BULLETIN: OUR GENEROUS FIL-CHINESE; KUNG HEI FAT CHOY!
MANILA, FEBRUARY 2, 2011 (BULLETIN) By FR. BEL R. SAN LUIS, SVD – On Wednesday, February 3, is New Year in the Chinese lunar calendar. The customary greeting is "Kung Hei Fat Choy!" or "Kiong Hee Huat Chai!"
The late Fr. Peter Tsao, SVD, former parish priest of St. Jude Shrine, San Miguel, Manila, told me that's a greeting of wish for prosperity.
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And the "tikoy" (glutinous rice cake), which is a traditional fare among Chinese on New Year, symbolizes happiness attributed to the sweet taste.
Ms. Ines Que of Malate, Manila, adds the sticky "tikoy" symbolizes the value of close family ties.
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Like Filipinos on New Year, our Tsinoys likewise hang round objects and fruits like grapes in their houses symbolizing the most sought after object — money.
However, some wits object, saying, "It should no longer be the round thing but the rectangular-shaped paper bill which has a higher value."
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I've known a good number of Filipino-Chinese and I must confess that most of these are very generous, thoughtful, and religious, especially the women.
For instance, when I was assigned at the Shrine of St. Jude in San Miguel, Manila, I couldn't help admiring the Catholic Women's League Unit there for their outreach projects.
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Every Monday, they distributed medicines and foodstuffs to indigents, visited the sick in charity wards of hospitals, or financed their medical treatments. They have been doing all these for decades and on a regular basis. I often wonder where they get their funds.
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Then there's one elderly Tsinoy who for the past 20 years had been generously donating cash for our poor seminarians scholarship fund and other charity projects in response to my newspaper appeals.
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What's so admirable about this ascetic-looking man is he comes unobtrusively, hands his thick envelop to any of my office personnel, and leaves hurriedly.
One time, I instructed my personnel to follow him and get his name and address but I was told he just shook his head, raised a "never mind" hand gesture and slipped away.
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One time, the generous Tsinoy could not come and sent his son. As he handed the cash donation, I tried to fish out the name and address of his father but he respectfully said, "I was told not to divulge that, Father." So what could I do but thank him profusely and pray for his father.
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Of course, the Chinese are only human. They have their weaknesses. Some have gambling habits, live extravagant and ostentatious lives, and some parents are so busy with business that they have no time for their children, leaving them to yayas. But generally, the Tsinoys I know have more positive traits.
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THE LIGHTER SIDE. Concerning the proverbial diligence and business acumen of the Chinese, funny stories are related. For instance, when a father was on his death bed agonizing, his wife and all nine children were gathered around him grieving. He scolded them, exclaiming: "Why are you all here, you lazybones? Who's minding our store now!"
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Then there's that Tsinoy who went up to heaven. Having heard about the burning place called hell, the enterprising Chinese asked St. Peter permission to go down to hell.
Surprised, St. Peter asked why. He replied: "I want to sell ice candy there, where it's bely bely hot."
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Kiong Hee Huat Chai, especially to my Big Boss Don Emilio Yap!
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ST. JUDE. February 3 is FIRST Thursday. Join our novena to St. Jude, "Saint of the Impossible," at the Divine Word Shrine, Christ the King Seminary Compound on E. Rodriguez Boulevard, Quezon City right after the 6 p.m. mass.
A healing session will follow.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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