Leanne, Hiroshi, Todd, Tzhe in kilts and Hillary's face
Monthly Archives: November 2007
Michelle Carlisle, flute and keyboard player with the Halifax Wharf Rats – photo Todd Wong
Nov 10th, Joy Kogawa House event: War and Remembrance featuring authors Ruth Ozeki and Shaena Lambert
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Nov 10th, Joy Kogawa House event:
War and Remembrance
featuring authors Ruth Ozeki and Shaena Lambert
Joy and brother Tim at Kogawa House pre-1942…
Joy and brother Tim with neighbood friends – the Steeves boys.
Joy at the house when it was threatened with demolition…
Joy and Richmond school children during the Save Kogawa House campaign.
Joy with old childhood friend Mr. Steevs, at last year's September Open House event.
This is going to be an incredible event. The Joy Kogawa House Society has now been incorporated as a society.
Ruth Ozeki was the 2007 author for the One Book One Vancouver program at the Vancouver Public Library, launching in May. Shaena Lambert is also an incredibly gifted and moving writer.
We are beginning our next phase of fundraising to preserve and restore the house to it's 1942 character, when Joy lived at the house, before the family was sent to WW2 internment camps at Slocan, and before the house was confiscated by the Canadian government.
And… Joy Kogawa has suprised her friends and family in Metro Vancouver by popping into town last week to help celebrate her daughter's birthday…. She will attend our Nov 10th special reading event. Yipppeee!!!!
Joy and her daughter Dee Dee enjoy a laugh and a smile with oranges at a family dinner in April – photo Todd Wong
Centre A presents new INTERSECTION project with an art installation by Koki Tanaka
Centre A presents new INTERSECTION project with an art installation by Koki Tanaka
INTERSECTION
KOKI
TANAKA
Turning the Lights On
Intersection is the new art installation at Centre A, the Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. The idea of lighting up the “Carrall Street Greenaway” is intriguing as it links historic Gastown with historic Hastings Street and historic Chinatown.
Check out this information from Centre A
Exhibition:
November
9- December 15, 2007
Opening: Friday, November
9,
8pm
Gallery
Hours:
Tuesday
– Saturday 11:00 -18:00
Sunday-Monday
closed
Window
Video Projection:
From
sunset to midnight (Tuesday- Saturday)
Curator:
Makiko Hara
Centre
A will
present a new site specific installation by Koki Tanaka for the Intersection project entitled
Turning the Lights
On.
A will
present a new site specific installation by Koki Tanaka for the Intersection project entitled
Turning the Lights
On.
Koki Tanaka was born in 1975 in Tochigi, lives and works in
Tokyo ,
Japan . Tanaka is one of the most
watched young Japanese artists to emerge on the international art scene today.
Tanaka received his MFA from
Tokyo National University of Art and Music in 2006, but has already attracted
international attention since early 2000 when he was a
student. Tanaka has been
invited to many international exhibitions including the Echigo-Tsumari Art
Triennale (2003 and 2006), the Taipei Biennale (2006), The public Video
screening at MOMA, New York (2003) and a recent public
screening at Los Angels MOCA
(2007). Tanaka was selected for the prestigious International Artist in
Residency program at Palais des Tokyo in
France in 2006 followed by a solo
exhibition. Tanaka is featured on the
new edition of “Ice
Cream”: Contemporary Art in
Culture, A selection
of 100 of the most significant emerging artists today. (PHAIDON Press,
2007)
Tanaka has produced numerous site
specific installations with video.
His lyrical
video works characterized by the use of everyday low-key materials, and the
movement with a simple gesture by the artist that emotionally works to change
our conventional perception to the world around us. In his
art practice, Tanaka explores the “infinite possibilities of chances to change
our perceptions of the world” by evoking our sense of wonder.
Koki Tanaka is invited
for the artist in residency
program at
Centre A and will
create a new
video work and
installation based on his research on
the Down
Town East Side area.
Tanaka will shoot a video on the moments of people turning on the
lights in
the city life in many
different
situations. The
final production will be presented in two parts; a video
projection
at gigantic scale to entirely fill the front window of Centre A facing to the
Hastings street at
night, together
with a site specific installation uses the illuminator of various types inside
the gallery. Centre A is honoured
to present
the
first
solo
exhibition of Koki Tanaka in
Canada and the North
America .
Centre A gratefully acknowledges the
generous support of its patrons, sponsors, members, partners, private
foundations, and government funding agencies, including the Canada Council for
the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, and the City of
Vancouver through the
Office of Cultural Affairs.
For more
information
Makiko
Hara, Curator: makiko.hara@centrea.org
Debra
Zhou, Public Relation: debra.zhou@centrea.org
Tel:
604-683-8326
Intersection
Lighting up the
Carrall Street
Greenway
Exhibitions Opening: Friday November
9, 2007, 8pm
Media
Launch: November 2, 2007 11:00- at Inter Urban Gallery (
1 East Hastings
Street )
Closing
Event: Everybody Is Somebody by Paul Wong
Saturday December 8, 3:00 – 10:00
pm
Intersection
is a
temporary public art project that involves arts organizations resident at
Carroll and Hastings streets in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver founded by
the City of
Vancouver . It is a part of “Carroll Street
Greenway” project that the City of
Vancouver has been organized toward the Olympic
in 2010. The project is in collaborative production of large scale image
projections in windows and on the exteriors of buildings at the intersection of
Carroll and Hastings streets. Intersection will include workshops,
artistic residencies and exhibitions at the Inter Urban Gallery, and Centre A as
well as special public events, to take place in December 8, 2007.
For more
information on “Intersection”
Please
contact: Tim Ma, Public
Relation: media@intersection.ca
Terry Glavin's trip to China in search of his “Chinese-Canadian roots” now published in Vancouver Review
Terry Glavin's trip to China in search of his “Chinese-Canadian roots” now published in Vancouver Review
Looking for Mr. Bing – by Terry Glavin
Vancouver Review
What was Irish-Canadian author Terry Glavin doing amongst the rice paddies of Southern China? A place where many multi-generational Chinese-Canadian head tax descendants have never seen the birthplace of their ancestors.
Why is Glavin writing about the challenges and hardships that Chinese pioneers faced leaving China and coming to Canada from 1887 to 1923? A time period book of extreme Anti-Asian racism that most recent Chinese immigrants are ignorant of – when Chinatown was attacked by White rioters, a head tax imposed on Chinese immigrants until the legislation of the notorious “Chinese Exclusion Act.”
Why is Glavin quoting Todd Wong aka “Toddish McWong” saying things like “It will depend on how we build on our history of inter-cultural relationships. Retreating into identities means you lose opportunities to learn, you lose the chance to be suprised, so what matters is how we teach new immigrants how we've lived together all these years.”
Terry Glavin speaking at Library Square in August 2007 – photo Todd Wong
Glavin claims he was on a search to find “Mr. Bing”, the Chinese man who helped his newly immigrated Irish family settle into Canada in the early 1960's. But what he really discovers is so much more…
“We were newly arrived Irish immigrants, and Mr. Bing was our landlord. My dad worked as a night-shift janitor at a baker in East Vancouver, and my mother looked after me and my older brother Michael, and she was pregnant again, and it became Mr. Bing's custom to find reasons why we didn't actually owe him the rent that month. The stairs needed fixing. There was some painting he'd been meaning to do. There was always a reason.
Mr. Bing also took it upon himself to help us navigate the peculiar and intimidating new world we'd come to, and it was because of his guidance and his many kindnesses that Mr. Bing came to loom as a gallant and glamorous figure in family stories about how we managed to make it through those early times.”
Mr. Bing also took it upon himself to help us navigate the peculiar and intimidating new world we'd come to, and it was because of his guidance and his many kindnesses that Mr. Bing came to loom as a gallant and glamorous figure in family stories about how we managed to make it through those early times.”
Glavin is giving a unique voice to Chinese-Canada. Chinese-Canadian history isn't just for Canadians of Chinese descent. It's for all Canadians who ever met a Chinese-Canadian person, or travelled to Canada's Chinatown, or experienced Chinese-Canadian food and culture.
In the same way that Chinese-Canadians learn about English or Scottish-Canadian history and its roots in England and Scotland…. Scottish and English-Canadians can learn about Chinese-Canadian history and its roots in China.
I think it's neat that a Gwai-lo can go into China and know about the daiolou watch towers… especially the anniversary of the one in Kaiping. Glavin compares Canadian fusion culture to the daiolous, “You borrow from a variety of occidental and oriental styles. No two are the same, and accounts of their origins are often found only in the deep memory of folk tales.”
Terry Glavin is a wise and very interesting man. He's been a fan of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, since he first heard about it – but we never met until he phoned me saying that he was coming to the Vancouver Public Library to do research on Mr. Bing. But the library workers were on strike for pay equity. So I invited him to give an author's reading on the South Plaza of Library Square to the CUPE 391 library workers. And that kick-started my 4 week reading series from August 9th to September 7th. Terry talked about his own history of being on a picket line three times while working as a writer for the Vancouver Sun, as well as his first strike ever back at “The Columbian” for pay equity. And he talked about why he had come to the library, to research for his next article for the Vancouver Review.
Terry writes on his own weblog Transmontanus:
It's about my search for a man in a greatcoat and a Homburg hat who
showed a great kindness to my family a long time ago. It's about a lot
more than that, too, and it took me all the way to Guangdong, in the
Pearl River Delta.
You can't get VR on-line. You actually have
to go out and buy it and bring it home and curl up on the couch and
read it. You can buy it in these fine establisments. Or you can subscribe.
Editor
Gudrun Will worked her magic with my piece, as she always does, and
Mark Mushet did wonders (as always) with the layout and graphic
presentation.
In this issue there's also a tremendous piece of short fiction from my pal Oliver Kellhammer,
a hilarious essay from Lyle Neff, another chum, about his adventure at
an “anti-war” rally, a Caroline Harvey review of the late Bruce
Serafin's Stardust, and much more.
showed a great kindness to my family a long time ago. It's about a lot
more than that, too, and it took me all the way to Guangdong, in the
Pearl River Delta.
You can't get VR on-line. You actually have
to go out and buy it and bring it home and curl up on the couch and
read it. You can buy it in these fine establisments. Or you can subscribe.
Editor
Gudrun Will worked her magic with my piece, as she always does, and
Mark Mushet did wonders (as always) with the layout and graphic
presentation.
In this issue there's also a tremendous piece of short fiction from my pal Oliver Kellhammer,
a hilarious essay from Lyle Neff, another chum, about his adventure at
an “anti-war” rally, a Caroline Harvey review of the late Bruce
Serafin's Stardust, and much more.
Recently I met Gudrun Will and Mark Mushet, the creators and publishers of Vancouver Review. They are very nice, and we liked each other immediately. We talked about the challenges of creating and publishing a small but vitally important quarterly magazine for the arts and cultural community. We promised to keep in touch and get together soon.
check out their websites:
http://www.vancouverreview.com
http://www.myspace.com/vancouverreview
Barb Waldern October Report from Korea : teaching English and visiting Korean festivals
Barb Waldern October Report from Korea : teaching English and visiting Korean festivals
Barbara Waldern is a Vancouverite teaching English in a small town in South Korea. She joined the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team last year, and she loves exeriencing Vancouver's multicultural community activities. She moved to Korea in July. Now she is an ethnic minority in a foreign country. She sends this report:
Greetings, all!
October has flewn by. Chilly breezes amid sweet warm sunshine as the autumn progresses. 'Tis a
season of change full of festivity and calamity, new friends and more learning, new colours and new places.
season of change full of festivity and calamity, new friends and more learning, new colours and new places.
The
job was getting increasingly unpleasant. Managed to shake it off at
last. Dicey because a former boss can make trouble in a small town.
Awaiting visa renewal, which will require a short trip to Japan so as
to re-enter the country compliments my new boss. Native speakers of
English in high demand and schools plentiful so therefore I've had some
choice.
job was getting increasingly unpleasant. Managed to shake it off at
last. Dicey because a former boss can make trouble in a small town.
Awaiting visa renewal, which will require a short trip to Japan so as
to re-enter the country compliments my new boss. Native speakers of
English in high demand and schools plentiful so therefore I've had some
choice.
Was getting creepy at the house.
The humidity that extended through September caused moulds to grow. The
house is getting renovated. Everyone else had left. (Many teachers
turned tail and ran home!)
The humidity that extended through September caused moulds to grow. The
house is getting renovated. Everyone else had left. (Many teachers
turned tail and ran home!)
Ended up in a new
apartment near a busy and popular shopping district off a main road.
(See attached photo of view from my pad.) It feels like a motel. But
breaking it in. I get to enjoy the fresh air of a village just a short
bus ride away outside Masan called Samgyae. People very down to earth
and friendly.
apartment near a busy and popular shopping district off a main road.
(See attached photo of view from my pad.) It feels like a motel. But
breaking it in. I get to enjoy the fresh air of a village just a short
bus ride away outside Masan called Samgyae. People very down to earth
and friendly.
Will
teach at 2 small schools that belong to a chain operation. This time
'round, I'll be the only foreign teacher on staff. I'm replacing a
Korean teacher who speaks English fluently; she's helping me get
acquainted this week. Afternoon schedule: no more split shift. – no more
kindergarten. I still get to enjoy the younger kids because the
classes are comprised of elementary and “middle school” students.
Mostly beginners of English language learning. A little more pay. I
have more control over my work. Not too much prep.Top boss a wonderful
woman. I must get to know the male directors of the local schools where
I'll be teaching.
teach at 2 small schools that belong to a chain operation. This time
'round, I'll be the only foreign teacher on staff. I'm replacing a
Korean teacher who speaks English fluently; she's helping me get
acquainted this week. Afternoon schedule: no more split shift. – no more
kindergarten. I still get to enjoy the younger kids because the
classes are comprised of elementary and “middle school” students.
Mostly beginners of English language learning. A little more pay. I
have more control over my work. Not too much prep.Top boss a wonderful
woman. I must get to know the male directors of the local schools where
I'll be teaching.
The Canadian Embassy is
hosting a Q&A to Korean government speakers about working and
living in Korea. I plan to go. It is in Busan later this month.
hosting a Q&A to Korean government speakers about working and
living in Korea. I plan to go. It is in Busan later this month.
I'm
continuing to learn Korean and the new employment will probably force
me to practice it more. Actually, it's simpler than English. No
conjugations! Just a different verb ending for each tense to attach to
the root. No articles! And nobody cares about pluralization when
speaking! And you get to drop the pronouns a lot of the time. So
grammar a snap. Now, pronunciation's a different matter. In English,
for example, we have soft and hard consonants. Did you know that
there's a third kind of pronunciation of consonnnts in Korean? English
speakers can't even hear it! Of course, there's a lot of vocab to
remember.
continuing to learn Korean and the new employment will probably force
me to practice it more. Actually, it's simpler than English. No
conjugations! Just a different verb ending for each tense to attach to
the root. No articles! And nobody cares about pluralization when
speaking! And you get to drop the pronouns a lot of the time. So
grammar a snap. Now, pronunciation's a different matter. In English,
for example, we have soft and hard consonants. Did you know that
there's a third kind of pronunciation of consonnnts in Korean? English
speakers can't even hear it! Of course, there's a lot of vocab to
remember.
There
are many festivals happening. I've been to the parsimmons festival in
Jinyeong village, the chrysanthemum fest in Masan (see photo of me
attached here), and a cultural festival in Busan. It is still fairly
warm during the day (20s) while it cools down over night (18ish). Some
folks here say it is cooler than usual for early November. Light
jackets or sweaters only. Weather has become quite dry. Ironic that I'm
actually thinking of getting a humidifier consider the extreme humidity
of the summer.
are many festivals happening. I've been to the parsimmons festival in
Jinyeong village, the chrysanthemum fest in Masan (see photo of me
attached here), and a cultural festival in Busan. It is still fairly
warm during the day (20s) while it cools down over night (18ish). Some
folks here say it is cooler than usual for early November. Light
jackets or sweaters only. Weather has become quite dry. Ironic that I'm
actually thinking of getting a humidifier consider the extreme humidity
of the summer.
I'm
on a new one-year contract. Fingers crossed, the new visa will go
smoothly and I'll adapt with little difficulty to the new school.
Completion would forecast a return to Canada in November, 2008. In the
meantime, I will be considering prospects in the public schools around
here. The recruitment period begins in December and new teachers are
hired for March. However, schools in Masan are somewhat resistant to
the presence of foreign teachers in their classes. Sometimes, a foreign
teacher only teaches the Korean teachers of English! This attitude
would explain some of the kinds of difficulties in renewing teachers'
visas through the Masan immigration office.
on a new one-year contract. Fingers crossed, the new visa will go
smoothly and I'll adapt with little difficulty to the new school.
Completion would forecast a return to Canada in November, 2008. In the
meantime, I will be considering prospects in the public schools around
here. The recruitment period begins in December and new teachers are
hired for March. However, schools in Masan are somewhat resistant to
the presence of foreign teachers in their classes. Sometimes, a foreign
teacher only teaches the Korean teachers of English! This attitude
would explain some of the kinds of difficulties in renewing teachers'
visas through the Masan immigration office.
“Que sera, sera!”
My best wishes to everyone.
Barb
Bagpipes and drums Knockout competition this Friday Nov 9th, at Scottish Cultural Centre
Bagpipes and drums Knockout competition this Friday Nov 9th, at Scottish Cultural Centre
Imagine bagpipes and drums playing a game of survivor. Going against each other in immunity elimination challenges, until only one bagpiper and one drummer are left standing.
Imagine bagpipes and drums playing a game of survivor. Going against each other in immunity elimination challenges, until only one bagpiper and one drummer are left standing.
This information comes to me from Ron Macleod, Chair of the SFU Scottish Cultural Studies Program.
Greetings, the following will be of interest to those who enjoy piping.
Courtesy of Ed McIlwaine, President, BC Pipers' Association. Regards, the other Ron
The BC Pipers' Association is again presenting a series of piping and drumming knockout competitions. These competitions, through a process of elimination, culminate in a final round at the Association’s Annual Dinner which is usually held the second Saturday in March.
WHAT: BC Pipers’ Knockout event.
WHERE: Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson (at 73rd Avenue), Vancouver.
WHEN: Friday, November 9th. Doors open at 6:30 PM; piping and drumming events start at 7:30 PM.
WHO: 9 pipers and 4 drummers will compete
COST: Members $6.00 and non-members $8.00
CONTACT: Ed McIlwaine at edward@cantrawl.com
OTHER:
Come and enjoy a dram or a beer and hear some first rate pipers and drummers at work!
The second round of the Knockout will be held on Friday, December 14th, same venue, different players.
For anyone traveling from South-East of the Port Mann Bridge, I suggest that you consider cutting across Surrey in some appropriate way and taking the Alex Fraser Bridge, the 91 and 99 over the Oak St. Bridge.
ONE Match needs ethnic bone marrow donors – help leukemia patients like James Erlandsen!!!
ONE Match needs ethnic bone marrow donors – help leukemia patiens like James Erlandsen!!!
ONE Math is launching today at Metrotown in Burnaby BC.
There is a desperate need in Canada to find matching bone marrow donors – especially for ethnic patients.
This is also the dilemma for James Erlandsen, of Chinese and Scandinavian heritage. Earlier this year, James' cousin Aynsley Meldrum contacted me to publish a story about the search for a matching donor for James. As a 18 year cancer survivor, I empathized with challenges that James was going through. I have met James several times and we named him honourary captain for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. Please read my stories about James here: GungHaggisFatChoy :: James Erlandsen – leukemia fighter
Below is a new message from Aynsley Meldrum about ONE Match that she wrote to the Facebook group “Friends of James Erlandsen.”
Hi Friends of James Erlandsen!
Wanted
to let you know that there is a new, “fast & easy” system in place
to test your compatibility as a donor of bone marrow and stem cells.
Go to http://onematch.ca
Spend
5mins online filling out forms, then give some saliva samples (NO
NEEDLES!!!!) so that your DNA can be added to the OneMatch registry.
OneMatch
reports that, “Currently OneMatch has an ethnic gap. About 85% of
registered donors are Caucasian, with only 15% from other groups such
as Asian, Indo-Canadian, Hispanic, Black or Aboriginal. Based on
extensive medical research we know that the best outcome for a patient
requiring a stem cell transplant is realized when the donor is someone
in their own ethnic community.”
So please go join, tackle your friends and co-workers and make them join.
More info:
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Peace
Ayns
Vancouver Asian Film Festival happening this weekend.
Vancouver Asian Film Festival happening this weekend.
Vancouver Asian Film Festival started on Thursday. I was sorry to miss the opening gala, as I have attended on many occasions in the past. It's just a very busy week!
Highlights at this year's festival included director Justin Lin – director of the Sundance hit film BETTER LUCK TOMMORROW and the Hollywood action hit THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT. In 1997,
Justin attended the 1st VAFF along with Quentin Lee with their film SHOPPING FOR FANGS. On Opening Night, Justin returns to the 11th VAFF to screen FINISHING THE GAME,
a comedy about producers attempting to complete Bruce Lee’s unfinished
final film. Also screening will be Anson Ho’s documentary BUILDING A JOURNEY, which follows Justin and his crew behind the scenes. Justin will also speak to VAFF audiences in the special program IN THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR WITH JUSTIN LIN,
sharing his journey from indie filmmaker to Hollywood success and on
being an Asian-American filmmaking pioneer. In attendance will be actor
Roger Fan, star of FINISHING THE GAME and many of Justin’s films.
a comedy about producers attempting to complete Bruce Lee’s unfinished
final film. Also screening will be Anson Ho’s documentary BUILDING A JOURNEY, which follows Justin and his crew behind the scenes. Justin will also speak to VAFF audiences in the special program IN THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR WITH JUSTIN LIN,
sharing his journey from indie filmmaker to Hollywood success and on
being an Asian-American filmmaking pioneer. In attendance will be actor
Roger Fan, star of FINISHING THE GAME and many of Justin’s films.
Check out these events for Saturday and Sunday:
|
|
||
| Film Title | Director(s) | buy at the door |
| Falling For Grace | Fay Ann Lee | |
| Remember The Days | Dennis Luu | |
|
|
||
| Film Title | Director(s) | buy at the door |
| Shanghai Kiss | Kern Konwiser, David Ren | |
| BrainFart | Ty Philips | |
| Mouse, A Love Story | Michael Kim | |
|
: Sunday Nov. 4th, 1:30 PM |
||
| Film Title | Director(s) | buy at the door |
| Pilgrimage | Tadashi Nakamura | |
| Bystanding: The Beginning of an American Lifetime | Karen Lin | |
| art/film/revolution | Valerie Soe | |
| Officer Tsukamoto | Ling Liu | |
| Panel Discussion The Art of Revolution | ||
|
|
||
| Film Title | Director(s) | buy at the door |
| Bai Ri Meng | Jennifer Tippins | |
| Hello Faye | Norman Lup-Man Yeung | |
| Lead Role Father | P.J. Raval | |
| The Last Vacation | Jae-Ho Chang | |
| Blue | Adam Mars | |
| The Birthday | Kabir Shaukat Ali | |
| My Father's Chinese Wife | Franklin Peterson | |
|
|
||
| Film Title | Director(s) | buy at the door |
| Confessions Of A Salesman | Ho Tam | |
| Special Q & A with Ho Tam | Ho Tam | |
|
|
||
| Film Title | Director(s) | buy at the door |
| 0506HK | Quentin Lee | |
| Special Q & A with Quentin Lee | Quentin Lee | |
Raymond Chow – Vancouver Chinatown Calendar available at Chapters
Raymond Chow – Vancouver Chinatown Calendar available at Chapters
Raymond Chow, the well-known painger, loves Vancouver Chinatown. Some of the earliest paintings I saw by him, were of my grandmother's house in Chinatown, and the old Noodlemaker's Restaurant in Gastown.
Raymond will be inside Chapters
painting to raise money for Chinatown . The money will be raised
through sales of a Chinatown calendars that has
incorporated 18 of Raymond’s Chinatown drawings. 25% of the net
profits will be donated to the Revitalization committee of Chinatown
where the money will be put towards the restoration of the Chinatown
buildings.
Raymond's work has been collected world wide. He has recently helped to create a new painting for Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society's explorAsian Festival. He also did a painting of a 6 year old Joy Kogawa with her childhood home.
You may also visit www.ChinatownCalendars.com for further information on the calendar.