MCM College: Celebration of the 21st Anniversary of the Macao SAR:
“When Bitterness Finishes, Sweetness Begins” Drama Appreciation
In celebration of the 21st Anniversary of the Macao SAR, the resident fellow of MCM College took a group of thirty students to the Parisian Theatre to watch "When Bitterness Finishes, Sweetness Begins" drama performance on the evening of 12 December 2020. This play was created by the Drama Society of UMSU and Frost Ice Snow Creative Experimental Theatre with the intention of paying tribute to the Motherland and showing gratitude to the older generation. It was a father-daughter family story based on "inheritance, search for one's roots and perseverance". Through this local story, the production team shared with the young generation the spirit of patriotism and love of Macau, encouraged the young generation to shoulder their responsibilities, move forward side by side with the older generation, and build their own home and country. The performance received positive feedback from the audience. The following are some of the students’ reflections:
“I grew up in Macau, but when I was in secondary school, I went back to study in the Mainland. Therefore, I can be regarded as witnessing the development and changes of Macau and the Mainland. There were many scenarios in the drama which I also experienced when I was young, such as the 2008 Olympic Games. It was this resonance that reminded me of many childhood memories and made me feel very pleased with the development of these two places over the years.” – Myron Wong
“The main actress' father is a traditional Chinese. "Chinese, can bear any hardship!" This shout is the best portrayal of the traditional Chinese represented by him. He is simple, hardworking, and nostalgic for his homeland. In addition, he also has the greatest quality of the Chinese: not forgetting his origin, that is not forgetting his homeland, not forgetting tradition, not forgetting good morals, and not forgetting his identity.” – Betty Maio
“Indeed, it makes perfect sense that when bitterness finishes, sweetness begins, and it may take years to understand it. In a fast-developing society, the economic level is greatly improved, and we may have no idea about some past events and "suffering", let alone bearing hardship. Only after experiencing the ups-and-downs and withstanding the setbacks, which is the so-called "suffering", can we realize the ‘sweetness’ of life.” –
Jeffrey Li
“This play is a story about two generations. The father came from the Mainland, worked hard in Macau and rooted in Macau since then. The daughter understood the truth through his father's experience and learned how to face hardship. This story is a little story from Macau, a story from an ordinary family, but it can move people's hearts and resonate with everyone. Let us thank our last generation for their hard work, only with them can we have a happy life now.” – Yulia Luo
“In the play, I can feel the hardships of our parents' lives in the past, so I cherish everything I have now. Since my growing up background is similar to the main actress in the play, it has a lot of resonance. The Chinese historical stories in the play also brought me a lot of reflection and I benefited a lot. When bitterness finishes, sweetness begins, every generation of us is all the sweetness of our last generation.” Olivia Chan
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