"If the government unjustly takes a dollar from you or me, then offers an apology, but no money back - is that fair?" asked Sid Tan, long time advocate for redress of the notorious and racist head tax that was only levied against Chinese immigrants from 1885 to 1923 in an effort to keep Chinese from coming to Canada.... I attended the AGM of the Chinese Head Tax Families Society last Sunday, and also witnessed the ceremony that honoured Margaret Mitchell with a life-time membership in the society and for her work in first bringing the Head Tax redress issue to Canadian Parliament in 1984.    more »

Vicki Wong is the designer of the mascots, and of the Octonauts - her first children's book that was published last year. I met Vicky last year at the 2006 Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable which annually hosts an event that allows BC authors and illustrators to introduce their new books.... I fell in love with Vicki's book The Octonauts & the Only Lonely Monster. and promptly bought it, and had a great time chatting with her.   more »

The VPL writer-in-residence program was created by Kevin Chong when he was a VPL Board member. It's a cool program where you can make an appointment and have your work critiqued. ... Hiromi Goto was one of the featured authors who read to CUPE 391 - on the picket line reading series.   more »

The Chinese Canadian head tax campaign brought a lot of Chinese Canadian pioneers and pioneer descendants together with immigrants both recent and older.... I first met Victoria Yip, when she participated in the 1986 "Saltwater City exhibit" chaired by Paul Yee... Here's the statement by CCNC National President Colleen Hua issued the following statement on the passing of Mr. James Marr, Mrs. Victoria Yip and Mr. Ying Hope:   more »

Tonight is the night I get to see my contributions in print for the book: Eating Stories A Chinese-Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck.

Brandy will be on CBC Radio Friday morning with Rick Cluff, Morning Edition, at about 7:50AM.

Also some hot news from Henry.  Jerry Kwok has done a wonderful job with the 8 min. teaser film on the workshop. It's downloadable at http://www.instrcc.ubc.ca/CCHS/CCHS_workshop.wmv .  

We are having an author's book launch tonight at the Rhizome Cafe on Broadway, before the official book launch at the Vancouver Museum Sunday Nov. 25th at the Vancouver Museum.

It was a wonderful pleasure to meet so many people interested in the writing process, and how to improve their own writing skills.  People were so interested in food, our workshop discussions often took forays into Chinese-Canadian history, memories of food and family, as well as cultural traditions and differences.

The first book, Tracing Roots, by the CCHS is especially memorable for me because my cousin Hayne Wai contributed stories about his mother and our uncles.  It was great to be able to take the book home as a gift to my parents, and show them the paragraphs featuring "Uncle James," "Auntie Rose," and my father  - "Uncle Bill" to my cousin or "Bok-Sook" (#8 Uncle).

Tonight all the writing workshop participants get to take home copies of the book.  I will get to show my parents my published contributions of photographs and paragraphs, which introduce the stories of how I developed my love for salmon, my creation of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, and how our dragon boat team cooks up it's own haggis won ton.  This anthology features 2 current (Dan Seto and myself - Todd Wong) and two past paddlers (Grace Chow and Meena Wong) from the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.

Brandy Lien-Worrall, our workshop leader and anthology editor, will be on CBC Radio Friday morning with Rick Cluff, Morning Edition, at about 7:50AM.

Also some hot news from Henry.  Jerry Kwok has done a wonderful job with the 8 min. teaser film on the workshop. It's downloadable at http://www.instrcc.ubc.ca/CCHS/CCHS_workshop.wmv .  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  info@cchsbc.ca

http://www.cchsbc.ca

 

Meals and Memories Come Alive in New Collection of Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Food and Family Stories

Groundbreaking work captures authors’ personal stories of family and community

 

VANCOUVER – The Chinese Canadian Historical Society (CCHS) is pleased to announce the publication of Eating Stories: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck, edited by Brandy Liên Worrall and with Foreword by Margaret Gallagher.

Following the success of the first workshop and the resulting book publication, Finding Memories, Tracing Routes (English and bilingual English-Chinese editions), CCHS held a second writing workshop with the theme of “Food and Family”, which had nearly tripled in size.  Twenty-three participants of Chinese Canadian or Aboriginal backgrounds researched, discussed, and wrote their memories of family gatherings, home cooking, restaurant outings, and other stories cooked up by the smells, tastes, sounds, sights, and textures that bring families and communities together.  Together with their stories, 37 family recipes and over 170 images complete the collection.  Additional contributors include Imogene Lim, Lisa Moore, Janice Wong, and Henry Yu.

George McWhirter, Vancouver’s Poet Laureate, says of this groundbreaking collection: “I want one of those meals and to be in one of those families.  If I can’t be that in actuality, these stories make me a guest of all, complete with recipes for me to try out on my own, after.  These are more than literate tellings of family food rituals and recipes; they are elegantly and pungently related. . .In the process, these pieces become evocative literature and unforgettable history.”

“This collection is amazing in terms of the scope of experiences in these Canadian communities, from the 1930s all the way to present day,” states editor and workshop facilitator Brandy Liên Worrall.  “Reading these stories is just like sitting in a Chinatown café eating apple tarts in the 1960s or going to a barbecue at the reservation, catching salmon and having a good time. This is really history you can eat.”

Writers include Jacquie Adams, Jennifer Chan, Shirley Chan, Allan Cho, Grace Chow, Lilly Chow, Betty Ho, George Jung, Jackie Lee-Son, Roy Mah, Gordy Mark, Amy Perrault, Dan Seto, Bob Sung, Hayne Wai, Evelyn Wong, Larry Wong, Todd Wong, Harley A. Wylie, May Yan-Mountain, Candace Yip, Gail Yip, and Ken Yip.  The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC would like to acknowledge the support from the Provincial Capital Commission for the participation of two First Nations authors in the writing workshop.

An “authors reception” will be held at Rhizome Café (317 East Broadway) on Thursday, November 22, 2007, at 7:00 PM.  This intimate event will have a short presentation and author readings.  Media interest in this event, including requests for interviews with the authors, should be directed to Nancy Fong, nancy.wy.fong@gmail.com.  Media attendance to this event is by RSVP only.

The “Eating Stories: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck” book launch, hosted by CBC’s Margaret Gallagher, will be held at the Vancouver Museum on Sunday, November 25, 2007, at 4:00 PM.  Authors will read from the book, as well as answer questions from the audience.  In addition, New Voices: Chinese Canadian Narratives of Post-1967 Diaspora, a post-secondary student-initiated anthology of literary and artistic works by Chinese Canadians living in the Lower Mainland, will be also launched that day. This book is now available at http://www.newvoicesproject.org/ .

Copies of Eating Stories can be purchased at the authors reception and the launch.  For more information, bulk and educational orders, and press kits, email nancy.wy.fong@gmail.com.  Copies may also be purchased online at http://www.lulu.com/cchsbc.  Proceeds go toward the “Edgar Wickberg Scholarship for Chinese Canadian History.”

ABOUT the CHINESE CANADIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia (CCHSBC) is a broadly based membership society with educational goals.  Our main objective is to bring out the untold history of ethnic Chinese within the history of British Columbia.  We achieve this through sustained efforts at document preservation, research, family and oral history promotion, public education programmes, an active website, and many other initiatives.

MEDIA CONTACT-ENGLISH AND CHINESE [interviews & press kits]: nancy.wy.fong@gmail.com

Mayor Larry Campbell, Toddish McWong, Enid Campbell - photo Naoko Watanabe at the 2005 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.


Everybody loves stories about food.  Recipes or restaurants, people will reminisce over their favorite memories of food... how it was made... who made it... what their favorite dish is...

In January I took a writing workshop with the Chinese Historical Society of BC.  The theme was "Food and Family" and taught by Brandy Lien-Worrall. 

23 participants in a writing workshop wrote their memories of family gatherings, home cooking, restaurant outings and other stories cooked up by the smells, sounds, sights, and textures that bring families and communities together.

The writers include myself - Todd Wong, the creator of Gung Haggis Haggis Fat Choy, Dan Seto current Gung Haggis dragonboat paddler, my cousin Hayne Wai - president of CCHS, + many friends such as: Meena Wong, George Jung and Gordie Mark - who were active during the Chinese head tax campaign, community activist Shirley Chan, Chinese-Canadian Military Museum curator Larry Wong and ex-Gung Haggis paddler Grace Chow and myself.

  Dan Seto signing books at the CCHS 2006 book launch for Tracing Family Roots.
Dan Seto with noodles at Sha Lin Noodle House.

         

CCHS is pleased to welcome everyone to the book launch for Eating Stories: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck, edited by Brandy Liên Worrall and with Foreword by Margaret Gallagher. Following the success of the first workshop and the resulting book publication, Finding Memories, Tracing Routes (English and bilingual English-Chinese editions), CCHS held a second writing workshop with the theme of "Food and Family."

Twenty-three participants of Chinese Canadian or Aboriginal backgrounds researched, discussed, and wrote their memories of family gatherings, home cooking, restaurant outings, and other stories cooked up by the smells, tastes, sounds, sights, and textures that bring families and communities together. In addition to their stories, there are 37 recipes and over 170 images. Writers include Jacquie Adams, Jennifer Chan, Shirley Chan, Allan Cho, Grace Chow, Lilly Chow, Betty Ho, George Jung, Jackie Lee-Son, Roy Mah, Gordy Mark, Amy Perrault, Dan Seto, Bob Sung, Hayne Wai, Evelyn Wong, Larry Wong, Todd Wong, Harley A. Wylie, May Yan-Mountain, Candace Yip, Gail Yip, and Ken Yip. Additional contributors include Imogene Lim, Lisa Moore, Janice Wong, and Henry Yu.  

Please join us for the official launch of this unique book and meet the authors! 

The Ecstasy of Rita Joe is one of Canada's most important works according to the Literary Review of Canada's 100: Canada's Most Important Books. Here is the press release for Ecstasy of Rita Joe, produced by Firehall Arts Centre   more »

Four bagpipers... four taiko drums... What could possibly happen? I have seen Uzume Taiko perform with one bagpiper before... Uzume Taiko & Mearingstone's performance together should be a musically adventurous evening. I am looking forward to it. There is a long history of Japanese-Canadians and Scottish-Canadians mixing in Vancouver.   more »

We met at Janice Wong's studio at 318-1000 Parker St. It's a huge warehouse, a 4 story rabbit warren filled with artist studios. You can spot Culture Crawl first-timers by the glazed look in their eyes as they try to see everything in every studio. We also visited many other artists including Arleigh Wood.   more »

I met Fay Ann Lee, director of Falling for Grace, at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival. It was Sunday, the final day of VAFF, and Fay had premiered Falling for Grace the night before. Fay is a stunning woman, and very articulate, telling me about how she made the film.... She tells me that across the USA, they have been slowly building the audience market by market. We talked about how Falling for Grace is really a romantic comedgy, not limited only to an Asian audience, likening it to the success that Joy Luck Club had playing to White audiences across America.   more »

BC Alpha is an organization that has been a strong advocate both for the WW2 Korean comfort women, and the atrocities of the Japanese Army in China - including the rape of 80,000 Chinese women in Nanking.... Thekla Lit is president of BC Alpha. I met her when she joined the Chinese Head Tax Redress campaign. Thekla played an important role in speaking to Chinese Language media. She is an avid human rights activist and respected by many people in the community. Now she is continuing her campaign to raise awareness about "comfort women" and the "rape of Nanking."   more »

The East Side Culture Crawl is a lot of fun. There are many studios to check out. Some are in homes in Strathcona, and some are in big warehouses.... 1000 Parker is a very big - very busy place. My cousin Janice Wong's studio is at #318. She wrote the book C H O W from China to Canada: memories of food + family - which contains some history of her family growing up in Sask, and our revered ancestor Rev. Chan Yu Tan.... Check out the invitation below from my cousin Janice Wong - and please visit her studio at 318-1000 Parker.   more »

Guns, muskets firing, marching men in kilts, veterans and Remembrance Day ceremonies and beer in a football stadium... what could be better? I have never been to a military tatoo at Edinburgh Castle, but after watching the video of the 78th Fraser Highlanders "Salute to the Veterans" at BC Place, during the Nov. 3rd BC Lions half-time show... and feeling the stirring sounds of bagpipes... I could well imagine. I shoulda been there!!!   more »

Everybody knows about the big Remembrance Day ceremony at Victory Square at Hastings and Cambie Streets in Vancouver. But not everybody knows there are simultaneous ceremonies at the Japanese Canadian War Memoria in Stanley Park, or in Grandview Park, or South Memorial Park. Left off the the Vancouver Park Board - 2007 Special Events Calendar was the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Monument to Canadian Chinese at Keefer Triangle in Vancouver Chinatown. It is the Chinese-Canadian veterans accompanied by First Nations veterans that attend two Remembrance Day ceremonies each year. First they attend the Victory Square ceremonies at 10:30 am, then the now four year old ceremonies a the Monument to Canadian Chinese   more »

Pacific Coast Origami Conference was held in Vancouver Nov 9-11, at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Classes were held to teach brand new creations - not published in books.... I walked into the exhibition room of origami creations on display to discover my friend Fulton Tom. Fulton's young teenaged son Harrison was one of the youngest participants at the conference. Every last Saturday of each month, Harrison usually attends the PALM (Paperfolders Association of the Lower Mainland) meeting held at the Oakridge Branch Library in Vancouver.   more »

Magic happens sometimes in unexpected places, and with unexpected people. Joy Kogawa, author of Obasan and Naomi's Road, shared with the audience that she has been continually amazed at the way the universe has unfolded to not only save her childhood home from demolition last year - but also to continue build a foundation for the planned literary landmark and writers-in-residence program for historic Joy Kogawa House.... Tonight's event was perfect with both authors Shaena Lambert and Ruth Ozeki reading their most recent works that deal with the consequences of the WW2 Hiroshima bombing. How fitting that the stars aligned to have Ruth come to Vancouver from between her busy commutes between Cortes Island and New York City to settle in Kogawa House on the day before Remembrance Day.    more »

Lots of Happening stuff this weekend. Origami Masters Exhibition + PCOC 2007 Vancouver Pendulum Gallery - until Nov 17th Conference Nov 9-11th.... War and Remembrance - Authors Ruth Ozeki and Shaena Lambert @ Joy Kogawa House   more »

What happens when you take 5 very talented classically trained Chinese musicians and mix them up with composer/guitarist John Oliver, who likens his style to "an experimental mix inspired by John McLaughlin, Pat Methany Group, Robert Fripp, and World Music, processed through computer granular synthesis?"   more »

Geist Magazine features Todd Wong's photographs of Vancouver Library workers' strike Haiku poetry

During the Vancouver library strike, there was one morning when picketers put down their pickets, picked up a pen, and wrote Haiku poetry. 

This was the 1st strike in CUPE 391's 77 year union history.  What do librarians and library workers do on the picket line?  Continue being the information and cultural gatekeepers that they are when they are on the job.

This was a historic strike that was the most creative that the City of Vancouver had ever seen.  Library workers engaged the public and the media in positive ways that had never been seen before.  Haiku strike poetry only happened one day.  At the end of the day, the poetry was collected and sent out to various media outlets.

Click on www.geist.com to see a feature link article about the photographs that I took on the strike line, and also a short bio about me.

Vancouver Women Love David Beckham


Our Gung Haggis girls, Linda and Wendy, hold up their souvenir towels with LA Galaxy soccer star David Beckham somewhere in the background down on the field - photo Todd Wong/L.Daly collection

We had a group of 11 Gung Haggis paddlers and 4 friends join us to go to the LA Galaxy vs Vancouver White Caps game featuring David Beckham on November 7th at BC Place Stadium.  We were all there to see soccer superstar David Beckham, but the females in our group were more vocal about being happy to attend the game and especially happy to see Beckham.  Julie, Wendy, Linda, Jenna and even Keng!  When Beckham took off his game jersey to give to a young fan, they declared it a bonus seeing the topless Beckham.


David Beckham at centre field - photo L. Daly

I haven't seen a lot of soccer games.  The last time was a White Caps game was back in the 1980's, and it was at BC Place Stadium.  But in the large stadium, it was generally easy to pick out the blonde-headed Beckham.  The man carried himself with presence.  His image was often up on the large video screen.  The crowd cheered when he got the ball.  And... the entire arena got excited when Beckham took two corner kicks in the 2nd half - but neither were dangerous.

Soccer is a very multicultural sport.  It is played almost everywhere in the world, probably even at the research stations on Anarctica.  When I was growing up in East Vancouver during the 60's and '70's the best soccer players were the Italian and Portuguese-Canadian kids.  They were usually taller and faster than me and my Chinese-Canadian friends.  But sometimes we would get together and just have games with Asian kids - then we were pretty well all the same size and still having fun.

Over 48,000 fans attended the game, the 4th largest in White Caps soccer history.  I saw people from many ethnicities and heard many different languages at the game.

Todd, Wendy, Jonas and Linda - sitting in the stands - photo Victor/L.Daly collection

Attending the game was a great way for our dragon boat team members to socialize during the off-season.  While in the stands, we talked about how much we knew or didn't know about soccer.  We talked about learning a new paddling technique, about going to different races - like Hawaii if one of us won that night's $35 Million 6/49.

My library friend Kay took a video of Beckham's corner kick.  Kay saw Beckham play many times for Manchester United while she lived in England.   Kay also used to paddle for a UK junior dragon boat team that raced at the World Championships.  Maybe one day... Kay will come paddle for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. She sent me this review of the game:


A man proposed to his girlfriend on the video screen while the game was in progress during the second half.  She said yes.  But the biggest cheer of the night went to a streaker who ran up the East side of the field, across the North side, then down the West side before he was finally tackled.

The streaker had a good run. - photo L. Daly - Click on this link for the you tube video by Kay.

Check out the story on Beckham star attraction for 48172 soccer fans in Vancouver

Origami Conference come to Vancouver...
 
The best folders such as as Eric Joisel and Robert Lang have come to Vancouver - home of origami master Joseph Wu


I learned how to fold origami as a child.  First I folded hats and fish and boats... then I folded cranes and frogs.  By the age of 12, I was folding intricate dragons and reindeer.... then a unicorn from a single piece of paper.


November 9-11 is the Pacific Origami Conference at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

ORIGAMI MASTERS is incredible display of over 100 origami pieces created, designed and folded by Origami Masters from 10 different countries. It will be at the Pendulum in the HSBC Building (855 West Georgia) from Oct. 29th and has been extended to November 17th. 

The viewing hours are:

• Monday to Wednesday: 9 am to 6 pm
• Thursday & Friday: 9 am to 9 pm
• Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm
  
• Sunday: closed

Here are some of Eric Joisel's models.

Check out pictures at the Pendulum Gallery on the PCOC 2007 Flickr gallery!

Joseph Wu is an incredible origami creator who now makes a full-time living by designing and creating origami figures.  Those Stolichnaya vodka ads featuring origami swan, eagle and butterfly were all created by Joseph.  You can view them in the "Illustration" category of his website.  www.origami.as


Check out my 2006 story  about Joseph.  Joseph Wu, origami expert extraordinaire!

Here is a Vancouver Sun article about local origami artist, Joseph Wu Look for more press coverage to come.