The Things We Carry | Doors Open Richmond
Doors Open Richmond 2018 is fast approaching this weekend, and we're excited to share with you the wonderful storytellers attending our show-and-share on Sunday, June 3 (11am-4pm) at the Richmond Museum (7700 Minoru Gate).Each of these storytellers will be bringing objects they carried with them on their journeys to Canada, and will tell the stories of who they are, where they are from, and why they chose these items.Join us at any point during the day to sit and chat with them, and to share stories of your own!
| Time | Storytellers |
| 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Alice Poon |
| 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm | David W.S. Tam (musical performance between 12:15 pm - 12:30 pm) |
| 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm | Kayla Isomura & Carmel Tanaka |
| 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm | Gretchen Grabow & Gwynnette Johnson |
| 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm | Open Conversations with Lillienne Zen |
| 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Trung Lu & Alfred Woo |
Biographies (alphabetical by family name):
Gretchen Grabow is a retired social worker. She spends her free time volunteering at the Main Street Station Farmers Market. She was former chairperson in an international human rights organization, and is still currently active in supporting this cause.Kayla Isomura is a fourth generation Japanese and Chinese Canadian photographer living in Vancouver. In 2014, she graduated with a Diploma in Journalism from Langara College, which contributed to her interest in storytelling through multimedia. Kayla’s debut exhibit, The Suitcase Project, will run at the Nikkei National Museum from June 16 to September 2, 2018.Gwynnette Johnson lives in Vancouver, having worked in social services, teaching and training. Her most profound and exciting learning has been in experiences with people of diverse cultures.Trung Lu is the eldest of four sons. He is from a boat refugee family that came on a journey to Canada 38 years ago and now he is on another journey to give back to this country that gave him so much. Trung is married to his beautiful wife, Caroline, and works in the financial services industry.Alice Poon is a writer living in Richmond, BC, who was born and educated in Hong Kong. Before settling in Richmond in 2003, she lived and worked in Hong Kong, Calgary and Toronto. She is now engaged full-time in writing and curating historical fiction set in Old China.David W.S. Tam (Tam Wai Shing), founder of Tam's Studio in Vancouver, has been engaged in Cantonese Opera music for over 20 years and specializes in playing multiple musical instruments, including the Chinese hammered dulcimer (揚琴 yangqin). He teaches the art of singing at his studio and at S.U.C.C.E.S.S. He also performs in music ensembles as a musician and music director in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.Carmel Tanaka was born and raised in Vancouver to an Israeli mother and a Japanese Canadian father. She holds a Master’s Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from the School of Public Health at Tel Aviv University. Carmel's pro-diversity stance and open door policy stem from valuing both sides of her heritage, enabling her to sensitively manage and mediate projects involving multi-generational groups with mixed political, religious and social opinions.Alfred Woo emigrated from Hong Kong at the age of seven. He grew up in Saskatchewan, doing high school and university in Alberta where he graduated in law. He moved to BC in 1986 and practiced until his voluntary retirement in 2008. He volunteers his free time and enjoys the snow bird life wintering in Arizona.Lillienne Zen is a Canadian-born, Hong Kong-grown writer of Chinese descent. She comes from three generations of family members who all moved from their original homes to a new place for reasons of war, famine, work, education, and love. She is currently the Communications Coordinator for PCHC-MoM.