Category Archives: Cultural Fusion

Odd Couple – Friendship with an Asian style twist on the Neil Simon play

2 Replies

Oscar Madison and Felix Unger come alive on stage at the Richmond Cultural Centre – but in Asian bodies?

The Odd Couple
Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Directed by Raugi Yu
Produced by Joyce Lam

July 17-27, 2008
Richmond cultural Centre, Richmond

August 13-21, 2008
Roundhouse Performance Centre, Vancouver

I swear I could hear the voices and body actions of the famous and acclaimed actors Tony Randall or Jack Lemmon as Felix, or Jack Klugman or Walter Matthau as Oscar in the well-loved play or tv show.  But holy cow, they are in Asian bodies on stage!

“The script and the writing is very strong,” says director Raugi Yu, when I asked him if he or the actors had studied the movie or videos of the play or TV show.  “The actors are wonderful in it…. at one point I asked them if they wanted to go with accents, and they really got into it.  It just flowed.”

Five Asian men and one Caucasian man speak in New York accents, playing a Neil Simon play for a Vancouver audience.  Felix is played as a new immigrant to North America and represents more traditional Asian traditions vs Oscar the multi-generational North American born Asian who is more North American and consequently the slob.

It's a bold vision put forward by producer Joyce Lam, who actually
called Neil Simon's lawyers to ask if they could translate the classic
play into Chinese language for sur-titles and change some of the words
to fit the transposed Asian immigrant theme. 

“They didn't care that we were translating it, but they wouldn't let us
change the words.” said Lam who is very proud of this production.

They boys meet regularly for their poker game, and it is in this setting that the drama unfolds.  Heck, it could be almost be mah jong… but then they would have too many for a foursome.  As each character walks on stage, a different type of Asian music announces their arrival.  Traditional Chinese for Felix, Japanese pop for Oscar.  Bad Asian karaoke for another character.  Rock 'n' Roll for the White guy.  It's a different twist, but it helps to add character layers and remind the audience that a very different “Odd Couple” is being presented.

The acting is solid by Ron Yamauchi as Oscar, and Jimmy Yi as Felix.  These actors have the skills to perform the characters, but Asian actors never get to play such roles because traditionally they are not cast for traditionally “white” characters.  But if you live in North America, most of the roles become supporting characters or stereotyped cliches of Asians.  Bravo to Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre for purposely taking a classica Broadway play and re-visioning it for a potentially large pan-Asian audience in Metro-Vancouver.

Carmine Bernhardt and Lissa Neptuno play the sexy English neighbors upstairs, named Gwendolyn and Cecily Pigeon.  These two characters help create tension between Oscar and Felix and highlight the different attitudes not only between traditional and multi-generational values towards dating, but also between marriage and divorce.  Bernhardt and Neptuno bring a vital energy to their performances with their flirtations and silly giggles.  They act coy and suggestively in a way that no man could resist.  You almost wish you could be on stage with them, with the attention they pay to Oscar and Felix.

Bravo to Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre for pushing the racial boundaries of Vancouver theatre once again.  With limited resources, VACT is saying “Why can't we do this?” and turning colour blind casting and perceptions on it's head.

I look forward to VACT's future presentation of Rogers & Hammerstein's musical set in San Francisco's Chinatown, “Flower Drum Song”, which broke down racial stereotypes about Asians while reinforcing others.

Check out the latest trailer for The Odd Couple on YouTube, filmed during rehearsals for the upcoming Richmond production. 

www.vact.ca

Did Chinese discover BC first? Oldest new immigrants? DNA connections? Georgia Straight tackles the question?

Leave a reply

Did the Chinese discover North America 1000 years before Columbus?

“Who were BC's first seafarers?” is the cover feature on this week's Georgia Straight?

Daniel Wood writes a very interesting feature that addresses the Chinese legendary land of Fu Sang, interviews underwater acheologist enthusiast Tom Beasley, and explores the Gavin Menzies book 1421, the Year China Discovered the World.

I have written about connections between First Nations and Chinese people when Storyscapes was exploring the oral history of such meetings:  Vancouver Storyscapes: Where the Chinese met the First Nations peoples

It's not unfathomable that the Chinese discovered North America first.  Afterall, ancient Chinese civilization and science was much further advanced than European civilization circa 500 AD.  According to Menzies, the Chinese had huge boats 5X the size of Columbus' flagship.  A lot of trade and knowledge migrated to Japan from China, and Japanese glass fishing floats have regularly made their way to BC's shores, due to ocean currents.

I have often spoke with BC's First Nations people about Chinese-First Nations connections.  Afterall, my mother's blood cousin is Rhonda Larrabee, chief of the Qayqayt (New Westminster) First Nations.  Larry Grant, Musqueam elder, is half Chinese, like cousin Rhonda.

When I was up in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), I spoke with Haida people about the shared “mongolian birthmark” that both Chinese and First Nations people are born with.
Check out my stories:

Check it out:
http://www.straight.com/article-152876/who-were-bcs-first-seafarers?

Hapa Canada Day Eve!

Leave a reply

Canada Day Eve is one of the greatest celebration events not celebrated…


Hapa-Canadian “Standing on Guard for Thee”! original drawing by Jeff Chiba Stearns

Why don't we have a midnight countdown to celebrate our country's birthday?  Okay, there are fireworks celebrations at the end of Canada Day, but everybody has to go to work the next morning.  Aren't holidays better celebrated when you can stay up late the night before, then sleep in?

Last night, I met up with two friends, Leanne Riding and Judy Maxwell.  When I introduced them, it took only a few minutes before one of them said “Are you hapa?”

And this was in a darkened room!

If people think that “Canadian Identity”is a conundrum, try to define being Hapa.  It's a Hawaiian term that is now more commonly used to define mixed race Asian-Canadians and Asian-Americans.

My friend John Endo Greenaway writes this:

“Some people don’t like the term hapa, given its somewhat
derogatory roots, but many mixed Asian-Canadians/Amercians have
embraced it, although it has yet to enter the mainstream vocabulary.
But whatever term you want to use, hapas are here to stay. With a 90% intermarriage rate (give or take) Japanese Canadians are producing hapa children at a prodigious rate. Attend a Japanese Canadian gathering or event and chances are you’ll see hapa everywhere, ranging in age from infants to mid-thirties.”


http://www.canadiannikkei.ca/blog/what-is-hapa/

So…. back to Canada Day Eve….

With my two Hapa friends, we start talking about our “Hapa radars”, that intuitive sense that immediately lets us know when we think that somebody we've never met before is Hapa.  We talk about the reactions that people have to them, when people realize they are neither Asian nor Caucasian, but both.  We talk about the first time when I realized they were Hapa.

We go down to Kitsilano Beach, finding a secluded spot, watch dusk settle in because we just missed the sunset after 10pm.  We talk more about Hapa-ness… the beingness of Hapa, about our Hapa friends, our Hapa cousins, Hapa nieces and nephews.

We talk about Hapa friends like Jeff Chiba Stearns who is an animator, and created the Hapa short animation film “What Are You Anyways?” We talk about Brandy Lien-Worrall who is the editor of “All Mixed Up“an anthology chap book of Hapa poetry.

Maxwell and Riding… two very un-Asian sounding names.  But they
chatted on about how easy they can be mistaken for Asian or Caucasians
in different settings.  Both are very active in the Asian-Canadian
community.  Judy is presently a researcher for the Chinese Canadian
Military Museum, and has done many academic and conference
presentations because of her research on the Chinese disaspora and
migration patterns.  Leanne has been studying Asian-Canadian history
and is now active as co-president of Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop
and the Asian Canadian Organization, which started as a student
initiated project at UBC.

But both have family histories that
are rooted in the racial turmoils of our country.  Judy's
great-grandfather was a Member of Parliament that had pushed for the
Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, while Leanne's grandparents and great-grandparents had been interned during WW2 because they were of Japanese
ancestry.

They name me a “Honourary Hapa,” because of the community building work I do such as Gung Haggis Fat Choy, which they both totally love, and attended earlier this year, back in January.  They both made fun of me, because I couldn't initially remember where they were sitting in the room of 430 people, even though one of the them was sitting at the head table with me along with the Vancouver.

And then it dawns on me.  Being Canadian is being Hapa… and being Hapa is being Canadian.  Canada celebrates it's cultural diversity, and nowhere is that diversity better celebrated than in the mixed race DNA enhanced ethnicities of it's peoples… even better if it all rolled up in one.

With BC celebrating it's 150th Anniversary this year in 2008, we are reminded that Simon Fraser came down the “Fraser River” with a crew of Metis (French-First Nations mix), and BC's first Governor James Douglas was born in the Caribbean nation of Guyana of mixed Scottish and Creole bloodlines.  BC's history is Hapa…. and most people don't even realize it.

So… sitting on English Bay… (Somewhere there must be an original First Nations Name that can be chosen as a “rename”) we toasted to Canada's birthday eve, and our Hapa-ness.  And in our lively and wonderful conversations (which later moved to a Kitsilano area apartment), we had so much fun, we forgot to do a countdown to midnight until it was long past.

Here are some Hapa websites:

The Hapa Project

Eurasian Nation

MAVIN Foundation

Hapas.com

Meditating Bunny
Home page of Jeff Chiba Stearns, whose short animated film What Are You Anyways? deals with growing up hapa.

Halvsie
“For, by and about Half Japanese”

Todd Wong supports Raymond Louie's campaign to be Vancouver Mayor

Leave a reply

Vancouver city councilor Raymond Louie asked me to support his bid to be Vancouver Mayor.  Raymond would be a great mayor… I immediately said “Absolutely!”

CIMG0204

Raymond
stands in front of Historic Joy Kogawa House on April 25th, 2008.  This
was his first visit to the house, after supporting motions on city council to help save the house from demolition, and plant a cherry tree graft at Vancouver City Hall in 2005.  Raymond holds some of Joy Kogawa's books to share
with his wife and children – photo Todd Wong

Raymond Louie could be Vancouver's first Chinese-Canadian mayor.  He is
a multi-generational Vancouverite from the East Side.  He is a second
term Vancouver city councilor.

Raymond Louie has been getting some very significant endorsers including:

George Chow, Vision Vancouver Councillor
Joy MacPhail, former Deputy Premier and Leader of the Opposition
Doug McArthur, former Deputy Minister to the Premier
Wayson Choy, author of “The Jade Peony”
Richard Tetrault, artist
Darlene Marzari, former Vancouver City Councillor and B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs
Eddie Chan, Chairman Zhongshan Allied Association
David Black, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Local 378 Vice-President
Margaret Birrell, Community Activist
and now….. me!

  My statement of endorsement is now featured on Raymond Louie's website:

“Raymond Louie actually lives the culturally diverse Gung Haggis Fat
Choy lifestyle that is my creative world. His own family straddles many
cultures and many generations, and he actively demonstrates that he
understands the many facets that can make our city shine like a
diamond. I have seen how Raymond makes things happen as a city
councilor, bringing together different groups and perspectives such as
arts, economics, heritage and cultures. As a mayor that empowers others
to be their best, Raymond will be dynamic and our jewel of a city
should shine even brighter.”

Todd Wong, arts advocate and creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy

To support Raymond as the Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate, you have to
1) Join Vision as a member – click here!
2) Vote at the Vision Vancouver meeting on June 15th, Croatian Community Centre.

Raymond has recently made some wonderful statements on:

He has also currently “advocating for the
creation of a non-profit foundation that will establish a long-term
funding source for the chronically underfunded Childcare Endowment
Reserve.”

I have personally known Raymond since the fall of 2002, when he ran for
city council.  Initially, I met his wife Tonya first, because she was
on the board of Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, where I had
volunteered for, and then was hired as a program coordinator.  I
finally met Raymond at the Chinese Cultural Centre when Mike Harcourt
endorsed COPE mayoral candidate Larry Campbell. 

After that our
paths just seemed to keep crossing, as Raymond was invited to present
the Queen's Jubilee Medals to VAHMS board members Jim Wong-Chu and
Kuldip Gill. As well, Raymond attended the opening of the “Three
Pioneer Canadian Chinese Families” at the Chinese Cultural Centre
Museum and Archives.  My great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan's
family was featured, and I was one of the featured stories as a
descendant.  Raymond attended because he was distantly related to H.Y.
Louie, whose family was also featured along with the family of Lee-Bick.

I have seen Raymond at many events throughout Vancouver over the past 6 years.  He is an effective city councilor and is active in the community.

To see him in action at City Council check out this video:

YouTube – EgoDensity Round 1
Raymond Louie criticizes Mayor Sam Sullivan's Eco-Density program

Here are some of the highlights when Raymond and I have shared together:

Raymond_Louie

Raymond climbed on top of the Taiwanese Dragon Boat head… and reaches out to simulate grabbing a flag before crossing the finish line.  I taught him how to climb onto the dragon head – neglecting to tell him it had never been done in Canada before.  Raymond lost the demonstration race to Olympic medalist Lori Fung. – photo courtesy of Taiwanese Cultural Festival.

August to September 2003, Raymond Louie was instrumental in helping to launch the inaugural Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race.  Raymond helped stickhandle through bureaucratic channels during a Vancouver Port strike, and participated as the flag grabber vs '84 Olympic gold medalist Lori Fung in a demonstration race.

November 3rd, 2005, Raymond supported the Save Kogawa House campaign at Vancouver City Hall, when we appealed to City Council for help.  City council used an unprecedented motion to delay a demolition permit application by 3 months, to give us time to fundraise and purchase the house.  Raymond also said that this project was so important he asked all the city councilors to make a donation that day.

January 2006, Raymond brings his family with wife and 3 kids to Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.  The featured performers are Rick Scott & Harry Wong, and the No Shit Shirleys.

IMG_2578

July 2007, Raymond Louie calls for mediation to end the Vancouver civic workers' strike.  Mayor Sam Sullivan and the NPA decline mediation and let the “unnecessary strike” drag on for 3 months, before a mediator is finally called in on Thanksgiving weekend to settle a contract very similar to what other municipalities already settled for 3 months earlier.  Following a July 29th rally at Vancouver City Hall, Raymond Louie comes out to talk with members of Vancouver's civic unions.  I introduce him to my fellow workers of CUPE 391, Vancouver Library Workers – photo Todd Wong.

January 25th, 2008.  Raymond Louie appears on Rock 101's Bro Jake show with “Toddish McWong” to help promote the Gung Haggis Fat Choy event.

Gung Haggis 2008 Dinner 242

January 27th, 2008.  Raymond Louie wears a kilt to Gung Haggis Fat Choy. photo Gung Haggis collection.  A highlight of the evening is Raymond on stage with a group of men wearing kilts as a “Toast to the Lassies” chorus with co-host Catherine Barr – photo VFK.

Raymond Louie for mayor

March 13th, 2008, Vancouver Sun reports Raymond Louie's declaration to run for Vancouver mayor.  Raymond  invites me to be one of his supporters in this photo taken at the Chinese Cultural Centre courtyard.  I am standing on the far left with many key supporters of the Chinatown business and community organizers.  Dr. Kerry Jang is 5th from right – Kerry will run as a candidate for councilor with Vision Vancouver. photo Bill Keay Vancouver Sun.

Photo Library - 2645

April 6th, 2008.  Tartan Day is officially proclaimed in Vancouver. Raymond seconded the motion in City Council, moved by Heather Deal, which passed on April 1st.  As deputy mayor, Raymond reads the proclamation prior to a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team practice.  In this photo l-r: Chinese-Scottish-Canadian Michael Brophy holds the Scottish flag, Todd Wong, Raymond Louie holds proclamation, bagpiper Joe McDonald-  photo Todd Wong/Georgia Thorburn

CIMG0301

Raymond Louie speaks at the CUPE 391 Vancouver Library Workers annual general meeting.  He encouraged everybody to get involved in their union in order to help make positive changes.  He was very nicely received by the CUPE 391 audience.  In this picture, Raymond stands in front of another Vision mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson MLA for Vancouver-Fairview, while CUPE 391 president Alexandra Youngberg moderates – photo Todd Wong

Music for a New World special concert April 20 at Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver

Leave a reply

This sounds like an incredible concert!  World Music in a bottle marked Vancouver World Music Collective.

And I know and have performed with many of the featured musicians.  Silk Road Music's Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault have performed at Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner & First Night events since 2004.  In the past few years I have become a big fan or Orchid Ensemble's Lan Tung, as she plays her erhu.

Pepe Danza plays with Andre and Qiu Xia in the group Joutou which mixes French Canadian and Celtic with Chinese music styles.  I love Amy Stephen's accordion playing with Mad Pudding. And then add in all the other brilliant performers and styles from all over the world such as Khac Chi's Vietnamese stylings or the latin and african rhythms of their fellow World Music Collective musicians.

Too bad, I can't skip dragon boat practice on Sunday to attend.  I'd be there otherwise!

newworld.jpg

Music for a New World


Sunday, April 20

2 pm

From the Centennial Theatre website

This incredible collaboration brings together 17 of Vancouver’s best
world music artists in a one of a kind partnership in which influences
from around the world mix into a melting pot of sights and sounds.
Centred on a spirit of cooperation and collaboration, Music for a New World celebrates the diversity of world music.

Members include Amir Haghighi, Jou Tou, Khac Chi, the Masabo Culture
Company, Orchid Ensemble, Silk Road and Tzimmes. Together their music
draws from Quebecois, Uruguayan, Irish, Chinese, Vietnamese, West
African and Jewish roots. Performances include everything from ancient
traditional music, to jazz, Celtic, several Latin styles, contemporary
songs, as well as new music. It is an astounding collection of
experience and ability.

Join the celebration and experience the diversity and excitement of this unique musical event!

www.vancouverworldmusic.org

Music for a New World is presented in cooperation with the Vancouver International Children's Festival  http://www.childrensfestival.ca/

Music for a New World is presented in association with the
North Shore Multicultural Society    www.nsms.ca

Check out the Vancouver Sun Article:

Eclectic offering lets kids hear world music

Sunday afternoon's Music for A New World project, spearheaded by the Vancouver World Music Collective at North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre, …

Gung Haggis Fat Choy parade dragon and paddles on flickr

Leave a reply

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  It's the day after Celtic Fest and the Vancouver St. Patrick's Day parade.  I am still  wearing my green Gung Haggis Fat Choy t-shirt.

Being in a parade doesn't allow you to take pictures of your group, so it's always interesting to find pictures on flickr. 

Steven Duncan took some pictures of us setting up.  Check out his flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/9057324@N08/sets/72157604144696435/

IMG_6604 Michael Brophy gets in touch with his “inner dragon” – photo Steve Duncan (by permission)

  IMG_6563Julie and Hilary help Todd assemble the new parade dragon – photo Steve Duncan (by permission).

Check out these pictures by Click Kashmera's Buddy Icon to see more photos
By Kashmera

Stuart MacKinnon and I sat on the front of my car with our kilts on… and paddled.  We tried to get a dragon boat named “Fraser” into the parade, but it ran into trailer problems.  So we improvised.  It was quite funny, because a few people yelled out “Where's your boat?”  And Stuart insisted on paddling with my Chinese dragon hand puppet stuck on his hand.  I don't think I ever saw it come off, until there was a glass of Guinness in his hand after the parade.

DSC_4464 Gung Haggis Fat ChoyDSC_4460 Gung Haggis Fat Choy
DSC_4457 Gung Haggis Fat ChoyDSC_4459 Gung Haggis Fat Choy


Our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team carried our new Chinese parade dragon.
Below Raphael and Leanne lead the dragon, while Michael wears a Chinese lion head
and terrorizes the volunteers!

DSC_4450 Gung Haggis Fat ChoyDSC_4452 Gung Haggis Fat Choy

Gung Haggis Fat Choy puts a dragon (not a snake) in the 5th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Leave a reply

Gung Haggis Fat Choy puts a dragon (not a snake) in the 5th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.


Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon team: Stuart holds the paddles, while Joy, Deb, Hillary, Richard, Michael and Leanne (out of picture) hold up our new parade dragon! – photo Julie

The 15 foot long Chinese dragon undulated up and down in the air above the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Vancouver’s Granville Street.   A mini version of the larger 10 or 20 person dragons used in Chinatown Chinese New Year parades, it jerked hesitantly. Five Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team members carried short poles sporting a yellow body with red scales and blue and yellow ridge.

It flowed unsure of itself, as the leader lowered and raised the head and the body followed.  It ran from one side of the road to the other, slowing down to flap its mouth and pay attention to the children.

A Chinese dragon in a St. Patrick’s Day Parade?  Didn’t St. Patrick drive the snakes out of Ireland?  

Ahh… but this is multi-inter-cultural Vancouver.  Dragon boaters paddle in kilts, and bagpipers perform in the Chinese New Year Parade.  And the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner serves up deep-fried haggis won tons.  Welcome to Vancouver!

Yesterday I was in Chinatown looking for some kind of dragon to use for our parade entry.  I had only learned the day before that the trailer used for Fraser Valley dragon boats had some safety issues.  Damn!  

It would have been very cool to put a “Fraser” dragon boat into the Celtic Fest St. Patrick’s Day parade, and have our dragon boat team members wearing the Hunting Fraser tartans (okay we call them “sport tartans”).

I checked around to try to find a Vancouver area dragon boat and trailer to use as a replacement.  But no luck.

For the first three years of the festival, I had featured a Taiwanese dragon boat, that we pulled on a trailer.  Very colourful.  Very ornate.  Very good audience reaction, as we “paddled” on the boat and banged the drum.

But this year… Sorry – no dragon boat… so we improvised…

I looked in Chinatown stores at seven foot long plastic expandable dragon decorations.  They looked cheap.  Some looked pretty cool, with bright jewel cellophane coloured assembled pieces for its head.  $49.

But then I saw a larger cloth covered dragon for $148, like the kind used in the Chinatown parades, but with only two poles.

Then I saw a large dragon face staring at me, with a large pink tongue sticking out.  A large round body, stretching 16 feet long alongside the staircase leading to the second floor.  Wow!  It’s  yellow head was about the same size as the large Chinese Lion head mask that I have.  I wanted it!

A big commitment buying a parade dragon like that.  As I was looking at it, a woman said to me, “ Are you Todd Wong?”  My daughter Shane did a lion dance at Gung Haggis Fat Choy!”

“Hi… uh… that’s great!  Nice to see you… was that at SFU?” I answered  (I didn’t remember ever having a Lion Dance at a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner).

“No… it was about a month ago, in Seattle!” She said, “My name is Sam.”

In Seattle Bill McFadden had organized a grand Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner with 5 Lion Dancers.  The mother and daughter had popped up to Vancouver from Seattle for the day, just to see a martial arts demonstration earlier that day on Saturday.  We had a wonderful conversation about Lion dancing, and what a beautiful dragon we were looking at.

“We don’t have a dragon at our school,” they said.  “This dragon is gorgeous!  It would be great to have.”

I bought the dragon.

The weather was chilly today for the March 16 parade this morning, high overcast.  But 5 Years…. and NO RAIN!!!  Incredible! 

 

Our dragon boat team members started assembling about 10:15am.  It took awhile for some of us to find us, because our car had been “temporarily” ushered into the “walkers” area instead of the “motorized” area, so that we could unload the car and decorate it.

Our paddlers marveled at the new dragon making its’ public debut.  We struggled trying to screw in the poles to the dragon.  We put green Gung Haggis Fat Choy shirts on our participants.  We put kilts on the people who didn’t show up in them.  We put green plastic bowler hats on the men or tiaras on the women, and we gave everybody mardi-gras style green, purple and blue beads.

We were festive.  We were fun.  We were happening!

People seemed to like the Chinese dragon we had on 5 poles…
and the Chinese lion head character….  Michael lead the dragon first.  He is 1/2 Chinese, 1/8 Irish and 1/8 Scottish.  Following and supporting the dragon were Leanne, Richard, Hillary and Joy.  

Lots of interaction with the audience, playing to the cameras… giving attention to the children.  Raphael and Stuart carried dragon boat paddles.  I wore the large Lion Head mask.

Todd Wong and Lion Head mask – photo Michael Brophy

We got lots of crowd reaction, when Raphael and I started sitting over the front fenders on the car hood, paddling dragon boat style.

In the parade we saw lots of great pipe bands, Irish dancers, Scottish highland dancers and even horses and Irish Wolf Hounds.

It was nice to see a Korean parade entry, and a Chinese Falun Dufa entry.  Apparently for the Chinatown parade – they wouldn't let Falun Dufa participate, because it is a “hot issue” for the Chinese embassy.  And I even found two Chinese bagpipers.  Xi “Jonsey” is in the J.P. Fell pipe band and Fu Cheong is in the Irish Pipes and Drums.

Jonesy Wu and Todd Wong – Celtic loving Chinese-Canadians in kilts – photo Michael Brophy

After the parade, we visited the Celtic village set up on Granville St., then dipped into Ceili's Irish Bar for some food and well-deserved Guinness beer.  It was great to be back at the very site where Thursday night, I had won the inaugural “Battle of the Bards” playing Robbie Burns!

But I couldn't stay long, as we still had a dragon boat team practice, and I was coaching!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to the Celtic Fest organizers for having us in the parade.  We are glad to add  a multicultural aspect to the festival, and hope to organize an event for “Celtic-Asian-Canadians” next year – celebrating Celtic-Asian-Canadian literature, music and arts!

The rain started about 4:30pm in Vancouver after the most successful St. Patrick’s Day Parade ever.

The secret is out: Fortune Cookies aren't really Chinese…

Leave a reply

I never thought Fortune Cookies were Chinese. 

They were always written in English, never in Chinese.  Our friends had their own Fortune Cookie factory near Chinatown. I even toured in it.

Jennifer 8 Lee has now written a book called The Fortune Cookie Chronicles.  She writes how so-called North American “Chinese food” is really not Chinese at all – but Mainstream American.

Lee exposes all the myths about North American Chinese food, myths that Chinese-Canadians and Chinese-Americans have known for generations – but White Americans are just learning about.  Geez… first the Easter Bunny, then Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, and now Fortune Cookies!

Check out this article “How the fortune cookie crumbles” by Nina Lalli.
http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/2008/03/11/fortune_cookie_chronicles/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/food/eat_drink

Gung Haggis dragon boat team is part of World Class BC on Global News show Feb 26

Leave a reply

Dragon boat racing really does represent cultural diversity in BC.  The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team is really honoured that we were asked by Global News to represent this topic for their program World Class BC on Feb 26, in a story by Elaine Yong, who shared with me that her husband is Scottish Canadian, and she is sometimes called McYong.  Guess we will have to recruit her for the team!

I watched the airing of the story at a friend's home, where we were having a farewell dinner party for author Sharon Butala.  Sharon has been helping the Historic Joy Kogawa House Committee with grant applications to create a writer-in-residence program, and has been staying at Joy's apartment in Vancouver's West End. 

Sharon shared with me, that she really enjoyed seeing the cultural diversity on Robson St.  Not only were there lots of different students from all across Asia, but people from all over the world, and even men holding hands.  Coming from tiny Eastend, Sasketchewan, Sharon said that it felt like being in a different world.  The great thing she said, was that everybody was happy.  Vancouver's tolerance for racial and lifestyle differences is very high, and this has given support for helping create our cultural diversity in BC. 

And then we heard Global News anchor Deborah Hope say that cultural diversity is one of the things that makes BC World Class.  “It's on!” I called to everybody upstairs to come watch the show with us.  Very appropriately, the feature unfolded with stories about First Nations canoes and carving, featuring Nu-Chal-Nuth carvers Joe Martin and Douglas David.

“Gung Haggis, Gung Haggis, Gung Haggis Fat Choy!” we heard the team cheer.  And we saw the team loading up the dragon boat team.  Elaine Yong explains that Dragon boating is part of a 1000 year tradition from China, and our team blends together Scottish history and culture.  Todd Wong (me) is interviewed and  Elaine states the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team is in training for the 20th Vancouver dragon boat Festival, now North America's largest, and one of the biggest outside Hong Kong.

You can see the Global News feature on the web

Go to:
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/bc/video/index.html

Scroll down to:
WORLD CLASS BC FEB 26
fast forward to 1:34 to 2:27 for Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.

World Class BC Feb 26.
1) Joe Martin carves Nu-Chal-Nuth First Nations canoes
2) Douglas David carves Nu-Chal-Nuth First Nations masks
3) Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team with Todd Wong
4) Bangra Dancing with Raakhi Sinha

Additionally,
you can see the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team featured on a ZDF
German Public Television travelogue titled “Toronto to Vancouver, by
Train.” 
http://wstreaming.zdf.de/zdf/veryhigh/071219_toronto_vancouver.asx
go to the 54 minute mark to find us!

This show aired December 2007 across Europe.  The race shots were filmed at the ADBF sprint regatta.  Here's the blog story: http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2007/4/14/2881088.html

Indo-Canadian fusion with Highland Dancing, Jazz music and Bhangra

Leave a reply

Tarun Nayar of Beats Without Borders occasionally sends me announcements of upcoming events and concerts.  Last night he and the group Delhi 2 Dublin performed at the CBC studios.  We met at the first Delhi 2 Dublin concert – back in March 2006 – see my review:
St. Paddy's Eve in Vancouver – What is a man in a kilt to do? –

Looks like a nice line up of South Asian music with some cross-cultural fusion.  Especially the Transfusion dance show where “Flamenco blurs into Kathak, and
Bhangra is intertwined with Celtic.”

I have seen Kiran Ahluwalia both performing traditional ghazal songs as well as her performance in the jazz opera Quebecite – written by Chinese-Afro-Canadian D.D. Jackson with lyrics by Afro-MicMac-Canadian George Eliot Clarke.

Kiran Ahluwalia
Saturday Feb 23, 8pm
Christ Church Cathedral (690 Burrard St)
Tickets: 604.872.5200 or http://www.ticketmaster.ca
 
Kiran
is great! Check her out if you can… From the organizers:  “Ahluwalia
sings original ghazals and Punjabi folk songs, backed by her five piece
ensemble; featuring tabla, harmonium, guitar, and bass. She is a multi
award- winning artist, known for her lush compositions, stellar voice
and captivating live performances.  Her most recent album, Wanderlust
(Times Square/Fusion3) is a strikingly beautiful work just nominated
for World Music Album of the Year at the 2008 Juno Awards.”

———————————————————————————————
Rez Abbasi's Bazaar

Sunday, Feb 24. 4:30pm
Performance Works (Granville Island)
FREE
From
the organizers: “This all-star band will delight fans of Shakti, Trilok
Gurtu, and other world-jazz fusion masters. New York-based guitarist
Rez Abbasi whose organic mix of jazz with elements of Indian classical
music creates a singular and distinctive sound leads the group. With
Juno Award winning vocalist Kiran Ahluwalia, Hammond B-3 organ player
Sam Barsh, and drummer Dan Weiss in tow this stimulating cultural
crossover is rhythmically captivating and utterly mesmerizing.”
———————————————————————————————
Transfusion
indian dance inter-relationships

Friday Feb 29 and Sat March 1, 8pm
Vancouver International Film Centre (1181 Seymour Street)
Tix 18$ from ticketmaster or at 604.280.4444

Co-presented
by the VIBC Society and the Cultural Olympiad, this unique event blends
contemporary and traditional folk dance styles spanning the
subcontinent of India and reaching as far West as the Latin world and
the Highlands of Scotland. Watch as Flamenco blurs into Kathak, and
Bhangra is intertwined with Celtic in this presentation of folk dances
from around the world. Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Afro-contemporary,
Chinese, Balinese, Flamenco, Kathak, Bhangra, Breakdance, Celtic – all
re-interpreted with a heavy dose of multimedia. With dancers Sitara
Thobani, Chengxin Wei, Stu Iguidez, Raakhi Sinha, and many many more.
This is gonna be hot!!!!

———————————————————————————————
Bhangra Love
the City of Bhangra dance party

Thursday March 6, 9pm
The Red Room (398 Richards)
Tix 10$ @ the door

The
BWB crew's biggest annual party, and the kick off to the VIBC festival.
Killer acts including DJ Sandeep Kumar from LA, live bhangra from the
city's hottest bhangra band, En Karma, and a special dance performance
pitting bhangra dancers vs street dancers. More fun times at the red
room! This party will sell out, so come nice and early…

———————————————————————————————
City of Bhangra

For more info about this awesome stretch of events check http://www.vibc.org/cityofbhangra