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Cheuk Kwan talks about his 15 part film documentary, “Chinese Restaurants around the World”
On Thursday, May 16, 6:30pm at Richmond City Council Hall on 6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond BC, Cheuk Kwan will be on hand to present an one-hour power point discussion about the stories behind the making of the film series, his personal stories and insights and discovery and about the essence of the sojourner/journey motif from the angle of the Chinese Diaspora with emphasis on the Canada episode and the famous “Noisy” Jim in Saskatchewan. The event will include the showing of the Canada episode.
Cheuk Kwan is the filmmaker of the award-winning series “Chinese Restaurants” www.chineserestaurants.tv/ . The 15 part documentary series tells the story of the Chinese Diaspora through its most recognized and enduring icon – the family-run Chinese restaurant. In the series, Cheuk Kwan takes us on a tour around the world, visiting such places as Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, India, Israel, Madagascar, Mauritius , Norway, Peru, South Africa, Trinidad, Turkey and Canada, bringing us into the lives of extraordinary families as they share moving stories of struggle, displacement and belonging and what it means to be “Chinese” today.
Thursday, May 16, 6:30pm
Richmond City Council Hall
6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond BC -
#explorASIAN2013 Book Launch of The Rainbow Rocket and Mooncakes at Dr. Sun Yat-sen Classical Chinese Garden
On May 5, 2013, authors Loretta Seto and Fiona Tinwei Lam held a reading as part of explorASIAN 2013. Held in conjunction with a solo exhibit of eastern inspired contemporary Mandalas and new children’s book illustrations by artist Kristi Bridgeman, illustrator of The Rainbow Rocket, the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop and explorASIAN were on hand to help with the launch, reception, reading, signing on Sunday May 5th at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Gardens, 578 Carrall Street, Vancouver. Loretta Seto (Mooncakes) and Fiona Tinwei Lam (The Rainbow Rocket) are established writers in the Asian Canadian literary landscape, having been published in Ricepaper Magazine as well as the Asian Canadian anthology Strike the Wok
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A Canadian premiere and signature program of explorASIAN 2013
A Canadian premiere and signature program of explorASIAN 2013 — this is a fusion of Western opera and Eastern myth produced by the Vancouver Opera, a new partner with VAHMS. Ancient Japan. Seikyo, a prince by birth, tells his fellow monks the story of how he came to the temple: Years earlier, in China, seeking to marry Princess Lan, Seikyo confronts her jealous brother, the Prince, and must answer his challenge: find The Book of Tea and reveal its secret wisdom.
In the distant south, Lu, daughter of the Tea Sage, relinquishes the book on condition that Seikyo and Lan vow to spread its truth throughout the world. Before they can read it, the Prince attacks Seikyo, and Lan is killed when she intervenes. The grief-stricken Prince offers himself in sacrifice, but Seikyo declines, choosing instead to cut off his own hair and take a monk’s vow.
Combining sounds of water, paper, ceramic and stone with a traditional western orchestra, Tan Dun’s haunting score is trance-like and beautiful. Tea: A Mirror of Soul is highly theatrical, visually stunning, and charged with eroticism, ritual and poetry. This will be an extraordinary and deeply rewarding opera experience.
A work by Tan Tun — the Academy-award winning composer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In English with SUBTITLES; 4 shows on May 4,7,9 and 11.
For more info, visit: http://www.vancouveropera.ca/Tea-2012-13.html
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Asian Heritage Month gala to honour Georgia Straight’s Charlie Smith, D&M publisher Scott McIntyre
The Georgia Straight’s Charlie Smith (pictured here with legendary Vancouver real-estate agent Faye Leung) is one of two individuals who will be honoured at the end of Asian Heritage Month. Asian Heritage Month officially starts on May 1, but its 2013 launch was held Tuesday (April 30) at Richmond City Hall. Numerous events will be held throughout the month and at the end of it all, the explorASIAN 2013 Recognition Gala will be held on June 1 at Pink Pearl Restaurant.This year, two individuals will be recognized at the gala for their contributions in supporting Asian Canadian communities. One of them is retired publisher Scott McIntyre of D&M Publishing. His firm produced Saltwater City, the first coffee table book about Chinese people in Vancouver. Scott and editor Saeko Usukawa also were instrumental in producing Many-Mouthed Birds, a groundbreaking anthology of Chinese Canadian writing. Numerous Asian Canadian writers, such as David Suzuki, SKY Lee, Wayson Choy, Paul Yee, and more, garnered national attention and awards.The other person that will be honoured is the Georgia Straight’s own editor, Charlie Smith. Smith worked at CBC Radio and TV and wrote for numerous publications before joining the Georgia Straight in 1994. After being appointed editor in 2005, Smith has worked tirelessly to educate both readers and staff about diversity within B.C.’s Asian Canadian communities. He credits the Georgia Straight’s owners, the McLeod family, and the editors and writers of the paper for supporting his vision of community-building. He also thanks the editorial staff of Asian descent—Carolyn Ali, Michelle da Silva, Stephen Hui, Carlito Pablo, and Craig Takeuchi—for enhancing his sensitivity to the daily issues that impact the diverse citizens in our communities. -
Celebrate Asian History Month at the former home of Charlie and Nellie Yip Quong
On Saturday May 25th at 2pm: Nellie Yip Quong House, 783 E Pender St, join us in celebration of Asian History Month at the former home of Charlie and Nellie Yip Quong with the current owners, family members, Chinese Canadian Stories film crew and Chinese Canadian Historical Society.Nellie Yip Quong (1882-1949) spoke five Chinese dialects and fought racial hostility while advocating for the rights of Chinese immigrants in Vancouver. But she wasn’t Chinese. Born in Saint John, Nellie Towers was teaching English in New York when she stunned her family by falling in love with a successful Chinese jeweller from Vancouver – Charles Yip. And created a scandal by wedding him in 1900, when interracial marriages were rare.
After living in China, where Nellie proved to be an impressive linguist, the couple settled in Vancouver’s Chinatown. She devoted her life to assisting her adopted community, providing health and social services (in Chinese) that weren’t available due to racism. Serving as a public health nurse and midwife, she delivered more than 500 babies and convinced the Vancouver General Hospital to end their policy of keeping all non-Caucasian patients in the basement.
An interpreter who translated in court cases, she also brokered adoptions, handled disputes with employers, landlords and immigration officials, etc. The fearless Nellie earned a reputation for her cussing and scolding – even convincing the White Lunch restaurant to remove a racist sign stating NO INDIANS, CHINESE OR DOGS ALLOWED.
Despite racial predjudice, Nellie Yip Quong enjoyed a happy marriage with her husband Charles. A prosperous merchant who provided well for his family, he also did the cooking and gardening. Sounds good to me!
In 2008 the federal government designated Nellie Yip Quong as a national historic person in recognition of the many contributions to her community.
