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Post by philiptancl on Feb 15, 2015 8:52:08 GMT -5
Hi Joe,
The International Conference for Chen/Tan/Chan/Chin (陳) was in 2013. For that conference one of the organizers borrowed the scrolls which I previously presented to the Federation Chen Association but he never return them. Now the Association indicated they wanted another set from me. I understand there is an International Conference for Tan/Tham/Tam (譚) sometime in November 2015.
Philip
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rudy
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Post by rudy on Feb 21, 2015 10:00:38 GMT -5
Hi Uncle Philip,
It would be a kind of very intereting seminar for me, unfortunately it will be held half a planet away from us. Would the same workshop or seminar be done somewhere in Malaysia, especially Penang in the future? Should it be held there I'll be very happy to attend it please be kindly to let me know.
Happy Chinese New Year for you and all members of this forum..
best regards,
Rudy & family in Medan
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Post by Henry on Feb 22, 2015 22:50:16 GMT -5
Hi Rudy,
If there were enough demand for a Chinese Genealogy Workshop in your area of the world, I believe my dear friend Philip would be happy to participate & teach.
The proposed Chinese Genealogy Workshop in San Francisco in August 2015 is only a starting point and with enough interest in places such a Vancouver, BC, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, and Chicago - we could have the Chinese Genealogy Workshop as an annual event rotating its location each year at a different place.
For anyone that has done some research in Chinese genealogy - they immediately discover that there is very little in the way of books or tutorials on actually how to go about doing the research in any systematic way. The people that are considered "experts" are people that have made all the mistakes & errors in their own research and are willing to share information that will greatly reduce the amount of time, efforts, and expense when you start to actively engage in such research.
What most overseas Chinese do not realize is that the clock is ticking and the more farther removed you are from your immigrant ancestors, the more difficult it is going to get - in terms of having the information that will enable you to get a copy of the genealogy book, containing the names of your ancestors, from your ancestral village. Also, many of the ancestral villages are actually disappearing under the bulldozers that are building new high rise buildings in China. Also, many of the SiYi experts will not live forever and be around to help you.
Finding your family/clan lineage is only half the story - you will also need to create a narrative that will allow your children & descendants to know the concepts that will allow them to understand the lineages that you preserve for them.
Cantonese & people from Fujian province are among the fortunate Chinese that have been able to preserve their family / clan lineages from the destruction by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. There are so many Chinese, especially from regions in northern China that have completely lost all family/clan lineages.
So, my advice to is to attend every Chinese Genealogy Workshop you can - as for me, I never met a Tan genealogy book that I did not want to buy - because one day it will be a priceless treasure to a Tan family/clan member.
I believe it is your duty & obligation to all your ancestors that came before you - it is because of their sacrifices & efforts that you have a lineage that spans thousands of years - that you recover, update and pass on to your future generations their heritage & lineages.
Henry
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Post by philiptancl on Feb 25, 2015 5:03:08 GMT -5
Hi Rudy, Whilst it is difficult for many of us from our part of the world to participate the proposed Chinese Genealogy Workshop in San Francisco, it is also very difficult for me to turn down the personal invitation from my dear friend Henry to take part; especially when my wife is so keen to come along to visit that place again. If you are interested to hear only from me alone, I could do one either in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Medan or in Java. I had done it four times already; three times organized through University Tunku Abdul Rahman while another time was to staff of United Oversea Bank. See postings at siyigenealogy.proboards.com/thread/1286/free-chinese-genealogy-talk-zupu?page=4on May 3, 2011 at 10:54pm and on Sep 19, 2011 at 2:25pm The issue here is in organizing it. Next year World International Conference for Lin/Lim (林) is to be held in Medan. If you should know the organizer for the event there, you could approach them to see if they are willing to include a session on it. As you are from Medan and a Chen/Tan (陳) you may know who Sukanto Tanato (陳江和) is. One of his area of business interest is on pulp and paper (APRIL) and he is a good friend of the CEO for the energy group that still keep me in the payroll. I had visited Sukanto’s pulp and paper complex with the CEO some time ago. The energy group I am associated with also has oil & gas and power businesses in Indonesia and maintain an office in Jakarta. So if you know someone in Indonesia who know my CEO, getting me over on “official visit” could be arranged. Philip
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rudy
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Post by rudy on Feb 25, 2015 12:56:26 GMT -5
Dear Uncle Henry,
Indeed, what you telling are true, and it will be a great pleasure for me to attend it to meet up the great mentors like you and Uncle Philip, but it's such an unfortunate for me that I couldn't come to the US in August so that I was asking Uncle Philip whether there is so the likes seminar or wokshops to be held around our places that would be easier to access and affordable for an average Indonesian doctor like me.
But still I looks forward to see you, should you mentoring any of Genealogy workshops in Malaysia, Singapore or Medan...
best regards,
Rudy
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rudy
Member
Posts: 8
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Post by rudy on Feb 25, 2015 13:23:50 GMT -5
Dear Uncle Philip,
Yes it's true, the real problem is on organizing the event. Furthermore we don't have an organizing commitee like Tan Kongsi in Medan, so if the Workshop or Seminars on Chinese genealogy or culture were ever be done in here they must be under private event organizer (just like a Bank groups you mentioned before)..
Yes nearly every Indonesian would knew Mr Sukanto Tanoto as he is one of our best local businessman. But I never know him privately since my background discipline is medicine just like my father's. Even my grand father (our first Tan who been born in Indonesia) was a lawyer and a lecturer, so there is a big gap between profesionals like us and to those businessmen even if we are coming from the same surname. (this situations get worsening in the absent of any 'Tan-Kongsi' for decades).
My grandmother was of Liem/Lim/Lin surnames from Sin 'An, if it's permissible for me it would be pleasure to attending the Liem surnames you said to be held in Medan...would you tell me how to get there? And if there is any workshops to be held in our region please be kindly to let me know..
I'm still working to get some more clues on my lineage, and still hoping your guiding in the future, thank's for all Uncle Philip.
best regards,
Rudy & family in Medan
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Post by Henry on Mar 17, 2015 14:44:22 GMT -5
Dear Colleagues, FYI Chinese Genealogy Workshop Co-sponsored by the SiYi Forum & the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) Tuesday thru Thursday, August 11 - 13, 2015, Noon to 5 PM Venue: Chinese Historical Society of America ( CHSA ) 965 Clay St, San Francisco, CA 94108 (415) 391-1188 chsa.org/Please register with Henry Tom [ Henry.Tom@Cox.net ]
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Post by chansomvia on Mar 18, 2015 5:26:19 GMT -5
Dear Henry
I wish you all the best for the Workshop in San Francisco but will follow up with interest from afar as unable to make two trips to the US from New Zealand in a year. The New Zealand Chinese Association has planned a trip in April to pay respects to the lost remains of the Chinese which were sunk in a ship off the New Zealand Coast. I think Helen can give more information as am not able to post the pdf file on this forum about the trip due to some technical problem from my side.
Joe
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Post by douglaslam on Mar 18, 2015 6:48:31 GMT -5
What a great event the Chinese Genealogy Workshop promises to be. I receive mailing from the CHAS, it is always a source of great reading for me. I was in California briefly in November (?) 1999, calling on LA., Fremont in the Silicon Valley and SFO. I was taken on a day trip to SFO from Fremont. In the few hours there, I only saw a very minute part of the city and Chinatown. I would love to go back and see more.
On that 1999 trip, I visited Hong Kong then China. Back to HK from China I went on to California to see my aunt and uncle in LA. But I had to cut short the trip because my mother fell ill, and I had to rush back to China. Opportunity missed to see more of America.
I didn't stopped at Clay Street to visit the CHAS. I knew nothing about it then. I read excerpts from the chapter of a book on Chinese street names in SFO Chinatown. Clay St. is aptly called 企理街. 企理 in Cantonese means tidiness and neatness. It reflects the Toishanese influence. I hope the good folks in SFO would resist the flood of Mandarin speakers who want to rename most things in Mandarin. Don't let it happen over there.
Henry is a great organiser and leader, he can steer the ship on a steady course. I wish I could be there to listen and learn.
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Post by Henry on Mar 19, 2015 11:36:18 GMT -5
Dear Douglas,
Thank you for your very kind words.
The arrangements for the Chinese Genealogy Workshop are progressing very well and I believe it will be a wonderful experience to meet with Forum members and also to make new friends that share our interest in Chinese genealogy research by listening, learning together and do collaborative research face to face.
Henry
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Post by helen on Mar 21, 2015 3:11:38 GMT -5
Dear Henry I wish you all the best for the Workshop in San Francisco but will follow up with interest from afar as unable to make two trips to the US from New Zealand in a year. The New Zealand Chinese Association has planned a trip in April to pay respects to the lost remains of the Chinese which were sunk in a ship off the New Zealand Coast. I think Helen can give more information as am not able to post the pdf file on this forum about the trip due to some technical problem from my side. Joe Hi Joe - Are you going? NZCA Ventnor Trip An Important part of Chinese New Zealand history. In October 1902, the SS Ventnor set a course to Hong Kong, carrying on board a shipment of coal, some dried fungus and at least 499 bone coffins of Chinese who had lived their lives in New Zealand and did not return to their villages. On the way, the ship hit some rocks off the Taranaki coast and was limping towards Auckland when it sank 10 miles off the Hokianga Harbour and in deep deep water. Three lifeboats of men survived, coming into the harbour across the tricky bar, 13 lives were lost including Captain Ferry and some of the Chinese men who were tasked with the care of the coffins during the passage home. Some coffins floated up on shore, and were reburied at Kawarua. Human bones, some in bags, some by themselves washed up along the beach. Maori picked them up with the intention that they needed to go back to China, but before that could happen, the boat left some of them at Rawene, believing that they might bring bad luck onto any crew of any boat. We are still trying to find the area in Rawene cemetery where these bones might have been buried.. There is a plaque at Te Roroa Headquarters at Kawerua, acknowledging our (Chinese) thanks to Maori for their care of our ancestors since they buried the bones that they found following the disaster. Another plaque to thank Te Rarawa is at Mitimiti. The trip on 2nd & 3rd of May will visit all the sites for you to view them, burn some joss sticks for the ancestors regardless of whether they are your own village ancestors or not. Given we are over 100 years after the event, these souls are simply ‘our’ ancestors that need acknowledging. It's a great trip, and better with a group of Chinese. The Far North is so different from the rest of New Zealand. Come on up…… www.nzchinese.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=56
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Post by chansomvia on Mar 22, 2015 5:01:02 GMT -5
Hi Helen
The field trip of the Chinese New Zealanders on 2nd and 3rd May to the West Coast of the North Island this year in on the top of my to-do list. We would have to fly in from Christchurch and it would be an opportunity for my wife to meet and stay with friends in Auckland. I will keep you posted on our plans as it is quite close to the month long trip to the States and as we are no longer spring chickens we will see how the aging (mid-70's)bodies holds up before we make up a final decision. It would also be a fine time to meet up with you and possibly your daughter who spent time in China. Regards
Joe
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Post by Henry on Apr 8, 2015 18:21:28 GMT -5
Dear Colleagues, Due to scheduling difficulties, the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) is unable to serve as the venue for the workshop, however, the Chinatown / North-Beach Center, City College of San Francisco will now provide the venue. The dates have been adjusted to August 11 & 12, 2015 from 9 AM - 5 PM Regards, Henry
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Post by philiptancl on Apr 8, 2015 22:31:09 GMT -5
Dear Colleagues,
Due to two aberrations that happened to my wife and me recently, I am sorry that I would not able to attend the workshop.
Philip
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Post by Henry on Apr 20, 2015 15:52:52 GMT -5
Dear Colleagues,
Update - Al Cheng has graciously accepted our invitation to give the keynote address. His is Al's biography:
"Albert Cheng 鄭國和, a mentor and advisor to the Friends of Roots 尋根之友, is a fourth generation American of Chinese descent, renown for his 40 plus years of community involvement. In 1988, at the age of 40, he traveled to China for the first time, searching for, finding, and visiting his ancestral village of Sanxiang Wushi 三鄉烏石村, a hamlet in the Zhongshan County 中山縣 of Guangdong Province 廣東省 where the Cheng family 鄭族has lived for more than 26 generations, since 1044. The powerful emotional journey motivated Cheng to merge his passion for genealogy, love of education, and strong belief in the importance of family history as an aspect of identity.
Soon after in 1989, he and the late renowned Chinese American historian Him Mark Lai 麥禮謙 spearheaded and participated in a family history and genealogy conference sponsored by the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) 美國華人歷史學會 and Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco (CCF) 舊金山中華文化基金會. From that conference came the idea for a program to guide Chinese American young people to research their roots in America and visit their ancestral villages in Guangdong Province, China. And in 1991, Him Mark Lai and Cheng founded and became the coordinators of the In Search of Roots program, that is co-sponsored by the CHSA, CCF, and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Guangdong Province 廣東省人民政府橋務辦公室.
For 25 years, Cheng has led hundreds of Chinese Americans back to China to search for and visit their ancestral villages. In 2001, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Guangdong Province awarded Cheng the title, "Searching for Chinese Roots Pioneer" 尋根引路者. And in 2006 KQED Public Television recognized him as a local San Francisco Bay Area hero. In 2011, Mayor Ed Lee and the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco, declared April 9 as Albert Cheng Day.
In 2012, Cheng received the "Grand Charity/Humanitarian Award 2012 南方·华人慈善盛典" from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Guangdong Province, China. He is also endearingly referred to as “寻根之父," the father of searching for Chinese roots.
Today, Cheng continues to volunteer for the Friends of Roots Him Mark Lai Family History Project 麥禮謙尋根項目, and lead several groups back to China to search for and visit their ancestral villages.
As an educator of over 30 years, Cheng believes that strong roots build strong character, strong character creates strong communities, and strong communities give us a strong country...subsequently the world will be a more peaceful place. He is guided by the Chinese saying, 飲水思源 yinshui siyuan, "when drinking water, remember the source."
Keynote title, "Chinese Roots: When Drinking Water, Remember the Source."
Henry
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