Bela Vista – Recollections of a Wartime Childhood
Raquel de Carvalho Remedios The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #10626
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(First published in UMA Bulletin Spring 2013; reproduced here with references to people’s personal pages and with the addition of a photo from Escola Particular Idália da Luz.)
My father, Marcus de Carvalho The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3157, was in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force, fulfilling his obligation in the essential volunteer services to defend the British Colony of Hong Kong in time of war. When war did break out, however, the Auxiliary Police was in disarray, and then it was disbanded. My father decided it was not safe for the family to stay in the flat on Salisbury Avenue; he booked our family including my grandparents into the Peninsula Hotel near the harbor. We were to remain at the Peninsula all through the hostilities, up until Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese on Christmas Day. At that point, citizens were allowed to return to their homes.
We lived in Kowloon under Japanese occupation for about six months to mid 1942, when it became increasingly difficult for my parents to obtain food for the family. They then decided to leave to join my grandparents, aunts, and uncles, who had already taken refuge in Macau early in 1942. The Government in neutral Macau, under Governor Gabriel Teixeira, provided aid to the Hong Kong Portuguese residents by chartering several ships to evacuate them to Macau.
We were to live at the Bela Vista, a hotel that had been requisitioned by the Government, as one of many centers, to house the refugees. It was a charming nineteenth century building, halfway up Penha Hill, with a commanding view of the outer harbor and the lovely Praia Grande. It had spacious terraces and walkways set among the trees, and it stood out among the many well-kept, pastel-hued residences and lush gardens at the southeastern edge of the Colony. Looking back now after more than seven decades, I would count the residents of the Bela Vista among the most fortunate of refugees in Macau during WWII, if only because of its idyllic setting and its pleasant accommodations.
I well remember our first day at the Bela Vista. My sister Rosa The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #39285 and Monica The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #29972, and I (ages 6, 5 and 3) were greeted by a group of children, ranging in ages from 5 to 12. They were curious and eager to make the acquaintance of the latest arrivals at the center. My parents had packed a bathtub-sized rattan basket filled with our toys and brought it with us to Macau. As a result of this bounty, the three of us were very popular with the kids; they certainly did have fun diving into our basket and coming up with a new plaything each time. This was the beginning of what would prove to be three happy and wonderful years for us at the Bela Vista Hotel.
Unlike our parents, we children were not burdened by the mental anguish, deprivations and uncertainties of the war. We had enough to eat, even though the food was often lacking in adequate nourishment. We had children to play with in safe and spacious surroundings. The wartime world, confining and uncertain though it might have been for the adults, was a pleasant enough place for us children. It was a veritable playground to which we very quickly adapted.
Soon after our arrival at the Bela Vista, my parents decided that we would have to continue our education and they enrolled my sister Rosa and me in school, first at Idália da Luz #26008″ Idália da Luz Private English School and then Santa Rosa da Lima Convent School.
It seems strange to me looking back that there were still hotel guests from before the war staying at the Bela Vista during the time it was a refugee center. They occupied the spacious guest rooms on the 2nd level and enjoyed the services of a number of the hotel staff that had been retained to look after their needs. I still recall some of the names of the guests: Pedro Ângelo, Albuquerque, Laranjeira, and Vila Franca.
As I am writing this piece, 68 years since we left Macau at the end of the Second World War, I can still recall many of the names and faces of the people who were residents of the Bela Vista Center. They are:
Eneas The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is 1524# and Eugenia D’Aquino The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #1523 and Family: Guilhermina The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3158, Chico The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3162, José The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3169, Eneas The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is 3176# and Eusebio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3178
Marie Ozorio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #30240, Filomeno Ozorio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #26767
Marcus The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3157 and Edris de Carvalho The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3156 and Family: Raquel The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #10626, Rosa The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #39285, Monica The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #29972 and Marcus, Jr The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #31690.
Larry The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #31550 and Sarah Costa The restricted website macaneefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20660 and Family: Delsa The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #51552,Tony The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is 51553#, Carlos The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #51554, Girlie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #51555, Vera The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #51556, Edward The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #51557, Julie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #51558 and Branda The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #51559
Julio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #33130 and Elvira D’Almeida The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #33131 and Family: José The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #30680, Edo The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20660, Julio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #33159, Manuel The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #33164 and Nati The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #33165
Paulo The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20722 and Elisa Xavier The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20724 and Family: Nuno The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20726, Jackie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20727, Claudette The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20728, Jeannette The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20729 and Argentina The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20788
Eça Silva Family: Defunto The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6915, Aida The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6918, Olga The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6922 and Marie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6917
Mr The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16508 and Mrs The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16507 Reinaldo Xavier and Family: AG The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20651, Isaura The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20652, Aida The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20653, Verlinda The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6176, Afonso The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20657, Chico The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20658 and Mildred The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20659
Armando da Silva The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6140 and Family: Bill The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #, Cissy The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6154, Delia The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6168, Irene The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6166, Joe The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6175, Elsa The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6157, Aida The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6170 and Armando Jr ‘Pinky’ The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6177
Angelina Castro The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #35158 or #9284
Leonidia Pomeroy The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is 48651# and Family: Bernie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16428, Louis The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #48652, Marie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #23175, Roy The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #48653, Joyce The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #48654, Gerald The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #48655>, Junior The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #48656, Gladys The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #48657, Felice The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #47994 and Vicky The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #35954.
Virgilio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #19220 and Mina Neves The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #19221 and Family: Cissy The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #19219, Marie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #41690 and Alio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #41693
Elvira Marques The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #4829 and Daughters: Guida The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #4840 and Olivia The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #4850
Mrs. Gardner and Daughters: Phyllis, Cutie and Frances
Mrs. Gardner The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #30211 and Daughters: Rita The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #19150 and Agnes The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16423
Bobbie Gardner
Alan Castro
Gaudie Costa The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #13341
Eduardo “Ado” Alarcon The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #6171?
Flora Gutierrez The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #25048 and son Willie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #25078
The Gutierrez Family: Olga The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3569, Zinda The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3571 and Betty The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3582
Fernando Pereira
The Baptista Family: Reggie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3279, Paco The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3287, Delcie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3280 and Rita The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3291
Mr The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #20636 and Mrs Mendes The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #13471 and Family: Mercie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #1148, Thelma The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #28670, Henrique The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #28677 and Aida The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #2402
Philip The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is 28661# and Olga Sousa The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #28660 and son The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #28664
Daniel The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is 2396# and Josefina Ribeiro The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is2400 # and Family: Francis The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #2401, Eric The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #2417, Dorothy The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #2429, Mildred The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #2431 and Yvonne The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #2433
Mrs. Souza The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is 12468# and Luis The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3281
Betty Brown The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #4590 and daughter Marilyn The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #38118
Inez Savard Remedios and Daughters: Cintia The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #9984 and Elfrida The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #9983
Antão The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #1041 and Elsie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #1042 Ribeiro and daughter Geraldine The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #46927
The Sequeira Family: Auntie Mimi The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #13357, Alice The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #13358, Lydia The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #9648, Elvie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #5080 and Socorro The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3163
Artur The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #26003 and Angela Luz The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #26004 and Family: Marie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #2452 and Armando The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #26005
Charlie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #51560 and Idie Rozario and Boykie Mauricio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #46917
Madge Jorge The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #21273 and Family: Pat The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #21281, Patricia The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #21280 and Geraldine The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #21277
Ruby Souza and daughter Gloria and son Peter Gilbert
Mr and Mrs Francis Xavier
Lichi The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16356 and Esther Rozario The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16357 and son Maurice The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16358
Carlos The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16343 and Marie Rozario The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16344 and son Edward The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #11964
Thelma Conde Barreto The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16352 and daughter Yvonne The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #29709
Aida Rozario The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #16425, George Rozario
Eddie The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3568 and Elsa Passos The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #3567 and son Rogerio The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #46954
Mrs. Brooks and Family: Sonny, Irene and Audrey
Mr and Mrs Sebastiao Costa and Family: Frederick, Rita, Richard and Tecla
Betty Gutierrez The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #25060 and Family: 2 sons and daughters, Rita The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #25066 and Lourdes The restricted website macanesefamilies.com contains the family trees of 64,000 people, each with an ID number. The ID number for this person is #25070
Domingo Portugal
And a few Goan families whose names I do not recall.
In August of 1945, following the Japanese surrender, my father returned to Hong Kong to survey the aftermath of the war and the Japanese occupation, and to see about resettling his family. During his brief stay, he secured a lease of a 3-storey home on Prince Edward Road, Kowloon from Credit Foncier (a French-owned company set up to manage the real estate of the French Fathers in Hong Kong), and was back in Macau in early September to bring our family back to Hong Kong.
We left Macau lock, stock and barrel, and we were packed aboard an overloaded Chinese junk for the journey home. My recollection is that it was a long trip and the sea was very rough – most of the passengers were sick, and were throwing up all over the deck.
When we arrived in Hong Kong, we first went to the Chase Bank at Marina House in Queen’s Road, Central, where my aunt, #9391Amalia de Carvalho Remedios, was living on the mezzanine floor. She had returned from Macau a few weeks earlier to assist in the reopening of the Chase National Bank and was given temporary housing in the bank premises. After that meeting with my aunt, my father decided that the family should go to Kowloon and settle into our new home on Prince Edward Road.
We took the Star Ferry to Kowloon and then rode in pedicabs to Prince Edward Road which took a while. I remember when the pedicab turned from Nathan Road into Prince Edward, it was dark and there was a full moon that night. As we proceeded on Prince Edward Road, past the railroad bridge, the spire of St. Teresa’s Church came into view and the full moon was just over the steeple. It was a sight that I have never forgotten.
Although we had returned to live in a beautiful home with a large front and back garden, in those first few weeks after our arrival, my sisters and I missed our many friends and playmates and longed to be back at the Bela Vista. Shortly thereafter, however, with the end of the war, the Pomeroy family returned to Hong Kong and much to our delight, moved in across the street from us. We were to remain lifelong friends. In time, we made new friends when many Portuguese families moved into the Kowloon Tong neighborhood, and a large community of Filhomacaus was established in the St. Teresa’s Church Parish.
In looking back over these many long years, I recognize of course that there had been much suffering and privation due to the war. There had been the separation of families from their loved ones – fathers, husbands and sons who had been in Japanese prison camps for the duration of the war. Then there had been illnesses and malnutrition resulting in the deaths of many loved ones, the loss of property and income, and other emotional and physical hardships. The adults and especially the elderly carried the weight of all these worries.
Still, for those of my generation who underwent the war years in Macau, it might fairly be said that we were far more fortunate than many, many other refugees in Asia and around the world. Indeed, the Hong Kong Portuguese who found refuge in a welcoming Macau had much to be grateful for throughout their stay, not the least of which was their survival. And those who stayed at the Bela Vista were, in my view, the most fortunate of all.
For me personally, I will always cherish the happy memories of our childhood years at the Bela Vista.
March 2013