Category Archives: Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner

Things are getting exciting with Gung Haggis Fat Choy…

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10 more days until Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Dinner.

Yesterday and today, I received calls from Matt Burrows from the Georgia Straight asking what was happening for the 10th Anniversary celebrations for Gung Haggis Fat Choy.  We have celtic band Blackthorn, Vancouver poet laureate George McWhirter, our house band Joe McDonald and Brave Waves + an sneak peak excerpt from Grace Chin's new theatre play.

“Sorry, I can't tell you anything more because everything else is going to be a surprise,” I told Burrows.  “I am looking at some of the best memories, performances and elements over the past 10 years and trying to find a way to make the dinner have the same remarkable spontaneity that the first dinner of 16 guests had, but now with 400 guests. 

As usual we will be having people reading Burns Poetry, reading Asian Canadian poetry… and we will have members of our audience come up on stage to read.  It's always important for me to find a way to recognize both the
Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian history and culture of our city
and province.

It's always exciting seeing who will be in our audience.  By introducing celebrity people and community leaders in our audience, it always makes the dinner feel more intimate and friendly.  This is one of the secrets that has made Gung Haggis Fat Choy such a cherished must-attend event for so many Vancouverites.  After singing a chorus of “When Asian Eyes Are Smiling” or “My Haggis Lies Over the Ocean,” you have 9 brand new best friends at your dinner table… and 400 new friends surrounding you…. all singing Auld Lang Syne in Mandarin!

At that first dinner, we had no idea what was happening… we had a list of things that were supposed to happen at a traditional Robbie Burns dinner.  I cooked most of the Chinese dishes, and other people brought or cooked some more of the dishes.  But as the dinner grew to 40 people, then 100, then 200, then 400 and up to 590, it has always struggled with losing the original intimacies of the first dinners, while taking advantage of the opportunities for better performances and better sound/video technology as the dinner grew to larger venues.

“We are going to be showing clips from the CBC documentary Generations: The Chan Legacy which features some of the history of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, including being interviewed by Peter Mansbridge from The National, and also the CBC Vancouver TV special,” I shared with Burrows.  “After all, how many times does a Burns dinner get to spin off a TV special… it's been pretty incredible!”

All the haggis is now ordered from Peter Black & Sons in West Vancouver's Park Royal.  It's very fitting, since the first dinner of 16 guests took place in a North Vancouver town house.  The haggis will soon be delivered to Floata Restaurant where they will make hundreds of deep-fried wun tun appetizers, as part of our haggis dim sum appetizer buffet that will greet guests on their arrival at 5:30pm

Tickets Tonight is handling all single ticket orders, while I take reserved tables of 10.  There are many organizations and individuals reserving tables.  These will all be announced during the “Calling of the Clans.”
Single ticket holders will all be assigned seating at “General Admission” tables in the order that they bought their tickets.  Reserved tables of 10 will have the “Clan Names” place on the tables.

Our host organizations Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, Historic Joy Kogawa House Society and the Gung Hagggis Fat Choy dragon boat team will each receive a portion of funds raised from the dinner, as well as provide volunteers for the event.

Raffle prizes are looking very good.  Each year I talk with organizations that contribute to the intercultural nature of our arts community. 

Banana Boys theatre – 2 tickets from Firehall Arts Centre
Italian Girl In Algiers – 2 tickets from Vancouver Opera
Voices of the Pacific Rim – 2 tickets from Vancouver Opera
The Quickie – 2 tickets from TF Productions
Book gift pack from Arsenal Pulp Press
Book gift pack from Harbour Publishing
and many more prizes…

So… everything is now set up.  Media interviews are happening.  Last week I was interviewed on Co-Op Radio by Rowan on Accordion Noir.  This friday I am being interviewed by Eric Model for this radio and podcast for his Conversations on the Road show where he travels all across North America interviewing interesting people and stories.

Hmmm… what's next.  Read Thursday's Georgia Straight to find the latest work in dress attire for Gung Haggis Fat Choy… and who will be wearing a kilt to the dinner.

The Quickie – New Asian Canadian play sneak preview excerpt featured at 2008 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner event

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Another Gung Haggis Fat Choy exclusive!!!

TF Productions' playwright Grace Chin is back with another “set in Vancouver” play that resonates sexual and racial intercultural politics and social customs.   Last year  Grace and her writing partner Charlie Cho previewed their first play Twisting Fortunes at the 2007 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner which I reviewed Twisting Fortunes is just like “real dating.

This
time the writing is all Grace… and she will be performing a sneak
preview excerpt onstage with fellow actor Emily Chow, as characters
Susan Fan and Regina Cho.

What do women really want?  Did Robbie Burns have the answer?  We know that Robbie Burns LOVED the fair sex and wrote many many poems dedicated to them – the most famous being “My Luv is Like a Red Red Rose.”  But does a rose smell as sweet whether it is red, or white, or yellow?  And what about men and women…. do they smell as sweet whether they are white or yellow? 

Check out this spicy excerpt that will be presented January 27th at the 2008 Gung Haggis Fat Choy : Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.

Can you really know someone in five minutes? And is speed
dating a shortcut to happiness, or a slippery slope to heartache? TF
Productions, the team that brought the city its first “accidentally
Asian” romantic dramedy, Twisting Fortunes—which played to a sold-out
house at the Playwrights Theatre Centre on Granville Island last
year—presents The Quickie, a Vancouver-based, contemporary romantic
comedy that rips a strip out of speed dating, making whoopee, and
cultural collision. In all the wrong places.

The Quickie is directed by Ross Bragg (Producer, CBC) with
lighting design by Darren Boquist (Walking Fish Festival) from a script
by Grace Chin (Event Producer, Scripting Aloud), one half of the TF
Productions writing/producing team that includes Charlie Cho (Associate
Producer, CBC). TF Productions is grateful to receive in-kind support
from the CBC, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT) and Scripting
Aloud. “A 'quickie' can mean a lot of things. This is a fun play about
dating in Vancouver, but it's not only about sex; it's about how
readily we judge people before we know who they are, about love at
first sight,” says Bragg.

In this take-out love story, Richard “The Rich” Gupta (Raahul
Singh) wants everything, while his buddy Darryl Chu (Alex Chu) just
wants the right woman. Susan Fan (Grace Chin) is willing to settle for
a man she can put up with, while her best friend Regina Cho (Emily
Chow) won't settle at all. The four meet their matches quickly enough
at the same speed dating event, yet find the follow-through far from
tidy. An amorous woman (Allison Riley), a party girl (Kit Koon), a
pretty boy (Phil Gurney) and a toothsome dentist (Victor Khong) further
complicate the “girl meets boy” dynamic.

The
Quickie is the second theatrical production, after 2007's Twisting
Fortunes, to be staged after being workshopped at Scripting Aloud, a
monthly pan-Asian Canadian scriptreading series active since 2005. A
short excerpt from The Quickie will be read live at the Tenth
Anniversary Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner event on January 27, 2008 at
Floata Chinese Restaurant, 400-180 Keefer Street, downtown Vancouver.

Performances:
Thurs. Feb. 7, Fri. Feb. 8, Sat. Feb. 9, 8 p.m.
Sun. Feb. 10, 2 p.m.
Fri. Feb. 15, Sat. Feb. 16, 8 p.m.
Venue: Playwrights Theatre Centre
(1398 Cartwright Street), Granville Island
Tickets: $15 at the door, $13 online via PayPal at www.scriptingaloud.ca/quickie

Media:
Charlie Cho
Co-Producer, TF Productions
778-288-5933

quickieplay@gmail.com

Todd Wong and Gung Haggis Fat Choy featured in a grade 5 school text book

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Todd Wong is featured in a new Grade 5 Canadian text book called:

LITERACY IN ACTION – STUDENT INSTRUCTION BOOK
– published by Pearson Education Canada

The following is found on pages 10-11


TODD WONG


His Words:

“This is what Canadian society is all about, introducing each other to
our cultures and welcoming other cultures into our families.”


A New Idea

Gung Haggis Fat Choy.  What do you think that is?  It sounds like Gung
Hei Fat Choy, which is what many people say to each other to celebrate
the Chinese New Year.  But haggis is the national dish of Scotland!  To
understand Gung Haggis Fat Choy, you need to meet Todd Wong.  It was
all his idea.

Todd Wong is a Chinese Canadian whose family has lived in BC since the
1800's.  In 1993, Todd was a student at Simon Fraser University in
Burnaby BC.  On January 25, Robbie Burns Day was to be celebrated.  On
that date each year, people of Scottish origin celebrate the life of
their national poet, Robert Burns.  Todd was asked to help with the
celebration, but siad no.  He just couldn't picture himself dressed in
a Scottish kilt.  It was too weird! But no one else would volunteer, so
Todd finally agreed.  This was the start of something big!


What a Party!

Now, let's go back to Gung Haggis Fat Choy.  In 1998, Chinese New Year
and Robbie Burns Day were only two days apart.  Todd planned to cook a
Chinese New Year's dinner for some friends.  Why not combine the
celebration with Robbie Burns Day? he thought.  And so the Gung Haggis
Fat Choy dinner began.  For that day, Todd would be known as Toddish
McWong.  To entertain his guests, he would play Scottish songs on his
accordion.  He would read poetry by Asian Canadians and Robbie Burns.

That party was a great success.  The next year's party was an even
greater success.  In following years, more and more people attended. 
There are now hundreds of guests and everyone enjoys delicious food and
great entertainment.  The money raised goes to project such as the
Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop.  Todd has been heard on radio across
Canada and in Scotland.  One simple idea has touched so many people.

+ two pictures

Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2008 Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner

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You are invited to the

10th Anniversary
Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner


January 27th, 2008 – SUNDAY
Floata Seafood Restaurant
#400 – 180 Keefer St.
Vancouver Chinatown.

click on poster
   
Details for 2008 event to be released soon.

Gung Haggis Fat Choy –
The infamous Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.
The “little dinner that could” and did:



To celebrate our 10th Annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.…
Look for the return of:

Joe McDonald and Brave Waves


New for 2007:
George McWhirter – Vancouver Poet Laureate
Blackthorn – Celtic Band
+ many more musical and literary surprises!

This is a fundraiser event for
Historic Joy Kogawa House
Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop / Ricepaper Magazine
and
Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team


For Tickets:
stay tuned….
tickets will be sold through Tickets Tonight – Vancouver's Community Box Office
NEW ORDER BY PHONE # – 604-631-2872



Kilts and family history abound during two episodes of the 6-part Generations series on CBC Newsworld

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Kilts and family history abound during two episodes of the 6-part Generations series on CBC Newsworld

Find
out what a 250 year old Anglophone family in Quebec City and a 120 year
old Chinese-Canadian family in Vancouver have in common.

Both have:
bagpipes and kilts
+ accordion music
+ canoe/dragon boat racing
+ immigration as a topic
+ Church music
+ archival photos/newsreels of an ex-premier
+ cultural/racial discrimination stories
+ prominent Canadian historical events to show how
   the families embraced them or were challenged by them
+ both featured saving a historical literary landmark.
+ younger generation learning the non-English language

Generations: The Chan Legacy features Todd Wong, founder of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, a quirky Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner, which inspired a CBC Vancouver television performance special.  Todd's involvements with Terry Fox Run, Joy Kogawa House campaign and dragon boat racing are also shown.

July 29th 4pm PST / July 30th 12am

4:00 p.m. Generations: The Chan Legacy
– Missionaries from China come to the West Coast help Westernize Chinese immigrant workers in the late 1800's.		 Generations: The Chan Legacy

August 5th 4pm PST

4:00 p.m. Generations: The Blairs of Quebec
– An Anglophone family with 250 years of history in Quebec City struggles to maintain it's heritage.		 Generations: The Blairs of Quebec


July 4, 10 pm ET/PT, July 8 10 am ET, July 29, 7 pm ET
The
documentary begins with Todd Wong playing the accordion, wearing a
kilt. He promotes cultural fusion, and in doing so, he honours the
legacy of his great, great, grandfather Reverend Chan Yu Tan. The Chans
go back seven generations in Canada and are one of the oldest families
on the West Coast.
Chan family
The Chan family
Reverend
Chan and his wife Wong Chiu Lin left China for Victoria in 1896 at a
time when most Chinese immigrants were simple labourers, houseboys and
laundrymen who had come to British Columbia to build the railroad or
work in the mines. The Chans were different. They were educated and
Westernized Methodist Church missionaries who came to convert the
Chinese already in Canada, and teach them English. The Chans were a
family with status and they believed in integration. However even they
could not escape the racism that existed at the time, the notorious
head tax and laws that excluded the Chinese from citizenship.
In
the documentary, Reverend Chan's granddaughter Helen Lee, grandson
Victor Wong, and great grandson Gary Lee recall being barred from
theaters, swimming pools and restaurants. The Chinese were not allowed
to become doctors or lawyers, pharmacists or teachers. Still, several
members of the Chan family served in World War II, because they felt
they were Canadian and wanted to contribute. Finally, in 1947, Chinese
born in Canada were granted citizenship and the right to vote.

Today,
Todd Wong, represents a younger generation of successful professionals
and entrepreneurs scattered across North America. He promotes his own
brand of cultural integration through an annual event in Vancouver
called Gung Haggis Fat Choy. It's a celebration that joins Chinese New
Year with Robbie Burns Day, and brings together the two cultures that
once lived completely separately in the early days of British Columbia.

We
also meet a member of the youngest generation, teenager Tracey Hinder,
who also cherishes the legacy of Reverend Chan, but in contrast to his
desire to promote English she is studying mandarin and longs to visit
the birthplace of her ancestors.

Produced by Halya Kuchmij, narrated by Michelle Cheung.

July 11, 10 pm ET/PT, July 15, 10 am ET, August 5, 7 pm ET

For
250 years, the Blair family has been part of the Protestant Anglophone
community of Quebec City. The Anglophones were once the dominant
cultural and economic force in the city, but now they are a tiny
minority, and those who have chosen to stay have had to adapt to a very
different world. Louisa Blair guides us through the story of her
family, which is also the story of a community that had to change.
Ronnie Blair
Ronnie Blair

The
senior member of the family today is Ronnie Blair. He grew up in
Quebec, but like generations of Blairs before him, he worked his way up
the corporate ladder in the Price Company with the lumber barons of the
Saguenay. Ronnie Blair's great grandfather came to the Saguenay from
Scotland in 1842. Ronnie's mother was Jean Marsh. Her roots go back to
the first English families to make Quebec home after British troops
defeated the French on the Plains of Abraham in 1759. The Marsh family
amassed a fortune in the shoe industry in Quebec City.

The
Marshes and the Blairs were part of a privileged establishment that
lived separately from the Catholics and the Francophones, with their
own churches and institutions. The Garrison Club for instance, is a
social club that is still an inner sanctum for Quebec's Anglo
businessmen.

Blair family
The Blair family

Work took Ronnie Blair and his family to England in the 1960’s but his
children longed to return to Canada, and to Quebec City. Alison Blair
was the first to return, as a student, in 1972. Her brother David
followed in 1974. Both were excited by the political and social changes
that had taken place during the Quiet Revolution in Quebec and threw
themselves into everything Francophone. David learned to speak French,
married a French Canadian and settled into a law practice.

Then
came the Referendum of 1995, a painful moment in the history of the
Anglophone community, and for the passionate Blairs. But David decided
he was in Quebec to stay, and today his children are bilingual and
bicultural. More recently his sister Louisa also returned to Quebec
City and a desire to rediscover her past led her to write a book
called, The Anglos, the Hidden Face of Quebec. Her daughter is also is
growing up bilingual and bicultural, representing a new generation
comfortable in both worlds.

Produced by Jennifer Clibbon and Lynne Robson.

Alcan Dragon Boat Festival Friday: Blessing Ceremony + we crash the VIP Party

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Alcan Dragon Boat Festival Friday: Blessing Ceremony + we crash the VIP Party


The blessing ceremony for the 19th annual Alcan Dragon Boat Festival went well.. except for Todd being slowed by North
Shore traffic.  Channel M had just called me and was asking if our honourary drummer James Erlandsen, leukemia patient, would be on the boat…

“Nope” I said, “his white blood count is too depleted.” 
“But James' spirit will be with us when we are on the boat, and our spirit is with his, in his recovery back to health.” We are helping to find a matching Eurasian bone marrow for James.  3 of our paddlers are Eurasian, and we have 3 inter-racial couples on the team! Hapa is s-o-o-o in!

Hmmm…. I arrived late and the team was already on the dock.  I
brought down the kilts which paddler Stuart Mackinnon and Drummer Deb each quickly put on. Team Captain
Jim Blatherwick already had his kilt on.

We loaded up the boat, and Taoist priests were already chanting and
dotting the eyes of the dragons…   then we paddled away from the
Dragon Zone dock.  Usually it is this time that drummer Deb does her
introductions of new guest paddlers on the boat – but in the 1st seat –
the female priest was singing/chanting.  Hillary's mother Bev Wong (James Erlandsen's Aunt), and currently inactive paddlers Jeremy and Jen – took pictures of us and waved to us from the Dragon Zone deck.

We paddled over to a float set up on the North side of Dragon Zone –
within good viewing of the VIP lounge on the North West side of the
Science World deck.  We let off the priest + a VIP + Captain Jim… the priests did
blessings.  Captain Jim stood during the ceremonies, and chatted with
the captains of Concord dragon boat team – Fred Roman, and captain of Cathay Pacific –
May.   Jim says the priests gave him a “lucky coin”.  While we waited
the 20 minutes while the priests did their equipment takedown – We paddled some
figure 8's and Deb introduced our guest paddlers.  2 youngsters from
Kitsilano Water Demons junior team, and their coach Chek Tay – whom I
have known since 1999.

We paddled back to the Dragon Zone dock – We started saying our
goodbyes because Deb & Todd were heading off to the ADBF VIP
party, and our paddlers were deciding what to do next when they were
immediately asked to help carrying things down to the dock, as Water's
Edge was setting up the race course.  While our paddlers helped out, and Todd bumped into ADBF general manager Ann
Phelps who said that she had to go help out her volunteers at the VIP
party.  Todd asked if she needed more volunteers, and offered the GHFC
paddlers. So we all did get to go to the VIP party afterall…. but as
volunteers. 

It was easy… we served drinks, bused the used dishes, and Todd
helped out at the reception desk.  We were told that we could relieve the
current volunteer staff, switch off and enjoy the party.  We did…  
Free wine, beer, drinks and food, food, food. 

Steven Wong saw his brother Peter who is past-president for ADBF. 
Georgia and I talked with Marlene's very good friend Patrick Couling –
who is an ADBF race advisor.  Vancouver City Councillor George Chow asked me
to help out with the 100th anniversary dinner for the 1907 Chinatown
Riots.  I chatted up the Rogers VIP representatives we had paddled over
to the float – potential sponsorship maybe?  Deb even got her father
into the VIP party, by putting a GHFC shirt over his t-shirt.  We
schmoozed, we ate, we drank, and volunteered hard. 

Hillary, our rookie paddler is amazing… This is her first Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, and she is both a paddler and a volunteer. Tonight, she bused hard, following a previous night when she did a First
Aid course for ADBF volunteers.  Two weeks ago she volunteered at the ADBF regatta,
when Gung Haggis wasn't paddling.  And she will do so again during the
festival.  Thank You Hillary.

Gung Haggis really helped out the ADBF tonight – both during the
blessing ceremony and for the VIP party. ADBF Communications director
Anita Webster, also said I saved her bacon this morning when I
interviewed for 2 spots during the City TV Breakfast TV morning show-
and especially for coming up for a tour of the DZ clubhouse, when the
heavens let loose the rains at 9am this morning.

Thank You everybody.  This is a FANTASTIC team, because of the high
quality of the people on the team.  It is a group that I and its team
members really enjoy being around.

Slainte, Toddish

Wind on False Creek makes white capped waves for dragon boat practice

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Wind on False Creek makes white capped waves for dragon boat practice

 

We had a wonderful practice tonight….
Paddlers said it was one of the best.
The sun was out… the wind was up, whitecaps in False Creek – YIKES!

All
our paddlers rose to the challenge.  Waves hit the sides of the boat,
and sometimes came in.  People got wet… some the wettest ever at a
practice.  But it was a great practice.  20 paddlers in a Gemini boat.  We started with a warm-up paddle to Cambie St. Bridge.  We did a 500m race piece to prepare for the May 19th Bill Alley memorial dragon boat regatta organized by the Lotus Sports Club.

We raced practice starts with a team that was
Rec B last year… And we stayed right with them for a start.  After the start we were about 6 to 10 feet behind. This was the closest we had been to them all Spring… up to now, they usually left us way behind. And we had 3 newbie paddlers + 3 rookies on the boat!  Last
year we were Rec E.  We want to be Rec B this year… and we are well on
our way.

After the race pieces we looked at correcting things that needed improving such as our timing, and technique.  We did some speed drills, some small group work, then worked on our starts. 

We have a good dedicated core crew who come every practice on Tuesday 6pm, and Sunday 1pm.
Some of the paddlers have been with us 3 years.  Our drummer/steers will have her 5th year with us.  Ex-paddlers still come to race with us.  It's good to have friends.

Last
year we raced 9 dragon boat race + 2 voyageur canoe races.  We love to
race… and we travelled to Seattle, Victoria, Vernon, Cultus Lake, and
Burnaby.  We raced in teak, 6-16, and Gemini boats, Dynasty boats in
Vernon, Millenium boats in Victoria, and Taiwanese Cedar boats in
Vancouver.

And we love to eat… We
have a Tuesday Night Food Club after practice.  Each week we try to go to a different restaurant.  Usually we go out for Chinese food… we like Foo's Ho Ho and Hon's Won Ton House in Chinatown… Sometimes we go to Congee House on Broadway and Main St.  But tonight we went the The Clubhouse Japanese restaurant, and were promptly greeted by the manager Karen.  She remembered us from last year and welcomed us back. 

 

Join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat food and social club.

Todd Wong
coach and clan chieftain
gunghaggis @ yahoo dot ca
778-846-7090

Seattle Gung Haggis Fat Choy Seattle: Scots-Americans enjoy a big success for a first initiative south of the border!

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Gung Haggis Fat Choy Seattle: Scots-Americans enjoy a big success for a first initiative south of the border



Toddish McWong meets
Seattle “Gung Haggis” couple Rory Denovan and Becca Fong.  Rory is
Scottish-American and Becca is Chinese-American… and they are a
lovely couple! – photo courtesy of Becca Fong.

Tiny pieces of red firecracker paper
litter the entrances of Chinese restaurants, as I walk down the streets
of Seattle's International District.  Darn!  I had just
missed the local Lion Dances, part of the Chinese New Year
celebrations, meant to bring good luck to the restaurants.  There
were pieces of lettuce scattered on the sidewalk too.  If the Lion
accepts the restaurant's gift of lettuce, good luck will come to the
restaurant.

I see a man in a kilt walk accross the street and enter the Ocean City
restaurant at 609 S. Weller St.  A kilt in Chinatown? 
Definitely a strange site.  It bemuses me.  I look at the all four story building. 
There are two stories capable of holding banquets + parking levels
below.  Tonight, the top floor will host the first annual Gung
Haggis Fat Choy Seattle event.

Inside I quickly find Bill McFadden, organizer of this event.  Two
months ago, Bill phoned me and said he would like to co-create a Gung
Haggis Fat Choy event in Seattle.  He wanted to recognize my
creation and bring me down to Seattle to create a benefit dinner for
the Caledonian and St. Andrew's Society of Seattle – funds raised to go
to the North West Jr. Pipe & Drums, in their quest to attend the
World Championships in Scotland.

My musician friends Harry Aoki and Max Ngai are already inside setting
up.  Harry is an octogenarian survivor of the Japanese Canadian
internment camps who plays harmonica, Chinese shung-like instrument,
and double bass (which we left in Vancouver because it wouldn't fit in
my car).  Max is an Australian born Chinese who moved to Canada at
age one, who loves to play Celtic violin.  While I have played
with Harry on occasions since 2003, and Max has played many times with
Harry – the three of us, have never played together before.

People were filing into the restaurant in anticipation of the
event.  I meet Don Scobie and Jesse Bishop, of the duo Bag 'N'
Pipe Hoppers – this duo busks in Seattle with contemporary hip hop
sounds.  Jesse wonders if the many elderly looking people dressed
in traditional Scots kilts and skirts know what they are in for tonight.
Meanwhile, the drone of bagpipes could be heard in the distance.



Max Ngai on violin, Harry Aoki on harmonica and Todd Wong on accordion. -photo Becca Fong

The event started with a performance by the North West Junior Pipes and Drums.

more later