Fiona Tinwei Lam – Scottish born Chinese-Canadian poet at GHFC World Poetry Night – photo Stephen Mirowski
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Joe McDonald and Chinese flute at GHFC World Poetry – photo Stephen Mirowsk
CFUN 1410 AM: Toddish McWong visits “The Best of Food & Wine”
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CFUN 1410 AM: Toddish McWong visits “The Best of Food & Wine”
It was a good interview today at noon on 14 CFUN's “The Best of Food & Wine” with hosts Kasey Wilson and Anthony Gismondi.
They are a lively twosome and really play off each other. They each asked questions about the dinner and its origins. They asked how many Chinese and Scottish attend the dinner. I had to say about half and half… with another contingent of people who have both Scottish and Chinese parents, or are in relationships with one or the other.
“How do the Chinese like the haggis?” asked Kasey.
“Well… they didn't… they would really leave most of it on the table,” I explained. “So we started creating “Haggis won-ton” and “haggis spring rolls” and they started saying 'this is pretty good!'”
“We serve the traditional haggis at the same time as a vegetarian lettuce wrap, and tell people to put in the plum sauce, the vegetarian mixture and the haggis, then fold over the lettuce and eat it like a hamburger without the bun. And they like it! They say they never knew haggis could taste so good, and eat it all up!”
But of course every dish is not haggis. We have 8 other non-haggis dishes, starting with hot and sour soup, ginger crab, mushrooms and vegetables, sticky fried rice, shrimp balls, vegetarian lettuce wrap. dessert.
Anthony asked about the price of the dinner, and I told him that $60 + service charge got you a regular seat, but $70 got you a closer seat to the stage + 2 bottles of wine at your table.
“That's a good deal,” stated Kasey, she said she would love to have wine to wash down the haggis.
“What kind of wine are you serving,” they asked.
“We haven't picked it up yet… we are looking for BC wines made by Chinese-Canadians or Scottish-Canadians, because we really like to emphasize the Chinese and Scottish heritage of BC at our dinner.
“Maybe our listeners can help you find some good wines… they must be some Scots in the Okanagan,
offered Kasey.
“There's Howard Soon of Sandhill,” I said referring to the first Chinese-Canadian winemaker in BC.
There you have it – the food and wine of Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner, featured on The Best of Food & Wine, with Anthony Gismondi and Kasey Wilson.
Vancouver Sun: Todd Wong & Gung Haggis Fat Choy in Malcolm Parry column “Town Talk”
Vancouver Sun: Todd Wong & Gung Haggis Fat Choy in Malcolm Parry column “Town Talk”
Here's what Vancouver Sun's social columnist had to say today:
Vancouver Sun, Saturday, January 20, 2007 – page B4
TODD WONG, the three-decade city assistant librarian, is in the midst of a yearly program that is truly one for the book. It's a Gung Haggis Fat Choy, the mini-festival of the Sino-Scotch arts he launched in 1998 with a Robbie Burns Chinese New Years dinner for 16.
Some 500 are expected in the Floata restaurant Jan. 28, when “Toddish McWong” and broad-caster Priya Ramu will emcee at a banquet involving haggis-shrimp dumplings, haggis-stuffed tofu and haggis won ton. Diners and guest artists will also sing Scotland the Brave, My Chow Mein Lies Over the Ocean and other favourites.
The Kilted, plaid draped Wong kicked off this year's shenanigans with multi-cultural poetry readings at the library's central branch Monday.
Gung Haggis Fat Choy is as nuttily indigenous – and therefore as praiseworthy – as the now-defunct World Bellyflop Championship and the Nanaimo-Vancouver Bathtub Race.
Perhaps the future will include a scholarly comparison of the Great Wall of China and Hadrian's Wall, the former built to keep belligerent troublemakers out of China and the latter to keep them in Scotland.
note: I actually told him I was a library assistant.
Haggis & Rice: Sunday's Cric Crac for the Vancouver Society of Storytelling
Haggis & Rice: This Sunday's Cric? Crac! for the Vancouver Society of Storytelling
Pauline Wenn and Todd Wong share smiles at last year's Cric? Crac! – photo Deb Martin
When: The third Sunday night of each month is special.
Where: Hodson Manor 1254 west 7th Ave, Vancouver, B.C.
Time: 7:30 pm
Cost: $4 for members & $5 for non-members
Where: Hodson Manor 1254 west 7th Ave, Vancouver, B.C.
Time: 7:30 pm
Cost: $4 for members & $5 for non-members
So… according to the Georgia Straight's listing… I am reading the
“Address to the Haggis” by Burns on Sunday evening.
http://www.straight.com/article/literary-events-42
The Vancouver Society of Storytellers presents Celtic stories from
Pauline Wenn, Mary Gavan, and Ian Cook; the Address to the Haggis by
Todd Wong of Gung Haggis Fat Choy; bagpiping and storytelling by Thomas
Budd; and tales from Helen Mintz and Felix Rowe. Jan. 21, 7:30-9:30 pm,
Hodson Manor (1254 W. 7th). Admission $5/4, info 604-879-1014.
Pauline Wenn, Mary Gavan, and Ian Cook; the Address to the Haggis by
Todd Wong of Gung Haggis Fat Choy; bagpiping and storytelling by Thomas
Budd; and tales from Helen Mintz and Felix Rowe. Jan. 21, 7:30-9:30 pm,
Hodson Manor (1254 W. 7th). Admission $5/4, info 604-879-1014.
Hmm… I
thought I was reading original poetry and telling the story of “Kogawa
House.” I think I can do all three. Thanks to
Vancouver Society of Storytellers for turning Sunday's Cric? Crac! into
a fundraiser benefit for “Joy Kogawa House“
Joy Kogawa and “Kogawa House” at 1450 West 64th Ave. in Marpole Neighborhood – photo courtesy Dan Toulget.
To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough – Robbie Burns poem
My
friend Sherry Shaghaghi sent me this file of a mouth brushing his
teeth. Each March Sherry organizers a Persian New Year
celebration at the Harry Jerome Recreation Complex in the City of North
Vancouver. Maybe Sherry and I will get to gether to create a St.
Patrick's Persian New Year Celebration… sounds tempting eh?
Perfect for Celtic Fest maybe?
friend Sherry Shaghaghi sent me this file of a mouth brushing his
teeth. Each March Sherry organizers a Persian New Year
celebration at the Harry Jerome Recreation Complex in the City of North
Vancouver. Maybe Sherry and I will get to gether to create a St.
Patrick's Persian New Year Celebration… sounds tempting eh?
Perfect for Celtic Fest maybe?
I think this mouse is Scottish because he is wearing a
plaid shirt… and his name just might be Stuart – a right good Scottish
name! I have paired the picture file with one
of Robert Burns' most famous poems below.
To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough
Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!
I'm truly sorry man's dominion,
Has broken nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!
I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!
Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell-
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.
That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!
But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me
The present only toucheth thee:
But, Och! I backward cast my e'e.
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!
Media Alert for Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Global TV with Erin Cebula's Global Village
Media Alert for Gung Haggis Fat Choy:
Global TV with Erin Cebula's Global Village
Erin Cebula interviewed me on Monday evening, just prior to the start
of the GHFC World Poetry Night at the Vancouver Public Library. I
had first met Erin when she was co-hosting Urban Rush on Rogers, in
2004. That interview was all about the then upcoming CBC tv
special “Gung Haggis Fat Choy.”
In 2004, we hosted 2 GHFC dinners on the Saturday and the Sunday, each
around 220 to 240 people attending. I brought some haggis won-ton
to the show which Erin easily tried… but her co-host Russell took a
pass.
“I'm the one with the stomach of steel,” laughed Erin, when I recounted our first meeting.
This time Erin was amazed that our little dinner has grown into an
informal festival with four related events. She wanted to
feature me for her show “Global Village” and also asked for some
pictures of previous dinners to show the audience what it was
like. I sent her a picture of the 2005 dinner with myself and
then Mayor Larry Campbell – both dressed in Chinese jackets with our
kilts!
Look for Global Village to be running from today and through to next week!
Media Alert for Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Malcolm Parry in Vancouver Sun
Media Alert for Gung Haggis Fat Choy:
Malcolm Parry in Vancouver Sun
Wow! I've finally made the Malcolm Parry society news column.
Mr. Parry came by on Monday to the GHFC World Poetry Night at the Vancouver Public Library, and took a photo of me.
I have met him in the past at Ricepaper, ACWW, and Vancouver Asian Film
Festival events…. and he did drop by the GHFC 2004 dinner.
But in this morning's Vancouver Sun's preview for Saturday… there was
a little picture of me, with reference to a Sino-Hibernian
celebration. We'll have to check Saturday's Vancouver sun for the
whole picture and article.
Media Alert for Gung Haggis Fat Choy: CFUN's “Best of Food & Wine”
Media Alert for Gung Haggis Fat Choy:
CFUN's “Best of Food & Wine”
Listen to CFUN 1410 AM on your radio, for Saturday 12 noon, January 20.
I will be interviewed by Kasey Wilson (food) and Anthony Gismondi (wine), for their live show Best of Food and Wine.
Kasey called me today, and she is thrilled to have me on their
show. She loves the intercultural spirit of Gung Haggis Fat Choy
and agres that FUN is important.
I will be telling her about the haggis dim sum we are preparing, and
how the Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner concept developed.
Advance Price for Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner extended to January 22st
Advance Price for Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner extended to January 22nd
We have extended the advance pricing for the 2007 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner to Monday, January 22nd.
Regular seats $60 + $5 service charge
Premium seats $70 + $5 service charge (closer seating + 2 bottles of wine at the table) children 13 and under 50% off.
After January 22nd
Regular seats $70 + $5 service charge
Premium seats $80 + $5 service charge (closer seating + 2 bottles of wine at the table)
children 13 and under 50% off.
Call Firehall Arts Centre for Tix
604-689-0926
Monday to Friday 9-5pm
The
increase price of $10 from last years reflects the increase price of
food and the increased quality of food. We have an amazing array
of talent for our show + great door and raffle prizes. People
have always said we offer incredible value and fun!