Category Archives: Todd Wong

Todd's first day in Scotland

Todd's first day in Scotland:
A little bit of Glasgow and Edinburgh

Welcome to Scotland – Gee that train looks very Harry Potterish!

It's been a busy few days in Scotland. I first arrived late on Saturday night, after a 9 hour layover in Amsterdam's Schipol airport. I took the train to central station and went for a walk through the touristy bits – where I also discovered both Chinatown and the Red Light District.

2009_Amsterdam 045 Dragon City Restaurant in Amsterdam. I also discovered restaurants named Asiandam and Cafe Slutery Oost-West, and Eat Mode- Asian Fusion Kitchen.

2009_Amsterdam 052 It must be Chinatown. The sign says China Town Supermarkt!

The Bulldog pub was toooo full, so I went to The Blarney Stone where I met an Englishman named Robin. I drank Kilkenney and he drank Guinness. I told him about our 1st Thursday Kilts Night where we recieve a pint of Guinness. He told me it was his birthday, I asked the waitress to give him a free birthday beer. Instant friends + the guy from Boston beside us.

Here are pictures from Amsterdam

Amsterdam enroute to Scotland

I flew into Glasgow late on Saturday night. After all the locals breezed easily through customs, I was left with two people from China to fill out landing forms. (What are these?) I was the last person through, and the service was very kind. I changed some money, and took the bus into town where I soon found a hotel. My plan was to check out the local nightlife. But my shoulder and back were really hurting. I had injured it on the weekend, then reinjured it again on Thursday. This was part of the reason why I now was on holiday. If I can't work… I'm going to Scotland for Homecoming. I quickly fell asleep after taking more Motrin.

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Sunday morning. I go to Kelvingrove Art Gallery down the street. But
first I check into Beanscene – a local equivalent of Starbucks or
Blenz. Inside the cafe I am greeted by a picture of Johnny Cash.
There is a poster of Norah Jones's new album. I am in the right place.

2009_Scotland_1 006 Todd eating Stoats porridge – a good Scottish breakfast that is having a revival.

I order up porridge and coffee. I meet a local man who tells me about some of the local sights to see, after we discuss Johnny Cash. He also tells me that Glasgow's Chinatown is nearby.

Next I meet a Chinese woman who is teaching architecture (or is it art) at the local Art Institute. Ju-Li is from China and has lived in Scotland since 2004. She has just married a man, who has had to go back to America, because he doesn't have a UK passport, even though his grandparents were from Scotland. This man who's ancestors left Scotland for a better life in the USA, is trying to get back into Scotland to be with his Chinese bride. We both laugh at the absurdity of it.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is amazing. It's also part museum. The Main hall on my left has lots of taxidermied animals. There is an elephant, a giraffe, a moose, an ostrich… even a platypus and a cheetah. Suspended from the ceiling is a WW2 Spitfire fighter plane.

It is a thing out of a Christopher Robin or Narnia Chronicles book or movie. Upstairs I discover exhibits on Wild Bill's Wild West Show – when it came to Glasgow, as well as Robert Burns and dinosaurs.

2009_Scotland_1 024 Supposedly the legendary Haggis is the taxidermied concoction above, set beside a culinary haggis for eating.

There is even a taxidermied haggis! (photos to show after I return to Canada).

The Burns exhibit features a picture of Burns as Latin American revolutionary Che Gevera– no doubt reflecting on Burns universality for freedom and equal rights.

I had really wanted to visit the Hunterian Museum, which is showing Zig Zag: The Paths of Robert Burns as part of the Homecoming Scotland events. But it is at Glasgow University and consequently closed – forcing me to return to Glasgow on Monday. Anyways, I spend the afternoon at the Kelvingrove, where a Doctor Who exhibit is downstairs.

2009_Scotland_1 046 People do wear kilts and play bagpipes in Scotland!

I get lost trying to find the train station to Edinburgh. I get distracted by the sound of bagpipes, as I find myself on Nelson Mandela Walk. Policemen lead a parade of pipers. About 12 bobbies (policeman) in reflective yellow jackets escort 16 pipers. I think these are the first kilts I see in Scotland.

2009_Scotland_1 049 Winter Shindig in square at Glasgow.

I discover the Winter Shindig that takes up an entire square. There is
a stage for as one of the finale events for Homecoming Year. But
nobody local seems to know who the band is. There is a large outdoor
ice rink, and a ferris wheel.

These guys wore the biggest ugly-est sporrans I have ever seen. They made it themselves, and they carry all their magic tricks to promote the Glasgow Science Centre.

I meet two young men wearing kilts. They have HUMUNGOUS sporrans which are FILLED with THINGS. They work for the Glasgow Science Centre. They show me some of their tricks and offer to set my hand on fire. It was cool… and it did not hurt. Okay… I sort of knew the secret, and they confirmed it with me. One of them took a video – very cool… look carefully because it appears that after the flash – a pigeon flys out of above my hand. (video coming after I return to Canada).

Click for video to see a pigeon fly out of a burst of flame from my hand! Courtesy of the wild and kilted guys from the Glasgow Science Centre.

Did I say I get lost trying to get to the Train Station? People have been so helpful. But unfortunately I end up at the Central Station where I ask for Edinburgh, and the ticket seller hears Hellensburg. Fortunately I don't get on that train, and go back for a refund. Eventually I find myself on a crowded train to Edinburgh where I spy a man wearing a rugby shirt that says “Famous Grouse.” As Famous Grouse was a whisky sponsor at our 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, I have to go ask about his like for Famous Grouse. Surprise! There is an empty seat beside him, which he offers me. We have a good time talking about rugby, Famous Grouse, as I explain the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner to him, and the lady across from me. His name is Roy Dewar, the lady is Hellen. Roy buys me a Tennent's beer for our 50 minute train ride.

2009_Scotland_1 066 A friendly Scot buys me a Tennant's beer to celebrate my first full day in Scotland.

It's Sunday in Edinburgh. I check into my lodging at Salisbury Centre – a holistic health centre, run by a woman whose auntie is a friend of mine in Vancouver. For the evening, I decide to walk into town in search of Homecoming events. I discover the free Caille (traditional dancing) event at The Hub. The band is called Whiskey Kiss.
Whiskey Kiss played the St. Andrew's Day Ceilidh to celebrate the Homecoming Finale – click on the picture for video.

They are led by an accordion player. I like the band instantly – even though he plays button accordion. They have a comely lass playing fiddle and a braw fellow on the drums. A fellow also plays on the penny whistle flute and bagpipes. But the big surprise is the additional of a dj who adds in ambient sounds and scratches – very cool. I love their versions of Van Morrison's Blue Eyed Girl and Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire. But they also lead traditional country dances that include The Canadian Bar Dance, and The Virginia Reel.

How to start a ceilidh. Everybody waits on the dance floor while the
ceilidh leaders gives dance instructions, then the band gets going, and
the dance leaders start the dancing off! Too much fun!

People are dancing and really having lots of fun! – click here for video

This is a great little video of the dancing – look for the big guy in a kilt – he's not afraid of a little kilt swirl! Also look for the Asian woman who seems to really be enjoying herself!

Another surprise, there are Asians dancing. Most turn out to be students from university. They are from Taiwan or China.

2009_Scotland_1 088 Sarah is a student at University of Edinburgh!

I chat with some of the young Scots and ask then if they think that St. Andrew's Day should be a national holiday. They agree, but say that St. Andrews' events are slow to catch on.

Young Scots enjoy the Ceilidh, and actually wore kilts!

The patron saint of Scotland is certainly not as big as the patron
saint of Ireland – St. Patrick. I meet a young Scots woman whose
kilted boyfriend is missing a sporan… and kilt socks. He is actually
originally from Bulgaria… but he loves Scottish music and Scottish
women – okay… just one woman in particular.

Canada – Scotland Connections: “This is Who We Are Exhibition” runs at Scottish Parliament Nov 3 – 30, 2009

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Is Canada really Scottish?

This is Who We Are Exhibition November 3-30, 2009

Glasgow Pub? or Vancouver Pub? Why do so many Canadians wear kilts?
A Kilts Night event at Doolin's Irish Pub in Vancouver BC, with members of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team and friends, – photo T. Wong

A photograph

y exhibition exploring the connections between Canada and
Scotland through people and places has opened at Holyrood.

The exhibition, entitled This Is Who We Are, was created by Graeme Murdoch and Harry McGrath of Cultural Connect Scotland.
The two men travelled across Canada visiting communities which derive
their names from Scottish sources and helping people they met tell the
stories of their connection to Scotland through images and text.

Running from Tuesday 3 to
Monday 30 November in the Scottish Parliament's Main Hall, this
exhibition explores the connection between Scotland and its Diaspora in
Canada through a series of community photography projects. The
exhibition seeks to strengthen the links between towns and cities in
Scotland and Canada, and also features interviews that have been
carried out with participants exploring their Scottish heritage and
knowledge of contemporary Scotland. The project has been managed by
International Cultural Connections Scotland.

I have been invited to attend a reception at the Scottish Parliament to mark the
close of the Scots in Canada Exhibition. The Reception will be co-
hosted by Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP and the First Minster,
the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP. The reception will take place in the
Parliament's Main Hall.

Project coordinators Harry McGrath and Graeme Murdoch put a picture of me in a Kilt and Chinese Lion's Head mask into the early editions of the exhibit that traveled in Scotland. In September, they visited Vancouver and interviewed me for the video project.

2009_Sept_Harry_Irish_Heather 012 by you.

Harry McGrath (Argyle sweater) and Graeme Murdoch (hat) traveled to Vancouver to video interview Scots in Canada. Tony Breen (Yellow shirt) was born in Glasgow and is now a realtor on the North Shore. Todd Wong (red shirt and vest) is the 5th Generation Chinese-Canadian who created the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner, and is actively promoting Robbie Burns and Scottish-Canadian culture in Vancouver BC.

Here's some of the official information from the website:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/nmCentre/news/news-09/pa09-057.htm

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION DISCOVERING THE SPIRIT OF SCOTLAND IN CANADA OPENS AT HOLYROOD

03 November 2009

A photography exhibition which explores the connections between Canada
and Scotland through people and places will open to the public at
Holyrood from today until Monday 30 November.

Settlers' cabins in Lanark County, Ontario. Photograph: Donald MacIntyre

The Homecoming Scotland exhibition entitled ‘This Is Who We Are’ was created by Graeme Murdoch and Harry McGrath of Cultural Connect Scotland.

The
two men travelled across Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia,
visiting communities which derive their names from Scottish sources and
helping people they met tell the stories of their own communities and
their connection to Scotland through digital photography, video
interviews and text.

Speaking ahead of the opening, Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP said:
“‘This Is Who We Are’ is an innovative project that uses the power of
photography to emphasise the strong connections between the peoples of
Scotland and Canada.

“The stories behind
the photographs teach us more about our links to Canada and help us to
celebrate our common heritage. Around 1,000 places in Canada have names
derived from Scottish sources and 4.7 million Canadians identified
themselves as Scots-Canadian in the last census.

“This
exhibition is a wonderfully fitting way for the Scottish Parliament to
bring to a close its programme of activities and events marking
Scotland’s Year of Homecoming.”

Speaking
for Cultural Connect Scotland, Creative Director Graeme Murdoch and
Chairman Harry McGrath said: “So many good ideas start with a list and
we took the theme of places in Scotland and Canada that share the same
name.

“The project demonstrates the strong
influence of Scots who left Scotland and moved abroad, how they connect
with Scotland now, and how they envisage this connection developing in
the future. This makes a compelling statement of who we are, wherever
we are.”

The exhibition strengthens the
links between towns and cities with Scottish origins. This is
additional to video interviews that have been carried out with
participants exploring their Scottish heritage and knowledge of
contemporary Scotland.

Canadian places, originally named after locations in Scotland, which are featured in the exhibition include:

Edinburgh
New Glasgow
Inverness
Iona
Lismore
Rothesay
Perth
Lanark
Hamilton
Irvine
Aberdeen
Selkirk
Calgary (named after Calgary Bay in Mull)
Airdrie
Banff
Canmore
Coldstream
Abbotsford
Fintry
Cragallachie.

The exhibition at the Scottish Parliament is supported by the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government.

Background information
Graeme Murdoch is a former artistic director of several national newspapers. Harry McGrath is former coordinator of the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.

Exhibition Tour
Friday 6th November 13:00 – 13:45 Main Hall.
Exhibition Tour with photographer Graeme Murdoch and writer/academic Harry McGrath of Cultural Connect Scotland. Hear the stories behind the photographs of communities across Canada and their connections with Scotland today.

The Scottish Diaspora Today
Thursday 26th November 17:30-18:30
Join Harry McGrath, director of Cultural Connect Scotland and former Co-ordinator of the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University, Cairns Craig, Glucksman Professor of Irish and Scottish Studies and Director of AHRC Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies at Aberdeen University, and Henry McLeish, former First Minister of Scotland and Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, co-authors of “Global Scots” and “Wherever the Saltaire Flies” as they discuss ideas on engaging with the contemporary Scottish diaspora.

Exhibition Tours
Saturday 28th November, 11-11:45 and 14:30-15:15
Exhibition Tour with photographer
Graeme Murdoch and writer/academic Harry McGrath of Cultural Connect
Scotland. Hear the stories behind the photographs of communities
across Canada and their connections with Scotland today.

**********************************************************************

This year marks
the 10th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament. Further information
and a range of public engagement activities can be viewed at the
Parliament's website

For latest news
and information about all aspects of Parliamentary business, MSPs and
our work, visit the Parliament's website at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/.

For information about how you can visit the Parliament, go to http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/visitingHolyrood/index.htm.

Watch Parliamentary business live at http://www.holyrood.tv/

Terry Fox Run in Richmond BC – Great weather and community fun!

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Terry Fox Run in Richmond BC always has a great community support
2009_Terry_Fox_Run_Richmond 050 by you.

Miss
BC and McNair High School cheerleaders encourage Terry Fox Run
participants and give high-5's as they cross the finish line at the
Richmond run site at Garry Point Park on September 13th, Sunday.

Volunteer Lindsay Pagnucco holds up one of the many Terry Fox Run t-shirts on sale near the registration tent.

Bagpipe Noel Chalmers, Dr. Andrew Wang and Terry's Team member Todd Wong

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie walks with the crowd to the start line.

Platform party for the 2009 Terry Fox Run in Richmond
BC: Terry's Team member Todd Wong, warm-up leader, Mayor Malcolm
Brodie, John Yap MLA, Dr. Andrew Wang (Terry Fox Lab), Councilor
McNulty, Miss BC Sandra Gin, Noel Chalmers (bagpiper).

Dr.
Andrew Wang of the Terry Fox Lab in Vancouver gave a brief but
excellent talk about how the monies raised are used at the Terry Fox
Lab for cancer research – describing some of the important research
that they do.

Newly elected board members for The Land Conservancy of BC includes Todd Wong

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Newly elected board members for The Land Conservancy of BC
includes Todd Wong
2009_Aug_TLC 052 by you.

9 elected TLC board members + 2 non-elected candidates + Bill Turner = a vow to all work together for the best interests of TLC. David Merner, Alistair Craighead, Cheryl Bruce, Carol Pickup, Elspeth McVeigh, Briony Penn, Charley Beresford, Bill Turner (executive director), Frances Pugh, Gary Holman, Todd Wong, Ken Millard. Unavailable elected board members Barry Glickman, Magnus Bein

TLC officially announced election results at around 11am Saturday morning August 8th

Briony Penn, Salt Spring Island; Writer/Researcher, SaveTLC
Kenneth Millard, Galiano Island; Volunteer, SaveTLC
Francis Pugh, Brentwood Bay; Farmer, SaveTLC
Carol Pickup, Victoria; Retired, Community Volunteer, SaveTLC
Elspeth McVeigh, Vancouver; Businessperson, SaveTLC
Cheryl Bryce, Victoria; Land Management, SaveTLC
Barry Glickman, Salt Spring Island; Professor of Biology, University of Victoria, SaveTLC
Alastair Craighead, Victoria; Marine Engineer, DND, SaveTLC
Magnus Bein, Surrey; Ecological Consultant, SaveTLC
David Merner, Victoria; Lawyer and Public Servant, SaveTLC
Todd Wong, North Vancouver; Library Clerk/Assistant with the Vancouver Public Library, SaveTLC

The entire Save TLC slate was elected including Todd Wong, also president of Historic Joy Kogawa House Society, which oversees programming for Historic Joy Kogawa House, owned by TLC

Click here for TLC Website Election Results

It
was an intense last 24 hours, as I took the 4pm ferry to Victoria with
longtime TLC supporter and board candidate Elspeth McVeigh. We met
other board candidates and Save TLC Committee members including Bill Turner
for an 8pm meeting.

Results had been expected to be announced to candidates at the end of voting at 5pm, but were not announced until after 9pm.

There is overwhelming a sigh of relief from the majority of TLC members, staff and volunteers, as many TLC projects and donations have been on hold since March, when TLC executive director Bill Turner was released from his duties by the TLC Board.

Today at a board meeting, which included an open forum, Bill Turner was re-affirmed as Executive Director.

Alastair Craighead is Chair
Briony Penn is Vice-Chair
Elspeth McVeigh is Treasurer
David Merner is Secretary

I
started the day visiting TLC property Ross Bay Villa at 10am, with
candidates Elspeth and David. It's a wonderful heritage house with a
lovely garden. We met with many of the volunteers who do restoration and gardending work. They were very appreciative that we were board candidates, and that I was with the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society.

We met at Abkhazi Gardens at 11am, for a tour and an all-candidates photo op. It's an incredible heritage garden and house created by Prince and Princess Abkhazi, shortly after they settled in Victoria in 1946.

We
met at St. Stephens Church and Community Centre in North Saanich for
the 12:30pm board meeting, open forum, followed by a reception. It was a wonderful reception where many TLC members were able to speak with the newly elected members of the TLC board.
Elspeth and I left at 4pm to catch the 5pm ferry home.

I received positive response, whenever I mentioned Kogawa House.

August Kilts Night enhanced by World Police & Fire Games

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Kilts Night is always fun… We meet new lovers of kilts – some wearing kilts, some are admirers.

Raphael, Todd and Stuart + two members from Spanish team for World Police and Fire Games.

Every 1st Thursday of each month we meet at Doolin's Irish Pub. Why? If you wear a kilt, you receive a free pint of Guinness.

Kilts Night is more than just kilts or Scottish culture. It's about cultural diversity enjoying cultural diversity. We have Asians in kilts. We have surprised cottish tourists not wearing kilts. On Thursday August 7th, we met members from the Spanish team for the World Police and Fire Games. The tall blonde woman is competing in pentathalon. They loved that Vancouver has a beach named “Spanish Banks” and that many places in Vancouver were named by Spanish explorer Juan de Fuca.

It was Mark Cameron's 40th birthday pub crawl. His kilt met members of the Spanish team for the World Police & Fire Games

Mark and his buddies created a “Troller to the Raven Pub Crawl” immortalized in the Spirit of the West Song. We gave them a warm Kilts Night welcome from members of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.

2009_Aug_KiltsNight 003 Louis' first Kilts Night… and we put a kilt on him. Only one year ago, Louis was living in Paris with no kilts night!

Kilts Night August 2009

Todd in Vernon, at Kalamalka Lake

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Kalamalka Lake is one of the beautiful and accessible vacation spots in BC's Okanagan.

Todd Wong paddles an outrigger canoe on Kalamalka Lake. Todd's friend Craig brought the outrigger canoe up for the weekend. It is 20 feet long and weighs only 22 pounds.

Kalamalka Lake Provincical Park.
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/kalamalka_lk/

After being here for last weekend's Greater Vernon Dragon Boat race, with the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team, I returned to spend time with my girlfriend Deb and her parents at their lakeside home. I came up on Thursday night after work. Construction on Hwy 97 just after the Coquihalla Connection and on the new William Bennet Bridge connecting West Bank to Kelowna, stretched the usual 5 hour trip to 6 hours.

Life is relaxing here, as we spend time swimming, canoeing and kayaking in the lake. Sometimes we take the border collies out for walks in the park.

But the Terrace Mountain fire is raging again. Yesterday the fire jumped its fireguards and 1500 people were put on alert. Ash and smoke filled the sky. The sun turned an eerie orange through the hazy smoke, as it glistened on the water. Today, the evacuation order has expanded to affect 2500 people in the Fintry area. We are keeping our fingers crossed a fire doesn' happen in the Kalamalka Lake Park, where many people are vacationing and enjoying the recreational activities of swimming, picnics, boating and cliff jumping.

The sun shines orange through the smoke from the Terrace Mountain fire, and reflects on Kalamalka Lake. – photo Todd Wong

On Friday, I paddled the solo outrigger canoe that my friend Craig Brown brought up for the weekend. It is 20 feet long, and weighs only 22 pounds. It is a beautiful boat, and moves easily through the water. Craig complimented me on my balance and my paddling. I never hulied (tipped over) by accident. I practiced tipping over on purpose, as Craig coached me on flipping the boat back over, and climbing back on. When speeding motor boats went by, I paddled over to crash through their wake.

“You're surfing now!” Craig called at me, as I rode the waves back to the shore.

Todd paddles solo outrigger! – photo Craig Brown.

Friday night we drove into town to find the airconditioned movie theatre. We watched “The Ugly Truth” starring Katherine Heigl It was pretty funny – more raunchy than the classic “When Harry Met Sally” – but surprisingly no nudity!

Saturday morning, Deb and I kayaked towards Kal Beach, along the many lake front homes. We saw some teenagers rise sleepily from the dock where they had spent the night. We talked with some swimmers who were friends of Deb's parents. Then we paddled back and over to Jade and Juniper Bay.

Saturday night, Craig and I missed the big excitement. After dinner we headed over to Alexander's Beach Pub. While we we gone, a rattle snake was discovered in the garden. The weather is so hot and dry, it would appear that the rattlesnakes are looking for water. A rattle snake hadn't been seen at the Martin residence in 20 years.

Sunday morning, Deb and I canoed around Rattle Snake Point, over to Cosens Bay. Around the corner, we saw some teens jumping off cliffs. We saw a bald eagle sitting in a tree, and a Kingfisher flying from one tree to the next.

We saw 5 swimmers in wet suits, who were training for triathalons. We had a short conversation about the benefitis of swimming and paddling in Kalamalka Lake. They admitted they wouldn't decline a beer, even though it wouldn't be beneficial to their training.

We plan to leave tomorrow on Monday. Possible activities will be another early morning paddle, followed by wine tastings in Penticton/Naramata area.

Vancouver Storytelling at Main St. Car Free Days – with Toddish McWong

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Toddish McWong, telling stories at 2008 Celtic Fest for the Battle of the Bards, and reading Robert Burns poetry – photo D. Martin.

Vancouver Storytelling at Main St. Car Free Days, with Todd Wong

I have been asked by Vancouver Storytellers, to give a storytelling performance

Location: located on the West Side at 18th.; on a grassy
island set back from Main Street. We are beside a tiny mall with
a Pizza Hut.

It is Car Free Days starts at 12 noon at the following locations.
Commercial Drive (between Venables and 1st Ave.)
Denman St. (between Davie and Robson)
Main St. (between 12th and 25th)
Kitsilano (various neighborhood block parties)
http://www.carfreevancouver.org/

I will tell stories of early Chinese & Scottish pioneers in BC,

I will look down Main Street towards Chinatown and tell stories about my
great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan, who came to Canada in 1896 as a lay preacher for
the Chinese Methodist Church….

I will tell stories about how James Douglas was born in Guyana to a Scottish father and a Creole mother, and came to BC to become the first governor of BC.

I will look south to the Fraser River, and recount how Simon Fraser was born in the United States, came to Canada with his Loyalist mother, and travelled through Western Canada, to explore this Westernmost land and named it New Caledonia.

I will the origins of Gung Haggis Fat Choy:

in 1993, when I first wore a kilt for the SFU, Robbie Burns Day celebrations
in 1998, with a small private dinner for 16 people in a living room
how it has grown into an annual Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner serving 550 people
and spun off a CBC TV performance special
The SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival, by SFU Recreation department.

Robert Burns in a Transatlantic Context: SFU events FREE to the public

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SFU Centre for Scottish Studies hosts a global Robert Burns conference
2009_January 178 by you.

The 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns birth, was celebrated at the Burns statue in Stanley Park with an small informal celebration organized by Todd Wong (red vest) and Dr. Leith Davis (2nd row with purple shawl, behind her front row daughter in red skirt) – photo T. Wong

How does the poetry and songs of Robert Burns affect Canadians in West Coast Vancouver?

Dr. Leith Davis, director of the Centre for Scottish Studies, Simon Fraser University, has organized a conference about the global Robert Burns – titled “Robert Burns in a Transatlantic Context.”

Leith loved attending the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, and how we blended and juxtaposed Scottish, Chinese cultures with a Canadian twist and a seasoning of First Nations. In planning her conference for Tartan Week, we wondered how to give a “Gung Haggis” experience to her conference attendees. So for the Tuesday night evening of Robert Burns songs and poetry, A Musical Celebration of Burns in North America, she has invited Toddish McWong and Gung Haggis Fat Choy performers to give our “Rap to a Haggis”, a Chinese claper tale performance by Dr. Jan Walls set to a Robbie Burns poem, and a performance of Auld Lang Syne (with the first verse sung in Mandarin Chinese) augmented with our parade dragon and Chinese Lions. Deep-fried haggis wontons will hopefully be served along with haggis on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday afternoon, I will be part of the Community Research Forum of “Burns in BC.” – where I will talk about the history and development of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, and how it inspired both a CBC TV television Gung Haggis Fat Choy performance special and the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival.

2009 SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Festival features “dragon cart racing” invented by yours truly – photo Todd Wong.

How did I first meet Dr. Davis?

After brief email introductions, I called her with the idea of a wreath laying ceremony at the Burns statue in Vancouver's Stanley Park to mark the 250th Anniversary of Burn's birth.

We emailed and talked by phone and organized some activities, but we didn't meet in person until after she had spent 2 weeks in Scotland for the 2009 Homecoming activities, and arrived back in Vancouver on January 25th, and came to Stanley Park for our planned event, which her husband and two children were already present at.

That evening she and her husband were guests of honour at the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner. Leith gave “the immortal address” and marvelled at all the songs, guests, food and performances at the Gung Haggis Dinner, and especially at the impromptu ceremonial cutting of the haggis by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson.

Please check out the free public events for the:

SFU's Centre for Scottish Studies presents

“Robert Burns in a Transatlantic
Context”

Public events:

Tuesday, April 7^th

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; concerts starts at 7:00
p.m.

A Musical Celebration of
Burns in
North America

Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat,
“Burns Songs in BC”

Kirsteen McCue and David Hamilton,
“Burns Songs Set by Serge Hovey”

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Performers

Scottish Cultural Centre,
8886 Hudson Street , Vancouver

Wednesday, April 8^th, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Michael Russell, Scottish Minister for Culture,
External Affairs
and the Constitution
“Connecting
Scotland and
the Scottish Diaspora”

Room 1425
SFU Harbour
Centre, 515 West Hastings Street ,
Vancouver

Wednesday, April 8^th, 3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

Community Research Forum on
“Burns in BC”

Room 2200
SFU Harbour
Centre, 515 West Hastings Street ,
Vancouver

Wednesday, April 8^th, 7:00 p.m.

Lecture: Dr. Robert Crawford,
“Writing Burns’s
Biography”

Room 1400,
SFU Harbour
Centre (reception to follow)

Thursday, April 9^th, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Workshop: “Connecting Diasporas:
Scotland, Asia and the Caribbean ”

Room 2200, Harbour Centre,
515 West Hastings Street , Vancouver

All events are free and open to the public.

Please contact Ron Sutherland to reserve a seat:

rsutherl@sfu.ca;
604-988-0479

Sponsored by SFU’s Centre for Scottish Studies;
the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; and the
Vancouver Burns Club

Picture of Toddish McWong appears in Vancouver Sun article about Jason Kenney's views on Canadian identity, diversity and not giving money to specific immigrant cultural groups

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“Toddish McWong”- the creator of “Gung Haggis Fat Choy.”
What are Canadian values? and Canadian diversity?

Who makes them: Canadian citizens? Immigrant Canadians?

or Jason Kenney – minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism?

Jason Kenney is the federal minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism. He presided over the Chinese Canadian Head Tax redress, that resulted in Prime Minister Stephen Harper giving a parliamentary apology for a racist tax but only gave an ex-gratia payments that recognized less than 1% of head tax certificates, because it was limited to only surviving head tax payers and spouses… most have long since died since Margaret Mitchell first brought up the the issue of Head Tax Redress in the Canadian Parliament back in 1984.

Recently, Jason Kenney waded into the discussion about Canadian identity, and immigration language classes, when he talked with editors at the Calgary Herald:

New Canadians, says Kenney, “have a duty to integrate.” Further, he
says, “We don't need the state to promote diversity. It is a natural
part of our civil society.”

To that end, the government has
sensibly ceased funding programs such as heritage language classes. Why
should the federal government pay for children to learn the language of
the country their parents and grandparents come from? It's the family's
responsibility to teach children about their heritage, including the
language.

The original story appeared in the Calgary Herald on March 20th.

Kenney right person for immigration minefield
http://www.calgaryherald.com/columnists/Kenney+right+person+immigration+minefield/1409011/story.html

The same story appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on March 30th (with comments)

Kenney stands for Canada
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/personal-tech/Kenney+stands+Canada/1443307/story.html

Today, the same story appeared in the Vancouver Sun on April 1st, with a new title:

Immigration minister is right to stand up for Canadian values.
http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/blogs/Immigration+minister+right+stand+Canadian+values/1451075/story.html

But this time, it appeared with a picture of Todd Wong aka “Toddish McWong” with the caption:

Now, that's heritage: 'Toddish McWong' combines Robert Burns Night and Chinese New Year.

I have to be flattered that my picture has appeared in the news media.

But while the original story never mentioned “Toddish McWong” or “Gung Haggis Fat Choy,” a picture of Wong is used mainly to capture the reader's attention and draw them to the article.

But I am a bit confused as to what the picture is meant to represent?

Is it because:

1 “Being Canadian means being everything to everyone who comes to our shores?”

2 – “People want to define Canada by how many politically correct contations this country can do to accomodate others?”

3 – “New Canadians have a duty to integrate,” says Kenney. “We don't need the state to promote diversity. It is a natural part of our ciivl society.”

The article, by Naomi Lakritz of the Calgary Herald, goes on to share Kenney's views that: “the government has sensibly ceased funding programs such as heritage language classes [other than english or french].”

“I think it's really neat that a fifth generation Ukrainian Canadian can speak Ukrainian… but pay for it yourself,” Kenney says. Kenney's right… it is neat. If you can speak your family's mother tongue, your life is just that much more enriched. But such immersion in heritage shouldn't come at the expense of you identifying yourself as a Canadian first… and it certainly shouldn't come at Canadian taxpayer's expense.”

The article also goes on to give an example of how Kenney says that a grant for language training to the Canadian Arab Federation will not be renewed: “The government should support moderate mainstream voices, not people on the fringe.”

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy events that I have created since 1998 have never received any federal grant money.

I am a fifth generation Chinese Canadian that speaks better French than Chinese.

I am a descendant of Chinese head tax payers.

I have travelled to Oak Bay in Nova Scotia, walked the Plains of Abraham in Quebec, stood on Point Pelee in Ontario, skiied in Banff Alberta, visited totem poles in Haida Gwaii, and even stood on the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg during windchilled Winter.

I have been the guest speaker at a Terry Fox Run in Beijing, China.

By creating Gung Haggis Fat Choy events, my aim is to recognize both the pioneer histories of Chinese Canadians and Scottish Canadians, as well as the future of Canadians born with these shared ancestries.

I believe that culture evolves, and is not stagnant.

I believe that all Canadians should read “How to Be a Canadian” by Will Ferguson and his brother Ian Ferguson.

If it is a Canadian value to laugh, make fun of ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously, then maybe this book should also be mandatory reading when all new immigrants apply to become Canadian citizens, along with learning English or French.

And that's what Gung Haggis Fat Choy also encourages us to do… laugh and make fun of ourselves, by flipping stereotypes of Scottish and Chinese tradional customs into juxtapositions of cultural fusion.

Gung Haggis Pipes & Drums & dragon boat paddlers… brave the snow in the Vancouver Celticfest St. Patrici's Day Parade

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SNOW and bagpipers and parade dragons normally don't mix
– but the inaugural parade debut of the Gung Haggis Pipes and Dragon Boat Drummers smiles in adversity!

2009_March 112 by you.

Our brave troupe of paddlers, pipers and drummers… – photo T.Wong / J.McDonald

2009_March 101 by you.

Tzhe carries and the dragon in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery, with help from Stephen – photo T. Wong

2009_March 094 by you.
Snow and Wind did not deter our pipers and drummers: Front row Bob Wilkins, David Murray, Allan McMordie, 2nd row Barbara, Danny, Patricia, Drummers: Tony & Cassandra – photo T. Wong

Mackenzie led our contingent as “paddle bearer” leading the pipers! – photo T.Wong

And when it was all over… Pipe Major Bob Wilkins congratulated Mackenzie on a job well-done. In all his years of piping and parades, it never snowed on him before. Bob said he “never had so much fun being miserable.”