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.

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