The headline, “Do you understand me”, is written in Patuá, a language that was once widely spoken among the Macanese community, but no longer holds its unique status in this modernized city. Serving as both a means of communication and a carrier of culture, a language has its own venerable history and nature. The diversity of one language reflects the multi-ethnic nature of the society from where it derives. However, quite many languages are virtually on the verge of extinction. Patuá is among them struggling to fight for a breath.

Endangered language

Sonia Palmer is one of the few Portuguese safe- guarding the endangered language, Patuá.

“I am afraid that no one will know Patuá in the future,” said Sonia Palmer, a Macanese owner of a Portuguese Restaurant.

Patuá, also called by its speakers Papia Cristam di Macau (“Christian speech of Macao”) and dubbed as Dóci Língu di Macau (“Sweet Language of Macao”), is a special dialect only spoken by a few families nowadays in the region. “My parents taught me Patuá when I was small. And I used to speak Patuá with my family and some Macanese friends,” said Palmer. “However, the new generation of Macanese barely uses it.”

According to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there is only a minority of 50 fluent Patuá speakers recorded in 2000. The creole language is listed as the fifth lowest degree of endangerment indicating a level “close to extinction”. Given that, the Macao SAR Government designated Patuá as part of the territory’s “intangible cultural heritage” in 2012. To Palmer, it cannot be more encouraging to Macanese like her as such a move implies a certain degree of “recognition” of the language.

History of Patuá

The Macao creole is a multicultural language spoken by the Portuguese descendants in the city for over four centuries. It can be traced back to the 16th century when Portuguese traders explored a maritime route from Europe to eastern continents and places, such as Africa, India, Malacca, and ultimately inhabited in Macao.

The language has gradually evolved into a unique creole based on the Portuguese language along with a combination of Malay, Cantonese, English and Spanish following the intermarriages between Portuguese settlers and local women which formed a Macanese community in the territory.

The fading of Patuá

One of the key reasons for Patuá’s downfall is due to a policy enforced at Portuguese-language schools in the 19th century discouraging the use of Patuá, which was considered as an inferior language. “When public education became more common,” said Palmer, recalling the old memories. “Patuá was not very welcomed as it was not a ‘standard language’. During that period of time, Portuguese teachers taught original and formal Portuguese. Therefore, the officials thought that Patuá would somehow distort what children were learning from schools.”

The creole language then declined into a women’s language since the early 20th century. Generally, Patuá was used in homes and sometimes on the street, but no more in schools or workplaces.

The Portuguese enclave returned to China after the handover in 1999. Driven by the flourishing gaming industry and implementation of the individual tourist scheme, there was a 14.7% surge in Mandarin speakers while the number of Portuguese speakers dropped by 0.6% ac- cording to a report by the city’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) in 2011. Along with the decline of Portuguese language, Patuá seems to be even more irrelevant to the communities nowadays.

Dóci Papiáçam di Macau

With a view to reviving the fading language in the city, Palmer mentioned that there is a theater group called Dóci Papiáçam di Macau trying to continue the language by performing dramas. Founded in 1993, the theatre company has made its mark in the Macao Art Festival since 1997.

The performing group holds at least one performance each year, according to Palmer, who is also among the group members. “We speak Patuá, English, Cantonese and Mandarin on stage; audience will understand part of our language, which is quite funny.” She added that not just Macanese who come for their show, there is also other-language-speaking audience who enjoy the multi-cultural yet entertaining story.

Preservation of Patuá

Manuel António Noronha, senior English instructor at the University of Macau.

Senior Instructor of the English Language Centre, University of Macau, Manuel António Noronha, has devoted a lot of his time to research on the endangered creole language.

Despite increasing efforts to help promote and preserve the language, members of the dwindling Macanese com- munity and the Macau government face an arduous task in an attempt to increase the awareness among the younger generations.

Noronha grew up in Hong Kong under British rule, and naturally he found it quite interesting to hear his parents speak a foreign language among their friends and family. However, when he began learning Portuguese at the university, he found it quite intriguing that his parents spoke ‘Portuguese’ quite differently from his professors. This was when he began his interest in sociolinguistics, especially studies in pidgins and creoles.

He has resided in both Macao and Portugal. His research has also enabled him to speak Patuá. In fact, part of his doctoral dissertation focused on the historical profile of “Macao Portuguese”.

Noronha agreed that Patuá very much represents the Macanese identification. Other factors that have traces of Patua are: “Food, music, dress and dances, all of these you will find traces of Patuá.”

An untitled poem written in Patuá and translated into Poruguese and English. (By an unknown author)

He also gave an example in daily life which most of us might find familiar, “take a look at the word ‘min- chi’. It was infused into the language with influences from English. Do people know this word? No, not really but they eat it. So that means the culture here is very much embedded. The language is here, so the food is still here.”

However, Noronha believes that promoting the creole language to a declining number of speakers, with little interest in learning Portuguese among the younger generations of the Macanese community, is a problematic issue that faces advocates of the creole. “Even the locally born Macanese youngsters don’t want to learn Portuguese. If they don’t want to learn Portuguese, why would they be interested in a language that existed until the turn of the 20th century?” He also noted that the mandatory education of Standard Portuguese at schools at that time might have re- shaped the thinking of many people in the Macanese community. Why would they continue to learn and use the creole language as people would prefer the elite language over an ‘unrefined’ vernacular.

The archaic creole language can hardly keep up with the modernized society nowadays with minimal speakers. It accounts for its only appearance in theatres and dramas as a vehicle for critical parody, Noronha said. Asked if he would teach his children Patuá, he said he did so just to let his kids know the difference between standard Portuguese and the creole language. “Sometimes they would imitate me. Very rarely would they speak Patuá with another friend. They found it extremely funny and they think it was a joke. If I explained, they would listen or sometime they would say ‘I see’. That’s it,” he also added.

The post Vosoutro Podi Entendê Io? appeared first on Umac Bridges Spring 2014.

“I felt very grateful and delighted when I saw the new Macao Heritage Ambassadors were awarded on the stage, I hope to have more teenagers to join us and we can better promote Macao cultural heritage,” said Pearl Chau, chairman of Macao Heritage Ambassadors Association (MHAA), who is also one of the founders of MHAA.

Pearl Chau

MHAA, established on August 1, 2004, is a non-profit organization with a mission to “cherish cultural relic, and inherit culture.” MAHH makes an effort to help more young people get the knowledge of cultural heritage, encouraging them to participate in cultural activities in order to promote the development of cultural and creative industries.

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“As a leader, I fully understood that all things had a difficult start,” Chau said. “Because not many people knew MHAA at the beginning so we needed to create more activities in order to promote our association well.” Chau also ex- pressed that preventing the loss of talents is the biggest challenge for them.

“A lot of members of MHAA are students and some of them may go to study abroad or have not much time to participate in our activities, so we hold programs of Macao Heritage Ambassadors each year which can attract more aspiring teenagers,” said Chau. “Fortunately, MHAA has developed successfully so far with all members’ joint efforts because we have a passion for promoting Macao culture.”

Michael Ao

According to Chau, nowadays, more teenagers are interested in the Macao cultural heritage and they have a great ambition in this field. Michael Ao, one of the members of MHAA, is a Year 1 student of Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) majoring in Tourism Business Management. “I joined MHAA when I was in senior one,” said Ao.

Actually, the levels of Macao Heritage Ambassadors are divided into five grades and Ao got the Honor Macao Heritage Ambassadors in 2013, which is the highest grade. “Letting more tourists know the unique Macao heritage is my responsibility,” Ao added.

Young blood

Ao expressed that he has not only deepened his knowledge about Macao, but also obtained more platforms through MHAA and made a continuous progress. In the training courses of Heritage Ambassadors, Ao has now become the leader of one of the teams. Saturn Lao, a Form 4 student in Chan Sui Ki Perpetual Help College, is a member of his team.

Saturn Lao

“I want to become an architect in the future and I can have the first knowledge of Macao historical buildings from this course,” Lao said. “Understanding history through stories is a good way for me and I especially love Macao heritage stories which are very interesting.”

Although there is a time conflict between the heritage training courses and her school courses, Lao said that she will continue it because successes never belong to those people who give up halfway.

Both Ao and Lao are “young blood” of MHAA. “As the development of Macao is over dependent on the gaming industry, there are still lots of young people striving for the future of Macao,” Chau said.

The post If I’m Not at Home, I’m out Promoting Local Culture appeared first on Umac Bridges Spring 2014.

Chao is living in the house for more than 40 years, saying that this is the most comfortable place in Macao.

“It nearly became a wasteland,” said Chao Kim Ping, an 83-year-old woman who has lived in the Bairro de São Lázaro for more than 40 years.

Many years ago, Chao’s house was planned to be reconstructed by a development company. Fortunately, the Macao government quickly listed that area as a cultural heritage in 1984 so that she could escape from that “reconstruction”. “I am so lucky that my house still remains here since many of the similar buildings have been rebuilt,” Chao said.

“I used to live in No. 34 of this street before the previous reconstruction. Later on, I moved to No. 44, where I’ve lived till now. As time goes by, there are only a few old buildings left,” Chao sighed.

“It is hard to find such a quiet place like here in Macao now,” Chao said, sitting on her chair comfortably. “My neighbor always said this is the best living place in Macao, and I feel the same with her,” Chao added. In fact, most of her neighbors immigrated to other places or passed away long time ago. Looking out of the window, it is not difficult to see the deserted houses.

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The house gives her lots of memories with her family. “I remember one day, my husband suddenly brought a puzzle back and he finished it on his own,” Chao pointed to the puzzle covered with “full of dust” on the wall. “Also, another day, he brought back some wood and said that he wanted to make a shelf for me. I am still using it right now.” Though the time cannot go back to the old days, it still remains as memory of her husband.

Chao has not redecorated her house since she moved in. “This is the self portrait of my husband,” Chao said. “In the past, my husband loved drawing cartoons and he taught our grandsons on the upper floor. The tools that he used before are still here and all the decorations remain the same. Sometimes, I will go upstairs and review the old things.”

It is a blessing that the Macao government has protected this area as a cultural heritage. If not, it will be a loss of not only a home, but also a memorable story.

The post The Blessing of the Land appeared first on Umac Bridges Spring 2014.

Macao has changed dramatically since the opening-up of gaming concessions and the individual free travel scheme for mainland tourists a decade ago. Urbanization and globalization have gradually altered its scenarios as well; Casinos, resorts and fashion shops occupy the living space; High-rise buildings sprout up in the city.

According to the information released by the Statistics and Census Service, the city had 217,335 vehicles by the end of 2013, a 52% hike from 2003. Moreover, the whole population of Macao surged to 607,500 by the end of 2013, with a growth of 159,500 through the past decade. Undoubtedly, the past decade has resulted in a tremendous change and left enduring marks on its citizens. More and more people visit Macao in order to have a taste of “the Las Vegas of Asia”. They immerse in a luxurious world, appreciate the exotic sights and enjoy the modern life nowadays; however, the lives of local citizens have undergone unprecedented changes in keeping pace with the development of the city.

Citizens might have forgotten what the downtown used to be like, while the faded photographs document Macao’s old face of the past several decades. Looking back at the old photographs and reminiscing, citizens tend to value these transformations as mixed blessings. “The change of the city truly benefits us but sometimes I wish I could go back to the old days and visit some old places. However, I am afraid that Macao can’t afford to return to its old time,” one citizen Amy Pak expressed her concern. On one hand, the booming economy and prosperous tourism industry bring in higher in- come for citizens; on the other hand, it also causes numerous problems, such as light pollution, traffic jams, noise pollution, parking difficulties and decrease in community space and so on.

The loss of childhood memories

Children enjoyed a larger community space in 1995.

“My feeling towards the changes of city appearance is subtle as they are minor and piece- meal,” a 22 years old college student Susan Sou said. She lives near the Lou Lim Ieoc Garden, where she used to have a picnic a lot and a loving memory of her childhood. While with the raising number of foreign labor, Sou feels like the garden is “occupied” by others. She added: “As a result, memories of my childhood, together with the garden, faded with time.”

For Sou, what count most are not the transition of city appearances but the sense of humanity. “The distance between people becomes wider, and there is less humanity while more conflicts occur.” She expressed her concern, “Thus, we are much easier to ignore or be aggressive toward others. The town is less peaceful and pleasant. “

Reduced community spaces

Snack shops and little stores selling fish balls and desserts in 1973. (Photo provided by Micheal Chan)

Amy Pak is a 43-year-old citizen living in the Pearl of the Orient district, where she enjoyed spacious roads and a smooth flow of traffic decades ago. “The spectacular buildings boom overnight, the town bristles with buildings and vehicles today.” In her childhood, she could enjoy a wonderful sea view from her apartment. Whereas, today skyscrapers block her view, nothing can be seen except the neighboring buildings. Moreover, the number of vehicles surges dramatically causing serious traffic jams. Despite the traffic congestion, Pak admitted that the bus frequency is increased compared with a decade ago. She added that it’s difficult to park her scooter due to the sharp rise of vehicles; sometimes she even needs to go across several blocks from her apartment to search for a parking space. “The city appearances are very different from my child- hood, before there were many gardens and people communicated a lot. It’s sad that the community and public space are diminishing.”

Irreversible transition

The old ferry terminal of Macao.

Debby Seng, a 23-year-old citizen, lives near the border gate, where she has witnessed how this city becomes more lively but overcrowded sometimes. “Old stores are replaced by big-scale chain stores,” Seng said. In her memory, a majority of retail properties were vacant a decade ago, while most of them are occupied now. “Back then I could jog down to the street to buy fish balls and desserts with my classmates after school. We were acquainted with the shop owners and often chatted with them.” While now Seng feels alienated from new shop owners as everything changes so fast with new chain stores replacing small old snack shops swiftly and constantly. “The economy is prosperous but the quality of life declines. Everything is so expensive and continually becomes more expensive; however, the growth of our income lags much behind the increase of commodity prices.” She thinks the government should take responsibility to figure out a better and balanced way to manage the development of the tourism industry.

No one could deny that Macao is a modern city full of vitality. Even a German ex- change student Heike Sahner said she would definitely revisit Macao in the future for its great potential development. Certainly, there is nothing we can assure for the future but we can learn from the past. The 10 years’ development should be a precious experience for Macao. As for the next 10 years and the near future, let’s learn from past and look ahead.

The post Photos: Witness Great Leap in Macao appeared first on Umac Bridges Spring 2014.

“On bended knee is no way to be free, Lifting up an empty cup, I ask silently, All my destinations will accept the one that’s me, So I can breathe…”

Guaranteed, a song by Eddie Vedder, sings about a man’s craving for freedom, the desire to get away from the mundane, repeating urban life. The song resonates with the unsaid wish of a lot of city dwellers. Kate (who preferred not to give her last name), a traveler from Macao, had been wondering around the world since she graduated in Taiwan.

Immune to the glamor of the biggest cities, like London or New York, Kate is more drawn to the warmth of people and the melancholy of small countries in Eastern Europe. “People there are really warm and welcoming. Sometimes I went to restaurants to ask for directions, the owners insisted to offer me food and tea. This compassion is now rarely found in Macao.” Indeed, in a tourist city like Macao, there are people that seize every chance to make money from a tourist. Who would have the time to sit with a tourist and offer her coffee?

After her trips, Kate realized that people in Macao are getting more materialistic. “Though people are spending more money, their living standards are not in fact getting better.” This is a sad truth. People nowadays pay double for the same noodle, but is the quality better? Students receive subsidies for learning, but are we learning better? Chanel purses, limited edition G-star Raw Jeans, do people really need those? “As long as I have enough money to travel and not to starve, I’ll be contented.” This is Kate’s answer to these questions.

“I used to think that Macao people are creative, at least when I was in high school.” It saddens Kate when she finds out her high school friends gave up their artistic talents and started working at casinos. She hopes more people in Macao can step out of their comfort zones, do some- thing out of the norm, breaking away from the inevitable rules of working in casinos after graduation. Kate admitted that when she first decided to travel, she was trying to run away. Run away from the stress of society, from the suffocating city life. However, now, she is exploring, exploring the world, exploring herself and she said she will continue to travel, forever.

The post Running Away appeared first on Umac Bridges Spring 2014.

“In March, I could feel the steps of spring. I walked along the Samuel Beckett Bridge, which is in Dublin, a literary capital of Ireland. I slowed down my steps and thought of the question, ‘How long have you been away from home?’ This is an opportunity to tell the story of my life in the past years. Alright, I walked slowly toward the end of the bridge. All of these must have a beginning…”

Leon Lo, who was born and raised in Macao, then graduated from Queensland University of Technology in Australia with a Master Degree, has been away from Macao for three years since 2011. Unlike what many other graduates are doing nowadays, he renounced his three- year job as a software engineer; he gave up all his high salaries, and even left his family.

Lo asserted that successful career builders take a long view and don’t position themselves in jobs that are mediocre. He mentioned that his previous job had a seemingly enviable title, but, in fact, it was just a job that was enough only to support his life in Macao, but not to earn a large saving. He knows this is not what he wants to be.

“Expect a change, a chance to make life different.”

The Taiwanese movie called ‘Taipei Exchanges” inspired Lo to make such decision and embrace the big change in his life. It describes the value and price of the exchange, a game that you keep on exchanging for what you really want without foreseeing what you will become. In the end of the movie, the actress eventually exchanges her café for 36 travel tickets to all over the world. He said, with motivation and excitement, “The movie inspired me a lot, I was determined to give up all of my own seniority and work, and began my journey, I cast my eyes on the European continent, a new environment I had never been to.”

“To make my own dream comes true, I must have guts to give it all up.”

According to Lo, perhaps because of the eight years he spent in Australia, he could not bear the fact that education in Macao is so narrow, which restricts students’ future career. No matter how ambitious he is, he could only be an “IT guy”, not to mention that the IT industry in Macao is limited compared to the booming industries of gaming and hotels. Under this environment, Lo can’t help but feel insignificant.

Lo applied for a one-year working holiday visa in Ireland, in order to have enough time staying in Europe. When he told his family, they were very worried about him. Ireland is too far away and unknown to them. They considered it was too risky for him to give up his job, and the competition would be even fiercer a year later. “I was not surprised with my father’s answer. He didn’t know about the bottleneck at my work. The resignation of work was always under my consideration, but finally, ‘Taipei Ex- changes’ gave me a push. One would gain after giving it up.”

When Lo meets difficulties, he always laughs it off and says, “You can say that I’m childish, or accuse me of choosing to evade. I have always been reluctant to explain to those who misunderstand or are against me, for those who know me well would respect, support and understand every one of my decisions.”

“I don’t know how long I can remain as this ‘childish’ person, but I am sure my life is just far in front of me.”

The flight ticket to Ireland was ready. There was 14 hours left before departure. Although that was not the first time Lo went abroad, he felt so different. Either the fear of the unknown future, or the family quarrel before his departure that made his mind so troubled. But both his mind and body were ready to embark on this long journey.

“The Flora – Paris was the first station of the journey; the life’s journey was just like crumbs falling down, which guided me to be here. The city I had never been to before deeply touched me, and that was the start of my journey…”

The post Pilgrimage of Wealth: The Second Start appeared first on Umac Bridges Spring 2014.

Macao is a fascinating blend of Chinese and Portuguese cultures, boasting its gourmet cuisine. Over decades, Cha Chan Teng (traditional local teahouse) has been the symbol of Macao’s food culture. Will the overwhelming café culture change this situation?

With its nostalgic decoration and narrow space, Cha Chan Teng is like a childhood bubble, refreshing Lio’s memory with friends.

Along with the rapid pace of economic transition, Macao witnesses the ever-changing needs and taste of its customers. When local teahouses, simply capturing the very essence of local cuisine, could no longer satisfy customers, cafés prevailed because of their customized and varied menus.

Cafés usually serve a combination of appetizers, soups, the first course, the main course and dessert. Besides, cafés go out of their way to create unique and memorable menus exclusively for their customers, such as spaghetti with mushroom and spinach in cream sauce, smoked salmon pizza, crab meat and mushroom risotto, side Caesar salad, etc.

If you follow 16-year-old girl Mandy Lio on her way home to Avenida de Horta e Costa, numerous cafés might catch your eyes. Inside the cafés, a variety of food and drinks are served within modern interiors featuring subdued lighting and elegant seating.

Mandy is “surprised” at the booming number of cafés, which have gradually become gathering spots for her and her friends. “Some of the cafés are even right next door to each other and most of them have been open for just two years. There are around five cafés near my home, and if you walk around you would even find more,” she described.

According to Mandy, the connections between individuals are closer in Cha Chan Teng than in cafés. “If I sit in a nostalgic local restaurant, I would feel more relaxed and comfortable. I can stretch my body. While sitting in a café, with all those elaborated decorations, I would be in a less relaxed state,” she said.

Mandy Lio’s most relaxing time is to have a cup of chilled honey Lemon, chatting at Cha Chan Teng after school.

Furthermore, some scenes that are common in Cha Chan Teng are rarely seen in cafés. Without making an order, pork chop buns and a cup of hot milk tea would be served on a table for an old customer; the restaurant owner would start conversation with customers, basically all trivial matters or neighborhood gossips; one might need to share a table with strangers due to the limited space in Cha Chan Teng in peak hours. In general, Cha Chan Teng is a place one can feel at home. For Mandy, the restaurant is like a childhood bubble, it refreshes her memory with friends.

However, like many of her friends, Mandy admit- ted that she prefers the café to that of Cha Chan Teng. “There are more alternatives available in cafés; moreover new menus would be introduced constantly, which is more to young people’s taste; while in Cha Chan Teng the flavor remains the same throughout decades.”

“Though I love the atmosphere, culture, and feeling in Cha Chan Teng, my preference would be given to cafés because they offer new and delicious food,” she added.

The post Café Trend Hits Macao appeared first on Umac Bridges Spring 2014.

Do you find your “walls” full of thousands of similar photos that look exactly alike? Walls are not the physical ones in your house, but the “walls” of the social networking sites, such as Facebook and Instagram.

A Facebook wall is an area on a profile page where the content of a Facebook user is displayed. The user is allowed to share his/her thoughts and views by status, photos or even a website link. Meanwhile, Instagram serves a similar function, but it only enables users to post photos or videos. These walls are full of selfies, pictures of food, pets, new bags, and all kinds of items. Do not think that this is only for young people? Even your mom knows how to filter her selfie.

There are lots of reasons for the current situation. You may say that because everyone has a mobile camera, digital technology makes everything easier, networks are everywhere, and equipment is cheap, etc. They are all true.

However, the main reason comes from the popularity of social networking. Life is boring and routine, and people want to be liked. Online social networking services provide people with the “like” function. People come home from work and log in to Facebook or Instagram posting their selfies or lunch photos of the day, with great descriptions, and wait for the “likes”.

Instead of waiting for the “likes” and doing the same thing as others, why don’t people look for new challenges to make life meaningful and unique? One example might be to start a 365-day-photo project.

Normally, photographers engage in this kind of photography projects for a whole year to gain inspiration. As our own project, it does not require professional photographing skills. We can treat this project as a journal recording our lives. Besides making a record, it can be a way to relieve our stress and gain a better understanding of ourselves. After a whole year, you can look back on your photos and will find out some amazing ones. Moreover, you will discover what is important to your life and the changes you have made throughout the year.

In this project, you can create some specific topics — 365 portraits, 365 animals, or just 365 of everything. Remember to keep in mind that 365 means a photo of each day for a year, so bring your camera with you everywhere and keep shooting!

The post #365dayphotoproject appeared first on Umac Bridges Spring 2014.