Bonus: A Ricepaper Magazine subscription is included with every dinner ticket purchase!

Upon entering its 15 year anniversary, Gung Haggis  is shaping into another memorable event! The event will be hosted by Tetsuro Shigematsu and Toddish McWong, and will feature many performers in celebration of Gung Haggis (coupled with some tasty treats!).

From the website:

In 1998, “Toddish McWong” held a small private dinner for 16 friends with food, haggis, poetry and songs – from both Scottish and Chinese cultures and thus was born – Gung Haggis Fat Choy  Now it is a dinner for 400 people!

More than  a traditional dinner with music and poetry.  Gung Haggis Fat Choy re-imagines a traditional Robert Burns Dinner format, within a BC or Canadian historical context that puts Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian pioneers on an inclusive and equal platform, while acknowledging historical racism and how we move beyond it. This event has grown to also  celebrate contemporary Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian artists and poets and their innovations to create something uniquely Canadian.

This event is gaining quite the attention as featured in the  Globe and Mail:

At this very moment, I bet you’re not thinking about deep-fried haggis wonton for dinner. But then, you’re not Toddish McWong. That’s the famous persona of Todd Wong, a 51-year-old Chinese-Canadian who works as a library assistant in Vancouver. His annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner marks its 15th year next Sunday. An amalgam of traditions for Chinese New Year and Robbie Burns Night, the dinner is a celebration of Canadian multiculturalism that has grown in popularity every year. (There’s a spin-off Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner in Seattle and ambitions to roll them out across Canada.)

The event will host some amazing performances:

• Fred Wah – Parliamentary Poet Laureate
• Jan Walls – Chinese clapper tales and Chinese scholar
• Harry McGrath – Robbie Burns Immortal Memory
• Black Bear Rebels Celtic Ceilidh ensemble
• Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipes & Drums
• Lots of dragons + surprises!

As mentioned, a Ricepaper Magazine subscription is included with every purchased dinner ticket! Come and enjoy some haggis wontons!

When: Wednesday, November 30. Doors 7:30pm, readings 8pm.
Where: VIVO Media Arts, 1965 Main Street, Vancouver, BC
Who: Janey Lew, Rita Wong, Ray Hsu, Valerie Sing Turner plus other guests TBA!
Includes food and refreshments, with a cash bar.
$10-$15 entrance; $15 comes with a 1-year subscription!
RSVP on our Facebook event page

Diversity and hybridity take the stage in our new issue with excerpts of C.E. Gatchalian’s play Falling in Time (currently playing at the Performance Works on Granville Island until November 12), winning haiku from the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2011 Haiku Invitational, and a photo gallery “Mixed Races, Mixed Faces” with photos of our readers and their thoughts on hybrid identity. As well, original fiction and cultural commentary revolving around how “cultural heritage intersects with other social and political realities” (in the words of Ricepaper‘s editor Eury Chang). Read the Editor’s Letter to learn more about this issue.

Also, read our call for submissions for our upcoming issue, the 16.4 Faith and Philosophy issue.

Whatever you think (or don’t think) about philosophy, Ricepaper is interested in learning more from its contributors. If you have a story, a poem, a comment, or picture that can foster a deeper appreciation for the relationship between ART, CULTURE, and PHILOSOPHY, we would love to hear from you!

For submission guidelines and inspirations on our theme, read through our 16.4 Faith and Philosophy call for submissions and contact Editor Eury Chang at editor@ricepapermagazine.ca.

The UBC Faculty of Arts and the Departments of Theatre and Film, Asian Studies, and English are co-sponsoring a staged reading at UBC of  Thunderstorm, which was written by one of most renowned contemporary playwrights, Cao Yu. Cao Yu was known as the “Shakespeare of the Orient,” and Thunderstorm remains one of his best known works – a tale of fatalism, retribution, and incest.

We are trying a new photoviewer with our Green Issue – the controls on the lower right of the image window allow you to zoom-in and explore in full screen glory the wonderful cover art by Xiuyuan Zhang. You can find her on twitter at @xiuyuanzhang.

See the Editor’s Letter and Table of Contents for this issue!

The call for submissions for the following issue, 16.3, is out! The theme is diversity/hybridity. We are also looking for photo subjects

RSVP to this event on our Facebook page!

Buy your tickets in advance on our EventBrite page

How are Asian Canadians contributing to the green movement? What is the  relationship, if any, between cultural diversity and bio-diversity? And how is the work of contemporary writers and artists inspired and informed by the elements of nature? With a growing number of practicing Buddhists in the West, will there be an increased need for serenity and interconnectedness between all things …  OR… will we continue to spend long hours in the office, only to end the day with take-out dinner in cardboard and styrofoam containers?

If you have a story, a poem, a comment or picture that can foster a deeper appreciation for the relationship between art, culture and the environment, we would love to hear from you! We accept writing in the following forms and genres:

Quite literally, creative: previously unpublished short fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, play excerpts, and works of translation (should not exceed 6,000 words),

Features: articles that offer original analysis and coverage on the magazine’s quarterly theme (2,500 to 3,000 words),

Profiles: narratives on emerging and prominent Asian Canadian artists, cultural activists, alternative publishers, independent filmmakers and performers (2,000 to 2,500 words),

Columns and commentary: usually first-person, opinion pieces (1,500 to 2,000 words) that deal with important trends, memorable events, and socio-cultural issues affecting the Asian Canadian community, and

Cultural reviews: critical analysis and reflective summaries (500 to 1,000 words) of books, dance, theatre, film/media, visual art and special events in the Canadian arts milieu.

We accept writing from authors from all cultural backgrounds. Non-fiction content should be of interest to a diverse, educated Canadian readership. Fiction should contain story-lines, characters or themes pertinent to the Asian Canadian demographic. Please include a short biographical note (less than 50 words) and writing credits and/or a CV-resume with your submission. Send queries and/or final drafts to editor@ricepapermagazine.ca (c/o Eury Chang) no later than June 03, 2011. Writers may also send samples of previous writing along with their query. For consideration, early submissions are highly encouraged.

Date: April 7-23 2011
Time: Times vary – please check Gateway Theatre for more information
Where: Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond, B.C
Tickets: 604-270-1812 or Gateway Theatre

Witness the extraordinary tale of the Monkey King. Book and lyrics by Marty Chan (with lyrics, music and orchestration by Robert Walsh), The Forbidden Phoenix blends Peking opera, Western musical theatre, comedy, acrobatics and martial arts into a single play. Immigration is central to the show – the story of a father who comes to Canada looking for a better life. The Monkey King, Chinese mythology’s most beloved super hero, must rescue a damsel in distress and tame the Iron Dragon before he can be reunited with his son.

Vancouver:

Japan Love

About Japan Love: The BC Japan Earthquake Relief Fund (BC-JERF) is a coalition of volunteers from the Japanese Canadian community whose purpose is to “vet and act as an organizational hub for BC communities’ fundraising efforts and to facilitate the delivery of this financial aid to the affected people in Japan.” Funds raised through BC-JERF-endorsed campaigns and events will be donated in full to reputable charities operating on the ground in Japan, such as the Japanese Red Cross. Check here for a calendar of fundraising events throughout Vancouver and BC.

*NOTE: This is not a registered charity, if you wish to make a donation and receive a tax receipt, please do so directly to Red Cross.

Contact: Greg Masuda
Executive Committee: BC Japan Earthquake Relief Fund
Telephone: (604) 566-9597
Email: Contact [at] bc-jerf.ca

Vancouver Japan Relief Walk of Hope

Metro Vancouver Photography Workshops has partnered with the Canadian Red Cross to organize a 5.5 k walk from Science World to the Vancouver Public Library. Participants are encouraged to donate to the Red Cross and register for the walk at the website here so that they can have an accurate count of participants. Walkers will be wearing red and white as a symbol of the Canadian and Japanese cultures.

Date: Sunday, April 3rd
Time: 3:00 pm
Where: From Science World (meet at parking lot at 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver) to the Vancouver Public Library (5.5 k)
Info: call 604-628-6990 or email info@vancouverjapanrelief.com

Montreal:

From Chez Yusuke blog:
Cookie Sale for Japanese Earthquake Relief
Culture and Language Connections
Date: Saturday March 19.2011,
Time: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: 4260 avenue Girouard, #350, Métro Villa-Maria Montreal
Info: 514-903-8897

Japanese Craft Festival/Festival d’art japonais
Canada-Japan Society of Montreal
Exhibition and demonstration of ikebana, shodo, kimekome, furoshiki, and more.
Date: Sunday, March 20.2011
Time: 2:00pm – 4:30pm
Where: Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal 8155, rue Rousselot, Montréal, H2E 1Z7;
(Métro Jarry et autobus 193E)
Info: Midori Pinti, 514-313-9945

Je me souviens Japon 2011: Benefit concert featuring 12 artists and counting.
Date: Wednesday, March 23.2011, 7:00pm-11:00pm
Where: Club Soda, 12245, boul. Saint-Laurent, (Métro Saint-Laurent).
Tickets: 20$ (at the door)
Info : K.Joe Tamko; 514-317-0422

Donation boxes:
Yuki Bakery: 5211 rue Sherbrooke Ouest. 514-482-2435. (Métro Vendôme).
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal: 8155 rue Rousselot. 514-728-1996. (Métro Jarry).

Toronto:

The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre has created a special, dedicated disaster relief fund within its Foundation to aid victims of the Tohoku Kanto earthquake in Japan.

JCCC is taking direction for the Japanese consulate in term of how to direct funds. At present funds are going to the Japanese Red Cross through the Canadian Red Cross.

Ottawa:

Japan Relief Charity Event

Date: Sunday, March 27, 2011
Time: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: Westin Hotel in the Governor General Ballroom, Ottawa
Info: Tickets are $40 each. All proceeds go directly to Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund. Please RSVP to japan.relief@jetaaottawa.ca

The Japan Relief Charity is organised by the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Alumni Association of Ottawa (JETAA Ottawa) in partnership with the Canada-Japan Society of Ottawa (CJSO) to bring everyone together in effort to help the people in Japan following the massive earthquake.

This event will be hosted by Stefan Keyes, CTV Ottawa’s 6PM news reporter, and the Ambassador of Japan is scheduled to speak at the event.

The event will be held at Westin Hotel in the Governor General Ballroom. ALl proceeds from the event, which includes a silent auction, will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami fund. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Other websites and information on relief efforts:

Red Cross

Doctors without Borders

World Vision Canada

Global Medic

CBC