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The Snake in You

Ongoing Celebrations

Happy Year of the Snake! The Wong grandchildren, ages 3-9, celebrated it by greeting this po po with their Silicon Valley-accented shouts of “Gung Hay Fat Choy” and receiving their lai see envelopes filled with candy coins and U.S. gold coins in front of TV cameras, no less. Channel 7 television anchor Kristen Sze interviewed them about their youthful opinions on what they liked about Chinese New Year (answers were “getting candy and money!”) and accompanied us to the Loon Wah Restaurant of Cupertino for our New Year’s family feast. Kristen anchors the Channel 7 early morning 5-7 a.m. news desk daily, so you lucky early birds can catch her effervescent personality on screen.

Hawaii’s own Clarence Lee, designer of the U.S. postage stamp horoscope series, unveiled his Year of the Snake stamp in Oakland’s Chinatown, autographing hundreds of stamp sheets for his many fans. Welcoming him, along with wife Elsa, daughter Cathy, and Armen Chong with grand daughters Claire and Jackie, were old friends Billy Shim, Nancy Ng,and Bill Chun Hoon from Los Angeles. This is the 8th stamp in the 12 month series Lee was commissioned to design.

Other Bay Area celebrations included the 50th wedding anniversary of Albert and Lynnette Lee, who were joined by over 300 friends at the Empress of China to honor the two dedicated dance teachers. Son Derrick, wife Jackie and granddaughters Carson and Shannon gave loving tributes.

Ronnie Wong gathered 50 golf buddies to celebrate his Hole-In-One achievement at Santa Clara’s Royal Palace.

Gordon Chan was surprised by wife Anita, daughters Angela, Juliet and Janet at a gala 65th birthday party at his own restaurant, Mayflower of Milpitas Square. What a feat to bring in hundreds of friends to his own establishment, and not even the waiters spilled the beans beforehand.

But the “surprise master” of them all was Rob Eves, husband of television celebrity Jan Yanehiro in her own home. He got Debbie “Mrs.” Fields to take her on an all-day shopping venture, hired parking attendants to hide 80 cars on the mesa above their hilltop Mill Valley home, and catered in a gourmet supper to boot. Her old Entertainment Tonight co-host Richard Hart shared everyone’s wonderment on why the rest of her friends age, but not Jan. Eves even made sure Yanehiro would be in evening dress by arranging for Fields and Jan to have a portrait taken together that day, something they had done some dozen years earlier when they were both pregnant.

And More Events....

Music lovers in San Jose enjoyed American Musical Theatre’s Northern California premiere of Barry Manilow’s Copacabana and San Jose Symphony’s Maestro’s Choice concert featuring 16-year-old Korean Yura Lee on violin. For our pleasure, San Jose Opera presented Rigoletto with Nicole Takesano at the Montgomery Theatre and Best of Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof starring Theodore Bikel at San Franciso’s Golden Gate Theare.

The Roots Alumni of In Search of Roots will celebrate the program’s 10th anniversary at San Francisco’s Gold Mountain Restaurant Feb. 24, to honor Founding Visionaries Albert Cheng, Vivian Chiang, Him Mark Lai and Richard and Tatwina Lee. For dinner reservations, contact the Chinese Culture Center.

Belated Congratulations to....

....Newlyweds Michael and Macy Chan, who wed near the lake on their Placerville home before 300 guests. Macy, owner of America Printing Co., is busy as president of Hong Kong Schools Alumni Association, ready to chair their 15th Annual Mardi Gras dance March 24 at Hyatt Burlingame.

....General Manager Sandor Stangl, who masterminded the new renovation of San Francisco’s landmark Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel, now featuring suites with outdoor terraces overlooking Nob Hill. Tourists coming to see Chinatown’s famed Chinese New Year parade need only walk 3 blocks to view the colorful proceedings, or take Wok Wiz's famed Chinatown walking tours.

...CAA California Alumni Association, Chinese Chapter/Foundation, which will present Celebration IV 2001 March 3 at San Francisco Airport’s Hyatt Regency, according to co-chairs Muriel Kao, Genevieve Ong and Pam Chun Joyce. Fine dining and Asian fashions will enhance the evening benefit for the East Asian Library and Study Center, and a $100 donation gives one a complimentary entry chance to win a New Beetle. Call 510-204-0690 for reservations.

....Chi Am Circle Women’s Club of Santa Clara County and its new officers: president Mabel Lai; VPs Vanita Yuen and Rose Tsai; Secretaries Virginia Leong and Susan Lee; Treasurers Dolly Leong and Gloria Hom; Program Chairs Pearl Lee and Gerrye Wong; Historian Linda Toda; and Hospitality Chair Beatriz Mar.

....Chinese Historical Society of America’s major Building Fund Donors: Wells Fargo Foundation ($150K), Raymond and Florinda Huang ($100K), Anna Ng Foundation ($100K), and Theodore and Doris Lee ($25K), who were presented acknowledgement plaques at the Society’s 38th Anniversary Luncheon, attended by over 500 supporters. Great work in support of the upcoming new Museum that is slated to open Fall 2001.