Vol. 30. No. 3 A Publication of UMA, Inc July - Sept 2007 Editor: Daniel Gomes, 4394 N. Sweetbriar Ct, Concord, Ca 94521 E-Mail: [email protected]
Nossa Senhora de Penha
Palacio de Santa Sancha Sé Cathedral
José Tomáz de Aquino (1804-1852) by Armando “Pinky” da Silva
Palacio de G overn o
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CONTA ‘STORIA DI JOSÉ TOMÁZ DE AQUINO (1804- 1852)
José Tomáz de Aquino sung a maior arquiteto di Macau duranti premero metade do seculo mil novento cento. Ele ja bota ele-sa marca na tanto-tanto edificios principalmenti no Palacio do Governo e no Palacio de Santa Sancha. Ele tamen chapa ele-sa palma na paredi di Catedral de Sé e da Igreja de Sao Lourenco. Ele sung deveras unga homen forte valente di ele-sa tempo. (José Tomáz de Aquino was the most significant architect in Macau during the latter half of the 19 th century. He has left his mark on many buildings especially the Palacio do Governo and the Palacio de Santa Sancha.as well as leaving his palm-print on the walls of Sé Cathedral and St.Lawrence Church. He was indeed a formidable man of this time). To understand José Tomáz de Aquino one must understand the cultural-historical world he lived in. After the ending of the Japan Trade in the 1630s Macau went into a state of slow decline. Sailing ships still ventured out from Macau to trade with ports in Southeast Asia and India but in a limited way. But Macau came back. The Emperor of China in 1760 issued an edict which opened Canton (Guangchou) to foreign trade. Canton, 90 miles upstream from Macau and a day’s sail away attracted trading ships flying the flags of England, Denmark, Sweden, Prussia, and after the American Revolution, the United States of America. Large buildings and warehouses called “Factories” from the Portuguese Feitorias (the Chinese called them “Hong”) lined the banks of the Whampoa River. The era of the China Coast Trade would accrue to the benefit of Macau. Many Macau residents were seafarers and familiar with the ways of delivering seafaring supplies and services. Macau rose to the occasion. João Tomáz Rodrigues was a man of the sea. He knew about sailing and shipping. He was born sometime in the late 1770s or early 1780s in Cambodia to a Sebastiao Rodrigues and Inacia da Silva. He and one other brother were orphaned and came under the care of a Catholic priest. He took them to Macau to be educated. Not more is heard about the early years of João Tomáz Rodrigues. João Tomáz changed his surname Rodrigues to de Aquino. He married Clara Ana Pereira (father’s surname Pereira, mother’s surname Baptista) at Igreja de Sao Lourenco. They had four children of which José Tomáz was the eldest. He was born in 1804. José Tomáz de Aquino lived in momentous times, first during Europe’s Peninsula Wars and later during China’s First Opium War. In his day the China Coast Trade was in full swing. Merchant sailing ships flying the flags of Britain, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Prussia and the United States of America, but not France, loaded and discharged their cargoes at the “Foreign Factories Quarter” along the Whampoa River. Macau was often the first port of call for sailing ships arriving from a long ocean voyage. But the winds of war in Europe had affected Macau. The defeat by the Royal Navy of the combined Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar in 1805 allowed some of its finest fighting ships-of- line to proceed to South China Sea to impose what would be called “Gunboat Diplomacy”. The East India Company based in Calcutta, India had the monopoly for the tea trade with China. To pay for Chinese tea, silk, and porcelain, East Indiamen, as the company’s sailing ships were called, increasingly proceeded to carry opium to Canton. Macau was drawn into the Opium Trade both by design and by default. João Tomáz de Aquino often captained brigantines (two-mast full squared rigged sailing ships) to and from Macau and Calcutta. He became wealthy from this trading and could afford the best education for his son José Tomáz. He received his early education as most rich boys could at Colegio de Sao Jose. It was then no longer a Jesuit institution but a Lazarist one.
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José Tomáz de Aquino
After the Napoleonic Wars were over, his father sent him in 1819, age 15, to attend the prestigious Colego Luso-Britanico in Lisbon. José Tomáz proved to be a gifted person. He mastered mathematics, geography, and became well-versed in English, French, and Latin. While in Lisbon he was inducted to be a member of the Ateneu das Belas Artes, a school dedicated to the study of architecture. He spent six years in Lisbon, and at the age of 21 returned to Macau in 1825 to the proud embrace of his father. A year back from return, João Tomáz would allow José Tomáz to sail with him as an “Assistant of Cargoes” on board his brigantine, “Desempenho” (‘Fulfillment’) to Calcutta and back.. He was tutoring his son on the ways of navigation, seamanship, and trading. Father and son moved among the social elites of the city, with local Fildalgos and foreign Taipans. Let us now look into the social neighborhoods of Macau at this time. Macau was set up from its beginnings as a Moorish-influenced southern Portuguese town. Most building were made of brick, mortar, and then coated with mud-plastered exteriors painted in pastel colors. Many had red tiled roofs. Many were also villas with open interiors, called quintal each with a well, pozo , at the center. The city was full of tropical shade and fruit trees. Macau had a salubrious climate in summer. Gentle breezes cooled the city. These benign features attracted foreign merchants at Canton to live in Macau with their wives and children in summer. Many of these houses were located near the Cathedral along Rua de Formosa on a low ridge which afforded its residents a commanding view of Praia Grande and the sea beyond. Others would reside at an area between St.Lawrence Church and Lilau Square. Lilau Square was the focal center of Macanese high society. The rich, the powerful, and the famous lived in this bairro. Among them were merchant traders, ship owners, ship chandlers, and old-line moneyed families. The Fonte (Fountain) of Lilau was a natural artesian well supplied by sub- stratum water from Penha hill. A saying goes that “Whosoever drinks of the waters of Lilau would return again to Lilau. Potable water of Lilau often filled the water barrels of the Lorchas of Macau. José Tomáz resided at Lilau. Lilau sits on a bluff overlooking Praia do Manduco (Bay of the Frog). The beach front of this bay served as the focus of Macau’s ship building. The bay was the principal anchorage for Macau’s famous lorchas. A very steep street called Rua de Quebra Costa (Street of Broken Back) led from Lilau bluff to Praia do Manduco. A similar shipping related neighborhood was sited northward at Patane. In this bairro resided the deck hands for the lorchas, brigantines, barques of Macau. Collectively they were placed at a lower social standing. The term “Mamang di San Antonio (Irmaos de Sao Antonio) translates into the Brotherhood of San Anthony Church. This appellation was applied to them. In the Macau of old, ship captains and ship chandlers resided at Lilau, deck hands at Patane. During the Peninsular Wars in Iberia the Portuguese Monarchy in 1806 fled to Brazil for sanctuary. As the Monarchy steadily devolved there, Royal authority fell short in Macau. Members of the Conselho de Leal Senado, local Macanese leaders, took charge of administrating the day to day activities and made important decisions on their own regarding Macau affairs. They were entrepreneurs first before being bureaucrats. Administratively Macau was akin to a three-legged stool, one leg being the Head of the Leal Senado, the other the Governor, and the third the Bishop. The Head of the Leal Senado exerted the most power of the three, following upon the Golden Rule, “Whosoever has the gold, makes the rules”. José Tomáz at one time headed the Leal Senado. Let us now turn to José Tomáz de Aquino and his achievements.. He was about and around when the whole Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Madre de Deus was still standing. With an architect’s fine observation he would notice details of the interior of this famous church. Later, he would be called upon to renovate the inside of Macau’s cathedral.
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José Tomáz de Aquino
His first commission at age 25 was to rehabilitate the house of a “Mr. Watson,” a Hong merchant. Three years later in 1832 he was called to do renovations for the Ermida (Hermitage) de Nossa Senhora de Penha. It would have been of special meaning to him as the Hemitage was erected in mid- 17th century and paid for by the generous proceeds of seafarers. Devout ones would meditate and pray in quietude for “protection from the perils of the sea”. (Note: In a most unwise move the Diocese of Macau in the mid-1930s elected to demolish the old hermitage and replace it with a modern church with an adjoining residential building for the Bishop of Macau). Two years later, in 1834, he designed his first house for Joseph Jardine (probably related to the most important Taipan of all, William Jardine, co-founder of Jardine Matheson and Company.). For the next five years José Tomáz decided to take a respite from designing houses to attend to commercial interests. He became sole agent and principal supplier for a number of sailing ships (including his father’s) which used Macau harbor as a stopping place for victuals, supplies, and potable water. In 1836 at age 32 he managed to own a three-mast square rigged sailing barque named “Margarida” which he captained in a voyage from Macau to Calcutta and back. Then, perhaps already wealthy and bored by shipboard life and the shipping business, he decided in 1839 at age 35, to stay his life. At the behest of the Leal Senado he drew plans for the “Teatro Luso-Britanico”. He consulted with a Leo de Almada e Castro and a Pedro Marques over the plans. He went on to become a patron of the arts and joined Clube Filhamonica de Macau. His reputation as a premier architect was established. In 1843 and 1844 he designed two villas, one for his Leal Senado colleague, Jose Vicente Jorge, the other for his father-in-law, Vicente Caetano da Rocha. His most productive and unremitting years working as architect were yet to come. They started in 1846 when he was 40 years old. That year he designed a house at Rua de Seminario adjacent to his old school. He followed up by designing many houses for many upper crust Macanese families owning properties along a pathway encircling Penha hill called Rua de Tanque de Manaitos (Roadway of the Pool of Launderers). Old timers will recognize this road as Rua de Boa Vista, now renamed Rua Comendador Kou Ho Neng which fronts the former Hotel Bela Vista that now houses the Consul-general of Portugal. In 1847 when he was 41 years old the then Bishop of Macau commissioned him to redesign the interior of the Catedral de Sé, A Ingreja de Nossa Senhora de Conceicao Imaculada, (Church of our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.). Remember now that José Tomáz as an architect was familiar with the interior of the great Church of Our Lady the Mother of God before it was burned down in 1835. One can expect features of that church to be carried in the designs of José Tomáz. The work was finally completed in 1850. The original cornerstone dedicated to José Tomáz de Aquino can be seen at the southwest corner of theCathedral.. (Note: In mid-1930s the Diocese of Macau decided to resurface the building thus effacing again a historical edifice. The Church of Saint Anthony also faced a similar fate.. Deveras saiang. Really sad. The same year in 1847 the then Bishop of Macau commissioned him to rehab the interior of the Igreja de Sao Lourenco as well as a building across the street from the church known as Edificio de 16 columnas em Sao Lourenco. This building no longer exists. The Interior of Sé Cathedral Salesian building stands in its stead today.
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José Tomáz de Aquino
In 1848 he took upon himself to do public works for Macau. With the first he modified the interior of the barrack (“quartel”) of Sao Agostinho to serve as a military hospital for Macau’s soldiers. He would know later the next year of the exploits of fellow Macanese, Tenente (Lieutenant) Nicolau Vicente de Mesquita, the hero of the Battle of Passeleao (Pak Shan Long, “White Mountain Dragon) in 1849. (As an aside, Nicolau Mesquita would commit suicide some years later by drowning himself at the Fonte de Lilau). The other prominent Macanese architect and contemporary of José Tomáz, Antonio Alexandrino de Melo, the Barao de Cercal would design and build the Hospital de Conde de Sao Januario in 1874 over the same site. Meanwhile José Tomáz re-structured the public jailhouse (Cadeia Publica) behind the Leal Senada at Rua Tronco Velho ( Old stockade street). His most lasting achievements were at the behest of his school friend at Colegio de Sao Jose. The Visconde (Viscount) of Cercal, Alexandrino Antonio de Melo (1809-1877) employed him to design and build two villas for his son, Antonio Alexandrino de Melo, (1837-1885) He later acquired the title of Barao de Cercal. José Tomáz, was a dedicated Anglophile. He had earlier drawn up plans for the “Teatro Luso-Britanico” where many Britishers gathered for plays and concerts. In 1849 and 1850 he started planning two villas after the manner of English Countryside Mansions for his fellow architect, Antonio Alexandrino de Melo. Professional reputations were on the line as his client Antonio Alexandrino studied architecture, as well, in England and was also a noted architect in his own right. José Tomáz took the two challenges in stride. He designed and supervised the construction of the imposing Palacio de Barao de Cercal at Praia Grande, followed by the Palacio de Barao de Cercal at Santa Sancha. It was a measure of José Tomáz’s skill as architect and structural engineer that the mansion at Praia Grande survived storm surges from a typhoon which hit Macau directly. Strong waves and wind destroyed the protective seawall and sea water crashed against the building. Other adjacent buildings were completely destroyed but the Palacio stood. Later, the Palacio at Praia Grande and the Palacio at Santa Sancha would be purchased by the Government of Macau to be renamed Palacio do Governo and the Palacio de Santa Sancha to be used for the benefit of the governors of Macau. Today, Macau’s Chief Executive Edmundo Ho Hau-wah resides in both these two official government buildings, one as his office, the other as his residence. José Tomáz’s last achievement came with the construction of the Palacete de Flora a white wood and glass conservatory to house tropical plants. It was erected in 1850 by the foot of Guia hill but was destroyed by fire in the 1890s. Photographs exist to show its impressive domed form. . Sometime in the late 1840s he rented a studio by a side street near St.Lawrence Church to noted painter George Chinnery. José Tomáz sat for an oil portrait by Chinnery. (Note: See accompanying feature).. José Tomáz de Aquino, architect, sea captain, community leader, entrepreneur, all-round talented fellow died in June 1852, age 48, one month after his friend George Chinnery (1774-1852) passed away age 78. Chinnery is buried in the Old Protestant Cemetary in Macau, José Tomáz in the “old” “Cemetario de Sao Miguel, Arcanjo” (Cemetary of Saint Michael, the Archangel) in Macau.
Descendents of José Tomáz de Aquino
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Portrait of José Tomáz de Aquino (1804-1852) By George Chinnery (1774-1852)
José Tomáz de Aquino is depicted in full face pose attired in a high collar maroon velvet frock and matching buttons with the left inner white silk lining exposed to view. He is wearing a white vest over a broad striped red, white, and blue v-shaped high collar apparel from which is appended a clasp holding a large medallion adorned with a cross, a royal crown, and a large insignia. Two other insignias adorn the left side of his frock, with the top one displaying a crystal-studded oval with a gold cross in the center. A high neck white cravat completes his attire. The portrait shows a distinguished figure with ruddy features, focused eyes, and premature silvery hair with sideburns. To the best of this writer’s knowledge this visage of José Tomáz de Aquino has never been shown in public other than for selected members of the larger de Aquino family. the original portrait is in the keeping of a family member, and, following upon the protocol of the art world relating to exceptional paintings, this person should remain anonymous. About the portraitist. George Chinnery was born in London, England in 1774. In his teens he attended the Royal Academy of Arts also in London. He married, had a child, but left his family to go to Calcutta, India in 1805. There he prospered and became well known as a portraitist and landscape painter. But high living and mounting debts forced him to leave Calcutta for Macau in 1825. As in Calcutta he established himself as a premier painter. He died in 1852 and is buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery in Macau. His sketches and paintings have long been prized by art collectors leaning towards what is known as “Old China Coast Trade paintings”. Many of his works currently reside with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Hong Kong, the Royal Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Peabody Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The National Museum of Australia in Canberra houses two Chinnerys donated by the noted Macau historian, the late Jack M. Braga. Chinnery mentored Macanese Marciano Antonio Baptista (1826-1896) in his beginning years as artist. However, it is believed that Baptista helped touch up some of Chinnerys’ scenes of early Hong Kong as Chinnery ailed, affirming the observation that “the pupil has become the master”. Kudos to both.
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In keeping with UMA’s practice of hosting its Annual General Meetings by rotation among its four Chapters, this year’s AGM will be held in Southern California at 2225 Canyon Drive, Fullerton, CA on November 10, 2007. While we do not expect that many Northern California members will be attending, we hope to see many members in Southern California at this quadrennial event. The Meeting Agenda is on Page 7 of the Bulletin.
Dr. José Manuel de Oliveira Rodrigues and ten Members of APIM (The Associação Promotora da Instrução dos Macaenses , which is also the Organizing Committee of the Encontro) visited San Francisco after a stopover in Vancouver, Canada. The purpose of their visit was to hold meetings with several North American Casas, three of them in California: Casa de Macau (USA), Inc., the Lusitano Club of California and UMA (União Macaense Americana ), Inc., to sign a protocol of mutual understanding, and to discuss the forthcoming Encontro in Macau. The protocol affirms the mutual cooperation of the parties (APIM and the three Casas) towards preserving and fostering the Macanese dialect (or Patuá ) as part of the Património Universal Intangível (Universal Intangible Heritage) of UNESCO.
The visit by Dr. Rodrigues and APIM’s representatives will further cement the close ties between the California Macanese clubs and Macau. We hope that this cooperation will ensure that the heritage of Macau in its many cultural and historical aspects will continue to flourish well into the future.
The Organizing Committee of the Encontro das Comunidades "Macau 2007" announced that a subsidy will be granted to all eligible Encontro participants. The amount of the subsidy will be determined by a formula based on the number of participants and the price of economy class airfare from the Casas' geographical locations to Macau. In addition, they will pay travel expenses (airfare & hotel) for six representatives from each of the Casas, namely: The President of the Casa, an Officer of the Casa, three young adults between the ages of 18 and 35, and a Chef of the Confraria da Gastronomia Macaense .
UMA's Board of Directors unanimously agreed that UMA's representatives will be: myself as President; Maria Gomes, Vice President; and Ed De Assis, Chef of the Confraria da Gastronomia. The three young adults have been selected by lottery from among the UMA members whose names were already on record with us, and who elected to have their names included in the drawing. I am pleased to announce that the following three young people won the lottery: Mary Jean Gomes from the San Francisco Bay Area; Christopher Jones and Michael Poirier from Southern California.
The three lottery winners will submit an essay after the Encontro on how they benefited from their xperiences, what they learnt about their culture and heritage, and how they might encourage other young people to take an active part in our club and the community. Their essays will be published in a future issue of the Bulletin.
Mr. Gabriel Azedo, President of Clube Lusitano Hong Kong, is once again making the club facilities available for the use of the American contingent who will visit Hong Kong after the Encontro as cash paying visitors.
California boasts a large contingent (over 450 attendees) to the "Macau 2007" Encontro, of which about 150 participants are from UMA. The Encontro Program appears on Page 9 of this Bulletin.
Raquel Remedios, President
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At the last International Institute of Macau Conference at UC Berkeley there was a “Round Table Discussion” by the “Casas Leaders in California” on how we can entice the younger members to take an active role in the Macanese Clubs in California. Many interesting ideas were presented and Gustavo da Rosa, who was the moderator for this round table discussion, agreed to gather the input from the participants and prepare a white paper on this subject.
I would like to add my two bits for what it is worth. We Macanese in the United States continue to maintain sentimental links with Macau, but have begun the process of “ creoliztion” by marrying into the American community at large. It is my belief that this “Macanese sense of identity” will cease to exist with the next generation. Our children and grandchildren are no longer imbued with this sense of identity. They are being absorbed into this “melting pot of America”. I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I am glad to see them become Americanized and leave the ghetto of “Mata Moro”, but on the other hand, I would like them to have some sense of their Macanese identity and be proud of their heritage.
It is inevitable that the “Diaspora” will cease for the next generation and they will develop a new sense of identity. Hopefully, this new identity will include their Macanese roots –“ one must know where they’ve been before they know where they are going”. They do not share the same cultural experiences of their parents and grandparents. Most of them were born here and have created their own network of friends. They continue to enjoy the food, stories and family experiences but have little or no connection with Macau or it’s culture.
Recently, I had a nice chat with one of my daughters, regarding the lack of participation of the younger generation in the affairs of the Macanese clubs. She told me she had a great time in Macau and Hong Kong at the second encountro and enjoyed meeting all her young relatives and children of our friends in Hong Kong, but UMA does not understand what makes them feel connected. She said, “We are not seeking a social network of Macanese friends. We have our own network of friends developed over our adult life. What we seek is our history, stories and cuisine.” Now that the Macau Cultural Center is almost a reality, we should consider offering cultural and cooking workshops to our young adults, even if they do not belong to any club – we need to embrace the whole Macanese community. This bulletin will continue to provide some historical reference for our young readers. This will keep our heritage alive, and hopefully our children and grandchildren will develop a new identity which will include their Macanese Roots.
ANNUAL DUES REMINDER
Please mail your dues for 2008 to your Chapter Treasurer listed in back of the bulletin. If we do not received your dues by March 30, 2008, we will drop you from future mailings of the UMA Bulletin. The dues are: Regular Member $20, Senior Members (65+) $15, and Oversea Members $25.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 8 of 36
APIM DELEGATION VISITS SAN FRANCISCO By Pauline de Assis
On August 8, 2007, ten members of APIM (The Associação Promotora da Instrução dos Macaenses) headed by Dr. José de Oliveira Rodrigues, President, visited the San Francisco Bay Area. The purpose of their visit was to sign a protocol of mutual understanding with the three California Casas: Casa de Macau, Lusitano and UMA; and to discuss the November Encontro in Macau.
The Casas hosted a dinner for the APIM delegation at the Sheraton Hotel in San Francisco on Friday, August 10 th . The next day, at the Imperial Palace restaurant in Chinatown, APIM hosted a banquet for the directors of the Casas and distinguished guests, including the cooks of the Gastronomia and their spouses. While the Presidents of the Casas and APIM held a pre-dinner meeting, the guests mingled, exchanging pleasantries and saudades . At the banquet, Carlos Marreiros, a well-known Macau architect, presented a slide show on the history and development of Macau’s architecture, displaying the many faces of Macau from its early beginnings up to the present day.
Mr. Marreiros, born in Macau in 1957, studied in Macau, Portugal, Germany and Sweden. He has won local and international awards in architecture and art. Since 1984 he has lectured in many universities including the University of Hong Kong, University of California at Berkeley, and Politecnico di Milano, Italy, to name a few. In his speech, Marreiros acknowledged another Macanese architect, who lived and worked in nineteenth century Macau. This was José Tomás d’Aquino, great-great-grandfather of UMA President Raquel Remedios. D’Aquino designed a number of well-known edifices in Macau in his day, including Sé Cathedral, Penha Church, Governor’s Palace, Santa Sancha Palace, São Rafael Hospital, among others.
As Mr. Marreiros’s slides demonstrated, the growth of Macau in the last decade or so has seen a blossoming of high rises, extensive land reclamation, and the coming of new giant casinos, all of which have created a diversified landscape that is unparalleled in the history of the territory. This has been accomplished while largely preserving the graceful historic buildings and signature sites of old Macau. Bridges now connect Macau proper to the adjacent islands of Taipa and Coloane, where several of the newer hotels and casinos are located. Revenues from the Casinos now exceed those of Las Vegas and Reno combined. The latest casino, the Venetian, was opened on Tuesday, August 28, 2007. Others are under construction.
While in the Bay Area, Dr. Rodrigues and the APIM delegation visited the Macau Cultural Center in Fremont. The MCC Directors were on hand to show the visitors the building and explained the renovation and remodeling plans. Upon close inspection of all three floors of the building, the visitors expressed the view that once the refurbishing was finished, the premises will be an excellent cultural center for the Macanese community. They would be pleased to return for our grand opening and dedication of the building next year.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 9 of 36
Macanese Cuisine - English names
Let me begin by saying what a nice job you are doing with the UMA news. The latest issue contains some very interesting articles on the history of Macao as well as news of the happenings at the various casas.
As a professional chef and teacher, I was particularly interested to read of the culinary efforts of the various chapters. However, I was distressed to notice that Assafrao continues to be translated as saffron. Anyone familiar with true saffron knows that Macao dishes would be exorbitantly expensive if we used saffron in the quantities needed to produce the dish. Furthermore, when used in excess, saffron produces a medicinal note that is not pleasant to the palate.
Please print a correction so we can ALL be correct – “ASSAFRAO is TURMERIC NOT SAFFRON.”
A point of further interest - true saffron is the dried stamens of crocuses and it takes several thousand flowers to produce one ounce of saffron. They are usually sold in very small packages, or 1 to 2 ounce tins. The stamens are general soaked in warm water to release their flavor and color, although in some cuisines, they are pounded with sugar and then added to the dish. Saffron is also sold in a powdered form. In this country Spanish saffron is the best kind to buy.
Turmeric, on the other hand, is usually sold in a powdered form. It comes from a rhizome that is part of the ginger family. Fresh turmeric looks like a smaller ginger root with an orange color to it. In our cooking there is no advantage to using fresh turmeric which is not even readily available in the US. The powdered form is readily available and relatively inexpensive.
Rosa de Carvalho Ross, CCP
Presentation of Macau Closer, the new magazine of Macau
Macau Closer is the first current affairs/lifestyle magazine in English published in the territory. Our aim is to portray the enormous changes that the city is facing recently, brought mainly by the gaming/conventions industry as well as report on its people and history, the rich historical blend that makes Macau unique…..
We would also like to hear more about the life of the Macanese in America as I am sure there will be interesting stories to include in our magazine.
Nuno Mendonça Emails: [email protected] [email protected]
Macau Closer Plural Media, Ltd Alameda Dr Carlos D´Assumpção, 263 Edf. China Civil Plaza, 7Floor I, Macau Tel. 287 238 80, Fax. 287 238 81
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 10 of 36
KOWLOON STREET NAMES
I came across an item in a recent book by Hongkong author/historian Jason Wordie. The book is called "STREETS---EXPLORING KOWLOON.
Among the many districts, streets and street names the book covered, an interesting fact was revealed . In earlier days many Kowloon streets carried the same name as streets on Hongkong Island. This subsequently led to confusion as new areas were developed in Kowloon. In 1909 these duplicated names for Kowloon streets were changed to what is being used today.
For instance: Chatham Road was once called Des Voeux Road, Nathan Road was called Robinson Road, Peking Road was called Chater Street, Canton Road was once MacDonnell Road.
Jim Silva
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
“… LRMC serves as the main transit point for the wounded from the theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan before they are stabilized and flown on to U.S. military hospitals or back to their original forward operating bases. These wounded soldiers are in need of comfort items and essentials... Most urgently needed at the moment are phone cards – they are very low. This is how the wounded call home to let their families know what’s happening with them. These are provided to them through donations received by the Chaplain’s Closet. The phone cards need to be American, as the phones at the Hospital are DSN lines… 100 to 120 min variety seem to be best”
“Besides psychologically coping with lost limbs and their wounds, our troops do not even have decent clothes to wear on the plane back to the U.S. Those who are mobile would like to take the plane with normal shoes and the hospital only has funds for slippers and thongs. THIS IS SURREAL BUT TRUE!!! …Yes, that's reality at Landstuhl!.“
Donations – in kind and checks payable to IMA-E CTOF-WW, marked for "Wounded Warrior" - may be sent to the Chaplain directly at: Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, US Hospital Pastoral Services: Chaplain Harp, DE-66849 Landstuhl / Kirchberg, Germany or via US/APO mail to: Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, ATTN: MCEUL-CH/Chaplains Office, CMR 402, APO AE 09180. USA
Gilbert Wells, UMA Greater East Bay Member in Lisbon
Calling all Santa Rosa de Lima Alumni
We are planning a luncheon in Macau during the encontro. Date, time and place to be announced at a later date. If you are interested in attending or know of someone who would like to come and join us, please e-mail Manuela Sequeira ([email protected]) or Betty Sousae ([email protected]), so we can know how many to expect.
Manuela Sequeira and Betty Sousae
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 11 of 36
THE KOI JUDGE By Kathy Orescan
My brother, Lawrence Gill, is a Koi Judge. That was a surprise to me. So, what's a Koi Judge? What does a Koi Judge do? What's so special about a Koi Judge?
When we were kids, my father had a huge fifty-gallon tropical fish tank over the mantle in our living room in Hong Kong. All our friends admired this huge tank with the air pumps and exotic tropical fish. We had angel fish, sword fish, neon tetras, black mollies, etc. etc. We also had a huge thirty-gallon double-decker tank in our veranda. Naturally, it fell to Lawrence to clean the tanks, buy the fine live red worms as well as fish food, to feed the fish. Perhaps that's how his love of fish as well as the knowledge of fish started.
All our friends know that Lawrence and Fanny love to dance. They have more zip than all of us put together. They start dancing the minute the music starts. They are also the last couple to leave the dance floor when the party is over. So, how did his interest in koi begin? Where did this energy and dedication to koi start?
I asked him what were the qualifications for being a judge? He answered that to be a judge one has to start with having a koi pond. Well, he has a huge, oval-shaped one on the right side of his house. It's 22 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 5 feet deep with a total water capacity of 12,000 gallons. The great koi authority and author Grant Fujita designed his pond. Ponds need adequate filtration. Good water quality makes healthy fish. He even teaches koi owners how to inject their fish with antibiotics when their fish are sick.
Lawrence's koi have won "Best Young" twice and" Best in Size-Three" once. He has entered koi in over 20 shows in northern and southern California. Lawrence has been responsible for setting up Koi Shows in The Bay Area. He has received the highest award - the Best Tategoi in the San Francisco Bay Area Koi Club and Shinkoka Show in San Jose and recently in Sacramento. There are 5 Koi Clubs in Northern California. In 1994, he started the San Francisco Koi Club. Most recently, in April 2005, he chaired a Koi Show in Pleasanton where attendees came from England, Philippines and all over the United States. Lawrence is able to converse with other koi enthusiasts in English, Cantonese and German.
Lawrence entered the judging program in 1995. He was certified as judge in 1999. To be a judge candidate, he had to pass a three-hour written exam. He had to have been a judge candidate for 3 years prior to certification. He had to be evaluated by the head judge too. Today, he is in great demand for his expertise. He lectures and judges throughout the United States and Hawaii. He has been featured in the KOI US Magazine a number of times. He has even studied in Japan and visited the famous Koi Farms in Japan.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 12 of 36
THE KOI JUDGE
I have to admit that I find it hard to tell one fish from another. But Lawrence can tell immediately if it's male or female just by sight. He has great knowledge on how famous "Koi Eye" and he even knows about the lineage of the koi. There are many verities of koi; however, the best known koi are: the Kohaku, Sanke and Showa.
"Do you have any interesting koi stories to share?" I asked Lawrence. He gave me an amused look and said, “Well, there are incidents when his children, Tanya and Darryl fell "accidentally" into the pond in their swim attire, complete with their goggles on!" Nothing like viewing the koi up close!
Then, he remembered about the time he was invited to give a talk in Oklahoma. Upon visiting the Koi owner's pond, he found that the Koi owner had names for all his koi. He asked Lawrence, "Don't you have names for all your Koi, too?" Lawrence replied, "Sure, I do...Kohaku, Sanke and Showa!"
"Why, was that?" I asked. He replied, "Once you name them, you get attached to the Koi. So, if the Koi doesn't measure up, it is culled. In my pond, I raise only females; any males are culled, no matter how good they are!"
When I asked him, "What's the most a person has paid for one koi?" He answered, "Thirty five thousand dollars!" That's a lot of money!
Then I said, " What do you do with a koi when it dies? Do you eat it?" Lawrence gave me a withered look, "Do you eat your pets?"
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 13 of 36
Shopping Center Designed by Gus Da Roza III
Most of our readers are familiar with the architectural designs of Gus Da Roza II, but did you know that his son Gus III is also an architect in Vancouver? His architectural firm in White Rock, a suburb of Vancouver is called G3. His latest design is the Elgin Corners in White Rock.
Jenny and Dana Carion
Jenny on the left, and Dana Carion, daughters of Capt. Michael and Nicole Carion, are the granddaughters of Pat and Helen Carion. They have been very busy lately.
Dana graduated a few years ago from UC Berkeley and has since continued her education in Post Graduate work with the California Institute of Integrated Studies in San Francisco. Dana is in her third year of the program and well on her way to attaining a Doctorate in Psychology. During this next year she will complete her remaining class work and continue to work with patients in internship work at different locations throughout the Bay Area. Dana continues to work to help pay for her education and plans on having her own practice in the next couple of years!
Jenny has started her third year at UC Santa Barbara. Jenny will be finishing her Bachelor’s Degree next spring and plans on working on internships to enter into the world of marketing. Jenny just completed her first marathon in San Diego, as a member of her sorority; Jenny trained for months and completed the marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Jenny too has continued to work numerous jobs to help with college expenses and is an active member of her sorority… Delta Gamma.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 14 of 36
UMA MEMBERS MAKE IT TO THE U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS By Pauline de Assis
The 2007 PIMD (Pacific Inter-mountain Division) U.S. Championships will be held from October 29 th through November 2 nd , 2007 in Sun City Center, Florida this year. Each Division (e.g., Southwest, South Central, etc.) hold their own “Playdowns” on scheduled dates. The events are the Singles Playdowns (men and women separately) and the Pairs Playdowns (also men and women separately) and they involve, first the qualifying rounds and finally the finals, usually played on two consecutive days in each round. The Singles playdowns event produces a winner each for the men and for the women, while the Pairs playdowns event produces a pair of winners each for both the men and the women.
As the bowlers compete in their own division, the games are quite exciting and many of the non- competing bowlers turn out in force to watch the tough competition to see who comes out ahead each day, with the winning finalists on the final day. Well, two of our own San Mateo Chapter members made the finals and won the Women’s Pairs playdowns this year for the PIMD Division, namely Marie Guterres as Lead and Sandy Souza as Skip. They were, of course, very excited in this big win and are now eagerly awaiting the big day when they will play against the winners of the other divisions for the 2007 title and hopefully win the trophy.
This is Sandy's third consecutive year playing in the US Championships, however her first in the Pairs as previously she had only competed in the Singles venue. This is Maria Alice's first participation in the U.S. Championships. We know that the competition can be quite tough, but they’ll give it their all, and maybe this year they will come home as the Women’s Pairs Champions of the USLBA (United States Lawn Bowls Association). Good luck ladies – go get them!!
Weddings
Natasha Renfro and Kyle Lawrence were married in St. Augustine Church in Vancouver, Canada, on August 9, 2007. The bride is the daughter of Bill and Angela Renfro, members of Casa de Macau in Vancouver, Canada. The Bride looked radiant in a sleaveless white gown and well attended by her bridesmaids and junior bridesmaids. The groom looked dashing in his Tuxedo and also well attended by his best men and junior best men. I have never seen so many junior attendents at any other wedding – this made all the young relatives feel involved.
Following the Nuptials, the bride and groom had a grand celebration in the newly built UBC Rowing Club on the Fraser River.
Natasha and Kyle will be joining us at the Encontro in Macau in November/December.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 15 of 36
A Fairy Tale Wedding By Pauline de Assis
When two young hearts meet and fall hopelessly in love, there are only two directions their relationship can go – either a break up for whatever reasons, like religion, distance, etc. or their destiny is set in motion, that of walking down the aisle to declare their love and commitment to each other. Well, in Manuela de Souza and Ryan Franco’s case, it certainly was the call of the wedding bells.
Manuela is the daughter of UMA, San Mateo Chapter committee members, Isabel and Filipe de Souza. Manuela met Ryan at Ryan’s sister’s baby shower in June of 1999, and it must have been fate as the magnetism to each other was almost instantaneous. The budding romance, of course, blossomed and the four happy parents knew where this was headed. Well, Ryan didn’t want to ever let go of his lady and so he proposed, and like they say, the rest is history.
Yes, they will make history, but not before they say those words “Take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity”. Ah, yes, they murmured those words to each other on that special day they will never forget, September 1, 2007.
September 1 st started out like any other day, but for the de Souza and Franco families and especially Manuela and Ryan, it heralded the beginning of a new family to be, and the coming together of the two families in the joyful union of their children. The celebration began when Ryan and Fr. Rene Ramoso of St. Augustine Church in So. San Francisco, stood at the altar to await the bridal entourage and the bride on her father’s arm, taking that long walk down the aisle. The guests sat in anticipation until the bride’s maids and groomsmen, maid of honor, matron of honor, the flower girl and the ring bearer had all taken their places by the altar. The cameras flashed and the song by Shania Twain “From this moment on” rang out, and there she was – all in white, beautiful and stunning, gracefully floating down the aisle with her Dad. The Nuptial Mass was a glorious affair, with all the traditional rites, such as the lighting of the unity taper, etc. Father then presented the bride and groom to the congregation - Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Franco, to the cheers of the crowd!
The reception was held at the Elks Club in So. San Francisco. The 200 + guests gathered in the hall enjoying hors d’oeuvres and punch while the bride and groom were whisked away in their limousine. The hall décor was exquisite in burgundy and silver, the bridal colors, and the eight member band, also waited eagerly to get the show underway. The procession of the bridal party in the hall, to the loud applause of the guests, signaled the festivities of the night, including the toasts, the fabulous dinner, favors, the money dance, the bouquet and the garter throw, etc. It was certainly a night to remember, especially for Manuela and Ryan, in this their fairy tale wedding! Congratulations to the newlyweds!!
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 16 of 36
Grandchildren Giving to the Community by Pauline d’Assis
Doreen and Mano Pereira’s grandchildren, Malia (15) and Zachary (16) Felise are fine examples of our citizenry helping and giving of themselves to an impoverished community. As a summer project, students of Mt. Carmel School and the St. Pius Youth Ministry Programs conducted a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico to build a few new homes for the poor and needy families who might otherwise have to live in extremely poor conditions, like thatched huts or tents.
So, some 80 students and 20 adults went in force in 10 vans to Tijuana to build a few homes to house at least a few families. What a terrific job they did – three houses in four days, that’s quite an accomplishment, I’d say!
The kids were split into three teams, the “Big Green”, Malia’s team, the “Azul”, Zach’s team and “Zeus”, the third. With a little competition to spur them on, these amazing students set out to do this backbreaking job. They camped close by in tents about 15 minutes away, so it was also fun in a way – going camping!
On the first day, they set the foundation for the houses, putting down the concrete and cutting the wood for the following day’s work. Come day two, it was sawing and nailing the pieces together to make the frames of the houses and attaching the roofs. On the third day they had to nail stucco wire mesh to the frames to get them ready for the stucco job the next day; then they tarred the roofs. Finally, on the fourth day, they stuccoed the walls and gave the inside of the new houses a clean sweep. The houses were not large, just two bedrooms but sufficient for a small to medium size family who had no home to speak of before.
With a sense of pride and achievement, they handed the keys to the families, together with some money and gifts that the kids brought. Below are pictures of Malia and Zack’s two proud team photos. What a way to go kids, to help the needy and the less fortunate! Teachers, parents and grandparents couldn’t have been more happy and proud! Congratulations kids – outstanding job!
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 17 of 36
Sixth Maryknoll Worldwide Reunion
The Sixth Maryknoll Worldwide Reunion was a wonderful success, and there were 14 Maryknoll Sisters present. Some of the many participants, that our UMA Newsletter readers are familiar with, are Raquel Remedios, Zella Kotala, Sr. Geraldine da Silva, Vilma Remedios, Maria Fatima Gomes, Jean Xavier, Nena Noronha, Fernanda Ho, Margaret da Costa, Maria King, Marilyn Miller, and Edwina Shuster, who were also major contributors to the Reunion as members of the Reunion Committee, Choir Members, or Helpers. Others also present were Marie Cecile D’Almada Remedios, Cecilia Remedios, Monica Oliveira, Rick Oliveira, Jorge Remedios, Daniel Gomes, Robert Xavier, Yvonne Ozorio, Horace Ozorio, Astrid Mendes, Marie Marchado, and Elveira Alves and her daughers. Rick Oliveira was the proud winner of the Poker Tournament on board!
Zella Remedios Kotala, who was a student as well as teacher of Maryknoll Convent School, wrote the following: “There were about 400 participants who joined us on this first of its kind reunion, some with their spouses and families. … The Executive Committee was ably led by Kathy Chu Giannini MCS and Magdalen Yum MSS. Alumnae from MSS Sister’s School were invited to join the reunion for the first but hopefully not the last time. Our co-chair persons par excellence were assisted by 13 board members who spent many hours on the phone teleconferencing, and included were alumnae who lived in the Midwest, New York and Eastern and Western Canada.”
“Among the many activities on board were talks given by a few of our graduates. “Hidden Messages in Chinese Art” was beautifully presented by Teresa Tse Bartholomew and the “Healing Touch,” an informative energetic approach to Hands on Healing presented by Teresa Siu Wong and the Maryknoll Mentor Program.”
“For many, the highlight of the reunion was the Reunion Mass celebrated by Maryknoll priest Father Louis J. Nichols. Several of the Sisters read and were Eucharistic Ministers. Maria Fatima da Roza Gomes did an outstanding job of leading the angelic choir that sang so harmoniously several well chosen familiar hymns. The mass concluded with the entire congregation giving us their rendition of our rousing school songs. There was hardly a dry eye among the alumnae who are usually touched by the stirring words of our alma maters …”
“As everyone who’s enjoyed a cruise knows - the food on board is delicious and plentiful with a wide variety of choices. Three hour breakfasts, lunches and dinners were enjoyed, with friends dropping by to chat. Some were able to spend time to play cards and also got caught up with news. There were games to play, dances to participate such as the Salsa and Line Dances, karaoke to sing along. There was even a Casino on board the ship! I was told that two of our Maryknollers hit jackpots! A pleasant excursion around Ensenada, Mexico, was enjoyed by some while others caught a bus and explored town on their own.”…
“A raffle was held with many fine prizes donated by some of our Executive Board Members as well as by other alumnae in the form of jewelry - jade necklace, jade and diamond brooch, black pearl necklace and a pearl brooch. … Sister Teresa Leung wrote us to confirm that so far the Committee has raised $20,686.89.”
“Each Maryknoller received a gift of a beautiful silk tote bag with jade stoppers. A silk scarf in blue and white was also included, with a luggage tag, all with MCS and MSS logos. In addition, the committee gave to each participant a magnet of the MCS building, lovingly brought over by Sister Jeanne Houlihan, one of our keynote speakers.”
“We are now looking forward to the next worldwide reunion in 2010 which will be held in Hong Kong and hosted by the HK Maryknoll Former Students’ Associations. We wish it the success and fun we had on this 6 th Reunion. God Bless.”
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 18 of 36
Secret Catholic Community By Daniel Gomes
I read in the South China Morning Post that in the small village of Sotome, near Negasaki is a Catholic community which maintained their faith in secret through more than 250 years of the most brutal persecution of the 17 th and 18 th century. Those who attend Mass in Nagasaki, Sotome and the hundreds of churches in the surrounding villages and islands are the descendants of members of this "secret catholic community".
When St. Francis Xavier, stepped ashore in Kagoshima in 1549, he fell in love with the Japanese people. He wrote back to Goa, "The people we have met so far are the best who have as yet been discovered and it seems to me that we shall never find another race to equal the Japanese" .
The Jesuit missionaries adopted a double strategy – they worked on converting both the common people and those who ruled them. By the 1580s, there was a flourishing congregation of more than 200,000 and the Jesuits were respected by the samurais who controlled the country and wanted to trade with the outside world. However, on July 24, 1587, the shogun, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, suddenly ordered all the missionaries to leave within 20 days. He had begun to see the missionaries as a threat - the pilot of a stranded Spanish ship had boasted that the greatness of the Spanish empire was partly due to the missionaries who preceded them and prepared the way for the Spanish army.
On a winter's morning in February 1597, 26 Catholics, 20 Japanese and six foreign missionaries were crucified in Nagasaki. Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651) was the most brutal – he burned the believes alive in front of tens of thousands of people. Many were hung upside down from gallows into a pit of excreta, with their forehead lightly slashed, to let the blood flow out, and one hand free so that they could indicate that they no longer believed in Christianity. An estimated 6,000 martyrs died between 1614 and 1640. Some fled to Macau and settled in our fair city. These were the same samurai warriors who built our beloved St. Paulo Church and joined the defenders of the city to route the Dutch invaders on June 24, 1622, which we today celebrate as Dia de Sao Joao.
The church went underground throughout this period of persecution and they maintained the church without any clergy. In 1873, under pressure from the west, the new Meiji government lifted the ban on Christianity. Foreign priests were astonished to find peasants and workers walk up to them unannounced and ask them to perform the sacraments.
On August 9, 1945, this small catholic community in and around Nagasaki endured a second Calvary. The Catholic pilot of the US bomber went first to a site of military factories in northern Kyushu, but could not see it through the cloud cover and flew to his second destination, Nagasaki, where he aimed for the giant Mitsubishi shipyard. But that, too, was covered by clouds, so he dropped the bomb on Urakami, very close to the catholic church, demolishing it and killing 8,500 of its 12,000 members .
In 1990, the city's mayor, Hitoshi Motoshima, was shot in the back by a right-wing extremist, after saying the emperor bore some responsibility for the Pacific war. He is a descendant of this "secret Catholic community". His grandfather had his bones crushed by being forced to kneel with slabs of stone loaded on his knees. As a schoolboy in the 1930s, he was forced to bow at Shinto shrines and scolded by his teachers for not showing enough respect. He says, “Japanese must accept responsibility for their savage behavior during the war. Responsibility is a question of morality and morality is a matter of religion. The problem with the Japanese is that they worship nature and have no religious or philosophical moral basis".
This is one of the great “ifs of history”. Some of the local lords had already converted in 1587 - What if Japan had become a Christian nation? Would we have been forced to endure the great pacific war?
(The original information for this article came from the South China Morning Post – rewritten by the Editor with additional research)
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 19 of 36
Greater East Bay Clippings by Daniel R Gomes
The next Chapter Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 2 PM in the home of Daniel & Maria Gomes, 4394 N. Sweetbriar Court, Concord, Ca 94521. After the meeting, the Operating Committee will host a dinner for all those members who worked hard at the Tarde.
A Dim Sum Luncheon was held at the Imperial Sea Food Restaurant in Concord on Sunday, September 16, 2007. This event was chaired by Mimi de Britto and as usual, she did an excellent job of ordering the food. Twenty-seven members joined us for this most enjoyable and relaxing luncheon. I love these small events where we can mingle, socialize and get caught up with all the gossip and interesting things which go on in our hectic lives. Thanks to the Operating Committee for making this possible.
The Greater East Bay Chapter will be having our Annual Christmas Party on Sunday, December 16, 2007 , at the Walnut Country Community Clubhouse, 4498 S. Larwin, Concord. Mark your Calendars and save the date for a fun family get-together. Yes, this year it will be a Christmas Party that is a FAMILY AFFAIR. Come ENJOY YOUR WONDERFUL GRAND-CHILDREN; bring them to our first FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY as we will have Santa Claus, a MacDonald Meal, a PHOTO WITH SANTA, and a PRESENT FROM SANTA CLAUS for each of your dear children/grand-children who are 10 years or under – all for $2!!
Send in your reservations early as we can only accommodate 60 guests, over the age of 10 years, and their wonderful children/grandchildren. The cost is only $2 for all children age 0 – 10 years. The cost for all others, 11 and above, will be $25 which will include appetizers, dinner, and a wonderful time enjoying your little ones with Santa. Reservations, on first come first serve basis, will be by check made out to Greater East Bay Chapter of UMA, Inc., mailed to Maria F. Gomes, 4394 N. Sweetbriar Court, Concord, California 94521. Flyers will be mailed out to all our Greater East Bay Chapter members. All others can get additional information from Maria “Zinha” Gomes at 925-798-2005 or email [email protected].
Peter Gomes, Greater East Bay Member dancing up a storm at his cousin Natasha’s wedding in Vancouver, Canada. Who says Peter doesn’t know how to have fun. He even drank a glass of champagne to toast the bride and groom.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 20 of 36
Greater East Bay Clippings
Annual Ballapalooza Adult Soccer Tournament : On July 28, 2007, the dos Remedios Clan met up in Bellingham, Washington, for the Ballapalooza Soccer Tournament. They had a wonderful family reunion and watched some super soccer. Francisco, Eduardo and Filomena, all members of the Greater East Bay Chapter with their respective spouses sponsored the team NOSSA FAMILIA. It was thrilling to see seven of their children and grandchild Kyle play together as a team.
Left to right: Michelle dos Remedios Kelly(Edo); Mark dos Remedios(Edo); Ricardo dos Remedios (Edo); Mike de Pinna (Filomena); Tom dos Remedios (Frisco); Kristine dos Remedios Edens (Frisco); Kyle de Pinna (Filomena’s grandson); Germaine de P Hopper (Filomena’s daughter)
Individually, they have plenty of talent but unfortunately as a team they did not realize each other's strength until after the third game. They had to play three one-hour games as soon as they met the rest of their team mates. It was a hot day and they played as well as could be expected. They lost one game and tied two on Saturday - so they went into Sunday's championship game at a disadvantage. On Sunday they played like champions and won but that still only earned them a third place in the tournament. Portugal nao treme - NOSSA FAMILIA will return next year.
Bill Orescan is making Aluar for the sixth year, same price at $8.00 per cake plus U.S. Priority Mail Postage. Telephone: (209) 257-1346 or e-mail: [email protected].
New Members: Welcome to the Greater East Bay Chapter - Son Nguyen, Chicago, Ill; Amanda Pyatt, Chicago, Ill; Adina Rasner, Chicago, Ill; Thomas Hockenson, Chicago, Ill.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 21 of 36
San Mateo Chapter News By Pauline de Assis
San Mateo Chapter Members are hereby notified that the Annual Meeting of the Chapter will be held at 845 Tournament Drive, Hillsborough, CA 94010, on Friday, November 16, 2007 at 8:00 PM. Please let Raquel Remedios know by November 12, 2007 if you will be attending the meeting. Tel: 650-349-2707.
UMA, San Mateo Chapter – Thanksgiving Mass: We are pleased to report that UMA’s annual Thanksgiving Mass was held on July 14 th at the Good Shepherd Church in Pacifica, thanks to our chairperson, Marie Guterres, who so willingly and tirelessly chair this event every year, for thanksgiving, of course, but also in memory of her loving husband, Vincent. Indeed, we should offer thanks to The Lord in any case, not just on Thanksgiving Day or at UMA’s Thanksgiving Mass, but as often as possible for the numerous blessings we have received and continue to receive.
Well, Marie, without hesitation, made all the arrangements for this event and the people turned out to attend the Mass and the luncheon, of course -- miss out on a yummy meal, why, who’d want to do that?! But, it was the long, hot days of summer and being so, quite a few members and friends had previous plans to cruise or go vacationing with their families/friends around the same time as our Mass, so the numbers went down a little. Though missed, we didn’t forget to pray for our absent friends.
Before the Mass our President, Raquel Remedios, took the opportunity to give a welcoming speech, and thanked all the UMA members for their attendance at this special annual event. As usual, Good Shepherd’s Pastor, Fr. Piers Lahey, was the celebrant at the Mass. He’s always happy to accommodate us in celebrating the Eucharist in thanksgiving every year. Our leaders in song and praise were Eric Ribeiro and John Madeira. For the first reading, Ray Xavier took the podium, followed by Raquel Remedios with the second reading. Fr. Lahey was pleased to announce during Mass that attending the Mass made good our obligation for our Sunday Mass, to the applause of the crowd. Finally at the end of the Mass, Marie again graciously donated to the congregation votive candle holders with the picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, to seal yet another beautiful Thanksgiving celebration!
On empty stomachs after a prayerful hour, members were happy to gather, sit, chat and enjoy a delicious Chinese lunch and dessert in the church hall. Our heartfelt thanks to Marie for her hard work in bringing about another successful Thanksgiving event! Marie, you deserve a round of applause!
San Mateo Chapter’s special function of the year “One Tropical Night” took place on Saturday, September 8, 2007 at the Belmont Senior Community Center. This ever popular event, chaired by Raquel Remedios and Joanna Terra, was again very well received with approximately 150 people in attendance. The evening was beautiful and the weather was just perfect for dancing.
As the guests flowed in to mingle and chat, the beer and soft drinks were cold and ready to quench their thirst. With munchies at every table to go along with drinks, people were having a good time even before the dinner and dancing. San Mateo Chapter President, Raquel Remedios, welcomed the guests and acknowledged the presence of Presidents Alex Xavier and Zinha Gomes, of San Francisco and Greater East Bay. By 7:00 p.m. or so, stomachs did grumble and growl, so as soon as the food arrived, catered by Shanghai East Restaurant of San Mateo, MC Ramon Xavier invited all diabetics to be the first to get their dinners. UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 22 of 36
San Mateo Chapter News
Then table numbers were called and the queues for dinner started at both ends of the food table. Our helpful servers gave generously of the six varieties offered to tease the palates, such as crystal prawns, “mui choy kow yuk”, assorted meats in bean sauce, to name a few. There was plenty for seconds and thirds for those with big appetites.
Not to waste any time, the “Jun Simundo Band” went to work as soon as dinner was over and the guests took to the floor, to lose some of those calories so quickly gained. The vocalist, Jun the bandleader, was fantastic, with a powerful voice resonating through the hall, while his backup musicians on drums, guitar, etc. made the perfect accompaniment. Line dances, tangos, waltzes, cha- chas, you name it, and they played it. And the wine and drinks continued to flow, while desserts of gummy-gummy and pão de leite were soon placed on the serving tables for everyone to help themselves.
And soon, it was time for the raffle. There were 21 great prizes in all. MC Ray, assisted by Sandy Souza, called out the numbers. But wouldn’t you know it, some of the lucky winners’ had their numbers called more than once! Ah, well, that’s how it goes sometimes! Ray then announced that there was a surprise - a beautiful painting by Jorge Remedios would be offered for auction. With bids starting at $50, it soon rose to $200 and was finally sold to Bill Orescan at the closing bid of $215. Mr. Orescan is an art collector and already has several of Jorge’s paintings.
After a great meal, wonderful music to dance to, and the chance to meet and chat with old friends, the evening flew by and all too soon came to an end. Though somewhat tired, the guests were still dancing away when the band announced the last dance – “qui sayang”!
We wish to thank our Committee Members for all their help and donation of the raffle prizes. The hall decorations and the centerpieces were beautiful, thanks to the creativity and artistry of Magdalen and Alfredo Pereira. Our MC, Ramon Xavier, was fantastic, and everyone else who pitched in. A special thanks, of course, to Raquel Remedios and Joanna Terra who did all the behind the scenes work.
MC Raymond Xavier & President Raquel Remedios Jorge Remedios & Bill Orescan – Auction
Fr. Alexander Lewis of Our Lady of Peace Church and School sent us 60 raffle tickets at $1.00 each, for his annual parish fund raiser. The parish is in the very challenging city of North Hills, and is doing everything to be a source of light and peace for the people in the neighborhood. The generous guest at the “Noite Tropical” donated $150 towards this fund raiser. Thank you all for your generosity. What a lovely night it turned out to be with everyone having such a great time!
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Fall Issue 2007 Page 23 of 36
San Mateo Chapter News
Rowing Anyone?: Our kids and grandkids never cease to amaze us! Well, it certainly is the case for Doreen and Mano Pereira and for their daughter, Lynn. Zachary, Lynn’s son is a strapping young lad with energy to burn. Reaching a height of approximately 6 feet at only 16, he is a great joy to his parents and grandparents. He likes to keep busy, to say the least – not only did he go to Mexico with his sister to build a few houses for the poor, he’s into rowing as well, flexing those strong arm muscles! This is just one sport, among his other interests and activities, such as the Boy Scouts, that he thoroughly loves.
Well, this young man has been really busy this past summer. He was selected to be one of 36 boys out of the entire nation to try out for a seat on the Junior National Crew Team. It can’t be emphasized enough how tough and strenuous rowing is, but like a trooper, Zach, after two cuts and four weeks of intense training, made the team and was placed in six different categories, all under the “A” status.
His “8” boat and “4” boat received 5 th place in the nation. As for his pairs event, they received a bronze medal – wow! Their adrenalin must really have been pumping when they sat behind those oars! In this great sport, after meeting tons of new friends and coaches, and experiencing intense training at the national level, Zachary anxiously awaits the Serra Crew season to start. Well, Zach, the season is almost upon you, so go and join your team mates and do your parents and grandparents proud again!! What a delight to see our younger generation putting their talents and energies to work and achieving honors, medals and awards! Kudos to you Zach – well done!
San Francisco Chapter News by Alex Xavier
T-Shirt Dance: On Saturday, July 21, 2007, we held our “T-Shirt Dance” at the So. San Francisco Elk’s Lodge. Member’s and friends enjoyed dancing to the music of Jun Simundo and his band. Our thanks go to Mildred Brown for helping with the registration, Bernard Brown for taking care of the bill, Flavia Greubel for distributing the wine, Maureen and Rita for doing all the coordinating of this event and doing all the running around. The sit-down dinner was delicious.
Member’s Appreciation: The Member’s Appreciation Dinner Dance held on August 11, 2007, at the So. San Francisco Elk’s Lodge turned out to be a great success with 158 members attending. Everyone had a great time dancing to the music of DJ Ed Villa Carlos. Some of our more elderly members chose to listen to the music and chat with friends they have not seen for a while. It was great to see Leo de Legaspi from Australia. Leo was my classmate at La Salle College in Kowloon. It was also nice to see Gertrude Tetreault from Canada. Many thanks to my wife, Maureen and Rita Ribeiro for taking care of the seating arrangements and the dinner and appetizers. Many thanks to all who helped to make the event a great success. Hopefully, we’ll see you all again next year.
All Day Social: On September 10, 2007, we held our All Day Social in Burlingame. As usual, we had lots of fun. We had nine tables of mahjong, one poker table, and three tables of Mexican train. I wish to thank all our helpers. Mildred, our coffee and water maker, Tila Danenberg, who took care of signing people in and checked to see who paid and who did not, Bernard Brown who paid for the hall rental and also helped with the setting up and loading of the goods, Rita and Maureen for doing the planning and all the shopping, Barbara and Bernard Vas for their help in serving and helping with packing the van after the event, Ramon Xavier and Alfredo Pereira for their help with the cleaning up, Sidney Shaw and Donnie Cruz for always being around to assist us. We appreciate all your help!
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San Francisco Chapter News
A REMINDER: On Friday, October 12, 2007, San Francisco Chapter will be holding its Annual General Meeting at the Larcombe Clubhouse at Doelger Senior Center. The address is: 111 Lake Merced Boulevard, Daly City from 4:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. All members are encouraged to attend. Dinner will be served. Please confirm your attendance by calling Maureen Xavier at 650/991-8808.
Lawn Bowling News: The San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club’s Mixed-Matched Handicap Draw Triples was held on July 19 and July 1, 2007.
1st place – Reggie Mattos, D. Doring & Bill Campbell 2nd place – Bill McConachie, Bob Remedios & Jan Leja 3rd place – Rod Arriaga, Doreen Pereira and Horace Carvalho
The SFLBC Men’s Handicap Singles was held on July 28/29, 2007. 1st place – Oscar Collaco 2nd place – Lionel Guterres
The SFLBC Women’s Handicap Singles was held on Sunday, August 5, 2007. There were ten participants competing and the competition was very good. 2nd place – Maureen Xavier 4th place – Magdalen Pereira
On August 23, 2007, SFLBC celebrated President’s Day Mixed/Matched Handicap Triples to honor Arnie Barros, the President of the club. Twenty-four bowlers turned out for the occasion. After the bowling, there were wonderful snacks prepared by Maureen Xavier and her two merry maids – Sheila Collaco and Rita Ribeiro.
1st place – Oscar Collaco, Judith Perkins and Linda Jennings 2nd place – Reggie Mattos, Alex Xavier and Maureen Xavier 3rd place – Arnie Barros, Steve Steier and Bill Campbell.
On August 25/26, 2007, SFLBC held the Men’s Championship Pairs tournament. Sixteen players turned out for the competition. The only item missing in the tournament was the SUN which did not appear at all.
1st place – Reggie Mattos and Rod Arriaga 3rd place – Oscar Collaco and Norm Tiernan.
On September 15, 2007, SFLBC celebrated its annual Centennial Cup with a Mixed Triples Tournament which was open to members of all the lawn bowling clubs. Eighteen teams of triples participated in the tournament. There was a party after the tournament which was enjoyed by everyone.
3rd place – Arnie Barros, Alex Xavier and Maureen Xavier 4th place – Peter Souza, Sandy Souza and Dan Nguyen-Tan 5th place – Oscar Collaco, Larry Collaco and Judith Perkins
All Members are encouraged to send in news you wish to share for our bulletin. Please feel free to call Alex Xavier at 650/991-8808, or mail your article to him at: 5 Belmont Drive, Daly City, Ca. 94015. His e-mail address is: [email protected] . Your input is appreciated.
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Southern California Chapter News By Gaby Sarrazolla
Saturday, October 13, 2007 - Chapter Meeting : This meeting will be held at the home of Rita Guterres at 19202 Benfield,Cerritos,CA 90701. Phone number 562-924-3108. Meeting starts at 2 PM.
This will be a very important meeting as we will be finalizing our plans for the Annual General Meeting scheduled for November 10th in Fullerton. We hope you will be generous in volunteering your help on one of our Committees.
In an effort to make our meeting more interesting, arrangements have been made for Mr. Jim Silva , long-time member of UMA’s San Francisco Chapter, to be our featured guest speaker. Jim’s topic will be ”We Macanese” (our origins, traditions, food, patois, etc.). Jim has been a speaker at many functions, including a past Encontro. I’m sure we’ll all enjoy an interesting and entertaining talk by Jim. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about our Macanese culture, history, and diversity. Following the meeting, we invite all who are interested to join us at dinner at a buffet-type restaurant in Cerritos.
Saturday, November 10, 2007 Annual General Meeting: Our Chapter is the host Chapter this year. Most of our members don’t attend the Annual General Meeting when it is held in No. Calif., so we urge all So. Calif. members to attend this important meeting . This will give you an insight to the duties & responsibilities of your State Board.
This meeting will be held at the Coyote Hills Homeowners Clubhouse, 2225 Canyon Dr., Fullerton, CA 92833. The Clubhouse is located at the corner of Foothill & Canyon Dr. Park on the north side of Foothill Dr. only and on both sides of Canyon Dr.
A complimentary Continental Breakfast will be served starting at 9.15 AM, followed by the AGM Meeting at 10:00 AM. Also, a complimentary lunch will be served. Please refer to the agenda provided by the State Board in this Bulletin.
After the meeting, if anyone is interested in attending, there’s a Mass at 5:15 PM at St. Pius V Church, 7691 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, 9062l. After Mass, for those who are interested, we’re proposing an Asian Buffet (with a wide variety of seafood and other dishes) at 8360 La Palma Ave., #D1, Buena Park 90620 (Buena Park Mall). The restaurant is about 2 miles from the Church.
Sunday, December 16, 2007 - Chapter Christmas Party: This year our Christmas Party Committee has selected Sambi’s Restaurant , 8649 Firestone Blvd., Downey, CA 90241. We will have a private room and a sound system for music. This notice is just to alert you to mark your calendars. You’ll receive details at the Oct. 13 th meeting.
July 21 st Chapter Meeting & Diabo/Minchi Dinner by Sally Carchidi: Oour Chapter Meeting was held at the home of Guido & Gloria Sequeira in Downey. It was gratifying to see the large attendance. Many, no doubt, were attracted by the prospect of the Diabo/Minchi dinner following the meeting. It was especially nice to welcome back some of our senior members whom we haven’t seen in a long time – Ina Brodzky and Olga Senna . Our thanks to the members who continue to participate in our Chapter’s meetings, and we invite all our members to be active and join us at future events. Iron Chef Leda Pomeroy explained her Diabo recipe and how she used a huge pot to cook for 40 people! Our new Iron Chef Terence.
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Southern California Chapter News
Pomeroy finished frying the potatoes for Minchi and gave us a brief explanation of his Minchee recipe. Copies of both recipes were available.
Before dinner was served, we surprised Leda with a birthday cake to celebrate her recent birthday. We joined in chorus to sing “Happy Birthday” and “many more”.
Tables & umbrellas had been set up in the garden of the Sequeira home for our dinner. Our special thanks to Daryl Sequeira for his help in making it so nice and comfortable. The Diabo and Minchi dinner was delicious and we all enjoyed the food and the camaraderie. We plan on featuring Macanese food at more future meetings. Watch for our notices in the UMA Bulletin. Come join us!
Happy Birth Announcement: Jeff and Judy Warhol are proud new grandparents for the fourth time. Their son, Mark, and wife, Jessica, gave birth to Everett Mark Warhol on July 13, 2007. He weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and 19 inches long. Mark, after having two daughters, and Grandpa Jeff are so happy to have a boy to carry on the Warhol name.
Happy Travelers by Judy Warhol: We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary, not only by having a celebration with immediate family and long-time friends, but also treated ourselves to a dream honeymoon vacation. We traveled for 14 days, flying to Budapest, then taking a river cruise on the Blue Danube, ending in Prague. Along the way, we visited four countries: Hungary, Austria, Germany, and Czech Republic. What a beautiful trip that was!! Congratulations Judy and Jeff and may you have many more. Eulogy for Dolly Boyol.
"Relatives you inherit-friends you can choose at will. If they are really close, many fine hours you can fill. They are known as the salt of the Earth: If they are true over the years this togetherness is of such value to you" Senior Seal Beach Poet Otto Ross
With such sweet poetry Delano Pereira eulogized a warm person, known for her vivacious and friendly personality, befriended to many as Dolly. Her passing, after a long illness, was sorely felt by the family members and her vast number of friends and acquaintances, many in attendance in the Church of St. John of God, Norwalk, Ca.
Maria Luisa, Dolly to many of us, came from a large Hong Kong family, the patriarch being Carlos Maria Sequeira, marrying Beatriz Romana Venancio in 1915. Many of the people present in the church would have known Dolly's brothers and sisters, Luis Romano, Francisco Xavier, Acacia Filomena, Lucia Beatriz, Thelma Maria and Guido Jose (the last two are still living). Dolly was the 6th child.
On September 28, 1940, in the St. Theresa Church in Kowloon, Evandole Martinho Boyol married Maria Luisa Sequeira.
Those in attendance at the service were the proud children, Maria de Fatima Boyol (Fatimina) and Evanandole Martinho Boyol, Jr (Junior) with his wife Linda Grouws, grandchildren Nikolas and Stephanie and many friends and acquaintances. To the bereaving family, the friends of Dolly wish to express their deepest sympathy, recalling the mutual long friendship.
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Boyol, Marie Luisa Sequeira known to her friends as Dolly, passed away on August 8, 2007 in Norwalk, California after a long illness. She is survived by her children, Maria de Fatima Boyol (Fatiminha) and Evandole Martinho Boyol, Jr. (Junior) and wife Linda, grandchildren Nikolas and Stephanie, and sister Thelma and brother-in-law Roberto Marques, and brother Guido and sister-in-law Gloria Sequeira.
Collaço, Evelyn Victal , passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 18, 2007, in Rossmoor, Walnut Creek, Calif., devoted wife of the late Sotero (Sortie) Collaco. She would have turned 101 yrs. on September 26.
She is survived by her daughters, Flavia Greubel and Miguella Remedios, son-in-law, Robert Remedios, grandchildren, Mark Remedios, Sharon Perkins and husband, Bob, and Derek Remedios, and great grandchildren, Ryan and Megan Perkins. She is also survived by her sister, Mamie Rozario in Montreal, and Egas Victal in Chicago, and numerous nephews and nieces. She was a member of UMA San Francisco for many years. She will be dearly missed and will always be in our hearts. Her family wish to thank all their family and friends for their support, prayers, caring thoughts and condolences.
Hollands, Frederick (Buster) of Sun City West, passed away peacefully, Monday May 21 st at home after a two year battle with cancer. He was born in Wimbledon, England on August 8 th 1923 to William Edward and Dolly Louise Hollands. Buster is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sheila, 4 sons – Guy and his wife Tirzah (Portland, Ore), Mark and his wife Barbara (Palm Harbor, FL), Kim (Hiram, GA) and Dirk (DuBois, NE), 8 grandchildren – Shalom, Shawn, Dominic, Cory, Michael, Victoria, Nicole and Cathryn, 3 great-grandchildren – Elizabeth, Sara and Teressah and 1 brother Claude and his wife Colleen, Brisbane, Australia. A memorial mass will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Healthcare Odyssey, 202 E. Earll Dr, Ste. 160, Phoenix, AZ 85012.
Noodt, Cecile Mary Law , age 92, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 4, 2007, at Tung Wah Hospital in Hong Kong. Funeral services were held on Monday August 20, at the Hong Kong Funeral Home. Wake services followed at the Kowloon Cricket Club. Born in Shanghai, Cecile was wife to the late Alfred Noodt, and is survived by her daughter June, and grandchildren, Dean and Nadia. Grandma will be missed, but we hope her heaven is full of mahjong.
Pires, Humberto Felisberto - born on November 9, 1900 in Macau and passed away on July 8, 2007 in New Westminster, B.C. Bert was predeceased by his wife Evelyn and son Francis. He will be remembered by his children Priscilla, Doreen, Reg, Diana & Sonny; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great- great grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Holy Cross Church, 1450 Delta Avenue, Burnaby, on Monday, July 16, 2007 at 10:00 a.m.
Vieira, Carlos Antonio - June 9, 1931 - September 5, 2007. Long time cancer survivor and avid golfer, Carlos was born in Hong Kong and entered into everlasting life surrounded by his family and friends on September 5. He was a man of strong faith, a great family man, gracious, generous and kind. Dearly beloved husband of 50 years to Alicia (Alice) Vieira; honored and cherished father of Bernardette Schwab, Michael Vieira and Roberta (Steve) Bernardez; adoring grandfather of Justin, Chad, Bryce and Zachary; loving brother of Reggie, Robert, Melita, David, Phyllis and George. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. The family asks for the gift of prayers. For those who wish, please direct any contributions to the Church of the Good Shepherd in Pacifica.
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