By Jorge Remedios

UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Winter Issue 2009 of 36

Vol. 32. No. 4 A Publication of UMA, Inc Oct - Dec 2009

Editor: Daniel Gomes, 4394 N. Sweetbriar Ct, Concord, Ca 94521 E-Mail: [email protected]

By Jorge Remedios

Cecilia Rosario, Flavia Gruebel, Deacon Tony Baptista , Fr, Alex Lewis, Maria “Zinha” Gomes, , Fr.

Brian Nunes Raquel Remedios, Vilma Remedios, Titch da Luz, Felice Santos

It was the culmination of all the months of hard work and meticulous preparation.

The party to commemorate UMA’s founding fifty years ago took place on Sunday, November 8, 2009. The event was held on a beautiful November evening at the Del Valle Clubhouse in Rossmoor, a senior community in Walnut Creek, California, where a number of our members live. Its spacious hall easily accommodated the 216 members and guests.

The organizing committee, made up of eight lady members, each with specific responsibilities and duties, and assisted by equally hardworking and capable assistants, began its deliberations about a year ago. The group held regular meetings, developed a plan, with the single focus of making the celebration a very special one for our club.


UMA’s 50th

Anniversary Party

President Raquel Remedios acted as the linchpin to hold everything together. In her duties she was ably served by the committee, each one having a designated task and many willing helpers. The men-folk provided the muscle for occasional heavy lifting, but essentially their involvement was peripheral and decorative, as they allowed the women free rein – as well they would and should have, anyway.

There was to be singing, and so a choir had to be formed. Of course you first had to find people who could sing. No problem there. We have many in the community with good voices. All those karaoke parties of the past had succeeded in producing a covey of fine singers. But as there was to be a Mass, and the songs were sacred songs, you would need a combination of choir leader and music director. Who better than Maria (Zinha) da Roza Gomes, our club’s Vice President and herself a teacher of music.

Her determined recruiting efforts netted a choir that any parish would have been proud to have. By also having Bernard Brown to join the team as piano accompanist, and after countless rehearsals at her house, she whipped together a fine ensemble for the big event.

Invitations had been sent to a number of special guests, including several founding members of UMA. Of these only two, Bernie Pomeroy and Lionel Sequeira, were able to be present, the others having declined because they were unable to travel. Also invited were the Presidents of other Macanese organizations worldwide, including representatives of the two sister clubs in California. Nuno Prata da Cruz, President of Lusitano Club, was there with his wife Maria João, as was Irene Manhão, wife of Henrique Manhão, of Casa de Macau USA, who years before had started the Contra Costa Chapter of UMA. Henrique was away in Macau at a conference.

Luís Machado, Secretary-General of the Conselho das Comunidades Macaenses (CCM), had flown in from Macau especially for the occasion. He was there to represent the CCM and the Associação

Promotora da Instrução dos Macaenses (APIM).

The committee invited two Macanese priests from Southern California: Fr Alexander Lewis from Our Lady of Peace Church in North Hills, and Father Brian Nunes from Mary Star of the Sea Church in San Pedro, who jointly officiated at the Mass, with the participation of Deacon Tony Baptista of Reno.

At the Mass, Father Lewis and Father Nunes gave moving homilies, reminding those gathered there of their place of origin, and celebrating their sense of community in their new country. Father Lewis led the crowd in singing the Anniversary Song, to the delight of all.

Refreshments were served in a large room adjoining the main ballroom, and it would not be a Macanese reception without platters of chilicotes and other hors d’oeuvres that found their way through the crowd. I have it on good authority that over a thousand of those deep-fried half-moon delicacies, the chilicotes, were prepared at home to be fresh and piping hot at the party along with other finger food, and, later on, Macanese desserts of several varieties.

Some members had come long distances for this milestone celebration. And many who had not seen friends for many years took full advantage of an exceptional opportunity to renew acquaintances. Then came a catered dinner and then the speeches. President Raquel Remedios’s speech appears elsewhere in this issue.

Luís Machado read congratulatory messages from Dr José Manuel de Oliveira Rodrigues of APIM, and from Dr Jorge Hagedorn Rangel of the Instituto Internacional de Macau (IIM). Then Luís announced the unofficial news (99.99% sure, he averred) that Macau would be hosting another Encontro das


UMA’s 50th

Anniversary Party

Comunidades Macaenses in 2010, news that had been anticipated and was enthusiastically greeted. He presented gifts to UMA – a replica of São Paulo and a Macanese cookbook by Cecília Jorge. Master of Ceremonies Ray Xavier thanked everyone who helped make the event such a success, particularly all the organizers and helpers, and a special nod to Bob and Geri Sequeira for providing the music and the sound equipment for the dancing that followed.

UMA’s 50 years as the premier Macanese-American club will show the way, as Ray inferred in his speech, towards another 50 years of success.

UMA’s Celebrated Choir, Director Maria Gomes, Filice Santos, Raquel Remedios, Cecilia Rozario,

Vilma Remedios, Virgie Xavier, Peter Souza, Art Remedios, Ray Xavier, Eric Ribeiro and Bernard

Brown at the piano

Receiving Communion at 50th

Anniversary Mass Childhood friends meeting after many

years Vilma, Sally, Gerry and Mercia


It gives me great pleasure to announce that the consolidation of UMA into one unified club has been approved, effective January 1, 2010. We received a total of two hundred and thirty seven ballots (237), which members had cast on whether to merge the Chapters into a single entity; the results were 231 yes votes and 6 no votes. The ballots were counted and verified at the Annual General Meeting on November 7, 2009, and unanimously adopted by resolution of the Board of Directors.

There will be much work to do in the new year to bring about a smooth transition, and with the full and energetic cooperation of the Board of Directors and Members, UMA will move forward as a strong, revitalized, and smoothly functioning organization. Let's all chip in to help achieve this goal.

~~~~~~~~

During his recent visit, Luis Machado, Secretary General of the Conselho das Comunidades Macaenses, announced that there will be another Encontro in Macau in late November of 2010, and he urged our members and their families to attend. When the exact dates are confirmed, we will advise you of the travel arrangements.

~~~~~~~~

UMA's 50th Anniversary celebration on November 8th was held at the Del Valle Clubhouse in Rossmoor. As those who were there will attest, it was an incomparable event that will be one for the memory books. A more detailed account of the festivities appears elsewhere in the Bulletin. For those of you who were not able to be present, here is the text of my speech on that occasion:

“Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. A warm and hearty welcome to all of you. And special recognition to Founding Members, Bernard Pomeroy and Lionel Sequeira and Distinguished Guests: Luis Machado – here from Macau representing the Conselho das Comunidades Macaenses and APIM, Nuno da Cruz, President of Lusitano Club of California and Irene Manhão, the wife of Henrique Manhão, President of Casa de Macau USA.

We have come here today to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of UMA. In those five decades since its inception, from the time of its modest yet proud beginning, UMA has grown steadily to become an organization that today boasts approximately 800 members and is recognized by many to be the premier voice of the Macanese Diaspora.

Our members are to be found, not only here in California, where we began in 1959, but all over the United States, and in many countries worldwide. We are mindful of our status as the oldest organization of Filhos de Macau in the US, and perhaps in the hemisphere. Through our many social activities and through our well-respected quarterly, the UMA News Bulletin, we strive to keep the Macanese identity alive, and to promote harmony and good fellowship throughout the world of the Filhos de Macau. Whether we acknowledge that name, or any of its many other forms, like filomacs, FMs, nossa gente, or Ou Mun Ian, we represent a unique and historic culture of which we can really be proud.

I would like to give you a little history about UMA, some of which I was fortunate enough to obtain from longtime members of our Club. I had invited several people who were active from UMA’s early days to submit some of their recollections. These I am now happy to share with you.

Two of the original Members are here. Bernie & Lionel, would you please stand up. We regret that the three other founding members - Barry Barradas, Gaudie da Costa and Merce Ramos Westwood could not be with us tonight.


President’s Letter

Bernie Pomeroy recalls that some time in 1959 he, Alberto Almeida and Tony Gonsalves spent one lunch hour at the Crocker Bank in San Francisco discussing the idea of forming a club for the immigrants of Portuguese descent from the Far East to these shores.

Beginning in May of 1959, Alberto Almeida organized meetings to discuss the formation of the club and, as a result of these deliberations, União Macaense Americana, or UMA was founded. It is clear from the name of UMA, that from the very beginning we saw ourselves as uma, or one, one united organization.

We were officially incorporated in California on October 21, 1959. The original objectives of UMA remains the same to this day, namely, “to preserve and promote the culture, heritage, tradition and history of our Portuguese/Macanese ancestry, to maintain a fraternal relationship with similar groups globally and to promote intellectual and social intercourse among the members thereof.”

The largest migration of the Macanese to the United States from the Far East began in the mid 1950s. Over the next several decades they continued to come, and mainly they settled in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In those early years, UMA assisted new immigrants to find employment and to get settled in the new country. When possible, we offered modest financial assistance to families who needed help to get started. But our main focus then, as now, was on the social and sporting life of the community. There were dinner dances, New Year’s Eve parties at various venues in San Francisco, and annual pilgrimages to the Five Wounds Church in San Jose. There were picnics in the Golden Gate Park, and we formed bowling, softball and soccer teams. UMA also held annual bazaars to raise funds for the refugees still remaining in the camps in Macau.

The objectives of the early Club remain true today. Even as we grew, our ideals remained the same.

Jim Silva writes that in the early 70s, our constitution was amended to include the formation of Chapters under the auspices of a Statewide Board of Directors. By then many members had moved out of San Francisco. The chapters were devised to allow our far-flung membership more local autonomy in their respective locales.

San Francisco was then, and is still today, UMA’s largest Chapter. Most of the original settlers first lived in San Francisco, and formed the solid core upon which the Club was founded. In the past 15 years or so the Chapter has been successfully led by Alex Xavier, who along with his Operating Committee has been responsible for organizing many popular functions annually for their Chapter as well as all UMA members.

Beginning in the late 60s, a number of the younger FMs had moved out of San Francisco to adjacent suburbs. The late Bernie Santos, who then lived in San Mateo, was prompted by UMA’s Board to try and recruit some young suburbanites who were not members of UMA at the time, to form a new Chapter. His hard work came to fruition in 1971 when the San Mateo Chapter was formed and eventually grew to be the second largest Chapter. Its first officers were: President Bernie Santos, Vice-President Rick Oliveira, Secretary Ramon Xavier, Treasurer John Carion and with a large Operating Committee of over 20 members, many of whom are still in the Committee to this day.


President’s Letter In 1978, the East Bay Chapter was formed with Tony Baptista as the founder and first President. The first meeting was held in Tony and his wife Ena’s home in San Leandro. On that occasion, Manuel Pereira who was then President of San Mateo Chapter presented Tony with a check for $100.00 from San Mateo to help East Bay get started. East Bay’s first officers were: President Tony Baptista, Vice President Victor da Costa, Treasurer Bill Leitão, and Secretary Lena Baptista.

Delano Pereira sent me the following report entitled THE BIRTH OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER OF UMA, and I quote from it:

“In the mid 60s in Southern California, a group of FilhoMacs, many of them members of UMA in San Francisco, got together to start a self-help project.”

Meetings were held in various homes. From this simple beginning of social interaction began the idea of forming a club to hold get-togethers, dances, picnics, field softball and soccer teams! This was the birth of Portu-Cal. The early founders were from Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau.

In 1974, the then UMA President Ricardo Leão and Secretary Oscar Collaco came to visit this group. The idea of forming a chapter of UMA for the people in Southern California was suggested. By unanimous decision this Southern California Chapter of UMA was born, barely sixty strong. The first President was Dr. Mario Campos, Vice-President Miguel Silva and Treasurer/Editor Jack Sarrazolla. In 1999, the Southern California Chapter celebrated its 25th Founding Anniversary at the Newport Beach home of Dr. Lionel Silva.”

And here are the recollections of Henrique Manhão, the first President of our 5th Chapter. “ Contra Costa became officially the 5th UMA Chapter in 1983 in a modest ceremony, attended by about 40 members at Virginia and Carlos d'Almeida's residence in Concord. Oscar Collaço and Peter Souza, representing the State Board, presented a check for $100.00 to the new Chapter. Henrique Manhão was elected President and Virginia d'Almeida Vice President. The Directors were: Carlos d'Almeida, Tony Capitule, Orlanda da Costa, Irene Manhão, Ena Ward, Maurice Ward and Ron Brown.”

Henrique says that he has very good memories of the Contra Costa Chapter when he was actively involved from 1983 to 1993. He is proud to have been honored by UMA's State Board in 1987 with a plaque that says "Outstanding Services to our Society”.

In 2004, East Bay and Contra Costa Chapters merged into the Greater East Bay Chapter.

The 2009 Officers and Board of Directors of UMA are: Maria ‘Zinha’ Gomes, Rita Ribeiro, Ena Ward, Alex & Maureen Xavier, Sally Carchidi, Daniel Gomes, Robert da Graca, Marie Guterres, Ed de Assis, Gloria Sequeira, Rita Guterres and myself. Daniel Gomes is our well-respected Bulletin Editor, and Francis Carion is Associate Editor.

I would now like to express UMA’s appreciation to the many people who over the years have contributed much to our success and growth: Bernie Pomeroy, Lionel Sequeira, Oscar Collaço, Jim Silva, Arnie Barros, Peter Souza, Delano & Barbara Pereira, Roy Remedios, Maria-Helena Xavier, Robert da Costa, Neil & Joy Xavier, Manuel Pereira, Ramon Xavier, Jorge Remedios, Robert Xavier AND our current Board of Directors, our Editor and Associate Editor.


President’s Letter

We also want to pay tribute to those who are no longer with us: Alberto Almeida, Tony Gonsalves, Miguel Leite, Joe da Luz, ‘King’ Pereira, Alda Ribeiro, Marie Colls, Taife Costa, Ricardo Leão, Al Diniz; Bernie Santos; and to the many, many people whose names I have missed inadvertently, but who have worked tirelessly for UMA without recognition over these 50 years, we also extend our gratitude and appreciation.

With the imminent completion of the Macau Cultural Center Building, UMA will continue to work closely with our sister clubs in the Bay Area - Casa de Macau and Lusitano - holding joint functions and activities, and cultural events to promote and preserve our Macaense heritage. It is our hope and goal that in the not-too-distant future, the three clubs will merge into one strong united Macaense organization under the auspices of the Macau Cultural Center, Inc.

At our Annual General Meeting yesterday, by vote of the membership and resolution of the Board of Directors, the four Chapters of UMA will merge into a single entity as of January 1, 2010. UMA will start the next half-century as we began 50 years ago as ONE – a strong, vibrant and successful organization; and with the hope of attracting young members of our community to carry on the traditions of this great enterprise named UMA.

Thank you and God Bless UMA and all its members and friends. In closing, please join me in wishing

UMA continued success – VIVA UMA ”

I wish Everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year.!

Sincerely,

Raquel M. Remedios, President

N O T I C E DIRECTORS’ MEETING

Sunday, January 17, 2010 from 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM Las Trampas Room (Hillside Clubhouse – By the Bowling Green)

Rossmoor, Walnut Creek

Members are invited to attend the Directors’ Meeting

Lunch will be provided, so please let Marie Guterres know if you plan to attend the Meeting by Jan 10,

2010 – Email: [email protected] or Tel: 650-359-3858

R E M I N D E R

Membership Dues for Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2010

Regular $20.00 Senior (65+) $15.00 Canada & Overseas $25.00

Dues are payable January 1, 2010 and delinquent April 1, 2010. You will be dropped from the mailing list if dues are not paid by April 1, 2010. There is a reinstatement fee of $10.00 for payment received after that date.

Please make check payable to UMA, Inc. and send to:

Francis Carion - 1112 Rockledge Lane #7, Walnut Creek, CA 94595.


The Annual General Meeting was called to order by President Raquel Remedios at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Ninety-three (93) members signed in – Sign-in List attached as Exhibit A.

1. Roll Call: Directors present – Raquel Remedios, Maria Gomes, Daniel Gomes, Sally Carchidi, Gloria Sequeira, Rita Guterres, Robert de Graca, Rita Ribeiro, Maureen Xavier, Alex Xavier, Marie Guterres, Ed de Assis and Ena Ward.

2. Reading and Approval of Minutes of AGM on November 15, 2008. Felice Santos queried as to the above Agenda item. Raquel stated we will dispense with reading and approval as Minutes were published in the UMA Bulletin and copies distributed to all Directors.

Minutes of the Special Directors’ Meeting held on August 22, 2009 were read by secretary Ena Ward. Daniel Gomes motioned that the Minutes be approved as read, seconded by Maureen Xavier. CARRIED.

3. Treasurer’s Report: (Attached as Exhibit B) Rita Ribeiro provided an Income and Expense Statement for the period October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009, reflecting consolidation of accounts from the various Chapters. Rita stated that we realized a net loss of $18,810.12. Daniel wanted to clarify that we spent $18,000 on the members. Raquel referred to a slight discrepancy on Page 2 which showed Sandra Souza as Secretary in lieu of Ena Ward. This will be corrected before the report is sent to Daniel for printing. Robert de Graca motioned that the Treasurer’s Report as presented be accepted, seconded by Rita Guterres. CARRIED.

4. Correspondence: Raquel stated she received regrets from most of our invited guests to UMA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. These included Maria Roliz, President of MCC, who will be out of town; Ed Rozario, President of Casa de Macau, Australia; Fernanda Pinna Ho, President of Casa de Macau, Vancouver; Lorenco Conceicao, President of Casa de Macau, Toronto. The Portuguese Consul was invited but called in his regrets. The Chinese Consul was also invited, but did not respond. Luis Machado accepted and will be representing Dr. Jose Manuel Rodrigues of APIM and the Conselho das Comunidades Macaenses in Macau, as did two of our Founding Members, Lionel Sequeira and Bernie Pomeroy. Raquel read notes of regret from three other Founding Members, Barry Barradas, Mercia Ramos Westwood and Gaudie da Costa stating they would not be able to attend the celebration.

5. Reports of Chapter Presidents: (Attached as Exhibit C)

San Francisco: Alex Xavier reported that SF Chapter has 358 members as of September 30, 2009, a reduction of 26 members due to age, inability to get around, etc. They have held seven events, with great success. The All Day Socials and Reno trips have been well attended and enjoyed by all participants. Financial Status: As of September 30, 2009, bank balance stands at $54,020.03, a decrease of $9.679.07.

Alex thanked officers, committee members and friends who have been the backbone of the Chapter, especially my wife Maureen, Rita Ribeiro, Mildred and Bernard Brown and Flavia Greubel for their invaluable help with all aspects of running a successful chapter.


Southern California: Sally Carchidi expressed thanks and appreciation to members of the San Francisco Chapter for hosting and capably organizing the AGM, which was attended by their three Directors and spouses who have been supportive of their work in UMA. Chapter membership totals 96, (Membership Roster attached) Financial Status: As of September 30, 2009, bank balance was $7,862.71 (Treasurer’s Report attached). Sally reported on functions that were successfully held, e.g. Members’ Appreciation Brunch, annual Christmas Party and Luau. She stated that a meeting precedes all their Chapter functions for the convenience of members who have to travel a long distance. Gloria Sequeira will be their Events Chairperson in 2010 and she will work with and assist the current Board of Directors whenever and wherever needed.

Sally concluded by acknowledging the generous cooperation and hard work of their Board of Directors, Committee members and volunteers. Appreciation and thanks expressed.

San Mateo: Raquel Remedios reports that as of September 30, 2009, membership totals 158. Financial Status: Bank balance of $28,016.02, a decrease of $4,628.84, which included a $3,000 donation to MCC. San Mateo held four events, a Reno trip, Mixed Bowling Tournament, the annual Thanksgiving Mass, chaired by Marie Guterres, as well as the Noite Tropical. A Committee Appreciation Dinner which will be their final social get-together, will take place on December 11, 2009.

In closing, Raquel expressed heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Officers and Committee members for their contributions of time and effort in making San Mateo an outstanding Chapter. Although we are all in favor of unification, it is with sadness and nostalgia that we realize time marches on and we have come to the end of an era.

Greater East Bay: Maria Gomes reports that as of September 30, 2009, membership totals 133. (Membership Roster attached). Financial Status: Bank balance of $30,345.22 (Treasurer’s and Auditor’s reports attached).

The Chapter held 3 productive meetings and two successful events, Members’ Appreciation Chinese New Year Banquet and our Dim Sum Luncheon. Our third scheduled event, the Family Christmas Party which was to be held on December 5, was cancelled by our Operating Committee due to proximity of three primary events, the AGM on November 7, UMA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on November 8 and the RAEM Anniversary Celebration on November 22, 2009.

In closing, Maria expressed thanks and appreciation to our hard-working Officers, Operating Committee members, as well as general members who have assisted us in a myriad of ways. Maria gave special thanks to Terri da Silva and Vilma Remedios, two exceptional individuals, who co-chaired our events with her. The efforts and contributions of all these individuals made for a successful year for Greater East Bay Chapter.

6. Report of UMA Editor (Attached as Exhibit D ) Daniel Gomes thanked State Board President Raquel Remedios, Associate Editor Francis Carion, Chapter Editors, Sally Carchidi, Pauline de Assis, Maria Gomes and Alex Xavier for their valuable contributions to the UMA Newsletter which is a source of information and education about the history of the Macanese people. Daniel stated that a total of 612 copies have been distributed to the USA, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe and Australia/New Zealand, at a projected cost of $6,600. We have received reimbursement of $1,600.00 for Bulletin expenses from Fundacao Oriente for 2009 Daniel indicated fresh ideas are needed and solicited a volunteer and/or volunteers willing to take over as Editor and he will gladly step aside. The general consensus was that Daniel is doing an excellent job as Editor and he was encouraged by the Board and general membership to stay on, to which he graciously agreed.


7. Report of UMA President: (Attached as Exhibit E) Raquel stated that one of her main goals as a Director of MCC was for all three clubs to attain membership in MCC. This was accomplished on June 10, 2009, when the nine Directors of MCC voted unanimously to approve Amended and Restated Bylaws to reflect Casa de Macau, USA, Inc., Lusitano Club of California, Inc. and UMA, Inc. as MCC members. Raquel reported on the outcome of the First Youth Encontro, in which youths between the ages of 18 and 40 from the Casas worldwide were invited to participate. John Souza, Adam and Adriano Vieira Ribeiro, representing UMA, attended and reported that this was an experience of a lifetime for the three young men which gave them a new perspective on Macau and provided them with a wonderful opportunity to meet other young Macaneses worldwide. Scholarships: Raquel stated that two scholarships were granted in 2009 to Gabrielle Koizumi and Zachary Felise, grandchildren of Cecilia Rosario and Manuel and Doreen Pereira respectively. This was made possible through the generosity of an anonymous donor. The Scholarship Certificate was displayed.

Raquel announced the following upcoming events: UMA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on November 8, 2009, RAEM’S 10TH Anniversary Celebration on November 22, 2009 jointly sponsored by Casa de Macau, Lusitano and UMA, as well as an Exhibition entitled “Macau Special Administrative Region – a Success Story”, presented by the International Institute of Macau beginning December 5 through the 17th. Help with the Exhibition is needed. Daniel Gomes, Vilma Remedios and Felice Santos volunteered.

Addressing the merger of UMA Chapters into one entity, Raquel announced that all Ballots have been opened and counted by Sheila Collaco representing San Francisco, Alda Gosano, representing Southern California, Vilma Remedios representing Greater East Bay and Sandy Souza representing San Mateo. Two hundred and thirty seven votes (237) were received, resulting in a majority vote of 231 ayes and 6 nays for the consolidation on January 1, 2010.

Popular and traditional functions UMA has held in the past will continue under the new entity and will be handled by Special Committees.

Raquel concluded by expressing her thanks and appreciation to our dedicated Editor, Daniel Gomes, to Chapter Presidents, Officers and Committees who have given generously of their time, talent and efforts and, finally, to the Board of Directors for their support and cooperation toward attaining our one common goal, the success of UMA. She also thanked her husband, Jorge, for his support, patience and help as she fulfilled her duties as UMA President.

8.Old Business: Macau Cultural Center Update: Maria Gomes provided a comprehensive and informative report on the status and progress of renovations to the MCC. Work on the 2nd and 3rd floors has been completed, electricity has been installed, transformer and necessary connections are in. Work undertaken by Otis Elevator has been completed and has passed the necessary inspections. The wood flooring in the main hall has been sanded, patched, stained and refinished; a synthetic wood flooring has been installed in the 3rd floor office/library and seminar room; kitchen and bathrooms are ready for use.

The building is a Historical Site and the City of Fremont has imposed conditions for our occupancy, the first being completion of the Façade work, and the second being completion of all necessary work for rental of the two spaces on the street level.

We are currently waiting for three bids on these two projects which, from preliminary estimates, should be in the ballpark range of $125,000. We will be required to make a 10% down-payment, or $12,500, to commence the necessary work. Of the approximate $125,000 total cost, MCC is in the process of applying for a $50,000 Grant from the City of Fremont which we will not have to pay back. We are also applying for a 15 year interest-free loan from Fremont for the balance of $62,500. Maria mentioned that arrangements can be made to visit the building for those members who have not seen it and wish to do so, especially So. California Directors. Alex arranged a meeting to view the premises at 10 a.m. on Sunday, 11/8.


Maureen Xavier stated there are leaks in the main ballroom and that the water pressure is very poor. Doreen McKissack commented that we were told a new roof was installed 3 or 4 years ago and that the work should be guaranteed. Raquel stated a contractor did check out the leaks and made necessary repairs. However, the existing leaks are not part of the roof but on the side of the tiles.

Ozzie Ozorio thanked the MCC Committee for their hard work and inquired as to what the City of Fremont needs for us to gain occupancy. He was informed that we would have to complete the façade work and the work on the interior of the two rental spaces.

John Lee inquired if we carried liability insurance to cover potential renters of the spaces, or will the cost be passed on directly to the renters. Raquel informed him that MCC did carry liability insurance, and any additional liability insurance costs for the renters will be passed on to them.

Jim Silva stated that he feels any and all minor problems with the building will be resolved in a short time. Two factors to be considered (1) future occupancy of the building and providing transportation to attain maximum usage of MCC facilities; (2) generate income and control expenses that will help the facility pay its overhead. Rita Guterres queried as to whether we looked into rules and regulations governing this building before we purchased it.

Daniel Gomes supports Jim’s comments regarding transportation to the Center and he feels a fund should be set up for this specific purpose.

Rita Ribeiro stated that San Francisco Chapter has rented buses for their members at a cost of $400.

Ramon Xavier asked if there are any restrictions to the rental policy. He feels MCC should advertise in the Fremont newspaper as well various media. Pinky Silva also suggested that we advertise and agreed with the comments made by Jim Silva. He stated that an Afghani group rented the subject premises every Friday and we should consider contacting them as potential renters. Raquel and Maria stated that there are plans for advertising the premises for rent in a variety of ways and these will be put into effect as soon as the occupancy permit is issued by the City of Fremont.

Ozzie Ozorio suggested that UMA’s membership consider donating 10% of consolidated funds to complete the necessary work to gain occupancy. He felt that if UMA takes a leadership role, the other two clubs will follow. A show of hands vote was requested. Jim Silva interjected stating that this was not proper procedure as it was not an Agenda item and that a special meeting be called to address this particular issue.

LUNCH ADJOURNMENT AT 12:10 PM Meeting resumed at 1:10 pm.

9. New Business: Ena Ward’s term as Director and Secretary expired and she was replaced by Arnaldo Barros as the new one year term Director. Robert de Graca replaced Ena Ward as the new Secretary. Raquel Remedios thanked Robert de Graca for accepting the position.

9a. Consolidation of Chapters: 9a.l. Vote of Membership: The ballots were verified and counted by the selected committee and it was reported that 231 had voted for the consolidation, with 6 in opposition. 9a.2. Resolution of Board of Directors Maria Gomes made a motion that signified that we are unified as one as of January 1, 2010 and this was seconded by Rita Ribeiro. This was unanimously approved. Rita Ribeiro then proposed that we destroy all the ballots that were received. This was seconded by Maria Gomes and approved.


9.b. Number and election of Directors and Officers: The current Board of Directors consists of 13 Directors. Sally Carchidi moved that beginning January 1, 2011, the new Board of Directors have 9 Directors as proposed and approved by the Directors at the Special Directors’ Meeting on August 22, 1009. This was seconded by Rita Ribeiro. The motion was carried. Maria Gomes recommended that nomination be accepted from anyone within UMA and then the election should be by ballot from the membership at large. Alex Xavier recommended that a letter or flyer be sent to all members. Raquel Remedios stated that the process will be incorporated in the new Bylaws to be written. Daniel Gomes recommended that the Board consists of 9 Directors which would include 4 Officers as part of the total. Sandy Souza stated that there was a problem with getting Directors willing to serve. Maria Gomes stated that those who ran for position as Director should be willing to serve as Officers. Tila Danenberg suggested that people stipulate up front what position they would be interested in being elected to. Ramon Xavier asked what if someone ran for the position of President and did not get elected but still wanted to be a Director. Raquel Remedios stated that the common practice was for the Directors to choose the Officers but asked what the members wanted. Arnaldo Barros suggested that we vote for the Officers and then the Directors.

Raquel Remedios then asked the membership present to vote on 2 methods of election of Officers, i.e: Option A – as we are currently doing. Vote for Directors and let the Directors elect the Officers; or Option B - Members vote for all Directors and Officers at the same time, with the candidates indicating their preferences for the four Officers. There was a headcount taken with the second option carrying the motion. There were 37 in favor of the first option and 46 in favor of the second.

Raquel Remedios then asked for volunteers for the Nominating Committee. She also stated that it was important that the members of the Committee have access to a computer and that they were able to drive. Sheila Collaco and Tila Danenberg originally volunteered but withdrew their names as the result of this. Daniel Gomes, Lionel Guterres and Vilma Remedios then agreed to serve on the Nominating Committee.

9c, Transfer of Chapter Funds to Central Account: Raquel Remedios stated that we should have only one bank account. Maria Gomes recommended that we should have one account, with the exception of CDs and other financial instruments that had expiration dates in the future. Rita Ribeiro felt strongly that there should be two accounts. Daniel Gomes stated that this was the Treasurer’s function and that Rita should decide. The Directors voted to allow two bank accounts with Rita Ribeiro to decide when these should be consolidated.

9d. Appointment of Committee to Re-write Bylaws: Raquel Remedios asked those mentioned in the August 22, 2009 Minutes if they would serve. Robert de Graca suggested that Robert da Costa be included because of his immense experience in this area. Raquel Remedios then asked Robert da Costa if he was agreeable and he accepted. The By-Laws Committee will consist of: Robert da Costa, Robert de Graca, Maria Gomes, Luis “Ozzie” Ozorio, Raquel Remedios and Alex Xavier.

9.e. Appointment of Special Committees: There was a question raised about the audit of the books after the consolidation and the discussion included the possibility that we obtain the services of a CPA or professional auditor. It was agreed that we would leave this decision to the new Board of Directors.

Discussions then took place as to the Social functions. Raquel Remedios stated that this should be cross locations and that we should no longer refer to Chapter functions. Maureen Xavier is the Social Function Committee Chairperson. She emphasized that she would be contacting the various individuals currently handling various functions at the different locations since they have a lot of knowledge and experience but that she would welcome and include individuals from all districts. It was decided that we would leave the decision to Maureen Xavier, the Chairperson.


9.f. RAEM 10th Anniversary Celebrations: Raquel Remedios reported that UMA had 95 people signed up for the Dinner/Dance and that we may have to cede the extra 25 seats to the other two Clubs if UMA does not fill its quota of 120 persons. She stated that UMA had already contributed its equal share to the cost of the RAEM celebration and encouraged members to attend.

10. Other Business: Raquel Remedios announced that there will be 2 RAEM Exhibitions presented by the International Institute of Macau showcasing the progress of Macau Special Administrative Region in the last 10 years; a smaller exhibit will be held in Berkeley on November 21-22; and a much larger exhibition sponsored by the MCC, Casa de Macau, Lusitano, UMA and the Portugal-Macau Institute. This exhibition will run from December 5-17, 2009. All UMA members and friends are invited to visit the Exhibition and it is FREE. There is also going to be a lecture on the “Cultural Heritage of Macau” given by Gustavo da Rosa on December 17, 2009. Flyers were distributed with details of the time, dates and location of the exhibit.

11. Adjournment: There being no other business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 2:55 pm.

Respectfully Submitted, Ena Ward, Secretary(Before Lunch) Robert de Graca, Secretary(After Lunch) UMA, Inc. UMA, Inc.

(All Exhibits are filed with the Secretary of UMA Inc. and are not reproduced in the News Bulletin)

UMA Directors (2009-2010) : Sitting: Rita Guterres, Maria Gomes, Raquel Remedios,

Ena Ward(Retiring), Maureen Xavier, Rita Ribeiro; Standing: Daniel Gomes,

Gloria Sequeira, Sally Carchidi, Alex Xavier, Marie Guterres, Ed d’Assis, Arnaldo

Barros.


By Arthur J. Remedios

The Berkeley Symphony Orchestra gives four concerts a year at Zellerbach Hall, performing each program just once. It is currently halfway through the season, having performed on October 15 and December 3. You can listen to broadcasts of those concerts at 4 pm Sunday February 7, 2010 and Sunday March 28, 2010 respectively, on KALW 91.7 FM or online at kalw.org.

These are my impressions of the October 15 concert. It was a historic occasion for the orchestra, which was celebrating its fortieth anniversary and also welcoming Joana Carneiro, its first new music director in more than thirty years. (Kent Nagano had held the post since 1978, at the same time shaping an illustrious career as an orchestra and opera conductor all over the world.)

What does a music director (also known as “principal conductor”) do during a concert anyway? Let’s back up. How does someone take printed pages and convert them into music? What alchemy is involved? Consider the pages. Strewn across repeated grids of five horizontal lines each are ovals solid and hollow, vertical lines, dots, slanted lines, squiggles, arcs, letters like p and f, plus the occasional word, usually Italian, like animato or con fuoco. How does someone transform such flat and lifeless stuff into a heard musical experience that exists in time, but has a magical power to take listeners seemingly outside of time itself? To complicate the question even more, what if the composer who scribbled those symbols on the original manuscript did not, could not, and would not include everything down to the smallest detail?

A score (the word for an organized set of these pages) is only an approximation of a composer’s intent. If the score is meant for a single instrument, say a piano, then it is the pianist’s responsibility both to interpret what is written and to fill in what is left out. This is hard enough to do, but at least the pianist need be concerned only about her- or himself in bringing that score to life. But if the score is meant for a full orchestra, then the responsibility falls to the conductor, who must now be concerned about eighty or so string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players, at least a few of whom probably think they know best how it should be interpreted. It is a daunting task.

In her debut concert as music director Joana Carneiro did not settle for a “safe” program but opted for a daring one, including one of the more challenging workouts for any orchestra, Concerto for Orchestra by the Hungarian Béla Bartók. That work occupied the second half. Even before that, when Joana walked on stage for the opening work, first making some remarks about what we were about to hear, then cueing the orchestra in the chugging rhythms that begin John Adams’s The Chairman Dances, I knew that this tiny young woman had, in my humble opinion (IMHO in cyberspeak), the authority, the intellect, the love of her art, and the respect of the musicians to pull it off.

The critics agreed. The Mercury News lauded her “awfully impressive debut” and the San Francisco Chronicle picked a few nits but said “the evening’s most heartening development came after intermission, with a robust and often impassioned account of Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra.” At intermission all of


Enchanted Evening

the comments I heard from audience members were positive to adoring, except for one dissenter who took issue with Joana’s large, forceful gestures on the podium – the term “flailing” was used. Still, as any performer knows, you can’t please everyone.

(Full disclosure: Joana’s grandfather Art Carneiro was my baptismal godfather, although I never knew him because he apparently left H K shortly after I was born. I inherited both my Christian names from him.)

I had heard the Adams and the Bartók before but was not intimately familiar with them. By happenstance they both feature an interruption in the flow of the music. In the Adams, which is an example of program music, or music that tells a story, so to speak, Madame Mao (Chiang Ch’ing) interrupts – gatecrashes – a state banquet (a forerunner of recent events in Washington D.C. – apparently it happens in China too) and invites her husband the Chairman, who appears only as a portrait on the wall, to dance. The music’s Hollywood overtones at this point suggest her past as a movie actress. The Chairman steps down from his portrait and they foxtrot together. I didn’t say the story had to be realistic. In the fourth movement of the Bartók, called intermezzo interrotto (interrupted intermezzo), a flowing melody is interrupted by a tune from Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony (No. 7), which is followed immediately by the musical equivalent of raucous laughter and a loud raspberry. This has been interpreted as one composer’s low opinion of a fellow composer’s work. I enjoyed the entire piece immensely. A friend, who is intimately familiar with the piece and who happened to have heard it played by the estimable Chicago Symphony a couple of weeks earlier, told me that he “enjoyed no less” this performance by the Berkeley Symphony.

The third work, Peregrinos (“Pilgrims”), a set of five orchestral pieces by Berkeley-born composer Gabriela Lena Frank, concluded the first half of the program. From my single hearing of the piece, two months ago now, I can only say that I’d like to hear it again.

Throughout this enchanted evening I found myself watching Joana’s left hand as, while indicating the beat with the baton in her right hand, she used a range of poetic gestures with her left to communicate a host of other things to the players. I also noticed that she had the score in front of her but it appeared to be for backup purposes only, since she turned the pages but hardly looked at it. (I met and spoke briefly with her father Roberto Carneiro after the concert and he told me that Joana commits to memory the music that she conducts.) At the conclusion of The Chairman Dances Joana beckoned for the composer John Adams himself, who was in the audience, to come forward and share in the applause. After Peregrinos, she did the same thing with Gabriela Lena Frank, who is also Creative Advisor to the orchestra.

Now for something in a lighthearted vein: let’s call it a divertimento. It was just too hard to resist including here. Bartók’s music has a reputation for being difficult and inaccessible for the listener. While this is not true for the Concerto for Orchestra, it is certainly true for the six string quartets. In a priceless scene from Woody Allen’s 1972 movie Play It Again, Sam, Woody’s character, Allan, helped by Linda, played by Diane Keaton, is setting up his apartment to create the proper impression before his blind date Sharon arrives:

Linda: Just be yourself. She’ll like you. Allan (taking a record from the shelf): I’ve got a big decision to make. Do I go with Oscar Peterson or Bartók’s String Quartet Number Five? Linda: Play Oscar Peterson and leave Bartók out so that everybody can see it. Allan: That’s a good idea.


Enchanted Evening

Despite his preparations, Allan becomes almost incoherent when Sharon arrives. He gets his arms tangled up in his jacket. He knocks the turntable’s arm, which skids across the record with a horrendous screech. He takes the record from the turntable and puts it back in its sleeve. Still holding it, he gesticulates and the record flies out and crashes off-camera. Trying to appear unruffled, he flings the sleeve in the other direction. Finally, he leans suavely on the back of an armchair, and it tips up, upending a coffee table and everything on it.

Back to the Berkeley Symphony: the second concert, on December 3, included two works by Steven Stucky, Radical Light and “Elegy” from August 4, 1964, Symphony No. 7 by Sibelius, and Suite from The

Firebird, by Stravinsky.

For anyone wanting to attend one or both of the remaining concerts, on Thursday February 11, 2010 the orchestra will play Paul Dresher’s Cornucopia, Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Five Images After Sappho, and Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” by Beethoven. The final program on Thursday April 1, 2010 includes Jörg Widmann’s Con Brio, Samuel Barber’s Knoxville, Summer of 1915, and Symphony No. 1 by Brahms. Do come, one and all.

IMHO, you will be enchanted.

By Pauline de Assis

In 1999 Macau was officially handed back to China and thereafter no longer a Portuguese territory. Both Hong Kong and Macau were designated a special category by China called Special Administrative Regions, therefore bearing the initials S.A.R. following either Hong Kong or Macau destination addresses or the Portuguese Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (RAEM) for Macau..

Now, 10 years later, the RAEM has reached a milestone and felt it appropriate to give this Special Administrative Region of Macau the proper salutary celebration due, and here in California, the three casas paid its tribute also by putting on an extravagant banquet to commemorate this special occasion. This celebration is being showcased worldwide with a fantastic traveling exhibition named “A Success Story” with San Francisco holding an Exhibition as well (December 5 – 17th) at the California Modern Art Gallery, 1035 Market Street, San Francisco.

With a lot of fanfare the three cases, Casa de Macau, Lusitano, and UMA went about organizing and advertising this big celebration in their newsletters or bulletins several months in advance so as to bring word to all to try and join in and give it truly the special recognition RAEM has accomplished in the last 10 years. The RAEM generously gave a handsome sum to each casa for the 10th Anniversary Celebrations to offset and defray expenses.

The long announced celebration finally arrived and on November 22nd some 345 guests made it to the Asian Pearl Restaurant in Fremont to kick off this celebration. Even though the restaurant was large by most standards, the dining area was crammed to the hilt with many tables of 10 for the long awaited 10- course Chinese banquet. Two VIP tables were set up for the Chinese dignitaries, the Presidents of the three casas and the respective spouses on the stage level. Among the dignitaries were Mr. Gao Zhan


RAEM Dinner Celebration

Sheng, the Honorable Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Jiang Wei Wei, Vice Consul of the People’s Republic of China and Mr. Yang Shun Feng, Vice Consul of the People’s Republic of China. Also in attendance were Deolinda Adao, Executive Director of Portuguese Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley and her husband Antonio, Anita Muniratta and Al Murchen from the Macau Government Tourist Office, and Al Dutra from the Portuguese Historical Museum.

After the guests had mingled and greeted friends and relatives, Emcee Maria Roliz, President of the Macau Cultural Center, took the podium and welcomed everyone and introduced the dignitaries. The Consul General Gao Zhan Shen greeted the audience with “Boa Noite” followed with a brief description of Macau’s growth during the last 10 years and what the future holds.

Lionel Sequeira and his band played during dinner and provided the music for dancing. The band and the dance floor was situated to the side of the tables where dancers didn’t wait long to get the ball rolling, so sometime while dinner was being served, they took to the dance floor. During the meal, Elsa Denton, daughter of Mr. Albertino da Rosa, graciously entertained the crowd by singing some old time tunes while weaving through and around the tables of diners. Following her example, another gentleman who had brought the music equipment, picked up the mike and gave his own rendition of more old favorites and so did Vice Consul, Mr. Jiang Wei Wei who sang in Mandarin.

The 10 course dinner with wine and soft drinks, of course, took a good two or more hours so everyone could take little breathers in between the courses to chat, and therefore have more room to enjoy every little morsel as each platter arrived, and probably most tables didn’t have many leftovers, if any. There were such delectable dishes as Peking duck, stuffed crab claws, steamed fresh fish, etc. and last but not least, the long noodles, a must at the end of a banquet to signify long life for all, plus the dessert of the sweet bean soup to complete a most satisfying and absolutely delicious meal.

The three clubs planned and worked diligently together to bring about this gala event. Many thanks therefore go to the organizers - Raquel Remedios, Zinha Gomes, Maria Roliz, Nuno da Cruz, Hemrique Manhao, and Albertino da Roza for their time, effort and organizational skills for a very successful banquet party.

The music played on and the dancers were still on the floor but soon it was that time of the night when, after a wonderful celebration and plenty of wine, food and song, the guests began to depart. It was a party that did RAEM proud and for those that made it to the event, it brought back memories of old Macau, and now the new and flourishing Macau as we go forward, “A Success Story” indeed!


MACAU – “A SUCCESS STORY” AT THE CALIFORNIA MODERN ART GALLERY IN SAN FRANCISCO

Maria Gomes

This Macau Exhibition is part of a vast program of commemorative events on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Macao Special Administrative Region. This Exhibition was held in Portugal, Canada, and Brazil.

The California, USA exhibition that was anticipated by the International Institute of Macau, IIM, was unfortunately cancelled. When this was reported to our RAEM Committee, consisting of Raquel Remedios, Maria ”Zinha” Gomes, Nuno Prato da Cruz, Maria Roliz, Albertino da Roza, Elsa Denton,

Henrique Manhao, and Ed Collaço, they contacted Dr. Jorge Rangel of IIM on October 29th, and offered to sponsor the Exhibition in San Francisco under the auspices of the International Institute of Macau; The Macau Cultural Center, Inc; Casa de Macau, USA, Inc; Lusitano Club of California, Inc; Uniao Macaense American (UMA, Inc); and Portugal Macau Institute of America. Dr. Jorge Rangel immediately accepted their offer.

The RAEM Committee went into high gear and secured the California Modern Art Gallery on Market Street between 6th and 7th Street for December 2nd to 19th, 2009. They sent out 300 postcards, over 200 hard copy flyers, hundreds of email flyers, and advertised the event on KDFC radio, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, Jornal Tribuna de Macau, Sing Tao newspapers, and KKSF Channel 26. On December 2nd and 3rd , volunteer members of the three Casas, with some hired help, put the panels together and set up the exhibition in the gallery. There were over eighty panel pieces, and the assembled panels ranged from about 7 feet to 15 feet wide by 6 feet high.

On December 4th the Exhibition opened with a cocktail party for about 100 people. The attendees included Antonio Costa Moura, the new Portuguese Consul General, Zhang Yan and Li Qian, Consuls from the People’s Republic of China, and Lauren Riggs from the office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and there were members from all three of our Casas. Following a Toast to Macau, as seen in the photo here taken by Jojo Xavier, Ms. Lauren Riggs presented a Special Congressional Recognition Award to the International Institute of Macau from the U.S. House of Representatives.


Macau – “A Success Story”

After two hours of viewing the panels with written information on each, everyone enjoyed the entertainment of two teams of Chinese Lion Dancers.

This Exhibition was an excellent photographic presentation on the developments of Macau in the last ten years. The panels of aerial photos of Macau gave a very good sense of the economic growth as well as the growth of the Casino Industry for which it is so famous today. The economic growth has been around 20% per year, and the casino revenue alone surpassed the entire state of Nevada. However it was the information on other photographic panels that gave us a more complete picture of Macau today. The growth of their educational system as well as their health services have been significant; the longevity of the people in Macau is 84 years of age compared to that of Japan at 82 and Hong Kong at 81. The sports, arts, and entertainment in Macau has risen to world class levels. The World Heritage Sites with its Portuguese Culture has been preserved and maintained, and the Portuguese language enjoys a preeminence as the second language in their educational system because China has embraced Macau as their gateway to the Portuguese speaking countries of the world.

Hosted by volunteers from the three Casas, this Exhibition was open to the public everyday for two weeks with a lecture on the “Cultural Heritage of Macau” by Comendador Gustavo da Roza, OC, on the closing day, December 17th. We are pleased with the attendance at this Exhibition as there were about 200 visitors that signed the Registration Book plus many others that did not sign in. Special thanks go to the members of our RAEM Committee for sponsoring the exhibit; Gustavo da Roza for his lecture; Albertino da Rosa for getting us the caterers for the cocktail party; Dave Bisho, Hunter Choi, Nuno da Cruz, Ed Collaco, Tony Rodrigues, Maria Roliz, and Leonardo Xavier for their “muscle” power in setting up and taking down the exhibit; all our volunteers who kept the doors open and welcomed our guests; and all the people who helped with the many jobs that made it possible for us to have this exhibit.

The lecture by Comendador Gustavo U. da Roza, OC had a positive response and all in attendance enjoyed his presentation. He started his presentation with “It’s my great pleasure to talk about ourselves … Macau filo-filo. We, Macau filo-filo, are a family oriented society, who lived and settled for over four and a half

centuries in a tiny peninsula on the south-east coast of China.” He briefly described the Geography of

Macau and went on to discuss our Roman Catholic Heritage and the many churches in Macau, including

the famous Sao Paulo. He talked about the Government of Macau, and pointed out that, “from the 17th to the 19th Centuries Macau had an elected government, two centuries before the creation of the United States in 1776, … Macau filo-filo elected their representatives to the Leal Senado.” He continued on the

Educational System of three schooling streams: the Liceu with preparation for university; Escola Comercial with classes in English, Bookkeeping, and clerical skills to earn a living, and Asilio Dom Joao

Bosco with preparation for the trades; the Social and Sports Activities, especially Hockey; the Music,

Visual Arts, and Theatre Experiences of the Macau filo-filo; and the Literary Achievements. Gustavo stated, “in Portuguese, our poet laureate Luis de Camoes and Msgr. Father Teixeira have been widely

published, and now serve as primary sources to learn our history.” He discussed the Trade of Macau which enjoyed the singular position of supplying the much needed spices to preserve food, without

refrigeration, to Europe; and then the Cuisine of our Macau filo-filo which benefitted from the spices and influences of Goa, and the Indian sub-continent; Siam; Malacca in Malaysia; Indochina, Indonesia; the Philippines; and of course the superb cuisine of China. “Macau filo-filo quite naturally developed a spicier, saltier, sweeter and tastier palate.” Gustavo then talked briefly about Macau and its successful developments over the past ten years.


Maria Gomes

Our contractor Hudspeth Corporation has finished the renovations on our two levels. The electrical transformer which caused us our major financial set-back has been put in, and the elevator has passed the necessary inspections and is fully functioning. The wood flooring in the main hall has been refinished, and the third floor office/library and seminar room has been completed with a new synthetic wood flooring. The Kitchen has been renovated. The two restrooms on the second level by the main hall have been installed as has the restroom on the third level.

The “Façade and Retail Space Project” is the final phase of the work we are required by the City of Fremont to complete before they will issue our Occupancy Permit. This project requires us to install a new security door for the emergency stairway from our Main Hall down to the street. For the street level we need to repair and replace all structures, to comply with the current Building Codes. On the Niles Street Frontage we need to repair the structure below the glass panels of the store fronts; repair the framing and glass panels to meet current building requirements; repair the tiles on the frontage structure; and install new electrical lines, light fixtures, doors, and new locks. This project also requires us to bring our two retail spaces to rentable condition so we need to divide the open space into two rental units, sheet rock and paint the two units, install a bathroom for each, put in heating/air conditioning and utility meters for each, and replace the door from the larger rental unit into the back patio.

We now have three bids and can share with you, in full disclosure, the details as we have them. The three bids for just the Retail Space work came in at $96,275.00, and $199,192.00, and $86,855.00. We have selected L&W Construction with their bid of $86,855.00, which has been approved by the City of Fremont. The bid for just the Façade work is in the amount of $52,300.00, bringing the total to $139,155.00 for our “Façade and Retail Space Project”. The City of Fremont will give us a Façade Grant in the amount of $39,225, which we will not have to pay back. We will have to pay $5,230.00 plus approximately $4,000.00 for permits up front, thus we will have to come up with $9,230.00 to get the project started. The $4,000.00 for permits will be reimbursed by the city later as part of the Façade Grant. Finally we will get a Loan in the amount of $90,700 from the City of Fremont, at an interest rate of 0% for a term of 15 years, which totals the needed funds of $139,155.00.

“Façade and Retail Space Sponsors”: With the above figures you can understand the importance of our

“Façade and Retail Space Sponsors”, as their generosity will be instrumental in getting us our Occupancy

Permit so we can finally use our building. The Directors of MCC, including myself, realize that we have come to you repeatedly to ask for funds, and it is with tremendous respect, appreciation, and wonder that we have seen your magnanimity, support, and funds pour in. You are a testament and credit to “Our People” and Heritage. When we get our Occupancy Permit we will be able to have MCC generate funds from our rentals. All you business minded individuals know the importance of this, so come help us out

with your donations. As a “Façade and Retail Space Sponsor”, your $500 or more will get us into the MCC building and empower the directors to start generating revenue from the rental of the two retail spaces as well as our Main Hall when we are not using it. Your $500 will put your name on the list with the following: INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MACAU; CASA DE MACAU, USA; LUSITANO CLUB

OF CALIFORNIA; UMA, INC., STATEBOARD; UMA, INC., GREATER EAST BAY; JOHN & ELENICE

MARQUES; JOHN & CAROL MONTEIRO; RAQUEL & JORGE REMEDIOS; JIM & KRISTINE SILVA;

KEI, LENG HAN & JUDY TAM ; AND IN MEMORY OF JOHNNY CRUZ.


Macau Cultural Center

“MCC Logo & Signage Sponsors”: This sponsorship in the amount of $300 or more is still open. The cost to get the signage and lighting installed will be over $6,000. We do not have the needed funds at this time, so we will have to wait on this project. We thank the following for their generous donations, and we hope that it will not be too long before we have enough donations to get this done: UMA, INC.,

SAN MATEO; UMA, INC., GREATER EAST BAY; EDUARDO R. COLLACO; AL & DORIE MENDOZA;

JOHN & CAROL MONTEIRO; JIM & KRISTINE SILVA; and JESSICA J. XAVIER.

“Window Sponsors”: This sponsorship is also still open, and we welcome additional “Window Sponsors” in the amount of $10,000 or more. Since our last bulletin the additional “Window Sponsor” is the INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MACAU.

Finally we have our on-going “2009 Friends of MCC” whose donation of $100 or more is helping to sustain the continued existence of MCC. We extend our thanks to the following people, particularly those who are also our “Original Friends of MCC”.

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MACAU

LUSITANO CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

PORTUGAL MACAU INSTITUTE USA

UMA, INC., GREATER EAST BAY

UMA, INC., SAN MATEO

MERLINDE & RONALD BROWN

CECILIA YVANOVICH BURROUGHS

FREDERICO AUGUSTO COLLACO

ACACIA D’AQUINO

ELSA & LICHY DA LUZ

INACIO & TERESA DA ROSA

ANITA DOS SANTOS & FAMILY

FLORENCE DA SILVA

KENNETH HARPER

ADALEINE & EDMOND LEE

PAUL & SUSANA LEUNG

YIKANG & SERENE LO

ANATOLE, NAIR & TANI MAHER

JOHN & CAROL MONTEIRO

MANUEL & JAN NUNES

BEN & YVONNE PAREDES

JAMES E. REMEDIOS

ARMANDO & HELENA GOMES RIBEIRO

JIM & KRISTINE SILVA

CLAUDIA LEITAO SWANSON

LINDA TISON

FRANCES GAAN WEBER

IN MEMORY OF:

HELGA E. DA LUZ

ESTELLA ROCHA DOS SANTOS

HENRIQUE “HENRY” DOS SANTOS

JOAQUIM & CLOTILDE XAVIER

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”.

(Editor’s Note: At Press Time we were informed that there was a break-in at the Macau Cultural Center on 12/18/2009 and some appliances were stolen. This has been reported to the Fremont police and an Insurance Claim has been filed with our Insurance Carrier).


Macau numa perspectiva pessoal Speech delivered by Jorge Remedios at the Portuguese Studies Program at UC Berkeley

After listening to the previous presenters, I find myself wondering what I could possibly offer as a closing act.

Jim Silva had suggested to me earlier that in a pinch, I might want to get up and sing something instead of reading a speech. But I’m not in good voice today, so that’s out.

But, all kidding aside, my being here today at this event came about like this.

A few days ago, I received a phone call from Nuno Prata da Cruz, President of Lusitano Club of California, asking if I would do him a favor. He explained what the favor was. It was this – to give a brief talk about Macau here at the University of California in Berkeley, in conjunction with the photo exhibit. Nuno told me that someone who had previously been scheduled to talk had canceled, and he now had an opening that desperately needed to be filled. Would I fill it?

I said to Nuno, a brief talk? How brief? He said, oh, 30 to 45 minutes.

I had never in my whole life spoken for so long. So, I said, how about fifteen minutes. The negotiations went on for a bit. And then, like a couple of bazaar merchants, we finally came to an understanding.

So, don’t worry, people, it’s not going to be a long speech. * * *

Having visited Macau only a couple of times during the past decade, I really don’t feel as qualified as others here to speak about the territory in terms of its evolution over the last ten years.

I do however feel more comfortable sharing with you my personal perspective of Macau. My talk will be a narrative about a certain time and about a place very dear to many gathered here today. And it will be an attempt to explain the attachment to Macau that the Macanese have always had.

This emotional – some might even describe it as a spiritual – attachment to Macau is something that the Macanese seem to carry with them wherever they have settled. It has elements of nostalgia mingled with pride, and seasoned with a touch of dark humor.

Imagine a Macau before it became the vibrant mini-metropolis that you saw in this exhibit – before bridges and skyscrapers – before the many hectares of land reclaimed from the sea. And way, way before the place surpassed Las Vegas as the biggest gambling Mecca in the world.

* * * I was born, not in Macau, but in Hong Kong, as was my father before me, and his father and grandfather before him. But my great-great-grandfather, Florentino António dos Remédios, was born in Macau, as was his father.

We don’t really know a whole lot about Florentino except what the church records tell us. We know that he was born in 1829, baptized in the church of São Lourenço in Macau, and died in Hong Kong (date uncertain).

Florentino was married twice, and had a total of thirteen children, four by his first wife Guilhermina Antónia do Rosario de Azevedo, and nine by his second, Rosa Maria Vieira. Rosa Maria was not very much older than Florentino’s eldest daughter Letícia – there was an age difference of about 8 years, so they would have been almost like sisters. Both of Florentino’s wives were born in Macau, but all of his four daughters and his nine sons were born in Hong Kong between the years 1854 and 1883. When his youngest son Duarte was born in 1883, Florentino was 54 years old and Rosa Maria was 36.

So there, in a thumbnail sketch, we have a typical prolific Macanese Catholic family of the time.


Macau numa perspectiva pessoal

Florentino’s eldest daughter Letícia, the girl I mentioned before who was only 7 years old when her father married his young second wife Rosa Maria, grew up and eventually had eleven children of her own, three boys and eight girls.

Letícia’s 3rd daughter was named Eugenia, who also had a large family. She had twelve children – four girls and eight boys. Her fifth child was a girl named Edris.

Edris grew up, got married, and had seven children of her own, three boys and four girls. The oldest daughter is named Raquel.

Raquel married a fellow named Jorge, who is sitting right here telling you all about Florentino, the one and only great-great-grandfather we share.

So much for Macanese genealogy. Let’s now go on to language. * * *

Florentino would certainly have spoken Portuguese as his first language, while at home the family would probably have used the special dialect of Macau, which we call Macaísta, língua Macau, or patuá.

For those of you who may not have heard of Macaísta, let me just briefly tell you that it was, is, a Portuguese-based Creole dialect with an uncomplicated grammar, and a vocabulary that incorporates elements of Portuguese, Indian, Malay, and Chinese, and even, in its most recent incarnation, some words derived from English, as for example, minchi. There are some old Macanese persons today who do still speak it, but their numbers are fast dwindling. (But minchi is still very much with us.)

The dialect had begun to die out by the second half of the 20th century. In recent years, though, it was given new life through the interest shown within academic and linguistic circles, and also through the efforts of a group of bright young people in Macau.

This group, calling themselves Dóci Papiaçam di Macau (Sweet Chatter of Macau) have organized plays and entertainments, using the patuá for artistic expression. A ribald quality enlivens their work, which is very much in keeping with the iconoclastic Macanese temperament.

Whether this resurgence of interest in the patuá will endure or whether it is just a short-lived novelty, time will tell.

The government of the RAEM, (Let me stop for a moment to explain that RAEM is the acronym for the tongue-twisting Região Administrativa Especial de Macau – or Special Administrative Region of Macau. In Cantonese it almost as hard to say – Oumun Dakbit Hangjeng Keui).

The government of the RAEM as well as several foundations in Macau and elsewhere appear to be intent on promoting the special charm of old Macau, through the preservation of its unique elements: the patuá, the colonial architecture, and of course the distinctive Macanese cuisine.

Their efforts have made Macau, and the Macanese people, much more visible than they had been in the past. When you go on the Internet and Google ‘Macau’ these days, you get 80 million responses, when ten years ago it would have been maybe a small fraction of that number. To a lesser degree, a search for ‘Macanese’ will also produce substantially more responses today (say about 80,000) than a few years ago. And most of them will have to do with Macanese food.

* * * The first migrations of the Macanese from Macau began soon after the British established themselves in Hong Kong following the Opium Wars of the 1830s and 1840s. (By which time of course, the Portuguese and Macanese had been in Macau for close to three hundred years.)



From Macau the Macanese went over to nearby Hong Kong where jobs and economic opportunity beckoned, and where many like my great-great-grandfather Florentino eventually settled. Over the years, other Macanese went out from Macau and also from Hong Kong to the so-called Treaty Ports along the China coast, where because of their facility with languages and numbers, their services were much in demand at the foreign companies trading in China.

In cosmopolitan Shanghai. a sizeable Macanese community was established as early as the latter part of the nineteenth or the early twentieth century.

This was how the Macanese Diaspora started, as a trickle at the beginning. Then later, after the Second World War and the Chinese communist revolution in 1949, and well into the last third of the twentieth century, this trickle turned into a steady stream and then into a flood.

Yet, even as these Macanese emigrants became assimilated into the populations of their chosen destinations, whether in Asia, Europe, the Americas, Australia, or then-Portuguese Africa, they seemed always to maintain their Macanese identity and to preserve their cultural links to their ancestral home.

The evidence of their closeness to Macau lies today in the formation of the many thriving Casas de Macau, or Macanese clubs, all over the world. Most of these clubs were established spontaneously and independently, and to this day they continue to maintain close contact with one another.

They are now members of a loose confederation, O Conselho das Comunidades Macaenses, or the Council of Macanese Communities, which has its headquarters in Macau.

Every few years, the government of Macau, the Portuguese in the past and the Chinese now, has made it possible for members of these overseas Macanese communities to return to Macau for a week-long goodwill reunion, thereby giving them a chance, in the Portuguese term, to matar saudades, to relieve a deep yearning, for their place of origin.

* * * For persons of my generation, that is, for the group of people that came into the world just before the Baby-Boomers, World War II still looms large in our memory, though for some of you youngsters in this room that global conflict might seem like Ancient History.

For me personally, World War II and Macau are inextricably linked, for it was during those four years that, as a child of nine, I first set foot in Macau. Together with many others coming from occupied Hong Kong, whose fathers, like mine, were held in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, our family arrived by sailing junk in neutral Macau with little more than what we were wearing and a couple of suitcases.

As a haven for those seeking refuge from war and pestilence, Macau has a long, proud history. Those who became refugees in Macau in WWII (and I recognize here in this room the faces of some who shared that experience) will recall the hospitality with which the Macau government, headed by a charismatic and compassionate Portuguese Governor, Gabriel Teixeira, received them in those difficult times.

No discussion on Macau would be complete without a reference to her numerous churches. Travel brochures and Internet websites are full of photographs of those churches, many of which have been beautifully restored in recent years.

The best-known landmark, and the most dramatic symbol of Macau will always be the stone façade of the ruined Jesuit church that we all know as São Paulo, or St Paul’s. Its official name was Igreja de Madre de Deus, and in Cantonese it is known as Tai Sam Ba. It is so well known, and has been depicted in so many paintings and photographs over the years, that there really is nothing I can add. It is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage list along with numerous historic sites all over Macau.



Between the 1940s and the 1960s, Macau had maybe ten churches for every hotel in the city, and only a couple of casinos. Today, of course, the situation is quite the reverse, and the ratio may be closer to ten or more hotels to every church, and a great many casinos, some so gigantic that two or more cathedrals might fit in one of them.

While we are on the subject of churches, I should mention a family connection with Sé Catedral, the cathedral seat of the Catholic diocese of Macau.

The customary name used by the Macanese, which is true of Portuguese cathedrals everywhere, is simply Sé. The name of the original church on this site was Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Esperança de São Lázaro, (Church of Our Lady of Hope of St. Lazarus). A devastating typhoon destroyed that first church, and it was rebuilt several times on the same foundation. The present concrete cathedral with its twin towers dates from 1937.

Inside the cathedral, on the side altar to the right of the main altar, is a statue of Our Lady of Fátima. On the wall behind the statue, in raised gold letters that are large enough to be readable as you enter through the main door, are the following words:

“Raínha do Mundo, Mãe de Portugal, Amparai Macau” (Queen of the World, Mother of Portugal, Protect Macau) and the date, May third, nineteen forty-three.

At the height of the Second World War, the devout Catholic population of a Macau surrounded by hostile forces and filled with desperate refugees from all over south China, dedicated their city to the care of the Virgin, the saint most venerated by Portuguese all over the world.

* * * Three years ago, we went to Macau with our two teenage American-born granddaughters to show them the place from which our families originally came. They were fascinated then, and remain even more so today.

I took a picture as they stood on either side the cathedral’s cornerstone with their father and their grandmother. The four of them are the direct descendants of José Tomás de Aquino, the architect who rebuilt Sé Cathedral in the 1840s. He was my wife’s great-great-grandfather on her mother’s side, and the cornerstone bears his name.

His designs include many of Macau’s best-known public buildings, among them the two government palaces, the Palácio do Governo and the Palácio de Santa Sancha, and many private homes.

Two years ago, a professor friend of mine wrote a fine article about José Tomás de Aquino for the quarterly news bulletin that our club publishes. In it, he covered the architect’s biography and catalogued his major public projects, which survive today.

* * * Our older granddaughter Kelly is an undergraduate in biochemistry at the University of California in San Diego, spending one semester of her senior year at the University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong. Even while taking a full college load, she managed to travel four times to Macau in the past two months.

Remember I spoke earlier about our emotional ties to Macau? My granddaughter’s interest in Macau confirms that those ties are likely to continue down through the generations.

Next month, we visit her in Hong Kong over the holiday season. Along with her, her sister, our son and his wife, we will be spending some time together in Macau. She may even, by now, be able to act as our tour guide.

I hope that you have found my reminiscences at least entertaining, and maybe even a little informative. Thank you for your attention.


Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree

On Saturday, November 14, 2009 the Catholic University of Portugal and Macau Inter-University Institute (IIUM) conferred the degree of Doctor of Arts Hornoris Causa to Professor Gustavo da Roza, a renowned architect of Macanese descent, whose “work and vision influence Canadian architecture” in the 20th Century.

At the Commencement, the Rector Magnificus, Professor Ruben Cabral said:

“Gustavo da Roza is not only a professional architect of internationally recognized merit, but also an artist, a community leader, a diplomat and a gentlemen, wise and very modern. To his already large family, Gustavo da Roza has added Macau and its people.

Gustavo da Roza is not just a successful academic and professional architect, but a man who loves life, people and the development of communities. In 1970 he was appointed by the Government of Portugal as Honorary Consul in Winnipeg, where he served the Portuguese-speaking community, and many others, for more than 30 years.

For his services, the President of Portugal made him a Commander of the Order of Prince Henry in 1985 and; the Governor-General of Canada made him an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1988”.

In his address, Comandador Gustavo Da Roza said, “Although born in Hong Kong , I am a Filho da Terra, and as we say in our dialect - I am a Macau Filo, Eu sou desta communidade, desta Cidade do Santo Norme de Deus.

I have been blessed and feel privileged to be made a Doctor of Arts Honoris Causa in this Cathedral of my ancestors.”

Prof. Gus da Roza with Prof. Francisco Pinheiro


St. Joseph’s College Student wins 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics

This year's Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for two scientific achievements that helped to shape the foundations of today's networked societies, went to an old St. Joseph’s College alumni Charles K Koa.

Mr. Koa shared the 2009 physics prize with Americans Willard Boyle and George Smith for pioneering ''masters of light'' work on fiber optics and semiconductors. They were hailed for creating the two tools that helped unleash the information technology revolution.

Mr. Koa pioneered the fiber-optic cable, which enables transmission of data at the speed of light.

Boyle and Smith shared the other half of the prize for ''the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit - the CCD sensor,'' or the charge-coupled device, which is the ''electronic eye'' of the digital camera.

Congratulations Mr. Kao from UMA , Inc and all St. Joseph’s alumni.

Kimberly Marques

Kimberly's class of ninety five students were officially inducted into the three year Doctorate program for Physical Therapy at U.S.C. last week and the entire class was presented with their white coats.

Wearing their white coats at the very outset of their tenure indicates responsibility and commitment to the profession right from the start.

We are very proud of Kimberly and hope to be able to address you as Doctor Marques in three years.

Juliano Filipe de Souza Franco – Baptized!

On October 10th, 2009 Juliano Filipe de Souza Franco was officially welcomed as a child of God into St. Augustine Church in South San Francisco where he was baptized and also where his Mom and Dad, Manuela and Ryan Franco, got married. Isabella and Chiaki Hinohara are the proud God parents of baby Juliano!

After the baptism ceremony, blessings and pictures, over 100 friends and relatives were invited to a luncheon at the New Mandarin Garden Chinese Restaurant. The menu, needless to say, was scrumptious and the guests heartily enjoyed the meal. Juliano, the center of attraction at this celebration, with his parents and grandparents, Filipe and Isabel de Souza, was presented at each table for toasts and pictures. What an

adorable baby he was as he smiled and cooed! The parents and grandparents were elated and the guests cheered, welcoming the newest member of God’s flock. Congratulations to the Franco and de Souza families!


Before Friends and Family, They Do It All Again

On October 28, 2009, Filomena and Germano de Pinna celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. In mid-October, Fil and Gerry’s four children, Vasco, Germaine, Michael and Denise hosted a celebration to honor their parents’ Golden Anniversary. The festivities were held at the home of their youngest daughter Denise, in Bothell, Washington. There, amongst friends and family, Fil and Gerry renewed their love and commitment to each other.

Among the many guests was Gerry’s aunt, Therese Noronha, who travelled from Missouri .

Guests travelled from Vancouver, BC to be with them: Sonny, Cecile and Monique Guterres and Fernanda de Pinna-Ho and daughter Michelle. Of course, many old friends from Seattle also came: Helena and Teresa daRoza, Freda Remedios, Eleanor and Dina Orth, and Angela Niles. And, no “Seattle de Pinna Family Party” would be complete without Fil’s brothers Francisco and Eduardo and their wives, children, and grandchildren.

The celebration was a casual and fun, Open House event, with many appetizers, a celebration cake and a traditional “Tacho” for all to enjoy. In the mid-afternoon of the Open House, Deacon Ed White from Gerry and Fil’s church, St. Michael’s, officiated a renewing of wedding vows by the couple. The proud couple and long time “best friends” once again pledged their love and commitment to each other.

After the vows, Gerry and Fil’s eldest son, Vasco, toasted them with a lovely story, that reminded everyone of the pilgrimage that Gerry and Fil had taken to get where they are: Of the brave commitment they had made to emigrate, first to Canada, and then to the U.S, and of how they had been the patriarchs, for their extended family to land, grow and prosper in the Seattle area. Gerry, of course, followed with a toast to thank all of their friends and family for travelling to be with them, but also for their love and friendship throughout the years. He closed by thanking Fil for being his best friend. Fil was brief in her comments but noted her thanks and love for Gerry. After the toasts, the couple very gently shoved some cake in each other’s faces, and enjoyed a traditional wedding dance in front of all their guests.

The couple’s anniversary festivities will conclude amongst their immediate family this Christmas as, true of their nature as loving parents, they have chosen to celebrate their Golden Anniversary by enjoying a family cruise with their children and grandchildren.

Fil & Gerry renewing their wedding vows after 50 years Fil & Gerry on Wedding day


On December 4, 2009, one hundred and forty members and their spouses gathered at the So. S. F. Elk’s Lodge to bid farewell to UMA’s San Francisco Chapter. Bernard Brown, San Francisco Chapter’s Treasurer, played the piano and entertained everyone during the cocktail hour. Bob and Geri Sequeira who were San Francisco Chapter’s “DJ’s” at most of our dances offered their services one last time to entertain our San Francisco Chapter members. A wonderful time was had by all. Thank you, Bernard, Bob and Geri.


President Alex Xavier introduces his Officers and Committee Members and thanked them for all their help over the years: Left to right: Arnie Barros, Tila Danenberg, Christine DaLuz, Flavia Greubel (Secretary), Bernard Brown (Treasurer), Alex Xavier, Maureen Xavier, Mildred Brown, Rita Ribeiro (Vice President), Georgina and Manuel Sarrazolla.

As I bid farewell to this Chapter, I want to say that it has been my pleasure to serve you all these past few years. As President, I have tried to have functions that would be pleasing to all of you and, that, I feel was accomplished. Now that we will become one UMA, I hope that we will continue to carry on as in the past by doing things that can benefit all the members.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my Executive and Committee members for their years of support and I would like to wish them and all our members and friends a very Blessed Christmas and a very Healthy New Year!

San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club News The Men’s Championship Singles was the last tournament of the year for SFLBC and took place on November 14-15, 2009. 1st place – Oscar Collaco 5 Wins/10 Game Pts./+ 32 pts. 3rd place – Alex Xavier 4 Wins/8 Game Pts./+ 16 pts.

Southern California News by Sally Carchidi

A warm "Welcome" to our new members: Edward Marques, Stefanie Freidenreich and Gary Sequeira. We look forward to seeing you at our future UMA functions.

Congratulations to Ron Siemann Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Downey, Ca. celebrated its centennial on Sep. 20, 2009. Our Cardinal Roger Mahoney presided at the celebration and, in his homily, he asked parishioners to stand up if they had been at the Downey church since its founding and no one stood up. But when it came to the l930's, Ron Siemann rose up to the applause of the 1,500 plus assembly.

Ron attended his first Mass at our Lady of Perpetual Help Church when he was two years old. After a few years of absence when his family left the area, he returned at age 19 and has never left since. Ron, the long-time parishioner , is also a So. Calif. UMA member. Congratulations Ron and Adelaida (Botelho) Siemann, and may God continue to bless you both with good health and happiness.


UMA's 50th Anniversary Celebration - Nov. 8, 2009

Twelve members from So. California attended this wonderful celebration in Walnut Creek. The Mass was beautiful and meaningful, the Macanese appetizers were delicious, and the music was very enjoyable. It was especially nice

to meet up with childhood friends and renew our friendships. We would like to say a big "THANK YOU" to the Organizing Committee and their volunteers for a job well done!

So. California Chapter - Annual Christmas Party - Submitted by Rita Guterres

'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY and indeed that was what 53 members of the So. California Chapter did on December 6th at the Long Beach Marriott Hotel. We were happy to welcome one of our members who lives in Hawaii - Camille (Rosario) Stoebner, twin to Socorrin Pennington. The hotel was decked out with a beautiful Christmas tree and holiday decorations. To add to the holiday spirit, a guitarist and singer played the traditional Christmas songs.

The members feasted on a Prime Rib/Champagne buffet brunch with an assortment of delicious hot dishes and numerous salads. After lunch, Jackie Castro, our always willing music director, encouraged the members to raise our voices and join in singing the holiday songs while Jackie danced the hula depicting the Hawaiian Christmas dance.

Christmas brings friends together - to connect with each other and exchange news and memories and to enjoy a few laughs. It always feels deep-down good to reminisce with friends and what better time to do this than at Christmas!

Sally Carchidi ended the party with a short meeting to thank all the members for their support during her three years as President of the So. California Chapter. She also spoke about the consolidation of all the Chapters into one UMA entity and of the demise of all UMA Chapters on December 31, 2009. Sally gave the members a summary of the highlights of the recent AGM, including information on where to send their 2010 membership dues. That same information will be mailed to all our members who were not at the party. The celebration ended with Rita Guterres presenting Sally with a clock/pen set in appreciation for Sally's tireless devotion and service to the So. California Chapter. Now, what is Christmas for a Macanese without our traditional festive "sweets"? To preserve this tradition, a trayful of "coqueira" was served to end a happy and wonderful day. It was a beautiful kick-off to the upcoming holiday season.

A note of Thanks from Sally Carchidi: My sincere "Thank you" to the So. California Chapter members for their beautiful gift. It will hold a place on honor on my desk. It has been my privilege to work with the "best" Directors, Officers, Committee members and so many willing volunteers. We all had fun and made some beautiful friendships, and we'll meet again at UMA functions in 2010.

The Directors, Officers and members in So. California would like to wish all our friends in UMA the Blessings of

Christmas - Peace, Joy and Love. May you all enjoy Good Health and much Happiness in 2010.


Chaves, Joao Bosco Henrique (Johnny, J.B) beloved of Alice, Mark, Mathew, Adrienne and George. Passed away at the Hospice of Tuen Mun Hospital on 26th September, after an agonizing battle with cancer.

DaCosta, Russell Louis, son of Iria and Gaudie DaCosta passed away on November 25, 2009 in Eckert, Colorado. He was 49 years old. Much too young . He leaves behind his wife Jane and six wonderful boys - Timmy, Andy, Ryan, Patrick, Scotty and Christian. He will be sorely missed.

The family of Iria and Gaudie DaCosta wishes to thank everyone who attended the Memorial Mass and the reception celebrating Russell's life at the Marriot. The support was much appreciated.

Coombes, Celeste (Guterres - 9/3/25 - 9/14/09), known to her friends as "Celly Guts", passed away in Australia after a lengthy illness. She is survived by her 3 children, Gary, Diane and Tony and daughters-in-law Sue and Diana and 6 grandchildren.

Celly is best remembered for her swimming ability. She not only won but broke the record in her first cross-harbor race in 1940 in Hong Kong when she was only 15 years old. Celly went on to win again in 1941. The following harbor races were interrupted by WWII but continued in 1947 when she won again. That same year she participated in the Relay Team that held the Hong Kong Colony Record for the 3x50 yards medley and 4x50 yards Free Style Relay.

Pomeroy, Maria Luiza Rozario born March 24 1923, passed away on October 20, 2009. She is survived by her husband Bernard Pomeroy, children: Frances, Bernie Jr., Elizabeth, Phil, Mary, 11 grandchildren: Shawnna, Jasmine, Jacob, Erica, Alison, Juan Carlos, Sebastian, Annabelle, Danielle, 4 great grandchildren: Frani, McKenna, Alex and Max. She was a secretary for many years in an import/export business. Her last job was at Fremont Unified School District. She was an active member of the Rossmoor community. She enjoyed a good book and loved visiting relatives and friends to play mah jong.

UMA 50th

Anniversary: Congratulations to you all on this very auspicious occasion. This is the time to rejoice and to remember all those who, for 50 years, have managed to keep the spirit of UMA high, while preserving the traditions of our Community and strengthening the fellowship and friendship among all members.

Best personal regards. Jorge A. H. Rangel, President, International Institute of Macau and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Council of Macanese Communities

Club Lusitano of Hong Kong advises completion of the 80-year lease of the Club Building on the 24th September 2009 and the Club Building has been formally handed over to the lessee.

The South China Morning Post on November 30, 2009 reports that there are three writs seeking HK91m from Mr. Gabriel Azedo, once a pillar of Hong Kong’s Portuguese community and a former global partner of blue ribbon accountancy firm Grant Thornton and former President of Club Lusitano of Hong Kong.


Letter to the Editor

Request for Information: My cousin Virginia Augestad’s father, Jose F. da Silva, who drew the plans for the Lusitano Club on Ave, Joffre in Shanghai, would like to know if any members of UMA would possibly have photos of the façade of the building and perhaps of the interior as well. Her address is: Mrs. A. S. Augestad, 1439 Virginia Court, Anchorage AK 99501-9927 Submitted by Mrs. Maria G. Brandon, Manchester, TN.

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By Jorge Remedios

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