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Post by FayChee on Jul 30, 2012 8:41:36 GMT -5
Hello Everyone, I am saving all of your helpful information and have been reading it over and over. I am determined to get this moment right, as I know it will be told and retold about the first meeting with 'great Aunt Linda'.
I love having the choice of a short and long menu, even if it is only two or three of us. I like to order more than I can eat, so that I can take the leftovers home for late night snacks (is this OK or will it embarrass nephew?). Since grand nephew isn't coming until Oct, I think I will practice by taking my brother out to eat at the local Chinese restaurants several times.
I am grateful for the tip on giving and accepting gifts with two hands....who knew???
Another question.....if my brother comes along, should he have his own red envelope to give to grand nephew?
I'm pretty sure that grand nephew was raised with traditional Chinese values, but having attended American schools and College should prepare him for 'me'.
Fay Chee
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Post by douglaslam on Jul 31, 2012 5:09:42 GMT -5
Fay Chee, You and your brother could combine and give your great nephew a bigger, or the same amount in the red packet. Just tell him "It is from your great uncle and me." If your brother feels he wants to be part of the occasion, go ahead and give a separate one himself. Either way is ok, you are all part of the family. Douglas
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Post by FayChee on Jul 31, 2012 20:13:32 GMT -5
Thanks Douglas, Would you kindly tell me which of these Red Envelopes would be good to give to my Grand Nephew? Much appreciated, Fay Chee Attachments:
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Post by douglaslam on Aug 1, 2012 5:00:14 GMT -5
Fay Chee, They are all good, some of them are more appropriate for New Year or birthday. I'd prefer the 4th. from the right on the top row. The bottom row, I'd prefer 1st, 3rd, 4th,or 5th from the right. Douglas
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Post by FayChee on Aug 3, 2012 20:39:46 GMT -5
Thank you Douglas!
FayChee
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Post by lachinatown on Aug 3, 2012 22:07:47 GMT -5
The top one (4th from right) does say Happy New Year.
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Post by helen on Aug 4, 2012 22:21:05 GMT -5
"We visited our family clan library Hoiping China. My Chinese Canadian stories are in this library. Many of the first Chinese immigrants to North America are from the Hoiping area. Our clan in Canada is known as the fong Leun Tong Society."
History of Seto clan
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Post by FayChee on Aug 5, 2012 1:59:38 GMT -5
Hi Helen, Thank you for sharing the link to the video on YouTube....I watched it but I am confused now. Do you think that the man who wrote the books about the Seto Clan is a Seto or a researcher who wrote about one of the Clans from Hoiping?
Can I buy this book somewhere (I guess I should check Amazon.com)? I'm going to look at the video several more times....
Do you think my family is part of the Seto Clan that he wrote the book about?
I've got to get to China and visit my Village....
Fay Chee
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Post by FayChee on Aug 5, 2012 3:03:21 GMT -5
Hi Helen, I went back and watched the video again and many others by Dan Seto of CCRSTV.....I really enjoyed them and subscribed to that website.
My granddad, Yau Tak Seto, lived and worked in Canada to send money back to his village which he used to build our Ancestral home. He made several trips back and forth to China like my dad. I wonder if granddad had another family in Canada like my dad in the U.S......some of the Canadian Setos could be my relatives also...
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Post by FayChee on Aug 5, 2012 3:07:28 GMT -5
Hi Lachinatown, I was thinking of using the small square one, 4th from the right, but I don't know what it says??? Can you read it?
I keep saying to myself "I'm the matriarch, I'm the matriarch!" .....yes, childish, but exciting for me.
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Post by helen on Aug 5, 2012 4:46:47 GMT -5
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Post by lachinatown on Aug 5, 2012 12:07:58 GMT -5
FayChee, it reads: 开岁百福 or 開歲百福 Begin or start or open the year with numerous good fortune [year doesn't have to be New Year]
Right first one (top): 歲歲平安 Year after year peace or safe and sound
Right second one (top): 大吉大利 [dàjídàlì] great luck, great profit (idiom); everything is thriving
7th bottom from right: 旺 [wàng] prosperous; flourishing; vigorous
6th bottom from right: wishing you good fortune [good for anytime]
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Post by FayChee on Aug 6, 2012 0:20:44 GMT -5
Thanks Lachinatown. Someone had mentioned that I should not use the large envelopes, so I will go with one of the smaller ones and the 6th bottom from right sounds nice.
Today I visited a 90 year old lady in New York City, who knew (and lived with) my dad before he met my mom. I am trying to get as much information about what my dad was like as a person since my mom told us nothing but a few basics. One thing that she said that bothers me, is that when he learned that he had advanced stomach cancer and would die, he visited her and her husband (his best friend) to tell them. He was in alot of pain and even cried. The next week he went into the hospital and it was the last time that anyone (including my mom)ever saw him. She said that the Chinatown organization (Fook Lee Social Club) 'whisked' him away and never told anyone what became of him (other than he died). They never contacted my mom or told her that they had buried him or where. No one knew that he was buried in Brooklyn until I discovered it in my genealogy research, long after my mom had died (1970). She said that she was very surprised when I told her I had found his grave. What a cruel thing to do to my family.....we didn't count at all. I guess that when she asked around to find out what had happened to her 'husband', they must have told her that he was cremated and the ashes sent to his daughter in California, because that is the story that she told us as children. That club no longer exists now, but there is another one that maintains the Chinese cemetery section. Other than that sad story, it was nice to hear her speak of him in such a loving and warm tone. FayChee
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Post by douglaslam on Aug 6, 2012 5:14:12 GMT -5
Fay Chee, It was my mistake to have my "left" and "right" mixed up. Thanks to lachinatown for making the correction. Douglas
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Post by lachinatown on Aug 6, 2012 11:28:05 GMT -5
What a story Fay Chee. Very strange and didn't know that club had such strong power.
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