Sunday January 27, 2013
Celebrating BC Scottish and Chinese pioneer culture, history
– in music, poetry and culinary fusion
Special Tribute to Sir James Douglas,
founding governor of British Columbia
and celebrating that Chinese New Year is in Black History Month for 2013
Sir James Douglas (Old Square Toes) was born in Guyana to a Scottish father and a Creole mother, and his wife Amelia was Métis. He had a vision that British Columbia could be a home to people from all over the world… whatever their place of origin. Just like in the Burns poem:
“That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that, It’s comin yet for a’ that
That man to man, the world o’er,
Shall brithers be for a’ that.”
– Robert Burns (A Man’s A Man For All That and All That)
2012 FEATURED PERFORMERS
Hosted by Constance Barnes & Toddish McWong
Renee Saklikar – poet
David Wong – author
Jocelyn Pettit Band
Joe McDonald – bagpipe
Black Bear Rebels Celtic Ceilidh Music
Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipes & Drums
+ lots of special guests
+ Raffle Prizes with theatre shows and books + more
+ Scotch tasting of Auchentoshan single malt whisky
Reception: 5:00 pm
Dinner: 6:00 pm – 9:15 pm
Floata Seafood Restaurant (#400 – 180 Keefer St, Chinatown Vancouver)
Dinner: 6:00 pm – 9:15 pm
Floata Seafood Restaurant (#400 – 180 Keefer St, Chinatown Vancouver)
Ticket: $65/each.
Table of 10: $625
Student: $55/each.
Student: $55/each.
Children (under 13 years old) $35/each.
You can purchase ticket online or over the phone with a credit card,
please call Kristin Cheung at Ricepaper magazine at 604-872-3464.
History of Gung Haggis:
In 1998, “Toddish McWong” held a small private dinner for 16 friends with food, haggis, poetry and songs – from both Scottish and Chinese cultures and thus was born – Gung Haggis Fat Choy – Now it is a dinner for 400 people!More than a traditional dinner with music and poetry. Gung Haggis Fat Choy re-imagines a traditional Robert Burns Dinner format, within a BC or Canadian historical context that puts Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian pioneers on an inclusive and equal platform, while acknowledging historical racism and how we move beyond it. This event has grown to also celebrate contemporary Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian artists and poets and their innovations to create something uniquely Canadian.
In 1998, “Toddish McWong” held a small private dinner for 16 friends with food, haggis, poetry and songs – from both Scottish and Chinese cultures and thus was born – Gung Haggis Fat Choy – Now it is a dinner for 400 people!More than a traditional dinner with music and poetry. Gung Haggis Fat Choy re-imagines a traditional Robert Burns Dinner format, within a BC or Canadian historical context that puts Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian pioneers on an inclusive and equal platform, while acknowledging historical racism and how we move beyond it. This event has grown to also celebrate contemporary Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian artists and poets and their innovations to create something uniquely Canadian.
16 Years of Highlights for Gung Haggis Fat Choy (GHFC) & Toddish McWong:
1998 – 1st Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner for 16 people in a living room.
2003 – 1st Creation of deep-fried haggis wonton
2003 – 1st Creation of deep-fried haggis wonton
2004 – CBC television performance special “Gung Haggis Fat Choy”– nominated for 2 Leo Awards
2005 – SFU GHFC Festival with dragon cart racing + human curling
2006 – GHFC photo included in Paul Yee book Saltwater City
2007 – “Address to the Haggis” rap version performed by Todd Wong & Joe McDonald
2007 – GHFC featured in CBC documentary Generations: The Chan Legacy
2008 – Toddish McWong photo in BC Canada Pavillion during Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.
2008 – Photo of Toddish McWong in the Royal BC Museum exhibit “The Party”
2009 – GHFC written about in Charles Demers’ book Vancouver Special
2009 – Toddish McWong featured speaker at Centre for Scottish Studies SFU conference “Burns in Trans-Atlantic context”
2009 – Toddish McWong photo featured at Scottish Parliament in the exhibit “This is Who We Are: Scots in Canada.”
2011 – GHFC dinner inspired Hapa-Palooza Festival for Vancouver 125 Celebrations
Photo by Deb Martin
Previous artist and writers included:
Writers: Joy Kogawa, Fred Wah, Brad Cran, Larissa Lai, Rita Wong, George McWhirter, Jim Wong-Chu, Lensey Namioka, Fiona Tinwei Lam.
Musicians: Silk Road Music, Heather Pawsey soprano, Lan Tung, and Blackthorn
Film makers: Jeff Chiba Stearns, Ann-Marie Fleming and Moyra Rodger.
Menu Highlights include:
Deep-fried haggis wonton + haggis pork dumpling (su-mei) and appetizer courses.
“Neeps” served Chinese style in the form of pan-fried turnip cake, dim sum style.
Traditional haggis is served with Chinese lettuce wrap.
Deep-fried haggis wonton + haggis pork dumpling (su-mei) and appetizer courses.
“Neeps” served Chinese style in the form of pan-fried turnip cake, dim sum style.
Traditional haggis is served with Chinese lettuce wrap.
And we always feature fun sing-alongs such as Loch Lomand, My Chow Mein (Bonny) Lies Over the Ocean, and When Asian Eyes Are Smiling.
Lots of surprises… such as new for 2012 – a revamped version of Robbie Burns lyrics set to Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley music.
Lots of surprises… such as new for 2012 – a revamped version of Robbie Burns lyrics set to Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley music.
For Media Inquires Contact:
Todd Wong