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President: |
NEWSLETTER November 2008 September finds us getting back into the cycle of regular events. Our language classes have begun for this school year, on Saturday mornings from 9-11:30, with related classes including Tai Chi from 9-10:00, music and well being as arranged during class times. Our Adult Chorus is back from vacation and our Mah Jong Club continues to meet regularly each Wednesday in Rohnert Park. The Youth Group never took the summer off! They continued meeting regularly at our Center or at the Heydon home. They also performed in our various invitational events, giving up their days of swimming or days off from their jobs to help RECA. Thank you to everyone who gave up their days of summer fun. Also, welcome back all who have been on vacation.
Our RECA language classes have opened quietly this year. We have room in all classes for more students. Our pre-school class, taught by Elena Shi, is meeting each Saturday morning from 10:30-11:30. This class is for tots 2-4 and a parent. Our regular classes meet each Saturday, 9:00-11:30. Beginning Mandarin for Children, taught by Cathy Ringstad focuses on children 5-9 who have attended our pre-school or have no background in Mandarin. They play games, sing songs, do crafts and have fun during learning Mandarin phrases and basic vocabulary. Our Intermediate Mandarin Class, taught by Cheryl Brown, has a wide range of people from beginning adults through children who speak Mandarin at home or have learned enough Mandarin to keep up with this class. It focuses on basic speaking and basic writing skills. Our Advanced Mandarin Class, taught by Hsiu Chuan Armstrong, is for our most advanced students who have been with us for a few years or speak Mandarin at home. They focus on conversation and expressive writing. If you come to RECA classes, you have many additional opportunities. After language classes, we have cultural dance classes. Currently, we have intermediate and advanced group rehearsals each Saturday 11:30-12:00 (we should officially make it 12:30 because we are running over each week.) Our younger class are girls 7-12. They are performing a fan dance, an umbrella dance and are learning a flute dance. The older girls perform a fan dance, a Xin Jiang tambourine dance, and a ribbon dance. They are learning to use veil fans, a new prop from China that has 4 foot veils attached to bamboo fans. They are spectacular! Don't miss their opening performance for our Chinese New Year Celebration and Fundraiser. Everyone enjoys coming to RECA on a Saturday morning, but not just for Mandarin class. We have a Tai Chi class from 9-10 led by David Chung. They meet in our dance studio-- our enhanced, remodeled used-to-be garage, complete with wall mirrors and a floor that is easy on your legs and feet. This was originally intended for parents who drop off their kids to classes. However, lots of our parents either enrolled in classes themselves or use the time for shopping or other errands. We now have a sizable group of adults who come only for the hour of Tai Chi. David is an excellent instructor whether you are a first-time beginning or advanced student. He gives instructions and explanations for all levels. Dr. Robert Yee teaches music to students who are not taking a language class. He has taught drums, organ and violin. This year, he is teaching guitar to a teen whose sisters are taking language classes. She is also one of our advanced dancers. If you are interested, please join Dr. Yee and Tasia. If you have other musical interests, let us know and Dr. Yee will see how your lessons can fit in. Dr. Yee also enjoys teaching about wellness. He has many new materials from classes he is taking and would like to share with everyone who is interested in how to become more healthy and how to maintain health, strength, vigor and youth. Come and talk with him during class time and he will arrange class and curriculum for your needs.
We have had many requests lately for lion dance lessons and lion drum lessons. Informally, between language classes and dance classes, Judy Cheung will teach basic lion drum. These are short, 10-15 minute, session to preserve our eardrums! Basic lion drum is fun and easy to learn. More advanced patterns and playing for lion dancers is much more complicated. Sunday, December 7
Each year, our RECA Annual Picnic offers BBQ chicken (compliments of G & G Market and Phi Phi's special sauce) with rice, salad, fortune cookies, watermelon, fun games, excitement, social contacts and prizes. This year was no exception. With about 75 people in attendance and perfect weather, we had a grand afternoon. Entertainment included a piñata for the kids, hula hoop contests and jump rope competition bubble blowing for various ages, lion dance, kung fu, tai chi, short talks and raffles. Special guests included a group from the newly formed Vietnamese Association, and Lee Pierce, City Council Member.
The early birds get the work! Our set-up crew arrived at 10:00 to be ready when the picnickers began arriving at noon. Our serving line made sure everyone was served efficiently. Our BBQ crew (in the back) kept our chicken hot.
Everyone who wanted, got a chance to chat with City Council Member, Lee Pierce. Our own president, Nancy Wang, is a member of the Santa Rosa City Advisory Committee.
Chatting with old friends over lunch is one of the most popular activities.
In addition to the usual hula hoop and jump rope contests, we also had a bubble blowing contest. Adults blew first, then the kids. Who won? Everyone who puckered up!
Our piñata was a hit with the kids. Big kids were blindfolded, little kids were not.
Our afternoon was completed with short talks about what is happening in RECA, a kung fu exhibition by Lia Stephens, tai chi participation exhibition, a lion dance and raffles. China Camp, Marin County, at the end of San Pedro Road, turn off of 101 near the Civic Center, is one of the few governmentally recognized and maintained tributes to the value of the Chinese in California and American history. Each August, China Camp State Park invites RECA to participate in its Heritage Day Celebration. RECA IS PLEASED TO BE PART OF
CELEBRATING THE
Our dressing room and rehearsal hall is the old hulling shed. Outside of view in this photo is a raised area with a mechanical shrimp huller, modified from the technology of the cotton gin.
Our Xin Jiang Dancers (shown) and our Fan Dancers are requested acts for this celebration of history and culture. Behind the dancers is the processing building where shrimp were sorted by size, boiled, spread on trays to be dried in the sun, and placed on the hillsides until they were ready to be brought to this platform for shipping. Today, it is our stage.
Our RECA Adult Chorus sang on this shipping platform, now used as a stage. With the chimney from the boiling vats behind, imagine this platform filled with towering trays of dried shrimp ready to be loaded onto the horse-drawn wagon tied to this post, or loaded onto ships at the dock behind the buildings. Nearly two years ago, RECA bought a bronze plaque for the rural cemetery with the phrase
"We honor those who were forgotten," in Chinese and English. In this neglected cemetery, over 1500 people, including over 100 Chinese were buried with paupers and indigents because it was the only cemetery allowed to people of color and non-Christians. Now, these people are no longer forgotten, and we honor them.
While the ceremony was going on, Judy Cheung described the symbolism. RECA members participating included both Buddhist and Christian, honoring the traditions of their forefathers. For more info: www.sonomacountyhistory.org. Racial Equality Week Festival is not a common holiday, but speaks well of Santa Rosa for its recognition of the diverse population and their contribution to the fabric of our community. A week of various events culminated in a Festival using the slogan,
"Awareness, Understanding, Acceptance."
A time and place to be proud of who we are and what we do.
Our RECA food booth was very popular. Our food sold out!
Our youngest dancers performed their umbrella dance. Our RECA Lion Team, Xin Jiang Dancers, Fan Dancers, Ribbon Dancers, Adult Chorus and martial artist also performed.
The 15th Dancing Poetry Festival, held at the Florence Gould Theater in San Francisco's Palace of the Legion of Honor Art Museum on September 27, invited the RECA Lion Team to open their show again this year. This is the third time the lion dancers have pranced down the theater aisles and onto the stage after having a brief time to look at the priceless, historical art. The famous statue of the Three Graces is in this collection as are many fine original oils by most of the famous artists of Europe and America.
RECA Lion Team opened the Dancing Poetry Festival to a poem written by Judy Cheung, Phi Phi Dang and Shawn Fong.
Reading in eerie darkness, David Chung began the required poem.
"In this world of darkness, chaos rules the earth..." With the words,
"...Beat the drums, strike the gong..." the drums, gong then cymbals began.
"...Fill the world with light..." The lights burst on, the lions began to dance and all went well for the
afternoon.
Our youngest dancers performed their umbrella dance. Our RECA Lion Team, Xin Jiang Dancers, Fan Dancers, Ribbon Dancers, Adult Chorus and martial artist also performed. (photo by Nancy Wang)   HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL with Families With Children From Asia Since the creation of FCA, RECA has worked hand in hand to present activities and social interaction, educational events and general cooperation. Most of our young cultural dancers are from FCA families. We even have an item on our board meeting agenda for news and planning for FCA/RECA activities.
The evening ended with a procession lead by a mobile drum circle playing the newly learned basic lion drum beat, followed by lions, cymbals, gong, newly made lanterns, and lots of happy picnickers. A special thank you to Chris Holland for helping with the lion drums and the lion dance. Grace Fong's mother, Yung Ngan Foon Fong, 84, of Santa Rosa, CA, and former long time resident of Salinas, CA, passed away at home on Monday, October 20, 2008, with family at her side. She was a devoted mother, wife and friend. She passed on to be with her Lord and Savior. Ngan Foon was born February 13, 1924 in Bakoh, Canton, China. Her father, Yung Jak Sung and mother, Yum Fung Chi had a family of nine children, including five brothers and three sisters. She had 13 grandchildren including Simone and Chantal Evett. Memorial donations may be made to Chinese Christian Church of Salinas, 701 S. Main St. Salinas CA 93901, Chinese Christian Mission, 1269 N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma, CA 94954 and Sutter VNA & Hospice, 1110 North Dutton Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95401.
We are hoping everyone will be able to go to the Vietnamese
organization's New Year Celebration of TET on January 18, 2009 at the Santa Rosa
Vet's Building, noon to 9 p.m., with free admit.
Do you read about the various activities and feel left out, wanting to be more active but not knowing who to call? If you ever feel that way, call Nancy Wang, 707-576-0533, (English, Mandarin or Japanese), Judy Cheung (English only) or Azy Heydon, 707-575-9541, (English, Mandarin or Cantonese). Never feel that you have no one to ask for information. PARENTING YOUR ADOPTED "TWEEN" AND EARLY TEENAGER
RECA wants to thank our 2008 Sponsors for their kind donation that keep RECA able to continue performing for the community and being a public resource for people, businesses, schools and agencies who need our assistance. Northwest Insurance Company Redwood Empire Chinese Association |
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 © Copyright 2002-2008 Redwood Empire Chinese Association |