THE MIRACULOUS CROSSBernardino de Senna Fernandes (Riri) d’AssumpçãoEdited extract from an unpublished book of anecdotesOne of the old stories passed down from generation to generation in Macau was about a miraculous and mysterious cross; I have tried hard but failed to find any written references about it.The legend is that a large wooden cross it […]
Macanese Nursery Rhyme This is an old Macanese nursery rhyme commonly known as “Senhor Capitam”. Rima de Embalar Macaense Esta é uma rima de embalar Macaense antiga, conhecida por “Senhor Capitam”. Patuá English Tum-ta-tum-ta-tum, Sinhô Capitám, Co espada na cinta, co rota na mam. Tum-ta-tum-ta-tum. Here’s the Captain, With a sword in his sash
On Macanese Nicknames Frederic A. (Jim) Silva Edited version of an article first published in the UMA Bulletin Introduction I shall take a chance and risk offending 49% of our Macanese community in order to raise a chuckle or two from the other 51%. Here goes. Besides the preparation and consumption of “our kind” of
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Pastimes by Frederic A. “Jim” da Silva Edited extract of an article, Times Past and Pastimes Some old childhood games of Hong Kong are now obsolete or forgotten, but some others remain – marbles, for instance. As children, we had different games involving marbles. There was the traditional game with marbles placed in a ring drawn in
Patuá PoemsPoemas em Patuá The eminent scholar, José “Adé” dos Santos Ferreira, wrote many works on the patuá; in his booklet Papiá Cristám di Macau he included a dictionary. At the start of each letter of the alphabet was a patuá poem and its Portuguese translation. These have been collated and reproduced here, with an English translation.O
THE SEALED SKELETONSby Bernardino de Senna Fernandes (Riri) d’AssumpçãoEdited extract from an unpublished book of anecdotesSome fifty years ago my grandmother decided to develop a large property in Macau, which her late husband had acquired many years before, part of a former huge estate stretching from the Leal Senado almost to the Clube de Macau.
THE SHROUDby Bernardino de Senna Fernandes (Riri) d’AssumpçãoEdited extract from an unpublished book of anecdotesThe following is a well-known tale, probably told for generations among the Portuguese in Macau and Hongkong.In the olden days a doctor’s certificate of death could not be completely relied upon; to ensure that no one was buried alive, the cadaver,
Talu Jorge Remedios .The basic requirements are just two sticks: a ‘bat’ about 18 inches long and a talu or peewee which is a wooden dowel about 1 inch in diameter and 3 to 5 inches long, sharpened at both ends. The batter begins by flicking the talu with the bat from a hole in
TOOT-TOOTBernardino de Senna Fernandes (Riri) d’AssumpçãoEdited extract from an unpublished book of anecdotes (I hesitated to include it in this website, in fear that it might cause offence to people who suffer from stuttering, but decided to go ahead because the article does not ridicule but rather sympathises with them. – HA d’Assumpção)In the old
Memories of World War IIBy Henry d’AssumpçãoIt was a great feast-day, celebrating the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. For me, then seven years old in Hong Kong, it was a holiday from school, for my older brother a half-holiday. So breakfast was leisurely that morning when our father announced solemnly: “War can start any