Portuguese author depicts experience of local transport in Macau and Lisbon

Vera Borges (left) and Ana Paula Barros [Photo; Ricaela Diputado]

The book “Crónicas da Carris e da Mesquita ao Nam Van” by author Ana Paula Barros depicts a connection between the experience of transport systems in Lisbon’s Carris (local public transportation) and Macau’s Transmac, along with other short chronicles that transform urban daily life into a space of meticulous observation.

Barros, who observes what is often overlooked by a less attentive eye, launched her book last December. It captures brief yet densely detailed moments where the mundane gains depth and meaning.

The book brings together short chronicles that transform urban daily life into a territory of meticulous observation, in which the author observes what is often unnoticed by a less attentive eye.

In the book, both Lisbon and Macau are presented as a living organism made up of routines, noises, smells, and continuous movement, while daily journeys become a ritual of interpreting the world, according to the author.

Vera Borges, a friend of Barros and associate professor at the City University of Macau (CityU), presented the book at yesterday’s launch at Macau Casa Garden and explained how the collection of chronicles carries a literary orientation.

According to her, at least one text reflects the style of early chronicles, recovering a particular way of seeing and telling. It describes who the people on the bus were at that moment, and similar observational details. It was evident that journeys on Carris, the metro, and Transmac were, in the author’s work, a metonymy of existence.

[Photo; Ricaela Diputado]

She also noted that the book’s first part is set in Lisbon, followed by a second part, which she described as a kind of denouement taking place in Macau, where the texts are of a different nature.

“This book is a collection of chronicles, as the title suggests. Chronicles are very close to everyday life, reflecting the daily life of two cities – Lisbon and Macau,” she said on the sidelines.

Borges continued, “The author traveled and made several trips on the metro and recorded what she saw and what occurred to her during those trips. Therefore, she records an important part of her daily life. After moving to Macau, she added a section set there, which has a different style and tone from the Lisbon part. The text gains greater depth because life has changed, and the writing takes on a more clearly essayistic tone. It’s a very interesting book.”

The professor said the book was first developed from a series of chronicles published on Facebook since 2016, and it was evident that during that time there was interaction between Barros and her readers.

“I know there are more chronicles than the ones included in this book, [so] I think the ones not included could become the subject of another book, exploring a different theme or topic later.”

Regarding International Women’s Day, which coincided with the book launch, Borges said the timing was fitting. “I would say it was a happy coincidence, but Ana Paula Barros truly deserves it, because this book of chronicles shows that she is a woman of causes. She is a politically engaged woman. She talks about the Portuguese Revolution, academic struggles, and the reality – which is a relatively new reality in Lisbon – of a distinctly multicultural and multiethnic city.”

She added, “I would say that one of the causes closest to her heart is precisely equality, or addressing continuing female inequality in contemporary times, so it’s very appropriate.” Ricaela Diputado