The Official Newsletter of MSBCA Calgary www.msbca.ca MSBCAmosaic Malaysian Singaporean Bruneian Community Association MAY 2011 President's Message I am glad to see the warm weather is upon us. An added bonus for me was enjoying a warm and tasty bowl of Yong Tau Foo Noodle on May 1, cooked by Jesse Son at the Clubhouse as part of Vincent Chiew MSBCA Sunday brunch. On May 2, I attended a community dinner hosted by the Calgary Police Commission. There I learned the important of engaging our Calgary Police to be part of our community to keep all of us safe. As a board, we agreed that this is a great idea, and we will try to engage the Calgary Police to be part of our future community events. MSBCA Cultural Night 2011 is just around the corner. Please purchase your tickets soon. My whole family has been practicing very hard as part of three performances for that night. Finally, please do visit <http://www. facebook.com/msbcacalgary> for more and up to date information. Facebook is a great place to share your thoughts or start new discussions. Better yet, click on Like on our Facebook site to let us know that you have visited our webpage and liked it. Vincent Read about the fundraiser the MSBCA took part in to raise funds for Japan on page 7. Also, please check out more photos on www.calgaryloveforjapan.com Read about Tracey's adventure in Australia so far! Page 2 & 3. Also more to read at traceybong.blogspot.com Do you like to sing or dance? See page 4 on how to get involved! In this month s issue: 2 >> Travel Editorial 4 >> Upcoming Events Cultural Night Preview & Details Free Info Session on Cancer 5 >> Condolences Looking for a Cultural Night DJ Tai Chi Classed MSBCA Choir Practice 6 >> Sunday Lunch Highlights 7 >> Love for Japan Fundraiser 8 >> Songkran Fesitval Highlights 9 >> Photo of the Month MAY 2011 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - 1
travel editorial MSBCA COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2010/2011 President Vincent Chiew president@msbca.ca VP Malaysia Josephine Tse VP Singapore Adeline Chan VP Brunei Cliff Son Secretary Philip Chan secretary@msbca.ca Treasurer Yeuchuan Choo treasurer@msbca.ca Membership Director Cynthia Tung membership@msbca.ca General Committee: committee@msbca.ca Cecilia Chong Koh Hoy Peng Cynthia Tung Kenneth Ang Jade Tarbet Editor Tracey Bong editor@msbca.ca Webmaster Tiffany Bong msbcacalgary@gmail.com Past President/Advisor Tony Quek MSBCA Mailing address: #301, 114-3rd Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0E7 Tel/fax: 403.289.7711 G day mates! Currently, I am in the beautiful city of Melbourne! Above is the photo of the city along the Yarra River. Since my last editorial, I got a chance to go back to Sydney, unfortunately it was raining again, but I had one nice sunny day and got to take a few nice photos by the harbor. I celebrated my first Anzac day in Sydney as well. Anzac day is Australia s national day of remembrance, which falls on April 25 every year. One of the traditions on this day is to play two-up, an Australian gambling game, and was played by the soldiers in World War I. The game involves two or three coins and you are betting on the coins coming up as either heads or tails. It was pretty fun to watch and to gamble a few bucks on the spinner. I also got to go to a Greyhound dog race! It was definitely something different. It was the Golden Easter Egg Race, one of the richest races with the first place prize of $250,000. I can remember when I saw the Greyhound race episode on the Simpsons with Santa s Little Helper. Getting to see the real thing was pretty cool! And I even won $10 on a race! After a nice weekend in Sydney, I was on a bus tour from Sydney to Melbourne that Membership Renewal? Change Member Info? Please contact Cynthia Tung at membership@msbca.ca to keep your details current! 2 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - MAY 2011
travel editorial Sydney "Golden Easter Egg" Greyhound Race. April 23 2011. took 3 days and 2 nights. Stopping at a few different places along the way. I also met some friends on the bus tour, which was fun! We went to Canberra, the capital of Australia to see the Parliament Building and The new Parilment Building at Canberra, Australia's capital. the Australian War Memorial. We passed through the Snowy Mountains and stayed a night in Threadbo, which is a small ski town. I wouldn t have thought that Australia would have snowy mountains and ski towns but they do! After a night in Threadbo, we hiked up Mount Kosciusko Australia s tallest mountain at 2228 metres (7310 ft) above sea level. We took the chairlift up and then hiked the rest of the way to the summit, which took about 3 hours return (13k return). It definitely can t compare to the Canadian Rockies but Mount Kosciusko is still a great, easy hike and is a beautiful mountain covered with large granite boulders. We got to see some wildlife at Wilson s Promontory. We saw some emus, and kangaroos. We also got to see lots of Koala spotting at Raymond Island along the Koala Trail. Spotted 19 and a baby! Kangroos in the wild just metres away from us while walking through the park. koalas in the wild at Raymond Island, I think we spotted 19 koalas! So, now I am in Melbourne and have been here for a week and a half now staying with some good friends that moved here from Calgary. Melbourne has so many great little cafes and shops everywhere, great shopping and lots of arts and culture it seems. The weather is starting to get cold here now, it s been rainy and cloudy and about 16 degrees high (still not as cold as Calgary!). I also had the opportunity to go to Phillip Island to see the penguin parade, however we weren t allowed to take photos but it was really an amazing thing to see. I hope to come back to Melbourne again to see the famous horse races and also to do some more exploring! At the summit of Mount Kosciusko in the Snowy Mountains, New South Wales. One of many side streets in Melbourne CBD, filled with cool cafes and shops. MAY 2011 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - 3
upcoming events --------MSBCA CALENDAR -------- of events proposed for 2010-2011 Please note that some dates are still to be announced and that the events/functions are not limited to this list. If you have any event ideas, bring them forward! June 2011 4 th - MSBCA Cultural Night 12 th - Sunday Lunch 19 th - Free Info Session on Cervical & Breast Cancer July 2011 FREE Information Session on Cervical & Breast Cancer Dr. Lai Mooi Cheong, a long time MSBCA member, will be providing a cancer information session entitled Listen to the Whispers. Dr. Lai Mooi Cheong's presentation will be on Cervical & Breast cancer. Sunday, June 19, 2011 2pm to 3pm MSBCA Clubhouse Contact: Jeannie Soo soojennie@ hotmail.com or call Lai Mooi at 403.288.8767 MSBCA Cultural Night 2011 Pasar Malam di Tanjung Katong Cultural Night 2011 Preview II Countdown to the MSBCA Cultural Night 2011 Pasar Malam di Tanjung Katong has begun. It will be happening on June 4, 2011 at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre from 6pm-10pm. A variety of programs has been planned and lined up for this special event. Colorful performances include cultural dances of different ethnic backgrounds, martial arts and folk songs ranging from our young to the adult performers are ready to entertain you. An extensive spread of hawker food is being prepared for the evening to satisfy every taste bud. One can expect a variety of Malay, Chinese and Indian food from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Where else can you find such good, authentic South East Asian food in Calgary other than at the MSBCA Cultural Night 2011. Tickets are on sale and they are selling fast so call the ticket sellers and book an evening of food and entertainment at the CN2011 Pasar Malam di Tanjung Katong. Do not miss this opportunity to experience this grand event. Cultural Night 2011 is a special production brought to you by MSBCA Calgary. June 4, 2011 6.00pm Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre (197 1st Street SW) Cost of Ticket Members: 5 & under Complimentary 6-17 years - $10.00 Adults - $15.00 Seniors (65 & above) - $5.00 Non-Member: 5 & under Complimentary All Other Age Group - $20.00 Ticket Sellers Jennie Soo 403-280-0327 Vena Palmer 403-695-5993 Joyce Wong 403-220-1518 Kathy Teoh 403-274-7689 Josephine Tse 403-241-8680 4 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - MAY 2011
Come and Join Us for Fun and Sharing of Our Cultures MSBCA has been providing the Calgary community with cultural dancing for more than 8 years. We ve performed for many cultural events attended by Federal leaders, Provincial leaders and the public. Normally we perform 12 to 14 times a year for the club and other cultural associations. So come and join us for some cultural experience, socializing, fun and exercise, even if you do not wish to perform. Whether you re young or young at heart, male or female, you are all welcome. MSBCA Dance Group practices about 2 hours a week throughout the year. We usually practice more frequently nearer to a scheduled performance. MSBCA Dance Group schedule: Fridays from 7pm-9pm Please contact Jade Tarbet at jbtarbet@shaw.ca for more information. MSBCA NEEDS YOU! In appreciation of our volunteers at the Elbow River Casino event on March 18-19, 2011 The MSBCA Board of Committee wishes to thank all the member volunteers for volunteering in the recent casino event held at the Elbow River Casino on March 18 & 19, 2011. Casino volunteering is our biggest fundraiser that will oversee the operation and maintenance of the clubhouse. The following are 36 MSBCA members who signed up and volunteered at this year s casino. Thanks to Jessie Cheah for coordinating the Casino event. A BIG THANK YOU TO Jennie Soo Tan Tuan Sing Diana Bird Cliff Son Cheng Wei Chong Shanti James Kim Roe Jade Tarbert Adrine Chong Cecilia Chong Lily Kwan Melissa Chong Vincent Chiew Tay Cheng Poh Rebecca Rumjahn Conrad Rumjahn John Chin Elaine Gascoine Cynthia Tung Looi Kok Sim CK Tang Vena Palmer Philip Chan Adeline Chan Gerry Vogt Jill Heng Yeuchuan Choo Janette Tam Ming Cheung Nelson Chan George Chin Karen Chin Nora Chong David Koong Paul Teoh Kathy Teoh Our Condelences Koh Hoy Peng and Pauline Tan s father, Mr Tan Poh Heng, passed away peacefully in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on April 26, 2011. recreation MSBCA Choir Practice Practice will be held from 2:30 to 4:00pm in the clubhouse. Starting May 1 Please contact Adeline Chan to sign up at (404)-383-1689 Tai Chi for Health and Self-Defence Anyone interested in learning Tai Chi for health and self-defence, please email Vincent Chiew: president@msbca.ca. Classes will be offered at the Clubhouse on Saturdays for $20 per month if enough people are interested. MAY 2011 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - 5
Story by Philip Chan Photos by Vincent Chiew sunday lunch highlights Makan Sedap IV Makan Sedap IV was Yong Tau Fu by Jessie Son. Past comers to the Sunday lunches came back to try more of this authentic dish from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday, May 1, 2011. More than 100 bowls of the Yong Tau Fu beehoon soup were served once again. The cook and helpers worked super fast and kept the dish coming non-stop from 12pm to 2pm. The chef, Jessie and husband Cliff team made sure everyone had enough to eat. The Sunday lunches even got our Melayu kawan kawan from Malaysia coming to try this authentic dish. The rich soup from chicken stock base was brewed and prepared overnight. Yong Tau Fu is a blend of various Chinese vegetables with fish paste specially prepared and served in hot soup with beehoon. Lots of work goes into preparing the paste. Bonus desserts for the day include a choice of Bubor Cha Cha (sweet potato & taro roots) boiled in coconut milk prepared by Linda Bong, and everyone s favourite Ice kachang prepared by Adeline Chan & Jennie Soo. It was a real treat for everyone. Our dedicated volunteers came without fail to help in the kitchen and to assist the chef as well as serving the guests on the day. Thanks to our chef for the month, Jessie Son for sharing her specialty dish with MSBCA, Linda Bong and Adeline Chan for sweetening our guests with hawker style desserts, helpers Jennie Soo, Kathy Teoh, Cliff Son, Josephine Tse, Jill Heng, Diana Bird, Eng Teo, Ming, Jack & Ging, Clara Cheung, Caroline Chok, Andrew & Lily Chiew. Thanks to our guests for coming out to support the club and what better way than a Sunday lunch at the clubhouse to meet with new and old friends over a meal. The proceeds from the Sunday lunches go to support the scholastic awards for our member children. For those who missed our lunches, please come back for our final makan sedap event for the year. It will be held on Sunday June 12, 2011 from 12pm to 2pm after the Cultural Night 2011. Next in the menu is Singapore laksa with Adeline Chan. Reservation highly recommended. The hawker food is guaranteed to satisfy your taste bud and more. It can only happen in MSBCA Calgary. What are you waiting for, start booking your Sunday lunch.last chance to try out our authentic MSB food for the year. SUNDAY LUNCH MSBCA Clubhouse June 12, 2011 12 noon to 2pm Serving: Singapore Laksa Cooks: Adeline Chan Price: Member $8.00 Non-member : $8.50 Contact: Adeline Chan (403) 383 1689 Please register as we need to know how much to cook! DON T MISS THIS FINAL LUNCH FOR THE YEAR! 6 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - MAY 2011
Story by Tony Quek and Stanley Vong A few members from MSBCA took the opportunity to do something meaningful when the recent earthquake/tsunami rocked Japan with devastation. Thousands lost their lives and many more are now being sheltered in relief centers with aid pouring in from around the world. LOVE for Japan was a recent fundraiser created and organized by Jade Tarbet, Kim Roe, Cecilia Chong, Melissa Cheah, and Adrine Chong. They partnered with the Calgary Japanese Community Association in an effort to create a fun event with a focus on raising as much money as possible for those in need halfway around the world. The event was a cross-cultural extravaganza held at the Beddington Community Centre. The event was well attended with people from all over the city and all walks of life in attendance. The respective Thai, Indonesian, Japanese Community Associations were there as well as representatives from the Avatamsaka Monastery, Sri Lanka Buddhist Society, and the Myanmar Buddhist Temple. OMNI TV was in attendance to provide media coverage of the event. The Honorable Speaker Love for Japan of Alberta Legislature, Mr. Wayne Cao, and his wife Kim, were also busy helping all night. Notable MLA Mrs. Teresa Woo Paw was also in attendance showing her support. Finally, the event was also graced by the highly respected Mr. Gary Mar, former MLA, former Minister-Counselor of the Province of Alberta to the United States of America, and who is currently seeking the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. The idea was to have hawker style food from China, India, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam as well as performances representing the South East Asian cultures. Food included Chinese vegetarian dishes, Indian Chicken Tikka Masala, Indonesian satay, Bruneian rojak, Japanese sushi, Malaysian Nasi Lemak, Pad Thai, Vietnamese spring rolls, and a smorgasbord of tasty desserts like bubur-chacha and Thai ruam mit. As everyone enjoyed their food, the stage was the center of attention for the night. There were performances from MSBCA s dance troupe performing the Butterfly and the Sabah Bamboo dances, Thai dancers who are always graceful, Singers Rei Holowenczak and Lui Wen Tian, the Tanko Bushi dance from the Calgary Kotobuki Society which includes CJCA s president Rocky Oishi, Ben Lim s famous Taiko Drums, the Senada Trio Group who are masterful performers from Indonesia, and Mr. Wayne Cao himself. The entertainment was a mosaic of emotion woven in the name of raising money, and although the performances were fun, the MC s from the Indonesian Community Association (Hendry Agus) and CJCA (Mai Nagao) kept to the theme of why we are continually helping the victims in Japan. There was a 20-min video presentation of the Japan devastation by Mr. Kevin Okabe, the Chair of Japanese Earthquake Relief. This video really made an impact and brought forth images of the devastation that will forever be engrained in our minds. fundraiser At the end of the night, all the volunteers clambered onto the stage wearing their LOVE for Japan t-shirts for a live rendition of Michael Jackson s Heal the World. It was a fitting song that really captured the spirit of what the event was about. As fortunate as we are living in Calgary, we have opened our hearts to reach out to the many in need who need our help. LOVE for Japan was well attended by the public and there were many MSBCA members volunteering or coming to help for this good cause. Khin Chew and Chee Leong were there once again providing the music and sound for the night, Tiffany Bong was the webmaster of the LOVE for Japan website, Peter Chai captured awesome photos throughout the event, and Vincent Chew provided his support as always. The sense of MSBCA s presence was felt by all who attended and those in attendance will talk favorably about MSBCA with their contacts. The event netted close to $15,000 from food/ drink sales, silent auction, raffle tickets and many donations from the attendees and sponsors. This money was raised through genuine hard work and through warm-hearted donations. As a community and city, it should be proud to have citizens that continue to care and to give graciously. The pictures are posted on www.calgaryloveforjapan.com. Please take the time to check it out. Hopefully it will provide more inspiration for donating to the cause of aiding the Japanese. Donations can be done through CJCA and/or through Canadian Red Cross. MAY 2011 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - 7
Story and photos by Jade Tarbet April 9 is the date that the Alberta Thai community Association celebrated their Songkran festival this year. The Songkran festival is the traditional Thai New Year where, during this day, families and friends gather to celebrate by visiting temples and sprinkling water on each other s hands as an act of wishing good luck. So the Thai community in Calgary decided to celebrate this event by hosting a Cultural night at Beddington Community Hall. Because of the long-standing friendship between the two Associations, they invited MSBCA and the MSBCA Dance Group to participate in their celebrations. MSBCA s VP Brunei, Cliff Son, and his wife were there to represent MSBCA. There was also a large group of MSBCA supporters attending too. As with most Cultural nights like this, the event started as soon as the food was ready. People immediately started to line up and thank goodness there were two sides of a long buffet table filled with tasty, authentic Thai food. Long lines were at the food tables for a considerable time. In fact due to the timing, there was a time when the performances were happening on the stage and people were in line for the food right in front of them! However the cultural part of the night was kicked off with a traditional Thai Blessing Dance (Rum Auy Porn), performed by a single Thai Association dancer. Later, a welcoming speech by Noi Albers, dressed in her traditional Thai costume, set the tone for the night. She was always smiling; always relaxed and so the rest of the hall was also in the same mood. From the photos, you will see the MSBCA dance group performing its Demi Cinta dance. It is a very playful, cheerful dance that has been performed on many similar occasions throughout the city. The dance was chosen because it has a different beat and rhythm compared to the Thai dances, which gave the program an interesting variety. Kathy Teoh, Lily Kwan, Meng Yu, Cecilia Chong, Elaine Gascoine and Ivan Teo, danced playfully and gracefully. After the performance, Ivan Teo being the only guy in the group highlights Songkran Festival was asked by the MCs to explain why he was the only guy lucky enough to dance amongst 5 beautiful girls. He answered with How could I resist such an opportunity! brought a lot of laughter from the audience. Other performances by the Thai Association were really intriguing to watch and listen too. Their music and body movements are so graceful, often telling stories that go back hundreds of years. It was very interesting to observe the flow of the event. No matter where the event took us in terms of time and lighting, the Thai people were so comfortable and friendly. You couldn't help but follow their smiles throughout the evening. And so we wrapped up the evening with the door ticket draws, where two of the MSBCA members won prizes. What a great way to finish a fun and entertaining night. If you get the chance to go to next year s Songkran festival, it is definitely worth the time but be prepared to eat a lot of food and be entertained by graceful cultural performers. 8 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - MAY 2011
Advertise with Us! small: (2.25 X 3.0 ) - $15/month med: (5.0 X 3.0 ) - $30/month banner: (7.75 X 2.75 ) - $45/month half page: (7.75 X 5.0 ) - $50/month MSBCA Newsletter has a readership of about 200 families & organizations. CONTACT: editor@msbca.ca Send your questions, comments or articles to: editor@msbca.ca Photo of the month extras Photo by Tracey Bong. Feeding some wallabies in the wild at the Moonlit Sancturary Wildlife Conservation Park. A stop along the way to Phillip Island and is about an hour from Melbourne. www.pearcedale-conservation-park.com.au PLACE YOUR AD HERE Do you have a story to tell us? An interest to share? Questions or Concerns? We are always looking for stories to feature in our MSBCA newsletter! Send your questions, comments or articles to: editor@msbca.ca Note: the newsletter is a monthly publication. Rental Rates & Terms (with effect 1 May 2006): Rental Hours: 9 am to midnight Members (including sound system): Mon-Fri: $132 Sat-Sun, Holidays: $165 Non-members (excluding sound system): Mon-Fri: $180 Sat-Sun, Holidays: $220 An additional $100 is chargeable for the use of the sound system Club House Rental Holding a meeting, presentation or social event? For more inquiries, contact #301, 114-3 Ave SW One of the Committee Members Calgary AB T2P 0E7 Damage Deposit *Mandatory for ALL (refundable if there is no damage or loss to property): Building $100 Sound system $400 With immediate effect, there will be a cleaning surcharge of $50.00 if the clubhouse is not properly cleaned after each rental. If applicable, this will be deducted from the damage deposit. MAY 2011 - MSBCA NEWSLETTER - 9