Happy Valentine's Day, February 14th!

							February 2004 Fevereiro

http://www.casademacau.net/MCA

Box 48390, Bentall Centre 595 Burrard Street Vancouver, B.C. Canada V7X 1A2

Social Activities in Centre Pointe
We open the new 2004 social calendar activities with the old tradition of a community reunion in Centre Pointe on Sunday, February 1. Games of mahjong were played in the afternoon and joined later by non-players for dinner. We welcomed a few new members and they quickly sat down to play, with one table of mahjong set up just for them. More of the same have been scheduled for March and April. Please be in touch with our Social Committee and join us in this popular get together.

Comunicação “Portugal no Coração 2004”
Temos o prazer de trazer ao conhecimento dos nossos leitores a comunicação recebida do Consulado de Portugal em Vancouver sobre “Portugal no Coração 2004”, um programa para cidadãos portugueses com mais de 65 anos de idade que não visitaram o país há mais de 10 anos. Os prazos de apresentação das fichas de inscrição dos candidatos terminam a 29 de Fevereiro para edição de Maio de 2004 e a 23 de Junho para edição de Outubro de 2004. Os interessados devem contactar o Consulado ou dirigentes desta Associação.

Join us for our next Social Gathering . . .
There will be a mahjong get together on Sunday, March 7 at Centre Pointe in Richmond. Interested in attending? Call Helen at 604-279 8824. Tea and coffee will be provided but it’s a “serve yourself” kind of an event. So no pandering to likes and dislikes. And belated...

Comunicação de Macau O PONTO FINAL
continua firme em Macau e com uma nova iniciativa que estaamos a divulgar em todo o mundo lusófono. A partir de Fevereiro 2004, qualquer macaense em qualquer ponto do mundo poderá ler 5 novos romances sobre Macau, bastando para isso aceder ao nosso site:

Happy Valentine’s Day, February 14th!

www.pontofinalmacau.com
Ricardo Pinto, Director

NEXT MEETING 2 PM, SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2004 at Metropolis Centre (formerly Eaton's Centre)

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Boletim Macaense

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HEALTH WATCH

Animal diseases ‘threaten humans’...

Some scientists believe Sars passed from animals to Professor Malik Peiris, a microbiologist at the University humans. Animal diseases could be the biggest threat to of Hong Kong, said animal diseases posed a serious threat human health in the years ahead, leading scientists have to humans not least because so little is known about them. warned. Experts at a Royal Society conference in London “Most of these major infection problems are really a said there was a growing risk that more viruses will jump problem of animals dumping on humans,” he said. “ We the species barrier and infect humans. really need to know more about the animal-human Their comments came as interface.” Professor Peiris global health chiefs linked suggested a new flu pandemic, the death of three people in which many experts believe is Vietnam to bird flu. Officials are inevitable, combined with an As the world watches in horror the spread of a deadly culling hundreds of thousands animal virus could wreak bird flu virus in Asia, the good news is that WHO, the of chickens in an effort to stop havoc around the world. He World Health Organization has announced that the bird the disease from spreading. said he was concerned by the flu that killed two Vietnamese sisters did not contain Animal cull: In China, deaths in Vietnam, “It is a cause human genes, so that there is no sign the virus sweeping thousands of civet cats have for great concern. Avian flu is Asia has mutated into a new and more contagious form. It is also generally acknowledged that as Asia’s death toll been killed after researchers probably a human threat.” rose to 15 (Feb 4), WHO said the disease is “nowhere found links between the Professor Peiris called for close” to pandemic. But China is continuing to confirm animal and new cases of Sars. more research into animal new outbreaks. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture Professor Nan Shan Zhong, diseases. But he warned that confirmed latest H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in six provinces, who is based at the Respiratory scientists should examine including Guangdong, and outbreaks in 13 of its 31 Disease Research Institute at healthy animals as well as sick provinces. Suspected outbreaks have been reported in Guangzhou in China where animals. “We need to look at Nanning city in Guangxi province, Zhuhai and Maoming cities in Guangdong province. No human infections have the first case of Sars was healthy animals,” he said. been found so far in China. recorded, said he was hopeful “Diseases that might not harm Macao, meanwhile, has adopted a series of measures to the cull would stop the disease them may harm humans. This keep out the flu. A task force, headed by the Secretary for from spreading. area needs to be looked at. We Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan, has been We really need to know need better veterinary meeting to discuss preventive measures. The Chairman of more about the animal-human surveillance.” the Executive Committee of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Lao Si io is reassured that poultry imported into interface—Professor Malik Professor Tony McMichael of Macao are subjected to quarantine. Health authorities in Peiris. “We will have to wait the Australia National Hongkong, Macao and Quangdong are also discussing the 20 to 30 days to see if there University said basic evolution formation of a joint clinical team to deal with the flu is another peak,” he said. is the reason why animal outbreaks. Professor Zhong told diseases try to jump to humans. In Hongkong, the Department of Health added the flu journalists that Sars would “Diseases like Sars, HIV and to the list of infectious diseases. This means that doctors are now required to notify the department if there are always be around. He said early Avian flu have all probably suspected or confirmed cases of avian flu in humans. diagnosis and treatment are the jumped from animals to best ways of containing it. humans. We really shouldn’t be “Sars will exist for a long time. surprised by this. “We need to It will not disappear. It will exist from time to time.” think ecologically. These viruses are trying to evolve.” Professor Zhong said there is growing evidence that Sars Professor McMichael said there was a long history of jumped the species barrier from animals to humans. He animal diseases spreading to humans. “Animals first said that while civet cats are the prime suspects, other passed on microbes to humans thousands of years ago animals may also be involved. when humans started living in villages.

Avian Flu

Mad cow disease: A health threat?
How does mad cow disease affect humans? Should I avoid beef and milk products just to be safe? Mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a progressive neurologic disorder of cattle. It appears to be due to abnormal proteins called prions. Cattle likely acquire the BSE-related prions from contaminated animal feed. Strong evidence suggests that BSE has been transmitted to humans, causing a new variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD),is a rare, fatal brain disorder. It has been associated with the consumption of beef and beef products from BSE-infected animals. In an animal with BSE, prions are concentrated in two areas of the body: Nervous system tissues, such as the brain, spinal cord and eyes Lymphatic tissues, such as the lymph nodes, bone marrow and spleen For this reason, the greatest risk of acquiring vCJD is associated with ingesting these tissues from BSE-infected cattle. There’s no evidence that milk or milk products from a BSE-infected cow pose a risk to humans. In December 2003, health officials announced the first confirmed case of BSE in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there’s no precise method for determining the risk of acquiring vCJD from eating beef and beef products from cattle in countries where cases of BSE have been confirmed. But the risk appears to be extremely low.

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Melania Cannon’s Chronicle of Macau

Part II Excerpt 5 Origins: Setting the Stage for the Opium War, 1800-1839
One of the main concerns of the Portuguese during the early nineteenth century was British expansion in the region. Although the Portuguese had a much closer and more amiable relationship with the local Chinese government than did the British, this alone did not ensure Portuguese survival in Macau in the face of a powerful and expansionist Britain. The British had tried several times since the 1780s to acquire a piece of land similar to Macau along the Chinese coast, and had been denied by the Qing government every time. They chafed at having to stay in Macau, because they had fewer privileges than the Portuguese who resided there. Although the British and the Portuguese had a history of amiable relations and in fact were allies in the war against France from 1793, the British openly coveted Macau and were waiting for an excuse to seize the territory from their “ally”. The opportunity presented itself in the early 1800s. When in 1801 southern Portugal was lost to the French-Spanish allied forces, the British moved troops into Goa in the name of helping Portugal defend its colonies. They sent hundreds of soldiers to Macau for the same purpose, but upon their arrival in 1802, when their captain recommended that the British be allowed to enter and “defend” the city, the Governor of Macau refused. As a security measure, he also sent a dispatch to the Viceroy of the Two Guangs asking him to forbid the British troops to land on Chinese soil. The request was sent all the way up to the Jiaqing Emperor, who personally ordered that the British be repelled. When the British refused to leave the waters around Macau, the Chinese officials cut off their food supply. A violent confrontation was prevented only by the arrival of news that the Treaty of Amiens had been signed by the French and the British. Robbed of their excuse for wanting to occupy Macau, the British left. This did not deter the British from attempting to occupy Macau for long. The war between Britain and France resumed in 1803, and warships once again appeared around Macau. In 1805 the Jiaqing Emperor commanded that civil and military officials patrol the waters along the Chinese coast to ensure that the British did not repeat the 1802 incident. Throughout 1806 and 1807 British ships continually violated the ban on their entering the Inner Harbour of Macau, and in 1807 one British ship, the Discovery, captured an American merchant ship at Taipa Island. Because it occured in Macanese waters, this incident constituted an infringement of Macau’s neutrality laws. Portuguese officials in Macau apprehended the Discovery and harshly reprimanded the British. The situation worsened at the end of 1807, when the French stormed Lisbon and the Portuguese monarch fled to Brasil. The British Viceroy in India convinced the Portuguese at Goa that it was essential for the preservation of the Portuguese colonies to allow Britain to occupy Macau. In September 1808, Rear Admiral William O’Brien Drury led a force to Macau with orders from the Portuguese government in Goa for their own troops to allow the British to take over all defenses and munitions in the city. Governor Lemos Faria of Macau, however, ignored the order and refused to allow the British to land, explaining that their “protection” was not needed because Macau fell under the jurisdiction of China. He announced that he would let his own blood be spilt before he relinquished control to the British, and again petitioned the Chinese government for support.

A Reed in a Tempest

(Excerpt from research materials of Melania Cannon of Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Her research testifies to our unique, colourful and rich history. Excerpts of her body of work were published in prior publications and other excerpts are scheduled for future issues. Editor)

Origin of the Portuguese Water Dog - Cão d’Água
The Portuguese Water Dog’s story kindles the imagination and challenges the memory of any scholar of canine history. Without the Portuguese Water Dog in their ancestries, there would be no modern Poodle, no Irish Water Spaniel, no Kerry Blue Terrier, no Labrador Retriever, no Curly Coated Retriever, and no Newfoundland...perhaps no Puli. The fisherman’s dog left his mark on all these breeds in various ways. Each is linked with each other, however subtly. So that we may enjoy these links and fully appreciate the canine genetic camaraderie, we’ll trace the background from which the modern Portuguese Water Dog evolved. Ancient Influences Picture the wild central Asian steppes (the Kirghiz area of Russia). Here, near the Chinese border were vast, grassy, treeless tracts, with scattered mountains, valleys, lakes and rivers relieving the bare and windy landscape. Extreme temperatures characterize the region. The Tien Shien Highlands, the Pamir Mountains, the Karagiye Depression, the Ural Sea and Lake Balkhash lie here. These terrains and waters guarantee the nourishment of ruggedness. The early people who lived here were hunters in the Old Stone Age (Mesolithic). They were gatherers in the New Stone Age (Neolithic). Archaeological findings indicate they reared herding dogs. Isolated and full of courage and ferocity, the herding dogs were bred for their finer qualities. Some of these dogs developed into a type like the Portuguese Water Dog. The perpetual tugs of wars resulted in frequent migration of the ancient clans. The conquered took their animals and fled the steppes for the far corners of the world. Continued on page 4

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January Meeting and Chinese New Year
In our January meeting, we celebrated Chinese New Year, decorating the hall with Chinese festive posters. Traditional Chinese food was served while some members discreetly exchanged “lai-sees”. We wish to thank those who contributed their time and effort in providing the meeting with lunar festive food and numerous confectionaries. – Kung Hei Fat Choi –
Continued from page 3

Guess Where?

Once again, there is no winner...
Here’s another clue to this elusive location: You will need to ” c r o s s a b r i d g e ” to get there.... 1st caller with the correct location receives our much coveted T-shirt!!!

— Portuguese Water Dog

The victors of the conflicts - Cimmerians (700-600 B.C.), Cimbri (100 B.C.), Goths (100-200 A.D.) - carried away herding dogs as well as other animals and people, as spoils of war. Theories of Ancestry One theory is that the fierce Berbers captured the rugged Asian herding dogs. The Berbers spread across North Africa to Morocco. Their descendants, the Moors, arrived in Portugal in the eight century A.D. bringing dogs with them. Another theory suggests that some of the dogs left the Asian steppes with the Goths, a confederation of Germanic tribes. The Goths divided. Those that went west were the Ostrogoths and their dogs became the German pudel or pudelin. The Goths that traveled south to fight the Romans were the Visigoths and their dogs developed into the Lion Dog. In 400 A.D., when the Visigoths invaded Iberia (Spain and Portugal), the dogs found their homeland. These theories vividly explain how the Poodle and even the Puli developed from the rugged herding dog. At one time the Poodle was a shaggy-coated dog, as is one variety of the Portuguese Water Dog. The Portuguese Water Dog and the Puli share a common heritage, although the latter is smaller and has a double rather than single coat. The Irish Water Spaniel is also believed to be a descendant of the Portuguese Water Dog. Certainly, in past times the breed existed in fishing villages everywhere along the coast of Portugal. In a technique passed down by the ancient Romans, Berbers or Visigoths, the breed was taught to herd fish into a net. He retrieved lost tackle, broken nets, and acted as a courier from boat to boat and from boat to shore. He rode in the bobbing trawlers as fishermen worked their way to the cold fishing waters off the coasts of Iceland and Newfoundland, standing in the bow barking during periods of fog, thereby alerting other boats of the position of his boat. In 1927, a monk reportedly described the Portuguese Water Dog that rescued a dying sailor from the sea: “The dog was of black coat, the hair long and rough, cut to the rib and with a tail tuft. This tuft was white as were the feet and nose.”
Macau Cultural Association is a non-profit organization for the advancement of Macau and Macanese culture, heritage and interest. Based in Vancouver, Canada, it forms part of the network of Casa's de Macau throughout the world. Other sister organizations are located in Lisbon, Toronto, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Sidney.

Call Jackie at 604-277-4713.

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Boletim Macaense Editor: Jackie Pereira Tel: (604) 277-4713
* Please note that while all articles submitted to the Editor reflect the opinions of the authors, they are not necessarily the views of this publication.

Website: http://www.casademacau.net/MCA
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