Book 182: Macau (English) – The Bewitching Braid = A Trança Feiticeira (Henrique de Senna Fernandes)

They entered the wide stretch of the Rua das Estalgens, which was as animated and bustling as the street they had left, with its hawkers and little stalls blocking access to the shops, in a permanent fairground atmosphere. The same smells and cries, noisy conversations, bellowing of the rickshaw coolies, creaking drays and mixture of voices. A wandering barber advertised his services, pointing to his customers’ chair. At that very moment, the old street dentist was burrowing holes in the teeth of some poor devil who was shrieking, his arms pinned back by a powerful assistant. The storyteller had gathered his audience and was embarking on the eloquent account of the deeds of a legendary hero.

I didn’t know much about the former Portuguese colony of Macau, across from Hong Kong, apart from gambling being the major ‘industry’, which sadly put me off visiting when I had the chance. This lovely romance set in the pre-war colony was a wonderful glimpse into what life was like then; I assume it’s changed a great deal since the casinos, modernisation and the Chinese takeover in 1999.

In the 1930s, the handsome Adozinho, who is a rich, philanderer and a bit of a weakling from the Portuguese community, rejects the rich widow he is apparently destined for, when he falls for a poor but spirited and beautiful Chinese water seller (with her incomparable hair braid), which for both of them means being excommunicated from their communities, friends and families. They both give up everything for each other, but manage to make good. Despite his boasting and womanising (at almost 33 he is still a ‘big child’), Adozinho proves to be a faithful and loving husband, and the sweet A-Leng proves deft at defending herself with her water-carrying pole! Despite having rejected the societal norms that were expected of them, will they be able to find reconciliation with their past worlds?

There is a great introduction to Macanese history, the writer, the translation and the story, and a good glossary.

Like a multicultural society itself, the lovers need to deploy diplomacy, compromise, intelligence, the need to re-invent oneself, and sheer hard work to thrive. I really enjoyed this one and would love to see the film made of it. 

Fernandes, Henrique de Senna (1923 – ), The Bewitching Braid, translated from Portuguese by David Brookshaw, Hong Kong, Hong Kong University Press, 2004, ISBN 962 209 718 9