Reading in Macau

Once upon a time children would concentrate on books, maybe on magazines too.  Nowadays they spend as much time on phones and tablets and games consoles.  I think many of us would consider that they are losing out, maybe by losing the ability to concentrate for any length of time, the ability to spell and even the ability to imagine.

The children on this postcard were pictured in Macau in 1967 by the photographer Fong Chi Fung, as part of a series, Yesterday Forever.  The title of the phot0 is "Concentration, San Kiu District".

Mid Autumn Festival

I've received two separate cards which mark the Mid Autumn Festival.  The more recent is the one above from Singapore.  The sender tells me the festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th Chinese lunar month.  On this day, one of the most important festivals for Chinese people, people give thanks for protection, family unity and good fortune.  Moon cakes are eaten, symbolic of family unity, and one of the many varieties is pictured here on the reverse of the card.

The second card came from Macau last spring, almost enough time for me to put it to one side - and then forget.  In fact I have to thank a good friend who said, out of the blue, "My calendar says today is 'moon festival'. I wonder what that means?".  And it all came back to me.  I rummaged around and found the earlier card.

It explains on the reverse:

Mid Autumn Festival: 15th day of the 8th lunar month is Mid Autumn Festival.  The Chinese believe that day the moon is the biggest, roundest and brightest.  They eat moon-cakes and children play lanterns under the light of full moon.  The most traditional lantern is the white rabbit lantern.

So that is the Mid Autumn Festival in a nutshell.  A happy Mid Autumn Festival to all!

House Museum

The House Museum in Taipa, Macau, is a popular site for couples to have their pictures taken on their wedding day, and you can see why.

It consists of five houses from the Portuguese colonial era.  They were built in 1920 for prosperous families who lived in Macau at the time.  They were restored in 1999 and contain all the furniture, decorations and possessions likely to have been found there originally.