Childhood Memory ― enclosed swimming area (泳棚)

(I fail to find the photo of the enclosed swimming area just before it was pulled down but one which was taken in the 1950s. The huts over water were where people changed their clothes and the actual swimming area was accessed by the ladders leading from the huts.)

When I was small, there was only one public swimming pool in Macau peninsula, while the other swimming pools and the 2 beaches were all situated in Taipa and Coloane islands. However, as public traffic was not so convenient in the old days, people were less willing to travel a long way to the 2 islands. Therefore, aside from the one and only swimming pool, there was an enclosed swimming area at the seaside that was very close to the Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal (港澳碼頭) now. That enclosed swimming area was in fact simply a large topless and bottomless cage placed in the sea water which people could swim inside.

My first and only time of swimming at the enclosed swimming area was very unforgettable because I almost drowned there. At that time I had learnt how to swim but I did not aware that my father just let me swim at where the water level was not over my height. However, when I went to that enclosed area where I had not swum in before, I was so excited that once I had changed my swimming suit, I did not wait till my father came out from the changing room but jumped into the water. Then I found that my feet could not touch the ground under the water and I was immediately frightened. It was like I could not retrieve my ability to swim and I struggled to grab anything to get onto the shore. However, I was in the middle of the water and of course I could get hold of nothing. Luckily, a lady who was swimming there found out that I was going to drown and immediately grab me to the rail. Only at that time my father came out and I didn’t know why I dared not tell him this fearful experience of mine. For the rest of the time, I just swam carefully within the enclosed swimming area.

Due to the development of the outport area of Macau, this enclosed swimming area had been pulled down for more than 10 years. Now, it could only exist in the memory of the Macanese.

― Stella

Re: Childhood Story ― rainy days & bicycle

Talking about rainy days, it could be a kind of "collective memory" of Macanese of our age. Yes, the sewage system of Macau in the old days was very poor. Once there was heavy rain, it is very often that the rain water rose to the knee-level. Just like what Candy did, I liked to fold paper boats and let them sail in the raining water. Ha Ha! Rainy days were the only time when we could sail our paper boats. Moreover, once my sister and I had worn our rain shoes out on the street and then happily kicked the rain water around. However, later my mother went out to look for us and saw our naughty behavior. Of course the result was my sister and I being scolded.

As for bicycle, I really haven't seen that special bicycle riding along 提督馬路 by an old man. Really hope that I could meet him on the road someday! On the other hand, your sharing does remind me of the time when riding on BMX bicycles became a trend in Hong Kong and Macau. At that time I always spent the Saturday mornings with my schoolmates by renting bicycles to ride in the garden near Hotel Lisboa (嘉思欄花園). There is a steep path in that garden which I would always want to overcome it by sloping down, U turn and then went up the slope. However, I had never succeeded in doing so. Aside from going out with friends, my father sometimes took me and my sisters to the open car park just in front of Macau Jockey Club in Taipa to let us ride bicycles there. Now of course that area is so full of cars parked and so it is no more suitable for people to ride bicycles there. Moreover, as demand decreased, the small shops which rent out bicycles closed down one by one. Now I wonder whether riding bicycle is no more a popular form of entertainment for the children in Macau, or the general living standard of Macau families is so good that children usually have their own bicycles. But as I observe, I seldom see children riding on bicycles around, instead, what I always see is children playing the electronic games such as PSP, Wii, etc…

― Stella

childhood story - bicycle

My sister used to go to school by cycling. It was something to me "super" and she became my idol at that time. But she never let me rode her bicycle nor bringing me for a ride. When I went to secondary school, I also wanted to have a bicycle of my own, but don't know why I never said it out and requested for one. Even for now, when I see people cycling on the street, I would admire the person or paying a certain kind of respect to the driver. It sounds strange, right ? But it's my feeling.

Don't know if Stella has even met an old man riding a very "stylist" bicycle in Red Market and 提督馬路 area. I called it "stylist" cos the bicycle would have different look and practical usage in different weather or season. During winter, the old man would fix cardboard all around the bicycle, with shelter on top and a transparent plastic in front as wind-screen, just to make it like a car. During rainy days, instead of cardboard, he changed using plastic sheet. Then in sunny days, he uses silvery anti-UV to build up his "car" to protect himself from sunburn. Is that cute ? I never got the chance to take his photo cos whenever I meet him, I am riding my bike and he's riding his "car".

On the busy road, so many cars and motor bike driving so fast, and there appear such a "stylist car" passing by slowly, I do really enjoy the scene.

The day before yesterday, when I was riding my bike after work, the traffic was busy, in the middle of the road, a woman was pulling her trolley with a big big load of cardboad paper on it. The load was big and it was moving slowly in between the cars, the cars just kept horning but this didn't help. The women kept pulling her trolley slowly.

Very often, it's these tiny things that make life interesting.

- candy

childhood story - rainy days

hei..hei, keep throwing out different ideas will definitley drive us to think more and more and in deeper layer. That's also my intention in my previous writing about structure -- it's a bait !

Regarding memorable childhood stories. That's too much to talk about. In this whole month, even today, it keeps raining so heavy here in Macau, this reminds me about my rainy games during childhood life. When I was small, my house was located on a steepy street. So whenever there's a heavy rain, I would fold a lot of paper boats, sometimes with short messages written on the paper as well. Then, I would run downstair and stayed by the main gate with my umbrella, watching the water rushing down like river. Then i would let go my paper boat, watching them flowing downstream, i felt happy . Sometimes by chance, other children who lived next door down the street would catch my boats and read the message. It's fun. When all paper boats gone, I would let go my slipeers. running after it and trying to catch it back.

Back to 15 or 20 years ago, the sewage system in Macau was not good. Whenever there's heavy rain, there would be flooded in many areas. My secondary school was located in the low-land district, so flood always happened in those days, the water would come up to above the knee level. What my school did was to build up a long bridge with benches, starting from the front playground to the main gate and to the road. It's so exciting and I love that. When there were cars in the opposite site of the road passed by, water current came, sometimes pushing the benches and make it shakes. we felt like walking on the water in the sea. I saw one time my classmate dropped off from the benches and got all wet, poor girl. Another time, we stayed after school for doing group work, it rained as well. When we finished our work and ready to leave the school, the flood water became so high and there were no benches. We were all afraid to walk in the water cos we couldn't see the road at all. So what we did was to grab hold of the iron fences of the houses along the road, tip toes walking along the edges. Finally, we got wet in and out, our books as well, and our white uniforms all cover with uncleanable rusty stain.

They are classical in my life.

-- candy