Words and Phrases by Frederic A. “Jim” Silva This is an edited compilation of material almost entirely from articles by Frederic A. “Jim” Silva published in the UMA Bulletin. Sounds of the words and phrases, recorded by Maria de Carvalho e Rego Machado Marques have been added. There are minor differences between the pronunciations and spellings here and those […]
Lt Augusto Maria Xavier USMC A Hero’s Tale Retold A decorated Macanese hero of the Vietnam war. by Armando (Pinky) da Silva Lt Augusto “Gussie” Xavier USMC lost his life in Vietnam in March 1966 leading a flight of four A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bombers while assisting a beleaguered US Special Forces (“Green Berets”) base camp. He was
Hero’s Tale Retold Read More »
Some war-time reminiscences by Frederic (Jim) Silva, 2012 I was in Macau for 3 years during World War II. I finished my high school education there under the tuition of Irish Jesuit priests from a very prestigious High School in HongKong. I was in HK after the Japanese invasion for nearly one year, aged 14;
War-time reminiscences Read More »
The Macanese – A Legacy of Portugal in China by Frederic A. (Jim) Silva Edited talk given at the 2004 Encontro in Macau. Whoever said “East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet” ” had obviously never met a Macanese, for in the Macanese there has been the perfect blending of
On Macanese Nicknames by 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
On Macanese Nicknames Read More »
Peter the Cruel by Frederic A. (Jim) Silva It must be flattering or else insulting to be a ruler of nations and men and then to have an added title bestowed for posterity by history. For instance, young King Alexander of Macedonia would probably be flattered by being labelled Alexander the Great. I am sure Suleiman the Magnificent, Peter
The Spy who Never came back Pêro da Covilhã by Frederic (Jim) Silva In the true tales of high adventure the story of Marco Polo’s travels have been indelibly recorded in history. But few have ever heard of one Pêro da Covilhã. And yet Pêro da Covilhã’s travels and exploits can come a close second to
Portugal’s Flag by Frederic (Jim) Silva It is not all that surprising to find that a country as old as Portugal has had its flag much altered as circumstances changed. Today’s modern flag tells us a story of a past and a people. We can see something of Portugal’s origins and history, of early Kings
Minchi: An Odyssey by Armando (Pinky) da Silva (An edited version of an article originally published in the UMA Newsletter) The odyssey of minchi starts with Kheema, the term used by many Indians for finely minced meat usually of goat and lamb. When Portuguese seafarers arrived in India in 1498 they wanted to affirm and
Revisiting the Reed Brothers by Armando “Pinky” da Silva*, with pictures added. All posthumous war accounts have a Rashomon-like quality in their telling. The story of the four Reed brothers who died in the Battle of Hong Kong is no exception. Theirs is not only a distinctively proud Hong Kong story but also a tragic
Revisiting the Reed Brothers Read More »
