When the green flag drops at the top of a race, Samantha Tan feels the adrenaline coursing through her veins. The 26-year-old motorsport professional knows the course like the back of her hand and at this point, any doubts she might have had about how to navigate it have vanished. Her focus becomes laser-sharp as she revs to the finish line.
Read MoreWhat is the secret to being a young and successful entrepreneur? According to Derrick Fung, CEO and founder of the Drop digital loyalty platform and a past Forbes 30 Under 30, it’s all about grit and hustle — what he learned first-hand from his immigrant parents while growing up in Canada.
Read MoreAlex Porat is on the cusp of greatness. Raised in both Toronto and Vancouver, the 26-year-old Canadian soft pop singer-songwriter began her musical journey recording covers of hit songs in her bedroom just over a decade ago, posting them on YouTube where her crystalline voice, tremulous vulnerability and alluring physical presence quickly attracted more than a million global subscribers. Today, Porat is the artist other artists are getting excited about.
Read MoreBorn into a family of mixed Asian heritage (her mother is Samoan-Hawaiian, and her father Singaporean-Chinese), Eva Chin was raised on her grandmother’s farm in Kahuku, Hawaii. Growing up, she learned how to harvest vegetables, fish and prepare seafood. She also became familiar with a variety of cuisines and cooking styles, from Thai to Portuguesae to Japanese. But becoming a chef wasn’t a given.
Read More“Going to do a stir-fry later with chicken!” says the fella who is one of the most pervasive comic celebrities in Canada. We are 40 minutes into a conversation about his life and his work — how he rose to prominence with his role on the hit Canadian sitcom Kim’s Convenience, and his new venture as master of his own CBC show, Run the Burbs — but his focus is now all on his dinner? He is a jokester after all.
Read MoreWe were honoured to host Bernice Liu at our Toronto Signature Event on February 3rd, 2024. Bernice, a beloved Canadian actor, has captivated audiences not only through her on-screen performances but also through her remarkable journey as a winemaker and cultural ambassador. Having previously graced the pages of Edition 7 of Fête Chinoise, it was a pleasure to catch up with Bernice once again and delve into her diverse career and profound insights.
Read MoreOn April 22, 2023, the art world was saddened by the passing of sculptor Ju Ming 朱銘 who was aged 85. He was an internationally-renowned Taiwanese sculptural artist best known for his abstracted, blocky bronze and steel sculptures that masterfully depict human forms with unexpected sharp-edged shapes and a modern palette. A large number of his works are on permanent display in public areas around the world.
Read MoreFor 4 years, Cheuk crossed the globe, travelling to 13 countries, venturing behind kitchen doors to feature the journeys of 15 émigrés he found in each place. From Madagascar to Israel, from Brazil to South Africa, the real-life stories he uncovered along the way were more riveting than any work of fiction could ever be. Some were running from war, many from political oppression, a few from religious persecution; some were highly educated; some were farmers — yet all were forced to pick up a wok and a spatula — not because they loved Chinese food, but out of necessity.
Read MoreHalifax-based, multimedia artist Jenny Yujia Shi talks a lot about growing roots. This is probably because her life has been uprooted almost too many times to count. Not surprisingly, much of her creative output centres around themes of displacement and dislocation, which she attributes to two defining moments in her life: the demolition of her childhood neighbourhood in downtown Beijing and then, the decade she spent navigating the immigration process here in Canada. Shi’s work is as poignant as it is beautiful.
Read MoreFood has always been an integral part of Chinese culture — a reason to bring families and friends together as they share life over a grand display in the centre of the table. Over the last couple of years, food has become the subject of conversations surrounding Asian stereotypes and racism, with stories of childhood snacks,
Read MoreMesmerised by her two (soon to be three) children, Linda Chung wakes up each day in Vancouver to their angelic faces and appreciates every moment of her life. She admits the best part of motherhood is that it made her become an adult and actually learn how to have a life. “Back in the day when I was working 365 days a year, I didn’t know how to live.” Referring to her career in entertainment as an actor, she recounts what it was like in Hong Kong: “you work hard and are dedicated to it, but it was onscreen stuff. I may have grown in strength and creativity, but not in other ways.”
Read MoreAs the old traditional Chinese expression goes, “Studying ten thousand books cannot compare to travelling ten thousand miles.” This common saying happens to also be the one philosophy that I live by. Though books and the advancement of modern technology have allowed us to "travel" easily from the comfort of our armchairs at home, I have always believed that we can only learn about other cultures through first-hand experience. It is only by immersing yourself fully in other people's worlds that you can begin to understand their ways of life.
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