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Volume1 Number 2
May 1998
| MESSAGE FROM THE
PRESIDENT Fernanda A. de Pinna Ho, President Big Steps for Our Casa O UR CASA HAS NOW ENTERED INTO its 4th fiscal year and it is indeed my pleasure as your president to bring you up to date on some of the positive steps recently taken in the best interest of the Casa, viz.
b . Comendador Alves’ letter referred our Casa to Drs. João Dinis and Dr. António Salavessa da Costa, who are both involved with the Encontros in Macau. Letters were sent to Dr. Dinis and Dr. da Costa and copied to Comendador Alves.c. Comendador A. de O. Sales replied to say that he supported our Casa and that he wished our Casa well in all our endeavors. Up-to-date profiles of our Casa along with covering letters were subsequently sent to the Fundação Oriente (Dr. Monjardino, Dr. Brandão and Dr. Calvão), Dr. Dinis and Dr. da Costa in Macau, and copies were forwarded to Senhor Walid Saad- Consul of Portugal in Vancouver, to Ms. Vera Fernandes - Minister Counselor from the Portuguese Embassy in Ottawa and to Comendador A. de O. Sales in Hong Kong. Our Casa has received official notification of the 3rd Encontro to be held in Macau (March 22-26,1999) from Dr. António Salavessa da Costa and a further letter in this regard has also been received from Dr. João Dinis. Replies will promptly be sent to Dr. da Costa and Dr. Dinis and an Encontro ad hoc committee will shortly be formed within our Casa to arrange and plan for this very important event.In summary, I am pleased to say that: - our Casa’s existence as a Macanese organization has indeed been acknowledged by the Fundação Oriente in Portugal and by officials in Macau - our Casa is looking forward to using the sede social, when ready for occupancy, for our Casa’s social, cultural and recreational activities and- our Casa is looking forward to taking an active part in the 3rd and perhaps final, Encontro to be held in Macau.As President of Casa de Macau Club (Vancouver), I wish to extend my personal thanks and appreciation to Dr. Mário Brandão, Comendador Joaquim Morais Alves, Dr. António Salavessa da Costa, Dr. João Dinis and last and certainly not least, to Comendador A. de O. Sales for their timely and positive replies and support to our Casa. It is my hope that these positive steps taken by our Casa have marked the beginning of a long and continued relationship between the Fundação Oriente, the Government and officials in Macau and our Casa, and that we can all meet each other in person some-time in the future. During the 3rd Encontro, perhaps? EDITORIAL Michael Guterres What Is An Editorial? T HE SUBJECT OF EDITORIALS has resurfaced again just recently and it is our opinion that some clarification on our part is needed.Just what is an editorial? Simply put, an editorial is an opinion of the contributing writer, usually the editor of the publication in question. While the editor may try to disassociate himself from the organization he/she is with when writing editorials, it nevertheless still associates his/her views with that of the organization he/she represents. In other words and looking at it from the standpoint of a social club such as ours, any views expressed in these columns will always be associated with our Club, regardless of any disclaimers we may choose to run concurrent with our writing. Other unwritten rules "most" editors abide by include:
Many of our members have enquired as to the reason for our silence relative to the numerous "flaming editorials" written in past Macau Cultural Association's (MCA) newsletters and in particular their recent "For The Record" document (which many of our members have accurately noted was unsigned). The reason for our silence is simple and relates to the topic of this editorial - What Is An Editorial?In the opinion of many notable and experienced editors, an editorial, or a newsletter for that matter, is not the appropriate place or venue to carry on verbal warfare. To do so is tantamount to having a conversation with oneself. The MCA editorials appear to thrive on these self-conversations and our sources have informed us that all they have managed to do is bring about more strife within their club. If they wish to self-destruct through their scathing newsletters, far be it for us to interfere. While we have many things we wish to say regarding the attacks put out by the other Vancouver club, many of which are grossly incorrect, (including the unsigned "For The Record" document), what we have to say will be said "directly" to them, face-to-face, where we are able to address every one of their insinuations and accusations with accurate facts along with proof to back up our statements. We have attempted to set up this meeting on several occasions going back over the past year, however the MCA have chosen to avoid this direct contact, seemingly at all costs. Their reasons? An old and well used tactic is to deflect attention from your own internal weaknesses by trying to focus everyone's attention on an external threat — in this case, on us. (Quite frankly, we are honored that they would view us with such intimidation and little did we know the power we have courtesy of the MCA!) We are well aware that the MCA have spent a good deal of effort discrediting our club and our members throughout other cities and any face-to-face meeting will not be able to repair the ill-will they are spreading about us. However, as any doctor will be quick to advise, "You must firstly deal with the disease before attempting to treat the symptoms." We are also well aware that the newsletters for both Vancouver clubs have a wide readership in Casa circles throughout the world, and we hope our restraint and logical approach to this dispute will not go unnoticed. Returning to the topic of editorials, the following statement was placed in our website (http://www.casademacau.org) in December, 1998 which accurately outlines our commitment: OUR COMMITMENT: To the members of the Casa de Macau Club (Vancouver),the members of the Macau Cultural Association and all unattached members of the Macanese Community in Greater Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle: this website and our newsletters will never be destructive but rather, will go the extra mile to be constructive. We will not belittle nor ridicule anything or anyone in our editorials, regardless of how provoked we may become. Our focus will continue to be one of "a club for all Macanese people" regardless of how long it takes. We sincerely hope this will be the final episode where we find the need to re-state our position on this matter. However, knowing the traits of the small group of people we are dealing with, we somehow doubt that it will be the case. What's In a Name - (The Real Version) Michael Guterres SOME THREE YEARS AGO, the other Vancouver Club published a lengthy article attacking us for "stealing" their name. The topic surfaces every now and again and the matter has reared it's ugly ahead once again. For those readers interested in the correct series of events leading to our "Casa de Macau" name, this article will be of interest. In fact, the other Vancouver club might be interested in learning the true facts of the matter as well. Prior to the historic Election Day Episode, many of our founding members had been members of the MCA, and recall quite vividly a vote being taken then within the MCA to officially change the name of the association from "Macau Cultural Association" to "Casa de Macau." After the votes were tallied, it was clear that "Casa de Macau" had won out over the MCA name but the President and Executive Council rejected that name, "vetoed" the results, and opted to retain the MCA name against the wishes of the electorate.When we formed our club in 1995, one of the tasks facing the founding members was to select a name. We tossed around several options but only two names made the short list: "Lusitano" and "Casa de Macau." A discussion ensued, followed by a vote. The winner, as is evident now, was"Casa de Macau." In order that the name be protected for our exclusive use, we decided to immediately register our name with the Registrar of Companies in Victoria.Since the time "Casa de Macau" was approved for us, the other club has repeatedly used our registered name in order to identify themselves, failing to remember that they had previously rejected the name before our club was even thought of. As a matter of record, after they threatened us with legal action for taking a name they did not want in the first place, they immediately embarked on a mission to include the "Casa de Macau" tag to their name, similar in fashion to a child running to the corner store to buy the same candy as his brother.They have recently bandied about what they view as a huge victory for themselves in that they have "secured" the "casademacau" name for their website. A check into it's registration revealed that the name was registered to an individual and does not in fact belong to their association. From the website address alone, anyone with internet savvy can plainly tell, the name they have selected with the .net domain is inappropriate and incorrect for a social club..net domains are reserved for exclusive use by Internet Access Providers and Internet Presence Providers. A more appropriate domain to be registered under would be casademacau.org (.org is the standard internet domain for non-profit, social and other similar type clubs such as our two clubs). Unfortunately, the .org name is now unavailable to them as well. Why?Because we've got it !!!!! OPINION Pat Adams " Who steals my purse steals trash; tis something, nothing.. . . But he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed." William Shakespeare IN THE LAST ISSUE, I WROTE AN EDITORIAL on identity and relevance. Sadly, the identity of our club is ambiguous and is doomed to remain that way. If we were a corporation, this would be absolutely intolerable. Companies spare no expense to ensure that their corporate identity is unencumbered and well protected, knowing that efforts to promote the company will not be in vain, but instead, will cause it to flourish. On October 4,1995, the Macau Cultural Association, in a move that could do no good except confuse, attached our name to their own. This presents a problem with both our club’s contacts and dealings with others, who, unwittingly and unwillingly are drawn into this mire of ill-will that unfortunately pervades our Macanese community here in Vancouver. As well, efforts on our part to promote our own club are thwarted by the ambiguity that exists. Until the formation of our organization, the Casa de Macau Club, the club in existence was known as the Macau Cultural Association. Period. They chose that particular name for themselves and registered it. One could only assume they actually wanted it. They were the only game in town. They could have had any name they wished. Since the formation of our club, however, they have seen fit to use the appellation "Casa de Macau" in brackets on their newsletter mast and on their letterhead. Furthermore, on their own website, they dispense altogether with the name they initially chose to register, and instead, call themselves by our name, "Casa de Macau."The irrefutable facts, as provided by the Registrar of Companies show the following: One might claim that our club has been failed by the Societies Act which permitted the same name to be registered twice. But surely the blame for obfuscation must fall on the Macau Cultural Association who engaged in a move to block us from having the identity of our choice. And to what purpose? Now we are irrevocably chained to one another with links of mutual distrust. A more unfortunate and futile situation could not exist. I quote from the infamous treatise, "For the Record", "Since the breakaway, this Association has given the Club a wide berth." How could they have given us "wide berth" when their very actions prevented either of us from straying very far from the other?This one act on their part has destroyed their credibility. All the gracious sentiments expressed in speeches, all the noble aspirations put forth in "The Role of a President", and particularly, all the verbiage in "For the Record" are immediately suspect and can be confidently disregarded.I feel they, by deliberately creating this situation, have done a grave disservice to both our memberships, causing us both to be "poorer indeed." In Memoriam It is with much regret that we announce the passing of Alvaro de Sousa on April 26 th , 1998. Alvaro, along with his wife Rita, have been active members of our club since its inception and we pass along our deepest sympathy and condolences to Rita and the family. Alvaro is survived by his wife, Rita, children, Leo (Dawn), Tonia (Marc) and Patrick; grandchildren, Erin and Will; brothers Julian and Antonio Elvira) and Nelson (Noreen); and the Da Costa family.Sadly,we announce also the passing of Irma Remedios on April 23,1998. Irma had served as secretary of the Macau Cultural Association, and was known to many members of both organizations. She is survived by her sons, Peter, David and Tom, and her sister Cecilia Valoma and her husband and family. Also missed is Frederick da Costa (61 years), who died of a heart attack in late March, 1998. He is the son of Effie da Costa in Richmond, B.C. Monique Guterres Makes the Headlines I F YOU HAPPENED TO READ the Vancouver Sun on Monday, April 27th, you would have seen a familiar face beaming jubilantly at you from page 6 of the "B" section. Our own Monique Guterres had been awarded a $500.00 US scholarship from the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf in Washington, D.C. The association is dedicated to improving opportunities for people with hearing impairments.Twelve year-old Monique, who, with her mother Marie Cecile has been a cheerful, hard-working member of the social committee, has been deaf since birth. She attends St. Michael’s School in Burnaby where she is an active member of the basketball and volleyball teams. Heartfelt congratulations, Monique, from all of us in the Casa! This honour couldn’t have been awarded to a more deserving person. LETTERS 8 de Abril de 1998 Em primeiro lugar desejo axpressar as minhas felicitações, pelo excelente jornol que a Casa de Macau de Vancouver lançou, e que me encheu de conterntamento. Os meus mais sinceros parabens. Quero escrever em português, já que esta é a lingua de Camões que todos nós devemos preservar. Agradeço que a partir de agora me envie todos os jornais que forem saindo, pois são importantes para os meus estudos e biblioteca que tenho sobre Macau. Sem outro assunto de momento, sou a enviar os meus amigos cumprimentos Paulo de Oliveira Sa Machado April 28,1998 The President and Social Committee It gives me great pleasure to write this "Thank You" note for the wonderful evening when we attended your "April in Portugal" affair. Avito and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was obvious a lot of work was put in to make this such a successful event. The food was plentiful and delicious, the decor colourful, costumes pleasing to the eye and all members of the Social Committee very hospitable. Keep up the good work and "Thanks" again. Teresa Campos Editor’s note: Keep those cards and letters coming! We welcome your input. The Most Important Person by Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON ON EARTH IS A MOTHER. She cannot claim the honour of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body. The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God's creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other human creature. God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation. What on God's earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother. Margie Rozario submitted this timely piece to honour all mothers on Mothers Day. - Ed. June13 - Feast Day of Santo António (c. 1195-1231) THE FEAST DAY OF SANTO ANTÓNIO,( ST. ANTHONY) is celebrated on June 13. To the chagrin of the Lisboetas, their best-loved saint is known as St. Anthony of Padua. Although born and brought up in Lisbon, he spent the last months of his life in Padua, Italy. St. Anthony joined the Franciscan Order in 1220, impressed by some crusading friars he had met at Coimbra where he was studying. Many statues and paintings of St. Anthony depict him carrying the Infant Jesus on a book, while others show him preaching to the fishes, as St. Francis preached to the birds. He is also often called upon to help find lost objects. In 1934 Pope Pius declared St. Anthony a patron saint of Portugal. The year 1995 saw the 800th anniversary of his birth — a cause for major celebrations throughout the city. Familias Macaenses Genealogy Books IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES YOU WISH TO MAKE to any entries, or wish to supply additional information concerning your family in the Macanese Genealogy Books, please contact Mr. Forjaz, at the following address: Mr. Jorge Forjaz These books will be updated in time for the 3rd Encontro in Macau next March. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Members birthdays falling within the timeline of this issue include: (If we have missed yours or if we have recorded an incorrect date, please let us know so that we can update our records) May June July Parabens! Born: On April 6,1998, in Richmond, B.C. -TWINS! Alysha Skye Kearley Renfro (4 3/4 lbs.) and Samantha Raine Kearley Renfro (4 3/8 lbs). Proud parents are Brenda and Leon Renfro. The proud grandparents are none other than Bill and Angela Renfro! Welcome to our New Members A HEARTY WELCOME TO THE FOLLOWING new members who have recently joined our club: April in Portugal was Never Like This! IT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE OF SPRING EVENINGS— the air warm and fragrant, lively dancers in intricately embroidered costumes, red carnations in profusion and the Portuguese flag in prominence. You could almost believe it was April in Portugal. But, thanks to our Social committee who replicated a decidedly Portuguese atmosphere, we were enjoying Portugal in Richmond. They did it again! Another successful evening of dining and dancing, catered to by our hard working and dedicated Social Committee, headed by Lyce Rozario, her co-anchor, Rowena Tan, Clotilde Waites, Betty Baptista and Humphrey Ho, not to mention a number of tireless, selfless workers, whose tremendous efforts allowed the rest of us to enjoy this night of nights. Hirondina Maria Ghouri, Chancellor of the Portuguese Consulate in Vancouver, graced the occasion with her attendance at this gala event, a highlight of our club's 1998 social calendar. She was accompanied by her husband and twin teenagers. A contingent from Seattle made the trek north. Flavia Greubel, Eleanor Orth, Dina Baptista and Angela Niles from Seattle joined us, while Vilma and Vincenti Sequeira and their family sailed in from Victoria. From Danville, California, Merlinde Brown and her husband, Ron, flew up to check out for themselves if Lyce Rozario (Merlinde's sister) really knew how to put on a grand festa. Well, Merlinde, Lyce really does! There was a "galo" magnet at each place setting, complementing the individual Cesto da Fortuna (for-tune baskets) that Rowena Tan had made for each lady in attendance. Each table was provided with an informative folder containing maps and words to the songs we were to sing at the encouragement of Betty Baptista, our M.C. for the evening, who led us all in "April in Portugal". Each table was named after a voting district in Portugal (ours was Santarem) and when our table was called up for dinner, we were amazed at the quantity, quality and variety of Portuguese dishes- Caldeirada de Mariscos, Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá, Rabo de Boi Guisado, Galinha Africana, Feijoãda, Vaca Estufada, Lombo de Porco Açafrão, Lingua Assada,Presunto, etc. etc. The Cultural Committee, led by Mariazinha Duguay and inspired by Betty Sousae, had been busy for weeks before, taking orders for Portuguese costumes, complete with colourful trim and sequins. Thirty outfits for both men and women were stitched up in time for the event and the members who were all decked out in them added to the flavour of "April in Portugal". A special treat was the lively music and dances performed by Rancho Folclorico Cruz de Cristo, a troupe of thirty-two young dancers who performed a variety of folk dances of Portugal. They also commandeered some of our members to participate with them. As everyone dug into the variety of desserts, Humphrey Ho and his able assistant, son Brian, "pumped up the volume", and in no time we were all doing the Macarena, Electric Slide, Achey-Breaky until the wee hours, when Lyce and Rowena saw fit to feed us again. Caldo Verde, Pão Rechado, cheese toast and more desserts were brought out. It was a night of great fun and enjoyment for all the 196 people who managed to get their tickets to this event. Apart from a modest profit of $112.87 which the Social Committee made for the club, we gained several new members who joined that night, on the spot! All in all, a great success for the club! So, when's the next party? Calendar of Events Our Social Committee is bound and determined to keep us busy! Here's the line up of what's in store for us! Sat. June 20,1998 - Dia di São João: Third Annual Picnic at Queen’s Park (Large Shelter) 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. (Bring your own table & "legs" for Mah Jong) Sat. July 11,1998 - Meeting - 2 p.m. TBA July ,1998 - Garage Sale and Barbecue Sat. August 29,1998 - Senior’s Event- Operation TLC Home of Philip Seth: 1015 West 16th Ave., Vancouver 1p.m. - 6p.m. Sat. September 12, 1998 - Meeting - 2 p.m. Sat. October 17, 1998 - Fall Festa 1998 - International Night Multicultural Food Dinner Dance - South Arm Community Hall - 9020 Williams Rd. Richmond Sat. November 14,1998 - Meeting - 2 p.m. Thurs. December 31,1998 - New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance Richmond Inn Unless otherwise advised, meetings are held in the Community Room of Metrotown Shopping Centre in Burnaby. Outstanding refreshments are always served after the meeting and all are welcome. 1998 Schedule: Cooking and Conversation Saturday, May 23 These classes, put on by the Cultural Committee, are conducted in the Community Room of Metrotown Shopping Centre in Burnaby. They are held between 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. A drop-in fee of $5.00 which covers lessons, recipes, conversation sheets, food, beverages, music and more. What a deal! (SEE ARTICLE BELOW) April in Portugal - A Celebration Fernanda A. de Pinna Ho, President OUR CASA HAS JUST CELEBRATED another "muito alegré" — an extremely colourful and successful Festa with 196 members and guests in attendance —the highest membership turnout in the life of our Casa. The theme was "April in Portugal", and the green/red/yellow coloured decorations, fortune baskets, "galos" and informative folders, Portuguese music, folk dancers and national attire, food and beverage, all set the stage to make everyone feel that we were indeed in Portugal on the evening of April 25,1998. Coincidentally, April 25, 1998 is Liberty Day in Portugal and in recognition of the National Day, each table was adorned with red carnations, the symbol of freedom, and with olives, the symbol of peace. Because Expo 98 is scheduled to open in Portugal in May 1998, "April in Portugal" also marked our Casa’s acknowledgment and celebration of its opening. Our Casa was honoured with the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Ghouri and their twin children, Omar and Zofia. Mrs. Hirondina Ghouri is the Chancellor to the Consul of Portugal in Vancouver and our thanks go out to Mrs. Ghouri for accepting our invitation and for her kind gift of posters on Portugal. Obrigada, Mrs. Ghouri! My appreciation to the Social Committee, the Cultural Committee and everyone who assisted in making this celebration a resounding success, from cooking and sewing, to decorating, from set-up to clean-up, from in front of and behind the scenes, etc. My heart pours out especially to Lyce Rozario, head of our Social Committee, and to Rowena Tan, co-anchor, for going the extra miles, and to Betty Sousae, our "Head Seamstress" for countless hours on the sewing machine. Last and certainly not least, my appreciation to guests, friends and members and their families, who all showed up to support and share in our celebration and thus made our efforts worthwhile. Muitos obrigados por todos! Cooking + Conversation = Culture Mariazinha (Rozario)Duguay, Cultural Committee The Cultural Committee consists of a group of dedicated, hardworking members committed to carrying out our mandate, as set out in our Constitution, to promote and continue the traditions and culture of our Macanese heritage for our members here in Canada. Our first project, OPERATION COSTUME was to sew Portuguese-style costumes for our members and guests attending our Spring Dinner Dance,with the theme "April in Portugal.This project was master-minded and directed by our fashion designer, Betty Sousae, assisted by Angelina and Theresa Rozario, Cathy Xavier Fung, and Mariazinha Duguay. For six weeks, our team worked day and night to fill orders for 30 costumes, for ladies and men. We shopped for fabrics and trims, designed, measured, cut, ironed, and sewed. Our "customers" were delighted with the end result, and showed up in their colourful finery on the big day, mingling with the members of the Rancho Folclorico Cruz de Cristo Dance Group decked out in their traditional costumes. Concurrently, the Cultural Committee held two very successful sessions of the MACANESE COOKING AND CONVERSATION classes, with between 20 and 25 attendees ranging in ages between 13 and 97 years. The classes are held once a month at the Community Room, Eaton Centre, Metrotown. Next sessions are Saturday, May 23, June 13, July 25, August 22, September 26, October 24, and November 28, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Please phone either Angelina Rozario (261-5776) or Mariazinha Duguay (439-9676) to register. A drop-in fee of $5.00 includes lessons, recipes, conversation sheets, food, beverages, music and more. At the COOKING CLASS, co-ordinated by Angelina Rozario, our members volunteer to demonstrate their special Macanese/Portuguese recipes.Demonstrators sometimes even explain in Macanese (you should hear the laughter!) exactly how things should be done. After the cooking, we get a chance to sample the end product, and Diana Pires is our gracious hostess who looks after refreshments. We then have the CONVERSATION CLASS, co-ordinated by Betty Sousae, who with her inimitable style and humour, reads excerpts from a Macanese book. The laughter this generates is such a poignant reminder of our common bond. It evokes such nostalgia and "saudade", a veritable trip "down memory lane". Betty Baptista is our consultant who provides a valuable service on fine points of vocabulary and interpretations. Our Seniors provide us with guidance, wisdom, and experience (and anecdotes) that none other can provide. Tapes and CDs of Macanese poetry and music are also played. At the last two sessions, in preparation for the "April in Portugal" party, we practiced singing the National Anthem and Coimbra. Hearing of this, one Portuguese lady expressed her amazement at the patriotic spirit of the Macanese! (Just goes to prove, almost five centuries later, there remains the allegiance described in the Macau Coat of Arms "City of the Name of God - None Other More Loyal".) We continue to gather materials for our Club’s LENDING LIBRARY, which will give members a chance to find out more about the exciting past of the Macanese people. This literature will give our younger members the means to learn more about the fascinating history of our forefathers. Keep up to date on what we are doing by reading our newsletters and attending our meetings. Interested in helping the Cultural Committee? Just give me a call at 439-9676! COOKING CLASS TESTIMONIALS My original intention to attend was brought on by guilt and profound ignorance of
my own background’s wonderful dishes that I love to eat and could not make. The
camaraderie and laughter was a definite plus. My congratulations to the Cultural Committee
for a job well done!
I made Bebinca de Leite at home and was surprised and delighted that it turned out
so well, and now I am trying to make the next two recipes that I learned. I have not
spoken the language for over twenty years in Canada, and the conversation classes are a
good way to get some practice.
The Cooking & Conversation lessons are fun and everyone is enjoying them. I
like trying other people’s recipes as some of them are "heritage" recipes
and handed down in the family. The food and conversation combine to make it an
entertaining afternoon. Reggie Olaes I learned to make things that I had recipes for but
no directions. The conversation sessions bring back nostalgic memories of my childhood
days, as my grandmother used to speak to us in Macanese. We laugh so much in practising
the language!
To all of you who have not had the pleasure to attend, boy, are you missing
something fun and great! The laughter, fun and camaraderie are surpassed only by the
repast enjoyed by all after the cooking is done. And to the many of you who have the
expertise in this area, come and share your masterpieces with all of us, who are so eager
to learn. Angelina Shares her Secrets Mariazinha Duguay AT OUR "PRIMEIRO" COOKING CLASS on March 28, my sister Angelina Rosario demonstrated how to make Bolos de Bacalhau. Angelina shared with the class her techniques and "secrets" and members were thrilled with the finished product — fresh and piping hot "bolos". As we know, there are many recipes for this very popular and special appetizer - there are Macanese and Portuguese variations, all delicious. But for me, Angelina’s is the very best! My mother was a great cook, and Angelina has inherited this talent. As far back as I remember, Angelina has been making bolos de bacalhau, or simply "bacalhau" as we called it at home. She has fine-tuned and perfected it, and her recipe is printed here for all you to try. She is the Co-ordinator of our monthly Cooking Classes, and would be glad to hear from you if there is a special Macanese/Portuguese dish you would like to demonstrate at the Cooking Class. Please call Angelina at 261-5776. Pasteis de Bacalhau (Salted Cod Fish Balls) Ingredients Method (Makes approximately 100 large bacalhau balls) BOOK REVIEW Pat Adams All Our Yesterdays -The Sons of Macau, Their History and Heritage Todo o Nosso Passado /All Our Yesterdays IN THIS BOOKLET OF ONLY 42 TYPESET PAGES, Jim Silva records a brief history of our origins and the events that led to the diaspora. The first edition , published in 1979, is an innocuous soft cover booklet, held together by two staples piercing the centre spread. But its humble appearance belies its contents (absorbing), the writing style (fluent) and the quality of photos (exceptionally sharp). In contrast, the newer edition is a glossy, up-scale book, bound and attractively packaged in a square format which cleverly accomodates the text in both English and in Portuguese. The book itself is well written and organized so that disparate topics appear to flow seamlessly. The reader is not weighted down with detail and statistics are quoted only to illustrate a point. In a "matter-of-fact" fashion, Jim delineates our racial background, our approach to food, our language and our collective foibles , telling it like it is, but always with an underlying affection for the culture. He traces the evolution of the "patois" and realistically points out how precarious is our ability to hang onto the language. On Macanese cooking, he offers us a clever rhyme as an appetizer, then dishes up the main course in a captivatingly written essay of only two pages, leaving the reader eager to taste the fare. He describes the Portuguese settlements in Macau, Hong Kong and Shanghai during the war and after, threading concurrent events and the fates of the Filho Macau in all three communities. The final two chapters of the 1996 edition brings us up to date with the physical and political changes in Macau and HongKong, and discusses the roles played by the Club Lusitano and the Fundação Oriente. To quote the foreword by Cecilia Jorge, " the history... is told by a Macanese in his fluent manner, assuming and defining clear and effortlessly his/our cultural identity..." I would heartily agree. (See Jim Silva’s article on "Macanese Nicknames" in this issue) Book Review is a regular feature in our newsletter. We invite your participation. If you have a book pertaining to Macaenses and wish to write a review or have it reviewed, please contact the editors. Macanese Nicknames by Jim Silva (Reprinted from the UMA News Bulletin, Jan.-Feb. 1998, with permission) Ed. note: Knowing that we would all get a kick out of it, Mickey da Roza suggested we reprint this article. Thanks to Jim Silva and Jorge Remedios of the UMA News Bulletin who promptly gave us the okay to do so. BESIDES THE PREPARATION AND CONSUMPTION of "our kind" of food, one other notable talent we filhos de Macau possess is in the bestowing of apt nicknames. The Chinese also have this talent, but their nicknames can sometimes be cruel when they describe infirmities and physical defects. On the other hand, filhomacau nicknames cover all the bases - physical, diminutive, mental, familial, gustatory, and ethnic. Filhos de Macau from Hong Kong display the greatest aptitude for nicknames; Macau filhos come second; but our cousins from Shanghai may have strayed too far from their roots and for too long a time to have any real gems among their nicknames though admittedly this could be due to my own ignorance in that area. I shall try to categorize and list the better-known and more colorful fllho de Macau nicknames. Some of these require no elaboration, but others may require explanation. I shall not dwell on nicknames derived from Anglo-Saxon words — for example, a "Beany" Remedios or a "Pinky" Silva — which do not have the special ethnic flavor of the true filho de Macau nickname, as in an Archie "Búli-búli". Nor do I need to cover the scores of "Juniors" and "Sonnys" of a certain vintage. Familial Nicknames In Macau, a smile always brightens a conversation when the "Very Good Chipido" clan is mentioned. In Hong Kong, we have the "Chiparee" Gomeses, as well as the "Capi Galo" Gomeses. The latter reportedly had an ancestor who was fond of cockfights and carried his fighting cocks tucked between elbow and armpit (thus, capi galo). So they tell me. And then there is the Sousa family, nicknamed Gogo, where each member is identified by his position in the family hierarchy, thus:Gogo Pai, Gogo Mano, Gogo Filho, Gogo Chai, and last but not least, little Goguinho. First of the Litter Diminutives and Shortenings An Amah’s Pronunciation Food Nicknames Up Front and Personal General Nicknames Conclusion Vasco da Gama 1998 Marks the 500th Anniversary of His First Voyage FOR MORE THAN 500 YEARS, Portuguese history has hailed Vasco da Gama as the Columbus to the East. He was the first European to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, reaching Asia by sea, and ushered in a long period of exploration and colonialism that will come to an end next year when Macau is formally returned to China. While many will be celebrating da Gama's role in history, Asiaweek in its May 4 issue, is questioning his place in history. Asiaweek says Indian revisionist-minded students are voicing their objections to the man. And in Kenya, Muslims protest against efforts to honour him. But in the West, Vasco da Gama is being recalled as an equal to Christopher Columbus. The first Portuguese professorship in the United States funded by Portuguese has been set up in Brown University. The professorship is a joint appointment in the Department of History and the Department of Portuguese studies, and is the culmination of more than five years of talks and negotiations with foundations and commissions in Lisbon. Portugal is marking the 500th anniversary of his voyage — the centrepiece will be the ocean-themed Expo'98 — that began on July 8, 1497 when the Portuguese fleet set sail from Lisbon under the leadership of Vasco da Gama, his brother Paulo and Nicolao Coelho, and a crew of 150 men. In early November, the fleet anchored in St. Helena Bay and on November 25, in Mossel Bay. By December 16, the fleet had reached the furthest landing point of Dias, gave its present name to the coast of Natal on Christmas Day and reached, by January, 1498, the mouth of the Zambesi, a territory controlled by the Arabian maritime commercial association. Menaced by Arab traders in Mozambique (March 2) and Mombasa (April 7) who feared for their commerce, da Gama anchored his fleet in Melinda, East Africa, April 14, and finally reached the journey's end of Calicut, India, on May 20, 1498 which, from the 14th century, had been the major market for trade in spices, precious stones and pearls, and founded a new colony.Other explorers, traders, solders and missionaries would follow in da Gama's footsteps. On October 5, 1498, the fleet began its homeward voyage. Coelho arrived in Portugal July 10, 1499. Paulo da Gama died at Angra, and Vasco da Gama reached Lisbon safely in September to a hero's welcome. He was appointed to the newly created post of Admiral of the Indian Ocean which carried with it a high salary, and the feudal rights over Sines were assured to him. In 1502, Vasco da Gama was again sent out, this time with his uncle Vicente Sodre and his nephew Estevao, and a fleet of 20 ships to safeguard the interests of the Portuguese spice and commercial interests established in India by Cabral and of the Portuguese settled there. On the homeward voyage, he visited Sofala (East Africa), exacted the payment of tribute from the Sheikh of Kilwa (East Africa) and proceeded against the Arabian merchant ships and the Samudrian of Calicut. He laid siege to the city, destroyed a fleet of 29 Arabian/Indian warships and concluded favourable treaties and alliances with the native prices. His commercial ventures were so successful that Vasco da Gama reportedly brought home to Portugal more than a million in gold. Again high honours were accorded him and in the year 1519, he received instead of Sines (which was transferred to the Order of Santiago) the cities of Vidiguria and Villa dos Frades. In 1524, Vasco da Gama was again sent to India by the Portuguese Crown under João III to supersede the ViceroyEduardo de Menezes who was no longer master of the situation. Vasco da Gama restored order but, at the end of the year, he died at Cochin. In 1539, his remains, which, up to that time had lain in the Franciscan church in Cochin, were brought back to Portugal and interred at Vidigueria. To commemorate the first voyage to India, the convent of the Hieronymites in Belem was erected and a large part of the "Lusiad" of Camoens deals with the voyages and discoveries of Vasco da Gama. Timeline1415 - Portugal begins overseas expansion, beginning with Ceuta in Morocco. GENTLE REMINDERS
The annual picnic is planned for Saturday, June 20th. (Pray for better weather than we had last year.) Tickets are as follows: Members: $7.00, children 10 and under- free Guests : $10.00; children 10 and under $5.00 Bring your own table and "legs" for Mah Jong! Operation TLC! Our Seniors are hosting an event you won’t want to miss! On Saturday, August 29th, from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. we’ll be kept busy, amused and exhausted by the wide range of activities they’ve planned for us! Philip Seth has graciously offered his home as the venue: 1015 West 16th Avenue in Vancouver. More details available as the time draws nearer! T-Shirts! With the good weather already here, be sure to get your Casa de Macau T-shirts! Won’t we all look great wearing them at the Dia di São João picnic? Call Grace Johnson to get one! $15.00 each, taxes included! Tel. 520-3392 CASA DE MACAU Clip and Mail QUARTERLY QUIZ #1 SO... YOU THINK YOU'RE SMART? Well, here's your chance to prove it . . . and WIN a Casa de Macau T-Shirt! The "QUIZ MASTER" has come up with these ten questions to find out just how smart our members are. Fill out the answers and mail them to Robert (address below). The winner will get a Casa de Macau T-shirt! Clip out this portion of the page and mail it today! You might be the lucky winner! All entries must be received by June 30th.
1. FIRST AND LAST 2. BACK TO THE OWNERS 3. THERE’S GOLD... 4. THAT SINKING FEELING 5. TEAM NAME 6. AND THE WINNER IS. . . 7. SURFING 8. WHAT’S HIS NAME? 9. WHO’S THE BOSS? 10. BEATLEMANIA MY LAST LINE Mail your answers right away to Robert da Roza: 14329- 69A Avenue, The winner with the most questions answered correctly will win a Casa de Macau T-Shirt! In the event of a tie, a draw will be made for the winner. The quiz will be a regular feature of our newsletter. Your comments re. this contest are requested. Are the questions too easy? Do you have any other suggestions or comments? Please let us know. CONTEST CLOSES JUNE 30th Proxy Votes vs. Secret Ballot Fernanda A. de Pinna Ho, President AT THE LAST GENERAL MEETING held on May 9,1998, it was discussed and agreed that it would be appropriate to replace proxy voting by secret ballot voting. The new by-laws would be prepared for reading and discussion at the next General Meeting to be held on July 11,1998, and thereafter the special resolution for the new by-laws would be passed at the subsequent General Meeting to be held on September 12,1998. As always, input from all voting members are welcome and should be forwarded to the Executive Committee by June 30,1998. Encontro III Scheduled for March 22-26,1999 Ad Hoc Committee Formed OUR CASA RECEIVED an official notification letter from Dr. António Salavessa da Costa, advising us of the Encontro to be held in Macau in March,1999. An Ad Hoc committee to deal with matters relevant to our participation at the third Encontro had been formed. Members who volunteered for this committee are: Betty Baptista, Mickey da Roza, Mariazinha Duguay, Betty Sousae, Rick Rozario, Gilly Marshall, Margie Rozario and Cathy Fung (as yet undecided) The committee will set up guidelines to determine eligibility to receive the subsidy for attendance, invite quotes for travel proposals, and acquire pins, T-shirts, and all the "must-have" paraphernalia that add to the fun and flavour of the event. Dr. Salavessa da Costa also requested suggestions and ideas for the Third Encontro. If you have any comments or suggestions that you want to bring to the attention of the committee, please contact the Executive Committee by June 30. We want to hear them! Other Ad Hoc Committees Pursuing Consolidation Awarding of a Bursary A COMMITTEE TO DEAL WITH the awarding of a bursary has been formed. The members of the "Bursary" committee are Anne Marie da Costa, Cathy Fung, Lyce Rozario and Betty Baptista. So far, the guidelines proposed for the recipient are as follows:
There will be no age restrictions. The committee will be reviewing these guidelines and
discussing others that are brought forward. If you wish to serve on this committee or to
share your views, contact the Executive Committee.
New Website Address! Michael Guterres It gives me really great pleasure to inform you all of our new website address: Our old address as shown on the front panel of our newsletter, The Voz, is still valid and will be as long as we have a website so you need not change any of your bookmarks unless you wish to. In due course, everything relating to the old address will be changed to reflect this new address which is more distinguishable and more easily remembered than the old address which was really just a directory address on the computer I use as our WWW server. Youth CommitteeROBERT DA ROZA reported that he hoped to organize a bowling fun day/night for the youth sometime in June, 1998 and perhaps a Hallowe’en Dance in the Fall. He stressed that, for these events to be successful, the youth need to be encouraged to attend and that their parents and grandparents may have be called on to drive. Honourary Appointments THE PRESIDENT WAS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE the following honourary appointments for the 1998-9 fiscal year: Hon. V.P. (Washington State) - Flavia Greubel Social Committee LYCE ROZARIO THANKED EVERYONE who helped make the "April in Portugal" such a success. As a Mother’s Day gift to all the members at the May 9th meeting, Lyce and Rick provided the rental of a large-screen monitor to show a video of the "April in Portugal" event. The video was taped by Lyce’s sister and brother-in-law, Merlinde and Ron Brown. Everyone present enjoyed watching it. Thanks, Lyce and Rick for being so thoughtful. Lyce reminded us of the following upcoming functions. Mark these on your calendar! June 20,1998 - Dia de São João Picnic Seniors Committee BETTY BAPTISTA REMINDED EVERYONE that "Operation TLC" will be underway on August 29th, 1998 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm. at the home of Philip Seth, 1015 West 16th Avenue in Vancouver. She also emphasized that if you cannot speak patois, you will be required to "pay" a forfeit , only the "payment" extracted will be in the form of a poem recitation or a song (words and music provided in patois)! This is a joint effort of the Seniors, Cultural and Social committees. In store for all will be a busy afternoon of Mah Jong, a cooking demonstration, a patois skit, videos of the "good old days", all accompanied by a "Cha Gordo". Don’t miss it! If any group knows how to have a good time, it’s our seniors! More information on "Operation TLC" will follow. Cultural Committee See pages 8 and 9 of the May, 1998 newsletter for in-depth coverage of the activities of our busy Cultural Committee. Also note the dates of the "Cooking and Conversation" classes held once a month at the Community Room at Metrotown. Membership Committee ROWENA TAN reminded members that membership fees were due. She reported that 90% of the members were all paid up. If you’re among the remaining 10%, please send in your dues right away. If you have any questions re.membership, give Rowena Tan a call at 241-8781. Phoning Committee CATHY FUNG heads the phoning committee this year. She thanked the committee for their continued efficiency in contacting the membership. The Phoning Committee is an important link to the activities of the club. Hospitality IT WAS FELT THAT THE CASA should have a representative to send well-wishes to our members on appropriate occasions, and Grace Johnson agreed to be our "Sunshine" girl. Hopefully, this would underscore the feeling of "family" that we would like to foster. Macau TV Production WE WERE ADVISED that a Macau TV production dealing with the Macaenses Diaspora was to be aired on Portuguese national television. The Executive is trying to obtain a tape of the program, since the subject matter is of interest to us. We’ll keep you posted if our Casa manages to get a copy. Bad News and Good News! This issue of The Voz! was supposed to be ready in time for the meeting on May 9th. Its delay can be viewed as either "Bad News" or "Good News". The Bad News — this issue is late because there was a"last-minute" incompatibility with the printer’s equipment. The Good News — because of the delay, we are able to bring you up-to-date on the business of the general meeting held on May 9th. |
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