By Connie Leong
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.