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Volume2 Number 3
November 1999
| VISIT OF THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU TO
VANCOUVER by Aleixa (Basto) Haslam On November 2, 1999, we were honoured by a visit from His Excellency, the Governor of Macau, General Vasco Rocha Vieira, who was accompanied by his aide, Mr Tiago Vasconsuelhos. His Excellency had been in Portugal where he had met with the Chinese Premier, and was on his return journey to Macau for the final preparations for the handover on December 20, 1999. He made a stop-over here in Vancouver with the specific request to meet with "all the Macanese Community" in the Lower Mainland, and wanted both the Macau Cultural Association and our Casa to be his guests at a cocktail reception. It was a splendid occasion, with approximately 200 people in attendance at the reception in the Crystal Ballroom of the Pan Pacific Hotel. Also present as honoured guests were the Portuguese Consul, Sr Pedro de Sampaio and his wife, and the Chancellor to the Consul, Sra Hirondina Ghouri and her husband. The evening opened with the singing of the Portuguese and Canadian national anthems. This was followed by speeches from Maria Roliz, President of the Lusitano Club of California, Isabel Ma, Vice-President of the Macau Cultural Association and Michael Guterres, our President. (Editor’s Note: Michael’s speech is reprinted in its entirety on Page 12.) Michael then presented the Governor with a gift of an Indian carving depicting a Bear and Frog. The Macau Cultural Association gave His Excellency a gift of a "Talking Stick". Speaking of gifts, we wish to thank Maria Roliz and the Lusitano Club of California for the gorgeous publication entitled "Above San Francisco". In his speech, His Excellency expressed his pleasure at being able to visit Vancouver, and emphasized the need of all the Macanese communities to think of Macau as a "special place" – a place where we all originated from, and where we can all refer to as "home". He said that Macau will always be different from the rest of China because it is a place that was "built by our hands". Macau has grown and is now a modern city with its own airport and university, so that its native sons and daughters no longer have to go abroad for higher education. We, the Macanese people, have left an important legacy behind, and we should be proud of what we have achieved, and it is important for China to continue to acknowledge the special status of Macau. His Excellency concluded by telling us that there will be another Encontro in Macau in the year 2002! After all the formalities were over, His Excellency mingled with the assembled guests and spoke individually with many of those present. It was an auspicious occasion, when both "casas" had co-operated to bring about an enjoyable and friendly evening, and we hope that it is the beginning of many more such events when we can enjoy each other’s company and work together with mutual respect for the good of the entire Macanese community. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, MICHAEL GUTERRES My Fellow Members: Firstly, I wish to send a big WELCOME to Fernanda and Brian Ho, our mother and son team who have put together this outstanding issue of the Voz. As you may know, our last editor, Pat Adams, had a full plate on the home front as well as at work and the "Ho's" so kindly volunteered to help us out. Guys, you've done a great job, and we all thank you. Perhaps the biggest news is the fact that our Casa has been asked by the Fundacao Oriente to help search for a Clubhouse. After receiving some clarifying details necessary to determine price range etc. from the Fundacao Oriente, we were able to start exploring just what was available in the Greater Vancouver area. As you can imagine, we had so many questions as we were indeed searching for a clubhouse to house both Macanese clubs in Vancouver. Fernanda and Humphrey Ho were requested by the Executive to co-ordinate the search and their findings were presented to our members at an extraordinary gathering last month. Those in attendance saw what type of real estate is currently available as well as the video and other supporting documentation which we sent to the Fundacao for their review and input. Clearly we had several issues yet to be dealt with, not the least of which was the fact the price range was well outside of the budget we were given. It was decided that rather than spend too much time on certain types of real estate the Fundacao might not approve of (from a cost perspective), we would send them our findings now to determine if in fact we are on the right track. We are awaiting a response from them and hope to hear if they are in agreement with the "type" of real estate we have been focusing on. We are hoping to be able to find a place that is not a strata titled unit, has some grounds (lawns etc.) we can use for our children to play on, sports days etc. or any of us to sit out in the sun on our beautiful Vancouver sunny days. Kitchen, meeting and party/dining facilities are all on our wish list. While we can certainly "want" lots, we must remember that the buyer (the Fundacao Oriente) must still approve of what is selected. No doubt, the property selected will be for the benefit and enjoyment of both Macanese clubs in Vancouver and both clubs will have valuable and important input into the final decision. Sharing the Top News Story billing of this Issue is the visit to Vancouver by His Excellency, General Vasco Rocha Vieira, Governor of Macau on November 2nd. It was truly an honour for us to have had His Excellency visit us in our city and the 200+ guests who turned out to welcome him at a cocktail party at the Pan Pacific were certainly not disappointed. His Excellency made a very touching speech on Macanese unity and the need for us all to start the healing process in order to achieve this unity in Vancouver. The event was very capably organized by Isabel Ma from the Macau Cultural Association and we are very grateful at how closely she liaised with us on almost every detail of the visit. After the reception, the Governor met privately with the Executive from both Macanese clubs and I am indeed proud to report that at that meeting, BOTH clubs agreed, in the presence of the Governor, to work together in order to try to find a suitable clubhouse for us all to use. What we have been trying to do for the past few years, His Excellency achieved in one evening and we are truly grateful to him for that. There is still much to do and both clubs have agreed that time is of the essence and we must move quickly. We are indeed excited that the clubhouse issue is now looking more realistic than ever before and as we work with our fellow Macanese from the MCA we hope the spirit of friendship and harmony will grow and continue to flourish as we embark on what is certainly a new road for us both. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EDITORIAL "Voz dos Macaenses de Vancouver", affectionately nicknamed "The Voz", is the name of our Casa’s Newsletter - all our readers know this, all our members know this. But then, is it just a name that brothers, Robert and Mickey da Roza perhaps woke up one morning and said, "Yippie! This is what we shall call our Newsletter!"? …… No, definitely not! Why? Because Robert and Mickey both recognize that the Newsletter of our Casa represents the "Voz" of at least half of our "Comunidade Macaense em Vancouver" and furthermore, because the Newsletter of our Casa is an expression in print about us, our families, our everyday lives in the past and in the present, and most importantly, of our Casa and of the culture and heritage that we so cherish and share with each other. Na cadunga Newsletter, nossa Casa sempres teng tantos storias e novidades pa conta pa nossa gente no mundo. Talvez gente logo fala di nos sung ouidi "cheung hei"; talvez gente logo fala di nos sung deveras "busy-body"! Olha! Nung faz mal! Tudos storias e novidades ving di coracam, ting ting pa ting ting! It is this "Voz" that will be heard at home in Vancouver, that will be projected to the world and that will be stored in the Archives for future generations. It is through this "Voz", together with our website at www.casademacau.org, that makes it possible for our Casa to keep in touch with our fellow Macaenses around the world, both in English and in our beloved lingua Filhomacau! Through immigration to Canada, the United States of America, Australia, Brazil and other parts of the world in the last thirty-five years or so, the original Comunidade Macaense has expanded so dramatically and is now so spread out around the world that it is only during the Encontros that there is the opportunity to reunite as one Comunidade Macaense. This is indeed one of the underlying reasons why each and every Encontro is so very special. What then happens in-between Encontros? "Voz dos Macaenses de Vancouver" joins with the Newsletters of other Casas de Macau around the world, to fill the void. Sung nos com nos! "Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make life worth living for…if you can!" If we as a Casa cannot physically touch everybody’s hand, our "Voz" together with our website can and certainly will! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS In accordance with our Casa’s by-laws, nominations for elections to the five positions of our Executive Committee for the ensuing fiscal year are accepted during the last General Meeting of the calendar year, the date this year being November 13, 1999 and thereafter to and including December 31, 1999 AND our Casa’s Annual Elections to the Executive Committee for the ensuing fiscal year will be conducted during the Annual General Meeting to be held on February 12, 2000. All nominations are to be submitted on the prescribed form which may be obtained from the Executive Committee or the Nominations/Elections Committee (to be formed on or before the November General Meeting). All voting members are hereby reminded that in order to nominate, to be nominated and to be elected to office, the member must be a member in good standing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CANTO DE PATUA Eu-sa dedinhos ta sinti cosca-cosca
CLASSES EM PORTUGUES Nossa classes de Portugues torado
TACHO-MINCHI DINNER Fall is definitely here – the trees are ablaze with colour and the days are sunny and cool. Time for our Fall Fest – and did we ever feast at our 3rd Tacho-Minchi Dinner on October 23, 1999 at Holy Family Church Hall. 76 members and 42 guests came, ate, partied and danced the night away. Our President, Michael Guterres, welcomed members and guests, noting that this was our 3rd Tacho-Minchi Dinner and the last one to be held this millennium! He thanked all those who helped make this event possible. Special credit goes to the energetic team members of the Social Committee. Michelle, daughter of Fernanda and Humphrey Ho, led the way with singing the Canadian and Portuguese national anthems. Next, Andrew (10) and Christopher (8), sons of Carol and Michael Guterres, led us in saying Grace, after which the party started. Emcee for the evening was the ever–affable Robert da Roza, and Alex Tan was on hand to capture our special moments on camera. Tacho with Balichao, and Minchi, with steaming hot rice – these are synonymous with Macanese parties and family meals. A dessert table was there to tempt us throughout the evening, laden with all kinds of treats, traditional and non-traditional. Our cooks are members with years of experience in preparing meals with TLC for their families and friends, so it was no surprise that everything was so delicious. As one guest was overheard telling another: "You can’t get this kind of food in restaurants!" Present was our remarkable "Uncle" Humberto Pires, who turned 99 years "young" on November 9, 1999 and whose attendance and participation at our Club events is somewhere around 99%. We were also delighted to welcome Isabel Ma, Vice-President of Macau Cultural Association, and her husband, Roy, and hope that they and other members of the Macau Cultural Association will continue to join us at our social and other events. Door prizes were donated by talented Diana Pires, who made book-ends and Fernanda Baptista, a non-member, who donated a miniature Christmas tree. Ann-Marie, daughter of Francis and Marge da Costa, helped raise funds for the 50/50 draw – always a crowd-pleaser. Judging by the dancers’ enthusiasm, the music was a big hit. Disc Jockey Jonathan was assisted in his selection by contributions of CDs and tapes from various members and their guests. The consensus? The party was a great success! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOOD FOR THOUGHT When we set aside a day for eating and sharing traditional foods with family and friends, we renew our bonds to our community. When we prepare dishes handed down to us from our mothers and grandmothers, we become children and grandchildren again, reconnected to the people who have gone before us. When we prepare traditional food for our children, we give them memories they can turn to when they are grown and cut adrift. They will prepare these foods and once again be grounded with their families in time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OUR MACANESE COOKING CLASSES "Come pa vivo? Ou, vivo pa come?" At first glance, it would seem that the latter is perhaps a more fitting description of us. Our Cultural Committee, however, recognizes that the importance lies not in how much is being consumed, but rather in what is being consumed, why it is being consumed and the history and the "TLC" that are associated with each Macaense dish. Hence, our cooking classes continue to bring to us the best in Macanese cooking. The first of the two cooking classes held since the last issue of "The Voz" was held on the morning of our September 1999 General Meeting. I had the pleasure of doing the "opening act" by baking an old Macanese sponge cake "from scratch". Then the "main attraction" followed - Rowena Tan demonstrated her mouth-watering "har to see" (shrimp toast). These delicacies were served during the General Meeting, in addition to the normal excellent refreshments. "Bem de sabroso!" The second cooking class was held on October 16, 1999. Catherine Guterres taught us how to make the traditional coconut candy. How appropriate! We now know how to make the proper candy for our cortadinhas, which we learned to cut in May 1999 (I used to have to improvise with macaroons or Ferrero Rochers!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LAUNCH PICNICS One of the most enjoyable things we did when I was in my early teens was to go on launch picnics. It was always the highlight of the summer for us. Sure, we went swimming at the beach and my parents were members of the Victoria Recreation Club (the "VRC") so we went there often but a launch picnic was different. Neither of the companies that my parents worked for had a launch at their disposal so mostly we went on launch picnics with their friends whose companies had launches. Sometimes it was the Jardines launch, the Thistle, sometimes the Shell launch, the Tai Mo Shan. Sometimes it was "after work", which meant that we would meet at Queen’s pier or Blake Pier at about 6:00 p.m. and the launch would take us out to Picnic Bay where we would get in an hour or so of swimming before we ate dinner on board on the way back. The grown-ups usually had the food all planned out and they would have one of the sampan people cook rice for us. On the way out of Hong Kong harbour, whilst the parents all sat in the lounge area chatting, we children would sit at the bow of the launch, counting the large jellyfish that we passed, all the while hoping there would be none where we were going to swim. Coming home in the dark was exciting. The sight of all the lights of Central and Kowloon as we pulled into the harbour at night is something I will never forget. There were other times when we had all day launch picnics. We would all meet at one of the piers at about 11:00 a.m. and each family would bring food for lunch and snacks and the launch would head out for Picnic Bay or Junk Bay or Clear Water Bay or Hebe Haven. When you had the whole day, it was not so difficult to go to some of the more picturesque spots that were further away. Having the whole day also meant that groups of us could take the dingy and row to shore. Some of us would swim to shore and hope to get rowed back. We would have lunch on board, usually something like curry or diabo with rice and vegetables provided by the sampan people or crew of the launch. There was even lots of time after lunch to practise diving, especially on the Thistle because there was a diving board. The launch usually headed back about 7:00 p.m. and the whole group used to pile into all the cars and go out for a Chinese dinner. When my parents bought a little boat of our own, we used to go out in it but we never gave up any opportunity to go on a launch picnic. It is a recreational activity that can only be enjoyed "to the max" in the tropics. It is one of the most enduring memories I have of my life in Hong Kong. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LETTERS TO THE WEBMASTER E-mail received on September 1, 1999, in connection with the
last issue of "The Voz": Subject: Portuguesa Chapado
From: Gary L. Rocha (glr@home.com) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOVIDADES DE NOSSA GENTE Happy Birthday to Mr. Humberto Felisberto Pires, a true gentleman who stepped out of the old days gone by when men doffed their hats and opened doors for ladies. Born on November 9, 1900, this sprightly man who walks at least a mile a day, will be welcoming the new millennium looking forward to his 100th year. Still full of vigor his active contribution to our Cooking Demonstrations, with Chinese and Macanese Recipes, have brought admiration and joy to our members. He is soft spoken, kind and thoughtful and would rather take a bus than inconvenience anyone. Born in Macau, he attended Escola Infantil, then to Escola Central, and on to Colegio e Seminario de S. Jose. He graduated with a High Degree in Accountancy and worked at Cable & Wireless in Hong Kong. He also taught shorthand to a great number of students. On July 27, 1924, he married Evelyn Rosaline and they had 3 girls – Priscilla, Doreen and Diana, and 4 boys – Geraldo (deceased), Reginaldo, Francisco (deceased) and Felisberto, better known as Sonny. He now has 27 grand-children, and 29 great-grand-children. We warmly wish him and his family all the best for many more years to come. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GERTRUDE STELLA OSMUND – Happy 100th
Birthday! "Aunty Tudy" turns 100 on November 15, 1999. She presently lives with her son, Tony in Toronto. I am sure many remember "Aunty Tudy" as their Primary 2 Teacher at St. Teresa’s School. Muito parabens e lembrancas de Casa de Macau Club (Vancouver)! (Editor’s Note: It looks like it is a sign of the times to live beyond 100 years! It is certainly not a case of "teng mas juiso", but rather a case of "insina nos mas juiso por favor!") ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1999 Casa Bursary Recipient Although I have taken Mandarin lessons since 1989 and progressively worked from kindergarten to what is now known as the adult standard, I still have a lot to learn to be really proficient in that language. I attend the Victoria Mandarin Chinese School, a registered non-profit association which has an enrolment of some 50 students, all of whom attend classes only on Saturdays from 9:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Funding for the administration of this school is through the Federal Government for heritage languages, but this was cut a while ago. The Chinese Government in Beijing provides books to the lower grades whereas the adult class uses books similar to those used at the University of Victoria. All the teachers employed are University graduates and are highly qualified. The fee structure is $5.00 per student. There is also a family rate. This school rents Northfolk House for classes. I also attend an adult Mandarin conversation class on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The fee is $5.00 per session which is paid by way of donation to the Fook Sing Tong (or Chung Shan) Association who in turn pays for a qualified teacher. Mandarin is a course of my choice. Both the University of Victoria or Camosun College offer Mandarin, but the fee for Mandarin at either of these institutions is also costly. I intend to pursue this course at one of these two institutions in order that I may speak, read and write fluently. (Editor’s Note: Go for it, Aunty Vilma!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GABRIEL DIAS AZEDO and ARTHUR GOMES – honoured! "And from Melbourne, Australia, Bosco Correa tells us: I have received word that the Portuguese Government has just honoured Gabriel dias Azedo with the award of Comendador da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique and Arthur Gomes with the award of Comendador da Ordem da Mertio for the work they have done for the welfare of the Portuguese Community in Hong Kong." Casa de Macau Club (Vancouver) congratulates both Gabby and Arthur on their fine achievements and wishes them all the best in the years ahead! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE "CLASSIFIEDS" (1) DATES TO REMEMBER: MARK ON YOUR Y2K CALENDAR this date, Saturday, February 12, 2000 ----this is the date of our Casa’s Annual General Meeting (further details, official notice and election forms will follow in due course). (2) FORTHCOMING EVENTS: CASA FAMILY DAY NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION (3) BIRTHS BLANCKENSEE, Nicholas Stephen (4) DEATHS DE BARROS BOTELHO, Henrique GUTERRES, Manuel (5) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TEXT OF SPEECH DELIVERED BY MICHAEL GUTERRES, PRESIDENT, CASA DE MACAU CLUB (VANCOUVER) ON NOVEMBER 2, 1999 DURING THE COCKTAIL PARTY HOSTED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU, GENERAL VASCO ROCHA VIEIRA Your Excellency, Senhor Consul, Madame Vice-President, Members of the Casa de Macau and the Macau Cultural Association, Ladies and Gentlemen: We are indeed honoured that Your Excellency has decided to visit us in Vancouver. To make a stop-over here in light of how busy you must be, is a great honour for us and we thank you. We are well aware the handover of Macau back to China is just a few weeks away and you likely have a full plate of matters yet to attend to. But you are here. On the 5th of October, Your Excellency made a speech to a group of Macanese gathered in Macau to mark the occasion of Republic Day. This speech incidentally was in our Lingua Maquista. During your speech you said, and if I may quote you: "Estunga dia sa pa todu Macau-filo fica unido. Unga dia de amizade, di chiste, di irmandade. Unga dia pa nos tudo sinti mas maquista chapado!" Your message on that day was a call for unity amongst all Macanese whether in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong or Australia. Your desire for peace and harmony in Vancouver is a message we take very seriously, for we too, have long believed that it was time to set aside our differences. We therefore proudly affirm, in the presence of this distinguished gathering, our commitment to do all we can to restore an air of friendship amongst our peoples. In order to achieve this, we know we must look to the future rather than dwell in the past. We must try to do what we can to help each other rather than find ways to create more friction. In short, we must listen to the voice of the people in our community and what they are saying to us. We know it can happen and it already has. In a small way, the spirit of teamwork was clearly evident since Madame Vice-President and I learned of Your Excellency’s visit. The manner in which we worked together to co-ordinate efforts for this evening is all the proof we need. We hope this evening will be the first of many where our people can share the graciousness of each other’s company in a spirit of friendship and harmony for many years to come. To commemorate Your Excellency’s visit to Vancouver, I am proud to present to you this gift on behalf of all the members of the Casa de Macau Vancouver as a token of our appreciation and respect and we hope that the last leg of your journey back to Macau will be a safe one. This gift is typical of West Coast Canadian Indian Art. It is entitled, the Bear and the Frog. The Bear is carrying the Frog on his back as we can see. According to Indian legends, the Bear is the Great Hunter and has also been known to be the Leader of the Tribe. The Frog, on the other hand, typifies the Voice of the People, this also according to Native Indian folklore. We can think of no other gift more appropriate for you, Your Excellency, which recognizes and symbolizes your leadership in our "tribe" and your willingness to carry our voice on your back. As Your Excellency said on October 5, "Iou tamem ja bebe agua di Lilau. Masqui iou nunca nace na Macau, estunga tamem ja vira-fica iou-sa casa!" This is a message we can all take to heart and we thank you. (Editor’s Note: Michael, thank you!) |
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