Its as if a window is opened and sun is streaming into Bill Wongs soul. Words arent enough to convey his message so he almost lifts from his chair in excitement. Any signs of his 91 years recede and hes back to being a young man again.
And to think that all this happens because hes asked why hes not bitter.
In the new exhibit at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden called Modernize Tailors: 100 Years of Dressing the Modern Man, theres a photo of Wong as part of the 1946 mechanical engineering graduating class at UBC. Hes one of only two non-caucasians. He never got a chance to work in his chosen field because no one would hire a Chinese engineer. He wasnt even allowed to vote. And so he went to work at Modernize Tailors, the business his father started in the heart of Vancouvers Chinatown in 1913.
Theres also a photo of all the male workers at Modernize Tailors gathered for a Christmas meal in the 1950s. Its only men because the Chinese Exclusion Act made it impossible for them to bring their wives and families to Canada.
Such racism could eat into a soul. Being told you couldnt follow your dreams could tarnish all hopes and aspirations. But not if youre Bill Wong.
My knowledge of mechanical engineering helped keep the machines going; my education was not wasted, he says, gesturing towards the 71-year-old cast iron Singer button maker that he still threads and uses today. Im using a different material and in a way its more interesting than prefabricated steel. After I graduated I took a lot of art courses to finish my education. Tailoring is an art; life drawing is a study of the human body, which is tailoring.
Were in the fashion business and its always changing. Fashion involves every-day life, politics, the arts, lifestyle. The time. The tastes. Thats where we come in. We alter and recycle clothing and thats not only challenging but very interesting.
On Nov. 16, JJ Lee will read from his book The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son and a Suit which recounts Lees experiences as an apprentice at Modernize Tailors. In a telephone interview, Lees also asked why Bill has not let bitterness poison his outlook.
If you tell yourself the story of your life in tragic terms, it tends not to work out well, Lee says. If you see your life as perseverance and overcoming obstacles, youre a much happier person.
Public acknowledgemens, such as the new exhibit and the 2007 documentary, Tailor Made, have also done a lot to give relevancy to Wongs life, Lee says. The affirmation of what hes achieved in life expands his heart.
When more than 200 people crammed into the gardens to hear Wong read from his diary at the exhibits opening, his heart expanded a whole lot more.
It was a beautiful day, a wonderful day, Wong says of the Nov. 3 event. I consider the way [the opening] turned out as the best day of my life.
Lees reading at the garden starts at 2pm. On Nov. 17 and 25 at 10:15am, Wong will lead a class in Sundo, the Taoist Yoga thats helped him stay limber enough to keep working. Meanwhile, Modernize Tailors is at 5 West Pender in a building bought by Bills brother, the late Milton Wong. The exhibit runs to Nov. 30.
