My question is for last night, since I passed out from two beers and sunstroke . . . did Dragon Flyers / Water Warrior close the beer garden? Who won the air band competition? How was the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner at Golden City Restaurant on Fisgard Street? Did anyone continue the ACME Canoe Club tradition of a post-paddler dance party by causing a rukus take place at Hugo's Brew Club?
The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner was incredible... and beyond expectations!
Attending teams were:
The Pirates www.piratepaddlers.com DieselFish from San Francisco
www.dieselfish.com/ including 5
Ripple Effect paddlers in their travel contingent
Gung Haggis Fat Choy http://www.gunghaggis.com/blog/_archives/2006/3/29/1847817.html
(paddling in Victoria with the Pirates)
Cultus Lake Dragonflierssome
Wasabi Warriors paddlers on the side observing
http://www.wasabiusa.org/It was a mini-version of the infamous Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner
http://www.gunghaggis.com/blog/GungHaggisFatChoydinner that served almost 500 people earlier this year,
and which inspired the
"Gung Haggis Fat Choy" CBC regional television performance special.
http://www.outtosee.ca/clips/index.php/Clan Chieftain of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, Toddish McWong hosted a bonnie dinner and provided musical accompaniment with his accordion.
We sang rousing versions of
Scotland the Brave and
When Asian Eyes are Smiling, along with an extra chorus of
When Dragon Eyes Are Smiling. Yes... we served haggis, and debated whether its origins were truly in Scotland or historically in China (since we know that Chinese people don't waste a thing cooking and eat every part of the animal). No haggis won ton served - but we mixed the haggis into our lettuce wraps and happily munched away.
8 brave souls tested their tongues reciting the word of Robbie Burns' immortal poem
To a Haggis - masticating and chewing the words with authentic, faux and imagined Scottish accents that were washed down with drams of Scotch.
2 DieselFish paddlers initiated an impromptu haggis eating contest. Paddlers stood on their chairs cheering on the eaters... of the one pound little beasties.
The evening ended with each table group crossing their arms and linking their hands, to sing
Auld Lange Syne (words by Burns) - both in English and Mandarin Chinese... Okay... some table groups also did "the wave" or "octopus turns" - but every body had so much fun that they couldn't stop talking about it on Sunday...
pictures appearing soon on
http://www.gunghaggis.com/I think we have started a new dragon boat tradition in Victoria... and will be back for next year!
Look out for a
Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner next January in Victoria... as well as the big one in Vancouver now set for January 27th, 2007.