By Irene Chen
In a narrow alley near the Ruins of St. Paul’s, the most crowded tourist spot in Macao, there is a rusty tin house lying quietly at the corner. Under the iron sheets lies an old man’s life. When we are all complaining about exhausting work and school, this old man has promised himself to work till the day he stops breathing.
The old man is Kao, 75 years old. He is a tailor, and has been in this trade since he was a young man. As people come and go, buildings being built and tore down. Kao is still here, seeing changes of the world while the world witnesses the old man’s persistence.
Five years ago, Kao had a surgery on his throat. Since then, he has to attach a special machine to his throat when he talks, otherwise he would not be able to make any sound. From a conversation with Kao, you may not be able to hear every word he says, but you surely will learn more about “perseverance".
R (Reporter): How long have you been a tailor?
K (Kao): I was born in mainland China in 1937. When I came to Macao in 1962, I became an apprentice of an old tailor and started to learn how to make clothes. A couple years later, I decided to start my own business, which is where I am right now, Kao Kei Tailoring.
R: How is the business nowadays compared to the old time?
K: The business has been going down steeply compared to what it was 30 years ago. In the past, customers lined up to ask me to make them a decent suit. I was busy all day long. However, now, as you can see, I don’t have much to do. Everybody goes to department stores to buy clothes now. Barely anyone sticks to handmade clothes. The time has changed.
R: Why are you still working when your health condition is a lot worse than before? Do you need money to support your life?
K: Well…It kills time. I don’t need this money to support myself since my kids are all grown up and they take very good care of me. Again, I don’t have much business now. The customers are usually neighbors who come to sew a button or trim an edge of their pants. Besides, I’m old now. My eyesight is declining and my hands are shaky. I can’t make a nice suit anymore. But there is no reason for me to stop working. This is what I do and I love what I do. I can still work, even if it’s just as simple as sewing a button. I enjoy working with my own hands because it makes me feel accomplished.
R: When are you considering retirement?
K: Retirement is not in my agenda. I will keep working until the day I can’t move, the day I stop breathing. This little tin house is my life. As long as I am still living in this world, I would not leave it alone.
During the interview, Kao’s grandson stopped by after kindergarten. The old man looked at him and smiled like a child. As soon as the interview was over, the old man put his glasses back on and picked up the scissors to cut the cloth in front of him. Crowds of tourists pass by his tin house to see the famous Ruins of St. Paul’s while this old man concentrates on his sewing as he did 50 years ago.