Category Archives: Multicultural events

Aboriginal Poetry at the Chinese Cultural Centre on Sunday noon until 9pm

I've always liked the words of Chief Dan George known as “Lament for Confederation“

How long have I known you, Oh Canada? A hundred years?
Yes, a hundred years. And many, many seelanum more. And today,
when you celebrate your hundred years, Oh Canada, I am sad for
all the Indian people throughout the land.

For I have known you when your forests were mine; when they gave
me my meat and my clothing. I have known you in your streams
and rivers where your fish flashed and danced in the sun, where
the waters said 'come, come and eat of my abundance.' I have
known you in the freedom of the winds. And my spirit, like the
winds, once roamed your good lands…..

Will these words be repeated?

Saturday Nov 22
Chinese Cultural Centre
50 East Pender Street

Check out:
Strong Words

-a free celebration of
aboriginal poetry is taking place from noon till 9 p.m.

The words of
Chief Dan George (shown here), George Clutesi, and Pauline Johnson will
be celebrated with readings, alongside appearances by Lee Maracle, Greg
Scofield, and others.

HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY B.C. Douglas Day 2008 at Ft. Langley

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HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY B.C.
Douglas Day 2008 at Ft. Langley

This is the birthday cake given out at the Ft. Langley Community Library. I sneaked a peek, while everybody else was having the cupcakes following the opening of Spirit Square. – photo Todd Wong

James Douglas and his wife Amelia, follow a bagpiper from the newly opened “Spirit Square” to historic Ft. Langley – photo Todd Wong

2008_Nov15 244 Royal Engineer greets visitors to Historic Ft. Langley – photo Todd Wong

2008_Nov15 241 Todd Wong with Jean Barman, author of British Columbia: Spirit of the People, and Judy, president of the Friends of Historic Ft. Langley.

All proceeds of the book sales went to Friends of Fort Langley National Historic Site. I've known Jean for a number of years, she is one of BC's most prolific authors of history. It's always great to see her. Yes, I finally bought a copy of the book, British Columbia: Spirit of the People, published by Howard White's Harbour Publishing. It's a beautiful coffee table book, filled with incredible pictures and stories.

2008_Nov15 212 Lisa Pepin volunteers at Fort Langley, and counts her ancestors back 160 years back to the Fort's beginnings. – photo Todd Wong

Lisa is part of the Royal Engineers. I first met her when they took part in the ill-fated SeaVancouver Festival in 2005. She tells fascinating stories about Fort Langley's history which includes her own ancestors. Check out the webpage

2008_Nov15 276 Kwantlen drummers perform on stage for the evening concert – photo Todd Wong

2008_Nov15 301 The Higgins performed during the evening concert

2008_Nov15 305 I really liked this picture. It was evening, the concert was going, the stars were out. You can see the old style Union Jack flag on top of the flag pole, The banner tells the event for Douglas Day and BC 150 Celebrations. You can see the Big House behind the banner and the flag. – photo Todd Wong

See more photos:

BC 150 at Ft. Langley

Ping Pong Playa opens in Vancouver: imagine a hip hop speaking basketball playing NBA wannabe – but he is Chinese?

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Ping Pong Player: Imagine a Chinese Will Smith playing table tennis with attitude

“C-Dub Wang” – the hippest hoppest ping pong player ever to wear a basketball jersey – in the movie Ping Pong Playa.

I just checked out the on-line preview of Ping Pong Playa.

Forget James Bond and Quantuum of Solace – I want to see THIS movie now!!!
http://www.pingpongplaya.com/us/index.html

Girl meets Boy, doesn't like Boy – Boy finds a way to win Girl. Smith Cho plays Jennifer and Jimmy Tsai plays C-Dub Wang.

Here's a message from my friend Joyce Lam of Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre

Dear Friends

I saw this movie at the Vancouver Asian Film
Festival and it is the BEST movie I've seen all year… if I could
nominate this movie for Best Picture and Best Male Lead Actor, I would.
Check it out yourself and Enjoy.

Joyce

Here is a message from Jimmy Tsai and Jessica Wu, members of the PING PONG PLAYA Production….

We
are extremely thrilled to write to you about the upcoming release of
our movie PING PONG PLAYA beginning November 14th! It's an exciting
time–but here's where we need your help. We'll let the movie speak for
itself (if the reactions of people who have seen the movie is any
indication, we firmly believe you won't be disappointed), but we need
your help to spread the word about the release of the movie.
Independent movies don't have the marketing budget to compete against
the mammoth studio movies, but what we do have is intense, strong
word-of-mouth (just check out any of a number of our reviews–from
outlets large and small, from critics, bloggers, and chat room posters
alike).

Please help us continue to spread the word and come
check out the movie opening weekend (Nov. 14th at the CINEMARK
TINSELTOWN VANCOUVER. 88 West Pender, V6B6N9).

Our website: www.pingpongplaya.com

See you at the theaters soon,

Jimmy Tsai – Writer/Co-Producer/2nd Assistant Production Accountant
Jessica Yu – Director-Writer
Joan Huang – Producer
Anne Clements – Producer
Jeffrey Gou – Executive Producer

100 years of South Asian-Candian Music and History + Delhi 2 Dublin info

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My friend Tarun Nayar – one of the geniuses behind Delhi 2 Dublin sends me this message about 100 years of South Asian-Canadian BC history:

Hello South Asian music fans,

There
are a few very interesting things happening in the next couple of
weeks. Next week there's a whole variety pack of great talks, events,
and music to mark over 100 years of South Asian presence in Canada. In
1908, as the population of South Asians in BC grew to 5000, the
Canadian government passed the 'Continuous Journey' law to prohibit
further immigration. The events next week commemorate the long journey
it's been since then, the many twists and turns that have transformed
Canada into the amazing country it is today, and the work we have to do
in the future. More info below and at: http://www.southasianevents.blogspot.com/. An added bonus: all the events are FREE.

Also
next week, check the Delhi 2 Dublin Remix CD release party. It should
be outlandishly fun, and will pack out, so pick up your ticket ahead of
time!

Until next time,

and hope to see you soon,

Tarun

http://www.myspace.com/taruntspoon

Vote for Kilt wearers in the upcoming Vancouver civic election! Mackinnon… Louie… Deal… Robertson… Chow… Stevenson and Capri

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Everybody talks about the Chinese block voting… what about Scottish-Celtic block voting?

Wear a kilt and go after the Scottish-Celtic ethnic vote!

Vancouver, BC and Canada all have long Scottish-influenced roots. Vancouver's first Mayor, Malcolm Alexander Maclean, was born in Scotland. Canada's first two Prime Ministers Sir John A. MacDonald Alexander Mackenzie. BC's first governor Sir James Douglas was raised in Scotland, after being born in British Guyana to a Scottish father and a Creole mother. And then there are rivers named after Scottish-Canadian explores Alexander Mackenzie and Simon Fraser.

Read the Scottish Page from “The History of Metropolitan Vancouver” http://www.vancouverhistory.ca

Vancouver
Green Party Parks Board candidate
Stuart Mackinnon with COPE school board candidate Bill Bargeman. Bill
and Stuart current and retired school teachers and are past president
and vice-president of BCTF local 39.1 Stuart bought his kilt outfit last year soon after joining the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, and wore it with the team in a documentary about Vancouver's multiculturalism for German Public Television. Stuart's kilt is primarily Green – like his party. – photo Todd Wong

Vision Vancouver candidates for council and mayor,
Raymond Louie and Gregor Robertson attended the 2008 Gung Haggis Fat Choy
Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner with VIP host Deb Martin. Raymond joined a kilted “Toddish McWong” on Rock 101's Bro Jake Show on Robbie Burns Day this year. In this photo Raymond is wearing the Royal Stuart tartan, while Gregor wears his Robertson family tartan – photo
VFK / Todd Wong collection.

DSC_0001 by you.
Tartan Day (April 6) was proclaimed for City of Vancouver, on April 3, 2008. It was moved by councilor Heather Deal and seconded by Raymond Louie. Mayor Sam Sullivan and many city councilors have supported the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner over the years. In this picture Tim Stevenson is holding the Fraser Hunting Tartan backwards. He said after I corrected him “I can't do anything straight!”

Councilor Heather Deal is wearing a tartan skirt. Bagpiper Allan McMordie wears his full dress outfit. Mayor Sullivan and councilors BC Lee and George Chow wear tartan sashes. Toddish McWong wears the Fraser Hunting Tartan, as does councilor Kim Capri in the mini-kilted version.

Todd Wong (centre right in red vest) wears the tartan on St. Patrick’s Day, along with Nathalie Coulombe (right) and others at Doolan’s Pub.
View Larger Image and Story – click here!
Here's the best photo opportunity for a city councilor in a kilt! English-born but Michigan-raised Vancouver City Councilor Heather Deal came to the April Kilts Night, and her family tartan graced the Vancouver Sun photo. It was Heather who helped develop the Tartan Day proclamation and moved it at Vancouver City Hall on April 1st.

It was councilor Raymond Louie who as deputy mayor, actually read the proclamation on April 6th Tartan Day at a ceremony at Creekside Park, with the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.
see story:
A Tartan Day dragon boat paddle practice… with bagpiper and proclamation reading

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe & Drum band makes its performance debut for Remembrance Day!

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Bob Wilkins has created the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe & Drum Band. First public performances are Remembrance Day at 3 legion halls.

Bob Wilkins and band mates performed at the Billy Bishop Legion on Remembrance Day at 4pm – photo Todd Wong (updated 11:58)

Bob Wilkins is a man with a vision. He wanted to create a
multicultural bagpipe band that would reflect not only BC's Scottish
history, but also it's Chinese history, and the contemporary cultural
fusion of Gung Haggis Fat Choy.

The band includes members of
Wilkins' former band the 78th Fraser Highlanders, where Bob was Pipe
Major. He is also a recent graduate of Simon Fraser University – so we
are alumni kin.

Members of the “Gung Haggis Fat Choy” pipe band playing with a Chinese drum. Founder Bob Wilkins (kneeling) with Gung Haggis Fat Choy founder Todd Wong (far left) and band mates – photo Craig Brown.

Over the past year, Bob had been discussion plans to be involved with the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year events with Todd Wong, creator of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy. They discovered a mutual appreciation of BC history, and the appeal of sharing it through music and activities. Then at one point, Bob came up with the idea of a “Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipes & Drums” band that could fuse together Scottish and Chinese influences – both musical and historical.

2008_Oct 006 by you.
The
Gung Haggis Fat Choy “dragon wearing a Scottish tam” logo can be seen
on the chest of Bob Wilkins, leader and creator of the Gung Haggis Fat
Choy Pipe & Drum band – photo Todd Wong

The band is in its infancy phase, and is starting to raise funds for equipment and uniforms. Todd came down to a practice one evening and brought some of the team shirts used by the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. It features a logo with a Chinese dragon wearing a Scottish tam hat. The colour red represents good luck in Chinese culture, and is also a prominent colour in many tartans such as the Royal Stuart.

Bob was very excited to show Todd the new drums. They are wooden, and “old style” and similar to what was used one hundred years ago – very historically accurate. Bob explained they are lighter than the metal drums used by many contemporary pipe and drum bands. Todd brought a small Chinese drum, and the band members marvelled at it's clear crisp sound.

Imagine a Scottish bagpipe band marching down the street, accompanied by Chinese drums and Chinese Lion dancers…. or a Chinese dragon! Gung Haggis Fat Choy cultural fusion realized and taken to another level!

So far, other planned events will include the January 25th Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, and the Celtic Fest St. Patrick's Day Parade in March.

But on Remembrance Day, the brand new “Gung Haggis Fat Choy pipe & drum band” performs at:

12pm Royal Canadian Legion (West Point Grey) #142
3679 West Broadway @ Alma

2pm Legion
Kerrisday Branch #30
2177 Est 42nd Ave in Kerrisdale,

4pm Billy Bishop Legion #176
1407 Laburnum Street in Kitsilano (just North of Cornwall).

Bob sent me this message:

Feel
free to pass along my email and phone number, etc., to anyone on your
crew who wants to learn to drum or needs further info for anything.
Purchasing them an instrument will be a priority over uniforms if
they're willing to commit the effort to learn.
Also, some of our guys would like to learn to Dragon Boat. I'm not sure if they want to try it once or join full bore, though.
Cheers, Bob

See pictures of some of the members of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe Band:

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipes…

Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub + 6th Anniversary!

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Kilts Night is the first Thursday of every month at Doolin's Irish Pub

Kilts Night gang celebrates with Doolin's chef Jorge Franco – a Guatemalan-Canadian who can wear a kilt! Todd Wong, Debbie Poon, Jorge, Terry “Bear” Varga, Marion Poy and Tim Renaud (bassist for the band Halifax Wharfrats).

Kilts Night on Thursday was also Doolin's 6th Anniversary. I arrived about 6pm, to hear Mark Downey singing U2 songs on his acoustic guitar. Mark and I met for the Celtic Fest event “Battle of the Bards.” He played Irish poet William Butler Yeats, and I played Scottish Poet Robert Burns. Guess who won… Toddish McWong & Battle of the Bards at Celtic Fest

It was a fun evening with lots of entertainment. I had a great chat with Kathleen from The Celtic Connection newspaper. She took a picture of me, and wants to do an interview about my upcoming Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner for 2009 – the 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns' birthday.

Our Kilts Night gang contains a number of our team paddlers from the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. We really enjoy the celtic-tinged Canadiana music performed by the Halifax Wharf Rats led by Brian and Michelle, with Rick on drums and Tim on bass.

Doolin's manager Jay Mangan tied down the ballons so that patrons had a better view of the Irish step dancers! – photo Todd Wong

Three high-steppin' lassies performed some Irish dancing – photo Todd Wong

See more pictures on my flickr site:

Kilts Night November 2008

NAAAP honours Harry Aoki, Robert Fung and Maggie Ip for their leadership

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NAAAP Vancouver wanted to put their 2008 Spotlight on Leadership Celebration on newsmakers “who innovate, educate and collaborate” to make Metro Vancouver a better community

Even host Jaeny Baik, of CBC TV's Living Vancouver, congratulates Robert Fung for the business and professional achievement category, as NAAAP Communications Chair Sharon Mah presents the award – photo Todd Wong

Wednesday
November 5th
7-9pm

Robert Fung
Honouree Business and Professional Achievement
Developer, heritage and sustainability advocate

Harry Aoki
Honouree Arts and Media
Composer, Musician

Maggi Ip
Honouree Community Service and Cultural Promotion
Co-founder of SUCCESS

Nominees attending
Anna Fung
Joyce Lam
Karin Lee
Raymond Louie
Indira Prahst

It was amazing to discover that so many of my friends were nominated.
I first met Robert Fung when he was chair of the Canadian International Dragon Boat Society when I was on the race committee in 2001. I have known Maggie Ip, mostly through her husband Kelly, and because of both their community work. Harry has been a wonderful musical friend since 2002 when he first attended a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, and we have performed together many times since. He has been a valuable advisor for the Save Kogawa House campaign.

Raymond Louie, Vancouver city councilor was a nominee
for community service and cultural promotion. Here he watches the
events, sitting between Harry Aoki and Robert Fung, with Maggis Ip –
photo Todd Wong

2008_Nov5 011 My friend Karin Lee and mutual friend Harley Wylie + Karin's daughters and mother – photo Todd Wong

2008_Nov5 009 Nominees Anna Fung, Joyce Lam, Indira Prahst and Karin Lee – photo Todd Wong

I've known Raymond Louie since 2002, when I first met his wife when she was on the board of Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society. Since then, Raymond and I continue to cross paths on many issues and events. He was a big supporter of our “Save Kogawa House” campaign. This year, I was a member of his committee for his bid to win the mayoral nomination for Vision Vancouver.

I first met Joyce Lam when she was one of NAAAP's event coordinators. It has been a pleasure to attend her events for Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre where she is founder and president.

Karin Lee is a film maker, and I got to know her during the 2005-2006 campaign for Chinese Head Tax Redress. Last year, we featured her as a guest presenter at a Canadian Club Vancouver luncheon for Asian Heritage Month.

I met Anna Fung earlier this year in April, when we both received BC Community Achievement Awards from Premier Gordon Campbell at Government House.

See more pictures on my Flickr account:

NAAAP Spotlight on Leadership

Barack Obama is the 1st “Aloha Spirit” Hawaiian US President – not just Black & White!

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Barack Obama is now president-elect for the United States. The media keeps saying that he is the first Black-American president. But is this true?

Barack Obama, third from left at rear, in 1972 with his fifth-grade
class in a photograph from Na Opio, the yearbook of the Punahou School.

The AFP printed this story History as Obama elected America's first black president

If Barack Obama's mother was a White American woman from Kansas, and his father was
a Black man from Africa – doesn't this make him a
Black&White-American?

If American speed skater Apolo Ohno became U.S. president, would they
say he was the first Eurasian president? Or the first Asian-American
President? Or the first President of Japanese ancestry?

Since Obama was raised in Hawaii, isn't he really the first Hawaiian
President? ….The way that George Bush was a Texan president, Jimmy
Carter was a Georgian president, and Bill Clinton was an Alabaman
president?

I think it is so fitting, that Barack was raised in Hawaii. I have
always found Hawaii to be a very inclusive multi-cultural society. So
many people from all around the world have settled in Hawaii, including
Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Samoans, Portuguese, Caucasians… and
Americans…. and Canadians too!

In Hawaii, if you are half-white, you are called a “Hapa Haole.” The
term “Hapa” is now used to describe people who are of mixed Asian
ethnicity.

In Hawaii, there is the “Aloha Spirit.” “Aloha” is the Hawaiian word for “hello.” And it also means “Love.”

Obama has a half-sister who is half-Asian. In a March 17, 2007 New York Times story Charisma and a Search for Self in Obama’s Hawaii Childhood, she says:

“I think Hawaii gave him a sense that a lot of different
voices and textures can sort of live together, however imperfectly, and
he would walk in many worlds and feel a level of comfort.”
said Ms. Soetoro-Ng, the child of Mr. Obama’s mother from another
marriage, who remains close to him.
“People from very far-away places collide here, and cultures collide,
and there is a blending and negotiation that is constant.”

Media commentators on CNN said that Obama did not make this election a
race issue. Instead he emphasized inclusiveness. He spoke about hope,
instead of fear. He talked about working together.

It is now a time when people from all races must work together. When
people from all countries, and all continents must work together.

To me… I think the issue is not that Obama is Black-American or
Half-White American… but he is All-American. Barack Obama is
striving to inspire all Americans, and all humans to be the best that
we can be, and to work together by helping each other.

Barack Obama is bringing the Aloha spirit to the American presidency and hopefully to the world.

Gung HAGGIS Fat Choy

Toddish McWong's Misadventures in Multiculturalism: through arts, culture, food, dragon boats, travel + more…

Category Archives: Multicultural events

Aboriginal Poetry at the Chinese Cultural Centre on Sunday noon until 9pm

HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY B.C. Douglas Day 2008 at Ft. Langley

BC 150 at Ft. Langley

100 years of South Asian-Candian Music and History + Delhi 2 Dublin info

Vote for Kilt wearers in the upcoming Vancouver civic election! Mackinnon… Louie… Deal… Robertson… Chow… Stevenson and Capri

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe & Drum band makes its performance debut for Remembrance Day!

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipes…

Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub + 6th Anniversary!

Kilts Night November 2008

NAAAP honours Harry Aoki, Robert Fung and Maggie Ip for their leadership

NAAAP Spotlight on Leadership

Barack Obama is the 1st “Aloha Spirit” Hawaiian US President – not just Black & White!