Category Archives: Multicultural events

Toddish McWong finds another White Christmas in Vernon '08

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It's not every Christmas that you can be snow bound and car-less in the Okanagan, yet spend the day walking dogs in a park, after seeing a bobcat in the morning.  Boxing Day's gift was 15 cm of fresh Okanagan champagne powder snow at Silver Star ski resort.  And this morning I was canoeing on beautiful crystal clear Kalamalka Lake, while it was snowing!  And then there was the company… as I spent Christmas week in Vernon BC with my girlfriend's family.

CHRISTMAS EVE DAY: SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS
Christmas Eve Day started with transferring car ownership papers between father and son at the Vancouver General Insurance Agency in North Vancouver's Edgemont Village.  The Village street lights were decorated like humongous candy canes.  I don't think I've ever seen Edgemont Village so crowded before.  My usual haunts in the village are Delaney's Coffee, 32 Books, Vancouver Kidsbooks, and Village Wines.  My parents got a new car, so I was the lucky recipient of their now former '96 Acura Integra. Wonderful generous Christmas gift!  But now I was about 2 hours late picking up my friends for our trip to Vernon BC, to spend Christmas with my girlfriend and her family.

In Vancouver's West End, my dragon boat team mate Stephen loaded up his gear in the Integra's trunk.  My accordion took up most of the room, but we rearranged our backpacks to fit.  Once on our way, Stephen told me that he heard my name mentioned on CBC radio.  He said that there aren't many Chinese-Canadians writing a blog about inter-cultural adventures in Vancouver…. so it had to be me.  Margaret Gallagher, the co-host of the radio show Flavour of the Week had read my contribution to their  Flavour of the week Facebook group, answering the topic of Favorite Christmas Dishes.  Read my contribution here: hint – (it's stuffing!)  Stephen was surprised to learn that Maggie Gallagher was half-Chinese… but not too surprised to learn that she was a friend or that she had ridden on our Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat float for Vancouver's St. Patrick's Day parade.

Next we picked up my girlfriend's friend Zsuzsanna.  The trunk was full, so her suitcase sat on the passenger backseat beside her.   And off we were, 1:30pm, only 2 1/2 hours later than my hoped for departure time.  But the sun was shining, and the traffic was light.  We took turns choosing music for the drive.  B.B. King Christmas was followed by Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, and Yo Yo Ma's Tango album.

The weather was good into the Fraser Valley, but beyond Hope the weather turned wet and nasty.  Sleet accompanied up up the Coquihalla, quickly turning to snow as we climbed higher.  Past the toll both, we drove to an almost clear moonlit sky all the way to Vernon.  We arrived for Christmas Eve dinner by 7:20pm.  We made good time.  And we were quickly ushered in to meet the dinner guests of my girlfriend's parents. 

CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER: INTERCULTURAL  ORIGINS & CAROL SINGING
While eating a sumptious dinner of Cornish Game Hen, we discovered that one couple had recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.  He had been born in England, she in South Africa, and they met in Cairo during WW2.  It  sounded romantic, out of something like Casablanca or The English Patient. The other couple were neighbors up the street accompanied by their adult son, named Fraser.  Of course we made our usual jokes about Toddish McWong's origins at Simon Fraser University, and that Fraser should come join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  Well… maybe it will happen.  We did talk about birth and cultural origins, as Stephen was originally from Thunder Bay, and Zsuzsanna was from Romania.  And we also talked about universal themes of Christmas such as love, joy and peace on earth – when we weren't being cleverly cynical.  I was definitely the only “Asian” sitting at the table. 

After my girlfriend's delicious dessert of a flaming brandy-doused plum pudding served with alcoholic “hard sauce” – we retired to the living room, where Zsuzsanna and I led a musical duet of piano and accordion for a group singalong of Christmas songs and carols.  Quite the busy Christmas Eve… snow was falling softly and I we all were asleep by 11pm, giving Santa plenty of time to fill the stockings.

CHRISTMAS MORNING: A GIFT FROM NATURE
Christmas morning was definitely a White Christmas.  We got up late, enjoyed breakfast with cinnamon rolls, sausage rolls, bacon and scrambled eggs.  But before we could open our stockings… Mother Nature gave us a surprise present.  Outside the window, we watched a bobcat stalk a pheasant.  My girlfriend's father said that they had never before seen a bobcat outside the house, in 35 years of living beside Kalamalka Lake.  Wow!  The bobcat slinked across the snow, while partridges pecked unawares closer to the house, beside camper.  The bobcat sat still, behind a rock. And we waited with cameras in hand. And waited…. Finally it slunk off under the trailer without it's quarry.

After the bobcat sighting, Christmas gifts seemed anti-climatic – but we had lots of fun.  Presents opened, we took the doggies out for a walk to Kalamalka Park. We walked along the cliffs and the beaches in the snow.  The youngest dog kept bringing us pine cones to throw for her to chase.  A car-less Christmas Day, spent walking in the snow in one of BC's most beautiful parks.  Stephen was amazed, and kept taking pictures as we stood on the crest of Rattlesnake Point.  A bald eagle circled the small peak about Dog Beach.  Snap snap – more pictures.

When we arrived back to the house, we were introduced to another family friend.  Susan had just arrived back from Somalia after a stint with MSF, more popularly known as Doctors Without Borders.  We had a wonderful time talking about cultural differences and challenges, as well as the adventures of working with such as group.  They are usually the first NGO aid agency into a challenged country.  Wow!  My university studies in international political studies and medical anthropology gave me plenty of understanding to talk with Susan, and yet she was equally interested in learning about Gung Haggis Fat Choy, as we showed her the recent write up about me in the grade 5 textbook Literacy in Action.  We did agree that understanding cultural differences, and stopping racism and cultural discrimination would certainly help to bring more needed peace into all corners of the world, whether the war lord controlled countries like Somalia or our many race issues in Canada.

BOXING DAY: OKANAGAN POWDER SNOW
Boxing Day gave us a present of 15 cm of fresh Okanagan powder snow at the Silver Star ski resort.  Stephen had never every before skiied on snow so light, or so deep.  I probably bored him with tales of me skiing Silver Star as a child of 10, 11, 12 and 15 when my parents would take my brother and me for a week of ski lessons.  But Thunder Bay doesn't have the close proximity of incredible ski resorts that Vancouver or the Okanagan has.  It was a fantastic day for skiing and we made the most of it, starting with my insistence that we rent high performance shaped skis for Stephen.  We skiied all over the mountain, beginning with the Comet 6-pack Express that took us to the peak.  We checked out Christmas Bowl and found some fresh powder on At-Ridge.  In the afternoon visited the Powder Gulch Express lift in the Putnam Creek area, as we skiied along Eldorado, the longest run on the mountain at 8km.

“Are you Toddish McWong?… I mean… are you Todd Wong?” a lady asked me in the lunch-time cafeteria line-up.  Every now and then, I meet somebody who had attended on of  my Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner events.  Debbie had attended the 2004 and 2005 dinners.  Hosting and meeting 300 to 590 people can be kind of hard to remember names.  Debbie said she had had a great time at the dinners and introduced me to her 10 year old daughter Lizzie.  “We have Scottish and Chinese ancestry both in our family, ” said Debbie.

After skiing, we met up with my girlfriend Deb and her friend Zsuzsanna at the skating pond.  Each Christmas, Deb and I have a wonderful time skating a Silver Star, and we always invite friends to join us.  But this year, the ice was terrible.  There were cracks in the ice that people kept tripping on.  As we were holding hands skating, Deb caught the crack and fell hard, banging her knee.  She limped to the seating area to rest.  I went in to the skate rental office to demand that the ice be fixed and the dangerous cracks marked with orange pylons. 

“Don't be so grumpy,” Deb called to me after another woman had shared that the skate rental attendants didn't seem to care about the bad ice, when she had complained.  When the manager said that it was “pond ice” and not much could be done, I explained that if they weren't going to refund people's money, pylon markers were needed to prevent people injuring thermselves.  I stopped short of saying that easily preventable skating injuries were the last thing one of Western Canada's premier ski resorts needed for their reputation.  Pylons were soon out on the ice, and the cracks were soon marked.  I thanked the manager for being responsive to my concerns.  There's a line between ignoring preventable injuries and negligence, and after being on successful campaigns for head tax redress apology, saving Joy Kogawa's childhood home, and the recent Vancouver Library strike – I am not going to let a stupid thing like not marking potential ice hazards go unaddressed.

DEC 28th:  CANOEING IN THE SNOW
Who goes canoeing and skiing on the same day?  We would have if we could have.  Silver Star had another 14 cm of fresh snow this morning… but we passed in favour of canoeing before heading back to Vancouver.  There was maybe 4 cm of fresh snow outside the house this morning.  Stephen and I cooked breakfast for everybody.  Bacon, raisin bread toast, and my baked omelette stuffed with mushrooms, onions and green peppers and served with melted cream cheese on top.  Yummy!

After breakfast we bundled up and went to find canoe paddles, and personal floatation devices.  But everything was already stored away for the winter – not like when we last paddled in July after winning a gold medal in the Greater Vernon Dragon Boat Races. After convincing my girlfriend's father that we were serious about paddling, the equipment was released to us, and we carried the beautiful hand-made cedar strip canoe down to the dock.  The water was so clean and clear we could see 10 feet down to the bottom.  It was amazing paddling across Jade and Juniper Bays in Kalamalka Park.  The water colours changed with the depths of the water from shallow light tourquoise green to deeper emerald greens, and really dark green.  We paddled around Marmot Point, where we had hiked past on Christmas Day.  We paddled around Rattlesnake Point, below the observation point where we had taken so many pictures on Christmas Day.  We would have kept going, enjoying the calm water and beautiful scenery, but we knew we had to get back to the dock, so we could begin our return journey to Vancouver. 

Deb and Zsuzsanna took pictures of us as we returned to the dock.  Okay, we requested that pictures document our paddling in the snow adventure.  It only took a little gentle coercion to convince them to take a turn in the canoe.  Soon they wanted to keep going, and not come back.  Paddling was a wonderful way to end our Christmas vacation in Vernon.

Lewis Perinbam was an outstanding Canadian – he passed away last week

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There are some people who grace your life fleetingly, and you wished you had known them better.  I first met Lewis Perinbam 3 years ago when I joined the Canadian Club Vancouver board of directors.  Lewis Perinbam was an incredible Canadian and an Officer of the Order of Canada. Last week, he passed away on December 12th.

Few people can have the impact he had, as through his lifetime he helped develop many of Canada's international development programs such as CIDA, CUSO, World University Service of Canada, UNESCO as well as the Commonwealth of Learning.  I am simply amazed at all the tributes I am finding in the media and on the internet.

When Lewis learned about my Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, he shared with me that he had been raised in Malaysia and studied university in Edinburgh, Scotland.  I think he got a hoot learning about my Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner that served deep-fried haggis won ton.

Lewis had first introduced himself to me as the Chair of the Commonwealth of Learning, a role he was very happy and proud of.   The COL has written a very nice tribute to Lewis Perinbam and state that  “members of
the development community throughout the world will miss Lewis' wise
and humane contribution to their work.”My friend Linda Johnston, who is now the vice-president for Canadian Club Vancouver shared this with us:

“Lewis Perinbam recruited me to the Canadian Club and was President when
joined. I had met him through my work with the Commonwealth of
Learning. He was an amazing man as you can see from his biography. He
was also charming and witty, with a passion for Canada and for social justice.  We have lost a very special Canadian.”

The following is from the Commonwealth of Learning tribute on their web site at
http://www.col.org/colweb/site/pid/3007

Dr. Lewis Perinbam, O.C.

LEWIS-PERINBAM-2002-newweb.jpg

Lewis Perinbam, 1925 – 2007
Chair, COL Board of Governors, 2003 – 2007

The
Commonwealth of Learning and the international development community
are deeply saddened by the loss of Lewis Perinbam, O.C., LL.D., who
died on Wednesday, 12 December 2007, after a brief illness. He was
elected to chair COL's Board of Governors from April 2003, having
served from 1991 as a Special Advisor to COL's first two presidents,
Dr. James Maraj and Dato' Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan.

Lewis
Perinbam was born in 1925 in Johore, Bahru Malaysia, into a family with
roots in Madras (Chennai), India. He became a world citizen at the
young age of 12 when he was sent unaccompanied by ship to Scotland.
There he was a received by an uncle who had assured his father that he
would see to it that Lewis received a “proper British education.”

Lewis
never saw his father again. World War II broke out and Lewis was unable
to return to Malaysia until it ended, by which time Japanese soldiers
had raided his home and killed his father; a tragedy that was not
disclosed to the young teenager until he finally returned to Malaysia.

After
completing his formal education in Scotland, Lewis immigrated to
Canada, where he steadily acquired a national reputation for fostering
Canada's role in international development through his involvement and
achievements with many organisations. His appointment as an Officer of
the Order of Canada and his many awards and honorary degrees express
the esteem in which he was held. As a writer and author he was best
known for his book, North and South: Towards a New Interdependence of Nations, which carried a foreword by Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

His
distinguished career in the Canadian Federal Public Service led him to
work also in various international organisations, notably the World
Bank and UNESCO, and in the non-governmental (NGO) and private sectors.
He was the first Secretary-General of the Canadian National Commission
for UNESCO, the founding Executive Director of Canadian University
Service Overseas and Executive Director of World University Service of
Canada. He represented the World Bank at the United Nations and at the
UN's Specialised Agencies in Europe.

As
Vice-President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
for seventeen years he inspired the creation of CIDA's Non Governmental
Organization and Industrial Co-operation Programmes – the first of
their kind in the world – and launched numerous initiatives to involve
the private, non-governmental and institutional sectors in
international development. He led Canadian Government delegations to
many international meetings and served as an advisor to the United
Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat (London, England) and the
National Academy of Sciences (Washington, D.C.). He was especially
proud of his role in chairing the 2000 Canadian Government Task Force
on the Participation of Visible Minorities in the Federal Public
Service.

Lewis
also provided a lifetime of service in governance capacities to civil
society and community organisations. After retiring from CIDA he
settled in Vancouver and dedicated himself to helping the Commonwealth
of Learning through his extensive contacts and global networks. In
praising this contribution COL President Sir John Daniel said, “At an
age when most people would be enjoying a well earned retirement Lewis
came to his office at COL most days. He was an inspiring friend to
members of the staff and during his time as Chair of the Board COL's
governance practices became a model for intergovernmental
organisations. It was a privilege to serve under him.”

Members
of the development community throughout the world will miss Lewis' wise
and humane contribution to their work. He leaves his wife, Nancy
Garrett, a sister and three brothers.

A
service of remembrance will be held in Vancouver on 28 December 2007 at
2:00 p.m. at St. Helen's Anglican Church (Trimble & 8th) and in
Ottawa in the New Year.

In
lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Lewis Perinbam Award
in International Development c/o WUSC, 1404 Scott Street, Ottawa K1Y
4M8, Telephone 613 798 7477, fax 613 798 0990 or on line at www.wusc.ca.

Newspaper obituary

Vancouver Irish-Indo fusion music: Delhi2Dublin releases cd

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Delhi2Dublin is having a cd release party!

Thursday December 13th, doors 9pm
The Red Room (398 Richards)

If you have ever seen spritely violinist Kytami perform with Delhi2Dublin's tabla drums and hip hop turntables – then you already now how much fun this Vancouver secret is!

I can say that I loved this group at their very first event for Vancouver's Celtic Fest.
Here's my review of that first event St. Paddy's Eve in Vancouver – What is a man in a kilt to do?

Organizer Tarun Nayar has set up a wonderful cd release party tonight.  He writes:

It should be a ridiculously good time. Come
check out this global fusion band, with a host of special guests, DJs
and dancers (http://www.delhi2dublin.com).
If you absolutely can't make the party tomorrow, CDs are now available
at Highlife, and will soon be available on line. A perfect x-mas gift
for those bhangra loving leprechauns in your life…

————————————————————————————

Beats Without Borders + A-Town
in association with Turner Music present:

The Delhi 2 Dublin CD Release Party

Thursday December 13th, doors 9pm
The Red Room (398 Richards)
tix 10$ advance @ Highlife, Zulu, Kamal; 15$ @ the door

http://www.beatswithoutborders.com

Firehall's Ecstasy of Rita Joe enthralls and bites with both performance and social commentary

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The
Ecstasy of Rita Joe

by
George Ryga

until 8
December 2007

The Firehall
Arts Centre, Vancouver

Director
Donna Spencer


This Canadian classic theatre work is still strong and disturbing.  Remounted on its 40th Anniversary for the Firehall Arts Centre’s 25th Anniversary, this production of The Ecstasy of Rita Joe stuns audiences with not only the power of its story and acting – but now with the resonance of history’s truths and tragedy.   Playwright George Ryga’s words are still haunting and critical 20 years after his death in 1987.

Firehall Arts Centre artistic director Donna Spencer has assembled a stellar cast, and directed the production herself, as well as playing the role of school teacher.  And forty years later, the deterioration of Vancouver’s downtown eastside, the continued plight of urban aboriginal peoples, the issues of the Residential School system, the memories of both Oka and Gustaphson Lake First Nations stand-offs with the RCMP, play as much a sociological backdrop as the appointment of Steven Point to Lieutenant Governor of BC, international recognition of Haida and Musqueam artists, and recent Land Claim settlements.

The 1967 premiere of Ecstasy of Rita Joe was both a triumph and tragedy.  It was the first play about Aboriginal issues on a major theatre stage to be taken seriously, shocking audiences with the plight of a First Nations woman from the countryside, who is caught in a downward spiral, trapped by the unforgiving forces of the city. 

The original Vancouver Playhouse production is legendary in Canadian arts, produced by artistic director Joy Coghill, and directed by George Bloomfield, as was the remount which became the first English language play production at the National Arts Centre in 1969.   George Ryga expanded the role of Rita Joe’s father, when
Chief Dan George stepped into the role.  Ann Mortifee was the young ingénue when she wrote the music for the play, performing it in her role as musician/singer.  George was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 1971, while Coghill and Mortifee became members of the Order of Canada in 1990 and 1991.

But the Firehall Arts Centre's production is a worthy contender. 

Lisa Ravensberg is mesmerizing as Rita Joe, alternately capturing both the innocence and bewilderment of the young native woman, lost in the city’s bureaucratic judicial system.   Standing before the magistrate, played sensitively by William B. Davis, more famously known as “cancer man” in the X-Files, Rita Joe tells him she is confused and just wants to go home. 

But she can’t go home.  She is now a victim, stuck in a system of constantly being discriminately charged from vagrancy to prostitution. And she doesn’t know how to get out.

Rita Joe’s boyfriend Jamie Paul is trying to make something of himself in the city.  Kevin Loring steps energetically into the role of Jamie Paul, playing both the sweet and caring boyfriend, as well as the proud angry and indignant young First Nations man, that refuses to be patronized.  He rejects the old ways of Rita’s father (Byron Chief Moon) who is also Chief of the Reserve, the kindly social worker Mr. Homer (Alvin Sanders) who gives Jamie Paul, Rita and his friends “hand-outs”, and he criticizes the Indian agent and the government’s policies.

Duncan Fraser is powerfully subtle the Priest, We see him genuinely concerned at Rita’s plight when he visits her from the reserve in the city jail.  He naively talks to her about God’s love and gently touches her, but Rita repulsively rejects his hand in a move that hints at the sexual abuse of the Church’s role in the Residential School system.

Byron Chief Moon plays the Father, the role originated by Chief Dan George.  He is tall with a gentle loving and thoughtful presence.  His scenes with a young Rita are joyful, but turn sad when he risks his health to visit her in the city in an effort to bring her back to the reserve.

Tricia Collins as Rita Joe’s sister is a wonderful counterpoint to Ravensberg’s Rita Joe.  Although a minor character, Collin’s beauty and portrayal of her character’s return to the Reserve contrasts with the ugliness of Rita’s continued entrapment in the city, and the plight of urban natives with alcohol, drugs and cultural misunderstanding.

William B. Davis has the most challenging job as The Magistrate.  He must work with dialogue that seems patronizing, didactic and dated, yet still find a way to be understanding and caring.  He carries this through with a balance that is infused with the 40 year bittersweet knowledge of what the Aboriginal communities have suffered and triumphed over.  It is up to the audience to be the real judge of how society relates to Canada's Native population.

In the final scene, Rita Joe's sister and father walk out with First Nations drummer and singers.  Rita's father sings a lament.  Another song is followed by Collins and a singer.  It as much a tribute to the passing of Rita Joe, as it is to the new understandings of First Nations culture in our society.  I spoke to cast members after the opening night performance, and they told me this was an addition to the script, which they felt was a fitting and very appropriate

The Ecstasy of Rita Joe is still a powerful work, that despite its long acknowledged structural flaws, continues to work in its abilities as social commentary and wonderful vehicle for actors and production team.  One of the biggest compliments must go to actor Lisa Ravensburg, who immerses herself so convincingly in the role of  a realistically desperate First Nations woman that is all too commonly seen along the Hastings & Main vicinity, that my companion did not recognize her at the opening night reception – where I introduced him to several of the actors.

“This play carries a message all Canada should hear,“wrote Chief Dan George in the preface of the first publication.  These are words that are relevant and compelling in 1967 as they are forty years later in 2007 to go see this play.

Personal note:

I wanted to see “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe” for many reasons:

Check out these recent reviews:

Vancouver Province: Here's the definitive Rita Joe

reviewvancouver: The Ecstasy of Rita Joe

You hate the Vanoc mascots now… but after meeting the Vancouver creator Vicky Wong – I think you will learn to love them!

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Quatchi, Miga and
Sumi are names of the new Vanoc mascots for the 2010 Olympic Games.

Vicki Wong is the designer of the mascots, and of the Octonauts – her first children's book that was published last year.  I met Vicky last year at the 2006 Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable which annually hosts an event that allows BC authors and illustrators to introduce their new books.

I fell in love with Vicki's book The Octonauts & the Only Lonely Monster. and promptly bought it, and had a great time chatting with her.

Vicki's partner in Meomi Designs is Michael Murphy.  Hmm… a Chinese and an Irish name getting together to create something very Canadian…. sounds very Gung Haggis to me!

When I saw the Vanoc mascots revealed on Monday, the characters looked strangely familiar to me, despite their Japanese anime flavour. After reading that it was Vicki and her company Meomi that won the competition to design the mascots – it all made sense to me.

the octonauts and the Only Lonely Monster

the Octonauts and the Only Lonely Monster



Vanoc's website says this about Vicki:

“When we met Meomi Design’s Vicki Wong, and
saw the portfolios of her and her partner, Michael Murphy, I think
we all felt they were born for this project,” said
VANOC Brand & Creative Services director Ali Gardiner.
“Not only is her work warm, endearing and imaginative,
but she’s a very proud Vancouverite and Canadian, and
was excited to share our culture and environment with the world
through these Vancouver 2010 mascots. Vicki also understood
immediately how the mascots could communicate Olympic and
Paralympic ideals and values to children, and get them engaged in
our Games.”

Wong has captured the secret element that makes these creatures stand out from previous Olympic mascots, as well as the special element that makes them endearingly “very BC.”  Researching and drawing on First Nations cultures, Wong made these mascots “shape-shifters,” or tranformation figures.  She discovered a story about how killer whales would transform into spirit-bears to come onto land.  As well the Thunderbird is a mythical figure that is featured in transformation masks.  Who else but somebody knowledgeable about BC First Nations culture and the cultural fusion aspects of Vancouver would be able to present this unique flavour for the Vanoc mascots?  And did you hear?  Vicki Wong is a “born in Vancouver” Canadian!

“Each of the creatures is distinct and special – both in
personality and in appearance. One is big, gentle and shy . . . one
is small, mischievous and outgoing . . . and one is a natural-born
leader with a passion for protecting the environment. All three are
mythical creatures with roots in local legend. “

Check out these other weblinks about the Vanoc mascots.

2010 Olympic mascots unveiled

The mascots are the creation of Vancouver graphic designers Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy, who own Meomi Design. Vanoc says that although the two provided …
www.canada.com/globaltv/national/story.html?id=e667e27b-924a-47e0-83e4-c2fd90a557b3&k=10951

Say hello to Sumi, Quatchi and Miga | Macleans.ca – Canada – Features

He reminds us, in the words of VANOC, “of the mystery and wonder that exist … Sumi, the mascot for the Paralympic Games, is a “spirit animal” that wears …
www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20071128_101039_8012

Aboriginal Canada First Nation Nations – Google News

2010 Olympic mascots unveiled Canada.com, Canada –  Vanoc says … First Nations – tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they . …
www.firstnations.com/rss/google-news.php

Vancouver turns to native legends for mascots | Sports | Reuters

“We didn't really look at other (Olympic) mascots. We just wanted something that would represent Canadians,” said Vicki Wong, one of the designers. …
www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSN2751174120071128

Eating Stories with the Chinese Canadian Historical Society – book launch

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Tonight is the night I get to see my contributions in print for the book: Eating Stories A Chinese-Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck.

Brandy
will be on CBC Radio Friday morning with Rick Cluff, Morning Edition, at about
7:50AM.

Also some hot news from
Henry.  Jerry Kwok has done a
wonderful job with the 8 min. teaser film on the workshop. It's downloadable at
http://www.instrcc.ubc.ca/CCHS/CCHS_workshop.wmv .  

We are having an author's book launch tonight at the Rhizome Cafe on Broadway, before the official book launch at the Vancouver Museum Sunday Nov. 25th at the Vancouver Museum.

It was a wonderful pleasure to meet so many people interested in the writing process, and how to improve their own writing skills.  People were so interested in food, our workshop discussions often took forays into Chinese-Canadian history, memories of food and family, as well as cultural traditions and differences.

The first book, Tracing Roots, by the CCHS is especially memorable for me because my cousin Hayne Wai contributed stories about his mother and our uncles.  It was great to be able to take the book home as a gift to my parents, and show them the paragraphs featuring “Uncle James,” “Auntie Rose,” and my father  – “Uncle Bill” to my cousin or “Bok-Sook” (#8 Uncle).

Tonight all the writing workshop participants get to take home copies of the book.  I will get to show my parents my published contributions of photographs and paragraphs, which introduce the stories of how I developed my love for salmon, my creation of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, and how our dragon boat team cooks up it's own haggis won ton.  This anthology features 2 current (Dan Seto and myself – Todd Wong) and two past paddlers (Grace Chow and Meena Wong) from the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.

Brandy
Lien-Worrall, our workshop leader and anthology editor, will be on CBC Radio Friday morning with Rick Cluff, Morning Edition, at about
7:50AM.

Also some hot news from
Henry.  Jerry Kwok has done a
wonderful job with the 8 min. teaser film on the workshop. It's downloadable at
http://www.instrcc.ubc.ca/CCHS/CCHS_workshop.wmv .  

FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  info@cchsbc.ca

http://www.cchsbc.ca

 

Meals and Memories Come
Alive in New Collection of Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Food and Family
Stories

Groundbreaking work
captures authors’ personal stories of family and community

 

VANCOUVER – The
Chinese Canadian Historical Society (CCHS) is pleased to announce the
publication of Eating Stories: A Chinese
Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck, edited by Brandy Liên Worrall and with
Foreword by Margaret Gallagher.

Following the
success of the first workshop and the resulting book publication, Finding Memories, Tracing Routes
(English and bilingual English-Chinese editions), CCHS held a second writing
workshop with the theme of “Food and Family”, which had nearly tripled in
size.  Twenty-three participants of
Chinese Canadian or Aboriginal backgrounds researched, discussed, and wrote
their memories of family gatherings, home cooking, restaurant outings, and
other stories cooked up by the smells, tastes, sounds, sights, and textures
that bring families and communities together. 
Together with their stories, 37 family recipes and over 170 images
complete the collection.  Additional
contributors include Imogene Lim, Lisa Moore, Janice Wong, and Henry Yu.

George
McWhirter, Vancouver’s Poet Laureate, says of this groundbreaking collection:
“I want one of those meals and to be in one of those families.  If I can’t be that in actuality, these
stories make me a guest of all, complete with recipes for me to try out on my
own, after.  These are more than
literate tellings of family food rituals and recipes; they are elegantly and
pungently related. . .In the process, these pieces become evocative literature
and unforgettable history.”

“This
collection is amazing in terms of the scope of experiences in these Canadian
communities, from the 1930s all the way to present day,” states editor and
workshop facilitator Brandy Liên Worrall. 
“Reading these stories is just like sitting in a Chinatown café eating
apple tarts in the 1960s or going to a barbecue at the reservation, catching
salmon and having a good time. This is really history you can eat.”

Writers include
Jacquie Adams, Jennifer Chan, Shirley Chan, Allan Cho, Grace Chow, Lilly Chow,
Betty Ho, George Jung, Jackie Lee-Son, Roy Mah, Gordy Mark, Amy Perrault, Dan
Seto, Bob Sung, Hayne Wai, Evelyn Wong, Larry Wong, Todd Wong, Harley A. Wylie,
May Yan-Mountain, Candace Yip, Gail Yip, and Ken Yip.  The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC would like to
acknowledge the support from the Provincial Capital Commission for the
participation of two First Nations authors in the writing workshop.

An “authors
reception” will be held at Rhizome Café (317 East Broadway) on Thursday, November 22, 2007, at 7:00 PM.  This intimate event will have a short
presentation and author readings.  Media
interest in this event, including requests for interviews with the authors,
should be directed to Nancy Fong, nancy.wy.fong@gmail.com.  Media attendance to this event is by RSVP
only.

The “Eating
Stories: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck” book launch, hosted by
CBC’s Margaret Gallagher, will be held at the Vancouver Museum on Sunday, November 25, 2007, at 4:00 PM.  Authors will read from the book, as well as
answer questions from the audience.  In addition, New Voices: Chinese Canadian Narratives of
Post-1967 Diaspora, a post-secondary student-initiated anthology of
literary and artistic works by Chinese Canadians living in the Lower Mainland,
will be also launched that day. This book is now available at http://www.newvoicesproject.org/
.

Copies of Eating
Stories can be purchased at the authors reception and the launch.  For more information, bulk and educational
orders, and press kits, email nancy.wy.fong@gmail.com.  Copies may also be purchased online at http://www.lulu.com/cchsbc.  Proceeds go toward the “Edgar Wickberg
Scholarship for Chinese Canadian History.”

ABOUT the CHINESE CANADIAN
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

The
Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia (CCHSBC) is a broadly
based membership society with educational goals.  Our main objective is to bring out the untold history of ethnic
Chinese within the history of British Columbia.  We achieve this through sustained efforts at document
preservation, research, family and oral history promotion, public education
programmes, an active website, and many other initiatives.

MEDIA
CONTACT-ENGLISH AND CHINESE [interviews &
press kits]: nancy.wy.fong@gmail.com

Eating Stories, a Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck: book launch Nov 25th at Vancouver Museum

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Mayor Larry Campbell, Toddish McWong, Enid Campbell – photo Naoko Watanabe at the 2005 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.

Everybody loves stories about food.  Recipes or restaurants, people will reminisce over their favorite memories of food… how it was made… who made it… what their favorite dish is…

In January I took a writing workshop with the Chinese Historical Society of BC.  The theme was “Food and Family” and taught by Brandy Lien-Worrall. 

23
participants in a writing workshop wrote their memories of family
gatherings, home cooking, restaurant outings and other stories cooked
up by the smells, sounds, sights, and textures that bring families and
communities together.

The writers include myself – Todd Wong, the
creator of Gung Haggis Haggis Fat Choy, Dan Seto current Gung Haggis
dragonboat paddler, my cousin Hayne Wai – president of CCHS, + many friends such as: Meena Wong, George Jung and Gordie Mark – who were active during the Chinese head tax campaign, community activist Shirley Chan, Chinese-Canadian Military Museum curator Larry Wong and ex-Gung Haggis paddler Grace Chow and myself.

 

Dan Seto signing books at the CCHS 2006 book launch for Tracing Family Roots.
Dan Seto with noodles at Sha Lin Noodle House.

         

November, 25, Sunday, 4-6 PM. CCHS Book Launch,
Eating Stories, a Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck.

Vancouver Museum, 1110 Chestnut Street, Vancouver. 

CCHS is pleased to welcome everyone to the book launch for Eating
Stories: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck, edited by Brandy
Liên Worrall and with Foreword by Margaret Gallagher. Following the
success of the first workshop and the resulting book publication,
Finding Memories, Tracing Routes (English and bilingual English-Chinese
editions), CCHS held a second writing workshop with the theme of “Food
and Family.”

Twenty-three participants of Chinese Canadian or
Aboriginal backgrounds researched, discussed, and wrote their memories
of family gatherings, home cooking, restaurant outings, and other
stories cooked up by the smells, tastes, sounds, sights, and textures
that bring families and communities together. In addition to their
stories, there are 37 recipes and over 170 images. Writers include
Jacquie Adams, Jennifer Chan, Shirley Chan, Allan Cho, Grace Chow,
Lilly Chow, Betty Ho, George Jung, Jackie Lee-Son, Roy Mah, Gordy Mark,
Amy Perrault, Dan Seto, Bob Sung, Hayne Wai, Evelyn Wong, Larry Wong,
Todd Wong, Harley A. Wylie, May Yan-Mountain, Candace Yip, Gail Yip,
and Ken Yip. Additional contributors include Imogene Lim, Lisa Moore,
Janice Wong, and Henry Yu.  

Please join us for the official launch of this unique book and meet the authors! 

Bagpipes and Taiko drums… Look out for Uzume Taiko & Mearingstone Nov 23

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Four bagpipers… four taiko drums… What could possibly happen?

I have seen Uzume Taiko perform with one bagpiper before.  When we were creating the CBC “Gung Haggis Fat Choy” television performance special, one of my ideas was to have a helicopter shoot of Burnaby Mountain with the SFU Bagpipe Band playing with the Uzume Taiko band.  But the show had a small budget, and the producer decided to keep the cultural fusion between Chinese and Scottish musicians. So, our culture-clash-fusion happened in the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens where Chinese flute player Jian Ming Pan bumped into the celtic band The Paperboys, accompanied by bagpiper Tim Fanning.

Uzume Taiko & Mearingstone's performance together should be a musically adventurous evening.  I am looking forward to it.  There is a long history of Japanese-Canadians and Scottish-Canadians mixing in Vancouver.  I have seen a picture of a little Japanese girl dressed up in kilt circa 1923.  Ron Macleod, Chair of SFU Scottish Studies program, tells me that he knew many Japanese-Canadians growing up in Tofino.  But then they disappeared in the 1942 internment.

Taiko drums and bagpipes?  Very Vancouver!

An Uzume Taiko Drum
Group Society presentation:

Uzume Taiko
& Mearingstone

Friday,
November 23, 2007 / 8:00pm

Norman Rothstein Theatre, 950 West 41st Avenue


************************************************************************************
Uzume_Mearingstone_Nov23_ecard.jpg

On Friday, November 23, two
amazing musical ensembles, Mearingstone and Uzume Taiko,
and guest shakuhachi and didgeridoo musician Alcvin Ramos, come
together in this concert at the Rothstein to perform individually and
collaboratively. This spectacular program, featuring highland pipes,
taiko drums, percussion, melodic instruments and choreographed movement,
will make for a mesmerizing evening played with passion and grace ­
guaranteed to stir emotions!

 

Mearingstone, a Vancouver-based ensemble of four highland pipers,
concocts an intense, formally intricate music, a world music analogue of
the Philip Glass Ensemble or Bang On a Can’s explorations of musical
density, variation, time, and ecstasy. Formed in 1988 to perform Michael
O’Neill’s Ur Og and Aji, Mearingstone is often augmented by other
instruments ­such as Japanese taiko and shakuhachi, Indian tabla, bass
clarinet, or even…pipe band drums. Mearingstone members are Sylvia
DeTar, Micah Babinski, Damien Burleigh, and Michael O'Neill.
Together, within the apparently restricted expressive range of the
bagpipes, they bring forth a wide variety of moods ­ the results of a
passionate response to the unrealized potential of a deep tradition.


 

“…sheer sonic power of the four bagpipes …” Georgia
Straight

 

Since 1988, Uzume Taiko (Bonnie Soon, Jason Overy, Boyd Seiichi
Grealy, Naomi Kajiwara, all on taiko and percussion) has enthralled
audiences at festivals, schools, concerts and special events across
Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan with its dynamic synthesis of
music, movement and theatre. Using a diverse collection of percussive and
melodic instruments as well as taiko drums, Uzume Taiko has developed a
dynamic fusion of old and new styles of drumming ­ bringing a vibrant,
contemporary sensibility to an ancient art. With the choreographed
physicality of martial arts, the heart-stopping pulse of the O-Daiko and
the rhythmic sensitivity of a jazz ensemble, the drummers of Uzume Taiko
create an exhilarating sensual experience.

 

[Uzume Taiko is] One of the most remarkable percussion ensembles ever to
hit the UK …

hugely inventive, ingenious and dangerously mesmerizing. Press and
Journal, Scotland


Diane Kadota Arts Management

tel: 604.683.8240 / fax: 604.683.7911

Mailing Address:

Suite 310 – 425 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 6E3

Street/Courier Address:

Suite 310 – 23 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC  V6B 1R3

www.dkam.ca

Falling for Grace: Chinese American Girl meets White-American Boy in New York City – Movie opens in Vancouver

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Falling for Grace: Chinese-American Girl meets White-American Boy in New York City – Movie opens in Vancouver

The image “http://web.mac.com/fallingforgrace/FALLING_FOR_GRACE/Screenings_files/fFINALGRACE.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

I met Fay Ann Lee, director of Falling for Grace, at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival.  It was Sunday, the final day of VAFF, and Fay had premiered Falling for Grace the night before.  Fay is a stunning woman, and very articulate, telling me about how she made the film. 

She tells me that across the USA, they have been slowly building the audience market by market.  We talked about how Falling for Grace is really a romantic comedgy, not limited only to an Asian audience, likening it to the success that Joy Luck Club had playing to White audiences across America.

Fay was excited by the Vancouver audience, and was looking forward to it's Vancouver general release.  And hey – Margaret Cho is in the movie!  Vancouver audiences like Margaret Cho.

The following is from the Falling for Grace press package:

CANADIAN PREMIERE – Falling for Grace

THE CINEMARK TINSELTOWN
88 WEST PENDER, VANCOUVER, BC
604-806-0799

“THIS YEAR’S MOST CHARMING, FEEL-GOOD MOVIE” Elisa Parker, KVMR-FM

“THE NEXT MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING!” Scott Hoffman, MoviePictureFilm.com

“A CINEMATIC TAPESTRY OF ROMANCE AND LAUGHTER” Tim Plant, Metro Weekly, Washington, D.C.

featuring
Gale
Harold, Fay Ann Lee, Christine Baranski, Roger Rees, Stephanie March,
Ken Leung, Clem Cheung, Elizabeth Sung, Ato Essandoh, Lewis Black and
Margaret Cho

ASIAN AMERICAN FILM DIRECTOR DEFIES HOLLYWOOD RULES AND INSPIRES ANYONE WHO DARES TO DREAM

FAY ANN LEE – DEFYING ALL ODDS

Fay
Ann Lee has managed to not only write/direct/produce and star in a film
that's getting theatrical distribution across the U.S. but also
internationally. Lee's film, Falling For Grace, will have its Canadian
and International premiere at Cinemark's Tinseltown on Friday, November
16th. This would not be an extraordinary story if Falling For Grace has
Paramount or Focus Features behind it, but it becomes a remarkable
story when the distributor in this case is Fay Ann Lee herself.

According
to a NY Times article written in 2005, getting distribution for a film
for a first time filmmaker is about a 0.3% chance. So, getting into
Harvard, deemed one of the most competitive universities in the world
to enter, is far easier (10.8% acceptance rate for 2007). So what
exactly does it take for an Asian American woman to write, direct,
produce, act and now distribute a film not just in her own city, but
across the U.S. and internationally…on her own? It takes every ounce of
drive, tenacity, vision, talent and most of all, a heck of a lot of
courage.

MISS SAIGON ACTRESS WRITES/DIRECTS/PRODUCES AND STARS IN TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL'S SOLD OUT HIT

Lee
started her career as a Broadway actress in Miss Saigon which led to
principal roles in regional theaters all across the U.S. As she
ventured into the world of television and film, she quickly realized
how few good roles there were for Asian Americans. Instead of playing
victim and whining about how unfair things were for Asian actors, Lee
decided to do something about it . Her goal was to write a classic
romantic comedy that happens to feature an Asian female protagonist.

With
a plot that's inspired by Lee's random encounters with John F. Kennedy,
Jr. in the mid 1990's, Falling For Grace premiered at the 2006 Tribeca
Film Festival and was a sold out hit. The word of mouth was so good
that the festival actually added an extra screening. But a dose of
reality hit when studios did not pick it up. Word on the street –
studios did not know how to market a mainstream film without mainstream
stars – and having an Asian American protagonist certainly did not
help.

A UNIVERSAL STORY THAT'S GAINING INTEREST FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

So
Lee's journey took a new turn – as Distributor. Instead of giving up
hope, Lee decided to test the film in two different cities, San
Francisco and Washington, D.C. The film tested so well with a
mainstream audience that theaters in nearby smaller cities started to
open up Falling For Grace (Sausalito, Grass Valley, Bryn Mawr,
Pennsylvania). And now other markets in the U.S. are requesting the
film – Florida, Arizona, Oregon, Maine, Texas etc. What's even more
unusual, is that other countries are hearing about this film from fans
who have seen the film and now want to open the film theatrically –
Austria, Ireland England are just a few that will most likely be
opening the film in 2008. The Falling For Grace website now receives
requests from as far as Australia, China, India, Japan, Hungary,
Germany, Italy and even Finland. Audiences all over the world are
starting to get the buzz on this little film that truly could.

UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING UBC, ARE TAKING NOTE:
LEE AS ROLE MODEL FOR ANYONE WHO DARES TO DREAM

Lee's
achievement has been noted by some of the top colleges in the world.
Invitations have been extended by Yale, Johns Hopkins, Wharton, Temple,
Boston University, Columbia, Stanford and Berkeley for Lee to share her
remarkable story with future artists and leaders of America. Lee was
even invited to Tsinghua University in Beijing (the top university in
China) to screen the movie and speak to students. That the character in
the film, Grace Tang, achieves her goals is a comfort viewers return to
again and again. That Fay Ann Lee does could be the revelation that
forever changes the way students envision their own future. Fay Ann Lee
was a guest in Vancouver's own University of British Columbia, Simon
Fraser University and at the Emily Carr Institute.

AN ORDINARY PERSON WITH EXTRAORDINARY GOALS:
HEAR LEE'S STORY ON HOW IT'S ALL POSSIBLE

Fay
Ann Lee is a wonderful speaker with a dynamic personality. Perhaps the
President of the Yale Film Society sums it up the best:

“To
label Ms. Lee as an independent filmmaker is misleading. She does not
fit the mold of the starving artist, instead thriving as an ambitious,
Wharton-educated entrepreneur whose unorthodox approach to independent
filmmaking – one that has yielded a product with all the gloss of a big
studio flick – affords a rare angle on the world of filmmaking and what
it means to pursue your goals on your own terms.

On the one
hand, Ms. Lee and her film exude a comforting sense of optimism and
good humor; on the other hand, they speak to the importance of grit,
pragmatism, and hard-nosed determination. The balance of these values
is, essentially, what recommends Ms. Lee as a valuable guest.”

Like
so many people around the U.S. that have heard her speak, your guests
will not only find her charming, funny and intelligent, but most
importantly, she will inspire them to believe in themselves and go for
their dreams!

FAY ANN LEE WILL BE IN VANCOUVER
FROM THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15th TO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH

TO REQUEST AN INTERVIEW OR INQUIRY, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sarah Elmaleh
Promotions Director
Falling For Grace
e-mail: fallingforgracepublicity@gmail.com
Phone: 609-439-6430

Official Website: http://fallingforgrace.com
Electronic Press Kit: http://web.mac.com/fallingforgrace

Iris Chang The Rape of Nanking: movie screenings are a benefit to BC Alpha

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Iris Chang The Rape of Nanking: movie screenings are a benefit to BC Alpha

BC Alpha is an organization that has been a strong advocate both for the WW2 Korean comfort women, and the atrocities of the Japanese Army in China – including the rape of 80,000 Chinese women in Nanking.

Thekla Lit is president of BC Alpha.  I met her when she joined the Chinese Head Tax Redress campaign.  Thekla played an important role in speaking to Chinese Language media.  She is an avid human rights activist and respected by many people in the community.  Now she is continuing her campaign to raise awareness about “comfort women” and the “rape of Nanking.”

Check out Theckla's 2000 talk The Path to the Reconcilation and Peace for the New Millenium.

Iris Chang The Rape of Nanking is being shown in Vancouver as a series of benefit screenings for BC Alpha, at the Ridge Theatre, 3131 Arbutus St. (at 15th Avenue).


A film by Bill Spahic and Anne Pick

Iris Chang The Rape of Nanking is a moving and powerful
film on the story of Iris Chang who almost single-handedly brought this
forgotten Holocaust in Asia during WWII to the
awareness of the western world. Her book The
Rape of Nanking- the Forgotten Holocaust of WWII made the best
seller list of New York Times for over 5 months when it was published in 1997. 
Until her untimely death in 2004, Iris had continued to be voice for the
voiceless victims, despite vicious vilifications from revisionists. 
Iris’ legacy for us all is the ray of hope, justice and peace.  This new
feature docudrama (105 min) in HD is a produced by Real sot Reel Productions
based in Toronto .

 

“You are going to find that we live in a world in
which international law has much less to do with actual justice than
international politics and money.  A world in which those who have power often
believe they are above the truth.  My greatest hope is that a few of you in
this auditorium today would actually serve as crusaders for truth, beauty and
justice in future.  People like that are needed to create a better world for
the next generations of humankind on this planet and to ensure the survival of
our civilization” —- Quote of Iris Chang from the Movie

Venue: Ridge
Theatre – 3131 Arbutus
Street (at
15th Avenue )

Benefit Screenings:

November 15, 2007 (Thu)*
           7:15 pm $15  &
 VIP$50

November 17, 2007 (Sat)
*            4:00 pm
$15  &  VIP$50

November 22, 2007 (Thu)
            7:15 pm $15

November 25, 2007 (Sun)
            4:00 pm $15

November 25, 2007 (Sun)
            7:15 pm $15

*Iris
Chang’s parents and actress Olivia Cheng
will be present for Q&A from the audience following the screenings on Nov
15 & 17.

Tickets
are available at Ridge Theatre & www.alpha-canada.org/fundraiser
or call 604-247-0738

Let your friends know about this wonderful movie.  Attached please find the leaflets for more information. 
Proceeds from the benefit screenings of the movie go to support the works of
ALPHA such as:-

˙      Peace and
Reconciliation Study Tour for Canadian Teachers to Asia to learn about the
history and issues related to atrocities committed during WWII in
Asia

Working to get the
“Comfort Women” Motion 291 passed in the Canadian House of
Commons.  This Motion supports redress for former “comfort women”. 
Four survivors of Japan ’s
military sexual slavery from 4 different countries have been invited to bear
witness in Canada
in late November 2007.

Come to see a good movie and support ALPHA’s work! 
Please circulate this email to your contacts as broadly as possible.  Thank
you.

Thekla Lit
President of
B.C. ALPHA Co-chair of Canada
ALPHA (Association
for Learning & Preserving the History of WWII in Asia)
www.alpha-canada.org
Phone:
604-436-3002 or 604-313-6000 (Cell)
Fax: 604-439-7738

P.S. For World Premiere of this movie in
Toronto , please visit http://www.irischangstory.com/index.htm

image
Check out Motion 291 – a Canadian Parliamentary motion asking Japan to apologize to “comfort women” and provide redress.