Does Robbie Burns have Chinese descendants?
What would he think of Gung Haggis Fat Choy?
People have often asked "What would Robbie Burns think about Gung Haggis Fat Choy?"
I am pleased to share that the Burns Club of Vancouver definitely approves of my combined
Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.
In 2006, Dr. Ian Mason of the Burns Club of Vancouver spoke at Gung Haggis Fat Choy World
Poetry Night at the Vancouver Public Library, January 16th 2006. As well Ian also came to
the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner event at the Floata Restaurant on January 22nd, bringing with
him his wife and Burns scholar Dr. Andrew Noble.
Last night I attended the Burns Club annual Burns Supper, and was seated beside Dr. Noble,
who was the keynote speaker giving the Burns eulogy. All were very enthuasiastic about my
cross-cultural event and Burns Club members Don Mackenzie and Tony Breen also raved about it,
stating that it really reflects Burns' philosophy that "A man's a man for all that and all that."
Dr. Noble commented with me about Burns's job as an exiseman (tax collector), and his disdain
for having to collect taxes for the English government from his fellow countryment. No doubt,
we could have made more comments at the 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, interviewing
Dr. Mason and Dr. Noble about what Burns might have thought about the Canadian head tax
for Chinese immigrants, and the present redress movement.
Grant Hayter-Menzies just found this on a site that lists all known descendants of Burns:
http://www.burness.ca/p2697.htm#i26970
Click on the link "Descendants of Robert Burns" and you'll see Ching-Lin Chang, wife of Peter
Jack Gauld, parents of Andrew Jade Gauld and Arran Ethan Gauld.
Does Robbie Burns have Chinese descendants? What would he think of Gung Haggis Fat Choy?
Leave a reply
