Creativity, Inspiration and Fun at Montreal Comiccon

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When I was a kid, one of my favourite comics was Superman. While other kids fantasized about having x-ray vision and being able to fly, I idolized Lois Lane. I mean, I knew I would never, ever have super powers, but I could, maybe someday, be a writer and have adventures like Lois. After all, she covered Superman’s adventures for the newspaper, so she was right there with him as he fought the bad guys, and even saved his life a few times. Lois Lane was undoubtedly a strong influence when it came to my career choices.

So when the annual Comiccon convention hit Montreal this past weekend, I bought a one day pass and went with my friend and copy editor, Virginia Modugno. A must-see for us was the Q&A with the cast of Battlestar Galactica. The lineup to see Edward James Olmos, James Callis, Tahmoh Penikett and Michael Hogan was really long, but they were worth the wait.

Battlestar Galactica fans
Cast of Battlestar Galactica
Felicia Day
Star Trek fans
Christopher Lloyd

There were so many events for gamers and fans of horror and sci-fi: comedy skits, movie premieres, screenings, a video game room, and the Q&A with celebs. We also saw Felicia Day and Christopher Lloyd as eager fans took turns asking questions.

The exhibition hall had tons of memorabilia, collectibles, costumes and comics. What would Comiccon be without tons of comics? Or without the autograph sessions and photo-ops with the celebrities who created such memorable characters? Besides the ones I mentioned above, Gillian Anderson , George Takei and Lou Ferrigno among others were set up at one end of the hall to meet their fans.

And how did they get there? Well, parked at the other end of the exhibition hall was the Ghostbusters station wagon, Dr. Who’s phone booth, the DeLorean from Back to the Future and the hovercraft that a young Luke Skywalker raced in a prequel. There was literally alot of ground to cover at the Palais des congrès, but undoubtedly, the day belonged to the fans. Just seeing the costumes, the creativity and feeling their enthusiasm was worth the price of admission. I don’t know the names of all these characters, so if anyone recognizes any of them, let me know.

Catwoman and Batman
Predator
Me and my new BFF
The Green Arrow
Virginia and The Watchmen

Since it was my first time, it was all a bit overwhelming, and when it ended at 7p.m. I was exhausted. It was loads of fun, and maybe I’ll go back next year. Maybe I’ll even shell out the extra bucks for a photo-op with a celebrity.

I didn’t see anyone there dressed up as Lois Lane, but I suppose it could have been me. I was there with my camera, taking it all in as Lois would have, watching the superheros do their thing.

Welcome to Chinatown, Canada

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This spring, Canada Post came out with stamps featuring the gates that stand at the entrance to Chinatown in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa and Montreal. Interesting tidbit I didn’t know is that the North gate of Montreal’s Chinatown was donated by the city of Shanghai in 1999. Below are a couple of photos I took of the gates in Montreal.

South gate on Saint Laurent Boulevard
West gate on La Gauchetière Street

There are a couple of interesting books about the Chinese communities in Canada. One is by Paul Yee entitled, Chinatown: An Illustrated history of the Chinese Communities of Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

Chinatown: An illustrated history of the Chinese Communities of Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toront

Yee’s book is an interesting collection of stories, historical facts and pictures. Starting in Victoria where Canada’s first Chinatown was established, Yee takes the reader on a cross country tour of each Chinatown. From the gold rush, the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the election of Doug Jung, the first Chinese-Canadian Member of Parliament in 1957 to the appointment of Vivian Poy, the first Chinese-Canadian appointed to the Senate in 1998, Yee shows how the Chinese communities grew and evolved to become what they are today.

The other book is by Arlene Chan. The Chinese Community in Toronto, Then and Now.

The Chinese Community in Toronto: Then and Now

In addition to historical facts about the growth of this community, Chan also takes a look at living and growing up Chinese in Toronto. There are also fun tidbits about the Chinese culture. For instance, do you know where the word chopsticks comes from? According to Chan, “chop” means “quick” – “chop chop” is still in use today to mean “hurry.” The Chinese word for chopsticks means “quick sticks” that became “chopsticks” in the English language.

Moon Cake and Anime

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Moon cakes are only on sale once a year, in August, so yesterday I headed to Chinatown to treat myself to a box. I didn’t have to go far into the grocery store to find them. Stacks of boxes were right up front. My favourite is the one with lotus paste and one egg yolk.

As I wandered through Chinatown taking a look at the sidewalk sale (I mentioned it in my post on Friday) you’ll never guess who I met…Ironman! Yes, Ironman, the comic and movie action hero. He’s here for the anime convention at the Palais des congrès which is located in Chinatown. Can you recognize the other characters below?

A Cowherd in Paradise

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May Wong reads from her book, “A Cowherd in Paradise: From China to Canada”

When a friend e-mailed me that May Wong was coming to Montreal to do a reading this past Sunday, I knew I had to go. Her book, “A Cowherd in Paradise: From China to Canada” is about her parents who were separated for years because of Canada’s Exclusion Act which came into law in 1923. My parents story sounded similar to hers and so I went eager to hear what she had to say.

Wong had the audience’s rapt attention as she set the background for her story, explaining the historical details that shaped her parents’ lives. Her father chose her mother from a picture. Her mother didn’t know what her future husband looked like until after the wedding ceremony.  While her father was establishing himself as a restaurateur in Montreal, her mother was in China stuggling to survive natural disasaters and the Japanese invasion. The title of the book is a tribute to her mother who was responsible for the family’s water buffalo when she was a little girl. The book includes old family photos and a copy of her father’s head tax certificate.

While I haven’t read the book yet, I think it would be interesting for those whose parents, like mine, didn’t talk about the past. It is very fortunate that Wong’s mother, not only wanted to tell her stories, but also wanted Wong to publish them. The book is a treasure not only for Wong’s family, but for families of other head-tax payers as well.

Creativity Blooms at the 2013 Mosaicultures Internationales

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The Montreal Botanical Gardens is the host of the Mosaicultures Internationales this year. The theme is “Land of Hope” and the living larger-than-life sculptures from around the world are spectacular. Enough from me. A picture is worth a thousand words.

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Clown Fish (aka Nemo) (Japan)

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Polar Bear sculpture gets watered.

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Memoires of a Childhood Dinner (France)

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The Bird Tree (Canada)

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Comesse’s Butterfly (France)

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All In a Row (Madagascar)

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Mother Earth (Canada)

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Mother Earth (Canada)

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Ambassadors of Hope (Canada)

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Phoenix (China)

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Spirits of the Wood (Canada)

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Spirits of the Wood (Canada)

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Guardians of the Island (Chile)

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The Man Who Planted Trees (Canada)

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The Man Who Planted Trees (Canada)

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The Crane Girl, a True Story (China)

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Park employee waters flowers in a pot.

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The Uffington White Horse (England)

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Fragile Frogs (United States)

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Warrior Women, a short story

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Warrior Women, a short story

One of the many projects I’m working on is a collection of published short stories called “The Red Pagoda and Other Stories.”  It’s taking longer than I thought, but I hope to have it out as an e-book before the end of the year. However, one of the stories can be found in Carte Blanche, the online literary review of the Quebec Writers’ Federation. Click on the link above and it will take you to the website. I hope you enjoy it.

The Long Voyage: From Pigtails and Coolies to the New Canadian Mosaic

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The Long Voyage: From Pigtails and Coolies to the New Canadian Mosaic

Years ago, when I decided to see if I had the stuff to be a writer, I took a creative writing course at a Continuing Education program at Concordia University. The teacher, to inspire us, told us to write what we know. It sounded simple, and I’ve heard that piece of advice many times since, but I had difficulty because I didn’t think people would be interested in what I knew. I ended up writing a short story based on my experience of working in my family’s restaurant which was eventually published as a children’s picture book, The Fragrant Garden. Since then, I’ve written several stories, both fiction and non-fiction about the Montreal Chinese Community. It’s a way for me to learn about its history as well as my family’s history. My father was  a head tax payer. He was 13 years old when he landed in Vancouver on November 28, 1921 and paid $500 to enter Canada. He never said much about his past, so when I do research, I can only imagine what his story is about.

Now there is an educational website, The Long Voyage: From Pigtails and Coolies to the New Canadian Mosaic, about that period in Canadian history and the history of the Montreal Chinese Community. It has video interviews with descendants of head tax payers and an overview of the history of the Chinese in Canada. Anyone who is interested in Canadian history or the history of head tax payers will find this site useful and informative. It might also spark some interesting conversations in some families.