Should Lunar New Year be a BC Holiday?
Georgia Straight brings up the debate:
http://www.straight.com/article-371153/vancouver/lunar-stat-holiday-debated

please read the link for the Georgia Straight article by Joanna Chiu

Georgia Straight: Lunar New Year statutory holiday debated in B.C.

Vancouver Chinatown Parade in 2010, led by Guang Kung – the patron saint of Chinese travelers – photo T. Wong.

Every now and then, I get asked if Chinese language should become an official language, or should Chinese New Year be a holiday?

For years, Robbie Burns Day and St. Patrick's Day… and Chinese New Year have all been celebrated in their own communities, and have been exclusively Scottish, Irish or Chinese…. but in the Vancouver's 21st Century, we are seeing them evolve as multicultural events.  When Celtic Fest started up the St. Patrick's Day Festival for 2005, they specifically asked me to put an entry in.  Vancouver Chinatown Parade has seen Brazilian dancers, South Asian Bangra Dancers, bagpipers and more.

Is cultural fusion, or inclusion the future of Vancouver festivals?

In 2005, SFU Recreation & Athletics department asked me to help them create an event to bring together the large Asian student population with the adopted Scottish Traditions of Simon Fraser University.  We created the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival that featured “dragon cart racing” and “human curling” and lots of haggis eating. Participating students loved it.

Too bad that SFU administration and ceremonies canceled it, and the annual Burns ceremonies at the 3 SFU campuses for 2011 – citing “budgetary reasons”.  But come on… how much is a haggis, and a volunteer bagpiper?

I've always participated in the Vancouver St. Patrick's Day Parade, by adding a dragon boat, or Chinese dragon, but last year, it was St. Patrick's Day parade and Celtic Fest that was canceled due to the 2010 Winter Olympics.  Ironic that VANOC CEO John Furlong was himself born in Ireland.

Vancouver Chinatown parade was also almost canceled too, due to the Olympics.  But it was saved by moving up the parade start time, to allow for street security for an afternoon hockey game.

The Carnival Band always plays in the Chinatown parade.  Each year they dress up as the Chinese zodiac animal for the New Year.  2010 was the year of the tiger.  Expect them to dress up as rabbits for 2011.  They are an example of the many non-Chinese groups that take part in the annual Chinese New Year parade. – photo T.Wong

It would be interesting to see an event that would incorporate both Naroush and St. Patrick's Day. We could call it “Persian Irish Spring Festival”.

Personally, I also think that St. Patrick's Day and Robbie Burns Day should also be considered for holidays too.  And I initiated the 2008 City of Vancouver Proclamation of Tartan Day, April 6th, which was also passed in Canadian Parliament in 2010, to help celebrate and recognize Scottish contributions and heritage in Canada.

But I think priority for the next provincial and national holidays should be given to events that can bring diverse communities together in unity.  Thus a “Lunar New Year Festival” that ALL communities can participate in – NOT a “Chinese New Year” – but something that can also include Robbie Burns Day, and other cultural communities.  

A few years ago, I was asked to participate in a “Lunar New Year” event at Chief Maquinna Elementary School.  Many if not all of the schools cultural groups was represented and included.  I performed songs on my accordion, that were Italian, Chinese and Scottish in origin.  It was a great time for all the kids, who sang along to “When Asian/Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and “My Haggis Lies Over the Ocean, My Chow Mein Lies Over the Sea.”

And we should also recognize:
February 15th Flag Day – the day on which our Maple Leaf flag was unveiled in 1965 (much better than Cristy Clark's proposed “Family Day”.

November 19th Douglas Day – the day in 1858, which Governor James Douglas proclaimed the Crown Colony of British Columbia, in Ft. Langley – thus saving BC from very possible annexation to the United States.  Douglas himself was born in British Guyana to a Scottish father and a Creole Free Black mother.  His wife Amelia was Metis.  He is known as the “Father of British Columbia”

In 1858, He had a vision for a multicultural British Columbia, that was left unrealized by subsequent governors and premiers who succeeded at turning BC into a “White Man's Province”, enacting various legislations to restrict Non-White immigrants to BC, as well as deport Non-White Canadian born citizens, such as the Japanese-Canadian internment, dispersal and re-patriation policies.

Cheers, Todd

What to expect and do,

at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2011 Dinner

2009 dinner picture by Patrick Tam

Special for 2011
Every year, we invite new people to perform and co-host. For 2011, there seems to be a Hapa theme emerging… people who have both Asian and Caucasian ancestry.

Patrick Gallagher, Co-hosting will be Glee's Coach Tanaka – who has performed in movies and television shows, such as Da Vinci's Inquest, the bartender in Sideways with Sandra Oh, Master & Commander, Atilla the Hun in Night At the Museum
+ many more!  Patrick also performed theatrically in the touring
production of “Naomi's Road” (based on the Joy Kogawa children's book –
that preceded the unrelated Vancouver Opera touring production).  I have
known Patrick for many years, and his sister Margaret Gallagher has
previously co-hosted in 2004, as well as performed.  We will sing a
special version of” Chirish Eyes Are Smiling” to celebrate Patrick's
Chinese and Irish heritage

Jenna Chow (co-host) is the voice you hear on CBC Radio One, for the traffic reports on The Early Edition and On The Coast. Her father is Chinese-Canadian, and Jenna and I have had a great chat remembering favorite Chinese restaurants in Vancouver Chinatown.

Tetsuro Shigematsu (co-host) is a writer, comedian, actor and director.  He hosted CBC Radio's “The Round Up” after writing for This Hour Has 22 Minutes.” In 2007, he directed, produced and starred in the independent movie “Yellow Fellas.” He attended his first Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner back in 2004.  We've been friends for a long time, and glad to have him on the board for Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop. He was born in London UK, and speaks French, Persian, Japanese and English.

Jocelyn Pettit
is a fiddler that people rave about.  Some are calling her the next
Natalie McMaster… and she is only 15 year's old.  Jocelyn's mother is
of Chinese ancestry and her father is of Scottish-French Canadian
ancestry.  2010 was a special year for Jocelyn because she was able to
carry the Olympic Torch in her hometown of Squamish.  I met her and her
family at the BC Highland Games this summer in Coquitlam.  Check out
Jocelyn on CBC Radio website: http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/Jocelyn-Pettit-Band

Jeff Chiba Stearns
is a repeat Gung Haggis performer.  In 2005, his short film “What Are
You Anyways?” thrilled our Gung Haggis dinner guests.  This year, his
new film takes it to another level, as Jeff explores why all his family
members of the Japanese side married non-Japanese partners in the full
length documentary, One Big Hapa Family.  His take is that there are no halfs – everybody in the family is now 100% Japanese Canadian.

Brad Cran is our featured poet for 2011.  He is the current Poet Laureat for the City of Vancouver.  He has Scottish ancestry but has never been to Scotland. His book Hope in Shadows: Stories and Photographs of Vancouver's Downtown Eastsie, won the Roderick Haig Brown Regional BC Book Prize in 2009

Joe McDonald has performed bagpipes at Gung Haggis Fat Choy events since 2001.  Joe has traveled to Scotland, China, Japan and Mexico performing his original songs as well as traditional songs.  We always have fun together leading singalongs.  This year we will be joined by special guest musicians. 

Other
performers include Gung Haggis Pipes & Drums, + lots of surprises!. 
More on them in later posts…

The Arrival

Arrive Early: 

The doors will open at 5:00 pm, All tables are reserved, and all seating is placed in the
order that they were ordered.

If
you bought your tickets through Firehall Arts Centre, come to the
reception marked Will Call under the corresponding alphabet letters.  We
have placed you at tables in order of your purchase.  Somebody who
bought their ticket in December will be at a table closer to the stage
then somebody who bought it in mid January, or on the day before the event.  We think this
is fair.  If you want to sit close for next year – please buy your ticket
early.

If
you are at a table with one of the sponsoring organizations: Historic
Joy Kogawa House, ACWW/Ricepaper Magazine, Gung Haggis dragon boat team –
then somebody will meet you at the reception area and guide you to your
table.

The Bar is open at 5:00 and Dinner Start time is 6:00

We
expect a rush before the posted 6:00pm
dinner
time. We have asked that the 1st appetizer platter be placed on the
table soon after 6pm.  Once this is done, we will start the Piping in of
our performers and head table.  We sing O Canada from the stage, and
give welcome to our guests.  Warning: We usually ask you to sing for
your supper.

Buy Your Raffle Tickets:

Please
buy
raffle tickets… this is how we generate our fundraising to support
this organizations dedicated to multiculturalism and cultural harmony. 
We
purposely keep our admission costs low to $60 for so that they are
affordable and the dinner can be attended by more
people.  Children's tickets are subsidized so that we can include
them in the audience and be an inclusive family for the evening. We have some great door
and raffle prizes lined up.  Lots of books (being the writers we
are), gift certificates and theatre tickets + other surprises.

FREE Subscription for Ricepaper Magazine:

Everybody is eligible for a subscription to RicePaper Magazine,
(except children). This is our thank you gift to you for attending our
dinner. And to add value ($20) to your ticket. Pretty good deal, eh? Rice Paper Magazine
is Canada's best journal about Asian Canadian arts and
culture, published by Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop,

This dinner is the primary fundraising event for:

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team
continues to promote multiculturalism through
dragon boat paddling events. Some paddlers wear kilts, and we have been
filmed for German, French, and Canadian television documentaries + other

Since 2001, Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop,
has been a partner in this remarkable dinner event. ACWW works actively
to give a voice to ermerging writers.  ACWW is the publisher of RicePaper Magazine.

Histoic Joy Kogawa House committee joined our family of recipients in 2006, during the campaign to save Joy Kogawa's childhood home from demolition.  The Land
Conservancy of BC stepped in to fundraise in 2005 and purchase Kogawa House
in 2006 and turn it into a National literary landmark and treasure for all
Canadians. In 2009, we celebrated our inaugural Writer-in-Residence program.

The FOOD

Deep fried haggis won ton – photo Todd Wong

This year haggis dim sum appetizers will
again
be served. Haggis is mixed into the Pork  Siu-mei dumplings  Last year we introduced haggis pork dumplings
(su-mei). This year we are adding vegetarian pan-fried turnip cake to represent “Neeps and Tatties.” 

Appetizer platter with turnip cake, bbq pork, jelly fish, and haggis & pork dim sum dumpling

Soon
after 6:00 pm the dinner formalities begin. People
are seated, and the Piping in of the musicians and
hosts begins.  We will lead a singalong of Scotland the Brave and give
a good welcome to our guests, and have the calling of the clans – all
the reserved tables and large parties of 10.  This is a tradition at
many Scottish ceilidhs (kay-lees), or gatherings.

From then on… a new dish will appear every 15 minutes –
quickly followed by one of our co-hosts introducing a poet or musical
performer.  Serving 40 tables within 5 minutes, might not work
completely, so please be patient.  We will encourage our guests
and especially the waiters to be quiet while the performers are on stage.
Then for the 5 minute intermissions, everybody can talk and make noise
before they have to be quiet for the performers again.

Check this video from past year's Dinner

The Performances

Expect the unexpected:  This year's dinner event is full of surprises. Even I don't know what is going to happen.  The idea is to recreate the spontaneity of the very
first dinner for 16 people back in 1998 – but with 400+ guests.  For
that dinner, each guest was asked to bring a song or a poem to share.  I
don't want to give anything away right now as I
prefer the evening to unfold with a sense of surprise and
wonderment.  But let it be known that we have an incredible
array of talent for the evening. 

Poetry
by Robbie Burns and Chinese Canadian poets.  What will it be?  We often
like to read “Recipe for Tea” – a poem by Jim Wong-Chu, about the
trading of tea from Southern China to Scotland

Musicians and dancers?  Some surprises for 2011

Our non-traditional reading of the “Address to the
Haggis” is always a crowd pleaser.  But
this year, audience members might also be reading a different Burns poem to
tie their tongues around the gaelic tinged words.  Will it be “A
Man's A Man for All That,” “To a Mouse,” My Luv is Like a Red Red Rose,” or maybe even “Tam O-Shanter?”  For 2011, we are setting Robbie Burns lyrics to a famous Johnny Cash/June Carter tune.

The evening will wrap up somewhere
between 9:00 and
9:30 pm, with the singing of Auld Lang Syne – with a verse in Mandarin
Chinese. Then we will socialize further until 10pm.  People will
leave with smiles on their faces and say to
each other, “Very Canadian,”  “Only in Vancouver could something
like this happen,” or “I'm telling my friends.”