Monthly Archives: January 2006

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan to attend Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2006 – will read poem in Cantonese?

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Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan to attend Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2006 – will read poem in Cantonese?



It's official!  Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan will be attending the
2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner event at Floata Restaurant on January
22nd.



But will Mayor Sullivan wear a kilt?  Will he wear the Sullivan
tartan?  Or will he be stylishly attired in a Chinese
jacket? 



Will he read a Robbie Burns poem, or a Chinese poem?  After all, this mayor is known for his fluency in Cantonese – the same
language as the early Chinese Canadian pioneers, many of home all paid
the Chinese head tax to enter the country.


I have known Sam Sullivan for a number of years.  We first
got to know each other when he visited the BC History and Genealogy Day
fair at the Vancouver Public Library back in 2001 or 2002.  Since
then, we have bumped into each other many times at the Central Branch
Library where I work, as well as the Yaletown neighborhood where he
lives.

We initially had
a great talk about our family histories in Vancouver, and we discussed
how we both grew up in Vancouver's East Side.  My father had a
signwriting shop on Venables St between Clark Drive and Commercial
Drive, called Hopp Signs.  Sam's father ran “Sully's Autoparts” on
Hastings Street, between Clark Dr. and Commercial Dr. 

As
a councillor, Sam Sullivan has also attended a number of events for
Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop.  At our 2003 ACWW dinner, he
gave a welcome as deputy Mayor.  At the recent Ricepaper 10th
Anniversary dinner in September 2005, he surprised people by showing up
after a long hard day, which saw him victorious over Christy Clark for
the NPA position of mayoralty candidate.


This morning, I learned that my Sam and I were both attending Vancouver
Technical Highschool at the same time.  I was in grade 8 at Van
Tech when the young Sullivan was in grade 9.  Then I moved to
North Vancouver.  Sam will probably see some his old Vancouver
Tech school mates as some of my Laura Secord Elementary School
classmates are planning to have Laura Secord alumni table for the Gung
Haggis Fat Choy dinner.  I hope they invite Howard Jang, who is
now general manager for the Arts Club Theatre. Sam went to the other
feeder school, Chief Maquinna.



Last year we started the tradition of inviting the Mayor of Vancouver
with Larry Campbell – now Senator Campbell.  Mayor Campbell showed
up wearing a brightly coloured Chinese jacket over his mult-coloured
kilt.  And we had him on stage reading the Burns poem “A Man's A
Man for All That A' That” along with MLA's Joy McPhail and Jenny Kwan,
along with myself and co-host  Shelagh Rogers.





Mayor Larry Campbell at the 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner: 

1) reading Burns poetry in his brightly coloured Chinese jacket

2) having a slice of the haggis with host Todd Wong

3) reading Burns poetry “A Man's A Man For All That and All That” with
MLA's Joy McPhail, Jenny Kwan, and hosts Todd Wong and Shelagh Rogers.
photos by Ray Shum – Tempest Photography

Vancouver Centre all-candidates meeting: Svend, Hedy and the rest of them…

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Vancouver Centre all-candidates meeting:  Svend, Hedy and the rest of them…

It was very crowded, and I was unable to initially get into the
meeting.  I went for coffee with a friend, Janek Kuchmistrz,
who had run as the provincial Green Party candidate earlier in the
year.  Then I went for a short visit with my 95 year old
grandmother, who told me stories about how challenging in head been to
grow up during the Head Tax and Exclusion Act period, then I came back
before the meeting ended.  By that time, there was more standing
room.

Head Tax did not really come up at the Vancouver Centre all-candidates meeting.  Not even after Hedy Fry's
statement of “those people with their little issues” – recorded on CBC
TV news last Friday.  Most of the audience was white, despite the
ridings supposed 20% Chinese population, or is it 20,000 voters… I
forget – one or the other… but enough to make a difference in voting
for a close race.

Svend Robingson brought up the head tax issue as an example of the Liberals flip-flopping.

Other candidates included Tony Fogarassy for the Conservatives, Jared Evans for the Greens, then the Marijuana Party and a Christian party.

After the meeting, I did approach Hedy Fry and ask her
position about the head tax redress apology.  She said “An apology
had been made.”  I asked her about individual compensation. 
She said no
compensation.

She said “It would be a mistake to give compensation because every
group would be asking for compensation. Where would you stop?”

“But the Japanese Canadians got individual compensation,” I said.  And then her answer surprised me…

She said that it
was the Conservatives under Brian Mulroney who gave compensation.

“Well you got your answer,” said Janek, “Hedy Fry says that the
Conservatives made a mistake by giving individual compensation to the
Japanese Canadians.”

Hmmm…. so if Chinese Canadians want individual compensation we should vote in the Conservatives?

Or maybe the NDP?

On the other hand, Svend Robinson was very gracious.
He is in favour of individual compensation for surviving head tax
payers and spouses.  And he added that he first worked with Margaret
Mitchell in the 1980's on the head tax issues.

And then, Svend said… “and you're working to help save the Kogawa House,” acknowledging my community work to create a new literary monument for Vancouver.

The other candidates were no longer in sight afterwards… except the Green party Candidate… then I missed talking with him.

GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY 2006: Dinner update

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GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY 2006: Dinner update

The tickets sales are picking up, and the media calls are coming in.


One
Wednesday night, I bumped into Max Wyman and his wife Susan Mendelson.
Max is the new mayor of Lion's Bay, and is excited to be coming as one
of my special guests at the head table.  He told arts curator Tom
Graff that he will be reading some Burns poetry.  Susan asked
about what to wear, and we told her that ethnic-chic was very very
cool….

City
Councilor Suzanne Anton confirmed she is coming, and thanked me for
making Kogawa House one of the beneficiaries of the fund raising
dinner.  I replied that the decision was a no-brainer and that I
really appreciate what Joy has done for the Asian Canadian literary and
arts community and it is very important to save her childhood home.
Last year city councilors Ellen Woodsworth, Anne Roberts, Sam Sullivan
and Peter Ladner attended, along with Mayor Larry Campbell.

Sandee
Wong of the Calgary Herald called me for a short interview, asking what
the special surprise for 2006 was going to be.  I said I couldn't
tell her – it would ruin the surprise.

Christina
Harper who lives in Everett WA, is hoping to come across the border to
attend the dinner with friends.  Christina writes for The Scotsman, an international newspaper for the Scots diaspora around the world.

I am looking forward to the January 16th GHFC World Poetry Night.  I talked to  bagpiper Joe McDonald
the other day.  He is readying the pipes for our annual free
event, and he will be bringing some of his self-penned songs to perform.

On the cover of the January Events for the Vancouver Public Library is my cousin Janice Wong on the cover – because her book reading/presentation for CHOW: memories of food and family,
is being presented at the Central Library with a panel discussion on
January 18.  Chef Steven Wong is joining us, Janice, historian
Larry Wong and myself.  That makes it 4 Wongs or Quad Wongs says
Janice.

Earlier this week, I also confirmed my participation for the SFU
Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games 3-day festival.  On January
25th, there will be opening ceremonies with Lion Dance, and a rice and
chopsticks relay.  On January 26th, there will be the Dragon Carts
races, and on January 27th, there will be a brand new world's first –
“Human Curling.”

I can't believe how my simple idea of Gung
Haggis Fat Choy is morphing into such crazy and unbelievable
permutations.  But I love it.

Chun-Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu

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Chun-Yi

Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung Fu
January 4 –
11, 2006
Vancouver's
Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Imagine
what would happen if kung fu experts learned to dance, and Chinese
classical dancers choreographed martial arts, and some chinese gymnasts
were given Cirque du Soleil equipment and special effects, and
everything came together to create a multi-discplinary show.  In
this case, the result is based on the story of Chun-Yi “The Pure One,”
about a young boy who becomes a Shaolin Temple Monk.

Sixty-five kung fu practitioners, dancers and acrobats
from 13 provinces of China, perform in telling the story about how the
young man must got through personal challenges of temptation that
threaten his abilitiy to master the Kung Fu discipline. But in the end
all is well.  As the chinese proverb says, each journey begins
with a single step, the process is always more important that the
result.

And what a beautiful process this work of gorgeous sets and spectacular
stage effects is!  Combined with traditional martial arts
movements with
evocative dance, ballet and flying acrobatics.

I watched this exciting show with two viewpoints.  With one eye I
marvelled at the abilities of the performers, the inventive use of sets
and the unfolding of the story.  With the other eye I saw my
memories of learning about martial arts as a youth, as well as a youth
growing up in Canada with very few possible role models of being Asian.

But
somewhere in my memories were recollections of tacky Chinese theatre,
cantonese and martial arts displays.  Chun Yi: The Legend of Kung
Fu leaves all those old memories at home, and can easily be said to be
on the same professional levels as many Broadway shows or operas. 
The scale is huge, with moving sets that create the illusion of palaces
and dream sequences.  While some of the acting and dancing appears
to be overwrought and simplistic, it is also highly stylistic too.

The
young Chun Yi, does a pas de deux dance with his mother, as she
prepares to leave him at the Monastery to learn Kung Fu.  The
young boy is reluctant and runs back repeatedly after his mother. 
Two young boys from the monastery come up and persuade Chun Yi to stay
and play with them, as they perform their own jumps and kicks, that
captures the newcomer's attention.

And
so it was in the audience.  During intermission, I talked with
friends in the audience who were amazed at the acrobatic feats, as well
as the Kung Fu fighting.  They had never before seen Cantonese
opera with its many gymnastic routines, or the Action-Musicals put on
by Dennis Law at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts, such as
Terracotta Warriors, Heartbeat or Heaven and Earth.  And so my
cultural thoughts wondered at the possibilities that when China starts
allowing more of its martial artists, ballet dancers and artistic
directors, will we see an artistic revolution in the arts, as more and
more ideas are exchanged?  Could a traditional western opera be
staged with kung fu battles, Chinese gynmastics and dance.

“We are creating something new in Beijing. We're creating something new
for China and the world!” says Cao Xiaoning, president of China Heaven Creation, the company behind creating this production in anticipation of cultural preparations for the 2008 Olympics, which will also include Martial Arts as an Olympic event.

While
the story is not completely literal, and the “dream” sequences where
Chun-Yi was tempted by a beautiful woman, it is easy to understand the
plot development.

By
seeing more productions like this in Vancouver, we can find artistic
and enjoyable ways to learn about one of the world's more interesting
and oldest cultures and traditional arts.  I know that I am
learning about more Chinese culture.

more later….


To view an 8-minute promo video: Click here.

SFU Scots Chair V: Ron MacLeod update for Friday January 6 – Harry McGrath had an ale with Tom Devine in Glasgow

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SFU Scots Chair V:  Ron MacLeod update for Friday January 6 
- Harry McGrath had an ale with Tom Devine in Glasgow

Greetings. Harry McGrath had an ale with Tom Devine in Glasgow over the 
holiday season and reported that Devine is a most interesting and 
convivial individual. Regards, the other Ron

Here is some background information:
Professor Tom Devine is Glucksman Professor of Irish and Scottish 
Studies and Director of the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies at 
Aberdeen University. He is the pre-eminent authority on the history of 
modern Scotland and his seminal work The Scottish Nation became an 
international bestseller when it was published in 1999.

Professor Devine is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, an 
Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy and a Fellow of the British 
Academy. In 2000 he was awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Queen, 
Scotland�s highest academic accolade and he was recognized in the 2005 
New Year�s Honours List with an OBE �For Services to Scottish History�.
This is by way of reminding you about the Devine lectures at SFU on 

January 19th:
WHAT: "'Death' and Reinvention of Scotland"
WHERE: SFU History Department, Burnaby Campus, Academic Quadrangle,  
Sixth Floor.
WHEN: Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 11.30 A.M.
OTHER: No need for pre-registration, all welcome.

WHAT: "Scotland in 1773: The Dynamics of Emigration"
WHERE: SFU  Harbour Centre
WHEN: Thursday, January 19, 2006 at  8:00 P.M.
OTHER: To register call 604-291-5100. This lecture will be followed by 
a reception.

On other subjects:

WHAT: VANCOUVER POLICE PIPE BAND 
BURNS SUPPER AND DANCE Entertainment 
by THE VANCOUIVER POLICE PIPE BAND 
& TARTAN PRIDE HIGHLAND DANCE TEAM
WHERE: Engineers Hall, 4333 Ledger Avenue, Burnaby
WHEN: SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2006
TIME: Cocktails -- 6:00 P.M. Dinner -- 7:30 pm
OTHER: Tickets $45.00. Available from band members or by phoning 
604-576-1619

THE GAELIC SOCIETY is presenting a concert that will feature the 
younger generation. Highlighting the evening will be the Fraser River 
Fiddlers. Other entertainers will also be presenting during the 
evening.
WHERE: The Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson, Vancouver, B.C.
WHEN: 8 P.M. Saturday, February 4th
CONTACT: Morag Black at 604-939-3963, or, email garryblack@telus.net
OTHER: Expect the usual tasty goodies and liquid refreshments.

SFU Scots Chair V: Ron MacLeod update for January 4 – Hijinks, events for fun and games

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SFU Scots Chair V:  
Ron MacLeod update for January 4
 - Hijinks, events for fun and games

Greetings, some notices about fun and games. Regards, the other Ron

1. Courtesy Jeff Pope: Please share with others.

WHAT: The First Annual Dentry's Kilted Fun Run
WHEN: 10 A.M. Sun Jan 22ND
WHERE: Dentry�s Pub, 4450 West 10Th Ave at Sasamat (before UBC)
COST: There is no entry fee.
PRIZE: Each participant who completes the 5Km (or 3 we haven�t decided 
yet) will receive a Pint of Guinness for their efforts.
OTHER: A kilt of sort is mandatory - it could even be in the form of a 
table cloth (Good Lord), if necessary. This is a fun run -  not a race to 
be followed by much revellery afterwards.
CONTACTS: Phil Dentry(publican) 604-224-3434
Jeff Pope at jjlpope@shaw.ca

2. Courtesy Michael Martin:

WHAT: MASTERS OF SCOTTISH ARTS CONCERT 
- A Virtuoso Evening of Celtic 
Music and Dance featuring internationally renowned Pipers, Fiddlers, 
drummers and dancers.
WHEN: FRIDAY Feb 3, 2006�
 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: Benaroya Hall, S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium
3RD Ave. & University St., Seattle, Washington
COST:  $20.00 to $30.00 US through www.Ticketmaster.com
CONTACT: Michael Martin at MichaelM@sidlon.com
WEBSITE: www.masterofscottisharts.org
OTHER: the sponsor is a non-profit organization that supports a Winter 
School of Piping that features teachers of  renown: for example, 
Canadian pipers Jack Lee and  Bruce Gandy and Canadian drummer Reid 
Maxwell are among several international artists.

3. Courtesy Todd Wong:
Gung Haggis Fat Choy is sponsoring two upcoming events:

WHAT: Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night:
An evening of Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian traditional 
and contemporary poetry - when Robbie Burns Day and Chinese New Year 
collide!
WHEN: January 16th, 7:30 to� :
WHERE: At  the  Vancouver Public Library, Alice MacKay Room

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner
WHAT: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner
WHEN: January 22nd 6:00 � 10:00 PM
WHERE: At the  Floata Restaurant, #400 - 180 Keefer St. Vancouver 
Chinatown.

CONTACT: Todd Wong at gunghaggis@yahoo.ca






Mother Tongue TV documentary series launches in Vancouver at Channel M

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Mother Tongue TV documentary series launches in Vancouver at Channel M

My friend Susan Poizner is a television director/producer
who has succeeded with her goal of creating a series about the roles of
women from different ethnic groups across Canada.

The Vancouver launch of Mother Tongue happens 7:30pm on Thursday, January 12th at the Vancouver
Museum.

The launch
will show two segments:  one about my
Vancouverite Mary Lee Chan who was
born in Canada, sent
back to China
as a child, then she returned in 1947 to forge a life for herself and her
family;

2nd segment features Japanese Canadian  Kimiko Murakami who was
interned for 8 years in BC. 

The showing will be followed by a Q&A
session with Susan Poizner, Mary Kitagawa,
granddaughter of Kimiko Murakami, and me.
 
Channel M  has bought the series and will begin airing the series from
Jan. 15, 2006, Sundays at 10 pm. 
 
Go to the website below to learn about the 13 Canadian ethnic women whose
personal stories are told through the producer and director Susan
Poizner.  www.mothertongue.ca

communities

Acadian

 

 

 

Upcoming Gung Haggis Poetry and Janice Wong's CHOW at the library

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Upcoming Gung Haggis Poetry and Janice Wong's CHOW at the Vancouver Public library

January 16th

Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night
7:30pm

Vancouver Public Library

Alice Mackay Room

hosted by Toddish McWong, Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea

– poetry and music and dance from Old Scotland and Old China to
contemporary Scottish-Chinese-Canadians including: Fiona Lam, Joe
McDonald, Alexis Keinlen, and dancers!!!!



January 18th

Janice Wong & CHOW

From China to Canada: Memories of Food and Family
Author Janice Wong has a Power Point demonstration + a panel discussion with:
historian Larry Wong, (Chinese Canadian Historical Society)
culture fusionist Todd Wong (Gung Haggis Fat Choy)


Tea with Joy Kogawa: who will speak on CBC Radio Friday, about redress , Kogawa House, and maybe… Gung Haggis Fat Choy

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Tea with Joy Kogawa who will speak on CBC Radio Friday, about redress, Kogawa House and maybe… Gung Haggis Fat Choy!
– a friendship develops

Joy Kogawa called me up late Thursday afternoon to tell me she was
going to be on CBC Radio's “On the Coast” program, January 6th – 3pm
onwards… and asked what she should say about Chinese Canadian head
tax.

I went over to her West End appartment after I finished work and we had
tea and cookies, and chatted about almost everything except head tax
redress issues.

Joy is an amazing person, she tells me she is exploring the nature of
frienships now in her life and her writing.  She is amazed at how
new frienships have popped out of the ground “like mushrooms” to help
propel the preservation of her childhood home.  She is amazingly
humble, and makes a frowning face when I say that. 

I tell her about the full page of related storis in that day's Sing Tao
newspaper.  She saddens with the knowledge that my name is not
mentioned in the article, partially because I was unable to provide the
reporter with a picture of both me and Joy together.

– the photo that never made it to Sing Tao news.

She listens intently when I recount Sook-Yin Lee's Dec 31st broadcast interview of Margaret Atwood on CBC Radio's Definitely Not the Opera
Sook-Yin asked bizarre but interesting questions such as What would you
prefer: To be dumb and live a long life, or incredibly smart and live a
short life? Or “Would you choose a life of lots of great sex, or a
great love life with no sex?

“What was her answer?” eagerly asked Joy.

But our conversation is mostly about me, as she asks me questions about
my survival from a near fatal cancer tumor in 1989. 

“Where was it?” she asks.

“Near my heart, behind my breastbone… restricting the flow of blood
back to my heart,” I say.  She is curious about how my mother came
to the hospital every night and performed Reiki engergy healing and
Therapeutic Touch healing on me.  She is curious how I studied
health psychology, visualizations and emotional healing in my quest to
regain my health.

We talk about how both our lives have been more than just hills and
valleys – in fact, deep canyons and high mountain peaks.  About
how we could never have imagined the things we have come to be involved
in, or the people that have surrounded around us and become our friends
and allies.

She tells me I am an unusual person (in a good way) and points to the
posters I have brought her for Gung Haggis Fat Choy, the Robbie Burns
Chinese New Year dinner event.  Joy will be our featured poet for
the evening, and we talk about Fred Wah's performance at the dinner
last year.  Joy is curious and asks about the dinner event's
origins. She thinks it will be great if her two grandchildren can attend because they are both Eurasian.

We talk about how much we love the multicultural acceptance in
Hawaii.  It just “is,” we agree.  Everybody's family has
married inter-racially.  It is no longer an issue.  We decide
that we both feel very “at home”, and “accepeted” in Hawaii, unlike our
Canadian childhoods and family histories which were marked by racism
and discrimination.

We finally get around to talking about redress issues, and how the
government policies for Chinese Head Tax parallel the policies for
Japanese Canadian Internment issues.  And again the talk turns to
me and my family.  To demonstrate the hardship faced by head tax
descendants, I share with Joy the situation that my grandmother grew up
in.  Born in Canada in 1910 to a head tax paying father, and a
mother and grandfather, then later married to a head tax payer – life
was very tough during and after the depression.  

Joys says she couldn't imagine growing up during those circumstances –
but then I couldn't imagine growing up under circumstances of
internment camps, evacuation, beet farms, and constant negative
self-identity as a community.

We finish up by summarizing that a true apology needs to happen from
the Liberal government.  It is important that healing takes place
for the Community pioneers and their many generations of
descendants. 

“How do you place a dollar figure on healing?” Joy asks.


Joy accepts her Community Pioneer
Award from Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop at the Ricepaper 10th
Anniversary dinner on Sept 24th, 2005.  Joy had asked me to say
some words about the Save Kogawa House, while ACWW vie-president Don
Montgomery MC's the event – photo Deb Martin.

Grand Chief Edward John says PM Paul Martin's apology isn't good enough – “He should ask for forgiveness”

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Grand Chief Edward John says PM Paul Martin's apology isn't good enough – “He should ask for forgiveness”

I attended the Liberal press conference where Ministes David Emerson
and Ujjal Dosangh tabled their BC platform and policy meeting today at
the Liberal Headquarters.

Nobody mentioned head tax – not once.
Fairchild Radio said that they have been covering everyday…
World Journal was surprised….

I am sure that a question would have arose – but Dosanjh cut off questioning.

I just wanted to say thank you, to David Emerson and Ujjal Dosangh for
moving the apology and head tax issue forward, then ask them to next
rescind the Agreement in Principle now, given that they have said they
will ask PM Paul Martin to make an offical apology in the House of
Commons (once re-elected).

I did talk to one of the Liberal handlers, and expressed my thoughts,
and he was able to introduce me to David Emerson when he walked around
the corner in the next moment.

“Thank you for taking the lead for the head tax apology,”  I told him.

He was pleased and gracious in recieving the good news, and he said it was important for them to do so.

I next said that “But many Chinese Canadians feel that it wasn't a real
apology, and It's important for the Prime Minister to say it for
English Media, because all the descendants like myself speak English,
and to rescind the AiP.

Emerson appeared understanding, and I think he said “English media? We'll see what we can do.”
http://www.fns.bc.ca/about/e_john.htm

I also talked with Grand Chief Edward John,
of the First Nations
Summit, who was there to see the Liberals follow up on First Nations
issues.  He says that the Paul Martin “apology” for Chinese
Canadians was not good enough.  John agreed that an apology is
more important than acknowledgment.  And in
an apology, for English media, that the Prime Minister should say “We
ask for forgiveness.”

I like this man.  He speaks well, and
with presence.  He is looking forward to redress settlement with the
next government.  He knows it is coming.  He says the problems and the
delay is with the government policies.  I tell him that Joy Kogawa says
that HEALING was the most important thing that came from the Japanese
Canadian redress.  Edward John agrees.