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Welcome to GungHaggisFatChoy.com
Home to my passions for my inter-cultural adventures, Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner event. Save Kogawa House campaign, Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team, Find what you are looking for by 1) scroll the topics links, 2) use the search function ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team for lots of summer fun, fitness and friendship. We are a social team full of cultural vigor, that likes to eat. We have been featured on television, local, national and international. We have a unique and internationally famous fundraiser dinner event. We practice Sunday 1:30 pm -3:30 pm Tuesday 6pm-7:45pm Wednesday 6pm - 7:45 pm We meet at Dragon Zone clubhouse - just south of Science World in Creekside Park above the Aquabus and dragon boat docks. Our coach Todd Wong has 15+ years of experience including novice, recreational and competitive levels, and both community and corporate teams. Our 2005 Season brought us the David Lam Award for being the team that best represented the multicultural spirit of the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, and Bronze medals at the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race. In 2007, we won Gold in B Division at Vernon Races. For more information: Click on Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team information phone: 604-987-7124- e-mail: gunghaggis at yahoo dot ca ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2009 TICKETS Available in October 2008 WHAT: GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner - 12th Annual Dinner, celebrating 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns' birth + Chinese New Year's Eve. WHEN: 6PM January 25 2009, SUNDAY doors open 5pm WHERE: Floata Chinese Restaurant, #400-180 Keefer St. CULTURE: Our Performers create something special for us every year with traditional and contemporary performances featuring everything in-between and beyond! FOOD: A quirky fusion/mix/buffet of Scottish Canadian and Chinese Canadian culture 10 course Chinese banguet dinner 2004 - The debut of Gung Haggis Won-Ton 2005 - Haggis lettuce wrap! 2007 - Haggis dim sum appetizer buffet 2008 - Scotch tastings! Watch for more surprises in 2008! Description of 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner featuring performers: Rick Scott & Harry Wong, The Shirleys, Joe McDonald & Brave Waves, Sean Gunn, author Joy Kogawa, with co-host Prem Gill . Media Inquiries Call Gung Haggis Productions 604-987-7124 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsors
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Wednesday, February 28
Vancouver Province: Paying head tax families is a just remedy - letters to the editor
by
Todd
on Wed 28 Feb 2007 05:53 PM PST
Some letters on HT redress in the Vancouver Province from Monday, February 26th, 2007.
The first letter is by my friend Sid Tan, a long-time community activist and advocate for head tax redress. While his friend Charlie Quon was the the first person to receive the head tax ex-gratia payment - Sid's grandmother died in 2002, so she and the family will not receive a payment. Neither will Gim Wong, the Canadian born WW2 veteran whose father paid the head tax, but died a long time ago. It was Gim who saluted the Prime Minister from the public gallery when Harper made the apology in Parliament, in Ottawa.
The second person is from a non-head tax descendant who doesn't understand how redress works. more »
More Heritage recognition for Joy Kogawa House - write ups in Vancouver Courier and Journals of Commerce
by
Todd
on Wed 28 Feb 2007 05:15 PM PST
Here are some articles about the Vancouver Heritage Awards:
Fred Lee wrote in the Vancouver Courier
Urban Landscape - - -
Journal of Commerce reported the winners:
City honours 2007 Heritage Award winners more »
Sunday, February 25
John Rutherford’s Check Your Chart, for the Week of 26 February, 2007
by
Todd
on Sun 25 Feb 2007 08:14 PM PST
What a week of pull-outs. The Brits are pulling out of Iraq, so close to “operational failure” in Basra, to consolidate against the bad guy’s buildup in Afghanistan. Five US generals threaten to pull out, as in resign, if Bush attacks Iran, as plans get ready. The Supreme Court unanimously pulls Canada out of the torture business, and back into the Charter of Rights. VPD Chief Jamie Graham pulls the plug after only 5 years, as a case of dumping gets pulled out of the past, nine years ago. Hershey is pulling out of Smith Falls, much to the entire town’s chagrin. And, Britney pulled her hair out, sort of.
A Mercury retrograde close on the heels of the Sun triggering the Saturn / Neptune opposition, what’s there to do but get out of Dodge, cowboys and girls? Nothing, if you prise your sanity, fellow introspectors.
With tough, demanding Saturn so close to Mother Earth, stark conditions must be faced realistically. With dreamy, distant Neptune so far away on the other side of the Sun, wishes and wide ranging visions must be buried. With quick, pensive Mercury going backward, turn to the ‘within’ and pull away from the ‘without’.
So, pulling within, I’m now going to pull out, for this week that is. more »
Seattle Gung Haggis Fat Choy Seattle: Scots-Americans enjoy a big success for a first initiative south of the border!
by
Todd
on Sun 25 Feb 2007 01:22 PM PST
report of Gung Haggis Fat Choy Seattle: Two months ago, Bill McFadden phoned me and said he would like to co-create a Gung Haggis Fat Choy event in Seattle. He wanted to recognize my creation and bring me down to Seattle to create a benefit dinner for the Caledonian and St. Andrew's Society of Seattle - funds raised to go to the North West Jr. Pipe & Drums, in their quest to attend the World Championships in Scotland.
My musician friends Harry Aoki and Max Ngai join me in Seattle. Max is an Australian born Chinese who moved to Canada at age one, who loves to play Celtic violin. While I have played with Harry on occasions since 2003, and Max has played many times with Harry - the three of us, have never played together before. more »
Vancouver: City of... What is Vancouver's nickname anyways?
by
Todd
on Sun 25 Feb 2007 12:22 PM PST
I found this old 2004 Vancouver Courier story about Vancouver being named a "City of Peace" in 1986, and the arguements at city hall about the "Peace and Justice Committee." Is Vancouver known as a "City of Peace"? Vancouver did host the World Peace Forum in 2006. What are Vancouver's nicknames? more »
Saturday, February 24
Vancouver Sun: Evening honours heritage efforts in Vancouver
by
Todd
on Sat 24 Feb 2007 11:53 PM PST
The champions and enablers of heritage preservation in Vancouver received their due notice this week at the annual City of Vancouver heritage awards gathering.
Organized by the Vancouver Heritage Commission, a city council advisory body, and sponsored by (at least) Bob Rennie and an anonymous development-industry executive, the venue for the Monday evening "gala" was the recently restored Coastal Church on Georgia Street. (Previous venues have included the Stanley Theatre, Christ Church Cathedral and the Vancouver Club, all heritage-preservation projects.) more »
Chow Time: Janice Wong featured in Canadian Living Magazine
by
Todd
on Sat 24 Feb 2007 11:17 PM PST
Janice Wong is featured in this month's Canadian Living magazine (March 2007). The article is titled Chow Time: Celebrate Chinese New Year with traditional home-style recipes compliments of the Wong family. It was through an artist's eyes, and with an artist's deft touch, that Vancouver native Janice Wong delved into her family's rich history—which straddled the Canadian West in the 1920s, as well as the political quagmire that was China in the 1930s—to share their fascinating story in the pages of CHOW, From China to Canada: Memories of Food and Family (Whitecap, 2005, $24.95).
-Canadian Living Magazine, Food, p. 163, March 2007 more »
Friday, February 23
Feb 23, 1887 Anti-Chinese Riot Remembered.. .120 years ago today
by
Todd
on Fri 23 Feb 2007 04:34 PM PST
TORONTO . The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) marked the 120th anniversary today of the anti-Chinese riot that took place in Vancouver . “We mark this anniversary today because it is part of our community’s unique history in facing the overt and often violent manifestation of racial discrimination that resulted in the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act,” Sid Tan, National Chairperson of CCNC said today. “We should all take this opportunity to learn from our past mistakes, to restore dignity to the direct victims and to re-dedicate ourselves to a just society built on the foundations of respect and acceptance.”..... After the 1886 Great Fire razed Vancouver , the City leased 60 hectares of forested land to some 100 Chinese. However, this was the beginning of the Head Tax era, a period of overt racial discrimination against Chinese Canadians, which was legitimized by racist legislation. Mounting racist sentiment culminated in a riot on February 23, 1887 when an angry mob of 300 assembled to run the Chinese out of town. They tore down the shanty-town near Coal Harbour and roughed up the Chinese, some of whom managed to escape harm by jumping into the frigid waters. more »
Tuesday, February 20
TLC and Save Joy Kogawa House committee both receive City of Vancouver Heritage Award of Honour
by
Todd
on Tue 20 Feb 2007 10:58 AM PST
It was a great night for the members of Save Kogawa House Committee and TLC: The Land Conservancy of BC. We were all honoured with the City of Vancouver Heritage Awards of Honour. It was the last award presented following the multiple recipients for awards of recognition and awards of merit. TLC executive director Bill Turner and myself, for Save Kogawa House Committee, were tagged to give the aceptance speeches.
The awards were held at the beautiful and historic Coastal Church, at 1160 West Georgia St. A reception was held from 5:30 to 7pm, and it was great to see and socialize with all the event's attendees. more »
CBC News: Expand head-tax payments, Chinese group says
by
Todd
on Tue 20 Feb 2007 10:21 AM PST
The federal government should expand head-tax payments to include families of the Chinese immigrants who paid the tax, the Chinese Canadian National Council said Monday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced last June that the government would make "symbolic" head-tax payments of $20,000 to roughly 400 people who paid the tax, or their widows. He also made a formal apology to Chinese Canadians. But now the Chinese-Canadian group wants the payments extended to cover roughly 3,000 families who paid the tax. It wants to meet the government to discuss expanding the payments.
“We are hopeful that the Canadian government will build on the partial achievements last year,” Colleen Hua, president, said in a recent posting on the council's website. “We call on Prime Minister Harper to restore dignity to all head-tax families and extend payments to those families where the head-tax payer and spouse have both passed away.” more »
Canadian Press: Families owed head-tax reparations, activists say
by
Todd
on Tue 20 Feb 2007 10:18 AM PST
Canadian Press
TORONTO -- The federal government should provide compensation to the families of Chinese immigrants who paid a discriminatory head tax, a group of Chinese-Canadian activists said yesterday. +
Families seek head tax settlement
A group of Chinese- Canadians says the tax affected entire families.
By CP
TORONTO -- The federal government should provide compensation to the families of Chinese immigrants who paid a discriminatory head tax, a group of Chinese- Canadian activists said yesterday. more »
Globe & Mail: Ottawa urged to expand head-tax redress
by
Todd
on Tue 20 Feb 2007 10:17 AM PST
Globe and Mail update
TORONTO — The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) is calling for an expansion of the current federal redress program for Chinese immigrants who paid a discriminatory head tax upon entry into Canada.At a press conference Monday in Toronto, members of the council and the Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families said the families of those who paid the head tax should be eligible for compensation.
Currently, only surviving head-tax payers and their spouses can claim the $20,000 settlement announced by the government in June 2006.
“We have formed a consensus right across Canada ... that the redress is not complete,” said CCNC executive director Victor Wong.
more »
Sunday, February 18
Politicians are pigs... Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff, Hilary Clinton...
by
Todd
on Sun 18 Feb 2007 09:27 AM PST
Well, born in the year of...
Here are some stories about politicians and the Year of the Pig.
February 17, 2007
Chinese in hog heaven
PM joins Year of the Pig party
By BRIAN GRAY, SUN MEDIA
Toronto 's Chinese community marked the coming lunar new year last night, kicking off a festival with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on hand to extend wishes of good health and good fortune. more »
Gung Hay Fat Choy - It's the year of the Pig! Norman Tom receives head tax payment in time for Chinese New Year!
by
Todd
on Sun 18 Feb 2007 09:14 AM PST
Here are some happy stories to start off the new year.
Mr. Norman Tom recieved a ex-gratia payment for his head tax certificate.
+ official government statement more »
Saturday, February 17
Radio Canada International: I am interviewed for Monday!
by
Todd
on Sat 17 Feb 2007 11:56 PM PST
Earlier this week on Wednesday Feb 15th, I was interviewed for Radio Canada International's program The Link. This is a program "linking new immigrants to Canada and Canada to the world."
The show on Monday will feature a panel discussion with three Chinese-Canadians discussing how they celebrate Chinese New Year.
I am the multigenerational CC who has rediscovered Chinese New Year as a way to celebrate my Chinese ancestry. As well, I celebrate Lunar New Year with innovative ways such as combining it with Scottish traditions like Robbie Burns Day. more »
Chinese Head Tax: Chan was missing... now Chan is found and demanding an apology...
by
Todd
on Sat 17 Feb 2007 07:13 PM PST
Where has Raymond Chan been during the Head Tax apology? Why did he NOT congratulate the head tax redress groups for being able to receive what he and his government could not give them.
Why has he NOT been criticizing the government for leaving hundreds of thousands of Chinese head tax descendants out in the cold, while less than 0.6% of head tax certificates are recognized and honoured with symbolic redress payments?
Why did Raymond Chan NOT seek the 2nd legal opinion that David Emerson, Stephen Owen and Ujjal Dosanjh were able to find? I spoke to Ujjal during the Dec 2005 campaign, and he said that an apology in Parliament would cost nothing, and there would be no liability.
+ Vancouver Sun story Chan demands apology from Tory minister
OTTAWA — Former Liberal multiculturalism minister Raymond Chan rose in Parliament today to demand an apology from a Conservative minister who accused Chan of misleading Chinese-Canadians on the head tax controversy.
He directed his appeal to Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney, who alleged in the House of Commons last year that Chan was falsely warning Canadians that a head tax apology would expose the federal government to potential costly lawsuits.
more »
Friday, February 16
Seattle Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Just confirmed musicians Harry Aoki & Max Ngai
by
Todd
on Fri 16 Feb 2007 10:56 PM PST
On Sunday February 18th, Lunar New Year... the first Seattle Gung Haggis Fat Choy event will happen. Vancouver musicians Harry Aoki and Max Ngai will be joining me as we introduce Chinese-Scottish fusion music and poetry to the good people of Seattle, Washington. more »
Douglas Jung film biography "I AM the Canadian Delegate" airs this Sunday, Feb 18th
by
Todd
on Fri 16 Feb 2007 12:52 PM PST
Preview: Watch "I Am the Canadian Delegate" this coming Sunday, February 18th, on Chinese New Year Day, Film maker Wesley Lowe recently completed the documentary biography on Douglas Jung, WWII Veteran and Canada's first Chinese Member of Parliament. more »
Thursday, February 15
SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival - the university student version of mixing Scottish and Chinese traditions in untraditional ways
by
Todd
on Thu 15 Feb 2007 10:32 PM PST
Back on Robbie Burns Day, January 25th, Simon Fraser University Recreation Department celebrated the 2nd annual SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival.
It was a crazy day filled with dragon cart racing, human curling, a humourous reading of Burns' immortal
"Address to a Haggis,"bagpipes, lion dances, celtic dances, and an attempt to set a record for the most people eating haggis at the same time.
My role was to be the play by play commentator for the dragon boat race finals. more »
Kyoto Journal: Multicultural Webfinds - a story about Gung Haggis Fat Choy!
by
Todd
on Thu 15 Feb 2007 10:13 PM PST
Kyoto Journal is a non-profit quarterly magazine based in Kyoto, it's objective is to present throught-provoking perspectives from Asia. Author/moderator Jean Miyake Downey has written: GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY: Asian-Celtic Robbie Burns New Year with Toddish McWong in Vancouver – Turning the "East-West Dichotomy" Inside Out
http://www.kyotojournal.org/10,000things/098.html ~~~~~~ Jean moderates the feature called 10,000 Things which is a Buddhist expression representing the dynamic interconnection and simultaneous unity and diversity of everything in the universe.
Somehow she thinks Gung Haggis Fat Choy fits into this perspective. Jean and I have exchanged e-mails, and she wrote the following piece based on our conversations and what she found on www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com
more »
Happy National Flag Day of Canada Feb 15, 2007 + Canadian Club Vancouver's Flag Day / Order of Canada luncheon
by
Todd
on Thu 15 Feb 2007 05:05 PM PST
It is the 42nd birthday of the Candian Maple Leaf flag. Did you know it was
National Flag Day?
Yesterday I celebrated by co-chairing the Canadian Club Vancouver's annual Flag Day / Order of Canada luncheon. It was the club's 10th annual luncheon which also celebrated Vancouver area's newest members of the Order of Canada.
New Officers of the Order of Canada that attended the luncheon included Janet Davidson and David Dolphin. First Nations blessing and drum song was given by elder Bob Baker. Margaret Gallagher of CBC TV's Living Vancouver show emceeded the event. Marie Bourgeois introduced keynote speaker Roslyn Kunin. more »
Wednesday, February 14
Vancouver Asian Film actors Chinese New Year Dinner
by
Todd
on Wed 14 Feb 2007 11:56 PM PST
Asian actors are everywhere now on television and in movies. Vancouver has long since become "Hollywood North" for television shows such as X-Files, Battlestar Gallactica, Smallville and many movies of the week.
I met some of Vancouver's current Asian actors at a recent Chinese New Year dinner for Vancouver's Asian film community organized by Greg Chan. I was the guest of Ricepaper Magazine publisher Don Montgomery. I was also very happy to see my friends Larry Wong, Jeff Chiba Stearns and Jen Kato at the table too! more »
Tuesday, February 13
Joy Kogawa House committee to receive Vancouver Heritage Award of Honour
by
Todd
on Tue 13 Feb 2007 11:50 PM PST
On February 19th, at Coastal Church, the City of Vancouver Heritage Awards will give the Heritage Award of Honour jointly to Joy Kogawa House Committee and The Land Conservancy of BC. Joy Kogawa House was the childhood home of award winning author Joy Kogawa, which she was forced to leave in 1942, at age six, when Japanese-Canadians were "evacuated" from the BC Coast and sent to internment camps during World War 2. The Canadian government subsequently confiscated all their remaining property and auctioned it off, supposedly to help pay for the cost of internment. more »
Monday, February 12
Polygamy and Head Tax: what's the point? Only 0.7% of head tax certificates are being recognized anyways!
by
Todd
on Mon 12 Feb 2007 11:54 PM PST
The Vancouver Sun, on Monday February 12th, published an alarmist story Polygamy warning issued on head tax: Federal government told redress program might raise 'huge' legal issues about a non-issue regarding the possibility of multiple claimants as surviving spouses of head tax payers. It was a front page headline on page A1.
This is a 'huge' non-story because 99.95% of the 81,000 head tax payers from 1885 to 1923 are already dead. Only 44 head tax survivors applied for the $20,000 ex-gratia payment. Only 337 widowed spouses have applied for the ex-gratia payment. The government is still REFUSING to recognize any head tax certificates where both payer and spouses are predeceased, even if there are surviving sons or daughters. Less than 1% of the 81,000 head tax payments are being recognized - only half a percent - 0.5%! more »
Gung Haggis Fat Choy comes to SEATTLE for Feb 18th
by
Todd
on Mon 12 Feb 2007 08:46 PM PST
 Gung Haggis Fat Choy comes to SEATTLE for Feb 18th For the first time, the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner is officially expanding beyond Vancouver. Feb 18th, 2007 Ocean City Restaurant 609 S. Weller St. International District, Seattle, Washington 5pm reception. until 9pm. Expect a 3 hour feast of Chinese food with Scottish music + Robbie Burns poetry, singalongs, + some Asian Canadian poetry and.... special music performances. featuring: Northwest Junior Pipeband Don Scobie - bagpiper Tix: $35 Contact Bill McFadden 206-364-6025 produced by Bill McFadden for Caledonian & St. Andrew's Society of Seattle proceeds to benefit Caledonian & St. Andrew's Society to help send Northwest Junior Pipeband to the World Pipeband Championships in Scotland, 2008. Friday, February 9
Theatre Review: Twisting Fortunes is just like "real dating" - same challenges with dating Asians or Caucasians too!
by
Todd
on Fri 09 Feb 2007 06:09 PM PST
Twisting Fortunes
February 6, 7, 8, 9,
8pm
Playwrights Theatre Centre (1398 Cartwright Street)
on Granville Island.
Tickets $10 at the door.
Whether or not you have dated an Asian or a Caucasian, you will relate to this play. Playwrights Grace Chin and Charlie Cho, have created a witty and sharply funny play about dating (or non-dating) in Vancouver's cyber-café culture. Filled with hip pop culture references that clash with traditional dating expectations, Twisting Fortunes explores the netherland of dating culture's "do's and don'ts" while adding an inter-cultural spice with references and comparisons to dating Asians and non-Asians. more »
Wednesday, February 7
Preview: Twisting Fortunes - an accidentally Asian comedy play opens this week
by
Todd
on Wed 07 Feb 2007 06:49 PM PST
Twisting Fortunes was one of the special surprises at the 2007 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner on January 28. I have known the playwrights Charlie Cho and Grace Chin for a number of years through our mutual connections with Ricepaper Magazine - where both have been editors.
GHFC always tries to highlight Asian Canadian literary and arts, and the TF press release looked like something exciting and fun. Charlie Cho sent me an excerpt that was witty, sharp and punchy, and still made social commentary about Asian-Canadian culture. see pictures! more »
Gung Haggis Fat Choy on You Tube - featuring Toddish McWong & Joseph McDonald
by
Todd
on Wed 07 Feb 2007 06:21 PM PST
It was bound to happen.... Gung Haggis Fat Choy getting posted to Youtube.com ~~~~~~~~ Jounalism instructor Ann Roberts posted a 30 second video clip of Gung HAGGIS RAP Choy, a "rap" version of Robbie Burns' immortal poem "Address to a Haggis." The sound isn't the best - maybe next year we will set up an official videographer and record directly from the sound board.
more »
Gung Haggis Fat Choy reported on Dr. Fred Bass' new blog
by
Todd
on Wed 07 Feb 2007 06:00 PM PST
I have gotten to know Fred Bass over the past year and we discovered many connections through health interests, library connections, exercise, and city issues such as saving Joy Kogawa House. Fred's enthusiasm for fitness and preventative healthcare is expressed through his fondness for bicycling. He even came out this summer to try dragon boat paddling and was a very enthusiastic novice. ~~~~ Fred now has a blog and on January 30th, he wrote: "On January 28, I had the good fortune to attend Gung Haggis Fat Choy--China meets Scotland and vice versa. Under the skilled and persistent leadership of Todd Wong, this event has turned into one of Vancouver's most wonderful multi-cultural celebrations. more »
Tuesday, February 6
John Rutherford's Check Your Chart, for the Week of 5 February, 2007
by
Todd
on Tue 06 Feb 2007 08:01 PM PST
John Rutherford is a friend of mine that has done astrology readings for me since 1993.
Through John, I have learned lots about astrology, and we were both interested in the research conducted by psychologist Hans Eysenck and the Gaudins. Enjoy - Todd. more »
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