BUSY DECEMBER DOINGS
BUSY DECEMBER DOINGS
By Gerrye Wong December 11, 2019
CHINA STIX RESTAURANT in Santa Clara is one of my favorite restaurants, and I had the chance to visit it twice in two days because two organizations also chose it as their favorite place to hold their December parties. The restaurant’s private dining room is so very fashionably designed that it makes a wonderful atmosphere with its excellent menu choices for any group up to 80 people. CHI AM CIRCLE women’s club of Santa Clara County held its annual Installation Luncheon there recently. The event was titled SHANGHAI NOON – Chow down at China Stix so many of the ladies were fashionably attired in Chinese themed outfits. Chi Am Circle has over 100 members on its roster and they came out in full force that afternoon for another happy event among its members.
Knowing that women tend to have multiple objects in their purses, members Nikki Chow and Rebecca Feng led a game where tables competed on how many items their tables mates could find from a list they announced. Would you have helped your table by having a pencil, rubber band, hair pin, tweezers, mirror or dental floss in your purse? The table led by Sharon Lai and Eva Wong won the game’s prize by having all the items between the 10 ladies at their table.
Caption: Chi Am Circle Installation Luncheon Committee members
Being installed as the 2020 Board of Directors to lead this club during its 55th year of existence are the following: Presidents Verna Wong/Carol Yiu, Vice Presidents/Sponsorship Sylvia Eng/Teddy Siu, Vice Presidents/Membership Zeny Seid/Helen Yamauchi, and Secretaries Mary K Lim/Leslie Tomihiro.
Caption: 2019 Co Presidents Sylvia Eng and Carol Yiu
Keeping members informed with a monthly online Newsletter are Editors Rebecca Feng/Linda Toda. Other installed directors included Treasurer Sharon Lai, Program Chairs Nikki Chow/Eva Wong, Hospitality Chairs Juliet Sham/Amy Yan, Historian Kelly Matsuura, Auditor Debbie Gong-Guy, Webmasters Jenny Leung/Wendy Tsoi, Parliamentarian Sylvia Eng, Public Relations Officer Liza Wong.
Caption: Veteran over twenty year Chi Am Circle members
As the new officers participated in their traditional candlelight ceremony, co-founder Muriel Kao recalled that it was over 25 years ago when she, Hong Chin and Fran Quon talked about establishing a formal installation program, and the club has continued their suggested formal tradition up to the celebration of its 55th year in 2020. Some of the attendees who have been longtime member supporters of the Chi Am Circle as well as past presidents included Cleo Jong, Frances Quon, Mary Ann Wong, Mabel Lai, Pauline Fong, Mary Ann Sing, and Gloria Hom.
Caption: 2019 Board members Sharon Lai, Nikki Chow and Eva Wong welcome co-founder Gerrye Wong
FOON HAY GOLF CLUB
CHINA STIX RESTAURANT was once again the place to be as the FOON HAY CHINESE GOLF CLUB of the South Bay held its annual holiday party, enjoying the ambiance of the restaurant’s private banquet room too. Frank Chang has designed this 80 person banquet room with modern décor not usually seen in Chinese restaurants and he is always very supportive of non-profit groups who gather there with innovative and attractive menu selections for the happy satisfied diners.
Caption: 2020 Foon Hay Golf Club Directors
China Stix’ Master Chef Frank Chang has taken my private travel groups to China for the past 10 years, and from the opulent banquet meals he has provided annually for my happy traveling companions, he has developed his own unique menu dishes for his busy restaurant in a popular El Camino Real/Scott Blvd. shopping center in Santa Clara. Foon Hay’s Dinner Chair Gene Lim and his committee members Clarence Bakken, Maelene Wong, Carole Yamaguchi and Fran Gin put together a wonderful evening of musical entertainment and sing along fun, fine dining, and prize winning fun for all. Installed for 2020 officers were Fran Gin, Clarence Bakken, Carole Yamaguchi, Maelene Wong, Norbert Luke, Ron Wong, Willy Yichoy, and Victor Gin.
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Caption: Musicians entertain at Foon Hay Club Christmas Dinner
Foon Hay Club member Chuck Leong brought his Rossmoor Ukelele Club members Stella Chan, Jane Fronk, Myrna Wong and wife Deanna Leong to strum eagerly while leading the group in exuberant singing to popular Christmas songs and old country western favorites too. Joining the musical ensemble were Foon Hay members – guitarist Clarence Bakken, harmonica star Gene Lim, and happy ukulele strummers Ralph Gin and myself. Who said Chinese don’t like to sing loud and play their instruments with daring bravado?
Caption: Eddie Jang, right, congratulated for being oldest FH member at 99.
Special Happy Birthday song was dedicated to the club’s oldest member EDDIE JANG who happily claimed was celebrating his 99th birthday that night. Ever lively happy Eddie says its now getting easier to shoot his age as his score.
Caption: Foon Hay Golf Club Champions 2019
Of course the main object of an end of year celebration for a golf club is to announce the champions for the year. For 2019, the women trophy winners were Fran Gin and Carole Yamaguchi, while Ron Wong and Jim Yamaguchi took the Men’s honors. However, everyone was a winner that night, for efficient door prize chairwomen and champion shopaholics Maelene Wong and Carole Yamaguchi made EVERYONE happy by purchasing, wrapping and passing out prizes for each and every diner there that evening. For those of us duffers in the audience, we could leave saying, who cares if we can’t hit a straight ball, we get to go home with a festive door prize from Foon Hay and a hand-sized hard rubber golf ball we can use to de-stress our minds and non-championship grips, courtesy of the real champs Jim and Carole Yamaguchi.
Caption: FH members Gerrye Wong and Ralph Gin join ukelele musicians at FH party
Generous members donated toys for needy children served under Asian American for Community Involvement social service group so thanks to FH some children will get some great children’s gifts this year. 
Caption: Foon Hay President Fran Gin gifts members’ toy donations to AACI representative.
Enjoying the comradery of Foon Hay Club members that evening were former members and guests John and Muriel Kao, Wilson and Pauline Fong, Bert Why, Norman Tu, Ben and Joyce Tom, who were welcomed back by current members Milton Loo, Henry and Alice Liu, Phoebe and Lippman Choy, Steven Gee, Mike Houlihan, Ralph and Julie Gin, and Pat and Howard Lum. Foon Hay always welcomes happy golfers to its membership, who hold a tournament once a month. Check website: ww.foonhay.org.
PLACES TO GO – EVENTS TO ENJOY
A San Jose program titled PRECIOUS SCARS: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNEES last week at the Gallery at the Mexican Heritage Plaza proved to be such a popular sold-out event that a second performance was requested by other eager community members. So if you missed it, be sure to get your tickets for this Saturday, December 14 when the command performance will be held once again.
Caption: Roy Furuta
PRECIOUS SCARS highlights the history of Japanese-American internment while making a broader connection to similar struggles of other immigrant communities even today. It sends the message musically with performances by world-class artists of the Common Sounds Ensemble. Musicians include Damone Carter (spoken word), Haruka Fujii (vibraphone/percussion), Ray Furuta (flute/shinobue), Jesus Plascensia (guitarron), Amr Selim (French horn), and Shenshen Zhang (pipa). Ray Furuta, the creative lead behind this project, has a personal interest as a Japanese-Mexican American in telling the story of Japanese American internment. He interviewed community members and did research to come up with the narrative for the performance. He also chose to include two other composers, Amr Selim and Vico Diaz who come from communities, Muslim and Mexican, that have also been the victims of xenophobia.
Caption: Shenshen Zhang
Usha Srinivasan, President of Sangram Arts, said, “The idea is not just to raise awareness of Japanese-American internment during WWII, but also to educate audiences more broadly about the impact of xenophobia and historical/cultural ignorance in our communities. Program Director Priya Das added, Sangrams’s Mosaic initiative aims to encourage regular people to reach beyond our apparent differences, to delve deeper into that which is common among us by using the non-threatening and welcoming medium of Arts. I say amen to that, and looking forward to seeing the program and welcoming you readers to join me there too.
Caption: Musicians at Precious Stars concert in San Jose
Precious Scars is a 50 minute performance followed by Q&A with the artists. Tickets at https://www,tikkl.com/sangamarts/preciousscars. One enthusiastic audience member last week, Ginger Lai, advises us, “ You MUST see this performance as it’s absolutely stunning and wonderful! It’s a good show for anyone interested in seeing a historical event interpreted in a new way – it’s just a unique, creative, informative program that touches on a topic that is currently timely and disturbing. It’s so popular, they added an additional showing on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7pm at the same location, Mexican Heritage Theater, Alum Rock, San Jose.”
WHO IS THE KINGMAKER
caption: Imelda Marcos
An interesting film has just been released, the Showtime Documentary film titled “THE KINGMAKER”. For those who for the past several decades have watched the history of the Philippines develop through many political regimes, wars and internal turmoil and leadership, this is an interesting look into the life and leadership of the indominable character of Imelda Marcos.
Director Lauren Greenfield’s film examines with intimate access, the Marcos family’s improbable return to power in the Philippines. Her film explores the disturbing legacy of the Marcos regime and chronicles Imelda’s present-day push to help her son, Bongbong Marcos win the vice presidency. It seems, to this end, Imelda is confidently rewriting her family’s history of corruption, replacing it with a narrative of a matriarch’s extravagant love for her country. In this age when we discover fake news possibly is manipulating elections, it is a fascinating story of the political lives the Marcos family dynasty has lead and is having today with the 90 year old Imelda Marcos still at the helm. Look for showings in local theaters if interested in the political history of the Phillipines and the Marcos regime which may be coming back.
CHEONG SAM CULTURE
Our own DingDing TV continues to promote and present events of interest to the community. Just last week it hosted a Silicon Valley Workplace Women’s Fashion show featuring the Chinese cheongsam. As DDTV owner Diana Ding spoke to the 100 audience members, “The Chinese cheongsam is an elegant cultural symbol of the far east so today we introduce Ms. Shen Zisu (Sunny Shen) the founder of Qifengtang and the cultural disseminator of the international cheongsam.”
Caption: DDTV owner Diana Ding and Shen Zisu
Ms Shen showed two costumes, which are now often known as the “qipao”. One was a dark red full embroidered Qing Dynasty palace dress with an eye catching white scarf at the neck. The white scarf, called the Longhua, traditionally has some symbol which tells the class identity of the wearer. She continued saying, “The cheongsam is the carrier of culture and the epitome of the times with its traditional stand up collar, frog buttons, and side slits to the hemlines. A stand-out of the show was the white hand-painted cheongsam which had been featured recently at the “Cheongsam State Banquet” of the Fourth San Francisco International Cheongsam Culture Month and was decorated by San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the Deputy Consul General of the San Francisco Chinese Consulate Office . It was signed by many leaders and was of special commemorative significance to extend best wishes to Sino-US relations on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. Qifengtang and its founder Ms. Shen Zisu has and continues to be committed to the interaction, dissemination and promotion of overseas cheongsam culture. On April 14, 2017, San Francisco Mayor pronounced it as “Chinese Cheongsam Day”, making it the first officially recognized Chinese Cheongsam Day in the world, explained Shen Zisu, the founder of San Francisco Cheongsam Culture Month. Continuing to spread her knowledge of Chinese culture through cheongsam fashions, she judged the New Zealand Chinese Service Contest 2019 and the Miss World Fashion Tourism Finals in 2018. For information in her Qifengtang cheongsam costumes, visit http://qifengtang.org.
Caption: Star Trek actor Sean Kenney and Gerrye Wong
Also introduced at the DingDingTV show was Celebrity Star Trek star Sean Kenney who was best known for his role as the physically disabled Christopher Pike in “The Menagerie” and as Lieutenant DePaul in “Arena” and “A Taste of Armageddon”. In praise of the Chinese cheongsam he mentioned that similar to the ending of the movie, a cheongsam also carries and conveys a lot of information. He continued, ”Perhaps most viewers may not remember the whole Star Trek movie story in the end, but love and understanding are eternal because these always bring people strength and comfort.”
Caption: Qipao cheonsam models at DingDingTV fashion show
For those wondering about DingDingTV, the company I am honored to be a part of with my co-monthly columns online, is the first Chinese American internet TV to focus on content and connection for global entrepreneurs. Our professional TV studio is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and supports many different types of events on or off our site.
. For information: www.dingdingtv.com; 408 244 8883. Julia@dingdingtv.com; 3350 Scott Blvd., Building 54, Santa Clara, CA 95054
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL
Ms Elf on my Ugly Christmas Sweater wishes everyone a Merry Christmas wherever she goes!
Ho Ho Ho!
