FINAL SEPT Newsletter
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Casa de Macau Toronto 4168 FINCH AVENUE PH #39, SCARBOROUGH, ONTARIO CANADA M1S 5H6 TEL (416) 299-4947 WWW.CASADEMACAU.CA A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER - Vol. 3 SEPTEMBER 2014 President’s Message Dear Members, Hope all of you had a great Summer. Patuá performances at the June and August events. I would like to thank the members who worked In addition, our thanks to Fundação Macau for so hard to make our Dia de Macau dinner party a subsidizing our Macau Fun Fair Event. successful and enjoyable evening. I thank the band Eight months have passed since this Executive members (Chico Silva, Jimmy Chan, John took office and there are still a couple of things that Hetherland and Ron Roza) and the actors in the I would like to accomplish. I would like to see our Patuá plays (Dr. Vansen Lee; Isabel Cunha; Casa join the Portuguese Association (ACAPO) so Virginia Sanchez and Zito Rodrigues) for their that we are not operating in isolation from other support and numerous hours of rehearsal. Portuguese associations; I am approaching I would like to thank Robert Chan (Regina da Fundação Oriente to provide us with some funds Rocha Chan’s husband) for coordinating the golf for the overall maintenance of the Casa club house; game on Sunday, 3 August at Rolling Hills which and last of all, I am hoping to launch a Portuguese was enjoyed by all. folklore dance group under the Casa. I encourage all our members, especially those with dance I would like to thank Elliott Crawford for experience to form a part of this group. The coordinating the youth game and movie night on folklore dance, aside from helping to keep our Friday, 22 August which had an encouraging Portuguese heritage, will be a fun way to exercise number of youths participating. and keep our figure. I would like to thank the volunteers who worked Twenty five years ago, the first constitution of equally hard to make the Sunday, 30 August Macau Casa de Macau (Toronto) was approved by its Fun Fair a success. It was our first event outside founding members. We are delighted to be our comfort zone to advance knowledge of celebrating this milestone at our Christmas dinner our Macau culture and heritage amongst other dance party at the Sheraton on 14 December 2014. communities in greater Toronto. Attendance exceeded 400 and we had positive press coverage. Aside from many other door prizes, there will be Our collaboration with Macao Club on this event a special grand prize draw for one return exceeded expectations and achieved what neither of plane ticket from Toronto to Portugal to mark us could achieve alone. our 25th anniversary. I hope there will be many joining us to celebrate this special event. A special thanks to IIM (Instituto Internacional de Macau) & the CCM (Council of Macanese Communities) for their financial support of our Carlos de Lemos Page 1 of 14 CASA DE MACAU TORONTO NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2014 New & Noteworthy Keith Harper Elected Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council U.S. Representative to the UN Human Rights Council, Ambassador resided in Bethesda, Maryland Kong. His grandparents married with his wife Shelby Harper & at St. Teresa's in Kowloon Tong their children (Nailia, Arlo, Elsa & emigrated to the United States & Camilla Harper). His new in 1958. Keith's mother, Doreen place of work will be located in da Luz McKissack was born in Geneva, Switzerland. Hong Kong & emigrated to Ambassador Keith Harper's California with her parents at maternal grandparents are the age of 18. She married Roger Washington, D.C. Portuguese from Hong Kong. Michael Harper & they had On 3 June 2014, the U.S. His grandfather Luís Assunção three sons -- Kirk, Keith & Senate confirmed Keith Michael da Luz was a member of the Kenneth Harper. Harper as the new U.S. Portuguese staff of the Hong On his father's side, Keith is Ambassador to the United Kong & Shanghai Bank. His a member of the Cherokee Nations Human Rights Council grandmother Elsa Maria Nation of Oklahoma. His father (UNHRC) which handles human Gutierrez attended the Italian Roger Michael Harper is the son rights issues around the world. Convent School (now Sacred of Mark Harper & Ruby Sue Prior to his new position, Heart Canossian College) & Rowe. Ambassador Keith Harper worked for Dairy Farm in Hong Macau overtakes Switzerland in wealth 03/07/2014 Macau has leapfrogged Switzerland to become the world’s fourth richest territory per person, according to the World Bank. The full article from the Macau Daily Times can be found at: http://archive.macaudailytimes.com.mo/macau/54060-macau-overtakes-switzerland-in-wealth.html ‘Cantá Bastiana’ Contest Parabéns to our Casa president Carlos de Lemos for winning 3rd place in the Cantá Bastiana Contest! Winning verse by Carlos de Lemos: IOU NUM QUÉRO VIVÊ, BASTIANA I don't want to live alone ONÇOM SEM... VÔS SÂ AMÔR without your love Bastiana ONDI IOU VAI INCONTRÂ BASTIANA Where will I find love like yours AMÔR QUI NADI VOLTÂ which won't come again IOU SÂ CORAÇÃM, BASTIANA My heart, Bastiana, CHORÂ CHAMÃ PÂ VÔS cries and calls for you NE BOM DEIXA IOU, BASTIANA Don’t leave me, Bastiana, VEM AZINHA VEM PÂ IOU come quickly, come to me. Page 2 of 14 CASA DE MACAU TORONTO NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2014 A brief history of the beginnings We learned very quickly that it is not an easy thing to create a constitution out of nothing. of Casa de Macau in Toronto Time showed we needed many & long meetings As remembered by José de Me!o to discuss the points that should be included in Oshawa, Aug. 10, 2014 the constitution. Our meetings were on Friday One fine day Alberto Rodrigues & Guilherme nights at Alberto Rodrigues´ & they would end Silva happened to meet at Loblaws in between 2 & 4 AM! His wife Judith made sure Scarborough. Fortunately they had time to we had enough coffee to keep us awake! Our discuss an idea they had in the back of their 2nd Vice-President had a very busy professional minds for some time - that the sons & daughters life as a real estate agent & resigned after a few of Macau living in Toronto could form an months as he could not afford the time required Association where they could meet regularly. for regular & long executive meetings. They concluded that it would be best to In subsequent general meetings at the school organize a dinner to discuss the idea of creating we kept updating the membership on the an Association, the main objectives being social progress being made on the constitution. It was & cultural. of paramount importance to the Casa de Macau This historical dinner took place soon after to offer social & cultural opportunities for all in a Chinese restaurant in downtown Toronto. members. However not everybody was so The date was September 1988 & a total of altruistic. Luckily there were only very few nineteen people attended. Everybody at the members who were mostly concerned with what dinner welcomed the idea of creating an was in it for them or how they could use the Association as it was something we all felt a Casa de Macau for their own businesses. need for. We kept meeting on Fridays to discuss Our first annual Christmas dinner was held in our matters in a Harvey´s restaurant close to December 1988 in the Lisbon by Night our late Amadeu Sousa´s home in Scarborough. Restaurant on Dundas St. W., Toronto. It had a We also came up with a provisional committee. terrific & very happy attendance of 85 members. We had next to compile a list of people from It was a real joy! Macau living in Toronto so that we could invite Our Constitution was approved in a general them to a general meeting where we could meeting on January 28, 1989 after keen debate. disseminate the objectives of our Association, Contacts were made with the Macanese living in learn of additional objectives they would other parts of Canada, Australia, Brazil & I suggest & obtain their feedback on many points recall that our Constitution served as a road we had been discussing on the constitution. The map for some of them to create their Casas de first general meeting was held in a Scarborough Macau. school & the feedback we had was very The first year following the choice of our encouraging. name was very productive. Our very first The following general meeting took place on executive group was keen in preserving our October 14, 1988 when members voted for a diverse culture & to contact & visit associations name for our Association. Casa de Macau no of other ethnic communities in Toronto because Canadá was the name most voted for. At the we felt it was necessary that we do not operate meeting our very first executive committee was Casa de Macau in total isolation from other also elected so that we could get on with the communities & organizations. We learned about required tasks, such as creating our the programs they had & we were always very constitution. The executives elected included well received. Some of the associations Alberto Rodrigues, President; Guilherme da contacted were the Japanese Canadian Cultural Silva, Vice-President; Alberto Silva, 2nd Vice- Centre, Italian Cultural Centre, Casa do President (brother of our member Isabel Gomes Alentejo, etc. We also made official contacts da Silva); José de Mello, Secretary; Sebastião with the Consul of Portugal in Toronto, the José, Treasurer. Minister of Citizenship, etc. Page 3 of 14 CASA DE MACAU TORONTO NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2014 When it was time to incorporate in Ontario them even more pleasant.