Mondaywrap30june2014

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ISSUE NO.4

MONDAY WRAP Western Province Chinese Association June 30 2014

Sidney Chong together with his late brother Arthur have always been generous supporters of the Western Province Chinese Association.

It was a very special occasion when he invited family and friends to celebrate his 80th birthday in December 2013. His sister Joyce Hoption and son Brian flew down from Durban to join the celebration. The Chong family from South Africa and North America all paid tribute to him at his birthday celebrations and recalled special times spent with him in South Africa and China.

Patrick and Alice Chong, Sidney Chong, Les and Val Hoy, and Daphne Manley

Celebrating Les Hoy’s 80th Birthday are Natalie Chong, Victor and Edi Chong, Daphne Manley and Les Hoy Richard Hoption, Sidney Chong, Brian and Joyce Hoption

Stella Chong, Eileen Chong, Joyce Hoption and Sidney Chong

Eileen Chong, Joyce Hoption, Sidney Chong, Victor and Edi Chong and Patrick Chong

Val, Keri Mei and Les Hoy

Leslie Hoy celebrated his 80th birthday in September 2013 at a small family gathering. It was a low-keyed affair as Les is at heart a very reserved and private individual, resisting any kind of fanfare or attention on him.

Les was the first Chinese South African to qualify as an architect. He graduated at UCT with contemporaries, Wally Ah Now and Tony Easton. He always maintained, jokingly, that he chose the wrong profession! However, Leslie pursued his career and was duly offered a partnership in an architectural firm. He was unable to accept the position due to the apartheid laws that prevailed at that time and a top legal firm was consulted to confirm that Chinese were not allowed to occupy office premises. (Incidentally, the same letter from the lawyers which was fully researched into the laws and quoting the laws regarding the Group Areas Act in South Africa pre-democracy would later be used as evidence in the legal battle by CASA which gained recognition for the injustices suffered by Chinese during the apartheid regime.) Following this incident, Les left SA to work in the UK for several years. When he returned to be with his elderly parents, he was only then able to take up that same partnership denied to him years before.

Les is a former Chairman of the forerunner of the WPCSA, which was then called the CRC (Chinese Recreation Club). He loved participating in sport, from table tennis, to basketball, and was still playing tennis until a few years ago. He also enjoyed playing cricket with the ‘boys’. He still loves watching tennis and cricket in the comfort of his armchair! He enjoys playing card games like bridge and poker, and his all-time favourite: mah-jong!

Les is also a former Chairman of the WPCA during the transition from the Mowbray premises to the Community Centre in Observatory. He was passionate about the move and used his professionalism and expertise in an advisory capacity for the development of the present buildings.

He is well known for his cooking prowess and likes to consider himself as a gourmet!

(Note to the reader: this article was not written by Les himself and he says that he cannot be held responsible for any errors and omissions!)

If you want any news in this weekly wrap, please email your photos and news items to: rwong@colorfuzion.co.za For your Monday Wrap downloads, go to: http://issuu.com/colorfuzion Go to Share and then Download Keep me posted about your thoughts

In February 2014, Cecil Tong celebrated his 80th birthday at Tai Ping with his wife, Mary, daughters, Lee-Anne and Elana and son, Deon, family and close friends. Cecil and Mary have been married for 43 years. He was very active and played badminton, table tennis, tennis and golf. His daughter, Lee-Anne, assisted CASA with pre-work required for the BEE case.