64 society
on holiday “he says. “I know from the Chinese Communist
people that went to the United Party. “Only in 1998 I returned
A Japanese
States, returned and, while the home to see my children”, he
kids use the car, the parents recalls. “I was afraid they would
use the rickshaw “ he adds. be looking for me”, he says.
invention
Slowly crossing Praia Grande He began working at
he explains that “The sea used construction sites in Macau,
to be here also,” pointing to the retired and, in 1984, he bought the
J
apaN is the rickshaw’s birthplace. The name was
Lakes. “The dragon boat races rickshaw. Ten years later he would
jin-riki-sha, “human-powered vehicle.” The English take place here”, he says. Halted get a Macau’s Resident ID Card.
romanized the word and the portuguese started to call behind two buses, Ho points to
Only then he decided to visit his
it jerinxá. later, the English removed the element jin,
the right. “That’s the house of the children. Even then he waited for
becoming rick-shaw. Following their British friends,
Portuguese Consul.” another four years fearing they
the portuguese would come to adopt the term riquexó,
according to information gathered from the book “ Da
wouldn’t want to see him. “This is
Sampana ao jactoplanador, da cadeirinha ao automóvel
Evening tour for Chinese opera”, he interrupts,
(From the Sampana to the jetfoil, from the sedan-chair
pointing to an area close to A-Má
to the car).”
Ho holds a card where both
Temple.
The origin is far from being consensual. Some the tour and places where the At the heart of Porto Interior,
attribute its invention, in 1867, “to the american rickshaw will pass can be seen.
the noise of cars and buses
missionary Jonathan Goble, while others believe that
Looking at the back of the card,
stands out and the conversation
Yokohama’s British Consulate chaplain, M. B. Bailey,
the route is different. It includes
becomes difficult. Passing by
is its inventor,” as described in the book published by
several massage parlors, spas
the historian Jorge Cavalheiro. The Japanese however,
Ponte 16, he tells: “Husbands give
are the ones claiming its invention, guaranteeing that
and barely dressed women.
money to their wives to buy food
the first rickshaw was built in 1868 to be used by a
An alternative more sought by
and instead they go play in the
paraplegic from Kyoto that didn’t fancy being transported
nighthawks. “I’m 80 years old,
casino”. Body slightly bent, he
in a chair. I don’t do nights any more,” he
points to the houses in the area
Others are sure that its invention was the
says laughing.
stressing that “they’ve been there
responsibility of akiha Daisuke, in 1870. However,
Cutting into Avenida da
for hundreds of years”.
the first official request for rickshaw production, as
Republica, Ho confides. “Only
described in the book, was from Takayama Kosuku,
In one of the city’s busiest
between 1867 and 1870.
tourists go there” he says. “If
streets, in Porto Interior, he
Controversy aside, the use of the rickshaw would
they take tourists to those houses,
stretches out his arm and waives
end up being worldwide, and after its introduction to
the owners give them a part of
his hand to change lanes. “I’ve
Shanghai, it began circulating in China’s coasta cities. the money customers pay at the never had an accident. The cars
The rickshaw would be introduced later in many
entrance. “
always stand back and go passed
other Eastern countries such as Burma, Thailand and
His marked by time lines,
outside the rickshaw,” he says.
india. it would end up also being used in Singapore
and a sincere smile, the rickshaw
As for his old vehicle, he only
by the Chinese. The philippines also adopted it, but
using small horses, instead of a driver. The Malays as
driver tells about “already having
repaired it once in the distant
well, substituted the “coolie” with a small horse from
crossed paths with some less
year of 1994. “I bought it from
Timor. Only among Chinese would men continue to pull
nice people.” People that refuse
somebody else,” he tells. The
rickshaws. L. L. to pay once the tour ends. “On Government says that these cars
one occasion I drove a gentleman
are almost world heritage”, he
from Australia for three hours. I
says, while turning right heading
wrote the price on the card. He
to Avenida Almeida Ribeiro.
went all over Macau and erased
Being 80 years old, Ho
off the price. In the end, he didn’t
doesn’t worry about the business.
want to pay, he recalls.
His professional friends usually
Suddenly he stops.
don’t have as a sole income the
“That is the monument of the
rickshaw revenues. “They also
handover,” he explains. Passing
work in construction”. Arriving at
by the Belvedere, he crosses an
Hotel Lisboa - the tour’s starting
acquaintance. After a half dozen
and arrival point - Ho adds:
greetings he says: “Here is the
“Many give up and work only
Meia Laranja.”
in construction, but later they
return”. From the 20 drivres one
Swimming to Macau can find parked at Hotel Lisboa,
only six or seven are “actually
Arriving to Barra, he begins active. “Drivers spend most of
telling the poignant story of how their time waiting for customers.
he was born in the Mainland, and “I haven’t had a fare in ten days as
swam to Macau in 1964 fleeing well”, he wraps up.
april 2009
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132