It's a Chinese Hogmanay! It's a Scottish Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Celebrate the Year of the Sheep Haggis with Gung Haggis Fat Choy:
Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner!
January 25th, 2003, Flamingo Chinese Restaurant, 6:30pm
Toddish McWong hosts a Robbie Burns Dinner with Chinese food?!?!?! The dinner began 6 years ago in a living room serving 16 people. It outgrew two restaurants. Now this event moves to the 400 seat Flamingo Chinese Restaurant at 3489 Fraser St. where haggis is served with sweet & sour sauce as part of a 12 course Chinese banquet. Meanwhile the audience is treated to Scottish, Chinese-Canadian, Scottish-Canadian and just plain Canadian songs and poetry.
It was the Fraser tartan that McWong first donned back in 1993 up at Simon Fraser University to gain his first experience of Scottish culture thus giving birth 10 years ago to the persona of "Toddish McWong." He even carried the SFU claymore donated by Lord Lovat, then head of the Fraser Clan in Scotland. And now this wacky wee dinner has grown into a "can't miss" experience.
Making Robbie Burns Day safe for Asian Canadians...
"Burns would approve,"
says Neil Gray, self-described Burns aficianado who was born near Burns' own birthplace of Alloway. "Burns believed that all men were equal, regardless of station, wealth or race. It's written in his words, 'That man to man the warld o'er Shall brothers be for a' that.'" Gray will deliver a Burns eulogy to mark the exact 244th anniversary of Scotland's favorite poet."It's a wonderful expression of our cultural diversity," says Beverly Nann, president of Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, where Wong is employed as Programs Coordinator. "Todd has found a way to celebrate contemporary Chinese Canadian culture within the structure of a centuries old Scottish tradition. This is a wonderful event no matter what culture you are from."
Making Chinese New Year safe for Scottish Canadians...
"This dinner allows people to embrace everything
and not be forced to celebrate one culture or the other - it is totally inclusive," says Wong. "We celebrate our similarities by having fun with our differences. And the people who live in multi-racial families really get it!"Joining Wong on stage with his accordion will be new additions, Celtic harpist and singer Elyra Campbell as well as veteran jazz and world fusion bassist Harry Aoki with poet/singer Margaret Gallagher. Piper Joe McDonald and tabla (Indian drum) player Nealamjit Dhillon return as the World music duo Brave Waves. The Gung Haggis House Band consists of returning members Pat Covernton, PD Wohl, Karen Larson and Ula Shines. Scottish-born Fiona Tin Wei Lam and Neil Gray complete the literary lineup.
This is a fundraiser for Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, Gung Haggis ExplorASIAN Dragon Boat Team, Rice Paper Magazine and Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society.
January 25th, Saturday, 2003 Reception 5:30pm Dinner starts promptly at 6:30pm.
Pick up tickets at Flamingo Chinese Restaurant, 3489 Fraser St. 604-877-1231 (closed Tuesday)
Ticket Price is $40 until January 18th and $50 thereafter and at the door (upon availability)
Contact Todd Wong at Asian Heritage Month Office 604-488-0119 or at 604-987-7124.
Check details on the web at asiancanadian.net or vaneats.com
Catch Toddish McWong on City TV -
Diverse City Sunday Jan 19 7:30 pm(Discussing "What is White" with host Prem Gill, Margaret Gallagher and Michael Eckford) and City Cooks Thursday Jan 23 Noon with host Simi Sara, Flamingo Restaurant owner Joseph Lee and bagpiper Joe McDonald.Coming soon... Todd and Brave Waves on CBC's
Sounds Like Canada...-30-