's historic Chinatown on Fisgard St.

There was the usual singing of "When Asian Eyes Are Smiling" but with a new chorus of "When Dragon Eyes Are Smiling."  The Adress to the Haggis was great and exciting.  And there was an impromptu haggis eating contest between to paddlers from San Francisco.

The Pirates/Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team placed 5th in the Bronze division consolation final.  Todd steered for the DieselFish dragon boat team from San Francisco - finishing 1st in the Jade division consolation final.

Congratulations to all the paddlers! Showing their Gung Haggis and Pirates spirit.

Pictures and more information to come - stay tuned!

Cheers, Todd

 

 

Here are some pictures of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team attending the Greater Vernon Dragon Boat Race. It was lots of fun... but it was also the hottest weekend of the year. The temperature hit 41 Celsius while we were in Vernon. Good thing we were at the lake. The team also stayed up in the cool mountains at Silver Star ski resort. And somehow we hit the hot tubs! PICTURES   more »

Todd writes up summaries of the CBC TV special: Gung Haggis Fat Choy, and adds up-to-date links... Robbie Burns Day meets Chinese New Year. Two separate cultures. Nothing in common. Everything in common. How often do you get to have a television special based on your idea of a dinner party? View the VIDEO clip link!    more »

George Sapounidis is a cool guy. He is the Montreal born, Mandarin speaking, Greek-Canadian, who was featured in the CBC TVspecial "Gung Haggis Fat Choy." I first met George in person last year when he came to Vancouver for a Chinese Spring Festival concert. We hit it off immediately and had a great time... Information, comments and awards for CHAIRMAN GEORGE, the CTV television special.   more »

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Mulan Woman Warriors dragon boat team invade Cultus Lake women's regatta


Gung Haggis Fat Choy Mulan Warriors at the Cultus Lake Women's regatta.  Our women paddlers were supported by Ernest on the drummer's seat and Stephen steering - photo Todd Wong

Mulan is the famous woman warrior of China, imortalized in the Walt Disney animated feature film Mu Lan.  In the movie, she repels the Mongol invaders, and has a dragon sidekick named Mu-Shu voiced by actor Eddie Murphy.


MuShu the dragon mascot accompanied the team, and sat on top of Stephen's hat for each race - photo Todd Wong

At Cultus Lake Women's dragon boat regatta, held on August 12, the GHFC Mulan Woman Warriors took to the waters aided by their trusty male counterparts playing supporting roles as drummer, steers, cheerleaders and cabana boys.  We proudly wore Mu-Shu, the diminuative dragon mascot, on Stephen's hat (held on with duct tape).

Okay... so we didn't quite invade and overpower the competition.  We limped in with 11 paddlers... and plundered other team's rosters from the Chilliwack Water Warriors, the Cultus Lake Dragonfliers, and a few other teams... and made lots of new friends.

The important thing is we enjoy paddling, and didn't want to miss the opportunity for this nice little race in Cultus Lake, because paddling in fresh water is so much more preferred to the smelly over-polluted waters of False Creek.  We have a nice team of paddlers, and it's too bad, that so many of our good paddlers couldn't attend, and others had to drop out.  But not bad for only deciding two weeks before whether or not we should consider the race.

Cultus Lake is a nice venue.  The Racer's Village was nestled amongst the trees, and provided great shade from the sun.  The Cultus Lake Dragon Fliers host the regatta as a fundraiser, and welcomed a total of 12 teams from as far away as Kelowna's Fire and Isis, and Dragon Stew from Salmon Arm.

We pitched our tents next to our friends The Pirates (with whom we will definitely be invading Victoria Dragon Boat Festival with).  It is because of the Pirates constant encouragement for us to paddle at Cultus Lake, that we went for it.  Pirates Captain Ian Paul, came out to guest coach Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat last Sunday in my absence and brainwashed the team.

How did we do?  Well going into the Heron Final, we were the favoured team with the fastest combined times (so far) against our opponents.  Okay... the Heron Final consisted of the 3 slowest teams... I mean the 10th, 11th and 12 fastest teams.  It was an exciting race, and the most exciting to watch because the teams were neck and neck from start to finish.


Heron Final race - Gung Haggis in the middle white boat - photo Todd Wong

For our team's first and second races, I had drummed while Ernest and Stephen took turns steering for the first time in a competition.  Wendy was our lead stroke throughout the day, and for each race we paired her with a different partner.  This arrangement meant that we gave more opportunities to 4 different paddlers to lead stroke, as well as have 2 different steers and 2 different drummers.  Because we were short paddlers, we borrowed 9 paddlers for each of our first 2 races, until GHFC paddler Julie showed up - then we only had to borrow 8 paddlers for the final.

This was a FUN regatta... no medals... lots of cameraderie.  The Dragon Fliers consistently thanked us for coming out, to help round out the regatta roster to 12 teams, and they proved to be good hosts by helping provide us with paddlers for 2 of our races.  There were lots of smiles before and after our races.  The "borrowed paddlers" complimented us on our positive and friendly team, and the good skill and discipline of our drummers and steers.

How did we do?  For the first time this year... I was not on the boat.  I gave up my steering role to Stephen Mirowski, and the drumming role to Ernest Wren.  This was the first time either of them had steered in a race, and the first time Ernest had drummed for a race.  The team did well.  Stephen had a tough time steering, as we were in the middle lane being the top seed.  The other teams were close on each side with not more than 5 feet separating boats from start to finish.  Everybody paddled hard, not wanting to give anything away... Everybody yelling, and splashing each other.  And all boats finished within a second of each other... Dragon Queens came first, Chicks Ahoy came second, and Gung Haggis Fat Choy came 3rd.

Poor Grace... before the race, she said she didn't want to know that we had the fastest time of all the boats in our final.  She didn't want a repeat of last year's race final at Harrison where we had posted the fastest times against our competitors but finished last in the final.  Oh well... another race for experience.  We will now have to work on our mental training and mental toughness. 



Next up... racing in Victoria on August 19 and 20, with the Pirates team.  11 of our paddlers are making up the roster.  I have given up my seat on the team, so more paddlers can paddle races... and I will be steering with DieselFish from San Francisco.  They are now my "Victoria team", as I have raced with DieselFish at Victoria in 2002, and 2003 - when we won Silver in the Gold division!

John Rutherford is a good friend of mine... and has taught me lots about astrological readings, and been pretty accurate in the forecasts and readings that he has given me and my friends since 1993. Hope you enjoy.... “Red Alert!” “Mass murder on an unimaginable scale.” So ran terror-driven headlines. In a pig’s eye. Though an apparently legitimate threat, the airline gel-plot was known last year, the threat level upgraded last month. Unimaginable? Then where did all the numbers come from? This “new” threat was discussed years ago. Bush was informed last Sunday, and Cheney called reporters Monday to cry terrorist “WOLF!” The Big Question is, why Thursday? ....... That was the day Neptune, the Lord of Irritating No-See-Ums, came closest to the Earth. That was just after Lieberman lost the Democratic ticket, showing, so the spin goes, that Democrats are anti-war, anti-terrorist, and only encouraging Al Qaeda. That was the day Oliver Stone’s “World Trade Center” came out. Coincidence? With Neptune, the not always Artful Dodger, so prominent, it is not very likely. “It aims to not aim but mislead…” That was also the day two prominent members of Homeland Security resigned because of the Duke Cunningham bribery scandal. So much was choreographed.   more »

Simon Fraser University Pipe Band placed 2nd at the Worlds Piping Championships. These results sent courtesy of Ron McLeod - Scots Chair at Simon Fraser University.    more »

check out the Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver

http://www.harmonyarts.net

My friends Rick Scott and Marnie  performed for children on Saturday, and my mother and nephew went to check them out!

Imagine a spontaneous party of bagpipers and kilts, Chinese lion and dragon dancers with incredible fusion bangra highland dancers. Haggis won ton being served on sticks. Maybe even dragonboat go-carts being "paddled" down the street. It could be a rave Gung Haggis Fat Choy party. Okay... this is still living in my imagination - but check out the New Mind Space details below: vancouver august 18 In Vancouver, we are going to do something involving the SkyTrain, the musical duo known as Woodhands, and a 200W renegade soundsystem! To see what kinds of subway parties we throw in Toronto, check out this video.   more »

The Georgia Straight asked the above question and asked my friends Karin Lee and Sid Tan for their opinions about Chinese head tax redress. Check out the full article: http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=19598    more »

The Georgia Straight's Charlie Smith has written an article titled Harper Stickhandles Redress.... If Harper is only stickhandling... he sure isn't scoring any goals yet. He's just dipsy doodling, passing back and forth, waiting for the photo opportunities. If he follows the same pattern as the redress for Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, then Harper will make and apology, shake hands, have photos taken, and make a redress package that will give money only to surviving people of the Komagata Maru incident.   more »