Vol. 32. No. 1 A Publication of UMA, Inc Jan-Mar 2009 Editor: Daniel Gomes, 4394 N. Sweetbriar Ct, Concord, Ca 94521 E-Mail: [email protected]
Berkeley Symphony names Joana Carneiro Music Director
Following an intensive two-year search, the Berkeley Symphony named Joana Carneiro as its new Music Director, beginning with the 2009-2010 season. She will lead the orchestra in four programs in UC Berkeley’ Zellerbach Hall beginning October 15, 2009, in addition to leading Berkeley Symphony’s Under Construction new music series.
Joana Carneiro served as Assistant Conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 2005-2008, working closely with Esa-Pekka Solonen. She is currently a guest conductor of the Gulbenkian Orchestra. She also served as guest conductor of the Metropolitan Orchestra of Lisbon.
Noted for her vibrant performances in a wide diversity of musical styles, she has attracted considerable attention as one of the most outstanding young conductors working today. As a finalist of the prestigious 2002 Maazel-Vilar Conductor’s Competition at Carnegie Hall, Ms. Carneiro was recognized by the jury for demonstrating a level of potential that holds great promise for her future.
Joana served as assistant conductor to John Adams in productions of his opera A Flowering Tree at Chicago Opera Theater and in Vienna. She also served as assistant conductor to Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Paris Opera’s premier of Adriana Mat er by Kaija Saariaho. Other recent engagements have included the New World Symphony, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, the Toledo and Phoenix symphonies, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Algarve Symphony, the Macau Chamber Orchestra, the Beijing Orchestra at the International Musica Festival of Macau, the Portuguese National Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra de Bretagne, and the Beiras Philharmonic Orchestra. Her 2008-2009 schedule includes return engagements with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Manhattan School of Music, Prague Philharmonic, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and Iceland Symphony.
Joana Carneiro is the granddaughter of Art Carneiro, the band leader who was well-known to the Macanese Community in Shanghai, Macau and Hong Kong. Art was born in Shanghai in 1905 and studied civil engineering at the University of Aurora, a prestigious Jesuit University in Shanghai. He had a passion for music so he left the university and started a symphonic band in Shanghai in 1923. He later met the famous American Jazz leader Whitney Smith and joined his Orchestra and appeared regularly at the Majestic Hotel in Shanghai. He later left for Singapore where he played at the Raffles Hotel. He then went to London and played with Jack Payne. After his engagement in London he went to Monte Carlo and played with the famous orchestra of Carlo Manari.
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Berkeley Symphony
Art was homesick so he decided to go back to Shanghai and joined the Orchestra of Don Jose in the Cathay Hotel, situated at the Bund. Just before the war, he left for Hong Kong and became the Band Leader at the Peninsula Hotel, Hongkong Hotel and Repulse Bay Hotel. In January of 1941, his band entertained the members of the La Salle Old Boys Association at their annual Supper Dance at the Peninsular Hotel Rose Room. He then left for Macau and regularly entertained the Macanese Community at the Hotel Riviera.
During the war years in Macau, Art became the Musical Director for the Theatrical Events put on by the refugees; the highlight being the operetta “Madame Jacques” in the spring of 1944. He did much to boost the spirit and morale of the refugees in Macau. Below is a picture of Art and the “Starlet” chorus who sang during the intermission of “Madame Jacques”. (For additional information regarding the musical activities of the refugees during the war, please refer to the UMA Bulletin of Nov-Dec 2001 and the UMA Bulletin of Jan-Feb 2002.)
After the war he went back to Shanghai and formed a band with his siblings; Alice on the piano, Alberto on contrababaixo, Francisco on the Electric Guitar and Art on the rest of the instruments. As the situation in Shanghai was tenuous, they traveled throughout Asia and performed at the Peninsular Hotel in Hong Kong, Raffles Hotel in Singapore and the British Club in India. In 1947 he left for Lisbon and appeared regularly at the Casino in Estoril, Vela Azul in Caxias and the American Officers’ Club in Lisbon. His siblings left for Brazil on the Santa Cruz and entertained the passengers on board with their Orchestra.
Joanna is the daughter of Roberto and Rosario Carneiro. Roberto is the son of Art Carneiro from his second marriage to Nydia Maria da Luz. Roberto was born in Lisbon in 1947 and was the former Minister of Education, Professor at the Universidade Catholica Portuguesa and President of TVI – Televisao Independente. Joanna’s mother is Rosario Carneiro, a member of Parliament in Portugal. UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 2 of 36
The Macau Cultural Center is holding its first fundraising dinner dance on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at the Peony Restaurant in Oakland. For further details of the event and an update on the MCC fundraising and building, I refer you to the comprehensive report in this Bulletin prepared by UMA VP and MCC Director Zinha Gomes.
The Primeiro Encontro da Nova Geração Macaense or First Youth Encontro will be held July 19-25, 2009. The Organizing Committee in Macau have confirmed that they will pay the airfare and hotel accommodations for three youths, between the ages of 18 and 40, from each Casa worldwide. To be eligible to participate in the Encontro, applicants must be UMA members. You will find the enrollment and activities forms for the Youth
Encontro on page 4 - 5 of the bulletin. A deadline of March 31, 2009 was established for the forms to be returned. As this bulletin may not reach members until the beginning of April, I have written to Macau requesting an extension, and they have now extended the deadline to April 16, 2009 . The Organizing Committee have stressed that they will strictly adhere to this deadline, so please either email or send in your completed application and activities forms to me as soon as possible - [email protected] or 845 Tournament Drive, Hillsborough, CA 94010 .
José Manuel de Oliveira Rodrigues, President of the Standing Committee of the Macanese Communities Council, has announced that UMA will be receiving a subsidy of MOP100,000.00, or approximately US$12,500.00, for the celebrations of the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of the RAEM. Lusitano Club of California will now join Casa de Macau USA and UMA in the celebrations in the latter part of the year. Details of the event will be announced in a later issue of the bulletin.
Included in this issue is a letter from Miguel Cheong Kin Man regarding the documentary video production of “ Ou Mun Ian, Macaense ” and his visit to the Bay Area last December.
I am pleased to advise that we have received several enquiries regarding the UMA Scholarship, and we have now prepared an application form for those interested, see page 6. The deadline for returning the completed application form has been extended to June 15, 2009.
Lastly, the Anniversary Committee is working hard to prepare for the celebration of UMA’s 50 th ANNIVERSARY on Sunday, November 8, 2009 , the day after our 2009 Annual General Meeting . Please mark your calendars for these two important events.
Happy Easter to One and All! Raquel Remedios , President
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CASAS DE MACAU
We are pleased to announce the results of recent elections of the various Casas de Macau worldwide for the new term 2009-2010:
Casa de Macau Australia – Yvonne Herrero, President Ed Rozario, Treasurer Marcus Gutierrez, Vice President Mary Rigby, Secretary Lizette Akouri, Dep. Secretary Committee Members: Henrique Barros, Mariazinha Callaghan, Brenda Chavez, Rogerio Fernandes
Casa de Macau Toronto – Lourenco Conceicao, President Deniz Remedios, 1st Vice President Jerry Noronha, 2nd Vice President Jose Anok, Treasurer Aurea Meyer, Secretary
Casa de Macau Vancouver – Antonio Alberto Amante, President Anne Marie da Costa, Treasurer Maria Antonio King, 1 st Vice President Cathy Fung, Secretary Edwina Shuster, 2 nd Vice President Monica de Carvalho, Parliamentarian
Casa de Macau USA – Henrique J. Manhão, President Alice da Luz, Treasurer Albertino da Rosa, Vice President Rita Lopes, Secretary Directors: Antonio Capitule, Ida Capitule, Americo Coelho, Elsa Denton, Rosita Lopes, Gil Manhão, Irene Manhão, Marta Mo, Luisa da Rosa, Carlos Villarama, Cristina Manhão
Macao Club (Toronto) – Joseph A. Chen, President Patti Yuk Ching Lam, Vice President Christopher Yin-Wing Chan, Vice President Raymond Wai-Shing Lo, Treasurer Anita Sio-Hong Un, Secretary Directors: Kitty Vai Yeung, Kwai-King Chan, Kwok-Hung Cheong, Ling Sin Chuk
Macau Cultural Association (Casa de Macau) of Western Canada – Josefina Antonieta do Rosário, President B. Cynthia Vieira, Treasurer Sérgio Rui da Pina, Vice President Helena M. Xavier, Secretary
Lusitano Club of California – Nuno Prata da Cruz, President Leonardo Xavier, Vice President Dorothy Oliveira, Treasurer Michael Carion, Secretary
UMA extends our best wishes to all the Casas for a successful and productive year!.
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The directors of the MACAU CULTURAL CENTER thank all the “ORIGINAL FRIENDS OF MCC”MCC”....
Maria “Zinha” Gomes, Fund Raising Chairperson of MCC
Our heartfelt thanks and sincere appreciation go to all the “Original Friends of MCC” for their generosity and support for the establishment of the only Macau Cultural Center in the United States of America. The “Original Friends of MCC” Plaque will be engraved as listed below. Please check carefully the spelling of your name. If there is a mistake please contact me by email, [email protected] , or by mail at 4394 N. Sweetbriar Court, Concord, California 94521.
CASA DE MACAU, USA THERESA YVANOVICH DA LUZ ROSITA LOPES LUSITANO CLUB OF CALIFORNIA ALICE DALUZ GLADYS MAHER UMA, INC. CONTRA COSTA ALBERTINO & LUIZA DA ROSA HENRIQUE & IRENE MANHAO UMA, INC. EAST BAY CHRISTOPHER DA ROZA HENRIQUE & MARIA MANHAO UMA, INC. GREATER EAST BAY GUSTAVO & GLORIA DA ROZA FRANCISCO & DEBBIE MARCAL UMA, INC. SAN FRANCISCO MIGUEL O. DA ROZA JAIME & DIANE MARCAL UMA, INC. SAN MATEO ARMANDO DA SILVA "PINKY" JAIME & MARIE MARCAL UMA, INC. SO. CALIFORNIA BERNARDO & PATRICIA DA SILVA L.A. MARCAL FUNDACAO JORGE ALVARES MANUELA DA SILVA VERONICA CARVALHO MARIN FUNDACAO MACAU CLOTILDE "TILA" DANENBERG JOSE & ELVY MARQUES FUNDACAO ORIENTE AIDA DE ALMEIDA DAVID & DOREEN MCKISSACK FUNDACAO PARA A COOPERACAO EDUARDO & PAULINE DE ASSIS ASTRID OZORIO LEE MENDES E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE MACAU JOHN DE CARVALHO AL & DORIE MENDOZA ALICE ALMEIDA MARCUS & LEONORA DE CARVALHO CAROL & JOHNNY MONTEIRO ANGELINA ALMEIDA HEIDI & ERNESTO DE SOUZA JOHN MARK MONTEIRO COLLETTE & LIZETTE ALMEIDA DEGRACA FAMILY MICHAEL A. MONTEIRO THE FAMILY OF TED ALMEIDA RALPH & BETTY DUARTE DONALD & ELFRIDA NAZARIO LUIS BASTO DAN & JULIA ETZEL FELIPE & RAISA NERY BONNIE BRAGA JERRY R. FERGUSON JOSE (JOE) HENRIQUE NORONHA FABIA BRAGA ANITA FERNANDES EVELYN SOUZA NYLAND REGINA BRAGA GUSTAVO & EDYTH FIGUEIREDO PATRICK & MARION O'LEARY JUDITH NORONHA BRAUN LAWRENCE & FANNY GILL HENRIQUE & MONICA OLIVEIRA ARTHUR & GERMANDA BRITTO DANIEL & MARIA "ZINHA" GOMES WILLIAM & CECILIA ORELLA BERNARD & MILDRED BROWN JOSE & FERNANDA GONSALVES LUIZ "OZZIE" OZORIO DAVID & PRISCILLA BROWN FLAVIA COLLACO GREUBEL PETER & MARY OZORIO FREDERICK & VIVIENNE BROWN CARLOS & RITA GUTERRES EMMAZOWY CAPITULE PARKER PRISCILLA CANAVARRO LEO & MARIE (SIMOES) GUTTERRES ROGER & YVONNE PASSOS FRANCIS & MELINA CARION LIONEL & LUCY GUTERRES GUS & MARIE PEREIRA MICHAEL & CHRISTINE CARION KIRK HARPER MANUEL & DOREEN PEREIRA VIRGINIA & HORATIO CARION WILLIAM & ELEANOR HOBSON ANGELINA PETERSEN PETER & GINA CARNEIRO EDUARDO JACINTO HUMBERTO F. PIRES LARRY J. CERQUEIRA ANDY & MARIA JESUE REGINALDO F. PIRES BECKY NG CHAN THOMAS & ANN XAVIER JONES LEDA & TERENCE POMEROY HUITIER & MARIA ROLIZ CHOI ANTONIO M. JORGE DA SILVA THELMA PUECHNER JERONIMO M. COLLACO PENELOPE J. JORGE DA SILVA CATHERINE REMEDIOS MARIA IRMA CONCEICAO ARTHUR LAW & AVA DEALMEIDA LAW FRED & LILLIAN REMEDIOS DONALD & NANCY CRUZ EDMOND & ADALEINE LEE JORGE & RAQUEL REMEDIOS CARLOS & VIRGINIA D'ALMEIDA JOHN & MARILYN LEE ROBERT & MIGUELLA REMEDIOS BRANDON DA COSTA MANUEL EMILIO LEITAO VILMA REMEDIOS DOLORES DA COSTA JOHN & CAROLYN BROWN LEUNG PHILIP QUINTAS RIBEIRO ORLANDA DA COSTA PAUL & SUSANA LEUNG DESIREE MONTEIRO ROGERS ROBERT DA COSTA VIRGINIA LEITAO LIPPI THE FAMILY OF RIGO ROLIZ ARACY M. DA CRUZ ADELAIDE BAPTISTA LOO ROBERT F. ROLIZ NUNO & MARIA JOAO DA CRUZ DUARTE LOPES TERESA ROLIZ RAUL & MERCIA DA LUZ RITA LOPES ROSA DE CARVALHO ROSS
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RICK & LYCE ROZARIO ANNAMARIA SWARDENSKI JESSICA XAVIER ROBERT & MARIE-YVONNE ROZARIO JOHN & CARMEN TONNOCHY JOHN B. XAVIER PETER & SHEILA RULL VICTOR & EDITH VIANNA JOJO & M. LOURDES XAVIER FELICE A. SANTOS ROGERIO VIEGAS LEONARD P. XAVIER S. & A.M. DEALMEIDA SCHNIER CARLOS & CRISTINA VILLARAMA LEONARDO O. XAVIER GUIDO & GLORIA SEQUEIRA FAMILY MAURICE & ILEANA WARD MABEL H. XAVIER ROBERT & GERALDINE SEQUEIRA JEFF & JUDY SILVA WARHOL MANUEL & MARIA XAVIER LIONEL & CARMEN SEQUEIRA FRANCES GAAN WEBER MARIA-HELENA XAVIER & FAMILY RICHARD SILBERT GERALDINE WINGATE MELISSA XAVIER HENRY & AUREA SILVA FAMILY NICKY & KAM WU NEIL A. XAVIER FAMILY MARIA E. SILVA ALEX & MAUREEN XAVIER RAMON & VIRGINIA XAVIER SANDRA & PETER SOUZA FAMILY BRENDA XAVIER DOROTHY STEWART DAVID & ALICE XAVIER
IN MEMORY OF :
TED ALMEIDA GERRY GOSANO POPO & AVO FRANCISCO QUINTAS FRANCIS "SONNY" BROOK VINCE GUTERRES EDUARDO P. REMEDIOS JOSHUA & MARY PASSOS BROOK GUILHERME "BILL" LEITAO ALDA M. RIBEIRO ANTONIO G. CARION JUDITH MARIA DE CAMPOS LEITAO AVO ANGELO & EDITH RIBEIRO PROSPERO & ELSIE DA COSTA MANUEL FRANCISCO READ LEITAO VICKY & LEOLINDA RIBEIRO VICTOR A. DA COSTA JR. CESAR & LILY LOPES RIGOBERTO P. ROLIZ RAIMUNDO "PETER" DA ROZA TAMARA & FRANCISCO MAHER BERNARD J. SANTOS ROBERTO L. DAROZA THE HOUGHTONS & MAURICIOS REGGIE SANTOS CHARLES O. DANENBERG AUGUSTO (GUS) A. NORONHA OLGA T. CORDEIRO SOUZA ALBERTO A. DE ALMEIDA SR. HENRY (HJ)(STOKER) NORONHA CARLOS A. VIEIRA MARCUS & EDRIS DE CARVALHO HILDA & TONY (BUTTER) NORONHA CARLOS & HEMILIA XAVIER CELESTE DEGRACA PAULO V. OLIVEIRA JOSE & CHRISTINA XAVIER EDUARDO JOSE & ALDA DO ROSARIO CECILIA MARIA OSMUND TUTI & TONY (SMOKY) XAVIER DOROTHEA FARRIS (CRUZ) ELVIE PEREIRA FRANCISCO PEDRO "PETER" GOMES JOAQUIM G. PEREIRA ("KING")
The contributions from the “Original Friends of MCC” totaled $141,023.37 . Although this Fund Raising started as a way to reach out to all the members of the three Casas and to provide for some nice “Upgrades” and extras for MCC, it has become the source of desperately needed funds to pay for the required renovations. As you are all aware, the financial loss of $133,301.93 in the Charles Schwab account plus the unanticipated necessary PG&E upgrade of approximately $100,000.00 to support the electrical needs of the elevator, forced us to use up the “MCC Reserve fund”. Your donations have been instrumental and significant in helping to realize our dream of a Macau Cultural Center; your generosity gave us the funds to complete the required renovations and will help pay for our 2009 Operational Expenses.
One of the “Upgrades” from the original plan was to provide for additional windows in our Main Hall. We thank and celebrate the generosity of the following “Window Sponsors” for their donations of $10,000.00 or more each : IN MEMORY OF CELESTE DEGRACA; IN MEMORY OF RIGOBERTO ROLIZ; DANIEL & MARIA “ZINHA” GOMES; CAROL & JOHNNY MONTEIRO; JORGE & RAQUEL REMEDIOS; MANUEL AND MARIA XAVIER; LUSITANO CLUB OF CALIFORNIA, INC.: IN HONOR OF OUR PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE MEMBERS. We still continue to welcome additional “Window Sponsors” with their $10,000.00 donations, as it would be nice to replace some of the old windows in our building.
Another “Upgrade” we had hoped for was to refinish the hard wood floor in our Main Hall. The refinishing of the hardwood floor will turn our Main Hall into our “Ballroom”. It is true that we can
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Macau Cultural Center occupy the MCC without this upgrade. However we are hoping that our many wonderful “swingers” will “step up” to help us get our “Ballroom” Dance Floor with a $200 donation. We are now opening the option of “Ballroom Floor Sponsors”. We will be hanging a Plaque with the names of our “Ballroom Floor Sponsors” for their $200 donations in our Main Hall.
A third planned “Upgrade” was the installation of our MCC Logo on the Front Façade and the MCC Signage over the Main Entrances. We were able to pay for the manufacture and shipping of our Logo, but we need funds to pay for the installation of the Logo plus the addition of the MCC Signage over the Main Entrances. We are now opening the donation category of “MCC Logo & Signage Sponsors”. Here again, it is not essential for us to have our identity on the building now, but it would be great to have our identity on the building when we have our Grand Opening. We will also be putting up a Plaque with the names of our “MCC Logo & Signage Sponsors” for their $300 donations .
Finally we will continue our $100 donations from our Friends of MCC under the category of “2009 Benevolent Friends of MCC”. These funds will help build a reserve for MCC until our rental revenues start coming in. There will also be a Plaque with the names of our “2009 Benevolent Friends of MCC” for their $100 donations next to the Plaque with the names of our “Original Friends of MCC”.
Please send your donations for any of the above categories made out to “Macau Cultural Center”, and mail the donation to Macau Cultural Center, Inc., 582 Market St. #1905, San Francisco, California 94104” .
MACAU CULTURAL CENTER Update from Maria Gomes, Secretary of MCC .
February 2009 is the beginning of a new term of office for the directors of the Macau Cultural Center. On Monday, February 9, 2009, the directors held their Election Meeting at 6:20 PM, and the new officers are: President: Maria Roliz; Vice-President: Alexander Xavier; Treasurer: Jessica Xavier; and Secretary: Maria “Zinha” Gomes. The directors from UMA, Inc. are Raquel Remedios, Alexander Xavier, and Maria “Zinha” Gomes. The directors from Lusitano are Maria Roliz, Jessica Xavier, and Kirk Harper. The directors from Casa de Macau are Henrique Manhao, Antonio Capitule, and Albertino da Rosa.
The members of the Finance Committee of MCC are Maria Roliz, Henrique Manhao, Raquel Remedios, and Jessica Xavier. The members of the Building Renovation Committee are Maria Roliz, Alexander Xavier, Henrique Manhao, and Kirk Harper. The Co-Chairpersons of Operations and Hall Rentals are Kirk Harper and Maria Gomes. The Supervisor of the MCC Building and Key is Albertino da Rosa. The Chairperson for Fund Raising Donations is Maria Gomes.
The minutes of all MCC meetings are available to the members of the three Casas through their Casa President and/or the MCC Directors from their Casa.
The first MCC Fund Raising Dinner Dance will be held on Sunday, May 3 rd , 2009. We would like to extend our welcome to you and your friends to join us for a fun evening of good food and good company. The flyer on the next page has all the information on this happy event.
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A Macanese Entrepreneur By Daniel R Gomes
During the 17 th Century, Macau was the “Venice” of European trade with China, Japan and South East Asia. To the left is a picture of Priar Grande, with the stately homes of the traders of that era.
After the Opium War of 1842, Hong Kong was ceded to the British and trade between the European and Chinese soon moved from Macau to Hong Kong. Mercantile in Macao dwindled and the only jobs available to the Macanese in Macao were in government, gambling or public infrastructure services. The Macanese soon followed the British to Hong Kong as clerks and intermediaries since they were conversant in all three languages, Portuguese, English and Chinese.
My great grandfather Joaquim Antonio Gomes was born in Macau in 1832 and traces his ancestors back to Miguel de Macedo (1690 Macau). He married Prudencia Maria dos Remedios and had nine children: Estroja (Toja), Joao Jeronimo (My grand-father), Timoteo Anastacio (Chiquito), Quintina (Titi Chia), Carlos Tiago (Carlito), Joana, Jose Hipolito, Joaquim Francisco (Coque) and Simplicia Verediana (Chicha).
My cousin Pureza d’Eca Nunes wrote that, “I never got to meet our great grand-father but as a child I was fortunate to know our great grand-mother Prudencia, fondly called Avo Chencha. She was bed-ridden for quite a long time, lovingly cared for by her daughters, our grand-aunts, and residing during the later years at Travessa do Roquete #7, near the Post Office in front of the Leal Senado where she died at 100 years of age, (mais ou menos) having previously lived for many, many yeas at Travessa de Miseracordia, next to the Santa Casa de Misericordia. The Travessa do Roquete house will always be remembered by the older ones as we used to cross over from Hong Kong with our family members to attend the more popular religious feasts, especially the ‘Sabado da Cruz’ evening procession and the Sunday afternoon ‘Processao de Nossa Senhor dos Passos’, with a different Veronica every year, stopping to sing at each of the seven stations and unfolding the scroll imprinted with the Holy Face of Jesus. These processions never failed to provide one of the most treasured reunions of the ‘Capigalos’.” Being 20 years younger then Pureza, I do not have her memory of those early years but I can remember the processions during and immediately after the war, especially the feast we use to have at ‘Fat Sui Lau’ after the processions. At the last encontro, I was fortunate to have my whole family in Macau and I took them over to ‘Fat Sui Lau’ – I don’t think anything has changed at that restaurant. Brought back great memories.
My cousin Pureza also remembers Tio Coque’s children: Amalia, Maria Margrida and Luiz Gonzaga (Inho). She said, “Amalia (Soti) died young, Maria Margarida was a Public School teacher and brilliant concert pianist (Fellow of Trinity College of London - Music) and even worked for a time in opera and stage in Hollywood. Eventually she returned to Macau and I was fortunate to have her as my piano and music teacher. “
Pureza also said, “Luiz Gonzaga (Inho) was a Pubic School Teacher, violinist, researcher and author of several books on the History and Culture of Macau. He was fluent in Portuguese, English, French and Chinese.” In the last encontro (2007), in celebration of the centennial of his birth, Jorge Rangel published a book about his contributions to Macanese culture and history. Jorge Forgaz calls him the most distinguished Macanese of the 20 th Century.
In Hong Kong my grandfather Joao Jeronimo worked for the Hong Kong and Whampoa docks as an accountant and lived in the employee quarters in the Hunghom area of Hongkong. He later joined Kowloon Docks and moved to the Kowloon “Mata Moro” in Granville Road.
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A Macanese Entrepreneur
My grandfather was active in the Macanese community in Hong Kong and was one of the founding fathers of the Sociadade Beneficente Portugueza de Hongkong. The Honorary President was Dr. Lourenco Marques and the President of the General Assembly was Agostino G. Romano, Consul General of Portugal. Mr. Braga writes in his memoirs that Club Recreio had its genesis in my grandfather’s living room. He would offer his home to a group of friends to play cards every weekend and they became the founding members of Club Recreio.
My father Luiz Braz Gomes, the consummate entrepreneur , was born in Hong Kong in 1896. In his youth, he worked for General Electric of Great Britain in Canton, China as an accountant, but in the late 1920’s he got bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and decided to go into business with his friend, William Jacks, and they formed William C. Jacks & Co., incorporated in Hong Kong.
Before the war, William C Jacks & Co had offices in Holland House in Hong Kong and a subsidiary called Phoebus Neon Light Company on Hangkow Road in Kowloon. The company imported electrical appliances and exported enamelware and Hong Kong made textiles. For better or worse, his company erected the first neon light sign on Nathan Road, Kowloon and forever changed the appearance of this majestic street.
William C. Jacks & Co was quite successful in those days, and we lived a fairly comfortable life. He was even able to purchase a house, in Humphrey’s Ave for his family and enjoy the company of his friends in the “Club” playing hearts and manila. He also indulged in his life long passion – hunting in the New Territories with his friends. He especially enjoyed visiting my mother’s cousins “the Cruz family” in Saigon to hunt wild boar. However, the Second World War changed everything. At the outbreak of the war, his partner and friend Williams C. Jacks died and my father was left with the unenviable task of liquidating the business and joined the rest of the community in the mass evacuation to Macao.
Portugal was neutral during the Second World War, so the Macao government arranged for two mass evacuations to Macao. The first evacuation took place in January 1942, and some months later there was a second evacuation Luiz ‘Ito’ Gomes 2 nd row far right which, included our family.
Most of the Portuguese from Hong Kong who went to Macao during the war, lived in communal settings and were fed by the Portuguese authorities. We however were fortunate, since my father received a subsidy from the British Government and was also able to garner employment with Melco Electric since his uncle worked as a mechanical engineer for the company. The money he received from Melco was deducted from our subsidy, but the job kept him busy and productive during those dark days of the war, and we were able to buy goods such as beans, rice, oil, etc at the company store at a reduced rate.
After the war, in 1945 my father and my older brother Jackie returned to Hong Kong and prepared the house on Humphrey’s Ave for the family and restarted William C. Jacks & Co. The house was in awful disrepair as squatters had settled in during the war. The population of Hong Kong had dwindled to 600,000 as most had fled to China and Macau during the occupation. UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 9 of 36
A Macanese Entrepreneur
In the aftermath of the war, the government and business leaders in Hong Kong were anxious to get as many businesses going as fast as possible. Dad was able to get a loan from the Bank and restarted William C. Jacks & Co. He had no collateral, but fortunately for him, many of his Macanese friends went back to work for the major Banks in Hong Kong. I always remember him telling me that he got the loan based on “his reputation and a handshake”. He set up his main office on 7 Ice House Street (Fu House) in Hong Kong and established an electrical repair business in the godown in Kowloon.
Many Macanese entrepreneurs who returned to Hong Kong after the war also established offices in Fu House. During my teens, I spent many a summer in that building visiting with many of the Macanese business owners
William C Jacks & Co exported textiles and enamelware to South East Asia, South Africa and South America. They also imported small machinery and refurbish them in a warehouse near the old Holts Warf in Kowloon. In my youth, I would ride my bike over to the warehouse and chat with the workmen repairing electrical machinery. I learned a great deal from them and became adept at fixing the dynamo which ran the lights on my bike. I always enjoyed spending time there, until one day, I saw one of the workman get electrocuted – I never went back again. Godowns in Kowloon near Holts Warf My father, like most Macanese of that era, hired many relatives and friends. My mother’s cousin, Tully Victor worked for my father in the Kowloon Office, next to Lambert Brothers Auctioneers, in those early years. My Uncle Francisco “Bottles” Botelho worked for him for many years after the war; he would live with us during the week and commute back to his home in Macao on the weekends. My father’s sister, Auntie Mia Remedios worked for him after her husband passed away. My dad’s friend Mr. Ribeiro, worked for him as an accountant. He even had a Spanish Interpreter Mr. Fong, who prepared all the documents for South America. Even my brother Jackie worked for him when he returned from Brazil in the early fifties.
The business thrived after the war and there were over 30 full time employees between his office in Hong Kong and the Godown in Kowloon. Unfortunately my father did not understand that not everyone was as generous and honest as himself. He was an easy mark and was defrauded by a Brazilian firm, which took him for a substantial sum of money. The Brazilian Company ordered some machinery from him and sent him a Letter of Credit for HK$1,000,000 drawn on a reputable bank. He shipped the goods and when it arrived in Brazil, they would not accept the goods, so it sat on the docks while the lawyers had a field day. He finally had to settle for 50 cents on the dollar. That was a lot of money in those days and William C. Jacks & Co never fully recovered after that, and was sold to an American company in the late 40’s. Luiz B Gomes on left with business associates
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 10 of 36
A Macanese Entrepreneur
A very interesting thing happened after my father left William C. Jacks & Co. I remember a family meeting to discuss finances, since my father would not be drawing a monthly salary from his business in the near future. To our surprise, my mother brought out her savings book and turned it over to my dad – apparently, all these years she had been saving a portion of the household expenses. I learned a valuable lesson from my mother – always prepare for a rainy day. We subsisted on her savings while my dad started a new business.
My father then started an Import and Export business on his own called Luiz B Gomes & Co in the early 50’s. They imported used Singer Industrial sewing machines, refurbished them, and sold them to the textile factories cropping up in the new territories. In the early days of the business, he had the used Singer Industrial sewing machines delivered to our house on Humphrey’s Avenue and his employees would recondition them in our front yard. Even I learned to recondition the old machines. What a sight this was – I am sure our neighbors were not very happy with us.
He then imported sewing machines from Japan and opened a showroom in Prince Edward Road in the early 50’s, to display his imported sewing machines & give sewing classes. He even had his own brand name “Gomesco” on his sewing machines. He exported clothing and enamelware to South Africa and other Latin American countries from his Hong Kong office – however, he never traded with Brazil again. He also had a granite quarry at the end of Diamond Hill. My brother Francis, and I, loved to ride our bikes to the quarry and play in the hills above the quarry. We were always very careful and paid attention to the red flag & horn which would signal that they were ready to set of a series of dynamites to dislodge the granite. We must have paid attention, or our guardian angels sure worked overtime, since we are both still alive today. This company lacked capital and never achieved its full potential. However, it survived for close to 15 years and provided a decent living for our family.
My father had many great qualities, but the one I most value, is time he spent with the family even though he had a very busy schedule. Every Sunday, throughout the summers, he would pile us into his old Oldsmobile, and take us to the “shack” at Eleven Mile Beach. We would leave right after Mass on Sunday mornings and come home late at night after dinne r. This was the highpoint of our lives - These were the best of times . Amizade By Cecilia Jorge (translation by Jorge Remedios) A Amizade é como os ângulos Friendships are like angles agudos, obtusos, acute or obtuse, e também rectos, and yet also right, traçados a eito, certos Well defined, certain
A Amizade não é como os ângulos But friendships are unlike angles Não tem medida, by having neither measure, nem grau nor degree
Tem vértice e dois lados There’s a point and two sides de amplitude variável of varying lengths um ponto de partida define o espaço definível and a starting point to begin a space mas chega ao infinito that stretches to infinity
Tão geométrico como o ângulo, racional, As geometric as the angle, rational, a Amizade não se explica Friendship does not need to reveal Muito mais do que isso more than this Amizade vem de início, It comes at the very beginning e chega ao fundo de nós and reaches our very depths sem compasso, without a compass sem transferidor or a protractor
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 11 of 36
By Joyce van Langenberg
My country called my name and thus I came To this foreign land of shifting sand, Babylon, the holy place of Ramadam, Where the mighty Euphrates leisurely flow And the dazzling sun sets the horizon aglow, Our images their distorted shadows throw Silhouettes across white sands of timeless beauty, Pallid as death slow as a soldier’s last breath.
This burden I carry upon my back Conscience as heavy as an army pack, My phantom foe will he understand When we meet face to face in trench or street That I am no less a man than he Skin smooth as ivory, black as ebony, This heart of mine throbs in wild disparity I am afraid! My enemy is a man like me
Our eyes meet, rifle sights set, “ Fire!” I hear our sergeant’s barking command Only this is not a rifle practice, Blood, like the slow trickle from a faucet Spreads silently over the white sand A man lay dying in his own sacred land, Like dimpled dew a tear stays Bright and wet on his dirt-strewn face
My eyes have seen enough to last a lifetime They burn, how they burn, searing my brain, Draining away the blood in my vein, This heart of mine once tender and green Long for the gentle hills of home, The freedom to walk, run and roam Where the grass is green like the sea And my wife and son smiling at me
The fighting drags on and day after day my comrades Repose in wooden caskets under our country’s flag, Purple hearts interred with their bones In the deep delved earth of their birth; The eagle soars over snow-capped mountain ridges And dips from level to level seeking out its prey The lion stalks the unwary deer ready for the kill, In the desert a metronome ticks my life away.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 12 of 36
By Jim Silva
To define ‘Macanese’ will not be easy. To do so could be controversial as well, because at one time in Macao many years ago, trying to define it’s meaning brought on different opinions and some bad feelings as well.
To begin with let us agree on one acceptable and basic recognized premise---A Macanese is a person from Macao of mixed Portuguese and Asian heritage- or else a person descended from this mixture but not now living in Macao. We know that there has been a worldwide dispersal of Macanese from the Orient from the 1950s.
However , the above simplification can take other turns. For instance, how long would it take an immigrant to lose his or her ‘Macaneseness’? Unlike in the old days, there is this tendency now to marry outside of the community when not in the Orient. This could continue into the second and third generation and beyond .. Would offspring still consider themselves Macanese? Hardly.
Further- because of our roots we are aware that the origins of many Macanese also spring from a Macao where some are progeny of pure Chinese racial strains. These Macanese have readily achieved integration into the community because of their acceptance and attitude of many cultural aspects- such as language, religion and names. This integration has in turn fostered intermarriage among themselves or with other established Macanese.
There is this mixing and mingling of different heritages. Thankfully this blending was never socially restrictive nor was it racially restrictive. Our tangled roots would make a farce of this. Instead it should be an acceptance of the general perception as well as self perception. General perception that our history, background and culture is what really unites us. There is a difference between a Chinese from Macao and a Macanese from Macao of Chinese origin.
‘Macanese’ should not necessarily have a racial connotation- but rather an acceptance of a unique shared background. Wikipedia produce further insights on this subject and I quote:-
Macanese People:--- Macanese can be a general term for residents or natives of Macau, a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China and a former Portuguese colony. More specifically , the Macanese are an ethnic group which originated in Macau since the 16th century, comprising mostly of people with some Portuguese ancestry.
Since Portuguese settlement in Macau dated since 1557 included a strong Catholic presence, a number of Chinese converted to Catholicism. A large element of Macanese can trace their roots to these new Christians. Many of these Chinese became assimilated into the Macanese community, dropped their Chinese surnames and adopted Portuguese surnames. In the collective Macanese folk memory there is a little ditty about the parish where these Chinese converts lived. It is surmised that many Macanese with surnames of Rosario or Rosa were of Chinese ancestry
Macanese Identity Dispute : There is some dispute around the exact meaning of ‘Macanese’. An essay by Mr. Marreiros offers abroad spectrum of ‘Macanese types’, ranging from Chinese Christian converts who live among the Portuguese to the descendants of old-established families of Portuguese lineage; all groups are integrated into this historically legitimate group. As a rule , it is not a point of reference , however for ethnic Chinese living and raised in Macau, they often identify themselves as Chinese or Chinese from Macau. ‘Macanese’ is applied to those persons who have been acculturated through Western education and religion and are recognized by the Macanese community as being Macanese. (There are many pretenders who have claimed to be Macanese. Although one’s ethnic identity is a personal project, ultimately , any claim to a Macanese identity is either accepted or refuted by the already existing Macanese community on criteria dependent upon shared cultural heritage and collective notions)
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 13 of 36
Escape from Singapore By Gilbert Wells
As Canadian troops arrived in Singapore to be marched into captivity auntie Marie Augusta de Sousa Leitão along with her husband Eduardo and children Maria Luisa and Edurado were able to get onto this last boat out. In the confusion auntie Marie had forgotten her jewelry and Miss Leung Mo Kit, the amah, volunteered to risk missing the boat and went back to the house and returned with the jewelry. It came in handy later as a means of barter.
The ship dropped them in Goa but there was no way of making a living there and eventually the family moved to Bangalore. They were taken in by the Rebellos, a Portuguese/Indian family, at 22 Cubon Road. Maria Luisa attended the Sacred Heart High School and Eduardo was at St Joseph's B.H. School in Bangalore.
Her husband Eduardo died of pneumonia in April 1945, aged 51, and is buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery, Hosur Road in Bangalore. The inscription on his tombstone, chosen by Maria Luisa, is:
One who never turned his back, But marched breast forward, Never doubted clouds would break, Hold we fail to rise, are baffled To fight better, sleep to wake" (Browning)
The jewelry came in handy to sustain the family while Auntie Marie worked for the WRVS in Bangalore.
When WW II ended Auntie Marie contacted her brother, Mickey, and also Mr. Childe (Eduardo's old employer at China Underwriters) in Hong Kong who helped the family reach Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong auntie Marie had a souvenir shop and worked 10 years as the assistant manager at the Miramar Hotel on Kimberley Road, Kowloon. When the Chinese bought the hotel she was paid off and she invested the money in a property which she rented to employees of Pan American Airways. With the remaining funds she and Maria Luisa went to Portugal where they remained. Her son, Eduardo, was already living and studying in England by then.
New Portuguese Consul arrives in Macau
On February 26, 2009 Diplomat Manuel Maria Cansado de Carvalho arrived in Macau to assume his duties as the new consul general of Portugal were he intents to work on the Portuguese heritage in Asia.
“Portugal has been present in Macau for over 400 years, and there is clearly accumulated heritage, present and past, so it is our mission to transport it into the future”, he said minutes after landing in Macau from Singapore. He said his mission includes “the Portuguese presence in Macau and Hong Kong as well” and that he will work for the community with authorities of Macau and Hong Kong as well as from China.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 14 of 36
Ode to the Ramos Sisters Submitted by Zella Kotela
A is for awareness she had of those around M for Macau, her beloved home town A stands for the anecdotes she told that made us laugh L is for the loyalty she felt on others behalf I for integrity she showed her whole life A stands for attention she paid as mother and wife
R stands for religion that gave her life meaning A is for ability to help another fellow being M is for mah jongg, a game she liked to play O stands for originality, coped with come what may S is for style, she created her own with what came her way
S is for star shining brightly after she’s gone T for her many talents with which she was born E stands for the example she set. She was full of love L is for the love she gave, given to her from above A stands for ability, she was everybody’s friend
J is for the joy she brought into the lives of others A is for amiability, in her eyes we are all brothers M stands for mah jongg, she liked to gamble E is for excellence, her editables we loved to sample S for selflessness, there is no better example
Antonio (Tony) Xavier passes Bar Submitted by Maria-Helena Xavier
Antonio (Tony) Xavier son of Maria-Helena Xavier , already a computer engineer, passed the California Bar in November. Tony married last July to Nicole Meyer of Newark at an exotic ceremony on the island of Maui, now reside in Alexandria, Virginia where Tony accepted a position with the Federal Government Patent Office. Naturally their “baby”, (English Bulldog – Gummy Bear) went along with them. Gummy Bear is well educated and will shake hands upon introduction, if you don’t mind, having made top marks in obedience school.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 15 of 36
“Mad Haters” Birthday Party Submitted by Maria-Helena Xavier
Judith (Noronha) Braun recently celebrated her 83 rd birthday. Daughter, Maria-Helena Xavier threw a small cozy Chinese luncheon attended by some new friends from the mobile community, plus Alda Xavier, Linda Carter Madeira from San Francisco and Orlanda da Costa from Concord.
This was followed by a “Mad Hatter’s” Tea Party at Maria-Helene’s home in Hayward, New England Village, a mobile community were Maria-Helena has been residing since 2005 when she sold the family home of 28 years. Ladies at the tea parry had “Jai” vegetarian specialty plus a delicious birthday cake from Chinatown and a delicious coffee caramel crunch cake – yummy. Then mother and daughter did a celebratory dance to Tom Jones’ “Its not unusual”. All the ladies donned “chapeaus.
1959’s Party Submitted by Gertrude De Souza
Bottom L-R: Melitta Viera Ribeiro, Helen Azevedo, Vina de Souza Richard da Silva, Robert Viera, Paul Boulay, David Masters, Unknown. 2nd Row: Arthur Britto, Raphael Roza, Alice Viera, Carlos Viera, Unknown, Girlie Morales, Unknown, Unknown, Sheila & Sonny Azevedo, Unknown 3rd Row: Unknown, Dorothy Maher, Sylvia Carvalho, Aurea de Souza, Guida, Aunty Cissy Morales Silva, Uncle Eco Franco, Carmen & Eddie Passos, Aunty Betty Franco, Julia de Souza 4th Row: Unknown, Sonny Azevedo, Arfie Morales, Cypri Caldas, Chifat, Onofre Souza, Alice Silva, Gerry Morales, Betty Bugo, Tony Taves, Unknown, Hersha Pinna, Jackie Pinna, Therese Pinna, Unknown, Unknown 5th Row: Rufina Delgado, Ozorio, David Malig Unknown Top: Aunty Lolly.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 16 of 36
The Leader of the Puck Submitted by Catherine Remedios
On February 22, 2009, the San Francisco Examiner ran a very nice story about Michael Remedios, son of Dr. Peter Remedios, Asst. Chief of Medicine at Kaiser Hospital and grandson of long time UMA member Catherine and Bob Remedios.
As a child, Michael loved skating with his mom Chris and at the age of 7 took lessons at the Yerba Buena Center, the home of the Sabercats and thus an ice hockey player was born. After a year in skating school Michael joined the Sabercats beginner program, the Dragons. Michael moved on to play with the Sabercats’ travel team, the Peewees at age 11-12, the Bantams at age 13-14 and currently at the age of 16 he is with the Midgets.
His loyalty to the program may finally pay off as the team has jelled this season. With Michael as the setup man for his linemate Aaron Cera’s goals, the postseason may became a reality. The team now has a chance of holding on to its fourth place standing in the NorCal division to gain a playoff berth.
Cera credits Michael’s leadership for the team’s success. “Michael is the most passionate player on our team,” Cera said. “He is the type of player that leads by example. He really inspires the team. He’ll do anything on the ice to win. You really don’t find players who will put the team above themselves.”
In the final moments of a recent game which saw the Sabercats leading by a goal and the opposing team having pulled its goalie, Michael showed how unselfish he is. “He pulled the puck to the corner rather then take the risk of missing a goal and giving the opponent an opportunity to tie the game. He really is the captain of the team. He’s not just talk” era said. Michael’s coach Brian Gray believes that Michael has a chance to play college hockey with a Division III team.
A Taste of Macau
Geraldine da Luz advises us that the City College of San Francisco will be presenting “A taste of Macau” at the Educated Palate Restaurant, their downtown Culinary School, 88 Fourth St, San Francisco on May 14, 2009.
Dinners are entirely conceptualized, prepared and served by students in the Culinary Arts & Hospitality Program and Geraldine is the student in charge of the May 14, event – A Taste of Macau. 3 Course dinners: $19.95 Wines by the glass: $5.00 Corkage $7.00 Served Thursdays from 5:30-8:00 pm (last reservation at 7:30 – Everyone welcome! Reservation 415-267-6512
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 17 of 36
By Pauline de Assis
It’s winter in the Bay Area and the greens are not so inviting when the chilly air hits your bones. In Rossmoor the never-say-die bowlers just braved the elements and did their thing. For six weeks then, at only one game per week, they slugged it out, postponing some games when it poured, with substitutions when sickness struck, etc. First place winners were Jack Landman, Ed da Silva and Lois Piade; second place saw the Roliz brothers, Miguel and Jerry with Roe Hazelwood taking the honors. Other bowlers though seek the sunshine and where better to bowl in the sunshine than in Sun City, AZ!
The Pacific Inter-Mountain Division (PIMD) 2009 season has not yet begun but the lawn bowling enthusiasts pay no mind to the seasons as long as the sun shines and there’s a tournament afoot. In the South Central Division, bowling starts early in the year as the weather is so conducive to bowling. So it was that Sandy and Peter Souza returned to their second home in Sun City, Arizona (it’s a 6-months here and 6-months there deal for them) in early January as tournaments were already scheduled in early/mid January for which they did not want to miss. Andre and Regina Banares, like the Souzas, also spend a good six months or so in Sun City (their second home as well in the winter months). Pauline and Ed de Assis didn’t want to miss out on the January tournaments either, so they too flew down for the January as well as the February tournaments.
In January, there ware the Gil Stephan Fours (Jan. 10-12), the Salisbury Singles (Jan 13-14) and the Thomson- Zevic Pairs. (Jan 15-17).
Frank Souza, now a resident of Sun City Arizona, was the Bob Lane Award Winner of the week, placing 3 rd in the 4’s, 1 st in the Singles and 2 nd in the Pairs.
Other winners: Mixed Rinks (4’s) in 4 th place were Dick and Jessie Saunders and Regina and Andre Banares.
The Thomson-Zevic Pairs: Third Flight, 2 nd Place – Pauline and Ed de Assis
The South Central Open was held in Sun City, Arizona, starting on Feb. 7th through Feb. 12th. There were many participants from all over, such as England, Scotland and many Canadians. The tournaments were scheduled for two days for each event. The men played triples, pairs and singles and the women played fours, singles and pairs, respectively. All the men's games were played in Sun City West while the ladies were assigned to different venues like Bell, Fairway and Oakmont. Each event had a format of 4 10-end games the first day, with everyone returning on the second day, playing at least one or two 14-end games to stay in the flight that they classified for after the results of the first day of games. If a team loses the second game, they were automatically out with no prize money.
Women Pairs Championship Flight - 2 nd place: Sandy Souza and Ria Wilson Third Flight - 1 st place: Regina Banares and Barbara Roller Women’s Fours Second Flight - 1 st place: Sandy Souza, Jean Brighton, Ria Wilson, Betty Mayne Men’s Singles Fourth Flight - 2 nd place: Andre Banares Men’s Triples Fifth Flight - 1 st place: Len Hitchcock, Frank Souza, Don Wood Men’s Pairs Championship Flight - 3 rd place: Len Hitchcock and Frank Souza Sixth Flight - 1 st place: Ed de Assis and Bob Schwartz
Opening Day for PIMD is scheduled for March 28 th to be played in the Oakland Lawn Bowls Club (OLBC) and we anticipate there’ll be close to 100 or more participants.
PIMD is trying to organize the local clubs to declare May 9 th as the California Statewide Lawn Bowls Day where the clubs can have open houses to promote and publicize this great sport. The media outlets will be informed and we hope to get a lot of exposure. Hopefully, this will really set the stage for a great influx of new bowlers – way to go!
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 18 of 36
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 19 of 36
February 6, 2009
Dear Mr. Gomes,
That was an excellent article in the last issue of the Bulletin about the Cathedral in Shanghai… I was born in Shanghai and lived there 28 years but never visited the Cathedral.. I knew at the time of such a building, located in Zi-ca-wei; someone (I think my elder brother) had told me that there were no pews, just like the Russian Orthodox Church whose walls were adorned with pictures and icons, but people had to stand during the interminable ceremonies while the priests droned on and on. They had groups of men assigned to carry out people who fainted during long ceremonies, overcome by fatigue and the smell of incense. ………………
A young person might ask: “How could one live in a city for 28 years and not visit such an important building?” It can be comprehended when one realizes what modes of transport were available. You either used your two feet, a bicycle, a rickshaw, later a Pedi cab, a public tram or bus. It was uncommon for anyone I knew to own an automobile and taxis were used for rare and exceptional occasions. A trip from Shanghai to the suburb of Zi-ca-wei was like a visit to a foreign country and the only trip I made inside China during my twenty eight years was the long train ride to Canton when I left the country for good.
In contrast, years later, I made a number of trips with my daughter and her family during which, (at first) centuries’ old Cathedrals and churches were obligatory stops during the tours and the reaction from the kids were a protest in unison “NOT AGAIN!! NOT ANOTHER CHURCH!!!”
Since leaving Shanghai in 1951 I have made one return visit to the Far East, a group tour, a few weeks prior to the return of Macau to China…….The changes to Shanghai were astounding. Because of the soil conditions, the tallest building was 14 storey, now in Pudong, across the river where there had been only rice paddies, they have structures like the TV Tower and buildings over 100 storey tall and I am sure there have been more astounding changes since.
I have ordered a copy of Memoirs written by my daughter from the publisher Xlibris (Memoirs: From Old Shanghai to the New World) which you should be receiving in a few days. The personal story might be of interest to anyone who like me survived during that time and is now settled here in the US or elsewhere.
With kindest regards
Anatole Maher 3726 Hermitage Road East Jacksonville, Fl 3227-2003
(Editor’s Note: Memoirs: by Toni Maher & Anatole Maher can be ordered from Amazon.com)
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 20 of 36
February 20 th , 2009
Dear Raquel,
I am Rick Rozario, an overseas member of UMA’s San Francisco Chapter. I am an avid and fervent reader of UMA’s News Bulletin and wish to compliment its Editor, Daniel Gomes, for the superb quality of its Editorials and News Items contained therein. Lyce and I look forward to it and we both read it through from the first to the last page! Please convey our appreciation to Daniel for an excellent job well done!
I am also taking this opportunity to thank you personally for the excellent service to UMA and wish you continued success in your second term as our UMA President. Your contribution in bringing in the members of UMA and the other two San Francisco Casas under the umbrella of M.C.C. is a monumental step that will advance club unity in the Bay Area for years to come. Thank you for your vision, leadership and courage in seeing it through!
The upcoming 50 th Anniversary of UMA is also a monumental milestone and the Past Presidents and Board Members who contributed to UMA’s success all those past years are to be congratulated! We look forward to UMA’s grand birthday on November 8, 2009.
In conclusion, I am enclosing a US money order for US$100.00 as a donation to the new Macau Cultural Center from me and my wife Lyce as part of the “Original Friends of MCC.” Please list this donation as follows: From: Rick & Lyce D’Assumpçao Rozario .
Sincerely & Best Regards, Rick & Lyce Rozario
Dear Mrs. Remedios,
Subject: Production Project of the Documentary-Video "Ou Mun Ian, Macanese"
Sorry for the belated message. We would like to thank your institution for greeting and helping us during our stay in California for the third phase of the documentary video production project “Ou Mun Ian, Macanese”.
Flora and I are now in Lisbon for our studies, we have been here for almost one month and have already settled down. Seasons, our videographer is in Macau, working on this project .
With the cooperation and help from the associations with Macau root in the world, we have done part of the information collecting and recording in an audio-visual form. We hope that we could take part in preserving Macau’s history through the memories of Macau people by the information collected for the documentary video “Ou Mun Ian, Macanese”. The videos will be kept in the Studio’s Nilau archive and used in “Ou Mun Ian, Macanese” and other documentaries that we produce.
We would like to take this chance to thank and show our gratitude to the ones who helped us and who kindly accepted our invitations for interview. To you, Mr. Daniel Roberto Gomes, Mr. Frederic A. Silva, Mr. Jorge Remedios, Mrs. Maria Alice Guterres, Mrs. Maria Fátima da Roza Gomes, Ms. Rita Filomena Vieira-Ribeiro , Ms Sheila Collaço and Mr. Roberto António da Costa. Please let us know if we have missed anyone who helped us and please kindly send our regards to them.
Moreover, as we will present the testing edition of our documentary in Portugal in May and we are now preparing the brochure - we would be grateful if you and your club’s members could provide us with some old photos, documents and videos.
Thank you very much in advance! Warmest regards from Lisbon, Miguel (Cheong Kin Man) UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 21 of 36
San Francisco Chapter News by Alex Xavier
All Day Social: On April 9, 2009 San Francisco Chapter had its All Day Social. It was a nice event for members and friends.
We had nine mahjong tables, two Mexican train games going on and a poker game. All participants were having a great time! We started the morning with donuts, then we had lunch, and later we had tea time and dinner. There was a lot to eat!
From Maureen and Alex: We wish to thank the following people for their help; setting up, doing iscellaneous chores throughout the day, cleaning up and packing up in the evening: Aunt Rita, Millie and Bernard Brown, Tila Danenberg, Gabby, Margie and Sidney Shaw, Branda and Vic Pedruco, Flavia Greubel, Barbara and Bernie Vas, Marie and Ed Machado, Elenice and Johnny Marques, Donnie Cruz, and Jack Ferras. If we forgot anyone, we want you know that we appreciate all of you very much.
New Members: Rafael L. and Priscilla M. Da Rosa
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Remember the 1 st Three Letters: Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S * Ask the individual to SMILE. T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today) R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the emergency number (911) immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke ------Stick out Your Tongue.
NOTE: Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ‘stick’ out his/her tongue. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.
A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this e-mail sends it to 10 people, you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
TENTATIVE Schedule of Events for 2009 Sunday, April 19 Spring Dinner Dance Sun./Mon., June 14 & 15 Reno Trip Friday, July 24 Member Appreciation Lunch Monday, August 10 All Day Social Friday, October 9 S.F. Chapter Annual General Meeting (AGM) Sun./Mon., October 18 &19 Reno Trip Friday, December 11 Christmas Dinner Dance
All Members are encouraged to send in news you wish to share in the bulletin. Please feel free to call Alex Xavier at 650/991-2868, 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.
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 22 of 36
SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER’S FIRST 2009 ALL DAY SOCIAL One of our 2 popular Annual All Day Social Events
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 23 of 36
Greater East Bay Chapter By Maria Zinha Gomes
GEB CELEBRATES THE YEAR OF THE OX 2009 Member Appreciation Chinese New Year Dinner Held on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at the 3 Brothers From China Restaurant
Ena & Maurice Ward and Virginia & Carlos D’Almeida Horatio & Yvonne Ozorio and Arthur Remedios
Joe & Christine de Graca, Robert & Margaret de Graca Felice Santos, Mariette Rozario, and Vilma Remedios
Members of the Greater East Bay Chapter and their friends enjoyed a Chinese Banquet that started with a Deluxe Sea Food Soup, followed by Peking Duck, Sea Food in a Basket, Honey Walnut Prawns, Golden Crispy Chicken, Salt & Pepper Pork Chops, Oyster Sauce Beef and Chinese Broccoli, Braised Whole Rock Cod, and Water Chestnut Tapioca. From the hum of the room it was obvious that everyone had a great time and enjoyed their dinner. The photographer regrets that some of the photos did not turn out so some of the people were not included in these photos: Louise and Bill Lee, Doris and Fred da Silva, Gerry and Fred Piglowski, and Jeff Remedios. Vic & Ellen Boisseree
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 24 of 36
GEB CELEBRATES THE YEAR OF THE OX
Humberto Barros, Luiz Sequeira, Fernanda Barros, Manuella Sequiera, and Orlanda da Costa
Gabriella, Guida & Francis Gomes, Aida de Almeida. Terri & Ed da Silva, and Maria Zinha Gomes
Gail & Michael Palmer, and Gabriella & Guida Gomes Maria Zinha, Peter, and Daniel Gomes
UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Spring Issue 2009 Page 25 of 36
Greater East Bay Chapter
On March 14th, 2009 the Operating Committee of the Greater East Bay Chapter met at the beautiful residence of our Vice-President Maurice Ward and our State Board Director Ena Ward. We had a very enjoyable and productive meeting, and we indulged in a delicious potluck meal of good old Macanese Food. We welcome you, our members, to join us at our next meeting which will be our GEB Chapter’s 2009 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. It will also be a luncheon meeting, with good old Macanese Food, to be held on Saturday, October 10 th 2009 at noon, at the residence of Daniel and Maria Gomes.
The Operating Committee has cancelled our April and September Events which were supposed to be held at the Macau Cultural Center. These two events will be put off until the MCC building is completed and available for our use. Instead we will be bringing back our popular and well attended DIM SUM LUNCHEON. It will be held on Saturday, August 8th, 2009. Look for our event flyer in the next issue of our UMA News Bulletin. Finally by popular demand, we will again have our GEB Chapter’s FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY. It will be on held on Saturday, December 5th, 2009, at the Walnut Country Community Clubhouse in Concord.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS :
May 3, 2009, Sunday - MCC FUND RAISING DINNER DANCE August 8, 2009, Saturday - GEB CHAPTER’S DIM SUM LUNCHEON October 10, 2009, Saturday - GEB CHAPTER’S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING November 7, 2009, Saturday - 2009 UMA STATE BOARD AGM November 8, 2009, Sunday - UMA’s 50 th ANNIVERSARY PARTY December 5, 2009, Saturday - GEB CHAPTER’S FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY
New Member: Welcome Gustavo Da Roza from Surrey, B.C, Canada – Hope to see you at our future events.
The Officers, and Operating Members of the Greater East Bay Chapter congratulates Matt Castello and his in-laws, our GEB Secretary Robert de Graca and Margaret de Graca.
Robert de Graca writes:
I am proud to report that my son-in-law Matt Castello, was inducted into the 2008 De La Salle High School Athletic Hall of Fame on February 22, 2009. Matt was a three year Varsity baseball player, earning All League honors for two of those three years. He received a baseball scholarship from Saint Mary's College where he was a four-year starting player. He was the team's MVP his junior and senior years and would have been drafted if he had not hurt his elbow during the end of that final season. Matt has also been inducted to the Saint Mary's College Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the Clarinda (Iowa) A's Hall of Fame.
After college he played professional baseball in Europe, Australia and in the United States. He coached the De La Salle baseball team for ten years, and was named the “2000 coach the year” by the Oakland Tribune for leading the team to a NCS championship with a 26-1 record. He has been a teacher at De La Salle for 16 years and will be spending his summer break in Padua, Italy as he was invited back by their baseball team to coach.
(Editor’s Note: Matt is the husband of Desiree Castello who is a long time member of the Greater East Bay Chapter. Congratulations Matt, Desiree, daughter Chris, and the De Graca family).
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Southern California Chapter News By Sally Carchidi
My Friend from Toronto - Submitted by Rita Guterres
Like the birds that fly South in the winter, my good friend and classmate in years gone by, "flew" South for her annual winter visit to California. Mildred (known to many as Millie) Ozorio Castro has friends and family both in Northern as well as Southern California and she wisely divided her time equally between the two cities. I had the pleasure of showing off our beautiful new Cathedral, Our Lady Queen of Angels, in downtown Los Angeles. We attended the 12:30 p.m. Mass on Sunday and later strolled down "Olvera" Street (a Mexican tourist trap) and lunched at Philippe’s (famous for their French-dip sandwiches).
I also had the pleasure of driving Millie and her sister, Pat, to the Long Beach Shoreline. We lunched at Chili's and exercised the meal off by walking up a lovely path to the top of the Lighthouse and took in the magnificent view of Long Beach harbor with the Queen Mary ship in full view, surrounded by gliding yachts and sailing boats. We had a sense of how the "rich people" spend their weekends!!
The next day, I joined Millie at Virginia Silva's lovely apartment at Walnut Creek. We had an impromptu luncheon hosted by Vee and attended by 14 of Millie's classmates and friends. We ate and laughed about old times and couldn't believe how quickly we "connected" despite the many years we had not seen each other.
Thank you, Millie, for your friendship and we hope to see you again in 2010. Until then, keep smiling.
Our China Trip - By Gaby Sarrazolla
On New Year’s Eve, December 31 st ,2008, Leda and I began our China trip, first to Hong Kong for 20 days and then to Shanghai for the following 10 days.
We were fortunate to have a friend, Dora, who opened her homes in Hong Kong and Shanghai and was our tour guide for a whole month! She was a marvelous guide and we did our touring at our own pace and played mahjong when we just stayed home to rest. We had a memorable time.
Hong Kong was just magnificent to me. Shanghai was enormous and has potential to be quite a city! I was inspired with these two cities and wrote two poems while I was there.
We came home February 1 st , got on Business Class returning, (the only way to fly) and so glad to be back home. God bless the United States of America and no place in the world can match it. I truly appreciate America even more now!
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San Mateo Chapter News By Pauline de Assis
A Trip Down Under - by Jorge Remedios
We had been in Australia before, some ten years ago, but not New Zealand. So when the opportunity came with the annual reunion of Raquel's Maryknoll classmates (Class of '53) for a cruise on the new "Diamond Princess", we took off for Auckland to join our friends Marie-Cecile and Deniz (Chappy) d'Almada Remedios.
The cruise would last twelve days, visiting Tauranga, Christchurch, Dunedin, the fjords of South Island, Hobart in Tasmania, Melbourne, and arriving at Sydney where the four of us would spend eight more days basking in the hospitality of Alvaro and Therese Alonço, of Kirrawee, NSW, and other friends.
We were fortunate to have mostly fine weather on the voyage. In fact, the ship's captain said over the public address system that the crossing of the Tasman Sea from South Island westward to Hobart was the smoothest in his experience.
At Tauranga in the North Island, the first port of call out of Auckland, our party of nineteen people went on a bus tour to see the geothermal wonders of the Wai-O-Tapu Park south of Rotorua, where the Lady Knox geyser, New Zealand's answer to Yellowstone's Old Faithful, draws thousands of visitors each year. The Champagne Pool, a steaming lake of hot, hissing water colored by minerals of striking hues, contributes to making this volcanic wilderness a photographer's delight. Two of the world's great tectonic plates meet in New Zealand, so New Zealanders have much in common with Californians.
At Lyttelton, a short bus ride took us to the very English town of Christchurch, where antique tramcars, reminiscent of San Francisco's cable-cars, clang through the central downtown streets. A street fair in front of the Cathedral was where we spent a good part of the morning, browsing and shopping before having a hearty pub lunch at historic Bailie's Bar off the square.
The following day, cloudy and unexpectedly chilly, we arrived at Port Chalmers, and bused in to the charming city of Dunedin. Another street fair was in progress in the Octagon where stalls offering grilled food and savory pies tempted. (Street fairs seem to be as popular Down Under as they are Up Here in the summertime.) Then the sun came out and warmed things up enough for us to work up a sweat.
A full day at sea brought us around the southern tip of New Zealand and up its western edge to visit the Fjordlands. Dramatic vistas of green mountains and waterfalls dropping sharply into the water in the misty dawn were blurred by a steady cold drizzle. Two more sea days after leaving the Antipodes and then we arrived in Hobart, the first convict settlement in Australia. A pleasant small town, hilly and neat, and nice people. At departure the Tasmania Police band, in tartans and kilts, played their bagpipes to the applause of the passengers lining the decks. The strains of 'Highland Cathedral' and 'Amazing Grace' can bring a lump to any throat when a ship pulls away from shore.
We got in to Melbourne very early in the morning, and Vivienne Correa was waiting there to take us on a quick tour of the city. Later we would meet her husband Frank at his brother Bosco's house, where Bosco regaled us with his stories and recollections, and where we had tea with his wife Marilyn, and her sister visiting from England. At lunch at a dim sum restaurant, the nine of us were
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San Mateo Chapter joined by Francis and Estelle Ozorio, and we later ended up at Frank and Vivi's for dessert and more mata-saudades . Following the customary FM goodbyes, which can last many minutes, Marilyn drove us back to the ship just before sailing time.
Sydney Harbor at five in the morning is not as dramatic an experience as we had expected, but when the dawn broke, the sight of the great ship berthed between the twin great Sydney icons, the Harbor bridge and the Opera House, more than made up for the earlier disappointment. Along with Hong Kong and Rio de Janeiro, Sydney can lay claim to having one of the world's most beautiful harbors.
Alvaro and Therese Alonço were at the pier to pick us up in two cars (oh, yes, between our two couples we had a total of nine bags, large and small). That evening they had a party at their house. In attendance were: Evelyn Osmund, Daniel and Valerie Castro, Yvonne Castro, Myra Pringle, Fernando and Maria Fernanda Ribeiro, Carlos and Charito Remedios, and Tony and Olivia Basto. All were from the Sydney area, except for the Ribeiros, who came in from the capital, Canberra. The Alonço's daughters Jeannette and Daniela also brought their children to say hello to the visitors.
Most evenings saw us gathered at one or another of our friends' homes for drinks, quiet dinners, and long chats. Our days were spent sightseeing and shopping. We drove down the Grand Pacific Drive to Kiama, visited the Illawara Fly Treetop Walk in Jamberoo, wandered through The Rocks by Sydney Harbor, surveyed the Blue Mountains on a long hike, enjoyed the serenity of a Convent in the hills, and took in many other sights in New South Wales, in a convoy of two cars driven by our hosts. We also made a couple of trips by train from the suburb of Kirrawee into downtown Sydney. The view of Sydney harbor from its famous bridge is not to be missed, and if, like me, you enjoy savory pies, Australia is the place to visit. Matter of fact, Olivia Basto's meat pies, made in her shop daily, are top-drawer.
The weather was hot most of the time, February of course being the equivalent of our August. And they yearn for rain in Australia as much as we do here in California.
To sum things up, it was a wonderful three weeks. Lots to see and do in surroundings where the language is generally not hard to understand, and the US dollar is still holding its own (and in fact strengthened during our visit).
But I must say that the most fun was meeting and reminiscing with our friends, some of whom we had not seen in many a year.
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Morgan, Delores - Sister of the late Johnny del Rivero. Both long time members of UMA. Survived by 2 nephews and a niece.
La Salle College – 1949 (Henry De Souza Collection)
A Quarterly Publication of the Macanese Diaspora
Associate Editor: Francis Carion, 1112 Rockledge Lane. Walnut Creek, Ca 94595
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