by Mike Souza & Maria Roliz

A week-long meeting took place in Lisbon and, as was the case with the presidents of all the Casas de Macau worldwide, the President of Lusitano Club was also invited. President Philip Ozorio was not able to attend due to a scheduling conflict with a previously planned trip that particular week, and he requested that both Vice-President Mike Souza and past-President Maria Roliz attend, as this meeting was viewed also as a continuation of meetings that took place in Macau during the III Encontro in spring of 1999.

Several organizations were responsible for organizing, sponsoring or co-hosting this mportant meeting: Funda��o Jorge Alvares, Funda��o Casa de Macau, Casa de Macau de Lisboa, the Funda��o Oriente, the Miss�o de Macau, and the Centro Cientifico e Cultural de Macau. Our hosts expressed the idea that we, the representatives of the various casas throughout the world, not consider ourselves as mere guests, but rather as co-sponsors of the event.

Perpetuating Macanese Culture
Central to the theme was the conveyance of thoughts and ideas relative to the perpetuating of Macanese-Portuguese culture and language post Macau Hand-over, and the exploration of ideas and possibilities to effect the same.

The meeting sessions were moderated by Dr. Vitor Serra de Almeida of Casa de Macau Lisboa. It was by and large conducted in a relaxed and free-form mode, dispensing with most formalities other than speaking-in-turn, etc. Many great ideas were brought-forth and discussed at length. The casual atmosphere encouraged airing of otherwise difficult and sensitive issues.

June 19, Casa de Macau, Lisbon
The first session was held at the lovely Casa de Macau, with its traditional salmon-colored exterior and manicured grounds. Speaking in turn, each representative presented an overview of their club�s mission or purpose, social and cultural functions and activities.

Who Qualify as Macanese?
An issue was raised concerning the definition of �Macanese,� for the consideration of eligibility of membership. A Portuguese-born gentleman and a member of Casa de Macau Lisboa illustrated the point best; he lived in Macau for many years, and is married to a Macanese. Would he be considered Macanese himself? After all, he spent much time in Macau and feels a nostalgic attachment to Macau. There was no objection whatsoever from anyone present. At the end of this discussion, it was generally agreed that birth, race, heritage, relationship, cultural interest can play a part in the definition, subject to local laws concerning discrimination.

Another topic discussed was the promotion of the Portuguese language and Macanese patois. Dr. Rangel suggested identifying a target audience and consider courses such as Berlitz, etc., especially for those of us in non-Portuguese speaking countries, with an instructor. Michael Gutteres of Casa de Macau, Vancouver, said that they have combined language and cooking instruction into one class, which we thought was an interesting and innovative approach worthy of consideration. Dr. Vitor Serra de Almeida pledged to issue guidelines for instruction and lessons on his organization�s website.

Inter-Casa Communications
A proposal was made to increase the ease and frequency of contacts between all the Casas via the internet. It was also proposed that bulletins published in English should be translated to Portuguese and made available on respective websites. Lusitano is exploring this possibility in conjunction with our own web development.

June 20, Missao de Macau, Lisbon
Dr. Jorge Rangel, President of the Instituto Internacional de Macau, covered the topic of the future ties with Macau. He gave us an interesting insight into the preparations leading to the Macau Hand-over, such as the first time a Macau hotel catered for a gathering of over 1,000 guests, and the lack of adequate venue resulting in the ingenious creation of temporary structures (tents). He also touched on the rapid changes in Macau that were not anticipated. Quote: "What�s the point of having a �Macau� if its identity is to be assimilated with that of Hong Kong?"

He also presented us with a task-laden question: "Are we willing to represent Macau in an unofficial capacity in return of receiving their assistance � especially in places where no official representation is present; for example, a tourism office?" He believes that the Casas are most able to effect this in a positive way. If we were willing to "promote Macau�s visibility internationally," he would convey this message to the new administration. Other items of impeccable vision and foresight from a powerful leader whom we are all proud of: An open-door central communication point to maintain links. Create a think-tank to solve problems in our worldwide Macanese community. Remain optimistic, and be prepared to face future challenges and problems.

The APIM delegation told us that they are working on a glossary of patua terms with Portuguese translation. We look forward with eager anticipation, possibly as a side addition to our future Portuguese lessons. Wouldn�t that be entertaining? APIM told us that they approached Edmund Ho about heading-up the next Encontro, and he has accepted. APIM expressed to us that, even though they are the organizing committee, all the casas are co-hosts and co-equals in the next Encontro. We thought it was a very nice gesture on their part. A pre-Encontro meeting is scheduled for November of 2000, and all the presidents are to attend. The ever-popular group, Doci Papiacam will be entertaining the troops.

Palacio de Belem (Presidential Palace)
His Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, met with the delegation. Lots of pictures (this is a photo opportunity!) were taken, and His Excellency showed tremendous interest in our communities, and gave us much encouragement in our efforts to preserve our culture and heritage, and expressed his wish that we would maintain good relations with the new Macau administration.

June 21, Arrabida Monastery - Funda��o Oriente
Dr. Carlos Monjardino, and Dr. Mario Brand�o took part in discussions centered around scholarships offered by the Funda��o Oriente. Qualification guidelines will be available from their website. On the subject of education, proposals were made for a student exchange program, with the preferred host destination in a Portuguese-speaking country such as Portugal or Brazil. Age brackets were discussed based on past experience and rate of success. The IV Encontro (Encontro 2001) was also discussed, and Funda��o Oriente has offered assistance ifneeded and requested. At this time, the Funda��o Oriente has not been approached by the Macau SAR for assistance.

Eng. Luis Lobato and Dr. Monjardino stressed that the younger generations need to persuade the older generation how important they are for the future of our communities. It is clear that their interest in our clubs goes beyond the recreational and casual social aspects, but rather in our willingness to keep the Portuguese-Macanese culture alive beyond the current active generations.

Clubhouse/Cultural Center Matters
Dr. Monjardino stated that if they were to purchase a property, they would be on title and pay the property taxes. As of now, they are still committed to a funding of approximately US$600,000 whether it is enough to buy a property 100 percent or joint-ownership with the USA casas. Funda��o Oriente. will cover major expenses such as roof replacement, etc. In the event of a joint-ownership arrangement between F.O. and the Casas involved, they will pay all taxes and major repairs. Other recurring expenses, such as property/liability insurance, maintenance and utilities should be the responsibility of the clubs.

June 22, Sintra & Cascais
We boarded a chartered tour bus which took us on an afternoon tour of these beautiful seaside resorts. We had a chance to buy some souvenirs at goodprices here. We had an enjoyable dinner at the Arriba Restaurant not too far from Cabo da Roca, which, incidentally, is the western-most point of continental Europe. The Arroz de Mariscos was delicious. It is hard to find a bad restaurant in Portugal. The Portuguese seemed determined not to falter on their reputation of having some of the best food in all of Europe. And, of course, the locally-produced wines with distinctly Portuguese characteristics, are delightful and quite enjoyable.

June 23, Centro Cientifico E Cultural De Macau
The delegation was greeted by the Director, Prof. Eng. Alexandria Costa Gomes. We viewed an impressive presentation of their website displayed on a 100 inch projector screen. The website includes a list of contacts of all the casas worldwide, including Lusitano Club of California. No expense was spared at the museum here. A bisectioned caravel, large in scale, had built-in holographic-effect displays of shipboard life � a must-see for anyone headed for Lisbon. There were discussions on future links to all the casas� websites. Lusitano�s future website will have a link to this website.

June 24, Dia de Macau at the Macau Pavilion, Park of the Nations:
The facade of the pavilion is a realistic replica of the Ruins of St. Paul. Inside, typical scenes depicting old and new Macau were on display. We were told that this is not your typical museum because the displays are changed on a regular basis. After a tour of the Pavilion, a special Mass was held in the garden, followed by lunch at the Restaurante de Macau there at the Park of the Nations. After lunch, we returned to the Macau Pavilion for an afternoon reception. There was an art exhibition of well-known scenes of Macau and a youth group gave a good kung-fu demonstration. Carlos Coelho entertained us with Patua and a Macanese sing-along. We had a great time socializing before heading back to the hotels that evening.

We feel that much was accomplished from a long-term perspective in terms of laying the foundation for inter-casa cooperation for the benefit of our worldwide community. In future, it will be possible to include club-hosting of travellers all over the world, a "home-away-from home", and this can be a major benefit we can all look forward to.